Turning toward the source of the commotion, I saw a group of four boys slightly older than us standing before a glass display case filled with blades. They were in the middle of a heated argument with a middle-aged male shop clerk.
"As I have stated, we cannot sell swords or firearms to anyone under the age of eighteen."
"Why the hell not?! We've already registered with the Association. We’re official explorers! Doesn't an explorer’s license grant us the right to possess and use weapons?!"
"Ah, you’re referring to that regulation? That grants you the right to possess and use weapons. It does not, however, grant those under eighteen the right to purchase them."
"......What?!"
Wait, excuse me? In other words, even though we were explorers, those of us under eighteen weren't allowed to buy weapons?
"...Just as I thought," Yuji muttered under his breath. Did he know something about this?
As Hiiragi-san and I fixed him with questioning glares, Yuji let out a small, resigned sigh and began to explain.
"The Firearms and Swords Control Act... well, common names aside, let's just call it the Firearms and Swords Act. Basically, it doesn’t permit the possession of firearms or swords by anyone under the age of eighteen."
"Wait, wouldn't that contradict the Dungeon Act?" I asked.
"Technically, no. It seems they’ve managed to avoid any direct contradiction."
How was that possible? A law that prohibited possession for minors and a law that permitted it... and they weren't in conflict? As Hiiragi-san and I tilted our heads, puzzled, Yuji elaborated.
"Like that clerk said, an explorer’s license allows even those under eighteen to possess weapons and use them inside a dungeon. You follow so far?"
"Yeah."
"But the rights granted to an explorer under eighteen are strictly limited to possession and use within the context of a dungeon."
"......Ah!"
Hiiragi-san and I both clapped our hands as the realization hit us. In short, the legal rights regarding weapons for explorers our age were restricted to those two specific actions: possession and use.
"Our rights as explorers cover possession and use in a dungeon. The right to purchase a weapon isn't included in that package."
As if to punctuate Yuji’s assertion, the male shop clerk continued to stubbornly reject the boys' demands. Overhearing their argument, it was clear the boys actually had the money to pay. However, the clerk was unyielding; he kept insisting they lacked the qualifications to buy. It was like talking to a brick wall.
"They probably drafted this law with this specific loophole in mind," I said.
"Likely," Yuji agreed.
"I see. In that case..."
As we watched the situation unfold, things took a predictable turn.
While the boys continued to bark at the clerk, several burly men in security guard uniforms emerged from the staff room in the back and approached them. The boys were far too agitated to notice, but the clerk stole a quick glance at the guards and gave them a subtle nod. The security guards quietly moved into position behind the group, and once they had them surrounded, one of them spoke up.
"Can we have a word, boys?"
"Huh?! What?! We're busy right—"
"We can't have you causing a scene here. There are far too many dangerous items on display. Would you mind stepping into the office for a moment?"
"Wait, what? I mean..."
The boys finally realized the precariousness of their situation. Their faces paled as the security guards took them by the arms and escorted them toward the staff room.
Once they were gone, several other teenagers who looked to be under eighteen—who had been browsing the Official Shop just like us—hurriedly gathered their things and made a beeline for the elevator hall.
Watching the mass exodus, the three of us looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"I had a feeling it would end up like this."
"The security guards were clearly waiting in the wings for exactly that kind of trouble," Yuji noted.
"Which means the clerk’s reaction was exactly what the management expected," Hiiragi-san added.
We each voiced our assessment of the farce we had just witnessed.
This kind of friction had likely been anticipated from the moment the Dungeon Act was drafted. The government probably viewed dungeon diving by minors as undesirable. However, under the Labor Standards Act, it was difficult to pass regulations that overtly restricted career choices. To get around that, they had woven the Firearms and Swords Act into the framework to create a "soft" regulation for minors. The right to possess and use weapons was likely intended for adults, but since the minimum age for explorers was sixteen, they used that two-year gap to dampen enthusiasm. By making it difficult to gear up, they were effectively delaying the age at which people actually entered the dungeons.
You're technically allowed to enter a dungeon at sixteen, but you can't buy any real weapons. Why don't you just wait until you're eighteen?
That was the government's true message to young explorers—an unspoken policy. They weren't banning exploration, but they were trying to cultivate an environment where minors would "voluntarily" decide to wait a few years.
To be fair, there were always strict conditions for owning firearms and swords. They couldn't just hand them out to minors without oversight. If a generation of immature youth recklessly charged into dungeons and were lost in droves, the country would face a massive crisis regarding future human resources and tax revenue.
"So, the bottom line is: we can't buy weapons here," Yuji summarized.
"That's a significant problem," Hiiragi-san said.
"Meaning our options are to give up or go in with our bare hands?"
We sighed again, impressed by how devious the authorities could be. By appearing to grant the youth their wish to explore while simultaneously restricting their access to equipment, they had successfully deterred most of them. The bureaucrats at the heart of the national government certainly knew how to play the game.
Even showing the weapons in a catalog during the Examination Lecture seemed like a calculated move in hindsight. It ensured that the explorers had a specific image of "official" gear burned into their minds. Unless an explorer had a very specific preference, most would naturally try to buy exactly what was in the catalog. And as it happened, almost everything on display in the Official Shop was a restricted item under the Firearms and Swords Act.
"And since they're going to these lengths," Yuji continued, "they’ll probably find other ways to pressure any kids stubborn enough to go in with makeshift gear."
"I bet you're right," I said, nodding.
Since they couldn't buy official weapons, some persistent teenagers would inevitably try to enter with substitutes. The government had surely planned for that, too.
"They probably have people planted among the explorers to shame anyone who shows up without 'proper' gear," Hiiragi-san suggested. "It creates a social stigma."
"Most likely," I agreed. "The government wants to look like their hands are clean. If the explorers themselves create a culture where minors feel unwelcome, the number of kids in dungeons drops without the state having to pass a single unpopular law."
By leveraging social pressure—a powerful, invisible regulation—they were hitting young explorers with a two-pronged attack: physical and psychological. It was enough to make anyone acting on a whim think twice. It was an incredibly efficient strategy.
"Which brings us back to the main question: how do we get weapons?"
"We can't buy them," Hiiragi-san pointed out.
"......"
The more we analyzed it, the more stacked the deck looked against us. We racked our brains for a solution. If we could just get our hands on decent gear, we could at least ignore the social stigma...
Of course, I could always give them the weapon drops I’d gotten from slimes and stored in my Spatial Storage. But if we hadn't even entered a dungeon yet, the source of those weapons would be highly suspicious. Not to mention, those drops had very distinctive designs—they looked like something straight out of a fantasy anime or manga.
As we stood there in a mental stalemate, Yuji, who had been brooding alongside us, made a suggestion.
"Alright. My grandfather is the one pushing us to go to the dungeon anyway; he should at least provide the gear. Why don't you two come by my house on the way back?"
"To your place?"
"Yeah. I mentioned before that my family runs a kobujutsu dojo, right?"
"We remember," Hiiragi-san and I replied in unison.
"There's an old term for a samurai's skills—Bugei Juppan. My family's style is rooted in battlefield martial arts, so we're required to learn the full spectrum of combat. That includes weapon handling, and we have plenty of real weapons stored in our warehouse for practice."
"...So you're saying we can get our gear from there?"
"It would be a huge help if we can't buy them," Hiiragi-san said, "but is that legally allowed? Handing them over, I mean?"
I tilted my head, wondering the same thing.
"There are procedures for transferring ownership of blades, but since we have the legal right to possess them as explorers, it should be fine as long as we file the paperwork....Probably. I'll have to check the specifics to be certain."
"Not the most confident answer," I noted.
"But if the transfer is legal, our problem is solved," Hiiragi-san said, her expression softening with relief. I found her reaction a bit intense at first, but then I remembered her situation. For her, if the dungeon was off-limits, her very livelihood was at stake.
"Okay. Let's head over to the Weapon Registration Desk and ask about transfers."
"Good idea. No sense in guessing when we can just ask."
"......"
I nodded. The Official Shop had become uncomfortably quiet since the scene with the security guards, so I was happy to move. The adults remaining in the shop were giving us pointed looks, as if wondering why we hadn't left with the other kids. Glancing around, I realized we were the only minors left. My theory about social pressure was proving correct; the looks we were getting were heavy with contempt and condescension, especially from the college-aged crowd. That kind of exclusionary atmosphere would definitely keep kids out of the dungeons.
"Hey, let’s get out of here," I whispered. "The 'you don't belong here' vibe is getting a bit much."
"Yeah. Probably best to leave before it gets worse," Yuji agreed.
"I’m with you," Hiiragi-san said.
Ignoring the lingering glares from the other customers, we walked out of the Official Shop and headed for the elevator hall. The moment we stepped out of the store, the weight of those gazes vanished, replaced by an immense sense of relief.
We looked at each other and sighed. I lost track of how many times we’d done that today.
"They're playing right into the government's hands, aren't they? Those customers?"
"Totally. At this rate, the atmosphere inside the dungeons is going to be even more toxic," Yuji said.
"I'm sure of it," Hiiragi-san added. "Several groups have already passed the exam and started diving. A culture of rejecting minors has likely already taken root. What a pain."
It was exhausting to think about. From a certain perspective, the government was just trying to protect minors from the dangers of the dungeon, but their approach was completely indiscriminate. They weren't accounting for people who needed to be there... but then again, they couldn't exactly vet every single applicant on a case-by-case basis.
However, a loophole did indeed exist. When we consulted with the staff at the Weapon Registration Desk, they confirmed that as long as we were registered explorers and filed the proper paperwork, there were no legal issues with minors possessing or using weapons that had been legally transferred to them. Apparently, they just didn't volunteer that information during the general orientation. You had to come to the desk and ask for it specifically. Classic bureaucracy—they won't offer up a shred of information unless you ask for it specifically. It was incredibly irritating.
Regardless, we finally had a path forward. The three of us let out a long, exaggerated sigh of relief right there in front of the window, making sure they heard it.