The Strongest Loner Redo His Youth With Unmatched Prowess!! ~In the Second Round of School Life, He Made Beautiful Girl Friends!~ - Chapter 44

“No, what are you talking about? It’s the state’s power to maintain public order, right? If we’re being targeted by strange people, they should protect us.” 

“If it’s the police in this city, I think they would hand us over if someone paid them off.” 

“That can’t be true, right? Hey, Kirika-san?” 

Hakari looked at Kirika for agreement.

However, Kirika could only manage a wry smile. 

“The police in this city are sulking.” 

“What do you mean by sulking? They’re not children.” 

“It’s the truth, so what can you do?” 

Reiya shrugged playfully and tilted her teacup.

“First of all, this city was built for companies to make money.”

“…What do you mean by that?” 

“Then there’s the question for you, Hakari. Who built this city?” 

When Hakari first entered the Exploration City, she received something like a city pamphlet. 

She recalled its contents. 

“If I remember correctly, it was the ‘Explorer Support Association,’ commonly known as the ‘Guild,’ right?”

The guild is an organization that supports explorers in their efficient dungeon exploration. 

The ranks of the explorers are also certified by this organization. 

“So, who created that guild?” 

“Several emerging companies that profit from dungeon-related activities.” 

Various resources are extracted from dungeons.

Monster magic stones. Unknown substances. New species of plants. 

With these resources, humanity is continuously creating new technologies. 

Even the magic wielded by Hakari and Kirika is a power born from them. 

And the new technologies generate enormous profits. 

The guild was created using those profits.

“So, what do you think this city was built for?” 

“Since the guild built it, it was to support the explorers.” 

“To put it more bluntly, it was for the companies to make money.” 

That perspective could be taken as well. 

Companies are not charitable organizations. Supporting the explorers is also for profit.

To efficiently generate profits, they created the guild and this city. 

“And this city is Japan, yet not Japan. It is an autonomous city with strong self-governing powers. The guild holds all the authority――more precisely, the companies behind it.”

Reiya raised her index finger sharply.

“Alright, here’s the next question. Suppose someone who brings great profit to this city――say, an A-rank explorer――commits a crime. What do you think would happen if they were caught by the police?” 

“…They should be judged fairly.” 

Hakari had a bad feeling about it. 

Still, she answered with what she believed. 

“Unfortunately, they were acquitted. The case was covered up and ended there. In the worst case, some random person will be framed for the crime.”

Hakari clenched her fists tightly. 

There was no way such an injustice could be allowed. If a crime was committed, it should be punished. 

“Then what’s the point of the police?!” 

“Yeah, I guess many officers must have thought the same. So, what if Hakari were a police officer and a clearly guilty person was acquitted?” 

“I would protest vehemently!”

“But the opponent is a massive autonomous city. Do you think an individual can win against it?” 

“That’s…” 

There’s no way to win. 

The opponent is a city. Behind it stand numerous giant corporations. 

In terms of resources, capital, and every aspect, there’s no chance of winning. 

“That’s why decent police officers either ‘give up’ or ‘leave.’ What’s left are scum who make a few bucks by exploiting the rotten city. Or perhaps, they are naive do-gooders who have given up on protecting the citizens within their limited capacity.”

That’s why the police can’t be relied upon. 

If chasing after Hakari and Kirika were to benefit this city――they would easily discard Hakari and the others. 

Suddenly, Hakari recalled the events since coming to this city.

Thinking about it, it feels like she has encountered a lot of incidents and accidents. 

That was probably because the police were corrupt in this city. 

“S-since it’s this kind of city, there are a lot of strange urban legends too!!” 

Kirika said brightly to cheer up the downcast Hakari.

“An S-rank explorer secretly conducting human experiments or something like that.” 

“Isn’t that a bit harsh? That’s the story about saving a boy’s life by transplanting a dragon’s heart, right?” 

“Yeah, yeah, the dragon that caused a major disaster in Honshu, right?”

“And the boy even became a disciple of an S-rank explorer or something.”

“It’s like something out of an anime, right?”

Kirika and Reiya were chatting animatedly. 

Hakari picked up a cup of herbal tea. It had gotten a bit lukewarm. 

Still, when she swallowed it, she felt a little relieved. 

“They seem to be around high school age. I wonder what they would be doing if they were real?” 

“They’d probably be S-rank explorers. There’s no way they’d just be regular high school students.”