One of the rooms inside the Guild facility was a training room.
Surrounded by clean stone walls, the air in that room felt slightly heavy. Small windows had been installed, but the ventilation clearly wasn't sufficient.
Once handed a wooden sword shaped like a saber, Crate—a young man with his hair slicked back—stood between me and my opponent, Erhard.
Around us were my companions, along with Erhard's party members, each clutching a greatsword.
And whether out of curiosity or not, other adventurers had started gathering in droves.
The adventurers who'd returned after dawn were among them, but even those who'd simply come to the Guild were grinning as they watched us.
Straining my ears, I could make out their chatter.
"Wanna bet on who wins?"
"Still, a duel's pretty rare these days, huh?"
"Kids these days, I tell you. Reckless."
"So what's the reason for this duel, anyway?"
"One of them's obviously got a harem going, right? That's probably why."
"It's nice to watch, but I'm sure it's not really like that."
"Young, aren't they? Well, it's entertaining, so who cares."
"I'm betting on the blue-haired one!"
"That green-haired guy's apparently got Skills."
...They seemed to be having fun.
The grizzled senior adventurers who bullied newcomers and hassled people at the Guild registration desk—those kinds didn't exist here.
But among adventurers of my own generation, I was being challenged to a fight.
(How did it come to this? I had Novem and the others with me, but I should have been able to avoid this...)
When I looked behind me, Clara's eyes were sparkling with excitement. Eva was the same way, but why on earth did they have notes on them?
And Shannon, in this sweaty place, was drinking from her canteen with a disgusted look on her face.
Novem was preparing a spell to ventilate the area, and Aria and Miranda were waving at me because I had turned around.
Monica was waving both arms, her twin tails swishing back and forth.
When I looked straight ahead, Erhard's companions standing on the opposite side were glaring at me.
When I looked to the side, Crate was talking with a Guild staff member in uniform who had come out from the circle of adventurers.
"...I understand how the match came about. It's a dispute between young adventurers. But I'd like you to avoid doing things like this in the future."
A Guild staff member with black hair in a bob cut and sharp red eyes was looking back and forth between me and Erhard with a look of exasperation.
And then—
"I've been informed of the circumstances this time. You will agree to hold the match and refrain from complaining about the outcome afterward. Also, the match is to decide a winner and loser only—both parties are prohibited from wagering anything."
The staff member glanced at the surrounding adventurers.
"As an aside, keep the betting on the low side too."
The veteran adventurers laughed and said to her:
"Come on, Miss Tahnia, let us off easy—it's just a bit of fun."
Apparently the female staff member who was exasperated with us was named Tahnia.
Crate thumped his chest with his right hand.
"No need to worry! I'll be overseeing this myself! Both sides, make sure you accept the match results!"
Erhard grinned and raised the wooden sword shaped like a greatsword.
It was an unreasonable match as far as I was concerned, but even if I tried to stop it now, nobody around us would accept that. Besides, my opponent was definitely a Skills user.
"I haven't had much experience fighting Skills users."
When Tahnia slipped into the circle of adventurers, Crate stepped back a bit and was about to give the signal. He was looking at me, so once I took my stance, he would make the declaration.
I raised the wooden sword shaped like a Saber, and Crate called out.
"Begin!"
His loud voice echoed through the room, and an excited cheer rose from the crowd.
"This isn't what I expected from Baim's Guild."
As I muttered my complaint, the opponent raised his greatsword overhead and swung it down at me.
(Has he learned formal swordsmanship?)
Watching Erhard use the greatsword, it was clear he'd trained somewhere. He'd introduced himself with a family name, so he might be the son of some noble family.
Or maybe he just happened to grow up in an environment where he could learn the sword—
I shifted my body to the side to dodge and thrust forward. The tip of my wooden sword struck his arm.
But the impact felt hard.
Furthermore, despite holding back, his arm hadn't turned red.
Inside the Jewel, the Sixth Generation sounded amused.
"Physical enhancement types come in both frontline and support varieties... but to manifest Skills at such a young age and use them this well. I see — there's more to his confidence than just bravado."
Erhard swept his greatsword in a lateral arc. I stepped back to dodge it and felt the wind pressure. He'd acquired a solid level of technique, but his actual speed hadn't increased all that much.
He was using Skills, but they weren't a threat.
"You think you can just keep running?! Take this!"
He swung the greatsword diagonally downward, then bounced it back upward in the same motion. I blocked the returning slash with my wooden sword, and then he launched a kick at me.
I leaped backward, putting myself close to the audience.
"Is that all? Adventurers aren't all that impressive. You've only used the first stage so far!"
The Third Generation crowed with delight.
*'He's giving up information on his own... What a good boy! I wonder if he can use the second stage, and maybe even the final stage? Let's ask him, Laiel.'*
He sounded genuinely delighted — or rather, it felt like he was mocking me.
Still, I sighed.
"So there is a second stage. That's certainly scary. But if that's where it ends, I'm sure I can manage."
Erhard scowled and slung his greatsword over his shoulder, boasting.
"Who said anything about the second one? I can use up to three stages."
"Much appreciated!"
I closed the distance and slipped straight into the range of his greatsword. Erhard thrust a fist toward me, but I grabbed his arm, twisted it, and swung around behind him.
From the onlookers:
"Huh? Is that it?"
"He let his guard down because he looked so relaxed! That's my silver coin gone!"
"Heh, looks like it's time for a good drink tonight."
At the anticlimactic finish, voices rose from the crowd — and then the atmosphere around Erhard, his arm twisted and pinned to the ground, shifted completely.
"Don't you dare look down on me!"
The muscles in his arm swelled outward, and I felt an almost hallucinatory surge of mana erupting from him, so I immediately released Erhard and leaped back.
Physical augmentation.
I'd assumed it was a Skill in the same category as Aria's, and that seemed to be correct. This wooden sword, though shaped like a greatsword, was heavy. Yet he held it in one hand and swung it down at me.
Second stage — or was it the final stage?
The Fourth Generation was.
"If you try to block it, it'll break, you know. Better to just dodge like this, but a simple Skill has simple effects... though 'simple but strong' is what makes it such a pain."
The First Generation's Skill — a support-type Skill — was simple, but truly effective. While the user's Skill merely enhanced physical strength in a straightforward manner, the First Generation's Skill was the type that improved the abilities themselves.
I agonized over whether I should use it, but I decided not to invoke the First Generation's Skill.
"Oraaaa!"
Erhard charged at me, swinging his greatsword, and I sprinted straight toward him. As he lunged into a wide stance, I slid through the gap beneath his legs, slipping right under his crotch.
Erhard slammed his wooden sword into the ground, shattering it on impact.
"You little — darting around like that! Hey, lend me my Gram!"
Erhard hurled the broken wooden sword aside and demanded that his companions hand over his blade with the grand name.
One of Erhard's companions was about to toss the greatsword when a stone flew through the air and knocked it away, sending it tumbling down among the other adventurers.
When one of the adventurers picked it up, Erhard's companion stormed over and demanded the sword back.
"Hold on — if we start using that, neither side will be able to back down. You guys, take a good look at the ladies right in front of you."
I glanced over at the group as well, then quickly returned my gaze.
Miranda had dropped the stone from her palm and was drawing the short sword at her hip. Aria and the others were glaring daggers too.
(...I-I'm not scared. Not scared at all.)
Erhard and his companions had gone pale at the sight of Novem and the others. I had no desire to know what they'd been thinking when they picked this fight.
But perhaps it wasn't what I'd expected, because Erhard looked thoroughly flustered.
"D-Damn it! Then I'll just use my fists!"
As Erhard came swinging, I thrust forward with my Saber. This time I targeted his joints, striking with precision again and again.
If he had a Skill, a little pain shouldn't matter — so I kept swinging and swinging with my Saber...
"That's — that's cowardly! If you're a man, fight with your fists!"
"Which one of us was trying to use a real sword?!"
Even though it was a wooden sword, Erhard couldn't close the distance and was screaming, so when I talked back, the surrounding crowd was wrapped in laughter.
"What a big-shot newcomer!"
"A boomerang!"
"Well, I wonder how long that shameless fellow can hold out."
Erhard was withstanding my attacks using his Skill's physical enhancement. He was charging in ready to take the pain, but his movements were completely transparent, so I could easily dodge and strike him with the wooden sword.
I dodged Erhard as he charged, then hit him with the wooden sword, thrust at him, and sometimes stuck out a foot to trip him.
Even in tatters, Erhard still kept coming at me.
I heard the Fifth Generation's exasperated voice.
"I understand he's tough, but this is enough. Lyle, aim for his chin."
Following those orders, I faced Erhard head-on as he charged, and the man spread both arms trying to grab me.
I kept running and lunged straight at him, kicked off the ground, and drove my knee into Erhard's chin.
The clean hit sent Erhard's eyes rolling back, his footing went wobbly, and he collapsed.
He desperately tried to stand, but his body wouldn't cooperate and he could barely move. The bulging muscles deflated back to normal, and Erhard lost consciousness right there.
Crate-san, seeing that, made his declaration.
"The winner is Lyle! With this, the match is concluded!"
The ones who came rushing over were Erhard's companions. They seemed to have gotten the great sword back — one of his comrades was carrying it.
The great sword called Gram turned out to be just an ordinary great sword, not a Mana Tool. After glancing at the impressive-sounding blade, I turned my gaze to Erhard.
"Swinging a great sword around with physical enhancement. I see — that would be troublesome."
I could understand why he'd feel confident. It was simply because he was strong.
If he'd been more experienced and had better command of his Skills, things might have been tougher.
Crate approached me, and I spoke up.
"Well then, as the victor, that wraps things up for you too, Lyle. Let's call this whole incident water under the bridge."
He said it with a pleasant smile, but the truth was, if Crate hadn't stepped in, I wouldn't have been in a match with the guy at all.
As I pulled a face, Novem and the others gathered around.
"Lyle, that was splendid work."
"Hm? Oh, was it?"
Clara looked satisfied.
"An adventurer getting involved, a match to prove one's strength. It's nice to read about in books, but seeing it in person is even more exciting."
Eva seemed slightly underwhelmed.
"...If you'd used the serious one back then, it would have been even more thrilling."
I said—
"Hey, that would've been dangerous. And more to the point, before worrying about thrills, shouldn't there be something more pressing to worry about?"
When I looked down at Erhard as I said this, one of his companions was glaring at me.
"Don't screw with me. Just you wait, I'll definitely re—"
He probably meant to say "get revenge," but the spear thrust in front of his face cut him off before he could say another word.
The one holding the spear was Crate.
"This match was conducted on the condition that no grudges would be left behind. If you intend to lay a hand on him, then I, as a witness, will take you on myself."
The companion recoiled in surprise and backed off. Crate withdrew his spear and relaxed his stance. Slinging the spear over his shoulder, he turned to me.
"You're used to fighting. You're an excellent adventurer. And your companions are top-notch too."
Crate looked over at Novem and the others, resting a hand on his chin.
"There might come a chance to work together someday, so let's get along, shall we? Either way, welcome to the Eastern Branch."
As he said that, a wave of laughter rippled through the room.
Crate's expression shifted in an instant, and he fixed the other person with a sharp glare.
"Albano!"
The adventurer called Albano was a young man with short blond hair and drooping blue eyes. He had a distinctive sword with a slightly elongated hilt hanging at his waist.
In his right hand, he held several silver coins, and he looked our way.
"You sure made me a tidy profit, blue-haired buddy. Word of advice — watch out for the stick-in-the-mud over there. When you work with Crate, he's all punctuality this and nagging that, and there's no bending the rules with him. Name's Albano. If we ever get the chance to team up, I'd be glad."
With that, he sauntered out of the room just like the other adventurers, but watching his retreating figure, Crate spoke up.
"...Watch yourself. He's good, but he's slippery. I've been burned by him more times than I can count."
Seeing the frustrated look on Crate's face, I gave a vague nod.
(Man, the people in Baim's Guild are quite a colorful bunch.)
I couldn't help but feel uneasy about whether I'd be able to hold my own in Baim's adventurer guild — a place so different from any guild I'd known before.