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?

Volume 2  Chapter 21   Daily life on the eve of exams

It has been several weeks since I went to Nina’s place and introduced these guys. Now it’s the end of February.

Even after that, Miyano and the others have accompanied me to the research institute a few times.

I did introduce them on those occasions, but the reaction wasn’t exactly positive.

It seems that getting along with Nina still requires them to have enough strength to survive my attacks.

The reason Miyano and the others aren’t being attacked when they talk is probably because they’re my students.

Perhaps knowing about her, Miyano and the others have become more dedicated to their training than before.

Well, they were already serious about it, but it feels like their mindset has changed.

“Only three days left until the exams…”

“Yeah, time flies.”

“I don’t feel like I’ve studied well for this one, though…”

After finishing our training in the dungeon and coming out of the gate as usual, I overheard that conversation from behind while we were selling the collected items.

Oh, right. They were talking about the upcoming final exams.

Tests… not exactly fun, but I do find myself wanting to take them again now.

I didn’t understand it when I was a student, but as an adult, I often think about wanting to experience that kind of thing again.

Besides, although I disliked the tests themselves, I have fond memories of joking around with friends before and after exams.

Well, it’s too late to say such things now.

“Get your act together.”

“Who do you think is to blame?”

“It’s your own fault for not studying, isn’t it?”

I really wish they wouldn’t blame others for not studying, honestly.

“You’re the one to blame!”

Asada shouted, her anger is slightly evident.

I can think of a reason why… Well, it’s not surprising.

I have disrupted classes before, so it’s understandable to be accused of it.

But it’s not like I purposefully disrupted studying for no reason. I have valid reasons for it.

“But now you’ve at least developed the ability to sense presence and hostility, right?”

“Well, yeah. I still can’t quite grasp subtle ill intentions, but I can definitely sense clear hostility now.”

Over the course of these days, even on days when I didn’t need to attend classes, I went to school with them and followed behind them.

Just hearing that makes it sound like I’m a total stalker, but that’s not it. I’m definitely not a stalker.

So, well, I followed behind them and ambushed them… No, that’s not it. It’s more like, hmm, a different way to put it… Ah, training. I was accompanying them in their training.

I would throw small stones at their heads while walking in the hallway or cast spells at their sides during class.

Since they always exaggerated their reactions, it became slightly enjoyable along the way. It’s a secret, though. I won’t tell anyone.

…Although, if Hiro and the others somehow found out, they would definitely tease me about it.

And if rumors spread about me playfully attacking high school girls’ stomachs, it would be quite troublesome, or rather… let’s just say it would be problematic in various ways.

If you understand that much, it’s already more than enough. For talentless individuals, it would take even more time.

…If you can’t do it, you’ll end up having to speak out during class. Hey, that was really embarrassing, you know!

There were a few occasions when I hit their sides with magic, causing them to shout “Eek!” and stand up… It seems that actually served a purpose. Well, I’m relieved. Asada is glaring at me, but I’ll pretend not to notice.

“How long did it take for you, Igami-san, to develop this ability?”

“Well… I’m not sure. I realized I could do it without noticing. Well, I suppose weaker individuals like me, who are closer to being weaklings, are more likely to instinctively sense the survival instincts of the weaker ones.”

“Like how mice sense earthquakes and run away?”

I answered Miyano’s question, but Asada’s response had a hint of malice. Is this payback for the side incident?

“That’s a rather malicious analogy… But, well, it’s not entirely wrong. Strong people like you and Nina don’t often find themselves in life-threatening situations. As a result, it becomes harder for you to perceive danger.”

For someone like me, who basically faces life-threatening situations in every dungeon, if I can’t sense hostility or ill intentions, I’ll end up dead.

This is something not only I can do, but also Hiro and the other former team members. It’s a necessary skill for lower-tier individuals, so to speak.

“So? Are you guys really okay with studying? I’ve trained you in various ways, but I’m concerned that you didn’t have enough time for exam preparation.”

“We’re fine. We not only go on adventures but also study regularly.”

That would likely be the case for Miyano. And I don’t have any concerns about Kitahara and Abe either.

So what I’m saying is about the remaining person.

“Well, it’s probably true for you guys. But what about Asada? Cramming the night before exams can lead to disastrous results, you know?”

“Huh? Don’t underestimate me. I may cram, but I consistently rank high in my year.”

For a moment, I couldn’t grasp what she was saying.

“…Huh?”

After blinking a few times upon hearing Asada’s words, I finally managed to utter a response, which was merely that.

“Hey, what’s with that reaction?”

However, judging from Asada’s disgruntled response, it seemed to be the truth.

“Huh? Seriously?”

“Yes. Kana ranks around thirtieth on average, but occasionally she even makes it into the single digits.”

While pointing at Asada, I turned my face towards Miyano and asked. Miyano nodded as if it were no big deal. Seriously…

“W-Wait, are you kidding me? You?!”

“What? Do you have something to say? Go ahead and say it.”

However, even when it was said plainly, I couldn’t accept it. Those murmurs slipped out unintentionally. Hearing them, Asada took a step closer, glaring at me.

“No, I mean… Were you… smart?”

“I had a vague idea of what you thought about me… But based on your reaction, I think we need to have a discussion. What do you think?”

Certainly, my choice of words may not have been good, but please wait a moment.

“But seriously, think about your usual attitude and fighting style. Do you think someone who charges at enemies with a blunt weapon is considered smart? I do think it’s a suitable fighting style for your abilities, but you didn’t start off fighting like that, did you?”

“…It was just good for stress relief.”

Upon hearing my words, Asada’s displeased expression changed to a somewhat sulky one, and she averted her gaze from me.

Using a blunt weapon for stress relief, huh… Well, it’s just like her, I guess.

“Uh, um, since I was able to do the report without any issues this time, it’s a relief, right?”

Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere after Asada looked away, Kitahara began speaking while looking at all of us. I welcomed the topic change since it took the focus off me.

“But a report alone won’t be the end, right? I remember there’s a combat test after the written exam… Are we going to have another ranking battle or something?”

“No, we won’t go for something as elaborate as that. It’ll be a match against the teacher’s team. When it comes to battles between students, it’s difficult to accurately measure their strength.”

Well, if we have a tournament-style where the strong ones face each other, it won’t be determined solely by rankings.

“By the way, you’ll be participating in that test too.”

“Huh?… Oh, it’s a team battle. But isn’t that for the students?”

For a moment, I thought I would be taking the test individually, but I quickly understood that it would be a team battle.

“Securing and selecting teammates.”

Abe’s words were still brief as always, but I somewhat understood what she meant. If we plan to continue as adventurers after graduation, there may be situations where we need to gather reliable teammates. This test is likely to confirm our capability in such situations.

“Well… I mean, I kind of understand what you’re saying, but… wasn’t this never done before?”

“It’s meant as a summary of the entire year. Since the instructors’ abilities are essentially beyond the school’s jurisdiction, there’s no need to confirm it every time there’s an exam.”

While there have been tests before, I was never called for anything like this.

But well, I suppose the school doesn’t really care about the instructors’ grades.

“So, make sure to keep the final day of the exam free.”

With that, my participation in the exam was settled. As our conversation momentarily paused, we began walking from the control room of the current gate toward the bus for our return journey.