ch421-ch440 · 437-ch437

Chapter 437: The "No Money? Just Write It Off as Expenses" Strategy

"Level up with THIS? You think it'll work? We don't get heavy weaponry with it, right?"

I have Ao-san come over and take a look at the powered suit.

The "no money? just write it off as expenses" strategy.

"You're on, Doctor."

"Huh? Th-these people's leveling is 40s-floor skeletons, right? Hmm, up to Floor 45 you can muscle through, so I think skeletons are a tasty matchup. But at Floor 40 and up there's the POWER problem......"

Floor 45......

Past that, skeletons start using skills......

If they use long-range attack skills especially, it might be hard for Soushi to deal with them while wearing this.

"Haruki-kun, and this is?"

"The Doctor. The owner of this establishment, you see."

I don't know her name.

"Doctor? Well, fine. So, Doctor—this power problem?"

"Ah, yes. The power problem is the magic-stone generator that acts as the charger. That thing over there. The magic stones it takes are only rated up to Floor 39, so camping out on the 40s floors for days at a stretch would be hard. At full power it guzzles electricity...... and the generator adds serious weight, so carrying it around is rough too."

Robo-ko Doctor answered, pointing at the charging station.

Ao-san glances at me for a moment and mutters something like—I wonder if THAT side is all right.

With me around there's no lugging it anywhere; the magic stones can stay at the base—better yet, we can use the wall socket.

"What armaments can be used in a Japanese dungeon?"

"Pretty much anything that doesn't fire projectiles or cause explosions. Chainsaws, circular saws, and simple mass-based attacks like hammers are the leading candidates. For the unmanned type, you could add caterpillar tracks and go for body slams."

Chainsaws! Caterpillar tracks!

So that's on the table too!

"Yukiya, thoughts?"

Ao-san calls over to Yukiya-san, who'd been browsing the powered suit.

"I think it's fun. I'm buying one. Good material for videos, too. Ah—not this one; I'm going with the German model. We're dueling, right? For maintenance, mine gets handled by our people."

"Ah, then I want the British one. The one Count Sand Golem's daughter rides!"

Count Sand Golem is a nickname.

His real name is apparently Count Montague.

In Europe, dungeon conquest is considered a noble pastime—so using their fortunes, or serving as corporate billboards, the nobles love their powered suits.

"Huh? That one's insanely expensive, you know? You sure? My connections only reach this one French company."

"Will that be all right?"

I ask our sponsor.

"Denied. For real combat, better to run identical units in rotation. Could you prepare two more identical to this one?"

Grrrnnn.

But his reasoning is sound.

It was SOUSHI who argued this was necessary so he could level without burning MP, that's why we got them here.

If you ride a different one while charging, better for them to be uniform.

Which means the pilots' skill gap becomes the deciding factor......

"Come on. Whatever—if it looks useful I'll buy one myself. There WAS a shop at headquarters, right? Haruki, let's go check it out sometime. Soushi too...... wait, where'd he go?"

What a bourgeois. The "buy it myself" option—I want that too.

Ah—Soushi's in the back room getting lectured by Endo-san.

'Honestly. To think Chiba had such a SHADY establishment—I'll have to ask Hayashi-san to have the whole lot demolished!'

Robo-ko Labs is in peril!

If Soushi fails to talk Endo-san down, this place is done for.

Though I'd like to believe Hayashi-san has no such authority.

Besides, this is a LAB, not a shop.

The Chiba branch gets nothing out of it, so we can't count on Hayashi-san's help.

"Will it be all right?"

Ao-san, having caught the voices, asks me.

Robo-ko Doctor gives me a pleading look too.

Don't look at ME.

I'm the one who decided bluffing was hopeless and brought Endo-san here, after all.

"For now, as long as Soushi's savings cover the shortfall. If Aikawa raises no objection, Endo-san probably won't meddle any further."

"Don't really follow, but I'll transfer the money early. Well then—Doctor, will you need any paperwork?"

Ao-san sighs, but approves the payment.

And so the vacant-lot scenario was averted...... probably.

Somebody please tell Endo-san that this is strictly a hobby and NOT an affair.

"Ah—for today I'm fine. First I'll check with my friends about stock...... Oh, and it'll be an import, so it may take a while."

"Doctor—make sure you claim all of it as expenses, okay?"

Consider that an assist.

Robo-ko-san shut herself in because she had no money to repair her robot.

If she doesn't do this properly as WORK, there was no point in bringing Ao-san here.

"Right, that part matters. Bill us for Soushi-kun's share too. Well then, that's settled—Yukiya, let's head home."

Settled in no time at all. What a relief.

"What are you saying? We're not leaving without moving this thing. Can we even take it outside?"

Right, that.

"But it's dark outside, though?"

Nothing to be done there.

Robo-ko-san can't wake up in the daytime.

Inside the dungeon, noise brings no complaints—and more to the point, I can't go home until Endo-san's lecture ends either, so bear with me a little longer.

"Opening the shutter."

Robo-ko-san rolls up the shutter, and the powered suit carrying Yukiya-san steps outside.

"It's quiet. Looks plenty usable."

Electric drive means the running noise is quiet.

It doesn't even make the obligatory "wiiin-GACHA" sound.

"Ah, that reminds me—we found a new ninja, you know......"

Right—we need to talk about that, too.