Chapter 18, What the Hell Are You Thinking?

Translator: Lizz

 

Rekka finished his boring studies, slung his school bag over his shoulder, and left the cram school. Outside, he met up with Haru.

 

“Haru-aniki, did you finish your school homework?”

 

“Of course. Rekka, you… after we get home, right?”

 

“There’s too much I don’t get, so I can’t do it alone.”

 

“It’s fine. I’ll teach you.”

 

“Thanks! As expected of Haru-aniki! You’re a lifesaver!”

 

His vocabularies was rough, but it was their usual way of talking. Normally, they would buy groceries and head home afterward, but today, an unwelcome person interrupted.

 

“You’re Rekka, right…?”

 

“What!?”

 

Stopped on the roadside, Rekka suddenly snapped. The delinquent’s ‘If you get disrespected, you die’ syndrome had kicked in. Using an overbearing attitude to intimidate the other person and push things in his favor was a method used everywhere, a traditional tactic.

 

That said, acting like that in the middle of the sidewalk looked bad. If things heated up, the police might be called, and Masato, who was their guardian, would end up in trouble.

 

“Rekka, calm down.”

 

“But…”

 

Haru placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

That alone made Rekka’s momentum weaken all at once.

 

“Since he was wearing the same uniform, wasn’t he someone you knew? If so, that attitude wasn’t okay.”

 

Prompted by Haru’s remark, Rekka finally looked at the person who had spoken to him.

 

With a refreshing appearance and sharp double-lidded eyes, tall and well-built but not overly masculine, it was Koizumi Seiji, the kind of androgynous man who attracted many women.

 

“Hah, it was you.”

 

Because Rekka disliked him one-sidedly, his mood stayed sour, though it was better than before. Haru let his hand drop from Rekka’s shoulder and simply watched their exchange.

 

“You’re pretty cold to a classmate. Wouldn’t it be better to live more easygoing?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Hit where it hurt, Rekka turned his face away, but only for a moment.

 

They weren’t on chatting terms, so he asked directly to end the conversation.

 

“So, what do you want?”

 

“Straight to the point, huh. Well, I don’t have much time, so that helps. Rekka-kun, you know Tachibana Rika, right?”

 

Seiji kept smiling throughout, but in his eyes there was a sharp gleam, a strong will that said he wouldn’t let his prey escape.

 

On top of that, his condescending gaze irritated Rekka even more.

 

“Yeah. She’s our classmate, same as you. I know her.”

 

“Right, right. And you’re close enough to walk around town together, just the two of you.”

 

Rekka’s eyebrow twitched. He reacted without meaning to at the unexpected words, and Seiji didn’t miss it. That proved the rumor had been true.

 

Pushing for confirmation, Seiji forced the conversation forward.

 

“I don’t think indirect talk works with you, so I’ll be straight. Who was the explorer you introduced to Rika?”

 

“…What are you talking about?”

 

“Playing dumb won’t help. I’ve already looked into it to some extent.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Seiji pulled out a photo.

 

It showed Masato and Rika happily talking at the exchange counter attached to the Tokyo Dungeon. Their closeness was too much to explain away as mere acquaintances. Still, they didn’t look like lovers. Most people would assume they were friends or party members.

 

“The one in the photo with her is your brother, right? Why do you think they’re together?”

 

Sensing Rekka’s blood rising, Haru stepped forward.

 

If it came to blows here, they would be at a huge disadvantage. Since they couldn’t tell what Seiji was planning, caution was necessary, and Rekka wasn’t capable of that right now.

 

“Seiji-kun, right? Is there some problem with my brother and Rika exploring together?”

 

Finally facing someone he could talk to, Seiji’s smile deepened.

 

“There’s no problem. I just have a request.”

 

“A request?”

 

“I finally got permission to go solo, so I want to defeat the boss on the 5th floor of the Tokyo Dungeon. With a joint party of me and Masato-san.”

 

Haru, who had been considering possibilities like threats, coercion, or extortion, was caught off guard by the unexpected request. He couldn’t tell if there was some hidden motive or if Seiji meant exactly what he said.

 

He voiced the question that came to mind.

 

“If you just want to defeat the boss, wouldn’t it be better to go with a veteran? My brother has only been an explorer for a few months.”

 

“I understand that. That’s exactly why I want the two of them.”

 

“…What reason is that?”

 

Seiji’s stubborn attitude made Haru frown suspiciously.

 

“The fastest record for clearing the 5th floor is six months. Domyoji Hayato-san set that record three years ago. I want to break it.”

 

There were many records tied to explorers—human highest level, number of dungeon clears, and more. Each time a record was broken, it became a hot topic on TV and the internet, often making the person famous.

 

Domyoji Hayato, the example Seiji gave, had drawn attention by breaking the record for clearing the 5th floor, where the first boss appeared. After that, he set dazzling records like holding the highest level among Japanese explorers and reaching new dungeon depths, rising to become the most famous explorer of all.

 

Many explorers tried to overcome that high wall, and Haru understood that Seiji was one of those people.

 

His values were far too different from Masato, who had become an explorer simply to make a living. Haru’s intuition whispered that trouble was bound to come.

 

“Exploring isn’t a sport, so breaking records doesn’t mean anything.”

 

“It does. It proves I’m an excellent explorer.”

 

“Then do it alone. My brother isn’t interested.”

 

“If I break Hayato-san’s record, famous parties will notice me and almost certainly invite me. That would stabilize my position as an explorer. I’d be able to earn steadily.”

 

Masato hadn’t told his family about his Skill Sublimation. The testing had taken too long, and the ability was too powerful—he wanted to avoid leaks. No one, not even Haru, imagined that he had already gained the ability to use Fireball and was safely earning in a stable way.

 

They still thought he was barely scraping by in dangerous fights while exploring the dungeon.

 

Maybe this was a chance. Haru couldn’t just refuse outright. Like a black stain appearing on a blank sheet of paper, the thought stuck in his mind.

 

He could have cut the conversation short and rejected it. Seiji wasn’t threatening Rika into forming a party, so there was no need to care about what he said. But when he spoke of a chance to earn steadily, Haru couldn’t decide on the spot.

 

“I see… I’ll ask my brother.”

 

“Haru-aniki!”

 

Rekka, who had expected him to refuse, raised his voice in protest.

 

Considering his personality, it was remarkable he had stayed quiet this long.

 

“Nii-san will be the one to decide.”

 

Haru’s tone was unusually firm.

 

After a brief stare-down, Rekka clicked his tongue.

 

“Tch, fine.”

 

He turned his gaze toward Seiji.

 

“I’ll give you the answer.”

 

“Please tell him, ‘Let’s work hard for each other’s future.’”

 

Seiji nodded with satisfaction at Haru’s reply.

 

Regardless of Masato’s own intentions, the circumstances surrounding him were beginning to shift dramatically.