Isekai Kansha - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Advice, Resolve, and Radio Calisthenics — Again

After a satisfying dinner, Jin and the others set up another rotation for watch and sleep. Even with the barrier device in place, there was still the chance that a magically powerful beast could show up. They split into three shifts of three hours; Jin was on the first watch. With him were Dan, Gain, and Abe. The rest of the men took the second shift, and—perhaps out of consideration—the women were grouped together for the last shift.

The four on the first watch sat around the campfire and kept the flames alive. They remained silent for a while, then, once everyone else had fallen asleep, they began to speak in low voices. Jin took advantage of the opportunity to ask Dan about learning magic and to hear about Gain’s and the others’ experiences and how their party had formed. Gain did most of the talking; Abe stayed fairly quiet.

"Up to D-rank, you’ll gain rank naturally by leveling and doing jobs. But you know that to reach C-rank you have to pass a guild exam, right? It might seem far off now, but be careful about when you raise your rank to C."

Gain said as a warning to Jin and the others. 

"One reason is that job difficulty jumps at C-rank. Up to D, you can manage with a two- or three-person party sometimes, but from C onward, you generally need a party of five or six. It’s not just that enemies are stronger—the numbers you face can go up a lot. It depends on your strength, of course, but if your group is too small, you can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. So don’t rush to C just because you hit level 15. Find reliable companions, raise your levels more, hone your skills—get stronger first. For what it’s worth, we went up to C at level 17, and even then, we struggled. We made it this far without anyone dropping out, but there were times it got really dangerous. By the way, Erza is D-rank, right? I don’t think she’s taken the C exam either. Part of the reason is what I just said—she’s building her strength—and another is she’s probably still looking for trustworthy teammates."

Jin remembered the Mad Ant fight and thought about how terrifying numbers could be. If it had taken a bit longer to kill that one mad ant, he might have been crushed by sheer numbers too.

"Is a mixed-gender party really that difficult?" 

Dan asked, curious about something different from Jin’s concern. Even though they came from the same village, he probably worried about men and women working together.

"No, not necessarily. In our party, the other two are women, and things work out fine. But generally speaking, romantic relationships inside a party aren’t uncommon. Maybe Erza and the others are wary of that kind of thing."

Gain noticed then that Dan himself was in a mixed three-person party.

"Oh, right—you two are like that too. Don’t worry too much. Who you team up with is up to you. But Dan, you should be careful about the other major reason C-rank is hard."

Gain said this in a consoling, solemn tone.

"The other reason is that you might have to deal with people."

"...People?" Jin murmured.

"Yeah. For example, a C-rank caravan escort doesn’t just protect against beasts—it also has to defend against bandits. Actual attacks by bandits are rare, but if you’re attacked and an adventurer doesn’t have the resolve to take a life, then the ones who die could be you or the merchants you’re supposed to protect."

Gain looked at Jin as he spoke.

"When I saw your wooden sword, Jin, what worried me was whether you could steel yourself to kill. Even if you disable someone with that sword, if they’re still alive, there’s always a chance they’ll start attacking again. The target won’t necessarily be you—it could be the person you’re protecting. Saying you won’t kill means accepting that. If you become C-rank and insist on using that wooden sword, you might be seen as lacking resolve. Dan, it’s the same for you—bandits don’t just take your stuff, they take everything, including people. It’s my belief that if killing someone is necessary, then men like me should be the ones to do it first. It sounds selfish from a woman’s perspective, maybe."

Gain sighed. Jin guessed that Gain struggled with the idea of taking a life too.

"Anyway, to get back on track—this might be harsh to say to newcomers, but it’s better to come to terms with this sooner. There’s a non-zero chance you’ll run into bandits before you hit C-rank. So—think about it now."

Jin closed his eyes and pictured the faces of his friends, younger siblings, nieces and nephews, and other people important to him. He included those he had met in this world. Imagining those loved ones threatened, his answer came before he even fully thought it through.

"If it’s to protect someone important, I think I could kill."

This wasn’t something Jin could only say now that he had gained power. Even in his older body back in his original world, if fists didn’t work, he’d use a stone, an iron pipe, a knife—whatever he could—to protect someone dear. And if that resulted in killing the attacker, he would not regret it if it meant keeping those people safe. That didn’t mean he wanted to kill; it meant he would use any means necessary and do whatever it took to protect them.

Like someone who chooses to be a soldier in his old world, Jin felt that choosing to be an adventurer in this world was the same kind of decision.

"Well...I might struggle with it or be haunted by it later. But I don’t think I’ll regret it."

Jin added, meeting Gain’s eyes. Then he exhaled deeply. 

"Thank you, Gain-san. I don’t think I could eagerly set out to kill someone, but if it’s necessary, I’ve resolved that I can do it. That means I won’t freeze up at a critical moment because of my ethics. Thank you for saying the hard things."

Jin stood and bowed deeply to Gain. He couldn’t yet promise he would definitely kill if he met bandits, but he had firmly carved "killing as an option" into his mind.

"You’re amazing, Jin. I don’t think I could make that kind of resolve yet." 

Dan said quietly, still looking gloomy.

"No, Dan, it’s normal to worry. I happened to come to terms with it early; it’s just that I’ve only thought it through in my head so far. Some people never can bring themselves to it, and that’s fine—it's their choice. I don’t think a world without people who can’t kill would work either. Neither side is wrong; both are valid. Whatever conclusion you reach, it won’t be wrong. Don’t rush."

Not being able to resolve yourself to kill is understandable. Jin’s ability to decide quickly came from having lived a long life already. Jin encouraged Dan, and Gain joined in.

"Yeah. That’s why quite a few adventurers intentionally stop at D-rank. Still, as long as we continue being adventurers, the time will come when we’ll have to make that choice. So Dan, don’t ever stop thinking about it. That way, when the moment comes, you won’t freeze up."

"Yes, Gain-san. Thanks… Jin too."

Dan forced a weak but genuine smile. Seeing that, Jin, Gain, and even the usually silent Abe smiled back and gave him a firm nod.

After that, to chase away the heavy mood, they shifted to embarrassing stories and funny tales. Surprisingly, the one who carried the conversation was none other than Abe. The once-reticent man now spoke fluently, lightening the atmosphere as though he were a completely different person. Watching him with a wry smile, Gain chuckled. "Finally, you’re back to being the usual Abe."

Jin didn’t know why Abe had suddenly returned to his bright, talkative self, but he was grateful that Abe was thoughtful enough to cheer them up like this.

Before long, three hours had passed, and Jin’s group swapped with the other men for watch duty. Wrapped in his cloak, Jin lay down and fell asleep almost instantly, resting soundly until just fifteen minutes before wake-up.

(Beep beep beep!)

The alarm from his Wake-Up spell rang in his head. The unfamiliar environment must have tired him out—this was the first time the alarm had actually woken him. After quickly finishing his morning routine, Jin greeted the women on watch and moved a little away from camp to start his usual warm-up exercises.

"Hm?"

Sensing something, he glanced back—only to see all the women copying him, doing radio calisthenics. His eyes met Erza’s, and she gave him a bright smile.

So it was Erza’s idea, Jin thought, but it wasn’t as though it caused him any trouble. He simply finished his routine as usual, then turned to face them.

"Jin-kun, this feels great. It makes me feel refreshed." 

Melinda said. The other women seemed to agree.

Jin explained the benefits in simple terms, just as he had for Erza, and moved on to stretches. By the time they finished, the men had woken and were staring curiously at the group.

"Oi Jin, what the heck are you doing?" Greg asked.

A reasonable question—but by now Jin had lost track of how many times he’d had to explain it. With a wry smile, he explained again. And naturally, it ended with everyone starting the radio calisthenics from scratch together.

"So this wakes the body up, huh? Yeah, I can feel it. This could be useful," Greg remarked.

"Right? Don’t you think this should be spread around?" Melinda said enthusiastically, pushing Greg to agree.

Both of them turned their gaze toward Jin.

"Well, I don’t mind spreading it. Honestly, if it helps cut down on injuries, I’d be happy."

The other members also seemed to approve. Since they were used to physical activity, they could immediately appreciate the effect. In the end, the guild decided to promote the routine, and Jin was asked to help introduce it once they got back.

After breaking camp and preparing to leave, Greg called out to everyone:

"Alright, we’re heading back to town. But on the return trip, the rookies will form their own party. We’ll follow from behind and help if things get dangerous, but otherwise, you handle everything yourselves. Everyone knows their roles, right?"

"""Yes, sir!"""

"Good. You’ve got ten minutes—meet as rookies only and plan. Once you’re ready, we'll move out. Begin!"

With Greg’s command, the rookies gathered for a meeting.

"Now then, about the leader—" Albert began, but was cut off mid-sentence.

"Jin’s fine, isn’t he?" Shelly interjected casually.

"Agreed!"

"Me too."

Everyone except Albert voiced immediate approval. Even he had no choice but to concede without protest.

"…Hmm, I get it. I’ll do my best. Let’s decide on formation then. Any thoughts?"

"Why not just split into front and back lines like usual?" Shelly suggested.

"Yeah, that should work," Albert agreed.

And since there are no other opinions, Jin proposed:

"Then how about this: Albert, Cain, and Shelly form a big triangle up front. Albert at the tip keeps watch ahead, Cain on the right focuses on the right, and Shelly on the left keeps her eye on the left. I’ll be in the center, between the front and back lines. With my spear’s reach, I can cover any direction. For the rear, Dan stays in the middle, flanked by Meg and Rachel. Of course, the back line keeps alert too. If we run into enemies, Dan provides long-range support with magic, Meg focuses on healing, and Rachel—since you’re strong in close combat—you’ll focus on protecting the other two. How does that sound? Any other ideas?"

Jin drew diagrams in the dirt with his wooden sword, showing how everyone should move depending on which side enemies appeared from. Everyone agreed without objection.

"Alright. Chatting’s fine, but don’t let your guard down. If you notice anything, no matter how small, speak up immediately. That’s all. Anything else?"

"Nope!" 

Shelly answered on behalf of everyone.

"Good. Then let’s make sure no one gets hurt out there."

"Yeah!" "Right!" "Got it!"

With their voices united, the rookies were ready.

"Looks like you’re set. Then let’s move out!" Greg ordered.

""Yes, sir!""

Responding in unison, Jin and the freshly assembled rookie party set off toward town.

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