When I returned to the surface, there was chaos everywhere. Well, it makes sense—after all, I entered a dungeon that no one had ever set foot in and cleared it all the way to the final floor… People freaking out is kind of understandable. Still, even though a part of the internet and the involved organizations are in a frenzy, society at large barely seems to care. That's kind of sad.
Magic stones are essential for modern life, which ans dungeons are indispensable, right? But for the general public, dungeons feel like sothing far removed from their daily lives, so they just don't care. It sounds arrogant when you put it that way, but I guess it's like how nobody thinks about the people maintaining infrastructure—they just use electricity without a second thought.
When I showed up at the entrance to the Nagoya Dungeon, the staff from the Explorers' Guild were scrambling. I guess working at a dungeon that usually gets no visitors doesn't prepare you for sudden excitent.
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I was thinking how laid-back they were compared to the people at the Shibuya Dungeon… but now that I think about it, they were also freaking out when I reached the deeper layers over there, so maybe it's just the sa everywhere.
"So, Kisaragi-kun, what are you going to do now that you've casually cleared the Nagoya Dungeon?"
"Nothing in particular..."
Waiting for back in Tokyo was a corporate slave holding an energy drink and giving a tired smile—Aizawa-san. Apparently, the guild needed to get so details about the Nagoya Dungeon, so he ca to see . Though honestly, I've already told them everything there was to say during that phone call in the dungeon.
"It's not like I wanted to question you about it personally. That's just the official reason. Truthfully, I wanted to ask what your plans are after you graduate from high school. I heard you plan to start a company?"
"Yeah, but nothing will really change. I'll keep working as an EX-rank explorer and as a dungeon strear. Though, ntoring younger explorers like you do could be nice too."
"Is that so? Well, your two apprentices seem to be doing quite well."
While I've been busy having fun and casually clearing dungeons, Asakawa and Miyamoto have been growing trendously as explorers. To be fair, I always thought they were geniuses—they just didn't know how to use their talents.
Aizawa is focused on guiding the top-tier explorers, while my grandmother handles beginner-level training (I think?). Both of them care about the future of Japanese explorers, considering how few of us there are. I guess it's important for to think about the sa things now that I'm an EX-rank explorer, too… though I'll leave Kamishiro-san to his own devices.
"You're young, so you should do whatever you want."
"Aizawa-san, you're only 32, right?"
"Thirty-two is already old—especially in a field like dungeon exploration, where most people are younger."
You say that, but the top explorer in this field is over 60.
As far as "freedom" goes, I think I'm already pretty free. If I take any more liberties, Aizawa-san's dark circles are going to get worse from worrying about .
On my way ho, I was riding the train, leaning against the doors while playing on my phone. Suddenly, through the flow of people, a woman was pushed right in front of .
"Ugh… City trains are the worst."
"...Miyamoto-san?"
"Huh?"
I had a feeling sothing was off, and when I looked, I saw a familiar face. It was a bit surprising to run into her here. Miyamoto looked startled when I called her na, glancing around to see who was speaking to her. Oh, right—since I'm wearing a hat and glasses, she probably didn't recognize at first.
"K-Kisaragi…-san?"
"It's been a while since we last t in person."
"Y-Yeah… For a second, I thought soone from my old job had found ."
Oh, right. She used to work at a black company, didn't she? If you're riding the train late at night and soone suddenly calls out to you, it's natural to assu it's soone from your old job.
"Weren't you supposed to be in Nagoya?"
"I just took the bullet train ho. I only cleared the dungeon, after all."
"You say that so casually… but the scale of what you did is kind of mind-blowing."
Is it? I guess it might be. I honestly have no clue what a "normal" explorer's workload is like.
"What about you, Miyamoto-san?"
"I've been working on the weapon issue I ntioned before."
"Ah, I see."
It seems like she's still undecided about her weapon. It makes sense to be cautious—after all, she fights in a way that heavily relies on her weapons. Unlike , who can just make do with whatever, she has to be extra careful about her gear.
"I'm glad to see you doing well as a strear too. It's reassuring, since I'm sort of your ntor."
"M-ntor… That's right. You've been a lifesaver for ."
"L-Lifesaver?"
Isn't that a bit much?
From her perspective, I guess I did help her when she felt stuck. But honestly, the fact that she was struggling as an explorer in the first place was because the governnt didn't provide proper foundational support. I just filled in those gaps.
"We should collaborate again soti. I'd like you to see how much I've grown."
"S-Sure."
It's stuff like this—collaborating with won all the ti—that makes people think I'm so kind of playboy. But with her looking at like that, it's hard to say no. Maybe I should try reaching out to a male strear next ti… though I might have to make the first move myself.
Ignoring public opinion altogether would be the easiest route, but I also think it's important to listen to feedback. Whether I act on it or ignore it is up to , though.
After chatting with Miyamoto on the train, I finally made it ho. Exploring underwater for so long was exhausting. Summoning four Twelve Heavenly Generals at once probably didn't help either.
I'll have a lot to do starting tomorrow, but for now, I'll keep up with my streaming and work on my business plans little by little.
Besides, I've got one more person I'd like to recruit for my team.
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