Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Don't Mistreat Your Subordinates. You'll Regret It Later. (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The first day since departing.
I was walking under escort, positioned in the center of the three forming a triangular formation.
"Goblins."
We'd gone about an hour without incident.
Sure enough, a pack of short, green, humanoid monsters ambushed us.
"Kiek!"
"Kiiik!"
There were five goblins.
Not a huge number.
Five goblins could easily be taken down by three F-rank adventurers.
Of course, even five of me wouldn't stand a chance.
But right now, I had a solid D-rank party as my escort.
Among D-rank parties, these guys had top-tier combat prowess. They could probably handle even a single troll from the Ode Swamp.
"To your positions."
At the command from the party leader, Kogel, the other two pulled me back slightly.
It was a basic frontline-rearline setup—nothing fancy enough to call sophisticated positioning—but it definitely gave off the vibe of a seasoned party.
"Hey! Buffs!"
"Y-yes, got it!"
Kogel barked at Sonya like she was beneath him, demanding buffs.
She hurriedly chanted the spell for her buff magic.
"Mana, grant mighty strength. Strength! Mana, grant swift motion. Haste!" The basics of buff magic: Strength and Haste.
One boosted physical power, the other enhanced bodily speed.
A faint blue glow of mana enveloped Kogel's body. His muscles bulged.
A wind-like effect swirled around him.
As expected of an E-rank, she didn't have anything fancier.
But that alone made Kogel at least one rank stronger.
He was probably on par with an unbuffed C-rank adventurer now.
Overkill for goblins.
But not dropping his guard even against weak foes? That screamed seasoned adventurer.
He might strut around, but his skills were the real deal.
"Haaap!"
Whoosh!
Kogel swung his longsword... and dove right into the midst of the goblins...?
"Kiek?!"
The goblins panicked at his sudden intrusion.
But they quickly surrounded him, five of them encircling from all sides.
"...?"
What... the hell...?
Something's off with that guy.
No matter how overwhelmingly stronger he was, did people normally charge straight into a monster pack like that?
When a small adventurer party faced multiple monsters, the standard was hit-and-run tactics.
Whittle them down bit by bit, seize total advantage, then sweep them away.
That was basic.
But Kogel wasn't following basics. He blatantly showed off, letting them surround him on purpose.
...Scratch that seasoned adventurer bit.
He just wanted to flex how strong he was with buffs.
"Uh, u-um..."
Reina had nocked an arrow but froze in confusion.
Makes sense.
She couldn't just shoot and risk hitting Kogel.
"Kuhaha! Die!"
Whoosh! Slash!
Ignoring her, Kogel gleefully swung his longsword at the goblins.
"Krek!"
"Kiek!"
Naturally, his superior physical abilities let him mow them down.
But they had him surrounded on all sides.
"Kiik!"
Slash!
"Kgh...?!"
In the end, a goblin's small dagger sliced into Kogel's back.
He'd been so careless that it slipped through the unplated leather section.
The leather tore with a rip, leaving a gash running halfway down his back.
"You little shit!"
Thwack!
Enraged, Kogel booted the goblin flying about three meters before it crumpled.
Knew it, you idiot.
Even against overwhelmingly weaker foes, let your guard down and that's what happens.
See that?
Even with plated armor, he took a nasty wound.
"Filthy goblin scum... I'll kill you all."
His eyes were bloodshot.
Two things you never do in combat: bravado and getting heated.
This guy was doing both.
"Krek... kiek."
Then.
The goblin that had slashed his back and gotten kicked away struggled back up.
And then.
"Kiik... kiik... keh?"
It spotted me, Sonya, and Reina hanging back.
"...!!"
You moron...!
If you're gonna kick it that far, finish it off properly!
"Kieeek!"
It lost aggro on him and charged our way.
"Ngh...!"
Reina hastily raised her bow.
Too late.
Too close to aim and shoot.
"Kieeeek!"
The goblin barreled toward Reina, who stood protectively in front of me and Sonya.
"Haaap!"
Reina swung her bow stave instead.
Thwack!
"Krek?!"
The charging goblin took it to the head and sprawled out.
Stab!
She jammed the arrow she'd been holding into its neck for the kill.
Ooh... clean work.
Spear talent, through and through.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Reina 📊 Aptitude Stats ⚔️ Spearmanship: D ✨ Enhancement Magic: E Reina had aptitude for spearmanship—a skill anyone could pick up easily but few mastered.
At D-rank aptitude, fully developed, she could reach at least C-rank adventurer status with spear alone.
Plus, like Scarlett, she had aptitude for Enhancement Magic.
Not overwhelming talent, but the synergy between enhancement magic and physical skills was proven.
So why was she using a bow?
I'd seen cases like this plenty.
People oblivious to their own talents, pursuing something else entirely.
Especially since most folks—unlike me—couldn't see aptitude stats.
Probably one of three reasons.
Scared of monsters, so ranged.
Melee slots filled, so ranged DPS stood out more.
Or never learned close combat.
But watching her fight...
Didn't seem scared of monsters.
She probably never even considered spearmanship.
Never learned it.
"Fuck!"
Kogel, oblivious to our close call, spewed curses while battling the rest.
Two goblins left.
Almost wrapped up.
Should've ended sooner.
Squirt—
Blood spurted from Kogel's back. He grimaced in pain.
The wound was sapping his strength.
...Huh?
Something weird.
Why no healing magic?
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Sonya 📊 Aptitude Stats 🩹 Healing Magic: C Sonya's aptitude was Healing Magic.
Not support buffs.
Party member injured, no healing?
Was she holding out, thinking "Screw you"?
"Fuck! Hurts like hell! Ugh... If only this useless bitch could heal..."
"......"
Kogel's irritation and Sonya's downcast head said no.
She straight-up couldn't heal?
Usually, buff mages learned healing too.
Support mages handled buffs and heals like priests, backing from rear.
Supports and priests did basically the same job.
Difference: Priests drew from divine power, supports from their own mana.
Which better? Divine power stronger overall.
But supports had diverse buffs: attribute enchants, Haste, Strength.
Handled more situations.
For adventurers, versatile all-rounders beat one-shot heals.
Supports rarer than priests, high demand.
Even E-rank supports fit C-rank parties, stretch to B.
Why was she in this D-rank party?
Probably couldn't heal, buffs limited to basics.
"Hmm..."
These two really needed a nudge.
Clueless about themselves.
"Excuse me a sec..."
"Yes?"
"...?"
Kogel busy fighting.
Perfect time to chat.
"Reina, when enemies get close like before, wouldn't it be better to carry a melee weapon and switch with your bow?"
"Uh, y-yeah...?"
Key: Not orders, suggestions.
"Unlike goblins, if an orc or silver wolf pops out, smacking with a bow or piercing its throat with an arrow gets tough."
Reason they could buy into, framed as proposal.
Be real.
If some rando said, "Your aptitude is spearmanship, learn it!"
Would anyone go, "Cool! Spear time!"?
Lucky if they didn't run screaming "Cult!"
Telling them I see aptitudes? No one'd believe.
...Even if they did, I'd get dragged to the Empire, treated like a magic aptitude tester.
Hid my ability since childhood for that reason.
Anyway.
Make suggestions they nod to.
"Yeah, carrying a dagger or easy melee weapon sounds good."
They think your way naturally.
From a psychology book I read six times for fun.
"Saw you swing that bow stave earlier—felt like it'd suit a staff or spear better than a dagger?"
Mix in praise, guides hearts easy.
All creatures weak to compliments, rewards.
Was sincere too.
Looked just like swinging a staff.
"Staff or spear... Might make my gear heavy..."
True, bows and staves/spears hard to swap in panic.
Hence daggers as archer sidearms.
Didn't matter.
Goal: Turn her into spear specialist, not perfect archer.
"Plenty time before monsters reach rear. Staffs/spears easier to learn than daggers anyway."
Mix truth, white lies—people miss the fibs.
"Right... I'll try a staff."
Psychological nudge: Reina convinced.