We're still in the office and the guildmaster is listening to each and every one of our explanations. In the end, Roland and his party can't really prove their innocence. They're the first one to grab Julian.
"Then I can't punish the sister harshly for trying to protect her brother. And I can't punish him either for grabbing you to block the magic so it didn't reach the kid. Seriously, what kind of privileged life did you have to the point where you think that you have the authorization to grab a child in front of an adult next to him when the adult wasn't even a wanted criminal?"
Roland is speechless hearing that. The guildmaster thinks that he's privileged. He just acted because of his own justice but it's true that he thinks that he's right.
"Sabine?" the guildmaster then asks Sabine for our identities instead of asking us.
"The party of four is Roland, Owen, Lola, and Pearl. They're D-rank adventurers currently and actually have potential to reach higher rank. The sister is Cornelia. She just registered as an adventurer recently so she's still an E-rank adventurer. The brother is not an adventurer but he's here because Miroslav wanted him to gain experience by doing odd-jobs while Miroslav himself is a B-rank adventurer who just took his first job in more than a year," Sabine says.
B-rank adventurer. That's enough to make the guildmaster and Roland's party shocked.
Being a B-rank adventurer means that I had enough trust by a guildmaster in any guild to reach that rank. And no guildmaster was picked randomly. They were selected carefully and have the authority to raise an adventurer rank to B. It's not just about skill. It's also about the adventurer's personality.
So, being a B-rank adventurer means that I was trusted enough to have this rank. But they believed that I'm evil. How stupid. Though it's true that I don't have good personality.
It was just luck that I defeated a powerful monster in the presence of another guildmaster back then. And when I insisted that it was all luck, the guildmaster over there didn't believe me and still increased my rank to B. Though thanks to that I don't have to take missions regularly.
"A B-rank adventurer who is trusted enough to reach that rank by another guildmaster is being looked down by some D-rank adventurers, huh?" the guildmaster says.
"Just say it. I don't look like a high-rank adventurer at all. I know how people look at me," I say casually.
"Well, that's true. Also, if a B-rank adventurer is evil, the one who promotes the adventurer will also receive harsh punishment simply because they're the one promoting the adventurer. I doubt whoever promoted you wouldn't be stupid enough to do that if they believed that you're evil," the guildmaster says.
"But he's not a good person. I have a talent in judging people and it helps me avoid dangers. When I see him, I know he's evil. Cornelia knows my talent."
Finally, Pearl can't handle it anymore and reveals her talent to everyone. It's true that Cornelia knows. They're in the same class and the appraisal test happened in front of everyone.
In the game, the fact that she's often seen alone is because she can't trust other students except for Roland who she judged to be kind. Also with her talent, other people don't want to get anywhere near her.
"Really? So you judged me to be evil and you believed it because it's your talent? What about now?" I ask.
"Yes, you're still e… no longer evil?"
Of course I'm no longer evil. In my default state where I have to be careful of everyone and instantly distrust anyone, that can be considered as evil. Because I simulated many things in my mind including how to kill everyone if I have to. That's my default stance.
But now, I simply think of happy thought and some music. That alone changes her judgment toward me.
"What about now?" I ask again.
"…It's bad again," Pearl says.
"Idiot. Talent is not a skill. It's just talent. You have talent to judge people but you still don't have the skill to make the right judgment. If a simple happy thought allows you to judge the evilest person in the world as kind, then you can't find evil people at all. I simply distrust people. Especially strangers. That's why my default state of mind is considered to be evil by you. Stupid girl being influenced horribly by her own talent," I say.
"Eh? My talent… is wrong?"
First time it happens I guess. But in the future, she skipped many good people because she thought of them to be evil and betrayed by evil people because she thought they're good. But people can change. She never put that in the equation.
Something happened that changes people from good to bad. The opposite can happen as well. It can either be just one bad day, or just one good day. Those differences can turn things around.
"So, what other excuse will you make?" I ask.
This time they really can't say anything at all. They're totally at fault.
"Then because Pearl is the one telling Roland that Miroslav is evil and none of the other party members stopped Roland from grabbing the kid, all four of you will be punished. All of you will be demoted back to E-rank and won't be available to be promoted for a month. Miroslav didn't do anything wrong so there's no punishment. As for Cornelia, she's not in the wrong for trying to protect her brother. But she still cast a magic in public. Hmm… is there any punishment suitable for her?"
Giving out punishment to everyone, the guildmaster doesn't know how to punish Cornelia. But this is where Sabine intervenes.
"How about helping us sorting out documents for a week? Our guild lacks staff members. Visit the guild every day in the afternoon during weekdays and in the morning during weekend because she's still a student in Dahlia Academy," Sabine suggests.
"That's good. You can leave now. I have to report this to the principal of Dahlia Academy," the guildmaster says.
Just like in the game. In reality, any wrongdoings of any students of the academy that got discovered by the guild will be reported to the academy and will affect their grades.
As for Cornelia, she shouldn't get anything bad from it. She's just protecting her brother. But these four, they will likely to be called by the principal tomorrow.
Hmm… will it affect whether I can go to the academy or not next year because the principal will know my name? I should say something.
"Now I'm having a second guess in whether I should attend Dahlia Academy next year or not. Well, anyway, I shall take my leave. Julian, stay with Cornelia. Cornelia, no need to return to the dorm today and sleep with Julian. I'll sleep somewhere else," I say and be the first one to leave.
Seeing the slight smile on Sabine's lips before I leave, I guess I said the right thing. With this, the principal will be aware that the B-rank adventurer Miroslav is thinking of attending the academy next year and hopefully the principal won't put a stop to it. Though I will still need to pass the entrance exam.
Even after all of that, Roland and the others didn't even bother apologizing to me. Just what is wrong with teenagers today? Do they think that because I'm also a teenager like them that they can be so casual with me and just not apologize when they're in the wrong?
I am so disappointed with the protagonist of the game. But this confirmed two things.
Roland is not someone who will save the world. At most, he will save Dahlia Academy. But he doesn't seem to have the right mindset to save the world from the demons in the future.
And second, they have the worst impression of me. Even if Pearl no longer consider me as evil with her talent, it's impossible for them to have good impression of me.
Just on our first meeting. It's all their own fault. Not mine. I was just staying vigilant as I usually was. This desperate man is trying his best to survive every day.
But today is not over yet.
As I leave the guild and walk without any real destination yet, I was stopped by a rough-looking guy. The man who skipped the line by pushing me aside just so he could flirt with Sabine but the result was the opposite of what he wanted.
"Stop right there! Because of you I lost my chance to flirt with Sabine! I'll kill you right here right now!"
He's not alone. He's with his party members but they didn't bother to stop him.
So annoying.
He throws a punch but I avoid it. Then I grab his neck powerfully but not strong enough to make him faint. With him on my hand, I walk back to the guild where the Cornelia and the others have just left the office.
"Hey, guildmaster! I have another business with you! This guy picked a fight with me just when I get out of the building. Can I kill him?" I ask while in the lobby so everyone can see me lifting a big guy with one hand.
The guildmaster looks at me and sighs.
"Don't do that. You're a B-rank adventurer. You're better than this," the guildmaster says that clearly to tell everyone to not mess with me.
"There's a limit to that. In less than one hour I got framed for doing things I didn't do twice. I do not like that at all," I say.
"P-please spare me," the man I choke speaks with the little air he has in his lungs.
"…Release him. I'll give him punishment myself. Miroslav, you can leave now," the guildmaster says.
So I let the man go and his party members who tried to break us apart help him walk to the guildmaster's office. Twice a day is too much for me.
Also, I'm still kind enough to not kill right away when he stopped me. I have the power to kill them without anyone knowing. But I'm still kind enough to spare them.
And this party, I'm sure their punishment will be harsher than when the guildmaster punished Roland's party. It's because he knew that Roland and his party are students of Dahlia Academy so he believes that the academy will handle it as well when they return. But this party is not from the academy. At the very least they will never have a chance to increase their rank ever while they're in Dahlia.