Musou Slime 57

Test

57. Rival Appears!

"Well, for now, today's quest is over..."

Using the Warp Slime's power to escape the dungeon, we finally caught our breath in the town of Ortea.

"After selling our loot to the guild, Rize and I are heading back. What about Irena?"

"I'm going back to work on sword maintenance! There don't seem to be any major issues, just some fine-tuning!"

And with that, it was time to say goodbye to Irena. Just as we were about to see her off.

"Hey, isn't that Irena McQueen?"

"From the Danzel Arms Shop, right? Wow, what a surprise."

We heard Irena's name being mentioned.

As we wondered what was going on, two smirking men approached.

"What do you want with me?!"

"Hey, no need to be so defensive. We're also participating in the Hero Arena."

As soon as the man with short blue hair spoke, Rize's eyes widened.

"You... Barry from the Demon's Fist of the Mage Fist!?"

"Oh, you know me well. Well, it's natural for an S-rank adventurer."

S-rank adventurer...!?

Barry, with a smirk, rubbed his chin. Was this man really an S-rank adventurer?

Since Dan had lied, this was essentially our first encounter with an S-rank adventurer.

"We've heard a lot about you. Word is a rookie is joining the Hero Arena."

"And you... Elgen from Diego's place!"

Irena pointed to the other man. This slim, brown-haired man sized up Irena.

"Well, well, I thought I'd been forgotten... It's been a while, Irena."

"I never wanted to see you again!"

Irena was unusually aggressive towards Elgen.

Not understanding the situation, I whispered to Irena directly.

"What's your relationship with these guys?"

"In this town, several shops are dealing with weapons. Among them, Diego has been both a mentor and a rival to me!"

Ah, so that's why she's so hostile towards Elgen, Diego's disciple.

"You call me a rookie?! You haven't done anything worthwhile yourself!"

"At least I make better stuff than you. And I perform well in tournaments."

But something felt off. Elgen's tone seemed less like a competitive 'rivalry' and more like 'bullying.'

"Why would someone like you team up with him for the tournament?"

"Because Alcus is strong!"

Irena gave me a firm push from behind.

"Hmm."

Barry, the S-rank adventurer, leaned in close, staring at me intensely.

"You probably just grabbed a rookie from the streets because no one else would team up with you."

As Elgen spoke, Barry burst out laughing loudly, stepping away from my face.

"N-No! I'm serious—"

"You're probably just an F-rank loser among adventurers, right? Coming near a weirdo like you must either be stupid or for personal gain!"

Irena narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"A third-rate adventurer teamed up with a blacksmith who can only make trash weapons, what a first-round knockout that would be!"

The two burst into laughter, and we were left in the wake of their mockery.

"Well then—I'll just have to prove I'm stronger than you, won't I?"

""Huh?""

The atmosphere froze. Barry and Elgen both turned to stare at me.

After a few moments of silence, they burst into laughter again.

"Come on, that's a joke, right? An F-rank proving they're stronger than Barry? People who team up with Irena really are crazy!"

"True, I am an F-rank. But Irena makes excellent gear. So, correct your statement."

"...Hey, can we stop saying dumb things? I don't like being underestimated."

Barry's words seemed to chill the entire town.

Tension mounted. The air grew heavy.

"Hey, rookie. Which is bigger, 1 or 2?"

Barry cracked his neck and suddenly asked such a strange question.

"Obviously, 2 is bigger."

"That's right. Numbers don't lie. You can easily see superiority. It's the same with adventurer ranks. S-rank is far superior to A-rank, and A-rank to B-rank—overwhelmingly stronger."

I couldn't follow where he was going with this. I held my breath as Barry grinned.

"Which means—there's no way an F-rank like you can beat an S-rank like me!!"

In an instant, Barry closed the distance between us at an incredible speed.

I could see him tightening his fists. This was bad. I had to evade this.

I instinctively moved my left leg, dodging Barry's charge.

"<Appraisal>!"

Given the conversation, I had a feeling it would come to this. I didn't want to clash if I could help it.

――

Target: Barry Gaisselrick Level 35

Skill

<Swift>: Increases speed by 50%.

――

Despite being an S-rank adventurer, his level isn't much higher than mine! And that speed boost skill is pretty typical!

Barry clenched both fists and unleashed a rapid barrage. I dodged every strike.

I can keep up with his movements and anticipate his next moves!

This match, I'll tak—

"What are you looking at, rookie?"

In the next moment, though I hadn't blinked, Barry disappeared from my sight, and I heard his voice from behind.