第２５０掘：先輩の経験談 (Part1)
**Chapter 250: Advice from the Seniors**
Side: Yuki
“And so, I was hoping for some advice on hunting monsters.”
I bowed my head toward Tori and Riel, both of whom had experience as adventurers. Kaya was with them as well. She had fought plenty to protect her village back in the day, so I figured there was no harm in learning from her too.
Since my magic training had finished in record time, I decided to seek their counsel. Meanwhile, Eris was off at the Principal’s office doing some research. She’s basically become our ultimate weapon against the man; apparently, she’s completely seized the initiative by bribing him with fruit drops. Even Vice Principal Lara, who usually wears a sour expression, was reportedly won over with cake.
Eris is truly something else.
But that’s neither here nor there. I needed to hear the mindset and teachings of an adventurer! After all, I’m technically a novice adventurer myself!
“Um…”
“Hmm…”
For some reason, the two I asked were looking troubled. Watching them, Kaya muttered under her breath.
“…I don’t even know what kind of advice to give Yuki.”
“Wait, Kaya. I’m a beginner.”
“If you’re a beginner, then every adventurer on the continent of Weed and this New Continent combined is less than a novice.”
Tori and Riel nodded in vigorous agreement.
“No, no. That high evaluation is only because I’m loaded with cheat skills. If those cheats ever stopped working, I’d probably die in an instant. That’s why I want you to teach me how to fight almost without skills, or how to sense presence, so I can survive even if the worst happens.”
“No, Yuki-san, if things ever got that bad, your only move should be to run away,” Tori countered.
“Yeah. If something happened to you, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves,” Riel added.
“…Yuki, you need to value your life more. You have wives and children,” Kaya said firmly.
“Calm down. Of course I’d run. I have no intention of dying and leaving my wives and kids behind. That’s exactly why I need to learn these things—so I *can* escape.”
Exactly. If you don’t have the strength to flee, you can’t make a break for it when it counts. This wasn't a pointless exercise. I needed to return to the mindset of a beginner and learn properly from veteran adventurers. Honestly, since I’d skipped the "beginner" phase entirely, I felt this was a very logical step.
“I think I’ve been a bit spoiled by all of you. I don’t want to rely on that softness at a critical moment, fail to escape, and pass away leaving you and the children behind. So, please. Jokes aside, just tell me your stories as adventurers.”
“““…”””
I’d said it half-jokingly, but it seemed to strike a chord. It was worth listening to them seriously; there’s no way I’m perfect. Having different perspectives is vital. While Mauve and his crew had given me their seal of approval, I was sure I could gain a lot from Tori and the others. Even my best friend and Tanaka used to say that everything is nourishment for growth. Even if you have to scream and cry to get away, if that ungraceful escape keeps you alive, then it was the right thing to do.
“I understand what you’re saying, Yuki-san,” Tori said with a nod.
As expected of the most level-headed one among my wives—the one who kept Riel in check during their adventuring days.
“But I can’t help but feel like you just came up with this on a whim and happened to make it sound profound,” she added.
*Gulp.*
Crap, her intuition is sharp.
“…Haa, well, you’re not wrong. Riel, Kaya, let’s do this together.”
“Eh? I don’t think I have anything I can teach Yuki-san,” Riel said.
“…Me neither.”
“No, you two. What Yuki-san wants are our experiences. In terms of pure ability, we couldn’t match him even if he held back. He probably wants a perspective different from what Mauve-san and the others gave him. Right, Yuki-san?”
“Yeah, please. I’d really appreciate it if Riel and Kaya helped out too. I’ll make sure to thank you properly.”
““A reward?””
Riel and Kaya’s animal ears perked up instantly. Oh, they’re interested. I started this thinking, *'Yay, I get to be an adventurer,'* but now I genuinely wanted to listen. I’d push through with the promise of a reward.
“Yeah, a reward. Your stories will definitely be useful, so tell me whatever you want in return. Of course, you too, Tori. Don’t hold back.”
“W-Well, in that case…”
“Yes, yes! I want the same thing as Eris—I want you to love me deeply all through the night!” Riel chirped.
“Me too. And fried tofu dishes,” Kaya added.
*Ugh,* another marathon session like the one with Eris? That really takes a toll on me… But I suppose it can’t be helped. Their stories were worth it, and it’s not like I dislike being intimate with my wives.
“Alright, I got it. Tori, do you have anything?”
“A-Ah, um… I-I’d like the same…”
Tori hid her face in her hands, looking bashful. Yeah, that’s so like her. Her wolf ears were flattened against her head, but her tail was wagging slightly in anticipation.
“Understood. Today is my scheduled day with Tori anyway, so shall we give it our all tonight?”
“Yes!!”
Her tail began wagging at full power. It was moving so fast I wondered if she might actually achieve lift-off.
“Muu, lucky Tori.”
“…My turn is far away.”
Their turns were after Tori’s. Usually, they’d just try to join in, but…
“Hey, Tori.”
“What?”
“Can I join in today too…?”
“If you just want to watch Yuki-san and me being affectionate the whole time, sure.”
“That’s torture! Ugh, I guess it’s a no.”
“It can’t be helped, Riel. You’ll just have to work hard tomorrow,” Kaya consoled her.
“I guess that’s the only way. Well, I got him to promise, so it’s fine.”
“Right. Greed is not good.”
“Yeah, yeah. Wait, Kaya, didn’t you also demand fried tofu?!”
“Yuki said okay, so there is no problem.”
“Ugaaa! I’m still not satisfied!”
Well, they’re definitely themselves.
Once the playfulness settled down, we moved into a format where I asked questions and they answered. In the end, despite the short time we spent talking, it was quite meaningful.
I focused primarily on their failure stories.
Mauve and his group had mostly taught me practical skills and the types of requests available. It’s not that they didn’t have failures, but they were already veteran adventurers with the guild’s full trust. Plus, because my situation was unique, they prioritized mission execution over reminiscing about past mistakes.
Tori and the others, however, had plenty of stories where things went wrong—mostly due to a lack of communication with the clients.