CH 41

E-Rank Adventurer of the Royal Capital

Shuurururu.

I sat on my legs while spinning the pen in my hand and moving the magic energy.

This was in my room in the ‘Royal Inn – Pom’ which had become my base of operations. Three months had now passed since I first arrived in the city.

And in those three months, I had become quite good at spinning a pen. After doing it for so long, I could spin it without thinking about it. Eventually, it wasn’t even effective for training with magic manipulation. So right now, I had to spin it with my left hand.

Of course, that wasn’t all I had done with my time.

“Status Open.”

Name: Ajifu

Race: Human

Age: 25

Lv: 17

HP: 146/146(+10)

MP: 49/49(+6)

STR: 45(+4)

VIT: 42(+3)

INT: 20(+2)

MND: 27(+2)

AGI: 30(+1)

DEX: 21(+4)

LUK: 11(+1)

Skills

Eralt Lv4, Reverse Age Lv3, Farming Lv3, Carpentry Lv2, Carving Lv4, Leatherworker Lv2, Gathering Lv2, Shield Art Lv4(+1), Magic Manipulation Lv4,(+2) Everyday Magic(water/earth), Sword Art Lv4(+2), Night Vision Lv1

Title

Visitor From Another World, Farmer, Blessing of the Ability God, Adventurer

Unfortunately, there was no skill for spinning a pen. I doubt such a thing even existed. However, the other day, I had finally acquired the ‘Adventurer’ title! I was no longer just a farmer.

It had been a long road…

And by completing E-Rank quests, I had gained 2 levels. Not only that, but my DEX, which had been lagging behind, had a big increase! I think it was related to all that pen spinning.

As it was time for dinner, I went down to the dining hall in order to eat. As always, the place was quite empty.

There were actually quite a lot of people staying at this inn, but they all went out to eat.

The innkeeper was leaning on his elbow at the counter and sighing.

“You’re the only person who eats here everyday, Mr. Ajifu.”

“Well, it tastes terrible.”

Yes, this inn had terrible food.

Clean rooms, great service and a stable. And yet it was cheap. There was a reason for that.

“Since you eat this terrible food everyday, Mr. Ajifu, perhaps you can give me some advice?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t have any, but I didn’t want the inn to do so well that it became difficult to get a room. They might even raise the price.

“Perhaps thinking that it can be solved so simply is the problem. You should reevaluate the basics. Like maybe hire a cook.”

“I can’t afford to hire someone who can cook. I’ll have to raise the prices of the rooms.”

And we couldn’t have that.

“Or just someone who can teach you to cook. You only need to raise your own skill. It doesn’t have to be a professional. Hiring the average wife would be an improvement at this point.”

“But my wife approves of my cooking. I can’t go asking other women.”

So there was the problem.

“Well, you’ll need her understanding and cooperation then. Thanks for the food.”

I made a strategic retreat to my room.

After my morning sword swings and breakfast, I headed to the training grounds. The sounds of people training could already be heard from outside. The apprentices who lived there would take care of the morning preparations every day. And so I greeted them as I entered, and started my training swinging. It was a little tiresome to do it twice, but I needed to do it for time adjustments.

“Hah!”

Clang.

Clang.

“Ha!”

Clang.

As I had memorized the forms, I could block them with ease, and things continued rhythmically. But so things didn’t get monotonous, the forms were changed regularly. Of course, there was no holding back. While the blades were blunted, bones were broken all of the time. Potions depleted like water.

I saw someone lurking in the corner of the training grounds.

“Morning. I’ll beat you at least once this time, Jirido.”

“But I already fought you yesterday! At least wait until you’ve beaten an instructor once!”

“Oh? I’ll remember that.”

The nearby instructor was Kohisemi.

“Hey! Mr. Jirido!?”

“Ah, Mr. Kohisemi. Just in time.”

“Mr. Ajifu is so persistent. I don’t want to deal with him anymore!”

“Don’t be shy. Now, let’s begin.”

Mr. Kohisemi swung a powerful, two-handed sword that I couldn’t block with my shield, and it was difficult to swipe away. So it was good practice.

“You have murder in your eyes, Mr. Ajifu. I don’t like it.”

Kohisemi would say. Perhaps it was the difference between an Adventurer who took lives every day, and someone who just sold tools in the royal capital.

“Is there a way to kill without showing your will to do so?”

“Killing is the result. The better swordsman swings, and a life is taken. Right now, you should just focus on being the best swordsman.”

“Ohh!”

Clap-clap.

Acting master Simmons gave further advice as he passed by.

“If your murderous intent is too strong, your opponent will be able to guess at your movement. It’s very obvious with you, Ajifu. You could use feints, but there is no point if you can’t hide that rage in your sword.”

“I see why you are the acting master.”

“Uh, but I’m an acting master too?”

Jirido said, but I ignored him.

There were two acting masters at the school. Simmons of the sword, and Jirido of the spear.

The master was Raynard Terelhi. Though he could wield any weapon, he was best with the two-handed sword. I had seen him demonstrate once, but it felt like watching something in fast-forward, and I couldn’t understand what was happening.

There were times when his sword would separate, disappear, or even catch on fire.

As I had been given some homework, I started with the drill.

First, I looked for the best sword.

I tried to think about the way they moved in Chinese martial arts and modern sports.

My feet pressed into the earth, the power amplified by the muscles in my legs, the feeling of my joints turning, like a screw, the sword that is an extension of my hand, the impact, and…

“ARRGGHHHH!!”

Crash.

“He’s wild.”

“Definitely.

“Wild.”

“Ajifu. Stick with the drill for now.”

“Why!”

But I couldn’t just train. I had to complete quests in order to live.

E-Rank quests were very different from doing fixed F-Rank quests, where you could make money by hunting a lot of the same thing.

Unless you could somehow hunt a lot of monsters with low spawn rate and rare materials.

And so I just finished them one by one. I got through nine quests in three months. But it was also low because I prioritize my sword training.

In general, E-Rank quests could be summed up as,

Quests with a lot of F-Rank monsters.

A few F-Rank monsters.

Rare cases.

In cases where there were a lot of F-Rank monsters, there were often some E-Rank monsters mixed in, and so the reward was set quite high.

And though it was usually recommended that you go as a party, I currently boasted a 100% quest completion rate, and was confident in my ability.

That being said, it was not unusual for E-Rankers to have a 100% completion rate. Because things truly became difficult at D-Rank.

Regardless, the quest I chose this time was this.

Annihilate the Goblin Settlement.

Rank: E

Crush the new settlement in the forest.

Goblin settlement: 2 gold.

Can keep the magic stones.

Client will confirm that the job has been completed.

Jiden Village. Chief Achis.

I chose a quest that would allow me to swing my sword without thinking.

It took me two days to go there by horse. I got to work on the following day.

On the first day, I crushed any goblins that came out of the settlement, and confirmed its location.

On the second day, I charged in. If I waited too long, they would realize and run away.

Thanks to my increased DEX, my accuracy with the bow had gone up, allowing me to take them down with precision as I attacked the settlement from the back.

“Gugya?”

“…”

“Gya!”

This time, I held back any emotion, and focused on swinging my sword.

The goblins were cut down without even realizing that I was there. Normally, there would have been quite a commotion by now.

“Gugugya!”

But every time a goblin noticed me, that goblin was opened up by my sword…

“Gya…”

Killing was just the result.

Buhaa!

I hid in the shadows to catch my breath. What was this feeling? Was I a killing machine? An assassin? Is that what I am now?

That doesn’t suit me at all!

I knew that I was still premature, but I was starting to think I had gone in the wrong direction.

That being said, I was on the field of battle. I could think about this later.

“Gya-gyaaaga!”

After I had killed about ten of them, the settlement was finally aware of my presence.

But I charged straight into the throng of goblins that gathered. If anything, I prefer it this way!

That being said, I had no time to correct my sword’s image. And so I plunged the best sword I could into the paths of the goblins.

“Sha!”

“Gya!”

“Ha!”

Clang.

I put my shield in the path of the goblin’s weapon, and it was swept aside and right into another goblin.

“Gya-gya!”

“Hah!”

Huh!? Things are starting to click into place?

I could easily see the magician’s fireballs.

I could keep other goblins in front of me when I was targeted by an archer.

I kept moving so they couldn’t aim.

Before I knew it, there were hardly any moving goblins remaining.