Hazuki stood in front of the large double doors of the Macia Adventurer Guild, arms hanging at his sides, his face blank with annoyance.
He stared at the door.
"...Why do I need to rank up anyway..."
A heavy sigh.
"And not to ntion... attend a noble party."
His eye twitched.
"Damn that old man in the fancy butler outfit... how the hell did he persuade ..."
He sighed loudly again.
Above him, Ridan floated in slow, smug circles, arms behind his back as if sunbathing midair.
"That man’s dangerous with words."
He spun lightly.
"If he tried to persuade , I’d already be calling him ’master’ and doing his taxes. AHAHAHA!"
Hazuki gave him a flat look.
"You don’t even pay taxes."
"Exactly. That’s how persuasive he is."
Hazuki turned back to the door, groaning.
"...Fine. Let’s get this over with. Rank-up test, here I co..."
He reached for the handle.
The mont Hazuki pushed open the doors of the Macia Adventurer Guild, the room fell into a quiet, half-hushed silence.
A few heads turned.
So whispered.
Others pretended not to notice, glancing over their shoulders.
Hazuki didn’t look at anyone. He simply walked in, hands in his pockets, yawning.
At the counter, Deputy Guild Master Gikan stood with arms crossed, waiting like soone watching a late guest finally arrive for a wedding.
"Good. You’re here, Mister Hazuki."
Hazuki scratched his cheek.
"Ugh... I wanna take the rank-up test."
He let out a deep, tired sigh.
"Let’s get it over with."
Gikan nodded once, in a no-nonsense, businesslike manner.
"Alright. Give your adventurer card."
Hazuki reached into his pocket, clearly reluctant, pulled out the magic-tal plate, and handed it over.
"You wait here. I’ll process it." Gikan turned and strode toward the back with brisk, efficient steps.
Ridan floated beside Hazuki’s head, whispering loudly.
"Should’ve asked if we get free food with this. At least a coffee voucher."
Hazuki groaned quietly.
"This better not take long..."
A few nearby adventurers peeked cautiously from the side.
"That’s the guy, right? The one who wiped out the monster waves?"
"Yeah... and I heard he talks to ghosts."
"He fought demons with his bare hands and called it leg day."
Hazuki remained silent.
He just stared straight ahead with that blank, expressionless face.
Gikan returned after a few minutes, footsteps steady, holding sothing in his hand.
He stopped in front of Hazuki and handed it over.
A shiny silver adventurer card, glinting faintly under the light.
"Here. Your new adventurer card."
Hazuki blinked, taking it.
"Huh? This isn’t mine. Mine’s the dull, ugly tal one."
"Hmm? It is yours."
Gikan crossed his arms.
"Congratulations. You’re now a Rank B adventurer."
Hazuki looked at the card, then at Gikan.
"What? I didn’t even do the test yet."
"Exactly."
Gikan let out a long sigh, like soone tired of explaining obvious things.
"Normally, we’d test you in the guild arena. Prove your strength, show your stats, all that."
He gestured toward the back.
"But you wiped out two entire monster waves at both the east and west gates."
Hazuki scratched his head.
"That? I was just... pissed off."
"Exactly. That counts."
Gikan spread his arms wide.
"Not to ntion the forest incident before that, and the three high-level demons you took down—one with a giant enchanted scythe."
Hazuki looked down at the card again.
"...For real?"
"Yes, for real."
Gikan rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"This is why I kept telling you to take the rank-up test earlier. If it were up to us, we’d have bumped you to A or even A ."
"Why didn’t you?"
"Because that needs a full guild master quorum."
He motioned toward the windows.
"Our Guild Master, Braham, is already on his way to the world guild summit. So we can only promote you to B for now."
Hazuki squinted.
"So I’m... semi-legit now?"
"Sure. Let’s go with that."
"Cool. Do I get at vouchers now?"
Gikan ignored that and continued.
"Also. The reward for the monster corpses and demon equipnt has been processed. Total: 121 gold, 67 silver. Already deposited into your account."
Hazuki’s eyes widened a little.
"Wait. For real?"
"Check the back of your adventurer card. Touch it. You’ll see your balance."
Hazuki tapped it.
A soft pulse of magic shimred over the surface, displaying faint numbers.
"...Holy crap. I’m rich."
Ridan floated nearby and whispered.
"Now you can afford premium at and buns for the kids. And still have enough left for grilled luxuries~"
"Oi. Don’t tempt ."
"OH YEAH!!" Hazuki suddenly shouted, fists pumped high into the air, startling several nearby adventurers.
"BOOZE TI!!"
He flashed a huge grin, practically glowing with energy for the first ti in hours.
"Let’s goooo—!!!"
Ridan cackled beside him.
"That’s the spirit! Let’s waste that gold before soone taxes us!"
With a dramatic swing of the guild’s front doors, Hazuki strode out, laughing like a lunatic, fists still raised as if he’d just won a championship fight.
Behind him, Gikan exhaled slowly, pressing a palm to his forehead.
"...And there he goes."
He shook his head, but a small, relieved smile ford on his face.
"Finally. That walking disaster’s ranked up."
He stepped back behind the counter, watching the front doors swing gently as Hazuki’s chaos whirlwind disappeared into the street.
Then he muttered to himself—
"With him officially registered as Rank B in Macia, any future monster parts sales across guild branches worldwide will give us a five percent commission..."
He allowed himself a tiny grin.
"Even when he’s not trying... this guy’s going to make this guild rich."
One of the junior clerks nearby blinked.
"Did... did he really yell ’booze ti’ in a guild building?"
As they walked through the busy streets of Macia, Hazuki still grinning from his sudden promotion and upcoming booze-fest, Ridan floated up beside him with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Hey, hey, how about we check in on the kids and the ladies picking out their formal outfits, huh?" Ridan waggled his eyebrows midair.
Hazuki stopped in his tracks.
His grin faded into a dead, serious stare.
"Huh? I’m not into kids! What the hell, you floating pervert!?"
A few beastkin townsfolk nearby turned their heads.
Ridan spun in the air, flailing his ghostly arms.
"Oi! I didn’t an it like that, you idiot!"
"Then what DID you an?!" Hazuki hissed softly.
"I ant—" Ridan smacked his forehead, "—we check if the little brats got their fancy clothes, and that Kisha lady isn’t crying trying to handle them alone. Geez!"
Hazuki muttered.
"Learn to phrase it better, damn ghost. You’re gonna get arrested soday."
( End Of Chapter )
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