Madness of the Blue Blood Labyrinth - Chapter 8
“You wouldn’t come to a yakiniku place unless someone else was paying, would you?”
“Now that you mention it, you’re probably right.”
Well, this time I’m the one paying.
“I just realized we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. I’m Rize Sakakibara, a third-year in the History Department, Faculty of Literature.”
“Tatsuhiko Toudou. I’m a third-year too, in the Nutrition Department.”
“…Nutrition? That’s not the image I had at all.”
Says the one to talk, considering how you look.
Trying to have a conversation while surrounded by the smell of grilled meat on an empty stomach is nothing short of torture. So, we decided to eat first. But this girl, despite her petite figure, is quite the big eater. Where does all that nutrition go?
“My skill burns through a lot of calories.”
“I see. So there are skills like that too, huh?”
Since these abilities aren’t naturally occurring, many skills come with some sort of cost. Most of the time, it’s physical exhaustion, but there are exceptions that demand other things.
Like my “Twin Blood” skill, for example.
“On the flip side, using it regularly makes it easier to stay in shape.”
“Sakakibara, are you seriously using your Explorer job as a form of dieting?”
“Call me Rize. I don’t like my last name; it’s not cute.”
I think Sakakibara sounds pretty cool, though. Women’s sense of these things is still a mystery to me.
“Ahh, I’m stuffed. Totally satisfied. How about karaoke or bowling next?”
For someone who gave off a gloomy first impression, this girl sure is forward. Well, I’ve got nothing better to do, so I don’t mind.
But wait a second.
“I wasn’t hitting on you when I started talking to you, you know.”
“I know. You paid for dinner, so I’ll stick around for a bit. How about we dive into a dungeon together sometime?”
Interesting. I was just hoping to get some advice on essential gear and recommended equipment for dungeon exploration, but watching a seasoned Explorer in action is an opportunity I don’t want to miss.
“I’m free any time after the day after tomorrow.”
“Great, let’s go this weekend. But for now, karaoke sounds good.”
It’s kind of turning into something that looks like a pickup attempt, but since I don’t have anyone to answer to, I guess it’s fine.
I reach into my pocket to pay the bill. Pulling out a wad of cash bound with a rubber band, I toss it onto the table.
“…Hey, where’s your wallet?”
“I don’t carry one.”