(He’s giving me advice, I can tell he’s a kind person. Really mysterious. This person probably isn’t nervous at all. There really are all kinds of people… there’s even a descendant of the hero.)
Just as Will was remembering Tamika, whom he had met at the hero’s statue that morning, a loud voice rang out at that exact moment.
“—What did you say!? You brat!”
“I only said what was natural.”
The restaurant fell silent. Everyone looked toward the voices to see Tamika being harassed by a large, rough-looking man. Around her were his followers, and they all glared at Tamika, surrounding her.
“Hey, you’re an eyesore, get lost.”
“Damn brat.”
(Ta-Tamika-san!? What happened!?)
The large man tried to grab Tamika’s collar, but in the next moment, Tamika grabbed his arm and started crushing it with her grip strength.
“You better stop, or I’ll crush it.”
“—!”
After the man writhed in pain from having his right arm nearly crushed by her grip strength, she glared at him and released his arm. Then she paid the shop owner, giving him extra money.
“This is too much money…”
“Take it for the disturbance.”
Saying that, she left with an intimidating presence that prevented Tamika’s glaring followers from making a move, putting her hands in her pockets.
(I don’t know what happened, but… she really is amazing.)
Tomorrow’s exam where the large man and his followers, Tamika, and Ban – all these different existences would intersect – Will steeled himself anew.
“Hey, what was that about?”
“You know, you’ve heard of it. That big guy and his followers were making fun of Ruta, who’s been failing the exam for years.”
“So that descendant of the hero got angry?”
“She said she didn’t like it and told them if they’re going to step on others, she’d step on them too.”
“Heh.”
“Ruta always passes up to the written exam, but fails from there.”
“How many times has Ruta taken the exam this year?”
“This is his tenth time apparently. Normally people would give up.”
It seemed that when a young man named Ruta was being made fun of and bullied by those around him, Tamika couldn’t stand it and picked a fight. Knowing this, Will felt she really was amazing.
The exam where troublemakers, the weak, and the strong would intersect was approaching.
The next day, fifty written exam passers were gathered in front of the adventurer’s guild. In front of them stood a kind-looking male guild staff member.
“Now, let me explain the exam. First, please look at this. This is a monster called Black Cat.”
In front of the man was a single cute, small black cat. The black cat had a ribbon on its ear.
“This one has been tamed, so it won’t attack you. However, it’s been trained to run away the moment it sees humans. Those with good intuition have probably already realized, but the exam is to take the ribbon from these Black Cats with ribbons. By the way, harming these Black Cats is prohibited.”
Small black cats the size of cute creatures – these too are monsters. However, they have friendly personalities and often live as family pets with people. They can engage in combat, but above all, their speed is outstanding, and they specialize in escape.
“Twenty of them have already been released in the underground of Suya Mountain Range near this Popo Town. So yes, the number that can be caught is exactly what you think. The practical exam passers are limited, so please hurry…”
He said this with a cheerful smile.
“Furthermore, there’s also a time limit until noon. If you exceed that, you’ll also fail… Well then, starting now! Everyone, good luck.”
At his words, everyone tried to run toward the Suya Mountain Range from town. However, only Tamika stopped and crossed her arms at the town exit.
“If you’re going to attack, do it here, will you?”
She seemed to be addressing yesterday’s large man. At Tamika’s words, they faced each other with wicked grins.
“Ho? So you noticed?”
“Of course. It’s easy to imagine what scum like you are thinking. You were planning to attack me in the confined dungeon anyway. It’s more efficient to settle this here.”
The other examinees went ahead without paying attention to them. Tamika probably thought she could easily catch up later.
“Come at me, all of you.”
“Heh, fine then. We’ll crush you. Hey, you guys, Black Cats are prohibited from being killed, but humans aren’t prohibited. Crush her so she can never stand up again. Just because she’s a descendant of the hero doesn’t mean we need to hold back.”
At his words, about ten people attacked Tamika. They were attempting the adventurer exam as a group, trying to pass through numerical cooperation. Everyone knows that numbers are one answer to strength. They too were thinking of first crushing the impudent Tamika.
Furthermore, they were even planning to wait in ambush outside town to catch examinees who had caught Black Cats and steal from them. One against ten – normally defeat would be certain. Will, who was watching nearby with concern, thought he couldn’t overlook this and was about to intervene. However, the battle situation changed in an instant.
With truly lightning-like speed, dry sounds rang out. Tamika struck their solar plexus, skulls, and necks respectively with the wooden sword she had brought, bringing them all to the ground.
“That’s my line. I’ll make it so you can never stand up again.”
Though her words were aggressive, the fact that she fought with a wooden sword and limited injuries to avoid lasting damage might have been the mercy of the strong. She then pointed her sword at the large man.
“—Impossible…”
He opened his eyes wide in surprise at seeing his followers defeated. He felt awe toward someone with strength far above his level.
“Whew, now this shows talent. They said Tamika Trelvarner had no talent… but that doesn’t seem to be the case?”
A guild staff member watching from afar couldn’t stop smiling as he observed Tamika. He was excited, feeling a new era from strength that clearly set her apart from others.
“Kuku, but wooden sword – that softness will be your downfall. You can’t match my greatsword. The moment you touch it, I’ll cut right through you.”
He gripped with both hands the iron greatsword he had been carrying on his back – a sword about the same size as Tamika. However, Tamika coolly held out one hand and provoked him.
With anger showing on his forehead again, he swung his greatsword. If she received it with a wooden sword, Tamika would certainly be cut along with it. However, she struck not the blade part but the hilt of the greatsword with her wooden sword, stopping his sword completely.
“I don’t deny flocking together, but you who look down on others because of it are weak.”
She then put her sword to his neck. The giant man was sent flying several meters, dancing through the air before falling to the ground. After defeating him, she lost interest and headed toward the mountain range.
Most examinees had already headed to the mountain range earlier, but some had been watching her battle. Will, Ban, and Ruta. While Will and Ruta were amazed by Tamika’s strength, seeing her head toward the mountain range, they too began heading to the mountain range.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Adventurer’s Guild Practical Exam: 13 out of 50 eliminated. 37 remaining.
The exam had just begun.
Tamika had just eliminated thirteen examinees. She had no regrets about this. However, something was nagging at her heart.
(Strange. I defeated the bastards who had their eyes on me, yet what is this sense of unease?)
While searching for Black Cats in the Suya Mountain Range, she tried to identify the source of her unease. However, she couldn’t find an answer no matter what.
At that moment, she noticed something. Someone was following her tracks.
“…Who’s there?”
“—As expected, you noticed.”
It was a mocking voice, but one she recognized. She looked suspiciously at the man who appeared. Because that man was Ruta, the man who had been made fun of by that large man and his followers yesterday.
“I see, so I was deceived.”
“That’s not right. I literally have been taking the exam every year, and being harassed by those guys for that reason was also true. It’s not that those guys and I were in cahoots trying to trap you.”
Ruta laughed. At his creepiness, Tamika reached for her sword of beginnings, ready to draw it. Her shift to battle stance and Ruta’s transformation happened almost simultaneously.
Horns suddenly sprouted from the forehead of what had been a human child, and his skin color, which had been a beautiful near-white, changed to an eerie blue.
His slender body also changed to one with a thick chest. Like being reborn, he transformed into a monster with overwhelming presence.
“A demon…”
“Ho, you’re not surprised? I guess I should crush you after all.”
The race called demons is dangerous and cruel. It’s even said that if you encounter them, you should run.
“Why did you target me?”
“That’s because you’re a descendant of the hero, obviously. And considering your high combat ability… I thought it would be better to eliminate you now.”
“I see. The spirit of demons is like gravel, but… that discerning eye alone is genuine.”
Having heard that much, she judged there was no need to listen further.
Clang – the sword of beginnings and the demon’s long claws crossed. Despite being metal and claws, the sound was very heavy.
The demon’s physical abilities were superior to Tamika, who was human. However, that alone doesn’t determine a battle.
That’s why the large-swinging claws and the sharpened sword were evenly matched.
Claws aiming for her head – dodging by a hair’s breadth, she wished.
(I want more power. I should still be able to go higher. Like father and big brother…)
She had confidence she could win. She also had the real sense of growing through training with Hero Dan.
However, the demon wasn’t just a weakling either. Ruta increased his speed further. Tamika was still 15, while the demon was over 40. Though Tamika had been continuously growing, she was slightly overwhelmed by the depth of strength of the higher race.
The demon’s kick hit Tamika’s stomach, and she was sent flying through the air.
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