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Tl: Sam

…

「Seriously, Yuki-san is going too!?」
「Shachiken alone is already overkill lol」
「Incredible muscles… I admire that」
「For real, two Returnees from the Imperial Palace Dungeon are going?」
「It’s at the level where I almost feel sorry for the monsters」

　The comment section erupted at Yuki-san’s sudden appearance.
　Well, it couldn’t be helped. Although Yuki-san hadn’t been actively doing explorer work recently, they were a super-celebrity.
　A former Returnee, president of the guild “Beauty Rose,” and while being a famous fashion designer, they also worked as a model, an incredible person in so many ways.

“Um, Tanaka-san. This person is…”
“Ah, this is your first time meeting them, right, Hoshino? This is Yuki-san.”
“H-Hello! I’m Yui Hoshino! Nice to meet you. Umm… Busujima-san.”

　Yuki-san had been listening to Hoshino’s greeting with a smile, but the moment the last word was uttered, their expression became completely “blank.” Their eyes turned hollow and unfocused, their face freezing into a plastered mask without a single twitch of the cheeks.

　Startled by that sudden look of an empty shell, Hoshino was shaken with an “Eh, eh?”

“Ah… Hoshino. Yuki-san hates being called by their surname or full first name. They say it isn’t cute. So call them ‘Yuki-san’ just like I do.”
“Eh, is that so? I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Umm… Yuki… san.”

　When Hoshino addressed them just as I said, the “blank” expression vanished in an instant, returning to a cheerful, smiling face. What an incredible transformation.

“You’re that Yui Hoshino-chan, aren’t you? I’m Yuki, lovely to meet you♪ Tanaka-chan and I go way back. Ah, here’s my business card, keep it with you♪ If you’re Tanaka-chan’s lover, you’re as good as family to me, so feel free to rely on me anytime. By the way, your skin is so plump and smooth, what cosmetics do you use? Actually, your face is way too cute, if you weren’t Tanaka-chan’s lover I might’ve planted a big kiss on you. Hey, are you interested in modeling or anything? Our guild’s been doing stuff like that lately. With you, we could take over the world!”
“Um, well…”

　Yuki-san unleashed a machine-gun rapid-fire monologue, throwing Hoshino into utter confusion. When I first met them, I was showered with a rain of words in the exact same way, so I knew how she felt.
　That deadpan expression earlier was just them teasing Hoshino; in reality, Yuki-san was a kind, attentive, and noble-minded person.
　As proof, Yuki-san hired people with complicated circumstances, people who couldn’t join regular guilds due to various reasons, into their own guild.
　I had seen them mention on TV or somewhere that, based on past experiences, they simply couldn’t leave people who were suffering alone.

“Yuki-san, please don’t tease Hoshino too much.”
“My, sorry about that. Whenever I see an adorable girl, I just can’t help getting excited. Let’s chat more later, okay?♡”
“Y-Yes…”

「Yui-chan is totally overwhelmed lol」
「Hiding behind Shachiken’s back is way too cute」
「Yuki-san has such a strong character, it’s the best lol」
「Today’s stream is way too star-studded lol」
「30 million concurrent viewers is insane lol They haven’t even dived into the dungeon yet and it’s already like this lol」

　She was still a little startled, but Hoshino had great social skills, so she’d be fine. They would surely become good friends.
　Now, although it was an unexpected intrusion, seeing Yuki-san was wonderful, and it boosted the excitement of the stream as a great plus. Making small talk like this wasn’t bad, but there were various things I wanted to ask Yuki-san.
　Though first of all,

“Yuki-san, you’ve probably guessed from the drone flying around, but we’re currently streaming live. Is it okay for you to be on camera?”
“Yes, of course. I actually saw this stream and found out Tanaka-chan was here. Is everyone watching~?”

「We’re watching~!」
「Seeing Yuki-san up close, they’re genuinely handsome」
「Kyaa~! Onee-sama~!」
「We’re watching, President!」
「The muscles are popping today too, President!」
「Yuki-san’s fans are increasing」
「The employees are watching too」

　The comments were lively, and since Yuki-san gave the okay, we might as well keep streaming.
　Even if I asked Adachi, he’d tell me to keep going.

“Then we’ll keep the stream going.”
“Yes. I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t do it, but I’ve always wanted to stream. It’s an honor to appear as a guest on Tanaka-chan’s stream. I came here wanting to chat with Tanaka-chan after so long, so ask me anything you like.”
“Umm… then, I’ll ask the thing I’ve been most curious about. Yuki-san, ever since surviving the Imperial Palace Underground Dungeon, you stopped diving into dungeons, didn’t you? So why did you come to a dungeon this time?”

「Good point」
「I was wondering about that too」
「I loved Yuki-san’s battles, so I was really bummed back then」

　This was what I was most curious about.
　I didn’t know the detailed circumstances, but ever since becoming a Returnee, Yuki-san hadn’t gone near dungeons.
　They actively trained the younger generation, but I had never once heard of them attacking a dungeon themselves.

　Yet this time, all of a sudden? I had been wondering about it this entire time.
　Hearing my question, Yuki-san took on a serious expression and remained silent for a while.
　Could asking this have been a mistake? Since it was broadcasting to the entire world, perhaps I should have been more considerate.

“Ah, if it’s hard to answer, we can talk about something else…”
“It’s fine, Tanaka-chan. In fact, I’m glad you asked.”
“Eh?”
“I could never say it before, but… ever since surviving that dungeon, I became unable to fight. I don’t know whether it was psychological or the lingering effects of my severe injuries, but I could no longer swing a sword like I used to.”

　Yuki-san said, stroking their thick arm.
　It was true that Yuki-san had suffered terrible, catastrophic injuries back then. With an arm barely stitched together from nearly being torn off, they had swung that numb arm to keep fighting.
　Even with the body of an Awakened, it wouldn’t be surprising for aftereffects to remain after sustaining such severe wounds.

“That’s why I stayed away from dungeons, but I never neglected rehabilitation. While I couldn’t quite go back to the way I used to be, my instincts returned enough so that I wouldn’t drag anyone down. That’s why I returned to dungeons like this.”
“I see, so that’s what happened… But why make this place your first dungeon back? Wouldn’t a dungeon in Tokyo have been better…?”
“I had planned on doing that too. But when I heard about this dungeon… I had a bad premonition. Almost like when I first saw that dungeon.”

　”That dungeon” Yuki-san referred to undoubtedly meant the “Imperial Palace Underground Dungeon.”
　The worst dungeon, which caused the Great Imperial Palace Monster Disaster, claimed countless human lives, and inflicted catastrophic damage on the city.
　Certainly, that dungeon was completely different from anything else. Standing before the entrance alone giving me goosebumps and making me never want to enter happened only with that dungeon, both before and since.

“Even so, if Ryu-chan were leading it, I thought things might somehow work out, but this time it’s a joint operation with guilds, right? When I heard that, I was so anxious I couldn’t bear it. That’s why I came all the way out to the northern land.”
“I see, so that was the reason.”

　In other words, Yuki-san’s reason for acting was almost identical to mine.
　Even if they lacked their former strength, Yuki-san was a veteran explorer. A dependable ally had joined us.

「Yuki-san, you’re a real man」
「Our president is way too kind. I wanted to come along too…」
「I secretly followed, but got caught at the airport and kicked out」
「I hid inside a suitcase, but got found out」
「There are way too many employees in the comment section」
「Wait, by Ryu-chan, does that mean Minister Dojima?」
「His name is Ryuichiro, so probably…」
「Only this person could ever call him that lol」

“Well, with Tanaka-chan here, my turn might not even come. I kept my coming a secret to give Ryu-chan a surprise, but that completely backfired.”
“Not at all. Having Yuki-san here is very reassuring. I’ll be relying on you.”
“……Hmm.”

　Yuki-san murmured meaningfully while looking me up and down.
　D-Did I say something strange?

“You’ve turned into quite a fine man while I wasn’t looking, Tanaka-chan. You were charming and cute before, but I like how much more manly you are now. Though when it comes to rugged maturity, you still lose to Ryu-chan.”
“Th-Thank you very much.”

　Being told that at point-blank range left me flustered.
　As I was wondering what to do, Hoshino pushed her way between me and Yuki-san, thrusting herself forward.

“N-No way! Tanaka-san is m-my husband!”

　Though looking terribly embarrassed, Hoshino declared it in a loud, clear voice.
　I was stunned. I never imagined Hoshino would say something so bold. Somehow, even I was getting embarrassed.

「Well said, Yui-chan!」
「Bold confessions are a girl’s prerogative, after all」
「Even Shachiken is blushing at this lol」
「What a great muscle-brain couple」
「Let’s build a wedding venue right here」
「I wish I had a life where Yui-chan called me her husband…」

　The comment section erupted at Hoshino’s statement.
　Hearing that, Yuki-san widened their eyes in surprise, then burst into amused laughter.

“Fufu! Don’t worry, rest assured, Hoshino-chan. I won’t steal your husband away.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, of course not. What an adorable girl you are.”

　Saying that, Yuki-san turned their eyes toward me.

“You met a wonderful girl, didn’t you? Make sure to make her happy.”
“Yes, of course.”

　When I answered, Yuki-san nodded with satisfaction.
　Good grief, what a meddlesome person.

“Now then, since introductions are done, shall the three of us do our preliminary inspection while having a pleasant chat?♪ Hoshino-chan, are you interested in stories from Tanaka-chan’s past?”
“I am! Please, tell me all about it!”
“Hold on, Yuki-san, please don’t say anything weird, okay…?”

　And so, having crossed paths in the northern land, we conducted our preliminary inspection of the dungeon entrance while having a delightful chat.

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