I didn’t go back to the dungeon.
I’ve been lazing around, not feeling like doing anything. I haven’t even been doing my morning routine of drinking ant queen honey. I’ve just been in a daze.
After Hajime’s burial, I gave portacool back to Honto. They said I could keep using it, but I said I didn’t need it.
I did clean it before returning it, but it took a long time, because I kept stopping.
With the morning done, I move out when noon comes.
I have a late breakfast, brush my teeth, and go back to the futon.
Is this not the proper way to be unemployed?
It’s hard to sleep, and I wake up in the evening. I head to the nearest supermarket to buy food. I get vegetables and meat, of course, but also cup noodles and sweets. I pass by the aisle with alcohol, but don’t reach towards any.
I eat when I get back, and sleep some more.
I play some games here and there, but not for long, because they’re not fun like before.
I just stay in a daze.
Daze…
This life goes on for a month, and I go out for a walk when I feel like moving a bit.
I’m just going around the neighborhood, but I cast my eyes down when I see people enjoying themselves. And so, I walk through a path with few people, and I’m stopped by a police officer.
Apparently someone suspicious has been lurking around trying to kidnap girls.
I say that’s scary, and apparently this person typically wears a jersey and sunglasses, and has a nice physique.
I’m asked if I have sunglasses, and say yes. And when I take them out of my Storage Space, I’m asked to go with the police officer to have a little talk.
I’m not walking through this street anymore.
◇ ◇ ◇
The next day is more of the same, and I go out for a walk.
In the evening, I see students on their way home from school.
I pass by adults coming home after shopping, and ones holding kids’ hands.
It’s almost Christmas time, and some apartment buildings are decorated with lights.
I used to think they were beautiful, but they don’t move me like that anymore.
I think I’m better now than I was a month ago, when everything felt lifeless to me, but my heart still feels dull.
I keep shuffling along, and sense a car following me slowly.
I go back through the one way road, and leave the patrol car behind.
After seeing it speed up to get ahead of me, I also run to the end of the street.
Once I reach it, I give the patrol car a thumbs up, signaling my victory.
And the exasperated police officer goes off somewhere.
I go back to my walk.
Today I’m going somewhere else again, and head away from the apartment buildings.
It’s the end of Autumn, and while it’s still warm around noon, it’s getting chilly when the sun sets. I need long sleeves at night or I’ll catch a cold.
A station wagon runs past me. It brakes suddenly near a schoolgirl, and a fat guy and a nasty looking guy get off.
They pin her arms behind her back and try to take her into the car.
Then it hits me.
I use Physical Strengthening, and instantly get close to them to hit them, not at full strength.
They fall, and the driver drives off, sensing danger. But I use Earth Magic to raise spikes from the ground.
“I was suspected because of you!!”
I yell while kicking the fat guy. And I kick again. And again. And again.
“T-t-t-thank you.”
“Shut up!”
“Eek!?”
The girl that was being kidnapped thanks me, but I yell at her.
“Hey, stop! Do you know who we are!?”
“Shut up!!”
“Gya!?”
The guys try to say something, but I yell and hit hard.
The driver tries to run from the skewered car, but I run at him and dropkick him. I’m not letting anyone escape.
I hear the sound of a bone breaking, but keep hitting. I do it until they’re unconscious.
And then the police take them.
I may have gotten a bit carried away.
◇ ◇ ◇
Apparently they’re a part of a small time gang that wandered here from the capital.
The police questions me, and I tell them what happened.
The police officer questioning me says that’s scary, but I rebuke him telling him he’s scary.
I’m released the next morning, but apparently I was on the verge of being arrested. But I was let off thanks to the girl’s testimony and me having cast Healing Magic before the policemen came, leaving the guys with only light injuries
From the police’s point of view, these people were trying to kidnap someone and were hit by a random attacker, so it makes sense for them to want to book both parties.
I get a meat manju and a pizza manju from a convenience store, as I walk back home, I get surrounded by some nasty looking guys.
They have big knives, police batons, and stun guns, but I don’t feel intimidated.
Maybe it’s because I’m used to the dungeon, but normal weapons aren’t threatening to me. Do I have a low sense of danger, or is this normal for a seeker? I don’t know, but I know they can’t threaten me.
“You beat our pals, uh!?”
“Are you confusing me for someone else? Munch.”
I finish my meat manju, and reach for the pizza one.
It’s getting chilly, so warm food feels even tastier. And convenience store food is cheap and tasty. The strongest combo.
“Don’t just eat like it’s nothing! Do you know what’s goin’ on here!?”
“Eh? It’s not gonna be as tasty if it gets cold.”
The guy’s angry enough for a vein to appear on his forehead, but I chew away at the manju.
The guys around me must think I’m looking down on them, and get pretty aggressive. They could attack me at any moment.
And so, I chat a bit.
“Hey, why are going going after girls? If you’re that hard up for a girl, there are places where you can go for that. Much.”
“…Stop looking down on us, kid. You got in the way of our job, so you gotta make up for it!”
Sadly, they don’t feel like talking.
I didn’t think failing to come to an understanding would be this sad. I’m not getting through to them, so I have to talk in the physical language.
I’m getting fired up, like a battle manga.
◇ ◇ ◇
The guys that attack me get their feet broken, and I leave them.
Normal people. Nasty, but normal people.
I would’ve ran away if this happened before I challenged the dungeon, but I’ve gone through needless hellish encounters, and gained courage.
I would hope this went in a good direction, but the world isn’t that soft. If you use violence on someone, you can always expect someone to respond to it.
And that’s why I’m in the police station again.
“Like I said, I was defending myself!”
“You say that, but their feet were broken and you’re unharmed. It’s hard to believe only they were wounded.”
“It’s true, they attacked me with weapons! Isn’t it normal for a civilian like to fight back when someone attacks me!?”
“About that… Were you alone?”
“Yes… Do you think I attacked them in a group?”
The police officer silently nods.
Unlike the guy from yesterday, he’s old. The other one listened to me, but I don’t know about this one…
“Hold on! I was attacked! It was legitimate self-defense! I didn’t go overboard or attack them in a group!”
“Calm down, I sympathize with you. You were left behind to take the blame, so there’s no point in covering for them. Come on, tell me who gave you instructions. I won’t tell your parents.”
“Why are you mentioning my parents…”
“You’re a school kid, right? Why aren’t you in school at this hour?”
“…Four.”
“An? What?”
“I’m twenty-four!”
“Don’t lie! What idiot looking guy like you would be an adult!?”
“You’re the idiot! I had all that trouble working for a black company! Don’t lump me with the common neet!!”
I say while pointing to myself, asserting my hardships. But he doesn’t seem to believe me.
This is no good, I might get arrested as a criminal.
No, I did break their feet, but they attacked me, and when I broke the feet of the ones trying to escape, I just used a bit too much strength.
Also, now I’m a student, apparently. Do I look like one? Do I look bad? Should I be bald like you?
“Can I see your ID?”
“I don’t have it on me. I was on my way back after being detained yesterday, and got detained again.”
“What? I didn’t hear about that. Hold on.”
He says as he leaves.
Now I’m here waiting, and after two hours, there’s no sign of the middle-aged policeman coming back.
This is weird.
He definitely forgot.
Why is no one coming after two hours?
Another hour goes by.
Can I leave? I should. Should I? I don’t want to be detained again.
And so, I sit here in the interrogation room, hesitant to do anything.
It has to be past noon by now, past lunchtime.
I ate that meat manju and that pizza manju this morning, but that’s not enough.
Then I remember something.
“I forgot the steamed bun.”
So I head to the convenience store.
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Depressingly stupid
I am confused. What is happening. Random time skip? Missed chapters?