After eating dinner and taking a bath, I saw Dad in the living room looking at his computer. He seemed to be sifting through articles to verify if what my sisters had said was true. Annoyed by this, I went to my room, dried my hair, and quickly crawled into bed.
“I wonder how Yuuta is doing.” -Misuzu
I’ve been thinking about a classmate, Yuuta, whom I had only known by face until a few days ago. Could this be what liking someone feels like? Or maybe it’s an illusion due to the suspension bridge effect because we’re together in such an environment.
I took out my smartphone. I had taken some photos with Yuuta in the dungeon today. Videos of goblins hunting, and not just goblins, but giraffes and rhinos too, which were unusual and interesting, so I took photos while I was at it.
“The further down we go, the more the creatures of Earth become unique to the dungeon, or so I’ve heard.” -Misuzu
The video of goblins hunting a rhino looked frankly like CG. That’s what I would’ve thought until not long ago.
“Really, who created the dungeon?” -Misuzu
It’s such a mysterious space. As I pondered, I realized that Yuuta was in every photo.
“My phone is full of Yuuta’s pictures. Maybe I’ve fallen for him. But, this…” -Misuzu
My hand stopped at one particular photo. I looked at it intently and blushed. It was an impulsive shot. It was a photo of Yuuta’s…
“That’s right. I just took it. His sturdy body…” -Misuzu
After we had finished leveling up and there was a good amount of space without goblins, we showed each other our statuses and took a break. I was still in my tank top, having taken off my equipment, but Yuuta must have been hot because he took off his shirt and was bare-chested.
『Waaah. 』-Misuzu
『What’s wrong? 』-Rokujou
『Yuuta, can I take a picture of you right now? 』-Misuzu
I was so enamored by his impressively muscled torso that I took a photo without thinking.
“Why would you want to take a picture of me?” -Misuzu
He looked puzzled, but any girl would want to save this image if they were shown such impressive muscles, and on top of that, a face that had become handsome. Yuuta had transformed so alarmingly.
“Oh, this is strange. I’ve never felt this way about any guy before…” -Misuzu
Looking at the photo, I started to feel incredibly restless. A tingling sensation spread through my lower body.
“Guys use photos of girls they like for various things, right? Maybe I’m feeling something like that now.” -Misuzu
My left hand slid down towards my lower body, fidgeting with my underwear, when—
Knock knock.
“Hyah!” -Misuzu
I thought my heart would leap out of my chest.
There was a knock at the door. It was probably my sister Mei. If she saw me like this, I’d never hear the end of it. I hurriedly turned off my smartphone and straightened my clothes before responding.
“What is it?” -Misuzu
I tried to sound as calm as possible. My heart’s pounding shouldn’t be audible from the outside.
“I’m coming in.” -Mei
“Okay.” -Misuzu
It was indeed my sister Mei. She opened the door. We don’t have locks, and before she would have entered without any hesitation, but maybe she picked up the habit of knocking while in America.
Mei had probably just come out of the bath; her face was flushed. She’s tall and slender. Her long, fluffy hair looked like it would feel nice to touch.
“May I sit?” -Mei
It seems that she used to be made fun of for her tall height, but the one thing that hadn’t changed since then was how surprisingly beautiful she was.
“Sure, but what’s up?” -Misuzu
“I want to talk to you about something. About the dungeon.” -Mei
My sister sat down at the edge of the bed.
The way she crossed her legs looked sophisticated, almost un-Japanese. I always thought of my sister as someone who lived coolly, but she said she had run away from the dungeon. Lying down, I listened to her story.
“Dad and the others didn’t hear this from me, but Misuzu, you were being reckless, weren’t you?” -Mei
“Not really.” -Misuzu
“Don’t be on guard, I’m not here to scold you. Just from what I’ve heard, are the two of you going into the dungeon alone?” -Mei
“That’s right.” -Misuzu
“Dad and everyone are really worried about that. Normally, people don’t enter with so few. I went in with 10 people. Thanks to that, the experience points were spread out and it was hard to level up.” -Mei
“I thought so. That’s why I figured it might be better with fewer people.” -Misuzu
“Going in with two people and reaching level 3 in one day. I know that smaller groups are more efficient, but I’d be too scared to do something like that.” -Mei
“Well, I was able to do it because Yuuta was with me.” -Misuzu
“Normally, if you do something that reckless, you usually end up dead.” -Mei
“…I admit that. If Yuuta hadn’t been there, I probably… no, I definitely wouldn’t have gone into the dungeon. It seems Yuuta meeting a high-level explorer named Nagumo helped a lot too.” -Misuzu
“A high-level explorer? Have you told Dad and the others about that?” -Mei
My sister’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I haven’t.” -Misuzu
“I can’t believe it.” -Mei
Her shrug was so characteristically American, it really felt like she had just come back from there.
“Listen. High-level explorers, whether in Japan or abroad, are VIPs among VIPs. It’s like saying ‘I’ve become friends with Hollywood celebrities or big company presidents.’ If the person you’re going with knows someone like that, you should have said something.” -Mei
“Dad wouldn’t listen to me anyway.” -Misuzu
“Well, given how he’s been lately… But then, are you okay? Rei and I were quite worried when Dad said ‘Misuzu has run away to the dungeon.’ But you had your own way of thinking and did it properly, right?” -Mei
“Yeah, well…” -Misuzu
I replied vaguely while thinking.
It’s hard to imagine that I had any clever thoughts, and that night, when I heard Yuuta had reached level 2, I just impulsively thought maybe it would be okay to go with him. I shouldn’t have to say such things, but I was honest.
“No, I wasn’t thinking. So it should have ended with me not being able to enter. But I heard that a classmate who went with me reached level 2 in one day, and I thought maybe I could go into the dungeon with him.” -Misuzu
“There must be a good guy there.” -Mei
“It’s not like that.” -Misuzu
Although I said that, I felt it might be just like that. Somehow, when I think about Yuuta, my heart feels all fluttery.
“Thank goodness. It’s really tough entering a dungeon with people whose levels are far apart from yours because your status growth gets stingy. That’s why it’s so important to find companions within the same level range.” -Mei
“Did you go in with 10 models?” -Misuzu
“Yes, ten girls who had never even shot a gun before. It was such a disaster. One even got her arm chopped off. I gave up after seeing that.” -Mei
“Dungeons are cruel, aren’t they? Yuuta only went for one day, but he got leveled up by a high-level explorer.” -Misuzu
“That boy is incredibly lucky. You can’t get proper leveling unless it’s from someone much higher level. It would usually just be a nuisance and not result in any leveling up. In America, you’d have to pay who knows how much to get a high-level explorer to do that. Probably wouldn’t do it even for a billion. It was free, right?” -Mei
“Yeah.” -Misuzu
“He’s really blessed with luck. General Ghent said that’s what you need in dungeons. Japanese explorers call it being ‘blessed with connections.’ Maybe he’s got high gacha luck?” -Mei
“Yeah, it’s high.” -Misuzu
“I thought so. Otherwise, there’s no way Misuzu, who has the worst lottery luck, could pull out a potion worth 10 million.” -Mei
“It’s not that bad.” -Misuzu
“It’s a family tradition to see you draw the ‘Great Misfortune’ at New Year’s. I’m surprised you still draw lots every year.” -Mei
“Muuh.” -Misuzu
I pouted, but indeed my lottery luck was terrible. It’s been that way since I was young, so much so that it feels like a curse. But sometimes I do draw something good. There was only one time when I drew something called the “Great Millennium Luck,” a special fortune put into the lot by a shrine celebrating its 1000th year.
“Well, you do seem to suddenly get lucky when you’ve forgotten all about something.” -Mei
My sister laughed as if she found it amusing.
“So, what did you want?” -Misuzu
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Misuzu. I’ve talked to a mid-level explorer before. He said that even up to the 10th floor it’s tough, but from the 11th floor it gets even tougher. Especially, it’s absolutely impossible with just a few people. Apparently, someone way more talented than him tried to tackle the 11th floor with just two people and never came back.” -Mei
“…” -Misuzu
“Misuzu, are you really serious about becoming an explorer?” -Mei
“Yeah.” -Misuzu
I was serious about it, separate from anything to do with Yuuta. Although I didn’t have the courage to enter a dungeon alone, I was planning to give it a serious try after graduating from the D-rank.
“Then, should I introduce you to someone who might join your party?” -Mei
“Introduce? You will?” -Misuzu
“That’s right. And that’s what I came to talk about.” -Mei
“You’re not going to stop me?” -Misuzu
“I have no intention of stopping you, and unless you’re a complete idiot, you wouldn’t think of going to the 11th floor just the two of you if you’re gathering information properly. The fact that you reached level 3 in one day makes me think you’re not clueless about these things.” -Mei
“I see.” -Misuzu
I was happy that Mei, my sister whom I respected and admired, believed in me. In fact, Yuuta knew more about dungeons than I did. I was sure he wouldn’t even consider doing something that my sister thought was impossible.
“I was talking to Dad a bit too. He said that if we can introduce him to two more suitable companions, he might officially allow it.” -Mei
“What kind of people?” -Misuzu
Hearing this, I urged my sister Mei to continue. It really hits you hard to challenge the dungeons while being continuously opposed by your parents.
“That’s the thing. Dad and Mom seem to be misunderstanding, or rather, are you deliberately misleading them? That classmate you mentioned earlier, he’s a boy, isn’t he?” -Mei
“Y-yes, that’s right.” -Misuzu
I had only referred to Yuuta, who would enter the dungeon with me, as a “classmate” to my parents. If I said he was a boy, they would surely oppose it even more.
“If that’s the case, I might not want to introduce him. The person I was thinking of introducing is a girl. She’s a top model at just 15. She has outstanding athletic abilities and got used to killing monsters quickly. She’s even reached the same Level 3 as you guys. But she’s a bit difficult.” -Mei
“Difficult?” -Misuzu
“It’s rare for a model to want to go into dungeons, so the agency has high hopes for her. They brought in a mid-level explorer to level her up because it’s super expensive to do it over there. Originally popular, they wanted to level her up safely, but she didn’t like that idea.” -Mei
“That sounds like a good deal though.” -Misuzu
“Absolutely. And when the boss told her to go to a dungeon school, she didn’t like that either. As a result, she’s been sidelined. It’s a waste because she’s even prettier than me.” -Mei
“Prettier than you?” -Misuzu
I found it hard to believe. More than anything, I couldn’t believe that my sister would admit that someone else was prettier than her.
“A little prettier, annoyingly.” -Mei
“Why is she turning down such a good offer?” -Misuzu
“She wants to become the most beautiful in the world. For that, she’s not satisfied with being around Level 10. She wants to aim for Level 1000. You know, when you exceed Level 1000, a person becomes, well, almost non-human in their beauty. That’s what she’s aiming for.” -Mei
There are only 12 people who have surpassed Level 1000. These 12 are called the Twelve Heroes, and although it was only three months ago, they held something called the Heroes Conference. The whole world was in an uproar at that time.
Everyone was extremely anxious about what the world’s strongest 12 people would discuss when they gathered. The influence of that meeting, said to be greater than any international conference now, meant participating in it was tantamount to being the strongest, wisest, and most beautiful in the world.
Those chosen few who have surpassed Level 1000 and participated in the Heroes Conference.
These individuals were exceptional in appearance. It’s not just about being beautiful; they were divine. Even among those who had reincarnated into non-human forms, they still appeared that way.
“Mid-level explorers will level you up to 10 if you pay them, but beyond that, no amount of money will work. Do you understand why, Misuzu?” -Mei
“I think it’s probably because safety can’t be guaranteed past that level. To reach level 10, you have to go up to the third layer, but once you get to around the third layer, things like armies start to appear, so even high-level explorers can’t guarantee safe leveling if they’re too far away. Besides, I understand why D-rank wouldn’t want to go if someone’s aiming for level 1000.” -Misuzu
“Sounds like you didn’t like that either, Misuzu.” -Mei
“Because they say it takes three years just to reach level 30. It’s ridiculous, I can’t keep doing that.” -Misuzu
“That girl says the same. ‘Most high-level explorers haven’t been to dungeon schools.’ But it’s still impossible alone, so she’s looking for party members. But all the guys change their tune when they realize she’s famous. Tons of idiots think they can date a celebrity and come flocking to her.” -Mei
“I wouldn’t like that either.” -Misuzu
“There are girls who aim for that too. But those kinds of girls are too full of themselves, I don’t like it. I thought to myself, ‘Aren’t you just like that too?’” -Mei
“But I can somewhat understand that feeling. If it weren’t for Yuuta, I wouldn’t want to either. I just wouldn’t want to team up with someone who feels… different… when I’m entrusting my life to them.” -Misuzu
“I feel like when I look at you, Misuzu, your wavelengths might match with that girl’s. And somehow, I get the feeling that she would take a liking to this Yuuta guy.” -Mei
“Mmm.” -Misuzu
I reflexively furrowed my brow between my eyes.
“I thought you’d make that face, Have you already done it with Yuuta?” -Mei
“No way, I wouldn’t do that. I’m not even clear if I like him or not, why would we do anything like that?” -Misuzu
“So what did you do?” -Mei
“Nothing. I feel a bit like I want to, but I’m still only 15.” -Misuzu
I’ve been seen in my embarrassing moments many times, but that doesn’t count.
“Wow, I thought Misuzu was the type to be straightforward about that stuff, but turns out you’re a girl after all. Over there, once you fall in love, it’s more about the body than the heart. People even kiss without liking each other.” -Mei
“Could he be like that too?” -Misuzu
“No, he’s different. He’s declared that he won’t be with anyone until he finds a partner he’s willing to stay with until the end. In America, that kind of thing is considered cool. Especially since the dungeons appeared, Evie has been saying more about wanting to find someone to stay with.” -Mei
“But Yuuta is Japanese.” -Misuzu
“Evie says nationality doesn’t matter. What’s more important is being liked by the dungeon. And for an explorer, the best boyfriend is another explorer.” -Mei
“Well, that’s true. It’s best if you’re in the same party.” -Misuzu
After all, as the level goes up, not only appearance but also strength and speed change. And that varies with the level. So it’s said that dating someone within the same party is ideal. However, it seems that it doesn’t always work out due to personality mismatches and such.
“That’s why she wants to enter the dungeon with a man she thinks she could stay with for life.” -Mei
“Don’t introduce me to such a girl.” -Misuzu
While saying this, I had a premonition.
Surely she would take a liking to Yuuta. It’s not logical. I don’t know why. But that’s how I feel. Just like I felt about the boy I spoke to for the first time that day, I felt sure she would feel the same.
“If you put aside Yuuta, this isn’t a bad deal for you, is it? Besides, she’s the only one dad would approve of.” -Mei
“Even if dad approves, I don’t.” -Misuzu
“But Evie said she wants to find companions quickly. She can’t quite find the right fit, it seems.” -Mei
“Her name is Evie?” -Misuzu
It sounds cool just by the name.
“Remember the name. She’s the first person other than myself I thought was more beautiful. So I don’t want Evie to be buried in obscurity, and if possible, I want to invite her to Japan.” -Mei
“Do you care that much?” -Misuzu
I feel a little jealous, as if she’s taken my sister away.
“Well, yes. The reason we challenged the dungeon with ten people was because Evie suggested it. She feels responsible for the person who lost an arm. But the reason that person came back alive from the dungeon is that Evie desperately protected them. That’s why I respect her. But I can’t bear to interfere with my sister’s love life.” -Mei
“Ugh, I wish you would just leave me alone.” -Misuzu
For the first time, I felt I could understand what it was like to have romantic feelings. Yet, of all things, a person who I thought was more beautiful than Mei, my sister, whom I thought there was no one prettier than in the world, was joining our group.
“Hmm. Why are you sisters acting like you’ve coordinated this, being together?” -Misuzu
“Oh, that’s because neither of us had anyone important to discuss things with. If we talked to dad and the others about the current situation over there, we’d only worry them. So, we consulted over the phone, agreed that we might die if things continued as they were, and decided to come back together. That’s why Rei-nee, who was in Mexico, came to the United States, and we both fled back home together. Look, I’ll show you what kind of girl she is.” -Mei
My sister showed me an image on her smartphone.
There was a fairy in the picture. Despite being a fairy, she looked mature, with green eyes, and she was as beautiful as if drawn in a picture. She was so beautiful it almost didn’t seem real. Or rather, I knew this person. She was a famous model from the United States who is also well-known in Japan.
She had been active since she was very young, continuously popular, and miraculously remained beautiful at 15. Evie Nova Timberlake.
“Is such a girl really coming to Japan?” -Misuzu
“She might. Right now, Japan is the safest place in the world, and when it comes to dungeons, they’re handling it the best so far. Even though the Japanese government is criticized for doing nothing, around the world, they’re praised. America did something and ended up killing 30 million people. So it’s obvious that Japan, which didn’t do anything and had only a few hundred thousand die, would be praised.” -Mei
“Is that how it is?” -Misuzu
“Well, but you can tell they’re Japanese, right? If they let their guard down, they might be driven to the brink like when they were called an economic superpower and got too cocky, overtaken by others.” -Mei
“Yeah.” -Misuzu
“What will you do?” -Mei
It seems there’s no intention to force Evie to come.
Still, it seems they want to say that it’s better to have motivated people join the team. I thought hard about it. What about Yuuta? There’s no reason for him to refuse. To be able to enter a dungeon with a very famous and beautiful girl.
I don’t really understand it since I don’t have any favorite celebrities myself, but they say all men like beautiful women. Apparently, I’m also considered pretty since I’ve been confessed to quite often. If boys are confessing to someone as pretty as me, then a boy wouldn’t miss such a chance.
I can’t even clearly say I like Yuuta. Yet, why refuse when it’s obviously safer with three people? I feel like I’ve been a bother to Yuuta. Without thinking about unnecessary things, thinking realistically seems better.
“…Okay. Call her. If she says she wants to join us, then we’ll accept her.” -Misuzu
“Don’t we need to ask Yuuta-kun too?” -Mei
My sister looked at me surprised.
“I’ll ask him tomorrow morning. I don’t think he’ll refuse.” -Misuzu
I don’t want to see Yuuta going soft over her photo. But we need more members. Yuuta knows better than anyone that there’s a limit to what two people can do.
“I see. Sorry, somehow. I guess I just want to see Evie’s dream of becoming the most beautiful in the world come true. I wonder what it’s like to be far more beautiful than Evie. It’s weird since I’m her sister.” -Mei
“No, I know you’re worried about me.” -Misuzu
“Hehe, do your best, Misuzu.” -Mei
My sister stroked my head, and it felt strangely comforting.
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