LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 7 - Banished from the Hero Party
“Useless, poor people like you shouldn’t be eating at the same place as us.”
One of the hero party members said this to Kenya. His name was Toshio Sato.
A poor guy whose parents gave him a gag name. His twisted personality must be due to his name, which means sugar and salt.
“Leave us alone. We’re just enjoying ourselves.”
That one word triggered him.
“What did you say? Who do you think you’re talking to…?”
“Let’s go already.”
Interrupting him was a girl with the Hero profession. She was so famous you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing her. She was also my idol…
Her beautiful hair fluttered as she, expressionless and emotionless, gave us a glance and took Sato away.
We were acquaintances, so does that mean she remembered me? Even in the party, she wouldn’t talk unless spoken to.
“Tch!”
Sato clicked his tongue and left. It seemed like he was staring at Nana.
“Are you okay, big brother?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
But since Sato and I go to the same school, I’m a bit worried. After all, it was through Sato that I joined the hero party.
~
That was a year ago.
“Hey! I’m Sato. What’s your name?”
“I’m Mikenju Kenya! Nice to meet you!”
We met at the high school entrance ceremony. We happened to sit next to each other in class.
Sato noticed the copper adventurer tag around my neck.
“You’re a registered adventurer? What’s your job? Did you get anything good?”
“Yeah, I got ‘Alchemist.’ I’m not really sure what it is, though…”
(Alchemist… never heard of it. Might be a rare job. I’ll secure him just in case.)
“Join my guild! We even have a hero!”
Sato’s father had quickly set up a company selling equipment. The company grew rapidly into a huge enterprise. Now it’s probably the biggest equipment-related company in Japan.
Using his money, Sato created a guild. A rising, energetic guild. Its name is Sugar & Salt—self-deprecating humor, maybe?
So, Sato was decked out in high-end C-rank equipment worth about 20 million yen. Despite not having the skill to match it.
His job was Holy Knight, and with leveled-up skills, his overall abilities had a 1.5 times multiplier, making it a very useful job. With his job, money, and stats, he had reached the 20th floor.
“Really!?”
“Yeah, come by today.”
I was genuinely happy with Sato’s invitation. I didn’t know much about my job yet, so having comrades to fight with was a blessing.
However…
Six months later…
“You’re fired!”
“Huh?”
In front of everyone at the Sugar & Salt guild headquarters, I was declared fired.
“Huh? What do you mean? You’re useless! What kind of job is that? You can only enhance E-rank weapons? You’re nothing but trash.”
I couldn’t argue. Even with leveled-up skills, I could only increase the number of alchemy attempts. Being called useless was justified. But I needed the money.
“But I need the money! Please, let me stay!”
I kneeled and pleaded. I couldn’t afford to be thrown out here.
“Huh? I don’t care! This isn’t a guild for useless people. And leave all your equipment.”
“But I spent six months gathering this…!”
Did he hit me? I felt pain in my cheek and my head spun. I realized I’d been hit as I lay on the ground.
“That equipment is thanks to what I lent you! You’re so shameless, you poor bastard! Does being raised by a single parent make you poor in spirit too?”
Sato took all my belongings while hurling insults. I wanted to argue that my parents had nothing to do with it, but I couldn’t voice it. Still, I mustered a weak cry.
“G-give it back…!”
Then he punched me in the stomach. With his Holy Knight job and C-rank equipment, there was no way I could win.
Groaning, I was thrown out into the rain. I pounded on the door, crying and begging for my things back.
Sure, some of it was borrowed, but most were items I had spent six months collecting.
“This is a good opportunity! Quit being an adventurer! Useless job!”
His shouting through the door made me collapse to my knees. I had realized I wasn’t cut out to be an adventurer.
With my stats not benefiting from my job, it was hard to conquer dungeons. Always being a burden, this might be a good lesson for me.
Even so, I couldn’t stop crying out of frustration. My mother was sick, I worked part-time every day, and despite being exhausted, I still pushed myself to be an adventurer. I worked so hard, hoping to earn more. But this was the result.
I studied, did chores, and adventured, barely managing. But I was at my limit. My heart had reached its limit. So, I decided to give up.
I would give up on being an adventurer.
Giving up on the dream of earning a little more than a part-time job, on the dream of adventuring.
Adventure excited me. Boss fights always thrilled me.
What kind of enemy will come next? What dungeon awaits next?
I would abandon those exciting dreams here. And the girl I admired…
Kenya gave up. He accepted it. But for some reason, his legs wouldn’t move. Why couldn’t he stand up? Why couldn’t he stop crying?
His heart felt like it was breaking.
He felt frustrated, pathetic, and powerless. He cried there in the rain until it stopped.
~
That’s how I was banished and once gave up on being an adventurer.