Chapter 25 – The Son Participates in an Investigation of Distant Ruins 【Part 2】

Ryuuji had returned to his mother.

In the living room, Mom Karma Abyss welcomed Ryuuji and the others.

Ryuuji told his mother the happy news he had received that day.

“Today the guild gave us a request.”

“…………”

“It’s in a forest beyond Zakudira—a town about two days away by carriage.”

“…………”

“A new ruin was discovered, and we were chosen for the investigation team… Um, Mom?”

Ryuuji found it suspicious that his mother had given no reaction at all.

She had been standing at the entrance with a smile frozen on her face, completely motionless.

“Mom? Are you listening?”

Hello? Ryuuji asked.

“…………”

But Mom didn’t move.

Her eyes were open… no, they were wide open.

And her pupils were dilated.

“M-Mom!?”

Had Mom died again? Ryuuji worried.

No.

“This is a dream this is a dream my son would never leave home that’s right this is a dream it’s not real a dream a fleeting dream this world is nothing but a butterfly’s dream anyway so let’s destroy the planet yes let’s do that.”

With her pupils still fully dilated, she muttered rapidly under her breath.

Mom started wobbling toward the front door.

“Wait, Mom! Where are you going!?”

“Oh, Ryu-kun. Mommy’s just going to destroy this planet real quick. I’ll be right back, so be a good boy and wait for me, okay?”

She spoke with a wide, dilated-pupil smile.

“Mom! We’d die too! Geez! Mom!!”

Ryuuji shook her shoulders.

After that, the three of them—Chekiita, Sheila, and Ryuuji—desperately tried to talk her down.

They all moved to the living room.

It was time for a proper discussion.

The four of them sat around the table.

The topic was the ruin investigation Ryuuji had just told his mother about.

“We defeated a dungeon boss the other day, right? The guild finally recognized our strength because of that.”

“Oh my, that’s wonderful.”

Chekiita crossed her legs and smiled.

“So that’s why you’re joining the ruin investigation?”

“Yeah. The guild specifically requested us by name.”

“Well well, look at you, Ryu. You’ve really grown.”

“Hehe.”

Ryuuji beamed at the honest praise.

He glanced sideways at Mom.

He had wanted her to say “That’s amazing!” too…

“This is a dream it’s not real I’m inside a dream yes this is a dream it has to be a dream so anything dream-me does is still just a dream therefore.”

She was still muttering the exact same things, pupils dilated.

She hadn’t listened to a single word Ryuuji said.

…It hurt.

He had been so excited to give his mother this happy report.

Plus, he had really wanted to hear those words from Mom, not Chekiita.

“HAAAAH! My son looks sad!!!”

Whoosh! Karma Abyss instantly detected the change in Ryuuji’s expression.

She seemed to snap back to reality.

“W-w-w-what’s wrong, Ryu-kun!? Did someone bully you!?”

Her face was deathly pale.

“…No one bullied me. …Hmph.”

He almost said “Mom, you idiot,” but stopped.

If he called Mom an idiot, she really would die of shock.

He didn’t want to hurt her.

“So, Ryu. What’s the schedule for this ruin investigation?”

Chekiita urged the conversation forward.

“Um, we take a carriage for two days to reach the ruins… then we investigate, so it’ll probably take over a week to get back.”

“O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-one weeek!?!?”

Mom’s face went from blue to pure white.

“O-over a week!? Y-you mean there’s a chance you might never come home again!?!?”

Tears welled in her eyes as she boing! leaped over the table and tackled Ryuuji in a frontal hug.

For how huge Mom was, she was shockingly light.

“Mgh… I’ll come right back.”

“What kind of work will you actually be doing, Ryu?”

“Ah, um, just mapping the interior of the ruins. We’ll split into teams and make a map.”

So it wasn’t actually that dangerous a quest.

It was easier than a subjugation request.

The guild had even promised an exceptionally high reward.

And more than anything… being specifically requested by name made Ryuuji proud.

It felt like their strength had finally been recognized.

That was why he had wanted Mom to be happy for him…

“No no no! That’s way too dangerous!!!”

Still clinging to him, Mom shook her head wildly.

“What if you get lost inside the ruins!?”

“No, we’re still weak, so we’ll only be assigned the shallow floors. I don’t think we’ll get lost.”

“You said ‘don’t think’—that means it’s possible!!!”

Aaaaah!!! Karma Abyss wailed in despair.

…What hurt Ryuuji was that.

Not that he had made Mom sad.

But that she couldn’t be happy for him.

“No way, Ryu-kun! I can’t allow you to leave home for over a week, and I definitely can’t let my son and his friend go to such a dangerous place!!”

She had casually included Sheila too, and Sheila’s eyes were misty as she said, “Karma-san… thank you for worrying about me…”

“Let’s go to the guild right now and turn it down.”

“But… they requested us by name.”

“That doesn’t matter! Nothing is more important than my son’s safety!”

…When he heard that.

Ryuuji got angry.

He hated being told “that doesn’t matter.”

After finally reaching the point where the guild would request them by name.

After finally being able to show her how much he had grown.

Instead of being happy, she had called it “that kind of job.”

…That was what pissed him off.

“Let’s take safer quests like before. We can just hunt in nearby dungeons, right?”

…A rebellious spark flared inside him.

Ryuuji shoved the clinging Mom away.

“No! I’m going! I’m definitely joining this investigation!”