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 34   Dungeon anomaly

“Is it really okay to share classified information with me?”

“Well, you’re like half an insider, you know.”

Well, I can’t deny that. I can practically walk in here despite being a commoner, and I have some connections with the people here that allow me to get certain privileges.

Besides, when I tried to quit being an adventurer before… Well, I still want to quit, but I received an informal offer that I could work here anytime if I wanted. So, I can say I’m at least 70-80% considered an insider.

From their perspective, just by having me around Nina’s room, the overall security increases significantly, and they can easily move Nina in case of any emergencies. Just my presence alone is helpful for them.

Even so, I may be considered 70-80% an insider, but that doesn’t mean I have full access. There are classified matters that can’t be disclosed, and Saeki-san should be aware of that.

“More importantly, it’s scarier if something happens to you without knowing.”

Saeki-san said that with a wry smile, and the reason for it was obvious – Nina.

Nina has been physically developing, but deep down… her mind is still that of a child.

Recently, her mental state has been showing signs of growth, but she’s far from being a full-fledged adult. It’s natural for her to throw tantrums and rebel against those around her, especially considering her adolescence. But if Nina, who acknowledges me as her only family, were to hear that I had died, she wouldn’t hesitate to act on her emotions.

She’s known as the world’s strongest, and if she were to act on her emotions, the consequences could be immeasurable.

That’s why I can understand his concerns about my safety.

However, why would my life be at risk? Is it related to what we were discussing earlier about the desperation of the Savior’s Army?

But the timing of this conversation seems odd. If it’s related to our previous discussion, Saeki-san should have mentioned it earlier.

“Well, about the content… The Hero is dead.”

“…What?”

I couldn’t react immediately to Saeki-san’s words, lost in my thoughts. Because, let’s face it, heroes are supposed to be true superhumans, incomparable to people like me.

They were bestowed with the special title to protect the mental well-being of the people who became anxious due to the appearance of monsters. They are the ones who defeat enemies, protect humanity, and are the beacon of hope. Heroes are truly exceptional individuals, far beyond the ranks of typical Special-Class individuals.

And one of them is dead?

Certainly, even among heroes, the difference in their powers varies greatly. It may sound harsh, but it’s a bit of a gamble.

There are those who are ‘hits’ like Nina and Miyano, possessing naturally exceptional powers and earning the title of hero based on their abilities.

On the other hand, there are ‘misses,’ Special-Class individuals with considerable power but not quite enough to be recognized as heroes.

You might wonder why such ‘misses’ exist. Well, the number of heroes is currently less than a hundred, so having a hero in one’s own country alone is enough to make an impact. In simple terms, they were forcibly molded into heroes.

However, even if they were forced into the role, it’s not necessarily a mistake. From the perspective of the citizens, having a hero in their country, whether a hit or a miss, provides a sense of security in their daily lives. They may not know if their hero is exceptional or not.

But even if they pale in comparison to the ‘hits,’ the ‘misses’ still possess significant power among the Special-Class individuals. Whether Saeki’s ‘dead hero’ was a hit or a miss, it’s hard to tell.

…However, heroes are still human. They can fall ill or suffer from various issues. While there is a possibility of acute alcohol intoxication or even choking on mochi, is that enough to make Saeki speak with such seriousness?

Revisiting the topic makes sense; after all, it concerns the life or death of one of the few strongest individuals in the world. But even so, why would they try to disclose something classified like this?

Moreover, what could be the reason for discussing something that could jeopardize my safety?

I can’t believe it, but was she killed? And am I being targeted because of that?

…No, calm down. I haven’t heard the full story yet. There’s no point in speculating, and if Saeki started this conversation, it means he intends to share everything.

So, I should listen to his story first and then think about it.

With that thought, I took a deep breath to compose myself and prompted Saeki to continue.

“What is it?”

Still, I couldn’t help feeling nervous or confused. My words ended up being brief.

“It’s about ‘Hyoken.'”

“…No way.”

Hyoken. I know her. Not just casually, but on a personal level. After all, she is also Japanese, and there were opportunities for us to meet in a place like this.

Of course, when I say “know,” it doesn’t mean we were friends or on friendly terms.

Hyoken is as her name suggests, a user of ice magic. That’s why she was expected to restrain Nina, who wields fire magic. But the fact that I’m here now should be enough to guess.

She couldn’t defeat Nina.

But it’s not because she lacks power. It’s purely because Nina… the world’s strongest is just too strong.

I mentioned that there are hits and misses among the heroes, but she is definitely not a miss. Her pure power ranks among the top hits.

In the first place, there are no misses among the heroes from Japan. I don’t know why, but Japan has produced more heroes than other countries. Hence, there’s no need to forcefully create heroes to add luster.

On the contrary, to avoid stirring other nations by increasing the number of heroes, the criteria for determining heroes are strict.

However, a heroine who should be one of the top hits… is she really dead? I can’t believe it instantly.

“That’s unbelievable… No, to be precise, she isn’t exactly dead.”

Saeki probably has no intention of teasing or deceiving me. After all, his words weren’t spoken clearly; it was more like he was muttering to himself.

“She’s not dead? Then, is she sick or something?”

Even though it was just a muttered remark, I couldn’t ignore it.

“No, not like that. It’s more like on paper, legally declared dead.”

Saeki seemed to realize that he had been avoiding the topic based on my words. He lifted his hand from his mouth with a startled expression and proceeded to provide a more detailed explanation than before.

However, I still couldn’t grasp the situation fully. It just made things more confusing.

“On paper? Legally declared? What does that mean?”

“Well, to put it more precisely, it’s like being declared ‘presumed dead due to being in a hopeless situation with no confirmed death.’ In short… she’s missing.”

“The hero is… missing?”

“Yes. It’s an extremely rare case, but at that time, she was on a dungeon conquest.”

I could understand the dungeon conquest part. As the hero “Hyoken,” she must have wanted to achieve something significant after being defeated by Nina. So, she traveled all around the world, not just in Japan, dealing with gates and their related matters.

“The conquest was going smoothly until a sudden message about destroying the core arrived. Right after receiving that message, the gate collapsed, engulfing everything and everyone inside, and vanished.”

“What? The gate collapsed just like that? Well, I mean, that itself isn’t unusual. Gates collapse automatically when you destroy their core.”

So, if the core was destroyed and the gate collapsed, it wouldn’t be that strange. Gates are designed to collapse once their core is destroyed.

However, Saeki’s current explanation was odd.

“Wait, hold on. Are you saying that’s possible?”

“It’s not. Well, it wasn’t possible before. At least, not until now.”

“Just to confirm, gates usually remain for a while, right? Around a few days or so after destroying the core?”

Right. Gates usually don’t collapse immediately after destroying their core. It takes some time—several days, and sometimes up to a month—for the gate to disappear.

The time it takes for a gate to collapse after destroying its core is determined by how long it took from the gate’s appearance until the core was destroyed. However, even so, the gate collapsing right after destroying its core was something that had never happened before.

For example, when Nina encountered a spontaneous gate and quickly disposed of it, the gate remained there for at least a day. While that was much faster compared to several days, it still wasn’t an instant disappearance.

“Yeah, that’s why we’re all baffled. A gate that shouldn’t have collapsed did so at the moment it seemed like the core was destroyed. This is a very serious situation,” Saeki’s contorted expression made it evident how grave the matter was, and understandably so.

If there’s no time to escape after destroying the core, it means whoever destroys it will undoubtedly perish. Essentially, it means sacrificing one person for every dungeon conquered.

Already, there is a scarcity of adventurers compared to the number of gates appearing. If every time a gate is destroyed, one adventurer dies, the shortage of adventurers will only worsen.

“Do you know the cause?”

“No, not yet. We’ve investigated several similar dungeons and other possibilities, but so far, it’s been an isolated incident.”

If they knew the cause, they could address it. However, Saeki shook his head and sighed.

“We’ll release a statement about the gates later, except for the news of the hero’s death. I don’t think you guys have destroyed any cores yet, but if there’s ever a chance, please don’t do it for now. If necessary, contact us, and we’ll handle it.”

“Understood.”

Although I can’t fathom what caused the gate to collapse right after destroying the core, that’s something beyond my comprehension.

For now, I’ll have to trust Saeki’s country’s organization and wait for their response.

All I can do is inform Miyano and the others about the cores and advise them to be vigilant.

Gates… Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on, but it seems like there are abnormalities or disruptions in dimensions and space.

In case I get caught up in the collapse of a gate, should I come up with a way to survive? It’s unsettling to know that there are anomalies and yet do nothing about it. It’s making me feel uneasy.

I doubt I can handle it as a mage of my level, but thinking about it might not be entirely futile. Besides, there might be a tiny clue that could lead to understanding what the Savior’s Army is up to.