Chapter 53
The Scramble for Early
Recruitment
Today, just like any other day, I hunt monsters to exhaustion. I'm
practically unrivaled on the Seventeenth Floor now! It serves as stress
relief while earning money through labor, so it feels really great. Especially
since it's always night inside the Kagurazaka Dungeon, I get this
late-night high and end up losing track of time.
I've gotten hungry from the long hours of labor. Glancing down at my
wristwatch, it was just the right time for dinner. I worked hard today too!
「Whew, guess
I'll head out soon~.」
I've gotten used to fighting while tired, and I've started to have
confidence in my combat techniques. I won't let anyone say my combat style
relies solely on equipment and skills anymore. Though I've never been told
that.
While savoring the satisfaction of earning loads of cash, it's my usual
changing time near the Dungeon exit. Basking in the sense of liberation
while feeling true freedom, I wipe my sweat with a towel. I feel like heading
straight to the shower room like this, but it's noisy outside the Dungeon.
The Administration's facilities are just too hard to use.
「Bath or
food, which should I do first~.」
Once changed, I leave the Dungeon area; it's time to return from
my solo world to the noisy world! As expected, the Kagurazaka Dungeon is
booming even at dinnertime. It's noisy again today.
「Nagakura Aoi Scarlet-san, do you have a moment?」
Whoa, who's this. Don't suddenly block my path. I almost bumped into
them and instinctively stopped. Obstructing the path is a foul, isn't it.
「Ah, you're
jumping the gun.」
「Hold on, I
said I was going to talk to her first!」
「Shut up, get
out of the way!」
「Hey! We were
here fi—」
「Nagakura, I'm first! Got it?」
As if I'd get it. Who is this guy. Or rather. For some reason, it seems
to be swarming with people waiting for me to come out. The already crowded area
in front of the Dungeon has turned into a massive crowd. It's way past
just obstructing traffic now.
What should I do about this. I thought I was being talked to an awful
lot these past few days, but today is especially bad. If I completely ignored
them or ran away, I used to be able to manage, but it seems impossible today.
Should I send someone flying to make an example of them? Should I just
do it?
「Yes, yeees!
This is the Dungeon Administration Security Department. Hunters
here for recruitment purposes, please disperse immediately. Let's conduct
recruitment while following the rules. We will impose penalties on those who do
not comply, so please act accordingly. This is the Dungeon Administration
Security Department—」
A loud, crackling voice over a megaphone blared out, drowning out the
noise. I thought it was a godsend, but absolutely no one obediently moved. It
seems it's no good unless I move myself.
At worst, I could end up getting banned from the Kagurazaka Dungeon.
The world is full of unreasonable things, after all. As a splendid adult woman,
I am aware of such possibilities.
Since there was the megaphone's warning, I took the initiative and
started walking for now. Then, while it was nice that they opened a path for
me, a large crowd started trailing right behind me in droves.
「The path is
open, so maybe I should hurry and escape~.」
But still~, even if I run away here, it feels like this situation is
going to continue for the time being. If the goal of the guys gathered here is
to drag me into a party or clan, listening to every single one of them and
turning them down is way too much of a hassle. I guess clearly expressing my
intentions is the best way. I have no choice but to tell them to give up.
Waiting in the reception line to report my return from the Dungeon,
I can't calm down. It's nice that no one is talking to me, perhaps because
they're keeping each other in check, but I figure that will only last until I
leave the Administration.
What should I do. I want to think about it a bit calmly. Alright, I'm
going to use my head. Get to work, brain!
Yeah, I have no intention of taking up any half-assed invitations, but
there might just be some offers I'd consider good. Just from a quick glance, an
uncountable number of people are trying to recruit me, so I don't think every
single one of them is a bad deal.
My solo activities are fulfilling, but honestly speaking, I do have the
desire to enter the Dungeon with someone else. I want friends, too.
Besides, I've always thought about making my own clan someday.
Even though there are no problems right now, there's no doubt that
teaming up with someone would increase safety. My cut would definitely
decrease, but you can't replace a life, after all. When going to much deeper
floors, companions will absolutely become necessary. If I'm going to get an
Advanced Class, it's an absolute must, according to what Yuuka-san
said.
The problem is that 『Solo Dungeon』 and 『Ultra Hard Mode』 are a god-tier combination of
skills. Furthermore, if I don't challenge the Dungeon all by my
lonesome, I have absolutely no idea how 『Ultra Hard Mode』 will interact. Come to think of it,
I feel like my skills are difficult to handle in situations other than going
solo.
Yeah, thinking about this and that is getting to be a pain.
「Thank you
for waiting~. Ah, you're the much-talked-about celebrity, aren't you. Is it
just the return processing and magic stone cash exchange?」
The receptionist Onee-san I didn't recognize looked happy for
some reason. Could she be the very person who spread the rumor that I'm in this
Dungeon?
「Just the return
processing please~.」
「Yes... well
then, thank you for your hard work.」
「Ah, that's
right. Hey, hey, do you have a moment? It's about parties and clans, but...」
「It's a
complicated matter, right? For things like that, please go to the consultation
desk.」
「I see, got
it.」
I see. It seems the service is different from the Higashi-Nakano
Dungeon, where the receptionists have free time. I wanted to consult about
how best to sort out the current situation, though. Whatever I do, I don't want
to needlessly earn people's grudges.
Well, whatever. Maybe I'll run away to Higashi-Nakano. I'll try
consulting with Yuuka-san over there. Around here, I'd probably be
chased and find it hard to even stop by a beef bowl shop, and it would be the
worst if they barged into my hotel.
Leaving the reception desk, I step outside with a casual gait. As if it
were natural, the strangers trail behind me. Just how far are they planning to
follow me. This is starting to get fun.
Feeling a little mischievous, just as I swiftly turned a corner. Suddenly, my hand was grabbed, and I was pulled through an open door.
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