Episode 58: A Proposal from Aisha
In the early morning, Yuma, on his way to work by train, gripped a pole near the door and gazed out the window.
Amidst the moderately crowded train, Yuma pondered, watching the scenery flow by.
–Well, there’s no way the hole in my garden is the world’s deepest Dungeon… The president and Tanaka-san also said that the elevator-type Dungeon is just a rumor.
More importantly, there’s no way I could defeat the monsters in such a deep place. What’s more important is magic.
After using magic at the company, I went to the Blue Dungeon with Tanaka-san and tried using magic there as well.
Just as the president said, magic is much easier to use inside the Dungeon.
Tanaka-san was pleased, saying, “You’re doing great!” The next day, I entered the Dungeon again, defeated a frog, and then received instruction on how to use magic.
It seems I can’t make it fly yet because my Magical Power is still weak, but I’m currently practicing changing the size of water spheres, and making them appear and disappear. It’s quite enjoyable practice.
Even so, when I told Tanaka-san that I could use magic at the company, he laughed it off, saying, “No way!” Do I really look that untalented?
Well, whatever. Once my Water Mana increases a bit more, it seems I’ll be able to use Magic Enchanted Armaments, and if I do, I might be able to be active in the Red Dungeon as well.
Yuma grinned creepily and got off the train at Kashiwa Station.
◇◇◇
“Yuma, let’s go see Aisha!”
“Eh? To see Aisha-san?”
Yuma, who had arrived at work, was surprised when the president called out to him. He naturally thought he would be going to the Blue Dungeon today.
“The data from the Physical Examination we did the other day is out. I thought we should both go and hear about it, considering what’s to come.”
“Ah, is that so?”
I see. Certainly, I hadn’t heard the details, such as what my Mana Index was. I don’t know if my Mana is just hard to increase, or if it’s just hard to measure.
It would be helpful if I could get more information.
“Understood. Let’s go!”
Yuma agreed without hesitation.
◇◇◇
It takes about an hour to get from Kashiwa City in Chiba Prefecture, where the company is located, to Ota Ward in Tokyo, where the Laboratory is located, via Metropolitan Expressway Route 6.
He got out of the car parked on the Laboratory grounds and looked up at the building.
As always, it looks like a dilapidated, corrugated iron factory. He entered inside with the president and went up the stairs.
“Hey! We’re here, Aisha.”
“Excuse me.”
When he entered the room, Aisha was waiting there.
She had both hands in the pockets of her lab coat and was looking at them while standing.
A slender figure with well-defined features. The dark circles under her eyes are still terrible, but unlike before, she had a cheerful smile.
“Hello, Yuma-kun. Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you.”
While perplexed by Aisha’s obviously different demeanor, Yuma sat down on the sofa she gestured to.
Aisha sat opposite him, and the president sat next to her.
The fidgety president cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“Yuma… are you hiding something from us?”
“Eh?”
Yuma’s heart skipped a beat. Why would he suddenly ask that!? Yuma hurriedly tried to gloss over it.
“N-no, I don’t have anything to hide.”
What? Did I do something strange!? As Yuma’s mind raced, Aisha spoke up this time.
“Actually, we found something a little strange in the Physical Examination we did the other day.”
“S-something strange?”
Yuma swallowed hard.
“You… you’ve been ingesting Demon Ore. A lot of it, too.”
Aaaaaah! I’ve been found out!! And completely at that!!
T-this is bad. I have to somehow deceive them.
“W-w-w-what are you talking about? I have no idea…”
His articulation was already failing, and a large amount of sweat was forming on his forehead.
Even so, he couldn’t let them find out. If they did, he would definitely be arrested.
“Hey, Yuma… listen…”
“Wait.”
Aisha stopped the president, who was about to say something, with a hand gesture and glared at him.
“I’ll talk here. Okay?”
“O-okay…”
Perhaps overwhelmed by her intensity, the president obediently backed down.
“Yuma-kun, there must be a reason why you don’t want to talk about it, of course. Forcing you to tell us would be a very presumptuous request.”
Aisha wore a gentle expression. But the depths of her eyes seemed to gleam.
“So I think we should take on some risk as well.”
“R-risk?”
He didn’t quite understand what she was saying. The president next to him seemed perplexed as well.
“You’re hiding something related to Dungeons. But as a researcher, I really want to know what it is. So–“
Aisha placed a piece of paper on the table.
“This is my proposal. Mitaka Yuma-kun.”