Igarashi-san noticed that Falma-san was looking at her with a smile and quickly removed her hand from my arm.


'You three are fellow partygoers, aren't you? I'm glad you guys get along so well, because sometimes people can't decide on their share of the box and they're full of tension.
'Oh, that sounds like a lot of work...'
We've got this guy, Rear-guard, as our leader, so we'll be fine. That's right, Rear-kun.
If Igarashi-san says so, I'm sure of it.
..........

　Theresia nodded her head in agreement. She's been scared of the dog for a long time, but finally seems to have calmed down.

'That dog is so friendly to people, it won't bite you.
'The sub-humans are often not very good with dogs. A werewolf, for example, can turn into a beast and start a fight.
'Werewolf I didn't see you on the list of mercenary agents.
''That's because there are several different races of sub-humans in each labyrinth. They are said to be affected by the last demon the explorer encountered.

　So Theresia has been killed by a lizard-type demon. When I think about it, she might be even worse at the lizard's kind than a dog - I'll keep that in mind.　

''Then may I have a look at your box?
'Yes, please. Here's the thing...

　Farma drapes a cloth over the table and places a black box on it.

　Once again, I look at it and see that it is made of a metallic material and that it is made up of parts of various shapes and sizes to create a square shape. At first glance, it's hard to tell where it opens from.

''........This box. You've defeated a rare named one. It's been a long time since I've seen.......Among the boxes that the magic power of the labyrinth congeals and is produced in the body of a demon, the black box is a valuable one that is rarely found in the eighth district.
"I took down a big one with the name 'Fang Orc' and it only comes out every few years. It's called 'The Juggernaut.'
'Yes, we've heard of its appearance. The guild watched for a grace period until the people targeted by its name were defeated or they could gather their people and defeat them. Had a little more time passed, a high ranking explorer would have been invited and defeated.

　The guild may take such measures against powerful demons. That's probably true, we can't leave an opponent who could cause massive damage at any time forever.

''The fact that you have this black box in your possession and that you brought it here is confidential. Since the 'Boxmaker' is under the patronage of the guild, it is not so easy for an unwanted person to come and take the box.
Thank goodness for that. Do you have an escort for this store as well?
''Yes, whenever a problem arises, the 'Guild Savers' are always on hand.

　Guild Saber, so that's what you mean by the strength the guild holds to maintain order. As a name, it's a bit embarrassing because it's so direct, how righteous it is, but it's a bit embarrassing.

　At any rate, I knew that even if I brought a rare box to the box store, I was guaranteed safety. As long as Falma-san doesn't get involved in anything dangerous over the precious boxes, I can ask for peace of mind about my boxes as well.

''This box here, it's called a 'black box,' and if by any chance it fails when unlocking it, a variety of phenomena will occur. Please think of it as a trap that is far more powerful than the boxes usually possessed by demons.
'No comparison... how powerful is it?'
'A section of the town disappeared, a large number of powerful demons were summoned, and so on. Because such things happened in the past and caused great damage, special procedures were always used to unlock the boxes. Even so, there are still some accidents that occur when people try to force open the box using rudimentary fingertip techniques, but the number of accidents has been drastically reduced compared to the past.

　A calm woman in an apron says something nonchalantly that sends a chill down my back. It's still less scary than being told the same story by someone so powerful, though.

''...Is it literally just in case?　Or.....

　If there was a higher probability of an accident, I would dare not open the box.

　But Mr. Farma smiled, held out his hand to me and held up three supple fingers.

'In order to avoid accidents, and to guarantee safety, there are three requirements for operating a box store. One is that the probability of unlocking the 'wardrobe lock' must be 100 percent, even in combination with equipment. The first is that you must transfer to a special facility when you open the box. Lastly, you should train to maintain your box-opening skills and get your license renewed once a year. I have mastered the 'Fingertip Technique 4' and I use the 'Technique Piercing' and the 'Polarity Ring' to increase my odds of unlocking the box.

　I didn't know that an accessory that casually emphasizes femininity could have such a meaning. The Kyokudo ring is worn on the little finger and is stacked two on top of each other.

I see........you're the consummate professional.
'Without the skills I inherited from my mother, I wouldn't have been able to get certified as a boxmaker at level 7. I was able to get to 'Fingertip Technique 2' at Level 3 and 'Fingertip Technique 4' at Level 7. My mother was an excellent sifu, but she said that even at level 10, I could barely make it to fingertip jutsu 3.

(What about Theresa? With a rogue, I wonder if he's slower to enhance his "fingertip technique" than Thief.)

　If Theresia's parents were also in a bandit-type job - I think about it. Even if they weren't as good as Falma-san, they thought it would be helpful if they could remove simple traps, so they might be able to get 'Fingertip Jutsu 1'. Even if the rogue could get 'Fingertip Technique 2' and beyond, he would still need to take 'Fingertip Technique 1' first.

''Excuse me, I've never met a 'trapper' before, so I'd really like to ask you something.
Yes, I'd be happy to help if I could.
Can the traps in the labyrinth be spotted by 'fingertip techniques'?
I think such a skill would be of the 'trap detection' variety. You will need the "fingertip technique" or "trap destruction" skill to remove the trap even if you detect it. There are very few searchers who have the latter.

　If you can also get trap-sensing, you can expect Theresia to be a sifu. It's true that a position with a lot of things you can do is troubling - I'm very confused about fixing the role.

'I hope you are relieved. We may or may not have a rare box once a year, so it's been a long time since I've given you this kind of detailed explanation...'
'You were very thorough and explained it very well. I would like to ask you again to unlock this box. Is the fee still too high for a box with a sophisticated trap?
'Thank you, I will open it with all sincerity. We do not charge for this type of box. We will dispose of the items inside that you do not need here. That's all the revenue we can generate.

　The box contains what you need and what you don't need - is that what it is? Or maybe it's something you can't equip, or something that's only useful to a certain party.

　Either way, you'll find out when you open it up. I signed the request form and entrusted the black box to Falma-san - and she asked me to be present, so I went down to the basement of the store.

　◆◇◆

　As they walked down the stairs, they came to a door. There was a large blue jewel on that door, and when Falma placed her palm on it, the letters appeared. '17,' apparently a number.

'This will be a transition door. You can transfer to a large room that the guild has prepared for opening boxes. The location of that room and other information is confidential, though.''
Just in case there's an accident in the city, they're going to move it to another location... thorough.
'When the biggest accident ever occurred, the residents of the Third Ward were killed by the thousands. Even so, the Guild could not forbid the boxes from being opened, as they are a great source of revenue for the searchers. The guild has invested a lot of money in the operation of the box store. Opening the boxes even if it means spending a huge amount of money to ensure their safety is the guild's current policy.

　I have no objection to the guild's policy since I too have a desire to open the box. Igarashi-san was also nervous, but she seemed to be convinced by Farma-san's story.

''........Aren't you afraid, Farma-san?　I wouldn't open it myself, but I'm so nervous it hurts my chest just to be there.
'It was very scary at first. But the box doesn't betray your experience and skills. Once I figured that out, I started to enjoy it ... it's almost addictive.



　Falma puts her hand on her cheek and sighs feverishly. To be honest, I don't envy a husband who has a wife like this.

''........everyone calls me a big sister too?
No, no, I didn't say anything, but... phew.

　I try to cover it up and he sticks a finger in my cheek. It doesn't hurt, but I can't help but make a strange sound.

"What's the matter with you, Puffy? You've been delirious and disheveled for a while now.
..........

　Not only does Igarashi-san, but also Theresa, put silent pressure on me. I guess she's just looking at me, but it's probably my guilt that makes me think so.


'Here's the room number. We'll transfer to an empty room, so you won't have to meet up with anyone else to open the box. Please don't worry.

　Farma-san opens the door and the four of us walk through. So, I've already transitioned - it's surprisingly easy.

　When we descended into the labyrinth, we weren't clear when we were transferred, but this time we could tell that we were 'transferred'. Does this mean that there are different types of methods of transference?


'You'll see why it's so big when you open it. Now, let me start the unlocking process Oh my God. I haven't seen it this big in a long time....

　The "wardrobe lock" is hung on a black box. If you have mastered the fingertip technique, you can attempt to unlock the lock - the scene of the unlocking was beyond my imagination.

　When Falma-san held up her hand, something like a shiny figure unfolded around the black box. It's a common scene in games, like when you activate magic.

　The unfolded shapes spread out endlessly - first on a flat surface, then vertically, to become something like a giant three-dimensional maze.

It's like a puzzle where you spin a ball of steel around and carry it to the goal. Have you ever seen something like that, Mr. Higuchi?
That's what I thought, too. How in the world is this figure coming up?
The box is reacting to my skills, and it's fighting to keep the wardrobe from being unlocked. I use my fingertip technique to successfully channel the magic to unlock it. When I channel the magic into the correct path, the warding that the box developed disappears. It will be a little dangerous then, so please stay away and get down.
What........well, doesn't that mean the trap is going to explode?
I'm not going to let it explode. Oh I wonder how they can get through such a narrow place Huh, you managed to get through. It's easier to get through here now that it's wider Oh, Master Atobe, look here. This is the part that's trapped. If you make a mistake, boom........
'Boom, boom Mr. Pharma, that's not good.
'Am I the only one who thinks we should go into something more fundamental?　Theresa, say something to her... oh, you can't talk about it...
..........

　For some reason, Theresia is sitting in a gymnastic seat and observing the box opening. To me, it looks like Farma-san is saying troubling words, but to Theresia, does the box opening look like a mystical ritual?

'Well you can't do it like that your mother can see through it you can't try to hook it up. Well, I guess I'll just have to go this way next time you'll be able to reach me in a little while.

Get down, rear end!

　Igarashi-san follows Falma-san's instructions and jumps on me, covering me up. This was not the time to stand idly by, the box is about to be opened right now.



　In the end, as the cheered-up box complied - it may not be the case, but the magic power of Farma-san, passed through the unfolding maze, formed a single pathway.

　And when the warding dissipated, from the streaks that ran across the surface of the box, light flooded the vast space, enough to illuminate every inch of it.

''Well, it's dazzling.......ooooh......!
Rear...
..........

　Theresia gets down with me and works through the light. I think she opened it safely, but the light was so horrendous that it was hard to open her eyes.

　Eventually, after the light calmed down, I noticed that the landscape around me had changed completely.

'Good work, Atobe-sama.

　Scattered on the ground were countless copper, silver and gold coins. That alone was not the mass that was contained in a black box large enough for even a woman to hold in both hands.

　Ignoring the mass, everything that was inside was flying out into the room. There were countless weapons, ornaments, armor, and other items - most of them looked like junk or no different than beginner-level equipment, but some of them seemed to be of good quality. The party's equipment might be updated in one fell swoop, and when I realized that, I felt a shiver rise in my heart.


Now you know why searchers want the box. "You can see why searchers seek out boxes, not only for the belongings of defeated searchers, but also for some reason, the named ones accumulate in these boxes a great deal of treasure of unknown origin. Removing the wards of the black box also means freeing up the different space inside the box.
That's more than I imagined.......you really never know what's going to happen in another world. Oh, this spear........Rearward, can I hold it?
''You should appraise the equipment before you touch it. As long as it's not a 'coloured weapon', the Beginner's Appraisal Scroll will be able to appraise everything. We will charge five silver coins for each piece.''

　A weapon of color--is the 'Scarlet Imperial Sword' that Elitia is equipped with one of those weapons? If it can't be appraised and the only way to know if it's cursed or not is to equip it, it's a causal weapon even if it's strong.

　It's not cheap, but even if a large amount of scrolls are needed, this amount of coinage will ensure a surplus. Probably, the amount is larger than the juggernaut's bounty.

'Igarashi-san, Theresia, let's find something we can use.
Very serious. No, it's more like a restaurant, isn't it?

　There is no doubt that there will be a considerable amount of money to be made, so Falma is in a good mood. She moves to the point where she transitioned with a light step, shifting and disappearing. She must have gone to get an inventory of the appraisal scrolls.

　I also direct Theresia to look for her equipment. I also search lightly for slings and projectile weapons - then I hit something knocking on my foot.

(................................What is this?

　Falling at his feet was what looked like a stick. When I looked closer, I saw that it was made of a material that was different from the others.

''What is that ... what is it?　It's like a key at the end.
'The key ... it's definitely a shape. It's big for that, though.

　The tip of the stick is in the shape of a key. If it's a key, is it the one used in "Akebono's Field"?

　-- I don't know, but I'm irresistibly curious. I'll try out the appraisal first and then we'll figure out how to deal with it.