First, I carefully moved the five explorers lying scattered about the corridor, taking care not to aggravate their injuries, and laid them out together. Thanks to my physical abilities being enhanced by leveling up, moving grown men who had gone completely limp wasn't much of a challenge, though it would have been back-breaking labor before my stats increased...
"Now then, first I need to check the extent of the damage..."
Usually, I wouldn't have any way of performing a medical exam, but I had a skill that made it possible.
I retrieved a cooler bag from my Spatial Storage, activating Appraisal Analysis on the fallen explorers as I did so. I had to pull the bag out now, or I’d lose the chance to make it look like I was getting the potions from somewhere logical later.
Yoji Miyano | LV13 | Right shoulder fracture and excessive bleeding.
Yoshiki Minamoto | LV10 | Right femur fracture and excessive bleeding.
Akemi Hyuga | LV8 | Right abdominal penetration wound and excessive bleeding.
Miku Hirano | LV9 | Right arm fracture and left femur fracture.
Yuta Shinohara | LV23 | Skull fracture, subdural hematoma.
This was bad. Very bad.
This was no time to be leisurely messing with a cooler bag! The man who seemed to be bleeding the least was actually in the worst shape. A subdural hematoma? Was the skill serious?! Now that I looked closer, his forehead was actually caved in.
It seemed the other four had simply fainted from the shock and blood loss, so their treatment could wait a moment. I had to prioritize this man, Shinohara, or he was going to die.
"Let’s see... for a subdural hematoma, a low-grade recovery potion probably won't be enough, right?"
I pulled a mid-grade recovery potion from my Spatial Storage.
Generally, low-grade recovery potions only accelerated the natural healing process for minor trauma or broken bones. While they could knit a skull back together or mend a burst vessel, they couldn't clear out a hematoma. To actually remove a blood clot and restore someone to a healthy state, you needed at least a mid-grade potion. If the injury had been anywhere but the brain, a low-grade one might have sufficed, but...
"Well, I'll worry about the consequences later. Right now, I need to act fast or he'll have permanent brain damage."
I broke the seal on the mid-grade recovery potion and poured it over Shinohara's head.
After about ten seconds, the man's eyes fluttered open.
"...Wh-where am I?"
"Are you awake? Good. It looks like you're back with us."
"I... I think I..."
He was mumbling deliriously, his consciousness still far from clear.
"You were lying here with a massive head wound. I found you and administered treatment."
"I see... Thank you."
"Don't worry about it. More importantly, look at my hand. How many fingers am I holding up?"
It was only an amateur’s screening, but given that he could follow the conversation and wasn't slurring his words, it seemed his linguistic centers were intact. I held up a single finger in front of his eyes.
"...One."
"Good. How about now?"
I changed the number of fingers, repeating the question several times. Though he looked puzzled, Shinohara answered every prompt earnestly.
As I was finishing the neurological checks, Yuji and Hiiragi-san returned, dragging the two culprits behind them. I handed them some potions and asked them to treat the others.
I ran a few more tests on Shinohara, like asking him to identify the colors of various objects, and he got every single one right.
"You seem to be okay."
"...Why were you asking me all those things?"
"Ah, I didn't explain, did I? You were unconscious with a head injury, so I suspected a brain hemorrhage. I used a recovery potion to treat it, but I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I didn't do at least a basic check for brain damage..."
"I... I see. Are you... training to be a doctor?"
"No. Just some amateur knowledge I picked up from medical shows. I highly recommend you get a proper scan at a hospital as soon as possible."
"...I understand. Thank you."
Shinohara-san’s face went pale for a moment, but he seemed to take the advice to heart.
"Daiki, are you done?"
"Yeah. He seems okay for now."
"Good. The others over here just regained consciousness too."
Looking around, I saw the other explorers sitting up on the floor. They still looked dazed, likely due to the lingering effects of the blood loss.
After a quick round of introductions and explanations, we discussed our next move.
"So, as I said, we intend to hand these two over to the DP. I know you're angry, but please don't lay a hand on them, alright?"
"...I want to beat them into the dirt right now, but you saved our lives. If that's your request, we’ll follow it."
The victims were clearly seething, glaring at the culprits with enough murderous intent to kill. If we hadn't stepped in, those two would have been beaten to a pulp within seconds.
"Of course, what they did is unforgivable. We'll leave it to you to decide how to handle them after we turn them over to the DP. That's not our business."
"...Is that okay?"
"Sure. We're not friends with them, and we have no reason to protect them."
"I see."
Basically, once they were in police custody, whether the victims filed criminal charges or sued for millions in damages was up to them. We wouldn't interfere. In fact, since they’d shot at us too, we had zero sympathy for the thieves.
"Well, then we're all agreed on handing them over to the DP while they're tied up?"
"Yeah. That works."
Shinohara-san spoke for the group, and the others nodded their agreement, albeit reluctantly. I breathed a sigh of relief and cast a look of pure contempt at the two thieves still unconscious at my feet.
"By the way, about the recovery potions you used on us..."
"Ah, right..."
"We don't have any on us right now. I'd like to pay you back in cash... How much do we owe?"
"Well..."
Shinohara-san looked a little nervous as he asked about the bill.
The current market rate for recovery potions was about 10,000 yen for the lowest grade and around 200,000 yen for a standard low-grade potion. Everyone besides Shinohara-san had been treated with one low-grade potion each...
"For the others, it's 200,000 yen per person."
"...And for me?"
"Yes. Since we used one low-grade potion for each of them, that should be the total."
"I see. Given the market average for low-grade potions, that's perfectly fair."
The other victims seemed satisfied with the price and the reasoning, voicing no complaints.
"So, what about my bill?"
"Well, regarding your treatment, Shinohara-san..."
"Yes?"
His voice was thin and strained, clearly becoming anxious when I hesitated and looked away.
"...It's one million yen."
"...Hah!?"
When I finally steeled myself and gave the figure, Shinohara-san let out a loud cry of shock, and the others' eyes nearly popped out of their heads. As Shinohara-san sat there, mouth agape and speechless, I hurried to explain the cost.
"When I found you, Shinohara-san, you were bleeding from the head."
"I heard that! But why is it so much!?"
"...Your forehead was split open and your skull was literally caved in."
"...What?"
"You weren't bleeding as much as the others, but you were by far the most critically injured. Between the risk of a brain hemorrhage and the fact that it was your brain on the line, I judged that immediate, high-level treatment was necessary."
"..."
Shinohara-san sat in stunned silence, his hand reaching up to touch his forehead as he processed my words.
"So, I used the mid-grade recovery potion I had on hand. That's why your bill is so high."
"I see..."
The market price for a mid-grade recovery potion was roughly one million yen. Considering it had essentially brought him back from the brink of death and restored his health, it wasn't an unfair price.
After staring at the floor in silence for a while, Shinohara-san finally spoke.
"...Would a payment plan be okay? My finances are a little tight this month."
"...Sure, that's fine."
"I... I see. Thank you. I'm sorry to even ask after you saved my life."
"It's a sudden, massive expense. It's only natural."
"Truly, I'm sorry."
Shinohara-san bowed his head deeply to me. He really did seem to be hurting for money.
"As soon as I squeeze the settlement money out of these bastards, I'll pay you the full amount."
Shinohara-san glared loathingly at the two thieves on the ground. Whoever was handling the settlement negotiations was going to take these guys for everything they were worth. Then again, I wondered if these two even had any money.
Guarding the victims—who were still a bit shaky from the anemia—and escorting the culprits, we made our way back toward the surface. The thieves had woken up once along the way, but they’d become so violent and screamed so much that we had to knock them out again for everyone's sanity.
"Two more floors to the surface. Everyone doing okay?"
I looked back from the front of the group to check on Shinohara-san and the others.
"Yeah, we're fine. It's remarkably easy to move through here without being jumped by monsters thanks to your protection."
"Glad to hear it. We're almost out, so just a little longer."
"Understood."
We moved in a triangle formation: I took the point, with Yuji and Hiiragi-san guarding the flanks and rear. In the center of the triangle, Shinohara-san led the victims while carrying the two thieves under his arms, with the other unsteady explorers following close behind.
"I have to say, you kids are incredibly strong. You’re brushing off hound dogs and horn rabbits like they’re nothing..."
"We’re actually pushing ourselves quite a bit, you know? We’ve never had to guard this many people in a dungeon before..."
"Does that mean you usually dive with just the three of you?"
"Yeah. Ever since we passed the exam together."
Trading small talk between monster encounters, we finally emerged onto the surface.
Reaching the entrance gate, we asked the staff to call the DP. As we waited, the eyes of the other explorers in line fixed on the blood-stained Shinohara-san and the two culprits he was hauling.
A few minutes later, when the DP arrived and Shinohara-san handed over the still-unconscious thieves, the phrase "drop item thieves" rippled through the crowd like a shockwave. It caused such an uproar that every DP officer on site had to be called in to keep the situation under control.
"Are you certain these two attacked you?"
"Yes. They used this modified slingshot to ambush us at the top of the stairs. They even attacked the people who came to help us while they were distracted by our injuries. If these kids hadn't shown up and handled the situation, we'd all be dead."
Shinohara-san explained everything to a middle-aged DP officer who appeared to be in charge, handing over the slingshot as evidence. The officer tested the tension of the rubber, casting a brief, assessing glance our way.
"...This thing would definitely pack a punch."
"Exactly. I nearly died from a crushed skull and brain contusion."
"...Are you sure? You seem to be walking fine, and I don't see any wounds..."
"That's because they used a mid-grade recovery potion on me without hesitation. I'm just lucky they were there."
As Shinohara-san sighed with genuine relief, the other victims nodded fervently in support.
The DP seemed to accept our side of the story for the time being.
"Alright, we need to take official statements. Can you come to the office? We can't really do this out here with this crowd."
"Understood. But could we shower and change first? We’re covered in blood, and it's starting to get to us..."
"That’s fine. However, for protocol’s sake, I'll have to have an officer accompany you."
"Wait... are you saying you suspect us?"
"I'm sorry, but it's the rules. Since we didn't catch them in the act, we have to keep both parties under surveillance until the statements are finalized and the victims and perpetrators are officially identified. It's to prevent any destruction of evidence or coordinating stories. Please don't take it personally."
"Hard not to, but... fine."
Shinohara-san and the others looked offended, but they understood the logic and reluctantly agreed. The officer then turned his attention to the three of us.
"What about you three? You don't look like you’ve got much blood on you. Would you mind coming to the office to give your statements now?"
I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san. They both nodded back immediately.
"Sure. We're not that dirty, so we can go first."
"Much appreciated. We want to get the details on this as fast as possible."
The officer looked relieved by our cooperation and signaled to two younger DP officers.
"You two, take them. I'll stay with this group."
"Yes, sir!"
"Thanks. Follow them to the locker rooms, then."
"We will. Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun, Hiiragi-san... thanks again. We won't forget this."
"Don't worry about it. We're all explorers; we look out for each other. I'm just glad everyone's okay."
"Yeah. See you later."
After seeing Shinohara-san and the others off to the locker rooms, we were led into the office. While we were giving our separate statements, the thieves finally woke up. Finding themselves in the holding cell of a DP station, they seemingly realized they were caught and began to confess.
Both of them claimed they had done it because they were desperate for money. Apparently, shortly after becoming explorers, they had found a magic scroll that sold for a fortune, and it had gone straight to their heads. They’d blown all the money on partying and high-end entertainment with their friends, leaving them with nothing. Having bragged about their newfound wealth and promised their social circle more of the high life, they felt they couldn't back down. That was when they met, realized they were in the same boat, and decided to team up for some quick cash.
A completely pathetic, selfish reason.
With the confessions on record, the facts were clear. Our statements took about an hour to wrap up, and after being told we might be called in again later, we were finally released.
Man, why do I always get dragged into these things?