Book 2: Chapter 2: (1)

The Case of Carrying Out the Great Click Grinding Strategy

「I am thinking about returning to my world’s surface for a bit.」

Deet had suddenly brought this up.

「I would be able to exchange money in Japan, so I thought I’d bring some gold coins back.」

I’m really thankful to Deet but, to exchange all of her gold coins into Japanese yen is something that she should really only do in emergencies. And besides, just because Deet is here doesn’t mean it’s any strain on me financially.

「Y-You don’t have to do something like that you know.」

「I’ll come back soon. I just suddenly barged in and started living in your room, so I thought I should do something more and help out. I want to arrange some things. 」

I always had a thought that she was living here together with me so that she could help make me into a dungeon master, and it looks like there might be some truth to that.

「Well then, we better get you prepared to go into the dungeon then shouldn’t we? Alright, some Japanese food, some useful tools, and supplies, I’ll get everything ready and into your backpack, so make sure you bring me back something nice alright? 」

「Alright, and thank you again, Thor.」

Deet and I stuffed the food, tools, and supplies snugly into her backpack.

「So about that, how long does it take to get to the surface?」

「If it’s just me, then it should probably take around 3 days I suppose.」

Was that so? In other words, if she has some errands to run up there, then it might take her about 2 weeks to come back.

「You be careful out there.」

「I will.」

We only met a few weeks ago, but until now, we had been living a new peaceful, fun life together. I thought it was odd that when I thought about her leaving, it made me feel a little bit lonely. We put all sorts of food and odds and ends into her backpack, so much so that it was stuffed to the brim and we had to take it out and start again. We got it packed so everything was nice and tightly in place.

「By the way, when do you think you’re heading out?」

「I’ll rest up tonight, and head out tomorrow maybe.」

「Well then, let’s have a party tonight to send you off. I’ll cook you up something nice. 」

「Thor…thank you.」

While we were talking, I remembered all of the fun times we had in this strange apartment. All the good memories, but then, that was when something hit me. When you leave this apartment through the front door, it leads directly into the dungeon. But that’s just it. When Enami was here, when he was finally going home, I told him to go out the window, but didn’t he actually leave from the front door? In a rush, I grabbed my ice pick and headlamp and equipped them.

「W-What are you doing Thor?」

When I opened the door, some slimes and some kind of other monsters I’ve never seen before were hanging around acting real tough, as if they owned the place.

「Hey you what exactly are you doing?! Are you paying your television licensing fees?! Don’t touch me! Get out of here you, you… Ahhhh! 」

From the depths, I heard a voice that sounded distinctly like Enami. Before the monsters had noticed me, I turned around and locked the door quietly.

「Looks like Enami opened up the iron gate, and monsters are starting to pour inside the room. What should I do? 」

I was still a low level, this was too dangerous. Deet let out an urgent voice.

「We need to hurry!」

Deet had also realized that this situation was a state of emergency. She ran out of the room with her staff.

「Are you both heading into the dungeon?」

Ria, who had recently finished doing laundry, had noticed the urgent state that we were in and came over to us holding her shield. Even without a weapon, she could probably tank for us.

「I’m opening the door!」

「I’m ready!」

「Let’s go, onward!」

When I opened the door, the two of them jumped out simultaneously. Deet was preparing to cast her magic.

「Mega Inferno!」

A giant centipede and other surrounding monsters were simultaneously enveloped by hellfire and burned. The giant centipede near the metal door was no match for that kind of firepower. It was reduced to ashes before I even had a chance to hit it with my ice axe.

「I’m going in now!」

「I’m counting on you!」

Behind me, I swung with all my might at a slime and some kind of sentient mushroom with hands and legs.  Suddenly, power started to swell inside me. It looks liked I had leveled up. Ria was defending herself with her shield from a giant monster’s attack, and Deet, in coordination with her, was sweeping the whole area with her destructive magic. Thanks to them, we were able to finally make it to the iron gate.

「Ria, press the button!」

「Understood!」

A dramatic noise rang out and the iron gate started lowering. The room had finally become safe again. There were probably some tiny monsters still lingering around, but the big ones were all finished off at this point. However, Enami was nowhere to be found.

「Huh why isn’t he here? The room should be closed off now. 」

「There’s not even a dead body. Even if he was eaten, surely there would be something left over. 」

Just like Deet said, surely there would be something here. But that kind of big guy, I can’t imagine him being eaten. But there was nothing near the iron gate. Only the dungeon’s stone walls, which someone from this side wouldn’t be able to go past. Wait!

「That’s reminds me, didn’t we hear someone shouting about paying a licensing fee or something? What if, by chance, when he was struggling with one of the monsters…」

「That’s the only thing I can consider. While being jostled by the monsters he must have passed through the gate. 」

This is bad. If it was like the slimes or weird moving mushrooms I beat earlier, even Enami could make do with just his bare hands, but he would most likely be killed by something like the giant centipede. While thinking of what we should do Deet spoke up.

「I think it’s best I should start heading back to my world’s surface now.」

「Huh? But that’s…what about today’s farewell party? 」

「I need to hurry and follow Enami, or he’s going to be killed by monsters.」

That was probably the case. I don’t want to wake up in the morning knowing that someone who came to my room has been killed. I may be ignoring some safety laws but I’m not a bad person.

「Alright fine. But wait just a second. 」

I returned to my room and brought back the backpack I had stuffed with all the adventuring gear with Deet. Just in case I also put the bloomers and school swimsuit inside.

「Here, just make sure you’re coming back alright?」

「Of course. I haven’t forgotten that I’m going to make you a dungeon master and live together with you, Thor. 」

「If I can become one.」

I smiled and pushed the button to open the big iron gate. The gate began to open slowly.

「I’m fine, and I’ll see to it that Enami is okay too. Until you install a camera, keep this door closed, it’s too dangerous! 」

「Will do. I’m going to put one up as fast as possible. 」

「Then, I’ll be back soon.」

Deet smiled as she walked through the doorway and into the other side of the dungeon, and vanished soon after. I pressed the button once again and the iron gate started to close slowly. After we had made sure that it completely closed, I held Ria’s hand together with mine and returned to the room with her. It seemed like she had really gone and went to return home. Without saying anything I knew that we both felt the same thing, concern, and hope for Deet’s safety.

「I hope that Deet will be okay.」

「She’s strong, she’ll be fine. I just hope Enami is still alive though. 」

「Yes I hope so as well. Despite being a magic user, Deet was always exploring and searching the dungeon all by herself, she can handle it. 」

When we made it back to the room, Ria seemed like she had remembered something and spoke up.

「By the way, I’m concerned about the thing that Deet said, something about you becoming a dungeon master and living together…what exactly did you both mean by that conversation?」

Oops, that’s not good. I wonder exactly how much Ria knows about dungeon masters.

「Oh that? That’s just something Deet likes to joke around about, you know her. 」

「Master Thor, I would have you teach me more about this.」

Ria’s smile was oddly terrifying.