Leaving Vegaltia behind after a long absence, we headed north aboard the Seno Grande Kai.
“It would take about half a month to get there on land but with this ship, we should arrive with plenty of time to spare. We’ll be there in just a few hours.”
Our destination was the Infinite Wastelands, the greatest magical frontier on the continent, where Fana and Anje would be taking their S-Rank promotion exam.
“Still, isn’t it a bit much to tell us the exam starts tomorrow and that we have to reach the venue today?”
“…Yeah. Without this ship, we wouldn’t have made it in time.”
The S-Rank promotion exam was held only four times a year. And by the time Ark approached us about it, the next session was already scheduled for the very next day.
“Hahaha, with the lot of you, I’m sure you’ll make it in time. Well, if you can’t, you can just take the next exam. Your eligibility stays valid until you actually sit for it.”
Ark had said that with a laugh. He sounded carefree about it, at least.
“By the way, only thirteen people have ever been officially recognized as S-Rank adventurers. Of those, just six are still active.”
“That’s few…”
“We’ve only met one of them so far. But considering that level, six almost feels like too many, honestly.”
Anje was referring to the martial arts tournament held in the Arseral Empire. The S-Rank adventurer she had in mind was undoubtedly Goritia, one of the competitors there.
“…I want to meet him again. I think I could fight him evenly now.”
“…I’d rather not. That hellish moment when that walking mass of muscle picked me up—sometimes I still wake up from dreams about it…”
Well, a baby finds true comfort only in his mother’s breast after all. A man’s arms are simply unnecessary.
“I heard about thirty people take the exam each year. But almost none of them pass. It’s an incredibly narrow gate. Only one person every few years, apparently.”
Incidentally, once you fail, you’re barred from retaking the exam for an entire year.
“That actually sounds fun! Ahh, if only I had the qualifications—I would’ve loved to take it with you all…”
As we were talking, land that looked like our destination finally came into view in the distance. A desolate stretch of earth, nothing but reddish-brown soil and jagged rock formations spreading endlessly before us.
“So that’s the Infinite Wastelands.”
“Yeah. Brings back memories. There wasn’t anything on the level of a Demon King, but plenty of vicious demon tribes made their homes there. With the mana density being so high, I suppose it’s a comfortable place for them.”
Naturally, countless vicious monsters also made their home here.
Setting up a headquarters in a place like this was practically an invitation to be attacked, which meant they must have had absolute confidence in their ability to repel any threat.
“Where exactly is the Association’s main building anyway—hmm?”
As I peered down at the ground through the window, I spotted a lone figure locked in combat with a monster.
It was a giant scorpion native to the wastelands—an Inferno Scorpion. It’s a troublesome beast, boasting incredible mobility, a hardened exoskeleton, massive pincers capable of cleaving even solid rock, and a barbed tail that fired jets of venom so toxic that mere contact meant death.
Yet despite facing such a creature, the figure handled it with ease.
Dodging the venomous beams, they closed the distance, casually batting aside the scorpion’s pincer strikes with a sword.
Then, after severing its legs and stripping it of its mobility—
“Lightning.”
A violent surge of lightning pierced straight through the scorpion’s exoskeleton, ravaging it from the inside.
“Well now, that’s pretty impressive. Eh? wait… Don’t tell me that’s Orion!?”
The movements and the flow of mana felt strangely familiar, so I took a closer look. Sure enough, it was Orion—the descendant of Leon the Hero, with whom I had once teamed up to defeat the Demon King. She is also the Seventh “Prince” of the Arseral Empire.
I descended from the Seno Grande Kai to the ground below.
“Hey! Long time no see, Orion-oniichan!”
“…You—R-Reus!? Why are you here?!”
Orion stared at me, eyes wide with shock, having finally noticed my presence.
“That’s my line. Well, we are here since Fana-oneechan and Anje-oneechan are heading to the Association headquarters to take the S-Rank promotion exam.”
“…They are? They’re taking the promotion exam too?”
“Too?”
“Yeah. Actually, I’m planning to take it as well.”
It turned out Orion was headed to the same place, for the very same reason.
“Oh, really? I didn’t know you were an adventurer too, Oniichan.”
“I registered when I was twelve and worked as one as part of my training.”
So he’d been our senior in that regard.
“I only reached A-Rank about a year ago, but after parting ways with you, I left the empire to push myself harder. I traveled from guild to guild, deliberately taking on the most difficult requests I could find. Eventually, they suggested I try my hand at the S-Rank promotion exam.”
“I see. Then since we’re here, why don’t we head there together on the airship? We’re close already, but it’d still take a fair while on foot. And I’d love to hear all about the feats you’ve accomplished during that time.”
“I get the feeling you have far more interesting tales to tell…”
Orion replied, forcing a wry smile. Even so, he nodded, and we returned to the airship together.
“I was wondering who it was—turns out it’s the hero from back then.”
“…Long time no see.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. So you two are taking the promotion exam as well?”
“Don’t tell me you are too? That explains why you were out in a place like this.”
“What a coincidence.”
Fana and Anje had fought alongside Orion in the martial arts tournament and later joined him again during the incident that followed. Karen, on the other hand, was meeting him for the first time.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Karen, a samurai from Edo in the Far East.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Orion, from the Arseral Empire.”
With that, I made a suggestion to Orion.
“Oniichan, you’ve gotten pretty dirty over the course of the journey, haven’t you? Why don’t you go wash up in the large bath while you’ve got the chance?”
“…I’ll pass.”
“Huh? Why not!? Fine, I’ll stop beating around the bush and say it outright! Oniichan, you smell really bad! You absolutely should take a bath!”
“If I do that, you’re just planning to come in too, aren’t you?”
“S-s-such a thing—of course not!?”
『Master… it’s painfully obvious』
Lindwurm’s dry remark came.
I pressed my case with all the conviction I could muster.
“I mean, what’s the big deal if we bathe together anyway? I’m a baby, you know!? What—are you the type who thinks even a zero-year-old boy has sexual desire and goes, ‘That’s gross!’?”
“There is no way you count as a normal zero-year-old!”
As we were going back and forth like that, Karen tilted her head in confusion.
“…? Isn’t Orion-dono a man?”
“Oh, no. Despite the looks, Orion-oniichan is actually a woman.”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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