Eito Kageno. As I looked at the bankbook with my name on it, I couldn’t hold back the tears.
This bankbook contains a fortune. It’s far too much money for a mere high school senior like me to possess… I never wanted this kind of money.
“Dad…! Mom…!”
It’s already been over a month since I lost my only remaining family members. I still couldn’t believe it. All I had done since then was merely drift through each day, swallowed up by sadness.
My phone rang again. It was the same number. The owner of this phone number always tried to console me when I picked up, but their words were painfully shallow.
Relatives I had never even heard of were calling me almost daily. And it wasn’t just one or two people. Even distant family members, people barely connected to me, tried to worm their way into my life.
At first, I nearly believed in these people. That’s how much my judgment was dulled by grief. But when I took a moment to think about it, I realized they didn’t really want to support me. They just wanted the money I had.
The money that Dad and Mom left behind…!
To calm myself down, I decided to reflect on my life up until now. I was just an ordinary high school student who lived a comfortable life without any real hardships.
In middle school, I had top grades in my class and got into the best high school in the prefecture. But once there, my grades were only average.
It wasn’t anything special. Among the smartest kids from all over the prefecture, I couldn’t keep up. I was just like a frog in a well, unaware of the vast ocean.
I was nothing more than an average person who had deluded himself into thinking he was a genius.
And my parents were incredibly accomplished. Both of them were doctors—Dad was a surgeon, and Mom was a veterinarian. Thanks to their income, I lived a relatively comfortable life.
But as I started high school, things changed for my parents too. The world suddenly faced the emergence of dungeon entrances. If you touched the “mark” that served as a dungeon entrance, you would be transported to a mysterious realm known as a dungeon.
Inside these dungeons were dangerous monsters and traps, with no guarantee of safety. Although it would have been wise to leave them alone, research into the dungeons revealed that they contained materials of great benefit to humanity.
Ore that was lighter than pumice, harder than iron, and shone more brilliantly than diamonds. Plants that could be processed into oil with energy efficiency similar to petroleum. With the possibility of acquiring such dream-like materials, humanity couldn’t resist exploring the dungeons. And now, I understand well the depths of human greed.
Initially, people believed that modern weapons would easily conquer the dungeons. But, inexplicably, modern weapons could not be transported into the dungeons. Even if you carried a gun and touched the mark, the gun would be left behind.
At first, the government tried to manage the situation by restricting access to the dungeons. However, this proved impossible. The number of dungeons was far greater than the government had anticipated, making it impossible to completely restrict entry to civilians.
As a result, the government chose to allow civilians to enter the dungeons. But then, a new problem emerged—crime.
Even if criminal acts were committed inside the dungeons—like a murder—it was nearly impossible to prove that a human was responsible. There were no witnesses. Moreover, since dungeons were dangerous places, it was difficult to determine whether a death was an accident or a homicide. Investigating such cases was also risky.
Cases where evidence strongly suggested murder but could not be conclusively proven became more frequent. To address this, the government imposed a new rule for entering dungeons.
That rule was dungeon streaming. People were required to livestream their explorations to monitor any potential criminal activity. Surprisingly, this strategy worked. If someone entered a dungeon without streaming, they would be exposed if they encountered another streamer. This regulation quickly had a significant impact.
Dungeon streaming also became a way to share exploration strategies, allowing humanity to make rapid progress in dungeon conquests.
However, the more participants there were, the more tragic accidents occurred. There were cases where people lost their lives because they couldn’t receive medical attention in time inside the dungeons.
So, my parents decided to set up a hospital inside a dungeon. Although some medical equipment couldn’t be brought in, having medical professionals on site made a big difference in survival rates.
It was a job that involved risking their lives… And while the rewards were great, my parents weren’t interested in money; they simply wanted to save as many lives as possible.
But… my parents lost their lives in a dungeon. It was a tragic accident.
Their estate, including life insurance, added up to enough money to buy out a small company.
I had no siblings. So, all of the inheritance came to me. And since I was 18, legally an adult, I had full control over the assets.
But I don’t want this money. I have no desire to use it for anything. I’m currently… not even going to school, just hiding away at home.
My phone rang again. This number… It was one of the “okay to answer” ones.
“Hello, Minami?”
“Yeah. Eito, are you doing okay? Have you been getting out at all lately?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’ve been worrying you, but I’m still alive, for what it’s worth. Not thinking of dying yet.”
“Don’t say ‘yet’! You absolutely can’t die, no matter what!”
Minami shouted at me over the phone, her voice high-pitched with worry. The sudden loudness hurt my ears. Maybe it wasn’t fair to speak like this to Minami, who had been a close family friend and who must be grieving my parents’ loss too.
“By the way, graduation is next week, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You’ll come to the ceremony, won’t you?”
“…I can still graduate without attending, right? I have enough attendance days.”
At this point, I wasn’t even sure if I needed a high school diploma. I had enough money to never work again.
“But everyone misses you, Eito. Let’s go to the ceremony together.”
“…Everyone’s parents will be there for the ceremony, right?”
“Oh…”
“I don’t have anyone to show my graduation to anymore. So, just leave me alone…”
I chose my words carefully. There were things I wanted to say, but I held back.
“You’re lucky to still have your parents, Minami.”
“What do you know about how I feel?”
“Are you just trying to feel like a good person by reaching out to a pitiful guy like me?”
But, even if I had these thoughts, it wouldn’t help to take them out on Minami. No matter how unhappy I felt, no matter how many hurtful words came to mind, I shouldn’t direct them at others. It’s enough that I bear this pain alone.
“I understand… I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t really get how you felt, Eito.”
“No, it’s not your fault, Minami.”
With that, our conversation ended. I’d probably continue living as a recluse. After all, in this day and age, you don’t have to leave your house if you have money.
Food, clothes, anything I wanted could be delivered to my door. Without the will to step outside, I could live quietly without bothering anyone.
◇
Before I knew it, I turned 20. Even though I was now legally allowed to drink and smoke, I had no interest in either.
It’s been about two years since my parents died. With no plans to pursue further education or find a job, all I had left was a lot of money and a high school diploma. No work experience. My high school might have been prestigious, but with only a high school diploma, it wasn’t much of an asset.
Well, even though my teenage years are over, nothing has changed. I’ll just keep living this shut-in life…
As I was thinking about that, my phone rang. It was Minami.
“Hello, Minami. What’s wrong?”
“Eito! Something terrible happened! My little brother, Yukiya, he… he says he wants to become a dungeon streamer!”
“What?”
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what Minami was saying. I didn’t want to understand. But as my mind slowly regained clarity, a chill ran down my spine.
“Minami! Are you and Yukiya at home right now?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Got it. I’ll be right there. Wait for me.”
Before I knew it, I was rushing toward the door. It might have been the first time I’d run in years. Maybe, just maybe, it was the moment when time, which had been frozen for me for the past two years, finally began to move again.
