Chapter 55

From the moment of birth, some lives are predetermined.

If born to a traitor, one would live under the stigma of treason for life. Born among slaves, one is likely to remain a slave forever.

Yes, life is determined from the moment of birth.

Dieta Arbenia realized this truth on her seventh birthday. She was the child born between a maid and the head of the Arbenia Duchy. Naturally, the looks she received were far from kind.

There were numerous torments.

But she thought she could endure them.

That was until her mother hanged herself on Dieta’s seventh birthday. Her mother’s body was a gruesome sight, with burn scars marring her face. Although the immediate cause was the noose around her neck, it was the scars that drove her to it.

The scars that eroded her worth.

How could a mere maid have relations with the head of the house and even aspire to be a concubine? It was all thanks to her exceptional beauty. Unlike the head’s other wives, Dieta’s mother had neither the wealth, family background, nor connections.

Her worth was solely her beauty.

And so, she was easily destroyed.

A fire, staged as an accident, ravaged her face. Priests arrived too late to offer blessings, and the scars could not be fully erased. The long, burn marks on her face, the distorted skin.

The fire took her beauty.

It burned away the only value she had.

The head of Arbenia was a cold man who lost interest in a woman devoid of worth. He no longer summoned her to his bedroom and began to take back what he had given her.

As if she was nothing but a pastime, he banished her and her daughter, Dieta, to a separate house.

Her mother, once proud, became withdrawn. She wore a veil over her face, her once commanding voice became meek. The woman who shattered her predetermined fate with her shining worth fell to the ground, losing all her value.

And as it often ends, miserably.

Dieta, staring at her mother’s hanging corpse, had to realize. The protective fence around her had shattered. All that was left for Dieta was her mother’s beautiful looks and the label of an abandoned child.

Value. Value. Value.

The young girl faced reality.

Was it misfortune, or fortune? The girl had a talent. She inherited her beauty from her mother, but her eye for value came from her father.

The girl was a prodigy.

A prodigy, yet still a child.

Her mind wasn’t mature enough to accept the world, too young to endure the venom and torment. So, she wore a mask. Behind the mask, she leveraged her beauty, packaging herself for the world.

Behind the mask, she flattered, played the fool, and sometimes lived as if dead among the indifferent. She knew opportunities would come eventually.

On her fifteenth birthday,

The day when no one cared about her anymore.

Dieta fled her family. She ran and ran towards a place where she could use her talents. That place was none other than the City of Opportunities, Cambria. Where anyone with talent could rise. Dieta spent five years in this city.

“Five years have passed.”

Dieta leaned back in her chair.

Everything she had built from the ground up over the last five years was here. A major trading company among the top three in the city. It was her achievement.

“And now…”

Dieta looked at the letter.

Her eyes were wavering.

“Why, all of a sudden?”

They hadn’t contacted her when she ran away, when she established her trading company, or even when it started to thrive. They had never shown interest or concern. So why this sudden letter?

Dieta examined the letter.

Though lengthy, the essence was clear.

“Come to the estate immediately upon receiving this letter.”

“We have matters to discuss face to face.”

A letter penned by the Duke of Arbenia himself.

It was a summon. Dieta sighed deeply as she read the words, knowing she had no grounds to refuse.

To refuse meant to oppose.

And the Arbenia Duchy was not a house that Dieta’s trading company could afford to provoke. Knowing this, Dieta stood up with a sigh.

“Pasion. Get ready.”

“Understood.”

With a stern face, Pasion went to prepare the carriage. Dieta stood before a mirror, looking at her reflection. The joyful and relaxed smile she had while talking to Najin was gone.

Her lips were rigid.

Touching the corners of her lips, Dieta let out a bitter laugh. It was the same mocking tone, the same resigned laughter as always.

The summons from the Central Guild.

Najin arrived at the guild with a light heart, only to be met by officials at the exclusive counter for higher-ranked adventurers, waiting with stern faces. Najin was puzzled.

“Green-rank adventurer, Ivan.”

The officials began.

“We recognize your achievements and propose a promotion to the Red rank. Do you consent?”

An unexpected promotion to red-rank.

Najin blinked in surprise. Naturally.

“…I never applied for a promotion, though?”

Najin hadn’t requested any promotion.

Within just two months of setting foot in the city, Ivan, a 28-year-old adventurer, achieved the rank of Green. The Central Guild of Cambria kept a close eye on him, as his growth was extraordinary.

Not only did he single-handedly subdue a Blood Troll of Red threat level, but he also set a record score in the Dochzenberg Forest extermination.

His performance on significant quests was impressive, and his ability to complete smaller tasks was equally remarkable. Clients were exceptionally satisfied, often commenting, “The adventurer’s work is quick and clean.”

He was particularly praised for bounty quests. His efficiency in returning stolen goods alongside capturing the criminals was unparalleled.

“Definitely worth noting,” thought Supervisor Jubeiroa, eyeing the man before him. This adventurer, whom “Roselin Ascalo” had taken an interest in, was quickly becoming a person of interest.

And now, he had done something unthinkable yet again.

The protagonist in the defeat of the Demon Knight, Verheigen.

Before the shock of his solo Blood Troll defeat and his promotion had even faded, this young man had sent another shockwave through the adventurer city. At this point, the Central Guild could no longer sit idly by.

Ivan’s capabilities clearly surpassed the Green rank.

Of course, the next rank, “Red,” was not to be taken lightly. It represented the guild’s elite forces, effectively the city’s ambassadors endorsed by the Central Guild.

Though the promotion process was notoriously stringent and complex…

“Given the uniqueness of the quests you’ve completed and your exceptional performance, we’ve decided to proceed with a special promotion test for you.”

A special case had to be made for the man before them.

“Baron Orvaiz, Viscount Traam, Viscount Toscanelli, Viscount Epister, Count Ternien…”

The Demon Knight expedition.

This adventurer had essentially resolved numerous noble quests in one fell swoop. There were more than seven quests from nobility alone tangled with the Demon Knight Bernhaigen.

“Although the Knights of Atanga haven’t commented…”

Considering the reputation of the Knights of Atanga and many nobles, the Central Guild felt compelled to grant this adventurer a special exception.

“Furthermore, most importantly, you come highly recommended by Duke Edelmar of the Trebache family. He personally sent a letter of recommendation, so be thankful for his favor.”

Listening quietly, Najin nodded.

“Of course, the Red rank promotion test will be extremely rigorous, conducted under strict criteria over three days. The first test will be supervised by me, Jubeiroa.”

Do you have any objections?

At that question, Najin nodded in agreement.

“Then let’s proceed.”

Following Supervisor Jubeiroa, who had risen from her seat, Najin moved forward. As they walked, Jubeiroa began to explain the test he would oversee.

“I’ll be assessing instantaneous judgment, as well as subduing and escorting a target. From now, you will escort me to a designated location. The test will proceed at my pace, and any contact with me will result in a penalty, so be mindful.”

She glanced at Najin as she moved.

Without a word, Najin simply nodded in response to Jubeiroa’s instructions.

“Also, inflicting serious injury on ‘attackers’—adventurers acting as assailants for this test—will also result in a penalty. Remember, it’s about subduing, not injuring.”

After finishing her explanation, Jubeiroa clapped her hands. With the echoing clap, she announced,

“The test begins now.”

Jubeiroa set off along a pre-determined route, followed by Najin, who narrowed his eyes, sensing movement.

Instinctively reaching for his sword handle, Najin soon relaxed his grip. Inflicting injuries was forbidden, so it seemed best not to use his sword. With this thought, he had taken only a few steps when…

Thump.

Someone leapt from a rooftop, charging at Jubeiroa. It appeared to be one of the hired adventurers mentioned earlier.

‘One, two…’

Two adventurers rushed at Jubeiroa, one of them targeting Najin. Observing their movements, Najin stepped forward.

The attacker wielded a wooden sword, dulled to prevent injury. Though it was safe to grab with bare hands, this was, after all, a mock combat scenario.

Reading the attacker’s motion, Najin extended his hand, seizing the adventurer’s wrist. Once caught, the wooden sword could advance no further, halted by Najin’s grip. Startled by his strength, the attacker was swiftly flung aside by Najin. As he tumbled to the ground, his accomplice was greeted by the same fate.

“Ugh, ack! Cough!”

Choking under Najin’s grasp, the adventurer tapped Najin’s arm a few times with his palm, signaling surrender. Najin then relaxed his grip, which could have easily rendered the man unconscious with a bit more pressure.

One subdued.

Turning, Najin looked behind. There stood the adventurer he had just thrown, appearing somewhat baffled but signaling a truce.

Suddenly, a series of thuds echoed.

Adventurers employed as ‘attackers’ for the test simultaneously charged at Najin and Jubeiroa.

Adventurers hired by the guild for the role of attackers.

They were part of a medium-sized mercenary group called “Pavlet.” Their individual ranks varied between Blue and Green, but their extensive experience in completing numerous quests together effectively placed them at a Red rank.

Therefore, when they were assigned this task, the members of the Pavlet group were somewhat puzzled.

‘Even if he’s the talk of the town lately, isn’t this asking too much?’

Protect the target, subdue attackers without causing serious harm, and even respond instantly to ambushes. Naturally, the use of Sword Aura was out of the question. With such restrictions, how could they properly face the challenge?

With these concerns, they embarked on their mission.

And now, 3 minutes into the ambush, the leader of the Pavlet group couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“This is absurd.”

Eight mercenaries. It took merely 3 minutes for all of them to be subdued. The leader reflected on the recent events.

Two had approached as a test.

When one was so easily overpowered, he immediately gave the order: attack from all sides, with the remaining two providing backup. As they converged on Najin from every direction…

One was grabbed and thrown.

Another was kicked into a wall.

As one attempted to swing a club, Najin kicked the club from his hand and flung him backward.

Four were subdued in an instant. The rest didn’t even realize how they were overpowered. They thought they were attacking from a blind spot, but suddenly found themselves on the ground.

Thud.

Somehow, Najin had managed to grab the last two, who were attempting to provide cover, and dragged them forward.

“Ugh, ack! Cough!”

As one choked, he tapped Najin’s arm, signaling surrender. Najin then loosened his grip, sparing them from unconsciousness.

Having subdued one group, Najin glanced back. There stood the adventurer he had just flung, who, despite looking slightly bemused, gestured in defeat.

With that, a series of thuds resounded.

Adventurers participating in the test as ‘attackers’ launched a coordinated assault on Najin and Jubeiroa.