Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: A Pervert? Or a Peeping Tom?
I succeeded in filming video inside the dungeon, but editing it on a smartphone is no longer feasible.
The inn where we were staying has strict power limitations.
To resolve all of this at once, I bought a laptop and stayed at a hotel.
Since the hotel allows unlimited electricity use, I brought a large battery inside my Item Box.
If I charge them fully, I shouldn't have trouble charging the laptop or smartphone for a while.
Well, I'm not using home appliances, so this should be sufficient.
The video I uploaded from inside the dungeon seems to be well-received.
I've already received a notification about monetization.
This should increase my income enough to post videos――that's what I thought.
Well, people might get bored of it quickly, so I'd rather earn money fast and wash my hands of it.
"Ugh! This is the worst!"
We encountered a shocking scene inside the dungeon.
The PK guy who attacked us before had turned into a zombie, or rather, a Ghoul.
He was no longer human; he had become a monster.
I used a slingshot to blow the head off the guy who used to be human.
"Ugh..."
It was a slightly shocking scene, so Sana covered her mouth.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes... if you're an adventurer, something like this... ugh."
She has no education, and finding other work would be difficult.
There are plenty of farming jobs in the countryside, but if that's the case, diving into a dungeon is also an option.
Young people probably think the same way, so they wouldn't head to the rural areas; they must be here in the dungeon like this.
If I were young, I'd think the same.
Farming won't make you rich overnight, but here there's a dream.
At least, a dream-like thing.
In reality, it's a life-or-death dungeon patrol.
The result of that is――the man lying before us, turned into a monster and blown away at the head.
The world isn't that kind.
"What do we do with the Magic Stone? I don't want to touch something like this."
"I also..."
After all, he used to be human.
Besides, does a Magic Stone even exist in this?
Does it form inside the body once it becomes a monster?
I have a desire to check, but――it smells terrible.
I don't want to stick my hand into rotting meat.
"Well, let's give up after all."
"Yes."
I took out the bicycle from my Item Box and put Sana on the back――but.
I sensed someone approaching.
"Who's there!"
"W-wait, we're not enemies!"
It was a girl's voice.
Appearing from the darkness was a small person wearing a robe and pushing a bicycle――probably a girl.
Because the voice was a girl's.
The bicycle she was pushing wasn't a mountain bike like mine, but looked like a mamachari (commuter bike).
Unlike other magi who wore skirts, she seemed to be wearing short pants, revealing white legs.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to let me join your party..."
"Hah? We aren't recruiting through the guild."
"I-I'll do anything!"
Her sudden words left me confused too.
"Huh? Even if you say 'anything'..."
"If you're an old man, you like girls, right?"
She glanced at Sana.
Did she think we were paying companions?
Unfortunately, I have no interest in children.
"Me and Daisuke-san are different, though."
"Oh? I thought so... Well, if you're interested in me, you can do whatever you want."
She made a circle with her finger and put her finger in and out of it.
An old man!――No, a pervert?
"Anyway... what level are you?"
"2... but."
Since I didn't get on, she seemed disappointed.
"Eh? You came this far at Level 2?"
Isn't that a bit reckless?
――Even though I said that, I was probably viewed the same way by other adventurers when I started.
I should reflect on that a bit.
Well, I did get my armor ready.
"I saw an old man with a girl like you, wondering how far he would go..."
"So you followed us this far?"
"Y-yes."
"You managed to stay calm in the dark."
"Um... I can see even in dark places."
"Oh, really?"
I thought my eyes were just strengthened because I became high-level and could see at night, but it seems there are skills like that too.
"So... is it a no-go?"
"Eh? Sana, what do you think?"
"I'm completely dependent on Daisuke-san..."
"Hmm, judging by her appearance, maybe she's a Magi type?"
"Yeah, I learned the light spell first."
"If you raise your level, you might learn other spells."
Also, having two people with light would be convenient for filming――but honestly, is it okay to take two girls down to the lower layers?
Even so, will raising levels solve it?
"Why did you approach me specifically? There were many parties recruiting outside."
"Low-level people like me aren't taken seriously, and if you're someone with a girl..."
"Oh, did I look like an easy target?"
"Ehehe..."
The girl gave a bitter smile.
Well, she doesn't seem like a bad kid.
To put it nicely, she's a straightforward type.
"Hmm, this is troubling... Well, let's do this."
"What?!"
"Try raising your level a bit, and we'll decide based on the spells you learn."
"H-how?"
"I'll defeat the monsters, and you finish them off. That way you can raise your level easily."
"Is that really okay?"
She seemed a bit suspicious.
She called me an easy target, yet she's wary of that part.
"Even if your level goes up, a Magi who doesn't learn usable spells has no merit in hiring."
"Okay."
"You don't even need to join the party; if you raise your level, you should be able to fight safely in the lower layers."
"Thank you..."
She bowed shyly.
She knows her manners――she really doesn't seem like a bad kid.
I confirmed with Sana again, and she said it was fine.
Maybe she doesn't want to deny it since she's in a similar position herself.
We ended up fighting again here on short notice.
Since we don't know if the new girl will join, we won't film.
I can't show her the Item Box, but I can't go without weapons either.
I took out my mace and Sana's mace.
"Sana, you focus on defense."
"Yes."
I handed her the mace.
Well, even one wolf would be easy for me alone.
I thought that――but the girl who said she could see in the dark must have seen us fighting.
Didn't she notice the wolf we killed was gone?
As I was thinking about the girl, a cry came from above.
"Kii!"
I thought it would be a breeze if it was a wolf, but it was a giant bat.
Could this one be worth money?
It doesn't seem like there's much edible part.
"Annoying!"
There aren't many effective attacks against flying enemies.
Should I prepare a bow or a crossbow?
Archers seem to miss a lot in games――but.
"I see."
How about throwing something with weights tied to both ends of a rope?
What was that called again?
Pola? Bora?
No, that doesn't matter now.
While I was distracted by the giant bats, enemies were coming from below too.
Five wolves――and one was white and huge.
An enhanced type? A unique individual?
It had more than double the body size of a normal one.
I took out a stone from my Item Box and threw it at the giant bat.
I didn't hit it, but it seems I succeeded in driving it away with a near miss.
I wanted to keep my secret hidden from the girl, but the white unique individual is a pity.
If I can capture it on video, I can earn access points.
"Ora!"
While throwing stones to distract the enemy, I prepared the camera.
"Gururu!"
Once I was ready, I charged into the enemy with my weapon drawn.
"Get out of the way!"
"Gyan!"
I kicked one wolf from below.
It was a kick from Level 49――big damage, right?
My enemy is the white, huge one right in front of me.
"Sana! With that girl, finish off the enemies rolling around!"
"Yes!"
With that much damage dealt, they should be fine.
"Gwooo!"
The white one bared its glowing, huge fangs.
I casually dodged the attack from the enemy lunging at me and struck its huge skull with a mace blow from above.
"Gyaon!"
"Ora!"
Facing the cowering enemy, I delivered a golf swing from below this time.
The reinforced steel bar, gaining speed, caught the wolf's jaw.
"Gyaain!"
The white giant body, losing momentum, did a somersault in the air before being slammed onto the ground.
"Sana! Let the girl finish it off!"
I stepped on the wolf's head to pin it down.
Noticing the boss was down, the other wolves disappeared immediately.
Convenient――this is the only chance.
"Yes!"
"Ugh... seriously..."
"Quick!"
"Yes――oraaa!"
Seemingly forced to make up her mind by my urging, the girl who received the dagger from Sana stabbed it into the wolf's body.
"Gyaain Gyaain!"
"It's still alive!"
"Uwaaaaaa!"
The girl, tears streaming down her eyes, stabbed the dagger into the white fur over and over again.
Blood sprayed out, dyeing the white carpet red.
The monster's body, twitching in reaction, finally stopped moving.
"Phew... this one was quite tough."
"Uwan!"
The girl who landed the final blow on the big boss seemed terrified; she fell backward on the spot and cried.
The hood of her robe had come off, revealing a boyish brown short hair.
She seemed a bit cheeky, but she has a girly side too.
"There, there, it was scary."
I hugged the crying girl.
"Uu~"
"Even on the 2nd floor, such strong enemies appear. This might be dangerous for normal levels."
"Y-yes..."
Sana was trembling a bit too.
Well, normally you fight in parties or guilds, so it works out somehow.
Solo might be a bit dangerous.
Even if you run, if the enemy is a wolf, they'll chase you, which is tough.
At that moment, the crying girl's body began to glow.
After glowing for quite a while――it disappeared.
"You leveled up, right? What level are you now?"
"...L-Level 8."
"O, good job. Did you learn any spells?"
"...I did! I learned Heal!"
"Eh? Heal...?"
I was a bit surprised by her words.
For some reason, girls who learn Heal are those who haven't had male experience.
Of course, if you do the deed, the spell you learned disappears.
"Eh? W-what is it?"
"No, I was just a bit surprised――I thought."
She had brown hair, and from her behavior I thought she might be a pervert, but she wasn't at all.
Maybe she's just at an age where she wants to act tough (dead language).
"Um... the deed."
Since Sana was whispering to her, she must have known the condition for learning Heal.
"...Pervert! Pervert!"
The girl's face turned bright red as she understood what I meant.
What? She's completely different from how she looks.
"What? You said you could do whatever you want."
"~~~~!"
With her face still red, she looked down.
"Anyway――if you have Heal, any party will hire you?"
"...Ah, um! I still want to join you!"
"Well, having a Healer role would be very convenient..."
I glanced at Sana.
"I think it's fine too."
She was smiling, so she probably had an intuition that she wasn't a bad kid.
"I see――well then, it's a yes. It's decided. Let's head back from here and register with the guild."
"Eh?! You won't let me into the guild?!"
"The guild is just the two of us, me and her, is that okay?"
"Of course!"
"And――as a member, you must have noticed something while watching my fight, right?"
She sat there thinking.
"...That's, maybe... the Item Box?"
"So you figured it out."
"Because weapons came out of nowhere..."
Well, it was a crisis situation, so it can't be helped.
"I'm sorry, but I want to keep the Item Box a secret."
"I understand――I have a tight mouth!"
"Are you sure?"
"People who gossip about secrets or badmouth others aren't trusted!"
"I see――please take care of me. I'm Daisuke, and this is Sana."
"I'm Ren."
"Ren――nice to meet you."
"Yeah!"
Since we have a new member, we should probably make her a formal guild member.
We decided to go out for now.
We aren't broke adventurers anymore; we have enough money.
There's no need to rush.
I stored the wolves we killed in my Item Box.
"W-wow! This is convenient~!"
"Well, yeah."
It's dark and I can't tell, but Ren's eyes seem to be sparkling.
"Sana didn't go to school and became an adventurer; are you the same?"
"Y-yes――I had no other acquaintances, so I had to earn money myself."
"Oh, Brutus, you too. She――Sana and her sister are the same."
"So... that's how it is..."
"Have you been solo this whole time?"
"No, I joined parties, but I got attacked by men..."
"Didn't you say something like that earlier?"
"I-I don't say that to people I don't like."
"Hahaha, so I did look like an easy target."
"N-no, that's not it..."
Sana was harassed too.
Maybe she thought an old man with young girls would be safe――that's what she might have thought.
Just because he's an old man doesn't mean he's safe.
But there aren't many old men who are adventurers.
Probably because of physical strength too.
Even athletes retire when they become old men.
Since we were going back, I got on the bicycle.
"Ren, you're riding a bicycle, but maybe you should change to one that can handle rougher terrain."
"I thought so too... but money..."
"Don't worry. If you become a guild member, money will be distributed."
"B-but, I can't do anything yet..."
"You learned the Heal spell, didn't you? I'm sure you can contribute."
"R-really...?"
We returned to the 1st floor, so I stored the bicycle and carried the white wolf.
Let's sell this one outside right away.
If it's a unique individual, shouldn't it sell for a high price?
White fur should be rare too?
Since the body is huge, we can get a lot of fur.
When we returned to the entrance hall, we were already the center of attention.
"Oh!""What's that?!" "A white wolf?!"
A murmur could be heard from everywhere.
Ignoring them, we went outside the dungeon.
Once outside, Ren took off her robe――she has large, slightly upturned eyes that are round.
At first glance, she looks like a boy, but she is definitely a girl.
Looking again, she seems about middle school age, but adventurer registration requires a national card, so she can't be faking her age.
Passing through the gate, we headed to the merchant's office.
"Hey! I killed a rare wolf! Who wants to buy it?!"
"What? What?! A white wolf?! It's huge!"
I placed the white corpse on the ground, and merchants swarmed over.
Idle adventurers surrounded them.
Hiding my smartphone from my Item Box, I filmed the scene.
This doesn't need to be a long video.
"Oh, it really is a wolf... The white fur looks premium.""Hmm, I've never seen one like this?"
The merchants seem to be seeing this prey for the first time too.
One of the merchants told me it appeared in another dungeon.
Heh~.
Dungeons are indeed all over the world.
Anyway, buying this will be difficult.
Even if we buy it at a high price because it's rare, if there are no buyers, we'll lose money.
It's frustrating if other merchants hesitate and then buy it for profit.
"20!" "Then we'll offer 25!"
"Hey, hey, is it okay to pay that much for a wolf?"
"No, it's this big. Just that has value."
"We'll give 27.5!" "28!"
Eventually, a merchant offering 300,000 yen won.
"Phew!"
A stocky, short merchant took a deep breath.
His face was bright red.
"Is that price okay?"
"No, if we make a big coat with this, it should fetch a high price..."
"A coat of pure white fur――that might look cool."
"Right! Connoisseurs will definitely buy it! If we're unlucky, orders might come from overseas."
The old man's eyes are already looking at the world.
He's in the middle of calculating the skin of a fox he hasn't caught yet.
Well, the world was devastated, but it's recovering somewhat, so there are already rich people.
Anyway, we get paid.
Since we made a guild, the money goes into the guild's account.
Buying and selling money between individuals incurs taxes, but there are no taxes between guild members.
"300,000 yen, so 100,000 each. Ren isn't a guild member yet, so a bit will be deducted."
"Eh?! Seriously?! I didn't do anything!"
"Haha, same reaction as Sana. It's fine. It's necessary for leveling up."
Next to me, Sana was grunting.
"B-but..."
"No, no, let's say you two dived into the dungeon."
"Yeah."
"The payment for the prey you killed goes into the guild's account and comes to me, so it's mutual."
"...I understand."
"And――we need money to get equipment, right? That mamachari won't do for running inside the dungeon."
"Yeah."
"Do you understand?"
"Okay!"
She made a victory pose――she's energetic.
After distributing the money, we went straight to the government office.
We headed to the usual counter with the lady.
"Excuse me~ I want to add a guild member."
"Yes, then here..."
The lady at the counter seemed to notice me.
And that the new member is a girl.
"Stare..."
"What? Even if she's a girl, she's properly registered as an adventurer."
"B-but... are you planning to add only girls to the members and take them to dangerous places?"
"Isn't that our freedom!"
Sana suddenly attacked the female staff member.
"I am thinking of your safety."
"That's none of your business! Besides, joining another guild is far more dangerous!"
"That's right! I almost got attacked by a man!"
Ren joined Sana in the assault.
The staff member was flustered by two girls talking back to her.
"I understand... but please be careful."
"Hmph!"
Well, this lady was probably speaking out of kindness.
"Stare..."
She sent a silent pressure.
You don't have to look at me like that; I won't touch children.
I submitted Ren's documents, and she successfully became a guild member.
"Alright, let's go shopping today and get Ren's equipment ready."
"Yes""Yeah"
"We should also replace Ren's bicycle, so let's go shopping in Haneda."
"Understood""Okay"
We took the Ponto boat again with the girl in tow.
It really makes you want them to build a bridge.
We visited the usual home centers and got Ren a mountain bike.
This is necessary expense.
A mamachari will reach its limit quickly.
――Come to think of it, she came down to the 2nd floor on a mamachari.
Going up is fun, but coming down is scary; the downhill slope must have been terrible.
But I have high-level power, so hills aren't a problem for me.
"What will you do with the mamachari you rode until now? Are you selling it?"
"It has some memories... I want to keep it..."
"Then――"
In a deserted place, I put it in my Item Box.
I also stored the mountain bike she bought.
I bought materials at the home center, sat on a roadside bench, and made a new weapon.
I bought nylon rope, tied the stones I had in my Item Box, and made a bola.
I spin this around and throw it at flying monsters to entangle and drop them.
It might be useful for stopping normal monsters too.
However, if the enemy is strong, they'll tear this apart, so it's for the lower layers only.
"That's interesting! Maybe I should make one too..."
Ren showed interest in the bola.
"Isn't that fine? If your level is up, you can throw heavier things."
"I see! Let's try it!"
She took a deep breath and focused.
Ren seems to be buying materials and making a bola too.
The downside is that since she doesn't have an Item Box like me, she has to carry everything.
I could put everything in my Item Box, but she needs to keep at least minimum equipment with her; otherwise, she'll be in trouble if something goes wrong.
For example――getting separated inside the dungeon.
If she left everything in the Item Box, she'd be unarmed.
I must avoid such a situation.
It became lunchtime while shopping, so we three ate.
We chose soy sauce ramen at a shop in Haneda.
It seems they used monster meat and dashi, and it was quite delicious.
They also have pork bone broth, which seems to be boiled from the marrow of dungeon creatures――but.
No, it's not pork, so is it monster bone?
I'm not a fan of pork bone broth.
My hometown uses miso or salt...
I asked the two for their requests, but they said soy sauce was fine, so I made a dark soup with a glossy sheen.
"Ah, um... thank you for the meal""Thank you for the meal!"
I treated them to the meal.
An elder should treat the young ones.
Seeing young girls eating deliciously makes an old man happy for some reason.
"Monster ramen was quite delicious."
"Yes""Yeah!"
Since shopping was done, we took the boat back to the Special District.
"We did some shopping today and earned money from the white wolf, so can we call it a day?"
"Yes""I'm okay too."
"By the way――Ren, do you have an inn?"
"...I don't have money..."
"You just got money."
"But..."
She seemed reluctant to say it.
She probably wants to save money if possible.
We don't know what will happen in the future.
"Then, stay with us? The room is small, but you can sleep."
"Please!"
She bowed her head.
"Is Sana okay with that?"
"Yes, it seems like the same situation for us."
"Really――it's dangerous for a girl to sleep alone."
"Yeah."
Ren nodded.
She might have had that experience.
"Actually, I, an old man, am dangerous too."
"I don't think Daisuke-san would do that."
"Oh? Hahaha."
It's grateful that she trusts me.
Well, I never intended to touch girls anyway.
If I were to do it, I'd prefer a mature woman like Mochi Pudding.
"There are inns for women only, but they are a bit expensive and... there are various troubles."
"I see."
I thought they would help each other as women, but it seems there is bullying against low-level adventurers.
"This is troubling..."
"Has Sana been to such a place?"
"...I left after one day. I won't go there again."
"I see, oh my..."
We were about to return to the inn with three people, but Sana seemed to have shopping to do.
She seemed to want something, so we split up.
Well, once money comes in, such things appear.
"Then, I'll go back first."
"Yes."
Ren and I returned to the inn, but Mio hadn't returned from school yet.
"Oba-chan, we have one more person, is that okay?"
"...You better take care of yourself properly, right?"
"She's a guild member now, so it's fine."
"Nice to meet you~!"
Ren smiled brightly, making a V-sign.
"Hmph, really?"
"Ren, it's fine. She looks like a mean old lady, but she's a good person."
"Who are you calling an old lady!"
"Hahaha, my sister will come after shopping."
"Okay."
Back in the room, I laid out a large air mat on the mortar floor.
It said 280cm x 200cm, and it filled the 4.5 tatami mats perfectly.
This room seems to be a square with sides of about 280cm.
We can all sit here.
I bought this at the home center in Haneda.
It has various uses and seems usable inside the dungeon, so I bought a spare in bulk.
First, I need to inflate it.
Today I was able to film a rare monster video, so I should check it.
I wonder if it was filmed well; I'm looking forward to it.