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 21: Alone with Sumeragi
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Chapter 21: Alone with Sumeragi
“Ah, isn’t that Tokioka-kun!”
“Uh? Oh, both of you.”
It was lunchtime, and today, unusually, I visited the cafeteria alone.
When I turned around to a familiar voice, I saw Sanada and Shinjo from the regular course, who had previously delved into a dungeon with me.
Since then, we hadn’t met or talked, so this was our first reunion… But due to that incident, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt.
“What’s wrong? Your expression suddenly darkened.”
“…Well.”
Back then, Sanada had a terrifying experience, and Shinjo even cried, fearing Sanada might die. I didn’t want to remind them of that…
While I was searching my mind for a good reason, Sanada seemed to guess my thoughts and gave a wry smile.
“Are you thinking about that time? If so, it’s not like I don’t care… But I have no complaints towards the person who saved us. So, there’s no need for any extra guilt between us!”
“…Is that so.”
“Surprisingly sensitive, aren’t you? Despite having such monstrous strength.”
“Calling me a monster is going too far.”
However, hearing Sanada say that put my mind at ease.
Though it happened by chance, I ended up sharing a table with the two of them, and our conversation over lunch turned out to be surprisingly lively.
“But I thought as much. Talking to Tokioka-kun is really easy, and our values aren’t that different from his.”
“Values aside, I always thought of myself as having a normal sensibility. None of my family members are Explorers, so maybe that’s a factor.”
“Oh? It’s often said that strong children are born to Explorer parents, but I guess there are exceptions.”
“Well, let’s not talk too much about that.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah.”
Maybe because I had helped them, despite only having talked to them that one time, I was happy they were opening up to me.
Well, as long as my family isn’t harmed, I don’t mind how much I get known… though I don’t like it, it’s not something I worry too much about.
(Well, no matter what they say, a C-rank like me being laughed at for what I can do is the most I can expect.)
In this sense, the ranking system is surprisingly flexible.
And yes, speaking with Sanada and the others reminds me… about Chiba and those who caused trouble, there’s still no plan for their return to school… in fact, I’ve heard some scary stories, but I don’t know if they’re true.
This might be why there are fewer students engaging in extreme behavior… but still, incidents involving former Explorers are occasionally reported in the news.
“Then, Tokioka-kun, let’s have lunch together again when we have the chance.”
“Sure. But, Is Shinjo okay with that?”
“There’s no reason to refuse. It’s fine by me.”
Yeah, it’s great that we’re getting along so well.
After parting ways with the two of them, I returned to the classroom, fighting hard to stay awake until after school.
“…Yawn.”
I was so sleepy… incredibly sleepy.
It’s not like I stay up late, but sometimes I have these overwhelmingly sleepy days. On days like this, it’s best to go straight back to the dorm and become a resident of the bed.
I was just thinking that maybe I’d skip the dungeon today.
“Wah!”
“…What is it, Sumeragi-san?”
“Couldn’t you at least pretend to be a little surprised?”
I was too sleepy to react, and I had already noticed her approaching from behind.
Glancing at her, I saw Sumeragi pouting, perhaps thinking her surprise attempt was a huge deal.
“…So, what do you need?”
“Ah… Maybe I need to raise my level a bit more to surprise Tokioka-kun.”
“What level are you talking about?”
“Let’s put the jokes aside. Are you free right now?”
“I am, but…”
Sumeragi then seemed to hesitate, as if weighing whether to make her suggestion.
She probably noticed how extremely sleepy I looked and was debating whether to say what she had in mind.
I gave her a wry smile and asked her to wait, then approached the sink.
“Alright.”
I scooped up some water in my palms and splashed my face with the cold water.
“That woke me up. So, what is it?”
“…Mou, Tokioka-kun.”
“Now you can say it without any reservations, right?”
“Yes, I suppose… Fufu.”
After laughing with a shake of her shoulders, she made this proposal.
“How about we go to the dungeon together now?”
“Me and Sumeragi?”
“Yes.”
In a sense, I had anticipated this, yet in another sense, it was unexpected.
It wasn’t about a serious dungeon exploration, but more about checking to see if anything unusual was happening, considering our past experiences.
“I see.”
“Of course, you’re free to decline. We’re heading to the deeper levels of the B-rank stratum, and it might be boring for you.”
“…Hmm.”
There had been no progress or new information about the mysterious phenomenon where that creature emitted a red-black aura.
Still, there could be something to discover, and the journey would undoubtedly be easier with her, the strongest S-rank.
“Indeed, it might be boring, but occasionally, it could be good. Besides, I’ve thought it’d be nice to form a party and explore with Sumeragi.”
“Really? You thought that?”
“Of course. I’ve wondered how much power I could unleash if I dived into a dungeon with someone as strong as Sumeragi.”
“I see… So, you were considering diving together.”
If I go to the dungeon with Sumeragi, there might be some annoying jealousy. …Well, I’ll leave it to her when that happens.
“Also, I’m curious to see how much my bow can support Sumeragi. Let’s go quickly.”
“You suddenly got into it.”
“Well, it’s the age of loving dungeons. Come on, let’s go~”
“W-wait a minute! I was the one who invited you!”
And with that, for the first time, I was going to dive into the dungeon just with Sumeragi.