Chapter 12

"Let me introduce myself again, I'm Miki, the branch manager of the 525th branch of the Dungeon Association. I've heard that Amachi-kun has been taking care of my two daughters, so as a mother, I wanted to greet you eventually. But I never thought I'd have to greet you for a different reason. You want to make Maki your exclusive, not just Aki, right...?"

Amidst the shock that hadn't fully subsided, I felt a heavy pressure from the branch manager. I've heard that most branch managers of the Association are former adventurers. This pressure might be due to their extensive experience.

At this point, there's no way I can say, "It was just a joke." The atmosphere was so unfamiliar that I couldn't form words, and all I could do was nod.

"That's right... Aki may seem like an ordinary girl, but she's actually very capable. She works as a receptionist and also serves as the branch manager of the 777th branch of the Dungeon Association. She has her own discretion, so I wasn't worried about her becoming someone's exclusive. But if Maki is also included... "

"Branch Manager, I want to be his exclusive! It's not because my sister is exclusive to someone else, but because I trust him!"

"...I see, you're serious."

The branch manager stared intently into my eyes.

...What is this feeling? It's as if she can see right through me.

But I can't back down here.

Even if there were some issues with how the dual contract started, now that Maki has said this much, I have to make up my mind.

I met the branch manager's gaze without flinching.

"Hehe... I see. Your daughters have good taste; you seem to be a capable young man."

"...Huh?"

What?

Suddenly, the branch manager's demeanor softened, and I felt the tension in my body ease.

"Here's one condition for making Maki your exclusive. Amachi-kun, I heard you hunted a rare monster yesterday and obtained a skill. You then had Maki put it up for auction. Is that correct?"

"Ah, yes."

"The auction is scheduled for tomorrow, but thanks to you putting up the 'Super Strength' skill, this auction is generating a lot of excitement. The news is spreading, and many customers are expected to attend. The fact that such a valuable skill has entered the market through our association has also raised our branch's reputation. I'm truly grateful for that."

"...Ah, so the condition is..."

"Yes, you're quick to understand. I want you to bring back another high-tier skill for the auction. The deadline is two weeks. If you can't do that, I can't trust you with my two daughters."

"Mom!? That's too much!"

Maki, unable to hide her confusion, stood up and confronted the branch manager.

"Maki, call me Branch Manager here. I have no intention of changing the condition. Don't worry, Amachi-kun, there won't be any punishment if you fail. Even if you don't become exclusive, Maki will still have priority as your 'proxy.' What do you think?"

Acquiring a skill... I think that shouldn't be a problem.

First, the 'Hobgoblin' I fought yesterday. If I face it again, I don't think I'll lose. I've figured out its attack patterns, and the conditions for its appearance are simple. By the time I face it again, I should be able to spin the gacha again, and with my stats increased, it should be easier to defeat.

Next, the drop rate for the skill orb. While I haven't verified it, I think it's safe to assume that few people allocate as much to 'Luck' as I do. Despite this, many skills are available on the market.

Even without a confirmed method for rare monsters to appear and with few people having high 'Luck,' many skills are still circulating. Most of them are used by the people who acquire them before they hit the market.

If that's the case, with my relatively high 'Luck' and the ability to deliberately summon rare monsters, I should have a lot of attempts. Furthermore, each time I spin the gacha, the 'SP' allocated to 'Luck' increases relative to my level, which should further increase the drop rates for both monsters and items.

The only issue would be if something other than the 'Hobgoblin' appears.

From what I found yesterday, there are a few related monsters: 'General Goblin,' 'Ogre,' and 'Goblin King.' I can't determine their strength because the information isn't available, but especially the one with 'King' in its name is likely to be a dangerous opponent.

The problem is that this is a 'beginner-friendly lower dungeon' where strong enemies don't appear... but that's a human designation, not a dungeon rule. There's no guarantee they won't appear.

I'll need to be extremely cautious when I go in...

"Shouta-san? ...Shouta-san!"

"Huh?"

I realized Maki's face was right in front of me.

T-too close!!

"Um, if it's too much, it's fine to say no. I was happy just to hear you want to make me your exclusive."

Ah, crap.

I was lost in thought again.

"Sorry, Maki-san. I'm okay with it. Branch Manager, you don't need another 'Super Strength' skill, right?"

"That's right. The same skill would lack excitement. But if there's nothing else, 'Super Strength' is fine. It's still a rare and useful skill."

"Understood. I accept the condition."

"Shouta-san..."

"Well, that's wonderful. I'll send you a list of all the rare monsters and their skills found in this dungeon, along with their floors, to your device. I've marked the more expensive ones, so you can use it as a reference. I'll take my leave now."

With that, the branch manager left the meeting room with a smile.

Despite the sudden condition, she was well-prepared, as if she had anticipated this situation. Is this what it means to be a capable woman?

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

After that, Maki alternated between apologies and gratitude, and after her declaration of resolve, we left the meeting room. To soothe my exhausted mind, I decided to take a break at the café inside the association.

I ordered a sweet, sugary tea.

The sweet taste helped calm my nerves.

"Originally, I wanted to discuss what to do with the materials that wouldn't fit in my bag, but it turned into a strange conversation. ...Still, the branch manager seemed like a mix of Aki-san and Maki-san."

Her demeanor was as gentle as Maki's, but the invisible pressure was just like Aki's. And her eyes... I felt the same aura as when Aki is teasing me and enjoying it.

They are mother and daughters. No doubt about it.

"Actually, if we're talking ratios, Maki-san is 2 and Aki-san is 8."

The condition the branch manager set was probably half-joke, half-serious. But I could sense a mix of expectation in her eyes.

She was a hard-to-read person, but I could tell Maki was important to her. Since I started this, I have to take responsibility.

"Alright."

I switched my mindset and opened the 'Dungeon Communication Network App.'

The file the branch manager mentioned was already downloaded. It seemed to be a more detailed version of the monster information Maki gave me yesterday, and the 'Hobgoblin' information was clearly listed.

Some floors had '???' because the appearance of rare monsters was unknown, and some rare monsters were known but their drop skills were not. Despite the gaps in information, this would be very useful for planning.

Still, the first floor only has the 'Hobgoblin'...

Even after thoroughly reviewing the materials, it seems no other rare monsters besides the 'Hobgoblin' and the rare variant of the Killer Rabbit have been found in this dungeon. However, while the 'Hobgoblin' is manageable, the rare variant of the Killer Rabbit is almost impossible to verify due to its low appearance rate and the requirement to avoid killing goblins along the way.

Fortunately, there are Killer Rabbits on the second floor, so I can try to summon them there...

"There's a possibility that different rare monsters could appear on the first and second floors..."

Ah, I can't stand it. I need to verify this myself.

I gulped down the tea and headed to the dungeon with renewed determination, unaware that several adventurers were watching my back.

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