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 9   First Honey Gardener battle, failure

Asada ended up equipping her backup weapon, the brass knuckles, and fought with it.

I had a vague idea about it beforehand, but… somehow, the equipment suits her really well. I shouldn’t say it out loud, as I might get scolded.

“Yeeeaaaah! Take thaaat!”

However, that was just the beginning. She struck with the first blow, knocking the opponent down, but afterwards, Asada used the cut vines as a huge whip.

Well, even as an amateur, she knows how to handle a whip, but swinging around something as heavy as that is still quite intimidating.

I mean, seriously, how is she swinging around vines that are so thick that you can’t even hold them with both hands?

I knew she was strong, but her power still feels unbelievably surreal.

Well, at least now I know she can fight without any issues.

The only thing I’m worried about is whether she’ll go too far and break the main body.

“Ohh, they’re really stable, as expected.”

“Yeah, no need for fancy tactics or tools like us. Well, it’s the classic way, you know.”

“Really? Is that considered the classic way?”

Hiro and the others were impressed as they watched the scene.

We’re not using herbicides, support roles for attacks and healing, or magic users in close combat like them.

The warriors consistently draw the enemy’s attacks, the magic users attack the main body to create openings, and the firepower role cuts down the vines.

The support role doesn’t engage in attacks but stands by in case of emergencies.

Yeah, it’s truly an ideal team composition and way of fighting. Well, except for that one person with the weird weapon.

They truly embody the concept of a hero’s party, don’t they?

Well, reaching a state where we can fight this stably is not just due to talent, but also the effort of these girls.

“Kana! Be careful soon!”

“Roger that!”

As the regeneration slowed down and the power of the vines diminished, Miyano called out to Asada.

It seems Asada is going to collect the honey. Well, if they came here alone, it would naturally be Asada’s role to collect the honey. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to move the storage containers.

“Haruka, too! Don’t burn more than three!”

“I know.”

We only had two left for the final stretch, but it seems they decided to keep three.

If we consider it as a safety margin to prevent accidental deaths, having more remaining is more stable. And with these guys, they could handle not just three, but even five decoys without any problems.

“…Now! Start the retrieval!”

“At the end!”

Upon Miyano’s signal, Abe and Asada halted their attacks.

However, just before refraining from further attacks, Asada, as if delivering a final blow, hurled the vine she had been using as a weapon, directly hitting the main body.

And the Gardener was defeated.

“……Ah.”

The Gardner, struck by the thrown vine, showed no signs of regenerating it. Its trunk snapped halfway and collapsed into the pond, withering away.

“Um…”

Asada looked awkwardly at Miyano and the rest of us who were waiting behind, then finally returned her gaze to Miyano.

“Kana?”

“S-Sorry! I never thought it would die from that… or rather, I didn’t expect it to break…”

I also didn’t expect it to die from that, or rather, to break.

“Fool’s strength.”

“Muguu…”

Unable to deny Abe’s words, Asada only growled without saying anything in response.

“Haha, well, it’s common to make mistakes at the beginning. If anything, the fact that you managed to bring it that far is more than enough for a first attempt.”

“We were the ones who ran away at first.”

“That’s right. Ah, those were the days.”

Dungeons like this, where you can make a profit, don’t have much information circulating.

Superficial information like what’s inside or what can be obtained may be known, but everyone keeps the details on how to defeat the enemies or where the rare items are as their own secret information. It’s a source of income, so it’s only natural.

That’s why we came to this dungeon, where we can earn money without too much danger. But in the beginning, we struggled a lot.

Just as Kei said, taking advantage of the enemies being unable to move from their spot, we would escape if things looked dangerous and repeated trial and error.

“When their regeneration stops, they suddenly become fragile, so if you guys need to be careful about something, that’s it. Unlike us, you have high attack power, so it’s quite difficult not to kill them.”

We think about how to kill them, but in their case, they need to think about how not to kill them. It’s a luxurious dilemma.

“Well, even I didn’t go all out, and yet it broke so easily…”

“I think yours is just brute strength.”

“Why would you say that!”

Well, why…? Because normally, who would think of using that vine as a means of attack.

Besides, even if you throw it, it wouldn’t normally have such force behind it.

“I… I couldn’t do anything…”

However, despite the overall positive atmosphere after Asada broke the tree, only one person—Kitahara—muttered in a slightly gloomy tone.

But you know…

Kitahara may be saying that she couldn’t do anything, but it’s not that she couldn’t do anything; it’s that not doing anything is the correct choice.

Kei, despite being a healer, joined in the attacks, but that’s because the team’s “power” is lacking.

Since the number of times he can heal is limited, it’s necessary for him to participate in the attacks to reduce the chances of getting injured.

But that’s not the case for Kitahara.

“Isn’t that fine? People like me who lack power can do various things to not be a burden, but if you have enough power to heal multiple times without a problem, I think that’s more than enough.”

“In fact, that’s the traditional way. Healing specialists usually don’t need to do anything else. So don’t worry.”

When you have reliable allies to the extent that you can rely on them too much, there’s no need to unnecessarily attack and risk being targeted.

Just stand firm in the back, heal immediately when someone gets injured, and warn everyone when other enemies approach. That’s enough.

In fact, Kei is the one who’s mistaken as a healer.

“But… but still…”

However, it seems difficult to accept the situation of just watching without being able to do anything so easily.

“How about using a slingshot instead of a bow? Even a pinball machine would work.”

“A pinball machine?”

“Yeah. More accurately, it’s a slingshot, but the name doesn’t really matter. With a little practice, you can become decently skilled with it. It’s easy to carry, doesn’t take up much space, and you can replenish the projectiles with small rocks lying around. It’s convenient.”

“…I’ll give it a try.”

Seeing Kitahara’s state, Kei couldn’t bear it and made a suggestion. Kitahara responded with a motivated voice.

Personally, I really want her to focus on mastering the healing aspect of the battle, but the person’s own will is important.

Forcing someone who is hesitant, troubled, or lacking motivation to do something won’t yield any results.

In that case, it’s better to let them do what they enjoy, even if it deviates from the main path. That’s the idea.

Well, it’s not a bad thing to have more options, and considering that they’re already passing the minimum requirement, I don’t mind.

With that decision, I proceeded towards the honey pond where the Gardener, defeated by Asada and the others earlier, had fallen into.

Squatting down by the side of the pond, I began collecting the honey in a small container I had.

“What are you doing? You can’t use that, can you?”

As I collected the honey, Asada and the others, seemingly curious about my actions, approached, with Asada leading the way, and asked.

“Well, as a product for sale, that’s one thing. But if it’s for personal consumption, it’s not completely useless, and if it’s cheap, it might not be unsellable either, you know?”

Besides, I think it’s important to compare the outcomes of success and failure.

“Well, for now, should we move on? We need to ensure a stable supply if we want to avoid disappointment when we find a good location.”

Since this time was considered a failed attempt at collection, let’s let them have one more chance to fight on their own.

That way, they’ll be more satisfied with themselves as well.

After making that decision, I informed Miyano and the others. They eagerly set off to search for the next prey.