Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Interview
I went to sell the loot I had obtained when I rescued Iroha's younger sister.
As expected, or rather, naturally, there was a huge commotion at the market.
After all, it was a monster with a body like gemstones, and on top of that, a dragon.
It was only natural that it would cause a stir.
The middle-aged man who buys items apparently has no idea how much it will be worth.
He will likely publish photos and videos and aim for bids at an auction.
If the buyback price is high, Sana's household finances should become quite a bit easier since we defeated it together.
Her grandfather could probably be put in a good facility too.
Since the world stopped, social security has collapsed, and only those with real money can get into facilities.
Unless you still have stamina, you might be able to earn enough for food by just crushing slimes in the dungeon.
After finishing the talk about buying and selling dragons at the market, I headed to Haneda with Sana.
The pattern on her back—that thing—might allow her to use magic even away from the dungeon.
I had to verify that.
The result was—Sana can use magic even without a dungeon.
It seems she has the same power as the Emblem Squad, as the rumors say.
Why? I have absolutely no idea.
After the magic verification was finished, I returned to the Special District with Sana and entered a tea shop that looked like a shack in the town.
Everyone in the Special District is like this; fancy shops are only found in hotels.
"By the way, should we have gone to the hotel cafe?"
"That place is expensive..."
The inside of the shop was also decorated messily, so that must be the concept.
I ordered coffee.
I already ate parfait at the hotel.
"I'm treating you, so order whatever you want? Cake?"
"Oh, yes."
She seemed to be hesitating, so I ordered it for her.
"What will you do from now on? Have you discussed it with Kirara and the others?"
"Yes, when I go on expeditions with high-level guilds, Kirara-san will lead the members..."
Once Sana reached her current level, wandering around the middle layers no longer affects her level.
In fact, if she lingers too long, her level might start to drop.
To maintain her level, she has no choice but to attack the deep layers relentlessly.
Kirara probably understands that too.
Well, I'm in the same boat.
If I don't defeat monsters in the deep layers, I'll suffer a level down.
Maybe the Hellhound from yesterday will add some experience points?
They say I won't level down immediately though...
"Well, Sana can handle both front and back lines alone. At that level, she can go solo."
"Kirara-san was surprised that I suddenly leveled up."
"I was fast too, but Sana wasn't far behind, hahaha."
"But, just being high level doesn't mean much experience..."
"About that, I'm exactly the same."
I told her I would send her a cut of the battle video.
"Thank you."
"I think the view count will skyrocket."
"Y-yes..."
She was blushing.
"If that outfit makes you feel embarrassed, maybe you should put a mosaic on it?"
"No! Neither Cherry Princess nor Empress did that!"
That's the resolve of being an adventurer.
The rarer the item, the stranger the appearance tends to be.
"If weirdos bother you, consult me. Oh, Iroha is fine too. I'll probably knock them flat."
"Yes."
"But, those guys should be stronger than Sana, hahaha."
After all, she seems to be higher level than Cherry Princess.
Well, she has the base physical stats, and Princess has more experience, so in a real fight, she might not be able to beat her.
I talked with Sana for a while and left the tea shop.
Suddenly, she hugged me.
Her large breasts were pressed against me, and today Sana was in casual clothes—the sensation came through directly.
"Wait, wait—you can't do that where people can see."
"So, is it okay if there's no one watching?!"
She was puffing out her chest, trying hard.
"It's not exactly like that... but if you have any trouble, contact me."
"Yes!"
Old men like me get troubled when young girls approach us actively.
If it were a mature adult woman, come on anytime—but that's it.
Except for Kirara.
Anyway, when we go on expeditions, Sana will probably come along too.
The only guild she can travel with at her level is Princess's.
Princess might make a bad face, but she must acknowledge Sana's abilities.
Besides, if Sana is there, the whole party's level can be raised.
It would be the strongest guild in the world, really.
That means it would lead to Princess's level up too—maybe we could clear this dungeon.
There's no way she wouldn't say "yes."
She should understand.
I patted Sana and then parted ways.
She said Mio also wants to meet.
Well, Big Sister is busy with dungeon work, so she might be lonely.
Maybe she should date a househusband type?
She earns the money, and the boy does the housework.
I think that's an option too.
The profession of adventurer has no gender difference, so there are many women.
In fact, many of the top rankers are women.
Currently, isn't it Sana, Princess, and Empress for one-two-three?
"Haa..."
I couldn't help but sigh.
I'm worried about how to handle Sana.
She also became an adventurer, lost her companions, leveled up suddenly, and her environment changed wildly, so I want to support her...
But I should probably just treat her as an adult.
While thinking about these things, I passed through the market and returned to the hotel.
Just like usual, I walked through the crowd.
If I pay a little attention—there seem to be people from the government.
As I thought, they are being watched.
They must be assuming I'll defect somewhere, but honestly, that's impossible.
I've earned money in Japanese yen, and since the world stopped, only Japan and America have recovered.
Japan is still in a terrible state, but it's much better than other countries.
There are even countries fighting civil wars in this state.
Even if war breaks out, supplies from advanced nations have been cut off, so there are no weapons to fight with.
That's where dungeons are used.
If you enter a dungeon and level up, individual soldiers' combat power increases.
Because of that, conflicts over dungeons occur next.
Conflicts using more primitive weapons...
I feel like we shouldn't be doing such things.
Japanese people are strong when they unite like this.
I think it's because we've been plagued by disasters since ancient times.
"Gyah!"
"Oh!"
While lost in thought, I bumped into someone.
Since I'm high level, I seem to have unconsciously knocked them away.
"Ouch..."
"Sorry, are you okay?"
—I was surprised when I reached out my hand.
The girl sitting on the ground right in front of me was a beautiful girl as if she had stepped out of a painting.
Her boyish short blonde hair shone in the sunlight, swaying in the wind with a delicacy like woven gold thread.
Her blue eyes were like transparent gemstones, clear as the deep sea, yet emitting a faint glow mixed with curiosity and surprise.
Blonde hair—foreigner?
Indeed, there are many foreigners in the Special District...
She was wearing a long garment reminiscent of a priest's robe.
Judging by her appearance, she must be a mage, but I haven't heard of classes like monks or priests yet.
If anything is close to that, it's the Great Heal and Turn Undead magic Sana acquired.
Several small pouches were attached to her waist, suggesting practicality suitable not just for fighting but for adventuring.
It seems to prioritize function over simplicity.
Could this girl be an adventurer too?
"I'm fine."
"Eh? Oh, I thought you were a foreigner..."
"No, I'm Japanese."
She stood up while rubbing her butt.
If she's Japanese, she must be half or quarter foreign.
While talking, I felt a certain strangeness.
Compared to other girls, I felt strength in her words.
I even felt her throat was prominent.
"Hmm? Could it be—you're a boy?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Oh, sorry—I thought you were a girl for sure."
"No, well—that kind of thing happens all the time..."
She, or rather he, showed a slightly annoyed face.
This kind of exchange must happen all the time.
"Sorry, sorry, you're bothered by it."
"Never mind that!"
He approached me.
No matter how handsome he is, I prefer girls...
"What is it?"
"You're the one who released the green dragon at the market, right?!"
"Yeah, you saw that?"
"Yes! It's amazing!"
His blue eyes were sparkling.
"Haha, thank you."
"You can defeat such a powerful monster, but why aren't you registered in the adventurer rankings?!"
"Ah, I'm not really interested. Originally, I planned to quit as soon as I made some money..."
"That's such a waste!"
"Look, I'm an old man too—I can't do this for very long."
"I don't think age matters for adventurers! (Serious face)"
He's an adventurer too, so he must be interested in rankers.
"Among those registered as rankers, are you a fan of someone?"
Well, it's definitely not me...
"Um... about the Goriki guild..."
He was acting shy, so he really seemed like a girl.
"Could it be, a big girlfriend?"
"Yes!"
"Oh~ They say Oga-san likes men stronger than himself... hahaha."
"I read that in an article."
It seems he is just a fan of the adventure he admires, not someone who wants to get close to me personally.
—No, the word "get close" is already so old man.
Because I am an old man, so it can't be helped.
He said he is a mage and good at support magic, so we exchanged contact information.
He seems honest and a good person.
It's better to have many acquaintances.
Of course, except for people like Dancing Darkness.
His level is around 20.
He isn't in a fixed guild and seems to form parties each time he dives into the dungeon.
He says he gets approached often by mistake because people think he's a girl.
That's tough.
"Should I draw a mustache on you?"
"Ahaha... that's a good idea too."
The handsome boy laughed with a desperate air.
At his age, growing a beard wouldn't be strange... but with blonde hair, maybe it wouldn't stand out?
"Since you have such an eye-opening mask, why not try streaming on a video site?"
"I'm already doing that, but the view count isn't..."
"Just being a handsome boy or girl isn't enough. How about cross-dressing?"
Would a trap girl be no good?
"Stare..."
His white gaze pierced through me.
"Just kidding."
As I thought, having funny jokes or erotic scenes is what matters.
Hmm, Shimonetta is justice.
My videos also get calls of "boobs" whenever Empress or Sana appear.
After parting with the boy, I returned to the hotel.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back—you're late."
Princess was wearing a T-shirt and underwear, reading something on a tablet.
"What kind of outfit is that?"
"Niwa-san, please give me a warning."
"Princess—I prefer lower-rise pants. Ones that show the crack of your butt."
"I see."
"Niwa-san!"
Kaorulko was angry at my words.
"Well, since it's just us here, isn't it okay?"
"Customers might come."
"They'll contact us from the front desk in that case."
Only Princess's sister is ignored.
"W-well, then I..."
Kaorulko muttered something.
"Actually, I was with Sana in the Special District verifying magic."
"I didn't hear that!"
"So, how was it?!"
Princess and Kaorulko's reactions were completely different.
Kaorulko, being a mage, seems interested in Sana's abilities.
"I could use magic even quite far from the Special District."
"So... is it because of the pattern on her back?"
"That's the only reason I can find."
"Why not just join the Emblem Squad?"
Since I was with Sana, Princess was pouting.
"Please don't report me to the Emblem Squad."
"I don't like them, but I am an adventurer too. I won't do something like selling out fellow adventurers."
"I see, sorry."
"Don!"
Princess headbutted me as I sat on the sofa.
It hurt quite a bit, but if this makes her happy, it's fine.
As I patted Princess, who was rubbing her head against my body, Kaorulko showed me her smartphone.
"Niwa-san, there's already a commotion."
Kaorulko showed me the smartphone she was looking at.
It seems to be on Dungeon News.
"What, what—'Is it a lie or truth, the Emerald Dragon!' It's obviously real."
Well, I can't blame them for not believing it.
Reading the article, it asks how much price it might fetch.
That's probably the general public's interest.
It also mentioned news like "The train in the 4th layer dungeon derailed, restoration undecided."
It might not concern those who earn daily wages in the shallow layers...
"Doesn't it say who killed the Emerald Dragon...?"
"Me and Princess are famous, but Niwa-san isn't."
"Roughly, they seem to know me as 'the old man with the Item Box'—haha."
"Hehe."
As I laughed with Kaorulko, a notification came to my terminal.
"Nnn!"
Just as Princess moved away, her long legs wrapped around my neck.
As I rubbed her legs, Kaorulko looked up.
"Niwa-san, there's an interview request."
"Eh?! Not Princess, but me?"
"Yes."
"From where?"
"Dungeon News."
"We were just talking about that."
"Yes."
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"What do they want to interview about...?"
"Obviously, the amazing parts of Darling."
Princess said such things, but no one knows my exploits in the dungeon.
The videos uploaded to the net have huge view counts, so maybe that's where it came from?
Some videos have 100 million views, and my monthly income is in the tens of millions.
It's monthly income, not annual.
Well, with the money I already got from the country, even that isn't a big amount for me anymore.
"The news about the Emerald Dragon at the market is already out, so they must have figured out it's me from the Item Box owner?"
"Probably so."
"Hmm."
"What will you do?"
"For now, let's accept it. It sounds interesting."
It's my first time accepting an interview, and this is also material for life.
Even after moving to the countryside, I can brag about it.
"Understood. I'll send a reply."
"Please—the location can be the hotel conference room. We can't do it here."
"Yes. I'll ask the hotel too."
"I'm always bothering you."
"That's an unspoken rule."
Kaorulko seems to know this old man gag.
Princess, who doesn't know the joke, seems confused.
"Who told you that joke?"
"From my grandmother, hehe."
"Kaorulko's grandmother and Princess's grandmother are the same person, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, that makes sense."
Anyway, I decided to accept the interview.
If it was a bunch of malice like the old media, what would I do?
That would be interesting too, though.
—A few days after selling the dragon and verifying Sana's magic.
The interview arrived.
We received the interview in the hotel conference room.
The ones who came were a cameraman, a sound man, and one female interviewer.
White shirt and beige pants style.
Short hair and slightly tinted glasses.
The chest of the shirt was open seductively, revealing a cleavage.
I couldn't help but glance, and there was a small mole.
"Hello, nice to meet you~ I'm Tsunoda from Dungeon News."
"Likewise, I'm Niwa, an adventurer."
I received her business card.
Doing this feels like normal work.
I thought I would never exchange business cards again.
"Then, may we begin the interview?"
"Um, please spare the photos... it would be boring to have an old man's photo published."
"That's not true! You're a topic on the net as a mysterious adventurer!"
I uploaded videos to the video site, but my face isn't shown in them.
"Honestly, intelligence agencies and special forces from various countries are coming after the Item Box I possess."
"Eh?! Is that true?!"
"This is true. I can't say the details... but..."
"Can I write that in the article?"
"Hmm, since the government isn't stopping me, I think it's fine—but I can't say which specific countries."
"Understood!"
"Tsunoda-san, you'll be targeted too if you stay with me."
She was writing something on her smartphone.
"Ahaha—would a mosaic on the photos be no good either?"
She seems not to believe it much.
Well, we aren't fighting inside the Special District.
No, I was sniped.
I don't know what happened after that... could that sniper have been tortured?
I don't think that happens in Japan...
Probably, it will just become material for extremely high-level political transactions.
"Well, in that case..."
"Then, the photos will be mosaicked."
"Please."
While talking with the woman, the cameraman was taking photos on the side.
It's a bit nerve-wracking.
"Niwa-san, you aren't registered in the rankings, are you?"
"Yeah, I'm not interested in that, nor do I want to be famous."
"Is it purely for the honor of clearing the dungeon?"
"I have friends and acquaintances among high-level adventurers, so I'm just hanging out with them—that's probably the closest."
"So, not a hardcore player, but closer to a casual player?"
"Basically, I'm a casual player, but the result is that I keep going to dangerous places, so maybe I become a hardcore player..."
The questions turned to the train derailment accident.
"I heard that the people on the train were from Cherry Princess's guild."
"Yes, we got caught in something like a trap."
"What kind of thing was it?"
I told her about the mysterious space.
"So, it's a room where you can't leave unless you defeat monsters."
"And the one you defeated there was that—"
"Well, that's how it is."
Her tinted glasses glinted.
"By the way—what is Niwa-san's current level?"
"No comment on that."
"Just this one! Can't I hear it as a secret?!"
She approached, emphasizing her chest.
There really is a mole.
"Yes, yes, no, no."
"Ugh!"
She was pouting after being rejected by me.
For me, who is used to seeing Empress's big ones and Sana's bouncy ones, such attacks don't work.
Next, she seems to want to ask about my relationship with Princess, but that's also no comment.
I can't say private things.
I end up giving safe answers anyway.
Still, when I talked about the deep layers of the dungeon and the Labyrinth Cult, they listened with interest.
And so, the interview ended successfully.
I'm glad the media wasn't malicious.
—Later, my interview was published in the Dungeon News article.
It seems to have had quite a lot of access.
It is known that I am the old man with the Item Box, but other than that, I am not exposed much.
I am not registered in the adventurer rankings either.
Currently, among adventurer freaks, there seems to be a buzz about who is the strongest.
Besides me, who isn't registered in the rankings, Sana is there too.
Excluding me, I think she has the highest level, but being the strongest isn't decided by level alone.
Victory can depend on luck, and there is compatibility with the support mage you pair with.
For example, Iroha and Koeda have perfect compatibility.
Through synergy, they significantly boost Iroha's actual power.
"Hmm?"
As I was reading the comment section of Dungeon News, I received a message from that handsome boy saying "I saw the article!"
As I replied to the handsome boy, I got a call from Quadrifoglio, the video editing contractor.
The finished data was sent.
I uploaded it to the site immediately.
There is also data cut out with only Sana appearing, so I'll send this to her.
The view count will probably explode.