I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 22

Episode 22

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues from the internet and TV are in 『….』. And dialogues through the telephone are in ‘….’)

I arrived at school just past 9:30. The hallways were already quiet, and a glance into the classroom revealed that lessons were well underway.  

A few students noticed me and waved despite being in the middle of class. I gave a small wave back and stepped into my classroom.  

They were right in the middle of a modern literature lesson, and the teacher paused mid-sentence while writing on the blackboard.  

The class had clearly started a while ago. The teacher glanced from the blackboard to me.  

“Oh, Amakusa! Dungeon again?”  

“Something like that. Sorry about this.”  

“Don’t worry about it. More importantly, are you hurt?”  

“…No, I’m fine.”  

“Well, that’s good to hear.”  

With a nod to the teacher’s words, I headed to my seat.  

Everyone already knew about my circumstances, so there was no surprise—just warm, understanding looks. I really am lucky to have such a supportive class.  

As I made my way to my desk, someone whispered to me.  

“Hey, the girl sitting next to you is super cute!”  

“Huh?”  

The voice came from Akira who was sitting nearby. He is Miyoshi-san’s son.  What’s he talking about? I followed his gaze—and saw my stepsister, Yuna, sitting there.  

Why is she here?!  

She was glaring at me like I was some sort of pest. Honestly, I deserve a pat on the back for keeping quiet instead of blurting something out.  

Yuna looked at me as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her expression was about as friendly as someone looking at garbage. I gave her a small nod.  

“Nice to meet you.”  

“…..Likewise.”  

Yuna replied curtly, as if we were strangers—fitting for how we’re supposed to act at school.  

I sat down and started preparing my textbook and notebook for class. Akira slid his notebook over to me with a thumbs-up gesture.  

……Seriously, this guy is a lifesaver.  

Akira and I have been friends since elementary school. Ever since I started struggling to keep up with classes due to my dungeon duties, he’s been helping me out.  

Before tests, he’d even pinpoint the likely exam topics for me. Which improved my grades dramatically.  

The Miyoshi family really has done so much for me. If it weren’t for them, I probably couldn’t have continued as an explorer.  

Copying notes from Akira, I focused on the lesson. For now, it was a rare moment of peace.  

I remember Kanzaki once said, 

『I’m not doing it because I want to. I was forcibly made an S-Rank Explorer』 

……….If I had average magic power, would I have lived a completely different life?  

Moments like this—ordinary, precious moments—make me want to treasure them even more.  

But just as I was thinking that, my phone buzzed again.  

Not again…!  

A glance at the screen showed it was a call from Miyoshi-san.  

Damn dungeon! Couldn’t it give me a break for once?!  

I answered the call, and Miyoshi-san explained that Devil-types had appeared again.  

‘…Sorry about this.’  

“It’s fine. I’ll head over right away.”  

As I hung up, my eyes met Yuna’s. She was glaring at me like, “Seriously? You didn’t put your phone on silent and now you’re answering calls in the middle of class?”  

The teacher spoke up, directing his words at me.  

“Dungeon acting up again?”  

“….Yes.”  

“I see… Be careful out there.”  

With the teacher’s words, my classmates also voiced their support as I stood to leave.  

The reason I can continue as an explorer is because I want to protect the people in my hometown.  

As I stepped into the hallway, I noticed Yuna glancing around in confusion. Akira seemed to be saying something to her, but I didn’t stick around to find out. I jumped from the hallway window into the schoolyard and headed straight for the dungeon.  

—

You’ve gotta be kidding me, Kamino Town Dungeon!  

The dungeon was more active than usual today.  

By the end of the day, I’d been called out a total of four times. According to Miyoshi-san, there had been seven activations just today.  

Thanks to Miyoshi-san and the others holding the line, I only needed to step out briefly during class to help. But it was still exhausting.  

—

After school.

I was considering swinging by the dungeon one more time just to be safe when Akira called out to me.  

“Yo, how was your winter break?”  

He’d probably wanted to ask this first thing in the morning, but we hadn’t had a chance to talk until now.  

Winter break, huh…

To be honest, it didn’t feel like I got any rest over winter break. I was at the dungeon nearly every day. And on top of that, I kept getting invited to appear on TV.  

Damn it. If it weren’t for those TV gigs, I could’ve actually had a break.  

Just thinking about it pisses me off.  

“It sounds like you had a rough time. You were on New Year’s programs too, right?” 

“Yeah. I saw you on one with Kiryu-san and Kanzaki-san.”  

“Well…… yeah.”  

I don’t have good memories of that appearance. I got teased relentlessly, and the online feedback was brutal.  

To top it off, I couldn’t focus on anything other than the Kamino Town Dungeon during the shoot.  

“You really do have it tough, don’t you?” 

“Yeah, but that’s how it is.”

“People just judge based on results without knowing what’s really going on.” 

“It’s not their fault. It’s natural to judge based on what you see.”  

I’m used to it by now.  

All I can do is work toward clearing the Kamino Town Dungeon so I can move on to the next one.  

The problem is, I have no idea how many floors this dungeon has. It’s like it’s never-ending.  

Still, Kirishima-san is helping out now. If her research progresses smoothly, we might find a way to break through.  

I really hope things work out.  

“You wanna go blow off some steam somewhere?”   

I appreciated the thought. But today wasn’t the day for that. The dungeon had been especially active, and there was a good chance I’d get called back again.  

Luckily, there’s a simple solution to that.  

“Sorry, but I’m planning to hit the dungeon hard today. Getting called in while I’m asleep is the worst.”  

On days like this, there’s a chance the dungeon will activate in the middle of the night. By going all out now, I can at least reduce that likelihood.  

Akira gave me a grin and clapped me on the shoulder.  

“Got it. Just don’t overdo it.”  

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”  

As I was leaving the classroom, my eyes met Yuna’s. She was with a group of girls. They were heading somewhere together.  

She’s already fitting in with the class, huh? Her attitude seems reserved solely for me.  

Well, as long as she’s doing okay at school, that’s what matters.  

“Oh, it’s Amakusa! Heading to the dungeon?” 

“Yep, that’s right.”  

“Stay safe out there!”  

“Sure. You guys should drop by the dungeon sometime and earn some extra cash.”  

“Let us know if there’s ever a day when the monsters are weak…”  

In today’s world, everyone has magic to some degree. If more people chipped in occasionally, it might reduce the dungeon’s activity rate.  

Walking through the hallway, I exchanged greetings with several people.  

I couldn’t remember everyone’s names, but most of them were friendly.  

They know who I am, but I only interact with them when necessary. Even so, it’s for these people that I keep pushing myself to protect this town.  

Refocusing my energy, I headed toward the dungeon.  

After all the times it called me today, I was going to give it everything I had.  

—

Gripping my Bullet Sword, I moved through the first floor of the dungeon. I was taking down monsters swiftly and efficiently.  

For an hour, I went all out. I vented my frustration on the dungeon’s creatures.  

When I finally returned home and went to bed, the inevitable happened.  

—

In the middle of the night, the dungeon called me back again.  

Damn it, Kamino Town Dungeon! You’re such a pain!  

Mom tried to stop me from going. But honestly, if this keeps up, I might seriously consider just moving into the dungeon.