MTLNOVEL Chapter 5
“Haah…”
Returning to school after so long was mentally exhausting.
In dungeons, he only ever felt physical fatigue—
but mental stress?
That was a whole different kind of pain.
Of course, full-time explorers probably dealt with way worse stress than some high school drama,
but since he cleared dungeons using his shikigami, he didn’t experience the same level of strain as they did.
Honestly, his personal struggles with school didn’t really matter to anyone else, but still…
“Loner-kun, you heading straight home after school?”
“…Uh, is that a problem?”
He had been talking to adults so often lately that polite speech just came out automatically.
Not that he cared, but he would really rather not be spoken to in the first place.
Respectful language was a lifeline for social recluses, a convenient tool for carrying conversations without actually connecting with anyone.
He understood that his constant absences probably annoyed some of his classmates, but all his requests from the Explorer Association counted as authorized absences, so they should cut him some slack.
He even took extra lessons just to keep up.
“Don’t bully him too much.”
“Relax, we’re just talking, right?”
“Y-Yeah… I guess?”
He couldn’t tell the difference between bullying and conversation.
And seriously—calling him ‘Loner-kun’?
Did that not sound even a little like bullying?
They probably just saw him as their new entertainment.
Haah…
Why didn’t he just enroll in an online school?
“So, I was wondering—do you have an explorer’s license?”
“I-I do.”
“Oh? That’s good, then.”
…Good for what?
Did this pretty boy get some kind of special joy from knowing someone had an explorer’s license?
“I’m a C-Rank explorer, you know?
I can’t stand weaklings who don’t have an explorer’s license.”
“O-Oh… I see.”
“I mean, you get it, right? The qualification test is ridiculously easy.”
“Well… yeah, I guess.”
To be honest,
it really wasn’t hard.
The government wanted more explorers,
so they deliberately lowered the difficulty.
There was a written test,
but it was mostly for show and didn’t affect qualification.
And if someone qualified as a G-Rank explorer,
the government even offered financial support to help them get started.
“See? That’s why people without a license are just weaklings with no magic talent.”
The test was accessible to everyone.
The training was comprehensive.
The support was generous.
And yet, some people still couldn’t get their license.
Why?
Because they lacked the minimum required magic power.
Ever since dungeons appeared worldwide,
humans started being born with innate magic,
but the amount varied from person to person.
It could be trained and expanded, but only to a certain extent—
eventually, people hit a hard limit.
And since being an explorer meant risking one’s life, the government was forced to make a decision:
If someone’s magic power was below a certain threshold, they weren’t even allowed to take the test.
“You shouldn’t discriminate against low-magic individuals.”
“Hah? What’s wrong with calling garbage ‘garbage’?”
People like him were exactly why so many protested against the magic limit rule.
But at the same time,
it was an unavoidable measure.
Dungeons were directly tied to infrastructure and national security,
and the job itself was inherently dangerous.
Still, people who looked down on others for things they couldn’t control
had always rubbed him the wrong way.
“Are we done here?”
“Yeah, yeah. I got my answer.
If you ever find yourself dying in the upper floors,
maybe I’ll come rescue you.
No promises though—haha!”
“Ahahahaha!”
Disgusting.
But realistically, being a C-Rank explorer as a high schooler meant he was actually pretty damn skilled.
And when someone clearly outperformed their peers, they tended to become like that.
“Oh, heading home already?”
“…Asakawa-san?”
He left the classroom, still fuming, only to have Asakawa Nanami call out to him in the hallway.
She was chatting with some other girls, but as soon as she saw him, she approached.
This was bad.
She was basically the class idol.
If she talked to him, other guys might get the wrong idea and target him.
“Fufu… Everyone’s at club activities,
so there’s no one around.”
He had been glancing around nervously, so she laughed at him.
Fair.
At their school, club activities were mandatory unless students had a special exemption.
Naturally, he was exempt because he was an active explorer.
Back in first year, he was technically part of the Home Economics Club, but that didn’t last long.
“So, you don’t have club activities…
Does that mean you’re an explorer too?”
“Huh?”
“I got exempted from club activities too—since I’m focusing on dungeon exploration.”
“O-Oh… I see.”
That made sense.
If she was deep enough in the dungeon to reach the lower floors, then she was C-Rank or higher.
Of course she was exempt from clubs.
“You go to Shibuya Dungeon, right?
It’s the closest one around here.”
“Y-Yeah, I guess.”
“Thought so!
Maybe we’ve passed each other down there!”
…Actually, they met yesterday.
Well, she was unconscious,
so she wouldn’t remember.
Besides, he rarely stayed in Shibuya Dungeon for long.
Most of his requests took him all over the Kanto region, and when he did explore for himself, he usually went straight to the deeper floors.
So no, they probably hadn’t crossed paths.
“Well, be careful!”
“Ah, yeah. You too.”
She was nice.
She even helped him out earlier. He might actually be falling for her.
Since he rarely got to explore for personal reasons,he figured he’d go deep today—
Until he felt his work phone vibrating in his bag.
“…Hello?”
“Tsukasa-kun?”
A mature woman’s voice came through the line.
She was a high-ranking official at the Explorer Association essentially his personal handler.
“Sorry for the sudden request, but could you head to the 40th floor of Shibuya Dungeon?”
“Right now?”
“As soon as possible.
Are you out of school?”
“Yeah, just finished.”
There goes his peaceful evening.
『Thank you. And sorry, okay? I feel bad making a high schooler take on these kinds of requests all the time.』
“No, it’s my job.”
『…But you’re still in high school, you know? Don’t you ever feel like enjoying your youth a little?』
“Not really.”
『You’re so dried up. Well, maybe it’s because of all the requests, but still… You only get one shot at youth, you know? You should at least try falling in love or something.』
“Are you my aunt or something? I’m hanging up.”
Seriously…
I wouldn’t call it unnecessary meddling, but I already gave up on that kind of thing when I became EX-Rank.
I’ll probably regret this decision in my late twenties, but for now, I’ll just hide behind the excuse of being young and keep moving forward.
The dungeon I had planned to explore for personal reasons had now turned into a job request.
It wasn’t a big deal, but there’s a huge difference between entering a dungeon by choice and doing it out of obligation.
Complaining about it won’t change anything.
Might as well just head home, change, and get going.