My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 294

Invitation To Drink

Suddenly, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. Another call.

Suspicious, I decided to answer anyway, and to my surprise, it was none other than the Self-Defense Forces officer, Ria-san.

"Eh, Ria-san? How did you get my number... oh, right, I guess it was during the interrogation." [Yes, that's the case. Would it be alright if I talk to you for a moment?]

"Sure, no problem. But if it's some kind of solicitation, I'll have to decline."

[No, no. I just had some free time and wanted to invite you for a drink.]

"Eh~!? You're not planning to get me drunk and have me sign some strange contract, are you?"

[Haha, no, no, I won’t sell you off to a mercenary group. So, how about it? Let me treat you, would you come along?]

Hmm, what should I do... But Ria-san's a straight shooter, and he tends to blurt out information without thinking. It might be a rare opportunity to hear something from an active-duty Self-Defense Forces officer in this situation. Yeah, I guess I'll go for it.

"Hmm, well, if it's a place I know, then sure."

"Then it's decided! If you're free, we can go tonight."

Huh, what a rare invitation.

But well, if it's at the izakaya Murasaki, the owner will have my back if anything happens. Besides, I was planning to drop by for a delivery anyway.

...

When I met Ria-san at the nearest station, she showed up in quite a shocking state.

"Eh? Wait! Ria-san, what on earth are you wearing?!"

"Ah, well, I kind of had an accident..."

...No, that's clearly more than just a small mishap, right? He looks like a seriously injured patient from a hospital sketch!

"Well, it's fine. Nowadays, Self-Defense Forces officers can't even go out for drinks unless something like this happens."

Ria-san, in fact, was wearing an eye patch, both arms heavily bandaged, and his right leg was in a cast, with crutches to support him.

"How... how did you manage to take the train like that?"

"Oh, no, I took the bus and a taxi up to here. There were too many disruptions on the train, so it was too much of a hassle to reroute."

"Ah, I see. I also took the bus. By the way, there's a bench over there. Would you mind sitting for a bit?"

"No, no, don't worry about me. I can still move with one leg. Well, I don't want to do that right now because it would aggravate my injuries. Haha."

"Even so... you really went all out, huh? The flow of your energy is pretty off."

"Eh, you can tell that?"

Looking at Ria-san using my aura perception, I could clearly see several parts where the energy was stagnant. She must have gone through something tough. I’ll have to try and ease it a bit.

"Yeah, believe it or not, I’m actually training to be a chiropractor. So I can understand the state of a body better than most."

"I see, that's an unexpected side of you."

"Haha, anyway, let's sit on the bench and I'll help you balance your energy flow. You must be feeling pretty bad right now."

I guided Ria-san to the bench, then stood behind him and began using energy healing.

(Suuu~~ Haaa~~... Alright, chakra on!)

Well, in my case, it’s an aura massage I’ve learned through relentless training.

"Woah? Wh-what is this...?!"

"I’m channeling energy into you, balancing the areas where the energy flow is blocked. How does it feel?"

"Warm hands seem to penetrate my skin and flow into my body... It's not like magic, but this is amazing..."

"Even so, you’ve really overdone it. With the energy so disrupted, it must have been rough on you."

"Haha... I wasn't in a position to say that at the time. But thanks, I’m already feeling a lot better."

"Glad to hear it."

After adjusting his energy with the aura therapy, Ria-san's complexion brightened compared to before. Yeah, he must’ve been in pain before. This guy’s pretty tough, it seems.

"By the way, it’s still 3 o’clock, but is there really a bar open at this time?"

"Yes, I’ve already contacted a friend’s place, so it's fine. Plus, if we’re going to talk about dungeons and such, it’s better not to be overheard."

"Haha, that's thoughtful of you. Very reliable."

"Haha, shall we go then?"

...

"Hello, boss."

When we entered the izakaya Murasaki, the owner, who looked great with her well-applied eyeshadow, greeted us in her usual energetic tone.

"Well, if it isn’t Egetsu-chan! I’ve been waiting! And your friend is so strong-looking too! Oh my, are you okay with those injuries? If the wounds might be irritated, maybe it’s better to hold off on the drinks?"

"Thanks, no, I’m in the mood to drink today, so I’ll be having a lot!"

"My, how strong you are! I’m quite impressed!"

"Alright, boss, should we put the items away first?"

"Sure! Egetsu-chan, could you come over here too?"

As we pulled a huge crab wrapped in a blue tarp from a large bag, Ria-san’s eyes widened in shock.

"Bluh! Th-that's a monster, isn't it?!"

"Oh my, that's right. Since the markets aren’t operating properly, we can’t get decent ingredients, you know?"

"Wait, don't Self-Defense Forces officers eat monsters?"

"Well... I've heard rumors that some units do, but you don’t hear about it much in the Kanto region."

"Where exactly do they do that?"

"In Kansai and Hokuriku. But now that I look closely, it’s a pretty fine crab..."

Huh, I didn’t expect that. I thought there’d be more research on it.

"Does the government research eating monsters?"

"Of course, there’s research. However due to the risks with disease control, they’re hesitant, so progress has been slow. If there’s an issue after eating something unknown, the consequences could be disastrous, right?"

"True, but we can’t live without eating, so even though I’m saying this, we shouldn't be picky. And I’ll cook it deliciously for you! Look forward to it!"

"Heh... Haha, I’m looking forward to it."

As the owner leaned forward from behind the counter and gave a wink, Ria-san smiled awkwardly. Yeah, it'll be fine. Even though this seems a little weird, the owner's skills are the real deal. It’ll taste great.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.