Outside the Saitama Dungeon No. 3.
When Inari was transferred back to the teleportation zone, the staff on duty cried out, “Ohhh!”
Since survival in this dungeon relied heavily on luck, they were clearly relieved that Inari had returned safely. Their eyes held a genuine expression of respect and concern.
“Welcome back! Right away, if you don’t mind—”
“Ah, aye. Give me a moment, if thou wouldst.”
A remarkable feat has been achieved! [Achievement: Ultimate Toy Destroyer]
Reward Box retrieved and currently recalculating…
You have received a Reward Box!
“Hmm, I have grown accustomed to such things, it seemeth.”
“U-Uh…? A special reward box…? A-Anyway, this way, please!”
As the staff member contacted someone, an appraiser hurried over. Seeing the two boxes Inari had placed on the table—along with the pile of miscellaneous items she poured out—the appraiser stood dumbfounded for a moment.
He quickly gathered himself and began the appraisal, starting with the two boxes. One was a proper gift-wrapped box. The other was wrapped in colorful paper featuring a cool illustration of the block golem.
“Ugh…!? W-What in the world is this…?!”
“Mm?”
“T-That’s a ‘36x Present Box’ and a ‘Block Golem Reward Box’…? Wh-What exactly happened in there?!”
“No matter how thou phrase it, it was most troublesome indeed. That thirty-six times… that golem, aye, ‘twas such a one.”
“Y-You mean a thirty-six-times block golem? Defeating such a thing alone is unheard of…”
Up until now, the largest block golem ever recorded was an eight-times golem. It had taken a five-person party to defeat it, and even then, just barely.
After all, block golems grew stronger the bigger they got, and their size was determined by chance. An eight-times golem stood about four meters tall, and the beams it fired were said to rival mid-level beginner spells.
A thirty-six-times golem, theoretically the max possible size, was beyond imagining. Just thinking about the math involved was terrifying.
To think she had actually defeated such a thing…
Yet the "36x Present Box" in front of them proved it was no lie.
“U-Um… Miss Kogami. What do you plan to do with this box?”
“Mm? I thought to open it, for the time being.”
“You mean, you’ll use it yourself?”
“Nay... I reckon I shall sell it, mayhap.”
As expected, thought the appraiser. He’d suspected that the recent string of outrageous item discoveries had all stemmed from the person before him—and now he was certain.
If so, he had a better suggestion.
“Then… Miss Kogami, while only you may open the reward box… may I suggest selling the 36x box as-is?”
“Hrmm?”
It wasn’t that Inari minded, but she tilted her head, not quite grasping the idea.
He was proposing she sell it still wrapped. Inari, personally, saw no sense in buying something without knowing its contents, but perhaps society viewed things differently?
Yes… now that she thought about it, weren’t there such things?
Those sealed envelopes people were excited to open on New Year’s…
“Ahh, thou speakest of… those lucky envelopes for the New Year, that stir the heart until opened?”
“Yes! Or rather, something like a mystery bag—a lucky grab bag, if you will.”
The appraiser searched for the right words to explain. He realized Inari didn’t grasp the value of keeping the box sealed, and felt it was his duty to properly explain.
“This present box—its higher multiplier raises the expected value inside. A 1x box might contain worthless junk, like a stone… but a 36x? It gives people hope that something incredible might be inside. That hope, in turn, translates into a high price!”
“Hmm… I see now.”
With that explanation, Inari finally understood.
In other words, people might buy the 36x box because they hoped to obtain something amazing—or wanted to be the one to draw that amazing item.
While it still relied on luck, it made more sense to let someone confident in their fortune open it instead of doing so herself.
And taking that opportunity from someone might be worse than wasting the contents.
So, Inari answered.
“If that be the case, then put it up for sale as-is. That shall suffice.”
“Understood. Now, about the reward box… ah, you’re opening it quite roughly.”
As the appraiser winced, Inari tore through the wrapping paper and opened the box.
Inside was a small doll. A figure that looked exactly like the block golem.
The appraiser’s face turned pale as he stared at it, speechless.
This was the first time Inari had received something she didn’t sell alongside her magic stones—and as it would turn out, this doll would be the cause of one of the many uproars soon to come.