Chapter 1 The Instructor, Realized

The Instructor, Realized

“…Fifth party, Azuel, Haas, Kurt, Hilde. The backup, Malga, Thea, and Richard. That’s all.”

Our clan master, Sieg ジーク, finished announcing the members of the next expedition party.

The voices of those who were called filled the clan house with excitement, while those who weren’t called let out a cry of despair.

In the midst of it all, I looked up at the sky alone and sighed.

As I had half expected, I wasn’t called again.

I’m overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness.

I guess there’s no place for me here anymore.

Sieg noticed me and approached me with an apologetic look.

“Sensei, I’m sorry. I want you to protect this clan house this time.”

Sieg, do you realize? You said the same thing last time and the time before that too.

To you, saying the same thing with the same face, I must be nothing more than an insignificant existence.

“Understood.”

And I gave the same answer as the last time and the time before that.

The Fairtrack フェアトラーク Clan is the most prosperous clan in this country, the Anafiha アナフィハ Kingdom.

We’re known as scoundrels who will do anything, but we’re considered relatively decent among adventurers.

Those who misbehave are severely punished, so I think we are quite disciplined.

This clan was founded by three people: the current clan master, Sieg, his teacher, and right-hand man, me, Veiss ヴァイス, and my childhood friend, Monica モニカ.

When I turned 10, I ran away from my village with Monica and became an adventurer. I met the younger Sieg in the slums of the royal capital and formed a party.

I thought it was important to gain trust first, even a little at a time, so I actively took low-paying jobs to gain experience and trust.

I worked so hard to keep Sieg from wanting to do flashy jobs like monster extermination.

From being viewed by the Adventurers’ Guild as “trash who could die at any time,” we became “useful pawns,” then “young men that might as well give jobs to,” and finally “veterans that can safely trust with jobs.”

It took 5 years to get this far.

Still, I think it was much faster than ordinary adventurers.

The secret lies in my job.

When I turned 10, I was given the job of [Instructor].

It’s a special job that allows you to acquire skills to teach and guide others.

For example:

[Teaching] I can efficiently teach knowledge and skills to those who are less skilled than me.

[Counseling] I can bring out the abilities of those who are less skilled than me.

In addition, [Assist], I can increase the abilities of the party members, which is also a valuable skill.

Furthermore, as an [Instructor], I can use any weapon and even use basic magic to teach others.

Although I can’t compete with specialized professions like [Swordsman] or [Mage], I found the [Instructor] job, which teaches a wide range of skills, to be convenient.

I raised and trained the orphans who had formed gangs in the slums to become decent adventurers.

Sieg, the first one I brought into my party, was given the job [Paladin] and took a leap forward.

I taught him everything and guided him.

We formed a clan, expanded our influence, successfully completed major missions, and improved our equipment.

We cleared the guild’s backlog of requests and created a large debt of gratitude.

We also began to receive requests from nobles.

Before we knew it, we had become the most prosperous clan in the country.

It’s been 10 years since I left the village.

I left the village for two reasons.

One was that my job in the village didn’t seem to be useful.

The other was to run away with Monica, who was about to be forced to marry my older brother.

I became obsessed with using the skills I had acquired.

Before I knew it, I had become an advanced [Instructor].

I was able to train more efficiently, and I was even more immersed in it.

That was all I could see.

When there was a request to defeat a monster king called the Demon Lord that appeared nearby, I wasn’t chosen as a member.

That’s when I realized.

I had become the weakest member of the clan.

No, that’s not true.

I had made everyone else stronger than me.

I taught, led, and gave without hesitation.

As an educator, I must have received a perfect score.

But I’m also a 20-year-old adventurer.

More than half of the clan members probably think I’d win in a real fight because I have more tricks up my sleeve.

But in a mock battle, I would be overwhelmed by those with specialized jobs like [Swordsman] or [Fighter] who focus on a single point.

After all, [Instructor] is a support job with a strong focus, not a frontline combat job.

I couldn’t win a mock battle against my students.

Sieg and the other clan members respect me for teaching them the skills and knowledge.

But as an adventurer, consciously or unconsciously, they look down on me.

After all, adventurers believe that the strong are right.