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 21    Mizuki: Meeting

＿＿＿＿Miyano Mizuki＿＿＿＿

Miyano Mizuki, a student, had a day off during the summer break where they could sleep in or do whatever they pleased until noon. Although there was a need to explore dungeons or train to keep their body in shape, they hadn’t scheduled anything for today.

Despite that, Mizuki was dressed up and equipped as if heading to a battlefield, making sure everything was in order in front of the mirror.

“Alright.”

After confirming that there were no issues with their appearance, Mizuki left their assigned room in the student dormitory.

“…Ah.”

Upon heading towards the designated meeting place, the multipurpose hall, Mizuki found their team members, Asada Kana and Kitahara Yuzu, already waiting there.

“I’m sorry, I kept you waiting.”

“Mmm, well, we just arrived ourselves.”

“Huh?”

“What’s the matter, Yuzu?”

“Um… well…”

“If you have something to say, go ahead and say it.”

“Well, you know? I arrived just about ten minutes ago, but Kana-chan was already here before me, and she seemed quite relaxed. It feels like she arrived quite a while ago…”

“Was that so?”

“It’s not like that. It was just a coincidence. I happened to misread the time and arrived too early.”

“But you’re not denying that you were waiting.”

“Ah…”

Observing Kana’s stunned and speechless reaction, Mizuki chuckled softly, unable to contain their amusement.

“Kana, were you looking forward to it that much?”

“W-Well, yeah. Yuzu mentioned it yesterday, and I thought it would be necessary for our future adventures to have a better understanding of how the tools we use are made. And I can’t keep everyone waiting, so…”

“Hey… Kana-chan, what do you think of Igami-san?”

“Huh?! W-Why are you asking me that? I don’t understand.”

They say when three women gather, things get lively, and it seems that even adventurers are no exception when it comes to turning the conversation toward romance.

In response to Yuzu’s question, Kana hurriedly blurted out her words, but Mizuki sensed that it wasn’t her true feelings.

For the girl named Asada Kana, the male adventurer Igami Koosuke was initially perceived as “just some disagreeable old guy.”

He was reluctantly added to the team due to the shortage of members, and Kana could sense his dissatisfaction in his every attitude and word.

Moreover, he was of lower rank than herself, so she had a stronger sense of having allowed him to join the team rather than the other way around.

However, ever since they took the time for a discussion and conducted training in the school’s facility, Kana began to develop a growing awareness of Igami Koosuke.

And during the summer vacation while exploring the dungeon together, his evaluation shifted significantly from being “just some disagreeable old guy.”

Kana herself had noticed this change, but at the same time, the other team members had also taken notice.

However, it wasn’t just Kana whose impression of Igami Koosuke had changed. Yuzu, Haruka, and even Mizuki themselves had a different impression of him compared to when they first met.

“Um, well… Kana-chan, at first, you seemed tough on Igami-san, but lately, it feels like you’ve become more friendly with him…”

“It’s not like that!”

“…Really?”

“Yes, really. …But hey, you seem surprisingly proactive when it comes to these kinds of conversations.”

“Uh… is that bad?”

“No, it’s not bad, but… well, I guess I do hope that Koosuke can change a little. We call him by his name, but he still refers to us by our last names.”

“That’s true… I mean, considering our initial meeting and the nature of our relationship, it’s somewhat understandable. In a way, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, right?”

For Asada Kana, just like how Igami Koosuke was initially added to the team as a makeshift solution, Mizuki’s perspective on him was the same.

Mizuki doesn’t look down on him just because he’s a third-class adventurer. However, she believed that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with them, based on the fact that they were in a different league.

It wasn’t discrimination but a simple fact, and Koosuke himself admitted that he didn’t possess the skills worthy of a first-class team.

However, underestimating Igami Koosuke as an adventurer would be a severe undervaluation.

Certainly, his third-class evaluation might not change. However, he possessed knowledge and skills that more than compensated for it.

He may say that it was only necessary for his own survival, but that’s just scratching the surface of his talent.

Though they initially agreed to be a team for only three months, Mizuki respected Koosuke enough to wish to continue working together and learn from him.

“But it’s still frustrating that there’s a barrier, right?”

“Yeah, I guess… Hey, do you think Igami-san will quit soon?”

“Huh?”

“Well, originally, it was only a three-month commitment until Igami-san quit being an adventurer, right? Considering that the ranking tournament will be over around that time, I think he’ll stay until then. But what will happen after it’s finished?”

“He’ll probably quit, I suppose.”

“Why? He can still fight, can’t he? There’s no need for him to quit being an adventurer. He should just stay here.”

They all shared the common desire for Igami Koosuke to stay with the team for a while longer, regardless of their individual feelings.

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s have a talk after the ranking tournament is over.”

Upon hearing Mizuki’s words, both Kana and Yuzu nodded. The conversation reached a temporary conclusion, but soon it returned to the original topic.

“─ Anyway, it’s surprising to hear Kana, who was so resistant at first, saying something like that.”

“W-Well, um…”

Kana, unable to find the right words, let out a groan and then quickly stood up from her chair with determination.

“But honestly, it’s true. I never thought I’d feel this way, but… after spending time together and going through various adventures, my perspective on things has changed. I’ve come to appreciate Igami-san’s skills and dedication. It’s not easy for me to admit it, but he has earned my respect.”

Her voice quivered slightly as she spoke, but her resolve was evident in her expression and actions.

Mizuki and Yuzu exchanged glances, silently acknowledging Kana’s growth and the shifting dynamics within their team. The bond between them was getting stronger, transcending their initial expectations and forming a genuine connection based on trust and mutual understanding.

“Stop, stop! Instead of talking here, let’s hurry up and go!”

“Wait, Haruka hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Haruka? That girl is always…”

“Maybe Haruka-chan is still sleeping in her room. I’ll go wake her up.”

“Wait a moment! I’ll come with you. It’ll take too long if it’s just you.”

Kana and Yuzu said so and ran off towards the room of their final team member, Haruka Abe.

“They’ve really changed a lot.”

Watching the two of them running off in a commotion, Mizuki murmured while observing Kana, particularly impressed by her transformation.