In less than another minute, Mewi joined us, followed soon after by Arvallei, Anna, and Ri’legh. After that, we didn’t have long to wait for the hearing.

This time, the guild master was the one presiding over the tribunal. They didn’t ask questions about what we’d actually done. Instead, they posed hypotheticals about situations we hadn’t encountered yet, mostly related to saving or protecting people. They also asked each of us to demonstrate some aspect of their abilities. In my case, they wanted to see that my degree of control over my fire spells was really as great as I claimed.

“Very well,” said the guild master eventually, “please return to the main lobby while we deliberate. I don’t anticipate it taking long.”

Indeed, it was less than 10 minutes before we were called back in. Though I hadn’t counted on there being a long induction speech, and clearly, the others hadn’t either. Only Bruzigan and Ri’legh managed to maintain a stoic professionalism. Arvallei was preening some of the feathers on his arms, Mewi had moved behind Bruzigan and was blowing some bubble gum out of the guild master’s view, Anna was very obviously tuned out, and my gaze was darting not just to them, but all over.

It finally, mercifully, drew to a close. “...therefore, by the power vested in me as head of the Cradine Adventurer’s Guild, I commission the adventurer team Justice as SS Rank Adventurers, empowering them to explore far beyond our borders, take the lead in defending the kingdom from monsters, and serve as an example of strength, leadership, and accomplishment for all its people.”

We continued to perform an A Rank mission per day for the remaining days until the crisis—continuing to put in work showed earnestness, which helped win support among our native peers and the general populace alike, and also added not inconsiderably to our funds, which we did have later plans for.

On the morning of the 10th day, I had an idea. Unfortunately, Bruzigan wasn’t on board. “I know it’s not possible to prevent the big one from waking up at all, but hear me out. According to information we can now access as SS Rank Adventurers, there are two teams at SSS Rank. But in all the briefings you’ve given us and preparations we’ve made, all the information we’ve known of, there’s only one. I think it’s a safe bet that the other SSS team is, I don’t know, overseeing the mining operation that wakes up the big guy. I know we can’t stop them waking up, but what if we could save this team?”

He responded instantly. “Too risky, too many unknowns, and to be frank, too low a probability of success. The fact that we were placed at SS rather than SSS means that those two teams are substantially stronger than us. If the awakening is bad enough that they weren’t even able to retreat, or more likely are killed holding it back for others to escape, what do we have that could turn the tide?”

“Tch, I guess you’re right, boss.”

I wasn’t confident I’d be able to affect the floor’s boss that much even if I used Power of Imagination to the fullest I could. Even when facing it the proper way, my role for the final battle was planned to be very different from everyone else’s. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that going off conventional script in Floor missions could lead to incredible rewards. But Bruzigan was right—now was not the time.

It was not yet dawn when I was awakened by the Adventurer System’s emergency alert. Though he hadn’t much showed it, Bruizgan was actually very happy that we’d managed to gain an SS Rank rather than a normal S Rank, because our entire team would be, and indeed had been, invited to this meeting.

Well, mostly he was glad that Mewi and Anna would be able to come since they were far superior to him in the people skills department, but my Aura of Intellect trait meant I’d hopefully not be useless. S Rank teams would only have their captains present.

That was still enough that the Central Adventurer’s Guild had to set up multiple tables in the largest room for the meeting. The guild master sat at the head of the frontmost one, along with the members of the remaining SSS Team, the Elite Royal Guard, and an official from the royal palace. Then there was one other person, dressed more oddly than the rest put together. I wasn’t certain who he was, but from the way others reacted to seeing them on entering, I guessed he was probably the kingdom’s Legend Rank.

It was a testament to the dedication of Cradine’s S Tiers that the meeting began very quickly with no real need to wait on stragglers. “I won’t waste time being delicate,” the guild master began, “an emergency has arisen, the likes of which we haven’t faced in a hundred years or more. As some of you already know, for the past year and a half or so, the Adventurer’s Guild has been cooperating with the Crown on a mining expedition in the Blackfang Mountains.”

The palace official cleared his throat. “We have already extracted a large quantity and variety of magic metals from the site many of you were instrumental in securing at that time. However, last night, they unearthed something else. A Superior monster, and an abnormally strong one even among them. Azure Flame was able to hold it back for a time, long enough for the miners and soldiers to flee...but only at the cost of their lives.”

Startled noises and murmurs greeted this news. Well, at least my theory was confirmed. “This is a massive specimen we’re talking about,” said the guild master, “one that can both empower and control other monsters. Its ability to control seems to have a quantity limit, and those it doesn’t control seem to have been driven into a frenzy, a compulsion to seek and destroy life.

In other words, rather than a raid, a massive monster tide from the Blackfang Mountains is headed right for Cradine, in addition to what we have decided to term a ‘Monster Lord’ having awakened.”

“With due respect to all here,” said one of the S Tier captains, “clearly, this situation is indeed important enough to rouse the great Ilsandre. Surely if he simply slays this Monster Lord, it will also stop the monster tide’s frenzy?”

The oddly dressed, quite young looking person, who had looked half-asleep up to this point, stirred. “The answer, idiot, is that it’s anything but simple to get rid of a Monster Lord. I’ve taken a peek at the big sucker already. How do you think we even know so much so soon? None of the terrified jackrabbits who ran screaming for the border towns could have had the kind of presence of mind to get so much useful intel.

I’ve only ran into a palooka like that once before, on one of my vacations away from the kingdom. Sure I hurt it pretty bad, but before I had any chance of finishing it off, it made some kind of shell of darkness around itself that I couldn’t penetrate. It was back to full power in a matter of days. Had to go about a 100KM before the damn thing stopped chasing me. Last I knew, that whole region and another one was a war zone between 2 competing Monster Lords.”