Side: Dungeon Exploration Team
On this day, the school attended by Sho and the others was temporarily closed, with even the teachers absent. Only a few, including the chairman and principal, came to work, and discussions were taking place with the members of the Supernatural Phenomena Countermeasures Office.
Amidst this, five men appeared unexpectedly to conduct an underground investigation early in the morning.
These men comprised four members of the Self-Defense Forces and one police officer, all dispatched to the Supernatural Phenomena Countermeasures Office. They were part of a team known as the Supernatural Space Investigation Team, although they were also referred to as the Dungeon Exploration Group within the office.
Their gear included the Self-Defense Forces’ camouflage uniforms and Type 2 combat bulletproof vests, with the main weapon being the Type 89 automatic rifle.
Their primary duties involved patrolling the various dungeons located across the country and investigating newly discovered dungeons, such as the one they were currently in. While their operations were limited to inside the dungeons, they were also permitted to use firearms based on their discretion.
As the five men cautiously advanced through the dungeon, remaining vigilant of their surroundings, a gunshot suddenly echoed.
“That’s it, then,” murmured the team leader with a stern expression.
The single bullet had taken down a Lesser Goblin, the same type Sho had fought the other day. The goblin lay dead, a bullet hole in its forehead.
While the four Self-Defense Forces members remained alert, one man began to examine the Lesser Goblin. He recorded detailed notes on its physical characteristics, belongings, and other specifics while filming with a video camera.
“Number nine, huh? I wonder what they’ll do now, in a town like this,” he said.
“They’ll have to manage it quietly,” replied another.
Though the men wore serious expressions, they were not in despair. It was indeed a nuisance, but not beyond their management. The challenging part was keeping the dungeon’s existence a secret.
Of course, it wasn’t a situation to be taken lightly. The men were mainly responsible for patrolling the upper levels of the dungeon, and so far, they had only descended to the lower levels a handful of times.
They rotated through eight dungeons scattered throughout Japan, continuing their investigations and monitoring. It was more accurate to say they had no time to delve into the lower levels.
“By the way, I heard it was a high school freshman who managed to repel one of these monsters. Impressive, really, to move so well on their first encounter,” one remarked.
“Maybe they’re just used to fighting?” another suggested.
“That doesn’t seem to be the case. They reportedly trained in self-defense, but apparently, they were a quiet student at school,” the first one responded.
“For a kid these days, they sure have guts,” another added.
After finishing their investigation and casual chatter, the men offered a silent prayer for the Lesser Goblin’s repose and pressed onward. They needed to gather information to assess the danger level by the end of the day.
They couldn’t afford to close a private high school for days, nor could they frequently enter and exit in camouflage uniforms without raising suspicion.
Their exploration had only just begun.
Side: Amakashi Sho
At the second store, which was somewhat well-known for clothing, I was waiting while carrying bags. I had instructed them to visit a few more shops to buy clothes they liked.
I’m just waiting here, carrying their things. I don’t have much experience with this, so it’s a bit refreshing. I used to go shopping with my grandparents, but I hardly ever got to choose fashion items.
“Isn’t that men’s clothing?” one of them remarked.
“It looks fine to me. It seems more comfortable than something that would constrict the chest,” I replied.
As I wandered around the store, I spotted Filia looking troubled while talking to Noctia.
It seemed Filia was hesitant to speak up about Noctia’s apparent indifference toward clothing.
Both of them had such great figures that there weren’t many clothes for them to choose from. Filia seemed intent on making something herself, planning to visit a shop that sold fabrics later. Noctia, on the other hand, was choosing clothes based on functionality without worrying about appearances.
“Well then, I’ll choose for you. I’m not saying you have to care about how it looks, but it’s better to blend in than to stand out for the wrong reasons,” Filia finally decided.
It seemed she had struggled internally but ultimately chose to speak up. It might be better this way since magic items wouldn’t attract undue suspicion and would be recognized normally.
Is that really the value system of demonkind? Probably not.
Just as Filia began selecting clothes for Noctia, Pritia and Sanctina came looking for me.
“Oh, there you are, Kakeru. I need a little advice,” Pritia said.
“Sure, no problem,” I replied.
I had given them the bare minimum of information about the clothes, but it seems they were still uncertain.
Pritia preferred clothes that were easy to move in, while Sanctina seemed to favor looser-fitting garments…
“What kind of bra should I get? They didn’t have any over there,” Pritia whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.
I didn’t know how to react to that.
The two of them had brought me to the lingerie section. I hadn’t expected to hear that from Pritia, especially not in such a quiet voice.
“I think you buy them according to your size. You get that, right?” I said.
Both of them looked down at their chests and shook their heads. It seemed they had only ever experienced custom-made items and didn’t even know their measurements.
By the way, Filia and Noctia had seemingly left to look for other clothes, as they didn’t think there were any suitable sizes for them.
“Got it. Let’s go to a specialty shop for underwear next. They’ll measure you and teach you how to wear it,” I suggested.
I had told Filia this morning as well, but I was genuinely concerned about them walking around without bras. Filia mentioned she would manage somehow, but I wondered if she intended to make her own.
“I’m sorry, Kakeru. Honestly, I don’t really know what would be good…” Sanctina said apologetically.
Yeah, I felt the same way. When I looked closely, I noticed there were various designs available—some that seemed focused on functionality, while others were cute or sexy.
Encouraging the apologetic Sanctina, I helped her pick out a few items she liked.
Next was the specialty lingerie store. I waited in the store’s break area. I felt anxious about them saying something strange, but it must be hard for both the shop staff and the girls to choose with me around.
The atmosphere felt like it was strictly forbidden for men. Maybe it was just my imagination. A scene of women shopping and a man waiting. I felt like I was a dad on a weekend outing.
The first one to finish shopping was, unsurprisingly, Noctia.
“Did you pick something?” I asked.
“Yes, I just chose a few things since I don’t really mind,” she replied.
She had apparently chosen several pieces of underwear based on size measurements and recommendations. The thought of the total cost was a bit intimidating, but it would be unacceptable to be stingy now.
At that moment, Noctia leaned in close and whispered, “They said if you don’t wear appropriate underwear, it can sag. But since Filia and I don’t age like humans, it doesn’t really apply to us.”
Hearing such a sweetly naive remark made it difficult to respond.
“Some of the human nobility preferred demon and elf women,” she added.
So the truth can differ from appearances. Well, I had learned that much through various experiences over there.
“To live freely without being bound by anything is difficult,” she mused, her expression full of enjoyment.
Looking at her profile, I could sense just how tough her life had been in that other world.
“I think you can live more freely here than over there. No, you should be able to live freely. There are laws to follow, but…”
While the society may differ, I felt confident she could live a life more aligned with her desires than she could as a Demon Lord back in her world. I was a bit worried because of the differences in values, but she wasn’t someone to act thoughtlessly. I felt reassured that everything would be alright.
