Chapter 19
I became an adventurer at the age of twelve.
That's a bit too young to be becoming an adventurer.
Unless you have a really good reason, no one normally thinks about becoming an adventurer at twelve.
I didn't understand it back then, but that's just how the world works.
If you were a commoner, you could become a baker if you wanted, or a woodcutter if that's what you chose.
Unlike me, a noble, they had many options.
So of course, it goes without saying that deciding at twelve to risk your life fighting monsters with violence requires a pretty solid reason.
In my case, I had no such reason at all.
If I had to name one, it'd be that I just wanted to become an adventurer—nothing more.
According to my master, that was actually a good thing.
"Kindhearted Barbara" called out to a twelve-year-old noble kid like me and asked if I wanted to become her disciple.
This was before I knew that my master was a Rank 9 monster.
Not long after, Elsa, who was the same age, became my fellow disciple, and for the next three years, I trained as an adventurer under my master.
*
Suddenly, as I looked up at the ceiling and pinched the bridge of my nose with my right hand like I was trying to endure a headache, both Erika and the guild staffer gave me suspicious looks.
Truthfully, I did feel a slight headache as I spoke to the guild staffer.
"Forget everything those two said."
"Feh? So you won't be demanding we let you register starting at Rank 7 or anything?"
"I won't."
The guild staffer's face brightened a little.
"You're not going to say something like, 'Refuse me and I'll skewer every guild staffer,' are you?"
"I won't. And even Elsa wouldn't go as far as skewering guild staffers."
Her face brightened even more.
"Then, we won't be getting a 'friendly visit' from 'Kindhearted Barbara' just because we didn't give you special treatment?"
"Sorry, that one might actually happen."
The guild staffer paused for a moment, then muttered, "If it's just the Guildmaster..." and let out a relieved sigh.
Poor Guildmaster.
"Thank goodness... truly, thank goodness... On behalf of all guild staff, we offer our heartfelt thanks to the 'Out-of-His-League Longdagger.'"
The guild staffer gave me a tearful bow of gratitude, but I was definitely not in a position to be thanked.
If anything, I was the one who needed to apologize.
I don't know exactly what those two said, but seriously, I'm sorry.
While apologizing inwardly, I figured I might as well say this too.
"Also, I don't actually have a nickname. Just 'Longdagger' or 'Shin' is fine. Even if I did have one, being called by a nickname is kinda embarrassing."
At my words, the female guild staffer tilted her head slightly.
"But your nickname 'Longdagger' is officially registered with the guild?"
"Huh?"
"You defeated a pack of Shield Bulls alone at Rank 1, then a Lancer Python at Rank 2, and a Needle Spider Queen at Rank 4—also alone. All of these were far above your rank. On top of that, despite being a noble, you humbly bowed to commoner adventurers to learn from them. That kind of drive is exactly why you're worthy of the nickname 'Out-of-His-League Longdagger.'"
As I stood there dumbfounded, the guild staffer opened a book and read it aloud smoothly.
"What even is that?"
"The Adventurer's Guild Directory? Once a nickname is officially recognized by the guild, it gets published in here."
"I don't remember ever claiming a nickname like that."
"It says here the one who recommended it was Barbara."
Nngh!
Nnngghh!
Nnnnngggghhhh!
I was overwhelmed with the urge to scream right now.
Most victims of my master's 'kindness' end up like this.
I usually wasn't the one on the receiving end, but it's been a while since I've been hit by "Kindhearted Barbara's" kindness, and it's rough.
I held back the urge to scream with all my might.
My face might've been twitching a little.
"I see. Thanks for letting me know."
I somehow managed to squeeze out a word of thanks.