arc1 · 002-ch2

Episode 2: A Turning Point in Life

"I'm sorry, but the internal organs have sustained considerable damage. The vascular damage is particularly severe—it wouldn't be surprising if something ruptured at any moment. We'll do everything we can, but two years might be optimistic..."

After waiting about two hours in front of the hospital room, the doctor delivered the cruel reality to me.

"Huh? Y-y-you're joking, right... right?"

I was flustered by the sudden life expectancy declaration. Umi, listening beside me, pressed her lips together tightly, holding back tears. But seeing her like that, I managed to regain a little composure. I had to keep it together.

"If only you had come sooner, we could have saved her..."

The regretful look on the doctor's face told me this was no joke.

"Th-there has to be something—some way, some method, right?"

"Modern medicine can't do much. But those healing potions that are rarely brought back from dungeons—maybe..."

"C-can she be cured!? I-I-if that can cure her, I'll buy it! P-please, sell me some!"

But the doctor shook his head at my desperate plea.

"Unfortunately, ordinary healing potions probably won't have any effect. Higher-grade healing potions might offer some possibility, but this hospital doesn't stock them. To obtain them, you'd either need to ask a high-ranking adventurer or win one at auction... Either way, it would cost tens of millions of yen. Can you afford that?"

I froze at the unexpectedly high amount the doctor mentioned. Tens of millions of yen? We were barely scraping by—I wasn't even working, had no savings. There was no way we could pay that much. But that didn't mean giving up was an option either.

"I-I'll figure out the money somehow. P-please, take care of Mom."

At my baseless plea, the doctor let out a deep sigh before nodding.

"In any case, let's do everything we can. But there's no guarantee she'll last the full two years. You should try to get it as soon as possible."

Damn it, I know that—don't make the hurdle even higher. But I have no choice. Now that I know this, I can't just sit around. I have to take action immediately.

First, I headed with Umi to see Mom, who had regained consciousness.

▽▽▽

"M-Mom, I-I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

"Are you okay, Mom?"

We had decided to keep what the doctor told us a secret. We couldn't worry Mom any more than she already was. But honestly, my little sister Umi was more composed than me. Get a grip, Sota.

"What are you talking about? I'm the one who should apologize. I just got a little too tired, that's all. I'll get better and come home soon, so just wait a little, okay!"

Despite clearly looking pale, Mom was putting on a brave face. I almost broke down crying right then. But if I cried here, she might find out how serious her condition was. Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over, I told her my decision.

"I-I'm going to quit university and get a job. W-with hospital bills and everything, I can't just keep being a shut-in forever. Haha."

I forced myself to sound cheerful, smiling as I spoke. Umi was also doing her best to put on a smile.

"Huh? What's this all of a sudden? Listen to me carefully. You don't need to quit university. I never told you, but your father has been paying your tuition.

Also, I've been saving the child support money he sends every month, so use that for living expenses for a while. You know where the bankbook is, right? And where I keep my seal.

I was actually planning to give it all to you when you graduated, but... use it wisely."

I didn't know—Dad had been sending money? He'd been completely indifferent to me. Was he just paying money and feeling like he'd fulfilled his obligations? That sounds exactly like something that man would do.

I told Mom to rest up and left the hospital room. The moment I stepped out, tears burst forth like a broken dam. I looked over—Umi was the same. I won't let her die. She raised me with so much care despite how I turned out. If I don't try my hardest now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

Wiping our tears in front of the room, we left the hospital at a brisk pace.

▽▽▽

"It should be here somewhere... found it!"

As soon as I got home, I rummaged through the pull-out storage boxes inside the closet. There I found my bankbook and Mom's seal. It was already morning, but Umi hadn't slept since last night, so I let her skip school and had her sleep in her room.

"Let's see..."

I opened the bankbook, feeling a bit nervous.

"Oh, there's a decent amount in here! Let's see, one, two, three zeros—that's 1.2 million yen!"

There was a considerable sum in the bankbook. At 10,000 yen per month, that's 120,000 yen a year, 1.2 million yen over ten years. Mom really saved every single yen without using any of it. But it's nowhere near enough to buy a high-grade healing potion.

Given the situation, I need to make money by any means necessary—using my Job or whatever.

That's when I started thinking. How could I earn tens of millions of yen within two years? Working a normal job was out of the question. There's no easy business that would pay that much.

In that case, it would have to be something dungeon-related. But I can't fight. After all, my Job skill is just manipulating drones at will.

(Ugh, what should I do...)

I couldn't come up with any good ideas. A way to make money in dungeons without fighting...

While I was groaning and thinking, the computer in front of me suddenly caught my eye.

(Ah! That's it! This method might let me earn some serious money!)

I'd thought of a job that could potentially earn tens of millions in two years—being a camera operator for dungeon streamers. It's true that most high-ranking streamer parties have AI-controlled drones. But those drones come with a hefty price tag. Most parties up to the mid-level are still using rental drones.

But rental drones come with big risks. AI drones have decent zoom capabilities, but they don't have any function to dodge monster attacks. That's why they film from a distance, but that doesn't make for immersive footage—and sometimes they get unlucky and get destroyed.

Plus, some rental drones have worn out from being used over and over. It's hard for amateurs to tell which ones are in bad shape. If you end up with one of those, it could break even with normal use. And if that happens, you'd be stuck paying huge compensation fees.

That's why some parties buy a cheap drone upfront and have one of their members pilot it—but that person can't participate in combat, and you still have to split the reward with them.

I spotted an opportunity there and came up with a business idea: I'd provide the drones myself and operate them remotely for filming. Radio waves don't connect between inside and outside a dungeon, but I can control them with my skill. Remote operation should work fine.

Plus, my Job skill is manipulating drones at will. With my pro-level combat flight game skills, if I can get my hands on a high-performance drone, I should be able to film while dodging monsters.

On top of that, if they want, I could even handle the editing. There's a decent computer that Dad bought back when he was still around. The model is old, but the storage capacity isn't bad. And I've got plenty of knowledge and skills in that area.

Alright, now that I've decided, I need to get a drone ready ASAP. Fortunately, I have the money. With 1.2 million yen, I should be able to buy a pretty good drone.

I ate some cup noodles we had at home and made onigiri for Umi. Then, thinking about my plans going forward, I drifted off to sleep.

▽▽▽

"Alright, starting today, I'm being reborn. For Mom's sake, I'm going to do this!"

I woke up after noon and resolved to go out to buy a drone. But despite psyching myself up, the moment I put on my shoes and tried to step out the front door, I froze.

"You okay, Onii-chan?"

Umi called out to me with a worried look.

Yesterday I was in a panic, so I just went to the hospital as the paramedics told me to, but today is different. I have to leave the house by my own will.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about anything, Umi. I'll be back, so make sure you lock up tight and don't open the door for anyone, okay?"

"Yeah."

With trembling hands, I opened the door. Blinding light poured in, and I instinctively squinted. The moment I saw the outside, an intense urge to go back to my room hit me, but Umi's presence kept me from retreating. Moving my lead-heavy feet one step at a time, I slowly made my way outside the house.

(Once I'm actually out, it's not so bad.)

Leaving the house was painful, but once I was out, I could act surprisingly normally. Walking the path to the station, I remembered back when I'd just entered university. The scenery was the same as back then. Though nobody's walking beside me anymore.

I boarded a train and headed for the large explorer specialty shop in the city center. Back when I was a high schooler dreaming of awakening to a Job, I'd gone to scout the place with my childhood friend. Following those memories, I made my way there while avoiding crowds as much as possible.

Come to think of it, I wonder what she's doing now? She awakened to the "Twin Swordsman" Job and became an adventurer, right?

That's right—could I test whether my business idea works by trying it out with her party? If I can get my hands on a good drone, maybe I should ask her.

I got off the train and, while thinking about all this, finally reached my destination.