3 bar menu

I’m A Villager, So What? – Chapter 36 – part 8

And then, Brian turned pale and asked me:

「You… Do you have the ability to stand on par with an E-rank adventurer?」

「…E-rank… Well… Yeah, maybe.」

Honestly, Brian’s words caught me off guard and I didn’t know how to react.
Looking at her, Lilith was desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

By the way, she was admitted to the special class as an equivalent of a C+ rank adventurer from the academy.
She was praised for her exceptional skills in intermediate magic.
It’s a good thing that she didn’t demonstrate advanced magic or the secret techniques of the dragon race.
If she had done that, things would have become quite troublesome.

By the way, Cordelia’s evaluation is said to be at the level of a B-rank adventurer.
In my opinion, if Cordelia can control her magical power surge, she would reach the level of a mid to high-ranking A-rank adventurer.
I think she can easily subdue the evil dragon Amantha on her own by then.

Well, that’s beside the point.

At that moment, the instructor rushed over to me and yelled, spitting out saliva.

「What have you done? What did you do!?」

「I incapacitated the opponent to prevent them from getting hurt. That’s all.」

「No, you… Arthur Markham has the strength of a rookie adventurer and has a certain level of ability. It will take at least a D-rank adventurer to dismiss him without any reaction…」

I see.
The instructor seems to have judged my recent actions as equivalent to a close-quarters occupation of a D-rank adventurer.

「I incapacitated the opponent to prevent them from getting hurt. That’s all.」

「…Just who are you? Why would someone like you… be here?」

「Me? Based on the results of the entrance exam, I was placed in the lowest class… I’m just a villager.」
And then, I shrugged my shoulders and continued.

「…Well, I’ll be leaving here soon after the next graduation test. Until then… I will really appreciate your guidance in strength training.」

The next morning, I woke up feeling gloomy.
It seems that my actions yesterday had a profound impact.
Brian, once again, chose to remain silent towards me—not with mocking disregard, but with a silent awe.

And Arthur, whenever he looked at me, he would wear an indescribable expression and simply bow his head in silence as if greeting me.
Imagine that.
Me, Arthur, and Brian. In the same room.

What’s more, we’re the same age and living in the dormitory together.

To add to that, it’s a communal life in a rather intense training institution. And the room is the place where we spend our little free time.
Originally, it should have been a place where we all enjoyed ourselves, eating sweet treats from the ration and joking around, maybe even saying the names of the girls we like… It should have been a place for cheerful and playful moments.

But we don’t have such conversations.

As I sit up and look around, Arthur, who seems to have woken up before me, bows his head while sitting on the edge of the bed.
And Brian, who also seems to have woken up before me, looks at my face with an expression of not knowing what to do.
Then, Brian pulls the covers over his head and buries himself in bed.

…This is awkward.
Taking a deep sigh, I gaze up at the ceiling.

So, to make it in time for the 6 a.m. run, we silently head out to the field.
Normally, this time is for warm-up exercises and a 10-kilometer run… but our instructor came up with an outrageous demand.

「…We’ll change the menu for today.」

Mountain climbing backpacks are lined up on the field.
And beside the backpacks are the adventurer escorts.

「Today’s menu is a 100-kilometer hike in the Lost Forest. Naturally, everyone will be wearing Golgotha handcuffs and will attempt it solely with pure physical strength. The mountain climbing backpacks contain 5 kilograms of water and 15 kilograms of sandbags.」

「And…」Taking a breath, the instructor continued.

「Those who can’t do it… will voluntarily withdraw from the school.」

I see, I nodded to myself.
The other day, the instructor mentioned consulting with someone about Saegusa, who displayed an unprecedented lack of athletic ability in a negative sense.

Most likely, the sudden change in the menu is the result of that consultation.
In other words, they specifically targeted Saegusa, who is terrible at this.

And so, we were forcibly given the backpacks and made to carry them.

「Are you okay… Saegusa?」

「…Do I… look okay?」

In essence, Saegusa is small in stature.
And the weight of the backpack is 20 kilograms.
She looks like she might lose balance and fall at any moment, making me grimace in worry.

「But well, there’s no other choice… We just have to do our best.」

「…Well, for now, go as far as you can go on your own.」

And so, our 100-kilometer hike began.
As expected, or rather, as it should have been, Saegusa’s walking pace started to falter at the 2-kilometer mark.
And at the 5-kilometer mark, Saegusa collapsed on the spot.

「Koharu Saegusa, are you going to quit here? If you do, it will be voluntary withdrawal… Is that okay?」

In response to the instructor’s question, I answered on behalf of Saegusa.

「I’ll take care of Saegusa. Everyone, go ahead. After assessing the situation… I’ll give an answer regarding Saegusa’s withdrawal. Please give me 10 minutes.」

Upon hearing my words, the instructor signaled to the adventurer escorts.
Then, two adventurers approached us.
They were probably there for surveillance and protection since monsters can appear in the Lost Forest.

「Saegusa, what’s wrong? Are you really at your limit?」

Saegusa, who was sitting down, took off her shoes and checked the soles of her feet.
With teary eyes, she said to me:

「I got blisters…」

I approached Saegusa and reached for the backpack she was carrying.

「Give it to me. I’ll carry it for you.」

「But… it’s really heavy, Lute-kun.」

「Your mere existence is heavy for me. Just give it to me.」

After a moment of hesitation, Saegusa smiled shyly but happily.

「…Lute-kun, thank you.」

「Can you show me the blisters?」

「Huh?」

「I can perform basic healing magic. Well, it’s a simple one.」

Understanding my words, Saegusa sighed.

「I… I’ve always been a hopeless child… I’m sorry.」

With a genuine sense of apology, I asked her while using healing magic.

「By the way, Saegusa… What’s the reason for someone like you, an A-rank adventurer level on par with the Hero of the North, Cordelia, being in this bottom-rung class?」

Upon hearing my words, Saegusa froze for a moment.

And then… a wry smile appeared on her face.
With that, Saegusa looked up at the sky as if she had given up. I asked her while she gazed at the distant sky.

「The Eastern Shrine Maiden… the Saegusa clan. They have been overseeing rituals since the ancient times of the divine era, making contracts with gods… and acquiring special inherited skills related to bloodline traits, right?」

「In Yamato, it’s not something openly discussed. The Shrine Maidens possess a special skill called Channeling into the spiritual world, the ability to summon spirits… it’s a unique skill of the Saegusa Shrine Maidens.」

「Channeling… Isn’t that where they bring the souls of deceased individuals into the real world and have conversations with their families or something like that?」