Ch.8 Registering as a Tamer at the Government Office

"Ara, Yuzuki-kun, are you running an errand for your mother? You're so brave to be out so early in the morning!"

"Good morning. But I have something to do today."

"Oh really? Um, something related to school... Eh?"

"Yes, I'd like to apply for a dungeon."

Living in the countryside is tough.

Specifically, things like the nearest government office being a bike or car ride away, or the employees being family members.

Well, personally, I feel more at ease with people who know me than people who don't.

You can tell what kind of person they're right away...even if you don't like them.

Best of all, I won't be mistaken for a girl, which would definitely happen upon meeting someone for the first time.

Well, from what I can see, about half of the people working there are strangers though... but the city merged recently, so I guess that's understandable.

The population decline seems to be getting serious.

...It's a rural area with nothing much going on.

Ah, my hair's getting in the way... I'll have to cut it when I get home.

"Look, that girl is so cute..."

"That's true. Are they elementary school students?"

"But isn't today a weekday?"

"................................................"

"Kyui?"

I'm not an elementary school student or a middle school student. I'm a high school student.

I'm a high school student.

Also, this is Omanju, but it's not a mannu, and also, I'm a man.

I'm a man.

I'm a male high school student.

"..................................Sigh."

I suppress those feelings and curse the hair I'd forgotten to cut.

...Seriously, this is what happens when I go to a place where I don't know anyone.

Being mistaken for someone younger or even a girl can be a bigger mental blow to a guy than people realize.

"Kyui..."

"...Oh, I'm sorry. Was it painful?"

"Kyui."

"I see."

"Look, she's talking to the stuffed animal...!"

"Ah, if only we could have a child like that..."

"Seriously, what are you saying in a place like this!"

"Tch."

Tch tch.

Newlyweds have it so good, I'm still single and have never even had a girlfriend.

"...I'm being called."

Why do government offices make you wait when they seem to have nothing to do...? While I was thinking about that and petting Omanju, I suddenly noticed that the number in my hand was displayed on the counter.

...Unfortunately, it's someone I don't know.

Well, if it's someone I know, they'll start with small talk, which takes time, so maybe this is better.

"Um...is this your brother's?"

"No, that's not it. That's mine."

Ah, the reaction I sometimes get when I show my student ID.

When I show them a photo, they call me "Onee-san," but when I show them a document that says "male," they call me "Onii-chan."

I was hurt once again by this usual thing, so I gently denied it.

I handed the paper that those high school students had given me yesterday to a man from the office whom I didn't know—a man who is slightly older than me.

"...Ah, from the dungeon. That must have been tough... Are you injured?"

"They seemed to be weakened, so I swung the umbrella I have around like I learned in school...and they scattered just like that."

I feel like I've done something truly amazing.

Me, with my complete lack of athletic ability and strength, fighting a monster, even if it's a slime...?

I'm a bit masculine now, right?

I'm starting to feel better.

"...When dealing with slime-type creatures, it's safer to open your umbrella and crush them, you know? Slime-type's bodily fluids are extremely dangerous."

"...That's right!!"

Now that he mention it, I can vaguely recall the content of the classes I took when I was doing side jobs... in the truest sense of the word...

"Well, as long as there are no injuries. And that one js..."

"Ah, yes, this is Omanju!"

"Kyui?"

Along with the feeling of the warmth I'd been holding being released, I gently place Omanju on the counter... and wait, it has hair growing on it that looks like a rooster's comb.

I didn't notice because I keep fluffing it since it's so cute, but it's incredibly fluffy.

"............So the monster's name is Omanju? Is that correct?"

"Ah, yes."

"Kyui."

When the employee lifted his head after looking at the comb growing out of Omanju, it seemed he had sneezed, as his face was red.

Ahh.

People who come from the city tend to develop hay fever very quickly around here... because this place is near mountains.

Apparently, if you go to a more rural area, it might actually get better?

There's nothing there, though.

"...So, as for what kind of monster it is...I certainly don't know. Maybe it's a new species..."

"It has a cat-like face but isn't a cat, and it has a dog-like body but isn't a dog... Oh, and it's a male."

"Kyui!?"

"I washed it yesterday."

"I see, so it's a male..."

"!?!?!?!"

Omanju turned to face me... and made that same face again, then lay flat on its back.

...Does you understand the words, at least somewhat?

Are you perhaps feeling embarrassed?

You don't need to worry about it, you know.

It's easy to be comfortable as we're both guys, right?

"...Let's see...according to the records, there have been no reports of a creature like this being tamed so far."

"Ah, yes. Well, the term 'Tamer' didn't come up in our school practical training."

"...Ahh, I see. That's how it works with special skills."

The conversation went smoothly, which made me feel very at ease.

Yeah, working for the government is great after all... because they don't try to make a big deal out of my looks or making a small talk.

Also, there's the matter of him being the same gender as me.

"So, you'll be registering as a tamer today. In that case, it would be best if you could take a training course at a later date... Would you like to make a reservation? Yes, then please choose from the following dates..."

"Hoe—"

According to the person whose face has been red for a while and can't make eye contact, Omanju is now considered a "tamed monster" because it's not reacting to the alerts installed on the office building.

Even if Omanju were to get separated from me as its owner by some chance, it wouldn't attack anyone.

Tamers are amazing.

Well, if I'm just keeping them as pets, I don't need training, but if I'm going to explore dungeons or something like that...especially since I'm a tamer with skills that involve being protected, it seems like it would be better to get some guidance.

However, these days, students with the right aptitude quickly form parties during school practicals, and everyone knows the basics from watching live streams and such, so apparently most students say, "Just a pamphlet is fine"... but you know, I've never been interested in it before.

"...Um, one last thing. That...um."

"?"

"...We were able to cross-reference the student ID for identity verification with the city's data, but... Hoshino Yuzuki... is a male... If I'm not mistaken."

"...Did you think it was a girl?"

"Kyui."

It's the usual thing, but it still annoys me, and right below me... I hear Omanju's voice sounding satisfied.

"Um, well, you see... That's right! Gender can be an issue when accepting quests, recruiting for parties, or forming impromptu parties! Yes! There are a lot of problems between opposite sexes, and there are also parties that are exclusively for women, so it's just a precaution!"

"Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, I think I might have heard that in a dungeon stream or something."

Level and skill...in other words, power is everything in this closed-space dungeon.

In that environment, it seems women can never be too cautious.

These days, they provide employees with smartphones and wristbands to help them leave if necessary, but apparently there are still more bad people around than in your average busy area.

Whenever a girl is doing a live stream, she almost always gets hit on.

When I think about it that way, crowded cities are really scary.

I'm so glad I grew up in the countryside.

"...Um...just to confirm, you are a high school student...a 16-year-old male..."

"Oh, I turned 17 last month."

"Eh?"

"Kyui!?"

"Huh? What's wrong, Omanju... Do you need to pee?"

I was surprised when it suddenly turned its head around, but it seems that's not it.

Speaking of which, do monsters even need to pee?

...I'll check to make sure it hasn't wet itself when I get home.

"...Y-yes...Your registration is complete, so your age and gender will be automatically shared with dungeon-related staff if necessary. We recommend that you hide this information in the app settings...including your name."

I hold Omanju, who apparently reacts strangely to what a person says, and tried to soothe it while picking up various pamphlets and then we leave the government office.

"But I wonder what kind of monster you are... I'll find out your stats during the training, so I guess I won't know until then."

"Kyui."

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