I Got Fired as a Hero Today - Vol.1 Chapter 21: Arata, Gets Stranded

It was a cliff, and deep below, a vast darkness yawned wide.

Chloe picked up a stone and threw it there.

The stone made a sound as it hit the water after a while and fell while hitting various places.

“Profound, isn’t it?”

She slowly makes her way along the cliffside path.

Sunlight occasionally comes in through the gap above.

“There might be an entrance somewhere.”

“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like a secret space or anything.”

They proceed along the winding path.

Arata marks the walls and ground with chalk just in case, so he can find his way back.

After a while, the road started to narrow.

There are holes everywhere, and if they fall, it seems like they won’t survive.

“What should we do? Are we still going?”

Chloe turned around.

As for Chloe, she also had to consider the time it would take to get home.

“Yeah, it’s about time──”

When he was about to answer that they should go back, Arata saw the figure of a large monster attacking from behind Chloe.

Chloe notices it and tries to draw her sword.

But at the same time, Arata pulls Chloe’s arm and switches places with her.

“Wind slide.”

Arata tackled the monster with a wooden shield in front of him.

“Rooaaar!”

It let out a roar. At the same time, the ground beneath the monster’s feet crumbled.

Arata tried to jump back, but a monster grabbed his head.

“Whoa!?”

Arata and the demon fell into the dark abyss.

“Arata!”

Suzu chases it.

She secured the rope to a suitable rock and lowered it into the darkness where Arata had fallen.

“Wait!”

Chloe grabbed Suzu’s arm and stopped her.

“What? Chloe!”

“Because we might end up in double trouble, I can’t allow that!”

Chloe also wants to help Arata.

“I don’t even know if the rope will reach the bottom. Besides, does Suzu have any experience with this kind of thing?”

“Not really, but I have no choice but to go.”

If a hero goes missing, the country should send a search party.

Chloe told Suzu once to return to the royal capital.

It’s better to leave the search to the professionals.

“But…!”

“Please.”

Chloe was trembling.

Suzu also had no choice but to follow because it seemed that Chloe was making that decision under duress.

Suzu thought about going down the cliff even if it was difficult because she had no experience, but she knew she didn’t have the ability to do it.

◆◆◆

Arata was falling through the darkness.

He drew the one-handed sword and cut off the arm of the monster that was gripping his arm.

Since his hand was free, he plunged the sword into the monster’s chest.

And then, crashing into the wall, the sword plunges deep into the monster’s chest.

“G-grrraaaahhh!”

The death throes of the monster echo.

Furthermore, soaring through the air and crashing into the walls several times, the monster and Arata separate.

The monster crashed into the ground, creating a loud noise and a cloud of dust.

Arata fell into the underground lake ahead.

With a high splash of water, Arata sinks to the bottom of the lake.

After a while, Arata climbed up and reached the shore.

He barely managed not to drown as he crawled onto the shore, gasping for breath.

He was gagging and spitting out water and he collapsed onto his back.

When he looked to the side, a large bear-like monster had Arata’s one-handed sword stabbed in its chest and was dead.

It’s a large monster called [Blue Bear].

He couldn’t see where he had fallen from as he looked up.

“I was lucky to survive.”

He thinks he acted recklessly.

Come to think of it, Chloe was aware of the monster’s attack, so she might have been able to defend herself without any help.

However, his body was moving on its own.

His right arm was broken.

The wooden shield had fallen to the ground and was broken.

Thanks to falling into the underground lake, he was saved.

Arata disassembles the wooden shield and uses it as a prop.

He cut the cloak with a knife to make a bandage and secured the splint to the arm.

He took the chalk out of his pouch and marked the ground.

His head was fuzzy. He was feeling unwell, probably because he was soaked and had broken bones.

Even so, he investigated the area.

However, the place where Arata was located was a small shore, and there was no way forward.

It seemed like the only options were to climb up or to swim through the underground lake to find another shore.

He checks the equipment.

Chalk, whetstone, a knife, trail food, a water bottle, a small mirror, hemp rope, matches, wild vegetables, and herbs collected along the way.

He takes off his clothes and uses one hand and his foot skillfully to wring it out.

Wearing clothes soaked in water drains his stamina. He uses the leftover wood from dismantling a wooden shield, along with matches and frayed hemp rope, to start a fire, warm his body, and dry his clothes.

“Light ball.”

Arata casts a spell towards the lake.

He used it like a flare.

The ahead part looked like a cave submerged in water.

There was no shore.

He has to swim all the way there and check the inside of that hole.

However, if there’s nothing, it’s the end.

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and chewed on some herbs. He wrapped in a cloak with nothing but his underwear and rested in front of the campfire.

He immersed himself in the silence.

◆◆◆

Thanks to Arata’s mark, Chloe and Suzu returned to the village without getting lost, borrowed horses from the villagers, and hurried to the royal capital.

Chloe held the reins, and Suzu clung to Chloe’s back.

The air is cold.

When they arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild, it was already evening.

“Arata-san?”

The receptionist, Sarah, heard the report.

“Yes. That’s why I want you to search for Arata.”

“However…”

A mere adventurer wouldn’t be allowed to form a search party by the guild.

An adventurer is someone who protects their own life.

Everything is their own responsibility.

“It’s okay, it should be permitted.”

Chloe said that while looking at Sarah’s puzzled expression.

“Arata is a hero.”

Suzu also added a word.

“Huh!? Arata-san is the hero…?”

Sarah understood Arata’s achievements from last night.

And then, they carried out the procedures promptly.

“Please wait a moment.”

If it’s a hero, a search party should be dispatched. Sarah thought the same.

However, after waiting for about an hour, the response given was, “We cannot dispatch a search team.”

Chloe and Suzu were flustered.

“Why?!”

Chloe leaned forward.

“I don’t know. However, it’s the guild master’s decision. I can’t do anything more than this…”

Sarah had a pained expression on her face.

The power difference between a mere receptionist and the guild master is significant.

“Guild Master…”

Chloe murmured and then left the guild.

Suzu chases her.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll speak directly to the guild master.”

“Do you know?”

“Yeah, I know it very well.”

Politics, magic, military force. One of the three political powers.

They arrived at the building that served as the headquarters of the order controlling the military forces.

When they go inside,

“Commander!”

A female knight wearing round glasses came running.

She is the Vice-commander, Canaryn Shrimps.

With quite a large bust, the armor was also a plate mail that fit accordingly.

Swaying in time with that movement.

They won’t tell her, but behind her back, they call her “Milk Woman.”

Suzu involuntarily looks at her own chest and compares it.

When Canaryn jumped at Chloe,

“I’m at my limit already!”

Because Chloe became the hero’s tutor, all of Chloe’s duties as the knight commander were handed over to Canaryn.

The workload has increased, and Canaryn can’t handle it all.

“Canaryn, you can do it. Believe in yourself.”

After saying that, she pulls away.

“It’s impossible!”

Then, other knights rushed to the scene.

“Take Canaryn with you.”

“Ha!”

There are no knights who defy Chloe.

While holding Canaryn’s arm, they both carry her and take her away.

“Commanderーー!”

The sound of Canaryn’s scream echoes, but Chloe ignores it and strides down the hallway.

And then, Chloe stops in front of a door.

She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

“I’m coming in.”

When she opened the door, there was a person with their feet propped up on a large desk at the back of the spacious room.

“Isn’t that Chloe? What is it?”

A middle-aged man with mixed gray hair.

Sword Saint Isaac Gloria.

He is the leader of the Adventurers’ Guild.