kscans

Chapter 120 - Come to Think of It, What is Revolving Sushi Anyway?

Nanapon and I passed through the Gate and returned to the guild. Naturally, Yoshino-san and Lin-san, who had gone through before us, were not there. They had returned to the Shinjuku Guild.

"So? What happened?" I asked Nanapon, who had been so insistent on us leaving.

"I’m sorry. I thought it would be dangerous to talk to that man any longer."

"Because he’s handsome?"

"Of course not."

I figured.

"Did you see his Status Card?"

"Yes. He kept his Status Card not in an Item Bag, but in the inner pocket of his jacket, so it was easy to see."

So he didn't keep it in an Item Bag… Come to think of it, he wasn't carrying anything. He probably had no intention of adventuring and was just there to talk to Yoshino-san.

"What’s his unique skill?"

"He has one."

He’s an A-rank, so I figured as much. That must be why Nanapon was in such a hurry.

"What is it?"

"It’s a skill called Truth Discernment. It allows him to tell if what someone is saying is true or false."

Tch! That’s the worst possible skill. It’s not useful in combat against monsters, but it’s an terrifyingly dangerous skill when it comes to anything related to Eleanor-san.

"That is definitely bad…"

"Yes. I thought we might get exposed depending on the questions he asked."

At the very least, he knows that Yoshino-san has been in contact with Eleanor-san.

"I should call Yoshino-san. He’s probably going to try to get information out of her."

He probably heard somewhere that Yoshino-san and Eleanor-san had been in contact and came to investigate. And now that he knows they’ve met, he’ll start asking more pointed questions.

"No, I will call Saegusa-san and meet with her. You have your sushi date with Asakura-san, right?"

"Hmm, I do, but this is an emergency…"

"It’s not that serious. We can take countermeasures."

Well, I suppose we can just avoid answering his questions and dodge the topic.

"Actually, about that trouble I mentioned yesterday, I have to go to the Shibuya Branch soon."

"What?! As Eleanor-san, right?!"

"Yeah."

"Kiryu-san is the top ranker at the Shibuya Branch… He might try to contact you."

I think he probably will. The Guild Master of the Shibuya Branch must know about that trouble, and he probably also knows about Kiryu’s unique skill.

This has become a real pain…

"Maybe I should cancel the sushi…"

So much for my level 10 celebration…

"When are you going to the Shibuya Branch?"

"It’s not decided yet. It depends on the parents’ schedule. I think that guy from yesterday will call me soon."

"Then it won’t be tomorrow. I’ll consult with Saegusa-san, so you should go and have your sushi, Okita-san."

Hmm, maybe I should take her up on her offer?

"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then. I don’t think you’ll be late today, but contact me if anything comes up."

"Understood. I’ll call Saegusa-san right away. Good work today."

"You too."

Nanapon bowed as she said her goodbyes, so I returned the gesture and headed towards the lobby. When I entered the lobby, I went straight to Kaede-chan’s counter.

"Good work today. Oh? Where’s Nanaka-chan?" Kaede-chan asked, tilting her head as I approached the reception desk alone.

"A lot happened. She’s on the phone with Yoshino-san. I’ll explain when we get home."

"…Something must have happened. What should we do? We can have sushi another time if you want."

Kaede-chan seemed to have sensed something.

"I said the same thing, but she said it’s fine."

"I see… Well then, shall we go? Oh, I’ll process your earnings, so please hand over your weapon and Status Card."

As Kaede-chan requested, I handed over my weapon, Status Card, and bag, and she processed my payment.

I told Kaede-chan I would wait outside and headed for the changing room. I took a shower and changed my clothes. Then, I left the guild and decided to wait for Kaede-chan in front of the entrance.

While I was waiting, I thought I should check with old man Yamabe, so I took out Eleanor-san’s smartphone. I saw several missed calls and emails. Both the calls and emails were from old man Yamabe, so I opened the email.

‘Since you’re not answering your phone, I’m sending the details by email. The parents said they will accommodate your schedule. It’s probably better to do it sooner rather than later, so how about tomorrow?’

Tomorrow, huh… I want to talk with Yoshino-san and Nanapon first, so tomorrow is too soon.

I decided to reply to the email.

‘I’m not in a situation where I can talk on the phone right now, so I’m replying by email. Tomorrow is no good. Please make it for the day after tomorrow or later.’

A reply came back almost immediately.

‘Understood. They said the day after tomorrow is fine, so let’s do that.’

‘Got it. What time on the day after tomorrow?’

‘Early afternoon should be fine. If you tell the reception at the Shibuya Branch, they’ll show you to the meeting room.’

The reception, huh. It’s a pain, but I guess I can go see the gravure idol.

‘Understood.’

‘Sorry about this.’

Our business was concluded, so I put my smartphone back in my bag. Just then, Kaede-chan came out of the guild entrance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. What are you doing?"

"I’ll tell you about that when we get home too. Let’s go get some sushi."

"Right. It’s cold."

Kaede-chan grabbed my arm and linked it with hers.

"You’re so warm, Kaede-chan."

"You’re warmer, Senpai. Come on, let’s grab a taxi at the station."

"Let’s do that."

Arm in arm, Kaede-chan and I started walking towards the station.

◆◇◆

We took a taxi from the station to Ginza and headed to a sushi restaurant I had looked up beforehand. We didn’t have a reservation, so I was a little worried, but we were able to get in without any problem.

We sat at the counter and chatted while ordering our sushi. Of course, since we were at the counter with the taisho and other customers, we didn't talk about Kiryu’s unique skill.

"Come to think of it, you were adventuring with Nanaka-chan for the first time in a while today, right? How was it?"

"It was surprisingly normal. But she was terrified of Lin-san."

Just like with Kiryu, she spent most of the time hiding behind my back at first.

"Ah, she is a little scary, isn’t she? But she’s a really good person, you know?"

"I know, I know. Our meeting was for 9, but she came at 8:30 to match my schedule."

If she wasn't married, I might misunderstand and think she liked me.

"She’s always like that. She has a blunt way of speaking, but she’s the type of person who takes the initiative to do things for others, so she’s highly regarded by the guild."

"I bet she’s super popular with guys."

She's a tsundere who’s mostly dere.

"I can kind of see that. And that type of person is usually disliked by girls, but since Lin-san doesn’t flirt with guys, she’s actually well-liked by them."

Speaking of which, Kaede-chan is… debatable. She’s a total flirt.

"Well, Nanapon was scared at first too, but once she started teaching her magic, she was normal."

"That reminds me, she came up to the reception desk earlier with a smug look on her face, saying she learned ice magic."

I can picture it perfectly. She seemed so happy.

"I learned Presence Detection too," I said with a smug look of my own.

"I have that too, you know."

Right, you were a rogue. Of course you have it.

"Oh."

"And it’s level 3," Kaede-chan said with a smug face.

"Does that mean you know what I’m doing when your back is turned to me?"

"I do. You’re always staring. The other day, you were staring right at my butt."

So she knew about that because of Presence Detection…

"Well, you did say you were confident in it…"

"You don’t have to make excuses. That’s just the kind of person you are."

Her opinion of me is so low… I feel like she’s completely given up on me.

"Kaede-chan, want to order some o-toro?"

It was listed at market price, but I didn't care. In the past, I never would have ordered it.

"Yes, please."

"Taisho, give this young lady some of your best o-toro," I ordered.

"You got it," the taisho replied, glancing at Kaede-chan.

"By the way, is Satsuki-san busy?" I asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"It seems so. Something about the auction and that surveying company."

"What’s that about?"

"I don’t really know the details, but Satsuki-san has been going back and forth between headquarters and other places."

I wonder if there was some kind of problem.

We continued to eat our sushi until we were full, then left the restaurant and took a taxi straight home. The bill, by the way, was enough to bring tears to my eyes if I were still a salaryman. As expected of a non-revolving sushi restaurant.