Tamer 30
BGM: 【MV】24 Hours with Camellya - A Private Record
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Chapter 30: The Receptionist and the High-Ranking Explorer 2
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
「That sly fox...」
Even though I told her clearly, just greet Kikyo, nothing more. I even spelt it out for him. Kikyo is mine. So why are you coming out of the dungeon wearing that unmistakable look?
Today, only two people entered the dungeon. Kikyo and Haruno, the so-called Brave Saint Sword Demon standing right here. There was no way nothing happened between them.
「Miss Haruno, even if you run into another explorer in a dungeon, it is proper etiquette to ignore them. No talking, no greetings.」
「What kind of etiquette is that? I have never heard of it.」
Kikyo and Sana are closer than ever right now. Do not interfere. We are not merely on good terms. We are accomplices, bound together by something deeper, something unbreakable.
Brave Saint Sword Demon or not, I do not care. If you want a boyfriend that desperately, let a goblin take the job.
「Perhaps you were simply unaware of it, Miss Haruno. Please learn it from now on.」
「Um… You know, it’s obvious when Miss Receptionist is lying, isn't it?」
「Miss Haruno, I told you, didn’t I? Do not talk to Kikyo.」
「Huh? I-I didn’t talk to him at all though?」
Her eyes are darting around. She definitely talked to him.
「I am in relationship with Kikyo. I do not want you interfering.」
「But Kikyo said he is not dating you though?」
This bi*ch!!
So you did talk to him after all!!
「I'm in relationship with Kikyo.」
「That’s a lie. I mean, Kiky---」
「And why do you think that? You didn’t talk to him, did you?」
「Huh? Uh… Vibes...?」
Oh, I’ve got vibes too.
This girl was definitely targetting Kikyo.
Something happened in the dungeon.... A moment. A spark. A ridiculous little romance scene where Haruno fell for him.
It has to be that.
「So what, you’re gonna interfere when I’m this close to dating Kikyo? Just saying, girls who mess with other people’s love lives don’t exactly win popularity contests.」
「I wouldn’t call it interfering… Oh right! If you’re not in relationship yet, why don’t the three of us spend time together?」
「No. Please return to Ueno immediately.」
「If you’d like, can I get in touch with Kikyo?.」
「Eh?」
Hold on. Why does Haruno even have Kikyo’s number? That’s dodgy, isn’t it?
There was no benefit whatsoever in bringing her along on a date. If it was the three of us, she was clearly trying to get closer to him, right?
No… Don’t tell me…
「You didn’t already score a hole-in-one with Kikyo’s bat in your own hole, did you?!」
「Eh? H-hold on… Miss Receptionist, what on earth are you talking abo---」
「A hole-in-one! Congratulations! Woohoo! That mustn't be the case, right!?」
「Miss Receptionist, wait! That’s not it. We only kissed, so keep your voice do--」
「A KISS?! Why are you wrecking Sana and Kikyo’s future?! If you hadn’t butted in, I’d be slowly getting closer to him, dating, living together, going on trips, getting married in three years, having two kids! He’d become a high-rank explorer, live easy, help with childcare, be an amazing husband, and we’d be buried together forever!!!」
「…Wow. That’s creepy. Are you a stalker or something?」
「No. I’m not a stalker. I’m just a woman who loves Kikyo.」
「…That’s… really not convincing...」
Haruno’s face twitched.
Why does Sana have to be the one weirded out here?
This sly fo— No, no, calm down, Sana. Deep breaths. A kiss isn’t checkmate.
As long as Kikyo’s bat hasn’t gone hole-in-one in Haruno’s hole, it’s unforgivable but not fatal.
「So, Miss Receptionist. You like Kikyo-kun, don’t you?」
「Yes. Which is why Haruno is in the way. I’ll tell Kikyo she’s dating a goblin.」
「Can you please Stop it!? And even if you did, no one would believe something like that!」
「Whether they believe it or not is up to them.」
「Hey, stop saying it like that with a completely straight face.」
「Just kidding.」
「That’s way too cruel, even as a joke…」
What’s cruel about it? You're the one trying to steal my Kikyo.
「Fine… if it was a joke, whatever. But I don’t like doing things behind people’s backs, so I’ll say it straight. I think I’ve fallen for Kikyo. I thought about hiding it from you, but I wanted to be honest.」
「And you think confession earns forgiveness?」
「I don’t. I just mean we should face this properly. Fair and square.」
「Door’s that way. Kindly use it.」
「Eh? Why are you so desperate to boot me out? We like the same guy! Let’s gossip, talk about what we like about him. We’re basically mates now, yeah?」
「We’re not mates.」
Even if we had been friends to begin with, love rivals could never be friends.
People always say “fair and square” while sneaking behind your back and stealing the guy anyway. There was no way I’m naïve enough to take that at face value.
To me, Haruno was an enemy.
I clearly told her not to talk to Kikyo, and she comes back having not only talked to him but kissed him, then cheerfully reports, “Oops, I fell in love! Did I do it again? Teehee~☆” At that moment, there was no doubt left. She was my enemy.
※Author Note: Haruno didn't say that.
「You’re done here, aren’t you? The door’s over there.」
「But I’m a high-rank explorer…」
「I don’t discriminate between high, mid, or low-rank explorers.」
「I was planning to head back the day after tomorrow, but maybe I’ll stay a bit longer. I haven’t had any Aomori food yet. Hey, Miss Receptionist, do you know any good places?」
Oh no. I've got a problem. A huge problem. Ideally, she’d leave immediately and never return to Aomori for the rest of her life.
「High-rank explorers are obligated to submit a fixed number of magic stones from the 6th floor or below each month. May I assume that you’ve completed your quota?」
「I’ve already submitted this month’s quota. It wasn’t that much anyway.」
A-As expected of a high-rank explorer.
Anything past the 6th floor was hell itself, and yet she brush it off as if it was a casual stroll.
「I wanted to enter the dungeon with Kikyo. But he turned me down. So I thought I’d distract myself with good food instead.」
「He turned you down?」
He really refusing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore with a high-rank explorer…?
Naturally, Sana was over the moon. She wanted to kiss Kikyo on the spot and cling to him without a second thought. Still, emotions aside, could a rookie really reject an invitation from a high-rank explorer?
I mean we're talking about Kikyo, who faithfully ventures into the dungeon day after day without fail?
Something didn’t add up. Was he worrying about the share of EXP?
If the level gap was too wide, the party system rejects the formation, and experience didn’t even shared. Perhaps Kikyo believed that would make the expedition pointless. But that couldn’t be right. Exploring with a high-rank explorer would offer lessons far beyond raw numbers.
The EXP alone couldn’t possibly justify his reason for refusing Haruno's offer.
Now that I think about it, Kikyo consistently hands in around forty goblin magic stones every single day.
Forty. Why it was always forty?
His efficiency should be going up by now. Fifty, sixty a day would make a se---.
Wait a second...
Whenever Kikyo emerges from the dungeon, his expression was serene. No sweat. No fatigue. As if it was walk in the park.
Huh??
「Miss Haruno… There’s something I need to confirm with you.」
「What is it? Tell me?」
Hold on, Sana. Are you sure it was wise to ask Haruno that?
If Kikyo wa actually hiding a powerful skill, and if Haruno was saved by him or something like that, then that would mean Haruno knows Kikyo has a powerful skill.
If that was the case, she might report me to Kikyo as an enemy who was trying to expose it.
Even if Haruno didn’t know about Kikyo’s powerful skill, if I started asking her questions, Kikyo might think I was the one spreading rumours.
「Why did you suddenly stop talking? What was it you wanted to ask me?」
「Um… Miss Haruno. Your first experience was with a goblin, right?」
「No! That's not true you know!?」
That was a close call. Sana should avoid saying anything unnecessary to Haruno and check the truth directly with Kikyo.
I mean, Sana and Kikyo were basically partners in crime already. Might as well lean into him, level up the accomplice bond, and go all the way to lifelong partner status.