Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: With Sana
We rescued Iroha's younger sister, Kagari, and returned safely from the dungeon.
The Princess's older sister, Kako, came, so we gave her the green dragon scales as a present.
She seemed interested because her body looked like it was made of gems, and she asked all sorts of questions...
But then again, since she's a girl, she must like shiny things, right?
―― The next day after a short rest.
I started checking the video footage and other materials I had shot in the dungeon.
I took out a single-lens reflex camera from the Item Box and removed the HDD.
"Still, the darkness inside the dungeon is a real problem, isn't it?"
Even so, since the low-light performance has improved, the images are much better than with the previous camera.
The battles against Wraiths, Liches, probably Demons, Hellhounds (provisional name), and Emerald Dragons were all captured clearly.
"By the way, I should send the monster capture screens to Sensei."
Hellhounds and Emerald Dragons are creatures he should have never seen before.
This is merchandise, and since Sana and I defeated it together, I can't just give it to Sensei.
Besides, the dragon seems like it could sell for a crazy price, right?
If all the green color on the scales is emerald, it would literally be a living ore vein.
There's no need to dig up the ground or mountains either.
While I was working, I received a message from Sensei.
"Waaaaah! I want to see it!"
"You're saying 'it'... but 'I want to see it'...? 'I can't do that because this one was defeated by multiple people.'"
An emoji of a crying character was sent.
"I think you'll sell the dragon to a buying shop, so why don't you come visit the dismantling site again?"
"I will do that!"
I'm sure they'll definitely buy the dragon, but what about the Hellhound?
It's just a big, gross wolf-like thing.
Since the recorded video had no problems, I decided to hire Quadrifoglio, the video editing contractor.
I sent a message.
"I'll come right away!"
Her workplace seems to be in the Special District, so she really did come quickly.
While I was waiting, I received a message saying she had arrived at the hotel, so I went to pick her up.
"Princess, a guest is coming to the lobby, so I'm going for a bit."
I showed her the HDD.
"Understood."
She seemed to accept it without hesitation, so I headed to the lobby.
When I went to the first floor, Quadrifoglio was waiting there.
"Hello~"
"Thank you for your help again~"
We entered a cafe together.
"Would you like something? You can order whatever you like."
"Eh? Y-yes."
She came to take the order immediately, so I ordered a parfait.
"Eh? A parfait?"
"Yeah, I like them. I don't go to places like this often, but if there's a parfait, I'll order it 100% of the time."
"I don't get the impression that men like sweet things..."
"No, there are quite a few who like them, but I think there's a vanity that says it looks bad for a man to eat a parfait. I don't care at all, haha."
"S-so that's how it is?"
I handed her the HDD.
"Also, a female mage with large breasts is in the video together, so could you make a video where only she is cut out?"
I showed her the video capture screen.
Sana's figure using magic is shown.
"Understood..."
She seems a little confused.
"What's wrong?"
"No, um... she looks incredibly stylish..."
"This equipment has incredible performance."
"Oh, is that so? Aren't there many rare items like that?"
"I think it might be harassment from the guy managing the dungeon? Basically, maybe he doesn't want us to use powerful items."
"Oh, that's a way of thinking..."
The parfaits arrived, so I ate them.
"Delicious! Too delicious!"
Quadrifoglio was taking photos of the parfait.
Girls seem to like things like that.
I thought that, but I think the girl taking photos of the parfait under the bright cafe lights looks better in the picture.
Since I had given her the work and eaten the parfait, I parted ways with Quadrifoglio.
Next was Sana.
I have to sell that Emerald Dragon anyway.
I sent her a message.
Maybe she's diving into the dungeon...
The reply came quickly.
"I'll come right away!"
"Then, come to the usual old man's buying shop."
"Yes!"
From what she told me, it seems she asks the same old man to buy things as I do.
Well, that old man is trustworthy.
After leaving the hotel, I headed to the Special District market.
On the way to the buying shop, I bought various foods.
For now, if I just throw everything in, it might come in handy.
The Item Box can even hold a dragon.
Even if I stock up on food, it won't fill up completely.
"Hi~"
"Oh?! Brother! Did you bring another big item again?!"
"Actually, that's exactly it."
"Eh?! Seriously, what is it this time?!"
The old man approached.
I'm not happy at all being approached by a man.
Wouldn't business be more prosperous if they arranged for big-breasted sisters at the buying shop too?
"Wait a minute. We defeated it with multiple people, so I'll take it out after he comes."
"O-oh! Understood."
After waiting a bit, Sana ran over.
She's in a tracksuit today.
Well, since she's not diving into the dungeon, she doesn't need equipment.
"Oh, you're here."
"Yes."
Since Sana arrived, I asked them to clear some space.
"Okay, okay, I'm taking out a big item, so please clear some space."
Other buyers also gathered.
"Hey, hey, Marusan, what can we see today?"
Marusan seems to be the trade name of the buying old man.
"I don't know, but it seems to be a pretty big item."
"Is it a dragon again?!"
"I don't know!"
Once enough space was cleared, I took out the prey from the Item Box.
Naturally, it was that green one.
In the square bathed in the sunlight of midday, the creature suddenly appeared, radiating a brilliance that stole the breath of all who saw it.
Its entire body shone like emerald, beautiful as if gems had been given life.
"Ooooooh!"
"What is this?!"
"Whoa!"
Surprised voices rose from the onlookers, and the sound of smartphone shutters clicking all at once echoed.
Looking around, everyone was pointing their smartphones at us.
"How is it?"
"B-brother! What is this thing?!"
"I don't know the name. For now, I'm calling it an Emerald Dragon."
"Haa... Are the scales real emeralds?"
"I don't know that either. It might be a green unknown mineral."
"T-that's true... Hmm."
The other buyers also swarmed over at once.
"It's smaller than the previous dragon, but how much do you think it will trade for?"
"Well, I can't imagine at all... For now, can I take a photo?"
"Of course... Ah, let me say this beforehand, but the magic stones of this prey go to me."
With the previous dragon, I sold the magic stone as well, but I have a plan this time.
Since I learned that magic stones infused with mana can become weapons, I will use this magic stone for that purpose.
It's a dragon's magic stone, so it must be huge.
I'll slowly store mana in it and make it a ultimate weapon.
It's better to be prepared.
When I was thrown into the depths... that incomprehensible something that came out of a crack in the underground.
If that is the final boss, I need a powerful weapon.
If normal weapons could be used, I think I could just put a MOAB (Fuel Air Explosive) in the Item Box and end it in one shot.
If something like that were used, the dungeon would be cleared immediately.
Probably, various restrictions are added for that reason.
The old man was taking detailed photos and videos to make records.
People might think this monster is fake.
Since it's clear this will be a big deal, the other buyers are also on guard to keep people away.
Even a fragment of the scales could be worth a fortune.
"Sana, could you give me just the magic stone of this one?"
"Yes."
She replied easily.
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Because I was able to defeat it thanks to Daisuke-san."
No, no, if it weren't for Sana's magic, we would have been in trouble too.
"Alright! That's good enough... Put it back for now."
I stored the green dragon in the Item Box.
"Aaaah~"
Many disappointed voices leaked from the crowd.
If it doesn't rot, there's a way to exhibit it as a spectacle, but this one is fresh.
Besides, selling it would definitely make money, right?
"I really have no idea, but if anything is decided, contact me, brother!"
"Please take care of it. By the way, I defeated this one together with this girl... Sana, is it okay if I handle the contact?"
"Yes, it's fine."
"Really, you shouldn't trust the old man so easily, you know?"
"Daisuke-san is fine."
"Gahaha!"
The old man who had been listening to our conversation was laughing loudly.
Was there anything funny?
Well, whatever.
For now, will something like this sell?
Will there be anyone who buys it?
That's the issue.
Well, the stone is beautiful, and I think it will fetch a decent amount of money even if sold separately.
"Good job, Sana. This will make a lot of money, right? With this, maybe adventurers won't have to work anymore? You could even enter a nice facility when you're old?"
"...E-even so, I want to dive into the dungeon with Daisuke-san."
"Whatever..."
I'm just accompanying the Princess, after all...
When she retires, I, who have already made money, will automatically retire too.
While talking with Sana, I remembered there was one more prey.
"Ah! Wait, wait! I forgot there's one more."
"Eh?! Another big shot?! Is there still more?!"
"No, it's big, but not as big as a dragon."
"Seriously."
"I don't know if it will sell."
"For now, show it to us."
"Understood."
I asked them to make space again and took out the Hellhound (provisional).
"Ooooooh!"
"What is this?!"
"Two heads?!"
The crowd boiled up again at the black, giant monster that appeared before their eyes.
"What is this thing!"
"I think it's a dog or a wolf-type, but it has two heads and spews fire from its whole body."
"It was burning?!"
"I don't know... Maybe it was something like magic..."
"This is also a monster I've never seen, but... looking at the previous dragon..."
"Well, I think so too."
"For now, there's no point in keeping it, so if it sells, sell it. Even the meat is fine."
"Understood... But is it edible?"
"I don't even know that, haha."
The two old men could only exchange bitter smiles for real.
The deeper you go into the dungeon, the more monsters seem to deviate from common sense.
For the record, it seems there is a national agency that inspects whether monsters are edible.
Are they seriously planning to turn the dungeon into a factory or something?
No, it's truly a magical box that produces materials and goods endlessly without any raw materials...
Is it okay to force the use of such incomprehensible things?
Won't a terrible backlash be waiting for us later?
Anyway... aside from that, the Demon (provisional) is also in there, but I probably can't bring it without Iroha.
For now, let's try contacting Iroha.
A reply came quickly.
"Do whatever Darling wants."
Whoa, whoa, is that okay?
"The Demon is a monster I've never seen before, and since it's humanoid, it might not sell?"
"I leveled up and dropped rare items, so that's fine."
"Understood."
It's nice that she trusts me.
"So, when are we doing it next?"
"We haven't even talked about an expedition yet?"
"No, I mean the match."
"We just did it, didn't we?"
"I don't mind doing it however many times."
"I'm a bit busy right now, so let's do it another time."
"Tch."
After doing that much, is it still not enough?
As expected of a Ranker, she has stamina, and she has the rare items we picked up before.
Basically, if she equips those and exercises endlessly, she has infinite stamina.
Rather than that... for now, I had the buying old man look at the Demon too.
A black, giant monster appeared before their eyes.
"Rustle... rustle..."
Not many surprised voices rose from the crowd.
Probably because it's humanoid and not that monstrous, but people were still taking photos with their smartphones as usual.
It's understandable if they say it's a subspecies like an Ogre.
"This one..."
The old man crossed his arms and made a difficult face.
"Is it difficult, as I thought?"
"Indeed, it's a monster I've never seen... but it's purely humanoid..."
"It doesn't look like we can get materials from it either."
"Yeah, maybe just the magic stone."
"This one is on deposit, but since I'm in charge of it, I'll sell it together."
"Understood. Don't expect too much from this one."
"I understand."
I asked the old man for various things and returned to Sana's side.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No."
The business at the market is finished, but there is still one thing that concerns me.
"Well... I think it's time to verify Sana's power."
"Verify?"
"Look... about the pattern on her back."
"Ah."
She seems to have forgotten too.
"Did you check it after returning to the guild headquarters?"
"Yes, using a mirror... I also had Kirara-san and Mio look at it."
It seems she even took photos.
"But it doesn't feel like a bruise, does it?"
"It was a beautiful pattern."
There's no such thing as a symmetrical geometric pattern-like bruise.
"The point is, with the power of that pattern, can you really use magic even when you leave the dungeon?"
"If I can use it, that would be amazing!"
"But if you get caught, scouts from the Emblem Squad might come."
"T-that's not good..."
"I don't know what kind of organization the Emblem Squad is, but it's probably like the police, right?"
"Probably..."
"It's hard to become a civil servant these days, you know? Guaranteed lifetime employment, welfare benefits, and pensions."
"I... I'd rather be an adventurer with Daisuke-san..."
Hmm, what a waste...
Well, since it's like a special agency, it might be a black company for sure...
Maybe the danger level and salary don't match.
Dungeon adventurers are similar, though.
It's her decision.
"Then, let's go a bit past Haneda and check if magic works."
"Yes."
It's important to accurately grasp the power you possess.
I walked through the crowd with her.
Sana looked happy.
As we walked together, a black cat appeared before our eyes.
"Oh?"
"Meow~"
The cat approached and rubbed against my leg.
"Oh, that cat from before. Are you okay since then?"
"Meow."
There are many cats in the Special District.
There are also many rats, so maybe they are intentionally increasing the cat population.
So, are there any that sneak into the dungeon?
I took out a cat brush from the Item Box, squatted down, and brushed it.
Its fur was clean, and it seemed to be cherished by the residents here.
Maybe it has an owner.
After escaping the brush, it jumped onto my arm and ended up on my shoulder.
"Hey, hey, we're going to cross the sea now..."
"Meow~"
"Hehe."
Sana was laughing, and when we reached near the sea while she still had the cat on her shoulder, the cat jumped down.
It went behind a building without even turning back.
"He used us as a taxi."
"Cats are like that, you know~"
Basically, they seem to think humans are servants.
While doing that, we arrived at the pier and boarded the ferry.
The boat moved through the warm, fishy wind.
As the viscous air wrapped around my body, I looked around.
"What's wrong?"
"No, when I come with the Princess, I often get swarmed by spawns."
"Doesn't that person attract monsters?"
"Don't say that in front of her?"
"..."
I was also thinking that it might be true, but of course, I didn't say it out loud.
Today, it seems no spawns occurred on the sea.
After getting off the boat, I took out a bicycle from the Item Box.
"Get on the back."
"Yes."
It's been a while since I carried her on the back.
We aren't in a hurry, and there are many people, so we moved slowly.
Since Sana and I are high-level adventurers, I feel like running would be faster, though.
When we reached a place with no people, I stopped and stored the bicycle.
"Are we doing it here?"
"No, we can still see the Special District from here. Just to be safe, let's go a bit further."
I took out a light truck from the Item Box.
It's been a while.
Since coming to Tokyo, it had just been gathering dust in the Item Box.
"You had a car?!"
"It's a light truck."
"Amazing~!"
"Haha... If the money from that dragon comes in, Sana will be able to buy a car like this too, right?"
"You can't use cars in the Special District."
"Well, that's true."
There, vehicles are prohibited from entering except for authorized businesses.
After all, there are too many people.
When we got into the light truck, Sana sat in the passenger seat.
Since I hadn't driven it for a while, I started the engine and checked the fuel gauge.
It should be fine.
I started driving, but even in Tokyo, there were few cars, and the roads were empty.
After all, gas is ridiculously expensive.
It would be nice if the magic stones coming out of the dungeon became some kind of energy...
Or maybe if we could convert mana into power.
In fantasy, cars and airships powered by magic tools are a given, right?
Isn't there anything like that?
No, maybe they exist, but humanity just hasn't discovered that wisdom yet.
Shaking in the light truck, I glanced at Sana.
She looked happy.
"It's hot inside the car, you can open the window."
"Yes."
When she opened the window, the sea breeze rushed in.
The light truck drove straight down the reclaimed land road.
In the passenger seat was a beautiful girl having fun.
Her hair fluttering in the wind sparkled in the sunlight, and her soft smile blended with the scenery outside the window.
The roaring engine of the light truck was a bit noisy, but as the car shook, her large breasts swayed too.
Light shimmering on the distant horizon could be seen.
If the beautiful girl in the passenger seat points and says "I see the ship!", my gaze also turns in the same direction.
It's like a scene from a youth movie, making me want to hum an old song involuntarily.
Unfortunately, the one riding is an old man.
After driving for a while, the cityscape of Yokohama came into view, so I took a slight detour.
Using the smartphone navigation, I searched for a place that didn't seem popular.
"Is this spot okay?"
I stopped the car at the edge of the reclaimed land, by the breakwater.
"Yes."
I've never heard of a dungeon in Yokohama, and the supernatural influence shouldn't reach here either.
In a place like this with many people, it would be difficult to hide a dungeon.
I got out to check the crowd... it seemed safe.
"You can stay in the car, please try using a light magic."
"Can I really use it?"
"I have to confirm that."
"Yes... Hmm, light! 《Light》"
Blue light gathered inside the car, and a white sphere floated up.
Since it was under the sunlight, it didn't feel very bright, but it was definitely magical light.
"See, you did it."
"I did it!"
The magical light disappeared.
"That settles it. Sana can use magic regardless of the dungeon."
"But... why is that?"
"That... I really have no idea."
Dungeons are things that have appeared in this world beyond human knowledge.
It wouldn't be strange for humans who can use magic to appear.
Will there be more examples like this in the future? ...I don't know.
"Right~"
"Is it the one who made the dungeon, or is there something else?"
"What do you mean by 'something else'?"
"Hmm? Like a god?"
"Hehe."
Sana was laughing, but I think it's that or something close to it, considering one can construct something that even bends physical laws.
"Well, the verification is done, so let's go back."
"...I want to stay with Daisuke-san a little longer."
"I said I was just going to the market, so the Princess will get angry..."
"Mmph~"
When I mentioned the Princess, Sana looked unhappy.
――And yet, I can't do anything here.
There are no people nearby, but there are figures within sight.
"Let's do it another time."
"Boo~"
I started the light truck's engine and set off.
I wish I could use this thing even in the dungeon...
Internal combustion engines don't work there.
When we returned to the pier by car and took the ferry back to the Special District, I tried taking out the bicycle again from halfway, but there were surprisingly few people.
"Store."
When I stored the light truck, a murmur rose from the surroundings.
The verification of Sana's magic was finished, but I still have something to talk to her about.
"Sana, do you have time?"
"Yes, it's fine."
"Shall we have some tea?"
"Understood."
I thought I should take a girl to a stylish shop for tea, but there shouldn't be anything like that in the Special District.
Should I have gone to a shop at Haneda?
I gave up searching and entered a tea shop that caught my eye with Sana.