Just as Hayasaka Tooru, and Kujou Reiko’s team, were beginning to walk through the eighth basement level of the Sugai Dungeon—

Kawai Sakiho had been brought by Sadoyama Kouji to a building a short distance away from the prefectural office.

Because of last night’s Dungeon Stampede, her private car—left in the Sugai Dungeon’s parking lot—had been crushed. In the end, backup arrived from S City’s dungeon branch, and they escorted her home.

Sakiho herself had taken a shower and fallen sound asleep, but when Sadoyama came to pick her up at ten o’clock the next morning, it was obvious that he had barely slept at all. After all, the suit that had been torn apart by the Orochi’s attack was still the one he was wearing.

He hadn’t said anything about coming to pick her up the next day.

It was unexpected—and yet, at the same time, it felt like exactly what one would expect of him.

Back then, when she had been carried around the edge of death, slung over Section Chief Sadoyama’s shoulder.

That was probably the moment when the Kawai Sakiho she had been until then died—at least, in one sense.

When she had truly prepared herself for death, she hadn’t felt any real regret. Remembering that while showering after returning home, she had been stunned by her own shallowness. Even now, looking back after surviving and securing her safety, she couldn’t completely deny the sensation she had felt back then.

So this was how empty her life had been.

Whether she existed or not—it wouldn’t really make a difference. If that were about how others saw her, that was probably true for most people. But realizing that to herself, she was someone whose existence or nonexistence made no difference at all—that was a shock she couldn’t simply brush off.

“Sorry to drag you along.”

Sadoyama said, opening what looked like a back entrance to a reinforced-concrete building with no visible tenants. Acting as though he knew the place well, he went inside without hesitation. Left with no choice, Sakiho followed after him.

The location was in the suburbs—though the prefectural office itself was already situated in a suburban area, so this place nearby was much the same. Empty lots lay on both sides, giving the area a desolate feel. It took five minutes by car to reach the nearest convenience store. It was hard to call it a residential neighborhood, and it didn’t quite qualify as a commercial district either.

Sadoyama headed down the stairs to the basement as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

At the bottom was a door. Without knocking, he turned the knob and opened it.

The basement was a wide, bare space—unfinished concrete, exactly what one would imagine a basement to be like. Numerous pipes of unclear purpose ran along the walls and ceiling, and LED lights that looked like they had been installed later cast a cold glow over the room.

Inside were several people.

The leader of the A-rank explorer clan Anthem, Saitou Megumi. Beside her stood the S-rank elf, Irselia Lumiester. Near them was their manager, Hamamatsu Nanami.

Standing some distance away from them was a man wearing a leather jacket and a hunting cap.

And right beside that man—stood Sasamori Takeshi, a prefectural assemblyman, with handcuffs on. His hands were restrained behind his back using the pipes running along the wall. With no chair, he was forced to remain standing. It was unclear how long he had been held there, but his exhausted state was obvious at a glance.

“The ‘Hunter,’ Souma Kengo-san, huh.”

Sadoyama said this and gave a slight shrug, as if it were merely an offhand remark.

The man called Souma turned his gaze toward Sadoyama, traced the brim of his hunting cap with his fingertips, and lifted just one corner of his mouth in a crooked, distinctive smile.

Section Chief Sadoyama was tall himself, but this man he called Souma was nearly as tall—perhaps even taller. His build was solid, and his appearance alone carried a strong, oppressive presence.

“Former A-rank, Sadoyama, huh. And who’s the woman next to you?”

“She’s my subordinate. Think of it as a bit of a field trip.”

“Still the same as ever, you are. Maisaka—which was that just now?”

Souma’s gaze flicked to the side.

Only then did Sakiho realize—Near the entrance to the basement, right by the door where Sadoyama and Sakiho were standing, there was a woman in a suit. She had long black hair hanging straight down, and an overall gloomy air about her. She was about the same height as Sakiho, yet her waist sat much higher, making her proportions look strikingly different. Her face even seemed smaller, somehow.

Still, more than being beautiful, the impression she gave was overwhelmingly gloomy. She was beautiful—but the atmosphere she carried was far too dark.

The reason Sakiho hadn’t noticed her despite being at such close range was probably because of that presence. Standing with her back against the wall, she looked as though she were melting into it.

“That was a lie. This isn’t a field trip.”

The gloomy woman—called Maisaka—said this in a voice like an old wooden wind instrument.

“So you showed yourself after all. Well… yeah, that figures. Kawai-chan, this woman is Maisaka Risa. She has an ability that lets her see through other people’s lies. She’s a Maze Agency employee and an A-rank explorer. People call her The “Libra” Maisaka.”

“Ah—nice to meet you. I’m Kawai Sakiho.”

Sakiho gave a small bow, but she was ignored.

Strangely, she didn’t feel irritated at all. That was probably because she was fully aware that she was the most out-of-place person in this basement.

…Why had Sadoyama brought her here, anyway?

According to Maisaka’s ability, the whole “field trip” thing was a lie.

“That’s enough of that. Let’s get to the point.”

The man called Souma spoke. He looked about the same age as Sadoyama, but once people got close to thirty-five, a difference of five years in either direction was hard for Sakiho to judge.

“Sasamori Takeshi, was it? A petty power-holder from a boring regional city.”

The one who spoke such undisguised contempt was Irselia Lumiester, the S-rank elf and collaborator with Anthem.

As someone who could reasonably be called an Anthem fan, Sakiho knew that Irselia wasn’t a formal member but a cooperating ally. Despite her sharp demeanor and arrogant attitude, she was actually quite fond of the Anthem members—and even now, Sakiho could see how she continued to keep an eye on the Saitou Megumi standing beside her. As for her poor compatibility with Hayasaka Tooru… well, that was common knowledge across the entire world.

Setting that aside, Sasamori Takeshi—his name having been called—shot a glare at the elf while restrained with handcuffs using the pipes along the wall.

But the outburst of abuse Sakiho had expected never came. His expression was filled with enough hatred to suggest he’d gladly commit mass murder if resentment alone could kill—yet he said nothing.

“Looks like you’ve learned your lesson. Good. Don’t open your mouth until you’re given permission.”

Souma said while tracing the brim of his hunting cap with his fingertips. His tone was unmistakably sadistic. Someone like Sasamori—a man used to power—ought to have bristled at being treated that way by someone younger, yet he stayed obediently silent.

Which suggested that something had already happened.

He had Learned, as Souma had put it.

Even Sakiho could tell that it hadn’t involved studying for an exam.

She still didn’t understand why she had been brought here, though.

“According to Assemblyman Sasamori’s statement, last night he was drinking alcohol in his office when a man claiming to be from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office visited him and handed over an item that could erase a ‘Dungeon,’” said Hamamatsu Nanami, Anthem’s manager, smoothly guiding the discussion forward.

Anthem had several managers, but as a former B-rank explorer, she was the one who most frequently accompanied them on-site like this. In terms of raw ability, she no longer matched the regular members like Saitou Megumi, who were already firmly A-rank—but when it came to experience, she was apparently someone they could rely on in many ways.

At the prefectural office meeting just the other day, she hadn’t shown a trace of hesitation even when dealing with city council members, prefectural assemblymen, and the mayor himself.

“So that’s the story, then. If it’s true, say it’s affirmative. If it’s false, say it’s wrong.”

“…Affirmative!”

Faced with Souma’s tone—like that of a dog trainer—Sasamori shot him a glare fierce enough to curse him to death, yet still gave the bare minimum answer required.

“Truth. At least within his own perception, he isn’t lying.”

The gloomy woman, Maisaka Risa, said this. No one reacted much to that; Hamamatsu Nanami merely gave a small nod and continued.

“According to him, if everything were stirred into chaos, the recent disgrace could be swept under the rug. And once things were a mess, a figure of authority would be needed to take command. If that happened, the public would understand that city councilors, prefectural assemblymen, and even the mayor were necessary—or so he said.”

“Sasamori.”

“…Affirmative!”

“Truth. He isn’t lying.”

“And then Assemblyman Sasamori used the ‘stone’ he was given by the man claiming to be from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office to erase the Kamioka Dungeon. That man knew that if the Kamioka Dungeon disappeared, the Sugai Dungeon and the Noumi Dungeon would trigger a Dungeon Stampede.”

“I affirm that!”

“White.”

“And Anthem—well, more precisely, after being identified by the Holy Sword Spirit Tia as the culprit behind the ‘Dungeon Disappearance’—was captured… though whether that part is a lie or not doesn’t really matter. It’s simply fact.”

Nanami finished without a hint of emotion—and in the very next moment, for reasons unknown, Souma kicked the restrained Sasamori hard in the stomach. A filthy, choking groan escaped him. Of everyone present, the only one whose expression changed was Saitou Megumi.

As for Sakiho herself—to be honest, she felt nothing in particular about it. Too many question marks were rising in her mind, her attention dragged away by countless unanswered questions. Seeing Sasamori kicked simply wasn’t enough to stir her emotions.

“Unfortunately, that man is speaking what he himself believes to be the truth. Within his own understanding, he isn’t lying.”

“But… a man from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, huh. Senpai, what do you think?”

“I want to say that’s ridiculous, but honestly? I’m just a local civil servant. I don’t have the information needed to judge what’s real and what isn’t. What do you think, Souma-san?”

“The Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office is an intelligence organization directly under the Cabinet Secretariat. I can’t imagine people from a place where the political winds change every time the cabinet does taking such a dangerous step.”

“Feels more like something the Dungeon Agency would pull.”

Maisaka muttered this under her breath.

Sakiho felt a jolt of shock at the unsettling ring of truth in her words—but Hamamatsu Nanami, who should also have belonged to the Dungeon Agency, slowly shook her head.

“If someone were going to scheme within our jurisdiction, they’d do it in a much more reasonable way. And an item that can erase a Dungeon? If something like that really exists, there’s no way it would be wasted on the Kamioka Dungeon.”

She trailed off, as if to say what a waste.

Well, she wasn’t wrong. If an item that could completely erase a Dungeon truly existed, it would make far more sense to use it on a Dungeon that was more troublesome—or more obstructive. It was said that destroying a Dungeon could cause another one to appear elsewhere, but even taking that into account, there were still dungeons that people would dearly like to see gone.

“Then there are two problems we need to deal with next.”

Souma said this while once again tracing the brim of his hat with his fingertips.

“One is the investigation of the Sugai Dungeon and the Noumi Dungeon, both of which went berserk due to the disappearance of the Kamioka Dungeon and were subsequently suppressed. They’ve almost certainly undergone some kind of mutation. Their depths may have increased. You should bring a magic communication relay. That said, this part isn’t my job—handle it however you like.”

“We’ll take responsibility for the Noumi side. We should still have a spare relay, but since this is being done under the pretext of an investigation, we won’t push too deep. We’ll wait for the S-rank clan we’d already called in for the Kamioka Dungeon survey. After that, depending on how the Noumi Dungeon has mutated, we can hand things over. As for negotiating with the governor… let’s leave that to Teacher. Once reinforcements from the Dungeon Agency arrive, we’ll have them handle the exploration of the Sugai Dungeon.”

That’s fine, right? Nanami glanced toward Irselia and Saitou Megumi. Both nodded in agreement, then shifted their gaze back to Souma.

“The other issue is the main one—and that’s my job. The wielder of the Holy Sword and the Cursed Sword. The cleaner who cut down the monster spawned by the Dungeon Stampede. What was his name—Tooru?”

Tooru… Hayasaka Tooru.

At the Sugai Dungeon, Tia had defeated Orochi, then rushed—quite literally—to the Noumi Dungeon, where Hayasaka Tooru had slain the Hydra with the cursed blade.

Explained in words, it sounded simple enough. In reality, the situation had been anything but.

“I saw Tooru with my own eyes. As long as you don’t provoke him unnecessarily, he won’t do anything strange. At the very least, he isn’t a villain.”

“Truth. But also lie. Sounds like you’re holding something back.”

Cutting straight to the point, Maisaka interjected. Irselia clicked her tongue softly in response. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she lowered her voice slightly and spoke.

“…He’s a… good guy. I got him angry with my attitude, but he didn’t hold a grudge against me… no, that’s not quite right. He did hold it against me. But even so, he didn’t label me as ‘evil,’ and he didn’t hate me. It was more like—pissed, but that’s it.”

“Truth.”

“Even so, Maisaka and I need to confirm things with our own eyes. Those are far too dangerous toys to leave in the hands of some kid who was working as a cleaner until just the other day.”

“They’re not toys he picked up by choice, though. Souma-san, I’ll say this too—Hayasaka-kun is a decent kid. He seems a bit stubborn, sure, but—”

“Whether someone is decent or not doesn’t directly correlate with whether they’re dangerous. There is a relationship, but they’re not the same thing. Your testimonies will be taken into account, but regardless, we’ll verify it again. That’s final. If necessary, we’ll confiscate his Holy Sword and Cursed Sword.”

“…Didn’t he say they were connected to his soul?”

Even as the S-rank elf narrowed her eyes and let killing intent leak into the air, Souma didn’t flinch in the slightest.

“I said, if necessary. If it’s determined that he poses no problem, then there’s no question that that level of combat power is invaluable as an explorer.”

“Truth. But—can I cut in for a moment?”

Perhaps the ‘truth’ statement just now had been meant to calm Irselia. Either way, Maisaka Risa raised a hand with a look of mild annoyance. In that hand was a mobile terminal, and because Sakiho was standing nearby, she caught a brief glimpse of the screen.

A livestream.

A Dungeon exploration stream—one Sakiho was all too familiar with.

“That Hayasaka Tooru and the Kujou young lady have entered the Sugai Dungeon to conduct an investigation. I got word about a minute ago. Looks like they used the Kujou family’s connections to get permission from the Dungeon Agency.”

Kujou—that meant Kujou Reiko, the A-rank explorer.

Why on earth was Hayasaka Tooru doing a livestreamed exploration with Kujou Reiko in the Sugai Dungeon—a place whose branch office had practically been wiped out—the day after a Dungeon Stampede had been suppressed?

Sakiho felt a headache coming on—but the Section Chief Sadoyama standing right beside her looked far more like he was about to get one, so she couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for him.

“That guy… he was just at his place a moment ago… what does he think he’s doing…”

Irselia’s muttered words were quiet—yet utterly terrifying.

Once again, Sakiho found herself wondering why she had been brought here at all.

The answer, unfortunately, wasn’t lying anywhere close at hand.