Early TBAGM Vol. 1 Chapter 5 Part 5

Full title: The Banished Advisor’s Guild Management

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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“Ahahaha! What an easy victory that was!”

Unaware of the imminent danger drawing ever closer, Nike and his subordinates were still smiling in the topmost chamber.

“With Nero on our side, we’ll become even stronger!”

For Nike, the top priority was enhancing his unit’s strength.

Despite their loyalty in joining his guild, they were still mocked as bottom-tier trash.

He had always felt a lingering sense of guilt about that—

But today would mark the end of it all.

“I was right to follow you, Lord Nike!”

“Absolutely! Even if someone like Nero joins, our loyalty belongs to Lord Nike!”

“Long live Lord Nike! Long live!”

Their jubilation knew no bounds. It was, after all, their first taste of true victory.

But in their euphoria, their vigilance began to fade.

The first to notice something was wrong was Owen.

“Silence, everyone!”

Owen’s grave expression instantly brought the room to a hush.

“What’s wrong?” Nike asked, still not the least bit alarmed.

To him, this battle plan was infallible.

There was no conceivable way they could lose.

His confidence was absolute, but only when facing normal opponents.

Against monsters, the rules changed.

Owen, now pale, spoke up.

“We’ve lost contact with the Second Unit!”

“““What—!?”””

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

It would be understandable if it were the Third Unit, they were only there to exhaust Nero.

But the Second Unit was different.

They were the elite mage squad, tasked with destroying the enemy fortress.

That’s why they had been hidden in the forest behind the battlefield.

And just moments ago, they had reported that victory was secured.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Nike shot up from his throne and turned toward the opposing fortress.

It should have already crumbled by now—

But there it stood, completely unscathed.

“Why isn’t there a single scratch on it?!”

According to the plan, the fortress should have been blown to pieces, and Nero left on the verge of death.

The fact that it remained intact meant Nero must have done something.

“Damn it! Get into position, now! Nero is going to strike, I guarantee it!”

“Lord Nike! What should we do about the mage girl?”

“She’s just a D-rank, isn’t she? Not even worth worrying about!”

Nike quickly rallied the members of the First Unit.

Everyone gathered here was brimming with combat spirit.

Even if the opponent was Nero, none of them would flinch.

“I got rattled for a second there, but it’s just one guy. We should’ve all gone after him from the start.”

Nero was a light warrior—

To attack a fortress, he’d have to come straight up the front.

Nike had stationed his men so that the moment Nero entered the top floor, they would strike from all sides at once.

“S-Someone… ahh… ahhh…!”

“Hm? Did someone just scream?”

Nike turned to the vigilant squad members and asked.

He could have sworn he heard a sweet, feminine voice just now.

But his men tilted their heads.

“No, sir. We didn’t hear anything.”

“All clear. No one’s come in yet.”

“Please don’t say creepy things like that, it’s giving me chills.”

They chalked it up to Nike’s imagination.

Indeed, there was no sign of any intruder.

Nike himself was still holding onto the flag.

Relieved, he sank back into his throne.

“Phew. Then it’s all go—huh?”

Out of the corner of his vision—

A 【Water Ball】 was rapidly approaching.

Nike was utterly dumbfounded.

No, this couldn’t even be called a 【Water Ball】 anymore.

The enormous sphere of water surged forward with such velocity that no one else in the room even had time to react.

It possessed enough force to obliterate the entire castle.

And in the next instant—

It collided with the fortress of Oni’s Fang.

Blasting the entire structure to pieces with terrifying ease.

†  

『Is it over…? A-a-and that’s the match! What in the world did we just witnessssssssss!?』

Even Uns, the veteran announcer, forgot his role and stood frozen in shock at the scene before him.

He had hosted countless Guild Showdowns in the past, but never had he witnessed something so utterly abnormal that it rendered even him speechless.

“““Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?”””

The other guildmasters also cried out in disbelief at the abrupt and unbelievable end to the match.

“Ahahaha! That was amazing! Not even I could cast a 【Water Ball】 like that!”

Mint puffed out her chest proudly, as if it had been her own victory.

Then, without hesitation, she reached out and claimed the enormous pile of gold resting on the table.

“Well then, I’ll be taking this~”

With that much money, she wouldn’t have to work for quite some time.

A few years of carefree living, easily covered.

For Mint, it was a massive bonus; but for the other guildmasters who had bet on Oni’s Fang’s victory, it was a substantial loss.

And yet, not a single one of them could bring themselves to care about the wager anymore—

Because all of them had been completely captivated by Ellis and Nero.

“How the hell was that 【Water Ball】 so massive!?”

“Nero’s a monster, sure—but what is that girl? Is she really just D-rank!?”

“The entire fortress collapsed in an instant! That’s beyond advanced magic!”

The guildmasters clutched their heads, struggling to process what they had just witnessed—

But even as they groaned in disbelief, a strange delight crept into their expressions.

An A-rank adventurer who could destroy magic with his blades.

A D-rank mage who could unleash a spell so enormous it barely resembled 【Water Ball】.

Everything about it defied common sense.

“You’ve gotta be kidding meeeeeeeee!”

“““Huh?”””

Kyros’s sudden outburst turned every head in the room toward him.

“There’s no way that kind of magic is legit! They must’ve cheated!”

His voice rang out in absolute denial.

“I-I mean… yeah, destroying magic with a sword? That’s impossible.”

“Right? And no D-rank could ever cast something like that.”

“There’s no way a bottom-tier guild could pull something like this off.”

A few guildmasters nodded in agreement with Kyros.

They were leaders of elite adventurers, the top of the top among the thousands in the guild system.

The idea that someone from a fringe, no-name guild had caught up to or even surpassed their level?

Unacceptable.

But not everyone nodded along.

“Nah… even if they cheated, that kind of spell is still insane.”

“Is that the loser’s bark I hear? Wow, that’s seriously pathetic.”

“I’d love to talk to that girl afterward~”

Roughly half the room was not overcome by jealousy, but elation.

They had witnessed something entirely new.

Some were already wondering if they could test whether sword slashes could really nullify magic.

As that chatter grew louder, the entrance doors suddenly exploded inward with a deafening crash.

“““……!?”””

Everyone’s attention instantly snapped from Kyros to the now-destroyed entrance.

There, standing in the dust and splinters, were a slender young man and a towering, fearsome man.

† 

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