After we finished every investigation we could manage without actually stepping inside the dungeon, the three of us took a breather. I brought out fresh coffee and some sweets for us to snack on. I wasn't particularly exhausted physically, but the mental drain was real. I needed the break.
"I'm wiped..."
"I don't blame you. Closing the entrance creates a time difference between the interior and exterior. Even at such close range, wireless signals drop out, and GPS tracking fails..."
"Our theory that the dungeon exists in a subspace or another dimension likely isn't far from the truth," Yukino-san added.
We all let out soft sighs. My head was starting to throb. The more we verified, the more of a headache this dungeon became. I wanted to give my past self a stern lecture for even momentarily considering going public with its existence.
There was no way in hell we could willingly reveal something like this!
"...At this point, everything depends on whether moving the desk has any effect."
"Exactly," Yuji agreed. "If moving the desk doesn't affect the dungeon itself, we have plenty of options. We could even hide it inside your Spatial Storage, Daiki."
"True. If that works, it would be the ideal solution," Yukino-san noted.
As Yuji said, since no one else could see what was inside my Spatial Storage, hiding the desk with the dungeon inside it would be the most effective way to keep it a secret. If it was tucked away where no one could see it, we could easily manage the secret.
The fact that the dungeon entrance was inside a desk drawer was our biggest hurdle right now.
"Well, regardless, let's hold off on further investigation until after the sports festival is over. We won't know much more until we actually step inside anyway."
"Agreed," Yuji said. "Let's call it a day. Honestly, today's findings were so shocking that I don't have the energy to do anything else."
"I'm with you," Yukino-san said. "If we're going to enter the dungeon for research, I'd prefer to do it once we're fully prepared. Given how much these results have rattled us, I'd be worried about our ability to handle an emergency. Besides, we've spent quite a while on this; it's getting late."
With that, Yukino-san glanced at the wall clock before looking out at the sunset through the window. I hadn't noticed while we were focused on the investigation, but it really was getting late.
"You're right. Alright, let's wrap it up. Thanks for letting us intrude, Daiki. The snacks were great."
"Sure thing."
"Well then, Kokonoe-kun, I'll be heading out as well."
Yuji and Yukino-san grabbed their things and stood up. Since they'd come straight from school, they only had their school bags with them.
I picked up the empty dishes and walked them to the front door to see them off.
"See ya, Daiki. See you at school tomorrow."
"Thank you for having me."
The two of them gave me a brief wave and headed home.
After seeing them out, I went into the living room to clear the dishes. Mother and Mika—who had returned at some point—were sitting together on the sofa watching TV.
Mother turned around at the sound of the door opening and our eyes met.
"Oh? Daiki, do you want a refill on your drink?"
"No. The other two just left."
"Oh, did they? If you'd told me, I would have come to see them off..."
"It’s fine, Mother. Don't worry about it."
As I set the used dishes in the kitchen sink, I told her not to let it bother her. She always took hospitality seriously.
"Is that so? So, Daiki, how did your meeting go? You all seemed to be discussing things quite intensely."
"Oh, it went well enough, I guess."
Even as the words left my mouth, I wondered what "well enough" was supposed to mean. I kept my expression vague to dodge any further questioning. I couldn't tell her the truth, and it would be a hassle if she started prying.
I sat down on the sofa next to Mika and watched the local news.
"By the way, Mika, you're back pretty early. Didn't you go out with Saori-chan after school?"
"Well, we did stop by the shopping center, but..." Mika’s expression soured slightly.
"But?"
"We didn't have any money to spend on karaoke or the arcade, and there wasn't really anything we wanted to buy anyway. We just walked around the stores once and came home."
"I-I see..."
I knew they'd mentioned being broke, but I hadn't expected them to be that bored. I tried to keep a straight face, but Mika turned to me and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"More importantly, Onii-chan? You said you had plans today and we’d be doing our own thing after school. So why were you at home talking about the sports festival with Yuji-san and Yukino-san? Weren't you supposed to be consulting Juzo-san today?"
Mika’s face clearly showed her annoyance at being left out. I wondered if I could smooth this over with a plausible excuse.
"Ah, that. Well, I really did intend to go to Yuji's place and talk to Juzo-san, but..."
"But?"
"I had Yuji check Juzo-san's schedule during break, and it turned out he had a conflict at the last minute. The meeting was canceled. I thought it would be weird to suddenly take back what I said about us going our separate ways, so I just didn't mention it."
"...Hmm."
Mika looked like she didn't entirely buy my story, but since she had no way to prove otherwise, she reluctantly accepted the explanation.
In my defense, the part about Juzo-san being unavailable was actually true. We just couldn't get a hold of him.
"So? What were you guys talking about so seriously, then?"
"What else? Since our consultation fell through, we just talked about tomorrow's rehearsal to pass the time."
"The rehearsal?"
"Yeah. We're doing the walk-through for the club activity introduction tomorrow. We were discussing how much of the appeal time we should actually show if they run through that part too."
The rehearsal would probably just be assigning positions. However, there was a chance they'd want more. We didn't plan on doing our actual demonstration until the day of the festival, but if we did absolutely nothing during the rehearsal, it might kill the hype for the real thing.
...Wait, hold on. I’d said that as a cover, but it actually sounded like a real problem. I should probably coordinate with Yuji tomorrow before things get started.
"Hmm, I see. So, what are you guys going to do?"
"Just some light sparring to keep things interesting. There’s no point in going all out during a rehearsal."
I reached for the sweets on the table, but Mother’s voice cut me off.
"Daiki, dinner is almost ready. No more snacks."
"Eh? Oh, right."
"Just wait a few more minutes. I'll have everything set."
Seeing me pull my hand back, Mother stood up and headed for the kitchen. Mika watched the exchange with an amused giggle.
Ugh, that was a little embarrassing.
After dinner, I returned to my room and started organizing the findings from our investigation. I’d considered using my PC, but given the nature of the data, I didn't want to risk any leaks from malware or hacking. In the end, I decided to write everything by hand in a new notebook.
"Alright, that should do it. I’ll just need to add the internal survey data later."
Looking over the notes from the last two days, it struck me again how little we actually knew about the dungeon.
• Closing the desk drawer (dungeon entrance) results in a time difference of approximately 10x between the interior and exterior. • Closing the desk drawer severs all mutual radio communication between the interior and exterior. • Closing the desk drawer makes it impossible to track the location via GPS. • While closed, the dungeon's internal environment remains constant at 23°C and 50% humidity, with safe oxygen levels and no toxic gases. • Various slimes respawn in the center of the room whenever the drawer is closed. • Is it possible to open or close the drawer from the inside?
These were the only concrete facts we had. The list was short, but every point was vital.
"I don't know if the entrance can be opened from the inside yet, but I should probably install a lock just in case."
I looked at the one item on the list with a question mark, then glanced at the drawer. It hadn't happened yet, but that didn't mean it never would. Now that I knew it might be possible, I had to take precautions.
"I'll stop by the home center after school tomorrow."
Recalling the location of a nearby shop, I decided to pick up supplies after the rehearsal. I couldn't put a heavy-duty lock on a desk drawer, but a latch and a padlock would work.
If a slime really wanted to force its way out, a cheap lock wouldn't do much. But it would at least give me some peace of mind.
"And one more thing..."
I booted up my PC and opened a shopping site. I searched for a security sensor that could link to a smartphone to track when a door or window was opened. If I put one on the drawer, I’d know if it was opened while I was out.
"Oh, right. Better get this too."
I searched for another item. Since the sensor would notify my phone via the internet, I decided to set up a home camera as well. That way, if I got a notification, I could immediately check the drawer’s status visually. Like the sensor, I could access the feed remotely.
"Alright, expedited shipping... and ordered. That should be everything I need from the web."
After receiving the confirmation email, I shut down the PC. My notes were organized and the gear was on its way. I was done for the night.
"Time for a bath, I guess."
I stretched my back and grabbed a change of clothes.
Phew. It had been a long day, but it was finally over.
The morning sun hit my face, pulling me awake. I sat up in bed and let out a massive yawn while stretching.
"Morning already..."
I rubbed my eyes and climbed out of bed, shaking off the last of the sleep.
"Today's the rehearsal. Honestly, what a pain."
Most of the students probably felt the same way, which was likely why they’d scheduled a pep rally for afterward. It was still a drag, though. I’d rather just wing it on the day, but I knew that wasn't how these things worked.
Stifling another yawn, I went to the washroom and splashed my face with cold water. That did the trick.
"Morning."
When I walked into the living room, Mother was busy with breakfast. Father was already at the table with his coffee.
"Morning, Daiki."
"Morning."
I took my usual seat. Father set his mug down and looked at me.
"By the way, Daiki, is today the full run-through for the sports festival?"
"Yeah. Rehearsal all morning, then setting up the venue in the afternoon."
"I see. Well, do your best and try not to get hurt."
"Thanks, Dad."
As Father gave me his encouragement, the door opened and Mika walked in.
"Morning..."
"Hey."
"Morning, Mika."
She looked drowsy, but she’d clearly washed her face already. She gave a faint response and slumped into the chair next to mine.
"Well, I'd better get moving."
"Huh? You're leaving already?"
"Yeah, I have to be in early today. You two make sure you aren't late for school."
We know.
Father gave Mother a quick nod and left. She followed him to the door to see him off.
"I'm off, then."
"Take care!"
I heard them at the front door, followed by the sound of it opening and closing. They were as lovey-dovey as ever. Good for them.
Mother returned to the living room and looked at us.
"I'll have breakfast ready in just a second, you two."
"Okay."
"Mom, we still have plenty of time. You don't have to rush."
Ignoring Mika’s comment, Mother hurried through the final preparations. As Mika said, there really wasn't any need to rush, but that was just how she was.