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 42   Please fire me!

“Damn it! In that case, I’ll go to Hiro… Hey, wait!”

“Hmm? What’s going on at this hour… Oh, it’s today, right?”

“Your reaction confirms it. You set me up, didn’t you?”

Fuming, I yelled at Hiro, who calmly responded as if he had anticipated the outburst.

“Acting clueless won’t get you anywhere….. Ah, I remember now! I knew it all along! You fell right into my plan, you fool!”

“Forget those lines… I mean!”

“Well, calm down. I didn’t lie, you know? I did mention the lack of competence among the staff, but I also said that ‘several’ new departments would be established, and that I would include you in one of them.”

In other words, it meant that I would be placed in one of the newly created departments that Hiro explained, rather than being specifically assigned to the one he mentioned?

Well, technically he did include me in a new department…

“…It’s a scam, isn’t it?”

“Well, what can I say? To be honest, there was no way you could have stopped being an adventurer.”

“What?… Why not?”

“Through this incident, I’ve come to realize that being the ‘World’s Strongest’ may be powerful and useful, but it’s also dangerous. Even the ‘Thunderous Hero’ is still inexperienced. As a country, we can’t afford to let go of the one and only collar we have to control her. If you were to quit being adventurers and become unable to fight, no one would be able to stop her anymore.”

Certainly, Nina has been showing more awareness of Miyano after this incident, and she has been talking with him and other team members at the research facility.

For Nina, it could be said that a decent life has finally begun.

However, there is still a risk of her going out of control. And even if she were to be stopped, I believe everyone except Miyano would die.

“But it’s not like we can let you become an adventurer and risk dying either. That’s why we’ve dispatched you as an instructor, making it difficult for you to die but ensuring that your skills don’t deteriorate, serving as a mentor for the students.”

Upon hearing that explanation, I could understand it to some extent, but a question suddenly arose.

They said they dispatched me as an instructor to prevent me from leaving and getting injured, but could it be that the new position or the position of a tactical instructor…

However, I stopped myself from dwelling on that thought. I felt that if I were to think it through until the end, I would have to accept it as the truth.

But perhaps sensing my thoughts, Hiro continued speaking with a cheerful voice.

“Well done. The new position, on the surface, is for the proper education of future students, and it will indeed have an effect. But more than half of the reason it was created is for your sake.”

“I don’t know if I should be happy or not…”

In other words, the job of a tactical instructor and the department overseeing it are nothing more than a large kennel to keep me from escaping.

“Well, don’t say that. Keep enjoying yourself surrounded by high school girls in the future. Ah, I envy you so much.”

“Yeah, right. Then why don’t you take over? You can be in charge instead of me.”

I complained to Hiro on the other end of the phone, irritated by his cheerful tone.

“Hahaha, don’t worry about it. Just keep floundering around surrounded by girls.”

“Don’t mess with me!”

“Besides, it’s about time for you to move forward, too, don’t you think? It’s perfect. There are girls there who care about you. It’s ideal for rehabilitation.”

Well, that’s… Thanks to the dream I had when I was captured, I’ve been able to sort out my feelings to some extent… Well, maybe I can take it as Hiro suggests—huh?

“…Hold on. You’re trying to wrap up the conversation nicely, but I won’t be fooled, you know?”

“Tch, just nod obediently… Oh, sorry, but are Miyano-chan and the others there?”

“Huh? Yeah, well, they’re here…”

While questioning Hiro’s sudden words, I turned my gaze towards Miyano and the others. However, they seemed puzzled, tilting their heads as if they hadn’t heard anything.

“Are there any other people around?”

“No, there’s no one.”

“Then can you put it on speaker?”

“Why?”

“Just do it already. And pass it to Miyano-chan and the others while you’re at it.”

With doubts about Hiro’s instructions, I put my phone on speaker mode and handed it to Miyano and the others, who seemed confused.

“Um, excuse me, what is it?”

“I see. Ah, cough… Koo is being treated specially for various reasons, and one of them is related to you girls. That is…”

Oh, I have a bad feeling about this.

As soon as I heard Hiro’s words, that’s what crossed my mind.

And, it turned out I wasn’t wrong.

“Koo won’t be held accountable if he gets involved with you underage folks, so rest assured and do your best!”

“……Huh!?”

What is this guy even saying!?

“I understand.”

Surprised by Hiro’s words, we all reacted a beat late, except for Abe, who responded calmly as always.

“Oh, you… Are you Abe-chan? Are you also being targeted?”

“Well, kinda. But Kana is the primary target.”

“I see… Well, do your best.”

“I u–”

“No way! What’s up with that? Why am I being treated so specially? What happened to the rule of law in this country?”

For some reason, I forcefully interrupted Abe and Hiro’s conversation that was progressing calmly as if it were only natural.

“Hah! Politicians are doing much worse things than that! Even if they let you go, it won’t be a problem at all. That’s the higher-ups’ decision. They judged that it would be more problematic to catch you and render you unable to fight.”

So it doesn’t matter how many people surround you. That’s what Hiro is saying on the other end of the phone… My head hurts from the headache.

“So, both Koo and the girls, do your best.”

“Don’t screw with me!”

I shout and refute Hiro’s words, but he ignores it as if it’s nothing and continues speaking.

“Oh, right. I’ve also informed Yasu and Kei, so you’ll receive congratulatory gifts for your employment soon.”

“I don’t need it!”

“And it seems my wife will send something too. It’s equipment for girls.”

“I seriously don’t need it!”

Receiving girls’ equipment is pointless for me! It’s definitely meant for Miyano and the others. If I may add, it’s also a way of saying ‘don’t quit.’

“Ahahaha!”

“This is no laughing matter! Just fire me already! Give me at least some time to think!”

“It’s impossible. If you really insist, go complain at the Imperial Palace or something. Maybe they’ll listen to you then?”

“Damn it!”

“Well, give up. Half of life is made up of giving up. If you don’t like it, then try raising someone who can compete against that child. It seems the higher-ups won’t let you escape until at least the ‘Thunderous Hero’ is fully developed… Well, do your best.”

“Ah! You… you hung up…!”

Hiro, who spoke words filled with a strong sense of resignation, abruptly ended the call after saying that.

“Give up. We will never let you escape!”

As I continued staring at the screen after the call ended, Asada approached me, pressing her index finger against my body and loudly declaring so.

“I have no interest in fighting. I just want to live in peace. No, that’s right. Give me time… Give me about a year, and I might be able to sort out my thoughts and consider teaming up with you guys. So please, I beg you! Fire me now!”

I said that, but deep down, I had a calculation that even if a year passes, they wouldn’t completely forget about me. They would find another instructor, at the very least.

“No.”

However, it seemed that my thoughts were easily seen through, or perhaps she never had any intention of accepting from the beginning. Asada scoffed as if mocking me and rejected my proposal provocatively.

“No, wait. Please wait.”

Not yet. There must be something else… There must be, right? There definitely is. So think. Find a way to quit somehow!

Otherwise, if things continue like this, I’ll end up being recognized as someone who unknowingly creates a harem surrounded by high school girls! Even now, it seems like those from the “higher-ups” already think that way about me!

“You should give up. No one here has any intention of making you quit, Igami-san.”

“No… No… Dammit!”

I looked around, but there was no one who seemed willing to let me resign. My screams disappeared into emptiness without anyone paying attention.

Someone, please fire me!

To be continued.