I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 19
Episode 19
“What’s wrong all of a sudden? D-Did I scare you that much? When I said something about cutting, I was only half joking, okay? So if anything, it’d be only half of it.”
Even being cut halfway would be a major incident!
“It’s not that… It’s just that… I’m happy. For the first time outside of the people from my hometown, someone believes in me.”
“…I see… That must have been tough.”
Kirishima-san gently pulled me into a hug and started patting my head.
I had always thought that only people with big chests would have great nurturing ability.
But……. it seems I was wrong.
“…Were you thinking something weird just now?”
“No… not at all.”
…I couldn’t keep showing this pitiful side of myself. I quickly held back my tears and lifted my face.
“I’m sorry… I… thank you.”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for making you cry.”
Just as she said that, a monster appeared nearby.
When I looked over, I saw a demon monster standing there. It was around three meters tall.
It was a Demon Ogre.
It had a magic stone embedded in its right arm, showing its strength.
“M-Magic stone… six of them!? And it’s a Demon-type… to think there’s something above Hell-type…”
Kirishima-san’s voice trembled in shock.
There are several types of monsters.
The ones I’ve seen so far include Normal type, Knight type, General type, Shadow type, Devil type, Hell type, Demon type, Blood type, Nightmare type… and even Abyss type.
(Note: It seems I’ve made a mistake on C4. It should be “Knight Boar” instead of “Night Boar”. I’ve fixed it up. Thank you for your understanding.)
Monsters that are not of the Normal type are classified with these added terms.
I kept my focus on the Demon Ogre and gripped my sword tightly.
“Well, from here on, these kinds of monsters are going to appear. There’s still a long way to go.”
“…..What about reporting to the Association?”
“They told me to bring evidence.”
“Right… Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes—because I’m an S-Rank Explorer.”
With those words delivered to Kirishima-san, as an S-Rank Explorer, I gave it my all.
I kicked the ground and charged at the Demon Ogre.
Gripping the Bullet Sword at my waist, the Demon Ogre swung its axe at me.
But it was too slow.
I had already moved to its side and slashed through its body in one strike. Then, I shot down the Demon Wyvern that had suddenly attacked from the air.
That should be it.
I checked the dropped magic stones, which were small and white.
…..They looked no different from those dropped on the first floor. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“…You’re amazing, really.”
“Let’s just take these magic stones back for now.”
“Yeah. And let’s look for anything else we can harvest from this floor.”
I nodded, and we continued walking together.
This 101st floor had a great view with cliffs. As I guided Kirishima-san to the edge, she let out a surprised exclamation.
“…W-What’s with this floor? Isn’t it ridiculously wide?”
“From here to over there, it’s the 301st floor.”
“…Huh? You can move without stairs… by just jumping?”
“Yes.”
“…….Did you jump down?”
“Of course, I used the cliffs along the way to cushion the impact.”
“…I’m not sure I’d be able to follow you that far.”
Seeing Kirishima-san pale, I gave a wry smile and nodded.
For now, we gathered fruits, stones, and branches from the 101st floor that looked like they could be taken back. We then made our way back to the surface.
—
The Next Day.
Kirishima-san said she would send the materials we collected from the 101st floor to a research facility she knew. Now, we just had to wait for the results.
If any new discoveries came from them, it could be the turning point for my evaluation.
I really hope so.
I hoped for this as I welcomed January 7th.
It was the day I was supposed to meet my mother’s remarriage partner and their child.
We were supposed to meet around noon. So I continued diving into the dungeon until then.
I needed to stay out of trouble since today was an important day.
I had spent enough time on my own, so they should be fine for about half the day.
With that in mind, I entered the family restaurant where I was supposed to meet my mother.
After entering ahead and waiting for a while,
“Misaki-san?”
I heard a voice calling my mother’s name.
When I turned my gaze, there was a man standing there.
He seemed to be about the same age as my mother, or maybe a little older? He had glasses and a calm, gentle smile that left a strong impression.
……He seemed a bit unfortunate in some way, but his smile was kind.
At first glance, he didn’t seem like a bad person.
“Takashi-san, hello.”
“Hello. It’s been a while.”
My mother also smiled and waved her hand lightly. This might be the first time I’ve seen my mother smile like this.
As I thought about that, I took a sip of the cola I had grabbed from the drink bar.
Takashi-san sat at the table in front of us. He was accompanied by a woman sitting next to him—her name, I was told, was Yuna.
…Oh man, she’s ridiculously cute. She has a bit of a flashy, gal-like style, though.
Yuna was wearing a bright, cheerful smile.
Takashi-san’s gaze turned toward us.
“…Nice to meet you. I’m Takashi Harukaze.”
First impressions are important, after all.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Haruto Amakusa. I’m, uh, my mom’s son! Please take care of me!”
I flashed a bright, outward smile and raised my voice.
……..Maybe it’s because I’ve often been on TV or invited to events, but this kind of behavior had naturally become second nature to me.
We’re going to be family from now on. So I know I can’t just keep wearing a polite smile forever.
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