arc01 · 011-ep11
Episode 11: Let's Try Recruiting
Monday came around.
I stifled a yawn and headed to school.
"I got carried away and stayed out exploring way too late… Gotta reflect on that."
Sunday, I'd been in the dungeon since morning and ended up grinding levels until the date changed. By the time I left, the last train was long gone, so I had to walk home.
"Well, thanks to that, I leveled up enough that floor 7 shouldn't be a problem now."
************************
【Name】 Kobayakawa Takeru
【Level】 17
【Status】
・HP: 420 / 420
・MP: 52 / 52
・STR: 82
・VIT: 80
・AGI: 127
・DEX: 81
・INT: 75
・LUK: 4
【Held Skills】
・Plunder
・Martial Arts (Lv. 2)
【SP】 18
************************
To be honest, I overleveled. Who'd have thought I'd climb this far this fast? That's exactly what made me get carried away. Plus the magic stones and drop items earned me a serious pile of cash, so a new weapon was suddenly within reach too.
"The steel pipe still feels like it can hold its own, so why not aim straight for a weapon a tier up?"
At this pace, the punchline would be that any cheap weapon built for the lower floors turns useless in no time. In that case, might as well just go for something a C-rank adventurer would use. The price would be suitably steep, but… in the long run, that route seems like it'd work out cheaper.
For now, today would be a feeler—I'd try taking on floor 7 with the steel pipe.
◇
I slept through half of my morning classes, and lunch break arrived.
"Come to think of it, I wonder if the club room's even open at lunch?"
It bugged me, so I headed over to the clubroom building to check.
I knocked. No answer.
I tried the handle, but the door seemed to be locked.
"Well, I didn't figure her for the type to be doing club stuff over lunch anyway."
If it'd been open, I was going to eat my bento in there, but no such luck.
"Guess I'll grab a bench somewhere and eat, then."
I settled on a nice shaded bench outside and took my time with lunch.
It's quiet. Nice… Just as I was lazing about, I spotted a figure that looked really familiar.
The girl I'd seen at the guild on Friday.
Judging by her ribbon, she was a first-year like me. One of those so-called 'bangs-over-the-eyes' types, maybe? She'd grown her bangs out long, so her eyes were hard to make out. Probably on the petite side, even among girls.
And there she was too, eating lunch alone on a bench a little ways off. Hmm. A loner too, maybe?
Should I go talk to her? If she joined the Dungeon Research Club, that alone would put the club's survival to bed for good. The president would surely be thrilled, too.
Alright.
"Um, excuse me—got a sec?"
"…………"
"Um… hello?"
"Huh, um, huh? M-m-m-me?!"
"Yep."
"S-s-s-sorry! I-I'm in your way, aren't I?! Sorry! I'll move right now!"
"Whoa whoa whoa—no no, that's not it at all! Stay seated, you're fine!"
"Huh, uh, um, um, o-okay!! S-s-sitting back down!"
Crap… I just scared her half to death… Huh? Am I really that scary…?
"Sorry for ambushing you out of nowhere. I just wanted to rope you into a club, that's all…"
"Um, um, a-a club?"
"Yep. If you haven't picked one yet, I was thinking mine might be worth a look."
"Um, well, I'm b-busy after school… so I-I wasn't planning on joining a club… Sorry."
"Huh?"
Ahh… Ogi, my friend. Found one here too. A prime prospect.
"So, um, this is really hard to say, but… our school makes clubs mandatory, apparently."
"…………Huh? Y-you're joking, right?"
"Nope. Dead serious. I was planning to be a going-home club member myself, but I found that out last week and scrambled to pick one."
"…………It's over… I'm finished…"
"No no no, it is not over!?"
"But I can't do it… Crowded places are just… too much… A-and I've never been a-able to talk to people properly, no matter what…"
"Ah, if that's the problem, then you're fine! My club has exactly two members: me, and one unmotivated senpai! And ghost members seem to be totally fine, so please, if you want in!"
"R-r-really?! A club that perfect actually exists?!"
"Yep. It's called the Dungeon Research Club. Mysterious, I know."
"The D-D-D-Dungeon Research Club!?!"
"Oh? You know of it?"
"No, I hadn't, but p-please let me join it anyway!!!"
"That got proactive fast!?"
"I-I mean, um, you see, I go to the guild a lot, so…! I-I know a fair bit about dungeons…!"
"Oh, thought so. Knew I'd seen you at the guild the other day."
"Whaaat!?"
This was that thing, right? The so-called WIN-WIN?
She was probably my kind of people, too. She's got to want to hit the dungeon after school. And for folk like us, the Dungeon Research Club was a perfect fit.
Plus she seemed shy around strangers, so a small roster would be easier on her too. And I was sure that senpai could manage a conversation with her just fine.
"Um, um, um! C-can I ask your name!?"
"Hm? Oh, right, never gave it. I'm Kobayakawa Takeru, Class 1-B. Good to meet you."
"N-nice to meet you! I-I'm Aizawa Midori—ah, Class 1-D!"
"Anyway, I'll come pick you up at your classroom after school today, so wait for me when class ends."
"Ah, um, okay! S-so we're m-m-making plans to meet up, right!?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, sure, yeah?"
"Hehe, ehehe… I-I'll be waiting, okay?"
"Y-yeah."
What was with that. Aizawa had suddenly started grinning to herself. Was the Dungeon Research Club really that exciting a prospect?
Honestly, I don't even know what the club actually does, so who am I to say. Eh, neither of us would be showing up much anyway—nothing to worry about.
"Oh, there's the warning bell. We should head back."
"Ah, y-yes!"
"Sorry for crashing your lunch break."
"N-no, not at all! If anything, you talking to me saved me a lot of trouble! I-I mean, if I hadn't learned it here, I p-probably would've been checkmated—not knowing clubs were mandatory and all…!"
"I see. Glad to hear it. And I'm glad you're joining my club, Aizawa."
"Th-th-th-thank youuuu!!"
"Haha, same here. See you after school, then."
"Y-ye-yes!"
We split up partway, and I headed back to my own class.
There were a few moments where things got a little weird, but recruiting my first comrade felt good. In this day and age, people who actually go to dungeons are rare. She seems to love them too, so this couldn't have worked out better. Couldn't care less about the club itself, but if chances to talk come up, maybe we can trade dungeon stories.
Somehow, school had gotten a little more fun.