by Tôwa
Later that day, I reported to Louisa that we opened the second Black Box. She joined us for dinner in the evening, and we all went back to our own homes. Louisa would be moving to District Seven with us to continue as our caseworker, but she still seemed reluctant to part ways with us even though, in the end, she decided not to stay at our place. Everyone needed to pack tonight for the move.
We returned home to find Madoka, who had identified the equipment we’d received from the box. I had been hoping I could upgrade some things, but nothing was much better than what I had, meaning I didn’t change anything in the end. We did get a lot of good magic stones, though. Three of them were new—a heat stone, a mole stone, and an explosion stone—giving us even more options for added attributes.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say they prepare backup sets of equipment as well as equipment that has different magic stones for the different labyrinths they go in,” said Madoka.
“Ah, that’s a good idea. We’ll keep this equipment in the storage unit, then. It might be a good idea to get some shelves in there and organize things. Madoka, do you think you could refit the storage unit? I’ll give you a budget for it, and it’s not a huge rush; it can wait until after we go to District Seven,” I said.
“Y-yes, thank you for trusting me with such an important task.” She seemed grateful, but it should be the other way around because it’d be a huge help if she did that for us. I decided I’d like to act as her investor for her to be able to try out things she wanted to do.
Standing nearby and listening to our conversation was Melissa, who looked a bit jealous.
“…Hope I can be helpful soon, too. I haven’t done much so far,” she said.
“That’s not true… It’s just that Misaki’s skills have turned out to be surprisingly useful, so we haven’t had a chance to swap out members,” I explained.
“Ah, but you know, I’m just a weak little girl. I’m, like, really burned out after back-to-back days of seeking,” said Misaki.
“Yeah… It is tiring. We should think about that actually, starting a rotation so that we don’t get too burned out,” I suggested.
“Then, I can join you. Dissectors have skills we can only use while seeking. I wanna use those again.” Melissa’s voice was as flat and emotionless as usual, but I could see a spark of motivation in her eyes. Maybe she had a lot of pent-up energy from being left behind.
Rikerton and Falma, thank you for trusting me with members of your families. I’ll make sure they get home safely. It’ll be a long journey, but I hope you won’t worry.
“What’s wrong, Atobe? You’re awfully quiet,” said Igarashi.
“It’s nothing. Once we get to District Seven, I was thinking of writing a letter to all the people who helped me out.”
“Great, then we can all pitch in on writing letters. Although, I’m sure they’ll still help you out even if you move on to the next district,” said Igarashi.
“Yeah, I know… Sorry, I’m just getting really sentimental or something all of a sudden. I don’t even know what I’m saying; I’m a full-grown man for goodness’ sake.”
Igarashi just listened without getting exasperated with me. The way she was looking at me with such kind eyes wasn’t doing much to stop my meaningless rambling.
“If you’re feeling lonely, then you can go sleep in the same bed as Theresia. Or Suzu!” offered Misaki.
“Oh… Well… I’m happy to share a room with Arihito. It might feel weird not to at this point,” said Suzuna.
“…Hmm? If you share a room with him, you’re not going to…do anything with him, are you? He is a man; I’m not sure you’ve known each other long enough to share a bed…” I got the feeling that Elitia was hinting at something crass. It even made me not want to clarify what Suzuna was talking about. It’s not like I wanted to share beds with anyone, though I guess I wouldn’t say I’d never do it… As usual, Theresia was staring at me while I was conflicted with myself.
“……”
“…I—I mean, it’s not that unusual for people to take baths together, but sharing a bed is more…,” I stammered.
“……”
My attempts to rationalize it broke against her silent judgment, and no one seemed inclined to throw me a lifeline today.
“Today’s the last day we stay in this suite… We should consider that,” said Igarashi.
“Arihito will be in trouble if we try to stop them from taking a bath together. We’ll just wait for our turn,” offered Elitia.
“Wh-what’s with you guys? …Is Theresia now Arihito’s official Back Washer? How about we pick who goes next by lottery instead?” said Misaki.
“Um… What happens if Melissa or I win? Is it really all right if we take a bath with him?” asked Madoka.
“…Hmm? Sorry, I wasn’t listening,” said Melissa, only responding when she heard her own name. She had been zoned out, entirely in her own little world. She didn’t seem the type to feel embarrassed easily, but I wondered… Or was it rude to think that?
“…Sure you’d be all right getting in with an old fart like me? Theresia, don’t pass out from the heat, okay?”
“I don’t think you’re old enough to be called an old fart yet,” said Misaki.
“Exactly… A ten-year age gap is still acceptable,” agreed Suzuna.
“…I’m worried about Suzuna. We ought to keep an eye on her. Right, Kyouka?” said Elitia.
“Hmm… Even if Atobe did something, he doesn’t seem aware of it, so it’s hard to blame him.” Even I was a bit worried about Suzuna and her recent absentmindedness, but it wasn’t like she was letting her mind get away with her during battle, so I didn’t think we needed to do something about it immediately.
“Arihito, you should go warm up,” said Suzuna.
“A-all right… I’ll be quick, since everyone else has to go, too.” Theresia stood from her seat and headed toward the bathroom. She seemed concerned I might try to make a break for it, because she turned back to check I was following. I couldn’t keep her waiting, so I tried to show everyone a grin and went to change.
Early next morning, we finished making our preparations, then went to say our good-byes to Millais and the Lady Ollerus Mansion staff that had taken great care of us, even if for such a short time. The Maids of the mansion were lined up in the front garden to see us off. Some of them were even crying. Were they really that happy at our quick climb up the ranks? Or was it a show?
“I hope that you will find time to visit the mansion again; we will always be here if you do,” said Millais.
“Yeah, we’ll stop by sometime. Thanks for everything, Millais,” I replied, shaking her hand and promising we’d be back.
We went to leave the grounds, and in came Georg and his party. They must have just been discharged from the Healers.
“Arihito… Leaving already?” asked Georg. He was there along with Jake, Mihail, Tyler, and even Sophie, who’d previously been controlled by the Vine Puppeteer.
“Yeah. I’m happy we get to say good-bye, though. I asked the Carriers to deliver your equipment for you. You should double-check that it made it to your room,” I said.
“You’d even do that for us… Thanks. We owe you our lives. Sophie finally woke up yesterday, and ever since, she’s been talking about how she wants to say thank you…,” said Georg.
The fragile girl I’d seen lying in the bed with lifeless eyes was gone. Even her pure white hair was starting to turn back to its original color. I never realized recovering could have such an impact on that. It was originally a warm chestnut color, and I was starting to really understand how she had gotten the attention of all the men in her party. She was beautiful and gave off a laid-back vibe. She walked over to me, appearing nervous but trying to express something.
“…Thank you. If you and the demi-human girl hadn’t been there, I’d…,” she said. She remembered that Theresia and I had entered her subconscious world and fought. I didn’t think a you’re welcome would r
eally cut it here. I tried to decide what to do, then eventually shook her hand like I had done with Millais.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m sure you’ll face your share of challenges, but I hope we can help out a little. Don’t give up,” I said.
“Yeah… We’ve decided to get back into seeking after taking a short break. We fell in the ranks, so we’ve got to spread out among a few smaller places to stay now. We have to work our way back up.”
“That sounds like a pain, but you were once the highest-ranking party in District Eight. Georg was really upset before, but even he’s back to his normal self,” I said. His goggles had been repaired, and the cut on his forehead fully healed. He had been bleeding quite a bit, but the wound had started to close the moment he drank the potion, helping him heal it completely in such a short time.
“I’m a bit worried that Named Monster might appear again, but we don’t want to quit. We chose the name Polaris to show that we are aiming to be the brightest star in the Labyrinth Country. We could never compete with you guys, though,” said Georg.
“That’s not true; nobody knows what the future holds,” I replied.
“…I’d been under the impression that Japanese office workers were all corporate slaves, but that’s not the case. You’re more like a samurai. I’ve always admired samurai and ninjas.” He held his hand out for a handshake. When he did, he noticed that I actually did have Murakumo, the katana, on my back and gave a whistle of appreciation. “Whoa, so you really are a ninja. That explains everything.”
“Maybe I should’ve tried writing that job instead. I’d probably be pretty good at it,” I said, and Georg’s face cracked into a smile at our jokes. He gave me a firm handshake, then their party moved aside to let us pass.
“Arihito, don’t you think your party should pick a name? It’s easier for word of you to spread if you’ve got a good name to go by.”
“Yeah, we’ll think about it. See you around,” I replied, and we left the Lady Ollerus Mansion after finishing our good-byes. We walked out onto the street, but Millais and Polaris stood there, watching us go until I couldn’t even see the gate when I turned back.
In front of us was the soaring wall on the west side of District Eight that separated it from District Seven. We had to pass through the gate there in order to make our way to District Seven. We did see a few Seekers returning to District Eight from District Seven, but there wasn’t a lot of traffic around the gate. We went through the process of confirming our right to move to the next district, then waited in front an iron gate so large that I had to crane my neck up to see the top. The doors slid open to the left and right, and we entered the passageway to District Seven.
That’s when I saw her—someone I recognized. She was the one who’d guided us through the tunnel when we’d all been reincarnated and first came to the Labyrinth Country.
“Well, this is quite a shock!” she said to me. “You managed to qualify to move up to District Seven in no time at all. You’ve got the Labyrinth Country record for fastest advancement.” Her purple hair was separated into two braids underneath a hat. She was wearing the same shirt and skirt thing she had before, this time with a jacket on top. I guessed the jacket was a uniform that the people who worked the gate wore, since I’d seen a woman in front of the gate wearing one, too.
“Do you work here?” I asked.
“That’s correct. Oh, but don’t get to thinking that I’m some mere grunt. I’ve got a decent amount of clout. I actually asked to be assigned here when I heard you got approval to advance,” she replied. She looked at the party with a slight grin before taking my license and doing something to it. Once she finished, the words Cleared for Passage Through District Seven Gateway appeared on my license. It looked like it had space to display more authorizations to pass through other gates when you got approval.
“You should know, though, that District Eight is for the newbies—it’s like a training ground the size of a district,” she continued. “Just because you’ve made it to first rank in District Eight doesn’t mean you can handle District Se— Oh, goodness. Here I am trying to intimidate you, and you’re already flying your way up the rank here, too. These are record-breaking contribution points.”
“I believe I’m currently rank two hundred ninety-four. How many Seekers are in District Seven?” I asked.
“Ten thousand. Being rank two hundred ninety-four out of ten thousand means you’re already in the top. You’ll even be able to use housing that isn’t all that different from what you had in District Eight.”
What a relief. I’d gotten used to the luxury of the Lady Ollerus Mansion; it’d be a huge adjustment if we had to live in worse conditions.
“Well… I do wish we could chat more, but we can only keep the gate open for so long,” she said.
“Of course. We’ll be on our way, then…”
“Indeed. Now, this part is just standard procedure…” A mischievous grin played on her lips, and she lifted her arm like a tour guide to urge us onward as she announced, “Welcome, rookies, to the real start of your life in the Labyrinth Country.”
EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT
The Dissector and the Merchant: ~ Another Form of Auxiliary Support ~
Arihito and the party were off in the Shrieking Wood to take the advancement test and check up on Polaris. As the standby party, Madoka and Melissa stayed at the Lady Ollerus Mansion and waited for their companions’ return. Madoka went to the storage unit to do an inventory check, where she realized they’d gotten materials from Death from Above during the stampede.
This is what Melissa worked on… They said she was going to make it into armor, but it’s not finished. I wonder why.
She decided to ask Arihito about it later, then tidied up the storage unit before returning to the mansion. She went to check out the workshop in the courtyard but didn’t see Melissa anywhere. Her favorite butcher’s knife was wrapped in a cloth and set on top of the workbench. Madoka thought she probably just stepped out for a bit as she looked around the area again.
The inside of buildings where monsters were processed always smelled faintly of blood, making her uncomfortable. She was starting to feel uneasy for some reason. She thought about the time she first met Arihito in front of the Field of Dawn. There was something about him, and it wasn’t just that he was Japanese like her. It was something about his calm demeanor and relaxed tone that made her feel secure.
If he were here now… N-no, they’d all think I’m a baby if I said that…
“…Oh!” came a whisper from behind Madoka.
“Aaaah!” she screeched, leaping in fright.
“…Did I scare you?”
“Oh… M-Melissa, it’s you. Don’t sneak around like that…,” said Madoka, straightening her head wrap as she calmed herself down and turned around. But there was no one there. A chill ran down her spine.
O-oh no… How can there be a ghost here when it’s still so bright out…?
She didn’t really hate horror movies, nor was she the type to be easily frightened, but she was having a hard time maintaining her composure, since she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Her knees gave out from beneath her, and she fell onto her rear.
“…Hmm…”
“M-Melissa…?” she asked as she heard a sound. In front of her appeared the shimmering outline of a person. There was a flash of light, and for an ever so brief moment, she saw Melissa, wearing not a single stitch of clothing. The next moment, she was properly clothed, wearing a bodysuit of some close-fitting material, her pale hair unkempt as usual.
“…Welcome back,” said Melissa.
“Oh, y-yes, I just got back… Uh, um, Melissa, were you invisible just now?” asked Madoka.
“Yeah… I was testing a stealth suit equipped with a camouflage stone.”
“W-wow… You can make some really incredible equipment, Melissa.”
“I can enhance gear with magic stones. I can’t add runes, though… Dissectors have
a skill called Monster Crafting.”
“That’s so cool… I’ve been told that eventually, I’ll get skills that let me make things to sell. Though, I don’t even know what kind of Merchant I’m best suited for yet.”
“…What do you think of the stuff I make? Like, in terms of merchandise.”
“I think there’s tons of Seekers in District Eight who would really want the equipment you make. The materials from the monsters that Arihito and the others defeat are really valuable, and the work you do with them is so precise. It’s incredibly impressive… Can I take a closer look at the suit?”
“…Sure.”
Her response was short, and her face hard to read, but Madoka didn’t feel like Melissa was against it. She took Melissa’s arm, running her hands over the bodysuit to examine it.
“I-it’s both smooth and rough, but also cool and warm…,” admired Madoka.
“Yeah… It feels weird,” replied Melissa. “I think it has a lot of resistances. But there’s a problem with the camouflage stone.”
“Oh… Sorry, that wouldn’t happen to be when you turn back from being invisible, you look like you aren’t wearing clothes for a moment?”
Melissa replied with a small nod, then started to undo the fasteners on the front.
Melissa’s skin is so pale that it’s almost pure white… She’s a bit different from regular people… Like, something feels almost off. Why is that…?
They were both girls, but Madoka felt awkward enough that her cheeks were blushing bright red, even though Melissa herself didn’t seem to care. Her demeanor reminded Madoka of someone else in the party: Theresia. She was a demi-human. She always wore a mask that covered her face except her mouth. Her lips were normally pursed, other than when she was near Arihito.
“…This bodysuit has no lining. If I don’t do anything, the camouflage stone makes it blend in with the surroundings. But when it does, there’s a moment where you look naked. It’s not usable unless I do something. I thought the lizardman girl could use it. She’s about the same size as me,” explained Melissa.