Chapter 24

It had been a week since I took on the task of training Rad and the others.

Today, as usual, I was watching the new adventurers running on the noisy guild training ground.

"Hey! Your pace is dropping!"

In front of me were the two mages of Rad's new party, Mana and Nuke.

"Run, run, run! If you can't even do this, you'll get caught and eaten by monsters when you try to run away!"

I had forbidden them from fighting.

During that time, I had required them to improve their abilities within the city.

"Move your feet when it's tough! Training will never betray you!"

Even without defeating monsters and "growing," the right training can increase your stats.

The reason I initially banned fighting and chose training was...

"Growth varies depending on a person's aptitude and their current job. That's an inevitable gap. But even if you lack talent or have weaknesses, training is equal for everyone! Sweat doesn't lie! Be proud of the you who keeps running! Love your effort! Even if the effects aren't immediate, the heart and confidence you build here will definitely help you in a tight spot! So—"

—The guy next to me is so noisy!

I frowned and looked at the bearded man who had been talking nonsense next to me.

He seemed to sense my gaze and looked back at me.

"Hey, you're in the same line of work, right?"

The bearded man spoke casually.

I felt like I had seen him somewhere before, but we certainly weren't close enough to chat like this.

"Sorry, but I don't know you."

I thought I was implying that I didn't want to talk to a stranger, but his reaction was beyond my expectations.

"Hahaha! I didn't expect that! I've been quite disliked, haven't I?"

He said something incomprehensible and covered his face.

Could he be a dangerous guy?

As I tried to discreetly put some distance between us,

"This is just a word of advice. There are rumors about you."

"…Huh?"

"Why are you making promising new adventurers do pointless training? They say you're incompetent."

For some reason, the man avoided my gaze as he said this.

"There are some adventurers who, out of fear, prepare meticulously. But these guys tend to struggle. They have perfect preparation and should have superior abilities compared to their companions who dive into the same dungeon, yet they grow slowly. They become a burden to their party. On the other hand, the more reckless and headstrong adventurers tend to grow rapidly."

He smiled as if he had made his point.

I had no response, only thinking, "Isn't that just the failure route from the first week?"

Seeing my silence, the bearded man scratched his head.

"Sorry, man. I don't have any grudge against you. Honestly, I understand how you feel. Since I started training young adventurers, I get it. You want to make sure they're strong enough to avoid accidents, right?"

He smiled bitterly, as if recalling something.

"When you go on adventures, you often think, 'If only I had prepared more, if only I had trained more.' I understand the urge to be overprotective. …But—"

"If you push your ego onto them and crush their potential, I can't forgive you."

Suddenly, the man glared at me with a predatory look.

Startled by his sudden change, I took a step back. He seemed satisfied and returned to his normal expression.

"…Well, I've given you my advice. It's up to you to make the most of it."

With that, he gave a nihilistic smile and left.

I watched him go, somewhat dazed.

"Who was that guy, anyway?"

I could only mutter in a daze.

* * *

"Mana, do you know that guy?"

Maybe he was more familiar with Mana and Nuke.

I decided to ask Mana and Nuke, who were on a break, about the bearded man.

"No, I've never seen him before."

Mana shook her head apologetically when she saw the bearded man.

"…I see."

So he was probably just a random guy who wandered into the training ground to give advice.

Just as I was about to conclude that, Nuke, who had arrived late, provided an answer.

"That's Veltan, an A-rank adventurer."

Mana and I looked at him in confusion, and Nuke chuckled.

"He's part of the top party in this city. He's called 'The Indestructible Veltan' because he defeated countless demons while severely injured."

"Ah, I see."

When I used "Insight" on the townspeople before, there was one adventurer with a higher level, and I think his name was Veltan.

I should have checked his name with "Insight" from the start.

---

Veltan

LV 34

HP 466 MP 136

Strength 171 Vitality 189

Magic 92 Spirit 104

Agility 181 Focus 166

---

Using "Insight," I saw a familiar status.

His stats were indeed high compared to other adventurers in the city, but I couldn't help but think that this was enough to be an A-rank adventurer.

Considering that Lex, with all 200 stats, can be an A-rank solo adventurer, it's possible that this is enough for a party.

"…Can we become as strong as him someday?"

Nuke muttered, sounding discouraged.

Despite his intellectual appearance, Nuke is quite competitive.

He might be getting demoralized by the intense training.

"That's impossible."

"…Yeah, I guess."

He looked dejected, but I didn't want him to misunderstand.

"Because you will become much stronger than him."

From what I can see, Veltan's aptitude is probably not that high.

Or he might have taken detours in his job choices.

Even though I'm the epitome of inefficiency, I can see a significant "slack" in Veltan's stats.

I won't let them level up inefficiently like that.

"But—"

To Nuke, who still looked uncertain, I said,

"Listen, whether you're a veteran or a newbie doesn't matter much now. Because the world has changed since the Oracle of the 'Savior Goddess.'"

The game period is at most two years.

Just two years.

In contrast, there are veterans who have been adventurers for over ten, even several decades.

So how did the game's "protagonists" stand a chance against them?

The answer is "blessings and monster activation."

With the evil god sealed and the elf god asleep, the blessings given to people were weaker.

Moreover, the monsters that should have provided "growth" stopped increasing when the evil god disappeared.

Now, with the influence of both the 'Evil God' and the 'Savior Goddess' returning, the situation is completely different.

The growth rate of adventurers during the game period can be several times, even dozens of times, faster than before.

Ideally, there would be a "protagonist growth bonus" on top of that, but that's wishful thinking.

"Right. If you're still unsure, give me time."

"Time?"

Having a goal is clearer than just aimlessly pursuing strength.

In that sense, Veltan might be a suitable target.

"One year, no… six months."

—Sorry, Veltan.

—I don't have any grudge against you.

But—

I can't afford to be picky about methods to make these guys grow.

So—

"In six months, I'll make you stronger than that guy."

You'll be the "bait" for their growth!

This is bad!!

I need to adjust the likability quickly, or Lex will end up being a cool character!