arc1 · 004-ch4

Episode 4: Major Miscalculation

"Thanks to this achievement, Japan's independence was recognized, and even today they continue contributing to the world's development as a dungeon-advanced country... or so the textbook says."

　Suzuka closed the textbook with a complicated feeling after finishing reading the passage written there.

"It wasn't just a time leap after all. Is this what they call a parallel world?"

　The unknown existence called dungeons, which didn't exist in the original world. There are good things and bad things because of that existence.

　The good thing is being able to enter dungeons, which I'd only ever seen or heard about in stories. The bad thing is that the get-rich-quick scheme using future knowledge has become difficult.

"I guess the intention of trying to make money the easy way was no good. Even after I dissolved my entire fortune in FX, my way of thinking hasn't changed..."

　I had been thinking of quitting FX and working normally, but the moment I returned to the past, I was about to get involved with FX again. Maybe it was a good thing the worldline had changed to cut me off from FX.

"Still, 'Unyielding Fujiwara' sounds cool, doesn't it."

　Unyielding Fujiwara was one of the heroes who entered the dungeons in the early stages and went around suppressing dungeon breaks. He kept fighting while sustaining grievous injuries that would have been fatal, and the way he fought was like a god of war. After putting an end to dungeon breaks, he returned to Japan and continued supporting the front lines of dungeons, and even after retiring, he devoted his efforts to nurturing the next generation—a truly outstanding individual.

"It's amazing he kept fighting in dungeons he couldn't understand, but the fact that he worked hard to maintain public order is what you'd call a saint or bushido—he's a real fine person, isn't he?"

　It was written that thanks to Unyielding Fujiwara, Japan boasts one of the best levels of public safety in the world.

　Even in the original worldline, Japan had such good public safety that a child could go on errands alone. But in this world, there are dungeons. Thanks to dungeons, Japan's international standing has become quite high, and for Japan, which relies on resources from abroad, dungeons are literally a treasure mountain. Dungeons are nothing but good things for Japan, but there are also downsides.

　What should have led to benefits could also become a powerful drug for small-minded humans. That concept was called status.

　Like a game, when you defeat enemies in dungeons, your level rises. When your level goes up, your status increases proportionally as well. Particularly in the early stages, the effect of status increases is significant, and by the time you reach level 10, a gap opens up so wide that even if someone at level 1 stood on their head, they couldn't win against it.

　Such a rapid increase in ability occurs just by raising your level. It's no wonder that some people drown in that power.

　Extortion, robbery, rape, murder. These were rampant all over the world. In Japan too, they occurred frequently enough to become a social problem.

　Naturally, the police also operated at full capacity to deal with the problem, but when it comes to criminals with increased status, only someone with even higher status can handle them. As status rises, damage only becomes effective with attacks that carry magic power, just like with monsters. Therefore, threats with guns and the like have no effect and lead to no deterrence whatsoever.

　However, with Unyielding Fujiwara at the forefront, the top explorers took action, and Japan's criminals quieted down. The establishment of the Explorer Association, the establishment of companies by explorers that would become the precursor to explorer guilds, and cooperation with the government to enact laws related to dungeons.

　By establishing the Explorer Association, they sought to control the explorers, and by having each explorer party establish and operate a company, they fit explorers into the framework of society, and through legal preparation, they incorporated dungeons into the social structure. If a criminal emerges among guild members, the guild members bear joint liability, and in malicious cases, joint crackdowns are conducted by multiple guilds.

　It is precisely because these are functioning soundly that Japan is able to maintain top-class public safety.

　However, in the world, there are countries where explorers staged coups and came to be ruled by explorers, and incidents involving explorers, such as clashes between the populace calling for the rejection of explorers and the explorers themselves, never cease.

　Furthermore, the fact that explorers' strength becomes linked to national strength was also a problem. The items brought by explorers enrich the country, and if explorers who modern weapons don't work on go out to the battlefield, only explorers of the same level or higher can respond. In fact, a country Suzuka knew has disappeared and exists as a different country in this world. Those are countries that were invaded by explorers, and countries that don't possess powerful explorers can do nothing.

　Such powerful dungeons currently exist in 166 locations. However, all of them have only appeared in the 10 countries where the first dungeons appeared. It's not that they can only appear nearby. If there's a dungeon in New York located in the east of America, there's also a dungeon on the opposite west coast in California. But dungeons don't appear in neighboring Canada or Mexico.

　There are still only unknowns about dungeons, but the fact that they don't cross borders decided by humans on their own feels like a clear intention, adding to the eeriness. Conversely, the people living in those countries have established religions that worship dungeons, thinking they were chosen by God, and reactions vary.

　Due to such circumstances, the 10 countries that possess dungeons—America, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Japan—are considered the most influential countries in the world, and the world is paying attention to the movements of explorers.

　While each country proceeds with dungeon exploration so as not to cause dungeon breaks, they are also troubled by the increasing crimes committed by explorers.

"Dungeons, huh... I wonder what kind of place they are."

　Actually, I've been there once. I don't know what's happening with my memories, but I have the memories of this worldline's Suzuka. According to those, Suzuka had visited a dungeon. In Japan, you're allowed to enter dungeons from age 15, and for middle school third-graders everywhere, turning 15 and entering a dungeon once has become a rite of passage to becoming an adult.

　For some reason, in my memories that I can recall, I went to the dungeon together with Father. However, it wasn't like Suzuka held a weapon and explored the dungeon; I just peeked at the entrance and watched Father defeat monsters, and didn't fight any monsters myself.

　In this world's Suzuka's common sense, that was normal, and just entering the dungeon was important, so it seemed there was no particular need to fight. Father was fighting because he wanted to show Suzuka the cool parts, and it was something fathers everywhere did.

　It seems this world's Suzuka didn't have a good image of explorers. Since it's a matter of risking one's life, there are also many reckless types. There are plenty of serious explorers too, but bad ones stand out. If you frequently see criminal acts by explorers in the news and cases where explorers are acquitted just because they're explorers, it's natural to have a bad impression.

　Even so, there are many kind, hero-like explorers including Unyielding Fujiwara, so there are no few people who admire explorers. In the original world, it would be like the entertainment industry. While there are many people who do drugs and have affairs, there are also many who admire the glittering world.

　This world's Suzuka wasn't thinking of becoming an explorer, and it seems he only recognized it as a profession where there are many people who cause trouble.

"Well, if my memory isn't a delusion, it should be here... found it."

　Taking out the small box where he kept valuables from inside the desk drawer and opening it, he discovered his target—the explorer license card.

"I'm pretty sure if I have this, I can enter dungeons."

　That card, which looked like a driver's license, had "Fifth Grade" written on it along with a photo. This represents the explorer's rank, so I'm a Fifth Grade explorer.

　Suzuka thought again about his future while gazing at the license card.

　The plan to get rich through investment has become a blank slate. There's also the path of advancing as expected and entering the same company as before.

"Dungeons... that's the decisively different point from the previous world."

　If it were just a time leap, I probably would have lived the same life. If it were a world where war had broken out, I probably would have maneuvered so that I didn't have to desperately stand on the battlefield. But in this world, there are dungeons. I can't help but feel a flutter at that word.

　The Suzuka of this worldline didn't have much interest in dungeons. In this world, the existence of dungeons is a given. If over 50 years have passed since dungeons appeared, there's no novelty. Of course, if you become a top explorer, you can gain both wealth and fame. However, the Suzuka of middle school age understood that was difficult.

　In dungeons, you have to stake your own life. While it's fine from the sidelines, I wasn't thinking of becoming someone who dives into dungeons myself—an explorer.

"What's my current state? Isn't this like a bonus time?"

　Suzuka, who dissolved his entire fortune in FX. At that time, I was mentally messed up, not eating properly, not sleeping properly. I didn't commit suicide or get run over by a truck, but I was actually in a state where it wouldn't have been strange if I was told I was dead.

　Then what am I now? Has some luck piled up and allowed me to redo my life? If it's such a bonus time, shouldn't I try doing what I want to the fullest without thinking about risk or easy paths?

　If dungeons don't sit right with me, I can just look for something else I want to do. Even without raising the banner "Aim for the deepest depths!", it should be possible to explore dungeons as a hobby.

"Yeah. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Tomorrow's a day off, so shall I go take a look, at the dungeon?"

　Once decided, preparation is important. Since it's such a foundation of life, there should be related books in the library too.

　And so Suzuka headed to the library to gather information in preparation for tomorrow's dungeon visit.