kscans

Chapter 35 - Black

The day after explaining the Translation Potion to Satsuki-san at the Guild, I came to the Guild first thing in the morning. The media was still milling around out front today, but since I wasn't Eleanor-san, they ignored me.

I received my sword and Status Card from Kaede-chan and headed for the Kunaar Ruins. After passing through the Gate, I found myself in the ruins, where, just like last time, many Adventurers were waiting in front of the Gate.

I can understand the media, but don't these guys have anything better to do?

Well, it was none of my business, so I walked past the other Adventurers and started leveling up.

My current level is 5. I've heard you can level up normally here in the Kunaar Ruins until level 8, so I'm thinking of grinding here until then. However, despite hunting Skeletons like crazy, my level isn't rising very quickly.

Just now, three Skeletons appeared at once, and I killed them instantly, but my level didn't go up.

"Haa..."

I looked at my Status Card, which still showed level 5, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Um..."

A voice came from behind me.

But I wasn't on guard like I was with Saegusa-san before. That's because I had noticed someone watching me while I was fighting the Skeletons, and they had the aura of a Small Fry.

I put my Status Card away and turned around casually.

Standing there was a black-haired girl, shorter than Kaede-chan, about 150 centimeters tall.

The girl was wearing black pants and a white t-shirt, with a red cardigan over it. She had a cute white rabbit backpack on and was holding a staff in her hand.

Her hair was a medium length, reaching from her shoulders to her collarbone, a little shorter than Kaede-chan's. I thought her face was cute, but a little less so than Kaede-chan's. In conclusion, Kaede-chan is cute.

"What is it?"

Adventurers don't usually talk to other Adventurers while they're out exploring. What's more, this girl looks quite young. Probably a high school or college student. It's strange for such a young, cute girl to be talking to a 26-year-old like me.

No... A busty girl approached me the other day, too. Maybe my legendary popular phase has finally arrived.

"...Um, are you Okita-san?"

Huh? She knows me? No, if she did, asking if I'm Okita-san would be strange. And her voice is so quiet...

"I am, but who are you? Sorry if we've met before."

"...Ah, no. I'm the only one who knows you. You're Eleanor Ocean-san, right?"

......Eh?

I slightly opened my right hand, getting into a stance where I could draw my sword at any moment.

"I know who Eleanor Ocean is, but we're not the same gender."

"Ah, um, that is... Ah, I'm, this is who I am."

The girl flusteredly took a card out of her rabbit backpack and showed it to me.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Name: Yokokawa Nanaka
Level: 8
Job: Mage
Skills:
≪Fire Magic Lv2≫
☆≪Clairvoyance Lv1≫
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Ah, it's the cheating girl.

"Ah, did Satsuki-san tell you, by any chance?"

"...Yes."

What? Did that woman just blab everything?

"About Eleanor Ocean, too?"

"...Ah, no, that's not it. I was ordered to team up with Okita-san, but I'm scared of teaming up with a guy, so I followed you to see what kind of person you were."

There's a lot to unpack there.

"Uhm, sorry. Explain from the beginning. What do you mean, team up with me?"

"Ah... um, Guild Master-san told me to."

Yokokawa-san said, fidgeting with her hands, looking like it was difficult to say. She probably doesn't want to talk about her Clairvoyance.

"You were threatened about your Clairvoyance, right? I already know, so just tell me everything."

"Eh!? How did you know that!?"

If that woman was going to do this, she should have at least given me a cover story, even a fake one. This just makes things difficult for me.

But what should I do? Should I explain my situation too? This girl probably used her Clairvoyance to find out I'm Eleanor Ocean... I have no choice but to bring her in on it.

I scanned our surroundings, confirmed that no one was around, then took my Status Card out of my bag and showed it to Yokokawa-san.

"Here."

"Uhm... eh? Alchemy!?"

Yokokawa-san, who had been looking at the Status Card, looked up in surprise.

"This star mark means it's a special skill. You have one too, right? And as you know, others can't see it. But those with the same rare skill can. The reason Satsuki-san and I found out about your Clairvoyance is because I saw it."

"Ah, so that's why... Eh? You saw my Status Card?"

"I'm a conscientious person, so I reported my rare skill. At that time, I was asked to check if anyone else had one. And then I found you."

"...Tch, what a busybody."

For a moment, Yokokawa-san turned dark.

"I got found out. You get found out too."

"Ah, so you didn't report it just because you're conscientious after all."

"Of course not. Who would do that?"

"Right!? ...Hey, don't drag me into this."

Again, for a moment, Yokokawa-san turned dark.

"So? Satsuki-san threatened you, right?"

"...Yes. She said she'd keep quiet about it to my parents and the university, and that she wouldn't report it to the higher-ups. In exchange... 'you get it, right?' she said."

Sounds like something out of an adult manga. Good thing Satsuki-san isn't some pervy old man. A timid girl like you would be prime prey.

"And she told me to team up with you? I haven't heard anything about it."

"...Not so much team up, as to help you out, she said."

"With what?"

"She said you're an F-rank beginner, so I should teach you."

What is this kid going to teach me?

"I'm E-rank."

I had Kaede-chan change it to E before coming here.

"I'm D-rank."

...Irritating. I can now fully understand what Kaede-chan meant when she said I should raise my rank. The smug, triumphant look on this kid's face is seriously pissing me off.

"Don't need it."

"...Even if you say that, I don't want to get expelled. I worked so hard to get in."

Yeah, yeah. You worked hard cheating.

"I'll try talking to Satsuki-san later. So? I'll ask just in case. How did you know I was Eleanor Ocean?"

"...I was suddenly told to team up with a guy, so I followed you to see what kind of person you were. Then I used Clairvoyance to peek inside your house."

That's max-level stalking. I'm really glad it's a girl who has Clairvoyance. If it were me, I'm confident I'd be permanently stationed in front of Kaede-chan's house.

"What's that Clairvoyance like? Can you see through clothes?"

"I can if I try. B-but of course I wouldn't."

A girl wouldn't do that. Of course, I would.

"And that's how you knew I was Eleanor Ocean?"

"...Yes. You drank something and then you changed."

"Hmm... You wanna become a guy?"

"...No, thank you."

Everyone rejects it. I don't have any resistance to becoming a woman, though...

"Well, whatever. For now, don't get in my way. I'm in the middle of leveling up."

"Then I'll just watch. I'm level 8, so there's nothing left for me to do here."

Stop trying to one-up me... And she only gets this confident when she's trying to one-up someone. There's barely any difference between us.

"Well, I'm off."

I started walking in search of Skeletons.

"Um, there are three of them over there."

As I started walking, Yokokawa-san pointed towards a building. Of course, I could only see the building, not the Skeletons.

"You can tell?"

"I have Clairvoyance. There are some over there too, but there are other Adventurers nearby, so they'll probably get them."

This girl is amazing. Clairvoyance is seriously insane. It really is a rare skill.

"Yokokawa-san."

"What is it?"

"Starting today, you're my companion."

Nice to meet you.

"Eh..."

"You don't want your parents or the university to find out, right? In that case... you get it, right?"

"...You scum!"

Yokokawa-san gave me a look of utter contempt.

"I'll let you have a taste of the good life."

"...Eh? Are you a pervert?"

......This girl is a closet pervert.

"Eleanor Ocean is the Golden Witch. She produces gold and will make us happy. You get it, right?"

"...I want an Item Bag."

What a simple-minded little girl.

"Listen here, Yokokawa. In this world, the cunning are the ones who win."

"...I know that from experience. My classmates studying for exams, my friends in college studying for tests... Hmph."

As expected of a despicable cheater. She just laughed at her earnest friends who were studying hard.

"Follow me, Yokokawa! I'll show you gold!"

"...As you command."

Black Nanaka-chan has joined the party.