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 7   It might be lonely…

“…What would happen?”

After hearing my words, Miyano, Abe, and Kitahara tried to think about “what would happen” in their own way, but Asada, on the other hand, quickly stopped contemplating and turned her face towards me, asking the question.

…I understand that it might be quicker to ask, but shouldn’t she spend a little more time thinking about it?

Well, it’s not like she’s a complete fool, and in dungeons where thoughtfulness is necessary, she wouldn’t rush to conclusions. That’s why I taught her in that way.

And above all, I’ll be fine because Miyano and the others will assist me.

“You would find yourself in the midst of battle, with conflicting choices and unnecessary hesitation.”

However, even when I said that, Asada seemed to not fully understand, and it wasn’t just Asada, but Miyano and the others appeared to be in the same boat.

It seems that none of the four of them truly grasped the meaning of my words.

“For example, let’s say, Asada… Suddenly, today you become capable of using magic. And not just any magic, but a considerably powerful one. Now, if you were to face a formidable enemy, could you continue fighting as you have been until now? You have a powerful magical attack in addition to your usual fighting style, right? Shouldn’t you use it? If you decide to use it, where and how should you use it? But then, is using it the right choice? What should you do next? Wouldn’t you be troubled by such thoughts?”

My belief is that undoubtedly, you would be troubled.

To put it in a more relatable example, let’s consider baseball.

Imagine you’re a pitcher, and you have a reliable weapon called a fastball that you can confidently rely on. However, you’re also capable of throwing different types of breaking balls.

Your opponent seems to be skilled at hitting fastballs, so should you use a breaking ball? But maybe you should stick to your strong fastball?

It’s the kind of dilemma you would face.

However, if you have only one option, then you should try to make the most out of that “one” option and figure out a way. If you can only throw fastballs, you give it your all and think about adjusting the pitch location.

That works well in baseball. After all, there’s ample time to think.

But for us, for these students, and for other adventurers, we are adventurers.

Adventurers dive into dungeons and fight against enemies.

There’s no time to leisurely contemplate while risking our lives in battle.

We don’t have the luxury of thinking, “This enemy has a weakness, so I should do this and that. But maybe this other approach is better?” If we were to engage in such thoughts during combat, it would create openings.

Reducing the time spent contemplating what to use and how to handle a situation reduces those openings.

However, on the flip side, if we spend time agonizing over what to use and how to handle things, it means creating those openings. Even a brief opening during a battle can be fatal.

“Hmm… I’m not sure, but I think I would be troubled.”

Asada tilted her head and pondered, but it seemed like she was more focused on imagining herself using magic rather than contemplating the question. Her answer was vague and uncertain.

And understandably so. Even I wouldn’t be able to answer if someone asked me how to use magic before I awakened, and I couldn’t imagine myself using magic either.

“Also, what about the other three who can use magic? If they suddenly became capable of using spells from all the different elements, wouldn’t they be troubled about what to use? Abe, for example, excels in fire magic, but if the enemy’s weakness is earth, would she use the familiar fire or the unfamiliar but effective earth? Wouldn’t they be troubled and unable to instantly determine the optimal solution?”

“…Impossible.”

Perhaps it was clearer than Asada’s response earlier, as Abe, who is a mage by profession, showed a hint of contemplation before furrowing her eyebrows and shaking her head.

“Right? It’s similar to that situation. Having more options can be a good thing, but if you can’t perfect what you can currently do, having additional options becomes counterproductive.”

Increasing the available choices in combat is something that should be pursued after mastering one thing.

Reaching for everything and anything will only lead to one’s downfall.

Well, in their case, I’m careful to train them in that aspect, so I won’t let them crumble.

“But seriously, couldn’t you teach the class a bit more seriously? You only talk to me and Mizuki.”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’ve also spoken to that young lady and Kudo. Oh, and your homeroom teacher too.”

It’s not just the two of them. There are five people in total. And although they’re not substantial consultations, occasionally other people approach me as well. Most of them are related to Miyano—either as an instructor trying to establish a connection with the ‘hero’ or as a student.

“What are you talking about with just the three of us?”

“But really, no one goes to your office, do they? It seems like they visit the other instructors to some extent.”

Asada and Miyano’s words pointed out my loner status, but at that moment, Abe raised a questioning voice.

“Is that so?”

“Huh? Is it not the same for you?”

“Well… I guess I teach them enough?”

“Because I’m a magic user, some people come to ask me as well.”

Agreeing with Abe, Kitahara nodded and responded. Well, that’s the truth.

Today’s training focused more on the warriors, but in the realm of magic, I do get approached for normal discussions.

“Is that true?”

“Well, when it comes to teaching tactics, if it’s done half-heartedly, it can be counterproductive, so I prefer not to teach too much. But when it comes to the basics of using magic and techniques, it’s fine to teach them.”

As long as it’s small tricks that don’t fundamentally change their fighting style, such as deciding where to compromise during spell construction or using incomplete magic as a feint, there’s no problem with teaching them.

“Also, the reason they don’t come to me for warrior training is probably because I’m a magic user. Why would they ask a magic user like me when there are other warrior specialists?”

The other instructors are all experts in close combat, without anyone being a third-class mage like me.

Though I do have some achievements to my name, my evaluation as an adventurer is clearly inferior.

When you have low evaluation but still have achievements, it’s natural for people to suspect if you’re doing something fishy or engaging in fraud.

I can’t ask someone with such suspicions for guidance wholeheartedly. And if I’m going to ask, it’s obvious that I’d want to learn from the top expert in that field.

“I can handle close combat as a skirmisher to some extent, but the position of a skirmisher is already uncommon. And if you add the fact that I’m a third-class mage, it’s understandable why people might not trust me. It’s just like how you were when we first met.”

Although Asada now trusts me to a certain extent, when we first met, she complained about my position as a skirmisher and joining the group.

“Ugh… when you put it that way, I can’t say anything…”

As Asada turned her face away from me and groaned, it reminded me of when we first met, and I couldn’t help but smile softly at the memory.

“Well, that means I’ll continue attending classes as a loner.”

I suppose there won’t be many people coming to talk to me during warrior training from now on. But then again, it’s odd for a mage like me to be in a class meant for warriors, isn’t it?

Perhaps it’s because Miyano is there. She’s a hero who can do both melee combat and magic, and in a way, I’m the same. I use magic and swing a sword too.

Well, there’s quite a difference between us when it comes to being “the same,” though.

“By the way, aren’t you students the main focus of the classes, rather than us instructors who are neither regular teachers nor official trainers? What about you guys? Don’t you have any thoughts or feedback on the classes?”

While I’m in the position of receiving questions from the students, they are the ones who should be asking questions. Have they been asking other instructors various things and receiving guidance? Are there any interesting or promising students among them?

“Hmm? Well, I’d say it’s pretty good. It can be quite interesting.”

“Yes, that’s true. It’s rewarding to learn from others occasionally.”

“It expands our capabilities.”

“Everyone here is amazing, aren’t they?”

It seems that Miyano and the others are actively making use of the other instructors and have positive opinions about it. Well, that’s to be expected.

If I were allowed to use underhanded tactics, I could defeat them too, and while I can teach them about combat strategies, I can’t train them in pure combat skills. At most, I can take them to dungeons that seem suitable and let them gain experience.

But the other instructors should be able to provide proper training.

“If there are people your praising like that, does it mean it’s about time for me to retire?”

Technically, I’m still teaching, but honestly, I’ve already covered most of what I can teach. It’s not like there’s nothing left to teach, but it would be things outside of their specialties. Things like curses that I occasionally use or various secret techniques.

However, I’ll probably have nothing left to teach by the end of this year. It will be more about practical skills rather than knowledge.

And perhaps it would be better to entrust them to someone who can handle opponents properly, rather than someone like me who relies on tricks and tactics. That’s what I thought.

“Are you jealous?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If it’s better for you, they might even let me go.”

… Well, if it comes to quitting, it does feel a bit lonely. But if I can leave on my own terms, it’s what I wanted, so it’s just right.