After the closing ceremony concluded, I watched the parents heading home out of the corner of my eye as we began the cleanup and cleaning. That said, the larger installations like the cheering stands were being handled by professional contractors, so our job was just to pack away the tents and equipment we’d set up two days ago.
I pulled up the stakes anchoring the ropes with one hand while engaging in some idle chatter with Yuji and Shigemori to kill time.
"Still... that closing ceremony ended pretty uneventfully. After the way the opening ceremony went, I figured things might get rowdy one more time."
"Hey, don’t go wishing for more trouble."
"He’s right, Shigemori. We’ve had more than enough drama for one day."
Shigemori muttered his unsettling thoughts in a slightly disappointed tone. It was a good thing it ended quietly, wasn't it?
"But look, right? Remember that official from the Dungeon Association who said all those things during the opening ceremony? His closing speech was just, 'I'm glad the sports festival ended safely without any injuries.' Wouldn't you expect him to have a bit more to say? Especially after your club’s appeal performance."
"...Well, I suppose so."
Shigemori’s point was actually quite valid. For a VIP who had made such an impression during his opening speech to offer nothing but bland pleasantries after seeing our demonstration was anticlimactic—no, it was suspicious. Based on the vibe he gave off earlier, I would’ve expected him to lecture us about insufficient safety precautions or insist that joint events were too dangerous and should be held separately.
And yet, all he said was that he was glad it ended safely.
"Did he have some other motive...?"
As Yuji and I narrowed our eyes and looked toward the guest seating area, Shigemori clapped his hands as a thought struck him.
"Wait, maybe he was here as a scout?"
"...A scout?"
I puzzled over the suggestion for a moment, but I quickly reconsidered and found it plausible.
"Ah, I see. Yeah, that’s actually a possibility."
In essence, explorers rarely move with serious intent outside of a dungeon. Especially in the city, there aren't many places where you can operate at full power.
Recently, the Association started offering a paid service where explorers can determine their levels, but all that really tells you are the numbers on a status screen. Since game-like PvP isn't something that can be done casually, the Association currently has no way to verify what people call "player skill." Maybe in a few years, specialized facilities or competitions for that will exist.
If that’s the case, the only times the Association can safely observe an explorer’s practical abilities to some extent are during events like this sports festival or athletic meets. A sports festival where high school students—the absolute youngest possible explorers—are the stars is the perfect venue for finding prospects before they're snatched up. Since students who can't participate in normal competitions due to regulations can still excel here, it's a prime scouting ground. Real powerhouses among university students or professional explorers are already tied to corporations dealing in dungeon products. Trying to lure that kind of talent into the Association would be a nightmare in terms of funding and rewards. It would be much more efficient to target the high school demographic, a layer that corporations find harder to approach.
"Maybe you guys are going to get headhunted soon?"
"...Maybe."
Feeling a slight prickle of irritation as Shigemori teased us with an amused tone, I exchanged a glance with Yuji and let out a small sigh.
I couldn't help but feel that our list of potential headaches had just grown longer.
Once we finished a reasonable amount of the cleanup, we changed clothes and held homeroom in our respective classrooms. There weren't any particularly vital announcements, but since Sunday and Monday would be a long weekend thanks to the compensatory holiday, we were given a stern warning not to get carried away and cause trouble—specifically, no underage drinking at any after-parties.
Come to think of it, during last year's school festival, some students holding an after-party at a karaoke box were caught drinking by a patrolling teacher, which caused a massive scandal. I heard a rumor later that all the students involved were hit with a one-week suspension.
"Well, there was plenty of commotion, but I’m relieved the sports festival ended safely without any major accidents. Good work, everyone. Use this long weekend to get some proper rest, and I expect to see you all back here in high spirits on Tuesday. That is all... monitor."
"All rise. Attention. Bow."
"Thank you very much!"
Having finished his talk, Hirasaka-sensei signaled the daily monitor, and the class stood and bowed in unison. After the greeting, Hirasaka-sensei hurriedly left the room, and the students began buzzing about their plans for the rest of the day.
The overwhelming majority of the conversations were about where they were going for their sports festival after-parties.
"Hey, Kokonoe! Hirose! Why don't you guys come with us to the family restaurant for an after-party?"
Shigemori called out to Yuji and me as we were packing up to leave. But...
"Ah, sorry. Our club has a review meeting over lunch today."
"Sorry, Shigemori. Thanks for the invite, though."
"I see... fair enough. Well, after making a scene that flashy, I guess a review meeting is called for. I'll hit you guys up again some other time."
"Yeah, definitely."
After seeing Shigemori off, we said a quick word to Hiiragi-san, who was talking with her friends, and left the classroom. After signing out the clubroom key from the faculty office, we headed toward our room and ran into Mika in the hallway.
"Onii-chan!"
"Hm? Oh, Mika....Were you about to go get the key?"
"Yeah! When I checked the clubroom, it was still locked, so I was coming to find you."
"I see... and where's Saori-chan?"
"Saori-chan is waiting in front of the door. We didn't want to miss each other if you guys went to get the key at the same time."
Since we had nearly missed each other just now, their logic was sound. We probably should have sent one person to the clubroom first instead of both of us going for the key.
"Right, sorry about that. We have it, so let's head over together."
"Okay!"
With Mika in tow, the three of us headed for the clubroom. Soon, we saw Saori-chan and Yukino-san talking by the door.
"Saori-chan, Yukino-san!"
"? Ah, Mika-chan. And Onii-san and the others..."
Saori-chan noticed us at Mika's call, and Yuji and I gave a light wave in greeting. While Mika talked to Saori-chan and Yukino-san, Yuji and I unlocked the clubroom and stepped inside.
Once we finished eating our lunches, we began the review meeting regarding today's appeal performance.
"Now then... first of all, good work, everyone."
"Good work..."
"At any rate, the sports festival is finally over."
I scanned the group as I spoke. I could see a touch of mental exhaustion in their faces, but for the most part, they looked relieved.
I turned my focus to Mika to ask the question that had been weighing on me the most.
"First, I want to confirm something... Mika?"
"It's about Goto-kun and his group, right?"
"Yeah. How did things look? After today’s events, was there any change in the air?"
"Yes, absolutely!"
Mika looked toward Saori-chan, and both of them broke into happy smiles.
"Listen, after HR finished, Goto-kun and his friends started asking everyone in class if they wanted to join their after-party."
"In the past, most of the class would have just gone along with it to fit in, but it was totally different this time."
"Yeah! Except for the people who are already part of Goto-kun's core group, not a single person raised their hand to join them!"
"Heh..."
Well, well... the deterrent effect was immediate. The fact that no one outside their circle expressed interest means the swing voters in the class have tilted firmly toward being anti-Goto—or at least "stay away from Goto."
With this, we should be able to prevent his group from expanding its influence, and with a bit more time, we might even see some of his current members start to defect.
"So, when Goto-kun and his friends saw that, they looked absolutely miserable as they left the room."
"And actually, we're going to have an after-party of our own after this, separate from Goto-kun's group. Every person in class who isn't in his circle is coming!"
"Oh!"
The three of us let out a cheer. It looked like we were already on the verge of achieving our primary goal for this sports festival: "preventing the expansion of the Goto group's power by establishing a new social circle centered around Mika and Saori-chan."
It had exceeded our original expectations—which were simply that showing off our skills would make Goto and the others wary and keep them from being too aggressive.
"Talking to everyone, it sounds like they were already hesitating after seeing yesterday's rehearsal, but today's appeal performance was what sealed the deal."
"Lately, Goto-kun and his friends have been acting much worse than they used to. Their recruitment was getting more forceful, too, so it seems like everyone was feeling cornered."
"Everyone thought they were a nuisance, but they couldn't say anything because they were intimidated by Goto-kun’s strength. They were waiting to see what would happen when we stood up to them... and then they saw yesterday and today."
"It made it clear that we have a powerful backing in you and the others, Onii-san. The momentum shifted to us all at once."
Mika and Saori-chan happily recounted the conversation that had apparently taken place in the classroom after the Goto group’s departure.
"I see. That’s great news, Mika, Saori-chan."
"Congratulations, Mika-chan, Saori-chan."
"Nice job, you two."
Since the situation had improved far beyond our projections, we offered them our congratulations.
But...
"However, that means we need to prioritize training your self-defense skills as soon as possible, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. It's true we've blocked the Goto group's growth for now, but the next phase will likely be a direct confrontation between groups. No matter how much we act as your backing, you need at least a baseline level of self-defense so you can hold out until we arrive."
"That's right. If you two are taken out by them in a single strike, you won't even be able to get a message to us. At the very least, you have to be able to survive the first blow and send an SOS... right?"
"..."
The three of us whispered together out of earshot of the girls, then exchanged silent nods.
Once the general review was over, we decided to wrap things up so Mika and Saori could head to their class party.
But before that...
"Ah, right. You two. Do you have any plans for tomorrow or the day after?"
??
"It's right after the festival, so I don't have anything special planned yet."
"I'm free as well."
"Good. Then, sorry for the short notice, but how about an overnight dungeon trip with us for the next two days?"
Eh!?
Mika and Saori-chan's eyes went wide. Well, I suppose being invited on a sudden overnight trip would be a shock.
As they stood there stunned, we adopted serious expressions to explain the reasoning.
"Like we said just now, things went better than expected... maybe even too well. For your own safety, we think you should gain some strength as explorers sooner rather than later."
"In a way, Goto and his group have been backed into a corner—or at least, they might believe they have. There’s no telling when they might decide to resort to desperate measures."
"To ensure your safety, it’s better for you to have some level of strength before they decide their next move. We're planning this overnight expedition specifically for that purpose."
"So, that's the deal. What do you say? Are you in, or would you rather skip it?"
...
Hearing our explanation, the joyful atmosphere Mika and Saori-chan had been radiating vanished. They briefly exchanged a look, and then...
"...I'll go."
"Yes, I'll go too."
With looks of grim resolve, the two of them nodded in agreement.
"Got it. Once the details like the hotel are settled, I'll email you, Saori-chan. Mika, I'll just tell you when we're home, okay?"
"Yeah, that works."
"Thank you very much."
With their consent, the plans for tomorrow and the day after were set. Now I just had to check the availability of hotels geared toward explorers... standard business hotels were a hassle because high schoolers usually need parental consent forms to stay on their own.
After confirming a few more details, we disbanded as the time for the girls' after-party gathering drew near.
Once Mika and Saori-chan had left the room, the three of us slumped in our chairs and held our heads in our hands.
The reason was simple...
"...It says, 'Bring the two of them and come to the dojo.'"
"..."
A summons from Juzo-san had just arrived on Yuji's phone.
Sigh... As I thought, is he furious about what happened today?