arc3 · 039-ch39

Episode 39: zoo

The total number of dungeons in Japan is 20. The Explorer Association is built adjacent to all of them without exception. This Hachioji Dungeon is no exception—the Explorer Association is built on the same site as the dungeon.

The Explorer Association doesn't just manage explorers' dungeon expeditions; it's equipped with a purchase center, infirmary, changing rooms, lockers, and bathing facilities. These are facilities designed to let explorers conduct dungeon exploration comfortably.

The changing room at this Hachioji Dungeon Explorer Association was bustling from morning. Not only were there explorers who use Hachioji Dungeon as their base, but there were also Explorer High students there for summer break.

Even though it's summer break, students from the training facility don't use this changing room. While not explicitly stated, a local rule has formed that this changing room is for explorers, so trainees from the training facility can't use it.

They wouldn't get kicked out the moment they entered, but from an ordinary person's perspective who isn't an explorer, they couldn't possibly win against explorers even if they stood on their heads. Not wanting to get strangely entangled with them, the trainees avoided entering on their own. Because of that, they change clothes at the nearby training facility office.

In one corner of this changing room crowded with explorers, they were there.

The "zoo" party—Explorer High first-years already exploring District 2. The four-member zoo is the most talked-about party at Hachioji Explorer High.

"I hope we find lots of Gale Rabbits today."

Inurakuse Yuurai voices her wish while changing into Explorer High tracksuit pants.

Inurakuse is a woman with hair turned light brown from the influence of mana, tied low. With her refined features, narrow monolid eyes, and added height, she gives off an intimidating impression, but her personality is extremely gentle.

"Y-yes, that's right. I want to equip Rabbit-chan's armor soon, but it doesn't drop very often, you know."

Following up in agreement with Inurakuse is Nitta Kotori. She's small for a high school first-year, with an appearance that could pass for an elementary student.

With her orange hair braided, Kotori was preparing for exploration in a restless, unsettled way.

"What's that, are you trying to provoke me? Kotori already dropped 3 of them!! I'm at zero, you know!? Zero!! I can't accept being in the same boat as Giraffe who has terrible luck!!"

The one getting angrily worked up is Nekoyashika Kaoru, who has her black-purple hair tied in twin tails. Nekoyashika, wearing gaudy rings and fully open piercings, has applied perfect makeup even though she's going dungeon exploring.

She's dressed in a style called "mine" type, which is rare in this era.

"Oops. I accidentally dropped a shoe. Could you pick it up for me, Nyako?"

The one who said that and deliberately dropped a shoe was Rikuzen Kirin, whose pure white long hair with pink mesh catches the eye.

She also wears piercings and accessories like bangles as usual, but the impression she gives is different from Nekoyashika. Kirin gives off a punk or metal type impression. If Nekoyashika is a little devil type, then Kirin is a devil type.

"You dropped it yourself, so do it yourself... wait, what's this!? These are Gale Rabbit shoes!!"

Nekoyashika, eyes wide open, immediately picked up the shoes. From any angle, they were shoes dropped from Gale Rabbits.

"D-did you guys give them to Giraffe!?"

Kotori, whose turn the finger pointed to, shook her head restlessly.

"I-it's not me!"

"Then Wanko!?"

"Not me either. What's going on, Giraffe, with that?"

Inurakuse also shook her head and asked Girrin out of curiosity.

"You're curious? Then, let's talk about it inside."

Inside—meaning inside the dungeon—means it contains information they don't want overheard by those around them. This place is the changing room, and you don't know who might be listening to the conversation where.

"Hah!? I want you to tell me quickly!!"

"Th-then Nyako-chan, hurry up and change. N-Nyako-chan hasn't made any progress changing at all."

"What's this, Kotori!? Kotori doesn't care!?"

"I-I do care, that's why I want you to hurry up and change..."

Ignoring Nekoyashika who was screaming and yelling, Kirin, the source of it all, quickly finished changing and prepared herself without delay.

◇

Floor 1, District 2. The zoo members were in an area where relatively tall grass spreads out in this grassland expanse. Black smoke that seemed to go against the wind was being drawn into them.

At Explorer High, students are taught that the area with tall grass in District 2, Floor 1, is a danger zone. That's because it's the territory of One-Horned Rabbits that hide in the grass and inflict fatal wounds.

One-Horned Rabbits are quick and small, making them hard to hit with attacks, and when they appear in groups, they get behind you, making it difficult to defend against attacks. You gradually get worn down from your feet, and finally your heart or head is attacked and you get killed.

Explorer High students rarely die in this area, but there are many cases of serious injuries, and even after returning, many give up being explorers because the mental damage from nearly dying doesn't heal.

Since One-Horned Rabbits are at most level 15, there were many cases of fighting them at the very end after sufficiently leveling up in District 2. Even so, they can't keep up with the One-Horned Rabbit's speed, so they almost always immediately retreat.

"We've come this far, so it should be fine. Why does Girrin have Gale Rabbit armor?"

Nekoyashika, who had been curious all along, pressed Kirrin for answers. Because she was told "inside the dungeon," she had held back until coming to this area where explorers rarely visit.

There's a lot of information about dungeons that should be kept confidential, and it needs to be handled with great care. Understanding that, Nekoyashika had also silently followed here.

"To put it simply, I exchanged with the Iron Pipe Princess. No, I didn't exchange with something of equivalent value, so 'received' might be the more accurate expression."

Kirrin, who had been replenishing water after the battle with One-Horned Rabbits, casually answered Nekoyashika.

"Eh, Iron Pipe Princess, as in that one?"

"Yeah, Wanko. That Iron Pipe Princess."

Inurakse asked back as if inadvertently doing so. The other members seemed the same, surprised by the unexpected person's name.

"Eh, what? Did Girrin know the Iron Pipe Princess?"

"No, we happened to meet at the Seekers Shop yesterday. She talked to me and we went to a café."

"W-wait a second, Wanko. More than that, the fact that she exchanged Gale Rabbit armor with the Iron Pipe Princess is more important, right!?"

Nekoyashika called a halt, interrupting Inurakuse's conversation. Kotori followed in agreement with Nekoyashika.

"Th-that's right. If Iron Pipe-san had Rabbit-chan's armor, does that mean the rumors were true?"

The rumors refer to those spreading at Explorer High about the Iron Pipe Princess.

If someone other than Explorer High students enters a dungeon, they stand out. And if it's a child coming to receive the dungeon's blessing on their 15th birthday and enters the dungeon day after day, they stand out even more.

At first, it was something minor. A handsome guy and a beautiful girl entering the dungeon together—was it a couple having a dungeon date, that kind of level.

District 1, Floor 1 is an area with many non-explorers, so while rare, it's not non-existent. They were also young, around middle school age, so there were rumors like they'll probably come to Explorer High next year. Since they were already active in District 1, there were voices of jealousy and welcome saying a highly promising rookie had been born, to that extent.

But recently, the rumors had been changing.

Namely, the handsome guy broke up and the beautiful girl is exploring solo. Namely, her weapon isn't a sword or spear, but the ultra-close-range weapon "Underling's Disciple." Before that, it was a metal bat. Namely, when an Explorer High student tried to follow to help when she was struggling with monsters solo, she progressed all the way to District 2. Namely, she's hunting District 2 monsters solo. Namely, not only Green-Yellow Wolves solo, but she's even defeating Gale Rabbits. Namely, she's a dungeon freak who explores the dungeon every day.

Those kinds of rumors had reached zoo's ears too, but they thought they were probably exaggerated rumors with added details.

The breakup talk probably includes the Explorer High guys' wishes, but solo exploration of District 2 is impossible. And by a middle schooler? Defeating Gale Rabbits too? Since the source of the rumors was the same Explorer High students, they were just fed up with Explorer High students' poor quality.

But if the Iron Pipe Princess had Gale Rabbit armor, the credibility of the rumors goes up.

"A-ah, I see. If you had tea together, didn't you hear about that kind of thing too? What about it, Girrin?"

Stronger attention than before was focused on her from the three. In response, Kirrin answered as if it were nothing.

"I keenly realized that rumors aren't reliable."

Looking at Kirrin who shook her head as if saying "good grief," Nekoyashika felt relieved. Realizing she was relieved, Nekoyashika felt irritated at her own feelings.

zoo is an exceptionally excellent party even among Explorer High. All four members have good stat growth, and they're manifesting excellent skills that match their stats.

According to the rumors, the Iron Pipe Princess was accomplishing things that even such people as them wouldn't do, or couldn't do. Knowing that was a lie, she involuntarily felt relieved. That there was no excellent talent other than themselves.

That was terribly irritating. Surely among the zoo members, only she had felt relieved. Wanko, Kotori, and Kirrin shouldn't have such petty feelings of relief whether the rumors were true or not.

Especially since she recognizes herself as having the weakest mental state in this party, Nekoyashika gritted her teeth.

"Right. It seems solo exploration of District 2 is true, but as expected, fighting Wooden Goblins is about the limit, right."

"Hm? No, that's wrong, Wanko. Not that. About Suzuka-chan and the Iron Pipe Princess. Suzuka-chan has defeated not only Gale Rabbits, but also the area boss Fresh Green Great Wolf, and Rabbit Demon Iron Skin too. She was a monster beyond the rumors."

At those words, time stopped for the other three.