Chapter 10: Anomaly in the Forest

Let’s go back a little in time.

The three members of “Monthly” were searching for the man who had taken Shiraishi Haruka on an adventure.
However, only the leader, Shigeatsu, was frantically searching, while the other two were merely there to stop his recklessness.

“What’s this? It’s rare to see so many people gathered.”

The area around the exchange office looked different than usual.

“Tch, the air feels heavy.”

A group of grinning individuals. They were all familiar faces, but none of them were adventurers who left a strong impression. It was clear they were a stagnant bunch, licking their wounds.

The one who spat out the remark was the giant Genzo. Immediately, the other two understood the situation. Shigeatsu, in particular, instantly changed his expression when he saw Haruka looking down.

“I’m going into the dungeon. Judging by the looks of things, the person we’re looking for hasn’t returned yet. I saw an Angry Monkey’s ear… yeah. I think I know who we should be looking for.”

“Don’t kill anyone, you pervert.”
“Leave this to us and go on ahead!”

Waving at the two, Shigeatsu donned his armor at incredible speed and jumped into the gate.

Genzo cracked his neck and approached the group loitering in front of the exchange office.

“Genzo-dono, no killing, please.”
“I won’t even punch ’em.”

Genzo was over 190 cm tall and weighed 120 kg, with a body fat percentage of 12%. He was a mass of muscle. It was said that even bears would back away from him.

Genzo looked down at the loitering group.

“You guys look awfully happy. Did you hunt a dragon or something? Don’t tell me you’re showing off after hunting monsters even beginners can handle?”
“Ah… Gen-san… well, you see…”

“What? Spit it out.”

Glared at by Genzo, the adventurers shrunk back, their shoulders hunched. They looked like children caught doing something wrong by their teacher.

Children would be cute, but these guys were already adults. Inner growth doesn’t always keep pace with age.

“Pathetic that you don’t even have an excuse. Get lost.”

Looking awkward, the adventurers scattered.
In front of the now clear exchange office, Mitsui smiled triumphantly.

“Fufu, it seems they couldn’t withstand our intimidating aura.”
“You didn’t do anything, though.”

“Well, well, let’s not sweat the small stuff, Schneider.”

Having finished their task, the two sat down on the sofa in the break area. Genzo crossed his arms, pondering which izakaya to visit that day, while Mitsui next to him was engrossed in grinding on his social game. When Shigeatsu returned, he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and left, saying, “Let’s go home, you octopus head.”

Left behind was a bewildered-looking Itsuki, who soon headed to the exchange counter.

Once outside, the leader of “Monthly” spoke.

“Wow,young Isshiki is amazing, isn’t he?”
“Do you think he’ll become strong?”

“If it’s him, he might even reach unexplored territories of humanity.”
“That’s quite a high praise, wouldn’t you say?”

“He’s an adventurer that Shiraishi-san has taken under her wing. There’s no way he won’t amount to something great.”

At Shigeatsu’s words, the two frowned.

“He’s a comrade, after all. I hope he doesn’t get twisted by some petty malice.”

◇

The income from gathering plants easily exceeded the previous day’s. 28,000 yen. It was thanks to finding more Yororehi than I had imagined. I didn’t know how long this way of earning money would last, but I was endlessly grateful to Shiraishi-san for suggesting it.

“Please eat your fill. Isshiki-kun is still in his growth spurt, after all.”

Shiraishi-san said to me as I left, bowing my head. I bought meat again at the supermarket. It was discounted chicken breast, but I couldn’t remember the last time it was on our dinner table.

Nina and Mitsuru, as expected, suspected illegal activity. I understood how they felt. If I were in their shoes, I’d be worried about the same thing first and foremost.

For about a week after that, the money-making went smoothly. The daily income fluctuated between 25,000 and 30,000 yen, and I could see not only stability in our lives but even the possibility of repaying the rent.

I was now used to running through the Forest, and on top of that, my magic proficiency had improved. Perhaps I was too fast, as an adventurer who found me mistook me for a new type of monster.
Thanks to that, the name of a non-existent creature called “Turbo Monkey” was being whispered in some circles.

After earning money, I could now also find time for magic training.

【Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water】

I pondered the true nature of that magic that I couldn’t understand at all. In the process, my understanding of magic deepened further. Thanks to that, the problem of 【Violet Lightning Flash】’s electric shock was somehow resolved. The charging time was still long, so I couldn’t use it in actual combat yet, but I planned to show it to Shiraishi-san someday.

Smooth.
Everything was going smoothly, as if it were a lie.

But such a thing couldn’t possibly last.

There was a slight sense of unease.
It was on the eighth day that I finally realized what it was.

“There are too few Anmon.”

Those monsters that would appear from anywhere when walking through the Forest and start a desperate game of tag had drastically decreased. I wondered if it was just my imagination, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find them. Even when I was gathering Makka fruit, only one or two chased after me.

The entire Forest felt quiet.
Too quiet.

Change is ominous. When dealing with nature, no matter how small the difference, one must assume the worst.
Moreover, this was a dungeon. There were adventurers other than me, so it was full of unpredictable factors.

“What’s this?”

When I was going around the Yororehi gathering points, one of them had been completely stripped bare. Every single one had been pulled out by the roots.

Some idiot must have taken them without thinking.
This method was also reaching its limits. In that sense as well, I wanted to go back once and sort things out.

Today’s income is… about 10,000 yen… not bad. It’s not bad.
But I was worried because I had been earning so much recently.

Money… money… money… ah damn it, no no no. If something happens, I’m alone and can’t do anything. I need to realize that I’m solo. And if anything happens to me, my whole family will be left out in the cold.

I’ll risk my life. But that doesn’t mean I can die.

Let’s go home. Deciding that, I decided to end my exploration in the morning.

In the end, this choice would be the difference between life and death.

◇

The next day, I came with the determination to earn a lot, but what greeted me was a notice refusing entry.

――Dungeon entry is currently restricted.

Even though it was morning, there was a crowd in front of the gate. The receptionists were all mobilized and desperately dealing with something.

There was no point in just standing there, so I decided to relax in the facility’s public bath. I even fully enjoyed the sauna, but since there seemed to be no sign of resolution, I decided to go home.

It wasn’t until the third day after the gate was sealed that I finally had time to talk with Shiraishi-san.

Shiraishi-san looked visibly haggard, with dark circles under her eyes. When she saw me, she managed a smile, but it was clear she was forcing it, and it was painful to see.

“Isshiki-kun, are you doing okay?”
“I’m fine. Are you alright, Shiraishi-san?”

“Ahaha. I don’t look like it, do I? That’s right. Not at all. I’ve been up for two nights straight. I was just about to take a break, would you like to have a drink?”
“Is it alright if I’m here? Wouldn’t you rather relax alone…?”

“If I take a break alone, I’ll just fall asleep.”

Shiraishi-san laughed with a lifeless voice and walked away.

“Sorry. You can’t enter the dungeon, so you can’t work, right?”
“What happened?”

Shiraishi-san pressed a button with her slender finger. Two warm coffees dropped down, and she handed one to me. Black. I’d never had it before, but I didn’t say anything.

“A lot of adventurers were killed. Not just newbies. It seems there were many veterans too.”

Crack. The sound of the pull-tab opening echoed without a sense of reality.
Taking a sip, Shiraishi-san let out a big sigh.

“According to the investigation, the location was The Sacrificial Forest .”
“…Isn’t that strange?”

The Sacrificial Forest was a beginner area. It was possible for novice adventurers to be killed by accident. But it was unthinkable for many veterans to be killed.

“It’s a unique species. Have you heard of them?”
“I have… somewhat. It’s an abnormally strong species that appears due to a sudden mutation, right?”

“That’s right. It’s the first time we’ve seen a unique species of the Angry Monkey… and it seems incredibly strong. That’s why most adventurers can’t enter the dungeon until the subjugation is complete.”
“I see.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already requested the ‘Monthly’ party for this matter.”
“Could it be Shigeatsu-san and the others?”

“That’s right. If it’s them, they’ll manage somehow. So you can rest easy.”

Finishing her canned coffee, Shiraishi-san threw it in the trash and stretched.
Waving, she went back to work.

Having no other choice, I decided to just take a bath and go home.