Chapter 59

After the news, this is the reaction of the school and the students.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Kyou's bad mood didn't improve even during lunch break.

"What's wrong, Kyou? You've been in a bad mood since this morning..."

"...Just a bit, you know."

I walked up to Kyou's desk and asked my question as lightly as possible. However, Kyou only gave a brief response.

This seems like something pretty bad happened...

"Could it be... about the news this morning, the death of a young explorer?"

"!"

It seems I hit the mark.

Kyou's gaze fell to the desk for a moment before she looked up at me.

"...Yes, that's it. After hearing the news this morning, I had a bit of a talk with my parents."

Kyou's expression darkened.

She was about to explain further, but Yuzi, who had approached us, whispered a warning.

"Wait a moment. It's better to change the place before continuing this conversation."

"...Yuzi?"

"This isn't something to talk about in the classroom."

I looked around and noticed a few people nearby who had been eavesdropping. I can understand why they were curious about Kyou's bad mood this morning.

"Then, Kyou, shall we change the place?"

"Yes."

Following Yuzi's suggestion, we left the classroom with our lunch boxes.

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We sat on a bench in the courtyard, eating our lunch while Kyou told us her story.

"So, your father is telling you to quit being an explorer?"

"Yes. He only talked to me for a bit before school, but he said I should quit."

While it sounds like a father worried about his daughter... my honest reaction is, "Really, now?" Yuzi also seems to share the same thought, with a frown on his face.

"You've been an explorer for almost half a year, going into the dungeon. Honestly, it feels a bit late, doesn't it?"

Kyou sighed, as if letting out all the frustration she had been holding in. It seems she shares the same feeling.

Of course, there have been news reports of explorer deaths before, but now he's telling you to quit...

"It seems he panicked because a young explorer died in a nearby dungeon. Most of the explorers who died before were adults, professional explorers, and the accidents happened in dungeons in other prefectures, so he thought it was something far away."

Kyou sighed again.

What can we say...? Yuzi and I exchanged glances, both with ambiguous expressions.

In other words, it's like this: a death accident happened nearby, and the victim was around the same age as his daughter, so he finally realized it was a close issue.

Ha...

"Until now, there hadn't been any deaths of young explorers, and I always came back unharmed with meat, so my father didn't realize how dangerous the dungeon really was. He had been taking it for granted, thinking it was just a slightly dangerous attraction, based on what he saw on TV and in magazines."

No, no, that's just shifting the blame, isn't it?

If he was really worried about his daughter's safety, he should have encouraged her to quit earlier...

Before I could say anything, Yuzi voiced his doubt.

"Isn't that strange? The statistics of deaths and serious injuries are available on the Dungeon Association's website. If the parents had looked, they would have realized the danger of the dungeon, right?"

"They knew it was dangerous, but they didn't see it as an immediate threat. ...Can you recognize the number of traffic accident deaths on the police website as an immediate threat, Aizawa?"

"That's... "

"Even if you feel it's dangerous, it's hard to recognize it as an immediate threat unless it happens right next to you. It's the same with this. People can't truly recognize the danger until they experience an accident or witness it."

...Kyou might be right. People tend to have unfounded confidence, thinking they or others will be fine, and don't accurately recognize the dangers that are being warned about. They accept the warnings without deep consideration, without thinking about what it means to be safe or dangerous. Examples like drunk driving or drug use come to mind, and there are countless other examples.

"My father is telling me to quit, but I don't intend to quit being an explorer at this stage."

"...Are you sure?"

Kyou clearly declared her intention to continue being an explorer, but Yuzi and I asked with concern.

I understand that her parents are a bit strange, but they are worried about her.

"Yes. Thanks to Kuze, I've been able to continue being an explorer with low risk, but I've faced many dangerous challenges. I should be able to make my own decisions."

Kyou smiled with a surprisingly forceful expression, saying it was no problem.

"Yes...?"

"My mother feels guilty for making me an explorer for the sake of the store, so I think she will support me if I persuade her a bit. I haven't been injured seriously, so it should be possible to persuade her."

"..."

"My father... is a bit more complicated. He's the type who doesn't listen to others once he starts talking..."

Kyou's gaze fell to her lunch box, and after a moment of thought, she looked up at Yuzi and me.

"Hey, Kuze, Aizawa. I have a favor to ask..."

"...A favor?"

I had a vague idea of what Kyou's favor might be.

"Can you spare some time after practice?"

"Yeah, sure. I don't have any plans other than practice with Juzo, so I should be fine. What about Yuzi?"

"I'm fine too."

Since I usually go home after practice with Juzo, I have the time.

"Then, can both of you help me persuade my father?"

"Um... me and Yuzi?"

"Yes."

Kyou nodded, and Yuzi and I exchanged glances.

Is this... a bit too much to ask?

We haven't met Kyou's parents before. Can we really persuade someone we've never met?

"We haven't met your parents before, Kyou."

"I know. When I say persuade, I don't mean to persuade them with words. I need you to be my practice partners for a bit."

"Practice partners?"

"Yes. I want you to demonstrate a bit of combat in front of my parents, like we do during practice."

I see. So, you want to show your skills as an explorer to persuade them.

Indeed, seeing is believing. Showing your spear skills might be more effective than explaining.

"I see."

"If that's the case, we can ask Juzo to teach us some combat practice today."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. The more impressive it looks, the more persuasive it will be."

The practice we get from Juzo is extremely practical. It's far too intense to be called a combat demonstration. Blinding attacks and strikes to vital points... normal people would definitely be intimidated.

We need to practice a combat demonstration beforehand, or it might look too rough.

"Thank you."

"But, I'm not sure if showing a combat demonstration will persuade them."

"Yes, I understand that. But if we can make a strong impression, it might give us a foothold for persuasion."

"If that's the case, it's a good idea..."

From what Kyou has said, her father seems to be quite stubborn.

"I hope it goes well..."

"I told my father I would talk to him when I got home, so he should be waiting for me."

Kyou's expression, which had been gloomy, brightened up when she realized we would help her.

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After finishing lunch and returning to the classroom just before the end of the lunch break, the classmate's gazes focused on us.

Seeing that Kyou's mood had improved, sighs of relief could be heard from the area around her desk. After all, she had been in a bad mood all morning.

Before the afternoon classes started, the subject teacher announced that there would be a temporary school assembly after school to discuss the death of a young explorer. The school must take some action since a high school student from the same prefecture died.

After the afternoon classes ended, all students gathered in the gym for the temporary school assembly.

"Therefore, our school's policy is to request that all students refrain from dungeon exploration."

The principal's declaration caused a stir among the students in the gym.

Refrain... it's not a direct ban, but it's practically a ban. The school rules haven't been revised, so they're not explicitly saying it's forbidden.

"Be quiet! The principal's speech isn't over yet!"

"Be quiet, everyone!"

The teachers on both sides of the gym shouted to quiet the students. Gradually, the noise subsided, and the gym became quiet after about three minutes. The principal confirmed the silence and continued.

"This request is for your safety."

No... isn't this more about the school trying to avoid responsibility by preemptively requesting a voluntary suspension? The school wants to have the fact that they requested a suspension on record.

The gym stirred again, but it was less intense than before, and no one shouted to quiet the students.

"As for me, I don't want any of our students to die while they are still in school. Please consider this."

The principal's tone seemed to be concerned about the students, but it sounded like he was saying, "Don't die while you're in school." Am I just being cynical?

"Let's conclude the temporary school assembly here. Please be careful on your way home."

The principal's closing remarks ended the assembly. Students left the gym in order, starting with the third-year students, and some discussed the assembly with their classmates.

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"Hey, what are you going to do?"

"About the request to refrain?"

"Yeah, are you going to refrain from going to the dungeon this weekend?"

"No way! The principal said it's a request, not a ban. We can still go if we want to."

"But, a high school student explorer did die..."

"That was because they were a beginner. It doesn't apply to us!"

"I'm on a tight budget this month, so not going to the dungeon is not an option!"

"Right. A new brand bag is coming out next month, so I need to earn money in the dungeon this month."

"Besides, the beginner explorer who died... was killed by a low-level monster on the first floor, right?"

"Yeah, it seems so. Dying on the first floor is kind of impressive, isn't it?"

"Exactly. It's just that they were slow and clumsy. It doesn't apply to us who can go deeper!"

"Should we hold off on going to the dungeon for a while and see how things go?"

"Hmm, well, that's fine too, I guess..."

Hmm, what can I say... everyone seems to be overconfident. Summarizing the conversations I overheard, there are three main opinions:

1. The beginner explorer was too weak and died.

2. We are experienced explorers, so going to the dungeon is not a problem.

3. We should follow the request and refrain from going to the dungeon for a while.

The first opinion was common in most conversations, but the second and third opinions were divided. However, the majority of students support the second opinion, while only a few support the third. The request to refrain has already become a formality.

"What was the point of the school assembly?"

"Who knows? It seems like no one intends to refrain."

"Being an explorer is a good part-time job if you have the skills. When told to refrain... only a few will listen."

Back in the classroom, we discussed the assembly.

Other students were also discussing the request in groups.

"Maybe it's just a precaution for the school. They can say, 'We told the students to refrain from going to the dungeon.'"

"Yeah."

"Right. If they really wanted to stop students from going to the dungeon, they would confiscate the explorer cards, like how they confiscate driver's licenses for students who get them while in school."

Kyou is right. At our school, getting a driver's license while in school is against the rules, and the license is confiscated and stored by the school until graduation. Since an explorer card is necessary to enter the dungeon, if the school really wanted to stop students from going, they should confiscate the cards like driver's licenses.

The association can reissue explorer cards, but given the government and association's attitude towards young explorers, there's a possibility they would reject reissuance.

"Hey, get to your seats. We're starting the homeroom."

The homeroom teacher entered the classroom. Since it was after the assembly, there were no special announcements, and the homeroom ended in a few minutes.

"Should we tell Juzo about the situation and ask him to teach us some combat practice?"

"Yeah, I don't think the old man will say no."

"That would be great."

We gathered our things and left the classroom.

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This is the school and students' reaction after the news.