The day after clearing the Dungeon with the high school girl, Kageichi was working on paperwork at home.
It was the creation of a report to be submitted to the Labyrinth Agency.
Dungeon subjugation work is carried out through the Labyrinth Divisions of each prefecture—commonly known as the “Labyrinth Guild”—under the umbrella of the Labyrinth Agency, in the form of Quest recruitment.
It seems that this system was created for the country to manage the entire picture of Dungeons, and to check whether subsidy applications submitted by Dungeon victims are appropriate.
He tapped on the keyboard, writing about yesterday’s events.
Originally, he wanted to hide Kiraboshi’s existence, but considering that Akushichi Nana was arrested and the case would develop into a criminal one, it would be better not to lie about her being there.
Well, it would be necessary to doctor the records a bit.
…Even so.
“What a waste,” Kageichi mused, unusually sentimental.
That high school girl… Kiraboshi was quite a talent.
It would be meaningless if she had no interest in Dungeon subjugation, but if she became a Hunter, she would be a capable one.
Besides, her sensibilities were similar to Kageichi’s in some ways—though she probably wasn’t aware of it herself.
“Alright, done…”
Finishing his work, he stretched lightly and headed to a nearby bento shop.
After exchanging greetings with the usual clerk, now then…
Should he go for the fried chicken bento today, or the stir-fried vegetable bento?
He tended to reach for fried foods, but in his previous life, his health check numbers had been suspicious since he turned thirty-five.
Even though he was about six years younger due to the time slip, there were still concerns about LDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Should he be conscious of it now…?
But then again, he had less Stress compared to his days as a corporate slave, and he was also fighting in Dungeons.
Could it be that he was actually burning calories…?
He wanted to believe he was.
That’s why he would allow himself fried food today… but wouldn’t that easygoing attitude lead to future health problems?
“Sir? You’ve been staring at the menu for quite a while now.”
“My apologies. Life is truly difficult.”
“Are you having that much trouble choosing a bento? How about today’s recommendation?”
Recommended by the clerk, Kageichi ended up ordering the fried shrimp bento as suggested.
As an excuse, he also added a mixed salad and miso soup.
While being seen off by the cute clerk with a “Thank you very much,” Kageichi quietly adjusted his glasses on his nose.
“I am, as expected, a coward and indecisive… it hasn’t improved much in either my previous life or this one.”
He didn’t know how others evaluated Kageichi Futsuu as a person.
But Kageichi himself considered himself to be a very ordinary, average person.
The kind of person you’d bump into every three minutes walking in the city, a very ordinary former Salaryman.
(It’s been two years since I came to this new Japan. My nature hasn’t changed much.)
Letting out a small sigh, Kageichi stopped, looking up at the red light of the pedestrian crossing with no one around.
Then,
Suddenly, thud!
He felt an impact from behind.
A fat man on a bicycle, who had crashed into Kageichi, spat at him.
“Hey, you damn old man! Get out of the way, I’m in a hurry!”
“It’s a red light. And, colliding with people on a bicycle is a violation of traffic laws.”
“Shut up, you wanna get killed?”
“Didn’t you learn to obey traffic rules in elementary school? Ignoring traffic lights is a very dangerous act that can affect people’s lives.”
Thud
“Hogyaa!?”
He pierced the man’s heart with a knife, immediately storing him into his Inventory and causing him to disappear.
Just five seconds.
He was used to the quick work he had honed over two years.
Kageichi sighed, cleaning up the trash of society.
Stop at red lights. Apologize when you bump into people. Didn’t you learn that in elementary school?
Japan is a country ruled by law, so the established rules should be properly followed.
(Seriously, I always get extra work. …Even so, was the fried shrimp bento really the right choice today?)
The light turned green, and Kageichi wondered again if his choice of dinner was really correct—hmm, he groaned.
Damn, he was still an indecisive average person.
When faced with important decisions, he always hesitated.
Thinking about such things, he got off the elevator in his apartment building.
He stopped as he began to walk down the familiar corridor.
There was a figure in front of his home….
The high school blazer he had seen the other day, a pleated skirt.
A girl with sparkling, un-high-school-like square glasses, in a figure that didn’t follow school rules at all—
Kiraboshi Yoshiko noticed Kageichi and quietly lowered her head.
Hmm. What business did she have?
If it was about the police matter, they had already discussed it, and he had told her to call if anything happened, so there was no need to come to his house—he didn’t even remember telling her where he lived.
“Hello, Kiraboshi-san. Is something the matter?”
Asking with the bento in his hand, Kiraboshi quietly fogged up her glasses.
But she immediately raised her face, opened her lips as if summoning her courage,
“…Um. I have a request. …Please make me, um—”
She hesitated for a moment, but still clearly, she said,
“…Your. Disciple!”
“I refuse.”
“Eh!?”
“I do not accept such requests at all. Excuse me.”
Kageichi opened his front door, bowed, and tried to close it.
In that gap,
Gah!
Kiraboshi wedged her foot in.
“…………”
“…………”
As if pleading from the gap in the door, she stared at him—
“…Alright. I’ll hear you out. Could you step away for a moment?”
“You’re going to close the door as soon as I step away, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t do such a rude thing.”
Kiraboshi stepped away.
Kageichi tried to close the door naturally, and her foot was wedged in again.
Hoh. She’s quite something.
“Kageichi-san. I know I’m making an unreasonable request, but you don’t have to be so cold…”
“Coming directly to someone’s home is usually for door-to-door sales or religious proselytizing. And besides, I hate people in the first place.”
“I’m sorry. But there’s something I really want to ask you.”
Kageichi reluctantly gave up as she bowed her head to him.
He wondered if his inability to turn her away was the reason he was a petty commoner, and decided to listen to what she had to say.