In the afternoon, I brought my first earning of the day, 40,000 pirouette worth of sprouts to the buyer's shop by the magic cart.
　Once inside, I noticed that things were a little strange.

　The buying business was going on as usual, but the people in the store were talking about something behind the counter with a serious look on their faces, and the adventurers were divided into several groups, again all with a dour look on their faces.

　I walked over to the counter and spoke to Elsa, wondering what was going on.

'Hello.'
'Ah!　Mr. Lyota.
What's going on?
Actually, there was a strike at .......
"Strike?

　It's the first word I've heard since I came into this world.

Do you know what a strike is?
No,

　I shook my head in immediate response.
　I know exactly what it means, but in this world, I'm sure it would have a slightly different meaning.
　I can at least guess that it's dungeon-related again, based on my experience so far.

'You know about the silicon dungeon, right?'
Yeah.
That's the only level that drops rice in Cyclo, six floors below ground.

'The only thing that drops rice is still a great piece of writing.
What?
Sorry, this one. So?　What's wrong with that sixth floor?

That's the territory of Adalbert's gang. Sometimes, there are people who band together and monopolize a level of the dungeon among themselves.
I feel like I've heard that story before.
'So, you know, the Nifonium dungeon was recently created. The Adalbert's group has started to move since that Nifonium is now confirmed to have no drop. They told us that the cyclo rice was only on this floor, and if we wanted it for sale, we'd have to raise the price.
I see. ......

'When a new dungeon is created, people expect it. If the drops are covered, the exclusivity will be broken. It's a shame. ......

　Elsa looked extremely disappointed and was dreading it.
　The other shopkeepers and adventurers were talking about Adalbert.

　I thought I was the only one who was lucky enough to get a special drop, but that's how it affects me.
　It's a funny world, after all - I guess that's not what it's all about.

　There are a lot of people who don't want to be stopped from going to market by having a monopoly on rice.

The city officials are trying to negotiate with them, but the Adalbadis are so numerous and so skilled that they'll probably have to raise their prices.
......

　That's not good.

　　　　　☆

　I came to Silicon.
　Since we are in the middle of the commotion, there were a lot of government officials and merchant-like people outside the dungeon that you don't usually see.
　These people gathered with straight faces, even more so than the buyer earlier, and were discussing something with each other.

　Anyway, let's find the person in charge and talk to him or her.

"Hey, that's not Satou-kun!
'What?　and some time faggot!

　It was a nice guy I met in a beer shop, Neptune, who spoke to me.
　He comes up to me with the same smile as before

I'm not a homos*xual. I love girls, you know.
But what are you doing here?
You too. You're here because of Adalbert?
...... Yeah.

I've got a request. Adalbad has done the same thing many times before, you know. I've been asked to raise the price of rice for everything," he said. And the people in the city were getting fed up with it, too.
You mean you might ask the Neptune family to eliminate them?
No, it's not.
'What?　Then?

　I'm going to nod my head and listen back, and that's what you're talking about now.

'It's not elimination, it's annihilation.'
It's more than I expected.
It's better to do it. The problem is that there are so many of them that my friends and I may end up doing some of the damage.
I need a consultation at .......
What is that at ......?
Will you let me try?
You want me to eradicate them?
Get rid of it.

　I looked at Neptune.
　I'm here because I have a way to keep things quiet.

　　　　　Stars.

　Five floors below the silicon dungeon, in front of the stairs leading down.
　That's where I came from, me and Neptune.
　At a distance were Lil, Ran, and some of Neptune's friends from before.

　All of them were in a pretty good mood, giving off an air of dexterity.
　And Neptune, the leader, says to me, "Check, if you can't make it.

"Make sure, if you don't, we'll exterminate them for you, okay?
Yeah.
Well, good luck with that.

　Neptune saw me off and I went down to the sixth basement floor.
　There were guards downstairs.

'Stop, what the hell?'
This floor is out of bounds. There's a path downstairs.

　There are two men on guard, and a taxiway is being built that looks like a construction site.
　They're occupying this floor, but they're clearing the way to the lower floors.

　I have a gun at the ready, two guns, including the one I just got.

'Hardball!'
Come on, boys!　The city's people are coming in force!

　The men were ready to fight.
　I fired my gun in silence.

　I fired my pre-loaded recovery rounds at the same time, turning them into fusion rounds.
　The fused bullets glowed and enveloped the two men.

　The men crumbled down like dolls with broken strings.
　They began to breathe in their sleep with tremendously happy and calm faces.

　Huh, it looks like you're going to be able to handle it.

Hey, what's that?
There's a faggot!
Ha-ha, that's why I'm not a homos*xual.
Anybody who suddenly puts their face on my shoulder from behind is a confirmed faggot!

　I shouted out and brushed away Neptune, who put his chin on my shoulder as soon as I spoke to him.
　I feel like I'm in danger, so I decide to distract him by explaining.

''Sleeping bullets, these only heal injuries when used alone, but when the two are fused together, it changes the effect to make you sleep.
Oh, so you've doubled your healing powers.
That's what I'm talking about.

　Footsteps sounded from the depths of the dungeon, and one by one the adventurers appeared.
　They held their guns at the ready, shooting loaded recovery bullets and fusing them together, putting them to sleep one by one.

　The effects of the fusion bullets were excellent, and the people who were shot were able to put them to sleep without exception.
　The leader of the gang, Adalbard, was also put to sleep, and all the people who occupied the sixth floor of Silicon Underground were put to sleep and carried out of the dungeon.

　　　　　☆

'Thank you!　You saved my life.

　As I left the silicon dungeon, a man with a skinhead and a beard spoke to me.

'And you are?'
I'm sorry about that. I'm Clint Gray, dungeon master of the Cyclo dungeon.

　Dungeon Master?
　This is the first time I've heard of the position - in a world where all this stuff drops from dungeon monsters, he's probably a pretty great guy.

"Thanks again, thanks to you, I didn't have to make any sacrifices at all, and the price of rice won't go up, thank you very much.
No, no, no, I'm just doing what I can do.
That doesn't change the fact that we're all still here. I'll have to think of something to thank you for it.
No, really: ......
I'll consider it and get back to you. Thank you, thank you so much!

　Clint didn't listen to us, he spoke one way or the other, shook our hands forcefully, and walked away.

　Oh well.
　Anyway, this whole rice thing is over, so I went to Elsa to let her know.
　Again, she thanked me with all her might.