kscans

Chapter 164 - Worries

Several days had passed since my parents’ Awakening, and in early August, the heat and the cicadas’ chirping grew ever more oppressive.

My dad didn’t immediately quit his job to become a full-time adventurer—as expected—but he did start taking adventurer training courses online alongside his work.

It’s not something you can just commit to, betting your livelihood on being an adventurer. I’m going to school for the same reason, so I get it.

My mom, like my dad, was taking the online course, and they were planning to take the practical exam together the following weekend.

Still, I was worried.

My parents’ specs as Awakened Persons were perfectly ordinary. A far cry from me, who Aira-san had given the gacha-game-like high praise of ‘SSR.’

Would they be able to manage in a dungeon like that?

…They probably would be fine. After all, they were just like the majority of adventurers.

Still, every time I worried about the ‘what ifs,’ I had to remind myself, I’m ten years too early to be this overprotective of my parents.

I’d considered making them custom golems or gathering as many magic tools as I could to give them, but I had a feeling they’d refuse. As Aira-san once said, parents have their pride too.

In that case, there was only one thing I could do.

I discreetly placed a pamphlet for the `Walkers` on the living room table.

It was one of the world’s largest Awakened organizations, run by Yamashita-san, with whom I have a strange connection. Recently, they’ve been doing more community outreach and acting as a bridge between Awakened and non-Awakened, but at its core, it’s an adventurer clan… no, a guild.

They would have the know-how to train beginners, and they also have equipment and golems provided by the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club.

They might be able to accommodate beginners who have just Awakened and want to balance it with work and household chores.

Frankly, I couldn’t think of any other clan that could. I’m not well-versed in that kind of information to begin with, and when I looked online, most groups were either too ambitious or filled with only young people.

Most importantly, I didn’t know if remnants of Turohorse were hiding in other clans. In that case, the `Walkers`, who are publicly in opposition to Turohorse, would be the safest bet. After all, it was Yamashita-san and his group who protected the people who escaped from there.

What’s more, he has consistently taken a negative stance against Awakened supremacism in front of the media. In that sense, he’s a trustworthy person.

The problem was whether or not to contact Yamashita-san and say, ‘My parents will be in your care’…

I decided against it.

To him, I’m a lifesaver. If I told him that, it would be like saying, ‘Show them special treatment.’ My parents wouldn’t want that either.

Besides, I wasn’t the only one who saved Yamashita-san. It would be wrong of me to act so indebted.

So, they would have to take the entrance test like everyone else and join normally.

Though, of course, none of that matters if they don’t pass the adventurer exam first. …Wait, doesn’t `Walkers` also help with exam prep?

The more I looked into it, the more I realized what a wide-reaching organization it was. It was the kind of guild that might be used in fiction as a ‘secret society that pulls the strings of society from the shadows’ in the future.

Or maybe they actually are working in the shadows… Nah, that’s too much of a chuunibyou thought. I’m not Erina-san or Busujima-san.

Everything depends on my parents. Whether they pass the adventurer exam, whether they join the `Walkers`. It’s not my place to meddle.

But if something happens, or if they ask for my help, I’ll step in.

"No, that’s plenty overprotective, you know? Your whole line of thinking."

"Seriously…?"

That’s what Aira-san said when I told her this story while waiting for Erina-san and the others to change at the store.

I touched my earring, my lips slightly pouted.

"You think so? In times like these, I think it’s normal to worry about your family."

After all, my parents have almost died twice. When they were caught in the Orc overflow, the blood drained from my face.

Then they were exposed to a demon’s cannon fire during the sports festival. I don’t think anything like that will happen again, but the thought that something might makes me anxious.

"That’s true, but… If you ever have kids, you’re going to be a doting parent. So overprotective it would hinder their education."

"You’d go that far?"

"Of course I would. If your kid grew up and said they wanted to be an adventurer, you’d give them a custom golem and a bunch of magic tools, and then you’d probably go into the dungeon with them for a while, wouldn’t you?"

"That would… depend on the circumstances."

"The fact that you can’t deny it in this context confirms you’re a doting parent. You’ll either get on their nerves or spoil them rotten. It’s one of the two."

"Guh…!"

Even I thought ‘that might be true,’ so it was hard to argue.

"But you seem like the type to be overbearing with your kids too, Aira-san."

"Hah? I’ll be a good mother who maintains a perfect distance and handles everything perfectly, okay?"

"Nope. You’d definitely have something to say about everything. I feel like you’d either be annoyingly clingy or overly strict."

"What did you say?"

It should be hard to imagine Aira-san as a strict education-mom, but for some reason, the image comes to mind.

If that were to happen, she’d probably get her own act together more, but this person’s love for her family seems so heavy that she’d likely do her best for her child’s sake.

Or, conversely, she might act like a friend to her child. If there was someone else she could rely on, she’d go beyond being the ‘good cop’ and just become another child herself.

"…Let’s stop. A one-upmanship battle about future parenting between two people whose age equals the number of years they’ve been single is just too pointless."

"…Yeah."

I mean, we don’t even know if we’ll be able to get married in the first place.

…Well, maybe? It’s probably just my imagination, nine times out of ten, but?

I think there might be a chance. A chance that I’ll end up with one of the girls I’m with now.

I mean, I don’t think a guy with nothing but power and money like me could be loved by them. But still, you know, our proximity and all?

If we’re both single in the future, maybe it’ll be like, ‘Hey, should we just get married then?’ on a whim…!

I think there’s a possibility!

Dad, Mom. If that happens, I’ll be counting on you with all my might…! Please, give me all your advice…!

"Sorry to keep you waiting! What were you two talking about?"

"Sad news, Kyouta-chan-kun is being overprotective of his parents."

"I’m not being overprotective."

I turned to Erina-san and Mia-san as they came out of the changing room, my mouth set in a straight line.

"I see. Kyouta-chan is worried about his mom and dad and wants to do a lot for them, but he’s afraid it might strain their relationship, so he wants to entrust them to a reliable place! But if anything happens, he’s ready to jump in with full force!"

"Are you a psychic?"

"Chu chu chu. I am a ninja!!"

Erina-san wagged her finger, a smug look on her face. Her tongue-clicking was so bad that for a moment I thought she had blown me a kiss.

Also, she’s not a ninja.

"Did you just think, ‘She’s not a ninja’!?"

"So you are a psychic…?"

"Ahaha. That was just because you were so easy to read, Kyouta-kun."

Mia-san smiled wryly.

Am I really that easy to read? In elementary and middle school, people used to say things like ‘You’re so sullen’ or ‘What are you angry about?’ and it was a real pain…

Let’s not dwell on it. There aren’t many good memories.

I shifted my focus and headed towards the gate room.

"Alright, let’s go."

"Yeah! `Invisible Ninjas`, move out!"

"Yeah, yeah."

I wish she’d stop using that name.

There was no one in the store, and not just because it was a weekday. That was because this was also a ‘B-Rank Dungeon.’

Lately, we’d been going back and forth between the Dungeon of Utuq and the Nue dungeon, but this time we were at a different one.

It wasn’t a particularly good match for us, nor was it a great place to earn money. But compared to other dungeons, it was close to home.

It would be a huge problem if the thinning of monsters here fell behind. It was obvious from the circumstances that the SDF was stretched thin, so we came here to help out.

Even the Arisugawa estate wasn’t at a safe enough distance. It was unanimously decided that we would thin out the monsters here.

The only problem was our skill level. But we believe we’ve overcome that with our daily leveling.

I’m currently Level 49. Erina-san and Mia-san are both over Level 40. We’ve gotten quite a bit stronger from our repeated trips to the two B-Rank dungeons.

One-on-one would still be tough, but if the three of us work together, we should be able to defeat a Minotaur or a Rey Cuelebre with some stability.

…Though it might get dicey depending on the situation.

In any case, we finished at the reception and stood before the white door. I deployed my `Arcane Gear` and activated my golem.

After getting ready and doing a final check, we nodded to each other.

"We’re entering the dungeon now. Please navigate for us."

"Understood. The map is ready. If you have time, I’d like you to photograph some relics of civilization, but please prioritize your safety, everyone."

"Roger."

"Be just as overprotective of yourselves and your comrades as you are of your family!"

"You’re so annoying…"

"Also, you can spoil the cute Aira-chan as much as you want!"

"You heard her, Mia-san."

"I-I suppose I can’t be helped, Big Sis…! I’ll buy you a bib, a diaper, and a pacifier on the way home…!"

"That’s not it. That’s not the kind of spoiling I had in mind."

"A baby bottle is… not necessary."

"Of course it’s not necessary, but I’m afraid there might be a discrepancy in our reasoning, Kyouta-chan-kun…! Help me, Kyouta-chan-kun…!"

"Go for it."

"Thanks for the unenthusiastic encouragement! Damn it!"

"Senpai!"

"Erina-kun! That’s right, I have you! Give me a nice lifeline!"

"I couldn’t think of a good joke! Sorry!"

"You don’t have to ride this wave!"

I heard the sound of something being slammed on the other end of the earring. It was followed by a groan of, "My pinky…!"

You’re still like that even after becoming an Awakened Person…

"From that sound, she probably hit her own knee and her pinky grazed the desk…"

"Whoa, as expected of Erina-san."

"Hmph!"

"Thanks for the play-by-play…! I would have preferred a word of concern, though…!"

"Don’t worry, Big Sis. I’m worried, and I’ll lick your wound when we get back!"

"Yeah. I’ll just take the thought. It’s not like it’s a cut or anything."

"That’s good… I’m relieved."

"Am I a coward for thinking that her sincerity, with no trace of falsehood, is what makes it even scarier?"

"Let’s stop messing around and focus."

"Roger that!"

"Y-Yes!"

"I’m not entirely convinced, but fine. You’ll get yours later, Kyouta-chan-kun…!"

I took a deep breath. A sensation like my blood was turning cold.

Proportionally, my thoughts became clearer. I wonder if you could call this a routine.

Confirming a hand on each of my shoulders, I stepped towards the white door.

Now—it’s time for work.