The reason I won was simple.
A man born with natural talent like him would never expect such filthy, underhanded tricks.
No—more accurate to say he never needed to expect them.
Why would he stoop so low just for a simple rank test?
But me? I was weak. Survival demanded that I use whatever it took.
I was used to spotting and striking at flaws my opponent never imagined could be exploited.
That was the difference.
He had no desperation. I did.
He had no will to win. I did.
That was all.
“You alright?”
Ashuban grinned and held out a hand.
Colin, one hand pressed to the back of his head, gave a small nod.
Even in the fall, he’d instinctively reached up to shield it.
“Up you go.”
Colin took his hand and rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes, eyes fixed on Ashuban.
He hadn’t fought with his full strength.
After all, this was only a rank test—he’d gone into it lightly.
That was why he’d chosen to leap over the spray of dirt rather than plow straight through.
In a real battle, he would have shut his eyes and cleaved straight through the grit with an Aura-wrapped blade, ending it in one decisive strike.
No defense, no hesitation.
But his opponent hadn’t gone all out either.
“……”
A strange man.
His swordsmanship was as wild as a wolf, yet as precise as a master tailor’s stitch.
Every motion flowed like water—until the moment it erupted with savage force.
Who would ever think to grab an opponent’s ankle mid-battle and slam him into the ground?
The daring. The ferocity.
He was like a beast.
If it had been real steel, with both of us at full power…
Colin wasn’t at all sure he would have won.
Strength welled into his grip. For the first time in ages, he felt his blood stir.
At last—an opponent worth going all out against.
Ashuban, was it?
Colin tucked the name away.
He had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before it spread through the land.
Step.
Ashuban walked up and extended a hand again.
Colin smiled faintly and clasped it.
But Ashuban immediately scowled and swatted it away.
“What’re you doing? Hand over the mercenary badge.”
“Ah.”
Colin clicked his tongue sheepishly.
“I can’t give it right this moment. Need time to carve your name into it.”
“How long?” Ashuban pressed.
“Paperwork too. Earliest, tomorrow morning.”
“What?”
Ashuban’s face twisted.
“Why? Got somewhere to be?”
“Of course I do! Can’t you make it faster?”
“I’ll try, but don’t count on it.”
Ashuban’s shoulders slumped.
Back in Maia, you only waited a few hours. He’d assumed it would be the same here.
He’d planned to take the badge and leave immediately. Now the schedule was ruined.
“You’re the branch master, right? Pull some strings.”
“Listen to this guy talk to the branch master…”
“I humbly beg of you, most revered Branch Master Colin.”
“…Fine. I’ll push the scribes. Come tomorrow morning.”
Ashuban sighed heavily.
“…Guess I have no choice.”
He couldn’t leave without the new identity. He couldn’t slip through rat-holes forever.
Colin held out his hand.
“…?”
Ashuban blinked, then grabbed it like a handshake.
Colin snorted and slapped it away.
“What are you doing? Pay the registration fee.”
“Ah.”
Ashuban scratched his neck awkwardly.
“How much?”
“Seven silvers, including the badge.”
Ashuban’s eyes went wide.
“Seven silvers? What the hell?”
Colin replied calmly.
“That’s the cost to forge a silver badge.”
Ashuban’s brow furrowed.
“I didn’t ask for silver. Just give me copper.”
Colin shook his head.
“You beat the branch master. Can’t exactly hand you a copper badge now, can I?”
“Ugh…”
Ashuban groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
He’d hoped to pay off his debts, and instead he’d ended up owing even more.
Colin studied him for a moment, then asked, “You. Can you use Aura?”
“No.”
Ashuban kept his answer short.
If he said yes, they might shove a Gold badge on him—and the cost for that was several times worse.
“Well, either way, first rank tests only go up to silver.”
Colin turned and started back toward the guild.
“Come along. Need to fill out the paperwork.”
“Damn it…”
Ashuban muttered under his breath and followed.
“Make way.”
The mercenaries, still reeling from the shocking outcome, hastily stepped aside.
The two men disappeared back into the guild.
Colin glanced over his shoulder.
“By the way… Ashuban, was it?”
“Yeah.”
“Where’d you really come from?”
“I told you. Down from the Mist Cliffs.”
Colin chuckled.
“Crazy bastard.”
I let out a heavy sigh as I sat at the reception desk, scribbling through the stack of forms.
Had I filled this much in Maia too?
Couldn’t remember. That was ages ago.
I paused and glanced at Fabio, who sat beside me stacking coins.
“Hey, kid. Make a lot?”
“Yes.”
He’d neatly sorted the silvers from the coppers.
“I put down eight coppers and won five silvers, four coppers.”
I looked over my shoulder. The mercenaries he’d fleeced were drowning their sorrows in ale.
I chuckled and said,
“Guess I’ll be leaning on you again today. Pay off my tab with that, plus today’s meals. You’ll still have plenty left, right?”
Fabio did the math quickly and nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then the rest is yours.”
“Really?”
“Sure. What would I do, rob you after that? Registration alone’s seven silvers.”
Fabio’s grin nearly split his face.
“Happy?”
“Yes!”
“Tch. Of course you are.”
I poked Fabio’s cheek with my fingertip and chuckled.
“Well then… the paperwork’s done. When are you paying the registration fee?”
Colin took the forms I’d filled out and asked casually.
“Can’t you just put it on my tab?”
Colin laughed, amused.
“The Mercenary Guild? Giving credit?”
I sighed and replied,
“Just thought I’d try.”
With another long sigh, I drew my sword a little from my belt.
“Got a blade, but no one to cut down. Where the hell am I supposed to earn money right now?”
As I sat there like a man with the world on his shoulders, Colin clicked his tongue.
“Then take a request in the meantime.”
“Hm? That’s allowed?”
“I can extend that much courtesy. Can’t give you the badge yet, but I can register you provisionally.”
“Perfect.”
I shot to my feet and strode toward the board plastered with requests.
My eyes swept quickly across the papers.
What I needed was something I could finish today, that also paid well.
At least ten silvers.
That meant it would be difficult, but right now? I was invincible.
I’d just flattened a Gold-rank mercenary.
Nothing was impossible for me, damn it.
Brimming with confidence, I scanned the board until one particularly old slip in the corner caught my eye.
“Hm? What’s this—fifty silvers?”
It was a request to catch a thief.
“Fifty silvers, huh…”
Not a bad price for one measly thief.
Without hesitation, I plucked it off the board.
The mercenaries watching burst into snickers, as if they’d just seen a fish swim straight into a net.
“Another clueless rookie about to get played.”
“Waste of time, waste of time.”
“Wonder how many days he’ll last before giving up.”
I looked around at them, a question mark practically hanging over my head.
“…What the hell are you on about now?”
Seeing my confusion, Colin approached with a grin.
“That request has nothing to do with how strong you are.”
“It’s just a thief. How hard can it be?”
“You’ll learn the hard way. The reward’s fifty silvers, but it’s the toughest job here. Longest unresolved request on the board. Price hasn’t budged because no one even bothers trying anymore.”
I blinked and asked,
“You tried it too?”
Colin nodded.
“I did.”
“And?”
“Failed.”
Even a branch master, a Gold-rank mercenary, had failed.
I looked at the slip again with new eyes.
“So who is this guy?”
“They call him a legendary phantom thief. Nobody knows who he really is.”
“That good?”
“Name’s Shadowless Phantom Thief. They say you can’t even catch his shadow.”
“…Hmph.”
I stared hard at the paper.
Difficult or not, if I caught this bastard, all my problems would be solved. No way I could pass it up.
Besides, nothing else on the board came close.
No wonder these mercs were sitting around wasting time.
Without this request, I’d have to stay another day just to scrape together the registration fee.
But I couldn’t linger—not with rumors bound to catch up with me sooner or later.
“To hell with it. I’ll bring him in.”
Colin chuckled and clapped my shoulder.
“Good luck.”
Something in his tone sounded mocking, and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Hahaha! There goes another fool.”
“How long before he gives up this time?”
“Five coppers says he quits by tonight.”
“Seven coppers he lasts two days!”
“Three days. Five coppers.”
I snapped at the gambling addicts.
“Shut your mouths, you bastards!”
“….”
They fell silent and slunk back to their seats.
Just then, the big lug I’d smacked earlier finally staggered up from the floor, dazed, one cheek swollen like a melon.
He spotted me and roared, charging forward.
“You son of a—!”
Whoosh!
I sidestepped easily and—
Smack!
—backhanded his other cheek.
“Guhhh…”
Thud!
Down he went again, flat on his back.
I gave the other mercs a scolding look.
“Take care of your buddy, will you? Don’t just let him get his ass kicked twice.”
“….”
They only stared in silence.
I muttered as I left the guild,
“No camaraderie at all, huh. Tch.”
“Hm… so where’s this supposed to be?”
I slipped out of the city wall and into the forest where this so-called phantom thief was said to appear.
Of course, I’d used the dog hole again to get out.
Tch… I really needed that guild badge soon.
The forest had a strange chill, despite the morning sun.
The trees grew tall and thick, their canopy blocking most of the light.
“This the place?”
I checked the request slip as I walked.
Then suddenly—
A booming voice rang through the air, echoing from nowhere and everywhere.
“At last! A new plaything has come!”
It bounced from all directions, impossible to pin down.
I bellowed back into the air,
“Hey, thief! Be smart and come down now. Turn yourself in and I’ll let you off with just a slap.”
“Wahaha! Arrogant fool! Catch me if you can!”
Rustle-rustle!
Leaves stirred high above in the branches.
“Let the game of tag begin!”
I didn’t chase. Instead, I stood still, closed my eyes, and spread my senses.
A sharp smile tugged at my lips as I muttered,
“I did warn you.”
(End of Chapter)