"Sigh…"
Going back to school after such a long ti is ntally exhausting. In a dungeon, I only feel physical fatigue, but the ntal strain here is way worse. Sure, there are dungeon explorers who deal with much more intense ntal stress than this school life, especially when they're constantly on high alert. But I'm just using shikigami to handle everything, so it's not the sa for .
Complaining about school being tough is just my personal issue, so whatever.
"Hey, loner, heading ho right after school?"
"…Uh, is that a problem?"
I've been talking to older people so much lately that I automatically use polite language. Not that I'm making excuses, but I'd really prefer if they didn't talk to . Politeness is a useful tool that even introverts can use to have a halfway decent conversation.
I get why my presence might be annoying, given how many days I've missed—enough to be held back under normal circumstances. But all my absences are excused because of requests from the Explorer Association, so give a break. I'm catching up on classes through extra lessons, after all.
"Don't bully him too much."
"I'm just talking to him, right?"
"R-Right?"
Honestly, I can't tell the difference between bullying and talking. Did they seriously call "loner" without intending to bully ?
They probably just found soone new to ss with in their friend group. Sigh… Why didn't I just go to a correspondence school?
"So, I wanted to ask—do you have an explorer license?"
"Y-Yeah, I do."
"Really? That's good."
What's good?
Does having an explorer license earn brownie points with this guy?
"I'm a C-Rank explorer, and I can't stand people who don't have a license. They're just too weak."
"O-Oh, really?"
"Of course. I'm sure you get it too, right? The license exam is ridiculously easy."
"Well… yeah, it is."
Honestly, it is pretty easy. I think the governnt wants as many explorers as possible, so they've made the license exam quite accessible. There's an academic test, but it's just for reference and doesn't affect getting the license. Plus, they provide a lot of support for G-Rank explorers in the top floors.
"Exactly! So if soone doesn't have a license, it just ans they're weak."
The test isn't hard, and they offer extensive training, so it's easy to pass and get support afterward. The license can even go on your resu, which is why a lot of college students get it. But the people who don't have one probably don't have enough magic power to beco explorers in the first place.
Ever since dungeons appeared in the world, kids have been born with magic power in their bodies, but the amount varies by person. You can train and increase your innate magic, but there's always a limit—an inherent talent gap. Without enough magic power, being an explorer is a deadly profession.
So, the governnt had to make the tough call to prevent people with low magic power from even attempting to get a license.
"Discriminating against people with low magic power isn't right."
"Huh? What's wrong with calling trash what it is—trash with no talent?"
This is exactly the kind of person people were worried about. But when it cos to infrastructure and life-or-death matters, maybe it was inevitable. Still, personally, I don't like people who look down on others like this.
"Are we done here?"
"Yeah, we're good. Oh, if you're ever about to die in the top floors, I might save you. Maybe!"
"Hahaha!"
It's a sickening thought, but being a C-Rank explorer in high school ans this guy is extrely talented. When soone has a clear indicator that they're better than their peers, it's no surprise they act like that.
"Heading ho now?"
"Asakawa-san…"
Just as I was leaving the classroom, feeling irritated, Asakawa, who was chatting with so other girls in the hallway, called out to . Being noticed by the class idol might put on the radar of the other guys.
"Hehe… Everyone's gone to their clubs, so no one's around."
She laughed when she saw glancing around nervously.
This high school prides itself on balancing academics and extracurriculars, so unless you have a valid reason, you're required to join a club. But since I work as an explorer, I'm exempt. Back in my first year, I was in the Ho Economics Club, though.
"So, if you're not heading to a club, does that an you're an explorer?"
"Huh?"
"I got exempted from club activities because I'm working hard as an explorer, too."
"O-Oh, really?"
Makes sense. If she was in the lower floors, she's at least C-Rank or higher. She's also exempt from club activities because she's an explorer.
"It's the Shibuya Dungeon, right? It's the closest one around here."
"Y-Yeah, that's right."
"I see… We might have crossed paths there!"
Well, we actually t yesterday. You just weren't conscious at the ti.
I usually take requests all over the Kanto region, and when I dive into the Shibuya Dungeon on my own, I head straight to the deep floors, so we probably haven't crossed paths. Just your imagination.
"Well, take care!"
"Uh, yeah."
But she seems like a really nice person. She even helped out this morning. Definitely a good person. I might be falling for her.
Since I rarely get the chance to explore dungeons for personal reasons, I thought I'd go deeper today. But as luck would have it, I felt my work phone vibrating in my bag.
"…Hello?"
"Hello, Tsukasa-kun?"
The voice on the other end belonged to a woman who was quite high up in the Explorer Association—a sort of personal liaison for .
"I'm sorry to bother you the day after yesterday, but could you head to the 40th floor of the Shibuya Dungeon?"
"Right now?"
"As soon as possible. Is school over?"
"Yeah, it is."
Great, I'm already feeling a sigh coming on. If it's the 40th floor, couldn't they send a B-Rank or A-Rank explorer instead?
"There's been a report of multiple Frost Wyverns appearing near the 40th floor."
"…Understood."
Frost Wyverns, huh… Guess I'm the only one who can handle that. Frost Wyverns are among the strongest monsters in the lower floors. If there are multiple of them, sending a B-Rank explorer would be a death sentence. They'd need to send a party of at least five A-Ranks, so it's easier to just send , an EX-Rank, to take care of it.
"Thank you. I'm sorry… I know it's a lot to ask of a high schooler."
"No, it's my job."
"…You're still a high schooler, though. Don't you want to enjoy your youth more?"
"Not really, no."
"You're so dried up… Maybe it's because of all the requests, but you only get one youth, so you should try falling in love, too!"
"Are you my aunt or sothing? I'm hanging up now."
Geez… It's not that I don't appreciate the concern, but I accepted this when I beca EX-Rank. I'll probably regret it when I'm in my late 20s, but for now, I'm still a kid, so I'll just keep using that as an excuse.
The dungeon I was going to explore for personal reasons just beca part of a job, so it's not a big deal. But there's a huge difference in motivation between going into a dungeon by choice and doing it out of obligation.
No point in complaining to myself. I'll just head ho, change, and get going.
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