Ch.8 The Intrusion That Day

It's a place 30-minute walk from a local station where no express trains stop.

And about the same distance from the dungeon where the commotion had occurred.

The intercom at an apartment in such a location rang several times.

"Excuse me, we're from the Dungeon Association! We're here to discuss an urgent matter!"

"... He's not coming out, Emi-chan."

"Maybe he's not at home?"

Standing in front of a door with the word "Soya" written on it were Ruru, Emi, and the girl from the medical team from before. (TL note : apparently MC's name isn't Seiya Harumi, but Soya Harumi)

"... Soya-san, it is unclear whether he was there at the time. But it is a possibility."

"Obviously, Haru-chan was a blonde girl!"

"Like i said, there's a chance that Ruru just saw it wrong... No, let's leave that aside for now."

Diving into a dungeon still carries some risk, even if safety is fairly well ensured.

Compared to normal, conventional jobs, the risk of injury or death from being caught off guard by the uncertainties of "monsters" is overwhelmingly higher than in any other occupation.

Thanks to a wristband-type escape device developed through dungeon research, their physical strength can be visualized and their brain waves can be monitored, and they are almost forced to leave before they fall into dangerous waters, so this is said to be a much calmer situation.

However, events that occur in dungeons and their surrounding areas are still often uncertain.

Therefore, even each member of the medical team is given special authority, especially in an incident like this.

Furthermore, she, who appears to be a high school student just like the other two, is part of the medical team - and according to her explanation, she has permission to handle almost all emergencies on her own.

That girl with the ponytail is Kushima Chiho.

The apartment listed as the registered address of a "man" who she had been told by her "boss" possibly be the "rescuer" was a fairly old but spacious two-story building.

"...As of now, there have been no sign of a call for rescue from Soya Harumi's band. However, as this is an emergency, orders have been given to ensure his safety."

“An order…? It’s highly possible that he left the dungeon before Ruru asked for rescue… but of all places, the key's on that floor, also…"

"Yeah, one of Haru-chan's listeners said that Haru-chan's card key was dropped around the place where we found his..."

“So, Soya Harumi and Haru-san could be the same person… well, they are an adult man and a child, so no… I have considered the possibility that they may have dived together as guardians or party members…”

"Soya-san isn't here... Soya-san. Harumi... Haru-san. Hmm? Haru-san? Haru-chan?"

"Ruru, calling an older man "chan" ー wait, "Haru-chan"...?"

It's a provincial dungeon, and since it's not that dangerous, there's a shortage of manpower, so entry and exit is simplified by a card key system, and although there are guards, they only watch over civilians entering.

There was a record of a "man in his 20s named Soya Harumi" entering the building early this morning, but there was no record of him leaving.

This in itself is not surprising, since dungeons usually have security to prevent people from accidentally entering them, but nothing when you leave.

"But if he's still in the dungeon..."

"After the incident with Fukaya-san, we searched all levels, but..."

"Apparently, he wasn't there. That means he was using the emergency escape device."

"...So the one who saved me was him afterall!?"

"Calm down, Ruru. That's a separate matter. It's possible that he was just caught up in it and barely escaped with his life."

"Ah."

“It’s possible that he just didn’t notice that he’d dropped his card, and instead went about his normal life before the incident with Fukaya-san… shopping, etc. However…”

The medical team nodded to Emi and made a call.

Ruru keeps chanting about the strange coincidence, "Haru-san? Haru-chan?"

"Hello, this is Kushima. Yes, I've just arrived in front of Soya Harumi's house... Yes, the meter is running, but there's no response. It's possible that he was caught in a collapse, injured, and returned home as usual, though in a state of delirium... Yes, yes."

"W-what are we gonna do, Emi-chan...the door is locked."

'ー What if it's Ruru's fault that he got into an accident and injured himself... They say the more serious the injury, the more adrenaline is released and it becomes difficult to make rational decisions, so what if he had just gone home like that?'

What if, because of Ruru, someone other than the little girl Haru-chaー ahem, the girl who helped Ruru ー was injured?'

"... I've decided. The person who may have helped Ruru may have hit their head. ...Kushima-san, I'll open it as you said. It's a life-saving measure."

Emi closes her eyes and, as usual, quickly decides what to do next.

"Yes, I'm at the landlord's house now -- eh?"

Before the medical team had finished communicating, Emi suddenly grabbed the apartment doorknob and slid it open.

A normal door, opened like a sliding door.

"...Emi-chan, that's why you're called muscle daruma..."

"Did you say something? Ruru, who's making millions of people worried?"

"Ah, yes, i said nothing."

'Emi-chan is scary at times like this.'

Ruru, whose popular main content is clips of her getting scolded, decided to follow her instincts and remain silent.

'ーAt times like these, Emi-chan is like a mother after all...

"As we discussed on the way, people who are injured in the accidents may also suffer from temporary brain stimulation..."

"... Yes, yes, since there was no response, HQ ordered us to enter and search the place. If we use tools to pry it open, it will take time and make a lot of noise... yes, this is an emergency, so... yes, your help would be much appreciated..."

Chiho, wearing a red armband, fell silent as she watched a high level of strength - from a slender arms and beautiful fingers befitting the name of an idol - ripping a steel door off its hinges with little effort.

“T-this is definitely trespassing… but there is a possibility that he is just living normally, so please take your time…? This is for rescue operations, so it won’t be a big deal even if we miss…”

"Okay, excuse me for intruding. Soya-san, Soya Harumi-san, are you there?"

"Soya-san, me too... Ah, my name is Ruru, I'll be intruding too. Sorry."

... Step.

Emi was in the lead, leaning the door against the outside wall as if nothing had happened, followed by Ruru, who was a little nervous about entering the man's house, and Chiho from the medical team, who was amazed at her level of muscle strength as she looked at the remains of the door.

'ー I did say "I was instructed to do it this way from the beginning," but I never thought Mikazuki would go to such lengths... No, it's convenient for us, though.'

Even as Chiho thought this, she couldn't take her eyes off the door, whose hinges and lock were neatly broken.

After taking off her shoes and going upstairs, Emi looks back and thinks, "Maybe it would have been better to keep them on," but continues walking anyway. Ruru looked around and notices, "Huh? Children's shoes..."

However, immediately afterwards, Emi uttered an apologetic voice.

"ー I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions. After hearing Kushima-san's explanation, I assumed he couldn't move..."

Drawn by this, Ruru and Chiho looked up and heard the sound of water.

"The sound of the shower... Is he taking a bath? No, there's a chance he passed out while taking a bath."

"A-are you going to enter a man's bath...?"

"The two of you are idols. If this information were to leak out, it would be a major issue, so I will be stepping in as the medical officer in charge. It will be fine, I am used to seeing men's bodies from training and rescue operations, and if they are conscious, I will simply call out to them from the outside. There is no shame in medical treatment."

"A-adulte―……"

"I'm a doctor, it doesn't matter if I'm male or female."

"I see."

"Soya Harumi, this is Kushima from the dungeon's medical team. A few hours ago there was a large-scale collapse in a dungeonー"

The medical team approached the bathroom, repeatedly calling his name.

"Huh?"

"Hey Ruru, don't just go ahead and--"

Suddenly, Ruru's interest was drawn in a different direction, and she found herself heading straight down the hallway.

"If nothing happened to him, then it was just trespassing... No, it's my fault for being the one to take the initiative."

"...This! This, this, this, this! This is what he was shooting with! That kid!! Ah, I saw this robe too!!"

The room at the end of the corridor.

Ruru points at the weapon, which is a sniper rifle with a barrel attached, which can be seen from the hallway, and at the tattered robe.

"...But what you saw was a girl."

"Hmm, maybe it was a boy?"

"A boy... According to his registration information, he's already a working adult."

"You see, if you level up fast like us, it'll be harder to age!"

"According to Kushima-san, the first time he entered the dungeon was three and a half years ago."

"Ah."

“Also, the photo of his face is that of an ordinary man. Well, in that situation it’s easy to make a mistake…”

"Huh? But that's weird, Emi-chan. Both I and the camera can clearly see the long blonde hair!"

"...Yes, that's true..."

"And, that!"

Perhaps because the words Kushima had spoken - "You have permission as part of the medical team," and "I have given you two authority" - were still fresh in her mind, Ruru went inside the one-room apartment.

She charges into a room with a futon in the center, books piled high around it, and equipment and other parts on a table.

'...It seems she has already forgotten about the fact that a young woman of marriageable age is trespassing in a man's house.

"This!"

"The clothes hanging out to dry... they're all small..."

"And panties! Look, panties! Cute panties."

"You fool"

"Ouch!?"

Similar shirts and underwear - and women's - girls' items are all worn by children younger than them.

"...Ha! Could it be that this is a matter for the police?"

"It could be His younger sister, or a female relative. Or maybe it belongs to a short but adult woman... probably someone living with him."

"...I guess so... Ah, but then does that mean they're be taking a bath together?"

"Eh? ...One of them must be outside...right...?"

"Maybe it was adult time!?"

"They could be siblings... but that's possible. We need to apologize properly..."

Just as Ruru is about to reach the correct answer, Emi tries to push her back with her "realistic judgment."

"ー I'm sorr...huh?! Um, well, I-"

Just as Ruru, who was holding a pair of girls' ribbon-adorned panties in both hands, was about to be chopped, Chiho cried out in confusion from down the hallway.

"? What's wrong with her?"

"...Just put that back for now..."

"Kay."

The conversation indicates that the man, Soya, who was taking a shower, is safe.

However, she was so calm earlier, but now she was strangely flustered... Noticing this strange feeling, Emi snatched the girls' panties from Ruru's hands... and gently put them back.

Just to be sure, and out of girlish curiosity, the two of them headed towards the bathroom, where they heard even more high-pitched voices.

"... Hi, I'm Kushima and I'm a suspicious person! Yes, I woke up at 2:30 today as a medical team in response to a call from the nearest dungeon... Ah, well, you're... eh, but you're a woman..."

"ーAh, so it's finally been discovered... Well, I'm surprised it's lasted a year. I mean, it's really hard to get reports from the neighbors these days."

The voice that came from someone other than her sounded childish.

"...the voice of a little child?"

"Um, yeah... it seems that way...?"

"ーSo, um... if something dangerous happens in the dungeon, where do I report it? I never bothered to do it because it was too much of a bother."

"Eh? Umm... I can accept it, but..."

"... It's that blonde girl?"

The sound of footsteps can be heard, and a little later as they peek out from the corridor, they sawー

"T-towel! Cover your front with a towel!"

"Eh? But this is my house..."

"Well, that's true, but I'm sorry, we thought something bad might happen to you, so I asked for an accomplice--"

ー Roughly wiping her long, beautiful blonde hair with a towel, of all things ー there's a young girl ー no, a little girl ー who was walking along completely naked.

"ー An underdeveloped loli with a smooth, squishy, ​​childlike body and the ultimate in beautiful skin, bufuu!"

"Emi-chan?!"

Seeing such a destructive scene, Emi collapses, uttering words that destroy her character, and Ruru frantically tries to look after her.

"Ah"

"Ah"

The little girl's sleepy blue eyes and Ruru's round eyes met perfectly.

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