Chapter 43: Time to Say Goodbye
“Here, this is for you, Ko-chin.”
Manamin offered me a bottle of ramune.
It certainly looked well-chilled and delicious.
The mouth was also made of glass, and a marble was packed in as a stopper.
But, seeing this, Shi-chan said worriedly, “Hey, Manamin… I’m a little worried, is this really ramune…?”
“Yeah, I’m a bit curious too…” Otama-chan added. “It’s not some weird medicine, is it? It was in the dungeon’s refrigerator, right…?”
Then, Manamin said, “It’s fine. I have an idea.”
“An idea?”
“That’s right. Well, it’s a kind of appraisal.”
“You can do something like that?”
Manamin knows a lot. I’m a little impressed.
Then, Manamin said, “Alright, Ko-chin. First, try drinking it.”
“H-Huh?”
A voice like Otama-chan’s escaped me.
“Why me…”
“Because you have the 【Poison Absorption】 skill, right, Ko-chin? Even if it’s poison, you’ll be safe. Here, use this to push the marble down. This was in the fridge too.”
Manamin handed me a wooden marble pusher.
“Ugh…”
So I’m the poison taster. It seems logical, yet somehow not…
Seeing my reaction, Manamin said, looking up at me, “My wonderful Pa-pa. Thank you for your hard work. Please have it while it’s cold?”
“…Honestly.”
She’s incorrigible.
Well, this is our Private Dungeon; dangerous things probably won’t be generated.
…Besides, the chilled ramune looks delicious.
Pssh!!
I pushed in the marble and opened the ramune.
“N-Natsume-kun… you don’t have to force yourself, you know?” Shi-chan asked.
“Well, it’ll be fine.”
I tilted the light blue bottle and took a mouthful of the carbonated liquid.
“A-Are you okay? Ko-chan?” Otama-chan asked.
“…Yeah, there’s no poison. In fact…”
Rather.
“It’s amazing. Too amazing.”
“Really?”
“Seriously, what is this? I’ve never drunk anything this good.”
I tilted the bottle again.
The taste is similar to store-bought ramune, but how do I put it… it’s like it seeps into your very core, or like it blows away all fatigue…
“Kehkeh, well then, shall I have some too?” Manamin chuckled.
“Ah, Manamin, you’re not playing fair!” cried Otama-chan.
“Then, I will too…” said Shi-chan.
Pssh!
Pssh!
Pssh!
“Gah, I spilled a little!!” Otama-chan shrieked.
“Tama-chan, are you okay? Want to use a handkerchief?” Shi-chan asked.
“Ah, thank you, Shi-chan.”
…And so, we sat on the veranda and started drinking ramune.
The summer sky was blue and beautiful.
Maybe I’ll bring a wind chime next time.
“What is this, it’s the best!!” exclaimed Otama-chan.
“This is good… First time I’ve drunk this,” Manamin remarked.
Otama-chan and Manamin were dangling their legs off the veranda.
Shi-chan stared at the liquid with its rising bubbles, then put the bottle to her lips and tilted it.
“Gulp gulp… Ack, cough cough!!”
“Hey, are you alright?” I asked.
“Shi-chan, you can’t drink it all at once, okay?” Otama-chan advised.
It seems Shi-chan choked. She pressed a handkerchief to her mouth.
“S-Sorry. More importantly, Natsume-kun, Tama-chan, didn’t you notice?”
“Notice what?” I asked.
“Was there something bad in the ramune?” Manamin questioned.
“No, it’s the opposite.”
“Opposite?”
Shi-chan held the ramune bottle up to the sun and said, “This ramune… it’s an Elixir.”
“An E-Elixir!?”
The one that’s said to cost millions of yen per bottle, that one!?
“Yeah… The normal ones don’t have flavor or carbonation, but this seems to be an Elixir processed into ramune.”
“How extravagant…” Manamin muttered.
“Eh, I spilled a little, you know!?” Otama-chan cried.
“I’ve pretty much drunk all of mine… If I resold it…” Manamin lamented.
“What should I do, maybe I shouldn’t have drunk this… My MP was full…” Shi-chan fretted.
…Everyone seems to have their own thoughts on the matter.
Well, I can certainly understand how they feel.
If it were me back when I was working at the company, if I found out I’d used up several million yen in an instant, I probably wouldn’t have recovered for a while.
But, the me now is…
I took a sip of ramune.
“Puhaa! This really is delicious.”
“Ko-chan…?” Otama-chan said, tilting her head.
“…Everyone, since we have the chance, let’s enjoy the moment. We’ve already opened them, and besides, drinking Elixirs on the veranda, isn’t that a once-in-a-lifetime memory?”
“Ko-chan, you say such nice things!” Otama-chan beamed.
“It’s a bit modest for a celebration, but we can drink like this even with busy Shi-chan.”
“Natsume-kun…” Shi-chan murmured.
“Come on, let’s live it up.”
“I would’ve preferred the big money…” Manamin grumbled.
“Geez, Manamin, you’re so noisy! You brought it yourself in the first place!” Otama-chan retorted.
“That’s why I’m shocked, because I know that…” Manamin sighed.
I tried to encourage Manamin. “Well, won’t it respawn in the fridge eventually? When it does, you can do whatever you want with your share.”
They say medicinal herbs that grow wild in dungeons grow back even if you pick them, so I figure it’s the same for the ramune.
“Well… I guess so. You’re right… Alright.” Manamin conceded. She tilted the bottle to the very end and drank up the ramune.
“Kuuuh! Delicious!! It brings tears to my eyes!!”
“Gulp gulp… Yeah, it’s tasty,” Shi-chan said softly.
“Delish!” Otama-chan chirped.
“This is the best,” I agreed.
Miiiin, min min min…
With the sound of cicadas as our BGM, we spent a leisurely time.
☆★☆
After that, I ended up giving Manamin and Shi-chan a tour of the Private Dungeon.
Just in case, I checked the large tree behind the shrine, but there was no change to the hole that seemed to be the entrance to the second floor.
However.
Bwoin!
Encyclopedia No. 54/251
Name: Ruribane Stag Beetle
Rarity: ★★
Capture Skill: Bug Sumo (Grants Stag Beetle Ice Attack and Area Expansion), Attack +5 (First-Time Bonus)
Capture EXP: 600
Drop Item: Magic Stone (Medium)
“…Yes!”
There was a stag beetle I’d never seen before on the shrine’s large tree.
“You’re lucky, Ko-chan,” Otama-chan said.
“Natsume-kun, does this mean you can use ice techniques now…?” Shi-chan asked.
“Yeah, shall we try it out? Let’s head over to the river.”
If you head north from behind the shrine, there’s a river flowing.
I summoned the stag beetle from the subspace and tried using the 《Ice Attack》 and 《Area Expansion》 I had just learned.
When the stag beetle swung its pincers once…
“Woah…”
The river water froze over an area of about 5 meters in an instant.
“Amazing… It’s like 【Ice Magic】…” Shi-chan marveled.
“So now you can use ice and fire…” Otama-chan added.
“And this is with me holding back on 《Area Expansion》. The stag beetle has gotten quite skillful.”
I’m starting to want to try using the rhinoceros beetle soon too.
And so, we took a roundabout path through the forest and returned to the Japanese House area.
On Otama-chan’s magic stone clock, the time indicated was nearly 4 o’clock.
“Is it that late already…? I have to go back to the Association and report to Yamada-san…” Otama-chan said.
“I also have to head back to Tokyo soon…” Shi-chan added.
“Today ended in the blink of an eye…” Manamin sighed.
It’s midday inside the dungeon, but outside, the sun is probably starting to set.
“Somehow, it feels lonely…” I murmured.
Not knowing when the four of us will meet again suddenly makes me feel wistful.
It was fun meeting up with everyone today after so long. The backlash from that is probably hitting me.
“Hey, hey,” Otama-chan said, wiggling her hand. “When we get out of the dungeon, let’s make a LINK group together. We finally got to meet today, and I want to see everyone again.”
“Tamama, that’s a good suggestion,” Manamin agreed.
“Yeah, I’d like that too,” Shi-chan said.
“Alright, then, let’s add each other as friends when we get out,” I proposed.
“Yay!” Otama-chan cheered.
☆★☆
That night, a message arrived in our group LINK.
By the way, the group name was chosen by Otama-chan.
Pikon!
【Team: The 4 Buddies of the Secret Base】
Sasarabashi Shiho: This is Sasarabashi. I arrived safely in Tokyo. Thanks for today, everyone.
Tamaki: Shi-chan! Today was fun, wasn’t it? Let’s meet again!
(Stamp of a bear with a pleased face saying “Satisfied”)
Manami: I had fun too, for the first time in a while. My only regret is the Elixir.
Kouichi: You’re still going on about that…?
Kouichi: This goes for everyone, but if you’re curious, you can enter the Secret Base whenever you want.
Kouichi: Just like old times.
Tamaki: Letting Manamin do as she pleases is dangerous, you know.
Tamaki: Our share might disappear.
Manami: Hmmm… A stuffed bear. A miniature house. A double bed with heart-patterned futons.
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Kouichi: Misclick?
Tamaki: Yeah, sorry!
Tamaki: Manamin, you didn’t have time to wear the Pretear outfit, did you? I want you to wear it soon. I’m sure it’ll be cute!
Manami: Miniature baby bear. Baby crib.
Tamaki: (Stamp of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (A sticker of a bear scattering confetti)
Tamaki: (A sticker of a bear scattering confetti)
Sasarabashi Shiho: Oh, come on, Manamin. That’s not okay.
Sasarabashi Shiho: Oh, by the way.
Kouichi: What’s up?
Sasarabashi Shiho: I’ve been recording my stat values every day with the status meter at Home, but for some reason, I leveled up today.
Sasarabashi Shiho: I haven’t defeated any monsters, so I shouldn’t have gained any experience points.
Sasarabashi Shiho: Could this be thanks to that ramune soda? Or maybe the dungeon itself?
Sasarabashi Shiho: There’s also the possibility that it’s the effect of Natsume-kun’s skill.
Sasarabashi Shiho: If anyone notices anything the next time they enter the dungeon, please let me know.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
[Supplementary Note]
The marble in the ramune soda bottle was the type you can only get out by breaking the bottle!
Partly as a good luck charm in hopes of a restock, I left it in the kitchen without breaking it.