ch421-ch440 · 432-ch432
Chapter 432: Officially Excused
"How'd it go?"
University classes were over, and Aikawa—having been called in—had come back, so I ask her.
"Yeah, they'll do something about my attendance record."
Official absence. The officially-excused kind, huh.
Like official matches for club activities, it seems the deal is that time spent active with 'Blue Ocean' counts as attended even if she skips lectures.
Apparently there's a limit to how many days she can skip—but even past that limit, they'll give her make-up lessons and let her advance to the next year anyway.
Isn't that cheating?
"Just Natsuki, huh."
That's right.
"Of course it is. I show my face. Why don't you go secretly tell your university you're ninjas, hmm?"
Aikawa is a full-blown celebrity now—even walking through campus like this, girls she doesn't know wave at her.
'Blue Ocean' is a national star, after all.
If a member of that group were held back a year, the university would lose face.
"Doesn't bother me, but Haruki, though......"
Soushi, always the loyal one—"we fail years together!"
I'd like to say that, but his attendance is in worse shape than mine.
He's been trailing the shoots like Aikawa's manager, and the 'Blue Ocean' people may have already figured out he's 'Summer Shadow.'
Just as Aikawa says, spilling Soushi's identity to the university as a last resort is an option.
"Not riding along?"
At the gate, Soushi and Aikawa climb into the car sent to pick them up.
"I'll pass. See you."
Soushi and Aikawa are off to headquarters after this.
Aikawa is already a VIP with her own room in the HQ building—she gets picked up by car these days.
"Yeah, we're stopping by the branch on the way back."
"Say hi to Hina and Miki for me."
If we part here, nobody will think I'm Spring Shadow.
Well, everyone believes the big guy over there is the real Spring Shadow anyway, and the only ones who know we swap places in the dungeon are the support members—so it's fine either way.
All the same, belt and suspenders.
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"Welcome back. Haru-gweh."
"Gotcha! Been waiting for you."
Back at the Chiba branch's new base, there are Kasumi-san and Chiharu-san.
"I'm home."
I help Kasumi-san up after sending her flying.
It's not like I've been too busy to see Kasumi-san.
She comes to visit every single day like this.
"Come on, come on, it's getting dark!"
Yes, yes—leveling up, I know.
We're on a roll.
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"Tomorrow, from Floor 44."
We called it a day once Kasumi-san hit Level 44.
And the Floor 43 spoils are piling up nicely.
"Tomorrow Soushi-san and the others are here, so we start from Floor 42! Now hurry up and go take your bath already!"
"Nnngh. Tell Shiraishi I'll head back after eating."
"Mmm-mmm-mmm. You could mention that sort of thing sooner, you know."
You two get along surprisingly well, don't you?
"There are probably a lot of customers still, so I'll go tell her."
"Good idea. Let's have her bring the food over here. That girl causes a commotion when she goes anywhere."
Kasumi-san is quite the celebrity herself these days, you know?
Though Mama-san would probably be delighted if she did cause a commotion.
Before the surface shower, I head to Mia-san's shop.
It's past five, so Shiraishi-san should be starting dinner.
Inside, the shop is packed.
Rather than customers being scared off, it seems people coming home from work are crowding in for a look at 40s-floor weapons, all at once.
We decided all the weapons brought back from the recent new dungeon would be "delivered" through Mia-san.
We held back on online sales to boost the branch's foot traffic, and now people are coming in from all over the country. Hayashi-san is all smiles.
Mia-san has also been passing materials along to the other production-job ladies, so there's a synergy effect to hope for too.
We handed over the Armor Gustave hide claiming 'Blue Ocean' gave it to her—something should be coming out of that soon.
"Shiraaai-san. Those two want to stay for dinner. Can we put in an order? Also, it sounds like there'll be a commotion if they come themselves."
"Yes, yes—leave it to me! And what about you, little boy? Oh, right—Harue-san is waiting for you, so that's a no. We'll have to sort that out too, won't we~. Honestly, wouldn't it be better to have Harue-san get a license and all of us eat dinner together? ......Don't make that face."
Huh? — apparently that was written all over my face.
Bringing my mother somewhere I know so many people is a little...... much.
"Hey, Haruki. We're out of swords—did you go again today?"
Mia-san.
The second half comes in a lowered voice.
They're flying off the shelves at two million yen a pop.
If we do this too flashily, the numbers alone will give it away—please be careful about that.
"Yep. They're stored at home, so take a look later."
"Heh-heh-heh. Sorry 'bout that. So? Find any armor you wanted?"
"No good. All light armor. We'll have to go a bit deeper."
The skeletons we're facing now are probably Single-Rank adventurers' skeletons.
From Floor 45 on, we'll supposedly get the skeletons of Triple-Rank 【Samurai】s fighting in the 20s floors—so Japanese armor is a treat for further up, huh?