Chapter 23: 23

The footsteps he heard were clearly those of a professional explorer.

It was like the sound of the shoes for professional explorers with special steel plates in the soles of their shoes to protect against traps. That's why Tenji noticed it as soon as he heard it.

"I wonder if the rescue team has already been dispatched? Godo-san said something like that too."

Before this happened, Tenji remembered that Godo-san had told him that if there was a change in the irregular dungeons of China, the higher-grade explorers would be dispatched to the dungeons.

But then he had a sudden realization.

[What if, what if...they think that I was hiding my true calling and say that I'm the one who killed Mr. Moiwa and the others. I don't know for sure, but if that happens, I'll have no face to show to my sister. ...... What should I do? I have to come out clean, even though I already am.]

Tenji quickly consolidated the situation and thought about the action he should take now.

[I still don't really know what I'm capable of, and to be honest, I can't explain why I'm alive and why Black Keroberos is dead.]

[I can talk about it if it's just a guess, but that might sound like an excuse to a professional explorer.]

Tenji is the only one who saw Moiwa and the others dead, and he's the one who found them. Godo and the others did not see the eight corpses with their own eyes. The eight bodies have large holes in their stomachs, clearly not something that can be ruled out as the work of a monster.

[I'm in trouble ...... I'm really in trouble. I didn't expect the rescue explorers to arrive so soon.]

Tenji didn't even realize how unconscious he had been, and he had no idea that rescue would arrive so soon.

That's precisely why he didn't have the slightest idea that a Zero-grade explorer would come to rescue.

Then Tenji made a decision.

"I have to hide it for now."

He hid the fact that he had awakened and gained his calling.

Since he couldn't prove his innocence, he figured he'd take a little time to get himself in order.

Tenji then decided to return the Goblin he had summoned back to the Hell Realm.

"The rest is up to fate. Let's hope I'm proven innocent if such a case arrives."

Tenji muttered quietly as if wishing to God.

The sound of shoes was approaching.

Usually, he should be happy that a rescue had come. Still, Tenji's current situation was so unique that even he was confused for help.

Before he could rejoice, he worried about what would happen to him.

And then--

The sound of shoes stopped at the doorway of this space.

"Wow, I seriously just found a living person."

It was Leon Hyakuse who found Tenji alive. 

He was dressed lightly, not unlike a professional explorer, dully dressed in a cheap and well-known clothing brand sweatshirt top and bottom. He had his hands in his trouser pockets.

The only thing that made him recognizable as an explorer was wearing explorer shoes (steel-plated running shoes).

The man has black hair, the corner of his eyes that gives off a slightly sleepy look, and he is of average height, about mid-170's. He seems to be in his early thirties, younger than Godo, but his somewhat tired look has transformed him into looking like he's in his forties.

"You, what's your name?"

Leon approached Tenji with the clanking sound of his shoes.

Tenji clutched the 'Book of Enma' in his arms and replied frightenedly.

"Ah, I'm Tenji Amagi"

"Oh! You're Tenji? I mean, really ...... how are you still alive?"

[I involuntarily gulped down my spit at his exact words.]

"I don't understand. I don't ...... know what's going on either." Tenji replies.

"What? Speaking of which, where's Black Keroberos?"

"Maybe this is it."

Tenji said this, picked up the bright red magic gem tucked away in his pocket, and showed it to Leon.

Leon stops right in front of Tenji and leans forward to observe the state of the demon gem, nodding, "hmmm."

"Wow, this is a first class magic gem in really good condition. "Black Keroberos" was killed by ...... a single blow, it seems. Oh, by the way, Tenji, would you look me in the eye?"

"Is it ......?"

Leon checked the magic gem for a moment and looked into Tenji's eyes.

Tenji looks back into the eyes of the professional explorer, wondering.

Then the pupil of Leon's eye begins to spin around and around, and Tenji's eye involuntarily spins around as well.

"What is this? I'm starting to feel sick."

"This? It's my skill, but I won't harm you, so just bear with me a little longer. Oh, by the way, I didn't say my name. It's Leon Hyakuse, a zero-class explorer."

"Zero class!"

Tenji's eyes widened in surprise at the information he had been told so casually, and his voice was out of reflex.

Still, Leon said, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

There are a lot of people in Japan who are aware of the fact that there are Zero-grade explorers, but few people know about their true identity. But there's no way that Tenji, a high school student, could have known about it.

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Leon then slowly took his eyes off Tenji.

"Well, I've got the general gist. I'm glad you're alive, and that my rescue wasn't in vain. Also, congratulations on your Awakening." He said.

After only one eye contact, Leon concludes that Tenji has awakened.

As expected, Tenji couldn't hide his surprise and He let out a voice.

"Don't get too defensive. I don't like explorers, I don't like the media, and I don't like any associations. That's why I basically stay out of trouble." Leon said.

"Oh, um, ......"

"Take this for now, it will come in handy soon. And I won't interfere too much, so don't get involved with me too much, Tenji. Well, if you have any trouble, I'll at least consult with you."

Leon said and pulled out a single small gem from the empty space.

He forced the blue gem into Tenji's palm and handed it to him.

"What do you say ......"

Tenji had every reason to wonder.

The conversation was too one-sided from Leon. But it couldn't be helped because that is his nature.

"Just a few moments ago, I evaluated your calling, Tenji-kun. But it seems I couldn't determine your calling. I've never seen anything like this before, I don't know what kind of calling you've awakened to. Ah, don't ever say a word about it. I told you. I'm a rotten person who doesn't like to meddle or be meddled with."

Leon seemed to have it all figured out, who had been talking one-sidedly since a while ago.

Tenji had no choice but to nod in agreement with Leon's dignity and manner of speaking, which was convincing despite his appearance

"You're not going to pry more?"

"Hmm? Oh, maybe you're under the mistaken impression that you're the one being suspected? How could you be mistaken? It was you who defeated Black Kerberos."

"Mee?"

"I see you just woke up, Tenji. I'm pretty sure you went to ...... explorer high school. Then you know that, don't you? You know that when you awaken to your first-class vocation, you will receive one of three benefits."

"Yes, sir. Recovery, experience, or weapons, right?"

"That's right. Recovery, experience, weapons, and forcibly eliminating monsters within a radius of 500 meters.."

There are only four zero-grade explorers in the world.

One of them is Japanese, but few people know who he is. Tenji has just found out that the reason for this is that he "hates the media".

Leon, in front of him, stated that he was a zero-level explorer, and even spun his words as if he were giving advice to Tenji.

Thanks to his words, Tenji finally had some assurance about the cause of this situation.

[I was right, after all. The total recovery of my body is due to the benefits of the Awakening and ... the death of Black Keroberos. All the lines were connected. I can't put my complete trust in him yet, but I feel like I can trust this guy. This is the Zero-grade explorer, Leon Hyakuse. ...... He's somehow more human than I thought he'd be.]

"Forced elimination of monsters, that's how you were able to defeat Black Keroberos."

"Probably, because even I can't see the past, and Well, there is no way the association would believe that I defeated Black Keroberos in the early stages of Awakening, and their brains are as good as dead. So, for now, this concludes my mission."

Leon stands tall as if he's done with the moment.

At that moment, Tenji hurriedly spoke to Leon.

"Uh, sir!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"There's a corpse up ahead. ......"

"Up ahead? Then I guess I'll just collect it and go home."

"Oh, thank you!"

Tenji bowed his head vigorously.

[I didn't want to leave their bodies behind, partly because I had stripped them of their belongings and partly because of how I had helped them with the raid. And I had a gut feeling that Leon was someone I could trust.]

But----

It seems that Tenji's body had long ago exceeded its limits.

"Are you alright?.."

"Huh?"

As Leon speaks, Tenji falls forward on the spot. The fact that the Zero-class explorer came to help may have cut off the feelings he had kept in his energy. As soon as he was relieved, he lost his strength and felt his body was no longer his own.

"Oops, I guess I've reached my limit."

Leon hurriedly picked up Tenji and spoke gently to him.

"Sorry, sir. ...... power is ......"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take you back to the surface and you can have a good night's sleep. I'm sorry, I don't have the ability to heal that thing. Still, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Thanks ............ for ...... and thank you ...... for ............... ...and ......"

And then Tenji became unconscious.

TL Notes:

I hope you'll love it.

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