The day after my first trip into the dungeon, I was on the verge of tears because I didn’t have a lunch.
I debated with myself whether it was right to eat a lunch when I’d earned zero income, and in the end, I decided not to.
I deeply regretted coming back without selling a single magic stone.
To distract myself from my hunger, I headed to the rooftop.
More precisely, I headed to the stairs leading up to the rooftop.
Everyone was currently eating their lunches or school-provided meals, filling the air with delicious aromas. I couldn’t bear staying in such an atmosphere.
Surely, the staircase near the empty rooftop wouldn’t smell like food—
“Why?!”
The words escaped my mouth as a wave of mouthwatering aromas washed over me.
Curious, I climbed the stairs and discovered the source of the smell.
It was a large bento box, the kind you’d see at a sports festival.
Inside were five rice balls, five tamagoyaki, and the rest of the space was packed with fried chicken and sausages. It looked absolutely delicious.
“Um, excuse me…”
The voice snapped me back to my senses.
I restrained my hand, which had been reaching out, and turned to face the voice. It belonged to a slightly annoyed-looking girl.
“Oh, sorry. I kind of lost myself for a moment.”
“How does one lose their mind during a school day?”
“Well, your bento just looked so good…”
When I pointed at the bento, her expression softened a little.
“Would you like some?”
She offered me one of the rice balls from the box.
I didn’t hesitate for even a moment.
“Thank you so much!”
I took the rice ball, sat down beside her, and began eating.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
“Do you want me to be? Like, ‘Oh no, a yakuza’s daughter!’”
“No, I just found it a little unusual.”
The girl—Hotaru Yofune—was somewhat famous at school.
At first, she was known as an exceptionally beautiful girl. Later, she became known as a yakuza’s daughter.
The rumor began when some classmates who had been bullying her out of jealousy all transferred out at an unusually convenient time.
From there, stories circulated about seeing Yofune-san walking with men in black suits or entering a mansion. Now, it was widely accepted as fact.
“By the way, this is really good. I love how you’ve put fried chicken inside the rice balls. Great idea.”
“Thank you.”
“If I weren’t broke, I’d honestly pay you to make my lunches.”
Yofune-san looked a little pleased when we talked about her bento.
She was usually like an expressionless iron mask, so it was probably the first time I’d ever seen her smile.
“Shall I make you lunch? I’m not short on money, so you can pay me when you’re able.”
“Really?!”
“If it makes you this happy, sure.”
I was so overjoyed I could’ve danced.
Everything had been going great since I started going into the dungeon.
“I’ll pay you back for today’s rice ball too, so please make me a lunch. I’ve got a way to earn money!”
I didn’t explain what that “way” was.
While I didn’t think Yofune-san was the type to gossip, it was better to keep it a secret from everyone.
“Earning money… are you a mercenary?”
She figured it out immediately.
Of course, she did. A middle schooler earning money? It’s either crime or mercenary work, and mercenary work sounds slightly more acceptable.
“Yep. Keep it a secret, okay?”
Deciding that it wasn’t the end of the world if someone found out, I confessed.
As long as my homeroom teacher, Mr. Nomura, didn’t find out, I’d be fine. He’d be a pain to deal with if he did.
“In that case, how about taking me into the dungeon as payment for the bento? I’ve always wanted to try it.”
“Sure, but I just started yesterday. I’m a total beginner.”
Honestly, I welcomed the idea of having a teammate.
I’d come close to dying yesterday and realized the importance of safety.
“That’s perfect. I’ve heard that having teammates too far apart in skill levels can be inconvenient.”
“Hmm. Do you have any skills? You’ll also need to register with the guild.”
Registering with the guild was a bit of a hassle.
It required a skill, various documents, city hall approval, parental consent, and even a waiver acknowledging the risk of death. Of those, the last three stuck out in my memory.
“I have the Enchantment skill. I’m already registered with the guild, so no problem there.”
In that case, I had no reason to refuse.
Well, it would be a somewhat unbalanced party with two support-oriented skills, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Alright, let’s dive into the dungeon together. Are you free after school today?”
“Yes, but may I ask you something first?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What’s your grade, name, and skill?”
“Oh…”
That’s something I should’ve mentioned first.
I’d been too distracted by the bento.
“I’m Toru Ishiguro, third year. My skill is Weapon Creation. Nice to meet you.”
I stood up and introduced myself formally.
I like to do things properly in situations like this.
“I’m Hotaru Yofune, also a third year. Nice to meet you too.”
We both bowed to each other after finishing our introductions.
Since we were done eating, we descended the stairs together.
Yofune-san had started eating before me, but her speed was impressive.
She was elegant, but her chopsticks and mouth never stopped moving.
Considering the amount of food, it wasn’t just her matching my pace—it seemed like her usual style.
“See you after school, then.”
With that, Yofune-san walked back into the classroom, and I followed her.
“Do you need something else?”
She turned to me, puzzled.
“Not really.”
“Then why are you following me?”
She asked with genuine confusion.
“Well, this is my classroom.”
“Huh? We’re in the same class?”
“You didn’t know…?”
After a moment of silence, our gazes met, conveying a mix of emotions, and we both burst out laughing.
Even Yofune-san chuckled a little.
A passing classmate froze at the sight, then bolted away, clearly unnerved.
