When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master. - Chap 20: What Happened Next

Several days had passed since the incident in the Elf country. The invasion of the true Cursed King Balkan, which appeared during the 15th-anniversary commemoration of the defeat of the Cursed King Daidaros, seemed to have become quite a big deal.

Parts of the Elf country were still unrepaired due to the invasion of the demon tribe. However, once misfortune has passed, it doesn’t seem to be much of a problem.

The Demon King was also defeated, after all. I’ve been defeating them all along, so it’s just business as usual.

But there’s an interesting rumor… the “Silver Warrior.” I didn’t notice at all, but there seem to have been a few people who claimed to have seen it for just an instant.

Nobody knows much about it since it disappeared in a flash, but it seems there was such a thing. I really don’t know anything about it, and I’m not interested either.

Seriously, new ones keep coming one after another like the Demon King… Personally, I think if there’s one Demon King, there might as well be thirty.

I’m used to new entities becoming the talk of the town, so maybe about 30 “Silver Warriors” will appear soon.

Oh, speaking of which, I talked to Lin. While talking to her as Hero Dan with a mask on, acting all arrogant, her smirking caught my attention. I may be overthinking it, though…

“Dan, isn’t it time to go train your disciples?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Make sure to eat your meal before you go.”

While changing out of my pajamas and lost in thought, I was called by my mother from across the room. I replied offhandedly as I left the room and took my place at the dining table where my parents were already seated.

“Speaking of which, Dan, how are your disciples doing lately? I think there was a child named Will or something, right?”

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how to grow my disciples, and my father asked about it.

“So-so, I guess.”

“So-so… Well, it seems like they’re working hard, so I’m supporting them. But it would be nice if a successor could be found soon.”

I wanted to raise a successor quickly. That was what I thought initially. However, that changed after fighting the Demon King.

When will I be able to raise them quickly? I wondered if introducing them as the successors to the Hero might take quite a while.

As for Will and the other disciples, if asked whether they could defeat the current Demon King, the answer would be NO. It would be impossible no matter how they struggled. But I could defeat it easily.

They are growing, faster than I thought. However, at this pace, it will take quite some time. I wish they would become strong more quickly.

I’ve been giving them a lot of practical training. I thought they would become strong if they practiced real combat.

Now, what to do? Maybe I should try something different.

“Well, maybe being casual is fine after all. Dan tends to move on intuition, surprisingly.”

“Intuition, huh…”

“That’s right. In the past, you used to rush out of the house based on intuition.”

Should I let them do something unusual based on intuition? I’ve always taken notes and traced the path to strength. If asked why I made an effort to act accordingly using my knowledge from my previous life, the answer would be intuition.

…I’m not even sure how accurate my knowledge was in my previous life. I didn’t have specialized knowledge either, so it can be interpreted that I was just scribbling down things based on intuition and trying my best.

“When Dan left, it was lonely, and we were worried. Your mother was really worried, especially because we heard rumors that Dan was being reckless.”

“Well, but maybe that recklessness made Dan strong? I wish he would have stopped as a parent, though.”

Should I make them constantly push themselves if they want to follow me? Well, if I cover them from behind, a little push might not be a problem.

“By the way, what’s the relationship like with your disciples?”

“The relationship is reasonably good, I think.”

“Is that so? Well, you should occasionally show a good appearance. As a guild staff member who has worked for a long time, I’ve shown my juniors a good side. Doing so builds trust.”

“Hmmm.”

“If you only bark orders, you’ll be talked about behind your back, or before you know it, the respect is gone.”

“Really?”

I would hate to see my carefully gathered seven disciples drift away. I don’t want to lose my human pillars that I’ve pushed onto. I’ve put them together and raised them this far, so it would be a terrible waste if they quit.

Maybe I should occasionally show them an impressive scene. Trust my instincts, push them a little, make them respect me as their master. Doing the same thing over and over might not lead to dramatic changes. I’ll try to reflect the wisdom of age, the casual words of a parent, into our training a bit.

◆◆

“Hero-sama, I want to become stronger.”

While training with Will, he said such a thing.

“So far, I want to be stronger, more intense, and climb higher. If we can’t increase the number of training sessions, I want you to make it tougher.”

Just right, I thought I might try what my father and mother told me. I don’t even know if I ever had the qualifications to be a leader. There might be some good things in doing things casually, based on a whim… maybe… yes, well, if something happens, I’ll intervene and act like a great master.

“Actually, recently, my childhood friend Menmen started using magic… and she can already use the second tier.”

“Really?”

Wow, that’s quite impressive. Will’s childhood friend.

“She said that she would use healing magic in the Elf country… that seems to have been the trigger.”

“I see.”

“But in the first place, I don’t remember saying such a thing… and furthermore, I knew the names of people I shouldn’t know… no, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I want to be strong! After seeing the Four Heavenly Kings and the demon tribe in that country, I’m sure I can’t accomplish anything as I am now. So, please make me stronger than anyone else!!”

I have some leaves as well.

“Alright, today’s training is… Let’s go to the guild, and from the missions ordered that day, I want you to defeat the strongest monster.”

“…Understood.”

“Occasionally, I don’t need to teach you. Think for yourself what I’m assigning you.”

I’m being quite unreasonable… Will he be alright? Just in case, I remove my iron mask and follow him. When we arrive in the town of Popo, he seems to be selecting a mission at the guild.

“Lizardman extermination…”

No, that’s impossible. I inadvertently thought so in my heart. Absolutely impossible. It’s totally out of Will’s league right now.

Lizardmen are huge creatures, standing one and a half meters tall, resembling giant lizards. However, they are highly intelligent and wield swords and shields. Sometimes they use weapons stolen from humans, sometimes natural weapons formed by natural phenomena, or ones they have crafted from nature themselves. Occasionally, there are those that fight bare-handed, but mostly they have something.

That monster is sharp-witted and has a deep understanding of battle. Moreover, it’s simply strong. This is clearly beyond our reach.

Maybe it’s my responsibility for making such an unreasonable demand. I’ll secretly appear from behind and take the path of impressing him with my great master moves, earning his respect.

Will accepts the request and starts running. It’s said to be confirmed in the nearby forest… Oh, there it is.

Both Will and I spot the Lizardman. Moreover, it wields a cursed sword and is a red Lizardman, a stronger individual than the normal monsters.

Will gets into a combat stance, and I stand by, ready to help at any moment. Let’s see how long he can hold on…

Ah, Will’s been sent flying! I need to help him…

“Still, not yet.”

It seems he can still go on… Maybe I should observe a little longer. He’s sent flying again, this time crashing into the trunk of a tree. Now, I really have to help…

“I’m not giving up yet!!”

So, it seems his fighting spirit is far from dead. Maybe I’ll continue watching from behind…

As I watch, Will’s sword clashes with the Lizardman’s. But the opponent’s sword is a cursed blade, not like a normal one. It’s endowed with magic or special effects. That’s why it’s not a fair fight, and now Will’s sword is destroyed.

Now, I must really go and help him…

“Uwooooooo!!!”

He can still go on, it seems… Alright. If he roars like that, I can only continue watching.

Will then grabs the hand holding the cursed sword and thrusts it into the Lizardman’s throat. There’s a squelching sound, a raw smell, and blood splatters all over him.

“Huff, huff…”

He looks quite worn out. But he was able to defeat the Lizardman…

“Gyayayayayayayayaya!!!”

Or maybe not. The Lizardman, barely surviving a cut to the throat, lunges at Will. Now I really have to help…

“Uwooooooo!!!”

Will snatches the cursed sword and finishes off the Lizardman.

“I… I won… That was really close. To think that the Hero would make me fight an almost evenly matched opponent…”

No, did he really win? I was expecting him to lose… Will says a lot, but honestly, I’m just surprised he won at all.

“A fight on the edge, a battle to the very limit of a razor-thin difference in ability to gain high experience…”

Let’s just go with that. Honestly, I was a hundred percent sure he would lose.

Will returns to the guild, drenched in blood.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!!”

“Uwaaaaaaaa!!”

The townspeople are terrified at the sight of Will, soaked in the Lizardman’s splattered blood. Well, it does look quite gruesome…

“Um, welcome back…”

“I’ve returned. The request is complete. I brought this cursed sword, though…”

“Since you dropped that, Will, you can use it if you’d like. But perhaps you should wash off that splattered blood first…”

“Ah, right… Sorry.”

“Well, you can do that later… Since Will has defeated the White Goiger the other day and now a Lizardman, your adventurer rank will jump from F to D! This is an incredible feat! We’ve never seen anyone rank up two levels so quickly before!”

“Oh, oh! Thank you!”

“Yes, please come back here after you’ve washed off the blood, and we’ll take care of the paperwork.”

“Yes!”

Ah, he jumped up two ranks at once. Congratulations. The surrounding adventurers are amazed, too.

“Really?”

“He took down a Lizardman wielding a cursed sword?”

“I knew it, that guy’s growth is astonishing.”

As I eavesdrop on Will’s conversation while hiding behind an iron mask, I’m patted on the shoulder. I turn around and find Thall, the guild master of this guild.

“I knew it from the beginning, that the boy named Will was a late bloomer.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, it reminds me of when Hero Dan registered as an adventurer… Maybe… Will might even surpass Hero Dan.”

“I see.”

“You should strive not to lose to him. It’s hard to rank up with only once-a-week guild activities.”

Well, six out of seven days are consumed by my disciple’s training, and I even have a part-time position at the knight’s school… I can only act as a band once a week.

“You could ask Will for guidance. I recommend learning from a talented kid.”

“I see.”

“Also, there’s an event called the Warrior Tournament, hosted by the Seven Holy Swords. If you win, you’ll get the right to fight one of them. Even if you don’t participate, watching it would be educational, so you should go.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Well, I’ll be off now… Keep up the good work.”

“Yes.”

Seek guidance from Will? I’m the one teaching him… but no need to deny it. The Warrior Tournament does sound interesting, though. I might as well go and watch. Will and Eugene are likely to participate, anyway.