第２５３堀：主人公の使い道 (Part2)
Even if Kuro-chan hadn't grown to such a massive size, Tori and the others would have managed just fine.
"Ah, well, you see..."
"Samantha and Amanda were working so hard that we felt it was difficult for us to step in."
"…We decided to focus on defense and only assist if things got truly dire. Eris also mentioned that it was a good opportunity to gauge their true capabilities."
"I see."
It’s true; I haven't seen the full extent of Samantha’s or Amanda’s skills, so I can't really judge them. I’ve seen Samantha deploy non-chanting magic once, but that’s it. In a real battle, their styles would likely shift, and my assessment would change accordingly.
"So, we were just observing, but during a minor skirmish, a stray pebble flew and hit Aslin."
"And that’s when Kuro-chan jumped into the fray."
"Yes. He suppressed the situation in an instant and demanded that the wyvern be punished for hurting Aslin. After that, the Principal flew in, and they started fighting."
That idiot dog. So, because he was seen with the wyvern following behind him, he was mistaken for an enemy.
"In the end, why did the wyvern come back to the Academy with you all?"
I understood why they were observing, but bringing the wyvern back made no sense. No matter how you look at it, that’s just asking for trouble.
"The reason we brought the wyvern back is that Aslin decided to give it to Amanda."
"Huh?"
I don't get it. How did that even happen?
"Actually, while Kuro was fighting the Principal, Aslin-chan talked to the wyvern and, as usual, became friends with it. But if we brought it back just like that, there were too many witnesses, and it could have turned into a huge problem..."
Ah, I see what Tori is getting at.
"If Aslin had tamed the wyvern, it would have caused an uproar. Since Amanda, a capable tamer, was right there, they just pushed the responsibility onto her."
"Yes. Aslin understood the situation after hearing it from Eris, and since she’d talked to the wyvern alongside Amanda, she didn't mind handing Wai-chan over. She seemed to like Amanda, too."
"They did seem to get along well."
I remember Aslin looking so happy showing off Kuro-chan before we left.
"While Kuro and the Principal were fighting, Amanda showed enough talent as a tamer to ride the wyvern immediately, so they just took everyone and retreated."
"I see."
That way, no one would believe Aslin had tamed it, and she wouldn't have to deal with the headache of owning it. Pushing it onto Amanda was a nice move, Eris.
"Come to think of it, Yuki-san, why is Taiki-san helping with Eoid’s training? I really don't like that guy."
"…Honestly, I hate him. I feel like I’ll be humiliated if I get too close."
"Indeed. Amanda and Samantha seem to forgive him generously, but if it were me, I’d cut him down."
"…I wouldn't want anyone but you, Yuki-san, doing things like that to me."
…That’s quite the reputation you have, Eoid. Well, I suppose it’s expected. Only those who have a soft spot for him would laugh off that kind of "lucky lecher" behavior. I’ve said it before, but that’s just a crime. If he ever laid a hand on my wives, I wouldn't go as far as Ria and cut him down, but I’d certainly make sure he faced appropriate punishment.
"The reason for the training was our idea."
"Your idea?"
"You know we call Eoid the 'protagonist,' right?"
"Yeah, I know. But I can't believe it at all. To us, the only hero and husband is you, Yuki-san."
Everyone nodded at Riel’s words.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but that title means I’m expected to solve every problem that pops up in this Academy."
"““Ah.””"
My words made them realize the issue they had just pointed out. It’s a title that pushes everything onto me.
"…I see. Yuki and Taiki are going to raise Eoid up and push all the troublesome work onto that pervert."
"Yeah, Kaya, you’re not wrong, but maybe wrap that in a bit more sugar next time."
"So, that means we’ll be free to handle discussions with the Holy Sword users, the Principal, and gather information."
Just as Tori said, this gives us more free time to pursue our own goals.
"And if any good opportunities come up, we can just jump in, claiming we’re acquaintances of Eoid and his group."
Ria, you’ve started thinking quite deviously, haven't you? Not that you’re wrong. Leave the chores to them, and jump into the fray only when there’s something we want. We’ve secured a pretty good position. Conveniently, Amanda taming the wyvern has boosted Eoid’s group’s combat power. I’ll have to ask Aslin to let us borrow Wai-chan for some secret training later. Amanda has definitely planted a flag for trouble by taming that wyvern.
"By now, Eris is probably telling the Principal and Vice Principal to leave the resolution of any troublesome tasks to Eoid’s group."
"““Whoa.””"
Eris is the one negotiating with the Principal, so she’s likely already explaining that they should use the "protagonist" Eoid as a handyman. The Principal doesn't want to owe us any more favors, so if he can solve things using his own resources, he’ll take that route. Since Eoid and his group have already proven themselves useful, the Principal will likely jump at Eris’s proposal.
From what I’ve heard about Eoid, he’s already dodged a few troubles, and with Samantha and that other girl—Cleena, was it?—it seems he’s planting flags left and right. If Eoid is the protagonist of this story, we’re just the supporting characters who show up during the training arc.
"With this, we can avoid most of the headaches at the Academy. As for the rest, like Tori said, we’ll take it slow and steady with our research. We’ll do just enough in our studies—not so poorly that it reflects badly on Zilba and Enaria, but not so well that it makes things difficult for the students who actually want to learn here, having to be compared to us."
The rest is just about staying low-key and leaving the flag-collecting—both good and bad—to the guy who’s destined to be the protagonist. I’d hate for him to die and leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I’ve taken measures to strengthen him just in case.
Waiting six days every week for the next installment used to be painful. But now, I get to watch it in real-time. I’ll have to make sure Taiki and I have the cameras ready.
Got your answer? A "protagonist" is just another word for a handyman. But if their power level is too low, they won't get any work. So, we just have to raise their power level. Man, shields are so convenient, aren't they?
Anyway, I’ve explained how to deal with flying reptiles and skeletons, so make sure you remember it well.