Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: A Different Kind of Daily Life (2)
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Chapter 146
A Different Kind of Daily Life (2)
Fifteen days had passed since we conquered the first dungeon. In that time, we had cleared two more in succession. It was remarkably fast, for several reasons.
First, we targeted relatively easy and nearby dungeons. Since I was familiar with the strategies, we achieved our objectives without much trouble.
Most importantly, the group had grown closer, so there were no significant difficulties. Everything was going as expected. The girls had all gathered around Ceria.
“Ceria, what kind of food do you like?”
“I’m not particularly picky.”
“If you ever get a sudden craving, just let me know.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“Oh, right. If you ever get stuck during training, you can rely on me. I’ll teach you my swordsmanship if you want!”
“Hmm, is there really a need for that?”
“───??”
“As you know, my swordsmanship is heavily influenced by Jace…”
“Ah, you mean you want to master one path? I guess I can’t force you, but…”
“I’ll think about it.”
“O-okay…”
The princess looked crestfallen. It seemed she was growing anxious as Ceria didn't easily yield to her advances. She had tried to flaunt her strengths, but none of them had worked.
Well, it wasn't a complete waste. From what I could see, Ceria did seem interested in Esterize's swordsmanship.
After all, Esterize was among the best, alongside me, so it was a natural attitude for a warrior to have. However, her desire to be with me was stronger, so she seemed to have put it on hold for now.
“Are you interested in making a pact with a spirit? If so, I can teach you everything from start to finish.”
“Do you think the spirits will like me?”
“Of course. Now, then…”
“But… isn't Aruru better at spirit arts?”
“───!!”
The elf girl, who had struggled to start the conversation, ended up worse off than before. Perhaps unable to vent her frustration at Ceria, she shot a resentful glare at our innocent little cutie instead.
“The goddess appeared in my dream last night. She blessed the future of you and the Hero. So, I’ve decided to acknowledge it.”
“Acknowledge what?”
“I will concede the position of the Hero’s first partner to you.”
“───??”
“In exchange, the second is… you understand what I mean, right?”
“…”
The Saintess, who had overplayed her hand and made Ceria's expression harden. She had even invoked the goddess, but it only brought about a worse result.
Still, for her, it was a big decision. She had essentially half-denied the fated relationship between the Hero and the Saintess. To think she was capable of compromising with reality…
Anyway, that was the general flow of things. Ceria was the queen. Aruru was the noble. The rest were commoners… As an observer, I wondered if this was right, but since there was no discord, I was just happy about it.
In truth, it felt a little precarious, but it was a problem that would naturally resolve itself once Ceria reached S-rank. She was already on the verge of the next stage.
Something good was bound to happen soon. That aside… how was I supposed to awaken?
“…”
I shouldn't be worrying about others. The main characters each had their own awakening events. When specific places, times, and conditions were met, they were set to surpass S-rank. But this body of mine had no predetermined route.
Jace’s awakening condition? Could it be turning to the dark side and becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Surely I didn't have to go back to my old scoundrel ways, bullying the weak and harassing girls, did I? All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind, but I wasn't too anxious.
If I waited patiently, the system window would show me the way, as it always had. My role was to reap the rewards from the back… no, to give orders. In other words, my companions' awakenings were far more important than my own.
It would be ideal if all the main characters awakened, but that seemed realistically difficult. For now, I needed to focus on the princess and our little cutie.
If just the two of them awakened, the minimum condition for defeating the Demon King would be met. Since I was managing the first team directly, I didn't foresee any setbacks.
However, the second team's situation was different, so my expectations were lower. It would be a triumph if even one of them awakened. Whoever it was, I’d have to snatch them away and put them under my command.
It might seem incredibly cheap, but it absolutely wasn't. Promoting a player who excels in the second team to the first is only natural, right?
In any case, the timing worked out well, and both the first and second teams were at the academy. I had a private conversation with the leader of the second team. I needed to get a grasp of how things were going.
“Can I be honest?”
“…Is it tough?”
“Yeah, I feel like I’m going to die. I can’t do this anymore.”
“…”
I could tell just by looking at his face. His sunken eyes and chapped skin made me feel tired just looking at him. He seemed to be going through a lot, but that was precisely why I made him the leader!
Gale had once been hostile toward me. Well, he just had his lackeys bother me a bit. Even that, he gave up on quickly. He had backed out before things got too big, a glimpse of a mage’s wisdom.
He wasn't what I'd call dependable, but I thought he was the most likely to succeed, so I entrusted the second team to him. And he had indeed achieved results beyond my expectations.
They had already conquered two dungeons. Considering they were relatively low-level A-rank dungeons, it was still a remarkable achievement. However, it seemed he had paid a hefty price for it.
“Not a single one of them listens to me!”
“…”
He poured out the emotions he had been bottling up in front of me, on the verge of spewing curses. Hey! Subcontractors are always like that… It’s weirder when things go smoothly!
“Every time I tell them to wait, they always talk back, ‘Why? For what reason?’ It’s useless even when I set a formation. Those idiots just charge in recklessly!”
“…”
I could vividly picture the chaotic mess. At this point, I felt like I was the one at fault. But the results were good, weren't they? You should be proud!
I wasn't just saying that. From what I saw, he was doing quite well. I had even put Erich, who had been wasting his time at the Imperial Palace, on the team.
Including Largo, who had become S-rank, the party was complete. His injuries from Cedric should be fully healed by now. The final party consisted of five men and one woman, the complete opposite of the first team…
“What? I have to manage Largo too?”
“He’s an S-rank, at least. He’ll pull his own weight. It’s better to have one more person…”
“Ha! You’re just screwing with me. So you haven't forgotten what happened back then! Still, isn't this a bit petty?”
“…”
He kept grumbling, saying things like he had trusted only me but now felt betrayed. No, it's not revenge, I tell you. It's not that I didn't want him to suffer a little… Anyway, you got plenty of experience and artifacts, didn't you?
“I’ll say it again, I don’t think there’s anyone more suited for the job than you. What would have happened if one of the others was the leader? Between us, it wouldn’t be strange if they all got wiped out.”
“…I can’t deny that. And that’s what pisses me off even more.”
Mages prioritize rational judgment. Gale had already tasted the sweetness of massive experience points and good loot.
He must have calculated that as long as he endured, it would be fine. Nevertheless, he seemed to be under an extreme amount of stress, enough to make him lose his reason.
Well, as long as it wasn't me, right? It's not like I held a grudge anymore, but did I really need to console a guy? He was just venting his pent-up frustration.
Though he faced numerous hardships, the authority to control the Hero candidates was something everyone would covet. That in itself was a form of power, so he was unlikely to quit.
“I just don’t get it. How are they all trolls? I wish they were a little less capable but at least listened to what they’re told.”
He said that would be better, looking utterly fed up. I stared at Gale, feeling like I was starting to understand his personality.
He was the type to be satisfied only when things went exactly according to his meticulously laid-out plans. He seemed to despise all sorts of variables and unexpected situations, but reality was a dumpster fire, which made him tremble with frustration.
“I get why you made your party with only girls. At first, I was dumbfounded because it seemed like you were being so obvious about it, but that wasn't it. You were just excluding the guys who are too proud to listen to anyone, weren't you?”
“…”
Truly a sharp insight. To think he had figured out my true intentions… As expected of a Hero candidate with a high intelligence stat. Anyway, compared to the second team, ours was a team of angels. Well, they were all as beautiful as angels, too.
I felt it was a really good decision to create the second team. It even had the effect of providing me with a sense of relative comfort like this. Should I tease him a bit? I'm curious about his reaction.
The moment I acted smug, Gale would lose his cool and explode. I really wanted to see that, but my conscience as a Hero wouldn't allow it. In that case… I put on a deliberately somber expression and adopted a serious tone.
“I have my own share of troubles, you know.”
“What?”
“When there are a lot of girls, that creates its own set of problems.”
In truth, gender was irrelevant. It was just that their individual personalities deviated from the norm. They had often acted unpredictably in the original story, and with me as a new variable, it seemed to have gotten worse. Meanwhile, Gale let his imagination run wild.
“True, there’s a saying that when three women gather, a plate will break.”
“───??”
“If three get together, two of them will gang up on the third, and if there are four, they split in half and form cliques, right?”
“───!!”
Wait, hold on! Why is your wording so direct? What kind of world do we live in! Let me be clear, this is not my opinion. Gale was the one who just jumped the gun. I support gender equality!
In the first place, it’s perfectly natural for girls in their prime to laugh and chat. That sight should be heartwarming, not something to criticize.
The problem was what came next. Ostracism? Cliques? From my observation of the group, that wasn't the case at all.
It felt like the elf girl was being subtly left out… but anyway, no! It seemed like there were pro-Aruru and anti-Aruru factions, but that was a slightly different matter.
“Yeah, I get the gist. You have your own troubles. It must be a headache managing other girls with your fiancée right there…”
Huh? How does he know so much? He deduced everything without ever having hung out with girls. He even started looking at me with pity, as if he had never been envious. Hmm, this felt a bit off in its own way. I quickly changed the subject.
“But Skadi is well-behaved, isn't she?”
“That’s no comfort at all. It’s a relief that at least she listens, but…”
The girl who was the protagonist of a reverse harem party. The elf girl would have enjoyed that situation, but Skadi probably didn't think much of it.
I wonder if she's doing well. When I asked about her, Gale looked at me as if he was dumbfounded.
‘What's with this guy? He has so many girls already, and now he's trying to go after the one I have left? This is why popular kids need to disappear from the world!’
That seemed to be what he was cursing inwardly. It was incredibly unfair, but I was in a position where I couldn't really refute such a misunderstanding. I ignored his attitude as if I knew nothing and got to the point.
“It’s about time the Demon King’s army started to make a move.”
“Hmm…”
“We need to prepare for that. They might even target this place…”
The event where the Four Heavenly Kings attack the Hero Academy and are repelled. The timing wasn't exact. It was a system where the event was triggered sooner as the Hero party’s level increased. I also had to consider various other variables.
After finishing my warning, I handed him a multi-purpose elixir. Ten should be enough for now. When I explained the elixir's effects, he was shocked, as if he couldn't believe it.
“Hmm, if that’s true, I should save it for emergencies…”
“You can drink one now.”
“───??”
The team leader of a subcontractor. How immense must his suffering be? Besides, mages needed special care.
Once the war began in earnest, the role of an area-of-effect dealer would become crucial. True to his abilities, he would set the vast battlefield ablaze.
Of course, the same went for Skadi. I could picture her conjuring a blizzard. I wanted to train her myself, but I didn't have the time.
I could only hope she would grow stronger on her own. If she surpassed my expectations, I might be very pleased, as if I'd hit an unexpected jackpot.
Leaving that little bit of fun for later, the first and second teams continued their dungeon conquests. Everything had been smooth so far, but we couldn't afford to be complacent. Another fifteen days passed, and winter arrived.
The end of the year. The Hero party began to regroup. We needed to prepare for the cold and take care of some postponed matters.