part2 · 109-ep109

Episode 109: The Beginning of the Anomaly

The next morning.

Ren woke early, as usual.

When he stepped out of his room, he heard faint sounds coming from the living room. Mizuki was preparing breakfast.

"...Morning."

When Ren said that, Mizuki turned around.

"Morning, Ren."

On the table, toasted bread, an egg dish, and warm soup were laid out.

Ren sat down in a chair. And then, he looked at Mizuki for a moment.

"...Work again today?"

At those words, Mizuki's eyes went wide for just an instant.

The old Ren would hardly ever have asked that on his own. He answered what was asked of him. He spoke only what was necessary.

That Ren was changing, little by little. Mizuki was happy about that, and gave a small laugh.

"Yeah. Today I'm supposed to meet Reina and Hinata at the guild."

"...A request?"

"I don't know yet, but if something comes up, I might take one."

"...I see."

Ren nodded and brought the soup to his mouth. After a while, he spoke again.

"...What time will you be back?"

"Around evening, I think. If it looks like I'll be late, I'll get in touch."

"...Got it."

A short conversation. But even just that was enough for Mizuki.

Ren was trying, little by little, to make ordinary conversation. He was trying to get used to living with someone. Mizuki quietly accepted that change.

"What are you going to do today, Ren?"

"...Tidy up my room a little."

"I see."

"...Also."

"Hm?"

"...Read a book."

At the edge of the table, the cookbook was lying. It had gotten a little more creased from use than it was up to yesterday.

Seeing that, Mizuki smiled softly.

"Are you going to make something again?"

"...Haven't decided yet."

"I'll look forward to it."

"...Yeah."

Ren lowered his eyes a little.

Whether from embarrassment or from thought, Mizuki still couldn't tell everything. But she felt she was coming to understand him a little better than before.

Breakfast over, Mizuki got ready to leave. She threw on a jacket and picked up her bag.

"Alright, I'm off."

"...Yeah."

Ren came to see her off at the entryway. Mizuki put on her shoes.

"If anything happens, contact me on your smartphone, okay?"

"...Got it."

"Really, only if something happens, okay?"

"...Yeah."

Mizuki laughed and put her hand on the doorknob.

At that moment, Ren said quietly.

"...Take care."

Mizuki's hand stopped for just a moment. And then, she smiled happily.

"Yeah. I'm off."

The door closed. Silence returned to the room.

Ren stared at the entryway for a while. Then he went back to the living room.

He picked up the cookbook lying on the table and slowly turned the pages.

He wanted to do something for Mizuki. That feeling was still hard to put into words.

But it was certainly there inside Ren.

Meanwhile.

Mizuki was on her way to the adventurers' guild.

The guild in the morning was already bustling with adventurers. People had gathered in front of the request board, and a line for a turn at the reception counter had formed.

When Mizuki went inside, a voice called out to her right away.

"Mizuki!"

When she turned around, Reina was raising a hand. Beside her was Hinata too.

"Morning, Mizuki-san."

"Morning, Reina, Hinata."

The three naturally gathered together. Just that drew a quick glance from the adventurers around them.

A-rank adventurer, Kanzaki Mizuki. A-rank swordswoman, Mizuno Reina. B-rank, yet excellent at support and scouting, Ogawa Hinata.

The three-woman party 《Astra》.

In the guild too, there were few who didn't know that name.

"What are we doing today?"

Reina said, looking at the request board.

"If there's no urgent request, a light one should be fine, right?"

Mizuki nodded too.

"Right. Today, we don't need to push ourselves—"

That was when it happened.

"Kanzaki-san."

A guild staff member came walking over from the reception side. Their expression was calm. But there was something stiff about it.

"Do you have a moment?"

"Yes."

When Mizuki answered, the staff member turned their gaze to Reina and Hinata as well.

"There's a request I'd like everyone in 《Astra》 to look into."

Reina raised an eyebrow.

"Us?"

"Yes. It isn't an ordinary monster-slaying request. It's an investigation request."

"An investigation..."

Mizuki's expression tightened just a little.

Led by the staff member, the three moved to a briefing room in the back of the reception area.

Inside the small room, several documents were laid out on the desk.

On them was written the name of a single A-rank dungeon.

A dungeon on the scale of fifty floors, located outside the city. Danger level A-rank. It was a place several clearing parties had entered before, and its map and monster information were to some extent in order.

"For several days now, abnormal readings have been confirmed in this dungeon."

The staff member opened the documents.

"Abnormal?"

Reina asked back.

"Yes. The magic concentration is showing figures higher than normal. However, at present it's not enough to change the danger level."

Hinata's eyes dropped to the documents.

"A rise in magic concentration..."

"That's not all. The behavior of some monsters differs from the normal records. Monsters of a kind that don't form packs have been moving in groups, and conversely, some have left their territory and moved toward the deeper levels."

"Terrain changes?"

Mizuki asked.

"There are reports in some parts. That the shape of the passages was subtly different from the previous survey. That said, no large collapses or changes to the floor structure have been confirmed."

Reina folded her arms.

"So you want us to go take a look?"

"Yes. The objective is investigating the cause. Combat isn't the main purpose."

"The danger level stays A-rank, right?"

Hinata checked. The staff member nodded.

"At present, yes, A-rank. But as long as the abnormal readings continue, it was judged that we should have an experienced party check."

Mizuki stared at the documents.

A rise in magic concentration. Monsters' changed behavior. Slight changes in the terrain.

Individually, none of them were enough to declare immediate danger. But neither were they things that could be left alone.

"What's the survey range?"

"First, up to the twentieth floor. If the abnormalities are strong, don't push on—withdraw."

"Understood."

Mizuki nodded. Reina rolled her shoulders lightly too.

"If it's just an investigation, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Don't let your guard down, okay?"

Hinata looked at Reina.

"I know, I know."

Reina laughed.

Mizuki looked at the two of them too and gave a small nod.

"We'll take it."

At those words, the staff member let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you. Please depart tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, then."

"Yes. I'll have the detailed documents put together and give them to you by the end of the day."

The briefing over, the three left the room. The guild's clamor came back.

The same morning as always, unchanged from a moment before.

But in Mizuki's chest, a very small something remained caught.

Danger level A-rank. Survey up to the twentieth floor. Withdrawal judgment permitted too.

It wasn't an unreasonable request.

Even so—

"Mizuki?"

At Hinata's voice, Mizuki lifted her head.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Mizuki smiled.

"It just bothered me a little."

"Well, it is an abnormality investigation, after all."

Reina said.

"But with us, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Yeah."

Mizuki nodded.

If it was 《Astra》, they'd be fine. That was what she thought.

They had the experience and the ability to think so. They had overcome dangerous requests many times before.

So, at this moment, Mizuki still didn't know.

That this small sense of unease would eventually turn into an anomaly beyond recovery.

Evening.

Mizuki returned home.

"I'm home."

When she opened the entryway door, Ren poked his face out from the direction of the living room.

"...Welcome home."

At those words, Mizuki found herself smiling.

"Yeah. I'm home."

Inside the house, there was the feel of a quiet life. The cookbook on the table. Washed dishes in the sink.

The traces of the time Ren had spent alone were gradually settling into this home.

"How was today?"

When Mizuki asked, Ren thought a little before answering.

"...I read a book."

"The cookbook?"

"...Yeah."

"Did you find something you want to make?"

"...A few."

"I see. I'll look forward to it."

Ren gave a small nod.

After dinner.

The two sat facing each other in the living room. The sound of the TV played quietly.

Holding a steaming cup of tea, Mizuki opened her mouth as if she'd suddenly remembered.

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going on a request."

Ren's gaze turned toward Mizuki.

"...A request?"

"Yeah. A survey of an A-rank dungeon."

"...A survey?"

"It seems the magic concentration has gotten a little high. And the monsters' movements have changed a bit, apparently."

Ren listened silently. Mizuki went on.

"But the danger level stays A-rank. This time we're only checking up to the twentieth floor."

"...Dangerous?"

Ren asked shortly. There was just a slight stiffness in his voice.

Mizuki smiled at once.

"It's fine."

"...It's fine?"

"Yeah. Reina and Hinata are with me, and I won't push myself. If it's dangerous, I'll come back right away."

"...I see."

Ren gave a small nod. But he didn't look entirely convinced.

Mizuki noticed that and spoke gently.

"Are you worried about me?"

"......"

Ren was silent for a moment. Then he answered quietly.

"...A little."

Warmth spread through Mizuki's chest.

Words he surely wouldn't have said before. Even if he'd been worried, he wouldn't have known how to convey it.

But now, he put it into words, just a little.

Mizuki smiled.

"Thank you. But really, I'll be fine."

"...Yeah."

"Tomorrow, I'll contact you when I get back."

"...Got it."

A quiet time flowed between them.

On the TV, some nothing news was playing. Happenings in town. The weather forecast. Traffic information.

An ordinary everyday.

Watching it, Mizuki took a sip of tea. Beside her, Ren had the cookbook open.

That profile of his was calmer than it had been not long ago.

The everyday was gradually taking shape. Ren, who had come back after ten years. Little by little, he was trying to live alongside someone.

Watching him, Mizuki quietly thought.

She wanted to protect this time. She didn't want this life to be broken.

But—

That night.

The adventurers' guild's monitoring room.

In the dim room, a single staff member was checking the readings on a monitoring crystal.

The crystal showed the magic reactions of the dungeons in various places.

One among them. The A-rank dungeon 《Astra》 was scheduled to go investigate tomorrow.

The magic concentration being displayed was on the high side. But it was still within the standard range.

Not enough to trigger an abnormality alarm.

The staff member wrote the figure down on a record sheet.

"...A little higher than yesterday."

Right after he muttered that.

The light inside the crystal wavered for a single instant.

"...?"

The staff member looked up. But the next moment, the display had returned to normal.

Magic concentration. Within the standard range. No warning display.

The staff member stared at the crystal for a while.

"...Noise, maybe?"

It wasn't that the monitoring crystal never wavered for an instant. If the flow of magic was disturbed, the display could blur too.

Just to be safe, the staff member added a small note at the edge of the record sheet.

—Temporary reaction fluctuation observed. Requires continued observation.

No further abnormality was confirmed.

So no one stopped it. 《Astra》 going to that dungeon the next day.

No one knew yet.

That that small waver was the precursor to the anomaly that would swallow Mizuki and the others tomorrow.