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I Got a New Skill Every Time I Was Exiled, and After 100 Different Worlds, I Was Unmatched (Web Novel) - Chapter 363: The Hand Extended to a Friend Was Not Pulled Back, Yet It Gently Pushed Me Forward.
Chapter 363: The Hand Extended to a Friend Was Not Pulled Back, Yet It Gently Pushed Me Forward.
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Jinku’s POVEven after a night’s sleep and waking up, the uneasiness within me didn’t dissipate in the slightest. Whether it was during the meal that also served as thanks afterward, or during work the next day, the feeling of hesitation never cleared.
This can’t continue like this. Ed-san and Tia-san may be forgiving and smiling for now, but I was well aware that they might get tired of it at any moment. Moreover, the fact that I was involving my childhood friends and close companions in my half-hearted actions, exposing them to danger, weighed heavily on me.
That’s why, on the evening of the fourth day, during the break before returning to town after finishing work early, I stood in front of Ed-san, who was sitting on a suitable rock.
“Um, excuse me!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Well, um…”
Certainly, I was more nervous now than when facing an Earth dragon. My tightly clenched hand was starting to lose its strength, and my throat felt dry.
But I can’t delay this any longer. So, summoning the courage within me, I forcefully opened my tightly sealed mouth.
“Ed-san, why did you decide to take us on a world tour?”
A simple and obvious question. Why was it so difficult to ask? The moment I put it into words, the reason struck me.
Ah, I see. I… was scared. If I asked this and the reason turned out to be something flippant like Doma or Kane said… if it was something like ‘it could have been anyone, we just said we’d protect you,’ then… I would have had no choice but to take them along with me
(I didn’t want to be disappointed….)
I was expected to join someone so powerful, invited with such small self-esteem. The fear of that tiny pride being shattered… that was the reason I couldn’t ask until now.
(…Haha. Was it really that simple?)
Simultaneously feeling disgusted with my own arrogance, I felt something release from my chest. If I hear the expected answer now, I feel like I can accept it without any hesitation.
Yeah, that’s right. If that’s the case, I can simply refuse the invitation, continue working hard with Doma and Kain in this town as before. That should be fine… I unconsciously started to justify myself, but Ed-san, after gazing silently at my face, answered with a small smile.
“Why, you ask… In a word, I felt potential, I guess?”
“Potential?”
“Yeah. Jinku, you can become strong. With proper guidance and continuous effort, you should be able to become the world’s greatest swordsman eventually.”
“The world’s greatest!? That’s quite exaggerated…”
Even if it’s a joke, it’s too much. I chuckled involuntarily, but Ed-san remained serious.
“Huh!? Seriously!? But, that’s…”
“I’m confident in my ability to judge people. The talent within you is quite something. Of course, talent is just talent, so you have to polish it properly for growth. Even if you use Orichalcum, if the blacksmith’s skills are poor, it’ll just end up as a worthless stone. That’s why. Showing you a wide world, letting you interact with various people, and accumulate plenty of experiences… That way, after seriously traveling with me for two years, you’ll become much stronger than you think. Ultimately, how far you reach is up to you, but at least, if you travel seriously with me for two years, you should be able to defeat Earth dragons while humming a tune, you know?”
“…”
Defeat an Earth dragon… that embodiment of despair? The opponent who was nothing more than a symbol of hopelessness becoming a trivial fish in the pond?
“Re-really… Can I really become that strong? But what about Doma and the others!? If they were invited too—”
“Yeah. In terms of talent, you are exceptional. But that doesn’t mean those two are weak. If they travel the same way, I think they can become top-class adventurers easily in two years. At the age of seventeen after two years, I think it’s amazing to be at the level of top-class adventurers… right?”
“Well, that’s true. I guess so… We, top-class adventurers…”
“Hahaha. If that happens, we can search for another Earth Dragon and you can try fighting together as a trio. It should be an easy victory, and becoming a party of dragon slayers in your teens will make you heroes in no time.”
“…………………”
No words came out. The beginning of a hero’s tale, which I could only imagine in my dreams, now stood before me as a tangible reality, and I felt it strongly.
“I, well…”
“Well, you should think about it. Join forces with your friends over there.”
“Huh!?”
Saying so, Ed-san turned around, and following his gaze, I also moved my eyes. There, I saw Doma and Kain, who were supposed to be talking about magic, and Doma who was supposed to be watching.
“Doma… Kain… I…”
“Haa… Hey, Jinku. I heard the story just now, but, I still can’t bring myself to want to go.”
“Why!? Doma, you can become a top-class adventurer—”
“Even if you say that… Honestly, I can’t believe in myself as much as you do. If it’s about training here, I’ll gladly do it, but going to another country… let alone the Demon King’s country, if something happens, I won’t even be able to come back on my own. No matter how much you say I can become strong, it’s impossible to that extent.”
“I, too… I’m interested, but just being interested isn’t enough. And I have no dissatisfaction with my life here. So, I think it’s best to work hard here and become strong with everyone…”
“…”
I silently agreed with their arguments in my heart. That’s right, that’s fine. If I’m satisfied with that, I can surely lead a peaceful and uneventful life. But…
“But!”
“?!”
My inner thoughts being exposed, the voices of the two overlapped. Surprised, I lifted my face, which had started to lower, and the two were looking straight at me.
“Jinku, you’re different, right? Unlike us who are just average, you were told that you have amazing talent! So, go for it.”
“We can’t go, but we’ll wholeheartedly support you, Jinku-kun!”
“Doma… Kain… But, if I go, our party…”
“idiot! We’re childhood friends, best friends, comrades, right? Just because we’re separated for two years doesn’t mean anything!”
“That’s right, Jinku-kun! We’ll work hard here so that you won’t abandon us when you come back!”
“You’ve been struggling for so many days because you want to go, right? Then go. Don’t use us as an excuse!”
“We’ll make sure the place you come back to is safe, Jinku-kun… If you do that, whenever… uuuh…”
Doma, turning away with a red nose, and Kain, rubbing his eyes with a tearful smile, distorted faces. Not just their faces. Everything in the world seemed to warp… I couldn’t hold back the tears overflowing from my eyes.
“Doma! Kain! I’ve… been blessed with the best companions!”
“Heh, just realized that now? I knew it from the beginning!”
“Even if we’re apart, we’ll always be comrades, right?”
“Of course! I’ll definitely become stronger… and come back! When I return… again, as a comrade…”
“Don’t be stupid! Don’t just leave without saying anything! Just going on a solo adventure doesn’t mean leaving the party, right!? Or did you think every time you went to take a leak, you were leaving the party!?”
“That’s quite vulgar, Doma-kun… But, you’re right. If you’re just going a little far, there’s no need to leave every time.”
“!… Ah, yeah! So, just going out for a bit… when I come back, let’s go on an adventure again!”
“Yeah! By then, I’ll have become the strongest, so don’t be scared, okay?”
“I, too, shall transform into an extraordinary magician, making a name that reaches you from a distance… sniff… So, Jinku-kun, as well…”
“I promise! The next time I come back here, it won’t be just a homecoming… It’ll be the triumphant return of the world’s strongest swordsman!”
The three of us joined shoulders and declared while crying. And thus, encouraged by the best companions, I decided to embark on a journey around the world with Ed-san and the others.
