It’s a lot earlier than usual, but we decide to go home because I’m tired.
Aki and Maki haven’t been getting any major work in the association recently. After all, their main job is to support an A rank adventurer, and everything else is lower on the priority list. They’ve also been editing videos that will be made public, so the branch manager lets them leave early because they can work at home.
Basically, they’re in the association when I’m in the dungeon, but when I’m not there, there isn’t much point in being in the association.
It looks like the jobs of an exclusive to an F rank and an exclusive to an A rank are a lot different. I didn’t think it would go as far as letting them off work… But it’s good news. I was worried that dragging them around with me was interfering with their duties.
We head to the exit, but a nostalgic voice stops me.
“Ooh, it’s Shouta!”
“Ah, Shu. It’s been a while.”
It’s Shu, the leader of First Magnitude Star.
The others are with him. The sun is still high in the sky, but their equipment looks dirty. Apparently they were camping in the dungeon.
“Who are they, darling?”
“Ah, you don’t know. This is the team First Magnitude Star. Their rank…”
Come to think of it, I don’t actually know.
“C rank.”
“Ah, thanks Maki. This is their leader, Shu. I met them when I first faced a Murder Rabbit. They tend to be a bit rash, but they’re good people.”
“They’re your friends, darling?”
Friends? I guess you could call them that.
“Yes.”
“I see. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ayane Houjouin, Shouta’s fiancee. I look forward to seeing you again in the future.”
“Oh, how polite.”
Ayane then greets the members of First Magnitude Star one at a time.
Hm, Ayane always moves like a puppy, but she looks like a proper young lady all of a sudden… I rub my eyes, but what I’m seeing doesn’t change, so I guess it’s real.
Young lady Ayane seems fresh somehow.
“Shouta, can we talk over there?”
“Sure.”
I peek over at the girls, and they nod.
I sit down with Shun at a table in the front area of the association. This is where teams typically meet and have a light chat. When it’s time to really get into it, people normally use the lounges or conference rooms.
Suffice to say, I’ve never used this space.
“Are you going home, Shu?”
“We are… But to be honest, I figured I might find you if we stayed there.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I haven’t seen you in a bit, and all of a sudden you went up to A rank and did all sorts of stuff, so I wanted to see how much you’ve grown with my own eyes. But now it’s clear. The air around you is completely different compared to the last time we met. People say ‘if you don’t see a man in three days, take a close look’, but what happened that made you change so much in just ten days? Honestly, I can hardly believe my eyes.”
“Hahaha… I’m just Lucky.”
“Lucky… That does make sense with you.”
That’s about it.
Thanks to the crazy effect of Level Gacha, I grow a lot if you don’t see me for a few days. This skill also means the stronger I get, the easier it gets to fight stronger enemies, and with low level correction, it’s easier to grow even more and keep rolling the gacha…
If you don’t know about all that, my growth really is abnormal. No wonder he’s confused.
“But the smell of strong guy around you makes me want to ask something… Ah, no, sorry, forget it.”
Shu thinks of something, but then looks awkward.
Up until a while ago, I wouldn’t be able to read into what he was thinking, but my recent experiences allow me to immediately understand.
“Are you talking about the differences in ranks? It’s fine, I can tell you. Well, I’ll tell you what I can.”
“…Thanks. You’re honest no matter what rank you are.”
He says, and then he straightens his posture.
“Have you been checking out the boards?”
“Ah… Are you talking about the Rare Monster Hunter stuff?”
“Haha, it makes things simpler if you know. Something has become the topic of discussion since this morning, did you see it? One of the lecture rooms is being remodeled all of a sudden.”
Yes, the one that’s going to be for videos. I heard that remodeling is rare in the association, so a lot of people are talking about it on the boards. The mouths of the association employees are heavier than usual, so I think that also increases speculation.
“Everyone’s talking about it, so I got curious too. I took a peek and… I smelled treasure. Do you know more about it?”
Smell. He was talking about smell before too, so does he have Olfaction Strengthening? I guess you could call Intuition having a sharp nose too.
Maybe he’s been increasing his Luck somehow.
But I guess he linked the remodeling to me.
This morning, no one talked to me about it, and I didn’t see any whispering either. Maybe he does have a sharp nose, so to say.
He helped me before, so I want to tell him, but how far should I go?
But as I wonder what information to disclose, the lone woman of First Magnitude Star, Ayaka, comes over.
“Leader! You’re not saying something unreasonable again, are you?”
“Ayaka!? No, hum, well…”
“The way you’re stammering means you know what you’re doing. I’m sorry Shouta, I’ll scold him later.”
“It’s fine. I was thinking about telling you as much as I could.”
“R-really?”
“Haha, Shouta. You pretty much already answered the question.”
Yes, he asked me if I knew more.
The moment I started thinking about my answer, I already answered.
“Geez, you never change. But the fact that your exclusives didn’t jump in when you’re talking about something as important as the association’s facilities means they trust you.”
“That’s nice… But I think if they finish up quickly, the room and what it’s for will be revealed tomorrow. I think it really will be treasure to you, so look forward to it.”
“Oh, I see! Thanks Shouta, that’s a load off my mind. See you again soon!”
He says goodbye, and I go back to the girls.
“Are you sure about that, darling?”
“Yes, he’s one of my few adventurer friends, so that much is fine.”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you hanging out with other adventurers, uh Shouta?”
“I thought master was a loner, but perhaps I should reconsider it.”
“Uu. It’s not my fault, no one went to my old dungeon…”
“Don’t worry Shouta, as long as you have us, you will never be lonely.”
“Yes!”
I wonder… Oh well, it’s fine.
We actually go home this time, but when we enter the living room, we are greeted by a bright light.
Dammit, it’s the fifth time, but I’m still not used to this light.
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Thanks for the treat.