Chapter 42: With Youth, comes Growth

October weekdays were mostly spent diving into dungeons.

I handled the jobs Joe-san assigned to me, and once those were done, I trained with Lila. If Joe-san was available, we’d head to the [Church].

The day before Lila was set to leave, the two of us successfully defeated the “Divine Giant Soldier.”

We held a grand farewell party with the adventurers we had grown familiar with, and that night was filled with excitement.

“In Tokyo, Itsuki!”
“Take care.”

Lila, who had become well-acquainted with the adventurers here, left with great reluctance from everyone.

◇

A week later—November 6th.

“[Hidden Shadow: Frostbite]”

The ice blade pierced deeply into the giant soldier’s neck.
The depth was sufficient. The growing ice separated the torso from the head.

I heard the second roar at the [Church].

It was the sound of the giant stone soldier collapsing. It would regenerate in 12 hours anyway, and there was no loot to recover, so the sense of achievement was minimal—

“I don’t remember getting hungover… What am I witnessing in broad daylight?”

Success in a solo defeat of the Divine Giant Soldier.

Stepping down from the rock that served as its head, I took a deep breath.

“Thank you. I challenged it without worry thanks to you, Joe-san.”
“…First, put away that magic. Looks more harmful than secondhand smoke.”

“It’s just residue. No different from cold air.”

When I removed my hood and smiled, Joe-san clicked his tongue with a gruff expression. Not to his liking, I temporarily dispelled all my magic and reapplied only the physical enhancement.

“Did you hide your true ability from the red brat, Isshiki?”
“I kept it under wraps, but I used the necessary magic.”

Even if I say I kept it hidden, it was only for a few days. I had acquired new powers just recently, so it didn’t feel like I’d hidden them much.

I conjured black flames in my palm and crushed them.

“I have to surpass Lila as well.”
“The [Scorching Mines]?”

Joe-san muttered. Information had become public since November began.

“I heard about it. The adventurers who contribute most to the breakthrough will receive additional rewards, right? I’m aiming for first place there.”
“Typical event stuff. But those things tend to gather votes from well-known figures. While you and the red brat might have an advantage for the kid slot, if there are two of you, the votes will split. Getting first will be tough.”

“That’s fine. I want it to be challenging.”
“Is it for money?”

“It’s a dream. If I can’t get first, I’m giving up.”

Joe-san raised an eyebrow, tucked a cigarette from his chest pocket, and lit it using magic. It seemed he would listen to my story a bit longer.

“I thought you were a boring realist, Isshiki. Should I revise my impression?”
“Yes, unfortunately, I’m quite the idealist.”

“What’s the ideal?”
“Complete dungeon conquest.”

Joe-san bit down on the cigarette he was holding and glared at me. His gaze felt like he was evaluating me, then he grinned and said,

“Not much of a poker face, I see. What’s that got to do with getting first?”
“I’m supporting my family.”

“Supporting family?”
“Yes. There are five, including my younger siblings.”

“That’s important! Five? Younger than you?”

Joe-san exaggeratedly raised his hands. It was his quirk when saying something he didn’t mean. With his impressive beard, it made him look far from Japanese.

“Oh, foolish brat. Abandon such a futile dream and live a reclusive life on the fourth floor. Life here isn’t bad. Though dull, it’s insanely clean, and plenty of petty adventurers come. Claim it’s for education costs and take as much money as you want. Earn 70,000 yen a day, and you can live without worry, with over 200 holidays a year and 10 million yen. Taxes will take their share, but you can live comfortably. Take a veteran’s advice and abandon that dream that doesn’t even fill your stomach.”

“Right.”

I placed a hand behind my neck and laughed, prompting Joe to remove his cigarette from his mouth.

“That’s the advice of a proper adult. Just like you wanted.”
“Haha. Yes, that might have been what I wanted.”

If someone had held me back with a firm “Don’t go,” it would have been reassuring. The desire to give up certainly existed.

“Everyone keeps pushing me forward.”

That was painful. Even though I wanted to extinguish the flames smoldering inside, there were people around me who kept adding fuel to keep it burning.

Joe-san frowned.

“A man should only take genuine encouragement seriously from two people in this world. One is your mother.”
“And the other?”

“A woman you love.”
“……..”

Ignoring my silence, Joe-san continued speaking.

“If you have any ties with ordinary people, they’d have probably tied you up and stopped you.”
“There are none. Nothing like that.”

Outside of my family, my only connections are related to dungeons.
I don’t know any classmates from junior high as I didn’t have a smartphone back then.

“… Well, I won’t say pushing your back is a mistake either. I may be sane among adventurers, but seeing this makes even a veteran think. ‘What a waste,’ they’d say.”

Joe-san tapped the remains of the collapsed Divine Giant Soldier with his palm and gave a wry smile.

“At the lowest estimate, six-floor class… In some cases, you might even be useful on the seventh floor.”
“Perhaps Lila can do the same.”

“Ha!”

Joe-san let out a breath in disbelief.

By now, she’s probably fighting in the Tokyo dungeon. During our time together, she undoubtedly grasped something. In terms of attack power, I still lag behind her.

“So, you’re saying if this monstrous talent doesn’t get first, you’ll throw away your dream? Not even put it on hold?”
“I don’t like half-measures. Besides, I think this is the time I can grow the most… If I miss this chance, reaching the ends of the earth is out of the question.”

“………”

Lighting a new cigarette, Joe-san took a puff. Stroking his beard, he nodded and sat down on the body of the giant soldier.

“Scary, isn’t it? Kids who are way too rational.”

When he inhaled, the tip of the cigarette glowed red. The amount of smoke he exhaled seemed somehow connected to Joe-san’s mood. When there was a lot of smoke, it was proof he had taken a deep drag. Taking a deep drag probably meant he was in a good mood. At least, that’s what I felt.

“—Ah, you’re right. If you want to get good, starting as a kid is just common sense. Can a middle-aged man, who has only just decided to do so, catch up with those who’ve been kicking a ball since childhood? No. Regarding growth, youth is the greatest advantage.”

“Starting as an adult is too late, right?”
“It’s more than late. It took me four years just to get here. Aiming for the tenth floor? Even if I had ten thousand years, it wouldn’t be enough.”

There used to be many who left their salaryman jobs to become adventurers. But they all struggled and left. Those who excel in the field of adventuring all start, at the latest, before they turn 20.

“Hey, Isshiki. Do you ever wish you were more free… or anything like that?”

Joe-san grinned maliciously, as if testing me.
I shrugged my shoulders.

“Being who I am is thanks to having my family. If I were given freedom, I’d just become useless.”
“A perfect score.”

Jumping off the rubble, Joe-san began to walk away. I had no intention of walking alongside him. I planned to stay here a little longer and practice my magic before heading home.

“Hey.”
“Yes.”

“If you fall into despair, come to me. I’ll teach you how to deal with it.”

Raising his right hand, Joe-san left.
Toward his back, I bowed my head.