kscans

Chapter 25 - Epilogue - Part 2

Chapter One: Epilogue - Part 2

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Tokyo, on a certain floor of the Central Government Complex.

The staff of the Dungeon Agency, who had been scrambling to deal with the recent crises, gathered for a meeting.

"So, do we have accurate numbers on the damages?"

"We can't say they're exact, but I've compiled the confirmed information. I'll send it to your computer later."

"Got it. But... over 3,100 dead is a certainty, huh..."

In the meeting space set up in a corner of the room, the department director etched a deep frown between his brows.

"The appearance of the 'Wraith' type in Chiba was a major blow. Conventional weapons are less effective against them."

A female employee stated matter-of-factly, a laptop in her hands.

Wraith

In Japan, its form and nature would be better understood if you called it a 'ghost.' Most of them appeared as translucent, legless skeletons draped in tattered robes.

They could be seen even without any spiritual sensitivity, but only Awakened Persons or 'magic tools' excavated from dungeons could physically touch them.

What's more, they could pass through obstacles, slipping right through even simple barricades. For an unawakened civilian, there was no way to defend themselves; they could only be slaughtered.

"Well, it seems that thanks to those mysterious high school girls helping with the rescue efforts again, the casualties were kept to a minimum."

Next to her, an employee holding a tablet murmured.

"The eyewitness reports match the girls who were guiding evacuees during the dragon incident. One was small but swung a greatsword one-handed, the second had elf ears like a priestess, and the third was a girl with gray hair carrying a large scythe."

"...More importantly, has there been any confirmation on that other piece of information?"

Another employee responded to the director's question.

"No. Regarding the American ambassador, Chris Mackenzie, the embassy only replied that he returned to his home country due to a worsening chronic illness. They say he wasn't caught in the stampede... However, I've never heard anything about him being ill."

"I see..."

The director covered his mouth with one hand and picked up a document on the desk with the other.

"...Alright. I'll look into it myself later. Next. What's the public's reaction?"

"There's a considerable amount of discontent. People all over are asking if we're just going to protect the Kanto region and abandon the provinces."

"The internet's in an uproar, too. It's to be expected, though."

The male employee with the tablet managed a bitter smile.

"The response last time was too blatant. Is the rumor true that the US military was about to be deployed?"

"That's true. A friend of mine told me several trucks left the US base under the pretext of protecting the embassy."

The woman next to him, a former Public Security agent, answered.

"...And what about the last disaster site?"

"That place also suffered considerable damage, but it's less than we anticipated."

The employee with the tablet scratched his head.

"The monsters' behavior was inexplicable, and we have some strange testimonies."

"What do you mean?"

The director tilted his head at his subordinate's words.

"At first, the Orcs were attacking residents in groups of three to five, sometimes even dozens. But at a certain point, they all seemed to start heading somewhere. Even the ones attacking evacuation centers stopped fighting and started moving."

"And that 'certain point' was when?"

"The exact time is unknown. However, an Awakened police officer who was defending an evacuation center said he 'heard something like a horn.'"

"A horn... Right, some monsters, including Orcs, have a habit of calling their allies with horns, howls, or magic."

"Yes. The theory is that it's an action taken when they encounter a 'formidable enemy that requires a group response.'"

"A formidable enemy..."

The tablet displayed a projected map of the Orcs' movements as they rampaged through various areas.

They gradually moved toward the station, then changed direction again.

"This road is where they were last spotted. When an SDF helicopter went to check, a section of the road was apparently covered in salt."

"What—or who—fought them?"

"It must have been an Awakened Person, but the details are unknown. The windows and roadside trees in that area alone were damaged as if a tornado had passed through."

"What about surveillance cameras?"

"The Orcs destroyed them. They seem to remember cameras and fluorescent lights as 'things the enemy has'—the SDF—so they prioritize destroying them."

"...I see."

The director massaged the bridge of his nose before looking up.

"This incident has filled the public with frustration and distrust toward the government, as well as a strong fear of monsters. It will have a major impact on public opinion. But our job remains the same. We must continue our work to reduce dungeon stampedes."

"Easier said than done. What's the plan? The dungeons that stampeded this time were also unconfirmed ones. The police and the SDF are both severely short-staffed."

It was true. The three stampedes had originated from, respectively, 'a vacant house that was officially registered as inhabited,' 'the home of a solitary elderly person suffering from dementia,' and 'the middle of a neglected thicket.'

The police, the SDF, and local government offices were all searching for gates. But the reality was that they just couldn't keep up.

"...First, we do what we can. We need to increase the number of adventurers."

"And you think that will reduce the burden on the SDF?"

"That's right. ...Depending on the situation, we'll also consider requesting that some high-rank adventurers 'investigate unmapped dungeons.'"

"Putting aside whether the higher-ups or the public would approve, the adventurers themselves would refuse, wouldn't they?"

"I agree. They're already complaining about the low rewards as it is."

"I know. That's why I'm going to somehow get the higher-ups to approve an 'increase in subjugation rewards' and 'permission for the free sale of certain drop items.' And a partial relaxation of the 'Swords and Firearms Control Law' exclusively for adventurers. I'll wrench at least two of those from them."

"What!?"

The employee with the tablet stared at the director in disbelief.

"But if you do that, the already few Awakened Persons in the SDF and police will flow into the private sector! Especially the SDF! If the risk goes down and the income goes up... the Ministry of Defense will be furious."

"Besides, we don't have the budget. Increasing subjugation rewards will be difficult. Most importantly, some drop items have unknown effects. It would be dangerous to let them circulate among the public."

"Excuse me, but hold on with the Firearms Law, too. Even if we continue to ban firearms, we can expect a lot of opposition just on the handling of blades. It might affect the politicians' election chances..."

"They won't agree. Many of them think elections are all that matters. There are also various other possibilities, like an increase in crime. The Dungeon Law is still incomplete as it is; further bills or amendments will take time..."

His subordinates listed off the problems one by one, but they, too, wanted to improve the treatment of adventurers if they could. They had been gathered here because their job was to manage and monitor dungeons.

However, they couldn't afford to make a mistake and have the higher-ups come down on them, potentially trying to dismantle the Dungeon Agency itself. Everything they had worked for could be erased as if it 'never happened.'

If that happened, any progress on dungeon-related matters would stagnate or even regress.

"I understand. But we still lack the 'number and quality' of adventurers. We might see an outflow of SDF personnel, but it should lead to a greater reduction in their burden... I hope."

"Director, didn't you say at the drinking party that you were going to be Prime Minister in twenty years?"

The director nodded at the tablet-holding employee's words.

"I did. But first, I—no, I believe this is necessary for this country to even exist ten years from now."

"...Foreign countries won't stay silent either. If the dungeon goods they've been getting almost for free start to dry up..."

"No, that won't be a problem."

The director gave a slight shake of his head at the words from his subordinate holding the laptop.

"Even overseas, only a very select few research institutions are permitted to study them. By now, the pressure from other institutions—influential corporations—should be getting impossible to ignore. For American and European politicians, this should be the opportune moment. They'll judge it to be just the right time... or rather, I'll make them."

The director picked up a part of the document and turned on his heel.

"I'll talk to my old connections and work something out. At the very least, if the United States makes a move, other countries will have no choice but to change their response. It's a tense situation... but I'll handle it. Everyone, back to your respective duties."

Watching the director's back as he left, the employee with the tablet and the employee with the laptop exchanged a look.

"The director's old connections... where was that again?"

"If I remember correctly... it was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Once again, the two looked at the door the director had just walked through.

Then, they too returned to their work.

It was going to be another long night at the Dungeon Agency.

*

"...It's great to be alive."

"Yeah..."

A brother and sister with cat ears were having a conversation much like one they'd had before.

In a corner of an izakaya, a group of four, their bodies wrapped in bandages, held their respective mugs and glasses of alcohol, staring into the distance.

"A little while ago we were running from a boss monster and got saved..."

"And this time we were chased by a horde of Wraiths and got saved by a different party."

That's right. It was the same adventurer party that Yagawa Kyouta had once rescued.

They had been busy gathering information and making connections to establish their new 'guild,' which had brought them all the way to Chiba Prefecture.

And there, they'd had the misfortune of being caught in a stampede.

"Well, this time we weren't just the ones being saved, so it's all good, right?"

"Maybe so, but it scared the life out of me, I tell you."

Party leader Yamashita's cat ears drooped wearily as his childhood friend ate some fried chicken.

While caught in the chaos and fleeing for their lives, they had also done their best to protect other civilians who had been left behind. Whether it was by mere chance or a sense of duty from having been saved themselves, even they didn't know.

But these four fought not just to live, but to protect. That was an undeniable fact.

"Big brother, you were totally fawning over 'those three girls' when they thanked you."

"Wh-what? Of course not! They're like, high school age!"

"To think that the family of the girls who saved us would be among the people we saved..."

"What goes around comes around, right?"

Yamashita had a somber expression as his childhood friend laughed heartily.

"...Maybe so, but in the end, they were the ones who defeated most of the monsters. They were younger than us again. It's frustrating as hell."

"...That's why you're starting a guild, right?"

His sister gave her grumbling brother a light kick on the shin.

"More importantly, aren't we supposed to be celebrating the fact that we all survived in one piece today, and that we've made progress on establishing the guild?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and pour the drinks."

"Pour 'em!"

"Man, you guys are a handful."

Yamashita raised his beer mug to lead the toast.

"Alright, to celebrate everything! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The four adventurers each let the alcohol flow down their throats.

They had seen gruesome sights, and lives had been lost right before their eyes. They had tasted powerlessness.

But they were alive, and they were stepping forward into tomorrow.

"Oh, just so you know, we're splitting the bill."

"What? You're so cheap, brother! Don't you have the decency to treat a couple of cute college girls!?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Dear sister. And dear Kiriko-chan. Your big brother's wallet is not doing so hot. In fact, I'm barely scraping by with travel and lodging expenses."

"More importantly, the day after tomorrow we have that... who were we talking to again?"

"Are you drunk already?"

"I don't get drunk. Apparently, for an Awakened Person to get drunk on regular booze, you'd need a whole barrel!"

"So you just forgot, then."

Yamashita shrugged at his childhood friend, who was puffing out his muscular chest.

"The [Alchemy Enthusiasts Club]," he replied. "Make sure you don't do anything rude, you hear me?"