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 - 37-38

Chapter 37: Sharpening the Fangs

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“Huh? Why isn’t he here?”

“Hm? You mean Ryuuto-san? He went home right after that, with that male protection officer, Yamanashi-san. Oh, she was really beautiful! Ah, about the same as Kyouka!”

“Idiot. Even if it’s just flattery, you’re supposed to say, ‘Kyouka-san is way more beautiful!’ Anyway… so Ryuuto-san’s already been snatched up by that Yamanashi person, huh… Ugh.”

“Ah.. Geez, it’s not like that, okay? Ahahaa~ Kyouka, you’re really beautiful. You need to have some confidence… Wait. Are you really crying for real?!”

“Uuuuuuuu…. Uuuuuuu…”

“You’re so noisy even though it’s still early in the morning.”

“Ouch! What the hell was that for?!”

“Shut up. I drank too much, and my skin condition is a mess.”

“Ugh, I can’t stand this girl. Hey, Haruka, I’m seriously in pain here. Just thinking about Ryuuto-san… right here. Right here, it throbs.”

“A sign for a heart attack?”

“No! Love! This is true love!”

“It’s just lust.”

“Rion, you need to learn to be a little more tactful.”

“Shut up, you. Ugh, why?! Yesterday was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I completely blew it! I’m such an idiot, idiot, idiot!”

“That, we already knew.”

“Ugh, both of you, stop with the pointless bickering. Also, you two drank way too fast. Even though I wanted to talk about exploration plans with Ryuuto-san too.”

“Exploration?”

“What’s that? Is it tasty?”

“Um, guys? We’re explorers by profession, remember? Don’t forget that.”

“Ugh, I can’t take it. I already want to see Ryuuto-san again. Haruka, you know where he lives, right? Tell me.”

“No,no,no,no. It’s five in the morning. It’d be beyond rude to barge into his place this early in the morning.”

“Shut up. I want to see Ryuuto-san right now and do a ton of… I mean, a ton of kissing.”

“Yeah, no, you were totally about to say something way worse. Were you trying to forcibly convert your nefarious thoughts into something more innocent?”

“That’s right, Haruka. This beast is too dangerous for Ryuuto-san. You mustn’t, under any circumstances, disclose Ryuuto-san’s personal information to her. Best case, she becomes a stalker. Worst case, she kidnaps and locks him up. Absolute worst case, she dismembers him and dumps the parts in the Fuji Five Lakes.”

“Rion, you’ve been watching too many horror films. I just want to see Ryuuto-san. Haruka, you get it, right?”

“I refuse.”

“Why?!”

“Of course it’s because any normal person wouldn’t tell you someone’s personal information?”

“Listen here. In the first place, Ryuuto-san and I are destined to be. That’s why I introduced him to you all yesterday. We’re going to be in a long-term relationship after all. Besides, it’s normal to introduce your boyfriend to your friends, right?”

“No, no. Haruka, it didn’t feel like you were introducing Ryuuto-san to us as your boyfriend. Not at all.”

“This is bad. Haruka has always been like this. She’s so stubborn, even in her delusions.”

“What did you say?!”

“No, Haruka, you need to be more self-aware.”

“Ah, right! Ryuuto-san agreed to join our party under a certain condition!”

“WHAT?!”

“Nice! So? What is his condition?”

“Ummm… I need to rank up from E-class to D-class by the end of this month.”

Upon hearing that, Kyouka and Rion  immediately stood up and started changing without a word. Kyouka put on a sports bra and leggings, while Rion stuck to her usual baggy sweats.

“What are you two—”

“What are you dawdling for?! Get dressed! It’s time to work!”

“Explorers rely on their bodies. We’re going to burn fat and build a battle-ready body.”

“You two never do that! Didn’t you say before that real combat is the best training, Kyouka?”

“Don’t be stupid. I’m fired up now. Haruka, I’m going to train you thoroughly so that the next time you meet Ryuuto-san, you’ll become a complete battle machine!”

“You won’t even be able to cry or laugh anymore.”

“Yo-You two are scary… Pl-Please calm down first?”

“First, let’s do a 20 kilometer run! We’re running to the Tama River!”

“What?! Seriously?!”

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Chapter 38: Exciting Drive

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I had a strange dream. A dream where I was wandering through a cave. 

Ryuuto had dedicated most of his life to fighting in dungeons. Because of that, he had no fear of confined spaces or darkness. In fact, he felt more at ease in dim, gloomy places than in bright ones. He sat up. He wasn’t in a dungeon anymore. Instead, he was in a luxury high-rise apartment in a prime district of the city. Even with his eyes closed, he had no reason to fear a monster attack and could spend his time in comfort.

“Open the curtains.”

The luxurious apartment came with a voice-activated system. The pure white curtains at the window swiftly pulled open with a mechanical motion. Beyond the wall of glass, the restored Tokyo skyline stretched out in a seamless diorama of buildings. He glanced at the clock beside his bed—6 AM. Sunlight poured into the room, almost blindingly bright. Having lived in darkness for so long, his internal clock was still out of sync, but after a few days here, he had gradually started to adjust.

Ryuuto took off his clean blue pajamas and changed into a shirt and slacks. As soon as he had moved into the apartment, Sayaka had taken him to a top-tier shop in Shinjuku to have an entire set of suits and shirts tailored. They had taken his measurements multiple times. He had read in a fashion magazine that well-fitted clothes would always have a tight spot somewhere, but that was a lie. The real deal fit so naturally that he forgot he was even wearing them.

A knock echoed through the door.

“I’m up.”

“Good morning, Ryuuto-sama.”

“Yeah, morning, Sayaka.”

She’s terrifyingly perfect again today.

Sayaka Yamanashi, Ryuuto’s personal bodyguard,  was as stunning as ever. Her well-fitted shirt and suit were immaculate and seemed to gleam under the light. Her natural makeup gave her skin a luminous glow, like a newborn’s skin, without a single flaw. Breakfast was fried eggs, bacon, salad, white rice, and miso soup.

“Today’s breakfast is insanely good today too. Sayaka, you’re a genius in the kitchen.”

“That praise is too much…”

Ryuuto was only speaking his thoughts honestly, but Sayaka still blushed with happiness. When he asked, she explained that the miso soup’s broth was made by soaking dried sardines overnight after carefully removing their heads and guts.

That level of effort is beyond the reach of an ordinary bodyguard. I mean, she’s incredibly devoted, more than I thought. 

“Mmhh! So delicious! Sooo delicious!”

“Ryuuto-sama, you’re going to choke if you eat that fast.”

Ryuuto had a hearty appetite, easily going for four bowls of rice at breakfast. Yet, he never gained weight. His muscle mass was abnormally high, burning through calories at a staggering rate, leaving not a trace of excess fat in sculpted body.

“I’m gonna nap for a bit.”

“Please rest well.”

After finishing his meal, he collapsed onto the sofa. The exhaustion from years of battle still weighed on his body. Lately, he has been sleeping at least fifteen hours a day. It was as if twenty years of unseen damage had left him utterly drained, making him as lazy as a cat. As he drifted off, he could hear the sound of water running in the kitchen.

Ryuuto had lost his mother at a young age, so all household matters had been handled by his older sister, Kazuki. However, she was not cut out for such things. When she tried to make a fried egg, she ended up with a burnt egg. If she tried to cook other things, the food ended up half-raw, overly greasy, or simply unbalanced in flavor. Kazuki was absolutely terrible at cooking. 

After eating Sayaka’s cooking, I finally understood. That thing doesn’t have any talent for housework. 

By ‘that thing,’he meant his sister, Kazuki. He bore no ill will in saying so. She was simply born without a knack for cooking. However, since Ryuuto had eaten her meals since childhood, her cooking had become normal to him. He had neither complaints nor expectations for her cooking. After all, he understood that her cooking skills had nothing to do with the depth of her love for her younger brother.

Shougen must’ve had a tough time marrying her.

Shougen had been raised in a temple and was picky about food, but well, that must be the hardship that Shougen had to bear as a man in love. Ryuuto often wondered how he had endured twenty years of her cooking, but maybe, for the two of them, her cooking was just a minor problem. 

Meh. Even Sayaka’s cooking doesn’t hold a candle against Rinka. 

Rinka had cooked for him once. If he recalled correctly, she had cooked him miso-braised mackerel, miso soup, blanched greens, and five-grain rice. Despite coming from another world, her cooking style was deeply traditional, probably influenced by her grandfather’s tastes. Sayaka’s cooking was exquisite, but to Ryuuto, the best meal he had ever had was Rinka’s. Before he knew it, his eyes were brimming with tears.

Idiot. Why am I Crying over something like this?

Lying on his back, Ryuuto roughly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. Then, placing a hand over his chest, he took a deep breath. The moment he focused his mind, the pounding in his heart quickly settled.

“Phew, that was a close one.”

Ryuuto wondered if he had come up with PTSD, the same kind that returning soldiers from the Gulf War often had.

Well, it’s not a surprise if I do. 

He reasoned. After all, he had spent nearly twenty years fighting in the darkness, despite not being a bat. It would only be natural if his mind had gone a little off. Kazuki had  mentioned that she would soon make a grand public announcement about him, but to Ryuuto, the very thought of having a public announcement was nothing short of terrifying.

Can I really adapt to society like this?

Lying on his back with his arms and legs spread out, he soon lost track of time without realizing it. The clock’s hands pointed to 10:00 AM. Around this time, Sayaka usually came to invite him for tea. Sure enough, there was a gentle knock on the door. Ryuuto sprang up from the bed, did a mid-air flip, and said…

“Come in.”

“Ryuuto-sama, I’d like you to accompany me for a bit today.”

“Sure. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”

Following Sayaka’s lead, Ryuuto descended the tower apartment and got into the vehicle waiting at the entrance. The vehicle was a Land Rover Defender 110, painted in Carpathian Gray Premium Metallic. Hardly the kind of car a twenty-something young woman should be casually driving, but that was likely the power of the government at work.

“Whoa… It’s all black. It looks pretty cool.”

“I apologize. This was the only one available.”

Ryuuto only knew of cars like the Corolla or the Sunny. Sayaka took the Defender 110’s steering wheel and pulled into the road slowly.

“A drive, a drive!”

Born and raised in the heart of the city and having lost his father at a young age, Ryuuto had little connection to cars. So, simply riding in the passenger seat with Sayaka in the driver’s seat was enough to make him excited. Sayaka glanced at him with a warm, maternal gaze, as if she was watching over a small child.

What is this? She seems kind of tense for some reason. 

Even as he acted excited, Ryuuto could sense that Sayaka’s body heat and natural pheromones were stronger than usual. That difference made him realize that something about her was off today.

Now then… Where is she taking me today?

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