Following Hinata-san out of the guest room, I was led down a hallway and into a spacious living room.
One whole wall of the living room was floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a view of a cluster of skyscrapers towering below. I had already seen the view from the guest room window, but being here really drove it home—this building was incredibly tall. This was what people meant when they talked about "tower mansions."
To live in a place like this—as expected of the Headshot Yakuza!!
The Headshot Yakuza himself was currently sitting on an expensive-looking sofa, quietly sipping coffee.
He wasn't wearing his usual suit, but he was dressed in a crisp, starched shirt and slacks. Perhaps because he was so tall, the look suited him perfectly. As expected of the Headshot Yakuza! He looked damn good!!
By the way, since we weren't in a Dungeon, the Headshot Yakuza’s Intimidation-type Passive Skills weren't active like they had been when we first met.
I didn't freeze up in fear this time, but... as expected of the Headshot Yakuza, facing him like this was still naturally terrifying.
How should I put it? He radiated a cold, detached, and violent aura that clearly didn't belong to a law-abiding citizen. It was a heavy pressure that made you certain he had killed people regardless of whether a Dungeon was involved.
Meanwhile, there was another person in the living room besides the Headshot Yakuza.
A beautiful woman in a silver-haired maid outfit—the familiar Mito-san.
It seemed Mito-san had been serving the Headshot Yakuza. On the low table in front of him, she was in the middle of placing down several cups, presumably for us.
After finishing with the cups, Mito-san turned toward us.
"My, my, that seemed like quite a long discussion, didn't it?"
"I-I'm so sorry! We didn't mean to keep you waiting..."
"No, no, there is no need to worry. I have just finished brewing the coffee. Hinata-san, Samejima-kun, please, both of you take a seat."
Hinata-san apologized, and Mito-san gestured for us to sit on the sofa.
Still, I wondered what the relationship between the Headshot Yakuza and Mito-san actually was. She was here as if it were the most natural thing in the world; were they living together?
Well, I had no intention of prying into the Headshot Yakuza’s private life.
So, while trying to push those thoughts aside, I thanked Mito-san and headed straight for the Headshot Yakuza instead of sitting down.
Then, in one fluid motion, I dropped into a dogeza.
"Headshot Yakuza! Thank you so much for saving me!! I will never forget this debt of gratitude as long as I live!! Please let me call you Big Brother!!"
"Don't."
"Understood!! Then, if you desire it, I shall offer you my virginity!!"
"I don't want it."
"Understood!!"
Kh—!! So cool, Headshot Yakuza!!
As I trembled with emotion, the Headshot Yakuza jerked his chin toward the sofa.
"Sit."
"Yes! Right away!!"
Hinata-san and I sat on the sofa opposite the Headshot Yakuza, while Mito-san took a seat next to him.
"Please, have some coffee before it gets cold."
"Yes! Thank you very much! Down the hatch!!"
Prompted by Mito-san, I took a sip of the coffee.
"—Delicious!?"
I shouted before I could stop myself.
What is this coffee!? The taste is light-years beyond the instant stuff I always drink!
It was black, but incredibly fruity. I even felt a faint hint of sweetness.
"Ufufu, thank you. It's Kilimanjaro."
"I see...!!"
So this is Kilimanjaro...!!
I savored the coffee as I drank. And then—
"Come to think of it, why did you two come to the Monster Room while I was rampaging? Did you have business there?"
I decided to ask the question that had been bugging me.
Thinking back, it was strange that the Headshot Yakuza and Mito-san had performed a Teleportation to that specific location at that exact moment.
"Fufu, as for that," Mito-san answered. "It is because we felt a wicked presence."
"W-Wicked... presence?"
"Yes. Wicked."
"Could that possibly be... No, never mind."
"Is that so?"
"Yes..."
Could it be that, while I’d lost my sanity, I was giving off a "wicked presence"?
...The scary part was that I couldn't definitively say I wasn't.
I felt like she might be dodging the question, but since it didn't seem like they'd say more, I figured I should just let it go.
An awkward atmosphere drifted through the room, and for a brief moment, silence filled the wide living room.
"Samejima."
The Headshot Yakuza broke the silence.
"Yes! Please call me Takeo, sir!"
"Takeo."
"Yes!"
"Did you check your Status?"
The fact that he asked that made it obvious what he wanted to know. He was talking about that blacked-out Title and Skill.
"Yes! I saw them!"
"I have placed a Seal on your Pleasure Killer Title and your Lust Murder Skill."
"A Seal...!!"
So that was it after all.
I couldn't imagine what kind of Skill could make such a thing possible, but as expected of the Headshot Yakuza...!!
"I sealed them because that Title and Skill are dangerous....You understand, don't you?"
"Yes."
The Headshot Yakuza looked at me as if gauging my worth, and I nodded without hesitation.
The moment that Title and Skill appeared, I lost my sanity. Even I could understand that much.
"If I have that Title and Skill, I'm overcome by a powerful urge to kill... is that correct?"
"That's right."
The Headshot Yakuza nodded as if it were a matter of course.
"You're the one who sealed them for me, right?"
"......Yes."
"Thank you very much!!"
I bowed my head deeply. That murderous impulse wasn't something I could have resisted. Even if I would have been fine on the Surface where the Status doesn't function, if I had kept that Title and Skill as they were, I wouldn't have been able to dive into Dungeons ever again.
As I let out a sigh of relief, the Headshot Yakuza continued, his voice heavy with warning.
"Don't misunderstand. They are only sealed for now. The Title and Skill haven't disappeared."
"...Uh, so... what does that mean?"
"Even if it is unintentional, if you kill a human again, the Title and Skill will activate, and the Seal will be broken. Therefore, never kill another human."
That was a perfectly normal rule for someone living in human society.
However, if I were to continue as an Explorer, it was a difficult restriction.
It wasn't that I wanted to kill anyone. It was just that, as evidenced by this recent incident, I couldn't guarantee that people wouldn't attack me regardless of my own intentions.
And when facing malicious humans with high Levels and Skills, trying to settle a situation without killing them would be extremely difficult unless there was a massive gap in power.
Even so, even if the opponent intended to kill me, I was under a unilateral restriction where I couldn't kill them back.
"...I understand."
Understanding all of that, I nodded.
"Good. However..."
The Headshot Yakuza offered some advice, perhaps sensing my resolve.
"There is a way to avoid losing your sanity even if the Seal is broken."
"S-Seriously...!?"
"One way is for your base Spirit Stat, without any enhancements, to exceed 200."
"O-Ohhh...!!"
That was an incredibly high bar.
I thought it might be possible eventually if I kept raising my Level, but I hadn't enhanced my Spirit Stat at all. Even if I started now, specializing in it would be impossible. If I did that, my other Stats would suffer, and my Leveling would hit a wall eventually.
I couldn't even imagine what Level I would have to reach for that to happen.
"The other way is to acquire the Mental Status Resistance Skill and raise the Skill Level to its maximum."
"Oh, then that's...!!"
Hope welled up within me.
I didn't know how to get a Skill called Mental Status Resistance, but compared to raising my Spirit to over 200, it seemed more attainable.
However—in the next instant, Mito-san giggled and cast me back into despair.
"Ah, by the way. The Mental Status Resistance Skill can be obtained by acquiring the Title, The Heartless."
"T-The Heartless?"
Now that I had learned firsthand that Titles have hidden effects, the Title "The Heartless" sounded terrifying.
"Also, be aware that there is a drawback: if you maximize the Level of Mental Status Resistance, you will lose every single one of your emotions. So do be careful."
"Wh-ugh!?"
Lose my emotions? What kind of trade-off is that!?
That's a total landmine Skill!!
"Or," the Headshot Yakuza spoke again, and I immediately focused on his words. "It doesn't matter which Dungeon. Discover the Hidden Area on Floor 30 and go to its furthest depths."
"The Hidden Area on Floor 30...?"
The highest Floor currently reached by humanity was Floor 23, so that was...
"The conversation is over....No."
The Headshot Yakuza cut the conversation short, ignoring my confusion, but then he muttered as if suddenly remembering something. He pulled a card case from his slacks pocket.
He took out a single piece of paper—a business card—and slid it across the table toward me.
"!!?"
Picking up the card, my eyes widened in surprise.
It read: "Explorer: Taito Imiki," followed by the Headshot Yakuza’s contact information.
When I looked back at him, wondering why he was giving me this—
"I heard about Hinata's circumstances and the reason you were attacked. You might continue to be targeted. Not just in the Dungeon, but on the Surface as well."
"Yes."
"I've already explained this to Hinata, but there is a way to use the power of the Status and Skills even on the Surface."
I looked at Hinata-san, and she nodded in confirmation.
Are you serious...? There’s actually a way to use the Status and Skills on the Surface...? That’s the kind of information that could disrupt the military balance of the entire world... but the Headshot Yakuza told us as if it were common knowledge.
"To use Combat Arts Skills, you need Strength and Dexterity at 200 or more. To use Magic Skills, you need Intelligence and Dexterity at 200 or more. To exert the same Stat power on the Surface as you do in a Dungeon, you need HP or MP at 400 or more, plus Dexterity at 200 or more."
Does that mean... top-level Explorers are already able to use their abilities on the Surface?
If that's the case, the government must know; it's likely just hidden from the public.
Either way, I’d just learned something incredible.
"If you two meet these Stat requirements, you'll be able to easily fight back even if you're attacked by some random trash on the Surface."
That was true... but I had no idea when we'd reach that Level.
It seemed the Headshot Yakuza understood that too.
"...However, if you are attacked before you reach that Level, and if you truly cannot handle it yourselves... call the number on that card."
"!!? Y-You mean...!!"
In other words, the Headshot Yakuza was telling me that I could rely on him if things got desperate.
The moment I realized that, my heart skipped a beat...!!
Headshot Yakuza...!! So cool...!! So kind...!! I love him...!!
"Th-Thank you very much!! Headshot Yakuza!!"
I bowed my head so deeply that my forehead practically slammed into the table.
●◯●
Shortly after that, Hinata-san and I took our leave.
By the way, today was the day after we were attacked by Kanzaki and his group, and apparently Mito-san had "handled" the Dungeon entrance and exit records for us.
I didn't know exactly what she did, but at this point, nothing the Headshot Yakuza and his group did could surprise me.
Anyway.
As we were leaving, I asked the Headshot Yakuza, who had come to the entrance to see us off, something that had been weighing on my mind.
"Um, Headshot Yakuza. Why are you being so kind to us? We've only met once before."
It was a natural question. I didn't remember doing anything to deserve this much kindness.
But the Headshot Yakuza didn't even hesitate, saying as if it were the most obvious thing in the world:
"That's because you're my 'Sworn Brother'."
"!!?!!!!?"
"Get home safely."
Just before the front door closed, I saw the Headshot Yakuza smile.
UUUUUWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
HEADSHOT YAKUZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! YOU'RE TOO COOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!
WHO WOULDN'T FALL FOR THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!
I decided right then and there that I would be a stan for the Headshot Yakuza for the rest of my life.