S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 14: Violence is Power

Chapter 14: Violence is Power

…It feels like the air just froze. Alvia and the adventurers around me were staring in shock.

Maybe it was too sudden. I should probably explain myself.

“I just teamed up with some old friends. It’s been a while, and I’m itching to go hunting. You can check with everyone around if you need to. I’ll listen to what you have to say once we’re back.”

“Abel!? You’re using us as your excuse now!?”

“Abel~? You should listen to the Guild Master’s orders, or things could get bad!”

“And what’s with that attitude? Abel, since when did you get so bold…!”

Elmie, Frey, and Maria were poking and prodding at me. It tickled a little.

For regular adventurers, the Guild Master is a scary figure.

They’re strong since they worked their way up from high-ranking adventurers, and they have power. They can even demote your rank.

But I hadn’t really cared about that much for the past three years… especially since becoming S-rank. 

After all, there’s a certain recognition—or rather, privileges—that come with it.

“But Elmie, if that guy hadn’t gotten involved, there wouldn’t have been any commotion, and the guild wouldn’t have gotten wrecked either.”

I pointed to the idiot who I’d sent flying through the wall, then glanced at the Guild Master.

“Leaving a fool who picks a fight with an S-rank alone is just plain dumb… that’s what I’m saying. I’m not in the wrong here, so I don’t owe you anything for turning myself in.”

“W-What…? Are you talking about me?”

“That’s right.”

Alvia’s face twisted like she just bit into something sour.

She’s probably not used to being talked to like this as a Guild Master, and she looked confused. But I pushed on.

“And just to be clear, the talk after the hunt won’t be about this incident.”

Alvia’s confusion deepened even more.

This woman’s probably really capable most of the time.

I mean, Guild Masters are usually older men and women, and yet here she is, holding the position at such a young age. That’s proof of her talent.

But it seems she’s never dealt with an S-rank before. 

Good thing her first one is someone like me!

Though, even I’ve been dealing with one irritating thing after another lately. 

I was just about to have a little talk with the guild.

“The Guild News… they’ve been pretty bold, writing all those personal details about me, haven’t they?”

“Ah, um, well…”

“The Guild News is a newspaper company that branched out from the Adventurers’ Guild. And yet they’ve been spreading rumors about an S-rank adventurer’s personal affairs like it’s some scandal… So, what was the parent guild doing?”

As I kept talking, my tone grew a little sharper. Even Alvia and Elmie started to break out in a cold sweat.

“You’ve got some time to call whoever you need and come up with your excuses. The talk we’re going to have is your explanation to me.”

“…”

That article spread rumors across the world about the Hero and Sage being all flirty. 

If that was all, I wouldn’t have cared. It’s just gossip about famous people… if only they hadn’t mentioned that I was Millia’s fiancé.

They went out of their way to make that public and painted me as the fool, using it to stir things up. 

Yeah… I think we need to have a little talk about that.

“Oh, and one more thing. Don’t let anyone know I’m here. Keep this matter within the guild, and make sure the higher-ups understand.”

“Eh…? But, that’s—”

“I’m asking you nicely, Guild Master.”

“…Okay.”

Alvia, looking like she was about to cry, reluctantly agreed with a shaky nod at my smile.

Honestly… I really don’t want to run into her while she’s still in the capital.

“Alright, Elmie. The intimidation is over, so let’s go hunting already. I’ll check if there’s any good subjugation requests.”

“Ehh… I really don’t want to choose a request in this awkward atmosphere… and did you just admit it was a threat!?”

What’s with this “awkward atmosphere”? If anything, I’ve been the most energetic in days.

Though, thinking about Millia still drags my mood down, so I’m not sure how long it’ll last.

・　・　・　・　・

“I realized something after becoming S-rank… —Violence is power.”

“I feel like my apprentice has learned something very wrong. Though, you’re not really my apprentice anymore!”

That’s not true. Elmie will always be my eternal mentor.

After leaving the guild, we were walking along the road that stretched east from Cahel. 

The area had gentle hills, with patches of trees and thick forests dotting the plains.

It was a bit dry and dusty, but the view was nice, so we walked along, chatting leisurely.

“Seriously! Abel, the way you acted towards the Guild Master! You had me on edge the whole time!”

Elmie had been scolding me non-stop.

She grabbed onto my clothes, making it clear she wasn’t going to let me escape as she lectured me.

“Normally, what you did is totally unacceptable! No matter how strong you are, Abel, I still worry, you know?”

“I’m sorry for not explaining things beforehand.”

“You surprised big-sister too! Don’t do anything reckless, okay?”

“If you were just a normal adventurer, you’d have been punished or worse… Next time, talk to us first, alright? We’re a party, aren’t we?”

Not only Elmie, but now Frey and Maria had joined in on the scolding too.

And they were hugging my arms tightly while doing it. 

Elmie, getting caught up in the moment, also clung to me.

Since I was fully armored, the gear was pressing against me uncomfortably, causing little bits of pain. Let go… forgive me…!

“No matter how strong you are as an S-rank, Abel, you shouldn’t act like that towards the Guild Master. What if your adventurer license got revoked?!”

“Reckless behavior isn’t okay. Haven’t I always told you that~?”

“Well, not like Abel ever listens to what we say anyway!”

“I said I’m sorry.”

Each of them scolded me in their own way, but I could tell they were worried about me.

Elmie is the leader of the Oathsworn Radiant Swords party. 

Normally, she’d be more concerned about how my actions, as a temporary member, might affect the party. 

But instead, she’s just worried about me. That’s why she’ll always be my mentor.

—Well, I won’t let that happen. If the guild tries to mess with these three, it’ll be a declaration of war.

“But honestly, when you get this strong, the guild or even the country doesn’t matter anymore. I’m stronger than any force they could send.”

“Eh…?”

“Now that you mention it, we really don’t know much about S-ranks, do we?”

Before I became one, I had no idea what S-ranks were capable of or how they acted.

Most regular adventurers or ordinary people never get to see an S-rank in action.

What they know comes from the awe-inspiring aftermath of battles, which turns into wild rumors.

Things like hanging around in remote places no one else can enter, traveling between countries, hunting down monsters capable of destroying entire nations, or wiping out the Demon King’s armies… S-ranks being “missing” most of the time is pretty much the norm.

“There are all kinds of rumors about S-ranks. I heard one about someone leveling an ancient ruined city in a single night.”

“The one I know is about a dragon being turned to ash in one strike.”

“I’ve heard stories of someone cutting down an entire army of ten thousand from the Demon King’s forces. It’s hard to believe any of it.”

“Haha, well, rumors are just rumors.”

I laughed it off. Rumors tend to get exaggerated.

—Though, I didn’t exactly wipe out armies by myself.

“Well, this time it’s not a big deal. If push comes to shove, I can just use money and force to shut them up. Plus, I wanted to ask about the Guild News situation.”

“Isn’t that a bit too barbaric?”

“Still, you’re right. Just because Guild News is a big company linked to the Adventurers’ Guild doesn’t mean they can write whatever they want… And considering you’re an S-rank, Abel, publishing an article like that is just insane.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m curious what the Adventurers’ Guild was thinking when they allowed this article.”

Guild News started as a branch of the Adventurers’ Guild. It’s said to be one of the top media companies in the private sector.

Since the guild is their parent organization, they should understand just how dangerous an S-rank can be.

“Or maybe they just thought they were writing a regular gossip article about the Hero? Maybe they dragged me into it to stir up more attention… Still, the way they wrote it is bad.”

With all the buzz around the Hero after defeating the Demon King, a gossip article would probably sell well. 

Was that their angle? Well, either way, I felt disrespected, and there’s been real damage done. So, there’s no reason not to deal with it.

“But anyway, let’s complete this request first.”

“Yeah! I’m excited to see just how strong you’ve become as an S-rank, Abel!”

Elmie laughed as she spoke, and the twin sisters nodded deeply in agreement.

Ahead of us, the target location came into view—a dense forest growing in patches where the magic energy was strongest across the plains. 

Today’s request was to hunt and investigate the “Blood Wolves” nesting there.

These creatures love the taste of blood. Once they catch its scent, they’ll chase it down endlessly. They’re known as “Blood Wolves,” B-rank magical beasts that drink fresh blood and devour raw flesh.

“Apparently, these beasts haven’t been seen around here until recently, and they’re incredibly aggressive and dangerous. Since this is also an investigation, the reward was higher.” 

“That makes sense. Since it’s an investigation too, it’s classified as an A-rank mission.”

Maria explained, having picked out the request.

Blood Wolves normally live in the mountains, so seeing them in these plains is rare.

It means something unusual is going on. 

The recommended rank is for dealing with a single wolf, but investigations always come with the risk of unexpected dangers.

“Alright, looks like we’ve reached their territory…”

“Bingo, right?”

Elmie said, smoothly drawing her sword.

Maria pulled out her weapon from her magic bag, and Frey gripped the halberd she received from her sister.

At that moment, the creatures began to emerge from between the trees. 

Their fur was reddish-brown, their eyes bloodshot, and they were massive, standing as tall as a human’s waist.

One, two, five, nine, twelve, fifteen…

“Uh… isn’t that… a lot?”

Wolves started swarming out of the forest—yes, swarming.

Wasn’t a Blood Wolf pack usually around ten wolves or so at most?

“Wait… what is that?”

“Are we looking at dozens of them?”

“I’ve never seen a pack that big before.”

Yeah, it’s not just me. I wasn’t mistaken. 

Did we get unlucky with this one?

But before I could even sigh at that thought, the massive pack of Blood Wolves all leapt at us at once.