Chapter 12

I sheathed my sword.

"Phew... I almost died."

Adrenaline had been pumping through me, but I wouldn't have lasted much longer. I had hoped he would return in three minutes, but Goutan's assistance took over five minutes. It seemed Tail was taking a long time to recover.

The paralysis status effect from the Mad Head recovers in three minutes, assuming HP is fully restored. If HP is low, resistance to status effects drops, and it takes longer to recover. Still, I was grateful that Goutan didn't run away and managed to recover properly.

"…Just a lowly F-rank adventurer, and you managed to withstand the relentless attack of a monster that nearly killed even me?"

Goutan looked at me, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"No, I was just at my limit. Thanks, Goutan."

"N-no… I…"

After stammering, Goutan bowed his head dramatically.

"I'm sorry… Elma. My lax command and poor safety management were both as you said. This is a matter of life and death, yet I stubbornly refused to listen to a young upstart in front of everyone… I am unfit to be a guild instructor. I plan to resign from this role once this mission is over."

I had always thought of Goutan as a tough and stubborn person, but he apologized to me like this. For my part, as long as he acknowledges my promotion, I'm fine with it.

However, this isn't solely Goutan's fault. The root cause is likely the lack of information and weak structure of the Adventurer's Guild. It doesn't seem like the guild provides any training for instructors. They might just hand over the reward to a reliable and trustworthy adventurer and leave it at that.

I doubt other instructors are any better at leading raids or ensuring safety than Goutan.

The Adventurer's Guild is full of rough and tough individuals. Leading and organizing them is extremely difficult. Goutan's intimidating demeanor when we first met was probably to prevent new adventurers from underestimating him and hindering his duties. The fact that he can bow his head so readily suggests he is a straightforward person, despite his scary appearance.

"If you think you failed, why not try to improve?"

"This isn't something that can be easily resolved. One wrong move, and I could have wiped out the entire team of adventurers."

...He's as stubborn as I first thought.

"If you quit over this, the guild will be filled with instructors who have never failed and have a soft approach."

"Hmm... Hmm..."

"If you feel responsible, you should continue as an instructor rather than giving up."

Goutan remained silent for a moment with a solemn expression, then smiled and raised his head.

"...Hmph, you're a smooth-talking, cheeky fellow. For now, I'll go along with your talk."

Goutan then turned his gaze to the remains of the Mad Head.

"Take the monster's magic stone. You were the one who defeated it."

The body of the Mad Head was disintegrating into mana. In the fading giant form, there was a brown-glowing magic stone.

It's a Level 40 magic stone. It should fetch a decent price. Adventurers can never have enough money. If he's offering it, I'll gratefully accept it.

"Hmm...?"

In the pile of decaying flesh, a bright red shield remained. The shield had a demon's face carved into it. It's a drop item. Rare monsters like the Mad Head often leave good items behind.

"Ho, a drop item from a rare Level 40 monster..."

Goutan swallowed hard and looked at the demon's shield with a mix of regret and desire.

"Would you like to give it up?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I have no second thoughts! You were the one who defeated it!"

Goutan narrowed his eyes and said this with a hint of anger.

"…Can I at least check the item's details?"

He seems manly but also a bit reluctant... People who have obtained class abilities can check the detailed information of items, just like their skills.

I picked up the demon's shield.

――――――――――――――――――――

〈Mad Demon Shield〉《Recommended Equipment Level: 40》

【Defense: +25】

【Market Value: 3,000,000 Gold】

A terrifying shield with a demon's face carved into it. When used to block an attack, it grants a +8 attack bonus to the next attack against the same opponent.

――――――――――――――――――――

I swallowed hard. The performance is the same as in the game, but the market value is not. If sold through the guild or a shop, it would fetch around 1,500,000 gold, but that's still a good deal.

The shield's defense boost is significant, but it only applies when the shield is used to block. The activation condition for the <Wall Return> skill requires the use of armor, so the shield cannot fulfill this condition.

However, with such a high bonus, it should almost completely block attacks of the same level. The recommended level is quite high, but it doesn't seem impossible to use. It might be a bit cumbersome, but I should be able to catch up in level as I use it. ...Given the high value, selling it is also an option.

"...Three million gold, huh?"

Goutan muttered, sounding regretful. When I looked at him, he tightened his expression.

"So, Goutan, about the promotion..."

"Don't worry. I'll tell the guild that not promoting you would be a loss! I'll get you promoted to E-rank right away!"

Goutan spoke passionately.

"The guild told me to keep an eye on you in case you cheated, but that was a complete misjudgment. If anyone opposes it, I'll beat some sense into them!"

"That's not necessary..."

As I chuckled, Tail approached hesitantly.

"U-um... Goutan, sir, could you... could you consider my promotion? The fact that you were able to recover was thanks to my <Heal>..."

"You were completely paralyzed in front of the monster! You're not ready to be an E-rank adventurer yet! If you get promoted and join <Dream Hole>, you'll face many dangerous situations. If you freeze up and can't move, it could lead to a total party wipe! Focus on taking appropriate quests and improving yourself!"

"Ugh... Y-yes..."

Tail bit her lip and looked at me. She seemed to understand that I had saved her life, and she bowed her head in regret rather than lashing out.