ch281-ch300 · 296-ch296
Chapter 296: The Childhood Friend Is a Sword Saint Flag 【Sword Saint-chan】 Part 1
SIDE: Hoshino Chiharu ('Sword Saint-chan')
"So when are we going to Floor 50?"
"Chiharu, now is not the time for that talk."
Ao-senpai says it like a scolding.
Today is our once-a-week meeting day.
In attendance are just the five combat members of 'Blue Ocean': Kinoshita Ao, Kaito, Furuta Yukiya, Uehara Asuka, and me—Hoshino Chiharu.
As long as we're not inside the dungeon, we all gather to confirm our plans going forward and how the prep for our next adventure is coming.
If not now, when is this talk supposed to happen?
There's a general meeting after this, support members included—am I supposed to do it THERE, or what?
"Then when are we going to the dungeon next?"
"......"
I changed the question, and nobody answers.
The three men look at Asuka-senpai, but Asuka-senpai just keeps her head down.
Last month she was gravely injured on Floor 48.
I panicked at the time, but thankfully her life was saved.
Ever since then, though, the 'Queen of the Sky' can't fly......
"Hah. Asuka-senpai doesn't have to fight. She can just stay back there behind Ao-senpai, being protected. Coming along is enough."
"......I can't. I'm scared. If I go into the dungeon, I know I'll have that dream again. I can't...... go any deeper."
Kaito-senpai grips Asuka-senpai's trembling hand.
It isn't public, but just like the weeklies say, those two are dating.
Asuka-senpai regains her composure and exchanges a nod with Kaito-senpai, but in reality nothing is solved......
She went into the dungeon once since then, had the nightmare, and said she wanted to go home—and we turned back at Floor 25.
"Fine. Then four is enough. Just leveling at Floor 45 would do."
If that's the problem, just go without her.
"No. Camping without her is far too dangerous. Bringing in enough food is hard enough as it is, you know? We're a team. Let's watch how things go a little longer."
Just going to Floor 40 and back takes a week.
Past Floor 30, the support team can't follow, so there's no resupply either.
Factor in hauling the camping gear and food, and going without her just isn't practical.
What Ao-senpai says is true, but......
"A little longer? And when exactly is 'a little longer'?"
"A little longer is a little longer. We're free until the next meeting, right? See you next week—Oh, Chiharu, want to go on a trip with me or something? Hey, wait...... Hasn't she been kind of cold lately?"
Kaito-senpai is saying something, but I ignore him and leave the room.
Last week went nowhere in exactly the same way.
This is irritating......
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"You won't be attending the general meeting, then?"
The female guard seated next to me in the car speaks up.
She's one of the newer ones—I haven't...... remembered her name yet.
We have a considerable number of guards attached from multiple organizations, but for me alone, only two or three come along.
Asuka-senpai and Miyuki-san have more than ten with them at all times, with restrictions even on going out, but mine isn't like that.
There are only three of us in the car right now.
Going by their movements, they're all Self-Defense Force.
Normally a manager would tag along and there'd be another car behind us, but since I snuck out, today there's nothing.
They'll all be at the general meeting by now......
"Not really......"
Even if we held the general meeting, nothing would get decided.
They'd just go and decide TV appearances and video shoots without asking.
It's been like that ever since then.
Things go on fine without me.
So I ran.
"Where are we headed?"
The driver asks.
I'd only said "just drive," so I suppose I need to pick a destination.
The usual SDF guard who always accompanies me—'Kuma-chan,' a.k.a. Kumada-san—being off today is a real blow.
In times like these, a girl whose hobby is eating her way around town would take me to some shop that serves something sweet......
Come to think of it, this driver and the guard in the passenger seat aren't the usual people either.
"If you haven't decided, we have time until lunch—shall we take a little trip somewhere? I know a place that serves delicious curry."
"Your call......"
The SDF women are all so attentive......
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"A garrison?"
"Yes. Our home posting—the Yokohama Garrison. Their soup curry is superb."
"Hm-m-m. Well, if it's tasty, anywhere will do......"
The curry itself was genuinely superb—that's all I'll say......
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'Sword Saint-chan Joins the Self-Defense Forces!
......Or?'
Brought to the following week's meeting: the weekly magazine on sale today.
A photo of our private escort car going in and out of the garrison, under that headline.
The article runs from a 'Blue Ocean' discord theory to Asuka-senpai's injury, to me giving up on 'Blue Ocean' for abandoning its Floor 50 challenge and enlisting in the SDF.
"We got played. I don't think there's a problem, but let's hear you out anyway......"
Ao-senpai, all smiles.
That's his angry face.
"I was told there was a shop with good curry, so I went."
"That was no SHOP, was it!"
Kaito-senpai bellows, but it's the truth, so there's nothing to be done.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
"You SKIPPED the meeting!"
......I did.
"Just that? Did you meet anyone?"
"While I was eating, some high-and-mighty old man came and tried to recruit me. Said that with the SDF, I could challenge Floor 50."
"And?"
Ao-senpai turns the pressure on, but that sort of thing has no effect on me.
"I told him to take that talk to Ao-senpai."
"I see. So you didn't accept, then. What concerns me more is that female guard. Did you take her to Yokohama for that purpose from the start......"
I didn't even decline—but if Ao-senpai isn't joining the SDF, then I have no need to either.
"Hey, this is a good chance, so I'll say it. I have no intention of going to Floor 50...... It's a place no one has ever come back from, you know? If we go, we'll absolutely die......"
Asuka-senpai says something this obvious, this late.
Risking our lives is the everyday for us.
"Floor 40 was the same."
"Floor 40 had successful precedents overseas! And we'd leveled up plenty first, and I was convinced that with Ao-senpai's plan, nothing could go wrong...... But I can't do any more! I'm scared! I can't take it anymore! ......Hnngh."
"Let's all calm down. It's all right—we won't go to Floor 50 without everyone's consent."
"That's right. If Asuka doesn't want to go, I'm against it too."
So Kaito-senpai won't go to Floor 50 either.
At first I joined this party because the rumored powerhouse was in it—but these days he's a nonentity to me.
"You know, me? I want a job using skills to transport artworks overseas......"
With Kaito-senpai joining in, the three of them comforted Asuka-senpai, and once she finally stopped crying, she began talking, haltingly.
"The heck is that? First I'm hearing of it!"
Apparently a first for Kaito-senpai too.
"It'd be government-approved entry into dungeons, so permission from the other country would be a given, and the state guarantees our safety. I was always interested in artworks, and I figured if I ever quit being an adventurer, I'd go that way......"
"Sounds good to me."
I agree with Asuka-senpai.
"Chiharu!"
Ao-senpai yells at me—rare, that.
"In the dreams I have in the dungeon, no one but Ao-senpai ever appears. It was fated to come to this. That's all......"
With that, I leave the room.
If she wants to quit, she can quit.
If I have to, I'll join the Self-Defense Forces myself.
"Hey, wait! Never mind Kaito—me too? HEY!"
How accurate these dreams are, whether they really come true—I don't even know......
But left like this, odds are it happens.
The dungeon is saying so, after all.
"......What are you doing?"
"Ah, Chiharu-chan. I have the day off today, so I want to go out, but I can't get permission...... I was just wondering if I could sneak out somehow. Ahaha."
Just outside the room, there she was—'the Holy Maiden,' peering from behind a wall toward the elevator......
"Is there somewhere you want to go?"
"The Chiba branch! There's a naaasty one there, and I have to go give them what for!"
Chiba, huh......
(Ah.)
The Chiba branch should have THAT......
If it's just the branch, it'll be fine.
Good opportunity—I'll go meet it.