Aoki’s student ID had been found in the Nara dungeon.
There was only one possible place he could have dropped it.
I told Hime that Aoki might’ve lost his ID during yesterday’s dungeon expedition.
『I thought so…』
『So that passage connected to the Ishikiri Dungeon yesterday, turns out it leads to that dungeon after all?』
『But there weren’t any Dragonewts in the spot where my clone found the ID』
『Then that means it wasn’t dropped at the same place Aoki encountered the Dragonewt… or maybe the Dragonewt just kept moving』
Honestly, it would’ve been a lot simpler if the Dragonewt had been found right there.
『Wait, Hime, you’re streaming right now, aren’t you!? Don’t tell me the spot where you picked up Aoki’s student ID got shown on stream!?』
I didn’t know how much had been caught on camera, but anyone paying attention could easily figure out which high school it came from.
If people found out it was a student ID from Gesshin High, things would get complicated.
『Don’t worry. The group that found it wasn’t the one livestreaming』
『Good. That’s a relief』
Hime had created nine clones and split them into three teams, but only one of them was broadcasting nationwide.
If they’d actually made it all the way to the thirteenth floor in such a short time, they must have been sprinting at full speed.
If that had been streamed, the viewers would’ve ended up carsick or dizzy.
『But we’re still collecting data for research, so that part did get flagged. I already told Shizuka-sensei too』
『Can’t be helped. Thanks for the heads-up』
『You’re welcome. Oh, and you know… going into a dungeon alone really isn’t that fun. So you’re coming with me tomorrow, alright?』
『Got it. I’ll go with you as long as you want』
『You promised now』
I made a mental promise with Hime to go dungeon diving together.
「Ichino, what’s up? You just zoned out all of a sudden」
「They found Aoki’s student ID」
「Wait, seriously!?」
「It’s being sent to Shizuka-sensei, so she’ll probably bring it tomorrow」
Aoki looked relieved, but I decided not to mention that it had been found in the Nara Dungeon. If someone overheard, it would be trouble.
He’d probably have to answer some questions when it was returned, but since Shizuka-sensei had been part of the investigation yesterday, it shouldn’t turn into a long ordeal.
Looks like I’ll be diving into the dungeon more than usual tomorrow.
After all, Hime’s obsession with dungeon exploring is a whole level above the rest of us.
-0-
For today, I should just stay home and take it easy.
I was stuck in Shiga at the end of last year, and even during New Year’s I didn’t get to relax, so I’ve got a lot of fall anime episodes piled up unwatched.
Well, except for Drag〇n Ball DAIMA. That one I still watch every single week.
I’ve even started predicting the final episode.
There was that item introduced recently, called the Clingy Bug, that lets two people fuse together.
I’m sure G〇ku and Veg〇ta will end up fusing to become either Veget〇 or G〇geta to take down the final boss.
You can’t fool someone like me who’s been a Drag〇n Ball fan for eight whole months.
Speaking of anime, there have been lots of new announcements lately.
Not just the winter season that just started, but I’m also looking forward to the spring lineup.
Especially that one starting at the end of March, “A Misunderstanding of…
「Ichino-kun」
Just as I was thinking about my plans for after school and getting hyped for the upcoming anime, Mizuno-san called out to me.
「Want to come over today? There’s something work-related I’d like you to take a look at」
「Sure. I’ll head over after I change clothes」
Even though she emphasized that it was work-related, I doubt Aoki, who overheard from nearby, would suspect me of cheating or anything.
Anyway, maybe I should pick up some donuts on the way.
-0-
At the donut shop, I stood there trying to choose.
When giving them as a gift, do I go with all the same kind to avoid any squabbles, or do I mix it up so they can enjoy picking and choosing?
They were selling lucky bags.
After a bit of hesitation, I bought one, and used the free voucher inside to make my purchase.
That changed everything.
Now I had to pick the most expensive donut I could get within the voucher’s value.
Call me cheap if you want. Say that since I’ve got money, I should’ve gone with a limited edition premium donut.
But you have to understand, being born frugal isn’t something you can easily shake.
-0-
I bought the donuts and headed to Mizuno-san’s house, which was right next to the factory.
Still as huge as ever.
Shiro came running as soon as he caught my scent.
He’d gotten a bit bigger. Dogs really do grow fast.
Then Kuro popped out from my shadow and hopped over the gate.
「Kyahn!」
「Bark」
The two of them ran off into the yard together.
They get along well.
「Welcome, Ichino-kun」
Maybe because she heard Shiro and Kuro barking, Mizuno-san, now in casual clothes, came out to greet me before I even rang the bell.
「Thanks for having me. Here, a little something for you」
「You didn’t have to. But you’re living up to your name as the Donut Guy」
「Yeah, guess I am」
Since I first gave Mizuno-san donuts as a gift, her younger siblings started calling me the Donut Guy.
Eventually, they changed it to Donut-onii-chan.
At first, I wanted them to call me something else, so I brought different kinds of snacks as gifts.
But since they never stopped using that nickname, I gave up and started bringing donuts again.
Even now that they’re rich, the two of them still light up like they’ve found the greatest treasure in the world whenever I bring donuts.
Makes it worth it every time.
「Is that a lucky bag? You bought one?」
「Yeah. What about you, Mizuno-san?」
「Nah. The store’s a little far from my place」
We chatted as I stepped inside her house.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the yard.
Something was different from last time.
That’s right, something was gone.
The vegetable garden, fish pond, and chicken coop that once took up half the yard were all gone.
「Mizuno-san, the yard’s looking pretty clean」
「Yeah. I’ll explain that later. Come on in」
She led me inside and took me straight to the workshop.
Looks like Kurumizato-san had the day off.
「Have a seat anywhere」
「Thanks」
As I sat down, a puppet came over carrying some tea.
「Thanks… um…」
What was its name again?
「That one’s Kireuriwari-kun. See the matsutake mushrooms growing from its feet?」
There really were mushrooms sprouting from the puppet’s feet.
Mizuno-san might be the only person in the world using puppets to grow mushrooms.
And the only one who uses puppets to serve tea, too.
Since I was here, I pulled Abiko-kun out of my inventory.
I don’t know if puppets feel nostalgia or camaraderie, but this was its old home.
It deserves a little time to relax.
「So, Mizuno-san. What did you need me for?」
「Well, my Puppet Creation skill leveled up. Looks like I can make more puppets now」
「Nice. Congrats」
Skills grow more effective the more you use them, raising a hidden stat called proficiency.
Mizuno-san uses her puppets all the time, both for practical stuff and for leveling, so I figured it was only a matter of time.
So she can make more now, huh.
Should I bring over some more Elder Treant wood, then?
「And… I have a favor to ask. I need a seed from an Emperor Treant」
「An Emperor Treant… seed?」
I’ve heard of an Elder Treant, but an Emperor Treant?
Never even heard of that one.
And not its wood, but its seed?
What’s she planning to use it for?
TN: Caught up with the raw. I’ll start translating the “spin off” I’ve told you before.
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