The Infiltration

Even on the morning of the dive, I washed rice.

'At 6:00 a.m. Today, Humanity's First Public Clearing of 〈Abyss〉 Begins'

'Overall Commander: Hiiragi Shinichi (B-Rank). He'll Enter at the Front Himself'

'Simultaneous Worldwide Viewership Expected to Reach the "Hundreds of Millions." The Agency Is Reinforcing Communications Nationwide'

I looked over the three headlines and turned my terminal face down. I didn't botch the rice even once this morning. Seven people's worth. It was the biggest breakfast of my forty-two-year life.

With the rice cooked, I made seven rice balls. I filled them all with pickled plums. It wasn't a superstition. That was what worked best on a tired body.

Hina-chan had sent two messages.

'Sensei! There are huge crowds of people and reporters in front of the shaft!'

'Also, Maru-san says, "I'm going to eat the old man's cooking on-site," so he skipped breakfast! This isn't business as usual; it's a first in history!'

...The responsibility was enormous. I put the parcel wrapped in a bamboo sheath at the very top of my backpack...