Featured Imaged Credited: Gintama

In the morning, I awoke from Alice house which I"m still not used too yet.

It was certainly a poor village where Alice"s house looked simple, moreover I am already missing Emily"s warm and loving house.

[My body is completely used to that huh.] (Ryouta)

While mumbling nonsense, I looked inside the house.

There weren"t too many furnitures placed inside the house which perfectly fits the description of a simplistic house, and at the other end there was a mixed bed where Alice and Eve was sleeping.

Alice had Boney-chan and Jumpy-san resting on her head like a cat, whereas Eve was gnawing on something inside her thin futon.

[You can"t do that Kon kon…..Eh? Neither fire nor ice works?] (Alice)

[No carrots~, no future~] (Eve)

The two of them were sleeping together while sleep talking.

While thinking that they were having some sort of fun dream, I got up and thought of earning some money in the dungeon.

First up was to check on my equipment.

Two guns, and various bullets.

I did not use the pouch when I first when into the dungeon, but since I knew what sort of drops I was expecting, which were gold dust and gold bar, I equipped it.

And the Tears of Slime.

After re-dropping it from a rogue monster, since I do not know whether that little devil has any other additional abilities to cheat in various ways, thus I held onto this just in case.

Thus, double checking to make sure.

Knock, knock.

Seemed like someone knocked on my door.

I glanced at Alice and Eve, and the two of them were still sleeping soundly.

Since it can"t be help I decided to answer it.

[Yes yes, who is it? ———–Eh?] (Ryouta)

When I opened the door, there were three girls standing there.

Both are girls from the village, they looked to be around 15-16 years old which on earth they were considered JK 1 students. 

[It, it"s Satou-sama. Hey what should we do, I did not think that Satou-sama would be the one coming out.]

[There"s no helping it, now come on Risu.]

[I, I can"t do it. The two of you please help me.] (Risu)

The girls were looking at me while shyly looking at each other…….more like they were pressing against each other.

When I thought what was going on, the girl in the middle was pushed by the other girls forward.

[Satou-sama!]

[O, oh?] (Ryouta)

[Thank you for helping us the day before yesterday.]

[Aah, were you one of the girls that was swallowed by the dungeon?] (Ryouta)

[Yes! At that time when Satou-sama saved me…..you were really cool.]

[Ooofuu…?] (Ryouta)

A voice that I thought was stupid even for myself leaked out of my mouth.

By love do they mean that sort of love?

Th, they did not even mentioned that to begin with but I never imagined what I should do because no one has ever said such thing.

THough, I do not have time to think.

[Uhm! Me too!]

[Me, me three…..]

[Oueee!?!] (Ryouta)

The remaining two both said something absurd.

After the first girl said [I love you] to me, the three of them looked at me straight in the eyes and appealed to me.

Their gazes were strong, I could feel it right in my kokoro.

Their feelings were certainly transmitted, but what should I do about this?

[T, thanks.] (Ryouta)

I tried squeezing something out but it turned out to be extremely awkward.

[Kyaaaaaa!]

[I"m happy!]

[Aaah…..I"m feeling dizzy….]

Apparently they seemed to be pleased with my stupid reply.

I felt like being pinched by a fox.

[It"s to be expected.] (Alice)

Leaving the house with Alice who got up, and on our way to the dungeon Alice overheard the conversation and spoke.

By the way, Eve woke up unnoticed and disappeared unnoticed too.

[It"s natural?] (Ryouta)

[A young and cool looking guy, what"s more being called an a.s.sociation chief is to be expected.] (Alice)

[Is that cool? And it"s Clint the one who asked me to help them out, so of course they came to thank me after I completed the mission.] (Ryouta)

[Helping someone when they are in a pinch. That is a huge point if I do say so myself.] (Alice)

[I, if Alice says so.] (Ryouta)

[Also, those who became adventurers are longing to have these sorts of encounter right. Even I was longing to be an adventurers thus I went to Shikuro.] (Alice)

[Okay….I see….] (Ryouta)

I guess that might be true.

A world where everything drops inside a dungeon, it can be said that being able to help out during a huge event is something any adventurers would want to get their hands at.

I guess I can understand the feelings of adventurers who were longing to fight in the dungeon, especially if they are living in a village without any dungeon.

[This time you became the a.s.sociation chief on this village, so of course you"re already a star over here.] (Alice)

[Even if you said that I"m a s-star, I guess I understand.] (Ryouta)

I was convinced by Alice as we continued walking.

On the way from Alice"s house to the dungeon, the villagers were watching me from a distance.

Everyone had a good impression of me and some had the same expression as the girls that came this morning.

Since having to be a center of attention is really embarra.s.sing, I decided to escape into the dungeon.

Thus we went to the entrance of the dungeon with haste.

[Well, I"ll be going. After I"m done we"ll meet back at the entrance.] (Ryouta)

[Un, I"ll be waiting.] (Alice)

Waving at Alice who nodded, I entered the dungeon first.

As if someone used a spell on my surroundings, the dungeon"s structure changed as I entered the dungeon. Thus, having to team up with someone is difficult.

Well, there are two ways of meeting up with someone inside here, but I decided to take the most reliable way.

That is I would first come in and find my way back to the entrance, and meet up with Alice and together we will be sent to somewhere together.

The reason why I wanted to team up with Alice was to use her special abilities inside here.

As she was born in the dungeon and somehow she knew the structure of the dungeon and where every monsters are located.

Because this was a dungeon where the layout changes every time you enter, we need someone like Alice to navigate and find whether there"s another floor below us.

Inside this unfamiliar dungeon, I tired to go find my way back to the entrance.

It"s as if my first time coming into the dungeon and I was slightly lost.

Gashak.

There was a sound from behind.

I wonder if someone from the villagers came inside the dungeon.

[———-!]

Suddenly someone or something started attacking me.

A black shadow slashed towards me, I could see a blunt blade being reflected as it drew an arc and attacked me.

It wasn"t a monster!

I grabbed the hilt of the blade and body blowed the person holding it.

It might be a human, or more specifically at least it had a human shape.

The opponent"s body bent into a "

Was what I thought when he released the blade and and tried to grab something inside its pocket as if trying to do something, I immediately reacted and did a left hook on it"s face.

The black shadow thrusted into the wall and crumbled as it was.

After looking at it closely, it was indeed a human being.

[An a.s.sa.s.sin?] (Ryouta)

That word came up in my mind without thinking.

The blade that I robbed from the black shadow was apparently a sharp blade called Aikuchi, and it suddenly attacked me with from the shadow.

It was an orthodox a.s.sa.s.sin.

a.s.sa.s.sination? Towards me?

…..But why?

When questions kept popping up one after another, I thought it"s better to catch him first before he escaped, when suddenly.

The dungeon"s structure has changed!

When I was trying to catch the a.s.sa.s.sin, the structure suddenly changed, and I was separated from the opponent.

[…….This timing, it"s definitely not a coincidence.] (Ryouta)

I don"t know what I"ve done but intuitively I understand that they don"t want me to find out who they are.

I don"t know whether it was something being sent or I was being monitored, but that cannot be a mere coincidence as the timing of when I was trying to catch it, the dungeon"s structure changed.

[Should I go search for him, no wait Alice is still waiting for me at the entrance.] (Ryouta)

If the dungeon"s structure changed that means someone must"ve come in.

Then doesn"t that mean Alice who was at the entrance was in danger.

I quickly ran around the unfamiliar dungeon.

There were times when the little devils appeared but I ignored them since even if they were to attack me my HP and Endurance is at S.

After running for around five minutes I saw the entrance of the dungeon.

[Alice!] (Ryouta)

[Ryouta!] (Alice)

[Are you alright?] (Ryouta)

[Yeah, I"m alright. What"s more a weird person was running away just now.] (Alice)

[It ran away?] (Ryouta)

[Yeah, someone suddenly came flying out while I was trying to go in, and afterwards two more came out and scattered as they escaped.] (Alice)

[You let them go?] (Ryouta)

[What do you mean?] (Alice)

[They were trying to attack me, no a.s.sa.s.sinate me.] (Ryouta)

[a.s.sa.s.sination!? Ah but, if I"m not mistaken they look…..] (Alice)

After being surprised, Alice quickly remembered their appearance.

Yes, it"s better to remember what they wore so we can find them.

But the problem is who? And for what reason.

Not being able to catch me must"ve hurt.

[Hey Ryouta, your body seems to be shining?] (Alice)

[Eh?] (Ryouta)

When Alice pointed it out, it certainly looked like my body was shining.

To be exact, it was flashing red right under my clothes.

Thus I took it out and figure out what it was.

[Tears of Slime……] (Ryouta)

[Isn"t it where it would counter the opponent’s damage.] (Alice)

[Yeah, it was a drop from the High Guts Slime, and when I turned it into a rogue slime it dropped this…..So this light meant the effect happened?] (Ryouta)

I stared at the Tears of Slime and observed what the light meant.

[…..Alice, where did those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds escaped?] (Ryouta)

[Etto, there and there.] (Alice)

Alice said while pointing at two opposite directions.

With the Tears of Slime, I first chose one side, and the blinking of the light delayed for a moment.

This time I head towards the other side, and the blinking suddenly gotten faster.

[What does that mean?] (Alice)

[Perhaps….it"s a tracker to track its opponent.] (Ryouta)

I decided to pursue those b.u.g.g.e.rs while it was flashing quickly.

[Did you fail?]

[I"m so sorry!]

[Hmm, that brat is stronger than I expected. I thought it was some new emerging family but it looks like they are quite formidable.]

[What should we do?]

[Was your face seen? Were you being followed?]

[He did not see and we were hidden the whole time.]

[If that"s the case then go hide for awhile, and think about the next plan.

[I understand—–Mu.]

[What"s wro—–Eh?]

The two men who were talking in the forest noticed abnormality of their bodies.

Both of them were tied up in something that was shining on their bodies.

[What the h.e.l.l….what the h.e.l.l is this?]

[I can"t move…..what"s going on?]

The two of them were desperately trying to escape from the light rope, but the more they struggle, the tighter it got.

[So that"s what it is.]

[Who is it!!]

I slowly approached the man who asked who I was.

I then placed my guns down and walked to them slowly.

Because of my Enhanced Bullet imbued with the Restraining Bullet, I don"t think the two of them can escape for a really long time.

[Satou……Ryouta.]

As the light shine on the man"s face, it revealed the face of Samechiren"s dungeon a.s.sociation chief.

And the person beside him who was being held was the black shadow who attacked me earlier.

[In other words, you were the one who sent them to kill me?] (Ryouta)

[Wh, what are you saying.]

[Well, well, well, trying to feign ignorance heh. Well it"s alright, since I"m bad at this. Alice.] (Ryouta)

[Un!] (Alice)

Alice who followed along stood side by side.

[Head back to the village and call Clint over, he will be good with negotiating.] (Ryouta)

[All right!] (Alice)

Alice nodded and immediately ran.

Only leaving me, and the two who were restrained.

The dungeon a.s.sociation chief of Samechiren had a pale face which made it all the more interesting.

(TLN Note: Idk why I made Ryouta so s.a.d.i.s.tic and downright psycho for this chapter. >W<>

JK directly means (女子高生Jyoshikousei) high school girls. ↩