"Hey… did you see that? That was clearly a plasma breath..."

"Does that mean Ivy isn't a turtle but a dragon?"

"Don't ask me, how would I know?"

As I stood there, still in shock from the victory, I overheard people whispering.

According to what Jennifer told me, a "breath" is a special kind of exhalation that dragons unleash.

They breathe fire, ice, or even lightning...

Ivy’s attack might look like a breath, but it’s not a true breath attack... I think.

Typically, dragons can only use one type of breath.

But Ivy already has five variations of that kind of attack.

Besides, Ivy isn’t a dragon.

No matter how you look at her, she's definitely a turtle.

"Medic team! Hurry and heal the Guild Master!"

Cindy shouted, and people dressed in white robes ran over.

It looked like they were going to cast healing magic on him.

Even though we knocked him out, I felt a little guilty for causing such trouble.

"Mii."

Apparently, Ivy felt the same way because she used her magic.

A pale blue light descended over André, who was lying face-down, with smoke rising from his body.

"Wha… she can use healing magic too!? And his burns on the back of his head are already healed!"

"That barrier earlier… did she cast that to protect her owner? How many abilities does she have…?"

Everyone seemed amazed at Ivy’s versatility.

Hehe, that’s right. She’s incredible, isn’t she?

"Mii."

Ivy, too, seemed a little proud of herself.

Up until now, she hasn’t had many chances to show off her powers to people.

This unexpectedly became Ivy’s debut performance.

"Ugh… where am I…?"

As Ivy, still in her large form, tried to playfully climb onto my shoulder (which was impossible because she’s bigger than me), André woke up.

Ivy can be unbelievably stubborn sometimes.

"So, I lost… Ivy is no joke."

"André-san, from your perspective, how strong do you think she is?"

I didn’t have any clear way to gauge Ivy’s strength.

I didn’t know what kinds of abilities different monsters have or where Ivy stands in comparison.

All I had were the monster facts Jennifer shared with me, so I wasn’t very sure.

"She could easily qualify for second-rank. Maybe even first-rank."

"—Huh!? First-rank is the highest level for adventurers, right?"

I wasn’t sure exactly how powerful a first-rank adventurer was, but being at the top must mean they’re extremely strong.

Could Ivy really be that powerful?

I was skeptical, but… she did defeat André, a former second-rank adventurer.

And if he himself was giving Ivy his stamp of approval, then… it must be true.

"Does this demonstrate her value…? Is that enough?"

"Oh, more than enough. We welcome anyone strong. Bruno, for taming such a powerful familiar, you’re more than welcome here. Isn’t that right, everyone?!"

André looked around at the crowd.

The adventurers began thumping their chests in unison as if signaling their approval.

"Of course! We always welcome strong folks!"

"Damn it, I lost my bet, but a powerful rookie like this makes it a wash!"

"Sure, we’ll welcome you, but please don’t take all the good jobs!"

"Thanks to you, I’m heading to a high-class brothel tonight. Much appreciated!"

People who had been watching the match began shouting out their thoughts.

Some were on their knees mourning their lost bets, while others wore knowing smiles, impressed by the newcomer.

From a distance, I could see someone who had bet everything on me laughing like a madman.

Overall, I think it’s safe to say we were being welcomed.

The strong are always welcome.

Jennifer was right.

And none of the adventurers seemed scared of Ivy, despite her strength.

It seemed we wouldn’t face the same cold treatment we did in the village.

Maybe we could find a big plot of land and live in peace, Ivy.

"Please take care of us!"

"Mii!"

Ivy and I greeted them in unison, and a cheer erupted in response.

And so, our first battle ended in a great success, with the added bonus of being accepted by everyone around us.