《Only I Level up My Dungeon Equipment!》 CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Exile and Zamaa(This is an offensive expression similar to ¡°you reap what you sow¡±) I longed for her. In the dungeon, which was dimly lit, she cut down a demon twice her size with a single sword, with her long, waist-length hair that still shone brightly. I was no match for the creature, but she cut it down as if it was nothing. I was in awe of that scene. I long to be like that beautiful, maybe even horrifying sight. I want to be that kind of explorer someday, and I want to be able to fight such beautiful battles. I wanted to fight as if I were watching a beautiful dance as if petals were falling. But I didn¡¯t have the talent. I was ostracized, fired, and ridiculed for my incompetence. So I gave up on that dream once. Still, I want to try one more time, one last time. For my family, for my sister, for money. And above all, for myself. That is why I am going to try one more time. To work in that exciting world. My dream of being a dungeon explorer. ¡ó ¡°Everyone!¡¡Happy New Year!¡± A well-known TV presenter wished the New Year with a conventional greeting. Behind her is a nice middle-aged man, a nice guy with a beard that doesn¡¯t fit the variety show. A man who looks like a mercenary sits down. ¡°Today, we have invited the most powerful man in Japan or even the world!¡¡He is the leader of the guild [yoi no my¨­j¨­(evening star)], Tendo Ryunosuke-san!¡± The man who was introduced with a crackle and a clap did not move at all. However, the man slowly opens those eyes that had been closed. His eyes were sharp, and even through the TV, they were like those of a hawk aiming at its prey. ¡°Tendou-san!¡¡Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come here today!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my job too¡­¡± His low voice was not the cheerful variety of the New Year¡¯s holiday season. ¡°Well, umm¡­¡± The moderator throws a question as if a little troubled. ¡°I heard that you conquered the 59th level of the big boss the other day and broke the record for the highest level reached by mankind!¡¡How did you feel?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ is the worst. It was a terrible battle, and one of my friends died.¡± Silence envelops the program. An atmosphere that was hard to watch enveloped the audience. Even the presenter seemed to be at a loss for words. I, too, found it hard to watch and changed the channel. The channel I changed to started a special end-of-year mail-order program. ¡°Even in the top guilds, people are still dying¡­¡± It has been 20 years since a huge tower called a dungeon appeared in Tokyo Bay. A huge tower with a radius of 10 km. The tower has been there since before I was born. At the time, Japan was in a panic. The military was dispatched to the tower to see if a demon would appear, but nothing happened. There was nothing to be done, so a survey team was formed and began to investigate the tower. The investigation revealed that there were imaginary monsters called ¡°demons¡± and a dungeon-like labyrinth spreading inside. If they did no harm, they could have left it alone, but the world was changed forever by something the survey team brought back with them. It was¡­. ¡°A knight¡¯s gauntlet¡­¡± Those gauntlets are introduced on TV shopping shows. An exaggerated commentator sells the product with an exaggerated reaction. ¡°Aaah!¡¡The sound of a knight¡¯s gauntlet!¡± ¡°Look at this body!¡± The president of the company, whose voice sounds like an aunt¡¯s high-pitched voice you¡¯ve heard somewhere else, frantically advertises the product. Then the lady equips her gauntlet. And a rice bale is placed in front of her. ¡°This rice bale weighs 50 kilos!¡± It¡¯s quite a heavy rice bale for just an old lady to hold. But¡­. ¡°Hmph!¡± The lady lifted the rice bale. Not quite light, but it was stiff enough to be seen in an ordinary way. This is what is called [equipment], an artifact unearthed in the dungeon. This equipment, brought back by the first survey team, changed the world. The gauntlet I mentioned earlier is called the knight series. It is an equipment without much power that falls under rank D, but even so, anyone can obtain this kind of supernatural power. The world sought this equipment. Celebrities used them for self-defense and as collectibles. Rebel groups used it as an armed force, and countries used it as a deterrent and a military force. Equipment export has now become a major Japanese industry, surpassing that of cars. No one would have thought that the day would come when Japan would hold the balance of power in the world¡¯s military power. Such a dungeon appeared 20 years ago. It was also 20 years ago that the profession of dungeon explorer was created. It was one year ago that I decided to become a dungeon explorer. And it was six months ago that I gave up. I was ostracized, fired, laughed at, and belittled as incompetent. But I decided to chase my dream once more. To have ordinary happiness. ¡°There¡¯s only one way for a high school student to make a lot of money, right?¡± I get ready and head out. Even from here, a huge tower pierces through the clouds and into the heavens. And beyond that tower, an illusory star. No one knows what that star is. No one knows what the star looks like. A star that looks like the earth, a star that looks like an illusion, a star that looks like nothing from space. No one knows what it is, or whether it is possible to find out by going to the top of the dungeon. Still, people go to dungeons. They go to dungeons to pursue their dreams and get rich. And I, for my part, seek ordinary happiness. ¡­ The second level of the dungeon. In a dimly lit room surrounded on all sides by stone, two creatures put their lives on the line. Play Unmute Two dead goblins are already lying there, and the remaining goblin has wounds all over its body. I, by the way, am also fully wounded. I was bleeding and fighting for my life. ¡°I have to earn my money!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Then I cut off the head of that last one with my iron sword, and I was victorious. Wiping the blood stain from my sword, I sat there. ¡°Hahaha, I did it!¡¡Now I¡¯ve accomplished my quota for today.¡± I whipped my tired body and after defeating the third one, a copper treasure chest appeared, and then a gate. This gate is the gate to go one level up. I then open the treasure chest. There is a [soldier¡¯s gauntlet] in it. These gauntlets sell for 500 yen each. After a day of hard work, I earned a total of ten of them. That¡¯s 5,000 yen. ¡°Wow, 5,000 yen for half a day¡¯s work¡­. That may be just barely enough for a high school student to earn¡­¡± The boy collapses on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m not making this much~, I¡¯ll try the third level¡­.¡± Then he lifts up only his upper body and swings his head around. ¡°No, no, no. What if I die? With this status, I¡¯ll end up as dungeon nourishment.¡± Then I looked at the soldier¡¯s bracelet I had equipped and chanted. ¡°Status!¡± A status window appears in front of me. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Name: Kenya Mitsurugi DP: 100 pts Occupation: Alchemist Alchemy Lv9: 100pt to the next level (Can smelt rank E weapons 9 times a day) ¡ôEquipment Weapon: ¡¾Iron Sword Lv 2¡¿. Head: [Soldier¡¯s Helmet Lv9] Body: ¡¾Soldier¡¯s breastplate Lv9] Hands: ¡¾Soldier¡¯s gauntlets Lv9] Foot £º¡¾Soldier¡¯s boots Lv9] ¡ôStatus Offensive ability: 0 (+14) Defense£º0£¨+10) Speed: 0 (+10) Intelligence: 0 (+10) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- This is my current status, visible from the day I equipped my first piece of equipment. Even the easiest tier is a status that I struggle with solo. The status is like a game. But in this kind of status screen, there is absolutely no such thing. It is my own level. So how do I get stronger? One is to put on equipment that is found in the dungeon. The other is to raise the skill level of my occupation, which can be done with DP (dungeon points). DPs are points that you receive when you step through a dungeon level. So, in this dungeon, only equipment and occupation determine all stats. ¡°At least if my occupation was a swordsman or something like that ¨C I can¡¯t believe that an alchemist, which I thought was a rare job, is so useless.¡± Some professions affect status, while others compensate for the improved abilities of equipment. Some professions, such as swordsman and hero, are examples. There are also blacksmiths who make equipment from materials and monks who heal wounds. These professions cannot be changed. The moment this status is displayed, it is automatically determined, and in some cases, you may not even be given an occupation in the first place. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the occupation, after all, luck that determines whether you will be a great explorer or not. I was the first person in the world to be given the profession of alchemist. At the time, I was excited by the prospect. It was hailed as a rare job, and I was even in a guild where there were heroes¡­. But I was discarded as an incompetent job. It was inevitable. I joined the guild with high expectations, but what do you think when you open the lid? Smelting the same weapons that fall under rank E (the lowest rank) together to raise the weapon¡¯s level. That¡¯s it. Even if I raise my skill level, the number of times I can smelt a weapon per day has increased¡­. There was no change in status or ability. Even now, I am equipped with a soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 9 and an iron sword Lv 2, etc., which were strengthened by that power. So now I have a total of +10 attack power from my gauntlets and +4 power from my iron sword. ¡°If I had a D-rank weapon, I might be able to make more money on the third level~¡± E-rank equipment is nothing compared to D-rank equipment. However, if I wanted to get D-rank equipment, such as the knight series, it would probably cost me close to 500,000 yen. There was no way I, a poor high school student, could afford that kind of equipment¡­. There was no use in begging for something I didn¡¯t have. I¡¯ll save up the money somehow and buy even a single D-rank equipment. If I do that, I might be able to go to a higher level, because I need the money¡­¡± Kenya spread out nine soldier¡¯s gauntlets on the spot. Then he began to smelt them one by one. Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 2 Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 3 ¡­ Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 9 ¡°Yes!¡± A level-up sound like a certain famous game is played in my brain. That sound is exciting no matter how many times I hear it. But how many times have I done this alchemy level up today¡­. Now I have made a soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 9. This is the end of the smelting process, as the number of smelting times per day is set at nine. ¡°This is 10,000 yen!¡¡Something that cost 5,000 yen has doubled in value!¡¡This is truly alchemy.¡± The equipment that has been leveled up to Lv. 9 after alchemy is bought at a higher price, so it is alchemized. It¡¯s the only advantage I¡¯m glad I have in this profession. ¡°Now I¡¯ve managed to save up for another month, and¡­¡± The points, called dungeon points, reached 100. This is one point earned for having stepped through two levels. Combined with what I had saved up until now, I was finally able to save up to 100. What I can do with these points, that is. ¡°Come on, demon or snake, please!¡± Increase the skills of my profession. The only skill in my profession ¨C alchemy. I needed 100 pts to improve this skill. I kept raising it until now, lvl 9, and the only thing that changed was the number of times I could alchemize per day. This time, I prayed to a god I didn¡¯t even believe in, hoping that something would change this time. [Skill level up? Lv10 now. Alchemizable rank will increase to D rank] ¡°Eh?¡± With this announcement, Kenya¡¯s world changes forever. The world of Kenya Mitsurugi, a high school student who was poor and incompetent, changes drastically. Outlier job?¡¡Incompetent job? No, [alchemist] was a genuine rare job that leads to the strongest. He was the only one in the world who could grow and create equipment. [In addition, E-rank equipment +9 will evolve to D-rank if it is additionally alchemized.] CH 2 I Have to Stop My Sister''s Papa-katsu Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent Going back a bit. In this small room of 10 tatami mats, I happened to see a message that came on my sister¡¯s phone screen. The message that came on my sister¡¯s neglected phone screen. ¡°About the Papa-katsu (basically a sugar daddy) you were talking about the other day, are you sure about it? Are you still a virgin¡­?¡± My heart beats faster as I see that message, thinking that¡¯s ridiculous. But I couldn¡¯t read any further without opening unlocking the phone. Why?¡¡My sister, who had never even had a boyfriend, was talking about papa-katsu? Why would my sister, who is beautiful but has never even dyed her hair yet, talk about it? At night, I presses her finger against my sister¡¯s sleeping phone, even though I knew I shouldn¡¯t. I managed to calm myself down and sat beside my sister, wondering if she can hear my heart beating. Sighing in her sleep, my sister¡¯s eyes were reddish as if she had cried herself to sleep, and were still filled with tears. Then I saw the text. ¡°I knew it¡­¡± My doubts turned to certainty, I had been aware of that. I knew why my sister, now in high school, needed money. ~ A year ago. ¡°Nana!¡¡Mom collapsed!¡± Breathless, I reported this to my sister and ran off to the hospital with her. My mother, who lost my father in an accident early in life, raised me and my sister by herself. My mother, who had been working part-time jobs with a cheerful smile on her face, never showed the slightest sign of fatigue, collapsed. She had cancer. To pay for her treatment and hospitalization, we sold our house, furniture, and my father¡¯s savings. She continues to be treated with medication, but every day the money is running out like hot water. With no relatives to rely on, we were forced to move out of the house we were living in and into this shabby one-room apartment with a rent of 40,000 yen. There was no privacy, just the two of us, brother and sister, in a single room. That is why we help and support each other because we are the only two siblings. ¡« And now. One year has passed since then, and my sister is going to high school. I worked part-time from morning till night, neglecting my studies. I was already thinking of quitting high school and getting a job. My grades were good, but now they were at the bottom of the class. I was at a level where I could not keep up in class alone because it was a preparatory school. Even in those classes, I often fell asleep because I was too sleepy¡­ So I abandoned my studies. I worked part-time to support the family finances and manage to save money. I wanted to send my sister to college at least¡­ I didn¡¯t want her to have to endure life. We talked about this yesterday. I told her I was going to drop out of high school. But my sister protested vehemently, and the conversation was put on hold. ¡°I¡¯ll do something about the money too!¡¡You don¡¯t have to sacrifice your life for me!¡¡I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make sure we both go to college!¡± And this is the result. My sister is so beautiful that she got confessed to several times in junior high school. She is so beautiful that I wonder if she has the same blood as me. She has long black hair, white skin, and big eyes. She is about 160 cm tall. Nana, whose breasts have recently appeared, is a sister who is called beautiful wherever she goes. ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± In this small room, I looked at my sister sleeping next to me. I looked at the screen of that phone and my sister¡¯s tear-stained sleeping face. Tears of sorry, tears of mercy. I shed tears for the fact that my sister was willing to put her body on the line to earn money. Then I wiped away my tears and made up my mind. I would not quit high school, I would not stop my mother¡¯s treatment, and I would not let my sister get involved. The only path that would allow me to fulfill that arrogant, greedy, and supposedly ordinary dream of happiness. I was determined to take the only path left to me. ¡°It¡¯s a path I gave up on once, but I¡¯ll do my best once again brother¡­. I¡¯ll put my body on the line.¡± I gently stroke my sister¡¯s hair and resolve aloud. The dream I once gave up on for lack of talent. The dream of a profession that is possible even for high school students with the most earning potential right now. The dream of being a dungeon explorer. ¡­ ¡°Skill level up¡­ ? I¡¯m now at Lv 10. Alchemizable rank increased to D rank.¡± And the awakened alchemist. It¡¯s still not a lot of money, but it was right in front of me. CH 3 We are poor, but alchemist is a rare job Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent [Skill Level Up? Lv 10. Alchemy rank rises to D rank] ¡°The Alchemy rank has risen to D rank!¡¡Not the number of times you can smelt?¡± If this means exactly what I think, I can now smelt D-rank items as well. That means. I can¡¯t try it because I can¡¯t prepare D-rank equipment¡­ Then, perhaps taking my feelings into account, the announcement announced something I could not believe. [Additionally, E-rank equipment +9 will evolve to D-rank if it is additionally smelted.] ¡°What does this mean? Evolution of the equipment?¡± I get upset and speak to myself alone loudly. I¡¯ve never heard of equipment evolving. Certainly, there are pieces of equipment that are completely compatible with the soldier series, starting with the soldier¡¯s gauntlet. And even above that¡­ But those are dungeon drops. Basically, they were not supposed to be related, just similar in effect. I look at the soldier¡¯s gauntlet +9 on my right arm. And the soldier¡¯s gauntlet, which I only got one more today. The number of times I could smelt it was nine times a day, so I only had one more time left. ¡°Ya, let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡± And I smelt! as usual. Normally, I would get the message in my brain that I can¡¯t smelt anymore, but not today. The soldier¡¯s gauntlet changes shape as I look at it, enveloped in soft light. Then came the announcement. [The alchemy has succeeded. Soldier¡¯s gauntlet +9 has become knight¡¯s gauntlet.] ¡°Eh, eeeeeeee£¡£¡£¡£¡£¿£¿£¿£¿.¡± Alone in the dark room, only my screams reverberate. I screamed out uncontrollably. Hearing my voice echoing in the small room, I managed to calm my excited mind. ¡°Could this be the evolution in the realm of alchemists?¡± What I saw was the D-rank equipment I had seen on the TV. This one piece of equipment sells for close to 100,000 yen. In a dungeon, this is an item that can only be found after the 11th level. I have that equipment in my hands. With one of these, I can pay close to three months¡¯ rent. I gulped really hard. ¡°If I sell it, I can have a big bowl of beef every day, or even a hot egg¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t eaten rice in a long time, and I wanted money and rice more than I wanted to be strong. But I shake my head widely to shake those thoughts away. ¡°No, no!¡¡I just got this D-rank equipment!¡¡I have to use it to earn more money.¡± And I stand up. I¡¯m already wounded to the bone, but my body, now that it has hope, is filled with strength like a fish in water. ¡°Nana, maybe I can make some money with this!¡± My heart swells with the possibilities of the alchemist¡¯s job. Then I put on the knight¡¯s gauntlet. Then, it is not just my imagination, but I am truly overflowing with power. I stare at the knight¡¯s gauntlet and information appears. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Knight¡¯s gauntlet Description: Gauntlets equipped by knights. They are much stronger than soldiers¡¯. Ability: Attack power +20, +1 depending on Lv. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Status!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Name: Kenya Mitsurugi DP: 0pt Occupation: Alchemist Alchemy Lv10: 1000pt to the next level (Can alchemize rank D weapons 10 times a day) ¡ôEquipment Weapon: [Sword of Iron Lv 2] Head: [Soldier¡¯s Helmet Lv9] Body: [Soldier¡¯s breastplate Lv9] Hands: [Knight¡¯s gauntlets Lv1] Foot £º[Soldier¡¯s Armor Lv9] ¡ôStatus Offensive ability: 0 (+24) Defense£º0£¨+10) Speed: 0 (+10) Intelligence: 0 (+10) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°So this is the power of D-rank equipment¡­¡± With a strength increase of about 20, I can¡¯t even beat a muscle-trained macho, but I still feel stronger each step of the way. ¡°At this rate, if I collect the soldier series, I can dream of completing the knight series, can¡¯t I?¡± That day, I ended my search because I had wounds all over my body. Now I want to show this equipment to my sister. I want to show her that she doesn¡¯t have to worry about money. Kenya forgets his tired body and runs to the first level of the dungeon. He is thrilled with his newfound power. ¡°There it is, the gate.¡± Then he finds the blue gate to the first level. To move through the levels, you use this gate instead of the stairs. The blue gate is the gate to go back one level, and the red gate is the gate to go to the next level. And I go through the gate. ¡­ ¡°Welcome back!¡¡Kenya!¡± There was a beautiful, big-breasted, bespectacled woman waiting for me. CH 4 Do you like big-breasted, beautiful, bespectacled older women? Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent There was a big-breasted sister standing there. In fact, the first level of this tower was a free space where people could freely come and go from outside and take things in and out. There was no appearance of demons, and a wide open space spreads out. This first level is used as a reception area for the dungeon. So, you would think it was an office of some company, but it is also lined with a cafeteria and a weapon shop. This tower has a radius of 10 km, so the space is very vast, and the first level is like an underground city. And the central part of it is the central plaza where the entrance to this dungeon is located. Many staff members, called navigators, are taking care of the dungeon explorers in their charge and buying what they have brought back. ¡°I was already worried that you were behind schedule, you know?¡¡We almost sent out a rescue request!¡± Pnpnpn, shaking her huge breasts, the older sister puts her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ai-san¡­¡± I look at her breasts as I apologize. They are swaying even more today. This person is Ai Nakano. She is 23 years old. She graduated from university last year and started working here. She is a newcomer, but she is an excellent navigator for this dungeon. She is also my supervisor. She has short bobbed hair, round glasses, and a big chest. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but huge is probably the best word to describe her. Why are they so big even though she is so slender? It was as if all the nutrition went to her breasts. It is not my fault that my eyes naturally fell on them, it is a normal physiological phenomenon. Ai is a very sexy lady. Of course, she smells good, I didn¡¯t smell it, okay?¡¡It just drifted over. ¡°Next time, be sure to come back on time!¡¡And then, since you¡¯re solo with E-rank equipment, never go above the second level!¡± Soloing is not recommended unless you have C-rank or higher equipment. Even in a party, you must be D rank or higher or you risk your life. ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯ll do my best as best I can.¡± I reply, feeling like I¡¯ll be let off. Then, Ai-san glared at me with cold eyes. I was thrilled. Ai-san seems to have the qualities of a queen. She still looks angry, so I rephrase. ¡°No!¡¡I will remember it for sure!¡± ¡°Very well!¡¡Then, do you want to exchange today¡¯s harvest for cash?¡± ¡°No!¡¡No, I¡¯m good for today!¡¡I¡¯ll come back tomorrow!¡± ¡°Yeah, well, make sure you apply again tomorrow before you come in!¡± And I leave and start running. Today is Saturday, and as a student, I can only spend long hours in the dungeon on weekends. Besides, I have important things to do today. I have to go to the battlefield¡­ ¡­ ¡°Time sale starts!¡¡Eggs for 50 yen each!¡¡A pack of meat for 100 yen!¡± I was on the battlefield. I was not fighting monsters. No, they were monsters called housewives. They were like orcs, though I had never fought one before¡­ Damn!¡¡What power! They push me away. ¡°Haaah!!!!¡± If I were the usual me, I would have lost here. But today I am different. Today I am a knight. Equipped with the knight series, I am the knight who protects the meat and eggs. ¡°Got it! And I succeeded in buying eggs, meat, and the usual bean sprouts. I can see my sister¡¯s happy face. ¡­ ¡°Wow!¡¡My brother bought eggs today!¡¡What?¡¡Could this be¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s meat. And it¡¯s beef.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a week!¡¡I can¡¯t believe we have both meat and eggs!¡¡Something good happened!¡± My sister squeals with delight at the dish of fried bean sprouts, meat, and eggs on a plate on the small table. Our family¡¯s daily food budget is really five hundred yen. When trying to feed two growing high school students, it is usually bean sprouts. We always had to fill our bellies with a large amount of bean sprouts stir-fried with yakiniku sauce. So on the days when meat was available, it was like a festival. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got a good thing for you. I¡¯ll tell you after we eat. Let¡¯s eat it before it gets cold!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ ¡°Oh, it was delicious!¡¡So what¡¯s going on, big brother?¡± ¡°First of all, I have to tell you something.¡± ¡°What?¡¡What is it?¡¡I¡¯m scared.¡± The younger sister was relaxing, sipping tap water. Kenya¡¯s voice trailed off as if he was having trouble saying it. Looking straight into his sister¡¯s eyes, Kenya told her. ¡°Please don¡¯t do papa-katsu¡­¡± Boo. Nana spewed out the water. CH 5 I''ve got a plan for the money. Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Hey, why did you do that!¡± ¡°Sorry, I saw the message on your phone.¡± (Actually, I pressed your fingerprints and I opened it, but let¡¯s not talk about that) ¡°Oh, yeah. But I didn¡¯t, so don¡¯t worry about it?¡± This would be true. Because from the message I saw yesterday, it didn¡¯t sound like the conversation was going anywhere yet. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sacrifice for your family¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to sacrifice brother!¡¡Ca, like a cabaret!¡¡Is that possible?¡± ¡°No high school student can work in such a place. You should study hard, it¡¯s your job.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have any money!¡¡You can¡¯t even go to college, so what¡¯s the point of studying?¡± Nana slams her hands on the desk. She leans forward and tries to make her point. So Kenya took out the knight¡¯s gauntlet he had equipped and placed it on the desk. ¡°Look at this.¡± ¡°This could be the knight series!¡¡Where did you get that kind of money¡­ But more importantly, did brother become an explorer again?¡± One year ago, Kenya became an explorer as soon as he became a high school student. He was active for about half a year and was expelled for being incompetent at his job¡­ ¡°Yes, your brother became good enough to get this knight series.¡± ¡°This equipment is about the equivalent of three months¡¯ rent¡­I can eat a beef bowl for a month and with a lot of sauce¡­¡± Nana looks at the gauntlet, drooling. Stop, that¡¯s a gauntlet, not a beef bowl. And the tsuyu dakubuku is free. As expected of my sister, Kenya proceeds, feeling a definite blood connection. ¡°I mean, you know, I can afford it¡­I think. So don¡¯t sacrifice yourself, especially papa-katsu¡­¡± ¡°Okay!¡¡I get it!!!¡¡I¡¯m not going to do papa-katsu!¡¡I hate it so much when my brother talks to me like that¡­¡± No one wants to be talked about sexually by their immediate family. I don¡¯t like it either. ¡°I hope you understand. It¡¯s tough, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯ll work hard at my part-time job too!¡± And on that day, we were able to sleep next to each other, feeling unusually content. We only had space to sleep next to each other¡­ And the next morning. Kenya stood in the dungeon again. And then he goes to his big-breasted¡­well, Ai-san. ¡°Good morning, Kenya!¡¡Up to the second level today too, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡¡I¡¯ll be collecting the soldier series for a while!¡± ¡°Well then, good luck. The schedule is the same as yesterday, at 17:00, right?¡¡After that, I¡¯ll send out a distress call, okay? ¡°Yes!¡± Kenya enters the red gate in the center as usual. There are other gates, but those are not available. It is a gate to the safe zone to the 10th or 20th level. I can¡¯t use it yet. Then I move to the second level. The second through ninth levels are labyrinths surrounded by rugged stone. However, since all the levels have already been explored and maps are available, it is hard to get lost. There are even signs in some places to help you find your way around. ¡°Okay!¡¡Let¡¯s go for it!¡± And I go around the dungeon as usual. And then I defeat the goblins. ¡°Gah!¡± Wow, this is the power of the knight series¡­ Kenya had a comfortable fight against the goblins he had struggled with until now. Goblins are easy to beat even in their bare form, but when there are more of them, it becomes tougher. However, they were not the current opponent of Kenya with the knight series. He picked up a soldier¡¯s gauntlet dropped from a goblin. There is the same thing in the treasure chest at the back. He runs around until the evening and collects twenty gauntlets. ¡°Now, enough waiting. It¡¯s smelting time.¡± Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 2 Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 3 . . Level up? Soldier¡¯s gauntlet Lv 9 Evolution? Knight¡¯s gauntlet Lv 1 ¡°That¡¯s all I can do today. The problem is that I can only do it ten times a day.¡± I left the dungeon today with 1 knight¡¯s gauntlets and 10 soldier¡¯s gauntlets. ¡­ ¡°Welcome back!¡¡You were on time today, great, great, great.¡± Ai-san, sitting in front of me, pats my head and I close my eyes pleasantly. Oh, I feel happy. (Oh my God, what a cute creature ?) Nakano Ai liked younger men. This cute high school student with a pretty face, who can be patted as she pleases, was quite her type. ¡°Ah!¡¡Ai-san!¡± ¡°Hyah!¡± I was having a weird fantasy, and then he suddenly spoke to me, causing me to make a strange voice. ¡°Hyai?¡¡Oh well. I¡¯d like to redeem it today.¡± ¡°Oh, you want to redeem?¡¡OK, OK, no problem!¡¡Soldier¡¯s gauntlet?¡¡Let me see!¡± And Kenya holds out the knight¡¯s gauntlet as if he¡¯s having trouble getting it out. Just for today. Just today, I wanted to feed her something delicious. I want to go out for yakiniku with my sister, who hasn¡¯t eaten out for a while, and I want to buy her some clothes. So¡­ ¡°Here¡­¡± Kenya then placed the knight¡¯s gauntlet on the desk. ¡°Yes, a soldier¡¯s gaun¡­ eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡± CH 6 All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku After Six Months Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Eeeeee!!!?¡± Ai-san shouts in a loud voice, attracting the attention of those around her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says, standing up and apologizing as she takes her seat. Then, for some reason, she starts whispering. ¡°Wait, wait, Kenya-kun, what is this?¡¡Did you steal it or something?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°But this is a knight series, right?¡¡I¡¯m sure you can only get it after the 11th level¡­ Did you by any chance¡­?¡± Ai-san glared at me with an icy voice. ¡°No, no!¡¡No, it¡¯s not!¡¡Besides, I can¡¯t defeat the boss¡­¡± I tried to clear my misunderstanding by putting my hands in front of me in an exaggerated gesture. Then I tell Ai the truth. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s the power of my job ¡®alchemist¡¯¡­¡± I told Ai-san about the alchemist¡¯s abilities, showing her the status. ¡­ ¡°Amazing¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of a job that can do that.¡± (This could be a tremendously good one¡­I should really keep him.¡¡Alright!) ¡°Kenya-kun!¡¡Let¡¯s keep this a secret, okay?¡¡Just you and me ?.¡± Ai-san winked at Kenya. The fewer rivals the better, so I tell him to keep it as hidden as possible until this job is in full swing and famous. The marriage rate between dungeon explorers and navigators exceeds that of pilots and CAs. It¡¯s on par with announcers and baseball players. By the way, I don¡¯t know the numbers, just my prejudice. So, it could be said that navigators aim to find a good explorer and get on the ball. This is also prejudice. ¡°Keep it a secret¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. If you stand out too much, you might incur the resentment of jealous adventurers¡­ So, you have to be strong enough to shake them off.¡± This was true. It is common for newcomers with powerful jobs, for example, to be beaten by envy. Ai, who is well aware of this example, also sincerely believes that it is better to hide it. At least until he becomes strong enough to shake them off¡­ ¡°Okay, I understand!¡¡So?¡¡How much is the valuation?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± With that, Ai opens her tablet and looks up the current exchange rate. This exchange rate is based on supply and demand and changes daily. Just like the stock market. ¡°Forty-five thousand yen!¡¡That¡¯s a big profit!¡± The end price is close to 100,000 yen, but the purchase price is still about half of that. But still¡­ ¡°Yes, I did it!¡± I was happy. We had always been living on the edge, but now we might have a little more time to spare in our home. ¡°Congratulations! Well then, here¡¯s 50,000 yen!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A little celebration from me!¡¡Keep up the good work from now on ?¡± ¡°Yes, you can!¡¡Thank you very much!¡¡Please let me pay you back in some way someday!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you will pay back in some way.¡± (I¡¯ll make sure you pay me back someday¡­julp¡­oh no, I¡¯m drooling¡­) Kenya leaves the dungeon, wondering why Ai-san is licking her lips and waving her hand with a bizarre expression on her face. Then he messages his sister. ========================= I had extra income today, so it¡¯s been a while. Let¡¯s go to Yakiniku! ========================= Pilon ? ========================= Seriously!!!¡¡Yes!!! It¡¯s been 6 months?¡¡My brother is the best!!! ========================= Then we go back to the raggedy apartment and Nana and I meet up. ¡°Look, look, it¡¯s Yukichi-sama, isn¡¯t it? Hey, hey!¡± I slap Nana¡¯s cheeks back and forth with five yukichi. She was getting weirdly excited about the big money she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°Oh, that feels so good!¡¡More!¡¡Slap me more!!!!¡± Nana is also in a weird tension because she can go to the barbecue. A girl should not say such a thing. We head to the restaurant, skipping along with such a silly exchange of tension. It was 10,000 yen for two people for all-you-can-eat yakiniku. It was the equivalent of twenty days¡¯ worth of food. The sound of the meat cooking and the fragrant aroma of the meat. The sound of the meat cooking and the savory smell of the meat whetted my appetite. And the pure white Japanese hearts. The white rice shines glossily with the sauce. Now, eat it, I insist. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious!¡¡I haven¡¯t had such thick meat in a long time!¡¡Ko, rice!¡¡Rice has never tasted this good!¡± ¡°Eat!¡¡Eat! Eat enough for 20 days!¡¡Push the limits of your stomach!¡± Like food fighters, the two devoured the grilled meat. There was no sight of a beautiful brother and sister eating. They were simply grilling the meat without any gaps, but the expressions on their faces were happy. ¡­ And after enjoying themselves for a while, they were approached by a group of about five people. ¡°Hey, hey, can poor people even buy grilled meat?¡± They were the Hero party. CH 7 The Hero''s Party Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Incompetent, poor people shouldn¡¯t be eating in the same place as us.¡± A member of the Hero Party said this to Kenya. His name was Toshio Sato. A pitiful man named by his parents as a joke. It was probably because of the name Sugar and Salt that his character was so crooked. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m having fun. Leave me alone.¡± That one word flipped his switch. ¡°What?¡¡Who the hell do you think you¡¯re talking to¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The one who stopped him is a girl who has taken on the profession of a brave warrior. She is so famous that not a day goes by when I don¡¯t see her on TV. And the person I admire¡­ A girl with beautiful hair, and is expressionless . A cool beauty, somewhat mysterious, takes one look at me and takes Sato with her. I wondered if she remembered me since she bailed me out, even though we were supposed to be acquainted with each other. ¡°Damn!¡± And with a cluck of his tongue, Sato was gone. For some reason, he seemed to be staring at Nana. ¡°Are you okay, big brother?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡¡Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± But I¡¯m a little worried about Sato since we go to the same school. I joined the Hero Party through Sato in the first place. ¡« That was a year ago. ¡°Hey!¡¡My name is Sato. Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kenya Mitsurugi!¡¡Nice to meet you!¡± We met at the entrance ceremony of our high school. We happened to be seated next to each other in the same class. Then Sato looked at the copper-colored adventurer tag around my neck. ¡°You¡¯re a registered adventurer, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s your occupation?¡¡Did they give you something?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got ¡®alchemist¡¯. I don¡¯t know much about it, but¡­¡± (Alchemist¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it. I¡¯ll keep it in mind for now.) ¡°Come to my guild!¡¡We have a Hero too!¡± Sato¡¯s father was one of the first to start a company wholesaling weapons. The company grew rapidly and became a huge corporation. Today, it is probably the largest equipment-related company in Japan. Then, with money to spare, Sato created a guild. A guild with up-and-coming momentum. Its name is Sugar & Salt. Is it a self-defeating guild? For this reason, Sato had it all rigged up with expensive C-rank equipment. The total cost would be 20 million. He should not even have the power to accompany that equipment. His occupation is a holy knight, a very easy-to-handle job where all abilities are now compensated 1.5 times by raising the skill level. He has reached the 20th level due to the ease of that profession, money, and status. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°Yeah, just come over today.¡± I was honestly pleased with Sato¡¯s invitation. I didn¡¯t know much about this job yet, so I was very grateful to have a friend who would fight with me. But¡­ Six months later. ¡°You¡¯re fired!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± In the plaza of the Sugar & Salt guild headquarters, in front of everyone, I was fired. ¡°Eh?¡¡That¡¯s not it, you incompetent!¡¡What¡¯s with that job, it¡¯s nothing but a piece of shit that can only strengthen E-rank weapons.¡± I couldn¡¯t even get up out of my skin. Raising the skill level only increases the number of times you have to smelt¡­ No wonder they called me incompetent. Still, I needed money. ¡°So, but I need money!¡¡Can you somehow keep it for me?¡± I pleaded on my knees. I can¡¯t be thrown away here. ¡°What?¡¡I don¡¯t know!¡¡This ain¡¯t no guild for incompetents. And leave all your equipment behind, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I spent half a year collecting this stuff¡­ugh!¡± Did he hit me? I felt pain in my cheek and my brain shook. From my prone position on the ground, I understood that I had been hit. ¡°And that¡¯s all thanks to the equipment I lent you!¡¡You¡¯re brazen, you poor bastard!¡¡Does having a single parent make you poor at heart, too?¡± Swearing, Sato takes all my stuff. I wanted to argue that my parents had nothing to do with it, but I couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡°Give it back¡­ugh!¡± And then I am punched in the stomach. He is a holy knight and his equipment is C rank. There is no way I can beat him. With a groan, I was thrown outside in the pouring rain, alone. I shed tears as I banged on the door again and again, begging for it back. I had borrowed some of his equipment, but I had also spent half a year collecting it. ¡°This is a good opportunity!¡¡Quit being an explorer!¡¡You incompetent profession!¡± The voice yelling at me through the door brought me to my knees. I knew I wasn¡¯t cut out to be an explorer. With my status, which does not benefit from a job, it is honestly difficult for me to traverse a dungeon. It might be good medicine for me who has always been piggybacked and dragged down by my companions. Still, I can¡¯t stop crying out of frustration. My mother collapsed, and I have been working hard as an explorer, working part-time every day and whipping my tired body into shape. I have worked hard as an explorer, hoping to earn money one day. But the result is this. She has managed to study, do housework, and adventure without sleep, but she has reached the end of her rope. My heart was at its limit, so I gave up. Let¡¯s give up on being an explorer. I would give up my dream of adventure, a dream in which I risked my life and managed to earn a little more than a part-time job. I was excited about the adventure. Boss battles were always exciting. I wondered what kind of enemy would appear next. Learn more Pause Unmute What kind of enviroment awaited us next? Let¡¯s give up those exciting dreams of adventure here. And that girl I longed for¡­ Kenya gave up. I gave up and understood. But for some reason, I could not find strength in my legs. Why can¡¯t I stand up? Why can¡¯t I stop crying? It was as if my heart was about to burst. I felt frustrated and ashamed, but there was nothing I could do about it. I cried there until the rain stopped. ¡« That¡¯s how I was exiled and how I gave up being an adventurer at one time. CH 8 I was bullied at school. I''ll definitely beat him up one day. Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent The next day, Monday. The day of the week that is hated the most in the world has begun. Well, I am one of them. Right now, I¡¯d rather go to the dungeon than school, and I¡¯m worried about the look on Sato¡¯s face yesterday. Feeling a bad premonition, I walk to school with a heavy step. ¡°Hey, Goken.¡± As I arrived at school, Sato was waiting for me, leaning against the classroom door as if he had been waiting for me. ¡°Ah.¡± I greeted him bluntly and went to my seat. But there was a scribble on the desk. Sato saw it and laughed at me. The cronies around me started giggling as well. What kind of childish bullying is this? I immediately got a rag and tried to wipe it off. Then I saw the graffiti and stopped moving. There was something unbelievable written on it. [Your sister is doing papa-katsu, isn¡¯t she?¡¡Let me do her too.] [Nana Mitsurugi loves her father¡¯s XXX.] [Bitch who opens her legs for anyone with money] Where did this rumour come from? I don¡¯t know, it must have come from a punk my sister contacted or something like that. Was that what Sato was seeing my sister about yesterday? Nana is a freshman at the same high school. She is a freshman at the same high school and is well-known as a beautiful and popular girl. So Sato must have known about her. And he did a lot of research. And this is the result¡­ I was trembling with anger. I didn¡¯t care what happened to me, but I couldn¡¯t forgive my sister. ¡°Hey!¡¡Sato!¡± I called out to Sato in a voice so low that even I couldn¡¯t believe it. My clenched fist trembles, almost bleeding from my own strength. ¡°Oh?¡¡What?¡¡Did you get angry?¡¡Was it true after all?¡¡Ha ha!¡± ¡°No!¡¡Nana didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to hide it. You¡¯re poor, aren¡¯t you?¡¡You eat only bean sprouts, right?¡¡If you want, I¡¯ll buy your sister for you!¡¡For 1,000 yen?¡¡Gyahaha!¡± With a vulgar laugh, Sato laughs at Kenya. Why is this guy a holy knight, occupation [prick] or something? I angrily punch Sato. But he avoids me and hits me back easily. ¡°You incompetent!¡¡Your little fish, don¡¯t be so arrogant!¡± Sure enough, I fall to the ground. The difference in strength is too great, and I can¡¯t even brush off my sister¡¯s stigma. ¡°Hey!¡¡Everyone!¡¡This Kenya¡¯s sister is a prostitutel!¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she pretty cute?¡± Sato agitates Kenya even more. Sato¡¯s cronies around him laughed along with him. ¡°Bitch!¡¡Bitch!¡¡Bitch!¡± The cronies call out. They clap their hands and yell at me several times, making me, and Nana, a laughingstock. ¡°Take it back!¡± I get up again and again to rescind, but each time I get hit and fall to the ground. I cry out in pain and frustration. I¡¯m so weak that even my sister is being treated unreasonably. ¡°He¡¯s crying, man.¡¡I¡¯m starting to feel a little sorry for him, see?¡± And Sato throws me some coins. ¡°Pick it up, poor guy. It¡¯s charity.¡± The coins are thrown, and the classroom is filled with nothing but my sobs and the sound of metal. I almost unconsciously reach for the day¡¯s food money for my family lying in front of me for a moment. I felt even more miserable with myself for doing so. Rattle rattle rattle. ¡°Hey, sit down~¡± The teacher comes in and the commotion comes to an end. He asked me what had happened, but I could only say that nothing had happened. If they were to pursue the matter, Nana would probably hear about it. So I silently wiped the scribble, and my water spilled onto the wet desk. Sato laughed when he saw it, and his gang of delinquents laughed too. Kenya left the school with a miserable feeling. He headed straight for the dungeon. He turned his frustration and misery into anger. Some comic book said. [Get angry. Strong and pure unforgivable anger is an unshakable driving force to move your limbs.] I did as he said and stored up my anger. I hoarded my anger toward Sato, which I could not dissipate at that time, and I dove into the dungeon. I told Ai that I would take tomorrow off from school, and I told her that I was going to spend the day until tomorrow. So today, I¡¯m going to give it my all and dive into the dungeon. My goal is to complete the knight series. And then evolve the knight series and beyond. And then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to beat Sato to a pulp!!!!¡± With that single-mindedness, Kenya gathers up the bracelets of the soldier series and repeats the alchemy. CH 9 Knight Series Complete Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent Day 1. Collected ten Soldier¡¯s Breastplates and got a Knight¡¯s Breastplate. Level up? Soldier¡¯s breastplate Lv2 Level up? Soldier¡¯s breastplate Lv 3 . . Level up? Soldier¡¯s breastplate Lv 9 Evolution? Knight¡¯s breastplate Lv1 Second day. I collected 10 soldier¡¯s shoes and got a knight¡¯s outfit. Level up? Soldier¡¯s Shoes Lv2 Level up? Soldier¡¯s Shoes Lv 3 . . Level up? Soldier¡¯s shoe Lv 9 Evolution? Knight¡¯s shoe Lv1 Only the soldier series appears on levels 2 to 4. However, different types of equipment appear in the east, west, south, and north. Third day. Collected ten soldiers¡¯ helmets and got a knight¡¯s helmet. Level up? Soldier¡¯s helmet Lv2 Level up? Soldier¡¯s helmet Lv3 . . Level up? Soldier¡¯s helmet Lv9 Evolution: Knight¡¯s helmet Lv 1 All right!¡¡This completes the knight series! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Name: Kenya Mitsurugi DP: 0pt Occupation: Alchemist Alchemy Lv10: 1000pt to the next level (Can smelt rank D weapon 10 times a day) ¡ôEquipment Weapon: [Sword of Iron Lv 2] Head: [Knight¡¯s helmet Lv1] Body: [Knight¡¯s breastplate Lv1] Hands: [Knight¡¯s gauntlets Lv1] Foot £º[Knight¡¯s Shoe Lv1] ¡ôStatus Attack: 0 (+24) Defense£º0£¨+20) Speed: 0 (+20) Intelligence: 0 (+20) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- This is the current status. As for intelligence, it is said to be a status that has little effect by itself. It doesn¡¯t make you smarter or think faster. Rumor has it that it has something to do with the power of magic or the skill of a profession. I honestly don¡¯t know, because I¡¯ve never really felt it, but I¡¯ve complied anyway. I have to admit that it was a little weird to have only one soldier series, but I guess it is a boy¡¯s saga to want to have them all and collect them. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to see what¡¯s in front¡­¡± I, equipped with my helmet, have difficulty seeing, so I set up a non-embodiment. This setting makes the equipment invisible and untouchable, a setting that reflects only the status. The equipment itself, i.e., the helmet, loses its function as a helmet, but the increase in ability is retained. To be honest, it¡¯s just hard to see a helmet or anything else, so I¡¯ll use the de-embodiment setting. Outside of the dungeon, basically, everyone¡¯s equipment is de-embodied. You don¡¯t see anyone wearing armor in town. Fourth day. The first floor of the dungeon, central plaza lobby ¡± Ai-san!¡¡Today I¡¯m going to challenge up to the sixth level.¡± ¡°Eh?¡¡Aren¡¯t you early?¡¡Sure, it¡¯s normal to allow it if you have the knight series in place, but¡­ can you beat the middle boss of the 5th level?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of trying today. It¡¯s a hobgoblin, right? Maybe I can beat it.¡± The middle boss is on level 5, the big boss on level 9, and level 10 is the safe zone. That is the norm for this dungeon. The Hobgoblin, the middle boss on the 5th level, is a goblin with only a little strength, so he is a little weaker or stronger than a macho with a human physique. If that is the case, I, who have all the knight series, should probably be able to beat him. And then¡­ ¡°I want to collect the soldier series more efficiently on the 6th level!¡± The drop rate of the soldier series is higher after the 6th level. As I can only do it on weekends, I want to collect them all on weekends and smelt them on weekdays. ¡°Ummm¡­¡± ¡°Please!¡± Ai-san was troubled, but I guess she understood my feelings and allowed me to do it. ¡°Okay!¡¡Then I¡¯ll give you permission!¡¡But there is one condition.¡± ¡°What?¡¡What?¡± Ai then takes my hand and stands up. ¡°Shopping!¡¡Come with me!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ai-san¡¯s fingers brush my chest. Ai¡¯s beautiful, thin hands pierce my chest and restrain me. ¡°I can¡¯t allow you to use that kind of weapon!¡± CH 10 The Steel Sword is an Amazing Sword Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent A weapons shop is located a little off the central square. There, weapons ranging from B rank at the top to E rank at the bottom are displayed side by side. We see one sword propped up on a stand. It is a great sword to the point of being disastrous, and it is strictly monitored. On its tag was written B rank equipment [Dragon Killer]. (Uh huh?¡¡One zero, two zeros, three zeros¡­geez!¡¡Over 30 million!) There was a ridiculously priced sword propped up that would take me a lifetime to buy it by myself. That¡¯s a whole house. B-rank equipment is what is known as unique equipment. It has some kind of special ability, and this sword is said to be able to inflict great damage against dragon species. (Dragon species¡­ we will have to face them someday¡­) ¡°Ai-san, I don¡¯t have any money.¡± She probably came to buy some weapons, but my family is broke. My family¡¯s finances are always on fire. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, if you just pay me back with your body!¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­is there anything I can do?¡± (I wonder what she meant when she asked me to pay with my body¡­) Then, Ai-san shakes her head. As if to shake off some evil thought. Then, patting my apologetic head, Ai-san said. ¡°The middle boss drop on the fifth level, the Steel Sword. I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°What?¡¡That thing costs about 50,000 yen.¡± A steel sword. Whoever has this is recognized as a third-rate explorer as proof that he or she has defeated the mid-boss. I don¡¯t know if I am considered third-rate, but I am still recognized as an explorer who has defeated a dangerous mid-boss. Before that, I was just an amateur. And since the steel sword is always dropped after defeating a mid-boss, it is not so rare and not so expensive. But even so, it is not so much in circulation because second-rate adventurers and above search at more than 10 levels. ¡°Instead¡­¡± Ai takes the steel sword to the counter to pay the bill. ¡°Make sure you come back alive!¡± I take the sword. It is very heavy, much heavier than the Iron sword¡­ ¡°I understand!¡¡I will definitely come back safely!¡± And I go through the gate to the dungeon. Equipped with the steel sword. ¡­ The status of the steel sword is as follows. Equipment Description Steel Sword D rank Attack power +20. (+1 according to Lv.) Now my attack power is 40. To be honest, up to the 8th level, although there is a risk of death, it is possible to go solo. The big bosses are not so easy to defeat solo. But with this, I should be able to defeat even the middle boss. I quickly and easily conquered the second to fourth levels. Levels 3 and 4 are almost the same level as level 2, so I had no trouble. ¡°So this is the door to the middle boss¡¯s room¡­¡± On the fifth level, I went through the red gate which had a huge door. Facing the door, which was painted with an ominous pattern and shone dully, my heart beat faster. (Okay!) Determined, I opened the middle boss¡¯s room vigorously. Inside is a large, round space. The radius is about 100 meters. And in the center of it is a hobgoblin. ¡°So this is the boss¡¯s room¡­¡± The goblin, whose eyes met mine, roared with a club in his hand. He was about the same size as me. It was too small to be called an ogre. Still, it was a goblin with a hob, which means that it is a respectable goblin. And I crossed swords with the hobgoblin. But¡­. ¡°What is this?¡¡This.¡± Not heavy at all. Is this the mid-boss?¡¡No, it must be strong enough. But is this the effect of 40 attack power? I flick the club that should have hit me, and then with a single thrust, cut the hobgoblin. ¡°It was weaker than I imagined¡­¡± I had stepped through five levels and had 10 dungeon points with me. It didn¡¯t feel like that much of an opponent. Still, many adventurers have died after taking on this mid-level boss without a plan. The knight series and the steel sword Ai-san bought for me, made me stronger. (Thank you, Ai-san¡­) The hobgoblin corpse disappears and a copper treasure chest appears. The color of this treasure chest tells what rank of weapon it contains. If it is copper, it is D rank or lower. When I was a member of the ¡°Hero Party¡± in the past, I have seen silver treasure chests. Silver is C, gold is B, and so on. The color of the treasure chest is determined by the level. There are rumors that different colors are rarely seen, but I have never seen such a thing. The color of the treasure chests is related to the adventurer¡¯s grade. Up to the ninth level, the adventurer tag is bronze. After that, silver, gold, platinum, and so on. So I have a bronze adventurer tag. Then I open the treasure chest. Inside was, of course, the ¡°Steel Sword¡±. ¡°I¡¯ve never smelted D-rank equipment before, should I give it a try?¡± Level up? Steel Sword Lv2 I was able to do it normally. The pt required for the next skill level up is 1000 points. Then I can level up by farming the middle boss a hundred times. (Would I then be able to reach C-rank equipment?) Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°For a while, I guess I¡¯ll aim for the next level while collecting knight series from the middle boss and the 6th level¡­¡± Then the dungeon rounds begin. Few people know the capabilities of Kenya, who is still a third-rate adventurer. However, he had surely begun his path to the strongest one step at a time. CH 11 Dungeon Laps and C-Rank Equipment Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent A month has passed since then. Sato still makes fun of me whenever we meet at school. If I resisted, he would beat me up, so I had no choice but to endure. Although my life of poverty has improved, I still cannot eat rice. This is because I am prioritizing becoming stronger, but I still can¡¯t afford it. My mother¡¯s condition seems to be worsening as well. Nana goes to visit her every day, but she is losing her energy day by day. So I have to earn more money. If I can earn money for medical treatment and someday borrow a legendary A-rank equipment ¡°bracelet of healing¡±¡­. But I hear it costs a considerable amount of money. There is a waiting list, and poor people like us don¡¯t get a turn. In the capitalist world, the one with the money always wins. On Saturdays and Sundays, I collect soldier¡¯s equipment and smelt them every day. Ten times a day, so at least one knight series can be made in a day. In 10 days, 10 knight series were made, and in 40 days, 40 of each knight series were made. And today, finally, the dungeon points reached 1,000. ¡°Okay, finally!¡± Kenya opens his status in the room of the middle boss of that dungeon and allocates all his dungeon points to his alchemy skills. [Skill level up¡­] [Alchemizable rank is now C rank] [Intelligence is reflected in the number of smelts you can perform per day (+1 per 10)] ¡°Okay!¡¡Just as I expected, and intelligence?¡¡I was wondering what I was going to use it for, but now it increases the number of times I can alchemize! I appreciate this!¡± With this level up, I can now smelt up to C rank and evolve equipment from D to C. I don¡¯t have a single C-ranked piece of equipment, though, so I can¡¯t try alchemy. I was very grateful for this level up, as I had been stuck at 10 times of alchemy per day. Finally, it was time for the much-anticipated evolution. Kenya spreads out four 9-level knight series and a steel sword. ¡°Maybe the top of the knight series is that one?¡± That series sold for nearly two million dollars. Its equipment surely turns the equipped person into a non-human. Like the soldier and knight series, that series gains power that is not just a good match for macho. Then I suppress my racing heart and my eagerness, and activate my skill. ¡°Alchemy!¡± And in a pale light, the highest-level knight¡¯s helmet and the lowest-level knight¡¯s helmet glow. Their light mingles into one. When the light seems to subside, what appears is a majestically decorated helmet. Its name is also. [The King¡¯s Helmet.] It was the helmet of the king. ¡°Yes!¡± As expected, if not anticipated. This series is popular among foreign celebrities as the King series. The end price may exceed 3 million yen. Only the rich or top adventurers can afford to equip themselves with this series. I was able to get my hands on a piece of this series that even Sato didn¡¯t have. Then I equipped the king¡¯s helmet and increased the number of times it was smelted. Then, I evolved the rest of the knight series in the same way. Evolution ? King¡¯s gauntlets Lv1 Evolution? King¡¯s Shoes Lv1 Evolution? King¡¯s breastplate Lv1 It seems that the number of times of alchemy is still left. So, I evolve the steel sword one last time. ¡°A C-rank weapon, steel sword. I wonder what this will be¡­¡± Spreading out the two swords, Kenya chants. ¡°Alchemy!¡± Then they mingle, enveloped in a pale light. What appeared was a sword? A dull, shiny Japanese sword. The beautifully crafted blade of the sword is a far cry from the martial steel sword that was just seen, and is reminiscent of a work of art. ¡°Above the steel sword, is it a Japanese sword?¡± By the way, if you stare at the equipment you own, you will see its capabilities. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Equipment Description Japanese sword, C rank, Rarity¡ï. Attack power +200. (+10 depending on Lv.) King series C rank, Rarity¡ï. Ability +100. (+10 depending on lvl.) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- And Kenya equips everything. And chanted. ¡°Status!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Name: Kenya Mitsurugi DP: 0pt Occupation: Alchemist Alchemy Lv 11: 10,000 pts to the next level (Can smelt rank C weapons 10 times a day: +1 time per 10 Intelligence) ¡ôEquipment Weapon : [Japanese sword Lv1]. Head: [King¡¯s helmet Lv1] Body: [King¡¯s breastplate Lv1] Hand : [King¡¯s gauntlet Lv1] Feet : [King¡¯s shoes Lv1] Accessories: [none]. ¡ôStatus Offensive Strength£º0(+300) Defense£º0(+100) Speed: 0 (+100) Intelligence: 0 (+100) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Kenya realized that the power that was emanating from his body was much different from anything he had ever seen before. Learn more Pause Unmute The power already exceeds the boundaries of a human being. Even the most strongest man in the world might not be able to match Kenya. That much power is in this set. It was truly the power of a king. And the rarity. This represents the rarity of the equipment given from C-rank weapons. Both the king series and the Japanese sword seem to have a rarity of *1. It is not clear what this rarity represents. Does it simply indicate whether it is rare or not? CH 12 The Big Boss Battle Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°With this status, I should be able to beat the big boss on the 9th level.¡± With this king¡¯s set, I should be able to beat the big boss. Kenya was getting worked up, but in reality, C-rank equipment was too much for a 9-level big boss. This equipment was originally for the 20th level and beyond. It appears in an area that is conquered by first-level adventurers. It was not an opponent that could be defeated solo, but even so, the current Kenya would be able to do it. So Kenya decided to challenge the big boss. (Will Ai-san get angry?¡¡But I wouldn¡¯t be an adventurer if I didn¡¯t go here.) Kenya tries to take an action that is not in his plan. But he can¡¯t contain his excitement. Because this is a dungeon, a place to pursue your dreams. Levels 7, 8, and 9 are filled with hobgoblins and higher goblin species such as goblin knights. But¡­. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Gaaaah!¡± With a single sword, he cut them down. ¡°This weapon is so easy to use, it is indeed a weapon for the Japanese.¡± Kenya mutters as he looks at the Japanese sword. It was not a weapon for the Japanese, but still, a weapon with the name ¡°Japan¡± attached to it was surprisingly easy to use. It fit as if it had been used many times. Combined with the king¡¯s power, it slashes the goblins of the higher species. As one would expect from a 20th level piece of equipment. At this level, he is a cheat. After advancing at a pace of about one hour per level, Kenya arrives at the ninth level. Passing through the red gate, this is the ninth level. It is the room of the big boss. The huge door with its hideous design, larger and more majestic than the middle boss¡¯s room, indicates that this is the big boss¡¯s room. And next to the door. A girl was sitting there cowering. ¡°Ah, finally someone¡¯s here¡­¡± The girl looked up and said that. As if asking for help. The girl had semi-long hair with a hint of brown and colored contacts? She had big manga-like eyes, white skin, and red lips. And she had what is called ¡°sickly makeup,¡± or yandere-style tear troughs. She has so many piercings in her ears that I don¡¯t know how many she has. In a word, she looked like a Men-hera.(Mental health, used with girls that are ¡°heavy¡± and borderline yandere) A black T-shirt and shorts that made me wonder why she was so lightly dressed in this dungeon?¡¡The shirt was too long to see. What you can see are her thin, morbidly white skinned legs. Cute. Cute indeed, but¡­maybe I should stay away from her. Maybe this is the minefield girl I¡¯ve heard so much about. Kenya¡¯s intuition set off an alarm, and he shook his head so as not to be fooled by her doom-inducing sex appeal. Then he lightly bows and quickly tries to open the door. ¡°Um, I need your help¡­¡± Then the girl stands up and comes to my side. ¡°Help?¡± Kenya repeats, backing up a little. ¡°The person I came all this way with left me here¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a terrible story.¡± Kenya felt sorry and pitiful for this girl, even though he was surprised that this was an act that could have been murder if it was not done properly. That¡¯s why she was sitting there alone in that place, waiting. (What the hell, I can¡¯t leave her alone somehow¡­) That sheltered girl, the girl who has been abandoned, is a little like myself, who was once banished and abandoned. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take you with me to the tenth level.¡± ¡°Ho, really?¡¡But Onii-san is solo?¡¡Are you sure you can handle it?¡¡I can¡¯t fight, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine, just wait at the end for now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The girl looked at me with concern. When I looked at her face and saw the trouble she was going through, she made a fake smile. Her smile looked so fragile and sad, as if she had endured it many times. My heart squeezes. I know this face. This is the face that I have to put up with my weak self and still smile at the other person. (I¡¯ll ask about the situation later, but for now, let¡¯s head to the 10th level.) Kenya then opens the door. And in the center of it, the commander of the goblins. The goblin general is sitting. The goblin general sits in the center of the round area. As soon as I step into the area, the torches surrounding the room are lit. A bluish-white light illuminates the room and the door closes. At the same time, the goblin stands up and roars. And so begins the battle between the general and the king. Let me conclude. It was no match at all. CH 13 The Big Boss Battle 2 Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent The duel was decided with one stroke of the sword. What I felt when I received the first blow from the goblin general¡¯s martial sword was the same as that of the hobgoblins. (What is this?) I tried to push him away while we were in a brute-force battle. ¡°Giggi!¡± The goblin lets out a pained cry. Then, I put all my strength into it. The sword sliced the general in half. The goblin turned to ashes and disappeared. Menhera, who was watching the scene from the corner of the room, raised a shocked voice. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t even heard her name yet. ¡°Oh, Onii-san is amazing!¡¡You¡¯re so strong.¡± And then Menhera-san rushes over to me and hugs my arm. I thought a soft touch would wrap around my arm, but there was hardly anything. Too bad. But still, shaken by the faint feeling of touch, Kenya responds with a slurred voice. This stimulation is tough on a virgin. ¡°No, no!¡¡The equipment was just so strong!¡± ¡°So does that mean you¡¯re rich?¡± ¡°No, I guess I¡¯m poor¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the next level anyway, there should be a gate to the surface.¡± Then a treasure chest appears from the goblin general. It is a copper-colored treasure chest. Kenya opens the box as if remembering. Inside was an accessory. ¡°Is this an accessory¡­? Is it a goblin necklace?¡± There fell a necklace made of goblin ears. I don¡¯t want to equip it because it¡¯s in bad taste, but I don¡¯t have any accessories yet, so I have no choice but to equip it. (Ugh, disgusting.) Ability compensated for DP points? I equip it anyway. Then the effect of the accessory is that I get 1.1 times more DP. ¡°This is pretty good stuff. I wonder what it becomes when it evolves.¡± I knew it as an item. And this item does not sell for a very high price. Because it only works on explorers, and because it is 1.1 times more powerful, it is not a very strong accessory. While I was thinking about this, Menhera-san(Hera-ko) spoke to me. I don¡¯t know her name, so I give her a nickname on my own, but of course I don¡¯t say it out loud because it¡¯s rude. ¡°Um, Onii-san?¡¡By the way, I haven¡¯t told you my name yet, right?¡¡I¡¯m Suzuki Misuzu, and I¡¯m in my first year as a JK!¡± For some reason, Herako, excuse me, Suzuki-san, emphasizes the JK part and goes with an upward glance. ¡°I¡¯m Kenya Mitsurugi, and I¡¯m a sophomore in high school.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a Senpai!¡¡Do you want me to call you by Senpai or Kenya-san?¡± ¡°Just my name is fine.¡± ¡°Okay, Kenya-san. Then I want you to call me Misuzu too. Suzuki is everywhere.¡± Herako leaned in closer to me. I thought it would be rude to all the Suzukis in the country, but I agreed and called her Misuzu, since I know friends who are Suzuki. ¡°Oh, okay, Misuzu. Let¡¯s proceed to the gate for now.¡± And they enter the gate. The destination of the gate was the 10th level. There, a grassy plain spreads out as far as the eye can see. There are many buildings that look like houses, but I don¡¯t know what they are for. It is hard to believe that there are people living here, but why are there houses? These houses are managed by an organization called the Dungeon Association, which has jurisdiction over dungeons. Ai¡¯s occupation as a navigator is also a member of the Dungeon Association. And then there are those who are transferred from the central gate along with the light. They must have just transferred from the first level. There are several large gates in the center of this 10th level. There is a blue gate leading to the first level, a red gate leading to the 11th level, and gates for the 20th through 60th levels. The 60th level was recently opened by the Yoi no Meisei (Evening Star) guild. However, we still can¡¯t use it because we have to transfer once from the other side. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back to the first level.¡± Then, Misuzu is looking at someone, or is she staring? I looked beyond her gaze and saw two men laughing and talking loudly. ¡­ ¡°Yay, I finally got rid of that annoying woman.¡± ¡°I tried to put her in the Party because she¡¯s a supporter profession, but she was really just weaker than me and I couldn¡¯t use her.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no way to split a week¡¯s worth of earnings three ways, it¡¯s a good thing I left her behind.¡± Their unpleasant conversation was probably referring to Misuzu. It seems that he and Misuzu had been working together as a Party for about a week. It seems that he didn¡¯t like the promise of splitting the earnings three ways, so he decided to leave Misuzu behind, pretending that she got lost in the dungeon. ¡°So I guess it was a bit of a waste¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it, sure she¡¯s cute, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s a menhera, she¡¯s a mine. You¡¯ll get stabbed.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not!¡¡And she looks like a bitch! ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± What an uncomfortable conversation. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can just leave them in the dungeon. It was a good thing I happened to be there, but if no one had come, I might have starved to death there. With Misuzu¡¯s strength, she would not be able to descend from the eighth level or defeat the boss on the ninth level. Thinking of that made me irresistibly angry. It was just like Sato, Sato No. 2 and No. 3. Perhaps sensing my anger, Misuzu stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡¡I deserve to be thrown away¡­¡± Hearing Misuzu¡¯s sad voice and seeing the smile she made, my anger reached its peak. No one deserves to be thrown away. At least, I would never abandon someone because they are unnecessary or incompetent. Kenya, who understood the reason why he and Misuzu were similar to each other, walked toward the men. He clenches his fists tightly in anger. ¡°Hey!¡± Then I tapped him on the shoulder and punched him in the face enough to not kill him when he turned around. I thought I hit them lightly, but I seemed to have misjudged the force. That¡¯s the power of a king. Learn more Pause Unmute One of the men flew off like a amusingly. Just like in a comic book. CH 14 The Overwhelming Power of the King Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Oh, hey!¡¡Takeshi!¡± Another man runs up to the man who has been sent flying. The man stands up, rubbing his cheek and holding back his shaking head. The two men turn around and shout angrily, glaring at us. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing!¡± ¡°You hit me out of nowhere!¡¡I hope you¡¯re ready to be killed!¡± Two men stand up and strike and slash at Kenya. One seems to be a swordsman and the other a monk. As expected, they don¡¯t seem to have any intention of killing him, but they will still be in a lot of pain if they continue. Kenya swings his Japanese sword. The flash of his sword flicks the man¡¯s steel sword and blasts him far away. The man is stunned by what has happened. The other striking fist clenches with his left hand. Kenya takes that fist and clenches it back from above. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡¡That¡¯s my line, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± His voice came out incredibly low. It was as if he was still angry at Sato. Then, he put all his strength into his clenched fist. ¡°Ouch!¡¡Time!¡¡Time!¡± The man falls to his knees and pleads for forgiveness. The man whose sword was knocked out of his hand also begins to apologize, perhaps sensing the difference in my abilities. Perhaps these men are equipped with the knight series. They are no match for Kenya, with the king series, with his overwhelming power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I apologize if I did something wrong, please forgive me.¡± The men who rotated their palms at high speed started apologizing for now. It seems that he is not the one who can be defeated even if they try any more, adventurers have enough ability to make that judgment. ¡°Apologize to that girl, and turn yourself in.¡± ¡°Hey, what?¡¡Oh, you!¡± Kenya pointed to Misuzu. The men understood the meaning the moment they saw Misuzu. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t recognize that girl.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, that¡¯s what you meant¡­ We got hit die to that woman, ouch!¡¡Ouch!¡± ¡°Are you going to apologize or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, get your hands off me!¡± Kenya then let go of his hands. The men apologized to Misuzu, rubbing their foreheads on the ground with their hands. ¡°S-sorry, I¡¯m sorry!!!!¡± It was a brilliant get down on the ground, as if they were used to apologizing. I¡¯m a little interested. There are probably not many things that can throw away their pride and apologize easily. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, it was my fault.¡± Misuzu put her hands out in front of her and shook her head. She backs away, saying, ¡°It¡¯s my fault too.¡± ¡°Misuzu!¡± ¡°Hiya!¡± Misuzu is suddenly called by Kenya in a loud voice, and she is surprised and raises a strange voice. ¡°You did nothing wrong, and it¡¯s never the bullied fault. It¡¯s always the bully¡¯s fault. The victim is the victim and the abuser is the abuser.¡± Kenya says to Misuzu, as if to himself. She was not bullied, but to Kenya, it¡¯s the same thing. ¡°And these guys are the perpetrators, you are the victim. You have nothing to apologize for.¡± At Kenya¡¯s words, Misuzu decides to accept the apology. ¡°Yes¡­I accept your apology then. Please don¡¯t let this happen in the future.¡± ¡°Heh, heh!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re done¡­¡± Kenya patted them on the shoulder as they were about to leave. Then, with a smile, he said, ¡°Turn yourself in.¡± ¡°Turn yourself in, and you will be punished accordingly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it ok?¡± ¡°Haa.¡± Kenya then walked through the gate to the first level and turned the two into the dungeon association and had them turn themselves in. With this, the gate was released, and from now on, he could challenge the 10th level directly from the first level. The Dungeon Association is an organization that organizes the dungeon. It is not the same as the police or the military, but in the end, it is an association run by the government. It is a special organization that was established in the midst of a lack of legal regulations in the dungeon. This time, in light of the regulations of the dungeon association, they would probably be judged. As a result, the two adventurers were disqualified. One must apply to become an adventurer to become one. Since they were permanently disqualified, they would never be able to dive in a dungeon again. To be honest, however, they could have been sentenced for attempted murder, but Misuzu was able to control the situation. She said it was not that serious. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡¡If anything, Kenya-san is more angry than me.¡± ¡°No, haha, sorry.¡± Indeed, I was comparing myself to Misuzu and those guys to Sato. My business was done, so I said goodbye and went to Ai¡¯s place.¡¡I was about to leave and go to Ai¡¯s place when Misuzu grabbed my sleeve. . ¡°So, Kenya-san, I just need your contact information. I became an adventurer, but I don¡¯t have anyone I can rely on¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡¡That¡¯s fine.¡± Then, Misuzu and I exchange contact information. With a ¡°ping pong¡± sound, Misuzu¡¯s contact information enters my phone. ¡°Also, where is your high school?¡± ¡°High school?¡¡I went to high school at Kibogaoka High School. ¡°Oh, my friend from junior high school is there!¡¡Also, what¡¯s your address?¡± ¡°Address?¡¡Why? ¡°Just in case, just in case.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s just in case¡­ but it¡¯s in Saitama Prefecture, XXXXXXXXX, okay?¡± Misuzu typed Kenya¡¯s address quickly on her phone. How can you type that fast with those long fingernails? ¡°Also, please tell me your family structure, just in case.¡± ¡°What!¡¡I mean, I¡¯m living with my sister right now.¡± (Your sister¡­if you don¡¯t have parents, I wonder if she has a dog¡­) Learn more Pause Unmute Misuzu is mumbling something. Then she looked up with a big smile, not a fake smile. ¡°Well, let me thank you next time!¡¡Let¡¯s meet again!¡¡Kenya sen~pai?¡± And Misuzu was gone. Her last smile left a very strong impression on my mind. CH 15 Let''s Talk Business Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Kenya-kun?¡¡What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that!¡± The sound of her yelling and banging on the desk echoes through the noisy lobby. At the sound of her voice, the area is enveloped in silence, but the clamor is instantly restored. ¡°Why did you challenge the boss room all by yourself!¡± ¡°No, because I wanted to challenge it¡­¡± ¡°Because?¡± Ai smiles at Kenya with her usual icy look and scary smile. ¡°S-sorry!¡¡It won¡¯t happen again!¡± I stand up on the spot and apologize with all my might. This was totally my fault. It¡¯s okay that I succeeded, but I had challenged the boss room without informing the navigator in charge. ¡°Oh God!¡¡I allowed the middle boss, but it¡¯s too early for the big boss¡­ it¡¯s really dangerous with the knight series, you know?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Kenya then removes the king series gauntlet from his equipment and places it in front of her. ¡°What?¡¡You¡¯re taking out the knight¡¯s gauntlet¡­eh?¡¡This¡­eeeeeee!!!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made the king series¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve done it, does that mean you¡¯ve done it with your skills, Kenya?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°For some reason, I feel angry.¡± Ai-san was always surprised, and I kept talking apologetically. Ai-san realizes the gravity of the situation and starts whispering. ¡°The King series costs a couple of million, you know?¡¡That¡¯s the kind of equipment that is a drop from the 20th level and above, and can only be obtained by top adventurers of the silver level, you know?¡± Searchers up to the 10th level are bronze. Levels 20-30 are silver. Levels 30-40 are gold. Levels 50-60 are platinum. Incidentally, the Yoi no Meiboshi led by [Tendo Ryunosuke] has exceeded the 60th level, so a new adventurer tag has been created for him as a diamond level. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made something¡­ Voila!¡¡I put this on and it makes me want to take on boss battles¡­ sorry, I got carried away.¡± I apologized, my usual non-smiling smile changing in mid-sentence. ¡°But this is a big deal, you know?¡¡The King series is such that one is delivered every day. To be able to produce that consistently¡­¡± (This is definitely an excellent product or at least a super bargain. I guess I was right.) ¡°So, Ai-san?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. What?¡± ¡°Is it possible to get the knight series wholesale?¡± ¡°Wholesale?¡± That¡¯s what Kenya had in mind, and if this came to fruition, Kenya¡¯s world could literally be transformed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to buy about 20 units a day on a regular basis. And a delivery address for the king series.¡± Yes, mass produce and deliver the king series from the knight series to make money. That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking for advice on. We could ask the dungeon association to buy them, but if we can get a stable and large supply, it would be better to ask a vendor. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have to ask the vendor to do that, I¡¯ll wait and ask them.¡± Then Ai-san went to the back, leaving me there. (I hope it won¡¯t be important¡­) Kenya was a little worried, but his fears became reality. After a while, Ai-san came back with an apologetic look on her face. She put her hands together in an apologetic gesture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It just happened¡­¡± Ai stood me up and took me to the back room. There was a grandfather and an uncle in the room where I was taken. The grandfather had sharp eyes, yet he seemed kind. He sat rubbing his beard and looking at me. The man sitting in front of him across the desk was probably in his 40s. He was wearing a suit and glasses that gave him the air of a successful CEO, but he looked younger with a slight tan. He has a black glow, why do do-it-yourself CEOs have a black glow? ¡°Woohoo, Ai-chan, is that the guy you were talking about earlier who said he could deliver the King series?¡± ¡°Yes!¡¡It¡¯s Mitsurugi Kenya-kun.¡± Then Grandfather spoke and Ai answered. Then he introduced me. ¡°Kenya-kun, this is the chairman of the Dungeon Association. I told my boss about the delivery and he happened to hear it, and he came to this place for you because he thought it would be interesting. And¡­¡± Ai apologizes to me again, along with a pause of sorry. ¡°I talked about your skills¡­¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s okay, they¡¯ll know it someday.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡¡And this is¡­¡± ¡°This is Issei Tanaka, the representative of Weapon Co.¡± With that, the man in the suit hands me his business card. ¡°Gosh, thank you very much for your politeness. I am Kenya Mitsurugi.¡± He happened to be here today for another business meeting, and it seems that the chairman of the board prepared this place for me as a side note. ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about business right away¡­¡± And so me, Ai, the chairman, and Tanaka-san sit around the desk, and the business meeting began. (I¡¯m underage¡­is that ok?) CH 16 We Can Provide a Stable Supply! Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Can we have a show of force first, before we have a business meeting?¡¡I can¡¯t believe it at first hand.¡± Tanaka-san folds his hands in front of him and looks at me. ¡°Show me your power first before we talk about specifics.¡± Today¡¯s alchemy count is not a problem because the king¡¯s helmet increases the number of alchemy counts, and there are some left over. ¡°Okay, but without the knight series¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, okay, Ai-san. Could you get me about ten of them?¡¡You can mark them on my expenses. If it¡¯s true, Tanaka-kun will buy them for me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Ai then goes to the nearby arms shop to buy the knight series. There would be about ten in stock. ¡°So, while we¡¯re at it, may I tell you a little about our company?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Please do.¡± Tanaka-san then begins to explain the company. He began explaining one document after another on his tablet as if it were a presentation. ¡°First of all, we are not the biggest arms wholesaler in Japan today. It¡¯s called Sugar Corporation.¡± I knew this. Because it is the company of Sato¡¯s parents. I see commercials, billboards, and advertisements everywhere. Every time I see them, I am reminded of his face and it pisses me off. ¡°But our company has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, and last year we ranked second in the industry in sales. That¡¯s due in no small part to the success of the explorers we contract with.¡± And then the names of the well-known guilds appear on the tablet. Among them¡­. ¡°Evening Star!¡¡You have a contract with that top guild too!¡± ¡°Yes, I know Ryunosuke, the leader of the guild, in private, and I have a good connection with him. To be honest, this guild is very powerful. The number of deliveries is by far the largest.¡± Individual adventurers redeem their goods by delivering them to the Dungeon Association. This has been my way of doing things up to now. The Dungeon Association then wholesales to the company, so I¡¯m just an intermediary in the end. However, with large guilds, we have to make large deliveries, so we contract directly with the company and wholesale equipment directly to them. This is because they can make more profit that way. ¡°We have contracts with guilds, but we also have contracts with individuals such as blacksmiths.¡± Blacksmithing is a profession that allows one to create weapons by combining drops that fall in the higher levels of the hierarchy. The higher the skill level, the better the quality ¨C or lvl, in other words ¨C the higher the weapon can be made. ¡°So, if you really have the power to do this, please sign a contract with our company. We¡¯ll give you a reasonable response.¡± Tanaka-san then smiled. I thought this was a sales smile, but the gap between his expression and the stern, hard-working president¡¯s expression earlier made me feel a bit nervous. Maybe this guy will be popular with the ladies¡­. Time passes quickly while I am allowed to read about the company¡¯s materials for a while, I hear a knock at the door. ¡°I bought them. Ten knight¡¯s gauntlets.¡± Ai spreads the gauntlets out on the desk. ¡°Woohoo, I¡¯m looking forward to it, then, Kenya-kun?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And I repeat the alchemy one by one. ¡°So this is alchemy¡­¡± (Just raising the LV is enough to make me want to sign an exclusive contract¡­) Tanaka ponders as he watches the light. One by one, the equipment is enveloped in the light and its Lv level goes up. Then he refines the last two. The last two are smelted, and they appear with a big light. Evolution? King¡¯s gauntlet Lv. 1 ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Both Ai-san and the chairman, who were seeing alchemy for the first time, let out their voices. Only Tanaka-san stares at the king¡¯s gauntlet without saying anything. Then he opens his mouth. ¡°Kenya-kun, how many of these can you create per day?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, right now I can alchemize 20 times, so two. The number of times will increase depending on my intelligence¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can do the top of the king series too?¡± ¡°Right now I can only alchemize up to C rank, but since I¡¯ve been able to get to E and D ranks, maybe someday I¡¯ll be able to get to B rank as well.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (Excellent future potential, he can surely deliver 2 King series, over 700 pieces a year, and there is a possibility of even more depending on his intelligence¡­ is this¡­) Tanaka-san falls silent with his question. The chairman looks at him with amusement. ¡°Kenya-kun!¡± Tanaka-san suddenly stands up, puts his hands on the desk and leans forward. ¡°Will you sign an exclusive contract with our company!¡¡We¡¯ll give you the best treatment and treat you as an extra A-lister!¡¡In other words, I will give you the same treatment as the Evening Star!¡± CH 17 Special Class A Treatment Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°I want an exclusive contract!¡¡I want to sign an exclusive contract with you!¡± ¡°Class A!¡± I shouted, my voice rising with the force of Tanaka-san words. What¡¯s that?¡¡Special A level? Does that mean it¡¯s special? ¡°Oh, even among the many contracting guilds, only a few of them have ever produced a special A-class. It would be the first time for an individual. But¡­¡± Lifting the king¡¯s gauntlet, Tanaka-san equipped it. ¡°Mm, definitely the king¡¯s gauntlets. I still think you are worth it. What do you think?¡± He equipped his gauntlets and groped his hands. It seems that he is indeed feeling the increased ability of the king¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°Woah, you can¡¯t decide on your own, can you?¡¡Kenya, you were a high school student. Shall we greet your parents and discuss it with them?¡± Since he is a minor, he cannot talk about the contract without his parents. But Kenya¡¯s mother¡­ ¡°No, my mother is currently fighting cancer, so it¡¯s just me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see, that would be inconvenient for you. What about your father?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a father, he died in an accident when I was very young.¡± Kenya then tells a bit of his personal story. That he is poor, that he has a younger sister, that he lives in a shabby apartment. ¡­ ¡°Great!¡¡That¡¯s quite a feat for such a young man!¡± The chairman raises his voice. His eyes are a little moist, if not a little heartwarming. Ai-san, who had no idea of my private life, patted my head encouragingly. And Tanaka-san too¡­ ¡°I also lost my parents when I was a student¡­ I understand how you feel so painfully, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been able to work so hard to get here with the feeling that I can¡¯t lose¡­¡± Then Tanaka-san grips my hand tightly with both hands. He looks straight at me with moist eyes. ¡°Personally and from the company¡¯s point of view, I like you. Please ask me anything you can do to help, and I¡¯ll make time for you.¡± And the contract was to be signed at a later date. As a student, I did not understand many of the terms of the contract, but Tanaka-san said enthusiastically, ¡°I want you to trust me, and you will not lose anything.¡± I decided to trust him. If it had been a scammer, I would have been completely fooled, but both the chairman and Ai-san said there would be no problem, so it would probably be okay. I wouldn¡¯t fully trust the first person I met that day. But I feel this person is not a bad person, maybe all scammers make you think so¡­ ¡°So, I¡¯ll be heading to the head office tomorrow around noon, and I¡¯ll use the address on this business card, right?¡± ¡°Oh, the parent¡¯s power of attorney, bank book, and other necessary items are listed in that document, so please, I¡¯ll put it in the receptionist¡¯s office.¡± In a manner of speaking, it seems that since he is a minor, he needs his parent¡¯s power of attorney. I¡¯ll go visit my mom today and get it. And I left the dungeon. ¡­ ¡°That was an unexpected bargain, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, I was introduced to some very good people. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°People are treasures, you know. Let¡¯s get down to business, shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, about the equipment that was placed on the 60th floor.¡± ¡­ ¡°How are you, mother?¡± In a quiet voice, I ask my mother as I open the door to the hospital. There she is, lying in bed. Her hair is falling out and her skin is rough. And yet¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right!¡¡My son is going to earn money by becoming an explorer!¡¡He¡¯s working so hard.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a dangerous job, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, boys have to chase their dreams, and if he dies, that¡¯s when he¡¯ll be dead, so we have to take out a death insurance policy.¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± There was a scene of him chatting and laughing with his hospital friends in good spirits. Mom was there, as energetic as ever, even though she was in poor health. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that my son is going to die, that¡¯s a bad omen.¡± ¡°Oh, Kenya, you¡¯re here!¡¡This is our son!¡¡He¡¯s still in high school!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s so cute, I¡¯ll give him some candy.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Why does Auntie always have candy bars? They are delicious tangerine flavor. ¡°Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ll go back to my room, see you later, Goken-san.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The cheerful aunt left the room. She¡¯s a sick person too, right?¡¡She looks insanely healthy. Well, that¡¯s the same for my mom, they don¡¯t look like a cancer patient. ¡°So?¡¡What¡¯s the story?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m about to sign a contract with a company as an explorer, and they need my parent¡¯s power of attorney.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s your life, so you can do whatever you want, but it¡¯s not easy being a minor¡­¡± My parents are laissez-faire. They don¡¯t have a curfew, and they don¡¯t tell me to study. They even agreed to let me search for the explorer, even though most parents would have objected. They always say, ¡°It¡¯s your life, so do what you want with it.¡± But even with such a laissez-faire attitude, I received a lot of love. That¡¯s probably why Nana and I didn¡¯t grow up to be the same as we are now. Then, my mother wrote a letter of attorney and handed it to Kenya. ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to take care of Nana, and if you don¡¯t have the money, you can stop my treatment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Nana. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll earn the money, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You are just like your father, you have a strong sense of responsibility.¡± Then, as usual, she said ¡°It¡¯s your life, so do what you want with it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡¡I¡¯m living my life the way I want to!¡¡I hope you¡¯re doing well, Mom. You¡¯re going around the world, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you remember all that¡­ well, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± My mother¡¯s dream is to go around the world. Kenya remembers his mother murmuring to him that she had worked hard since he was a child and was unable to travel. So I¡¯ll live the way I want, high school, explorer, Nana, mom, money, I¡¯ll have it all together. I¡¯ll live my life the way I want to live it, which is greedy but supposed to be normal. So I¡¯m going to earn it. In that huge tower that rises high in the sky. In that tower filled with dreams, despair, death, and the smell of money. After leaving the hospital, I went shopping (bean sprouts) and went home. It was already dark, and it had been about five hours since I left the dungeon. Learn more Pause Unmute (Today was kind of eventful and tiring, I finally made it home¡­!) Such is what Kenya saw in front of his ramshackle apartment. In front of our house, [ruin] was waiting for us. ¡°Welcome home, Kenya-senpai ?¡± CH 18 ¡°Welcome back, Kenya-senpai ?¡± In front of my shabby apartment, Misuzu was sitting on a trunk case waiting for me. Her clothes were the same, a black shirt so long and overstuffed you couldn¡¯t see her shorts, and morbid makeup. Long fake nails, long eyelashes, and semi-long brown hair that curled up and hid her face. And her painfully pierced ears shine in the moon and look at me. ¡°Mi, Misuzu!¡¡What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I said we would see each other again.¡± ¡°No, you did, but we just met up today, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­. I was thinking of doing it tomorrow. But when I thought about you, I couldn¡¯t stop.¡± Misuzu ran up to me and patted my chest with her long nails. I almost made a funny voice. Then she looked me up and down and said, ¡°I¡¯m staying at my senpai¡¯s house. ¡°Stay at my house?¡¡My house is poor and small!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, if there¡¯s room for Kenya-senpai to sleep, we can just stick together.¡± Misuzu¡¯s aggressive approach shakes Kenya¡¯s heart. Just as he is about to get flustered, his sister Nana comes out of the apartment. ¡°Misuzu?¡¡Is Onii-san back?¡± ¡°Nana!¡¡Please help me.¡± Nana is mortified at the sight in front of her. ¡°Muu!¡¡Misuzu!¡¡Don¡¯t seduce my brother!¡± ¡°Eh?¡¡That might be a little difficult.¡± ¡°And anyway, get away from him!¡± Nana broke in between them and was able to separate them. But what charm, I couldn¡¯t move even though I was wearing the King series. Not that I was weak by any means, though I might have been vulnerable to temptation. ¡°You two know each other?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just go inside and talk.¡± And we enter the house. Even a 10-mat room becomes smaller with three people in it. For some reason, Misuzu sits down next to me. We are close to each other, and she smells nice. But what is this composition? I can¡¯t help but sit upright. Nana is beginning to look like a strict father. I think I¡¯m going to ask her to give her daughter to me. I don¡¯t have a father, so I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. ¡°So, what¡¯s your relationship?¡± Nana asks in a hushed voice as soon as she sits down. Don¡¯t be mad at me, father. I¡¯ll make you happy, I promise! ¡°We met in the dungeon¡­¡± ¡°He saved my life!¡¡And he¡¯s the one who got really mad at me for my sake!¡± Misuzu¡¯s voice is almost biting as she covers my voice. She looks at me with enraptured eyes. I know it¡¯s true, but the way she says it is a bit exaggerated. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a good-natured guy, isn¡¯t he? I can kind of imagine.¡± Nana folds her hands in agreement. Kenya also asks Nana a question. ¡°What about the two of you?¡¡You seem to know each other.¡± ¡°Misuzu and I were classmates and friends in middle school, though we went to different high schools¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so¡­¡± Come to think of it, you said your friend goes to Hope High School. I didn¡¯t think she meant Nana¡­ ¡°So what about asking to stay over?¡± ¡°Oh, so can I tell you about my sad situation?¡± Kenya silently listens to her story, even though he thinks to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself sad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have parents.¡± Misuzu had lived in an orphanage. Her parents abandoned her when she was very young and left her in an orphanage. After growing up in an orphanage, Misuzu escaped from the facility last year. She said it was a relationship problem. She did not tell us why. She then tried to see if she could make a living in a dungeon and came across this incident. ¡°I see¡­¡± Kenya understood why he had superimposed Misuzu on himself. He put Misuzu, who had been abandoned, on himself. And by saving Misuzu at that time, he was saving his past self who could not be saved at that time. Those words were exactly what she said to herself. Does the abuser have a problem?¡¡Those are the words of a person who has never been abused. It is always the victim¡¯s fault, only that he or she was subjected to malice for no reason. In this cold world where there is almost no one to protect you, at least I want to be able to protect someone. Because I know the same pain, I want to save those who suffer from the same pain. So¡­. ¡°Okay, you can stay here.¡± ¡°Big brother?¡¡Is that okay?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with Nana, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll let you stay for a while, but not forever, okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Even with these two people, the 10-mat room was too small for even just the two of them. If three people lived in the room, it would be a room full of octopuses. But seeing Misuzu being so happy¡­. (I can¡¯t leave her alone, can I?) ¡­ The three of us were stuffing our bellies eating stir-fried bean sprouts (only bean sprouts). Misuzu was a small eater as she looked, so it helped. We can¡¯t let her put any more pressure on the family budget, or is she just going to eat for free? We are very strict about that kind of thing, even among friends. Our family budget is really tight. However, I¡¯m full today, so all I have to do is take a bath and go to bed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and take a shower?¡± ¡°Eh ? Yes¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, don¡¯t blush. I¡¯ll be fine later.¡± I waved my hand to Misuzu to head for the bath, telling her to stop making funny jokes. She¡¯s dived in the dungeon today, too, and she¡¯s probably worried about getting dirty. It was kind of Kenya to let her in first. But¡­. Is this a chance for a lucky peek? CH 19 Lucky Lewd? No, it''s just a pervert (the female one). Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent I don¡¯t know what it is, it¡¯s really exciting. For some reason I was sitting upright while listening to the sound of the shower. I don¡¯t know, I always hear this kind of sound when Nana is in there. ¡°Why are you sitting on your knees, Onii-chan?¡± Nana looked at me suspiciously. That¡¯s right, why do I have to sit straight at home? ¡°Haha, I wonder why.¡± And then I fell on my butt. ¡°Well, Nana, have you been having any bad days at school lately?¡± ¡°Hm?¡¡Not really.¡± I was worried that Sato might be messing with her about the papa-katsu or something, but it looks like it¡¯s not a problem. He just doesn¡¯t like me. Since then, Sato has been teasing me every day at school. I endure it every day and spend a depressing day at school. I¡¯m really glad that he didn¡¯t harm my sister. ¡°How about you, Onii-chan?¡¡Being an explorer.¡± ¡°And lo and behold, I¡¯m signing a contract with a company!¡± ¡°Eh!¡¡Is that amazing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s my first time.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re being cheated?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine¡­ maybe.¡± ¡°Why are you losing confidence¡­ get a grip already!¡¡You have the lives of two beautiful girls on your shoulders right now!¡± ¡°Oh, oh!¡± The younger sister who says she¡¯s cute, well, I think she¡¯s cute from an older brother¡¯s point of view. And Misuzu is cute, too, though not in the same way. While I was talking about that, Misuzu came out of the bath. ¡°It was nice hot water!¡± She was wearing a big T-shirt as usual. She was wearing shorts again, and her beautiful legs were stretching out from the T-shirt. (It was as if she was wearing only a T-shirt¡­?) After taking a bath, Misuzu dries her wet hair with a towel. As I look at Misuzu, she seems to have noticed my gaze and smiles. Then she slowly lifts up her T-shirt a little and looks at me with glazed eyes while biting her little finger. I can see her beautiful, thin, pure white, raw legs, and on top of them¡­. (She¡¯s not wearing any¡­¡­.) I could see the edge of her black underwear. Oh no¡­. Just a shirt?¡¡That¡¯s ridiculous. How can such a thing be? Is it okay to have such naughty clothes! How can a mere T-shirt be so naughty¡­. Misuzu is not wearing shorts. Behind that long, thin, single sheet of flimsy fabric was filled with a man¡¯s romance that would not be outdone even in a dungeon. ¡°Hey!¡¡Misuzu!¡± Nana stood up beside me, hands on hips, and angrily shouted. ¡°Ha ha!¡¡It¡¯s a service for letting me stay here!¡¡Don¡¯t get mad at me!¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± ¡°Kenya-senpai, it was a nice hot bath!¡¡Next!¡± Then, Misuzu brought her face close to my ear. She whispered quietly so that Nana wouldn¡¯t hear me while smelling the shampoo. ¡°I left a lot of smell in the water¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡¡Smell?¡¡What do you mean by ¡°smell¡±?¡± Is it something naughty? For some reason, I leaned forward a little as I silently headed for the bath. Perhaps it¡¯s my imagination, but my legs feel light, as if the fatigue I felt earlier is a lie. My heart pulses, telling me to go quickly. I change in an instant and open the door. Let¡¯s go, ? Riding on the back of a silver dragon? Well, mine is not a dragon, and it¡¯s more of a crotch than a back¡­. No, let¡¯s not go any further. And the Garden of Eden, which is less than one tatami mat in size, opens. I can¡¯t stop my excitement! From the door that opens so vigorously, this smell that irritates my nostrils! What is this smell?¡¡¡­but all I can smell is the usual shampoo? ¡°Hmmm, Kenya-senpai, funny, what did you expect?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t expect anything.¡± I just wanted to heal my tired body as soon as possible. ¡°Misuzu! What are you doing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of you, so I thought I¡¯d at least rub your back¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay!¡¡It¡¯s all right!¡± I pushed out Misuzu, who had entered without permission, and took a shower. (It¡¯s a little too stimulating.) The virgin Kenya had a hard life. Only Kenya knows if it¡¯s really hard or if he¡¯s happy. ¡ó Misuzu¡¯s point of view (Kenya-senpai is kind of cute. Even though he was so strong and cool.) Misuzu gets out of the bath and dries her hair while smiling and playing with her phone. (He¡¯s not like the guys I¡¯ve meet before¡­) Misuzu left the facility. The reason was sexual harassment from the men at the facility. The men began to look at Misuzu sexually as she grew up. One day, she was attacked. Such are the common reasons that abound in the world. Misuzu, who had nowhere else to go, was left at the mercy of the men. Disgusted with these days that continued for a while, she ran away from the facility. But she had nowhere to go, so when she found herself cowering near a train station, a kind-looking man offered her a place to stay. But he was only after my body. But he let me stay and paid me, so I had no choice. I was patient and did as he asked. And the next guy, and the next guy, and the next guy. Every man who stayed with me fucked me. Someday I felt no more resistance, and something broke inside me. I hated it so much, but I was happy to be wanted. To be wanted and needed by someone. Only then, only for that time, I was filled with an uncontrollable happiness. I was not needed by anyone. Learn more Pause Unmute Not even my own parents. But all men want me and need me. (I wonder if Kenya-senpai will seek me out too?¡¡I¡¯d be happy if so.) She has become inflected, a girl who knew sex before she knew love. What is the cause?¡¡Who is to blame? Is it the world¡¯s fault, her fault, the men¡¯s fault, or bad luck? No one knows for sure. But one thing is certain: she is a victim. And the only thing at the end of this dependent life is destruction. But now¡­. ¡°I¡¯m out of the bath, Nana!¡± ¡°Yes~¡± ¡°Senpai, I¡¯ll dry your hair!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡­¡± ¡°Come on, come on, hold still!¡¡I want to do your hair!¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± ¡°Misuzu!¡¡Don¡¯t seduce my brother!¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± This small, shabby, dirty place. But it is still very warm. The space of only one 10-tatami mat room is cozy from the bottom of my heart. CH 20 Big Business is Amazing Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°So this is the building where Tanaka-san¡¯s company is located¡­¡± It¡¯s a prime location in Tokyo. The headquarters of companies I¡¯ve heard of stand side by side in this office district. I look up not at the towering tower, but at the towering building from directly below. It is so high that I cannot see the top from here. It seems that the company is located in this building. The business card says that it is between the 30th and 35th floors. ¡°It¡¯s like they and I live in completely different worlds.¡± Three people live in one 10-mat room. Looking around, adults, who clearly live in a different world than Kenya, a poor high school student at the bottom of the pile, walk around in suits and look busy. (I¡¯m glad I was in uniform, I would have definitely been out of place if I had been in plain clothes.) I haven¡¯t bought casual clothes except at Uniqlo for a long time, and recently I haven¡¯t even bought any. I would rather pay attention to nutrition than to fashion. The amount of nutrition I can get from bean sprouts is limited. Or rather, very little. Probably. And then I open the huge door. There are no ominous patterns on the door, but an automatic door made of transparent glass, polished to the point that I can see through it. ¡°Um, I have an appointment with Tanaka-san from Weapon Corporation¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, may I have your name?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Mitsurugi.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment¡­Yes, you have an appointment. Please take this keycard and use the elevator to go up to the 30th floor.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± I enter the elevator with my admission card. What¡¯s that?¡¡Isn¡¯t this elevator bigger than our house? The elevator is so big that it looks as if it could accommodate a car, and it travels to the 30th floor. The ground is far, and the difference in air pressure makes my ears a little uneasy. ¡®We arrived at the 30th floor.¡¯ In front of me sits a beautiful lady at the reception desk with a large logo of an axe and sword, the same as on my business card. ¡°Welcome to Weapon.¡± ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m Kenya Mitsurugi, I have an appointment with Tanaka-san¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been informed. Please follow me and I will show you the way.¡± The lady was very polite and gave me a business smile, even for a high school student. And then I was guided. In the room I passed on the way, there was a man who looked like an explorer like me. And then I was taken to a room in front of the president¡¯s office? I was taken in front of the most luxurious room, and the door opened by itself. I thought it was amazing that it was automatic, even though it looked like an ordinary door, but it was just a person coming out from inside. ¡°Well, Issei-san, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± The guy who came out from inside with a cigarette in his mouth was a middle aged guy with a friendly atmosphere. He was a muscular man in his 30s with stubble, who looked like a mercenary and didn¡¯t fit in the office district at all. He is. ¡°Tendo Ryunosuke!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± His sharp eyes shoot through me. I shuddered in an instant and couldn¡¯t stop my cold sweat. The world¡¯s strongest explorer. I hear that even the Self-Defense Forces with their modern weapons cannot stop him. I would be killed in less than a second. ¡°Ryu-san, you can¡¯t smoke in here, okay?¡± ¡®Hey, receptionist!¡¡You¡¯ll get killed!¡¯ The lady warns the man who looks like a ferocious beast and yet is like a sharp knife that smoking is prohibited, you are the one who knows nothing about fear. ¡°Hmm?¡¡Ryu-san?¡¡You look kind of friendly.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡¡You look like a pain in the ass woman.¡± Tendo-san extinguishes the cigarette with the palm of his hand. Wow, it looks hot, isn¡¯t it?¡¡But what a thick palm. Are these the hands of a warrior, an explorer who has been fighting on the front lines for 20 years? And then Tendou-san left. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since he was just starting out, though I was just a child then.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Tendou-san had a fledgling career? It¡¯s not surprising, but it¡¯s hard to imagine from the man that men would love to be with, THE Aniki. ¡°Hey!¡¡Kenya-kun!¡¡You came!¡± Tanaka-san calls out from inside. It¡¯s a great room, as expected of the president¡¯s office. I go inside, it¡¯s probably expensive equipment. There are some very strong looking equipment on display, as expected of a company specializing in equipment. If it is your own equipment, you can see the explanation if you look carefully, but you cannot appraise the equipment whose owner is unknown. Once you equip it, you will be able to see it. I sat down as Tanaka-san led me to my seat. ¡°Well, Kenya-kun, let¡¯s talk about business.¡± And the business meeting begins. The other party is a powerful CEO who is on the rise, and I am just a high school student. There was no way I could be his opponent¡­. ¡°Ah!¡¡Before that!¡¡Kenya!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± CH 21 If you think you can catch a fish with rice, you''re wrong! Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°But first¡­ Kenya, are you hungry?¡± Hungry?¡¡I only have bean sprouts in my stomach, but if that¡¯s what you call being hungry, then I am hungry. ¡°I¡¯ve had fried bean sprouts (only bean sprouts), but I can still eat more.¡± ¡°Ha ha!¡¡Stir-fried bean sprouts!¡¡Ha ha ha!¡± You don¡¯t have to laugh so much. Don¡¯t laugh at poverty, bean sprouts are great. Tanaka-san notices me frowning and starts apologizing. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I just got nostalgic. I used to eat it all the time. Only with bean sprouts and yakiniku sauce.¡± So Tanaka-san is a bean sprout lover, so let¡¯s form an alliance. There is nothing wrong with being a bean sprout lover, it is always the world that has made us poor. ¡°Me too, I used to be poor. My parents died early, so I had to quit high school halfway through¡­. I miss the fried bean sprouts we used to eat every day¡­¡± Tanaka-san looks at the sky with nostalgia. He must be reminiscing about the past, how can that happen even though he is the president of such a big company? ¡°I don¡¯t see it at all, from the President of such a big company.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you could call it hungry spirit, and it worked. Now it¡¯s all fine dining every day, though.¡± That¡¯s a successful man. I¡¯ll have to scrap the bean sprout alliance, I¡¯m afraid. ¡°So, Kenya-kun. Would you prefer sushi or meat cooked on a griddle?¡± Huh?¡¡You¡¯re going to treat me to a meal? I won¡¯t give in to your attempts to bait me! ¡­ ¡°What the hell!¡± I was eating a dish that was a combination of lean fish that looked like meat, namely tuna, and rice with just the right amount of vinegar, namely proper cooked rice. Sushi is a food, and you¡¯ve at least had sushi before, right?¡¡Of course I have. I¡¯ve had sushi before, the rotating ones and the supermarket specials. If you call that sushi, then this is not sushi. If you call this sushi, then those are not sushi. It is probably the best food I have ever eaten. It is as good as a bowl of beef after fasting for two days due to a miscalculation of food cost. It was painful. The big fatty tuna melted in my mouth and disappeared, and one bite was enough for 10 days of my family¡¯s food expenses. So this is what it¡¯s like to be a see-saw in Zagin. This isn¡¯t Ginza, though. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m happy that you think it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡¡Oh, please give me another one of these.¡± ¡°Aiyo!¡¡Tanaka-san, is he an explorer too?¡¡He¡¯s still young, but he looks great.¡± In front of me, a silver-tipped man with a towel wrapped around his head is making sushi. It¡¯s as if the fish and the rice are one and the same. The sushi shines like a jewel. I thought it was only on TV, but the great treasure of Hitotsuyanagi is real! The sushi was just the right amount of warmth and was so smooth to the palate that I could eat as many as I wanted. So this is the farthest place. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s going to be our Ace, and I brought him here to introduce him to this restaurant.¡± ¡°I will be!¡¡I¡¯ll do my very best. I¡¯ll work as hard as I can so that I can come here on my own!¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m glad to hear that, look, it¡¯s a service. You eat a lot, it¡¯s on me anyway.¡± Kenya was easily baited. He was so happy because the food was so delicious that he felt that about 30% of the happiness in his life was about eating good food. I wish I could bring Nana or my mother to this place someday. ¡­ ¡°It was delicious!¡± After eating their fill of sushi, Kenya and the others returned to the president¡¯s office. The woman at the reception brought them hot tea. The soaking green tea melts away the refined fish oil, and it feels like bliss. ¡°Well then, now that your stomach is full, it¡¯s time to talk about the contract.¡± ¡°Yes!¡¡Oh, here¡¯s my mother¡¯s power of attorney. It¡¯s my life, and I¡¯ve been told to do as I please!¡± ¡°Thank goodness you have an understanding mother.¡± Kenya hands the power of attorney to Tanaka-san. Then Tanaka-san unfolds the contract as well. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a document like this, it¡¯s written in difficult language, so le me summarize it.¡± Tanaka-san summarized the contents of the contract. One, I will not wholesale equipment to other companies unless there are special circumstances. This is no problem as long as Tanaka-san is willing to buy them. Two, I must deliver at least 50 units of the King series per month, unless Tanaka-san is unable to provide me with the Knight series. This was taken into consideration by Tanaka-san. I said that I may use alchemy to get stronger and that for now, instead of the limit of 2 pieces a day, he would use 50 pieces a month so that it would not be unreasonable. This suggestion would be very helpful. Three, establish a guild. This is a request from Tanaka-san. It is not impossible for an individual to do it, but it is better to establish a guild. A guild is actually a kind of legal entity, or a company, but since it is a company where explorers gather, it is called a guild for simplicity¡¯s sake. In fact, it is more convenient to make a contract with a company than with an individual, and to be honest, I don¡¯t really know what to expect since I was asked to help set up the company on their back. These were the details of the contract. Other than creating a guild, there are no problems. I don¡¯t know much about tax returns or anything like that. ¡°So, here¡¯s the expected monthly transaction amount and your income. Well, before taxes, etc. are deducted.¡± And the documents he showed me. ¡°No way¡­¡± I was shocked. CH 22 ¡°One zero, two zeros, ¡­?¡¡Did I count wrong?¡¡One, two.¡± I count the numbers again and again. It can¡¯t be, because this is crazy. I can¡¯t stop sweating and my face is turning blue. I was fooled, I thought Tanaka-san was a nice guy. I¡¯m sorry, after all, every good story has a backstory! ¡°Kenya-kun, no matter how many times you count it, it¡¯s still the same ¡­¡­50 million.¡± ¡°No, no!¡¡Fifty million! ¡°The detailed calculation is as written here.¡± The calculation method goes like this. The end price of one of the king¡¯s gauntlets is 2.5 million yen. The king¡¯s gauntlets are priced at 2.5 million yen each, and he is willing to buy them for 1.5 million yen as a special treatment when he would originally buy them for half of the price. From there, they will sell the knight¡¯s gauntlets to me wholesale at the same price as they purchased them, i.e., 50,000 yen. In other words, 1,000,000 yen (1,500,000 yen minus 500,000 yen) is the profit from the delivery of one of the king¡¯s gauntlets. I will deliver 50 of them per month. In other words, 1 million yen x 50 pieces equals 50 million yen. This is my monthly income. Impossible, right?¡¡I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible either. Maybe this is a scam, because I can¡¯t convert it into a beef bowl.¡¡For how many days?¡¡A lot of soup? ¡°Actually, they take almost half of it for taxes and stuff, but it¡¯s still enough income, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s enough. This amount of money is equivalent to a hundred years of rent for my house. ¡°The analogy doesn¡¯t quite fit, but at any rate, this means that your sick mother and Kenya¡¯s sister¡¯s college will no longer be a problem, right?¡± ¡°Yes, if this is true, I can¡¯t thank you enough¡­¡± Unable to see me still in disbelief, Tanaka-san took out some equipment from a box he had prepared. ¡°And let¡¯s raise this one too, it¡¯s called an upfront investment.¡± ¡°This!¡¡¡­What is it?¡± Tanaka-san almost shook his head at my exaggerated reaction. What was taken out of the box appeared to be a golden crown. ¡°This is the crown of the spirit.¡¡It¡¯s the head equipment that drops after the 30th level.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to give me this?¡¡It looks very expensive¡­¡± ¡°No, not so much. It¡¯s rare, but it only increases intelligence, so only explorers will want it.¡± (5 million is not a big deal, my sense of money is getting paralyzed.) Tanaka-san then hands me the crown. Then, after equipping it, he takes it off and stares into my eyes. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Explanation of equipment Crown of the Spirit Lv1, Rank B, Rarity ¡ï¡ï¡ï. Increases intelligence by +500. (+20% depending on Lv.) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Intelligence 500!¡¡And that¡¯s B rank equipment!¡± ¡°Oh, the number of alchemy times will increase by 50, so the delivery won¡¯t be that much of an obstacle to your growth, right?¡± Tanaka-san seems to have thought that much and prepared this equipment for me. Sorry for calling you a fraud, you really are a bean sprout god, the bean sprout alliance is forever immortal, sorry for saying you will destroy it. I¡¯m about to cry, I know it¡¯s just business, but I still feel Tanaka-san¡¯s warmth from this crown. There should be no need for him to be so attentive¡­. ¡°Yes!¡¡This will make me stronger while delivering the goods!¡¡Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s business. And I¡¯ll say Special A-class, I¡¯ll listen to most selfishness.¡± Then the details of the delivery date and the bank account for the transfer were set. ¡°So, the knight series is 500 pieces, not enough to take home, what do you want me to do now?¡¡Shall I mail them to you?¡± 500 knight series¡­that¡¯s a lot to bring home to that small house, the floor would fall out, and there would be no place to sleep. ¡°Hey, my house is only 10 tatami mats¡­¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to move out?¡¡Yes, as the guild headquarters, you should look for a new place to live. I can introduce you to a real estate agent I know.¡± As expected, the place had become too cramped, so Kenya agreed to the idea as a good opportunity. And since there was nothing more to decide on the spot, they completed the contract and left. Next month the money would be transferred and deliveries would begin. ¡°Oh, yes, Kenya-kun!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He got up to leave and was about to leave the room. Tanaka stops him and Kenya turns around. ¡°I, you know, there¡¯s something I ask every explorer I have a contract with.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tanaka-san then takes a breath and changes from his previous playful mood. With serious eyes, he asks me straight out. ¡°What do you want to go to that tower for?¡± A simple question. Why are you going for that dangerous tower when there are so many other safe places to work? Why do you aim for that tower of death that rises so high in the sky? Kenya thought about it. For his sister, for his mother, for himself. Various feelings and purposes are mixed up. Is it because he wants to be closer to the girl of his dreams? Because he wants to earn money and make his family comfortable? Because I love that exciting world? There may be no single answer. Because¡­ Because I am greedy. So I responded with a straight answer, turning my honest feelings directly into words. ¡°To get everything¡­¡­.¡± Hearing this, Tanaka, who had a serious face, was surprised as if he had been hit by a peashooter. It was a line that exceeded his expectations. Kenya was a model student who would have given a conventional answer like ¡°for my family,¡± ¡°because it¡¯s exciting,¡± or ¡°for the money¡±. ¡°Ha!¡¡What?¡¡Get it all?¡¡Ha ha!¡± And then Tanaka starts laughing. Kenya¡¯s cheeks puff out. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, but I like it. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard an answer like that. What a dream, what a¡­¡± The words that came from him were so straightforward, yet laughable. ¡°Greed.¡± They are the words of lust. (Kinda sus?) CH 23 But there''s a guy I want to hit, a thought I want to carry through. Translated by NotBlueYet Edited by Kingavent ¡°Ah!¡¡But¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What I want to do most right now is to beat up some guy!¡± ¡°You want to beat him!¡¡That doesn¡¯t sound very calm¡­¡± I didn¡¯t realize that the honor student Kenya-kun would have such thoughts¡­. Tanaka looks surprised as he continues. ¡°Haha, yes. It¡¯s not peaceful¡­ but¡­¡± Am I just going to cry myself to sleep like this? What kind of foolishness is that? I am sure Sato will go on to succeed. He will use the many corpses as stepping stones, forgetting even the stepping stones he stepped on. He will get married before he knows it, have children, take over his parents¡¯ company, and raise a happy family. They will enjoy such ordinary happiness. You have destroyed the happiness of those around you by wielding the malice on your whims. Forgetting that you have made many people unhappy. So¡­. ¡°Justice must prevail!¡± My own personal justice within me. To carry out that justice that everyone has. With the violence of a beating. Is violence bad?¡¡I don¡¯t know anything about that. Violence, after all, solves everything. I know that justice without force is powerless. So is it meaningless?¡¡Is it meaningless without force?¡¡That is not true. To be able to say ¡°no¡± even if you are powerless is strength, courage, and my justice. But I know how difficult it is to carry out that desire. I know that there are many people who fall short of their strength, and that most of them end up crying themselves to sleep. That is why I will hit him. Otherwise, my justice will be broken. ¡°Hmm, justice! I don¡¯t know what that means, what a blue ¡­¡­ wonderful reason. Go for it, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking!¡¡I¡¯ll support you, as a member of the Bean Sprout Alliance!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I smile and give a thumbs-up to Tanaka-san, who smiles and gives a thumbs-up to me, too. And then I leave. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s a little dangerous.¡± Tanaka thought he was in danger when he saw the back of Kenya. While he liked his daredevil personality, he also thought that his alliance partner, who still seemed to be a little too close to the mark, was in danger. (Let me do a little research, Kenya. I really like you.) Straightforward and daredevil, yet gentle and warm. He is a good-natured, ordinary student, but his aim is higher than anyone else¡¯s, and he has everything in his hands to do justice. He liked Kenya, who had many similarities with himself. (Maybe you can make it to the top of that tower eventually¡­) ¡­ ¡°Alright!¡¡Let¡¯s dive the dungeon tomorrow!¡± The delivery starts next month, then I have one more month of free time. So I¡¯ll go over Sato in this one month. And then¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll make you apologize, Sato.¡± With your favorite ¡®violence¡¯. ¡­ Half a month later. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s all here. And I was able to improve my skills. Now¡­¡± Evolution¡­ Evolution¡­ Evolution¡­ Evolution¡­ Evolution¡­ The 13th level of the dungeon. A boy collects and smelts knight series. The purpose is to collect the king series. And then to make it into a higher level of equipment. He is the only one in the world who is allowed to do so by the power of alchemy. The boy who has the power of a king obtains even greater power. But he is the only one who knows about it. ¡­ The day after Kenya evolves his equipment in the dungeon. It is time to go to school. A group of ill-mannered high school students, looking like they own the place, monopolize a large portion of a train car. The train was packed with people, but it was even smaller than before. But no one could pay attention. ¡°Sato-san!¡¡He doesn¡¯t seem to be holding his own these days!¡± Sato¡¯s crony A tells the story of that bully who just endures and shows no reaction. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to have to change my tactics a bit, I don¡¯t like his eyes. I¡¯m gonna make you cry again!¡± (I don¡¯t like it, you¡¯re weaker than me, you look straight at me.) Sato sitting on the train, sitting on a huzzah, smoking a cigarette. And the righteous office worker who warned him about it. All of them cheer with all their hearts, telling him to do his best. But the result. ¡°GHHHH!¡± He is followed and taken to a back alley. He is punched in the stomach, kicked until he vomits, and made to vomit blood. This evil child is capable of beating people to death, even ordinary people. The passersby, watching from the corner of their eyes, hurry to leave the scene at the sound of Sato and the others¡¯ angry voices. Justice without power cannot do anything to evil with power. So they have no choice but to overlook it, which is the correct answer. But Sato does not yet know that there is a boy who questions that supposedly correct answer. (Ah, I¡¯m getting so frustrated¡­ I wonder if there is a way to beat up even that incompetent person or to really beat him up¡­) Then, Sato has a flash of an idea. The best way to relieve stress. * ¡®I don¡¯t care about myself, but I can¡¯t forget about my sister.¡¯ * (When it comes to his sister, he¡¯s a bit of a jerk.) (That guy got soooo mad when it came to his sister¡­yeah right!) ¡°Huh!¡± With a strange laugh, the gay holy knight comes up with a gay idea. (Ummm what???) A way to openly, unapologetically, legally, and with all his might, beat up that incompetent to death. How to mess up his straight eyes. (I¡¯m a genius after all.) Learn more Pause Unmute And then there is one poor girl who will fall under his poisonous fangs. One of Kenya¡¯s precious, precious girls is exposed to the malicious intent of evil. Kenya doesn¡¯t know that yet. In the dungeon, desperately collecting and refining equipment, Kenya still knows nothing. He still doesn¡¯t know that his most precious thing will be harmed¡­. ~ ¡°Nana?¡± Kenya goes to the place where Sato called him. There, he finds a girl in a tattered school uniform. A girl sitting helplessly on the cold ground, holding her shivering body. The younger sister, who had noticed her brother, still managed to smile at him so as not to worry her beloved brother. With bright red eyes that had been sobbing¡­.