Reunion Junkyard ①・An Impossible Light.
It’s already been eleven days since I officially became the Witch’s apprentice.
Mineha-san’s illegal occupation of the Tower continues unabated.
Well, Ax-san did say he’d head back when it was time to meet his mother.
Apparently, the reply letter said his mother is currently away from home on a request.
The reply came from a servant at Ax-san’s family home.
A servant… So his family lives in a mansion. As expected of a famous Tier II Seeker.
Ax-san. It seems he lived a wealthy life despite being a commoner.
But being wealthy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy, does it?
Speaking of Seekers, Mineha-san works solo.
She leaves money behind for my food expenses.
I heard she sometimes teams up with Torquetum.
Ms. Pachira told me she often argues with Lupinus-san.
Also, the party Bid-san belonged to, Zan Brave, has disbanded.
I wonder what happened. Though apparently, it’s not unusual for parties to break up.
Ms. Pachira told me at that time.
Lupinus-san has something to talk to me about soon. I have a pretty good idea what it is.
As for work, well, I’ve been commuting to the Witch’s House.
I’m formally studying under her as her apprentice.
I’m learning things like Compounding methods, how to read ancient script, and self-defense techniques.
Something really surprised me.
Some Legendary items can actually be repaired.
The Witch was also famous as a master repairer with incredible skill.
Even bafflingly complex repairs are possible for the Witch. According to her, it’s thanks to a Relic.
When I asked what kind of Relic it was…
[ God Doesn’t Roll Dice Thrice: Guarantees success on the highest difficulty techniques three times a day ].
It was a cheat ability. As expected of a Tier I Seeker. No, the Witch.
Still, when she showed me the repair process, I thought it looked just like repairing home appliances.
Actually, you can buy Legendary items in the Royal Capital.
But even the cheapest ones cost around 50 Royal Coins. That’s 5 million Oro.
However, most of them are really just like home appliances, and the repair clients are almost all nobles or merchants.
That’s why the repair fees are high, too. The majority of the Witch’s income comes from these repairs. The rest is from pharmaceuticals.
Then there’s self-defense. This is amazing.
The Witch can make an opponent fall even when they grab her arm, or grab an opponent’s arm with one hand and throw them.
She could even throw them without touching them. It was just like Aikido.
She mentioned casually that she mastered it because her Relics and OOPArts are too powerful to hold back properly.
There are Jewel-Class mid-tier Dungeon Monsters that can nullify Relics.
This was also a countermeasure for them. Wait, things like that actually exist?
She also mentioned giant Monsters called Cyclops that shoot lasers from their eyes.
What the heck? Could Cyclops do that?
Well, I’ll definitely never fight Monsters like that, so I guess it’s fine.
That’s not a flag, okay?
Anyway, self-defense is useful. It doesn’t require much strength, so even a child like me can handle it.
Incidentally, the Witch was spartan. I’ve already been thrown over a hundred times.
Come to think of it, that day I became her apprentice, when I grabbed the Witch’s arm… that incredible strength.
Was I about to be thrown just then? I’m starting to tremble.
Also, the rule about winning if I grab the Witch’s tail feels wrong somehow.
Even now, I haven’t been able to even touch it once.
But always aiming for her tail means I’m always looking at her butt, right? Is that okay?
She invited me to live with her since I’m her apprentice, but I politely declined.
A miniature inhuman demonic realm plus the Witch? I’d definitely never be able to relax.
Besides, I like my current house.
Commuting from town to the Forest is good training, too.
The investigation of That Forest hasn’t started yet. The Witch sent a letter to Grand Master Abramelin-san stating that she’ll begin soon.
We’re waiting for the reply. It hasn’t arrived yet, so the investigation can’t proceed.
Speaking of tutelage, Ax-san and the others in Fang of Thunder are being trained by Mr. Agaro.
It’s for a limited time, until Mr. Agaro receives his next nominated request and leaves town.
Fang of Thunder’s next goal is Tier III.
They said they earned quite a lot of promotion points from the recent Dungeon exploration and anomaly subjugation.
Mineha-san mentioned that the Tier III exam is basically all about combat power.
You have to subjugate a Guild-designated low-rank Silver Monster within a time limit.
Or annihilate a low-rank Silver Monster nest. Something like that, apparently.
Mineha-san’s exam was the designated monster type.
A low-rank Silver Wind Big Bull. A giant boar possessing a wind-attribute Relic.
Also, for the past two days, Fang of Thunder has been in Mazan for a subjugation request Mr. Agaro accepted.
The Mazan Mountains. A demonic region spreading north of Hydrangea.
It’s along the border with the neighboring country, but the Mazan Mountains are designated as a neutral zone.
It’s a subjugation mission for a mid-rank Gold Monster called Great Magic Sword Rhino, lurking in Mazan’s Misty Valley.
It’s a large rhino whose horn on its head has become a giant blade.
Moreover, that blade is an OOPArt. Of course, it’s adapted to it.
That’s an opponent I really don’t want to fight.
They said they’d be back in a week at the earliest, or about ten days at the latest.
I really hope they return safely. Let’s be optimistic and assume they’ll be fine since Mr. Agaro is with them.
I pass by the Dungeon entrance, just like always.
The day after I gave Gauro-san the ring, he got angry, but he did accept it properly in the end.
It’s already been sent to Arifa-san for appraisal.
That ring, though. Apparently, it was a difficult item, and she said she needed more time.
Was it really such an amazing ring? The color was super rare, though.
Hmm? Huh? What’s this? There’s a crowd forming in front of the entrance.
Seekers and children. Others are watching from a distance. Did something happen?
“Back off, back off!”
“It starts tomorrow! Not today!”
A gatekeeper was driving away the surging crowd of Seekers and children.
“Besides, this special lifting of restrictions is only for the Junkyard!”
“The other areas are still under investigation! Hey, back off, back off! Seekers, leave!”
Special lifting of restrictions? The Junkyard?
Just as I was wondering what it was all about, one of the gatekeepers came over here.
It was Gauro-san.
“Yo, Wof.”
“Gauro-san. What’s this about a special lifting of restrictions?”
“Ah, it’s been decided to lift the restrictions specially just for the Junkyard. The investigation team already checked this area and confirmed there were no problems. Also… I can’t say this too loudly, but it’s about Koon Hunt.”
“Koon Hunt?”
“Those guys. They gather up kids and use ’em like slaves. Call ’em ‘Hired Pups’.”
“That’s been happening for a while now.”
“Yeah, I know, but… just between us. There have been some deaths.”
“Eh…”
“Apparently, they claimed it was an unfortunate accident.”
“…”
“It’s frustrating, yeah? The higher-ups in town are basically leaving the kids to fend for themselves right now. So, to prevent them from getting hired by Koon Hunt… they decided to reopen just the Junkyard, it seems. A desperate measure, huh.”
“Can’t they openly give Koon Hunt advice or warnings?”
“That’d mean defying Koon Hunt’s leader, so it’s impossible.”
“A Tier I Seeker…”
Gauro-san fell silent.
It’s the same for me, but working children aren’t just orphans.
There are quite a few children who work even if they have both parents or a single parent.
There’s the problem of “waiting children” related to Seekers.
It’s when parents, or a single parent, are Seekers who go out on requests and don’t return for days.
During that time, the waiting children somehow manage to live on advances from their parents’ request fees.
If the parents still don’t return and the money runs out, they go to the Junkyard.
For small children or first-timers, most gatekeepers, not just Gauro-san, let them in for free. It comes out of their own pockets. And apparently, their superiors and the Guild turn a blind eye to it.
Children who work, or can’t work, in the Junkyard. Koon Hunt targets them.
Calling them Hired Pups, they work them like slaves for cheap wages.
This current Dungeon closure must have been a perfect opportunity for them.
Koon Hunt. They’re definitely a black clan.
Is a Tier I Seeker really running it as the Clan Master?
Well, just because someone is Tier I doesn’t mean they’re a good person.
Alexander-san and the Witch. They were just the exceptions.
The boss of Koon Hunt, huh? I’m getting curious.
Maybe I should ask the Witch about them, just in case something happens. Information is power.
I’m happy the Junkyard is reopening, but the circumstances behind it are… hard to put into words.
It would be great if this could somehow be resolved, but it seems difficult.
The administration has its limits. And it’s a problem I can’t do anything about myself.
Incidentally, my reward hasn’t come in yet.
It was explained when I was summoned by the Guild.
They said they couldn’t pay until the closure is completely lifted.
Still, it’s taking way too long. Even the Guild knew that.
So, they paid me interest, something not normally included in the request fee.
1000 Oro per day for one month. I received 30,000 Oro.
That’s a huge amount of money for me. I’m saving half of it.
“So, you can use it starting tomorrow. It’s 300 Oro,” Gauro-san said, referring to the Junkyard entrance fee.
“Understood. I’ll be counting on you again starting tomorrow.”
Starting tomorrow, huh? I’m looking forward to it.
And today, I’ll train under the Witch again.
What is this feeling? It’s strange to say it, but I feel like I’m living in a shonen manga right now.
My goal is still, of course, my steadily improving, slightly positive life achieved through hard work.
But lately, I’ve started to feel that I’m not alone anymore.
Maybe it’s because I confessed all my secrets? My mind and body feel quite refreshed.
And then I realize. I was carrying quite a heavy burden all this time.
Well, I confessed the secrets, but the secrets themselves still reside within me and in my pouch.
But the sense of liberation from not having to bear it all alone was exceptional.
“Well then, guess I’ll buy some Assorted Meat and head home today too.”
And vegetables. I need to restock on beans, and get some tea leaves too.
Okay. I’m well-stocked.
The next day.
The town’s Dungeon entrance.
I pay Gauro-san 300 Oro.
“Alright. I know I say this every time, but only up to the second floor. Not that it matters, since it’s sealed off right now.”
Right, it’s physically sealed off.
Was it the Legacy [Barrier Stone]?
I could probably break it with 【Vanish】, but I won’t.
“Understood. I’m heading in.”
“Don’t be late. The time limit is until evening. You can hear the bell, right?”
“Yes.”
This exchange feels nostalgic too.
I pass through the entrance, its rocky surface like the belly of a giant monster.
Suddenly, it became an artificial stone passage. It clearly looked man-made, but it’s different.
The Dungeon is a marvel beyond human comprehension.
I walk past the stairs leading down to the second floor.
A glowing membrane like a lid was stretched over the staircase, and a rope was carefully strung across.
That glowing membrane is the barrier. The stones set up at its four corners are the Barrier Stones.
The barrier’s effect lasts about a day. So the gatekeeper waits before it disappears at the start of the day.
They say the gatekeeper sets up new Barrier Stones once it disappears. Must be tough work.
If you go straight ahead and turn right at the dead end, you suddenly come out into an open area.
Huge amounts of trash are piled up.
This is trash ejected from the Dungeon.
The contents of the trash vary, but a lot of it is equipment from Seekers who died in the Dungeon.
There are also dropped items, lost items, and forgotten items.
Organic waste gets absorbed by the Dungeon.
It’s said to be used as material for the Monsters within the Dungeon.
What unpleasant recycling.
This is my workplace.
The Dungeon’s Junkyard.
Several kids were already scavenging here.
This sight… feels somehow nostalgic.
I might get a little sentimental.
I looked around and noticed something was slightly different.
Several trash heaps had collapsed. That must be the aftermath of Mr. Agaro’s fight.
It wasn’t a big deal, but it caught my attention. Better than that tragedy, I suppose.
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
I psyched myself up a bit. Took a deep breath.
A strange tension filled my heart. It’s been a while, so I’m excited.
I use the Relic [Wheel of Fortune].
This is a Relic that indicates valuable items with colored light.
Green is Rare.
Yellow is Super Rare.
Blue is Super Ultra Rare.
The Elixir Sacred Egg I have is blue.
With the Relic active, I scan the surroundings.
“Green. Yellow. Green. Green. Green. Yellow.”
No blue after all, huh?
“Green. Green. Yellow. Green. Purple. Green. Green. Yellow, huh?”
Is this it? Yeah, this is about right.
I gave a wry smile at the unchanging Junkyard— Wait. Hold on.
Just now, didn’t I see something… strange… Huh?
I froze. My breath caught.
I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my cheek.
My vision went white. All I could see was that light.
Faint, yet undeniably, that light was there amidst the trash.
It was a purple light.