Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

19.1. Crystal Adventurers

“Over there!!”

“Leave it to me!”

Elsa’s voice echoed through the mountains.

At the same time, the beast Elsa had been engaging switched its focus to Nord, closing the gap between them with its massive body.

It looked exactly like a bear—

Its entire body was covered in thick, bristly fur, hiding a mass of violent muscle underneath. But its eyes glowed crimson, as if stained with blood.

This was the telltale sign of the “Berserk Bear.”

Normally, Berserk Bears are gentle creatures, but if provoked, their eyes turn blood-red with rage, sending them into a frenzy.

The enraged Berserk Bear in front of them had already gone wild for reasons unknown, and the Adventurer’s Guild had issued a request to subdue it.

──Crack! Snap!

A massive arm lashed out, but Nord deflected it using a shield technique—Offensive Defense Parry.

As the bear’s forearm connected with the shield’s surface, its force was redirected, sliding off as if on sleek scales.

The bear’s misplaced strike shattered a withered tree as thick as Nord’s torso with ease.

After an attack like that, a moment of vulnerability always follows, especially for a creature blinded by rage.

Seizing the opportunity, Nord swung his sword.

With a sharp whoosh through the air, the blade traced a line across the bear’s body.

Berserk Bears’ fur hardens like wire when they’re enraged, but Nord’s blade cut through the thick coat with ease.

His sword was made of Jadeite Steel, a green-glowing metal harvested from the hands of treasure octopuses deep beneath the sea.

The sword had been Nord’s trusty weapon, now enhanced with a new power that fit perfectly in his dominant hand.

After the strike, blood spurted from beneath the fur, adding pain to the bear’s already blind fury, further driving it into madness.

“GRRROAAARR!!”

Its deafening roar reverberated through the winter-bound mountains, shaking the earth. A rookie adventurer would have frozen in fear. But even under the full force of the roar, Nord remained unfazed.

“Hmph!”

In fact, he calmly assessed the bear’s movements, launching bold attacks whenever he found an opening.

“──Don’t forget about me!”

From behind, Elsa struck with her spear, coordinating her attack with Nord.

“GRRAGH!?”

The Berserk Bear’s bloodshot eyes rolled as it locked onto Elsa’s figure.

Consumed by rage, the bear twisted its massive frame to target her next.

“Not on my watch!”

Nord didn’t miss the shift. He slammed the bear with his shield, slashed with his sword, and swung his arms aggressively to draw its attention back to him.

The bear, further enraged by Nord’s Taunt, once again focused its attacks on him.

Though the bear attacked furiously, Nord blocked, dodged, and even countered when the opportunity arose.

With the bear’s attention locked on Nord, Elsa was free to strike at will.

Its fur bristled with rage, but the bear’s body was now riddled with wounds, blood trickling from them. While the bleeding would stop temporarily due to its fury, lost blood could never be regained.

──Almost there.

The battle was clearly drawing to a close.

§

“──And with that, the ‘Berserk Bear Subjugation’ is complete. Well done!”

At the Adventurer’s Guild counter in the royal capital, Nord and Elsa reported the completion of their quest.

They handed in the quest slip and exchanged the materials they’d collected for rewards. And then—

“”Whoa!!””

The guild worker returned their two guild cards.

“”This is it!””

The cards, which recorded their adventurer status, had changed from ordinary stone plates to a thin, translucent material with a pale blue tint—crystal.

Even under the dim light inside the guild hall, the cards shone with unmistakable clarity.

Though not expensive, the crystal material was clearly superior to ordinary stone, a symbol of having risen above the lowest ranks.

“Oh! So the kid and the girl made it to Crystal Adventurers, huh?”

A familiar older adventurer called out as Nord and Elsa admired their new crystal cards hanging around their necks.

“What!? No way!”

“Impressive!”

“That was fast… I remember back in my day…”

“Alright! Tonight, we celebrate!”

“A toast to the adventurers who’ve left the novice ranks behind!”

Adventurers—both familiar faces and strangers—gathered around Nord and Elsa, reacting with surprise, admiration, and nostalgia.

Some reminisced about their youth, while others seized the moment as an excuse for a party.

A cheer rang out with Nord and Elsa’s names, and before long, the lively voices blended into the tavern’s usual noise.

“Whew…”

“Haha…”

The two finally managed to escape the crowd and find a seat at one of the tavern’s tables.

For adventurers, anything could serve as an excuse to drink, and the promotion of fellow guild members was perfect.

“We didn’t even get a chance to celebrate for ourselves.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t mind it.”

Nord nodded in agreement with Elsa’s words.

Older adventurers had ruffled his hair, slapped his back, and elbowed him playfully. Elsa had even been groped—by a female adventurer, no less.

It was a chaotic celebration, but it was clear that everyone was genuinely happy for them.

The crystal card hanging from Nord’s chest clinked softly against his armor, the sound carrying a strangely clear tone.

“Finally, we’ve become Crystal Adventurers.”

“Yeah…”

Nord’s voice was filled with deep emotion.

He had finally achieved this milestone.

The adventurer ranks start from the lowest, the Wooden Chip Adventurer, and ascend through ten stages, beginning with the Slate Adventurer.

The highest rank, Sacred Treasure Adventurer, remained unattained, making the ninth rank, Sacred Gold Adventurer, the practical pinnacle.

Although Crystal Adventurer was only the third from the bottom, it was a major step up from the lower tiers.

It was the point where adventurers began to be seen as valuable assets, capable of taking on responsible jobs like escort missions and deliveries of rare goods.

It also marked the start of more dangerous quests, but with greater rewards.

In general, adventurers recognized as full-fledged professionals began at Crystal Adventurer.

Nord and Elsa had been a party for about half a year.

For Nord, it had been nearly a year since he became an adventurer.

A relatively short time, given that most adventurers take two to three years to reach Crystal Adventurer—if they get there at all.

Nord knew they had been lucky, but their equipment played a crucial role in their swift progress.

Nord’s old leather armor had been replaced by a gleaming scale mail made from the scales of a fish-dragon.

His childhood sword had been reforged with Jadeite Steel, and his shield crafted from leftover materials.

Elsa, too, had upgraded her gear—a lightweight armor made from Black Wolf hides and a crimson-tipped spear from the Red-Horned Beast.

Their skills and teamwork had grown immensely, far beyond what they were a year ago.

Meeting Elsa had been a turning point for Nord.

Her skill and the bond they formed allowed them to overcome numerous challenges, including the Rock Wolf, which had saved the Ferris family from crisis.

“──Elsa.”

“What?”

With a mug of ale in hand, Nord addressed her.

For once, he was in the mood to drink.

“Thank you for being my party member all this time. You’ve saved me so many times.”

“…Yeah.”

Elsa shared the same sentiment as Nord, grateful for all they had been through together.

The Berserk Bear subjugation quest—

Their Crystal Adventurer promotion quest—

would also mark the end of their party.

Elsa had to return to her hometown for personal reasons.

In the life of an adventurer, meetings always came with inevitable partings.

“Take care back home, alright?”

“You too. Stay safe.”

Nord raised his mug, and Elsa followed.

Nord admired Elsa—not romantically, but as a trusted comrade.

She likely felt the same. Though they never said it aloud, a deep bond of friendship had formed between them.

“”To our promotion to Crystal Adventurers… Cheers!!””

They clinked their mugs and downed the ale in one go.

The bubbles slid down their throats and settled warmly in their stomachs.

“Ahh!”

“Now that’s a good drink!”

Elsa laughed, foam still on her lips, as they ordered another round.

“”To new beginnings… Cheers!!””

Ale splashed from their mugs as they clinked them together again.

The sound of toasts echoed through the tavern late into the night.

§