Volume 3: The One Who Stirs  

Chapter 33

“Excuse me, is this the Glory Knights’ clan home?”

It looked like nothing more than a grand mansion. Though I’d been told it was the clan home, I still couldn’t quite believe it. Ignoring social norms or manners, I honestly just wanted to confirm if this was truly the place, so I asked the gatekeeper.

“Ah, yes. This is indeed the Glory Knights’ clan home. Could it be… you’re hoping to join? Sorry, but we’re not recruiting right now. We only take applications once a year, after the New Year. Could you wait a few more months?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it. I’m here to see someone.”

He must have mistaken me for a walk-in applicant.

Judging by his reaction, this probably happens a lot. With a place this grand, it’s likely a well-known elite group.

…Still, how did those three women—who tried to hit on me and nearly assaulted me—ever get accepted here?

“Oh, my apologies. I saw your Ruby rank tag and assumed you were an applicant.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I believe my name should’ve been passed along for entry. I’m called Same. I’m here to see Shuris Veil.”

“Hmm… wait a moment.”

The gatekeeper took a notebook from his coat and began flipping through its pages.

I guess there are a few people like me who were cleared to enter based on name.

“Ah, found it. Yes, looks like the captain gave direct instructions. Welcome, Same-san.”

“Thank you.”

Good. He wasn’t arrogant or full of himself—just a diligent gatekeeper doing his job properly.

There are people in elite groups everywhere who act all high and mighty, thinking “I’m special because I’m part of something prestigious.” But apparently, that’s not the case here—

“Hey! You shouldn’t be letting random civilians in while the captain’s away!”

“No, this person is an exception. The captain said he should be let in and asked to wait, even if she’s not here.”

“Huh? Who the hell are you? What do you want with our captain?”

“I’m sorry, but I must speak directly with Shuris Veil-san. I can’t share the details with anyone else.”

…Scratch that. I take back what I said. There’s a very rude girl here.

Time to activate No-Charm Mode. If she’s going to be aggressive, I’ll just suppress all emotion in return.

When dealing with rude people, you handle them with courtesy—and erase everything else.

“You’re suspicious. Where are you from?”

“Here.”

I showed my tag and refused to elaborate.

Not rude, right…? Just barely within the line, I think.

“Ruby, huh? Hmph. Most of our clan is Crimson. What, are you trying to show off?”

“I simply wanted to avoid explaining my affiliation.”

From the looks of it, she’s about the same age as me—well, as I used to be—maybe around Melt’s age.

If so, she must be quite the elite herself…

…Though she’s acting like a brat.

“I’ll wait here for Shuris-san, then.”

“Go home. The captain was summoned to the royal palace. Come back another time.”

“I see. Then, gatekeeper, please pass on a message for me: ‘While I was waiting, the woman left in charge tried to drive me away with intimidation.’”

“Tattling? Seriously? What a child. I bet that rank’s fake too.”

“So that’s how you treat people. This is someone else’s property—a headquarters, no less. I’ve been trying to be polite so I don’t cause trouble. But if you keep up with the rudeness… I will make you regret it, miss.”

Even if she’s a woman or a kid, if she goes that far, I have to push back a little.

I was invited, damn it.

“Ah-ha! There’s your true self! A common adventurer, threatening me? You’re the one who’s going to get hurt!”

“I just got tired of your insults. But if you’re really serious about this, shall we take it outside? You sure? You’ll be starting a fight with a guest of the captain, leading to an actual duel and maybe injuries. It won’t be my problem—but it might end your career in this clan.”

“Getting cold feet now? Too late. Come on—I’ll teach you a lesson, coward.”

All I did was visit.

And now it’s my fault for not staying quiet? No way. She’s the one in the wrong.

When we got to the courtyard, I saw it was far more impressive than the one at the central guild—definitely suitable for matches and training.

This space must be used for practice, sparring, and training bouts.

Even now, a few people were scattered about, engaged in drills.

“Clear the area! I’m about to punish a disrespectful fool!”

She loudly ordered everyone to clear the central arena.

Apparently, she had enough clout in the clan that everyone complied without question.

But—

“Oh boy… another tantrum from the little lady? Who’s she picking a fight with this time…?”

“Who let someone in while she was in charge? We said to avoid visitors during her shifts…”

…Is this an everyday occurrence!? No, seriously, this needs to be dealt with properly!

At some point, the gatekeeper—who had followed along—began explaining the situation.

“He’s a special case… The captain gave strict orders to let this person through no matter what.”

“Seriously? Hey, missy! Just this once, don’t do it! If you lay a hand on the captain’s guest, it won’t just end with a warning!”

“Shut up! He told me, ‘You’re gonna get hurt’, okay!? Provoking a member of the clan like that gives me a legitimate reason to challenge him to a duel!”

…Crap, was that my fault!? I said it out of irritation, and now it’s biting me in the ass!?

But seriously… I was really pissed off. Honestly, I think the people around her are also to blame for letting her get away with this behavior.

“Hey man, if that’s really what happened, then there’s nothing we can do to stop it. What’ll you do?”

“You all stood by while she spoke and acted rudely toward a guest, right? No one scolded her firmly. This is the result. If I get seriously injured, I expect proper testimony. You, the gatekeeper, saw how I was being treated.”

“…Yeah, that’s true. Can’t argue with that. Don’t die, man. You’re the captain’s guest.”

“…On the flip side, no matter how I fight, don’t stop me. This feels like a real, serious duel.”

“You… Fine, but no killing. No matter what she’s like, she’s still part of our clan—like family. If you go beyond what counts as a match, we’ll step in.”

“Understood.”

Alright then… this is a good chance. My opponent is likely stronger than the average adventurer. This is a perfect test to see just how strong Same is in a real fight—I’ll go all out.

We face each other across the training ground, keeping a distance—probably about seven meters.

It’s about twice the size of a dodgeball court, and we both draw our swords.

I’m using my usual one-handed sword. Its performance is basically the lowest possible.

I’ve been using this sword ever since I first became Same. Flashy or beautiful weapons stand out too much, so I stuck with this modest one.

“Phew. That’s some pretty basic gear.”

“There’s no official signal to start. I’ll even let you have the first move, coward.”

Her gear is minimal—leather elbow and knee pads, and leather gauntlets.

Worn over regular clothes, she looks no different than a beginner adventurer.

Still, Same’s strength is… maybe a few steps below Silent’s?

Leaving out characters marked as “sealed” or “use-restricted,” Same is a decently strong frontliner. Let’s see what happens when he uses his self-buffs…

“GRAAAAAHHHH!!! I’m gonna crush you!!! You’re not walking away from this!!!”

Oh no, my mouth moved on its own! I only activated the skill!!

《Crimson Howl》
A threatening roar that intimidates and slows the target.
Randomly increases the user’s attack power (up to 9x).
Applies only to the first attack after activation.

《Rapid Step》
Doubles movement and attack speed.
Randomly increases the number of attacks once (up to 9x).

As usual, the Swordsman x Thief class combination has a lot of randomness.
But when the buffs roll high, the explosive power is insane.

“Hah! Bluffing won’t work on me—!”

I charge at full speed, closing the distance in an instant—and instead of using my sword, I drive my fist into her cute little face.

My fist slams into the center of her face and sends her flying.

Then I immediately appear behind her, and as she’s flying through the air, I bat her downward with the flat of my sword like a baseball, smashing her into the ground.

Why were you off guard? You gave me the first move, didn’t you? The fight already started, didn’t it?

“Ggyah!”

“What’s wrong, brat!? Get up already! I’LL CRUSH YOU!!!!”

…Crap, I can’t switch out of this tone!

“That’s enough! Stop! Stop right now!”

At that moment, the surrounding men instantly close in, pointing weapons at me.

…I return the sword I had raised to its sheath.

“…That concludes the educational beatdown.”

“…Yeah.”

“Now then, I’ll go back and wait for the captain, Shuris-san.”

“…Got it.”

I turned on my heel and returned to the clan home.

The fact that no one attempted any retaliation suggests that the people around here have been properly trained.

Personally, I think those people who had let things slide up until now are also partially to blame.

Hearing the muffled sobs behind me, I couldn’t help but think, “Serves you right, brat.”

…Is that really how I feel?
It seems I’ve become far more prone to snapping at girls my own age than I thought.

No—maybe this time was different… Maybe it was just too much: her rudeness, the way the adults around her spoiled her. I’d had enough.

…No, that’s not it. I remember now.

This was… heavily influenced by Same’s emotions.

When you combine the swordsman and thief classes, the protagonist is the second son of a fallen noble who ended up diving into the underworld.

Back in his noble days, he was arrogant and unbearable.
But after his fall from grace, he came to know the harshness and darkness of the world. He learned—painfully—just how pampered and privileged he had been.

That’s why he hates kids like his former self—arrogant, entitled brats—with a passion.

No doubt about it. The disgust I felt toward that girl was half me, half Same. Our mutual distaste for that personality type just happened to align perfectly.

“…Well, that should’ve taught her a lesson. I probably left a terrible impression, though. Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to ask for any favors now…”

Some time later, one of the people from the training area returned to the clan home.

They approached me like I was some sort of dangerous wild animal, but I didn’t sense any hostility.

…They probably all knew, on some level, that something had to be done about that girl’s behavior.

Honestly, it would’ve been better if I had just hurt someone’s personal feelings.

What if I’d been a messenger from a major organization? Or someone representing an important person?

The clan would’ve suffered serious consequences.

So I’ll own it. I’m not at fault here.

Equal treatment for all—man, woman, old, young—if someone picks a fight, I’ll take it, and I’ll make sure they understand not to do it again.

That’s one belief I’ll never compromise on.

I won’t let anyone get in the way of my life anymore. Not even former classmates.

And if someone comes at me with unfair violence or words, I’ll fight back with everything I have.

This isn’t Japan.
As long as it’s within the rules of this world, I’ll live freely.

This is unmistakably my will—Shizuma’s will.

“Ah, sorry, man. What was your name again?”

One of the men from the training ground called out to me.

“Same.”

“Right. Same-san, would you mind moving to the reception room? If you stay in the lounge, uh…”

“Ah, because that girl won’t be able to come back in. Please, lead the way.”

“…You’re like a different person now, Same-san.”

“This is my normal self. Anyone would feel that kind of anger deep down if they were treated that unfairly. I just let it out—and used it as fuel.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, you’re right… Truth is, it wasn’t just the girl who got full of herself. We did too. Telling ourselves, ‘This much is fine’…”

…Seriously, this clan is either incredibly well-disciplined, or just full of genuinely good people.

This place is impressive.
Makes you wonder why that girl was being tolerated in the first place.

…Well, she is young, childish, and cute, I guess?
I can kinda understand the urge to spoil her.

But even that has its limits.

“Here we are. Wait inside this room. The leader’s been summoned to the royal palace—probably for some kind of meeting. Doubt it’ll be a banquet or anything, so he should be back before sunset.”

“…I see. Sorry, please take this without asking any questions.”

Because of the calm, thoughtful demeanor of the member who had spoken with me—and the way he’d taken time to reflect on himself—I found myself reconsidering my own behavior a little… and decided to do what I thought was right.

“This is the most effective potion I know of for treating external injuries. It should even erase any scarring. As far as you’re concerned, you don’t know who gave it to you. Just say you picked it up somewhere.”

“That’s… huh. I get it now. Alright, I’ll do that.”

Well, her nose is probably broken.
Might’ve chipped a tooth or two as well.

I really did go all out.
If I happened to roll a lucky multiplier with Crimson Howl or Rapid Step, she’s probably lucky to even be conscious.

And so, while I waited in the reception room, I passed the time by tidying up the scattered towels and papers for some reason.

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