Akatsuki Translations

5th Floor of the Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters, Guild Master’s Office

In a room that could rightly be called the pinnacle of adventurers’ spaces, the room’s owner was welcoming a guest.

A woman with long hair that seemed to be a mix of black and gold. Though her face was youthful, the gravitas in her expression exuded an authority beyond her apparent age.

Known as the 【Lightning Empress】, Ikaza Gran Sparkray.

She was one of the most famous among the 【gold-ranked adventurers】, known to all who aspired to be adventurers. Currently the Guild Master of the Adventurers’ Guild, her adventures of slaying the 【Lightninghorn Devil Ape】 and wielding a sword made from its horn as she raced across the continent had been made into books. It was a popular story among children (though the subject herself seemed a bit embarrassed when she saw it).

This formidable woman was now personally serving tea to her guest.

“I’m glad to see you alive and well again, Diz,” Ikaza said.

“Me too, Master Ikaza,” replied Diz.

“Stop with the ‘Master’ business. I’m not your master.”

The person Ikaza was facing was one of the 【Seven Heavens】, the 【Hero】 Diz.

She was hosting a girl who, like herself, had mastered fearsome combat abilities.

“You are a master to me. Thanks to you, I survived my childhood,” Diz insisted.

“Even back then, you already knew how to fight. I merely gave you some advice,” Ikaza countered.

“Still, you saved me. You were much easier to understand than my other master.”

There was trust between these two as they exchanged words. It wasn’t the affection found between parent and child, but rather the trust shared between warriors who had entrusted their lives to each other on the battlefield. There was a unique bond that could only be nurtured between those who had overcome various dangers and hardships together.

“I want to hear your story. You must have been through a lot,” Ikaza said.

“I’d like to hear your stories too, Master Ikaza. Like about promising adventurers,” Diz replied.

“Well, the mid-level ones are growing, but…”

The two continued their casual conversation. They shared events that had occurred while they were apart, laughing together. As they finished drinking their tea, Ikaza suddenly asked Diz:

“Your coming here means it’s about Proudia, doesn’t it?”

Her voice had a hint of tension. Diz, responding, also shed the earlier relaxed atmosphere and nodded.

“Yes, Proudia is on the move. We need to weather this somehow.”

Ikaza sighed once and repeatedly moved her right hand. For a moment, Diz witnessed small sparks scatter from her palm.

“The Temple had given us some hints, so we were preparing, but still… what a bother,” Ikaza said.

“Can you still go out?” Diz asked.

“Honestly, I don’t have the power I had in my prime anymore. I may look young, but I’m getting on in years. I intend to go out, but I wonder how much I can do…”

Saying this, she seemed a bit self-deprecating.

In her active days, the continuous accumulation of magical power had kept her body in its prime, but since taking a position of authority, opportunities to fight in actual combat had significantly decreased.

Apart from the physical enhancement by magical power, there’s a sense that’s honed in life-or-death situations. Compared to her prime, her current self was probably a shadow of her former self. Knowing the peak made her feel bitter.

Diz, perhaps concerned about this, shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, this time we have other reinforcements coming. I think they’ll be somewhat useful.”

“Are you referring to those adventurers who belong to our guild?”

“Sharp as ever… though I suppose it’s obvious.”

From the window of the five-story Adventurers’ Guild, the tallest in the area, they gazed outside. Far beyond the high city walls, they could see the Dragon-Devoured Uuga sitting like a mountain. Since its arrival, rumors in Proudia had been all about Uuga.

The adventurers belonging to the Adventurers’ Guild who brought it were also the talk of the town now.

“I was really surprised when he came with that giant familiar. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a thing in my long adventurer life,” Ikaza remarked.

“I bet,” Diz replied.

“That ‘little sister’ over there is also a first for me in life.”

As she said this, she suddenly looked out the window where a crimson-gold colored cat was sleepily murmuring by the windowsill. Akane, in the form of a cat, was breathing peacefully, basking in the bright sunlight.

《Nyaa… 》 Akane mewed softly.

“I knew some things from the documents, but it seems they’re carrying a far more special background and fate than I thought,” Ikaza remarked.

“Well, if they weren’t, they wouldn’t have had the misfortune of catching my eye,” Diz replied self-deprecatingly.

“It might have been lucky,” Ikaza said, smiling as she denied Diz’s self-deprecation. “Because it was you who noticed them, they’re still able to resist their fate. If anyone else had noticed their existence, they would have been devoured more mercilessly.”

“That’s a bit too much favoritism, Master,” Diz protested.

“It’s the truth. You should value yourself a bit more, Guardian of the World.”

Diz didn’t answer, keeping her gaze lowered. She was a reluctant hero indeed.

“Well… since we’re here, let’s go talk to those rumored adventurers,” Ikaza suggested.

“If you approach them directly, it might draw too much attention though,” Diz warned.

“We’re probably already drawing too much attention. This is including a warning.”

Just as she was about to stand up, there was a hurried knock accompanied by the sound of rushing footsteps. Ikaza frowned and said, “Enter.”

The person who appeared from the door was the assessor, Mimil. She was an excellent guild clerk aside from her bad habit of responding with verbal fists to disrespectful people. It was rare for her to come rushing like this.

Which meant trouble.

“What’s wrong?” Ikaza asked.

“Adventurers are gathering and trying to start a lynching!” Mimil reported urgently.

“That’s far from peaceful. Who’s being bullied?”

“It’s that boy Ur!!”

Ikaza turned her gaze to Diz. With a look that said ‘See?’, she gestured. Diz raised both hands in response.

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The City of Sin, Proudia, Adventurers’ Guild Training Grounds

Under the world’s greatest Barrier of the Sun, the Adventurers’ Guild in Proudia, blessed with ample land, boasts a vast area. Naturally, the training grounds they can provide are probably the largest among the Adventurers’ Guilds in various city-states. Open to the sky rather than underground, it even has spectator seats for viewing from above.

It’s more like an arena than a training ground. In fact, during the 【Sun Festival】, martial arts tournaments are sometimes held here.

Of course, on normal days it wouldn’t be bustling with people, but on this day, for some reason, many adventurers had gathered and were crowding the spectator seats.

“Look, that’s him, right? That kid Ur,” one spectator said.

“Wow, he’s tiny. Was he really such a child?” another wondered.

“What kind of fight is this anyway?” someone asked.

“It’s a duel, they say. A duel!”

“More like a lynching, right? It’s Gagaru’s guys. What idiots.”

Currently, several figures were facing each other in the spacious training grounds.

On one side was a small boy, already famous as the next silver-rank candidate and young ace, Ur. With gray hair that contained a mix of black and white, he was a small-statured human. His facial features gave him a somewhat fierce look. Honestly, at first glance, he didn’t look like a boy with such a brilliant career. He held a wooden practice sword in one hand, examining it with a slightly furrowed brow.

Opposite him were copper-rank adventurers. Gagaru and his party. They too were gripping practice weapons, grinning as they spread out in a radius to surround Ur. The sight of multiple grown men attacking a boy who looked much smaller and weaker than them was clearly not right by any standard.

What was happening was obvious without explanation. In short, adventurers who were frustrated at not being promoted were trying to “welcome” the successful newcomer they didn’t like.

Frankly, it was a rotten approach. Normally, there would be plenty of adventurers to admonish such behavior. While the Proudia Adventurers’ Guild had a wide range of people due to its large population, there were many with excellent and upright personalities.

But this time, that self-correcting mechanism wasn’t working.

The reason was clear. Curiosity about measuring the abilities of the newcomer Ur had outweighed conscience. Of course, while a mock battle couldn’t fully measure one’s true abilities, it could at least provide a starting point. This was the situation that had drawn the adventurers to gather as spectators.

“Really, I wish they would use this enthusiasm elsewhere,” Ikaza sighed.

“You’re quite popular, aren’t you, Ur?” Diz commented.

《Is Nii-tan being bullied? 》 Akane questioned.

At that moment, Ikaza and Diz, summoned by Mimil, appeared along with Akane in cat form perched on Diz’s shoulder. Some of the adventurers noticed Ikaza and bowed their heads, but most were engrossed in shouting jeers or cheers at the “duel” below.

“Diz-sama,” a voice called out.

“Oh, hello Shizuku. You’re safe, I see,” Diz replied.

A beautiful girl appeared. Ikaza knew her. It was Shizuku, who had become an adventurer at the same time as Ur and had been active alongside him. She was rumored to be a fearsome magic user and, combined with her appearance, was said to be the true driving force behind Ur’s achievements.

She showed no signs of panic or confusion as she agreed with Akane in cat form:

《Shizuku, is Nii-tan being bullied? 》 Akane asked.

“He is being bullied,” Shizuku confirmed.

《Poor thing~》

“Yes, poor thing indeed,” Shizuku agreed, gently pressing Akane’s paw pads.

Shizuku’s calmness caught Ikaza’s attention. Noticing Ikaza’s observant gaze, Shizuku turned to her and bowed.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Ikaza Gran Sparkray-sama. I’m Shizuku. It’s a privilege to meet the Guild Master of the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Ah, nice to meet you too, Shizuku. Though I’ve seen you many times in documents, so it doesn’t quite feel like a first meeting… But you’re quite calm.”

On the floor below the spectator seats, a lynching disguised as a duel was about to begin. Yet Shizuku didn’t even glance at it, keeping her eyes on Ikaza and the others. For a moment, Ikaza wondered if the rumors were true – that Shizuku was the real talent and was using Ur as a tool. But that didn’t seem to be the case.

In response to Ikaza’s query, Shizuku smiled and said:

“Though the opponent’s strength is unknown, Ur-sama will win.”

“Oh?”

She stated it with certainty. Ikaza understood that Shizuku had that much faith in him. And then she continued.

“However…”

“However?”

“I don’t think it will be an elegant victory,” Shizuku finished.

At those words, Akane in cat form muttered, 《Ah~… 》

Diz also seemed to have an inkling, giving a slightly wry smile.