Volume 2: Chapter 6 - One-person Explorer
「We have confirmed clearing the 5th floor, so Haruma-sama has been promoted to 8th Rank.」
「Thank you.」
I bowed to the young receptionist as I received my explorer's tag with my rank rewritten to 8th Rank.
After that, I left the dungeon, completed the delivery and reporting, and was successfully promoted to 8th Rank.
「The exploration is just getting started, so please keep your spirits up」
As the receptionist said, you are finally recognized as a full-fledged explorer when you conquer the 5th floor and reach the 8th Rank.
「There are still a few days until the end of the beginner's period, so if you want to continue to work solo, please rent a room by then.」
「Yes, I understand.」
After the first 30 days of the beginner's period, I will no longer be able to use the "Beginning Room" where I am currently sleeping.
I had to rent a room before that time but to do so, I needed to reach the 8th Rank of explorer rank.
An explorer is a full-fledged explorer only when he or she has reached the 8th Rank.
In other words, on the flip side, anything below the 9th Rank is incompetent.
In Japanese terms, this is the same as being underage.
If you belong to a clan or a party, you can use the base of operations of those groups or rent a room with a member as a guarantor, but that wasn't possible for me as a solo.
Now that I was finally qualified to be an independent explorer, I had to find a new base before the end of my remaining beginner's period.
「But first, though, let's have a meal」
After leaving the guild, I started wandering around the city.
I've mentioned before that the city is indoors, but the ceilings are so high you can barely see them, and I've never stumbled upon the walls that would have surrounded me.
The place is large enough to fit an entire city, so there is almost no sense of entrapment.
Most of the residents are Japanese, so the street has an atmosphere similar to that of a Japanese provincial city.
As one would expect, there are no high-rise buildings, but there are a few five- or six-story buildings, and even a house or two here and there.
So I didn't feel like I was in another world.
「Well, what am I saying with a sword hanging from my waist, though?」
The streets are not so different, but people on the street are wearing armor, swords, and shields, so I don't feel like I'm in Japan.
It's kind of like being in a large event hall, isn't it?
I've gotten used to it after a few days of activities, though.
「Now then, what shall we eat?」
It was a little after 2:00 p.m., a little late for lunch.
That's why I went to the area where the restaurants were lined up, thinking that the stores would not be crowded.
The food court I usually use is nice, but they only have easy and affordable food there.
It would be nice to splurge a little today at least.
「I-I'm begging you! I'll do anything, so please hire me ......!」
Suddenly, an old woman's desperate voice jumped into my ears.
When I looked toward the voice, I saw an old lady in a jersey and an old man who looked like a waiter at a diner arguing.
「I'm good at cooking! I can prep, clean, whatever you need, so please!」
「No, even if you say you're good at it, you don't have the skills do you, grandma?」
「About that, yes, it seems like it, but.......I don't really understand.....」
「If you let someone who doesn't have the skills cook or whatever, the customers are going to be very noisy. ...... Besides, I've got enough hands to do it. I'm sorry, but give up.」
The grandmother was desperately asking for help, but the old man was responding in a troubled manner.
「I mean, I saw your tag earlier, but you're an 8th Rank explorer, aren't you? Can't you do your best over there?」
「It's impossible for me to fight t-there. ......! Please ...... I'm begging you ...... !」
「If you could at least register as a supporter ....... Can you come back then?」
「I was told it would take a month. ...... But in a few days I won't be able to use the room I'm in now,...... and then I won't have anywhere to live,......! And I don't have any more money either. ......」
「Aahh, ...... that's right....... I'm sorry, though, there's nothing I can do about it. See you.」
「Ah......!」
In the end, Grandma was locked out of the store.
Hmmm, I wonder what I should do. ......
「Sigh......」
Grandma hung her head in front of the closed store and sighed deeply.
.........Is it not a good aftertaste to leave her alone, huh
「Um, excuse me.」
I called out to her, and she looked at me, and her eyes widened lightly.
「Um, ......you are ......」
「Hello. My name is Kouzai Haruma」
「Kouzai-san......? Errr, I'm sorry,...... I think I have seen you somewhere ......」
「Yes. We were in the first room together, didn't we?」
「Aahh......!」
Grandma shouted as she remembered.
Yes, she was the grandma who was with me in the first empty room when I was sent here.
「If you don't mind, would you like to go to a shop somewhere?
No, I wasn't hitting on her, all right?
I couldn't just leave her standing there in a daze, and I didn't think it would be a good idea to talk to her in front of a store, either, right?
I'm sorry, but she's not my strike zone
「Err, but ......」
「Surely it's just a coincidence that we were in the first room together and that we met here.」
After thinking for a while, she took my hand and stood up.
「Well then, I'll take your word for it.」
「Well, I may not be able to help you, but I can at least listen to you, okay?」
「......I'd be very grateful just to be approached in this way」
Grandma said, smiling a little wryly.
「Let's see, let me introduce myself again. My name is Kouzai Haruma」
「Oh, where are my manners. My name is Kaiganji Yoshie」
As expected, there was no way I was going to enter a store that was now closed, so I took her to a nearby coffee shop.
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