The arena we arrived at had a sparse crowd.

However, when people realized that the armored man was the Guild Master and that André was going to fight, it caused a bit of a stir.

Naturally, the next question was, "Who’s the challenger?" And as soon as they saw me, the new guy with a weird turtle on his shoulder, the answer was clear.

As Ivy and I prepared ourselves, people started pouring into the arena.

It became quite lively.

Although I hadn’t fully explored the town, I could already tell these people were the type who loved festivals and street fairs.

“Alright, betting closes now!”

“What?! The odds are 150 to 1 against the turtle kid? I’m putting everything I’ve got on him!”

“Are you crazy?”

On the sidelines, people had started placing bets on how long I would last against André, rather than on the actual outcome of the fight, since betting on the result alone didn’t seem fair.

It was beyond my control, but I kind of understood.

After all, I had no real combat experience.

Whenever a boar or bear showed up, Ivy always took care of it, and monsters never appeared in the forest behind our house.

I hadn’t fought anyone seriously either, so my combat experience was literally zero.

But Ivy and I had been training in the forest behind my house.

So, even if the opponent was the Guild Master, I wasn’t going to lose without putting up a fight...I hoped.

I couldn’t afford to be pessimistic.

Even though Ivy would be doing most of the fighting, I still had to stand as her partner.

I had to give it my all.

We needed to be recognized by the Guild Master, accepted by the town, and secure a peaceful life.

“We’ll start on Cindy’s signal. Don’t worry, just show me you’ve got the strength of a fifth-rank adventurer, and that’ll be enough.”

André laughed heartily.

He was a former second-rank adventurer, a seasoned warrior who had participated in wyvern hunts.

“I’ll do my best.”

“You’d better.”

Despite being in full armor, André stretched and warmed up with remarkable ease.

He stood next to me for a moment and whispered into my ear:

“All that matters is that you’re fighting me one-on-one. Don’t worry too much, just give it a shot.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good response.”

André moved away, checking the grip on his sword.

Having fought against the Guild Master would demonstrate that I had his attention, which could ensure our safety.

If he was doing all this for us, the least we could do was give it our best shot.

Ivy was capable of many things.

But what we needed now wasn’t versatility—it was raw power.

Her strongest attack at the moment was probably the lightning she could shoot from her mouth.

Magic, in general, was more of a numbers game, and using the same technique she’d used to knock out Jennifer and the others probably wouldn’t go over well with everyone watching.

“Ivy, give it everything you’ve got.”

“Mii!”

I held out my hand to Ivy, who had been perched on my shoulder, and she hopped into my palm.

I swung her gently, like a pendulum, and tossed her into the air.

“Mii!”

“Wha…! She really did grow bigger!”

Ivy expanded to the size she’d been when she could carry me on her back, about three years after I’d first gotten her.

André looked quite surprised.

After all, Ivy was the only turtle who could change her size like this.

I couldn’t help but feel a little proud, thinking about how impressive she was.

“Whoa! Hey, Tamer, what the heck is that?! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“I’ve never seen it either… A magical creature that can change its size, and he’s handling it at fifth-rank...?”

The surrounding onlookers grew even more excited, and more adventurers, drawn by the commotion, filled the arena. Soon, the limited seating was full, and some people were even standing to watch.

Being watched by so many people… It’s making me nervous.

“Alright, we’re about to begin.”

Cindy, after confirming that the crowd had quieted down somewhat, looked back and forth between me and André.

Once we both nodded, she smiled, gave a wink to the crowd, and stepped back.

She seemed like the friendly, outgoing type. And she was cute—no doubt she was quite popular.

“Mii.”

Come on, the fight’s about to start, Ivy seemed to say.

I tightened my expression.

Alright, bring it on!

“Three, two, one… Begin the match!”

The moment Cindy called out the start, André drew his giant sword and charged straight at me.

He’s fast!

He wasn’t just running. He must have been using some kind of magic to accelerate because there was no way he could move this fast otherwise.

His target, of course, was me.

In battles against Tamers, it’s common to attack the Tamer, not the familiar.

Since humans are generally more fragile than magical creatures, it makes sense to take out the weaker one first.

And if the Tamer is defeated, the familiar’s attacks become predictable and easier to handle.

“Cleave—Break!”

Shouting something, André leapt toward me with his sword drawn.

It’s fine. I anticipated this.

He’s faster than I expected, but Ivy’s magic is even faster.

“Ivy!”

“Mii!”

There was no need to tell her what to do.

She always knew the best course of action and executed it perfectly.

A magic circle appeared at Ivy’s mouth.

A green cylindrical barrier enveloped me.

Gaing!

Thud!

Bang!

Three distinct sounds happened in rapid succession.

The first was the metallic clang of Ivy’s barrier deflecting André’s sword strike.

The second was the reverberating sound of Ivy’s lightning striking André’s back.

And the third was the sound of André’s unconscious body hitting the ground.

“…”

Everyone in the arena, including me, was speechless.

“Mii-mii!”

The only sound was Ivy proudly celebrating our victory.

“Th-the winner is… Bruno!”

I… won?

Maybe Ivy is way stronger than I thought…