Several days after the sudden debut of Lion Telecom’s new mascot, Seo Hikaru, Lion Telecom’s advertisements began appearing all over the city, with Hikaru prominently featured at the forefront. As a result, it was only natural that more and more people came to at least vaguely remember Hikaru’s face. Attention toward Inari had temporarily waned, and Inari was thoroughly enjoying a very pleasant bus ride to Akabane.
As for where Inari was now—she was at Akabane Port. Akabane Port, now functioning as a logistics hub, also operated regular ferries for the general public to cross over to Saitama.
Because when monsters destroyed bridges, repairs took enormous time, effort, and money, ferries had naturally become the preferred means of crossing the river. And of course, Awakeners, upon presenting their ID cards, could ride for free.
"Yes, thank you for presenting your card. The next ferry bound for Kawaguchi Port will depart in fifteen minutes."
"Aye, I thank thee."
"Have a good journey!"
Exchanging such words and receiving her ticket, Inari made her way to the ferry. Already, a few people had boarded the boat heading for Kawaguchi Port. Among them, however, there weren’t many Awakeners to be seen.
Given that Saitama had dungeons too, and that reservations should be fairly active, this was curious.
"Mmm...?"
Tilting her head slightly, Inari decided that letting this unknown detail go unanswered would only feel unpleasant. Thus, she tugged lightly on the sleeve of a nearby Awakener and spoke up.
"Pardon, but might I have a word with thee?"
"Eh? Ah, you're... from FoxPhone!"
"Kogami Inari, at thy service. Judging by thine appearance, thou art an Awakener as well, art thou not?"
"Thanks for the courtesy. Name’s Mitsuhashi. What’s up? You inviting me to a party or something?"
"Nay. I merely wondered why there seemeth to be so few Awakeners aboard this vessel."
Hearing Inari’s question, Mitsuhashi let out an understanding "Ahh." To him, it was common knowledge, but he realized there might be those who didn’t know. At the same time, he thought it might not be a bad idea to earn some favor with a famous Awakener like Inari, and thus put on his most kindly expression.
"Well, see, it’s because of the river."
"The river...? 'Tis not as though we cannot swim, surely."
"Even if you can swim, the question is whether you can outswim aquatic monsters."
Exactly. Dungeon gates could, of course, appear underwater as well. And when they did, dealing with them tended to be slower.
Even nowadays, when dungeon appearances could be somewhat detected in advance, dealing with underwater ones still couldn't be done instantly. Especially with the “First Pacific Dungeon” out in the Pacific Ocean, which was still under an impenetrable defensive lockdown, continuously spewing aquatic monsters.
While monsters from there were currently being handled, there was no guarantee a dungeon gate wouldn’t appear in the bottom of the Arakawa River at any moment. And if it did, the Awakeners aboard the ferry would be expected to deal with it.
Expected to... but few wanted to.
"With only basic underwater gear, you can't match a water monster’s movements. You can barely fight at half your normal ability. And to make it worse, the non-Awakened passengers will just look at you like you're useless... So, how many people do you think want to go through that? It’s no wonder most folks figure it's better to take the bus even if it’s a longer route."
"Hmm... Yet thou seemeth content to ride, nonetheless?"
"I’m fine. I’m not that strong anyway, so I’m used to being seen as useless."
Mitsuhashi laughed, saying time was more important to him, but Inari replied thoughtfully with a "hmm."
Surely, even if one was used to it, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. And yet, he still chose to ride. It couldn’t simply be a matter of convenience. Perhaps it was precisely because he understood the situation that he thought someone ought to be there, even if it was just him. If so... Inari found it rather admirable.
"Aye. Thy spirit of resolve, I find most admirable. Worry not, good deeds are ever seen by those who matter. The day thou art rewarded shall not be far off, I warrant."
"Wh-!? Y-You’ve got the wrong idea, alright!?"
"Aye, aye, mayhap so."
As they conversed, the ferry set off, crossing the Arakawa River in hardly any time at all. No monsters appeared, and no dungeon gates manifested. Peace was a good thing.
Mitsuhashi, though, seemed oddly exhausted by the encounter... Well, such was fate.
As they disembarked together at Kawaguchi Port, Mitsuhashi called out to Inari.
"So, Miss Kogami, which dungeon are you headed for?"
"The Saitama Dungeon No. 3, I reckon. I have heard 'tis an intriguing place."
"Ah, that one, huh. Right nearby."
Saitama Dungeon No. 3. It was likely the most famous dungeon in Saitama.
Because it was both the most profitable dungeon in the region—and also the most dangerous in terms of mortality rate.
Unless someone was aiming for a big payday, few dared to challenge it. In that sense, it was an “interesting place,” filled with challengers who either had eyes sparkling with hope that they could make it, or eyes desperate to change their fate here and now.
There were even spectators from outside the prefecture who came just to gawk — a distasteful pastime, but common enough that security had to drive them away during major raids.
From what Mitsuhashi could see, Inari showed no signs of tension. And if the news was to be believed, she was extremely strong.
"…Be careful, yeah? That place is seriously dangerous."
"Oho, I thank thee. I shall take care, indeed."
Waving her hand, Inari walked away, and Mitsuhashi watched her go. He wanted to offer to help, but he knew that with his own strength, he would just die needlessly.
Thus, as he headed toward his own destination, he simply prayed that he wouldn’t be seeing her name in tragic headlines in the days to come.