Dungeon Gacha Life Chapter 33

 Chapter 33: Hail, Saint Valentine

I finished up my hunt on Floor 36 and made my way back to the Guild lobby. It was just before four in the afternoon so it looks like I'd clock out on time again today.

Stepping into the lobby, Lapis spotted a familiar face and flew off. I watched her go, then headed for my usual counter.

On the way, I caught Yui's eye but she was helping a customer at another counter. I raised a hand in greeting and she gave me a bright smile and a little bow back.

Come to think of it, I'd run into her two old party members not long ago. They'd brought in two new members and were fired up about taking another shot at the Minotaur soon.

They'd tasted defeat once already. I found myself quietly hoping it would go better for them this time.

When I finally reached the counter, Shimotsuki-san was waiting for me there while wearing the same easy smile as always.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Shimotsuki-san."

At this point, it might as well be exclusive service. Showing up at the same time and leaving at the same time every day had turned me into something like her de facto dedicated client. Works for me.

"Welcome back, Suzukaze-kun."

Coming back from a job where my life's on the line, only to have a beautiful woman tell me 'welcome back', what bliss. No wonder there are rumors that the Guild factors looks into its hiring.

I moved today's drops, already transferred into my bag earlier, over to the designated tray.

"That's everything for today. Could you process it, please?"

"Just this, hm? For solo work, that's more than plenty."

We traded smiles and ran through our usual little exchange. Now that I thought about it, this quiet conspiracy of ours had been going on for a while now.

Pretty sure my hidden affection stat with her just shot up a few points.

"All right, I have confirmed them. I'll go get this processed for you."

Shimotsuki-san stood up and pushed the cart with the tray on it away. I called out to her retreating back.

"I'll be lonely so hurry back, okay?"

"Oh? Isn't it nicer to be a little lonely so it feels better when I'm back?"

Shimotsuki-san answered with a soft laugh. Hah, played by her again today. Heh heh.

Exchanges like this had become just a normal part of things between us by now. A comfortable relationship, with just a hint of sweetness to it which is a nice one.

If I could help it, I didn't want to ruin what we had.

I wondered if she felt the same way about it. Hoping she did, I passed the time alone for a while.

* * *

A while later, Shimotsuki-san came back with an itemized statement clutched in her hand.

"Hmm... 130,000."

That was my rough guess. Shimotsuki-san made me wait a beat before giving me the real number.

"Nope. 120,000 yen."

"Guess I miscounted the magic stones somewhere."

What we'd been doing was a little guessing game on today's payout, nothing riding on it if I got it right, just something to pass the time.

I took the statement from her and looked the number over again. 120,000 yen for the day. Nothing to complain about there.

With sixteen to eighteen working days a month, that put my monthly income at over two million yen. Call it twenty-four million yen a year.

And the best part was that this was already after taxes.

No annoying year-end tax filing to deal with, thanks to the Complete Withholding Taxation set up under the Explorer Special Exemption Act.

If I sold to a private buyer instead of through the Guild, I'd have to file and pay the taxes myself.

Private companies pay more but it's a hassle. So I sell everything through the Guild. Though honestly, with Shimotsuki-san here, the Guild was the only choice to begin with.

Lately Yui's part of that equation too. Between the two of them, I'm only going to keep pouring more money into this Guild.

Not that I'm complaining about it.

My income had jumped significantly since becoming C-Rank. The main difference between the Upper Levels I used to work and the Middle Levels comes down to the magic stones you get.

In the Shallow Levels, it's micro magic stones. The Upper Levels give small magic stones. And from the Middle Levels on, you start getting medium magic stones.

The energy output or whatever scales up with each tier and the price inflates right along with it. It's exactly why it's so hard to make a real living at this until you're C-Rank or higher.

Flip that around, though, and once you make C-Rank, clearing the ten-million-yen income wall is easy. Part of the reasons why C-Rank Explorers get taken seriously by society, too.

Money matters. And by extension, so do the people who can earn it.

By that measure, pulling in over two million a month puts me somewhere around "promising rookie pro". Still pretty tame next to the ones sprinting straight for A-Rank though.

Naturally, I've been cutting back hard on how much I actually hunt to keep it that way. If I ever end up with too much on a given day, I would just carry the excess over and even it out next time.

Lesson learned from last time, I'm thorough about this kind of cover-up now.

"Good work today, as always."

Shimotsuki-san's gentle words pulled me back from wherever my thoughts had wandered off to. Details could wait. For now, I'd just let her smile do its work on me a little.

This, right here, was what recharged my soul.

* * *

"Ahem. And, um, this... if you'd like it."

Shimotsuki-san with her cheeks faintly pink, held out a square box after a very deliberate throat-clear. It was wrapped in white decorative paper, complete with a ribbon.

"What's this?"

My birthday's in April, for the record.

"Yesterday was a Sunday so I brought it in planning to give it to you today. Though if you don't want it, I could always take it back."

Something she wanted to give me yesterday, even though it was a Sunday? Yesterday was February fourteenth... oh!

"Don't tell me, Valentine's Day?"

The day women give men chocolate. Apparently overseas it's more about giving flowers to family and lovers.

Whatever the case, chocolate.

I couldn't stop the grin from creeping onto my face.

"Thank you, Shimotsuki-san. I'll savor every bite."

"Just... eat it normally. It's fine. I just bought something ready-made, that's all."

Her face only got redder. In my heart, I gave Saint Valentine a standing ovation.

"I mean, we have a professional relationship, don't we? It's just good practice to do this kind of thing when I can. There's absolutely no ulterior motive here so don't go getting the wrong idea, okay?"

So Shimotsuki-san gets pretty talkative when she's covering something up. Another new side of her I hadn't seen before. Honestly, it's just cute.

"Don't tease me. Come on, your business here's done so go home."

"Hate to leave but I will. Look forward to the return gift, all right?"

Yes, got to see her blush one more time before leaving. Today really was a good day. Hail Valentine's Day.

"Oh and one more thing..."

Shimotsuki-san stopped me as I stood to leave. Was there still another surprise coming?

"Her shift's about to end so make sure you stop by and see Yui-chan too. Apparently she has something for you today as well."

She held up a finger and made me promise with a firm 'got it'?

Yes, ma'am.

I gave a little salute and headed for Yui's counter. Inside, I felt something caught somewhere between complicated and genuinely happy.

Well, no guy alive is unhappy about getting chocolate from more than one girl!

I was in such a good mood I figured I'd let Lapis have a bite too. Today, I was feeling generous.

When I reached the counter where Yui was waiting, I found her there, cheeks flushed, fidgeting in place. It was, I don't know, just really embarrassing, somehow.

I hadn't even eaten anything yet and already my mouth felt sweet.