Aldo and Clara reported their dungeon-clearing success to the Digger Association. The receptionist at the Association processed it with little ceremony and handed Clara the reward money.
“Yay! Dungeon-clear reward!”
“Yeah, congratulations, Clara.”
“Here, Aldo-san, this is your share.”
Clara gave Aldo half of the reward, but he shook his head, refusing to take it.
“No, I can’t accept it. You’re the one who defeated the boss, Clara. I didn’t do anything.”
“It’s fine! Here, take it.”
Clara firmly placed the money in Aldo’s hand. Reluctantly, Aldo accepted half of the reward.
“Aldo-san, what are you going to do next? Since that dungeon is already cleared, should we look for another one?”
“Hmm, I was just doing dungeon diving as a side gig. I have a main job, so I might not get too serious about it.”
Clara looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Huh, I see. Well, then, I’ll find our next dungeon.”
Clara clenched her fist with enthusiasm. But there was something Aldo couldn’t understand.
“Clara, why do you still want to team up with me? I’m not all that useful.”
“It’s not about being useful or not. It’s about whether I want to team up with you or not. You were willing to share the finds with me.”
“That’s… Well, sharing is only fair! Besides, keeping the finds just for the person who discovered them seems wrong to me!”
Clara leaned closer to Aldo.
“Listen, Aldo-san. Being a digger is all about trust. Because our lives are on the line, we have to carefully choose who we team up with. I decided that you’re a trustworthy digger, Aldo-san. That’s why I still want to work together. That’s all.”
“Well… alright, then.”
“Or, is it that you don’t trust me, Aldo-san? If you want to dissolve the team, I understand.”
“No, it’s not that. I just think someone better could…”
“Stop saying that kind of thing!”
“Got it.”
Pressed by Clara’s insistence, Aldo gave in. So, they ended up deciding to keep working together.
After leaving the Digger Association, they walked part of the way home together.
“Hey, Aldo-san, are you married?”
“Well… My wife left, but I do have a daughter.”
“Oh, I see…”
Clara frowned, realizing she’d touched a sensitive topic. But Aldo laughed it off, saying he didn’t mind.
“It’s okay. I don’t even remember the details of when she left due to memory loss.”
“Hey! That’s not funny!”
Clara dismissed his attempt at a joke.
“How old is your daughter?”
“She’s nine now. Her name’s Iris. She’s so adorable… Every time I come home, she runs to greet me. Just recently, she begged me to let her sleep next to me…”
“Haha, Aldo-san, you really love your daughter… But isn’t Iris lonely without her mother?”
Clara’s words cast a shadow on Aldo’s expression. A nine-year-old girl still craves her mother’s attention.
“Yeah, maybe she is. I’m just her dad, after all. When she gets older, there’ll be things she won’t want to ask me about.”
“Yeah, I understand. Oh, hey, Aldo-san! How about I look after Iris?”
“Huh?”
Aldo looked at Clara, caught off guard by her unexpected offer.
“See, you’re busy with your main job and even dungeon diving, so Iris must feel lonely, right?”
“Yeah, I can’t deny that.”
“Right?”
“Well, I’ll ask Iris what she thinks.”
“Good idea. It’s important to consider her feelings too.”
Since their paths diverged, Aldo and Clara parted ways and headed home.
“I’m back!”
“Welcome home, Dad!”
As Aldo returned home, Iris ran to the doorway and threw herself into his arms.
“Whoa there.”
“Hehe, Daddy’s back!”
Iris was clingier than usual, which only made Aldo love her more.
“Well, Iris, were you a good girl?”
Aldo asked while patting her head, and Iris beamed, nodding.
Aldo and Iris then walked hand in hand to the dining table, where they ate the meal Iris had prepared.
“Guess what, Iris? I cleared a dungeon today.”
“Really? Does that mean you don’t have to go into any more dangerous dungeons?”
Iris’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Well, I might explore another one.”
“But when you clear a dungeon, the evil spirits are gone, right? But you can still excavate materials affected by their aura and sell them, can’t you?”
Iris questioned, pointing out a logical thought.
“Yes, you can safely excavate materials. But that’s something everyone at the Digger Association knows. They all swarm the cleared dungeons, so if I go, my share would shrink.”
“That’s so unfair!”
Iris puffed out her cheeks in discontent.
“Haha, but I did get a reward for clearing it, so there’s still a reason to clear dungeons.”
“Oh, how about excavating enough materials first and then reporting?”
“Yeah, but you’re supposed to report right after clearing a dungeon. Excavating beforehand is prohibited and could lead to confiscation, fines, or even banishment by the church.”
“Mmm.”
Iris would prefer her dad to make money safely without taking risks, but that wasn’t easy.
“So, Iris, how do you spend your time during the day? Do you get lonely?”
Iris pondered his question for a moment and then answered honestly.
“Yeah… I do feel lonely.”
Since Aldo was kind, she figured that if he knew she was truly lonely, he might try to spend more time with her.
“I thought so. Well, Iris, I have good news for you.”
“What!?”
Iris’s face lit up, thinking maybe Aldo would be around more. But…
“One of my fellow diggers, Clara, offered to look after you.”
“Huh?”
This unexpected answer left Iris stunned.
“This way, you won’t feel lonely anymore.”
“Oh… yeah…”
“So, how about I let Clara know it’s okay?”
Aldo looked at her with pure, caring eyes, truly believing this would help Iris.
“Um… sure, that’s fine…”
Since she’d admitted she was lonely, Iris couldn’t refuse. She didn’t have the best feelings about this mysterious woman working with her father, but she decided to check her out firsthand.
