“No, no, no, isn’t that practically a monster!”
The president exclaimed in amazement.
“Wonderful! Truly wonderful, Yuma-kun!!”
On the contrary, Aisha grinned, squatted down, and stroked Yuma, who had become a Metal Slime, as if he were a beloved dog, saying, “Good boy, good boy.”
“This is interesting! To think you had such an ability!!”
“H-haah…”
Yuma, bewildered by Aisha nuzzling against him, returned to his human form. Then, Aisha immediately took Yuma’s hand.
“If you’re here, the investigation of the Black Dungeon will progress rapidly! Won’t you please enter the Black Dungeon with me?”
“Eh, the Black Dungeon? But, isn’t the regulation strict there, and you can’t enter without permission…”
Hearing that, Aisha smiled mischievously.
“I am one of the few researchers who have received permission to enter the Black Dungeon. And I can’t dive deep into the Dungeon alone. So, of course, the Seeker who goes with me will also be granted permission to enter the Black Dungeon. There’s no problem, right?”
“I-is that so?”
“D-Minor has put out an exploration request for the Black Dungeon. You’ll come with me, right, Yuma-kun!”
“Ah, well, the president decides the company’s matters, so…”
He glanced at the president, who still seemed confused.
“Kotaro! It’s fine, isn’t it? I’ve been requesting the exploration of the Black Dungeon for a while now. You’ll take it together with Yuma-kun!”
“Eh? B-but…”
“No buts! How many favors do you think you owe me? I’ll have you pay them all back at once!!”
“Ugh… that’s…”
Ignoring the president, who was at a loss for words, Aisha turned a beaming smile to Yuma.
“As promised, I’ll protect your secret. In return, I want you to cooperate with my investigation. It’s not that difficult, you know.”
“Haa… I understand.”
“So, that Dungeon disappeared after you defeated the Deca Slime, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“How many days after finding the Hole was that?”
“Umm, 413 days later. I heard about Elevator Dungeons from the president and the others, so I thought maybe the Hole in my garden might be an Elevator type…”
“Elevator type… Certainly, there was such a rumor. Well, it’s just hearsay.”
Aisha chuckled and, stroking her chin, shifted her gaze somewhere far away.
In her stead, the president peered into Yuma’s face.
“What is it, Yuma? Were you taking such stories seriously? I told you it was just a tall tale, didn’t I?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
Yuma scratched his head with a sheepish grin, and then Aisha called out to him.
“Oh, right, Yuma-kun. I promised to explain the results of your physical examination in detail, didn’t I?”
“Ah, yes.”
Yuma straightened his posture.
“In conclusion, your Mana has a very difficult nature to measure. Probably because you defeated such a special monster like a Metal Slime.”
“Ah, I see.”
“My Mana Measurement Device could somehow measure it, but even that’s not perfect. I can’t measure your Mana accurately either.”
The president said, “Huh?” and made a dubious face. But Aisha continued talking without minding him.
“What I roughly understood is that your Mana Index is about 200.”
“Eh!? It’s that high?”
“Yes, it is. Well, it can only be measured with my Measuring Device, though.”
Contrary to Yuma, who was delighted, the president butted in at Aisha, saying, “Hey, hey.”
“What do you mean? You said you could measure Mana—”
Aisha’s elbow stabbed into the president’s side with a thud. “Ugh!?” The president groaned in agony, and Aisha said, “Come here for a bit,” and led him out of the room.
“What’s wrong?”
When Yuma asked, Aisha replied with a smile, “It’s nothing. Just wait here,”
◇◇◇
“Hey! What’s with the Mana being 200? That’s a complete lie!!”
“Are you an idiot? Are you going to tell him the truth, then? Don’t you understand what will happen if you do?”
“What will happen… what do you mean?”
Aisha sighed. She leaned against the wall with a “well, well” and crossed her arms.
“Think about it. If we told Mitaka that he has 460,000 Mana, what do you think he would do? Naturally, he would try to move to a big company that would pay him well.”
“Big company… but you said it can only be measured with your Mana Measurement Device, right? Then you can’t prove that he has a lot of Mana, can you?”
“You’re so naive. There are plenty of ways to prove it. The easiest way is to use magic on the ground. You taught him how to use magic, didn’t you?”
“Ah…”
“What would happen if he showed that at a company interview? It would cause a big commotion, and they would try to measure his Mana no matter what. If a big company puts its effort into it, they can create a special Measuring Device right away!”
“Ugh… that might be true.”
“Listen! Never tell Mitaka the truth. He might bring enormous profits to your company, and he’s the best research subject for me. I can’t let him go!!”
Aisha’s eyes became bloodshot and filled with madness.
“If you say anything unnecessary to Mitaka and interfere with my research, I’ll kill you.”
“O-okay…”
Because they had known each other for a long time, he understood. She was serious. She really meant it.
Aisha returned to the room where Yuma was, with an eerie smile.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuma-kun.”
Seeing Aisha’s ingratiating voice, Kanzaki vowed in his heart never to go against her.