Chapter 100

【Magic Can Opener: Can open any D-can once】

It was a large golden knife, similar to a Swiss Army knife.

However, upon seeing the appraisal results, it was undoubtedly a magic can opener.

With this, I could open the ultra-rare cans.

It would likely open them quite dramatically.

Moreover, there were three of them.

I could open three ultra-rare cans.

"But was this really the best choice? I could have prepared other items. While it's true that it has sold for over 10 million yen several times at auctions, that was the result of a bidding war between me and another man. Honestly, it's not worth 10 million yen."

"Huh? Did you buy it at the auction, Nishijo-san?"

"I was aiming for a second eel... There was a faint hope that if another dragon egg was found and this time it hatched a male, it could mate with this White and they could breed. But it was a swing and a miss."

Of course, it wouldn't open so easily.

"I lost 90% of my fortune due to D-cans... I'm embarrassed. My wife was angry, and I disposed of all the D-cans, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of this magic can opener... I guess it was a lingering regret."

"That's unfortunate."

"Yes, it is. I probably didn't have enough luck... Maybe someone with an abnormal luck value like yours would get a different result?"

"--- (Shiver)!"

A chill ran down my spine.

For a moment, Nishijo-san's presence changed.

In that instant, I couldn't move.

It wasn't due to a skill.

It was the terror of an overwhelming power difference.

I thought I had grown stronger.

I might even have been overconfident.

I thought I was close to being able to beat Ushizou.

But this is the strength of a top-ranked explorer.

"I scared you, didn't I? I was a bit jealous. I'm level 300, but my luck value hasn't increased since it hit 102 at level 200. It seems you're different."

He smiled, and the oppressive presence from a moment ago vanished as if it had never been.

My luck value is generally known to be less than 100, but did he see through that lie?

I don't think he realized it was in the thousands.

"By the way, please keep it a secret that I'm a Dragon Tamer. I'm keeping it a secret that you're Team Messiah as well."

"Ah... Of course."

I felt a drop of sweat roll down my cheek from my temple.

After that, we went over the details of my job as a capture ball monitor and signed the contract.

Hime then invited Nishijo-san to join us for a meal, but he declined, saying he was going to N〇tendo World and P〇mon Center.

He's quite a free spirit.

Then, he left.

After he was gone, I fell back onto the sofa.

Hime quickly moved to where I was falling, and I ended up with my head in her lap.

Since the living room is not visible from outside, I thought it was fine.

"How was it?"

"I was overconfident. That's what a top-ranked explorer is like."

"Eventually, it's a path we'll all have to take."

Hime said it was a milestone, not a goal.

For her, aiming to be the best, it must be true.

"Three magic can openers—just the right number for the ultra-rare cans."

"What do you want to do? Should we open them right away?"

"No, let's wait until everyone is here..."

Milk and Ayame are looking forward to it.

"Still, Hime is amazing. You talk to people like that regularly?"

I looked up at her face from her lap.

I've been relying on Hime too much.

"Are you falling for me all over again?"

"I've always been in love with you."

"Hehe, thank you. But people like that are rare. The middle-aged men from the government and companies tend to underestimate me, which makes them easier to manipulate."

That sounds harder for me.

"By the way, Hime... Was it you who made Nishijo-san use his oppressive presence?"

The timing was too obvious.

To show me the strength of a top-ranked explorer safely.

I wouldn't have felt it otherwise.

To my spot-on deduction,

"That's an interesting theory, Detective. Maybe you should become a novelist?"

She laughed, using the cliché line a culprit would say.

※ ※ ※

Saturday.

We gathered in Hime's room at the hotel in Tenshōji.

It's been a while since we all met here.

Before diving into the dungeon at Tenshōji Park, we would open the ultra-rare cans.

Three ultra-rare cans.

Three magic can openers.

We are four people.

One person is missing.

I thought there would be a dispute over who would open them,

"Taiga should open all of them."

"Yes, Ichino-san should open them."

"Right, Taiga, you open all three."

Huh?

I thought everyone would want to open them, but it turned out I was the only one.

"Maybe Ichino-san's luck value will change the contents."

Ayame said.

Alright, I'll open them.

"Should we visit a shrine before opening them?"

There's a small shrine in front of Abeno Harukas.

I remember it was dedicated to Inari, and there might be some divine protection—

"Let's skip that."

Milk urged me on.

Come on, a man needs courage.

I picked up the golden knife.

"Taiga! Focus!"

"Got it! I'll use this 10 million yen can opener!"

I stabbed the ultra-rare can with the magic can opener and cut around the top.

When the can opened, the magic can opener disappeared.

The four of us peered inside.

"Paper? Another magic item recipe?"

"There's a key in there too?"

"Taiga, appraise it."

I couldn't tell if it was a hit or a miss.

I appraised it.

【Treasure Dungeon Map: A map showing the location of a treasure dungeon】

【Treasure Dungeon Key: A key required to enter the treasure dungeon】

...A treasure dungeon?

Further appraisal revealed that the entrance to the treasure dungeon is only visible to the person holding the map, and the key allows the entire party to enter.

The map shows a location within 100 kilometers of where it was obtained, somewhere on the ground.

"Have you heard of a treasure dungeon?"

"No, I've never heard of it... How far is 100 kilometers from here?"

"Let me check..."

Ayame looked it up on her phone.

"If we open it here, the southern limit is Tanabe in Wakayama Prefecture, the northern limit is Maizuru in Kyoto, the eastern limit is Matsusaka or Tsu in Mie Prefecture, and the western limit is Awaji Island."

"It covers the entire Kansai region."

"Mie Prefecture is in the Kinki region, but not in the Kansai region."

Milk corrected me.

I didn't know Kinki and Kansai were different.

But 100 kilometers is a relief.

If the treasure map showed a location like the top of Mount Everest, we'd be in trouble.

"It would be a problem if it was inside someone's house. We should have moved to an uninhabited island surrounded by sea and opened the map there."

"That's hindsight... Should we open the map now?"

I opened the map.

The question was whether we could immediately identify the location.

If it was a map of a mountain with no landmarks, we wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location.

Please, let it be a clear location.

It wasn't in the mountains.

It was along Prefectural Route 31. Which prefecture?

The only landmark was a place called Taga Beach.

Smartphones are convenient.

I quickly identified it.

It's a beach on Awaji Island.

It's known for its shallow, beautiful sea and the stunning sunset over the Seto Inland Sea.

"Should we go there tomorrow?"

We could make a day trip.

"Wait. Let's wait until August! I've been eating a bit too much recently."

"I need to get a new swimsuit."

Hey, we're not going for a vacation.

Hime, say something—when I looked at her,

"......"

For some reason, she was looking out the window, lost in thought.

This is the 100th episode, including character introductions.

Thank you for following along this far.