第１９５５堀：冒険者ギルドの腕試し完 (Part2)
In the heat of battle, being a healer offers no sanctuary from the blade. If anything, it makes you the primary target. After all, if you don’t strike down the healer first, the enemy will simply mend their wounds and return to the front lines, time and time again.
It seems Guild Master Ratz and the others understand this reality all too well.
"Well, they’ve become adventurers, so that’s only to be expected," Ratz remarked.
"Indeed. If they lacked the skill, I’d suggest they retreat to the Clearstream Church, but with their level of combat prowess and that long-range healing magic, they’ll be in high demand on the battlefield," the other replied.
"True. If we keep them in the rear to focus on recovery, we could certainly reduce the number of casualties."
As they began to discuss the logistics, Kishua spoke up without hesitation.
"I’d like to discuss that, but before we do—are we to understand that we’ve passed the examination?"
"Ah, of course. With skill like that, you’ll be ready for combat immediately."
"Though, their appearance and their actual ability are so mismatched that it’ll be a source of trouble unless I or the Guild Master accompany them," Chinoku added.
I agree with Chinoku’s assessment. Even though we are dressed like adventurers—myself included—the others are so exceptionally beautiful that no one would believe they are capable of fighting. As for my own evaluation, I only care about pleasing my Brother, so I am not concerned with public perception. I take pride in the fact that our attire is practical, not provocative, but it is only natural that we would be mistaken for inexperienced young girls by those around us.
Of course, Brother’s intention was to exploit that very underestimation.
"When they head out into the field, either Chinoku or I will accompany them. But let’s focus on the briefing. We can consider them a significant force. We should be able to avoid unnecessary attrition with them on our side."
"Yes. While there’s no telling how things will go in actual combat, I agree with the Guild Master’s judgment that Kishua and her companions are more than capable."
It seems we have passed. Had we been turned away at the door, we would have been forced to act independently, which would have only added to our troubles. At worst, it could have led to a repeat of the Knightman incident.
"Right then. Let’s move to a different room to discuss the details."
With that, we moved from the main reception area to a nearby conference room.
"This room is usually used for training newcomers or for strategy meetings before large-scale monster subjugations. Here, please, have some tea," Chinoku said, serving us as she explained.
The fact that we were being served tea meant we were deemed worthy of hospitality. Had we been mere run-of-the-mill adventurers, they would have explained the situation without offering a drop.
"Now, listen while you drink your tea. Since you were sent by Archbishop Dodona, I assume you’ve heard that the situation in the North is dire?"
We all nodded in unison. Incidentally, we plan to hand over a separate letter regarding the atrocities of the Clearstream Church once we have determined that our counterparts are trustworthy. We cannot afford for the northern front to be abandoned.
"Good. I suspect you don’t know the specifics of just how dire it is, so let me explain."
From there, they provided a briefing. While the accuracy was lower than the intelligence we, the Weed, had gathered, we judged that they were not lying.
"To put it simply, the town of Ioa And is currently barely holding on, relying on its fortresses and defensive walls to repel the swarms of monsters. It’s not on the verge of total collapse, but..."
"Over the past six months, the monster offensives have intensified. The adventurers, and even the military, have suffered mounting losses, leading to a severe manpower shortage," Chinoku continued. "Because of that, we have no time for minor tasks. We don’t even have the luxury of training newcomers. And, well, there are very few who want to become adventurers when they know they’ll just be sent to the front lines."
I see. With the current shortage of personnel, they want to prioritize combat over the town's trivial errands. However, that effectively means driving raw recruits into the meat grinder of the battlefield, and one must be prepared for the resulting casualties. Regardless of their enthusiasm, few newcomers would volunteer in a situation where even the veterans are dying.
And so, we listened intently to the details of the situation in And. The lack of resources to train recruits made it seem like they were at a dead end, yet with people still trickling in from the provinces, they were just barely breaking even.
Well, it is always important to hear the details for oneself.