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 45   Relocating base

“Indeed, things have become quite strange. It’s not just the students; the whole society had just started a new life not long ago.”

After finishing what needed to be said for the time being, Saeki-san stood up and walked towards the corner of the room.

Looking ahead, I saw cups and other sets placed there, so he must be preparing tea.

“You’re right. It’s only been a month since the new school year started… Oh, by the way.”

A sudden question came to my mind, although it wasn’t something significant.

“Earlier, you mentioned that other students would also be mobilized, right?”

“Mm, yeah. Oh, I forgot to mention that.”

As Saeki-san put tea leaves into the teapot and poured hot water conjured by magic, I remembered that he’s a second-grade Awakened being.

Well, I guess it makes sense for him to use magic when researching gates and dungeons. In a way, he’s perfectly suited for the job.

“would you like some tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Saeki-san said that and raised the teapot, to which I nodded and replied.

Then, he prepared tea for both of us and returned with the cups. He placed one in front of me and sat back in her previous spot, taking a sip of her tea to relax.

“Regarding the students… not just your school, but also others, some students are being requested to cooperate.”

I had a certain expectation, but it looks like it’s indeed happening.

“Don’t they have enough available forces to spare?”

“Exactly. That’s why they’re trying to forcibly utilize the ‘Heroes.’ And well, even though they’re students, it’s only the top-ranked first and second graders. They would be more valuable assets than most average adventurers.”

I see, so not all students are involved.

But that makes sense.

A professional third-grade adventurer who’s actively working would be helpful. However, students who have just started the new school year and haven’t received proper training might become a liability, even if they’re first-grade Awakened beings.

I remember that was the case with Miyano and the others when I first met them. They had talent and power, but that didn’t necessarily make them reliable.

First-year students who haven’t even gone through proper training yet are out of the question, and even second-year students might not be of much help depending on their level of proficiency.

In that case, it would be better not to involve them from the beginning rather than burdening the professionals with additional responsibilities by adding inexperienced ‘weights’ as Awakened beings.

Even from my perspective as someone who has been actively working alongside professionals, those top-ranking students are just as capable as the pros. Well, I can’t say for sure if they have the same level of determination to risk their lives, but in the current situation, there’s no room to consider such intangible factors.

However, even if they decide to involve students, it’s not without its issues.

“Just to confirm, is there any guarantee of safety?”

“You should know the answer to that. We can’t guarantee anything. The current situation is already unpredictable, so there’s no way we can provide any assurance.”

That’s right. Guaranteeing safety is not something that can be done with just the bare minimum.

To offer a sense of safety where people can secure their survival and then think about what comes next requires creating a substantially safe environment. Without that, there’s no room for guarantees.

But even if they can’t provide a guarantee, I can understand why they have to proceed anyway, even if some people complain about it.

“But despite not being able to guarantee safety, we are adequately prepared. In the current situation, we’d want to avoid reducing our forces, even if it’s just one person.”

A world where people are treated as mere numbers in terms of strength. It’s as if it’s a war… No, it’s not as if, it is a war. A war for survival between humanity and the forces trying to destroy it. That’s the current situation.

“Now, this will be the end of my talk. Is there anything else?”

“In that case, just one thing. What are your plans going forward?”

This is the one thing I need to know. Nothing has been decided at this stage. After all, the worldwide Gate occurrences and the appearance of the Savior Army happened just a few hours ago.

But even so, they’re going to put Nina and the others in danger. As their guardian and instructor, I have to look ahead. Otherwise, they might become anxious, and that might lead them into dangerous situations.

So, I must act with foresight, even if it’s hazy and uncertain in this situation.

…In a situation like this, I can’t say I can clearly see what lies ahead.

“Moving forward, huh… Honestly, nothing has been decided yet, or so I believe based on the information I received.”

With this preface, it’s apparent that this person holds a considerable position. If the information came from someone like them, it should be relatively reliable.

“For now, our policy is to reduce the Gates one after another, but that’s obviously an impossible task. It’s just a tentative plan, hoping it would solve the issue. So, it’s merely buying us some time. This time, the Savior Army opened the Gates, but if they can intentionally open them, they should be able to close them as well. We’re trying to find a way to do that.”

However, it’s not like they don’t realize how challenging it is.

As Saeki-san spoke, his expression became incredibly complex, unlike anything I’ve seen before.

“Will you find a solution?”

“We have no choice but to find one… You understand that, don’t you?”

Exactly, there’s no choice but to find a solution. If they can’t figure out how to close the Gates, and they keep multiplying like this, the future ahead…

Let’s stop right there. While it’s not precisely “mind over matter,” entertaining negative thoughts will only lead to worse outcomes. Even in this grim situation, there’s no room for hopeful thinking, but at least let’s avoid imagining worst-case scenarios.

But I couldn’t bring myself to respond to Saeki-san’s words. Instead, we shared a moment of silence.

──◆◇◆◇──

“So, for the time being, I’ll be staying at the research institute instead of my home.”

“Well, there’s no other choice in this situation, right?”

After all the events like the Gates appearing all over the world and the Savior Army’s activities, I returned from the research institute yesterday and informed Miyano and the others that I had something to discuss tomorrow.

Today, even though there was no school, we gathered at the usual time in the cafeteria and then moved to Miyano’s room, where we discussed matters related to my activities, as a ‘Hero’ and the decision to move our base to the research institute.

“So, what about you guys? They’re requesting you to stay together, and personally, I’d prefer to stay as close to you as possible while we work together.”

Despite being told that, I knew they wouldn’t make a decision right away.

Still, we need to make a decision as soon as possible since we’ll be starting full-fledged activities tomorrow.

I was about to look around at Miyano and the others, wondering how they would react, but before I could do anything, Abe responded without taking much time to think.

“I don’t mind.”

“Already decided? Don’t you need some time to think?”

“I’ve thought about it. But staying at home won’t make any difference anyway.”

Not that it won’t make a difference or that they can’t produce results, but rather, it has no value.

Abe has her own family matters and various complications, so maybe this is just the perfect escape for her.

…Besides, I heard from Hiro before that there might be some connection between Abe’s family and the Savior Army, whether it’s the main family or a branch.

“I don’t mind either. I was already living in the dorms, and my parents aren’t close by.”

Miyano followed suit after Abe, just as I had expected. However, there seemed to be a hint of sadness in their expression when she said that.

“I see. What about the rest of you?”

“W-Well, as for me…”

However, the reason behind Miyano’s troubled expression was probably related to her family, and it wasn’t the right time to delve into that matter. So, I turned to the other two—Asada and Kitahara—and asked.

“Hey, couldn’t you get some protection for our family?”

Asada didn’t seem to have any particular circumstances, and their family lived relatively close by. It was a distance that they could visit after school if they wanted to. In fact, they had occasionally gone to see them, and there didn’t seem to be any family issues. It was natural for Asada to be concerned.

But protection for their family… I hadn’t asked about that, but I assumed it should be fine.

“Well, we’ve been asked to do something quite dangerous, so I think we can request it.”

Offering protection while everyone else is under attack is definitely a special treatment. However, Asada and the others were part of Miyano’s team as heroes, and they were taking on more dangerous tasks than the others. So, they should be entitled to some preferential treatment. It would be a disadvantage to reject such support and end up unable to demonstrate their full abilities or have their instructions ignored.

“Then please, if that’s the case. We’re willing to move and cooperate.”

However, even if they said they would provide a place, it wouldn’t be possible for us to stay together at the research institute where we were stationed. It was not a place for ordinary people, and there were various confidential matters there. So, I assumed they would be taken to some government-affiliated facility.

“As long as it’s not at the research institute together, I think it’ll be okay. Are you fine with that?”

“Yeah.”

Asada nodded in response to my words, visibly relieved and filled with determination.

“Um, I also want to request protection for my parents, please.”

“Understood.”

It seemed that Kitahara was also concerned about her family, so following Asada’s lead, they also asked for protection for their parents. I granted their request.

And then, just as a formality—I mean, really just a formality—I turned to Miyano and Abe, but both of them shook their heads as if to say they didn’t need such protection.

And so, we all moved our base of operations to the research institute.