LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 1
Five years ago, when I possessed this body, I upheld a resolute belief.
—Never get involved with the Hero Party.
The protagonists of the novel, no matter the time, become embroiled in countless incidents.
Just thinking about each of those incidents is enough to tire both body and mind, yet they occur in succession.
For someone like me, who prefers staying comfortably inside rather than roaming around, this was an unbreakable rule.
However, unfortunately, to live comfortably, I needed a suitable amount of money.
And to earn that money, I needed rare magical materials.
In the end.
“I want to join your party.”
“Huh?”
A sharp-featured handsome man with uncommon black hair.
The protagonist of this world, the leader of the Hero Party, the man who would defeat the Demon King and save the world.
I told Hero Aswel that I wanted to join his party.
The adventurer, who was pondering taking a request at the Guild, looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“Uh… Are you perhaps a minor…?”
“I’m not a minor. I’m a Mage.”
Even if I’m small, calling me a minor is too much.
Seeing my cold reaction, the Hero quickly picked up his words.
“Oh, I see! Mmm, so you’re a Mage?”
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m the excessively honored holder of the title Hero, Aswel. Let’s sit down and talk?”
Despite my sudden arrival, the Hero treated me gently.
He led me to some seats arranged in a corner of the Guild.
I sipped the drink the Hero offered while observing him.
“Do you live around here?”
“No, I was near the academy.”
“Really? But you made it all the way here.”
“The Hero Party’s whereabouts can be known anywhere. But can we get to the point?”
“Ah, yes.”
Currently, the Hero Party consists of four members.
The Hero, who is the leader and responsible for both attack and defense.
The Saint, who heals and buffs the party.
The Archer, who attacks and supports from afar.
Lastly, the Knight, who attacks upfront with the Hero and protects the two at the back.
Of course, the other three members besides Hero Aswel are heroines.
From the immediate situation, one might think the Archer could handle the long-range, but the roles of the Mage and the Archer are different.
The Archer, who can be seen as a long-range assassin, specializes in small-scale battles.
On the other hand, a Mage is seen as a being that can have overwhelming advantages in large-scale battles.
Now, the Hero Party is lacking someone who can handle that large-scale firepower, which is precisely why the Hero needs a Mage.
“I can definitely feel the absence of a Mage right now. However…”
“I understand your worries.”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t seen my abilities yet, and considering what you’ve been through in the past year, you probably can’t easily accept a new member.”
The Hero Party’s exploits can be heard anywhere in the Empire.
Their skills are well known, yet they know nothing about me.
“First of all, I’m not a battle Mage.”
Unfortunately, I can’t fulfill the role of large-scale firepower that the Hero desires.
I can do similar things, but my original intent was for a different role.
“Don’t you feel like your equipment is a bit weak lately?”
“Well… it’s not that I can’t use it, but I can’t say I have none.”
The Hero candidly confessed their situation.
In the past year, they have grown significantly—so much so that the term ‘remarkable’ could apply.
While I can’t quantify their growth with specific figures, it’s safe to say they have reached a new level.
It’s like a Mage advancing from 2nd Circle to 3rd Circle and then to 4th Circle.
As their strength increases, their weapons and armor will no longer fit, causing quite a bit of inconvenience.
“I can take care of that.”
“You mean the equipment? Uh… Did I mistakenly hear that you’re a blacksmith instead of a Mage?”
“No, I am definitely a Mage.”
As proof, I opened my hand and cast a simple spell.
The Hero looked at me with filled-with-doubt eyes yet nodded in acknowledgment.
“Well, let me show you simply.”
I waved my hand to open space, then pulled out a single glove from within.
“Uh, wait, what was that…?”
“This is a glove imbued with protective magic. I focus on enchanting equipment or even creating magical tools like this.”
After all, the large-scale firepower will be managed by the witch heroine.
I would support the Hero’s party utilizing my specialty—research and technological development.
“So if you allow me to join, I can repair and upgrade the equipment the party is currently using or even provide new ones.”
I can provide about four.
Showing the prototypes stacked beyond the space, I noticed the Hero’s eyes slightly flicker.
“Uh, um…”
“If this doesn’t seem trustworthy enough, I can do large-scale magic if you wish, even though I wouldn’t want to…”
“Oh, no! It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just… well, I don’t fully trust you yet, but…”
The Hero flustered, waving his hands and trying to stop me from rising.
Then, he requested me to close the space, and I mended the rift.
“So, um… why do you want to join our party?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, honestly, given your abilities, it seems you could manage just fine on your own.”
“Shall I be honest?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’m just looking to collect some materials.”
“Materials?”
“Yes. I thought traveling with the Hero Party might allow me to acquire various rare magical materials.”
If I can earn some money on the side, that’s a bonus.
That’s the sole purpose for me; I have no intention of becoming closer to the Hero Party.
“Then you could just assign us a quest in exchange for the equipment, couldn’t you?”
“I might need to look and select or disassemble them myself.”
This way, I can maintain the freshness of the materials and maximize their original efficiency.
Upon hearing this, the Hero showed signs of contemplation.
“Well… honestly, as the leader, that sounds like a great proposal. However, I think it’s unfair since what the Mage might receive is hardly equivalent.”
Hah.
Look at that heart.
What a Hero indeed, refusing even an unfair deal that benefits himself.
Still, he’s a decent person.
I could vaguely understand why many liked him, even disregarding the heroines.
“So instead of joining the party, would you…”
“Then let me ask just one more thing.”
“What is it…”
“Please exclude me from night watch duty and cooking. I’m terrible at both.”
For the Hero Party, which spends most of its time living outdoors, those two activities are of huge importance.
For me to ask to be excluded from both? Even I could see that was quite a significant demand.
“Would that really be acceptable?”
“Yes. I only need to collect materials.”
“Hmm… Okay. If there’s nowhere else you’re stopping, would you like to come to the inn where we’re staying?”
Was that a pass?
I let out a sigh of relief as I quietly followed the Hero.
“I’m packed up and ready, so I think I can just go.”
I wasn’t the type to leave my things all over the place, so it worked out.
“Oh… Space of Space… understood. This way, please.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, by the way, may I know your name? Since we’ll be working together, it would be easier to communicate.”
“Please call me… Rui.”
“Rui. Got it.”
“You don’t have to be formal. I’m younger than you, after all.”
“Understood, Rui. You can also speak informally with me.”
“This feels more comfortable.”
After a brief time, we arrived at the inn where the Hero Party was staying.
Perhaps due to direct support from the royal family, it seemed there were no other guests at the inn.
Creeeak.
As the door opened, I followed behind the taller Hero and stepped inside.
“Everyone! We have a new member joining the party! Pay attention!”
From the stairs, one from a table, and one from a door leading to the training ground.
Three sets of eyes turned toward me.
“I’m… the newly joined Mage, Rui. Pleased to meet you.”
After bowing and feeling a little stiff, I slowly raised my head to observe the three watching me.
They looked just as they did in the illustrations from the original story.
A serene-looking blonde-haired human Saint clad in attire that distinctly represented a clergy presence.
An elven Archer with green hair and long ears, contrasting the Saint.
Lastly, a sky-blue-haired human Knight wearing armor and wielding a sword like the Hero.
All of them had the qualifications to be heroines with faces and chest sizes that would attract many men in either the modern world or this one.
The common feeling directed towards me from those who adored the Hero was one of suspicion.
But I wanted to tell the heroines.
Don’t worry. Such things will never happen.
They don’t need to harbor such suspicion. Instead, I’ll help them connect with the Hero.
I assure you, I will be the only one in the Hero Party who will not marry the Hero.
“Wait, Aswel. A new companion?”
And thus began it.
The interest towards the new potential ally.
It started with the green-haired elven Archer.