ch361-ch380 · 371-ch371

Chapter 371: Princess Sulky

"A Minotaur, huh. Gonna take it on, are we?"

The Floor 10 boss is apparently a Minotaur in every dungeon.

Aikawa, weapon already enhanced through her dance, cleaved straight through the Minotaur—great axe and all.

She really is strong, though.

Is it the 【Dance】?

In her current state her stats should beat mine, but in a dead-even, ready-set-go contest, the time it takes to activate might be the bottleneck......

"Feels like the distance hasn't changed here either."

It's already gotten fairly dark, but the World Tree is still visible.

Not much different from the one we saw on Floor 9.

"If it gets closer on the next one, that matches the intel. Let's peek at the next floor and head home, then."

Yes, yes.

And so we enter the Floor 11 gate.

"Whoa. The rain's gotten WAY heavier! Ah......"

"True. And the further in we go......"

Ah......

It's huge.

The rain is heavier than the last floor, pouring down in sheets.

And it looks clearer now, and bigger, than it ever has.

No doubt about it—we're getting closer.

So this is the World Tree......

"It's RIGHT there! Ten more floors, and it'll practically be on top of us, huh."

I'm at a loss for words.

What a sight.

But at the same time, regret washes over me.

This feeling......

"Let's head back. 【Gate】."

Left foot.

I'll leave a 'Left Foot Gate' behind in this dungeon.

The 'both-eye Gates' get used in combat, after all.

And since I just produced a 'Right Foot Gate' back at the warehouse, this works out nicely.

It's just before 5 PM.

We ran quite a bit, so we got here faster than I expected.

In exchange, we're soaked through.

From the waist down to about my hips, and both arms wet to the elbow.

My umbrella stayed up, so at least my head survived.

Time to hurry home and shower.

"Ehhh? But I wanted to look a little longer...... Well, I want to show Soushi too, so we can just come back. Gotta bring a camera next time. OK! That was a great change of pace—home, study, study!"

She's going to study after this......?

Well, if Kasumi-san comes home and catches her not studying, that'd be bad.

She said she'd be late, but what time is that supposed to be?

"Ah......"

Out of habit, I casually reach my hand into the 'Gate'......

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing...... After you."

What do I do......

"? Well, all right then."

Aikawa goes through first.

What to do......

【Scouting】 picked up Kasumi-san.

Whether she's mad or not, 【Scouting】 can't tell me.

I steel myself and dive into the 'Gate.'

......She was mad.

"Home early, I see."

That's MY line......

Weren't you supposed to be late?

"W-welcome home."

I barely squeeze the words out.

Water drips, drop by drop, from the umbrella of Aikawa, frozen stiff as a statue.

"Yes, I'm back. ......You're quite soaked, I see. I understand—the new dungeon, of course. Did you want into that dungeon that badly? Badly enough to break your promise to me?"

Kasumi-san, smiling brightly.

The promise was that we wouldn't go DEEP......

We didn't go deep in this dungeon, and we only went to Floor 11 over there—that hardly counts as deep!

So we're safe—......like I could ever say that.

"I'm very sorryyy. There was just something I had to confirm......"

"Something to con-firm? Unlicensed persons are forbidden from entering the new dungeon. Last time was an emergency, so it was forgiven—but Haruki-san, what you did was illegal. Normally you'd be reported on the spot and your license revoked. Do you think I'm someone who won't report it? Or did you believe anything goes so long as you're not caught? That rule exists to protect adventurers in the first place. No one knows what dangers a new dungeon holds, you know? And you went in—just the two of you? Without telling a soul? If anything had happened, no one would ever have known. Why is it ALWAYS the dangerous things with you!"

Sound logic, every word!

If she asks why, all I can say is "because the dungeon was there."

Think! Think!

Charging the Lilliputian Spear!

Super Mode, deployed!

Closed umbrella or not—guts will do it!

Shield charge!

Hyper Mode, on!

And last—focus on the shoes!

Ultra Mode!

Thought acceleration!

In this state, anything I say gets answered with sound logic.

Excuses are a bad move.

Which means I need to change the subject.

To what?

Something Kasumi-san likes?

Actually—why is she this angry in the first place?

Because I went to the dungeon after she told me not to, keeping it from her.

The way through this is......

Tch, tch, tch...... Ah-ha!

"Anyway! You'll understand once you've seen it. Come on, let's go together! We can't have you getting wet. Aikawa—I'm borrowing your umbrella."

The trick is to raise the energy and talk with a big smile.

Something like: Whoops, we got caught, huh~

I pry the umbrella from Aikawa—frozen in place, face angled forty-five degrees down—and offer it to Kasumi-san.

"...... ......... Very well."

Several seconds pass with me holding the umbrella out, grinning away.

Kasumi-san takes it.

I win!

(【Scouting】—there.)

I thrust my hand into the 'Right Foot Gate' I'd left open to check.

No monster-like shadows.

Like fleeing—or rather, like leading the way—I enter the 'Gate' first.

"Wha—...... This is...... Incredible......"

Through the 'Gate,' the towering tree forces itself into view.

That was close. Genuinely close.

Darkness was about to swallow the sky.

Even so, the World Tree's sheer majesty overwhelms Kasumi-san.

Now!

"SURPRISE!"

This!

Her favorite thing!

"Eh? A surprise? Don't tell me you did all this for that?"

"Yes. I wanted you to see this view, Kasumi-san!"

That part's no lie.

When I saw it earlier, I regretted not seeing it with her.

Should've brought her along......

"Is this...... the rumored World Tree? But no one ever said it was in THIS dungeon...... Don't tell me you kept quiet just to surprise me?"

"Well, yes. And since I was at it, I figured I'd find a good view, so I tried moving up to Floor 11—but Aikawa stopped me. I explained the situation, but she said she couldn't trust what I'd do alone, so she came along to keep watch."

A bald-faced lie.

Covering for Aikawa, too.

She did stop me—that part's true.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. I see...... A surprise......"

"It'd look even prettier in daylight, I think. Guess the surprise failed, huh."

But did the excuse succeed?

"It did not fail. It's a truly magnificent view. So that's how it was...... For my sake......"

"Ah—you'll get wet, you know?"

Kasumi-san closes her umbrella and slips under mine.

"I've always wanted to try sharing an umbrella. Just a little while—stay like this......"

Until the sun had fully set, the two of us gazed at the World Tree......

︙ ︙

"Aikawa! The surprise was a total success! A surprise showing her the World Tree! Kasumi-san loved it!"

"Eh? ......, ........., Is that soooo? Yaaay! Man, a surprise. The BEST!"

I call out to Aikawa, who's been kneeling formally ever since we got back.

After a moment, it clicks for her too.

She jumps up and we high-five, sharing the joy.

Right—the dungeon trip was all in service of the surprise. For the surprise's preparation, I mean.

"Aikawa-san, that was a magnificent view. Thank you."

"Ahh, well, how do I put it—"

"See, Aikawa? You tried to stop us, but Kasumi-san was happy about it."

Smooth teamwork, that.

"...... Right, right! I DID try to stop her! He wouldn't listen—just kept saying he wanted to make Watanabe-san happy!"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. Surprise or not, it seems I gave you cause for worry, Aikawa-san."

"Oh! Let's get Soushi next!"

Time for the finishing touch.

"Good idea. And until then, it stays a secret from Soushi."

"Wonderful. Let me join in when we do. Ah—we should surprise Mia-san too! Daytime would be best. I'd like to see that view in the light myself. What's Mia-san's schedule like on the 6th? I'll go check."

She's in a wonderful mood now.

Setting up a surprise is the fun part, after all.