Chapter 47

It has been exactly half a month since the first post on 12/25. This time, I was honored to receive the number one spot in the Low Fantasy category.

Starting today, there will be three consecutive episodes (1/3).

"Whoa"

The moment I stepped out of the dungeon, I lost my balance. Suddenly, I felt the burden of carrying the two of them. It wasn't that they had become heavier; it felt more like my strength had weakened.

Had the power of 'Adamantine Force' run out? No, that alone doesn't quite make sense.

"I'll get down now."

"It was a wonderful time."

The two of them seemed to notice my change and quickly jumped off. Even after they left, I still felt a sense of discomfort.

"Shouta, are you feeling unwell?"

"Considering how much you moved around, it's no wonder. But you really look exhausted. Should we rest somewhere?"

"…No, it's probably the aftereffect of 'Adamantine Force.' The power increase wasn't much different from 'Super Strength II,' but the duration was incredibly long. It seems to be a backlash. It's a skill with risks."

There are benefits to being powered up for a long time, but on the other hand, when the effect wears off, you experience a power-down. This is a skill that's quite limited in its application. At the very least, it doesn't seem suitable for regular use.

"Hmm… Wait, you used that to carry us?! So we were that heavy!?"

"Shouta…"

"Ah, no, no, I just wanted to try it out. You two were carrying a lot of materials, and also swords and gold items."

"Hehe"

Stammering, I answered, and the two of them burst out laughing.

"Just kidding, just kidding."

"Hehe. Let's go back and report."

"Phew…"

I was completely fooled.

Following the cheerful two, I stepped through the guild's door.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The two of them ignored the window they had lined up at this morning and spoke to a staff member standing by the wall. The staff member, who initially responded normally, turned pale and hurriedly led us to a room in the back.

During this exchange, I felt the power that had drained return. …The power-down lasted about five minutes, during which I felt about 80% weaker. It would be troublesome if this happened during a battle… I'll have to use it while measuring the time.

In the reception room we were led to, the three of us sat side by side and waited for the branch manager.

"What did you say to that staff member just now?"

"I told them to call the branch manager."

"That alone wouldn't make them react like that."

"Actually, I wanted to handle it smoothly. So first, I showed them my and my sister's 'Guild Rank.' Normally, that would be enough, but it seemed to be a really urgent matter…"

"So I whispered this to them. A rare monster has appeared in the first layer. If it's known that such a thing has appeared in a safe and secure date spot, it would cause a panic, right?"

"…That's a bit harsh."

Well, if such a rumor were to spread, this attraction might have to be closed. Although it seemed to be a creature that couldn't move from the corner of the map, an unknown rare monster is a symbol of fear. Even with a false rumor, couples would likely stay away.

…So, I was trying to call it out despite the risk?

…Let's not think about it.

Instead, it would be more constructive to come up with a plan for dealing with it.

After that, the three of us relaxed, but the branch manager still hadn't arrived.

"She seems really busy. Well, I know why she's busy…"

"Is that so?"

And you're calling her despite knowing that.

"But the value of this information is that significant. No matter how busy she is, she needs to hear it. This time, Shouta deliberately brought it up, but there's a possibility it could be called up unexpectedly."

"By the way, since we have time, I was wondering, what's this 'Guild Rank' you mentioned earlier?"

Adventurers have an 'Adventurer Rank,' but I never really cared, so I don't know much about it.

"Oh, right. Simply put, it's a numerical representation of the positions and ranks of people within the guild."

"Maki is Rank 3, and I'm Rank 4. My mother is Rank 6, and the maximum is 7. To put it roughly, 1 is an apprentice, 2 is intermediate, 3 is advanced, 4 is special, 5 and 6 are management, and 7 is the top."

"Receptionists are Rank 1 to 3. Ranks 4 to 6 are branch managers, and 7 is the director. This system is borrowed from the adventurers' system, so it's not very useful outside of guild-related matters."

With that, the two of them showed me the name tags they usually wear as staff members. Looking closely, Maki's had three and Aki's had four small ★ marks. These represent their ranks.

"Hmm. I don't quite understand, but I get that you two are excellent."

"Hehe"

"Hehe"

As we were playfully interacting, a knock finally echoed through the room. The person who entered was a young woman and the receptionist from earlier. Their name tags had 4 and 2 ★ marks, respectively. So, she was the same rank as Aki… meaning she was the branch manager here.

"I'm sorry for the delay. I was in a meeting."

"Yoko-senpai, it's been a while!"

"Wh-When I saw who it was, Aki-chan!? I thought you were in the branch manager meeting…"

"Wait, you know each other… and a meeting?"

The fact that Aki knew her was surprising, but more importantly, I heard a word that couldn't be ignored.

Looking at Aki, she stuck out her tongue cutely.

"Oh, I got a notification on the app that an emergency meeting was being held. But we were in the dungeon, right? It was a good opportunity, and since my exclusive job takes priority, I replied that I would take a break."

"Considering that your proposal was the reason for the meeting, how can you take a break?"

"Sorry, senpai."

"You've always been like this…"

The branch manager of the Dungeon Guild Branch 810… From Yoko's tone, it seems Aki has been this way since her student days. She must have caused quite a stir with this senpai back then. I can vividly imagine the scene.

"So, what's the matter? This girl looks pale, and it seemed like something that couldn't be said during the meeting, so I got permission to leave early…"

"Ah, from here, I'll take over."

"You are… Maki, Aki's sister, right? Aki has told me about you. She says you're very talented."

Maki smiled but quickly switched to a serious expression.

"Thank you for taking the time to see us. I'll get straight to the point. We discovered a rare monster in the first layer and defeated it. Here is the evidence."

With that, she placed three drop items and a recording device in front of the pale Yoko.

To the readers

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