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Hero only for us
[T/N : just a heads up, this part is just after Grey was dragged (not really) by Munch and others several chapters ago.]
The quest had been completed, and Mia and the others also had the lady’s husband stamped the quest completion. Currently, they were on their way to the Adventurer’s Guild’s hall.
“Sagami Co. It’s similar to the Company that has entered Lieze recently.”
“Ah, this company has tied up with draper’s shops, restaurants, and other shops that are popular among aristocrats’ children recently,” Cliff crossed his arms and answered proudly.
“Do you know?”
“Naturally. I’m a member of the aristocratic society, after all. So I’m well informed about this.”
“That reminds me. My father did say a while ago that he is doing some business with this company,” Teresa muttered absentmindedly with her index finger on her cheek.
“When it’s a nobleman as big as Count Hartwig-sama, then that should be true…” Cliff said annoyingly.
“Hey Eight, did you know about Shirabe-sensei?”
This was a question that everyone in the room had been asking themselves. At least, they believed that Eight knew some things about Sensei that Mia and the other students didn’t.
“No, this is the first time I have met Shirabe-sensei.”
All of them looked at Eight’s face seriously, but none of them could see any lie or fabrication.
“Well, whatever. It’s a fact that he’s our teacher now. That being said, we got used to [Body Strengthening] over the past day.”
“Yes yes, I’m still getting used to this.”
“You sure are….” Cliff looked at Teresa with half-lidded eyes.
“What do you mean by that!?”
When Teresa puffed out her cheeks, Cliff turned his eyes away in a panic. If you are so scared, why don’t you just stop messing with her? Mia thought.
“Eight was also able to raise his success rate for [Body Strengthening], right?”
“Yeah, but I still couldn’t make the effect continuous. I’m going to go back to my room and practice.”
When Eight nodded, a staff member hurriedly ran into the guild hall, which could be seen in the distance.
Mia wondered what was going on. The staff member seemed to be in a hurry. Well, Mia guessed it was irrelevant to her and the others, who had just become adventurers.
When they entered the guild hall, the shouts of several angry people rang in their ears.
“So, you’re saying Munch took him to the back square?”
“Yes! It was an explosive situation!”
“Those dimwit fools who don’t know scary guys!! They have sold the fight to the worst guy!”
A handsome young man with long golden hair tied back swung his fist at the counter, crushing some of it.
“Calm down, Willy! If you get mad, the situation will get even more out of control!”
“However, Caesar, what if they touch the reverse scale imprudently—”
“I know. I will go. Sylvie, are you coming with me?”
The man with the red hair and stubble called Caesar asked the beautiful blue-haired woman next to him, Sylvie.
“Of course. But not for that little Munch or whatever he is?”
“Relax. That’s the same for me too.”
Caesar, Sylvie, and the blond man called Willy trotted towards the exit of the building where Mia and the others were, but stopped when they spotted them.
“You guys are his students, right? Then help us with something a little. Follow us.”
“Hey, Caesar! Dragging the kids into this—”
“Do you think only I am enough to stop his raging heart?”
Willy bit his tongue in frustration, but still complied. Bowing to Mia and the others, he said, “I’m sorry, but I hope you guys can come with us.”
Leaving the guild hall, Mia and the others ran as fast as they could to the square behind the building.
All of a sudden, there was an explosion and a cloud of dust in front of them.
“Not good. Hurry up!” Caesar muttered bitterly and quickened his pace.
In an instant, Mia and the others got separated from Caesar and the other three people, but still, they ran as fast as they could. Mia wondered why. At that time, that’s what she must do. She was driven by such intense feelings.
A crowd gathered in front of the Plaza. All of the onlookers were staring at one corner of the Plaza without exception, with their half-opened mouth and ghastly pale face.
There was a man with purple hair lying on his back like a tattered dust cloth and robust men floating in the air.
And at the centre stood a masked dwarf, his whole body constantly shimmering with red mist, like a heat haze.
“H-Hel—!”
One of the floating men pleaded even when his face had tears and snots dripping down, but Shirabe-sensei stretched out his hand and made a gesture as if grasping the sky.
The moment that spectacle entered Mia’s view, a shiver like an electric bolt ran down her spine.
……..
Mia was uncontrollably frightened by both the red mist oozing out of his whole body and his red eyes staring at the robust men from behind the mask. Her knees and teeth were chattering and making a sound.
“Demolition Magic!”
When Sylvie shouted that, all of the robust men fell to the ground, knocked down, and began to moan.
“Sylvie, what are you doing?”
“That’s enough. You win.”
“The problem isn’t victory or defeat.”
Shirabe-sensei shook his head and once again turned his gaze towards the men.
A scream raised up from all of them.
“It’s over!”
Saying that, Caesar pointed his thumb toward Mia and the others, and for the first time, Shirabe-sensei looked at them.
Mia’s heart jumped, but soon the burning pressure disappeared from Shirabe-sensei.
Then he reverted to his usual gentle self and disappeared into the crowd.
“Are you afraid of that guy?”
Caesar looked down at Mia and the others, who were gnashing their teeth, and asked with a mysterious look on his face.
“Humph, like hell I am!”
“I’m not afraid!”
“I’m not!”
“Yeah, he is our teacher! How can we be afraid of him!”
“That’s right! Sensei is so kind. We aren’t afraid!”
Mia and the other students screamed one after another but no matter how you see it, it held little to zero persuasive power when their knees were clattering and making a sound.
“Thank you.”
Listening to Mia and the others, Caesar smiled gently and said, “Trust me on this. He’s a hero only for you guys.”
He then beckoned us to follow him.
Don’t shiver!
Hitting their legs, which didn’t help at all, Mia and the others chased after Caesar.
They returned to the guild to report the success of the quest to the receptionist and received the reward of 1000G. Shirabe-sensei had instructed them in advance that they could take a full 200G per person as a reward.
In their first quest, not only was it great training for [Body Strengthening], they even got rewards. Normally, Mia and her friends would have been on their way home in high spirits, but their steps were heavy.
“It’s probably my fault.”
It was Eight who broke the heavy silence.
“What? What do you mean by that?” Pluto frowned and asked Eight.
“Those guys. They’re the ones from my previous family, Breathgarm. It’s because Sensei helped me that….”
Pluto smiled at Eight, who looked down and clenched his right fist tightly, shaking it.
“Isn’t it fine? With this, those people will learn a lesson. You must be holding something, right?”
“Well, I usually am not pleased with what a commoner has to say but this time, I completely agree with him. Sensei is a member of the same aristocratic society and also the proud professor of Magic Knight Academy. It’s our obligation to teach those vulgar commoners like them some lessons. Sensei has just executed it, no more or less.”
Hmm, I don’t think every one of them is a commoner, though. Mia thought.
“Humph! I think aristocracy is too vulgar in itself.”
“What did you say!?”
When they both started to snarl at each other, Teresa walked up to Eight, put her hands on her waist and said, “Eight-chan is the same as us, the student of our teacher. That’s why I’m sure Sensei did this to protect Eight-chan. Besides, I don’t think my father would have let something like that happen either. It would have been accompanied by blood for sure.”
Teresa cowered her shoulders and shook her head from side to side, giving us a dangerous impression.
“Well, that might be the case with Count Hartwig-sama in the world,” Cliff said bluntly.
“Don’t worry about it, Eight! I think that’s what Sensei will say!”
“That’s right. First, you are worrying too much. Take it easy.” Pluto gave a sudden slap on Eight’s back.
“Hiii!”
Together with a smack sound, Eight rolled on the ground.
“What?”
“It’s not what! What would you do if he was seriously injured?”
At Cliff’s voice full of rebuke, Pluto ran to Eight like a flipping string and extended his right hand.
“S-sorry, are you alright, Eight!”
“Y-yeah. I am fine. I’m not injured.”
Grabbing Pluto’s hand, Eight stood up and dusted the soil while letting out a light sigh. At the same time, Pluto’s raised hand also lifted a pile of rocks on the roadside.
“I can do it without trouble….. No way!”
Pluto took out the card given by Shirabe-sensei from his pocket, then raised a voice of joy.
“…..Haha, seriously!”
“What’s wrong with you? You are even weirder than usual!”
“Check your cards! My strength has increased considerably and my level has also risen!”
Hearing Pluto’s words, everyone took out their cards from their pockets and checked them.
Mia’s strength had increased from G(34%) to G(89%) and her level had also risen up from 6 to 7.
“My status has also risen!” Teresa jumped up and down like a rabbit.
“Me too!” Eight’s whole face was dyed with delight.
“My status has also risen! But, since when?”
“No, if we talk about the things we did today, then it’s only that quest……Are you saying that completing the quest increases your abilities?”
“That’s ridiculous….” Cliff’s cheeks twitched as he denied Pluto’s words.
“You’re right. There’s no way such a ridiculous thing can happen….”
“But if that’s not the reason, there would be no reason for our status to improve.”
At Eight’s monologue-like opinion, Mia and the others looked at each other and laughed dryly.
They had never heard of an ability which increased simply by completing a quest, and if that were the case, the world would suddenly be overflowing with adventurers.
Nine times out of ten, this phenomenon was caused by that walking insanity of a teacher.
“Anyway, we will find the answer after clearing the next quest!”
“That’s right. It’s just like what you said.” Pluto nodded as if to say to himself. Understandable. It wasn’t something you could really believe after all.
At the same time, deep down, he firmly believed it to be true.
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah!”
Mia nodded loudly, somehow managing to suppress her excitement as she walked to the vacant lot where they would meet her teacher.