Once the contract was finalized, there was only one thing left to do.
A celebration, naturally.
Yesterday I hadn't been able to explore the lands beyond the distant horizon, but today was different.
"Myormail. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"Hohoho! The boss has good taste, I see! This Myormail has already secured the perfect venue, no detail overlooked!"
"My my! But you know, I can't exactly compromise on certain things, my friend!"
"Leave it to me! I guarantee you'll be completely satisfied!"
And so, we spent that night drinking ourselves into oblivion.
I'll say it plainly! It was bliss!
One thing led to another, and a week went by.
I continued lodging at Myormail's establishment the entire time.
Of course, I wasn't just idling about.
I used Shadow Movement to visit
I also didn't forget to have
On top of that, I passed along instructions for preparing an inn for the adventurers who would be coming, as well as training people to maintain weapons and armor.
The construction boom had only just died down, so everyone was eager to jump into new work. That was just the kind of people they were.
Between guiding preparations, holding meetings, and heading out for drinks every night, my days were packed.
Once the broad strokes of my instructions were complete and the town was in motion, things were well in hand. At this rate, two months should be plenty of time to finish the road as planned.
The money from selling middle-grade Recovery Potions came to 110 gold coins. With 16 on hand, that made 126 in total.
I paid Myormail 100 gold coins upfront for a shipment of vegetable seedlings, seeds, and various seasonings, which still left me with 26 gold coins.
I had a decent cushion and had been thinking of treating myself, but it turned out I didn't have to pay for anything.
Myormail covered all of our food and drink expenses for the entire week.
He was a major client, and he wanted to cultivate a good long-term relationship. The road agreement was clearly a big deal — I received top-tier hospitality.
Myormail was a man who knew how to be useful.
And that was how I came to be on good terms with this merchant.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
This Myormail — he was a bit portly, with a friendly-looking face. But as a true merchant, he missed nothing.
He apparently also lent money at high interest, and every day a parade of hopeful visitors came knocking for an audience. But Myormail never met with them personally; his shop attendants handled everything.
As expected of a merchant with a royal charter, he had all manner of connections. Some nobles had borrowed money from Myormail and now found themselves unable to so much as lift their heads around him.
Debt is a terrifying thing. Use credit wisely.
Well, as long as both sides were profiting, there was no risk of betrayal. Merchants were sharp when it came to self-interest. More trustworthy than a shoddy alliance, really.
Over the course of that week, we had gotten a solid read on each other's character and cemented our future partnership.
With the contract complete and town deliveries arranged, it was time to depart.
I went to say goodbye to Myormail.
"You've been a great help. I'll be back to visit again!"
"The boss — I'll be right here waiting! Please, do come again!
The items you requested — I'll make sure they're delivered promptly!"
"Right. In two months, send someone who can serve as both a guard and a guide. Use my name, and they'll find me right away. I'm counting on you."
"Understood. Consider it done!"
With that exchange, we parted ways.
The shop's attendants and the other patrons were visibly stunned by how low Myormail bowed.
At first I wasn't sure what they were so surprised about, but thinking about it, the平时 proud shop owner bowing and scraping to a child like me must have looked downright bizarre.
Maybe I should have met him in my adult form. Oh well, too late now.
And with that, I left the shop.
Heading out, I made my way toward the Free Guild building.
Myormail had written me a letter of introduction to Kagurazaka Yuuki.
I had a reason to receive it, but more importantly, I needed official identification.
He had offered to vouch for my identity in this country, so I intended to register with the Guild.
Traveling from one nation to the next without proper credentials was a headache.
Once registered as an adventurer, your identity would be verified not just in that country but in any nation affiliated with the Free Guild.
Registering before heading to the Ingrasia Kingdom would save me a lot of trouble.
Without hesitation, I joined the general registration line.
The daytime hours were quiet, and my turn came up quickly.
"I'd like to register, please."
"Little lady, aren't you a bit young for this?"
The receptionist gently tried to turn me away.
With this appearance, I'd expected as much. But it was a hassle, so I decided to push through.
"It's fine. No problem."
At that, the receptionist reluctantly proceeded with the registration.
I filled in the form she presented: name, age, skills, place of origin, and so on.
Apparently, whatever I could reasonably provide would do.
I wrote my name and listed only swordsmanship under skills.
That concluded the general registration. Next, I needed to decide which guild to join.
You could join multiple guilds simultaneously, so there was no dilemma. I chose the subjugation division.
"Sweetie, the subjugation division is really dangerous. Are you sure about this?"
She showed genuine concern, but I assured her it was fine.
Apparently resigning herself to it, she said: "Then I'll need to conduct a test.
For any division that operates outside town walls, E-rank is the minimum — not F. If you don't pass the test, you won't be recognized.
So what will it be? I really recommend you reconsider?"
Registering with the Guild earned you F-rank. But joining a combat-oriented division bumped the floor up to E. Interesting.
"Then I'll take the test, please."
And so I found myself about to be tested.
As long as it wasn't a written exam, I had nothing to worry about.
The receptionist stood and disappeared into the back, returning with a single man.
He must be the examiner.
"So you're the one taking the test? Fine. Follow me."
He led me through a back door into a separate building.
A group of idle adventurers who had been watching our exchange started buzzing.
"Hey, hey — that tiny kid is actually taking the test? That's insane!"
"Wanna bet if she passes or fails?"
"Don't bother, don't bother — there's no way that's a real bet!"
"Hey though, that sword at her hip is a weird shape. Never seen anything like it!"
"She might actually be pretty skilled…"
And so on.
With so few sources of entertainment, even something like this was enough to stir up a commotion.
In the end, a whole crowd followed along to watch.
The test took place inside a building that looked like a gymnasium.
Promotion exams were apparently held here too. Since you could only take quests at your current rank, tests were available at any time.
Each Guild branch had a dedicated examiner on staff.
These examiners also served as first responders in emergencies, so many were retired adventurers with A-rank-equivalent skill.
The man before me was still young but missing a leg. Some incident had forced him into retirement and into this role.
"Let me explain up front. If you pass E-rank, you'll earn the right to immediately challenge D, C, and higher ranks.
But if you fail, you'll need to accumulate at least 100 F-rank quest points before you can retake the test.
Understood?"
F-rank points referred to the score values attached to F-rank quests. Each quest offered different point values and rewards. Essentially: build up some proven skill and try again.
They probably didn't want people pestering them with repeated attempts.
"No problem," I said.
The examiner nodded, then pointed at the ground.
"The test will take place inside this magic circle. Step inside. When you're ready, give the signal."
I looked down. A circle roughly twenty meters in diameter had been drawn on the floor.
I stepped inside. The moment I did, a hemispherical barrier activated around me.
The onlookers were buzzing with excitement as they watched.
"I'm ready!"
Upon my call: "Very well. Now — defeat the enemy before you!"
With that declaration, the man unleashed a spell he had prepared.
It was a summoning magic.
A hunting dog materialized before me.
Well-trained. But that was all it was.
Before the dog could so much as growl — or flinch in fear of me — My blade severed its neck.
"Done. What's next?"
The surrounding silence was absolute.
"Th-that's incredible…"
A single whisper drifted through the stunned crowd.
For the first time, the examiner showed a flash of alarm.
"You — you're not actually a beginner, are you?"
"I never said I was. Anyway, I'd like to get to A-rank as quickly as possible."
"The tests here only go up to B-rank. Anything above B+ has to be taken at headquarters.
So what'll it be? Want to go all the way to B?"
"Got it, got it. B-rank it is, then."
It was a hassle, and I wanted to get through this quickly. I'd be heading to headquarters anyway, so I could finish the rest there.
At my words, the examiner recovered his composure and summoned the next opponent.
D-rank: Hunting Wolf.
C-rank: Giant Bear.
C+-rank: Vampire Bat.
I cut through each summoned monster with ease.
The crowd had gone completely silent, watching my battles in a daze. Of course, they probably couldn't even track my movements with their eyes.
After all, each one fell to a single flash of the blade.
When the Vampire Bat appeared, though, I almost laughed. It felt like ancient history since those things had attacked me back in the day.
Having made it this far without breaking a sweat, I'd already earned C+-rank qualifications.
Next was B-rank.
"Impressive. I didn't expect you to have this level of skill…
The B-rank monster is a formidable opponent. Are you ready?"
"Absolutely. Bring it on!"
And so the final enemy was summoned.
A writhing, four-armed demon.
A Lesser Demon.
This was my first time seeing a demon species. A part of me was tempted to take a bite and absorb its abilities.
"That monster is a Lesser Demon! Simple physical attacks won't work on it!
So — what'll you do? Surrender early! I can't heal serious injuries!"
For some reason, the examiner was practically shouting with excitement.
Having all his carefully summoned monsters dispatched so easily must have really stung.
But what to do? I didn't want to reveal my skills or magic.
As I hesitated, the Lesser Demon's eyes began to glow red, and it started chanting an incantation.
Four fireballs came hurtling toward me. As expected of B-rank — that was some real firepower.
I dodged the fireballs effortlessly. They slammed into the barrier behind me, and I felt a burst of searing heat.
But wait — weren't parties supposed to be three-person teams when tackling something like this?
"Hey, wasn't that thing supposed to be fought as a group?"
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
"You're telling me someone's supposed to kill that solo? That's B+ promotion exam material!"
I could hear voices like that drifting from the crowd.
I glanced at the examiner. His eyes were bloodshot.
Hmm. Maybe a little sabotage was mixed in. Oh well.
Physical attacks were difficult to use against this thing. It had a semi-material body, apparently. Once it gained a physical form, it would develop intelligence and become a true demon.
The Lesser Demon seemed furious that I'd dodged its magic. It charged at me, all four arms swinging.
If it bit me, it would be over instantly — game over for the demon.
Oh well. I coated my blade in magic power. A magic sword.
I would have normally used Demon Aura, but that would expose me as a monster user, so I was careful to convert it into pure magic energy instead.
Now, all that was left was to cut.
The Lesser Demon was sliced cleanly in two, then dissolved into dust and vanished.
"Done. I'm B-rank now, right?"
The area was wrapped in silence — then: "AMAZINGGGG!!! Lady, you're so cool!"
"Hey, take off the mask and show us your face!"
"You pervert! Never mind that — join our party!"
And so on. A roar of cheers and recruitment offers erupted.
Complete pandemonium.
The examiner seemed to snap back to reality as well.
"Outstanding! You pass! Without a single shadow of doubt."
He extended his hand for a handshake.
I'd let the little sabotage attempt slide. It hadn't been a big deal from my perspective.
With the noisy crowd still buzzing, I returned to the main building and finished the paperwork.
Having earned B-rank qualifications, my card was issued.
Name: Rimuru Rank: B Skills: Swordsmanship Division: Subjugation The card was clearly inscribed with those details. Fields left blank didn't appear to display at all.
Good. Now I could officially call myself an adventurer.
I accepted the card and expressed my thanks.
The receptionist's attitude toward me had completely changed. Gone was the gentle, let-me-handle-this-child tone from before. In its place was the crisp, professional courtesy reserved for a grown adult.
As expected of a pro. She knew how to switch gears on a dime.
Leaving the hall, I went to visit Fuse. Someone else guided me there.
I passed through the Magic Circle and knocked on his door.
Inside, Fuse was clutching his head in his hands.
"Come on — you didn't have to stand out that much right off the bat!
There are hardly any people who can take down a Lesser Demon with a sword alone!
A magic sword? Even Magic Enchantment doesn't produce that kind of power — it's going to cause problems!"
"Hmm? Was that bad? I mean, if you were watching, why didn't you stop me?"
"Look… there wasn't even time to stop you…
Never mind. The concept of a magic sword was brought to headquarters by someone who claimed to be from another world. They've been researching it.
But very few people can actually use it.
It's considered a trump card against demon-kind, so if word gets out, the recruitment offers will be relentless.
The ones watching downstairs were all low-rank C-rankers — they probably didn't catch on. I'll make the examiner keep quiet, but you should be more careful from now on!"
He gave me that advice.
Coating a blade in magic power — that was a common enough image, but apparently it was incredibly difficult in this world.
Well, if nobody had been watching, the whole thing would have ended with one bite. From my perspective it was trivial, but it was apparently quite a high-level technique. I'd chosen it thinking it was the safest, most unremarkable option, but it still drew too much attention.
It seemed like the best policy going forward was to avoid fighting in plain view whenever possible.
Better to have learned this lesson early.
"Thanks. I'll be more careful from now on. Well then, I'm off!"
"Right! When you get to headquarters, give them my regards. Take care!"
I thanked Fuse, accepted the letter of introduction, and left the Guild.
I now had a Guild Card for identity verification and had earned travel funds. I'd arranged support for the town and even established diplomatic relations with a small kingdom.
Not a bad start at all.
Ideally, I wanted to avoid conflict with humanity. I'd keep working toward building friendly relations going forward.
And with that, my stay in the small kingdom of Blumund came to an end.
My next destination: the capital of the great Ingrasia Kingdom.
The supreme commander of the Free Guild headquarters — Kagurazaka Yuuki.
A fellow transplant from my homeland, someone I'd never yet met. I resumed my journey to find him.