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Tl: Sam

…

“Thank you……. I’m fine now.”

　Hoshino, who had been leaning against me for a while, said that and moved away from me.
　She was still tired, but she was able to stand firmly on her own two feet. I think with this she’ll be able to walk home.

“Tanaka-san always helps me out when I’m in a pinch, don’t you? After all, Tanaka-san is my hero, thank you so much!”

　Hoshino bowed her head saying so.
　It’s weird that I’m being called a hero, but I don’t feel bad about it. Every boy dreams of being a hero at least once in his life.

“Now then, the path to the lower layer has been opened, so let’s go home. But first…….”

　I collected the remaining horn of the Bamocraft and a few of the fallen weapons as trophies. If these weapons belonged to the deceased explorer, they should be given to their families.
　It seems that the meat is also edible, but it is indeed uncomfortable to eat subhuman monsters. It would be unethical.
　If it was a quadruped, I would have eaten it without hesitation.

“Ah, wait a minute.”

　Hoshino said and picked up a sword that had fallen to the ground.
　The sword had a shattered blade and was no longer able to serve as a sword.

“…… This is the sword my father used to use. It can no longer be used as a weapon, but it is one of my father’s most precious possessions.”
“Well, you should probably take it home with you then. …… hmm?”

　I noticed something and spoke out.
　The sword that Hoshino held was broken at the hilt, and the cavity inside was slightly visible.
　The hollow was filled with something that looked like paper. What is this?

“Hoshino, it looks like there is something inside the hilt.”
“…… Oh, that’s right. What is it?”

　Hoshino touched the handle curiously.
　The head of the handle turned and opened to allow you to take out what’s inside. A gimmicked weapon is a rarity. What did he put in here?

“This is …….”

　Hoshino’s eyes widen in surprise as she pulls out a piece of frayed paper from the handle.
　Looking at it to see what was wrong, she saw that it was not just a piece of paper, but a photograph.

　 The photo showed a younger Hoshino, Ryota, and Light, and a man who looked like Hoshino’s father and Sumi-san.
　The place seemed to be in front of the house. Everyone was smiling and seemed happy.

　Hoshino’s father was fighting with this in his hands until the end.

“Dad……!”

　Hoshino’s voice trembled as she held her mouth with her hand.
　I patted her on the back and said.

“Dungeon hunting is a lonely business. Hoshino and her family were his emotional …… support.”

　I didn’t have that. That’s why I got depressed.
　I’m so envious that he has such a great support system. If I had something like that, I wouldn’t be suffering.

“Ugh, ugh ……, father……!”

　Tears were falling down on the picture.
　I turned the drone’s camera toward the day after tomorrow and continued patting Hoshino on the back until she calmed down.

“Thank you, ……. I’m fine now.”

　After sniffling, Hoshino said again the line I heard a while ago.
　The tears seem to have subsided, though she was still red around the eyes.

“I was scared when I met that monster, but …… I’m glad I came here today. I’m glad that I was able to avenge him, but I’m also glad that I was able to recognize how much my father cared about my family. I’m sure my family will be very happy.”
“Yeah, I’m sure they will.”

　I agreed with Hoshino, who gave me a bright smile.
　I was a little worried that her heart might be inclined in a negative direction after meeting her family’s enemy, but it seems that my fears were unfounded.
　On the contrary, Hoshino had become even stronger. Physically and mentally. If I’m not careful, she might end up stronger than me. I might as well work out a little.

“Well, let’s go home now. Can you walk by yourself?”
“Yes!　I’m fine!”

　With Hoshino reassuringly saying that, I continued onward and upward in the dungeon.
　Thanks to the fact that we were able to defeat the enemies along the way, we rarely encountered any monsters.

“I think we’ll be able to return home soon.”
“I guess so. We will be on the ground in a few minutes.”

　We returned to the entrance of the dungeon in less than an hour.
　We felt relaxed. But then we had an encounter that blew away our relaxed mood.

”—-You’re early, Makoto.”
“What?”

　My name was called out of the blue, and I let out a dumbfounded voice.
　That person showed up in front of us with her long black hair swaying.

　I, as well as Hoshino, who was walking next to me, recognized the person and said, “Ah”.

“I’d like to thank you first of all for your hard work. I’m glad you made it back in one piece.”

　The person, Kanade Amatsuki, who is also my childhood friend and the chief of the Subjugation Division, said this with a smile on her fair face.

….

Tl Note: Our main heroine finally appears. Sorry for the delay in posting, Power went down in the area. I’ll post the nekxt and latest Chapter for this novel, and maybe 2 or 3 for the other one

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