arc03 · 046-ep40

Episode 40: Something Outrageous

A new morning has arrived.

My first day of actual activity as a C-rank adventurer.

Not that becoming C-rank changes my day-to-day life all that much. Weekdays I still go to school, and in the classroom I stay a background presence, keeping low and out of sight.

As for what has changed, let's see... I suppose it's that Azuma Mio, a reincarnator like me, has moved in right next door. Though that's got nothing to do with C-rank.

Last week was such a whirlwind that maybe I can afford to take it a little easier this week. Not that I intend to skip the dungeon any day.

"Oh, right. Gotta make sure I don't forget to take this thing with me."

The mercury-like stuff I got in the dungeon.

Frankly, it's basically me unloading a problem, but if anyone's going to be happy to take it, it's Aizawa the alchemist. Definitely. Probably...

But seriously, why did the treasure chest's contents end up different?

Probably because I'd already plundered the weapon with 【Plunder】... that's the only explanation I can come up with.

Ah well.

Anyway—off to school.

I opened the door and stepped out like always————

"Morning. I made a bento, you see. Have some if you'd like."

"Huh? Wha? What??"

"Here. This. Well then—off you go."

A lunch box is handed to me.

Clearly the extra-large size, sized for me.

No, wait, that's not the point. What is this.

"————Wait, hey! What is th——"

SLAM!

As if to say her business there was done, Azuma vanished beyond the door.

What is with that girl. Seriously.

"A bento... I make my own, you know. Now I've gone and got two..."

I don't suspect she'd slip something weird in at this point, but I can't tell what she's after.

Maybe it's her way of saying thanks.

Well, if so, it'd be pretty cold to just brush it off.

I gave the lunch box in my hands one brief look, then stuffed it into my bag and headed for school.

◇

I dozed through half the morning classes, and when lunch break came, I grabbed my stuff and headed for the club room.

'Sup.

I opened the club room door and, for once, the president was the first one there.

"Huh? President, you're here pretty early today."

"Ah, fourth period let out early because the teacher had some business. Thanks to that, I managed to buy a rare item at the school store that's usually impossible to get."

"Ooh! Such a thing exists!"

"Heh heh heh. Behold—our school store's limited-edition, extra-thick specialty katsu sandwich."

"Whoa, doesn't that look crazy good?"

As befits any man, thick slabs of meat are everybody's favorite! (Personal bias.)

"The sauce is superb, too. There's a genuine battle royale over them. Unless it's a day like today, you can't get one."

"Huh, that's kinda nice—those little traditions. Maybe I'll go check it out sometime."

"The line gets pretty long, so if you're bringing your own lunch, I wouldn't recommend it."

"That's awfully blatant competitor-thinning, you know."

"Busted, huh."

I feel like the president and I have gotten pretty chummy too. Or were we always like this?

For now, I pulled out my homemade bento, and just as I started eating, Aizawa joined us.

"Sorry I'm late! Takeru-kun, congratulations once more on your promotion to C-rank."

"Oh—thanks a bunch, Aizawa."

"Oh, now that you mention it, that's right! Congrats, Takeru-kun!"

"You too, President. Thanks."

Aizawa settled into her usual seat, and the three of us got to enjoy lunch together.

"Still, reaching C-rank in such a short stretch... aren't you the fastest on record?"

"Hmm, who knows. They called me the youngest, but nobody said anything about speed records, so maybe not?"

"Is that so? I find it hard to imagine anyone reaching C-rank faster than you, Takeru-kun."

"Well, honestly, I don't sweat that stuff, so it doesn't matter either way."

"Oho, so it's one of those 'just a waypoint' things?"

"I wouldn't go quite that far. But my final goal is being the world's strongest, so next to that, it's a pretty tiny record."

"You never change, Takeru-kun. Slack off even a little and I'd be left behind in no time..."

"You do your best too, Aizawa."

"I will."

Nodding along, the president—finished with his katsu sandwich, apparently—was typing away at his laptop.

"What are you doing, President?"

"Hm? Oh, just properly keeping records on you two. Something like a journal—who did what, and when. You especially hardly ever come after school, Takeru-kun. What gets said here counts most toward our activity record."

"Ah... well, fair enough. I do feel a bit bad about that. It'd be a problem if the Dungeon Research Club got axed, so if you need anything, say the word. I'll help however I can."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, I'm not in any particular bind at the moment, so it's fine. Just keep diving and pushing onward, and tell me about it here—that's plenty."

"I'm fine as well—I use the club room after school to organize my Alchemy-related reference materials."

"I see. You two are a real help."

After all, I've no intention of doing anything that would risk losing this club room, which has well and truly become my place to unwind.

So the Dungeon Research Club can keep on standing, I'll stay ready to lend a hand anytime.

"Come to think of it, I hear you found something in the dungeon...?"

"Ah, right, right."

Aizawa's words jog my memory.

The subjugation-reward treasure chest from the Floor 10 boss fight. And the mystery flask that came out of it.

"It's about this... it came out of the boss subjugation reward chest."

"...A flask?"

"Yeah, that. Some mercury-looking stuff inside. This boss reward is supposed to be a chest that always, always has a weapon in it... but for whatever reason, this was in there instead."

"Um...? Shouldn't you report that to the guild?"

"Hnn... there are some circumstances on my end, so I'd rather keep that under wraps. Sorry."

"I see... May I have a closer look at it?"

"Sure—here."

I hand the flask over to Aizawa.

"Actually, just keep the thing. It's obviously some kind of alchemy material, and it's no use to me sitting in my hands. If you can make anything out of it, use it freely."

"……………Th-this is..."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"I-if I'm not mistaken... this is 【Star Spirit Silver】... Th-there's no way I could handle something like this yet..."

"Is it something impressive?"

"An ex-ex extremely rare alchemy material... If you sold it, I don't think it would fetch less than ten million yen..."

"Whaaaat!?!?"

"Normally it shouldn't be obtainable anywhere short of Floor 20 and beyond... and even then only as a random drop from treasure chests inside the dungeon, which makes it extremely scarce."

"……………"

Aizawa sets the flask down on the desk with the utmost care.

I'd wrapped it in cushioning material so it wouldn't break—and now it was getting wrapped up all over again.

And then, Aizawa let out a long, deep breath————

"Wh-wh-what have you brought heeeeere!!!!!???"

It was a scream louder than any I'd ever heard from her.

——————————————————

Notice

Thank you so much, as always, for all the supportive comments and warm words!

As greatly appreciated as it is that so many people have come to read this work, it has also meant spending more time and mental energy on checking notifications and comments, and it has become harder to focus on writing.

From here on, so that I can devote myself to writing even more than before and deliver an entertaining story on a stable schedule, I will be closing the supportive-comments section for the time being.

I hope you'll continue to enjoy the work.

P.S. I made minor revisions to this episode's main text.