CH 2

–Two weeks ago.

“Next stop is Ochanomizu, Ochanomizu. The door will open on the right side.”

While holding onto the strap Amashiro Tenji was swaying on the train.

He was holding a smartphone with his free hand and looking at this month’s Accounting app.

On it displayed “Balance for this month: ¥ 105-“. Tenji’s face becomes even steeper when he sees the poor numbers that are about to reach the negatives. When he turned to the next page, he sighed.

The clothes that Tenji is wearing is a high school uniform with gray lines on black fabric, it represented how poor he was.

“Once this medium-scale raid is over, I wonder I have no choice but to get some leftover bread at the bakery of Mr. and Mrs. Taguchi next week …

The sad words that he muttered alone were drowned out by the noise of the train.

Tenji will be joining a medium-sized dungeon raid run by a well-known guild.

In this era, people who make a living in dungeons are called “explorers.”

It was a pretty picky profession where poeple couldn’t get loans and could basically only buy things in bulk, but it was a dream profession. With the potential to become a millionaire and popular with many as heroes, there were surprisingly many young people trying to become explorers.

Of course, Tenji is one of them.

The reason was that his parents were originally explorers, but he had a few Inherent abilities by nature, so he started his career as an explorer.

Tenji sighed again.

(I have to save for my sister’s school trip fee from now on, and I have to repay my debt. I have to cut down on the utility bills and food expenses. This transportation cost is straining. Organs sell well. I’ve seen it in a movie, but what should I do …. No, let’s stop it. The source of income of an explorer is the person’s body. I have to do my best!)

The train stops at Ochanomizu Station, and Tenji got off while thinking.

He head straight to the Hijiribashi exit and exit the ticket gate while looking at the balance of the IC card’s money that was getting drawn out. After you walk Awajizaka (street), you can see the brick underpass from there.

In the past, it seems that there were restaurants and general stores opened quietly under this overpass, but now there is a city that looks like a downtown area.

The reason is that a dungeon out of the 47 in the would appeared here in Ochanomizu.

It is known as Ochanomizu Dungeon.

Ochanomizu Dungeon is not so difficult, so even high school students who are not professional explorers like Tenji can easily enter if they pass the application beforehand.

That said, Tenji is more than just a student.

He was in Japan Explorer High School. It is the only high school that trains future explorers in Japan, applications can only be made in non-dangerous dungeons like this one.

Still, unless you know an explorer, it’s not so easy to get in when you’re in high school. Tenji was lucky because his parents were explorers.

“It’s busy today too … Is that a Chinese tourist organization? You’re so rich that you can afford to go on a shopping spree?”

Tenji walked below Awajizaka, whispering ironically so that no one can hear it. After going down the hill, there is a big intersection. After crossing the intersection, I finally saw the entrance facility of the Ochanomizu dungeon.

The facility is completely different from a commercial facility, it is simply surrounded by concrete walls and wire mesh fences. Of course, there are many measures to prevent the invasion of outsiders and SDF personnel on patrols.

Twenty-three years after the dungeon broke out, only such a simple wall was built because the dungeon gate was too big to cover it completely.

The dungeon gate, which is about 600m high and over 100m wide, is made of a black ore like obsidian.

The door is slightly opened enough for about 10 people to line up, and the door is covered with a black oil film-like ink. If you go through it, you will arrive at the dungeon, but surprisingly not many people have seen the scene inside with their own eyes. Unless you are a explorer most people have never see it.

Tenji slowly walks down the road, looking up at the huge jet-black gate.

The area around the dungeon was redeveloped more than a dozen years ago and is now a tourist attraction with many shops and facilities.

There were surprisingly few restaurants, and there were many shops selling items and weapons. Of course, there are items that are so expensive that would make your eyeballs pop out, and items that you can buy at a low price.

“It’s expensive after all”

Tenji found an expensive Western sword in the showcase of a weapons store along the way, and began to stare at it with his eyes as if a child was begging for a toy.

The price tag says “Third-grade weapon: ghost sword ¥ 15,000,000-“.

As soon as he saw the price tag, Tenji had a habit of calculating it to food expenses and this sword was 1000 months worth of meals, bringing him back to reality.

Tenji’s house is separated, and he lives with his sister in Sasazuka.

He also has a debt of 70 million yen left by his parents who went missing in the dungeon six months ago, so the two siblings are living a poor life and cutting down on food expenses.

No matter how he struggled, there was no way Tenji can bring out such a huge amount of money

“Oh, I want to buy such a weapon someday …”

That said, Tenji imagined her sister, Amashiro Maharu’s innocent smile.

His sister is two years younger than Tenji and is currently in her second year of middle school. She’s currently growing and I really wanted to let her eat more meat and fish, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford it.

Originally, there was also the option to go to the institution but the Amashiro siblings have always refused that option.

“Before buying my weapon … I want to see Maharu eat meat first..”

As an older brother, Tenji wished for his younger sister to grow.

“–Tenji-kun!”

I heard the voice of a woman who I was accustomed to hearing from behind.

Even though I was used to hearing it, I only became friends with her in the past month or so, to Tenji she had an image of a nice classmate.

“Tenji-kun! I’m glad I met you before the meeting!”

Even though she was his classmate, she uses polite words and yet has a lively voice.

Tenji turned around in the direction of her voice and raised his hand halfway, looking down diagonally with a little embarrassment.

“Good morning Asagiri-san”

“Good morning! Thank you for introducing me to this opportunity today. Thanks to Tenji-kun I can experience the dungeon raid just after entering high school.”

“Yeah, it helps me to have Asagiri-san carrying luggages with me. But was it really good? With Asagiri-san’s Inherent ability, I think you would be sought after as an assistant explorer.”

“Even if I have to carry luggage, it is worthwhile to experience it from the first year of high school.”

Asagiri Manaka, who started walking side by side with Tenji, her cheeks blushed slightly and pointed to Tenji’s nose as if to point out.

Asagiri Manaka:

A first-year student that goes to the same Japanese exploration high school as Tenji, she is a woman born with the inherent abilities of the winners, unlike Tenji.

She usually has her chestnut-coloured bob hair down, but maybe because it’s a dungeon today, it’s rare for her to be tied together at the back of her head, and the ponytail sways from side to side every time she walks.

Asagiri-san is really popular in class because each of her movements are refined and she’s polite to everyone. Such a person decided to participate in the raid together this time with Tenji.

Perhaps Asagiri-san doesn’t come to the Dungeon much, she walked along with Tenji’s while curiously looking around the area.

“By the way, Asagiri-san, you have an inner suit?”

“Yes, when I told my parents that I was going to join the dungeon raid for the first time, they sent me a lot ….They spoil me so much don’t they?”

Asagiri blushed with a little embarrassment and smiled.

She wore a school-issued uniform dark bkue fabric with white lines. From the neck, I could see a blue fabric that is sticking tightly to the skin. That is an inner suit.

In the dungeon, no armour such as the adamantine armor that is common in games exists. Instead, the inner suit worn under the clothes appears as the only defensive equipment.

Wearing an inner suit has the effect of neutralizing attacks above a certain level and assisting the movement of the body, so basically, professional explorers wear that under everyday clothing.

Plainclothes are famous for their individuality, such as jerseys, rugged athletic wear.

(Even so, a blue fabric … it should be quite expensive. I want it someday.)

“I’ve been thinking for a long time, but Asagiri-san’s house is wealthy? Even if the inner suit costs 100,000 yen, the blue suit probably costs about 500,000 yen, isn’t it? I’m sorry. If you don’t want to answer, it’s okay.”

Tenji may have been a little jealous of her wealth.

For Tenji, who fills his stomach with bread crumbs and bean sprouts every month, he envied the Asagiri family, who could hand over items for 500,000 yen.

“… They’re just overprotective.”

Her face became a little cloudy.

Looking at the situation next to him, Tenji realized that this topic should not have been touched on.

“Well … uh … Oh, Asagiri-san this is your first time as a luggage carrier, right?”

“Yes, this is my first time. This time, I will learn by looking at Tenji-kun’s back.”

“That’s why I have to do my best. However, I think that it would be like highshool, Me learning from Asagiri-san.”

“The reality is often different from textbooks. I’m sorry to hear that, but how many times has Tenji-kun done?”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve dived into sub-dungeons. I’ve experienced 7 main dungeons and 5 inner raids.”

“Wow! Tenji-kun is amazing. He’s already a veteran.”

“Ahaha … well, I’m only a luggage carrier.”

“Still, great things are great. Even though I’m the same age, I’ve never even entered the dungeon? That’s why most of the other classmates are inexperienced.”

She lowers herself and to make Tenji better, but Tenji only sounds humble.

Tenji’s true intention is that he dives into the dungeon because he needed money to live. Truthfully Tenji doesn’t even want to dive into dungeons because he doesn’t even have a calling.

The childish conversation continued for 5 minutes.

The two finally arrive at the desired meeting place.

Ochanomizu, HIjibashi, Awajizaka, and sasazuka are real places in Japan in/near Tokyo.

Sasazuka