Side: Labyris
"...Haa."
A sigh escapes my lips naturally.
It's not that I'm tired, per se... I'm just lonely.
Lately, the time I spend clinging to Yuki has decreased.
Yes, decreased.
For me, this is a matter of life and death. Since that large-scale defense operation, refugees from Rithea have been pouring into the dungeon every week, keeping everything in a state of constant upheaval.
Because of that, every day is hectic. The only time I can be with Yuki—or rather, the only time I can hug him—is after work. Given my role, I'm technically with Yuki and Seraria-sama during the day, but I can't exactly go jumping into his arms given the situation and my position.
After all, I am the General Manager of this dungeon. Good grief, I am absolutely finishing my work on time today!!
"Hey, little girl. If you don't want to get hurt, hand over your money."
Some foolish man has appeared. I ignore him as a matter of course and hurry toward the location of my next meeting.
"Hey!! Are you listening to me!? A brat like you shouldn't be playing at being a representative!!"
Another one of these? There are a lot of these idiots among the influx from Rithea. Mostly fools looking to snatch up the scraps of this relief policy.
"...Haa, if you have a complaint, you should run in the next representative election. I'm busy, so move aside."
I step away from the fool. I don't have time to waste talking to someone like this. I want to see Yuki and be healed by him as soon as possible. I really shouldn't walk around alone. Since I make a speech to every new group of immigrants, there isn't a resident who doesn't know my face. But whether they actually listen to the end of the speech is another story.
"I told you to wait!! Look, give me the money!! You're a representative, so you must have plenty!!"
"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that, so just go away quickly."
"Ah!? You mocking me, brat!?"
The man raises his fist and lunges at me. But I don't even bother to resist.
CLANG!
"Wha—!?"
Thanks to the Designated Protection, he can't harm me. Yuki predicted from the start that we representatives might face violence due to our roles, gender, or appearance. So, the countermeasure is already set. We take one intentional "attack" and give a warning.
"Do you understand now? That's attempted extortion. There's a police patrol nearby, so come with me."
"D-Don't mess with me!!"
The second step is suggesting they turn themselves in. Well, usually... they flee.
"Yes, yes. You should really understand who you're picking a fight with and where you are."
I catch up to the fleeing man in an instant.
"Na!?"
"The same reaction is boring."
Without drawing my sword, I strike him with the scabbard.
"Gyah!?"
The man can't dodge my strike; he takes it head-on and tumbles across the ground.
"Now then, you ignored my words and resisted to the end. This will result in a period of forced labor followed by a slave contract that bans you from ever entering this dungeon again. All countries have been notified, so you'll be recognized everywhere as someone who committed a crime in a dungeon. Enjoy."
"W-Wait! Please!"
"Hey, patrol, take him away. Caught in the act."
""Yes, Ma'am!!""
"""OHHHHHHH!!!"""
Lately, the residents have started watching this sequence as if it's some kind of street performance. It's nice that they're happy, but... it's exhausting.
It's not just me; apparently the other representatives deal with this too, though the frequency varies.
"Labyris-neesan!"
"...Onee-chan. Are you okay?"
While waving to the cheering crowd, I see Vilia and Hiiro emerge from among the people.
"Ara? You two. Is school... ah, it's a holiday today."
"Yep."
"Are you okay? You're always being attacked by weirdos like that..."
Villia looks at me worriedly.
We're in the same school, though I have to leave at noon for work. These two have become quite close. They seem to get along well with Aslin and Filia too.
...Especially this Villia. My intuition is whispering to me. A woman's intuition. She's definitely going to be a good ally.
"...I'm fine. But as the population increases, these incidents are becoming more common. Have you two been bothered by any creeps? Actually, I should ask that of everyone at school."
"Yes, Yuki-sensei has warned us. When we move around with money, we make sure a chaperone comes along."
"Speaking of which, the student count increased, and new teachers arrived, right? How are they?"
"They're good people. Since Yuki-sensei and Seraria-sama chose them, they're very reliable."
"...Everyone is nice."
Hiiro smiles. This kid reminds me of myself in some ways.
"I see. If Hiiro says so, then it must be fine. But if you're ever in trouble, contact me immediately."
"Y-Yes!! I won't hesitate to use the Call skill then!!"
"You don't have to be so stiff about it. The Call is a simplified version; just think of it like talking to an acquaintance."
As the number of immigrants grew, we granted "Designated Protection" and a limited version of the Call skill to only the most trustworthy people in each department. We decided that we representatives can't always be nearby when problems occur. Military and police personnel are also granted full access for crime prevention.
The simplified version only includes communication and video recording functions—spending DP to summon things is still the role of us representatives.
"B-But, Hiiro and I were only given this protection because we earned Yuki-sensei's trust... using it so casually is..."
Villia trails off, looking down.
I heard from Yuki that she used to lead the children in the slums. She's the type who thinks deeply and restrains her own desires. That's exactly why Yuki, the others, and I trust her.
Hmm, I just had a great idea.
"...Hello, Yuki? I have a small favor to ask."
"?"
"Talking to Yuki-sensei?"
The two tilt their heads. Just wait a second.
"Fuah!?"
"Nn!?"
Ara? That was surprisingly fast. He really is soft on children.
Villia and Hiiro look at the Call screen with shocked faces, then back at me.
Go on, answer him. Or did you forget how to use it?"
"N-No! Um, I press this and..."
"Nn!"
『Hey, sorry about that. We see each other every day, so there's not much reason to use a Call, right?』
"S-Sensei!"
"Nn!"
『Yeah, I hear you. Villia, since we aren't at school right now, you can just call me what you usually do.』
"O-Onii-sama. Is it okay? To use a Call so casually..."
『It's fine. Use your privileges. Or rather, enjoy them. Though I guess it's hard to "enjoy" a basic communication function...』
"It's okay! Being able to talk to Onii-sama like this anytime makes me so happy!!"
"Me too..."
『I see, I see. Well, sorry, but I have work now. Let's end it here.』
"Ah, I'm sorry..."
"Feel free to call again. Actually, this next job is perfect timing—I think I'll have you two help me out."
"Eh?"
"...Oh?"
Standing right behind the two girls was Yuki, grinning like a child who just pulled off a successful prank.
"You're right. With Villia and Hiiro here, we'll get some good feedback."
"Yeah, you think so too, Labyris?"
"Eh? Eh? What do you mean?"
"...Tell us, Onii."
Yuki picks up the two confused girls, and I climb up onto his shoulder. Yes, this is definitely where I belong. The usual me.
"Onii-sama!?"
"...A hug."
Today, the ones in Yuki's arms aren't Aslin and the others.
"I'll explain while we walk. I've mentioned it to you before, right? About the Adventurer District."
"Um, since there are no small dungeons yet, there hasn't been much activity, right?"
"That's right. And so far, we only have immigrants; no adventurers have gathered yet. But, very soon..."
"The stuff we've been working on every day is finally ready. We've contacted the Adventurer's Guild and pulled some adventurers from Rithea. We're going to do a test run of the dungeon."
"...Does that involve us?"
"Well, normally it wouldn't. But since this is a Dungeon City, there's been talk of having the children actively participate in dungeon clearing too."
"I-I can't do that!? I can't fight monsters!?"
"...I don't want to fight Slakichi."
...Hiiro, there's no way you could defeat Slakichi anyway.
He's one of the highest-tier monsters in this dungeon. Well, when Slakichi plays with the children, he plays the role of the one being defeated. In a way, only the school children can "defeat" Slakichi.
"It's okay, Villia. This is a meeting and practical test to finalize those plans. I know it's scary, but could you give it a try just once? It's for children, so we've made sure nobody gets seriously hurt..."
"Uuu..."
Is it time for one more push?
"Villia. If you do your best, I'll let you stay over at Yuki's place."
"!!?"
"Is that okay, Yuki?"
"Hmm, a sleepover? I can sort things out with the school. I was planning on bringing them over eventually anyway. Sure."
"I'll do my best!! I'll defeat lots of monsters and clear the dungeon!!"
"Nn, I'll call Slakichi to help too!!"
"You can't call Slakichi, okay?"
"...Ehhh~"
No, if Slakichi gets involved, even among the dungeons we've made... only one or two might pose any challenge. A dungeon for children would be like a fortress walking in circles for him.
"...A sleepover. Staying in Onii-sama's room..."
I had no way of knowing then that this would be the starting point for Villia being known as the "Adventurer Princess."
...It's not a bad thing, really. But for some reason, I feel like I've done something slightly wicked.
