Chapter 6: The Briefing
“Kuaaaah... I’m sleepy...!”
The next day. I came to the Dungeon Association branch first thing in the morning.
In the end, I didn’t just do ten boss runs; I did fifteen, for a total of sixteen.
And when I exited the Dungeon, I saw the usual recent sight: believers of a certain religion. They were doing their negative campaign as usual, but by now, I’ve gotten used to ignoring them.
“But seriously, I’ve been seeing them more and more lately!”
When they first started appearing, the sightings were only near F- to D-rank Dungeons, but lately, they’ve been spotted near C-rank, B-rank, and even some A-rank Dungeons.
“...Well, there’s no point in worrying about it, and it probably won’t concern me in the future, so whatever. Excuse me~!”
I entered the branch, walked straight to the reception desk, and asked to sell the ash.
The ash from the Will-o’-wisp, Twin Demon Flame, and Seven Demon Flame are all the same; only the quantity differs, so it’s easy to deal with, and they don’t wonder if I can suddenly defeat a boss now.
I won’t bother worrying about the strange looks I got, like ‘Didn’t you defeat a little too many Will-o’-wisps?’ I won’t worry about it at all.
The Association is encouraging their subjugation, so there's no way they can refuse to buy it.
And with that, the transaction was complete, and the purchase price was considerable.
Well, it was eight large metal boxes full of ash. I took them out of my ‘Item Box’ in the warehouse, and it was a serious amount.
“Well then, thank you very much~!”
“Ah, excuse me, Amamiya-sama. Might I take a moment of your time?”
I received the money for the ash and was about to leave when the receptionist suddenly called out to me.
‘Eh... Did I do something...?’
“I can spare the time, but...”
“Thank you. Then, I’d like to discuss a small business matter!”
The woman said that and started talking while looking at a document on her desk. While listening to her, I peeked at the content written on the document.
The topic was an invitation to participate as an instructor in a briefing session about Dungeons and explorers for a certain high school, which would be held in a week.
“...Why me?!”
“We felt Amamiya-sama was the right person, as you have extensive experience guiding novice explorers and a proven track record of diving solo into C-rank Dungeons as a Silver License Explorer.”
“No, I mean~...”
‘Hmm... To be honest, my trust in the Dungeon Association has plummeted lately, so I really don't wanna get involved.’
If they’re relying solely on me, then that’s the end of it. I'd genuinely start worrying about the Association (and their heads).
“By the way, are there any other explorers participating in this briefing session?”
“Yes. A party that usually dives into B-rank Dungeons will be attending, as well as one corporate affiliate.”
“H-Hmm... By the way, what kind of—“ “Oh? Isn’t that Amamiya!!” “...Huh?!”
Just as I was about to ask her what kind of people they were, someone called out to me loudly from behind.
I turned toward the voice and saw a familiar man.
“Huh? Examiner-san?!”
The familiar man was the Silver License Explorer who used the great-axe, the one who handled my practical skills test the other day.
“...Haa... Why did it come to this...”
A week later.
I found myself backstage at the gymnasium, the venue for the briefing session I somehow ended up agreeing to attend.
The reason I agreed to participate was—
“Yo! Kaede! Looking forward to today!!”
—this man, Nakamoto-san, the Silver Explorer examiner, who came with several other men and women.
He was one of the party members who was commissioned to participate in this event and the person who was responsible for getting me involved.
Apparently, he used to be in sales before becoming an explorer, and thanks to his gift of gab, my participation was somehow decided before I knew it.
‘What the heck happened?’ Rest assured. I don’t know either.
‘Wait a minute~’ I was only planning on listening to the list of participants and then declining the offer to participate...
“Yes. Everyone, thank you for having me today!”
Well, since I agreed once and accepted it as a job, I have no choice but to do it. Besides, the other participants are here, too, so it should be fine.
“Good job, everyone~”
Then, a girl appeared backstage. This girl was beyond just ‘familiar’; she was a full-fledged acquaintance.
“Rieshe. Good job.”
“Ah! Kaede-san! Good job on your end too ♪”
The girl was Yua Sakurai.
She was the girl I fought alongside in the Helltree Dungeon and the one who introduced me to Miyabi-san at ‘Trace’.
I was more than just surprised during the preliminary meeting.
I had heard that a corporate-affiliated explorer would be participating, but I never expected the corporation to be ‘Astral’, and the explorer to be Yua-chan.
Also, during the face-to-face meeting, I almost called her by her real name and she tried to cover my mouth. I dodged it, though.
“Alright! Looks like all the participants for today are here, so let’s have one last meeting!”
Once everyone was present, Nakamoto-san took the lead, and a discussion about the upcoming briefing session began.
First, everyone will introduce themselves and tell the students who will be talking about what.
Next, Nakamoto-san and his party will talk about the benefits and precautions of forming a party.
This involves discussing the advantage of being able to dive into Dungeons with slightly higher-level monsters and the precaution of reward distribution.
Then, it’s my turn to talk about the benefits and precautions of solo exploration. Specifically, I’m supposed to talk a lot about the dangers of going solo.
Apparently, since I’m a solo explorer, my talk about the pros and cons of going solo would be a valuable lesson for the students, which is why they set it up this way.
Finally, Rieshe, or Yua-chan, will briefly explain what it’s like to be a corporate-affiliated explorer.
They also plan to distribute various materials for the high school students who aren't very familiar with Dungeons and such.
While we were discussing the finer details of the plan, time passed, and—
“We will now begin the briefing session by our current explorers.”
—it was finally time to start.
Alright, time to focus. My part is pretty small, so I’ll just do my best.
“Then, we would like to start the briefing session with Amamiya-san, a current explorer.”
Just as I was thinking that, it was already my turn.
But the content was decided beforehand, so all I had to do was follow the script I had prepared, which made it easy. I proceeded smoothly and managed to finish my part without incident.
Still, I was nervous since I’ve never had to stand in front of so many people and talk...
“Thank you, Amamiya-san. Now, moving on...”
I handed the microphone to the teacher who approached me and stepped backstage.
“Alright, Kaede-san, I’m heading out now ♪”
“Oh. Go get ‘em!”
“Okay ♪”
Yua-chan replied cheerfully and went from backstage to the stage.
At the same time, the applause that erupted seemed somewhat louder than the applause for Nakamoto-san and his party or for me.
It really made me realize that name recognition is important.
Yua-chan is active as Rieshe, so it’s only natural that she gets more attention than Nakamoto-san and his party or me, who aren’t Poutubers.
And even from backstage, where I was listening, Yua-chan spoke clearly and confidently. The content of her speech was also very easy to understand, and everyone was listening intently.
I guess when you’re a high school student, aiming for the realistic goal of corporate affiliation is more appealing than just aiming for the top?
The briefing session concluded successfully after Yua-chan talked confidently about corporate-affiliated explorers.
‘Finally, it’s over—’
“Then, let’s check if anyone has any questions as the final segment. Are there any students who have questions?”
“—It’s not over.” The Q&A session was still left!
‘Please, students participating in this briefing session. Don’t ask me any questions.’
My wish didn't come true, and I was absolutely bombarded with questions.
Although fewer than the questions for Nakamoto-san and Yua-chan, a considerable number of questions still came my way, and I was panicking internally.
I thought I could manage by saying things like ‘Solo is dangerous, so you should stop trying,’ but that didn’t work at all.
In the end, questions flew in, mostly centered around students aiming to go solo or those who seemed to prefer working alone, and I carefully answered each one. That went on for a while.
What really threw me off was when a student, who seemed to be a fan of Rieshe, asked me about the video of Yua-chan and me defeating the Mutant Boss Monster, the Evil Treant, in the Helltree Dungeon.
And then, when I answered, “She’s a friend,” after the student asked about Yua-chan, one person even asked, “Aren’t you two dating?!” I almost lost my cool, but I think I’m amazing for managing to hold back.
“Then, I think we will make the next question the last one!”
Hearing the voice of the teacher acting as the host, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
“So, for the final question—!”
And finally, it was time for the last question.
The moment I braced myself, wondering what the final question would be, what kind of question would come—
CRASH!
The gymnasium door was violently thrown open, and several men in black, whose faces were obscured, entered from there.
‘Those are...!’
I looked at the teachers, wondering if there was a miscommunication, but like the students and Yua-chan, the teachers were also frozen.
Realizing that they weren’t school staff based on the teachers’ reactions and their clothing, Nakamoto-san and I, thinking the same thing, started to move to apprehend the men in black.
But—
—BANG!!!
One of the men in black was faster, shooting a handgun at the ceiling.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Whoaaaaah!”
Hearing the sound, the students snapped out of their stupor and started screaming and panicking.
“Don’t you move, any of ya!!”
The men in black yelled at the students, pointing handguns, assault rifles, and shotguns at them.
The students, who had fallen into a state of panic, suddenly quieted down when the guns were pointed at them.
Nakamoto-san, his party, and I were in the same situation. We couldn’t move recklessly with the gun barrels pointed at the students.
...Now, what to do.
“Oh, you’re all good kids. You making things easy makes this old man happy!”
After that, the men in black realized that we were explorers, took the students hostage, and tied our hands and feet.
They used a rope made with ‘Magic Tool Creation’ that looked familiar, and it didn't look like it would break easily. Plus, with the students held hostage, there was nothing we could do.
The men in black must have leveled up, too. They seemed to be about Level 500, and the leader-like guy was about Level 1000. I think I could easily subdue them if I fought them.
In fact, I only let the men in black move just now because of the distance. If I fought them head-on, I don't feel like I'd lose.
The leader-like man looked at us, tied up on the stage, and smirked.
“Well now, sorry, explorers. Your presence here was unexpected. So, you’ll just have to stay put over there!”
...Unexpected?
So, was this attack unplanned and spontaneous? Or was it planned, but our presence here today was unexpected?
‘Damn it! I don't have enough information!’ Do I have no choice but to listen to them for now...?
“Good, good. That’s what I like. You guys! Round up all the eighteen-year-old brats as planned!!”
“““Yeah!”””
The leader-like man called out to the men who seemed to be his comrades and stepped off the stage.
The two men monitoring us on the stage were pointing the muzzles of their assault rifles at us.
There are several other men in black, but all of them, except the two guarding us, headed toward the students and started asking them something while pointing their guns.
“...!”
“Kaede-san, what are those people trying to do...!”
“...I don’t know. But it’s definitely nothing good.”
Yua-chan asked me with a look of anxiety, but I don’t know what’s going on either.
All I know now is that the men in black’s target is the students.
And judging from the leader-like man’s words, they are targeting the eighteen-year-old students... Why just the eighteen-year-olds?
“Hey, you guys come over here. Follow me.”
I was talking to Yua-chan when I heard that voice. I looked up and saw the men in black pointing guns at the students, leading them out of the gymnasium.
“Tch! Where the hell are they planning on taking those kids?”
“...I don’t know. But I don’t think it would be wise for us to move.”
“I know... damn it...!”
Nakamoto-san couldn’t hide his irritation and swore, and Yua-chan, noticing his state, spoke calmly to caution him.
Nakamoto-san’s party members also seemed to be trying to untie the ropes, but unfortunately, they were in the same situation as me.
Meanwhile, I was watching each of the students being led away, trying to memorize their faces and the number of students being taken, when I saw three familiar students.
“Rin, Rina, Anju...!”
I spotted the faces of the three girls I knew among the students being led away and couldn’t help but mutter their names.
‘Damn it!’ I had heard they would hold the briefing session at their school, but all three of them went to this school!
But there’s nothing I can do with my hands and feet tied.
As I was thinking that, the students were led away one after another, and finally, the last of them were taken away.
...But.
“...Now’s my chance.”
It’s true that there are two men in black guarding us on the stage, but they aren’t being cautious about us.
Do they think we won't do anything? Or are they convinced that we can’t move because we’re restrained, so they’re letting their guard down? Either way, it’s an opportunity.
That carelessness might be the key to turning the tables.
“Multi Lock-On!”
I looked at the rope tying my feet, lightly twisted my body, and looked at the rope tying my hands, using ‘Multi Lock-On’. With this, the preparation is complete.
“Magic Arrow. Hah!!”
I created transparent arrows with ‘Magic Arrow’ in both hands, threw them upward, and snapped my wrists, praying they would hit.
The two thrown transparent arrows flew upward, curved midway, and one of them shot through the rope tying my feet.
“Woah! What?! You! What did you do!!”
Startled by the sudden event, the man in black raised his voice and pointed his gun at me.
But that doesn’t matter.
The moment the rope on my feet was cut, I stood up. At the same time, the other transparent arrow shot through the rope on my hands.
Then, I created eight transparent arrows with ‘Magic Arrow’ in my now-free hands.
“Multi Lock-On!”
This time, I used ‘Multi Lock-On’ and ‘Magic Arrow’ on the guns the men in black were holding, shattering all their weapons before they could pull the trigger.
“What?!”
I didn’t let the shock of the sudden event pass. I immediately rushed the first man in black on the stage and delivered a punch to his solar plexus.
“Gwoahh!!!”
The man in black was sent flying, slammed into the backstage wall, and was knocked unconscious.
“That’s one down!”
“You bastard!!”
The other man in black pulled out a survival knife and charged at me, but... he was too slow.
“What!”
I took a step back to dodge the man in black’s attack and, as I passed him, delivered a chop to his neck, knocking him unconscious.
“That’s two.”
Naturally, in a head-on fight like this, I won’t lose to an opponent who is only Level 500 or so.
...I feel like I heard somewhere that a neck chop is dangerous, but this man must have a high level and high durability, so at worst, he can get ‘Healing Magic’ at a hospital somewhere.
“Next is—!”
Just as I was about to look for the next person to defeat, the men who had been pointing guns at the students and threatening them were moving to take the students hostage again, taking out knives and handguns they must have hidden.
“Multi Lock-On, Magic Arrow. Hah!!”
But I wouldn't allow that. I immediately shot through all their weapons again with the combined technique of ‘Multi Lock-On’ and ‘Magic Arrow’, neutralizing all of them.
Then, I approached the closest one of the six, delivered a knee kick to his solar plexus, which made him writhe in agony, and then knocked him out by hitting him under the jaw.
“That’s three!”
Five left.
“You!!”
One of the men who was relatively close rushed toward me and tried to punch me.
His movements weren't amateurish; they suggested he had undergone some training.
However, his movements looked like slow motion to me, giving me plenty of time.
I took out the Swiftstrike Dagger, still in its sheath, from my ‘Item Box’ and, as I dodged, thrust it into the man's solar plexus.
“G-Gaah...”
The man collapsed to his knees, clutching his solar plexus with both hands.
“That’s four!”
Four left.
Two of them charged at me, and the remaining two were heading toward the students, seemingly still trying to take them hostage.
For men who are about Level 500, students who may or may not have stats are easy to kill, even without weapons.
I can’t let them get close...!
“Hah!!”
Just as I was about to approach to stop the men from taking the students hostage, I heard a voice, and at the same time, two of the men were sent flying.
“What?!”
I was surprised by the sudden event and instinctively looked over.
I saw Nakamoto-san standing there, in a position where he had just swung his fist.
He must have punched them...?
Wait, was he being careful with his strength? Are they even alive?
But putting the men’s safety aside—
“Hah!!”
“Guh!!”
—Subduing them takes priority.
I rushed at the first man, who was standing dumbfounded after being sent flying by Nakamoto-san’s punch, and delivered a punch to his face.
“Guf...!!”
The man fell, his nose bleeding from the single strike.
Then, for the second man...
“Hah!!”
“Gwoahh!”
I used the Swiftstrike Dagger in its sheath to strike his head, knocking him unconscious.
“Alright!!”
Now, only us, the students, the teachers, and the unconscious men in black remained in the gymnasium.
“Kaede! Nice job! Let’s hurry up and tie these bastards up!!”
At Nakamoto-san’s instruction, we used the same rope they had hidden in their pockets—the one they used to tie us up—and quickly tied them up one after another.
The confused students seemed to be fine, as Nakamoto-san’s party members, Yua-chan, and the teachers were taking care of them.
The teachers had called the police, so it was only a matter of time before they arrived.
“Kaede! How’s your side!!”
“Almost done!!”
Saying that, I tightly tied the men in black’s hands behind their backs, securing their thumbs together, and also tightly bound their ankles and thighs.
“That’s the last of them!!”
Nakamoto-san, who had apparently finished restraining the two men on the stage, approached me, and our eyes met.
Nakamoto-san was dragging the four men he had tied up toward me.
“Kaede. I’m done with mine.”
“Yes, I’m done with mine, too!”
Then, the two of us worked together to move all the tied-up men in black and line them up on the stage.
I considered waking them up and interrogating them about their identities, but for now, I decided to leave them all unconscious.
This seems like an organized crime, and if they have some kind of common equipment, there’s no need to wake them up.
Now then, shall we figure out their identities?
“Even so... who the heck are these guys...”
“About that...”
Nakamoto-san said that, approached one of the tied-up men, rolled up his black trousers, and exposed his calf.
“Just as I thought.”
“Is that a tattoo?!”
On the man’s calf—or rather, around both his ankles—there was a tattoo of something like an eyeball.
“Yeah. If my guess is right...”
Nakamoto-san muttered that, then rolled up the trousers of the remaining seven men, confirming that they also had the same kind of mark drawn on their calves.
“That confirms it. These guys are a criminal organization called the ‘Dragon’s Eye’!”
“The Dragon’s Eye...? How did you notice that?”
“Well, I caught a glimpse of it when we were fighting just now, and I’ve fought the Dragon’s Eye before!”
...I see... Wait, what?
“Hold on a second. You’ve met these guys before, Nakamoto-san?!”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Our party and some other explorers, in cooperation with the police, busted one of their hideouts once. We managed to capture a few members of the Dragon’s Eye back then.
But, their encirclement was broken, and the boss and a few of the executives managed to escape before we could see their faces!”
“...Are you serious!”
So, something like that happened... And according to Nakamoto-san, the boss and the executive-level people managed to escape... This organization sounds seriously troublesome.
Does that mean the man who seemed like the leader was the boss? Or an executive? Either way, this situation is more than just bad.
“Then why would the Dragon’s Eye come to a high school...?”
“Beats me. We can’t ask them what their goal is while they’re unconscious...
Well, at worst, the men in the execution squad like these guys are all ex-explorers, so we could forcibly wake them up.”
...That’s right. It would be strange for people who aren't ex-explorers to have levels of 500 or 1000.
An ex-explorer is a person who has had their Explorer’s License revoked after causing or committing some kind of incident or crime.
In any era, there seems to be a certain number of people who become violent after gaining power.
And those guys targeted only the eighteen-year-old students... What’s so special about eighteen years old...?
...Wait a minute? Eighteen is the age when stats manifest, right?
...No way...!
“Nakamoto-san!!”
“O-Oh, what’s up all of a sudden!”
“S-Sorry. No, this isn’t the time for that!”
I approached Nakamoto-san so the students and teachers wouldn't hear me.
“Nakamoto-san, was the Dragon’s Eye involved in human trafficking or anything like that?”
“Um... let me think... Ah, yeah!
I remember the reason we launched the raid on them was because we got evidence of human trafficking and found their hideout... Wait, you don’t mean?!”
‘Damn it! I was right.’
“I apologize, Nakamoto-san! Please protect everyone until the police arrive! I’m going after those guys!!”
“Alone?! Then I’ll come too...!”
“No. I need you and your party to guard the students and teachers here.
If they are still on the school grounds, it’s easier for one person like me, who has ‘Stealth’ skills, to move around than multiple people!”
“No, but... Alright. But don’t push yourself. Come back immediately if things get dangerous!!”
When I said that, Nakamoto-san reluctantly backed down.
“I understand! Then, I’m off!!”
“Yeah! Good luck!!”
I left the gymnasium, waved off by Nakamoto-san, and headed toward the school building. I used the ‘Enemy Detection’ skill, applied to the area, to check if those guys were still on the school grounds.
“...They’re here!!”
Good. It seems they are still on the school premises.
Looking at the parking lot, several pitch-black vans were parked there, which hadn’t been there before I arrived.
I see... So they came here in those vans.
Since today was the briefing session and all the students and teachers were gathered in the gymnasium, it was easy to find them.
The multiple reactions caught by the ‘Enemy Detection’ skill seem to be in the classroom at the very end of the fourth floor, the top floor of the school building.
However, the two staircases in the school building are being guarded by two people on each floor, blocking the way, so I can’t use them.
I’m judging the locations of the guards by their presence, so I wondered if there were any other un-guarded staircases...
“Darn it, there really aren’t any...!”
The school building was constructed around a central courtyard, with crosswalks connecting the two sections of the building.
Well, the crosswalks were also being guarded and blocked, just like the staircases, so I couldn't use them either.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll have to take some risks.”
If all the existing routes are unusable, I have no choice but to explore for myself, like a true explorer.
Fortunately, since this school is built on a large plot of land, there are a lot of blind spots, like bushes, and I should be able to find a route without drawing attention by using the ‘Stealth’ skill.
“Alright, this is the plan!”
Now that I’ve decided on the strategy, I’ll immediately put it into action.
After that, I quickly assessed the structure of the school building, keeping my presence suppressed as much as possible by using the ‘Stealth’ skill, just in case there was someone with an ‘Enemy Detection’ skill, and making sure not to step onto the schoolyard.
“Alright! This is perfect!”
After memorizing the structure of the school building near the classroom where I sensed their presence, I started thinking about a route to reach the fourth floor.
The school building structure is:
No external staircase.
Has a balcony on the window side.
Well, that’s about all I could tell, but that’s enough.
Now, all that's left is to execute the plan.
“If inside is a no-go, I’ll go outside!”
I used the ‘Stealth’ skill to suppress my presence, leaped onto the balcony toward the classroom next to the one where I sensed their presence, grabbed the railing, and climbed up quickly.
Fortunately, with my current stats, I can climb up without much difficulty. And even if I fall, the worst-case scenario (for my body) is that I’ll be fine!
“Hup.”
When I reached the balcony on the same floor as the target classroom, I stopped for a moment.
I need to be cautious from here on out.
However, the fact that they haven’t checked outside the window at this point suggests they haven’t detected my ‘Stealth’ skill.
“If that’s the case, first I’ll...”
I moved to the balcony of the next classroom, making sure not to make any sound, and peeked out slightly to check the situation.
I also want to use the ‘Lock-On’ skill to get the first strike on the Dragon’s Eye, no matter the situation. However, the students' safety takes precedence over the Dragon’s Eye.
Looking into the classroom, the desks had been moved to the back, and the students were in front of them.
Checking the number and the faces, it seems like not a single student is missing.
...This makes their goal confusing again.
I initially thought they were trying to sell the eighteen-year-olds with stats to some other country. But given the current situation, that seems unlikely.
If they were trying to take the eighteen-year-olds with stats to another country, it would be strange for them to not have been taken yet.
Also, since the police were called, the Association explorers should be arriving soon, but they don't seem to be in any hurry... What's going on?
Even if they don't know the police were called, it’s strange that they aren’t showing any signs of rushing.
“...No, subduing them first is the priority.”
Thinking about it here won't give me the answer.
I don’t know what their objective is or what they are planning to do, but since I’ve decided to act, I should end this quickly.
Well, first, I’ll launch a preemptive strike before they can do anything.
In my own way, of course.
What I’m going to do is quite simple.
First, I’ll use the ‘Lock-On’ skill from the outside balcony through the window without letting the guys in the classroom notice me.
I only need to visually confirm them. I should be able to confirm them even through the window.
But before that, I got down on all fours and moved to the side where the desks were, opposite to where I was now.
Once I finished moving, I peeked into the classroom again. The first thing I’m aiming for is their weapons. If I don't aim for the weapons, considering the difference between my current level and their perceived level, I’m afraid it would definitely turn into a shocking R-18G scene.
So, I’m only aiming for the weapons this time.
I can just ask them what their goal is after I’ve completely subdued them.
“Multi Lock-On!”
While using ‘Multi Lock-On’ and observing the situation inside, I could hear the men’s voices as they checked the status of each student.
It seems they still haven't noticed me, so I’ll take them all out at once.
“Magic Arrow. Hah!!”
I created two transparent arrows with ‘Magic Arrow’ in both hands, threw them, and concentrated on them hitting their target.
The thrown arrows slipped through the window glass and the wall section, shattering the guns held by the four Dragon’s Eye members.
“Woah?!”
“What was that?!”
“Why did our guns break?!”
“Calm down, all of you! Only a skill can do something like that!
None of the students whose status we checked have a skill that can do this. That means it’s one of the brats we haven’t checked yet!
I don't know which brat pulled such a disrespectful stunt, but hurry up and find the target brat!!”
The men, except for the leader, were confused when their guns were suddenly destroyed, but they quickly calmed down and regained their composure, acting as a unit again.
It would have been easier if they had stayed confused, but I guess things don't work out so conveniently.
“In that case... Haaah!!”
I kicked the window, shattering the glass, and landed on one of the desks in the classroom.
‘Emergency situation, so please forgive me!’
And as expected, the students and the men—excluding the leader—were staring blankly.
The leader was startled for a moment, but he quickly regained his senses and reached into his pocket. He must be trying to get another weapon, but I won’t let him.
I quickly kicked and punched all the blank-faced men, including the leader who seemed about to move, knocking them out into the hallway.
I looked around at the students and confirmed that none of them seemed to be injured.
“Sorry, just wait a second.”
Then, confirming that they weren’t afflicted with any status ailments, I told the still-stunned students that and stepped out into the hallway.
“Cough, cough... You bastard...!!”
When I went out into the hallway, some of the men were knocked unconscious, leaning against the wall, or lying on the floor, but the leader, barely conscious, was coughing and trying to stand up.
Also, it seems the men who were guarding the stairs heard the noise and are now coming up, according to the ‘Enemy Detection’ skill’s reaction.
Well, this time, that’s convenient.
“Well, whatever. More importantly, what is your objective?!”
“Huh? Like hell I’m telling you, you idiot!”
I guess he wouldn’t tell me easily.
In that case...
“I’ll just knock you all out!!”
In the end, this is a narrow hallway, unlike the spacious gymnasium, and there are no students to take hostage.
With my overwhelmingly superior level, the men of the Dragon’s Eye had no chance of winning, and I easily defeated all of them.
I was briefly flustered when they started firing a barrage of bullets in the hallway before I could destroy their guns, but thanks to ‘Prediction’ and my Agility stats, I managed to dodge them.
The police finally arrived and took the Dragon’s Eye members away, so that should settle the incident.
‘I really hope that’s the case.’
“What? Simultaneous attacks on multiple high schools?”
While the Dragon’s Eye members were being taken away by the police and the explorers, I heard something unbelievable from one of the police officers.
It wasn't just this high school; the Dragon’s Eye had simultaneously attacked all the high schools in the area. Nakamoto-san, who heard the news with me, looked astonished.
“Yes. However, the Dragon’s Eye members who attacked all the schools except this one have already fled.
We pursued them with the help of explorers with the ‘Tracking’ skill, but it seems they also had members with the ‘Interference’ skill, and we lost track of them midway.”
“Something like that happened...!”
“Yes. However, nowhere reported any victims being abducted, and injuries were limited to minor ones, such as students who resisted being punched.”
I see... So, for now, there are no victims of abduction. And the injuries only occurred because the students tried to resist.
What's going on?
I thought the Dragon’s Eye’s goal was to sell students over eighteen with stats to other countries.
...Huh? Seriously, what is going on?
After receiving some more information from the police, we were immediately sent home.
I’m seriously exhausted today. I’ll relax once I confirm that Yua-chan and Rin and the others are safe.
I took out my smartphone and contacted Yua-chan and Rin and the others to confirm their safety. They ended up worrying about me instead, so I told them I was fine for now.
While I was at it, I asked what happened to Yua-chan, who is affiliated with ‘Astral’.
Rin and the other high school students, being students, apparently weren't asked to do anything specific by ‘Astral’.
However, ‘Astral’, which Yua-chan belongs to, seems to be doing a lot of things, and she says she’ll be working with them for a while.
...‘Corporate slave... May Buddha save her.’
Since I was directly involved, I wish someone would do something before I get dragged into something else, but I’ll have to put my faith in the police and others for that.
“Now then.”
I returned home and sat down on the living room sofa, taking a breather. A lot of things happened today.
I participated in a briefing session, and for some reason, the Dragon’s Eye attacked it.
What the heck is this?
I checked the news, and even though they were running special features, I couldn’t get any useful information.
“Can’t be helped... I guess I’ll do some research.”
I used my smartphone to research the Dragon’s Eye in detail.
“Oh, is this it?”
I found an article about the Dragon’s Eye on my smartphone and started reading it.
First, the Dragon’s Eye is a criminal organization primarily active in Japan, and its main activity is selling kidnapped people to other countries.
The kidnapped people are taken to various countries, but their fate afterward is unknown. They are usually rescued because local people wonder why a Japanese person is there, but even now, some people are still missing.
And the name of the leader of the Dragon’s Eye is Toru Oshiro.
He is apparently an internationally wanted criminal and is considered a very dangerous person. There isn't a lot of information about the members besides the leader, but some details are available.
The leader, Oshiro, was around 29 years old, so the members are probably around their late twenties to early thirties.
And the names of the executives are—
“‘Swordsman,’ ‘Fist King,’ ‘Sniper,’ ‘Mage,’ ‘Samurai’...?”
—I’ll omit the rest, but the aliases or codenames are like that. Their ages are probably similar to Oshiro’s.
...But why does this feel so underwhelming?
Honestly, the aliases of some of the higher-level explorers featured on TV sound stronger, so it’s hard to feel particularly threatened.
Their codenames make their combat styles easy to figure out, so even if I encounter them, it should be easy to deal with.
“But this is more troublesome than I thought.”
No incidents related to the Dragon’s Eye have occurred in the past few years, but I saw them in action today. Or rather, I was involved.
I should be on alert for a while, but... why do I feel like something is missing?
I feel like I’m overlooking something...
Well, whatever. There’s no point in thinking about it now.
“Starting tomorrow, it’s back to leveling up!”
I shouldn’t get involved with the Dragon’s Eye, but preparation is important.
Well, I’ll leave that to tomorrow’s me.
I’m seriously too sleepy now... zzz
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