ch121-ch140 · 140-ch140

Chapter 140: The Summer Boy's Birthday

July 27th. Monday.

The rainy season had ended without my noticing, and today was cloudless, flawless sunshine.

Today is the eighteenth birthday of my classmate, Natsukawa Soushi.

Which is why I'm off school (playing hooky) at the Adventurer's Association Chiba branch to get Soushi's adventurer license registered.

"You skipped school on your birthday too, so it's fine, right?"

So he says.

Well, it's Monday. Can't be helped.

Newbie training only runs twice a day—morning and first thing after lunch—so without skipping school, he couldn't register until Saturday.

School ends Friday the 31st, and summer break begins.

The days of leveling Soushi up start now.

Hm? College entrance exam prep?

(..........)

Maybe Soushi can just grit through that one on his own?

Plan: use 【Gate】 as a taxi to the rented warehouse on Floor 1 of the Chiba Dungeon, where Kasumi-san tutors me...

A truly excellent idea, if I do say so myself.

"Good morning, Haruki-san. Natsukawa-san, I presume? I am Watanabe Kasumi. I look forward to working with you."

She had the morning off, so it wasn't the uniform—Kasumi-san in her regular clothes was waiting in the lobby.

Kasumi-san: a tall beauty in glasses, and a Triple-Rank adventurer.

The 'Umemoto Incident' let the whole world know she was 【Spear King】—she's a famous adventurer now.

(Incidentally, she is also my girlfriend.)

Kasumi-san and Soushi had laid eyes on each other once before.

Back when I didn't come home from the dungeon.

But apparently this is their first actual conversation...

"Well, how very courteous of you. I'm Natsukawa Soushi. Haruki's always in your care. The pleasure's mine—please treat me well."

Soushi answers with a crisp, formal expression.

This guy folds the moment a pretty woman talks to him.

Eh, he'll slip up soon enough. I'll leave him to it.

"Now, now—welcome, welcome, Soushi-san. Training's all ready for you. Right this way."

Hayashi-san.

Hayashi Sakura-san, the staffer in charge of newbie training at the Chiba branch. An energetic-looking beauty.

She's welcoming the party member of a high schooler who's already Double-Rank, so today she means business.

"Okaaay—!"

Soushi trots after her, delighted.

A little jealous, but I've got my own business with Kasumi-san.

First up: Floor 30, test-cutting Kasumi-san's weapon on the Ogre King.

The first work of Triple-Rank 【Master Artisan】 Mia-san.

Kasumi-san's naginata—a 40s-floor drop—reforged by Mia-san and her high-rank job.

As weapons go, what came out should be top of the line.

Nothing inferior to what the top adventurers carry, surely.

(The only weapons left to top it are the ones born of that 【Namer】's 【Naming】...)

Next we move to Floor 31 and try fighting the metal golems.

An iron golem? 【Charge・Spear】 could probably handle it. But how does everyone else take them down?

(Figuring that out included—Floor 31, with Kasumi-san.)

Then home to prepare the surprise.

Kasumi-san has awakened to the joys of surprises, and I live in constant dread these days.

(One of these days, she might spring one on me too...)

I fired the first shot, so I can't complain.

I'll accept it gracefully. No—better yet, I'll give a quality reaction...

"Haruki-san?"

"Pye."

"? Are you all right?"

︙

︙

"The Ogre King is yours. I'll draw the Forest Ogres' attention and take them down one by one."

Gear squared away, we came up to Floor 30.

The Ogre King spawns in one minute.

Last time we were here, Kasumi-san beat the Ogre King without taking a scratch.

Leaving it to her should be fine.

"Shall we take down ALL the Forest Ogres this time as well?"

".......Huh?"

Is this a surprise?

"Apparently Floor 30 Forest Ogre magic stones don't come out often, so they sell high. If anything ever comes up, handing them to Sakura should buy us all sorts of favors."

"Pye."

This one's the real deal...

"Copying Mia-san? You'll get scolded, you know?"

Now I understand exactly how Mia-san ended up the way she is.

Well—I was on the springing side of it, but still...

I didn't set foot in the dungeon at all yesterday, and my body and MP are both at full strength. No problem.

Knowing Soushi, he may have already done something to Hayashi-san today...

And if I have THESE magic stones, Hayashi-san might just save me from a branch manager lecture someday...

"...Shall we, then?"

"Yes!"

Both of us behind visors—but I could tell Kasumi-san was smiling.

She just wanted to fight. Or rather, she just wanted to see what would happen...

I turn my eye to Kasumi-san's naginata.

The blade is no longer saw-toothed—it's a proper single edge now.

Reforged with high-rank skills—no way the edge suffered for it.

The whole head sweeps in a graceful curve; even more than before, it looks less like a naginata and more like the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

That is some fine craftsmanship.

"Gogaaah—"

The boss popped.

We'd taken its rear with 【Gate】—but no cheap shot.

The Ogre King wheels around and bellows at us, and Kasumi-san charges it.

I bolt the opposite way—toward the rear—drawing the Forest Ogres' attention.

"Yah!"

Kasumi-san's first blow lands on the King's neck—a dull metallic clang. Not deep.

Even the new weapon can't fell the Ogre King in one, apparently.

"Goah!"

Wounded neck or not, the King counters without a care.

But the smashing fist is deflected off Kasumi-san and buries itself in the ground.

Then the naginata strikes the other side of its neck.

A high kiiing this time—and the cut runs deeper than the last.

"Gof!"

For an instant the King staggers—then tries to counter anyway.

But its fist cuts only empty air.

Kasumi-san, who'd given a single step, takes that step back in and hammers a slash into the same spot as the second blow.

Span! Or maybe there was no sound at all...

The Ogre King's head flies.

...A mere three strikes.

(Is it Mia-san's weapon that's terrifying... or Kasumi-san's combat skill...)

The body that stood through last time's indiscriminate hacking folds to the ground.

Cut through the steel hide once, strike the same place again, and it slices right open...

So she'd learned the trick to fighting the Ogre King in that last battle.

(The Forest Ogres haven't started howling because the Ogre King's HP isn't zero yet, huh...)

Not pulling the magic stone? I glance over at Kasumi-san—

She looks back at me once, then takes off in the opposite direction.

(Crap.)

I never thought it would end this fast—I've been so busy drawing attention I haven't killed a single one.

This is the "It's a race!" pattern.

([Charge・Spear・Agility Up] [Charge・Spear・Magic Up] [Charge・Spear・Endurance Up] [Charge・Spear・Strength Up] [Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear])

One down!

Kasumi-san's already got the Ogre King—she's at one too.

I have to take down fifty more, at least...