“How hard it is… Do you mean by purposely making them experience failure?”
“Aye. Exactly. There is a lot of depth to being a watcher. It is not just about being awake and looking around, like so many Adventurers think. Many of them end up being ambushed and die. …We want to prevent this by making them fail at least once first…but I guess that it was not necessary in this case.”
Eeth said as he pointed to me.
I see. So that’s why…
I now felt a little bad for catching him.
“…Should we pretend this didn’t happen and start again? I won’t catch you this time.”
I said as I pointed to the forest.
If this wasn’t part of the test, then I wouldn’t be penalized for it.
So…
“No, I don’t think so.”
He declined.
“I will make a report of what happened to the guild. Your results in this test will probably exceed a perfect score.”
…Uh, that sounded like a lot of trouble in its own way.
If we could just make up some story and adjust things so I just barely get into the special bracket…that would be great…
“Well, I’m leaving now. Unlike you-the others must experience the depth of being a watcher before morning.”
Unfortunately, I did not have time to ask him about such possibilities.
I nodded my head solemnly and Eeth ran back into the forest and disappeared.
As he was one of the best of the covert force, there was no hesitation in his movement even in the dark.
After that, I maintained the slime surveillance system until morning and watched for anyone trying to approach the tent. But nobody came.
And when it started to become brighter…Instructor Regin’s voice echoed in the forest.
“The test is finished! Everyone, return to me!”
Upon hearing this, I made the slimes unite back into one and ride my shoulder before heading towards the instructor.
The others had already gathered towards him…but their eyes looked dead.
It seemed that the reputation of this test was not wrong by the standards of this world.
“I have just received the results from the guild! They shall be announced here, so listen carefully!”
So saying, the instructor pulled out several sheets of paper with the guild’s seal on them.
We all watched with a sense of nervousness.
“First, Ajia!”
“Yes!”
“You failed! You did decently on the sword test but badly in the watching test.”
One person had failed already.
This Aijia was the first person to take the swordsmanship test.
The instructor continued without giving Aijia any time to grieve.
“Next, Esis! …You also failed!”
The second person did not fare any better.
This test… seemed really harsh.
-And like that, the announcements continued.
About 40% seemed to pass.
And then finally, it was my turn.
“Last! …Yuji!”
The instructor looked down at the sheet…and paused.
He remained silent and read it over and over again.
-Was there something particularly strange written on it?
“…This, this wouldn’t be wrong, would it?”
He looked at a guild worker who stood nearby.
The guild worker had probably brought the documents.
Came the quick reply.
The instructor looked very shocked then…and he read what was written once more.
“Yuji. What did you do to receive such results? …Oh, well. Nevermind. Yuji, you have passed and are admitted into the special bracket! At the same time, you are to be given a certificate as a B-rank Scout!”
“The special bracket and B-rank Scout!?”
Several of the others said with surprise.
B-rank…that did not even sound very special. But was it a famous certificate?
As for Scout, it was probably the art of finding enemies…which was likely related to the fact that I had found Eeth during the test.
As I thought about this, Instructor Regin looked at me suspiciously and said,
“…Yuji. You don’t seem very surprised? You got in the special bracket and you are a B-rank Scout!”
What could I say? I didn’t even know what that was.
“What is a B-rank Scout?”
I asked.
And then…
“Are you serious… I thought you were strangely lacking in common knowledge for someone so strong, but not to this degree…”
Instructor Regin said as he put a hand to his head.
I guess it really was a famous certificate then.
As I thought this, he explained it to me.
“Alright. A B-rank Scout is the highest rank you can achieve in the art of watching. Only one person in my department has it. …Having this will result in numerous invitations to parties that are more advanced than you.”
…Oh.
So it really was impressive.
But as I had almost zero experience in combat, I did not want to be invited to join strong parties.
“And one other thing. No one has entered the special bracket in fifteen years. The last person to do it is now an S-rank Adventurer. I would never have thought someone from this countryside branch would…”
…It seemed that things were getting really out of hand.
All I had wanted was to get registered at the guild.