Modern Dungeon 358
Chapter 358 - The One Being Bullied at the Park Was--
「Thank you very much.」
I bowed my head and stepped out of the room.
The recommendation interview was over.
Most of the questions had to do with being a dungeon explorer, things like what kind of activities I’d been involved in during high school, or what I hoped to achieve as an explorer.
I’d anticipated these questions and prepared accordingly, so I answered them without any trouble.
Shizuka-san said I was guaranteed to pass, but at the very least, I think I managed to leave a decent impression.
After the interview, I exited the university building and saw my dad waiting in the car to pick me up.
「How’d it go?」
「Eh, not bad.」
「I see.」
Dad already knew my acceptance was basically a done deal, so he didn’t press for more.
I got into the passenger seat and buckled up.
With the hum of the engine, soft music from the FM radio began playing, and the car slowly pulled away.
「Taira, are you planning on getting your license anytime soon?」
Dad asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
「Well, our high school has a rule against getting one before graduation.」
「Oh, right. That’s still a thing?」
「Yeah. I’ll think about it once I’m in college. I heard the company will even cover the cost of driving school.」
Considering I might need to go on expeditions in the future, it might not be a bad idea to be able to drive myself.
「You heading back to Shiga tomorrow?」
「Yeah. It’s a government request, so I can’t exactly turn it down. But it’s nothing dangerous, I’ll be doing the same stuff I usually do at home.」
「I see. Just don’t push yourself too hard.」
「I won’t. And while I’m gone, keep an eye on Tuna for me, would you?」
「Of course. Tuna-chan and Mikoto-chan are like daughters to us now.」
「Thanks, I appreciate it.」
I murmured my thanks.
Sure, I could ask the government or the company for help if I really needed it. But in the end, the people I trust the most are still my family.
「You eaten yet?」
「Not yet, ah, can we stop at that burger place? Drive-thru’s fine.」
「Don’t make a mess in the car.」
「Might drop a few fries…」
I ordered a teriyaki burger combo, while Dad went with just an iced coffee.
Even in winter, he drinks his coffee iced and black.
「I’ll pay with DungeonPay…」
「Nah, I’ll cover it with my card.」
As I was pulling up the payment screen on my phone, Dad had already paid by credit card before I could stop him.
「Thanks for the meal.」
「Yeah, make sure you eat up. An explorer’s body is their greatest asset.」
He took a sip of his iced coffee while waiting at a red light. I ate my burger in silence and gazed out the window.
The teriyaki sauce was delicious.
And the fries and cola were dangerously addictive.
Damn it, even though Ayame’s homemade lunches are amazing, and dishes made with dungeon ingredients feel like top-tier cuisine, there’s something about fast food that just hits in a different way.
Maybe it’s just a different kind of deliciousness entirely.
As I chewed, I noticed a group of elementary school kids playing in a park.
They seemed to be gathered around something, poking or kicking it.
「Dad, stop the car!」
「What’s wrong!?」
「Just stop! Hurry!」
「Hold on, I can’t stop that suddenly!」
He turned on the blinker and pulled into a nearby convenience store parking lot.
As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out and sprinted toward the park.
「Hey! You kids!」
「Ah! It’s someone from Team Messiah!」
「No way!? Is that Beta-san!?」
「I’m a huge fan! Can I get your autograph!?」
「Y-Yeah, but first, that thing…」
The kids had formed a circle around it, kicking at it.
If this were a fairy tale, the one being bullied would be a turtle, and I’d be Urashima Taro.
But this wasn’t a turtle, it was a slime.
「Taira, what’s going on…? Wait, what is that thing?」
「A slime. Hey, kids, where did you find this?」
「Where? Over there.」
They pointed to a patch of grass.
There was an empty can of cat food nearby.
Right in front of a sign that read, “Please do not feed stray cats.”
「There’s this weird old lady who always feeds cats here.」
「We came to see the cats, but instead we found that thing.」
「So we were beating it up!」
I understood the situation.
I immediately tried calling the Dungeon Bureau, but the line was busy and wouldn’t go through.
With no other option, I called Sonohara-san’s personal phone, someone I’d dealt with directly before.
After about ten rings, she finally picked up.
「Ichino-san, I’m sorry, we’re currently in a state of emergency, 」
「A slime showed up in a park.」
「Wait, a slime there too!?」
「Too?」
「Yeah. I’ll tell you since it’s you, we’re getting slime sightings from all over right now. It’s chaos here. Just give me the exact location.」
I froze, realizing I didn’t know the name or address of the park.
Before I could panic, Dad quickly looked it up on his phone and showed me the info.
I relayed the location to Sonohara-san.
「We’ll send someone over. Please, whatever you do, don’t defeat it. Just keep watching it.」
「Understood.」
After ending the call, I told the kids to go somewhere safe since it might be dangerous.
Then, I casually pulled out a box-shaped item from my inventory, plopped the slime inside, and sat on top of it.
This should be enough to keep it from escaping.
「I’m checking social media, yeah, people really are posting slime sightings. By a river, in the fields, messing up gardens. No injuries reported so far, thankfully.」
「If someone really wanted to, even a grade-schooler could beat a slime.」
Sensing movement, I turned around.
A stray cat was licking the empty can of cat food with a lonely look in its eyes.
I sighed and opened my social media feed.
Luckily, no reports of other monsters had shown up yet, only slimes.
But still… isn’t this exactly the kind of early warning sign you’d expect when miasma is about to overflow?
The miasma purification operation at the Black Dungeon in Lake Biwa should be starting soon…
Looks like things are cutting it a lot closer than expected.
Thirty minutes later, Dungeon Bureau staff arrived.
I gave them a quick rundown, and they took the slime away.
I signed autographs for the kids before heading back to the car.
The fries were soggy now.
Starting tomorrow, I’ve got to give it my all supporting the Black Dungeon campaign at Lake Biwa.