Dungeon Start Heroine Tamer and Training Mission! ~Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about strong, cute, and beautiful female adventurers… All of them are my followers!
In front of the hall, a single microbus for transportation was parked alongside.
“Please, get on board. You can place your equipment and luggage on any empty seats.”
Examiner Noda smiled with the calmness of an adult, gesturing for us to board.
So cool, so cool indeed, Mr. Noda.
I want to grow up to be like you.
And not just any adult—I want to become one who lives off passive income, eating all day and sleeping all night.
“Hoooi!”
Competitor #016 cheerfully boarded the bus first.
Following him, I also stepped onto the bus.
On the driver’s side were two seats across, six rows deep.
On the entrance side was a single seat per row, also six rows long.
“I’ll sit here then!”
#016 made his way to the last row, where there were four adjacent seats, and threw himself into them in a bold, relaxed manner.
Ah~.
Bright, outgoing types probably love sitting at the back of the bus (stereotyping).
…
……
Wanting to keep some distance, I immediately claimed the seat directly behind the driver as my own.
I placed my gear and equipment on the seat behind it, and sat by the window on one of the two-seat rows.
Because it’s a microbus, the seats weren’t particularly spacious.
But expecting comfort for such a short trip to the exam site would be too much to ask.
“Ahh, Rainami-kun is sitting there? Then I’ll——”
“Eh?”
While I was thinking that, I noticed something—Nishizono was trying to sit next to me…
Umm… Miss Nishizono?
There are plenty of other empty seats available.
Wouldn’t it be really cramped if we both sat side-by-side like this?
“Yoshisho… (sits down )”
She placed her equipment and belongings on the seat right behind us,
and without hesitation, Nishizono casually took the seat beside me.
As expected, my left upper arm brushed against her right arm.
If I didn’t consciously keep my legs closed, they’d likely bump into her right leg too.
“Hmm… hehehe.”
But Nishizono showed no sign of discomfort.
Rather, while slightly bashful, she seemed oddly relieved.
Like a girlfriend who finds more comfort in a tiny six-tatami room rather than a spacious mansion when cohabiting.
…Well, I wouldn’t know anything about being alone, but honestly, that’s exactly how Miss Nishizono looked.
Seeing her look so completely at ease like that,
there was no choice but to accept the inconvenience of tight space and crowding.
If that small discomfort could even slightly support Nishizono’s mental state, it was worth it.
By the way…
From beside me came a sweet floral scent—really pleasant.
So apparently, my mental state was being considered too. Got it.
Close proximity + cute girl smell = pure bliss!!
“Everyone seems seated now. Then we’ll depart for the dungeon that will serve as the examination venue. The ride should take about 20 minutes, though it may vary depending on traffic conditions. Please understand.”
Examiner Noda settled into the single seat on the left near the entrance.
After explaining this to everyone—including #016 at the very back—he gave the driver the signal to start.
The bus carrying us began moving toward the exam location.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
We didn’t end up stuck in traffic as Noda had mentioned.
Although occasionally delayed by red lights, the microbus smoothly proceeded along the road.
Even while swaying inside the vehicle,
my thoughts drifted—not to the exam, but elsewhere.
Just like this microbus—
having direct transportation to the dungeon was incredibly convenient.
Student adventurers, of course,
but even full-time adventurers with modest incomes typically relied on public transport for mobility.
But adventurers tended to carry a lot of equipment and tools,
so even minor trips could be quite burdensome depending on the person.
“Being able to place our stuff is so nice~. Once we earn more money, we should get a car too, huh?”
My neighbor Nishizono must have been thinking something similar.
It was surprisingly relaxing to move around without worrying about disturbing other passengers or managing hand luggage.
That kind of convenience allowed better focus on dungeon exploration—seemed nothing but beneficial.
“Yeah.”
“…Back when I was a kid, you couldn’t drive until you turned eighteen. But nowadays, as long as you hold an adventurer’s license, you can take and obtain a regular driver’s license.”
Unexpectedly, Examiner Noda joined the conversation from nearby.
Since we were still en route and hadn’t reached the actual exam yet, casual chat probably wasn’t an issue.
“Aaah! Right, we learned that during the licensing class! Right, Rainami-kun?”
Nishizono used her natural social skills to pass the conversational ball to me.
Of course I remember.
Especially since I got my driver’s license last year because of that.
The lonely meals I ate alone in restaurants.
The isolated seats during classes, never having anyone beside me.
At the end, the instructor awkwardly saying, “Ahaha, congrats on passing! Want to take a commemorative photo with me?”
Ugh, my head feels like splitting again!
And during the final driving test, the old lady wandering in front of the crosswalk—
even now, I believe she was a trap set by the sadistic examiner testing whether I’d prioritize pedestrians over passing.
Man, that was close…
“Yeah. — ‘Those who possess an adventurer’s license are exempt from age requirements,’ right?”
Suppressing the urge to claw at my chest or bury my face in the pillow and scream,
I somehow managed to respond to Nishizono’s killer pass.
“Yes, exactly.”
I inwardly sighed in relief at Noda’s gentle nod, watching over us like a mentor.
The conversation ended on a good note.
Glancing out the window to my right, I caught sight of a “clan car” on the opposite lane.
Similar to company-owned vehicles,
some clans owned cars specifically for transportation.
The car bore the clan name 【Okanomichi no Manaka】 written boldly on its body.
I often heard jokes like,
“We should make the clan car a Crown.”
When adventurers form a clan,
owning a clan car—
especially a luxury model like the Toyota Crown—
was often spoken of as a goal to aspire to.
Because owning one meant
you’d grown into a stable, well-earning clan capable of affording big money.
Some clans even hired dedicated drivers.
I want to earn enough to be like that someday…
Of course… through passive income!!
“……We’re almost there.”
No more than three minutes passed after Noda said that,
when the bus arrived at the F-rank dungeon.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
After a ten-minute break for bathroom use and preparation,
we gathered again in front of the dungeon entrance.
Besides Noda,
two men and women wearing name tags labeled “Assistant Examiners” stood waiting.
They didn’t introduce themselves but positioned themselves behind us four participants,
supporting Noda and ready for emergencies.
“Well then, let’s begin.”
Finally, the exam was starting.
“First up will be… ‘Sakamoto’-san. Please lead us forward until you encounter a monster.”
Upon entering the dungeon, Noda gave instructions.
They would go in order of registration numbers, youngest first.
“Eh!? Ah, um, y-yes.”
But #016—or rather, Sakamoto-san—
reacted like he’d just been told something utterly unexpected.
His flustered expression—”Wait, really ME first!?”—showed someone completely unprepared.
He was a totally different person compared to the cheerful guy boarding the bus earlier.
Hmm.
Didn’t he review what the exam would be like beforehand?
“Umm? Is this okay…?”
“……”
Sakamoto slowly, painstakingly advanced at a snail’s pace.
Occasionally glancing back nervously, but Noda remained silent.
Watching him walk ahead anxiously made me feel anxious too.
In short…
He clearly came unprepared, winging it entirely.
Thinking F-rank was easy,
that he could just mess around and scrape by with momentum and luck.
It was obvious he came without preparing at all.
Or maybe he planned to observe what others did and copy them.
But unluckily for him, he drew first place.
…
Fifteen minutes passed with no monster encounters.
During that time, only the sound of Noda writing notes on his clipboard could be heard.
With every second, Sakamoto’s expression grew more anxious.
A curve with no visible end.
A fork in the road shaped like a Y.
Searching online for terms like “adventurer F-rank exam grading criteria,”
you’d instantly find these typical critical points.
But Sakamoto missed them all,
earning merciless marks from Examiner Noda with each oversight.
“GIIISYAA!!”
Finally, a monster appeared in view.
It was a goblin wielding a club.
“Then Sakamoto-san. You’ve seen the monster. Decide whether to engage in combat or not.”
Noda finally gave instructions after a long silence.
Yes.
Engaging monsters
is an extremely important evaluation criterion in adventurer rank exams.
And the decision to fight or not
rests entirely with the examinee.
Furthermore, under the standard system—where mistakes result in point deductions—
defeating monsters is the sole opportunity for earning bonus points.
Which is precisely why proper judgment ability is required.
“Umm—”
Sakamoto hesitated briefly.
…
But catching a glimpse of Nishizono silently observing from behind,
he seemed to steel his resolve.
It looked like he wanted to regain favor with Nishizono after performing poorly so far.
“All right—I’m doing it! I’ll fight the monster!”
“Understood. Then proceed.”
But Noda responded plainly, dousing Sakamoto’s enthusiasm.
Sakamoto blinked in surprise for a moment.
…Well, naturally.
Noda probably had zero interest in Sakamoto’s feelings for Nishizono.
“GIIISYAAA—”
Meanwhile, the goblin seized the initiative during their hesitation.
It charged at Sakamoto at the front and swung its club.
“Waaaah, ah, eh!?”
Sakamoto barely blocked with his one-handed sword.
But shocked by an early attack from a goblin he assumed he could easily defeat, he visibly panicked.
“Ugh, waaah!! — Slash!!”
Confused and swinging wildly, he activated his skill.
But the small slash flew off in a completely wrong direction, nowhere near the goblin.
His confidence shattered by the failed skill activation, Sakamoto became increasingly fearful.
His movements became erratic, confused.
Seemingly unaware of directions—forward, backward, left, or right—
he only tried to escape the terrifying source of danger: the goblin.
Nowhere could be seen the actions
one should logically take after deciding to fight a monster.
Eventually, when the goblin approached dangerously close to the rest of us,
Noda switched his clipboard for a weapon.
With a single, clean strike, he felled the goblin,
then addressed Sakamoto.
“Sakamoto-san, today’s exam is over. You’ve failed. Thank you for your effort.”
Though expected, hearing the word “failure” still sent a knot tightening in my stomach.
Not necessarily out of sympathy for Sakamoto.
More because I imagined myself failing similarly if I messed up.
“Eh… failure…?”
He repeated the unfamiliar word sluggishly, as if tasting it.
He still seemed unable to fully grasp the situation he was in.
“The assistant examiners will accompany you outside the dungeon. You may wait on the bus, or return home directly from here if you prefer.”
“Ahh—”
Gently guided by the male assistant examiner,
he finally seemed to grasp, at least slightly, the reality of his failure.
Dazed, he trudged back along the path we’d come.
“Now then. Let’s continue. Rainami-san, please lead the way inside the dungeon.”
Following registration number order, it was finally my turn.
――――
Afterword
To everyone who was hoping for #16’s performance, I’m sorry.
It seems Sakamoto has dropped out here… (tears)
Since Sakamoto is a boy, it was only natural he couldn’t become Rainami’s follower (heroine),
nor could he become Nishizono’s hero either… (distant gaze)
But Sakamoto’s efforts won’t go to waste.
Surely, Rainami will soon meet another suitable heroine candidate worthy of being by his side!!