Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Volume 1

by Funa

  However, among their classmates, Pauline was known as a meek and mild-mannered magic user, specializing in healing and recovery. Amongst so many boisterous young women in their class, she was a breath of fresh air, a precious commodity not unlike Mile—or so she had been.

  “Dance, water droplets, into a raging boil, grrrahh! DIIIIEEEEEEE!!!”

  Mile collapsed onto a fallen tree in shock at Pauline’s outburst, while Mavis slumped forward, as if her very soul had left her body.

  ***

  By the time Mavis and company returned to base camp, most of the other teams had already arrived and were making preparations for dinner. Naturally, they were cooking their own meals, with the prey they had hunted themselves. In fact, sharing one’s catch with other teams was forbidden. Those who weren’t strong enough hunters would go to bed hungry. That was the hunters’ way.

  The students, unaccustomed to cooking, stumbled through their preparations.

  “All right!”

  While other teams put together nice little meals out of tree fruits they had gathered and the jackalopes they hunted in between exterminating goblins, Mile pulled an entire orc out of storage.

  Shwack shwack shwack shwack shwack!

  Mavis chopped the meat with lightning speed.

  Bwoosh!

  Reina roasted it with her fire magic.

  “Soup’s up!” Pauline called.

  She had made a broth by pouring water into four bowls, along with gathered herbs, orc meat, and leafy greens, which she then boiled.

  “Hey! What about mine?” asked Veil pitifully.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry! It was only out of habit…”

  Hurriedly, Pauline rustled up another portion.

  “Grrahh!”

  Blurb blurb…

  Elbert watched them, slack-jawed.

  “You all sure are handy…” he muttered.

  Chapter 9:

  The Crimson Vow

  O

  ne week remained until the graduation ceremony, or rather, the graduation assessment.

  Mile was worried.

  What would she do after graduation?

  Would she be able to live carefree as a normal, average C-rank hunter in this country? With her storage magic, she could hunt and gather a great deal at once, so she wouldn’t ever have to work particularly hard.

  Six months had passed, and it didn’t seem like anyone from her home country had a clue as to where she had disappeared to. She might never be able to go back, but at least it seemed like her troubles there were over.

  With no real reason to wander elsewhere, Mile decided to remain in this country.

  That much was fine, but she nonetheless had some worries. I’ll still have to go solo, won’t I? If I travel with a party, eventually too much will be revealed.

  It would hurt to part with the friends with whom she had grown so close, but each of them had their own circumstances and their own ambitions. Mavis and Pauline were close to their families, and she was sure that even Reina must have other friends and acquaintances. She couldn’t burden them by clinging on forever.

  The three of them accepted Mile, despite all her quirks. The thought of them ever rejecting her rendered Mile speechless and terrified.

  Ultimately, Mile knew that where there were hellos, there were also goodbyes—just as in the beginning and end of her friendship with the Wonder Trio.

  Someday, I’ll surely be able to make more friends…

  Her thoughts were optimistic, but her expression was dark.

  ***

  “Where are we going to be stationed after graduation?”

  “Huh???”

  The three girls were returning to their room after dinner when they were blindsided—not for the first time—by Reina’s words.

  “Huh? What do you mean ‘stationed’?”

  “I mean where are we going to be based. As hunters.”

  “Huuhhhh???”

  The three girls were still puzzled, but Reina continued. “Why are you so surprised? We’re all going to be living as hunters after graduation, aren’t we? Going solo is hard for a rookie hunter, so instead of ending up in a party full of strangers somewhere and getting used as a lackey, wouldn’t it be better to party up with your bosom pals?

  “Besides, none of you really have anywhere to go, do you? What I see here is a runaway, a fugitive, and an old geezer’s concubine!”

  “Eugh…”

  Mavis, Mile, and Pauline were lost for words.

  “B-but, I’ve got a mother and an older brother…”

  “Would they be glad to see you sold off for their own gain? Do you really think that would make them happy?”

  “Er…”

  “Right now, you’re living well enough on your own. Shouldn’t your family’s number one concern be to make sure that you’re happy?”

  “…”

  Pauline was silent.

  After Pauline, Mile spoke up. “I-I’m, I’m… kind of a weirdo, though. All I’d do is cause trouble for you all…”

  “………”

  “And?” Reina broke the silence that followed Mile’s words.

  “Huh?”

  “Go on!”

  “No, well, I’m just saying that compared to you guys, I’m kind of weird, so I’d be nothing but a burden to you!”

  “We already heard that. If you’ve got something else to say, then spit it out!”

  “Huh?”

  “…………”

  ***

  “Well, we’re going to have to stay at the cheaper inns for the foreseeable future,” Mavis said, matter-of-factly. “Getting a four-person room shouldn’t be too expensive, and it’ll certainly be nicer than this place.”

  “B-but…” Mile tried to rebut her friend, but Reina wouldn’t let her.

  “Quiet! The matter is settled! Besides, you made us a promise on the day of the entrance ceremony!”

  “Ah…”

  That was when Mile remembered.

  The conversation they had shared in that very room, six months before.

  “If you get any party invitations from here on out, just tell them, ‘I already promised I’d be with my roommates.’ And, if anyone tries to ask you on a date, tell them, ‘I’m not interested right now. I want to focus on my training.’ Got it?!”

  “Y-yes, ma’am!”

  “Th-that was a promise…?” Mile said. “I thought that was just a line to turn down the others’ offers…”

  “Enough of your excuses! It’s already been settled!”

  Silenced, Mile took a moment to reflect. She had striven with all her might to be normal, all so she could finally make friends. Now, trying to distance the dear friends she had made just so she could continue pretending to be normal… She would have been completely missing the point.

  “Ha… Aha ha ha… Gnh…”

  “Waaah…”

  Seeing Mile giggling through tears, Pauline started to cry also.

  Mavis patted them both on the shoulders.

  “You see? As long as the red blood still flows through our veins, we will never betray our comrades! Our friendship is immortal!”

  “Yeah!!!”

  ***

  “I have a request.”

  Three days before the final assessment, after their afternoon lessons, Mile and company were called to the office of the principal, and head instructor, Elbert. When they arrived, they were shocked to see Elbert kneel before them.

  “I’m begging you. The final assessment is in three days, and I need each of you to give it your all!”

  “Huh…?”

  Elbert proceeded to elaborate.

  Six years ago, the Hunters’ Prep School had been established on a trial basis, thanks to the efforts of Count Christopher, a legendary S-rank hunter turned noble.

  Since its founding, many splendid hunters had emerged from the school’s ranks, but their track record was still short, and they had yet to produce anyone of A-rank or greater. As long as the bulk of
nobles didn’t consider the program a waste of funding, and assuming it did well upon being thoroughly assessed, the school would be able to expand to full capacity. However, there was also the possibility that the budget would be cut, or withdrawn entirely…

  “Normally, the selection exams for the class following yours should already have been completed by now,” Elbert said. “However, as the next term’s budget hasn’t yet been finalized, they’ve been delayed. We haven’t told the current prospective students, but at this rate, there’s a chance that the school might not make it to the next term at all.”

  “I see…” said Reina, who seemed at least somewhat aware of the circumstances. “I did think it odd that there didn’t seem to be any selection exams happening. The ones for our class were all finished before last year’s final assessment…”

  “I noticed that the facilities and equipment had yet to be refreshed, and I guessed it was something like that…” Pauline muttered.

  Mile, who had bypassed the selection exam, and Mavis, who was generally oblivious to such matters, had not suspected a thing.

  “Currently, under Count Christopher, this prep school came into being with the intention to allow hunters to bypass the minimum term requirement for promotion, instilling even those outside the school with the abilities necessary to reach higher levels. The eventual aim was to gain enough of a foothold to start changing the rules and regulations of the guild as a whole.

  “It’s very important that we not allow this place to be squashed.”

  With this, he looked at the four of them.

  “As your opponents for the mock battles in the exit exams, we’ve requested the participation of a party that’s at the very top of B-rank, nearly A-rank. Furthermore, there may be quite a crowd in addition to our patron, Count Christopher. The officials of the local guildhalls will come to see the results of the school’s curriculum, while the guild masters themselves will be on hand to take a look at you rookies. Hunters will scout graduates for their parties. Nobles, wealthy folk, and commoners starved for entertainment, all love the spectacle and novelty. Most importantly, however, it’s quite possible that the finance officials who hold our budget in their hands may be in attendance, perhaps even along with the king.”

  Elbert bowed his head. “I’m begging you, please show us your best at the assessment! I know you girls have been hiding your true potential, and it’s easy to imagine that there must be a reason for that. Therefore, all of us instructors have pretended not to notice.

  “However, even knowing this, I must implore you! Without this school, young people like you would have to waste precious years of their lives gathering herbs and hunting jackalopes. This school is an absolute necessity! We need you to help beat this into everyone’s heads!

  “I beg you! I don’t want this school to disappear!” Elbert bowed so low that his forehead was on the desk. The four girls stood, gaping, for some time.

  “Leave it to us!”

  Two voices rang throughout the office, shocking Mile.

  “How can one possibly refuse such a sincere request from the teacher who has cared for us?!” Reina said. “When this will have such an immense impact on the lives of all future hunters?! This school is vital for people like us. We will meet your expectations!”

  “Besides,” Mavis added, “this is a splendid chance to put our names out there. How could we run from that?! Please leave it to us!”

  “…I beg you,” the principal said again.

  Seeing Elbert, who was usually so confident, with such a pitiful look, Mile decided, finally, to cooperate.

  Thank goodness she had prepared a sacrificial lamb for just such an occasion…

  ***

  And so, the day of the final assessment arrived.

  It was held in a stadium near the palace, a spectacular, recently built state-of-the-art facility. Not only could it hold numerous guests, but it also employed strong barriers and protection magic, so as to avoid damages to the facilities or injuries to the viewers during magical battles.

  “All of our preparations have paid off. Today, we’ll see not only the finance officers, but also other influential nobles. Even their Majesties the king and queen, and their Highnesses the prince and princess will be in attendance. The countries’ guilds will be well represented, as well.

  “This year, when we were extending the invitations, we told them, ‘We have some truly excellent rookies.’ So please don’t let us down!”

  At Elbert’s proclamation, Mavis and Reina swapped looks of exhilaration, while Pauline stood awed. Mile was white as a sheet.

  In just a few short moments, the exit exam mock battles would begin. Their results would determine not only the fates of the graduates, but the fate of the Hunters’ Prep School itself. The exit exam mock battles, called grad battles for short, weren’t undertaken by all of the students. Only a handful were hand-selected by the instructors to participate. Typically, these were the students who had the abilities and characteristics to qualify as a C-rank hunter, the rank with which they would graduate if they did well. Even if the students selected didn’t wish to participate, in many cases, they would be strongly encouraged to do so by the instructors.

  Those who failed the exam, refused it, or were judged by the instructors to be underqualified to participate, graduated automatically at a D-rank.

  Many of these students still strove to rise to C-rank relatively quickly, having met the minimum requirements through their training at the school. Even failing wasn’t such a tragedy, as these students were only considered to be just a bit lacking. After all, anyone who was truly useless would have dropped out ages before.

  This time, there had been forty exam hopefuls. The entire class. Since they had nothing to lose, the students had all figured that there was no harm in trying. Even before Elbert’s request, Mile herself had hoped to participate in the exam. Being a D-rank would be inconvenient for a solo hunter, and so she had put in her application early on, before Reina had proposed that they form a party after graduation.

  Of the forty students in their class, eighteen would be participating in the grad battles: the four from Mile’s party; five swordsmen, including Veil; two spear users; three archers; and four magic users. Their opponents for the battle would be the B-rank party, the Roaring Mithrils, who had only six members—unusual for a group of their rank.

  Parties of F to C-rank often had smaller numbers, four to seven people on average, but at B-rank and higher, you normally saw parties of ten members and up. Sometimes, there were even twenty or thirty hunters on a roster, so that if any member was injured or ill, they could still take on jobs, and the party could divide and conquer. In most of those cases, however, the parties often included people with lesser skill, as well a handful with less-than-ideal personalities…

  In the case of the Roaring Mithrils, however, their numbers were few but truly elite. Everyone in the party was an exceptionally skilled hunter. The group consisted of their leader, a greatsword wielder of about 40 years old; a skilled lancer of approximately the same age; a youngish swordsman in his mid-20s; and three mages, one older, one in his late 30s, and another closer to her late 20s. They lacked an archer, but with mages who were skilled in long-range attacks, the party had no need for one.

  ***

  Finally, Elbert, the principal, announced the start of the exit exam mock battles. The test began.

  In order to truly show off the test participants’ skills, they had to face up against a party with a clear difference in raw power. For this purpose, the school typically requested a B-rank party. For them, the battle would be an easy job, as any hunter in the group could take on several students at once.

  Since being able to work well with rookies was a necessary skill for any high-ranking hunter, the test takers would be facing only the younger members of the party, while the leader and the older mage would sit back and observe the participants’ performance. Still, though they were young in comparison to their leader, the r
est of the party members were still B-rank hunters, each with such strength that, in any other party, they would have been heavy hitters themselves.

  The first several mock battles progressed smoothly. While the test takers didn’t win the matches, thanks to their opponents, they were able to show off their strengths and come across as worthy fighters. Each had a satisfying battle. Of course, a great deal of this was thanks to their opponents’ considerable skill and forethought; however, most of the participants didn’t appear to notice this and seemed satisfied with their own display.

  Finally, it was down to Mile’s party and Veil.

  Mile’s group would be tested first, and Veil would be last.

  Naturally, Elbert had arranged it this way, on Mile’s request.

  “You can do it, Pauline!”

  “I know you can win! Keep your cool, and be careful!”

  “The whims of fate can turn a battle. Just give it your all, and fight with no regrets.”

  The other three shouted words of encouragement as Pauline trembled from stress and nerves. Her timid nature had reared its head, and she couldn’t seem to muster the will to continue.

  “It’s nice of you to say those things, but… I guess if I were a freak like you, Mavis, or if I had Reina’s childish stubbornness, or maybe if I were as oblivious as Mile, then I wouldn’t be so nervous…”

  “Er…”

  Mavis, Reina, and Mile had taken fatal blows before their matches even began.

  ***

  “It’s your turn now, is it, young lady? What are you trembling for? It’ll be fine.”

  Pauline’s opponent was Olga, a young magic user in her late 20s, who had already faced several other participants who specialized in utility and healing magic. She had the same magical specialties as Pauline. However, as a B-ranker, she could also wield a staff reasonably well in self-defense.

  “P-please treat me kindly…”

  “Of course. Are those girls over there your friends? They’re all so little! If the prep school is letting in bitty things like that, I wonder if their standards have fallen…”