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 8 “The ability of a third-class.”

And so, we entered the dungeon and proceeded as we did the first time. After passing the location where we defeated the goblin’s corpse during our first encounter, we encountered goblins several times and engaged in battles.

However, both Miya and Kitahara frowned, but they didn’t vomit or squat down. They muttered some minor complaints or grievances, but that was about it.

“No problem, it seems.”

“Um, well…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well, um…”

While watching the battles for a while as we progressed through the dungeon, after about an hour, Kitahara, who had been waiting by my side, timidly spoke up.

“You can speak your mind clearly. It’s not good to hesitate and not speak up in a place like this.”

“I’m sorry… I-I didn’t mean to…”

“Why are you bullying Yuzu?”

From my perspective, I simply expressed a reasonable opinion, but Kitahara shrank back.

Whether she observed it or heard about it, Asada, who had been fighting as the vanguard until then, returned and glared at me.

Well, it’s true that my words may have become somewhat blunt or rough.

However, I am not bullying anyone, nor do I have any intention to do so.

Doing such things inside the dungeon or within the same team would only be like tightening a noose around my own neck.

“I just asked because it seemed like there was something to discuss. Who would bully anyone?”

“Discuss? Hmph, that’s obvious. You’re just standing there watching us from behind and muttering under your breath. If you have a problem, then you fight too! Show us what you’re capable of!”

I don’t really have any complaints…

It’s true that I was muttering, but I was just analyzing their abilities.

“Kana, that’s enough.”

At that moment, Miyano, who was also fighting as a vanguard like Asada, came back and stopped her. However, it didn’t end there.

“Well, Mr. Igami. Kana’s way of speaking may be rude, but could you show us your strength if possible? Knowing your capabilities or not will affect our handling in crucial situations.”

The girl who was down just a few hours ago spoke quite clearly, but even so, I don’t particularly have any objections. Her point is reasonable, so I decided to agree.

“Well, yeah.”

“Anyway, you’re probably weaker than that girl, right?”

“That girl?”

“The one who’s absent due to illness. She’s also a mage, just like you.”

“Ah, I see. Well, there’s no doubt she’s incomparable.”

I see. The original fourth member of this team was a mage. It’s quite a well-balanced team.

Well, as I just said, I’m incomparable to her… Of course, I mean I’m weaker.

They’re probably telling me not to compare myself, a third-class mage, to someone who’s likely a first-class mage.

“I’ll come to your aid when the time comes.”

“We don’t need help against opponents like this.”

I said that and started moving ahead.

After a while, I sensed the enemy’s presence up ahead and signaled the three who were following me to stop.

Using magic, I accurately assessed the number and location of the enemies.

Once I had a complete understanding of the enemy’s situation, I prepared to use magic for an attack…

“Water?”

“Lame.”

Miyano and Asada let out small voices when they saw the water I created with magic, and well, it’s true that it was rather weak.

The water I conjured was about the size of a ping pong ball. Even though I created three of them, it’s nothing compared to what a first-class mage can do. After all, a first-class mage can effortlessly create and manipulate enough water to fill a swimming pool.

However…

“Well, I’m just a third-class mage, so it’s expected to be like this—”

But nevertheless, that doesn’t change the outcome.

Even if I could create water in the quantity of an entire ocean, or even if I could only create three ping pong balls’ worth of water, if it allows me to “kill three goblins,” then the result is the same.

The water spheres I created advanced toward the goblins and hit them in the mouth.

In response, the goblins were surprised by the sudden attack and frantically looked around, but they soon stopped and reached for their own necks.

After leaving them like that for a while, the goblins fell while scratching at their necks, so I approached, pierced them with my sword, and delivered the finishing blow.

“Some idiot somewhere was saying it’s weak, but you don’t need a pool’s worth of water to kill a living creature. Once you block their throat, it’s over. Small-scale magic has a lower chance of being detected by enemy mages, and it conserves magical energy. A brute force attack is just something foolish people do, in my opinion.”

When using magic, it scatters magical energy around the surroundings. The larger the scale and the greater the power of the magic used, the wider the dispersion of magical energy reactions in the vicinity.

Since mages can sense those reactions, it’s generally best not to use large-scale magic in combat situations where you don’t want to attract too much attention in a dungeon.

Well, there are times when brute force is necessary, and it’s true that a first-class mage has better endurance than a third-class mage, so if you had to choose between the two, the first-class mage would be the preferred option.

“So, how was it? This is my way of fighting.”

Taking advantage of the enemy’s opening, I disrupt their movements with magic and strike with my sword. That’s my basic fighting style.

Using tools and coordinating with allies come into play as well, but in any case, it’s not exactly the orthodox approach.

It’s the tactics of a coward or an unscrupulous fighter. But that’s what it means to fight for your life, that’s what adventure is about. To survive, you can’t always seek glorious victories.

“So you’re a mage specialized in guerrilla tactics.”

“Yeah, well, I said that earlier, but the truth is, I can’t really use any powerful spells. After all, I’m only a third-class mage.”

As a third-class mage, I don’t possess a significant amount of magical power. Technically, I can use large-scale spells… well, not that I can’t use them at all, but if I were to use them, I would probably collapse.

Even in the recent battle, I didn’t wait until the very end because I wanted to conserve as much magical energy as possible.

“So, should we continue forward for now?”

I’ve demonstrated my fighting style for the time being, so it’s time to return to our original formation.

Well, I say formation, but I’m simply trailing behind everyone else.