ch161-ch180 · 161-ch161
Chapter 161: Summer Break
Friday.
The closing ceremony wrapped up before noon, so starting tomorrow—no, you could say summer break has already begun.
"So, Soushi, when do your makeup classes start?"
"Huh? I told you, didn't I? No failing grades! Made up for the midterms and everything—no makeup classes for me."
I beg your pardon?
Apparently he studied hard so he could get his license and spend all summer living it up in the dungeon...
So he CAN buckle down on subjects he hates when it's for something he loves, huh.
And here all my tutoring never got him above a failing grade...
I wish he'd bring that same energy to everyday life.
But this creates its own problem.
If Soushi can adventure nonstop all summer... when exactly am I supposed to study?
I want weekends for dates with Kasumi-san...
Hmm.
Adventure from morning, call it quits around three, study at night? That might be the way.
"By the way, what's your summer schedule, Soushi?"
"The dungeon. What else? I was ready to camp out in there the whole time."
What a sad, sad creature, answering "the dungeon, nothing else."
Maybe I'll go easy on him today...
For the rookie adventurers heading into summer break, every branch but headquarters runs something like a leveling tour—camping around Floor 8 or so.
Floor 9 gives job-less adventurers the best EXP, but the round trip eats up three hours in total—the camp exists to turn that travel time into leveling time.
Bow-wielding hobgoblins show up on Floor 9, so normally you'd camp in front of the 'Gate to Floor 9' on Floor 8?
Some branches probably make them fight hobgoblins one-on-one on Floor 5 instead.
No need to camp on Floor 5, sure—but the experience of camping out matters for an adventurer too.
Incidentally, headquarters doesn't run one—too crowded over summer break, and even with camps going, the monsters can't keep up.
Rumor has it that over summer or winter break, if you play your cards right, you can reach Floor 30 without fighting at all...
Seems the Chiba branch runs a camp tour too, but Soushi's already Level 11.
No point in him joining.
"Then today it's bare hands for Floor 9. Once we've done a full lap, we'll see if the Minotaur shakes any new jobs loose..."
We're in front of the 'Gate to Floor 10' on Floor 9 right now.
I'm carrying Soushi's long-handled kitchen knife along with my jumonji spear.
Soushi has a shield, and a regular kitchen knife at his hip, just in case.
Oh, and he's got that wire on him too?
Even "bare-handed," he's wearing metal gauntlets, so it's not strictly bare hands.
A hobgoblin is about as strong as an adult human, but Soushi's got Level 11 stats behind him now—he should drop one one-on-one with a hand to spare...
The question is whether he can manage five-on-one.
Since I decided to be nice today, if a bow-wielder shows up, I'll take it down for him.
︙
︙
"Demon! Devil! Goddess Fanclub President!"
Soushi had already struggled plenty against multiple enemies at once even with a weapon.
He got swarmed and had a rough time of it several times—by the end it felt less like bare-handed practice and more like shield practice—and now he's finally finishing the lap, coming back toward the 'Gate to Floor 10.'
Strange, though. I saved him every time it got dicey—so why is he mad?
He's not even hurt, right?
I even confiscated the hobgoblins' weapons for him in the second half. What's his problem...
And since when is "president of the Goddess-what's-it club" an insult?
'Why did it have to be TODAY of all days!'
Hm? Did I just hear something?
"You hear that?"
'It didn't have to be today!'
"Nope. Didn't hear a thing."
Still a bit of distance.
Looks like someone's arguing in front of the 'Gate to Floor 10.'
I can hear it, but Soushi can't—stat difference, I suppose.
I put a finger to my lips at Soushi and gesture for him to hush.
'Calm down.'
'Just make this woman wait here!'
'She came all this way, and THAT'S how you talk to her?!'
'Nobody asked her to! And you're taking HER side? Unbelievable!'
【Presence Detection】 picks up three presences.
From the conversation: one man and two women...
Reeks of a love-triangle showdown.
"Someone's fighting in front of the 'Gate to Floor 10.' Let's creep up quiet and take a look."
"Huh? Is that safe?"
"That's why we're going, isn't it?"
We keep our voices down as we talk.
All three of them must be adventurers—why else would they be here?
Naturally, they're armed.
If it turns into a brawl, I'll step in.
Even if it doesn't, just knowing someone's nearby should cool them down.
We inch toward the party.
I'm not using 【Presence Concealment】.
With Soushi along we'd be spotted anyway, so me going stealth-only would look suspicious.
'I-if I'm the one at fault, I'll just go home, so...'
We're close enough to see them now.
The woman talking about going home wears a business suit-ish outfit with light leather armor over it—an odd fit for a dungeon—and carries something naginata-like.
The man beside her is an aging old-timer.
His gear is light armor over what you'd call everyday clothes—a sweatshirt and jeans. His weapon is... a club, maybe?
The other woman I can only see from behind, but she's dressed the most adventurer-like of the three.
Shield on her left arm, sword at her hip.
Both women sound young, too.
The old-timer looks past 40... he's a ladies' man?
Impressive...
"Hey, we going or not?"
Soushi nudges me as I stop dead.
It was quiet, but the old-timer noticed us.
Only the old-timer noticed. Is this guy seriously high-level?
But I've never seen him in Chiba...
I steel myself and move forward.
Talk to them, then loop around the Minotaur and pass by here a few times—they're bound to break it up...
As long as everybody chills out, that's all I need.
"Excuse meee. If you're not going in, can we head to 'Floor 10' first?"
The back-turned woman—apparently she never noticed me coming—whips around with astonishing force.
Huh? I've seen that face somewhere...
"—President?"
WHO are you calling President of the Goddess Fanclub?!
The one who spun around was my classmate, Aikawa Natsuki.