arc02 · 040-What_Uika_Saw

Episode 40: What Uika Saw

The facility built to wrap in a wide ring around Akabane Dungeon—commonly known as the Akabane Guild. It was late March when Sakurai Uika, who handles the front-desk reception for the adventurer guild there, first met Kobayakawa Takeru.

Spring break—one of the guild's busiest periods, when it bustles every year. Boys and girls fresh out of middle school come to register as adventurers so they can check their skills.

Kobayakawa Takeru was one of those boys.

At the start, Sakurai handled his registration without paying him any particular mind, going through the bare minimum of formalities like business. On the first day of registration the guild recommends only confirming stats and skills, and tells them to head straight back.

He caused no particular trouble—if anything, for a middle schooler his attitude was remarkably polite, and he did as he was told. Naturally he returned to the guild right away on day one and went home from there.

At that point Takeru remained only in a corner of Sakurai's memory, but seeing him come to the dungeon day after day starting the next day shifted her reckoning to 'not normal.'

"Coming to the dungeon every single day, first thing in the morning—is he even sane? Considering he doesn't come back even after my shift's over, he must be holed up in there something fierce…"

Compared to other adventurers, Takeru was impossibly holed up in the dungeon.

Normally, brand-new adventurers head into the dungeon all fired up at first, but gradually their visits thin out. Most people show a visceral disgust for giant centipedes, and of those remaining, many are worn down physically and mentally, so making it there every day is rare. Even when they do come, it's mostly people in big parties, or rich folks taking it easy through power-leveling or leeching.

And in the middle of all that, Takeru partied with no one, quietly descending into the dungeon alone. With obviously flimsy gear—an off-the-shelf jersey, by the look of it—and a steel pipe.

(Shouldn't someone stop him…? Though it's not really the guild's place to intervene either.)

Sakurai thought she ought to stop him for his own safety, but following her senior's words—that once you register as an adventurer, it's your own responsibility—she took the morning reception for him every time.

As they saw each other every morning, they began talking a little.

"Man, centipedes really are tough. I've busted a bunch of steel pipes already and it ticks me off. They're gross, too."

"……Quite. Even at the guild, giant centipedes are considered a tougher foe than horned rabbits. They're on the slow side, so running is also an option, you know."

"I'm managing for now, so I'll keep stabbing away with the steel pipe and do my best."

"R-right… Is that so. Please do take care not to do anything reckless."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

Sakurai couldn't bring herself to believe what Takeru said.

What on earth was he doing with gear like that?

Normally, no matter how excellent a skill one drew, flimsy equipment meant death was always close at hand. Takeru too had apparently come back wrapped in bandages at first. But the injuries gradually decreased, and now coming back unscathed was the norm.

Was such a thing even possible after ten days or so from registering?

Perhaps he possessed an extraordinarily genius sense for combat.

◇

Spring break ended and high school began, so she'd assumed his dungeon visits would drop off—but Takeru showed his face at the guild every day, same as ever.

(B-before I knew it he'd been promoted to D-rank… Just what is going on with him.)

An incomprehensible growth rate. The mentality to dive solo every day. And on top of that, the social graces to greet people politely. Every last thing about him was abnormal.

Even after he entered high school, Sakurai kept handling his pre-entry reception.

Checking his return times, they were quite late at night, which worried her. Did his family not say anything about it?

The other staff watched Sakurai fretting like that with warm smiles. It was a complete misunderstanding—but they all assumed she was a girl in love.

Sakurai was the youngest of the guild staff, and she'd never taken this much interest in an adventurer before, and that's how the misunderstanding came about.

"I'm rooting for you, you know. You go and support Kobayakawa-kun properly, got it?"

"R-right…………"

"Honestly, shifting your hours to the night might work too."

"Um, I'll think about it…"

To Sakurai it was baffling, unwanted meddling, but in that fashion she found herself being spoken to by the other staff more often than before.

What on earth was going on, she wondered—though she was a little glad they seemed to have warmed to her.

A while of peaceful days followed, but it didn't last long.

"Hey, hey, did you hear!? Apparently Kobayakawa-kun brought back a whole pile of 【magic wood】 clubs!"

"【Magic wood】? You mean those goblin clubs?"

"Exactly! He's probably making the most money of anyone at D-rank, I'd bet?"

"I-is that so…"

Vulgar gossip made her wilt, but she couldn't let the 【magic wood】 matter slide.

Sakurai had assumed Takeru's skill was a fairly strong combat skill, but if so, this many drops couldn't be explained. Considering past cases of adventurers who brought in big hauls, the odds were high it was a skill affecting drop rate, like 【Great Luck】.

(No—it's not settled that his starting skill is that, either. There's a strong chance he picked up 【Great Luck】 at level 10.)

Sakurai had no idea why she was paying this much attention to Takeru.

◇

Before she knew it, Takeru's equipment had changed.

A very rare set of knuckles. At the very least, she'd never seen a pair at the Akabane Guild.

When she asked a little, he said it had been "love at first sight." The guts to buy a C-rank-class weapon just like that was terrifying.

And soon after, the incident happened.

"An irregular!? Was everyone all right!?"

"We lost one person, but the adventurers on the scene acted fast, so further damage was prevented. We've already put out a subjugation request and are sounding out an A-rank party."

"That's… a blessing in misfortune, then. We'll have to thank that adventurer."

"It's him. That adventurer."

"Him?"

"Kobayakawa-kun."

"Huh?"

She'd been briefed on the commotion when she came to work in the morning, but Takeru being involved shook her more than the news itself.

"He was badly wounded. But to save the other adventurers, he made himself the decoy and fought the Goblin King, apparently. A single misstep and he would have died. Truly a brave boy."

"Th-that's………… yes. Truly…"

Honestly, Sakurai wasn't sure whether to praise him. Perhaps she'd actually wanted to scold him.

But the person in question wasn't here, and she understood that her own anger was unreasonable, so she swallowed all of it.

◇

For the first time, a day came when he didn't show.

◇

The next day. It was around noon.

Seeing him appear from an entirely different direction, Sakurai couldn't help but startle.

Hadn't he been badly wounded? Why was he carrying such a huge load?

Without realizing it, she ended up glaring at him.

"Um, is something wrong? Did I do something?"

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

She barely managed to force the words out against his breezy manner, which looked nothing like someone who'd been badly wounded.

"Sorry for worrying you. Besides potions and salves, I had recovery magic cast on me, so I'm completely fine now."

"That's a relief. Please try not to be so reckless."

"Yeah, that's the plan. This time was a bit too irregular."

"……I see. I'm told you helped the other adventurers. I'd like to thank you as well. Thank you, truly."

"No, I'm just glad I managed to save them."

"By the way, that huge load is……?"

"Oh, this? The Goblin King ruined my jersey, so I bought a new one, and I picked up the gear I need for an expedition."

"E-expedition?"

"Yes. Once the restrictions are lifted, I figure I'll go for my C-rank promotion."

"…………Solo, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

Just what was this boy saying?

Did he have no thought of resting a little longer?

Why did he make her fret so much?

Should she have said something more firmly?

In the end, Sakurai concluded that she probably couldn't stop this boy.

If so, all she could do was support this reckless, brave adventurer to the extent she was able.

"Haah…… I believe I just told you not to be reckless, and here you are, reckless at once."

"Huh!? I'm not being reckless! I plan to go about it steadily!"

"Yes. I understand now. It seems common sense doesn't work on you, so I've decided to accept that."

"Come on, you don't have to make me sound like someone with no common sense."

"You don't."

"!?!?"

"But I do think you're a very promising adventurer—one who acts for other people's sake and has the ability to back it up. This is a guide with the contents of the C-rank promotion test. The same content is posted on the official site, so please read it carefully and do your best even if you lose it. ……I'm rooting for you."

"Ah, thank you."

"If you have any questions or want to consult someone, feel free to ask me, Sakurai. From now on I'll be at reception until 10 p.m."

"E-er, ah, so that's how it is. Understood."

She felt a little better having said a bit more of what she wanted to say than usual.

At Takeru's wide-eyed reply, she found herself—unintentionally—thinking he was cute.

She applied to her superior to shift her working hours, and the request was accepted with a smile.

◇

On the weekend, the youngest C-rank solo adventurer was born.