No one spoke.
Not even when the Boss was defeated, nor when its corpse vanished.
They simply carried out their duties in silence.
Defeating the Boss would cause a gate to appear, leading back to their original world.
Without exchanging words, Keiichiro and the others passed through the gate one by one.
A grassy field spread out before them.
It was the foot of a certain mountain, the place where Keiichiro had entered the gate.
“………………”
When he looked back, the gate was no longer there.
“U-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”
Someone screamed.
Following that, another person raised their voice.
These were shouts of joy.
They were the roars of those who had survived a desperate battle and rediscovered the joy of living.
Within Parties.
Or perhaps, between those who had met for the first time here.
The Adventurers shared their elation.
“We made it back.”
“Yeah.”
Keiichiro bumped fists with Hyodo, who had walked over.
“About this Raid. I’m glad you were here.”
“Likewise. If we didn’t have someone taking command, the fight wouldn’t have ended nearly as smoothly.”
There was no falsehood in Keiichiro’s words.
It was true that Hyodo and the others might have hesitated before the threat of the Death Mantis.
Even so, they stood up by their own will.
And if he hadn’t taken command, the battle likely would have dragged on much longer.
“Hearing you say that makes me feel a little better.”
Hyodo smiled bashfully.
But his expression quickly turned serious—
“Two people… died.”
He murmured.
“Yeah…”
Keiichiro simply nodded.
He couldn’t say they were lives that could have been saved.
For Keiichiro and the others, who weren’t gods, taking the absolute best course of action in that situation had been difficult.
He couldn’t say they were lives that couldn’t be saved.
He couldn’t just—accept it like that.
“But we were able to bring their bodies back properly.”
“…………”
“That’s probably the last bit of happiness for us Adventurers.”
Hyodo looked up at the sky.
Before he knew it, the sky had already darkened, and stars were shining.
Bringing back the bodies.
Many Adventurers don’t even get that.
The death of a member signifies the collapse of a Party.
It wasn’t unusual for them to lack the leeway to retrieve a body.
That’s how the corpses of Adventurers vanish along with the Dungeons.
“Those who died can go home too. Without you, that wouldn’t have been possible.”
—In fact, we might have ended up sleeping in the Dungeon alongside them.
Hyodo laughed jokingly.
“Hey, you!”
Some of the Adventurers shouted towards Keiichiro.
They formed a line and approached, surrounding him.
And then—all of them broke into smiles.
“You were amazing! Are you really C-Rank!?”
“You’ll probably hit B… no, A-Rank soon.”
“Hell, maybe you’ll even hit S-Rank!?”
“Then should we get your autograph now!?”
They slung their arms around Keiichiro’s shoulders.
Rough camaraderie.
Without waiting for his response, the Adventurers got carried away on their own.
“S-Rank…? I’m a [Trapper], you know?”
Keiichiro couldn’t help but ask.
Silence.
When he realized it, the men were staring at Keiichiro with blank expressions.
“? What are you talking about?”
One man spoke, looking utterly confused.
“Who cares if you’re a [Trapper] when you’re that strong?”
“Yeah. We’re talking about how far you can go, not how far a [Trapper] can go.”
They laughed as they said it.
They weren’t seeing Keiichiro as a [Trapper].
They looked past such a job title, saw Keiichiro himself, and judged him for it.
That was surely something Keiichiro had always wished for—
“—Hk—”
And so, Keiichiro—turned his back.
Then, he quietly looked up at the sky.
“…Huh? Big brother, are you maybe cry—”
“That would be tactless.”
“…Yeah, you’re right. Boys don’t cry until their dreams come true, right?”
☆
The outside world was already night.
The Raid team that had finished conquering the Dungeon disbanded on the spot.
Some went straight home.
Others headed into the night city with their comrades.
“Hey.”
“Mm…………”
Amidst this, Keiichiro called out to a single girl.
Usui Tooru.
A comrade who had fought alongside him, and a girl who had played a part in turning the tide of battle.
“Heading home?”
“Mm.”
“You were a great help today.”
Although Tōru was an Adventurer, she was still a child.
It probably wasn’t right to let her stay out too late at night.
Thus, Keiichiro briefly expressed his gratitude.
“…Likewise. Because Kageura-san was there, I felt I could fight. If I were alone… it might have been impossible.”
“Seems like I’m getting told a lot of embarrassing things today…”
He had intended to thank her, but Tōru’s reply ended up making him blush.
“Come to think of it, Usui, you were solo, right?”
“Mm.”
“Want to exchange contact info? We might be able to help each other out.”
Keiichiro took out his phone.
Tōru didn’t have any specific companions.
There were likely inconveniences because of that.
Even so, Keiichiro was somewhat her senior as an Adventurer.
It shouldn’t be entirely without benefit for her either.
“Mm…”
“Connections between Adventurers can be pretty useful, you know?”
“…Acknowledged.”
Perhaps Keiichiro’s words were the final push; Tōru nodded.
Her expression remained blank as ever.
However, she didn’t seem displeased.
“…By the way, Kageura-san. Is it… okay if I ask something right away?”
“Yeah. What is it?”
Tōru spoke while operating her device.
—They had finished exchanging contact information.
“An A-Rank Elixir… If you know where I might find one, please tell me.”
Keiichiro pondered Tōru’s words.
Elixir.
It was one of the things obtainable in Dungeons.
An item effective against injuries and illnesses.
In a way, it might be said to be the Dungeon-sourced item that has brought the most benefit to ordinary people.
—Elixirs have ranks from E to S.
This also corresponds to the rank of the Dungeon where that Elixir can be obtained.
In other words, an A-Rank Elixir could only be obtained from an A-Rank Dungeon, or perhaps from the Boss of a B-Rank Dungeon.
“An Elixir, huh… I don’t have one—but I’ll check with some contacts.”
“…Thank you.”
Tōru bowed her head.
—Truth be told, Adventurers from the capital don’t really have much use for Elixirs.
Considering party balance, most Parties include a Healer.
Even if not, they usually have an acquaintance who’s a Healer and offers cheap treatment.
Therefore, treatment relying on items isn’t really necessary.
As a result, even if they find an Elixir, they often sell it instead of using it.
Keiichiro was no exception and had no Elixirs on hand.
“If it’s A-Rank… trying to buy one through normal channels would cost at least a billion.”
Most A-Rank Elixirs come from Dungeons in the capital.
Therefore, they are rare, and the price skyrockets.
Fundamentally, it’s a panacea effective against both injuries and illnesses.
There are tons of rich people who want them.
It was inevitable that acquiring an Elixir amidst such demand would require a considerable amount of money.
“Mm… It’s out of reach.”
Tōru’s shoulders slumped.
The amount was that far beyond her means.
“Your best bet might be finding someone willing to part with one through connections. Even an A-Rank Adventurer couldn’t come up with that kind of money easily.”
(Though… 【Holy Sword】 could probably manage it.)
Keiichiro thought of his former comrades.
Of the expressionless girl who wielded information networks unknown even to Keiichiro and the others.
Someone like Yukiko probably had contacts who could arrange something.
It was a bit awkward to contact them, but it was the route most likely to yield an Elixir that Keiichiro knew of.
“Anyway, why—”
“My mother… she doesn’t have long.”
“…I see.”
(Needing an A-Rank Elixir means it’s a condition that medicine can’t fix.)
Why was the Elixir needed?
Keiichiro fell silent at the answer to his unspoken question.
An A-Rank Elixir could even restore missing limbs or organs.
Conversely, needing such an item meant her condition must be incredibly severe.
“I’m working hard to save money. But… I don’t think I’ll make it in time.”
Being an Adventurer is a lucrative job.
However, a billion is not an easy sum to earn.
Fighting in high-rank Dungeons requires expensive equipment.
Adventurers have high income but also high expenses.
Even for B-Rank Adventurers, considered top-tier, it wasn’t an amount they could earn in just a year or so.
“So I was hoping for an Item Drop from an A-Rank Boss… but I almost died.”
The exceptional reward due to the nature of the Raid.
And the possibility that an A-Rank Boss might drop an Elixir.
That hope was what had drawn her to this request.
But she hadn’t obtained an Elixir.
Although she received the reward, she couldn’t keep attempting such reckless endeavors.
“Maybe… it’s impossible after all—”
It was just as Tōru voiced her despair.
“Oh my. If it’s an Elixir you need, I wouldn’t mind providing one, you know?”
–It was Akino who interjected.
“Really?”
“Lying in this situation would make me a monster, wouldn’t it?”
“Suppose so.”
He doubted she would tell such a malicious lie.
–Keiichiro didn’t know the details, but he’d heard Akino’s business was related to Adventurers.
Perhaps she had connections for Elixirs because of that.
“If you need it, I shall provide it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Though I will require payment.”
“Ah…”
Tōru wilted.
In the end, it came down to money.
That was the conclusion they had arrived at.
Akino was involved in business.
She wasn’t naive enough to help for free.
But–she wasn’t so harsh as to offer no flexibility to a girl in need.
“Of course, you can pay later. First, heal your mother. We can talk after that.”
He didn’t know if Tōru truly had the ability to repay her.
It was even possible that she and her mother might just disappear.
Even so, Akino said it without hesitation.
Was it kindness out of consideration for Tōru?
Or perhaps, a sign of her confidence that she hadn’t misjudged the other’s character?
“Think of it as buying a connection with a talented Adventurer, and it’s a cheap price to pay. Please pay the fee whenever and however you like. As for the interest… let’s call this encounter sufficient.”
Saying that, Akino turned her back to Tōru.
She started to leave–and then whispered into Keiichiro’s ear.
“…Come to think of it, Keiichiro-sama. I recall that you owe me a favor.”
Akino’s words.
He could guess her intention.
“Hah… You’re quite shrewd, aren’t you?”
“Have you forgotten? Even if I don’t look it, I am a merchant, you know?”
As Keiichiro gave a wry smile, Akino placed a finger on her lips and smiled.
The gesture was alluring–it suited her well.
“–Usui.”
“Mm…”
Keiichiro scratched his head.
Going along with Akino’s scheme, he–
“Hey–how about joining our party?”
He scouted Usui Tōru.
Apparently, Akino held Tōru in high regard.
However, if Akino invited her directly, Tōru would likely find it hard to refuse.
After all, she had to receive the Elixir from Akino.
An offer from someone like her would be tantamount to coercion.
Therefore, Akino prompted Keiichiro to make the invitation.
“Going solo all the time must be tough, right?”
“Mm… Repaying the debt… Guess I have no choice but to work it off…”
If she kept fighting alone like this, it would likely be extremely difficult for Tōru to pay off the debt completely.
Besides, her combat style–Magic Sniper–wasn’t suited for clearing Dungeons solo.
Her finely honed sniping only became meaningful with a front line.
“Should I try negotiating a discount for the help you’ll be providing?”
(Though, Akino probably factored that into her recruitment plan anyway.)
Akino likely had no intention of collecting the full price for the Elixir from the start.
She probably wanted Tōru herself.
The talk about payment was likely just a pretext to maintain a connection even if Tōru refused to join the party.
In that case, she would have surely proposed a way for Tōru to repay the debt without burden, such as hiring her as temporary help.
Reizei Akino wasn’t naive enough to give handouts purely out of charity.
But she wasn’t such a cold girl who only thought about profit, either.
“Mm… Please take care of me.”
In any case, Usui Tōru ended up joining 【Vestige】.
The latter half of Chapter 2 will be a story revolving around Keiichiro’s new ability.