In response to my voice, Miyano-san stepped out, having changed from his stage costume into a tracksuit.
As he removed his explorer gear and gave a light wave, the intensity he’d shown during the performance vanished. Without the armor and weapons, he looked like any other clean-cut college student.
"It’s been a long time," he said.
"Yeah, it has. This is the first time we've spoken face-to-face since that day, isn't it?"
"Yes. That’s right."
We started with a few harmless pleasantries.
"I’m sorry about what happened today," Miyano-san said, his expression clouding. "Our safety checks were insufficient. We put you and your sister in danger."
"No, don't worry about it. We weren't hurt, so there’s no harm done."
"I’m glad to hear you say that."
Miyano-san slumped his shoulders, looking visibly relieved. It seemed that hearing me personally tell him it was fine finally cleared his conscience. During the official apology earlier, Miyano-san and his partner Mizusawa-san only managed a brief word before the middle-aged man in charge took over the conversation. Miyano-san must have been fretting ever since.
"Still, it was a blessing in disguise," I added.
"Absolutely. It was lucky that it flew toward you, but when I think about what would have happened if it had hit an ordinary spectator..."
Miyano-san’s face turned a shade paler.
It was a valid concern. If that thing had actually struck someone...
"That wooden sword had an iron core, didn't it?"
"Yeah. It would be a disaster if it snapped in the middle of a mock battle."
"I thought so. Caught it, and it definitely felt a lot heavier than a standard wooden sword."
"We can't exactly use real blades for a public demonstration, so the show uses those reinforced wooden ones instead."
Miyano-san scratched his head and let out a weary sigh. It seemed the incident had truly shaken him. Since there was no actual harm done, I figured it was best not to press him on it any further.
"Well, there’s no point dwelling on what’s already happened. It’s more constructive to focus on prevention for next time, right?"
"...You're right. Ensuring we don't repeat the same mistake is what matters."
"Exactly. Besides, I've already received a form of compensation. Let's consider the matter closed."
I clapped my hands together as I spoke, and Miyano-san regained a bit of his cheer. Since I wasn't bothered by the incident, I didn't want him dragging it around like a burden forever. Now that he seemed to have pulled himself together, I decided to change the subject.
"By the way, what happened with everything after that day?"
"After that... you mean after we handed the attackers over to the DP? You haven't heard?"
"No. We gave our brief statements at the scene, but we weren't asked to cooperate with the investigation further, so I don't know any of the details."
"Did you try to look into it?"
"Nothing beyond watching the news. We didn't hear a word after that, and the money for the recovery potions you used was transferred quickly through the Association. I took that as a silent message that we shouldn't get too deeply involved."
"...I see."
Miyano-san’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. A shadow darker than before crossed his face, suggesting there were complicated circumstances we were unaware of. I remained silent, waiting for him to speak. After a long pause, Miyano-san looked up at me with a determined gaze.
"Shall we go somewhere else to talk? I'll let the others know I’m stepping away. Can you wait a moment?"
"Eh? Ah, sure. That’s fine."
Faced with such earnest eyes, I couldn't say no. I nodded, and Miyano-san excused himself to head back inside the tent. He returned about a minute later.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we?"
"Ah, yes."
I followed Miyano-san as he led me out of the event area. We bought drinks at the food stalls and found a pair of temporary benches in a quiet rest area, sitting down side-by-side. After taking a sip of his tea, Miyano-san spoke softly.
"Now then, where should I start?"
"From the beginning, if possible. I have no idea what happened after we were released following our statements to the DP."
"Understood. Then I'll start with what happened after you handed those attackers over..."
Miyano-san began to recount the events of that day while staring off into the distance.
"Except for Shinohara-san, who was healed by your mid-grade recovery potion, the rest of us were rushed to the medical suite before our statements were even taken."
"Given how much you were bleeding, that makes sense. Were you okay?"
"Yeah. Fortunately, the blood loss wasn't fatal. I felt a bit better after resting in the infirmary for a while, though they eventually sent me to the hospital for tests and I ended up being admitted immediately."
"I see."
Miyano-san gave a wry smile. So they really were hospitalized after all. If I had treated all of them with mid-grade recovery potions like I did for Shinohara-san, they probably wouldn't have needed anything beyond a check-up... but producing that many high-end potions at the time would have invited too much suspicion.
"Still, you guys really saved us. Not just the injuries—when I think about what would have happened if you hadn't escorted us out of the dungeon... it's terrifying."
"No, we only did what we could. Besides, for the medical treatment, we were properly paid for the potions."
"Even so, I want to thank you again. Thank you for saving our lives."
Miyano-san bowed his head deeply.
Being thanked so sincerely to my face was embarrassing. To hide my bashfulness, I scratched my head and looked away.
"Anyway, to get back to the story... the attackers were handed over to the police by the DP and arrested on charges of robbery and assault. Did you hear their motive?"
"Ah, yeah. I heard a bit of it during the DP statement. I can't believe they’d attack people for a reason like that... it’s beyond stupid."
Attacking people just because they wanted quick cash for entertainment... I couldn't fathom what was going through their heads.
"You're exactly right, Kokonoe-kun. They need to reflect deeply on what they've done."
I could see the bitter resentment twisting Miyano-san’s features. From a victim's perspective, such a selfish reason was unforgivable. I’m sure he would have preferred to retaliate personally if he could. He took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing.
"Anyway... they're in prison now."
"Prison? Is the trial already over? I thought legal proceedings took much longer."
"Some cases on the news drag on for years, but that's rare. In this instance, the facts were indisputable and the perpetrators confessed, so it moved quickly. The verdict was handed down about three months after the arrest."
I see. That meant the sentencing was finalized back in February or March.
"The ringleader received eighteen years without a suspended sentence for robbery resulting in injury and other charges. His accomplice, who was a minor, got fifteen years, also without a suspended sentence."
"...So they didn't get probation."
"No. It was a premeditated crime, and given the motive, a suspended sentence was out of the question. Their lawyer tried to negotiate a settlement before the indictment, but we all refused to even listen."
Miyano-san spat the words out with a grimace. It made sense. If it had been a drunken brawl, there might have been room for negotiation, but this was an attack carried out with clear intent to rob and harm. There was no way a settlement would ever be reached.
Wait, if that was the case...
"By the way, were you able to recover the cost of the recovery potions? My bank records show the payment came through about two weeks after the incident..."
"The court ordered the attackers to pay damages, but... well, they’re the kind of people who resort to robbery. There’s no prospect of actually collecting anything."
"Oh..."
"In other words, we’re paying our own hospital bills for now."
Miyano-san let out a weak, dejected sigh.
To be nearly killed, get no compensation, and then be stuck with the medical bills... that was brutal. Then I remembered: at that point in time, there was no insurance available for explorers. Talk about a string of terrible luck.
"Um..."
"Haha, don't worry. There's a system called the Crime Victim Benefit we can use. We’ve applied for it and are just waiting for the decision now."
I wanted to say something to encourage him, but his words only made me more uncertain. If they were still waiting on a decision, it meant they hadn't received a cent yet. Feeling the weight of his misfortune, I decided to shift the topic.
"S-So, how are the others doing? Are they still active in the dungeons?"
"...No."
The moment I asked about the other victims, Miyano-san’s expression darkened visibly. The atmosphere around us grew heavy. Crap, I’d stepped on a landmine.
Oppressed by the gloom radiating from him, I stiffened. An awkward silence stretched out, making the sound of my own breathing feel unnaturally loud. It lasted only a few seconds, though it felt like hours, before Miyano-san finally spoke.
"They all quit."
"...Eh?"
"Shinohara-san is still diving, but my three friends... they were too traumatized. They're done with the dungeons."
"..."
With an expression of utter exhaustion, Miyano-san began to explain their circumstances.
"Shinohara-san is amazing. To still be able to go back in after what happened... he's a full-time explorer. A real pro."
"..."
"He really is incredible," Miyano-san whispered, looking up at the sky.
I could only watch him in silence.
"By comparison... we couldn't cut it. My trauma isn't as severe as theirs, but even so, my body starts shaking the moment I try to enter a dungeon."
"..."
"The Association was kind enough to hire me as event staff for publicity, so on paper, I’m still an explorer of sorts. But I can't actually dive anymore."
"..."
"I guess that's the difference between a pro and college students playing at being explorers. We weren't prepared. We didn't have the resolve."
Miyano-san stared at his palms, his voice thick with sorrow.
"Yoshiki and Hirano-san can at least go outside, but they're mentally unstable and have to go to counseling every week. Hinata-san... she dropped out of school and was admitted to a psychiatric ward. She’s terrified of being around other people."
"..."
"When the dungeons first appeared, I was so excited. I thought it was like a game. When I became an explorer, I felt like the protagonist of a story."
For a brief moment, Miyano-san looked happy as he recalled those early days. But the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"...But I wasn't."
His face twisted with regret. He grit his teeth, the words coming out like a confession of his own foolishness.
"We weren't protagonists. We mistook danger for a thrill. We thought we were at some fun amusement park attraction. We didn't think, we didn't prepare—we just drifted along like fools."
"..."
"And this is the price for our stupidity. Haha... we got exactly what we deserved."
Miyano-san looked as if he were about to burst into tears.
I couldn't find a single word to offer him. We might have saved their lives, but had they truly been "saved"? Looking at him now, I couldn't feel any pride in what I'd done. You often see it in stories—saving the body but failing to save the heart.
But experiencing it in person was different.
"..."
"..."
The silence was agonizing. Seriously, I had no idea where to take this conversation. I could have tried to comfort him with some borrowed lines from a movie or a book, but those would have been hollow. I wasn't the one who lived through it; anything I said would have been superficial lip service.
So, I just sat there beside him. Man... I’m pathetic.
A notification on Miyano-san’s phone signaled his next stage appearance, and he headed back to the event area. I watched him go, my chest tight with a feeling I couldn't quite name. In the end, I hadn't been able to say anything of substance.
"What was I supposed to say...?"
The question had no answer, and it left me feeling lost. Miyano-san’s story wasn't just his problem. As long as I continued to be an explorer, regardless of how strong I became, I could never guarantee that something similar wouldn't happen to me.
"...I should have made Mika and Saori-chan listen to this."
It might have been cruel, but they were the ones who needed to hear it. They needed to hear the reality of the dungeon directly from someone who had suffered for it—before they reached a point of no return. It might have helped them find their own resolve.
"...Well, I guess I'll say goodbye to those two and head home. I’m not really in the mood for the festival anymore."
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and stood up. Despite the heavy mood, the encounter was meaningful. Hearing Miyano-san's story reaffirmed my decision: if I wanted to keep Mika and her friend from ending up like that, I had to be strict with them. I had to make sure they were ready for the reality of their choices.