Monsters and traps.
Ruins were overflowing with them.
Just dealing with those will give anyone beginner plenty of experience.
No matter how much of a genius Lena is, she can’t properly display that talent without experiencing real combat.
However, as Lena is so fearful and lacks confidence, I had been worrying about how to put her into real combat, but this was a good opportunity.
“Uh… But ruin exploration is very dangerous. Not only do I not know your skill level…”
He glanced at Lena, gauging her reaction.
He didn’t seem to like the sight of Lena trembling and fearing people’s gazes.
“Communication is very important for adventurers. If someone acts independently, the party will fall apart.”
It’s not wrong.
What’s the main reason party members in hero parties get kicked out and become regretful, obsessed, and devastated?
It’s the lack of communication.
In that regard, it’s only natural that they can’t easily accept Lena, someone who finds it difficult to talk to others.
“Hm. So. You don’t want to receive the ruin key?”
But that’s the party leader’s role, not something for Lena or me to worry about.
Whether that guy’s party falls apart or not, what’s important is building Lena’s experience.
I took the necklace from Luceia and lightly spun it around. Seeing that, Baltin frowned.
What do you want me to do with that frown?
“Te-te-te-teacher. Wi-will it be o-okay?”
Of course, it wouldn’t be bad if those guys who can’t endure this provocation, as Lena worries, rush at us.
Because you don’t necessarily have to build experience with monsters.
“…Baltin. What are you going to do?”
“You’re the leader, so you decide. Of course, I’m against it. We’ve been doing well on our own…”
“I’m against it too. I don’t want some unknown woman joining this party.”
Baltin’s party members all had negative reactions.
Excluding Baltin, Baltin’s party consisted of three women.
They all seemed to have favorable feelings towards Baltin.
He’s certainly tall and handsome.
And he seems to have quite a bit of skill too.
It’s only natural for them to be bothered by the pretty Lena trying to join the side of such a Baltin.
“Hmm… I guess it will be difficult after all. I’m sorry.”
“Then let’s do this. We have the key, and you have the information about the ruins. There’s no point in each side keeping them separately. Let’s have a match and give them both to the winner.”
“Ooh!! That’s good!!”
A muscular female warrior stepped forward. Seeing her, Baltin sighed and nodded, and I patted Lena’s back.
“Think you can do it?”
“Ee-eek… M-me?”
It seems like you could easily defeat that kind of second-rate warrior.
I firmly grasped the frightened Lena.
That female warrior seemed to like the sight of the terrified Lena, swinging her large axe and bluffing.
At that, Lena seemed even more terrified.
“I-if I… lo-lose there… wh-what happens?”
What happens? We use Plan B.
“Well, nothing much. Luceia just loses her husband’s memento, I guess?”
Instead of saying my true thoughts, I pointed behind me and spoke.
Startled by my words, Lena looked at Luceia.
Her gaze was filled with trust.
Because of that, Lena trembled again.
“Now! Let’s start!!”
The female warrior, seemingly tired of waiting, roared while swinging her axe again.
She’s already acting like she’s won before even confirming the other’s skill.
No matter how I look at it, my assessment is that Lena is superior.
“So cheer up.”
“Y-yes…”
With her shoulders stiffly hardened, Lena stepped forward with clumsy steps.
As we suddenly changed from a conversational mood to a confrontational one, the people in the marketplace were surprised and began to make space.
A wide arena was quickly created. The female warrior standing there glanced back.
Meeting eyes with Baltin, who had a bitter smile, she spoke in a firm tone.
“If I win, you better grant me a wish too!”
“Yeah. Yeah. But don’t be too rough.”
“Haha! We’ll see about that!! Haaa!!”
She stomped her foot with a roar. Is that the warrior skill War Cry? It was a skill that raises one’s defense by releasing a shout…
“Te-teacher. Wh-what should I… do?”
“Do what you can.”
The only attack magic Lena can use right now is Magic Arrow.
But she has perfectly mastered Magic Arrow and Multiple-Magic with it, so that alone should be enough to win.
All that’s left is confidence…
“If you win.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll take you to the big city.”
“B-b-big ci-city…”
“Let’s spend a really nice day there. How about it? Isn’t it a good prize?”
Nod nod.
With her eyes shining, Lena eagerly nodded her head. I patted the back of such a Lena and stepped back.
“Are you ready?! We’ll start right away!”
“Let’s do it.”
The moment I affirmed Baltin’s shout, the female warrior moved.
And,
“Aaaaargh!!”
Hit by twenty-something Magic Arrows fired in succession, she flew back and fainted.
“Huh?”
Everyone was surprised.
Among them, Lena was the most surprised. She was puzzled and flustered by her result.
“Yo-you can’t blo-block this?”
Lena turned to me and asked in doubt.
It made sense.
Up until now, Lena’s training partner was me.
Naturally, I could easily block Lena’s Multiple Magic Arrow barrage, so she had thought of Multiple Magic Arrow as just a way to keep the opponent in check.
But reality is different.
Lena’s Multiple-Magic barrage is enough to one-shot a second-rate warrior like that.
“So what’s next?”
Baltin’s expression hardened.
He must have finally realized that Lena is no ordinary person.
Noticing that his party members wouldn’t be able to hit Lena, let alone win against her, he stepped forward.
Lena also seemed to notice that Baltin had a completely different level of skill compared to the warrior earlier.
She flinched at his sharp gaze and quickly ran to hide behind me.
“Te-te-teacher…”
“Big city.”
“…Ugh.”
“A really nice day.”
“…Hnng…”
“With nice clothes too.”
“B-but…”
“And one more artifact.”
“Auu…”
This kid. She knows how to negotiate.
“And seats to a play.”
“I-I-I’ll… do-do my b-best!!”
Finally mustering up courage, Lena hesitantly stepped forward.
A tense atmosphere began to flow.
A situation where no one could move. Staring at Baltin while only gulping, Lena raised her hand.
“Sy-Syl–”
“Haa!!”
“–phid!!”
Baltin’s eyes flashed, and he quickly dashed out.
Oh. He has achieved sword-body unity. The young guy is pretty good?
But it won’t work on Lena.
-Whoosh!!!
Sylphid’s summoning was complete.
Strong winds swept around Lena and nullified Baltin’s attack.
“Magic Arrow!!”
Before the repelled Baltin could regain his stance, another twenty-something Magic Arrows poured down on him.
The moment he quickly swung his sword to deflect the Magic Arrows and tried to attack again.
“Create Water!!”
-Splash!!
A large amount of water poured down on the running Baltin’s head.
Unable to avoid it, Baltin, drenched, leaped in to slash; at that moment, Lena raised her hand.
“Freezing!!”
– Crackle!!
A chill settled in his body, which was soaked with water.
His movement speed decreased as the water on his arms and legs froze.
Not missing that, Lena used Sylphid’s wind to further distance herself and raised her hand.
“Lightning Shock!!”
– Bzzt!!
“Aargh!!”
Electricity flowed through Baltin’s body, which still had moisture left.
The basic lightning magic, Lightning, would normally only have the power of static electricity, but the one using it was none other than Lena.
Thanks to her overflowing mana and talent, the Lightning unleashed at its maximum had the power of intermediate magic, and in the end, even he couldn’t avoid taking quite a hit.
“Ugh, this bit–!!”
Wow. He’s enduring this.
Lena also flinched, not expecting him to endure it, and Baltin, seizing that gap, broke the ice binding his body and leaped out.
– Do-don’t touch my fr-friend!!
– Whoosh!!
Then, a powerful updraft enveloped Baltin’s body.
Sylphid. The spirit that contracted with Lena used its power to protect Lena.
Lena didn’t miss the opening that was created.
“Ma-Magic Arrow!!”
The barrage of light arrows began to pour down. Hit by them, Baltin ended up collapsing.
“Don’t get up… Don’t get up… Don’t get up…”
That’s quite earnest.
Even though she could still fight, Lena muttered really pitifully towards the fallen Baltin.
Perhaps to satisfy her wish?
The staggering Baltin eventually slumped down.
“Wo-wow!! I-I won!”
“Yeah. You did well.”
.
.
.
As if he couldn’t believe his defeat, Baltin, who had been spacing out even after coming to his senses, sighed and held out a map.
It was a map with the location of the ruins marked.
“The ruins here are presumed to be mid-level ruins.”
“Is that so? Thanks for this. You must have had a hard time finding out the location.”
“Haa…”
Baltin let out a heavy sigh and turned his body.
The shoulders of the losers were slumped.
“I will never forget this defeat. If there comes a time to compete again, I will definitely win.”
I nodded at him and his comrades who were strengthening their resolve.
“Did you hear that?”
“…Ee-eek… C-can’t you. Fo-forget it?”
When Lena spoke with a tearful face while trembling, Baltin stared at her for a while, then turned and walked away.
His comrades followed him and moved farther away.
But it’s good that they’re leaving coolly. I was going to behead them all if they clung on pathetically.
“Te-te-teacher. Wh-wh-what do we. Do-do?”
What do we do?
“You’ll have to train hard.”
I patted the head of Lena, who had a tearful expression.