The Reward for the World's Strongest Explorer's Perfect Dungeon Conquest is apparently Marriage to me, who is known as an S-rank Fraud - Chapter 11

“Let’s go for a rematch. …Let’s go for a rematch.”

Huh? What?

Shia? Rematch?

Wait—what?

“…What time is it?”

I reached for my phone charging beside my pillow and checked the time.

5:47 AM.

“…Good night.”

“Early morning dungeons feel amazing.”

W-What?!

D-Did she just say something incredibly inappropriate first thing in the morning?!

“……”

“Hey, Kuma. Wake up.”

Shake, shake. Shake, shake.

“Nope. Five more hours…”

“Mmm.”

Suddenly, I felt something soft, cool, and strangely comforting wrap around me.

“Ehehe… eheheeheh.”

“Kuma, you’re so cute.”

“Big Bro!! Shia!!”

“Huh?! What’s wrong?!”

I jumped up at the sound of my sister’s frantic voice.

“Mnyuu… Ayane, what’s wrong?”

Next to me, Shia rubbed her eyes, wearing a loose T-shirt—

Wait a second.

That’s my sleeping T-shirt!

“Waaaaah! Big Bro, you idiot!!”

Ayane started punching me.

What the hell was happening?!

Why was I shirtless?!

Why was Shia wearing my T-shirt?!

And… and was she not wearing pants?!

This looked bad—really bad.

Like “the morning after” bad!

“Wait, Ayane! This is a misunderstanding! I am still a proud virgin!”

“Hic… hic… I-I’m leaving this house!”

Crap.

If I don’t fix this, my sister is going to run away!

“Shia! Explain! NOW! You came here early this morning, right?!”

*”Yeah. Since I didn’t get to see Kuma fight yesterday, I wanted a rematch.

And since early morning dungeons feel great, I came to wake you up.”*

Alright. That makes sense.

But—

“THEN WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?!”

*”Your sleeping face was handsome, so I hugged you.

Then you started laughing in your sleep, which was cute, so I kept watching…

And then I fell asleep.

…That was my mistake.”*

Ugh.

I have no memory of being hugged.

Regret!

No, wait—focus!

Ayane is still furious.

“Then why am I shirtless, and why are you wearing my T-shirt?!”

*”When I came in, you were already shirtless.

I was already dressed and not in sleepwear, so I took off my clothes and borrowed yours.”*

Ugh.

I should’ve watched when she was changing!

Regret!

No, wait—focus!

*”Ayane, listen.

Absolutely nothing inappropriate happened.

At the very least, I am innocent!

It’s summer! It was hot last night!

I must have subconsciously taken off my shirt while sleeping!

That doesn’t count!

I AM NOT AT FAULT!!”*

I had to assert my innocence with every fiber of my being.

Even if it meant throwing my fiancée under the bus—

Because I refuse to be hated by my little sister!

“Hic… hic… I-I’m sorry… I just got scared and jumped to conclusions… Waaaaah!”

Ayane burst into tears.

It made sense.

She was 14 years old—a complicated age.

No matter how mature and composed she usually was, 14 is still 14.

Sexual matters—even misunderstandings—would be shocking at her age.

“Ayane, I’m sorry. That was my mistake.”

Shia bowed deeply, apologizing.

Meanwhile, I silently rubbed Ayane’s back, waiting for her to calm down.

“…I’m okay now. I’m sorry for freaking out.”

After about five minutes, Ayane had finally settled down.

“…Ayane, I truly am sorry.”

Shia apologized again.

She had been repeatedly apologizing the entire time.

*”It’s okay, Shia.

…Big Bro is a pervert and a perv, and I always knew that if you two got married, stuff like this would happen…

…But… why am I crying?”*

Tears started pouring from Ayane’s eyes again as she forced a smile.

Seeing that, I couldn’t bring myself to comment that “pervert and perv” meant the same thing.

“…Ayane, I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s okay… really, it’s okay.”

Shia’s expression darkened, while Ayane’s forced smile only made her look more fragile.

I needed to do something.

And then.

“HYOHPHYOH?!?!”

Shia suddenly pulled off my T-shirt, leaving herself in just her underwear.

Then, as if nothing happened, she put on her neatly folded blouse and tapered pants and walked out of the room.

“Ah—hey! Shia, where are you going?!”

I rushed after her, but Shia didn’t look back.

She just kept running, straight out the front door.

“…Seriously?”

Shia had stormed out, Ayane was still upset, and I was stuck here, wondering what the hell to do.

“Big Bro! I’m fine! Just go after Shia!”

While I stood there frozen, Ayane suddenly snapped me out of it.

“…Really? You’re really, really okay?”

“Really! Hurry up! Don’t leave Shia alone!”

Damn it.

She sounded desperate.

“…Alright. I’ll bring her back. Wait for us.”

“Okay.”

I felt guilty leaving Ayane alone, but I had no choice.

I reached for the doorknob—

“Big Bro!”

“What—uff!”

A T-shirt came flying at my face.

Right.

I was still shirtless.

“…I’m going.”

“Okay. Take care.”

The T-shirt was still warm when I put it on.

And…

It smelled kinda nice.

…Hehehe.

“…………”

I didn’t look back.

Even though I could feel Ayane’s sharp gaze stabbing into my back, I kept moving forward.

Wait for me, Shia.

We’re both coming home together.

Shia’s POV

“…Shibuya Dungeon.”

Before I even realized it, I had already arrived.

I had no memory of how I got here after leaving Kuma’s house.

“Hey, isn’t that War Goddess Valkyria?”

“Shia-chan is so cute! Do you think she’d sign something for me?”

“Hey, go talk to her!”

“No way, man. I’d just embarrass myself.”

“Did she switch her home dungeon to Shibuya after clearing Omiya?”

So many eyes on me.

So many voices whispering.

“Um, excuse me… You’re Shia Valkyria, right? I’ve always been a huge fan! If it’s not too much trouble, could I—”

“Sorry. I’m in a hurry.”

“Ah—”

I pushed through the crowd, escaping toward the reception desk.

I rushed through the entry process, grabbed a return portal necklace, and headed straight into the dungeon.

“I need to go deeper.”

I could still sense people around me.

When did this become a habit—

Running into the dungeon whenever I needed to be alone?

“…………”

I reached the 50th floor and defeated the boss.

Not Belgrimous—just the usual Named Boss, far weaker in comparison.

If Belgrimous had appeared here again, I might have died.

“…But at least it’s quiet here.”

51st floor.

A world without people.

Only here did my heart finally start to settle.

Over and over, I replayed the image in my mind—

Ayane’s tears.

Of course.

It was so obvious.

Kuma wasn’t just her brother.

He was her family.

Her guardian.

Her protector.

She loved him just as much as he loved her.

“…How could I be so blind?”

Ayane had welcomed me as her big sister.

She had cheered for me.

She had believed in me.

And yet—

I had ignored something so simple, so obvious.

“I’m a failure of a big sister.”

Anger boiled up inside me.

At my own stupidity.

But I didn’t stop walking.

I kept moving deeper—

Deeper.

Deeper.

Monsters attacked—

I cut them down with a single strike.

I needed to go deeper.

I needed to atone.

I needed to punish myself.

And so, I reached out.

Toward the abyss.