CH 23

A few minutes after I parted ways with Mana and Nuku, I was in the Guild’s Meditation Room, facing Prana, and just sitting there in a very serious zen-like state.

[………………..]

[………………..]

The silence continued.

It had been like this ever since I came to check on her.

Meditation is an effective training to raise both MND and MGC at the same time, but it doesn’t seem to be very popular among Adventurers, many of whom are rather active people.

I wasn’t going to disturb Prana, who was meditating earnestly, but I didn’t want to just stay here, doing nothing, so I started meditating with her and it had already been like this for several minutes.

[………………..]

[………………..]

Within the silence without even the sound of wind, Prana and I continued to meditate side by side.

It’s an idle time, but I can’t think of anything to talk about alone with Prana, so perhaps it’s for the best.

(How should I say this…… I don’t have a good grasp of her character.)

I chose <Young City Boy Dreaming to be an Adventurer> in my first playthrough of B&B, but when the choice was between choosing between the newcomer party and Rex, I naturally chose Rex and left them to die.

From the guilt I felt at that time, I sacrificed Rex to party with them in my second playthrough, but unfortunately, I didn’t get much of a chance to delve into them, as they weren’t named characters.

And so, my vaunted game knowledge didn’t help me against Prana, and I’m still unable to gauge the distance between us.

(If she’s as sensible as Nuku, no, if she’d at least be as extreme as Radd or Mana, I’d somehow have some clue about this.)

I couldn’t get a feel for how Prana was feeling, and she hasn’t had much to say to me so far.

Having such thoughts in mind, I continued to aimlessly meditate, however……

[……Wha!?]

My eyes suddenly opened when I felt warmth on my shoulder.

Thereupon, I saw Prana peering at me from a surprisingly close distance, her hand on my shoulder.

[It’s time for a break.]

I was surprised by her casual words and checked the time, only to find that it had already been quite a while.

[Y- Yeah. Sorry.]

She seemed to be absorbed in her meditation, but it seems like she has kept track of time.

She looked somewhat satisfied when she saw that I had opened my eyes, and immediately went back to where she had been sitting before.

[………………..]

[………………..]

Even though we were no longer meditating, a period of silence began once again.

Prana’s posture, sitting upright across from me, isn’t a bit different from before.

The only difference now was her eyes clearly open, looking at me.

[……Hey, Prana. Why is it that you’re following my instructions?]

Trying to bear the awkwardness, I said something that I shouldn’t have needed to ask.

However, I had been wondering about this for a long time.

The fact that Prana often snaps back at Radd gives the impression that she’s strong-willed and had a rebellious heart.

And yet, she took the initiative to go through this unreasonable training I suggested without once complaining about it.

[Don’t you have any doubts about me, like how the things I’ve said were strange?]

Prime example for this is this training she’s currently doing.

She is a good Scout and bow-user, and I had forbidden her to fight.

I even had her Class Change to a Mage, which is the exact opposite of her aptitudes, and ordered her to meditate.

I wanted to know why she followed such instructions without any complaints.

[How come?]

[How come, you ask……]

However, her response to me was a genuine question.

[The logic you spoke of makes sense. There’s no reason for me to reject it.]

There was no wavering in Prana’s voice as she said this.

[Since training your abilities when they’re low will have a high effect, then you should train before “leveling up” through combat. If it increases the efficiency in raising your aptitudes, then changing your Class should only be obvious…… Where’s the problem?]

On the contrary, she even looked puzzled by my question.

Certainly, that is the reason why imposed this training towards them.

Although often misunderstood in the game, it’s an outright lie that “unlike leveling up, training isn’t affected by a person’s own aptitudes”.

The higher the predisposed ability is, it’s obviously more likely to rise, even with training.

The reason why it seems that even a weak ability can be easily improved by training is that the lower the current ability value is, the more likely it is that the ability can be improved by training.

Hence, I think the optimal game solution is to “train the ability with the highest possible growth value by Class Changing while it’s still low level”, but I didn’t think this would be agreed upon by people in this world who don’t see things in the meta standpoint.

[You should have more confidence in yourself, Rex.]

On the contrary, Prana seemed to be admonishing me.

[No book I’ve read or person I’ve talked to, no one has been able to teach us the answers like you have. We’re very lucky to have gotten the best teacher.]

They’re words that aren’t spoken that eloquently.

However, that is why they were filled with a strong sense of reality.

(……This is troubling.)

I couldn’t stop a smile from creeping up my lips.

I’m not going to lie, it was never with the best intentions that I started training these guys.

It was largely due to my own desire, and perhaps, it was to conduct an experiment.

In fact, even now, after all that had been said, I think it would be difficult for me to say whether I would be able to give up all of my own goals for them.

But apart from that, I’m genuinely interested in seeing how far these guys can go.

I was also beginning to genuinely want to see things through.

(So I should at least train them so that they won’t regret relying on me.)

That’s the least I can do, having brought these guys in.

Also……

[I’m sorry. I may have been looking down on you, Prana.]

[…………?]

Not minding Prana even when she tilted her head, I bowed my head.

While explaining the specifications of the training, I guess deep down, I thought that “people in this world wouldn’t understand the training’s true meaning”.

That’s why, I couldn’t believe Prana was continuing her training without question.

I’d met Verteran today too, but I’d sensed that he was somewhat skeptical of us.

Perhaps, I may have been a little influenced by his thoughts without realizing it.

[It’s not easy to look at things without prejudice. I’m glad that Prana and the others were the ones I decided to teach.]

Prana’s eyes widened when she heard my words.

Seeing her reaction, I realized that I had said something out of character and suddenly felt embarrassed.

[Alright, I’m going to go check on Radd.]

I got up to escape from here.

I’m sure that guy had reached an impasse by now.

I had to keep an eye on him.

[……Wait.]

However, just as I was walking toward the exit, I was stopped by a voice.

[Truthfully, I don’t understand everything that we’re doing.]

[Prana?]

Even when I called out to her, my tone asking her what she means, she continued.

Seemingly as she’s trying to think hard about this matter, she weaved her words.

[I’ve just chosen to trust you. After all, you are……]

Prana looked at me with eyes filled with a fragility that I couldn’t imagine from her usual self.

[————–the one who put your life on the line to save me.]

Whispering this, a wistful smile appears on her lips.

※　※　※

[Ahh, what the heck is this?]

I left the room to escape, and when Prana was completely out of sight, I held my chest.

I could feel my heart beating so strongly that I could feel it clearly.

For a grown man to be so flustered about a child, whose age was young enough that she could be called a young girl.

Even though I tried to play it off like that, the look on her face as I was leaving stuck in my mind.

(I didn’t do anything to deserve such gratitude.)

It’s true that I had sought out a unique route to save Prana and the others and had risked my life in a mortal struggle against a Doom Demon, but half of that was just because of how the course of events turned out.

My primary motivation was also a negative one: I just didn’t want to take on the burden of human life and death.

(Well, the me right now is an ikemen, and I think I was pretty cool in my fight with the Doom Demon.)

Having these thoughts in mind, I suddenly realized something.

(No, Prana went to get help, she wasn’t there to see the fight!)

If so, Prana is just genuinely thanking me for the fact that “I desperately guided them and stayed as their rear guard” and that “I risked my life to help them”.

[……Haahhh……]

A sigh escapes my mouth.

It seems like my mind really had just gotten corrupted.

(This is getting more and more out of hand.)

Even if I’m a helpless scumbag, that doesn’t mean I can’t help others.

I vowed once again to at least do my best to help them.