Chapter 144.1
Military Otaku High School Girl Shark
Toga Ruri. This petite high school girl, also known as Shark, is truly unique. Typically, high school girls are into cute things and cosmetics to become beautiful. They would adore handsome idols and probably hate strenuous work or getting dirty.
Despite that, Shark, to afford her expensive otaku merchandise, works diligently at a beach house job under the scorching sun and enthusiastically crawls and rolls around in grass and mud at an airsoft field from early morning until sunset on weekends. According to Shark, [Blood, gunpowder, and battles covered in mud are the best!].
Oh, I see. It's somewhat like the Western Front of WW1 or WW2, right? The dark sky filled with smoke from artillery, endless barbed wire, and trenches. Hiding there, fearing the rain of bullets while having no escape, relentlessly fighting the enemy in front of you for an eternity… something like that.
By the way, among otaku, when they say "WW", they are referring to the World Wars. Yeah, the Western military is pretty cool. Even characters in war movies covered in mud look picturesque. However, what Shark envisions as the [best battle covered in blood, gunpowder, and mud] is probably not about Japanese soldiers desperately fighting in Southeast Asian jungles, enduring dysentery while thinking of their families in their homeland.
Moreover, they had to deal with the difficult-to-handle Type 38 Infantry Rifle, weighing 3730 grams. The rifle's total length is 1276mm, quite long, with only a 5-round magazine. Plus, it's a bolt-action rifle, requiring manual cycling after each shot to eject the spent cartridge and chamber the next round.
Facing American soldiers firing M1 Garand semi-automatic rifles, Shark must have confronted a significant number, shooting with difficulty using the heavy and outdated Type 38 rifle. Truly awe-inspiring.
If Shark is indeed praising Japanese soldiers who fought in such conditions, covered in blood, gunpowder, and mud, then let's respectfully address her as ‘sensei'.
"So, is the dungeon nearby? Let's go!"
"Well, calm down. You walked all the way here carrying that heavy backpack, right? Take a break first."
Shark, excited and absent-minded even after entering the room, is calmed down, and she's encouraged to sit for a while.
Hmm, our front door is still partially open because Shark's heavy backpack, which she must have taken off her back, is stuck, preventing the door from closing completely.
"Oh, really? Well, I did march all the way here!"
Returning to the entrance with heavy footsteps, Shark pulls her backpack that was stuck in the door into the hallway. From there, she takes out a water bottle, brings it to her mouth, and drinks, quenching her thirst.
"Ahh…!"
(She really has great endurance…)
Regardless of her thoughts on the [best battle covered in blood, gunpowder, and mud]. her spirit is genuine. Shark risked her life to save Serai-san in the Izu underwater dungeon, and in the current Dungeon Stampede, she fought desperately to protect her classmates from the goblins.
Experiencing real battles, not just games or play, must be the reason. With Shark now, you can feel something tense and firm that wasn't present before. It's something I obtained during battles with monsters, something our three college girls have yet to grasp.
"Shark, Mei… I mean, Sandra told me. ‘You did well.', she said, unusually praising someone."
"Eh, really!? That Sandra…?"
"Yeah. You protected your classmates and fought desperately."
"Is that so… Did Sandra acknowledge me?"
"Yeah. You seemed like a high school girl with a backbone and something to offer."
She really likes Sandra, huh? Well, I definitely can't reveal her true identity. Sensing my feelings, Nina-san and Serai-san are looking at us, smiling subtly to avoid Shark noticing. Well, I'm in trouble.
"Hey, how about we tell Shark about the employment conditions and necessary details now?"
"Yeah, good idea. Shark, let's talk business. Since we're sharing the secrets of the underwater dungeon, I need you to keep everything we discuss confidential."
"Got it! I know that it's prohibited for ordinary people to enter the dungeon!"
"That's right. While it may seem like you're supporting something morally wrong, you, being underage, don't have to worry about such societal responsibilities."
"If something happens, just blame it on our master. After all, we're all still students!"
Hey, Serai-san, that's harsh! Also, because of Shark's presence, I'm being called "master", huh? Well, it's not suitable for me, to be involved with 3 college girls in various ways. Nice decision, Serai-san.
"Wait a minute. Before that, the water in the bottle is getting warm. Let me put it in the fridge… (clang)… Ah!"
We planned to surprise Shark by showing her the Refrigerator Dungeon at the right moment, but she skillfully foiled our scheme by opening the fridge herself, exposing our strategy.
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