Chapter 72

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"Commission?"

"Yes. I want you to go to the Nakasatsunai Dungeon and collect some heat stones."

Haro tilted his head.

"Shouldn't you ask the local adventurers? Why come to me specifically?"

"The heat stones are mainly mined in the middle layers, but all the intermediate adventurers who can go to the middle layers are heading to Shinjuku."

"Ah, I see."

Haro involuntarily slapped his forehead.

Indeed, the operation to retake Shinjuku is currently in full swing.

Most of the intermediate and above adventurers are gathered in Shinjuku.

"Thanks to the retaking operation, the usual commissions that intermediate adventurers handle are being delayed, leading to a shortage of dungeon items."

And Azusa added, "I'm not saying the retaking operation is bad, but if Shinjuku is left alone, the monsters overflowing from the dungeon will eventually spread throughout Honshu.

People will gradually lose places where they can live safely, just as native Japanese species are being driven out by invasive species.

The retaking operation of Shinjuku is a problem that cannot be ignored for both adventurers and ordinary people.

But because intermediate and above adventurers have gathered to retake Shinjuku, the impact is being felt in other areas.

For example, the Montparnasse in 'Chikaho.'

Under normal circumstances, a large-scale extermination team centered around Kagemitsu would be formed to eliminate the threat more safely.

Due to the lack of intermediate adventurers, Haro and Aerial had to cross a dangerous bridge.

The item shortage that has surfaced this time is similar.

Heat stones are essential for producing weapons and armor.

If the retaking operation drags on, the production facilities might not be able to produce weapons and armor.

If new weapons and armor are not supplied, it will eventually affect dungeon exploration by adventurers nationwide.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Haro frowned.

"...That's not good."

"Yes, it is. So, I need you to collect enough heat stones for two to three months."

"That's quite a bit, isn't it?"

Two to three months' worth—how many kilograms would that be...?

This seems like a long-term expedition.

"It's not that much. About 100 kilograms, roughly."

"No, 100 kilograms is a lot."

Previously, the heat stones Haro obtained from defeating a boss were about 5 to 6 kilograms.

100 kilograms...

Haro felt a slight headache and pressed his temples with his fingers.

"We need a large amount right now. Don't worry, though. The middle layers of the Nakasatsunai Dungeon are famous for heat stone mining. They say that if you go to the 11th floor, you'll find them scattered around."

"Scattered around, really?"

"Really, but they're small."

"Hmm."

If Azusa's information is correct, 100 kilograms of heat stones could be collected in a few days.

The fact that the price of heat stones hasn't dropped despite their easy collection might be because the mining area is in the middle layers.

Moreover, adventurers without magic bags can only collect a limited amount in one go.

Previously, the 5 to 6 kilograms of heat stones Haro obtained were worth 100,000 yen. So, 100 kilograms would be 2 million yen, plus the commission fee.

Haro felt that he could take the commission, but there was still the matter of the timing.

Haro and his team had been steadily leveling up by fighting werewolves.

Haro had also learned more refined movements by fighting Itsukushima.

They were on the verge of breaking through the 15th floor.

Haro wasn't complaining about the shortage of heat stones, but he couldn't help but wonder about the timing.

"Are there no other adventurers who can take this commission?"

"There are no other intermediate adventurers in Hokkaido that I can contact besides you."

"What about Aerial?"

"That's a high-level team."

"Ah, I see."

So this commission is for intermediate adventurers.

Indeed, considering the content of the commission, it's not something the strongest team in Hokkaido, Aerial, would handle.

While Haro was pondering, Kuren, who had been silent, spoke up.

"Haro, are you not going to take the commission?"

"We were about to start tackling the 15th floor. If we take the commission, we'll be delayed. Is that okay with you, Kuren?"

"Yes."

Kuren nodded, with no sign of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

"You're already ahead of me. I'd like you to take this opportunity to gather materials and stall. I'll catch up during that time."

"..."

Haro had never shown Kuren his skill tree.

But Kuren must have noticed.

The difference in growth between Haro and Kuren was clear.

If Haro were in Kuren's position.

If his partner was advancing rapidly and his own growth wasn't keeping up.

He would probably feel immense pressure.

Or he might feel despair at his low growth rate.

Haro didn't want to put pressure on Kuren.

But Kuren might have felt anxious seeing Haro's growth.

It might be good to take a break and reassess.

Azusa is here, so it should be fine.

"Alright, I'll take the commission."

Haro nodded deeply.

Running at full speed allows you to see the scenery ahead sooner.

But stopping allows you to enjoy the scenery you might miss while running.

Haro had never been to the Nakasatsunai Dungeon.

He decided to enjoy exploring an unknown dungeon.

Because he believed that doing so would reveal something new.

"Eh, wait a moment. Are you going alone?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"Um..."

She seemed to be calculating something.

Azusa, unusually, had a serious look on her face as she wrote something in the air with her finger.

"Well, it should be fine, I guess."

It seemed she had made her calculations. She relaxed and smiled.

Haro didn't know what Azusa was calculating, but since she said it was fine, it should be okay.

The commission's deadline, including travel time, is two weeks.

The success reward is 440,000 yen, including expenses.

Plus, the purchase of heat stones and a 5% bonus on that amount.

A long-awaited solo trip.

Exploring an uncharted dungeon.

Just thinking about it made Haro's heart leap.

What kind of place is the Nakasatsunai Dungeon?

*

The road from K-town to Nakasatsunai was quite rough.

Roads that should have been passable were blocked by landslides, and the surface was so cracked that tires might have burst if driven at normal speed. The roads were terrible.

It might have been faster to run than to drive.

Haro borrowed a magic bag from Kuren and traveled with Ria.

Haro asked Kuren to prepare food for Esta, who was guarding the house, but she firmly refused. So, Esta had to accompany Haro on the commission.

"Will we find a place to stay with this group...?"

There were pet-friendly accommodations, but no monster-friendly ones.

So, Haro planned to put Ria and Esta in the magic bag at the hotel front desk.

Otherwise, they would likely have to camp out for the entire stay in Nakasatsunai, which he wanted to avoid.

In the car, Ria sat calmly in her seat.

Esta, perhaps because it was her first time in a car, was fidgeting.

Ria warned Esta not to move too much and get stuck somewhere strange.

Esta pouted and quietly rested her chin on Haro's shoulder from the back seat.

Nakasatsunai, a village in the southern part of Hokkaido, had a population of about 4,000 before the First Stampede. It was the most populous village in the Tokachi region.

However, after the First Stampede, the already small population further decreased, and it is now below 2,000.

Despite this, the village has a dungeon, a well-known food source for Hokkaido.

Many survival-type adventurers visit to hunt food-related monsters for a living.

While abandoned houses are prominent due to the population decline, there are many hotels and guesthouses in Nakasatsunai due to the frequent visits of adventurers. There shouldn't be a problem finding a room.

Upon arriving in Nakasatsunai, Haro first secured a hotel.

Ria and Esta were already in the magic bag.

At the hotel counter,

"Welcome... Hiiii!!"

The front desk attendant screamed.

What!?

Haro braced himself and quickly turned around.

He thought something had come into the hotel that made the attendant scream.

But there was no one behind him.

Nothing alarming caught his eye.

"What's going on—"

"Hiiii!!"

The attendant screamed again when Haro turned around.

...Is it me?

Haro was taken aback.

It was fortunate that the attendant noticed him immediately.

It was a great event, to be honest.

But it was a bit sad to be greeted with fear.

Haro didn't think he looked intimidating; he considered himself to have a normal face.

...Face?

Thinking it might be his face, Haro removed his mask.

"It's gone!!"

That's why he hates removing his mask!

Damn it!!

While cursing in his heart, Haro roughly wiped away the tears that were welling up.

Wearing his mask and signaling from a distance that "I am human," Haro managed to start a conversation with the front desk attendant.

When he explained that he was an adventurer visiting to explore the Nakasatsunai Dungeon, the attendant's guard was slightly lowered.

Perhaps he realized that it wasn't unusual for a suspicious masked person to be an adventurer.

Haro rented a triangular cottage called Fairy House.

The building was two stories, with a living room and kitchen on the first floor and bedrooms on the second.

It was a bit too large for one person, but with Ria and Esta, a larger, independent building was better to avoid unexpected problems.

Haro had checked the information on the Nakasatsunai Dungeon on the WIKI, but getting fresh information from the staff at the buyback and weapon shops would be more thorough.

After dropping off his luggage at the cottage, Haro immediately headed to the material buyback shop.

The Ichibishi Material Buyback Shop was right next to the Nakasatsunai Dungeon.

The building was a prefab, but larger than the one in K-town.

While looking at the prefab, Haro opened the shop door.

The clerk at the counter turned around with a smile,

"Hi!!"

She let out a muffled scream, the same reaction as the hotel attendant.

But unlike the hotel attendant, her reaction didn't end there.

She pulled out a weapon from under the counter and aimed it.

"Wait, wait! I'm a customer!"

Haro quickly spoke up.

Hearing his voice, the clerk stopped.

"...Oh, it's Haro, right?"

"Ah, yes, that's right."

Phew, the clerk sighed in relief and lowered her weapon.

I'm sorry for the exaggerated reaction. Our Yuzuki said, 'A floating freak with a feathered head, a plant back, a scaly body, and tentacles appeared,' so I thought it was a joke."

Hehe. The clerk laughed.

Haha. Haro laughed too.

What kind of report was that?

Azusa should have given a more serious description of his features.

—If she described me like that, no one would recognize me as human.

Haro smiled but sent a complaint to Azusa, who was far away in K-town.

...Wait?

Haro's smile froze as he realized something.

The phrase "I thought it was a joke" means it was a joke, but it turned out to be true!?

—Damn it!

According to the clerk, the heat stones were on the 11th floor of the Nakasatsunai Dungeon.

The other information was exactly the same as what was on the WIKI.

Aiming for the 11th floor should be fine.

Haro memorized the method for collecting heat stones and headed to the dungeon.

The Nakasatsunai Dungeon is said to be the easiest dungeon in Hokkaido.

The monsters are weak, and it's hard to die, but that doesn't mean it's easy to clear.

The danger of death is always present, and there are unique monsters in Nakasatsunai that you won't see in the garage dungeon.

You can't afford to be careless.

The number of adventurers visiting the Nakasatsunai Dungeon is not as few as in K-town.

Haro thought there would be special police at the entrance, so he kept Ria and Esta hidden in the bag as he approached.

But there were no special police at the entrance.

It seems they only station in larger dungeons like Sapporo.

Haro felt relieved, took Ria and Esta out of the bag, and equipped them.

He headed to the entrance of the first floor, aiming for the middle layers of the dungeon.

Next time, the lid of the hell pot in Nakasatsunai Village will open.

Why... (rolling eyes)