We returned to the entrance of the dungeon—unlike when we left earlier, the magic circle that had appeared at our feet vanished once the teleportation was complete.
“Fu-Fujiwara-kun… and, who are these people…”
Instead of Renjou-sensei, it was Igarashi-sensei who greeted us. She seemed at a loss for words, shocked by the sight of people covered in just blankets or wearing only their outer clothing.
“I’ll explain the situation later. These people are exhausted, and I’d like to ask if we could arrange for some medical treatment somewhere…”
“Y-Yes… there’s a rescue team waiting outside. Fujiwara-kun, um, this person… isn’t a student of our school, is he?”
Before she could finish, I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for her not to continue—and it seemed to work. The teacher nodded in understanding.
“I see… something must have happened. Since it’s you, Fujiwara-kun, I’ll respect your decision as much as I can… though, just to clarify, this isn’t a case of kidnapping, right?”
“O-Of course not. However, I’d prefer that not many people know that I brought this person out of the dungeon, at least for now.”
“…So I’m one of the few who know, then. It’s not about sharing secrets… rather, it’s an issue of trust between us, isn’t it?”
Igarashi-sensei used to support Hinata, but now she listens sincerely to my story. Having a teacher willing to cooperate is reassuring.
“…By the way, Igarashi-sensei, what time is it?”
“It’s 2 AM. Renjou-sensei went into the dungeon, but I take it you didn’t see him inside… I should inform him to get out.”
“Renjou-sensei… I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Iwakiri and the others were greeted by the rescue team and taken outside. After watching them leave, Igarashi-sensei spoke with a serious expression.
“I came here about two hours ago after getting a message from Renjou-sensei. Shortly after that, a male student left the dungeon. It was a second-year student, Ryuudou Hinata. He’s already receiving treatment at the hospital, but…”
“He entered the dungeon even though it was off-limits, just like Iwakiri and the others. I understand they had their reasons, but could you hold off on issuing punishments for now?”
“Punishments… yes, of course, there will be repercussions. In Ryuudou-kun’s case… for something like this to happen twice…”
“What exactly happened?”
“It seems something changed in Ryuudou-kun. I feel I should tell you, Fujiwara-kun, but I’m not sure how to explain it…”
Judging by her tone, it didn’t sound like everything was fine. I was curious but didn’t want to push her to say anything she wasn’t ready for.
“Sensei, please don’t feel pressured. You can tell me when you’re ready… in the meantime, if Ryuudou-kun and the others are students from our school, I might run into them again.”
“If the students find out what happened in the dungeon, there’s bound to be panic. This kind of thing is globally rare.”
After being hit by the ‘Life Absorption’ of the ‘Joker,’ what kind of changes could occur?
The masked puppet we brought back as a ‘Joker’ may help us investigate the mechanics of ‘Life Absorption,’ but we’ll need specialized cooperation for that.
“As a risk in explorer training, the entire student body should ideally be notified. But I agree, we shouldn’t alarm the students any more than necessary.”
“Thank you for that. I’m sorry—I keep burdening you with worries even though you’re the teacher.”
“When something unexpected happens, anyone would feel anxious. That’s true for teachers as well… sorry if that was presumptuous of me.”
“Not at all. You have no idea how many people you’ve helped with your words, Fujiwara-kun.”
I turned to see my comrades looking at me. They were all smiling—except for Cipher, whose camera moved in a way that conveyed emotion despite his lack of facial expressions.
“…Sorry for taking up your time. Please wait a moment; I’ll escort you all back to the dorm. What about you, Mikuriya-san?”
“Well… I should return to the dorm, but tonight I’d like to stay with my sister.”
“Sister, I’m fine now.”
“What are you saying? You’re still unsteady on your feet. And when Tsukasa-kun offered to carry you, you stubbornly refused.”
“Th-that’s… um, well…”
Futaba-san glanced in my direction—wrapped in a blanket around her waist, wearing only her outer clothing. To be honest, I didn’t know where to look.
“…Fujiwara-san, thank you so much for saving me. I said I would accompany you confidently, but in the end, I was just chasing after your back.”
“Oh, uh, no—I was mostly at the back since I was the ‘baggage carrier.'”
“No, you were the pillar supporting us, even when we formed the cross-shaped formation.”
“…But one day, I’ll be the one supporting you, Fujiwara-kun. I can’t always be the one being carried.”
I try to brush it off casually, but saying it wouldn’t bother me at all would probably give the wrong impression, so I scratch my cheek in embarrassment.
“Is it alright if the Mikuriya sisters stay at Fujiwara-kun’s dorm as well? Given the circumstances, as long as we get approval from the dorm supervisor, it should be fine.”
“I’ll give them a call. It’s pretty late, so I’m not sure if they’ll pick up…”
Nanami-san uses her phone to call Akizuki-san, and despite the time, the call connects almost immediately—almost as if he was expecting it.
“Yes, we’re alright… thanks to Fujiwara-kun. And, um… there’s also…”
Nanami-san explains the situation regarding the Mikuriya sisters. It seems the approval was granted smoothly, as Nanami-san turns to us and forms an ‘OK’ sign with her fingers.
“…I initially thought Nanami-san was the cool, reserved type, but… she’s really cute, especially in those small gestures.”
“Fufu… for my little sister, that’s quite a troubling development—having someone like her as a rival.”
“Wh—wha—no, no, it’s not like that, I—ah, um… ugh.”
“It’s alright, you don’t have to panic.”
“…Fujiwara-san, you don’t need to speak so formally with me, you know? You can be more casual, like how classmates usually talk.”
She’s clearly flustered, but in any case, we need to get Futaba-san to put on some proper clothes first.
“Well then, since there’s also Renjou-sensei to consider, I’ll contact security first. You all head to the North Gate.”
After parting ways with Iga-sensei, we also say goodbye to Cipher, as he won’t be able to accompany us all the way to the dorm.
“Master, thank you for your efforts this time. There may be a bit of a gap until next time…”
“Huh? How long is ‘a bit’?”
“…I think… about a month.”
I’d assumed we’d continue exploring dungeons together, especially after going through it twice in a row, but if Cipher has his reasons, I can’t force him.
“I had something I wanted to discuss with you about the videos, but… I guess that might be difficult now.”
“…Beep… beep beep…”
Cipher’s eyes flicker—maybe I asked something that was hard to answer?
“…I’ve received approval. Can we schedule a meeting at a later date?”
“R-really? That’s a relief… A whole month is a long time.”
“…I also… n-no, never mind. It’s not like I’d be lonely or anything.”
Cipher’s tone seemed a little more innocent than usual, but considering he always says things that make you forget he’s an automaton, I don’t think much of it.
“…That automaton really does respond to Tsukasa-kun in such a cute way.”
“He’s so charming, isn’t he? Other automatons aren’t like that at all.”
“Maybe he’s attached to him. Fujiwara-kun is kind after all.”
Nanami-san’s comment embarrasses me, but it seems Cipher is the same, as he looks back at me hesitantly.
“…W-well then, Master, I’ll see you later. Next time, I’d like to hear your thoughts on a tune-up as well.”
“Of course. You did great this time too.”
“Hehe… It was worth the effort. Take care, everyone.”
Cipher also greets Nanami-san and the others before leaving. Since it’s already late, I thought about seeing him off, but his escort had already arrived.
Are those people from the lab? A woman in a lab coat was talking to Cipher and then looked over in our direction.
For some reason, she gave us a thumbs-up. She had the air of a formidable woman—someone who gives off an impression of being a strong leader. I wonder what her and Cipher’s daily life is like, and such thoughts cross my mind.
