Chapter 67

”Eh… if you use those small particles, you can fly?”

“We just did an experiment with Nanami-san, and we were actually able to fly.”

“A secret experiment with just the two of you… No, if I say too much, it might make people uncomfortable, so I’ll tone it down.”

Up until a moment ago, Haruka-senpai had been speaking quite freely, but now she had suddenly become slightly reserved. What if she says, “It was just a dream”? I just hope her feelings towards me don’t turn into hostility.

“Is that the baby squid from earlier? It kind of reminds me of you, Tsukasa-kun.”

“It’s keeping the surrounding monsters calm. The airfish aren’t flying anymore, see?”

“Oh, right… It still looks like a child, but is it actually strong?”

I wonder about that—there’s currently no way to assess a monster’s stats, or maybe it’s just that I don’t know how.

“Cipher, is there a way to study monsters?”

“There is an ‘Analyze’ program. However, the camera installed this time cannot use it, so it would need to be tuned up.”

“If you have a profession like ‘Monster Tamer’ or ‘Scholar,’ you can get information about monsters with skills. There’s also something called a ‘Monster Appraisal Scroll,’ but its cost-performance isn’t very good.”

“I see. How are those scrolls made?”

“A ‘Magical Engineer’ can make them, but the main profession for that is ‘Scribe.’ You also need someone who can cast the magic imbued in the scroll, so each one holds value. The academy probably prioritizes making ‘Escape Scrolls’ for the students.”

Since mass-producing something like scrolls industrially isn’t possible, the professions that can make them are rare, and there’s a high demand for them.

I’ve been producing my own ‘orbs,’ and if word got out about that, it might cause some trouble. While I trust Aoki-sensei at the shop, I might need to find other discreet channels for selling them. It’s starting to feel a bit like being a black market dealer.

“Well, it’s about time to cross over. I’m confident I can fly stably, so I’ll carry everyone across one at a time.”

“Yeah, it seems flying for the first time could be tricky… I’ll leave everything to you, Fujiwara-san.”

“… The way you phrase things.”

“Oh, no, I mean, I trust you completely, Fujiwara-san.”

“That didn’t really change the nuance… Tsukasa-kun, please take care of my sister.”

“I’m ready and waiting, Master.”

The effect of the ‘Flight’ orb lasts about 15 minutes, so time shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll start by carrying Futaba-san, who’s just been standing there, waiting for instructions.

“How would you like me to carry you?”

“Um… w-well. What’s the most stable way?”

“Just as an example, I could carry you from behind, lift you up like this, carry you on my back… I wouldn’t recommend it, but I could also carry you over my shoulder.”

“S-so, how about you, Onee-sama? How would you prefer?”

“Hmm, I think being lifted up is best. Tsukasa-kun’s specialty is carrying things, right?”

“Well… But that’s… never mind.”

“… Beep.”

Nanami-san and Cipher’s reactions were subtle, but as Haruka-senpai said, lifting people is indeed something I’m good at. Even without the ‘Weightlifting’ skill, I can manage just fine.

“Let’s go. Alright…”

“Wh-whoa, s-so this is what you meant by lifting… eek!”

《Temporary Skill Activation: Flight》

I lift Futaba-san and gently rise into the air, flying smoothly to the opposite shore, where I set her down.

“I-I’m still trembling… Fujiwara-san, you were like a real hero.”

“I’ll fly everyone over soon, but please stay alert just in case.”

I fly back across the river—this time, Haruka-senpai steps forward.

“… It might be a little late to mention this after you carried my sister, but do you know what that carrying style is commonly called?”

“Huh? I just carried her normally… wait…”

It suddenly dawned on me—I had unknowingly been doing a ‘princess carry.’

“If you say that, when it’s our turn… it’ll be awkward…”

“Senpai, that’s a bit mean.”

“Sorry, I just had to point it out. So, Tsukasa-kun didn’t realize what he was doing. You’re truly an innocent person…”

I caught Haruka-senpai’s muttered words—she said something like, “You were so bold earlier.” I’ll just have to endure until I can correct the misunderstanding.

“So, how would you like to be carried, senpai?”

“I wouldn’t mind being carried on your back or hugged from behind, both sound thrilling. But to keep things fair, I guess we should all be carried the same way. It wouldn’t do to cause discord in the party.”

It’s impressive how she’s so fair about these things. Without saying anything, I lift senpai and fly across the river once more.

“… This is more romantic than I expected… You’re like a prince, Tsukasa-kun.”

“P-please, don’t get playful while we’re flying.”

She starts to wrap her arms around my neck, but somehow restrains herself—this closeness feels way too much like something you’d share with a romantic partner.

“How was it, Onee-sama?”

“It was amazing… It’s like flying over Tokyo Bay in a helicopter.”

“Haha… But I’m not a helicopter.”

“You always give such cute reactions, it makes me want to tease you… Don’t you agree, Futaba?”

“Yes, Onee-sama, you’ve been having the most fun during today’s exploration. Though, I must admit, I’m enjoying myself too.”

“From here on out, we need to stay focused… At least, that’s how I feel. Having fun is great, but we should stay prepared.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. Thank you for the advice, Fujiwara-san.”

Futaba-san’s ever-serious attitude hasn’t changed, but hearing her say she’s having fun makes me happy too.

Finally, I carry Cipher, and Nanami-san climbs onto my back—but the sensation of her chest pressing against my back is a bit overwhelming.

“… It feels so smooth flying with you carrying me, Fujiwara-kun.”

“I-I’m glad to hear that… Ugh…”

“Master, are you alright? Your heart rate is increasing.”

Thankfully, Cipher didn’t notice the real reason—there’s no way I could tell him it’s because Nanami-san’s chest is pressing against me.

We land safely, and after setting them down, I step away to catch my breath.

“If you’re only carrying two at a time, it might be best if they hold onto your arm.”

“… That was an option. But this way was very stable.”

“Are you okay, Fujiwara-san? Maybe you should rest for a bit…”

“No, I’m fine. I’m more curious about what lies ahead, so let’s continue exploring.”

As I suspected, there’s something up ahead—a wind is blowing through.

Could it be the path to the upper floors, or perhaps a teleportation circle? I was hoping for one of those, but what we found was a path that slowly descends.

“If we keep going, we’ll reach depth 10.”

“We can still go deeper…? Despite the number of students, they never made it past the middle layers of the second dungeon.”

“We need to decide whether to search for an escape magic circle on this ninth floor or go down to the tenth. Or…”

“Or use the ‘Escape Scroll.’ But if we do that, we’ll lose everything we’ve gained so far. It’s something we should consider.”

“… Let’s push forward a bit more. If the tenth floor looks too dangerous, we’ll come back here.”

Everyone nodded at Nanami-san’s suggestion. The eternal dilemma of dungeon exploration—knowing when to retreat.

For now, we’ve chosen to move forward—but we mustn’t let our greed cost us the chance to escape. The exploration isn’t over until we make it back safely.