Kuro no Maou

Chapter 166 – The Man with 40 Points

There are two Adventurer Guilds present in Spada.

One of them is present, after crossing the second protective wall, in the upper class area, on the outskirts of city’s central plaza, the Spada Adventurer Guild Headquarters.

Only High-ranked adventurer like Rank 4 and above, are allowed to use the headquarters, normal adventurers have to use the other one.

That is, Spada Adventurer Guild, School District Branch.

The School district is just like it’s names, an area with science, it has the Royal Spada Academy and various other educational institutions, like magic research laboratories, Weapon Workshops, and Temples.

Due to the location, this branch of guild is filled with young people wearing uniform like clothes.

Of course, there are also people wearing helmet and armor and robes, the adventurers.

Presently, the ratio of Students to Adventurers is 3:7, but still the students wearing same uniform is more conspicuous.

To other adventurer who have never seen this would get surprised but to the girl Elf, Erina, sitting on the reception window, this scene is normal.

She is, today as well, dealing with adventurers with a smile.

「Erina-san, if this quest is successful, will you go on a date with me!」

「I’m right now working, please refrain from any private talks」

The beautiful elf, Erina, while sweetly smiling cuts off the invitation by the young male student.

To Erina, with light chestnut-colored hair folded into a chignon, sky-blue eyes, and with onee-san type looks, this sort of invitation was a normal scene.

「But, if you become able to take quest from the headquarters, then I might think about it」

「Really! In that case, I’m gonna give it my all!」

Becoming a rank 4 adventurer to take quests from headquarters is a very severe task, but if said with a seductive wink, there is no man who would not be cheered up.

While seeing the figure of students groups heading towards the quests full with spirit,

「Hm~, 45 points」

She speaks those words along with a sigh.

(With his appearance, grades, and parentage he could’ve gotten 50 points, but too bad his personality is of an idiot)

Marking any man is like a normal habit for her, after all she didn’t have any lack of men trying to woo her since childhood.

(The branch is not good, Argh, I need to get employed at headquarters soon and meet a good man)

But right now is the time of waiting, it’s the time of lower social strata, saying that she persuaded herself and without making any unpleasant expression, she has tried to keep working in her job.

After graduating from Royal Spada Academy’s civil official course with great scores, she easily got accepted in the Spada Adventurer Guild.

Her academic background, along with having her parent’s home in the upper class area, she is in other words an Elite.

And, if she continued her duties seriously without any big mistakes, she would be steadily promoted and in three years promoted to the headquarters.

Smoothly sailing on the path of elite course Erina, wanted to have the man who would be her partner with a suitable status and abilities.

At the very least, there is no possibility of a man who would attract her in this branch section of guild with rank 3 and below adventurers.

Of course, there would be some among students who have accomplished great achievements, but there is no magic to distinguish them, though there was magic, it’s not possible to know about future.

Hence, she is today in her 2nd Year of the job too, stably trying to be pleasant to everyone while being the receptionist.

Having the rapid coming of men with points less than 50 recently she has piled up lot of frustration, but due to her skill of feigning innocence, she only shows the smile which can fascinate anyone, but not her true black feelings.

「Next person, please」

The man after the common student adventurer, was a man with attracting eyes.

No doubt, the moment she finds out the person is man, her marking starts.

(Hm~, his face is really good)

Having a face that alone can give the man 90 points, Erina’s tension was elevated.

She immediately distinctifies that man didn’t had any particular physical trait, and his race was human.

His nose was tall and outline was quite sharp, various parts were splendidly arranged.

His long slitted eyes and their expression, might scare most people, but to Erina, who was searching for adventurer and knight men, it worked as a plus sign.

(Black hair with odd-eyes of black and red, rare combination)

His black hairs were so long that they covered both eyes, but it was not like hair was grown carelessly and is showing laziness and dirtiness. On the contrary, it matched the man’s atmosphere.

More than anything, the strong life force inside the black eyes that seemed like dark abyss of hell, and red eyes that seemed like brightly blazing flames increased the charm of the man.

(His eyes don’t seem to have ‘something’ in them. It’s bit disappointing for them to not be『Mystic Eyes』)

But wanting『Mystic Eyes』is quite severe, thinking that Erina then looks at the man’s equipments.

(White shirt and worn-out leather pants, huh......I can’t tell if you’re an adventurer if you don’t have guild card, why is he wearing this even if it’s a holiday for him. And there isn’t even one knife on him, he is too much careless)

That kind of appearance, to an adventurer is equal to being nude, Erina starts her re-evaluation from the lower section.

His rank was 1, even the student from before had bronze plate of rank 2, in this case she can’t expect great strength based on his appearance.

「Please show the Guild Card」

While having feeling of sadness, Erina speaks out the standard lines.

The adventurer guild is just like its name says, used by adventurers, and ignored by common people.

Hence, for getting the services of guild to use it, it’s needed to show the proof of being an adventurer.

By the way, at the time of applying for quest by a common person, they are lead to another reception window.

「Here it is.」

To the man taking out the iron plated guild card hanging from his neck, marks are added.

The thing she piqued interest in was not the nice vocal sound the man had.

(He is quite polite contrary to his appearance)

The only one word「Here it is」is something that a knight with muscle brain, or an eccentric magician with brain of magic can never speak.

「Thank you very much」

Showing a smile that can be 100 points for a girl (Business use only), Erina takes the guild card, and starts reading the information written on it with her personal magic item.

In truth Guild card contains information more than what is written on it.

Like what quest in progress, or how many the person has passed or failed, these personal information like information is written in it using the magic techniques.

Of course the actions of adventurers are not being updated in real-time, but the staff member of guild updates it based on the achievement progress of quest.

In the first place, a rank 1 guild card doesn’t has much strong protection, so even without this small crystal orb like reading magic item, with some knowledge in magic it can be easily read.

And, within less than 3 seconds the personal data of the man is displayed on the display screen of crystal orb.

「You are Kurono-sama, rank 1 adventurer, right?」

White facing Kurono, who was nodding, she gave sidelong glance on the information and read it in fast speed, Erina couldn’t help but feel disappointment that the information was just as she expected.

(Uwa, He’s from Daedalus......where the hell is this Irz, he isn’t even from the capital? He’s quite a country bumpkin)

To Erina wanting a man with good family, a country bumpkin with no surname is of no use.

(Sigh, All the quests are easy ones, and what might this ‘black magic’ be)

Erina read the information of errand level quests like medicine plant gathering, but

(Hm, Emergency Quest: Protection of Evacuees......is he perhaps)

Though Erina was still a rookie receptionist, but just by being a personnel of Guild, she has heard more information that normal people about the ‘war’ in Daedalus.

Including the fact about traces of massacre left on the road in the middle of Galahad Mountains.

(I see, so he’s a survivor with good luck)

But Erina didn’t even think, that he was the one who unfolded the fierce fighting and successfully escaped till Spada.

She was only thinking, the crossed Galahad Mountain Range luckily by not being discovered by anyone.

And like that, Erina pushed the stamp of ‘Rookie Level’ within her heart towards Kurono while looking at his adventurer experience.

「What work might you have today?」

While browsing through the errand level quests within her mind, Erina asked him with a smile, without showing any other expression.

「I want to know the information about monsters, if possible about their habitats」

Did he not know about the existence of Monster List in the Guild, while sighing in the heart towards the man’s stupidity, Erina explained.

「Over there is a book with the records of monsters information, please look at that」

Erina while vowing in her heart to let him enter the Royal Spada Academy if he is illiterate says as such.

「No, I did read it, but it didn’t had the information I need, is any more information not made public?」

On the answer going over her expectations, Erina starts thinking.

All the information for a rank 1 adventurer like, monster information, weak points, traits, attacking pattern, habitat, dealing method and much more is written in the monster list.

If he could read the characters and talk in polite way, then he can’t have a bad mind which can interpret the meaning of sentences.

Despite that, the meaning that what he wanted was not written meant......thinking that a hunch sprouted within Erina’s heart.

「Kurono-sama, what sort of monster’s information do you need?」

For checking her hunch she asks, while praying to the Black Gods that her hunch be wrong.

「I don’t have a particular name, but, err, maybe high ranked monsters like Salamander――」

Having her hunch hit the mark, Erina wanted to praise herself for still keeping a smiling poker face.

Because she felt, that Kurono was a man with just good face, and unfortunately, truly unfortunately didn’t know about his own capabilities.

Salamander is a famous monster of dragon species, based on whether it is killed or not adventurer can be separated in first-class or second-class. In other words, it is the gateway to success for adventurers.

Even with full power a rank 1 adventurer can never win against it, even if a party of 100 people of rank 1 adventurers is made, all and everyone one will have their everything including bones turned to ash with just one fire breath.

While bearing the scorn to someone idiot who is wanting something not in reach, Erina started explaining to Kurono politely.

「I’m sorry but this guild can’t give the quests with high danger risks. For example, you cannot take the quest for subjugating a salamander if you’re not an adventurer of rank 4 or above」

She implicitly declared, that this quest was completely unrelated to the current him,

「I do know that, that’s why I thought of killing it as a freelancer, is it wrong?」

And abused him saying he couldn’t be anymore idiot.

An idiot who didn’t know the system of guild, it could be alright.

But, a person while knowing the system, having a plan of digging a hole, is more troublesome.

In other words, this idiot knows that he couldn’t fight salamander normally, and has thought to kill it without a quest.

Killing monsters freely is legal and not considered as crime, but a person without any knowledge of their own strength, jumping in the nest of dragon is nothing more than sacrificing their life.

Even this current idiot could become a great adventurer in future, if he does his quests normally, and so the guild doesn’t want to let a young person lose his life.

That’s why to not let a person go into rank 3 above monster’s habitats, the information except the escaping from high ranked monsters is concealed in the monster list.

In other words, this rank 1 idiot man is not understanding even a fragment of that kind-hearted guild’s parental affection.

[ET: HuuuH?]

「I’m sorry, but this guild refrains from adventurers fighting monsters above their capacities」

「I, see......」

Kurono makes a completely depressed expression.

If he was a man with great future, she would speak some consoling words, but due to his foolishness Erina won’t ever speak anything like that.

「If you want to subjugate high ranked monsters, then there is no other way than to increase your own rank」

While wanting him to live like a normal adventurer, Erina explains in a businesslike way.

「Understood, then can you tell me the quest required to rise to rank 2」

For the time being, while being relieved that Kurono has some wisdom, she gave to the depressed rank 1 adventurer a quest.

「Yes, Kurono-sama has already completed many Rank 1 quests, so――」

Even though, gathering medicinal plants, helping village vigilante troops, protecting villagers going to neighbouring village, are all 100% safe quests with nothing related to fighting against monsters.

Inside them, helping with maintenance of the fence around village and all, are all quests one will never encounter monsters.

Of course, no one would fail in them, so Kurono’s success rate was 100%, it isn’t something one should be proud of.

Even so achievements are achievements, if he now completed some subjugation quests for rank 1 adventurers, he could easily be promoted.

Erina, quickly lists out the quests needed for rank promotion in less than a minute.

Kurono says the words of gratitude without forgetting, and taking the list in hands reads it.

Erina guessed he would choose the easiest one, with the subjugation of 5 goblins.

「Well then, I will take them all」

Stop fucking around here! She stops her intense urge to shout with her strong mental strength, a special feature of elves.

Calm down, don’t get mad, elves are always cool, while persuading herself with those words, Erina politely dealt with him.

「It’s possible to take all the quests at once, but I won’t recommend it」

Why? To Kurono asking like an idiot, she replies in a businesslike way.

「There is a time limit, if not completed within it, a penalty fine would be needed and the fine for breaching the quest contract. It’s better to do quests one by one without any risks」

It was a really polite and kind warning from Erina, but

「No, I will be fine」

He kicked it away.

「I see, then is it fine with all this quests?」

While cursing Kurono, who gave affirmation boldly, that he should fall in debt hell due to that fine, she completed the procedures of taking 5 quests.

「AH, Excuse me, I want to take them as a party」

Then say that first, you dimwit, while cursing within her heart, she replies while smiling.

「It will be fine, if you request after completing the quest, it will be regarded as the achievement of party. But, if you hadn’t registered the party then do it now, later it would turn troublesome」

Then I will come tomorrow, while hearing shitty information, Erina completes the preparations for quest.

「――I will be praying for your success, work hard」

While giving the bundle of receipts, she said as such without any real meaning behind it.

「Thank you very much」

And then, Kurono left while showing a faint smile.

Looking at the figure of Kurono, with tall and slender body, cold facial expression, and smile like spring, Erina

「Sigh, so his looks were the only things good, really bad man, 40 points」

Leaked out those words of disappointment.