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Tl: Sam

…

　A week had passed since the commotion at the former Skytree site.

　The incident caused quite a commotion and was covered daily on TV and the Internet news.

　The Labyrinth Liberation Organization’s terrorist act and the singular dungeon that suddenly appeared.
　The news reported that the Labyrinth Liberation Church, having discovered the appearance of the singular dungeon, committed an act of terrorism in order to monopolize the dungeon, but that is not the truth.

　They created that dungeon.

　But if word got out, it would cause quite a commotion. The government has kept that fact under wraps for the time being, and it has not been exposed yet.

　It seems that this incident has become a hot topic overseas as well.

　The monster “shoggoth” that appeared in the dungeon seems to be famous overseas, and the fact that it appeared and was defeated seems to have been reported extensively.

　And the more these two incidents become a topic of conversation, the more attention is drawn to me, who was at the center of it.

　After defeating Shoggoth, my foreign fan base exploded and my channel subscriber count skyrocketed.

　Just yesterday, the number exceeded 10 million, and it continues to grow.

　By the way, foreigners call me 『SYACHIKEN』 or 『 Shoggoth Slayer 』. According to Adachi, fan clubs have been formed overseas and I have become an Internet phenomenon.

　The conversation got so big that I honestly couldn’t keep up with it.

　Well, that’s how it’s been lately.

　I haven’t dived in a dungeon since then, so I’ve been hanging out in my room a lot.

　I’m a bit of a recluse, but today I was summoned by someone to a certain restaurant in Asakusa.

　The restaurant, an old-fashioned wooden structure, was said to be a traditional sukiyaki restaurant. I think this might be the first time I had ever been to such a restaurant.

“Oh, you’re here, Tanaka.”

　The grandmotherly waitress led me into a private tatami room, where I was greeted by the person who had summoned me.

　He was dressed in an expensive suit and had pectoral muscles that looked as if they were about to burst. The man with the thick voice, arms, and neck is someone I know well.

“Thank you for your hard work, Dojima-san. Thank you for having me here today.”

“Ha-ha-ha!　Forget the formal greetings, sit down now!　Ume-chan, can you order a fresh one for now?　The usual.”

　Dojima-san asked the waitress, whom he called “Ume-chan,” for a drink.

From the atmosphere, he seemed to be a regular.

　I sat down on the cushion and faced Dojima-san.

　I came here today because Dojima-san invited me to dinner. I have some questions I want to ask him, and if he’s going to buy me dinner, there’s no reason not to come. I’m not busy anyway.

　While I was thinking about these things, the beer was already being served. Just looking at the liquid, which is shining golden in the light, makes my throat start to rattle.

“I’d like to make a toast to celebrate Tanaka’s new beginnings. Cheers!”

　I clash my beer mug with Dojima-san’s, taking great care not to break it.

　Then I pour the contents of the mug into my mouth in one gulp and quench my dry throat.

　Aah, it tastes so good……I live for this moment…… hmm?

“Goku, goku…… puha.　Dojima-san isn’t this beer different from the usual? It tastes great and above all, I can feel the alcohol in it.”

　We awakened people have a high tolerance for alcohol, and it is difficult for us to get intoxicated with ordinary alcohol.

　But I felt alcohol in this beer. That’s something that doesn’t happen with regular alcohol.

“You noticed. The special beer here is mixed with the ‘divine water wine’ that can be obtained in the dungeon. That’s why even we can get drunk. It costs more, but today is the day to celebrate your new beginning. So, don’t be afraid to order sake and food. It’s my pocket money, so don’t be shy!”

“Thank you very much, Dojima-san. I’ll have 80 servings of this top-quality sukiyaki set, please.”

　When he asked the waiter, Dojima-san’s movements froze.

　Hmm?　Did I ask too much?　This menu doesn’t have prices on it, so I don’t know how much to order.

“Did I ask too much?”

“No, no, that’s not it!　I’ll have the same amount!　So don’t be shy, eat up!”

　I feel like I’m spinning my wheels a bit, but I’ll just pretend not to notice and go along for the ride.

　I couldn’t risk ruining Dojima-san’s face.

　After I successfully finish my order and the waitress leaves the private room, Dojima-san looks at me with a serious expression on his face. He hasn’t told me what we are going to talk about today. I feel a little nervous.

“First of all, Tanaka, I want to thank you. Without your work, the city would have suffered catastrophic damage. The cult, the man-made dungeon …… and the EX-ranked monster Shoggoth. There are not many people in the world who can handle all of this. On behalf of this country, I thank you.”

　Saying this, Dojima-san bowed deeply to me.

　Seeing this, I hurriedly stopped him.

“Please stop it, Dojima-san. I was just doing what I was supposed to do. And it was because you gave me permission right away. I’m the one who was saved.”

“Taking responsibility is the duty of those in charge, and it’s a natural thing to do. There are many people who can’t do that these days.”

　I learned from the news that Dojima-san was told a lot of things in the Diet for giving permission to destroy the dungeon without permission.

　The criticism was still weak because the monster that came out of the dungeon was an EX-rank monster, but if it had been a lesser-ranked monster, he would have still been called out for it.

　It must have been difficult to deal with such a loud and vocal member of the Diet. But Dojima-san never bothered to mention that to me. He was as manly as ever.

“I was so sorry to keep you waiting. Sukiyaki is ready.”

　While we were talking, the waiter brought the meat and prepared sukiyaki in an iron pot placed in the center of the table.

　The meat with sashimi glistened and shone. Just by looking at the meat, you could tell that it was premium quality. A single plate of sukiyaki would probably earn me about my monthly salary when I was a corporate employee.　If I were back then, I wouldn’t have been able to eat it even if I stood on my head.

“Itadakimasu!”

　I clasp my hands together, dip the cooked meat into the beaten egg, and bring it to my mouth.

　With each bite, the sweet fat and intense flavor spreads in my mouth, making me happy. After enjoying it for a while, I pour it all down with a beer at once…….

　It’s so delicious that my brain goes blank.

“It seems that you liked it. It was worth bringing you here.”

　Dojima-san-san chuckled happily as he gobbled down the meat.

　He has a good appetite, too.

“Okay, then, one more plate of meat: ……?”

　Just as I’m about to take the next piece of meat, I notice that my suit breast pocket is squirming.

　Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell him about this. I must tell Dojima-san about this.

　I reached into my breast pocket, grabbed the thing in there, and put it on the table.

“Dojima-san, please take a look at this.”

“Hmm?　What in the world is ……?”

　Dojima-san’s eyes widen in surprise when he sees it.

　I haven’t seen him this surprised in a long time.

“Oh, hey, Tanaka!　What if that guy is ……?”

　Dojima-san points at an object moving on the table.

　It was about the size of a thumb, shaped like a caterpillar, and black all over. It has a single, rounded eyeball attached to what appears to be its head, and it is staring at me intently.

　When I put my finger close to it, it rubbed its body against my finger as if it was sweetly saying, “Teke, teke ♡”.

“Yes. This guy looks like a juvenile Shoggoth …… that I defeated in the dungeon. I thought I destroyed its core, but somehow it’s still alive and has attached itself to me.”

“It got attached to you…… it’s impossible, isn’t it!　Hah …… you really surprise me.”

　Dojima-san said this in a troubled and yet somewhat happy manner.

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