On this day, representatives of various ministries gathered for a particular meeting. The agenda: the establishment of a joint management body to oversee the Special Underground Structures located within Japan.
In short, it was a meeting to form a "public interest corporation" under the guise of an interest-adjustment body—a polite term for an organization designed to secure lucrative post-retirement positions for high-ranking bureaucrats.
"I’ll admit, I was nervous when the dungeons first appeared, but they’ve turned out to be quite the treasure chest, haven't they?"
"Indeed. To think such an abundance of energy resources could be extracted..."
"That is not all. Several minerals of unbelievable purity have been recovered as well."
"The pharmaceuticals, too. A medicine that rapidly activates cells to trigger self-regeneration... it is a revolution."
The Attendees recalled the items produced from the dungeons, smiles of satisfaction playing across their faces. Though the scale of profit varied, each ministry had succeeded in securing its own new vested interests.
"...However, troublesome elements have also emerged, have they not?"
"Quite."
"I was surprised enough when the dungeons appeared, but I never expected those things to manifest as well..."
"...I did not think even magic would become a reality."
The Attendees' expressions clouded over.
Among the drop items produced from the dungeons—alongside Core Crystals, ores, and pharmaceuticals—were a small number of items imbued with supernatural power known as magic items. Even rarer among them were the skill scrolls, which were particularly troublesome. A person who opened a skill scroll was granted the ability to trigger supernatural phenomena—what one could only call magic.
The catalyst for the public’s awareness of magic users had been a video posted online by a civilian who had entered a dungeon in another country and obtained a skill scroll. The video showed the person firing a small sphere of water from their palm. At first, the majority of viewers dismissed it as CG, but as similar videos were posted one after another, the news that one could become a mage by visiting a dungeon spread like wildfire on a global scale.
"Thanks to that, the public's demand to open the dungeons to the general populace has grown even louder."
"I heard there was a protest march in front of the Diet last weekend as well?"
"Yes. A notification was filed with the local police station stating that they intend to continue marching for some time."
"Well, compared to foreign countries, I suppose we are better off if they are filing notifications and marching politely..."
"Well, that's likely a reflection of our national character."
The Attendees sighed, pressing their hands to their aching heads. News of civilians being killed or injured in foreign dungeons was reported daily, yet this was the reality they faced. Now that magic—once a mere product of fantasy—was real, the boundary between fiction and reality had blurred. The world was losing its grip on the old order.
In fact, reports of criminal acts involving the abuse of skills were non-stop in foreign countries. Because local public safety organizations were structured to handle conventional crimes, countermeasures against criminals possessing unexpected skills were constantly lagging behind.
However, if the dungeons were opened to the general public, Japan would no longer be able to view this problem as someone else’s fire.
"Speaking of which, I heard a petition demanding the opening of the dungeons was submitted with over a million signatures?"
"Yes. It seems a significant portion of those signatures came from the youth."
"The youth, is it... As I thought, is the primary cause the sense of stagnation brought on by the long-term recession?"
"That is likely one reason. Well, there's also the gap between rich and poor due to non-regular employment, and if we started listing every factor, we’d be here all night."
Looking at the dungeon situation abroad, it was clear that civilian dungeon exploration equated to the consumption of human resources. In Japan, where human resources were already scarce, wasting the younger generation in dungeons would have an immense impact on a nation already transitioning into a super-aging society.
Yet at the same time, the reality was that civilian dungeon exploration would serve as a means of securing resources and providing a countermeasure against unemployment.
"The fact that drop items produced in foreign dungeons are being traded for high prices is likely a major factor in the demand for opening them."
"I hear they are fetching astronomical sums on internet auctions..."
"Meaning they intend to strike it rich in the dungeons."
"It is a modern-day gold rush, plain and simple."
Seeking life in the midst of death. Such a proverb came to the Attendees' minds as they considered the actions of the youth. Most of the protesters likely hadn't thought that far ahead, but a certain segment undoubtedly felt that way.
To capitalize on the profits domestic companies expected to reap from the drop items those youths would recover, various media outlets—acting on the whims of their sponsors—repeatedly aired glowing features and positive special programs about dungeons. Far from cooling down, the public's dungeon fever was only intensifying.
"In that case, the general opening of the dungeons is likely unavoidable."
"Currently, my side is drafting a Special Dungeon Act. I believe it will be put to deliberation in the Diet in the near future..."
"And you believe it has a high prospect of passing?"
"Yes. I do not believe politicians who live and die by public popularity have the courage to drag out deliberations for long under these circumstances."
In a Diet filled with politicians sensitive to public opinion, there were likely none who could ignore the will of a public so fixated on opening the dungeons. There might be those who voiced opposition as a performance, but it was obvious they would eventually switch sides to ensure the bill's passage.
"I see. So, in order to pass the bill quickly, the deliberations will be... superficial?"
"In that case, the draft may pass Diet deliberation while it's still half-baked. Dear me."
"I am deathly worried it will result in a law full of holes."
Though their words expressed concern about flaws in the bill, the smirks playing on the Attendees' lips were impossible to hide. Their true feeling was that letting such a golden opportunity slip away would be an unforgivable waste.
"If the bill passes, we will need an organization to manage those who enter the dungeons."
"Yes. It should be a body that supports them in a broad capacity."
"If our various ministries cooperate, I'm sure the support we provide can be made quite substantial."
"That means many things will be needed... many, many things."
"Haha, things are about to get very busy."
Wearing joyful smiles, they hammered out the details of what they called interest adjustment.
As a result of meetings spanning several months, the Japan Dungeon Association was born, shaped by the various ulterior motives of each ministry.
"Strike It Rich! To the Dungeons!" Magazines with such headlines were piled high at bookstore entrances, and dungeon features with booming audio played from street-side televisions and massive wall monitors at electronics retailers. It did not take long for magazines and programs themed around dungeons to dominate the public's conversation.
The intentions of large corporations—desperate to send the masses into dungeons to secure items—were hidden. So too was the secret intent of the government, which, while publicly stressing the dangers, encouraged dungeon conquest behind the scenes. Under these conditions of perfect government-private information manipulation, the majority of the public believed in the "boom" manufactured by the media and grew enthusiastic without a second thought.
They claimed the government was infringing on the rights of citizens by keeping the dungeons closed.
They demanded the dungeons be opened as soon as possible.
With matters reaching this point, the public's dungeon-fueled fervor had reached a fever pitch. Five months after the government broadcast announcing the birth of the dungeons...
It was reported that the Act on Special Measures for Special Underground Structures, which had been under deliberation in the Diet, had been passed and enacted. The new law was promulgated immediately and scheduled for enforcement one month later. Following this report, all of Japan took on a festive atmosphere. Stock prices for companies handling dungeon-related goods skyrocketed across the board, triggering a social phenomenon that could only be described as a "Dungeon Bubble."
"Let's go to the dungeon! Time for monster hunting!"
"They say the drop items you get sell for a fortune online!"
"Magic! Magic! Magic!"
Voices welcoming the deregulation of dungeons rose everywhere, and expectations for the upcoming opening only grew. This trend was particularly strong among those who swallowed the media reports whole without ever trying to learn what the dungeons actually were. Numerous websites regarding dungeons were launched, becoming hotbeds of vigorous debate and controversy. Companies began selling new products branded as essential for dungeon exploration, driving their performance to new heights, while men and women of all ages flocked to martial arts and combat sports schools to prepare for the conquest.
Then, half a month after the enactment of the Act on Special Measures for Special Underground Structures, news of the establishment of the Japan Dungeon Association reached the public's ears. It was announced that entering a dungeon required an Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures issued by the association. The masses attempted to protest, demanding free exploration, but the Japan Dungeon Association played its trump card: releasing detailed dungeon information for free, but only to association members. This information included detailed data on confirmed monsters inhabiting Japan’s dungeons—collected by Self-Defense Forces investigation teams—as well as maps of cleared floors. It was information of immense value to anyone serious about dungeon conquest.
As a result, most of the protest died down. Though the public seemed to do so reluctantly, they accepted the existence of the Japan Dungeon Association, and prospective explorers solemnly began the application procedures for their Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures. Perhaps this, too, was a reflection of an easily-swayed national character.
The representatives of various ministries involved in the establishment of the Japan Dungeon Association were once again gathered in their usual conference room.
"Everything has proceeded exactly as planned."
"Yes. As expected, the Special Measures Act also became a sieve of a law due to insufficient deliberation."
"There are as many loopholes as one could want... aren't there?"
The participants wore faint smirks. They seemed incredibly pleased that the situation was moving according to their designs. After all, the Japan Dungeon Association was structured so that the vested interests of each ministry were intricately intertwined. The more explorers increased and the more drop items were collected, the more enormous profits would flow into the special accounts of each ministry. If they didn't laugh now, when would they?
"However, dungeon fever has heated up more than expected."
"It seems the media outlets—beholden to their corporate shareholders and sponsors—are doing a fine job of stirring up public opinion."
"The corporations have no intention of missing this opportunity, either. Investment from various firms into the joint research of drop items is trending upward."
"The experimental reactor built by the Tone River seems to have been the deciding factor. Since there are visible results, corporate expectations are high."
The news of the power generation facility utilizing drop items had sent shockwaves through every sector. Citizens who sought the abolition of nuclear power welcomed the emergence of a powerful alternative, while industrial groups that had been forced to reduce production due to power shortages pinned their hopes on a cheap supply. Conversely, for oil-producing nations, it was a catastrophe that left them pale-faced, and inquiries questioning the truth of the matter were flooding in through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"If research into drop items progresses, it will lead to the development of highly profitable products in the future."
"Each company likely realized that being stingy with research funding now would only reduce their long-term returns."
The total funding provided by these companies for joint research was staggering, involving sums unthinkable for a standard project.
"Research over the next few years will likely lead to breakthroughs in various fields. If we slacken our efforts here, Japan's technological edge will be lost to the rest of the world."
"For a nation that survives on its technical prowess, falling behind is a matter of life and death."
In particular, the fields of magic items and magic were entirely new frontiers. If they were slow off the blocks, an insurmountable gap would form before they even realized it.
That was a scenario that had to be avoided at all costs—a point on which the Attendees were unanimous.
"Let us place our expectations on the explorers' results. As the variety of drop items they bring back increases, our research materials will grow. As the quantity increases, profits will rise, allowing us to generate even more research funds."
"Indeed."
"Haha, at this rate, the people becoming explorers will never truly be rewarded for their risks."
"They are, for all intents and purposes, modern-day coal miners—right out of the eighteenth or nineteenth century."
The Attendees agreed with suppressed smirks, savoring the aptness of the description.