Chapter 21: The Fiery Duel and the Test of Skill

The workshop owner continued his inspection of the ogre leather with careful, deliberate movements.

Who knows how much time passed as I swallowed dryly, waiting for his response. Finally, he nodded and spoke.

“It’s unmistakable—this is indeed ogre leather and sinew.”

Although I only showed him the leather, he seemed to have noticed the sinew lying beside it as well. I nodded and replied.

“I’d like to make equipment with it. Boots, gloves, leather armor, and a cloak.”

“You plan to cover yourself head-to-toe in ogre leather?”

“Yes.”

“Why not make a belt too?”

“Would that be better…?”

“Hah…”

The workshop owner gave a dry laugh, as if amused by my question. But the humor faded quickly, and he asked with a serious expression.

“This isn’t stolen goods, is it?”

“Stolen? It’s definitely mine.”

“Hm… Do you have proof?”

“Proof? Do I really need that just to place a custom order?”

“It’s ogre leather, after all. If it somehow turns out to be stolen, I’d be dragged in for questioning, too.”

The owner spoke seriously, and it was hard to argue with his reasoning. But what sort of proof could I possibly provide? It wasn’t as if he wanted the story of how I acquired it.

“What kind of proof do you need?”

“Oh, it’s simple. If you bought the leather, a merchant’s receipt will do; if you hunted it yourself, you’d need to show skills to match. Adventurers can just present their rank badge.”

Until I could provide some proof, it was clear he wouldn’t accept the order. He rolled up the leather and handed it back. The assistant beside him nodded, as if to say he agreed.

I let out a small sigh.

Since I hadn’t bought the leather, I didn’t have any merchant’s certificate.

And my adventurer rank was only Bronze, far too low to convince the workshop owner of my capabilities.

There was only one option left.

I steadied my breath and moved my hand slightly.

The workshop owner’s eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the strange phenomenon.

His assistant, too, stared with wide eyes.

But it was too soon for them to be truly amazed.

I was prepared to show them everything I could.

It started with a small breeze.

This gentle wind, infused with mana, spread throughout the shop.

As the breeze transformed into starlight that flowed through the air, a frigid chill swept across it.

Blue starlight gathered in my hand, swirling like a whirlpool, resembling the rare sea vortexes found in vast oceans.

It wasn’t practical—a spell that only wasted mana for the sake of spectacle.

It wasn’t the sort of magic I’d use to defeat an ogre.

Yet, I showed this display for one reason only: the image of a mage.

I’d heard from Rein that mages had a reputation for secrecy.

They guarded their magical knowledge closely, so the average person knew very little about it.

Just showing that I could wield mana would be enough to assure them of my abilities.

“Are… are you a mage…?”

“Gasp…”

As I expected, the attitudes of both the workshop owner and his assistant completely shifted.

I dispersed the starlit whirlpool in my hand and nodded.

“Well, I trust you then! You should’ve mentioned it from the start,” the workshop owner chuckled awkwardly, signaling to his assistant, who rushed back inside to fetch a measuring tape.

“My apologies—we’ll make sure to craft it with utmost care,” the workshop owner said, even taking the measuring tape from the assistant to handle the order himself.

He even casually asked if I’d mention his workshop to the mage tower—a suggestion that, naturally, would go nowhere since I wasn’t affiliated with them.

“The cost will be 10 gold, and it’ll take a week.”

“A… a week?” The response didn’t come from me but from the pale-faced assistant, who looked aghast.

The workshop owner patted the assistant’s shoulder, laughing lightly.

“What are you worried about? We can handle it, right?”

“But… the other orders…”

The owner brushed aside his assistant’s concerns, practically shoving him toward the back of the shop.

It seemed my commission had taken priority.

“Anyway! Come back in a week! And… if possible, wear a mage’s robe. Just to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.”

The owner then grabbed the ogre leather and hurried to the back.

As I left the workshop and walked down the street, I found myself pondering something about the swordsmanship I’d been using.

I grew curious about the origin of the swordsmanship taught by that suspicious old gatekeeper.

If I could trace its roots, perhaps I could learn the advanced techniques that followed.

So, I hurried to the swordsmen’s guild.

Since it was a gathering place for people skilled with swords, I figured there might be information about the style I used.

When I arrived, I found myself in front of a massive building, much larger and more impressive than the guild where I’d previously received my rank assessment.

People came and went constantly, filling the entrance with a bustling crowd.

I entered and approached the receptionist, who looked as tired as receptionists in other guilds.

“Hello?”

“Hmm…?”

The receptionist tilted his head at my greeting, glanced around, then looked down to notice me.

“Oh. What brings you here?”

“Do you have any books detailing various swordsmanship styles?”

“Hmm… books?”

“Yes, I’m curious about the origin of a particular style.”

“Well, there’s a library specifically for swordsmanship texts, though I’m not sure if it has what you’re looking for.”

“Oh… where is it?”

“Second floor, far right. Entry costs 2 silver. But if you have a rank badge from the swordsmen’s guild, you can enter for free.”

“Oh, I do have a badge…”

I pulled out my Bronze badge from my pocket.

The receptionist took it, shook his head, and handed it back.

“Sorry, but that badge can’t be used here.”

“Oh… does that mean it’s also useless at the adventurers’ guild?”

“That’s right. If you’d like, you can take a new assessment here. Shall I set it up?”

“Yes, please.”

The receptionist pulled out some paperwork and asked me a few questions, including the type of monsters I’d recently hunted and my activity record in the Avan Kingdom.

I decided to leave out the part about the ogre, figuring he wouldn’t believe me.

“Sword training for about seven months… adventuring for two… and earning a Bronze rank means you must have had a decent teacher.”

“Yes, probably. But he didn’t even tell me the name of the sword style, which is why I’m trying to find out.”

“Sounds like he was quite the eccentric.”

The receptionist handed me a ticket.

“There’s no wait right now, so you can go straight in. See that room at the far right end? Head inside.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Following his directions, I walked down the first-floor hallway and knocked on the door at the end.

A voice called from inside, [Come in.]

When I entered, I found myself face-to-face with a female swordsman.

The first thing that caught my eye was her legs.

She wore sleek, high leather boots that reached up to her calves, paired with tight black pants that gave her a sharp, agile look.

Her top had a similar style—a fitted black shirt that clung to her frame, along with a light leather vest.

“Oh?”

She looked at me in surprise, just as I looked at her, our eyes meeting in mid-air.

The moment I saw her crimson eyes, the image of raging flames sprang to mind.

However, the fiery presence vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“Are you here for an assessment?”

I blinked in confusion, momentarily forgetting to respond. The intensity of the flames I had sensed just moments ago had been overwhelming.

Had it been my imagination? The searing heat I thought I felt was now nowhere to be found in the room.

“Oh?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Yes, I’m here for an assessment.”

I hastily replied, fumbling to pull out the ticket from my pocket and handing it to her.

On the back of the ticket was a brief summary of my information. As the female swordsman read it, a faint smile crossed her face.

“A Bronze rank?”

“Yes…”

“Hmm…”

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

With that, the swordswoman took a sword leaning against the table, opened another door at the back of the room, and gestured for me to follow.

It appeared that a sparring arena was set up behind the room.

I hurried after her.

The woman gracefully stepped onto the sparring platform, which was so well-maintained that the polished floor reflected her image.

“Seiris, was it? My name is Selion.”

She introduced herself as she unsheathed her sword.

The blade gleamed with a cold light as it was revealed—its blunt edge indicated that it was a training sword.

Selion held the sword in one hand, demonstrating impressive tricks. She spun it deftly between her fingers and even tossed it lightly, catching it with the blade reversed.

“Not drawing your sword?”

“Oh…”

At her words, I hurriedly drew my weapon.

There were no spare training swords lying around, so it seemed I would have to use my own.

Gripping my sword tightly, I exhaled slowly.

My body began to react instinctively. My muscles tensed naturally, and my legs braced with more strength than usual.

I had faced battle as an adventurer a few times before.

Drawing a sword and swinging it meant you were prepared to risk your life in combat.

There was no signal to initiate the fight, no loud battle cry.

It was simply a matter of charging forward and striking.

My first move was the one I trusted the most—a downward slash.

Recalling the strike taught by the gatekeeper, I swung my sword, imagining the arc of a pale moonlight slash.

Just as the moonlit arc neared Selion, she began to move.

Her movement was incredibly swift, like a silent spreading flame.

Her long crimson hair blurred my vision, and my sword struck the ground.

Clang!

I wasn’t surprised. Someone qualified to oversee guild assessments wouldn’t be struck so easily.

I immediately pivoted my body.

With a sudden shift in direction, I transferred my momentum.

In the next moment, the starlight near my chest coursed outward, racing through my arms and legs. The mana-enhanced starlight aided my muscles, allowing for a sharp directional change.

My next attack was a thrust.

The falling moonlight shot straight ahead.

At that instant, Selion casually swung her sword.

Clink!

When the blades collided, small sparks flew.

Watching the shattered moonlight, I wondered: would the result have been different if I had coated my blade with mana?

No, it wouldn’t have.

Both of my attacks had failed. My stance was broken, and the flow of the battle had shifted entirely to Selion.

Recognizing this, Selion began her counterattack.

“Being too complacent can be dangerous.”

As her words ended, a heavy training sword descended toward my head.

It was an unavoidable attack.

Thwack!