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 - 53

Chapter 53: The One in the Shadows

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“Ugh.”

Ryuuto woke up in his apartment to the morning sun. He hadn’t slept much, as he had been exchanging LINE messages with Kokona Kuroda, whom he met yesterday, until the early hours of the morning. But in exchange, he hadn’t had any bad dreams. When he checked the wall clock, it was already 9 AM. He had only managed to get about three and a half hours of sleep, but his head felt refreshed.

“I want to keep sleeping for a bit more…”

His life partner, Sayaka Yamanashi, was still in the hospital. Though she reportedly wasn’t in any particularly bad condition, she still had to undergo a full-body examination as a precaution for the future.

“Nnngh…. Ah!”

Ryuuto jumped off the sofa he had been lying on, did a mid-air somersault, and landed with one hand. He skillfully balanced himself in a handstand, his head still pointing downward.

“A warrior must train their body at all times, no matter the circumstances.”

With that, Ryuuto began his morning training while balancing on one hand. He slowly bent his arm with his fingers extended, applying pressure to his muscles. After surpassing 1,000 repetitions, he switched to his left arm. Balancing his entire body on his left arm, he continued to exert pressure to his core muscle. By the time he finished his routine, his body was drenched in sweat.

“So hot. Time for a shower.”

He quickly stripped off his shirt and underwear. With Sayaka absent, he was essentially living alone.

“Since she’s not here, I can be more carefree.”

Ryuuto entered the bathroom and turned the nozzle. Hot water poured down on him from the shower. Closing his eyes, he expanded his senses in all directions. He imagined something akin to a sea anemone—a monster he had once fought in a dungeon. It dissolved its prey with its body while extending countless tentacles. Ryuuto let the fiery shower rain down on him, attuning his entire body to the surrounding energies.

Three, four, five… At least two people are outside the door.

Since his personal male protection officer, Sayaka, was absent, his elder sister had stationed other personnel around the tower apartment to keep a close watch over Ryuuto.

“Damn it. I’m not a kid. I can protect myself, thank you very much.”

Even at the convenience store last night, agents dispatched by his elder sister had surrounded the area without his notice. He was under surveillance. Ryuuto wasn’t so naïve as to live a life while being oblivious to this fact. He also understood that every single one of the people watching over him was highly skilled. In fact, some of these nameless agents might be stronger than Sayaka. Truly strong people often didn’t know the extent of their true abilities. 

“So then, what does that make me?”

Ryuuto shut off the shower and stepped out of the bathroom. Grabbing a large towel, he dried himself from head to toe.

“Ah, refreshing.”

He slapped the space between his legs with his damp towel. His unnecessarily large balls and shaft dangled in between, swaying back and forth. At some point, a fresh shirt had been placed out for him. He hadn’t put it there himself. Someone, whose name and face he didn’t know, had taken over Sayaka’s duties in managing Ryuuto’s daily life. Even when he focused his senses, he couldn’t sense where this mysterious helper was hiding.

“Better not be some kind of Zashiki-warashi…”

He rummaged through the shelves and corners of the room, but even with his detection skills, he found no trace of them.

This person must be highly skilled. 

“Oraaa! Who’s there!”

Fully dressed, Ryuuto flung open the door and stepped into the hallway. The silence was so absolute it felt as if the word “silence~” had physically appeared in the air.

“Whoa?!”

As if timed to pierce the gap in Ryuuto’s vigilance, four doors in the distance swung open simultaneously. At a glance, Ryuuto could tell all four individuals were young women. They were all clad in dark suits and wore masks, obscuring their exact features, but even from their eyes alone, it was clear they were strikingly beautiful.

“You guys… Are you the bodyguards Nee-chan assigned for me?”

“Ryuuto-sama. We’ve been instructed by Genma-sensei to assist you in secret during Sayaka Yamanashi’s recovery. We mean no harm.”

Among the four, a woman with a violet eyepatch over her left eye spoke in a restrained voice. Her voice was slightly lower than the average woman’s but carried a unique richness and clarity. Ryuuto glared at the woman with the eyepatch in silence before snorting through his nose.

“Please don’t be angry with us. We have no intention of replacing First Lieutenant Yamanashi, so rest assured.”

“Are you the ones sneaking in and out of my room?”

“My name is Sumire Sanada, from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Erasing your presence, sneaking into my room to play fairy games… That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“Our only desire is to ensure Ryuuto-sama lives comfortably. Nothing more.”

“Can’t you just answer my question already? Otherwise, I’ll start ignoring you all from now on!”

Crossing his arms, Ryuuto turned his back on Sumire, sulking.

“Please don’t say that, Ryuuto-sama.”

“…”

“Ryuuto-sama?”

“…”

“At this rate… If I get fired, I’ll be in trouble. Hic…”

“Huh?”

Startled by the suddenly nasal tone of Sumire’s voice, Ryuuto reflexively turned back to face her. There she stood, her expression composed with a slight smirk playing on her lips.

“See? You can’t ignore me anymore.”

“Huh??”

“Forgive my forwardness, but I’ve heard Ryruto-sama is a compassionate person. Now that you’ve learned my name, you can no longer think of me as a faceless stranger anymore, can you?”

“O-Oi, I’m not that soft-hearted, okay-“

“Ryuuto-sama, please allow us to do our jobs. If we lose our positions, my little sisters and I will be out on the streets.”

Sumire spoke in a syrupy voice, looking up at Ryuuto with a pleading gaze. Being a head shorter than him, her weak, imploring tone caused the previously tense atmosphere to soften immediately.

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