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 4 Chapter 4   Admired figure

“The young lady possesses the strength of a warrior and knowledge, but she significantly lacks experience.”

As Kudo spoke with a serious expression, I sensed a somewhat concerned atmosphere, like that of an older brother worrying about his younger sister.

In reality, they weren’t siblings or anything of the sort. I had previously looked into it and found no such information.

However, Kudo’s genuine concern for the girl named Asuka Tenshi was undeniable. It was similar to how I worried about Miyano and the others.

“Normally, one would feel discouraged and contemplate at such a point…”

“No matter how difficult it seems, things will eventually come together., so I don’t think much about finding a way.”

“I see.”

Usually, when one feels lacking in strength or experiences such a situation, they would consider various ways to compensate for that deficiency.

So, he wants me to somehow make up for her lack of experience?

“Of course, through our battles together, I have started to think about things more than before. However, recently, she has been obsessively pursuing ‘strength’ without reason.”

“All of a sudden?”

Considering the earnest nature of the young lady, I don’t think she would solely focus on ‘strength’ if there weren’t a reason behind it.

“As a reason, it was due to that attack. Ever since witnessing your way of fighting during that incident, she has been relentlessly pursuing strength and has become stubborn, refusing to listen to others’ opinions.”

I thought there might have been something that changed the young lady’s heart, something that shook her emotions, and it turned out to be exactly that.

However, when it comes to the battles during that attack, there were two instances: the fight against the bandits and the confrontation with Nina. Which one could it be?

The battle with Nina couldn’t have been seen from where the young lady was, and as for the bandit extermination, the young lady herself played an active role, so I don’t think there was something significant enough to cause a change…

“Forgive my bluntness, but as someone of lower rank, you were able to contribute. Despite that, as a top-ranking individual, she couldn’t accomplish anything. she started to worry and became fixated on seeking strength in my daily training.”

“Huh? If we’re talking about contributions, she fought to protect the students and repelled the enemies.”

“Yes, but it’s not about that. It’s about ‘the strongest.’ she witnessed that battle.”

“Talking about her, huh…”

I see, I suppose it makes sense, after all. It was about that battle.

Regarding Nina, if she had just been unable to see due to the location, and if she had moved to a place where abnormalities could be observed, it wouldn’t be strange for her to witness our battles. I can also understand how one’s perception can change after witnessing something.

Comparing myself to the world’s strongest… well, it’s natural to think that there’s no point or use in doing so.

From my perspective, I think it’s fundamentally wrong to make such comparisons… or rather, I believe it’s meaningless to begin with.

Kudo must understand that too. Nina is fundamentally different from us.

And the young lady herself should have understood that as well. She understood it, and that’s why she hesitated, but she didn’t show up in that situation.

Considering the young lady’s strong sense of responsibility, it’s possible that she wanted to protect her assigned position. But that contradicts the fact that she watched our battles because, in order to witness our fights, she would have had to leave her post.

However, despite leaving her post to watch our battles, the young lady never showed herself during the midst of the fight or even after it had ended.

Perhaps she believed that her presence would be futile. That she would only end up dying without being able to accomplish anything.

However, the reason was not only the battles involving Nina and myself.

“If it was just your fight, it might have been fine. But she also witnessed Miyano-san’s battle.”

Upon reflection, it’s only natural that if she watched my fight, she would have also witnessed Miyano’s battles.

When she saw Miyano, who confronted overwhelmingly powerful opponents without hesitation, what did the young lady think?

“Despite being the same age and having the same top rank, she can only watch while another girl fights?”

“Yes. Although she didn’t say it explicitly, from fragments of her words, it seemed to imply that.”

While the young lady didn’t voice it, she was probably considering Miyano, who was in the same grade, had the same top rank, and excelled in both combat and magic, as a rival.

But Miyano was able to stand before the strong, while she couldn’t.

That must have been incredibly frustrating.

…No, it might be something more than just frustration.

In order to deny her pitiful, miserable, and uncool self, she started seeking nothing but “strength,” didn’t she?

Not just superficial techniques, but pure “strength.”

“But if I were to offer advice, you would only become more silent”

However, even though Miyano is probably the stronger one, the fact that she witnessed my battles is still one of the reasons why she became so reckless.

I don’t think that offering my advice would change the fact that she wouldn’t readily accept it.

If anything, the situation may be even more challenging than I initially thought.

“No, I will listen to what you say. You are the object of her admiration,”

Yet, Kudo shook his head and denied my perspective.

“Admiration? Why the hell would I become something like that? We don’t have that kind of relationship.”

Even though I claim to be an instructor at the school and can be considered exclusively assigned to Miyano’s team, that’s the truth.

I’m obligated to respond to the students’ questions and training requests as much as possible, but I’ve never been asked to provide guidance to anyone other than Miyano’s team. In fact, I haven’t been approached much at all.

…As I think about it, it quietly saddens me, but the truth is, I’ve had very little interaction with the students.

And that includes the young lady as well. Even today, it was the first time we exchanged words in quite a while.

That’s why I don’t think I’m someone who should be admired in that way…

“Even though there may be no direct connection, your achievements align closely with what the young lady desires.”

Achievements, huh…

“Not the achievements recorded in records, but the actual figure of a hero who confronts enemies and saves everyone. That’s what she seeks, and you are the closest to it.”

Indeed, the young lady had a desire to “save everyone who can be saved.”

And I have saved the lives of those who were on the verge of death.

The young lady’s desire seems to resemble what I have done, at least on the surface.

However, the essence of it is different.

What I have done is simply the result of escaping.

Because I didn’t want anyone else to die for the same reason my lover died.

Because I didn’t want anyone to die within the limits of my ability to help.

So, I helped them.

After all, it’s painful to regret not helping someone, knowing that you were once saved.

To escape from such pain, I have been helping strangers.

It’s different from the young lady who has been striving and making efforts from the beginning, thinking, “I want to help someone.”

I am not someone who deserves to be called a hero.

“Please stop. I’m no hero.”

“Yes, you may say that. However, she ended up thinking that way.”

…So those were the words of the young lady from earlier. She thought of me as a hero, and that’s why she said those things.

“Truly, when it comes to direct guidance, considering her personality, she probably won’t accept it easily.”

Well, that’s probably true. Regardless of what the young lady thinks or the difference in opinions between me and Kudo, I have the same view regarding that aspect.

“But if it’s just words… if they come from the realm of ‘admiration,’ the young lady should be willing to listen.”

“So, you’re asking for advice…”

“Please, I beg you.”

Perhaps knowing that it would draw attention if he were to bow his head in this public place, Kudo didn’t lower his head, but his expression was sincere.

It wouldn’t hurt to offer advice. I can’t deny that thought.

However, advice is just mere words after all.

If I were to directly observe and guide, I could properly teach. But with words alone, even with a bit of advice that the young lady would accept, it wouldn’t be enough to fully make her understand my thoughts and ways.

What if, because of that advice, the young lady attempted something halfway and ended up getting hurt?

I can’t bear the weight of someone else’s life.

The current Miyano and the others I see right now are already enough.