<<Previous Chapter | Let's Manage the Tower | Next Chapter>>
Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Silavin
Mia had come to the Management Floor with Riku.
Lately, Mia had been gathering information about the Tower in preparation for graduating from the academy next year.
She had not asked for details, but it appears that she would be writing her graduation thesis with the Tower as her main topic.
Towa, who was graduating this year, had already submitted his thesis and his graduation had been decided.
The title was ‘The Future of Razequa Amamiya and the Amamiya Tower’.
This paper, presented by Towa, who was set to become the next King, attracted a lot of attention.
Of course, it goes without saying that Kousuke and Floria made corrections before it was submitted.
However, Kousuke only read it through, and never said anything about correcting anything in particular. It had already become a foregone conclusion that Towa would be the next King.
Kousuke believes that there was no need for him to interfere unless Towa took a very strange path.
In that sense, he had also not given Mia, who had recently started investigating each Floor of the Tower, any specific advice.
He even goes so far as to say that it was dangerous to visit the higher Floors unless she had an escort like Kouhi or Mitsuki.
Kousuke had already given Mia the authority to use the Transfer Gate to a certain extent. Her only restriction was gaining access to the higher Floors as mentioned before, and she could move to any floors below almost freely.
She registered quickly, thinking that if she had to ask Kousuke’s permission every time, she would not be able to do her research.
Incidentally, Riku was following her because he wanted to defeat the monsters that appeared on the various Floors.
Riku’s own fighting ability was just about at the level where he could defeat low-level monsters on his own.
For this reason, Kouhi and Mitsuki accompany him as bodyguards, and high-ranking foxes always accompany him.
Even so, Riku had more than enough fighting ability for his age.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
When Kousuke saw Kouhi accompanying Mia and Riku, he decided to check in case anything happened.
“Are you going to the Middle Floors today?” Even though Kouhi was with them, they were still not allowed to enter the higher Floor, where high-ranking monsters appear.
It would be far too dangerous for Kouhi to go exploring those Floors leisurely with Mia and Riku as her only companions.
Kouhi could go in and out of the higher Floors as long as she had the authority to do so, but there was no way Kouhi would go against what Kousuke said.
“Yes. Today, I’ll be checking out the dungeons on the 60th Floor.”
“60… didn’t you say that area was where undead appeared?”
Kousuke could not help but blink.
By ‘undead’ he meant things like zombies. One of their most distinctive features was the terrible stench that wafts through the dungeon, depending on the level.
Kousuke knew that Mia disliked that smell and had avoided it until now.
As expected, Mia frowned when she heard the word ‘undead’.
“That’s true, but… we can’t avoid it forever just because we don’t like it.”
In her words, Kousuke could sense her determination to investigate the Tower, even if it meant investigating the floors she disliked.
“That’s right. …Then, I don’t want you to ask Kouhi to get rid of the smell.”
“What? Father?!”
Mia looked flustered at the sudden request.
Apparently, they would usually ask Kouhi to use her deodorizing magic in advance.
“Since you’re so enthusiastic about it, of course you should be able to directly sense the smell, right?”
Kousuke’s expression when he said this was clearly one of teasing, but whether Mia could see it or not, she became irritated.
“I understand. I’ll have to endure it properly.”
For Kousuke, it was just a bit of teasing, but it appears that Mia took it too seriously.
He quickly turned to Kouhi and she had already canceled the deodorizing spell. He responded with a ‘you know I didn’t mean what I said earlier, right?’
Kousuke did not say anything more, thinking that there was no need to stop them if they were so determined. Instead, he turned his words to Riku, who was with him.
“Mia’s putting up with it, so Riku won’t need deodorant, right? You can’t always use deodorant magic when you’re an adventurer.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to ask for it in the first place.”
Riku was still aiming to become an adventurer. He nodded firmly, indicating that he understood what he needed to do.
“I see. In that case, I won’t say anything more. I hope you do a good job investigating.”
“Well then, I’m off.”
“Bye.”
With Kousuke’s words as a cue, Mia and the others used the Transfer Gate to teleport away.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
It had been about three hours since Kousuke had seen them off when Mia and the others returned.
He had not thought that they would have been on that stinky Floor for such a long time, but it seemed that they had been investigating for exactly that long.
Perhaps because they had been in a place with a putrid stench for so long, they had picked up a slight smell.
“Ah, I feel alive! The air is so fresh!”
As soon as they returned, Mia said so and took a deep breath.
Next to Mia, Riku was also taking deep breaths repeatedly.
“What? Have you been cooped up in here all this time?”
“Yes! I told you to do a proper investigation. But thanks to you, I’ve learned many new things.”
Kousuke could not help but smile wryly at Mia, who said this with a gleam in her eye. He could relate to being so absorbed in something that he lose himself.
Kousuke decided to give her some advice, thinking that she probably did not realize how absorbed she was in her current state.
“Right. Before you start putting the results together, why don’t you go take a bath? You all smell.”
When Kousuke said this, Mia’s face suddenly changed color as if she had just remembered this fact, and she hurriedly brought the cuff of her sleeve up to her nose and sniffed.
“Ah! How could I have forgotten!”
After shouting those words, Mia forgot about her ladylike manners and ran off to the bathroom in a fluster.
Kousuke, who watched Mia’s reaction with a shake of his head, looked over at Riku.
“…Oh, dear. Riku, you’d better wait a while.”
“Yeah, but if I sit down like this, I’ll make the place I sit smell…”
Riku, who was worried that the stench would transfer, stammered as he spoke.
Looking at Riku like that, Kousuke laughed and replied.
“The room next to the bathroom was built for just such occasions. Don’t worry about it. Kouhi, take him there.”
When managing the Tower, there were plenty of times when they would have to go in and out of certain Floors and smelled.
Before Collete and the others became close, they would take separate baths, so there were rooms set aside for that purpose.
They have not been used that recently, though.
“I understand.” As soon as Riku nodded in agreement, Kouhi took him along.
The Floors that the children, especially Mia, frequent became noisier for better or for worse.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
“So? How was it?”
After Mia and Riku had freshened up in the bath, Kousuke asked them in the relaxation area.
“I discovered many new things.”
“I also learned a lot about how to fight zombies.”
It appears that they each had their own experiences, although they still suffered from the stench.
“I see.” For Kousuke, it was enough that they had returned safely, regardless of what had happened inside. He was especially glad that he did not have to pursue the matter any further, and just nodded his head in satisfaction.
“…Is that all?” However, Mia seems dissatisfied with Kousuke’s attitude.
Her face was asking him, ‘Father, ask me more’.
Kousuke gave a wry smile and asked Mia and Riku for more details.
<<Previous Chapter | Let's Manage the Tower | Next Chapter>>
