Chapter 53

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First, I carefully carried the five explorers who were lying around the corridor, making sure not to aggravate their injuries, and gathered them in one place, laying them down. Thanks to the enhanced physical abilities from leveling up, carrying the unconscious people was not a big task, but if I hadn't leveled up, this task alone would have been heavy labor...

"Now, I need to check their injuries first..."

Normally, I wouldn't be able to conduct a medical examination, but I have a skill that allows me to do so. I took out a cooler bag while casting the appraisal skill on the fallen explorers. I had to take out the cooler bag now, or I wouldn't have the chance later.

Miyano Yoji, Level 13, right shoulder fracture, and heavy bleeding.

Minamoto Yoshiki, Level 10, right femur fracture, and heavy bleeding.

Higashizaka Akemi, Level 8, right abdominal penetration, and heavy bleeding.

Hirano Miku, Level 9, right arm fracture, and left femur fracture.

Shinohara Yuta, Level 23, skull fracture, and subdural hematoma.

Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!

I shouldn't have been leisurely taking out the cooler bag! The male explorer with the least bleeding is the most critical! Subdural hematoma, really!? And, looking closely, his forehead is caved in!

The other four seem to have fainted due to shock and blood loss from their injuries, so I'll put off treating them for now! I need to prioritize treating this Shinohara first...

"Hmm...? For treating a subdural hematoma, a low-grade recovery potion won't do, right?"

I took out a mid-grade recovery potion from my spatial storage.

A low-grade recovery potion can basically treat minor external injuries and promote the healing of fractures. It can promote the healing of skull fractures and damaged blood vessels in the brain, but it cannot remove hematomas. To remove the hematoma and restore health, a mid-grade or higher recovery potion is required. If the injured part were not the brain, a low-grade recovery potion would suffice...

"Well, I'll think about the rest later. For now, I need to act quickly, or there might be complications."

I cut open the seal of the mid-grade recovery potion and poured it over Shinohara's head.

After waiting for about ten seconds, Shinohara slowly opened his eyes.

"...Where... am I?"

"Did you regain consciousness? Good, it seems you've come to."

"I... I remember..."

He was mumbling, but his consciousness was still not clear.

"You were lying here, bleeding from the head. I found you and treated you."

"Right... Thank you."

"No problem. By the way, can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

As a layman, I could tell that he could recognize the conversation and speak clearly, so it seemed there were no language-related aftereffects. I held my hand in front of his eyes and held up one finger.

"...One."

"Right. Then, how about this?"

I changed the number of fingers I held up and asked Shinohara a few times. He answered my questions obediently, looking puzzled.

While I was conducting this confirmation test, Yuzi and Himeko returned, dragging the two culprits. I handed them a recovery potion and asked them to treat the other fallen explorers. I continued to conduct various confirmation tests with Shinohara, and he answered all the questions correctly.

"You seem to be okay."

"...Why did you ask me these questions?"

"Oh, I didn't explain the reason. You had a head injury and lost consciousness, so I suspected internal bleeding. I treated you with a recovery potion, but I needed to do some basic checks..."

"I see. Are you... studying to be a doctor?"

"No. It's just a layman's observation from medical TV shows. I recommend you get a proper examination at a hospital as soon as possible."

"...I understand. Thank you."

Shinohara's face suddenly turned pale, but he seemed to understand.

"Daiki, are you done?"

"Yeah. He seems to be okay for now."

"Good. They're all regaining consciousness now."

Looking around, the explorers who were lying down were sitting up on the floor. They still seemed a bit dazed, probably due to the blood loss.

After introducing ourselves and explaining the situation, we discussed what to do next.

"So, I intend to hand them over to the DP. I know you're unhappy, but please don't take any action against them."

"...I'd like to beat them up right now, but since you, our saviors, suggest it, I'll accept it."

The victims looked very unhappy and glared at the culprits with murderous intent. If we hadn't restrained them, the culprits would have been beaten up for sure.

"Of course, what they did is unforgivable. After handing them over to the DP, what you do with them is up to you. It's not our place to interfere."

"...Is that okay?"

"Yes. We're not acquainted with them, and we have no reason to protect them."

"I see."

In other words, after handing them over to the DP, you can file criminal charges or sue for damages as you see fit. We won't get involved. We were also attacked, so we have no intention of defending them.

"Anyway, can we hand over the culprits to the DP while they are restrained?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Shinohara, representing the victims, agreed. The other victims reluctantly nodded. I sighed in relief and sent a contemptuous glance at the two culprits still unconscious at my feet.

"By the way, about the recovery potions you used to treat us..."

"Yeah, about that..."

"I don't have any recovery potions right now. I plan to pay for them with cash... How much should I pay?"

"Hmm..."

Shinohara asked about the treatment costs, looking a bit anxious.

The current market price for recovery potions is around 10,000 yen for the lowest grade and around 200,000 yen for a low-grade recovery potion. Since I used one low-grade recovery potion per person for the injuries of everyone except Shinohara...

"Everyone except Shinohara, about 200,000 yen per person."

"...Everyone except me?"

"Yes. I used one low-grade recovery potion per person for everyone except Shinohara, so that's about it."

"I see. Considering the average market price of low-grade recovery potions, that's reasonable."

The others seemed to accept my explanation and the amount I charged, and no one voiced any complaints.

"So, how much for my treatment?"

"Hmm, about... Shinohara's treatment fee..."

"Treatment fee?"

Shinohara's voice became weak, perhaps because he was anxious about my hesitation.

"...About 1,000,000 yen."

"...What!?"

I decided to state the amount, and Shinohara let out a loud exclamation, shocking the others who widened their eyes. Shinohara's mouth opened and closed, speechless, so I explained the reason for the high treatment fee.

"When I found you, you were bleeding from the head."

"I know that! But why is it so expensive!?"

"...When I found you, your forehead was split open, and your skull was caved in."

"...What?"

"The amount of blood loss was less than the others, but it was clearly the most severe. I judged that immediate treatment was necessary, considering the possibility of internal bleeding and the importance of the brain."

"..."

Shinohara touched his forehead, dumbfounded, and pondered my words.

"Then, I used a mid-grade recovery potion I had. That's why the treatment fee is so high."

"...I see."

The market price for a mid-grade recovery potion is around 1,000,000 yen. Considering its ability to heal injuries and restore health, it's not an unreasonable price.

After a moment of silence, Shinohara spoke up.

"...Can I pay in installments? I'm a bit short on cash this month."

"...Sure, that's fine."

"R-Right. Sorry for saying this after you saved me."

"It's a sudden expense, so it's understandable."

"Really, sorry."

Shinohara bowed deeply to me.

...He really seems to be in a tight financial situation.

"I'll get the money as soon as I can, by demanding compensation or a settlement from those guys."

Shinohara glared at the two culprits lying on the ground. Even if they negotiate a settlement, they will have to pay a significant amount. Still, do they have the money?

We escorted the other explorers, who were pale and unsteady on their feet, while guarding the culprits and heading for the surface. Incidentally, the culprits woke up once during the journey but became violent and noisy, so we made them unconscious again.

"Two more floors, and we'll be on the surface. Everyone, are you okay?"

I turned around to check on the injured explorers, including Shinohara, who were following behind.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to your protection, we haven't been attacked by monsters and it's been comfortable."

"That's good. We're almost there, so hang in there."

"Got it."

We formed a triangle formation with me at the front, Yuzi and Himeko on the sides and back. In the center of the triangle, Shinohara carried the two culprits, and the other unsteady explorers followed behind.

"Still, you guys are pretty strong. You can take down Hound Dogs and Horn Rabbits with one hit..."

"Actually, we're not that relaxed. We don't have much experience protecting a large group while exploring the dungeon..."

"So, you usually explore alone?"

"Yes, since we passed the exam together."

We continued down the corridor, defeating monsters and chatting. Finally, we reached the surface.

At the entrance gate, we asked the staff to call the DP. The explorers waiting in line at the gate focused their attention on Shinohara and the two culprits he was carrying, who were covered in blood.

After a few minutes, the DP arrived, and Shinohara mentioned the term "drop item theft" when handing over the still unconscious culprits, causing a ripple of excitement among the explorers, which quickly turned into a commotion. The DP had to mobilize to calm the situation.

"Are these guys really the ones who attacked you?"

"Yes. They attacked us with this modified slingshot when we were climbing the stairs. They also attacked people trying to help the injured, taking advantage of their distraction. Fortunately, they noticed and dealt with the situation, saving us from death."

Shinohara handed the slingshot used by the culprits to a middle-aged DP officer and explained.

The DP officer, after checking the slingshot by pulling the rubber band a few times, glanced at us.

"Indeed, this slingshot can fire with considerable force."

"Yes, I almost died from a skull fracture and brain contusion."

"...Really? You don't seem to have any external injuries, and your gait is steady..."

"It's thanks to the mid-grade recovery potion they had and used immediately. ...I'm really grateful they dealt with the situation."

Shinohara sighed in relief, and the other victims nodded in agreement.

The DP seemed to believe our story.

"Let's take a statement at the office. It's not appropriate to continue the discussion here."

"Sure. But can we change clothes and take a shower first? It's uncomfortable to be covered in blood..."

"Sure, but we need to assign a DP to you as a precaution."

"Does that mean you suspect us?"

"I'm sorry, but it's a rule. Since we didn't catch them in the act, we need to prevent evidence tampering or collusion until the statements are taken. We don't suspect you, so please don't take it personally."

"Even if you say not to take it personally, it's hard... But I understand."

Shinohara and the others looked offended but reluctantly agreed.

The DP, having obtained their consent, turned to us, who were not particularly bloodstained.

"What about you guys? Since you don't seem to be bloodstained, can we take your statements first?"

I made eye contact with Yuzi and Himeko, asking if it was okay to accept the request. They both nodded in agreement.

"Sure. We're not particularly bloodstained, so we can take the statements first."

"Great, that's helpful. We want to get the details of the incident as soon as possible."

Relieved that we agreed to take the statements, the DP called over two young DP officers.

"You two, accompany them. I'll take their statements."

"Understood."

"Thanks. Please follow them to the changing room."

"Got it. Kusakari, Hirose, Himeko. Thanks to you, we really survived. I'll definitely repay you."

"No problem. We help each other in times of need. I'm glad this didn't turn into a bigger issue."

"Right, I agree."

After exchanging greetings, we watched Shinohara and the others head to the changing room. We were then led by the DP officers to the office. While we were taking our statements, the culprits woke up in the DP office's holding cell and, realizing where they were, confessed to their crimes.

They admitted that they committed the crimes due to financial difficulties. They had become overconfident after obtaining a high-value Magic Scroll early in their careers as explorers. They spent all the money they earned from selling the scroll and drop items on entertainment with friends, leaving them with nothing. However, they had boasted to their friends about leading a lavish lifestyle, and now they couldn't back down, leading to their financial troubles. They met someone in a similar situation, and they decided to commit the crime to quickly obtain money for entertainment.

It was a completely selfish reason.

With the culprits' confession, the facts of the case became clear, and our statements were completed in about an hour. We were told that we might be called again later and were then released.

Phew, why did I get involved in such a troublesome situation...

If you get hit in the head, you'll end up with injuries like this, right?