kscans

Chapter 37 - Chapter 29: The Indoorsy Adventurer

Chapter 29: The Indoorsy Adventurer

The day the Yagawa household came to a standstill. Or rather, the day after it was discovered that a genuine one million yen had been deposited into my account.

I still felt like I was floating, but morning comes, and I have to go to school.

Normally, it's a distance I'd take the bus or a bike for, but with my current body, I can make it on time if I jog part of the way. When I say jog, I mean by non-Awakened standards.

I did sprint through the city at full power when I thought my parents might be killed by Orcs, but that was an emergency. I can't do that normally, and it's out of the question on a crowded street.

An Awakened Person, especially a combat type, sprinting at full speed is like a motorcycle driving on the sidewalk.

So, from an outsider's perspective, I was bustling along. To me, I was taking a leisurely stroll to school.

But well, the elation from the reward money only lasted until I got to the shoe lockers.

The number of cheerful voices of friends talking to each other increased around me. The laughter coming from all directions made me anxious, wondering if they were laughing at me.

Logically, I know it's just a misunderstanding. I'm not that much of a focus of attention in the first place. No one is interested in me.

Even so, I get hurt on my own and look down. Feeling pathetic, my pace quickened slightly as I walked down the hallway.

Arriving at the classroom around the same time as usual, I entered with a quiet greeting. Of course, as always, there was no reply. Listening to the clamor of the classroom, I went straight to my desk, sat down, and put down my bag.

Without looking up, I took out my smartphone. Our school allows smartphones as long as you don't use them during class.

I don't want to get weird looks for playing app games in the classroom, so I just browse some news sites.

As I was killing time like that, I found a somewhat unusual article.

'Awakened Person Marathon Competition.'

...What a strange competition to be holding.



'Ah, that's a tournament planned by the Dungeon Agency,' Aira-san informed me in the afternoon while we were playing 'Matsuo Race 8.'

"The Dungeon Agency? Do they plan events like that too?"

'Well, a lot of their work is related to Awakened Persons. This is probably part of that. A way to let off steam, size up talent... and maybe a public warning?'

"...Ah, I think I get it."

'You're open, Senpai!!'

'Gwaaaaaah!?'

A sake bottle thrown by Erina-san hit its mark, and Aira-san's character started swerving. Well, that doesn't matter.

'Letting off steam,' 'sizing up talent,' and 'a public warning.' All of them were understandable reasons.

Awakened Persons face a lot of restrictions. For example, they're not allowed to participate in PE classes or official sports competitions.

I was never a big fan of exercise myself, but any Awakened Person who was passionate about sports must be very dissatisfied with the current situation.

This tournament is a way to let them vent some of that frustration. ...To have them run on the ground before they run to crime, so to speak.

Well, I don't know if it will be the kind of tournament sportsmen would hope for. Since they're Awakened Persons, after all. It might be that level and stats matter more than running practice.

And 'sizing up talent' means exactly what it sounds like. Everyone is looking to discover talented Awakened Persons in the wild.

You can't tell their combat ability or what kind of skills they have just from running, but leg strength and stamina are extremely important for 'dungeon exploration.'

Also, I briefly read the rules, and the use of some skills is permitted as long as it doesn't 'interfere with other runners.' In that sense, it would be good for sizing them up.

Finally, the 'public warning' is... something I don't really want to think about, but it's probably to inform the public of the 'danger an Awakened Person poses if they go on a rampage.'

Even I, at 'Level 1,' think I could have easily beaten a person to death. With a single punch, at that.

I once saw someone on an online forum describe Awakened Persons as being like grizzly bears. In terms of physical ability, that's probably not wrong.

But that's at the single-digit levels, with a caveat.

The physical ability of an Awakened Person who has gained experience in a dungeon and reached 'Level 10' or higher is greater than a bear's. Aira-san says that even I could 'crush a grizzly bear with my bare hands.' I can't even imagine how amazing someone at 'Level 20' is.

And yet, it seems that 'bullying' and 'persecution' of Awakened Persons are on the rise.

The latter, I don't want to understand, but I can. However, the former is no laughing matter. Do they intend to let someone who can kill a grizzly bear with their bare hands go on a rampage at school or work?

I don't want to be feared, but I don't want to be bullied either. It's a fine line... saying that feels very wrong, though.

Both Awakened and non-Awakened are human, so I want to treat them rationally. In modern society, we have the means of communication called words, after all.

Though that means of communication is incredibly difficult to handle!

'Kyo-chan, you're open tooooooo!'

"Here's 'Ghost Form.'"

'Nuuuuuuuuun!!'

One of the items in Matsuo Race is the 'Ghost Form Talisman.' It temporarily makes your character translucent, allowing you to pass through attacks from other characters, and also steals one item from another character.

Te●sa? I don't know what you're talking about.

'Kyo-chan-kun... are you going to become invisible not just in the classroom but here as well!?'

"Aira-san."

'Yes.'

"My ox cart currently has some cow dung."

'Let us discuss this rationally. We are all human, after all.'

I'm sure we're both wearing sparkling smiles right now...

"Go to hell."

'Damn youuuuu! Daaaamn youuuuuuu!!'

I shot down Aira-san's character with cow dung just as she jumped on a slide-like course.

Discuss rationally? If we could do that, wars wouldn't happen!

Now, there's no one in my way. I'll make a big jump and head for the goal!

'Pardon me!!'

"Huh?"

An ox cart came charging from behind at high speed, sending my character into the abyss just before the jump.

As I was being pulled up by a chibi Abe no Seimei, I watched Erina-san's character reach the goal.

"Y-you did it!?"

'Ohohohoho! This is the power of a ninja!!'

'Curse you, Kyo-chan-kun! At this rate, you and I will take the bottom two spots!!'

"Da-damn youuuu!!"

Aira-san kept ramming her ox cart into mine, obstructing my path. One after another, other characters overtook us.

"Wh-what color is your blood!?"

'The same red as yours, of course.'

Ah, I can tell without seeing. Aira-san is making a super smug face right now.

We had one more race after this, and we sniped each other with cow dung so much that we took up the bottom three slots.



'So, are you going to participate?'

"Oh, are you making a room? Which game?"

'No, not that, the tournament. The one by the Dungeon Agency.'

"Oh."

I had completely forgotten. There was something like that.

"I'm not participating. Absolutely not."

There's a reason I don't want to participate... even more than to hide my unique skill.

'That's right. You and I are both indoorsy types, after all!'

"I'm not as much as you, Aira-san, but...!?"

First of all, I don't like marathon competitions and stuff like that.

Watching them is fine. I neither like nor dislike it. But participating is a different story. What's so fun about just running?

Also, I simply don't want to be noticed. In this country, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

'But Kyo-chan-kun, are you sure about this?'

"About what?"

'That's right! It might be a chance to make friends, you know!'

"No, that's, well, I'll take that opportunity some other time..."

I don't think I can get along well with the athletic types who would participate in something like this.

'As for friends, you already have us!!'

"Uh, ah, yes."

'Why was there a pause? Tell me, Kyo-chan-kun. Why did you hesitate for a moment?'

"...It's nothing!!"

'That's right! We're friends, aren't we!'

When was the last time my voice cracked that much...

'No. What I want to talk about is the prize money.'

"Prize money? Come to think of it, you get some, don't you?"

I wasn't planning on participating, so I just skimmed the rules and didn't read that far.

But well, it's probably at most 10,000 yen or some kind of travel voucher───.

'I heard it's one million yen.'

" "

The Dungeon Agency... they had that kind of money...

"Well, I'm still not participating. I'd rather go to a dungeon than a competition."

'I'm happy to hear that, but you're quite a hardcore case yourself.'

"Mind your own business. By the way, are you participating, Erina-san?"

'Hey, hey, Kyo-chaaan. What are you talking about?'

I could hear Erina-san's sigh through the earring.

'There's no way a ninja can stand out in public, right?'

"Could you please recall your usual behavior...?"

Besides, you're a self-proclaimed one.



We had that conversation, but the entry period had long since passed anyway.

Because the event is this Saturday. This week.

Well. I didn't even know it existed until I saw an ad announcing the date. Oh no, am I out of the loop...?

I'm watching the Awakened Persons run on the TV in the living room while playing an app game on my phone. Dad and Mom are out shopping.

I glance at the TV screen from time to time while grinding for materials.

Somehow, the scene is more subdued than I expected. The Awakened Persons' leg strength is impressive, and all the participants are fast.

However, people shooting lightning or breathing fire are rare. Most are just running normally.

Still, watching humans casually run at nearly 100 kilometers per hour for over 40 kilometers might be impressive in its own right.

In fact, the commentators and analysts are also very excited. However, probably due to concerns about accidents, there are no spectators on the sidewalks along the road. Just some police officers and staff-like people here and there.

But, as the race neared its final stages, the 'spectacle' changed.

Two lovely girls were competing for the lead.

Leaving the typical-looking adult sportsmen behind, the two girls engaged in a dead heat. They both looked to be around my age.

One was a petite girl with a baby face and a two-side-up hairstyle, well-developed despite her small frame.

The other was a slender girl who looked like a dog... no, a wolf? beastman. Her running form seemed more beautiful. Her limbs were also longer.

Yet, the fact they were neck and neck was probably due to their physical abilities as Awakened Persons and their skills... or so I thought.

But looking at their expressions, it seemed to be more than just that.

Before I knew it, I had put down my phone and was engrossed in the TV. I didn't want to miss the conclusion of this battle.

And then───the girls crossed the finish line at almost the exact same time.

The commentators and analysts were confused about who was first, but I knew.

The winner was... the beastman girl.

A few seconds later, the video replay was shown, and the winner was announced. The beastman girl, whose name was called, looked stunned for a moment, then, scattering dazzling sweat, she triumphantly thrust her fist into the air.

Then, she took the hand of the two-side-up girl who had collapsed and helped her up, and...

"Whoa."

...gave her a passionate embrace. The two-side-up girl looked surprised for a moment, but then she returned the hug with a huge smile.

It was a beautiful friendship. I found myself clapping at the TV, then felt a little embarrassed and immediately reached for my phone.

It seems there's an awards ceremony and whatnot, but I'm not interested in that, so I change the channel.

...No, but. Yeah.

I know it's a very wicked thought, but... the two-side-up girl, she was short but her chest was pretty big...

These 'eyes' of mine have excellent dynamic visual acuity. So, they never miss a breast jiggle.

Feeling a pang of guilt, I recalled her bouncing chest as she ran and her breasts being squashed together in their final hug, and with the vulgar thought of 'I saw something good,' I returned to my game.

...Yeah. If someone told me 'Don't look at sports with lewd eyes!' right now, I wouldn't have a thing to say back.