The next day, Kageichi took Kiraboshi-san to the entrance of the Dungeon he had accepted the request for.
One of Japan’s Four Great Dungeons, the “Nagi Plains.”
This Dungeon, which spreads out from around Hakata Station, has multiple entrance gates.
The most famous are the Hakata Station Gate and the Tenjin Underground Gate. They are also used as the main gates for ordinary citizens to enter, and Kageichi and Kiraboshi-san mingled with them, presenting their usual Hunter Licenses.
Kiraboshi-san filled out her name and consent form as before, and stepped into the silver vortex beyond the entrance gate—but before she did.
“Kiraboshi-san, please grab my sleeve when entering. I’ll use a Teleport Stone to jump to the middle layer.”
“Teleport Stone?”
“Even the deepest wild Dungeons are only about five floors, but most A-rank and higher Dungeons are over ten floors deep and vast. Teleport Stones are save items to shortcut that movement.”
“The more I hear, the more it sounds like a game.”
“It really was a game, though. By the way, the condition for obtaining a D-rank Hunter License is clearing the lower layer—the 5th floor—of the ‘Nagi Plains.’ Kiraboshi-san, you’re skipping that and challenging the middle layer, so please do your best.”
Taking Kiraboshi-san’s hand, Kageichi poured Magical Power into the white stone and passed through the gate.
Spreading out before them was a vast grassland as far as the eye could see.
Swaying in the breeze, the leisurely pasture-like scenery exuded an atmosphere far removed from a dangerous Dungeon.
“…I can’t help but want to lie down and take a nap,” Kiraboshi-san said.
“That’s permissible in the lower layers, but you can’t let your guard down in the middle layers. Also, the ‘Plains’ stage has a more extensive field than other stages. Of course, there are invisible walls since it’s a Dungeon, but similar scenery continues, so be careful not to get lost.”
Now then, Kageichi rubbed his leather shoes against the ground and opened his Inventory.
“I think you studied in advance, but do you know what kind of Monsters are swarming this time?”
“Yes. One is the Grassland Golem. The other is the Headhunting Rabbit.”
The Grassland Golem is a bipedal Monster with grass and trees entwined all over its body.
It has a body over five meters tall, high attack power and durability, is slow, and burns easily.
Leaving aside its durability, evading its attacks is easy, so it’s not a big deal.
The troublesome one is the “Headhunting Rabbit.”
At first glance, it’s just a cute rabbit, but it hides a highly lethal scythe on its hind legs, and it’s a natural-born Hunter that literally jumps and slices necks.
Even though all damage within the Dungeon is converted into Magical Power, since the neck is a human’s weak point, receiving fatal-class damage is still the same.
Kiraboshi-san continued with a memo in hand.
“Headhunting Rabbits are also characterized by appearing in groups. Some Hunters have lost their lives surrounded before they knew it, while dealing with one or two.”
“In addition, they also have the intelligence to hide in the grass of the Grassland Golems and launch surprise attacks. From that synergistic effect, they have the alias of assassins of the grassland. Furthermore, the quality of the Magic Stones they drop isn’t good either.”
The value of a Magic Stone depends on the amount of Magical Power it contains, but the Magic Stones of Headhunting Rabbits are only worth about the middle of the lower layers.
Grassland Golems drop Magic Stones that match the middle layer, but many people can’t defeat them in the first place because of their high durability, so they are also a difficult opponent.
“…Sensei. I studied in advance, but am I going to be okay? Won’t my head suddenly fly off?”
“Please rest assured. I may be a callous person, but I’m not so inhumane as to have my disciple fight without thinking. I’ve prepared countermeasures.”
“What kind of…?”
Kageichi reached into his Inventory as Kiraboshi-san’s eyes sparkled.
What appeared was something that gleamed with a dull luster—…
…Upper body armor? Or something like that.
The first thing that catches the eye is the steel full-face helmet that covers the entire face.
The neck part connected to it is also fitted with a solid, hard neck guard, and furthermore, the shoulders, arms, wrists, and even the fingertips are all tightly wrapped in steel armor.
…Certainly, it seems like it would prevent attacks to the upper body, including the neck, which the Headhunting Rabbit is good at…
“Kiraboshi-san. This is the optimal equipment against Rabbits & Golems that I came up with. If the rabbit is aiming for the upper body, including the neck, then all you have to do is guard…protect it. All of the rabbit’s attacks are slashes, and there’s no way they can penetrate steel equipment.”
And the Golem’s attacks are slow, so you can just watch and avoid them.
Kageichi explained confidently… and for some reason, Kiraboshi-san was frozen with an ambiguous smile on her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“No,” Kiraboshi-san replied, pulling back slightly, of course, there was a reason.
…The logic is understandable, and I think it’s efficient.
But what Kiraboshi-san is concerned about is not that.
…The design, or rather… the fashion sense…
The top is solid full body armor, but.
The bottom is neatly arranged leather shoes and black slacks, which is extremely incongruous…!
“Sensei… the bottom is still slacks?”
“If you equip the bottom as well, the equipment weight will be added, and your movements will become dull. If you’re thinking about efficiency, it would be better to have hot pants on the bottom with upper body armor, but since there are other Monsters, I can’t neglect the lower body.”
“Isn’t that completely perverted! Or rather, if I wore that, wouldn’t it be upper body armor with a skirt on the bottom!”
Kiraboshi-san imagines her appearance.
The top is full body armor. The bottom is a high school-designated pleated skirt, socks, and loafers.
If a video of it were uploaded to SNS, it would definitely go viral with a thumbnail like, “Mysterious Skirt Armor Appears in Dungeon! A New Type of Monster?!”
I don’t want that. The previous Spacesuit style was still better.
On the verge of tears, Kiraboshi-san desperately pleaded.
“T-That outfit is definitely problematic!… Besides, Kageichi-san. In that outfit, other people in the same profession might mistake you for a Monster, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right! Humans tend to think of anything too different as an enemy!”
People are 80% appearance.
That rule also applies in Dungeons, and this time it’s a joint effort with other Hunters. I’d be in trouble if I got attacked for wearing a bad outfit.
Kageichi put his hand to his chin and thought.
“I see, there’s that way of thinking too… Certainly, it would be a problem if I was mistaken for an enemy. It would be mortifying to be mistaken for a wandering armor type or a living armor.”
“Right? Right?”
“Yes. Then, let’s take further measures.”
Kageichi clapped his hands, released the armor equipment, and reached into his Inventory again.
Kiraboshi-san was relieved that he had listened to her, but that was only for a moment.
He took out from the black space—
A bib-like thing that is often seen at school sports festivals, with strings to hook and secure it…
Kageichi wrote “Human” on it in large black letters,
“This should be no prob—”
“Yes, there is! There’s too much! On the contrary, it’s making it even more suspicious, what’s with the word “Human” on the body of the armor!!!”
“If I write ‘Human,’ I don’t think I’ll be mistaken for a Monster.”
“The logic is right, but it’s too suspicious…! It’s hard to understand!”
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, I’ve mainly been working solo, so I don’t have much knowledge of working with other staff. In that respect, Kiraboshi-san, who is living a school life, may have a head start.”
Kiraboshi-san couldn’t help but hold her head as Kageichi nodded, saying that it was a learning experience.
He’s an amazing Sensei, but sometimes his senses are out of sync with ordinary people.
That’s also part of Sensei’s charm, though…
“Then, what would Kiraboshi-san write?”
“Eh?”
“I understand that ‘Human’ is difficult to understand. But it also feels unnatural to write ‘Colleague’ or ‘Hunter.'”
“Isn’t there a more friendly and approachable word?”
Kiraboshi-san, asked by Kageichi, had to show an example as an active high school girl, and she racked her brains with all her might.
*
Thirty minutes later.
A Hunter was visiting the “Four Seasons Grassland” in the western district of the middle layer of the “Nagi Plains.”
He was a young man who had just obtained a C-rank license, mainly using a short sword and a small shield.
He was not a participant in the sweeping operation, but just happened to be in this area solo—and unfortunately, he was being chased by a group of Headhunting Rabbits.
“Tch…!”
The man lost his balance when a rabbit jumped at him and almost took his head.
As if taking advantage of the opportunity, the rabbits jumped at him, and the young man braced himself with a small shield, thinking that this was bad—
Several arrows flew from his side and pierced the rabbits.
Seeing the Monsters fleeing like rabbits, the young man breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sorry. I don’t know who you are, but thank yo—”
He slowly turned around, thinking that they were probably colleagues—
There was a Creature.
One was a pervert wearing upper body armor, a suit, and leather shoes.
The other was also a complete pervert wearing upper body armor, a skirt, socks, and loafers.
The iron giant approached, its hard armor clanking and clattering, shaking its entire body with each heavy step.
On its chest, the only white part, was written in cute, round letters drawn with a black pen—
“Friends”
—which was utter madness.
“Gyaaaaaaaah! It’s a Monstrosity!”
The man fled like a rabbit.
Seeing this, Kageichi said one thing.
“Kiraboshi-san, anything to say?”
“I-I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Kiraboshi-san shouted with all her might, her face bright red inside the armor.