kscans

Chapter 186 - B-Rank's First Job

Chapter 128: B-Rank's First Job

Late August. Erina-san, Mia-san, and I had come to the prefectural government office.

"So this is..."

With the room bearing the 'Dungeon Countermeasures Division' plate behind me, I gazed at the license I had just been given.

'Adventurer License (B): Yagawa Kyouta'

So read the card. Proof that I now stood at the highest rank for adventurers.

Its appearance was no different from my previous license, a simple design like a driver's license. As it was a government-issued item, that was to be expected. As long as it worked at the store reception, that's all that mattered.

Honestly, this kind of simplicity suited me better. It was also nice that I could use the same license case as before.

"That was surprisingly normal paperwork, wasn't it?"

Mia-san chuckled softly beside me. Today she wore a navy blue one-piece dress with a dark brown belt at her waist. With her great figure, she looked good in anything.

I nodded in reply, placed the license in its case, and slipped it into my pocket.

"Well, I'd be in trouble if they made too much of a fuss."

"They were apparently planning a big ceremony in front of the National Diet Building in Tokyo!"

"That would have been awful...!"

I furrowed my brow and pressed my lips into a thin line. What kind of public execution is that?

We started walking toward the elevator to head down to the first floor.

At first, the plan was to go to the joint government building that housed the Dungeon Agency again... but somehow that turned into a ceremony in front of the Diet Building.

I breathed a sigh of relief that it had been changed to us receiving our licenses at our respective prefectural offices. Seriously, getting jerked around with changing locations was a pain, but avoiding another trip to Tokyo was a huge plus. My reports on adventuring activities were also done via email and phone.

'They were probably politicians who wanted to use the 'B-Rank Adventurers' as a way to boost their own popularity. Ever since the Tokyo Incident, the candidates who were there that day have been treated like heroes.'

Aira-san chuckled over the earring.

'The Dungeon Agency or someone must have put a stop to it. Whether it was to protect the adventurers' personal information or to keep the heroes' identities hidden, I don't know.'

"Broadcasting that on national television would have been a new form of terrorism."

"It was... a very colorful cast of characters..."

"If that had happened, we were planning to fight back by all equipping flags and sashes. I was worried we still wouldn't win, so I'm relieved!"

"I'm relieved now for a different reason."

"Same here."

Erina-san, dressed in her usual Taisho-era romantic style with her long blond hair in a ponytail today, beamed a radiant smile.

Ugh, her looks can't quite cover up her quirkiness.

'Well, another reason was probably that all the candidates collectively announced they wouldn't attend the award ceremony.'

"On the internet and TV, they were quoted as saying, 'We simply followed our own sense of justice,' but..."

'Some of them probably did say that and refuse, but the reply you all sent to the Dungeon Agency was different, wasn't it?'

"Yes."

I had also declined the award ceremony, and I remember saying my reason was 'I don't want to stand out and get chased around by the media.'

To think a day would come when I'd say something like that... Back in April, I couldn't have even imagined it.

If I told my past self, he'd probably give me a deadpan look and say, 'Tell your dreams to your pillow.'

The elevator arrived, and we got on to head down.

"You don't think TV crews and magazine reporters are waiting on the first floor, do you...?"

"Who knows? At least, I didn't see anyone pointing a camera this way. No one hiding them in their bags or shoes, either."

"...Are you always that cautious?"

"I'm a ninja!"

The self-proclaimed ninja gave a smug thumbs-up in the elevator, where we were the only passengers.

Seriously, her spirit and skills in that regard are truly ninja-like. Though I have no intention of dropping the 'self-proclaimed' part.

"Well, if you're worried, I put a mark at the station, so we can use a ninjutsu to teleport there."

"Ah, yeah, please do. Is that okay with you, Mia-san?"

"Yes. I don't have any other plans."

"If we were a little earlier, we could've seen 'Fierce Battle at 30,000 Feet! Cyborg Ninja VS Jet Shark' at the theater."

"...Is there anything they haven't done with sharks at this point?"

"I wonder...? I'm not an expert on sharks myself..."

'In that community, calling yourself an 'expert' is a high bar. If you wander into a forum with half-baked knowledge, you'll either get torn apart by their expertise or dragged into the abyss. Source: me.'

"What have you been doing?"

As we chatted, we reached the first floor.

Feeling the distinct presence of my license, I started for home.

*

The day after renewing our adventurer licenses.

We immediately visited a 'B-Rank Dungeon.'

However, this time we weren't at the one with Utuq or the Nue, but a different dungeon entirely. The reason being...

'Heeey there. I'm counting on you, kids. As your client, I'll be watching closely to make sure you're working hard.'

"So annoying."

'Hmph. You think a verbal jab like that will work on me? It's no more painful than stabbing the space between my nail and flesh with a toothpick.'

"Sounds like it hurt quite a bit..."

We were here at the request of this hopeless co-ed.

"But what are you even going to use the drop items from here for?"

Having finished changing first, I waited for Erina-san and the others near the changing room and asked through my earring.

The items dropped by the monsters here aren't in particularly high demand. Even for research purposes, I can't imagine she'd need that many.

'That's a secret for now. But let's see. It's related to the game we played last night, perhaps?'

"What? It's related to that 'Melee-Only, Showboating, Trash-Talk Festival'? It sounds like something awful, so can I decline the request?"

'Hahaha! Calm down, Kyouta-kun! Let's be calm! And to think you were holding such a grudge over me kicking your butt in AG...!'

"No. I'm not angry that I lost even though you were only using melee weapons. That's because I'm weak. However..."

I recalled the words of this hopeless co-ed I'd heard over the telepathic link last night.

'Oh my? Are you holding back for me? You can come at me with everything you've got, you know, Kyouta-kuuun.'

'Boom! And another boom! Your movements are getting sluggish, Kyouta-kun. Did my voice melt your little brain? Hah, this is why virgins are so easy. Hey, virgin! Vir-giiin!'

'Noob♡ Noob♡ Your bullet pattern's full of holes♡ You want me to kick you that badly? Can't be helped! Come on, come on! You should be saying 'thank you for kicking me'!'

That, for about an hour. While trash-talking, she'd repeatedly shoot my destroyed mech as a matter of course. It was a series of simply scummy moves.

I did say 'I'll play any of your favorite games with you,' but come on.

"I considered, about three times, starting a real fight and knocking your front teeth out, you know? I'm being pretty serious."

'I am sincerely sorry.'

"You're forgiven."

Well, if she was going to apologize, I'd let it go.

That said, the reason this person doesn't have any friends probably has something to do with her personality, doesn't it...? At the very least, the fact that she doesn't have any friends or acquaintances even online must be because of this side of her.

If anything, I have to praise her high level of information literacy for not getting doxxed.

'W-Well, you know. I had a few drinks then, so I was feeling a bit bold.'

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. So, if it's related to that match... are you planning on making something?"

'Well, it's hard to explain with just words, so I was planning to show you the blueprints while we talk. That book that was with your [Arcane Gear]. I want to consult with you about that and about purchasing the drop items we got from the Tokyo Incident.'

"...It's going to be quite expensive, are you sure? My share can be paid later, but if you need Erina-san's and the others' shares too, you'll have to negotiate that yourself."

'Kyouta-kun. Does anyone ever tell you you're a total pushover? I bet you're the type to end up blowing all your money on some hostess.'

"What are you talking about? You're the one who's a total mess."

'You fiend! What do you know of a maiden's heart?'

"At the very least, I believe it's something you are not equipped with."

'What did you say? To say such a thing to a sheltered young lady such as myself...! Well, don't worry about the money. I have my savings from my allowance and my salary from research assistance. And since what I'm trying to make is what it is, Granny will be chipping in as well.'

"The professor?"

Professor Arisugawa is soft on her family, but she knows when to be strict. That means this isn't just some vanity project.

Its purpose is probably...

"If the professor is involved, then you're making 'insurance for an emergency,' right?"

I heard a quiet chuckle over the telepathic link.

'Don't go digging for all the details. It's best to save the fun for later, you know?'

"Right, right. We're about to start work now, so I won't ask any more."

The door to the women's changing room opened and a familiar face emerged, so I ended the conversation.

"Sorry to keep you! Kyouta, what were you talking about?"

"About how Aira-san has a terrible personality."

'Kyouta-kun!? You're still holding a grudge about yesterday, aren't you, Kyouta-kun!?'

"Don't say that, Kyouta! Paisen has her good points, too!"

'That's right, tell him, Erina-kun!'

"It's just that she has way more bad points!"

'Damn it! I'm surrounded by enemies!'

"It's alright, sis."

'Mia! That's right, I have my sister!'

"No matter how much of a hopeless person you are... I'll be by your side...!"

'Is it really that bad that you have to say it with such grim determination!? I see! Alright, sis is gonna have a good cry now!'

"That would be a pain, so please do it later."

'Pien.'

Ignoring the hopeless co-ed wailing through the earring, we passed through reception and into the gate room.

There, I deployed my [Arcane Gear], activated the golems, and after getting everything ready, did a final check.

"Aira-san. We're about to enter the dungeon. Are you ready with the navigation?"

'Mm... Other than the tears blurring my vision, I'm fine...!'

"I see. Please make sure to wipe your tears."

'Waaah! Erina-kun, Kyouta-kun's being so cold to me!"

"Paisen."

'Yes?'

"Pull yourself together, okay?"

'Yes.'

Perhaps pressured by Erina-san's smiling command through the earring, the hopeless co-ed fell silent.

As I thought, the family hierarchy for that hopeless co-ed is...

"It's okay, sis. When we get back, I'll lick... I mean, wipe away your tears!"

'Okay, I've stopped crying! I've pulled myself together! Don't you worry!'

"Understood. We're going through the gate now, so you two, hands on my shoulders."

One with her usual smile, the other with a disappointed look, my companions placed their hands on my shoulders.

After visually confirming the golems were connected, I stepped through the white door.

Even though my adventurer rank has gone up, I'll never get used to the strange sensation of entering this dungeon.

That sensation soon faded, and I felt the hard floor through my boots. The lantern-style LED light hanging from my waist illuminated our surroundings.

Walls and a ceiling made of stacked stone. A damp, iron-smelling wind flowed gently through the gaps.

With the lights attached to the golems and my own lantern, I could clearly see both ends of the passage, which was wide enough for two lanes of traffic.

At regular intervals were jail cells. Sturdy-looking iron bars, slightly rusted, and beyond them, six-tatami-mat sized rooms with only a simple bed and a broken bucket.

This place was a prison. And likely one where merciless punishments, illegal in modern Japan, were carried out. It was a place that reeked of blood.

I averted my eyes from what looked like human nail scratches carved into the back wall of a cell and touched my own earring.

"Aira-san. We've entered the dungeon."

'Mm. I know I'm the one who requested this, but please be careful. Safety first.'

"Understood."

I took a deep breath. Drawing the sword at my waist, I began to walk, my [Flügel] swaying.

Our footsteps echoed strangely in the passage as we slowly moved forward.