Chapter 84
Ryugu Kaneko
After finishing about two and a half hours of exploration, we returned to the 'Containment Facility.' After changing in the locker room, we went outside.
We defeated forty-two salamanders in total. I was exhausted, as you'd expect.
However, I felt that my spiritual rank had risen two levels in a single day. More than anything, it was nice to have money in my pocket.
Even divided three ways, that came to 140,000 yen per person. Even if nearly half of it was deducted for insurance and taxes, 70,000 yen was an extraordinary half-day's income.
...Well, yes. It was also a half day that made me painfully understand why other adventurers went to dungeons with weaker monsters if the rewards were the same.
'Good work, you two, gao. Riko-chan and the others contacted me while we were in the changing room, gao. They're waiting for us at the inn, gao.'
Tatsumin-san, still in her mascot costume, said that beneath the blazing sunlight.
Thanks to her Ability, her body temperature was probably fine even in that state, but just looking at her was making me feel hot.
"I understand. Then shall we head back too?"
'Gao gao~. Are you two feeling all right? If necessary, I'll carry you on my back, gao~.'
"Ah, no. I'm fine."
"My stamina and mana are both at full capacity."
Beside me, I lightly waved my hand to decline, while Miyu-san answered with her back straight and a crisp salute. I might not have seen that habit of hers in quite some time.
I looked away from her large breasts, which had swayed slightly with the movement, and the three of us headed back to the inn.
Along the way, I looked around for no particular reason.
It really was a place rich in nature. I gazed at the mountains beyond the fields and rice paddies, where lush green trees grew and their leaves occasionally swayed in the breeze.
Even in this heat, crows and herons flew through the sky. It was a peaceful sight, as long as they didn't damage the crops.
Of course, the great-grandmother in my memories used to chase crows around with a demon's face. I clearly remembered crying at the sight when I was a child.
If she were still alive, she might have told me to shoot the crows down with magic, because it was safe as long as it wasn't against the law and she wasn't caught.
Thinking that, I continued looking around.
Looking closely, there seemed to be a lot of abandoned fields and paddies. Some places that appeared to have once been rice paddies were covered in weeds, while former fields had been completely swallowed up by mysterious trees.
There were irrigation channels and little sheds, so people must have used the land once... Was this what they called the shortage of agricultural workers?
"Oh my, Tatsumin-chan. Been off to a dungeon again?"
Looking toward the voice, I saw an elderly woman walking toward us, presumably on her way back from the fields. She was pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with hoes and sickles.
Perhaps to protect herself from the sunlight, she had covered her skin with arm guards and a headscarf, making her look incredibly hot.
'That's right, gao~. Good work to you too, Tae-san, gao~.'
I gave a small bow behind Tatsumin-san as she answered with a wave of her hand.
"Well now. You look like you're working hard. Are the youngsters behind you adventurers too?"
'Correct, gao. They're Kota-kun and Miyu-chan, members of the same clan as me, gao. They're staying two days and one night to thin out the dungeons, gao.'
"Is that so? Very impressive for such young people."
"Ah, no, um... Th-thank you."
"No. We're merely doing what we should."
Unlike me, who had stumbled over my words a little, Miyu-san answered with a dignified air.
The old woman smiled broadly, her face crinkling with wrinkles.
"I see. I see. Thank you. Please continue looking after Tatsumin-chan."
"Y-yes."
"Understood."
'More importantly, Tae-san, be careful not to get heatstroke, gao. Are you properly taking in water and salt, gao?'
"I have rice crackers and tea with me, so I'm fine. From where I'm standing, Tatsumin-chan looks more likely to collapse in that outfit."
The old woman chuckled as Tatsumin-san tilted her body worriedly.
"Are you all staying at Yamaoka-san's inn? If so, shall I bring you some vegetables and rice later?"
'That's all right, gao. The ingredients have already been brought in, gao.'
"Is that so? But you could take them home as souvenirs."
'Hmm. Everyone came by bus and train, so carrying them home would be difficult, gao. Ah, but if you had them sent to the café another day, I think I could manage from there, gao~. I'll ask Master myself, gao~.'
"Ah, no, that's too much trouble..."
"It's fine. You're young, so don't be shy. Eat plenty."
'Don't refuse too much, Kota-kun. We should accept them gratefully, gao.'
"Ah, um... Thank you very much."
"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who should be thanking you for everything you've done with the dungeon."
The old woman walked away with a cheerful smile.
Somehow, even though she must have known that we were adventurers, she had been remarkably friendly.
I'd heard that Ability users were treated well in rural areas and places with many dungeons... Apparently, it was true.
A little bewildered, we returned to the inn.
After washing our hands and gargling, I put my luggage in my room and went to the living room, where...
"Hmph... The hour of our reunion has arrived... huh."
In the air-conditioned room, Rosso-san sat elegantly drinking tea in her gothic lolita outfit.
She was trying to look cool, but the glass in her hand was obviously a cheap glass cup, and what she was drinking from the pot on the table was barley tea.
"Good work, Rosso-san."
'Good work, gao.'
"It is good to see that you have both returned safely. Take your time and recover from your fatigue. Riko is preparing our meal as we speak."
"Oh, really? Then I'll go help..."
"Apparently that will not be necessary. I, too, was driven from the kitchen after being told, 'We cannot trouble the hands of a noble person,' you see."
...Ah, so she'd been officially declared dead weight.
Seeing a twenty-five-year-old chuunibyou like this made me a little sad. I had to make sure I never ended up the same way.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I knew from your voices, but Otaku-kun and the others are here too."
"Ah, Riko-senpai. Good work."
"Good work, good work~."
Riko-senpai came in carrying a tray of somen noodles and dipping sauce.
This inn—or rather, this building—had the kitchen and living room separated by a wall, but there was no door. The space was different from both a home and an ordinary inn, which left me a little confused.
"Let's have lunch. Go wash your hands. Oh, and bring the steamed pork and salad back with you."
"Ah, all right."
"Got it."
"Hm. Then I shall help carry things as well."
"Rosso~n, sit down."
"But I do help with the housework at home, you know!?"
"Shut up. As long as these eyes of mine remain black, I won't let you near the kitchen."
"Your eyes are ash-colored, are they not!?"
"Would you like to see the moment they turn black with murderous intent?"
What on earth had Rosso-san done?
Keeping my distance from the stone-faced Riko-senpai, I headed toward the kitchen.
Along the way, her neck suddenly swiveled around, making Miyu-san and me both flinch. It was terrifying.
"Oh, right. Since you're here, you might as well eat lunch with us, right? Yamaoka-san, who drove us here, said he'd prepared enough ingredients for more than five people."
Yamaoka-san... Ah, the driver.
Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing that he was currently managing this inn. Apparently, he usually stayed up in the mountains, though.
'Don't worry about me, gao. I'll eat at home, gao.'
"Hmm. But you're going to the dungeon again this afternoon, right? Isn't it inefficient to eat separately? Come on, let's eat together!"
'I'll accept the sentiment, gao! Tatsumin will eat a meal befitting a dragon at Tatsumin's House, gao!'
"...Yamaoka-san and some of the other neighbors were worried about whether you were eating properly, you know? Aren't you putting efficiency first? Are you sure you're okay?"
'No problem, gao! I'm a grown-up lady who knows how to manage her health properly, gao!'
"Tatsumin."
'Gao.'
"Eat with us."
'...Yes.'
Today's Riko-senpai was strong!
Could this person be the type who acted as the comic relief when someone else was organizing or putting on the brakes, but did her job properly when she was in that position herself?
All right. If it came down to it, I'd leave the straight-man routine to her too!
And Rosso-san, who had been naturally left out of the organizer role... I was starting to wonder what on earth she had done in the kitchen.
Regardless, it was dangerous to oppose Riko-senpai in her current state.
As instructed, I washed my hands in the kitchen and carried over the plates that had been set out.
Somen noodles, steamed pork, and salad were arranged on the table. A glass of barley tea was placed before each person, along with chopsticks and small bowls of dipping sauce and sesame dressing.
"Did you prepare all of this, Riko-senpai?"
"Sure did~. My specialties are Napolitan and cake, but it's not like I can't make Japanese food too~."
I was genuinely impressed by Riko-senpai, who flashed a smug double peace sign.
"By the way, does everyone know?"
Ah, this was definitely her joke-telling face.
Apparently, she had decided it was safe to let her guard down. Should I join in on the jokes and force her to switch over to the straight-man role?
...No. Unlike the other members of 'Alf,' I didn't have the courage to throw away my dignity as a human being...!
"Napolitan... has nothing to do with Naples, you know...?"
"That's so basic. Of course I know that."
"Y-you do...!?"
"There was someone who didn't know."
Miyu-san's eyes widened as cold sweat ran down her face. Was it really that shocking? Come on, was it really?
"And... I am a noble of the Demon Realm, you know?"
"Ah, yes. That's fine."
"Isn't that a little too half-hearted, young oni!?"
Rosso piled on with another gag, so I let it slide.
That bit of yours didn't pack nearly the same punch as Miyu-san's shock at learning about Napolitan.
Just look at this person, with an expression like she'd learned that the enemy she'd fought, believing him to be her family's killer, was actually her father.
...Was it really that shocking!?
────Clack.
I turned my gaze toward the sound of the door opening. Come to think of it, Tatsumin-san had been gone, so perhaps she had come back to us.
The person who entered the living room was...
"S-sorry to keep you waiting..."
An unfamiliar beauty.
Her black hair reached about to her shoulders, and her long bangs nearly hid her eyes. Navy-blue eyes peeked out intermittently through the gaps in her hair.
She had beautiful, pale skin and light cherry-colored lips. Though her body was slender, a large bust pushed up the pale-yellow T-shirt she wore.
Despite her timid-looking air, her black short pants boldly exposed her white thighs. Even at a glance, her legs looked soft and plump. Yet they narrowed neatly below the knees.
Perhaps her bust had pulled the hem up, because her stomach kept peeking out. She had plump breasts and broad, childbearing hips, yet her waist was slightly cinched.
Who was this woman? She seemed to possess a devastating weapon against a certain subset of people, while packing overwhelming destructive power against most men.
"Whee! Tatsumin, glad you came! Wash your hands, then let's have lunch!"
Yeah, I had a feeling this was the case.
But my thoughts couldn't keep up. No way was this the person inside that 'mascot-suit maniac'...!
Reality sure was cruel.
"I-I'm not Tatsumin. I'm Ryugu...!"
"Oh, sorry. Then Kana-chi it is!"
"Yeees..."
Ryugu Kaneko. This was the moment when her true face was finally revealed.