-Sena’s POV-
I strapped on my armor as usual.
「Please be careful and come back without any injuries.」
「Ah, yes.」
Papa-san escorted me to the dungeon entrance. Dori-chan, it seemed, wanted nothing to do with being near that dungeon.
After what happened this morning, my heart was still fluttering, and it was embarrassing to even look at Papa-san’s face. Breakfast had been quiet, and I probably worried his grandparents with my awkwardness.
「Here, this is your bento.」
Seeing the first homemade bento I’d ever received made me smile uncontrollably. They were truly kind people.
「Thank you! I’m so happy!」
When I looked up, he was smiling too.
「If you’re okay with it, I can make you a bento anytime.」
It seemed he was the one who had made it.
When our eyes met, something hidden deep in my heart threatened to overflow. What was this feeling?
Had I been cursed with a status ailment without realizing it?
It felt like something was going to escape from my mouth—not quite nausea, but something close. Was this what Lady of Decay meant when she said she’d “vomit sand”?
「I’m off.」
With that thought lingering, I stepped into the dungeon.
♢
「Another Mitsume Wolf!」
I fended off a Mitsume Wolf with my shield, crushing nearby monsters one after another.
My combat style revolved around swinging a massive shield and using it to flatten my enemies.
Why this style, you ask?
「Hahaha, come at me faster!」
Because I’m a battle maniac.
I used to fight with a greatsword, but during combat, I would lose myself in frenzy, blind to everything around me.
Before I knew it, I’d drag other explorers into the chaos, often leading to irreversible consequences.
A shield had less killing power than a greatsword, making it easier for me to stay in control.
Descending from the first floor swarming with Mitsume Wolves, my skin suddenly tingled with a sharp, electric pain.
This sensation matched that of a high-difficulty dungeon. Alarmed by the sudden spike in danger, I remained on guard.
「An Ogre already?」
Ogres had a monstrous, oni-like appearance, standing over two meters tall. Despite their massive size, they fought with surprising speed.
In mid-tier dungeons, Ogres typically served as floor bosses, but here, they roamed freely on the second level.
「But a weak punch like that won’t hurt me!」
Blocking the attack with my shield, I shoved the Ogre into the wall with tremendous force. Today, I felt stronger than usual.
『Guhh!?』
The Ogre expelled a breath as my shield crushed into its body. Without hesitation, I pressed and slammed the shield down on it repeatedly.
This was the “sandwich method.”
「Hahaha! A new dungeon means endless fun!」
Forgetting the purpose of my exploration, I focused solely on physically pounding the monsters into submission.
♢
By the time my dungeon exploration ended and I returned to the surface, the usual live-streaming scene was playing out in the fields.
But today, there seemed to be no live broadcast. My phone hadn’t pinged with the usual stream alert.
「Ah! Neenee!」
Hearing Dori-chan call out from a distance eased the excitement still surging in me.
「Welcome back, Sena-san.」
「Ah, thank you for your hard work.」
Even though my mind calmed down, my heart refused to stop racing. Was I still hyped up from the dungeon?
Could my body actually be sick?
「How was the dungeon?」
「Ah, it was on par with the highest difficulty dungeons.」
He looked surprised at my answer. It was understandable; having a dungeon near one’s home was frightening enough, but knowing it was one of the highest difficulty levels? That was shocking.
If a stampede occurred, this entire region would be wiped out.
「Good thing I didn’t let Dori go back to the dungeon that day. I might not be here if I had.」
He was right. If he had entered the dungeon with no combat skills, he’d have been dead. Even a Mitsume Wolf could seriously injure a normal person.
The fact that he had only suffered a bite without life-threatening consequences was sheer luck.
「I’ll be done with my work soon. Let’s head home together.」
「Alright.」
I decided to watch this real-life version of Farm Diary.
Ah, how long has it been since someone invited me to walk home together?
I could barely remember my childhood; the memories had faded long ago.
Suppressing my confusion, I cherished the sight in front of me.
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