Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Chapter 14   Conversation with a friend

“Oh, Koo. You’re back, huh?”

“Huh? Oh, Hiro. What are you doing here?”

As I returned to my apartment, for some reason, there was Hiro, the former team leader, leaning against the railing and waiting in front of my room.

And when he noticed me, he extended the plastic bag he was holding towards me. Could it be… alcohol?

“You should know. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Well, I figured as much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be waiting in front of my house like this.

So, what I want to know is why he came all the way to my place… Well, I guess I can ask him once we’re inside the room.

“Just come in for now.”

“Wait a sec… Here. Please, come in.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

As I unlocked the door and opened it, Hiro confidently marched into the room as if he knew it well.

Then he placed the plastic bag he was carrying on the desk and plopped down on the floor.

“So, how’s it going?”

“I’m struggling amidst a group of female students that you guys dumped on me.”

Well, I’ve only gone into the dungeon once so far.

As I sat down across from Hiro with a grim expression, he chuckled awkwardly.

“Don’t say that. I was thinking about your well-being, you know?”

“Well, I can kind of understand. Our team had quite a few older guys. I’m the youngest at 34, and Hiro… I think you were 45, right?”

“Yeah. I’m starting to feel the strain too. Even though it’s just three months until you finish your duty, three months is quite a long time. It’s more than enough time for someone… especially adventurers, to encounter life-threatening situations. If we had continued like that, I might not have made it.”

“Yeah. That’s why I understand why you put me in another team. And on top of that, two of the members are First Class and one is Special Class. They don’t seem like bad people, and if I wanted, it could have been the best arrangement.”

“Right?”

“But, you know, it’s not without its problems.”

That’s right. The team with Miyano and the others is comprised of good kids, and their abilities are flawless. In terms of actual combat, they still have a long way to go, but they’ll improve quickly.

So, the problem isn’t there…

“You expect me, a guy in his thirties, to be surrounded by young girls and act together with them? That’s a cruel joke. It’s not uncommon for adventurers to spend multiple nights in deep dungeons, you know?”

“Female students going on overnight trips… that’s a serious matter.”

“Shut up! You guys are the ones who did it!”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice without considering the annoyance it might cause to the neighbors, but when it comes to this issue, I don’t think I’m at fault.

“Well, calm down… So, how are those girls actually doing? Can they handle it?”

“Well, they’re doing fine. No problems in terms of performance. If anything, I’m the one holding them back.”

“I figured as much.”

“Shut up… And as for their mental state, there are no issues either. We went to the goblin hole in the dungeon for our first time…”

“Hey, hey. Goblins aren’t exactly welcoming for first-timers, you know.”

Hiro frowned as he said that, but this place is famous among adventurers in the area as somewhere beginners shouldn’t go.

However, this knowledge isn’t recorded in any official documents; it’s purely oral tradition.

Although there is some information on the internet as well, the true meaning of facing creatures that resemble humans cannot be conveyed through words alone.

If one thinks that everything learned from textbooks is sufficient or blindly believes in surface-level information, they won’t understand the danger of that place.

“Well, yeah… That’s how it went. I thought they were prepared since they said they were, but it turned out differently. When we actually killed the goblins, they were vomiting and crying.”

“I figured. Killing living creatures is the most important aspect that training can’t teach.”

“But, within a few hours, they stood back up.”

“Just a few hours… That’s impressive. You, on the other hand, were down for days even with a dog bite.”

“It was only two days, not days.”

“Haha, some things never change.”

As it turns out, Hiro also spent a whole day shut inside his room in the beginning.

“Well, overall, things are going well. Their skills and personalities… The evaluation at this stage is still a work in progress, but they have the potential to become formidable individuals. That’s what it means to become a ‘hero’.”

With them around, people can feel safe. They can conquer dungeons alone and close gates. That’s what a hero does.

Miyano still has a long way to go in terms of abilities, but I believe she has the potential. Even though I won’t be called a hero within these three months, I think she will be recognized as one in ten years.

“Heroes, huh… They’re distant figures from us.”

“Yeah, at best… What do you call those people who give advice to heroes in games?”

“Oh yeah, those types. They either sacrifice themselves to protect the hero or get caught up in battles and die. Or they’re the ones who mysteriously die.”

“That’s me then. I’ll come back as a ghost if I die.”

“Oh, right. I’ll be waiting. I’ll confront you with ghost-banishing tools from the convenience store. Nowadays, those tools can actually banish spirits.”

“Well, times have changed. Instead of uncertain ghosts, we’re dealing with clearly identified monsters. There are even monks who specialize in undead extermination.”

“Oh yeah, the fighting monks.”

“It’s impressive that they’re top-ranked adventurers.”

“They may only have third-class strength against non-undead creatures, but if they can handle undead, that’s more than enough for a first-class evaluation.”

“Yeah, true. But if we’re talking about that, vampire hunters are something else. They mainly deal with undead, but they can handle other things too.”

“But didn’t they have conflicts with a certain organization?”

While exchanging such mixed information and casual chat, we continued to drink and pass the time.

“Well, I should head home soon.”

“What? Not staying overnight? Didn’t you inform your wife?”

“That too, but I have an interview tomorrow.”

“An interview? Have you already decided on your next job?”

“Yeah, we’ve been talking about it for a while. Well, the other two seem to be enjoying themselves for a while longer.”

“I’ll probably be in the same boat in a few more months.”

“In that case, do your best not to die until then.”

“Yeah. You too, good luck with your interview. It’s a different kind of battlefield, isn’t it?”

“Well, I’ll manage somehow. At least my life isn’t on the line. I’ll figure something out.”