Chapter 42 : Adventure Level 30 (4)

The streets were both quiet and not quiet.
Should I say it was a strange situation where more cars than usual were passing by, but there were no pedestrians?
Normally, this would make it difficult to stalk—no, follow—Do Yugeon, but since I could sense mana, I kept my distance and trailed him leisurely.
Honestly, following him like this wasn’t polite.
Given how long we’d known each other, maybe he’d laugh it off if caught, but precisely because of that, there were certain lines we should maintain.
It would be perfectly fine to wait until school resumed after the closure, grab him then, and interrogate him.
So why was I doing this now? It was because Do Yugeon almost died that day.
When the Orc Shaman attacked, if I hadn’t intervened… anyway, that was probably it.
How should I put it? Letting him roam freely like before caused worry, sure, but maybe it was more like fear?
Getting swept up in it wouldn’t be good, but sitting still felt agonizing.

Passing by sporadically closed shops, Do Yugeon arrived at a two-story café.
He said he was going to a café, and he really was going to a café.
Who goes to a café at a time like this?
Sensing Yugeon going up to the second floor, I quickened my pace and entered the first floor of the café.
Using mana to scan the second floor, there was only one customer.
An adult male. I thought maybe the person Yugeon was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet, but then Yugeon approached him and they exchanged greetings.
What’s this?
Is he trying to do something weird again?

Since I couldn’t hear their conversation with mana, I crouched low and carefully, quietly climbed the stairs to the second floor.
I felt the strange gaze of the first-floor part-timer.
Ahem.
“Man, what a relief. After people died that day, everyone said they couldn’t do it anymore.”
“That makes sense. I had nightmares too.”
“Really? And you still want to do it? Wow, you’re really brave. At your age, I was a total coward. Amazing.”
“It’s nothing special—I feel embarrassed when you praise me.”
“No, really, it’s amazing.”
The voice sounded familiar.

My magic capacity had grown steadily, even without doing much, allowing me to do various things, but I still couldn’t distinguish faces well.
I slightly raised my lowered body to sneak a peek. It was the Flame Mage.
Ah, I knew I didn’t like that guy from the start, and now he shows up in this situation.
Should I have separated him from Yugeon earlier?
But Yugeon told me it was someone I didn’t know, yet this is clearly someone he knows.
How could he lie so blatantly to a friend?
Isn’t that too much?

“That Orc Shaman was just too strong. The goblins guarding the Rift could be handled if you just formed lines and invested time. You know, since you experienced it too.”
“Well, I just tested the waters briefly and ran away.”
He ran away after catching the shaman? Well, I guess if he were to say he caught it, he’d either have to lie or mention me.
“Our party managed to catch it without anyone dying, but other parties weren’t so lucky. People who were hunting with a gaming mindset dropped out, families discouraged them… we’re severely short-staffed.”
“You’ve been preparing for so long—it must be tough.”
“Tell me about it. But with you joining, we’ve put out the urgent fire.”
“Hahaha.”
He’s praising him too much.
It’s even more suspicious.
What does he plan to do with Yugeon?
Yugeon is surprisingly useless sometimes.

Staying on the stairs was uncomfortable, so I quickly scanned the second floor for a place to hide and listen.
Sitting down was difficult since the second floor was quite open, but hiding behind the central pillar seemed possible.
There was a low partition on the stairs, so if I crouched really low, I thought I could sneak into a blind spot.
What am I even doing?
I crawled on the floor.
Reaching the pillar, I quietly brushed off the dust from my clothes.

“I met the Explorer Federation Head. With the System suddenly disappearing, announcing the end of the closed beta, System distribution became a mess. So, when the Federation Head was urgently meeting people, I chatted briefly and heard something important.”
“What is it?”
“That other Rifts, besides the ones from that day, are going to appear. In the same way—appearing briefly, spawning mobs, and then disappearing.”
Where did the Federation Head pick up something like that?
“That’s just floating around as a rumor, isn’t it?”
“Right. But the Federation Head vouched for someone as proof, so we’ll know if it’s true or false once we talk to them. Anyway, assuming it’s true, our job is to conquer the Rift when it appears.”
Ah, so they plan to conquer Rifts together?
Who is he trying to rope into this now?
And I specifically warned Do Yugeon since kindergarten not to follow suspicious people, yet he falls for this hook, line, and sinker. Hah, honestly.
It’s not like I can lock him up somewhere.

“But will conquering Rifts make money? When I went inside, it was just a forest.”
“This takes a bit longer to explain. Normally, when you log in and go to a hunting ground, whether you pick up rocks or cut down trees there, you can’t bring them out when you log out, right? So corporations set up facilities in the Preparation Room and conducted various research. A year passed like that, research results piled up, but practical application was difficult. But with Rifts, you can bring things out. The situation has changed. Thanks to that, there are promising fields, and we’re going to delve into the pharmaceutical sector among them.”
“So, we go into the Rift, gather medicinal herbs, make medicine with them, and sell it?”
“Something like that?”
I don’t think medicine is made like that these days?
“An expert will be here soon, so ask them the details when they arrive. Honestly, I don’t know much about this field, hahaha!”

After that, the trivial talk continued.
I leaned my back against the pillar and squatted down.
Why am I here doing this?
It’s because of Do Yugeon, but I really don’t know what I’m doing.
I quietly unwrapped the bag of cookies I was holding and ate one.
It tastes good, at least.
Sensing movement on the stairs, I shifted slightly so I wouldn’t be seen from there.
As someone came up, the Flame Mage greeted them warmly.
Based on the conversation, it seemed to be a researcher from a pharmaceutical company.
I peeked my head out slightly to check the face. It was the Necromancer I had run into at every offline meeting.
Why is everyone someone I know? Am I cursed today?

“Gathering herbs is correct. But what we’ll be selling isn’t medicine.”
“Then?”
“Health supplements.”
“What?”
“Health supplements. It’s only been a year since the fantasy phenomenon started, so there are tons of drugs that haven’t even gotten approval for Phase 1 clinical trials yet. Drugs that could be sold already aren’t really drugs—just health supplements.”
That makes sense.
Curious about Yugeon’s reaction, I peeked out again. He wore an ambiguous expression, unsure whether to like this or not.
“Are they health supplements with exceptional effects?”
“If it had amazing effects, it would be medicine. What we’re selling is just health supplements.”
“Then is there any point in dangerously conquering Rifts…?”

The Necromancer smiled.
“Medicinal efficacy isn’t important. Whether it’s good for marketing or not is what matters. And in my opinion, this will sell. New substances, unknown realms, magic, the forefront of science, etc. People are crazy about this stuff these days.”
“Exactly. They’re crazy about it. I take one myself.”
“We make money by exploiting the public’s fantasy.”
“That’s it! I see money!”
The Flame Mage and the Necromancer high-fived.
Are they scammers?

The Necromancer spoke.
“But are Rifts really going to appear? I’m skeptical.”
“The Federation Head assured us, so it’s believable for now. We’ll know the truth when we meet the contact he arranged.”
“Who is it?”
“They’re called Magical Girls.”
Huh?
“You know. Those delinquent girls who were on the news a few times.”
“How would they know Rifts are going to appear?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to meet them to find out.”

They were talking so casually about something I had never heard of before—it was baffling.
Is “Magical Girl” a term used so casually in daily life?
And when were they on the news?
Sure, we don’t have a TV at home, and I don’t watch the news, but still.
Was the problem that I haven’t browsed the internet lately because I was busy reading the books that piled up?
I took out my phone and checked the news. The topic had died down, buried under related news after that day, but there were indeed some articles about magical girls a few weeks ago.
Why didn’t Do Yugeon mention this?
Well, it is an embarrassing topic to bring up.

It was when the business talk was in full swing that such a magical girl appeared on the second floor.
They were discussing commissioning experiments or something, and I was busy eating cookies quietly when a magic circle unfolded right in front of them, and a girl materialized mid-air.
She didn’t have a magic wand or a frilly dress, but I instinctively knew she was a magical girl.
She was about my height, maybe around the first year of middle school.
She’s too young.
The magical girl tilted her head upon seeing me sitting pitifully on the floor, then walked over to the table where the business discussion was happening.
“Sorry I’m late. I was delayed helping recruit another magical girl. I won’t accept complaints.”

As the magical girl naturally took a seat, the Flame Mage spoke, flustered.
“Uh… so, are you a magical girl?”
“Yes.”
The girl opened a file folder and waved her finger.
A magic circle appeared, and the coffee cups changed positions.
Magic with a peculiar effect.
The magical girl explained about the upcoming System open beta, the locations and timing of the Rifts, and then handed over a contract.
“Just put your fingerprint here in blood. Be warned, breaking the contract will incur a price.”
As the fingerprint was pressed, a magic circle made of blood formed, and magic was cast.
The world is ending.

I boarded the subway as usual.
There might have been empty seats if I went to school now, but anyway, the school closure was over.
After spacing out for a moment, Do Yugeon got on.
Perhaps because it was the first day back after a while, he looked downcast.
“Sleepy?”
“Going to school always makes me sleepy.”
“That’s true.”

I gathered my thoughts for a moment, wondering what to say first.
The day I followed Do Yugeon, my legs hurt from hiding, and I was angry and annoyed, so I just went home first.
I felt like if I tried to talk to him then, I might just take my anger out on him.
“There aren’t any.”
Ah.
“…Really?”