ch361-ch380 · 367-ch367

Chapter 367: That's a True Dream!

"I'm sorry. Because you came to save me, you caught a cold...... right when it matters most."

We've arrived at Soushi's house.

As for exam prep, mine isn't just managing—I've actually got a little slack. For Soushi, apparently not so much.

The dungeon's open again from today, and he can't study—that's gotta sting......

"Nah, the cold's got nothing to do with that, right? Tutor me again once I'm better."

—says Soushi, still in bed.

His condition isn't actually bad, but the fever won't break, so no overexertion allowed.

"Maybe I really shouldn't have come after all?"

It's a bit of a nice atmosphere, after all.

"But you saw her just now, right?"

His mom, that is.

I'd bought get-well gifts for three people, and my carrying all the bags was the mistake.

'My, Haru-kun is so thoughtful'—she took it as me having prepared everything myself.

I said it's for three, properly, but she just went "Hm-m" and eyed Aikawa.

"Shh, shh—she'll hear. That topic can wait until Soushi's better."

"R-right. But she asked about Watanabe-san too, you know."

When I said Kasumi-san's share was included, she asked whether that Kasumi person wasn't coming to visit......

And she's usually such a laid-back mom, too.

"There, there."

"Yeah. She's always asking what Watanabe-san's like, more than she asks about Aikawa."

Maybe she wants to compare someone else's daughter-in-law with her own.

"Ah......"

"What?"

Aikawa's voice slips out, and Soushi plays dumb.

Your way of addressing her has slipped back, you know?

Should I point it out?

Shiraishi-san would, I bet.

"It's noothing."

Aikawa's giving a pretty cute reaction too, so maybe I'll leave it alone.

It's their problem, after all.

"How are Aikawa's injuries?"

"Injuries? As you can see, none."

Aikawa answers Soushi's worry.

No injuries, huh—which means what's still wounded is the heart, I take it?

"Well, you were taken hostage. Doesn't count as a loss."

Let me throw in the save.

"No! I lost fighting head-on!"

Huh?

How?

"Because you were bare-handed?"

Come to think of it, Aikawa normally uses a sword.

And still......

"That's part of it, but the other guy was just plain strong."

"Ehh? You looked WAY stronger than him, though? He really was a Triple, and stat-wise you shouldn't have been losing, right?"

"That's WHY I'm depressed! And then you two took them down like it was nothing. I was so weak......"

"That's just Haruki being broken. ......Huh? Did I ever tell you about my dreams?"

"The one about wanting to be an adventurer? You already are one."

A new goal, maybe?

Getting famous and swimming in popularity?

I feel like we had that conversation once......

"Not THAT kind of dream! The kind you have while sleeping! Dungeon dreams!"

"Ah, THAT. I've been wondering about it too—what dreams you two have."

Have they been having the Floor 50 dream?

"Ah...... The kind that come true? Or the nightmare kind?"

"Both? Well, I don't sleep in the dungeon much. I've only had them a few times......"

"Tell me!"

Aikawa leans in.

"The first was a Minotaur dream. It shows up out of nowhere and I go Uwaaah. Then you beat it, Haruki."

"That's a true dream!"

True, actually.

Didn't it turn out exactly like that?

"Next was the dream where an Orc General shows up out of nowhere. I go Uwaaah, and you beat it."

"That's a true dream!!"

Did that happen too?

"Then the Ogre King dream. Uwaaah, and you beat it."

"That's a true dream!!!"

That one, yes.

I was going Uwaaah back then too.

Well, that thing is about as scary as the branch manager, so fair enough.

"I had a Manticore dream too. Uwaaah, and you beat it."

"THEY'RE ALL THE SAME!!!!"

No—for the Manticore we fought together, didn't we?

And afterward, in the reverse surprise, I was the one going Uwaaah, and it was basically Soushi who beat it......

When I lost my memory, too, I was the one going Uwaaah—and that Soushi was so cool.

The Minotaur time was a surprise, so it counts as a true dream, but for the Orc General he was properly fighting the Knight too, I think.

Not really true dreams, are they?

So even for prophetic dreams, the future can be changed, apparently.

"But listen. Afterward, I beat the Minotaur, the General, even the Manticore—properly, in real life. What I'm saying is: Haruki may be a little ahead of me, but even I could do it when I tried. And Aikawa can too...... Natsuki can!"

Oh—he corrected himself there.

So he WAS playing dumb earlier.

"Soushi......"

What a nice atmosphere.

Maybe I really shouldn't have come after all.

"Well, I do fight properly in my dreams too. By the way—the Floor 50 boss is a Lich, and the entourage is skeletons modeled on ourselves."

Dream-talk, mind you.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Going by those reactions, neither of them has had the Floor 50 dream?

"No, hold on. Floor 50 info doesn't exist anywhere in the world, right? Isn't that why your special skill is so precious? And you're telling me it's from a DREAM......"

"You'll probably start out fighting your own copy skeleton, so good luck with that. Oh—and keep an eye on what's up above."

Because if you let your guard down, a fireball comes flying.

Could he make a shield out of 'Water Magic,' I wonder?

Soushi's high Magic should mean high magic resistance, so he'd hold up better than me—but a direct hit is a direct hit.

He should think up some kind of countermeasure.

"Hold on, you two. That's cheating. Why are you doing special training inside your dreams? How am I supposed to keep up with that!"

And you don't do Hiramatsu-san's drills properly in the first place......

As for me...... I haven't been to the shrine lately, huh.

"And what about you, Aikawa—what dreams have you been having?"

"I......"

︙

︙

I got told some pretty heavy stuff.

She's been tormented by a dream where her 【Partial Beast Transformation】 goes out of control and she kills Makihara-san.

So THAT's why she stopped looking at pandas lately......

But over this New Year's break, Aikawa seems to have found her answer, and she's decided to meet him—on the surface.

On the surface, skills can't be used, after all.

"Got it. Then I'll be there when that happens."

—says Soushi.

Whoa...... that takes guts.

I'm useless on the surface, so I think I'll sit this one out.