kscans

Chapter 144 - Office Romance? ★

"Are they gone?"

I deliberately asked what was plain to see.

"Yes. All three have passed through the Gate and are presumed to have returned to their respective guilds."

Maede answered dutifully, as always.

"How was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"It’s obvious. The three of them. Well, it’s not our first time with Saegusa Yoshino, so she shouldn’t be a problem."

Saegusa Yoshino is a veteran A-rank, and I’ve seen her in the Frontier several times. I’ve heard she’s a subordinate of the Guild Headquarters’ General Manager and is greedy for money, but as an adventurer, she has a reputation for being serious and looking out for others.

The problem is the other two…

"Right. Saegusa-san was her usual self."

"What did you think of that witch?"

"To be honest, I’m starting to think she might be a real witch. It was supposed to be our first time meeting, yet she saw right through my unique skill."

So that’s what happened…………

"I was wondering what was going on when you suddenly started spilling the details of your Hellish Hearing. What was that all about?"

Even I was surprised by that. I thought the witch had cast some spell on her, and I couldn’t hide my agitation.

"She told me she knew the details of my Hellish Hearing in a whisper only I could hear, and then she threatened me."

"So she has some way of knowing about skills………… Is it the witch’s skill, or magic?"

"I don’t know, but it’s possible."

She really is an inscrutable witch. A ghost-like existence whose identity we still haven’t grasped at all. She might be the real thing.

"Are you on a secret mission from someone?"

"That is…………"

So you are… But you can’t say. Well, I suppose that’s why it’s a secret mission…

"Sumire, tell me. That witch said she would turn you into a frog and squash you. If this continues, you could actually get killed in a way that looks like an accident."

I called my subordinate, Maede, by her first name. It’s a secret from our colleagues, but well, that’s the kind of relationship we have.

"But…"

"They probably just told you to investigate the witch’s identity or how she obtains her items. But there’s no way a single SDF member can investigate something that the Guild, the government, and even the Americans have failed to figure out."

They were probably counting on Sumire’s Hellish Hearing, but it was found out immediately. Continuing this is dangerous.

"…………Alright. I’ll report honestly that it was impossible."

"Please do. I’ll have you removed and replaced with someone else."

Honestly, I want her off this assignment. I’d be in trouble if anything happened to Sumire.

"About that, it seems impossible."

"Hm? Why is that?"

"It seems I was specifically requested by them."

Requested? Why?

"What do you mean?"

"You see, Yokokawa-san was there, right? Apparently she went to an all-girls’ high school and is uncomfortable around men. So they put in a request for a young woman to accompany them."

Yokokawa Nanaka… She was like a living example of the phrase "fine feathers make fine birds."

"I believe she was an underage university student………… For someone who dislikes men, it’s impressive she became an adventurer."

Normally, you’d think she would avoid it…

"She might have her own circumstances. I found Yokokawa-san’s behavior a little strange."

"In what way?"

It seems Sumire noticed something.

"At first, Eleanor and Saegusa-san kept their distance from us, right?"

"Yeah. They said it was about business."

I don’t know if that was true.

"It really was business. Apparently, that witch intends to sell something called a Hair Growth Potion."

A Hair Growth Potion, huh… Should I buy some for the future?

"Is that another drop from a Slime?"

"No, apparently you can make it by mixing hair growth tonic with a Healing Potion."

A Healing Potion… That’s at least five hundred thousand yen. …………I should save up.

"Don’t you dare leak that information. You’ll be killed if you do."

"I know. At that time, though, Yokokawa-san showed something to the two of them. Then they both suddenly went quiet."

She showed them something…

"Did Yokokawa speak at that time?"

"No…"

"It’s possible Yokokawa was the one who saw through your skill."

I was wondering why that witch was bringing an underage university student with her, but perhaps she possesses a useful unique skill.

"I have a feeling you’re right. Looking at it that way, it was Yokokawa-san who was actually leading the way in the mine."

Is it some kind of power to grasp information, like Appraisal? Did she use it to figure out the mine and Sumire’s skill?

"I see… Come to think of it, Yokokawa wasn’t just not carrying a light, she was wearing sunglasses."

Her eyes… It might be an enhanced version of Appraisal as a unique skill.

"Hey, investigating Eleanor is impossible, but what about investigating Yokokawa-san?"

"That’s a no-go. Yokokawa is a minor. And apparently her parents are in the media, so a directive came down telling us to absolutely not get deeply involved."

Yokokawa is small and cute, so the media would definitely latch onto her. And we would get slammed by the public.

"I see…………"

"In any case, let’s stop the unnecessary snooping. I’ll tell the higher-ups myself. That if we push this any further, not just our lives, but the very existence of the Gate will be in jeopardy."

In fact, she said something to that effect.

"Okay."

"Our job is to investigate the underground ruins. There’s no need to step on a tiger’s tail by doing unnecessary things."

"You’re right………… Hey."

Sumire looked up at me.

"We’re on duty."

"No one ever comes to a place like this."

That was also true.

◆◇◆

After passing through the Gate and returning to the guild, Nanapon and I went to Kaede-chan at the reception desk and were shown into Satsuki-san’s room. The four of us waited for a while until Yoshino-san arrived.

"Good work. You’re late."

Satsuki-san said with a laugh.

"I’m not late. This is about how long it takes from Shinjuku."

We waited for an hour and a half.

"You showered and even put on makeup, didn’t you?"

"What’s wrong with that?"

"Don’t keep me waiting."

"Satsuki-nee-san is as harsh as ever. Don’t you think so?"

Yoshino-san directed the question to me for some reason.

"It’s fine to take your time. We finished early today, after all."

It was just past four o’clock.

"See?"

Yoshino-san pointed at me while looking at Satsuki-san.

"I get it, so just sit down already."

As Satsuki-san said that, Yoshino-san sat down next to her. The seating arrangement had me, Kaede-chan, and Nanapon facing the two of them.

"Finally, we can start. So? How was it?"

Satsuki-san asked me.

"There were two of them. A man named Yanagi and a woman named Maede."

"A man and a woman. Well, since there are three of you, maybe they thought more would be too many?"

"Who knows? I don’t know about that. But they were both reasonably skilled, so I don’t think there will be any problems in the underground ruins."

It’s just Skeletons and infernal knights, so it should be easy.

"Reasonably, huh?"

"Okita-kun, you really love to compare yourself to others to boost your own ego."

Shut up, Yoshino.

"Well, he’s a boy. That kind of thing happens."

"You’re the same way, Satsuki-nee-san."

"Shut up, Yoshino."

I think Satsuki-san and I were in complete agreement just then.

"Anyway, I don’t think there will be any danger in the investigation starting tomorrow. The problem is Maede-san’s skill."

"Maede… the female operative………… Did she have a unique skill?"

"She did. Called Hellish Hearing."

"What an amazing name."

Indeed…

"It was a good thing Nanaka-san found her out."

"I was the one who told her. I was sure they would try something."

Come to think of it, Nanapon did say something like that.

"You’d think the SDF would be protecting the citizens. I wonder why they’re trying to probe us."

"They’re probably probing you to protect the citizens from a wicked witch."

Well, yeah.

"I don’t think I’m wicked at all."

In reality, I’m just selling items. I haven’t committed any crimes.

"No, you were threatening her a whole lot, weren’t you?"

"She said she’d turn her into a frog and squash her."

Yoshino-san and Nanapon snitched on me.

"You, go look at your status card. Hasn’t your Provocation level reached three by now?"

"I checked earlier, it’s still level two. I won’t do it again."

I feel like I’ve said this many times.

"Hmph, just a little more then………… Oh well. More importantly, what kind of skill is Hellish Hearing?"

"At first I thought it was a skill that enhanced hearing, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s a skill for eavesdropping on conversations. The effective range is fifty meters, and it doesn’t work through obstacles."

It can’t be used for cheating, but it’s a suitable skill for patrolling in the Frontier. In that sense, I hope she does her best.

"Obstacles, huh. So we’re safe inside a building. But you’re awfully well-informed."

"She spilled the beans as soon as I threatened her a little. It seems the whole ‘closing the Gate’ thing is still really effective."

"I bet. The scary part is that no one can be sure it’s a lie."

So my mysterious persona has paid off.

"That’s why I don’t think they’ll probe too deeply."

"Mm. Got it. But be very careful about what you talk about."

"I know."

I need to be careful about Alchemy and anything related to Okita-kun.

"So when does the full-scale investigation begin?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. The day after is a day off because Nanaka-san has university."

"I see. Kaede, your day off tomorrow is cancelled."

"I guess it can’t be helped…"

Kaede-chan had tomorrow off? That’s too bad.

"Make sure she has the day after tomorrow off. We don’t want Kaede-chan getting burnt out."

"I doubt she’d get burnt out, but fine. Kaede, swap your days off for tomorrow and the day after."

"Understood."

"Kaede-chan, I’m sorry."

I apologized to Kaede-chan.

"It can’t be helped. It’s not like I lost my day off, after all."

"I’ll be back early tomorrow, so let’s go for a drink."

"That sounds great. Let’s go."

Alright, alright.

"Ugh, I hate these two."

Don’t be jealous.

"You’re so noisy………… More importantly, Nanaka-san, let’s decide on some hand signals."

I looked at Nanapon, sitting next to me.

"Hand signals?"

"I don’t want your skill to be exposed, just like mine. You’ll be the one leading the way and finding monsters, so I want to decide on some hand signals and cues."

"Ah, you’re right."

Nanapon and I decided on some hand signals and cues to prepare for tomorrow, and then the meeting was adjourned.