It had been three months since Will and I began training. He was certainly improving rapidly, but truthfully, he was still the weakest among the seven candidates. This was something I knew from the start. However, the rate of his growth was surprisingly fast and it caught me off guard a bit.

Having watched his battle against the goblin, I noticed he seemed to shine in critical moments. Whether this was a classic trait of having a strong resolve in a pinch or something else entirely, I wasn’t sure. Nonetheless, I decided to play it off as if I had expected all of this.

Now, I would have liked to continue with Will’s training today, but unexpectedly, it was a day off. Even the following day, which was supposed to be for Eugene’s training, was off. The reason being, there was the adventurer registration examination.

It was a two-day event, and unfortunately, it overlapped with the once-a-week training sessions for both of them. Nothing could be done about that. So, as I pondered over how to spend my day off, a thought crossed my mind. What should I do after retiring as a hero?

Should I become a NEET, relying on the assets from my demon king subjugation? No, no, I can’t imagine myself being a NEET when my elderly parents are still working. Besides, this world doesn’t have things like subscription services, smartphones, or Wi-Fi.

How should I spend my days? I might die of boredom if I had nothing to do. Therefore, it might be better to have some kind of occupation, to lead an ordinary life in this world.

Living as a retired hero might be much more comfortable, and with that in mind, it could be a good idea to register as an adventurer and get a new ID issued. To become an adventurer is to register with the guild, the union that organizes adventurers.

Unlike before, a test is now required to become an adventurer, and those who pass are apparently highly valued as exceptionally capable individuals. It’s like having a first-grade bookkeeping certification.

Hmm, Will and Eugene are taking the test together, and I’m curious about their interaction… That’s perfect, I’ll remove my iron mask and take the test as well. 

I’ve never been found out before, so there’s no way I’ll be discovered now. Even my companions who’ve been traveling with me for years haven’t noticed. Plus, my aura changes too. 

Maybe I should change my tone of voice… “Hi, I’m Dan. Nice to meet you.” Something like this sounds like a good-natured young man. But using my real name might be risky, so instead of “Dan,” let’s go with “Ban”.

I can also monitor my disciples, killing two birds with one stone. With that in mind, I made up my mind to take the exam.

+-+

Will was walking around a place called Popo Town, trembling. His movements were jerky like a robot, and he was already confused due to his nervousness.

(This is where the adventurer registration exam is… what should I do!? Go to the reception first!?)

Ahead of him, there was a large, two-story building. Will realized that it was the Adventurers Guild, the organization that managed adventurers.

“Is, is that the place?”

Furthermore, he noticed a large bronze statue in front of the guild, and his eyes were glued to it. It was a statue of a hero with a mask, his face was not visible, but he was raising his sword. A sculpture of Hero Dan was there.

Of course, it makes sense because this town is the place where Hero Dan first registered with the guild.

“Wow! It’s a statue of Hero Dan…”

Will looked up at the bronze statue. However, he was so fascinated by it that he didn’t notice that there was another person looking up at the statue next to him.

“It’s amazing, this statue of the hero. If I ever become a hero, I wonder if a bronze statue like this will be made of me…”

“─That would be impossible.”

A sharp voice, like a stabbing knife, echoed in Will’s ears. For a moment, the voice, which sounded as if it was looking down on everything, reminded him of Hero Dan. However, as expected, when he looked in the direction of the voice, there was no hero to be seen.

Instead, there was a boy of the same age standing there. His golden hair was beautiful, and his eyes were as beautiful as sapphires. But his gaze was so strong-willed that Will took a step back.

“I am the one who will become a hero, not you.”

“Eh, excuse me…”

“Hmph, dreaming beyond your abilities will only lead to your downfall. Remember that.”

Having said that, the boy, Eugene, went inside the guild. Will didn’t know who the boy who had spoken to him was, but he was certain that he was here to take the exam, just like himself.

“…Speaking of which, Dya should be here too. There are such formidable people around… I guess I’m really not…”

Will felt that the boy who had spoken to him earlier was in a different league from him. The aura he exuded and the way he spoke were different from Will’s. Can he really compete with such big shots here?

“I can’t be thinking like this. I’ve learned the sword from Hero Dan… It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Wow, so this is the statue of the hero. His legs are shorter than I thought.”

“What!?”

Will’s body jolted in surprise. For some reason, there was another person standing next to him. He saw a young man with black hair like his own, sticking straight up. He was about a head taller than Will.

The man was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, the same as Will.

“Ah, hello.”

“Ah, n-nice to meet you!!”

“Are you here to take the exam too?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right!! Ah, a-are you too!?”

“Yeah, that’s right. And you should calm down a bit.”

“Y-yes!”

The average-looking young man spoke to Will in a gentle tone. As told, Will took a deep breath and regulated his breathing.

“What’s your name? By the way, mine’s Ban.”

“Oh, I’m Will!”

“I see, nice to meet you. Let’s do our best.”

“Y-yes! Thank you!”

“I feel relieved after seeing you, Will.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who’s nervous.”

“You’re nervous too, Ban?”

“Of course. In fact, I think everyone taking the exam today is. We’re all just putting on a brave face.”

“You don’t seem nervous.”

“I’m just pretending to be brave. Well, the nervousness won’t go away, so all we can do is do our best in this situation.”

“That’s… That’s true.”

“I’m sure the hero in this statue felt the same way. Oh, I’ve talked too much. See you later.”

With a light wave of his hand, the young man who introduced himself as Ban entered the building.

(It might be rude to say, but there are ordinary people like him too… We’re all nervous. Al-alright, I’ll do my best too.)

As Ban entered the guild, he muttered in a voice that no one could hear.

“Seriously, you’re the most troublesome one.”

+-+

After encouraging Will as Ban, I was guided to a spacious separate room in the guild. It’s like a large lecture hall in the university of my previous life.

There are many seats, but they’re already designated, so I sit and wait. I can see a blond head in front of me, that must be Eugene. And that’s Will, taking deep breaths diagonally in front.

It’s a written test today, right? What’s the point of getting so nervous?

The adventurer registration test seems to be conducted in the order of a written test, practical test, and interview. I heard from my father who works in the guild yesterday that the written test has a lot of common sense questions, so I think I’ll be fine.

On the desk, there is a pen and a test paper turned upside down. It reminds me of my student days and I feel nostalgic. As I rest my hands on my knees and wait, a man in a black suit who appears to be the exam supervisor shows up.

He’s a pretty old man.

Hmm? I feel like I’ve seen that old man somewhere…

“Nice to meet you. I am Thor, the guild master of this town. I will be the test supervisor. Of course, it is forbidden to look at other people’s answers. If there is any suspicious behavior, I will immediately kick you out. Keep that in mind.”

Well, of course. I think so, and the surroundings start to buzz.

“Hey, hey.”

“It’s that guild master who let Hero Dan join the guild, right?”

“The legendary storyteller, Thor.”

Ah, now that you mention it, I remember. I don’t remember much because I was only five years old, but I did ask him.

“Gentlemen. This guild is a prestigious guild that gave birth to the Hero Dan. And I was the one who processed his registration. I knew it from the start. This little boy would carry the world on his shoulders.”

“Wowww!”

Is this really necessary? That old man, he just wants to say something like that. After all, I remember from the past, when I said I wanted to register, he was about to kick me out. And he was picking his nose with a stupid face like he didn’t know anything.

Even Will is listening with admiration, he’s really gullible, isn’t he? But maybe if he stays pure all his life, he’ll be able to continue being a hero forever. Will, please stay a fool all your life.

“I expect the birth of another great person like the next hero… Now, let’s start the test!”

When he said that out loud, everyone turned their papers over. Wow, the sound of everyone turning their papers over is so nostalgic. I didn’t like this sound a bit.

Well, let’s switch gears and start solving the problems… Let’s see, choose the one that’s wrong from the features of the monster in the painting.

This is surprisingly easy. Will and Eugene should have no trouble getting through the written part. As I thought this and started solving the problems, I stopped at the last two.

Q: Answer what Hero Dan felt when he defeated the Demon King Satan.

When I understood the question, I remembered my trauma. The first demon king I ever defeated was named Satan. I thought at the time, it’s exactly what the name suggests. But that’s not the problem.

When I defeated the Demon King Satan, I felt a sense of accomplishment and excitement, and I realized that I had become a true hero…

――I ejaculated.

No, really, I was so surprised at how much adrenaline was coming out. I was really excited. I mean, I had just defeated the Demon King, right? It’s natural to get excited, feel good, and ejaculate!!

At the time, Kaguya the martial artist hadn’t joined yet, so it was just Lin and Sakura. Even though we were in a joyous mood after finally defeating the Demon King, I was afraid that if they found out I had ejaculated, I would die, so I kept my distance.

“Don’t come near me, I’ve been cursed…I’ve been cursed. So don’t come near me.”

That’s all I could say. If Lin thought, “Did you defeat the Demon King and now you smell fishy?” that would have been the worst. And also to Sakura. So, I had no choice but to keep them away by saying it was a curse.

I later said that I had removed the curse with the power of the sacred sword, but the sacred sword doesn’t have that power. Lin and Sakura were staying in the same room at the inn on the way back, but I was anxious that they might be saying behind my back, “He actually ejaculated.”

I was so worried about this, really worried. Even though I’m a confident type, if an ordinary guy like me defeats the Demon King, I might ejaculate…that’s beyond my control.

Moreover, it happened when I was 13, just at the beginning of everything. It’s nothing but trauma. I had forgotten about it until recently…but now I remember it.

Sigh. I suddenly feel deflated…

I’ll just write anything for this question. Let’s see,

Q: Answer what Hero Dan felt when he defeated the Demon King Satan.

A: He was simply happy.

Next…

Q: Regarding the view that Hero Dan is lonely, either argue against it or agree with it, and explain your reason using the word “Iron Mask”.

“Tsk.”

I couldn’t help but click my tongue. What a problematic question. It’s quite rude to me. I’m not necessarily lonely… well, perhaps I am lonely…

Moreover, what’s the point of using the word “iron mask”? I don’t get it. Is this a common-sense question?

To tell you the truth, I originally wore the iron mask because I was an average guy and was conscious of it. All the party members have good looks, and though I’ve assumed the role of an overconfident character, I couldn’t take off the iron mask due to my modest looks.

From the conclusion above, one could infer that Dan the Brave is, in a sense, a lonely presence within the party.

The answer to this question is… but I can’t just write this outright.

Q: Discuss the notion that Hero Dan is lonely. Either refute or agree with it and explain your reasoning, using the term “iron mask.”

A: The brave is lonely… The reason being, if only one person in a brave party wears the iron mask, they appear suspicious and disrupt the unity.

This question is apparently worth 10 points, but… I probably got 5. I don’t want to think about this question anymore. The other questions were answered correctly, so I should pass the written exam.

With that in mind, I decided to go to sleep.

+-+

The written exam was over, and the test papers of the examinees were collected. The guild had already compared the answers and chosen the successful candidates.

About five guild staff members gathered to exchange their thoughts on this entrance exam.

“Guild Master, what kind of candidates do we have this year?”

One male staff member in uniform asked a certain man. That man was Thor, the legendary guild staff member who registered Hero Dan as an adventurer, and the most respected man in the Adventurer’s Guild of the town of Popo.

“Given this year, we might literally have a good crop.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have a look at these two.”

Saying that, Guild Master Thor presented the test papers of two examinees. There were two papers with the names Will and Eugene written on them.

The about five guild staff members gathered read the presented answers.

“The question that particularly caught my eye was this one. It’s a question about the hero.”

— Will

Q: Describe the feelings of Hero Dan when he defeated the Demon King Satan.

A: First and foremost, I believe what he felt when he defeated the Demon King was relief. If you trace his career, you can see how much he has devoted himself to the cause of good. He continues to live for the sake of good, stands at the top, and remains as a deterrent to peace. Probably, his spirit was complete from when he was small. His tone and actions did not change significantly, and he was more desperate than anyone else to defeat the Demon King and wished for peace since he was small. I believe when he realized peace, he felt relief more than anything towards the peaceful world.

— Eugene

Q: Describe the feelings of Hero Dan when he defeated the Demon King Satan.

A: He thought nothing but hunger. He always looked ahead and knew that this world is violent no matter how far you go. It’s a world where those with power decide justice. That’s why he gained strength, thinking that this was not enough. He stands at the top and decides justice himself. He must have had that in mind. He must have been frustrated with himself for struggling against the Demon King. His real enemy was not the Demon King, but all the malice lurking in the world.

“These are quite sharp answers… particularly from the boy named Eugene… What do you think, Guild Master?”

“Certainly sharp answers. However, they are also answers with a core. And the boy named Will seems to understand the existence of Hero Dan well. I thought the same when I first saw him, that this boy values peace more than anything.”

“Oh, Guild Master, as expected. You had already seen through it.”

“Well, on the other hand, there are unacceptable answers to this question. Like this one, from Mister Ban.”

Saying that, Guild Master Thor presents another piece of paper. There was the answer of a young man named Ban.

— Ban

Q: Describe the feelings of Hero Dan when he defeated the Demon King Satan.

A: He was simply happy.

“Is he mocking us?”

“He’s not serious. Or he’s a psychopath.”

“Moreover, ‘he was just happy’ what’s that? It’s like he’s the one who defeated the Demon King. Is his head okay? This guy.”

“But, except for these last two questions about the hero, he’s got everything else right.”

Each of them expresses their opinions on the single line written with no enthusiasm. Then, Guild Master Thor begins to state his own opinion.

“Certainly, he got all the other questions right. However, this young man, who seems to be 18 years old, has given a truly nonsensical answer. He seems to have no understanding of the existence of Hero Dan.”

“Is he ignorant of the world?”

“Probably. His answer is far too banal compared to the responses of these two, Will and Eugene. My years of experience as a guild official, and above all, the eye that saw through the talent of Hero Dan, speaks eloquently. He does not have the makings of greatness.”

“Well, he got the points, and he passed the written test… But he’s quite inferior compared to the other two.”

“This year, there’s a big gap from the top to the bottom.”

Each of the guild officials voiced their opinions. Ban didn’t answer the last two questions correctly, but he got all the other questions right and passed successfully. And both Will and Eugene also successfully passed the written test.