Episode 36 – The Name of the Strongest
Carrying an armful of luggage, Nada walked through the town of Inferno.
This street was lined with all sorts of shops frequented by adventurers, so naturally, the place was full of them.
Those like Nada—adventurers heading out to buy weapons or supplies—were neatly dressed, many without any weapons on them. Quite a few carried large parcels in both arms, and the stronger parties used wagons to haul their goods.
And of course, there were also many adventurers returning from the dungeon. Their armor was battered, soaked with monster blood. A heavy mix of beast-stench, dirt, and iron filled the air around them—anyone could tell at a glance where they had come from. They hurried toward rented spaces—warehouse-like lodgings used by parties—to unload their gear and weapons.
Glancing over all that, Nada quickened his pace toward home.
He planned to drop off the things he’d bought, get a good long rest, and then head to the dungeon again—but then he noticed a crowd ahead.
A ring of people.
They’d formed a circle around someone worth watching, and that one spot was noisy.
Nada had a bad feeling about it.
He would’ve preferred to avoid that area entirely, but this path was the shortest route home… and with his arms full of baggage, he didn’t want to detour.
So he walked along the edge of the circle, trying to slip past unnoticed.
“Like I said—I refused, didn’t I? And yet this is the outcome?”
“Regrettably, even so, I cannot give up. I desire you—”
Two familiar voices drifted from the center of the circle.
Nada was tall—taller than any adventurer around him by a full head. Even women in heels didn’t reach his height.
Which was why, against his will, he caught sight of the center as he passed.
He saw two faces he knew well.
One was Iris.
Standing in the middle of the circle, arms crossed, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight as the wind played with it. Half the surrounding crowd seemed to be her fan club, and behind her stood Ameisha. Most of the people on her side were female adventurers.
Facing Iris was—Koroa.
His rare red hair stood out even in the masses. Unlike Iris, who wore civilian clothes, a black pleated skirt, and a white long-sleeved blouse, Koroa was dressed for a dungeon dive, clad head to toe in armor made from dragon scales. His weapon was the golden sword at his waist—rumored to be tied to the royal family.
The adventurers behind him all wore armor and carried weapons.
Among them, Nada recognized several faces—some famous even outside the Academy, well-known throughout Inferno itself.
Ouro. Plata. Cobre.
All high-ranking adventurers. Each now led their own party, but they had once fought alongside Koroa.
Others in the group were also people connected to Koroa; his entire entourage seemed to be lined up behind him.
Iris versus Koroa.
Her followers and his followers were glaring at each other across the street, tension thick enough to snap.
Both sides were on edge—ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
Adventurers drawn by the commotion continued gathering, swelling the crowd even more.
“So? You want to fight me? A full-on confrontation?”
“If that is what it takes to obtain you. I want you—as my partner.”
“What kind of partner, exactly?”
Iris shot him a sharp glare.
“Why, in every sense of the word. As my wife, my lifelong companion. And as my partner in adventuring. If you become mine, I will have everything. That is why—I desire you.”
A confession from Koroa, in front of onlookers.
Both Iris’s faction and Koroa’s faction rippled with shock.
Of course they did.
Everyone knew Koroa had proposed to Iris before, but he had never done it so publicly.
Koroa was royalty.
Iris was the third daughter of the prestigious Scarlet family—an upper noble house.
Both had plenty of supporters with political agendas. A public confession like this would draw in all sorts of interests and complications from powerful figures.
That was why neither Koroa nor Iris had ever allowed such a thing to happen in public before.
But Koroa had now broken that unspoken taboo.
“Hey, you do understand what those words imply, don’t you, Koroa-chan?”
Iris spoke in a voice as cold as ice.
“I do. Perfectly. But I no longer have time to spare. I can’t explain the reasons here, but there are several, and one of them concerns both you and me. Iris—”
“What?”
“Isn’t it about time you stopped living so freely? Don’t you think it’s time you fulfilled your duties as a noble? I’ve made the preparations. I’m ready for it.”
“...A sweet offer, but I don’t care about being a noble. I live however I want. If you get in my way, I won’t go easy on you—even if it’s you.”
Iris stepped forward.
“I welcome it—”
Koroa responded with a step of his own.
At that moment, their entourages—roused by the killing intent radiating from the two—readied their weapons. The two forces were moments away from clashing when someone cut through them like a wedge.
“Well now, I figured this would happen someday, but I didn’t expect it this soon—”
A single man stepped between the two factions.
He carried no weapon. Dressed in long pants and a short-sleeved shirt, completely defenseless, yet no one dared to block his path.
He was a black-haired man, with a lean, sharp build and a large scar across his right cheek.
It was Corvo.
The academy’s strongest adventurer, ranking just below Iris and Koroa. And he alone disrupted the standoff.
He slipped between Iris and Koroa and stopped them at the last possible moment, wearing his usual nonchalant expression.
“Corvo. As an adventurer and as a man, I acknowledge you. So tell me—what business do you have here?”
“Come on, Koroa. I know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. And I know why.”
“Then why stop me?”
Koroa placed his hand on the sword at his hip.
But Corvo merely sneered, as if mocking the gesture.
“Isn’t the reason obvious? Koroa—aren’t you an adventurer? Did you train with that sword so you could swing it around in the middle of town for your own personal ends? The kingdom forbids that sort of thing, you know. Your sword is meant for killing monsters. Nothing else. No other reason.”
Corvo’s point was perfectly sound.
“Well, that’s true,”
Iris said at once, nodding. Her killing intent had already shifted away from Koroa.
“And Iris,” Corvo continued, “I’m guessing here, but I’d say someone like Koroa isn’t going to give up. Not like this. He’ll probably use any means necessary to drag you down from your position as an adventurer and force you into being nothing more than a noble’s daughter. And if that happens—what will you do?”
“Obviously, I’ll fight him. Thoroughly.”
Iris declared this with chilling calm.
Corvo let out a tired sigh and shook his head.
“...So even if I stop you two now, you’ll end up clashing again. And next time the conflict will be even bigger. In that case, let me make a suggestion.”
A mischievous, almost wicked smile tugged at Corvo’s lips.
“A suggestion?”
Iris tilted her head.
“Corvo, what are you planning?”
Koroa asked, grimacing slightly. He knew Corvo well—well enough to realize that letting him take control of the situation could only lead to trouble.
“Listen carefully, alright? Iris, Koroa—both of you are adventurers. Here in Larva Academy, the town does everything it can to keep political power from interfering with adventurers like you. Got it? I’ll say it again. You’re adventurers. So if you want to decide whose claim is right, who gets their way—then decide it in a manner befitting adventurers.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s simple. Whoever slays a monster first gets to have their demands accepted. Iris, you’ve always liked strong adventurers, haven’t you? Adventurers stronger than yourself. So why not use this chance to settle it? Find out who the strongest adventurer in this academy truly is. If you’re willing to follow whoever proves stronger, then you won’t have anything to complain about. After all, among adventurers, strength alone is justice.”
Corvo flashed a spiteful grin.
Indeed, as Nada also knew, the academy’s three strongest adventurers were widely recognized—but who among them was truly the strongest had always been a topic of endless debate.
If one judged by ability alone, Iris would take the top seat, and she had accomplishments worthy of that. But if one looked only at achievements, then Koroa shone brightest. Among the three, he had slain the largest number of strays. Far more than Iris or Corvo—he crushed every stray he encountered purely with strength.
Corvo was often viewed as comparatively inferior, but in truth, he accumulated solid results, though quietly and steadily. Even if he hadn’t slain many strays, he defeated every one he met. Many claimed his low tally was simply due to bad luck in running into them less often. His greatest contribution was the volume of Calvaon he brought in—far surpassing even Iris and Koroa by a margin so large it was said to be “double their score.”
“Heh. That’s an interesting proposal,” Iris said, sounding like she intended to accept it.
“If that’s the case, I know of a perfect enemy,” Koroa said. “In Tohe—the stray called the ‘Knight’ on the seventy-seventh floor. It’s always there. How about we say: whichever party defeats that monster first gets the other to obey?”
Koroa revealed some fresh, hot information.
He had already understood the moment Corvo made this suggestion that he couldn’t back out. If he did, his reputation as an adventurer would plummet. Iris—the strongest—had accepted instantly. If he refused, most adventurers would simply take that as proof she was the superior one. That would jeopardize his plans, and he couldn’t allow that.
“That’s a suitable opponent. What do you think, Iris?”
“Fine with me. Let’s go with that—”
Iris nodded.
She didn’t know the stray in question, but if it was something Koroa found noteworthy, then it must be worth fighting. It had been a while since something stirred her blood like this.
“Then it’s settled. Between the parties formed by me and by Iris—whichever of us defeats the ‘Knight’ first—”
“No, no, hold on a moment, Koroa.”
Corvo cut him off with a faint smile.
“What is it, Corvo?”
“When I said we should determine the strongest adventurer, I didn’t say anything about deciding who’s the better party leader. I meant strength—individual strength. You won’t use a party. You’ll defeat the ‘Knight’ alone.”
“What—!?”
“Iris, you have no objections, right? You, Koroa, and I will enter the dungeon together. And whichever of us slays the ‘Knight’ first—that decides it.”
“...You’re participating as well?”
Iris couldn’t understand why Corvo would join this competition.
“Oh, absolutely. Because there’s something I want from you, of course, and something I want from you as well, Koroa.”
“Corvo, what exactly are you planning?”
Koroa felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of Corvo joining this battle over Iris. If Corvo were to win, he had no idea what demands he might place upon him and Iris.
“What indeed… Ah, right. I’ve found the perfect person—Nada!”
Corvo ignored Koroa’s question and instead spotted Nada trying to slip past the crowd. His head stood a full level above everyone else, so he stuck out even in the jumbled mass of people.
Nada realized that Corvo had called out to him, and a moment later, he felt every gaze turn toward him. Iris and Koroa’s eyes were on him as well. Knowing escape was impossible, he clicked his tongue and reluctantly stepped toward the trio—Corvo, Iris, and Koroa.
“—What is it now?”
“I’m thinking we should decide who the strongest adventurer among us three is. Lately, there’ve been some rumors quietly floating around the academy… apparently, after you beat that Gargoyle, Nada, your reputation has shot up. And there’s another rumor that you fought that dragon and Aghiya (?) alone and crushed them both. Your strength is starting to scare people around here.”
“So? What’s your point?”
“Nada, you should join too. In this match, a contest to see who can take down a stray monster the fastest. Whoever wins gets to give the losers any command. What do you think? Not a bad proposal, right?”
“...Corvo, what the hell are you plotting?”
“Well, who knows? Koroa, Iris—you two don’t mind if Nada joins, right? I’ll personally vouch that his achievements put him on equal footing with us.”
Surprisingly, neither Iris nor Koroa voiced any objections.
No—what bothered them wasn’t Nada joining. It was the fact that they had absolutely no idea what Corvo was planning, and that alone left them uneasy.
Koroa and Iris each prided themselves on being among the academy’s strongest, and they both acknowledged Nada’s strength as well. So they accepted Corvo’s suggestion without resistance.
“—Hey, does that mean outsiders can join too?”
That was when it happened.
A new adventurer stepped out from the gathered crowd.
His voice was beautiful—almost like an angel whispering. His short blond hair suited his refined face perfectly. His frame was slender, yet his muscles were firmly built, and the way he carried himself left no openings; his strength was obvious.
Nada and Iris knew him well.
“Reaon—”
Nada spoke his name.
He was Aghiya’s former leader—the man who had kicked Nada out of the party. Ever since that party collapsed, little had been heard about him. The horizontal scar now marking his forehead was something Nada had never seen before, and there was a strange, feral scent about him that wasn’t there in the old Reaon.
“I haven’t been in Inferno lately. I went to Seu for training. I’ve been hunting monsters alone out there. Of course—” He gave a soft smile. “—all by myself. I’ve taken down plenty of strays too. So? Don’t I meet your criteria for ‘strongest’?”
Reaon walked forward with elegance.
No one objected.
He held his ground easily, even under the killing intent from Iris, Koroa, and Corvo. Nada could tell from experience—he was unmistakably in their league.
What kind of experiences had changed him like this?
Nada had no idea.
“Reaon, is that true?”
Corvo asked, though from his expression it seemed he already believed it just from Reaon’s bearing.
“Yeah. Check it if you want.”
“...Nada, Iris, Koroa—how about it? I’m fine with him joining. Are you three?”
No one objected.
There was something about the current Reaon that left no room for refusal. His eyes had a fierce gleam that hadn’t existed back when he was with Aghiya—a hungry devotion to strength that bordered on obsession. And yet, he radiated a calm confidence, standing as an equal to Iris and Corvo as an adventurer.
“...Umm, if beating a stray is the requirement, then that means I qualify, too, right?”
Ameisha, who had been standing behind Iris, spoke up.
“You’re Ameisha, right? I’ve heard a lot about Avalient’s recent successes. …Fine by me. Avalient is the top party in the academy right now. If you’re their leader, no one will complain.”
Corvo accepted Ameisha’s participation without hesitation.
“In that case, shouldn’t I be included as well, Sir Corvo? My name is Ouro. I am the leader of Deuza Demo Aural, the party ranked just below Avalient. Our achievements are far above the third-ranked party’s, and we only lost to Avalient by a stroke of bad luck. Naturally, I’ve taken down several strays myself—”
Ouro’s entire body was encased in black armor, hiding his expression.
His strength was well-known throughout the academy, and nowadays, people constantly argue over whether he or Ameisha was the strongest leader.
“Fine. With that, I guess this is about the lineup when we’re talking about truly strong adventurers.”
Corvo looked over the gathered adventurers.
No one else raised their voice. No one dared try to join. Every person in this group was renowned in the academy. Even standing beside Iris or Koroa would be unthinkable for most adventurers—let alone daring to stand next to Ameisha or Ouro.
And from the context of the discussion, everyone here intended to hunt a stray monster alone. Someone who attempts that is either a complete fool… or someone utterly confident in their own strength. Even among parties, only a handful in the academy could defeat a stray—yet these individuals intended to do it solo.
Only a very limited number of people here could stand shoulder to shoulder with such monsters of skill.
And so, the members were set:
Nada.
Iris.
Corvo.
Koroa.
Reaon.
Ameisha.
Ouro.
These seven would compete, wagering the reward granted to the winner and the title of the academy’s strongest.
Word of this spread not only throughout the academy but across the entire city of Inferno. And because it was effectively a showdown between Koroa, a member of the royal family, and Iris of House Scarlet, the rumor was already on its way to the royal capital as well.
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