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Tl: Sam

…

Splash, and we dove into the sea.
It was a little cold, but manageable. However, the deeper we dove, the colder it would get.
By the way, the clothes we took off are stored in my business bag. This bag is also completely waterproof. It won’t get water inside even if we go a little deep.
…Come to think of it, wouldn’t it have been better to take a boat directly above the dungeon instead of diving from the port? Dojima-san got me hyped up, and I just jumped in.
Well, the destination isn’t that far, so I don’t think the time taken will change much.
As I was thinking that, Dojima-san, who had dived ahead, turned back and spoke to me.

“Gah-gah-gah, Tanaka, bluu-bluu-bluu, let’s race!”
“Bluu-bluu-bluu, what are you saying? Bluu-bluu-bluu, this isn’t a game.”

「I don’t understand what they’re saying lol」
「Why can these guys talk?」
「A. Because they’re Shachiken and the Minister」
「Are they dolphins?」
「Bluu-bluu-bluu-bluu」
「They’ve stopped being human, huh」
「The Ministry of Monster Control should have devices to talk underwater, but they don’t need them lol」
「Developers are crying」

Looking back, I saw the drone and Rin following closely.
Rin came beside me and spoke in a voice that was surprisingly clear underwater.

“It’s fine to increase your speed. I’ll follow you closely, Sensei.”
“…Bluu-bluu, I see, bluu-bluu-bluu, got it.”

「Hmm? Rin-chan’s voice is clear」
「Indeed」
「Is it because of the device she’s holding in her mouth?」
「Ah, that might be it」
「It doesn’t just allow breathing, but also conversation」
「By the way, why can Rin-chan understand them normally? Lol」
「It’s love, love」

Since I got permission from Rin, I might as well indulge Dojima-san’s whim.
There’s no harm in reaching the dungeon faster.

“Bluu-bluu-bluu, understood, then bluu-bluu-bluu, shall we race?”
“Bluu-bluu-bluu, alright, let’s go!”

Dojima-san said happily, then kicked the water with all his might and rapidly accelerated. His speed was tremendous, creating shockwaves around him.

「Eh!?」
「Sooooo fast」
「This is already a human torpedo」
「What is this, are they racing? Lol」
「Ah, Rin-chan said it’s okay to speed up, so maybe」
「A loincloth old man swimming at explosive speed is too scary」
「Shachiken can’t lose either lol」

As expected of Dojima-san, he was incredibly fast despite having a long break. His past as a former Maritime Self-Defense Force member was no mere decoration.
But with Rin watching, I can’t show any weakness.

“Bluu-bluu, let’s go!”

After kicking the water with my body, I wriggled my legs at high speed to swim.
It’s what you call a dolphin kick. In my case, I wriggle my entire body, not just my legs, which makes me even faster, so it almost feels like something else entirely, not just a dolphin kick.

「Huh!?」
「This one’s too fast too lol」
「Honestly, his movement is k-kinda… no, never mind」
「Oh no, it’s too surreal」
「Is it true that the stream of the swimsuit Shachiken doing a dolphin kick has the world’s highest concurrent viewers?」
「Dolphins would be disgusted lol」
「Dolphin: “Gross… why is he so fast?”」
「What is this… what?」
「This is the only stream where you can see something wriggly swimming at high speed underwater!」
「No one else would want that, anyway」

It’s been a while since I’ve swam with such intensity, but it’s surprisingly fun. I was relieved that my swimming skills hadn’t dulled as much as I thought.
…Oh, it’s getting colder. The water is getting quite deep.

“Bluu-bluu-bluu.”

I consciously enveloped my body in magic energy. This prevents a drop in body temperature and the effects of water pressure.
This isn’t a special action; every explorer does it unconsciously. We Awakened individuals have increased physical strength, but apart from that, we also have a protective coating around our bodies made of magic energy.
That’s how we adapt to the harsh environments of dungeons.
In the deep sea, this protective coating needs to be thicker than usual. Rin’s swimsuit probably has the effect of strengthening and stabilizing this protective coating.
Rin has less magic energy than me or Dojima-san, but she should be fine with that.
As I was thinking that, I saw the back of Dojima-san, who was ahead of me. His white loincloth fluttering made him impossible to miss.

…Hmm? Dojima-san stopped? What happened?

“Bluu-bluu-bluu, I caught up, Minister Dojima-san.”
“B-bluu-bluu, oh, you’re here.”

Dojima-san said, then pointed further into the deep sea.
In that direction, there was a large fish swimming towards us. It had bared fangs and a grotesque appearance.
Good grief, we’re busy even before reaching the dungeon.

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