ch361-ch380 · 368-ch368

Chapter 368: Once You've Heard It, You'll Want to Go

"Right—home and hit the books, then."

We leave Soushi's house and head back toward the branch.

"Actually, there's something I want to talk about......"

"No way!"

An instant refusal!

"I haven't even said anything yet?"

"No means no!"

At least hear me out.

"I hear there's a really interesting story."

"No means NO! It's about wanting to go to the dungeon, isn't it? I'll get chewed out by Watanabe-san too, so quit it!"

Grrrnnn.

"Fine. Then let's change the topic."

"Please do."

Fufufu—is that really okay, though?

Once you've heard it, you'll want to go, you know?

"Anego-san and the others are at the new dungeon by now, huh."

First, the jab.

The new-dungeon topic.

"It's almost noon. Wonder if they've hit Floor 10?"

"There's mapping to do, and monster surveys, so I doubt they're there yet?"

It's a survey, after all.

Not a conquest.

"Mapping, huh. Mia-san seems like she'd be good at that."

Would she?

I'd think the scout types do it while running 【Scouting】.

Eh? Mapping the Floor 41 fortress?

......Haven't done that.

The 'Blue Ocean' video's Floor 41 fortress had a different shape, so HQ's and Chiba's structures probably differ too.

Something to do later, then......

"They're filming too, so the video sites will be buzzing tonight."

"Come to think of it, the Association issued them cameras too. The Association might put out videos of its own."

Maybe to check whether they're surveying properly—or whether they're ditching the survey and pushing for the depths.

"You really did want to go to the new dungeon, huh?"

"Hmm. Not really, for me? But Soushi might've wanted to."

Tch.

If she'd sounded eager, this would have been immediate......

Anyway, with new-dungeon talk as the centerpiece, we head for the branch.

︙

"I already went into the new dungeon, ssu!"

And that's why she got scolded and put on branch duty, isn't it!

Lunch.

I'd hoped for one of the restaurants inside the dungeon, but a place that opened the same day the dungeon reopened was apparently asking too much.

So we came to a restaurant on the surface side—and it's pretty packed.

It's only January 4th.

Plenty of places outside are still on holiday, so fair enough.

Which is how I ended up sharing a table with the newbie, eating alone.

The dungeon-side reception is just Shiraishi-san and her, so they take turns eating, apparently.

"We went in too, you know."

"I heard, ssu. Did the branch manager chew you out big-time, ssu? I got chewed out, ssu."

Mine was less a scolding than a very long talk, honestly.

Well—it was helping people, so nothing to be done...... that's how I got about an hour of it.

"Same here. And Soushi's bedridden, so I just went to visit him."

"I get it, ssu. I wanted to be bedridden too, ssu. But Sato-san's bedridden and we're short-handed, so I had to come in, ssu. Hm? Did Sato-san get lectured by the branch manager too, ssu? Come to think of it, Sato-san went into the new dungeon too, ssu!"

Right, Sato-san also got—no, no way that happened.

Getting chewed out just for doing his job would be unbearable.

"Our new dungeon just had rain falling, so he only caught a cold from that. What was your dungeon like? You went into the airport dungeon, right?"

"An ordinary dungeon, ssu. Just a field with dogs in it, ssu. No rumor-of-the-moment World Tree either, ssu."

Oh, nice pass.

"Ah—the World Tree. Hina was watching videos about it. I mean, Miki aside, Hina still hasn't given up on being an adventurer, huh. I'd love to help her level, but there's just no time."

The topic has drifted off to the delinquent girl, but she knows about the World Tree, apparently.

The delinquent girl gets a nice assist too.

Saves me explaining the World Tree from scratch.

Still, so the delinquent girl wants to be an adventurer......

Well, she has a license, so she's already an adventurer, technically.

She wants to earn money in the dungeon like that Cocoa-loving big sis she idolized, I suppose.

If I recall, the two of them struggled even against hobgoblins and weren't really suited for it, though......

(But her special skill is 【Digging】......)

It should be a strong skill, though.

If it's the same as the hole-digging skill 【Trap User】 can learn, you can't dig a hole under a spot where something is sitting.

Naturally, that goes for where a monster is standing, too.

To use it, you'd have to predict where the opponent will step and dig there.

With practice, you'd learn where they'll step.

You could lure them into it in reverse, too.

Well, that's fine—the real problem is how slow it comes out.

With this kind of skill, you decide where to use it, decide the hole's size and depth, get a final "it'll cost this much MP—are you sure?"—three stages or so before it fires, I'd expect.

At first, even activating the skill takes time.

She should start by fixing the size and spending just 1 MP, and practice until she can bring it out anytime.

If the skill can also backfill the hole, it's safe to use even on Floor 1.

All she'd have to do is practice that every day after her shift.

By the time exams end and she starts university, she'd be able to open a hole instantly anywhere she's laid eyes on.

(Hm? Open a hole? ......Does that mean it only digs dirt?)

It IS a special skill.

Depending on her own understanding of it and the direction she grows in, it could turn into something monstrous.

Aikawa's about to turn panda clear down to her heart, after all.

Digging holes into hearts probably isn't on the table, but she might be able to dig holes into weapons or armor.

No—not just weapons. Directly into......

"I hope 【Chef】 shows up for Miki at Floor 10. Then Hina could take a combat job and work with Anego-san and their crowd. Shiraishi-san's burden's heavy right now, and if Miki could do it herself......"

"Ahhh—ssu! Shiraishi-san—remembered, ssu! She's switching off early to cook for those kids, ssu! Going back, ssu!"

I'd just sunk into thought when the newbie's shout yanked me back.

Ah right—those two are coming today, aren't they.

Well, the vampire girl has to eat too, after all.

And that vampire girl has a skill that's far too dangerous, you know.

Better to have her take 【Chef】 and cap things with a job before she starts thinking strange thoughts.

Either way, it's after exams.

Then she levels up and aims for Floor 10.

I can't help out with 【Gate】, but luring monsters over is within my power.

Maybe golem-style—maim a goblin's limbs and let her land the finishing blow—would be quicker?

"Let's head out too. Come on—study, study—"

I'm full and in no mood to study, you know......

Maybe a little post-meal exercise, then.

"By the way—did you see anything far off in the Mizuki's-house dungeon? Like a pillar or a tower?"

Here I fire the straight fastball, the main event.

"Huh? No, I didn't have the spare attention... Let's see... a pillar? Far off... Eh? Could that be......"

Yes—couldn't it be the World Tree?

Which is why I want to go confirm it.

"Well, I didn't exactly see it clearly myself. I figured maybe Aikawa had."

It's not a lie.

I didn't see it clearly—I didn't see it at all......

"Whoa, seriously? That dungeon's off-limits for a while, right? There's no way to check it out!"

She's clearly itching to go.

Well then, time to reel her in.

"Aikawa, have you got an umbrella in your room? One for me too. If not, we buy some before we go."

"You're actually planning to go?! No no, that's impossible. I got thrown out of Saori's house by her mom, you know? The police are staked out outside, so sneaking in is a no...... We go while her parents are out and have Saori let us in? Just go, confirm it, and come back? But if we get caught, won't I get lectured until I actually collapse?"

She's saying all that while being completely ready to go.

Don't worry. There's a method that absolutely cannot get us caught.

"It's fine. It's parked there properly."

I tap my own right eye, ton-ton.

Yes—it's parked there properly.

Not just the right eye—both of the 'Eye Gates' are in that dungeon......