Chapter 5:
A Reason to Fight
WE DISBANDED after the group dive with little fanfare. Before we parted, though, they thanked me again and promised not to speak a word about my true abilities. They also expressed hope that someone like me would officially join the guild.
I avoided giving a concrete answer, but once I got home, I gave the prospect some real thought. While Yagami-san was a little harsh at the start, not once during the dive was anyone lording their rank over me. At the very least, they seemed like decent people. The rest was a matter of whether membership brought value to me. I wasn’t so sure yet.
They were Yoizuki’s top party, but during the high ogre battle, I was the one with the upper hand. Since my skills were best suited to solo work, working with a team didn’t appeal to me much—that included having them as backup.
If possible, I’d prefer to work with Claire. She worked at a way higher level than they did.
“How strong is Claire, anyway?” I wondered aloud to the living room ceiling.
I knew S-rank adventurers were top of the proverbial adventurer’s food chain, but that was only general knowledge. I’d never seen her really fight. I could tell that the level-40,000 cyclops she’d felled was just a hint of her ability. I doubted she put more than an ounce of her power into that fight.
If I were honest with myself, she was the most interesting thing about Yoizuki Guild. I couldn’t make a decision about joining until I saw what she could do.
“Probably ought to keep that to myself…”
“Oniichan, what’re you muttering to yourself about?” Hana asked as she sat down across from me.
“Hey, Hana,” I said.
It was late enough that she was in her pajamas. The red ribbon I gave her a few years ago usually held her hair in a ponytail, but now her hair lay long and glossy over her shoulders, slightly damp from the bath. It granted her a more graceful look compared to the bouncy, upbeat air she normally projected. Not that it mattered—both hairstyles were charming on her.
This was a good chance to tell her she’d been on my mind lately. I had a big question for her.
“Hana, do you want to join a guild?” I asked.
“A guild?” She canted her head to the side.
Hana knew about my power. I didn’t need to skirt the subject around her, so I explained everything happening with Yoizuki Guild, which included that the guild master knew I was the one who executed Yanagi.
Hearing that, her eyes widened, but I assured her they didn’t plan to have me punished for it. They didn’t see a need for it.
She placed a hand on her chest and sighed with relief. “Thank goodness!”
I continued, explaining that the guild recruited me as a provisionary member. After I relayed the story of today’s dive, I finished by telling her that we should think about her future steps.
I couldn’t take her diving with me forever. Aside from us needing the backing of a guild, she needed a party—allies, really—she could trust. That was the most optimal way for her to level up, and with her unique skill, I doubted Yoizuki would reject her.
“Rei and Yui are members of Yoizuki too,” I added. “I think you’ll find plenty of trustworthy friends.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I would, and I’d be happy to join with them there. It’s just…” Hana paused for a second. “Are you okay with joining? You’re saying we’d both become members, and as much as it’s good for me, a guild doesn’t seem like it’s that useful for you.”
“Sure it is. Being in the same guild would make it easier to talk about or cooperate on dungeon stuff, and it’s not like there aren’t any goals Yoizuki can help me with.”
Hana seemed convinced after that. “Guess I’ll consider my future too. I did want to join a guild…”
“I’ll ask the guild master to meet with us. I think you should go in to talk—”
As I spoke, the phone lying next to me began to ring. The screen lit up with an unfamiliar number. I didn’t know who it could possibly be, but I decided to answer it.
“Hello?”
A clear voice crackled across the line. “This is Kisaragi. I’m sorry for calling out of the blue.”
She was the last person I expected on the other end.
“Claire? What’s going on?” I asked. “Hold up, did I give you my number?”
“My father gave it to me. I need to speak to you.”
“What about, exactly?” What could she possibly want that required a phone call? The suddenness of her call freaked me out, but I let her continue.
“If it’s okay with you, Amane-san, can you spare some time tomorrow?”
“Sure, I guess.” Was she not going to tell me why?
“Great. We’ll meet at this time and place…”
I jotted down a quick note about the time and meetup location. “Works for me,” I said.
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you then.” Once we ended the call, I looked back at Hana. “Sorry, it was rude to take a call in the middle of our conversation.”
Uh-oh. Hana was glowering at me, way more than I expected.
“Oniichan,” she growled. “Was that a girl on the phone?”
“Yeah. She’s someone I know from Yoizuki.”
“Oh really now? You two sounded pretty cozy. Wait!” she gasped. “Is seeing her the goal you mentioned…?” She seemed to retreat into her own world. A world of delusion, if you asked me.
“Hello! Hana, you in there?” I prompted, but she didn’t reply.
Another weird misunderstanding was undoubtedly swirling around her brain, but whatever. I was too tired to pull her back to reality. It had already been a long day. I was glad it was finally over.