Chapter 30 Report
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
As Higurashi leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, she had a mischievous grin on her face as she left the multipurpose restroom.
”Hey, could you at least consider my feelings?”
”Oh, yeah. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
”I-I’m sorry. I just…”
”Well, it’s alright. It’s normal for couples who have just started dating. Besides, Asagiri-san is an Evold, after all.”
”Couples…”
Blushing, Himeno tightly grabbed onto my clothes.
After that, the three of us headed to the school cafeteria. It was crowded, but there was an empty first-class seat, which usually doesn’t allow outside food, so we sat there.
While the daily economy meal costs 350 yen, the first-class meal, which had a few extra fancy touches, was priced at 3,000 yen. Even so, I didn’t mind, thinking, “I can always earn more in the dungeon.” Maybe I’ve become a little numb to things like this.
We snagged a six-seater table with a sofa, and when we ordered, the waiter brought over the first set meal. Himeno sat next to me, and Higurashi sat across from us.
As we enjoyed a proper meal for the first time in a while, Higurashi handed a key to Himeno.
”The paperwork went smoothly. I had this key from the dorm manager in advance. It’s best to move your stuff today.”
”Thanks, Asuka-chan!”
”Huh? Is Himeno moving to the dorm?”
”I haven’t told Tsuchimiya-senpai yet. Asagiri-san and I decided to share a room.”
”Oh, really?”
These two have become close without me even noticing. Himeno even uses her first name.
Higurashi seems reliable, and I feel more at ease with the two of them together…
But maybe it’s not good for Himeno’s education after all.
”That room is expensive to rent, you know. It’s a big help for me too.”
”I still have some extra money, but if I buy equipment or furniture, it might all disappear. Once I finish shopping, I might go to the dungeon for a bit to earn some more.”
Yesterday, a lot of things happened, so I couldn’t go shopping or to the dungeon. I have to earn money while progressing through the dungeon.
”By the way, Tsuchimiya-senpai, would you like to form a party with me?”
”Huh… You want to form a party with me!?”
”Of course, that’s the plan.”
”That would be a big help!”
I thought Himeno would come with me, but I was wondering about Higurashi.
”Well, actually, I’ve already talked to Asuka-chan about it, but I want to invite one more member.”
”One more? Is it one of Himeno’s friends?”
”She is also someone Tsuchimiya-senpai know well. It’s Watarase-san.”
”Watarase? Who’s that?”
I’m being stared at by the two of them, but I really have no idea.
”Senpai… It’s Kanon-chan.”
”Oh, Kanon!”
Having a magician is definitely necessary. It’s reassuring to know that Kanon is one. I realized it when I used the flare bomb myself, but the flare bomb Kanon uses is definitely more powerful than mine. Kanon might have a high potential as a magician. Above all, I feel like I have a duty to watch Kanon’s ‘transformation’ from the best seat.
”I don’t mind at all, but I wonder if Kanon will be okay with it?”
”That’s fine. If senpai comes back, we promised to form a party together.”
Oh, so that’s how it was… Not just Himeno, but maybe I should have trusted these guys more too. I think I was just scared of being betrayed. That’s why I always unconsciously put up a defensive wall.
”Now that Tsuchimiya-senpai has given permission, all that’s left is to recruit Watarase-san. Since I don’t know where she is today, maybe I should go to the classroom tomorrow morning.”
”If that’s the case, leave it to me!”
”Alright then, I’ll leave it to you, Asagiri-san.”
A party of four, huh? Higurashi and I will be in the front line, with Magical Girl Kanon in the back. Thief Himeno will be in charge of guarding and attacking from the back. They seem like really reliable teammates.
When I decided on Restriction Play, I didn’t even think about the party at all, but I never imagined I would have such trustworthy comrades.
It feels like everything started from the moment I met Himeno. No, that’s not right. Everything started from the moment I met Kondou-senpai. Maybe.
”Before shopping, I collected items in the dungeon… Ah!”
”What’s wrong, Himeno?”
”Well, yesterday, I met a weird person in the dungeon…”
”A weird person?”
* * *
The teleport facility where students who had finished their lunch rushed in was terribly crowded.
Students who had leveled up to release their violent impulses would dive into the dungeon without waiting for two days. It was common for trivial skirmishes to occur.
”What are you looking at, hey!”
”Ah! You wanna fight, huh!”
”Hey, you brats! Want me to throw you into solitary confinement!”
Staff members with batons intervened in the tense party.
After placing them in a separate location from the party that clicked their tongues, the staff members returned to their posts.
Near the Magic Circle, there was a tall blonde woman wearing a stern expression and a navy blue military uniform, observing the scene with her arms crossed.
”Ah, look who it is! Hey, Lugia-san!”
I waved and approached Lugia-san, who was standing there with a furrowed brow.
”Huh? You’re 2D17, right? Quite familiar, aren’t you! What do you want?”
Lugia-san noticed me and stared down at me with a piercing gaze.
”First off, I brought you a souvenir. Do you know what cup noodles are?”
I pushed the bag of cup noodles with a variety of flavors towards Lugia-san.
”Cup noodles?!”
Lugia-san checked the bag with a surprised expression. According to Higurashi, cup noodles were sold in the special zone for over 5,000 yen each.
”What? Really!? Can I have these? Slurp…”
”Facility Manager, what on earth are those…”
A sharp-eyed staff member approached us and called out to Lugia-san. Lugia-san hurriedly hid the plastic bag behind her back and straightened her posture.
”What do you want, 2D17? Can’t you see we’re busy?”
”Well, I thought it might be a good idea to report this. This guy is my kouhai, and it seems like she was attacked by students from another school when she dived into the dungeon yesterday. And then–whoops!”
Lugia-san forcefully covered my mouth. Looking around nervously, I saw the staff with pale faces nodding at each other.
”Come over here! You can’t talk yet!”
I nodded silently in response to Lugia-san’s urgent whisper.
The place where the three of us were taken was different from the previous interrogation room. It was a large conference room-like space with a long, narrow table made of black marble. We sat facing each other.
Lugia-san was in the middle, with a female secretary on the right and a slender man wearing glasses on the left. Both of them had sharp gazes.
The secretary was recording Lugia-san and Himeno’s conversation in shorthand.
”‘Are you the top runner of this group?’, huh? And he had sensors set up too?”
”This wasn’t just a coincidence, right? The guy is definitely here to target promising students like her.”
A male staff member, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger, spoke seriously to Lugia-san.
”So the opponent was alone? Do you know what class he’s in?”
Lugia-san asked Himeno.
”He said he was a level 18 Necromancer.”
Hearing that, all the staff members turned pale at once.
”What!? …This is the worst. That person alone has the firepower of a whole battalion. How did you manage to come back alive?”
”If only we had some evidence… But they probably didn’t leave any traces.”
”Oh, in that case…”
Himeno placed her eco-bag on the table and fumbled around before pulling out an orange player card.
”This is his player card. I even stripped everything off thinking there might be something valuable. And this here is their staff.”
Himeno placed the twisted staff from her lap onto the table with a thud.
”Umm… what’s wrong?”
The three of the staff stopped moving, staring at the eco-bag on the table with eyes that couldn’t understand.
”Wha-what’s going on, you… what exactly happened to that?”
”Huh? I stripped everything off, so…”
”Huh? So, how did you do it?”
”Huh? …Defeat him?”
”W-wait, how!?”
”So… fought him?”
”Whaaat!? No way! Are you kidding!?”
”A necromancer should have used phantoms. Did that person not use phantoms!?”
”At first, he summoned four people, but before they could move, I quickly cleaned them up and closed his eyes. During that time, an extremely strong one appeared, but there just happened to be a teleportation trap nearby, so I guided them to the other side of the safe zone. It felt like I delivered the final blow to the remaining necromancer. The defensive wall made it difficult for me to attack, so I stuck the spear in his mouth and slammed him against the wall.”
As expected of Himeno. It’s unforgiving.
”Our level 4 thief single-handedly defeated the intruder’s level 18 necromancer…”
In addition to the shorthand in her hand, the female clerk was also writing something on the documents on the table.
”Huhhh!? Wait a minute! What, that report!? Are you going to make me believe it by posting something like that!?”
”I guess the facility manager will have no choice but to bring it in person and explain it to him.”
”Nooo! I don’t like that person.”
Lugia-san is making a face that looks like she’s about to cry.
”Please give up. Either way, it’s a serious matter. We can’t avoid being questioned at the joint meeting.”
”Ugh, I want to go home! I just want to go back home!”
Lugia-san held her head and buried her face on the table.
”Well, well, Lugia-san. Eat this chocolate stick energy bar to calm down.”
I took out a chocolate stick energy bar from my pocket and offered it to Lugia-san.
”…What’s that?”
”It’s delicious, you know.”
Lugia-san tore open the wrapper and started nibbling on it.
”Oh, it’s sweet…”
Lugia-san’s face lit up with happiness.
”Let’s put the facility manager aside for now. She’ll recover in a while. For now, please tell me in as much detail as possible about the events from the dive to the battle.”
The glasses-wearing staff member urged Himeno to proceed, while the secretary recorded the details. In the meantime, Lugia-san, who had finished eating the energy bar, looked anxious as she glanced around. So, I offered her a white chocolate energy bar, and she happily began to savor it, taking small bites.
”We will appraise this item. Formally, it will be seized as evidence, but we will buy it at a price that matches its value. We will make a list, so if there’s anything you want to keep besides the staff and player card, please make a request. We will do my best to accommodate. As for the spear you received from Phantom, I think it should be fine since it’s not a possession of a necromancer.”
The glasses-wearing man explained to Himeno with efficiency. However, his response was even more polite than I had expected. It seems that my initial image of him as a ruler is slightly different.
The glasses staff member left the room with an eco-bag and staff. Himeno embraced my arm and leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder. Higurashi placed her hand on her chin, lost in thought. Lugia-san, with a vacant look in her eyes, nibbled on the energy bar absentmindedly, like a rodent. The secretary woman was jotting something down, but it certainly wasn’t the sound of Lugia-san munching on the energy bar.
”But Himeno, you really made it through safely!”
”Now that I think about it, it was a pretty close call. But I’m glad I worked hard and were able to meet Tsuchimiya-senpai.”
If there are other people like that, I can’t let Himeno and Higurashi go into the dungeon alone.
By the time the glasses staff member returns, Lugia-san, who had finished eating the energy bar, had revived.
Lugia-san starts giving instructions as soon as the glasses staff member enters the room.
”Fugel, quickly inform the students not to enter the 3rd floor. In yesterday’s dive, in addition to 1A01, another party has broken through the 2nd floor. The floor boss hasn’t respawned yet, so there should be a party that can pass through the boss room. There were a few other parties that seemed to be about to break through the floor boss as well. We are investigating signs of overflow, so let’s say we’re still in the process of investigating. If anyone complains, just tell them we’ll extend the deadline for the quota.”
”Yes, ma’am!”
Fugel-san stood at attention and then left the room.
”Oh, and you guys. Please keep this information confidential.”
Lugia-san turned towards us.
”Of course, that’s not a problem. But in the end, who were those people? If they’re lurking around like that, it’ll be difficult to dive into the dungeon.”
”Well… they are students from schools managed by other countries. Coming here is actually against the rules. It’s not supposed to be easy to come here… Fortunately, 1A01 Himeno collected his player cards, so his affiliation is clear. We’ll immediately file a protest through our commander. But if it turns out that it’s not just the students’ decision, but involves the will of the country, it could become quite troublesome. From here on, it’s a matter of politics, so it’s not something you guys need to worry about.”
Other countries manage schools too? So there are other students who have been summoned besides us. But if that’s the case…
”Asagiri-san, was that person Japanese?”
Higurashi asked Himeno, breaking the long silence.
”Huh? Yeah, he was wearing a school uniform and looked Japanese to me.”
”Hmm… that’s strange…”
Higurashi muttered, glancing briefly at Lugia-san, who seemed a bit flustered.
Even I could sense what Higurashi was trying to say.
”Anyway, please keep this a secret! If we present the evidence and protest, they should back off immediately. If things get too complicated, they’ll even suspend the dives into the dungeon. Sorry, but I can’t provide any more information on this matter. I won’t be able to speak about it anymore.”
Lugia-san said, abruptly ending the conversation.
”Hey, what did you think, Tsuchimiya-senpai?”
Higurashi approached me with a bit of pride.
”Well, if there were other schools besides us that were summoned, the entire school would disappear from Japan, so normally there would be a big fuss.”
”Yes, but we’ve never heard of anything like that. What are the possibilities?”
”First of all, is the timeline disjointed? For example, the school the other countries were summoned to a year ago may have been summoned years after us in this world.”
”That’s true. But judging from the story, it seems like there are other schools that were summoned, but if that’s the case, then our school just happened to be the first to be summoned.”
”Well, it’s not impossible, but the probability seems low. Even if there were restrictions on the press, there were so many people that it would be impossible to hide it… The rest is similar to our world. There’s a possibility that they were summoned from another world. It’s like a parallel world. Since this world exists, it wouldn’t be strange if there were many other worlds as well.”
”Wow, well, that might be the most convincing explanation. But if there are other possibilities…”
Higurashi said, staring intently at Lugia-san.
Lugia-san quickly averted her gaze and whistled. Suspicious.
”Other possibilities? I can’t think of any more. Does Higurashi have an idea?”
”Well… I’m not certain. So, for now, let’s not say anything. By the way, Lugia-san…”
”W-What?!”
”If we were to uncover the truth on our own, would it violate any forbidden rules?”
”That… shouldn’t be a problem. Forbidden rules are constraints imposed on us. They don’t apply to you.”
”…I see. That’s how it is. Understood.”
Higurashi said, crossing her arms and quietly closed her eyes, as if sinking into the depths of contemplation.
Right away, Fugel-san came back and handed Himeno a paper with a list of items written on it. Himeno looked at the list with a serious face, then lifted her head after a while.
”What I want is the ‘Shadowstride Cloak’ and the ‘Storage Bag.”
When Himeno said that, Fugel-san nodded expressionlessly.
”Well, I thought so. These are distinctive items that can identify a person, but as long as you have a player card and a necromancer’s staff, there shouldn’t be a problem. You, as a distinguished individual, have the right to have those items.”
Fugel-san signaled to the staff waiting at the entrance, and the staff took out a black cloak and a small black leather bag from a big bag and handed them to Fugel-san.
”These are the items. Please sign the list after you’ve checked them.”
Himeno stood up, received the items from Fugel-san, and then checked them one by one on the table.
Himeno opened the leather bag and, after a moment of thought, lifted the chair with a backrest that she had been sitting on with one hand, and brought it close to the mouth of the bag. Then, the chair was sucked into the bag as if it were being slurped up.
Oh, just like a fourth-dimensional pocket.
Next, Himeno stuck her hand into the bag up to her wrist to take out the chair and put it back in its original position. The size of the bag seemed to be filled up just by her wrist alone.
Then, Himeno spread open a black cloak with a hood to check the inside and then put it in the storage bag.
”No problem.”
Himeno said, reaching out her hand to Fugel-san and urging for a pen.
”Don’t you want to wear the Shadowstride Cloak?”
”Well, I don’t want to use it without disinfecting and deodorizing it first, it’s something that guy used.”
It seems like the necromancer or whatever really ticked off Himeno. I’ll make sure to remember that. Himeno must not get angry, absolutely not.
”Y-yeah, that’s right. Well, items of that class repair themselves, so any dirt will disappear before you know it.”
”Still, I don’t like it until it’s disinfected and deodorized.”
”Okay, sorry.”
Fugel-san held out his pen while apologizing.
Himeno signs next to the item column and hands the list to Fugel-san along with a pen.
Fugel-san also received a player card from Himeno and left the room again.
”A storage bag. You got one that looks useful.”
”Yes! All your hard work was worth it! I will be of use to you, Senpai!”
”Can I leave my equipment with you? It’s safer than leaving it in a locker.”
”Of course! Let’s collect it later!”
When Fugel-san returned and returned the player card to Himeno, he told her the purchase price.
The necromancer player card has a reward of 4 million yen. Including other items, the total was 12 million yen.
By the way, it seems that the purchase price for the Shadowstride cloak was 50 million yen.
After saying goodbye to Lugia-san and the others, we collected Himeno and Higurashi’s belongings and went shopping.
Himeno carefully sprayed some unscented antibacterial and deodorizing spray and then happily sniffed her cloak after I equipped it on her.
Since we couldn’t go beyond the third floor of the dungeon today, thanks to Himeno’s treat, we went to a karaoke place in the special zone. Afterward, we had a fancy meal at a luxurious restaurant and then returned to the student dormitory.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.