Chapter 12
I returned my sword to its sheath.
"Whew... I nearly died there."
With adrenaline pumping, I’d charged right in, but I probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer.
I’d hoped Goutan would be back in three minutes, but it took him over five to join the fight again.
Tail seemed to have had trouble healing him.
The Mad Head’s paralysis wore off in three minutes only if its target had recovered enough HP. If their HP was low, their resistance to status ailments dropped, making the paralysis last longer.
Even so, I was grateful that Tail hadn’t run away and had properly healed Goutan.
"...An F-Rank adventurer held out against the monster that nearly killed even me?"
Goutan looked at me and muttered in disbelief.
"No, I was right at my limit. You saved me, Goutan."
"I-I..."
After stammering out a reply, Goutan bowed his head in a sudden, sweeping motion.
"I’m sorry, Elymas. You were right about both my poor command and my lax safety measures. This was a matter of life and death, yet I dug in my heels because I didn’t want to be corrected by some young upstart in front of everyone... I’m not fit to serve as a Guild mentor. Once this quest is over, I intend to step down from the role."
I’d thought Goutan was a stubborn man with an intimidating face, but he apologized to me just like that.
As far as I was concerned, I’d be satisfied as long as he approved my promotion.
Still, I didn’t think Goutan alone was to blame.
Wasn’t this rooted in the Adventurers’ Guild’s lack of information and inadequate system?
I doubted the Guild provided any training for adventurers serving as mentors.
Perhaps they simply paid a reliable, helpful adventurer and left them to handle everything on their own.
I couldn’t imagine that the other adventurer mentors were any better than Goutan at leading raids or ensuring everyone’s safety.
The Adventurers’ Guild was full of rough-and-tumble types to begin with.
Training and managing them was an uphill battle.
Goutan had been so overbearing when we first met because he feared the rookie adventurers would look down on him, making it impossible for him to do his job.
The fact that he could bow his head so readily made me think he was straightforward at heart. He just had a scary face.
"If you think you made a mistake, why not learn from it and do better?"
"This isn’t something I can just brush aside. If things had gone a little differently, I could have gotten every adventurer killed."
...He really was as stubborn as my first impression suggested.
"If you quit over something like this, won’t the adventurer mentors end up full of people who’ve never made a mistake and have naive ideas about the job?"
"M-Mm..."
"If you feel responsible, then all the more reason to keep mentoring instead of throwing in the towel."
Goutan remained silent for a while, his expression grave. Then he grinned and raised his head.
"...Hmph. You’re a cheeky man with a silver tongue. For now, I’ll let you talk me into it."
Goutan then turned his gaze toward the remains of the Mad Head.
"You can take its magic stone. That monster was yours to claim."
The Mad Head’s body crumbled away into mana.
Among the remains of its massive body, a brown-glowing magic stone came into view.
It was a 【Lv: 40】 magic stone.
It would fetch a decent price.
An adventurer could never have too much money.
If Goutan was offering it to me, I’d gladly take it.
"Hm...?"
A bright red shield had been left among the remains of the rotten flesh.
An oni’s face was carved into it.
It was a drop item.
Rare monsters like the Mad Head were more likely to leave behind good items.
"O-Oh, a drop item from a rare 【Lv: 40】 monster..."
Goutan swallowed hard as he gazed longingly at the oni shield.
"Want me to give you that one?"
"Don’t be ridiculous! I won’t go back on my word! That monster was yours to claim!"
Goutan narrowed his eyes and said that with a hint of anger.
"...Hey, would you mind if I checked the item’s details first?"
He was honorable, but sure was reluctant to let it go...
People who had gained the power of a Class could check the details of items they possessed, just as they could check their Skills.
I picked up the oni shield.
――――――――――――――――――――
〈Mad Oni Shield〉 (Recommended Equipment Lv: 40)
【Defense: +25】
【Market Value: 3,000,000 Gold】
A fearsome shield carved with an oni’s face.
When you block an opponent’s attack with this shield, your next attack against that same opponent gains 【Attack: +8】.
――――――――――――――――――――
I swallowed hard.
Its performance was identical to the one in 〈Magic World〉, but this market value wasn’t some in-game price.
I could probably get around 1.5 million Gold for it at the Guild or a shop, and that was still a pretty good haul.
The shield’s Defense bonus was substantial, but it only applied when blocking with the shield.
〈Rampart Reversal〉 also required me to take a hit on my armor, so I couldn’t meet its activation condition with a shield.
Even so, with a bonus this high, I could probably block almost any attack from an enemy around the same Level.
Its Recommended Equipment Level was quite high, but I seemed able to wield it.
It was a little cumbersome, but I’d probably catch up to its Level while using it.
...With a price this high, selling it was honestly an option, too.
"...Three million Gold, huh?"
Goutan murmured wistfully.
When I glanced his way, he quickly composed himself.
"So, Goutan, about my promotion..."
"Don’t worry. I’ll tell them that not promoting you would be a loss for the Guild! I’ll tell them to hurry up and make you D-Rank!"
Goutan said it with great conviction.
"The Guild told me to keep an eye on you in case you tried to cheat, but what a ridiculous warning that was. If anyone objects, I’ll knock some sense into them myself!"
"You really don’t have to go that far..."
As I smiled wryly, Tail cautiously approached us.
"U-Um... Goutan-san, do you think you could approve my promotion, too? I mean, you were able to get back on your feet thanks to my 〈Heal〉..."
"You were completely frozen with fear in front of the monsters! You’re not ready to become an E-Rank adventurer in that state! Once you’re promoted and can enter the 〈Dungeon〉, you’ll face all sorts of dangerous situations involving monsters! If you’re too frightened to move when that happens, unlike this time, your whole party will be wiped out! Don’t just focus on moving up the ranks—take on appropriate quests and work to improve yourself!"
"Ugh... Y-Yes..."
Tail bit her lip and glanced at me.
Still, Tail seemed to understand that I’d saved her life. Tail could only lower her eyes in frustration; she didn’t try to pick a fight with me.