CH 345

Episode 345: Contact(TN:Can also mean touching)

After school the next day, we meet up as soon as school ends and head for our destination, the Toshima Branch of the Explorers' Guild.

"Ah, Rei is here."

"Eh? Where?"

"Over there."

When we arrive near the Toshima Branch grounds, I can see Rei waiting near the entrance with her back against the fence.

Despite her conspicuous appearance, both men and women pass by her without looking at her at all, so she might be using stealth skills a little.

When I raise my hand to signal, Rei notices us and approaches us.

"You found me, didn't you?"

"Nn? Anyone can find you if you're just hiding a little, right?"

It seems that Rei had hidden her presence a little.

But, she must not have been serious.

After all someone like me could find her.

"Well ... That's right."

After Rei thinks for a moment, she nods in agreement with me.

"Haa~, I think I should practice a little stealth too."

""No way, no way.""

Amane seems to have something on her mind and suddenly says something like that, but all of us wave our hands sideways in front of our faces and tsukkomi.

"Why is that!?"

"No matter how you look at it, Acchan isn't the type to hide."

"Nn."

Amane, who is bashed by everyone, protests against us, but Nanami replies in amazement and Shia agrees.

It must be Rei's power that no one pays attention to us shouting like this.

"That's incredibly vexing!?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's finish our business instead of that."

"Haa ... That's right. Follow me."

Amane puffs out her cheeks. However, after being admonished by Rei, she lets out a sigh and changes her mind and leads us through the premises of the Explorers' Guild.

"Ah, Uncle, I brought them."

"Ohh!! As expected of my dear niece. Thank you!!"

A man taller than me who was waiting by the entrance of the Guild building, with a muscular body and stubble, notices Amane and runs up to her and tries to hug her with his arms outstretched.

I certainly remember meeting him in a corner of my memory. Without a doubt, he is the man who got involved with me when I escaped from the Shushima Dungeon after the Dungeon Rebirth occurred.

"I told you before not to hug me!! You lolicon!!"

"Guhaah!?"

Amane repels such an uncle with a body blow. Amane's uncle crumples to the ground.

"Ow ow oww. Amane~, aren't you terrible?"

"Didn't you just hug me before!?"

Amane's uncle, who was knocked to the ground, gets up and holds his head, looking up at Amane with teary eyes, but she starts yelling at her uncle in a ferocious manner.

It's true that if a teenage girl were suddenly about to be hugged by a middle-aged man, it wouldn't be strange for her to react like that.

That's probably why people say he's lacking in places.

"I know, I know ... I'll be more careful from now on."

"Seriously ..."

Amane's uncle, who had been shouted at for a while, raises both hands in a surrender pose and lowers his head with a wry smile.

Amane looks at her uncle and puts her hand on her waist and lets out a deep breath.

"Anyway, this isn't the time for that, let's go inside."

Amane's uncle stands up and straightens his appearance, then invites us into the Explorers' Guild.

"I've shown you my disgraceful side. I'm Shindou Isshin, the Head of the Emergency Response Department of the Toshima Branch of the Explorers' Guild."

As soon as we are guided to a room in a well-secured area, Amane's uncle, Shindou-san, introduces himself.

"Eh, ahh, hello. I'm Satou Fuhito."

"I'm Satou Nanami."

"Katsuragi Alexia."

"Ahh, Nice to meet you. Please sit down."

After we introduce ourselves, we sit down on the U-shaped sofa as soon as we are told.

"Is this not the first time you've met Rei?"

"Yeah. Kurosaki has been in this industry for a long time, too. I've met her several times, so I know her."

"Right. We've met many times in relation to work."

It seems that the reason Rei didn't say her name is because they know each other.

"By the way, when we first met, I am sorry for not even giving my name."

As soon as I sit down on the sofa, Shindou-san bows his head lightly to me."

"No, it's fine, don't worry about it."

"I see. I'm grateful that you say so."

I had forgotten about it until Amane told me, so when I reply without showing any particular air of concern, Shindou-san shows a relieved expression.

"So, you said that you have a story for us this time, what what is it about?"

"It would be more correct to say all of you rather than just you. Kurosaki requested all of you to conduct an investigation related to the dungeon disappearances, right?"

When I get straight to the point and ask what kind of request he is making, Shindou-san corrects me a little and then states that we were on a dungeon investigation trip in question form.

I can't judge, so I turn my gaze to Rei.

"Yes, that's right. What is it?"

Rei nods, so I affirm and return with another question.

"Ahh. Recently, there have been no more people disappearing, but there are quite a lot of people who haven't been found yet. If you cooperated with the investigation, you're pretty familiar with teleportation, aren't you? That's why I was wondering if you could cooperate with the search."

"I see."

Just like Nanami's request to save Alice-chan, were there others who hadn't been found yet.

He asks us to search for them and, if possible, rescue them.

I have no problem if it's time outside of school ...

"Understood. Then, could you send me a confidential request?"

Receiving my gaze, Rei takes over the conversation.

"Alright. Then, is it okay to think that you accept it?"

"The final judgment will be made after looking at the details, but as long as there are no inadequacies or strange contents, I will accept it."

I think it's just as expected that it's not okay.

Unexpected pitfalls may occur if you do not properly confirm the contents of the request. It's the country, but you have to check.

"As expected, you've been doing this job for a long time, so you're level-headed. Of course it doesn't matter. We don't intend to include any strange contents either."

"I understand."

After being impressed, Shindou-san accepts Rei's reply.

"Okay, now that we've finished talking about work, can you tell me how Amane is doing at school?"

"Haa!?"

As soon as we finish talking about work, Shindou-san's expression softens and he wants to hear about Amane's daily life.

Amane's face turns bright red and she raises her voice, but we tell him about her usual state.

"Then, excuse me."

"Ahh, later."

After enjoying a short chat, we are seen off by Shindou-san in front of the Guild, and leave the Explorers' Guild Toshima Branch.

"Ah, wait."

"Eh?"

Shindou-san calls out to me when I am about to head to the station and puts his arm over my shoulders.

"Wh, what exactly are you doing!?"

"Listen ... You're not intending to take Amane as your wife, right?"

When I ask irritatedly, he threatens me with a dour look.

"Nope, she's just a party member and a friend, right?"

"I see, then that's fine."

I don't have any such plans, so when I reply normally, Shindou-san is relieved.(TN:Luckily, it's not Fuhito that makes the plans.)

"Fuhito-kun, what are you doing~!!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry!!"

Amane turns around and calls me who isn't following her.

"Well then, see you."

After shaking off Shindou-san and bowing, I rush over to Amane and the others.

"What did Uncle say?"

"Nope, it's nothing."

Amane asks me curiously, but I shake my head and we head home.