Chapter 28

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The boy stood up, rubbing his stomach, and glared at the kiosk with a hateful gaze. I followed his line of sight and looked towards the kiosk. There, a young man in his early twenties, likely a college student, stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the boy with a condescending air, dressed in the highest-grade full-body armor made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, sold at the official Dungeon Association shop.

"What's going on?" we perked up our ears, and the boy and the young man began to exchange insults.

"Hah, brat! A guy who only has such shabby equipment is a nuisance to everyone! Get back home quickly!"

"Shut up, you nouveau riche bastard! You're just fancy because you have money to buy impressive equipment!"

"Hah! So what? I'm way better than you, who looks like a construction worker with a jumpsuit, baseball protective gear, and a shovel! Did you come to dig holes in the dungeon!?"

"!"

"What's wrong!? Can't you answer back!? Where did your earlier bravado go!?"

The boy gritted his teeth in frustration, enduring the young man's insults. The young man, seemingly pleased with the boy's reaction, continued to hurl more insults.

I couldn't quite grasp the situation. How did it come to this?

"…What's that?"

"Who knows?"

We tilted our heads and watched the unfolding events. The voices were loud enough to reach the bus stop, which was a fair distance from the kiosk, indicating a heated argument. Indeed, explorers who hadn't ventured into the dungeon yet were starting to show up, curious about what was happening.

Fortunately, so far, the young man hadn't used any physical force beyond an initial kick. They were just shouting and exchanging insults.

"You're causing trouble for everyone because there are so many people like you who can't even afford proper equipment! Get out of here and come back when you're ready!"

"! It's not my fault! I can't buy weapons because of the age restriction!"

"Hah! So that's why you brought a shovel!? What about your armor!? Do you think that toy will be useful!?"

Hmm, I'm starting to understand the content of their argument. It's turning out to be just as expected.

…Hmm? Are those security guards from the association?

From the direction of the prefabricated office, a group of five security guards, wearing DP (Dungeon Police) emblazoned transparent polycarbonate shields and black-and-white panda-colored protective gear, rushed to the scene of the fight. They quickly surrounded the two and a middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader, began to call for their surrender.

"Both of you, don't move! We are DP! Follow our instructions calmly!"

"!?"

"Put your hands behind your head and lie face down on the ground!"

The DP guards, armed with shiny special batons and shields, were ready to pounce at any moment. The boy and the young man's faces were contorted with fear.

"What's wrong!? Do you intend to disobey the instructions!?"

"Wait! I'll follow the instructions calmly!"

"What the hell is going on with you guys? You just showed up out of nowhere…"

The young man, pale with fear, quickly complied, placing his hands on his head and lying on the ground. However, the boy, who had never seen DP before and was still heated from the fight, refused to comply and lashed out at the DP guards. The young man, his former opponent, watched with a pitying smile.

"Secure him!"

The leader gave the order to secure the boy. The guards, still holding their shields, pounced on the boy, pinning him down and quickly restraining his hands and feet before he could react. The leader, now crouching in front of the boy, who was in agony, spoke.

"Are you still going to resist? If you follow our instructions calmly, we'll release you immediately."

"…"

Enduring the pain from the joint lock, the boy, with tears in his eyes, nodded his head up and down to indicate his willingness to comply. The leader, confirming that the boy had no intention of resisting, signaled the guards to release him. The restraints were quickly removed, and the boy was helped to his feet by the guards, who stood on either side of him. The other party in the fight, the young man, was also being helped to his feet.

"I want to hear the reason for the fight, but this place is getting crowded. Can both of you come to the office?"

"…Yes."

The two, now calmer but dejected, were escorted by the DP guards to the prefabricated office. The leader spoke with the kiosk staff, who had been affected by the incident, and conducted a brief investigation. After scratching his head and sighing tiredly, he handed over some documents to the staff and followed the guards, who were walking away with heavy steps. The sudden commotion between the explorers ended with the intervention of the DP, leaving an uneasy atmosphere behind.

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We stared at the entrance of the prefabricated office where the two had been taken.

"…I had heard rumors, but the DP people are really strong."

"Yeah, they are."

"…They subdued the explorers so easily."

We were speechless at the strength of the DP. I had been wondering how they would handle conflicts between explorers, remembering that the training session mentioned a specialized police team on standby. I had thought they would deploy police officers to stop such conflicts…

"Wasn't the move to pin him down as fast as Hozumi-san's?"

"…Indeed. The burst of speed was even better than Hozumi-san's."

"So, the DP guards must be level 30 or higher, right?"

I shook my head, feeling apologetic. No, the situation unfolded so quickly that I was stunned and missed the chance to analyze their levels.

"…"

"…"

I'm sorry. Please don't look at me with such a disdainful expression.

I know I made a mistake. But, I didn't expect such heavily armed security guards to show up and suppress the situation so quickly without much persuasion. This is Japan, after all. A country that would repeatedly try to persuade even a lone barricaded criminal before reluctantly resorting to forceful suppression.

"…Sigh. From their movements, it seems the DP had been leveling up thoroughly before the dungeon was opened to the public. They seem to have the training to easily subdue ordinary explorers."

"True. Well, the security forces wouldn't be unprepared. But, I guess this kind of response is necessary when dealing with explorers."

"Indeed, their physical abilities are several times that of an average person. They also have skills and magic, which are invisible weapons. Early suppression is necessary to prevent collateral damage."

"At least they didn't use stun guns, so it's a better response, I guess."

…Now that you mention it, the response wasn't that wrong, as you two said.

We can punch with enough force to easily create holes in thin concrete walls. If we left room for resistance, the DP might get hurt. Moreover, if we took too much time to persuade and they used magic or skills, it could cause damage to surrounding buildings and bystanders.

"Well, for now, it seems the DP can handle conflicts between low-level explorers without any issues. As long as we don't cause trouble, we won't have to deal with the DP."

"True."

"However, they won't handle conflicts inside the dungeon, so we should be careful not to encounter any disputes there."

"…What do you mean?"

At Hozumi-san's words, a disturbing thought crossed my mind, and I tensed up. Yuzi's face also changed, as if he had the same realization.

"In the worst-case scenario, conflicts between explorers inside the dungeon could escalate."

"The worst… meaning, explorers killing each other?"

"Yes. I don't want to think it could happen, but…"

I felt the blood drain from my face. It's a possibility we can't rule out.

I had tried not to think about it, but if we continue to explore the dungeon, it's a possibility we need to consider.

"Once you witness a conflict between explorers, it's hard to shake off the possibility."

"True. The dungeon is like a giant enclosed space. Currently, many explorers are densely packed in similar levels, but eventually, they will spread out, and the population density per level will decrease. If you have made enemies by causing conflicts before that happens…"

"…You could be ambushed."

What I had thought was just a scenario in comics and games suddenly seemed very real.

There are countless reasons for conflicts: stealing monsters, differences in loot, the number of explorers in a dungeon, income disparities, and differences in dungeon exploration philosophies. It's hard to imagine an explorer who hasn't made any enemies. People can easily hold grudges, envy, and jealousy, even without realizing it.

The dungeon, with its unique circumstances, is an ideal place to settle such grudges. With monsters and deadly traps, an explorer's death inside the dungeon would likely be attributed to them, especially if there are no witnesses. Even if an investigation were conducted, the location makes it difficult to pursue deeply, especially if the crime is well-hidden.

Thinking about this, cold sweat broke out on our foreheads.

"Most people would think twice and give up due to various reasons…"

"However, with the ability to legally possess weapons, easy concealment of the crime scene, low probability of witnesses, and no need to flee hastily, and with experience in killing humanoid monsters like orcs and goblins…"

"The mental resistance to committing a crime would be much lower than for an average person."

"Especially if killing an explorer also grants EXP…"

Our faces were already pale. The more we thought about it, the more dangerous the current dungeon situation seemed.

For a while, an uneasy silence fell between us. Trying to break the silence, I swallowed and spoke.

"But, in a way, it's a good thing we came here on a trip. If we had gone to a nearby dungeon, I would be terrified."

"…True. I had avoided it just because I didn't want my level to be known by acquaintances. It turned out to be the right decision."

"True. Now, I realize that the difference in levels is a minor issue. A dungeon where people from our daily lives gather is the worst."

Hozumi-san was right. A nearby dungeon, often used by school-related people, seemed like a bottomless pit of mud to me. Considering where I might make the most enemies in my daily life, the answer was clear: school. Even in my class, there are people I don't get along with and barely speak to. On a larger scale, the number of people who might hold grudges against me is too frightening to think about.

Since the dungeon was opened to the public, many school-related people have become explorers and are exploring nearby dungeons. We all grimaced and sighed. It was a headache, to say the least.

However, there was no point in dwelling on it forever. I turned to Yuzi, who looked tired, and spoke.

"Yuzi"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Can you ask Juzo-san if he can teach us swordsmanship?"

I had thought that interpersonal swordsmanship wasn't necessary since we were fighting monsters, but now that the possibility of interpersonal combat has arisen, I want to learn the basics. It's awkward to ask after refusing once, but there's no other choice.

I bowed to Yuzi, asking him to mediate with Juzo-san.

"Hey, Hozumi-kun? Can I ask too?"

Seeing me bow, Hozumi-san also bowed.

"…"

Yuzi closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Then…

"…Alright. I'll ask."

"Thanks, Yuzi."

"Thank you, Hozumi-kun."

"…"

Yuzi, perhaps embarrassed by our gratitude, turned away.

In any case, I hope this worry turns out to be unnecessary. Despite the various incidents, we gained a lot from this dungeon exploration, both internally and externally. It's up to us how we use these experiences.

Finally, the shuttle bus to the station appeared. Despite it being mid-afternoon, many explorers were already on board. We waited for the arriving passengers to disembark, then boarded the shuttle bus with our luggage and headed back.

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The enemy of humans is humans, indeed.