“Why?” All of Kujou’s thoughts were a jumbled mess of confusion.
Everything should have been settled within the Dungeon.
That man should have been buried alive in the Dungeon by Warunana’s Skill…
So why—
Was that man calmly proceeding with the client?
“Hey, what’s going on, Warunana?”
“I-I don’t know! Besides, you guys were watching too, right? We definitely got him, or so I thought…?”
Kujou, seeing Warunana’s wide eyes and cold sweat, told himself, “Calm down.”
Stay calm. Calm down, calm down…
Calm down, calm down. It’s alright.
If I think about it calmly, I can understand the situation.
Probably, they escaped into the depths of the passage when Warunana caused the collapse.
There must have been a hidden passage or something beyond that, from which they escaped. Yes, that’s the only explanation.
…I don’t remember seeing such a passage when I retrieved the Treasure Chest, but—probably, it must be my imagination.
Kujou shook his head vigorously and slapped his cheeks.
It’s alright, no problem.
Even if we’re questioned, there shouldn’t be any evidence—
(Wait. Were their recorders running…?)
We turned off our recorders beforehand.
But if that Suit Man had his recorder running during the earlier collapse, the scene of Akushichi’s Skill activation would have been recorded.
That would be… conclusive evidence of a crime.
Damn it, this is bad.
At worst, we’ll have to take it back by force… but we’ve already left the Dungeon.
On the surface, the Magical Power density is low, and the power of Skills that can be activated in the Dungeon is significantly reduced.
It’s not that they can’t be used at all, but their power is weak, and using Skills conspicuously on the surface could expose us to the police.
Before I knew it, Kujou and the others were at a distinct disadvantage—
(Hey, Kujou, isn’t this bad!?)
(C’mon, Leader, do something! I mean, why are those guys alive!?)
(Tch, don’t be ridiculous. Don’t rely on me only at times like this…!)
Whispering in his ear, Kujou felt sweat trickling down his back.
If that video is submitted to the Labyrinth Agency, Akushichi will definitely be taken into custody.
If that’s all, it wouldn’t matter to Kujou if a woman got caught.
But, Akushichi belongs to the same streaming group as us, “The Numbers,” of all things.
Her arrest would damage the group’s reputation, and Kujou himself would be held responsible as the manager.
The agency would also take notice, and if that happens, the very existence of The Numbers, led by Kujou, would be at stake…
“W-wait. You there, Suit Man. I want to talk to you for a bit… hey!”
Kujou raised his voice and approached the Suit Man.
But the man bowed to the client and left with the high school girl—completely ignoring us.
Hey, listen to me—!
“Hey, you! Wait up!”
“Don’t you run away on your own… damn it, my wound…!”
“You there, we need to talk! Let’s exchange opinions fairly now!”
Chasing after the two with Akushichi, Kujou immediately jumped out onto the road,
“…Huh?”
There was no one there.
A one-lane road with not a single car.
Only a local old woman leisurely taking a walk was suspiciously eyeing Kujou… huh?
What is this? What’s going on?
Were we just dreaming?
“…Akushichi. Where did that man go…?”
“U-uh, I don’t know either. I mean, isn’t something weird…?”
The man disappeared like a cloud.
It was as if they used “Hide Cloak” on the surface, which isn’t even a Dungeon…
That can only be activated inside a Dungeon filled with Magical Power, and using it on the surface with its thin Magical Power is theoretically impossible.
It feels like we’re being shown some kind of nasty dream.
What’s going on… no, but.
It’s unnatural. Why aren’t they pressing us about what happened earlier?
“…Hey, Leader. If they went home, does that mean they don’t care about us?”
“…Is it because there’s no evidence? Is that why they didn’t confront us…?”
I don’t know.
Well, if they’re not complaining, then there’s no problem… right?
As the three of them headed home with a sense of unease, a black car suddenly screeched to a halt beside them.
A burly man in black, along with a female colleague in black, blocked Kujou’s path, approaching with an undeniable pressure.
“We are from the Labyrinth Agency’s Safety Division. Akushichi Nana, you are suspected of attempted murder within the Labyrinth. Will you please come with us?”
“I-I didn’t do anything…”
“We will also be asking your remaining companions about the situation. —Torako, capture them.”
“Yessir. ‘Don’t move.'”
With the short woman in black’s command, Kujou and the others stopped moving.
Akushichi Nana was arrested and later sentenced to ten years in prison.
*
“Kageichi-san. What about those Streamers from earlier…?”
“I’ve already reported them to the Labyrinth Agency. With the video. I think they’re being arrested right now. They’re very competent, after all.”
After escaping to the surface, finishing negotiations with the client, and shaking them off with “Hide Cloak,” Kageichi was leisurely riding the train, explaining the situation to Kiraboshi.
She tilted her head at Kageichi using an item outside the Dungeon, but he could gloss over that somehow.
“Even so, recent Streamers are terrifying, aren’t they? They don’t even hesitate to commit murder… Ah, is this expression not good? It’s not that Streamers are bad, but that there are some nasty people among them. Just like there are criminals among police officers, lawyers, and doctors, we must refrain from easily using broad generalizations.”
Excuse me, Kageichi admonished himself.
Selfish labeling is the behavior he hates the most.
Looking up at him, Kiraboshi muttered.
“…I thought that Kageichi-san might even attack those three in the Labyrinth…”
“It’s not impossible, but the situation was bad. They had finished streaming, and there’s evidence that they were in that Dungeon. If all three of them went missing and we came out, it would be suspicious, no matter how you look at it, right?”
There’s also the client’s testimony, and Kageichi’s face should be in The Numbers’ stream.
If I mess up where there’s evidence, I’ll be marked by Public Security.
“A plain, ordinary citizen who prioritizes safety, security, and no stress must not be chased by the police. That would disturb my peace of mind. So instead, I decided to rely on public authority. The video evidence was clear, after all.”
In addition, the Dungeon from earlier hasn’t disappeared yet.
If the Labyrinth Agency staff investigates quickly, they’ll find plenty of evidence.
Smiling as if to say he only did what a normal citizen would do, Kageichi saw Kiraboshi, who was holding onto the train strap, looking at him with half-closed eyes for some reason.
“…Somehow, well. Kageichi-san, you’re amazing in many ways.”
“Is that so? Well, I suppose I’m more Dungeon-savvy than the average Salaryman…”
Kageichi pondered and replied as if it were obvious.
“Other than that, I’m just a very ordinary former Salaryman you can find anywhere.”
The train stopped, and the doors opened with a hiss.
Today is the same as always, Kageichi urged Kiraboshi, and they slowly got off the train.