Volume 4 Chapter 1 Reunion With The Hero
'Aroze. You're not needed anymore, so just get out of here already.'
Her long, pale pink hair reached down to her waist.
Her slightly slanted, same-colored eyes looked at me with their usual lifelessness, conveying complete disinterest.
I could never forget her.
There was no way I could mistake her.
She is none other than the Eastern Hero, Dahlia Rouge, who has made a name for herself in the eastern part of this central continent.
And she is also the one who kicked me out of the hero party.
Why is Dahlia here──at Nurturer? She should be attacking the Forest King's Army's invaded territories in the east right now.
Has she already wiped out the Forest King's Army and returned to the town of Hyamars?
But I haven't heard any such news, and the movements of the hero party have been unclear for a while.
As I was sweating in confusion, a deep-voiced man followed Dahlia and let out a tongue-clicking sound.
"Nurturer Roezé... I see, so that's how it is."
"...?"
As he said this, the man removed the hood that was covering his face.
In an instant, his green short hair and strong, intimidating gaze were revealed.
"J-Jostum..."
He is also a person with a deep connection to me, making me even more tense.
The Holy Knight Jostum.
He is the man who serves as the shield in the hero party.
I vividly remember him and Dahlia berating me when I was kicked out of the hero party.
It's not surprising that if Dahlia is here, Jostum would be too, but their unexpected appearance made me feel suffocated.
In the midst of this, Jostum sighed while running his fingers through his green hair.
"By the way, we really missed the mark. No matter how you look at it, he's the only one with the name "Roezé" who helps other people grow. I wonder why we didn't notice that."
"Of course I didn't remember someone like him. If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have come to a place like this."
I had a feeling from the two of them that they didn't come here knowing I was around.
They must have purely relied on Nurturer to come here.
If that's the case, it makes things even more mysterious.
What could they possibly want from Nurturer? I asked them cautiously.
"W-what did you come here for...?"
If they had business with Nurturer, did they come to request help for their growth? But Dahlia and the others have already reached their level cap.
In fact, they are known as the strongest adventurers on the continent, making them the least likely to need Nurturer's help.
Did they struggle with training new members and came to visit Nurturer? No, if that were the case, that person should have come along too.
So, is this just a sightseeing trip? Or did they not come to request help for growth at all? Various speculations flashed through my mind, but none of them felt right.
"..."
The only thing I can say is that this reunion is the worst possible situation for me... and for Nurturer.
The hero party visiting is bound to lead to trouble.
I once lost my "place" because of them.
I was unilaterally kicked out of the party because having me, a Trainer, was inconvenient for them.
So naturally, I felt on edge.
I couldn't shake the bad feeling that my peaceful life in this town, which I love, might be taken away.
As I waited for their words with that caution, Jostum eventually looked at me with sharp eyes.
"I'll ask to confirm, but you are Nurturer Roezé, right?"
"...Y-yes, that's me."
"You lost your place after being kicked out of the hero party, so you came all the way back to this novice adventurer town to make some pocket change. How pathetic of you to think of something like that."
"..."
His sarcastic words made me feel a tightness in my chest.
Did he come all this way just to say something like that...?
I feel like shouting and sending them away, but before I can, Jostum lets out a sigh and continues.
"Well, it doesn't really matter. We don't have time to mess around with you right now. Anyway, let's get to the point."
"Point? What could we possibly talk about now..."
As I genuinely wish they would just leave, Dahlia's eyes widen in surprise at Jostum's words.
"Y-you're not seriously thinking of telling him 'that thing,' are you? I absolutely oppose it!"
"We don't have a choice. At this point, we can't afford to be picky. We'll use whatever we can. You know it's better this way, Dahlia."
"..."
Dahlia falls silent, looking conflicted.
I can't understand anything from their conversation and can only tilt my head in confusion.
"W-what are you talking about? What do you need from the Nurturer..."
Then, Jostum raises his voice and says something unbelievable.
"Help us again, Aroze."
"...Huh?"
"Loan your Trainer powers to us again... no, to Hero Dahlia."
"..."
My heart sinks, and I clench my teeth tightly.
Jostum's words sound like a joke, and I can only doubt my own ears.
At the same time, I feel a mix of anger and confusion rising within me, an indescribable emotion.
"W-what are you saying...? Loan my Trainer powers again? After you kicked me out, why would you ask for that now..."
As I tremble, Jostum responds plainly.
"I'll pay you back. I'll give you money, weapons, or tools──whatever you want. So lend your power to Dahlia again."
"That's not the point. You guys didn't forget what you did to me, did you?"
They kicked me out for their own honor.
They said that if I stayed in the Hero's Party, all of the Hero's Party's achievements would go to me from now on.
"Speaking of which, didn't you say my power was no longer needed? Because Dahlia and the others have already..."
They reached their level cap, so wasn't the Trainer useless now?
So why are they asking for my "help" all of a sudden?
Jostum, sensing my mix of anger and confusion, turned to the silent Dahlia.
"You should explain, Dahlia. It'll probably be quicker."
"...I still oppose this. Why do I have to talk to this guy? If I have to rely on him, I'd rather manage on my own."
"You thought it was impossible, which is why we decided to go to Nurturer, right? We can't do anything on our own anymore..."
"..."
I still don't understand the meaning of this conversation. Maybe Jostum's persuasion worked, as Dahlia clicked her tongue and reluctantly said,
"...[Show Divine Revelation]."
She pulled out a piece of paper that looked like parchment from thin air and handed it to Jostum.
After that, she closed her mouth again, seemingly unwilling to say more.
Jostum, looking exasperated, presented the Divine Revelation to me.
"First, take a look at this, Aroze. We can talk after."
"But when you say 'this,' it's just a Divine Revelation... I never said I would listen to your story..."
I was about to continue, but then the Divine Revelation Jostum showed me flashed in my vision, and I was momentarily speechless.
"...Huh?"
I thought I must have misseen it.
Or maybe Dahlia and the others were just playing a prank and showing me a fake.
So, just to be sure, I shifted my gaze to Dahlia and focused.
I even used the Divine Eye skill to confirm the Divine Revelation, and it seemed my eyes weren't mistaken...
Above Dahlia's head, an unbelievable Divine Revelation was displayed.
[Job Class] Sword Saint
[Level] 1
[Skill]
[Magic]
[Divine Blessing]
- Strength: C350
- Agility: C320
- Resilience: C350
- Magic: D280
- Holy Power: D280
"What the... is this...?"
Sword Saint... level 1.
Why is Dahlia's level at 1?
Why does she have no skills or magic at all?
She should have grown to the level cap of 50 thanks to my Trainer's power...
It was like a Divine Revelation from her novice adventurer days.
I stared at Dahlia in shock, but she offered no explanation.
Instead, Jostum, looking a bit hesitant, confessed the shocking truth.
"Dahlia was hit with a 'special curse from an executive of the Spirit King's Army, and she was pulled back to level 1'."
"..."
Glancing at Dahlia, I saw her biting her lip in frustration, as if blood might come out.
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