Shujinkou Janai! - CH 38

[S- Sorry, Ma…… Old man. I slipped it out……]

It was Radd who bowed his head and apologized.

The woman who charged toward me at the training ground was an Adventurer named “Maisie”, and even though it was just for a few while, she and Radd had been acquainted with each other before he became an Adventurer.

Perhaps because of their friendly connections with each other, when I started training Radd, she heard the bad rumors about me and went to give him some advice, and that’s when Radd told her a lot of things about me.

[I was stupid and believed those rumors at that time but……]

A few weeks after that, yesterday, Radd and his party defeated the Boss of the Lava Cave.

The first time she saw him, Maisie thought they were still young chicks, less powerful than her and the others, but all of a sudden, that happened.

[That’s when I realized it. That when Radd that “He’s the best teacher in Frelia”, he was telling the truth.]

[Wait, Maisie-san!?]

Radd was flustered by her sudden revelation, but it gave credence to Maisie’s words.

[Hoh. Radd said that huh.]

[T- The heck are you looking at……]

When I egged him on, his mouth twitched.

I’m glad that he unexpectedly recognizes me like that, but egging him more like this would probably make him really pissed at me.

[My party and I have been adventuring for nearly two years now, and we’ve been to the <Seven-Colored Lava Cave> once, but we saw that clearing it was just impossible, so we ran away.]

[And so, you were grasping at straws.]

I said, to which Maisie fluttered her hands.

[I- I know this is a selfish request! Even I’m not so shameless as to ask you to teach me like you do to Radd! It’s just, I want to know my talent. My initial Class was Fighter, but I didn’t feel like I fit in. I changed jobs over and over again and tried to do my best in various aspects…… But in the end, no matter what I did, it just doesn’t feel right……]

As if to suppress her frustration, Maisie bowed her head once more.

[And so, could you please at least tell me what talents I have, or if I had any talent at all! If an amazing person like you were to tell me I don’t have any talent, I feel like I would be able to give up! That’s why……]

Even an onlooker could see that Maisie was asking me so desperately.

Her enthusiasm is palpable but……

(I knew it……)

I tried using <Inspect> at her, but that didn’t tell me anything more than “she kinda strayed off in her life”.

The only reason I was able to discern the aptitude values of Radd and his party was that I calculated backwards from their abilities.

This was possible because Radd and his party have never experienced a Class Change, and moreover, to put it bluntly, it’s even possible that what I wrote are miscalculations or misunderstandings.

If I could make her level-up, I could determine her growth rates by the difference, but with the ability values of a Lv 11, it would take some time for her to do so.

[Nii-san. Looking into that girl’s abilities will take time, and there’s no merit to it. It would be better to say no here……]

The nearby Resilia softly whispered.

That is certainly a good argument.

However……

[Okay.]

I answered without thinking too much.

[Eh? Is it…… really alright?]

The one who was most surprised by my response was Maisie, who had asked me to do it.

She looked at me with a blank stare of disbelief.

“”

[Yeah, but we can’t do it here. Come with me.]

I said, to which Maisie responded with a resounding “O- Of course!”

I chuckled inwardly at that.

(I can use this as a test case” for Radd’s group.)

I had actually been thinking of doing this along the way, but with opportunities like this rolling in, it should be alright to move my plans up a bit.

[We’re heading to the arena. It’s going to be a bit of a walk.]

I left the training grounds with these words, and for some reason, Radd and the others followed behind.

I was going to ask them to do some independent training but…… Well, fine.

[Is this really alright? It would be dangerous if she leaked information about what Nii-san can do.]

[I’ve already spoken to Verteran about this anyway. It’s too late worrying about stuff like that now.]

When I responded like that, Resilia raised an eyebrow.

I feel like I heard her whisper something like “As expected, if I’m not by Nii-san’s side……”, but Resilia was just being too worried.

[It’s alright. This is something I had already planned for?]

[Planned?]

[The world is too weak for average Adventurers. That’s why, I’m planning to speed up the era a bit.]

I smiled at Resilia, who still looked anxious at my words.

[Well, taking on dungeons and beating monsters isn’t the only way to fight. There’s an adult way of fighting in this world.]

Well, it isn’t really as big a deal as it sounds, but saying it like this makes me sound like a guy who had considered a lot of things in mind.

As we approached the arena in the distance, I led the group, trying my best to look confident.

※　※　※

Located in the center of Frelia, the <Arena> is one of the town’s most famous landmarks as well as one of the Gods’ Relics, a facility where people can enjoy dueling each other under various rules without risking their lives.

(Come to think of it, the tournament is coming up soon.)

In B&B, the “Tournament for the World’s Strongest” is held in the 6th Month and the 12th Month, where you can enjoy battles with not just Adventurers, but also various famous NPCs.

It’s not simply a matter of being able to fight opponents that you wouldn’t normally be able to fight, but it’s also very important from the standpoint of strengthening your character, as in addition to the huge prize money that is awarded to those who remain in the top ranks, there are also skills that can only be learned by becoming the Arena Champion.

However, now is the off-season for that tournament.

The Arena is filled before and after tournaments, but in the morning and at lunchtime, there are a few people making use of the Arena, and if you apply, you can have mock battles within your party.

[I’ve never been to the Arena before.]

Even if they said that, it’s not like regular Adventurers would have much chance to go here, but nevertheless, Radd and the others fidgeted as they looked around.

However, what really caught their attention was the huge stone statue standing proudly at the entrance of the Arena.

[This guy’s cool. I wonder if he’s an Arena fighter?]

When Radd curiously tapped the stone statue’s base, Mana immediately came out and explained.

[This is the statue of the First Champion! He’s a Legendary Gladiator who had never lost a single match in the 30 years since the World Tournaments began, and remained undefeated until his retirement, despite being regretted by those around him! Ah, by the way, the current champion is a distant descendant of this man!]

[As expected of Mana. You really know a lot.]

Being an Adventurer Maniac, she would also be familiar with the trends in the Arena Tournaments huh.

When I called that out, Mana tapped her fingers together, and confessed with her face bright red.

[Ah, uuu, that is…… I- I just read that from a sightseeing magazine……]

That’s kinda…… making it sound like she’s not an Adventurer Maniac, but a simple country bumpkin.

Well, putting such suspicions aside, Maisie’s nerves seem to have eased a bit when she saw what Radd and the others were like.

[……Maisie. Are you ready?]

[Y- Yes!]

She still looks a little nervous, but well, it can’t be helped.

Urging her, we went inside the Arena.

[Look. I said I’d check your aptitudes, but there is a condition before that.]

[A- A condition?]

[It’s nothing big. All you have to do is go up to the Arena and stay still. Yeah, however……]

I looked at Maisie’s equipment from top to bottom.

It doesn’t appear like she had any gear that would change her ability values, but they could also be Enchanted equipment.

Just in case……

[————Take off all your equipment.]

As soon as I said that, Maisie’s shoulders shook and I could see the blood drain from her face.

[Y- Yes…… I…… understand……]

Perhaps thinking that she had come this far so it can’t be helped, she nodded with a resolute expression and walked to the stage.

(Perhaps, did she think she would be beaten up after she took her equipment off?)

Well, her misunderstanding should be cleared up when she enters the stage.

With that thought in mind, I was about to get on the stage too……

[————I- I misjudged you, Old man!]

A voice suddenly shouted from behind me.

[……Eh?]

I turned around to see Radd standing there, his shoulders shaking as he was seemingly suppressing his anger.

Not only that, there was also Nuku who looked astounded, Prana’s cold gaze was piercing at me, and Mana who was pouting.

And then, there’s the last one member of the group……

[Nii-san, so this is the adult way of fighting huh…….]

With a look of disdain on her face, I finally understood what Maisie and the others had misunderstood.

In B&B, character graphics change depending on their equipment.

Some of the equipment, especially the stylish ones for the fashion conscious, simply changes the armor, but graphically changes the clothes inside as well.

That is just for the convenience of it being a game, but what would the process be like if that were to become reality?

Perhaps, there were some equipment that was treated as “one piece of equipment”, including the clothes and underwear behind it.

And if it’s that kind of equipment, it’s naturally worn directly on the skin, so what would happen if she were to take it off……

[A- Ahhh……]

I felt like my blood was draining out of my face.

Putting myself in Maisie’s shoes, let’s reflect on my earlier words and actions.

I told her that I had a condition to assess her aptitudes, and calling her into the Arena, I demanded that she take off her equipment and stay still.

This, depending on how you look at it, no, I don’t even need various perspectives to……

[————Y- You’re mistaken! That’s not what I meant!]

And so, I had to desperately persuade the crying Maisie, who was trying to get naked in the corner of the Arena.