The Darkness Was Comfortable for Me

“Nanami has apparently been revived safely. Isn’t that great?” (Jeanne)

After reviving Nanami, Jeanne said this while confirming her Status Board.

It probably means that someone actually confirmed this.

That they went through the trouble of messaging Jeanne instead is probably because I don’t open my messages. Or it might be a feat possible by the passion of the fans.

…Honestly speaking, I don’t have the feeling like Nanami has been revived.

No…her death itself didn’t feel real for me.

But if God says she has been revived, she must have. There would be no point in doubting that.

However, it is true that my heart has grown incomparably lighter from yesterday.

Once I have calmed down a bit more, I feel like I will be able to open the messages. No matter if Nanami has spoken the truth of matters or not, it is not like I think it is okay for me to stay this way forever.

Anyways, with this, it is a wrap.

s

It is a shame about Nanami’s parents…uncle and auntie, but there might be a chance again sometime… No, will a miracle like this only happen once?

“Now then, Kurose Hikaru, the quest is over with this, so it is your turn to listen to me.” (Jeanne)

Jeanne closed her Status Board and said this with a grin.

“What do you mean by my turn?” (Hikaru)

“I won the duel of before, right? That’s why, I will have you listen to me. The privilege of the victor, you could say.” (Jeanne)

“I see.” (Hikaru)

Well, winner or loser, I would listen to whatever Jeanne asks though.

She gave me the Resurrection Gem. A treasure that can’t be bought with money.

It is a debt that I can’t pay back no matter how much I try.

“I heard in the middle of my journey, but there’s a dungeon in this city, right?” (Jeanne)

“There is. It is apparently a pretty big one even in terms of worldwide scale.” (Hikaru)

“It is big, huh. Even better. I intend to reach the lowest floor of that dungeon. Kurose Hikaru, you tag along too.” (Jeanne)

“Reach, you say…to the lowest of floors? If I remember correctly, they have only reached the 6th Floor, you know?” (Hikaru)

Even the Crimson Vials led by the red haired Garnet-san are in the middle of clearing the 6th Floor, the Dawn of the Golden Prairie.

And, this is natural, but it is a situation where no one knows how low it goes.

Of course, there’s the chance that it ends with the 6th or 7th Floor…

“Makes it even better then. That means we will be the first ones stepping there, right?” (Jeanne)

“That might be true, but…it is dangerous, you know…?” (Hikaru)

I don’t know how much she understands the dangers of a dungeon.

Reaching the lowest floor isn’t an easy objective by any means of the word.

I can tell since I have seen upclose how the Crimson Vials fight. You would have to literally become inhuman…no, it is a level where you are finally putting your first steps into that realm after giving up your humanity.

Moreover, you have to properly gather equally strong comrades.

With just me and Jeanne, we would have accidents even in the 3rd Floor.

“What, scared? I don’t mind you not going. I will be going on my own anyways.” (Jeanne)

“On your own…?! Got it, I will tag along. I did intend to continue my dungeon exploration anyways. However, a Demon Lord appeared just recently and has been subjugated, so entrance is prohibited. There’s still around 6 days left.” (Hikaru)

I remembered how I refused partying up with Rifreya, but Jeanne is a Chosen. The conditions are different from Rifreya.

Also, there’s the matter that me and Jeanne are not in that kind of relationship.

“How long do you think it would take to clear the dungeon?” (Jeanne)

“Right. If we are speaking realistically, if after 5 years we haven’t cleared it, we should give up -something like that, I guess? There’s the need to gather strong members too, and I think it would be dangerous if we don’t put a stop at some point.” (Hikaru)

The 5 years I am placing here is a number with no basis.

We are Chosen, so I think we could become pretty strong in 5 years.

We can get cheat items with Points, and I can say for a fact that we have a lot more advantages compared to the other explorers.

If even with that we still can’t do it after 5 years, it would be better to give it up. That’s basically what I am saying here.

I think that would be the limit to how long we can put our lives on the line.

If we consider our peak years, we could fight for 10 years more, but it would definitely wear us out mentally. Most of all, it is unrealistic to continue a lifestyle like that. We should have a decent amount of savings if we continue being explorers for 5 years, so it would be better to think about retiring.

More so, the world should be vast.

Using your whole life for 1 city and 1 dungeon is silly.

“5 years, huh… Alright.” (Jeanne)

She placed a hand on her chin, and after brooding for a bit, Jeanne looked at me with eyes of determination.

“You have been living in an inn the whole time, right, Kuro?” (Jeanne)

“K-Kuro?! Y-Yeah, that’s right.” (Hikaru)

She suddenly called me by a weird name, so I was surprised. Kuro, she says… That sounds like the name of a dog…

“Then let’s rent a house. If we share the house, it should be cheaper.” (Jeanne)

“H-House?!” (Hikaru)

“It will take 5 years, right? It would be impossible to live in an inn for that long. I am the type that likes to arrange things in my own way.” (Jeanne)

“I-I do get that, but…sharing the house, you say… Does that mean we will be living together?” (Hikaru)

“That’s right. We are both Chosen, so it works just fine, right? Everything is being seen anyways. Also…I am not good with house chores. I am expecting you to do them.” (Jeanne)

“Seriously…?” (Hikaru)

I didn’t expect a development like this, but there’s logic in what she says.

She is probably proposing this solely as a roommate. In the perspective of a Japanese person, it would be ‘A man and woman living together?!’, but it is most likely normal in France.

As for my own view on this, there’s a part of me that finds this questionable, but if she wishes to, there’s no reason not to. Most of all, I want to pay back my debt as much as possible.

“Not good with housework?” (Jeanne)

“No…I am good at it. I can do about anything -even cooking.” (Hikaru)

“That’s great. Let’s go at once. For this stuff, you go to a real estate agent?” (Jeanne)

“I think the guild can tell us if we ask. We have to register you as an explorer anyways, right?” (Hikaru)

“Then, I count on you to be the guide.” (Jeanne)

And that’s how it is.

It is true that I was thinking about leaving the inn, but I didn’t even imagine a development like this.

Do I just get easily swept by the flow…?

◇◆◆◆◇

We decided to eat before going to the guild.

Jeanne was unexpectedly a meat eater, and she even ate more than me. Even though she is thinner than Nanami, where is she even putting all of that? I wondered why, but her Tier is probably high. Basically, her monstrosification is advancing.

After that, we went to the guild.

The guild wasn’t that active, but it was operating as normal, and Jeanne managed to register as an explorer without any problems.

Her battle style is most likely as I saw yesterday -a frontline mainly focused on defense.

Rifreya is a pure attacker, so if I were to join forces with Jeanne, I probably will have more room to join in attacking.

Right now there’s no problem with my weapon being the shortsword, but if I am aiming for the lower floors, I will most likely need a bigger weapon. Most of all, strengthening myself would be a necessity.

At the time when I fought the Demon Lord, even though I created such a flawless opportunity, I couldn’t defeat it.

I was listening to the female receptionist explaining to Jeanne about what knowledge an explorer should have.

I had Rifreya submit the Spirit Stones to the guild, but I will have to do that from now on.

Jeanne…does smell a bit like Karen after all.

That feeling as if she is the youngest child type that gets pampered a whole ton and doesn’t do anything…

“Then, the party name will be Love-Love Twin Birds Ⅱ, right?”

The female staff member mutters this while she was filling up the necessary documents.

“No no no no, it is not.” (Hikaru)

She is completely teasing me here!

“…Haah, even though you disbanded Love-Love Twin Birds just yesterday, you are already forming a party with a different woman, so I thought this meant you found a new bird.”

“Wa, please stop that. Me and her are not like that.” (Hikaru)

“Muh, what’s with that Love-Love Twin Birds?” (Jeanne)

“The party that Hikaru-san had with another woman until yesterday. Rifreya-san, so pitiful…”

“Hoh, the rumored girlfriend, huh…” (Jeanne)

“Not girlfriend.” (Hikaru)

“I will definitely tattle on you.”

Good grief, just doing whatever they wish. I myself didn’t know that we had registered with a stupid name like Love-Love Twin Birds.

Also, tattle, she says. Rifreya has returned to her home to become a templar, so there’s no way she would come to the guild.

Well…there’s no doubt she would misunderstand if she knew that I have formed a party with a different woman though…

“What do we do, Kuro, for the party name? Are you fine with ‘Hardcore Exploring @ Gaia’?” (Jeanne)

“Hardcore Exploring @ Gaia?! Aren’t there any better options?!” (Hikaru)

“Like?” (Jeanne)

“Like…The Earth Fighters…?” (Hikaru)

“Rejected. Lame.” (Jeanne)

Isn’t Hardcore Exploring also on that spectrum?

No, I have zero naming sense, so maybe it is an unexpectedly good name? -Hardcore Exploring.

I can’t tell.

“Since this is an important moment, it would be best to make it a strong-sounding one. Like: Heavy Battalion.” (Jeanne)

“You do give that impression. You have heavy equipment after all.” (Hikaru)

s

“Ravens Arc would be nice too. Also, Elegance…or Mirage Works.” (Jeanne)

“I don’t really get it, but it sounds cool, so it is okay, I guess?” (Hikaru)

The names were coming out one after the other, but I wonder where did they originate from?

Whichever the case, as long as a too weird name doesn’t come out, I don’t mind whatever.

Any name is decent compared to Love-Love Twin Birds.