kscans

Chapter 18 - Interlude: A Certain Ordinary Adventurer

Side: None

"...It's wonderful to be alive."

"Yeah..."

In the rest area of the Dungeon Store, four adventurers sat with drinks they'd bought from a convenience store, a dark cloud hanging over them.

The party leader was a Cat Beastman named Yamashita Hiroshi, age twenty-six.

He worked in a team with his younger sister, Akemi; her friend, Kiriko; and his own childhood friend, Shougo.

His reason for becoming an adventurer was not common in modern Japan, but not exactly rare either.

His company had gone out of business.

A dungeon had appeared in the building where his office was located, and the government had sealed it off. Since it was a small company to begin with, the president had decided it was better to just close up shop rather than try to start over somewhere new.

The employees who were let go had it rough, to say the least. Hiroshi could be considered one of the lucky ones. After all, he was an Awakened Person.

Awakened Persons, especially 'Beastmen,' tend to have relatively high physical abilities. On the other hand, their keen senses of hearing and smell limited their job options. Still, there was a demand for Awakened Persons. Many of them had great stamina.

Even so, the reason Hiroshi chose to become an adventurer was a mix of 'aspiration' and 'expectation.'

For now, the government monopolized dropped items, but considering the scale of it all, he believed they would eventually be opened up to the private sector. When that happened, he thought, it would surely become a massive market.

He reached out to his childhood friend Shougo, who had been working part-time after failing to find a job, and they decided to get their adventurer licenses together. Just after he told his parents, he learned that his sister and her friend were also planning to become adventurers.

If they were going to form a party, it was better to team up with people they knew well. So, they joined forces.

The exam itself wasn't particularly difficult, and all four of them passed, starting out at 'F' Rank.

For the past six months, they had diligently worked as adventurers.

They went to a dungeon three times a week, at least once without fail, earning experience and money.

──Dungeon exploration is grueling physical labor.

You spend nearly two hours moving through a labyrinth roamed by monsters. There are no clearly defined safe zones, so breaks can only be short. On top of that, you have to remain constantly vigilant.

There was no 'instantly killing' or 'overwhelming' multiple skeletons or kobolds; it was normal to be gasping for breath from exhaustion after every single fight.

And the pay wasn't that great either.

The tax laws for adventurers were relatively lenient, exempting them from things like the recently talked-about '1.03 million yen wall.' But as if to make up for it, there was an 'adventurer tax,' so it wasn't exactly a gentle system.

On top of that, insurance premiums were high. Since regular insurance wouldn't cover them, the government-created adventurer insurance took a hefty sum every month. But for those who made a living fighting, not being insured wasn't an option.

Private insurance companies were considering entering the market, but dungeons and adventurers were still too new. The respectable companies were cautious, and only shady ones were showing up.

Despite all this, they continued their adventurer activities and, after six months, raised their rank to 'E.' The leader, Hiroshi, had also grown considerably.

'Yamashita Hiroshi' LV: 6 Race: Cat Beastman - Awakened Person

Strength: 21 Endurance: 20 Agility: 22 Mana: 17

His stats had improved quite a bit from when he first started.

All of them only had one skill each, but Akemi's friend could use 'Fire Magic.' She could only cast it a few times per exploration, but its presence made a huge difference in their stability. When they were outnumbered, her magic would reliably take out one enemy, thinning the herd.

They were able to operate steadily even at 'E-Rank' and had avoided any major injuries so far. Their income was also slightly better than when they were 'F' Rank.

At this rate, maybe they could even make it to 'D' Rank. That's what they were thinking as they explored the dungeon today.

...Until they encountered the 'monster.'

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'Grrrrr!!'

"Oof...!"

Hiroshi blocked the baton swung by a snarling Kobold with his kite shield.

He was superior in both strength and stature, but the Kobold was ferocious. He couldn't move his shield under the relentless onslaught of its attacks.

Beside him, Shougo was also holding a round shield, enduring a Kobold's attacks. In the meantime, Akemi took aim and shot a Kobold with her bow and arrow.

'Gyah!'

"Take this!"

Then Kiriko, using her long staff as a club, struck the monster while hiding behind Shougo.

Their basic pattern was for the men to push back the Kobolds that had been staggered by the women's attacks, and then finish them off with a mace and an axe, respectively.

"Phew..."

"Good work."

Hiroshi took a breath and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. His armor consisted of a kettle hat, a thick cloth tunic, and a leather chest plate. Other than that, he only had the kite shield on his left arm.

His defense was a concern, but it also meant he tired less quickly. Shougo, on the other hand, was dressed like a Viking, looking quite hot in his layers of chainmail and fur.

"Here, you two."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Sorry, Akemi-chan."

"No problem, no problem."

Akemi took drinks out of a backpack she had set down and handed them to the two men. They usually dropped their backpacks on the spot during combat. Since the Yamashita siblings were Cat Beastmen and could easily detect approaching enemies by their footsteps, they had time to unload their gear.

Even so, it was this exhausting, which was why it was often said on adventurer message boards that 'you need someone just to carry the luggage.'

"We're getting used to 'E-Rank,' huh?"

"Yeah. But it doesn't seem like we'll make much money even at this rank..."

Shougo shrugged at Hiroshi's words.

"If we dive twelve times a month, that's about 240,000 yen a month. Assuming we can keep earning at this pace, that's 2.88 million a year. After taxes and all that..."

"I think it's about 2 million, right?"

Hiroshi recalled the calculation they'd made a while ago and smiled wryly.

"But if we get to 'D' Rank, our income should increase accordingly."

"Yeah, but if the rank goes up, the enemies get even stronger."

"That's just how it is."

As they talked, they shouldered their packs again.

Kiriko collected the dropped coins, and while the front-liners rested, Akemi kept watch. It was their way of showing consideration for the two whose job it was to physically hold back the monsters.

"Hey, you guys. Should we make our video debut? We could film ourselves and upload it to the internet later."

Akemi, bow in hand and ears twitching, spoke to her brother and his friend.

"I mean, Kiriko-chan and I aren't bad-looking, right? If we film without makeup, we could pass for high school girls."

"Ugh..."

Kiriko, having been dragged into the conversation, made a face of clear disgust.

Hiroshi shook his head at his sister's proposal.

"Don't underestimate the internet. Weird fans and stuff, that's no joke. And more importantly, we don't have the luxury to worry about looking good on camera while fighting."

"Besides, Kiriko-chan doesn't like it, Akemi-chan."

"I don't like standing out..."

"Aww."

...Incidentally, though the men didn't say it out loud, they were both thinking, 'The average attractiveness in the Awakened Person community is so high that average or slightly above average just gets buried.'

Elves and half-elves. And those who were already handsome or beautiful to begin with, who had become even more polished.

Some of those Awakened Persons were already dominating television with their beauty as a weapon, so it would be difficult to attract discerning viewers with their level of looks.

But if they said that, they were likely to get an arrow in the back, so the brother and childhood friend both averted their eyes.

They were tired, but the dungeon exploration was going smoothly. They thought today's activities would end just like that.

"...Hm?"

"What's that sound?"

The Yamashita siblings noticed something was wrong.

"What's up, you two?"

"I don't know, there's a weirdly loud footstep..."

"Another adventurer, maybe?"

"Seriously? Are they coming this way?"

"Yeah. And they're pretty fast. Maybe they're running..."

"Any other footsteps... I can't quite make them out."

At his siblings' words, Shougo's mouth formed a grim line.

"Whatever it is, I don't want to get involved. Let's get out of here, fast."

"Yeah. We should—"

Hiroshi, in the middle of speaking, whipped his head toward the sound.

"What the—it just sped up. It's almost here!"

"Huh? Why... Don't tell me, a train?"

"No, this is───"

'Vuooooooh!!'

There isn't much more to tell.

They were unlucky enough to be spotted by a Kobold Lord that was wandering the dungeon, and they instinctively took a battle stance.

The training lectures said to run from such an opponent, but you don't encounter a boss monster every day. Their lack of experience led them to choose to fight.

But they were outmatched in both quality and quantity. They could barely withstand the Lord's attacks, allowing the regular Kobolds to get past them to the back line. Kiriko, their one chance at turning the tables, was injured.

In a panic, they abandoned their luggage and fled, but with the fatigue from their exploration so far, it was inevitable that they would be caught.

It was then that they were saved by other adventurers who happened to be there by chance.

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"...I guess geniuses really do exist, huh?"

Akemi murmured softly.

'Since mid-April of this year. So, about half a month.'

He's so strong, he must have been an adventurer longer than me, even though he looks young. That's what Hiroshi had predicted—no, what he had wanted to believe. The answer the boy gave to his question was a cruel one.

The wall of talent is a towering presence in any field.

A deep sigh escaped Hiroshi's lips without him realizing it.

"...Maybe we're just not cut out to be adventurers."

"........."

At her brother's moment of weakness, Akemi averted her gaze.

An opponent that the four of them together couldn't even mount a defense against had been overwhelmed by a younger upstart.

She was grateful for being saved and sorry for getting them involved, but it was impossible not to feel something else besides that.

"Still, quitting being an adventurer now is kinda..."

"Shougo and I might have a hard time finding new jobs, huh..."

Perhaps it was government policy, but when Awakened Persons went to the employment office, they were first and foremost encouraged to become adventurers. In fact, it was difficult to get referrals for other jobs.

And having 'combat experience' was surprisingly a disadvantage when interviewing at a normal company. They were viewed with apprehension, as in, 'Might he cause a violent incident in the office?'

There was the option of looking for a job online, but with the recent problem of illegal part-time jobs exploiting Awakened Persons, the possibility of getting caught up in something shady was not low.

A heavy silence descended upon them.

It was Kiriko who broke it.

"...The secret society, the Invisible Ninjas."

The ridiculously bizarre organization name that their saviors had given.

Even Hiroshi had been confused by the obviously made-up name.

"It was a silly name, but they were strong."

"...Yeah. They're one hell of an 'organization.'"

At her friend and brother's words, Akemi's cheeks twitched.

"Uh, hang on you two. You don't actually believe that, do you? It was obviously a lie."

"No. The crazy organization name was probably a lie made up on the spot, but the fact that they're a secret society might be true."

"Huh? What are you talking about, big brother? A secret society..."

Akemi gently touched Hiroshi's forehead. She thought he might have hit his head somewhere.

Gently pushing his sister's hand away, he continued.

"The number of Awakened Persons is about four million. That's like a small country."

Hiroshi took a sip of his canned coffee and continued speaking as he thought.

"It's a minority compared to the population of Japan, but you could say it's a considerable scale. If the Awakened Persons were to band together, they could potentially overthrow the country."

"...I won't deny that, but doesn't that sound a bit like a conspiracy theory?"

"You're right. It's hard to imagine four million people doing something all at once. What I'm trying to say is that there are that many of us. The possibility that several communities have already been formed is quite high."

It's natural for those in a minority position to gather and protect themselves.

Awakened Persons are both many and few. While their supernatural skills and high physical abilities are valued, there are also many non-Awakened who view them as dangerous.

To escape that, it's not unnatural for Awakened Persons to form groups larger than just parties.

"There are several communities of Awakened Persons. Maybe they belong to one of them."

"...Well, even if that's true, it doesn't have anything to do with us."

"I wonder about that."

To his sister's dismissive tone, Hiroshi stroked his chin and slowly swished his tail as he explained his thoughts.

"Maybe we should join such a community... or create one ourselves."

"What?"

Akemi frowned as if to say, 'What are you talking about?'

"This is about 'our future as adventurers,' right? What's the benefit in that? The maximum number of people who can enter a dungeon is four, right? And some places only allow three at a time."

"True, that's the limit for entering as a party. But it's a different story after you're inside, isn't it?"

"...?"

"Hiroshi. In other words, you're saying we could meet up inside and form six-person or eight-person parties?"

"Ah, so that's it."

At Shougo's words, Akemi clapped her hands in understanding.

"But a large group would have trouble moving in the narrow passages, and more importantly, it's not realistic to rendezvous with someone whose location you don't know inside a dungeon."

"You're right."

Akemi, convinced again, pointed a finger at her brother with a smug look.

"Yeah. But still, 'having a large number of people' is a strength. ...Besides, the Invisible Ninjas were communicating with someone through some means."

"What? Is that true?"

"Hey. Whatever, but can we stop saying that super-lame name...? It's embarrassing just hearing it come out of my brother's mouth."

Akemi's earnest plea unfortunately did not reach Hiroshi's ears.

"It was probably the 'Telepathy' skill you hear rumors about."

"I see. So if we gather enough people, we might get someone with a skill like that."

"Of course, the chances of that are low. The government and corporations have probably already recruited those with useful skills."

"Then it's pointless, isn't it?"

"But it's still worth a try. More importantly, having more people means you can do more things. No matter what it is. Like putting together members suited for a specific dungeon, or sharing know-how."

"No, the government is already accumulating know-how, and as for party composition, isn't it just going to end up with weak people like us teaming up?"

"The government provides almost no feedback on that know-how. And everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to party composition. I think this team is optimal for me, but it's better to have more options. And besides, the ability to cooperate with other parties inside a dungeon is still attractive."

"I wonder if it'll really go that smoothly."

"...You know, Hiroshi might be right."

"For real?"

Akemi's mouth dropped open as Shougo nodded in agreement. She then turned her gaze to her friend, Kiriko.

"...What do you think, Kiriko-chan?"

"...I don't think it's a bad idea. We could even 'guild' up and take over a dungeon to make sure we can rendezvous..."

"A guild? This isn't a game. Besides, that sounds like something a toxic player would do."

"Haha. A 'guild,' huh? That name might fit perfectly. Well, taking over a dungeon would be no joke, though."

Hiroshi smiled at Kiriko's words.

"Since adventurers are gathering to work together, calling it a 'guild' is fitting. Even if it deviates from the original meaning, it's easy to visualize."

"It's a staple in games and anime. Anyone in this industry would get it."

"And most importantly, it sounds cool...!"

"...Now that you mention it?"

Hiroshi stood up and raised his canned coffee.

"Alright... then, let's aim to establish a 'guild'──and to prepare for that, let's keep diving into dungeons! No matter what, we need levels and money!"

"...Isn't that the same as what we've always been doing?"

Akemi gave her brother a deadpan look at his declaration, while the other two laughed.

They had once faced death through misfortune and survived through luck. Their decision to continue as adventurers was heavily influenced by the excitement of escaping a dire situation and the potent drug of a 'younger, superior' presence.

But it was, nevertheless, the path they had chosen. What kind of future awaits them at the end of it?

That, no one yet knows.