The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 13

Chapter 13: I Will Definitely Get It! (※His Contact Info)

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The woman who appeared before Ryuuto was kind and gentle. She had a soft demeanor and a caring nature and above all, she was so beautiful. The stunning woman, who introduced herself as Loria Himejima,  wore a tightly fitted robe that made her look downright alluring. Just from first glance alone, Ryuuto found himself drawn to her. Although she was initially wary of Ryuuto, whose background was ambiguous, she was willing to listen to his explanation. She diligently took notes and even shed tears to his story as though they were old acquaintances. She was really sympathizing with his story. 

“I see… Ryuuto-san, you’ve been through a lot, huh?”

“Well, I mean…”

What’s with this situation…?

Ryuuto became extremely perplexed as he found himself surrounded by Loria and over twenty other beautiful women inside the dungeon. He told them briefly about his experiences. How he was wandering in the dungeon alone for about 20 years after defeating the Demon Lord, his encounter with Haruka Shimomura, and his solo battles against the Minotaur and Cerberus. The entire story took less than fifteen minutes to recount. Yet, during this time, the guild members Loria had brought with her gradually closed the distance, and before he knew it, Ryuuto was surrounded on all sides by beautiful ladies. 

So-Somehow I feel kind of scared…

The explorers, who had initially formed a circle a good distance away from him, became bolder as more time passed. They approached him closely. They even started placing their hands on his shoulders, arms, and even his sides, all while breathing heavily.

None of them spoke a word.

There was something distinctly odd about their behavior. Ryuuto could feel the tangible sense of intimidation, but he chose not to resist. He remained there, standing quietly. 

“I see… Ryuuto-san, you’ve been through a lot, huh?”

“No, wait a second. I don’t really mind, but why do you keep saying the same thing over and over again?”

Ryuuto asked. Irritation was finally creeping into his voice as Loria repeated the same line again like a broken record. 

“Ryuuto Sakazaki is the name of the legendary explorer who defeated the Demon Lord.”

“How pitiful….  Wandering the dungeon for so long has clearly taken a toll on his mind.”

“His eyes have this… Unsettling emptiness to them.”

Hearing their hushed murmurs, Ryuuto stomped his foot in frustration. It was behavior unbecoming of a man who was actually 38 years old.

“Hey, you there! I can hear you! Who are you calling crazy?”

“I-I don’t think anyone actually said you’re crazy though…”

“Nuuuu… No one believes me! How am I supposed to prove that I am who I say I am?”

“Well, maybe with something like a driver’s license, a My Number Card or an insurance card?”

“I don’t have a license and I’ve never heard of this ‘My Number’ thing! Uuuuh…. Am I going to end up in jail for some nonsense reason after finally making it back to the surface?!”

“…For now, there’s nothing we can confirm about your identity here. How about we head outside and take our time verifying everything at the association?”

It was a remarkably calm and practical suggestion.

“Yeah, you’re right. Besides, I really want to breathe fresh air.”

“Exactly! Ah, but… I have this one tiny request if you don’t mind…?”

Loria glanced up at him with upturned eyes, her gaze flickering nervously. Since Ryuuto was about a head taller than her, she naturally had to look up at him. Her coquettish tone made Ryuuto hesitate slightly, but he gave a quiet nod to Loria’s request nonetheless.

“A request? What is it?”

“Um… can we exchange LINE IDs and phone numbers?”

“Line…?”

Ryuuto froze, staring at the smartphone Loria held out. The last time he was outside was in the year 2005. The phones he was familiar with were the old flip phones people now called “garakei.” (ガラケー, outdated phones) While he understood what Loria meant by phone numbers, but LINE, which launched in 2011, was something entirely foreign to someone like him who had spent 20 years of his life in the dungeon.

“I know what a phone number is, but what’s line?”

“Oh, I’ve heard that some men avoid social media due to concerns about information leaks, but… You really don’t know what LINE is?”

Loria, clearly flustered, pointed at the smartphone Ryuuto was holding. Of course, the phone he had was actually Haruka’s.

“If you don’t know, I can teach you how to set it up! So, let’s exchange LINE IDs, okay? It’ll only take a moment. Really, just a moment, okay? Please? Pretty please?”

Loria leaned in sharply. Her pressure was overwhelming. The intensity of her pressure forced Ryuuto to take a step back out of instinct.

“Umm… Wait-“

“PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!”

Seemingly sensing Ryuuto wasn’t going to firmly refuse her, Loria tossed aside her composed and demure facade. She delved right into a full-blown aggressive stance.

“Okay, okay! I don’t really get it, but okay!”

“It’s super simple! Really, super simple! Just tap the second icon from the right.. Yes, the one shaped like a person and then displays the QR code on the screen!”

“Like this?”

Ryuuto, who was surprisingly quick to adapt, followed Loria’s instructions and navigated the smartphone smoothly, managing to complete the friend registration in one go. Naturally, the surrounding female explorers were not about to stay silent after witnessing this.

“That’s unfair! I want to exchange LINE IDs with Ryuuto-sama too!”

“Don’t steal the march, Captain!”

“Me next! It’s my turn next!”

“I’m going to exchange LINE IDs with him too!”

“Yes! I got a guy’s contact info!”

“No one’s ever calling me a social recluse for life again!”

“Hey, line up nicely!”

“Move, dammit!”

“Get lost or I’ll make you cry, you brats!”

Incidentally, it would only be a few days later when they all realized that the contact information they had exchanged wasn’t Ryuuto’s, but Haruka’s. Whether they enjoyed their brief sweet dream while it lasted was something no one could know.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー