Chapter 91

Honestly, I did say some harsh things to Kohaku on purpose, so I was worried that if I didn’t clear up the misunderstanding right away, Kohaku might end up hating me... But I was surprised because I didn’t expect her to realize it before I could explain.

"Reina, your hands have been shaking all this time..."

Kohaku, whose hand I was holding, was now being held by a smaller palm. With both hands, she enveloped mine, and I understood that this was why she noticed.

I was putting on a brave front, but deep down, I was quite scared of being yelled at.

Kohaku seemed to have heard everything we said.

Of course... In the forest, we could hear the small cries of a child from quite a distance and rush to help. So, from the orphanage’s director’s office, our conversation was certainly audible.

"...Kohaku, remember what we talked about yesterday? If we get an adventurer rank that doesn’t match our abilities, those kids will be in danger."

"But... They said they understand the risks. They have the potential to reach Iron Rank, except for the Maru Rabbits, and they won’t push themselves..."

I guess they were convinced by that. But they didn’t fully understand the danger, even though they had a vague idea. When I explained the specific dangers of the Dilohela Deer, they were clearly flustered. After hearing Miel’s lecture, they could vividly imagine the "danger" that could happen to them... I think they would have stopped if they had thought about it that way.

"This time, it wasn’t a real 'bad person.' But if someone tries to make Kohaku do something that’s not allowed, please consult with me, like this time."

"Kohaku... I... I failed again. I just thought that maybe I could help someone and make them happy..."

"Kohaku..."

Kohaku, still holding my hand, lowered her head.

She wanted to be relied upon and to be a source of strength... That thought itself is very good.

"I didn’t think that Reina would have to become the bad guy and scold them just to stop them..."

Kohaku, still holding my hand with both of hers, started to cry.

Ah... It must have been even more shocking because she did it with good intentions.

"Kohaku, it’s because Kohaku was foolish that Reina had to scold them, even though it was unpleasant... Uu..."

"No... No, Kohaku..."

I was taken aback by Kohaku crying for the first time.

I... I’ve shown Kohaku my crying face before, like during family discussions when my emotions got the better of me. But this was the first time Kohaku cried in front of me. I was so flustered that I blurted out, "No, it’s not like that." That’s not good. These words of comfort won’t do.

"Kohaku, I’m really happy that you’ve become someone who can offer help when you think someone needs it."

"Vuuu..."

"Besides, the unpleasantness... It was on purpose. It’s not a big deal at all. I was just startled by the loud voice and got a bit nervous. But... Kohaku, I’m glad that we prevented your friends from getting hurt by relying on others to raise their rank. It’s because you brought the issue to me, to a friend, that we could stop them from doing something dangerous."

I feel like Kohaku has grown so much, to the point where she’s crying over her mistakes and reflecting on them.

"Uu... I’m sorry..."

"Ah, your nose is running... Do you have a handkerchief?"

"I forgot it..."

"Really..."

I thought she had grown, but then this happened. I gave Kohaku my handkerchief to wipe her face and decided to head to the Adventurer’s Guild, which had no scheduled events.

"Reina, what are you going to the guild for?"

"The Tonero group... They seemed to be really struggling with how to raise their adventurer rank. I want to help them improve their skills genuinely, not by cheating and relying on others."

They want to raise their adventurer rank. I think they’ve been working hard, but they’re frustrated because they can’t see tangible progress. From what Kohaku told me, they’ve been doing their own training and fighting monsters relentlessly, but I don’t think that will solve the problem.

I thought, "There are beginner classes at the Adventurer’s Guild, but there are no training programs for Copper or Iron Rank."

There are things that guild staff and experienced adventurers can teach, like dissection and handling materials, but it’s not like a school where you can gather a group of people to learn. It’s also difficult to find someone to teach you after you’ve moved past the beginner stage. For someone like me, who finds it hard to talk to people, it’s tough.

So, I thought, "If we could offer training programs for low-rank adventurers who have moved past the beginner stage, it would solve a lot of problems." I believe that education for those beyond the beginner stage would be very effective. I’ve seen statistics that show the most dangerous time for an adventurer is when they’re just starting to get used to the job.

If this training becomes established and improves the quality of low-rank adventurers, the success rate of quests will improve. I want to propose this to the Lindemen Adventurer’s Guild. If it’s seen as a contribution to the guild, it won’t cost a lot of money, even though it will require some effort. "If this training takes root and improves the quality of low-rank adventurers, the success rate of quests will improve."

I’ll talk to Rastano, the deputy guild master, because I think he’ll understand better than Saje, the guild master. This will also benefit me, as I handle requests to buy "junk magic stones," the raw materials for artificial magic stones, which are mainly brought in by low-rank adventurers.

I explained to Kohaku what I intended to do at the Adventurer’s Guild.

"So, first, I plan to recommend the Tonero group’s party for a trial training program."

"I see. You’ll tell them about it and make them realize their mistake."

"No, I’ll keep my involvement a secret. If they know, they might stubbornly refuse to participate."

"But they... Even though Reina kindly tried to stop them, they were so stingy... They should apologize to Reina for scolding them and for all the help you’re giving them."

I don’t really mind. If Kohaku’s friends don’t get hurt and improve their skills to advance legitimately, that’s all I want...

But Kohaku doesn’t seem satisfied. "I’ll bring them along anyway," she started to insist. I need to calm her down somehow.

"Kohaku, it’s okay."

"But..."

"It’s fine. ...You see, true heroes don’t go around saying, 'I did this for you,' to the people they help. Right?"

"!!"

It’s fine if they find out later that I was involved. But if I have to tell them myself, I’d be too embarrassed to live.

I had a slight intention to avoid taking credit, but Kohaku seemed more convinced by this explanation than I expected, which relieved me. Good, it seems she won’t start loudly proclaiming my heroic deeds in the Adventurer’s Guild. There was a similar incident before...

I’m happy when they praise me, but...

The proposal to the Adventurer’s Guild was well-received. If this is implemented, it will solve the problem with the Tonero group’s party. Kohaku almost violated adventurer etiquette, but I felt she had grown. I explained this to Anna, Fred, and Eddie during dinner, and the matter was settled.

I didn’t know at the time that this incident would trigger a "major change" in Kohaku.