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  37   Asuka: What should I do?

Asuka Tenshi

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh… Y-Yes, somehow…”

With Kana and the others gone, Asuka approached her fallen comrade.

“It seems like you’re exhausted, but what happened? Even if Asada-san has become stronger, it shouldn’t be a match that three of you would lose, right?”

“I don’t know… But at some point, it just became hard to breathe…”

“Hard to breathe?”

It wasn’t unusual for movements to be hindered and breathing to become irregular during a battle. However, if that were the case, their own teammates shouldn’t have been affected in such a way.

As Asuka pondered over it, she couldn’t come up with a reason for that breathlessness.

“…Could it be sweat?”

But as she thought about it, Asuka suddenly felt something strange about the female healer.

(Perhaps the unusually high temperature I felt when I arrived here wasn’t just my imagination?)

The breathlessness, the excessive sweating, and the heat she felt when she arrived at this place…

“Heatstroke… Abe-san, is it?”

Yes. Kana and the others had planned this from the beginning, setting up a trap. Invisible magic that gradually but surely eroded the opponent’s stamina without them noticing.

Perhaps it was also because they left the magician behind, but those who were preoccupied with the sight of Kana in front of them couldn’t realize it.

“But was she the type of person who would resort to such trickery?”

However, even if she could identify the cause, Asuka felt another sense of discomfort there.

“No, for now, I need to retreat.”

Rather than dwelling on that sense of unease, she shook her head, realizing that she needed to do something about the current situation.

(However, it’s difficult for me to carry three people alone, and Shun…)

But at that moment, Asuka hesitated.

(What if this is their strategy? Fatigue us to the point where we can’t walk and strip us of the treasure’s protection… I can’t say for sure that it’s not the case.)

The magician was left behind to protect the treasure. Although they had Shun as the front-line member for now, if Asuka were to summon him to this location, the responsibility of guarding the treasure would fall solely on the magician.

With a sigh of resignation, Asuka decided to carry the unconscious two and let the conscious healer walk back to their own territory.

“…Shun.”

It was thirty minutes later when Asuka and her companions returned to their designated area where the treasure was located. It had been an hour since the match began.

Despite managing to move somewhat decently due to the passage of time, the three of them were in a sorry state, with two of them having retired.

However, even in the face of their appearance, Shun showed no signs of surprise.

“You’re not surprised.”

“Well, I kind of expected it to turn out this way.”

Asuka felt irritated by his response and asked for the reason behind it.

“Why do you think that way? We clearly had the advantage in terms of raw power and team numbers,” Asuka questioned.

“While it’s true that we have the advantage in terms of pure strength and numbers, what about their actual combat capabilities?” Shun replied.

“Actual combat capabilities? Are you suggesting there is a discrepancy between their evaluation and their true abilities? … Well, yes, that’s true. In reality, they were stronger than we anticipated,” Asuka admitted, recalling their battle against Kana.

Asuka initially felt a slight resistance to Shun’s words but then acknowledged her own misconception, considering their encounter with Kana.

“However, what I’m referring to is not about them personally but the person responsible for their growth. Who or what contributed to their divergence between evaluation and actual combat prowess?” Shun clarified.

However, Shun’s point was not focused on that aspect.

“Isn’t it their own effort that brought about their growth?” Asuka questioned.

“The instructor. What do you think he’s there for?” Shun replied.

“The instructor? Are you suggesting that man, Igami Koosuke, is the reason for Miyano-san and the others’ improvement?”

“Yes, I believe so…”

“That’s impossible,” Asuka interrupted before Shun could explain his thoughts fully.

“…And why do you think that?” Asuka inquired.

“I had the opportunity to speak with him when we first encountered him. However, even if it were true that they became stronger because of a man like him, I find it hard to accept.”

“…I see… In that case, please look up a man named ‘Igami Koosuke’ on the adventurers’ exclusive bulletin board,” Shun suggested.

By registering as an adventurer, one gains access to information that is not available to the general public. The board contains details about monster ecology and a list of adventurers, but it is relatively limited in scope.

However, exceptional individuals who have achieved high ranks or notable accomplishments are an exception to this rule.

“That’s the name of that man? It’s not necessary to go through the trouble of researching it…” Asuka hesitated.

“Please look it up,” Shun interrupted this time.

Asuka felt a sense of unease at Shun’s interruption, but she realized that arguing here would be pointless. So she decided to follow Shun’s advice and conduct the search.

However, she didn’t expect to find anything significant. Even if there was any information, it wouldn’t be of much importance. At least, that’s what she thought.

“Huh?”

“Did you find something?”

“Well, yes. But this… it’s…” Asuka struggled to comprehend the information that appeared as a result of her search. It detailed remarkable achievements and great accomplishments.

“This time, you underestimated the enemy. You had prior information in the form of a name, yet you entered the match without even looking it up. No, even without knowing the name, you should research your opponents as thoroughly as possible. If this were a real battle, those three over there would be dead,” Shun stated.

Although they managed to retire this time thanks to the healing magic barrier, if this were truly a dungeon expedition, at least two of them would have died without a doubt.

“What he says is correct. Your intentions, Miss Asuka, are admirable. However, first, you must protect yourself. Only when you can defend yourself can you protect your allies, your precious things, and reach out to other matters. If you neglect to do your best for yourself, the path ahead will lead to ‘death,'” another voice chimed in.

“-!” Upon hearing these words from Shun, who was supposed to be her comrade, Asuka felt the urge to argue.

However, the situation was undeniably accurate. She had underestimated her opponent and had been easily dealt with.

Thus, Asuka found herself unable to say anything and fell into silence.

“………… What should I do?”

After a few minutes of silence, Asuka, still hunched over, softly uttered these words.

“Abandon your personal preferences. I’m not telling you to like or dislike anyone. However, on the battlefield, you must not judge your opponents based on personal preferences. Whether they’re enemies or allies,” Shun advised, observing Asuka’s demeanor and offering his words of wisdom.

Seeing Asuka’s state, Shun let out a small laugh and continued speaking, guiding her.

“In this match, we had the advantage and an extra member, which is why Miss Asuka left me here. However, that was a mistake. It’s fine to leave someone to guard the treasure. But in that case, a better strategy would have been to deploy me for exploration while keeping the rest of the team in place. If that had been the plan, we wouldn’t have had two members eliminated simultaneously. At least, that shouldn’t have happened,” Shun explained.

The optimal strategy for this game was for the members other than Asuka and Shun to defend their base while the two of them infiltrated the enemy territory.

However, due to Asuka’s pride, she didn’t follow that plan.

“I understand that going back on your words and accepting this situation may not sit well with you, but if you want to win, you should use everything at your disposal and act accordingly,” Shun advised.

Hearing Shun’s words, Asuka clenched her fist and bit her lip.

However, even then, her determination remained unbroken.

“………… Shun.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I will defeat the enemy. Lend me your strength.”

“Yes, Miss Asuka.”

Ah, witnessing someone’s growth is truly remarkable.

Shun thought this as he looked at the young girl standing before him, unwavering in her gaze.

And once again, the situation began to unfold.