The Debut of the Tactical Noblewoman
The outfit I had been waiting for finally arrived today.
I had placed a custom order for a set of clothes that would perfectly match Scarlet.
It was crafted based on a sketch I drew from memory—a design I had created in my previous life.
A red off-shoulder dress paired with black plate gauntlets and plate greaves.
Black armor wrapped around my chest and flanks, with white frills lining the underside of the skirt.
With a three-point color scheme of black, white, and red, it exuded an elegant, noblewoman-like aura while remaining highly functional and tactical.
“Ohohoho! What do you think, Marie? Isn't it beautiful?”
“F-Fran... Um...”
“Yes?”
“Isn't the skirt... a bit too short?”
That's the whole point! The charm lies in the skirt fluttering precariously as I swing my greatsword!
“My, is it? I really can't tell.”
“Uuu...”
Marie shrugged her shoulders, looking terribly embarrassed.
Alright, now that the outfit is complete, let's head to the Adventurer Guild!
“Well then! Shall we go, Marie?”
“Y-Yes!”
The Adventurer Guild was located in Sancriat, a city to the west of Roselle, the capital of the Valgrande Kingdom.
Since Sancriat also housed the Academy, the city was a bustling hub for cultivating young talent.
It was relatively close to the Valois estate on the outskirts where I lived.
Riding in a magic carriage, Marie and I gazed out at the scenery with fluttering hearts.
Arriving in front of the Adventurer Guild building, I pushed the doors open, my heart swelling with excitement.
Creak—
“Greetings, one and all~”
The guild's reception area was bustling today as well.
Adventurers gathered from all over the country were chatting about this and that, and some groups were transporting small, captured monsters. Probably for research purposes.
The boisterous atmosphere quickly shifted to a low murmur as they saw me.
It was probably because I had walked in carrying a greatsword—and a ridiculously massive one at that—instead of a wand or a staff.
I smirked inwardly. What are you guys gonna do about it, huh?
“My, it is quite noisy here. Is there some sort of festival going on?”
“They're whispering about Scarlet on your back, Fran. I think I should warn them.”
I held Marie back and rummaged through my pocket to pull it out.
“Hoho, do not fret. We have this, do we not?”
Striding confidently through the crowd, I placed the goblin's accessory on the reception desk with a sharp *clack*.
“We have subjugated the monsters. Pray, grant us our Adventurer Licenses~”
“M-Me too!”
Marie presented her accessory as well.
“Greetings. Ah, a goblin's accessory.”
“Yes, indeed~”
“Confirmed. We need to process your registration first, so please wait a moment.”
While waiting, Marie and I looked around the large quest board mounted in the guild.
It displayed various monster subjugation requests ranging from tiny slimes to gargoyles, along with part-time job-like quests such as gathering herbs or helping with farm work.
“Oho, so we can undertake these tasks once our licenses are issued.”
“Yes, I heard we receive rewards upon completing the requests.”
Marie continued.
“However, our current goblin subjugation only serves as a qualification for the license, so we won't receive any monetary reward for it.”
“I see. You have done your homework, Marie.”
“Fufu, I did some research after seeing you take an interest in the Adventurer Guild, Fran.”
“Hey, you there.”
Huh? Me? A girl's voice called out.
“Isn't a guild quest a bit too much for someone carrying such an outdated weapon?”
The source of the sudden, condescending voice was a girl with short, blue-white hair and blue eyes.
Wearing a black uniform that resembled a school outfit and a cape lined with blue, she looked like a mage to anyone who saw her.
“Oh, Commoner. Would you mind handpicking a decent quest and bringing it to me?”
“What?! Commoner?!”
The girl flared up, and the surrounding adventurers began to murmur.
Flustered, Marie whispered to me cautiously.
“Fran, even if she's of commoner origin, she's the famous S-class adventurer, Kailin.”
Ah. I see. I don't know her because she's not a character I created. She is pretty, though.
“Ah, is that so? I am Françoise Albert de Valois~”
Kailin huffed and puffed before letting out a snort.
“Hmph, you seem pretty relaxed. Why don't we see what you've got?”
Talking down to me like that is pretty annoying. Fine, I'll take you up on that.
“Very well~ I shall show you my power.”
Kailin ripped a request form off the board and walked out. Marie and I followed her.
“Lady Françoise Albert de Valois, Lady Marie Robert de Saint-Victor. Your licenses have been issued... Huh? Where did they go?”
I found myself standing in front of a certain labyrinth.
A gate made of colossal boulders. Looks like a place where something massive would dwell.
“It's a dungeon frequently visited by adventurers. They often raise their ranks here.”
Kailin explained, crossing her arms.
“It's a perfect tutorial-like place for someone like you.”
“Hmm~ I see.”
“Fran, will you be alright?”
“Fufu, as long as you are fine, Marie, I do not mind at all~”
“Then follow me. Our target is a Minotaur.”
When Kailin placed her hand on the gate, it opened with a heavy rumble.
“There's no one around at this hour, so you'll be able to show your true skills.”
Kailin confidently took the lead, and we followed closely behind.
A few minutes later, we reached the underground labyrinth, which resembled a maze.
We could see Minotaurs wandering around, wielding spears and swords.
Whoa, seeing them in real life is actually so cool! They look exactly like the design I made.
“They are so huge...!”
Marie trembled slightly.
“Do not be afraid. They are merely trivial monsters.”
“I'll show you how it's done, so watch closely.”
Kailin put on her gloves and raised one hand high.
*Crackle—*
An electric field surged up her arm. Must be lightning magic.
The electric field shaped into a massive spear and flew toward a Minotaur, piercing its vital point cleanly and bringing it down.
“Now, show me what you've got. The rest of the pack will be swarming us soon.”
With one of their own down, the surrounding Minotaurs became agitated. They began to charge in a stampede.
Marie manipulated the surrounding rocks and debris, hurling them forward.
“Take this!”
*Crash—!!*
A few of her attacks landed critical hits, but several Minotaurs pushed through and continued their relentless charge.
“Oh, earth magic? Not bad.”
Kailin flicked her finger to finish off the critically injured Minotaurs.
“Why don't you step up too?”
Kailin gestured toward me with a nod of her head.
“Do not rush me, Commoner.”
“I'm not a commoner!”
So that's an S-class adventurer. She really does look relaxed.
Time to show off my skills! Hmm, there are too many of them. Is there a way to wipe them out all at once...?
I gripped Scarlet's hilt tightly with both hands and dashed toward the Minotaurs.
“Wait, what are you doing?!”
“Fran!”
Watch closely. This isn't just a run; it's a leap.
Un.
Deux.
Trois!
I channeled strength into my legs and leaped high into the air.
“!”
I suspended in midair, a crimson energy wrapping around my arms.
Scarlet was concentrating its power. Upon landing, I slammed Scarlet down with immense force.
“Behold the Earthquake—!!!”
*BOOM—!!!*
Starting from the point of impact, all the structures ahead collapsed.
Some of the charging Minotaurs were torn apart by the sword energy, while others were crushed to death under the falling debris.
The completely collapsed labyrinth path would prevent any more Minotaurs from coming out.
Which meant the Minotaur subjugation was officially over.
Wow, Scarlet... its performance is absolutely insane. At this rate, subjugating monsters in the future will be a breeze.
“W-What in the world...”
Kailin stood there with a look of utter shock. Hehe, this is the power of the greatsword, kiddo.
“Fran! That was amazing!”
“Ohohoho! This is merely a basic skill~”
I walked over to Kailin and extended my hand for a handshake.
In this world, a handshake was a gesture of great goodwill.
“Nice play, Commoner!”
“I told you, I'm not a commoner!”
Flustered, her cheeks flushing red, Kailin muttered.
“Y-You're actually not half bad.”
“Of course~ You did quite well yourself, Commoner.”
Kailin reluctantly took my hand and shook it.
“Could you please stop calling me 'Commoner'...”
“My, it is my pet name for you. Pray, do not misunderstand~ Ohoho!”
A true noblewoman addresses everyone else as a commoner. It makes her look proud. Though, it does make me sound like a bit of a brat. Oh well, let's roll with it!
“A p-p-pet name?!”
Kailin stammered, looking even more shocked than before. She seems incredibly easy to tease...
Meanwhile, Marie gently tugged at my sleeve.
“F-Fran...”
“Yes?”
“D-Do I not get one of those?”
“One of those? Ah, Marie is simply Marie~ Ohoho!”
Marie looked slightly disappointed. Oh, in that case...
“Then, may I call you Mariring~?”
“No, thank you.”
Marie instantly deadpanned. Ah, I guess that was a bit much.
Once again, a crimson energy emanated from Scarlet, absorbing something from the fallen Minotaurs.
*Fwoosh—*
Your strength has slightly increased.
[Acquired Minotaur's Pauldron]
New Skill Unlocked: Brave Rush
A cool black pauldron, matching my armor, materialized on my left shoulder.
And even Brave Rush... So I can actually acquire skills this way.
Wait, was the skill I used earlier just a regular attack? Eh... and here I thought I came up with a pretty cool skill name.
“That sword, what is it? What just happened?”
Kailin tried to pry deeper.
Hmm... Let's just brush it off for now. After all, the only thing I know is that Scarlet was stuck in a cave.
“Shall we head back? Thanks to you, Commoner, we forgot to receive our Adventurer Licenses!”
“I told you, I'm not a commoner!!”
We returned to the guild and reported that we had subjugated the Minotaurs.
“A Minotaur? You have worked hard.”
The guild receptionist took our licenses back and returned them with our new ranks.
The licenses, which had been D-class, were now updated to C-class.
“Thank you for your hard work. We look forward to working with you in the future.”
Ooh... So this is an Adventurer License!
The Adventurer License looked just like a driver's license. Did they use magic for the photo? It turned out quite well.
“Is Marie C-class as well?”
“Fufu, yes. It is all thanks to you!”
“C-Congratulations. You became proper adventurers in no time.”
Kailin said, twirling a few strands of her hair around her finger.
“Ohohoho~ Thank you!”
The first step toward the Academy is complete!