arc01 · 032-ep32

Episode 32: Shopping and the Receptionist

The next day.

A completely free day is a rare thing for me. I hit the dungeon every day through spring break after middle school graduation, and never skipped a day since. Even back in middle school I never slacked on training just because it was a day off, so this stretch of staying put, going on since yesterday, has me seriously restless.

For now, I luxuriate in it—eating breakfast slow and spacing out—and decide to head out just before noon.

Shopping it is.

Well, most of what I'm buying is dungeon-related, so it all ends up meaning a trip out toward the Akabane Dungeon anyway.

◇

And so I arrive at the guild.

That said, today's business is on the shop side. I blow right past the usual adventurer counter and head upstairs.

The second floor has the café and the reference room, plus a row of assorted shops. 『Takumi Arms』, where I went before, is one of the stores here.

What I want is camping gear plus a jersey and underwear, so I browse the general goods store and the clothing store.

The camping gear looks like it'll be a load to carry, so I decide to buy the jersey and underwear first.

Basically everything here is made with dungeon-sourced materials, so it all runs fairly pricey. Incidentally, there was only one kind of jersey. All the other clothes come in every design imaginable… Not popular, I guess? And I find them easy to move in, too.

I asked to try on the sample jersey they had on display—nice feel against the skin, a simple black, and I took to it right away, so I bought it on the spot. Not like there were other options anyway.

On top of that I bought T-shirts and a batch of underwear, and it cost me more than I expected.

Adventurers really do burn money the moment you try to gear up properly.

Maybe because I'd taken my sweet time browsing, it was suddenly lunchtime by the time I noticed.

So, figuring school would be on lunch break too, I gave Aizawa a call. To ask about that order of mine.

『Hello—got a minute right now?』

『Oh, hello. Takeru-kun. …Yeah, I'm fine.』

『Gotcha. Sorry for hitting you up during lunch. It's less a consult, more a favor, really.』

『I-is something wrong?』

『Could I pick up the items I ordered—the extra potions and such—today? I'm thinking of a little mini expedition into the dungeon over the weekend.』

『Whaat!? …I can hand the items over, but—are you really all right already? You're not pushing yourself, are you?』

『No, no, I was already healed up as of yesterday. Thanks to you and Hashimoto-sensei.』

『I-if that's the case, well, all right then. Just—please don't go nearly dying on me again, okay?』

『Yeah, once was plenty for me too. I'll fight so I take as little damage as possible.』

『…All right. Then I'll head to the guild again after school today, so let's meet at that café like last time.』

『OK, thanks a bunch.』

『Yes. Talk to you later.』

Excellent. Now I can dive hard all weekend.

Buy a tent and the bare-minimum camping gear so I can bed down inside the dungeon, and I'll be all set.

I'm no expert on camping equipment and don't have any particular attachment to it, so I asked the clerk for beginner-friendly, easy-to-use stuff and bought their recommendation as-is.

They demonstrated how the tent works, too—it went up easily and folding it back down wasn't hard either, so I should manage just fine with it solo.

With my shopping more or less done, I figured there was no point hanging around and headed downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, an intense stare hits me from the guild counter.

…………Man, she is staring holes in me.

It's the usual receptionist.

"Um, is something the matter? Did I do something?"

"…I heard you were badly injured the other day."

Oh, right. That time it was someone else at the counter, now that I think about it.

"Sorry for worrying you. On top of potions and salves, I had recovery magic cast on me too, so I'm in perfect shape now."

"That's, um, good to hear. Please try not to overdo it, all right?"

"Yes, of course. This last one was just far too much of an irregular."

"…Yes. I heard you saved those other adventurers—let me thank you as well. Truly, thank you for what you did."

"It's nothing. I'm just glad they made it out somehow."

"By the way, that huge load of yours…?"

"Oh, this? My jersey got wrecked thanks to the Goblin King, so I bought a new one—and I got together the gear I'll need for an expedition."

"Eh… an expedition, you say?"

"Yep. Once the ban's lifted, I'm thinking of heading out for my C-rank promotion."

"…………Solo, right?"

"Eh? Ah, yes."

What's with that—she's making one ferocious scowl over there. Did I mess up somehow?

Sh-she's muttering under her breath, too quiet to make out!?

"Haaah………… I do believe I just asked you not to overdo it, and here you are, overdoing it at once."

"What!? I'm not overdoing anything! I'm planning to play it safe!"

"Yes, I understand now. Common sense doesn't seem to work on you, so I've decided to simply accept it."

"Come on, no need to make me sound like I've got no common sense."

"You don't."

"!!?"

"But I also think you're a very promising adventurer—one who moves for other people's sake and has the ability to back it up. Here is the guide covering the contents of the C-rank promotion test. Even if you lose it, the same information is posted on the official website, so read it over carefully and do your best. …I'm rooting for you."

"Th-thank you very much."

"If you have any questions or anything you'd like to discuss, feel free to ask me—Sakurai. From now on, I'll be at reception until 10 p.m."

"Eh—ah, is that right? Got it."

Maybe because she handled my visits every day through spring break, she worries over all sorts of things—Sakurai-san is a really good person. If anything comes up, I'll go consult her.

Well, the ban should lift by nightfall, and I've got my promise with Aizawa, so I'll head home and get some sleep first.

Once I come back tonight, the weekend mini expedition begins.