“Stop pushing yourself! If you keep going like this, you’re going to die someday!”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll handle it properly.”
“You have no basis for saying that! At least wait until you find new members to start again! Until then, just close the shop!”
“There are people who look forward to our food, and we also have wedding reservations, don’t we? It’s not that easy to take a break.”
“But! If you die, that’s the end of it all!”
“That’s why I said I’ll manage.”
“Stop saying things without any proof!!”
“Come on, get back to cleaning up. We’ll talk about it when I get back.”
“I’m telling you not to go! Hey, listen to me!!”
After my shift ended, I stepped out through the back door to head home when I heard Honoka-san’s voice. Worried, I went to check it out and found her crouched behind the church, crying. The person she had been arguing with, likely her mother, was no longer there. She had probably left to explore the dungeon.
“Um, are you okay?”
“Oh, Tatsuya-kun… You heard that? Haha, how embarrassing to let you see me like this.”
When Honoka-san noticed me, she quickly looked up and forced a smile. Her eyes were red and swollen with tears. Her effort to hide her vulnerability was painful to watch.
“Was that about your mother?”
“…Yeah. I told you a little about it before, didn’t I? One of my mom’s teammates got recruited elsewhere. Even with just the two of them left, they somehow managed. But now the other teammate also got a recruitment offer. And it’s a really good deal. It’s only a matter of time before they leave too. But my mom insists she’ll still go into the dungeon, even if it’s alone. Just recently, when it was the two of them, she came back injured…”
As she talked, tears began to well up in Honoka-san’s eyes again.
“My mom always overdoes it, and at this rate, she’s definitely going to die. But I can’t stop her, and I don’t know what to do…”
As she started crying again, I gently patted her back.
“If only I were a dungeon diver, I could support her… Do you think I could still make it in time? I don’t want my mom to die. I really don’t…”
“Honoka-san…”
Honoka-san had chosen to become a bridal planner. She probably takes great pride in her work and has brought smiles to the faces of many clients. What I was about to suggest would be harsh for her. But losing her mother and living in despair would be far worse.
“Honoka-san, are you willing to become a dungeon diver to save your mother? Even if it means giving up being a bridal planner?”
“…Yes. My clients’ smiles are treasures to me. But my mom’s life is irreplaceable.”
“Understood. Honoka-san, I’ll teach you a way to become strong in a short period of time.”
“In a short period…? Is that even possible?”
“Yes. But it comes with significant pain. There may even be life-threatening risks. If you’re still willing, I’ll teach you the method.”
“Haha, what are you saying, Tatsuya-kun? If there were such a method, everyone would already be doing it, right? You’re really bad at comforting people.”
Honoka-san thought I was joking and gave a teary smile. But when she noticed the seriousness in my expression, her face turned solemn.
“…If such a method exists, then I want to try it. I don’t have time to hesitate or doubt. Please, teach me, Tatsuya-kun.”
“Understood.”
I glanced at the church. There’s a suitable spot there where no one would see us.
“Come to the church’s confessional booth at midnight tonight. I’ll contact an acquaintance. Just prepare yourself mentally. I’ll send you the details by email later.”
God, please forgive me for what I’m about to do in this sacred church.
◇
Before midnight. In the dimly lit church, where only a few night lights were on, I opened the door to the aged confessional booth. There was no sign of anyone yet, so it seemed Honoka-san hadn’t arrived.
The confessional was a small, box-shaped room with two entrances, separated in the middle by a wooden partition. The upper part of the partition was solid wood, blocking the view of the other person’s face. Below that was a wooden lattice, offering only faint glimpses of the other side’s chest area. A flat board jutted out around waist level like a table, with a small gap between the lattice and the table. This gap was just large enough to pass an arm through to the other side.
In other words, you could touch the person on the other side without being seen.
As I waited nervously, the heavy church door creaked open slightly after midnight. On any other night, this might have been a horror scene, but tonight, it was a busty, beautiful older woman, and what we were about to do wasn’t frightening—it was thrilling. My heart raced with excitement rather than fear.
The door on the opposite side of the confessional opened, and Honoka-san sat down. Even in the dim light, her ample curves were noticeable. Not being able to see her clearly, especially from the neck up, somehow made the situation even more suggestive. Her slender shoulders trembled, likely out of nervousness or fear.
“T-Tatsuya-kun told me to come… Are you… Son-san?”
“Yes.”
I answered in a low, broken voice. It sounded ridiculous, but as long as she didn’t realize it was me, it didn’t matter. The name “Son” was just a crude alias derived from my surname Murai -> mura -> village -> Son.
“I-I heard you have a lot of experience points, and just touching you can make someone stronger. Is that true?”
“Believe or not. Your choice. If no, I leave.”
When I pretended to stand and open the door, Honoka-san spoke in a panicked voice.
“Wait! I’m sorry for my rudeness!”
As I sat back down, I heard her take several deep breaths. Her thin shoulders rose and fell, and her ample chest moved with them.
“Son-san. Please, I beg you. Let me touch your hand.”
“Of course. Mercy for lost lambs.”
Even though the name was vaguely Chinese, my broken Japanese sounded more like an American trying to speak the language. But as long as my identity stayed hidden, it was fine.
I reached my arm through the gap in the partition.
Now, let the sinful act of leveling up through indulgence begin.
