Following the movement of Shigemori’s finger, I shifted my gaze back from Goto to Shigemori, prompting him to continue.
“That guy became an explorer after taking the Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures Issuance Exam at the start of last year. Apparently, he was delving into dungeons with the friends he got his license with. He was supposedly quite talented and raking in enough to live large. Every now and then, he’d even treat his classmates to drinks and things...”
Shigemori looked up at the sky, recounting what he remembered of Goto from the previous year.
I see. If he was making enough to generously treat people during that busy period, Goto must have been a fairly capable explorer. But then again, he had that habit of throwing money around even back then.
“Hmm, I see. Then why did he end up repeating a year? I heard he was seriously injured, but if they were a reasonably talented group, you’d think a recovery potion would have handled most injuries...”
“Who knows? I don’t know the exact details, but if you’re okay with a rumor of uncertain truth that spread through the class, I can tell you.”
“What kind of rumor is it?”
At my question, Shigemori squinted for a moment while glancing at Goto.
“Just to be clear, I can’t vouch for whether this is true or not, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“...The rumor is that he hogged a dropped skill scroll for himself. He alienated his party, so when they ran into monsters, they refused to back him up. That’s how he ended up with those massive injuries.”
“Hogged it...?”
“Supposedly, Goto really wanted to use magic. When they recovered a skill scroll dropped by a monster, he apparently used it on himself in secret without telling anyone.”
“...”
Hearing Shigemori’s story, I couldn’t help but cast a pitying look toward Goto. Using a group-found skill scroll without permission... What a moron. I don’t know how many he used without consent, but considering the market price for scrolls back then... I could understand why his teammates abandoned him.
Well, a rumor is just a rumor, so I didn’t know the actual facts.
“I guess he got his wish and can use magic now, but you have to wonder if it was worth a major injury and repeating a year,” Shigemori remarked.
“...Well, isn’t it enough that he’s alive? If things had gone any worse, he probably would have died.”
The fact that he escaped with only a serious injury suggested that his companions did eventually help him. The part about not receiving backup likely meant there was so much friction over the skill scroll that their response was delayed.
After all, considering what Goto did, his companions could have easily left him to die.
“Well, I suppose so. Anyway, that’s the rumor I know about Goto... was it helpful?”
“Yeah, thanks for telling me.”
“Sure....He used to get a bit carried away, but he wasn’t the type people spread bad rumors about like they do now. Repeating a year must be what changed his personality.”
Saying this, Shigemori looked at Goto, who was holding court with the first-years, with a complicated expression. If the rumor Shigemori heard was true, the injury itself was Goto’s fault, but in his own mind, he probably believed he was the victim of his friends' betrayal. If so, the driving force behind Goto expanding his influence among the first-years was revenge... or in this case, a desire to prove everyone wrong.
If that was the case, this was going to be a real pain.
“Hey, Daiki...”
“...What?”
As I wore an expression that said things were getting troublesome, Yuji leaned in and spoke in a low voice.
“If Shigemori’s rumor is true, then our plan to intimidate them during the club introduction might not work, right?”
“Maybe so...”
Yuji’s concern was perfectly valid. If a desire for revenge or a need to prove himself was the root of Goto’s actions, there was a high probability he wouldn’t stop even if we tried to pressure him.
But...
“But if they know that we—high-level explorers who can’t be ignored—are backing Mika and the others, it should make it harder for Goto and his group to mess with them.”
“...True.”
“I’m sorry to both of you since the deterrent effect might not be what we hoped for, but please do it for Mika’s sake.”
I raised my right hand and gave Yuji a small bow. Seeing my gesture, Yuji let out a short breath.
“Well, we were planning to do it anyway. I’ll do my best to make sure we leave a lasting impression on them.”
“I’m counting on you.”
I thanked him and placed a hand on Yuji’s shoulder.
We chatted for a while to change the subject until the crowd around us began to form lines. We moved to our class's designated area. It was finally time for the rehearsal to start.
After the opening ceremony—which was mercifully shortened by skipping most of the guest-related items—we moved to the temporary bleachers constructed from steel pipes.
Still, why was the Principal’s speech so long even for a rehearsal? He really could have kept it brief.
“Let’s see. The first event is the 100m sprint for the non-explorer group...”
I checked the upcoming events on the sports festival program. Shigemori, who had been nearby a moment ago, had moved to the entrance gate. I sat down in the bleachers and waited for the event to begin.
After five minutes, the athletes began their entrance to upbeat music.
“Even with all three grades combined, there aren't many participants except for the first-years...”
“Yeah. Is it because the ratio of explorers is higher among the second and third-years?”
Yuji responded to my muttered observation.
“Probably. In our class, there are only a few non-explorers left besides Shigemori.”
“True.”
Yuji and I watched the upperclassmen lined up behind the first-years, wondering exactly how many explorers were in our school now.
While I was lost in thought, the 100m sprint began with the crack of a starter pistol.
“They’re... fast, right?”
“...Yeah, probably.”
“Right...”
The first-years ran past the track with desperate expressions, but the cheers from the bleachers were lackluster. The cheer squad members were shouting at the top of their lungs, trying their best to liven things up, but the reaction from the many explorer students was underwhelming. It wasn’t that they lacked motivation; they just seemed bewildered.
“It feels like... watching a toddler race at a daycare,” I accidentally muttered.
“...”
Yuji didn't argue.
Once the first three groups finished running, the first event concluded. Since it was just a rehearsal, they were only doing the beginning of each event to check the flow.
“Next is the 200m sprint for explorer students...”
“Wasn't Hiiragi-san supposed to be in this one?”
“Yeah.”
Casting a glance toward the entrance gate, I spotted Hiiragi-san standing in the line of participants. Since she wouldn't actually be running today, she looked somewhat bored.
“Well, I should get going.”
“Hm? Oh, right, Yuji, you’re in the obstacle race after this?”
“Yeah.”
Saying that, Yuji stood up and moved toward the entrance gate. An obstacle race... unless they put out obstacles like the ones at Genya’s place, it wouldn’t even slow Yuji down.
I thought back to Genya’s training and gave a small shrug.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
Along with the music, Hiiragi-san and the other athletes for the 200m sprint entered the field. This time, unlike before, the number of first-years was small, while the numbers for second and third-years were large. Once the entrance was complete, the first set of runners stepped up to the starting line.
And then...
“On your marks... set... GO!”
The crack of the starter pistol echoed, and the athletes burst forward. "Sprinting" didn't feel like the right word. The runners accelerated like race cars the moment the signal went off. Unlike during the non-explorer race, massive, excited cheers erupted from the bleachers. They were nearly neck-and-neck until the first corner, but by the halfway point, the pack began to spread out.
“Once they hit the straightaway, the level difference really shows...”
The lead runner accelerated rapidly, pulling away from the rest. That lead runner was likely the highest level. Judging by his running form, it didn't look like he had any actual track experience.
The lead runner maintained his top spot for the rest of the first heat, crossing the finish line with a huge lead.
“Hmm. Since skills are prohibited, you can’t close the level gap unless you’re an actual athlete...”
If someone has track experience, they know efficient form, which might close a small level gap. But in a contest between rank amateurs, levels directly dictated the rankings. While there were movement and action support type skills, they were strictly banned, so there was no way around it. It was too late for this year, but for the next sports festival, they’d probably have to arrange heats while taking levels into account.
After the last runner finished, the runners for the second heat took their marks. Only about ten seconds had passed since the first runners started. Doing a 200m sprint in under ten seconds...
“It’s only been a little over a year since the dungeons appeared, but the world's standards have really shifted...”
I mused as I looked at the bleachers, where almost no students were shocked by the speed. If they had seen a race like that at last year’s sports festival, they would have been too stunned to cheer.
However, since dungeon exploration was opened to the general public, it’s been frequently featured on TV, so people were already accustomed to these kinds of superhuman feats.
“On your marks... set... GO!”
While I was pondering the rapid change in common sense, the second heat began. Just like the previous race, they were neck-and-neck until the first corner. Once they hit the straight, the gap began to open. However, this time, two runners were battling for the lead. The two of them entered the second corner while jockeying for the top spot, repeatedly overtaking each other until...
“Ah.”
The runner on the outside of the corner slipped. With all that momentum, they tumbled across the ground, going off-course while kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The field fell into chaos, with screams and voices of concern for the fallen runner. The teachers rushed over in a panic, but they stopped when they saw the student stand up as if nothing had happened.
However, once the dust settled, small screams broke out here and there. The runner wasn't injured, but their appearance was tragic. Their gym uniform was shredded; the top, in particular, was ripped open, exposing bare skin.
“Falling at that speed is basically like a traffic accident...”
There was no way plain fabric could withstand being scraped against the ground at that speed. The runner’s own body was as sturdy as an explorer’s should be, so they didn't have a single scratch, but their clothes were ruined. The teacher confirmed the runner wasn't hurt and led the student toward the school building, likely to find a spare uniform.
Once it was confirmed that the runner was fine, the 200m sprint was cut short.
“Well, I guess that makes sense. Even if the runner wasn't hurt, after a fall that spectacular, you wouldn’t want to continue. Plus, they’ll have to think of measures against falling before the real thing tomorrow.”
If that fall had happened during the actual sports festival, that runner would have plowed into the spectator stands where the parents would be sitting. It would be no different from a motorcycle crashing into the crowd. Injuries would be guaranteed, and fatalities were a real possibility.
The decision to halt the event was the only logical choice.
“That said, the only real counters are barricades, crash pads, or personnel who can catch falling runners, right?”
Ideally, they would set up buffer zones like a racing circuit, but that was impossible. The only measure they could take by tomorrow would be to station high-level explorers as safety monitors.
Wait, what? I started to get a bad feeling about this.
I felt a strange sense of unease as I watched the athletes leave the field.