ch121-ch140 · 129-ch129

Chapter 129: I Can't Say It, So Take the Hint

It took a while, but we've broken through Floor 27.

As usual, we're gathering magic stones in front of the 'Gate to Floor 28'.

Kasumi-san seems to have gotten over her bad mood.

She's stopped caring about turns entirely—slashing sideways at Forest Ogres right in front of me—and at some point started counting her kills.

Her count came out higher than mine, so she seems satisfied.

Honestly, didn't this person just want to fight?

"Haruki-san!"

No, no, no, it isn't.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

That's an angry voice.

"Why did you crush the magic stones? Did you hate losing that much?"

Ah, the stones.

You didn't say anything on the last floor, so I figured it was fine...

From the next floor on, I won't crush stones in front of the 'Gates'.

"There's no winning or losing by kill count, you know?"

"Sore losing, are we?"

Ohh? So you want to see my real power?

"Kidding, kidding! I'm not angry at all. We're about done picking up anyway, so let's take our lunch break."

Mmm-mmm-mmm, isn't she in a bit too good a mood now?

She's cute, so I'll forgive her.

Besides, I want to eat that bento too.

Dungeon date, here we go—

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"Today, instead of sandwiches, I tried my hand at hamburgers."

Past the deeper floors, you never know when monsters might pop, so we're having lunch at the warehouse.

"That must have been even more work... It looks delicious."

"I had hamburger steak ingredients left over from the day before yesterday, so it really wasn't much. You said you liked hamburger steak back then, so I thought today this would be nice... It's a shame the fries have gone cold. I'd like to get a microwave in here as well."

The warehouse still has no appliances.

I can't go shopping this week with Mia-san's Triple-Rank promotion, but what about next weekend?

Although with the refrigerator-present situation at my house, one of those days will have to be with my mother along...

Can that even be called a date?

Huh? Soushi's leveling?

Need you even ask which matters more?

Next week summer break starts anyway, so his can happen on days other than the weekend, no problem.

"That's not all—we need a water supply too. And the toilet. What are you going to do about tonight?"

Strictly speaking, Kasumi-san is supposed to be deep in the dungeon, so after lunch she shouldn't be showing herself around.

The Association toilet is the closest, but she'd better not use that one.

The nearby shops have nothing at night but the convenience store, and the staff would see her...

Then there's the park by the 'Gate to Floor 2', with its toilet—but that's a good five minutes away.

"Under the pretext of viewing Mia-san's prospective shop, I borrowed the card key to a shop nearby that has running water. Endo-san refilled the water tank, so we're good for a week."

Abuse of official authority, of all things.

Well, that's nothing new for her, but...

If Endo-san refilled the tank, that makes her a 【Water Mage】...

Apparently Endo-san used to be an adventurer.

A 【Water Mage】 earns more working Floor 1 than adventuring, they say.

No danger, either, and the Association would be steady work.

"If we simply say Shiraishi-san forgot to return the key, no one will think twice about it."

So that sort of thing happens a lot, huh.

It's supposed to be a two-day stay—Friday and Saturday...

Ah, was bringing up toilets right before a meal a mistake?

"This one is cheese, and this one is teriyaki-style. Please, dig in."

Two varieties. That really is a lot of effort.

"Thanks for the food."

Happiness in burger form, hamburger steak included.

It's delicious.

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"【Gate】."

Lunch break over, gear squared away, I put out my 'Right Gate' to head back to Floor 28.

Two floors to go, and today's work is done.

Then tomorrow, we clear Floor 30 with Mia-san.

Just as I'm about to step into the 'Right Gate', Kasumi-san stops me.

"Um... I have a request..."

"What would that be?"

Ask me anything—as thanks for that delicious bento.

"When we reach Floor 30, I want you to let me fight the Ogre King alone."

"Um, sure, that's fine...?"

I thought we wouldn't be fighting on Floor 30 today, but apparently Kasumi-san wants to.

Is she really a Berserker after all?

"I want to know how well I can fight the Ogre King. And I want you to watch me do it, Haruki-san. To see just how strong I am..."

Even if I tell her I already know exactly how strong she is, it won't convince her, huh...

Then my job is keeping the attendant Forest Ogres away from her, and...

"All right. I'll be watching properly. Show me something cool, okay?"

"Yes!"

She's really fired up.

But first we have two more floors to clear.

"Is there anything else you'd like to do? Anything at all."

Maybe Kasumi-san has been holding back all this time.

She makes me lunch, she tries to protect me out in the field.

If there's something I can do for her, I want to do it.

"A-anything at all?"

"Kasumi-san, aren't you holding back with me? I'm always grateful to you. I wanted to give some of it back, and today it's all been falling flat..."

"Haruki-san... truly anything? Um, well, then... no, never mind..."

Isn't this one of those 'can't say it, so take the hint' moments?

The mood is actually kind of nice here...

'That much luggage, really? Isn't it heavy? Shall big sister carry it for you?'

'It's three days' worth, isn't it? That's normal? I mean, the people coming to Chiba carry about this much too, right?'

Ah...

We got into our lunch break late, so Mia-san and Shiraishi-san are already on their way.

But there's still distance between us...

Will we make it?

"Um... Haruki-san, I can hear them too. So, um, let's go before Mia-san arrives..."

Yeah, figured as much—

Unlike with the newbie receptionist that time, Kasumi-san is a high-rank job holder now.

And not just any high-rank job—【Spear King】, one of the strongest among combat-type high-rank jobs, stat for stat.

If I mistimed it, Mia-san might end up going up like a firework.

Let's give up on today too.

The two of us dive into the 'Right Gate' and close it up.

"Heeey, Kasumi-saaan. Huh? Was that my imagination? I could've sworn I heard voices..."

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"What on earth were you thinking?! That is plain cheating. This floor is my win as well, you know!"

As a continuation of that earlier request, we'd decided to make Floors 28 and 29 a contest too.

Floor 27 was Kasumi-san's win, with two rounds left to play.

"No, no—let's call this floor a draw and say the winner of Floor 29 wins it all."

"Then that works out exactly the same as you winning!"

Ah, she saw through it.

"Now, now, I won't do it again. Please calm down."

"Of course I won't! That was outright criminal behavior! Never do it again!"

"Eh? But you took care of them yourself, didn't you?"

The contest got underway, and Kasumi-san was pressing ahead in the lead.

I figured I'd turn it around at the end—but we slaughtered nearly every Forest Ogre before reaching the 'Gate to Floor 29', and no more came at us.

I couldn't make my comeback...

So, well, I pushed a little past the 'Gate to Floor 29' and dragged some Forest Ogres back over... and now I'm being scolded.

I did figure we'd have to collect magic stones in front of the 'Gate to Floor 29' anyway, so it'd be fine...

At least I didn't crush the magic stones this time.

"Making someone feel they are in danger is absolutely unacceptable! Besides, the rule was that we never separate—the moment you ran off, you lost, Haruki-san."

"Understood. I'll take the loss for this floor, so for Floor 29, let's say the winner takes ten points."

"I will be very angry, you know?"

She's already angry, isn't she.