“Masayoshi-dono, we’ve been expecting you.”

“Gildart-san, thank you! Amazing, you managed to gather so many people just from yesterday to today.”

“Indeed. Since the opponent is the Successor of the Great Mage, I have gathered not only B-rank adventurers but also C-rank adventurers with strong magical abilities. At the same time, I have also been collecting information on the Successor of the Great Mage.”

“I see, thank you very much.”

When we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild in Bradley, the guild master, Gildart, had already assembled nearly twenty adventurers.

That makes sense. Since the opponent can use extreme magic, they are highly likely to be proficient in magic. In that case, the more magic users we have, the better. Among the people Gildart had gathered, there were familiar faces.

“Even Drain-san is here!? Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule!”

“I owe you one. I’ll help however I can.”

Drain-san, an A-rank adventurer known as the Ogre Slayer, was here. The massive greatsword he had during the battle with the Calamity had been broken in half, but it seemed to have been reforged, as he now carried a new one just as large as before.

“Now then, let’s move outside the city first. The guild does have a training ground, but it definitely won’t be able to withstand Masayoshi-san’s training.”

“Understood.”

We took a carriage and traveled to a location a short distance from Bradley. It was a vast grassland, far from both the forest and the city. This way, no matter how much destruction we caused, there would be no damage to the surroundings.

During the carriage ride, I explained the situation to everyone who had gathered. I told them that there was someone among the royal family I wanted to save, so I planned to fight as this country's representative against the other nation’s champion. And for that, I needed to train in combat against people, even if it was just for a short time.

I also handed over the reward money in advance. I had billions in this world’s currency. I paid double the usual commission rate that Gildart had told me.

Lilith, Ian, Gildart, and Drain all said they didn’t need any payment, but I made sure they accepted it.

Lilith had told me before—proper compensation should always be given. And I truly appreciated them gathering for me on such short notice.

“Alright, I’m coming at you seriously.”

“We will give it our all as well!”

First, I focused entirely on defense. At the beginning, I had Lilith’s party attack me continuously, and I blocked their attacks. If I could handle it without issues, I would have more people join in the assault.

While getting a feel for defending against human opponents, I also observed their attack patterns and magic to learn what kind of techniques were used in this world.

There were only about two and a half days left, but thanks to my status effect resistance, I could manage without sleep for a while. Of course, everyone else couldn’t do that, so I planned for them to take turns resting and eating. Now, let’s begin.

“Please, let’s start!”

“...Phew.”

“Masayoshi-dono, how about taking a break soon?”

“Ah, let’s do that. Come to think of it, I’ve been moving non-stop for almost a full day.”

Gildart’s words brought me back to my senses. I had been so focused on the training that I hadn’t noticed how much time had passed.

Earlier, I was too absorbed in battle to feel any hunger, but now that I had stepped out of combat mode, I realized I was starving.

“Still, Masayoshi-san, you’re incredible. Even with this many people attacking you at once, none of their attacks landed properly.”

The Great Mage’s barrier magic was truly exceptional, allowing me to withstand even the attacks of A-rank adventurers like Lilith and Drain. However, it wasn’t invincible. While it could block attacks initially, repeated large-scale assaults would eventually break through.

“That’s true. In a party, the usual strategy is for a tank to handle defense while the mages focus on offense. But since this is a one-on-one duel, I’ll likely have to fight while keeping a barrier up at all times and attacking with magic from a distance.”

Indeed, as Gildart pointed out, my best bet was to maintain multiple layers of barriers while dodging enemy attacks and launching magic offensives.

In party combat, Lilith’s group’s strategy made the most sense—two front-line fighters keeping up relentless attacks while rear-line mages provided support and offense, with a tank protecting the party. That was the optimal battle formation.

While I tried to find openings to counterattack, the tank would block them. That’s why this kind of formation was the standard even in games. Of course, Lilith’s party was exceptionally well-coordinated, which made it even more effective.

“Once the break is over, I’ll start testing various attack strategies.”

By now, I had a good grasp of the types of magic and attack methods used in human battles. Next, it was time for me to experiment with my own offensive