Only I Level up My Dungeon Equipment! - Chapter 7

The Hero’s Party

Translated by NotBlueYet

Edited by Kingavent

“Incompetent, poor people shouldn’t be eating in the same place as us.”

A member of the Hero Party said this to Kenya.

His name was Toshio Sato.

A pitiful man named by his parents as a joke.

It was probably because of the name Sugar and Salt that his character was so crooked.

“I don’t care, I’m having fun. Leave me alone.”

That one word flipped his switch.

“What?　Who the hell do you think you’re talking to…?”

“Let’s go.”

The one who stopped him is a girl who has taken on the profession of a brave warrior.

She is so famous that not a day goes by when I don’t see her on TV.

And the person I admire…

A girl with beautiful hair, and is expressionless  .

A cool beauty, somewhat mysterious, takes one look at me and takes Sato with her.

I wondered if she remembered me since she bailed me out, even though we were supposed to be acquainted with each other.

“Damn!”

And with a cluck of his tongue, Sato was gone.

For some reason, he seemed to be staring at Nana.

“Are you okay, big brother?”

“Hmm?　Yeah, I’m fine.”

But I’m a little worried about Sato since we go to the same school.

I joined the Hero Party through Sato in the first place.

～

That was a year ago.

“Hey!　My name is Sato. Who are you?”

“I’m Kenya Mitsurugi!　Nice to meet you!”

We met at the entrance ceremony of our high school.

We happened to be seated next to each other in the same class.

Then Sato looked at the copper-colored adventurer tag around my neck.

“You’re a registered adventurer, aren’t you? What’s your occupation?　Did they give you something?”

“Yeah, I got ‘alchemist’. I don’t know much about it, but…”

(Alchemist… I’ve never heard of it. I’ll keep it in mind for now.)

“Come to my guild!　We have a Hero too!”

Sato’s father was one of the first to start a company wholesaling weapons.

The company grew rapidly and became a huge corporation.

Today, it is probably the largest equipment-related company in Japan.

Then, with money to spare, Sato created a guild.

A guild with up-and-coming momentum.

Its name is Sugar & Salt. Is it a self-defeating guild?

For this reason, Sato had it all rigged up with expensive C-rank equipment.

The total cost would be 20 million.

He should not even have the power to accompany that equipment.

His occupation is a holy knight, a very easy-to-handle job where all abilities are now compensated 1.5 times by raising the skill level.

He has reached the 20th level due to the ease of that profession, money, and status.

“No, it’s okay!”

“Yeah, just come over today.”

I was honestly pleased with Sato’s invitation.

I didn’t know much about this job yet, so I was very grateful to have a friend who would fight with me.

But…

Six months later.

“You’re fired!”

“Huh?”

In the plaza of the Sugar & Salt guild headquarters, in front of everyone, I was fired.

“Eh?　That’s not it, you incompetent!　What’s with that job, it’s nothing but a piece of shit that can only strengthen E-rank weapons.”

I couldn’t even get up out of my skin.

Raising the skill level only increases the number of times you have to smelt…

No wonder they called me incompetent.

Still, I needed money.

“So, but I need money!　Can you somehow keep it for me?”

I pleaded on my knees.

I can’t be thrown away here.

“What?　I don’t know!　This ain’t no guild for incompetents. And leave all your equipment behind, okay?”

“Oh, no, I spent half a year collecting this stuff…ugh!”

Did he hit me?

I felt pain in my cheek and my brain shook.

From my prone position on the ground, I understood that I had been hit.

“And that’s all thanks to the equipment I lent you!　You’re brazen, you poor bastard!　Does having a single parent make you poor at heart, too?”

Swearing, Sato takes all my stuff.

I wanted to argue that my parents had nothing to do with it, but I couldn’t speak properly.

“Give it back…ugh!”

And then I am punched in the stomach.

He is a holy knight and his equipment is C rank.

There is no way I can beat him.

With a groan, I was thrown outside in the pouring rain, alone.

I shed tears as I banged on the door again and again, begging for it back.

I had borrowed some of his equipment, but I had also spent half a year collecting it.

“This is a good opportunity!　Quit being an explorer!　You incompetent profession!”

The voice yelling at me through the door brought me to my knees.

I knew I wasn’t cut out to be an explorer.

With my status, which does not benefit from a job, it is honestly difficult for me to traverse a dungeon.

It might be good medicine for me who has always been piggybacked and dragged down by my companions.

Still, I can’t stop crying out of frustration.

My mother collapsed, and I have been working hard as an explorer, working part-time every day and whipping my tired body into shape.

I have worked hard as an explorer, hoping to earn money one day.

But the result is this.

She has managed to study, do housework, and adventure without sleep, but she has reached the end of her rope.

My heart was at its limit, so I gave up.

Let’s give up on being an explorer.

I would give up my dream of adventure, a dream in which I risked my life and managed to earn a little more than a part-time job.

I was excited about the adventure.

Boss battles were always exciting.

I wondered what kind of enemy would appear next.

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What kind of enviroment awaited us next?

Let’s give up those exciting dreams of adventure here.

And that girl I longed for…

Kenya gave up.

I gave up and understood.

But for some reason, I could not find strength in my legs.

Why can’t I stand up?

Why can’t I stop crying?

It was as if my heart was about to burst.

I felt frustrated and ashamed, but there was nothing I could do about it.

I cried there until the rain stopped.

～

That’s how I was exiled and how I gave up being an adventurer at one time.