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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 31 Part 2

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Pasifista

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「— That’s as expected… I suppose I did notice your abnormality. But you see, we’re in different grades, and there’s also an unwritten rule pertaining to the dungeon conquest method, so I didn’t ask for details. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us and that you were not bad kids, after all. But you know what?」

「I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.」

Rinko-senpai, who is sitting in front of the chabudai, points at the quietly lying Saber Tooth King Tiger (Panzer Tiger) with her droopy eyes.

「That is too much.」

「I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.」

Seiichi, who is strangely humbling himself, is repeating the same lines like a robot.

Now that the mysterious chaos has passed, the club room of『Adept Workers』, which is temporary closed with the shutter by the club room entrance having been lowered, is bustling with festivities.

I thought that perhaps they had turned blue due to being repulsed by the raw carcasses, but they have skinned and dismantled it with sleight hands.

Glaring-san slash Kurumi-senpai, the main butcher, turns out to have great skills.

Even just from the initial skinning process, I can tell that she has both technical knowledge as well as experience.

I wonder if she learns how to do dismantling and the like in class.

「I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of a monster whose original form is preserved like that.」

「I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.」

Seiichi, who is bowing her head like a grasshopper chewing on rice, seems like going to awaken to masochism.

I don’t know why, but Mikan-senpai has gone to change her clothes, so Rinko-senpai is in charge of the place.

Rinko-senpai is giving off a crisp, big-sisterly vibe, but I think the person herself is more of an M than an S in nature.

「The leader of the party is you, right? Please at least make an effort to appear a little more normal. Or rather, please be sure to rein that child. He’s weird enough that you can find various things to retort to even with just a glance, after all.」

With a snap, Rinko-senpai points her finger at my side.

I have a feeling that there’s some sort of misunderstanding here, but first of all, my feet are getting numb, so I’m wondering if it’s okay to undo my seiza.

「Well, these days, I’ve also… come to losing sight of what thing is strange and what isn’t, or something.」

「Say, say. Is there anything wrong with us? Didn’t we just normally gather monster materials from dungeon?」

In place of the groggy boyfriend, Mai joins the fray, brandishing a cat punch.

「It’s not normal at all, alright? Listen well. When you defeat a monster in the dungeon, the body of this monster will disintegrate into its constituent material, magical energy. The concentrated item of that magical energy reduction is the monster crystal, while part of the monster is a material. These are『Drop Item』.」

「Y, you don’t say.」

Perhaps having her processing power overloaded already, the aura of defeat is looming over Mai.

「That’s why in the dungeon, it’s impossible for a carcass with no missing parts like that to be left behind.」

「Th, that, that’s way on minute level, there should also be a possibility for all the parts to be dropped!」

Such an idea is nonexistent.

It’s like the overbearing logic of kidnapping the owner altogether while claiming to have picked up a lost wallet, or the novel idea of punching out the referee in a boxing match after losing the decision before then declaring themselves winner.

「… The possibility is not zero, but such a thing would definitely catch the attention of the academy and be confiscated as a sample. Given that you’ve bypassed the check gate and taken the thing out, I guess you are out in various ways.」

「Err, there is such a thing?」

「I suppose there is. Such a thing.」

Seiichi, heaving out a deep sigh, replies to Mai, who turns around and tilts her head.

It seems that a scientific as well as magical surveillance system has been installed on the route from the underground floor where Rashomon is located to the surface.

I wonder if they get to look at you nude with a body scanner or something.

Is it also possible to do an exciting chat play, talking with the inspector-san with an innocent look while having a strange toy remain inserted in your asshole?

Starting with the combo of doing such a thing at the airport and getting taken to the inspection room, it’s not unthinkable for a rapid development akin to that of the Oh Yes Oh Yes project to follow after.

It’s a situation play that I’m somewhat interested in asking Shizuka to give it a try.

For the time being, I’ll play the role of the suspect.

「In short. What kind of relationship are you intending to interact with from here on? I guess things come down to that. I bet you know what I mean, don’t you?」

「Well, I guess so.」

「We’ve all come along since Mikan-chan is like that, so you should just take your time and make your choice.」

In the bustling and slightly reeking of blood club room, Rinko-senpai takes a sip from her cold teacup.

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「Umm, in short, what do you mean?」

Dusk, right past the closing of gates time of Rashomon.

The figures of the students who had finished their work were vanishing from the unusually crowded workshop as well.

It was the period of time when the sun was setting, but in accordance to the intense wish of Saki, the group was acting together with the members of Adept Workers.

「Well, I guess it’s recruitment.」

「Does that mean you want us to join『Adept Workers』 club?」

In the booth, which was in activated state, a hammer-wielding Mikan was clanging, forging the saber tooth of the Saber Tooth King Tiger (Panzer Tiger).

The『Process』 of simply altering the shape of a material was a basic skill of the『Craftsman』.

And『Blacksmiths』, its superior class, had a skill called『Forging』 which allowed them to add various kinds of power to the subject matter.

Skills of『Craftsman』 branching, which were non-combat oriented, were generally considered useless skills.

It wasn’t in the meaning that the effects were weak or vague, but in that these were skills that couldn’t be used to their full potential.

In the creation of items and armor, there was a need for a good sense and understanding of the subject matter, in other words, the person in question ought to understand its mechanics and principles.

It could be said that the degree of freedom was too high.

「That’s how it is. Once we become fellow members, we’ll be on the same boat, so we’ll together protect the secrets that ought to not be exposed.」

「Umm, the lifting of the restrictions related to clubs should be after the May holidays, right? So it’s like a false start scout?」

Seiichi and Mai were sitting on disposed materials that had been left in the corner of the workshop.

The other members were observing the weapons creation that they had seen for the first time.

「Weren’t we planning to make a new club?」

「Well, yeah.」

*Clang, clang* The sound of the hammer pounding rhythmically echoed in the air.

At first, Mikan had been nervous under the gaze of the visitors, but right now she was wholeheartedly absorbed in her work.

The katana that Mikan was forging was different from Western-style swords, which were made by simply grinding steel into the shape of a blade.

It was a sword that embodied a unique and, to put it bluntly, unusual design concept.

Did not break, did not bend, a sword that contained the contradictory properties of steel in one sword.

Even if the material was steel matter, which was falsely similar to iron, the hybrid structure molding where a soft core was covered with a hard cast was due to Mikan’s understanding of the design concept of『katana』.

「So what’s the meaning of this? Is there any merit for us in joining Mikan-chan-senpai’s club?」

「Well, I guess it’s easier than applying for a new club. Actually, that’s about the whole merit of it. If there’s a need to, it’s easy to raise a craftsman or two, after all.」

*Clang, clang* Steels struck against each other, and pale phosphorescence danced like fireflies.

「The『Adept Workers』 club is, to put it bluntly, a gathering of drop outs. They’re not the same as the bunch of the Enjoy group who have given up, though. They haven’t given up, but their classes are not designed for combat, so ultimately they can’t do anything about it either.」

They were useful to have as backup members for dungeon conquest, but they were not essential.

The clubs who harbored such a thought held the majority, so those other than battle oriented classes were treated as a burden.

「In fact, in the dungeon, 『Debauchee (NEET)』 seems to still have more fighting power than them, after all. If the surrounding supports are out of commission, 『Craftsman』 seems to also join the fray, but there’s no way for Mikan-chan-senpai and the others, who have no firepower class, to accomplish anything.」

「… That’s why, they want us to join them?」

「It’s okay. We won’t hold you responsible even after our club is shut down, which will happen sooner or later, such is the advice.」

Clang, The sound of a hammering echoed.

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