Chapter 32: The Cowardly hero

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"The selection of the system hasn't appeared for a long time; is it finally going to open again today?"

Jason turned his head and saw Motoyasu walking slowly with a smile on his face, surrounded by a group of female adventurers.

At this moment, Motoyasu's equipment was so different from before that even a fool could tell it was the absolute best. Unlike the iron equipment of the past, the armor he wore seemed to exude a faint silver light, clearly infused with magic.

Underneath the armor, he wore a red dress that appeared to have a certain magical effect, and an extra chain armor was nestled between the armor and the clothing, making his defenses nearly impregnable. Even the long spear in his hand seemed to have grown sharper; the spearhead glinted coldly, not to be ignored.

In many ways, Motoyasu was a successful time traveler, at least with so many beautiful women supporting him.

However, the high-spirited Motoyasu felt uneasy under Jason's intense gaze, causing him to take an involuntary step back.

"Hey, hey, hey… Jason… I... I warn you, don't look at me like that!" Motoyasu stammered, resembling a mouse encountering a cat.

The last time he clashed with Jason, he had been blasted into the sky and spent seven days recovering from a concussion that left his head spinning. The jaw injury from that encounter made him live on porridge for half a month.

Recalling his miserable state, Motoyasu couldn't help but shiver.

"Don't be so vigilant; I won't eat you again!" Jason remarked, surprised that Motoyasu would be so frightened of him, shrugging helplessly.

"Are you sure you won't do anything to me?" Motoyasu's Adam's apple bobbed as he asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"What do you mean I did something to you? You've always been the one causing me trouble! Isn't that justified self-defense?" Jason's voice was a bit louder, making Motoyasu think he was about to rush over to beat him, causing him to instinctively back away a few steps in fright.

"Master Motoyasu, what is there to be afraid of? You've become stronger now. As the saying goes, you're not what you used to be. Just look at Jason—he doesn't even have a piece of armor, and his clothes are tattered. How can he compare to you?"

The speaker was none other than Myne, casting undisguised contempt and disdain toward Jason.

Myne always stayed by Motoyasu's side because he had a simple mind and was easier to manipulate. It's impossible to "treat people as gunmen" in this world; that's how he evolved.

Upon hearing Myne's words, Motoyasu truly shed his earlier timidity and fear, swelling with pride as he thought: Yes, I'm no longer the old me. Now I'm so strong that I shouldn't fear Jason.

"Jason, look at you! You've been really unlucky lately, haven't you? Could it be that you can't find a companion, and instead have been chased around the world by monsters during leveling? Ha ha..."

Once confidence returned, Motoyasu began to strut about.

Despite Motoyasu's ridicule, Jason didn't feel angry; instead, he sighed internally: Is this guy truly mentally challenged, or is Myne the one spurring this on?

Although Jason didn't feel anger, Raphtalia—who meant the world to him—would not remain idle.

After a few quick strides, she rushed in front of Motoyasu, a cold glint flashing from her hands as her sword cut toward his head with lightning speed.

Under Jason's rigorous training, Raphtalia showed no mercy to her enemies, striking for a fatal blow right from the start.

Had this been the previous Motoyasu, his head might have been severed before he even grasped what was happening.

However, the present Motoyasu had indeed changed—he had grown much stronger. After all, he was once just a kid who had never even held a weapon.

Feeling the imminent sense of crisis, Motoyasu raised the holy spear in hand and thrust it upright in front of himself.

"When~~~"

The clash between the sword and spear rang out with a crisp metallic sound, sparks flying at the point of impact.

Though Motoyasu managed to block the strike, he slid back 2 or 3 meters, his eyes wide with astonishment. "So strong!"

"Who are you?"

"How dare you attack Master Motoyasu!"

"Don't die?"

At that moment, the female adventurers trailing Motoyasu and Myne stepped forward, shouting as they formed a protective barrier, resembling old hens guarding their chicks.

Facing this fierce crowd, Raphtalia showed no signs of fear. She stood firm, her sword held horizontally, a fierce murderous aura radiating from her without restraint. "We don't care who you are; anyone who insults Lord Jason will die!"

The female adventurers, including Myne, frowned at the display. "Such murderous intent; this one isn't easy to deal with."

Jason recognized that, despite Raphtalia's current strength, she would have difficulty facing so many opponents. Just as he prepared to step in and assist her, a voice echoed in his mind:

"Ding! Please choose."

"1: Help Raphtalia escape danger; reward: double experience card for 6 hours."

"2: Help Raphtalia escape danger and severely punish Motoyasu and his followers; reward: 1% completion of Garp's template."

"3: Don't assist Raphtalia. If she can defeat Motoyasu, will be rewarded with 2% completion of the Garp template. If she cannot, there will be no reward."

The familiar voice of the system chimed in once again.

Jason didn't feel excited; instead, he fell into deep contemplation. The first and second options seemed straightforward for him to accomplish, but option three presented a hint of risk.

"Forget it, I'll choose option three. If Raphtalia finds herself in true danger, I can step in then. After all, if it fails, there's just no reward."

With that decision made, Jason remained still, deciding not to intervene.

As the tension between Raphtalia and the female adventurers escalated, it seemed as though a battle was on the brink of erupting. Suddenly, a voice broke through the standoff.

"Wait... this beautiful lady, I think there's been a misunderstanding between us."

Motoyasu wore the most charming smile, approaching Raphtalia with measured steps.

"Misunderstanding?" Raphtalia frowned, skepticism creeping into her tone.

"Yes, all of this is a misunderstanding. First of all, please allow me to introduce myself. I am one of the four heroes summoned from another world. My name is Kitamura Motoyasu. I hope to receive your guidance in the future!"

As he spoke, Motoyasu lowered his head and reached out, attempting to take Raphtalia's hand for a gentlemanly gesture—a kiss on the hand.

Witnessing this scene, Jason let out a sigh of relief. He was confident that Raphtalia would never be charmed by Motoyasu, and that this selection task should be successfully completed.

He had already shared his thoughts about Motoyasu with Raphtalia, expressing that he was not a good person. Jason had described him as a complete hooligan—someone who constantly thought with his lower half, resulting in low intelligence. To him, Motoyasu was the epitome of societal scum—a waste of resources who should not even exist.

Though Jason had never met Motoyasu in person, in Raphtalia's eyes, he was already an unequivocal scoundrel—an irredeemably harmful presence to society.

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