Stupid Heroes ~We Draft Candidates~ (WN): Chapter 13

 

Chapter 13: Adventurer's Work

 The forest located five days north of the capital is called the [Forest of No Entry]. Although it is only a short distance away, it is a dangerous forest where many magical beasts roam.

 In the past, the Church has attempted to defeat these monsters on a large scale several times, but no matter how many times they are defeated, the number of magical beasts will continue to increase as time goes by. It is said that there is a dark cave deep in the forest that gives birth to magical beasts, but no one has ever confirmed this.

 Nowadays, the Church does not conduct large-scale hunting in the country. This is partly because there is no end in sight, but also because the materials obtained from the defeat of magical beasts are actually a source of revenue that enriches the Church.

 Now, it is more correct to call it hunting magical beasts in search of materials, not for the purpose of extermination. The adventurers registered with the guild are in charge of this work.

 Today, too, adventurers who have received requests can be seen in the forest. Their feet are heading for the forest exit. They are on their way home.

“Hey, Silver Wolf. Come on, Silver Wolf, get yourself in a better mood."

 A senior adventurer who accompanied Ren called out to Ren who was walking in a bad mood.

“…The request information is incorrect. I don't think this kind of mistake should be tolerated."

 Even the senior adventurer's words didn't fix Ren's mood.

"Well, I guess so. We're the ones who are in danger."

"Yes"

 This time, the request was to kill the undead. But what actually appeared were living magical beasts, and there were quite a few of them. Ren is angry about that.

"But as it turned out, the request was a success. It's going to be worth a lot of money."

 The senior adventurers seemed satisfied with the fact that they were able to hunt quite a few magical beasts without causing any deaths. It doesn't matter what's in it, as long as they get home safely and make some money, that's all that matters.

"But it's still no good."

"I know. Let's complain to the guild when we get home."

"Of course"

"But Silver Wolf."

"What?"

"You can fight even if it's not an undead opponent."

"……A bit."

 One of the reasons why Ren is in a bad mood. He ended up fighting against magical beasts other than the undead.

"What's wrong? Didn't you defeat the war wolf who came to you by surprise?"

"By chance"

"Jeez. Why such unnecessary modesty?"

"My specialty is the dead"

"It's a waste. Undead don't show up that often, right? If you accept normal quests, you can earn more."

"Being an adventurer is not my occupation."

 To be precise, he has not yet decided which path he will take. For Ren, being an adventurer is just another way to earn a living.

"I can't understand that. At such a young age, and only a year or so after your debut? And you've been recognized enough to be given the nickname [Silver Wolf]. I've never heard of such a newcomer."

"It's not something I want. Besides, it's embarrassing to be called Silver Wolf."

"You should be an adventurer."

"I don't want to."

"No, you should reconsider. You should definitely live as an adventurer."

"...Why are you insisting on it that much?"

 Ren wondered why the senior adventurer was so eager to recruit him. The reason for this was clear in his next words.

"Team up with me"

"That's what you're talking about......"

 If you can get a good party, you can get more rewarding requests. This senior adventurer thinks so highly of Ren that he thinks this way.

"Isn't it good? I think I can make good money if I team up with you."

"I'm sorry, but I have a real job."

"Real job?"

"That's a secret."

 Even if Ren lives as an adventurer, he intends to work solo. He would never want to be in a party, because he doesn't trust people.

"Oi!"

"Well, I guess we're out of the forest now. I'm leaving here."

"Oh, okay. Well, think about it. If that doesn't work out, maybe we can work together sometime."

"Whenever we get a chance. See you later."

 After saying goodbye to the other adventurers, Ren started running toward the forest exit at once. He had no special plans. It was just that he didn't want to spend the whole way back to the capital with other people, so he always did it this way.

 And with Len's legs, he could return to the capital much faster.

 In fact, on the third day after leaving the [Forest of No Entry], Ren was in the capital. He was headed for the guild headquarters.

 Using a deserted back alley, he went around to the back of the guild headquarters building and found a small door that looked like a kitchen door. As Ren approached the door, it opened from the inside before he could do anything.

 He walked in through the open door without seeming to pay any attention to it. A narrow staircase is right in front of him. After climbing the stairs, a narrow hallway stretches out.

 When he reaches the end of the hallway, he finally sees a human figure. Although he can see him, he is almost fully clothed in black, and only his eyes are visible. It would be easy to understand if he was a ninja.

 Ren's appearance is actually not too different from the man's. His entire body is wrapped in a black cloak that reaches down to his knees, and half of his face is covered with black cloth, starting below the eyes. This is because he does not want people to see his face when he is acting as an adventurer.

 The same goes for the other person. He does not want his face to be recognized. The man in the hallway is a guild soldier under the direct control of the guild leader. Although his existence is known, his identity is kept secret.

 When he saw the figure, Ren lowered the cloth covering his mouth to reveal his face. This was to let the other party's guard down.

 Upon seeing Ren's face, the black-robed man takes a few steps back. Where the man was standing, there was a door on the side, which Ren opened and proceeded inside.

"...Silver Wolf, huh?"

 As soon as Ren entered the room, a man sitting in a stately chair called out to him.

“Even the guild leader calls me that?”

 The other man was the guild leader. The guild leader is the head of the adventurers' guild.

"It's better than being called by your real name, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. But Silver Wolf."

"You'll have to put up with that. So, what's the matter? Did something happen?"

"Yes."

"……What is it?"

"Incorrect request information"

"What did you say?"

 The guild leader's complexion changed as the guild should not have been in such a situation.

"There was no undead in the designated area. What was there was a group of war wolves. Quite a few."

"Hmm. So?"

"War wolf hordes have been defeated. No adventurers have been harmed. There is no problem in the end, but how could such a mistake happen?"

"Could they have moved?"

"The undead have a narrow range of movement. This is the same as with earthbound spirits. Or rather, the guild leader should know more about these things."

 Ren got his knowledge of magical beasts and monsters from the guild. If he was the head of the guild, he should know more than Ren.

"Well. But if they're being manipulated, it's another matter."

"Even so, it's strange. A living magical beast approaches the place where the undead was born?"

 A place where the undead are born. It's an unclean place, and it can't be a good environment to live in. Since magical beasts are also beasts, they are sensitive to such anomalies and usually do not approach them.

"Hmm, you're studying properly."

"Now is not the time for an exam."

"Yes. But if that's the case."

"It's fine if it's just a mistake. But I'm worried about the possibility of it being intentional."

"Why would they need to do such a thing?"

"This may be too self-conscious. But I've been probed for a while now."

 To be honest, even Ren didn't think they would go this far. But if there's even the slightest possibility, he can't just leave it at that.

“That matter, huh? …You didn't put a threat in there, did you?"

“It's not necessarily just one country. And in that case, the less direct contact they make, the worse their nature seems."

“…Are you saying it’s a measure to gauge your strength?”

"I may be worrying too much, but I thought I must be vigilant."

"No. That's a good decision."

"Hmm?"

"Well, hearing that brings up something else that's been bothering me, too."

"What?"

 The guild leader's words made Ren uneasy.

"I've got a strange request."

"What kind of request?"

"A mission to escort the students from the Church Academy."

"Who, may I ask?"

 Ren knew what to expect even before he asked. Otherwise, the head of the guild would not have told Ren.

"It is against the rules to divulge the details of a request prior to a public announcement, but in this case it was unavoidable. They are planning hands-on training in defeating magical beasts as part of the practical training for the hero candidates at the academy."

"I haven't heard anything about that."

"I guess. They are still in the planning stage. The request to the guild is to accompany them. Our job is to guide them in defeating magical beasts and to escort them in case of emergency."

"What do you mean by strange?"

 From what he heard so far, he doesn't find anything extremely strange about it, except that the other party is a hero candidate.

"One thing I do wonder is why they don't leave it to the Church Knights."

"That's true."

"And the other is the detailed instructions on how to divide up the numbers. There are three classes, right?"

"Yes"

"Class A is the best."

"That's right."

“Class A should have the largest allotment, then Class B, and finally Class C would have only one person. They said it was for budget reasons."

 Why is it necessary to divide the number of people like that? The guild leader could not think of a reason for this.

"...There are many children of influential people from different countries in Class A."

 Ren talked about one possibility. But he knew it was not the right answer.

"And that's the reason?"

“But because they are such students, they have guards brought in from their own countries. They are even stronger than the lower-ranked adventurers.”

 The unnaturalness of the situation became apparent. There is no doubt that there is some kind of agenda.

“......By the way, are there any in Class C?”

"There are none. Most of them are general admission except for the hero candidates. There are a few who are mixed in, but they are not the children of influential people themselves, but their subordinates."

“The class that doesn't need guards are heavily guarded, and the class that does need guards are mostly unprotected. It's a more ludicrous request than I thought."

"Direct from the church?"

"That's right."

"Then I don't care. The chances of the church trying to find me are extremely slim."

"Then what's the purpose?"

"I don't know. However, the purpose of the plot to go to a dangerous place with few escorts is a possibility."

 Ren has already judged that this request is a conspiracy of sorts.

"It's a raid. Kidnapping. What else is there to take?"

"I don't see why the church would do that."

"Isn't there someone influential in there?"

"If something happens during an event at the academy, the church will be held responsible."

 He can't think of any reason for the church to take such a risk and go after an influential person. Then, by process of elimination, the target would be the hero candidates.

"I agree. Then, if the target is a hero candidate, and the real target is Class C, the objective is...... how is such a thing possible?"

 The guild leader's eyes widened in surprise as he arrived at a hypothesis.

"I don't know. But if the Church is dirty with money...... is that still an anomaly?"

"But it's an organization where that anomaly is possible. They're making the guild responsible for making the request. That's a joke."

"If that's the case"

"I'm not in a position to be optimistic that it's unlikely. Are you willing to accept this escort mission?"

"No. No matter how many times I hide my face, those who know me will see it."

“......By the way, what class are you in, Silver Wolf?”

"Class C"

"What!?"

"I'm a dropout."

“…You are that talented though?”

"Well."

 There is a misunderstanding with the head of the guild. The reason for this misunderstanding is that the information that the guild leader knows about Ren is not the information that is registered in the church, but the information that was available when he registered with the guild.

“Hmm. So a few raids won't be a problem, right?"

"That's a bit of a question. It depends on how much you want to participate. Not everyone is a fighter. Especially in class C, there are a lot of production workers."

"...I guess they want those students to participate as much as they can."

"Probably"

"But with Silver Wolf, it is a little shocking..."

"It is an overstatement. I'm not going to participate in that."

"What?"

"I don't like trouble."

"But if you don't want to participate in it."

“Ignore it and I'll be expelled, which is all I want."

 The value of the academy to Ren. It's just where he can study. If the content is not going to be useful, then there is no need to be in the academy anymore. In fact, it is likely to be. Ren does not need any kind of political science or tactics.

"I see……"

“The guild should also refuse.”

"I can't do that. I don't want to get along with them, but I don't want to be seen as an enemy. It's the guild's policy to stay close to the country and stay away from it."

"...Then it can't be helped"

"It would be troublesome if it ended with that."

"Even if you say so"

"Think of some countermeasures"

“…Right now, there is too little information.

"I agree."

“If you don’t want to be held responsible, you should dispatch high-ranked adventurers at the risk of losing money.”

"That's the worst that can happen."

"Then it's settled."

"...We must not let it end there."

"I thought of a plan..."

 This is what Ren says in his conversation with the guild leader, but there is no way he would let it end there. There is no way that Ren, who does not trust people, would leave out the slightest hint of conspiracy.

 In preparation for that time, Ren will be running to gather information.

◇◇◇

 The story of the training became known much earlier than Ren had imagined. By a person who is happy about it and who can't help but want to brag about it.

"There are still two and a half years until graduation. I don't need to be in class that long."

"That's the rule."

 Despite arguing about Ren, Shizuru is always the one talking to Yuya. It's not necessarily because she wants to. The reason is that Mei and Jin are no longer actively talking.

 The reason for this is that Mei is now clearly aware of Yuya as an opponent. Jin, on the other hand, can no longer stand Yuya's condescending tone.

 The four of them are still together as usual, but their relationship is not what it used to be.

"There is nothing to gain from classes. It should be the same for everyone."

"......Though the practical skills may be so.”

"Practical skill is important. If the practical skills are meaningless, then there is no need to come to school."

"Hey, that's a bit of an exaggeration."

"It's true. So I thought, how can I make the rest of my time more meaningful?"

"……What?"

 Yuya's statements at times like this are almost always not very good. Naturally, Shizuru and the faces of those around him are wary.

“I wanted to experience as many actual battles as possible.”

"Actual battle?"

"Guild Work"

 With those words, the wariness of the people around him suddenly turned into expectation, as many of the Class A candidate students felt that the class was not enough for them.

"But that's impossible."

"It turned out all right. I told my teacher about it, and he went to the church."

"Did they agree?"

"On one condition."

"What is the condition?"

“First, I will gain experience in defeating magical beasts as part of my studies at the academy. Then, if I am deemed acceptable, I will be registered as an adventurer."

"...You mean there's no problem with that?"

"I don't know. The point is, all I have to do is to defeat the monsters. That should be a piece of cake."

"I see……"

 Contrary to Yuya's exhilarated expression, Shizuru's expression darkens.

"Huh? You are not happy, Shizuru?"

"Because I'm not a combat type."

 Shizuru does not have the confidence to defeat a magical beast. She has no combat skills.

"Background support. The party needs members like that."

"Party?"

“The work of the Adventurers' Guild is done by a party of several people. As expected, solo work would not be allowed, because master said so."

“I see... I wonder if that applies to all students?"

 After hearing Yuya's words, Shizuru's expression regained its brightness.

"...It's only for us, the hero candidates."

 Understanding the meaning of Shizuru's question, it was now Yuya's turn to have his expression clouded.

"You mean all the hero candidates, right?"

"...I think so."

"Yes! I'm looking forward to it!"

 Shizuru feels like she's already formed a party with Ren. Even if she could register with the adventurer's guild, Ren wouldn't form a party with her.

"I have a proposal!"

 Yuya doesn't know that. He stood up to stop Shizuru's thoughts.

"...What is it?"

"Let's form a party with these four."

"That's……"

"The strongest party ever."

"But we won't be adventurers forever."

"That's why. After graduation, we may be separated. So we'll spend the rest of our time together."

"……I'll think about it."

 The answer is obvious without thinking. Shizuru intends to prioritize love over friendship, or so she thinks.

“Shizuru! Guild work is dangerous! If I'm with you, there's no problem, but if I'm not..."

 Yuya desperately pleads with her not to let that happen.

"But I'll feel safer if I'm with someone who already has that job."

"...I heard that his job is nothing but exorcism."

"My light attribute magic will come in handy."

 Yuya's appeal did not reach Shizuru.

"...Then, five people."

 For Yuya, this is the best compromise he could have made. After going at it so many times, Yuya has indeed come to realize that it is impossible to force them apart.

"You don't have to force yourself."

"I'm not forcing anything. He's a senior in the guild, so it's good to learn from that experience."

 It is just an excuse, but he is not forcing himself. Yuya's idea is to show the difference between himself and Ren by being together and to turn Shizuru's feelings towards him.

"Then, let's ask him."

"Yeah, go ahead and ask him."

 The students around them know that there is no meaning to this conversation between them. There are no more students who don't know that the relationship between Ren and Shizuru is one-sided. They all know that Ren is deeply annoyed by Shizuru's feelings. The only ones who do not understand are the two of them.

 It took less than five minutes for Shizuru, who had walked out of the classroom with light steps, to come back with slumped shoulders.

◇◇◇

 Magical beast subjugation training for hero candidates. For the teachers at the Church Academy, it was something that just happened. The academy is overwhelmed by the response.

"Why is it necessary to do such an event!?"

 The one complaining was the headmaster of the Church Academy. And the one he was complaining to was Bishop Mikhail, who had come to the meeting as a representative of the church that had ordered the event to take place.

"There's a good reason."

"What is?"

"The reason is that the classes at the academy are not good enough for the hero candidates."

"That's……"

"It seems that we underestimated the hero candidates a bit. Isn't it already impossible for teachers to win against Yuya-kun and other high-ranking candidates?"

"……Yes."

 The headmaster's anger cools down at once. However, it seems pitiful that the headmaster is to blame for this. Because it was the church itself that underestimated the hero candidate.

“The church is selecting new teachers, borrowing people from the Knight Order and the Mage Order. But even that will be overtaken in no time. We can't just appoint the head of the Order."

"Yes"

“In the end, four years was not necessary for a hero candidate. I can say that this was a poor estimate by the church as a whole."

 The hero candidates showed more growth than they had expected. But it was the first time for the church as well. It is no wonder that the estimate was so low.

"Are you going to accelerate their graduation?"

"In the worst-case scenario, that may be possible. However, we are not thinking about it now. As you know, there is a wide disparity in the number of hero candidates, and some of them need four years to graduate."

 Students who will probably never become a hero, they still need more time. They have to find a way to live on their own in this world.

"Yes. That's right. Not all candidates are ready."

“Therefore, we have decided to accelerate the process of giving the best some combat experience. That is the purpose of this event.”

"But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to let only the higher-ranking people participate?"

"That's... I'm sorry, that's an instruction from the upper echelons, and I'm not involved."

"The upper echelons..."

 The headmaster of the academy is a bishop in a church position. Same with Bishop Mikhail. He's not low, but he's not in a position to be involved in decision-making.

"It's a one-time event. We just have to get through it without incident."

"But the budget is too low."

"Is it not enough?"

"I don't know the details. However, based on my personal experience, I don't think that the commission fee will be enough to provide for a sufficient number of adventurers, excluding the cost of transportation and other expenses."

"What do you mean you don't know the details?"

“Shouldn't requests to the guild be made directly by the church?”

"...Have you heard the reason?"

 Bishop Mikhail also heard for the first time that the church was directly making requests to the guild.

"It was urgent, so I thought the guild would be more responsive if the request came from the church."

"……I see."

"So Bishop Mikhail doesn't know about this?"

"Yes"

"...What are the upper echelons thinking?"

"I don't know."

 They are thinking of something bad. Both of them know this. The upper echelons of the church are a group of such people.

"...Bishop Mikhail"

"What?"

“I am a priest, but I am also a teacher.”

"Yes"

"All students at the academy are important students, regardless of their grades."

"Yes……"

 Whether you are a teacher or a priest, what the headmaster says is originally correct. The church and the world are strange.

"The Church's way is really......"

“Headmaster!”

 What the headmaster is trying to say is a criticism of the church. In a panic, Bishop Mikhail stopped it.

"...My mouth slipped. Please forget about it."

"Yes. I already forgot."

"Thank you"

"Anyway, we have no choice but to do it. What, it's okay. After all, they are hero candidates. They can handle magical beast subjugation easily."

"Yes, That's right."