### Chapter 33 – Rookie Adventurer Bern (Part 33): Blanca’s Resolution
News of the Lich extermination spread far and wide with immense power.
There was the diabolical scheme of the lich who sought to gain power through numerous sacrificial offerings, countered by the Guild’s all-out effort.
Even with the elite of the elites gathered, there were still quite a few casualties, and among them was even the Guild Master, a long-standing symbol and founder of the Guild.
Fortunately, the lich was successfully exterminated; otherwise, it might have led to the complete annihilation of the adventurers involved in the mission.
The testimonies of the surviving adventurers and rescued victims added even more astonishment among the people.
“The red-haired Bern. If he hadn’t volunteered to act as bait, if we hadn’t identified the traitors in advance, we would’ve undoubtedly suffered catastrophic damage. Just thinking of the betrayers who sold their souls to the lich stabbing us in the back sends shivers down my spine.”
“The red-haired adventurer broke our chains and helped us escape. Without him, we would all have become sacrifices.”
“Damn, I couldn’t see it clearly because of that mist, but just looking at the aftermath of the battle makes it evident that he fought fiercely against several spectral knights. There was even the Guild Master among them. With my limited vocabulary, I can only describe it as ‘incredible.’”
Rookie adventurer Bern.
In less than six months since becoming an adventurer, he achieved incredible feats, only to lose his life almost as quickly as his accomplishments.
People who heard about his deeds were both amazed and saddened.
Had he survived, they mused, he might have filled the Guild Master’s vacant seat—or, perhaps, even surpassed him to become a legend.
“Hah! It’s all bullshit!”
Of course, as with many things, there were those who voiced their dissatisfaction with the prevailing sentiment.
In the guild headquarters and a nearby tavern.
With a flushed, drunken face, one adventurer loudly slammed his glass on the table.
“Leaping into the enemy’s trap only to turn it against them? Dominating several spectral knights? Shit, why not just say he sliced a dragon while he was at it?”
The adventurer’s words drew a few curious glances from others in the tavern.
A companion at the same table frowned and attempted to quiet him.
“Hey, lower your voice. People can overhear.”
“What? Did I say something wrong? It’s just not plausible.”
“There are witnesses.”
“Testimonies can be fabricated. If I claimed to see spaghetti flying in the sky, would it suddenly appear? Of course not!”
The companion sighed heavily, realizing that further reasoning would be fruitless.
Some of the adventurers sitting at other tables glanced over but the man only raised his voice louder.
“There’s no doubt the guild planted the rumors. They just need some tragic hero to cover up whatever inconvenient truths they have.”
His argument had more holes than a sieve.
If the guild had wanted to create a tragic hero, why not use the dead Guild Master’s name instead of Bern’s?
But hatred rarely follows logic.
The man simply needed a justification to validate his jealousy and resentment toward the “young hero” receiving praise from others. For him, as long as it sounded plausible, it was good enough. Why care about the truth?
The bell above the tavern door chimed as new customers entered.
But the man, lost in his own version of the truth, didn’t notice and continued ranting.
“That or that Bern guy could have been the lich’s accomplice. Isn’t it more plausible that the rookie uncovered the lich’s plan because he was part of it? Maybe something went wrong, and they both ended up dead.”
“Wow, intriguing theory…”
“Honestly, there might be good rookies, but the stories seem exaggerated.”
Some of the adventurers at other tables nodded in agreement.
Among them were those who disliked Bern’s fame and those who simply needed a topic to discuss.
It was perfect material for gossip and criticism.
In reality, less than one-tenth of the adventurers in the tavern agreed with the man’s claims, but he puffed out his chest as if everyone endorsed him.
As he was about to speak again, one of the two new arrivals approached and asked.
“What did you say?”
“That Bern guy… is actually the lich’s accomplice, right?”
The man reflexively began to respond before realizing the voice wasn’t from his table but from a strange woman.
“Who the hell are you?”
The woman had blue hair and eyes, was of average height, and her thin frame beneath a beige cloak didn’t appear particularly threatening. Her belt carried a sword, but she still seemed delicate.
“Just cancel what you just said.”
The short, curt demand.
Had her friends heard it, they would have recognized that the woman was suppressing her boiling anger with reason. But the drunk man lacked such insight.
To him, it was merely unpleasant to be told what to do by someone who looked much weaker and likely just pretending to be an adventurer.
“What the hell? Who are you to command me, bitch?”
“Bern did his best fighting against the lich, and as a result, many people were saved. Stop making baseless accusations without knowing the whole story.”
“Haha! Best… hah! Stupid kid went too far playing the hero and died—”
The man didn’t get to finish his sentence, as the woman grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the table.
Thud!
The sound was loud enough to reverberate across the entire tavern. The food on the table flew into the air and landed back down.
The man twitched for a moment then went limp.
“What… What the hell is this!?”
The companion sitting at the same table instinctively reached for his weapon, but he couldn’t bring himself to use it.
The woman’s blue eyes, which normally carry a calm and clear image, were now aglow like burning flames, freezing him like prey in front of a predator.
The tense atmosphere overwhelmed everyone in the tavern. They stared at the woman, holding their breath.
To them, she declared.
“Blanca. If there are people who doubt Bern’s efforts or skills, come to me. I’ll verify if the rumors are true or exaggerated, just like this.”
Her declaration, enunciated with every syllable, sent a chill down the spines of the adventurers.
Especially those who had just moments ago joined in to criticize Bern—now they averted their eyes.
Even the rough and hardened adventurers couldn’t ignore the overwhelming presence Blanca was emitting.
“Cough, Nee-san. That’s enough, isn’t it? I think everyone understands by now.”
Breaking the stifling air, Renya, who had come with Blanca, spoke.
Blanca glanced at Renya before releasing the man’s head.
Renya handed a tip to the tavern owner, who nodded nervously in acknowledgment and promised to take care of the aftermath.
They then moved upstairs to the third floor, a reserved space for special guests, where the eastern district administrator greeted them with an expression of disbelief.
“Hey, didn’t I tell you guys not to stir up trouble? The Guild already has a tense atmosphere, and if the main branch and the eastern branch start opposing each other, we’ll really be in over our heads!”
To which Blanca nonchalantly responded,
“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t have invited us here to hear such nonsense or prevented such nonsense to begin with.”
“Hey, you’re the one who got me selected as the leader of the eastern district adventurers. Is this how it’s gonna be!?”
“Yes.”
“Knowing the average temperament of adventurers, why are you acting so sensitive all of a sudden? Or are you going to beat up anyone who disrespects Bern from now on?”
“If necessary, yes.”
Her unwavering response prompted the administrator to deeply sigh.
His forehead ached, but he couldn’t really blame Blanca’s attitude.
It was the one who reached out a helping hand when Blanca was in trouble.
The one who fulfilled her lifelong goal of vengeance.
The one who sacrificed their life to save her.
Even one of these reasons would be enough to make anyone feel gratitude or love, yet Bern had achieved all three, a true triple-crown achievement.
The administrator remembered how Blanca repeatedly cried herself to exhaustion and understood; this was better than that.
“Well, how’s the main office situation?”
“Chaos.”
Blanca asked, and the administrator succinctly replied.
“True, we saved a lot of people and increased the Guild’s reputation by exterminating the lich… But we also lost a lot.”
Many elite adventurers were lost.
They lost the emblem and representative of the Guild, the only adventurer of Rank 5—the Guild Master.
Moreover, the costs for compensation and cleanup were substantial.
“There are opinions saying that the Guild Master was too hasty. They believe we should have negotiated with the royal family or other nobles for their collaboration and support.”
Blanca narrowed her eyes.
“The lich extermination was something that needed to be rushed. Even without that, he already had several Rank 4 adventurers under his control, planted throughout human society, and the dungeons were filled with all kinds of monsters. Imagine what disaster would have happened had he successfully completed his ritual?”
“I get it, I do. Thanks to the Guild Master’s quick decision, we acted swiftly. The fact that we might’ve lost years to negotiation with those damn kingdom guys is nothing new to me.”
The administrator lit his pipe, clearly frustrated.
“The Guild Master comes from an era when the Guild still had a strong identity as a militia. So, he made the decision to prioritize saving the people, and indeed, many lives were saved because of this operation. But it’s also true that the Guild incurred losses because of it.”
The smoke from the pipe filled the air.
“With the Guild Master’s position now vacant, I imagine the political battles within the Adventurer’s Guild will intensify. And looking at the current atmosphere, the Guild will… likely become more ‘rational.’”
Rational.
Blanca understood the implication behind that word.
Avoiding losses. Acting based on cost-benefit analysis.
Prioritizing the organization’s interest over the red of others’ lives or laughter.
Such a changed Guild will likely become stronger, but colder in its ways.
Blanca then wondered.
Would such a Guild and adventurers be accepted by Bern?
He who called accepting an ugly flower from a little girl in exchange for battling strong monsters “romance,” and he who openly declared becoming an adventurer as one of his dreams.
Would he still like them after they’ve changed?
Blanca thought it unlikely.
Thus, she spoke up.
“Is it absolutely necessary to have overwhelming physical strength to become the Guild Master?”
“Huh? Not necessarily. The previous Guild Master became so thanks to his experience, achievements, and other similar factors. Why do you ask?”
“I think you should become the next Guild Master.”
“… …? …??”
The administrator, lost in wonderment, could only sit baffled as Blanca continued calmly.
“The Guild likely needs a new symbol. Whether we have a few Rank 4s or not, having or not having a Rank 5 level power is a factor of the Guild’s prestige. I’ll take care of that. So, you please aim for the top in administrative terms.”
“Ah, ah ah! Nee-san! You harbor great ambition! This Renya pledges his unwavering support!!”
“You need to improve your skills too, Renya. We’ll need to expand the party. Merging with Karina’s group wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Then we would have a warrior, a scout, a healer mage, a combat mage, and a versatile individual—five members. The balance looks good!”
The administrator’s eyes blinked rapidly.
Stiffening initially at the impromptu progress of the discussion before him, he eventually just uttered a disbelieving word.
“…Why?”
“Because we must ensure that what Bern did wasn’t foolish.”
If everyone lived selfishly and rationally, someone who bestowed kindness or goodwill would be considered a fool.
Blanca didn’t want Bern to be seen this way.
She wanted to realize what he spoke of—the romance of adventures—and the dreams he held onto.
And so, this was Blanca’s tribute to Bern the adventurer and her personal resolution.
“…Farewell, Bern. Please watch over me from wherever you are.”
*
“Ah-choo! Who would’ve thought I’d catch a cold for the first time in my life….”
“Rather, why is it just a cold for someone capable of soul manipulation and multiple thoughts like a devil? If a doppelgänger gets destroyed wrong, it could lead to becoming crippled in the worst case.”
“Getting thrown off a horse is dangerous and can kill a person easily. But if you jump off correctly, it could just result in a bruise. That’s how it is.”
Far away, in the kingdom, the Crown Prince remained oblivious to a certain girl’s misunderstanding and vows.
—