Chapter 9: Illness and Its Cause

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It was raining since morning, which is rare.

I meet up with Fujii-kun at the cafeteria before heading to school.

The uniforms of Seishin High School are made with support from the government and have high effectiveness as combat gear. This doesn’t mean they only work inside dungeons. They also have excellent effects outside, boasting toughness greater than a bulletproof vest.

On top of that, there’s another very convenient feature.

When you put on the hood made of thin fabric hidden inside the uniform, it becomes completely waterproof.

I’d heard that casual clothes or uniforms made from monster materials repel water, making them a substitute for raincoats, so they’re popular in cities. In Seishin Town, you can see many people wearing hoods instead of using umbrellas.

Today, as usual, I sit at my desk and gaze out the window.

Unlike usual, everyone’s wearing hoods, so I can’t tell who’s who at all.

Amidst that, a beautiful girl steps out at the school gate without a hood. Even in the gloomy weather, her silver hair shines.

As the rain pours down, she walks toward the school building with confidence. When our eyes meet for a moment, she waves at me with a smile.

While waiting for her to come to class, I wait for another party member to arrive.

This has become a daily routine and one of my daily joys. However, today, unusually, Hina arrived in class before Shino.

“Good morning~ What’s wrong, Hinata-kun?”

“Good morning. No, I was just thinking it’s rare for Shino to be late.”

“Hmm. There’s still time, and it’s raining, so maybe that’s why?”

“That makes sense. Hina, your hair…… it’s not wet, huh?”

“Nope. I’m absorbing all the rain with Absolute Ice.”

“You can do that too?”

“Ponds or rivers are tough, but rain’s no problem.”

I see. That’s why Hina was walking in the rain without a hood.

It was hard to tell from a distance.

Even after school started, Shino didn’t show up, and classes began as usual.

Morning classes ended, and we gathered on the rooftop as usual. But with the rain, we couldn’t spread out the leisure sheet like we normally do.

“We need to think of countermeasures for rainy days too.”

“Yeah.”

Right after, a voice from behind said, “Sorry to keep you waiting~,” and Fujii-kun arrived.

“It’s rare for Kagura-san to not be here yet.”

“Yeah. It seems she’s taking the day off from school today.”

“Oh, I see. She did look a bit tired yesterday.”

As Fujii-kun said, she had a tired expression, and even her usual chatter had noticeably decreased.

I was thinking of suggesting we all take a break from the dungeon today, and since it’s raining, maybe it’s perfect timing……?

“Still, it’s a shame we can’t come up to the rooftop when it rains~”

“Yeah. We’ll need to think of different ways to have lunch.”

“It’d be nice if there was a roof, but the floor’s all wet, so the sheet’s out of the question……”

“Oh! I might have a good idea then.”

Looks like Hina’s come up with something again. It’s not Absolute Ice again, is it?

“When I went abroad before, they had umbrella chairs on the terrace so you could enjoy meals in the rain. Maybe we could prepare some chairs or tables like that too.”

“That’s a great idea. Since Shino’s off today, how about we go shopping for them?”

“Yeah!”

“Rest is part of an explorer’s job, after all.”

The ‘Special Explorer Curriculum’ is for entering dungeons. If we don’t go into the dungeon, we’re supposed to attend regular classes, but shopping is also an important part of being an explorer.

It’s not exactly shopping for dungeon supplies, but plenty of parties take a break like this, just getting a stamp in the dungeon for rest.

“So, first, what do we do about lunch? Where should we eat?”

“How about—renting a private room?”

“A private room?”

At Hina’s suggestion, Fujii-kun and I said it in unison.

“Yeah. A private training room?”

“…………”

That’s a place for training, not eating lunch…… but since no one’s likely to use it during lunch break, I guess it’s fine.

“Since no one’s probably using it at noon, should we rent it just for today?”

“Yeah!”

“…………”

Fujii-kun stares at me with a deadpan look.

Well…… Hina’s so excited and full of ideas, I can’t just shoot everything down……

We went to rent the private room, and as expected, it was easy to book.

“Private rooms are usually pretty hard to rent…… Kamui-san, you’re really amazing.”

“It’s that tough?”

“Yeah. You need a certain level of achievements, like regularly going into dungeons.”

“I feel like Hina could’ve rented it without even going to dungeons……”

As we were about to enter the private room, I saw a crowd of students waiting in the lounge.

While they looked at us with envy, we went inside the private room and immediately spread out our usual leisure sheet, set up a low table, and laid out our bentos.

“Are the students outside also eating lunch in private rooms?”

“Hinata-kun……? I don’t think so.”

“Yeah, I figured……”

“I don’t know everything, but…… I think we might be the first students since the school was founded to eat lunch in a private training room.”

“No, that’s not true. I heard my big sister ate in one before too~”

“…………”

Like sister, like sister, huh?

Since we went through the trouble of renting it, we ate lunch without worrying about it.

“Shino-chan says she’s feeling a bit feverish.”

Hina shows me her smartphone while saying that.

So Hina has a smartphone too. Well, that’s normal, I guess.

“She didn’t look well…… but Kagura-san’s the type to push herself even when she shouldn’t~”

Shino always acts cheerful and never shows when something’s bothering her.

She’s naturally friendly, but since she blocks out sound, a lot of people have drifted away from her, yet she never stops smiling.

“I should’ve been more considerate of Shino’s health…… I’m a failure as a leader……”

“Hinata-kun? If you said that to Kagura-san, she’d feel really down, you know?”

“O-Oh, right.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe Kagura-san’s reflecting on not saying something sooner too. Instead of calling yourself a failure as a leader, I think she’d be happier if you thought about what to do next.”

Fujii-kun’s got a point. A mistake doesn’t mean it’s over. I should think carefully about what to do next and make sure to check on the team’s condition.

《Due to a flash of insight, you have acquired the skill ‘Condition Analysis.’》

A new skill……? Condition Analysis?

For now, I decide to try out the new skill.

When I use it, I feel a strange power settle in both my eyes.

Above Hina and Fujii-kun’s heads, mysterious text appears.

Both of them are labeled ‘Health Status: Good.’

I see…… This’ll let me quickly tell if a member’s feeling unwell, which is great.

It doesn’t seem to show anything too detailed, but being able to notice something early is helpful.

Last night, after a while, I kept defeating the floor boss ‘Gige’ in E90 and stocked up on some potions. If someone’s not feeling well, I could use those to help.

We finished lunch in the private training room and stepped outside. As expected, students were still waiting, and we became the center of attention again.

After leaving school, we got a stamp at the nearby E117 dungeon and left it behind.

Surprisingly, we ended up at a magic tool shop.

Magic tools come in all kinds, not just weapons and armor, but also everyday items to make dungeon activities more comfortable.

Fujii-kun’s family runs the Berners Magic Tool Shop, which specializes in combat-related weapons and armor, so we went to a place selling daily-use items.

Various magic tools were lined up, and I could tell their prices were several times higher than regular everyday items.

“For the future, should we buy a tent or something too?”

Right now, my ‘Dimensional Storage’ holds a regular tent and a barbecue set, but upgrading to magic tools might be nice.

After discussing with Hina and Fujii-kun, we bought a large umbrella table and chairs for rainy days, plus a bigger tent. With ‘Dimensional Storage,’ I can store them fully assembled, so size isn’t an issue.

When I went to pay, Hina beat me to it and settled the bill.

The clerk’s expression changed instantly, bowing repeatedly to Hina, showing the influence of the Kamui family wherever she goes.

“Hina, we could’ve paid with party funds. Was that okay?”

“Yeah! Mom told me to use money for the party too.”

“Use it……?”

“She said if money just sits in one place without being spent, the economy doesn’t move. My parents don’t waste money, but when there’s something necessary, they try to shop like this to keep the economy going.”

I see…… But doesn’t that mean the party funds I’m holding onto aren’t decreasing, so it’s the same thing……?

“Got it. Thanks for letting us use it.”

“Yeah!”

“Since we’re done shopping, should we go check on Shino?”

“I want to…… but I think me being there might cause some trouble.”

“Oh…… that feud with the Kagura family.”

Akari-san got pretty mad about it too, huh.

“Then I’ve got somewhere I want to go too, so should we call it a day?”

“Yeah. I’ll head to the Kamui house in the evening.”

“I’ll grab food somewhere else, so I’ll head straight back to the dorm today.”

“Got it~”

And so, the three of us turned our backs and walked toward our respective destinations.

Maybe it’s the rain, but I couldn’t help but notice a hint of sadness in Fujii-kun’s eyes.

With it being a rainy weekday, there were hardly any people walking the streets.

Wrapped in the sound of rain, I arrived in front of Shino’s house.

Uh…… should I just say I’m a friend?

As I approached the gate to ring the intercom, the door suddenly swung open roughly, and a large man stepped out.

It was Shino’s older brother, Kagura Touma-san.

“Tch……”

Our eyes met as he clicked his tongue and walked out.

“You bastard!!”

In an instant, he closed the distance, grabbed me by the collar, and glared at me with eyes full of anger.

“Because of you, Shino…… you damn bastard!”

He looked like he was about to hit me, but instead of a punch, he shoved me away.

“Uh, um……?”

“You! Do you even realize what you’ve done!?”

“W-What I did? I’m sorry…… Did something happen to Shino?”

“What happened!? You don’t even have the self-awareness of what you’ve done!”

“!?”

What on earth happened to Shino……? The connect message to Hina just said she had a slight fever……

No, Shino always puts on a brave face and avoids worrying others. Even if something’s wrong, she’d try to handle it herself without consulting anyone—I know that well.

“……I don’t know why Shino fell for a guy like you, but I’ll never accept you!”

He hurled one-sided anger at me. I’m used to it, but having a family member of an important party member direct this kind of rage at me feels really sad.

But that doesn’t matter now. I need to do what I can for Shino.

I quickly pulled out three potions.

“Um! If Shino’s hurt or something, these potions could—!”

“You idiot! If that could fix it, we’d have done it already!”

……That’s true.

“……Go see for yourself what Shino’s like right now and regret it. For Shino’s sake…… I’d even throw away my life.”

With a look of resolve in his eyes, Touma-san walked off somewhere.

There’s no doubt something big happened to Shino because of me.

I hurriedly stood up, used the ‘Clean’ skill to tidy my dirty appearance, and rang the intercom.

“Who might this be?”

“Uh, um! I’m Suzuki Hinata, a party member of Kagura Shino!”

“!? Please wait a moment.”

After a short wait, a woman in a neat maid outfit came out, holding an umbrella, and opened the gate.

“Welcome, Hinata-sama. Shino-sama has informed us of your visit. Please come inside.”

“Thank you very much.”

I’m guided inside by her.

Even from the outside, it’s clear that unlike the Japanese-style Kamui household, this place is built in a Western style.

Right upon entering, there’s a sprawling garden with a fountain beautifully lit up. Surrounding it are unfamiliar plants blooming gorgeously, creating a fantastical atmosphere.

The interior is also Western-style, with marble corridors where the walls and lights are integrated, illuminating the space.

We take the elevator from the first floor up to the third.

The view from the slowly ascending elevator offers a panoramic sight of the garden and beyond the walls, incredibly beautiful.

When we reach a certain room on the third floor, the maid presses the intercom next to the door. Then, a keyboard-like device protrudes from the wall beneath it, and she types something in with practiced ease.

Within seconds, the thick door slides open sideways with a dull sound, and out comes Shino, looking surprised but otherwise her usual self.

“Hinata-kun!?”

“Shino. Sorry for dropping by so suddenly.”

“No, no! P-Please, come in!”

Invited by her, I step into the room.

There, I notice two things.

First, the thickness of the door. Normal doors are maybe five centimeters thick at most, and even gym doors are around ten centimeters. But Shino’s room has a door made of four layers, each about ten centimeters thick. It’s hard to tell since it slides sideways, but it’s incredibly substantial.

And the second thing—none other than Shino’s health condition itself.

On my way here, I kept the skill active and checked various people’s health statuses. Most were ‘Health Status: Good’ or ‘Health Status: Poor,’ with the latter often specifying which part was affected.

Right now, Shino’s status reads ‘Health Status: Critical,’ listing ‘Headache,’ ‘Dizziness,’ ‘Excessive Stress,’ and ‘Difficulty Breathing.’

I’m shocked by how bad her condition is, but I use the ‘Poker Face’ skill to keep it from showing on my face.

There’s one more thing bothering me, and I decide to investigate it now.

“Shino? Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine! I’ll be better after a little rest! Sorry for worrying you.”

“You always push yourself too hard, Shino.”

“Ehehe…… I don’t mean to, though……”

“No, no. It was the same when we first met, remember?”

“Uh…… well, that time…… it couldn’t be helped……”

Shino blushes shyly, looking adorable as ever.

“Hina went home first since coming to the Kagura house might cause trouble. Fujii-kun went off for some other errand.”

“Oh, I see! Yeah…… the Kamui family’s been good to us, but our family still doesn’t want to get along with them……”

She’s talking normally, but her complexion is noticeably poor.

And there’s one more thing bothering me.

“Shino? Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure? What’s up?”

“Why are you wearing earphones even inside your room?”

“W-Well, you know, right, Hinata-kun? My ability…… without earphones, the sound……”

“Of course I know, that’s why I’m asking. This room—it’s not just any room, is it? It blocks outside noise completely. I can’t hear anything from outside, and there’s not a single window or vent.”

“!?”

“You said before that you can live in your room without earphones, right?”

“You…… remembered that……”

“I don’t forget things about my team members.”

“I see……”

When it’s ‘Health Status: Poor,’ it usually lists a specific illness alongside the affected area, but Shino doesn’t have a disease listed. Or rather, it’s not that there’s no disease—it’s more like she’s suffering from noise damage.

“Your hearing…… it’s gotten stronger, hasn’t it?”

“!?”

I deliberately speak with my voice instead of telepathy. That voice shouldn’t reach her normally, but it’s getting through now. Her noise-blocking earphones are a type of magic tool that use special power to block sound, but her hearing has grown so strong that she’s picking up sounds they can’t fully block anymore.

“Since when……?”

Shino lowers her head, her expression turning deeply sad.

“Since…… a little before…… the irregularity…………”

“That long ago……? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shino must have known the earphones couldn’t block it completely. If she hadn’t gone into the dungeon, she could’ve avoided getting stronger and suffering like this.

Diving into dungeons with me or Hina makes it easier to grow stronger. Shino was always ahead of all of us.

She kept going, knowing her power would grow, knowing her earphones would stop working.

The reason…… I don’t underst…… wait…………………… no way.

“Shino.”

Shino clenches her teeth in frustration.

“No way…… did you push yourself to come along just to spend time with me and Hina?”

“N-No! It’s not your fault! I-I believed that if I got stronger, I could control my hearing myself…… and then I wouldn’t be a burden to everyone……”

“Shino……”

“It’s true! Really……”

Large tears spill from her eyes.

I don’t really know what to do in times like this, but I know I can’t just leave her like this.

I slowly approach her and gently hug her.

“Shino…… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t notice how hard you were trying.”

She cries, letting out all the pain she’s held in until now.

If I’d noticed sooner, she wouldn’t have had to suffer like this…… But the more I think that, the more it’ll just make Shino suffer now.

It’s not about what happened before. What matters is what we do from here. I’ve learned that from so many people.

Even when I returned to my hometown as ‘Level 0,’ I learned it’s okay to trust my teammates with pride.

Now it’s my turn to protect everyone.

“Shino? Those earphones are a magic tool, right?”

“Yeah……”

“If we could develop a stronger magic tool, it could stop it, right?”

“Yeah……”

“But even with the Kagura family’s power, they couldn’t develop it and were at a loss…… Speaking of which, Touma-san, who I met earlier, seemed like he had some kind of plan. Do you know anything?”

“Big brother……? No, I haven’t heard anything……?”

Then he must’ve kept it a secret from Shino.

A method he’d risk his life for…… Maybe gathering materials from a powerful dungeon? But if that’s the case, Touma-san could’ve relied on his teammates with his strength.

I’m worried about Touma-san too, but right now, it’s about what I can do for the Shino in front of me.

I can deliver my voice with the ‘Telepathy’ skill, but I can’t take away her hearing.

Come to think of it, most of my skills are about making myself stronger or giving me new abilities—there aren’t many that let me help someone else. At best, there’s ‘Clean,’ but that’s just a basic effect.

If only I had a skill to seal Shino’s ability……

Wishing for what I don’t have won’t help. I need to find a way to strengthen her earphones somehow.

I know the Kagura family is a conglomerate. They have connections and technical expertise, but that doesn’t mean they’re omnipotent.

One thing comes to mind, when I talked to Hina’s dad before, he offered to show me around the Kamui conglomerate’s workplace.

Since the Kamui and Kagura families don’t get along, they probably don’t share technology. Maybe the Kamui family has a way to develop Shino’s earphones.

“Shino. I’ll do whatever I can. So…… will you wait for me?”

“Hinata-kun……”

“Thank you for pushing yourself so hard until it hurt this much. Leave the rest to me, your leader.”

Shino nods firmly, tears falling from her big eyes.

“Yeah…… I’ll wait. I’ll wait properly.”

“Good. Just wait for me.”

I gently pat her head to reassure her as she forces a smile through her pain.

To repay her efforts, I leave the Kagura household for my next goal.

I head straight to the Kamui household.

Usually, I come here with Shino or Fujii-kun, so coming alone feels strangely fresh.

At that moment, I sense a faint anomaly emanating from the Kamui household.

I feel a weak but pervasive chill spreading throughout the entire estate.

When I ring the intercom, a maid opens the door and lets me in.

At that moment, the ‘Condition Analysis’ skill I’d kept active shows the maid’s health as ‘Health Status: Poor,’ with ‘Cold Sensitivity’ listed as the condition.

I see the same thing in the health statuses of other maids passing through the halls.

It feels like there’s some kind of chill inside the estate……?

But I notice the chill dissipates around me as I enter.

This chill…… is it Absolute Ice?

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Welcome, Hinata-kun. Shino-chan messaged me that you were heading here~”

“That’s good to hear. Hina? Doesn’t it feel like a chill is spreading through the estate?”

“Huh? I-Is it?”

“Yeah. And it seems like all the maids are feeling cold too……”

Hina’s eyes widen.

She seems to realize something, her expression faltering for a moment before settling into a pained smile.

Shino’s level went up, and her hearing got stronger.

—Then what about Hina?

The chill I saw from Hina during her training with Akari-san the other day—it felt stronger than when we first met.

It wasn’t just my imagination. If Shino got stronger, it’s not strange that Hina did too.

“Hina. Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure?”

“You said you usually keep your chill under control, but…… what about when you’re sleeping?”

“!? Uh, w-well…… in my room…… when I sleep……”

“Sorry. It might be rude to ask to see a girl’s room, but…… could I take a look?”

“……”

I can sense the chill spreading through the estate to some extent with ‘Absolute Ice Dissolution.’ The strongest source of it isn’t inside the main building—it’s oddly coming from beyond the garden.

There weren’t any tall buildings in the garden I saw before, so if there’s a room out there……

“Hina. Just like with Shino, I want you to tell me if something’s troubling you. I might not be the most reliable leader, but I think if we all face our problems together, we can solve things.”

“But…… I…… I’ve only been relying on you, Hinata-kun……”

“That’s not true. I got this far because I met you. Nothing would’ve started without you, Hina. Meeting Shino only happened because I wanted to get stronger after meeting you. That’s all thanks to you.”

Hina, looking dejected, slowly nods and stands up as if her strength has left her.

And the place she heads to isn’t inside the estate—it’s the distant garden.

Borrowing outdoor shoes in the garden, we head deeper in, and what appears is a giant iron box.

A cold, metallic presence. There’s a chill leaking out from inside, and some plants around it are frozen.

“No way…… this is your room, Hina!?”

“Yeah……”

“! This……! This isn’t a room! It’s just…… just……!”

“Kid.”

A voice calls from behind, and I turn to see an old man with some injuries.

“Grandpa! Your injuries……”

“What? It’s nothing.”

“Grandpa!”

“Hinata. Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault.”

I quickly pull out a potion and sprinkle it on the old man.

“Is that okay? Using something so expensive like that?”

“Even if I didn’t, Hina would’ve. Besides, we can always get more. Grandpa, has Hina gotten stronger recently, and the room that was sealing her chill stopped working?”

“……That’s right.”

For now, I melt the surrounding Absolute Ice, and the cold disappears instantly.

I also melt all the Absolute Ice inside the iron box. This stops the chill for now, but it’ll spread again once Hina falls asleep.

When she slept at my family’s house, it must’ve been fine because it was within the range of my ‘Absolute Ice Dissolution.’

Why didn’t I notice it then? I should’ve felt the reality of the Absolute Ice leaking out after she fell asleep, but I got so used to her usual chill that I didn’t catch it, and that frustrates me.

……No, that’s not it. I shouldn’t be mad at my past self. I need to think about what I can do for her now.

“Kid.”

“Yes?”

“If you slept with Hinata, there wouldn’t be a problem, would there?”

“!?”

S-Sleep with Hina!?

N-No, no, no…… sleeping together as a guy and a girl is just……

“Heh heh. Over there, you were in adjacent rooms, right?”

“Huh? Oh…… yes. That’s right. That would be within my skill’s range.”

“But! That would mean Hinata-kun has to force himself to stay near me every day……”

Hina said it with an apologetic tone.

I understand what she’s trying to say. For me, I’d be fine staying near her if it meant she could live normally. But what if that caused a rift somehow……? What if Hina started reading my mood and felt she had to nod along even though she didn’t want to……? What if we couldn’t be equal party members……?

Thinking about it, maybe that’s why neither Hina nor Shino could confide in me—because of reasons like that.

“Well, no matter. That sort of thing might happen eventually…… For now, Akari is off retrieving a magic stone. Once it arrives, Hinata should be able to sleep in that room again.”

“A magic stone……?”

The iron box is a large magic tool too. Magic tools generally run on magic stones. From what I can see, the iron box is still functioning, and a magic stone should already be set in it……?

“Grandpa, it looks like there’s a magic stone set in it already……?”

“Oh…… that’s a regular magic stone. The one Akari went to get…… it’s the only one of its kind in the world. It just happened to be nearby, so she went to retrieve it.”

If such an incredible magic stone was nearby, why didn’t they get it sooner……? Especially since it’s Akari-san, a powerhouse from the Kamui family and a general of Japan……?

“……Why didn’t they take it until now?”

Grandpa’s sharp eyes meet mine.

“Because of the feud with the Kagura family…… It’d mean Akari and that kid Touma would have to fight……”

“With big sis!?”

“!? That means two generals fighting, right? No way, are they actually going to battle!?”

“That’s likely what’ll happen. The Kagura girl’s gotten stronger too…… and that kid Touma isn’t the type to back down.”

At that moment, the big dots connected.

The meaning behind Touma-san’s words today—that he’d protect Shino even if it cost him his life.

The meaning of Akari-san going to retrieve a magic stone. And—the magic stone itself.

At the exchange center, there was a signboard about buying purple magic stones. The one I sold was called ‘Magic Stone Δ (Delta),’ priced at over 100 million yen. I confirmed it’s gone up in value since then.

I don’t think that magic stone can be the only one of its kind in the world. After all, even I managed to get one.

But whenever I hear the word ‘magic stone,’ my mind keeps drifting to ‘Magic Stone Δ (Delta).’

If all of this connects into one—if I brought out the many ‘Magic Stone Δ (Delta)’ stones I have, I might be able to stop Akari-san and Touma-san from fighting.

Even the training session between Akari-san and Hina was that intense. If it’s a life-or-death fight between two of Japan’s strongest representatives, I can imagine how bad it’d get.

“Grandpa, what would happen if Akari-san and Touma-san seriously clashed?”

“……It’d be a disaster, most likely.”

“A fight that big wouldn’t happen in a normal place, right? Where would they battle?”

“Well, probably…… far to the east, across the sea on an artificial island. It was built as a testing ground for government weapons, after all.”

If I hurry now, I might make it in time.

“I just remembered something I need to do! I’ll come back later!”

“Hinata-kun!?”

“Oh! Hina!”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll try my best to do something about it. So—wait for me.”

Hina, who’d been staring blankly, immediately breaks into a smile.

“Yeah. I’ll wait.”

I catch Hina’s Absolute Ice as she flashes a bright grin.

After seeing her expression shift back to neutral, I leave the Kamui household behind.