CH 39

Chapter 39: The Lone Wolf - Thames

Eliz: “This Appraisal, is wrong, yes!!”

Yuto: “......huh?”

Eliz: “There’s no way Mr. Yuto is a Level 1. If you were Level 1, you could not have become a C-Rank Adventurer, yes. This Appraisal is completely wrong!!”

Yuto: “HーHey, Eliz. Calm down…..”

Yuto tries to desperately calm Eliz down as tears begin to well up in her eyes, and her voice rises in volume.

Yuto was happy that Eliz believed the Status Appraisal to be wrong.

Yuto has fought many times in front of Eliz.

She was affirming Yuto’s own suspicions along with confirming his current strength and abilities.

But Yuto did not expect Eliz to get this upset and angry.

And you should never say that a “Status Appraisal is wrong” - especially in the Prayer Room of the Temple.

There was a Priest looking very unhappily at Yuto and Eliz as if to emphasize Yuto’s point.

His eyes spoke very clearly, “Do you have a problem with our Appraisal, hmm?!”

This is bad.

And just when Yuto was going to try and leave with Eliz…

“If they say you’re a Level 1, then you’re most definitely a Level 1.”

An adventurer said this out loud as if to challenge and provoke them.

The adventurer stood in the doorway with their back leaned against the entrance doorway and glared at Yuto and Eliz.

Yuto: (hm? ……….I recognize that person…)

Yuto searches through his memory.

Immediately, he recalls the name.

Yuto: “Hello, *Thames, I’m sorry for causing a ruckus in the Prayer Room.”

The person glaring down at them was the D-Rank Adventurer, Thames, from the *Werewolf Tribe.

Some adventurers have dubbed Thames, “The Lone Wolf,” as Thames prefers to concentrate as a Solo-Adventurer.

There are rumors that Thames will soon reach C-Rank.

Thames is able to clear D-Rank Instant Dungeons alone without trouble.

Thames is currently solo, but it has not always been that way.

When Thames was working as part of a party, Yuto had once joined the same party.

Of course, this was when Yuto was a luggage carrier.

It was many years ago when that happened.

Even from then, Thames has been a D-Rank Adventurer.

Thames: “The Appraisal is performed by God. There are no lies in the Status Appraisals. It’s always humans who make the errors. If the Status Appraisal says he’s a Level 1, then it’s the Guild that made the error in assessing his strength.”

Eliz: “Yーyou’re wrong, yes! Mr. Yuto has properly cleared all hurdles to become a C-Rank Adventurer, yes! We even cleared the Guild Request without fail, yes!”

Eliz is getting heated up, but Thames brushes her words off with a laugh.

Thames’ long tail is sweeping left and right provocatively.

Thames: “I’m sure he must have bribed the Guild Officials. Didn’t he just clear the Guild Request by purchasing the required Monster Stones?”

Eliz: “YーYou’re wrong, yes!!”

Yuto: “Hey, Eliz. It’s okay.”

Yuto tries to hold back Eliz who is only getting more agitated, and Yuto tries to break up the argument.

Yuto: “Thames, I apologize to have to correct you, but I don’t have the ability to bribe the Guild Officials.”

Thames: “Ha! Like I would believe that.”

Yuto: “I don’t have that kind of money in the first place.”

Thames: “..............................”

Yuto plainly and clearly stated a fact that even Thames knew was true, and from a pang of guilt, Thames’ eyes looked elsewhere for a moment.

Thames knows Yuto well.

And Yuto’s poverty is a well known fact among any who have crossed paths with him.

And that’s because Yuto has always worked as a luggage carrier.

A luggage carrier receives 1 to 5% of the party’s acquired gains.

But only on the rarest occasions did Yuto ever receive 5% of the cut.

In most cases, it was 1%.

If that is all you make as a luggage carrier, and that is all Yuto could do, then there is no way for Yuto to accumulate enough wealth to bribe a Guild Official.

Yuto: “Excuse us, Thames. We’ll be going now.”

It was when Yuto and Eliz tried to walk by Thames.

Thames: “.................hey, Mr. Weakest. If what you say is true, then have a duel with me.”

Yuto: “...................excuse me?”

Thames just challenged Yuto to a duel.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: (How did things end up this way………?)

Yuto glanced at the wooden sword in his hands as he let out a deep sigh.

It all began with Thames’ challenge.

<<<<>>>>

[Have a duel with me.]

Of course, Yuto would have refused normally.

First and foremost, an Adventurer’s strength is directed against Dungeon Monsters.

Yuto had no intention of directing that strength towards people. That thought never crossed his mind.

He refused at first, and Thames did not back off.

[You gonna run?]

[I guess you’re scared if you’re running.]

[You don’t want anyone to find out that you’re still the weakest Adventurer]

[I knew that you moving up to C-Rank was a gimmick.]

It didn’t matter what anyone said. The facts wouldn’t change.

Yuto was smiling and was about to brush off the comments.

But Eliz was not going to have any of that.

[Mr. Yuto is strong! He did not do anything wrong!!]

And without getting further input from Yuto, the duel was decided.

<<<<>>>>

Right now, Yuto is in the grassy plains next to the Temple.

Because these plains are right next to the Temple, it is well taken care of.

But up until this point, there has never been anyone willing to set up a shop here.

If they do any kind of business, you would be able to gather the attention of many adventurers.

But no one would do so because of the large lake next to it.

This lake is well known to flood every time it rains, so no one is able to build their shop on this piece of land.

But it is still a very visible, well-noticeable piece of property, and many adventurers who were on their way to the Dungeon caught sight of Yuto.

Among them, they wanted to see what was happening and a crowd of adventurers was beginning to gather up.

As they were preparing for the duel, a large group of adventurers encircled them before anyone knew what was happening.

And there was one concern that Yuto had.

Yuto: (Would it be okay if I attack a person with this wooden sword……..?)

<<<<>>>>

CHONKY Notes LiT (Lost in Translation)

*Thames (pronounced “Tems”) - Yuto initially addressed Thames more formally than what was translated with “san” (the respectful honorific given to anyone and is gender-neutral). Unlike English where you would have a problem if you do not know if a person is male or female, you can bypass that awkwardness in Japanese by addressing them as “san.” This is actually the default for anyone if you don’t know how to address them.

*Werewolf Tribe (Rou-Jin-Zoku) (狼人族) - Fantasy Race between Humans and Wolves. Unlike the American Werewolf mythology, this half-wolf/half-human state is by birth and perpetual and does not relate to the full-moon. In Isekai fantasy, you will see a lot of bipedal mixed human races between humans and different animals and demon races. This is slightly different from Anthropomorphism of giving animals human-like qualities and is typically more giving humans, animal-like qualities. Way back in the day, the trope took the anime-world by storm and now is part of the standard understanding of what to expect in a “fantasy” world in a Japanese context.