Sōzoku Shita Sofu no Ie no Urayama ni Danjon ga Dekimashita

Takasugi spots Nakamori-san and Shiraishi-kun at the dungeon entrance.

Summer break had started, and I brought Kudou along to the dungeon.

Once we were geared up, we moved to the lobby.

As usual, the clanking of Kudou’s metal armor was obnoxiously loud.

Today, we were headed down to the third basement floor to hunt Horned Rabbits.

“Isn’t that Nakamori-san?” Kudou said.

What!? Seriously!?

I spun around in a panic.

My axe was so heavy that I stumbled a bit from the sudden motion.

But it was true—it really was Nakamori-san! She had her hair in a ponytail.

The only time I’ve ever seen her wear that hairstyle was during gym class at school!

And she was wearing this beautiful light-blue gear.

…So pretty!

I was completely captivated.

My heart was pounding.

To think I’d get to see her on a day off!

This must be my lucky day!

As I was admiring her from behind, someone else entered my field of vision—Shiraishi.

What’s he doing here?

And he was just wearing sneakers and regular clothes.

No gear at all.

He had a backpack slung over his shoulders.

…Oh, I get it now.

That’s it!

Shiraishi must be too poor to afford proper equipment.

Feeling sorry for him, Nakamori-san must have asked her brother to let him work as a porter!

That explains everything perfectly.

In the end, it all comes down to funding!

In the future, if Nakamori-san joins my party, and if she insists—really insists—I might consider hiring Shiraishi as a baggage carrier.

Then I’ll show him just how amazing I really am—burn it into his memory!

工藤の金属製の甲冑が擦れる音がうるさい → “the clanking of Kudou’s metal armor was obnoxiously loud”: Retains the comic annoyance of the original.
ポニーテールは体育の授業でしか見たことがない: Rendered to emphasize the novelty and specialness of the sighting.
白石が装備無しの私服＋リュック: Retained exactly to support the MC’s wild assumptions.
資金力が物を言うな！ → “In the end, it all comes down to funding!”: Natural phrasing of the same sentiment, showing the narrator's fixation on money and pride.