Chapter 6 Post-processing
"You both seem to be doing well. That's a relief."
A few days after the joint subjugation, I visited a hospital on the outskirts of the city with Kyōka-san.
We were there to check on Naya-san and Itsuki-senpai.
Even though I had immediately used healing magic on them, they had been admitted for observation just in case.
"They didn't find anything wrong with our bodies. They're keeping us for one more day for observation, but we’ll be discharged tomorrow."
"That's good to hear… We never did figure out what kind of poison was used."
"Seriously, Akai really pulled some messed-up crap."
With a deep sigh, Itsuki-senpai slumped back.
It was suspected that both of them had collapsed due to poison in the fried chicken they received from Akai.
After entering the dungeon, that was the only thing they had in common.
Unfortunately, no physical evidence remained, but since Akai had disappeared without a trace after the joint subjugation, it was almost certain.
Come to think of it, Akai made a weird face when I said I wouldn’t eat the fried chicken…
At the time, I just thought he was annoyed that I was ruining the mood.
"It seems that Akai-kun also tampered with the dungeon's preliminary investigation data. Apparently, he significantly lowered the estimated threat level of the labyrinth master."
"So that means… the dungeon was actually ranked higher than we thought?"
"It was destroyed, so we can't say for sure, but I'd estimate it was at least Category 3."
"…That's bad."
Naya-san furrowed her brows, her expression grim.
It was rare to see her looking this troubled.
Deep in her eyes, a quiet anger burned.
"Falsifying a dungeon's category… is that really such a big deal?"
"There's a huge difference between Category 2 and 3. Especially when, like this time, the labyrinth master specializes in combat."
"Once you reach Category 3, the masters tend to have troublesome abilities. Even a single rank increase makes a massive difference."
…Yeah, forging that kind of information takes a special kind of malice.
Why would Akai go that far…?
Kyōka--san and the others must have been wondering the same thing because they turned to me with questioning looks.
"Sakuragaku-kun, do you know anything about Akai-kun? You were classmates, right?"
"…Yeah, but we weren’t particularly close or anything. You know, there was a pretty big gap between subjugators and regular students."
"Ah, yeah, I can see that happening."
Nodding in understanding, Itsuki-senpai crossed his arms.
Naya-san also murmured a quiet "I see" in agreement.
It seemed that the divide between subjugators and regular people was a common issue.
Especially in high school—where even minor differences could lead to bullying…
"Even something small would help. Can you think of anything?"
"Why are you so fixated on his motive? Yamato probably just hired him, right?"
"I do believe Yamato is involved, but that alone doesn’t explain everything."
"What do you mean?"
"With everything Akai has done, he’s effectively destroyed his career as a subjugator. But I can’t imagine Yamato paying him enough just for the sake of harassment."
A subjugator’s annual salary easily exceeds ten million yen.
If they play their cards right, they can earn far more than that.
On top of that, Akai was part of Nightgoon, a major company.
Over a lifetime, his earnings could have reached nearly a billion yen.
For him to throw away a future like that, the payoff must have been immense.
Too much for a simple act of spite.
"So, you’re saying there’s another mastermind besides Yamato?"
"It’s highly likely."
"In any case, I’m gonna make him pay. A thousandfold punch."
Still sitting on the hospital bed, Naya-san threw a few shadowboxing punches into the air.
It was unusual to see her this emotional.
Then again, she had nearly been killed—it was no surprise she was furious at Akai.
Honestly, I wanted to track him down and land a solid punch myself.
He used our past connection to get close to me, only to stab me in the back.
I don’t care what his reasons were—this was beyond unacceptable.
"…Ah, that’s right! The payment for the mithril knife has gone through."
Kyōka-san suddenly spoke up, as if to lighten the heavy mood.
Oh, already? It hasn’t even been a week!
As expected of one of Japan’s top companies.
Even though Kanami-san pulled some strings, I didn’t expect them to reimburse a shattered knife and pay out this quickly.
There really is no shortage of money where it counts, huh?
"Nice! So, did you get the full ten million yen?"
"Yes, they bought it for exactly ten million yen. After deducting the company's share of three million, your take-home amount is seven million yen, Sakuragaku-kun."
"Seven million…!!"
The sheer amount made my head spin.
It was enough to change my life.
What should I do with it…?
Moving expenses were a given, but should I just save the rest?
Then again, I might never see this kind of money again.
Maybe I should splurge on something I wouldn’t normally buy…?
The possibilities felt endless.
"…You look really happy."
"Of course! It’s seven million yen! Seven million!"
"With that, our company finally has some extra funds too. Oh, I know! Once these two are discharged, how about we all go out for a nice meal?"
"Oh, that sounds great! I’m in!"
"Everyone worked hard, so this time, the company will cover everything."
Kyōka-san beamed at us.
That being said, I felt a little bad going out to eat something fancy without Nami.
But turning down a celebration like this didn’t feel right either…
As I hesitated, Naya-san gave me a curious look.
"Something wrong?"
"Well, it just feels a bit unfair to enjoy a great meal without Nami."
"Your little sister, right? In that case, she should come too!"
"Ohh, Kyōka-san, you really are the best!"
"Fufufu, I’ll book a fantastic restaurant, so look forward to it!"
With a confident grin, Kyōka-san gave us a thumbs-up.
A few days later, we held a banquet to celebrate both our survival and the successful mission.
〇●〇
"Whoa… this place is amazing!"
The venue Kyōka-san had reserved for our celebration was a high-end yakiniku restaurant located on the upper floors of a skyscraper.
Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, we had a breathtaking view of the city’s nightscape.
…It had been a long time since I’d been somewhere this extravagant—probably not since my past life, when I dined with nobles.
I couldn’t help but glance around, wondering if I really belonged in a place like this.
"We’re really holding our celebration here?"
"Of course."
"Are you sure? You said the company was covering everything, but…"
There were five of us attending the celebration tonight, including Kyōka-san herself.
Judging by the atmosphere of the restaurant, the cost per person could easily be around 30,000 yen… so that meant a total bill of 150,000 yen?
No way. That’s an entire month's salary for an average office worker—gone in one meal!?
"Don’t worry. Thanks to you, Sakuragaku-kun, the company’s finances are looking better than ever."
Kyōka-san reassured me with a bright smile.
As expected of a company president—her perspective on money was entirely different from us regular folks.
"This place is pretty nice."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…!! This place looks super expensive…!"
Just as we were about to be shown to our seats, Itsuki-senpai and Nami arrived.
While Itsuki-senpai looked as casual as ever, Nami was stiff with nerves.
Unlike me, who had experience from my past life, this was her first time in a place like this.
She probably hadn’t even been to a family restaurant before.
"Izumi-san… and you must be Nami-chan, right?"
"Yeah, I ran into her at the building entrance. She was looking for the right place, so I brought her along."
"I’m Nami, Amaheto’s little sister! Thank you for looking after my Onii-chan!"
"Likewise. Your brother has been a great help to us."
Kyōka-san responded with a warm smile.
Nami, on the other hand, gave a polite bow but quickly rushed over to me, whispering anxiously.
"What do I do, Onii-chan?! I didn’t realize this place was so fancy—I just wore my usual clothes!"
"Huh? I don’t think it’s a problem."
Her "usual clothes" weren’t anything too casual—she wasn’t wearing a tracksuit or anything.
She didn’t particularly stand out among the other guests.
But Nami shook her head vigorously.
"Look, don’t fancy places like this have a dress code!?"
"Oh… I see what you mean."
"It’s fine. This restaurant doesn’t have one."
Naya-san replied casually.
Which meant she had been here before?
As expected of a top-ranked subjugator from the Shijou Company—her earnings were on a whole different level.
As I mulled over that thought, we were guided to our reserved seats by the staff.
Our table was right by the window—a prime spot with a stunning view of the cityscape below.
The high-rise night view was like a sky full of scattered stars, breathtakingly beautiful.
Both Nami and I were immediately captivated by the sparkling city lights.
"Whoa… Onii-chan, this is incredible!"
"Yeah… I’ve never been to a place like this before."
"Fufufu, the night view here is one of its selling points. It’s a great spot for dates, too."
"A date, huh? I’d need to find a partner first."
"You could go with me, you know?"
"…Huh!?"
"Fufufu, just kidding. Here, take a look."
Kyōka-san chuckled as she passed me the menu.
It seemed like she was letting me take the lead in ordering.
Still slightly flustered from her unexpected joke, I took the menu and flipped through it.
Now, what should we get?
I eagerly scanned the options—only to be immediately shocked by the prices.
"Whoa…!?"
"What’s wrong, Onii-chan?"
"There’s premium kalbi here… for 5,000 yen…!!"
A single order of premium kalbi—just one portion—cost 5,000 yen.
For a moment, I wondered if it was actually meant for five people, but no.
It was indeed 5,000 yen per person.
That was an entire week’s worth of food expenses for me and Nami not too long ago…!
And the menu was filled with other dishes priced at over 3,000 yen per item.
"…For now, should we order five servings of kalbi and five servings of salted tongue?"
"Hmph, you don’t get it."
"Huh?"
Before I could react, Kyōka-san snatched the menu from my hands.
Then, without hesitation, she called over a waiter and placed the order.
"Five servings of premium kalbi and five servings of premium salted tongue, please!"
"Wait, hold on—!?"
Before I could stop her, the waiter had already walked off.
Kyōka-san turned to me with a knowing look.
"You wanted to order the premium cuts, didn’t you? But you held back and went for the regular ones instead."
"Well… yeah, I guess."
"That’s no good. When you indulge, you should fully indulge—that’s the key to maintaining balance when you live frugally. Besides, today is partly a reward for all your hard work, so there’s no need to hold back."
Kyōka-san crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction.
Now that she mentioned it, I had often seen her eating simple convenience store lunches at the office, despite being a company president.
Hearing this philosophy from someone who actually practiced frugality made it all the more convincing.
…Alright, just for today, I’ll take her up on her offer and enjoy this without restraint.
Who knew when I’d get another opportunity like this?
"Here’s your premium kalbi and premium salted tongue!"
Right on cue, our food arrived.
Without wasting any time, I picked up two pieces of salted tongue with my chopsticks.
"Fufufu… Nami, your brother is about to break a sacred taboo…!"
"Eh!?"
"The forbidden double-layered salted tongue!!"
I lightly grilled the two slices of meat on the roaster, then placed them into my mouth together.
Ohhh… this is what true indulgence feels like…!!
The rich, savory juices spread across my tongue, filling my mouth with pure bliss.
The unique, tender-yet-springy texture of the salted tongue was simply exquisite.
This was the best thing I had ever eaten.
I closed my eyes, savoring the experience to the fullest.
And then—
"Onii-chan… I’m about to transcend to an even greater realm…!"
"What… no, it can’t be—!"
"The triple salted tongue stack!!"
My own little sister… daring to challenge the limits of indulgence!?
A single slice of salted tongue here cost at least 500 yen… and she was stacking three at once!?
As I reeled in shock at Nami’s reckless indulgence, she opened her mouth wide and took a big bite.
"Mmmm—!!!"
Her eyes shut in pure bliss, her face radiating happiness.
Just watching her enjoy it so much made me feel strangely content as well.
"Fufufu, there’s no need to hold back. Shall we order more?"
Kyōka-san suggested a second round just as we were starting to run low on meat.
While we were debating what to get next, Itsuki-senpai spoke up.
"…Well then, I think it’s about time for us to get some drinks."
"Hmm, I’ll have a beer."
"Kurotsuki-san, don’t drink too much, okay?"
"I’ll be fine. I can handle my liquor."
And so, the adults started their drinking session.
It seemed that no matter the world, people always enjoyed a good drink.
Seeing them clinking glasses and chatting away reminded me of the adventurers from my past life.
If only I had been born two years earlier, I could have joined in, too.
That ice-cold beer looked ridiculously good.
Washing down the rich fattiness of the meat with a crisp, refreshing drink—it had to be the perfect combo…
"Hmm? Who could be calling at this hour?"
Just then, a ringtone suddenly sounded from Kyōka-san’s chest pocket.
She quickly pulled out her phone and swiped at the screen—only for her expression to stiffen.
"Wh—What…!?"
"What’s wrong?"
"Kanami-san just quit Night Goon!"
Wait, what!?
The completely unexpected news almost made me spit out my drink.