I took a taxi that Evie had arranged from the hotel and arrived home early in the morning. It was around 6 am, and Imari, who was already awake, prepared breakfast for me with a surprised look on her face.
When we parted about 2 weeks ago, things had gotten a bit awkward, but I was relieved that she didn’t seem to mind too much. After finishing breakfast, Imari even cleaned up for me.
“Should I help? I don’t plan on going to school anymore.” -Yuuta
“No, it’s fine. You must be tired from the dungeon, right? Just relax.” -Imari
I had already relaxed plenty, but the details were hard to say. Before, I had talked about Misuzu, thinking I would somehow get Imari to give up, but now it was somehow hard to say. There’s no option to abandon Imari.
That much is certain. But how long will I stay with these uncertain feelings? I picked up the remote control in the living room and turned on the TV. Imari, in her school uniform, must have been planning to go to school.
While looking at her, I gradually became more interested in the TV. Or rather, this news?
“The front lines are in a stalemate, and the situation is still unpredictable.”
“There’s a huge black cloud looming. It seems like the sound of thunder is also echoing frequently. Announcer Tachibana, shouldn’t you evacuate already?”
“Is this finally a clash between the main forces?”
“Currently, an emergency evacuation alert has been issued for the entire Kanagawa Prefecture. Civilians must absolutely not enter Kanagawa Prefecture out of curiosity. Your lives are at stake.”
“There are estimates of over 10,000 dead and injured.”
A scene that would have been thought of as a movie up until 5 years ago. That was being broadcast on TV news. I was fixated on watching it, as there was something bothering me.
“Yuuta.” -Imari
“…” -Yuuta
“Yuuta.” -Imari
“Huh? Yeah, what is it?” -Yuuta
“Mom and your stepfather got divorced. They said to tell you when you got home safely.” -Imari
“Divorced…” -Yuuta
It had been a while since I had gotten out of the dungeon and watched TV. There was some incredible news being broadcast, so that caught my attention too. But I turned off the TV. Hearing about our parents’ divorce from Imari, I thought, finally. They were a couple that was strange to have not divorced from the beginning.
Hearing the details, it seems that my old man judged that the kids could become independent now that I had found proper party members and become an explorer. Well, my old man probably wants to get rid of me since I’m a handful.
My stepmother was reluctant, worrying about money, but apparently he shut her up by presenting evidence that she had cheated first.
“Calling him ‘your stepfather’ sounds weird now, doesn’t it? Uncle said he would continue providing money for our living expenses.” -Imari
“What’s going to happen to your stepmother… no, Auntie?” -Yuuta
“She probably won’t be able to get money anymore, right? We might hear about her starving to death somewhere before long.” -Imari
“Hey, Imari. She’s your own mother.” -Yuuta
“B-But, I hate her.” -Imari
“But what if she really does starve to death? She has zero life skills, you know.” -Yuuta
“Then let her die.” -Imari
“Let her die… Sigh, never mind. I’ll make sure Auntie doesn’t die on my end.” -Yuuta
With how I am now, I can provide her with about 200,000 yen a month in support. Honestly, I felt more like Auntie was my parent than my old man was. More than anything, my old man seemed to dislike this face of mine that resembles my real mother, the ex-wife who abandoned him.
“Why do you look so much like that woman!? That lowest of the low woman!” -Yuuta’s Father
“I-Is it bad that I look like Mom?” -Yuuta
I was still in kindergarten at the time, and I didn’t understand why my old man was so angry. I just remembered that Mom was kind, and I felt a rebellious spirit at being denied.
“Shut up! Do you understand how I feel, having to raise you when you look like her!?” -Yuuta’s Father
But Auntie was different. She worried about me being bullied at school and often comforted me. She was someone who didn’t care at all about academic background. Her taste in men was terrible to the point of being deadly, but I liked her more because she had a human touch.
“Hmm.” -Imari
“So, is it okay for the two of us to keep living here like this?” -Yuuta
It seemed that a fairly large-scale war between explorers had broken out in Yokohama. Even so, there was no sign of the damage reaching as far as Tokyo, and more than anything, the story directly related to our own lives was more important than the report of 10,000 people being injured or killed.
“Yeah. Actually, according to your stepfa- no, Uncle, a bill passed in the National Diet a year ago, and the laws regarding explorers have already changed since around New Year’s this year.” -Imari
“They’ve already changed? In what way?” -Yuuta
“Apparently, if you’re 15 or older and become a level 3 explorer, you’re recognized as an adult. So Yuuta, you have the right to vote, and you can even become the guarantor for this house.” -Imari
“They made a law like that? Even though you never know when an explorer might die?” -Yuuta
The government and the media dislike being conspicuous about laws related to explorers. No one can suppress the individual violence of explorers. If they report on it carelessly and catch the eye of an explorer, even a major media company could be physically crushed along with their entire company.
But if laws that are too favorable to explorers are decided, the general public will dislike it.
Because of this dilemma, the government and the media are very careful when it comes to matters related to explorers. In reality, laws that are increasingly advantageous to explorers are being decided, but it always takes quite a while before the public becomes aware of it.
“The lawyers all seem to know about it. The moment you turn 15 and reach level 3, you’re considered an adult. There’s even a law that says they can’t refuse apartment contracts on the grounds of being an explorer. If they refuse, they could face a heavy penalty that could even result in a prison sentence.” -Imari
“It seems like there’s a deep darkness to it.” -Yuuta
“It really does. But it’s just right for us.” -Imari
“Well, that’s true.” -Yuuta
However, just looking at Hazumi and the others, I can’t say it’s all good.
They can get away with anything, so that’s probably why those kind of people with loose screws appear. Well, even so, Japan is relatively peaceful on the surface compared to other countries. That’s probably because there are a certain number of explorers like Nagumo-san who try to maintain discipline.
“Yuuta, what are you going to do? Uncle said, ‘If Yuuta can provide money without any problems, I don’t mind transferring the ownership of this apartment too.’” -Imari
Does that mean he’s telling me to live with just Imari? That old man. Even though he likes Imari, he dislikes me even more, so he seriously intends to get rid of me as a nuisance.
“What are these grades? You’re the son of a lawyer, you know? Don’t embarrass me with grades like this.” -Yuuta’s Father
Even when I was suffering from bullying in elementary school, he was the kind of person who would say things like that rather than protect me. Even though grades in the lower grades shouldn’t be that big of a deal… Now I understand well that he just wanted to complain about me.
It was like that even after he left with his mistress. Thanks to that, I thought I had to be good at studying to be acknowledged by my old man, so I worked hard at my studies and was able to pass the middle school entrance exam. He’s a prideful person, but he abandoned child-rearing even though he cared about appearances.
He must really hate me.
With this, it’s over with that old man too…
I hated the lingering attachment I still had, expecting something from that old man somewhere.
“I like your kindness even if your grades are bad. Thank you for properly calling me ‘stepmother’ even though I’m like this.” -Aunt
I remembered their contrasting words. My stepmother, no, Auntie, seemed to dislike the coldness that came from my old man being too smart. I wonder how she’s doing now. It was strange that I was more concerned about my stepmother than my old man.
“It seems there’s no loan or anything even if we change the name on this apartment, so it’s just the utility bills.” -Imari
“I see.” -Yuuta
There probably won’t be any financial problems as long as I’m alive. I haven’t been able to recoup the initial investment from this gacha yet, but I also realized that my gacha luck is good enough to more than make up for Misuzu and Evie’s bad gacha luck.
If the exploration of the 2nd floor goes smoothly, it’ll be easy to cover the cost of the apartment.
“We could even move if we wanted to.” -Yuuta
I don’t have many good memories here. My parents’ relationship turned sour within a few years of marriage, and the short time we were together, they were always fighting. After it became just Imari and me, home became a place where I could feel at ease, but the bullying at school was still terrible, so I would come home to this house feeling depressed.
It was also quite painful when Imari saw me being bullied in elementary school. That’s why I was actually happy when we ended up going to different middle schools.
“I agree with that, but I can come with you when you move, right?” -Imari
Imari asked me something that took me a moment to understand.
“W-Why are you asking that? Did your stepmother say she’s going to take you in?” -Yuuta
I knew she had a kind side to her even though her promiscuity with men was a problem, so I thought that was possible too. It would be painful to be separated from Imari, but I had no right to interfere with that. No, but being separated from Imari, who I’ve lived with since elementary school.
I don’t want to be separated from Imari while telling her to find another man. It’s contradictory. I’m the one who understands the least what I’m really thinking.
“Not at all! She didn’t say anything like that at all!” -Imari
“Then if you don’t want to live alone, let’s leave here together. I borrowed about 55 million yen from Evie and Misuzu’s sister for the initial investment. But with this gacha, even though I couldn’t convert it to cash, it’s worth about 100 million yen, and I think I can easily pay it back with future gacha.” -Yuuta
“I-I see. I don’t really get it because the amounts are too big, but it’ll be okay, right?” -Imari
“I need to pay back about 60 million yen to Nagumo-san too, but I think I can pay it back without it costing that much even if we move somewhere else. I told you about the gacha luck, right?” -Yuuta
More than anything, I don’t feel like continuing to live in this apartment that has my old man’s fingerprints all over it.
“Ah, yeah. Gacha luck 5 is really amazing, isn’t it?” -Imari
“I also don’t really have a good sense of the amounts because they’re too big, but when I tried rolling the gacha, I got 5 gold capsules. I think if I roll about 50 gacha coins next time, I’ll get something that I can convert to 200 million yen in cash. The people I borrowed money from are all trustworthy, so they probably won’t suddenly demand repayment either.” -Yuuta
“You’re kind of amazing, Yuuta. Don’t become too amazing before I enter the dungeon, okay?” -Imari
Because I casually talked about large amounts of money, Imari seemed to become anxious instead and sat next to me and grabbed my hand. Her hand was trembling as if she thought I would hate it. So I squeezed her hand back. That seemed to put her at ease.
“It’s okay. No matter how hard I try, I’ll only be around level 25 by the time you enter. You’ll catch up to me in no time, Imari. You might even surpass me.” -Yuuta
“I hope that’s the case, but…” -Imari
“Imari.” -Yuuta
To Imari like that, I voiced what I was thinking now.
“Yeah?” -Imari
“When Imari becomes a member, how about the four of us hole up in the dungeon for about a year?” -Yuuta
“A whole year?” -Imari
“Yeah, you don’t want to?” -Yuuta
“No. I don’t mind at all if I’m with you, Yuuta. But why?” -Imari
“Quickly. As soon as possible. I think it’s better to level up.” -Yuuta
“H-Hey Yuuta. I did some research on explorers, you know. With your gacha luck, you could level up more slowly and live as a low-level explorer-” -Imari
“That’s no good.” -Yuuta
I took Imari’s words, understanding what she was trying to say. If you aim to be a high-level explorer, your stats won’t increase well if you take it too easy. However, with how I am now, it wouldn’t be hard to get by as a low-level explorer even if I take it a bit easy.
And with gacha luck 5, that would still provide a sufficient income. Imari wants to say that’s good enough. She doesn’t want me to do something with the risk of dying. There’s a way for the two of us to live safely and richly, so why aim higher?
“Why?” -Imari
“I have gacha luck 5. And Imari, Evie, and Misuzu, all three of you are quite beautiful.” -Yuuta
“Ah, yeah.” -Imari
“Imari. Don’t underestimate explorers. The world of explorers is survival of the fittest. The weak have no choice but to listen to the strong. If the levels are different, the strength is too different and you absolutely can’t win. I want to live in that world. And without a doubt, the world from now on will become the world of explorers. Become stronger as soon as possible. At least surpass level 200. That’s the most important thing.” -Yuuta
“B-But…” -Imari
“Imari, can you believe in me?” -Yuuta
“Y-Yeah. I can absolutely believe in you.” -Imari
“Then just follow me without a word.” -Yuuta
“…You won’t abandon me?” -Imari
“Absolutely not.” -Yuuta
“Really?” -Imari
“Really.” -Yuuta
“…Okay… If you say so, Yuuta, I’ll follow you without a word.” -Imari
“Thank you, Imari. We’re very easily targeted. That’s why we have no choice but to become strong.” -Yuuta
“Yeah… H-Hey, Yuuta. Can I kiss you?” -Imari
“Huh? S-Sure.” -Yuuta
Imari seemed happy to be allowed to kiss a guy like me, her face blooming into a smile as she stole my lips. After confirming that Imari had gone to school, I first called my stepmother… no, the person who had now become my aunt.
“Yuu-kun?” -Aunt
“Yes, how are you doing?” -Yuuta
“Yuu-kun. Could you tell that person too? That he should properly pay the monthly money.” -Aunt
She was the same as always. Always struggling with money. That was the impression I had of Auntie. After talking for a while, the conversation turned to me supporting her financially, and it was decided that I would transfer 200,000 yen to her every month.
“Yuuta, you’re a kind child. I’m really happy.” -Aunt
I was told such words, but I didn’t feel as happy as I used to. She asked to meet once, but since it was impossible now, we decided on when I had time after getting out of the dungeon.
“Then make sure to transfer the money to the account number I told you by today. I’m really counting on you.” -Aunt
“Got it. I’ll definitely transfer it, so don’t worry.” -Yuuta
The call ended. I wonder if I was able to help someone with this? No, maybe it doesn’t count as helping. After all, even though she kept receiving money from my old man, Auntie never stopped struggling with money.
Even so, I felt like Imari wanted her to live. I felt the same way. There was no way to know if this was the right thing to do, and I turned on the TV again.
“Regarding the cause of this war, there are various speculations, but there is one certain thing.”
“And what is that?”
“This war was initiated by Ryujin-sama. There are testimonies from residents who fled Yokohama that Ryujin-sama flew in on the early morning of January 19th.”
“It seems the government is calling on Ryujin-sama to cease fire, but…”
“This is the person who tried to occupy Osaka. I don’t think he’ll listen.”
“But once again, Angel-sama hasn’t shown up at all.”
“A war between Raiden and Ryujin…” -Yuuta
My parents’ divorce was such an obvious development that it didn’t move my heart much. I was more concerned about what was being shown on TV. I had seen people die and had almost died myself.
If it wasn’t for Nagumo-san, I might have died.
*Phone ringing*
*Phone ringing*
I was making another call. The person I was calling was Nagumo-san. There was no doubt that he was a high-level explorer. Then he might know something about what was being shown on TV. No, would he get angry if I asked about that out of curiosity?
“What is it, Yuuta?” -Nagumo
“Ah, no, um…” -Yuuta
Nagumo-san answered the phone more readily than I expected. I felt relieved to hear his lively voice. And I thought about asking him about the war.
“The war.” -Yuuta
However, I felt like I shouldn’t ask about it carelessly and I stumbled over my words.
“Hmm? What is it?” -Nagumo
“Ah, um, well, that’s right. C-Can I ask for love advice?” -Yuuta
And I asked about something that was not what I wanted to ask about now. I certainly wanted to consult about this, but what I wanted to ask about now was something completely different. I was bothered by the fact that the war that would later be called the [Yokohama Dragon-Thunder Incident] happened around the time of Hazumi and the others’ deaths.
“What’s this, you? Don’t tell me you’re being approached by those two?” -Nagumo
Nagumo-san hit the nail on the head, as if he had found an interesting topic.
“Ah, yes, that’s right.” -Yuuta
“I knew it. Both of them seemed interested in you. So is there a problem?” -Nagumo
“No, I like Misuzu too, but with Evie, it’s like I’m getting swept away by how good it feels, or like I can’t refuse her forceful advances. And, Nagumo-san might get angry at me, but yesterday my parents got divorced.” -Yuuta
“That’s rough. But why would I get angry about that?” -Nagumo
“Well, you see, my parents were both remarried. But my aunt had a stepdaughter, and she’s my sister who’s two months apart from me. That girl is planning to become my party member soon. But I can’t leave her alone, and we’ve become close.” -Yuuta
“Oh my, that’s something.” -Nagumo
“Yesterday we finally found the dungeon stairs, but…” -Yuuta
“Oh, you’re fast as expected. The first floor doesn’t require very high physical abilities, so it usually takes longer. You did well.” -Nagumo
This person really praises someone like me honestly. I, who lacked a father’s love, felt paternal affection from Nagumo-san and was incredibly happy.
“Th-Thank you very much. So, you see. I was glad I got close with Imari, but when I was kissing Misuzu in the dungeon, Evie secretly approached me saying she wanted to do it too.” -Yuuta
“And you did it?” -Nagumo
“I did.” -Yuuta
“Hehe, enjoying your youth, huh.” -Nagumo
“Is this what youth is?” -Yuuta
I feel like it’s more of a muddy daytime drama, but.
“Of course it’s youth. If I remember correctly, that Evie, she’s that really beautiful white girl, right? Her face looks American, right?” -Nagumo
“You can tell?” -Yuuta
“Well, I have a lot of opportunities to interact with Americans. That woman has a face that’s the typical American beauty.” -Nagumo
Hearing those words, I thought most of the ideas I had in my mind were correct. “Fire-breathing dragons are very popular in America,” Evie had said. If this idea is correct, I’m doing something incredibly rude to this person.
“Um, how should I deal with Americans? I’m already at my limit with just Imari and Misuzu, but Evie keeps insisting on getting close to me no matter what. It seems like she won’t give up as long as we’re in the same party.” -Yuuta
“Have you already done it with the American girl? Lost your virginity?” -Nagumo
“N-No, she kept kissing me and coming on to me, but I managed to endure it somehow.” -Yuuta
“You’re amazing. The way women over there come on to you is crazy, right?” -Nagumo
“It’s crazy. How do I put it, they clearly state in words that they want to do that kind of thing. And they don’t seem to think it’s embarrassing at all.” -Yuuta
“Well, I can’t imagine a woman from over there being able to hold back in a dungeon.” -Nagumo
“That’s right. But I can’t come to a conclusion about Imari and Misuzu in my mind at all, so is it okay for me to do it with Evie first?” -Yuuta
“It’s fine as long as you don’t get caught, right?” -Nagumo
“Nagumo!” -Fumiko (the elf)
“Is someone calling you?” -Yuuta
I heard a voice calling Nagumo-san over the phone.
“Yeah, it’s fine, just ignore it.” -Nagumo
“Young Master Nagumo! Don’t push the burden onto the elderly!” -Fumiko
“What is it, you damn hag!? Endure it a bit!” -Nagumo
Nagumo-san started talking about something else. Listening closely, I could also hear something like the roar of thunder, and it sounded quite noisy on the other end of the phone.
“If you’re busy…” -Yuuta
“It’s fine, I said. You’re worried about getting your first girlfriend, right? I’ll listen properly, so talk.” -Nagumo
Rather than being worried about getting a girlfriend, I’m worried about getting too many. If I had only gotten one, I wouldn’t have had to worry so much.
“But are you sure it’s okay?” -Yuuta
“I said it’s fine. I’m a man who properly helps out his buddy’s troubles.” -Nagumo
“Nagumo! Cut it out already! Don’t drag people into this and casually talk on the phone! I can only defend here! Hurry up and shoot [Flame Annihilation]!” -Fumiko
“Shut up, you damn hag! I said I’m in the middle of an important conversation with my friend, didn’t I!?” -Nagumo
I heard the sound of Nagumo-san irritably stomping on the ground. I felt like the floor I was on shook too. I want to think it was just my imagination.
“This is why people without friends are a pain.” -Fumiko
“I have them! I have friends! I’m on the phone with one right now!” -Nagumo
“They’ll leave you once they realize how much of a pain you are. Tanaka was like that too, wasn’t he?” -Fumiko
“You damn hag! You said it! You said something you shouldn’t have!” -Nagumo
“Um, Nagumo-san. I’m really fine, so…” -Yuuta
“Huh? No, but talking about your worries is important, right? They say a guy who can’t even listen to his buddy’s troubles isn’t a real buddy.” -Nagumo
“No, it’s presumptuous of me to call Nagumo-san my buddy…” -Yuuta
“Huh? You’re my buddy, aren’t you? It’s not just my assumption, right?” -Nagumo
I shouldn’t deny this. I hurriedly affirmed it, not out of fear of Nagumo-san, but for some reason remembering when I was bullied.
“Oh, yes. We’re buddies. Super buddies.” -Yuuta
“That’s right. I’m glad. I almost thought about burning down everything around there regardless of the damage. So let’s resume the consultation.” -Nagumo
“Nagumooooooooo!!!” -Fumiko
“Shut uuuuuuup!!!” -Nagumo
“No, um, Nagumo-san! Actually, I wasn’t that worried! To be honest, I think I’m fine with either Misuzu or Evie.” -Yuuta
Putting it into words myself, I felt nauseous. What a horrible person I am. That’s what I thought.
“Ah, well, I see. Women are all the same inside anyway, just their appearance is different. It’s fine as long as you hold them appropriately and please them appropriately. I see. You’ve finally reached that realm too, huh? I’m happy for you.” -Nagumo
“Y-Yes. I’ve reached that realm.” -Yuuta
I don’t want to reach such a realm, and I think a person is finished if they reach it, but I nodded.
“Well, if you’re not worried, it’s fine. If you have something to consult about again, come to me anytime. Alright, consultation complete then.” -Nagumo
“You were perfect, Nagumo-san. I’m glad I consulted you.” -Yuuta
“What’s this? You’re making me blush. Well then, do your best! Actually, I’m a bit busy. I don’t want to hang up, but I have to.” -Nagumo
“P-Please, go ahead. Thanks to you, Nagumo-san, I feel much better.” -Yuuta
“Is that so? Somehow, I’ve never had the experience of being consulted by a friend since only weird women and adults come to me. And this is the first time I feel like I’ve been appreciated so much for being consulted by someone.” -Nagumo
“I-I see. I’m really happy to become friends with you, Nagumo-san.” -Yuuta
Tears started welling up. I decided to definitely call Nagumo-san when I get out of the dungeon.
“Alright! You damn hag! I’m getting in the mood! I’m gonna shoot a big one!” -Nagumo
“You idiot, what are you planning to shoot!?” -Fumiko
“This will end in a draw at this rate anyway! My buddy is watching, so I’m gonna go flashy! Watch this, Yuuta! This is the world I’m in!” -Nagumo
“W-Wait a minute! If you do something crazy here-!” -Fumiko
“[Infernal Gate Apocrypha: Flame Skeleton]!!!” -Nagumo
“Y-You idiot! Don’t shoot something like that outside the dungeon!!!” -Fumiko
“Yeehaaaaw!!! Die, you damn thunder woman!!!” -Nagumo
I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t hear anything. I quietly hung up the phone.
“The sky! The sky is dyed red! The sky is dyed so red that it’s visible even from here! Something like the gates of hell are open! A skeleton! A giant skeleton clad in flames appeared in the sky! This is the end of the woooorld!”
“Announcer Tachibana, can you hear me? Announcer Tachibana!?”
I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t hear anything. I quietly turned off the TV.
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