ch101-ch120 · 108-ch108

Chapter 108: The Big Cleanup

"There's dust building up here, ssu. Redo it, ssu."

The newbie spares no glance in spotting dust left on a small ledge of the wall and orders me to keep cleaning.

(Grrrgh. Patience. Patience.)

It's been about a week since we caught Umemoto.

Despite a catastrophe in which more than ten people died, both HQ and the Chiba Dungeon were reopened the very next morning.

Dungeons are infrastructure.

Magic-stone power generation currently supplies over sixty percent of Japan's electricity.

The HQ dungeon accounts for an especially large share—if it stopped, the losses would reach into the hundred-millions within a single day.

And it isn't just electricity—the materials from the Golems that appear in the 30s floors, too.

There are iron and copper Golems, and rare ones of silver or gold.

Those are worth serious money as well.

(So in the end, it all comes down to money?)

As for what I'm doing right now: cleaning the Chiba branch.

That day, the branch manager wasn't angry that I'd entered the dungeon—but slipping through the ticket gate without a license became the problem.

Apparently, while checking the security footage of Umemoto entering the dungeon to hand over to the police, they found footage of Hiramatsu-san opening the ticket gate and letting me in.

The branch manager did say 'Go, Haruki,' too, so part of me says they're equally guilty...

And so, one thing led to another, and Hiramatsu-san was ordered to clean the branch.

Which is why I decided to help him out.

We're wiping down the entire branch over several days, and since there are areas an outsider like me can't enter alone, a supervisor is assigned.

"Get to it, sharpish, ssu."

Today the newbie is the supervisor.

For the record, Hiramatsu-san is cleaning deeper inside the dungeon.

Yesterday Endo-san was the supervisor, and Hiramatsu-san was green with envy.

In practice, she didn't shadow him around tearing his cleaning apart the way the newbie does—she'd just point him somewhere and drop by when time was up...

(I got way too into it yesterday and finished ahead of schedule, after all.)

Kasumi-san is busy.

All week, weekends included, she's been called away for interrogations or questioning and hasn't worked at the branch.

Today's plan is to keep cleaning until she's back.

Then the phone rings with an update.

"From Kasumi-san, ssu. She's left HQ, ssu."

Apparently she had questioning with the Association today, and she's on her way back to Chiba now.

"Th-the cleaning can wrap up now, ssu. I'll put out snacks, ssu, so have a seat and wait for Watanabe-san. Man, the branch is spotless thanks to you, Kasugano-san, ssu!"

Among adventurers, Kasumi-san is well on her way to being the person of the hour.

Whether out of the Association's wishes or not, the TV only reports her as "an Association employee," but every single day adventurers calling themselves her fans come looking for her.

Right now she's away for questioning and not working, but she told me, looking a little wistful, that at this rate she probably won't be able to return to reception duty.

The press keeps coming nonstop too—apparently the interview requests are overwhelming.

With more people coming to the Chiba Dungeon, Hayashi-san is all smiles.

Tomorrow Hayashi-san is supervising, so I'll be all smiles too. Kasumi-san, less so.

"Now, now, I'll bring tea, ssu, so sit at Watanabe-san's desk and wait, ssu."

As for why the newbie is this terrified: I'd wager it's because she's watched Kasumi-san and me spar these past few days.

This past week, I haven't gone deep into the dungeon.

Kasumi-san is holding my license, and the most I do is step onto Floor 1 to spar with her when she gets back.

Though "spar" is generous—it's really just me getting pummeled, one-sidedly...

She seems to have built up quite a lot of stress, but after each session she's beaming ear to ear—which in turn scares the newbie all the more, apparently.

"Oh my? Little boy, is the cleaning done for today? Big sis is heading home now—do try not to get hurt, okay?"

It's Shiraishi-san.

Past five already, huh...

"Ah, Shiraishi-san, ssu! It's that late already, ssu? I have reception duty in the dungeon, ssu. Gotta run, ssu!"

The newbie dashes off.

Is there no rule against running in the branch hallways?

So tonight's dungeon counter is the black-gal-plus-newbie pair, then...

Will they be all right?

"Sorry I'm late."

Kasumi-san has returned.

"Welcome back, Kasumi-san. I just happened to finish cleaning and was taking a break myself."

(Had I, in fact, nailed the timing perfectly?)

"Honestly, Watanabe-san. They were out in force again today. Your fans. Little boy, you can't afford to dawdle, you know."

What do you mean, dawdle?

"I'm very sorry. It looks like it will continue for some time. I won't be able to appear at the counter in the meantime either, so I leave things in your hands."

"True enough. At this rate you'll be on back-room duty until you leave to get married. Anyway, I'm off—this is me gone. And don't hammer on him too hard. If he gets any dumber, we're in trouble. Go easy, hm?"

Leaving that unnecessary remark behind her, Shiraishi-san heads home.

"L-leaving to get married...? A-anyway, shall we move to the dungeon as well? Before I get changed, please stand witness for today's session too."

Since there was a car ferrying her to and from Association HQ, it seems she'd gone in her Association uniform.

Not what I'd call sparring attire—can you move easily in that uniform?

Well, I'm in my school uniform too, to be fair.

"Please."

We move into the dungeon, and the sparring begins.

We do it behind the Association building.

At first we used the front of the warehouse, but the noise started drawing a crowd.

That was fine back when hardly anyone ever came by, but lately adventurers have been coming to Chiba hoping to catch Kasumi-san, and word getting out about the warehouse would be a problem—so this is where we do it now.

"Ahh, boy."

There's already a gallery waiting behind the Association building.

"Minding them won't accomplish anything, will it. Let's begin."

Today as ever I get pummeled black and blue, and it ends the usual way: Kasumi-san's mop snapping the competitive naginata I'm holding.