Unsurprisingly, I'm Overpowered but not the Protagonist. (1.4)

…

Consider a situation.

A man strives to find a way back home, however he is too weak to do it by himself. So, he must band together with others. Luckily, his goals coincide with many, many others. Easily, he finds people to accompany him.

Yet, even though he's weak, they're weaker.

However, that can be changed, so he chose to change them.

But, only enough to cover for his own inadequacies.

Always at their side, he guided them through the dungeon. Foolishly, he took the brunt of the work, as he always did.

With him always at their side, they were filled with false courage. A facsimile of courage. His companions never learned how dangerous the places they went into were.

And, one day, when he could not be at their side, they died.

Moron.

Dunce.

Imbecile.

That idiot of a man never considered a simple fact.

If you're handed everything in life, there's no way you can value anything.

So, without true fear, they didn't have real courage. Lacking absolute challenges, they never gained proper power.

In this world there is no 'minimum' requirement when it comes to power. There is only 'more than enough' and 'not enough.'

You live or die, depending on what you experienced, what skills you've honed, and the tools you have at your back.

In this unforgivable world, your life is in your hands, but lacking power means death.

Might is everything.

And so, Hestia's plea fell upon my ears and reminded me of that little, quaint fable.

If I protected him, made him to 'only' be a 'fine adventurer' then that would be the same as killing him with my own hands.

Not even a god's most earnest plea can change my mind about that.

…

"I refuse." Curtly, I answered Hestia. I placed the offered food aside and stood up. My mouth tasted of ash and copper. I walked past the bowing god. Cranel was still on my mind. My priorities were still in order. However, talking to his god isn't the way to go about it. I can wait. I've waited two years. One day, he'll have other Familia members for me to speak to. "I will not do it."

"Please! You're strong! Capable! You care very much about others, I know, and I'm asking you to leave them behind!" A hand, small and frail, caught onto my sleeve. Easily, I could've taken my hand away. When gods were not in their Divine Realm, they are but simple humans. Between myself and Hestia, the winner was clear. "This request is beyond selfish, but please consider protecting my only child. Bell-kun is my only family! He's all I have."

"Hestia-sama…" I didn't turn to look at Hestia. Her voice told me enough. The tremble in her tenor. Her lack of breath. If I met her gaze, my will would crumble, since I hated to see anyone weep. I couldn't muster the strength to continue walking forward further than her reach. I'd have to act against her to do that. I did not act against decent people. "…please let go of my sleeve."

"I will not. Not until you agree." Unyielding will and determination, despite the fact she was begging for my aid. "Hikigaya, you're my child's best hope of surviving." She tugged upon my sleeve, probably intending to pull me back. I stayed completely still. "Would you not wish the same if you had a child of your own? To have someone powerful looking after them, protecting them when you cannot?"

"You're asking for too much. Just like many other gods." How impossibly selfish this god is. Hestia, who believes that I help newcomers, is ever unwavering in her request. The fact that I save others from death routinely is one of the labels she placed upon me. The goddess told me herself, moments ago, that she completely believed I was a good person hiding behind pretenses. Yet, she wants me to devote all that time to a single boy. "I've heard many pleas like that. Yours is nothing special. No. Yours is the absolute worst, since you know of what I do."

"For my Bell-kun, for my child, I would risk everything." If I'd heard such a declaration from anyone else, I'd have laughed and left. However, Hestia's words gave me pause. There was no sign of sorrow or despair in her tone. I glanced upon her; there were no traces of tears. In her eyes was only undeniable will. For a moment, I wondered if this god behind me was truly sealed away. "After all my years alone, without anyone or anything, when I had nothing to offer, Bell-kun still chose to become my Familia. I will do anything to see him safe."

"…" I said nothing, I only watched the endless confidence and life in her eyes. Such fastidiousness, with no room for compromise. For what the goddess believed in and wanted, she was willing to be hated and to go to any lengths. There was only one person who I'd known with such resolve before. Someone who I hoped already went on with her undoubtedly extraordinary life. "Anything? You'll do anything for me to protect him?"

"Yes." No hesitation, consideration, or anything that would suggest a single weakness. Ha, and I thought that I had an ego. The moment I saw her face again, I knew that I'd already lost. As she spoke, pleaded, and begged… I turned against myself. I compromised. I planned around my own rules. If I could do that to others, then I most certainly can do it for myself. "I will."

"Then, I want three things." Now, at least, I won't have to wait until they managed to get another Familia member. The wait would've been a great pain. Looking into her gaze, as expected I found Hestia already ready to agree. "But, before you hear them, I want you to know that I won't be protecting him." Confusion flitted across her features, and an argument was already on her lips. I raised my hand to stop it. "I'll be teaching him, making sure he can fight. I'll stay at his side, teaching him, and learning more things to teach him."

"That is… far from what I wanted."

"Hestia-sama, adventurers who find no reason to fear the Dungeon die." Bluntly, I told my reason. I did not elaborate. This was what I wanted, anyway. I was modifying her own plan for my own sake. With this, I secured a spot by Cranel's side and three favors from a god. "The best protection I can offer is to train him and stay at his side. I will ensure that he doesn't get killed through accidents or misfortune… everything else depends on him." A stray thought entered my head, to make sure that Hestia agreed. "Hestia-sama, do you have faith in Cranel-san?"

"I…" There, my underhanded words hit the correct mark. Though Hestia was definitely doing this out of Cranel's best interest, my question made a simple logical connection that the goddess probably did not want to acknowledge. In truth, by asking me to protect him, she implied that Cranel could not be trusted with his own life. That he needed a minder. Lips pursed and mind awhirl with my implication, she broke her gaze from mine. "I… understand, Hikigaya-sensei. I will put more faith into my Bell-kun. Still, please, teach him as well as you possibly can."

"Acknowledge the cost of my aid, and I shall do so." I broke away, and she let me go without resistance. Meeting her eyes, I began to dictate terms that the goddess could not refuse. No. Would not refuse. Truly, this girl's… love for Cranel was immense. So, this is what a god is? I couldn't help but be both impressed and worried. They're far too easy to manipulate with the correct set of information. "The first is a tenth of his spoils in crystals, for as long as I'm with him, no matter how many Valis he begins to haul in."

The goddess nodded her assent, and I continued.

"The second is first claim to any items for mages we come across." Worth hundreds of thousands of Valis at least, they are the rarest of any 'gear' that people came across in the Dungeon. Parties of adventurers fell into ruin fighting over a single one. "My specialty lies in magic, they'll allow me to protect Cranel-san better."

Without hesitation, she acceded to my claim.

"And for the last…" This one, I knew would be difficult. This last demand I had for this god was the reason I was here in the first place. "I want to know what Bell Cranel's first skill is."

Surprise and shock flitted across her features.

"He grows too quickly, and learns too fast. Cranel is talented and clever, but that does not explain his growth." She broke her gaze from my own, and her eyes grew glassy with busy thought. "Hestia-sama, I swear that I will not share such a fact with others."

No response. The goddess was listening, but she was lost evaluating dangers. Hestia bit at her lip. As I suspected, Cranel had something that was dangerous. Something that would make him wanted by other Familia. People who could take Hestia's child from her.

"Hestia-sama…" Truth. This goddess can only be placated by sincerity, and she would see through my lies. I needed to give up the truth, but I couldn't say it. My truth was insane. Unbelievable. Telling the truth wasn't an option. A half-truth then. "I need… someone who I can follow into the dungeon. Cranel's growth, the reason why I followed him here, tells me that he can be that person. Already, I believe he will become great, but the same goes for many others." I hesitated. Was I making a mistake of admitting that I needed Cranel? "But if my suspicions are correct, and if he has the type of skill I believe he does, then he will stand head and shoulders above anyone else in this generation."

"…" My plea was met with silence, but the goddess slowly raised her head. The look of defeat upon her face made my stomach churn. Undoubtedly, I'd relentlessly torn at her with what she wanted for something she never wished to admit. A good person would've been placated by suspicion and the information I'd already gathered, but I needed to know. With a weak voice that made me grit my teeth, Hestia told me what I suspected, but couldn't go about without verifying. "It's called Realis Phrase…"

…

Walking away from the abandoned church, I couldn't help but be both sick and overjoyed.

In one hand, I'd just forced the most decent person I'd met since coming in this world to spill secrets about her own Familia.

In the other, I could finally begin to work towards returning home.

Realis Phrase. Rapid growth as long as strong feelings last. No matter how you looked at it, that was a skill of a Protagonist. Cranel, striving after the impossible goal of reaching the Sword Princess's side, will become impossibly strong.

Strong enough to clear the dungeon. Mighty enough to get me home.

All I needed to do was make sure that Cranel was always challenged, and that Aiz Wallenstein forever remains out of his reach.

What I had said about what I was going to do to him is true.

I had no intention of keeping Cranel safe.

There's no way Cranel could become as strong as I needed him to be, if I merely taught him.

For me to return home, I needed to both teach him and have him meet his challenges head on.

That meant that despite everything Hestia gave up, she didn't gain anything that she begged and pleaded for.

During the moments where he needed me to be at his side, the moments that Hestia wanted me to be at his side, I will not be present.

I'm far from the person anyone wanted me to be.

Even myself.