The next day, when I went to pick up Refleia, she had red eyes and laughed awkwardly, "hehehe."

　We exchanged few words as we walked toward the guild.

　The guild was already crowded with dozens of powerful adventurers gathered for the demon lord hunt, making it densely packed.

　There were no signs of the Holy Knights, and no one wearing similar gear could be seen.

　I was merely a porter, so I'd stick with Refleia at least until the halfway point, though slaying the demon lord rarely ends in a single day.

　After all, the labyrinth is deep and vast.

Even when searching using human-wave tactics, the target often remains elusive, and since no one knows where the Demon King is located, they end up systematically clearing the maze starting from two levels above the last known sighting.

As a result, participation is typically low on the first day, with the Holy Knights joining only from the second or third day onward.

That means today will likely be spent mostly fighting monsters normally on the third floor. At the very least, we should make sure the camera captures signs of other explorers somewhere, so viewers can at least feel the atmosphere of the Demon King’s defeat.

"Refraya, how exactly does the actual combat work? Is someone in charge?"

"In charge? No, we simply fight the parties we encounter, one by one."

"So casually? I mean, the opponent's the Demon King—shouldn't he be strong?"

"Of course we'll cooperate, but since there's no one among us who's intimately familiar with each individual's strengths and weaknesses to lead effectively, we'll ultimately just fight in our usual party units, swapping out if things get too dangerous... that's how it'll go."

"So there might still be a chance for us to get involved..."

Grapeflour isn't participating today.

Since there are several advanced explorers who started as scouts, like Links, they're handling the scouting duties.

Still, with this many people going in, maybe scouts aren't even necessary.

"Ah, looks like they're about to depart."

"Ah."

We followed Reflair to the dungeon, but at the entrance, we were split between the porter and the explorers. I suppose the porter will just follow behind us.

Incidentally, it seems the nobleman is being handled by an exploration party with a proven track record at the Gold rank.

Most porters are carrying backpacks, but some are equipped with proper gear as well—perhaps they're planning to join combat, just like me.

The first wave exploration team probably numbers around forty people.

There aren't many porters. Well, after all, porters are typically one out of a six-person party, so it's only natural.

As we trudge along in a line, I feel a sudden tap on my shoulder from behind.

Turning around, I see the handsome guy I met earlier in the bathhouse.

"Hey! Long time no see. I was starting to worry you'd died—I hadn't seen you at the bathhouse since then."

"Oh, uh, Alex, right?"

"Oh, you remember me?"

Alex, another transmigrated from Earth like me, was equipped with a heavy armor style and a long spear.

If he's here, that means he's participating as a porter.

"You're also Bronze-ranked, right?"

"Nope, just barely made it to Ebony (Black Ebony) rank today. I got in here through the porter slot. Right, Hikaru?"

Saying that, he briefly showed me his identification badge.

It seemed he also had companions at the Silver rank.

"Still, defeating a Demon King? That'd be amazing! I heard no transmigrated person has ever taken down a Demon King before, so if we beat this one, we might get bonus points."

"Bonus points, huh?"

Alex was an odd guy.

Though he was a fellow transmigrated person, and possibly even knew about me, he had no pretense—straightforward and easygoing.

"Ah, right—there was a message saying to tell Hikaru something if I saw him. What was it again? There were several, I think—"

The word "message" seemed to trigger a reaction, making his body twitch sharply.

It felt as though a cold blade had been pressed against his insides, a nameless dread rising from the deepest part of his organs.

A message meant for me.

Either it was bad news, or else Alex was using it to send me insults without opening the message himself, or worse—using it to have me killed through Alex.

…Either way, it couldn't be anything good.

I don't think Alex is trying to kill me (though there's always the chance he'll stab me from behind—after all, if I die in the labyrinth, I'll just turn into stone, and I can always claim I was killed by a monster). Maybe it's a message of support… no, that's unlikely.

The truth is, my viewership is largely due to the underlying narrative: that I'm the murderer of Nanami, evading justice and enjoying my life in another world.

It's undeniable that I'm the one who committed the crime—though I can't say I'm not angry at the police for failing to catch the real culprit. But given the circumstances of my transfer, anyone would assume I'm guilty. If I'd seen it on the news, I'd have been certain of it myself.

Of course, it's possible that the real culprit has already been caught, and the current viewers are purely rooting for me.

Late at night, lying alone in bed, I've thought about that possibility countless times. But it couldn't be.

First of all, the way the viewer count is growing makes no sense at all. I'm currently—right now, in this very moment—the top-ranked viewer among all transmigrated individuals. The real-time viewer count stands at 700 million. An unimaginable number.

And yet, I haven't done anything particularly impressive.

All I'm doing is exploring a labyrinth—something Alex over there is doing just as much. But if I'm number one, he can only be second at best. Probably much lower. Alex, who's far more handsome and seems to have plenty of friends.

If that's the case, then I must have a 'special story'—otherwise, it's impossible to believe viewers are expecting something from me. I haven't even wanted Nanami to come back to life, nor have I said a single word to viewers.

Anyway, I didn't want to hear the message.

The viewership race will be over soon.

At least until then, I didn't want my mind disturbed.

　

"Wait, hold on. I don't want the message. I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, really? It felt really urgent, like they desperately wanted to get something across."

"I don't want to remember anything about them... Please."

"But..."

"Please... I really don't want to hear it... Just don't say anything. Don't say anything at all."

It was a plea.

I didn’t want my resolve to go on slaying the Demon King and securing first place in viewership to be derailed by that. Once I heard it, I was certain I’d be completely paralyzed, unable to move properly.

"Are you really sure...? Because they’re family, I absolutely want you to tell them..."

"Stop... Please, stop..."

Hearing the word "family," I covered my ears.

Even if they were my parents, even if they were my sisters, I didn’t want to be reminded of that.

I don’t think I’m at fault.

But it’s a fact that they were burned alive and couldn’t even remain in Japan.

Whether the message was gentle encouragement or, more likely, harsh insults,

my heart would be torn apart either way.

I clung to Alex's neck and begged repeatedly.

I wasn't ready emotionally.

I couldn't stay calm at all.

"Alright, I get it. I was the one who brought up the other world."

Alex raised both hands in surrender.

　

"……Yeah, I kind of understand. Even now, thinking about it makes me feel lonely."

Alex gazed into the distance, lost in nostalgia.

It's different for me, but trying to explain it wouldn't help anyway.

"Well, if you don't want to hear it, I'll keep the message safe in my heart."

"Ah, thanks…"

Alex closed the status board he'd been about to operate, and I felt genuine relief deep down.

Maybe he really is a good guy after all.