Chapter 48: Now That I’m a Proper Adult, Having No Experience Is Embarrassing, So I’ve Thought About Gaining Some… but It’s Not Like Just Anyone Will Do

"Now that I’m a proper adult, having no experience is embarrassing, so I’ve thought about gaining some... but it’s not like just anyone will do."

In a self-deprecating tone, Lumia added.

"Maybe that’s why the frustration has continued. It’s a pathetic story for someone my age, isn’t it?"

"With someone like you, Lumia-san, there should be any number of men who’d want to be your partner."

"That’s just it... people who are my type and who seem like they’d go along with it are hard to find."

"According to Sexual Appraisal, it said you like younger guys. Are younger guys your type?"

At Kazui’s question, Lumia gave a small nod.

"Cute younger boys like you, Kazu-kun, are my type."

Kazui took Lumia’s words not seriously, but as a joke.

Because he basically believed he was not popular with women, he did not take the words that he was a woman’s "type" at face value.

"Then, shall I be your partner?"

After asking in a light tone, Kazui added.

"If I can be the partner of a beauty like you, Lumia-san, I’d be happy."

He had meant it purely as a joke, but he ended up thinking about what it would be like if he actually became Lumia’s partner.

(Come to think of it, Lumia-san... she’s a former adventurer, and she even participated in yesterday’s battle, so she must have various skills.)

Because the places they had been assigned were different, Kazui had not been on the battlefield with Lumia the day before.

However, when he met her at the Guild Hall before the battle, he had heard that she would be deployed as a combatant in a different location.

Then Kazui realized something.

If he really became Lumia’s partner, he would be able to copy skills from her.

"If I became Lumia-san’s partner, I’d probably be able to copy skills too, so in the sense that my ability would improve, it would make me happy as well."

He ended up voicing the thought that had come to him.

Of course, he was not serious; he said it purely as a light joke.

"...In that case, maybe I’ll have you be my partner."

In a light tone, Lumia continued.

"As someone in charge of newcomers, I want to cooperate with anything that raises the ability of a newcomer like you, Kazu-kun. And I’m the one who advised you to concentrate on increasing skills through Replication... after all."

Kazui thought that Lumia was simply returning his joke with a joke of her own.

Her tone, just like his, had a light feel to it.

"Kazu-kun, do you have any plans after this?"

"I’m just going to buy a martial arts uniform and such; I don’t have anything else in particular."

"I... was on the early shift today, so I finish work at two in the afternoon. After that I’m free, so come to my place."

With the wristwatch on her left wrist, Lumia checked the current time.

"Let’s meet around half past two in front of the cylinder."

(Huh? Could it be that Lumia-san... wasn’t joking, and was actually serious?)

At this stage, Kazui began to hesitate in his judgment.

Lumia’s expression and tone had a light feel, but because she had even specified a meeting time and place, it started to seem to him as if she might be serious.

(No way... there’s no way she could be serious.)

Kazui was confused and thought it over, but Lumia, as if to say that this conversation was over, changed the subject.

"We’ve strayed quite a bit from the topic, so let’s get back to the main point. You came today to receive the reward from yesterday’s defense battle, right?"

"Ah, yes."

Because the topic had suddenly switched back to the original business, Kazui answered in a fluster.

As a result, he lost the timing to confirm with Lumia whether the previous conversation had been a joke or serious.

"Yuri-kun, who’s in a party with you, will also complete the procedures together, so could you call him?"

Asked by Lumia, Kazui turned around.

"Yuri! We’re going to do yesterday’s procedures together with mine!"

Kazui called out to Yuri, who was talking with a familiar female adventurer about ten meters away.

"Well then, see you later at the gym!"

Saying that, Yuri cut short his conversation with the female adventurer and walked over to the booth.

"How was Kazu’s Sexual Appraisal?"

Standing next to Kazui, Yuri asked Lumia with interest.

"It was accurate. Various secrets got known by Kazu-kun."

After answering Yuri in a joking tone, Lumia continued.

"Let me check your Orb."

Yuri held out the back of his left hand in front of Lumia.

"Excuse me."

Saying that, Lumia touched a newly prepared Authenticas to the Orb.

Then, just as with Kazui, various textual information floated up onto the Authenticas.

Looking through Yuri’s Authenticas, Lumia authenticated that it was Yuri himself and then checked his status.

"Yuri-kun’s level went up too."

"Probably because I used Leonization."

"If you had used Leonization earlier, you would have long since stopped being a trainee and become a lower-rank adventurer."

Kazui looked at Lumia’s face as she spoke with Yuri.

Her expression was the same as usual, and he could not read any particular change.

(That earlier thing was a joke, right? No, but... what if it was real?)

Kazui thought it over, but he could not arrive at an answer.

In the end, without being able to answer the question, he finished the procedures together with Yuri, received the reward from yesterday’s city defense battle, and left the counter booth where Lumia was.