Chapter 35: Returning Home, and Then a Visitor
“Well then, we’ll be ending our stream here. Thank you all for your support.”
《Otsu!》
《Otsu》
《Stream again soon!》
《Bye-bye!》
《See ya!》
《Good work~》
《Tama-chan, you better make some progress by the next one!》
Otama-chan turned off the drone, folded it up, and put it in her pouch.
“Alright, let’s go home, Ko-chan.”
“Yeah.”
We climbed the stairs at the Ota Dungeon entrance, heading for the surface.
Yamada-san and her group were also heading for the exit; they said they’d be back to the first floor in about fifteen minutes.
“Now that the stream’s off, I suddenly feel exhausted…”
I guess I was more conscious of being watched than I thought.
Maybe it’s because I’ve let my guard down, or because I’m out of MP, but my head is spinning.
“I’m tired too. Hey, but you know…”
Otama-chan smiled happily.
“Isn’t this the kind of tiredness you feel after a school trip?”
“You’re pretty carefree…”
“Ehh, you get what I mean, right?”
“…Yeah, I guess.”
I know what she means.
Looking back on today, so many things happened.
There were tough and painful moments, but more than that, I gained a lot of memories and experiences.
I’m sure I’ll never forget what happened today.
“I’ll never forget today for the rest of my life. How you came to save me, Ko-chan, and how we defeated the dragon together.”
“…What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Really?”
“—Yeah.”
…Happy memories from when I was little.
The day I first caught a cicada, or the day I played in the river.
Just like those, “the day Otama-chan and I defeated the dragon” is now etched into my heart.
As one of my beautiful, sparkling, gem-like memories.
And only now do I realize it.
“Even as an adult, you can still make new memories…”
Those gray days when I used to deny myself.
Contradictory days where a single day felt unbearably long, yet a year would pass in the blink of an eye.
I thought it was normal for adults to live every day like that.
But that wasn’t the case.
There are still fun things waiting for us.
Otama-chan grinned,
“Let’s make more memories together next time, okay?”
She held out her left hand, her pinky finger extended.
I…
“—Yeah, it’s a promise.”
We made a pinky promise and left Ota Dungeon.
☆★☆
While we were resting in the waiting area of the Gunma Prefecture Explorer Association – Ota Dungeon Branch, we heard footsteps coming from the entrance.
Clack, clack, clack, clack…
“Ah, Yamada-san!”
It was Yamada-san, Jonuma-san, and Tatara-san from the Association.
“Good work out there!”
Otama-chan stood up, waving her hand cheerfully and carefree.
“Omogawa…san…”
Then, Yamada-san rushed over to Otama-chan,
“Omogawa-san…!!”
—and hugged her tightly.
“Wh-What’s wrong, Yamada-san…? Th-This is embarrassing…”
Yamada-san buried her face in Otama-chan’s shoulder.
“I’m so sorry… Because of my carelessness, you had to go through that…”
“H-Huh? It’s not your fault, Yamada-san. Wasn’t I the careless one?”
“No, I should have noticed that trap… I have a skill that allows me to do just that…”
“Wait, Yamada-san, are you crying?”
“Yes, I am… Because you’re my precious partner…”
“Yamada-san…”
“You have no idea how worried I was, how much I regretted my carelessness… Even with the Green Dragon fight, if only I had been there…”
“W-Wha… Now I’m starting to cry too… Uuu… I’m always causing you trouble, Yamada-san, I’m so sorry…! Waaaaah…”
“It’s alright, Omogawa-san… As long as you get stronger, little by little…”
Unable to say anything, I just stood there near the sofa.
Then, the two from the Gunma Prefecture Explorer Association came over to me.
“Natsume-kun, we owe you one for this,” Jonuma-san said.
“Thank you very much for saving Tamaki-san,” Tatara-san added.
“No, I just did what I wanted to do.”
“That’s admirable,” Jonuma-san remarked. “…Natsume-kun, your movement skill alone is amazing, but your combat power is high too. We’d love for you to join the Gunma Prefecture Association, but…”
“Fufu, we’d have Tamaki-san storming in here, telling us not to take her Ko-chan,” Tatara-san chuckled.
“Yeah, you’re right…” Jonuma-san conceded.
Jonuma-san scratched the back of her head. Pori pori.
“Well, if you get the chance, lend us a hand with our work, ‘kay? You’re always welcome.”
“Please get along with Tamaki-san too,” Tatara-san requested.
“…Understood.”
“Alright, head home with that Omogawa girl today,” Jonuma-san said. “Natsume-kun, how did you get here? Oh, speaking of which, wasn’t the gate to the dungeon grounds closed?”
“…Yes,” Tatara-san confirmed. “The dungeon entrance was also set so it wouldn’t open for Natsume-san’s license category…”
“Which means… you flew in from outside the dungeon?” Jonuma-san exclaimed. “But the inside of a dungeon is a whole other world… If you can do that, it’s beyond 【Spatial Transfer】. It’s 【Dimensional Transfer】…! That’d be a world-first skill…!!”
“If we check the entry records for both gates, we’ll know the answer…” Tatara-san murmured.
“Ah, um…”
To think it would be exposed this easily.
The intuition of veteran Explorers is terrifying…
I thought my life was just beginning, but perhaps days of being hounded by various things are about to start again…
Just as I was thinking that.
“Natsume-san, please don’t make such a face,” Tatara-san said gently.
“Yeah,” Jonuma-san chimed in. “The media will probably gather here soon. We’ll tell them something appropriate for the press.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
“…However,” Jonuma-san continued, “we also have our roles as dungeon administrators. We have to report accurately to the prefectural office and the country. I hope you can forgive us for that. Of course, we’ll make sure to emphasize careful handling of the information.”
“…I understand.”
I guess that much can’t be helped.
Otherwise, it would become a liability issue for the Gunma Prefecture Explorer Association.
“Alright, now that we understand the situation, you should head home before the media arrives,” Jonuma-san said. “The station’s nearby, so a taxi will come quickly. You helped us out, so I’ll cover the fare.”
“Thank you very much.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t even bring my wallet.
I gratefully accepted Jonuma-san’s kind offer and decided to head home with Otama-chan.
☆★☆
“I’m home—”
When I got home, my mother was on the landline, calling someone.
“So tired…”
As I passed behind my mother, intending to lie down in my room, I overheard her conversation.
“Yes… yes. It’s a burglar. Yes, the passbook is safe, but everything in the fridge and all the food… Look, never mind the details, just send a patrol car quickly!”
“W-Waaah!! That’s not necessary!!”
…And so, my day ended as chaotically as it had been throughout.
☆★☆
—The next day.
Ding-dong.
“Coming~”
The doorbell rang, and I headed for the entrance.
It’s probably Otama-chan.
Today, we’re supposed to formally report the details of what happened in Ota Dungeon to the Explorer Association.
Otama-chan said she’d come pick me up by car when it was time.
“Opening up now—”
Click…
When I opened the door, there stood…
“G-Good morning!! Kouichi-san!!”
“…Eh?”
—A beautiful woman I didn’t know, wearing a black, dress-like outfit.
She had silky, long black hair and striking, large, double-lidded eyes.
Ignoring my confusion, she looked up at me with upturned eyes and asked.
“Um… Don’t you… want a cute child?”