Chapter 18
Enduring the headache, Arnie stored the massive Heaven-Ascent Type magic stone in her Dimension Space. She then scooped up Akira, who lay collapsed nearby, and prepared to leave the area.
While the surrounding explorers were cheering in triumph, she tried to slip away quietly—but a staff member from the Dungeon Management Center, in other words a government official, rushed up and stopped her.
“Please wait. Multiple witnesses here say that you and that young man were the ones who resolved this incident. May we ask you a few questions?!”
“I must decline. My master is exhausted. We need to return to our home where he can rest. Good day.”
“Please wai—”
Arnie decided that leaving immediately was the right choice.
Letting government personnel get a clear look at Akira—who had not yet officially become an explorer—would not be wise.
Fortunately, although the area had been lit up by floodlights, it was still a reclaimed seaside site at night. No one had gotten a clear look at Akira’s face or features.
With that judgment, she hurried away.
There was no one present capable of tracking the physical abilities of a high-level explorer.
Carrying Akira in her arms, Arnie sprinted through the night, weaving between the buildings of the city, successfully shaking off any pursuit and making it home safely.
—
“In my previous life… it might have been the country that killed you, Akira. I still can’t bring myself to trust them yet… Akira… you’re alive, right?”
She laid Akira down on the bed and pressed her ear firmly against his chest.
Hearing the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, she let out a relieved sigh.
In the darkness, her shadow overlapped with his as she held him tightly.
“Akira… you did great. Big sis was really surprised—you’ve grown far stronger than I imagined.”
She gently touched his cheek, still not fully that of an adult.
He was precious to her. She didn’t want to lose him ever again. She wanted to protect him no matter what.
And yet, at the same time, she also wanted to go farther—with him—into the depths of dungeons, into places no one had ever reached, to challenge the mysteries of the world together.
Torn between these two conflicting emotions, Arnie once more pressed her ear to his chest.
Feeling reassured by the steady thump-thump of his heart, she closed her eyes.
What had happened today would soon spread by word of mouth.
And she was certain that when Akira officially became an explorer, someone would inevitably connect him to today’s incident and recognize him as one of its key figures.
“I should be the one to sell the magic stone. Akira’s existence… I’ll keep it secret for as long as possible. Absolutely.”
If the truth were to come out, she predicted, it would be during the exam to obtain an explorer license.
“…When you wake up, Akira, you’re going to be shocked… The blade of your sword vanished along with the body… You’ll need a sturdier weapon… I’ll have to find some materials.”
Murmuring about the future in fragments, she eventually drifted off to sleep as well.
And the night grew deeper.
A long summer vacation was coming to an end—
—
My head felt heavy. My chest felt heavy too.
I could sense light beyond my eyelids, but my will to open my eyes was easily defeated by my body’s desire to stay asleep.
Still, my other senses were telling me that I should wake up.
There was a pleasant smell—something faintly sweet, like peaches, a distinctly feminine scent mixed with a hint of shampoo.
There was sound—quiet breathing, not my own, coming from above my chest, accompanied by a sense of weight.
And then there was touch—the sensation of another person’s hand, fingers intertwined with mine.
“Mm… where am I…? My bed… when did I get back…?”
The room was dim. Even the light filtering through the curtains still carried the bluish darkness of early dawn.
I felt something hard in my pocket. Pulling out my phone and checking it, I saw the time displayed:
4:57.
Absurdly early.
But when I noticed the date—marking the end of summer vacation and the first day of the new term—I decided to get up and tried to move my body.
“…Onee-san, I’m getting up. You can keep sleeping if you want…”
She probably wouldn’t wake up yet. Still, I felt it was important to say something.
I spoke softly, slowly slipping out from under her, and slid a pillow under her head in my place.
“Mmm… it’s okay, Akira. Big sis will get up too…”
“I see. Good morning, big sis.”
Speaking in a slightly more clingy tone than usual, she reluctantly lifted her head from the pillow.
On her head was still the maid headband—proof of her role—and she was still wearing her combat maid outfit.
…Right. I was starting to remember.
In yesterday’s battle… when I defeated the enemy, I leveled up and couldn’t withstand the backlash, losing consciousness.
Which meant… big sis must have carried me all the way back here.
When I voiced that question—
“That’s right. After that, people from the Dungeon Management Center—the government—showed up. I thought it would be bad if Akira, who isn’t officially an explorer yet, were exposed, so I ran away with you. Still… I think they’ll eventually trace things back to you.”
“I see. Yeah, that was probably the right call. I’ll just act like nothing happened. They might look into me during the explorer exam or when I enter the academy, though.”
“When that happens, we’ll accept it. I’ve already started drawing attention from a few clans, and the fact that I was exposed in yesterday’s incident will remain. From here on, the country and corporations will probably focus on me rather than you. It’s a good smokescreen. I’m sturdier than normal people, and I even have resistance to poison.”
She said that with a smile.
But… I didn’t like that idea.
“Onee-san, take care of yourself. You’re my family.”
“…Waaah, Akira’s trying to charm his big sis now—”
“Damn it, I’m being serious! Just… please don’t overdo it, okay?”
She says she’s fine, but I can’t help worrying.
Yesterday, she practically fled from the government—there’s no way they won’t start investigating her.
Come to think of it…
What about her explorer license? Her household registration?
Just what kind of background does she really have?
“Hmm? You can’t look into me. That’s just how it is. Absolutely impossible to investigate. You’ll just have to accept it as one of those things, okay? In a sense, big sis is an untouchable.”
“That’s a terrible way to put it! Well… if there’s really nothing to worry about, then fine. All right, I’ll get ready for school.”
“Ah! Akira’s lunch!”
“It’s okay—today’s just the opening ceremony and stuff. I’ll be back by noon.”
“Oh, is that so? Then maybe big sis will take the day off from dungeon crawling today. Let’s go eat together. I’m in the mood for a Filet-O-Fish.”
—
The next day.
Despite such a major incident having occurred, there wasn’t any large-scale coverage, and it didn’t feel like our lives had changed all that much.
That was probably because the magical power surge had rendered electronic devices unusable, making filming and live broadcasts impossible.
Still, the fact that it happened was known to the country.
And the country also knew that among those who fought that day, there was a greatest contributor—someone, somewhere.
Even if nothing seemed different now, I was certain that from here on, the environment surrounding me would inevitably change.
With that conviction, I welcomed the new school term.
—
“Akira! What’s this supposed to be?! You’re ranked first by a mile in the summer training results!”
“Higashiyama, you’re insane! You blew past everyone in the advanced track, didn’t you?”
“Me too… Akira, ever since you decided to continue your studies, haven’t you been ridiculously motivated?”
…Sorry. It looks like the environment around me was already starting to change.
Right—during the summer training, I’d stood out quite a bit.
On the very first day of the new term, surrounded by my classmates, I felt, So this is what they meant by a change in environment—
but at the time, I still had no idea that this was merely the beginning.
—
“We’ve found you. As expected, you’re a student at this school, Higashiyama-kun.”