Dungeon Gacha Life Chapter 31

 Chapter 31: What Happened on a Winter Day

I was lying on the couch at home, looking out the window.

True to Hachioji's winters, fine snow was dancing outside, blown about by the wind.

Half a year had passed since my C-Rank promotion. Before I knew it, it was already mid-February.

As for university, all that was left was waiting to graduate.

My thesis was all done too. All I'd had to do was translate my everyday work straight onto the page.

"A Study on Distribution Channels for Magic Stones and Biological Materials in Dungeons and Price-Formation Mechanisms at Regional Guilds"

When a professor with no field experience tried to needle me with a nasty question, I'd shut him up flatly with, "I'm simply laying out reasoning grounded in actual fieldwork, as a working C-Rank Explorer."

Beating someone down with logic and data is perfectly legal.

Things on the life were going smoothly too.

I'd told my parents over the phone that I'd become an Explorer.

They'd been reluctant at first but once I told them I'd already reached C-Rank and my monthly income was over a million yen, they relaxed.

I did panic for a second when my mom sighed, said something like "well, I doubt you'd push yourself too hard" and nearly hung up right there.

This is exactly the problem with self-contained people.

After that, I offered to stop the monthly allowance too but got shot down at the speed of sound.

They said to let them keep taking care of me until I graduated. Well I really did luck out with my parents.

For what it's worth, they were absolutely delighted about the year-end hot spring trip.

They said they'd make a list of places they wanted to go and send it over and hung up right then and there.

This is exactly why people who do things at their own pace are like this.

"So you take after your mom, Touya-san."

Lapis, the Gacha fairy, who'd been listening in on the call beside me, said that.

There's no way I take after a woman who was so self-centered.

"I bet your mom says her son doesn't take after her too, huh."

...Now that she mentions it, I think Mom did say something like that once.

So, that's how it went: over the New Year's holiday, I'd brought Lapis along on the hot spring trip.

The inn staff were naturally shocked and so were my parents, of course.

But that only lasted at first. She'd won them over in no time.

She really is good at worming her way into people's hearts.

"That makes it sound bad!!"

"True, with that much charm, things must be easy for you."

"—Mom!?"

Getting stabbed in the back that fast was hilarious.

That woman's got a mouth on her, alright.

"Uuugh... you two really are peas in a pod after all..."

"How so." "How so."

The only one just watching it all unfold with an unbroken, cheerful smile was Dad.

Looking back on all that from inside the taxi on the way to work, I let out a faint smile.

All things considered, I think it'd been a fulfilling six months.

The season: winter.

Today, same as ever, I was on my comfortable commute to work.

* * *

Walking into Hachioji Dungeon Guild, I was greeted by Yui who was dressed in the now-familiar Guild staff uniform.

"Good morning, Suzukaze-san, Lapis-chan."

A third-year in high school, and a former Explorer.

These days, she was working part-time right here at the Hachioji Guild.

Once she graduates high school, she'll already have a formal job offer to join the Guild full-time.

Now that February had come and her school had entered its free-attendance period, she'd started showing her face at the Guild like this even on weekday afternoons.

Compared to before, her expression had grown a whole lot brighter.

"Good morning, Yui-san!"

"Morning, Yui. It's cold again today, huh."

We returned her greeting and Yui's face bloomed into a smile.

Yeah, still as pretty as ever.

"Yes! Please take good care of your health too, Suzukaze-san. An Explorer's body is their whole livelihood after all."

She was worrying about me. But I was fine.

I had Physical Master, the Skill with Good Health folded into it.

The effect of Restful Sleep which was also folded in there, was incredible too.

By now I'd pushed Physical Master's Level all the way up to 10.

Honestly, I probably wasn't even capable of catching a cold anymore.

Still, that was top secret.

So let me just be grateful for her genuine concern instead.

"Yeah, thanks for worrying about me. You should watch out for overworking too, Yui, alright?"

"Y-yes!"

The girl's cheeks blushed almost before I'd finished the sentence.

Well, it was probably my fault, though.

Even I wasn't dense enough to miss affection that was this blatant.

Looking at it again, her reactions really were pretty easy to read.

She never failed to come say hello whenever we crossed paths in the lobby, after all.

I had a pretty good idea what caused it too.

Probably everything that happened on Floor 20.

Thinking back, that had been just about the perfect setup for romantic feelings or admiration to take root.

Though I sure hadn't noticed it back then.

That said, whether it was love or just admiration.

That's not something anyone could really know for sure.

What might come after that, I didn't know either, at least not yet.

For now, I didn't feel any urge to do anything about it with her right away.

So I was just leaving it on the shelf for now.

Having someone's affection directed at you is a nice thing in its own right, anyway.

* * *

After chatting with Yui a little and parting ways, I made my way to the counter.

Waiting there was the cool beauty, Shimotsuki-san.

As unchanging as ever, always giving off that aura of someone thoroughly competent at her job.

"Good morning, Shimotsuki-san."

"Good morning, Ryouka-san!"

"Morning, Suzukaze-kun, Lapis-chan."

When I spoke up, she greeted us with an expression just a touch softer than usual.

Which quickly shifted into something more meaningful-looking.

"You're quite the sly one, aren't you?"

Shimotsuki-san's gaze was on Yui, out in the lobby handling other Explorers.

I made a show of looking pleased about it.

"Are you maybe getting a little jealous?"

"I meant: don't go hogging our new hire all to yourself."

Guess it was purely a work thing after all. What a shame.

"Yui-chan's doing great. She picks things up fast and she's working hard to get used to handling customers too."

Where her gaze was pointed, Yui was in the middle of being invited to something by a pair of male Explorers.

I caught something about lunch so it sounded like they were asking her to join them.

But Yui kept her smile up the whole time and handled it smoothly.

Surprising or maybe not, but I guess she could handle that kind of thing properly after all.

"Sure it was rough at the start. But I made sure to back her up properly."

"That's Shimotsuki-san for you. Do you and Yui talk a lot?"

"Maybe it's because she's practically aiming to become someone's dedicated receptionist. She asks me about him a lot, you know."

Shimotsuki-san said that with a sly grin.

Damn. Guess that question backfired on me.

Alright, Lapis, change the subject smoothly!

"Isn't that setting the bar a little high!?"

Tch. Useless as ever.

Maybe I should cancel today's snack time.

"That's tyranny!?"

"Now, now, don't go bullying Lapis-chan."

I got a little scolding-face. Score.

With a magnanimous heart, I decided to show the Gacha fairy some mercy.

"Honestly. So? Are you working around Floor 36 again today?"

Shimotsuki-san asked, with a little laugh.

I'd been using the teleportation circle on Floor 36 as my base for a while now.

Today, same plan.

"Yeah. I figure I'm still a bit short for a B-Rank attempt. I want to level up a little more first."

B-Rank promotion required defeating the Floor 40 boss.

Clearing it would already be easy at this point but there was no need to rush.

My life was already stable.

From here, I just had to move up at a pace that wouldn't raise suspicion around me.

Shimotsuki-san, who surely had a good grasp of my true thinking, murmured something meaningful.

"'A bit short,' huh."

We traded the smiles of two people in on the same secret.