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 32   Nina：Precious person

──Nina──

“Hehehe…”

Nina was in a cheerful mood that day.

However, it would be more accurate to say that she had been in a good mood for a while now.

Since Koosuke had gone on a date with Nina before, something had changed in the way Koosuke treated her.

Nina noticed the change, although she didn’t understand the reason behind it. Thanks to the enjoyable days that followed, Nina found herself smiling and laughing even when Koosuke wasn’t around.

“It’s time. Please prepare for departure.”

“…Fine. It’s bothersome, but I have no choice. After all, I have already received compensation.”

While lying on the bed in her assigned room at the research facility—her isolation room—Nina was reading a book when a broadcast echoed through the room.

Even though she had been happily contemplating where to go and what to do next, she became annoyed at the interruption. However, she had made a promise with Koosuke not to harm anyone recklessly, so Nina suppressed her irritation.

After changing into suitable attire and finishing her preparations, she left the room with the staff.

Normally, Nina was not allowed to venture outside. But today was different.

She was granted permission to accomplish the purpose for which she was kept—specifically, to destroy troublesome gates among the highest class of gates.

Nina was then taken to a nearby Self-Defense Forces facility by helicopter, where she boarded a plane that would take her to the target gate.

“This is the end, isn’t it? To be called for something of this level… I wonder what the other awakened beings are doing?”

However, as Nina reached the gate that had been causing problems, she immediately began constructing her magic.

Entering the gate, she casually scattered flames, bringing an end to the high-level dungeon with just that.

In a few more days, perhaps even within twenty-four hours, the gate would collapse.

The process was remarkably quick, but that was Nina for you.

Normally, even with thorough preparations and hours of teamwork, conquering a dungeon of uncertain outcome would be a challenging task for the highest-class individuals. But for Nina, it was effortlessly destructible.

“You’ve become quite obedient.”

Having destroyed the dungeon, Nina tried to leave through the gate and return home, but then a voice called out to her.

“Isn’t your current life suffocating? Being suppressed from using your power and forced to accept the unreasonable. Despite being able to live without resorting to such measures, you are burdened with the ordinary expectations of those around you. Isn’t that incredibly stifling?”

Without any sense of wariness, Nina slowly turned around to face the presence that spoke, her expression twisting into a displeased frown.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you for a while…”

“Come with us. If you come to our side, you can once again use your powers without anyone stopping you.”

As Nina turned around, she saw a doll. But, naturally, it was no ordinary doll.

The doll was the same one that had been used in the place where Nina was before.

In other words, the organization behind the doll was the one that had turned Nina into an awakened being.

“If you want to destroy, go ahead and destroy. If you want to kill, go ahead and kill. We’ll provide you with whatever you desire.”

The place where Nina had been was destroyed, but the organization had multiple bases, not just that one location.

“That man you care about. It seems he wants to quit being an adventurer and live a safe life. We can easily grant him that wish. We’ll even provide a home for you and that man to live in.”

Members of the organization from other bases had been trying to bring Nina, their successful creation, back and had been contacting her repeatedly, just like this time.

Each time, she had brushed them off, but it seemed they were not ready to give up.

“I will seize my own wishes. Regardless of any ulterior motives, I have some gratitude for being saved, raised, and given a strong body when I was on the verge of death.”

The mention of a home with Koosuke made Nina’s heart waver.

“But I have no interest in a life filled only with what is given to me. The desire to live here is mine alone. To be the person beside him… I will obtain what I want with my own hands. That’s why…”

But that’s not it. She didn’t need a place prepared by these people.

The happiness given to her had no meaning, and the forced smiles held no value.

“Please disappear.”

So Nina moved her hand to burn the doll.

However, before the doll could be consumed by the flames, the man on the other side of the doll uttered the following words:

“Can you really say such a thing? A man named Igami, is already in our hands.”

“――What… do you mean?”

“Just as it sounds. We managed to capture him after you left the facility. And now――”

“Where is he? Where is he?!”

Interrupting the words uttered by the doll, Nina directed her anger toward the doll and the man who should be on the other side.

Simultaneously, with a speed that would be impossible for an ordinary person to follow with their eyes, she approached the doll and grabbed its neck, setting its limbs ablaze.

“…So, you won’t stop after all.”

“Answer me!”

With a rougher choice of words than usual, Nina commanded with power in her hand, and the sound of the doll’s neck snapping could be heard.

“Hahaha! It’s a school. The training school for adventurers attended by those taught by him. It seems it ended easily thanks to the traitor we had hidden, seizing the opportunity.”

Even in such a situation, perhaps because the one being held by Nina is a doll, the man on the other side of the doll laughed with apparent delight.

“Would you like to save him? But it’s impossible. Even if you were to rescue him this time, our comrades who have blended in with the students will target him again.”

“In that case, why not simply eliminate all the students? By doing so, we can eliminate anyone who would harm him.”

Nina, who can effortlessly manipulate flames to the point where dungeon destruction is a trivial task. If she sets her mind to it, erasing mere students is easily achievable.

However, Nina doesn’t care about such things.

Losing that person is more important than anything else.

At that moment, the man behind the doll smiled faintly.

But Nina, although aware of it, didn’t pay any attention to it as if it didn’t matter.

“Please wait. I will save you soon.”

And Nina began to move, determined to save the person she considers ‘precious’.