We’re Going to Have You Quit Being Heroes
This was the brave hero party enhancement training camp for the stay-behind group.
Every member of the hero party had completed the hellish circuit training, and both their stamina and mana had improved compared to before, but… this was really just them making up for all the slacking they’d done until now.
“Alright, alright, look over here. In order for you all to grow stronger over these next three months, I’m going to have you quit being ‘Heroes.’”
“““Huh?”””
Every member of the hero party froze in place.
“What do you mean by that, Julius?”
The actual “Hero,” Waltz, reacted immediately…
“Ah, sorry. Not just ‘Hero.’ I’m thinking all of you are going to quit being ‘Holy Knight,’ ‘Mage,’ ‘Archer,’ and ‘Healer’ too.”
Siiiiiilence...…
Well, yeah. Makes sense.
According to the common sense of this world, your profession was decided during the ceremony at age ten, and after that it never changed for the rest of your life.
That was exactly why Duke Gulf, that crafty old fox, had resorted to such forceful methods after the legendary Hero appeared.
But I had a way around that…
“I know what you’re all thinking. But professions can be changed. My profession is [Job Changer]. It’s a profession that governs changing jobs. I can change not only my own profession, but other people’s too. And the power of professions stacks over time…”
I looked at each member of the hero party one by one as I spoke.
“Holy Knight, Archer, Mage, Healer… and of course, Hero too...”
“Tch… then what exactly are you saying we should become?”
A perfectly reasonable question came from Crown Prince Erason.
“Well, let’s see. I’m going to have you try everything once. And instead of just being Heroes in name, I want you to become a real hero party.”
“Why? What are you plotting? This makes no sense. Why are you trying to make us stronger? The Titania Kingdom should be your sworn enemy… and Waltz and I stole your fiancées from you…”
“Haha. Right now, it would be a problem if the kingdom collapsed, Your Highness. That’s why I need all of you to protect the kingdom with everything you’ve got, for our sake. That’s the reason I’m training you. And as for having my fiancées stolen… I honestly ‘couldn’t care less’ anymore. I’ve got adorable fiancées of my own now, after all...”
““Guh!!””
Crown Prince Erason and Waltz ground their teeth in frustration.
The Julius they’d once looked down on was now trying to use them, and yet if they wanted to survive, they had no choice but to cling to him.
On the other hand, the girls looked depressed after effectively being told they were women he didn’t mind losing.
“Now then, time is limited. For the first two months, you’ll all be trying out a variety of professions. Then, in the final month, you’ll master your respective professions, and that’ll conclude the training camp. Do your best and enjoy these wonderful three months… heheheh.”
Then I placed a hand on each of their shoulders and closed my eyes.
Every time I did, their bodies became enveloped in light, and strength drained from them.
Once everyone in the hero party had finished, Almeria quietly remembered the past…
(Almeria, it’ll be alright. Trust me. This profession is incredible, though it takes a little time.)
“Julius… could it be that you became so strong because you experienced all kinds of professions through [Job Changer]?”
“Hmm? Ah, yeah, that’s right. I told you this profession was incredible before, didn’t I…? Though I guess it’s a little late now.”
That’s right.
He really had said it.
But Almeria hadn’t been able to fully believe him, and she betrayed him.
Another thorn stabbed itself into Almeria’s heart.
“But this is strange, isn’t it? Julius spent almost all his time with us… and yet, at least as far as I’m concerned, I never once sensed power like that from you.”
“Fufu… ahaha. As expected of Hero Waltz. Sharp instincts, or maybe it’s just natural stupidity at work. Everyone wonders the same thing, right? Why is a baggage carrier from the hero party stronger than all of you? And how is he running two massive organizations? But you know, I can’t exactly explain all that out of the kindness of my heart. Let’s see… how about this? If the hero party manages to protect the kingdom during the war, then I’ll tell you. Of course, if you don’t survive, you won’t get to hear it, so you’d better work hard…”
—
This time, every member of the hero party had become [Warrior], swinging weapons around wildly.
Against the goblins charging at them one after another.
Waltz and the Crown Prince, who had originally been frontliners, handled it naturally enough, but the women from the backline struggled badly.
All the training was live combat.
They just had to keep swinging their weapons and fighting...
And what I made them focus on was teamwork.
Watching each other’s movements. Thinking about what the others would do next, and what they themselves should do in response...
After every battle, they’d discuss it together, confirm everything, then head into the next fight.
By the third day of that kind of training, they’d gotten used to using weapons...
By the fifth day, they were able to fight higher-ranking goblin variants.
And by the time a week had passed, every last one of them had become competent warriors.
“Good work. Looks like you’ve got the hang of being warriors now. So next up...”
Martial Artist. Thief. Archer. Mage. Healing Mage…
Every time their profession changed, their strength would drain away again, and just when they started getting the hang of fighting, I’d switch them into yet another profession.
It seemed changing professions lowered their physical abilities.
However, they never lost the “skills” they had already learned.
The same applied to magic.
Before long, all of them could use offensive magic and healing magic alike, and they’d also become capable of close-quarters combat with weapons and martial arts.
The dramatic changes made the hero party truly feel themselves growing stronger.
At the same time, though… they also began to fear just how monstrously strong Julius and the others really were.
Their depths were impossible to see.
What do you think about this chapter?
