Chapter 8 - Training Session
As planned, after spending three days on magic training, I attended the training session.
Engaging in magic training throughout the entire day was impossible. Despite my determination, my mana couldn't keep up. Starting training early in the morning would lead to running out of mana by noon.
Complete recovery took about two hours, so I took a long lunch break, took a stroll around the area, and continued training in the afternoon. This became my daily routine up until today.
"Because of this aspect, when facing goblins, prioritize not getting surrounded above all else..."
The instructor was a retired B-rank adventurer named Bagas. He had an impressive muscular build and exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.
Though still in his late thirties, an age suitable for continuing as an adventurer, he had sustained an injury in his right eye that not even high-level healing magic could cure. Consequently, he had already retired from adventuring. With his shaved head and eyepatch, he exuded an intimidating presence. I thought that if a child saw him, they might burst into tears.
"...When forming temporary parties with other adventurers, always ensure that the splitting of reward is agreed upon beforehand..."
The lecture content was thorough and extremely informative. While the lecture followed the outline given in advance, the detailed explanations not included in the handout focused on methods to increase survival rates.
There were several instructors, and though I had heard that the content might be biased, Bagas' lecture turned out to be exceptionally helpful.
"...The claws of these monsters contain a slow-acting poison. In case you lack an antidote, you should..."
He specifically emphasized information about Bigina Forest, where we beginners would likely venture. As he spoke, memories of my previous venture into Bigina Forest flooded back.
"...If you come across footprints of this shape, you should definitely..."
I recalled that I had taken several risky actions. Maybe I simply hadn't noticed, but I seemed to have missed footprints and territorial markings.
"...That concludes the session. Those with questions can approach me after the session."
The session took a full day. Due to this, most people looked drained, and only a few went up to ask questions.
I joined the line of those who had questions. Being a little late, I found myself at the end. While waiting, I eavesdropped on conversations between other adventurers' questions and Bagas. The latter was very poilte with the adventurers. About an hour later, it was finally my turn.
"Excuse me, I have a question about the monsters in Bigina Forest..."
"Oh, you're the last one, newbie?"
Bagas responded with a friendly tone, which left me surprised. I thought today was our first meeting. I'm sure I would recognize his memorable appearance once I saw him, but I couldn't remember him at all.
"Um..."
"What? You don't recognize me? We've crossed paths a few times in the training ground..."
"Ah!?"
Only when he said that did I finally remember. Come to think of it, I think I had asked for some advice from a young swordsman in the same section of the training ground. I probably even nodded in greeting. I had been so engrossed in my training that I barely remembered anything.
"What, so you remembered now?"
"Sorry, I'm Haruki."
"Ah, Haruki, huh?" Bagas chuckled cheerfully. It was a relief; it seemed he wasn't particularly bothered by me not remembering.
"I noticed you've been hanging around here all day, enjoying yourself. Why did you become an adventurer? As a mage, there must have been plenty of other options for you, right?"
"To become stronger and create a harem."
"Wha-!?"
I answered truthfully. It was what Bagas had told me earlier. He emphasized that when forming a party, having compatible goals was as important as having comparable strength. To lead a smooth adventurer's life, you should clearly communicate your objectives to those around you.
Bagas seemed amused by my sincere response and laughed for a while.
"I see! A harem, huh! Youngsters these days, huh? So, what was your question?"
After that, I asked several questions, mainly about monsters' detection abilities. Since my main strategy was based on surprise attacks, this information was crucial. Bagas provided detailed explanations.
Once I gathered the information I wanted, I chatted with Bagas for a bit. He seemed intrigued by me and asked various questions, even delving into relatively private matters. Since he had answered my questions patiently, I decided to reciprocate as much as possible.
After some more casual conversation, we returned to the topic of being adventurers.
"Why do you insist on exploring the shallow areas? With your magical abilities, you'd do well in the central regions, too."
"It's an issue with my equipment. I'm just wearing a thin leather armor jacket."
My immediate issue was my defense. Judging purely from my attack power, I was likely on par with a C-rank adventurer. It would be sufficient against monsters in the central region. However, my current armor wasn't sturdy enough. Even a well-placed hit could prove fatal.
Currently, I had excessive attack power against monsters in the shallow areas of Bigina Forest and a clear deficiency in defense against central region monsters. While I was prepared to accept a certain level of risk as an adventurer, the current level of risk wasn't acceptable.
For a while, I planned to continue working in the shallow areas to accumulate funds and purchase armor that matched my attack power. High-quality armor was exceedingly expensive, and even the least expensive ones for C-rank adventurers cost around 5 million gold. It would likely be months before I could confront monsters in the central region.
"I see, your magical talent is wasted like this."
With that, Bagas fell into silence for a moment. I agreed with him, but I was also resigned. There wasn't much I could do about it.
Suddenly, Bagas seemed to have an idea. He grinned abruptly, proposing something. Even I, who had just spoken to him, recognized the ominous smile. It resonated with his appearance, it was like the demon's whisper.
"Hey, I've got an interesting proposal for you..."
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As I listened to the details of Bagas' proposal, my face turned pale. The benefits were great, but the drawbacks were just as overwhelming. I instinctively wanted to refuse, but then I hesitated and reconsidered.
I don't think that I can fulfill my dreams just by simply continuing as an adventurer like this.
While creating a harem might be possible, protecting the girls would require significant power. Physical strength, financial resources, and authority would all be necessary.
The time when I'd have to take a big risk would surely come. If I shrank from something like this, I'd better not aim for a harem from the start.
I decided to go along with Bagas' proposal.
I signed the contract. Once again, it was a slave contract, just like before.
However, this time it was a formal contract based on the law. Killing the master or running away was not permitted. Nevertheless, I wouldn't become an immediate slave. It's a contract stating that if I can't repay the debt within the given time frame, I'll become a slave.
I borrowed 10 million gold from Bagas using myself as collateral. This is a substantial amount that money lenders would never lend to an F-rank individual, especially with no interest.
Still, if I couldn't repay the debt within the specified time, I'd become Bagas' slave and work as a combat slave in his junior party for ten years.
"With this, the contract is established. It's also stated in the contract, but you can't sell your armor. Make sure you earn the money yourself!"
"Good luck." Bagas grinned as he laughed, cheering me on.
