Clap, clap, clap — the sound of applause echoed. I wondered where it was coming from, only to realize Cipher was the one clapping.
“How was it, Himeno-san? Isn’t my master amazing?”
“………”
“Himeno-san?”
Himeno remained still, only blinking. Did I surprise her?
“Ah… I’m finally starting to wrap my head around this. So, it’s a skill that disregards conservation of mass to shrink or enlarge objects without damaging them?”
“Y-yes. That’s how I interpret it too… or rather, it’s more like, ‘that’s just how it works.’”
Even if the user doesn’t understand the principles, they can still enjoy the skill’s effects. It’s a bit unsettling when you think about it—like, why is something like this even possible?
“First of all, let me say this: it’d be best if you didn’t show this skill to just anyone. Though I’ve already seen it, can I be honest with you?”
“Himeno-san, please don’t scare Fujiwara-kun.”
Nanami stepped in to protect me, standing between us. Himeno, watching her, softened her serious expression into a gentle smile.
“To be blunt, I want you.”
“…!”
“Huh…!”
Nanami and Cipher reacted before I could.
And as for me, I understood that she probably didn’t mean it in a direct way. Still, it’s impossible not to feel even a bit flustered after being told something so straightforward.
“If I could rent you for a month, I’d be willing to pay three million on the spot.”
“N-no, I’m not worth that kind of money…”
“You could probably earn that in a much shorter time with your talent. I can’t believe there’s still someone hiding with a skill like this. It’s like finding treasure right under our noses.”
“Himeno-san, talk is fine, but there’s no need to get too close.”
She placed a hand on my shoulder, touched my upper arm, and then cupped my cheek. Mini-Cipher put a stop to it just in time. Nanami also seemed relieved.
“Oops, sorry! I got a little curious and wanted to see what it felt like. Shiro-chan, please don’t tell Suzuri.”
“I… could never say something like that.”
“Oh, look at your face, all red! Sorry, Fujiwara-kun. If I do something strange without realizing it, feel free to brush me off.”
“Watching the two of you makes me feel warm inside.”
“Hm? Is she a fellow dorm mate? I know there are international students every year, but is that the case here?”
I wondered how I should introduce Nina. Saying outright, “She’s the incarnation of a dungeon,” didn’t seem appropriate just yet.
“(Tsukasa-san, can you hear me? Let’s hold off on revealing my identity for now and say I’m an exchange student.)”
“(…Talking directly into my mind… Got it. Let’s go with that.)”
It seems Nina has mental telepathy. It’s convenient, though holding conversations this way is a bit dizzying. It might take some getting used to.
“I’m Nina. I’m staying in the same dorm as Tsukasa-san.”
“Hmm, Nina-chan… That’s a unique hair color. Is it natural?”
“Yes (I can actually change it at will. Would you call this pastel pink?)”
“(I’d say it’s more like a pale pink with a hint of white.)”
As she responded to Himeno, Nina continued chatting with me mentally. Having natural hair like that would be rare in any country.
“Well, in a world with dungeons, having unique hair isn’t that surprising. Nice to meet you, Nina-chan.”
“Nice to meet you. Himeno-san, you’re so tall and beautiful.”
“(Um… Nina, it’s best not to be so direct with compliments…)”
I hastily warned her mentally. Himeno might handle it well, but being too straightforward can sometimes come off as rude.
“Oh? Hehe, I appreciate it. It’s refreshing to be complimented by someone so sincere. Everyone assumes I’d get upset if they mentioned my height, even though it’s not that much.”
My concern was unfounded; Himeno had taken quite a liking to Nina.
“Himeno-san has a soft spot for cute things, Master.”
“Hey, don’t go telling people that… Fujiwara-kun, ignore that.”
“Hehe… but I think it’s nice.”
“This is what you call a gap moe… Ah, no capturing!”
“You’re really lively around Fujiwara-kun. I’m glad. Take care of her, ‘big brother.’”
“Huh… ah, y-yes.”
I wasn’t quite sure why she called me “big brother,” so I ended up responding ambiguously. Mini-Cipher also suddenly went silent, and Himeno seemed amused by the scene.
“Well then… let’s get down to business. This building is called ‘D Laboratory,’ and I’m part of it. ‘D’ stands for Dungeon, and we conduct all sorts of dungeon-related research. My field is engineering, including automaton development, and material engineering is part of that.”
“Material engineering… would that include identifying these minerals?”
The two minerals we retrieved from the deepest part of Dungeon No. 2 appeared as ‘Quartz’ and ‘Magic Ore’ when converted to chips. I handed over the quartz first.
Himeno pulled a handheld, rod-shaped device from her bag. It looked like a scanner used at a cash register.
“This is an identification scanner. It analyzes a material’s composition, cross-checks it with a database, and displays the results.”
Himeno began scanning the quartz—however…
Beep beep “Error detected.”
“No way… an unregistered material. The other one looks like adamantium, but… yes, it’s also unregistered. No radioactive emissions, either. Mind if I take a sample? We’ll pay you for research support.”
“Oh, no, payment isn’t necessary…”
“You should accept the money—there’s no such thing as too much cash. It’s just one gold coin per sample, though. Let’s keep identifying more materials as we go.”
While giving a wry smile, Himeno-san begins to appraise the “Red Hat.”
“…’Leprechaun’ hat cap… rarity level 6…?”
“It was something held by a color-variant creature similar to a monster called ‘Mad Brownie.’ That dagger over there is the same.”
Himeno-san looks at my face, her mouth moving but no words coming out.
“…Himeno-san, are you okay?”
“Y-yeah, I’m okay, but maybe not okay… uh…?”
Next, Himeno-san appraises the “Rusty Dagger.” Details appear on the LCD attached to the scanner handle, and she silently covers her mouth.
“…This one’s also rarity level 6. So, without a doubt, it’s genuine… something that a ‘Leprechaun’ possessed.”
“Himeno-san, about this ‘Leprechaun’…”
“It was a monster that was discovered in a dungeon in Northern Europe, wiped out an entire party it encountered, and was eventually defeated by a military unit armed with heavy weaponry. Bringing back something like this nearly intact…”
A chill runs down my spine—especially since we didn’t struggle much, yet we’d encountered such a monster.
It’s terrifying, but I also get a renewed sense of just how powerful restricting an opponent’s movement with ‘Fixation’ really is.
“So… you encountered this monster in a dungeon on campus…?”
“Y-yes, but we were transferred to a different area than usual when we entered the dungeon. It was pretty deep in…”
“…Fighting a ‘Leprechaun’ and escaping from that situation… You’re practically on par with the nation’s top explorers, Fujiwara-kun… that’s no small feat.”
“Thank you, but there’s also a bit of luck involved, plus the strength of all my companions.”
“…You’re modest, but it’s mostly thanks to you, Fujiwara-kun.”
“Yes, Master is very impressive… Seeing you like that over and over makes my heart race…”
“U-uh… Cipher, take a deep breath, and try to calm down.”
“S-sorry about that. Beep beep.”
Cipher is even more human-like today than usual—or maybe it’s the person managing Cipher who’s speaking through it.
If that’s the case, then getting nervous watching me… better not overthink it.
“I’ll take this hat and dagger back for analysis. Just from them being ‘Leprechaun’ possessions, we’ll get a bonus.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Once analysis is done, I think I can process them into equipment. Let’s see… there’s one more thing that’s been on my mind…”
Although I decided not to show the “Masked Doll” this time, I did bring out the “Broken Scythe.” Since it’s practically a “Joker” itself, I figured showing the doll might be too much for now.
“…Even just touching it feels dangerous. And… this thing, no matter how you look at it…”
The appraisal scan completes. Seeing the results, Himeno-san seems at a loss for words.
“Himeno-san, are you alright?”
Nanami-san approaches Himeno-san and gently pats her back. Himeno-san smiles, but sweat beads on her neck.
“Thank you, Shiro-chan… This has been surprising from the beginning, but… I wasn’t quite prepared for this.”
“This scythe might even be on video sites. It’s something held by the monster called ‘Joker’ that I fought.”
“I’ve seen footage of the No. 2 Dungeon, but the part where this Joker appears is heavily distorted. I could tell there was a fight happening…”
Himeno-san didn’t see the part where Nina emerged from the dungeon’s core. Perhaps filming issues occurred in the deeper levels, or Cipher’s administrator concealed it.
“According to the appraisal, this scythe is a first-of-its-kind discovery. Fujiwara-kun could even be registered as the discoverer of this weapon.”
“W-wait, isn’t that like finding a new star or something?”
“Discoveries in dungeons are rare now since so much data has accumulated. The fact that this was found in a campus dungeon… this might shift our whole understanding of dungeons.”
“I see… So does that mean even the campus dungeon is too dangerous for students?”
“Well, you could say that for all dungeons. There could be ‘Jokers’ in any of them, but banning exploration altogether… isn’t feasible. Monsters would emerge from dungeons if left unchecked.”
Explorers have to weigh what they gain from a dungeon against the risks.
No deaths have occurred on campus, but there have been injuries. If another unanticipated incident like ours happens, deep in a dungeon… tragedy awaits.
“…Because of the Joker incident, will the campus dungeon be sealed?”
“If a unique case like this led to a general policy, students wouldn’t be able to enter any dungeon across the country. But if exploration stops, the number of explorers decreases, and with it, the potential for monsters spilling out of dungeons increases. So, despite the risk, it’s unlikely they’ll close it… more like, they can’t.”
In the future, the students will continue to explore the dungeon. Although encountering the “Joker” won’t happen so easily, there’s a chance other threats could appear.
“When an incident occurs, our organization will dispatch explorers, so please contact us immediately if you feel it’s dangerous. I think the academy will handle it the same way.”
“Understood. So, about this scythe…”
It’s been declared a world-first discovery, but is there anything else they can tell me?
“The rarity of this scythe is ‘10—only one exists in the world’… If it were put up for auction, it would fetch an extraordinary price. Fujiwara-kun, I apologize for underestimating the amount needed to hire you. I was off by three zeros.”
I was told it would be 3 million yen a month, but with three more zeros missing… that would be 3 billion yen.
I thought about having this scythe repaired or using it as material for something else—but with this much value, I wonder how much the assets from the 9th floor onward in Dungeon No. 2 could be worth.
“Shall we announce this scythe in a video and make you even more famous? …Just kidding, but I realized today that you’re surprisingly humble, Fujiwara-kun.”
“I think it’s best to release information moderately if I want to continue as an explorer without too much trouble…”
“Right now, the whole world is watching your activities. It’s okay to edit the video, right? I’ll make sure you get to see it before it goes live.”
“Uh… yes, as long as I get to review it first.”
“…I-I’m really sorry for posting it without permission last time…”
Cipher’s electronic voice sounded sincerely apologetic—I laughed and patted the floating M-Mini Cipher in front of me.
“The person editing the video is the administrator, right? I’d appreciate it if they could take it easy on themselves. I don’t do anything flashy, so I’m glad the editing makes me look cool.”
“If that wasn’t flashy, then what kind of exploration video would be considered flashy?”
“Like David Randolph, Risa Amagasaki, or Sarah Winslet. They all do stuff that really stands out in videos.”
“…They’re top-level people in the world. They tackle difficult dungeons.”
I think I’ve seen their names on video sites, but I haven’t watched the content. If Nanami-san knows about it, it might be interesting to ask her and take a look.
“Well then… normally, the appraisal would come with a fee, but since you’ve entrusted us with research materials, I’ll give you some pocket money. Go out and have fun today.”
Himeno-san handed me a generous amount—50 gold.
“Movies cost about 2 silvers per person, so this is a huge amount for a high schooler’s allowance. But regardless of age, the world of explorers pays rewards for talent and discoveries.”
“Thank you, truly…”
“I’m the one who should be grateful, meeting you today, Fujiwara-kun. I wish I could send Cipher along with you, but it has a time limit on activity. Once we process the paperwork, can I invite you to the lab again?”
“Yes, absolutely. See you soon, Cipher.”
“Yes. Please enjoy your holiday, Master.”
Unexpectedly, I had gained a considerable income—without even selling anything I obtained.
What to do after leaving D-Laboratory? Nina seemed a bit dazzled, so maybe we should go inside a building.
“…Oh.”
A soft grumble echoed. It wasn’t me or Nanami-san—so that means…
“Eating to recover magical power isn’t all that efficient, but…”
It seems Nina’s stomach had gotten hungry. I took out my phone and started searching for nearby places to eat.
