Chapter 33
At the training examination arena, Izumi returned once again.
Rey Renold was already occupied with another examinee.
From a distance, Izumi saw a girl with light pink hair standing in the arena. The girl looked nervous while taking the test. Izumi then sat in one of the spectator seats surrounding the training arena.
"So that's how the test works," Izumi muttered softly. "She looks extremely nervous."
Rey looked at the evaluation sheet in his hand.
"Next, the archery test."
"Okay."
Yaza picked up a bow and tried to shoot.
Failed.
"Endurance test."
Failed.
"Speed test."
Failed.
"Strength test."
Failed.
After several minutes passed, all the test results were completed.
Izumi raised an eyebrow.
"She failed every test."
According to the information she had heard earlier, someone who failed the test could try again the following year.
Izumi then walked down toward the arena where Rey was.
"Wuaaaaaah...!" Yaza cried loudly. "Please! I want to become an adventurer!"
"Eh? What's going on?" Izumi asked.
Rey turned around.
"!?" "Miss Rumi?"
"Yeah?"
Rey looked at her from head to toe.
"Your appearance looks very different now."
Yaza, who was still crying, also turned to look.
Inside, he was shocked.
Who is that girl...? She's incredibly beautiful and charming. Especially her hair, which looks like gold. Is she a princess of this kingdom...? If that's true...
"Princess, please help meeeee..."
"Eh?"
"Please let me become an adventurer!"
Rey laughed.
"Princess? Hahaha. Miss Rumi isn't a princess of this kingdom. Besides, this kingdom doesn't even have a queen, let alone a princess."
"Eeeh!? How is that possible?"
"Every kingdom has its own unique characteristics."
"I see."
"Yes."
"But she's so beautiful, just like a royal princess."
Hearing that compliment, Izumi's face turned slightly red and she became embarrassed.
"Then what is she doing here?" Yaza asked curiously.
"Hmm..."
Rey smiled.
"She's just accompanying me while I conduct inspections and training examinations."
"Ooh."
Yaza then looked toward Izumi.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Your name is Rumi, right?"
"Yes."
"My name is Yaza. I'm a boy. I'm only seventeen years old, and I want to become an incredibly great adventurer."
"Ooh, good luck. That's great."
A few seconds later, Izumi realized something.
"Eh."
"Hm?"
"Y-you..."
Izumi pointed at Yaza.
"You're a boy!?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious!?"
"Yes. Didn't you notice?"
"How could I possibly notice!? Just look at your appearance! You look completely like a girl! Your clothes too, and even your voice sounds exactly like a girl's!"
"Eeeh? Even that old grandpa figured it out immediately when we looked at each other."
Inside his mind, Rey Renold muttered.
Grandpa...? Am I really that old now...?
Izumi turned toward Rey.
"Really? How did you know?"
"Because I can smell people."
"Smell?"
"Yes. The scent of a man and a woman is very different."
Izumi blinked several times.
"Smell...?"
Inside, she immediately complained.
Where's the logic in that...? Oh right, forget it. This isn't my old world. This is a fantasy world. Fantasy!
Izumi then gathered the courage to ask.
"Then what about me? Did you smell anything from me?"
"Of course. The moment I first met you, I immediately knew you were a village girl."
"I see."
Izumi secretly felt relieved.
"A village girl!?" Yaza exclaimed.
"Are you really from a village?"
"Umm... yes. Why?"
"Are all village girls this beautiful...?"
Yaza looked even more curious.
"Wait. Isn't it very difficult for villagers to freely enter a royal city? Doesn't that apply in every human kingdom? Then how did you manage to get here?"
Inside, Izumi sighed.
Why can't he stop asking questions...?
Rey answered first.
"That's because she's an adventurer."
"A village girl becoming an adventurer!?"
"That's very rare."
Izumi nodded slowly.
"This feels like déjà vu."
"Hm? Déjà vu?"
"Ah, never mind. Forget it."
Izumi then changed the subject.
"By the way, you've already failed, right? Why aren't you leaving?"
"No! I won't leave until I become an adventurer!"
Rey sighed.
"Yaza, your abilities are still far from sufficient. If I allow you to become an adventurer, I would feel guilty if you got hurt or died because of a monster."
"I won't die to monsters."
"Everyone always begs and says the same thing."
Rey smiled faintly.
"Alright. How about this? I'll allow you to become an adventurer if you're not afraid, don't run away, and don't panic when you see a monster."
"Eh? Is there a monster here?"
Yaza immediately looked left and right with an adorable expression.
"There aren't any monsters here."
"Then?"
"The only thing here is me."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"You must not be afraid, run away, or panic when you look at me. Do you understand?"
"Ooh, I get it now. Okay!"
"Very well. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
At that very moment, Rey released his killing intent.
This time, however, it wasn't very large.
Even so, the air around the arena instantly turned cold.
Izumi simply stood there calmly as she watched.
Is he intentionally holding back?
Within only a few seconds—
Thud!
Yaza instantly fainted and collapsed onto the ground.
Rey lowered his sword and stopped releasing the aura.
"Is that considered normal?" Izumi asked.
"What part?"
"When you tested me before, you released an incredibly dense killing intent. It felt as though I could see hundreds of people aiming for my life."
"Ah, that's true."
Rey chuckled.
"When I tested you before, I was extremely curious. So I decided to test you seriously."
He continued.
"If a normal person were to see that kind of killing aura directly, I'm sure they would become extremely frightened. They might even be traumatized."
"That serious!?"
Izumi was surprised.
"Then why did you think I wouldn't be afraid or traumatized?"
"I've seen many people."
Rey looked at her.
"And that was the first time I had ever met someone like Miss Rumi. Extremely confident. Not afraid of whatever might happen."
"I could tell from your behavior and attitude from the moment we first met."
"That's very unusual."
Rey smiled.
"Especially because you're a woman."
"That's why I tested you seriously. Hahaha."
"Hmm, I see."
Izumi looked at Yaza, who was still unconscious.
"Then what about this girl—ah, no. I mean this boy?"
"Should we carry him out?"
"If you're willing to help me, could you carry him outside?"
"I don't want him getting in the way of other people who want to take inspections and tests."
"Yes, of course."
Izumi easily lifted Yaza's body.
Inside, she felt slightly surprised.
He's so light.
Can a boy's body really be this light?
Her thoughts drifted into the past.
Back then, her body had also been skinny.
However, because of extreme daily training, a high-protein diet, and countless harsh military exercises, her body had gradually become large and muscular.
That's true.
Before I started training my body, I was about as small as him too.
This feels very nostalgic.
Izumi carried Yaza outside.
When she arrived at the guard post entrance, she met Ela again.
"Oh."
Izumi slightly lifted Yaza's body.
"Where should I put this?"
Ela immediately fell silent.
Put this...?
Why is she saying it like she's carrying an object? That's a human being, not an object!
Ela also suddenly realized something.
Rumi looked far more beautiful now than before.
There was no longer any strange object covering her head.
On top of that, the scent coming from her was now very pleasant.
"Ah... if it's him, you can lay him down in the special room prepared over there. To the left of the exit."
"Ooh. So that room is for people who faint."
"Umm... yes."
Izumi immediately carried Yaza there.
She laid him down on one of the available beds.
After that, she returned to the training examination arena.
Meanwhile, Tom, Nera, Berin, and Welly were in a much more cheerful atmosphere.
"So we're heading back now?" Nera asked.
"Yes."
Welly nodded.
"It's better if we go back and store this Rafflesia flower first."
Tom smiled.
"Or we could sell it through the System Auction."
"I'm sure a lot of people are looking for it."
Nera tilted her head.
"Eh? System Auction?"
"What's that?"
"You don't know?" Berin asked.
Nera simply shook her head.
Berin immediately smiled proudly.
"Alright. Let me explain."
"So, the System Auction is..."