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Two hours passed, and Stephanie, along with the lower-rankers she had been grouped with, began to line up for the Guild’s teleportation Magic Circles. Kisaragi watched from her seat inside the Guild, noting the tension that hung over the group like a dark cloud.
[It’s fine... I’ve definitely improved since last time. Plus, her party’s full of people she’s never even met, all from lower ranks. She’ll be nervous and bound to make mistakes.]
As a member of Ealdred Crow, Kisaragi was well aware of Stephanie’s outstanding abilities. In fact, Stephanie was borderline legendary, so much so that even the Healers in Teams 2 and 3 would give up before the assessment even began. It was safe to assume that no Healer in Ealdred Crow could ignore her presence.
Before the Stampede, Kisaragi had never imagined she could surpass Stephanie. Being in the same Clan, she had always felt the stark difference between their abilities.
But this assessment was different from all the previous ones. Stephanie, who had been sidelined for a month, was now stuck with an unfamiliar party, and the judges seemed inclined to give the lower rankers a chance this time. On top of that, the Dungeon Maniacs would be casting their votes. The wind was at Kisaragi’s back, and her performance in the recent battle with the Winter General had been her best yet.
She had worked hard this past month. Every day she had descended into God’s Dungeon, eating only the bare minimum and sacrificing sleep. The constant strain had left her feeling hollow, but it had all been worth it to climb this far.
[Hah, you better hope you don’t mess up...!] she silently urged, her eyes locked on Stephanie, who gripped her staff like a conductor’s baton.
The last thing Kisaragi wanted was for her month-long efforts to be in vain. She willed Stephanie to falter as she watched the latter’s party step onto a Magic Circle and vanish, transported to the eightieth layer.
“Oh, great, the Guild’s packed.” Came a groan amidst the crowd. “You really shouldn’t have gotten suckered into giving up our seats, Daryl.”
“I-I just couldn’t help it!”
[...Hmm?] Kisaragi’s gaze followed the sound. All of those in the dungeoneering scene knew about Ealdred Crow’s assessment, so the Monitor area in the Guild building was quite lively today.
Turning around, Kisaragi spotted a man she recognized by his white hooded robe and black trousers adorned with the red emblem of the Dorren Workshop. Similar to Stephanie, he had a few skill wisps flying over his head, drawing a few stares from those around him. Moreover, he was often seen spectating other Explorers through Monitors.
[Tsutomu...?]
Indeed, it was the man who had single-handedly redefined the role of Healers, and even now, he remained one of the top three in the field. With a weary expression, he waded through the crowd, searching for a vacant seat. Not far from him, Kisaragi also noticed Daryl, a Team 2 Tank of Absolute Helix.
“There! Those seats are open,” Tsutomu pointed out. “Go grab ’em!”
“Yes, sir!”
Daryl moved swiftly to secure two empty seats, which just happened to be right next to Kisaragi’s. He and Tsutomu settled in just as Stephanie’s team’s Winter General battle was projected onto the Guild’s Monitor #1.
Kisaragi had never interacted with Tsutomu before, but she had studied his techniques to refine her own skills as a Healer. In her point of view, he was a celebrity she would expect to only ever see on a Monitor.
“Um, excuse me... Are you Mister Tsutomu?” she asked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s me.”
“Wow! For real!? I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you! It’s such an honor!” Kisaragi exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm so as to stroke Tsutomu’s ego.
Tsutomu narrowed his eyes and took a good look at her. Then, a look of recognition crossed his face.
“Ahh, you are... Miss Kisaragi, right?”
“...Huh? Wait, you know who I am?”
“Not really... but I know you’re a White Mage from Ealdred Crow — I saw you battling in the eightieth layer just now.”
“No way! That’s more than enough!! Compared to someone like you, I’m just a nobody, like a pebble on the road!” Kisaragi replied, her voice dripping with self-deprecation.
“Well, I do my research on others in our field.” Tsutomu chuckled softly, shaking his head.
As Kisaragi continued to downplay herself, Tsutomu offered a bitter smile before turning his attention back to Monitor #1, where Stephanie’s battle was being projected. Kisaragi followed his gaze, her eyes landing on Stephanie as she distributed support skills to her party.
[...Nothing out of the ordinary so far.]
It was still early in the fight, and there wasn’t much difference between Stephanie’s performance and what Kisaragi had expected. The Tanks handled aggro with ease, accustomed to the Winter General’s patterns, while the Attackers launched their assaults under the effects of <<Haste>>.
“...Mister Tsutomu, what are you writing?” Kisaragi asked, trying to divert her attention from the uneventful battle.
Daryl, seated beside her, suddenly looked as if he were sitting next to a ticking bomb, but Tsutomu kept his focus on the Monitor, his hand scribbling notes as he answered.
“I’m jotting down observations on Stephanie’s strategies.”
“Her strategies...? But isn’t she your apprentice?”
“There are always things to learn — even from the worst of my students, by which I mean that one from Golden Tune. And with how excellent Stephanie is, there’s quite a lot.”
“Haha... I see. So, even you think Miss Stephanie is exceptional?”
Normally, Tsutomu spectated battles from reserved seats in the market outside, so few Explorers had the chance to see him taking notes like this. Watching him now, engrossed in his work without ever tearing his eyes from the Monitor, Kisaragi found herself slightly taken aback.
Tsutomu, in good spirits perhaps because he was speaking with a fellow Healer, continued to watch the battle unfold on Monitor #1 as he elaborated,
“She’s probably the best Healer around right now. Lorena might be second, if I had to pick.”
“How... how is she so much better now? Last time, she barely made it...”
Kisaragi had watched Stephanie’s previous battle with the Winter General. It had been a close call, the victory hanging by a thread. In contrast, Kisaragi had approached the fight with confidence, armed with strategies and knowledge about the Winter General. She had expected at least a good contest, if not a clear win.
But even though this was only Stephanie’s second time clearing the eightieth layer, her performance outshone Kisaragi’s, who had faced the Winter General over ten times. Kisaragi could not fathom why.
“How did Miss Stephanie get so good? She’s better than me, and I’ve been working my ass off here for a month!”
Tsutomu, sensing her agitation, responded calmly, “She was the Healer in the first party to ever defeat the Winter General. She has a much deeper understanding of the fight than anyone could imagine.”
There was an obvious difference between Stephanie’s hard-earned victory, achieved through countless failures, and Kisaragi’s success, which came from following a well-trodden path. Stephanie had only defeated the Winter General once, but she had died trying dozens of times, gaining experience that far surpassed Kisaragi’s.
Both Tsutomu and Daryl knew about the Ealdred Crow’s assessment, so they could easily guess why Kisaragi was upset. Tsutomu’s expression turned sympathetic, which only fueled Kisaragi’s irritation, prompting her to glare at him.
“W-why are you looking at me like that? The assessment isn’t final yet!”
“True, it’s not. But you’re aware of the difference, and that’s why you’re so anxious, aren’t you?”
“D-do you think I’m inferior to Stephanie? If you do, please tell me why!”
“...You see, Miss Kisaragi, I watched your performance closely. You were good — experienced with the Winter General, and quick to salvage the situation whenever things went wrong. But there’s a key difference between you and Stephanie. You still lack a certain awareness as a Healer.”
“...An awareness as a Healer?” Kisaragi repeated.
Tsutomu’s face showed a hint of regret as he continued,
“It’s not something that’s easily fixed, I understand — but I can still see traces of the disposable Healer in you. You’re too concerned about the Attackers and Tanks. You end up overdoing the support, which messes with your aggro management. You’re too quick to accept every request they make. But Stephanie — she only provides the necessary support and healing, which leaves her enough room to join in the attack. Until you change that mindset, no amount of effort will put you on Stephanie’s level.”
“......”
Kisaragi lowered her head, her expression darkening. She knew what Tsutomu meant. The need to appease the Attackers and Tanks still lingered in her, a habit from her days as a disposable Healer. Back then, she had been stuck in the middle tier, and those instincts had taken deep root.
[Even this guy is saying it... there’s no way I can beat Stephanie...]
“But your fundamentals are solid, Miss Kisaragi. You’ve got some real talent in quickshot skills. Sure, this assessment didn’t go as you hoped, but you likely ranked higher than you think. If you work on that mindset, there’s still a chance for you. Don’t give up.”
“Huh...?”
Kisaragi had braced herself to hear that she would never surpass Stephanie; the unexpected encouragement made her look up, surprise evident on her face.
“Do you think... I can surpass her?”
“I won’t give you any guarantees. She’s quite a hard worker, too — it won’t be a walk in the park. But no one is unbeatable. You won’t know until you try.”
“...Yes, of course.”
Kisaragi’s tense expression softened as she let his words sink in. After a moment, she bowed deeply. “Thank you. I know we just met, but... thank you for taking the time to say this.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“...No more time to mope, then! Excuse me!”
Kisaragi stood up with newfound determination.
As she walked away from Tsutomu and Daryl, ready to leave the guild, she accidentally bumped into someone. The slight impact sent her slender frame tumbling to the ground.
“Oh, sorry—-”
Looking up to apologize, Kisaragi froze as a shiver ran down her spine. The cold, calculating eyes of Stephanie, the Ice Conductor, stared down at her, exuding an aura that made Kisaragi’s skin crawl.
“......”
[W-what the...?]
Stephanie said nothing, her gaze fixed on Kisaragi, neither offering a hand nor breaking eye contact. The intensity of her stare unsettled Kisaragi somewhat.
“Uh, you alright there?” Tsutomu’s voice broke the tension; he seemed to know that intervention on his part was necessary.
He stepped forward, offering a hand to Kisaragi, who looked up at him as if he were her savior.
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