Chapter 57

Well, my school life is also my explorer life, as evidenced by the fact that I, Kōhei Yamagata, have even earned the title of Work-Life Balancer.

It's a weekday, and it's lunchtime at school. Having finished all the morning classes, everyone is gathered in their respective groups, opening their lunch boxes. I'm the same, gathered with my usual group of six.

"Recently, there was a stray cat in front of my house. It was a kitten, super friendly!"

"Wow, cute! Did you pick it up?"

"No, I'm the one who's scared of animals, so I couldn't get close. But it kept coming towards me."

"Wow, what a shame."

Matsuda and Kino are having this conversation while I, along with Katō, Tōno, and Saitō, listen while eating our lunches. We talk about the TV show we watched yesterday, the video that's trending on the internet, or the details of today's classes. The topics are varied.

Matsuda, who is particularly talkative, is the glue that holds this group together. He might be the mood maker of the group.

"Yeah, I mean, if you're not good at something, you're not good at it. Right, Yamagata?"

"Right. I might be scared if a bug suddenly appeared."

"Yamagata, you're not good with bugs?"

"I'm not really good with them."

I put it mildly, but in reality, I'm extremely bad with bugs. I'm afraid of them, I hate them.

They must have come from outer space, invaders from the Bug Planet. That's how much I dislike insects.

Specifically, even flies are a no-go. If one flies nearby, my skill "Walking in a Wilderness Where Not Even the Wind Blows" activates, putting me in a combat-ready state. I might even activate "For a World Where Everyone Can Rest in Peace."

"Of course, I can't make a battle judgment that I must absolutely not lose to a single fly from the outside world."

Even Riebe, my reliable companion, was exasperated by this. Do you understand my feelings! Urya, become a bug hater!

I want to seriously emit a beam that makes me hate bugs. But that aside.

Saitō asked in a somewhat serious tone.

"What would you do if something bug-like appeared in a dungeon...? There are such things, right?"

"Of course, they exist. But they're monsters, and I'm an explorer. I can't afford to be scared, and I'll take them down on the spot, no matter what, yeah."

"......I see."

For some reason, Saitō is smiling wistfully. It's like she's looking at something tragic, or something. Kino and Tōno are also looking at her with concern.

Huh? Did I choose the wrong answer? Should I have said I like bugs? If so, sorry, but I can't accept that.

Putting aside the slightly concerning Saitō, I eat my lunch. The rice is delicious today, as always. Blissful.

By the way, I don't plan to explore a dungeon today. But I will meet Kaena. I intend to consult her about the incident with Ōsaka and the refugee dungeon where a lich is residing.

Even if I don't directly handle the matter, I will at least listen to her opinion, yeah.

However, if Kaena, out of sympathy, were to accept Ōsaka's request, I would stop her. It's too dangerous.

A lich is not a mere common enemy that can be fought while protecting a F-class explorer, who is clearly lacking in both combat and support capabilities.

If things go wrong, Kaena might end up like Mochizuki. I would stop her, no question about it.

"Yamagata, are you free today? Do you have any explorer work?"

"No, I don't have any work, but I do have something to do. It's related to exploration, a bit of a tricky matter. I want to consult about it."

"I see... Hey, are you free on either Saturday or Sunday?"

"Uh... Well, yeah. I'm free from Sunday afternoon, I guess."

I answer Saitō's sudden question. Even though I usually explore dungeons on weekends, I reserve Sunday afternoons for personal time. School starts again the next day, so I need to refresh both mentally and physically.

"Hey, want to hang out a bit? Let's take it easy on a weekend once in a while."

"Sounds good. Okay, I'll make a plan for it."

So, I happily accept Saitō's invitation for Sunday afternoon. Exploring dungeons is important, but maintaining friendships is equally important to me. This is a pleasant invitation.

As lunch break is about to end, everyone quickly returns to their seats to prepare for the next class—ancient literature today.

Today after school, I just need to talk to Kaena. It's a simple task, a day off, you could say. I'm feeling quite professional.

And on Sunday afternoon, hang out with Saitō and the others.

I make a note in my schedule. Thinking about it, I realize my mood is lifting.

At the time of posting this story,

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