After Accidentally Helping a Famous Streamer Who Forgot to Turn Off Her Dungeon Stream, I Began to Go Viral as a Legendary Explorer ～ The Introverted Me Accidentally Dominating with My Mysterious Skill 'Ignore Rules' - Chapter 05: The Introvert's Determination

Chapter 05: The Introvert’s Determination

“…”

Ever since I saw off Miru, I was restless.

No matter how much I thought about it, the likelihood of her defeating the emergency monster was virtually nonexistent. Kawazaki’s party managed to escape because they were a four-person team, but for her to challenge it alone… it was clearly an opponent beyond her capability.

Moreover, just when we needed them the most, no new explorers showed up.

Even if I wanted to ask someone stronger than me to back her up, the situation didn’t even allow for that.

Of course, if I could, I’d want to help her myself. But the sad truth that I didn’t have the strength to do so was something I knew all too well.

“Father…”

As I was almost falling into a state of panic, my father’s face suddenly came to mind.

— “Tsukushi, you are my son. You surely will acquire a strong skill.”

— “Huh? Why do I always keep one eye closed? Haha, that’s the proof of having protected someone important.”

— “So Tsukushi, become someone who can protect the people that are important to you. Don’t ever become a fool who only thinks about himself.”

Yes.

In his lifetime, my father was a renowned explorer, known throughout the country.

My mother was an explorer too, and she was in a pinch when they met. My father saved her by putting his life on the line. That’s how they came to know each other.

And the reason my father passed away… was also because he was helping someone.

While exploring a certain dungeon, a sudden appearance of several large monsters had occurred. Back then, it was my father and mother— and two other explorers in their party, as I’ve heard.

Already exhausted from battling formidable foes, my father and his party found themselves in a situation so dire that everyone present had seemingly resigned themselves to death.

Yet, even then… only my father stood up, trembling.

— “I’ll buy you guys some time. Get out of here now!!”

…After such an incident, my mother retired from being an explorer.

She thought she had let the person she loved most die.

She thought she had no right to be an explorer anymore.

And most importantly—if she were to die in some unexpected accident, there would be no one left to raise me.

So now she’s working part-time at a supermarket and delivering newspapers at night, having raised me to this age.

I think my mother still loves my father, even now. He was always a man who could act for the sake of someone else, no matter what the situation. That was who my father was.

As his son, inheriting that blood—can I just stand here and let Miru die? Is that really okay?

“Yaaaaaaaah!”

Suddenly, a scream reverberated through the air, making me tense up.

There was no doubt; that was Miru’s scream. She had recklessly engaged in battle after all.

I know.

There’s no meaning in me going there.

The most I can do is maybe buy her three seconds to run away.

But even so, that’s fine.

If I can buy even just those three seconds, perhaps I can catch up a little to my father, who died so young.

With that resolve, I immediately dashed toward the direction of the scream.