Chapter 47: Trial in the Swamp

The next morning, I took Chris with me to the guild outpost Gideon had told us about.

“…Um, Ed… where exactly are we going?”

“You can see for yourself. I’m registering you as an adventurer.”

At my words, Chris frowned slightly and stopped walking.

His expression showed confusion—and a hint of hesitation.

“An adventurer… I…”

“You’re broke, aren’t you? And you don’t even have anything to prove your identity. What are you planning to do from here?”

When I bluntly stated the facts, Chris fell silent.

I let out a sigh and continued.

“You might earn prize money if you make it through the tournament, but what about until then? I’m not going to take care of you forever. You need to earn your own living.”

It was a practical solution—one that solved Chris’s problem while also preventing me from taking on unnecessary responsibility.

The outpost was much smaller than a proper guild branch, but it was still fairly busy with people seeking work.

We explained the situation at the counter and received a registration form.

Resigned, Chris took the pen and began writing his name.

But after writing a few characters, his hand suddenly stopped.

As if realizing something, he quickly scribbled over it, smudging the ink.

“S-sorry! I made a mistake! Could I get a new form?”

After receiving a fresh sheet, he carefully wrote only “Chris” this time.

Neither Rowena nor I paid much attention to his strange behavior, as we were looking over the request board.

Soon, Chris received his newly issued G-rank guild badge.

Standing beside him, Rowena proudly showed off her dull-colored badge.

“Same.”

She smiled happily, then pointed at mine.

“Edo, strong. Different.”

At her innocent remark, Chris widened his eyes in surprise.

Once the registration was done, I headed straight to the request board.

Picking up a request slip for the first time gave me a strangely exciting feeling.

“D-rank request: Subjugation of swamp lizards. We’ll take this.”

When I submitted the request, the staff member glanced at my B-rank badge and immediately approved it.

“The required number is five. Additional kills will be bought at three copper coins each.”

We left the outpost—unaware that behind us, the receptionists had begun whispering.

“Did you see that guy…? Zero request history, yet B-rank…”

“You’re right… just who is he?”

After walking some distance from the town, the air grew damp and heavy, and the ground turned muddy beneath our feet.

The smell of rotting vegetation and stagnant water filled the air.

“Listen, Chris. Your sword is straightforward—that’s good. But real combat isn’t the same as training.”

I gave minimal advice as he cautiously advanced through the swamp.

“Don’t try to defeat enemies one by one perfectly. Always read the flow of the whole battlefield. Think of them as a ‘surface,’ not individuals.”

He would soon understand those words firsthand.

The swamp lizards moved in groups.

As Chris slashed at one, another crept silently into his blind spot and raised its claws.

“Behind you!”

Before I could even finish shouting, Chris sensed it and twisted his body.

But his balance faltered.

“Use the ground! Disrupt their attention!”

I didn’t step in—only gave instructions.

At my words, Chris stomped hard into the muddy ground.

Mud splashed into the lizard’s face, halting its movement for an instant.

Seizing the chance, Chris turned his blade, keeping two enemies at bay while creating distance.

From there, his movements improved dramatically.

He used firm ground and mud to slow his enemies, ambushed them from behind water plants, and even used one lizard as a shield against another’s attack.

Combat wasn’t just about swinging a sword.

Terrain, enemy behavior—everything could be used.

That was what I wanted him to understand.

Before long, Chris managed to defeat the required five lizards on his own.

He stood there, breathing heavily, hands on his knees.

“…Rest.”

I said only that before stepping into the swamp myself, where more lizards still lurked.

My movements were flawless.

Kicking up water to blind them, I closed in on three at once.

I kicked one into another, disrupting both, then cut them down in passing.

The group that had troubled Chris was wiped out in mere minutes.

Chris could only stand there, stunned by the overwhelming difference in our abilities.

We returned to town and reported the completed request at the outpost.

After receiving our reward in silver and copper coins, we headed to a tavern.

When splitting the reward, I placed a slightly larger share of silver coins in front of Chris.

“…That’s fair pay for your work today.”

I said it bluntly.

Chris said nothing—just silently accepted it.

During our meal, I gave him one final piece of advice.

“In the main tournament, you’ll only face one opponent. But the arena itself—the environment—can be either your enemy or your ally. Use what you learned today.”

At that moment, a small hand reached over and gently placed a piece of pastry onto Chris’s plate.

“Chris… strong.”

At Rowena’s clumsy praise, Chris turned bright red and lowered his head in embarrassment.