Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Silver Rank? (Real) Adventurer Reti
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Creak!
The heavy iron door of the underground wine cellar screamed with a metallic screech.
As the black mages died or were neutralized and the binding spells released, those who had been trapped were finally able to crawl out.
"Ugh... my head..."
The mayor of Oakwood, Goldman, crawled up the stairs, his appearance utterly wretched. His finest silk robes were reduced to filthy rags covered in dust and stains, and his once-oily face was drained white with terror.
Behind him came his secretary, the guard captain, and other prominent figures, crawling out one after another.
They looked like a swarm of sewer rats emerging.
The afternoon sun shone mercilessly bright on the garden of the mayor's residence. Goldman squinted in the dazzling light and looked around.
'What the hell? Everything's fine?'
All night long, screams and monstrous roars had torn at his eardrums. Yet despite that hellish night, Oakwood's streets stood intact, as if by some lie.
Beyond the garden fence, people carried the wounded and hauled supplies. Oakwood was alive.
"Ha... hahaha!"
Goldman suddenly burst into mad laughter. A spark of hope ignited in his terror-paralyzed brain, leading him to a bizarre conclusion.
"See! It got suppressed in the end! Those black mages failed! Just as I planned! The guards and military police must have handled it all!"
His secretary propped up his broken glasses with his hand, the lenses clinking.
"Y-yes, it seems the Pantheon Temple's blessings truly favor you, Mayor! This is our chance! If we just go out and pretend to take charge of the cleanup, we can pin all the blame for this mess on those adventurers!"
"You bet! We're heading to city hall right now! I need to show everyone I'm still kicking!"
The mayor dusted off his clothes roughly and hurried out of the residence. At the garden entrance stood the guards, lined up. Goldman raised his chin in his usual haughty manner and bellowed.
"You there! What are you standing around for? The mayor's out—escort me! Clear the way now!"
But the response was ice-cold. The guards stood like statues, rifles in hand, unmoving. The glint in their eyes under their caps held no respect for their superior anymore.
"Hey! Guard captain! What kind of training did you give these idiots?"
The flustered guard captain yelled at his lieutenant.
"These bastards! Didn't you hear the mayor?"
But instead of answering, the lieutenant turned his head and spat a thick glob of phlegm on the ground.
"Pah, disgusting."
The chain of command had already collapsed. If the adventurers hadn't defended Oakwood, they would have ended up as monster fodder while under sleep spells.
Any loyalty they might have owed to the mayor who had thrown them to the wolves had long since been tossed to the dogs.
But Goldman, still oblivious to the situation, turned beet red and ranted.
"Y-you lot have gone mad! This is all grounds for discipline! Discipline!"
The mayor's entourage shoved past the guards and fled the residence. The contemptuous stares boring into their backs stung, but greed and stubbornness ignored the warning.
Soon, the mayor and his group arrived at the city hall plaza with pompous strides.
The plaza was packed with people. Adventurers who had bled through the night to protect the city mingled with citizens.
As the mayor clambered onto the platform, the murmurs stopped dead, like a lie. Heavy silence.
Goldman's mind twisted it into awe.
"Respected citizens!"
The mayor spread his arms wide and shamelessly shouted.
"Those incompetent, greedy adventurers have finally plunged our city into danger! But rest easy! I and the city officials—our brave military police—crushed their conspiracy and saved the city..."
It was the pinnacle of shamelessness. At that moment, the silent crowd parted like the Red Sea. From the gap strode a massive man.
It was White Skull's leader, Mace. His armor was caked red with monster blood.
"Oh? You're... al-alive?"
Mace cracked his knuckles with a pop and approached. The murderous aura froze Goldman's tongue.
"Hey, you fucking moron Goldman!"
"Wh-what...! How dare you!"
"Time for a beating."
Mace leaped onto the platform in one bound.
"Guards! What are you doing? Stop this madman!"
No one moved. Mace grabbed the mayor by the collar in an instant.
"Let go! I'm the mayor..."
Thwack! A dull thud echoed across the plaza. Mace's fist slammed perfectly into the mayor's jaw.
Teeth flew from Goldman's mouth like corn kernels from a thresher. The mayor tumbled pathetically to the ground.
"Wh-what? What's going on here?"
"L-let's get out of here!"
The secretary and dignitaries realized things had gone south.
They finally noticed the murderous glint in the eyes of the gathered citizens and adventurers and began backing away stealthily, intent on fleeing.
Thwip! Thunk!
With sharp cracks, crossbow bolts embedded in the pavement right at their feet.
"Eek!"
The mayor's group looked up in horror. Three small shadows—arriving unnoticed—had crossbows trained on them.
"One more step, and the next one's through your foot!"
Reti warned coldly.
Then, from afar, a column in blue uniforms pushed through the crowd. The military police. The bloodied mayor let out a joyful scream.
"Military police! Military police! Arrest this crazy adventurer! It's violence! Rebellion! The adventurers...!"
But the police captain didn't even glance at Goldman.
The unusually menacing police force made Goldman's face stiffen.
Instead, the captain halted below the platform, pulled a paper from his coat, and read dryly.
"George Goldman."
"What...?"
"This is an emergency arrest warrant issued by the Chief Justice. Charges: black magic use, incitement to mass murder, and... conspiracy to rebellion."
Rebellion.
The weight of that word turned Goldman's face ashen.
"Wh-what? Are you insane? Rebellion? I'm the mayor appointed by His Majesty the King! Who dares arrest me!"
"Pathetic, Goldman."
A white-haired elder stepped forward from behind the police. It was the Baron of Oakwood.
"Your filthy plot has been laid bare by the black mages' confessions. Oakwood is no longer your playground."
"B-Baron... no, this is a frame-up! Those lowly adventurers cooked this up..."
"Take him away quickly. I beg you."
At the baron's gesture, the police swarmed and subdued the mayor and his cronies. In moments, they were trussed up like linked sausages and dragged away.
"Come on! You criminals! You're all facing execution!"
"Ex-execution?"
Only then did cold reality sink into Goldman's mind. Execution. The weight pressed down. But by the time reason returned, it was far too late.
"No! Nooooo!"
Goldman's desperate wail crossed with the citizens' cheers.
"Woooah!"
Oakwood's morning dawned with the fall of the wicked.
Three days after the incident ended.
Oakwood was swiftly regaining stability.
Mayor Goldman and his cronies had been escorted to the capital. With charges of rebellion, rumors swirled that they would vanish like morning dew on the execution ground.
The vacancy was filled by the Baron of Oakwood at the city council's earnest request. He was the only one both citizens and adventurers could accept.
After enjoying some sweet rest, we were summoned to the guild master's office that morning.
"Come in. How are you all holding up?"
The guild master, much recovered, greeted us and Mace warmly.
"Thanks to you, we're fine. You look like you've lost some weight after starving for days, old timer. Haha."
Mace teased, and the guild master coughed awkwardly with a sheepish smile. He opened a desk drawer and slid two heavy leather pouches toward us.
Thud!
"First things first. Take this modest reward."
"What's this?"
"Those black mages had quite the bounty on their heads. Added the guild's special bonus to it."
Untying the pouch revealed it stuffed full of silver coins, nearly spilling over.
"Two gold coins and about fifty silvers."
"Two hundred and fifty silvers...!"
Our trio's jaws dropped. It was a fortune a novice adventurer might never touch in years. We exchanged silly grins.
"And... normally, we'd discuss promotions."
"Promotions?"
Ah, right—with our achievements, they'd bump us up. I was secretly hoping, but the guild master stroked his goatee with a troubled look.
"Frankly, your feats make silver rank a given, and depending on interpretation, even gold is in reach. You stopped a great demon summoning and saved the city. But..."
"Not right now, right?"
I asked flatly, and he nodded gravely.
"Sorry. I'd love to pin silver badges on you immediately, but this mess is too politically sensitive. Demon worshippers ran rampant, and half the city's elite vanished overnight. Plus..."
The guild master trailed off uncomfortably.
"When you drove out the demon, silver-rank White Skull and the Pantheon Temple's elite investigators were there, weren't they?"
I got the picture.
"Headquarters and other guilds might complain that bronze-rank adventurers were just backups. Defending an immediate promotion would be tough. It'd spark backlash."
As expected. Bureaucracy slices merits thin.
"Instead, I'll write a priority promotion recommendation in my name!"
"Priority recommendation?"
"Yes. Just telegraphed headquarters in the capital. Show it at any guild, and you'll get top priority for review. Knock out a few formal quests, and you'll hit silver faster than anyone. Sound good?"
Better than expected. Sudden fame brings headaches. Better to build strength quietly for now.
"Perfect. Jumping ranks too fast just breeds envy. We'll earn it fair and square!"
The guild master finally relaxed, relief washing over his face.
As we left the guild, Mace pulled me into a back alley.
"Hold up, Reti."
"What, mister?"
Mace glanced around, then pulled a heavy wooden box from his coat and handed it over.
"Take this."
Inside: bullets, powder flask.
And a sleek steel-barreled double-barrel pistol gleaming coldly.
"This is..."
"Was gonna use it myself. You girls have guts. And skill."
Mace ruffled my hair roughly but affectionately.
"Don't flash it till silver rank. Military police spot it, it's trouble. Dungeon-only! Got it? Think of it as your ace."
"Mister... thank you!"
I hugged the pistol to my chest, moved.
Out on the street, Camilla's group was preparing to leave. A magical prison wagon held the remaining black mages.
"Oh, Reti. Hi?"
"Heading out?"
"Afraid so. Confirmed the demon worshippers' plot was real... Handing these over in the capital, then scouring Winster Kingdom for a while."
Camilla waved. Her gaze softened over my shoulder, at Rodentia hovering in the air.
"Lady Rodentia, doing well?"
Since learning her identity days ago, Camilla's look toward us had changed. We were apostles serving an awakened lesser god, after all.
[Doing great! Child of scales and staff!]
"Still astonishing. The ratkin lesser god is real, awakening now..."
As a necromancer and Pantheon Temple priestess, Camilla showed keen interest in Rodentia. Over the past three days, she'd visited often, peppering her with theological questions.
Rodentia sighed, facing bitter reality again.
[They've utterly forgotten this Lord of the Hamster Wheel. Ungrateful main gods...]
"We'll report this to the Pantheon Temple immediately. Surely a misunderstanding. The goddesses of wisdom and magic couldn't ignore your existence..."
[Hmph, that bookworm and witch preen like they're superior... too busy guarding their rice bowls!]
Grumbling, Rodentia's expression seemed faintly lonely.
The sorrow of a forgotten god, perhaps.
"See you at the Pantheon Temple, Goddess. And Reti, Sena, Mani."
Camilla's single eye gleamed through her hair.
"Visit my lab when you get there? I'll have tasty snacks... and intriguing experiments ready~"
"Uh, sure..."
It evoked Felicia's sticky gaze at Rodentia, but I decided to think positive.
Thus, we bid farewell to the Lich Clan and Oakwood.
That night, in our inn room, we poured the silvers on the bed and dove into happy dilemmas.
"Wow! We're loaded!"
"This buys a sturdy wagon easy! Head straight to the Pantheon Temple? Ship sounds good too!"
Sena and Mani spread a map, buzzing with excitement. My heart raced too.
Now with money, we could cross the continent and sea.
Then, the hamster wheel began turning quietly.
[Wait, apostle.]
Rodentia's voice was unusually serious.
[I've realized something from this incident.]
"What, Lord?"
[Demon worshippers infest the world. We foiled their plan, so they might be watching us. Traveling far at our current strength... is dangerous!]
Rodentia hadn't forgotten that scent, the malicious aura from the black mages' lair.
[I need to nurture more divine power too.]
"Right. Can't just go."
I closed the ledger and nodded.
"We need silver rank first. Means playing in bigger ponds, building strength."
I pulled out a travel map and pointed. Winster Kingdom's heart.
"Target: capital Dunholm. Bigger, varied dungeons nearby, tons of quests. We'll hone skills, get official review, gear up, then Pantheon Temple."
I looked at the others. Sena agreed; needed Mani's say.
Mani nodded instantly.
"Pantheon Temple... your goal? Perfect. I want to go too."
"You too?"
"Yeah! Got business there!"
Great. Party unanimous.
"Awesome! Capital means grand cathedral!"
"Better materials too?"
Our party's minds aligned.
Oakwood adventures ended.
Time to prep for departure.