Chapter 45

Next, you say, "What the hell is this...?"

"Damn it!"

With those words, Gray slammed his mug down on the table.

C-rank adventurer, <Gray Earl>, was in a terrible state. His already fierce gaze grew even more menacing, and he glared around as if cursing the entire world.

Another failed mission, and the prospect of B-rank promotion slipping further away. Even the bitterness of the ale he once loved could not soothe his troubled heart.

"Why the hell did those idiots from <Riverspire> get promoted to B-rank and not us? Did the guild take a bribe from them or something? Don't you think so, Kain?"

Gray turned to the silent samurai, <Kain Shin>, who was drinking steadily across from him.

"...They're strong."

That was all Kain said, showing no inclination to join in. Gray spat, "You're such a boring guy!" and drank more.

"Gray. You should really stop drinking..."

<Zemina Rinks>, the party's healer, tried to dissuade him. This was a familiar scene, but today was different.

"Shut up! Because of your slow healing, I almost died today!"

"Th, that's..."

Zemina flinched at Gray's outburst.

"Don't just stand there! Say something!!"

"A, ah..."

This was always how it went. She would tremble and act like a victim, thinking she wouldn't be punished.

"Because of you! Because of you, I almost died!"

His frustration mounting, Gray raised his hand to strike her, when—

"---Stop it, Gray."

Someone grabbed his hand from behind, stopping him. It was <Bene Set>, the leader of Gray's party.

"Don't stop me, Bene! This one—!"

Gray tried to shake off the hand and strike Zemina again, but—

(What the hell? Why can't I shake it off?)

No matter how much strength he put into it, Gray's hand wouldn't budge.

Compared to the large Gray, Bene was much smaller. In the past, Gray was stronger than Bene.

(Must be the alcohol.)

Gray concluded and tried to shake off the hand again, but his arm still wouldn't move.

"Gray!"

A shout, and suddenly his right hand was released. A moment later, he felt a "thud" on his cheek.

"..."

His vision spun, and he found himself lying on the ground outside the tavern.

"Bene, you—!!"

The moment he realized he had been punched, his head flared with anger.

(I won't forgive this! I'll beat the crap out of him!)

He clenched his fists and tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't support him. He glared at Bene, who looked at him coldly.

Before Gray could say anything, Bene threw something at him, lying on the ground. It was a wooden token with Gray's name on it.

"Go to the guild's class consultation window tomorrow when you sober up."

"..."

Confused by the sudden and incomprehensible words, Gray opened his mouth in shock.

"There, you can apparently join the 'Job Change Support Program.'"

"Bene? What are you—"

The moment he understood what it meant, Gray felt a shock of humiliation even greater than being punched.

...Job change, support.

---That means, you don't need a tank like me...

---You're saying I'm a burden to the party, right?

Before Gray could stand up, Bene, who had turned his back on him, said—

"The program lasts ten days. Until then—"

---You don't have to come back to the party.

With a slam, the tavern door closed. Gray couldn't get up.

"Damn it!"

He punched the ground.

"This is a joke! This is a joke, a joke!"

Dragging his body, weakened by alcohol and the damage from the fight, he stumbled away from the scene.

(Do you really think I'll go through a job change support program and come back to the party wagging my tail just because you said so?)

"It's over! It's all over!"

Muttering to himself, he walked away from the tavern.

The small shop where the party had spent so much time, filled with memories. He wanted to get away from this place, even if just a little.

The passersby on the street avoided him and muttered something.

"Damn it! Everyone—"

They don't understand!

They don't understand anything!

"I am—"

His foot slipped on the wet ground, and he lost his balance, falling pitifully to the ground.

"..."

The impact must have been bad; he couldn't move. He heard a chuckle from behind.

"I know, I know, more than anyone!"

Lying on the ground, Gray shouted.

(I'm a useless nobody. I have no value in adventuring with them, I'm a hopeless piece of trash!)

But...

"But, this is all I have! I only have the shield...!"

* * *

Bene, Zemina, and Gray came to this Freelea town, dreaming of becoming top adventurers.

Bene, who could do anything, became the attacker, Zemina, who could use magic, became the healer, and Gray, who was strong and durable but had no other strengths, became the tank to protect them.

At first, things went smoothly.

Bene, though not as strong as Gray, was good at finding the weaknesses of monsters and could use a bit of magic.

Zemina's healing magic was incredibly powerful, and she could use attack magic in between to take down enemies that could only be defeated by magic.

Gray also worked hard to protect them from monster attacks. Bene had even told him, "Being a tank is your calling, Gray."

Being a tank, who takes all the enemy attacks, is a tough and unglamorous job.

But Gray found satisfaction in it. He believed, naively, that with the two of them, they could go anywhere.

When did things start to go wrong?

Kain, a quiet but skilled swordsman, joined the party, and Gray and his companions cleared several beginner dungeons. First Bene, then Zemina, advanced to their second classes one after another.

At the time, Gray could still smile and congratulate them.

However, as they continued adventuring and clearing dungeons, and finally reached the point where they could become intermediate adventurers, Gray remained a first-class <Soldier>. No matter how long it took, he never became a <Guardian>.

The differences between first and second classes gradually became apparent.

He was given priority for equipment.

He grew at the same rate as the others.

Yet, he found it harder to handle enemy attacks and let enemies through more often.

He didn't want to admit it.

The only reason he could keep up with the others was his durability.

(If I lose that one strength, what will I do?)

On days when they didn't go to the dungeon, or even after they did, he went to the guild's training ground and trained hard. Every time he trained, he visited the temple to check if he could become a <Guardian>.

But it was all in vain.

Even after clearing intermediate dungeons and advancing to C-rank, Gray never became a <Guardian>.

Then, the day he went to the temple, hoping this time would be different, Bene advanced to the third class, <Imperial Sword>.

Gray doesn't remember what he said to Bene that day.

He started drinking more.

He continued training, but it was clear he wasn't as committed as before.

He began to hold the party back more often, which led to more drinking, and then he couldn't focus on the dungeon. It was a vicious cycle.

He knew it, but he couldn't break free.

In a hellish spiral, Gray struggled, drowned, and then...

---Today, he lost everything.

He leaned against the wall and staggered to his feet.

(Maybe this is for the best...)

Being a failure who couldn't even advance to a second class, being with them was a mistake from the start.

(I'll go back to the village and find another job!)

If he did that, he might be able to look back on today and laugh someday.

Yes.

His life starts from here.

---That's what he thought.

---That's what he thought, but...

His feet naturally headed to a familiar place.

"Ah, um..."

Holding out the wooden token he had clenched in his hand, Gray spoke to the figure behind the counter with a trembling voice.

"Is this the job change consultation window?"

* * *

"...Morning."

Waking up, he winced at the sudden headache. Looking around, he realized he was in the guild's temporary sleeping quarters.

"I see. Yesterday..."

It seemed he had crashed at the guild after getting drunk.

"...Embarrassing."

He clearly remembered going to the job change consultation window in a drunken state.

There, he had been prompted by the staff to talk about his role as a tank, how it wasn't working out, and how he wanted to somehow repay his companions. He remembered talking about it openly.

"Ugh..."

He clutched his head.

(Even though I was drunk, what did I do...!)

As he berated himself, rolling around in bed,

"You're still sleeping? You can't do that on the first day."

The door suddenly opened, and a woman in guild staff attire entered the room.

(This woman, I think her name is Elina...)

As Gray tried to grasp the situation, Elina tossed a bag at him.

"Huh? This is—"

The bag contained a white robe that clearly belonged to a mage or cleric, along with various strange items. Elina sighed, looking exasperated at the confused Gray.

"What are you still sleeping for? We're starting the 'Job Change Support Program.'"

"...Huh?"

* * *

(---This is humiliating.)

After that, Gray was made to wear a white robe and a silly triangular hat and was forced to participate in the "Job Change Support Program."

He protested, saying he couldn't wear such an embarrassing outfit, but the paper he had signed in his own handwriting was shown to him. It stated that he agreed to participate in the program and would follow any instructions.

(What the hell did I do yesterday...!)

In his drunken state, he had somehow agreed to participate in this job change support program.

(How embarrassing.)

Moreover, the only thing he was made to do in this ridiculous outfit was to "pray" at the training ground.

As a tank, this was the furthest thing from his expertise, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

As far as Gray knew, he had no talent for magic. He truly believed that doing this was a waste of time.

(But...)

Bene had said that he didn't have to come back to the party until he finished the program.

In other words, if he completed the program, he might have a chance to be with them again...

"Damn it! What am I thinking, being so weak!"

He was participating in this program because he had made a promise.

Breaking a guild contract meant the death of an adventurer. So, he was just going through with it, that's all.

Gray suppressed the rising emotions and focused solely on praying.

* * *

"Damn it, does this really have any meaning...?"

Waking up in the guild's temporary sleeping quarters, praying, and then sleeping again. Meals were the only break.

(The person who designed this program must be crazy!)

Despite his complaints, Gray continued this routine for a week. For seven days, he had been forced to pray in that bizarre outfit.

He felt he had grasped the basics of praying, but he couldn't say that anything had dramatically changed within him.

Just as he was regretting getting involved in this nonsense, he saw someone he didn't expect.

"Is that—"

He saw Zemina, a former party member, at the training ground and instinctively hid.

(Why is she here?)

While cursing in his mind, he looked at his own outfit. A weak-looking white robe and a ridiculous colorful hat, nothing like a tank.

He would rather die than let her see him in this.

(Damn it!)

It was the worst timing, as he had just come out for a meal. Unfortunately, Zemina was near the prayer room, and it seemed impossible to enter the room without being seen.

(I just don't want to see her! Don't make me suffer any more!)

As if his wish was heard, Zemina looked around as if searching for someone and eventually walked away.

He sighed in relief but felt a burning resolve in his chest.

(I'm stopping this! I'm absolutely stopping this nonsense!)

With a heavy breath, Gray headed to the receptionist, Elina. Just as he was about to vent his frustration,

"Ah, perfect! I was looking for you! We've found a party to take you in, Gray!"

"..."

Her words hit him like a bolt from the blue, leaving him even more bewildered.

* * *

"Ah, you guys—"

The "party" Elina introduced him to was a group with a deep connection to Gray.

"Looks like we don't need to introduce ourselves, but just in case. We're <Riverspire>, an active party in Freelea. It's a short three days, but please work with us."

B-rank adventurer party <Riverspire>. They had started adventuring around the same time as Gray's party but had advanced to B-rank before them. They were promising young adventurers whom Gray had considered rivals.

The idea of teaming up with them, even for a short period, was something he couldn't have imagined a few days ago.

Or rather, if he thought about it...

"Who would have thought I'd be forced to become a <Priest>?"

He had no memory of it, but apparently, in his drunken state on the first day, he had willingly changed his class to <Priest>.

(Well, thinking about it, it makes sense.)

Prayer was about "Spirit."

And the profession that required "Spirit" was a healer.

(In other words, the guild wants me to be a healer.)

Gray thought it was a waste of time. He knew he had no talent for being a healer, having seen the natural healer, Zemina.

But since he had come this far, he wanted to see it through to the end. Suppressing various thoughts, he shook hands with the leader.

The reason <Riverspire> accepted the inexperienced Gray was that their regular healer had to leave the party for a few days due to unforeseen circumstances, and they accepted the guild's offer to have him as a pinch hitter and a way to earn some extra money.

"I don't have any experience as a healer, so—"

"It's okay. We know the situation. We'll take it step by step."

Thus, Gray's new challenge began under the understanding and guidance of his rival party, <Riverspire>.

* * *

I can't possibly be a healer.

Gray's thoughts were half right and half wrong.

He had no aptitude for being a healer.

The only spell he could use was a basic healing spell.

Even that, due to his low "Spirit," could only heal a negligible amount.

...Or so it should have been, but the moment he put on the ring lent to him by the guild, his healing spell became as powerful as that of an experienced healer.

(The effect is too strong, it's creepy.)

The drastic change was so noticeable that Gray couldn't help but think so.

However, being a top-notch healer isn't that simple. Gray, as a makeshift healer, couldn't use spells to cure status ailments, often failed to use healing spells when needed, and sometimes overused them, depleting his MP at critical moments.

On the day he had a falling out with his party, Gray remembered scolding Zemina for her slow healing.

(She was carefully managing her spell usage. And I...)

He regretted it, but it was too late. Even as he continued to act as a healer, he realized how skillfully Zemina had handled her role.

At the end of that day's adventure, Gray, suppressing his humiliation, apologized to <Riverspire> for his poor performance.

"No, without a healer, we wouldn't even be able to enter this level of dungeon. We're grateful to you. Thank you."

Instead, they all bowed to him, making his chest warm and his own pitiful state more apparent.

(Damn it! I, I...)

However, there was no longer an option to slack off.

From then on, Gray accompanied their adventures, acted as a healer, and on the third day, he experienced "growth" for the first time since starting the program.

The adventurers of <Riverspire> rejoiced and celebrated Gray in their rough, adventurer-like way.

But, but, Gray...

(...I feel the worst.)

Behind the scenes, he was biting down on his despair so hard that his lips bled.

* * *

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!"

He had taken off the white robe and the jester's hat. Now, the only thing dominating Gray's body was the anger welling up from within.

"I didn't do anything useful! I just took advantage of their kindness!"

And yet, he had "grown." He had received experience points like a real adventurer.

When <Riverspire> invited him to celebrate, Gray ran away, saying goodbye unilaterally.

Is this the kind of life the guild wants me to choose?

Thinking about it, Gray couldn't stand it any longer.

---Of course, the tiny bit of rationality left in Gray's mind whispered.

As a tank, he