Chapter 830: The Two who Returned ⑥

As it turned out, just as I hoped, Alice folded. It's not that I told anything special to my two kouhais though. However, from what I heard from Iris, Alice was somewhat very good at taking care of people, so I advised them not to give up and sincerely ask for help, even if she rejected them several times.

Thereupon, just as I expected, Alice refused to go along at first, but when she saw the two of them asking for help, she must have figured out what it is that I told them, as after she reproachfully glanced towards me, she then agreed to teach the two of them.

Well, the reason why this move went so smoothly was because Alice didn't particularly think badly of Aoi-chan and Hina-chan, and I'm sure she would be considerate of them because of my presence.

Alice could have already foreseen this development when I called the two of them together, and that's why she looked like she had given up.

[……I mean, seriously, Kuro-san. Acting like this isn't her problem and going to some meeting……]

While muttering complaints, Alice put some books and envelopes in front of us. Incidentally, it would take too much time to explain things in the garden, so we moved to a room in my home.

I'm not particularly interested in becoming an adventurer, but I was curious, so I'm attending Alice's class too.

[……Yes, now please open the blue-covered book…… "textbook" and turn towards Page 3. For the time being, let's start with the basics.]

[Errr, blue book…… Ahh, this one! Wait…… Arehh?]

[I see, the first part is an explanation of the parts that are easily misunderstood by otherworlders…… Eh?]

[Errr, Page 3…… Unnn?]

After Hina-chan, Aoi-chan and I muttered in turns…… The three of us tilted our heads almost at the same time. No, I mean……

Why are we holding textbooks?

This is strange, isn't it? Why is there a textbook prepared for a class that started with Kuro's random remark? Ahh, could it be that? Do other adventurers also learn the basics by looking at this textbook?

Errr, the textbook is titled "Adventurer's Education for Otherworlders : Basic Edition"…… This is strange, isn't it? This book is totally targeted at us, isn't it?

……I wonder if Alice has been prepared for a development like this for a long time? If it's Alice…… I guess that would be possible.

This textbook is very detailed and has illustrations that make it easy to read. I think I can acquire a certain amount of knowledge from this, even just by reading this alone.

[Now then, let's start with the difference in perceptions of adventurers…… The most common image that otherworlders like you have of adventurers is that they  are an independent organization within the country, where even outlaws can earn money if they have the skills, and that they are ranked according to their abilities.]

I certainly have this image of adventurers due to the influence of novels and mangas. However, from what Alice said, it doesn't seem to be the case.

[First, the Adventurers may not be a state-run organization, but it's almost like one. You can imagined them as Knights' subcontractor, or even the country's outsourcing contractor. So, next, there is a certain degree of laxity compared to other jobs, but there is no background checks or anything like that. You would still need documents proving your national identity and stating your capabilities…… stuff like the curriculum vitae of your worlds, and you'll also be interviewed during the hiring process.]

[……That's kinda like a normal company.]

[In addition, English doesn't exist in this world, so there's no ranking system based on English Alphabets like A-rank or S-rank. Well, there is a similar system, but I'll explain that later. Also, as you may have already noticed by now, but just like what happened when he tried doing other jobs, Kaito-san, who is a walking disaster, can't be an adventurer, so don't get them wrong even if your application is refused.]

……I see, I guess I can't even become an adventurer huh. No, unlike the two of them, I'm not much of a fighter anyway, so it's not like I want to be one in the first place……

[If I were to explain it with words of your world that would be easier for you to understand…… Let's see, you could say that they're "Dispatch Part-timers". Requests from the country, nobles, and Trading Companies are gathered by the Adventurers' Guild, and Part-time Adventurers would be dispatched according to their availability and abilities.]

I see, that certainly makes it easier to visualize. As I nodded my head in understanding, Aoi-chan raised her hand at that moment, seemingly having a question.

[Yes, Aoi-san, what is it?]

[I'm sorry if this is actually a very basic question, but why does the country send out requests to adventurers?]

[You mean, even though they have knights?]

[Yes.]

[First of all, let me say that knights are basically superior to adventurers in terms of combat ability. Well, in a sense, this is quite obvious. The knights are professionals, while the adventurers are just amateurs who are proud of their skills, so the average value of the knights is overwhelmingly higher than adventurers.]

After saying that much, Alice stopped speaking and drew a picture of Luna-san and Noir-san on a blackboard.

[Of course, there are exceptions…… Some of the Top-rank Adventurers with "nicknames", like Lunamaria-san and her mother, Noir-san, are stronger than knights. But overall, I would say that the knights have higher abilities…… but if you're asking me if knights are better than adventurers at everything, that wouldn't be the case.]

Continuing with her explanation, Alice then drew a group of knight-like figures in armor and a group of lightly-armored adventurer-like figures on the blackboard.

[First of all, knights may be professionals, but they're specialized. They are strong in their specialty, such as combat if they are combat personnel, but they tend to be unskilled in other areas. On the other hand, as the saying goes, "The better the adventurer, the more versatile they are". Adventurers can do many things on their own and those who are versatile are highly valued. This is because adventurers often work alone or in small groups.]

[……I see.]

[And above all, what makes adventurers superior to knights is their "quickness" and "cost". Knights certainly are powerful…… but they are basically mobilized as a troop, so it costs a lot of money, and there are a lot of approvals required to mobilize them, which would take a lot of time.]

Just like that, together with pictures she drew, Alice gave a detailed explanation.

[In short, it would cost too much to mobilize the Knight Order for everything. For example, if there is no damage, but you find something that seems to be a monster's footprint near a village, people couldn't just leave it be as long as there is a village nearby, they would need to send a unit to investigate, but they wouldn't have enough manpower. On the other hand, if the damage is already done and the knights would need to be mobilized immediately, it will also take time to dispatch if they were far away.]

[And in such situations, it would be best to send adventurers huh?]

[Yes, adventurers who basically work alone or in small groups are agile. They can leave immediately after receiving the request, and their ability to respond quickly is a strength that the Knights don't have. And working in small groups means low costs. No, it's not that the adventurers make less money than knights. They are just much cheaper than the cost of running dozens of knights and coordinating shifts of security between them. Thus, they are more useful to the nobles who own a territory within the country.]

I see, so there are many cases where it's cheaper for nobles who own territories to hire adventurers than to mobilize their own private armies……

[Of course, if it's a large-scale event or a powerful monster appears, the knights will be mobilized…… In such cases, there's a chance where the Knight Order and the adventurers would cooperate with each other, with the adventurers who can respond quickly taking the lead. This kind of joint quest is only offered to adventurers with a certain amount of experience though, so even if you both become adventurers, I don't think you would be participating in such an event in the future. And thus, that's it for the answers to Aoi-san's questions and the basics. Let's continue on and start the topic of how to become an adventurer and their actual activities, shall we…… Please turn to Page 13, and take out the small booklet titled "Adventurers 101".]

How should I say this…… This feels like we're really in a school lesson…… I mean, this guy really is too well prepared, and I think she totally foresaw this situation right from the beginning.

<Afterword>

~ ~ Extra : Introduction of a character whose name has been mentioned but have not yet been introduced ~ ~

Grass Flower Princess, Camellia

She is one of World King's Executive Subordinates, the Seven Princesses, and is also World King's strongest subordinate. She basically wears plain clothes and has few features in her appearance, and at first glance, one may think of her as some village girl, almost unnoticeable even when she walks around town without Recognition Inhibition Magic.

She has a quiet personality and was a pushover. She generally enjoys housework, and when she's not busy, she cleans and does laundry at her workplace, which is why Ein misunderstood and thought that she's a maid. In the end, instead of the name Camellia, she was instead widely recognized in the Maid World as one of the only Four Super Maids, the Super Maid of Balance. As far as the Maid World is concerned, she is a perfect maid.

In battle, typical of the Spirits, she possesses extremely robust defensive capabilities, and her ironclad defense lives up to being an executive of the World King, but what makes her the strongest member of the World King's Executive Subordinates isn't her defensive capabilities, but her "offensive capabilities".

The only means she could attack in battle is basically "a straight punch with her right fist", but that is exactly what she is known for.

It's a straightforward strike with no tricks at all, but if one doesn't have countermeasures against it, it was a strike that can shatter the earth of the Demon Realm…… and even with countermeasures in place, it was a strike that would blow you away, shaking the earth with its tremendous power. It was a strike that was especially praised by certain battle junkies.

Other than Grass Flower Princess, she has also been called the "Earth's Mighty Fist" because of her tremendous strikes that are said to be like the wrath of the earth.

Serious-senpai : [……A straight punch with her right fist?]

? ? ? : [Right. Her style is basically making use of her tremendous defensive abilities to prevent her opponents from attacking her, before launching a counter strike, a killing blow with her fist.]

Serious-senpai : [She has a reserved personality, but her fighting style is just too manly…… Also, I'm just curious, but that "basically" word added before saying she fights with a straight punch with her right fist…… that means?]

? ? ? : [She has almost used it even in the past…… but Camellia-san is "left-handed".]

Serious-senpai : [……On top of her normal strike, she also has her "phantom left"…….]