—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Doyle of the Sylvester Knights, Hare’s designated opponent, wasn’t pleased with the current situation.
‘Why did the Knight Commander make me do this?’
Doyle had always been told he was exceptional. Strong, with a powerful physique.
He had come to the capital after his family told him he would become a great knight. And indeed, he held a dominant position among the new recruits.
But…
‘Making me fight a little girl? This is ridiculous.’
Doyle gripped his massive greatsword, his gaze locking with Hare’s across the training ground. His face flushed crimson.
Hare’s appearance was far too potent for a teenage boy.
‘She’s probably weak, but… she’s cute. Small face, delicate frame… like a fragile squirrel.’
Hare, radiating an aura of vulnerability, smiled and waved in Mister’s direction.
“M-Mister…! I’ll definitely win…! Keep watching…! Hehe…!”
That bright, happy smile captivated Doyle once more. But when she finished waving and their eyes met again, Doyle’s heart skipped a beat.
‘What the…? Her expression changed… It’s sharp…’
Where did the smiling girl go?
Hare’s face was now an impassive mask, her gaze fixed not on Doyle, but on Lee Jun-woo behind him. Doyle hadn’t even registered in her awareness.
Hare’s voice was low and cold as she spoke.
“Hey, you…”
“U-Uh? Me?”
“Why are you smirking at me…? It’s disgusting… I didn’t take such good care of my skin for you to leer at… It’s for Mister… so why are you smiling…?”
“…I-I’m disgusting?”
The young boy’s heart, already fragile, crumbled.
Doyle muttered, clinging to his last shred of pride,
“W-What’s so disgusting about-.”
“I don’t like it when people other than Mister smile at me… It’s disgusting…”
Doyle’s last vestige of pride shattered. His fluttering heart now pounded with a different rhythm.
Gripping his greatsword, he muttered,
“…I was going to go easy on you because you’re cute, but not anymore.”
Hare didn’t respond, simply pulling a small wooden dagger from her pocket. Her eyes darted around, assessing her opponent.
They stood motionless for ten seconds, locked in a silent standoff.
“Alright, you two! Begin the sparring match! No lethal blows!”
Peep-!
The whistle blew, and the match began.
Doyle charged forward, relying on his superior size and strength, as he always did.
“Raaagh-!!”
He swung his greatsword, sending a cloud of dust swirling through the air. Even though he couldn’t see, he felt a distinct sensation in his hand.
‘I hit her. Did I finish her off? I put too much power into that swing… If I hit her, her bones must be broken… Did I go too far?’
A pang of guilt shot through Doyle. But as the dust settled, he stared in disbelief.
“I-I felt the impact…! What… what is this?”
The tip of his greatsword was snagged on a piece of leather. Hare was nowhere to be seen. The leather was the outer garment Hare had been wearing.
Made of leather, it had fooled Doyle into thinking he had struck flesh.
“W-Where is she!? She’s… she’s as fast as a squirrel-!!”
As Doyle frantically searched for the vanished Hare, the match was already over. Hare descended from above, muttering to herself.
“Holding the greatsword… right-handed… right shoulder tilted forward from the start… probably a horizontal swing… Will Mister praise me for this much information…? Hehe, I hope he does…”
Her voice was chilling.
She landed behind Doyle, gripping her dagger in a perfect stance, and moved swiftly.
“…I have to win this match first.”
Neck.
Ribs.
Liver.
Solar plexus.
With an impassive expression, Hare struck Doyle’s vital points in rapid succession. Not as fast as her practice strikes, but each blow was precise and targeted.
Doyle gasped, clutching his stomach, nausea rising in his throat.
“Ugh…!”
Thud-
No matter how strong or large his body, Doyle was still human, with vulnerable points.
The receptionist, witnessing the swift and decisive victory, announced,
“T-The winner… Yuriana Hare. You are awarded the adventurer rank of Gold…”
“Yay~!”
Hare brushed past the fallen Doyle without a second glance. Her eyes were fixed on Mister.
“Is… is Gold good…? M-Mister…! How was I…? Did… did I do well…?”
Lee Jun-woo gently patted Hare’s head.
“You did well, Hare. If your opponent had been a higher rank, you could have achieved Platinum or higher.”
“He… Hehe…! It’s all thanks to your teachings…!”
Hare nuzzled her head against Lee Jun-woo’s hand, basking in the glow of victory.
“I did well, right…?”
Lee Jun-woo watched Hare, recalling the match. Her ability to assess her opponent and execute her plan with speed and precision…
‘Comparing the Hero’s party to children of the same age…’
…was pointless.
A promising knight of the Sylvester Knights had been utterly defeated by Hare. It would be an insult to the Hero’s party to even compare them.
‘And Luna’s fight…’
There was no need to pay close attention. It was hard to imagine Luna, the Hero, losing.
The difference in skill between the Hero’s party and the knights was simply too vast.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Platinum for Luna, and Gold for Hare.”
As expected, Luna’s match ended quickly. It hadn’t even lasted 30 seconds.
Her opponent, a well-balanced and seemingly talented knight, had been overwhelmed by Luna’s sheer strength.
“Is it okay for them to win so easily, Irina?”
“…I didn’t expect them to lose so quickly, but it’s fine. They’re among the stronger recruits, they needed a taste of defeat.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I hope they’re not too discouraged.”
A sudden, crushing defeat after believing they were the best could be devastating.
Many talented knights had abandoned their careers and become adventurers or street thugs after such experiences.
“Don’t worry, Jun. If they were the type to give up after a loss like this, I wouldn’t have bothered. They should use this as motivation to improve.”
“…Use the Hero’s party as motivation?”
That wasn’t a good idea.
Their skills were one thing, but their mental state… it was best not to emulate that.
“Don’t tell them to use the Hero’s party as motivation.”
“Why not?”
“…Just don’t. It’s not good for their development.”
Irina looked puzzled, but perhaps because I was serious, she nodded in agreement.
As we were talking, the receptionist returned with two necklaces. I called out to Luna and Hare, who were sitting quietly on a nearby bench.
“Luna, Hare! Come here, it’s time to leave.”
“Coming, Mister!”
“C-Coming…!”
They rushed over, their faces etched with annoyance.
“We barely survived thanks to you, Mister! Those guys were so annoying!”
“T-They kept talking to us…!”
“Those guys?”
The knight recruits?
I glanced back in their direction. They were staring intently at Luna and Hare.
‘Not discouraged, but smitten, I see.’
Well, Luna and Hare were exceptionally attractive for their age. It was natural for them to attract attention.
“Do you like those two?”
I asked casually.
Luna and Hare shrieked in disgust.
“What are you talking about, Mister! Why would I like those kids! I prefer someone older and more reliable!”
“M-Me too, Mister…! I-I don’t like them at all…! I-I hate them…!”
“…You don’t have to react so strongly.”
Their reactions were like they had been pricked by thorns. They clearly disliked my question. I decided to drop the subject and leave quickly.
Saten and Estia were waiting for us at home. We needed to complete the quest quickly.
“We’ll be going now, Irina.”
“Alright, thanks, and take care. Before you go, can I have a word?”
I leaned in to listen. Irina whispered, her tone serious,
“…Be careful, Jun. Things are… unstable in the capital. This is just between us, but the Church and the Knights are in turmoil. We’ll have to observe the situation, but… it’s best to be cautious.”
Irina’s face returned to its usual impassive mask, a clear signal not to discuss this further. I bid her farewell and left the guild.
“Now we can start the quest. Before we go, Hare, what did you want to tell me earlier?”
“Oh, about that…! At the market, I…!”
Hare’s next words were completely unexpected.
“I saw a Demon Lord at the market…! A Demon Lord called Greed…! He was covered in bandages…!!”
“…What?”
Greed.
The Demon Lord of Greed, the one I hadn’t been able to destroy.
‘…How is Hare still alive after encountering a Demon Lord?’
If Greed had wanted to, he could have easily killed Hare.
Hare’s words seemed to trigger something. New text appeared before my eyes.
If I couldn’t destroy him, it would be better to avoid the encounter. There was no need to risk unnecessary danger and expend energy.
But…
‘Option 1.’
After seeing both futures, I had no choice but to choose option 1. For one reason only, Luna and Hare’s growth.
‘Even if it’s a thorny path for me… the Hero’s party’s growth is paramount.’
The reasons to go on the quest outweighed the reasons to abandon it.
With the Demon Lord weakened, this was an opportunity for the Hero’s party to grow stronger.
‘I’ll use that Demon Lord as a stepping stone for the Hero’s party.’
And so, I chose option 1, the path that led to the Demon Lord of Greed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
please make this free im actually begging please