Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Sisters, After All~
I exchanged the elixirs and monsters I had obtained in the dungeon for money.
Technically, it hasn't turned into cash yet.
The elixirs are certain, but whether that huge, worm-like monster will sell is a bit iffy.
The middle-aged man who buys them had a stiff expression too.
Well, if it doesn't sell, there's nothing to be done about it.
Honestly, it's gross.
Customers would think so too, but its large teeth are sharp, and it looks hard, so it might have value as material.
As for the rest, I'll make it fertilizer for my Item Box and throw it away when I dive deep -- that's the plan.
Since the university professor wanted to see a monster, I guided him along with the sale.
It seems he got a rare sample, and he was very happy.
That's good.
After finishing everything, I was cooking curry in the room when my phone rang.
The caller was Sana, but it seemed Mio-chan had sent the message.
She said she wanted to eat my curry, so I replied, "If your sister says it's okay, then it's okay."
Well, let's see.
What do Sana and the others think of me?
Honestly, even if they think I'm a worthless old man, I can't blame them.
While thinking about my previous guild and simmering the curry, the built-in phone rang.
It's for contacting the hotel front desk, but it's wired.
Room service can be done with tablets or such, but for some reason, only this one exists.
I pick up the phone.
"Yes."
'Is this Niwa-sama?'
"Yes."
'A little girl has come to the front desk saying [I want to meet Daisuke]...'
She figured it out with just "Daisuke".
My name is written on the registration, of course...
Well, since I'm an old man living with the high-class Princesses, maybe all the hotel staff know me.
"Oh, probably a girl I know. I'll go to the first floor immediately to check."
It's Mio-chan, isn't it.
'Thank you very much.'
The pot -- it shouldn't be a problem if I leave it on.
It's on low heat.
"Princess, I'm going to the front desk for a moment."
"What is it?"
"It seems someone I know has arrived, so I'm going to check."
"I understand."
I change clothes slightly and head downstairs.
If this were my rural home, I'd usually wear casual clothes, sometimes even just underwear.
But this is a hotel, there are girls around, and I can't dress too strangely, which is painful.
Anyway, I'm on the first floor.
I take the elevator, walk briskly down the corridor, and step into the lobby.
"Daisuke!"
The girl who saw me raised her voice.
Tracksuit, and the backpack I gave her as hand-me-downs.
It's definitely Mio-chan.
"Mio-chan, did your sister say it was okay?"
"............Yeah."
There's absolutely no way that's a lie right now.
--Even so, I can't tell her to go back after she's come this far.
"Well, it can't be helped. I just made curry today. Do you want to eat some?"
"Yeah!"
I need to contact Sana, or she'll worry.
I take her back to the room.
"Wow~!"
Mio is squealing over the size of the room.
"Darling! What is this child?!"
"She's an acquaintance, and she said she wants to eat my curry -- ah, right! I need to contact Sana."
"......"
Mio has an awkward look on her face.
She must be lying.
Thinking about it now -- all the lies I told my parents when I was a kid must have been obvious to them.
As a child, I thought things like, "I tricked the adults!" or "I'm perfect," but that wasn't the case at all.
"Mio came to my place, so I'll let her eat curry before sending her back -- that's what I'll tell her."
Will it be okay?
They might come to retrieve her immediately.
"......"
The Princess looks a bit dissatisfied.
Well, this is their castle, and I'm a guest.
I know I'm in the wrong.
"She went out of her way to come, so at least let her eat some curry."
"That's right, she's such a small child."
Kaorulko doesn't seem to mind.
"Mio-chan, you want to become an adventurer, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Do you know who your sisters are?"
I pointed at the two of them.
"The people fighting in sexy outfits."
"Ugu!"
It sounded like the Princess's stomach took a body blow from the child's straightforward words.
"And that person over there?"
"The one with big breasts and glasses."
"Fugu!"
Here too, Mio-chan's rocket punch sank deep under those large breasts.
The two of them are taking damage from innocent attacks.
"Do you know your sisters are super famous adventurers?"
"Yeah!"
"Do you know 'Raiden'?"
"Raiden?"
"Hahaha, just talking to myself."
Anyway, let's eat the curry.
I take out plates from the Item Box and serve rice and curry.
"Let's eat!"
Four of us eat, but only I and Mio said the phrase.
"Hug-hug!"
"You don't have to eat so fast."
Mio is eating curry on my lap.
"Daisuke's curry is the best!"
"Darling's curry is mine! Anyway, why are you sitting there!"
"What's Daisuke, Darling?"
Ignoring me?
"You call the person you like 'Darling'."
"Then I'll call Daisuke 'Darling' too!"
"Wait, wait."
The number of people calling me Darling is increasing.
Is this an old drama about "My Wife"?
"Why are you calling me Darling!"
The Princess is protesting, but don't take it seriously with a child.
"Because I like Daisuke too!"
"He's my Darling!"
"Mio's Darling!"
"Gnnn..."
"Hey, Princess, is fighting with a elementary school student okay?"
"That's right."
Kaorulko looks exasperated.
As expected, she is calm.
"Mio-chan -- did your sister say anything about me?"
"She said she's going to catch up to Daisuke."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
In my case, it's like a botan mochi falling from a shelf (a windfall).
The Princess and Kaorulko are also leveling up, but they were thrown into the deep layers of the dungeon and forced to come up, so...
Raising them to the Princess's level by normal methods would be quite something...
I hope they don't overdo it.
"I see~"
"Kirara said you're a perverted old man."
That guy~.
Well, it is the truth.
"She says whatever she wants. Anyway, old men are perverts."
What value is there in an old man who isn't perverted? There shouldn't be any.
"~"
I think this isn't a topic to bring up in front of a child -- when a message comes in.
'Daisuke-san, I'm sorry about Mio.'
"It's fine. I'll let her eat curry and then send her back."
As I tap on my smartphone, Mio peeks over.
"From your sister?"
"Yeah..."
"Let me see!"
Mio snatches my smartphone and starts tapping.
"Apologize to your sister."
"Yes! Here you go!"
She hands the phone back, so I check the content --
"Mio-chan --"
"Today, I'm sleeping with Daisuke!"
The sisters were battling on the smartphone screen.
Well, Mio-chan is already here with post-facto approval, so...
She's stronger, isn't she?
"Why does it turn out like that!"
The one who raised her voice was the Princess.
"It's fine if a child stays."
"It's my room!"
"Sakurako-sama..."
Kaorulko is trying to scold her, but the Princess has a point.
"In that case, we'll have to rent an empty room and stay for one night."
"Yay! With Daisuke!"
"Why does it turn out like that!"
"Eh? But since the Princess said no, it can't be helped, right?"
"Ggigi..."
The Princess gave in, and Mio-chan ended up staying in the guest room.
"Where did the usual relaxed Princess go? She wouldn't get serious with a child."
She didn't say anything to Oga-san or Kaorulko, though.
"......"
"Probably, the Princess thinks she might lose to a little girl."
"Eh?"
It was Kaorulko's words, but that shouldn't be possible.
I don't know what the Princess's standards are.
"Hehehe."
"Ggigi..."
Mio-chan is probably just doing it innocently, but it seems to be damaging to the Princess.
"Even if something happens, the Princess will always be number one, so you don't need to worry."
"That's right, Sakurako-sama."
"Uuuu..."
--Even so, maybe she doesn't like being flirted with by a girl right in front of her.
I can understand her feelings, so I moved Mio-chan away a bit.
I have to clean up after the meal anyway.
"Mio will help too!"
As I wash the dishes, Mio flies over.
"Thank you!"
"Are you eating properly with your sister?"
"Yeah! But Daisuke's food is the best~!"
"Hahaha, thank you."
I wash the dishes in the sink.
I've never stayed in a room like this, but is having a stove and sink normal?
Or was it custom-made?
"Clean!"
As I was about to wash the dishes, the Princess came and cleaned them with magic.
"Ah! I was just about to wash them with Daisuke!"
"Thank you~, magic is convenient after all."
"......"
The Princess seems to want to say something.
"I'm sorry -- bringing a child here suddenly. But I couldn't just throw her away~. These sisters have no parents."
"......Is that so?"
"Yeah."
Well, there is a grandfather, but almost no family left.
When I told her that, she showed a bit of understanding.
I'm grateful to the generous Princess.
"The bed is big!"
Mio is jumping on the bed in the guest room.
"......"
The Princess watches her intently.
I thought she might interrupt, but she disappeared.
I feel bad about it, but regarding Sana and Mio, they suddenly abandoned the guild, so...
Originally, it was just a temporary guild plan...
Listening to Mio play on the bed, it seems Sana isn't angry.
I ask her about school.
"Did you make friends?"
"Yeah."
"Do your friends also want to become adventurers?"
"Yeah!"
Mio lies on her stomach on the bed, kicking her legs.
"Do you know the sisters from earlier are super adventurers?"
"Yeah! But Daisuke is even more amazing! He has an Item Box too."
"Haha, but I'm an old man who isn't on the official rankings."
"Why aren't you on it?"
"I'm not interested..."
"~"
"Probably, even if you tell your friends, they won't know me."
"I know there's someone with an Item Box."
Huh, even kids know.
That's a bit embarrassing, but even a normal-looking old man wouldn't interest children.
Adventurers really need to be young and cool.
Actually, those kinds of people are popular.
"But, Mio-chan. If you really want to become an adventurer, you should exercise your body."
"Exercise?"
"Swinging weapons every day, lifting heavy things, running marathons -- something like that."
"I do it with my sister!"
"I see."
"Yeah!"
Sana might be seriously trying to go as an adventurer.
Speaking of which -- according to Mio, she said she's going to catch up to me...
If you get pulled along by high-level adventurers, it's fast, but to build those connections, you need a certain level of skill.
I wish someone like Oga-san would act as a tank.
She takes out textbooks and notebooks from her backpack.
She seems to be doing homework.
Bringing school textbooks means she intended to stay from the start.
I can't underestimate this initiative.
She looked quiet compared to her sister, but that must have been due to her illness.
Sisters, after all.
The basics are similar.
I watch her study.
"Ugh, I don't need to study since I'm becoming an adventurer..."
--She says that, but you need at least a minimum of knowledge for anything.
I still want to cover the broad, shallow knowledge of elementary and middle school.
"That's not true. You need reading, writing, calculation, and scientifically common knowledge."
"Ugh."
She doesn't seem to be good at studying.
After studying, we look at the internet together.
"Whee! I like this place because there's so much internet to watch~!"
"Well, electricity is expensive in the Special District."
This hotel has high accommodation fees, but you can use electricity as much as you want.
"I'll watch Daisuke's videos too~!"
"I think children shouldn't watch too many cruel things..."
"But if you're going to be an adventurer, it's necessary."
"That's true."
During these sensitive years, diving into dungeons and living a life of slaughter... won't that cause problems with personality formation?
As an adult, I'm worried.
Going straight into the world without social experience, debuting in a dungeon, and killing monsters.
Is this okay?
Personally, I think the age to become an adventurer should be raised a bit more.
Well, public opinion probably won't allow it.
Especially the dungeons in the Special District support the major city of Tokyo.
Now, local governments are stronger.
Why? Because they produce food.
Tokyo being a major city and showing off its face was in the past.
Now, we are bowing to the countryside to buy food...
If we can utilize dungeons well, we won't need to bow to the countryside.
Therefore, young people are encouraged to become adventurers to explore dungeons, and various subsidy policies are being implemented.
Dungeons have become indispensable for Tokyo, but isn't that no different from a monoculture economy?
What if we rely on just one leg of the dungeon, and the dungeon suddenly disappears?
Well, there are many top officials who graduated from prestigious universities.
I think they are planning countermeasures for things an old man with a high school diploma would think of.
Probably -- it'll be okay, right?
I watched videos on the internet with Mio-chan, and then went to sleep.
--The day after Mio came to play.
For breakfast, Mio said she wanted curry, so we had curry.
After the meal, I have something to give her.
"It will get a bit heavy, but please give this to your sister."
Mio looks inside the bag.
"Is this potions?"
"Yes, yes -- will they fit in the bag?"
"Yeah."
She opens her backpack and stuffs the potions inside.
"Don't give them to Kirara. She might sell them."
"That's not true. Kirara-chan is very kind."
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
Did she really change her heart?
Or was she kind to children from the beginning?
No, when I first met her, she wasn't like that~.
We go down to the first floor together and see her off.
It seems she's going directly to school.
She came prepared properly, so it seems she intended to do so from the start.
"See you later!"
"I'll be back!"
I should contact Sana just in case.
"Mio-chan went directly to school."
'I'm sorry.'
"It's fine. Don't overdo it in the dungeon."
'Yes.'
Will she be okay~?
She's a reliable person, so I think she'll be fine.
When I return to the room, Kaorulko comes.
"Daisuke-san, the attack by the top guilds has been decided."
"Finally. When everyone gets together, schedules seem troublesome."
"Yes."
There are four guilds attacking.
The guild led by the Princess, Cherry Princess, and the guild led by a man like Gorilla who challenged me in the dungeon.
The guild led by Oga-san, and another one where a mage is at the top.
Guild leaders are often tanks or attackers, so a mage being the leader might be rare.
She seems to be a powerful person.
--Though, at the current time, the top mage is Empress -- that is, Kaorulko.
In the evening, a message comes from Sana.
'Thank you for the potions.'
"If anything happens, don't hesitate to use them."
'Yes.'
I hope she doesn't get hurt.
Well, as an old man, the only consolation is that Sana doesn't hate me.
I don't have any ulterior motives or anything like that.
Old men suffer greatly when young people hate them.
So, trying to deepen friendships often backfires.
It's sad, but this is reality.
--The day after Mio stayed over.
Since the deep layer attack by the top guilds was decided, I go to greet each guild.
Four guilds are participating.
There were other guilds, but some had to reduce their scale because their leaders or main rankers went missing in the previous incident.
Even though some are burning with revenge, you can't take guilds whose levels have dropped.
Incidentally, I was asked to store each guild's luggage in my Item Box.
In advance, I asked each guild to put their luggage in large boxes or on pallets.
Otherwise, the inside of my Item Box would become a mess.
"Take out the [Name] of [Guild] from the Item Box" or something like that is impossible.
"Hi~."
"Yo, old man, long time no see!"
A burly man greeted me in front of a small building.
Probably the guild members; there are many adventurers.
Of course, only high-level adventurers will attack.
The slightly rude man who greeted me is the one everyone calls Gorilla.
The leader of the guild, "Golden Path".
This is probably the guild headquarters.
He started a fight with me, and there are some issues with his manners, but he doesn't seem like a bad man.
In the first place, it's quite difficult for a problematic person to remain a leader for long.
Inside the dungeon, many things are life-or-death.
If you aren't a reliable person, other adventurers won't follow you.
"This is our luggage."
We had a meeting at the hotel before, and the vice-leader who came then explained the luggage.
A huge pile of luggage is stacked on two pallets.
"I understand, storing."
"Oooo~"
The adventurers are surprised that the luggage disappeared.
"When attacking the deep layers, the luggage is always a problem."
"We really appreciate it."
According to the vice-leader here, they build a base in the deep layers, carry in luggage, and stockpile it.
From there, they repeat the attacks.
"Can I really entrust everything to you? If I get taken out, you'll be thrown into the deep layers with zero supplies..."
"First of all, if Niwa-san is no good, I think all our members would be taken out."
"Look at you saying that, Maria."
"It's the truth!"
Maria seems to be the name of the vice-leader here.
She is an adventurer, but not high-level.
She is completely an administrative vice-leader.
There was a female mage who accompanied him before, but she wasn't the vice-leader.
She is probably in charge of the guild's operations while Gorilla attacks.
They seem to get along well.
They seem close, or rather...
"Yo~! Gathering up~!"
A woman with a big body and a big voice came there.
It's Oga-san.