ch201-ch220 · 202-ch202

Chapter 202: Count Sand Golem

A correction from the author.

About the protagonist's skills—turns out he never learned 【Darkvision】.

I'd mistakenly believed he acquired it when he first went to Floor 30, but what he got then was 【Presence Detection】.

Correcting, and apologizing... the corrections will take a little while m(_ _)m

My sincere apologies.

Once again, I learned of this from a reader's comment.

You are all a tremendous help every time.

I check and reply to the comments on the latest chapter after posting the next one, so if you spot any further mistakes or contradictions, please let me know in the comments.

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"Taking a break? Very good. I'll pour some tea right away."

"No, I went up to Floor 29. That's it for today. Ah, I'll have that tea."

I'd left the 'Left Hand Gate' near the 'Gate to Floor 30', and it was still before nine in the evening.

I was back so early that Kasumi-san apparently assumed I was just resting.

"Watanabe-san, it's your tuuurn!"

Aikawa's voice drifts from the back of the shop.

We are in the middle of alibi work, so do not shout people's names at the top of your lungs.

'Hey, Nacchan, no butting in on the two of them!'

'That's right—skip Kasumi-san and it's my turn. Come on, draw.'

'Ah, Mia-san, that's not fair! You've only got one card left—if you draw from me instead of Watanabe-san, you win, don't you?'

'Then we start over. From the top, from the top!'

They're really going at it, huh.

Old maid, probably?

The one card Mia-san is holding is probably the joker.

Honestly, that Soushi—having a grand old time surrounded by the ladies, isn't he.

I'll haul him home soon enough.

"You're awfully early, aren't you? What secret trick did you use this time? Do tell."

"Trick or no trick—my shield stopped being bulky, so I went with 'Lilliputian Spears' as my only weapons. That made me much more mobile, and I reached Floor 29 with almost no fighting at all."

The jumonji spear is about two meters long, so it stands out no matter what, and it gets in the way when running.

With 【Gate】 I can take it out anytime, so this time I tried leaving it at the warehouse—and that made for a huge time saving.

"'Lilliputian Spears' only? Isn't that dangerous? Were you injured... my? Your trousers are awfully dirty, aren't they?"

"Because from Floor 25 on it was almost all crawling. Of course, when a fight did break out, I took out the jumonji spear and fought properly."

"Take it out... I see. So it WAS a secret trick after all. But 'Lilliputian Spears' alone really are too dangerous—you should probably have Mia-san make you a short spear, about a meter long, that won't get in the way. Let's ask her."

Well, if you call it a trick, it's a trick, I suppose...

A spear about a meter long could be slung across my back without getting in the way, true?

A 'Lilliputian Spear' isn't even big enough to call a walking stick—it's about the size of a vegetable stick.

In a surprise attack, it wouldn't be much use.

I was crawling right at the Forest Ogres' feet down there, so the risk of an ambush was plenty real...

"I have the Shield Gauntlet and the 'Left Eye Gate', after all. I think I'll be fine, but..."

Up to Floor 30, my stats are overflowing, and lately I've been starting to think that if I activate super mode, I could fight even bare-handed...

Maybe I should practice some hand-to-hand combat?

That said, I haven't even been training my body.

The moment I get home, I fall asleep without noticing, even mid-phone-call with Kasumi-san...

"The slightest lapse can cost you your life. Let's prepare for what we can. Here, your tea. ...Shall we have a little talk, just the two of us? After all, we can't even phone each other tonight..."

Just the two of us in front of the tiny kitchen...

We talked a bit about tomorrow and such.

Judging by the cheerful voices drifting from the back every so often, the one winning every round is Shiraishi-san, and the one losing is Mia-san.

Couldn't you two lose a little more graciously, for hospitality's sake?

No wait—maybe Mia-san is the one entertaining Shiraishi-san... nah.

Soushi and Aikawa are Level 21 already, and even Mia-san, production job or not, is Level 31.

Maybe they overheard our conversation too?

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"Sorry we can't adventure together much. We finally formed a party and all. So what's the plan on your end today?"

The next day.

Soushi and I are heading for the branch.

"No, it's the power leveling, right? You had me level up real easy, so if anything, I feel like I'm the one in your debt. Aikawa's helping at Mia-san's shop today since the moving luggage is arriving. Mia-san said it's fine because Shiraishi-san's there, but if Aikawa's doing it, I'll tag along."

Mia-san is preparing for the shop opening today, then.

She's in the middle of alibi work, so she can't show her face out front—someone has to be there to receive the luggage.

On weekends, Shiraishi-san's visitors aren't the neighborhood grandpas but booked athletes and students, so she's busy.

Lower-tier jobs—or should I say entry-class...

Some people get angry if you say "lower-tier," after all.

【Heal】, the skill of the entry-class 【Healer】, can only mend injuries up to a broken bone, but its strong point is how fast it works.

That's a godsend for athletes—back on the field immediately—so they pay big money to book her.

A break takes more than one or two 【Heal】s, after all.

What they're reserving, in effect, is that much of her MP.

Hayashi-san won't let Shiraishi-san off the hook on weekends either, so Aikawa's call is probably the right one.

"Got it. Thanks for covering. I'll send some Sand Golem over later."

"What the heck is that? Don't say it like it's a sandwich."

Sandwich...

"The first person to ever find a Sand Golem was, so the story goes, the Count Sand Golem. His job was said to be 【Gambler】. Supposedly, he got the name from wedging a golem between two cards."

"Oh, knock it off! It's a Sand Golem because it's made of sand! Besides, what size card could sandwich a golem?!"

You could enhance a card of any size, couldn't you?

While we were talking nonsense, we reached the branch.

Now then—time for the Flirting Strategy with Kasumi-san!

Though the Sand Golem might not show up anymore, huh.