“She doesn’t need a guard, right? I mean, she could finish everything off in one punch. Just a flick to my forehead would blow my head off.”

An S-Rank is a being beyond human understanding.

It’s a monster that could potentially destroy a nation all by itself.

It can deflect bullets with its eyes and scoffs at modern weaponry.

I wish they wouldn’t say such foolish things like guarding such a monster, of which there are only a few in Japan.

Does an elephant that is attacked by a mouse need a guard?

It doesn’t, right? Because the opponent is no match at all.

“But the thing is… she can’t fight. Or rather, she doesn’t have the power.”

“…What do you mean?”

I frowned at Tanaka-san’s statement.

What does it mean that she has S-Rank magical power but can’t fight?

“I don’t know exactly. It’s true that she has that much magic power according to the measurement. But her physical strength isn’t much different from an ordinary person. The cause is unknown.”

“That’s…”

“So, I want you to take a look at her. You might be able to figure out the cause with those eyes of yours.”

“I see, so that’s the real motive, isn’t it?”

“Hehe, I like smart kids, as long as they’re on my side.”

I decided to accept the request. I’m simply interested.

It doesn’t make sense to be weak with that much magical power.

An S-Rank, a godlike existence, being no different from an ordinary person, what kind of joke is that?

Then I found out the plan, that I will be diving into the dungeon with the chairman’s granddaughter this coming Saturday. Until then, I decided to continue using Mirage to clear D-Rank dungeons without getting caught. That said, there are various preparations needed, like Tanaka-san making arrangements so that no other clearers would enter.

◇ And then, the day of the promise arrived. Saturday, noon.

I was preparing to go to the cube that connects to the C-Rank dungeon in Tokyo, the meeting place.

It was hot, but since I was technically a guard, I decided to wear black pants and a button-down shirt.

It didn’t really feel like exploring, but that’s okay, being easy to move in doesn’t matter much.

“…But still…”

I struck a pose in front of the mirror.

My abs were defined, or should I say, didn’t I get into pretty good shape?

My physique had changed like that of a sports athlete.

This was magic power… it was mysterious.

Was the magic optimizing my body to make it easier to move?

And also, maybe it was because I was doing quite intense workouts every day and eating a lot. Come to think of it, there are no fat dungeon clearers…

“I have a few hours until the meeting time, maybe I should get a haircut. I’ve been getting the 1000 yen cuts, but maybe I should do it properly for once.”

I decided to change my clothes and go out.

My hair had grown out and was getting bushy, so I thought about going short and headed to a slightly stylish salon in front of the station.

I had a lot of extra money, thanks to the rewards from clearing the D-Rank dungeon and the magic stones that Tanaka-san had cashed for me.

To be honest, I’m pretty well off right now.

I can eat as much beef bowl as I want, and my electricity and gas doesn’t get cut off.

That’s normal? You don’t know real poverty yet.

“Welcome!”

I went to a stylish salon near the station.

I felt out of place and needed courage to enter, but I had no choice.

I wasn’t familiar with being stylish.

The shop attendant, a lady, smiled brightly at me with a high-pitched voice.

She was a fashionable and beautiful lady, she also smelled really good. Maybe she was wearing perfume?

“It’s my first time here, is that okay?”

“Of course! Please, come in!!”

I was guided to a seat.

I had never done anything fashionable, so I just said I’ll leave everything up to you, and then just zoned out.

Why do the attendants in these kinds of places always try so hard to make conversation?

“You have an amazing body; do you work out?”

“No, not really. Well, I am a dungeon clearer, though.”

“Eh!? That’s amazing!! I’m an E-Rank, so please protect me.”

“Haha, I’ll do my best.”

I just sat there and let her cut my hair, I wonder if it’s a trendy hairstyle.

She cut it quite short, but I could see around me much more clearly, this should make fighting easier.

Then, the lady stared at me through the mirror with a blank expression.

“You look amazing! It’s like I’m seeing a different person! You’re so handsome! No, really, would you consider becoming a haircut model in the future?”

“Haha, thank you very much.”

The lady was very complimentary, using polite phrases to praise me a lot, but I didn’t mind. I politely declined the offer to become a haircut model, but I promised her that I would come back to get my hair cut here again.

“Thank you very much!! I look forward to seeing you again, Amachi-san!!”

The lady kept waving at me with a smile. I almost misunderstood her intentions, but quickly shook my head and forgot about it.

I’ve seen a lot of painful experiences due to misunderstandings in my life so far, so I decided not to read too much into it. Me, popular with women? No way.

I remembered the memories from my student days that I wanted to seal away.

The times when I was bullied, laughed at, and becoming hated by girls just for having feeling for them.

『Ugh! I’ve been touched by Amachi, the Unranked! ~』

I had received such harsh words.

I got a little gloomy when I remembered, so I decided to forget it right away.

“It’s 10 minutes until the meeting time. Is that it? C-Rank… commonly known as the Sakura Cube. It’s pink and pretty…”

The dungeon we’re heading to today is located among a cluster of busy buildings.

A barricade is set up, and a person in a black suit, probably a staff member of the dungeon association, is guarding it.

I want to say “good work in this damn heat”, but that’s the formal attire of the Dungeon Association, so it can’t be helped. They’re public servants who fight.

Maybe they came here today specifically for the protection of Aya Ryuenji-san.

I head to the meeting place where the clearers are gathered.

“Oh? You must be the rumored Kai-kun! Nice to meet you! I’m Masuda, I’ll be leading today.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I shake hands with Masuda, who greets me with a smile so white and refreshing it seems like he whitens his teeth.

He is a B-Rank clearer affiliated with Avalon, and today’s leader.

He carries a large sword and has a big body. He looks very strong and seems like a good person. Maybe he’s in his late 20s? His hair is dyed, giving off a slightly dashing, older-brother vibe.

I greet the other C-Rank clearers as well.

I’ve seen many of them at the headquarters, but this is the first time I’ve talked to them.

However, all of them have good personalities, as expected of Avalon, they even care about the inner character of their employees.

“But we got a strange request this time. Never thought we’d be guarding the Chairman’s granddaughter. Basically, Mizuguchi and I will take the lead. Other members, please stay alert and surround Ryuenji-san.”

“Understood.”

The strategy was simple: Masuda-san, a B-Rank, and Mizuguchi-san, a top C-Rank, would clear the dungeon, and the remaining three of us just had to protect Ryuenji-san.

As for me, I wanted to fight monsters too, but if I could understand what was going on inside by looking at the status, I would bear with it.

We held a strategy meeting while looking at the map of the inside.

About 30 minutes after the strategy meeting ended, it arrived.

A gigantic limousine, as if to say the longer, the more important.

I was surprised that such a long vehicle could navigate the narrow streets of this country, but the driver’s skill must be considerable, he could probably attempt the public road fastest theory mode.[1]

The driver, with his plump lips [2], opened the door, and a woman appeared from inside.

Her black hair, which reached down to her waist, was well taken care of and silky smooth.

A beautiful and expensive-looking red earring swayed ominously in her ear.

Her makeup was minimal, just natural.

Despite this, her features were so good, her eyes so intense, that I instinctively averted my gaze.

Her clothes seemed easy to move in, but they were all black.

Perhaps she likes black, but those clothes are probably equipment woven with high-level magic. Moreover, despite her all-black attire, the bright red gemstone necklace hanging around her neck was very impressive. That must be a magic stone.

“She looks even more beautiful up close…”

I was captivated.

This is what they mean when they say someone carries themselves well. Just walking, she exuded grace, like a model.

Still, she gave off the air of an aristocratic lady.

She crossed her arms, struck a condescending pose, and assessed us with sharp eyes.

Rather than aristocratic lady, it might be more accurate to say she’s like a queen. There’s no awkwardness in her demeanor, one that was instilled due to being made to stand above people since birth.

Unfortunately, the slight thrill I feel might be because, while she has the qualities of a queen, I have a servile nature ingrained in me.

“…Nice to meet you, I’m Aya Ryuenji. Thank you for agreeing to participate today despite the inconvenience. Let’s get going then. We don’t want to waste time.”

With just a glance, the girl transformed into our leader and began walking briskly towards the Cube.

I looked at Aya Ryuenji-san’s status from behind.

Then I realized why, despite having godlike magical power, she only has the strength of an ordinary person.

“…I see, that’s your status.”

—————————–

[1] A time trial stage in an Initial D game where you compete for the fastest time in the country.

[2] A reference to a character that appears in the anime Sazae-san