Chapter 48 Interlude Six – Books, Boots, And Dessert
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
At school, after returning from our dive, we split up at the teleportaion facility. We have free time until the evening, but I had a quest given by Higurashi to complete.
I don’t have to do it today, but it’s better to finish it early. Since I don’t have anything else to do, I plan to start the quest in the afternoon.
After going back to the boys’ dorm and taking a shower, I decided to have lunch at the cafeteria first.
As I left the boys’ dorm, I saw Higurashi carrying a cardboard box and walking towards the back of the tennis club building, which leads to the front entrance of the girls’ dorm.
”Hey, Higurashi. What’s up?”
If she’s heading towards the boys’ dorm, she must have something to do with me. But if that’s the case, she should have contacted me through chat to avoid missing each other.
”Hello, Tsuchimiya-senpai. The other day, when I was digging through the girls’ dormitory’s large trash, I found a ton of manga books. Since the Manager is always reading manga, I thought about giving the ones we don’t need to the Manager.”
”Oh, shojo manga. That’s also possible.”
It might be just right. I was worried too much about what kind of manga I should show Gil-san next, thinking about the influence it might have on him.
I had been looking through my little sister’s bookshelf and reading shojo manga, and I found many interesting stories. Compared to shonen manga, shojo manga gives off a softer, more gentle vibe. There were some shojo manga in the boys’ dormitory as well, but since I didn’t recognize any of the titles, I had excluded them from my options. With this many books, there should be a lot of different titles, so it might be best to let him read a variety of things without narrowing it down to just one.
Evold Higurashi is effortlessly carrying a cardboard box filled to the brim with manga books.
”Still, there are so many. Hmm…”
I nonchalantly peeked inside the partially open lid.
”Uwaaaaahhhhhhh!!!?”
In the next moment, I screamed and kicked the box.
”Whoa! What are you doing, Tsuchimiya-senpai! That’s awful!”
”Shut up!”
Books spilled out from the cardboard box that fell sideways from Higurashi’s hands.
The covers depicted naked men, naked men, and more naked men, often characters I know from manga and anime, intertwined in nudity. They were mostly beautiful young men or handsome young men, but there were also some burly, muscular types mixed in. These were doujinshi BL (boys’ love) manga, not typically found in regular bookstores.
”You jerk! How dare you…! How dare you…! You’re trying to show this stuff to Gil-san! Don’t you dare underestimate Gil-san’s innocence!”
I can’t believe it, but there is always a chance. If Gil-san were to start reading these seriously, my room, which I once thought was a safe place, would soon become the Most Dangerous Zone.
”I want the Manager to have a broad knowledge of Japanese culture!”
”He doesn’t need to know about such rotten culture! Confiscate these dangerous items! Yes, collect them!”
With a pointed finger, Tina collected the pile of BL books into a different space storage unit.
It was a close call. I almost had a bomb planted in my home without knowing it.
”Ah…!”
Falling to her knees, Higurashi reached out for the disappearing BL books.
”Don’t just say ‘Ah!’ Gil-san is really easily influenced by manga! Giving him dangerous books is prohibited!”
”I thought it was interesting…”
”My chastity is at stake here. This is no laughing matter.”
”Well, I guess I’ll have to give up this time.”
”Give up forever. At least switch to another genre.”
Higurashi stood up, dusting off her knees, and seemed to have already recovered.
”We’re going shopping and having lunch in the special zone. What about you, Tsuchimiya-senpai?”
”After having lunch at the cafeteria, I plan to start on quests right away.”
”You’re serious, huh. Since you don’t know the difficulty level, there’s no need to rush even if you don’t find anything. Make sure to come back by evening.”
”Got it.”
Then Higurashi went back to the girls’ dormitory, and I headed to the cafeteria.
* * *
As I entered the school building, I decided to stop by the shop before going to the cafeteria.
The shop sells daily necessities as well as basic equipment for players and items used in dungeons. It seems that the player area, which was newly added, has more customers than the daily necessities area.
I headed towards the player area at the back and started searching for combat boots.
When going to the dungeon, it’s important to wear sneakers. If I use the Blast Jump, it feels like the shoes might get crushed in no time. Moreover, when I peeked into the damp 5th floor, there were moss on the stone walls and puddles of water. Before exploring this place, we all decided to buy proper boots.
I searched for combat boots at the player area in the back of the store.
There were two types: long boots and short boots, each in black and brown colors. The prices also varied. The short boots were either expensive at 80,000 yen or cheaper at 40,000 yen. According to a promotional sign, there is a special zone where shops wholesale their products, and they seem to have a wider selection there.
After checking the size and comfort with the samples, I decided to buy the expensive black short boots.
All of the items seem to be made of monster materials, which are not only waterproof but also quite durable. It seems that there are sturdy guards made of monster materials on the toe parts, like safety shoes.
After paying at the register and having the items put into a paper bag, I left the shop.
I turned right in the entrance lobby and arrived at the student cafeteria at the end of the corridor. Since it was lunchtime, it was quite crowded, although it was much better than on weekdays.
Near the entrance, there were long tables for meetings, and some copies of the “School Daily News” from the newspaper club were being sold for 500 yen at an unmanned stall.
Next to the stack of folded school newspapers, there were crystals for payment. I wonder if these crystals are also used for borrowing somewhere else.
On the front page, one side of the School Daily News was posted. Looking at the headlines of the articles, they were about ‘Is Kamen Papillon a god, a demon, or a pervert?!’, ‘Demiurge, the terrifying cyborg mass production plan!?’, ‘Student Council and Mud Rain Ryugoshu breaking through the 2nd floor layer!’ and so on.
When I see Kibakura’s monstrous behavior, I think they must have the power to reach at least the 5th floor or higher through the official route, but if the article is correct, they’re currently on the 3rd floor. “The Last Surviver” definitely has an advantage with my auto map. Depending on the quality of the party members, exploring the dungeon while mapping it out can still take a considerable amount of time, even with high combat abilities.
It seems like the School Daily News includes information about the dungeon and the shops in special zones, so it might be worth buying for some entertainment.
They even have back issues available. The latest one is labeled as the 4th issue, so it seems like they reset the numbering when they came to this world. They’ve published four issues within two weeks since arriving here. I think the newspaper club members are working really hard. I wonder how they’re doing with dungeon exploration?
I’ll buy the newspaper now, it would be in the way, so I’ll buy it on my way back and stash it in the storage room at the teleportation facility. I can’t use the storage locker in a visible place.
While thinking about that, I was suddenly approached.
”Hello, Tsuchimiya-kun.”
I was surprised and turned around, and there was Shitone-senpai standing right behind me. I still can’t sense this person’s presense.
”Hi, Shitone-senpai. I’m sorry about the other day.”
I almost got caught by Shitone-senpai in the boys’ dormitory B building, so I slipped and ran away.
”It’s okay. I didn’t expect to be rejected like that, so I was a little hurt.”
Shitone-senpai had a gentle smile, but there was still an indescribably dark light in her eyes behind her glasses.
”I had something I couldn’t miss.”
This person seems pretty dangerous, but it seems like I’ve completely caught her attention. What should I do…
”I heard Iwakura-kun and you had a big showdown trying to help the girl. Why do you do such unnecessary things?”
”Huh?”
”Rushing into Demiurge’s stronghold alone for someone else is foolish. Do you think you’re some kind of hero? Have you already slept with that girl? There are many who have suffered because of Demiurge there. To them, the girl you saved will be the target of their hatred. Are you just being hypocritical? Demiurge won’t let you get away with this.”
Shitone-senpai spoke calmly, with a smile pasted on her face.
”Yes, that’s right. It’s my own satisfaction.”
”Huh?”
Shitone-senpai looked a bit surprised, with her eyes open wide.
”If my acquaintances suffer, it makes me feel bad. I just want to live comfortably, so I only help people when it suits me. Even if people call me a hero for it, it’s annoying. I just want to lead a quiet, unremarkable school life.”
”…Hmm, so that’s your value system. How pathetic.”
Suddenly, her hand reached out and grabbed my arm tightly, causing pain. The smile on Shitone-senpai’s face seemed to transform. Behind those eyes, there was certainly a swirling light of anger and hatred.
”You want to feel good, right? Well then, I’ll make you feel good. Nobody needs saving. Those worthless emotions of yours will soon mean nothing. I’ll crush your values with pleasure.”
With a smile on her face, Shitone-senpai closed the distance between us.
Oh no… I don’t think I can resist if she debuffs me and take me away again, especially in front of everyone. Why is this person angry? Did I say something wrong without realizing it again?
”Hey! Tsucchi!”
Suddenly, a cheerful voice echoed.
Shitone-senpai stopped moving.
”Oh, it’s Hano-san!”
As I turned, Hano-san, still armed from dungeon exploring, rushed over. Maekawa-san and others were behind her.
”Want to grab dinner together? Hey, maybe this person is your lover too? Welcome, right?”
”N-no, this person is…”
Shitone-senpai relaxed and let go of my arm.
”Looks like we’ve been interrupted, too bad… Let’s talk later, Tsuchimiya-kun.”
With that said, Shitone-senpai slowly moved away towards the exit.
”Oh? Did I intrude?”
Hano-san, looking flustered, glanced back and forth between Shitone-senpai’s back and my face.
”No, you weren’t a bother at all, Hano-san. Thank you.”
”Hehe, you’re welcome, Tsucchi. You seemed troubled.”
Hano-san said happily, wrapping her arm around mine.
Maekawa-san and the others who were watching Shitone-senpai walk by also joined us.
Maekawa-san then leaned in closer to me and asked,
”Hey, was that Shitone-senpai from the third year?”
”Do you know her, Maekawa-san?”
”It’s not like we’re acquainted or anything, but… I’ve seen her a few times before.”
Maekawa-san replied, exchanging glances with Satou-san.
”Does Tsuchimiya-kun know Shitone-senpai?”
Now, Satou-san asked me.
”We’ve met a couple of times, but I wouldn’t say we’re close or anything.”
”Oh, I see…”
Satou-san glanced at Maekawa-san.
What’s that about? Seems like there’s something more going on.
”Wow, so that’s Shitone-senpai. She’s really beautiful, huh?”
”Hano-san, do you know Shitone-senpai too?”
”I’ve only heard rumors. But, she’s quite famous in some circles. That person, Kibakura Reiji’s──”
”Chika-chan! That’s not something you should be talking about with just anyone.”
”Oh, right. Sorry…”
Kibakura’s? Sounds intriguing, but it seems like it’s not something others should pry into.
”But you probably should know that she might be connected to Demiurge.”
”I know. Anyway, if it’s something difficult to talk about, you don’t have to. Anyway, I’m relieved. As a thank you, I’ll treat everyone.”
”Really!? Thanks, Tsucchi!”
”Huh? Are we included too?”
”Of course.”
Then, we all moved to the first seats.
”It’s my first time in the first seats. Can I really order whatever I like?”
”Yeah. You can even get dessert.”
”Dessert!”
Maekawa-san and Satou-san started seriously looking through the menu.
Since we were in the sofa seats, Hano-san took off her thin sword and placed it in the corner of the sofa along with my paper bag. She must have left her spear in the locker since she didn’t have it from the beginning.
”After you guys eat lunch, are you going to dive again?”
It seems like they’re taking a break during the dive and coming back for lunch.
By the way, Hano-san is sitting next to me on the left, and Nishina-san is sitting on the right, looking a little embarrassed and sitting a bit away. Maekawa-san and Satou-san are sitting in front of us.
”Yeah. Thanks to Tsuchimiya-kun, we can handle the 2nd floor layer easily, so once everyone reaches level 3, I’m thinking of aiming for the lower floors. What about Tsuchimiya-kun?”
”I also plan to dive to the 1st floor layer after this.”
”What, the 1st floor layer? Tsuchimiya-kun?”
At this point, the waiter came to take our order and the conversation was interrupted.
Then Satou-san stood up and sat next to Nishina-san, encroaching on my space.
”Come on, Tomoko. Squeeze in, squeeze in.”
”Huh? Huh?”
When Nishina-san was pushed by Satou-san and leaned against me, for some reason Hano-san also stuck to me and pushed forcefully.
”Sorry, Tsuchimiya-kun.”
”It’s, it’s okay.”
Nishina-san apologizes, her face turning bright red.
Even though it’s uncomfortably cramped between the girls, I don’t mind. Of course I don’t mind! I’m not sure why this has happened like this, but I don’t really mind.
Even though Satou-san chuckles and returns to her seat, Nishina-san stays red-faced and clinging to me.
”So, why are you on the first floor, Tsuchimiya-kun?”
Maekawa-san asks again once we’ve finished ordering.
”I actually want to get my hands on a magic item called ‘Water Bag+1’. Right now, it only drops on the first floor.”
The quest given by Higurashi was ‘Get two Water Bags+1 when you have spare time’.
Maybe one is for Himeno to use. It makes sense for Himeno, who is in charge of rear guard defense, to have a means of magical recovery on hand.
Himeno has a Storage Bag, and if she had the recovery spring water during the battle with the Giant Roper mutant this morning, while the vanguard was holding off the enemy, she could have kept Kanon’s magic replenished and continued to chip away at the Giant Roper from a distance.
”Oh…! We might have that.”
”Huh? …might have?”
Maekawa-san exclaimed in surprise.
”Yeah. Actually, I saw the rating table at the item shop, so I’ve been aware of that item since pretty early on. Since it had a buyback price of fifty thousand yen, I was planning to gather a lot of water bags and appraise them all together, so I had quite a stockpile.”
”In the beginning, many people just threw them away, so I went out of my way to search and collect them.”
”When I entered the party, there were hardly any discarded items. People sell them for 500 yen without even getting them appraised.
Satou-san and Hano-san joined the conversation. Nishina-san leaned on my shoulder and held my arm. She seems out of breath, I hope she’s okay.
”Are you collecting the discarded items?”
”Hehe, I know it’s cheap of me, but I was desperate because I didn’t have much income.”
”Well, that might be a good idea.”
”Good idea?”
”The water bag is made of leather and lined with an animal’s stomach. Organic matter decomposes in the dungeon, but things with magic don’t decompose.”
”Oh! I get it, so even if it’s discarded and left alone, it’s still there…”
”Magic items are likely high in possibility. The processed items seem to last a fair amount of time before being discarded, so depending on how long it’s been, you can expect them if there are a few, right?”
”Maybe we’ll find what Tsuchimiya-kun is looking for!”
”That’s it. I’ll cover the appraisal cost, so if there’s a Water Bag +1, would you sell it to me?”
”Sure thing! We don’t need it, and we owe Tsuchimiya-kun a favor, so yeah.”
If we obtain even one here, my party tactical options will expand. It wouldn’t hurt to take them at a higher price than the shop’s buyback price. I won’t say it yet because it would be disappointing if there weren’t any.
”The one I have is in my locker, so let’s go appraise it after we finish eating.”
”Yeah, thanks for that.”
The order we placed here has been delivered. Still ridiculously fast. Aside from the time the waiter spent back and forth, it couldn’t have taken more than 2 minutes, could it?
Maekawa-san ordered mapo tofu, Nishina-san ordered a sandwich, Satou-san ordered a mushroom and clam Japanese-style pasta, and Hano-san ordered a katsudon. By the way, I ordered the balanced daily special meal.
”Yes! It’s been a while since I had a katsudon!”
Hano-san seemed so happy.
While eating, Maekawa-san and the others talked about their successful dungeon exploration. Since then, Maekawa-san has been actively diving into the dungeon, and it seems that Nishina-san has already reached level 3. Magicians with strong attack power tend to level up easily. In my party, Kanon has defeated the most monsters.
By defeating many monsters, sometimes they drop treasure chests, so it seems like the income is also going well.
After finishing lunch, when the dessert was brought out, the conversation stopped and cheers broke out.
Maekawa-san ordered cheesecake, Satou-san got Mont Blanc, Nishina-san chose strawberry shortcake, and Hano-san went with pudding à la mode.
”It’s actually my first time having something sweet since coming here.”
”I’m glad to be alive.”
Everyone is enjoying their desserts with watery eyes.
If they are this happy, then it was worth treating them. I spent a pleasant lunchtime sipping iced coffee in a friendly atmosphere.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.