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 53   Intrusion and encounter

The following day, we boarded an early morning flight and arrived in the country where the gate we were about to infiltrate is located. This place is a country on a continent not far from Japan, a nation that had caused an incident leading to the opening of gates.

“We’re finally here.”

“Feeling nervous?”

“Yes, indeed. But I don’t intend to die. I have things I want to do and things I want to have.”

Today, at noon Japan time, a simultaneous global assault on several locations suspected to be enemy strongholds is scheduled. Among these, there are a few places with a higher likelihood of being the main targets. The place we are at right now is one of them.

Now, why did we come to such a crucial location? Well, that’s because of Nina. Naturally, the most powerful piece is placed in the most challenging position, and that’s why I and Miyano were chosen for this role, to assist and operate.

So here we are, in the midst of the forest. Originally, this was a site where some facility probably stood, but nature had reclaimed the human world as people stopped entering. This is the place where our assault will take place.

“Looks like this foolish commotion will end here.”

“It better.”

Before us lies a forest, and behind us stands a military force ready to support us and prevent the enemy from escaping.

However, even with such a force, we can’t rely on it entirely. Nina goes without saying, but even Miyano could handle opponents of this level on her own. In this era, a powerful individual renders armies almost meaningless. Not to say they’re entirely useless, but ultimately, they serve as mere support.

“A call? Who is it?”

Just then, my cell phone rang.

Is it the signal for the operation to begin? I wondered, but while it was indeed nearing noon, it wasn’t the exact time we had planned for.

So why? As I pondered, Saeki-san’s name appeared on the screen.

“Igami-kun!”

The moment I answered the call, Saeki-san’s voice burst out loudly, calling my name.

It’s rare to see someone as composed as him sounding so flustered. There was something similar that happened before, but could this be another urgent crisis or troublesome matter?

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, unexpectedly, a massive number of gates have suddenly appeared, and monsters have been pouring out from them. Moreover, multiple gates are spewing out top-tier monsters. I had some expectations, but this is getting serious! We need to handle it somehow, but we’re short on personnel. That’s why we need to borrow Nina!”

It seems my suspicions were correct – an abnormal situation has indeed occurred.

…Multiple top-tier gates. That’s undeniably problematic. I can understand why Saeki-san is in such a rush.

Just a single gate opening in a populated area can lead to the deaths of hundreds, even thousands of people. And if it’s a top-tier gate, even a slight delay in response could result in tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of deaths.

And now we’re dealing with multiple of these.

Depending on the number of gates that have appeared, even if we manage to take down the root cause this time, the world’s population could realistically decrease by as much as a tenth.

“At a time like this…!”

Nina, who was right beside us, must have heard our conversation. Her face twisted in frustration.

“The timing of these gate openings. I believe those who sensed our movements are likely trying to weaken our forces,” I said.

That’s probably the case. Otherwise, the timing is just too perfect.

“What do we do about these gates?”

“The higher-ups have decided to proceed as planned. They think, ‘We have a hero with the power to contend with Nina, so we should be able to hold them off at least until we have some breathing room.'”

“They say it so casually.”

“And that’s ultimately for their own safety, isn’t it?” Miyano scoffed, exhaling as if the words were too easy to say.

Asada seemed to interpret the situation as the higher-ups trying to move Nina for their own protection, and her expression soured a bit.

“While I won’t say that’s incorrect, it’s also true that the situation is dire. Besides, we can’t just abandon the plan. Please, at the very least, confirm whether it’s the main target. And if the main target is identified, ensure it doesn’t escape.”

“Understood.”

With that, the call ended, and a message arrived on my phone. Simultaneously, a notification sounded from Nina’s device too, most likely a message with similar content.

As I glanced at it, I noticed a formal order had been sent. …It’s not like I’m a military personnel, even if they send me something like this.

However, there’s no point in making a fuss over it. Swiftly reading through the contents, I turned my gaze to Nina.

“It can’t be helped. However, I have one request.”

Nina probably knew what was coming. Her expression soured when I looked at her, but she quickly exhaled and consented to move away from here to deal with the gate.

“About the promised outing you mentioned earlier, could we postpone it to tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow might still be chaotic, so I doubt it. If within a week is acceptable, then I think I can manage…”

“Alright, I’ll go with that. If that works for you, I’m more than happy to make as many promises as you want.”

With those words, Nina and I intertwined our pinkies, sealing the promise. She smiled slightly, a hint of satisfaction in her expression.

Nina retrieved her phone, checked the contents of the received message, and promptly activated magic, soaring into the sky.

After a while, the expected time arrived. Although Nina was absent contrary to our original plan, we proceeded towards the enemy’s stronghold to launch our assault.

──◆◇◆◇──

As we ventured deeper into the forest, an increasing sense of incongruity accompanied our progress.

They don’t seem to have any intention of hiding this, or rather…

“What is this? A provocation?”

Indeed, even Asada, who isn’t a mage, could sense the density of magic. It felt as if it were beckoning us, just as Asada had mentioned.

However, we couldn’t afford to halt our steps. So, we pressed forward. After a while, we stumbled upon a gate that emanated an intensely discomforting sensation.

We paused before the gate, exchanged glances…

“We’re going in.”

“YEAH!”

We stepped forward, determined to put an end to this chaos.

Upon entering the gate, we found ourselves in an inexplicable space – a corridor stretching endlessly, with a brown earthy ground, white walls, and a murky blue sky.

“What is this?”

Miyano, who was leading the way, murmured in disbelief, her voice trailing off. But there was no one who could provide an answer.

We had ventured into numerous dungeons before, and I had read volumes on dungeon lore, but encountering such an otherworldly place was unprecedented.

The white walls were peculiar too; they seemed to lack a distinct presence. While you could physically touch them, there was an uncanny sensation as if the space beyond them didn’t exist, making it feel as if you were able to touch them because there was nothing behind. Like an incomplete world – would that be an appropriate description? That strange sensation pervaded.

We exchanged glances once again, and in silence, continued down the corridor. After what felt like a considerable span of time, the passage seemed to come to an end.

“Everyone, stay alert.”

As the end of the corridor came into view, Miyano issued a warning, prompting Asada and the others to begin preparing for combat.

Upon emerging into the space beyond the corridor, the area opened up significantly. The white walls that had been closing in from both sides vanished, revealing an expanse that stretched out beyond sight.

At the center of this space, a man stood, reaching out towards something placed nearby. Presumably, he was our adversary, and the object he was touching was likely the core of this dungeon. It’s unusually large for a core, though.

“You’ve finally arrived.”

The man seemed to notice our presence and turned his gaze towards us while keeping his hand on the object.

Impressively, he appeared to be in his thirties, but exuded a sense of calm that suggested he was well into his sixties.

“It appears the ‘strongest’ isn’t among you. What brings you here?”

Without responding to his words, I surveyed the surroundings, unable to discern any peculiarities in the landscape or even a trace of magic. While the ground and sky existed, there were no trees or structures, leaving no places to hide. Conceivably, there could be something beneath the ground, but the absence of magical reactions suggests he’s unlikely to be an Awakened being, at the very least.

Well, Miyano and the others can withstand bullets and cannonfire, but I’m rather fragile, so staying vigilant is essential.

“Are you the head of the Savior Army?”

“Indeed. I’ve discarded my name, so unfortunately, I can’t introduce myself.”

In such a crucial location, with a dungeon and core unlike any seen before, I initially thought this might be the main target. It seems my hunch wasn’t wrong.

“So, your purpose here is to stop me, correct?”

“Of course! We’re here to defeat you and put an end to this absurd situation once and for all!”

“I won’t let you all have your way any longer.”

As Asada and Miyano lowered their stances, ready to charge at any moment, Abe aimed her magic towards the man, and Kitahara layered protection spells and barriers over Miyano and the others.

“Having our way, huh? I wonder which side is truly having their way here. You lot—”

However, the man simply chuckled at Miyano and the others’ words and muttered in exasperation.

He seemed about to continue speaking, but there was no reason to entertain such conversation.

If he was indeed the leader of the enemy, then all I needed to do was eliminate him. No need for capturing; that’s too soft. It would be troublesome if, by some chance, he managed to escape due to such leniency.

“I didn’t come here to chat.”

Hence, even while the man was in the middle of speaking, I launched an attack without hesitation, interrupting his words.

It might be a cinematic moment, but damn it, skip that nonsense, you idiot.

“Hah! Attacking in the middle of a conversation, how typically human of you.”

However, despite striking opportunistically from beneath, my magic disintegrated the moment it touched the back of the man’s head.

Tch! So he’s prepared countermeasures.

“So, what’s your plan?”

However, this didn’t trigger the start of a battle; the man remained motionless.

“It goes without saying, doesn’t it?”

“Considering we possess the ability to communicate, wouldn’t you agree that you should clearly convey your thoughts and intentions?”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t come here to talk?”

“I won’t fall for stalling tactics.”

“Though you haven’t released that hand, are you doing something?”

The man’s eyes widened briefly at Kitahara’s question, then he quickly returned to an insolent grin.

“Correct. However, even if I have no intention of engaging in conversation from this end, I do have something to say. I believe you should hear it.”

Ideally, I wouldn’t want to indulge in time-wasting.

“Survivor. What will you do? Dismiss my words as a ploy to buy time, or listen?”

Yet, if this was a story he had concocted to detain us, it might be worth hearing.

Rather, not listening and encountering an issue later would be far from ideal.

Take this dungeon, for instance. It’s undeniably peculiar. If it holds any sort of role or function, not knowing it could render us incapable of dealing with potential anomalies.

Alternatively, if this place truly binds other dungeons, the conversation might be related to that.

Either way, dismissing it as mere time-wasting chitchat is a difficult judgment to make.