Sparse applause was accompanied by a wave of bewildered murmurs filling the audience. The collective mood of the crowd seemed to be: Wait... this is a school festival play, right? Was this actually some kind of public awareness program by the police or the Dungeon Association?
Judging by the title, they had probably expected a typical high school production—a boisterous action play full of flash and noise. Faced with what they actually got, it was only natural for voices of confusion to rise.
"...Well, I suppose it was informative for people who want to become explorers."
The action sequences had been decent, showcasing the physical capabilities of explorers in a way that was actually worth watching. Since the story hadn't followed the cliché of "protagonists coolly defeating every enemy," it didn't feel like a show aimed strictly at children. It certainly had the air of an educational program, but it was fairly interesting in its own right.
While the murmurs still lingered in the seats, the student acting as the MC stepped onto the stage just before the curtain fell.
"Everyone, what did you think? Did you enjoy our production of The Explorer Chronicles?"
As if to answer the MC's question, a loud round of applause finally erupted from the crowd. To be honest, I’d found the educational vibe a bit stifling, but swept up in the momentum of those around me, I offered a small clap as well.
I couldn't exactly call it "fun," but it wasn't bad either.
"I imagine some of you in the audience today felt that this was different from what you expected. With a title like Chronicles, you likely expected a story of explorers fighting gloriously and claiming victory."
So the performers had been aware of that, after all. As the MC glanced around the room, many of the Guests nodded slightly, their expressions saying, "Exactly."
"You would be right to think so. We felt the same way at first. However, once we decided to perform a play about explorers for the school festival, we received external supervision and scenario assistance, which led to the creation of this play."
External supervision... So the school administration or the Dungeon Association really had intervened. Perhaps because the number of high schoolers becoming explorers has increased too rapidly, they wanted students to recognize the dangers and think twice before diving in. Since junior high students planning to enroll next year often visit school festivals, it made sense as a form of outreach.
It was also a clear appeal to students who hadn't yet obtained their Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures...
"Our protagonists do not achieve a heroic, glorious victory. However, when we interviewed students who are active explorers, they told us that while our scenario was dramatic, it wasn't impossible. That was why we chose to perform this story."
While it's currently unknown if monsters will actually leak out of dungeons, encountering an enemy you can't beat is a very real possibility. If you overestimate your own strength and miss the timing to retreat, there's a high chance you'll end up in a situation where the kind of rescue shown in the play never arrives.
It certainly made sense for an external organization to provide scenario supervision for educational purposes. For a school, if something were to happen to a student, it could easily spiral into a liability issue regarding why they didn't ban permit acquisition in the first place.
"This play may have been different from what you imagined, but it is a production we present to you with absolute confidence. Thank you very much for coming to watch us today despite your busy schedules."
The MC bowed deeply, and the audience responded with a massive round of applause.
Well, setting the story aside, the actors' performances had been solid, and the stage combat had been powerful enough to be genuinely impressive. As a piece of theater, I thought the quality was quite high.
"Now then, where to next..."
Since the play was over, I decided to move on to the next attraction. I joined the flow of departing Guests and left the gymnasium.
Once outside, I figured the commotion from earlier had probably died down, so I headed back into the school building and made my way to the floor housing the third-year classrooms. Like the first- and second-years, the third-year area was decorated quite flamboyantly.
I’d assumed the third-year students wouldn't participate very enthusiastically because of their entrance exams, but I was clearly mistaken. If anything, they seemed even more energetic than the second-years, who often felt like they were just going through the motions.
"...Maybe they're venting the stress from their exam prep?"
There was a certain "unhinged" quality to the decorations—as if they were purging a massive buildup of suppressed frustration. Rather than focusing on design concepts or color schemes, it felt like they had simply committed every ounce of effort they had to whatever they were making.
Take that cardboard deer head relief on that door, for instance. It was so incredibly detailed it was practically excessive for a school festival. For a second, I thought it was real.
"Maybe someone's hobby is prop-making... Oh well, let's just take a look around for now."
I started touring the third-year attractions from the hallway. Given how much time I had left, I probably couldn't go inside many of them. I peeked through the doors as I walked from one end of the hall to the other.
"Everyone is really giving it their all..."
The third-year attractions were just as impressive as the first-years', but unlike the younger students, their atmosphere wasn't just driven by raw momentum; it felt more seasoned. Their "newness" had faded, replaced by the practiced hand of people who had done this before.
Well, it was their third time, after all. It made sense that they’d be used to it.
"But basically, all the third-year attractions are the low-maintenance types."
No matter how good it was for venting stress, time was finite. It would be counterproductive if they chose an attraction that required so much preparation that it ate into their study time. That was likely why most of the third-year booths were simple and didn't require much labor to maintain.
"Now, which one should I actually go into...?"
After finishing my lap, I stood there hesitating. If I’d had a senior I was close to, I could have stopped by their class to say hello, but unfortunately, I didn't have any friends in the upper years. If I’d joined a club, I might have had a connection, but I was the one who had started a new club after being in the Go-Home Club. I had no such ties. Maybe I should just skip this and head to the building where the culture clubs were gathered?
As I was pondering this, a Female Senior Student wearing a witch costume—or was it cosplay?—approached me.
"Hey, you! Are you trying to decide which room to go into?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. There are so many, I wasn't sure which one looked good..."
"So you haven't picked yet? Then why don't you come to our place? We don't have many Guests right now, so you'll get your turn immediately!"
"Oh, okay."
"It's settled then! This way."
Before I could even process the sudden invitation, the senior recruiter had snatched me up. I’d nodded without thinking, but where exactly was she taking me?
Before my confusion could subside, she hauled me into her classroom.
"Everyone! I brought a Guest (Prey)!"
I could have sworn I heard a mental subtitle on that last word, but maybe it was just my imagination.
"Good work. Welcome to the Fortune-Telling Hall."
"Come, come! Right this way. This spot is free."
"Welcome! Come, choose your own destiny!"
"People say I'm surprisingly accurate, you know?"
It seemed the class I’d been dragged into was a fortune-telling booth. The Store Clerks, all seniors dressed in various mystical outfits, threw their sales pitches at me as if I were fresh meat.
"Umm, so this is a fortune-telling shop?"
"That's right. We have all kinds of methods, so pick whichever one speaks to you."
"Fortune-telling... Um, I don't really know much about it, so I'm not sure which one I should pick."
The only fortune-telling I knew was the zodiac or birth-month horoscopes from the morning news. And maybe omikuji. Even if they told me to choose, I couldn't pick something I didn't understand.
"Ah, I see. In that case, do you have any worries? If you tell me what's on your mind, I can recommend something."
"Worries... well, I am thinking about making a large purchase soon. I'm wondering if it's a good idea or not. Would that work?"
"A shopping-related concern? In that case... how about card reading? The Monte Carlo method is pretty easy for beginners to understand."
"Monte Carlo... okay, let's go with that."
Since I didn't know the difference anyway, I went with the senior's suggestion.
"Then take a seat over there. He's the one in charge of Monte Carlo."
"Okay, thank you."
"No, thank you for coming, even if I was a bit pushy. Well, I'm going back out to find more Guests!"
"Good luck."
After seeing off the witch-clad senior, I headed to the designated table. The Male Senior Student sitting there was dressed like a magician to match his cards, complete with a silk hat and a tailcoat.
I gave a light bow as I took my seat.
"Welcome. I caught the gist of it; you're looking for a fortune regarding a purchase, right?"
"Yes. Please."
"Then let's start with an explanation of how this works."
The senior began explaining the Monte Carlo method. First, he would shuffle the deck and lay out 25 cards in a 5x5 grid. The rest would form the draw pile. Then, he would remove pairs of cards with the same number that were adjacent to each other—horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Once pairs were removed, the remaining cards would be shifted from the top left to fill the gaps. When the bottom row opened up, cards from the draw pile would be used to fill the space.
The goal was to clear all the cards. If the field was emptied before the draw pile ran out, the wish would come true.
"That's the basic idea. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, more or less."
"Well, you won't know until you try. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, please."
"I'll shuffle now, so tell me when to stop."
The senior began shuffling the cards with practiced ease. He sped up for my benefit, the cards snapping against each other in a rapid blur. After watching his performance for about ten seconds, I called out "Stop." Stopping him too early would have felt rude after he’d put so much effort into the flair.
"Alright, laying them out."
"Okay."
He rhythmically dealt the cards into the 5x5 grid.
"From here, I'll slowly remove pairs. If all the cards disappear, your wish will come true. In your case, it would mean that purchase is a good one."
"I understand. Go ahead."
With a nod from me, he began identifying and removing pairs with efficient movements. I watched with bated breath, my heart racing slightly as cards vanished from the table.
After about a minute, the result was clear.
"Kind of... sorry about that..."
"Ah, no. It's just a fortune."
"But still, look at this."
On the table before us, a significant number of cards remained. It was a clear "don't do it" sign. The senior tilted his head, his expression clouded with a grimace.
"It's rare for this many cards to be left... I don't mean to pry, but why don't we try changing the parameters of the wish? For example... what if you raised your budget? You know what they say about 'cheap is expensive.' Maybe if you spent more...?"
"You're right... then let's try a fortune for if I increase the budget. Leaving it on this result would just keep me up at night."
"Exactly! Alright, let's get a good result this time."
And so, I attempted a second round with a higher purchase budget. Please, let it be a good result!
A few minutes later, the senior and I were both staring intensely at the table.
"They're all gone..."
"They really are..."
Not a single card remained. The fortune said my wish would come true. After doubling the budget several times, we had finally cleared the board once the price hit ten times my original estimate.
In other words, if I spent 50 million yen, it would be a good purchase. 50 million... So the cards are telling me to take all the hush money I got for finding the dungeon and dump it into the property.
I guess a fortune-telling booth really is a staple of the school festival.