I’m Reincarnated In Otome Game?

While Randy and Liz were entertaining Elizabeth's parents, a small tavern in a corner of the city hosted another scene. Gathered there was The Steel Lion, one of the duchy's most renowned adventurer parties. Unusually for such a famous group, their drinking session was quiet.

The reason, of course, was their recent sparring session with Randy and Ian.

"What's with that kid…?"

Ian, gulping down his ale in one go, covered his face with both hands while slouching over.

"That was terrifying."

When Randy had walked in carrying an enormous log, Ian had initially thought, Is he mocking us?

It was undoubtedly a super heavy weapon. Slow but packing tremendous power—this much was obvious. Ian had considered using his shield to block or parry, but ultimately opted for a counterattack after dodging.

To put it bluntly, it was arrogance. No matter how long or large the weapon, the speed of its strikes would be limited by its weight. Dodging seemed like the better choice. This conclusion stemmed from Ian's years of experience.

Of course, as long as it was a sparring match, he wasn't careless. He focused entirely on facing Randy. Yet his pride didn't allow him to go all-out and fully armored, against someone wielding a wooden sword.

As an adventurer, Ian had survived countless life-or-death battles. His plan had been simple: evade the slow strike, then end it with a counterattack. With all his focus trained on anticipating Randy's movements, Ian was confident.

But the result? Instant defeat.

This wasn't about measuring strength or exchanging blows in a sparring match. The disparity in power between them was beyond comprehension. Randy's unimaginable strength was such that even Ian, a high-ranking adventurer, couldn't begin to grasp it.

"Think a shield would help?"

The question came from Sarah, the team's scout. She sipped her ale leisurely as Ian glanced at her and silently shook his head.

"With that speed and weight… even if I could react in time, I'd probably be sent flying along with my shield."

Ian's gaze shifted to his shield, his trusted companion that had defended him through countless battles. It was a masterwork piece, perfectly balancing durability and lightness. Against a mere log, Ian had no doubt the shield would remain unscathed. He prided himself on using such high-quality equipment.

But this wasn't about the shield—it was about the wielder.

No matter how sturdy the shield, it was Ian holding it. And against Randy's strike, Ian couldn't summon the confidence to fully withstand the blow with his entire body.

　The same held true for attempts to deflect an attack with a shield. Since Ian couldn't even react to Randy's strike, he had no confidence in his ability to deflect it instead of trying to block it head-on. At best, he might manage to slide his shield between his body and the wooden sword at the last second.

But even that would inevitably lead to the same outcome: Ian being sent flying. Without proper footing or positioning, the idea of stopping such a devastatingly heavy blow was unimaginable.

"Even if all four of us fought together, would it make a difference?"

The question came from Sean, the party's cleric. Seated beside him, Emma, the team's mage, stopped poking at her food and turned her gaze toward Ian, intrigued by the discussion.

"My buffs and healing spells could strengthen you enough to block a single hit. Sarah could distract him, and Emma could finish him off with a heavy spell…"

Sean outlined The Steel Lion's most reliable strategy, one that had helped them overcome countless formidable foes. It was their bread-and-butter approach—simple but effective, and one they trusted completely.

Despite Sean's confident suggestion, Ian simply shook his head.

"Did any of you manage to see Lord Randolph's movements?"

The group fell silent, each shaking their head in turn. With that one question, they immediately understood Ian's point. That alone spoke to their capability as a team.

They hadn't been able to see Randy's movements. In other words, none of them had the ability to defend against his attacks.

Debuff him?

Distract him?

Hit him with magic?

None of it mattered if they couldn't even perceive the strikes they needed to counter.

　It was hopeless. The moment the fight began, the rearguard would be blown away. Ian would turn in panic, only to be crushed next, and Sarah would be the last to be sent flying. 

The image of such a scene flashed through everyone's minds, sending a collective shiver down their spines.

"And even if we did get buffs…"

Ian's pale expression made Sean drop the piece of meat he had skewered with his fork.

"When I buff you, you're strong enough to push back a troll, aren't you?"

Sean's voice rose with disbelief, but Ian simply shook his head, his face still ashen.

"Do you remember when Harrison let me hold that wooden sword? I was shocked at how heavy it was."

Ian took another sip of ale and let out a long sigh.

"That weight, moving at that speed… And with Randy's size and personal momentum added to it? A troll might as well be a goblin compared to that."

"You're kidding me."

Sean gulped audibly, his hand trembling as his fork slipped from his grasp again.

"So he's something like The Crimson War Demon, huh?"

Sean's murmured words were met with unanimous nods from the group.

"There's no way even S-Rank adventurers could beat him."

"Not just any S-Rank. Most of today's so-called S-Ranks wouldn't even put up a fight."

As the two men's conversation grew heated, the two women joined in.

"Then what about those legends, like the Sword Saint who was known as the strongest long time ago?"

"Or Black Flash. They were supposed to be incredible, right?"

"The Sword Saint maybe, but Black Flash is ancient history."

"Still, I like the idea. Legends are important… for the romance of it all."

In the end, they were adventurers through and through. Tales of legendary figures and heroic deeds were irresistible, especially when those figures were the pioneers of their profession.

For a while, they entertained themselves with fruitless debates comparing Randy to past heroes.

"But, don't you wonder about something?"

Sarah, gripping her ale tightly, glanced around at the others.

"Why is he that strong?"

"Well, that's…"

"I mean, yeah."

"…Good point."

The responses varied, but one thing was clear: they were all equally fascinated by the source of Randy's overwhelming strength.

"I have a suggestion," Ian said with a smile, looking around at the group.

"After this job, why don't we come back here again?"

"You mean to train in the Demon Forest?"

"There's no money in that."

"Actually, it might turn out to be profitable. Listen to this—"

Ian began explaining what he had heard from Harrison: that they were looking for people to hunt magical beasts. It seemed Harrison's subtle nudge, likely at Randy's order, had successfully piqued their interest.

The night was still young, and their heated discussion continued for quite some time.