NOVEL ONLINE FREE Volume 1 Chapter 2 - Reunion
I haven’t been able to sleep since that incident.
It’s because I drank too much and overslept during the day.
So, I researched about adventurers on my smartphone.
To become an adventurer, you need a qualification.
For that, you apparently have to take a training course.
I immediately signed up for the course.
Since the course seemed to be held once a week, I decided to attend it a few days later.
There didn’t seem to be any exams in the course, but the tuition fee was a whopping 150,000 yen.
I thought it was a rip-off, but I suppose it’s better than having an exam.
After all, I wouldn’t pass.
If I had that kind of brainpower, I would have gone to a better university and wouldn’t have been working for a black company.
A few days later, I headed to the training venue, completed the reception, and took the course.
Although the course was held in various places, there weren’t many people at this venue because it was during the day on a weekday.
However, everyone taking it was young.
There were some who looked like students.
As I waited, thinking to myself that I too am young, the course instructor (?) arrived at the venue.
We received booklets from him and were explained various things.
In general, since I’m not very smart, I just took notes on important things.
Well, most of it was obvious things like not going beyond the designated area and obeying the law.
After the course, I received a completion certificate and left the training venue.
Then, I took a train to the Adventurer’s Guild.
The Adventurer’s Guild is a facility with the gate.
There, I register, go to the frontier, and have adventures.
When I arrived at my destination, Ikebukuro Station, I headed to the Ikebukuro branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, looking at the map on my smartphone.
When I arrived at the building with a large sign that said “Adventurer’s Guild Ikebukuro Branch”, I immediately entered.
The inside of the guild was a lobby and there weren’t many users.
Yet, there were eight receptions, which I thought was unbalanced.
I compared the eight receptions.
Male, male, female, female… it’s over there.
I went straight to the place with the youngest and cutest receptionist after comparing the receptions.
When I got to the receptionist sitting there, I nodded and submitted the completion certificate I got at the training venue.
However, the receptionist did not accept the certificate and just stared at my face.
“Uh… is there something?”
When a cute girl stares at my face like that, I get nervous…
“You’re Okita senpai, aren’t you?”
The cute girl asked with her head tilted.
“Yes, but…”
“I knew it! It’s been a long time!”
The cute girl’s face turned into a blooming smile.
Uh… who?
Someone I know?
She guessed my name without looking at the certificate, so she must be someone I know.
But who?
“Long time no see”
I chose to bluff.
It’s a strategy to probe while talking.
“Huh? You don’t remember me?”
The strategy ended quickly…
“I do remember…”
While saying so, I looked at the pretty ample chest of the cute girl.
Of course, not with lecherous feelings, but to see her name tag.
However, she quickly hid her name tag with her hand.
“You don’t remember, do you?”
The cute girl gave me a stern look.
“Uhm, give me a moment.”
I said so and observed the cute girl closely.
She has a cute face.
Her hair is semi-long and brown.
I don’t know her height because she’s sitting down.
Her chest is pretty big.
Yeah, she’s a nice girl.
Also… she called me senpai?
So, she’s my junior.
Whether from work, university, or high school…
I’ve never had a female junior at work, and it’s impossible to remember if it goes back to junior high school.
So, university or high school…
A junior from the high school kendo club?
No, that’s not it.
University…
…Ah! It’s that junior from the seminar!
“Of course I remember. You’re Kaede Asakura, right?”
“It took you 20 seconds.”
Don’t count.
“…Give me a moment.”
“You’re terrible, senpai.”
“No, no, Asakura-san, you dyed your hair, right? It was black before.”
If she changes her hair color, I wouldn’t know.
“I changed it for a change of pace. Is it that bad to not recognize me just because of my hair color?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But we weren’t that close.”
“Eh?! We went out for meals occasionally, and you even walked me home!”
…This is bad.
I remember the meals, but I don’t remember walking her home.
“I’m sorry…”
“You don’t even remember that…”
Was it exposed!?
“Let’s go out for a meal next time. If I make money, I’ll treat you…”
“Wow! You’re very proactive for a senpai!”
What’s with the “for a senpai”?
Oh, but I didn’t call it a date, but I did invite a girl.
I’m awesome!
“If I make money, okay?”
“Oh, by the way, senpai, you’re becoming an adventurer?”
Asakura-san finally starts to read the completion certificate I submitted.
“Yup. So, if I make money.”
“Senpai, you’re 26, two years older, right? Starting now? What about your job?”
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“Did you get fired? The world is tough.”
Hey, hey.
“Don’t just say whatever you feel like.”
It’s sad, but true.
“So, that’s how you made your money, huh?”
“I see. Well, I suppose it’s no good if an unemployed man invites a girl out to dinner. But don’t worry, I’ll cover for you when that time comes.”
What a good person they are!
“If I fail, I’ll just become your kept man. You good with that?”
They’re surprisingly serious about it.
“I absolutely refuse. At least, if you succeed, let me become a full-time housewife. I will be dependent on you.”
“Well, jokes aside, get a job. Your savings are under 300,000.”
“That’s a pathetic amount of savings.”
The pathetic one here is you.
“I can’t help it. The tuition fees are too high.”
“Ah, we’ve been getting a lot of complaints about that. But that’s just how it is. Please take your complaints to a different window.”
From this reaction, it seems like the guild is getting fed up with all the complaints…
But a 150,000 yen fee for a one-hour seminar is way too high.
“It’s not a complaint.”
“Alright then. Um… Let’s proceed. Just to confirm, anything that happens in the Frontier is your responsibility, okay?”
This was also explained during the seminar.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
“You’re quite nonchalant, huh. Well, alright. Next, everything you gain in the Frontier must be submitted to the guild. Do you agree to that?”
Wait, was that the rule?
“Wasn’t it okay to bring it back?”
I’ve looked it up too.
“Ah… Even if you bring it back, you still have to submit it once. It would be a problem if you brought back something dangerous and unknown. So, you submit everything once, then decide whether to exchange it for money or bring it back. But be aware, there are items that you cannot take back.”
So, like a bomb or something?
“Understood. That’s fine.”
“Okay. If only everyone were as obedient as you.”
She’s clearly been through a lot.
“That’s rough.”
“It really is. That’s why I want you to listen to my complaints. I’ll treat you.”
She just wants to vent…
What about the romance of our long-awaited reunion?
“Alright. Is that all?”
“Not yet. I’m going to explain the process of going to the Frontier. First, you absolutely must check in. It’s a serious crime to go without doing so. You’ll check in at this window.”
“Huh? Is that decided?”
“You’ve been assigned to me.”
Since when…
“What do you mean by assigned?”
“You must check in with me, and bring back your materials to me. Doing so will improve my assessment.”
“Is there such a system?”
“I just made it.”
Wait!
“Well, that’s fine…”
It’s probably better to know the person…
And she’s a junior, I should help her out.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“I don’t know if it will be profitable, though.”
“It’s fine. You’re a master swordsman, right?”
Huh?
“How do you know that?”
I never told her in college.
In high school, I was in the kendo club, so there are people who know.
Yes, I’m bragging.
“Come on, don’t you remember? When you drink, you always brag about it. You even barged into my house where I was taking you home and demonstrated your skill by slashing at my table with a kitchen knife.”
This guy’s dangerous.
“You shouldn’t let a guy like that into your house.”
“That guy is you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Please keep that spirit and work hard.”
Alright! I’m going to be Ms. Asakura’s exclusive!
“Okay.”
“Next. The job of adventurers is to go to the Frontier and collect various materials.”
“I know.”
We sell those materials to make money.
“You can pick up materials, but the best way is to defeat monsters and collect their drops.”
There are monsters in the Frontier.
And when you defeat these monsters, they disappear like smoke and drop various items in their place.
“I don’t quite get it, but I know.”
“I don’t understand it either. There are strong monsters and weak monsters. Be careful. If you think it’s too much, run away immediately.”
“Sure thing.”
Let’s keep a ‘cherish your life’ mentality.
“Next, I’ll explain about levels, jobs, and skills.”
“I’ve done some research on that too, but I’ll listen. Oh, I’ll take notes.”
I took out my smartphone from my pocket.
“Your smartphone hasn’t changed, has it?”
She remembers well.
“There was never a good time to change it.”
I’ve been busy and it’s a hassle.
“Is that so… well, let me explain.”
“Please do.”
I opened the notepad on my smartphone to prepare for note-taking.
“First, when you go to the Frontier, a status card will appear. Never lose this. It’s your proof as an adventurer. Also, it’s managed by the guild, so bring it back and submit it.”
“Alright, alright.”
“The status card contains the level, job, and skills I mentioned earlier. It’s better not to show it to others, but the guild will manage it, so please report it. Well, we’ll know when we see the status card anyway.”
This is because if they don’t know the skill information of the adventurers, it could be troublesome in case of crimes.
For example, if there is a skill to become invisible, it makes a big difference whether you know what kind of thing it is and who has it in case of an incident.
And this also helps to prevent crimes.
“Roger that.”
“Well, that’s all for the explanation.”
“Isn’t that a bit short?”
“Actually, we explain more carefully and there are things we still have to say, but we’ll do that later. You wouldn’t remember it all.”
She’s really looking down on me.
“Are you being too harsh to your senior?”
“What is a person who forgot about his junior saying?”
I have no counter-argument for that.
“Well then, shall I go earn some money to treat my junior?”
“Please prepare your weapon before that. Are you going unarmed?”
…Indeed.
“Is any weapon fine?”
“Weapons are sold on the second floor of this building. By the way, the third floor is armor. You probably don’t have much money, so for now, just a weapon is fine.”
“Aren’t weapons expensive too?”
“It varies. If you only have 300,000, buy a cheap sword. It’s 50,000 yen.”
50,000 yen…
That’s expensive.
“By the way, do you have swords?”
“Yes, we do. The cheapest one is 500,000 yen. Go to hell.”
Asakura-san smiles at me.
“That’s expensive.”
“The materials aren’t ordinary iron or anything. They’re materials from the Frontier. Earn money quickly and buy a sword.”
I’ll do that.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Well then, once you’ve bought your weapon, please proceed to the back. There is a gate at the end of that passage.”
“Alright!”
“One last thing… please make sure to come back alive. The Frontier may be a world of dreams, but many people have also become victims.”
Of course, I know that.
There are not a few victims every year.
“There’s no way I’m gonna die.”
“That’s right. Do your best, senior.”
“Leave it to me.”
“…By the way, the most common victims are people who have been fired like you or those who have quit their jobs.”
Don’t say such bad things…