Chapter 56
Still a Long Way to Go
for These Two!
Former idol Kujo Madoka-chan. The excitement of having my first
potential companion won't settle down.
By the time Madoka and I returned to the Kagurazaka Dungeon
together, it was past 10 PM. Despite the late hour, there were still many Hunters
inside the Administration, and it didn't look like the crowd was
thinning out anytime soon. I could tell how popular the Kagurazaka Dungeon
was whether I wanted to or not.
Naturally, being the center of hot attention, my combination with a
former idol seemed to stand out; we were immediately noticed, causing a bit of
a stir. But I had expected that much. As long as the two of us walked while
talking intimately, there was absolutely no atmosphere that would let some
stranger easily talk to us. I'm glad they were people who could read the room.
Thanks to that, we could walk normally without interruption. And if we
walked looking like good friends, corresponding rumors would naturally spring
up without us even trying. I could hear people talking about it all over the
place. Speculations about us forming a party or joining the same clan reached
my ears. This would quickly become a rumor, and people other than the ones here
right now would probably know about it soon.
We quickly finished up at the reception and headed straight for the Dungeon.
「Aoi, do you still have time after this? Though it depends on whether the
skill activation goes well.」
「Totally
okay. If we're forming a party, we have to decide on various things, after all.」
I made sure to raise the volume of my voice around the "forming a
party" part. So don't bother me with any unnecessary meddling anymore.
That's the message.
Worries about what to do if the skill link didn't work out were
completely unfounded. When the two of us quickly activated our skills, the
result was exactly as intended. With this, I was officially part of a party. A
feeling of excitement welled up inside me more than I expected. My heart was
pounding with thrill. It's probably the backlash from being solo for so long.
Our action of turning back immediately after entering the Dungeon
probably seemed strange, but it doesn't matter what others think. When we
stepped outside the Administration and walked a bit, Madoka
raised her hand and hailed a taxi.
「It's already
late, so is it okay if we have the rest of our talk in my hotel room?」
「I don't
mind, but you're living in a hotel?」
「I moved out
of the agency's dorm, and my family home is in Kansai. A lot happened, so I
haven't been able to rent an apartment yet.」
While saying that, we got into the taxi, and Madoka told the
driver the destination.
「Where do you
live, Aoi? Ah, before that, shouldn't we exchange contact info?」
There it is again, the contact exchange event. So troubling, seriously.
「Wait a sec!
You see, I have various circumstances. It's complicated, so let's settle down
and talk about it in your room.」
「Is that so?
Well, we'll arrive at the hotel soon, so that's fine.」
After about ten minutes of silence, we arrived at a rather
splendid-looking hotel. No matter how you look at it, it was different from the
hotel I was using. The status was on another level. It's magnificent!
「You're
staying at a pretty amazing place, huh.」
「I feel
anxious if it's not a proper place. It costs a lot of money and it's tough, but
it can't be helped. That's why I need to rent a new place soon.」
「Heeh.」
In the sense that neither of us has our own room, it seems we'll get
along even better. After a brief exchange at the front desk, we immediately
moved to her hotel room. A spacious room that you could hardly believe was for
one person; maybe even the lowest-ranked rooms here were this big. Madoka
seems rich.
「Is tea okay?」
「Anything is
fine, but if we're having some, make it something that feels high-class!」
After she prepared the drinks and we washed our hands, we sat facing
each other across the tea table. The fact that her posture is beautiful even
when sitting is exactly what you'd expect from a former idol. It even has a
certain impact. But I shouldn't lose when it comes to good posture! As her
companion, I won't let myself be intimidated.
「There's the
matter of our future, but is it okay if I hear about you first, Aoi?」
「Yeah, I'll
start with my living situation, then.」
I'd heard Madoka's circumstances, so now it was my turn. As
companions forming a party, I should tell her what I can. I thoroughly
explained that I was homeless, and because of that, I didn't have a smartphone.
And as long as I told her my current regular lodging and room number, there
wasn't really anything else I needed to convey.
As for why I'm homeless, maybe there'll be an opportunity to talk
about it down the line somewhere. Talking too much about trivial things will
just make us sleepy. I continued my story to Madoka, who occasionally
interjected with questions. And from here on is the important part.
「And then
there's my situation as a Hunter. Did you look up my level?」
「I already
checked it from the rankings. You're Level 15, right? It's higher compared to
mine, but I intend to catch up soon, so don't worry.」
「It's not
about worrying, but you see, I have a super special skill.」
「Does that
mean a skill other than 『Solo Dungeon』? Since you got onto that ranking, I figured you had
something else.」
If we're going to work together, I absolutely cannot keep it a secret. I
think entering an 『Ultra Hard Mode』 Dungeon with a
normal mindset would be bad. Since I don't know what a normal Dungeon is
like, I can only imagine, but it's probably bad. If we screw up, she might die
instantly. She needs to have that level of a sense of crisis. Probably. Just
like Madoka did at the hidden gem restaurant, I also placed my ID card
on the table. Then, I channeled magic power into it and showed her the back.
■ Memories of the Star Soul
Name: Nagakura Aoi Scarlet
Level: 15
Class: Stray Bandit
Vitality: 42
Spirit: 42
Attack: 42
Defense: 42
Magic: 42
Resistance: 42
Skill: 『Ultra Hard Mode』 / 『Solo Dungeon』 / 『Martial Soul Resonance』 / 『Poison Attack』 / 『Star Thread
Spinning』 / 『Status
Ailment Resistance』 / 『Rock-hard
Armor』 / 『Twinkling
Hammer』 / 『Life Force
Absorption』 / 『Telekinesis』 / 『Healthy Body』 Class
Skill: 『Restraint Destruction』 / 『Intimidation』
Blessing: Blessing of Benzaiten / Blessing of the Yakubyogami
Madoka brought her face close and stared intently at my ID
card. The face she raised after dozens of seconds had passed bore an expression
that seemed both surprised and unconvinced. I don't know about other people,
but as expected, my status seems to be special.
「Alright,
questions, please.」
「There are
various things I'm curious about, but... Stray Bandit? You were a bandit, Aoi?」
「I knew you'd
be curious about that~.」
「Because my Class
is that, after all.」
Rock-Bottom Fallen Idol, was it. Honestly, it's worse than mine. What
does it mean that Bandit seems better by comparison? No, Bandit is still pretty
terrible too, isn't it.
「I'm working
hard so that the Sub-class I can get next at Level 20 will be something
amazing. Because I have a ton of dissatisfaction with a Class like
Bandit, in that sense I'm the same as you, Madoka. When I saw it at the
restaurant, I thought we were comrades.」
「So that's
how it was. I'm happy about that, but isn't your status weird in a lot of ways,
Aoi? The average values are lower than mine, the number of skills is
incredible, and you even have blessings.」
「I think my
initial skill, 『Ultra Hard Mode』, is probably the cause of everything. Brace yourself
and listen, okay? Doing a Dungeon attack together with me is probably
much harder than you think.」
To Madoka, whose expression became more serious, I explained the
skill and the merits and demerits gained from it. Furthermore, I also told her
that I am currently fighting solo on the Seventeenth Floor. Since we're
forming a party, I do intend to support Madoka, whose level is still
low, at first. That's included in our future.
After listening to my story, Madoka remained silent and lost in
thought for a while, and then raised her face.
「It seems you
were even less of an ordinary person than I imagined, Aoi. As I am right
now, I don't feel like I can keep up with you at all.」
「We'll manage
somehow.」
「No.
Honestly, I wanted to manage somehow with just my own power, but it seems this
is no time to be saying things like that. Aoi, I'm sorry. Entering the Dungeon
together... let's see, can you wait one week?」
「Why?」
「There should
be equipment used by my relatives at my family home, so I'm going to go get a
set of it. It's a bit of a troublesome family, so I probably can't just get the
equipment right away. Besides, I want to come back after being taught how to
use it a little.」
Ooh, sounds like a pretty amazing family home. There's surely strong
equipment that isn't sold just anywhere. It had that kind of nuance.
「Got it. I'll
just wait while earning money and leveling up normally like I have been so far.」
「Yes, wait
for me. Also, if possible, I want to gather party members early on. If we're
aiming for the top, we need numbers.」
True. Since we're forming a party anyway, I think it's better to gather
a proper number of people and get used to it. We have to move while
anticipating the future.
「Then, let's
both try looking for companion candidates. I'll ask my acquaintances a bit to
see if there's anyone good. Is it okay if I talk about the Skill Link?」
「I'd hate it
if it were spread around, but I don't mind if it's to your acquaintances, Aoi.」
In the end, we ended up talking about this and that after that too, and I was allowed to stay the night just like that. Sleepover!
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