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 - 55

Chapter 55: A Boring Saturday

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Loria Himejima was glaring intently at her smartphone in her living room. It was Saturday, a weekend. Though she was well-known as an A-rank explorer, she had the weekend free. That said, she had no plans to go anywhere. It was nine o’clock in the morning. The weather was sunny, with a clear blue sky that seemed to stretch endlessly—an invigorating morning. However, Loria was sitting at the living room table, completely motionless. Right next to her, her mother was washing the breakfast dishes, while Loria, emanating a dark aura from her entire body, remained glued to her smartphone like a corpse.

The reason was simple: she hadn’t received a reply from a certain someone she adored. No matter how long she waited. Her LINE notifications remained empty and LINE was her only means of communication to reach the person she adored. Worried that her daughter might just meld into the furniture while slumped over the table, her mother spoke up.

“You know, staring at the screen that hard isn’t going to make a man come out of it.”

“Shut up.”

“Silly girl. A smartphone isn’t going to provide any comfort for you, you know.”

“I get it already.”

“And how many times have I told you to fix your way of speaking? It’s childish. You’re not a baby anymore. Sure, it’s fine at home, but the people outside won’t be as forgiving as your mother, you know?”

“Okay, okay. I get it already.”

“Good grief. You and Tsumugi are both so beautiful, just like how I made you two… But neither of you has brought home even one boyfriend. When I was your age, I didn’t spend my days sitting at home all the time, you know.”

“Times are different now, Mom.”

Loria’s mother was already in her late 40s. Though the world was chaotic with monsters and dungeons, there was still time for young men and women to date back in her day. It was before the mysterious pandemic struck. While deaths from conscription and battles were high, the gender ratio was about the same. Of course, Loria didn’t have the benefit of a balanced gender ratio like her mother. Despite being an A-rank adventurer with lots of privileges, she couldn’t make the best of it to make her love life more fruitful. 

“There you go again, saying times are different now. The difference doesn’t really matter, you know? I mean, look at you. It’s your precious day off, but all you do is lounge around or glare at your phone in the living room. Don’t you have anything better to do? Honestly, Loria, I’m worried about you. Sure, it’s good that you are an honest and good child, but you’re really gullible too. Like when you lend your friends money only for them to run off with it.”

“Ugh…”

“Hahahaha! Look at that! My stupid Onee-chan is getting scolded by Mama again today!”

While Loria was being lectured by her mother, her younger sister, Tsumugi, came downstairs from the second floor while holding a sketchbook in her hand. Though she was still a high schooler, her hair was dyed an eye-piercing gold and styled into twin tails. At sixteen, she feared nothing.

“Wha-What did you say?!”

“…Nothing.”

Loria’s piercing gaze made Tsumugi look away. She had been in her position too. A time when the future seemed to hold infinite possibilities. Loria had also been confident and bold when she was sixteen. She even gained media attention as Japan’s youngest A-rank explorer candidate. 

Ah… Youth is so wonderful, huh?

Thanks to the media’s excessive exposure, Loria had a brief time when she was popular with guys. However, she ended up introducing them to her friends at their request. She ended up hearing the same old,“Ahaha, sorry, but I got ahead of you,” as they revealed their rounded, pregnant bellies. She was betrayed by her friends time and time again. 

And so… I’ve become an old Holy Maiden…

“Hm~ Hm~ Anyway, I’m not going to turn out like Onee-chan, who’s an A-rank but can’t put her talent to good use! Nowadays, women with creative jobs are the ones who are popular! I read that somewhere online!”

With a triumphant laugh, Tsumugi, who boasted a figure that rivaled her sister’s, proudly puffed out her well-shaped chest. Before the pandemic, she would have been the envy of women for her beauty and body, but since the number of women had far surpassed men, her charms were simply wasted. Especially since men nowadays prefer someone with a modestly sized chest. Watching her sister, Loria silently pitied her future.

“Geez, Tsumugi. You’re so happy because your sister has a day off today, huh? Aww~ You’re so adorable!”

“Wha-What are you talking about, Mama?! I was just trying to give Onee-chan a lecture on how to spend her life more meaningfully! I mean, look at her! She’s spending her Saturday afternoon waiting for a reply she won’t ever get! That’s all there is to it! I don’t have any hidden agenda or anything!”

“Sorry, Tsumugi. Onee-chan is not really in the mood to draw with you right now. Maybe next time, okay?”

“Don’t treat me like a kid!”

“Geez~ You two only have each other in this family, so get along, will you? Oh my! It’s already this late? I need to get ready, put on some makeup, and head out!”

“Wait, where are you going, Mama?”

“To Atami. I’m going on a one-night, two-day trip to the Atami hot springs with some old high school friends! Oh, and tomorrow night, I’m having dinner with my friends too, so you two will be on your own until then. Feel free to go out, though!”

“Wh-what!? Oh! Then, can you give me some money for food until tomorrow?”

Tsumugi bounced up and down excitedly. Loria thought her sister looked like a little rabbit. She found her little sister to be adorable when she was like this. 

“Yes. Alright, I will leave everything to your big sister, okay? Take care of the rest yourselves!”

“Haa…”

“Nihihihi… Yay! It’s been so long since we’ve eaten out. What should I get?~ Ah, Onee-chan, what do you want for lunch? I was thinking of going to the food court for a change.”

“Sorry, I can’t come with you, Tsumugi. You will have to go by yourself.”

“What?!”

“Look, why don’t you ask your friend to go with you?”

“Are you trying to roast me now?!”

“Huh?”

“I-I do have friends to go out and eat with, you know?! Tons of them! Like, a hundred at least! Do-Don’t get the wrong idea, okay?! It’s not like I wanted to cheer you up because I thought you looked lonely or anything!”

“Right, right. What a kind girl you are… But.. Well, it’s over. For me and for everyone…”

“Huh? Not this talk again. Onee-chan, I hate to say it, but I need to be honest with you, okay? Your so-called ‘beloved’ is that Ryuuto-sama, right? Even if you’ve exchanged LINE IDs with him, there’s no guarantee he hasn’t blocked you. Either that or the Ryuuto-sama you’re obsessed with is a fake. I mean, don’t tell me you’re still hung up on him when you know you don’t have any chance, rig- ARGH-?!”

“…Shut up. Ryuuto-sama would never reject me.”

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