The place for our discussion was moved to the village community center.
The air was too cold to continue standing and talking at the entrance of the village. The wind blowing from the mountains carried the faint scent of mana, as if leaking from the depths of the abandoned mine.
In the community center, three long tables were lined up.
Saeki-san sat in the center and placed a recording terminal in front of her.
On the right side were me, the village mayor, and Riko-san.
On the left side were Ren Kurose and Reina Shiratori.
For some reason, Mikoto was sitting on the table in front of me.
“Mikoto, get down.”
“This is the supervisor’s seat.”
“The table is not a place to sit.”
“Then a chair.”
When Riko-san pulled out a small chair, Mikoto moved to it as if it were only natural.
Saeki-san recorded that entire sequence of events as well.
“This meeting is to conduct a factual verification regarding the reasons for the expulsion of Mr. Yuma Kamishiro by Dawn’s Sword and the content of the published accusation video, in parallel with an on-site audit concerning the transformation of the old abandoned mine into a dungeon.”
Her composed voice resonated through the community center.
Kurose remained silent.
Reina was gripping a protective case with both hands.
I was looking at the grain of the desk.
Strangely, my heart was not greatly disturbed.
In the conference room that day, I had simply been the one being judged.
Today is different.
Riko-san is next to me.
The village mayor is here.
Mikoto is at my feet.
Just having that made a difference in how easy it was to breathe.
“Ms. Reina Shiratori.”
Saeki-san said.
“I will verify the submitted evidence.”
“Yes.”
Reina opened the protective case.
Inside was a small recording crystal. It had a few scratches, and its pale blue light wavered weakly.
“At the time, this was an auxiliary recording crystal attached to my staff. It is not an official record. Both the video and audio are incomplete. But there is a part I want you to verify.”
“I will receive it.”
Saeki-san set the crystal into a dedicated reader.
Images were projected onto the wall of the community center.
Smoke.
A shaking field of vision.
The sound of a collapse.
Someone coughing.
The screen was terribly grainy.
Even so, the sound remained.
“Reina, run to the left!”
It was my voice.
The moment I heard it, the depths of my chest tightened.
I remember.
That smoke.
The heat.
The presence of the mutation approaching from behind.
The fact that Reina’s mana was running out.
The fact that the passage was starting to collapse.
“Ren, get the rear guard out! I will stop them here!”
In the corner of the image, my back was visible.
Instead of heading toward the exit, I was returning toward the passage that was about to collapse.
Kurose’s voice overlapped.
“Shut up! This happened because you were slow!”
The image scrambled there.
A few seconds later.
Different audio entered.
“I am using two mana stones! I will secure the pillar!”
My voice again.
Immediately after, a sound like magical power exploding.
The screen flashed white, and the record cut off.
The community center fell silent.
Saeki-san showed no emotion as she typed the time into her terminal.
“In the official record, the video is missing from just before this point.”
She displayed another document.
A submitted report that had remained at the Guild branch office.
In it, it was written that Yuma Kamishiro had departed before the rear guard during the retreat, the whereabouts of two provided mana stones were unknown, and he was in possession of dangerous materials without authorization.
Even looking at those words, I was not as hurt as I had been before.
It hurts, yes.
However, now there are people who look at the wounds.
“Additionally, I have cross-checked Ms. Shiratori’s healing log.”
Saeki-san continued.
“At the time, Ms. Shiratori’s mana consumption increased sharply just before the retreat. Afterward, there is a recovery trend that matches the emergency treatment record by Mr. Kamishiro. Also, regarding the two provided mana stones, there is a high possibility that they match the traces of magical power from securing the collapsing pillar.”
Reina bit her lip.
“I.”
Her voice was trembling.
“I was saved.”
Kurose remained silent.
However, he was clenching his fists.
Saeki-san brought up yet another screen.
“Regarding the unauthorized removal of dangerous materials. In the submitted inventory list, the whereabouts of the poison glands and hardened muscles harvested from the mutation are stated as unknown.”
Kurose’s eyes moved.
“On the other hand, the team’s internal consumption record for the same night lists hardened muscle soup processed to remove toxins, detoxifying compresses, and boiled cloth for dust inhalation prevention. The recorder is Mr. Yuma Kamishiro. The approval column is blank, but the user column contains biological reaction logs for all members of Dawn’s Sword.”
Riko-san gasped.
“In other words, you didn’t take them out.”
“There is a high possibility that he processed them on-site and used them to maintain the team.”
Saeki-san looked at Kurose.
“Mr. Ren Kurose. Based on these findings, I request an explanation regarding the content of the accusation video you published.”
Kurose remained silent for a while.
It was a long silence.
Outside, the wind was shaking the windows.
From the kitchen of the community center, the scent of miso was drifting in faintly.
A little while ago, during the waiting time, I had reheated the remaining kenchin soup. I intended to serve it to the village mayor and the investigation team after the talk was over.
Even in a situation like this, the pot stays on the fire.
For some reason, that fact calmed me down.
“I.”
Kurose opened his mouth.
“I had to protect the team.”
Saeki-san said nothing.
Kurose continued.
“At that time, the renewal of our sponsorship contract was near. If we reported a failed retreat in the B-Rank middle layers, our evaluation would drop. It had to be someone’s bad judgment.”
Reina widened her eyes.
“Ren-san.”
“Shut up.”
Kurose’s voice was no longer a voice meant to appear strong.
It was the voice of a tired person.
“Yuma never speaks up. He doesn’t complain. He thinks his own work is nothing special. So, I thought I could handle it.”
The depths of my stomach grew cold.
It was not anger.
Perhaps it was closer to sadness.
“Did you think that was what I really did?”
When I asked, Kurose looked straight at me for the first time.
What resided in the depths of his eyes was not regret.
The frustration was still stronger.
“It is your fault.”
Kurose said.
“You were always silent. I stood at the front, I bore the responsibility, and I was evaluated. The team ran in that form. And yet, the moment you disappeared, everything went wrong. If that was the case, you should have just said from the start that you were needed.”
No one replied immediately.
Kurose’s words were not correct.
But in them was his own distorted, honest feeling.
The impatience of a person who continues to stand as the one being evaluated.
The weakness of not wanting to see what supported his own feet.
His pride was probably too hard to admit that.
“I think there were things I should have said, too.”
I said quietly.
Riko-san looked at me.
“But just because I didn’t say them, I do not think it is okay to pin crimes on me.”
Kurose said nothing.
Without stopping the recording, Saeki-san stated.
“This is the provisional judgment at this point. Regarding the three main points of the reasons for expulsion against Mr. Yuma Kamishiro, abandoning the rear guard, diverting supplies, and unauthorized removal of dangerous materials, we have confirmed significant discrepancies with the submitted materials. Mr. Ren Kurose and Dawn’s Sword are suspected of false reporting, witness coercion, and refusal to submit audit materials.”
The words were composed.
But they were heavy.
“The official disciplinary action will go through the review of the Dungeon Agency and the affiliated Guild branch office. Until then, we recommend that Dawn’s Sword temporarily suspend B-Rank or higher clearing streams and the acceptance of new requests.”
Kurose started to stand up from his chair.
However, he stopped after receiving Saeki-san’s gaze.
“Also, please go through the Audit Division for any additional contact with Mr. Kamishiro. We also request that you refrain from visiting the village directly.”
Kurose clenched his back teeth.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not.
This time, Saeki-san looked at me.
“Mr. Kamishiro. You may formally submit a damage report and disciplinary opinion at a later date. Is there anything you wish for at this time?”
“I think the disciplinary action is something for the system to decide if necessary.”
I thought for a little bit.
“What I wish for now is that the children of this village no longer have to cry in the abandoned mine.”
Saeki-san blinked once and recorded those words.
Reina stood up.
She turned to face me and bowed deeply.
“Kamishiro-san.”
Her voice was trembling.
“I am sorry. At that time, I said I couldn’t see anything. But if I couldn’t see anything, I shouldn’t have testified to blame you. I leaned on Ren-san’s words. I pretended not to see that I had been saved and supported by you.”
It was a long apology.
It was probably something that had been stuck in the back of her throat for a long time.
I could not answer immediately.
If I said I forgave her, it might be easier.
But it was not something that could be settled so easily.
If I said I would not forgive her, my chest might feel a little lighter.
But I did not want to live holding onto those words, either.
“I accept your apology.”
I said.
Reina raised her face.
“But I will not return to Dawn’s Sword. I cannot go back to the past, either.”
“Yes.”
“If Reina has told the truth, then from here on, Reina must rebuild it herself.”
Tears spilled from Reina’s eyes.
“Yes.”
Mikoto swished her tail on the chair.
“If you are going to cry, drink your soup. Tears alone will not fill your stomach.”
The air in the community center loosened just a little bit.
While crying, Reina smiled a little for some reason.
“Yes.”
I went to the kitchen and ladled out kenchin soup.
Reina’s portion.
The village mayor’s portion.
Saeki-san’s portion.
Riko-san’s portion.
For Kurose’s portion, I hesitated.
In the end, I placed a single empty bowl at the edge of the desk.
“If you need it, it is there.”
Kurose looked at that bowl.
He looked at it for a while.
However, he did not reach out his hand.
I thought that was fine.
It was not something to force someone to eat.
Reina cradled the bowl with both hands and took a sip.
The steam of the miso and root vegetables landed on her tear-streaked face.
“This taste.”
She could not say anything more than that.
I said nothing, either.
At that moment, Saeki-san’s terminal made a sharp sound.
Her expression changed.
“Emergency report from the mine investigation team.”
The air in the community center tensed in an instant.
Saeki-san opened the call.
Investigation team here. We have confirmed space expansion inside the mine shaft. There is an unregistered level deep in the old mine shaft. Mana concentration is rising rapidly. Reactions believed to be a pack of ore-fang wolves, multiple.
The village mayor stood up.
“A pack?”
Furthermore, a large heat source in the back. Cannot determine if it is a biological reaction or a mana core. Some of the blockade piles are not working.
Saeki-san’s voice deepened.
“The investigation team is to retreat immediately. Please prioritize sealing the entrance.”
Understood. However, the amount of mana leaking outside is increasing. If it stays like this, there is a possibility it will affect the stream on the village side.
The stream.
One of the village’s water sources.
I looked out the window.
The mountains were sinking into black in the twilight.
Deep in the abandoned mine, something was starting to wake up.
Kurose’s false accusation.
The disciplinary action against Dawn’s Sword.
Internet evaluation.
Those are important things.
But at this very moment, the village’s water and the people’s lives are in danger.
At my feet, Mikoto stood up.
Her golden eyes were pointed straight at the mountains.
“Yuma.”
“I know.”
I put down the bowl.
“Saeki-san. Is there anything I can do?”
“We must be cautious in deciding whether to let Mr. Kamishiro enter the danger zone.”
“Yes.”
“However, your mana identification and material processing technology are useful for on-site response.”
Saeki-san thought for one second.
“I am issuing an official request for cooperation. You can also refuse.”
“I accept.”
The answer was quick.
The village mayor looked at me.
“Yuma-kun.”
“Rather than going to fight, I will prepare to protect the village. First, confirming the water source side, and porridge for the people who will be evacuating.”
Riko-san stood up immediately.
“What about streaming?”
“I won’t.”
“What about the record?”
“If necessary, in Saeki-san’s audit record.”
“Understood. I will pass the word around the village. I will make sure the cafe can be used as an evacuation shelter.”
The village mayor also nodded.
“I will open the community center as well. Let’s gather the elderly first.”
Kurose watched that exchange in silence.
No one was centering him anymore.
What kind of pain that was for him, I do not know.
But now, I do not have time to think.
I returned to the kitchen and turned up the heat on the large pot.
I added water to the remaining kenchin soup and added rice.
I added a little more miso and adjusted the salt.
I turned it into soup porridge so that people who evacuated could eat immediately.
Steam rose.
The sweetness of the root vegetables and the scent of rice.
Mikoto swished her tail at my feet.
“Is the revenge over?”
“I haven’t even started it.”
“Mmh. Then that is good.”
I stirred the pot.
Even if the false accusation is unraveled, my wounds won’t disappear immediately.
How Kurose and the others will be disciplined hasn’t been decided yet, either.
Reina’s regret won’t end just today, either.
Even so, the pot stays on the fire.
The villagers are coming.
The investigation team is returning.
In the depths of the mountain, something is moving.
I gripped the ladle again.
From here on, this is no longer a story of the past.
It is a story of this village’s tomorrow.