With a flash of purple, Martel appeared within a room in the castle. There he found Kuromi and Yutsuki, who were happily chatting, turned whisper at his appearance, most likely because he was the subject of the conversation.
"You girls have a couple of minutes? I want to talk to you about the System."
"What specifically?" Kuromi asked.
"Did your weapon automatically absorb your ring?"
"No, did yours?"
Martel nodded. "It turned out just fine, so you girls should try the same."
Yutsuki had a look of concern on her face. "Nothing bad will happen, right?" she asked as she gripped her ring, obviously cherishing it.
"I'll try it first," Kuromi said as she made her dagger absorb the ring.
The girls also received the Features that Martel had obtained from absorbing his wedding band. He was happy when he noticed that even Kuromi had a sigh of relief as it enforced the emotional weight the wedding ring had to her. Thankfully, neither of them had any regrets.
"There's a SRIN on your weapon, try to absorb it," Martel said.
The girls nodded, and both tried successfully. Martel was curious as he did not believe the girl would get the same Feature as him.
Kuromi had a look of confusion on her face. "Onii-sama, it says access has been requested."
Martel was surprised but quickly checked his notifications. There he found a message asking if access to his Smart Map should be allowed to the two of them. He looked over the information and found that he could sync their maps up with his Smart Map accessing as much or as little of it as he wished. He quickly gave them full access but did not allow them to share that information with anyone in their party. Satisfied, he turned back to the two of them. "Now, what about your Abilities and Talents?"
Abilities: Kuromi
Shadow Body (Mutation) BoO
The user’s body, and any nonliving thing in direct contact, not too large, and consciously desired will turn into a shadow. The user may travel through shadow at a normal speed. The user sheds their physical body and will only feel pain if attacked (which may cause the user to exit the shadows) unless they are attacked by something non-physical which will do damage. While in shadow form, STL*100%
Soul Armament
Shadow Dagger (...)
Talents: Kuromi
Eyes of Judgment LVL 0.00
When activated, the user can see the hidden Rewards and Punishment of the target.
Traceless LVL 0.00
If sneaking, traces left by the user (like smell, etc., including artificially placed) will automatically be removed upon the user’s departure (the user must leave the area by approximately 50 m). This also affects physical changes (broken branches, footsteps, etc.), but they are not reversed. Instead, they are subtly and magically changed to be more inconspicuous dependent upon how noticeable it is and the user’s STL Stat. If the user is being tracked by magical or other similar means, the user has a chance of escaping detection dependent upon their STL and resistance to the method.
Abilities: Yutsuki
Aimbot (ESPER) BoO
(...)
Soul Armament
Tracking Arrow (...)
Talents: Yutsuki
Eyes of Future Sight
LVL 0.00
At the exponential cost of mana, the user may see up to three seconds ahead of whatever they are looking at instantaneously. What they see takes into account their future sight as well as what will happen with their intended action. (Which can be changed so what the user sees will happen if they continue down their course of action). However, it is possible for the user to be deceived depending upon the difference between the users AWR and a percentage of the target's STL (the target is at a disadvantage and must be guarding against the user regardless of their knowledge of the user's presence).
The amount of potential futures, based on potential user actions, is dependent on Talent LVL.
Martel was thoroughly impressed by their Talents because they fixed their weaknesses near perfectly. In Kuromi’s case, changing to shadow form would only reduce sound and smell or other factors that could be discovered. Although it wouldn’t hide her present location, Kuromi’s ability for the shadow was adept at changing positions. Traceless would make pursuit after assassination near impossible so long she was careful. Eyes of Judgment was a nerfed version of his ability, which would be useful in Kuromi’s profession.
Although he wasn’t particularly sure about Yutsuki’s Eyes of Future Sight’s mana cost, it further fixed what Aimbot and Tracking Arrow lacked. Aimbot only that the user can clean know where to shoot based upon what the target was doing before the ranged weapon was used and not traveling time. Tracking Arrow allowed Yutsuki to make adjustments to an arrow’s flight path making it more likely to hit, but this was still limited. Eyes of Future Sight should allow Yutsuki to know precisely when or where to shoot. It would give Aimbot the information needed to ensure hit. Naturally, this Talent should have limits but was better than not having it all.
“Your Talents are very useful,” Martel said with a smile after he heard them describe their Powers.
The two girls nodded in agreement.
“How about you?” Yutsuki asked curiously.
“Well, mine is a bit long. I wish I could share it directly with... Oh, never mind, I can.” Martel said when he noticed the notification that would allow him to share information. He knew through the System with anyone in his party or those who wore his wedding rings.
The two girls looked over the list and became numb after reading so much, but at some point, Yutsuki snickered, and even Kuromi was fighting back a smile.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, Harem King,” Kuromi said, trying hard not to break character and laugh. “It fits you perfectly.”
Martel made a wicked smile. “Indeed, it does fit me perfectly. Why don’t you continue reading the description.” Martel replied. Once he noticed their embarrassment and rosy cheeks, he knew they had read it thoroughly. While they weren’t paying attention, he quickly scooped the two of them into his arms. “Well, I want to test my Talent, and there’s no time like the present.” He said cheekily.
“Onii-sama,” Yutsuki said as she glanced between him and Kuromi, obviously heavily embarrassed.
“Ah, that’s right, I’ve only had a one-course meal with you. Don’t worry; my two-course meal is not that much different.” He said with a wicked smile as destruction magic around the room to ensure no sound would leak out.
Flustered by his apparent intentions, Yutsuki could only shout, “Onii-sama, you big villain!”
...
An undisclosed amount of time later, Martel cuddled with two red-faced young ladies. Even after the deed was done, he didn’t stop showering them with attention. From his alternative life’s memories, he had already experienced losing both of them once, so he especially cherished them now.
“Now, check your notifications and see if anything changed.” He said when the two of them had finally calmed down.
Martel opened his notifications and became dumbfounded.
Because of your extraordinary luck and accumulation of prior affection with the targets, a miracle has occurred at a reduced cost!
Good KAR -137 (remaining 0)
...
Martel was dumbfounded by the first notification, surprised that he had any Good KAR. He wanted to find out more information, and a new Feature was added: Log. From Log, he was able to obtain a list of information that occurred during the system. Luckily this included before Log was created. It turned out that one could earn a Good KAR by not doing something. He had obtained Good KAR by not harming the King or Freed when he had the ability and justification to but decided against it when considering the world's stability. Additionally, Good KAR was obtained for saving Hestia from her Fate as well as his decision not to take advantage of her situation. Happy from this new knowledge, Martel went back to reading the information, getting dressed as he did so.
…
Effect: the success probability of the Talent Harem King has been maximized.
The Talent Harem King has successfully been triggered with the following effects:
Kuromi has obtained the Talents Eyes of Dark Vision, Eyes of Observation, and Status Forger!
Kuromi's Talent, Eyes of Judgment have become Eyes of Heavenly Judgment!
Yutsuki has obtained the Talents Eyes of Farsight, Eyes a Projectile Tracking, and Eyes of Dark Vision.
Martel has obtained the Ability Shadow Body (Mutation) BoO!
Martel has obtained the Talents Eyes of Future Sight and Traceless!
Martel’s Talent, Eyes of Heavenly Judgment, has upgraded and gained the ability Fire of Karma! The Fire of Karma can be sent from the eyes or attached to Judgment Magic, but is extremely taxing on the eyes and can cause blindness with repeated use and lack of care. The effect is based on the target's KAR. Good KAR causes a buff and heals while Bad KAR causes a debuff and damage(The exact strength/duration depends on the amount and they can cancel each other)
Martel stared blankly at the information with his mouth agape.
“Anata, what’s wrong?” Kuromi asked after she noticed his abnormal behavior.
Martel’s face turned into a broad grin. “Better than I hoped,” Martel said with a smile before his body disappeared into shadow before he reappeared at the other end of the bed, looking at the dumbfounded duo. Without missing a beat, he sent the notification to the two of them.
“This is kind of scary,” Kuromi said after she read the information. Even though it was a literal ‘miracle,’ the premise of Martel’s ability was scary to think about even for her.
“Yes, and I’m bummed. It seemed to work completely in one try,” Martel said seriously.
It took a second, but the two girls eventually realized what he meant before ignoring him and continued to look at their notifications.
“Onii-sama, why did my swordsmanship expertise go up? And what’s fornication? It went up to.”
“Yeah, it would go up,” Martel replied, holding back his laughter.
After being whispered the answer to her second question by Kuromi, Yutsuki’s face turned into a bright blush.
Curious, Martel also checked his notifications and saw that the same also occurred to him. He wondered why and asked the Help System, unsure if this fell under its jurisdiction. The reply he received left him dumbfounded and caused the two young ladies embarrassment.
Because he had the Mutation, Gram, his body was considered a sword. Swordsmanship is handling and using a sword.
Content with this answer, he decided to see how far the Help System could go into giving him information.
[System, why wasn’t a single Soul Armament shared during the Harem King’s last activation?]
Analyzing information present and taking into account the users INT and WIS
A special characteristic of the Soul Armament is that it is bound to a person's soul. As such, it is impossible for a person to use another person's Soul Armament except for the owner of the Soul Armament ‘Crown of Origin.’
[System, elaborate fully.]
Thanks to the Talent Devour, the user may forcefully take the awakened Soul Armament of another, although the user will not become the owner.
To become the owner, the use of a Soul Fruit is necessary. A Soul Fruit is automatically generated in the Crown of Origin by the accumulation of soul energy. Soul energy can be admitted into the Crown of Origin by the excess from the user’s own soul or obtained naturally by being present around the death of beings with souls (Devourer increases the amount given). Once enough soul energy is received, it will automatically crystallize into a Soul Fruit. The Soul Fruit can be used for the following(amount of Soul Fruits necessary will vary):
1. Allow the user to become the owner of a possessed Soul Armament
2. Combine similar Soul Armaments together which conserves mana usage and can add abilities (can affect others so long as they are willing)
3. Create a copy of an owned Soul Armament which can be given to another person who has an affinity with it.
Martel was surprised by this information, but soon his eyes filled with resolve. Good KAR could be obtained by killing people with Bad KAR, which would also create more Soul Fruits to further his strength and the strength of those cared about. Part of his plan already meant he would have to kill many people; this was the icing on the cake.
He looked back up towards the two girls and changed his expression to a smile. “Well, this experiment turned out beautifully, and it seems that no repeat tests will be necessary, at least until I obtain new Talents.” He said as his face turned into a wicked smile that sent the two girls into goosebumps. After seeing their reaction, his expression changed into a gentle one. “I’d love to stay for the night, but I’m expected back.”
“What’s her name?” Kuromi asked without missing a beat.
“… Cali, of course.” Martel replied.
Even Kuromi couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she noticed that Martel had flinched. “Not even a day has passed.” She murmured before reaching towards her dagger.
Martel quickly jumped out of bed. “See you, girls, later,” he said as he disappeared with a flash of purple.
Yutsuki and Kuromi glanced at each other before the two of them, even Kuromi, couldn’t help but chuckle.
With a flash, Martel appeared in a secluded area a little way from the inn. To keep up appearances, he had at least looked like he had gone somewhere. As he walked back, having been reminded of his plans, he soon remembered a question about this world he could not answer. However, he could easily contact someone who could be considered an expert.
[Loli Big Boobs?] Martel projected his thoughts to the shield. He waited for several seconds but got no reply. He was a little confused because he already confirmed her presence. Additionally, given what he knew of personality, she wanted to talk to him but was embarrassed by it. She would pretend to be angry at his nickname to start the conversation, but because he could feel emotions, he knew it was feigned. [Loli Big Boobs?] He asked again.
[You bastard! How dare you do that… That… Those naughty things!]
Martel was dumbfounded for a moment, but quickly realized what she meant before he too became a bit embarrassed. [I already told you to be careful when you pay attention to me.]
[But that doesn’t mean you can do that!]
[Hey, you could always cut off your senses from the shield. Next time you should do that instead of pretending not to see but looking through your fingers.]
[How did you know?] Shield Goddess quickly blurted out. [I mean, I didn’t!]
Martel couldn’t help but cough in surprise as he had randomly said something that seemed to fit with her personality. [Anyway, I have a question for you.]
[Go ahead.] Shield Goddess relieved that the topic had changed.
[It’s about the world barriers, the mountains, and the oceans that separate the land between the humanoids, beasts, and reptiles. Could you go over them in detail? Especially regarding how they can be traversed.]
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
[You shouldn’t consider going over there. At least not until after The Invasion. Well, in your case, it will be okay once you become strong enough because you have teleportation magic. Leaving without the support of the humanoid kingdoms is not advisable.]
[That’s not why I’m asking. I’m more concerned about others coming into the humanoid realm.]
[Well, it’s possible, and it happens all the time. You see, the barriers you speak of are a type of natural forming magic. It makes those that enter the area confused and easily become lost by affecting their mind. It is more effective against stronger creatures up to a certain point. This means it’s easier for weaker creatures to get through. However, anyone can make it through, even by roaming.]
[Is there any way to lead a large number of creatures through?]
[Technically, no. The way the barriers to work means it would be effortless to lose track of others you are traveling with and become separated. It’s nearly impossible for a large number of creatures to come through together.]
[Technically? Is there a way around the barrier?]
[There is. The barrier only affects those born in this world. Those from outside this world will not be affected in the slightest. To answer your earlier question, it will be possible for a large number of creatures to come through the barrier if they were visually following someone from another world.]
Martel’s mind was racing. Given what would happen, did that mean that someone who was summoned was responsible for that great tragedy? They could be coerced, but Martel wasn’t the type to be superficial. [Are the monsters that come to the wave immune to the barrier?]
[No. That world is one parallel to ours but not different, so they are still affected.]
[I see. Then, aside from the summoned heroes, is there anyone else who would not be affected by the barrier?]
[Yeah, remember that guy we want you to defeat? That guy, along with his subordinates, or demons as they called themselves, suddenly appeared the moment this world, myself, and my sisters were created. We don’t know how he appeared as there was no mana involved, but he hasn’t used that ability again if he ever possessed it in the first place. Anyway, the point is, both he and his subordinates would not be affected by the barrier. Additionally, one demon has come through each wave every time. Their species live an extraordinarily long time, so none have died from old age. The only ones who have died did so thanks to the efforts of the prior generation heroes.]
Martel couldn’t help but frown when he received this information. If only those summoned were suspects, it would be much easier for them to track who would be responsible. However, because the demons were involved, it would become much more complicated. Even with all of his resources, it will be impossible to spy over the entire humanoid area. Besides, if it were a demon, that demon could have already left the humanoid area and gone to the reptilian one. Thinking of that terrifying scenery, Martel couldn’t help but shudder.
[Thanks for the information.] He thought.
[No problem. Say… Could you do me a favor?]
Martel was a little surprised but nodded.
[Can you go to a slave shop called The Honest Chain tomorrow?]
[I was already planning to. Why?]
[Well, that’s good then. Just promise we’ll go tomorrow. If you don’t do what I want, I’ll tell you.]
Martel’s eyebrow visibly twitched by her lack of information. [Okay.] He thought as he finally arrived back at the inn.
When he arrived back in his room, he found Hestia, who was propped up against the bed, asleep. She had intended to stay up for him, but the flurry of emotions she had felt had taken its toll.
Martel smiled when he saw her peaceful expression. It seemed as though she had finally come to peace with their situation. He quietly cast the Curse Sleep on her. Even though Curse had an extremely negative connotation, it wasn’t inherently something evil. Curses were simply magic that caused abnormal statuses. In Martel’s perspective, how it was used dictated if it was good or bad. For the rest of the world, those who could use Curse Magic were publicly shunned. Many were afraid of the applications of Curse Magic, mainly because a single spell could cause many different effects. For example, Martel only had a single Curse Spell. He could use that to create various abnormalities, including paralysis, sleep, etc., some of which were hard to detect. This meant that those who used Curse Magic were hard to trust.
In Martel’s case, he adjusted the magic in a way that would not harm Hestia. Instead, she was assured of getting a good full night sleep as the Curse would run out of energy in the early morning. No longer worrying about her waking up, he gently picked her up, set her on the bed, and tucked her in.
After he was sure she was secure, he used all the magic he could with his SRIN gathering information to populate his Smart Map. After he ran out of mana, he withdrew some essential sleeping equipment from his inventory. He went to sleep, utterly unaware that Cali had slipped in with him.
End of Day 80
In the early morning, Hestia began to stir. She felt so relaxed on the bed that she momentarily forgot where she was. Then, she got up with a start when she remembered what she had been doing, waiting for the Martel to come back next to the bed, but now she was in bed. She looked around and felt relieved when she found her clothes were still in order, though she chastised herself for doubting him. The first rays of the sun both showed it was early morning and illuminated the room.
Hestia was surprised when she noticed that Martel was sleeping on the floor. He had given her the bed, but she couldn’t help but think it strange given the nature of their relationship. It would be far more appropriate for himself to take the bed and for her to sleep on the floor if not both together. Hestia blushed at the thought. She was grateful that Martel acted out of consideration and respect for her.
“Oh, you’re awake,” Martel said as he looked at her.
Hestia froze up from embarrassment as she hadn’t noticed when he had woken up and had been staring at him the whole time.
“Thank you for giving me the bed. I must’ve been exhausted if I didn’t wake up.”
“No problem.”
Hestia looked as if she would say something but momentarily flinched as she looked slightly beyond him. “Sir, who is this?”
Martel followed her line of sight and found Cali peeking up over his body, looking at Hestia. He was momentarily surprised because he hadn’t noticed her presence at all. He thought it was impossible before he realized it was his Curse acting up again. “This is Cali.”
Cali hugged Martel’s neck and pressed the back of his head into her unclothed bosom. “Wife.” She said as she gave Hestia a possessive look.
Hestia dumbly nodded as she began to wonder if the reason why he hadn’t touched her was not because of his character, but because of his preferences.
As if he understood Hestia’s thoughts, Martel turned to Cali softly karate chopped her head. “Cali, how many times have I told you not to sleep without clothes? You are going to make people think I have unhealthy tendencies.”
Cali rubbed her head with one hand and pointed towards her legs. “Not naked, knee socks.”
“If you count that as being clothed, why don’t you move your hair?”
Cali reeled back and covered her body. “Martel, perv.”
Martel rolled his eyes. “Just get dressed, please.” He said as he turned back to Hestia. “She isn’t one to wear clothes, much against my sanity.”
Hestia nodded, slightly amused by everything. “Sir, when were you summoned?”
“Yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” she asked with a surprise as she looked between himself and Cali.
“We were summoned together,” Martel replied, noticing her confusion. “For the record, keep the fact that I’m the Shield Hero to yourself as the King of Sussex isn’t a fan, and he believes me to be locked up in his dungeon right now.”
“What?!” Hestia couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Hestia looked at Martel dumbly, suddenly thinking that he was more than meets the eye. “Sir, what are our plans for today?”
“It’s still early, but I do have something I intend to do now. You can stay here until we come back.” Martel replied.
“I understand,” Hestia replied. “Then, I shall wait here for you to return.”
Martel nodded and ushered himself and Cali out. Once they reached a secluded area, the two of them changed their appearance. In Marty’s case, he traded out his clothing and switched his red dragon mask for a differently designed black dragon mask. As for Cali, her changes were more literal as she went from a little girl to a beautiful young lady. A sword appeared at her side, her white bangs disappeared completely into black, and a black veil appeared covering most of her face. This was because her appearance was far too beautiful; even Martel, who wasn’t easily distracted by physical appearances, was affected. He didn’t want any additional trouble by those with extremely impure motives. Cali was slightly against it but complied when he told her that he wanted her appearance for his eyes only.
The two of them went towards the building that belonged to the Adventurers Guild. The Adventurers Guild spanned all of the humanoids lands. It was created by the first generation heroes to answer the need for an organized system of what were effectively small groups of mercenaries. Being an adventurer was a dangerous job, but also paid exceptionally well. The Adventurers Guild existed outside the jurisdiction of any single nation and had its hierarchy. Any who wished to join the authority within the Adventurers Guild had to give up all ties to any nations that they may have. Abusing their power to further their nation was a serious offense punishable by execution.
Martel’s purpose for going to the Adventurers Guild was simple; to obtain an Adventurers Guild Card.
Outside of the Adventurers Guild hierarchy, a certain level of authority and respect would be given depending upon a person’s rank within the Adventurers Guild. He wished to obtain two Adventurers Guild Cards. The first was a low-level one for the Shield Hero to serve as a false representation of his strength. The second was a false persona so that he could have the authority corresponding with his real strength, which would come in handy.
Eventually, Martel and Cali entered the Adventurers Guild. It was a relatively large building that had an appearance similar to a bank fused with a tavern. The Guild itself was currently sparsely populated. The few adventurers that were present were typically hungover after drinking, either from celebrating completing successful quests, or depression after failing at the potential cost of their party members.
Even though her face was covered, Cali’s figure and eyes were still gorgeous and attracted attention. However, most immediately averted their eyes when they sensed the overwhelming Killing Intent coming from Martel. Although many had experienced it before, they were all too low-level and weak to experience such a high aura. Even though it was only brief, it eliminated any drowsiness they were experiencing. Martel walked up to the desk and saw that the young lady was waiting for him.
Although this young lady was quite attractive and slightly adorable, given the tired look in her eyes, that wasn’t what stood out the most about her. Her hair was completely pink, she had a pair of tall bunny ears atop her head, and Martel couldn’t help but notice a small cottontail protruding from behind her.
“Hello sir, my name is Sakura; how may I help you this morning?” She asked politely.
“We would like to apply for an adventurers card,” Martel replied.
Sakura was surprised but quickly nodded as she began to look around for the necessary forms. “Ah, here they are. I just began to work part-time, so I’m still learning where everything is.” She said as she procured two pieces of paper. “Fill these forms out, please. If you require assistance to do so, please let me know.”
Martel nodded as he glanced over the paper, which he noticed were enchanted magically. “Common is fine?” Martel asked.
‘Common’ referred to the most common language used, the language of humans. All the races had their languages, but Common was used as a common denominator to bridge the gap. The spoken gap was almost nonexistent as the world’s magic acted as a translator between languages verbally spoken. Naturally, this would only occur if the speaking side wished for the other person to understand them. Otherwise, they would only understand if they understood the language.
Sakura nodded to affirm Martel’s question. Martel proceeded to fill out the forms for the two of them, naming himself as Kuro and Cali as Tear. As he did so, a couple of men came up to Cali. “Hey, little lady. Being an adventure is very dangerous. You should become a party with some experienced people, like us, instead of someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.” One of the men said.
Cali glanced at them momentarily before giving them a look of utter detestment before ignoring them.
The man, obviously angry at her dismissal, took a step forward and was about to reach up and touch her. Before he could, everyone instantly froze. Martel’s Killing Intent permeated throughout the room as if a dense ocean weighed down upon them. Unlike when he walked in, Martel did not focus his Killing Intent on anyone and let it flow from him freely. Additionally, he also equipped his title, Slaughterer, which increased his Killing Intent. He was surprised at how much he produced, but externally never stopped filling out the form. Nearly everyone in the room looked towards him, and then looked at the quill Martel was using. They felt as if it was not writing on the form but across their necks. Martel’s Killing Intent was so strong that it could even cause hallucinations or the feeling of their impending death based upon his will. Nobody moved, and all forgot the passage of time until Martel finally placed down the quill. “I believe everything is in order,” Martel said as he withheld his Killing Intent.
The men who were previously harassing Cali turned around and quickly walked out in a cold sweat.
Sakura flinched at Martel’s words as she was also severely affected. “Thank you very much, s-sir. Give me a moment to process these.” She said as she took the forms and quickly went to a back room.
Martel couldn’t help but smile as her appearance reminded him of the saying ‘fleeing like a scared rabbit.’
A short wait later, she returned carrying two cards. “Sir, the two of you need to put a drop of blood on your respective card,” Sakura said with both shaking hands and voice.
Martel and Cali each took a card before producing a drop of blood. Their wounds quickly healed thanks to the System. The card began to display their respective information. On the front was their Name, Title, Race, Level, and Adventurer Rank, the latter being the only one he couldn’t change thanks to his Talent ‘Status Forger.’ The back of the card could display the Rewards and Punishment part of the System, which would keep records of deeds completed that could be turned in for rewards.
After he had changed the necessary information, he turned back to Sakura. “Being the lowest level adventurer is somewhat demeaning for me. Is there any way for me to skip the ranks immediately?”
Sakura flinched for a moment before she gave a worried look. “Sir, not that you can’t, but I don’t know it.”
“If you believe your Adventurer Rank is a gross misrepresentation of your true ability, you can apply for the Guild Master to make an exception. So long as you have sufficient proof, it is easy to pass.” A new female voice said.
Martel looked over towards the stairs leading up to the second floor and saw someone he recognized. She was Pamela, the wife of Sussex’s Adventurer’s Guild Master, who was also the person who had infiltrated the King’s dungeons and rescued him in his previous life. The two of them were relatively strong for their age, and they were both good and trustworthy people who had died during the latter waves of the invasion.
Martel thought for a moment before he changed his title and flung the card to her. “Is this good enough?”
Pamela caught the card and eyed Martel suspiciously. She was slightly disgruntled by appearing so early. However, the Killing Intent produced by Martel sent shivers even down her spine, and she had to step in. She begrudgingly took a look at the card before her eyes snapped open, and she looked up at Martel. “Did you get lucky with a couple of hatchlings?” She asked as Martel had changed his title to ‘Dragonslayer - 0/0/0/2’.
“Do you think that’s possible?” Martel asked with a smile as he knew that dragons would be far too protective of their hatchlings to let that happen.
Pamala’s eyes shot open for a moment. “How strong?”
“S Rank, but a decent amount of luck was involved.”
Pamela nodded before she looked towards Cali. “And the young lady?”
“She also has the title, as she was an invaluable help for the second one.”
Pamela nodded before she turned to Sakura. “I’ll take these two up to see the Guild Master.” She said before she motioned Martel and Cali to follow, which they did.
After they reached the second floor, she had them wait before she entered the Guild Master’s office before them. After waiting a minute, she motioned for them to enter while she left.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the Guild Master, Kurt.”
“Kuro,” Martel said as he shook his hand.
“Tear,” Cali said with a nod.
“So, I understand that you wish to increase your rank immediately.”
“Yes.”
“You understand that strength is only a part of an adventurers rank. Rank comes with privilege, something that is earned. I may be unable to give you two that high of a Rank because of this.”
“That’s fine.”
“How would you rank your strength?”
“S-” Martel said without missing a beat.
Kurt couldn’t help but flinch momentarily. He was ranked S+ at Level 45. Because of the way experience worked, level 50 was a soft cap for humans and extremely difficult to reach. Even the strongest hero had only reached SS, so anyone whose strength ranked beyond A+ was considered to be at the pinnacle for humans.
“Can you give me a display of your strength?”
“Here?”
“No, next-door. We have a training room.” Kurt said as he led them to the adjacent room. He then proceeded to put on a pair of gauntlets. “Give me your strongest blow.”
“All right.” Martel nodded as he understood what Kurt wanted him to do. With a dark flash, the Gauntlets of Spirit Destruction appeared on Martel’s hand, and Gram, the heavy sword he had fused with, erupted from his palm.
Kurt was dumbfounded for a moment before an excited expression appeared on his face. He became serious when he felt Martel’s Peak Rank 10 Ki sprung forth, and a Sword Ki Manifestation enveloped Gram.
When he was sure that Kurt was ready, Martel attacked with a single overhead blow, which Kurt countered with his punch clad in Ki, although only Rank 9. With a *bang*, the two attacks met in two of them were sent backward, Martel six steps a while Kurt went back four. Regarding pure physical power, Kurt had won, but he couldn’t wipe the dumbfounded expression on his face. He could tell that the reason Martel was so strong was due to the overwhelming difference in Ki, and not physical strength. Remembering what Martel’s level was supposed to be, he couldn’t help but be confused. He believed his physical strength to be far below what his level would otherwise indicate. However, the combination of this and the unique forms of power seem to further up our suspicion that he had and couldn’t but wait in anticipation for his wife’s return. “Very good. S- is a very appropriate strength rank. How is your strength compared to the young lady?”
“If mine is S-, hers is A+.”
Kurt nodded. “There will be no need to test in that case. I have to think about your rank for a while as I go to the necessary paperwork. It won’t take long, would you care to join me?”
Martel nodded, and the three of them went back to his office. During this time, it became painfully clear that Kurt was buying time as he made small talk trying to figure out where Martel and Cali had come from. Martel fully knew why. Pamela had made contact with several spies, and she had snuck into the dungeons to find if Martel was still there. Martel was impressed by her stealth ability. He had lost her several times even with the constant surveillance of the SRIN. It seemed as though STL could even affect video monitoring. When he noted Pamela was disappointed upon finding that ‘he’ was still there, he realized that the two of them had suspected or hoped that Kuro was himself. He patiently waited for Pamela to appear back in the Adventurers Guild.
Pamela entered the room and shook her head towards Kurt. Kurt was visibly disappointed, but Martel’s next words made the two of them surprised.
“Disappointed that you still found me in the dungeon?” He said with a chuckle as he removed his mask. The two of them were very trustworthy and helped him out multiple times this past life when he was a fugitive. This time he was only falsely accused so that even more reason to help him. Pamela was visibly shocked as she had recognized his face. “Who is that in the dungeon?”
“You can think of them as a homunculus, though one made with science and technology instead of magic.”
“Then who is this young lady? All of the Summoned were accounted for.”
Cali then turned into a coat around Martel before turning back into her little girl-form next to him.
“She’s good at being inconspicuous,” Martel replied.
“I see, then why reveal yourself if you wanted the obvious secrecy?” Kurt asked, eyeing Cali with some interest.
“Because the two of you are trustworthy, and I believe you were planning to rescue me in the coming days. I didn’t want to waste your time.”
The husband-and-wife looked at each other in surprise.
“What is the reason you requested an Adventurer Rank assessment?” Kurt asked.
“There’s something I want to do, and the authority that comes with it will help facilitate that.”
“Authority? But heroes automatically have the same authority as those below Guild Master.”
Martel shook his head. “Let me clarify. But I want to change the pattern of the entire humanoid realm. It will be inconvenient to do so as the Shield Hero as I wish to hide my strength. Rather, it will be done by Kuro, who will become the imaginary target of those who may have sinister motives against me, like a certain foolish King.”
“Yes, he truly is a foolish King for offending you.” Kurt mumbled.
“What is it you want to do?” Pamela asked.
“I wish to start a business affiliated with the Adventurers Guild, which will help concerning land acquisition and protection.”
Kurt gave a bitter smile. “Even if you are a hero, that is asking a bit much. We have been approached by multiple merchants and businessmen alike, but we remain neutral to all. No merchant truly has a monopoly on any resource, and none would dare to offend the Adventurers Guild; otherwise, their business will be boycotted.”
“I understand, but you are mistaken about something. I have a monopoly on something, not a product but a service. A practical example would be more impactful. Pamela, please don’t move.” Martel said as he cast a teleportation circle at her feet. A second later, she appeared on the other side of a soon dumbfounded Kurt.
Martel smiled at the two of them. “What I am offering is the ability to travel from here to the Elven kingdoms in less than five minutes.”
It took a few seconds for Martel’s words to sink in, but Pamela and Kurt’s expression turned ecstatic when they did. However, Pamela’s expression soon became serious. “But it should have limitations, right? How many can be sent at once, how often, and do you have to be there?”
“Good questions. No, I do not have to be there. I have the means to send people from one fixed point to another. Because of this, it will require travel to a hub before going to the desired location. The largest I can remake a reliable transportation enchantment would be about 15 feet in diameter based on my experiments. This will allow for a horse cart or a decent number of people to go through at once. It will take a minimum of one minute per transportation, which means the time to reach your desired destination will be the same regardless. It should be a minimum of just under three minutes.”
“That sounds amazing. It will be useful for the Invasion as most armies will be able to travel to and the locations of the wave much more quickly. Your request is not something that I can immediately agree with as it affects the Adventurers Guild as a whole. It requires a majority vote from the Guild Masters or the Guild Grand Master agreement, but I’m sure the old man will be more than happy to allow it.”
“Good. I already wrote down the specifics of what I require, my basic unique services, and other benefits for the Adventurers Guild. You can run this by him.”
“Perfect. I look forward to doing business with you.”
After finishing up some minor details, Martel picked up three new cards. Because the Adventure Rank could only be changed at the Adventurers Guild, it would be necessary to have two cards for himself and Cali. All three new cards were given Rank D while his original card was given a make A+, and Cali’s original card was given an A-. Now that everything was in order, Martel headed back to the inn to prepare for the next step, obtaining equipment and going to The Honest Chain.