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 30   –Kill

“…You’re a newcomer, huh?”

“Huh? …Nina? No, that’s not it.”

I observed the figure of a person for the first time since defeating those guys at the beginning. The person had white hair and red eyes, thin and petite.

Seeing that appearance, I momentarily mistook them for Nina, as she was the only albino I had ever seen. But this person’s eyes had different colors, and they weren’t dressed in such tattered clothing. Moreover, there’s no way Nina would be in a place like this.

So, I quickly realized it wasn’t her, but I couldn’t let my guard down. After all, the reason Carter and the others sought my help was to deal with the possibility of someone like Nina.

An albino in the Salvation Army’s hideout. They must have gained some kind of power from those guys.

While I wouldn’t say this person is as powerful as Nina, they might still possess a formidable ability.

With such thoughts in mind, I remained cautious. But in the next moment, my face involuntarily twitched in response to something.

“It’s not Nina, but… what is this?”

Following the albino child who first appeared, a long line of more albino individuals, numbering not just a few, but possibly dozens, emerged from behind them.

I think it’s a bit unfair to have only a short interval between the appearance of the first person and the rest. If the intention is to evoke surprise or despair, then it might be effective, but still…

“They definitely look like the same kind.”

I sense a slight twitch in Sieg’s face, and it’s probably not just my imagination.

Even if they don’t possess the same level of power as Nina, if they have a formidable ability, it could be quite dangerous.

However, I have a question, or rather, something that intrigues me.

“They’re of the same kind, huh. Well, maybe they’re a new variant.”

“More like hybrids, I’d say?”

While they share the same albino appearance as Nina, their bodies are different. It’s not just about eye color or body shape, but something more fundamental.

In the photos Sharon showed me when she asked for my cooperation the other day, the children appeared with parts or their entire bodies transformed in grotesque ways. Over half of the children here have similar appearances.

For example, some walk with only one arm greatly swollen, scraping the ground; others have melted faces, yet they remain composed; some emit green smoke while vomiting blood. There’s an abundance of abnormalities with no semblance of uniformity.

Some individuals have multiple abnormalities throughout their entire bodies.

But there’s one thing that they all have in common.

“Do you think those kids are conscious?”

“I’m not sure. Personally, I think it’d be better if they weren’t…”

And then—

“Pl-please… help…”

Their fragmented words revealed that they are conscious.

The appearing albino individuals stretched out their hands as if seeking help, some struggling to form coherent sentences, while others could only moan in pain.

Not only that, perhaps due to my trained sensitivity to detect signs, I could sense their gazes, emotions, and desperation clinging to me.

“It seems they are conscious.”

“Damn it! You damned bastards!”

Their appearance with white hair and red eyes… and above all, their circumstances were strongly reminiscent of Nina’s.

The fact that they were being “used” in this way deeply upset me, as it felt like a confirmation of those claims that Nina wasn’t human… and I couldn’t bear it.

However, venting frustration wouldn’t change anything.

“What do we do? The passage ahead likely leads to them… Should we pursue together or split up?”

Sieg, still keeping an eye on the children in front of us, turned to me and asked.

His suggestion of pursuing together implied that we’d have to kill these children to proceed.

But…

“Do you have any experience of killing children?”

“…No way, you don’t have that experience either.”

True. Neither I nor Sieg have ever killed children.

I have taken the lives of those who appeared as enemies before me, but they were adults who had made their own choices to commit evil.

However, the children here are different; none of them are acting on their own will. They are merely brought here and forced to stand before us.

“They’re coming! What should we do?”

Even if these kids don’t have the will to fight, they have no choice but to attack us because that’s how they are programmed.

“You go ahead.”

As I look at the white-haired children approaching us, I don’t turn to Sieg but instead focus on the children in front of me as I speak.

If one of us goes ahead, the one who remains should make sure not to follow and must deal with these children to ensure they don’t leave this place.

In this situation, letting Sieg go first means… that I will have to kill these children.

“Is that… alright with you?”

“Yeah. Something like this won’t kill me. Besides, I can’t just let those bastards run free.”

The answer might differ from Sieg’s question, but perhaps he is…

Still, I lightly smiled as if nothing was wrong, as if I hadn’t noticed anything.

“I understand.”

Sieg asked with a worried voice, and upon hearing my response, he didn’t seem to let go of that concern. Instead, his response carried an even sadder tone, but he accepted it.

Yes, that’s how it should be.

“I’m sorry for making you take on this unpleasant role.”

“It’s fine. Just go quickly.”

The Salvation Army, who is responsible for this damn mess, might have some hidden cards up their sleeves, but if that’s the case, they would resort to more direct and desperate measures.

In that case, it’s better to send Sieg instead of me. If they demand pure combat power like guns or bombs, I would die immediately.

As for the rest, well, it’s the role of an older guy like me.

Sieg is still in his early twenties. He’s young enough.

Besides, while he usually acts playful, he’s actually a very serious and caring person who considers others’ feelings.

If he can’t save them, there might be nothing he can do about it, but if he ends up killing these children, he might have to bear that burden for the rest of his life.

So, it’s better for me to do this.

Fortunately, thanks to Carter and his group’s base and materials, we have made various preparations. Even if we are facing such a large number of opponents, it doesn’t mean there’s no way to handle them.

Upon hearing my words, Sieg started running, and for a moment, he moved his hand holding the sword, but the sword didn’t swing. Perhaps he thought that if he were to kill them here, it would render my consideration to stay behind.

Thus, without killing the children, he reached the door they had come from, and Sieg swung his sword down with force, causing the sturdy door to be blown away, no longer serving as an obstacle.

Sieg cut the door and glanced back at me before swiftly turning back to the front and running ahead.

“They’re gone. I need to handle things here too.”

The albino children were coming at me, but some of them had turned towards the broken door, aiming for Sieg. I couldn’t let that happen.

As I confirmed the children attempting to follow Sieg, I quickly took out a tool and threw it towards the path he had left through.

Even though I knew what the outcome would be, I watched the “bomb” fly towards the children’s backs.

Then, the explosion.

Sound and shockwaves wreaked havoc around the bomb’s location, assaulting the children with white hair.

As a result, several children who were heading towards the corridor were blown away, dancing in the air.

It was myself who created such an unrealistic scene, and feeling discomfort within, I unintentionally bit my lip.

…But now, there’s no one left pursuing Sieg.

The children were sent flying by the explosion, but without any apparent issues, they all stood up and started heading towards me as if nothing had happened.

I thought that blowing them away once might not be enough, but it seems these children are specifically targeting only me. Perhaps they are programmed to attack opponents within a certain range or those they can see.

“I wish they had stayed down after that last attack…”

I don’t necessarily want these children to die. I, too, wish for them to live… to live freely if possible.

However…

“Haah…”

Letting out a sigh while watching their behavior, for now, I managed to get Sieg to move forward. He should handle the remaining enemies. So, I don’t need to worry about him.

I have to prepare to deal with these children somehow.

The problem is…

“It’s uncertain if they’ll allow me to avoid this.”

In front of me were the grotesque children gradually approaching.

If possible, I’d like to help them, but it’s just not possible.

As if to prove that there was no way to avoid the fight, some of the children within range launched attacks.

Those attacks took the form of fiery balls, spider-like threads, or elongated arm-like tentacles, lacking any sense of uniformity.

Their aim was solely directed at me.

Yet, there was no will in these children. They were just executing attacks as they were programmed to do.

“Tch!”

To cope with the simultaneous onslaught of attacks, I suppressed my discomfort and began to move.

First, I moved forward to evade the majority of the attacks directed at my previous position.

Following that, attacks like the threads and tentacles, which could be manipulated from behind, came at me. I blew them away with explosives and ran horizontally while smoke covered the area to evade them.

However, this time, children with enlarged or hardened arms, legs, or even their whole bodies approached me, launching their assault.

Perhaps my physical abilities are at the first-class level? However, their attacks are quite straightforward, more like brute force with no feints or subtleties. As someone who regularly spars with Miyano and the others, I can handle their attacks to a certain extent.

Nevertheless, I can’t afford to be too relaxed. I want to move in a way that avoids significant injuries, but if I make overly big movements, it will lead to stamina problems later on. So, I’m pushing myself to the limit with my movements.

For now, I need to figure out how to deal with these children… There is a way to kill them, but I need to prepare the situation a bit before attempting it.

Thus, I keep evading.

Dodge, dodge, dodge… Seizing the opportunity that arises, I thrust my knife into a child’s neck and slash it open. In the same motion, I avoid the attack of a child swinging a fist like a giant, and I also cut their neck.

Again and again, I dodge their attacks and strike their necks, pierce their hearts, and administer poison. Sometimes I use my enemies as shields against attacks from behind, surviving nonetheless and continuing to kill the children.

Still, they don’t decrease in numbers.

“It’s tougher than I thought…”

Maybe it’s because their wounds heal quickly, or because I have to face dozens of them in this situation, or perhaps it’s because I attempted to kill children…

I don’t even know why it feels this way. It might be a combination of all those reasons.

But even so…

“Help us.” “It’s painful.” “I’m scared.” “I don’t want to die.” “Why is this happening?”

The voices of the children resonate even amidst the ongoing battle.

Yet, I cut down the outstretched hands pleading for help, drown out the pained and frightened cries with deafening noise, trample upon the desperate desire not to die…

And in doing so, I survive and continue to kill the children.

This unbearable reality frustrates me to no end.

But above all else, what frustrates me the most is…

“Kill us.”

This.

The voice that wishes for death because of the pain, the desire not to live any longer.

Innocent children, who have done nothing wrong, are robbed of their future simply because they were born as albinos and are now being used in this wretched place.

And now, they are begging me, with tears in their eyes, to end their suffering and let them die.

Yet, in a way, I am responsible for their pleas too. All I’m doing is inflicting pain upon these children.

…Perhaps Nina also became like this in the end.

While listening to voices that only fuel my frustration, I suddenly had a thought, one I couldn’t help but entertain.

That’s right. In that moment, I dismissed the absurd hesitation that I might get injured and started assembling in my mind what I should do next.

These children are not my kin, and they are not under my protection.

So, I can’t help them… and I won’t.

“I’m not a hero, and I can’t save you…”

But still, even if it’s just for my own satisfaction…

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick for you.”

I can at least kill them.