Six months after dungeons were opened to the public, several insurance companies finally began selling life insurance policies specifically for explorers.
The death benefits were capped low and medical coverage was minimal, while eligibility requirements and premiums remained high. Despite these hurdles, there was a flood of applicants. Insurance companies were forced to scramble, increasing their reception staff just to handle the surge of people looking to enroll.
"The eligibility for this policy is also tied to your explorer rank. If you don't mind me asking, could you tell me yours?"
"My rank? I’m an E-rank, currently..."
"Thank you. Based on your age and rank, the monthly premiums for the policy you're interested in would be roughly this much."
The staff member explained the costs to the male explorer in his mid-twenties, using a quick-reference chart to calculate the premiums.
"Huh? Isn't that quite a bit higher than what the pamphlet said?"
"I apologize, but the premiums in the pamphlet are for F-rank explorers. From an insurance perspective, we assume that those with higher ranks are facing more dangerous monsters, so the premiums inevitably rise accordingly."
"...Wait, I’m just a rookie. I only ranked up because I happened to find a magic item that got a high appraisal," the male explorer said, looking a bit sheepish.
"I’m sorry. The policies we currently offer have regulations regarding rank, but none regarding tenure. For this specific insurance product, the length of your career isn't taken into account."
"I see..."
"My apologies. So... how would you like to proceed? Would you prefer to decline the enrollment for now?"
Presented with a figure higher than he had anticipated, the male explorer scratched his cheek, clearly torn.
"It’s not like I can’t pay it, but... I hate to ask, but are the other companies' premiums similar?"
"Well... from what we’ve gathered, there are some differences in coverage, but the price points are generally in the same ballpark."
"...Right."
"If you're having trouble deciding, why not take the materials home and think it over? The premiums for explorer insurance are quite expensive compared to standard policies."
"...No, I’ve decided. I’ll enroll under these conditions."
"Understood. Then please look over these terms and fill out the necessary fields in the application."
The man leafed through the thick stack of terms and conditions the representative provided and began filling out the form.
"...Alright, I’m finished. Here’s the application."
"Thank you, let me check that... Yes, this looks fine. As for the next steps, you will need to undergo an examination by a doctor at one of our designated medical institutions. Once we receive the doctor's report, we will conduct a final screening. If there are no issues, your enrollment will be approved and a certificate will be issued. Also... how would you like to handle the first premium payment? Coverage only begins once we have the application, the doctor's report, and the first payment. Since the certificate is issued after those three are in place, it’s best to settle the payment early."
"Can I pay the first premium right here?"
"Yes, of course."
The man pulled out the cash and completed the initial deposit. The representative processed the payment and handed back a receipt and change.
"That completes the deposit. For future payments, would you like to set up an automatic bank transfer?"
"Yes, please."
"Then we’re all done here. All that’s left is for you to submit a copy of the medical certificate. Thank you very much for coming in today."
The representative bowed as he announced the end of the procedure. The male explorer gave a short nod in return, gathered his documents, and left.
"Phew... Next, please!"
As the staff member called out, a female explorer in her late twenties who had been waiting in line took her seat.
It was Sunday morning. On a corner of a busy intersection in a bustling district, a group of people—the friends and supporters of an explorer who had died in a dungeon—were using megaphones to broadcast their demands. They claimed the government was at fault, arguing that the failure to ensure total safety within the dungeons was a sign of state negligence.
However, the reactions from the people passing through the intersection were cold and indifferent.
"There they go again, shouting that nonsense on a Sunday morning..."
"They really never get tired of it, do they?"
"They block the sidewalk every single week. It’s a total nuisance."
"They went into the dungeon of their own free will and died. Why should the government be responsible for that?"
"Who knows?"
"So noisy this early in the morning."
Such were the common reactions of the passersby.
While the public understood the content of the group's argument, they had been bombarded by TV, magazines, and the internet with the mantra that dungeon exploration was a matter of self-responsibility. The idea that explorers accepted high risks for high returns was firmly established. As a result, the "self-responsibility" narrative had become common sense.
Consequently, the claims of this group—the Victims' Association—found no sympathy or purchase among the general public.
"Damn it! Why won't anyone listen to us!?"
"Everyone’s been brainwashed by the government! That’s why they won't accept our logic!"
"Exactly! It’s a government conspiracy!"
Met only with cold stares and indifference, the members of the association grumbled and sought comfort in one another.
However, their behavior only served to further alienate the people walking past. Sensing this, one of the members spoke to the Leader, who was still white-knuckling the microphone.
"Leader! Let's talk about the insurance companies refusing to pay out! People are bound to listen to that!"
"Y-yeah, you're right. Okay!"
The man called the Leader puffed out his chest, gripped the mic, and began a tirade against insurance companies for non-payment. This actually succeeded in making several people stop, but as the speech dragged on, even they eventually walked away. Perhaps finally broken by the lack of impact, the group began to pack up and leave.
However, they left behind a mess—discarded flyers and placards on sticks, whether forgotten or simply dumped. Pedestrians and shop clerks nearby grimaced in annoyance.
"Seriously? If you're going to protest, at least clean up after yourself."
"I know, right? They scream nonsense, get ignored, and then just leave their trash behind... Sigh."
Uniformed police officers who had been monitoring the protest appeared with trash bags, quickly collecting the debris.
"Protests like this have been dying down lately, though..."
"Probably because the dungeon entry restrictions are about to be lifted. Plus, they’ve started offering insurance for explorers recently."
"Maybe so... Alright, that’s the last of it. Let's head back and finish the report."
"Yes, sir."
The officers finished the cleanup and departed, already drafting the security report in their heads.
Inside a boardroom, a group of men in suits were holding a report meeting.
A slide on the screen displayed a graph of performance since the appearance of the dungeons, showing a steady upward curve.
"I assume this means our company is growing steadily?" an elderly man asked from the head of the table.
"Yes. Thanks to the increasing demand for products made from dungeon materials, we are performing very well overall," a man in his prime answered, standing up.
"Overall?"
"Yes. The competition for dungeon materials is becoming fierce. We are beginning to see shortages that make procurement difficult."
When dungeons were first opened to the public, many companies were skeptical and held back. However, once the utility of dungeon materials was proven, the number of businesses entering the market skyrocketed.
"Meaning we may have to reduce production?"
"Unfortunately, yes. As long as the supply of raw materials remains unstable, maintaining our current manufacturing pace will be difficult."
"Is importing materials from overseas not an option?"
"It’s a struggle. Even in countries with their own dungeons, domestic demand is so high they can't meet it. Every company in the world is thinking the same thing, so securing large-scale imports is nearly impossible."
"I see."
The elderly man knit his brows at the answer.
"Um, if I may?"
A sharp-eyed middle-aged man wearing glasses tentatively raised his hand.
"To ensure a stable supply, perhaps we should establish a specialized department to secure materials ourselves?"
"Hmm? We already have a procurement department."
"Ah, no. What I mean is... perhaps we should secure explorers who work exclusively for us."
"What!?"
The room erupted in a low murmur. The idea of hiring exclusive explorers had been debated before.
"It’s been about three months since the rank system was introduced. We now have a metric to scout promising individuals, so we can be selective..."
"No, but... if we hire explorers as employees, it opens a Pandora's box of issues..."
"Exactly. The injury and death rates for explorers are incredibly high. If they are employees, their expeditions into the dungeons would be considered official company business. An injury would be a workplace accident; a death would be an occupational fatality. Can you imagine the blow to our corporate reputation?"
"A company that sends employees to their deaths? That would be a PR catastrophe."
Objections poured in from the attendees. However, the middle-aged man shook his head slightly as he continued.
"No. My proposal is that we establish a subsidiary specifically for the purpose of acquiring dungeon materials."
"...A subsidiary?"
"A company that openly advertises its purpose: hiring explorers to enter dungeons for materials. If we are transparent about the nature of the work from the start, we can minimize the reputational risk to the parent company, even if there are casualties among the explorers."
"...True."
The attendees began to waver.
"If we maintain that the deaths happened at a subsidiary, and that the explorers joined knowing full well the risks involved..."
"Common sense already dictates that being an explorer is high-risk, high-return."
"And the public knows people die in there..."
"And our company would simply be one of their primary clients..."
The participants looked at one another in silence before turning their collective gaze toward the elderly man at the head of the table.
"..."
The elderly man closed his eyes in thought for a long moment. Finally, he opened them.
"Very well. I will approve the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary for dungeon exploration and material collection. However, the proposer—you—will serve as the representative director."
A quiet stir of excitement went through the room. The middle-aged man, hiding his joy at his proposal being accepted, gave a deep, formal bow.
"I understand. Thank you very much."
"But make sure you pay the utmost attention to the safety of these explorers."
"Naturally. It’s in our best interest to avoid casualties. I will strive to build a comprehensive backup system."
"See that you do."
And so, the decision was made.
The plan moved forward rapidly with some minor adjustments, and it was officially decided that the middle-aged man would be seconded to the new company as its representative director. Once set in motion, the process was a whirlwind; the parent company provided a loan with ultra-low interest, effectively interest-free, to set up the entity.
The trade name: D-Material Co., Ltd. Its business scope: dungeon exploration, collection of drop items, and the trade of those items. The office was located on a single floor of a commercial building near the parent company, with a capital of 50 million yen. Restrictions were placed on the transfer of its shares.
Sitting at a desk in the center of the vast, mostly empty room, the middle-aged man leaned back and stared up at the fluorescent lights.
"First, I’ll need to pull some office staff and people with explorer licenses from the parent company on secondment. I’ll make them the core of the Material Collection Unit and start coordination training... Oh, and I need to put out job ads and scout some high-profile explorers too."
As he mapped out his vision for the future, he reached for the phone on his desk.
"Is this the Human Resources Manager? Yes, regarding the matter we discussed..."
The corners of the middle-aged man’s mouth twisted into a delighted grin.