The Jack-of-all-trades Kicked Out of the Hero’s Party ~ The Swordsman Who Became a Support Mage Due

　When I arrive at the cafeteria, same as yesterday, gazes gather on me.

　They’re just watching from afar and no one looks like they’d come talk to me.

　Well, that’s maybe not surprising.

　Joining the Clan out of the blue, becoming an executive the next day.

　You probably won’t known how to approach a person like that……

　I hope I can mix in soon…….

“Ah, Orn~!”

　After receiving food and about to start eating, my name is called.

　I look in the direction of the voice and see Lucre and a girl wearing glasses coming towards me.

“Morning-! Can we eat together?”

“Morning, Lucre. Go ahead.”

　Lucre sits down in front of me and the girl with glasses sits diagonally across me.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Nina. I belong to the Magic Development Lab of ‘Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit’.”

　The girl with glasses introduces herself.

　She had sky-blue, short cut hair and indigo eyes.

“I appreciate your politeness. My name is Orn. Since the other day, I’ve belonged to the 1st Unit of the Exploration Department.”

“You two are so stiff~. We’re all the same age, so let’s get along~!

　By “all”, that means this girl is also eighteen years ago apparently.

“You’re the one that’s too relaxed…….”

“Ahaha……. Then, can I just call you Nina?”

“Ah, yes. That’s no problem. Then let me call you, O, Orn, too.”

“Mhmm, mhmm, good that you guys are getting along well! Ah! Right, right! Nina, look, look~”

　Using the magic I taught her yesterday for levitating light objects, Lucre makes a spoon and fork float.

“…………Eh? Ehhh!? What’s that!?”

“Hmm. h~mm. Isn’t this nice~? Orn taught me this yesterday!”

“T, this, is Orn’s original magic, is it?”

　Nina asks timidly.

　As a member of the Magic Development Lab, she’d be interested in magic and magic tools, right?

“Yeah, if you want, I can teach it t you?”

“Eh, is that okay!?”

　Nina leans in and checks with me.

　……Your face is close.　

　In the first place, I’d already planned to disclose this magic.

　Because I think that it’s a magic that can show its real value in everyday life rather than in labyrinth exploration.

“Yeah, it’s alright. But before I teach you, I have just one favour.”

“W, what kind of favour?”

　After mentioning a condition, Nina becomes wary.

“I want you to release this magic to the world under the name of ‘Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit’. As long as it ends up widespread, I don’t care about how the Clan will monetise it. For example, it can be first sold as a magic tool, then after a while, have the formula released, things like that.”

“……It’s original magic, you know? Can you make it public this easily?”

　Nina’s concerns are quite understandable.

　The development of magic is no ordinary task.

　There are already various kinds of magic existing, so you can imagine how difficult it would be to develop something not only unique, but also useful.

“This magic is a by-product of me creating some other magic, so this magic itself didn’t take that much time or effort. Besides, it’s magic that seems like it’d be in demand, so other people might have already developed it. If you’re going to release it, the sooner the better, right?”

　Furthermore, if this magic can make considerable returns, my reputation within the Clan will rise.

　Even though I haven’t made any achievements after joining the Clan, I’ve already been appointed an executive.

　Part of the calculation includes me wanting to quickly make visible achievements.

　Though I won’t say that out loud.

“Understood, I’ll promise you……. Hey, hey, the 1st Unit generally goes the to Great Labyrinth every other day right? If that’s the case, won’t you come to the Magic Development Lab when you’re not going to the Great Labyrinth?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I already have things to do on those off days. I also have some executive work to do. I’m sorry. But I’ll try to show my face when I have time to spare.”

“Unfortunate. You’ve already got work lined up, huh. By the way, is it work that I can ask about?”

“Yeah. I’ll be instructing beginner parties.”

“Beginner training? Isn’t that under the jurisdiction of the Exploration Management Department?”

“Well, somehow there are apparently talented kids in that group. The Exploration Management Department wants to raise them to the Exploration Department as soon as possible, it sounds like. And I was chosen because I have a relatively free schedule.”

“Talented kids? Ah, that arrogant little boy.”

　……I guess even within the Clan he has this reputation.

“If that’s so, then why not switch with Lucre and have her teach them, then Orn can come to the Magic Development Lab?”

“Hm? …….Me? What thing?”

　Lucre, who is eating with a happy face, is surprised at her name suddenly being mentioned.

“Even though Lucre looks like this, she’s still good at teaching other people. Let’s trade!”

“Horrible! Haven’t we been doing it together for so long! You can’t just change once you find someone else better! I was just a convenient woman for Nina!”

“Hang on, please don’t say something so misleading!”

　The two of them started talking like they were performing a comedy act.

　They’re on really good terms with each other…….

　　◇

　Finishing breakfast and bidding the two of them farewell, I went outside to buy a newspaper before returning to my room.

　Among the three newspapers I read, two had written extensively about the recent blunder by the Hero Party.

　There are three newspaper publishers that can be called major. From them, one has an effective monopoly on information about the Hero Party.

　Because of that, even if the other two papers reported on the highly demanded details regarding the movements and activities of the Hero Party, they would only be behind the first paper, and this should have reduced their readership.

　Perhaps with some resentment included, both papers had put their recent failure on their front pages.

　Knowing the truth about the recent incident, I see no lies written.

　But it was pretty overexaggerated.

(This is going to cause a stir.)

　Lights to illuminate light, producing water, and so on, there are many magic tools indispensable for daily life.

　Without magic stones, these magic tools would not work.

　And to obtain magic stones, you have to defeat demonic beasts.

　While there have been rare cases of demonic beasts appearing on the ground, they basically only appear in labyrinths.

　It’s not overstating it to say that explorers who traverse labyrinths and retrieve magic stones support the lives of the average person.

　That is why people pay attention to what explorers do, and among those explorers, the ones boasting the most popularity are those that belong to the party that’s taken on the name of the Hero Party.

　For the incident the other day, it just so happened that I was there and was fortunately able to subjugate it, so that wasn’t the problem.

　The problem was that they had showed a deep layer Floor Boss the way to the middle layers, and consequently, there had been a possibility that many explorers’ lives might have been lost.

　But if such a thing were to be directly reported, it would lead to the rise in unrest among the people.

　It’s easy to imagine such a thing occurring, so why were these articles written? And what’s more, two publishers at the same time.

　What is even more puzzling is that the fact that this news……. was even allowed to circulate.

　In other words, the major sponsor of the Hero Party, Marquis Forgas, hasn’t suppressed this issue.

　No matter how much these two publishers want to write about the failures of the Hero Party, with pressure from Marquis Forgas who is a high ranking aristocrat, they would have had no choice but to remove this article.

(This isn’t like the ‘always concerned with public opinion’ Marquis Forgas I know. What exactly is his intention here?)