NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
Only Lena and I are left in the waiting room.
It feels like we’ve booked the place just for ourselves.
There’s a break before the finals since we just finished fighting.
It’s really nice that I can be at ease since I know my opponent well.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d make it this far. Weren’t there guys around Lv 20 in the tournament?”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t face them. Warriors tend to be predictable, so they’re easy to handle.”
Lena still seems to have plenty of stamina left.
Let’s see who can last until the end.
“In the mansion, we have a master-servant relationship, but on the battlefield, we’re equals. I intend to win.”
“That’s what I want to hear.”
Then the time comes, and Lena and I are called.
When we walk out in front of the audience, the cheers for Lena are overwhelmingly louder.
“Go Beastman Maid!” “It’d be the best joke if you’re the strongest!” “Crush those spineless adventurers!”
Sure, Lena is a dark horse, a minority as a female adventurer, and a maid on top of that. She’s bound to attract attention.
But the one who will win is me.
As the match starts, I charge in right away.
“Uwaaaaah!”
Lena has low defense. If I land even one attack, I should be able to push through.
“You’re faster than the guys before! But I can still dodge!”
Lena fluidly moves her body to evade my attacks.
Her maid uniform flutters each time.
It’s surprising she can fight in such a restrictive outfit.
But on closer inspection, there are slits in her skirt. Is this a combat-ready maid uniform?
Ignoring that, I keep attacking.
This is the final battle. I shouldn’t worry about using a little extra energy.
I will become a man worthy of Misha!
“If I beat you, does that mean I’m stronger than Lv 23?”
“Save that line for after you win!”
Lena still hasn’t switched to attacking with her knife.
Probably because I haven’t given her the opportunity.
In a way, that’s an honor.
I can’t afford to lose. I am the head of the household, after all.
When Lena is focused on dodging, she can avoid most of my attacks.
But at some point, she has to go on the offensive.
I need to seize that moment.
And when my sword veers off a bit more than I expected, and her body flows—
“Gotcha!”
Lena makes her move, knife in hand, aiming for my pocket.
But this is also a great opportunity for me.
I sweep Lena’s leg.
She’s too focused on attacking, neglecting her footing.
I thought it would work on her legs, considering she’s already concentrating on the sword I’m swinging.
It would be fatal if I failed, but—
“Whoa…whoa…whoa…”
Lena stumbles.
It worked!
I quickly grab her maid uniform and push her down.
I lightly kick the hand holding her knife, disarming her.
Finally, I point my sword at her face.
“You lose, Lena.”
“Ugh, I didn’t think you’d use a leg technique. That’s sneaky, Master.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘sneaky’ in combat. I just fought within the rules.”
“True. If I were a professional thief, I could wriggle my way out of this, but…”
Lena seems to be looking for a way out, but—
“I don’t have the courage to fight you unarmed. It’s not a graceful loss, but I concede, Master.”
At that moment, my victory is confirmed.
The loudest cheers so far erupt from the crowd.
I wave my hand in response.
“Yeah, this doesn’t feel bad at all.”
Lena, still on the ground, applauds me.
“Congratulations, Master! We’ll have a victory celebration tonight!”
Misha is cheering from the front row of the audience.
If she gets the chance, she might just run up to me.
“Congratulations.”
A guild staff member, Aria, comes up to me.
Ah, right, the prize ceremony.
“I’ll get 500,000 Gain, right?”
That’s 5 million yen. It’s a bit complicated since it’s more than my annual salary in Japan.
“There’s prize money, but first, take this.”
What Aria hands me is a silver armband.
“Winners of the tournament are recognized as A-rank adventurers.”
“What? Straight to A-rank?”
I haven’t really taken guild jobs, so I’m still at D-rank.
This is a three-rank promotion.
“Based on your performance in the tournament, your courage and adaptability have been highly evaluated. You’d easily reach B-rank if you took regular requests, right?”
“That’s probably true…”
“So, congratulations on reaching A-rank.”
I gratefully accept the armband.
I’ll have to level up to be worthy of an A-rank.
But there’s another issue.
“By the way, there will be a written test to determine if you’re suitable for A-rank.”
“What?”
“If you score too low, you may be demoted to B-rank. The test covers general guild knowledge and a written section on the feelings of an A-rank adventurer.”
It seems I’ll have to study for a test for the first time in a very long time.