It's Common for a Skill You Thought Was a Joke to Turn Out to Be Amazing

We rode on for several dozen minutes.

Since the battle with the giant spider, we hadn't encountered any particularly formidable monsters, and we were making steady progress toward the Self-Defense Forces base.

(We've come about halfway there...)

We were currently on the national highway at the prefectural border.

We had left the town where we'd been staying and were riding through the mountains.

I kept watch on our surroundings with 'Search,' but so far, there were no problems.

"Kyuu, kyuu, kyuu~♪"

"Hey, quiet down."

Our newly acquired companion, the Lesser Carbuncle Kiki, clung to my shoulder and happily enjoyed the wind.

Maybe it was really happy to have become our companion?

Besides, if you don't hold on properly, you'll get blown away. It's dangerous, you know?

With one hand, I put Kiki inside my hood.

"Kyuu..."

"Fweh... achoo!"

Kiki let out a disappointed cry, while Fujita-san let out a tremendous sneeze.

Apparently, Kiki's tail had tickled his nose.

"Ah, sorry..."

"Don't worry about it."

As we continued through the mountains chatting like that, a parking area came into view.

It was a simple one with only vending machines and restrooms.

"All right, let's take a break there."

"Sounds good."

We were making good time, but we couldn't afford to rush.

Taking appropriate breaks and maintaining peace of mind was essential too.

(Besides, I can't contact Ichinose-san unless we're taking a break...)

Once I'd confirmed that there were no monsters nearby, I entered the restroom.

...The women's restroom, that is.

I entered a stall, closed the door, and opened my status plate.

"Kyuu!?"

Kiki cried out in surprise.

When I checked my email, I found a mountain of unread messages.

They were all from Ichinose-san.

(...Looks like things are going well for now.)

Apparently, she was properly handling what I'd asked her to do.

Well, Rikka-chan was probably helping her too.

Next, I opened Chat and told her that Kiki had become my companion.

'―――That's what happened. I'm sorry I went ahead and got your approval after the fact.'

'...I was wondering what was going on when a strange name suddenly appeared in the Party Members section, but I see, that's what happened. I understand now.

Given the situation, it couldn't be helped. Besides, we're gaining a new companion. Isn't that something to celebrate? Far from blaming you, Kudo-san, I feel happy about it.'

I-Ichinose-san...

What a good girl.

If you overlook the weirdness of her emails, she really is a good kid.

'Speaking of which, a Lesser Carbuncle...? It has "Lesser" in its name, but isn't a Carbuncle one of those classic monsters that gives you buffs in games, at least in terms of its image? It helped me out countless times when I played MMOs. Or are you talking about that mascot character from that super-famous puzzle game who loves curry? Anyway, you really managed to make such a rare-looking monster your companion. Kudo-san, are you seriously a natural-born Tamer or something?'

I wonder.

I hadn't really thought about it, but when you think about it, it is strange that a monster would become your companion regardless of Skills or Jobs, right...?

'And what about a picture?! Don't you have a picture?! It's fluffy, right?! It's super cute, right?! Come on, send me a picture already! Hurry, hurry!'

No, of course I don't have a picture.

Come to think of it, you really do become a completely different person over email.

'...I'm shy, so what's wrong with being more talkative over email? Being socially awkward both in real life and online would be worse, right? Probably.

Also, about pictures: if you raise 'Email' to Lv. 5, it unlocks the 'Image Attachment' function. So hurry up and level up 'Email' and send me a picture of Kiki-chan. Hurry, hurry!'

"......Huh?"

For a moment, I let out an unguarded voice.

I reread the chat message.

The 'Image Attachment' function...? Wait, seriously?

≪You received an email.≫

As if to provide proof, an email arrived.

Something that looked like an image had been added beneath the subject line.

When I clicked it, an image appeared.

It was a picture of Momo lying on the floor, rolling around.

...Adorable. And in 4K, too. Pointlessly high resolution.

No, wait, that's not the point.

'I only found out a moment ago, too. The proficiency for 'Email' reached the threshold and leveled up shortly before Kudo-san contacted me.'

Ah, I see. So that's what happened.

Come to think of it, she had raised it that high without the huge number of points I had.

Ichinose-san, you terrifying girl... Mainly when it comes to email.

(But seriously, the 'Image Attachment' function seems incredibly useful...)

Apparently, captured images had a dedicated folder where they could be saved.

According to Ichinose-san, the functions added to 'Email' were:

'Chat' at Lv. 2,

'Simultaneous Sending' at Lv. 3,

'No-Notification Setting' at Lv. 4,

'Image Attachment' at Lv. 5,

Those functions were added at the respective levels.

('Email' might be a much more useful Skill than I'd thought.)

The Image Attachment function in particular seemed extremely useful.

Until now, I'd been reluctant to level it up, but from now on, I should seriously consider doing so.

'―――That's about everything for now.'

'Understood. I'll contact you right away if anything comes up on our end, too.'

I couldn't stay in the restroom too long, so after exchanging the necessary information, I ended the chat.

(I'll look at Momo's picture one more time later...)

It was sure to be a source of healing.

When I came out of the restroom, Fujita-san was smoking while leaning against the motorcycle.

He looked ruggedly cool. It was an incredibly cinematic sight. Even though I was the one driving.

"Oh, you done?"

"Huh? Ah, yes. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Fujita-san tossed something to me.

A canned coffee.

When I wondered where he'd gotten it, I saw that the vending machine beside him had been pried open.

Hey, is this really okay for a civil servant?

Perhaps my thoughts had shown on my face, because Fujita-san saw my expression and gave a knowing laugh.

"Who's going to blame us in a world like this?"

"Well, I suppose you're right..."

"Speaking of which, coffee okay? There's tea and cocoa too, you know."

"Ah, yes, coffee is fine."

I loved low-sugar coffee. I liked the cloying sweetness that made it taste anything but low-sugar.

As soon as I took a sip, an overly sweet flavor spread through my mouth.

Hmm, lukewarm.

The caffeine and sugar coursed through me.

Fujita-san gulped down his canned coffee too.

"Gotta drink it while we can. Once we get back to City Hall, Shimizu-chan'll start nagging me."

He said it jokingly, but in reality, it probably wasn't a joke at all.

In this world, the reality was that we couldn't even enjoy a single can of coffee properly.

"Maybe I should take a few back as gifts..."

Saying that, Fujita-san stuffed as many cans of coffee as he could into his backpack.

Personally, I'd have liked to take the vending machine itself, too, but I'd better restrain myself for now.

"Kyukyuu~"

Kiki began to fidget on my shoulder.

What's wrong?

"Kyu! Kyuu-kyuu!"

Kiki's eyes sparkled at the cocoa Fujita-san was holding.

"You want some?"

"Kyuu." (It nodded emphatically.)

(Do Carbuncles like cocoa?)

What an unexpected trait.

When I looked at Fujita-san, he gave me a nod.

Then he smiled and tried to hand the cocoa to Kiki...

"Shaah!"

"..."

Kiki gave him a full-on warning hiss.

Ah, Fujita-san's eyes are a little teary.

Who wants to see a scruffy middle-aged man's teary eyes?

With no choice, I took it, opened the lid, and handed it to Kiki.

"Kyuu~♪ Kyuu~♪"

Kiki held the can skillfully with its forepaws and drank the cocoa.

It looked incredibly happy.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man kept stealing envious glances at the fluffy tail swaying below my neck.

"Pfft."

I couldn't help laughing at the situation.

"H-hey, come on, there's no need to laugh, Ichinose-chan!"

"No, sorry. It's just funny... Hahaha!"

"Man, girls these days are so cruel. You've really hurt this old man's feelings... Haha!"

"Kyuu?"

Fujita-san started laughing along with me.

Kiki tilted its head, as though a question mark were floating above it.

Somehow, it made for a nice change of pace.

A few minutes later―――.

"Well, shall we get going?"

"Yes."

We set off again.

I straddled the motorcycle again and was about to start the engine.

But just before that, 'Search' reacted.

"Tch...!"

It wasn't a monster... It was the presence of people.

And it was a powerful presence.

They were coming toward us.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Fujita-san, sitting behind me, asked with a puzzled tone.

"...Someone's coming. Several people, in fact."

"What...?"

I felt the presence behind me shift.

In the midst of the taut tension, I stared toward the direction from which 'Search' had sensed them.

('Hostility' isn't registering... But what is this feeling...?)

I stared fixedly for several seconds.

Several men emerged from the woods about fifty meters ahead.

Six in all.

All of them wore camouflage uniforms, carried rifles, wore backpacks, and had helmets on.

"The Self-Defense Forces?"

They seemed to have noticed us as well.

They were looking at us in surprise.

"Well, well. Never thought we'd meet again in a place like this..."

Fujita-san got off the motorcycle and stepped forward.

One of the Self-Defense Force members stepped forward likewise.

He was an older man. If anything, he looked about the same age as Fujita-san.

The two approached each other and shook hands.

"Long time no see, Towada. Never thought we'd run into each other here."

"You too. So you survived, Soichiro. I'm glad you're safe."

...They know each other?

Could this be the Self-Defense Forces acquaintance Fujita-san had mentioned?

"Ichinose-chan, there's no need to be so wary. We talked about this before we came here, remember? This is the man I told you about."

So that was apparently the case.

Fujita-san beckoned me over.

"...Soichiro, who's this woman? And what are you doing out here?"

"Ah, it's a long story. Got a minute?"

"Of course. I have something to discuss with you, too. Give me a moment."

The Self-Defense Force member turned around.

"Spread out! Keep watch on our surroundings."

"Understood."

At his command, the remaining Self-Defense Force members immediately spread out and kept watch on the area.

Their movements were more polished than those of the Self-Defense Force personnel who had come to the shopping mall.

They had probably fought a considerable number of monsters over the past few days.

Their movements were utterly free of wasted motion.

But... that was precisely why I couldn't shake the sense that something was off.

(They look far too tense...)

If anything, they even looked close to panicking.

Their expressions were that tense.

A closer look showed damage all over their equipment too.

...A bad feeling flashed through my mind.

Fujita-san sat on a bench beside the vending machine, and I sat beside him.

The Self-Defense Force member sat on Fujita-san's other side.

"Now then, where should I start―――"

With a cigarette between his lips, Fujita-san explained to the Self-Defense Force member how we'd come this far.

He told him about City Hall, the Golem and the ants, and how we wanted their help to defeat them.

The Self-Defense Force member listened silently to Fujita-san's account.

"―――And that's how things stand."

"I see... You really went through a lot."

Fujita-san finished explaining, and the Self-Defense Force member nodded.

"Yeah. Even so, we managed to get by thanks to Old Man Ken—no, Mayor Uesugi—and everyone else. I'd have been dead long ago if I'd been on my own."

"Don't sell yourself short. Everyone survived because you were there. You've always been good at bringing people together. Ah, can I have one?"

"It wasn't anything like that. Here."

The two men laughed nostalgically about the old days.

The Self-Defense Force member took a cigarette from Fujita-san and lit it.

When he exhaled a puff of smoke, Kiki, lying on my lap, twisted uncomfortably.

Oh, I see. It doesn't like cigarette smoke.

Then his gaze turned toward us.

"...Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself to you. Nice to meet you. I am Towada Tsukasa. I'm the commander of this Self-Defense Force unit. This guy and I go way back. I look forward to working with you."

Saying that, the Self-Defense Force member—Towada-san—bowed politely.

His manner was worlds apart from Fujita-san's.

"Hey, what do you mean by calling a twenty-year friend 'this guy'?"

"Hmph. Is there a problem with treating you roughly now?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Ah, um... I'm Ichinose Natsu. Nice to meet you."

"Shaah!"

I bowed my head.

Kiki hissed at him too.

"...Soichiro, just to confirm, that thing isn't dangerous, is it?"

Towada-san pointed to Kiki in my arms as he spoke.

"Ah, yeah, she's fine. But you're not surprised?"

"One of my men had a Skill for taming monsters and animals. You must have a Skill or Job like that, too, right?"

No, I don't have either. It just took a liking to me on its own.

But since he had arrived at that conclusion on his own, I'd let him keep thinking that.

"I see. Then, getting to the main point..."

Fujita-san looked straight at Towada-san and bowed his head.

"I'll get straight to the point, Towada. Will you lend us your strength?"

"..."

"This may be an unreasonable request, but relying on your strength is the quickest way to overcome the situation we're in. I know full well that you're in a difficult situation yourselves. But... even so, I'm asking you. Please lend us your strength."

"..."

Towada-san did not answer.

He merely stared at Fujita-san with a troubled expression.

Then he slowly opened his mouth.

"...I'm sorry, but we can't."

"Gah...!"

At that declaration, Fujita-san stared in shock.

"I see... Of course. Sorry, forget I said that—"

"Don't misunderstand me, Soichiro."

Cutting Fujita-san off, Towada-san continued.

"No matter how dire the situation, if we hear a citizen calling for help, we will rush to them wherever they are. Protecting our country and its people is the very reason the Self-Defense Forces exist. If there are lives we can save with our strength, we'll gladly lend it."

"Then—"

"But that is... assuming our strength is still functioning properly."

"Huh?"

With that, Towada-san bowed his head.

Both Fujita-san and I were taken aback by the gesture.

"I'm sorry... But in our current state, we can't live up to your expectations..."

No, it couldn't be...

Then Towada-san delivered the news.

He delivered the worst news imaginable for us.

"The garrison we were stationed at was wiped out long ago. The only survivors are the six people here."

Those words convinced me that my earlier suspicion had been correct.

Their battered equipment. Their utterly exhausted expressions. What else could that mean?

I'd had a bad feeling.

I just hadn't wanted it to be true.

A truly bad feeling really does tend to come true.