Chapter-10 · EP-147

Chapter 10: Heroes

Episode 147: When I Came to Buy Exploration Gear, Murasakimura Somehow...

As we passed through the ticket gates at Shinjuku Station's south exit, the weekend crowds welcomed us.

Businessmen in suits, housewives carrying shopping bags, students in uniforms. As various people came and went, the four of us also stepped into the flow and started walking.

Today, we had come to Shinjuku for the purpose of leveling up Murasakimura, Sendo, and Akaishi. The goal was to explore the third floor of the Shinjuku Dungeon and raise the three to level 3.

Murasakimura was still level 1. Last week, he had nearly broken down but was saved by Kazuma-san, and he was now close to reaching level 2. Sendo and Akaishi were level 2. If today's exploration went well, all three were scheduled to reach level 3.

"I'll guide you through the Shinjuku Dungeon today, so just follow me and relax!"

I said, trying to sound as reliable as possible.

"That's reassuring."

Murasakimura answered with a smile.

"This is my first time exploring a dungeon other than the academy's, so I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me!"

I puffed out my chest.

I'd been to the Shinjuku Dungeon many times, so I could navigate from the station without a map app. Following my usual route along the main street, I could get there without getting lost.

"Come to think of it, Sendo, you said you wanted to buy a spear, right?"

As we walked, I called out to Sendo.

"Yeah. We're going to challenge the first-floor boss, the Huge Slime, aren't we? When it comes to the Huge Slime, using a spear is the standard method."

Sendo nodded. Indeed, to attack the core, the Huge Slime's weak point, the reach of a spear is advantageous.

"Well, there are other ways to defeat it, though. I might buy some good armor if I find any."

"Then there are various shops this way."

Murasakimura said, pointing to a side street off the main road.

Looking, I could indeed see several shops lined up. I always went straight to the Shinjuku Dungeon along the main street, so I'd never been down that way.

"Let's go."

Sendo said, and the three quickly walked off down the side street.

"Ah, wait…"

I hurried after them.

I was supposed to be the guide, but I felt like I was being guided instead.

"How about this shop?"

Murasakimura stopped in front of a stylish storefront with glass windows.

"Ah, I know that brand. Isn't it a famous shop?"

Sendo nodded.

At the entrance was a logo reading "BLACK SWAN" and a silhouette of a black swan. That was probably the shop's name, but sorry, I didn't know it at all.

The clothes displayed at the entrance looked less like exploration gear and more like what you'd find in a regular apparel shop. Simple, sophisticated jackets and pants were displayed on mannequins.

"Isn't this just a regular clothing store?"

I couldn't help but say.

"It says it's made of Kevlar and is blade-resistant. It's certainly not regular clothing."

Akaishi read the product description posted beside the display.

Looking closely, indeed, words like "special fibers" and "blade-resistant" were listed. Even though it looked like regular clothes, it apparently had the functions needed for explorers.

I could easily enter a rugged explorer supply shop, but stepping into a stylish boutique like this made me hesitate.

As I looked at the display, the three quickly went inside.

Wait for me!

"Ichinose-kun, let's look inside."

Just as I was hesitating, Murasakimura called from inside the shop.

I was amazed at Murasakimura's leadership, pulling people along like this. That smile and tone of voice that naturally drew in a hesitant person like me.

If I were a girl, I might fall for him.

...Still, this was strange. I was supposed to be here today as their "guide." Yet here I was, hesitating to even step on the doormat, looking every bit like a lost old man.

Thinking that, I resigned myself and stepped into the shop.

Soft jazz was playing inside. Somehow, it was so different from any shop I'd ever shopped at that I felt like I'd come to another world.

"Ichinose-kun, what about this jacket?"

Murasakimura picked up a nice-looking jacket and showed it to me.

An outdoor-style black nylon jacket with a hood... no, it couldn't be nylon. It must be some high-performance fiber.

There was an embroidered swan on the chest in the same color as the black fabric. I thought it might be hard to see, but maybe that was the style. I wouldn't know...

Murasakimura read the product description.

"It says it's a blade-resistant jacket. I wonder if a blade really can't cut it."

It wasn't nylon after all. Still, a blade-resistant jacket.

I'd been badly bitten by a Grey Wolf before; if I'd been wearing that, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. My jeans got full of holes back then. Thinking that, I wanted a pair of blade-resistant pants.

"Do they have pants to match?"

"I'm sure they do. Let's ask the clerk. Excuse me!"

I followed Murasakimura as he went to the back of the store to find a clerk. Then…

"So, since we're finally getting featured in a fashion magazine, we can't use our usual rugged photos! We need something more stylish!"

"Even if you say that, we can't arrange a model now…"

It seemed the staff were arguing.

"Excuse me!"

Murasakimura called out, unconcerned about the staff's atmosphere. How gutsy was he?

"Ah, yes!"

The clerk called by Murasakimura immediately switched to customer service mode and came out. As expected of a service professional.

"Do you have pants made of blade-resistant material?"

"Yes, of course. Almost everything we carry is blade-resistant. Bottoms are over here…"

As the clerk guided us to the pants section, her gaze was fixed intently on Murasakimura.

What was going on?

Then suddenly, the clerk spoke to Murasakimura.

"Are you a dungeon explorer?"

"Y-yes…"

"If you don't mind, could we take your photo wearing our products?"

"Huh?"

"Actually, our products are going to be featured in a youth fashion magazine. We've been in explorer catalogs before, but this is the first time for something like this. The only photos we have of people wearing our products are of rugged explorers. We want photos of someone with a handsome face like yours."

――When I came to buy exploration gear, Murasakimura was somehow scouted as a model for a magazine feature.