"Lord Ryuto, what is this moving big box?" Hiyori asked, tilting her head in the train compartment.

"It's just a subway, Hiyori."

"A subway?"

"Yeah, it's a kind of transportation that runs underground."

"Oh, it can run underground."

...

"Since that's the case, Lord Ryuto, where are we going?"

"Of course, we're going to where the dragon is."

"Oh, so dragons really exist."

Upon hearing this, Hiyori's face lit up with excitement.

...

"Well, no, dragons don't exist. To be accurate, we're going to the place indicated by the code."

"So, Lord Ryuto has already deciphered the code?"

"Well, you can say that."

At this point, Ryuto paused for a moment and stated his conclusion.

"Actually, the dragon mentioned in the code is not a real dragon."

"Not a real dragon?"

"After all, dragons don't exist. But the code says that the dragon moves, and considering the fact that it moves twice a day, I thought it may refer to transportation routes."

"Transportation routes?"

"Yeah, because if it refers to transportation, there are two rush hours every day except on holidays – the morning rush hour and the evening rush hour – which coincides with the fact that there are two major movements every day."

"Oh, I see. Although I don't really get it."

Hiyori expressed her thoughts honestly.

...I wonder if she understands or not. Ryuto decided it would be better not to dwell on it.

"As for the transportation used by commuters, it would be buses and subways."

"Buses?"

Hiyori once again became puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

"So, I just checked the maps of the city's buses and subways, and I found something."

Saying this, Ryuto took out his phone.

"The shape of the subway line number 2 in the city looks like a dragon."

"This, Lord Ryuto, I don't think so."

"Ah, sorry, it needs to be this way."

So, Ryuto reversed his phone.

"Ah, I see."

Just as Hiyori said, the reversed image of the city's subway line 2 looks very much like a dragon.

"And according to the hint in the code, the treasure is located at the dragon's jaw."

"Ah, so it means it's at this part of the dragon on the map?"

"Yeah, if that's the case, it should be a certain station."

Ryuto reached a conclusion.

But Hiyori seemed to have found a problem.

"But, Lord Ryuto, why do I see three dots there?"

"Right, there are three stations; it means the treasure is in one of these three stations."

"Are there any other hints in the code?"

"This? The remaining part says, 'Ask about the place with the most hidden treasure. It's at three inches and five minutes from the dragon's jaw.' But treasure hunters must be careful, as touching the dragon's scales will bring disaster. This three inches and five minutes seems to point to the specific location of the treasure, and the later part seems to indicate that something very bad will happen if the guess is wrong."

The later part cannot even be considered as a hint.

"Something very bad."

Based on what that guy said, probably an explosion.

"An explosion?"

"Yeah, and speaking of disasters related to dragons, it's probably an explosion on the subway route. Those guys probably planted explosives near the subway."

Ryuto stated the worst possibility he could think of.

"In that case, we have to quickly decipher this code, Lord Ryuto."

...She's talking about it so lightly.

"But there are no hints in the code about which one is the correct station. It would be too dangerous to try randomly. After all, my luck is not that good."

"So, the only option is to figure out how to disarm the bomb first?"Ryuto just shook his head in response to Hiyori's suggestion.

"I'm afraid that won't work."

"Why not?"

"That bomb is probably remote-controlled. Knowing that person's personality, if we try to disarm the bomb before deciphering the code, they will most likely detonate it directly. After all, what we're doing is against the rules of the game, at least in their eyes. Moreover, even if we tell the people here that there's a bomb, they probably won't easily believe us. They won't escape or search for the bomb. They might even think we're crazy. Even if we try to find the bomb ourselves, even if we manage to find it, we won't be able to disarm it and it might explode prematurely. No matter how you think about it, we can't do anything from our current position."

Ryuto calmly outlined the current situation.

Suddenly.

"Hum—"

The phone vibrated.

"Hmm? Unknown call."

Saying that, Ryuto directly pressed the answer button, and an excited voice immediately came from the other end.

"Good evening, it's me again."

This voice...

"Why is it you again? What's the matter?"

"It's nothing, really. I just thought you guys would be on the subway at this time."

"..."

"Is that so? In other words, you've already deciphered a large part of the code, huh? You managed to do it in such a short time, even faster than I imagined."

"By the way, how did you get my number?"

"For something like that, a little investigation is enough to find out."

"Then, why did you call? Are you going to give us a hint? Though I don't think so."

Faced with Ryuto's sarcasm, the other person remained in a cheery tone.

"No, how could that be? You should know that I would never break the game rules myself. But don't worry, since it's a game rule, I won't directly detonate the bomb as long as you're still in the game."

The person said these words as a form of reassurance.

"Is that so? Well, thank you very much then."

"There's no need to thank me for such a small matter."

"After saying so much, what do you want to say in the end? I don't have time to waste with you."

"No, it's nothing. I just feel satisfied with your current performance, so I have a proposal for you."

At this point in time, Ryuto couldn't help but feel puzzled by this sudden proposal.

"A proposal?"

"That is, with your intelligence and our influence, we can accomplish many things. I believe it would be more meaningful for you than staying in your current school, where things haven't been going well for you."

They're trying to persuade me, even though I don't know their true intentions. They're using an unfair topic to make me hesitate, thinking that I might be dissatisfied with my current situation at school. It's a simple and effective method to persuade people who are mentally vulnerable and unhappy with reality. But...

"You're quite enthusiastic, did you really investigate all of this?"

"Well, when it comes to talents, we spare no effort. If you join us, not only will you not have to worry about being hunted down, but you can also use our power and resources however you want. You can easily do whatever you want, even seek revenge on those fools who look down on you. I think it would be better for you."

This proposal is quite tempting indeed.

However.

"Although what you're saying is tempting, I'm not interested in it, so I can't agree."

"Is that so? That's truly a pity. But before you reject, I hope you consider it carefully."

"Consider? There's nothing to consider, I've already made it clear."

Although Ryuto felt a bit annoyed, the other person continued nonchalantly.

"That's right, just as you said, you're not interested in this code either. No, not just the code, but the game as well. Although you have the ability to do these things, it doesn't mean you have to. After all, having the ability to do something and choosing to do it are completely different matters. And you're not interested in these things."

"What do you mean?"

Faced with Ryuto's question, the other person didn't give a direct answer and maintained the same cheery tone."Since I'm not interested, there's no need to force myself to do it. After all, even if I succeed, no one will thank me. It would be a waste of effort. If I succeed, it's fine, but if I fail, I'll definitely be blamed by those people. When I think about it, it's just not worth it. Well, although I don't think you're the kind of modern person who cares about this silly efficiency, but... "

The other person paused intentionally.

"In the end, you don't have any reasons at all."

"Reasons?"

"That's right, you're not interested in money or fame, and you're not interested in other people's gratitude. So you don't have any reasons to solve this matter for the sake of money and fame, or to help others for the sake of their gratitude. All you have is the usual ethical belief that one should help others. Isn't that painful?"

"..."

Seeing that Ryuto didn't answer, the other person continued.

"So, you can consider us as your reason. Those who don't listen to you, treat you like a lunatic, and only care about themselves, it's their own problem if they get blown up. Besides, as a genius, you're willing to save them, they should be grateful. But instead of being thankful, they always put themselves at the center and think that being saved is a matter of course. And if you fail, they will put all the blame on you. People are always ugly and selfish. Ignorant masses are the most terrifying. You, as a genius, should be very clear about these things. Even if these arrogant and self-righteous people die, it's their own fault. It's the consequence they brought upon themselves."

"..."

"So... you don't need to blame yourself for this. This is a cruel and wrong world. Even if you do the right thing, you may still be criticized. So, you don't need to push yourself so hard for those ignorant people. Consider us as your reason. Use all our resources to do what you want to do, let your talent fully blossom. Isn't that better?"

"..."

"Ah, sorry, I said I would let you think about it. I'll hang up now. I'll call you again later."

After saying that, the call was hung up.

But Ryuto fell into silence, constantly questioning himself in his heart.

Reasons? That's right, I don't have a reason to do this. Having talent and whether to use it are completely different matters. Although I haven't thought about getting gratitude from anyone or seeking revenge, I also don't have a reason to do this. It has nothing to do with me. No matter how I think about it, I can't come up with a reason why I have to do this.

Thinking about this, Ryuto couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Huh, unknowingly, I have already forgotten such a simple thing. Actually... I... I already don't have any reason... for anything... even a reason to live...

If you ask why, it's because...

Because I have long been "dead."