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 27   The reason for building walls

On the morning of the Ranking Battle, I arrived at the gate control room, which was the venue for our fights. I believed that we had done everything we could and devised various strategies, so I felt confident. Now, let’s see how it turns out.

While pondering such thoughts, I noticed Miyano leaning against a wall not far from the main entrance of the control room. I walked over to her.

“Hey, good morning. Where are the others?” I asked.

“They’re waiting in the waiting room. I just wanted to get some fresh air outside,” she replied.

“I see. Well, try not to get too nervous,” I said.

Engaging in too much conversation might only make us more nervous. She’s the type of person who can prepare herself for the performance without much intervention.

With that in mind, I turned my back to Miyano and started walking.

“As… umm!”

“Hmm?”

However, just as I took a step forward, I heard a voice from behind me, calling out to me. I stopped and turned around to face Miyano.

However, Miyano remained silent even though I had turned around… No, she seemed unable to speak or hesitant about what to say. It was as if she had something to say but was unsure if she should say it.

Nevertheless, it was clear that she had something she wanted to express. So, I decided to wait for Miyano to speak up.

And finally, after gathering her courage, Miyano locked eyes with me and opened her mouth.

“…Igami-san, why do you build walls?”

For a moment, Miyano’s words startled me, but I realized that they had already noticed that I kept my distance from them. There was no need to be flustered about it now.

However, explaining the reason at this moment, just before the match, seemed unnecessary. I intended to keep it to myself until the end and brush it off.

“…Walls? I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

That’s what I initially thought, but my words came to a halt. They stopped.

Miyano’s gaze was just too intense.

…This is the final moment, and it’s fine.

Even after today, we’ll be together for a while longer, but once this event is over, I’ll leave this team.

If that’s the case, I can afford to tell them why, at least for this final moment.

Besides, if I don’t tell them now, it might break their concentration.

With that in mind, I let out a small sigh and began to explain why I had been keeping my distance.

“It’s because I’d be a burden.”

“A burden?”

“That’s right. I’ll be quitting as an adventurer soon, but even after I leave, if I become a source of trouble for you, wouldn’t you willingly take on unnecessary burdens? You can see that even in the short time we’ve been together.”

This person is so kind that they deserve to be called a hero.

And it’s not just them. Their companions, the other team members, are the same.

“But that’s unnecessary. In the world of adventurers, people die easily. And that applies to all of you who have been deemed talented. In a situation where you never know when you’ll die, if you constantly worry about others, it becomes a vulnerability. I don’t wish for anyone in the world to be saved, but at least I don’t want anyone who has been associated with me to die. I don’t want any of you to die.”

Everyone dies eventually, and being an adventurer increases that probability.

I suppose those who choose the path of an adventurer are prepared for that, but still, I didn’t want anyone I knew to die.

“Besides, if I were to die somewhere while exploring a dungeon, you, at least you would feel pain, wouldn’t you? You’re just kids. You don’t need to carry the weight of someone else’s life. That’s why it’s better not to worry about insignificant people like me who could die at any moment. To do that, it’s best to avoid getting involved as much as possible. If you don’t get involved, you won’t have to worry even if I die. It’s only three months anyway. So, it’s smart not to get too close, right?”

As I firmly expressed my thoughts, Miyano’s expression grew stern, with a frown forming on her face, and her mouth contorted unhappily.

“That’s meaningless.”

“Huh?”

And then, in a slightly different tone than usual, she said it clearly.

“That’s no longer meaningful. Don’t say foolish things like we won’t have to worry if we don’t get involved. We’ve already been involved enough, haven’t we? If you were to die, we would be devastated. It wouldn’t change. It doesn’t matter if you say now that you don’t want to be involved or that we didn’t get involved. It won’t change anymore.”

…

In a tone different from her usual way of speaking, she passionately confronted me with her heartfelt words.

I listened to Miyano’s words, biting my lip, unable to respond.

“Sorry… I spoke out of turn.”

“No…”

Miyano suddenly realized her behavior and apologized, but I could only offer a short reply.