“Hmm, it looks like you’ve found some excellent items. Just in case, I’ll ask— we do offer a buyback service. What would you like to do?”
“I have no intention of selling them whatsoever, but… what happens if I do?”
“The number of zeros on that appraisal sheet will increase.”
Oh, Amagasaki-san’s eyes are smiling, but what he’s saying is completely serious. That just shows how valuable the items I found are. If I were desperate for money, selling them might be an option, but the price for raw materials alone is more than enough for me. I’ll be taking them home.
“Now then, that concludes our discussion… or at least, that’s what I’d like to say. But, Kihara-kun, how exactly do you plan to get home?”
“What do you mean? I’ll just drive home like normal… right?”
“—?”
I have no idea what Amagasaki-san is trying to say, so Aurora and I exchange confused glances. I think I hear Tomokaze-san stifling a laugh, but maybe it’s just my imagination. Meanwhile, Amagasaki-san places a hand on his forehead, shaking his head in exasperation.
“You two are now famous—people of the moment. If you just walk out and drive home like normal, there will definitely be people trying to follow you and figure out where you live.”
“Ahh…”
I let out a dumb-sounding response, but thinking back on how the other adventurers reacted when we returned from the dungeon, I can’t really deny it.
“So, from now on, you’ll be disguised and leave through the back entrance, getting a ride from one of our staff. Several cars will leave together, with some staff members staying behind, so you’ll take a detour before heading home. I can’t guarantee you’ll completely avoid pursuit, but… what do you say?”
“I really appreciate all that, but… why go so far for me?”
“Two reasons. First, while other adventurers focus on defeating monsters, you’ve been consistently delivering medicinal herbs since the old days. That’s been a huge help to us, and we’d like to return the favor.”
Oh? Getting praised to my face like that is kind of embarrassing. Come on, I wasn’t doing it for their sake—I just didn’t have the courage to face monsters head-on. I’d set traps and gather herbs while they were busy fighting. Well… honestly, my priority was more on collecting edible wild plants, though.
“The second reason… if you keep coming back, it’ll bring more activity to our dungeon.”
“Am I some kind of mascot!? Wait, isn’t that actually the main reason!?”
“Hohoho, no no, of course not.”
That’s a joke, right? It’s just a joke to lighten the mood… right?
And so, I ended up borrowing a ride from Budo-san. I’d ridden in his car a few times before, so it felt comfortable. Meanwhile, my own beloved car, which I had to leave in the Tonakayama Dungeon parking lot, would be driven to my house later by Budo-san. As for my camping gear, it would be sent in multiple deliveries via courier service. I decided to bring back some of the Akaoodai-shou meat and a piece of manga-meat bone with me. Because, well… I want to eat them!
As for my disguise, it seemed arrangements had already been made, as Tomokaze-san quickly brought it over.
“Alright, here’s a uniform. Aurora-chan, can you hide inside the clothes?”
“—!”
“Oh, it’s a brand-new one? I’ll wash it before returning it.”
“You can just keep it. You know, in case you ever have to quit being an adventurer, we’d be happy to hire you here.”
“I’LL DEFINITELY WASH IT AND RETURN IT!!!”
“Phew… genmaicha really hits the spot.”
“—～…”
After getting home, I threw the meat and bones into the fridge, immediately boiled some water, and made genmaicha for both Aurora and myself.
Somehow… somehow, I made it back. The other adventurers must have caught on to what we were trying to do because a good number of them were waiting at the staff parking lot. As instructed, I pulled my hat low, kept my face down, didn’t make a sound, and got into the car. Just like Amagasaki-san had feared, even though several staff cars left together, some people still tried to follow. But thanks to taking a detour and my brilliant driving skills, I managed to shake them off.
Still… somehow, I feel as exhausted as when I fought the Akaoodai-shou. Not physically, but mentally. Yeah, I’m glad I decided to take a break from streaming today.
“Alright, Aurora. Let’s just keep dinner simple and have some instant noodles tonight.”
“—!”
“Huh? You want to add something extra? Sure… I think I’ll throw some cheese into my curry noodles too.”
Diving into dungeons, drinking while streaming—if only this kind of life could last forever. …No, it’s impossible, isn’t it?
