“Hill…”
Siloque placed both hands on Hill’s shoulders, staring straight into her clear, unwavering blue eyes.
“I refuse.”
“It doesn’t matter if you refuse, Onii-chan.”
As expected of my little sister—using a refusal to counter a refusal.
“Hill knows. In principle, as long as you pass the Test at 14, you have the right to enter the Dungeon.”
Rarely, Hill was showing such resistance.
The legal age to enter the Dungeon in this world is way too low.
Can’t they raise it?
Seriously, it’s a headache. I don’t have the confidence to take Hill into the Dungeon, and if that stupid old man finds out, he’ll kill me.
“It’s okay, Hill. Onii-chan will protect himself. This kind of work for capitalists is exhausting and dangerous, and you don’t have to force yourself to become an Explorer. Most importantly, Mom and Dad would worry about you.”
“Hill also cares about Onii-chan. I don’t want you to get hurt again…”
Hill’s eyes were damp, but filled with determination.
Siloque truly understood her feelings.
“Hill. If you give up on becoming an Explorer, Onii-chan will buy you the latest PS6.”
“!!!”
Heh, my little sister. Hesitating, aren’t you? I know all too well how much you love games.
Even though I only have a single-digit balance left, and I owe Beiren 300R.
“There’s no need. Onii-chan doesn’t even get 1000R a month for living expenses. How could you afford a PS6? Besides, knowing your personality, once you enter the Dungeon you’ll have to buy weapons and armor. It’s even less likely you’d have any money left.”
Damn, my sister really understands me.
It’s only been less than two days since I came to this world, yet she’s already figured out my ways.
“That doesn’t matter. Onii-chan will get it by grinding in the Dungeon, no problem.”
“There is a problem. Hill is… Hill…”
Hill grabbed Siloque’s sleeve with one hand, as if she wanted to believe her brother, but her worry for her family outweighed her own timidity.
“No matter what Onii-chan says.”
Hill swept away her anxiety, her attitude firm and stubborn.
“Hill is going into the Dungeon with Onii-chan. That’s Hill’s decision. No matter what Onii-chan says, it won’t change anything. Hmph!”
Although Hill looked adorably puffed up, Siloque was covered in black lines.
The Hill in my memory was the same.
Easygoing most of the time, but once she decided on something, not even ten supercars could pull her back.
No choice.
I have to include Hill in my plans too.
After all, I chose to help Cass.
I didn’t want my family to get too involved.
But…
Siloque thought of a plan.
Maybe this is a good opportunity?
In the original line, Siloque died during a mid-game event, the house was destroyed, and the family naturally…
Train Hill to become stronger.
That way, I can act more flexibly, and it’ll serve as insurance in case of emergencies I can’t control.
But by doing this, will I be ruining Hill’s original dreams and goals?
“Onii-chan?”
Seeing Siloque silent for a long time, Hill looked a bit surprised.
No, no, no. It’s not too late to talk about dreams after surviving.
“You’re right, Hill. Try registering at the institution. Onii-chan can only take you into the Dungeon if you pass the Test.”
“…! Okay!”
Hill beamed.
“Then Onii-chan, Hill will be right back!”
“Wait.”
Siloque stopped Hill, who was about to dash off, and explained regretfully.
“Today’s the Weekend. They’re not working.”
“Gu…”
“Just go home for now.”
“No. Hill will wait for Onii-chan to come back from the Dungeon. I’ll behave and stay at a nearby manga net cafe, playing games quietly and calmly so I don’t cause trouble.”
“…Got it.”
A cute and clingy little sister is also a headache—Siloque couldn’t harden his heart to refuse.
“I’m going to the Shop to buy weapons. You want to come?”
“I want to go!! Even if a spaceship crashes into Earth, I want to go!!”
“It’s not that serious…”
Her twin tails bouncing, Hill followed Siloque like a little rabbit.
***
“So this is a chain reaction? Or maybe a butterfly effect.”
Siloque walked out of the Shop, a new long bag slung over his shoulder, containing a long-handled axe, a broadsword, and a metal bat.
“That’s great, Onii-chan. The Shopkeeper agreed to give an 80% discount.”
“Hahaha… Yeah, thanks to Hill. I’ll definitely pay you back before next Saturday.”
Siloque’s laughter was hollow.
This was the Commercial Plaza, not far from the Dungeon entrance—a five-story building with the Benor Corporation’s logo displayed prominently.
Explorers clad in armor carried monster corpses through the same space as tourists leisurely shopping.
Occasionally, Rescue Team members carried stretchers from the Dungeon.
Whether Explorers or ordinary tourists, everyone was chatting and laughing.
Combat and blood, shopping and strolling, all mixed together—a daily scene in this world.
Siloque spent all his money on three weapons.
He wanted to use his Student Card for a discount, but realized Beiren had already swiped it.
The Shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at Siloque’s lack of funds.
Thankfully, Hill was willing to cover the cost.
The Shopkeeper said he’d give an 80% discount since Hill was so cute.
Is the Shopkeeper a lolicon? (Rude.)
The lack of money is all Beiren’s fault…
“Hill, after I enter the Dungeon, I’ll send you a message every hour. If you don’t receive it, call the Rescue Team. They have Explorer records and can find me.”
For safety, it’s best to form a team of three when entering the Dungeon.
This time, I’m going solo.
If I run into danger, I’ll have to fend for myself.
The Ring Chart can send messages, but it might get taken, broken, or a monster could bite off my arm.
There are plenty of ways to lose it.
I did consider teaming up with Cass.
With his personality, he’d agree, and I could give him leveling advice.
Problem is, I’m Lv2.
After this morning’s special training with Bried, my level is only enough to take down a single Goblin.
Teaming up with Cass would be a burden.
“Oh, oh, oh… Four years after adding Onii-chan on LINE, today’s the first time Hill’s sent a message. Can Hill send more messages to Onii-chan from now on?”
Hill’s eyes sparkled as she circled Siloque in excitement.
“You can…but don’t send them randomly while I’m in the Dungeon. I might not be able to read them during a fight.”
“Hill understands! Onii-chan, be careful not to get killed by Goblins!”
Is this supposed to be a caring reminder?
After parting with his sister, Siloque walked about five minutes to a grand building built into the mountain—the Explorer Hall.
Inside was a luxurious white marble hall, bustling with people, humans gathering like trash.
Siloque approached the front desk.
“Hello, I lost my Student Card, but I have my Ring Chart. Please help me issue a temporary pass.”
“Certainly, please wait a moment.”
The friendly receptionist took the Ring Chart.
When she read the info, her eyes blinked a few times.
She quickly processed the paperwork and returned the Ring Chart to Siloque.
“It’s done. I’ve upgraded your access—now you can enter the Dungeon without a Student Card.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, are you entering the Dungeon alone? No party members?”
“…Yes. Is that a problem?”
The receptionist leaned in mysteriously.
“Did your boyfriend dump you, so you wanted to do something reckless? Going solo into the Dungeon at Lv2 is basically suicide. You’re still young, and you’re so cute. You could have your pick of good men. I suggest you go home instead.”
There were so many misunderstandings Siloque didn’t know where to start.
“I don’t like men. Also, I’m male.”
“Eh? Eh eh eh eh———??”
Ignoring the stunned receptionist double-checking his records, Siloque went to queue at security.
The Ring Chart can be used for games, but Siloque was curious about the Hall itself.
Three display screens hung on the wall, showing current Explorer depth, contribution rankings, Guild recruitment info, different Dungeon layer maps and anomalies, and sponsor item ads—all rotating every few minutes.
The gates would open soon. Nearby, Explorers in high-grade armor were chatting with teammates.
Compared to them, I look pathetic—alone, wearing a middle school tracksuit and running shoes, carrying cheap weapons like I’m on a school trip.
“Is that… Cass?”
He spotted blue hair ahead in the line—Cass, near the front.
Bried and Kersey were nearby chatting too, occasionally talking to Cass, but he seemed tense and serious, only responding with a few words.
Hey, hey, what’s up? They’re your wives!
Strictly speaking, they’re your key teammates.
In the original line, you should be chatting with them happily.
“To make Cass this nervous… Did he run into his mom? I remember every time he met his mom it turned out badly.”
There’s another possibility—the teammates just need more time to get used to each other.
Yeah, they’re probably here to train for next month’s battle.
If they keep fighting monsters together, facing some life-and-death crises, their affection will naturally increase.
But, since Cass is here—and I ran into Nolus earlier—could it be…
Siloque looked around, hoping not to find the person he was thinking of.
“As expected… Is it like Stand Users being drawn to each other?”
Siloque clutched his head, looking troubled.
At the back of the line, a burly red-haired man with a buzzcut sat with his eyes closed while his underlings chatted.
Minotaur Elite Monster—Cliff.
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