Chapter 4

The main job of an adventurer is “hunting.”

It’s obvious, isn’t it?

Originally, it was a name that referred to “those who hunt monsters and pioneer undeveloped lands.”

But now it’s a little different.

As a result of some “embarrassingly named dragon” getting carried away and rampaging, humanity has gained quite a bit of leeway.

Thanks to that, we’ve also had the leeway to carefully nurture the youth.

“Come on, don’t slack off. Put more into it.”

“Jade-senpai, you’re surprisingly strong…!”

“What do you mean ‘surprisingly’?”

At the training ground next to the Adventurer’s Guild.

I was conducting “combat training” against a party of three young adventurers.

They were fresh, fifth-grade adventurers just starting out.

“Don’t give up so easily. Train your mind. Using ‘skills’ also consumes mental energy.”

“Senpai, you’re so strict…! You even treated us to a meal when we met…”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

This is also an official job from the guild.

Even if this three-person party “Unknown Light” is a group of newcomers from the countryside, and I happened to treat them to a meal or take care of them before training, that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on them.

“Alright, let’s review one by one at the end. Hey, swordsman Age, come here.”

“O-Okay!”

Anyway, now we have the leeway to nurture the youth.

The strong monsters have been decimated, and the death rate has plummeted.

The reckless rampage was worth it.

“Uooo! I can’t lose to a perennial third-grade guy!”

And the swordsman kid came at me with a straight-on charge.

I need to concentrate too.

“I’ll meet a sword with a sword.”

Skill activation <<Storage Space Item Box>>, release.

I materialize a wooden sword for training.

“And here we go.”

A high-speed horizontal slash.

It hits the swordsman kid’s flank beautifully.

“Ugyaa!?”

The swordsman kid goes down helplessly.

Namaste.

“Ugh… I couldn’t even defend…”

It’s normal not to be able to deal with it.

“A straight-on charge is fast and sharp in attack but lacks defense. Especially in the lower sideways direction, it’s hard to move the sword. If you do it honestly, you’ll die.”

“Hii…”

And just as I was giving advice.

Next, the spear user Vita charged in from the side.

“Take this!”

“A surprise attack, huh? Good. There are no rules in fighting monsters.”

But it’s naive.

This time, I manifest a wooden spear for training.

“Just holding the “lower part of the handle” and thrusting it out is the end.

“Here you go.”

Vita, with all her momentum, ends up being stabbed in the stomach by the tip of my spear.

“Gueee!?”

“The charm of a spear is above all its “reach.” But conversely, it means that against an opponent with even greater reach, you’re powerless without some ingenuity. Even if you try a surprise attack, you’ll be dealt with just by having the spearhead “placed” there.”

It’s like she’s just been countered.

This time we both used spears of the same length provided by the guild, but even in that case, changing the way you hold it makes a difference like this.

Don’t be careless again.

“Well, lastly.”

I tilt my head.

Then an arrow whizzes past the side of my head.

The chick on my head screams, “Pigyaa!?”

“It’s the archer Sheila’s turn.”

“Tch, I missed…! Why do you have a chick on your head…!?”

“This and that.”

She also tried a surprise attack.

And while Age and Vita were being taken down, she quietly moved far away.

It’s the distance for an archer.

“Nice positioning. An archer has to be calm.”

By the way, both she and Vita happen to be girls.

Age-kun is popular, huh.

“Well, shall we have a long-distance showdown then?”

Skill activation <<Storage Space Item Box>>, release.

I take out a bow and arrow for training from there, and she looks surprised.

“…As expected of ‘Multi-Weapon Jade’ senpai. You really do use any kind of weapon.”

“I’m just versatile. I’m not as skilled as a master of the craft.”

In fact, it’s just that my evil dragon body is excellent.

First of all, my dynamic vision is amazing.

It’s like being in a stopped space.

Thanks to that, I was able to carefully observe their swords and spears and deal with them calmly.

“Well, the trick to a long-distance showdown is simple. Attack faster than your opponent and hit them.”

“Then…”

Sheila-chan tries to notch an arrow.

But,

“Who said anything about a ‘bow showdown’?”

I throw the spear I was holding.

It hits her stomach with a thud, and she’s taken down in one hit.

“If it’s just about releasing it, a thrown spear is faster. There, now you’re all wiped out.”

“Oe, eee…! Ugh…!”

Sheila-chan looks up at me while retching.

“Jade… Senpai, isn’t that cheating…?”

“No, didn’t I say?”

There are no rules in fighting monsters.

◆ ◇ ◆

My name is Age!

I became an adventurer to achieve great deeds like those in heroic tales!

Thankfully, two childhood friends from the village came with me.

“I’ll help you because I have to!”

“You’d be worrying alone.”

The energetic Vita and the cool Sheila.

They are both reliable companions and precious girls to protect.

They clearly have feelings for me.

Alright, I’ll do it.

I’ll become a man worthy of them.

With that vow in my heart, I started activities with the adventurer party “Unknown Light,” but…

“――That’s it for training. If you want to review, come to me.”

“Thank you very much…”

…I was beaten up by a senior called a perennial third-grader.

Oh, that’s strange.

The heroes of the story show their strength to those around them from the beginning or awaken to their hidden talents…!

And…

“Are you two okay!? …Jade-senpai, you were really merciless. You even beat up the girls…”

I thought he was a timid-looking adult, but I was surprised.

I happened to see him the other day, and he seemed to be smiling wryly while being ridiculed by small twins.

“What are you thinking, hurting girls? Both of you, maybe that person is scary.”

That’s why I was about to say we shouldn’t get involved when…

Vita and Sheila both muttered together.

“It might not be bad…”

Eh, huh!?

“What’s not bad!?”

“Well, at first I thought he was a timid-looking person. But when we practiced, he was clearly strong, and above all, he was serious and intense…”

Vita!?

You were stabbed hard in the stomach, what are you saying!?

“That’s right… As soon as the training started, he looked cold and made us submit mercilessly… No matter what we did, it didn’t work, and it was like we were facing a “higher species” that wasn’t human…”

Sheila!?

Why are you smiling while rubbing your stabbed stomach!?

Why are both of you blushing a little!?

“Adult men might be amazing…!”

“Both of you…!?”

Ouch!

It hurts!

It’s like my brain is breaking, an unknown pain――!?