NOVEL ONLINE FREE Volume 1 Chapter 92
After finishing the hotpot for dinner, I explained to Nanapon about Yoshino-san and Rin-san, and we discussed future plans.
Before it got too late, I called a taxi to take Nanapon home, and then Kaede-chan and I relaxed and went to bed.
The next day, I got up before noon, prepared myself, had lunch prepared by Kaede-chan, and left the house.
I took a taxi and went around to the back entrance of the guild, then entered it. Normally, I would enter through the reception area behind the counter, but today, there were more adventurers than usual. Normally, there would be at most ten people, but today there were more than twenty. It was, after all, a weekend.
Ignoring the throng who were unnaturally taking out their smartphones, I decided to head towards where Kaede-chan was.
“Hello,” I greeted her as I approached her reception desk.
“Hello,” Kaede-chan responded with her usual 50% smile.
“We’re heading to Mireiyu Highway.”
“Yes. Um, there are a few people behind you with their smartphones out…”
Kaede-chan informed me while looking over my shoulder. Probably, they were trying to sneak photos of my long hair and backside.
“Just ignore them, ignore them. Tell Satsuki-san to take care of it.”
“I will… this is a bit too much.”
Well, it can’t be helped. This is what happens whenever I stop by a convenience store. Always with the sneak photography. It’s almost endearing when they come up to me asking for handshakes instead. I even have autograph papers prepared.
“I’m heading out now. Nanaka-san should be arriving soon.”
From now on, I was to go to the Frontier first. It was dangerous to let Nanapon go ahead.
“It’s a bit scary, but okay. Please be careful.”
I, too, was a bit apprehensive about what Nanapon might wear. I really hoped she wouldn’t show up in a hyottoko or skeleton mask.
“Okay!”
I waved at Kaede-chan and looked behind me. Several people awkwardly moved about.
Ugh, annoying… Wait!
That’s right… This is how Yoshino-san felt seeing me yesterday. This is why she dislikes it.
I decided to be more careful in the future and ignored the adventurers taking photos as I headed for the gate.
When I passed through the gate, I arrived at Mireiyu Highway just like yesterday. There were fewer adventurers today, only about three parties. They had spread out sheets and were eating their lunch.
The adventurers seemed to be discussing something while looking at a map, but soon all their attention turned to me. They quickly returned to their discussion, though.
As expected, the manners of intermediate adventurers are better. Well, they’ll probably talk about me later.
I decided to wait for Nanapon and moved to a secluded corner. After a while, a woman emerged from the gate.
She had blonde hair, slightly longer than shoulder-length, tied back into a single ponytail. She was dressed in an all-black suit and even wore sunglasses.
An agent from somewhere? Wait, that outfit looks familiar…
Of course, it was familiar. She was dressed exactly like the thugs who kidnapped Nanapon.
When I saw the woman, I couldn’t help but be exasperated. Despite such an outfit, she carried a recognizable cute rabbit backpack.
It was Nanapon…
The Nanapon-like woman walked straight up to me and stopped in front of me.
“How is it?”
Although she wore sunglasses, it was clear she was making a smug face.
“You can actually wear that… You’re dressed just like the people who tied you up and kidnapped you.”
“It’s better than a hyottoko or skeleton mask, right? This is just about safe.”
Well, a suit might not be the best for adventuring, but she didn’t look entirely out of place as a bodyguard, albeit small and weak-looking. And really, the outfit didn’t suit her small stature at all.
“What about the blonde hair?”
“It’s a wig! I matched it with Eleanor-san! I’m her disciple!”
What kind of disciple…
“Hmm, and what did Kaede-chan say?”
“Nothing, just a sigh.”
She must have been exasperated.
“Just to confirm, are you going to keep wearing that?”
“That’s the plan. Oh, Eleanor-san, please give me an invisibility potion.”
She’d probably need it.
“I’ll give it to you later. For now, let’s get going. There are too many people here.”
The adventurers who were previously engaged in their strategy session were now openly staring at me and Nanapon.
“Understood. Oh, please call me Number Seven.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m the seventh disciple.”
There are no six others! Ah, Nanaka… Number Seven, I see.
“Did you spend the last week thinking of that?”
“Yes. Which is better, Agent Seven or…”
She must have watched The Matrix…
“Sigh… Whatever. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Nanapon, completely unsuited for the outfit, pulled out a wand from her rabbit backpack.
“A wand?”
“Of course. I’m a magician.”
A black suit, blonde hair, a cute rabbit backpack, and a wand…
“I might have gone to the salon in a tracksuit at 26, but let me say this… it’s tacky.”
“I had no choice! The other options were a cultist or a Papillon mask!”
Nanapon said, her face turning red in anger. Given those options, the all-black suit was the obvious choice.
“Fine, it’s okay. I’m not one to talk about fashion.”
“Right. Let’s go!”
Nanapon energetically proceeded down the highway, and I followed her.
As we walked side by side under the beautiful weather, Nanapon asked, “Yesterday, you mentioned High Wolves and Great Eagles, right?”
“Yes, they’re not too strong, but be careful.”
“I find it hard to trust your judgment on what’s ‘not too strong’…”
“It’s fine. Your magic is effective against them, and I’ll help if it gets dangerous.”
“Please do. I can’t use my clairvoyance here.”
It’s an open field, so there’s nothing to see through.
“It’s okay. Here, take this and drink it regularly.”
I handed Nanapon a defense-boosting potion.
“Ah, the potion that increases defense. How effective is it?”
“It’s hard to verify. Kaede-chan and I tried it, and it seemed fine even when hit with a bamboo sword.”
“Wait, you hit Ms. Asakura with a bamboo sword?”
Nanapon looked shocked. Understandably so.
“I didn’t want to, but she asked for it after hitting me…”
“Sorry, but that’s kind of scary. All I can imagine is a boyfriend who resorts to violence.”
Coincidentally, so can I.
“I was the only one doing it, not Okita-kun.”
“What were you thinking…”
“Forget about it. I don’t want to remember. Anyway, the potion should help. It lasts for an hour.”
“I feel like I’m going to bloat.”
I drank TS and invisibility potions for you, Nanapon. Show some gratitude.
“Better than getting seriously injured… Oh, look, there’s a bird in the sky.”
“That’s… isn’t that a Great Eagle?”
“Looks like it.”
I nodded, and Nanapon quickly drank the defense potion.
“Okay! So, Eleanor-san will attract its attention and attack, and after the Great Eagle dodges and flies up, I’ll use my magic, right?”
We had discussed this after dinner the previous day.
“Right. I’ll draw its attention.”
“Call it a weakling, a weakling!”
That’s Kaede-chan…
“No. How old do you think I am? It’s too late for that… Hey, you bird-brain, come here!”
I shouted at the Great Eagle, which had been circling above. It glided down towards me.
“Here it comes. I’m moving back.”
As Nanapon stepped back, I drew my sword.
“Come on!”
I readied my sword.
“Eleanor-san, you’re cool!”
As Nanapon praised me, the Great Eagle charged. I swung my sword lightly at the right moment, and the eagle, just like Rin-san the day before, dodged and flew back up.
“Agent Seven!”
“Got it! Fire!”
At my signal, Nanapon unleashed her fire magic. The fireball she launched hit the Great Eagle, engulfing it in flames and turning it to ash. A single feather fluttered down from the sky.
“I’m dropping the ‘Agent Seven’. It’s too long.”
“Fine by me. Just call me as usual when no one’s around.”
Nanapon caught the falling feather and said, “Let’s go to the next one, Nanapon.”
“Don’t call me Nanapon. And don’t call me that when you’re Eleanor-san.”
She was really angry… I can’t figure out her standards.