The morning after our latest dungeon exploration, we headed into town to restock the supplies we’d burned through. I also wanted to pick up a few things I’d realized would be useful after our recent trip. I never wanted to repeat a screw-up like that again—it was just too embarrassing.
Our first stop was the home center to replenish our food stores.
"Let’s see, the preserved food section is..."
"It’s over there," Hiiragi-san said, leading the way.
I usually have the layout of my local supermarket memorized, so I never get turned over there, but I was lost in this place. Hiiragi-san, however, seemed to know exactly where she was going.
We walked for a bit and arrived at the preserved food section tucked into a corner of the store. Ever since explorers had made dungeon diving so popular, the number of stores with permanent sections for long-term rations had really skyrocketed.
"Now then, what should I get..."
We gave ourselves ten minutes and started browsing the aisles individually.
The preserved food section took up an entire block of the store, and the sheer variety was overwhelming. We already had all the basics like rice and curry, so I wanted to find something a bit unusual to provide a change of pace within the claustrophobic confines of the dungeon. Of course, anything that looked too weird at first glance was out of the question.
"Pasta... no, maybe a rice bowl?"
There really were so many options. Almost anything you could think of had been turned into a retort pouch or freeze-dried meal. Throw in the canned goods, and it was literally a free-for-all. Honestly, having too many choices was its own kind of problem.
As I scanned the shelves, agonizing over my decision, my eyes caught a specific area at the end of the aisle.
"...It’s very red."
That corner was, in a word, crimson. Almost every package lined up there used red as its primary color.
In other words...
"The super-spicy corner, huh..."
A dozen products exuded an aura of genuine danger. Their labels were covered in warnings—or perhaps marketing slogans—like "Extreme Heat" and "Tongue-Numbing."
I mean, "Super Spicy" I could understand, but what was with names like "The Reaper" and "Hell"?
"Oh, Daiki. You thinking of buying the spicy stuff?"
"Hm? Oh, Yuji. No, it just caught my eye. This one corner is just... shockingly red."
"Ah, I see what you mean. This color scheme definitely stands out."
Yuji, who had been looking elsewhere, walked over and joined me. I suppose it was hard not to be curious seeing someone staring at a wall of fire-red packaging.
"...So, you’re not getting any?"
"I’m curious, but it’s super-spicy. If I don't know how hot it actually is, eating it inside a dungeon is a bit... risky."
You always see comedians on TV eating spicy food and then complaining about being stuck in the bathroom all day afterward. There was no way I could eat something like that in a dungeon. Exploring while dealing with an upset stomach... that sounded like a total death flag.
Plus, at that level of spiciness, even the smell alone would probably bother the rest of the party. Yeah, definitely a bad idea.
"I guess so. But hey, instead of eating it in the dungeon, couldn't you just try it at home?"
"...You’re pushing this pretty hard. Yuji, do you want to eat it?"
"Me? No, I was just wondering what it tastes like. Pure curiosity. I’m terrible with spicy food, so I’d never want to eat it myself."
"Hey now..."
He was acting all friendly while casually trying to make me the guinea pig. I didn't want to do it either—not with packaging that looked that lethal. There was zero doubt in my mind that it would be agonizingly hot.
"What are you two doing? Have you decided on your purchases yet?"
"Ah, Hiiragi-san."
While Yuji and I were busy trying to pawn the spicy food off on each other, Hiiragi-san approached with a puzzled expression. I couldn't blame her; we probably looked ridiculous standing there pressuring each other over a box of noodles.
Yuji and I looked sheepish as we briefly explained the situation. Then...
"In that case, I'll buy it."
Eh?
"What’s with those faces? Am I not allowed to buy it?"
"E-Eh? No, I mean, it's not that you can't, but... are you sure? It’s super-spicy. If you eat that in the dungeon..."
Yuji and I watched her with skeptical looks, trying to figure out if she was serious.
"Of course I won't eat it in the dungeon. It’s a stimulant; it would be a disaster if I got sick down there."
"Oh, right... So you’re going to eat it at home?"
"Yes. I’ve always liked spicy food, so I’m a bit interested."
"O-Oh."
This was the first I’d heard of Hiiragi-san being a spice-lover, but I couldn't help but feel she was setting a flag. Even on variety shows, the guests who claim to love spicy food end up tapping out halfway through almost every time.
But while I was thinking that, Hiiragi-san picked up the product with a promotional sign claiming it was the spiciest thing in the store. "The Reaper's Whisper: One-Hit Kill Dandan Noodles"... Good grief, what kind of name was that? Did they actually want people to buy this?
"A-Are you really buying that one?"
"Yes. If I’m going to try it, I want to try the one they say is the hottest."
"I... I see..."
Seeing her look so genuinely intrigued, I couldn't say another word. For some reason, it felt like a red miasma was leaking from her hand as she held the package... but that had to be an optical illusion. Surely.
Yuji and I watched with terrified expressions as Hiiragi-san walked away, the "red miasma" seemingly trailing after her as she dropped the item into her basket.
After that minor commotion, we successfully finished restocking our food. Next, we moved to the tool section. Here, I intended to buy an item to prevent a repeat of my previous failure.
I couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice—for the sake of my pride as much as my safety.
"So, Daiki, what are we looking for?"
"Something to measure the distance to the ceiling so I don't repeat my last blunder."
"Distance... like a tape measure?"
"Similar, but not quite. What I'm looking for is... Ah, there it is."
Scanning the area, I spotted the target item inside a glass display case and pointed it out.
"Hm? What’s that?"
"A laser rangefinder. It shoots out a laser beam to measure the distance from the device to the target. If we have this, we can know exactly how high the ceiling is before I jump."
"Huh, I didn't know they made those."
Interested, Yuji began peering into the case at the various models. I looked along with him; there were several different types depending on the manufacturer and the features. However, I’d already more or less decided. It needed to be something that worked outdoors and could handle a decent range.
With that in mind, I picked up the product exchange ticket for a rangefinder that cost about 15,000 yen.
"Hey, Kokonoe-kun? I was thinking... is there no other way to do it besides jumping?"
"Another way? Like what?"
"Well... what about flying a drone with a camera? I think you can connect them to a smartphone to see real-time video. They sell them at electronics stores, don't they?"
A drone... that might actually be viable. As long as there weren't any traps targeting aerial objects or flying monsters. Then again, that was a risk even when we jumped ourselves.
However...
"A drone might be a good idea, but we’d have to use it on the assumption that it’s eventually going to get destroyed."
"I suppose that’s true."
"But I think flying one as a scout before I jump is a great idea. We were lucky no flying monsters appeared last time, but we really should check first. It’s too dangerous otherwise."
I’d almost forgotten because we only encountered Grass Lizards, but there was no guarantee flying monsters wouldn't appear. While we could technically fight back in mid-air, a surprise attack on our first encounter could lead to serious damage. If we knew in advance whether monsters would attack our position in the air, we’d have much more composure to either evade or intercept.
Besides, drones were originally designed to perform tasks too dangerous for humans. In a way, using it this way was returning to its original purpose.
"...Alright, let's buy one and test it out. If it works, it’s a huge win. Even if it doesn't, it’s still useful for general reconnaissance, so it won't be a total waste."
"Right. If we can even use it as a decoy, it’s worth it. But since I’m the one who suggested it... Kokonoe-kun, can you fly one? I’ve never even touched a drone controller."
"...Wait, what?"
"..."
We looked at each other, blinking in mutual realization. Since she had been the one to suggest it, I had assumed she knew how to operate one... but apparently not.
Then Yuji, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke up in a slightly hesitant voice.
"Uh, hey. I can fly one, at least for basic stuff."
"Really, Yuji?!"
"Y-Yeah. I mean, I've played around with them a few times, so don't expect any crazy stunts or professional cinematography. I can basically just fly it without crashing it immediately."
"No, just being able to fly it is plenty!"
Both Hiiragi-san and I looked visibly relieved. Buying an expensive piece of equipment only to find out nobody could use it—or worse, crashing it on the first flight—would have been a complete waste of money.
But with this, we could officially incorporate a drone into our scouting and decoy tactics.
"Then let's head to an electronics store after this and pick one out."
"Got it."
"Sounds like a plan."
With our shopping at the home center finished, we headed toward a large electronics retailer near the station. On the way, I did a quick price check on my phone; it looked like a decent model would cost several tens of thousands of yen, while a truly professional one could go for nearly a hundred thousand.
Of course, you could find cheap ones for under ten thousand... but I figured it was better to buy something reliable now rather than regret it later.
Having spent the entire morning shopping, we were now taking a break at a nearby cafe. Most of our haul was already tucked away in my Spatial Storage, which I’d done in a quiet spot out of public view, so we were all mostly empty-handed.
With the shopping done, I thought we were about to head our separate ways, but Hiiragi-san stopped us.
"Hey, Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun. What are you doing for lunch?"
"Eh? Hmm, I was just going to head home and find something to eat."
"Same here."
"So you don't have anyone waiting for you or any other plans? If not, why don't we eat together?"
An invitation from Hiiragi-san. Normally, getting invited to lunch by a girl would be an exciting development, but I felt a sharp prickle of apprehension.
As I grew wary, Yuji spoke up to keep the conversation moving.
"Sure, I’m down. Where are we going?"
"My family's shop. Remember? I mentioned it yesterday—about having a tasting session."
"Ah, right, I remember. But are you already prepared? I mean, we only just talked about it yesterday."
"Yes. My father already knew a great way to cook it. He said he learned how to handle it during his apprentice days. I tried a prototype yesterday, and it was actually quite good."
"Huh."
My bad feeling was exactly on the money! Wait, seriously?! Already?! I was panicking internally as I listened to them talk. I knew this day would come eventually, but the day after?! I thought I’d have at least a week to prepare myself... I hadn't had any time to get mentally ready for this.
Before I could voice my shock, the deal was sealed: lunch was going to be a lizard meat tasting session at Hiiragi-san's restaurant.
"He said we can come by once the lunch rush dies down."
"Then what should we do to kill time until then?"
"Let's see. Including travel time, we probably have... about an hour?"
Since the shop was ready for us, the two of them started discussing how to spend the intervening hour. It seemed there was no escape. I had exactly sixty minutes to find my resolve.
Lizard, huh... Hiiragi-san said it was good, but I just couldn't shake the sense of revulsion.
"Hey, what’s up, Daiki? Let’s get moving."
"Ah—eh? Oh, move? Where to?"
"Seriously, were you even listening?"
"S-Sorry."
My head was so full of the prospect of actually eating lizard meat that I hadn't heard a single word about the plan to kill time. I apologized to Yuji and Hiiragi-san, who were looking at me with slightly annoyed expressions, and after getting the rundown, we left the cafe.
An hour later, having spent that time in a complete daze, I found myself standing in front of Hiiragi Ramen Honpo.