My nickname was a stressor that had unknowingly been eroding my mental strength. I was really sensitive to it. I was someone who once admired heroes and dreamed of becoming one myself.
The nickname I received by accident ran completely against my tastes, so I couldn't help feeling angry about it. Whether people meant to mock me or simply had a different aesthetic taste didn't matter; most of them used that nickname without hesitation. Therefore, this man was the first one who had addressed me by my real name out of consideration.
At that moment, the stock value of Lanfero and the Corrupted clan rose rapidly in my mind. At the very least, I concluded that a clan capable of this level of consideration couldn't be completely bad. Of course, this judgment could be my misunderstanding. Still, for the moment, I was a bit interested.
"Go ahead, Lorcan. I want to talk to this person a bit more," I said.
"Are you sure?" Lorcan asked.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Lorcan nodded and prepared to leave with the warrior hero from Desert Scorpion. The latter looked at me and said, "Golden Fairy, if you join Desert Scorpion, I promise you treatment that is at least five times better than what Corrupted can offer you."
"Ah, yes. I will consider it," I replied, dismissing him politely.
"By the way, Liar Lanfero, I hope that you will maintain the dignity of an A-class hero in front of new heroes. Seriously," the warrior hero added with pointed emphasis.
"Of course." Lanfero replied with a faint smile, while the warrior hero responded with a snort.
Finally, only Lanfero and I remained. I weighed all the questions before voicing the one that bothered me most. "Will it rain today?"
"No."
"Then why the umbrella?" I pressed.
Lanfero smiled again and explained patiently, "Don't you know about ultraviolet rays? Sunburn damages the skin. Even brief exposure accelerates aging."
As a practitioner of the First Fire Technique, I found it difficult to sympathize with him. To me, sunlight was life itself, a source of energy, and the best reinforcement for restoring my physical strength, energy, and mental strength.
Lanfero's smile faded, and he lowered his voice. "Do you have anything else to ask?"
"Like what?" I asked, tilting my head.
"For example, my Liar nickname that he just mentioned," he noted.
I blinked in surprise before responding. "Liar is your nickname?"
He nodded.
I was impressed. " Wow. How did you get that nickname?"
"Let's see... I don't remember. I just lived my life as I wanted." Lanfero laughed. "Corrupted is known as the worst clan. The leader's nickname is the Liar . It is hard to find a clan in the Hero Society that's a bigger mess than ours. Do you still want to join?"
"I'm not the type to be swayed by rumors or other people's words," I replied. "Do you have enough room in your clan?"
"We have a surplus of space. Why? Is there anyone else who wants to join?" He paused, then brightened. "Ah, come to think of it, Bloody Mace is with you. Wow... If two new people join, we should throw a small party."
For some reason, he looked like a clown forcing himself to lighten the mood rather than someone who was genuinely happy. I felt like I had witnessed a new side of him. I didn't know whether he truly was a liar, but he seemed to be hiding his true intentions.
At that moment, a loud horn sounded in the distance.
"Ah, it's starting," Lanfero muttered.
One by one, people rushed out of their barracks and started fighting with those from nearby barracks.
I chose a suitable spot and sat down to watch.
It was said that there was nothing more interesting than watching a fire or a fight. However, I tended to lose interest quickly unless the fight was worth watching. This test failed to hold my attention. It seemed that they were forbidden to kill or seriously injure each other, so there was little sense of urgency. It felt like grown adults playing a war game.
For that reason, I didn't focus on the so-called war and let my thoughts drift elsewhere. For example, the cool breeze blowing away my sweat, the sunlight caressing the crown of my head, the scent of soil and vegetation, and the solidity of the ground through my shoes.
The occasional battle cry sounded distant, and drowsiness crept in. Come to think of it, I didn't get much sleep yesterday.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
A familiar shout cut through the haze, easing my drowsiness. I knew the owner of that voice. The kid darting across the grassland was overwhelmingly small beside the other aspiring heroes. However, the weapon in her hands was fierce. Each swing of the sledgehammer, which was almost as large as she was, sent dirt exploding into the air. Naturally, the people around her recoiled and backed away.
"She is fighting well," I said with quiet satisfaction.
As expected, Mir's level was far beyond what mere aspiring heroes could face. If nothing went wrong, she would pass the test without difficulty.
"Who is your friend?" Lanfero asked, squinting toward the field.
"Over there, with the blue hair," I replied, nodding in her direction.
"Where?" he asked.
"Over there," I said again.
"There?" he said doubtfully.
"No. That direction," I corrected him.
I had to repeat myself several times before he finally understood.
"Ahh..." he murmured at last.
I tilted my head slightly as I studied him. The stronger the person, the sharper their vision tended to be. There was a reason that, in a clash between masters, the one with the keener eye already held half the victory. Lanfero was an A-class hero and the leader of a clan, even if it was a weak one. As such, it was surprising that he couldn't find Mir, who wasn't too far away.
Is this man actually very weak?
Lanfero stared at Mir before nodding. "She fights well. The level of her blessing is also considerable. Most people from Great Families perform well in the Hero Society."
"That's right..." I replied, letting the conversation fade. Afterward, I quietly observed the battle.
Mir's unparalleled performance weighed far more heavily on the aspiring heroes she encountered than on those who were watching. A sense of crisis spread among the candidates, and before long, they joined forces to face her.
Mir managed to defeat two, then three, then four opponents. Once the number rose to eight, she was forced onto the defensive and looked flustered.
"Oh gods." I shook my head as this was an obvious mistake.
Once she lost the initiative against such numbers, regaining it was practically impossible without a miracle. Moreover, Mir had no intention of killing or seriously injuring her opponents.
This was the mindset of a hero, but such consideration placed her at a disadvantage in a battle like this. As expected, she still lacked experience in many areas. Fortunately, this battle seemed to have a time limit. Just before things became disastrous, the horn sounded again.
Mir trudged back to the tent, looking like she had been resurrected from the dead.
I asked Lanfero, "By the way, what are the conditions for victory?"
"None whatsoever," he replied flatly.
"Come again?"
Lanfero elaborated, "There is only a condition of defeat. All those who were fighting earlier had a piece of cloth tied to their forearms, right? It can't be taken away. The loser will be eliminated from the tournament and barred from further battles. If everyone in their tent loses their cloth, that tent will be defeated."
I hummed thoughtfully. "So they won't be eliminated just for losing the cloth?"
"Correct," he answered. "There are cases where people lose but still put up a good fight."
I finally understood the rules. Come to think of it, Mir just lost her cloth. Even so, she should still have teammates left in the barracks. From what I've seen, they fought well. She shouldn't be eliminated just yet.
"Since you have seen enough, shall we take a walk?" Lanfero suggested.
"Let's do so." I walked calmly across the grassland with Lanfero.
The Eastern Grasslands was a vast land that spread eastward from the capital. It was home to hundreds, perhaps thousands of tribes and beastfolk. Beyond the grassland was the Great Forest, the homeland of all the fairy-type races.
This was my first visit here, in both my past and present life. With few trees and no buildings or mountain ranges, a sense of openness filled every direction. I felt genuinely refreshed. If I had come here last night, when I was restless, all my worries, struggles, and regrets would have been swept away. The place offered a quiet sense of liberation.
At the horizon, endless greenery seemed to meet the clouds, forming a view that could never be found in a place like the capital. Of course, the color of the Twilight River in the capital was equally dazzling at sunset. If asked which landscape was superior, I couldn't give an honest answer. Both felt like wonderful landscape paintings created by nature.
Lanfero spoke again. "Let's get back to our conversation. Since you didn't follow them, I assume you intend to at least hear my proposal?"
"That's right," I said.
"Then I should explain the conditions first. Honestly, I don't have much to offer, but I will give as much as possible—"
"Wait a minute. Stooop!" someone shouted.
My expression grew complicated again when I saw the individual running across the grassland. How should I describe him? He had a truly unusual appearance: narrow eyes, a hooked nose, elongated ears, and skin with a faint green tint. He looked like a boy who was neither fully human nor quite a goblin.
Was he a kid? However, the voice I had just heard sounded quite gruff. He could be older than he appeared.
The human-goblin hybrid panted as he stopped running. He glared at Lanfero and said, "Brother, shut up for a moment!"
" Ugh. That is too harsh..." Lanfero complained.
Ramon ignored Lanfero's slumped posture and looked at me. " Haha. Hello. Sir, I am Ramon!"
"Sir?" I echoed in surprise. "Me?"
Less than a day had passed since I officially joined the Hero Society. I had only received my B-class Hero Badge today, which meant that most of the heroes in the organization were my seniors.
"If you're B-rank, then I should naturally call you Sir ," Ramon said with earnest conviction. "I am just a lowly C-class hero."
"I see."
Ramon rubbed his hands together in a nervous, fluttering motion, as if he was swatting flies. He said, "I am in charge of recruitment for Corrupted. If it is acceptable, please discuss the matter with me. Whatever conditions you have, we will do our best to meet them."
"Is that so?" I glanced at Lanfero, who nodded.
Would it be easier to talk with this kid? Honestly, I didn't know. I didn't judge others by appearance, but someone who looked like a goblin hybrid gave me pause. Still, he did seem skilled at conversation.
I slowly opened my mouth. "Okay. Then what about the wages..."
"Twenty silver coins a month!" Ramon blurted out, nearly shouting as he cut me off.
I was speechless for a moment. I had planned to say that wages didn't matter. Money wasn't what I needed.
However, Ramon misread my silence. Anxiety crept across his face as he stammered, " U-um . Twenty-one silver coins?"
I remained silent.
"Twenty-two silver coins! I really can't offer anything higher!"
I didn't know a B-class hero's average salary, but I could tell that his offer was very low.
This clan must be strapped for funds.
I shook my head and said, "We can discuss wages later. Tell me this instead. What is the Corrupted clan's rank?"
"C-class..." Ramon mumbled in a low voice.
"Then your mission quota?"
He hesitated, then answered, "You have to complete at least one B-class mission every quarter..."
Each clan had a quota. I had heard that individual members were also assigned personal quotas. If a clan or its members failed to meet them, they would face various penalties. Naturally, the higher the rank, the heavier the burden. This was why I wanted to join a relatively unknown clan. There was more than enough work simply fulfilling a hero's basic duties.
One B-class mission every three months sounds pretty generous. Of course, I didn't know the difficulty of B-class missions, but for the time being, my primary requirement was satisfied.
"S-still, in our clan, we only take a small referral fee for missions! It is a great benefit compared to other clans!" Ramon added.
"Isn't it because there are few jobs, or because the ones that do come in are those no one else wants?" I asked.
Ramon shut his mouth. I had clearly hit a sore spot.
I continued, "Well, that's fine for now. I have one last question. In fact, this is the most important one."
"Y-yes. Ask me anything!"
"Where is Corrupted's territory?"
Silence fell again.
Lanfero let out a deep sigh.
"Well, that is... The location..." Ramon's yellow eyes shifted back and forth. After a moment, he sighed heavily, as if accepting there was no way around it. " Hah... Shit. It is ruined."
Ramon scratched his head before answering in a somewhat gruff tone, "It's in the north, near the Land of Freezing Cold. I don't know if you have heard of it. It is close to the notorious Utgard Concentration Camp.
"I know. I am well aware that it is a damn hellhole that any sane hero would want to avoid. The nearest city is far away, the climate is freezing, and there aren't many missions. Well, I understand. I hope you find a good clan—"
"I'll join the clan," I cut him off.
"What?" Lanfero and Ramon exclaimed at the same time.
"I'm going to join Corrupted," I repeated.
Ramon looked flustered. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?" he asked.
"I like the family-like atmosphere."
Lanfero spoke from Ramon's side. "This young friend understands something important. Corrupted is like a family."
Then he suddenly started clapping. "Welcome to Corrupted!"
"Welcome..." Ramon repeated hesitantly.
I stood there in the middle of the wide plain, receiving the eerie applause of a goblin and a scarecrow.
Just like that, my first clan was decided.