arc03 · 076-ep70

Episode 70: Her Reason

"Why…… do you ask?"

"Yes."

The guild's thinking here, I can more or less follow. They've assigned as my dedicated contact a staff member close to my own age who's handled reception since the very earliest days—presumably to keep me from drifting away from the Akabane Guild. I take it as proof they're pinning that much hope on me.

Still, what I couldn't stop finding strange was how Sakurai-san, for her part, was working as my dedicated contact so enthusiastically—so positively, even.

Unusually for her, she stumbled over her words a little—but then, as if steeling herself over something, she told me the reason.

"Well, then. I did hesitate over it, but staying silent would feel dishonest of me, so I'll come clean."

So there WAS something to it after all.

"To begin with, even I didn't understand, at first, why I was so mindful of you, Takeru-san."

"……Is, that so?"

"Yes. I even wondered whether it was simply because you were, to me, an existence that made no sense whatsoever……"

Ehh……. If that was it, that alone would sting a little.

"If I'm being completely honest—it was probably calculation."

"Calculation?"

"Of course, I think it's a wonderful thing how hard you work at your dungeon exploration, Takeru-san, and I am rooting for you in all sincerity. But setting that aside—how should I put it…… I have no memories of my past."

"Huh? Your memories……?"

"Yes—it's as if the ten-odd years of memories up until I entered middle school simply fell away…… And it seems I apparently had a younger brother, one far younger than me. He has most likely passed away. My parents won't tell me a thing. All there is, is the family altar—and a photograph of a boy who must be him."

Apparently, it was around the time of middle school that Sakurai-san lost not only her memories but her emotions as well. In the old photographs, she says, there she is smiling so happily beside her brother. And she remembers none of it. What happened back then, why she lost her memories—no one will tell her a single thing, it seems.

Even the friends she'd once been close with gradually began keeping their distance from her, I'm told. They desperately kept reaching out to her, but Sakurai-san couldn't respond to any of it. It's a shame they drifted apart—but nobody could blame those friends.

Bit by bit, her heart did slowly return to her—but her memories never did, and that's how things stand to this day.

She even tried becoming an adventurer, on the chance it might be the trigger to bring her memories back—but as it happened, it did nothing at all, and with a skill like 【Item Appraisal】, she couldn't stay active as an adventurer for long. Even so, skill-less as she was, she'd clawed her way all the way up to D-rank—but with high school graduation looming, she accepted a scout offer from the guild and quit being an adventurer.

I see. I'd always figured she was someone without much visible rise and fall of emotion—so that was the story behind it, huh.

"So I waited for some kind of trigger to come along. And then—three years into my work as staff—you appeared, Takeru-san. Watching you, so far outside every common sense there is, my heart began to stir more and more often. Perhaps there was something in you, after all, that echoed my brother. And even if there wasn't, I thought you might become some kind of trigger for me. Besides—it may be a form of compensatory behavior, too."

"I see…… So, did I resemble your brother, at all?"

"Who can say. The photographs of him are all from around kindergarten age, and I don't particularly feel your atmospheres are alike…… though perhaps, in the way you act, there's something along those lines."

"I see. No—honestly, that's a relief."

"A relief?"

"Ah, no, sorry. It's nothing to do with your memories, Sakurai-san—I was relieved that there's a proper reason behind you making all these accommodations for me."

"But it's quite calculating of me, you know?"

"What's wrong with that? There's no malice in it, and I'm the one reaping the benefits."

"Is, that so……"

Sakurai-san's expression eased, just a little.

Perhaps she'd thought that laying it all bare might drive me away from the Akabane Guild.

"Nothing to worry about. Make free use of me. And in exchange—help me become the strongest."

"……Yes. I look forward to working with you from here on out."

Whether her memories coming back would be a good thing, or whether it's better they never do—honestly, I couldn't say.

But if it's what Sakurai-san herself wants, then rooting for her to get them back is only fair.

Still, though—her little brother, huh. Wonder if the guy's doing all right.

"Hm? Come to think of it, Sakurai-san—did you say three years since you became guild staff?"

"I did, yes, but……"

"……Which would make you twenty-one, now?"

"Well, yes, that's right. Though I do think asking a woman her age is rather poor form."

"Ah—no, sorry. It's just, you're younger than I imagined, so……"

"In other words—you're saying I look old for my age?"

"Ah."

N-n-no, that's not, that is NOT what I…!!

I mean, the same age as Mio—I can't possibly believe that, or, how do I even put it……!

"Besides, from where I stand, believing that you, Takeru-san, are a first-year in high school is every bit as unbelievable—so we're even."

"Ha-ha, ahaha……"

I've got absolutely nothing to say to that…….

◇

I'd learned a little more about Sakurai-san.

It was a somewhat heavy story, granted—but asked whether there's anything I myself could do about it, the answer is nothing in particular, and I figure most likely there's nothing I need to do. So I'll keep conquering the dungeon and aiming for the strongest, same as always. Fight, get stronger, come home.

Not dying—that's the crucial part.

Up to now, I've almost never fought an opponent dangerous enough to make me feel the threat of death. But irregulars like the Goblin King could spring up any time without warning—and when that happens, I won't strain for victory. So long as I survive, that's good enough.

I've been ordered not to overdo it until the armor arrives, so let's play it safe and get 【Shadow Magic】 mastered on Floor 11. Grinding levels on weaker opponents isn't something I want to do, but if it grows my 【Shadow Magic】, that's about an even trade. Felling shadow wolves isn't going to move my own level much anyway.

And so, today means nothing but hunting shadow wolves on Floor 11.

It's already past noon, and I've got school tomorrow—so under half a day, I suppose.

Well then—just how far can I raise it?

"Alright then, I'm off."

"Yes—please take care."

With a word to Sakurai-san, I made for the dungeon.

Today's run is still in the jersey, mind—punched through with holes and frayed at the seams in places.

Haha—yeah, this really does look shabby.

Well, on the bright side, with this no epithet like 『Jersey-kun』 is going to stick to me anymore. That's a relief.

Time to keep at it—aiming to earn a cool epithet like 『Thunder Emperor』 someday.