The Chronicles of a Man Who Aspired to Be an Unparalleled Character with Hidden Weapons - The Explorer Who Conceals His Power Becomes the Strongest When He Wields a Sword - Chapter 17: Two Gems

Chapter 17: Two Gems

“Ah…”

When I came out of the dungeon, I found an unexpected person.

“Oh, if it isn’t Tokioka-kun.”

“Sumeragi, huh?”

Yes, it was Sumeragi.

She was standing at the entrance of the dungeon, intently holding something in her hand, which inevitably led to us bumping into each other as I came out.

“You’re spending your holiday in the dungeon? I thought girls would prefer shopping or something.”

“If that’s the case, then the same could be said about you. No, I wonder if it’s typical for boys to delve into dungeons even on their days off.”

“Well, yeah.”

Dungeons are full of dreams and romance.

But then again, we’re high school students. We’re supposed to hang out with girls on holidays to be considered socially fulfilled.

“…What’s that?”

“Oh, this?”

Yes, that was exactly what I was curious about.

What Sumeragi was holding looked like a red gem, and seeing it, I visibly expressed my surprise.

“Do you know about this?”

“Sort of. See.”

I also took out a red gem that I had been keeping in my pocket.

The gems we held were identical in color and shape. I took the initiative to explain how I had come across mine, and then Sumeragi shared her story.

“Same here. Until a moment ago, I was hunting in the S-rank stratum of the colossal ruins. There was a monster enveloped in a red-black aura. When I defeated it, this gem appeared.”

“It must have been stronger than the others, right? Did you get hurt?”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

Upon being asked if she was injured, she opened her mouth in a daze.

Her expression was rather silly, but of course, I couldn’t call a girl silly to her face, so I waited for her to speak.

“…It’s just that no one has ever shown concern for me before.”

“Ah, I see.”

I chuckled wryly at that. 

Indeed, as an S-rank, considered the strongest, she probably had never been worried about by anyone before… But from my point of view, I’d be concerned regardless of who it is.

“It’s natural to worry. Even though we’ve only started talking recently, we’re friends, aren’t we? I’d be sad to think you believed I wouldn’t worry about you.”

“…Fufu, sorry.”

Don’t apologize while looking so happy.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I couldn’t help it; it’s so fresh to me. Well, I did struggle a bit. But with that power I showed you, they were no match.”

That means, her angel form, right?

I still don’t know the specifics about that state, but certainly, with that power, even the demons sprawling in the S-rank stratum wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even without that power, with her ability, she should be able to handle it.

“Are you curious?”

She looked up at me as she said this, with a devilish expression. While slightly taken aback, I asked her, though I doubted she would answer.

“It’s not a big deal, but… well, there are some complicated circumstances.”

“Then I won’t ask. Just tell me when you feel like it.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

To be honest, I wasn’t that eager to know more, nor was it something that constantly occupied my mind.

“I think Tokioka-kun feels the same, but I don’t overestimate my own power. That’s why I always consider all possible situations and act accordingly… As an Explorer, getting too cocky and being defeated would be pointless.”

“Exactly. It’s the mindset of a Legion Knight—”

We laughed together, feeling like Legion Knights. 

Then, on our way to the guild, she said this,

“For now, let’s hand this over to the guild. They might be able to analyze what it is and how it works.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same… It’s kind of creepy to keep it anyway.”

Before even thinking about keeping it or selling it, it’s best to have such a mysterious item properly examined. I went to the guild with Sumeragi and handed over the gem to the staff. While waiting for the conversion of other materials, I sat down on a sofa inside the guild… naturally, with her sitting next to me.

“Seriously though, it’s good that whatever happened in the S-rank stratum didn’t leak down to A-rank.”

“Indeed. As it’s said, there’s a huge gap between A and S ranks. The strength of the monsters jumps significantly.”

The nature of the dungeon seems to be such that, generally, from F to A, the monsters progressively get stronger, but the difficulty spikes dramatically the moment you enter S-rank. 

This sudden increase in difficulty is one reason why the existence of S-rank is not widely acknowledged, but as she said, it’s a clear indication of the gap that exists.

“Though I guessed it from the way you talk, you do have considerable experience fighting in the S-rank stratum, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I remember running around with my sword. There’s quite a deep sky garden there, right?”

“Uh? Yes… wait, seriously?”

“Yeah. I’ve been there a few times.”

“The monsters there are quite formidable… You really are amazing.”

I remembered fighting non-stop with my Unparalleled Blade, facing hordes of harpies and strange birds… Well, I defeated them all.

Sumeragi looked at me with something akin to admiration.

“As expected of the person who defeated me.”

“…Hey, can you stop looking at me like that?”

“Why should I?”

“…It just feels weird.”

“Humu?”

Stop smiling like that, seriously.

If it were the smug face of some annoying guy, it would be one thing, but when a beautiful girl like Sumeragi does it, it’s just too fitting and strangely makes my heart race.

“But I can’t forget what you said earlier. Hey, Tokioka-kun.”

“What?”

“What if, just if, I asked for your help, what would you do?”

“What would I do? I’d help you, of course.”

That’s what friends are for.

“…Un.”

So stop making that bashful face… though saying that might be a bit unreasonable.

Afterward, while waiting for the conversion to be completed, Sumeragi and I chatted about personal things and had a good time, albeit with fewer words than usual.