When I thought that I can finally leave behind the corrupted air of the dungeon, I am faced with a sad reality that the weather on the floor I was before was better than the surface.

I took my eye away from the sky and think that I should immediately return home. No, I should message everyone first. Thinking so, when I was about to start walking, I heard a voice calling me from my side.

“I have been waiting for you.”

It was Nanami.

“Eh, why are you here? You don’t know when I will come back right?”

Hearing so, Nanami makes a smug face.

“Fufu, Predicting the time Goshujin-sama will return is an easy task for an excellent maid as myself.”

That’s what she said.

The hell is she saying.

Nanami sticks out her chest. Since it was emphasized by her maid uniform, I immediately noticed it when looking at her from the side.

Looking closely, there’s a wooden stand under the tree shade, and isn’t that a handmade hammock? Next to it was a tall circular table with things like tea sets, cookies, and books on it.

Predicted my ass, aren’t you wait here the whole time? What a brute.

Nanami shifts her body and tries to hide the hammock but it isn’t something that you can cover with your body. Of course, it’s still completely visible to me.

“Seriously, I wonder who was drinking black tea in such a place. What a bother.”

It was obviously you. Rather, she was drinking black tea huh.

Now then, when I was thinking about how to retort, a voice called out to me from behind.

“Are you an acquaintance of this child?”

Looking back, I found an old cleaning lady there.

“That child didn’t leave that spot since yesterday you know. She is in the way so can you tell her to hurry home?”

She left after she heaved a huge sigh. It might be inconsiderate to the old lady but I ended up laughing. I could easily imagine the scene that the old lady described. If I meet her next time I will give her an apology.

Nanami made a nonchalant face and looks at the sky.

“Ah, it’s flying so high.”

“No, just give up already.”

“More importantly, Goshujin-sama.”

So it’s the return to the topic strategy huh. Well, I don’t really want to corner her that much anyway. Let’s play along.

“What?”

Nanami does a maid-like bow.

“Congratulations on capturing the 40th floor.”

Suddenly I realized. Come to think of it, I haven’t confirmed that I captured the floor yet. I already defeated Icarus and obtained those seeds so I think it should be fine though.

“Aah, come to think of it I did capture that floor huh.”

“……You captured the 40th floor right?”

Looking at her suspicious gaze, I smile bitterly.

Somehow, the 40th-floor capture doesn’t feel like much to me. The captured floor should be recorded on the student ID card right?

I took out my student ID and looked at it. There’s [40th floor] written next to [Tsukuoyomi Academy Dungeon]. I wonder how this thing works.

“Yeah, I captured it.”

I show it to Nanami. As she looks down at the ID card, she smiles like a blooming flower.

“That’s wonderful Goshujin-sama but looking at you, you must be tired right.”

Certainly, my clothes are tattered but my body is fine. Recovery items really are amazing.

“To make sure let’s commence the hug and pat down.”

Nanami grinningly said so. She must be thinking that I would say [The heck are you saying…..] but the current me won’t do that.

“Okay, I won’t hold back then.”

I immediately hugged her without waiting for a reply. Then I pat her head. Slowly and gently. Then I buried my face in her beautiful silver hair and slowly inhaled to enjoy her smell.

I’m very happy. She waited for me in a place like this since yesterday.

“Ah, Go, GoGoshujin-sama.”

She shook her body to resist at first but she eventually gave in. In the end, she wrapped her arms around my body.

I released her after thoroughly enjoyed her body. She absentmindedly looked at me with her feverish expression.

“Thanks to you…….my tiredness was blown away.”

It might be because I hugged her in a weird way her hair is a little messed up. Since she doesn’t look like she is going to fix it herself, I approach her and fix it with my hand. Then I pat her head as I finished. Nanami looked like she wanted to say something and look at me with upturned eyes but she didn’t say anything in the end.

“Kousuke!!”

As I was stroking Nanami’s hair, two women ran over.

They are sempai who is wearing her academy uniform while carrying naginata on her back and Ludi who already abandon her princess act and run toward me.

Those two come over while giving me a full-faced smile.

*Don* I received Ludi by stopping her with a hug.

“You two… why are you here?”

I haven’t contact you yet, right?

“Nanami contacted us. So…..what’s wrong with her?”

It seems like Nanami contacted them before she called out to me. What an excellent maid.

Ludi also tilted her head after she got away from me. She is certainly behaving stranger than usual huh. It’s also my fault though.

“It’s fine, don’t mind her. More importantly, isn’t the class still on-going right now?”

I can understand if it’s yesterday since there’s no class because it’s a break day after the test. But that’s not the case. According to the time, the afternoon class shouldn’t be over yet….. It’s almost over though.

“Yeah, I skipped it.”

“Me too.”

Honestly speaking, happiness is filling my heart.

“Is that okay? Sempai is the vice-president of the Public Moral Committee after all.”

“Yeah, I just want to give a warning to a student that skipped school even though the test was on-going, that’s all.”

If you are gonna say that,

“Yes, I have nothing to complain! Please forgive me.”

“Well, I just chose a class that would be okay to missed after all.”

Saying so, sempai laughs.

“And I was worried…..”

“…..Sorry.”

The next person who came over was the one that less likely to come than sempai. The moment I saw her figure carefreely walking toward me, I did a double-take.

“Nee-san, what are you doing?”

It’s the middle of the class right? Why are you here? It’s one thing if you are a student but Nee-san, you are a teacher right? It’s still in the middle of the afternoon class, right? Even if you don’t have to lecture, you still have the test to score right?

“I heard you came back.”

Nee-san too!? But why, she only came over but why am I so happy?

“I see….. Well, can’t help it then. I’m back, Nee-san.”

“Nn, welcome home.”

“I captured the 40th floor.”

“Un, I thought so.”

“Nee-san, it is still the middle of the class right?”

“I know, I let them self-study.”

Ahh, I can’t stop smiling. Well, I will let Marino-san or Luigia-sensei scold her later. More importantly, I have the thing I must do.

“Everyone, listen to me. Um, well. I have something to tell you all……”

I will tell the people who’re not here later.

“Some of you might already know this but actually I captured the 40th floor.”

The second half was harder than I expected but somehow I was able to capture it. The reason that I could do that.

Is

“It’s thanks to everyone that I was able to become this strong.”

There was always someone there for my daily training.

Everyone’s teaching was alive in each of the moves I performed in battle.

Being cornered alone in the dungeon made me realized.

I was supported by everyone.

The blushing Nanami, Ludi who has a serious expression, the smiling sempai, and Nee-san who is making her usual looks. I look at every one.

Then I pulled out the two amulets inside my pocket.

Now let me tell you. This overflowing gratitude.

To the irreplaceable people who are important to me than the seeds of possibility.

“Thank you.”

———————–