After glancing over the restless crowd of students and parents, the Principal slowly raised both hands in front of the microphone.
Then... he clapped. The sharp report of his kashiwade was amplified through the mic, erupting from the speakers as a deafening boom. At the sudden roar echoing across the grounds, the chattering students and parents momentarily stiffened and fell silent.
"Everyone..."
Not missing the moment of silence that had fallen over the grounds, the Principal drew the attention of everyone present with just a single word.
"I will now explain the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the relay events. Please listen quietly for a moment."
As he spoke, the Principal bowed lightly.
Seeing his solemn posture, the students and parents showed a willingness to listen, their expressions filled with confusion but their mouths remaining shut.
"Now, I shall explain the events that led to the cancellation of the relay events for this sports festival. It all began with a sports festival held at another school last week."
The Principal paused, scanning the grounds.
With just those words and that movement, an atmosphere of "So that really was it..." rippled through the crowd.
"Many of you may already be aware of the situation, but I will summarize it briefly. First..."
The Principal gave a concise explanation of the accident that had occurred during last week's sports festival. He then announced that, as a countermeasure, they had initially decided to divide the events based on whether or not students held an Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures. For a moment, an air of dissatisfaction toward the school's response seemed to rise from the spectator seats.
"For our part, we have done everything in our power and made every effort to ensure that as many students as possible could enjoy participating in the sports festival. After all, it is the first major event for the entire student body since the start of the new term..."
However, at the Principal's claim that they were acting for the sake of the students, the criticism from the parents withered and vanished. If the administration insisted they were working hard for the children's enjoyment, it was difficult to voice open complaints—especially since no actual problems had occurred yet.
After confirming the reaction from the parents, the Principal’s expression shifted to one of deep regret.
"However... during the rehearsal we held yesterday, a major problem occurred."
At the mention of a "major problem," the spectator seats buzzed while the students took on bitter expressions.
"During a relay race, a student runner fell. At their high speed, they veered off course and plunged into the area designated for the spectator seats. Looking back... it was an inevitable problem."
The Principal bowed his head and offered an apology to the students, citing his own lack of foresight.
Well, if he didn't state clearly that it was due to the school's lack of consideration, people might blame the student who fell for the cancellation. That would put the kid on a bed of needles and likely lead to bullying. The school might take some heat from the parents temporarily, but by claiming full responsibility, the Principal was heading off a much nastier situation before it could start.
"If the same thing were to happen during the actual event... if a student were to plunge into the spectator seats filled with parents, a large number of injuries would be inevitable. That is an accident that simply must not be allowed to happen; it is a catastrophe we must prevent at all costs."
The Principal paused again, scanning the crowd with a resolute gaze that brooked no argument. Overwhelmed by his intensity, the students and parents remained silent, unable to voice any objections.
The students, in particular, had witnessed the runner veer off course and plow into the spectator area during yesterday's rehearsal. Now that the danger of causing mass injury was being invoked, they couldn't exactly argue. Not that they would have anyway; the Principal was making a sound argument, and even those who weren't intimidated by his presence had no real rebuttal.
"After the rehearsal, we held a faculty meeting to discuss countermeasures."
One of those had been the request for cooperation from the Student Council to us, which had since been scrapped. It was a reckless plan, but it wouldn't have been impossible to pull off—even if we were basically being used as meat shields.
"...However, the situation changed when a notice arrived from the Board of Education."
The Principal looked slightly dejected as he announced the existence of the notice. An air of regret exuded from him, and everyone watching sensed that its contents must have been unwelcome.
"The notice requested self-restraint regarding the implementation of relay-type events at all sports festivals."
A request for self-restraint, huh?
They called it a "request," but it was an order that couldn't be refused. In reality, it was a cancellation order, but for appearance's sake, the Board was leaving the final decision to each individual school. That way, since the school was the one technically making the call to cancel, the Board of Education could dodge any criticism. Typical.
"Furthermore, the notice stated that if relay-type events were to be held, certain minimum safety requirements must be strictly observed. I would like to share a few of them with you now."
The Principal took a shallow breath and listed the conditions.
"First: A buffer zone, or Escape Zone, of sufficient width must be established between the track and the spectator seats. Second: Shock-absorbing materials must be installed in front of the spectator seats to ensure the safety of both spectators and students."
Hearing the conditions, I reflexively looked around the grounds and sighed.
A "sufficiently wide" buffer zone, huh?
"According to the standards in the notice, a distance of at least fifteen meters must be secured between the track and the seats. As you can see, our grounds are not particularly large, making it impossible to secure a sufficient buffer zone while still maintaining a functional relay course."
I didn't think our grounds were exceptionally small, but we certainly didn't have enough room to spare for a buffer zone of that scale. In fact, most public schools in urban areas probably couldn't meet those conditions. Private schools or those out in the countryside might manage, but for us...
"Additionally, we were unable to secure the necessary shock-absorbing materials due to the sudden nature of the request. Every school that received the notice contacted the equipment rental companies simultaneously, resulting in a total shortage of supply."
A heavy sigh rippled through the students and parents. A weight settled over the entire grounds.
Even though the sports festival had started less than ten minutes ago, a grim silence hung in the air. As long as those safety standards were in place, it was now a certainty that this school would never be able to hold relay events again.
A sports festival without relays, cavalry battles, or any of the high-intensity contact sports... it was going to be a pretty dull affair. As if sensing the students' dwindling motivation, the Principal raised his voice to blow away the gloom.
"However, everyone! The notice did not contain only bad news. Beyond the request for restraint, it offered a proposal for next year's sports festival!"
The gazes of the students and parents snapped back to the Principal.
"According to the notice, because many schools will now find it difficult to hold relay events on their own grounds, the Board has proposed holding joint sports festivals starting next year. This would involve partnering with schools that have ample space, or renting out professional athletic stadiums for multiple schools to use together."
At the mention of a joint sports festival, the heavy atmosphere vanished, replaced by an instant roar of excitement.
Well, it made sense. If you couldn't run a relay on a cramped school field, renting a professional stadium was a logical solution.
"Of course, the joint sports festival is still only a proposal, not a final decision. However, we plan to consult with other schools and the Board of Education to work out the specifics in the near future."
As the prospect of a joint festival started to feel real, the excitement grew. The shift in the crowd's mood was so dramatic it was hard to believe how heavy the air had been just moments ago.
The Principal watched the crowd in silence, waiting for the commotion to die down before speaking again.
"To reiterate: I am truly sorry, but we cannot conduct the relay events today. To the students who were scheduled to compete, and to the parents who were looking forward to seeing their children perform—I offer my deepest apologies for the sudden change in the program."
With that, the Principal bowed deeply toward the parents on both sides and the students in front. After a brief pause, a thunderous round of applause erupted across the grounds.
...I wondered why they were applauding, but I clapped along with everyone else anyway.
His address finished, the Principal stepped down from the assembly platform. It seemed everyone had accepted the cancellation for now. Still, with all the relay events gone, a huge chunk of the program was missing. I wondered if we’d be done by noon.
As I pondered that, the opening ceremony continued.
"Next, we will have greetings from our guests. Representing our guests is Mr. Wakita, a Section Chief from the Dungeon Association branch."
Prompted by the Vice Principal’s announcement, a middle-aged man in a suit climbed onto the platform. The man—Chief Wakita—stood before the microphone with a soft smile.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning!" the crowd responded.
At the arrival of a section chief from the Dungeon Association, the students with permits immediately tensed up. I could hear worried whispers asking if someone had caused a problem, mixed with expectant murmurs about whether the rumored explorers were actually at our school.
As for that "someone" and "something"... I had a very good idea what—or rather, who—that was about. I kept my turbulent inner thoughts hidden behind a poker face and kept my eyes fixed on Chief Wakita.
"As I was just introduced, I am with the Dungeon Association. Since there are many students here who hold permits, we actually have quite a close relationship. That said, I'm on the administrative side, so I doubt any of you have seen my face before..."
Mixing in a few light jokes, Chief Wakita spoke in a gentle tone designed to ease the students' tension. Once he saw the atmosphere soften, he moved on to the purpose of his visit.
"One of the reasons I am here today is to observe a sports festival where high school students with permits are participating. As you are likely aware, permit holders are currently restricted from official tournaments. This is because the massive gap in basic physical ability between explorers and non-explorers makes it impossible to ensure fair competition."
At his words, students who had been forced to quit their sports clubs after becoming explorers grimaced, while the remaining club members who were struggling to recruit new members looked equally annoyed.
"Therefore, by observing a high school sports festival where permit holders and non-holders compete together, we hope to gain insight for future general sports events where both groups can participate. Given that we've already seen problems and countermeasures regarding relay events before the festival even officially started, I've already found this visit to be very meaningful."
Many students looked visibly displeased. Even if it was necessary for the future, nobody liked being told to their face that they were being used as lab rats.
Still, I wondered why he was intentionally phrasing things in a way that incited the students' hostility.
"Now, I shouldn't keep you any longer, so I will conclude my remarks. Students, please do your best today, and try to stay safe."
Chief Wakita gave a slight bow and left the platform to sparse applause. The students buzzed with confusion at his retreating back. The noise died down once the Vice Principal issued a cautionary announcement, but the opening ceremony proceeded under a cloud of awkwardness.
After the Student Council President's greeting and the athlete's oath, the first sports festival since the appearance of the dungeon—and one that was already off to a rocky start—finally began.