CH 153

“Don’t you know this medal? Huh? You can’t see it? I see…”

“Wh-what on earth is this!!”

The first words spoken by the female knight upon returning from lunch were that. Most likely, she thought I had been locked up in the cell, going through miserable experiences. It’s a shame, but I am not the kind of person to be defeated just because I’ve been locked up in a cell…

Since then, I had been tirelessly mass-producing takoyaki and sweet potatoes. Currently, I was proudly producing them in large quantities with the assistance of my artisan golems.

To an outsider, the sight of multiple golems performing the same actions repeatedly inside a cramped cell would seem like an abnormal situation. If I were in the position of any other person, I would think the same.

Balm and the other prisoners who had been witnessing the entire process seemed unable to believe what was happening right in front of them. They remained silent, their expressions filled with astonishment.

“Phew, I wonder if it’s like this.”

“Hey, you! What on earth is going on here?! Explain!”

“I was bored, so while making lunch, I decided to use golems to cook. That’s all.”

“That’s not an explanation! How can you cook inside a prison cell?!”

Even if she asked me such a question, if something could be done, then there was no helping it. It was the same as asking an ant, “Why can you carry a load that’s many times your own weight?” The answer was simply that it could be done. There was no other explanation.

My response must not have been to her liking, as the female knight glared at me with a face that could be interpreted as anger or frustration.

“Oh, I just remembered something.”

“What is it?”

“When you were interrogating me, insisting that I might be a bandit, I felt pressured and didn’t present any form of identification. I think I’ll show it to you now.”

As I said that, I presented my adventurer’s guild card to the female knight. She took the card from me, almost snatching it, and as she glanced at the contents written on the card, her face quickly turned to a look of astonishment.

“Ab-absurd! Are you telling me that you, a child, are an A-rank adventurer?!”

“Miss, what do you mean by ‘A-rank adventurer?’”

“….”

In response to Balm’s question, I silently handed over the guild card I had presented, and as Balm received it, his eyes widened, his face displaying astonishment as well. It would be hard for most people to believe that a young boy suspected of being an accomplice to bandits would turn out to be an A-rank adventurer, even if it were explained verbally. I myself find it hard to believe.

However, the reality could be cruel, and the information written on a guild card was impossible to forge. While there had been cases of counterfeit guild cards in the past, those who made such forgeries were all apprehended and executed.

In other words, the possibility of the guild card I presented being a fake was extremely low, and if that guild card were indeed genuine, it would mean that they had treated an A-rank adventurer, considered top-tier in the adventurer’s guild, as a bandit.

If such injustice were to occur, in the worst-case scenario, the Adventurer’s Guild could impose the sanction of withdrawing from the city, resulting in fewer adventurers visiting the area.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the economy of this world was largely controlled by the Adventurer’s Guild and the Commercial Guild. If the Adventurer’s Guild were to withdraw, it would deal a significant blow to the city.

Moreover, the act of defiling an A-rank adventurer was a weak reason to prompt the Adventurer’s Guild to withdraw from a city, but it was still a valid reason if they were inclined to do so.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the guild masters of Orargrand and the royal capital city had been discreetly working to promote my promotion to S-rank adventurer, reaching out to the guild masters of various branches. This meant that the influence I held within the Adventurer’s Guild was far from weak.

“Mi-miss, this is a situation where excuses won’t work.”

“Kuh… Th-this must be a fake card. This… this thing, like this—”

“Hold on, it’s better to stop right there. If that card is genuine, it won’t just be you but the entire city that will be finished.”

“…Tch.”

In response to my words, the female knight’s face contorted further, and she clicked her tongue. She understood that what she was trying to do right then was clumsy.

In the first place, the guild cards issued by the Adventurer’s Guild and the Commercial Guild utilize ancient technology. One of the functions of these cards was the ability to record and identify the magical energy of the person who damaged the card. 

If the card was damaged by a monster, it recorded the monster’s magical energy. If it was damaged by the person themselves, it recorded their own magical energy. And if it was damaged by a third party, it recorded the magical energy of that individual, allowing the culprit who caused the damage to be identified.

In other words, if my guild card was genuine and she intentionally damaged it, the culprit would be quickly identified. That was why the female knight hesitated to tear up my guild card. However, what was even more unfortunate for her was the fact that I was not just an ordinary A-rank adventurer.

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention this too, the king told me to show this to the border guards when I travel to other countries.”

““Th-th-th-th-that is—!!!””

What I took out from my storage was the Mithril First Class Medal. Upon seeing it, both the female knight and Balm let out a scream as if their throats were about to tear apart.

The Mithril First Class Medal, which I received from the king, was the highest honor recognized on the entire continent and a title that was only given to true heroes.

The Mithril First Class Medal was awarded by the current kings and emperors of the nations in this world, and it was the highest medal of honor recognized universally among nations.

If we took an example, the Mithril First Class Medal I received was from the Kingdom of Schells. However, even neighboring countries like the Kingdom of Second or the current Duchy of Saverdales had their own Mithril First Class Medals. It was a common understanding in this world that these medals represent the highest class of decorations in each respective country.

Just possessing one of these medals brings tremendous benefits, and there had never been a person who possessed multiple Mithril First Class Medals from different countries in the past.

The appearance of such a legendary Mithril First Class Medal would astonish anyone in this world, except perhaps those living in remote tribes on the outskirts.

“I think it was called the Mithril First Class Medal. I received it when I repelled the Demons.”

“Co-come to think of it, I heard a rumor about the neighboring labyrinth city being attacked by the Demons, but it was repelled by a single adventurer. Could it be that adventurer…?”

“That would be me.”

“……”

The revelation left everyone present speechless. Even the criminals who were shouting earlier were now cowering in disbelief. 

Only the guard captain, Balm, managed to maintain some composure, although his face was contorted and he seemed uneasy.

Well, it was understandable that they wouldn’t immediately believe being told that I went from being an immature young boy to a country hero. However, the Mithril First Class Medal I possess confirmed the truth of the matter.

“How about it? Do you know this medal?”

“No, I can’t see it.” (+)

“That’s not what I meant. Well, never mind. Let’s focus on resolving the immediate issue. Hey, female knight.”

“Ye-yes?”

When I called out to the female knight, she trembled and let out a loud voice. Although I felt the urge to tease her, I considered that there were more pressing matters to do, and I gave her instructions.

“bring the lord of this city immediately. Since you haven’t seen this medal before and may doubt its authenticity, having the ruling lord of this town confirm it with their own words would provide you with the assurance that this medal is genuine, wouldn’t it?”

While making excuses, ultimately I just wanted the lord to resolve this situation. It’s a typical case of wanting to find a way out.

Since this female knight was said to be the daughter of the lord, I believed that the responsibility for a child’s mistake lay with their guardian, the parent. So, let’s leave it to the lord to clean up her mess.

Leaving the female knight, who immediately headed towards the lord upon hearing my words, behind me, I continued to produce an excessive amount of takoyaki and sweet potatoes.