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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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I turned my head and saw a man holding a tray. He had wavy, gold-dyed hair and a punchable face.
“Ah, Saito-ssi.”
Luna, recognizing him, called out his name.
I knew him too.
Saito Hajime.
A 22-year-old university student. Despite being a guy, I had his name perfectly memorized. He was an S-rank, and his abilities were balanced, almost pentagonal, making him a Vanguard, the warrior class he had chosen.
“If you don’t mind, could I join you?”
Saito asked, slightly lifting his tray.
“Sure, go ahead.”
I gestured to the empty seat next to me.
‘We should talk at least once.’
Saito’s party currently had eight members, making it the fastest-growing party so far. Himself, an S-rank, two A-ranks, three B-ranks, and two C-ranks. Among the currently formed parties, it was safe to say they had the most impressive lineup.
‘Even if it’s not my party, it’s good to see competent parties increasing in number.’
Normally, it wouldn’t be efficient for dozens of people to swarm around for regular hunts, unless it was a raid. Unless a large number of people were necessary, a certain degree of individual growth was needed.
In that sense, Saito was the guy leading the party with the highest potential at this point. It was necessary to get close to him if possible.
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might refuse.”
Saito smiled as he sat down.
“Your performance earlier was impressive. I never thought a Priest could defeat a Samurai head-on.”
“I just got lucky.”
“Don’t be so modest. Everyone is getting a feel for things through training now. It may seem trivial, but everyone recognizes what an amazing feat you pulled off, Kid-nim. Is it because you’re a pro gamer?”
He skillfully started with a compliment. His way of speaking didn’t feel like flattery; his social skills were exceptional. With that face, it would be harder not to be popular.
“It’s true. This kind of thing usually doesn’t work just because I’m good.”
I indirectly implied that it was also because the opponent was an idiot. In reality, I overwhelmed him with my stats, but people didn’t know that yet.
“Pfft. Ah, excuse me. Still, even though Oda-ssi participated somewhat half-heartedly in training, you showed good form in the sparring matches.”
“It was also obvious that he was only targeting easy opponents. He acts just like he looks, like a delinquent.”
“Ahem.”
Saito, mid-sip of his soup, barely managed to suppress a spurt.
“You’re… a little blunt.”
“I don’t really like beating around the bush.”
“Hmm.”
Saito took his hand off his tray, thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke.
“Indeed, Kid-nim, you were constantly observing others training and sparring throughout the entire training session.”
“Yeah, so?”
“That must be to scout for potential party members, right?”
He then glanced at Luna, who had finished her meal and looked slightly disappointed.
“A Defender, Luna-ssi, and a Priest, Kid-nim. Normally, you’d be looking for someone to fill the damage dealer role.”
“That’s right.”
Saito nodded at my reply and spoke with a serious expression.
“Since you don’t like me beating around the bush, I’ll be direct. Would the two of you consider joining our party, “Tempest”?”
“Tem…pest?”
“Ah.”
Saito blushed slightly, as if embarrassed.
“Well… When we formed the party, everyone suggested we choose a name, so we gathered opinions and voted on it.”
So, they chose it like naming a group project. It felt a bit over the top, but looking closely, it was a suitably fantastical party name.
A party name, huh… I was thinking of something simple, like a hiking club.
“Ahem. Anyway, your current party only consists of the two of you, and it would be troublesome to recruit each member individually. Wouldn’t it be better to join our party instead?”
“If I remember correctly, Saito-ssi’s party already has a tank and a priest.”
“That’s correct. We have Nakano-ssi, who’s currently taking the front lines, and Sugiwa-san as our priest.”
“Then why?”
“I saw Kid-nim training with the knights.”
Ah, I see what he’s getting at.
“The knights’ training made our current training feel like a joke. But thanks to that, I realized how dangerous things can get in actual combat.”
Saito’s expression hardened, and he sighed.
“Nakano-ssi is doing well, and I and the others will support him, but it’s too much of a burden to leave the tank role solely to him. More importantly, our rearguard members are all women. Especially the priest, she’s just a first-year high school student.”
Saito’s expression showed self-reproach, as if he felt responsible.
“I was a bit naive. Honestly, I thought the rear would be the safest place for a priest, so I assigned the role to her, but it’s a more dangerous position than I expected.”
Saito’s party was one of the four teams that had clearly defined roles from the moment they chose their classes. They must have had a conversation before choosing classes, trying to put the young girl in the safest position possible. It must have been a sense of responsibility.
‘But he got the order wrong.’
It’s not safe behind the tank because it’s behind the tank. A tank is needed because the rear is targeted.
“If one is lacking, then two. If we have another tank besides Nakano-ssi, it would lessen his burden and further stabilize the rear. More importantly, Kid-nim, you are undoubtedly a more skilled priest than Sugiwara-san. If the enemy targets the rear, you would be the first target.”
“You’re being awfully straightforward about using me as bait.”
“But wouldn’t you be the primary target in any party, Kid-nim?”
That’s true. Unless the strategy is to pick us off one by one, I would be the first target if they could guarantee a kill.
Still, I didn’t mind. Gamers tend to get a little puffed up when they receive attention for their skills. Even if they shoulder all the hard work, a single “?” in the chat from a party member acknowledging their awesomeness is enough to send their ego soaring.
As I smirked, Saito chuckled and continued.
“Sugiwara-san is still young. Once this short tutorial-like period is over and we’re exposed to real threats, she might not be able to handle it. But I thought it would be good if you, as an adult and a priest, could guide her. It would greatly reduce her burden and help her adapt more quickly.”
“I understand.”
I finished my meal, put down my chopsticks, and said,
“However, this isn’t something to rush into. Would it be alright if I postponed my answer?”
“Of course. But I hope to hear a positive response.”
After that conversation, Saito and I continued chatting about life here, what was inconvenient, and other trivial things before parting ways.
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“Saito-kun seems like a good person. Responsible and considerate.”
“Are you saying that because he’s handsome?”
“What? Are you jealous?”
“…He’s a good friend, that’s for sure.”
He had leadership, responsibility. He was a near-miraculous user in a situation where almost half were useless. But no man likes a handsome man. Except for gay men, that is.
Luna giggled at my disgusted expression. She wasn’t a popular internet broadcaster for nothing. She was definitely bright. Suddenly dragged to this place, given a shield, sent to the front lines, and she acted without complaint. The training must have been tough, yet she didn’t show any signs of it. She even joked around when she could’ve been depressed.
‘It’s no wonder she has so many fans.’
Beyond her face and figure, she had a charming personality.
‘I’m lucky.’
Honestly, in a situation where I’d be grateful for just an average personality, I had a reliable and competent person as a comrade.
Luna and I finished our meal and walked towards the training grounds, discussing Saito’s offer.
“So, are you going to join Saito-kun’s party?”
“I thought about it while we were talking, but I think it’s best not to.”
“Why? Honestly, I thought it wasn’t a bad offer.”
“Both Saito-ssi and I have strong egos, so it won’t last long. We’re the type that shouldn’t be in the same party.”
“Ego?”
“Our sense of self. We’re the type who don’t compromise when we think we’re right. It’ll be fine when we agree, but there will be clashes when we disagree.”
“Uh… aren’t you thinking too much into it?”
“Maybe, but in this case, if we fight, it could lead to internal factions. Back in Korea, it wasn’t just the ‘queen bee’ players who ruined guilds.”
“Hmm… What if you were to yield in those situations, Kid-nim?”
“Are you joking? You think I should listen to some college student? I’m definitely going to be right.”
“Ugh… I don’t really like authoritarian men.”
Luna made a disgusted face at my shameless statement, then returned to her usual expression and said,
“Well, honestly, I can’t say I don’t understand. Then we’ll go with recruiting directly, right?”
“Yes, we will.”
“…But that Sugiwara girl. I’m a little worried about her.”
“It’s a bit unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. There are only ten Priests among 108 people. Having two in one party is also a bit of a problem. If she needs help, I think occasional interaction will be enough. Saito-ssi’s party seems to be one of the few reliable ones, so it’ll be good to stay on good terms with them.”
“I suppose so…”
We arrived at the training grounds while discussing potential party members, a topic interrupted by Saito’s arrival. Since we came right after finishing our meal, there weren’t that many people in the training grounds yet.
“Oh, lucky.”
Luna, looking around, seemed to have found something. She tugged at my clothes and pointed.
“Look, our number one DPS candidate is over there. Let’s try to recruit him while there’s no one around.”
I followed Luna’s gaze to a corner of the training grounds where a Japanese kid, exuding a dark, loner aura that screamed “stay away,” was pecking at a round bun like a squirrel.
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e
Well, while it was probably the right move to avoid joining the other party, hopefully he at least puts a bit of time into helping the other priests along in their training. Considering they only make up a small portion of the total hero group it would be pretty devastating every time one of them got killed, and it’s good to have people that are highly valued by their party in your debt as well.