ch321-ch340 · 335-ch335

Chapter 335: The Masked Man, Matsumoto 【Umemoto Atsushi】 Part 5

SIDE: Umemoto Atsushi (【Berserker】)

"Use this phone for contact for a while. I have arranged the movers, so have your things packed by the end of the day."

Tomorrow, then...... how sudden.

The Chairman had already said preparations for my new identity were well underway.

"That was remarkably quick."

"I have had my eye on you for some time. The trouble was that Dr. Amamiya wouldn't give you up. Pulling Ai-kun back to headquarters as firmly as I did was a mistake......"

He'd been watching out for me all along? The Chairman is a different man from the person I'd heard about.

"By the way, how did you persuade Dr. Amamiya?"

"I put her in charge of the health examinations for all Kanto Association staff. Each branch used to arrange its own, but there was no harm in consolidating them under her. Well, she said all she wanted was the data, so who knows what will actually come of it. At any rate, she grudgingly agreed that, as things stand, you may enter the dungeon only once a month."

She gets the staff's data, I see.

But am I really worth that much?

No—the real objective was separating me from Ai-san, of course.

Her value truly is beyond measuring......

"Does Dr. Amamiya know about this?"

"She does. I haven't told her where you're being sent, but she knows the Association is taking you into its custody. Kept quiet, of course. Only a handful of people know of this, her included: myself, Dr. Amamiya, the Hokkaido branch manager, the high official who prepared your identity—and those who handled the paperwork. Nothing leaks outward, I assure you. Which means you must tell no one either."

"So I'm to spend these two days as usual. Without letting anyone notice......"

"No—if you vanish without a word, that would cause an uproar of its own, wouldn't it? Manage it as best you can. Only, make absolutely certain it doesn't reach Ai-kun's ears....... Ah, here we are. Right on time. We shan't be meeting again for some while—do your best."

In the end, the car had merely made one big loop and come back to where it started.

Even the timing was exactly as calculated, hm?

"Understood. Good day, then."

I bowed and watched the car go, then returned to my room.

If the movers come tomorrow, there's no time to visit the shrine today......

︙

︙

"Thank you for everything."

'Rrring. Rrrring.'

The next day, just as I saw the movers off, the phone rang.

On the OLD phone.

"Hello?"

'Oh, Atsushi-san. It's Miko. I was calling to ask whether you're coming to the shrine today. You didn't come yesterday, so...... Haruki-kun and Mimiko were waiting for you? And of course, so was I....... Could it be that with Yukiya-san gone, you feel awkward about coming? My brother is free as ever, so you're welcome to bring him along to your practice, you know?'

It's Miko-san.

"I'm sorry. As it happens, I have something today too—I can't come today either."

'Oh...... I see...... What a shame...... Oh! Wait, I know! Someone my brother knows seems to want your help with work, Atsushi-san!'

If it's someone Hiramatsu-san knows, does that mean he's been looking for work for me?

But......

"I'm sorry—the truth is, I've found a job. Though I don't know my posting yet, so it might be out of the prefecture."

Today I'm staying at a hotel, and tomorrow I leave for Hokkaido.

If I vanished suddenly, they might worry—so I'm telling them only that I found work.

The last thing I need is people searching for me.

'Whaat! Really?! That's wonderful! But out of the prefecture, hm. Let me know once your posting is decided, all right? I want to celebrate, and have a meal together, and......'

"Yes. I'll come bother you at the shrine again sometime, so then......"

I will never go to that shrine again......

I will never see Miko-san again, either.

Thanks to her, my body was cured and I can enter the dungeon once more.

All I feel toward her is gratitude.

(I was looked after by so many people after coming to Chiba.)

Ai-san and Ishikawa-san. The doctor and all the clinic staff.

Watanabe-san. Soushi-kun and the dance teacher.

And by sheer accident, as fellow patients, I got to know Miki-chan and Hina-chan—and Haruki-kun too.

Then Miko-san, Mimiko-chan, and Hiramatsu-san.

And Yukiya too, I suppose......

(Thank you, everyone. And goodbye.)

Umemoto Atsushi disappears today.

︙

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SIDE: Matsumoto Ren (Masked Association Staffer)

A month has nearly passed since I came to Hokkaido.

December has arrived, and it is simply, relentlessly cold.

No—more than the cold, I'm struggling with the snow-covered roads.

Apparently I have to drive from dungeon to dungeon along these roads.

"Ren-san, you have a visitor."

Ren—written with the character for "love."

That is the new name the Chairman gave me.

He said something about pairing it with Ai-san's name—not that there was ever any love or romance between me and Ai-san......

But who on earth would come to see me?

That adventurer woman I helped the other day, maybe?

(I told her she didn't have to......)

Coming here was one thing, but so far my work at the branch has been nothing but odd jobs—nothing of substance.

Because I'm a new employee who hasn't even been properly trained.

The real work begins next year, when the new dungeons appear—some days, reading through the response manual is all there is to do.

But the hours are regular and the pay is solid, so there's nothing to complain about.

(If anything, I'm grateful I can spend the spare time in the dungeon.)

Soon after arriving at the Hokkaido branch, I beat 'Red Shadow's' Time Attack record.

But I can't make it public, and I can't tell Akai either.

He's the one who leaked Yukiya's whereabouts to Kinoshita, after all—I don't entirely trust him.

As adventurer rehabilitation goes, you could say my instincts are fully recovered and I'm in top form.

The 【Berserker】 stats are incredible.

Only—all my equipment was confiscated by the police, so I had to buy everything anew.

And once again I dipped into Jun's money, leaving it nearly empty.

I'm still looking for Jun, but even if I found her now, I have nothing to repay her with.

"Here I aaam!"

"Doctor?! Why are you here?"

My visitor turned out to be Dr. Amamiya.

"Why, indeed—for your regular check-up, of course. You could look a little happier about it, you know?"

"Haah."

"And to see how you're doing. You look awfully well—you've put my mind at ease. The dungeon must be great fun."

"It is. Thanks to everyone, I've gotten my license back. Is everyone else doing all right?"

I've gone and asked something I shouldn't have......

"No—they're having a terrible time since you left. Everyone keeps coming at me as if I must know something. The nerve, honestly. I searched high and low for you myself, you know. Well, setting me aside—they're all in quite a state. They're looking for you. I can't exactly tell them to give up, but...... Ai-kun and Miko-kun are the worst off. Neither of them can focus on work anymore."

"I...... see......"

But I can never go back......