Playing as a Tank

“I’m sorry, Lua. I called Reiner because I thought it would be good for you to go to the academy like other children… But I only showed you an unpleasant side.”

Not long after we came out into the corridor, sincere apologies came from the person who had been constantly watching my reactions.

Even though I knew my face was noticeably stiff, I deliberately answered that it was fine.

However, for some reason, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Hmm… I said I was fine because I really was fine.

“Hey, Lua. Are you perhaps… angry?”
“…No.”
“No, you are. That’s an angry face…”
“It’s a hungry face. Not an angry face.”

Despite my continued denial, I only felt a cautious gaze watching me more than before I said I was fine.

In the end, I gave up on any explanation and just silently headed to the restaurant inside the guild headquarters.

But even after the steaming, delicious-looking food arrived.

No, for some reason, she specifically chose moments when I was about to put something in my mouth to bring up the topic of the academy.

“Um, Lua. Wouldn’t it be better for you to go to the academy and make friends?”
“I don’t really care if I don’t make friends. I’m serious.”

I flatly stated, unlike my usual self, that I really had no intention whatsoever of going to the academy right now.

My current goal was just one.

To clear all the achievements that don’t require me to be recognized as a combatant, in order.

However, achievements that don’t require fighting monsters often demand relatively more effort and time.

I need to maintain my current state where no particular schedule has been set yet.

Since I need to be in a more relaxed and free state to move around at ease clearing various achievements.

But, the academy?

A place full of all kinds of plots and disturbances internally, while externally there’s no end to incidents and accidents?

I wouldn’t go even if that trouble-loving rogue of a principal begged me to come to his academy. No, I can’t go.

If by some chance I were to go to , I would probably be assigned to a class of young students around my age.

No matter how they only admit geniuses who show exceptional talent from a young age, or irregulars who have already manifested abnormal abilities. Their mental level would still not deviate much from that of a child.

Then it would be an academy in name only, no different from a kindergarten.

No, to begin with, the so-called academy in is, strictly speaking, just a human resource mining site.

Even in my first playthrough, they just selected talents who had already learned everything they needed to learn and scouted them as members of what would later be known as the Hero Party—nicknamed “hero” because they were chosen by a special artifact called the Holy Sword.

Unfortunately, students who weren’t scouted never appeared in the story even once afterward.

In other words, the academy students besides the total of three party members I chose in my first playthrough.

That is, almost all academy students had no impact on the story progression.

In the first playthrough, maybe because I was already too old to enter the academy, there weren’t many academy-related requests or achievements.

Even the few that existed were merely about being dispatched as a member of the Lunatic Guild to rescue students who were in danger for some reason.

If I were to be specific, there were exceptions of course… but since they’re clearly memories that would make me utter harsh words just by recalling them.

For now, I decided not to think about them.

Anyway, until the middle part of the story where I would recruit party members, I should not even look at the academy.

The center of the early part of the story had to be the Lunatic Guild, regardless of the reason.

When I haven’t even been recognized as a combatant yet, heading to the academy just because all the other kids go there is foolish.

“But Lua. You need to go to the academy to become an excellent hunter later.”

However, for some reason, Asha seemed determined to send me to the academy.

Yes, well. I can understand what she’s thinking since children like me who are considered to have manifested abnormal abilities usually have no choice but the academy.

But still, I can’t agree.

Why should I do something that’s literally nothing more than a waste of time…

“…Don’t you want to be with me, Big Sister…?”
“W-what?”

In the end, I used the most powerful secret technique I could currently use.

Something that would probably cause me to kick myself under the covers numerous times in the near future.

However, I directly inserted this ultimate move that couldn’t be more effective against people like Asha.

“I was happy to be able to stay with you, Big Sister… but why do you keep trying… to push me away?”
“N-no, Lua. What I mean is, well, you see…!”

Emotions that finally leaked out in liquid form flowed down my cheeks and onto my thighs.

My vision naturally began to blur slowly.

I deliberately breathed roughly and made my delicate voice sound more choked.

As expected, Asha, more flustered than ever, hurriedly tried to comfort me, but since the answer I wanted hadn’t come out yet.

“I guess even you don’t want to be with a monster like me… after all…”

With a dark complexion that was hard to believe belonged to a child, appropriately mixing despair and resignation, I finally created the finishing blow and stabbed it into Asha’s eyes.

So, K.O.

“Who called you a monster? You’re not a monster, Lua!”
“B-but… that mister earlier…”
“T-that… That mister doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Eventually, Asha, who had carefully picked me up while I was sobbing, extending her arms forward, and patted my back, showed her agitated appearance.

When I faintly whispered that I didn’t want to go to the academy, an agreement came back almost simultaneously.

“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. There’s no need to go somewhere you don’t want to go forcibly.”

Right after that, she operated the portable device on her wrist and connected a communication with someone who seemed likely to be who I thought it was.

“I’ve been thinking about it, Reiner. After all… I think it’s better not to send her.”
[W-what? No, if that’s the case, why did you call me—]
“Oh, the signal is bad. Anyway, just so you know. Well, I’m hanging up.”

I felt a thrill and satisfaction in my heart at the one-sided voice that was closer to notification than conversation.

I never dreamed I would be able to land a hit on Reiner like this.

Because I could so easily imagine Reiner’s shocked and dumbfounded face, laughter kept leaking out, so I hurriedly buried my face in Asha’s chest.

Anyway, mission accomplished.

With this, I’ve regained my golden free time—

-Beep.

“Hey, it’s me. Can you look into retired hunters who specialized in the vanguard?”
[…May I ask the reason?]
“I want to arrange private lessons for our Lua. I need to show that Reiner guy that there are paths other than the academy.”

The subsequent conversation contained only things that directly shattered my planned future, so I was enveloped in a feeling of despair that made me feel like I couldn’t bear it without really crying.

Ah, it hasn’t even been two days since I came to the guild headquarters.

Why is she trying to rush everything like this…!

Whether it’s the academy or private lessons, we could start a little later and more slowly!

“I need to take care of you when I can. Don’t worry, Lua. I’ll look for the kindest and gentlest teacher possible.”

Somehow, for someone who says that, I’ve never seen a person who actually brings kind and gentle teachers.

Almost nine out of ten times, they only bring muscular gym teacher types with shaved heads, don’t they?

…Can Asha not see my thin body?

With a bit of exaggeration, it’s the kind of body that looks like it would blow away in the wind.

No, to begin with, I didn’t really need something like education.

When I already have world-class top-tier abilities from the start, why would I need to struggle and sweat?

Well, given the characteristics of my stats and skills, it would be good to learn skills related to shields in advance.

But that’s just something that would be good to learn, not something I absolutely need to learn.

What I need is just time.

Time to deliver herbs that would fit in a small handbag even at their largest, to the workshop, and to hand over the small potion received in return to one of the request office staff.

Simultaneously, time to build a foundation for achieving another achievement by increasing favorability slightly.

Time that is mine alone, not tainted with even a little of any free will other than my own.

But why does she keep trying to interfere instead of helping?

Of course, the intention itself is probably good. It’s probably all for my sake…

I didn’t know that being too kind could also be a problem.