"I wonder how the ability appraisal will turn out."
"Yeah..."
In the bustling adventurer town of Boltana, my childhood friend Leanne and I visited the local Adventurers' Guild.
We came here to register as adventurers.
Adventurers register with the guild, an organization with branches in every country, and take on various requests to earn rewards.
Some slay ferocious dragons that threaten people's lives and become renowned heroes. Others retrieve treasures hidden deep in dungeons and amass enormous wealth.
Leanne and I grew up in our home village reading those kinds of adventure stories. When we turned sixteen and became adults, we swore to each other that we would form a party together.
We never really believed we could become heroes straight out of the tales.
Even so, we could not help but look forward to our new life as adventurers.
I let out a slow breath to calm my racing heart.
Right now, we were standing in line at the guild counter.
We needed to complete two things: adventurer registration and the ability appraisal.
The appraisal reveals a person's innate potential.
It normally costs money, but registering with the guild makes it free.
It seems generous, but the guild is always searching for adventurers with exceptional abilities.
"It feels kind of exciting... I wonder what kind of abilities I'll have."
Leanne, standing beside me, had been fidgety ever since we got off the carriage.
I glanced at her profile.
She had long, beautiful blonde hair and captivating blue eyes. Her skin was as white as snow. She looked far too beautiful to be just a village girl. If she wore a fine dress, people might mistake her for a noble lady.
"Ark? Is something wrong?"
"No... it's nothing."
She noticed my gaze, and I quickly looked away.
I planned to take on requests as an adventurer, save up some money, buy a ring, and confess to her.
We had grown up together, and I wanted to stay by her side forever.
To make that happen, I needed to protect her from now on.
That was why I hoped for abilities that would let me do just that.
"Next, please."
The receptionist called out.
It was finally our turn.
This was the moment that would decide our fate.
I gave Leanne's back a light pat and spoke up.
"Go ahead first. If I end up with some ridiculous ability, it'll be awkward for you if I'm right behind you."
I said it jokingly to ease her tension.
"Oh, come on, what are you even saying..."
Leanne replied in an exasperated tone, but her expression softened compared to before.
"All right, I'll go first then."
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, said "Okay!" with determination, and walked to the counter.
I waited a short distance away.
After a while, the receptionist, who had been looking at the paper in her hand, suddenly exclaimed, "Th-this is...!"
"Leanne-san, your abilities are hero-class!"
"Huh?"
All the adventurers in the guild turned their eyes toward Leanne at once.
"Your level cap is 80! Your skills are Healing Magic, High Priest, and Goddess's Blessing!"
"Level cap 80!? No way!"
"Those are all top-tier skills for a priest!"
"Having three skills alone is insane!"
Praises echoed from every direction.
"Uh... um...?"
Leanne herself just stood there flustered, looking like she could not believe what was happening to her.
"The entire Adventurers' Guild wishes you the best in your future endeavors!"
The three receptionists at the counter, along with the staff behind them, all beamed with joy.
It felt like an unbelievable miracle had occurred, far beyond anyone's expectations.
Even I was stunned by the result.
"Y-yes! Thank you very much!"
Leanne bowed repeatedly to the counter and came back to me.
"Th-that's... amazing, Leanne!"
"Yeah! I surprised myself too!"
"Well... yeah, anyone would be shocked..."
People are born with two inherent powers: a level cap and skills.
Levels rise after defeating a certain number of monsters, boosting various abilities.
But there is a fixed upper limit. For ordinary people, it is around 20 to 30. Fifty is equivalent to an elite knight, and 70 or higher is considered hero-class.
Skills represent a person's talent. Someone with Healing Magic, like Leanne, can use magic to heal wounds.
Most people have only one skill, but a rare few have multiple. Leanne having three was extraordinary, so the reaction was understandable.
"Leanne's class is definitely priest now."
Priests, specialists in healing, are essential in almost every party.
Though they are called priests, they do not actually serve a god. The name is just a long-standing custom, and no faith is required.
"Yeah! Ark, you'll definitely get something like swordsman or holy knight skills!"
"Yeah! Leave it to me!"
Imagining myself cutting down monsters one after another with a sword in hand, I headed to the counter.
"I'd like to register as an adventurer. My name is Ark."
"Understood. Please place your hand on the crystal orb there."
If Leanne became a priest, the best combination for me would be a frontline class skill.
Ideally, something that lets me wield a sword.
I placed my hand on the orb as instructed.
It began to glow, and text appeared on the paper beside it.
The receptionist picked it up and looked at it.
Then she burst out laughing with a "Pfft." After catching herself, she said.
"Your level cap is 1. Your skill is Instant Death Magic."
"Huh?"
In that instant, the entire guild erupted in laughter.
"Hahaha! Did you hear that!? Level 1!!"
"Level cap 1? I've never seen that before! Isn't that the weakest in the world!?"
"And the skill is Instant Death Magic! Total miss on both!"
As the adventurers clutched their stomachs laughing, I stood there alone in shock.
My level cap was 1. No matter how many monsters I defeated, I could never grow stronger.
My only skill was Instant Death Magic.
It was one of the magic-handling skills, but its reputation was terrible.
If it succeeded, it could kill any target in one hit. However, the success rate was abnormally low. So low, in fact, that it almost never worked even against slimes, the weakest monster in the world.
In short, it was a completely useless skill. A total dud.
I took the adventurer card from the receptionist with trembling hands and returned to Leanne on unsteady legs.
"A-Ark... are you okay?"
Leanne looked at me with worry.
Of course I was not okay.
With this, becoming an adventurer was impossible.
Maybe this was all a dream.
I pinched my cheek.
Nothing happened. Only the real sting of pain remained.
"Excuse me for a moment?"
A voice called out while I was wallowing in despair.
I turned to see a tall man in beautiful pure-white armor, smiling kindly.
Behind him stood three women, each as beautiful as Leanne.
"Um... who are you?"
"My name is Allen. I lead an S-rank adventurer party. Pardon the suddenness, but Leanne-san, as a priest, I would very much like you to join my party."
His words shocked everyone around us.
"Huh!? That's Allen's S-rank party!?"
"Allen's party is full of level 70+ monsters, right?"
"They say even the king meets with him personally!!"
Ranks for adventurers start from the lowest E and rise based on achievements.
S-rank is the highest, granted only to a select few of the absolute strongest.
But why?
Why would someone like him invite Leanne, who had just registered and had no experience, level, or knowledge?
"Eh!? B-but I only just became an adventurer..."
"No need to worry. Once you join the party, your level will rise quickly. Your talent is truly exceptional. Won't you use it... for us, no, for the people?"
Allen smiled at Leanne as he spoke.
"Amazing...! A newbie getting into Allen's party!"
"We're really in different worlds from them..."
Hearing the guild's buzzing voices, my heart filled with dread.
Leanne would definitely refuse.
She was supposed to stay with me...
Yet her expression showed hesitation I had never seen before.
"Wait... hey, Leanne. When we left the village, you said we'd form a party together..."
The words would not come out right.
I desperately tried to stop her, but she would not meet my eyes.
"...I'm sorry, Ark. I can't go with you."
"Wh-what...?"
Allen, who had been watching with his arms crossed, smiled after hearing our exchange.
"Allen-san, please let me join your party."
"A wise decision. Then let's go equip you properly right away. After that, I'll teach you everything I know about being an adventurer."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
Allen casually pulled Leanne close by the shoulder and left the guild briskly with his companions.
In that whole exchange, the one thing I understood was that to an S-rank adventurer like Allen, my existence was not even worth acknowledging.
"Man, at this point, the guy's kinda pitiful."
"Yeah, this time the opponent was just too strong..."
Left completely alone, I could only stand there in a daze.
All I had left was a level cap of 1 and the skill Instant Death Magic. A hopeless combination.
"...No good."
I had to chase after her.
I had to catch up and bring Leanne back.
I had no idea if it would change anything or make things better.
Even so, right now, I felt like I had to do it.
Before I realized it, I was running.
But just as I tried to pass through the guild doors, a powerful impact hit me.
It happened so suddenly that I could do nothing but collapse to the floor.
"Guh!?"
As I tried to get up, I sensed a terrifying presence and looked up.
There stood a huge man in heavy black armor.
He had white hair and a large scar across his face.
"Out of the way, trash."
His sharp glare pinned me in place. I could only stare back, speechless.
"Ah... ah..."
If I said anything now, I knew I would be killed.
My body trembled uncontrollably. I could not even move.
"Hey, hey, is that any way to talk?"
From behind the man popped a cat-eared beastkin girl with a tail.
"If you keep acting like that, you'll get killed, you know?"
She looked down at me and laughed.
Her words snapped me out of it. I quickly stood and moved to the guild wall.
"...That's Balzaak's party..."
"Rumors say they half-killed another adventurer in an argument... Why are they even in Boltana?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down... If they notice you, who knows what they'll do."
"Bal... zaak..."
Behind the giant Balzaak walked the catgirl who spoke to me and two other male adventurers.
They all wore armor and clothes made of materials I had never seen.
Looking at them, I understood.
I did not belong here.
The urge to chase Leanne had already vanished.
And so, I had no choice but to leave the Adventurers' Guild.