Ability verification
"Like I said yesterday, from today, you’re allowed to go solo."
It had been five days since I started commuting to the Sakuramachi Management Dungeon with Naya-san.
I was informed that my training had officially ended.
That said, I had already been pretty much fine in combat since day one, so starting from the second day, I had mostly been taught dungeon manners and common sense.
"Alright. Now I can finally do some proper testing!"
"...Testing?"
"Oh, no! I just got excited thinking I’ve become a full-fledged Slayer!"
When I said that, Naya-san shrugged as if she didn’t quite understand, and then spoke in a tone that seemed to be lecturing me.
"Training’s over, that’s all. Don’t get carried away."
"Of course! I understand!"
"Slayers have the highest accident rate when they start getting comfortable with the job. I’ve told you that before."
"I’ll be careful!"
"Good."
Satisfied with my energetic response, Naya-san nodded in approval.
Now that I had her permission, all I needed to do was submit a request to Kyōka-san about where I was going today, and that would be it.
It was moments like this that I was glad I joined a smaller company.
If I had joined a larger company with more personnel, I would’ve probably been forced to team up for a while.
Of course, generally, that would be safer.
But for someone like me, with many secrets, going solo was definitely more convenient.
"President, I’d like to go to the Warabi Mountain Management Dungeon starting today. Is that okay?"
"That’s fine. But why Warabi Mountain?"
"Sakuramachi has a lot of people around."
There were two main types of dungeons.
One type of dungeon is a natural, untamed dungeon.
The other type is a management dungeon, where humans have placed it under their control.
The latter is much fewer in number compared to the former, and among them, the Sakuramachi Management Dungeon is particularly popular with new Slayers due to its easy access.
However, depending on the time of day, even within the spacious dungeon, it can get pretty crowded.
For someone like me who has a lot to do, this is inconvenient.
"I see, so you’re choosing the less popular Warabi Mountain."
"Yes. It’s just that there are too many issues with monster priority and other things."
"Ah, especially since we're kind of looked down on..."
Kyōka-san chuckled apologetically.
The monster priority goes to the Slayer who strikes the first blow.
However, there are certainly cases where it’s not clear who struck first.
In such cases, Slayers from larger organizations naturally have the advantage.
Apparently, Slayers from smaller companies can sometimes have their prey stolen and end up just taking the loss.
"But there’s a reason Warabi Mountain is less popular. Be careful."
"I’ve checked it out thoroughly. Alright, I’ll head out."
"Take care!"
Waving her hand, Kyōka-san saw me off as I left the office.
And so, I made my way to the Warabi Mountain Dungeon.
––〇●〇––
"Wow, this feels so different from Sakuramachi."
After transferring trains and riding my bike for about thirty minutes from the station, I arrived at the Warabi Mountain Management Dungeon, located at the foot of Warabi Mountain, as the name suggested.
A weathered stone gate stood at the boundary between the expansive rice fields and the mountain, surrounded by lush greenery.
Compared to Sakuramachi, which was in the middle of a modern office district, this was a much more peaceful area.
That said, having a dungeon in the middle of such a rural landscape was a strikingly unique sight.
"Alright, it’s practically empty."
The parking lot next to the dungeon entrance was vast, typical of the countryside, yet only a few cars were parked there.
At this rate, there probably wouldn’t be many people inside the dungeon either.
As I approached the gate, a large warning sign immediately caught my eye.
<Do not enter the restricted areas under any circumstances!>
This was the reason why Warabi Mountain Management Dungeon was unpopular.
There were several zones within this dungeon where unusually strong monsters appeared.
While it was considered safe as long as one avoided those areas, dungeons still contained many mysteries.
No one knew why such powerful monsters appeared there, so most people preferred to avoid the risk altogether.
...Well, the inconvenient location was also a big factor.
"That actually works in my favor."
As I approached the gate, the stone doors opened on their own, just like in Sakuramachi.
I stepped into the swirling black mist beyond, and a familiar floating sensation washed over me.
When it finally subsided, I found myself in a sinister forest.
Thick fog filled the air, and twisted, blackened trees stood like silent sentinels.
Some of these trees were covered in poisonous-looking mushrooms.
"...This place looks like Schulz Forest."
Just like in Sakuramachi, I recognized this place from my past life.
Back in my adventuring days, I had visited a forest like this in search of an ancient ruin.
It seemed like the dungeons were modeled after different locations in Venolind.
One of my theories had just solidified into a certainty.
That said, I still had no idea why Venolind and these dungeons were connected.
Even the monsters here were slightly different from what I remembered in Venolind.
If I were to consider beings from either Earth or Venolind capable of breaching the boundaries between worlds...
"…Maybe only that Demon King could do something like that? Well, whatever. Let’s get started with the testing."
I stopped thinking about it and began scanning my surroundings for any suitable prey.
According to the information I had searched, there were plant-based monsters in this area...
As I was thinking this, something resembling a mass of vines emerged from the shadows of the trees.
"That must be the Dark Ivy."
The dark Ivy, vein-like vines twisted together in a disturbing, unsettling way.
And yet, that very repulsiveness made it...
"No need to hold back. Let’s test everything to the fullest."
I thrust both hands in front of me and immediately began gathering my magical power.
Soon, the wind began to converge, shaking the trees and causing the leaves to dance.
And then...
"<Tempest>"
A small tornado slashed through everything in its path.
––〇●〇––
"…Seems like I can use everything here without any issues."
After a few minutes.
As I looked over the devastated part of the forest, which now seemed as if a war had been fought there, I muttered, feeling a sense of relief.
The over a thousand spells I had used in Venolind.
I checked some of them, particularly the ones I used most often, and there didn’t seem to be any problems.
It looks like I can use them almost exactly the same in this dungeon, or rather, on Earth.
If there’s one thing...
"Body-strengthening magic is a bit too effective."
I punched a nearby rock, and it made a strange sound.
It cracked and shattered immediately, despite the rock appearing to weigh tons.
With just the body-strengthening magic, I was able to do something like Naya-san's Tenfold Punch.
...Yeah, this really feels a little abnormal.
With just my physical ability and the enhancement magic, I shouldn't be able to produce this kind of power.
It seems that the muscle-enhancement function built into the combat suit is complementing the magic, boosting its effectiveness.
"So, the strengthening magic temporarily enhances the muscles themselves, and then the combat suit uses electrical stimulation to release the limiter, huh? This could be useful in a lot of ways."
Combining magic and science to further boost the power.
As someone who was once called a sage in my past life, this is an irresistible research topic.
To hunt efficiently, I might want to try some more testing.
Right now, I really need money.
For Nami's tuition, a better-secured house, rent, and so on—if I get a little greedy, the money just keeps disappearing.
"Alright then, let’s try facing something stronger."
This is where the real test begins.
I’m going to test just how effective my magic is against high-level monsters.
I’ve sent a dragon flying with Inferno before, but that was with top-tier magic, and it consumed a lot of energy.
Right now, I could probably cast it five times, at most.
Beyond that, I’d be immobilized for a while due to magic depletion.
In my past life, I could have cast magic endlessly, but...
My current body is still lacking in magic training, so my capacity is much lower.
"I’ll start with an intermediate-level one, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll reconsider."
With intermediate magic, I could cast it about thirty times a day.
If I can defeat something with this, it would be quite profitable.
High-level monster magic stones, depending on the type, can sell for around 10,000 yen each.
Just by doing simple math, that’s 300,000 yen a day.
If I work for ten days a month, I could reach a dream monthly salary of 3 million yen.
That being said, for today, I’ll keep it to just one or two high-level monster magic stones.
With that, I can just say that a monster happened to be severely injured in a territorial fight between them.
I heard from Naya-san that there’s often territorial disputes between monsters in the dungeon.
"Alright, it’s time."
After thinking for a while, I walked through the forest for about ten minutes.
The density of the trees increased, and the atmosphere of the forest gradually changed.
The magical density, which was already thick, seemed to intensify, and the air felt cooler.
If this were Venolind, the mages would be eager to live here.
Places with such a high concentration of magic are quite rare.
"...Hmm?"
Soon, my vision suddenly cleared, revealing a moss-covered ancient ruin.
I was surprised. Even this part has been recreated...!
Schulz Forest in Venolind.
There are ancient ruins there, but to think they also appear in the dungeon!
That means the exceptionally strong monsters that appear here are...
"Just as I thought, it’s you guys!"
With heavy footsteps, a giant humanoid monster appeared.
Comparing it to the surrounding trees, it was at least three meters tall.
It was an ancient golem created to guard the ruins.
Wait... looking closely, this one is a bit different.
Normal golems are made of stone, but this one seems to be made of wood?
Its entire body was covered in moss, and in places, flowers were even blooming.
"Is this the result of forcing natural materials to imitate an artificial construct?"
The scenery is replicated so precisely, yet why is the monster reproduction so poorly done?
Or, perhaps the intention was never to fully replicate it from the start?
Despite feeling some doubts, I charged into the battle.
If the stone turned into wood, that might actually be to my advantage.
I’ll burn it to the ground with intermediate-level fire magic.
"<Fire Lance>"
A scorching spear pierced the golem's shoulder.
Its right arm was blown off, and the rest of its body was soon engulfed in flames.
It seems fire magic works well against a body made of wood.
But then, with a hiss, the flames started to dissipate.
The golem’s arm was lost and it became charred, but it didn’t seem to suffer a fatal blow.
"It’s not burning as much as I thought... huh!?"
From the damaged golem's shoulder, root-like tendrils began to emerge.
They quickly gathered together and formed a new arm, replacing the lost one.
Within about ten seconds, the golem’s body had completely restored itself.
...I’m surprised. This thing has regenerative abilities?
Some high-level golems continue moving unless their core is destroyed, but... I didn’t expect to encounter one like that here.
"This is getting interesting!"
Dungeons really are fun.
As I adjusted my perception of the monster, I muttered and laughed.
At that moment, the golem launched a counterattack.
"Tch! It’s throwing things at me!"
The golem grabbed a nearby stone and hurled it at me with great force.
Its mechanical, almost unnatural arm movements resembled a catapult more than human action.
--Whoosh!!
The stone shard flew through the air like a bullet.
This thing is basically a machine gun!
The hail of stone bullets formed a relentless barrage.
"<Earth Wall>"
I quickly raised a wall of earth magic, but a few projectiles still managed to hit me.
However, this five-million-yen combat suit lived up to its reputation.
With my enhancement magic applied, the impact was barely noticeable.
Kyōka-san had said it could even block bullets, and she wasn’t exaggerating.
"This is turning into a hassle."
Since its body was made of wood, I had expected to burn it down easily with fire magic...
But it must have been saturated with moisture because it was much more durable than I had anticipated.
Of course, if I used Inferno, I could probably take it down instantly, but the magic efficiency would be terrible.
Some other high-tier spells might be slightly better, but I still wouldn’t be able to cast more than ten of them.
"…Alright, I’ve got an idea."
If I combine multiple spells to produce the same level of power as an advanced spell, it’ll be much more efficient.
This could be the perfect opportunity to merge my knowledge from Venolind with what I know about Earth.
With that in mind—!
"<Fire Lance and Wind Shot: Modified>"
I launched a spear of fire and slammed a compressed burst of wind magic into it.
Instantly, the once-red flames of the spear turned blue-white.
—Modified version.
A spell I had just improvised—rather than using compressed air, it focused on a concentrated burst of pure oxygen.
As a result, the spear’s temperature skyrocketed in an instant.
"Whoa! That’s dangerous!"
The enhanced fire spear tore through the golem’s upper body with almost laughable ease.
In a burst of force, collided with a nearby large tree, instantly setting it ablaze.
The heat was intense, and the towering tree, about ten meters tall, was reduced to charcoal in just a few seconds.
...I might have created a bit of an overpowered spell, if I'm being honest.
While its power is probably lower than that of Inferno, the efficiency is vastly superior.
"...Well, whatever. One thousand yen for now!"
Switching gears in my mind, I approached the golem, which had become immobile.
Reaching into its chest, I forcefully tried to extract the magic stone.
The roots attempted to wrap around me to stop it, but my arm strength, enhanced by my powered suit, easily tore through them.
In an instant, the golem's life force drained away, and the moss and leaves wrapped around its body began to wither.
"Phew, a quick break."
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I took a sip from my bottled water.
For my first time, I think I handled it fairly smoothly.
One shot of an intermediate-level Fire Lance, modified with a low-level Wind Shot.
With my current mana capacity, it looks like I could go hunting about twenty times a day.
Heh, the dream of a three million yen monthly salary is starting to feel a bit more within reach...!
"Maybe I'll take down one more."
If it's just one more, I should be able to get away with bringing it in without too much trouble.
Worst case, if showing one magic stone causes a negative reaction from Kyōka-san, I can always hold onto it for a while.
With that in mind, I start walking through the ruins, searching for my next target, but then I suddenly remember something.
"Come to think of it, I wonder if there's a lower level in these ruins?"
The ancient ruins that form the foundation of this place are likely from Schulz's Forest.
There’s a little-known underground storage hidden there.
I believe there was a small treasure hidden deeper inside, but could it be here in this dungeon as well?
If this place is recreated with such detail, there's a chance it might be.
There's still plenty of time, so it’s worth a shot.
"Alright, was it the wall here?"
Relying on my faint memory, I begin exploring the walls of the ruins.
I’m pretty sure one of the stone structures was noticeably different in size.
If I press it, the stone floor should shift and reveal a staircase leading underground.
It should be around the dead end... Aha! There it is!!
"Oh, I can press it!"
When I press the stone, I immediately hear a clunking noise, as if something moved.
Then, with a heavy, dragging sound, the stone floor begins to shift.
There was a decent chance that the mechanism might not function, but thankfully, it works perfectly.
In no time, an entrance to the underground appears.
Cough! What a terrible smell. But...!
A musty odor wafts up from below.
However, this was actually a very good sign.
The musty smell from below was the perfect evidence that no one had entered this place for quite some time.
...This might actually be a real find.
Even low-ranking dungeon artifacts usually fetch a decent price.
My steps down the staircase naturally became lighter.
And then—
"I found it!"
In the dimly lit underground storage, among the barrels and wooden boxes, there was an old, dusty treasure chest.
"...No traps, it seems."
I carefully scanned for any magical disturbances, but there was nothing unusual around.
I cautiously approached the chest and gently lifted the lid to check if it was locked.
Inside, I detected a faint magical reaction.
Aha, this one’s sealed with a magical barrier, huh?
It’s a much more intricate mechanism than a regular physical lock, but that works in my favor.
"The corresponding magical power is... here we go!"
This type of barrier is designed to recognize an individual’s magic.
All I have to do is adjust my mana's wavelength to match, and the chest will open easily.
Well, even Venolind would be hard-pressed to handle this kind of thing as well as I do.
"...Huh?"
What appeared inside was an old knife.
The hilt was made of black wood, with floral designs engraved into it, resembling intricate lacquer work.
It had an aristocratic flair, with a surprisingly luxurious design.
There was no magic imbued on it, so unfortunately, it seemed to be just an ordinary knife.
The real question is... what is it made of?
Carefully drawing it from the scabbard, I was immediately struck by the deep, dark gleam of silver.
"What the... For such an elaborate seal, it’s made of mithril?"
Creating a treasure chest with a magical barrier takes quite a bit of effort.
I was hoping for something a bit more impressive, but unfortunately, it wasn’t much.
From Venolind's perspective, the value of this mithril knife would probably be about one day’s worth of an adventurer's pay.
In Japan, that’d probably be around twenty to thirty thousand yen.
It’s not exactly junk, but as a treasure from a hidden storage, it’s a bit of a letdown.
Frankly, it's just a daily-use item.
This isn’t the kind of item you’d call an artifact, unfortunately.
"Guess things aren’t going to be that easy from the start."
The value of a treasure comes from its rarity.
If they popped up too easily, that would be a problem.
I reset my focus and began searching for anything else before leaving the storage.
Well, even this wasn’t a waste—it’s worth a few tens of thousands of yen.
Honestly, considering that I’ve earned a month’s worth of food expenses in under an hour, I’d say it’s not bad at all.
As I made my way back down the corridor and up the stairs, I found...
"Seriously...?"
A group of wooden golems was waiting for me at the entrance to the ruins, poised to strike.
Damn, they must’ve realized I entered the ruins!
Though their appearance and abilities are completely different from Venolind’s golems, it seems they still serve as the guardians of these ruins.
Noticing that the underground passage had opened, they must’ve gathered to eliminate the intruder.
It looks like they can’t go down to the lower level due to their size, but they’re blocking my exit.
"Great... No other exits, huh?"
Unfortunately, the passage is a one-way route.
There are no hidden doors leading elsewhere in the storage.
It looks like I’ll have to find a way to get past this golem army.
However, the amount of mana I have left is not much.
I’ve already used some high-level magic today for my testing.
"Now, what to do...?"
Even if I enhance my intermediate magic, with that many enemies, it’s going to be tough.
It’s powerful in a single hit, but it’s not the kind of spell that can deal widespread damage.
If I’m lucky enough to hit a few that are clustered together, I might be able to take them out in one shot, but the golems are keeping their distance.
Is it instinct, or is it part of their strategy?
They might actually be coordinating better than I expected.
"Well, there’s nothing for it. I’ll just wait for my mana to recover."
It’s tough without any mana, but on the flip side, as long as I have mana, I can handle it.
I sat down on the stairs and decided to take a relaxed break.
Within half a day, I should have enough mana to wipe them all out.
It’ll be a late return, but I’ll explain things to Nami properly...
"Hmm? Who's this from?"
At that moment, my phone, which I had tucked into my backpack, started ringing.
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that there are places in dungeons where you can still get a signal.
It seems this Warabi Dungeon is one of those places.
Surprised, I opened the screen and saw a message from Nami.
<Today’s dinner is curry, so hurry home...?>
What a surprise—an order to return from Nami, right here of all places...!!
And curry, no less. How many years has it been since I had that?
Since she asked, I have no choice but to head back no matter what.
Plans are changed—those golems are going down now.
Well, I was holding off because tomorrow might be a bit rough... but I guess I’ll do it.
"<Air Magic>...!!"
I focused on steadying my breath and channeled the surrounding magical energy through my body.
––Air Magic.
As the name suggests, this is a secret technique that uses external mana to activate spells.
It was an ancient spell created by a long-forgotten mage, but it couldn’t be put to practical use—until I perfected it in my previous life.
With this, I can cast powerful spells even with little to no mana of my own. It's a broken technique.
However, it’s quite a reckless method, so it leaves me exhausted the next day...
That’s why I usually only use it in critical situations, but Nami’s order to return definitely qualifies.
I must go home and have Nami’s curry...!!
"I’m sorry, but I’ll finish this in an instant. <Catastrophe>!"
An explosion of flames.
The shockwave swept through, and the golems were vaporized instantly.
It was like a feast of fire.
The golems, which should have been filled with moisture, ignited like dry kindling.
Soon, even the surrounding stone walls and floors began to glow red and melt.
"...Maybe I overdid it a little."
After the firestorm subsided and I stepped outside, the ruins were in a completely different state.
The stone pillars and walls had collapsed, and the dismembered bodies of the golems were scattered around.
Hmm, the Air Magic worked a bit too effectively.
There’s so much mana in this dungeon that its effect was far stronger than I anticipated.
I walked over to the broken golems and casually yanked out their magic stones.
Even the golems couldn’t resist in this condition.
"......I think I’ll keep quiet about this."
There might have been people researching this ruin.
I do feel bad for them, but I’ve decided to keep silent about this incident.
Well, it’s probably not going to get out, right?
Yeah.
Right now, more than anything, I need to get home and eat Nami’s curry!
With that, I quickly left the Warabi Dungeon and headed straight home.
──〇●〇──
"Sakuragaku-kun! Were you okay yesterday!?"
The next morning.
As I stumbled into the office, nursing my heavy head, Kyōka-san rushed up to me with great urgency.
Overwhelmed by her intensity, I fought to stay awake and responded.
"Did something happen?"
"This!" She immediately pulled up a video on her tablet.
"There was a huge explosion at Warabi yesterday, and it’s all anyone’s talking about!"
She showed me the video, where the moment of the explosion that blasted the ruins was clearly captured.
It looked like it was filmed from a very close distance, and toward the end, the camera broke, cutting the footage off.
...Wow, there was a surveillance camera there, huh!
The video had already gone viral, and the view count was easily over a million.
The comment section was, of course, a mess.
Discussions ranged from claims that an elite monster hunter had caused the chaos to conspiracy theories about a weapon experiment.
Some even speculated, "This couldn’t have been the work of a human."
This is bad... It’s becoming a much bigger deal than I thought.
It might be best to keep a low profile until the online buzz dies down.
At this rate, there’s a chance that people are gathering at Warabi just to gawk.
"Ah, that explosion... Yeah, I was nearby, but I’m fine."
"Good to hear. By the way, you didn’t happen to see the person responsible, did you?"
I couldn’t exactly admit that I was the culprit, so I slowly shook my head to deflect the question.
Kyōka-san just shrugged and returned to her desk.
It seems she never suspected that a rookie monster hunter like me could have caused such an explosion.
"Such an explosion, if it was caused by a monster hunter, it would almost certainly have been the work of an S-rank. But there’s no record of an S-rank entering Warabi."
"Um, what’s an S-rank? Are there ranks for monster hunters?"
"Ah, well, only the monster hunters with especially high combat abilities are designated as S-rank by the government. S-rank hunters receive various privileges, but they're constantly monitored by satellites."
Being monitored by satellites? That’s a bit much...
Even with privileges, that’s something I’d rather not deal with.
If it gets out that I was the one behind that explosion, will the government start watching me too?
My privacy would be completely gone. It might be best to keep things low-key.
If it’s just me, that’s one thing, but having Nami practically under surveillance as well would be unacceptable.
"Well, S-ranks are the true top-tier, so it’s almost irrelevant to people like us."
"Heh, yeah, I guess so. By the way, is this video real? I’ve never heard of cameras being in dungeons before."
I pretended to doubt the authenticity of the video while casually asking about the cameras.
Since Kyōka-san is the company president, she might know a bit about these things.
As expected, she sighed and began explaining.
"Warabi is unpopular, so sometimes there are people who illegally dump things. That’s why surveillance cameras were set up at various points."
"Oh, I see. I guess anyone can enter, so..."
"Exactly. If they dump things inside the dungeon, the police won’t come, so some irresponsible people use it to get rid of dangerous stuff. In more popular dungeons, they can station security guards, but places like Warabi don’t have that luxury."
Come to think of it, I’ve heard of shady businesses where people dump illegal things in dungeons.
I’ve also heard about a politician who hid bribes in a dungeon.
Dungeons, where the police can’t easily reach, are perfect for hiding things.
In lower-ranked dungeons, if you bring a jetpack or a hoverbike, you could probably escape any monsters you encounter.
"...So, what are you going to do today? You seem pretty tired since this morning... Did you maybe overdo it on your first dungeon?"
"Yeah, something like that. So, I think I’ll take it easy today."
"That’s fine. You’ve been working non-stop lately. I was actually planning to tell you to take a break soon."
Now that she mentioned it, I had been working non-stop for the past week.
I’d been used to juggling part-time jobs my whole life, so this much felt normal to me.
But thinking about it, the standard work schedule was two days off per week.
"Well then, could you at least handle yesterday’s appraisals for me?"
"Of course."
I quickly reached into my backpack and pulled out the magic stones from yesterday.
Unlike those from lower-ranked monsters, these were much larger and clattered onto the desk.
Kyōka-san’s eyes immediately widened.
"This is...?"
"I found them lying around when I checked out the explosion site."
"I see... Wait a second. That explosion happened in a danger zone, didn’t it? You actually went over there!?"
Kyōka-san leaned over the desk, closing in on me.
She was smiling, but her eyes were completely serious.
Ah—she’s really mad, huh...
Even someone as dense as me could feel the pressure radiating from her.
They say it’s terrifying when a normally calm person gets angry, and yeah, that was definitely true.
"...It was a huge explosion, so I just wanted to check it out."
"That’s not okay! The first rule of being a monster hunter is valuing your own life!"
"S-Sorry..."
"You need to be more careful! The stronger someone’s Idea is, the more overconfident they get, and that’s when accidents happen! Even in our company..."
Kyōka-san launched into a thorough lecture.
Shrinking under her words, I hunched my back.
Well, back in Venolind, people used to say that the more talented an adventurer was, the faster they died...
I guess no matter the world, that’s just the nature of high-risk professions.
Kyōka-san had every right to be concerned.
That said, it seems pretty difficult to bring back a lot of high-grade magic stones and make a profit.
I don’t know any other way to sell magic stones besides going through Kyōka-san.
In fact, the contract with the company probably includes the sale of magic stones as well.
"...So, please make sure this doesn’t happen again!"
"Yes, I’ll be more careful."
"Also, try not to go straight home if you can help it! I know there are exceptions, but I’d like to keep proper track of the powered suit and everything, so I’d appreciate it if you could manage that, even if it’s a bit of a hassle."
"I understand. But yesterday was an exception. It was an important matter at home."
"Then that’s fine!"
With that, Kyōka-san resumed the appraisal.
A few minutes later, she gave me a shocking amount.
"Total comes to 236,000 yen."
"Two hundred thirty-six thousand!? That’s like two months’ worth of salary!"
"Great, right? With your commission, you’ll have about 700,000 yen this month."
"Whoa...!!"
700,000 yen in a month.
For someone like me, who was practically unemployed not that long ago, it felt like a dream.
It’s a lot more realistic than a three-million-yen salary, and that makes the sense of accomplishment all the greater.
I really worked hard for this...
When the paycheck comes through, I should take Nami out to Jōjōen or something.
"Oh, that reminds me! Could you take a look at this too?"
"Hmm? Did you find this in the dungeon?"
"Yeah. Near where the magic stones were rolling around, there was an entrance to an underground area. I think it probably appeared after the explosion blew the upper part off."
What I pulled out was the old knife from the treasure chest.
When Kyōka-san saw it, her face showed a bit of surprise.
"Could it be... an artifact?"
"No, it seems like an ordinary knife, so I don’t think it’s anything too special."
"But, finding it in a dungeon might mean it’s something impressive."
Kyōka-san took the knife from me casually, though she didn’t seem to be expecting much, despite her words.
Well, it did look like an ordinary knife, so it probably wasn’t anything too remarkable.
However──
"The way it’s shining... Could it be!?"
Kyōka-san’s face suddenly tensed as she looked at the knife through a magnifying glass.
Sweat appeared on her forehead, and it was clear that something unusual was going on.
Wait a minute, is mithril really that valuable on Earth?
In Venolind, it was only slightly more expensive than silver.
"Is it really that amazing?"
"Yes, this is most likely mithril!"
"...I’m not very familiar with it, but is mithril really that valuable?"
I asked, surprised by how excited Kyōka-san seemed.
In Venolind, mithril, also called "holy silver," isn’t all that special.
It’s lighter and more durable than iron, but in terms of basic materials, Japanese aluminum alloys are far superior.
In modern societies, materials better than iron are everywhere.
Mithril also has the property of conducting magic well, but I didn’t think that would be valuable on Earth.
As I was thinking that, Kyōka-san gave me a somewhat exasperated look before answering.
"Of course! Sakuragaku-kun, you didn’t know?"
"Well, not really. What do you even use mithril for? Jewelry, maybe?"
"No! Mithril is a room-temperature superconductor!"
...What is that?
I frowned at the unfamiliar term.
Seeing my confusion, Kyōka-san quickly began explaining.
"So, what you're saying is that it's a highly valuable material that can be applied to various industries?"
After hearing her explanation, I finally understood mithril a bit better.
In Venolind, mithril was mainly used as a precious metal and as a medium for magic, but on Earth, it’s apparently used in electrical wiring and as a material for powerful electromagnets.
Thanks to mithril, several technologies that were once considered impossible have now become a reality.
For example, Naya-san’s hoverbike is made possible by a high-performance motor made with mithril.
"Japan, which was nearly in ruins, managed to recover in just thirty years largely because they almost have a monopoly on the patents for superconducting technology. You should’ve learned about that in your modern history class."
"Ah, I was too busy with part-time jobs, so I mostly slept through history class."
"Education is important! You shouldn’t sleep through it!"
Kyōka-san said, pouting cutely.
Knowledge is important for life, after all.
Considering that my previous life was that of a sage, I understood all too well the importance of knowledge.
But right now, more than that...
"...So, how much do you think this knife will be worth?"
"Well, it weighs about two hundred grams, so based on the current market price... around ten million yen!"
"Ten million!? That’s enough to buy a house!"
The amount was so staggering that I couldn’t help but let out a strange sound.
Even after the company’s cut, I’d still have over seven million yen in hand.
For my sister and me, who were always struggling with money, this was a life-changing amount.
I thought becoming a monster hunter would let me earn a living, but I never imagined I’d get such a large sum so quickly...!
"Wow... Onii-chan you really did it..."
"Congratulations! It’s rare to find such a treasure like this."
"Yeah!"
"However, there’s something... I’m sorry to say this after all the excitement..."
At that moment, Kyōka-san’s tone suddenly became uncertain.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Her demeanor was weak compared to usual, reminding me of the time when we first met.
Back then, the company’s future was uncertain, and we were struggling.
Lately, I hadn’t seen that expression much, probably because of me joining the company.
"Basically, resources discovered in dungeons are supposed to be bought by companies that have received government approval. For metals like mithril, there's a company called Yamato Metals that has an exclusive buying agreement... but..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Actually, the company that’s been harassing ours is probably that one."
Hearing Kyōka-san’s words, I couldn’t help but slap my forehead.
That means smooth purchasing is going to be out of the question.
It seems we’ve caught the attention of a troublesome company, and since they’re related, they probably want control over our company’s management.
Damn it, this is getting complicated...
"Since this is a business that operates with government approval, they should eventually buy it from us... However, I believe they’ll definitely try to lower the purchase price by making false claims or dragging out the deadline."
"...That sounds tough."
"Of course, we’ll cover your portion and pay you in advance through the company! However, it’s a bit difficult to give it to you as part of this month’s salary..."
With that, Kyōka-san took out her tablet.
She pulled up what looked like a schedule and began to think deeply, murmuring to herself.
"Well... I’ll try to make it work within three months... maybe six months..."
"Is the company really struggling that much?"
"...I can’t hide it any longer, so I’ll say it—it’s pretty bad."
Kyōka-san let out a deep sigh, as if utterly exhausted.
She lightly rotated her shoulders, and I heard the sound of her bones popping.
Her posture clearly reflected the struggles of a small business owner.
Hmm, I really want to help her...
"If the knife sells quickly, it will help the company, right?"
"Yes, it would be an unexpected income."
"Is there any way to sell it quickly?"
"Hmm..."
Kyōka-san crossed her arms, furrowing her brow deeply.
It seemed she wasn’t out of ideas just yet.
"Have you heard about joint monster hunts from Naya-san?"
"Yeah, it’s when several companies form a hunting team to explore a new dungeon."
"Exactly. During these joint hunts, the materials and broken equipment found are bought up by the organizing company."
"I see. So, we just have to say that we found the knife during one of these joint hunts?"
"Not exactly. We would bring it as a sub-weapon and purposely damage it during the hunt. It would be too suspicious to suddenly find a mithril knife."
Kyōka-san gave a mischievous smile.
It’s quite a well-thought-out approach.
In fact, it seems like Kyōka-san has probably been using this method to successfully liquidate artifacts before.
There was a noticeable air of experience about her.
"Fortunately, a large joint subjugation is scheduled soon, hosted by the Night Goons. We’ll be participating in a joint expedition to a Category 2 dungeon as part of our training, so we can carry this out then."
"Sounds like perfect timing."
"However, there are a few drawbacks. In order to do this, you’ll first need to participate in the joint subjugation. Also, there’s a high chance that Yamato might try something around this time."
I see, so there’s some risk involved with taking the shortcut.
That’s probably why Kyōka-san hesitated before.
"What do you think? You can decline if you want, it’s a risky move..."
"Well, how tough is a Category 2 dungeon?"
Dungeons are categorized from 1 to 5 based on difficulty.
The dungeons I usually explore, like Sakuramachi and Warabi, were originally Category 1.
Now that they’ve become managed dungeons, their actual difficulty is considered even lower.
"The average strength of the monsters isn’t anything to worry about. It’s just the second-lowest category, after all. But since this is a new dungeon, there’s not much information available."
That sounds manageable.
Even if something goes wrong, I could handle it with magic.
The plan is to bring the mithril knife into the joint subjugation as a weapon, then fake its damage and have it bought back.
It does feel a bit like a scam, though, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Sensing my unease, Kyōka-san added.
"...Well, this sort of tactic is pretty common in the industry, so it’s nothing to be too concerned about. With mithril knives, the value is mostly in the metal, so buying a damaged one doesn’t really result in a loss."
"Is this something that happens often?"
"Yes. Many small and medium companies struggle with the slow buyout process. The larger companies tend to turn a blind eye to these things."
So, it’s an industry practice, huh.
I can’t say it’s entirely good, but it seems necessary for everyone to survive.
As for this situation, it’s Yamato Metals that’s in the wrong for harassing us.
If the company went under just because we played by the rules, it would be pointless.
"Alright, I’ll do it then. I’ll join the joint subjugation!"
"Thank you! Then, please make sure to hone your skills before then! I’ll contact you with the details later!"
And so, I found myself preparing to participate in the joint subjugation.
——.