~ Kei's Perspective~
Immediately after killing the Hobgoblin, the turmoil gradually faded as we walked cautiously due to the monsters. Our pale complexions returned to normal. For both of us who defeated the boss, the only enemies remaining were small fries; the fact that there were a few more monsters must have affected our ability to pay attention to them.
Although there was minimal conversation, we returned to the basement without any problems and took a breather. I immediately took off my bloodied clothes and bathed, as did Haru. Even though it's still before noon, we don't usually take a bath because of the cost of water, but in the current situation, it can't be helped. Or rather, we can't stand spending the night this blood-soaked. If we shower at night again, there will be no problem; it is acceptable.
As soon as Haru was done, I got into the bath and washed my body more thoroughly than usual with soap. I felt as if there was still blood on my body, which was weird, but there wasn't any, so I washed up and got into the tub.
"Haaaaaah…" (Kei)
I can't help but sound like an older man, but there's no one to blame for that. I'm going to let it heal my fatigue. I feel tired for many days even though it has only been half a day. There was nothing wrong with the battle itself. The result was pretty good. We never received an enemy attack and never missed landing an effective hit.
I was used to killing monsters. It was like killing a bug. I'm sure many kind-hearted people would be hesitant to kill a monster. Something that may not even look mammalian, let alone like an animal. However, we felt nothing but disgust because of its ugly appearance and the fact that we knew it was dangerous.
However, there was a difference between killing it after surrounding it and beating it to a pulp. The purpose and the result were no different from before. The only thing that has changed is the way we did it.
My body was warm enough, so I called Haru to the table and ate the lunch box we were supposed to eat in the dungeon. As I was eating, neither Haru nor I seemed reluctant to eat meat, so we didn't have much aversion to killing.
It's not that I'm crazy; it's just that I'm used to it. If that's the case, then there's no problem if I refresh myself. Speaking of refreshment, the ocean or the forest is the standard, but the ocean is too cold this time of year, and the forest is just around the corner. I don't think I can get refreshed in the forest, where I usually go. I'll force myself to get used to the violence before changing my mood.
We may end up spending money, but it's better than Haru feeling down all the time. For some reason, I wonder if I am dull, but I move on quickly. Are women more resistant to physical pain and men more resistant to mental stress?
No, I don't know. Probably.
"Haru, do you have anything planned in the afternoon?" (Kei)
"… Hmm, I don't." (Haru)
After all, she seemed to be in a depressed mood. That's why it's a change of pace would be nice.
"Let's go to the game center for a change."
"Ah, it's good for relieving stress, and it's only 200 yen." (Haru)
"That's right. What we do is the same as usual, but the exhilaration is different. It's only 200 yen per run." (Kei)
We are now shooting a swarm of zombies to death. But, of course, it's not the reality; it's the game in the arcade where you point a gun at the monitor.
"Oh, game over. Brother, let's do the crane next!" (Haru)
As the number of zombies increased, we couldn't handle it anymore, and the game ended. It would be a nice change of pace. The batting center was the standard way to relieve stress, but unfortunately, neither of us could play baseball.
Now we may be able to improve our dynamic vision, but unfortunately, we don't have the money. So when it comes to that, a cheap arcade is just right.
So, as Haru says, we decided to play the crane game. But, of course, it's one where you can get boxes of candy. There's no point in getting a doll, but if it's candy, it's food. What does that mean?
"Hey, I'm gonna go for it!" (Kei)
The reason is. The last time we ate sweets was before we moved. So, of course, we want it. We are poor, so we get hyped up if there is a prize.
"Got it." (Kei)
I stand in front of the control buttons, and Haru moves to the side, confirming the arm's position and relaying instructions. Well, Haru has a good sense of distance. She can even notice if the distance between two objects is within an error of a millimeter. That's why I, who have no such skill, operate the arm.
"Stop!" (Haru)
I press the button to stop the arm without any time lag from Haru's instruction. Of course, it takes time to move after a person receives instruction, but if I look at their breathing or the hand movement of the person speaking, I can estimate when they would talk. So, I remove the lag time.
Sadly, I can't say that this is my strength. If you can't read the other person's mind without talking or whether they're lying, it's just useless.
"Stop!" (Haru)
The arm stops at the second signal, descending straight toward the target. It's going down.
"The arm is weak." (Haru)
"Well, it was weaker than I imagined. I know the strength, so I should be able to get it next time." (Kei)
The arm was so weak that the box I grabbed didn't budge. Well, that's how it is in the arcade. If I had gotten it quickly, they would have quickly lost money.
With that in mind, I put in 100 yen and pressed the start button.
"Stop." (Haru)
It seems to have stopped to the right of the previous one. I don't know what she's going to do so that I won't interfere, but she's probably sure it would be grabbed.
The next time I followed Hal's instructions, the box was quickly caught.
"Okay, a box of food." (Haru)
"Hey, Haru. Why don't we find something portable? Then we can take it during exploration.
Salt is essential during exploration. We'll sweat, so of course, we'll crave some salt. That's why I pointed to a crane game with a box of beef jerky.
Haru also smiles as she seems to understand my intentions.
"Let's go overfishing." (Kei)
I've brought 3,000 yen with me today, and so far, I've spent 600 yen on two zombie games and two crane games. We still have 2,400 yen left. So we followed the same routine as before, catching all the items we could.
Some of the clerks warned us about overfishing, so we used the scouting skills we acquired in the dungeon to escape to another place just in time to see the clerks approaching.
The result was ten boxes and bags of candy, mainly beef jerky and dried squid.
For an amateur, this is an excellent result. In addition, since the boxes were in the way, I decided to throw the contents into my backpack and disassemble them to make them more compact and bring them home. However, it was now 5:00 PM, and I thought we'd better go home and rest.
"Then, should we go home? Did your mood improve?" (Kei)
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank you, brother." (Haru)
When she left the house, the gloomy expression on her face had disappeared, and her cheerful expression had returned. How can that be enough to make us feel better if we're feeling down? Kids like us don't think that deeply. So we can change our mood easier.
We're just a couple of high school dropouts anyway. There's rock-bottom deeper than this. So I'm the only one who has to think about problems.
And if I can, I want to be better. I want to be able to find some entertainment. I want to be able to go to the arcade again. So, shortly, until the day when the world's dungeons are opened. We will be looking for entertainment in the basement dungeon of the Kizaki family.