ch161-ch180 · 171-ch171

Chapter 171: Mia-chan and Nacchan

"So she's Bear Ossan's daughter? Bwahaha, doesn't look a thing like him. Well, good for her, I guess."

Once I'd given the two of them a quick rundown, Mia-san burst out laughing.

Well, she really doesn't look like him, and I suppose that part's a relief...

Rude, though.

"Hmm. They were getting along so well, too... People really are impossible to read. And since this time it's completely Nacchan's papa in the wrong, I'm afraid even I can't be much help."

Apparently Shiraishi-san has known about the Aikawa parent-child pair for a while now.

So the two of them were coming to the Chiba Dungeon together to level up...

Thinking about how all that fell apart in a single day leaves me with complicated feelings.

If even Shiraishi-san can't help, reconciliation seems hopeless...

Tricking her into staying together clearly isn't going to turn things in a good direction.

"Well, I get the situation. Feel free to use this place as you like. There's a kitchen and a toilet, so isn't this comfier than the warehouse? The opening's still a month out, so you can crash here till then if you want."

"Th-thank you very much. I may borrow the kitchen now and then. I look forward to working with you."

Aikawa bows deeply.

The way she put that, she's still planning to sleep at the warehouse, huh.

Is Aikawa actually pretty shy?

No hesitation with us, but she's being all careful around Kasumi-san and Mia-san.

Well, it's their first meeting. Can't blame her...

"Dungeons are kind of the last refuge for runaway girls, y'know. There's a fair few at headquarters too. Some give up on finding a party and just vanish, but Aikawa got lucky with you two... Wait, no—did she get lucky? Soushi aside, isn't tagging along with Haruki actually more dangerous? ...Soushi, what level are you at now?"

How rude.

What is that supposed to mean?

We don't do surprises anymore, so it's fine, you know?

"Level 11."

"See! Kasumi-san, I told you to keep an eye on him, didn't I! Sending him to school and THIS is what comes of it—that is not normal!"

"Is it not? I did think it a little fast, but considering those two's skills, I judged this much to be reasonable..."

Exactly—if anything, that's slow, isn't it?

"Mia-chan, boys want to raise their levels, you know. Isn't this about average? The little boy was taking down Minotaurs after three days or so?"

"Da—ka—ra—. I'm telling you, if you put Soushi or Aikawa up against Haruki's pace, they'll DIE! Haruki is the weird one! A normal person cannot solo a Minotaur without a Job!"

"Huh? But Kasumi-san said it was fine now and told me to go?"

"...That was Friday, was it not? The instruction was to raise your level properly through Sunday and only then make your attempt. Nobody could possibly have imagined you would go to our house that very day."

She told me to go while it was still bright out, and by the "use 【Gate】 and you arrive while it's still bright" theory, I just went straight there.

"I remember that day so well. The first time Watanabe-san fought alongside the little boy, yes? That's when she fell for him, wasn't it? 'Kyaa, I'm smiling at this little boy thrusting so straight and single-mindedly~' Oh my, Watanabe-san, really now—"

And Shiraishi-san starts reenacting it with full gestures.

She watches way too closely...

"S-st Stop it, Shiraishi-san! I will get angry!"

My, my. Kasumi-san, you're bright red.

Adorable.

So that's when it happened, huh.

Mfufu.

"Huh? Soushi, your birthday was Monday, right? So you hit my level in one week?"

"That's right? When's your birthday, Aikawa?"

"Mine's July 1st. So it took me a month? Not every day, and there was the test period, but I think I came fairly often. You were at school except Monday, right? How did you manage it?"

She probably wasn't entering the dungeon alone, so it must've only been when the ossan was free. Even so, a month is pretty fast for her too, I'd say.

We were fast because our skills cut out all the travel time, and it was almost entirely Soushi doing the fighting.

Wait, though—she said test period?

So she really wasn't studying after all...

Is she going to be okay on makeup classes?

"See? But a month for a high schooler is already freakishly fast. Word is you can't manage it outside summer break."

"Then since summer break starts now—I'll be Double-Rank by the time it ends."

Assuming Aikawa doesn't have makeup classes, anyway.

There's a good goal set.

Though judging by Mia-san's reaction, maybe I shouldn't file the Double-Rank promotion paperwork?

Standing out is bad, after all.

"Da—ka—ra—. That's exactly what's wrong! It takes a YEAR! To reach Double! I keep telling you, you'll DIE trying that! Kasumi-san, are you listening?!"

"Ah, my apologies. I am listening, I assure you. I believed they would be safe through Floor 10, and thought to accompany them once they had gained their Jobs. However, I cannot be there often yet, so I would like to ask Mia-san to help supervise as well."

"Moga moga. Nnn!"

Kasumi-san answers while clamping Shiraishi-san's mouth shut.

She's got her body held down too, so no gesturing either.

"That's fine by me. By all means. Also, the reason Soushi levels so fast is Mia-san's weapons, you know. He can take on five hobgoblins at once with ease now."

"Oh, I saw that fight too. So those were weapons Mia-san made? The sharpness was incredible."

"That's right. All thanks to Mia-san. Thank you very much."

On the way here, we had told Aikawa that Mia-san is a 【Blacksmith】.

We'd warned her that even though Mia-san is small and looks like a child, she is a proper adult woman, so to be polite—and Aikawa's been speaking to her in respectful language from the start.

"Eh? Really? Heh. Well, glad it was useful, then. Right, right. Well, we did promise to dive together sometime anyway. Once you two have your Jobs, I'll come along and keep an eye on Haruki."

"Ore," huh? She folds the moment you praise her, you know?

Weird. She's supposed to be a grown woman...

But this works out nicely.

I was planning to work on Shiraishi-san's leveling too.

Maybe I'll have her help carry golems back from Floor 31?

I can't manage it, but could Mia-san?

Could she handle the iron golems too?

Well, first come Soushi and Aikawa—the two of them and their Jobs.

"Ah, about my kitchen knife—the handle really ought to be a bit longer, I think."

"A splendid idea."

"Yeah, I made it short because I figured it couldn't be enhanced if the handle was too long, but it seems like longer would be fine?"

"As always, it's only the blade part that enhances. So I thought a longer one might work after all."

Soushi nods along.

A longer one IS easier to use, then?

The rental spear was easier to handle but produced no real power—that's what it comes down to, huh.

He's well on his way to becoming a spear user.

"Hmm. Bring it here a sec. Show me Aikawa's weapon too."

"Nnn, nnn. Moga moga."

And please let go of that side soon...

︙

︙

"This is the Sword Saint model!"

"Ah."

At Mia-san's voice, Aikawa's head droops.

'Sword Saint model' means a sword shaped like the one 'Sword Saint-chan' wields.

It hasn't been 【Named】, so its performance should fall far short—but the price should still be steep.

"Now that you mention it, that's exactly the shape it was."

The blade pressed to my throat back then was without a doubt this very sword.

"Mia-san, would you make me a new weapon? I can't use that one anymore."

"Hm? Well, the current me could forge something better than that, so I don't mind. Can I ask why?"

"Because I didn't buy it with my own money. My father bought it for me, so I can't use it anymore."

That 'Sword Saint model' is an intermediate-to-advanced weapon, something you could use normally all the way to Floor 30.

It must cost as much as swapping out a cheap car.

Not something a high schooler can buy.

"I see... Making you a weapon is fine. But you keep this sword, properly. Going by what you said, you did ALL the housework alone, right? Then this sword is your rightful payment. Leaving every last chore to a young girl—I can't believe it. You never did clubs or hung out with friends or anything, did you? Then this doesn't cover it—not remotely. A normal parent would hire a housekeeper or whatever and let their kid be a kid, dammit! That stupid Bear Ossan! You're raking it in, aren't you?!"

"Um, that's... I didn't want to let strangers into the house..."

"Doesn't matter! Making a kid wear that face... All right! That payment isn't nearly enough, so tomorrow we're going to fetch the rest. We're going to your house and bringing back every last thing of yours, Natsuki. Soushi, you can come along, right?"

"Eh? Ah, yes."

"Eh? Eh?"

How did this turn into something huge?

"If Kasumi-san and Haruki aren't around, I can put the freeloaders loitering at my shop to use. Perfect timing—I've been trying to get those guys to clear out. Some of them are runaway girls too, so they'll help gladly. And they've got money to burn, so a few of 'em probably have cars. Good, good."

"If it's tomorrow, we can come too. It's an errand for my mother, so another day would be fine as well."

It clashes with the date plans, but there's Sunday too, and honestly Aikawa worries me more.

"Absolutely not. Harue-san has been looking SO forward to it. Considering what's to come, absolutely not. We'll leave Nacchan to Mia-chan, yes? I would love to go myself, but my 【Healer】 bookings are packed all weekend, you see—"

How does she know my mother was looking forward to it?

Also—want to go where, exactly?

"I'm very sorry, Aikawa-san. This weekend alone is something I can't get out of. Mia-san, Natsukawa-san, I'm truly sorry."

Hmm.

Mia-san also seems a little worrying, but I'll leave it to Soushi.

Good luck, buddy.

"Um, you really don't have to go that far..."

A perfectly natural reaction, but if they're offering, just leave it to them.

She'll be needing things from now on, so bringing everything she needs is for the best.

"What are you saying? You're leaving home, right? Show me some resolve. Once your Job's decided, I'll forge a new weapon to match—till then, you use that sword. No, actually, why don't I just reforge that sword into a spear? That'd satisfy Kasumi-san too, right? Hah hah hah!"

"A wonderful idea."

I see. The Spear King model.