Chapter 6

Of course, the fact that I was called the "Free Ticket Guy" only existed in my memory.

That's why, perhaps, I can't move on from it.

Until I myself am convinced that "it's okay now," I can't graduate from being the Free Ticket Guy.

The only way to do that is to pay in cash—more times than I used the free tickets—so that I can forgive myself.

What is needed to achieve that goal?

Cash, and a considerable amount of it.

How can I earn that cash?

Since I'm an explorer, it's only natural to earn it through exploration.

I'm a traveler who was called a cheat beyond cheats.

The stat increases upon leveling up and the usability of my skills are different from the merchants, who are known for their poor dexterity despite their skills.

The Item Box used by merchants and the Room used by travelers may look similar, but they are fundamentally different.

The biggest difference is that while the Item Box cannot hold people, the Room can be entered by anyone if the user gives permission.

This means that anyone can enter the Room and check its contents if the user allows it.

Because third-party verification is possible, items stored in the Room are not suspected of theft or deception.

This allows for confident use, and others can entrust their belongings with peace of mind.

Of course, everyone also used item bags, but in most cases, they were filled with water and food, and they couldn't hold large items because the entrance was too narrow. Therefore, it was easier to use a storage skill like the Item Box.

Additionally, the Room could be used as a resting place in dungeons by not allowing unauthorized entry.

By utilizing this, our guild knight successfully minimized various losses and managed to reach the 69th floor of the dungeon, while other top explorers from various countries were only able to reach the 50th floor.

The advantage of having stable supplies and rest is evident when considering that, at the time, the strongest explorer in the world, excluding the guild knight, was level 52, while even the weakest of us, the guild knight, was level 63, and the strongest was level 75.

If I had reported the broken performance of this skill honestly, the me in my memory would have proven what would happen.

Not wanting to become a slave to the guild, I reported falsely to the teacher without any guilt.

From now on, I will use this skill only for myself.

That's what I decided.

However, my resolve would waver soon after returning home.

---

After all that, I finally made it back to the dormitory.

Despite the contemptuous and pitying gazes from the teacher and the surrounding students after hearing my report, I didn't feel any suspicious looks, so I can say that the plan is succeeding for now.

Of course, it's harsh to call them shallow just because a new student wouldn't claim to be a potential criminal.

...I do think it's strange that the teacher gave such an obvious look, but teachers are human too. Moreover, they are part of the extremely narrow society of the guild and explorers, so they lack the social experience of ordinary people, and I can understand why they would take such an attitude.

Whether I forgive them is another matter.

Putting aside their lack of caution.

What I need to think about is the "now" and the "future."

Especially, I need to think about what this memory is.

The memory first surfaced the moment I obtained my job.

This suggests that the memory is closely related to my job.

At first, I thought it might be a simple dream or delusion shown by the skill, or a limited form of foresight caused by the skill going haywire... but I could rule this out for a certain reason.

In the Room, there were drop items from the previous exploration and spare equipment entrusted to me by the guild knights.

With physical evidence, I can confidently say it's not a foresight.

If asked what it is, I'm at a loss.

Given that the level was not carried over, but only the items and memories were, it's possible that my future self, for some reason, reversed the contents of the memory and the skill.

It's also possible that someone's skill or a dungeon trap is showing me a convenient dream.

In a game or anime, it would be a simple "item carryover, no level carryover" second playthrough bonus, and I could have cheered, "Yay! I can do whatever I want with this cheat!" But this is reality, and it's not that simple.

If I'm being toyed with as a pawn by a god-like being, that's still better.

If a monster is showing me a happy dream to keep me from resisting while it eats me, that's not good, but it's okay.

If I got caught up in someone's attempt to redo the past, that's... okay.

What I fear is the possibility that the skill went haywire and automatically rewound, or that I got caught up in something someone else did.

If this only happens once, it's fine.

But the thought of repeating fifteen years over and over again fills me with more fear than excitement.

Even if I get cash and live happily, I have to start over.

Even if I find a lover, I have to start over.

Even if I have children, I have to start over.

Happiness and unhappiness, everything has to start over.

I don't think I can endure such a soul prison.

If I don't know why I'm in this situation, I will be tormented by this fear forever.

That's why, in addition to the goal of "graduating from being the Free Ticket Guy," I set another goal.

To know.

When. Where. Who. Why. How.

What this situation is.

How it happens.

And whether I'm the only one caught up in it.

There are many things I need to know, but I know nothing.

To find out, I may have to cross dangerous bridges.

And I don't want to hold back in life.

"…I need to train."

I need strength.

The strength to cross dangerous bridges.

The strength to push aside obstacles.

The strength to act freely.

The strength to stick to my will.

Something I didn't particularly seek in my memory is now more necessary than anything else.

Fortunately, I have the means and knowledge to obtain it.

There's no reason not to use it.

"For now... I'll aim to become the 'strongest explorer.'"

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