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 5 Chapter 2   Can’t be the main character

Two days after receiving a call from Miyano.

After finishing school and becoming free, I headed to the cafeteria, which was our designated meeting spot with Miyano and the others. However, only Asada was there.

“Huh? Are you alone?”

“Huh? …Oh yeah, that’s right. Haruka and Yuzu have a different class for the sixth period, so they’ll be a little late.”

Although this school also has regular classes, since it’s a school for training adventurers, there are times when the classes are divided into vanguard and rear guard even if you’re in the same class.

However, normally they would gather in the classroom first and then come here. It seems that today, Abe and the others might have exceeded their class time, and only Asada and I arrived early.

I say “and the others,” but Asada is the only one here. I wonder where Miyano is.

“Where’s Miyano?”

“Mizuki is going to the library for a bit.”

The library, huh… She’s quite studious. Well, she’s been going there quite often before, so it’s not really strange.

But still, it’s why she’s alone here.

“Ohh, so you’re not going?”

I started the conversation and expecting a response something like, “Do you think it doesn’t suit me?” or something along those lines.

“…Yeah.”

“Huh?”

Asada, who didn’t even bother turning her face towards me, simply gave a slight nod with a hint of a downcast expression.

It was clear that her demeanor was different from usual, as if she was troubled or hesitant about something.

“Hey, do you know how I can become stronger?”

Should I listen or should I pretend not to hear? …No, I guess I should listen after all.

With that thought in mind, Asada began speaking without looking at me.

“You know, you said it before. That I could become the protagonist. But, you know, it was wrong. I realized I can’t become the protagonist.”

The protagonist? Hmm… Ah, I do vaguely remember saying something like that. It was quite a while ago… About a year ago, maybe?

Well, around that time, when I was teaching them about fighting, I think I said something like, “In a chaotic battle, you can’t use magic, so you have the highest firepower, and you stand out the most.” I have a feeling I said something along those lines.

After I said that, she had been enthusiastically working hard ever since…

“You’re quite self-deprecating. It’s unlike you.”

Indeed, it’s very unlike her. What happened?

“But it can’t be helped, right? Anyone would understand if they saw the battle the other day.”

By “the other day,” she means the ranking match, right?

That battle was certainly intense. The ground was blown away in the vicinity.

“Tenshi-san was amazing. And Mizuki, who stood up against her, was amazing too. So, what about me? I was just watching.”

Though she says she was just watching, back then, it was because I wanted to let Miyano and the young lady fight, so I forcefully prevented her from participating.

“Well, I told you to watch—”

“No, it’s different. Even if you didn’t tell me, I couldn’t have done anything. Because… I felt like I couldn’t do anything myself.”

As I heard that, my finger involuntarily twitched against my will.

…I hadn’t heard or noticed that she felt that way.

It hasn’t even been a week since that battle ended, so in a way, it might be inevitable, but such words are meaningless.

“And speaking of that, you talked to Mizuki about something, right?”

“Something” most likely refers to the training we discussed earlier. After receiving that phone call yesterday, to be precise I taught Miyano a new way to use magic, separate from our usual training.

“By the way, let me ask you… Who did Mizuki see as her ‘enemy’? Did she see me as someone worth paying attention to? …Or was it someone else?”

As I was asked that question, it reminded me of my conversation with Miyano.

Miyano desired to become stronger, but it wasn’t because she didn’t want to lose to Asada, her growing comrade.

It was simply because she had lost to the young lady, who was an opponent on an equal or greater level.

I had thought I would eventually make her realize the issue with her thinking, but has it already come to the surface?

Although I felt frustrated and wanted to gnash my teeth, I knew that if I did something like that, it would be noticed immediately. So, I desperately racked my brain, cautious about how to respond.

“…Yeah, I guess. I knew.”

However, unable to figure out how to answer, I remained silent. And in that silence, Asada came to the realization that she had never been perceived as a rival.

Understanding that the person she should have been competing against, the person she considered a rival, hadn’t been paying attention to her, Asada’s expression turned bitter. She lowered her head, clenched her fist, and crushed the empty can she had been holding.

“Do you have time after this?”

I can’t just leave it like this.

In a way, this situation is partly my fault.

As someone who took on the role of an instructor, I should have been attentive and properly observed their circumstances.

Yet here we are, in this troublesome state, all because I neglected their well-being.

I have to do something about it.

“…What’s this sudden change for? We have training, you know.”

“It’s about something other than training.”

“But there’s nothing… What is it?”

Despite Asada’s skeptical response, she answered me honestly.

Ignoring her questioning gaze, I took out my phone and informed Miyano and the other two that today’s training was canceled.

“Hey, what are you doing? What’s going on?”

“I told them that today’s training is canceled.”

“Huh? Why would you do that…”

“There’s no point in training in such a state. It would only lead to injuries.”

In a state filled with such uncertainty, engaging in training would not only yield no results but also have a negative impact on both myself and those around me.

Moreover, aside from the discussion about the effectiveness of training, if I were to show Miyano the current emotional state of Asada, it would only strain their relationship further.

Although I don’t think Miyano or Asada would become angry with each other, I believe that they would become overly conscious of each other in an unpleasant way, creating a “gap” between them.

And that gap would spread throughout the entire team.

So, even if it feels sudden or unnatural, it’s better to cancel today’s training.

We’ve trained enough until now. It doesn’t matter if we have slightly less training time. What’s more important is for Asada to accept her current role as someone Miyano sees as a “protected individual” and help her overcome that perception.

“But I have to become stronger…”

She wants to train to be recognized by Miyano as a rival and a comrade. However, she’s getting too anxious.

Yet, I realized my own misunderstanding.

I thought she was mentally strong, but they’re still just kids.

I should have approached them with more care.

“Sigh. Hey, silly girl. Come with me for a moment.”

“What do you mean by ‘silly girl’? And come with you? You’ve been pushing me away all this time, and now suddenly you want to go somewhere? Do you want to be alone with a high school girl?”

Her words may sound the same as always, but there’s a lack of her usual tone.

“That’s right. I want to be alone with you right now, so come with me.”

“Huh… Uh, okay?”

It seems she didn’t expect to be clearly affirmed, as Asada’s expression turned dumbfounded, but she nodded in agreement.

With her consent, I stood up from my chair, but for some reason, Asada just stared at me without attempting to stand.

So, I reluctantly took her hand while still seated, pulling her up forcefully, and started walking towards our destination.

“Alone together… But this is the training area, right? Well, I had a feeling it would be something like this.”

We arrived at a training room specifically designed for individual practice by magic users. It was rectangular in shape, about thirty tatami mats in size, quite spacious for personal use.

The facility itself was made with anti-magic materials that significantly reduce the impact of magical effects, so it must have cost a considerable amount of money.

However, it’s not exactly the kind of place you would choose for a date.

Asada, who was brought to this place when I asked her to come with me, expressed her dissatisfaction. But even in her complaint, she lacked her usual demeanor, and for some reason, it made me furrow my brows.