If One Were to Deduce with Sharp Insight

"—Evan! Evan! Are you in there?!"

A visitor arrived while I was in the middle of writing my will.

It was a postman delivering the mail.

He thrust a single letter at me and vanished just as quickly as he'd come.

What…?

There shouldn't have been any mail addressed to me… Puzzled, I checked the sender's name and found one I'd never seen before.

Franziska.

"Fr… Fran… Franziska?"

I chewed on the pronunciation a few times before it finally clicked — the letter was from the Guildmaster, Francesca.

So that's how you say it— Realizing this, I carefully opened the letter and read its contents.

In short, it said this:

Why me?

I was about to crumple the letter into a ball when I realized something was still left inside the envelope. I checked the contents.

Several photographs of women's faces had been tucked in. Wondering what they were for, I scanned the letter again and found a postscript the Guildmaster had added.

I looked at the photos again.

I checked the letter.

I checked the photos one more time.

"—All right. Let's go."

They say you forget love with love.

And they were right.

The world was wide and full of beautiful women — there was no time to sit around moping over one or two rejections.

And so I set out for the Royal Capital.

"—So what you're telling us is that our opponent is this little boy. Is that correct?"

Psyche, leader of Valkyrie, fixed the guild employee before her with a withering stare as she spoke. There was no way a mere staff member could withstand the gaze of a woman who casually slaughtered dragon-type monsters.

The employee, looking terrified enough that it was a miracle he hadn't started foaming at the mouth, carefully nodded. Psyche bit down hard on her lip, pride clearly wounded.

But only for a moment.

"I trust it is true that if we complete the mission before this child does, we will become Highest Class adventurers."

"O-Of course! Not only you, Lady Psyche — every member of Valkyrie will be promoted to Highest Class!"

Seizing what he clearly considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the employee rattled off the explanation and then bolted from Valkyrie's office.

Watching him flee so pitifully, Anella snorted with laughter and sneered after him.

"Pathetic. And he's supposed to be a man."

"Anella. Quiet. What if someone hears you?"

"Why? It's true, isn't it? The men of the Royal Capital — barely any of them are better than us. —And once we become Highest Class adventurers, there won't be a single one left."

Hearing Anella's words, Psyche nearly pointed out that they hadn't even succeeded at the mission yet, and that even if they did, newly minted Highest Class adventurers could hardly claim to stand on equal footing with those who had held the rank for years — but she closed her mouth instead.

It wasn't wrong. But being right wasn't always the same as being helpful. Showing forbearance rather than dampening morale with needless words was a leader's virtue.

All the more so for someone who led an Upper Class adventurer party known as Valkyrie — a major party on the very cusp of Highest Class promotion.

"So what's the mission?"

"I haven't heard yet. Something about it being fairer to explain once this kid arrives."

"So what is it?"

"……Apparently a rare mineral was discovered recently ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a count's territory near the Royal Capital. Some monster has taken up residence and is blocking access."

"Ahh. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So hammers and axes, then."

Anella, the party's vanguard warrior, was already grinning and giddy at the thought of smashing the monster's skull in.

Psyche watched her for a moment, then waved her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out.

With Anella departing at her leader's word, Psyche began reviewing the materials the staff had prepared.

Evan Kalshooter. Missions completed to date: a mere seven.

He had registered as an adventurer only last month.

In other words, a Lower Class adventurer who had just barely shed his Novice status.

What kind of contest are we supposed to have with someone like this— She couldn't understand it. Was he some kind of noble? But she'd never heard the name Kalshooter before.

Are they toying with us?

Or perhaps they were testing Valkyrie's reaction. Evan might not be a simple Lower Class adventurer at all, but a guild overseer posing as one.

Either way — the notion of competing against Evan had long since vanished from Psyche's mind.

The Lower Class label is genuine. There's no room for doubt. Which means…… his skill must be equally unremarkable.

The most rational strategies she could construct from the information at hand began flooding her mind one after another.

This was the driving force that had elevated Psyche — and the party Valkyrie — all the way to the threshold of Highest Class. A brilliant mind and insight sharp enough to be called the wisdom of a goddess.

"Good. Then let's prepare."

The fight was already over before it began.

Victory belonged to them.

"Whoaaa……"

Evan let out a gasp of wonder at the grandeur of the Royal Capital rising in the distance. That enormous royal castle, the walls encircling the city, the rooftops thrusting skyward within.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how much effort had gone into building them all, how much time and how many resources it must have taken.

Could I cut them?

He rested a hand lightly on his sword hilt and took the measure of it, then realized that yes — he absolutely could. Assuming, of course, that nothing got in his way……

"Ahaha—! First time in the Royal Capital, young master?"

"Yes, it is."

"Everyone who comes here for the first time reacts just like that. If you do the same once you're inside, they'll peg you as a country bumpkin in a heartbeat and try to take you for a ride. Be careful."

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Taking the coachman's solid advice to heart, Evan rode the carriage into the Royal Capital. With a letter of guarantee from the Adventurer Guild, entry didn't take long.

The coachman stopped before the Adventurer Guild headquarters, let Evan down, and departed at his leisure. Standing before the guild with the guarantee in hand, Evan stared blankly up at the building.

It's huuuge…… Is everything in the Royal Capital just big?

The walls, the castle, the buildings — nothing small anywhere. With that thought, Evan opened the guild doors and stepped inside.

And promptly collided with someone coming the other way, stumbling backward.

"Ugh…"

"Hm? Ah, sorry about that, kid."

"……Whoa. Royal Capital."

"What?"

Evan marveled at just how thoroughly Royal Capital the person he'd bumped into was. The woman who'd collided with him tilted her head, not understanding a word of it, then studied his face carefully.

"Hmm…? Kid, have I seen you somewhere before?"

"No, this is the first time we've met."

"Right? That's what I figured too… What's your name?"

"Evan."

"Evan, Evan— no idea! Ahaha!"

The woman burst into loud laughter and started thumping Evan hard on the back as she passed. Every time she laughed, her Royal Capitals swayed heavily.

Evan rubbed his stinging back and headed deeper into the guild. Whether they'd seen him getting manhandled by the unknown woman at the entrance or not, the adventurers lounging idly inside eyed him like some greenhorn.

Paying those stares no mind whatsoever, Evan approached the reception desk and held out the letter of guarantee.

"Request intake is not over he—"

"Ah, they said if I showed this here, you'd know."

"Pardon? What do you me…"

The headquarters staff member, who had taken one look at Evan's young face and assumed some kid had come to pick up a chore, went rigid the moment he saw the guarantee Evan handed over.

A letter of guarantee certifying the bearer's rank and identity. He realized at once that this was not merely someone who had wandered into headquarters — this was a guest of the guild.

"—Would you wait just a moment, please?"

The staff member escorted Evan straight to a VIP room. After providing tea and refreshments and asking him to wait a short while, the employee hurried off to summon someone.

Evan was nibbling at the snacks and waiting when the door suddenly burst open and five women walked in. He froze.

The ones from the photographs……

Five beauties of every variety stood before him. And one of them was the woman he had just run into earlier.

"Oh, kid. What are you doing in he…"

"Anella, do you know him?"

"Ran into him at the front door earlier. Pretty sure he said his name was Evan……"

"……Evan?"

"You know him?"

"……He's the one taking the examination with us."

"Ah—!"

Anella finally realized who Evan was and let out a cry of recognition. Then she started glaring at him like a rival.

Without so much as a greeting, the members of Valkyrie sat down on the adjacent sofa and casually helped themselves to the refreshments set out in front of Evan.

His snacks stolen, Evan shot them sidelong glances, weeping inwardly. Anella grinned at the look on his face.

"Kid, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"What, are your big sisters so pretty you just can't look away?"

"……Yes. You are very pretty."

"Ahaha—! I like this one! Hey, you ever been with a girl? If not, this big sister can—"

"Anella."

"Ah— what? I hadn't even said anything yet."

Watching Psyche shut Anella down with effortless ease, Evan instantly grasped the hierarchy among them. That woman…… the silver-haired Psyche was the leader of this party.

"—My apologies for keeping you waiting, everyone."

At that moment, the director of the Adventurer Guild headquarters appeared in the VIP room. Evan and Valkyrie adjusted their postures and offered their greetings.

The director returned the courtesy lightly and got straight to the point.

"As you are already aware, you will be competing against each other over a single mission. Only the winning side will be eligible for promotion."

"What is the mission?"

"This."

Evan accepted the documents and frowned slightly at the grotesque monster illustrated on the page.

"—The Rock Devourer. Whichever of you first defeats this creature that has appeared in the Blind County and brings back its materials will be the winner."