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Chapter 112 - Chapter Four: Character & Monster Profiles + Bonus Content

Chapter Four: Character & Monster Profiles + Bonus Content

● Characters

Yagawa Kyouta - LV: 35 | Race: Human / Awakened Person

Strength: 71 (Growth: A) | Durability: 71 (Growth: A)
Agility: 74 (Growth: A) | Mana: 74 (Growth: A)

Skills

Spirit Eye

Mana Conversion: Wind

Concept Interference

Unique Skill

Sage's Nucleus

Remarks: The protagonist of this story. He originally had a very plain face, but the effects of his Awakening improved his skin and hair, and sharpened his jawline, giving him the face of a "mass-produced light novel protagonist." He looks good in women’s clothing.
His communication skills are low and he couldn’t fit in in the classroom, but since school was closed for this entire chapter, that particular ineptitude wasn’t depicted.
Unlike his interpersonal skills, his talent as an Awakened Person is extremely high, and he has already been promoted to a C-Rank adventurer. If one were to compare his talent to a figure from Greek mythology, he would be on par with the great Achilles.
However, in terms of sheer technique, he’s only a hair better than an average person. Perhaps due to the influence of Arcane Gear, he’s not a complete amateur, but he is by no means a genius.

Rinzaki Erina - LV: 30 | Race: Human / Awakened Person

Strength: 52 (Growth: C) | Durability: 52 (Growth: C)
Agility: 67 (Growth: A) | Mana: 59 (Growth: B)

Skills

Invisibility

Five Senses Enhancement

Spatial Magic

Remarks: The heroine of this story? A blonde, twin-tailed, well-endowed beautiful girl who calls herself a ninja; she is a quarter English. In this chapter, it was revealed that her father is not her grandmother's son, but the son of her grandmother's sister.
She has a cheerful personality and appears to have nothing to hide. While she seems to have high communication skills, she often fails to understand how others are feeling, making her a sort of obliviously poor communicator.

She is the most skilled member of the Invisible Ninjas. Before becoming an Awakened Person, she was a promising kendo and karate practitioner.
However, not only does she not care at all about being unable to participate in official matches anymore, but she also had zero intention of pursuing that path, so she holds no lingering regrets about tournaments or the like.
If the Day of Awakening had never come, she would have likely become either an assassin or a mercenary.
In a way, she has a case of chuunibyou that went a little too far.

Arisugawa Aira

Level and stats have not changed, so they have been omitted. For those curious, please refer to the profiles in Chapter One.

Remarks: The heroine of this story? Part 2. A silver-haired, elf-eared, well-endowed beauty. Her appearance is the very picture of a cool beauty.
She’s a home tyrant type with poor communication skills who can't hold a proper conversation with anyone except family or people she feels superior to.
She's a natural-born genius, but in her efforts to understand her younger sister, she has also come to know perspectives other than that of a genius.
However, this does nothing to help her communication skills, and she's a loner at university. During breaks, she either holes up in her grandmother Professor Arisugawa's room, finds a secluded spot, or stays in her car.
As an Awakened Person, she is quite weak. Her physical fitness is so low that she can't pass the adventurer exam, so she hasn't been able to level up.
Because of this, those around her are telling her to do aerobic exercise and strength training to somehow improve her physical condition.
Perhaps this recent incident has changed her mindset a little, or perhaps it has only worsened her shut-in tendencies.
Her hobbies are drinking and gaming. However, since Awakened Persons can't get drunk on normal alcohol, in her case, she's just feeling the sensation of being drunk.

Miyoshi Mia - LV: 29 | Race: Elf / Awakened Person

Strength: 46 (Growth: D) | Durability: 46 (Growth: D)
Agility: 62 (Growth: A) | Mana: 65 (Growth: A)

Skills

Civil Engineering Magic

Water and Ice Magic

Mana Conservation

Remarks: The heroine of this story? Part 3. A blonde, bob-haired, elf-eared, busty beauty. She and Aira are half-sisters.
She considers herself either a prodigy or a mediocrity, and harbors feelings of jealousy and admiration for "true geniuses" like her sister and Erina. But beyond that, she holds a powerful emotion for her sister Aira that could be called either deep affection or obsession.
She is relatively sensible and has good communication skills, but she tends to bottle things up inside. She, too, is an Awakened Person and cannot get drunk on normal alcohol, but like Aira, she is susceptible to feeling drunk.
She can get tipsy just by drinking non-alcoholic beer, but if something were to happen during her evening drink, she could instantly sober up. And, of course, her memory of events would be perfectly clear.
She has a strained relationship with her father, his new wife, and their daughter, so she lives alone.
She was being persistently recruited by a certain adventurer party, and it was discovered that Turohorse was behind it. To make them give up, she joined the Invisible Ninjas.

Arisugawa Eva - LV: 25 | Race: Elf / Awakened Person

Strength: 52 (Growth: A) | Durability: 49 (Growth: B)
Agility: 58 (Growth: A) | Mana: 61 (Growth: A)

Skills

Red Sash of Power
An object wrapped in this red sash receives a conceptual enhancement. If wrapped around a lighter, it will produce a flame like a gas burner. If wrapped around a water gun, it can empty its contents with the output of a water cannon truck.
The enhancement rate depends on the user's mana value. However, it can only be wrapped around inorganic objects and can only be used by its owner.
In Professor Arisugawa's case, she wraps it around her bow to increase the power of her arrows. Occasionally, she also swings the bow itself as a blunt weapon.

Magical Pharmacology
A skill that grants knowledge of magic potions, just as the name implies. The user knows what kind of medicinal herbs exist and what combinations will produce the desired effects. It also provides a bonus to dexterity when creating potions.
Currently, the sale of medicines made with this skill is prohibited in Japan. Most skill holders either make them for personal use by themselves and their families or distribute them through the "black market." The professor is the former, but she has no intention of letting others drink them except in emergencies, at least until a scientific explanation is found.

Mana Conservation
Same as her granddaughter Mia's skill.

Unique Skill

??? Name still unknown.
She used golden particles for teleportation and her Item Box. She also used golden chains to stop time.
The full details of her abilities have not yet been revealed.

Remarks: Aira's and Mia’s grandmother and a university professor. She is also Kyouta's group's sponsor.
She looks to be in her twenties, a slender beauty with blonde hair in an asymmetrical bob with hime-cut bangs.
She was originally the daughter of a British duke but moved to Japan with her husband, whom she met through an arranged marriage. Because it was the country where her husband laid his bones to rest, she changed her own citizenship from British to Japanese.
She is intelligent and a mature adult, but she is actually extremely competitive.
She worked very hard to polish her household skills—cooking, laundry, cleaning, and sewing—after getting married. Now she is quite accomplished, and her cooking is professional-grade.
This is because every time her late husband praised someone else, saying, "The food at that restaurant is exquisite!" she would be consumed by a competitive spirit and practice relentlessly.
Many colleagues and students have fallen in love with Professor Arisugawa, who became young and beautiful after becoming an elf. However, she is still in love with her late husband and, being over seventy, has no intention of dating anyone new.
While that's her own situation, the mess her daughter made has her inwardly panicking that her granddaughters need to find proper partners.
Currently, Kyouta is treated as the top candidate. He is not yet aware that Professor Arisugawa is competitive, deeply loving, and possesses a tenacious nature.
Her battle style, befitting an elf, is long-range archery... or not. She is a straight-up, brutal infighter.
During normal explorations, she either kicks or uses her bow as a blunt weapon for bashing.
The reason she doesn't use arrows during normal exploration is not just because she's unaccustomed to it, but more so because it would "needlessly destroy the interior of the dungeon she's supposed to be investigating."
To properly investigate her target dungeons, she needs to become strong enough to overwhelm monsters without using arrows.
Her bust size, not to mention any names, is a "C, leaning towards B."

Furthermore, she is suspected by various parties of being a "shadow fixer," but she has no such hidden side. It is all just a coincidence.

Chris Mackenzie

Remarks: One of the people imprisoned in the palace of the Rey Cuelebre. His true identity is the former American ambassador, who was thought to be dead.
He had gone so far as to get plastic surgery to escape the U.S. government, but this time he was captured by the Cuelebre and was hovering on the brink of death. The reason for his agonized expression when he was rescued was that the stress of his life on the run was plaguing him with nightmares.
He is currently being hidden by Director Akasaka's subordinates and is explaining what he knows.
What kind of consequences this will have for Japan is not yet known.

Fairy

Remarks: Race and other details are unknown. Her appearance, apart from her expressionless face, is similar to a fairy from a picture book. She wears a short green one-piece dress.
She appeared as a "drop item" from the Rey Cuelebre. Her true identity is still unknown.
Currently, she is invisible to Erina and the others; only Kyouta can see her.

● Monsters

D-Rank

Bugbear
At first glance, it looks like a monster that is a mix between a goblin and a bear. However, that exterior is formed by the main body's mana; its actual form is a green-colored mineral.
However, the exterior it wears is not an illusion but has a physical form, so caution is advised.

C-Rank Monsters

Troll
It possesses a towering body and monstrous strength, with a regenerative ability that is close to immortality. In return, its intelligence is low, and its movements are relatively slow compared to others of the same rank.
Its regenerative ability can be hindered by burning the wound. It can also be defeated by attacking at a pace that surpasses its regeneration speed, or with a high-powered attack that blows away more than half of its body at once.

Artificial Spirit
Salamander, which resembles a giant lizard of flame. Sylph, a small person composed of wind. Undine, which looks like a fish made of water. Gnome, a mole with the face of an old man and a craftsman of Golems.
They basically act in groups of two or more and attack in coordination. Also, except for the Gnome, it is difficult to deal effective damage without elemental countermeasures or an attack imbued with mana.

Werewolf
A wolfman. It boasts phenomenal physical abilities and is covered in tough fur. It also has a high self-healing ability, though not to the extent of a Troll.
It has the intelligence to hunt in packs and will sometimes use deceptive tactics.

B-Rank

Cuelebre
A dragon with a form similar to a Wyvern. It uses poison breath and water/ice magic. Its flight speed is approximately 150 km/h, and its scales won't even be scratched by a rifle bullet.
Only the scales on its throat are soft, and it can be defeated with a rifle if shot there. However, it possesses such tenacious life force that it won't die easily, so be wary of its counterattack.
It sometimes carries humans off to its nest to serve as a mana source for its pack or the pack's boss.

Boss Monsters

Spriggan

Strength: 8 | Exterior: 40
Durability: 25 | Exterior: 45
Agility: 40 | Exterior: 20
Mana: 40 | Exterior: 40

Skills

Marching Army of Mist
Consumes mana to generate and manipulate mist. This mist has various effects, and those swallowed by it will have their sense of direction thrown into chaos unless they win a mana contest against the caster or have resistance from skills or magic tools.
It can also be partially strengthened to grant direct lethal capabilities.

Fairy's Guardian
Consumes mana to deploy an exterior that covers the user's body. The principle is similar to Arcane Gear.
In a manner of speaking, it's a magical powered suit. While it allows for precise control, the sense of pain is also connected, so if the exterior takes damage, a corresponding amount of pain is transmitted to the user.
Damage to the exterior can be repaired with mana.

Remarks: A boss monster that attacked Yamashita in the Fairy Forest due to Turohorse's machinations.
Its exterior is that of a giant made of what looks like a collection of green minerals, but its main body has the form of an old man made of earth. Its skin is literally the color of dirt, with tree roots growing like a beard.
If it had been just this monster alone, or with only a few Bugbears as escorts, Yamashita would have been able to retreat. However, the damage from the preceding stun grenade and the localized stampede put them in a dire situation.
If Kyouta and his party had not been there, Yamashita would have certainly died.

Rey Cuelebre

Strength: 65
Durability: 45
Agility: 75
Mana: 65

Skills

Mana Armor
Allows the user to permeate their own body surface with mana to increase its strength.
This is not an external emission, nor does it tamper with concepts. It simply takes time to increase the strength.
It doesn't provide an immediate effect, and it requires creating areas where the skill is not applied to serve as "intentional mana pathways."
In return, the benefit is immense. In the Rey Cuelebre's case, everywhere but the scales on its throat can withstand even a few direct hits from a tank shell.

Ice Palace
Consumes mana to change the weather to a blizzard and construct a massive structure out of ice.
Under the influence of this blizzard, all of the caster's stats receive a boost, and by consuming mana, they gain a self-regeneration ability just one step short of immortality. They can also activate powers similar to Water and Ice Magic.
The structure created by this skill does not have to be a palace; it can be a fortress or just a giant wall at the caster's will.
However, the mana consumption is terrible. Manipulating the weather requires an enormous amount of mana, and even a mana-specialized C-Rank adventurer would run out of fuel in a few minutes.

Mana Collection
By placing living beings in a cage or room on which a formula has been cast, it can forcibly absorb their mana.
The amount of mana that can be drained per minute is not large, but it can be compensated for by numbers. There is a limit to the number of people that can be contained, but in the Rey Cuelebre's case, it can collect mana from up to 70 people simultaneously.

Remarks: The king of the Cuelebre. It is a dragon whose forelegs are integrated with bat-like wings, and its scales are dyed black.
When it appeared in this chapter, it created a blizzard vast enough to cover an entire town, crushing houses with heavy snow and blocking roads to form a "hunting ground" from which its prey could not escape.
This prey, for the Rey, was "humans," and it was not targeting any specific individuals.
The abilities it showed during combat, such as detaching its scales to fire beams or radiating a breath attack, are applications of mana control unrelated to skills, or basic abilities of the dragon species.
Its overwhelming size, the advantageous field, and a body strengthened by its skills allowed it to overwhelm Kyouta with a torrent of mana. However, when the people imprisoned in the palace were freed, the balance between its mana consumption and supply collapsed.
In its focus on using its remaining mana to defeat the external enemy, Kyouta, it underestimated the presence of Professor Arisugawa and the others, which led to its defeat.
In its final moments, it chose to self-destruct in an attempt to take the one who killed it down with it.

● Q&A

Q. What’s the deal with the fairy that came out of the Rey Cuelebre?

A. That's still unknown. If I had to say, it's just a "drop item."

Q. Aira, wasn't it a bit harsh to treat him like some weirdo who "sees fairies"?

A. It might have looked like she was joking, but she was actually genuinely worried in her own way.

Aira:
"From what I know, he got his left arm and the side of his head smashed by an Orc Champion, had his shoulder gouged out by a Lefkos, got run over, fell several dozen meters, and crashed onto the roof of a car. He was blasted into the school building by a demon's beam and buried alive in rubble. And this time, he was caught in the Rey Cuelebre's self-destruction... Honestly, I just thought, So it's finally happened."

Kyouta:
"Thinking about it calmly, it's a wonder I'm still alive."

Q. What's up with that American ambassador who had plastic surgery?

A. That's also still a secret. Just what does he know...?

Q. How good are the main characters at cooking?

A. On a 10-point scale, it's roughly as follows:

10 Professor Arisugawa
Undoubtedly professional level. She couldn't stand her husband praising others, so she trained for years, even decades.
She was originally a talented person in most things, a so-called "genius who put in a certain amount of effort." If she had gone down the path of cooking instead of academia, she would have been called an Iron Chef.

8 Erina
Amateur level. She cooks with a delicacy and skill that belie her playful demeanor. She was trying to recreate dishes from manga, and before she knew it, she had become this good.
Her skills are definitely beyond that of a high school student. Although recreating manga dishes was her motive, she makes more conventional food when serving others.

6 Mia
Just plain delicious. That's all.

4 Kyouta
For better or worse, a normal high school boy. That's all.

2 Aira
A person who can cook but won't. She's just sloppy. With a mindset of "as long as it's edible," she just wings it with salt and oil.
Her cleanup is also sloppy.

9 Serious Mode Aira
This side of her came out in her childhood when her mother would forget to cook. Not wanting her little sister to eat bad, nutritionally unbalanced meals, she would secretly cook for her. This is basically a secret, and Mia thought she was eating her mother's cooking.
She was originally a very dexterous person, and when she gets serious, she can perfectly copy memorized professional recipes or Professor Arisugawa's movements.
However, due to a lack of experience, she can't reproduce applications or quick thinking, dropping her a level. Even so, her skills are good enough to open a restaurant.

Q. Aira often calls Kyouta an "SSR." Just how rare is he?

A. I'm not that familiar with gacha games, so I'll have to use the ones I play as an example...

In FGO, he's like a "Summer Caster Artoria whose NP can't be blocked by defense buffs, has Sure Hit, and can be switched between single-target and AOE." And all his enhancement materials, like Holy Grails, are already self-provided, and his NP level is 5.

In Uma Musume, which I started recently... he's like a "5-star Christmas Oguri Cap" or a "5-star Gentildonna."

Even among other "SSR" Awakened, his talent alone is top-class.

Aira:
"Hell yeah."

By the way, Aira's talent as an Awakened Person is, in FGO terms, about the level of a "certain tactician who makes his allies self-destruct." She's low-rarity, but depending on how you use her, she can be insane.
As for the representative of general Awakened Persons, Mr. Yamashita, he's about on par with that guy who was an executioner in France.

Q. Kyouta is strong... or is he not?

A. Yes. In terms of talent alone, he is a great hero. He would probably lose to someone like Heracles, but he'd put up a good fight.
However, his technique is only a hair better than an average person's. Also, his combat IQ isn't particularly high. He can fudge it a bit thanks to the high-speed thinking granted by his Sage's Nucleus, but his base intelligence is perfectly ordinary.
More than anything, his mentality isn't "Let's go on an adventure!" so...

Q. Are there other Awakened Persons out in the wild on Kyouta's level?

A. There are a few. He is not one-of-a-kind in his strength.

Some have become C-Rank adventurers and are fighting hard, while others have never raised their level at all and live lives uninvolved with such bloody matters.
There are also those who joined the Self-Defense Force and are currently in a life-or-death struggle in an A-Rank dungeon where dragons appear.

Q. For dungeon ranks, what are the appropriate levels?

A. Roughly:

F-Rank: LV 1–3

E-Rank: LV 3–10

D-Rank: LV 10–15

C-Rank: LV 15–30

B-Rank: LV 30–40

A-Rank: LV 41 or higher

That's about it.

Q. Isn't the gap after A-Rank a bit loose?

A. It is. In fact, all the ranks are loose.
They are ultimately "ranks determined by the SDF," so there are cases where the danger level is misjudged, like with the Lesser Treant.
For that reason, even within A-Rank, there's a huge variation. The dragon that rampaged during the overflow was actually on the lower end of that rank.
Currently, no dungeons of "LV 50 or higher" have appeared even in A-Rank, but we don't know what the future holds.
If the Japan in this story continues to exist, in about 10 years, a new ranking system and standards might be created.

Q. America is messing up too, isn't it?!

A. Britain in the story:
"That's right, that's right! Japan, you mustn't trust a guy like that!"

America in the story:
"I don't really get what you're saying. Come on, Japan and America are friends, right? So you shouldn't believe some look-alike of a dead ambassador. We'll take him off your hands, so just hand him over."

China in the story:
"Haaaah... As I thought, Asian matters should be solved by Asians, yes. Japan-san, you should hurry up and entrust everything to us, you know. Or would you prefer if we resorted to slightly more forceful means, hmm?"

These are the nations as they appear in the story and are not the same as their real-world counterparts.

Q. The Invisible Ninjas protecting the supposedly dead American ambassador...? Professor, what is the meaning of this?!

A. Professor Arisugawa:
"Eh? I have no idea..."

● Bonus

A timeline where Kyouta’s gender-swapped friends come over to his house. Or, the SDF Grand Victory Route.
TS Warning. Contains strong TS character elements. This is not related to the main story, so please skip if it's not to your liking.

Late June. July was just around the corner.

"..."

I was on the rooftop of a ridiculously tall building in the metropolis of Tokyo, surrounded by skyscrapers.

I silently processed the documents I received from the office clerk.

...How did it come to this!

"Hey, Kyouta. This week's Diamond no Kouzai is insane. It's messing with my head."

"Shut up. Don't read manga while people are working, you idiot."

"Whoa, harsh."

I shot a light glare at the mermaid floating in mid-air—Makoto-kun.

Contrary to his pure white one-piece dress, he was lazing about, reading manga while lying down in the air. Yet his mana control was perfect. I didn't know what to make of it.

He... she... I still haven't decided what to call him, but there was a ring of solidified water around his waist like a floatie.

It was apparently an application of Water and Ice Magic, and it allowed him to live on land without a wheelchair. In fact, he could apparently do it when we last met, so he really doesn't need a wheelchair.

"Hey, hey, can I spoil it for you?"

"No, I don't even read that manga. And seriously, don't distract me."

"Hah? It's because you're so slow with the paperwork. I already finished my share."

"Kuh...! Then help me."

"No ☆ way."

"So annoying."

As a vein throbbed on my temple, a glass was placed silently on my desk.

"Master, your iced tea. Please, take a short break."

"Oh, uh..."

"Still can't get used to it. Haruka's maid speech."

I looked to the side and saw a beautiful, well-endowed girl with dog ears, perfectly clad in a classical maid uniform, except for the fact that her upper chest was exposed.

This was another friend who, until middle school, was supposed to have been a boy. With a prim expression, Haruka-kun continued dispassionately.

"I am here as a maid. Therefore, it is only proper that I behave as such."

"...Your real thoughts?"

"This way of speaking is super calming. My soul is shaped like a maid."

"Oh, okay."

For a moment, he reverted to the Haruka-kun I knew, but in a way, his words hit the mark.

‘His soul is shaped like a maid.’

Maid part aside, both Haruka-kun and Makoto-kun's souls have "adapted to their respective races."

Normally, it's possible to change a person's sex using alchemy. Of course, it requires considerable cost and skill, but with the power of the Sage's Nucleus, it wouldn't be a problem.

But the reason it can't be done is because of their souls.

The bodies of these two were changed from the inside out. Even if I used alchemy to turn them back into men, their bodies would instantly revert to being female. ...And it would come with a severe backlash.

In the worst-case scenario, the backlash could cause their internal organs to flip inside out or even melt. Getting Haruka-kun and the others' sonship back is extremely difficult.

And since we lack what's needed to manage that,

"Well, do your best, ‘Clan Master.’ They say you're on par with the Walkers and the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club these days, so don't make any stupid mistakes~"

"Kuh...!"

One thing led to another, and I ended up creating a clan.

I have to say, my own communication skills have gotten a lot better. It's probably the result of being dragged around by these two and talking to all sorts of people.

Well, there's another reason my interpersonal skills have improved to some extent, but...

–––Brrrring.

"Master, you have a phone call."

"Yeah. Why did you just pull it out of your cleavage?"

"I was keeping it warm."

"...I see."

I took the slightly warm work phone and answered the call.

"Hello, Yagawa of the ‘Golem Maker’ clan speaking."

‘Hello, Yagawa-kun. This is Akasaka from the Dungeon Agency. It's been a while.’

This person, Akasaka-san, is a big part of it.

When I went to the prefectural office to ask about setting up the clan, I happened to run into him while he was there on an inspection.

Whether that was truly a coincidence is unknown, but he has helped me out in various ways.

Especially in business.

"Yes. Yes. ...Understood. I will have them prepared."

I nodded while jotting down the ‘order details’ over the phone.

After ending the call, I immediately phoned someone else.

"Ah, hello, is this Ooyama Workshop? This is Yagawa from ‘Golem Maker.’ Thank you for your continued support."

This is our clan's exclusive workshop, Ooyama Workshop.

It seems the world is a small place, as Ooyama Shizuku-san, who goes to the same high school, turned out to be an incredible, undiscovered artisan.

Under Makoto-kun's lead, we signed a contract, and now we provide her with ‘materials’ in exchange for having various tools made for us.

"Yes. I'll be in your care then. Goodbye. ...Phew."

"Yo, what was the call about?"

"The usual order for warheads imbued with Concept Interference. It seems General Marui contacted them, saying they're running low on the anti-dragon ones."

"Huh. They really go through them fast, don't they."

"Well, it means the SDF and the police are being saved, and more importantly, we're making a profit, so it's all good."

Currently, our clan, in partnership with Ooyama Workshop, supplies a portion of the weapons and ammunition to the Self-Defense Force.

It's amazing they'd order such things from an organization run by a high school student. Or rather, that it was even approved.

...Looking at the contract, it might not have gotten approval from the Diet, though.

"True. Plus, we get to see the list of items discovered in unexplored dungeons, so we might be able to get our sticks back!"

"If you think so, then help me out."

"No ☆ way."

"So damn annoying."

Well, Makoto-kun was originally assigned more paperwork, so I can't push him too hard.

"Anyway, what level are the SDF's Awakened Persons at now?"

"I don't know the details, but I think the highest is around ‘70’? The average is probably around ‘40,’ I think."

"And they still need missiles and stuff."

"It's against dragons, after all."

I replied while comparing the paper documents with the computer screen.

The documents are about the combat golems we developed in cooperation with the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club. Supplying them to the Dungeon Agency and the SDF is our main business.

It's so profitable that I can now afford to buy a tower apartment in the city center. Other clients include Rinzaki Erina-san, who was introduced to us by Ooyama Workshop, and the Walkers.

Business is booming today. Which means the workload never seems to decrease.

"Ah, staring at nothing but letters and numbers is making my head hurt..."

"I know what you mean. What do you say, want to blow off some steam?"

"Pfft?!"

I couldn't help but sputter at Makoto-kun's words.

When I shot him a glare, my friend pressed his ample chest together, showing off his cleavage.

"You... seriously, cut it out!"

"I'm not kidding. No need to get so angry."

"If Master so desires, I shall serve you as well."

"Sto-p i-t! We're! Working! Right now!"

I could feel my cheeks flushing hot, and Makoto-kun just cackled at my reaction.

Th-this guy...!

"Besides, you... you want to turn back into a man, right? Is it okay for you to say things like that...?!"

"Haaah?"

With a vexing smile on his stunningly beautiful face, Makoto-kun looked down on me.

"What are you talking about, after losing your virginity to me?"

" "

I... I can't say anything back...!

Look, it's not like that. It's just that when we came back from the dungeon, all three of us were weirdly hyped up.

We were having a party with juice and snacks when Makoto-kun started joking around, showing off his chest, and Haruka-kun started hugging me and...

We all got into a weird mood, and one thing led to another...

"I have not forgotten that day either. You were quite the beast."

"Well, it felt good, so it's fine by me~? But I want you to take responsibility for making me have my first female experience before I could have my first male one."

"Kuh...! A-anyway, not now! Work comes first!"

"Yeah, yeah."

If this continues, I'll definitely lose. I don't know what, but my reason is telling me I'll lose!

I switched my focus back to work mode and shifted my gaze to the documents.

I have the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club and Director Akasaka under a magical contract made with Haruka-kun's skill to keep my unique skill a secret.

But they are far more intelligent and experienced than we are. If I let my guard down, they'll undoubtedly eat me alive.

Director Akasaka himself warned me of that. I think the look in his eyes was serious.

"Well, if I can't turn back into a man, I'll just have your children for you. ...Though they might be eggs."

"Seriously, stop talking like that."

"Master. It is almost time for your walk. Please take this."

"I have no such plans. So take off the collar. And stop trying to make me hold the leash."

...Good grief.

Today, too, the workroom was unnecessarily lively.