arc2 · 054-ch54

Chapter 54: We Partnered with the Dungeon Agency

I woke up early again today. Maybe I'm still a little excited from yesterday's big purchases.

Anyway, today's schedule: attend lectures at the university in the morning, then meet with Arihara-san from the Dungeon Agency's Dungeon Safety Management Division in the afternoon. I need to clearly communicate everything that needs to be said, especially considering my future livelihood.

Mom's going to handle the Nishi-Hachioji apartment. She received the necessary documents, and I gratefully accepted her offer.

She's also started preparing for the move. Since she's not working right now, she says it's the perfect way to kill time. I really can't thank her enough.

Before breakfast, I headed down to the foot of Mount Takao for some drone piloting practice, then came back and took a shower.

After that, I ate breakfast with Umi—the one Mom made—and headed out. I took the train to the university today, and for some reason, I feel like I'm finally getting used to crowds.

After all, compared to those life-or-death moments in the dungeon, everyday life is absurdly safe. Thinking about it that way, I've somehow stopped being scared of crowds.

I arrived at the university with time to spare, headed to the Dungeon Basics lecture, and secured my usual seat in the corner. Hopefully that annoying guy doesn't show up today.

"Come ON! Why does a certified F-rank guy like ME have to sit through a lecture like this!?"

Crap. Is this what they call a flag? The moment I thought about him, he appeared in the flesh.

"Aw, come on, Satoru-san. You passed the practical exam and were told you're F-rank equivalent, but you failed the written exam, remember? You said, 'At this rate, I gotta earn the credits properly to get the exam waived!' Let's do our best!"

Wait, hold on—Ohsaki kept saying he was F-rank, so I assumed he actually had an explorer's license, but he failed the written exam and isn't even an explorer yet!?

So THAT'S why he's been attending lectures so diligently—he's trying to get the written exam waived. That explains why the party that asked me to film them didn't have a "Sword Emperor" in it. The whole F-rank explorer thing was just a lie. That's hilarious.

That said, Mr. Lackey over here, is it really okay to spill all that? Look, Ohsaki's grabbing him by the collar. I don't want to get caught in the crossfire, so I'll just fade into the background.

Today's Dungeon Basics lecture got off to a dramatic start, but thanks to the professor arriving quickly, I managed to get through it without being bothered.

(At this rate, if I eat lunch at the cafeteria, I'll probably run into Ohsaki again. I'll eat outside today and head straight to the government office.)

With that decided, I pulled my hoodie hood deep over my head and left the university.

▽▽▽

"So, I wonder how this meeting's gonna go. I'm getting kinda nervous."

My meeting with Arihara-san from the Dungeon Agency's Dungeon Safety Management Division was apparently going to be held in a room at the government office. I arrived ten minutes early and stepped inside. With my hood up and a mask on, I just hope I don't look suspicious.

I already knew where to go and had been told to just come straight in, so I didn't stop at reception—I headed straight for the elevator and went to the designated room. They were being considerate of me, since I'm trying to hide my identity. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness.

knock knock

"Come in, please."

As soon as I knocked, I heard a calm male voice from inside. I took a deep breath, then opened the door and stepped in.

"E-excuse me."

"Thank you so much for coming. I'm Arihara from the Dungeon Agency's Dungeon Management Department. A pleasure to meet you."

A smart-looking man with slightly graying hair swept to the side, wearing a sharp suit, extended his hand for a handshake. I shook it back and sat down on the sofa when he offered me a seat. I hadn't expected such a nice room in a government building. Some kind of reception room, I guess.

"Th-thank you for having me."

Nervous as I was, I managed to get through a proper greeting. Good, good—looks like my social anxiety goes dormant when I'm dealing with men.

"Thank you truly for coming today. Let me get straight to the point."

With that, Arihara-san shifted to the edge of his chair and leaned forward.

"There are two things we'd like to ask of you, SS-san. First: if your drone detects a Dungeon Modification, we'd like you to inform us immediately. We'd also like the recording from that event, if possible."

Hmm, that's pretty much what I expected. Actually, I thought they'd ask me to notify the explorers inside the dungeon as quickly as possible—but maybe they don't know I can communicate with Hayate? I'm not sure if I should mention that or not.

I must have looked like I was hesitating, because Arihara-san leaned even further forward.

"Oh, s-sorry. I'll accept that offer. What I was actually thinking about is something else… So, a few things happened recently, and I'm now able to summon one additional drone. That drone has communication capabilities, so if I detect a Dungeon Modification, I can also notify the explorers inside. What should we do about that?"

"Wait, what!? You can communicate with people inside the dungeon from outside!? That's an incredibly generous offer—of course we'd want you to do that!"

The composed Arihara-san suddenly looked as excited as a kid. It was a rare sight, and it actually helped me relax a bit. I watched him for a moment as he muttered things like "In that case, we could also do this, and that…" getting lost in his own world.

"Huh!? I'm sorry. That was just so shocking I got a little carried away. Now, for our second request—when you're not working, would you be willing to patrol the dungeons with your drone? Of course, we'll pay you for it."

Oh, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Accepting this would mean free access to the dungeons, wouldn't it? And wouldn't it also mean I could fly my drone to the dungeon without needing permission?

"U-um, may I ask one thing? If I accept this request, would I be able to f-freely enter the dungeons? A-and also, would I be allowed to fly my drone to the dungeon without getting permission each time?"

I'm already fully on board, but these are important things to confirm.

"Yes, there are detailed regulations on that, but it's generally as you'd imagine. However, there are certain places where drones can't be flown, so if you accept, I'll fill you in on those specifics."

Right—military bases, airports, and the like. I definitely can't fly over those. Still, being able to fly without individual permission is a huge deal. And while I'm doing patrols, I want to gather information on all sorts of dungeons. The difference between knowing and not knowing makes future filming incomparably easier.

"U-understood. I'll accept on those terms."

"Thank you! Then, to ensure SS-san can operate smoothly, we'll announce that the Dungeon Agency has commissioned you for these tasks. I imagine you'd rather not get dragged into unnecessary trouble."

"Ah, th-thank you. Also, if possible, I have one request of my own."

After accepting their conditions and taking on both requests, I seized the opportunity to make my own ask.

"Of course. What is it? I'll do whatever I can."

Perhaps relieved that I'd accepted the requests, Arihara-san had reverted to the cool gentleman who'd greeted me earlier and responded with a smile.

"Um, can I register as an explorer?"

At my request, Arihara-san blinked in surprise. What kind of reaction is that?

"Let me clarify—are you saying you want to enter the dungeons yourself, SS-san?"

"Y-yes, that's right. I've been seeing the dungeon scenery through a screen, and I'd like to see it with my own eyes."

I told him honestly, but Arihara-san unexpectedly fell into thought.

"Pardon me for asking, but can SS-san defeat dungeon monsters?"

Oof—he went straight for the jugular.

"…Not at the moment."

That's the only answer I can give.

"Then it's unlikely the registration would be approved. After all, it's a place where lives are lost in an instant. Regardless of one's awakened Job, we don't grant permission to anyone without self-defense capabilities. And SS-san is now one of the most important individuals within the Dungeon Agency. The higher-ups would never allow you to be put in danger."

Right. Of course. Trying to become an explorer without even taking the exam was way too optimistic. The practical exam definitely had a section on defeating monsters. Looks like I won't be able to do this unless I can find a way to fight.

"However, if you can acquire even a means to defeat monsters, I'll see what I can do about the exam."

Yeah, Arihara-san fully understood how I felt. At the end, I asked him to keep my real identity secret as much as possible, since I don't want too many people knowing who I am.

Arihara-san said that was already his plan—all future dealings between me and the Dungeon Agency would go through him. He'd handle all communication via email or chat.

Apparently, his superiors told him to accommodate my requests as much as possible so as not to upset me.

The fact that he was upfront about that left a good impression.

Well, he said he'd send the detailed rules and arrangements by email, so I figured it was time to wrap things up. I'm glad Arihara-san turned out to be a good person.

I thanked Arihara-san and left the government office.