Vol 2: Ch 1 – Night

Part 1

"Whew…"

The day after I met Lexia-san and the others. I hadn't quite gotten my head around it yet, so I was exploring the other world for a change.

…I never thought someone would return a favor in such a straightforward way…

Because there had been so much malice directed at me until a while ago, Lexia-san's marriage proposal was too shocking… and it was a big confusion. Why did she want me to… she says it was love at first sight, but it was really just a miraculous coincidence that I was able to save her…

Well, even if I think about it, I don't know how Lexia-san feels. I'm here for a change, so let's just keep exploring in peace. If I start fighting a monster, I won't have the time to think about it. I shook my head and restarted the exploration, but I haven't met a single monster yet.

"Hmm… I wonder if I could see more monsters if I went further inside…"

My thoughts, or my spirit, have become much tougher. If it were me in the past, I would have fainted at the mere sight of a monster and refused to even meet one, let alone fight it. Now I use it as a means of calming my mind. It's a dangerous tendency. Let's be careful.

"It can't be helped… Let's finish it here and continue on another day."

Since I can't use magic, I was exploring the hinterland with a little trouble; if I want to resume my search from my current position, I'll have to walk from my house to this place. A complete waste of time… maybe not quite, but still inefficient. Apparently, the door that leads to this world can be made to appear to me so that I can go back soon…

"If I'm going to walk to and from, I might as well walk back and see if I've missed anything."

I cut my exploration short because I was expecting to walk back to that house on foot, so there were no major problems. As soon as I decided to do so, I decided to go back the way I came. After all, if I had magic, I could get back and forth to this place in an instant, I guess.

As I was longing for the magic I couldn't use, I unexpectedly heard a small sound. Something is groaning and shrieking. From the feel of the voice, it's not very human-like…

As I was curious, I activated the [Assimilation] skill and approached the sound, holding my breath.

And then…

"Fugooooo!"

"Kyain!"

A big monster, humanoid and pig-faced, was attacking a single black dog. The pig monster's weapon may be inferior to mine, but it still uses a good-quality weapon even to the layman's eye. On the contrary, the black dog has a very small body, which makes it look like a newborn puppy.

The puppy was battered and covered in blood, but standing there desperately. Then something like a steamy black thing rose from its body, but it quickly disappeared, and then the dog got dizzy and fell on its knees.

The pig monster had a wicked grin on its face that even I could clearly see… What's with that, no matter how I look at it, that pig monster just looks like a bad guy. It should be a battle of nature, according to the law of the jungle.

Yes, the pig monster can't be that bad. It's just that it was fighting the puppy in front of me. But from my perspective, I can't help but think that it was doing something wrong. This is entirely a matter of my sensibility.

It looks like the pig monster is tormenting a puppy, but I can't help it if it's said that this is also the rule of nature. We humans also do the same kind of things anyway. However, since I had met a monster I had never seen before, I decided to use my appraisal skills to check its status at the very least.

[Orc King]

Level: 600

Magic: 5000

Attack: 20000

Defense: 15000

Agility: 5000

Intelligence: 5000

Luck: 1000

Hey, what's with this guy? You're kidding me, it has an attack power of over 20,000? And it's got a very high defense…

I'm still under 10,000 in any status. Moreover, the level is much higher than the devil bear and goblin general, let alone me. Is this…a so-called S-class monster?

It's not easy to determine that the orc king is an S-class monster, because even a monster with S-class potential can be a low-level monster, and vice versa. It looks like a pigman dressed in gorgeous equipment… but since it's an orc "king", there must be ordinary orcs too. That's what we got with the goblins.

I was also a pigman until I lost my weight… What's with this disparity. It's unreasonable. That orc king is fatter than I was, and yet it's so powerful! It's not fair.

It doesn't matter. This orc king is clearly out of my league. I think a single attack is enough to kill me instantly. With the devil bear, I still seemed to be able to beat it, but this guy's level and status were too overwhelming. It's going to be difficult unless I get a little stronger.

…It's unfortunate, but I guess I'm better off just ignoring the sight in front of me and going. I thought so and tried to leave the place quietly…

"Fugogogogogo!"

"Kyaain!"

"….."

My legs stopped at the sound of a mournful puppy.

…Sigh.

What can I say, I must be an irredeemably stupid person. Just what would grandpa do in this situation? …There's no way I could ignore it after all.

It's really reckless, and above all, hypocrisy is a good part of it. But I really can't help it, because somewhere in my heart I also want to help if I can. Eventually, I stopped running, and again, I stared at the orc king in front of me. Luckily, it doesn't seem to have found me yet.

…In the meantime, let's make a surprise attack to get its attention.

No matter how I look at it, it will repel my attack, but then if it's turned its attention to me… Yup, I'll just do something about it later. I can't help thinking about it. Some say it's called escapism.

I took out [Absolute Spear] from the item box, and quietly entered a throwing position on the spot.

And──

"One, two… Go!"

I threw [Absolute Spear] at the orc king with all the strength I could muster. And I immediately took out the [Omni-Sword] and jumped out of the place where I was hiding so that its consciousness would be directed towards me.

"Come on, bring it on!"

Shouting like a roar, I held up my [Omni-Sword] so that I could prepare for its attack at any moment.

"….."

The upper half of the orc king's body had disappeared.

"...…..Eh?"

If I look closely, there is a mark that looks like it was hollowed out with a spear-like object.

…Hey, no way…

Just when I've come to one conclusion, and think that there's no way such a thing happened, the bloody [Absolute Spear] came back to my hand.

"….."

After seeing [Absolute Spear], I'm convinced. Apparently, the orc king's life was brought to an end by the stroke of the [Absolute Spear]. The remaining orc king's lower body fell to its knees on the spot, and as it did so, it disappeared as a particle of light.

"Eeeeehhhh…"

Are you kidding me? You're not really dead, are you? Eh, then, what about my determination? I appeared here while screaming!? Wow, you're embarrassing me! I didn't think for a moment that I could take it down with a single blow, and all I could do is expose a dumb expression.

…No, if I think about it calmly, it's not that strange. After all, When I was level one, and all my stats were one, I had already defeated the bloody ogre whose stats were far above me at the time.

The [Absolute Spear] in my hand is a genuinely fantastic weapon.

"What kind of person was the wise man again…?"

The identity of the wise man who left these weapons and house behind was starting to bother me in earnest. I feel like I would believe him even if he says he's a god. Well, I heard he already died, though.

"Well, whatever… More importantly…"

"Whooof…"

I turn my gaze to the puppy, who is breathing hard but still threatening me.

Ah….come to think of it, I've always been hated by animals…

If I approach a dog or cat, I will be barked at, fouled, and scratched. It's such a harrowing experience that the only thing I know, I'm not good with dogs and cats.

I don't dislike them just because I'm not good at them. Well, if the stinky, ugly me had come near, even dogs and cats would have hated it. You can guess that. It made me want to cry when I said it myself.

I let out a sigh and took out the [Complete Recovery Herb Juice] from the item box.

"Well…you know, you might not like it, but… You're covered in wounds, aren't you? If you drink this, you will get better, so…well…can you just drink it?"

When I timidly approach it, the puppy starts to threaten me at first, but then, as it gets closer to the limit of its physical strength, it slumps to the ground.

"Hey!"

I quickly grabbed the puppy and got him to drink the juice.

…I'm sorry if this dog hates citrus, but for now, I hope he can be patient.

I managed to get the nearly unconscious puppy to finish drinking the juice, and the wounds all over his body healed in a matter of minutes. The puppy also looked at his own body curiously as he gradually awakened his consciousness.

"Phew … I managed to make it on time."

I'm pausing to take a breath, and then the puppy unexpectedly licks my hand.

"Hmm?"

"Woof!"

The puppy was barking like that and patted my leg….so cute. I almost grinned at the cuteness of the puppy, but I asked what bothered me.

"Hey, what happened to your parents? Isn't it too dangerous for you to wandering alone?"

You may think I'm talking to a puppy, but I had a feeling he could understand my words, so I was talking to him like this. Then, the puppy makes a sad sound and shakes his head.

"Uhm… are you lost?"

"Woof."

The puppy shakes his head.

"Then…you don't have parents?"

"Woof…"

The puppy nodded sadly. Hmm…

"Hey, wanna come to my house?"

"Woof?"

"My home isn't a rented house, and even if it doesn't work out that way, there's still a place for you to live."

Yes, if it's the home in this world, it won't be a problem even if I can't keep him on Earth.

"What will you do?"

As for me, it saved me the trouble, but more than anything else, I've developed feelings for this guy in the short time I've been here. I mean, he's so cute.

Then the puppy barked once with a twinkle in his eye.

"Woof!"

It meant that he would take my word for it. At that moment, a message appears in front of me.

You have acquired [Tame] skills. [Black Fenrir] has been successfully tamed.

Eh, what's [Tame]? Besides, I didn't appraise this guy yet… Is "Black Fenrir" his race? …hmm? I feel like I've heard of Fenrir before…well, never mind.

While I tilted my head at the message, the puppy slipped into my lap.

"Woof, woof."

You're so cute, boy.

With an unbearable, shily expression on my face, I confirmed the skill that I had acquired.

[Tame] :: You can make a monster your companion with a certain probability.

He~e, there's such a thing as a skill for making monsters into friends, huh? With these thoughts in mind, I appraised the puppy as well.

[Black Fenrir]

Level: 500

Magic: 10000

Attack: 10000

Defense: 10000

Agility: 15000

Intelligence: 10000

Luck: 10000

Note: Yuuya Tenjou's Follower.

"You're strong!?"

"Woof?"

The puppy tilted his head, not knowing what I was talking about, was overwhelmingly stronger than me. I mean, with this status, you could take out the orc king, right?

Well, he may have been hit by surprise and suffered a great deal of damage before he could fight properly. That's just how I suddenly defeated the orc king.

"I mean, you're under my command now, and you're stronger than me…"

It's not that I'm sad or anything, it's just that I'm genuinely okay with it. I'm just a petty citizen. I can't win against the strong. But the puppy didn't seem bothered and wagged his tail happily.

"Woof,! woof!"

"Well, whatever. More importantly, if you've become my friend, I'll have to decide on your name as well…"

It's weird to keep calling him a puppy, and I can't call him Black Fenrir because it's too long. As I watched the puppy looking at me with curious eyes, one image came to mind.

That's what I thought when I saw the glossy, jet-black fur. And with that image in mind, I decided on a name.

"Alright, your name is Night."

Night──in other words, night.

It's so cheap, right?

Well, night is in my name too, so I guess that's fine…

And then the puppy─Night wagged his tail even more intensely; he seemed to like the name.

"Woof!"

With a bark, Night jumped right into my chest.

"Whoa… yeah, let's go home."

"Woof!"

While hugging Night, I threw the orc king drop items into the item box and headed home. I can check the drop items at home as well.

──Just like this, I got a lovely companion and a family named Night.

Part 2

Back in my home in the different world, I looked at Night.

"Now that we're going to living together… for the time being, I want Night to stay in this house."

"Woof?"

Why? Night tilts his head as if to say that.

"Hmm… as much as I'd like to take good care of you, that would require a stroll or something… so to sum it up, I'm not quite ready to live with Night in a home on Earth!"

"Kyuun…"

When I say that, Night become downhearted. Damn, he's so cute!

"I'm really sorry, okay? I'll prepare as soon as possible so that you can live at my house on Earth."

Currently, without a collar or leash, it's still unsettling to take him to Earth.

Since we can communicate like this, I don't think it's going to be a big deal, but still, it's better to be cautious. After all, Night is a creature from another world.

"But when it comes to preparing it, it will inevitably be going to the pet shop…"

There seems to be a very convenient thing called net shopping in that world, but in my house where I lived in poverty for a long time, there is not even a smartphone, let alone a PC, and I don't have an internet connection as well. And I don't know where the pet shops are in the vicinity of my home in the Earth.

As I said, I don't have the internet, so I can't look it up easily… so I guess I'll just have to ask my friends. Maybe Ryo and the others know about it. Well, as far as getting ready for Night is the priority, I'd like to get some other books and stuff to practice the guitar I got from the devil bear.

...Since I'm going to buy it, and since I have the money now, why don't I just buy a new book? Yup, I think that might be a good idea. I haven't bought a new book since I had a textbook prepared. I don't usually buy anything but textbooks…

"…Huh? Tears…"

"Woof…"

Night put his hand on my knee and licked me gently. Apparently, he's comforting me. Night's healing effect is tremendous.

"Night… thank you. Yep! Now that I've decided what I'm going to do let's check out the results of today's battle!"

"Woof!"

I hadn't checked the drop item and just throw them in the item box after defeating the orc king, so I decided to check it now.

The first thing I took out was some delicious looking meat.

[Pig King's Meat] :: Orc King's meat. It's a super high-quality foodstuff that continues to attract many royalty and aristocrats. However, since the Orc King itself is a disaster-class existence and rare even to appear, its meat is said to be a mirage. If you eat it, you will get peerless energy.

"Hey, wait a minute."

I've only seen a few disturbing words written in it. First of all, it seems that this meat is an extremely rare foodstuff. In addition to the fact that I've able to kill it with a single blow of the [Absolute Spear], the other world's perception about the orc king is that it's a disaster. I've done it. Also, why do you get peerless energy if you eat the meat? Doesn't that build stamina or something? …No, wait, energy and stamina are the same.

"Well, whatever. As long as it tastes good, anything is good. And the rest…"

The next thing I took out was the armor and sword that the orc king wore.

[The Pig King's Sword] :: The Orc King's Great Sword. It's a super-heavy sword, and cannot even be lifted by an ordinary strength. It's not sharp, but instead, it crushes the target with its overwhelming weight and sturdiness.

[The Pig King's Armor] :: Armor worn by the Orc King. It's a super-heavy armor, and cannot even be lifted by an ordinary strength. It's made to be worn by the orc king, so humans cannot wear it. It's pretty sturdy and impossible even to get a scratch from an ordinary weapon. It's recommended to melt it down and make it into a new weapon.

"…I don't know; it's kind of hard to use…"

As someone who uses such an extraordinary weapon like [Absolute Spear], I have such an impression. Or rather, it's more like…

"….."

I easily lifted the greatsword and armor, each using one hand.

"Eehh…"

Since when did I have a monster-like strength? It is said it's impossible even to lift it with ordinary strength, right? Is it a lie?

…No, maybe this is the norm in this other world.

Anyway, the original owner of the [Absolute Spear], wise man-san, is recognized as a supernatural being in my mind. Maybe it's not a mistake. Let me think so.

After convincing myself to do so, I turned my attention back to the remaining drop items.

[Magic Stone: Rank S] :: A special ore that can be obtained from magical beasts.

[Brush of The Pig King's Hair] :: Rare drop item obtained from the Orc King. It's gentle to any hair, nourishes it and makes it shiny. It can also be used on the heads of people who have thinning or balding hair to revive dead hair roots and grow the hair. Due to its effects, it's traded at an extremely high price among aristocrats who suffer from hair problems, but it rarely comes out, and it is even said that it's only once every few thousand years that a new one is obtained.

"I don't know what to say anymore!"

First of all, the magic stone, I finally got the S-rank. In other words, the orc king is an S-class monster.

However, the concept of the different world level is very troublesome, for example, if the level of another A-class monster is higher than the level of the S-class monster such as orc king, then the A-class monster may be stronger.

It's not a bad thing, however, to have encountered an S-class monster once. I'm not sure what to do with this magic stone, so I'll just sell it as it is, but I wonder how much the S-ranked one will cost?

For the time being, putting aside the magic stone, the problem is the brush.

What's this brush?

Even if you're not an aristocrat of the different world, if there's a person who's normally suffering from hair loss, it's something you'd want so badly that you'd want it out of your throat. In fact, it seems to be traded for a huge amount of money…

What can I say? I've suddenly got something that looks like a daily necessity. The effect is crazy, though.

"Woof?"

As my face twitched looking at the brush, Night tilted his head as if to say, "What happened?", and rubbing my leg. So cute.

"…No, it's nothing… Ah, right! Night, come here."

"Woof!"

A thought occurred to me, and I put Night on my lap.

And then──

"Kyuuun…"

I brushed Night with the [Brush of The Pig King's Hair].

Can it use to Night's fur? But, the [Brush of The Pig King's Hair] exerted its effect, his fur has become lustrous and beautiful, and they have changed to an enchanting texture that makes you unintentionally want to touch them for a long time. Simply put, it's a seductive collaboration of the smoothly and fluffiness. I don't know what I'm talking about.

"Does it feel good?"

"Woooof."

In the state as if completely weakened, Night replied pleasantly.

Good, good. I appreciate the guitar and the necklace, but it's nice to be able to get something that works like this. I mean, what's the deal with this situation where it's a rare drop item, and I'm just getting it normally? Is rarity just a lie? Well, from my point of view, it's okay because I'm getting nothing but benefits.

With that in mind, I decided to take a look at my status for one last check. I didn't get any messages or anything in particular after defeating the orc king, but I think it's normal for my level to rise. After all, it's a superior opponent.

With that thought in mind, I checked the status…

"Huh… Despite that, my level didn't go up…?"

As there was no message, my level hadn't gone up.

"It's strange… I thought I'd beaten a superior opponent…"

Well, if there is a concept of experience value, and the level is rising because of that, what is the experience value in that battle? I'm not sure. Because I just threw the spear. Still, I'm sure I've defeated the bloody ogre and the hell slime in the same way…

No, but… Sure, when it comes to the bloody ogre or the hell slime, I have no fighting experience at all. Then I've come to a state where I was just regularly slashing a monster such as a goblin general now, but just throwing a spear doesn't get any experience at all?

"…I can't help thinking about it. I'll figure out how the mechanism to level up. I mean, even if I didn't level up this time, I just have to work hard to level up from now on."

"Woof!"

At my words, Night also raised his voice in response.

＊＊＊

In the morning, after preparing breakfast and lunch for Night, I go to school. Usually, when I called out, "I'm off" no one replied…

"Well, I'm off then."

"Woof!"

….And now I have Night. Smiling at Night's reply, I left the house.

When I arrive at the school safely, Ryo and the others call out to me.

"Oh, Yuuya, good morning!"

"G-good morning."

"Morning~! Yuuya-kun!"

"Yeah, good morning, everyone."

After the greeting, I sat on my seat and started chatting lightly until the homeroom started. During that time, I remembered about Night's collar and decided to ask Ryo and the others about it.

"Hey, is there a pet shop around here?"

"Pet shop?"

"Yeah. I've been getting a dog since yesterday…."

"Oh, you're keeping a dog!? What kind of dog is he!? Show me the picture!?"

"C-calm down…!"

Kaede was into it more than I expected; she was leaning closer to me. Perhaps because of that, the distance between her face and mine became closer all at once, and I was so embarrassed that I looked away involuntarily.

"Um….Kaede… you're so close, however…"

"Huh? Ah! I-I'm sorry!"

Kaede also noticed her posture, and her face was a little red, though she hurriedly distanced herself. Thank goodness I wasn't the only one who was embarrassed.

"Hmm! Continuing the conversation earlier… but unfortunately, I don't have any pictures. I don't have a smartphone."

"…I'm surprised there are people who don't have a smartphone nowadays…"

"Y-yeah…isn't it inconvenient?"

Ryo and Shingo-kun looked at me in surprise. It's true. There are very few people who don't have a cell phone nowadays… I have more money now, and I can buy… no, should I make my debut with a cell phone now?

I don't keep in touch with many people, so there's not much advantage to having a cell phone, but if I think about taking Night photo… wait? Isn't it better with a camera?

While I was thinking about it alone, Ryo and the others told me about the pet shop.

"Talking about the pet shop around here… it's probably the one in the shopping district near the school."

"Oh, there! Surely you'd feel reassuring there. It looks like they're doing it as an animal hospital as well, so it's a good idea to go there just in case something happens!

"He~e, there's such a place, huh…?"

I'm having trouble deciding whether I can take Night, who is a resident of a different world, to a hospital in this world… But if there's such a place, it would be better to know when something happens… But again, there's [Complete Recovery Grass] at the wise man-san house anyway. The different world is amazing, after all.

"I wish I could have gone with you to that shopping district, but… sorry, I can't help today."

"I-I also have some things to do today…"

"I see… Well then, it can't be helped."

"Uhm… I can go with you, you know?

"Eh?"

"I don't have any club activities today… if you're fine with it, I can go with you. How about it, Yuuya-kun?"

I nodded meekly in response to Kaede's words.

"Can you please, then?"

"Y-yeah! It's okay! …Hmm? Isn't this supposed to be a date…!? Yay!

"Eh?"

"No, it's nothing!"

I didn't particularly care because Kaede said so in a hurried manner. For the time being, I'm going to be heading to the pet shop and the animal hospital after school, with Kaede leading the way.

Part 3

"I'm home."

"Woof!"

When I got home, Night jumped to my chest as if to say, "I've been waiting". I caught him in a hurry and patted his head.

"I'm sorry to have you stay at home, okay? It's going to be like this from now on, but…"

"Kyuun."

As I said that apologetically, Night was gently rubbing his cheek on my chest. So cute.

"…Ah, yeah! Night, I bought a collar and other things for you earlier!"

"Woof."

The pet shop that Ryo and the others taught me at school was a very nice place, so I was able to get a collar, a leash, and other things I needed there. (T/N: What's wrong with Kaede, Author-san yo? You just skipped her, lol. I'm sorry to everyone who was waiting for it :P)

"You don't have to do it in the house, but you have to wear this collar when I take you outside. Okay?"

"Woof!"

"…Alright."

Night replied pleasantly and offered his own head. I know it's kinda late, but Night is really smart. You're smarter than me, aren't you?

Anyway, I bought a white collar for Night, hoping that it would stand out against his black fur. I'm relieved that it looks good on him when I actually put it on.

"That's good… How's it? Does it hurt?"

"Woof… woof!"

Night moved around a bit with the collar on to make sure, then finally nodded and barked.

"Alright! So… what do you think? Do you want to go outside?"

"Woof? Woof!"

Now that I've bought a collar and leash, I want to take Night for a walk with me. I thought so and asked him out, and he replied cheerfully. I naturally smile when I hear that reply.

"All right then, I'll get ready, so wait for me."

"Woof!"

I get ready to go for a walk while putting the things I bought in the refrigerator. Since it's Night we're talking about, I don't think he will defecate carelessly outside, but still, it's the etiquette or manners… So, I headed for the front door with a shovel, work gloves, and a plastic bag.

"Now that we're ready, let's go!"

"Woof!"

And so we went out.

＊＊＊

"Woof! Woof!"

"Hey, Night. Don't get too carried away, it's dangerous!"

Since it was the first time he's outside the home in the Earth, I thought that Night would be intimidated by cars and such, but it's just my needless anxiety. Night's curiosity was piqued as he gazed at the various things that existed on Earth. But he's smart, so he doesn't rush in and check-in my direction correctly. He's cute. I'm only saying he's cute, but he's really cute.

Nevertheless… I thought it would be less crowded due to the time, but a lot of people were jogging and walking with their dogs just like me. Well, up until now, I just went straight home and didn't come out if there wasn't anything important, so I didn't know much about what was going on outside.

As I thought, my Night is very cute, and all the people who pass by are staring at us. He's cute, isn't he? I think so too. Up until now, I've only been looked by them with disdain… it's great progress.

As we continue our walk in peace, people passing by greeted us.

"Good evening."

"Eh? Ah, g-good evening!"

I was surprised because no one had ever greeted me when I walked by before. I can't believe I get a greeting just for walking around… well, Night is cute, so it can't be helped.

After enjoying our walk, we went home. When we get home, I say something that occurred to me to Night.

"Ah, right. After dinner, why don't we take a walk in a different world to get some exercise?"

"Woof!"

From Night's perspective, this Earth is a different world, but let's put it aside. Anyway, Owen-san and the others had visited the forest before, and I thought I'd reduce the number of monsters to the forest entrance even a little to make it easier for them to come next. I don't think the number will diminish so easily, even if we killed the monsters. Well, it's too dangerous to call it a walk, though.

However, if I keep doing it steadily, something may change, so I will continue to do it every day from now on. I'm sure my physical strength would increase like an idiot. On top of all, I think it's great that I can gain more combat experience.

I don't know how dangerous this place is in this world, but it shouldn't hurt to keep your strength up. That's all it takes to stay safe in this world, after all. After deciding on my future policy, I finished my dinner, just as I had declared, and went for a walk in the forest with Night for some combat training.

＊＊＊

──The day Yuuya went for his first walk with Night, people who saw him took pictures and videos of him and posted them on SNS, where rumors began to spread.

"Who is this guy?

"Oh, I know this place!"

"He's so handsome… I mean, isn't the dog super-cute, too?"

"What's the breed of this dog? I'm not sure at all…"

As rumors of Yuuya spreading, Yuuya, who doesn't even have a cell phone, let alone social media, found out about it… but it was still a long way off.

＊＊＊

The last few days have been really fulfilling. I enjoyed casual conversations with Ryo and the others at school, and when I return home, my family, Night, is waiting for me. Until now, I had no place in either school or home… now I have a place in both.

"…Thank you."

"Woof?"

I said that while picking Night up and stroking him, and he tilted his head curiously. Cute.

I put on the leash to Night to go out for the walk, which I make a habit of doing, and we start walking our usual walk. We walked from the riverbank to the park near my house, and we ended up playing in the park, which has become a fun place for Night and me.

At first, the curious Night had been full of vigor with this and that, but now he was quietly enjoying his leisurely walk with me. And even though it's not quite there yet, some people have come to remember my face as I walk around and greet them, and more and more people are greeting me oppositely.

…But I don't think there were so many people before, but recently people have been… especially, I think that the number of women has increased on our walking course. Is it just my imagination?

"Huh? Yuuya-san?"

"Hmm? Ah, Kaori!"

As we continued our leisurely walk, we ran into Kaori by chance. Kaori is carrying a shopping bag of some kind, so she must be on her way home from shopping.

"Hello. Uhm… Who's this child?"

"Oh, I'll introduce you. This is Night. He's my new family."

"Woof!"

When I introduced Kaori to Night, he barked cheerfully with his chest out. I'm sure he's trying to look cool, but when the little Night does it, he's just plain cute.

"He's so cute! I-is it okay if I touch him?"

"Night, is that okay?"

"Woof."

As Night approached Kaori on his own, Kaori slowly began to stroke him.

"Whoa! Night-san's fur is very fluffy and smooth!"

"Woof."

Night was pleased with Kaori's reaction and leaned into her.

"This child is adorable, isn't he? What is his type?"

"Huh? Um…well…I-I don't know. He's just a child I picked up!"

"Is that so? But from the state of this child, he seems glad that Yuuya-san picked him up."

"Woof!"

Night barked once as if to affirm Kaori's words. Uh… I'm glad you feel that way… But that was a close one. If you asked me what breed of dog Night was, I wouldn't have an answer… Black Fenrir? It's a different world race that I'm not sure about…

"Night-san is very clever, isn't he? It's as if he knows what I'm saying…"

"Woof?"

I'm not sure how it actually is, but Night is pretty smart. This child is capable.

While Kaori was playing with Night for a while, I noticed that people around us were looking at us.

"What, that's…!"

"A good-looking man and a cute doggie are precious enough…"

"There you go, a set with a dog and a beautiful girl! The dazzling light will crush your eyes!"

"Uhm…Kaori, we're getting a lot of attention somehow, so why don't we move around a bit?"

"Huh? Ah, you're right."

Just as I was about to move from the spot, someone called out to me again.

"──Yuuya-san?"

"Eh?"

Surprised, I turned to the voice, and there she was, eyes wide open and frozen… the popular model Miwa-san.

"Mi-Miwa-san!? Why are you here?"

"Uhm…I actually live in this neighborhood, and I usually go for a walk at this time…"

"Yuuya-san, the one over there…"

Kaori's voice reminded me that they were meeting for the first time, and I quickly introduced Miwa-san to her.

"Uhm, this is Miwa-san, she's the model I took a photoshoot together in the shopping mall before. Miwa-san, this is my friend, Kaori, and my family, Night."

"N-nice to know you…"

"Woof!"

While Kaori greeted her with a strangely tense state, Night barked so friendly as usual.

"Kaori-san and Night-kun…? I'm Miwa, a model."

Miwa-san expressing an adult-like smile, and the people who had been watching us until now began to murmur even more.

"H-hey… Another beautiful woman has joined that handsome man and beautiful woman…!?"

"Isn't that girl the model, Miwa?"

"Eh? No way? Are you serious?"

Apparently, with Miwa-san's arrival, the people who had noticed Miwa-san began to gather. And Miwa-san seemed to notice it too; she just smiled bitterly.

"Ahahaha… It seems like we stand out a little too much… Does Yuuya-san plan on walking around here in the future?"

"Eh? Ah, yes. That's what I'm going to do."

I will try to find other routes, but for a while, I will enjoy walking near this riverbank. Then, Miwa-san smiled softly at my words.

"I thought it would be nice to see you again during the previous shoots, but… I'm happy to see it happen sooner than I thought. Besides, if you're going to walk around here, maybe we'll see each other again like this."

"Ah… You're right."

"Fufu, it will be more fun to go for a walk again. Well… It's time for me to go. There are also more people here. Both Kaori-san and Night-kun, too, see you later…"

"Oh, yes!"

"Woof!"

Miwa-san said that and walked away. As we were seeing her off, Kaori asked with a subtle expression on her face.

"Um… Yuuya-san."

"Hmm?"

"Yuuya-san… Uhm... Are you going out with Miwa-san…?"

"Eh? No, no, no, we're not! Like I said before, Miwa-san and I just happened to be together in the photoshoot, and I do not match for Miwa-san in the first place."

"It can't be…"

"Eh?"

"Oh! N-no, it's nothing…"

I'm not sure, but if Kaori says so, it's probably nothing. It was when we tried to move while tiling my head at Kaori's reaction.

"T-thief, a thief!!"

"Eh?"

I heard what sounded like a scream, and as I glanced in the direction of the voice, I saw an older woman fall to the ground, desperately reaching for her hand. At the end of her hand, a man in a black jersey was running away at a tremendous rate.

"A-a thief… what should we do!?"

While the suddenness of the situation flustered Kaori, I quickly gave instructions to Night.

"Night! Go after that man!"

"Woof!"

With one bark, Night rushed from the spot at an alarming speed.

"N-Night-chan!?"

Kaori was surprised at his speed, but I rushed up to the old lady with the surprised Kaori.

"Are you all right?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine… but my bag…"

I told the old lady who floated a sad look on her face in the gentlest voice as possible.

"It's okay. Oba-san's bag must be… oh, look!"

"Eh?"

As I pointed, the thief was being dragged along by Night.

"H-help me! What's up with this dog?"

"Woof."

To the Night who slowly dragged the man who was twice as big as himself, Kaori and the old lady looked at the scene in disbelief.

"Kaori, can you call the police?"

"Oh… Y-yes!"

It was when Kaori took out her smartphone from her bag and went to call the police. The moment Night released the restraints and completed his mission by bringing the thief to me, the man stood up with enthusiasm and lunged at me.

"You… don't fuck with me!"

"Hyii!?"

"Yuuya-san!?"

Moreover, the man has a knife and tries to stab me with it. But in the other world, where I've dealt with attacks of outrageous speed, I'm not impatient, grab the wrist of the man's knife-wielding hand, twist it straight outward, and the man drops the knife with a pain.

"I-i-it's hurt!"

"Phew!"

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I swatted the man's legs away and immediately restrained him in place, pinning his hands behind his back where he had fallen.

"Fuh…"

"Ooh!"

"Eh?"

I was surprised by the sudden rise in cheers and looked around, but before I knew it, people were clapping at me. As I was puzzled by the surroundings, Kaori comes running up to me hurriedly.

"Yuuya-san, are you all right?"

"Eh? Yeah, I'm fine."

"Thank goodness… I was worried, so please don't be too reckless!"

"S-sorry."

Surely my actions are dangerous from other people's perspectives…

While apologizing to Kaori, I complimented Night on catching the thief and returned the bag properly to the old lady. Afterward, Kaori handed over the thief to a police officer who had come due to Kaori's report, and Night was thanked by not only the old lady but also by the police.

Part 4

I never thought I'd see the day when going to school would be so much fun… It was something I couldn't think of before. That's why I feel a little lonely on holidays.

"…But, we have to capture this forest as soon as possible."

"Woof!"

It's time for me and Night to proceed with the exploration as far as we can this weekend so that we can come and go as freely as we want in the depths of the forest. And if I meet an enemy that I have never seen before, I will fight aggressively with all I can.

…Once this forest has been conquered, let's go to the outside. It's a different world, so I want to enjoy it.

"Alright… Let's go!"

I regained enthusiasm and headed for the depths of the forest with Night.

Along the way, we fought not only with the goblin general and devil bear but also with the orc king, Night's destined enemy. He was attacked by surprise by the orc king at the last time, so this time, he fought and beat it in a relatively solid state.

By the way, Night's level had improved so far, and his status had also risen so that he was able to take on and defeat the orc king alone. Immediately after the successful revenge, Night let out a howl of triumph and looked very chivalrous. But it's cute.

After dealing with a familiar monster for a while, I finally found a monster I had never seen before.

"Oh, that's…"

The monster I found was looked like a deer with two huge antlers that seemed to be made of crystal. Moreover, the color is different, one is a crimson crystal, and the other is an azure crystal.

As I was admiring the beauty of it, Night quietly tapped my foot.

"Woof?"

"Ah, sorry. I just zoned-out…"

It's dangerous. In this different world, if I let my guard down, I might die instantly…

With renewed vigor, I appraise the monster.

[Crystal Deer]

Level: 630

Magic: 15000

Attack: 10000

Defense: 10000

Agility: 15000

Intelligence: 15000|

Luck: 3000

I mean, crystal deer? The name was just like what it looks. Well, it's good because it's easy to understand…

More troubling than that is its level and stats. It's a higher level and stats than the S-class monster, orc king. Besides, looking at these stats, it seems like it is a magic-user…

"Now, what should we do…?"

"Woof…"

I looked at Night as he was making the same gesture of thinking as I was, and then I suddenly felt a gaze. I turned my eyes in that direction and saw the source of trouble was the crystal deer looking at me.

"H-hey… are you kidding me? Night aside, I'm using my [Assimilation] skill…"

I don't know why, but it seems that it knows exactly my existence and are on the alert. No, it's too early to be pessimistic. It was good to know that [Assimilation] wasn't a perfect skill at this stage. Besides, since I was found like this, there was no way I could take it by surprise, so I had to fight it fair and square.

I let the [Absolute Spear] appear in my hand and jumped out with Night.

"Kuaaaaaaaaaaa." the crystal deer let out a war cry.

"Is that really the sound of a deer?"

At the same time we jumped out, the crystal deer rushed in with a strange squeal. The crystal horns are sharp, and if we hit by them, we'll be helpless.

Night and I each dodged to either side and after Night landed, he immediately jumped on it.

"Woof!"

"Kuaah!"

A steamy black thing was rising from Night's body, showing more movement than usual. Even when I first met Night, he had almost spewed this steamy black thing, but that time it was incomplete, and the orc king had gotten him. Even so, the current Night is at a level where he could easily defeat even the orc king, let alone the goblin elite, by raising this black steam.

Such Night swung his sharp claws at the crystal deer, but the crystal deer quickly turned its head to catch it with its horn. At this point, the crystal deer before us was more of an enemy than the orc king.

But…

"You're not fighting with Night alone!"

I also put out a spiral thrust with the [Absolute Spear]. In response to the wind-covered spear, the crystal deer countered with a flame generated from between the horns.

"What!?"

As I thought, it used something like special magic! However, I never thought it would come from between the horns, instead of shooting it from the mouth… Even though I was expecting it, I still hadn't gotten used to the magic attack, And I was a little exposed by the flames.

"It's hot!"

"Woof!?"

"I'm fine!"

Night was surprised and tried to run to me, but I stopped him and rolled on the ground, escaped from the flames. Fortunately, thanks to the clothes the wise man-san left behind, my body wasn't damaged, but my unprotected face still felt hot.

As I moved away from the crystal deer, Night jumped again.

"Woof!"

"Kuuaaaaaaa!"

"Wha-!?"

Then the crystal deer, instead of flames, came spouting a fierce stream of water.

"This guy has two magic powers…!"

Not knowing the nature and special characteristic of magic, let alone how it was treated in this world, I was surprised that the crystal deer used two magic. No, it would be strange to decide that only one magic can be used in the first place… I have to reflect on that.

Having the crystal deer unleashed a fierce stream of water, Night immediately stopped his attack and left the area. That's not a simultaneous attack, but it's going to be tough if we don't separate the roles properly.

"Night! Isn't there anything you can do to make an opening on this guy?"

"…Woof!"

With a slight thoughtful gesture, Night jumped to the crystal deer with a dependable reply.

"Woof!"

"Kuaaaaaaa!"

Instead of lunging head-on, Night used his quickness to bewilder the crystal deer as he approached. The crystal deer also threw flames and water streams at him to keep him away, but it was very difficult to catch the quick Night as he was still a child.

And then──

"Gaaaa!"

"Kuaaaaaaaaa!"

Night bit the base of the crystal deer's throat. Fouled, the crystal deer screamed in agony but immediately went on a rampage, trying to shake off Night. But it's made it much less wary of me.

"There…!"

"Kuuuaaaaaaaa!"

This time, instead of using the spiral thrust, I just plunged the spear straight into the crystal deer's neck. Night, who was quick to sense that I was going to attack, moved away from the crystal deer. And when the spear cleanly pierced the crystal deer's throat, I slashed up the tip of the spear!

"Kuuaaaaaaa! Kua, Kuuaaa…"

The crystal deer that fell down while raising blood splatters quickly disappeared as a particle of light.

"W-we won, huh…"

"Woof…"

It's not really a hard win, but it's mentally exhausting… I was almost burned for a moment, but thanks to my clothes, it wasn't a life-threatening situation. Still, it underscored my poor fighting skills and inability to respond.

…Well, since I've been living in an environment where there is no combat, so it's only natural, but…

"As we go to the deep inside of this forest, we have to be more and more flexible… though that's a great training exercise until we go out of the forest."

"Woof."

Apparently, Night felt the same way I did, so he nodded and barked once. After I patted him, I moved on to check the drop items.

[Crystal Deer Fur] :: Crystal Deer fur. It's very comfortable and very popular among royalty and nobles. It has some cold resistance, but the effect is very small.

[Crystal Deer Meat] :: Crystal Deer meat. It goes well with a variety of dishes. It's very easy to eat because it has little fat and fresh.

[Crystal Deer's Twin Antlers] :: Crystal Deer's antlers. The horns are special crystals called [Flame Crystal] and [Aqua Crystal], which are traded at a very high price. It can be transformed into a magical weapon called [Magic Weapon].

"Isn't this amazing?"

I was shocked when I got a material that looked more valuable than I expected. The fur is certainly silky and comfortable to the touch, but not as good as Night's. However, it makes sense if it's said to be popular among royalty and aristocrats. And the meat looks very tasty from what I read in the description. I'm happy.

And now, the problematic horns. If the description is believable, it seems it's traded for a very high price in this world. What's more, I don't know how, but it can be transformed into a [Magic Weapon].

Well, it's still something I don't need, so I'm going to cash it in.

"Well, the next one is the magic stone, which is one of the objects to be redeemed."

I appraise the magic stones in the same way.

[Magic Stone: Rank S] :: A special ore that can be obtained from magical beasts.

"As I thought, it was an S-rank."

If you go to the hinterland, S-class monsters will be your basic opponents. Be that as it may, this means that we've got a lot of money again. Hooray…Jeez.

The amount of money is too much, so I'm getting it every time with a sense of trepidation. Poverty is too attached to me. Honestly, if I put it in the bank, they'd be suspicious of its source, so I'm really glad I had an item box, I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

"…Now, what the heck is this…?"

"Woof?"

Night and I are tilting our heads to look at the object in front of us. Because what we have in front of us is a cube the size of the palm of my hand.

"What is it…?"

As I tilted my head, I appraised it, and it reads:

[Ultra-Luxurious Portable Outdoor Bath Set] :: A rare drop item that can be obtained from the Crystal Deer. A bath that you can take with you. You can easily enjoy various types of baths, such as cypress, stone, jacuzzi, and electric baths everywhere. You can also choose the effect of the tub. The bathtub and water are always clean, so no cleaning or maintenance is required. It also has privacy protection and can be wrapped in a special veil that is not visible from the outside.

I didn't even pause to tsukomi at the drop items. No, why is the crystal deer drop item a bath in the first place? What's the connection? Don't tell me it's a bath because the crystal deer uses fire and water to make hot water? If so, it's a complete waste of ability! Well, it's peaceful, and I like it, though!

In the meantime, I can't say anything without using it, so I picked up the bath set. Then a translucent board appears in front of me. There was an entry to select the type and efficacy of the bath and whether you want to use the veil or not.

At first, I selected without a veil for confirmation, then the cube emerged from my hand, and a magnificent hinoki bath appeared in front of me.

"…It's amazing…"

"…Woof…"

It was a hinoki (Japanese cypress) bath with a super high-class feel, and it was large enough to hold about five people.

"Wow… I'd love to go in, but it's too dangerous here…"

After trying the veiled version and other baths, I put the bath set in the item box. With the veil on, I couldn't really see the presence of the tub from the outside, but I could see the outside from the inside. It's too hi-tech. And when I want to put it away, it's back in the palm-sized cube again and returned to my hand—what a handy feature.

Lately, the rare drop items have been daily necessities… no, baths are too big to be daily necessities. Still, there are many things that are useful in everyday life. I used to think I'd rather have a piece of equipment like an accessory, but now I'm happy with this one.

Today, besides the Night's one, I was delighted that I was able to secure my share of the [Brush of The Pig King's Hair] obtained from the orc king… And I was even happier to get this bath set.

….Alright. I decided and called out to Night.

"Night. Why don't we explore a little more and then go home and warm up in this bath?"

"Woof? Woof!"

I was determined to move on with my exploration today, but these expressions. I hope you'll forgive me. I couldn't resist the bath… I'm Japanese, after all…

With Night's approval, we went back to the house to enjoy the bath after exploring a bit more.

Part 5

Yesterday, we ended up getting a bath, so we cut our exploration short early, but today we were pretty far out in the depths.

…Because, you know, it's a bath. You Japanese don't understand? It's a greater bliss… you know?

Even though I'm still not of age, I thought I could understand how the adults felt to want to drink in hot water in an open-air bath. That's because it feels too good. Be that as it may, I continued to explore with more effort than yesterday. As a result, I encountered a new monster again.

"Night, it's headed to your way!"

"Woof!"

"Shaaaaaaaa!"

The enemy we're fighting now is an armadillo-like monster with a long needle-like a porcupine on its back. Or maybe it looks like a hedgehog, but I think the armadillo with a needle is the best way to describe it. By the way, the status is like this.

[Needle Roller]

Level: 610

Magic: 3000

Attack: 20000

Defense: 17000

Agility: 25000

Intelligence: 8000

Luck: 2000

Although its level is lower than the crystal deer we fought yesterday, none of the stats are comparable. The most troubling thing is that it charges at a speed like a bullet while curling up and spinning at high speed. The needles that grew from its back also boast tremendous hardness, and it can even hold against my [Absolute Spear] and [Omni-Sword].

…No, it's a bit wrong.

Because, whenever it needles exchange blows against the [Omni-Sword], it always aimed at the flat part of the sword, so I can't slash it. In the same way, [Absolute Spear] will always be able to pierce the target if the spearhead catches it. Still, if the spearhead is swept away like a clean stream, it will only be like to hit it with a blunt weapon. Even so, it's strong enough, but the throwing [Absolute Spear], which had been a one-strike kill up until now, has also been avoided away nicely in the same way as the spearhead flows.

On top of that, even though it was parried off, it doesn't change the fact that it was hit, so the [Absolute Spear] will be back in my hand…

As I thought, when it comes to S-class monsters, the throwing [Absolute Spear] won't work unless I strike them unexpectedly. I got lucky with the orc king. In fact, the reason the crystal deer was able to fight [Absolute Spear] was probably because it was dealing with it in the same way.

I didn't want to think about what would happen if such an S-class monster's needle stabbed me.

As Night avoided the needle roller that was charging at him at high speed, the needle roller returned its body to normal the moment it hit the tree that was ahead of it, and as it landed on the tree with its momentum, it used the tree as its foothold, accelerating and now flying towards me.

"Kishaaaaaaaa!"

"Ugh!"

I manage to dodge at the very last minute, but my cheek is cut pretty deep.

"It hurts…"

"Woof!"

As I said, the needle roller was slower than it had been the first time. We're a little tired too, but the advantage of two against one is huge.

"Maybe it's time to end this. Let's brace ourselves."

"Woof!"

"…Kishaaaaaaaa!"

"Sooo, here it comes again…!"

The needle roller, poised, came charging at us again. Night was quick to leave the spot, but I kept the needle roller engaged until the very last minute. In fact, after watching the needle roller's movements earlier, I had a plan that I wanted to put into action. I fought the urge to avoid it quickly and timed it well.

And then──

"Now!"

"Kisha!?"

I dodged it jumped sideways at the last moment, and the needle roller couldn't even slow down, so it went right through me and slammed right into a nearby rock wall. The needle roller's defense is quite high, so even if it were to smash into a rock wall, it wouldn't do much damage, no matter how fast it was going. But that's not what I'm here for.

"Kishaaaaaa!?"

"Yeaaahh!"

The needle roller slammed into the rock with such force and made the sharp needles that it was proud of thrust into the wall. It stuck into the rock wall. It desperately clutches its limbs, but because it's an armadillo-type monster and its needles are quite long, it cannot do anything while its limbs are floating in the air. It would have been a lot harder to beat this one if it had the ability to shoot out needles, but it doesn't look like that, so I'm relieved.

"Haaaaah!"

"Kishaaaaaaaa!"

As long as the movement stops, I can slash it with [Omni-Sword]. Of course, it doesn't matter how hard the armor is. As soon as I make [Omni-Sword] appear in my hand, I activated the [Weakness Detection] skill and swung down from the upper level at the weak point at once. Even if I can slash it, it's meaningless if I can't kill it with a single blow.

The [Omni-Sword] that I swung down, entered the weak point cleanly. As it was, I slashed at it without feeling any resistance. Then the needle roller screamed and disappeared as a particle of light.

"W-we managed to take it down somehow…"

"Woof…"

Thanks, Night."

I hugged Night as he came closer, and he licked my cheek. I immediately take out the [Complete Recover Herb Juice] and drink it down in one breath. There's still plenty of stock to go around. The juices seeped into my body, and my vitality came back at once.

"You have to drink it too, Night."

"Woof!"

After a long time, the message appeared when the juice was given to the Night in the same way.

Level-Up. You have acquired [Mind-Body Unification]* and [Mental Enhancement] skills.

"I've leveled up and gained some skills!"

"Woof!"

"Eh? Did Night leveled up too?"

"Woof!"

Night barked like that, so I appraised him, and he really did level up. That's nice! After allocating the appropriate level-up BP, I looked back at my status again.

[Yuuya Tenjou]

Occupation: None

Level: 240

Magic: 6050

Attack: 8050

Defense: 8050

Agility: 8050

Intelligence: 5450

Luck: 8750

BP:0

Skills: [Appraisal] [Endurance] [Item Box] [Language Comprehension] [True Martial Art: 8] [Presence Detection] [Fast Reading] [Cooking: 7] [Map] [Dodge] [Weakness Detection] [Assimilation] [Tame] [Mind-Body Unification] [Mental Enhancement]

Titles: [Master of The Door] [Master of The House] [Otherworlder] [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time]

Before I know it, my [True Martial Arts] and [Cooking] levels have gone up! I can't tell the difference since it's my own cooking, but somehow I felt sharper when I attacked in the martial arts than before.

For now, let's check out the existing skills and check out the new skills.

[Mind-Body Unification] :: It unifies the mind and body and gives you more control over your own body.

[Mental Enhancement] :: Increased resistance to mental attacks such as fear states.

"Oh! Every single one of them looks useful."

Mind-body unification can be recognized as being able to move my body as I imagined. And mental enhancement! Earlier, I was terrified when the needle roller came at me, but I was able to move without cowering. I think that was the groundwork to learn this skill.

"Alright… let's keep up the leveling at this rate."

"Woof!"

"Ah, let's check Night's level, too."

"Woof."

I stroked Night as I appraised him. The result is this:

[Night]

Race Name: Black Fenrir

Level: 510

Magic: 10100

Attack: 10300

Defense: 10300

Agility: 15500

Intelligence: 10100

Luck: 10000

Note: Yuuya Tenjou's Follower.

What can I say, the way his status raising is the same as mine. The only difference with me is that he doesn't have BP, and his luck is not rising. Maybe it's just that it didn't go up this time, but luck isn't something that's going to matter when the level goes up.

Nevertheless, Night has a well-balanced rise in agility, and his status isn't too far behind that of S-class monsters. It's not an exaggeration to say that thanks to the presence of Night, I can compete with S-class monsters. In terms of status, I'm overwhelmingly defeated by S-class monsters; I'm just aided by Night and the outrageous weapons that the sage-san left behind.

Well, I'm able to cope with the S-class monsters with such a dangerous weapon, but when I think about it, Night's existence is essential. In terms of my mentality.

…I want to raise my level quickly so that I can take on an S-class monster with ease. Thinking about that, I went to look for the drop items.

[Strong Needle of The Armadillo Needle] :: Needle of the needle roller. With its sharpness, it can easily pierce even thick steel. They are mainly used to make spears and arrowheads, and these weapons are traded at very high prices.

"This is seriously dangerous…"

This was the only material it dropped, but it seems that the needle of the needle roller was a very dangerous thing. I don't know if it's an armadillo or not, but if it's not an armadillo, what kind of creature is it?* I also retrieved the magic stone while thinking about what kind of creature it was in the unexpected notation. The magic stone is, as I thought, an S-class item.

And then──

"…No matter how I look at it, it's a toothbrush, right?"

"Woof."

There was a black toothbrush in my hand. It's probably the needle roller rare drop item.

…But even if this were a rare drop item, it shouldn't be a toothbrush, right? I mean, it's a needle that can pierce steel. And if I brush my teeth with it, my mouth will be getting shredded. No, I don't think the brush part of this toothbrush is that needle. I don't even want to think about it!

After an appraisal with anxiety, it was displayed as follows:

[Extreme Toothbrush] :: Brushing your teeth with this item will completely eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath and will significantly change the color of your teeth from ivory to white. It also removes plaque and tartar without missing, making the user feel comfortable and enjoy brushing their teeth.

"It's absolutely awesome!"

What a usefulness of this daily necessities series! It's a little crazy, don't you think? I mean, it's beneficial to me personally, but are rare drop items mostly just the daily necessities items? I've never played a game before, but is that normal? Did I just assume, as a stereotype, that a weapon or armor is the only item that can be dropped?

"Well, whatever… in the meantime, let's go a little further inside, shall we?"

"….."

"Night?"

As I retrieved the drop item and called out to Night, Night stared silently in a certain direction. When I followed his gaze, I saw that the rock where the needle roller had been sticking into had collapsed, and something that looked like the entrance to a cave had appeared.

"Eh, what is that?"

"Woof…"

Even Night didn't seem to understand, so he tilted his head, but he kept on approaching the cave entrance.

"Ah, hey! It's dangerous!"

When I said that, Night made a gesture of thinking and turned back to me.

"…Woof."

The expression on his face looks like he's saying let's go to the inside of this… It's true, this cave that suddenly appeared was worrisome. It just so happened that the position where we had fought the needle roller was at the bottom of the cliff, so I hadn't expected such a cave entrance to appear.

I could ignore it and go deeper into the forest, but Night seems strangely concerned, and above all, Night's wild instincts tell him there's something to it. It's as if he said, "I've got a hunch something's up!" with a high level of confidence. I was also concerned about the "Something" that Night felt, so I followed behind with Night in the lead.

This was the first time I had been in a cave like this since I was in a forest. I was on the alert for any monsters to appear, but my [Presence Detection] skill didn't catch any signs of monsters. No, it's too early to be relieved. Just as crystal deer detected my [Assimilation] skill, there may be something that can slip through my [Presence Detection].

I was only worried about the monster when I thought about it, but if there are people in this cave, they might be setting a trap or something… Well, if there is a trap, I don't have the skills to avoid it, so it can't be helped.

I was wary of traps as well as monsters and proceeded without carelessly touching the walls or the ground. Just when I thought it was getting dark, a torch on the wall caught fire.

"Whoa! Why did it suddenly catch on fire?"

"Woof?"

In contrast to me, who was very surprised, Night was unconcerned… for the time being, Night isn't alarmed, and we're not in danger. More importantly, the torch on the wall means that there's a human hand in it. It's nothing right now, but there could be a trap somewhere.

I lost more and more of my understanding of what this cave was, but after a while, we reached the deepest part of the cave. The deepest part is a slightly larger space, and a large number of torches are held up on the surrounding walls.

"This place is…"

"Woof!"

"Night?"

Suddenly, Night rushed out, and I hurriedly chased after him. Then──

"Huh!?"

A skeleton in a robe is sitting, leaning against the innermost wall. I thought it was a monster for a moment, but it seems to be completely dead with no sign of movement at all.

I didn't expect to see a white skeletal corpse… if it weren't for the [Mental Enhancement] skill, I'd have peed in fear, wouldn't I? Just as I thought about that, Night patted something that was placed in front of the skeleton with his foot.

"Woof!"

"Eh?"

I approached Night and looked at the thing that had fallen at his feet… it was a thick book.

"A book?"

What kind of book is that? When I picked up the book, the cover said "The Sage's Book", but I had no idea what it was.

I had no choice but to open it and check it───

To those who have reached this point, ~the sage~.

───That's what it was written.