I reached out to silence my phone’s alarm, pushing aside the light duvet as I sat up. After a quick stretch, I climbed out of bed and drew back the curtains. The dazzling morning sun poured into the room, forcing me to squint.
"......Morning, huh."
I rubbed my eyes with a yawn and muttered to myself. I was still a bit sleepy. Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and I had been on a group call until late last night, debating how to handle the Slime Dungeon.
Ultimately, we had decided to consult Juzo-san after today's dungeon excursion. It seemed the other two had already suspected it would be impossible to keep the secret forever, so they agreed with my proposal, though...
"......But without Mika and Saori-chan, for now."
Recalling last night's conversation, I squinted at the sun. After discussing it with Yuji and Hiiragi-san, we had agreed to talk to Juzo-san before bringing Mika and Saori-chan into the loop.
Juzo-san seemed to be waiting for us to approach him anyway, so the plan was to gauge his reaction first.
"Still, I wonder if Juzo-san's reaction will even be a helpful reference."
Knowing him... I had a feeling he’d just let out a hearty laugh and then nonchalantly start drafting a solution.
"Well, whatever. I'll know in half a day at the latest; there's no point worrying about it now."
I opened the window to air out the room, gave another massive yawn, and then headed out.
"......So tired."
When I walked into the living room, Mika was already at the table, waiting for breakfast to be served.
"Morning."
"Morning, Onii-chan.? You look really sleepy. Are you okay?"
"I stayed up a bit late last night, so I didn't get to sleep until much later than usual."
"Honestly. We're going to a dungeon today, so you need to be getting to bed early..."
Mika had a point.
However, when sleep won't come, it won't come. The call itself had ended before 10:00 PM, but my mind had been racing afterward, and I’d simply missed my window to fall asleep.
"......You're right. Anyway, I'm going to go wash my face."
"Okay. Breakfast is almost ready, so make sure you're back before it gets cold, alright?"
"Yeah."
I gave a short reply and left the living room to splash some water on my face.
When I returned, Mom was already setting the table.
"Good morning, Mom."
"Morning, Daiki. Come, take your seat."
"Okay."
At Mom's urging, I sat down.
Today's breakfast consisted of toast, thick-cut bacon, scrambled eggs, and barley tea. Normally, I’d want coffee with a meal like this, but since we were heading to a dungeon, I wanted to avoid caffeine and high-fiber salads. I’d ask her to serve some with dinner once we got back.
"Let's eat."
"Let's eat!"
Mika and I clasped our hands, gave the customary greeting, and dug in. Today's meal was a makeshift sandwich—thick-cut bacon and scrambled eggs stuffed between slices of toast.
While I chewed, I informed Mom of my post-dungeon plans.
"Oh, right. Mom, about today—I'm stopping by Yuji's place on the way back from the dungeon, so I might be a little late."
"Oh, really? So Mika will be coming home with you later then?"
I shook my head as I chewed.
"No, I'm going to have Mika and the others head home first.......You can make it back on your own, right?"
I asked primarily to see if she felt mentally up to the commute from the station by herself after the dungeon dive, but Mika didn't seem to catch my drift.
She puffed out her cheeks and muttered a small complaint.
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"I see...... Sorry about that."
After a brief apology to Mika, I continued my conversation with Mom.
"I need to consult with Juzo-san...... Yuji's grandfather."
"Yuji-kun's grandfather?"
"Yeah. Just a little something regarding explorer business."
As soon as I said that, Mika chimed in.
"Hey, Onii-chan. If it's about explorer business, shouldn't I come along too?"
"Well, it does involve you in a way, but I want to get Juzo-san's opinion first. For now, it’s just going to be Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and me asking for his advice."
"Is it something you can't talk about if Saori-chan or I are there?"
"It's not exactly that...... It's just that the matter I'm discussing with Juzo-san is still very vague. We’re not at a stage where I can explain it to you guys yet. Once things are settled, I'll tell you everything, so please just bear with me this time."
When I bowed my head slightly in apology, Mika waved her hands frantically in front of her chest.
"Ah, okay! It's not like I'm blaming you or anything, so you don't have to apologize like that."
"I see."
"But, well...... if that's the case, I'll wait for you to tell me.......You promise you'll tell me later, right?"
"Yeah."
Eventually, I would have to tell Mika, Saori-chan, and my parents. When I nodded with a short reply, Mika's pout vanished, replaced by a smile.
Mom spoke up once she saw we had reached a consensus.
"Well, if that's how it is, fine. But don't stay too late, okay? You'll be a nuisance to Yuji-kun's family if you linger......"
"I know, I'll be careful."
"Oh, and what about dinner?"
Ah, dinner...... That depended on how the talk went. Given the subject matter and the fact that we’d be fresh from a dungeon...
"I can't really say yet...... If it looks like I'll be very late, I'll give you a call."
"I see. Just make sure you don't overstay your welcome."
"Yeah."
I gave Mom a short reply while tossing the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth.
Mika and I clasped our hands for the post-meal greeting.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Thank you for the meal!"
"Now, you two. It's almost time to leave, isn't it? Go get ready so you aren't late."
"Okay."
"Ye~s!"
Mika and I cleared our dishes to the sink and headed back to our rooms to finish preparing. As I reached for my doorknob, I looked back at her.
"Alright, Mika. Whoever finishes first waits in the living room downstairs."
"Got it!"
"Then make it quick."
I stepped into my room and closed the door. I pulled my outdoor clothes from the closet and changed out of my loungewear.
Once finished, I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror and activated "Appraisal Analysis."
Name: Daiki Kokonoe Age: 16 Gender: Male Job: Student Title: Natural Enemy of the Slimes Level: 99 <34> Skills: Appraisal Analysis 3 [A] 7/10, Psychokinesis 3 [A] 1/10, Spatial Storage 3 [P] 8/10, EP Recovery Speed Up II [P] 5/10, Physical Enhancement II [P] 7/10, Status Camouflage II [P] 4/10, Cleansing II [A] 1/10, Light Magic II [A] 1/10, Intimidation [A] 6/10 HP: 995/995 <355/355> EP: 205/500 <180/180> Note: Bracketed numbers are values shown via Status Camouflage.
"......Just one more level until the big one-zero-zero."
The experience points from the mithril slime I’d defeated yesterday must have pushed me over the edge. I was curious to see if anything special happened at level 100, but I forced my focus back to Mika and Saori's second expedition. I deactivated the skill and closed the closet.
I pulled a backpack filled with gear out of my Spatial Storage, slung it over my shoulders, and grabbed the bag containing Shiranui.
"Preparations complete.......Let's go."
I closed the window I’d left open for ventilation, checked the locks, and left the room. On the way down the stairs, I heard some panicked scurrying from Mika's room; it looked like she’d be a few more minutes.
As I sat on the sofa watching the morning news, Dad, who had come out while we were upstairs, spoke to me.
"Hey, Daiki. Does Mika seem okay?"
"Eh? Okay as in......?"
"About the dungeon. Didn't she seem pretty out of sorts after she came home last time?"
It was true. She’d lost her appetite and had been emotionally unstable... It was only natural for a parent to worry.
"Um...... well, I think she'll be fine. I made sure to look after her then, and this trip isn't something I’m forcing on her. Mika and Saori-chan both said they wanted to go."
"......I see. But keep a close eye on her, okay? People often don't notice their own symptoms in these situations."
"......Yeah, I understand. I'll be careful."
I took Dad's warning to heart and braced myself.
I could monitor Mika's condition fairly well through our daily life, but I hadn't spent enough time with Saori-chan to know her state. I’d have to talk to Yuji and Hiiragi-san so we could all stay alert.
Just as the talk with Dad wrapped up, Mika came running down to the living room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Onii-chan!"
"I haven't been waiting that long.......You didn't forget anything?"
"Nope! I checked everything last night, and I checked one more time before I left my room. I’m good to go!"
"Alright. Shall we?"
"Yeah!"
I stood up and readjusted my gear.
Then, I turned to Dad and Mom to say goodbye.
"Well, Dad, Mom—we're heading out."
"We're off!"
Mika and I were casual about it, but our parents’ expressions were serious as they replied.
"Have a safe trip. Be careful not to get hurt, okay?"
"Take care of yourselves. But don't overdo it."
"Yeah."
"Yes!"
Mika and I both straightened our posture reflexively, answering with serious expressions of our own.
Then, the two of us left the house.
When we arrived at our meeting spot at the station, we saw several people dressed for dungeon diving—bulky backpacks and long weapon bags—which was expected for a Sunday.
There were even some youths around our age. Some of them might have been from our school.
"Looks like we're the first ones here."
"I guess so. There's still about...... ten minutes until the meeting time."
Mika glanced at the station clock as she spoke.
"Oh, right. Mika, is there enough money on your IC card? It was a pain when you were short at the gate last time, so if you need more, charge it now."
"Ah, yeah. Thanks for the reminder, but I'm fine this time. I put a decent amount on it the other day."
"I see."
It seemed I was worrying too much. She’d learned from her mistake.
As we stood there talking, a voice called out from behind us.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Good morning, Onii-san, Mika-chan."
"Ah, Saori-chan. Morning."
"Morning, Saori-chan!"
We turned to see Saori-chan, equipped with a backpack and shoulder bag just like us. Mika immediately started chatting with her, leaving me with nothing to do.
I was just reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone when someone tapped my shoulder.
"Morning, Daiki."
"......Ah, Yuji. Morning."
I looked back to see Yuji wearing a smirk, like a kid who’d just pulled off a prank. He really didn't need to suppress his presence to sneak up on me first thing in the morning...
That smile was starting to grate on my nerves.
"Carelessness is your greatest enemy. Even if we aren't in the dungeon yet, you need to be more aware of your surroundings!"
"......Yeah, yeah."
Suddenly, Yuji slung his arm over my shoulder and whispered into my ear.
"Have you noticed? Looks like we're being watched."
"......Ah, so I wasn't imagining things."
"Probably not. For me, it feels like they've been following me since I left the house."
The gaze I’d felt since stepping outside hadn't been a mistake.
"Is it because we cleared the Advanced Zone yesterday?"
"Most likely. Between our entry records and the fact that we’ve killed an area boss before, they probably decided we were worth a closer look. I don't know if this is just for today or if it’ll be a long-term thing."
"What a pain......"
"The records will show we only dive on Sundays, so with any luck, they might stop after today."
"I hope so."
I let out a soft sigh and pushed Yuji's arm off my shoulder.
"Good morning. My, what are you two doing, cuddling up like that so early in the morning?"
"Ah, Hiiragi-san. Morning."
"Morning."
Hiiragi-san greeted us with a slight frown, as if she’d walked in on something unpleasant. Well, without context, I suppose it did look strange.
"It’s nothing like that.......We were just talking about making sure we have a quiet day. Right, Yuji?"
"Yeah. We were just saying we shouldn't do anything reckless today."
"......I see."
It seemed Hiiragi-san caught the double meaning. Thanks to her training with Genya-san, her ability to read presences was sharp. She’d easily notice watchers of this caliber.
As the three of us stood there with forced, weary smiles, Mika and Saori-chan noticed the newcomers and came over to greet them.
"Good morning, Yuji-san, Yukino-san!"
"Good morning!"
"Morning."
"Good morning, Mika-chan, Saori-chan."
The girls were all smiles as they exchanged greetings.
Sigh. Well, setting the surveillance aside for a moment, everyone was here.
"Alright. Everyone's here, so shall we head out?"
"Yeah, let's go."
"Yes, let's."
"Yup!"
"Yes!"
With everyone in agreement, we all passed through the ticket gates together.
Troublesome guests and all.