07 — The Stupidly OP Protagonist

07 — The Stupidly OP Protagonist

I met up with Jord and the team after my audience with the pope, and we set off for the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Luciel, I wouldn’t have come with you if I’d known where you were taking us,” Jord complained when we arrived.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” I laughed. “Get used to it. We’re going to be doing this regularly.”

Jord looked about ready to cry while the others just looked plain confused as we went inside. The sixteen of us stood out, to say the least, and the lack of sharp glares, abuse, and insults bewildered the majority of the group as their eyes darted all around the guildhall.

I smiled and made for the dining hall, where Grantz shouted, “Saint Weirdo! What’re ya doin’ dragging all these folks here? Have you lost your mind?”

“There’s no need to be rude. This is my team, and I guess I’m sort of their leader now. Don’t worry, we’re not here to cause trouble. They know the score.”

“Gods help you, boy. So, what’s on the menu for ’em? Substance X?” The guildmaster grinned. He never got enough of this. I wondered if he’d be open to a drinking contest one of these days. Now, that’d be an easy win for me.

There were more adventurers around than last time, which worked out well.

“Yep, and today’s gonna be another Saint Weirdo’s Day too. I’d also like to have my team train with some adventurers, if that’s okay.”

“You serious?” he scoffed. “Knights. Against adventurers.”

“What’s weird about that? I meant what I said. It’s a win-win for everyone, and I’ll heal everyone back up afterwards.”

“The Church’ll be okay with that?” The guildmaster’s job was to worry about these things, after all.

Being an S-ranker had its privileges, though. “It’ll probably be okay. I work directly for the pope herself.”

“You better not be stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong, or the Whirlwind won’t let me hear the end of it.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m sitting pretty for now.”

“I’ll bet. Sheesh, those Church folks are gettin’ crazy with who they’ll hire these days. Anyway, about that win-win somethin’ or other you mentioned... Got time now? I wanna hear the details.”

“Plenty. Mind getting these guys their Substance while we’re at it?”

I felt every single one of the men behind me pierce me with their glares.

“Ya sure they’re not gonna stab you in the back one o’ these days?”

“Oh, they’ll be fine. I’ve got plenty to entice them with. You could always show them some special treatment if you feel bad for them.”

“I don’t envy you fellas,” Grantz muttered under his breath.

I saw everyone nod in silence, then the guildmaster left to get their drinks. Once they all had their mugs, they quickly became the center of attention in the hall, then promptly passed out.

Meanwhile, I left my letter to Master with Grantz, and we ironed out the details of those joint training sessions I’d mentioned.

Jord and the others were not happy when they woke up, so I treated them to lunch and promised we’d have that outing with the Valkyries before too long, and they perked right back up. This method wasn’t going to fly every single time, though, so I’d need a new carrot to dangle before long.

After we returned to HQ, I borrowed Forêt from the stable master for some training.

“Nice to see you again, pal.”

I hopped on and we kicked into a gallop. My Riding skill was slowly increasing, but I didn’t know if finally getting it to level one would allow me to ride other horses.

Forêt suddenly brayed and came to a stop.

“Sorry, lost focus there.”

She was a smart steed and always seemed attuned to my feelings. I cast cleansing magic on her while I considered how I might get Her Holiness and Yanbath to hand her over for my travels. Forêt absolutely loved cleansing magic—so did all the other horses, for that matter, but they still wouldn’t let me near them. It was a bit of a sore point. I didn’t like to talk about it.

“Please just let me ride you guys some time,” I begged after bringing Forêt back to the stables.

Later, I retired to my room, then flipped open The Legend of Reinstar Gustard.

Lord Reinstar was born some three hundred years ago as the second son of the mayor of a frontier village. He was a precocious child and began helping to tend the flocks as well as the injured at the young age of five. At seven he became an apprentice huntsman, and not long after, his village was set upon by monsters. Lord Reinstar fought tooth and nail against the invaders, and this was when he shot his first arrows through the miasmic beasts.

Three years later, his life would change forever when orcs invaded his home. There were no adventurers in the village at the time, and all seemed lost until Lord Reinstar slew nearly every last one of them single-handedly with magically charged arrows. When word of his feats reached the ears of Earl Gustard, he summoned Reinstar at once to be the attendant of his academy-bound daughter of the same age, Lizalia. It is said that Reinstar’s companion on his way to the Gustard estate was a pegasus, a creature he rescued in an act that earned him the friendship of the spirits.

And so Reinstar the commoner was enrolled in a wealthy institute for nobles, where he excelled in all subjects and quickly reached the top of his class. A particularly infamous escapade of his occurred during an address he was meant to give, but which ultimately fell to another student from an exceptionally powerful family. Books and learning were simply wasted on Reinstar, who had no need for them. He would often skip lessons in favor of his true passion—adventuring—as well as inventing spells. He was considered a prodigy of the arcane arts.

Upon graduating, trouble came to the Gustard estate and Lizalia became the earl’s sole remaining child. She and Reinstar would marry a year later, adopting Reinstar into the ranks of the nobility. After years of studying political and stately affairs, he was recognized as the new regional earl and would go on to dedicate himself to the people.

I continued to read.

After the war, there was an abundance of orphaned children throughout the world. So Lord Reinstar made right the barren land and conjured a vast orphanage with his magic, a haven for the lost souls. Thus began the Republic of Saint Shurule.

Several years passed, and Lord Reinstar traveled the lands, healing the sick and feeding the hungry. But then the monsters rose up in violence, so he slew them by the horde, earning him the adventurer rank of SSS. The corpses of his quarries were cleansed with magic and became food for towns and villages.

The war being followed by yet more violence exhausted Lord Reinstar, and he sought to leave a legacy that might heal rather than fight and destroy. He wished for nothing but for all suffering to end, so he created guilds for healers to complement those that already existed for adventurers throughout the world.

I couldn’t believe the man described in these pages had really existed. It was absurd. All of his feats, including the establishment of the Healer’s Guild, had come from his own finances that he himself had built up by improving the wealth of the earldom he’d married into. And then that SSS-rank adventurer bit? It was like he’d peaked in high school, then just kept going. He was a protagonist. A real protagonist.

Was this what it meant to be an S-rank healer? To bring hope to the people? I wasn’t ready for that, but I had to do what had to be done, and, thankfully, I wasn’t nearly as superhuman as Lord Reinstar. I still wanted to grow my network of friends and allies and live my days as a healer peacefully, free from those expectations. I hadn’t finished reading the entire book, but it was clear to me that, if the information in it was accurate, Lord Reinstar had either acquired multiple classes or was outright legendary.

Frankly, comparing the two of us, Reinstar had me beat in pretty much every way—except for one: my mental fortitude. I might have been weak, but if I could keep my chin up through thick and thin, that would put us on equal footing. I truly believed it. Because I knew there were people like Brod who cared about me. People who supported me. And that was another thing that I felt confident could stand up to Reinstar. I wasn’t so sure about the other guy, but I knew how to network.

I was an S-rank healer. I just had to do whatever an S-rank healer could manage and let other people play their parts. Nothing good would come of setting impossible standards or comparing myself to a legend. I wasn’t in this alone. All around me were kind, caring people, and they were the ones who had made me into who I was. To rely on them was not a weakness; it was a strength. Likewise, bettering myself in order to allow others to rely on me only made the bond stronger. I didn’t need to be the strongest in order to be the best.

The story of Reinstar didn’t get me down. I wouldn’t let it. With renewed resolve and hope in my heart, I set my sights on tomorrow.

On my way to join the Valkyries’ training the next morning, someone called from behind me, “Good morning, Luciel.”

“Good morning, Lumina,” I replied. “Looking forward to today’s session.”

“Likewise. Tell me, do you and your unit have plans this afternoon?”

“No, nothing in particular. I tend to let them have their own time when we aren’t going out. Why do you ask?”

“What would you say to joining our drills?”

“In the forest, you mean? Well, that depends on how Forêt Noire’s feeling, since she’s kind of the only one I can ride.”

She chuckled. “Still having horse troubles, I see.”

“You don’t know the half of it. They like my cleansing magic, but our relationships are a little strained.”

“Perhaps your mare’s prone to jealousy.”

“I wish it were that simple. It’s honestly a mystery, so there’s nothing I can do to fix it. Even Yanbath’s given up on me.”

“I suppose if worst comes to worst, you could come by carriage.”

“You really need me there? What’re you guys after?”

“Just hoping to lend a hand. My girls tell me our joint exercises left your team with quite an impression of you, and I wanted to help improve your image further, if you’ll allow me.”

Holy crap. What had I done to deserve such overwhelming kindness? How would I ever be able to repay it? I was over the freaking moon.

“Absolutely, yes. Thank you so much.”

Lumina chuckled again. “For today’s drill, we’ll be subduing great boars in the forests nearby. It would serve you well to know the difference between labyrinthian opponents and living ones.”

She was way too kind, really. But those drills meant the Valkyries were going to go all-out. Hopefully my team could make it back with their dignity unscathed.

“We’ll be there. Just let me clarify something... Is it true that monsters feel emotion?”

“Indeed. Some even beg for their lives.”

The undead never did. I was not ready for any humanoid or cute and/or fluffy monsters pleading for mercy. No question, I’d one hundred percent hesitate to strike.

“I think I prefer the labyrinth monsters.”

“Agreed.”

Was it just me or was Lumina always this cool?

“Oh, another question I never got the chance to ask. What are your guys’ levels? I just hit eleven the other day.”

“Be proud, Luciel. You endured training with people over level one hundred and thirty. No small feat for someone at level one.”

“Whew, that’s a gap all right. I don’t like using stats as an excuse, though, so I’d like to be able to beat you all before I catch up.”

“I welcome that challenge,” she grinned.

To be clear, I wasn’t aiming for a landslide victory. Not against the strongest members of the knights. That was just unrealistic.

“We’ll meet after lunch, then?” I confirmed.

“Let’s. I expect it to run from afternoon to evening.”

“Got it. And sorry to change the subject again, but do you think we’d stand a chance against you all if you used Physical Enhancement for today’s training?”

“Certainly not without your barrier and healing magic.” She thought for a moment. “Otherwise, I suppose it could be an interesting match. There is one concern I have, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Accidents occur when practicing with blades, and although I know your magic can heal physical injuries, I worry about the mental damage that it can’t fix.”

Oh. Right. I was so used to cuts and bruises from my master that I’d forgotten normal people typically didn’t like experiencing severe lacerations.

“I’ll have them sit out if there seem to be any problems, but I think the more we do it, the more everyone will toughen up.”

“That’s a dangerous expectation.”

She had a point. Using magic to desensitize oneself to injury wasn’t exactly a good thing. “Still, I want them to get strong enough to be able to stand up to your Valkyries.”

“I would welcome that. If it’s possible, that is.”

We quickly arrived at the training grounds, finished our warmup laps, then sparred like last time, eleven versus eleven. The results were a resounding defeat for my team. This time, however, the girls went all-out from the start, and some of my people still managed to hold them back or even counterattack. It helped to give everyone a better grasp of their abilities and a goal to strive for.

When our session and subsequent review ended, I told everyone about the drills we’d be attending that afternoon.

“You’re the greatest, Captain! I’ll follow you to the end of the world!”

“I’m so glad I joined up!”

“Tell me what we need, Captain, and I’ll get everything ready.”

The Valkyries watching us burst out laughing. I looked over my group of what were essentially rowdy tweens on a grade school field trip and felt disappointed by the gracelessness of my gender.

With that, our training concluded, and I dismissed everyone with the order to be ready with their horses by the afternoon.