I Was the Heroine, and in the Sequel, Even Though I’m a Mob, All of My Stats Are Maxed Out

My First Time in a Different World 4

Soon after that, Dirk packed up and we headed into the forest together.

He always walked one step ahead of me, and if I lagged behind a little, he would casually stop and wait for me. I was a little moved that he was such a gentleman.

“What kind of magic do you specialize in, Dirk-san?”

“Fire magic.”

“Is that so? It suits you very well.”

“I see.”

I would occasionally ask him a trivial question, and he would give me an answer, albeit in short sentences. Although we only had occasional conversations, I didn’t feel awkward at all.

After arriving at the forest, I single-handedly defeated F- and E-rank demons. Anyway, the more I hunted, the more my stats increased, just like EXP in games.[1]

“Purification Purge…. Huffh.”

It was difficult to get used to the grotesqueness of the demons that were slowly melting away, leaving only their magical nucleus behind.

Dirk, who had silently watched by my side at first, began to give me advice along the way.

“In this case, it would be better to expand the spell more broadly.”

“Understood!”

“Don’t look away from your prey.”

“Y-Yes!”

Dirk, who was the commander of the Royal Order of Knights and had more experience fighting demons than anyone else, gave precise and easy-to-understand instructions.

Before I knew it, the amount of time I spent defeating a single demon was gradually decreasing, and my efficiency was greatly improved.

“You’re a fast learner.”

“Really? ….Um, Dirk-san, if you don’t mind, can I ask you to teach me again tomorrow?”

“All right.”

“Eh, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Although I fearfully asked him with the expectation that he would refuse, I was surprised when he easily agreed. It was also a relief to know that I wasn’t hated by him.

─After that, Dirk began to accompany me in my practice once every two days.

“Hiikkk…. S-S-Scary, I can’t do it!”

“It’s all right. Just calm down and aim for the eye area.”

Thanks to Dirk’s company, I could train anywhere and practice against demons that were too strong for me to face on my own.

But when an A-ranked, too-scary-looking demon unexpectedly appeared, I was stunned, and even after Dirk easily defeated it, I couldn’t stand up.

“…. I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

As a result, Dirk had to carry me back to the inn, and I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to disappear.

I had been indebted to Dirk for all the trouble I had caused him, and I had never been able to repay him in any way. I couldn’t think of anything I could do to repay him for all his effort.

Under the moonlight, feeling the warmth from his large back, I decided to ask him something that had been bothering me for a long time.

“Um, why does Dirk-san keep accompanying me during my practice?”

“… You would always practice alone until late at night. I knew that if you kept this up, you would exhaust yourself easily.”

Apparently, he had noticed that I was making a desperate effort every night. Precisely because he was worried about me, he probably taught me how to fight efficiently.

“You’re working too hard. We’re here, too, so you can relax a little more.”

And Dirk’s words, “I’m sure you can fulfill your role as a saintess successfully,” made my tears fall out.

I was glad that he had seen and recognized my hard work, and my chest slowly felt warm.

“….. Dirk-san, thank you very much.”

“Yeah.”

This day allowed me to learn that Dirk, who was a little quiet sometimes, was a very kind and considerate person.

From then on, I became attached to Dirk completely.

Dirk was also gradually becoming more talkative toward me, and he was smiling a little more often.

“Dirk, I’ll give you this.”

“You should eat it. Nina is very thin.”

We began to sit next to each other during meals and talk to each other, and before long, the way we called and treated each other changed.

“You guys are suddenly getting along really well. You two often go out together in the middle of the night, are you dating?”

“Cough, cough!”

“No way! That’s not──Dirk, are you okay?”

“…. Yeah.”

Theo, who had apparently been watching us, said something out of the blue, causing Dirk to cough hard.

As I was rubbing his back, Owen, who was sitting across from me, said, “That’s terrible, Nina.”

“I’m jealous. I exist, too, you know.”

“What are you talking about?”

I let out a sigh thinking that things were still the same, but I felt happy that the atmosphere was much more lively than before.

“But you two have really grown close.”

“Dirk and I are just hunting demons together.”

“Yeah. Nina and I are friends.”

“…. Eh.”

Meanwhile, a dumb voice escaped my mouth as Dirk said that as if it was natural.

The next moment, I was holding Dirk’s hand with both hands. I turned around and squeezed his big hand tightly.

“I-I’m so happy! I can’t believe Dirk thought of me as a friend….!”

“After spending so much time together, it would be weird if we were strangers.”

Dirk’s mouth relaxed as he saw my excitement.

I had hoped in my heart that was the case, but hearing it from Dirk’s mouth like this made me very happy.

“I’m Nina’s friend, too.”

“T-Theo….!”

“Yes, yes. I’m also Nina’s lover.”

“….”

When I gave him a blank stare, Owen laughed, “I really like that look in Nina’s eyes, you know.”

“In that case, I think it’s fine if Dirk continues to be Nina’s trainer.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Is that okay with you, Alvin?”

“….. Yes.”

Alvin-sama, who had been eating quietly, nodded slightly.

Next to him, Lara snorted, “You really got a lot of free time, huh.”

“Well, I guess it’s decided then.”

“Thank you, Dirk! I’m looking forward to working with you from now on.”

“Yeah.”

Thus, Dirk officially became my trainer and we worked together more frequently than ever.

Translator Notes:

1. EXP means experience points. ↵