I'm Actually Not Overpowered!

Gerund began by stating our earlier scores in the Search Exams and then he calculated our achievements in the Combat category.

If I were to simplify it, the results would somewhat be like this;

_______

Gu: 0 + 19 = 19

Liebert 4 + 6 = 10

Desir 6 + 21 = 27

Asa 9 + 24 = 33

Sam 12 + 35 = 47

_______

As expected, I scored the highest. My goal had been accomplished.

Initially, I was thinking of taking the low-key route. It would have been satisfactory if I had simply done the bare minimum and got enough qualifications for the Quest we needed.

But my feelings on that changed, the moment I realized we were taking the exam as a group.

Besides, I was kinda digging the whole mysterious genius Examinee vibe that was going on, even though I knew it was all bullshit.

Still, it was comforting to know that I could put up my fake front wherever I wanted.

I smiled to myself, while the results were being announced, then a certain thought occurred to me.

'Hold on… why did I even register as an Adventurer, to begin with?'

If I had just let Sarah and Byron do the job while I took a tour of the city, that would have certainly solved the problem.

I wouldn't have needlessly exposed myself to danger, and it would have been a nice way to escape their watchful gazes.

'Shit, I didn't think this through.' However, now that I had become an Adventurer, there was no going back.

I just had to follow the path I had carved out for myself.

"Now, I'll be letting you know the Rank Qualifications, and where you fall under." Gerund's voice boomed, causing me to snap back to reality and focus squarely on him.

The scores we got were only to allude to our Ranks. That was all everyone wanted to hear.

"Liebert, E Rank Adventurer."

'Seriously?' I was quite surprised.

Wasn't Liebert the guy who got the bare minimum in his score? I thought, for sure, he would get an F Rank.

Or was the grading system different from what I had imagined?

'Hmmm… maybe those who fail the tests are given F Rank?'

That meant the conditions for passing weren't even as difficult as I had earlier imagined.

"Gu, D Rank Adventurer."

Well, after Liebert's Rank was announced, I kind of figured that one was coming.

"Desir, C Dank Adventurer."

"Asa, C Rank Adventurer."

It was finally my turn. I was going to score a B Rank… at the very least.

"Sam, A Rank Adventurer."

My eyes bulged—of course, only internally—as I was announced to be A Rank.

Shooting through the Ranks just by taking a simple exam was crazy.

I was giddy inside, and the fact that all attention was on me didn't help.

'Hehe!' I was happy… very happy.

After going through all that hard work, my efforts paid off.

While it wasn't necessary to have taken the Adventurer's Exam in the first place, I was glad I did.

'This warm feeling inside me… I'm finally an Adventurer.'

The ultimate Fantasy-Based Job that I had dreamed of for so long when I was in my previous reality… I just got accepted.

'This is a big step for me. Nice!'

More than anything, I was certain that both Sarah and Byron would be ecstatic with the outcome, so my status as Hero was protected.

"I once again congratulate everyone here. You are now Adventurers. As such, you can take Quests and receive Rewards from the Guild for the missions you complete. Of course, you'll also be penalized if you fail to complete the mission." Gerund spoke, his voice severe, to communicate the importance of his words.

According to him, three consecutive failures would cause an Adventurer to be demoted of their Rank, and a review would be taken for the person in question, to determine what Rank would be best suited for them.

There were cases when people had injuries or illnesses that made them unable to function as high-ranking Adventurers, so they had to be demoted to a much less tasking Rank.

"Come back here tomorrow for your badges. For now, you may leave." For someone who looked like a barbarian, Gerund sure sounded civilized.

Zabdel smiled and nodded in agreement. I had almost forgotten he was still in the room.

Since we were excused, I followed everyone else and decided to beat it.

Byron and Sarah were probably waiting for me in our lodge. Spending so much time apart made me realize just how much I missed them.

"Ah, Sam, one moment, please."

Why wasn't I surprised? I was called back by Zabdel—the Vice Guild master.

'This guy is a master. He's Level 30! I'm sure he'll be able to tell if I'm the real deal or not.' I gulped.

Since that was the case, I had to be smart and cautious. I would have preferred avoiding a meeting with him completely, but stuff like this was to be expected for those who stood out too much.

I brought this on myself the moment I decided to be excessively flashy.

"Congratulations on being an A Rank." The elegant Zabdel smiled warmly.

I decided to maintain my cool, unfazed look for this interaction and responded calmly.

"So, what do you need me for?"

"Cutting through the chase, eh? I like your spirit!'

I was pretty sure he was misunderstanding something, but I decided to let him conclude his statement before mentioning anything.

"Gerund here says that you displayed 3 High-Level Skills. Aura Blade, Mana Strengthening, and Martial Arts. I was simply intrigued so I decided to drop by."

Oh? So that was what this whole thing was about.

I knew it was rare for a person to have many Skills in these parts. It made sense that they would be on my case for possessing three powerful ones.

But, these chumps were wrong about a few things.

'I don't have [Aura Blade]. It's just the effect of my sword. As for [Mana Strengthening], it belongs to Lucy. I can only use it because of a Skill… and the sweet fact that she's my subordinate.'

I could only agree wholly with the Martial Arts Skill, and to be honest, it helped a great deal when I fought.

Unfortunately, even though it consumed no Mana, the Skill ate through my stamina like crazy.

As a result, I got tired easily.

"I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble for you, whether you could spar with me."