The next morning.
As I headed back to the hospital with Ariel, I calmed my thoughts.
I still don't know what truth Yeriel is talking about, but there is one immutable fact.
This incident was by no means a planned crime.
Even if it is a crime, there is a very high probability that it was an accidental crime.
If it had been a planned crime, the deceased Song Joong-il's colleagues would not have been so injured, and the bodies themselves might not have been found at all.
A dungeon that collapses as soon as the raid is completed is the perfect place for a perfect crime.
I entered the hospital feeling anxious and participated in the donation event with Ariel.
It was a very sudden event, but since this was something Yeriel usually did, no one suspected anything.
After meeting the children who were still hospitalized, we once again encountered the Taesan Guild members.
Ariel smiled warmly and greeted them with surprised faces.
"hello."
"Yeriel?"
"Thank you for your hard work on the last campaign. However, I think there's something you haven't told me yet."
"S, sir..."
"You're dripping with honey."
The Taesan Guild members muttered in bewildered voices, even while tense.
I covered my eyes, feeling like everything was over.
Alice also tried to look at the distant mountains, and Yeriel's voice continued.
The Taesan Guild members tried to grab him, but their faces showed no confidence.
"You haven't told me yet... Is there anything else you want to explain?"
"Of course. Even if there was a level measurement error, you should have been able to clear a dungeon just one level higher without any difficulty, right?"
"That's true, but in that dungeon last time, a lot of unexpected and difficult monsters appeared..."
It is true that these monsters actually appeared in the dungeon.
This is a fact confirmed by the spoils they brought out.
But Ariel pointed out something else.
"Even so, aren't the reported numbers too high? If the reports are correct, it wouldn't be surprising if you were completely wiped out, let alone conquered. Your rating would have been much higher as well."
"..."
Now the guild members were just watching each other.
If I had been nitpicking like this, I would have gotten cursed at right away...
Yeriel is an exception.
Perhaps because he is a hunter who has climbed to the top, the treatment itself is completely different.
She comforted her opponent at the right time.
"I already know it was an accident. Could you please tell me the truth?"
"Can I really tell you?"
"If my prediction is correct, no harm will come to you."
"..."
The team members who had been diligently exchanging glances soon nodded very slowly.
Soon the team leader readily admitted to lying.
"Certainly... there were some things we reported incorrectly."
"What are the specifics?"
"First, let's talk about the number of monsters that appeared. It's true that some tricky monsters appeared, but in reality, they weren't that many."
"..."
Even if the number of monsters that appeared was falsified, it would not have been to receive the reward.
Anyway, since the video footage was lost and the loot wasn't properly recovered, I won't receive much compensation.
Ariel asked them encouragingly, her expression showing no surprise at all.
"Why did you inflate the number of monsters that appear?"
"That, that..."
"If you find it difficult to speak, let me speak for you."
In times like these, it is best to explain things in chronological order.
Ariel began to reason in a calm voice.
"I looked at the strategy report, and from the moment I entered the dungeon until the first encounter, I felt no discomfort at all. The problem started after that."
The guild members, realizing that the preliminary reconnaissance results were inaccurate, decided to proceed with the attack without hesitation.
It was equally dangerous to just go back, but the dungeons above the first level were within the expected range.
However, the deceased, Song Joong-il, showed significant anxiety symptoms.
As someone who was married and had children, he had no choice but to take care of himself.
The problem arose in the next engagement.
"It's essential to avoid being surrounded during a monster battle. That's why hunters attack based on areas they've already secured."
"... you're right."
"Even if a higher-level monster appears, you can survive if you keep to the formation. However, Song Joong-il is a healer hunter, so he has little combat experience."
During the fierce battle, the deceased Song Joong-il left the formation for some reason.
That was Ariel's conclusion after looking into the case in detail.
Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible for the healer hunter to die first and for the team members to come out one after another with injuries.
The more desperate the situation, the higher the priority for the healing hunter.
The leader of the Taesan Guild's strategy team could no longer bear it and opened his mouth.
I decided that it would be better to speak out myself rather than face any strange misunderstandings.
"It's my fault."
"Oh, no, Team Leader!"
"During the second engagement, a monster infiltrated the ranks. It was dealt with immediately, but Song Joong-il panicked."
A terrified Song Joong-il abandoned his team members and threw himself toward the retreat route behind them.
Since the healer wasn't going to be of much help during battle anyway, it couldn't be said to be a completely wrong decision.
But unfortunately... the path they passed through was ambushed by monsters that had rushed in after hearing the noise of battle.
The team leader went straight to pick up Song Joong-il, but it was already too late.
In the end, Song Joong-il dies after being ambushed by monsters.
The formation collapsed while trying to recover him, and the rest of the team suffered minor and major injuries.
That was the truth of what happened in the dungeon.
It was true that Song Joong-il was killed by a monster in the end.
'So you were running away like that and got fatally wounded in the back...'
The team members who had just completed the raid were given two choices.
First, reveal the truth about the deceased comrade's mistake, and greatly damage the guild's honor and morale.
Second, destroy the video footage and protect Song Joong-il's reputation.
Since they weren't going to gain any financial benefit anyway, the decision was easy.
At least that was the case until I found out that Song Joong-il had life insurance.
According to the terms of the life insurance product, leaving the operational area without permission during an attack may be grounds for refusal of compensation.
In the end, they ended up committing insurance fraud unintentionally.
Moreover, the amount is a whopping 1.5 billion!
Even for active A-class hunters, this is a considerable amount of money.
After finishing their story, the guild members fell into a deep silence.
I think it's finally making sense now.
'As expected, it was an accidental crime... In fact, there was no awareness that he was committing a crime.'
Since the report wasn't completely false, it could be dismissed as a simple reporting error.
I didn't even think about prosecuting them.
The team leader revealed the whereabouts of the video footage that was thought to have been lost.
"I've kept the recording here. I apologize for lying. I'll gladly accept whatever punishment you give me."
"Well, that's not under my jurisdiction."
Ariel smiled faintly and looked at me.
I shook my head without hesitation.
"We'll just treat it as a simple report omission."
"Go, thank you."
"Then... what should I do with the insurance money?"
One of my team members asked anxiously, but I didn't seem too worried.
"You don't have to worry too much about that. You should definitely let your insurance company know, but if you time it right..."
"timing?"
"Well, you can tell just by looking at it. Everyone worked hard. Now you should get some rest."
We left the hospital with a bitter feeling.
Back at the office, I took out my smartphone and started browsing the internet news.
Seo Ji-yu, who had been observing me from afar, asked me cautiously.
"Are you going to notify the insurance company?"
"of course."
"Yesterday you told me I didn't need to worry about the insurance company..."
"That's that, and this is this. If you can't call something wrong wrong, then it's already over."
Besides... nothing will change much anyway.
Unfortunately, the power of truth is not that great.
After relaying all the facts to the insurance company, I put down my smartphone and turned on the TV in a corner of the office.
At that moment, a new commercial for XX Life was playing on TV.
"You row when the water comes in... You really did it quickly."
"Oh? That, that's..."
A woman in mourning clothes and her son are observing a moment of silence.
An annoyingly bland narration resonated.
This is how XX Life's new advertisement began.
[I received 2 billion.]
"Uh, uh..."
Seo Ji-yu was shocked by the content of the advertisement and was dumbfounded for a long time.
I thought with a bitter smile.
"It went from 1.5 billion to 500 million. Did the insurance company justify it?"
If the truth of the incident had been known from the beginning, it might have been different.
I already have a feeling it's too late.
XX Life Insurance has already completed the payment of the insurance money and has even received approval for marketing using this incident.
2 billion is certainly a lot of money... but it's just too much of a hassle to throw it away now.
Even the wife of the deceased Song Joong-il played her own role in the commercial.
After watching the advertisement, I clicked my tongue and got up from my seat.
Seo Ji-yu had a very uncomfortable expression on her face, but I let it go.
Even if the truth changes nothing, it is my job to reveal the truth.
"Let's get off work."
"Oh, yes."
Tia, who had been waiting in the back seat, ran to the elevator with Ker and pressed the button repeatedly.
We fed the guy some chestnuts and went back home.