NOVEL ONLINE FREE Volume 1 Chapter 90 - These guys are too nice, aren't they? ★
As we continued to defeat monsters along the way, I noticed a signboard next to the highway. Curious, I approached it to read.
[No Entry 1 km Ahead]
It simply read like that.
“Could it be that the area ahead is restricted?”
I asked Yoshino-san.
“That’s right. That’s why we stop here. The Self-Defense Force is swarming ahead, and if you look suspicious, you could get interrogated.”
“I heard they strip search you, regardless of gender.”
Scary stuff. But they’d have to be that strict. If someone intrudes, they might have to shut the gate.
“Yeah, can’t go any further than this.”
“Exactly. Let’s turn back here. It’s a good time, so how about we have lunch?”
Yoshino-san suggested lunch at this intimidating location.
“Here?”
“Actually, it’s safer here. No sketchy people would bother us, and the Self-Defense Force would ignore us if we’re just eating lunch.”
Rin-san explained.
“Alright, let’s eat here.”
To be honest, I was hungry.
We spread a sheet on a flat area a bit off the highway and sat down. The sheet was provided by Rin-san.
Once seated, we started eating our lunch. I had round rice balls that Kaede-chan had given me, Yoshino-san had convenience store bread, and Rin-san had brought a homemade bento.
“Did you make this, Rin-san?”
“Yes, I did. I have to make one for my husband anyway. Did you… make yours yourself?”
Rin-san pointed at my rice ball with her chopsticks.
“Nope. It’s a ‘wife-made bento.'”
Truth be told, I can shape rice balls into triangles.
“I see…”
Rin-san subtly looked away.
“I wanted to ask, is the Self-Defense Force strong?”
I asked while eating my rice ball.
“They are strong. Not just individually, but their teamwork is incredible.”
“The Self-Defense Force also trains in the Frontier. It’s a bit scary, but reassuring.”
So they are strong. I should avoid picking fights.
We continued to eat lunch in a picnic-like atmosphere, took a short break, and resumed our adventure. In the afternoon, we decided to turn back the way we came, as suggested by Yoshino-san.
On the way back, we occasionally strayed off the highway but continued to defeat monsters in rotation. When we returned to the gate, it was 4:30 p.m.
More adventurers had gathered at the gate than in the morning. They glanced at us—or rather, at Yoshino-san—before quickly shifting their gaze back and continuing their conversations with their comrades.
“This is how you usually go about adventuring around here. If it’s just half a day, we’d turn back a bit earlier.”
Yoshino-san explained as we arrived at the gate. She had timed it well to return at 4:30 p.m.
“It’s a good time.”
“We’ve done it many times.”
“At first, we’d return at odd times like 3 p.m. or when it got dark.”
So the day’s flow was based on their many adventures. They were really helpful. I’m sure they could charge for this information.
“Thank you for today. It was educational.”
“Don’t mention it. This is pretty standard.”
“Ah, I need to head home soon. I have to stop by the supermarket.”
Rin-san apparently had to prepare dinner.
“Shall we disband then? Okita-kun, when’s next time?”
“Next time?”
“Will you come here again? I’ll be around for a while, but aren’t you too low-level for Yoshino-san?”
“Wherever I go, it’s profitable. I made over 100,000 today. That’s enough.”
“100,000… I guess I made about the same. That’s impressive.”
“If you’re available, let’s do it again. I’ll contact you.”
“Understood. We’ll be waiting. You should head home soon too. See you.”
Yoshino-san and Rin-san started walking toward the gate.
“Good work.” “Yes, good work.” “Take care.”
I watched as the two walked through the gate and returned. Then, I took my status card from my bag to check it.
Name: Okita Hajime
Level: 8
Job: Swordsman
Skills:
Swordsmanship lv6
Speechcraft lv1
Taunt lv1
Alchemy (Unique)
I leveled up. Now I’m catching up to Nanapon.
The new recipe is “Auto-Map,” a mysterious paper that automatically maps out the places I walk through.
I don’t need it. There are already maps made by the Self-Defense Force in the Frontier, and of course, there are maps on Earth.
It’s a miss… But that happens. Looking forward to the next one!
When we walked through the gate, we returned to the Shinjuku Guild.
“Rin, what did you think of Okita-kun?”
“He’s strong. He took down the High Wolf and Great Eagle in an instant. He should just move up to B-rank already.”
“Kaede is the one holding him back. He can be a bit overconfident, so they’re letting him gain experience first.”
“Is she worried about her boyfriend? Well, we were the same. Those who start off with martial arts tend to be like that.”
“I didn’t get carried away that much. Rin got carried away a lot.”
“Anything else that caught your eye?”
“He didn’t check his status card.”
“Right.”
It’s unusual for us not to check our status cards. There’s no point, and it would be risky if someone else saw it. But Okita-kun is different.
He’s at level 7. If a level 7 defeats monsters on the Mireiyu Highway, their level would go up quickly. Probably up to around level 10 in no time.
Yet, he didn’t check his level even once today. Not even during lunch. Normally, especially rookies, would check their status cards frequently, even after every battle.
“Maybe he didn’t want it to be seen?”
“Probably. But he openly mentioned his skills, right?”
“He bragged about his swordsmanship and was wary of his Taunt skill.”
“So, did Satsuki or Kaede tell him not to?”
“That’s the normal assumption. That means there’s a high chance he has a Unique Skill.”
“Does his strength come from a Unique Skill, or is it something else…”
Eleanor Ocean and Okita Hajime, two people who appeared in that unpopular guild at the same time. Coincidence?
Should I use that to investigate…
“Rin, can you join us again tomorrow or later?”
“Sorry, but my husband is taking me to the zoo tomorrow.”
Just for a moment, I felt slightly irritated.