Chapter 59

Kosei returned to his home in K-town and looked up at it with a distant gaze.

So many sad things have happened...

After annihilating Monpare, Kosei held a celebration at "The Hero's Tavern" with Aerial. Aerial paid for everything.

After completing such a big job, he was sure he would be able to enjoy a good drink. Kosei, who had predicted this, was unfortunately only able to take one sip of one mug.

"Hey, is Kasei already gone?"

"Whose mug is this?"

"If he's not here, I'll drink it!"

"Let's go to the after-party!!"

"Kasei's not here, but, oh well!"

Aerial, with her high detection skill, had barely noticed Kosei even without his mask. However, as soon as the alcohol started flowing, neither Kagemitsu nor the rest of Aerial's group could recognize Kosei at all.

The cause was undoubtedly alcohol. Kosei had made the mistake of taking off his mask and letting his guard down at a drinking party. The beer he had ordered and waited for was taken away, and even when he tried to assert his presence, no one noticed him. The edamame at "The Hero's Tavern" was salty...

But that wasn't the only sad thing.

Kosei Hoshizora (27) Gender: Male

Skill Points: 3 → 6

Evaluation: Concealed Imitation Swordsman

Blessing: Defeat God <Mejedo>

- Vitality

Stamina 3

Natural Recovery 2

- Strength

Strength 3 → 4

- Agility

Burst 3 → 4

Dexterity 3 → 4

- Technique

Weapon Proficiency

One-handed Sword 3

Throwing 2

Light Armor 3

Kicking 1

Stealth 3

Imitation 2

- Intuition

Detection 2

Weakness Analysis 0 → 1

- Special

Accelerated Growth MAX

Tame 1

Blessing MAX

Perhaps the world has made a mistake in Kosei's settings?

Despite his intentions, his presence and skills are gradually becoming more like those of an assassin. Even though he never aimed for such a thing...

After annihilating Monpare, Kagemitsu mentioned Kosei in his blog. As a bonus, he even posted the URL to Kosei's blog at the end.

This would surely increase the number of blog visitors!!

However, contrary to Kosei's hopes, the number of accesses did not increase at all. The analytics showed that almost no one clicked on the posted URL.

Why not! Kosei cried and clutched his head in a hotel room.

Even though the URL was in the most prominent place, why did no one access Kosei's blog? He couldn't understand the reason.

(To be introduced by a celebrity and yet...)

He was dejected.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. There were good things too.

At a time unrelated to Kagemitsu's blog post, the number of bookmarks on Kosei's blog suddenly increased by five.

Why the bookmarks suddenly increased was unclear. But there was something he could say for sure.

This was the peak moment of Kosei's happiness during his expedition to "Chikaho." Seeing the increase in bookmarks, Kosei couldn't help but tear up.

"Finally, I've managed to gain a strong presence!"

This delusion of Kosei's would later be firmly denied by Kagemitsu's subsequent article...

Finally, during the process of dismantling the lizardman, a tunic appeared. It seemed that all rare monster drops were stored in the stomach, just like the centipede. (For some reason, the women of Aerial turned away and vomited at the appearance of the rare item.)

The tunic was covered in lizardman scales. Despite being made of cloth, its defense was higher than the centipede's carapace.

When struck, it made a sound like metal, yet it was very light to lift. It was a very good item.

After discussing with Aerial, it was decided that Kosei would receive the tunic. This was because Kosei was the only one who could equip the lizardman tunic.

The monster that dropped the item was on the 30th floor, while Aerial's highest reached floor was the 24th. The level was barely cleared, but no one could equip it.

It was like a greatsword user trying to equip a dagger. They lacked the aptitude to equip higher-level items.

The lizardman tunic was a higher-level item for Kosei. Despite this, he could not only hold it but also equip it.

This was probably due to his blessing.

Kosei's blessing "Defeat God <Mejedo>" was "Cloth" at skill level 1. The appearance of the text suggested some kind of benefit. For example, "Cloth" might mean "Increased aptitude for cloth equipment and reduced equipment difficulty." Kosei thought.

If this speculation was correct, he could equip strong cloth equipment from the lower floors thanks to his blessing. It was a wonderful effect.

However, strong cloth equipment was very rare among all types of armor. It was so niche that it was hard to appreciate.

Incidentally, the blessing skill at level 2 was "Transparent."

Transparent.

The blessing name, aptitude, and effect.

If so...

It seemed Kosei had an incredible blessing.

After putting his belongings in the house, Kosei headed to the prefab.

The prefab, exposed to the scorching summer sun, emitted a heat that made his face contort just by approaching it. It was like a heated iron plate.

Wiping the sweat that dripped down, Kosei opened the prefab door.

Inside the prefab, it was even worse. It was a complete sauna.

In this heat, two women were trembling and crying. It was Hiren and Shion.

Hiren was huddled in a corner, hugging her knees and shaking.

Shion... she was in bad shape. Her face was distorted. It was too much to look at.

"...What happened?"

Kosei, enduring the heat, opened the prefab windows wide. The warm breeze from outside gradually pushed away the stifling heat inside.

"Kozora...-san?"

Hiren finally raised her head. But,

"---?!"

She gasped, her face contorting.

"...Ah, I see. You've become stronger again, haven't you?"

Hiren seemed to realize something and nodded.

"What do you mean by 'various'?" Kosei approached Hiren, slightly annoyed.

"What happened?"

"Right, Kozora-san, please help! The garage dungeon's 10th floor is dangerous!"

*

Kosei, leading the trembling Hiren who kept repeating "dangerous," headed to the garage dungeon.

"...Why are you coming with us?"

"It's fine, no big deal."

Shion, equipped with armor, was standing next to Hiren.

Her armor was a combination of light and heavy armor with the "Ichi" logo. It was a type of equipment that improved agility by omitting some parts of the heavy armor.

Kosei couldn't tell what material it was made of, but it was part of the "Ichi" series. Her skills were likely superior to Kosei's.

However...

Kosei frowned when he saw her weapon.

"What's a Ichi employee doing with a Banmatsu weapon?"

Her weapon was a gauntlet with the "IBI" logo, equipped with a blade extending to the elbow. She used this blade to attack enemies like a tonfa. It was a very rare weapon.

"You're an Ichi employee, right? Is it okay to have a Banmatsu weapon?"

"There's no choice. Ichi doesn't make weapons like this."

Weapons like this—Banmatsu's equipment—had their quirks.

Banmatsu's weapons were designed with a peculiar philosophy. For example, the weapon Shion held was developed by an employee who thought, "Tonfa" → "Rotates" → "Let's use jet engine design!" → "The weapon part is the jet engine blade!".

As a result, a mysterious weapon with a jet engine blade attached to a gauntlet was completed. The blade could be used to attack enemies and also served as a shield. It was sold as an all-in-one offensive and defensive weapon, but it was so difficult to use that sales were poor.

However, thanks to its unique philosophy, Banmatsu had gained a core fan base. Once someone found Banmatsu's equipment suited them, they couldn't use anything else.

Shion was probably one of those people. Indeed, a company like Ichi, which catered to the masses, couldn't produce such unconventional weapons.

Kosei observed the two of them. Why was Shion standing next to Hiren?

They weren't particularly close before. When did they become friends?

"You've gotten another strange item, Kozora. Is that the lizardman's armor?"

"You recognized it?"

"The scales give it away. The performance... is it a bit good?"

Shion leaned in to examine Kosei's tunic.

"Hmm, the defense against slashing attacks is quite high. But since it's cloth, be careful of blunt attacks. As for special abilities... do they exist? Should we do a detailed appraisal?"

"If we have time."

Kosei had just obtained a strong piece of equipment. He wanted to use it in battle and test its feel rather than wait a month for an appraisal.

"Still, with a mask, feathers, potatoes, and scales. Where are you headed?"

"Of course, to become a strong adventurer like a Ranker."

"...Eh?"

Shion's cold eyes followed Kosei as he activated the gate to the 10th floor. Shion seemed to have the gate activated up to the 10th floor.

"When did you clear the dungeon?"

"Recently."

"Is it okay for a shop employee to clear the dungeon?"

"It's not forbidden. It's not part of the job, but entering the dungeon might grant various abilities through enlightenment. You can also gather information about the dungeon and recommend appropriate equipment based on the strength of the monsters. That's why Ichi employees are encouraged to clear dungeons."

"I see. I understand the reasons, but is it okay to leave the shop unattended?"

"Since no one comes anyway. We shorten the business hours on weekdays."

Isn't that a bit too much freedom? Kosei's face slightly contorted.

But in reality, Kosei and his group were the only visitors to the prefab on weekdays. Shortening the business hours didn't seem to be a problem.

"Then, why did you decide to clear the garage dungeon now?"

"It was after I had an argument with Hiren—"

"An argument?!"

"I almost lost when she cast a spell—"

"She cast a spell?!"

"We were going to have a hunting competition on the 10th floor—"

"A hunting competition..."

Kosei, in the gate to the 10th floor, squatted down and held his head.

"So, I'm supposed to take care of Hiren now."

"I don't understand what you mean by 'so'...? Wait, take care of her?"

"Yes. Hiren is a candidate for Ichi's sponsorship."

"...What!?"

Kosei froze at Shion's words.

Sponsorship by a company is selected from among those with high blog views and adventurer points. However, the number of views required for sponsorship is generally around 5,000. Hiren, with slightly over a thousand bookmarks, was a bit short.

However, having a low number of bookmarks doesn't mean you can't be scouted. Occasionally, adventurers with potential are scouted even before they rank. Hiren was one of them.

But to think she would be scouted... A flood of emotions welled up in Kosei's chest.

Damn.

I'm so envious!!

For an adventurer not on the ranking to be contracted by a company.

What a "standout" situation!

"Sponsorship, huh. That's great..."

"Still a candidate, though."

"Because of her magic?"

"Yes."

When Kosei asked, Shion answered frankly.

As Kosei had imagined, Hiren's rare ability to use magic was the reason Shion chose her. By backing Hiren and analyzing her magic, they could potentially benefit by feeding back the information to other adventurers.

It was a very correct decision from a business perspective.

The reason she was only a candidate was due to her immaturity and the unknown nature of magic.

"..."

"...What?"

Kosei stared at Shion. He didn't sense any intention to exploit Hiren from her.

He could feel her calculating the financial benefits... but that was because she was a businesswoman. Financial calculations were inevitable.

While her eyes were on the sales, she didn't seem to have any personal intentions toward Hiren. Kosei could sense this from her expression.

"What, what, Kozora. Are you in love with me?"

"I'll throw you out."

"Violence is bad!"

Kosei's slight display of hostility made Shion tear up and guard her head. If she was going to tear up so easily, she shouldn't provoke so casually...

Hiren had never used magic in front of anyone other than Kosei. She had never made a mistake in this regard. She must have been very careful about using magic.

Kosei was surprised that Hiren had used magic in front of others. There must have been "extreme circumstances." However, since it didn't seem to lead to a bad situation, Kosei felt relieved.

This was probably due to Hiren's special skill, "Luck."

In the future, Hiren would have an easier time moving with Ichi's backing. The day when she could publicly share information about magic on her blog might not be far off.

"Good for you, Hiren."

"I'm sorry... I've been raised to this point, and yet..."

Hiren bowed her head, feeling guilty about being a sponsorship candidate.

Hiren had become stronger with Kosei's support. But Kosei hadn't supported her for any return.

She had the will to become stronger. Kosei had just given her a little help.

Without that will, she wouldn't have grown this much. Even if she had improved her skills, she might have been overwhelmed by her power and stumbled.

"Don't worry. ...Shion, what about support for me—"

"Impossible. Give up. Your blog views are extremely low."

"Ugh!!"

Kosei staggered, clutching his heart. He had cautiously asked, but the answer was a hard punch to the heart.

"An adventurer sponsored by Ichi is an advertisement. There's no way someone as unnoticed as you can be in a position where visibility is everything."

"But—"

"An unnoticed advertisement is like a useless balloon in a remote area."

"Chah!!"

Another kick to the corpse. No mercy at all.

Kosei was envious of Hiren. But he wasn't so jealous.

Kosei's goal wasn't to receive sponsorship or become a Ranker. It wasn't even to rise as an adventurer. Those were just means to an end.

To gain a presence that others would notice!

Once he achieved that, honor, fame, and money would be unnecessary for Kosei.

*

Kosei, having descended to the 10th floor, marched out of the gate room. However,

"...Hey, aren't you coming?"

In contrast to Kosei, Hiren and Shion were still trembling and waiting in the gate room.

They were holding hands tightly. It wasn't a beautiful display of friendship that calmed their fears. They were holding each other to prevent the other from fleeing first. It was a very ugly struggle.

Kosei had asked them what had happened on the 10th floor, but they remained tight-lipped and he couldn't get any information.

He carefully examined the 10th floor but found no sign of a Monpare-like group. It seemed that the situation hadn't escalated to that level. This alone lowered Kosei's alertness by one level.

"Hmm"

The garage dungeon, unlike "Chikaho," had food monsters appear every two floors. If this rule hadn't changed, the 10th floor was a food floor. Kosei couldn't imagine what had frightened them.

After a while, Kosei's detection skill picked up a monster's presence. He immediately drew his dagger and got ready.

"Well, let's see what shows up..."

The grass rustled. While Kosei remained vigilant, a monster appeared from the waist-high grass.

Thank you for watching. Next time, a rare food... monster will appear! Stay tuned!