Side: Amahashi Kakeru

Pricia and the others seemed to have gotten used to dinners of rice and miso soup too. At this rate, maybe about half our meals could be Japanese food.

"So it really is a dungeon."

We were gathered around dinner talking about what had happened today, and being told that the underground space was all but confirmed to be a dungeon left me at a loss.

A dungeon, in the daily life I'd finally gotten back to. Still, the saving grace was that the thing had basically nothing to do with me or the others. I was just glad we weren't the cause.

"I can't say whether it's the same as the ones back in our world. But I think it's safe to assume the basic mechanism is more or less identical. With some guesswork at this stage mixed in, anyway."

If Noctia, a former Demon Lord, said so, then she wasn't likely to be far off. I'd heard it after we came over here, but apparently she'd originally been a researcher into magic and magic items.

For one thing, there was the simple fact that this world had mana too. I'd always figured magic didn't exist… but there was even the chance that magic was real and had just been kept hidden.

"Kakeru, what's going to happen to that dungeon?"

While I was mulling it over, Pricia asked me.

"Ah, sounds like they're going to seal it off and investigate. The school was in a panic too—nobody knew that underground space was even there. You can't just leave dungeons alone, right?"

"That's case by case. The majority of dungeons are fine left as they are. If anything, people manage them precisely for the materials and goods the dungeons produce. By Noctia's read, that one poses no danger as things stand."

Pricia's words put me at ease. In that case, yeah, better not to get too involved in this.

"Kakeru, for their sakes—to send them home—I'd like to investigate the dungeon."

Just as I was about to relax, thinking the matter was settled, that one line from Noctia startled Pricia and the others and set them thinking.

Right—a dungeon that shouldn't exist might connect to a way to send Pricia and the others home.

"That place stands out, though. Even on days off there's always somebody at the school."

"It doesn't have to be that one. If dungeons exist in secret, then we ought to be investigating this world. We could look for facilities that connect to the gods, or for places where a dungeon seems likely to appear."

Facilities that connect to the gods? Religious facilities? I couldn't flatly say religion had no mysterious power to it anymore, could I.

"Got it. I'll think about it."

I had no idea what was what. But I agreed an investigation was needed. Even if I had my doubts about whether we should be doing it on our own.

"Want to head out for a bit? You all haven't been outside yet except Filia, right?"

After dinner, I invited everyone out.

Staying cooped up at home would just wear them down, and I figured it'd be better to get them used to the outside little by little. Filia had managed better than I expected earlier, too. Nothing major was likely to go wrong.

"Yes, that's true, but…"

"Then it's settled. Around here there are places still open even at this hour. Let me show you around a little."

Pricia was a bit reluctant, but I pushed it through.

She might want to return as soon as possible, but from Noctia's tone I didn't think they'd be going back today or tomorrow. A little change of pace would do them good.

"Wow…"

When we came out of the house to the main road, Sanctina let out a cry of amazement. It was an arterial road with two lanes in each direction. Given the hour, it was a bit late for the evening commute, and there was a lot of traffic going back and forth.

Looking at the town lit up by headlights, what did they make of it, I wondered?

Now then, where to go. Somewhere we could buy clothes would be good, but the stores were nearly at closing time. The big bookstore was still open. Or maybe a family restaurant?

Yeah, the family restaurant it was. We'd just eaten, but having something sweet for dessert sounded nice. They had alcohol too. I never drank back over there, but the others used to.

Side: Kasumigaseki

The clock's hands were edging toward eight in the evening. A few bureaucrats, worn-out faces all around, had finished work and were about to head home when… the phone rang.

The men made no effort to hide their displeasure. From experience, a call at this hour almost never meant anything good. They hadn't been home in several days now, and they were just about ready to leave.

"…Yes."

When one of the men reluctantly picked up, it was the National Police Agency. A report about Kakeru's school had come in at this hour.

"Understood. We'll investigate right away."

When the man hung up, the ones who'd been getting ready to leave returned to their desks in resignation.

"What's believed to be the ninth dungeon has been discovered."

"Location?"

"The grounds of a private high school."

"Hey now, did it cause a commotion?!"

"No, it seems a few students got caught up in it, but a teacher rescued them. That said, one of the students engaged a monster in combat. Fortunately it looks like they only drove it off."

The men immediately got on the line with the Bureau offices in each ministry and agency. Beyond the investigation itself, there was much to do—handling the press, keeping involved parties quiet, and more.

Plodding along at bureaucratic pace risked missing the window, so they'd need to move first thing tomorrow morning.

To keep something you don't understand hidden and managed while you still don't understand it—the difficulty of that was beyond imagination.

"What do we do about the student who fought? Send them in for an examination, just in case?"

"No, unnecessary. The Self-Defense Forces' follow-up observations show more benefit than harm. Besides, according to overseas research, that physical-ability improvement only matters if you finish off the monster you fought. You don't get what they call experience points otherwise. Still, we'd best put them on the combat-experienced list, just in case."

"But the grounds of a private school, of all places—what a hassle…"

"Get the school corporation identified and the involved parties listed, on the double."

In a modern society this thoroughly saturated with information, keeping a problem of this scale under wraps was no simple thing. Depending on the case, plenty of countries resorted to slush funds or threats bordering on extortion to seal mouths.

Fortunately, in Japan—where peer pressure ran strong and the nation commanded trust—they were managing to keep a lid on it without going that far. For now.

Even so, they could still finish the work by morning. If only for a few hours, they were hoping for a nap. Then another call rang, cutting off that hope.

"Yes, Bureau of Paranormal Countermeasures. …………Understood."

The face of the man who took the call went pale.

"Now what? Nothing's going to surprise me anymore."

"…Apparently some dungeon's circulating on the internet as a video. From the contents it doesn't look like it's in Japan, but…"

"It'll be taken down soon, right? We've got arrangements with the major social media and video-sharing sites."

This had happened before. Every power that mattered had put out each fire neatly as it came. The men were used to this sort of trouble.

"This time it's spreading faster than it can be deleted, apparently. To be safe, let's report to the Prime Minister, and put measures in place to stop the spread too."

It was the moment their all-nighter was decided.