41-60 · 043

Side Story: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Side: Koji Goda

The floor was cold, hard concrete.

In the secret underground cell at the deepest part of the guild headquarters—a room without a single window—I lay slumped against the wall, heavy ‘magic‑sealing restraints’ fastened on me.

A small monitor placed outside the iron bars was showing footage from the guild’s official press conference held that morning.

“—It has been determined that the recent Shinjuku Stampede was an ‘unprecedented natural disaster’ caused by an unknown accumulation of anomalous mana in the middle layer. The Dungeon Guild will take this lesson to heart and immediately implement concrete improvements, such as adding high-sensitivity magic sensors to each layer and installing multiple redundant emergency bulkheads—”

“…Huh?”

I stared at the monitor, my dry lips trembling.

A natural disaster? An unknown magical anomaly? What were they talking about? Wasn’t the cause me smashing the ‘keystone seal’?

“Looks like you’re awake, Koji Goda.”

Suddenly, the heavy iron door creaked open, and a massive silhouette entered the cell.

It was Jinichiro Togo, the Guild Master who stood at the pinnacle of all Japan’s explorers. Of course I recognized him.

The old man, impeccably dressed in a three‑piece suit, looked down at me and slowly exhaled cigar smoke.

“Wh‑why… why call it a natural disaster…? If that’s the case, why am I locked up!? See! I told you I wasn’t at fault! Release me right now!”

I rattled my chains and shouted at Togo. If it was a natural disaster, then I wasn’t guilty. It wasn’t my fault after all. If anything, they should treat me as the hero who saved Tokyo—

“It’s simple. If it got out that our incompetent appraiser overlooked the ‘keystone’ fragment you brought in as mere trash, the guild’s credibility—and Japan’s—would plummet. With the public and with other nations… So, we handled it by calling it an ‘unforeseeable accident.’ I’m not exactly pleased about it myself.”

“A‑An accident…?”

“Yes. And you have already been listed as ‘deceased, caught in the Stampede.’ Your family registry, your explorer’s license—everything has been erased. Be grateful.”

At Togo’s words, I felt the blood drain from my entire body. I was listed as dead? My existence erased? …Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a hero. I was the one who gave that piece of trash Soma—Master_Eye—his power!

“No! I’m alive! Yes, Master_Eye! That gas‑mask agent is the incompetent Toru Soma, who used to carry our gear in my party! Because I sold him that stone, he got his cheat powers! So effectively, I’m the one who saved Tokyo!”

I ranted desperately. If I exposed Soma’s secret, the guild couldn’t ignore me. With that disguise, he must have wanted to stay hidden. I, who gave him power and held that leverage, deserved special treatment.

But Togo didn’t seem surprised at all. He looked down at me with cold, murky eyes, as if I were trash.

“…You’re hopeless.”

“Eh…?”

“Anyone who met that young man and exchanged a few words with him would figure out that he’s Toru Soma. But… so what? He saved Tokyo. Does knowing who he is change that fact?”

“No, that’s why I—”

“Shut up. I can’t bear to listen any longer.”

Togo took a heavy step forward, and the pressure alone felt like the air itself froze, crushing my entire body. I couldn’t breathe.

“Listen well. The guild has formed a close cooperative relationship with him. From now on, he is the ‘greatest treasure’ who will bring trillions in profits and powerful armaments to our country. …You, on the other hand, what are you? You threw a diamond in the rough into the trash, and in a fit of rage, nearly destroyed the nation. You’re nothing but a worthless, rotten stone.”

“Ah… gah…”

“If that rotten stone goes around blabbing the ‘secret’ of our important business partner… that would be very inconvenient.”

Togo pulled a ‘black iron collar’ encrusted with ominous cursed power from his coat pocket. A dangerous cursed item, probably kept securely deep beneath the guild.

“Eep… s‑stop… I’m a hero! Yes! Tashiro! What about Tashiro! He’s equally guilty! He was with me then!”

“I hear he’s still in critical condition. Worry about him all you like. Well, that hardly matters now.”

“N‑no…! Help—”

Clank!!

Togo’s thick arm grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and forcibly clamped the black collar around me. Instantly, the cursed spikes engraved on the collar’s underside bit into my throat, completely burning out my vocal cords and magic circuits.

“Gah!? A…!?”

“This is a ‘Collar of Silence.’ From now on, you will never be able to speak again, nor remove the collar. As a ghost already dead to society, you will spend the rest of your life mining magic stones in the deepest, sunless punishment dungeon… Don’t think you’ll die easily.”

I couldn’t speak. I writhed in pain as if spitting blood, trying to scream, but only a wheezing sound of air escaped my throat.

“Regret it as much as you want. Not that any amount of remorse will let you see the light of day again.”

Togo turned his back on me and closed the iron door. The heavy lock clicked shut, leaving me alone in total darkness.

『Ah… aah…』

In a cell where even words were stolen from me, I stared at my own mud‑caked palms.

I hadn’t just thrown away a useless pack mule. No—

I had thrown away a literal goose that laid golden eggs, transforming anything it touched into National Treasure Level treasures. No—

If I had treated him well… maybe now I would be wielding a legendary magic sword, backed by trillions in assets, laughing on TV as the world’s greatest explorer…

『Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!』

A soundless scream of despair was swallowed by the cold dungeon.

And so, the man who had cast out a genius craftsman sank into the dark mud, forgotten by all.