by Funa
Jobs that will give you a large number of points don’t come around often, and even if you’re lucky enough to be able to accept one, you might not make it back alive… It’s the jobs that are dangerous and difficult that give the most points, so that’s to be expected. Hunters who try to get all their points at once by way of some huge achievement—instead of trudging along the slower, less risky route—often die early deaths.
Skilled hunters die quick deaths, and hunters without skill live a life of drudgery, which means that they live longer but achieve very little… Such is the way of the world.
For someone like me, who aspires to rank up as soon as possible, the chances of dying before my dreams come true are pretty high. I am all too aware of this fact. But what good is living, if not for the sake of your dreams?!
In order to make C-rank as quickly as possible, I took the entrance exam for the Hunters’ Prep School and passed with flying colors! And then I met my companions, whom I roomed with in the dorms, and we formed a party…
What the hell is with these guys?!
Are hunters really this strong?! Are mages?!
Is that really the ability of a rookie C-rank hunter?!
This is hopeless! There’s no way I can make it to A-rank at this rate!
Aah! Aaaah! Gaaaaaaaaah!!!
So I thought when I first got to know my fellow party members. Realizing that their abilities were—how shall I put this?—abnormally excellent, and not standard for normal rookie C-rank hunters, brought me some relief. The three of them were people who could easily climb to A-rank. That was all. Mm-hm, mm-hm…
With them at my side, I began to feel that I, too, could climb in rank as a hunter.
“Burn them to the bone!”
“Ultra Hot!”
“Lattice Power, Barrier!!!”
These guys will let me tag along until we reach A-rank, right?
They won’t leave me alone on the side of the road somewhere, right?
Right? Right? Right…?
***
I don’t want to be left alone. I don’t want to cause trouble for the others. I don’t want to fall behind.
It was with those thoughts in mind that I asked Mile to be my sparring partner and strove to better myself. Selfishly, unreasonably, I petitioned Mile to tell me her family secret and endeavored to attain her arts for myself… I’m sorry, Mile!
After I labored for weeks—after a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long period of training—I trembled with joy at having finally mastered this skill, only to see Reina and Pauline mastering new magics like they were nothing, with only a bit of simple direction from Mile.
What the hell is thaaaaaaaat?!
Drat it! Draaaaaaaat it!!!
But, well, I mean, swordfighters and mages are different.
I can’t do anything about the fact that we have different jobs. It’s just one of those things.
I know that. But, but…
No, that’s not iiiiiiiit!!!
Hff hff hff hff…
If I could beat those mages at something—anything at all!—it would be a consolation.
If there were some skill I could contribute as member of this party—as the party leader—without being a burden upon the others! Some kind of useful ability?
Goddess, please, give me strength!
And, if you could, make me popular with gentlemen instead of ladies!
Oh, Goddess, pleeeeeeeeeeease!!!
I am Mavis von Austien.
A woeful maiden who has amazing…perhaps slightly too amazing friends.
Bonus Story:
A Reverse Reincarnation
“Who the heck are you?!”
“Huh?”
Having just woken up, Mile was somewhat dumbfounded by Reina’s questioning.
“Where is Mile?”
“You’re quite skilled to have slipped into our midst without us knowing…”
Pauline and Mavis stood blocking the door and window, intent on keeping the mysterious intruder from escaping. They were all still in their pajamas, but Mavis was gripping her sword, and Reina and Pauline stood with their staves in hand.
“C’mon, you guys, what are you saying? Er—uh, what?”
It was then that Mile finally realized her vantage point was higher than normal. When she looked at her own hands, she saw that they were long and slender, and the hair that hung over her face was a glossy, jet-black…
“Huh? Huuuuuhh?!?!”
“So you’re still insisting that you’re Mile?”
“But I am Mile…”
“There’s no way Mile could be that tall!”
“There’s no way that Mile’s boobs could be that big!”
“There’s no way that Mile’s face could appear so wise! What did you do with the real Mile?!”
“Wh-wha…? Sh-shut up, all of you!!!”
“Ah,” said the three, “so she is Mile!”
“…I guess it’s true.”
After telling them a brand new Japanese fairy tale, divulging secrets that no one outside of the Crimson Vow could know, and confirming their pre-established signs and signals, Reina and the others finally came to believe her.
“But Mile, how is it you look like that all of a sudden? You don’t have any idea?”
“Nope, not really.”
Confirming her change in appearance in the mirror, Mile learned that she currently resembled the Misato of her past life, but she truly had no idea why. No matter how much she had opened up her heart to her fellow party members, she couldn’t tell them about her otherworldly reincarnation, or her encounter with God. Not knowing what to do, Mile was at her wit’s end.
“Well, it’s not really that big of a deal. It’s fine.”
“I agree.”
“Huh?”
Mile and Reina were rendered speechless at Mavis and Pauline’s nonchalant remarks.
“Well, I mean,” said Mavis, “If I got really hurt and ended up disfigured or something, or Pauline got really sick and her chest got smaller, would that make me or Pauline a different person? It would be different if who we were inside changed, but just because someone’s appearance has changed, does that mean we’ve lost our friend?”
Mile shook her head wildly.
“Then, it’s just fine, isn’t it?”
Mile nodded silently.
“No,” Reina, who had been silent until this point, suddenly roared. “There’s a big problem here! I don’t care about your face, but tell me how you got taller and made your b-b-b-b-boobs bigger! Spit it out!!!”
“So that’s it…” said the other three.
Nanos?
YES?
Do you know the cause of this?
YES. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE THE EFFECT OF SOME MISCHIEF ON THE PART OF THE LADY MILE, OR LADY MISATO, OF A PARALLEL DIMENSION. BECAUSE HER DIMENSION IS IN SYNC WITH THIS ONE, HER ACTIONS HAVE HAD A RIPPLE EFFECT ON YOU. BECAUSE OF THIS, ONLY LADY MILE, AS THE SOURCE OF THE RIPPLE, WAS DIRECTLY AFFECTED, WITH A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CHAIN REACTION ALSO SPREAD INTO OTHER ADJACENT DIMENSIONS…
What?! So then, are you saying I’ll stay this way?
NO. YOU WILL LIKELY RETURN TO NORMAL ALONG WITH THE AFTERSHOCK OR REBOUND WAVE. AND IF YOUR APPEARANCE DOES NOT RETURN TO NORMAL ON ITS OWN, ONE OF OUR CREATOR’S RACE WILL LIKELY CORRECT IT MANUALLY, SO THE EFFECTS WILL LIKELY PERSIST ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF TODAY.
All right! So I get to tease Reina for the rest of the day!
PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK…
And so, Mile used Misato’s height and proportions to ridicule Reina for the remainder of the day. But the next morning, when Reina saw that Mile had returned to normal, she returned the teasing tenfold.
Afterword
Long time no see, everyone. FUNA here.
I now possess magical stones in both of my kidneys, so my quest to store up magical energy is progressing well. It does seem to hurt a little bit, but I’m sure that’s just my imagination. I’ve been getting occul
t blood reactions for a while, but I’m sure that’s just my imagination, too…
Quercus salicina supplements, I choose you!
Anyway, Volume 9 is finally, finally here! That second digit is almost in my grasp! I’ve already as good as won!
Development on the anime is also progressing smoothly. I haven’t had any updates in a bit, but Rome wasn’t built in a day! Secret developments that no one must know of are happening below the surface…
Will I get to know more about what’s going on by the time Volume 10 gets here? Or do I have to wait a while?
This time we’ve got dwarves, elves, a mysterious young maiden, and Mavis showing her stuff! We find out just a little more about this world’s mysteries. Mavis devises a brand-new, made-up Mavis-style “spiritual” technique. Facing off against a hopeless number of enemies, she lets out a battle cry!!!
And just when things are getting good, we have a “To be continued…”
Mile: “Why would you cut it off there?!”
Mavis: “Because it’s cooler that way!”
Next time, we see Mavis’s battle and the elder dragon onslaught…
Mile: “O-kami-saaaaan, the next volume is here!!!”
Mavis: “What the heck is that?!?!”
Reina: “These references are so old, none of the readers are gonna get them!”
Mile: “I mean, I’m sure that about eighty percent of the Let’s Be Novelists enthusiasts will get them!”
Pauline: “You can’t assume that those guys represent the average reader! That’s the same as using Mile as the standard for humanity as a whole!”
Mile: “Wh—?! And just what is that supposed to mean?!?!”
Also, somehow or the other, Volumes 1 through 4 of Average have earned the honor of holding spots #1, #2, #4, and #5 in the rankings of Amazon USA’s light novel category (as of the August 2018 charts). Half a year has passed since the first volume initially went on sale, and Volume 4 is still only available on pre-order.
Incidentally, during that period, it was One Piece that took third place…
Speaking of which, I’m surprised English-speaking readers are enjoying all the puns and obscure anime references!
Mysteries abound!!!
Anyway, I’ll do my darnedest to keep up this energy until the anime is televised!
Now that all three of my Flat-chested Girls series have crossed over into publishing, please look forward to both the novels and manga!
Finally, to the chief editor; to Itsuki Akata, the illustrator; to Yoichi Yamakami, the cover designer; to everyone involved in the proofreading, editing, printing, binding, distribution, and selling of this book; to all the reviewers on Let’s Be Novelists who gave me their impressions, guidance, suggestions, and advice; and most of all, to everyone who’s taken these stories into their homes, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Next time, I’ll be back with Volume 10 of Average.
Well, no—before that, there’ll be Volume 4 of both I Shall Survive Using Potions! and Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement, both of which are scheduled to come out at the end of the year from Kodansha’s K Ranobe Books, and Volume 3 of the manga for both series, scheduled to come out early next year and make their way into your hearts!!!
Just one step closer to my hopes and dreams…
—FUNA
Thank you for reading!
Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
Sign up for our newsletter!
Or visit us online:
gomanga.com/newsletter
