Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Fish Eye
I headed to Haneda to deliver large monsters like dragons from the Item Box.
It seems they built a new facility to handle large magical beasts.
Until now, bringing large monsters from the deep layers of dungeons was almost impossible, but now I have the Item Box.
If I cut them down to about 10 meters, I can store them in the Item Box.
At the facility, I became acquainted with a university professor who researches magical beasts.
Hearing talks about magical beasts from an expert's perspective is interesting.
I gain new insights, and I want to cherish them.
It seems inquiries about the large monsters I brought in are already flooding in.
It seems the dragon was the first one ever taken down in the world.
It seems no adventurers had reached that far even in dungeons all over the world.
Perhaps there are others who were thrown into the deep layers by transfer traps just like us――.
Does that mean we are the first to return from the ends of hell?
Leaving the facility processing the magical beasts, I bought a massive amount of food at a mass retailer near the pier.
Having too much food is not a problem.
No matter how much I buy, it fits in the Item Box.
After that, I returned to the Special District, but decided to head to a weapon shop to replenish my lost weapons.
It is the shop where I had custom throwing missiles made before.
I looked at the show window lined with many weapons before entering.
Just looking at these things is fun.
Well, swords and katanas are things I can't use anyway.
Simply throw! Just bash! These suit me.
Speaking of which, do those who use swords and such practice swordsmanship?
I thought about it a bit, but swordsmanship is basically a combat technique against humans.
It might not be very useful if the opponent is a magical beast.
Maybe a school of anti-magical beast swordsmanship will emerge soon.
"Hi~"
Hearing my voice, an old shop owner came out from the back.
His expression brightened upon seeing my face.
"Customer for the depleted uranium rounds!"
"Hehe, you have a great memory."
"I apologize. But you are a customer, right? The customer rumored to have defeated a dragon?"
"That's right, did you know?"
"I have an acquaintance who buys magical beasts. They say depleted uranium is inside the dragon's body... if that's the case, only you could be the customer."
"That's right. That's why I told them not to take the meat from the body."
There is no worry about radiation, but the toxicity of the depleted uranium itself remains.
"So, where exactly did that weapon shine?!"
The old man's face was filled with a broad smile, eager to hear my story.
If I am expected so much, I have no choice but to talk.
"Well――"
I explained the route we had taken.
"I heard that adventurers were thrown into the deep layers by the Labyrinth Cult, but I didn't know it was like that..."
"Tungsten tips wouldn't penetrate, so I used this."
I took out a short sword from the Item Box.
"What is this?"
"Oh, don't touch it carelessly. Is there anything you need?"
What I held in my hand was a short sword that seemed to be a drop item used during the dragon battle.
"Oh, in that case――"
He brought a sword that seemed to be destined for disposal.
Taking it, I stuck the short sword onto its tip.
"Ooh!"
The place where the short sword touched turned black and discolored, and the sword's tip fell off.
"Well, it turns out like this."
"Is it a drop item?!"
"It seems to have a property that corrodes anything. I used this to weaken the dragon scales, then fired the missile."
"Amazing!"
"It was really beautiful, sparks flying in the darkness, haha."
Actually, I was on the verge of death, so I couldn't care about that.
The old man's eyes sparkled, like a child listening to an adventure tale.
It seems he is very curious about how the weapons he supplied are used and active on the front lines.
"――So, I've used up the depleted uranium rounds. Can you make about six more?"
"I think it should be possible..."
"Well, if it's impossible, reducing the number is fine."
"I understand."
Incidentally, I also ordered about ten regular tungsten-core rounds.
After all, using them makes them bloody and rusty.
Then they gradually fall apart.
Rust might increase toxicity, but it's a short decisive battle inside the dungeon.
It seems it will take about two weeks even if I rush them, so I will wait patiently.
Well, I don't think I'll dive into the deep layers immediately anyway.
There is talk of an attack by the top guilds together――but that requires proper preparation as well.
Incidentally, I will order what I feel is necessary after gaining combat experience inside the dungeon.
"A rope?"
The shop owner looked puzzled at my order.
"I'm not good at handling swords and such, so I often use a slingshot, but ordinary ropes break under the power."
"So, you want a sturdy rope――I see."
"Is there any good material?"
"It seems the Yaegashi Group has developed a new material, so let me try to get it for you."
It seems to be a fiber incorporating the structure of magical beast materials.
Research like that is also progressing.
"Please."
"Understood."
A slingshot that won't tear even with full force, swung by a high-level adventurer, becomes a deadly weapon.
――Two days after ordering the weapons.
I received a notification that the ordered food had arrived from the mass retailer in Haneda.
There are bentos and such, so I must go pick them up soon.
"Princess, I'm going to Haneda for a bit."
"Mmm~"
The Princess was sulking while lying on the sofa.
"Why are you in a bad mood?"
"Ms. Sakurako has become a troublesome woman again."
Kaorulko reacted immediately.
"Don't call me troublesome!"
"What, what?"
"Daisuke-san, the Princess wants to be taken for a walk."
"Huh? I'm just going to Haneda to pick up luggage."
"That's fine."
"Is that so? Then let's go together."
"Okay!"
The Princess jumped up from the sofa.
That's good, but for women, it gets long from here.
I thought she wasn't as bad as Kirara――but it still took about 30 minutes to prepare.
"Will the Empress not go?"
"At home, please stop calling me that."
Even while saying that, she didn't take her eyes off the tablet.
"Hehe, sorry."
It seems she is reading a novel and won't go with us.
Originally, she didn't look like the type to go out much.
She probably became an adventurer reluctantly, dragged along by the Princess.
The Princess's outfit was a culotte skirt, black tights, and a white blouse on top.
Since she usually wears bikini armor, her casual clothes are quite fresh.
I thought she was a show-off, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
She usually wears loose pants, and basically doesn't expose her skin.
Maybe it's a reaction since she wears almost nothing inside the dungeon.
Leaving the room with her, we took the elevator to the lobby.
After briefly greeting the hotel staff and going outside, we headed straight for the pier.
It feels inconvenient that there is no transportation inside the Special District, but motorcycles and cars are a bit dangerous in such a crowded place.
Actually, entry is prohibited for vehicles other than trucks permitted for transport.
Well, if I have the Item Box, that becomes unnecessary...
Taking action with high consciousness like "contributing to society" doesn't suit me.
I am a stingy old man.
"Princess, shall I bring out a bicycle?"
"We're walking with Darling, after all..."
"Hehe, I see."
We arrived at the pier together.
The sky was blue, with white clouds painting a beautiful gradient.
The pier had the quiet sound of waves and the cry of seagulls in the distance.
There were many passengers at the pier, and small boats bobbing up and down with the shifting water surface.
Holding her hand, we boarded one of the boats.
Once on the boat, the baked-gas engine started making a continuous sound――and slowly began to move forward.
Once out at sea, the wind grew slightly stronger, and a cool sea breeze hit our faces.
The Princess's hair swayed in the wind, showing a calm expression not seen when she was in the dungeon.
We shared the scenery reflecting and sparkling on the water surface without exchanging words――this moment.
Usually, the boat ride is troublesome, but with the Princess, it becomes a rather pleasant time.
Thinking such things, we arrived at the opposite shore.
The boat slowly approached the pier.
"Hey?! Can't you hear something?!"
"Huh?!"
Suddenly, some of the passengers started making a commotion.
"Can you hear it?!"
"I think I can."
Adventurers have enhanced hearing, and the Princess and I noticed the anomaly immediately.
Something like a high-pitched bell sound.
"This is a spawn!"
The Princess shouted.
I accessed the Item Box and prepared the camera.
Since it is an outdoor shoot, it should be captured beautifully.
"A spawn?!"
"Monsters?!"
Passengers buzzed at the sudden occurrence.
I drew my sword and handed it to her.
"That one is cheap, so you can throw it."
"Understood."
Her expression had already changed.
Turning from the calm expression until now, she had the face of a warrior.
"Something is floating up!"
Looking in the direction pointed by the passengers, I saw a white dorsal fin.
"What is that?! A shark?!"
The Princess was also staring intently――but there were veins and spines on the fin, so it wasn't a shark, and it was impossible for a fish that big to exist.
Did a aquatic monster spawn in a place that wasn't a dungeon?
"No matter how you look at it, it's different――Take this!"
I took out a palm-sized rubble from the Item Box and threw it toward the white dorsal fin visible in the distance.
A huge water column rose where the rubble, traveling at hundreds of kilometers per hour, struck the water surface.
"Kyaaaaa!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Not only the falling seawater, but the waves created by the water column made the boat shake violently up and down.
"If there is something underwater, this will deal considerable damage, right?"
Shockwaves travel easily underwater.
If you hit stones or concrete blocks by the riverbank, fish float up.
It is a prohibited fishing method.
"When the boat docks, get off calmly! The enemy is fine! We are watching!"
The Princess began to guide the passengers.
"Kyaaa!"
"Don't push! Don't push!"
"There is something on this side too!"
One passenger pointed to the opposite side, so the Princess ran over, but something shiny from the water attacked her.
"Princess!"
"Grrr!"
It was a sudden occurrence, but she seemed to have blocked it with her sword.
Entangled on the Princess's blade was an iron weapon with a tip split into three.
"What is that!"
In the direction pointed by the passengers, a monster with a nightmare-like figure appeared.
Its appearance had a fish's head, a mouth lined with sharp teeth open wide, and plate-like eyes glaring at us.
There are people who find fish eyes terrifying, but this is a sight that would make them faint.
On both sides of the head, gill-like folds moved, so it could breathe freely even underwater.
Muscles with visible veins grew from the fish's body as arms, and sharp claws grew on the hands holding the weapon.
"Ew! Gross!"
I involuntarily spat out that line, but I took out rubble from the Item Box again.
"Darling!"
"Take this!"
The rubble I threw at the enemy shaved off half of the fish's head and raised a water column on the surface.
It finally seemed to have died――it let go of the weapon and began to float on the water surface.
Looking at the rubble I threw first, a huge white belly floated up.
As expected, the body is like a fish.
"Damn... fishy smell..."
It seems the Princess got covered in the slimy substance covering the monster's body.
It emits a fishy odor.
"Ooooooh!"
Many people on the pier gathered due to the commotion.
Checking the surroundings, it seems there are only these two monsters.
I finished shooting and put away the camera.
"What is that?"
"A fish monster?!"
"It has arms?!"
"Gross!"
Fish monsters seen in fantasy, but when they are right in front of you, honestly, they are gross.
The university professor said they are biologically sound, but is this acceptable?
If I send it to her, she might be happy.
I took out my smartphone to take a photo and put the monster's corpse into the Item Box.
"Ooh! It disappeared?!"
"It disappeared?!"
"What should we do with the other one?"
A white belly was floating up about dozens of meters away, but I can't store it in the Item Box from here.
"Do you want to pull it closer?"
While I was thinking, the captain came over.
"That's right, you can't put it in the Item Box if it's not close."
"So that's the Item Box. This is amazing."
"Can't you do something? I don't think we can move the boat..."
"Wait a moment."
The captain went to the back of the boat and brought a tiger rope.
Looking closely, something metal was attached to the end.
"You can hook it with this."
"Then I'll do it."
"It's quite difficult, but are you okay?"
"Hehe, well."
I have a high-level correction that allows me to see the trajectory of flying objects.
Spinning the hook attached to the end of the rope, I threw it toward the white belly floating in the sea.
When I pulled it, it hooked onto the floating corpse and slid over here smoothly.
The onlookers on the pier raised their terminals all at once.
"Store!"
When the corpse disappeared, the audience murmured again.
"Amazing!"
"High-level adventurer."
"Yes, yes, let me through~"
A voice rose from one of the onlookers.
It was a woman's voice.
"Could it be Princess Sakurako?!"
"...I am currently private, so I apologize."
"Kyaa!"
Women reached out their hands, but the Princess was quite dirty right now.
"You'll get dirty."
Even with my words, the audience didn't care.
They are truly popular.
Just like a big star.
"This won't work."
I jumped in place and looked for an escape route.
"Darling."
"Princess, over there."
I pointed to the less crowded side.
Holding her hand, I jumped in that direction.
I ran jumping over the crowd.
Only adventurers of the same level can catch up to a high-level adventurer's sprint.
In the blink of an eye, we shook off the onlookers and disappeared into the crowd.
"Well, I need to do something about the Princess."
"If only there was a place to change clothes... Haa~"
Rarely, she sighed.
"Even if Kaorulko is here, she doesn't have a Clean."
"..."
"Should we put someone with a Clean in the guild?"
"If only there were that many high-level people."
"I see."
From now on, we will dive into the deep layers of the dungeon.
At an incomplete level, we would become a hindrance.
It is different from leveling up beginners in the shallow layers.
――Though I say that, I think I am still a beginner...
"That's it! Let's borrow a washing area and changing room at the mass retailer where we will pick up the ordered food!"
"That sounds good! Let's go right away!"
"Okay!"
Arriving at the mass retailer with the Princess.
For now, I asked the Princess to wait at the entrance.
It smells too fishy, so entering the store would be bad.
Entering the store, I looked for the girl whose contact information I exchanged.
"Um..."
I asked the female clerk about the girl.
"Oh! The customer who ordered a huge amount of food!"
"That's right, that one!"
"I heard about it! What are you going to use it for?!"
"Hehe, rather than that――"
Since the conversation wasn't progressing, I asked to call the girl out.
When the store announcement played, the girl came to the entrance immediately.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Sorry, but my companion is a bit dirty. Could we use the washing area and changing room?"
I pointed to the Princess.
I thought she would be happy, but I could tell the girl's excitement dropped.
Did she realize I came with a female companion?
"Eh? Ah, ah, I am sorry..."
"It's fine, Darling――I'll change in the toilet."
"I see, then let's buy some spare clothes."
"Okay."
I asked the girl to wait and bought clothes for the Princess.
For now, a tracksuit should be fine.
I handed her the item in a paper bag.
"Also, do you need shampoo? Is this towel enough?"
"Mm, that helps."
Since it seemed to take time, I decided to receive the ordered luggage.
The luggage seemed to be in the warehouse, so I headed there through the employee passage.
"..."
The store girl remained silent.
I thought that if she knew my name, she would know I am in the Princess's guild.
Following the girl, I arrived at a warehouse with a high ceiling.
Luggage loaded on pallet racks was stacked up to the top.
"Where is my luggage...?"
"Here it is."
In a corner of the warehouse, there was luggage on a pallet covered with a sheet.
A massive amount of food and drinks piled high.
There were bentos, bread, juice, and milk.
In the past, bananas were the standard for being cheap, nutritious, and high-calorie, but now they are very expensive and out of reach.
It is because imports from overseas have become difficult, and bananas are not coming in.
There is some produced domestically, but it is hard to get.
Similarly, cocoa needed for chocolate is also produced domestically, but it is still expensive.
The calorie bars I usually eat are now high-end items too.
If I weren't an adventurer, I probably couldn't eat them often.
"Oh, thank you――can I have the pallet too?"
"No, we can't give you the pallet..."
"I see――no choice."
I took out cardboard boxes from the Item Box, repacked them into a single block, and stored them.
If I stored them one by one, it would be a lot of trouble.
"Ooh!"
People who were in the warehouse gathered without me noticing and cheered for my Item Box.
"Ah, um..."
"What is it?"
"Is that person from earlier Princess Sakurako?"
"That's right."
"..."
Looking at her expression――it seems her excitement dropped because I came with a female companion.
I thought exchanging contact information meant that, but is it really so?
Personally, I had no ulterior motives, just thinking it would be convenient when gathering supplies.
"I asked you to help me get supplies, so I exchanged contacts, but if you aren't very enthusiastic, can you introduce another person in charge?"
"...It's fine."
"Right, then I'll rely on you in the future."
"Understood."
It seems she will handle it as work.
Well, if you do work based on likes and dislikes, it won't be work.
After receiving the luggage, I greeted the warehouse people and returned to the store.
"Well, is the Princess done?"
I sent a message on my smartphone――it seems she is at the entrance.
Going to the store entrance, I found the Princess in a black tracksuit.
Her hair was in a ponytail, but it was still wet.
"Still wet――what about the smell?"
I sniffed a bit――it still smelled slightly fishy.
Well, at the toilet washing area, you can only wash your head.
I'll take a bath when we get back.
"Can't you use a dryer by taking out a mobile battery from the Item Box?"
"It's fine."
"I see. Since I received the luggage――shall we go back?"
"..."
She had a complex expression.
Since we came, she probably wants to play more, but since it smells, she wants to go back quickly――something like that.
――Even so, I came to receive the luggage and ended up receiving it.
"Ah!"
I remembered the monster I took down at sea.
I sent the photo I took to the university professor.
"I found this monster, isn't it rare?"
Something like that.
"..."
Walking with the Princess who had a bored expression, heading toward the pier――a message came in.
"Kyaa! What is this?! Is it an aquatic monster?!"
"It has hands coming from a fish body, gross, right?――Sent."
"Did you sell it?!"
As expected of a researcher.
It seems she doesn't care about the monster's appearance being gross or that kind of thing.
"I'm not sure if anyone will buy this, so it's still in the Item Box."
"Then bring it to me!"
Bring it――where?
After sending the message, it seems she wants me to bring it to the laboratory.
"Where is the laboratory? I can't go too far."
According to the professor, that facility seems to be here in Haneda.
The map coordinates were also sent――it's super close.
"Is there a shower there?"
"Shower? Yes, there is...?"
"Great! Princess, there is a monster research lab nearby, let's go check it out."
"...Understood."
She seems interested too.
We decided to go to the university laboratory.
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The anime of "Arifouru Otoko no Isekai Tsuuhann" (Middle-Aged Man's Otherworld Shopping), which I am the original author of, will start broadcasting in January!
New information will be released this evening.
Please look forward to it.