Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 5 Chapter 0 and Chapter 1 - Long awaited future and Thoughts on "Friends"

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 5 Chapter 0   Long awaited future

“Dragons?”

Who uttered those words in a bewildered and faltering manner? Was it just one person, or was it everyone? I couldn’t tell.

However, those words succinctly captured the current situation.

Dragons. Legendary creatures that appear in various cultures, unmatched in strength as the epitome of mythical beings.

That’s what dragons are.

No matter if you’re a novice adventurer or a seasoned veteran, it doesn’t matter. They reduce you to nothing more than a crushed existence.

And now, one of those beings had crossed the gate and appeared before Mizuki and the others.

Truly, it was a situation that left them speechless.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

In the face of the unexpected encounter with the dragons, Mizuki and Kana stood in awe, looking up at them while speaking in trembling voices.

Their words were uttered as if they were struggling to find their voices.

However, despite facing a high-level monster like a dragon, Mizuki and the others had encountered powerful foes before and had trained to handle such situations.

So, they shouldn’t be intimidated by their opponent like this.

“Dragons are one of the strongest monsters, right? They’re considered high-level not just as individuals, but as a species, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. We’ve never met one before, well, at least not until now.”

“In that case, can I ask why there are so many dangerous creatures like them here?”

“That’s exactly what I want to know.”

Currently, in front of Mizuki and the others, multiple dragons had crossed the gate and arrived on their side.

There were five of them.

Though their number was small, underestimating them would be a grave mistake. Even a single dragon had the potential to bring down an entire kingdom if not dealt with appropriately.

With five of them, the situation could only be described as critical and perilous.

The sight before them surpassed their imagination and froze Mizuki and her companions in place.

However, despite the presence of other people around, the dragons turned their gaze towards Mizuki and the others.

Without hesitation, the dragon at the front swung its massive arm, resembling a building, aiming to crush Mizuki and her tiny group.

It was a casual attack, seemingly devoid of any significant effort from the dragon’s perspective. But even with just a glancing blow, it could be a fatal strike that would end their lives, no matter how awakened they were.

In the face of such violence, Kana leaped forward.

“Haah! Yaaah!”

With all her might, she let out a resounding cry from the depths of her being, deflecting the dragon’s descending arm.

“Han! I won’t hold back! Watch closely, all of you! And Mizuki…”

After repelling the dragon’s attack, Kana landed and readied her mighty hammer, glaring at the dragons while casting a gaze over her shoulder at Mizuki and the others behind her.

“I’ll show you the fruits of our training!”

With a confident smile, Kana redirected her gaze from Mizuki back to the dragons in front of her.

It was as if she were saying, “I will protect all of you, no matter what.”

“Hmph. The one you should be watching is you, Kana……”

Mizuki, with widened eyes at Kana’s sight, eased her tension and confidently unsheathed her sword, taking steps forward with a joyful smile.

Despite being a far smaller existence compared to herself, Kana deflected the dragon’s arm and thwarted its attack. Infuriated by this, the leading dragon let out a furious roar.

Ignoring the raging dragon, Mizuki didn’t halt her advancing steps. On the contrary, she gradually gained momentum and charged, leaping towards the dragon’s face, paying no mind to its clamoring.

Realizing that Mizuki was launching herself towards its own face, the dragon opened its massive jaws, as if intending to devour her to avenge the grudge inflicted by another dwarf just moments ago.

However, the dragon’s plan went awry as it suddenly halted its movement.

While the dragon itself might not have understood what had occurred, anyone watching could have seen a flash emanating from Mizuki.

No matter how mighty a dragon might be, as a living creature, it had vulnerabilities, and electricity was one of them.

As the dragon froze in response to the electric shock, Mizuki landed on its face without stopping, seamlessly adjusting her position.

“I’m not going to lose!”

While the scales of the dragon could deflect tank cannons, its defense did not extend to its eyeballs.

Thus, it couldn’t block Mizuki’s sword thrust aimed at its eye.

And it couldn’t protect itself from the lightning unleashed into its body from the impaled sword either.

The dragon, which had never faced a formidable threat before, lacked resistance to pain.

Likely experiencing its first injury in its entire life, the dragon let out a scream of agony. However, it seemed completely bewildered by what was happening, flailing its limbs aimlessly without being able to respond adequately, and ultimately met its demise.

“Kana, I told you to stand beside me, but it won’t be that easy.”

Mizuki, who had infused lightning into the dragon’s body, waited for the dragon to stop moving. She then withdrew her sword from the dragon and landed, not just beside Kana but a step further ahead.

Using such powerful magic to defeat the dragon in a single blow had taken its toll on Mizuki, and she grimaced as she let out a deep breath.

However, she quickly erased that tired expression and, as if imitating Kana from earlier, provocatively shifted her gaze over Kana’s shoulder, addressing her.

“Not bad!”

Although it was an incident during their school trip, Kana’s gratitude for the opportunity outweighed any resentment from having the event disrupted.

That’s why, even in this situation, she laughed and advanced with her weapon in hand.

And so, the situation began to unfold in a whirlwind of activity.

──◆◇◆◇──

Volume 5 Chapter 1   Thoughts on “Friends”

Two days had passed since the intense battle with the young lady, their rival, in the ranking match.

Despite the demanding fight and their defeat, Miyano and the others took only one day of rest before diving back into training with renewed determination starting from today.

Personally, I thought they could use a bit more rest, but I guess they couldn’t find peace without being active. They likely wanted to train while the sensations and emotions from the battle were still fresh in their minds, to not forget them.

And so, after finishing their classes, Miyano and the others resumed their training as usual—or rather, even more intensely than usual.

However, since this was still a training facility, they were cautious not to cause excessive damage to their surroundings, so they couldn’t go all out.

To truly push themselves, they would have to go to the dungeon, where no matter how much they destroyed, it would restore itself unknowingly. Well, they would probably visit the dungeon soon.

After all, they had put in so much effort and determination in that match, only to end up losing. It’s natural that various frustrations had built up within them.

Therefore, it was necessary for them to vent their frustrations, or in simple terms, find an outlet for their dissatisfaction. It’s like going to a batting center to relieve stress or punching a punching bag—a way to release pent-up emotions.

The activities they engaged in weren’t exactly cute or gentle, but rather more intense.

After returning home, I pondered about when would be a good time for it. Suddenly, I realized that I was willingly following Miyano and the others’ guidance, despite initially being reluctant, and a small chuckle escaped me.

“Huh? Who is it… Miyano?”

At that moment, even though it was late at night, my phone rang, and when I checked the screen, Miyano’s name was displayed.

What’s up? She’s not the type to make phone calls at this hour… Well, she’s not the type to make phone calls in general.

We see each other almost every day, so there’s rarely a need for phone calls unless it’s something important.

“Hello?”

But well, I could just ask directly why she called, so I put aside the question that came to mind and decided to answer the call.

“Ah, Igami-san. It’s Miyano.”

“Oh, what’s up? It’s rare for you to call.”

“Yes, usually we meet almost every day, so I usually think it can wait until tomorrow for minor matters.”

“But if you’re calling now, it must be something more urgent.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Miyano’s voice sounded slightly bewildered, and after I heard what seemed like a sigh over the phone, she began to speak.

Rather than a sigh, was that a deep breath?

“Could you teach me about the ‘new way of fighting’ you mentioned before, Igami-san?”

“A new…? Ah, yeah, I remember mentioning that.”

I wondered what the new way of fighting was, but then it quickly came back to me.

It was before summer vacation, during training when I mentioned trying to put more focus on magic, and if their magic control improved, I would teach her a new way of using magic.

It’s been about two months since then, and judging from the recent matches, her magic control has indeed improved, so I wouldn’t mind teaching her.

But why did she bring it up in a phone call like this?

I don’t think there’s a need for a phone call for such a simple request…

Well, I guess I’ll have to ask her directly.

“Well, I don’t mind… but why suddenly like this? Couldn’t you have told me tomorrow when we meet?”

“Well… I thought about that, but somehow…”

Miyano seemed clearly hiding something.

In a relationship where one person teaches and the other learns, it’s natural to have no secrets, and even without that dynamic, I don’t think there should be any need for secrets.

However, if it’s related to training, it’s a different story.

Moreover, for some reason, I felt like I had to know about this secret.

“Miyano, what are you thinking?”

I could sense Miyano’s hesitation even through the phone.

“….Igami-san, how can I become even stronger?”

“Stronger? But Miyano, you’re already quite strong.”

Even now, Miyano possesses the power befitting a hero. They could probably defeat an S-rank monster in a one-on-one battle. She has that level of strength.

“But I need to become even stronger.”

However, Miyano still feels unsatisfied.

“Why do you think that?”

“Recently, I lost to Tenshi-san. In terms of the match itself, I might have won, but that was because you weakened the opponent for me. Even though I was already struggling in the first half of the fight, if it weren’t for that… if the opponent were in perfect condition, I would have lost.”

Well, it’s true that there was something admirable about Lady Tenshi’s resilience.

But even if they fought under optimal conditions, I don’t believe Lady Tenshi would necessarily win. It’s a matter of pride and determination, especially when cornered.

However, Miyano didn’t share that sentiment and believed it was her own lack of strength.

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say this, but I am aware that I am the pillar of our team. That’s why I can’t afford to lose.”

I understand what she’s trying to say.

As Miyano mentioned, she is the core of their team. It’s not just about being a leader, but it goes deeper.

It involves her spirit and name.

The title of “hero” that Miyano carries is not just a nickname. It holds a meaning beyond mere words.

If the hero loses, morale will inevitably decline.

Can we really win against opponents that the “hero” couldn’t defeat?

Well, that team isn’t the type to give up on victory just because Miyano lost.

Miyano is the pillar of their spirits as the “hero,” but not just Miyano, Asada and the other two are also strong-willed individuals who provide emotional support to the team.

However, even so, Miyano is still at the center, and their loss will undoubtedly have some impact.

After all, she is the “hero.” The meaning behind that title cannot be changed.

“I don’t want to lose. I can’t afford to lose. If I lose, it puts the team in danger and makes everyone anxious. It means that Kana and the others who act together are at risk, and depending on the situation, even more people may be in danger.”

And yes, that’s right. Not only as a support for the team, but the “hero” is also a support for others—ordinary citizens.

They believe that as long as there is a hero, they will be safe.

Because of that belief, ordinary people who haven’t awakened to their powers don’t feel the need to be wary even when facing supernatural dangers like gates. They simply accept the benefits.

However, if the “hero” were to lose, that sense of security would crumble, and everything would become unstable in an instant.

That’s why the hero cannot afford to lose.

This time, even though Miyano technically lost due to the rules, you could say that she won the match. The opponent, the young lady, is at a hero-level in terms of her abilities.

Also, Miyano is still a student. That’s why no one is saying anything about her loss.

However, once she graduates and starts working as an adventurer, even a minor defeat could become a problem.

After all, dungeon activities will become the main focus, and losing there could lead to death.

So it’s frustratingly understandable that she can’t afford to lose.

But…

“As the leader of the team, I have a responsibility to protect everyone and ensure they return safely. However, I don’t possess the kind of ‘power’ that can help everyone like you, Igami-san. That’s why I need to train and improve my ‘strength’ as a hero, at the very least.”

…For her, “comrades” are just “objects to be protected.”

Wanting to protect your comrades is a noble thought.

However, it should be a mutual relationship of protecting and being protected. But what Miyano is expressing is a one-sided approach of “I’ll protect everyone.”

I have my doubts about that mindset, and it needs to be corrected. Otherwise, it could lead to complications, and Miyano might become unable to function as a “comrade” in the team.

But well, the essence of what she’s saying is not entirely wrong.

So even if we discuss the mindset later, I can agree to further training.

“I’ll teach you new ways to use magic, and new techniques as well, as I mentioned before.”

“Thank you very much!”

With a voice that was now clearer and resolved, Miyano expressed her gratitude, and the conversation ended for today.

…Now, as for teaching, where should I start and how should I approach it?