kscans

Chapter 253 - A Sense of Kinship and a Farewell Party

Hayato logged out because he had work at the cafe.

After that, all he did was reassess his forces and create weapons, armor, and dishes to sell at the shop.

He had spent a lot of money clearing the Necropolis, but he had received various drop items and such from the clearing members, so he wasn't that much in the red.

However, he would need to support Mist from now on.

He had been told that he didn't need to help much with gathering Mist and his comrades at the mansion, so Hayato was thinking of raising funds and looking for exploration members during that time.

He had confirmed with Mist about the search for knowledge, but it seemed that many of the locations were on mountaintops or in fields, so there were no particular restrictions on the members. The only problem was whether they would be free during the search.

Hayato was chopping ingredients for lunch while thinking, "Now, what should I do?"

About ten minutes later, an hour before opening, Ash and Ren arrived. Esha, who had been cleaning outside, came in with them.

After exchanging greetings, Ash and the others changed into their work clothes.

Hayato thought this every time. Ash, Ren, and Esha. The number of customers had increased because of these three. And there were even customers who came for the regular customers like Veru and the others, and Relic and the others.

He was grateful for that, but it made him a little sad that there were no customers who came for the coffee. When he mentioned that to Esha before, she had replied:

"You're not a genius, so it's not like everything will go well from the start. You've gotten a little better at making it, so don't get discouraged and keep trying. Or do you want to become a chocolate parfait shop owner, since you seem to have a talent for that?"

She was right, of course, but he couldn't help it if his thoughts turned negative sometimes. He told himself that maybe he was trying to get results too quickly and started preparing again.

The lunch rush was over, and all the customers had left. The four of them took their lunch break together.

"Hey, Hayato, I heard from Esha that Mist's memories have returned too, is that right?"

"Oh, did I not tell you? Yeah, they have."

"Is he not going to log out?"

"He has to clear an event linked to the real world where he gathers knowledge of a medicine in the virtual reality. He probably won't be logging out for a while."

"Knowledge of a medicine?"

Hayato explained the situation to Ash and Ren.

He explained everything. That Mist and Damian were doctors. That the rest of the Undead Ten were patients. That Mist was also afflicted with an incurable disease. That the ingredients for the medicine were on the Aphrodite. That to inject the medicine into the cryosleep pods, they had to gather knowledge in the virtual reality.

Ash and Ren frowned when they heard that.

"I see, so Mist was sick too."

"He's cured now, but... Mist-san too?"

"An incurable disease means it's the same as our mother's. I don't know if it's the same disease, but I feel a sense of kinship."

Ren nodded in agreement with Ash's words. Then she raised her right hand energetically.

"Shall we help with that search, just in the mornings? My brother's and my filming is over, so we have some time. And personally, I just can't leave it alone."

"Huh? Really? That would be a huge help, but..."

The Hero, Ivan, the tank, Gil, and the attacker who overwhelms with her number of attacks, the Maid Chief, would not be participating in the search for knowledge.

Ash was an attacker and could also serve as a tank. And Ren was good at support with her curse magic and weakening magic. They would more than make up for the lost strength.

Besides, Ash and Ren had their real-world memories. They would be helping him with a full understanding of Mist's complicated situation, so for Hayato, they were the best members he could ask for.

"Then it's decided. I'll log in tonight. It's been a while, so I need to get used to it as soon as possible."

"My curses will finally be unleashed after a long time!"

"I'm counting on you two. Oh, and of course, I'm counting on you too, Esha."

"Please don't say that like an afterthought. I'm only effective in boss battles, so please call me only at times like that. Or when it's all-you-can-eat."

Esha, who was eating her late lunch, said that, and Ren smiled and pulled her chair next to Esha's.

"Esha-san, let's go on non-boss battles sometimes too!"

"Well, I don't mind if it's a wide area, since it's easy to shoot my Beelzebub there."

"It's a date!"

Ren nodded with a smile, then turned to Hayato.

"Hayato-san, let's go together too! It's not fun just making items at the headquarters, right?"

"Huh? It's super fun, though?"

"...That's right, you're like that, Hayato-san. But I think if you're with us, our strength will last longer, so the clearing will go faster."

"Well, that might be true depending on the place. I'll make a stock of items for the shop and participate myself this time..."

(And Mist-san said that one of the pieces of knowledge is in the Eastern Country. When we go there, it would be more convenient for me to go with Simon-san. I'll actively participate in the search this time.)

Hayato had done his best on the thirtieth and thirty-first floors of the Necropolis, but he hadn't really participated in the exploration. The reason he thought that was probably because he had been alone.

If he had done that with multiple people, he probably would have felt a sense of accomplishment, but in reality, he had just made a map by himself and then ran away at the end. They wouldn't have been able to clear it without that, but Hayato wanted a sense of accomplishment that he could rejoice with everyone else.

After that, they chatted idly until their break was over.

"Alright, second half," they said, and Hayato and the others started their cafe work again.

That night, when Hayato logged in, the situation had changed.

Gil and the Maid Chief had apparently decided to exchange letters as Hayato had suggested. The Maid Chief had pushed for it, saying it had more charm than voice chat.

The Maid Chief had also proposed that they hire maids at the Demon Lord's Castle, but it seemed they already had dedicated maids, so the proposal was gently turned down.

Gil had apparently said something quite dense like, "Maid Chief-dono is very diligent about her work," but according to the Maid Chief, "That's what's good about him. In fact, that's what's great about him."

Rose, who reported this to him, looked tired, so Hayato gave her an extra chocolate parfait in addition to her snack for the day.

Mist and the others had bought various souvenirs and were ready to return to the mansion at any time.

Damian and Ruth had thanked him over and over for everything, but he told them they were making him feel awkward and cut the conversation short.

Mist and his group, as well as Gil, would be leaving the headquarters tomorrow, so he served a slightly more luxurious meal as a farewell party. He also invited Maris, the Maid Chief, and Simon, and Noat, who was drawn in by the fun atmosphere, came as well.

Ash, Ren, and Esha also joined, and since it had been a while since they had all met, it was quite lively.

In the midst of all the excitement, Mist, Ash, and Hayato leaned against the wall and talked.

"I see. So your memories have returned as well, Ash-san."

"Yeah, and so have Esha's and Relic's. Relic was busy and couldn't come today, though."

"It's a strange feeling. I never thought it would turn out like this when we met at the Blackjack headquarters."

"It's fate, I guess. We'll be participating in the search for knowledge, so we'll be counting on you."

"That's a great help. It will be a little while, but I'll be counting on you then. And thank you too, Hayato-san. You've done so much for me even though you're busy with your work in the real world."

"I've been thanked so many times that I'm full. We're comrades in the same clan, aren't we? Besides, I was able to start my cafe thanks to you, Mist-san. This is my way of repaying that kindness."

"I see. In that case, I'll be in your care. Oh, right, please let me have some of your cafe's coffee sometime. I heard from Ash-san that it has an unforgettable taste, you know?"

"...I'll make it taste even better by the time you drink it, Mist-san. And Ash, there's something I'd like to say to you."

Ash laughed and said, "I was just kidding," and Mist smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

The night was still young. The farewell party grew even more lively.