Dungeon Gacha Life Chapter 17

 Chapter 17: 500,000 Yen a Month, and a Dedicated Receptionist

I called it quits for the day at a reasonable point. I left the dungeon and made my way back to the lobby of the Hachioji Guild.

It was 4 p.m. Most Explorers were probably still out exploring inside the dungeon. Even at a Guild as busy as this one, the lobby was fairly empty.

The moment we stepped out of the dungeon, Lapis glanced all around, but it looked like none of her Explorer friends were here today.

She looked a little downcast at first, but then her face lit up as she turned toward the counter. One of the receptionists she liked to chat with happened to be free right now. She'd spotted Lapis and was waving her over.

"Touya-san, I'm going to go say hi real quick!"

I'd already transferred all the drops Lapis had collected inside the dungeon into my bag on the way back. Since I could handle the check-in on my own, so as usual, I let her do as she pleased.

"Sure thing."

Looking delighted, Lapis flew straight over to the receptionist in question.

Now, I wondered what she'd come back with today. Even a single small piece of candy was a mountain of a feast for someone as tiny as Lapis. That low-maintenance quality of hers was probably part of why everyone adored her so much.

"—That made me want to shout that you've got it all wrong!"

I heard the fairy's shout from a little ways off.

Try not to bother people by shouting so loud, alright?

I started walking toward my usual counter. Waiting there was a beautiful woman with a cool, composed presence.

Long black hair with sharp, narrow eyes and well-shaped lips. Despite the summer heat, her skin was still pale, which said a lot about how carefully she took care of herself.

A beautiful, capable older woman, through and through. Her name was Shimotsuki Ryouka. Our dedicated receptionist.

"...I'm not 'yours' exclusively, you know. And don't come walking over here saying embarrassing things like that."

"Oops. Guess my true feelings slipped out."

I got scolded for it.

Guess I really did draw the best fortune today. Woohoo.

None of it seemed to faze me in the slightest, so Shimotsuki-san just shot me a look that said "there's no getting through to this guy" and greeted me the same as always.

"Welcome back, Suzukaze-kun. Great work again today."

"I'm back, Shimotsuki-san. I'd like to cash in today's drops, please."

I returned the greeting and pulled the bag of drops out of my bag. I set it down on the tray of the dedicated cart, and Shimotsuki-san got up.

"Quite the haul again today. Alright, I'll go get this inspected and processed, so be a good boy and wait here."

Lately, Shimotsuki-san had gotten a lot more casual with how she talked to me. She flashed a mischievous little smile and wheeled the cart off.

Of course I'll be good.

I wondered if this kind of extra service had started up because I'd been bringing back more drops. Probably not, actually.

Still...

Lapis was off chatting with her friend, and Shimotsuki-san was busy with the paperwork. This period of time was always the most boring — and honestly, a little lonely.

* * *

After waiting alone for a while like that, Shimotsuki-san came back from the back. In her hand was a single sheet listing the details.

"Quite the haul again today. I'm almost jealous."

"Want to come be an Explorer with me?"

"This job pays decently enough though."

Trading that kind of banter back and forth, I took the buyback slip from her.

The amount written there was 28,900 yen which worked out to about 4,800 yen an hour. A satisfying result today too.

"You're really have become one of the full-time Explorers now, aren't you."

"Well, that's only if it comes out to about 500,000 yen a month, give or take. Compared to the people they call 'professional Explorers,' isn't it still a bit lacking?"

"True, compared to mid-tier C-Rank and above. But you're still D-Rank, aren't you? Pulling in that much at your rank is nothing to sneeze at."

"C-Rank, huh... Might be about time I moved up."

Explorers operated under a formal ranking system. Rank was determined mainly by how far someone had cleared into a dungeon.

Fresh registrants started at "E-Rank." Since an Explorer license doubled as a form of ID, apparently some people got one and never even set foot in a dungeon.

Next up was "D-Rank," the beginner tier which is my current rank. Clear the Shallow Levels and unlock the first teleportation magic circle, and you'd be bumped up to this rank without any fuss. Socially speaking, it still didn't carry much weight.

You could only call yourself a professional Explorer starting from "C-Rank." This rank was granted once you defeated the Upper Levels' boss and reached the Middle Levels. Get this far, and your earnings would have improved and your social standing was more or less guaranteed. In the eyes of the public, people at this level were often lumped in with Self-Defense Force members or rescue workers.

Then there was "B-Rank," the veteran tier. Defeating the Middle Levels' boss was the requirement for this rank, and getting this far put you firmly among the winners in life. It was also called "the peak that an ordinary person can reach," and the combat strength involved set it clearly apart from C-Rank.

And finally, "A-Rank." The modern-day heroes who'd defeated the Lower Levels' boss. There were only a handful of them in the entire country, and they were held in extremely high regard by the public. People with less tactful mouths apparently called them "no longer human".

Anyway, I was a D-Rank Explorer. A rank that by all rights, shouldn't be able to pull in 500,000 yen a month. And on top of that, still keeping my three day rest week.

Guess that's bound to look suspicious at some point.

Still, deliberately cutting back on my income didn't sit right either. I was already holding back plenty as it was.

Might be less of a headache to just quietly rank up instead.

* * *

While I was thinking that over, Lapis, who'd been chatting with the other receptionist, came back.

"Ryouka-saaan! I'm back!"

"Welcome back, Lapis-chan. Good work today too."

Lapis spread both arms wide and dove straight into Shimotsuki-san's chest. Shimotsuki-san caught her with a gentle smile.

Man, I'm so jealous. Trade places with me, you little bug.

I kept my usual "what a handful" expression plastered on as I watched the scene play out. Getting too obviously eager about it would just be embarrassing, you know?

"Listen to this, Ryouka-san! I got such a wonderful reward today!"

Without a clue what was going through my head, Lapis beamed a carefree, wide-open smile.

"A wonderful reward? Did some more furniture come out for you again, Lapis-chan?"

I never bothered hiding any of the items my Unique Skill "Gacha" churned out for Lapis specifically — I always just shared them openly with Shimotsuki-san. After bringing so many of them back over time, she'd gotten pretty used to it by now.

"Yep! Touya-san, show Ryouka-san the thing!"

"Yeah, yeah."

I pulled out the SR miss item from today's ten-pull's guaranteed. It was a little dresser about 10 centimeters tall. A white vanity set with pink accents, complete with a mirror and a matching little chair.

Why does every single pull end up giving this thing something that boosts her quality of life, specifically?

Get out here, devs.

Shimotsuki-san looked at the intricately crafted miniature vanity, her expression impossible to describe.

"Lapis-chan, aren't you basically living like a princess by now?"

"Ehehe~ Oh, come on, a princess, that's too much~"

The little bug squirmed and wriggled bashfully.

You want me to set that thing on fire?

"Is this a witch hunt!?"

Lapis reeled, wrapping both arms around herself in shock.

Where does she even pick up phrases like that, seriously.

For what it's worth, Shimotsuki-san was right on the money — my apartment did have a designated "Lapis-chan living zone." I'd set aside about one tatami mat's worth of space in the room and arranged all the furniture that had come out so far there.

The fact that she was living a far better life than me, the actual tenant, genuinely bothered me.

Someday, I'm putting the whole lot out as bulk trash.

"Y-you can't do that, okay!? You absolutely cannot!?"

With that kind of noisy back-and-forth, my day's Explorer work came to an end.