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 3 Chapter 29   Mizuki: Jellyfish Extermination and Jealousy

– Miyano Mizuki –

“Ah… Ah… Alright. It seems to work properly.”

Mizuki checked if the communication device was properly connected to her ear.

In this operation, the coordination between Mizuki, Kana, and Koosuke was crucial.

Therefore, they all checked if their equipment was functioning, if the batteries were charged, and if there were any communication issues.

Mizuki and Kana were not the only ones who confirmed these things; the entire team of five, even those outside the barrier, did the same and equipped themselves.

“If something happens, run away immediately. Our subordinates can handle things, so don’t push yourself.”

Koosuke said that, but neither Mizuki nor Kana had any intention of running away.

Koosuke, with a pained expression on his face, urged the two to be careful. However, despite his words, Mizuki and Kana were delighted.

After all, they were being relied upon.

Normally, they were the ones relying on others, but now someone who had never asked for their help was relying on them. It was impossible not to be happy about it.

That’s why, even if it meant pushing themselves beyond their limits and taking reckless risks, the two were determined to overcome it all—crush everything and achieve success.

Failure was not an option. Running away was not permissible. They would do whatever it took.

If not here, then…

“—When a woman falls, huh?”

Mizuki murmured softly, a phrase that went unheard, dissolving into the air.

But it wasn’t meaningless. With her muttered words, Mizuki clenched her fist, harboring even stronger resolve in her heart.

“Abe, show them your flames.”

“Got it!”

Haruka nodded powerfully in response to Koosuke’s words, then unleashed her magic in the direction he indicated. Soon after, a distant thunderous sound and a red flame’s glow reached Koosuke and the others.

Following the explosive flames that shook the sky and the earth, there was a noticeable rumble from afar.

Then, even in the pouring rain, a colossal and distorted earthworm emerged, lifting the earth as it burst forth.

The earthworms emerged from the ground and voraciously devoured the numerous jellyfish that were overflowing in front of them.

They moved around with wide-open mouths, killing their prey within their jaws.

It was a simple yet deadly attack considering the size of the enemies.

However, the jellyfish didn’t simply become food for the earthworms.

They extended needles from the tips of their tentacles, piercing the earthworms and inflicting damage while absorbing their magical energy.

Disliking the needles, the earthworms thrashed around, attempting to remove them, and incidentally devouring the jellyfish with their open mouths.

It was unclear whether Koosuke and the others could see it clearly, but such a scene unfolded in the area where the explosion of flames occurred.

What just happened wasn’t the extermination of the jellyfish monsters; it was a diversion.

The goal was to awaken the original earthworm monsters in this dungeon and use them as a distraction, even if it meant sacrificing them to some extent.

And it didn’t end with just one attempt.

Afterwards, Koosuke issued instructions to Haruka twice, and following those commands, two more similar explosions and rumblings occurred.

“Now we need a way… Can you handle it?”

“I’ll manage.”

Although she said so, signs of fatigue could be seen in Haruka’s demeanor.

It was only natural. Even someone like Haruka, who ranked among the top in terms of aptitude for magic and the amount of magical power, would deplete her magic if she continuously used large-scale attacks without rest.

“Abe, over there. Aim for that area slightly off-center from the center.”

However, even so, Koosuke bluntly instructed Haruka to attack the enemies, and she nodded in response.

Haruka began constructing her magic and unleashed a flame sphere with a diameter of about five meters in front of her, slightly off-center as Koosuke had directed.

The reason behind her aim was not so much to defeat the enemies, but to create a path for Mizuki and Kana. If, by any chance, they accidentally killed the boss of the monsters with a single strike, it would create a problem.

“Kana!”

“Okay!”

A path appeared in the space filled with jellyfish, thanks to Haruka’s flames.

The two rushed outside the barrier to search for the enemy boss and followed the path.

“—As expected, there are way too many of them for no good reason!”

Although Haruka created the path, it wouldn’t last forever.

While it was possible to create a temporary open space for a brief period, it would eventually be filled up again over time.

However, it was within their expectations that the path would disappear sooner than later, even if it happened faster than they had anticipated.

“Kana, from here on, let’s proceed as planned and split up.”

“Yeah. We might get scolded by him later though.”

So, the two decided to take separate actions.

Although Koosuke had instructed them to stick together, it would be inefficient.

Up until now, they had been simply advancing along the path, so it made sense to stay together. However, now that they had reached the central area where the boss was most likely located, all they had to do was handle the enemies while searching for the boss.

It went without saying that splitting up would be faster.

Both Kana and Mizuki were powerful enough to fight on their own. Moreover, dealing with these jellyfish creatures was relatively straightforward if they didn’t have to worry about their surroundings.

In Mizuki’s case, she could simply scatter lightning in the vicinity without worrying about precise control of her magic. It might not completely eliminate the enemies, but that didn’t matter. If it temporarily halted their movements and allowed her to proceed, it was sufficient.

Similarly, if Kana followed the fighting style she had discussed with Mizuki beforehand, it would be easier without allies around.

Therefore, the two decided to move individually.

However, it was merely about speed. Other factors, such as safety, were not being considered. For instance, the current situation where they were surrounded by enemies. It was already dangerous even when they were together, but splitting up would increase the risk.

That’s why Koosuke had instructed them to stick together, and both of them understood that.

“In that case, shall we get scolded together?”

“Hahaha, yeah, let’s do that.”

However, even so, in order to bring an end to this chaos as quickly as possible, the two chose to proceed that way.

“Well then, even if we’ll get scolded later…”

“Let’s make sure we live through this till the end.”

With a light laugh, the two parted ways and sprinted off in opposite directions.

As Mizuki started acting separately from Kana, she continued to unleash lightning ahead of her as she advanced.

“Since that person entrusted us, I hope they won’t get in our way!”

However, despite searching for a while, Mizuki couldn’t find what seemed to be the boss-like entity. The jellyfish creatures showed no signs of decreasing no matter how much she attacked them, which slightly frustrated Mizuki as she continued her assault.

“Mizuki—. Can you hear me? I found it, but are you okay?”

At that moment, Mizuki received a transmission from Kana, who had moved in a different direction.

“Yes. Please give me a signal for the location.”

While keeping her pace, Mizuki placed a hand on her ear with the communication device and responded. However, deep inside, there was a small… just a tiny bit of dissatisfaction.

Nobody noticed Mizuki’s inner thoughts, and in the sky, far away from her location, an explosion occurred. It was the signal that Kana had found the boss.

“Looks like she beat me to it.”

If possible, Mizuki wanted to be the one to find it.

This time, there was only one knife handed to them by Koosuke, and Mizuki, who had faster mobility for the purpose of regrouping, ended up with it.

However, Mizuki’s reason for wanting to wield the knife went beyond that. She also had a desire to find and defeat the boss herself.

Kana was an important friend—a best friend—to Mizuki.

But just because they were best friends didn’t mean Mizuki would blindly agree with everything. There were times when she wanted to assert herself.

However, when it came to asserting herself, Mizuki didn’t have anything to say or any grievances towards Kana.

If anything, any dissatisfaction lied with herself.

They had someone they owed a debt of gratitude to. A man older than them, who taught them how to survive in the dungeon, sometimes making snide remarks and acting mean, but ultimately being like a hero who would save everyone, even the self-proclaimed hero themselves, when danger arose.

Mizuki admired that person, their benefactor, and wanted to be helpful. She wanted to repay the debt. And this sentiment wasn’t just limited to Mizuki, but shared by all their companions.

However, only Kana, the best friend, was the one who could truly say she had “entered his heart” and “been of use.”

Mizuki also acted in her own way, but when she contemplated whether she had truly moved for the sake of their benefactor, the results were ambiguous.

She couldn’t quite make that breakthrough and felt she had left nothing behind.

For Mizuki, it was an unbearable dissatisfaction.

In simple terms, it was jealousy.

“…I have to do my best.”

Mizuki shook her head and muttered those words, then dashed towards the direction where the explosion had been seen.