Kays Translations

Chapter 154

The next day, Melt was ushered into the office of the head of the Izbel Adventurers’ Guild, the branch chief of Isbel.

“Thank you for coming all this way, Lady Melt. I’ve reviewed your record, but… I never would have guessed you were one half of the famous duo currently making a name for themselves in Lindblum. I also hear you have ties to a certain brigade—rumored to be the saviors of this nation. To think we asked someone like you to conduct training the other day… it was terribly disrespectful of us—”

Already, rumors of Rue’s existence and of the brigade had begun to spread.

Of course, included in those rumors was the fact that among them was a girl, doted upon like a granddaughter, who appeared to be a beautiful member of the white fox tribe.

Many already knew of Melt, who had been active and energetic as an adventurer from the start. With this latest development, she had become something of a minor celebrity—recognized by those in the know as an exceptional adventurer.

“…You’re making me blush! I haven’t done anything that amazing. Same and everyone else are the truly incredible ones.”

“I see… But even so, the missions you’ve completed and your battle record are undeniable facts. During the Pigeon Company escort mission last year, for instance, you defeated a considerable number of bandits. And now, this latest deduction of yours… We believe it to be virtually confirmed. Adventurers from outside who submitted transfer requests precisely one year apart… Their subsequent whereabouts are already being inquired about in Lindblum. Depending on the report, we plan to move forward with a full-scale bandit capture operation.”

Hearing the branch chief’s words, Melt felt her heart pound nervously. This might be turning into something big…

Her suggestion could end up moving the entire guild.
Her own position might already hold significant influence.

For the first time, that awareness began to blossom in her. And with it came a touch of suffocating pressure.

But then she recalled: Shizuma has always endured even greater burdens, in every form he’s taken, and has always produced results.

That reminder steeled her resolve: If I’m at his side, I too must grow.

If her words had triggered the start of a major operation, then she had to provide further ideas to increase its chance of success.

“They’ve been on the run for years. That means they’ll be extra sensitive to even small changes, right? If we capture that woman from yesterday too soon, the bandits will just get suspicious when the regular reports stop. That’s why you told me not to rush, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. Of course, I didn’t mean to imply you’d actually do such a thing…”

Melt broke into a nervous sweat, realizing she might have done exactly that if she’d rushed in for glory.

“I also think you should avoid calling in outsiders right now. Most likely, once this forging tournament nears its end, the ‘usual high-ranking adventurers who come seeking weapons’ will arrive, won’t they? You could quietly approach them and issue secret requests. Then, right before we strike, that woman can be arrested.”

“…I see. Indeed, summoning reinforcements now could raise suspicion. Understood. We’ll narrow our selection to long-standing guild members of proven skill and discreetly enlist them.”

“Mm, that’s best. If the arrest happens right as the forging tournament ends… that’ll be the perfect timing.”

Having shouldered a little of the weight of responsibility, Melt left the branch chief’s office after receiving his thanks. She wore a faintly proud smile, feeling that she had taken a small step forward as an adventurer.

Back in the hall, Melt headed for the request board, wondering what mission to take today. On the way, two men called out to her.

“…Oi—no, uh, hey.”

“Mm?”

Turning around, she saw the pair of men who had left early from yesterday’s training session. She paused her perusal of the board and faced them.

“What is it? Do you still have questions about yesterday’s training?”

“No… We came to thank you, and to apologize. I was the one who underestimated you at first. Sorry about that. But… even so, you gave advice to this guy through me. I’m grateful. The thrust—right? That was it?”

I’d already forgotten about that, Melt thought, but she was touched that he came to apologize. People with this kind of attitude… they’re the ones who grow.

“That’s right, the thrust. Take a target, write numbers all over it, and keep practicing until your sword hits exactly the number you’re aiming for. A thrust only works if you strike precisely at the softer parts of the body. But if you pierce deeply, it can often end the fight in one blow. So keep at it, okay?”

“Y-yeah! Got it, numbers on the target… I see now…”

“Sorry to keep you, Melt-san. Alright, let’s hit the training grounds.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Watching the two depart with a refreshed air about them left Melt with a lightened heart as well. Maybe I actually have a talent for teaching others… she thought.

But—

“Well, well. As expected of a Ruby-ranked adventurer. You’re Melt, correct?”

The voice came from none other than the person Melt had been keeping her guard up against—

The female adventurer who had joined the training yesterday, said to be a newcomer from outside.

“Hm? Oh, you’re that strong woman from yesterday! Yes, I’m Melt.”

“Oh my, so you actually think I’m strong? I’m honored.”

“Well, I didn’t know your name.”

“Now that you mention it, I never did introduce myself during the training, did I?”

Melt realized she hadn’t thought to ask either, and regretted it a little.

“My name is Amanda. I became an adventurer over by the port, but the food there didn’t agree with me. And I can’t stand crowded places like Lindblum. This town is nice though—I heard it’s usually quiet, even if it’s bustling now for the forging tournament.”

“That’s true. The last time I came here, it was much less crowded.”

Chatting casually, Melt continued the conversation without particular concern.

She was used to talking while carrying secrets. After all… she lived each day knowing the monumental truth that Same, Silent, and the others—known faces to many—were all actually the same person.

“By the way, I saw you coming down from the second floor earlier. Did the guild want something from you?”

“Yeah, they asked if I’d take on regular training work here in town.”

At that answer, Melt caught a fleeting distortion in Amanda’s expression. But just as quickly—

“I turned them down. Once the forging tournament is over, I’m heading back to Lindblum. You see, a friend of mine is competing this year. I plan to watch the results, then return home.”

Yes—Melt was adding information.

This time, there was no visible change in Amanda’s expression.
But Melt’s ears unmistakably picked up on the sound of her heartbeat and breathing—signs of relief.

Since she was face-to-face with someone she considered suspicious, Melt focused all her senses—her ears and nose—straining to catch every detail.

Normally, Melt didn’t rely much on her beastman abilities, instead choosing to fight purely with her physical strength.

But in truth… as a high-ranked beastman, she also possessed heightened senses and magic perception.

Already, in Melt’s mind, Amanda was confirmed as “black.”

“I see, that’s a shame. I thought I’d be able to learn a lot from someone as strong as you, Melt-san.”

“Sorry! But you’re strong too, Amanda, so I’m sure you’ll rise up quickly.”

“Heh… thanks. Well then, Miss Melt, I’m off to take on a request.”

And so, Melt watched Amanda leave—carefully remembering the fact that Amanda reacted when she thought Melt might be staying in the city.

“Hmmm… If I hang out at Shijima’s workshop all day, I’ll spoil the fun… Ah! I’ll go check out the weapon shops in town! I should also look around in case there’s ‘something good.’”

And so, little by little, the days of the forging tournament continued to pass—

“Alright… this alloy is the best one.”

Two weeks into the tournament, I had finally succeeded in developing alloys I was satisfied with.
One was faintly shimmering with a pale golden glow—low in hardness but highly ductile.
The other was a deep steel-colored alloy—hard and incredibly tough.

I hammered both ingots through repeated forging, flattening them into thin sheets. With that, I decided to call it a day and changed out of my work clothes.

“Phew… I wonder where Melt is today.”

Recently, Melt had become something of a celebrity in Izbel.

They said she had almost single-handedly wiped out the monsters infesting the mining tunnels, making resource gathering safe again.
She had also patrolled all the forests around Isbel, clearing out lurking monsters, ensuring the safety of visitors and those camping outside the city during the tournament.

And above all, when quarrels started to break out among the steadily growing number of outside adventurers and mercenaries at the camps behind the city, she had crushed the disturbances entirely with overwhelming force—like an impartial arbiter who punished both sides equally.

Now, more and more mercenaries and adventurers bowed their heads respectfully whenever they saw her in the city.

…Wow. Melt had truly become a first-class adventurer.

“…Before long, she might start getting invitations—recruitment offers from clans or party invitations.”

Damn it… if only I could stay by her side as Same, I wouldn’t have to worry so much!

For now, I headed to the Adventurers’ Guild, where she might be.

“Melt! Please, join our clan!”

“Ehh?”

…Incredible. Apparently, I’d awakened some kind of precognition.

The moment I entered the guild, there was Melt, standing in the lobby, being asked to join a clan.

From what I could see, the adventurer bowing to her was fairly young, but he had a large number of adventurers standing behind him—and they too were bowing.

To command so many followers at such a young age… he had to be quite capable.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse. You see, I already have a partner.”

“What!? Our clan has already grown to the third-largest in Lindblum in terms of scale! If your partner is willing, we’d gladly welcome them too—”

“Hmmm… I think my partner would just refuse anyway. There’s no real benefit to joining a clan.”

Yes, yes, exactly.

We weren’t lacking in supplies, finances, combat strength, or even a base.
As for manpower… it was a bit inconvenient, but eventually, once Order Summon evolved…

“There are plenty of benefits! A luxurious base, financial and equipment support, reinforcements for battles—”

“Nope, we’ve already got all that! As long as I’m with my partner, it doesn’t matter how many people or who we’re up against—we’ll always win!”

“Wha—!?”

Ah… Melt, I really wish you wouldn’t refuse them like that…

“So you’re saying… our clan is weaker than just a single adventurer?”

“I don’t know about that. But if it’s about pure strength, I do think my partner is definitely stronger than you all!”

“…If we could defeat your partner, would you consider joining our clan then?”

“Ehh? No way! My partner losing and me joining you are completely different things! …But, I’d prefer if you didn’t think you could beat my partner in the first place, okay?”

Ahhh! Stop it, Melt…! But now she’s getting stubborn too…!

“You really believe in your partner’s strength. Honestly, I’d love the chance to challenge them.”

“Well, they’ve gone back to Lindblum, so maybe another time, huh?”

“…Understood. I’ll remember that.”

Oh no… they remembered it!

“Melt, a word.”

I called out to Melt once the argument had finally settled.
Thankfully, no one seemed to think I was her partner, but I had already attracted attention.

So—

“Don’t make things harder on her. Hey, kid—sorry, but this girl may not belong to a clan, yet she’s closely tied with a powerful group. If you force her into your clan, you’ll be making enemies of not just Ruby- and Sapphire-ranked adventurers, but even the nation itself. Still want to risk that?”

Preemptive warning! With how much attention Melt’s been drawing lately, things like this are bound to keep happening—so I need to prevent them!

“Wha!? Sapphire, Ruby, and even the nation!? You’re connected to Melt!?”

“Yeah, that’s right. So just give up on recruiting her.”

“…Understood.”

Phew…!

Now then… looks like I need to teach Melt some new ground rules…!

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