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 4 Chapter 22   Asuka: This time

– Asuka Tenshi –

Asuka, along with her comrades, passed through the gate and headed towards the designated spot to place their treasure.

Once they reached their intended position, Asuka’s gaze fell upon the “treasure” in her hands, and she tightened her grip.

“This time…!”

They had trained hard. They honed their team coordination. They prepared countermeasures to handle whatever the opponents threw at them.

There was absolutely no room for complacency in Asuka’s mind, or rather, in the minds of their entire team.

In fact, before arriving at this location, Asuka had taken precautions, considering the possibility of being burdened with unnecessary things. She had allowed the wind to envelop her body, brushing away any superfluous elements. It was an action she had never taken before, a testament to her growth.

However…

“Milady, it might be better not to be too tense.”

Observing that Asuka seemed to be exerting too much force, Shun Kudo, the former Special Class adventurer who served as their instructor and was tasked with protecting Asuka by her own family, pointed it out.

“I understand that!”

However, instead of calming down upon hearing Shun’s words, Asuka turned back towards him and raised her voice.

Realizing the outburst she had just made, Asuka grimaced and averted her gaze, looking embarrassed.

“…No, I’m sorry. It seems I’m a bit on edge.”

“Well, considering the opponent could be called our ‘arch-nemesis,’ it’s understandable.”

Shun understood Asuka’s situation. After all, he was partly responsible for her current state.

During their previous match, Shun refrained from giving advice, thinking it would contribute to Asuka’s growth.

While it wasn’t the sole reason for their loss, it was certainly one of the contributing factors.

Furthermore, despite believing that they would ultimately win as long as he took action, Shun ended up losing to the opponent’s instructor, Igami.

That battle, undoubtedly, contributed to Asuka’s growth and the growth of her comrades as well.

It was gratifying to have an equal presence like Miyano Mizuki, who was a Special Class and didn’t exist in Asuka’s previous surroundings.

However, in exchange, Asuka found herself occasionally burdened by intense thoughts.

It’s not because of the loss.

Asuka had accepted the loss. It was frustrating, but she thought that as long as they won the next time, it would be fine.

So what was bothering Asuka wasn’t the fact that she had lost, but rather the fact that her rival was making progress while she felt stuck.

Why was she struggling while Mizuki was excelling?

That was the downside of having a rival.

Knowing this, even though he didn’t show it outwardly, Shun’s heart was filled with bitterness.

If they had won that time, perhaps something would have changed. Asuka might not have been pushed into this corner.

It couldn’t be said with certainty that winning that match would have made a difference.

But still, the feeling persisted that it was because they had lost that they were experiencing this frustration.

That’s why Shun regretted underestimating Igami, even though he knew the opponent and knew he shouldn’t have taken him lightly, yet ended up losing as a result.

However, without revealing any of his own inner turmoil, Shun spoke to Asuka.

“But Milady, you have worked hard for this moment. You’ve thought, trained, and prepared. This time, you can win perfectly.”

“Hmph, of course. Even without being told such things now, I have always believed from the beginning that I can win… No, I know I can win.”

By revising her statement from “I believe I can win” to “I know I can win,” it was an unconscious shift born out of a fear of losing. It was a deliberate choice of words to avoid doubting victory, serving as self-encouragement.

Shun understood Asuka’s inner struggle, but he chose not to say anything.

Even though she said they could win, she also had doubts about whether they truly could. He felt the same.

“Shun, I won’t tolerate any disgraceful exits this time.”

“Yes, this time, for sure.”

As Asuka teased Shun, referring to his previous loss against Igami, it wasn’t meant in a literal sense, but rather an unconscious expression of her desire for him to stay until the end.

“And all of you…”

Seeing Shun nod, Asuka felt a slight sense of relief. She relaxed her body and looked at her team members who were following behind. However, just as she was about to speak, she closed her mouth.

In the past, Asuka didn’t truly consider her team members as “comrades.” That’s why she had talked about recruiting Mizuki.

A typical adventurer team consists of four to six members. However, Asuka’s team already had all six members gathered.

If, hypothetically, she had recruited Mizuki after the previous match, it would have meant removing someone from her own team to make room for Mizuki.

At that time, Asuka believed that those lacking strength would naturally be excluded from the team, but that was a mindset that adventurers shouldn’t possess.

In a team where you never know when you might be forced to leave, it would be impossible to support each other in truly dangerous situations.

However, the current Asuka is different from the one a year ago.

Observing Mizuki’s team, she realized that her previous mindset might have been mistaken. From then on, they operated not just as “an assembly of skilled adventurers” but as a cohesive “team.”

The current members of Asuka’s team were truly worthy companions to her.

However, with that realization comes fear.

Even though she have changed from her previous self, it’s a fact that she wasn’t suitable as a leader for the team back then.

Yet, her comrades chose to follow her. If she were to lose here, all their efforts and expectations would be in vain.

That’s why she was afraid to face it directly, afraid to put it into words, and ended up closing her mouth.

But even so, Asuka didn’t run away.

She opened her closed mouth once again and spoke, looking directly at her comrades.

“Last time, I showed a pathetic side of myself, but this time, I won’t. So, let’s seize victory together.”

“Yes!”

The faces of the members who responded to Asuka’s words showed no signs of concern, only unwavering determination.

Asuka had been worrying about her comrades, but such worries were meaningless. Simply agonizing over them would be futile.

After all, the members gathered here all understood what kind of person Asuka was, yet they still chose to follow her.

Simply because they were captivated by her radiance.

They knew she could be inflexible.

They knew she could be too straightforward and difficult.

They knew that if they lacked strength, they would be cast aside.

But even so, they chose to stay by Asuka’s side.

If she lacks flexibility, then they’ll compensate for it themselves.

If being too straightforward is a problem, then they’ll pave a path for Asuka that goes beyond her straight path.

If lacking strength leads to being cast aside, then they’ll strengthen themselves enough to remain by her side.

Because Asuka Tenshi is like a radiant hero to them.

That’s why they are here.

“Now, let’s confirm one last time. First, as we discussed earlier, we’ll scout the enemy’s base. During that time, the defense of this location will weaken…”

“We will definitely protect the treasure!”

The warrior student and Shun remained behind, while the two mages essential for scouting accompanied Asuka. And to protect them, there was one warrior.

“Yes, I entrust it to you.”

The young warrior, who was told to “entrust” it to them by their hero, declared with determination in their eyes, and Asuka responded with a small smile and a nod.

“We will swiftly locate the enemy’s base and return to this location once we find it. Then, depending on the situation, we’ll divide into defense and assault.”

Since this game starts with both teams unaware of each other’s positions, the first priority is to find the enemy’s territory.

Therefore, the initial formation focuses on scouting, and once the location is determined, they return to this place and launch a coordinated attack.

“However, during that time, the scouting team or the defense team might come under attack. If the scouting team is attacked, I will provide instructions accordingly, but the primary focus will be on counterattacking and continuing the scouting. If the defense team is attacked, please signal immediately, and we will join forces. Until we locate the enemy’s base, we must prevent any team members from being eliminated.”

Asuka’s team consists of six members, while Mizuki’s team starts with five. In the event of a time limit, if the number of team members is equal, the team with more members at the start will be deemed the loser.

Therefore, if even one member is eliminated, it brings the team closer to defeat at that moment.

“It has begun.”

As the sirens signaling the start of the match sounded, Asuka and her team confirmed their strategy, and the long-awaited battle finally commenced.

“Now, we will begin our actions to defeat the enemy, Mizuki’s team…”

Just because the match has started doesn’t mean they should rush into scouting. Asuka looked at her teammates once again and reaffirmed their determination.

“This time, let’s win.”

“Yes!”

With those words, the scouting team led by Asuka departed from their position, embarking on their mission to find Mizuki’s team, whose whereabouts were unknown.