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 - 47-48

Chapter 47: Conversation

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“U-Um, this is my room. Please, come in.”

“Okay. Pardon the intrusion.”

Ryuuto had been led to Yuto’s room. This change of location was prepared to let the uncle and nephew to be able to talk freely without any reservations.

Still, this timid demeanor… It’s concerning. Is he a coward?

Ryuuto also couldn’t ignore Yuto’s overly delicate appearance and mannerisms, but what stood out to him most was the lack of the vigor a man should possess. Of course, this was shaped by Ryuuto’s unique perspective, honed through a life spent on battlefields with little to no proper education since childhood. Based on the current world’s standard, Yuto wasn’t at fault. Besides, in this female-dominated world, herbivorous men were overwhelmingly common.

Well, no matter. Since he’s my nephew, I, the Great Ryuuto, will personally train him myself. I will train him thoroughly and mold him into a first-rate warrior who’ll make everyone proud. Ah… I can already picture Shougen and Nee-chan’s delighted faces already! Kuhahaha!

Not that anyone had asked for that though. Ryuuto’s plans were entirely misguided from the start, purely driven by his outdated view, but fortunately—or unfortunately—there was no one around to read his thoughts and correct him.

“Your room is so neat.”

“I’m pretty good at cleaning and organizing, actually.”

“Well, keeping things clean is important.”

“Wha—what are you doing?!”

Yuto’s voice rose in alarm. It was no surprise. Ryuuto had suddenly started rummaging through his closet and pulling out the drawers of his dresser without warning.

“Hm?”

Ryuuto turned his head, then nonchalantly began searching through Yuto’s bookshelf as though nothing had happened.

“Not ‘hm’! Stop that! Please!”

“Oh? I can’t do that? Sorry, it’s just an old habit of mine. I can’t help but check the insides of dressers and pots. I can’t settle down otherwise. Sorry about that.”

“No, no. Anyway, please don’t do it anymore. My undergarments are stored there! Hey! I just told you to stop!”

Ryuuto, now wiggling his lips, had stuck his head under Yuto’s bed. Yuto groaned as he grabbed Ryuuto’s legs and tried to pull him out, but the man didn’t budge an inch. After thoroughly searching under the bed, Ryuuto finally emerged, brushing dust off his hands.

“I was just checking if you had any naughty magazines hidden down there.”

“I don’t have anything like that! Where would I even buy something like that?”

“I don’t know, at a convenience store, maybe?”

“…They don’t sell those anymore.”

While Ryuuto had been fighting in dungeons, adult magazines had disappeared from convenience store shelves. It was simply a sign of the times, as the number of buyers had plummeted, leading publishers to collapse entirely.

“Seriously?! No way!”

Stunned by this revelation, Ryuuto’s mouth opened wide. He looked like a pitiful chimpanzee being denied its banana by a zookeeper.

“Geez… What’s with that reaction? What a funny person you are.”

Yuto let out a small chuckle, finding his uncle’s exaggerated expressions amusing.

“Um, Ojiki.”

“Ah, you don’t have to call me that anymore. You can just call me like you normally do.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I got bored of it.”

“I-I see. Then, is it okay if I call you Oji-san?”

“Sure. I’m your actual uncle after all.”

Ryuuto flashed a wide grin, showing his sturdy, white teeth. Though his gaze was sharp, his demeanor changed completely when he smiled. It was like seeing a fierce stray dog wagging its tail—there was a unique softness to it. Yuto relaxed, his expression softening into a gentle smile.

“Are you alright with tea?”

“A man drinks his coffee black and in silence.”

Ryuuto sat cross-legged in front of the table in the center of the room, glancing around as he did. Considering Yuto’s age, there was none of that adolescent, pungent musk typical of teenage boys in this room. There were various assembled puzzles, framed and displayed on the walls. Contrary to Yuto’s calm personality, many of them depicted grand castles or fantastical beasts, exuding a bold and heroic vibe. As Ryuuto crouched to get a better look, he groaned at the absurdly high number of tiny pieces in some of them.

To think someone could put together something so tiny, without giving up… They’ve got to be either a maniac or have way too much free time.

It was a harsh judgment—full of Ryuuto’s one-sided assumption and bias.

“So, Yuto, are puzzles your hobby?”

“Ah, no. These are the ones my dad put together. I just end up displaying them. Haha, it’s kind of annoying, to be honest. Our tastes are completely different.”

That damn Shougen… Causing trouble again. Now that I think about it, he’s always liked fiddling with detailed stuff like this. He’s just lounging around at home today too. Maybe politicians actually have a lot of free time?

“I don’t have much patience. Besides, I’m not great with these kinds of detailed things.”

“What a coincidence. I’m the same. I think the best way to deal with puzzles is to have someone else put them together and then display them.”

Ryuuto and Yuto exchanged a look and broke into matching grins. Somehow, they matched each other’s vibe and their conversation started flowing naturally. After a little while, one of the servants of the Gemma family brought in drinks. She was an exceptionally striking beauty, seeming to be around her early twenties.

“Excuse me.”

The young woman in a kimono didn’t change her expression as she gracefully carried herself out of the room after setting down the drinks.

“Whoa… She’s incredibly beautiful.”

“Sato-san? She’s one of our helpers. She’s amazing at baking pastries. Her pastries are so delicious.”

“Man, you’ve got it good, Yuto. You’re probably having all kinds of fun with a beauty like her as your helper, huh?”

“Puhh-!”

Yuto spat out the green tea he was drinking. Ryuuto frowned. He stared at Yuto in confusion before casting a longing glance at the door Sato had exited through. Ryuuto’s mind drifted to the image of Sato bending slightly to set down the drinks. Due to how close she was, the tip of Ryuuto’s nose almost touched with Sato’s voluptuous buttocks. Sato was plump at the right place. 

Bless the beauty of a woman’s hips. Rejoice and prosper, oh glorious nation.

“What are you talking about, Oji-san?! Of course not!”

“Then… Is she Shougen’s plaything?”

“If Father had something like that, Mother would tear him to shreds.”

“Good point.”

“Precisely.”

“Ah, crap. I just had this vivid image of Shougen getting chopped to bits by Nee-chan.”

“Ahahaha~”

“Anyway… Where were we? We got sidetracked.”

“I want to hear about your fight with the three-headed dragon!”

“Oh, right, that one. So, there I was, deep in the dungeon, in this vast, icy expanse that chilled me to the bone. With my teeth chattering, I challenged the three-headed dragon to a final battle—”

That day, Ryuuto deepened his bond with his nephew. After filling up on a hearty dinner, he turned down Shougen’s invitation to stay the night and left around midnight. The moon was full, and the crisp night air made everything, down to the edges of the road, everything was visible in sharp detail.

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Chapter 48: Encounter with a Believer

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“I’m kind of hungry…”

Ryuuto’s older sister had insisted that he had to always use a taxi when returning home. Ryuuto had more than enough pocket money for that. That said, her advice didn’t resonate with him in the slightest. Her older sister was worried there might be another chaos after their online press conference, but Ryuuto didn’t seem to share the same thoughts. 

“Guess I’ll grab some convenience store food for the first time in a while.”

Sayaka, his male protection officer, had yet to return to duty. Ryuuto’s older sister had arranged for some level of protection for Ryuuto until he reached the Genma residence, but he had declined it for the return trip, as he tended to overestimate his own abilities. In Tokyo, convenience stores could be found just about anywhere, so there was no need for him to wander too much. As the clock passed midnight, even the lights of the city had diminished significantly. People who spot the light of a store amidst the darkness might instinctively feel relief, as if it awakened some primal memory of their fear of darkness.

“That’s the essence of a convenience store. A beloved paradise. Not that anyone asked though.”

“Welcome—ah!”

Huh? What’s wrong with the store clerk?

The female clerk who had greeted him froze, her eyes wide in astonishment as if she had turned to stone. Her name was Kokona Kuroda. She had started working at the convenience store this April, one of its new staff members.

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No way. There’s no way this is real.

The part-time worker Kuroda Kokona, easily recognizable by her unicorn-colored semi-long hair, was a devout follower of the “Hero Association.” The Hero Association, officially named The Association to Honor and Preserve the Great Deeds of Hero Ryuuto Sakazaki-sama for Future Generations, had a pretentious and ridiculously pompous name. Founded twenty years ago, this new religious organization had steadily gained believers in Japan and was beginning to wield considerable influence in both political and financial circles. Kokona was what you’d call a second-generation believer, her parents having been devout members from the beginning. However, due to her inability to contribute adequately to the so-called “donations,” her standing in the organization wasn’t particularly high. Even her devout father had only recently managed to be appointed as a regional deacon this year. Despite that, the faith of Kokona and her family was unshakable. Raised by her parents to believe in the existence of Hero Ryuuto, she was practically brainwashed before she even formed her own sense of self. Kokona’s dependence on the Hero was deeply ingrained in her very essence.

Ah… Impossible… To think the sacred Hero-sama himself is standing right in front of me…!

After the recent press conference, Kokona had cut out every single image of Ryuuto that had appeared online, turning them into photos and posters. She worshiped them three times a day, to the point her parents were moved to tears. They wholeheartedly believe this devotion would secure the future of the Kuroda family.

“I-I deeply apologize if I’m mistaken, but are you, by any chance, the legendary Hero Ryuuto Sakazaki-sama…?”

Her excitement caused her eyes to glimmer unnaturally, and her body practically trembled with delight. Ryuuto, overwhelmed by her intense energy, instinctively stepped back a few paces. Kokona, however, was convinced that his arrival at the store was divine guidance. In reality, though, Ryuuto was desperately trying to think of a way to escape from this situation.

“Uh, yeah… I guess?”

“Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah!!”

“Uwoh?! What’s wrong?!”

Kokona, panicking, suddenly stepped back and then dropped to her knees on the spot. Even Ryuuto, startled by this unexpected behavior, froze in a bizarre pose.

“P-Please forgive my insolence! What an extraordinary blessing this is. I, Kuroda Kokona, thank the heavens for allowing me to remain a devoted follower of the Hero Association until this day!”

“I-I don’t really get it, but wouldn’t it be bad to make a scene in the middle of the night?”

“Y-You are absolutely right. I will keep that in mind!”

“Also, stand up. It looks like I’m forcing you to grovel or something.”

“No, no, no! For someone as lowly as I, a mere worm or insect in your divine presence, to dare stand at the same level as Ryuuto-sama would be—!”

“Just stand up.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Anyway, I’m just here to buy something, okay?”

“Ryuuto-sama, how generous you are! I, I… I don’t even know how to express the gratitude I feel for your kindness!”

“No, no. It’s nothing, really.”

“Allow me to perform a dance! A dance of joy!”

“No, really. You really don’t need to do that.”

“But if I don’t, I’ll be failing to show proper respect to Ryuuto-sama. Oh, what am I to do!?”

“In that case, why don’t you just ring up my items at the register?”

“…Ah, right. Could you please give me a moment?”

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T/N: I changed the name Hero Disciple -> Hero Association since I think this is better. They’re just a group of people who worship Ryuuto? So I think ‘association’ is better? I’m not sure how to translate religion stuff tbh.