ch61-ch80 · 078-ch78

Chapter 78: Homecoming

"I'm heading back ahead. Take care of Haruki."

After checking on my condition, Sato-san heads back toward the 'Gate to Floor 13.'

Apparently she came to look for me because I hadn't come back.

There seem to be others worrying too, so she's returning ahead to report in.

It would've been nice to follow Sato-san back, but she'd probably run, and she'd be using skills, so I gave up on the idea.

Sato-san really does look every part the scout.

(So I wasn't reincarnated after all.)

Right now, I'm at the campsite in front of the 'Gate to Floor 15' on Floor 14.

Apparently I fell asleep while resting here.

And dreamed of a goddess who looked just like Mizuki.

Seems it was just an ordinary dream...

It was such a strangely vivid dream that I genuinely thought I'd been reincarnated in another world.

Just like that Sanzu River dream I had before—how am I remembering a dream this clearly...

"Alright, we should get going too."

The party leader—the big guy—calls out as he shoulders his large shield.

Now that I've calmed down, they look like a perfectly ordinary party.

Apparently they're escorting me all the way to Floor 1.

I figured I could make it from here without skills, so I thought about declining, but they said Sato-san would be paying a reward, and that turning it down would mean losing out, so they talked me into it.

They're all such nice people—I don't know how to react.

The reward won't be an issue, anyway.

I probably earn more in a single day than the five of them put together.

Bill her good, I say.

"Quiet-san, your voice was really cool, too."

It's Ms. Thigh Swordswoman, who has now been ruled out as my future bride.

Apparently she's into cool voices.

"Ha! THAT does it for you?"

The tsundere playboy.

Does he have a thing for Ms. Thigh Swordswoman?

He seems like a swordsman too.

Neither of them carries a shield.

The playboy has a big two-handed-sword-looking blade slung on his back.

"Now, now. Come to think of it, how were his skills as a scout?"

The tall Now-Now-san.

He's equipped with a long-shafted axe—not quite as long as a halberd—and a small round shield on his left arm.

He seems to have tossed the question to the scout to change the subject.

"Hmm? Embarrassing as it is to admit, I didn't even notice him coming. Total defeat."

The black-haired scout.

The woman who always says hi to me.

She apparently took me for dead while I was sleeping, and her scouting skills are always the butt of everyone's jokes.

Her equipment: two fairly large knives hanging at her waist.

Dual-wielding?

(If I had to guess: 【Shielder】, 【Swordsman】, 【Swordsman】, 【Axeman】, and 【Scout】—a nicely balanced party.)

"Come to think of it, are you a scout too, Otherworlder-kun? Our leader's guess is that you have a sub-job, and that it's scout. What do you say?"

Oops—on my end, the whole reincarnation question got settled as "just a dream," but in Ms. Thigh Swordswoman's mind, I'm still an otherworlder...

What do I do?

"Hey, asking him directly is bad manners."

"What's wrong with just asking? If he doesn't wanna answer, he won't."

The leader gets angry, and the playboy sticks up for her.

"No, it's fine. As you guessed, my sub is scout."

"Whoopsie. A Double-Rank—that puts you above us, huh."

It's the black-haired scout.

Huh? My license rank is still Single, so maybe I should've kept that to myself...

And I've already got a high-rank job on top of it, so power-wise, I'm about Triple-Rank, I suppose?

"Ohh, called it. Nice—sub-job and all. Wanna trade for our scout?"

"Yeah, yeah. Your main wouldn't happen to be a shield job, would it? Swap with our shield, would you—"

"Now, now. More importantly, how's the wound? Tell us right away if it starts hurting."

The party's conscience, Now-Now-san.

What a fun party.

I'd like a party like this myself.

I hope we all get along when the time comes.

︙

︙

We've made it back to Floor 2.

Just a little farther to the 'Gate to Floor 1.'

"Huh? There's an Association staff member over there."

There is.

Someone's standing in front of the gate.

That's... Shiraishi-san.

What's she doing all the way out here?

"You're LATE!"

She's angry?

What's wrong?

"Good work, everyone. Thank you, truly. I'll take it from here with him."

"Understood. He's in your hands now."

"Then let's go eat. It's already past noon."

It's already 1 PM?

We left the campsite around 6, but it took quite a while.

Well, they took it slow with breaks for my sake, so it can't be helped.

"You can collect your reward another day. But first, here—a little something from me. Here you go: a one-time free 【Heal】 coupon. Mind that it's only good at my counter."

She's handing over coupons printed with an illustration of Shiraishi-san's face.

"Oh, thank you! I've never had 【Heal】 done before, so this makes me happy."

"Leader, why don't you get your head 【Healed】 while you're at it?"

The black-haired scout needles the lovey-dovey leader.

So that's how it is?

"Ha ha ha. Then why don't YOU get 【Heal】 on that caved-in part of yours? It might flatten right out."

"Say that and it's WAR, you—"

Ahh, he went there.

That's not okay, you know.

"Now, now. Shall we have monster meat for lunch?"

"Seriously? I'm out of MP, so I'm eating outside."

"I'd prefer somewhere nice and stylish myself."

Apparently this is business as usual—the other members aren't fazed at all.

"Thank you so much. I'll be sure to repay you."

"Don't worry about it."

"Right, right—you got the free 【Heal】 coupon too, so don't even think about it."

"Yeah. Get some proper rest."

"Now, now. Shall we head off?"

"See you later, Otherworlder-kun. Say hi to Mizuki-san for me."

"...Mizuki?"

Ms. Thigh Swordswoman gets that last unnecessary word in and disappears through the 'Gate to Floor 1.'

"Those people are apparently otherworlders. And from what I hear, otherworlders see us as the otherworlders."

"Eh? Ghosts and things like that? I can't STAND that stuff, so stop iiit!"

I'm fairly sure otherworlders aren't ghosts, but did I manage to fool her?

"Let's get you treated first. Sit down there."

Why here? I wonder—but I obey without protest.

Because, truth be told, I was already at my limit.

HP: 600→585/2250

My HP has been dropping bit by bit ever since Floor 14.

"May I ask a favor?"

"...There's something wrong with your head, you know that?"

"Then please 【Heal】 my head as well."

Did she say that after seeing the wound on my back?

Or after seeing my max HP with 【Analyze・HP】?

Either way, I don't have the energy to talk back.

"【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】【Heal】."

I'd heard 【Heal】 hurts, but that's not the case at all.

Was it that it hurts when something's broken?

HP: 585→1980/2250

"It seems 【Heal】 can't take you any further than this. Your blood volume is too low. You might want to go to a hospital and get a transfusion."

At the start, each cast recovered about 180.

"I was going to lecture you first, but I've lost the will. You have a change of clothes, don't you? Your mother Harue-san is upstairs, so you'll clean yourself up properly before setting foot on the surface."

"Ha...rue? Who's that?"

"Your mother."