Chapter 2
The next morning.
I stood in front of the Adventurers' Guild on the town's main street.
"So this is it."
It was a large, three-story stone building.
A sign depicting a sword and shield hung above the entrance.
Last night, I somehow made it to town and stayed at a cheap inn.
I didn't have much money.
It would last me a few days, but at this rate, I'd run out for sure.
"…I need to earn some money."
Until yesterday, I'd been raised to inherit House Valdis.
Starting today, I had to earn money to support myself.
Fortunately, I could use a sword.
So becoming an adventurer was the quickest way.
I opened the door.
As soon as I did, air scented with leather, iron, and alcohol washed over me.
Though it was morning, the place was bustling with people.
A man with a sword at his waist.
A woman carrying a large axe on her back.
An old man in robes who looked like a mage.
Numerous requests were posted on the walls.
After looking around for a moment, I headed to the counter.
"Excuse me."
"Yes. Are you here to post a request?"
A brown-haired woman at the counter smiled at me.
"I'd like to become an adventurer."
"A new registration, then. This way, please."
I filled in my name, age, and other details on the paper she handed me.
The receptionist took the paper.
"Allen Valdis. Fifteen years old…"
Her hand stopped.
"Valdis?"
"Yes."
"Could you be from House Valdis, the Marquess's family…?"
"That's right."
…………
The receptionist looked at my face.
As expected, even my family name was known.
"Why do you want to become an adventurer?"
"I left home yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"A lot happened."
To be precise, I'd been kicked out, but there was no need to explain that.
"I-I see…"
She seemed curious, but didn't ask anything more.
"What weapon are you good with?"
"A sword."
"Do you have a Skill?"
"Membership."
"…Membership?"
I knew she'd react that way.
"My Skill is called Membership."
"Oh… I see."
The receptionist started to write on the registration form, then stopped again.
"I'm sorry. I've never heard of that Skill before."
"I only learned about it yesterday, too."
"Yesterday?"
"I received it at the Ceremony of Bestowal."
"I see…"
The receptionist thought for a moment, then started writing again.
"Well, it's not a problem."
"That's all right?"
"Adventurers don't do their jobs with Skills alone."
…………
I couldn't help looking at the receptionist.
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
It was so different from yesterday.
Father hadn't thought much of Membership.
Kyle had laughed at it.
But here, even an unheard-of Skill wasn't enough to decide everything about me.
"Before you register, you'll need to take a simple assessment of your abilities."
"An assessment?"
"We can't have you taking on dangerous requests without knowing how well you can fight."
"Understood."
"Then please head to the training ground."
◇
There was a spacious training ground behind the guild.
A large man stood in front of me.
He looked to be around forty.
He had short-cropped black hair.
An old scar ran along his left cheek.
He held a wooden sword in his hand.
"I'm Gareth. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm Allen. Pleased to meet you."
I bowed my head.
Then the receptionist behind me spoke up.
"Gareth is an active B-rank adventurer."
"B-rank…"
Adventurer ranks went from F, E, D, C, B, A, and S, from lowest to highest.
New adventurers usually started at F-rank, and those at B-rank were considered first-rate.
"Don't look so worried."
Gareth laughed.
"This isn't a test where you have to beat me. I just want to see how well you can move."
"Understood."
"And I'm not going to go all out, of course. There's no point injuring a rookie during an assessment."
"Yes."
I took a wooden sword, too.
Gareth looked at me.
"Your name was Allen Valdis, right?"
"Yes."
"…I thought so."
"?"
"You're the eldest son of House Valdis, the Marquess's family, aren't you?"
"You know about me?"
"Of course I've heard the name. Your family's famous for producing knights."
Gareth furrowed his brow.
"And I thought the eldest son was the heir. Why are you here to become an adventurer?"
"I left home yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes."
…………
Gareth studied me for a while.
But then…
"Well, I guess you have your reasons."
He said no more and rested his wooden sword on his shoulder.
"It doesn't concern me. Here, your family background matters less than whether you can do the job."
"…Yes."
"More importantly, show me your stance."
I lowered my stance.
Then I held the wooden sword in front of me.
Gareth's expression changed slightly.
"Oh?"
"Is something wrong?"
"No. You seem to have been properly trained."
"I've been doing it since I was a child."
"Then this should be easy."
Gareth took up his wooden sword as well.
But his stance looked relaxed.
Even I could tell he wasn't trying to take me down for real.
"Come at me whenever you're ready."
"Yes."
I kicked off the ground.
I closed the distance in an instant.
I swung my wooden sword at his torso.
Clack!
"Tch!"
He blocked it.
I slid my wooden sword along his and aimed for his shoulder.
He blocked that, too.
"Not bad."
Gareth said.
Right after that…
I heard the sound of something slicing through the air.
"—!"
I raised my wooden sword.
Clang!
The impact rang all the way to the bones in my arms.
"That's heavy…!"
And he was holding back?
Then came a second strike.
Then a third.
"Tch!"
I could barely manage to block.
He was fast.
More than that, there was no wasted movement.
I could tell where he would strike next.
But my body couldn't keep up.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not done!"
I stepped in.
A horizontal slash.
He blocked it easily.
I followed up with a thrust.
Gareth dodged with a simple half-step to the side.
Immediately after…
His wooden sword came toward my shoulder.
"Tch!"
I twisted my body.
I couldn't dodge it completely.
The wooden sword grazed my shoulder.
I backed away several steps.
"Hah…"
He was strong.
And Gareth wasn't even going all out.
He wasn't as strong as Kyle.
Kyle's movements after receiving the Sword Saint Skill had been on a completely different level.
Even so…
Right now, I couldn't reach Gareth, even though he was holding back.
…………
That's when I remembered.
What had happened last night.
I focused my mind.
Membership.
Letters appeared before me.
【Your membership rank: Bronze】
【Your points: 50P】
【Strength Enhancement: 30P】
【Endurance Enhancement: 30P】
【Agility Enhancement: 30P】
【Recovery: 50P】
Just as I thought, it appeared.
Yesterday…
I had used fifty P on Recovery.
I still didn't know what P was.
But…
When I used it, it really worked.
There was one thing I looked at.
【Agility Enhancement: 30P】
I could see Gareth's attacks.
My body just couldn't keep up.
Then—
【Purchase Agility Enhancement?】
【Required: 30P】
【Your points: 50P】
Purchase?
The display was different from the one for Recovery.
Thirty out of my fifty.
That was quite a lot.
Even so…
If I wanted to learn what Membership was, I had to try it.
"Buy it."
【You used 30P】
【Your points: 20P】
The next moment…
Something surged through my body all at once.
"…?"
I tried clenching my right hand.
It was fast.
I opened my fingers.
It was as if my hand moved a beat sooner than it had yesterday, even though it was my own.
I could move faster than before.
"What's wrong?"
Gareth's voice.
"Nothing."
I readjusted my grip on the wooden sword.
"Please continue."
"All right."
Gareth stepped in.
Fast.
But…
"…I can keep up!"
I could see his sword before, too.
My body just couldn't keep up.
Now it was different.
The wooden sword came at me from the side.
I took a step back.
I dodged it.
"Oh?"
Gareth's expression changed.
He followed up with another attack.
This time, from above.
I shifted my body.
I dodged again.
My body moved the way I wanted it to.
My own swordsmanship hadn't suddenly improved.
But if I added this speed to the swordsmanship I'd trained in until now—
"Hah!"
I stepped forward and attacked.
Gareth brought his wooden sword up to meet mine.
Clang!
He blocked it.
Even so, I could move straight on to my next attack.
Another strike.
He blocked it again.
"Good!"
Gareth laughed.
He counterattacked.
I dodged.
At that moment…
Gareth's left shoulder was open.
"There!"
I stepped in.
Tap.
…………
The tip of my wooden sword touched Gareth's left shoulder.
"Oh?"
Gareth looked at his shoulder.
He didn't seem frustrated.
If anything, he looked delighted.
"That's enough."
The receptionist, who had been watching from a short distance away, called out.
I lowered my wooden sword.
"Thank you for the match."
"…Allen."
"Yes?"
"What did you do partway through?"
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself."
"What kind of answer is that?"
Gareth laughed.
"Was that Membership of yours?"
"Probably."
"Probably?"
"I only received it yesterday, too."
"Ha ha ha!"
Gareth laughed loudly.
"That's an interesting Skill."
…………
Interesting.
That was the first time anyone had described it that way.
"But…"
Gareth rested his wooden sword on his shoulder.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I held back quite a bit since you're a rookie."
"I understand."
"Even so, it's impressive that you were able to keep up with me partway through."
"Thank you."
"If you can move that well at fifteen, that's more than enough."
It wasn't as if I'd won.
If Gareth had been serious, the result would've been completely different.
Even so…
If I used Membership, I could do things I hadn't been able to do before.
There was no doubt about that.
◇
"You'll start at F-rank, Allen."
Back at the counter, the receptionist handed me a wooden adventurer's card.
"F-rank?"
"Based on your abilities alone, I don't think it would be a problem to start higher. But you have no experience as an adventurer."
"Understood."
That made sense.
Until yesterday, I hadn't even been an adventurer.
More importantly…
…………
I lightly clenched my hand.
It was still fast.
Some time had passed since I left the training ground.
Even so, my body felt just as it had right after I used Agility Enhancement.
"Could it be…?"
I called up Membership again.
【Your membership rank: Bronze】
【Your points: 20P】
【Strength Enhancement: 30P】
【Endurance Enhancement: 30P】
【Agility Enhancement: 30P】
【Recovery: 50P】
"…It's still there."
The Agility Enhancement display hadn't disappeared.
Could I use it as many times as I wanted?
I focused on it to try.
【Purchase Agility Enhancement?】
【Required: 30P】
【Your points: 20P】
【Insufficient points】
"Insufficient…?"
I didn't have enough P right now.
But…
It seemed like I could buy Agility Enhancement again if I had thirty.
The moment I thought that…
A new display appeared.
【Check ability information?】
"Ability information?"
"Check."
【Ability Information】
【Name: Allen Valdis】
【Strength: 20】
【Endurance: 20】
【Agility: 30】
【Magic: 18】
【※Average adult: 10】
…………
I looked it over several times.
"These are… my abilities?"
The average adult's baseline was ten.
My strength and endurance were both twenty.
My magic was eighteen.
And…
【Agility: 30】
My agility was clearly the highest.
I focused on it again.
【Agility Enhancement】
【Number of Enhancements: 1】
【Increase: +10】
"…I see."
Then my original agility had been twenty.
After buying Agility Enhancement once, it had become thirty.
And judging by the display from a moment ago…
I could buy it again if I had thirty P.
"Can I make myself stronger as many times as I want…?"
If so, this was incredible.
"Allen?"
"Oh, sorry."
The receptionist's voice brought me back to my senses.
"Since this is your first time, I recommend starting with a request for F-rank adventurers."
The receptionist showed me several request forms.
I picked one of them.
"Gathering medicinal herbs."
"Yes. You can find them near the forest to the north of town. The request is complete once you bring back ten plants."
"I'll take this one."
"Understood. Please be back before sunset."
"Yes."
I took my adventurer's card and the request form.
This was…
the first job I'd chosen for myself.
◇
I walked for about an hour after leaving town.
My destination was the grassland at the edge of the forest.
I could tell just by walking.
My body really did feel lighter.
My stride, too.
The speed of my steps, too.
It was clearly different from before.
"It's really lasting…"
Agility Enhancement.
As I'd thought, it seemed the effect didn't wear off once I'd bought it.
Thinking that, I looked at the grass by my feet.
"This is it."
Long, narrow leaves.
A small white flower at the center.
It was the same as the medicinal herb the receptionist had shown me.
It wasn't just swordsmanship.
As the heir to House Valdis, I'd also been taught a little about the plants and medicinal herbs grown on our lands.
There were poisonous plants nearby that looked very similar.
"This one's different."
I checked the shape of the leaves as I gathered them.
One plant.
Two plants.
Three plants.
So far, so good.
"Seven plants."
Three more to go.
I crouched and reached for the next herb.
Just then…
Rustle.
"…?"
The bushes shook.
I stood up.
My right hand reached for the hilt of my sword.
Rustle, rustle.
Something was there.
The next moment…
"Gigi!"
It sprang out of the bushes.
Green skin.
Pointed ears.
About the height of a child.
It held a crude club in its hand.
"A goblin…"
It was my first time seeing one in person.
I knew about them.
They were among the weaker monsters.
Even so, they were dangerous creatures that attacked people.
"Gya!"
The goblin ran at me, raising its club.
I drew my sword.
The goblin swung its club down.
"Too slow."
No.
It wasn't that it was slow.
My body had gotten faster.
I took a step to the side.
I dodged.
Then I swung my sword.
"Gi—!"
My sword struck its torso.
"Gi—!"
The goblin fell onto the grass.
Suddenly, everything was quiet.
The wind crossing the grassland stirred the blades beside the fallen goblin.
…………
It wasn't moving.
I'd defeated it.
A monster, for the first time.
As if breaking the silence, words appeared in front of me.
【Monster defeated】
"…Huh?"
Words had suddenly appeared before my eyes.
【You defeated a goblin】
【You acquired 10P】
"P…?"
Then…
【First Monster Defeat Bonus】
【You acquired 100P】
【Your points: 130P】
…………
I stared at the display.
"One hundred and thirty?"
Until just now, I'd had twenty.
I'd bought Agility Enhancement.
My points had gone from fifty to twenty.
And then…
After I defeated the goblin…
"They increased…?"
I looked again.
【Your points: 130P】
There was no mistake.
They'd increased.
"Do I get more P when I defeat monsters…?"
I still didn't know what P was.
But…
I was starting to understand, little by little.
I could use P to heal my injuries.
I could enhance my abilities as many times as I wanted.
The effects didn't disappear as time passed.
And…
Defeating monsters gave me more P.
…………
Just then…
Another new display appeared.
【Your cumulative P acquired has increased】
【Your membership rank rises according to the total P you've acquired】
"Membership rank…"
I'd seen that yesterday.
I was Bronze right now.
When I focused on it, the display changed.
【Membership Rank】
【Bronze】
【Silver】
【Gold】
【Platinum】
【Orichalcum】
"Orichalcum…?"
I'd heard of it.
It was a legendary metal.
I didn't know why a membership rank would have a name like that.
The display continued.
【Benefits expand as your membership rank rises】
【Existing enhancement benefits expand】
【New benefits are added】
【Gold members and above】
【Purchase Unique Skills】
…………
I stared at the last line.
"Unique Skills… for sale?"
Unique Skills were the things people received from the gods at the Ceremony of Bestowal.
Kyle's Sword Saint.
My Membership.
Normally, they weren't something you could choose and obtain for yourself.
And yet…
"Does that mean I can buy them…?"
I wasn't a Gold member yet.
I couldn't see any more details, either.
But…
If I really could even buy whatever Unique Skill I wanted…
…………
I looked at my hand.
Yesterday…
Father hadn't thought much of Membership.
Kyle had laughed at it.
Even I hadn't known what it could do.
But…
【Your membership rank: Bronze】
【Your points: 130P】
I could buy Strength Enhancement several times now.
Endurance Enhancement, too.
Agility Enhancement, too.
And if I kept acquiring P, my membership rank would rise as well.
"…Could it be…"
A smile came naturally to my lips.
"Could Membership be an incredibly useful Skill?"
Until yesterday, I hadn't even known what this power was good for.
Its true nature…
was slowly beginning to come into view.
It was beginning to come into view, little by little.