☆★☆【side: First Penguins】☆★☆
We rush down the stairs towards the 20th floor.
“Just you wait…!”
My party members remain silent, only the sound of our footsteps echoing as we descend.
Natsume and his crew are probably trying to destroy the Stone Guardian’s rocky outer shell right about now.
The national Explorers’ officers won’t give me information openly, so unless I ask, I won’t know Natsume’s situation.
Asking for information about Natsume grates on me, so I don’t intend to ask.
Also, there might be comments on the stream, but I decided that looking at the late majority’s ravings would be bad for my mental health, so I stopped watching.
But—I, with my accumulated experience, know.
Whether it’s a grasshopper or an ant, the Stone Guardian isn’t a monster that insects can defeat.
Right now, they’re probably being trampled by its rocky feet, getting along with the insects.
The realistic scenario is probably their party being annihilated and crying out.
“As long as 【Spatial Transfer】 is still alive, I don’t care about the rest…!!”
And so, when we arrived on the 20th floor.
The scene that unfolded before our eyes was—.
“Hey, Harmin-sama! Don’t take the last fried potato with your shadow hand!”
“Hmph… don’t be stingy. Parsimony is a sin.”
“Kyui! Kyui!”
“Sorry, we ran out of Mister Donut. I’ll buy some on the way back.”
“Karl-chan the Imomushi is so cute.”
“Wh—”
It was a party of four small fries, lounging on a magic stone the size of a round sofa.
That huge magic stone, could it be the Stone Guardian’s…!?
Around them, four Ramune bottles were standing.
“Those guys… could it be…”
Were they having a victory celebration?
☆★☆【side: Team Secret Base】☆★☆
《You’re late www》
《We’re already done here www》
《Last order time has passed, you know… w》
《No after-party! www》
The comments suddenly increased, so when I looked at the entrance to the 20th floor, the members of First Penguins were coming down the stairs.
“Oh, you finally made it.”
I was about to return with 【Wormhole】 after recovering with Elixir Ramune, but somehow a mini-party started.
By the way, the Ramune and snacks were stored in the alternate dimension within 【Wormhole】.
“Hmph… munch, munch… Our victory, I say.”
“Harmin-sama, that’s not cool.”
Shi-chan stands up and bows.
“Natsume-kun’s victory has concluded the test. Thank you for your cooperation today. Please be careful on your way back.”
《The exit is in the back www》
《A quick turnaround www》
《A fruitless exploration w》
《The sadness of being told to go home the moment you arrive》
《Well, since you’re here, why not grab some gyoza in front of the station www》
“Hey, hey, what about the drop items?”
“The magic stone is cashed in and divided into four, and the gems are one each, right?”
“I feel bad since I didn’t fight…”
“Hmph… should I buy the new SEEKERS?”
《No matter how many times I see it, that’s a huge magic stone》
《I wonder how much it’s worth》
《You could buy a full SEEKERS outfit and still have plenty left over》
“Guh…”
Then, Mr. Yagyu said.
“…I don’t accept it…!!”
“Huh…?”
“I don’t accept it!! You guys cheated!! You used the 【Spatial Transfer】 skill to take a shortcut!! The test is invalid!!”
《I’ve been watching the whole time, they didn’t use it》
《They were just really knowledgeable about dungeon攻略》
《Seriously, you guys are the ones cheating!!》
《The Sealing Crystal thing, it’s been exposed》
《Hey, Yagyu! The fixed camera caught you breaking the pair crystal to activate it!》
《Coward!》
《Shame on you!!》
《That’s the worst》
《Unforgivable!》
《You’re going to get arrested when you leave the dungeon》
“Guh…!”
“What’s a Sealing Crystal…?”
I muttered, since I didn’t know the term.
Then, comments poured in like a mountain.
《A crystal that can capture or release monsters》
《The Ghost Knights on the 15th floor were the penguins’ doing》
《It’s a rare item, so it’s no wonder you don’t know it》
《They might have activated it to kill Ko-chan》
《We’re all on Ko-chan’s team》
《Leave the information war with those guys to us!!》
《It’s a festival!》
“I see…”
I turn to Shi-chan.
“I thought there was a possibility… but I can’t say for sure. We need to clarify it in the investigation that follows.”
“Nonsense…!”
Then, Mr. Yagyu drew two swords.
“Shut up, you late majority trash!! No matter what, I don’t accept this test result!! I haven’t lost!!”
《Hey, what about the Sealing Crystal thing?》
《Stop changing the subject》
《Trying to cover it up with a loud voice》
《Seriously, you got crushed》
《Total defeat》
《Admit it》
《Yagyu-kun can’t win even when cheating, tsk tsk》
《Petty guy》
《Damage score: 8971 to 0, Ko-chan’s team wins! Thank you!》
Shi-chan steps in front of me and says.
“Please put away your swords. The test is over.”
《That’s right!》
《It’s all over! The test, and you!》
“Shut up! What’s with this time attack anyway! You can’t measure an Explorer’s ability with that!!”
《But you were just doing it》
《Whining when you lose… I’ve seen guys like that before》
《Ko-chan, don’t bother with him》
“An Explorer’s qualification is combat ability! It’s laughable that someone inferior to me thinks they’ve won against me! I’ll give you a test!! Draw your sword!! I’m the proctor for this test!!!”
“Um… that understanding is wrong…”
When the national Explorer accompanying First Penguins tried to interject, Mr. Yagyu.
“Shut up!!”
“Hii—”
He blew away the Explorer with something like an aura.
“Tch… I ended up showing my 【Shockwave】 because of you damn trash. Oh well. It’s a good handicap. Come on, 【Spatial Transfer】. This is the real A-Rank Party certification test. I’ll broadcast your incompetence to the whole country.”
“But, you’re not the proctor…”
When Shi-chan protested.
“Leech. Your understanding is wrong. Look at this. I am the proctor.”
Saying that, Mr. Yagyu showed off a card.
“A proctor’s ID…! How…!”
“I got it from your boss. Didn’t you hear the rules? On the way back, I was supposed to be the proctor and assess Natsume, right? That’s why I needed it… But, this card doesn’t say when I become the proctor. In other words, I’m still the proctor now.”
《What the heck》
《Your work is too sloppy》
《Incompetent》
“Running away, Natsume? Are you having fun pretending to be the boss surrounded by stupid women?”
“…Huh?”
What did he just say about my friends?
“Didn’t you hear me? A fraud pretending to be an A-Rank Explorer, a woman who looks like she has a weak mind, a leech trying to become an A-Rank Party without doing anything…! I’m asking if it’s fun pretending to be the boss surrounded by that kind of trash.”
“You…!”
I take a step forward.
“Na, Natsume-kun, no! There’s no need to deal with him! The test is already over!”
Shi-chan grabs the hem of my clothes.
But I don’t stop.
I don’t intend to stop.
“…What are the rules?”
“Simple. A one-on-one fight between me and you. The one who surrenders loses. That’s all.”
《A-Rank Party has nothing to do with it》
《Trash test》
《Anything goes》
《Because of an incompetent boss…》
“If you lose, kneel down and apologize. Say that you cheated and violated the rules to gain a false victory, and caused trouble for the First Penguins.”
《Meaningless》
《Trash proctor》
《So embarrassing after getting crushed!》
“Ko-chan, are you really going to do it…?”
“—I’ll do it. I don’t intend to lose.”
I can’t forgive him for making fun of everyone.
“Good courage, you damn trash. Pretending to be the boss ends today… From now on, you’ll be working under me for the rest of your life!”
Saying that, Yagyu held a sword in each hand and charged at me.
“Dieeeee!!”
There, I.
“—Skill 【Godspeed】, activate.”
In an instant, I closed the distance with the enemy and knocked away Yagyu’s twin swords with my own sword.
“Ha…!?!”
Clang! Clatter…!
Yagyu’s twin swords roll on the ground.
I point my sword at Yagyu, who has fallen on his butt.
“…Is this good enough?”
“Yo, you…! I can’t see the speed of me, level 45…! Just what are you…”
—45, huh.
And yet, he was acting so high and mighty.
“My level is 50. Sorry, I didn’t mean to bully the weak.”
《50!!》
《Too strong!》
《50 on the second exploration!??》
《Ababababa》
“You’ll admit defeat, right, proctor?”
“Wh, who would to you…”
At that moment, I materialized the giant stag beetle I had hidden in the shadows, its pincers enveloping Yagyu’s neck.
Gachii!
It might be a little thorny, but the stag beetle collar is complete.
“Hii…!”
“You’ll give us the win, right, proctor?”
“N-No way…!”
“One more push, perhaps…”
“N-No…! That’s not what I meant…!”
“…Mass Assault Plus.”
Countless grasshoppers appeared before me, swarming up from Yagyu’s feet towards his face.
“Hyaa, Hyaaaa…”
《Gross》
《Gross》
《OMG》
《Gyaaaa!》
“I’ve gotten slightly better at controlling these migratory locusts since I caught them, but I haven’t tested how much they can endure. …I’ll ask one more time, will you approve our promotion to an A-Rank Party, proctor?”
Nod, nod.
I thought Yagyu nodded slightly…
But it’s hard to tell with the stag beetle’s pincers acting as a collar.
“Your reaction is too subtle to understand, but won’t you approve it? If you need another push, I have rhinoceros beetles that can…”
“…Mibodebabuzu.”
“Huh…?”
“I approve it! I approve of your, your A-Rank Party promotion!! So, please, get rid of these!! I’m scared!!”
Yagyu declared our success while crying.
“I’m glad… I thought we wouldn’t get approved. Thank you for the exam.”
“Quickly, quickly…!”
When I returned the insects to the other dimension, Yagyu’s lower body, which had been covered in grasshoppers, became visible again.
Then.
《A little stain》
《Did his little eye cry too?》
《Oh no》
《Do not stream this》
《Might be the lighting. Safe》
…In any case, it seems we have now completely passed.
All that’s left is to go home.