chapter_0047

Chapter 46 : The start of the original story

A vacant lot located inside the mercenary guild.

Originally, it was used as a training ground for mercenaries who had spare time, but today, numerous mercenaries were sitting in the bleachers.

Naturally, the reason was the news that a promising newcomer from the south would be participating in the mercenary exam held today.

And before such a large audience, stood the newcomers in the vacant lot.

“Wow, are there always this many spectators…?”

“I thought they said there’d be fewer than ten…”

“Didn’t you hear the conversation earlier? They’re probably all here to see that guy Allen.”

Because of the promising newcomer named Allen, the newbies standing in front of so many mercenaries were trembling and swallowing their nervousness.

There were only four people who weren’t trembling.

Allen, who was at the center of all this expectation, along with his companions, and Elia, who was nonchalantly scanning the audience.

Allen and his companions were simply talking about preparing for the upcoming exam, while Elia, who wasn’t concerned about the exam at all, was looking for Kael and Ruina, who would likely be hiding among the spectators.

As she was scanning the area, two people in robes caught her attention.

There were so many diverse mercenaries that even someone dressed in a robe wouldn’t stand out, but seeing the two in robes, Elia raised her hand slightly and waved.

‘Mom, Dad, you’re already here.’

In response to Elia’s greeting, the two waved back with a subtle motion.

With a small smile, Elia opened her mouth to say something more to them when suddenly a loud voice rang out, catching her attention.

“Everyone, pay attention!!!”

No, it wasn’t just Elia’s attention that was drawn.

The trembling newbies, Allen and his companions who were conversing, and even the mercenaries in the bleachers who had been chatting, all turned their attention to the voice.

When Elia unconsciously turned her gaze towards the voice, she saw Martin standing in the center of the vacant lot.

“Huh?”

Why was Martin standing there?

A flood of questions began to fill her mind as she couldn’t understand the situation.

And it wasn’t just Elia who felt confused—mercenaries in the bleachers started whispering in surprise.

“What’s going on? Why is the guild master standing there?”

“Why is someone who usually watches from above directly participating?”

“Hey, wait a second. Could it be…?”

A common assumption began to spread among the mercenaries, and that thought also passed through Elia’s mind, which was filled with questions.

There were no examiners in sight, and there was no sign of the golden-pawn mercenary who would normally be sparring.

Could it be? The thought crossed her mind, and though it seemed unlikely, it wasn’t an impossible idea.

And it didn’t take more than five seconds for the truth to be revealed.

“Today, there are some talented newcomers, so I will personally take on the role of both the sparring partner and examiner for this exam!! And since I’m the examiner, depending on the results, I’ll immediately award up to the ‘Gold Badge’ right here!!!”

It was Martin, the guild master of the mercenary guild, who was also known as a golden-pawn mercenary, saying he would personally handle the exam.

At the same time, he suggested a shocking proposal that, unlike previous exams where the starting rank was always the bronze-pawn, anyone who passed today’s exam could immediately receive the Gold Badge depending on the results.

Naturally, it sounded like an absurd idea, but since the person making the announcement was Martin, it was a different story.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be doing this unless it’s a special case like today. I’m sure none of you have any complaints, right?”

He made it clear that such an opportunity wouldn’t be available again unless something special like today happened.

More importantly, the sparring partner for the newbies was none other than Martin, the golden-pawn mercenary himself.

For the newbies, even if they struggled, it would be nearly impossible to even land a scratch on him.

Although Martin claimed they could receive the Gold Badge right away, it seemed highly unlikely.

And most importantly, mercenaries didn’t hold positions or qualifications given by the kingdom.

The rank of a mercenary was determined solely by the Mercenary Guild, which was essentially a guild-wide hierarchy.

If Martin, the guild master who was nearly the head of the entire continent’s mercenary guilds, said he would personally award ranks, no one would dare complain.

Even if someone did complain, there would be nothing they could do about it.

‘Uncle Martin wouldn’t do something like this on a whim… would he?’

However, Elia couldn’t help but still feel a faint sense of doubt.

She knew why Martin was there, and she understood it from his own words, but she also knew that Martin wasn’t the type to do things recklessly.

While others might think Martin was excited about the promising newcomer Allen, those who knew him well knew that he would never act impulsively like that.

So with these lingering doubts, Elia turned her head again and saw Kael giving a thumbs-up.

‘Dad…!!!’

It was then that Elia fully understood why Martin had decided to do this.

And so, she wished she could start as a Gold Badge mercenary right away, but… she couldn’t hope for such a privilege.

Gold Badge Mercenary? Elia, wouldn’t you be able to get the Gold Badge without anyone saying anything?

Dad, even so, I have some decency. How could I ask Uncle Martin for something like that? For now, I have to think of a way to quickly rise to the Bronze Badge first.

Ah… is that so?

A conversation from a few months ago suddenly flows through my mind.

At that time, I should have realized what Kael was truly thinking as he subtly smiled and nodded.

“Who asked for this?!”

Surely, this must have been Kael’s doing, scheming with Martin.

Elia, realizing this, instinctively covered her flushed face with both hands to cool down.

No one else seemed to think much of the situation, but she felt embarrassed regardless.

Feeling like a childish daughter, Elia kept her face covered for a while, trying to calm her embarrassment.

Her hands finally lowered after some additional explanations, just as Martin’s test was about to begin.

“Umm…”

From a distance, I could feel Elia’s resentful glare.

She was staring at me while covering her flushed face.

I had somewhat expected it, but her expression, both cute and terrifying, made me let out a small sigh as I scratched my head.

“Haha, she’s even more embarrassed than I expected…”

“Pfft, well, it’s been a while since she got to act spoiled. Elia is still as cute as ever.”

Even though Elia had turned twenty this year, she still looked just as adorable to both me and Ruina.

Even the way she glared at me was more cute than intimidating, though I feared the backlash later.

Perhaps there was some truth in the saying that children remain their parents’ babies forever.

When I turned my gaze away from Elia, I saw Martin sparring with the new recruits, matching their movements.

However, despair was clearly etched onto the recruits’ faces.

No matter how lacking their skills were, they had already realized one thing from sparring with him.

It was that their swords would never land a hit on him.

“Aah… So we really can’t win against the Guild Master.”

“Still, they give out the bronze badge if you can take down lower-tier monsters, but these newbies sure are greedy.”

“Heh, right? Did they really think they could skip the bronze and go straight for the silver or gold?”

Next to me, some mercenaries laughed while watching the recruits.

Their tone, subtly mocking the newcomers, bothered me, but their words weren’t exactly wrong.

The reason the recruits were so disheartened was simple.

Even though this was a rare opportunity, they knew they wouldn’t even receive a silver badge, let alone a gold one.

Originally, they should have been satisfied with a bronze badge.

But now, realizing their own lack of skill, they despaired over not being able to earn silver.

Of course, it was natural to have ambition when given an opportunity.

However, knowing one’s own capabilities was a crucial survival skill in the mercenary world.

This strict evaluation process was something Martin and I had agreed upon while preparing for this special test.

“Maybe we gave the ordinary recruits false hope.”

“You could also say we gave them an early dose of reality. Though, of course, it depends on how each person takes it.”

As we watched the test unfold, Luina and I continued chatting.

Before we knew it, another test had concluded.

Like the others before him, this recruit also left with a bronze badge.

Without hesitation, Martin called out the next name.

“Next up… Allen Jake!!”

“…?!”

At that moment, I felt my body freeze.

Because the name Martin had just spoken was one I knew very well.

“Oh! Finally, the promising one is up?!”

“Show us what you’ve got this time!!!”

“Let’s see how skilled this guy really is!”

The mercenaries in the stands stood up, cheering excitedly as the highly anticipated recruit finally stepped forward.

Cutting through the crowd of recruits, a man walked onto the stage.

Platinum blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a sword strapped to his waist.

“Allen…?”

Seeing him, his familiar name and appearance, I unconsciously murmured to myself.

Allen Jake.

His name was even written in my notes, where I had recorded my knowledge of the game.

If my memory was correct, he was a key character from the game’s prologue.

He was the protagonist’s companion during the mercenary test.

A vital ally who would go on to play a major role in the story.

His appearance signified one thing.

“So… it’s finally starting.”

The timeline I had only guessed at before.

His arrival confirmed that the original story was finally beginning.