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 24   Curses and Escapes

“But you know, it’s not right for you to keep carrying that burden forever. That’s what I think.”

Due to Mika’s death occurring inside the dungeon, we couldn’t retrieve her body.

As a result, I had to accept the fact that she had died while looking at an empty coffin.

There was no real sense of reality.

I couldn’t say goodbye or offer any final words.

There was no one to express my feelings to or to direct my resentment towards.

I was simply left behind, all alone.

“But to wish for someone to continue dedicating their life and holding onto thoughts of oneself even after death, that is nothing but a curse. She wouldn’t want or wish for such a thing.”

A curse.

Those words are accurate. What swirls within my heart, ‘this,’ is undoubtedly a curse.

However, it’s not a curse cast upon me by Mika; it’s a foolish self-imposed entanglement that I placed upon myself.

The depths of my heart remained in turmoil, never finding solace no matter how many years passed. It might fade, but it never disappeared. The only thing I managed to do was to push it to the corner of my mind, avoiding direct confrontation with ‘it.’

With such lingering thoughts, I’ve come this far.

Even when I awakened and became an adventurer, I trained desperately, vowing never to die, never to be killed.

Because it was infuriating.

Can one stay silent after having something precious taken away? Can one endure being deprived once again? I did everything within my power.

And I helped not only myself but also those who were dying before my eyes.

I did my best to prevent as many people as possible from being killed by the incomprehensible existence called the dungeon.

As a result, I earned the grand title of ‘Survivor.’

A name that represents a worthless, incompetent loser who couldn’t do anything during the most crucial moment for the most important person.

“…I understand that. I’m just avoiding it, that’s all.”

I’m well aware that it’s called running away. To the point of hating it.

Even if I help someone, she won’t come back. Even if I distance myself from Asada and the others, nothing will change.

“If you understand that, then it’s better than nothing… But face it properly. It’s much more painful to not be seen than to be denied or rejected.”

The truth is, I somehow sensed Asada Kana’s feelings.

There was a possibility that it was just my own self-consciousness, but I thought that she had some level of goodwill towards me.

By the end of summer vacation, her attitude towards me had clearly changed, and I felt the discomfort.

But even so, I ignored it, thinking that her favorable feelings were just my imagination.

Because… even now, I can’t forget about her.

I was afraid that I would forget about her without even realizing it.

I want to forget, but I don’t want to forget. It’s such a contradiction.

“But I can’t see them in that way. Not just her, but the age difference is too significant…”

“While it’s true that men and women may have different perspectives, as a woman, I feel like age shouldn’t matter when it comes to love. Besides…”

However, Koharu-san put down her chopsticks and looked at me with a serious expression.

Her demeanor seemed as if she was angry.

…No, she was actually angry.

“Don’t use my sister as a reason to escape.”

And Koharu-san calmly, but with a hint of anger in her voice, said those words.

Her voice was filled with determination. “Her life and death belong solely to her. I won’t tolerate anyone using that as an excuse to exploit her for their own purposes, even if it’s you.”

“…”

“Face it, don’t run away.”

Those sharp words left me with nothing but clenched fists.

“When you connect with someone, there will always be goodbyes. As an adventurer, engaged in life-or-death situations, those opportunities for farewells are even more frequent. But you mustn’t run away from those farewells. You have to confront them squarely. It’s the duty of those left behind.”

“Yes…”

I managed to respond with those few words to her gently admonishing tone, but that was all.

“Well, let’s drink. After all, that’s why we came here. Serious conversations are important, but if Koharu goes too far with her words, it might take a strange turn.”

“Yeah…”

To change the somber atmosphere, Hiro, who had been silently listening, spoke up, and Koharu-san changed the mood with a small smile. She finished her beer and ordered another.

“Oh, by the way, Koo. You’re quitting as an instructor at the end of this year, right?”

“Yeah…”

We came here to drink and have a good time. Although I would have to think about it again later, Hiro diverted the conversation considerately, so for now, I decided to change my mindset.

They listened to me, and I even received advice. I can think about it alone later.

I’ve already received the help I needed.

“Why don’t you join the new department in the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“A new department?”

“Yeah. There’s talk of creating several new departments starting next year. The number of adventurers has been increasing, but there are also many non-adventurers involved. So one of the new departments will hire experienced adventurers to teach about ‘adventurers’ and their activities for the purpose of education.”

The occurrence rate of Gates is increasing year by year, and as a result, the rate of awakenings is also on the rise.

However, it’s undeniable that the majority of people are non-awakened individuals.

Even if they say they want to go on an adventure, they probably have no idea what adventurers actually do. And even if they say they want to support adventurers, they may not know how to go about it.

If it were someone with experience as an adventurer, they could handle appropriate responses and provide advice, but for ordinary people…

“Well, there are a few other new departments as well, but I’m thinking of squeezing you into one of them.”

“Squeezing me in… Is that possible? Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s possible, and it’s fine. Even I managed to climb up to a relatively ‘higher’ position, so I have some connections.”

By ‘higher,’ he probably means the upper echelons of the organization that manages adventurers, the Guild.

Well, with the mention of connections, maybe he went even higher… like the Ministry of Adventurers or something.

Come to think of it, I never really asked about those details. I wonder where he ended up?

But well, if he’s willing to do it, maybe I should ask for his help. When leaving the life of an adventurer, it’s relatively easy to join an organization related to adventurers, but if it can be settled smoothly, that would be even better.

“Then, can I count on you?”

“Yeah, since I was the one who brought it up, leave it to me!”

And so, I secured the next job, the meal progressed, and it became a reasonably good time to part ways.

“Whether you accept or reject, it’s better to make up sooner!”

Upon hearing those words from Koharu, we bid each other farewell.

“…Next time we meet, I should apologize properly.”

And also…

“I have to change, even if it’s just a little.”

With that determination in my heart, I began my journey back home.