Chapter 56: The First Formation of the Four Person Team
Hearing what Megumi had chosen to do in her last Dungeon, Kotoko nodded with a smile.
"Ignoring the special hint… It's a little wasteful, but it was the wiser choice."
Both Kotoko and Asuna silently raised their evaluation of Megumi as a Player.
It was the correct decision.
After clearing the novice Dungeon, Megumi had received nothing but a talent that reduced her presence. She also wasn't like Asagiri, whose physical fitness had been excellent from the start.
As an ordinary high school girl, she would have needed to deal with a Banshee in an old mansion while also avoiding conflicts with other Players. And yet, even knowing there was equipment hidden in the basement, she still restrained herself and chose the safest clear.
Not every Player could do that.
At the very least, it proved Megumi wasn't the arrogant type, like that Suit Man and Heavy Makeup Woman, the kind who got a high rating once and immediately started believing they could relax.
"Um… there's something I'm curious about. Can I ask?" Megumi said.
"What is it?" Asagiri replied.
Megumi looked at him, her voice gentle but direct.
"When I was in that Dungeon, as long as I stayed still, even the Banshee wandering around couldn't find me. So… why were you able to notice me earlier?"
Asagiri answered with a solemn face.
"Because as the God of Harem, I can never overlook a cute, beautiful girl like you."
Asuna immediately raised a fist and lightly punched his shoulder, her voice full of dissatisfaction and a very obvious hint of jealousy.
"You just met her and you're already starting?"
Megumi didn't blush at all. She simply tucked her hair behind her ear, calm as ever.
"I'm happy you said I'm cute, but… can that really break my talent? It's hard to believe."
"It's not that complicated." Asagiri smiled, tone casual.
"I'm immune to all mental influence. Your presence reducing talent should be a type of mental aura. So it doesn't work on me."
"I see." Megumi nodded, as if the answer was perfectly reasonable.
Then she asked softly, "So… did I pass the interview?"
"I guess you passed." Asagiri smiled. "When it's time to register for the next Dungeon, in five days, we'll contact you."
"Eh? Five days?" Megumi made a small sound and pursed her lips.
"The Dungeon cooldown is seven days, right? I just cleared one, so I can't register again until seven days later. You cleared yours two days ago…"
She hesitated, then continued, surprisingly considerate.
"Wouldn't that mean you have to wait two extra days because of me? I'd feel bad. Why don't you just sign up when your cooldown ends? I won't participate for now. I'll wait until my cooldown matches yours, then I'll join."
Asagiri waved a hand like it didn't matter at all.
"Oh, I misspoke. It's fine. Next time, the four of us will go in together."
He turned slightly, ready to leave.
"Alright, we're heading out."
Megumi nodded obediently. "Okay. See you in a week."
......
After they'd walked a while and confirmed no one was following, Asagiri, Asuna, and Kotoko finally removed their disguises.
"The five days thing earlier," Kotoko said, watching him with interest. "That wasn't a slip, was it? It was a test for Megumi, right?"
"Yes." Asagiri answered calmly.
"Megumi said she'd just cleared a Dungeon and returned to the real world, which is why she ran into us at Private Toyosaki Academy on Sunday. But we can't rule out that she was lying."
He spoke evenly, as if listing possibilities on a board.
"She reflexively corrected me about the five days. It's not proof, but it does raise her credibility."
"She… probably doesn't have a reason to lie," Asuna said.
She wasn't defending Megumi, only giving her own judgment after thinking it through. After all, Asagiri had told her to stop automatically agreeing and start thinking independently.
Asuna continued, voice steady.
"The Player information shown in the app can't be faked. She really only has that one talent. No items, no equipment, no skills."
She frowned.
"Being a blank slate is suspicious, but it could also just be bad luck. And I can't think of any motive for her to approach us like this. The people who knew we were Players are already dead."
Kotoko clicked her tongue.
"Listen to your wording. We sound like walking bad omens."
Then she tilted her head, considering.
"But I agree with you. From that short contact, Megumi's mental resilience, calm thinking, and caution are all excellent. Her second Dungeon rating was low, but her talent is powerful, and her potential is obvious."
Kotoko's smile returned, faint but confident.
"If she becomes a teammate, she'll definitely help us clear Dungeons in the future."
"But seven days later…" Asuna frowned, doing the math.
"Seven days later is still Sunday. If we register that day, we'll enter on Wednesday, during school."
She looked troubled, weighing the schedule.
"But if we want to enter on Saturday like last time, then by next Wednesday the cooldown won't be finished. We'd have to wait until the Wednesday after that, and that's too long of a blank period in the early stage."
Asuna hesitated, then glanced at Asagiri.
"Should we… take a day off next Wednesday?"
Asagiri thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Taking a day off is fine, as long as your homeroom teacher doesn't call your parents to confirm. The teachers at Private Shuchiin Academy are painfully responsible."
Kotoko blinked, curious.
"Only Asuna has to worry about that? What about you, Asagiri?"
Asagiri waved a hand.
"I'm fine. My homeroom teacher and I already reached an agreement."
His smile turned a little sharp.
"Besides, if you want to contact my parents, it's not a phone call. It's necromancy."
"N… necromancy…" Kotoko repeated, then suddenly realized something.
"So you're…"
"Don't say it." Asagiri cut her off instantly, expression stiffening.
"Okay? Hearing it from someone else makes me feel like I'm getting sprayed."
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