Chapter 59 Are There A Lot Of Them?
Due to unavoidable circumstances, I ended up pretending to be ≪Extreme Sword≫.
On top of that, the Kirke family announced, "If anyone disputes Aaron Gale being ≪Extreme Sword≫, come forth and challenge him. If you win, we'll officially recognize you as ≪Extreme Sword≫."
Something feels off, but my Storage Ring already has the 'Gravity Elemental Treant's Core' inside.
This is already mine. No matter what, I won't return it....
So, I couldn't bring myself to refuse now.
The only thing I can do is pray that no one comes forward.
I prayed to God.
Oh, great Wood Sword God, please protect my peaceful days――and so on.
The next day, after the Kirke family's announcement, Lion was sent from the Guild to my home.
"Yo, Lord Extreme Sword."
"...What's with you so early?"
I responded to the smiling, eye-patched man at the entrance.
"What's with you? Hey, let's go to the Guild?"
"No, why do I have to?"
I don't have any business at the Guild, do I?
"Hey, are you still sleepy? It's because a bunch of people claiming to be ≪Extreme Sword≫ showed up at the Guild, and it's causing trouble for the staff."
"...Are there a lot of them?"
"Yeah. There are so many that the Guild staff are getting annoyed and want to kill them. The Guildmaster's message is to take care of it quickly. We've reserved the underground training ground."
It seems I can't escape.
"...Got it. I'll get ready now. Just wait a bit."
I let out a deep sigh and left Lion waiting at the entrance, then went back inside the house.
By "getting ready", I just mean putting on my coat and attaching my sword to my waist. Most of my luggage is already stored in my Storage Ring, anyway. I quickly finished getting ready and headed towards the entrance, where I met Fiona coming out of the Atelier's door along the way.
"Are you going out somewhere?"
"Ah, I got called to the guild about that thing, so I'll go for a bit."
"Okay, got it."
I nodded, and Fiona followed behind me.
Looks like she's going to see me off.
When we reached the entrance, Lion suddenly opened his eyes wide and greeted Fiona.
"Hey, Missy Fiona, good morning!"
"Good morning, Mr. Lion."
"No way... you look great in that, apron."
"...Is that so?"
Fiona made a slightly awkward face.
Well, it's just a plain work apron, so I don't think she'd be happy about being praised. And why did Lion even praise her?
Anyway, I decided to head out.
"See you later, Aaron."
"Alright, see you later."
Fiona saw me off, and I left the house. After walking for a bit, I glanced back at Lion, who was still staring at me.
"...What's with that face?"
Lion was smiling slyly. It was a somewhat annoying smile.
"...Nothing, I guess?"
There was no way it was nothing, but people who smile like that are better off ignored. It's just going to escalate.
We walked in silence for a bit, and then Lion muttered.
"......That was good."
When I glanced back, he was smiling with a relieved expression.
I didn't say anything back.
* * *
As we entered the explorer guild's spacious lobby, I saw a number of explorers I had never seen before gathered there.
The atmosphere was somehow festive, like before a festival. The chatter was loud, almost reaching a noise level.
The moment we entered the lobby, everyone's gaze focused on us. The chatter stopped instantly, and an eerie silence fell.
"...Are they all going to be like this?"
I tried to avoid the pressure of their scrutinizing gazes by looking away, and Lion, who was standing beside me, shrugged his shoulders in response.
"That's about right. Since the guild is filtering out Intermediate and below explorers, there are around 50 to 60 people today. Not that many, right?"
"Spare me..."
Do I have to fight all of them now?
With a sigh, I muttered to myself, and finally, the lobby, which had been quiet, was filled with the sound of conversations again.
"That guy..."
"No mistake, it's definitely him."
"...he doesn't look that strong, though."
"Maybe it's just a lie, this ≪Extreme Sword≫ thing..."
"There's a rumor that it's for the new member selection of the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫."
"A poster or something?"
"He's a real Gale-style master... I'll get him to sign my wooden sword later."
"No way, he's actually strong. I've seen him fight before."
"Isn't it just a rumor?"
"...No way, this is a shock..."
"I was aiming for him, but..."
"You idiot, you're not even worthy to be his opponent."
"...Kill, kill, kill, kill..."
Various conversations burst forth all at once.
I felt like there were some disturbing murmurs mixed in, but I probably just imagined it.
"Well, let's head to the underground training ground quickly."
Led by Lion, we pushed through the crowd and headed towards the stairs leading underground.
"Hey, if I'm going to fight 60 people, what about the others? Are they just spectators?"
There were clearly more than 60 explorers gathered at the guild.
"Huh? Ah, you mean spectators? They're guests."
"Guests?"
I tilted my head, and Lion replied with a grin.
"They're betting on who will win between you and your opponent."
"What's with the betting?"
"By the way, the guild is the one backing the bets."
The guild is sponsoring it, huh...
I imagined the strong-faced guild leader in my mind. He's not just doing it for show. Well, as a commercial organization, the guild needs to make money to stay on top.
Behind me, the explorers who seemed to be participating in the betting followed in a line.
We descended into the training area as a group, and inside, the people who were likely to be my opponents today were already waiting.
"...There are a lot."
When I took a glance around, there were indeed around 60 people.
And there were nearly 10 guild staff members, probably to facilitate the betting.
...I think it's wrong to assume that the guild is busy because they're allocating personnel for this, but...
Anyway.
The battle, with the name ≪Extreme Sword≫ at stake, was about to begin.
* * *
"I'm the real ≪Extreme Sword≫! Also known as the 'Invisible Shooter'! You fake, trying to steal my name! I'll beat you and prove I'm the true ≪Extreme Sword≫!!"
"......"
"――Let's get into position! ...And start!!"
In the underground training ground of the Explorer Guild.
I stood facing my opponent near the center.
My opponent was a man with a dual job as an archer, probably self-proclaimed.
The moment Lion, the referee, announced the start of the match, the man drew his bow without an arrow. An arrow made of aura appeared between the drawn bowstrings and was released instantly.
"Take this――[Ray Bow]!!"
My unique sword technique――[Aura Blade]
I swung up my Black Radiance in my right hand.
The aura arrow flying at lightning-fast speed collided with Black Radiance, changing its trajectory at a right angle. The arrow shot up rapidly in front of me and hit the ceiling of the training ground.
"What the...!?"
The man was shocked that his attack was blocked, his eyes wide with surprise.
I took advantage of the opening and kicked the ground.
My unique battle technique――[Rapid Flash]
"Whoa!?"
The next instant, I was already closing in on the man's chest.
With Black Radiance in my right hand, I softly landed a left punch on the stunned man's stomach.
My unique battle technique――[Thunderclap Wave]
"――Uggghh!?"
I released the aura from my fist, converting it into a shockwave that penetrated the man's body, violently shaking his internal organs.
The man lost consciousness in an instant, collapsing like a broken puppet.
"――The winner is Aaron Gale!!"
Lion declared my victory, watching from the sidelines.
Immediately after, the explorers who were watching the match let out cries of despair and cheers.
The cries of despair were from those who lost their bets, while the cheers were from those who won.
The ratio was more in favor of the cheering crowd. The opponents were somewhat well-known, and at first, there were many people betting against me, but as the rounds went on, the ratio changed. Now, it seems like there are slightly more people betting on me.
The guild staff carried a male archer on a stretcher and took him away.
As I watched them leave, Lion approached me and whispered in my ear.
"Hey Aaron, next time, can you put on a better show and struggle a bit more?"
"..."
I glared at Lion, my eyes fixed on him.
I knew why Lion was saying this without needing an explanation, but it seemed like he thought I was asking for a reason. He started explaining without me even asking.
"If it keeps going like this, the bets won't be valid anymore. But if you start to show signs of fatigue... you know what I mean?"
In other words, from the bookmaker's side, they wanted the opponents to bet on them. And that would require my victory as a prerequisite.
For a moment, I thought about intentionally losing, but Lady Eva told me to fight seriously, so I reconsidered. If I were to lose and she took away the 'Gravity Elemental Treant's Core', it would lead to an all-out war between me and the Kirke family. I had to avoid that at all costs.
"――Anyway, Lion."
"What's up?"
I pressed on, not thinking that Lion was suspicious at all.
"That guy just now, was he an archer?"
"Yeah, he was."
"The ones before him were a pair of magicians, right?"
"Yeah, they were."
"And before that, it was a party of one swordsman, one archer, one magician, and 2 shielders."
"Yeah, that's right."
By the way, the matches didn't always have to be one-on-one. There were also teams that challenged me. It was a far cry from a fair competition, and it was enough to make me cry.
No, as far as I was concerned, it was better to fight them all at once and get it over with, but the thought that it was still unfair lingered.
Were they planning to recognize me as an ≪Extreme Sword≫ even if they won as a group? Or was the bookmaker increasing the number of opponents to manipulate the betting odds? It was a delicate situation.
But, the problem isn't that.
"...Isn't this a match against those guys who claim to be the ≪Extreme Sword≫?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Then, if we exclude everyone except for Swordsman-type Jobs, what's the deal?"
≪Extreme Sword≫'s true identity was unknown, but there were a few people who witnessed their battle from a distance during the Stampede. And since those witnesses were all Swordsman-type Jobs, that's how ≪Extreme Sword≫ got its name.
In other words, ≪Extreme Sword≫ is a Swordsman.
I pointed out that it's weird for archers, magicians, or shielders to be here.
But Lion countered.
"Hey, what are you talking about? ≪Extreme Sword≫ is thought to be a group, right? So, it's not weird if there are people who aren't Swordsmen."
"...So, let's say it's okay if there's a party with a Swordsman. But, isn't it weird if there's an archer or magician solo?"
"It's not like all members of ≪Extreme Sword≫ are here, so we can't just chase them away because they're not Swordsmen."
"......"
I guess it's whatever now.
Lion keeps talking, not caring that I've given up trying to convince him.
"By the way, Aaron, how was that guy?"
How was that guy――it means, is it okay to let them join the clan in terms of their abilities?
Lion, being a former Expert explorer, should already know the answer without me telling him, but he still asks me every time.
I honestly stated my thoughts.
"He's around Advanced lower rank, I guess. That's not good enough."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
The current archer's abilities are probably around the lower ranks of Advanced explorers. [Ray Bow] has a powerful skill from Advanced Jobs that's hard to dodge, so I can understand why they're confident, but their response after being blocked was too sloppy.
Overall, it's said that you need to be extremely powerful to dive into the ultra-deep floors of [God's Remains Labyrinth].
That being said, I've already fought against nearly 30 people, half of them.
Among the opponents I've fought so far, there are a few who are actually strong. Those guys wouldn't have any problems joining a clan in terms of power. As long as they don't turn out to be like Judas, and there are no issues after a background check, they might even get scouted by a clan.
Anyway, the matches will continue.
"Oh, it seems like the betting for the next match is almost settled. Count on you, Aaron――I'd appreciate it if you could put up a good fight and make it a thrilling match."
"......"
Next was a party of 4.
It was an all-male party, and the leader, a magician with a plump build and glasses, stepped forward and began to boast.
"Hah! We are the true ≪Extreme Sword≫! Also known as the 'Sword Dance Maiden's Scorned Squad'! We'll punish those heretic master who abuse their position of authority and try to force themselves on her!!"
""Kill!!""
"......"
There really were people who called themselves Fiona's fans.
I gazed at the men in front of me and thought that Fiona might be struggling with all sorts of things in secret.
Well, that's irrelevant――the match ended in an instant with [Raging Continuous Blade].
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