Chapter 7
“C-Could this be what they call a genius...?”
A former S-rank adventurer—Enrique—stared at the back of a certain boy and murmured in a daze.
The boy stood there as if nothing had happened, even after taking a kick from an S-rank adventurer.
And on top of that...
“What was with that cool, composed smile?!”
Looking around, Enrique saw that the soldiers were just as stunned as he was.
He’d been caught off guard, but he hadn’t been holding back.
“What in the world is going on...?”
Enrique stared toward the manor and swallowed hard.
“We’re talking about ‘that’ young master.”
The young master—Randall Ultos—had a bad reputation.
Or rather, perhaps it was better to say it used to be good.
There had once been a rumor that the Randall family had a prodigy. He had abundant mana, a quick mind, and impressive physical abilities.
The rumor was that such a genius existed.
To begin with, the Randall family was one of the most distinguished houses in the kingdom. And since the current head was capable, the territory brought in a good income and was managed well.
Though monsters had grown more active in recent years, people still said the Randall territory was safe.
Everyone must have thought that with a son like that, the Randall family’s future was secure.
But then...
What awaited the adventurers and soldiers who came to the Randall estate looking for work was the young master’s infamous “busty female adventurers in bikini armor” comment.
Most people said, “Do you think we’re a joke?!” and left, but Enrique had decided to stay.
Well, the pay was good.
Besides, if you looked at it another way, it was an easy life.
If the next head of the family was incompetent, that was fine by him.
He could slack off without a care, avoid danger, and collect his pay in peace.
And if the Randall family ever started to fall apart, he could quit in a flash.
That was what Enrique had thought, but...
Then, one day...
When Ultos suddenly showed up at the training grounds, everyone there laughed at him.
What’s more, he even challenged Enrique to a sparring match with a wooden sword.
Come on, that’s obviously impossible, Enrique had thought with a snort.
Of course. Even if he was the son of his employer, Enrique was a former S-rank adventurer.
What’s more, he’d heard that lately the young master had been enjoying having the maids feed him, spoonful by spoonful.
There was no way someone like that could beat him.
Well, if I humor him a little, he’ll be happy—
But...
“Ngh!”
That sense of ease was shattered in an instant by the young master’s attack.
(What was that speed just now...?!)
The young master’s sword was so heavy and powerful...
And so fast.
Enrique blocked it on instinct.
By sheer luck, he managed to stop the blow.
But then...
Enrique had barely caught his breath when the young master moved into his next action.
He’d gotten in on Enrique’s left.
The young master flowed straight into another lunge.
(Damn it! I won’t make it in time...!)
“Aaaaaah!”
How long had it been since he’d felt this much panic?
His sword wouldn’t make it in time.
—Enrique threw up his leg in a desperate attempt to stop him.
“I-I made it... Just barely.”
Enrique caught his breath as he watched the young master lying several meters away.
It seemed his counterattack had worked somehow.
Or perhaps his body had simply moved on its own.
But then he immediately realized he’d messed up.
His opponent was that famously selfish young master.
If he’d humiliated him in front of all these people, who knew what would happen...
“Young master, are you all right?”
With a pained look, Enrique hurried over, apologizing as he went.
But...
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Huh...!?”
Enrique stared at the young master before him as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
The boy smiled breezily as he said he was fine, as if that last blow hadn’t bothered him at all.
No, perhaps Enrique’s attack had only been a warm-up for him.
That was how completely unfazed he seemed.
Leaving the still-stunned Enrique behind, the boy continued.
“I should be thanking you. I was pretty confident, but actual practice is tough.”
“Ah, well...”
“I’d be glad if you kept training with me from now on.”
Unable to say a word, Enrique watched the boy walk away without a care in the world.
“M-my attack...”
A little while later...
A soldier, still worked up, came over to Enrique.
“Hey, you,” Enrique asked.
“Could you get back up after taking one of my blows?”
“No. Even if you’re a former S-rank, there’s no way I could take a hit from you.”
“Then could you take a hit and smile like that?”
“Even less so.”
“Yeah, I figured...”
The way he moved was clearly not that of an amateur.
What’s more, as the young master was leaving, he’d murmured something.
—“I’m glad I joined a bukatsu.”
Bukatsu.
Enrique didn’t really understand what it meant, but it had to be some kind of martial arts activity he’d been secretly doing for years.
That was why he was so strong.
The more he saw of the young master, the less he understood him.
One side and the other.
The boy’s image as an oblivious brat who couldn’t read the room didn’t fit with the overwhelming strength he’d just displayed.
“If that’s the case, then maybe there was more to what he said the other day...” Enrique murmured.
“What do you mean?!”
“It’s simple. That stupid remark the other day was a bluff.”
That’s right.
After that remark, all the serious-looking people had left.
But if you looked at it another way, that might not have been such a bad thing.
Calling someone serious sounded nice, but sometimes people like that were useless in the field.
On the other hand, plenty of people who worked for money could do a decent job as long as their contract was clear.
“I see... So he deliberately reduced the number of people? But why?”
“I don’t know. But things have been fishy lately. Monsters are appearing in huge numbers. Maybe the young master’s caught wind of something.”
After exchanging those words, Enrique stared intently toward the manor.
A powerful warrior had suddenly appeared before him.
And for some reason, he was hiding his fangs.
“Heh... This is getting interesting.”
Enrique tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
So much for the Randall family’s bleak future.
—This is getting interesting, he thought.
And so...
Unaware that the young master himself had given him a rather harsh assessment—“He’s probably some useless, perpetually F-rank adventurer. He’s got that loser vibe. And I’ve never seen him in the game, so he’s definitely a mob. Yeah.”—
Former S-rank adventurer Enrique grinned, unable to hide his excitement.