Episode 16 – Side Misuzu (1)

19 minutes

“See you again.” -Rokujou

“Yeah, same time as this morning, tomorrow.” -Kiriyama

I had safely reached level 3 as well, though Yuuta was faster. It took me about two hours to get back from Kofu to Kokubunji Station. It was completely dark around, and the thought of possibly being scolded by my parents when I got home made me feel gloomy. I watched Yuuta’s figure disappear into the distance.

*Sigh*

I felt suddenly lonely when I could no longer see Yuuta.

Rokujou Yuuta, my classmate whom I barely knew. On that day we first met, I had run away from home. I had argued with my parents about dungeons. They insisted,

『Go to Dungeon High School. -Dad

I couldn’t agree with my parents. On the day of the entrance exams, they said they would “take me to Musashino Dungeon High School.” Once delivered to the D-rank, there would be no choice but to take the exam. I hated that idea, so in the middle of the night, I snuck out and took the first train to Ikebukuro Dungeon.

And then I entered Ikebukuro Dungeon.

The moment I entered, I saw that savanna landscape. In the shimmering heat, the eyes of a goblin holding a sword glinted ferociously. I got scared and turned back immediately. There was Yuuta. Honestly, I couldn’t remember his name right away.

『Ki-Kiriyama-san. A-Are you entering the dungeon too? -Rokujou

I thought maybe he had also run away from home, but he wasn’t just winging it; he was seriously trying to become an explorer. I suddenly felt ashamed of myself for not thinking things through and decided to take the D-rank exam and go home.

Luckily, my parents hadn’t noticed my brief, 3-hour absence from home and were delighted when I suddenly became docile and said I would take the Musashino exam. But I was upset with what my parents had said that day.

『Misuzu, you don’t have to push yourself, just marry normally and live near this house. -Dad

『That’s right, Misuzu. You can be ordinary. -Mom

My two older sisters were very accomplished and so outstanding that they rarely came home. So, it seemed my parents wanted me to stay close by. I hated my parents for that. My father used to work for what you’d call a black company, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night.

『Ah, I’m exhausted. -Dad

『Oi, give me a shoulder rub. -Dad

『Acting all high and mighty just because they’re a section chief! -Dad

『Always getting angry at me even though I’m older and you’re younger! -Dad

『Ah, so annoying. -Dad

He always complained about the company he chose to work for himself.

I hated seeing him so pathetic. But my sisters always rubbed his shoulders. They said, “It’s for our father who is working so hard,” but to me, the sight of him constantly complaining about his own choices seemed utterly uncool.

But what I hated even more, both then and now, is that Dad always compared me and my sisters.

『Reika, Mei, you two are going to be successful. Don’t end up being used by a company like me. Reika is smart, so she should work for the UN. Mei is very beautiful, so she should aim to be a top model in America. -Dad

My two sisters were always told such fairy tales by our father.

I used to scorn the idea, thinking that no matter how excellent my sisters were, it was ridiculous to think they could work for the UN or become top models in America. But, amazingly, both of them did just that.

My older sister Reika is traveling the world working for the UN, and Mei went to America alone at 18 and really became a top model.

So Dad’s words came true.

『Is Dad really amazing? Can I become great if he praises me?-Kiriyama

I thought Dad’s words had some mysterious power to make children incredible. Then why didn’t he say anything to me? Even when I massaged his shoulders, instead of saying anything like that, Dad would just say,

You’re not good at anything. Don’t try too hard; just live near your parents.-Dad

That was all he would say. Dad doesn’t work now. He quit the black company he was with because the remittances from my two sisters were more than enough for him to live on. It’s partly because my sisters told him it would be better to quit.

That’s good, because he was being used by the company so much I thought he might actually die. But then he stopped working altogether. He always seems to have free time at home, and when he feels like it, he goes on trips with my mother. They even invite me to “come along.”

But I never went because I hated being compared to my sisters.

I hated my father even more for opposing my desire to work hard as an explorer while he himself didn’t make an effort. But what I did today was definitely too much. I left early in the morning with just a note.

“『I’ll be back by night』won’t be enough, will it?” -Kiriyama

Thinking it would be dangerous if they came looking for me in the dungeon by chance, I didn’t write where I was going. I left a note that sounded like the title of a song and left the house.

“I don’t want to go home. Maybe I’ll show up at Yuuta’s place.” -Kiriyama

Yuuta said he hardly ever lived with his parents. Maybe it would be nice if I lived with him and cooked for him. I heard he has a sister living with him, but if she’s Yuuta’s sister, she must be a nice girl.

“Alright, if I get scolded today, I’ll do just that!” -Kiriyama

Thinking such ominous thoughts, I still wanted to avoid fighting with my parents if possible. I sneaked the item that Yuuta lent me into my backpack and psyched myself up.

The house came into view.

The house my sisters bought for our parents.

It was the same build as the others, with a garden that was more of an afterthought.

“It’s Tokyo, so even this costs about 80 million yen,” they said.

My two sisters who could buy this house with cash were indeed amazing. The item I had sneaked into my backpack was pretty incredible too, but it paled in comparison to this house. With a heavy heart, I opened the front door.

“I’m home…” -Kiriyama

I spoke in a small voice, hoping my parents wouldn’t hear me, a faint resistance. However, that plan was quickly foiled.

“You’re late. You shouldn’t trouble Mom and Dad.”

The one who came to the entryway wasn’t Dad or Mom.

“Welcome back, Misuzu-chan. Weren’t you scared in the dungeon?”

I did a double-take.

“O-Onee-chan?” -Kiriyama

It was my two older sisters at the entrance.

The first to speak, with her hands on her hips, was Mei, the second daughter. Even if I reached level 3, I don’t think I could surpass this sister’s beauty. She’s 180 cm tall, 22 years old. Even as her sibling, I find myself holding back in front of her stunning beauty.

I thought to myself that the famously beautiful Tamamo-no-Mae[1] must have had such a wise and superhuman face.

Then there was Reika, my other sister, 169 cm tall, 24 years old. With her raccoon-like face, she was more laid-back compared to Mei and me, but she had a certain charm that made people feel at ease.

“Sisters, why are you here?” -Kiriyama

They were both incredibly busy. They rarely returned to Japan and were always hopping from one foreign country to another. I thought I would never see the two of them together again.

“It’s because of the dungeons. Things are pretty rough over there.” -Mei

“That bad you had to come back?” -Kiriyama

I asked, puzzled. Being in Japan, I couldn’t quite understand the severity of what was happening outside the dungeons.

“People here can be so naive. Over there, goblins come out from behind buildings. If you don’t have a guard, you could die.” -Mei

“I heard that in America, they had already cleared out the goblins from the dungeon collapse.” -Kiriyama

“That’s just on the surface. But they’re still lurking in the subways and sewers. When those come out, it’s the worst.” -Mei

“Sounds unsanitary.” -Kiriyama

“And you get kidnapped, too. Now everyone’s armed and moving in groups. I was scared too, but I thought it was a chance I had to grab, so I was carrying a gun and trying my best. But lately, it seems monsters from the fourth floor are coming out.” -Mei

“Monsters from the fourth floor are appearing in the city?” -Kiriyama

“The Night Walkers, nocturnal monsters. They don’t get hit by bullets.” -Mei

The Night Walkers are famous for emerging from the fourth floor. They’re monsters that, unless you’re an explorer, even if you have a gun, you’re advised not to confront them.

It is also said that from around the fourth floor of the dungeons, the monsters become too much to handle unless you’ve leveled up.

“So I came back because it was too dangerous And the boss told me, ‘Reach level 10,’ which is ridiculous.” -Mei

“Level 10?” -Kiriyama

“Yeah. It’s like the current buzzword in the modeling industry.” -Mei

“I’m in the same boat. ‘Level up,’ they said, which used to mean study and aim for a career advancement, but now it means literally go kill monsters. I tried a bit, but I thought it was too much for me, so I came back. Aren’t they starting to say the same thing in Japan?” -Reika

“Ah, now that you mention it, I’ve heard something like that online. Bosses at work are being replaced by failed explorers, and they say the latter are more competent.” -Kiriyama

“Yeah, that’s it. Over there, it’s become the norm. A girl from the poverty-stricken class who was supposed to be getting food aid turned out to be my boss.” -Reika

“It’s expensive to get tickets to Japan from abroad. My colleagues said they were envious of my ‘escape’ to Japan.” -Mei

“Is that so? Are you going to stay here for good?” -Kiriyama

Compared to them, I felt a sense of inferiority, but I also loved these two overly competent sisters. I admired them. So I was happy.

“About that…” -Mei

“Well, Misuzu-chan, it’s not a conversation for the entrance, let’s talk over here.” -Reika

The two sisters walked to the living room with meaningful looks on their faces.

Then dad was sitting on the sofa with a look that screamed I’m-angry-and-waiting. Mom was sitting next to him, and the two sisters sat on the adjacent sofa. I was the only one made to sit on the floor.

What to do? I was completely in away territory.

But my sisters were indulgent with me because of the age gap. Maybe they would be on my side a bit. If so, I needed to throw the first punch. I rustled through my backpack and took out something I had borrowed from Yuuta.

There was a satisfying thud on the table.

“What is this supposed to mean?” -Dad

Dad’s voice had an edge to it. Thanks to my sisters, we had been living comfortably, and he had gone from a handsome middle-aged man to a pudgy middle-aged dad. Yet his stubbornness was intact, and not working seemed to have given him an inferiority complex, making him a troublesome old man.

“Don’t you see, Dad? It’s a potion.” -Kiriyama

“And what about it?” -Dad

“I got it from a dungeon gacha today. It’s the kind that sells for about 10 million in the market.” -Kiriyama

“10 million? Don’t lie!” -Dad

Oh, the power of 10 million. I thought he might not react much since this house is worth 80 million, but to my surprise, Dad was quite shocked.

“Incidentally, I reached level 3 today with a classmate. Dad might get mad that I’m not going to the D-rank, but it’s actually a pretty big deal.” -Kiriyama

I puffed out my cheeks. That’s right, I did something amazing today. Thanks to that, Yuuta saw me nearly pee myself twice. Why should I be the one getting scolded? I was getting more and more irritated, thinking if he wants to be angry, just let him.

I couldn’t have done it alone, but I was grateful for the much more capable older sisters I had.

“Level 3? So what! High-level explorers are like level 1000 or something. More importantly, why aren’t you at school? And what’s this ‘I’ll be back at night’ nonsense? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?” -Dad

See, he’s angry. I thought about crashing at Yuuta’s place tomorrow. It’s okay. Yuuta would give me a place to escape. Plus, it might actually be fun. As I was thinking this,

“Dad, wait a minute.” -Reika

My eldest sister, Reika, chimed in.

“Eh? Misuzu-chan, you’ve reached level 3 already? But wasn’t it just today that you said you’d gone into the dungeon without permission? Is the classmate a friend?” -Mei

“Yeah, but” -Kiriyama

“Hey, never mind that, you guys promised you’d scold Misuzu too.” -Dad

What? The sisters I thought were on my side were against me? Had God already abandoned me?

“What are you talking about, Dad? Do you understand what reaching level 3 in one day means? It means she’s surpassed the first ten in a day. She’s even surpassed level 3, which is said to be the next dangerous level, right?” -Mei

“I couldn’t even kill a single goblin…” -Reika

But my younger sister, Mei, didn’t come at me with anger. Neither did Reika.

“Hey, you guys! Misuzu skipped school to go into the dungeon. She could have entered a safe dungeon high school, but she went in by herself!” -Dad

“Misuzu is amazing, isn’t she! One of my colleagues was all fired up, saying ‘I’m going to level up and become beautiful,’ but she came back seriously injured on the first day. Some even died.” -Mei

It was rare for Mei to speak of me this way.

I love the overwhelmingly beautiful Mei, but she always seemed bothered by me. When Mei said something like that, it made me squirm with joy. I couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s what I’m saying. It’s not something you should be doing; it’s dangerous.” -Dad

“Can you just be quiet for a moment, Dad? I thought we were doing the same thing because you said so, but it’s totally different. Reaching level 3 in just one day is something high-level explorers do at the beginning, you know.” -Kiriyama

“Once you become a high-level explorer, your income exceeds 10 billion yen at the very least. It’s incredible.” -Reika

“Did you already get a potion like this? Even from the Stone Gacha, that’s amazing. Explorers really do make insane money.” -Mei

“You all! Being an explorer is a barbaric thing. It’s about children killing each other in dungeons!” -Dad

“Dad, the world isn’t like that anymore.” -Reika

Reika, the eldest sister, spoke to Dad in a persuading tone.

“What are you talking about? Explorers are all monsters. Only idiots and uneducated people become explorers.” -Dad

“That’s only what people say in peaceful Japan.” -Reika

“Exactly. With Foreign, Komori, Ryuubi, and Tanaka, there are four people over level 1000, so Japan can afford to be carefree. ‘Why does Japan have an angel?’ foreigners are insanely jealous of Foreign.” -Mei

“Ah, what’s so good about that? Having wings on your back is creepy.” -Dad

“If you say that abroad, you’d be killed, Dad. Foreign is amazing. He’s more popular abroad than in Japan.”

“Just saying you’re an explorer abroad is enough to make you popular. In the world of sports, there’s no room for people who don’t enter dungeons. There are divisions for level 10, level 20, and the highest division is for level 100, moving at speeds recognizable to normal people. You know that, right, Dad?” -Mei

“That’s about people who do physical activities.” -Dad

Dad tried to resist somehow.

He’s someone who stays at home and only watches TV, unaware of information that’s already circulating on the internet unless it’s shown on TV. Moreover, he doesn’t believe us even when we talk about it. Thanks to that, I had a lot of trouble.

“Dad, are you really gathering information properly? You’re full of prejudice.” -Mei

“I am. I watch the news every day.” -Dad

“Then you should know that it’s the same in the modeling world, right?” -Meo

“What are you talking about? Models have nothing to do with it.” -Dad

“That’s what I just said. Geez. Maybe we’ve been too lenient with this old man.” -Mei

“What’s that, Mei? Getting all high and mighty with your parents!” -Dad

“Listen. Nowadays, even models have to enter dungeons and become beautiful, or they can’t make it to the top. Everyone’s risking their lives in dungeons. The physical changes stop at level 10, so reaching level 10 is the current trend. I even killed a goblin. It took me 10 days of desperate effort to reach level 2. But then I got fed up with it.” -Reika

“Models are really entering dungeons that much?” -Mom

Mom asked, sounding curious.

“Everyone is desperate, you know. There are even stories like ‘She was a top model but when she threw a tantrum about not wanting to enter the dungeon, she got fired from the modeling agency and dropped by her agent.’ I even came back because I was scared of entering the dungeon.” -Mei

“But, Mei is one thing, Reika is different, right? The United Nations has nothing to do with dungeons.” -Dad

“Dad, it’s actually worse here. You know, when your level goes up in the dungeon, even your intelligence increases. People who were elites before are getting outsmarted by those with no education at all. People who’ve never been to school because they were getting food aid just enter the dungeon, and with their newfound smarts, they outwit us.” -Reika

“Reika would lose?” -Kiriyama

It was hard to believe. Reika’s intelligence was something I couldn’t even comprehend. She seemed laid-back but her mind worked incredibly fast.

“I won’t lose right away.” -Reika

“Then at what level would you lose?” -Kiriyama

“Once you hit about level 30, no matter how much you’ve studied, it’s all in vain. People say, ‘I’d rather die in the dungeon than starve to death.’ Most people go in without proper equipment and do indeed end up dying, but about one in a hundred reach level 3, and some even surpass level 30.” -Reika

“The person who became a boss, was that one of them?” -Kiriyama

“Yes, initially it was like, ‘Let’s hire some violent, dumb explorers and make them deal with the troublesome ones.’ The boss I was talking about who said that was replaced by a 15-year-old girl who reached level 100. Even I, who thought I wasn’t discriminatory, felt that one.” -Reika

“Is public safety okay?” -Kiriyama

“In Japan, the rapid leveling up of explorers has been causing quite a problem with public safety.” -Reika

“It’s impossible to be okay. The human heart can’t keep up with such sudden strength. That’s why every country doesn’t want ordinary people entering dungeons and puts regulations in place; it’s chaos. People enter dungeons seeking freedom, but it turns into a cause for conflict. Anyway, those people are smart.” -Reika

It seemed like a lot had happened, and Reika looked a bit worn out.

“That’s what I’m saying! That kind of intelligence is a sham!” -Dad

“Sham or not, the intelligence of someone who hasn’t leveled up is limited. Really, what was the point of all that studying… Anyway, everyone who wants to get ahead is entering the dungeon. But people who’ve always relied on their smarts aren’t succeeding. They end up dead or severely injured. I got scared and ran away.” -Reika

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no reason for such a barbaric thing to be so important!” -Dad

“Dad, think about it. Just by entering the dungeon, you become smarter and more beautiful. Well, usually only if you were pretty bad to start with… But sometimes, regardless of their original face, people become frighteningly beautiful.”  -Reika

I had heard about that. In the dungeon, your appearance changes up to level 10. And rarely, someone who was unattractive can transform astonishingly. It seems that most people don’t change that dramatically, but there are certain individuals who do.

And it’s said that those people are favored by the dungeons.

That’s probably Yuuta. Yuuta doesn’t seem to realize it himself, but he’s become quite handsome at level 3. He’s probably going to transform dramatically.

“Not a word about this on TV…” -Dad

“TV is watched by lots of people. So they have to listen to many different opinions. Because they have influence, there’s a lot they can’t report on, especially about dungeons; it’s heavily regulated, so you can’t rely on it at all.” -Reika

“So that’s…” -Dad

In the end, my parents who intended to scold me let the matter fizzle out. At this rate, I might not face any more opposition. Although it was somewhat anticlimactic, it was better than being scolded. Bless my sisters. And I actually managed to escape that conversation.

TL Note(s)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamamo-no-Mae

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