FRED THE E-GRADE ADVENTURER

“HAH AHH HAH.” Tired sighs came out of my mouth as I leaned against the wall of an old alley.

My name is Fred. I am a grade E adventurer, the second lowest grade in the guild.

Although, calling me an adventurer can be a bit misleading since, at the moment, I look more like a street cleaner than an adventurer.

With a wry smile, I turned to look at the shovel and broom that rested faithfully at my side.

Like so many other days, I reflected on how my life led me to this place.

Today I live in the United Kingdom of Lion, but I am not originally from here. I was born and raised in the small principality of Rum until I was 9 years old… Until the day the Cora empire attacked and annexed the small principality.

My family was a peasant family, so my father was conscripted and died on the battlefield. My mother and I were **** to move to the Kingdom of Lion to escape that cruel fate.

While all this was bad enough, the situation did not improve in the Kingdom of Lion. Once in the capital Vam, we were segregated into a refugee camp for a couple of years. Life was hard indeed.

My mother died when I was at the age of 11. I could barely survive and was ****. I couldn't look for a job in the Lion kingdom because of my refugee status.

I thought it would be the end of me, but a light of hope shone on my young head. The Adventurer's Guild was an organization that did not discriminate against anyone regardless of race or age.

It was a place where anyone with enough skill could become rich. It was also the only place where a refugee could work because it was not under the control of any kingdom.

With no other option and no other support, I started as a grade F adventurer, thinking I would quickly climb the ladder and become a rich and famous adventurer.

However, reality is always cruel. Being the son of a peasant without any military or martial arts training, I was relegated to low risk cleaning and gathering tasks.

Since it was low-risk, the pay was meager, but it didn't matter much to me at the time. My young mind thought that as I grew older, I would improve my strength and be able to achieve my dream.

I worked hard for 3 years for my promotion to E grade. I was so excited the day before that I could hardly sleep in the small ramshackle house I had invaded.

It would be the gateway to a better future...or so I thought.

Reality is always cruel. The day came and the test was simple, enter the sewer and kill an F-grade rat king.

For this test, the guild would form groups of 2 and send us into the sewers. I thought it would be a walk in the park until… until I saw the rat king standing in front of me.

His grotesque red eyes gave off a murderous aura that chilled my blood... To be frank, I froze in front of the rat king.

But my guild-imposed partner took charge of the situation and I was promoted to F-grade...

What was supposed to be my stepping stone to success became a rock I couldn't move. I couldn't face the fear of being in front of such a monster again, so I kept to cleaning and collecting jobs.

And so that’s how I spent the last 7 years of my life... as I sank into my thoughts I groped for the small wooden jar I kept my chewing tobacco in.

As I was chewing my tobacco, I looked around the cold alley I was in. In the distance, I heard a voice I recognized.

Outside the alley, a group of four women in armor were walking towards the adventurer's guild while they were chatting.

It was the iron sword party. One of the 5 A-ranked parties in Vam, and the strongest of them all.

The party consisted of Eliza, the elven mage with her platinum blonde hair hidden in a big hat. Emiru, the eastern swordswoman with her characteristic ponytail. Aria, the martial artist with the iron fist. All great figures but the greatest of all was their leader, Eleanor the warrior. A resplendent figure in every way. Her long red hair emitted strength and fierceness like a lion, but she had a kindly semblance that contrasted with her big red hair.

With a slender, feminine figure that no man could resist, that was Eleanor for you.

As I watched the iron sword pass by, a dark feeling welled up in my heart. It was envy.

A strong envy that gnawed at me every time the iron sword and I crossed paths.

But especially directed at Eleanor the leader.

Eleanor was almost my age and we started together in the guild. As rookies we crossed paths several times, but never formed a friendship.

If I was to ask the young man what he thought of Eleanor he would say "a pretty girl and not much more." But that all changed the day I was promoted to E rank.

She had been my partner in that test and had helped me survive. Even though we weren't friends or anything, she decided to hide my hesitation to avoid getting me in trouble.

And at the end, she gave me a gentle word of encouragement. At that moment a feeling of camaraderie welled up in me, but as the years went by it turned into jealousy and envy.

This was because Eleanor rocketed through the guild ranks, becoming the fastest rookie to reach A grade.

While I stayed at rank F cleaning streets, Eleanor had become a key player in the guild and the realm of Lion.

But that wasn't what I envied most. What I envied in Eleanor was her courage and sense of duty, while I was paralyzed in front of the rat king.

I still remember her figure, the figure that reminded me of stories my mother read to me in Rum.

My own cowardice was the biggest stone in my heart, and Eleanor was the constant reminder of it.

The dark emotions in my heart seeped into my face. I let out a look with a hint of hatred. As if Eleanor could sense my animosity, she startled a little and began to look for the source.

She started to look towards me, but I quickly pretended to be working and slowly moved out of her field of vision.

In the distance I could hear Aria ask Eleanor, "What's wrong Eleanor? What is it?"

"...It's nothing, let's go check on the back.”

As I listened in the distance to the iron sword walking away, I decided it was time to leave too. My mood had turned sour so I went to go collect the reward for my work and then sleep with some woman.

I prepared to leave with a somber expression on my face when I felt the presence of someone standing behind me. I turned to see who it was and noticed something strange.

It was a hooded woman staring at me, as if she was scanning me. At a glance, I could see the large breasts she hid under her cloak, but her violet eyes intimidated me. She was looking at me, looking for something.

Her beautiful hidden features gave me a sense of distance.

Even though I had a bad feeling about the woman, I decided to ignore her and continue on my way.

I finished preparing my equipment, and just as I was leaving the alley the woman blocked my way. Without saying anything we exchanged glances.

Lately, news had been spreading in the guild that thieves were using young women to seduce and lure victims.

Maybe I was facing this situation. Even though I was no expert in combat I should be able to get rid of a normal woman.

With that thought in mind I took the dagger that rested in my belt, the one I used to cut the weeds and spoke using a soft and slow voice to avoid alerting her possible associates.

The woman looked at me with more intensity than before and... a feeling welled up once I saw the look in her eyes. It was dread.

Something in the back of my mind told me that if I raised my dagger against this girl, it would be the last thing I would ever do.

With my body paralyzed by this strange situation, the big breasted stranger spoke for the first time.

"Tell me... do you want something?"

Why was this strange woman asking me that question? Dismayed, I pondered over it.

My instincts were screaming that if I didn't answer seriously I would die.

"...I wish… to be like Eleanor Graves" I said after some thought.

The woman's gaze intensified. "You wish to be like Eleanor Graves? Is that right?"

"Hell, who wouldn't want to be like Eleanor? I mean, being an incredibly beautiful and rich person with enviable skills is something anyone would want... I wouldn't mind being her one day at least." I blurted out, the last part with some self-deprecation as I averted my gaze.

I didn't know why I was trapped in this strange situation with this woman, but I was praying to her that it would end.

There was a subtle change in her expression. With a soft smile the woman spoke to me.

"You are just who I was looking for Fred. Listen carefully. I can grant your wish, if that's what you want."

...How the fuck does this woman know my name? And more importantly, what did you hear her say?

"My wish? How do I know you're not going to kill me as soon as I turn my back to you..." I said harshly and sarcastically.

But the woman was not affected by my words, instead her smile deepened.

"You're right. It's a risk that could happen, but it's better than the life you lead... sweeping and writhing in filth and cowardice. I offer you what you need to get everything you want: fame, money, beauty. I think it's a risk worth taking.”

As she finished speaking, the woman stood still with the same calm smile she had had throughout the conversation.

Her words echoed in me. Though vague, they had a strange convincing power behind them.

... I released my hand from my dagger and asked, "Will it be painful?" The woman smiled more energetically than before and answered, "Just a little."

Seeing the woman in front of me, I decided to take a risk for once in my life... If I failed, the price would be expensive but I wanted to trust my luck one more time.

"Where do I sign then?" With that said, I made my decision. The woman turned and with a soft "Follow me." and started to walk.

"I know this may sound a little strange after the exchange we had, but what is your name?"

The woman turned and with the soft smile from before replied.

"Morgan."