ch161-ch180 · 177-ch177
Chapter 177: I Could Not Protect Your Daughter
No school, even though it's Monday!
Summer break is officially here.
Bright and early in the morning—much to the neighbors' dismay—I'm tending a bonfire.
"Bonfire" is generous. It's a really, really small fire.
Here's what this is: after coming home yesterday, I cleaned my room, and now we're burning everything I can't let Kasumi-san see.
Apparently burning things in the dungeon makes a 【Fire Mage】 job appear, but bringing these things INTO the dungeon would defeat the whole purpose if Kasumi-san found them, so that idea's out.
Specifically: photos of the Goddess.
For some reason, Ota and the rest of the photography club keep giving me Goddess photos, so I'd amassed quite a collection.
Judging by the words alone, "burning photos of the Goddess" is less a bonfire and more a proper memorial burning.
"I cleaned out my computer last night too. Now Kasumi-san can come over whenever—no problems at all."
Well, she's actually coming tomorrow before noon.
I deleted everything 'Blue Ocean'-related from my browser history and unfollowed them too.
So it doesn't look unnatural, I stuffed the history full of old 'Red Shadow' videos. Flawless.
As of now, I am a person who has never once watched a 'Sword Saint-chan' video.
"Haruki—come move the fridge—"
It's my mother.
The area behind a fridge gets pretty gross, you know.
I absolutely cannot let Kasumi-san see that...
And after we paid for delivery, installation, AND haul-away at the electronics store, too.
Can I even move it?
"An adventurer's just an ordinary person once they leave the dungeon, you know?"
In the end, the fridge got moved—barely—by me and my mother together.
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Fridge moved, all that's left is cleaning, so my services are no longer required.
Which is how I've come to the dungeon.
Diving first thing in the morning—is that even allowed?
"Good morning, Haruki-san."
Getting to see Kasumi-san first thing in the morning: totally allowed.
Yesterday I properly said my goodbyes to her parents before leaving.
I let the two bewildered of them know that 'Sword Saint-chan' and I are not on good terms, so they'll be careful from now on.
...I need to be careful too, I suppose.
Surely she wouldn't get angry just because SOMEONE ELSE watched a 'Sword Saint-chan' video?
Maybe the only forbidden viewers are me and Father-in-law.
"Good morning, Kasumi-san."
"The two of them are already waiting for you."
Soushi's here already too, it seems.
A few words exchanged with Kasumi-san, and we head into the dungeon.
We talked plenty on the phone last night after I got home, so today's just the light check-ins—today's plans and such.
"Off we go, then."
"Take care, you two."
Kasumi-san works surface duty in the mornings and isn't too busy, but she naturally can't come into the dungeon with us.
About once a week she enters in the morning under the banner of training, but even then she's got the newbie receptionist to educate, so joining us is out of the question.
The only time we can adventure together is after her counter work ends at 5 PM, and dungeon diving after a full workday is rough to do every day.
Which really makes you appreciate—adventurers with day jobs truly only get weekends.
"Oh? There he is."
"Haru-kun, you're late."
By the time I reach the warehouse, the two of them are in armor and ready to go.
Sorry, sorry—I had some fire to deal with, and various things.
Can't let my guard down until it's burned out completely, you know.
Farewell, my youth.
"My bad, my bad. Soushi, new armor, huh."
Until now, Soushi had been wearing my old armor, but today he's in a set I've never seen.
The one he'd ordered from Mia-san ages ago—apparently it got finished over the weekend.
Well, "never seen" is a stretch; it's built from the same Orc General armor, so the design is near-identical.
Mine has leather at the elbows and knees to keep it silent, while his is proper solid iron throughout.
Thankfully, Mia-san was thoughtful about the helmet—it's a different model.
Soushi's helmet leaves his mouth exposed even with the visor down.
Eyes protected, but easy to breathe in.
Matching helmets would be a spec that delights Souma-san, so I'm relieved it isn't one.
"We've decided to date."
Soushi abruptly announces this.
"Eh? Why do I have to date you?"
No, no—you save that Souma-san-pleasing material for when she's actually present...
And deciding to date someone without their consent—what kind of high-and-mighty protagonist are you?
That stuff belongs inside manga and nowhere else.
"Not with YOU. With Aikawa. Me and Aikawa! We've decided to date."
"That's how it is. Pleasure working with you."
"Pi."
"Pi?"
Pyeeee—
Both of them tilt their heads.
I'M the one who wants to tilt my head here!
I was so shocked the initial "pi" just fell out of my mouth.
My sincerest apologies, Bear Ossan.
I could not protect your daughter...
No, wait—it's only been TWO days?
Left unattended for two little days, and THIS happens?
Dungeon—no, Mia-san, what were you doing?!
Stopping this sort of thing is an adult's JOB, you know!
"We talked it over last night, and we've picked our Jobs too. Let's get moving! We'll make it to Floor 10 by lunch, maybe?"
"Your Jobs can be whatever at this point. What on earth possessed you to go for Soushi?"
"It's NOT whatever. I thought about it really hard, you know."
Going by Aikawa's tone, she hasn't been told about my special skill...
Special skills... the culprit here is 【Cooking】, isn't it.
"What on earth did you feed her?"
"Nothing weird! She said she wanted corn soup again, so I baked bread to go with it, and we went shopping together for food to keep on hand, and, um... we ended up dating."
Unforgivable! He leveraged the taste of her memories!
And somehow I'M buying food for two now, is that it?
No sleepovers! Not allowed!
The dungeon may allow it, but I do NOT!
"【Cooking】 is amazing, right? Maybe I'll have Soushi handle every meal from now on?"
The 【Cooking】 skill is terrifying.