Volume 2 Chapter 19 The Secret Ransom and The Golden Time Defense of a Guild Appraiser
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Around three weeks later,
Fuyutsuki, who had received the ‘Skin Quality Improvement,’ ‘Depilation,’ and ‘Hair Quality Improvement’ Gifts, noticed the profound changes in her own reflection one morning as she prepared for work.
”――――”
Slipping out of her pajamas and standing in her underwear, she checked herself in the full-length mirror, her palms gliding across her body.
Her skin, from her face to the tips of her toes, was incredibly smooth and seamless, and when she ran her hand over it, it felt so refined and deeply moisturized that it was as if a thin membrane had been stretched across the surface.
She had always been meticulous about her appearance, but she honestly hadn’t believed she could get any more beautiful. Yet, experiencing the Effect of the Gift was absolutely overwhelming. It was a realization that there was something even higher than perfection itself.
”Hirose-kun’s Gift and Skills are this potent…”
Having met several times for the procedures, Fuyutsuki had naturally started calling him by his first name. And, of course, they had grown closer, meeting physically every time they met for a session.
”I wonder what my colleagues are going to say… this is going to be fun.”
Unlike many others, Fuyutsuki hadn’t been dealing with any major personal crisis, but the desire to become more beautiful was a perfectly natural and valid female aspiration.
After showering and eating, Fuyutsuki, brimming with excitement, dressed in her suit and headed out to the Adventurer Guild Headquarters, ready to begin her day’s work.
* * *
Upon her arrival, female colleagues immediately crowded her, pressing her for details.
As is common in any workplace, they were all convinced she must have gotten a new boyfriend. Of course, she hadn’t. But Fuyutsuki was visibly, stunningly more beautiful. It was hard work deflecting all the questions and speculation.
In addition to the gossip, the number of adventurers trying to hit on her while waiting for their ‘Appraisal’ had surged. She was already beautiful, with a striking figure and a large bust—she was already a popular woman, but now her charm had increased even further. Everyone wanted to talk to her.
Her plan for the following day, her day off, was to meet Hirose and Hibiki to show them the amazing changes to her body. She also intended to finally thank Hibiki for letting her “borrow” Hirose’s time.
Looking forward to tomorrow, Fuyutsuki finished her workday and started her usual walk home from the Adventurer Guild.
She had just moved away from the bustling commercial street and entered the quieter, residential street where her apartment building was located.
A black wagon-type car slowly drove up alongside Fuyutsuki, creeping past her. However, the car never sped up to overtake her, eventually pulling alongside and stopping right next to her.
In that split second, the door suddenly flew open, two men sprang out, and they grabbed Fuyutsuki.
”Kyaa! What are you—”
Before she could say another word, her mouth was covered, and she was violently dragged into the car’s interior. The men’s strength was overwhelming; Fuyutsuki wasn’t even allowed a moment to resist.
Once inside, her hands, feet, and mouth were quickly bound. An eye mask was then forced over her, plunging her into total darkness.
(Where are they taking me? What did I do to deserve this…? Someone… Hirose-kun…!)
The last person she thought of in her heart was the one she had been intimate with countless times over the past three weeks—the person she was supposed to meet tomorrow to show off her beautiful, transformed body.
* * *
”…Fuyutsuki-san, she’s late, isn’t she?”
The next day, at two in the afternoon.
They had planned to meet at one o’clock, grab some tea at a café, and perhaps head to a hotel afterward. Fuyutsuki was nowhere to be found at the meeting spot.
Hirose, Hibiki, Koharu, and Kirino had been left waiting, so they reluctantly sat down inside a café. An hour passed, and still, there was no message or contact from Fuyutsuki.
”She even sent a confirmation message yesterday, so I don’t think she’d just forget…” Hirose worried aloud.
”Yeah, she’s not the type to be late for an appointment, is she?” Hibiki agreed, backing up Hirose’s concern. Fuyutsuki was a stickler for punctuality, having never been late before unless a train was delayed.
Today, Hibiki and the others had gathered partly because they were looking forward to hearing Fuyutsuki’s private, adult stories. This delay was a major letdown.
”…I’m going to step away for a minute,” Kirino suddenly announced, standing up and heading out.
Once she was alone in the hallway near the restrooms, Kirino pulled out her smartphone. She immediately made a call to a certain person.
”I’m sorry to bother you on your day off—are you free right now?” she asked carefully.
‘A-a-ababa… Shik—no, Hyoudou-senpai… I’m alright, ssu!’
Kirino spoke with consideration for the person on the other end, explaining the reason for the call.
”An acquaintance of ours, Fuyutsuki Saori-san, is a Guild staff member. We had an appointment today, but an hour has passed, and she hasn’t sent a single update.”
‘Ababa…’
”So, Asami-chan. Is there any way you might be able to track down Fuyutsuki-san’s location?”
Kirino felt a bad premonition deep in her gut. She had a sharp instinct that this absence was not normal.
That was why she had decided to rely on her most secret behind-the-scenes collaborator—Yaginuma Asami.
‘For people who haven’t been tagged as a target… I don’t know…’
”Right, I guess so… Even for you, Asami-chan, that might be too much.”
‘B-but… if I go to her place, I might be able to figure it out…’
”Oh, really! If that’s the case, please do it!”
‘A-ababa… then I’ll head there right now.’
”Wait, right now!? We’re still over—”
Hirose and the others were still close by. Kirino, who hadn’t explained the situation, began to panic slightly.
She didn’t want Hirose or Hibiki to be involved in this sort of underworld business. She and Asami had agreed to handle and resolve these kinds of issues in the shadows.
However, Kirino’s own behavior had already given Hirose’s group a sense of unease.
Just as she feared—
”Kirino…? I think you owe us an explanation about that call.”
”H-Hibiki-chan!?”
Kirino had been so absorbed in her call that she hadn’t noticed Hibiki approach from behind, intending to use the restroom. Hibiki had heard Kirino’s entire side of the conversation.
”Hyoudou-sen—ababa!?”
Adding to the chaos, Asami, having ‘teleportated’ near the café, walked straight in and immediately rushed to where Kirino was standing.
”…I always suspected something was up… You’re going to tell us everything now.” Hibiki demanded, her expression firm.
”Oh, well… this is, ah… ha ha…” Kirino stammered nervously.
”Aba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba…” Asami fretted, her eyes spinning in confusion, realizing she had arrived at the absolute worst possible moment.
The two of them were then dragged back to the table where Hirose and Koharu waited.
* * *
The timeline now flashes back to the previous night.
”—You people. This is a crime. I don’t know which adventurers you are, but if this comes to light, you’re finished.” Fuyutsuki, tied to a chair, glared fiercely at the group of men and women before her. However, she was utterly helpless. Her ‘Appraisal’ Gift was purely diagnostic, not an offensive tool. The probability of her escaping the restraints alone was nil.
”Ooh, listen to the Guild staffer talk big, she does.” The long-haired man, sporting deep dark circles under his eyes and clutching a vile knife with a purple blade, sneered at Fuyutsuki.
A glance around showed that the men and women nearby were clearly adventurers by their attire. But Fuyutsuki didn’t recognize any of them, sensing they weren’t part of the local Tokyo Guild.
”We’ll just have to rough ya up until you fall in line, eh? You’ll be doin’ what we say soon enough.”
The man’s arms were heavily etched with tattoos. He licked the blade of the knife he held in his right hand, giving Fuyutsuki a lewd, vulgar gaze.
”So, what is it you intend to make me do? Given that you targeted me, I presume you’re after my Gift.” Fuyutsuki demanded, maintaining her composure.
”You catch on quick, don’tcha? Aye—we want yer ‘Appraisal’. But with all the Appraisal-Gift holders out there, I reckon you just had rotten luck gettin’ picked, naァ?”
”What exactly do you mean by that?”
”Well, any ‘Appraisal’ holder would’ve done. But the Guild staff are the easiest ones to track down, ain’t they? We knew right where to find ya.” The long-haired man revealed the reason for her kidnapping: they needed ‘Appraisal,’ but Fuyutsuki was merely the most conveniently located target.
”I see… then state your demands quickly.” Fuyutsuki pushed.
”Oi. Bring it over—”
The long-haired man ordered one of his subordinate adventurers to fetch something. They brought a wrapped object and placed it before Fuyutsuki, tearing away the cloth with a flourish.
”Wha—!? That’s—”
”Aye… a little surprise, eh?”
It was a truly evil-looking jewel—a crystal ball-like orb where something seemed to be churning and writhing inside, immediately recognizable as a mainstream of magic power.
The cloth itself was likely a precious item, possessing an Effect to conceal magic. Fuyutsuki could feel an overwhelming surge of magical energy from the jewel the instant the cloth was removed.
”What is that thing…—” Fuyutsuki murmured, horrified.
”Reckon you don’t know just by lookin’, eh? It’s a Dungeon Core.”
”A… what did you just say… a Dungeon Core?” The words she heard were utterly unexpected. She knew the name. She knew of its existence. But there had never been a single documented case of one being found in Japan for the past three decades.
”Aye… what we need you to do is show us how to use this Dungeon Core. We’re gonna create a Dungeon right where we want, and I’ll become the Dungeon Master. I’ll control the place, and we’ll make a mint from it.”
The Dungeon Core, as the long-haired man explained, was the literal nucleus of a Dungeon. With it, a person could summon a ‘Gate’ at a specified location and bring a Dungeon into existence.
Overseas, a few examples had been found, and they allowed the user to control the Dungeon so it wouldn’t disappear, even after the usual Boss was defeated. The person who became the Dungeon Master could create monsters, place treasures, and design virtually every aspect of the Dungeon from scratch. They could even charge adventurers for entry, creating a machine that produced money forever. That legendary item was this ‘Dungeon Core.’
”H-how could I possibly allow people like you to use something like that!” Fuyutsuki’s response was a sharp rejection. Naturally. If the person holding the Dungeon Core had been a good person, Fuyutsuki might have even cooperated. But the people in front of her were clearly not.
Dungeons were often used for heinous acts, even murder. What would happen if such a place were controlled by villains? The thought made her skin crawl.
”But you ain’t got a choice but to follow orders. If you say no, we’ll start takin’ yer fingers one by one. But we’ll start easy for ya—Come here!”
”You monsters!”
The long-haired man raised a hand. Slowly, a woman emerged from the shadows behind him.
The Whip Woman wore a shiny, patent-leather bondage suit and carried a whip studded with multiple spikes. What was coming next was all too easy to imagine.
”Ufufu. I just adore strong-willed women like you… But I wonder how long you can keep that ordinary facade up, darling?”
The Whip Woman, looking like an SM Queen, had heavy makeup and striking red lipstick. She grabbed Fuyutsuki’s chin with a single finger, then ran her tongue across her own lips, assessing her prey.
”…”
(Why… why is this happening to me?)
Fuyutsuki had thoroughly repented, her suspension from the Adventurer Guild had been lifted. She had paid her dues and returned to work, determined to dedicate herself anew. Yet, why was she being subjected to this vicious treatment?
Criminals existed, but it was hard to stop them beforehand. And adventurers who resorted to direct, violent action like this were a reality of the world. The strong rule the weak. It was a natural mechanism of the world, but still. This injustice couldn’t be allowed.
However, Fuyutsuki refused to use ‘Appraisal’ for them. Even if she did, she wouldn’t teach them. If anyone were to wield a Dungeon Core, she wished it would be a good person, someone like Takanashi Hirose.
As Fuyutsuki remained defiant, the woman raised her whip.
”I can’t wait to see your beautiful face scarred—!”
Her skin, so meticulously treated by Hirose to become beautifully flawless, would be ruined now. The shame of that made Fuyutsuki grit her teeth.
(Hirose-kun… I’m so sorry—!)
The dangerous, spiked whip whistled as it flew toward her face. Fuyutsuki couldn’t dodge, and the whip struck her face with a loud, cracking sound: SMACK.
”Kuh…”
But a strange sensation instantly took hold.
(It doesn’t… hurt?)
Her face, which the woman had whipped hard, felt no pain. A strike that could have blinded her if it hit wrongly. Yet, there was no pain at all. How could that be?
”Oi, oi… You didn’t hold back, did ya?” The long-haired man growled, suspicious.
”N-no way! I put my full strength into it—but why…!?”
Both the long-haired man and the Whip Woman were clearly bewildered by what had happened. They should have been. The whip had struck Fuyutsuki’s face with full force, yet there wasn’t a single scratch.
In that moment, Fuyutsuki had a sudden idea.
So she activated it.
(—’Appraisal’)
She used ‘Appraisal’ on herself. And what she saw made her erupt into uncontrollable laughter.
”Fufu… hahahah. AHAHAHAH!”
”You lookin’ to get killed?” The long-haired man gripped his vile knife, enraged by Fuyutsuki’s sudden hysteria.
”It’s amazing… it’s absolutely incredible…!” Fuyutsuki gasped, tears of both terror and profound emotion welling up at the corners of her eyes.
(Hirose-kun, you truly are something else—)
Fuyutsuki had used ‘Appraisal’ to check her own status. ‘Appraisal’ could even diagnose the current condition of the user—it was capable of analyzing Asumi’s ‘Curse of the Burn Scar,’ so checking her own status was simple.
And the words displayed before Fuyutsuki’s eyes were—
[STATE: GOLDEN TIME]
—The text indicated a condition in which her body was absolutely impervious to harm.
—
Summary:
Fuyutsuki, feeling great about her magical beauty improvements from Hirose’s Gift, heads back to her job at the Adventurer Guild. Her friends—Hirose, Hibiki, Koharu, and Kirino—wait for her at a café but realize she’s mysteriously missing. This sparks an urgent investigation where Kirino secretly uses her nervous collaborator, Asami, right as Hibiki catches them.
The scene then flashes back to Fuyutsuki’s abduction by rogue adventurers demanding her Appraisal Gift to use a legendary, evil Dungeon Core. Facing torture, Fuyutsuki is struck by a spiked whip but feels no pain, only to realize that Hirose’s S-Rank Gift had granted her the defensive status ‘GOLDEN TIME,’ making her body invulnerable to damage.
—
Character Insight:
Fuyutsuki Saori’s character arc shifts from merely wanting self-improvement to discovering an unexpected supernatural defense provided by Hirose’s powerful buff effect. Her loyalty to Hirose is confirmed when she decides to protect the Dungeon Core from criminals, valuing a ‘good person’ (Hirose) over her own safety. Kirino’s resourcefulness and the hidden network she maintains with Asami are revealed, showing a deeper layer of problem-solving in the world of adventurers and guilds than her friends suspected.
—
Behind the Scene:
The primary tension of the chapter is the contrast between Fuyutsuki’s newfound aesthetic perfection and the brutal, dark reality of the rogue adventurers’ criminal plot. The kidnapping was not specifically targeted at Fuyutsuki herself, but she was an unlucky victim chosen for her Appraisal Gift due to her predictable routine as a Guild staff member. The appearance of the Dungeon Core raises the stakes significantly, introducing a world-level threat. The sudden, absolute defense provided by the GOLDEN TIME status is a direct consequence of the intimacy and power-sharing between Fuyutsuki and Hirose in previous chapters.
Notes:
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
• Fuyutsuki Saori – A guild staff member who possesses the ‘Appraisal’ Gift. She is called in to assess Asumi’s critical condition, identifies the injury as a magical curse, and reveals that Hirose might be the only one who can cure it, despite the professional risk to herself.
• Yaginuma Asami – 16-year-old 1st-year, many inherited/stacking gifts, stores items, reflects attacks, teleports, resists conditions, mixed Japanese-English.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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