Chapter 3

As the cherry petals danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

I hurried home.

“I’m home—”

I cautiously opened the door and entered.

The next moment—

“You’re so late, big brother!”

“Whoa!”

A sharp chopstick was thrust right in front of my face.

In front of the chopstick stood a girl with an angry expression.

“Sorry, Hana. I got carried away with the strategy.”

“...Well, it’s fine. But I’ll reheat dinner, so hurry up and wash your hands and rinse your mouth.”

“Yes.”

Leaving those words, the girl—my younger sister by two years, Amane Hana—went back to the living room.

I quickly washed my hands and rinsed my mouth, then followed after Hana.

The dining table was lined with delicious dishes, and I immediately started eating.

“Itadakimasu. Yeah, it’s good. As always, Hana’s cooking is the best in the world!”

“...What’s with the sudden flattery? It’s creepy.”

“Ugh!”

Her sharp words pierced my heart deeply.

“So, did something good happen?”

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Well, you suddenly started saying things that don’t make sense and came home unusually late, so I just wondered.”

“I see... Yeah, something good did happen.”

And it was a really, really good thing.

“Is this good thing related to the dungeon?”

“Yeah. It was something that made me feel like it was worth it to keep being an adventurer without giving up.”

“I see... That’s great.”

Hana showed a genuinely relieved expression.

Still, she must be feeling guilty, I guess.

Our parents went missing in an accident while traveling abroad a few years ago.

We’re living off the money they left us, but it’s not enough for us to live extravagantly.

For example, if both of us were to go to university, we would have a much tighter budget.

So, to let the academically excellent Hana go to university, I became an adventurer right after high school to earn money—

I didn’t tell her directly, but Hana believes I became an adventurer under those circumstances.

No matter how many times I tried to explain otherwise, she wouldn’t believe me and just looked apologetic. Seeing her like that, I gave up on explaining.

I believed it was better for Hana if I didn’t bring up the topic—

Actually, that wasn’t the real reason.

I became an adventurer because I had always admired them.

I got tired of explaining it since she never believed me, anyway. Normally.

I’m not a bad guy!

“So, has big brother become strong enough to challenge a C-rank dungeon yet?”

Hana laughed mischievously.

She knows my level is around 100, so she’s probably joking.

Dungeons get significantly harder from C-rank.

While E-rank requires a minimum of 15 levels and D-rank requires 50 levels for solo clearing, C-rank requires 300 levels.

Even if you form a party, you generally want at least 250 levels, and reaching that level can be considered a significant milestone for an adventurer.

If I continue leveling up at my current pace, it will take more than a year.

That’s probably why Hana said it jokingly...

But now, thanks to the dungeon teleportation ability, I can level up efficiently.

Using it, I should be able to reach that level in less than a month.

“Listen and be amazed, actually—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

My instincts told me I shouldn’t say this.

After all, the new power I gained allows me to bypass the common obstacle for adventurers worldwide—the rechallenge period.

If others found out I was using it to level up efficiently, they would surely think it was cheating.

Depending on the situation, I might even be attacked out of jealousy or anger.

I don’t think Hana would spread the word, but you never know where information might leak from.

This should remain my secret.

“? What’s wrong, big brother? You suddenly spaced out.”

“No, nothing. Unfortunately, it will still take a while before I can reach C-rank.”

“Yeah, I knew that.”

“Then could you not ask?”

“Well, it’s inevitable. While talking to the neighbor’s aunt, she mentioned that the child of the Asakura family in the next town is already challenging B-rank dungeons, even though they’re the same age as you. I just wondered how our big brother measures up. Though, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t partly to tease you.”

Who’s this Asakura person?

And yeah, it was probably just to tease me.

“Ah, if we keep talking this long, the food will get cold again. Hurry up and eat everything.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Hana and I enjoyed our conversation and meal, spending a pleasant family time together.