Chapter 41: Crab Hotpot and Casual Q&A

"…So, it's time for a strategy meeting."

: He's getting used to streaming, huh?

: This is only his third time.

: What do you mean "so"?

: This guy is always so abrupt.

: Do whatever you want.

Today, instead of a dungeon stream, I'm streaming from home as a new challenge. Since my plan to hire only dungeon streamers fell through, I thought I might as well consider hiring virtual streamers too. So, I'm thinking of trying out some game streaming in the future.

"Remember how I mentioned wanting to start a company to manage dungeon streamers?"

: Did you?

: I don't remember.

: Did he say that?

: No clue.

: I think he mentioned it before diving into the deep floors.

: Ah, yeah… maybe?

"You guys are so nonchalant."

: You're one to talk.

: You're the last person who should say that.

: Kisaragi-kun, really?

: The master of unplanned actions is speaking?

I've realized what my viewers think of me. Fine, if you want to pick a fight, I'll take you on, you jerks.

"So… I recently found out that there are actually very few people who specialize in dungeon streaming."

: Yeah.

: We knew that.

: Wait, you didn't know?

: Seriously?

: I knew it… No planning, huh?

"That's why I'm thinking of recruiting people who aren't just dungeon streamers. Well, I haven't started the company yet."

The reality is that there are far fewer dungeon streamers than I imagined. I thought it was more popular because I heard it was trending, but even those who do it aren't specializing in dungeon streaming. Most are just hanging around the upper or top floors.

"I think more people who can go to the lower floors should stream."

: Like you.

: Go to the deep floors.

: Fancy room.

: That TV is huge.

: Living in such a luxurious place but still unplanned, huh?

: He's rich enough to get by without planning.

"Does the decor of my room even matter?"

Why are they so interested in my private life?

"If you're so curious, I might as well do a cooking stream with the crab I caught in the Takayama Dungeon."

: That actually sounds interesting, so go ahead.

: You caught a crab?

: Is it tasty?

: Do a cooking stream.

: Let's have a cooking and chat stream.

: Cooking stream it is.

Fine, now I'm really going to do a crab cooking stream because I'm pissed off.

Don't underestimate me. I'm about to cook a crab so luxurious that most people couldn't afford it in their lifetime, and I won't even tell you the price.

: Isn't that crab the kind that only ends up in high-end restaurants?

: I think I saw something about Takayama Dungeon crab on TV.

: Yeah, it made the news when it hit the market recently.

"…"

: He's gone quiet, lol.

: Silence means confirmation.

: It's a market price, huh?

: What's it worth, in billions?

"I caught it myself, so it's free."

No matter what anyone says, the crab I'm about to eat is free because I caught it myself and just took a leg or two. So, of course, it's free.

: Stop trying to push the "free" angle.

: Free (because he caught it himself).

: Producer's direct sale stream.

: "I caught this myself" (Kisaragi Tsukasa).

: Producer's direct sale, lol.

: Lol.

: Can I have some too?

: I'll resell it.

"I'll be eating crab while answering questions, so think of something to ask."

I've given up. This distance between me and the viewers is probably just right… because they're having fun messing around in the comment section anyway.

Personally, I think crab tastes best when you keep it simple, like in a crab hotpot. And the best way to finish it off is with rice porridge. A bit of cooking sake, mirin, soy sauce, and Japanese dashi with a splash of ponzu make for a perfect flavor. Add some tofu and cabbage, and you're done.

The difference is that this isn't just any crab hotpot; the crab is so high-end that it's unbelievably delicious on its own.

"Ah… eating crab hotpot in an air-conditioned room in summer feels like a luxury."

: Now I'm hungry.

: Don't stream this in the evening.

: Damn, now I want crab.

: Snow crab is in season in winter.

: But red snow crab is good even in summer.

"You guys can go enjoy some of the more common crab."

: This guy just started roasting us.

: Showing his true colors.

: Stop teasing us with food.

: Don't you care about the salarymen working overtime?

: Food teasing during the rush hour commute, lol, savage.

Oh, now I can just picture my viewers clenching their teeth, glaring at me with resentment after they were enjoying teasing me earlier.

"So, have you thought of any questions? I'm taking them now."

: Is the crab tasty?

: How tasty is the crab?

: How much is the crab?

: Just how good is that crab?

"I'm not taking any crab-related questions."

: Huh?

: That's the main question!

: Answer the crab questions!

: What kind of question filter is that?

: I'm not answering anything about the crab.

If you're that curious, pay for a high-end restaurant meal yourself or catch your own crab in the Takayama Dungeon.

: Are you dating Asagao-chan?

: How far have you gone in Shibuya Dungeon?

: Any dungeons abroad you'd never visit again?

: Show us your Shikigami.

: Isn't dungeon exploring just torture?

: What do you think of Japan?

: What's your rank in school?

"Alright, I'll answer them one by one… Am I dating Asagao-san? No, I'm not."

: She's already put her personal info out there, so calling her Asakawa-san is fine.

: She doesn't seem to care.

: Everyone knows her real name anyway.

"Still, I'm being cautious."

Why is everyone so curious about my relationship with Asakawa-san? To me, she's just a regular friend, but I guess on the internet, if a guy and a girl are seen walking together, people assume they're a couple. I get it… as an introvert myself, I think the same when I see guys and girls walking together.

"Next, Shibuya Dungeon? Hmm… let's see… I think I got to around the 82nd floor last year."

: Huh?

: Didn't they officially say the highest reached floor was 75?

: Oh?

: You've done it now.

"Wait, really? Was it?"

Crap, I didn't bother reporting it because it's a hassle. I haven't gone to the bottom without reporting, but I'm pretty sure there are a few dungeons where I've gone lower than the officially reported highest floor.

"Next question… dungeons abroad I'd never visit again… Greenland has one, so probably there?"

: Where?

: Greenland, lol.

: That's more remote than I expected.

: Why?

"It's cold. Even inside the dungeon."

: Oh…

: What a lame reason.

: Cold reduces your physical abilities.

: Do you really have to go to such remote places?

: Must be tough being EX.

"No, I went for fun."

Actually, it's my dream to visit all the dungeons in the world.

By the way, Greenland isn't a country but an autonomous territory of Denmark, so to visit the Greenland Dungeon, you need permission from both Denmark and Greenland.

"Next… show us your Shikigami? Nope. Moving on… Japan? Ah… still a country that's slow to react to everything."

: Just a flat-out "no" and moving on, lol.

: He just refused, lol.

: Why the slight negativity towards Japan?

: Because he's a slave to the country.

: Show us the Shikigami.

: Should an EX really be speaking negatively about the country?

"Alright, next… school rank? Uh…"

I think I have it in one of my files… how did I do again?

"Out of 514 students… I ranked 124th. My average score across the five subjects was around 72."

: Not bad… but not great either.

: That's pretty good.

: Wow, I was 450th out of 500 back in the day.

: I'm smarter than you.

: I'm still in school and averaging 84 across five subjects.

: Hmm, average.

"Above average is good enough for me."

I was never particularly good at studying, so just being above average means I'm doing fine. Let's just leave it at that.

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