ch221-ch240 · 227-ch227

Chapter 227: What Goes in the Circle Is "Ma"

"Then, please head up early today and get ready for tomorrow."

Because it's all so sudden, Kasumi-san can't take part this time.

That's how the arrow landed on us.

The three of us have to take the newbie up to Floor 20 on our own.

For the record: the newbie knows I go up to Floor 20 alone, but she has no idea about anything after that.

Soushi and Aikawa are also officially visiting Floor 20 for the first time, so with all that in mind, Kasumi-san wants us to fight on the restrained side.

"Snack budget's 300 yen, ssu!"

"That's way too little! Should be 500, right? You can't buy anything with 300!"

What are these two even talking about.

"Soushi, make something. Three people at 900 yen—can't you manage something?"

"Nope, no can do, ssu. The whole point is everyone brings different snacks—that's the fun part, ssu!"

Neither Soushi nor Aikawa has any camping experience, I'd think.

I did technically sleep at a campsite once, but that doesn't really count as camping.

Spending a night and staying in the dungeon continuously teaches you a lot, I think.

And the biggest lesson of all is MP management.

Right now I use MP freely until it runs dry, and when it's gone, that day's adventuring is over.

But for this camping training, I'll have to hold MP in reserve with the trip back in mind.

Which makes Aikawa's dancing important, doesn't it.

"Well, we have to buy camping gear too, so shopping later. Snacks we'll get then. If we go somewhere cheap, 300 yen might actually buy a decent pile, huh?"

"You don't own any camping stuff, ssu? How on earth did you level to 20...? Camping supplies run pretty pricey, ssu—are you going to be okay?"

Tell me about it. Kasumi-san's group were sprawled sleeping on bare ground the other day, but at the campsite you're allowed to pitch a tent.

And if you want warm food, you have to bring a portable stove and such.

Plus two days' worth of food and all sorts of other prep.

Do adventurers really lug all that around on their backs, I wonder?

For the record, the war chest is fine—Kasumi-san gave me a hefty allowance just now.

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"I'm coming too."

Where to?

We've come back to Mia-san's shop, and there waits Anego-san.

I thought she and Kasumi-san would start arguing again, but she says something strange instead.

Apparently she intends to come with us up to Floor 20.

"Mm. Why would you, Anego-san?"

Right, that's what I'd like to know.

"I'm interested in that one."

She points at me.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. What does that mean?"

"Seeing whether he's a suitable person or not."

It's a misunderstanding, you know?

"You already knew about it?"

Huh?

"He's all over the rumor mill. That's why I came to check today—sounds like Kokoa's story checks out."

"Rumors? Why would Kokoa-san...? Haruki-san, have you met her?"

"The other day, while Kasumi-san was out, we ran right into each other here. Met both of the part-timers too."

Mia-san answers in my place.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm. The two of them as well?"

"Yep, heard what those two had to say, but I've got to judge what kind of guy he is with my own eyes. If he's a weird one, I'll thrash him so he never comes near again. And yet you all hate the idea an awful lot, don't you. Could it be this Haruki's actually trouble?"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm. Haruki-san is not a strange person, so it's all right."

Right, right—all right.

But something about this conversation is...

"I worry about her, you see. It's a long friendship. Surely you can understand that feeling."

"You worry that much? Anego-san...... Perhaps I have misunderstood you all along. Very well. Though it leaves me uneasy, I will entrust the three of them to you. However, this request exists so the three of them can gain experience—so please, Anego-san, refrain from interfering as much as possible."

Hmmmmm?

Kasumi-san hasn't gotten the wrong idea, has she?

No—the one with the wrong idea is Anego-san...

Anego-san believes I'm Mia-san's boyfriend or something of the sort, and Kasumi-san believes she herself is the one being worried over.

I want to clear this up right now, but when I glance at Mia-san, her face has gone pale.

When our eyes meet, she shakes her head furiously.

"Don't tell," is it?

What am I supposed to do about this......

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"This has become a real mess..."

Anego-san, having eaten the cake Soushi made, headed home looking thoroughly satisfied.

There were several dicey moments in the conversation, but Mia-san deflected the topic each time, and disaster was averted.

"I see. So THAT's why Mia-chan's been acting strange all day. So what now?"

Shiraishi-san looks convinced.

Kasumi-san has gone back to work, so she's not here now.

"Only thing for it is clearing up Anego's misunderstanding. I'll give her a call. Sorry, everyone—I can't get out of tomorrow. There's the handover of the HQ shop, so I've absolutely got to go to headquarters. Eh, even if Anego jumps you, Haruki, you'll manage somehow. Haruki—just don't kill her, 'kay?"

"Anego-san's a famous adventurer, right? Are you stronger than her, Haru-kun?"

Aikawa's question is fair enough—but "jumps you"? What is that even supposed to mean?

"Strong, yeah, she's strong. There's two kinds of Triple-Rank adventurers, y'know. Ones whose main battlefield is the 20s floors, and ones whose main battlefield is the 30s floors. Anego's the former. She might be the strongest of the former, but against the top-tier crowd—the latter types, the Bear Ossan class of people—she falls a rung or two short."

"Hm-m... is that K○ Ossan really that strong...?"

Ahem—Aikawa-san... what goes in that circle is "ma," you know.

"You're not telling Watanabe-san? It'll be a disaster if she finds out later, won't it? The HQ shop gets vacated tomorrow too, right? If you can't stay in Chiba anymore, that would be terrible, wouldn't it?"

Soushi sticks his oar in.

Kasumi-san wouldn't go THAT far, surely?

She'd just get a little angry.

"Then I'll just mosey on off to Aomori or somewhere..."

And Mia-san drifted out of the shop, trailing melancholy behind her......

"Shiraishi-san, sorry about this. Given all that, today's leveling will be mornings only."

She's using her precious day off, and we've dragged her all the way into the dungeon—I feel terrible.

"That's quite all right—it's for the newbie, after all. Do take care of that girl for me. Oh no! I've gone and eaten the magic cake already! What do I do?"

So after the Magic Parfait Operation, the Magic Cake Operation ended in failure as well—but Shiraishi-san's level properly went up by one, to 25.

Soushi hit 27 too, drawing level with Aikawa, and with that the day came to a close.