After the afternoon classes ended, I moved to the entrance of Dungeon No. 2 together with Nanami-san. There, just like during the practicals, Renjou-sensei was waiting, walking towards us with an impressed expression.
“Oh, Fujiwara-kun… no, I’m truly impressed by you. You’ve accomplished much more than what you explained to me.”
“Ah… s-sorry, I thought I had just told you what happened.”
“You defeated that monster, the ‘Joker,’ that incapacitated Hinata-kun. I overlooked that achievement and only saw you as a courageous rescuer. I was wrong… you’re a true warrior.”
“Warrior”—that’s a role that protects the party from the front lines, defeating monsters to pave the way.
It’s the opposite of the role of a “baggage carrier” that supports from the back. But both are important—though, coming from someone like me who’s often overlooked, it might sound like I’m being bitter.
“I’m not really suited for combat… even though I fought the ‘Joker,’ I barely managed to scrape through.”
“…The headmaster said the same thing. Remarkably humble, and a treasure of the academy. It might be late to say, but I also agree with that.”
The headmaster did say something like that—but I didn’t expect the word would spread through connections like this.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I glanced at Nanami-san, who was also smiling. It’s not bad being praised, but I should make my position clear.
“I’m just a first-year student. The only reason my ranking went up was because of what happened on the first day. I hope to show results even in ordinary, everyday explorations.”
“…Fujiwara-kun, saying that now is…”
“No, your restraint is truly admirable… you have the spirit of a veteran warrior. Normally, I don’t handle specialized classes, but I’d love to talk with you again outside of this place.”
“Thank you. If I get to take your specialized classes, I’d appreciate your guidance then.”
As I was wondering what Renjou-sensei specializes in besides dungeon practicals—
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Fujiwara-kun.”
“Fujiwara-san, did you apply to bring an autonomous doll with you? I found this one outside.”
“…Cipher, you’re here again today?”
Cipher, who was hiding behind Futaba-san, the vice president’s sister, appeared. Her equipment was a little different from the day before, but it was definitely the same one who had accompanied me.
“………”
“Huh? What’s wrong, Cipher? Did you forget about me?”
“N-No. Pleased to assist today as well, Master.”
“Yeah, nice to have you. Are you testing out different equipment today?”
“Yes, for test purposes. Also, regarding the previous exploration…”
I had to address that issue—so I placed my hand on Cipher’s head.
“I didn’t even notice you were recording the whole time, so I was a bit surprised… but you had a reason for uploading that video, right? Whoever manages your data?”
“Y-Yes. Master, will you not punish me?”
“No way. Sure, it caused a bit of a stir, but… the video was well-made and didn’t try to spread anything malicious about me. Honestly, I was glad you compiled it from that perspective.”
“…I’ll be sure to pass that on to the person who edited it. But, it was made simply to report the facts, with no exaggeration.”
“Yeah, I’d like to thank that person too. I’d love to visit the lab where Cipher was developed.”
“Th-That is…unfortunately…outside my jurisdiction.”
Cipher’s response suddenly became more formal. If I had touched on something uncomfortable for her AI, I would need to be more careful.
“Vice President, Futaba-san, if it’s alright, I’d like Cipher to accompany us…”
“For an autonomous doll to be so attached… does Fujiwara-kun emit some kind of irresistible pheromone?”
“Sis, artificial intelligence in autonomous dolls is advancing by leaps and bounds. While it’s true Fujiwara-kun is a person of integrity.”
Now that I think about it, I’ve been curious about how the Mikuriya sisters are equipped for this exploration—and what their roles are.
“Hehe… I’m a ‘Mystic,’ and my sister is a ‘Minstrel.’ We can’t wear heavy armor, but in this party, I’ll need to take on a front-line role.”
“Mystic…”
“I could show you my student card, but let’s save that for when it’s necessary. Showing it to someone is like baring your soul as an explorer.”
“Okay, but please don’t say that in front of Nanami-san.”
“…Me?”
“Y-Yes. You two are dating, right?”
Futaba-san suddenly dropped a bombshell—Nanami-san’s ears turned red, and the vice president raised an eyebrow with interest.
“…If that’s the case, are we a fatal third wheel here? Even I might blush.”
“N-No, Fujiwara-kun and I…”
“U-Uh, well, we’re not dating or anything…”
“…”
I should’ve chimed in and clarified that as well, but instead, Nanami-san stared at me in silence—this is what they call being on pins and needles.
“Hehe… this is as sweet and sour as a romance drama. It makes me crave a sugary tangerine…”
“S-Sorry, I jumped to conclusions… so you two are friends?”
“…More than friends… maybe…”
“Wha… er, um…”
I kept stammering from earlier. If Nanami-san says we’re “more than friends”—wait, at this rate, we’ll never get into the dungeon.
“Hm?”
“Renjou-sensei, is something wrong?”
“No… sorry, just talking to myself. By the way, are you heading into the dungeon soon? No rush on my end, so take your time.”
“No, we’re going in now. Let’s go, everyone.”
“Fujiwara-kun, could you lead today? Just think of me as a strong ally who’ll help you in the beginning. Though, there’s a strong case to be made that you’re stronger than me.”
“I don’t quite understand that example… we’re just here to join you.”
“I’ll decide the exploration strategy, but of course, I’ll incorporate everyone’s input. Does that sound good?”
“Hehe, it sounds perfect.”
“If you say anything negative, we’ll leave you behind, seriously.”
“Beep, party members recognized. Identification codes: Sexy, Serious, White—is this correct?”
“You recognized me as a ‘sexy’ character just from this conversation? Impressive.”
“Serious… please, I’d rather not. I’m a bit self-conscious about that.”
“…My designation really sounds like a code name.”
Though Cipher’s identification codes were soon corrected, it looked like this dungeon expedition, with the Mikuriya sisters joining in, was going to be quite lively.
