When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master.

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“Well, I’ve finally arrived at the Adventurer’s Networking Event. Plus, I’m in a suit and without my iron mask.
Truth be told, I’m a bit nervous; it’s my first time at a mixer. I pay the participation fee, present my adventurer’s card, and enter the venue.
Wow, this place attracts a lot of visitors… I often frequent places like this, so it’s not particularly new to me. However, I can’t shake off a certain discomfort. It might also be described as a feeling of tension.

The first thing I have to do here is something akin to picking up girls. I have to converse with those seeking connections, build good relationships, and potentially develop romantic ones. That’s an immense challenge since I’ve never had such an experience before.

Nevertheless, since I’ve come all this way, I’ll try to strike up a conversation with that beautiful elf woman.
“Ah, hello.”
“Hello, my name is Meeting.”
“I’m Ban. It’s my first time here, is it your first time too, Meeting?”
“Ah, indeed. I’m not very familiar with these types of events… What’s your adventurer rank, Ban?”

There are eight different adventurer ranks, from F to L, with L being the highest. It takes quite some time to increase your rank, and apparently, you can’t increase it from D and above without taking an exam. However, in rare cases, if you achieve extraordinary results, you can be promoted without an exam.
Yet, I’m just a fledgling adventurer named Ban at the moment.

“I’m rank F.”
“F? Oh, I see…”

What’s with that disappointed look… No, wait. I see, that’s it. Everyone here is looking for a connection. It’s only natural that they’d want to meet a cool, high-ranking adventurer if they had the chance.

An average Joe at the bottom of the ranks is out of the question… Damn, I messed up.

The elf woman had started talking to another man. He was very handsome and seemed to have a gentle demeanor. I felt like the two were quickly closing the distance between them.

“What!? You’re rank C?”
“Yes, well…”
“That’s amazing! Why did you become an adventurer?”
“I was inspired by Hero Dan when I was younger, so I decided to become an adventurer.”
“Oh, me too. Hero Dan is really cool, isn’t he?”

It would be easy to wish both of them to drop dead and go to hell… but I can’t fully resent them if they say they like me. Be happy, you damn bastards.

Ah, this is such a letdown. Plus, it seems like groups are already forming around me. It feels pointless to try any harder now. Maybe I should try again when I reach at least rank C.

As I was looking around, I spotted someone utterly unexpected. It was Lin. Lin, a former party member, was at the event.

Wait, why is she here!?

“Isn’t that… Lady Linlin?”
“That’s Archmage Linlin!”
“Why is she here!?”
“I wonder if Lady Linlin is also here to find a partner?”
“But no one can just go up and talk to her…”

Like me, others in the vicinity had also noticed her, creating a ripple of surprise. I hadn’t expected her to be here. Despite having Sakura, why was she here? Could they have possibly had a fight?

I assumed she had come to a place like this to vent her frustration. Still, I wasn’t going to do anything about it. Despite the commotion around us, I was accustomed to such disturbances, and seeing Linsurprised by the crowd was nothing new.

Moreover, I didn’t have the energy or intention to speak to her right now. Understanding this, I reached for the buffet-style meal set out. Since I had paid a substantial fee, at the very least I wanted to make sure I had a full stomach.

I grabbed a plate and balanced it with an omelette, fried chicken, and some salad, choosing a vegetable juice as my drink. Then, I took my loaded plate to my seat and started eating. I appeared to be the only one not engaged in conversation, merely focusing on my food. It was also my first time eating in public without my iron mask, but it didn’t bother me.

“Excuse me, is it okay if I join you?”
“Oh, sure, go ahead… uh…”

As I was engrossed in my meal, my former party member, Archmage Lin, appeared before me.