arc3 · 175-ch175

Chapter 175: The Three-Way Meeting

After we'd finished exchanging opinions with President Yamamoto on the Gekkou development plan, Sasaki-san stopped me just as we were parting.

"President, you forgot to relay a message from Arihara-sama."

Apparently Arihara-san had been in contact with President Yamamoto. The drone talk had bloomed so wonderfully that he'd gone and forgotten all about it. Thank goodness Sasaki-san remembered.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot. Arihara says he'd like to set up a chance for the three of us to talk before long. Soramine-kun, when might you be free?"

Come to think of it, the president and Arihara-san do know each other. And yet, we really had never sat down together, all three of us. If Arihara-san is the one asking for a three-way talk, it must be something fairly important.

"In that case, tomorrow afternoon works for me. Thanks to Parallel Thinking, I can take part in a discussion even while piloting my drones."

"Right, then I'll get in touch with Arihara myself. The Dungeon Agency makes the most sense as the meeting place — does one o'clock work for you?"

"Yes, that's fine! One o'clock at the Dungeon Agency."

And so, the date for our three-way meeting was settled.

▽▽▽

The next morning, with lectures at the university in the morning, I got up early and climbed into a taxi. Today's lecture was Dungeon Fundamentals. For me — someone who dives into dungeons plenty for filming and whatnot — it's become a lecture of mostly things I already know. But today there was supposed to be an introduction to overseas dungeons, so I was looking forward to it, a little.

By the way: Asahi and Shiden were sent off on patrol, while Hayate was headed to Kyoto's Inari Dungeon — the one I dove with Himehana and the others a while back. It's a wonderful dungeon where you can earn EXP and snag Mana Potions at the same time, so I intend to keep making use of it.

Operating each drone through Parallel Thinking, I stepped into the university lecture room where I'd long since grown perfectly comfortable.

Overseas dungeons, it seems, are basically no great difference from Japan's in structure or in the monsters that appear. There are, however, apparently some massive dungeons said to without a doubt run past fifty floors.

In fact, in all the world, there is not a single recorded case of a dungeon being fully cleared. What lies sleeping at a dungeon's deepest depths is, apparently, still unknown territory. Whether there's a dungeon core, like in your typical light novel, or a dungeon master whose defeat sends the whole dungeon crumbling — apparently even the scholars are split on the question.

Come to think of it, in the dungeons I've experienced, past floor thirty the monsters turn abnormally strong too. If that keeps up through forty, through fifty... ordinary strength could never reach the bottom. Still — someday, I'd like to see a dungeon's deepest part for myself. That's what I was thinking, listening to the professor's lecture.

Satisfied after the fascinating lecture, I ate a chicken tatsuta bowl at the school cafeteria, climbed into a taxi, and headed for the Dungeon Agency.

▽▽▽

I entered the Agency, gave the receptionist a nod, and stepped into the elevator. Arihara-san had emailed me that it would be the usual room, so I found my way there without a moment's trouble.

When I knocked, Arihara-san's voice — "Come in" — came through the door, and I stepped inside. President Yamamoto, it seemed, was already there; the two of them sat facing each other on the sofas.

"Thank you for taking the time to come despite your busy schedule. Please, have a seat here."

"Hey there, Soramine-kun. Asahi and the rest are out on patrol today, I take it?"

Normally the two of them sit facing each other, but today we were three, so a sofa had been added. I took the seat beside the two facing each other — the kind of spot you'd give the guest of honor at a birthday party.

"Yes — Asahi and Shiden are on patrol, and Hayate is at Kyoto's Inari Dungeon."

"My, so young and full of get-up-and-go, eh. By the by — Inari Dungeon means Mana Potions are the goal, am I right?"

As expected of the president. He knew the Inari Dungeon's quirks, apparently.

"Yes, exactly. My job burns through mana, so I figured if I could gather Mana Potions myself, it would lighten the load a little."

"That is a good idea. Japan has dungeons of every manner of quirk, so looking into a variety of them may well serve you."

It was Arihara-san who answered me. These two must have known about the Inari Dungeon all along. And yet, perhaps they were also teaching me the value of finding things out on my own, rather than being handed everything.

"Yes — once I have a bit more confidence in my strength, I'd like to try exploring all sorts of dungeons."

At my answer, the two of them nodded, looking satisfied.

"Now then — we have gathered you both here today because there is a matter we wish to discuss concerning Soramine-san's future. As I believe you are already aware, foreign explorers and Explorer Association personnel — beginning with Britain's Queens — have been entering Japan.

Their objective is, naturally, to establish contact with SS-san. At present, no one appears to be attempting anything forcible — but when it comes to high-rank explorers, the possibility that someone might try to take matters into their own hands by force is not exactly zero.

That is why I have gathered you here: to discuss what can be done to raise SS-san's safety."

Arihara-san laid out the purpose of today's gathering. Two excellent adults, pooling their wisdom for my sake. There is nothing I'm more grateful for. First things first — I ought to thank them properly for that.

"Thank you both for thinking all this through for my sake."

I stood and bowed deeply.

"Not at all — this is simply my job."

"Oh, think nothing of it! You keep us plenty entertained too, y'know!"

I bowed my head once more to Arihara-san's and President Yamamoto's words, conveying my gratitude — and then settled back onto the sofa.

The first proposal from Arihara-san concerned the handling of the detached house I'm having built. The government, it seems, is making preparations of various kinds to turn that house into SS's base. Specifically, a plan has surfaced to have the state buy up the surrounding land and turn it into state-owned grounds, barring entry to anyone without permission.

Under consideration as well, apparently, is a plan to build the entrance underground and connect it to a separate location on the surface, so that no one can tell where the entrance is. Who knows — the entrance might even be sitting inside some utterly unremarkable house.

President Yamamoto was in favor of that plan too — his analysis: by making that place stand out as SS's base, they could divert eyes away from the tower mansion where my family lives.

I, too, would be in real trouble if eyes turned toward my family, so I answered: by all means, please. I plan to grow stronger still, after all — so long as they come at me, I should be able to deal with it.

And then — soon, from America, Sieg Howard, the Destruction King and leader of the world-rank-one party "Freedom," will be visiting Japan. Officially, it's to receive the Blue Sapphire he won at auction; his true objective, it seems, is contact with SS.

Not poaching, mind you — he purely wants SS to film him in battle. Arihara-san advised accepting the offer.

President Yamamoto seemed in favor as well. I had some misgivings, honestly — but with both of these trusted people recommending it, I decided to accept.

After that, we checked up on the movements of Britain's Queens. Apparently their members had turned up at both the Dungeon Agency and Yamamoto Electronics. The conclusion we reached: since I sparred with Michael, they may suspect that I am SS.

If so, they'll likely look into me and come to make contact. Dangerous... Looks like I couldn't afford to be off leisurely attending university, after all...

"Why not have you introduce SS to Queens outright, Arihara?"

Here, President Yamamoto produced a bold idea.

"I see — dragged out onto the center stage rather than being snuck around behind the scenes, they may in fact find it harder to move."

My first thought was, what on earth is he saying — but Arihara-san is right. Think it through, and it just might work. It might be my chance to hear their objective straight from the source. And while they're alongside my drones, at the very least, my family would be safe...

"It might not be a bad strategy."

I climbed aboard President Yamamoto's plan too.

"How does this sound? We ask Kokushi Musou to run a live-streamed joint clear — from floor thirty-one of Tokyo Mouse Park onward — together with Queens. Once word reaches Queens, they'll be diving the dungeon for some time to make use of the floor-thirty Transfer Stone. And in that window, let's push the secret base business through."

Ohh — sparked by President Yamamoto's opinion, Arihara-san began producing one good idea after another. A clear from floor thirty onward at Mouse Park would take at the very least two or three days. Which means: start the nationalization of that secret base and the work on the secret passage while they're at it.

Even in the middle of the discussion, Arihara-san kept firing off instructions by phone. What a fast mover.

"Soramine-kun — on the day of the live stream, best to hold Asahi back. No need to go out of our way to show Queens our weak points."

President Yamamoto, too, would slip in precise advice on Arihara-san's ideas now and then. Put two capable adults together, and the discussion races ahead. Every last bit of it, for my sake — and thinking that, I had nothing but gratitude. To repay this debt, I vowed to do everything I am able to do.

And so, the three of us kept our strategy meeting going from there.