Isekai Kansha - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Aria and Rachel’s Etcetera

"All right, that should just about do it. Good work, Jin."

With Greg’s closing words, Jin was finally released.

"Thank you. But please, make absolutely sure no one pushes themselves too hard, all right?"

"Yeah, I know. These warm-ups are supposed to prevent injuries—if they end up causing them instead, that’d be the worst kind of irony."

Greg nodded at Jin’s reminder. To spread the preparatory exercises Jin had demonstrated during the beginner’s course, Jin had been explaining in detail the proper way to do radio calisthenics and stretching, as well as the principles behind them. He had even demonstrated them in person, so the meeting that started in the morning had already stretched into the afternoon.

What Jin had taught today would first be compiled by the guild staff present, then tested among themselves. If no problems arose, it would then be taught to adventurers.

"It might be a good idea to have all the staff do radio calisthenics together before the guild opens each day. Even desk work needs a healthy body, after all."

Recalling how in his previous world every company he worked at always began the day with those very exercises, Jin suggested it to Greg. Stretching might be a bit too much, but radio calisthenics were easy and accessible.

"That could work. Adventurers would see it too, and it’d help spread the idea around."

Greg agreed enthusiastically.

For the record, this whole arrangement was being treated as an official guild request, with a proper reward attached. Jin had hesitated at first, but after being told that such valuable knowledge deserved compensation, he had accepted. It wasn’t going to be a large sum anyway, so Jin decided he would gratefully accept it.

"Sorry, but until the manual’s properly put together, I’ll need you to keep helping out."

"Of course. I’ll stick with it all the way."

Though the request wasn’t quite complete yet, cooperation for the sake of health and safety was exactly the sort of thing Jin wanted to do. With a smile, he promised his continued help, then said his farewells to Greg and left.

It was around noon now, and the guild staff were taking turns for their breaks. Jin glanced at the reception desk, but Aria wasn’t there—she was probably on her break as well. Thinking he might as well grab lunch, he was suddenly addressed by a familiar voice.

"Good afternoon, Jin-san. What brings you here today?"

"Ah, good afternoon, Aria-san. I was just in a meeting with Instructor Greg. I was about to head out for a meal."

Pleased at the unexpected encounter, Jin answered with a smile.

"And also, thank you again for taking the time for me yesterday. After I got back, I made sure to keep studying."

He offered his gratitude properly this time. The night before, he had gone through the book Aria lent him, copied out all the spells and magical scripts along with their meanings, and compiled them neatly into his Notepad. Thanks to being able to copy-paste from the physical book, he had managed to finish it all in one night.

"Hehe. Is that so? You’re working hard."

Jin hadn’t meant it as bragging, but to Aria, his earnest effort was endearing, bringing a warm smile to her face.

At the same time, seeing her smile reminded Jin of Greg’s words—that he himself might be the reason Aria had begun to smile more often. The thought filled him with quiet pride and joy. He returned her smile with one of his own, soft and gentle. To anyone watching, it might have looked like the tender smile of a father. That was how kind it was.

Aria, caught off guard by Jin’s unusually warm expression, felt her face grow hot. She quickly turned her gaze away—and only then noticed the presence of another woman patiently waiting for their conversation to end.

"Jin-san."

Aria’s voice gently alerted him to someone behind. When he turned, Jin saw Rachel standing there.

"Oh? Something wrong, Rachel?"

"I’m sorry for interrupting. Please, finish your conversation first. I can wait."

Rachel shrank back apologetically under his gaze. She hadn’t come with any intention of intruding—she had only wanted to deliver a message to Jin through the guild. But when she happened to find him talking with Aria, she decided to wait quietly at a distance so as not to disturb them.

"I don’t mind, please go ahead."

With that, Aria yielded the conversation to Rachel. Rachel, after apologizing once more to Aria, began to speak.

"Actually, there’s something I’d like to consult Jin-san about regarding a request. If possible, could you spare some time for me in the near future?"

"Ah, right. We did promise to take on a request together."

Indeed, three days had already passed since the beginner’s course. Jin thought for a moment before replying.

"Alright then, let’s talk about it now. Aria-san, in that case, I’ll excuse myself for today."

He said that first to Rachel, then turned to Aria.

"Yes."

"See you again."

Hearing Aria’s short reply, Jin felt a twinge of reluctance. Still, it wouldn’t be right to keep the busy Aria chatting any longer, and it wasn’t as if he could invite her to lunch. With that in mind, Jin offered his farewell and, though reluctant, headed toward the exit. Rachel gave Aria a polite bow before following after him.

Near the exit, Jin turned back, raising a hand to wave one last goodbye. Aria returned the gesture with a gentle wave of her own, and Jin felt somewhat relieved. Then, he and Rachel left the guild together.

Left behind, Aria felt frustrated at her own position that kept her from going with them.

After leaving the guild, Jin and Rachel decided to talk over lunch in the plaza. Jin bit heartily into his favorite baguette sandwich, this time stuffed with sweet-and-salty grilled skewered meat. Rachel nibbled on a small cut piece of sandwich, each of them enjoying their meal. Once they were satisfied, Jin sipped his juice and got to the point.

"So then, what’s your consultation about, Rachel?"

"Yes… What should I do from now on?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me what kind of actions I should take going forward…"

Jin, who had asked casually, was thrown off by Rachel’s response. A mindset that leaves everything up to someone else, without initiative, could easily slip into dependency—and that wasn’t healthy.

"I’ll gladly give advice, of course. But I can’t be the one giving you orders like that. More importantly, Rachel, what do you want to do?"

"I want to be of use to you, Jin-san."

Her answer, spoken without hesitation, sounded dangerously unsteady. Jin grew cautious.

"Rachel, I appreciate you saying that, but if you don’t tell me what you want, it puts me in a bind. Leaving decisions to someone else is easier, sure—but that way, we can’t be real comrades. We’re not boss and subordinate. You need to make yourself the standard of judgment, not me. Try thinking about it that way."

Rachel still seemed unsure what she was doing wrong. Jin carefully continued.

"We’re not even a formal party yet. So, put me aside for now, and try to imagine what kind of person you want to become."

Rachel’s face fell slightly at the mention of "not a party," but Jin spoke gently, almost like guiding her. He wanted her to think not about specific requests, but about the future self she wanted to become. Once she had a long-term goal in mind, the steps to reach it would naturally reveal themselves.

"Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you. So take your time and think it through. Without considering me, what kind of Rachel do you want to be?"

He wasn’t angry, nor was he pushing her away. His gentle smile made it clear he was speaking out of concern for her. Rachel closed her eyes, taking in his words, and began to think.

"…I want to get better at using healing magic. And also… I want to raise my level and get stronger."

After some thought, Rachel finally spoke.

"Good. Then what do you think you should do to achieve that?"

Jin figured she was capable, but not yet used to this kind of self-reflection. So he guided her, step by step.

"I’ve been helping out at the temple’s clinic already… so I think I’ll increase that time."

"Mm."

"As for levels, I guess I have no choice but to take on more subjugation requests…"

"Right, and that’s fine. I’m in the same boat, so I can help you with that. If we go together, it’ll help me too. As for your skills, are you planning to focus on improving the ones you already have?"

"Yes. I have healing magic and weapon skills, so I’ll be fine there."

This time, Rachel thought it through herself and came to her own conclusion. She even remembered Jin’s earlier warning not to reveal too much information unnecessarily, and kept things brief. Jin, satisfied, smiled and nodded.

"Alright, then the plan is set. The basics will be polishing your skills at the clinic. And for subjugation requests, you’ll go with me—or with someone else you can really trust. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, please take care of me."

Rachel might be fine on her own, but Jin still couldn’t help worrying about her going outside the city alone—though he conveniently set aside the fact that he did it himself.

"As for helping out at the clinic, it might actually be possible to take it on as a request. I’m also affiliated with the temple, so I’ll need to ask, but if it’s recognized as a request, it’ll also add to the total number of completed commissions."

"Yeah. You should try asking about it next time."

Seeing how Rachel was thinking things through properly, Jin became certain: what she really lacked was just experience. He remembered how, back when he first started working as an adult, he too had simply followed orders without thinking. With experienced seniors above him, he unconsciously relied on them, often asking before even trying to think for himself. Of course, that often worked out fine—but it also made it harder to truly develop his own ability.

"Hey, Rachel. Relying on someone isn’t a bad thing. I was glad when people relied on me, after all."

Jin paused there, giving her a warm smile.

"But before you go asking someone else, I think it’s important to at least try thinking things through on your own first. I said this before, right? There’s no such thing as a perfect person. That means even they can be wrong. Consulting someone isn’t about blindly following what they say—it’s about listening to their opinion and then deciding for yourself."

"Yes. Thank you, Jin-san."

Jin nodded with a smile. Words like these could so easily come off as lecturing, something people rarely took to heart. The fact that Rachel listened so earnestly made him feel grateful instead.

"By the way, Rachel, do you have anyone you look up to? If you do, asking for their guidance could be a good option too."

"Oh, I do. Ufufu. Yes, I suppose I should go and… 'consult' with them."

It was only after Jin pointed it out that she seemed to realize it. Maybe that struck her as amusing, because Rachel deliberately emphasized the word "consult," a playful glint in her eye as she laughed.

"Yeah, make sure you really do 'consult' them."

Jin replied in kind, smiling back at her.

After that, it was Jin’s turn to ask Rachel about healing magic. The basics were the same as elemental magic—magic script was required—but she told him that books at the temple could be accessed for study.

Jin decided that next time, he’d properly visit the temple and organize those magic characters in detail. Even if he could use non-attribute magic, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon the allure—the romance—of other types of magic.

And so, Jin continued to throw himself wholeheartedly into what he could do, enjoying it all the while. Today too, he spent another fulfilling day.

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