ch241-ch260 · 257-ch257

Chapter 257: The Mummy Hunter Becomes the Mummy

"Then I'll see you all out to the gate."

I only helped out a little, but it's curfew time, so I'm heading home.

Kasumi-san comes along because I have to collect my license after leaving through the 'Dungeon Gate' and passing the ticket gate.

"Right. Good work today."

"Haru-kun,...... it's nothing."

She started to say "thank you for today" and swallowed the words, huh.

"Oh, heading out? See you at school tomorrow."

"Say hi to Harue-san for me~"

Soushi and Shiraishi-san come out of the kitchen.

The part-timers get staff meals, it seems, and the skill-holder is on cooking duty.

Well, Soushi has to make Aikawa's dinner anyway, so it works out.

"Huh? You're not staying for food?"

Says the delinquent girl.

I'd like to try Shiraishi-san's cooking too, honestly.

Eh? Dessert duty? I see how it is.

"See you tomorrow. Bye-bye."

And the girl with the blazing-red presence gives me a little wave.

Her first impression couldn't be more different from when we met.

"Let's stop by the warehouse."

After leaving the shop, Kasumi-san prompts me to detour by the warehouse.

"Did we forget something?"

"You could call it that, yes. ......Haruki-san, did anything unusual happen today?"

Once inside the warehouse, Kasumi-san starts talking.

Apparently this was the talk she wanted to have.

Unusual things, huh......

School started back up, and......

"If we're talking school, Aikawa made peace with the class girls and ate lunch with them. She'd told us before about being isolated, right? That's one less thing to worry about."

It really is good news.

And here I was bracing for eating lunch alone from now on.

"I see. That is good to hear. I was worried about her too. ......Anything else? Nothing more, something along the lines of a major incident?"

A major incident? Ah—there WAS one!

Right, that happened.

"Tell me. Honestly!"

"Yes. I got kissed by Kasumi-san. Major incident!"

What else could it be?

"Eh? No, well, I certainly did do that...... but THAT is a major incident?"

"It is! Today—or rather, the biggest incident of recent memory!"

"Fufu. I see. So THAT was the biggest incident...... Fufufu. Then it seems an even greater incident is about to occur."

She yanks me in again, and this time it's not a kiss but a full SMACK of one.

Whooooa.

"K-Kasumi-san."

"Fufufu. So for you, Haruki-san, this is the bigger incident. I'm glad."

She squeezes me tight.

Her strength is absurd.

Are my feet leaving the ground?

......But she's soft.

Normally she hugs me through armor, so this too is a major incident, I suppose.

And it doesn't stop there—next she cups both my cheeks, and this time it's another SMACK, no—a SMAAAAAACK of one.

So long. I can't breathe. My HP's dropping......

Inside the dungeon, how does breathing even work, I wonder.

You don't die while HP remains, but if you pass out, do you just never breathe again and die?

I was pondering that when......

'Rrring. Rrring.'

An alarm goes off.

"A m-major incident!?"

"No, this is......"

Outside?

No human presence nearby.

'A goblin death has been confirmed in the monster isolation facility. The deceased goblin will reappear, so please remain alert. Staff are on their way to capture it. If you find it, do not—'

Apparently a Floor 1 goblin they'd caught and isolated up and died.

Don't leave the building unless you're a combat job, that kind of thing, since they don't pop indoors.

If you find it, report it—don't kill it, please.

"A capture op, then. Repop won't happen for a good fifteen minutes, so let's get outside while we can. It really is rare, though. It happens occasionally at headquarters, but at Chiba it's the first time in over a year."

True, it's my first time seeing it too.

Though if that's the case, the goblins currently in there have been isolated for over a year......

I wonder what state they're kept in?

"Then I'll be joining the capture op. I'll call you tonight."

"Sure. See you tomorrow."

We part at the ticket gate after moving to the surface.

They pin it down with sais so as not to kill it.

Word is, at Level 5 or so, even a jobless staffer can easily neutralize a Floor 1 goblin.

It's about as strong as a child, after all.

The staff occasionally use Floor 2 for practice, apparently......

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'Yes, that's right. The one who caught it was Hiramatsu-san. Endo-san was quite furious, so he was desperate to redeem himself with a feat. Sato-san was probably with him and let him have the catch...... Getting it before the SDF did is something the Association would like to call a credit, I suppose.'

On the night call, I learn that Hiramatsu-san is alive.

He was gone the whole second half of last month, and everyone had been worrying he'd died.

Sato-san is apparently back from leave too.

The shape of it: scout-class Sato-san finds it, spear-class Hiramatsu-san pins it with a sai.

Last month two people were off at once, and the newbie went off to Aomori for apartment-hunting and whatnot—Kasumi-san did mention the shift juggling was a nightmare.

So I get why Endo-san, filling in at the dungeon counter, is furious.

Endo-san has her 【Water Mage】 work to do, and month-start and month-end are her busiest times.

What's more, Endo-san is a beauty with a very boing-boing figure, and adventurers hit on her constantly.

The two men who were supposed to be her anti-flirting backup weren't there, and apparently that side was rough too......

"So is Sato-san Level 30 yet?"

'Not yet, it seems. He said he'll do some leveling at headquarters for a while. To avoid a staffing crunch like last month, we've requested one-month reinforcements limited to HQ, so from next week things should be fine.'

Kasumi-san and the others at other dungeons haven't been able to take their days off either, so it can't be helped, I suppose.

But sending a newbie to understaffed Aomori and then leaving Chiba understaffed defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

The old "the mummy hunter becomes the mummy" situation.

The mummy in question—the newbie—apparently started at the Aomori branch today.

I never got to say a proper goodbye, but I hope she's doing well.

"Ah, speaking of which—nothing unusual happened, but I just remembered something......"

'My. Finally going to tell me something? I'm listening!'

Finally?

"It's about those two part-timers......"

"Mmm-mmm? Eh? The part-timers? ......You mean Higashi-san and Nishino-san. Is something the matter with those two?"

"Nothing that serious, it's just, something's been on my mind......"

"On your mind!? That IS a major incident!"

It is not a major incident.

I just figured I should report it, that's all.

"Actually, about their 【Presence Detection】......"

I give her the highlights—how their presence colors changed from when we first met.

From purple and yellow to red, and one of them to blazing red......

'You mean the presence colors—my navy among them. And those two's changed...... My. Nishino-san, of all people...... Her whole atmosphere was so different, too. Brighter, I'd say...... Come to think of it, I'd like to know what that color MEANS, beyond identifying individuals. If there's meaning to the colors themselves, I want to know. Has anyone else's presence color changed?'

Has...... someone.

"The 【Saint】. Before she became the 【Saint】 and after—her blue went from just faintly glowing to a blue so bright it's dazzling. Other than that, just those two so far."

'Her, huh...... With a change that enormous, I suppose the color would change. Red...... Sakura is red too, isn't she? Then the color itself can't be a problem. Sakura is a good girl. There is no chance in this world of Sakura being a monster.'

"Fair point."

If a monster that cute existed, I'd abandon the adventurers and side with the monsters.

'Mmm-mmm-mmm. You admitted that FAR too easily. You are soft on Sakura, Haruki-san. This warrants caution. Red means caution. I shall make a note of it. ......Speaking of which, that matter came up earlier—Dr. Amamiya's hospital began seeing patients today as well. And I have something to discuss in confidence......'

After what sounded like genuinely taking notes, somehow the topic turned to Dr. Amamiya.

"That matter"—the 【Saint】 conversation from just now?

"Is something going on with Dr. Amamiya?"

In my mind, that woman ranks nowhere near 【Saint】—she's filed under 'Mad Scientist'......

'It has been decided that the 【Berserker】 in question, Mr. Umemoto, will be admitted to Dr. Amamiya's hospital.'

Admitting the 【Berserker】 to that 'Mad Scientist's' hospital, with the 【Saint】 handling his treatment......

And, rumor has it, the 【Spear King】 standing by for any unforeseen developments......