“Alright then… Senpai.”

“Yes! What can I do for you, Arios-sama?!”

The older adventurer snapped to attention with a crisp 《salute》.

What’s with this sudden change in attitude?
Maybe my earlier attack hit him in the wrong spot, or perhaps the Second Princess, Raymira, scared him that much.

Scratching the back of my head, I continued.

“Could you tell me the results of the test? Did I pass… or did I fail?”

“Yes! Of course, you passed! No, it’s completely out of line for someone like me to even dare to declare Arios-sama as 《passing》!”

“…I-I see.”

Well, in any case, this means I’m officially an adventurer now.
I didn’t manage to become a Sword Saint, but this isn’t bad either.
Actually, without the restrictions of the Macba family, it might even give me more freedom to move around.

“Arios! I knew you could do it!”
“Hehe. You did it!”

Ray and Kaya cheered, their voices bubbling with excitement.
Both of them were overjoyed, as if it were their own achievement. Just seeing that made me happy too.

“…Amazing.”

Meanwhile, Elisa, the guild receptionist, was staring at me with her mouth agape.

“To think Arios-san was such a skilled fighter… You’re not just a 《Bearer of a Useless Skill》; you’re comparable to an S-rank adventurer…”

“Haha… Who knows.”

Well, having mastered the Engen Style—the origin of the Macba techniques—and obtained some powerful Cheat Codes, maybe I really have gained significant power.
Not that I plan on showing it off, though. That’s just not my style.

“Let’s head back to the guild counter! With someone like Arios-san, we’ll gladly welcome you!”

Elisa, her breathing heavy with excitement, practically dragged me toward the counter, urging me to hurry.

Thus began my life as an adventurer.

By the way, all adventurers, no matter how skilled, start at E-rank. That includes me.

“I’m so sorry… I truly believe Arios-san’s skills are at least on par with A-rank, but please bear with this…”

Elisa apologized profusely about the rank. She looked so remorseful that I felt bad for her.

“Haha… It’s fine. Something like this doesn’t bother me.”

After all, an adventurer’s rank isn’t judged by combat ability alone.
Especially for someone like me, who only knows the way of the sword. I’m clueless about anything outside of battle.

“Oh… That reminds me.”

After finishing the formalities, I suddenly remembered something important.

“Elisa-san, does the guild handle material purchases here?”

“Yes, we do. Did you bring something already?”

“Yes. Um… here it is.”

I pulled some materials out of my pouch.

“First, the fangs of a Black Grizzly.”

“Ah, Black Grizzly fangs… B-Black Grizzly?!”

“Yes. And also its claws and fur… Oh, and from the Giant Orc—”

“W-Wait just a moment! These are far too valuable for me to handle! Please hold on for a bit!”

Treating the materials as if they were treasures, Elisa carefully placed them on the counter and disappeared into the back.

“What?! Is that true?!”

With a loud, startled shout, an elderly man with a magnificent beard appeared. His face was visibly flushed.

Huh?
That’s strange. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…

“Hmm… I see, I see… Hmm?!”

After carefully examining each material, the old man locked eyes with me.

“Did you… bring all of this here yourself?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“Impossible… Unbelievable…”

The old man’s jaw dropped as he stared at me in disbelief.