The Dungeon Association officially moved forward with the implementation of the party system. Under the banner of ensuring safety, they made it mandatory for explorers to form a group of at least two people before entering a dungeon. It was, in effect, a ban on solo exploration. Along with this, the Association established a party rank system, which averaged the ranks of all members in a group to determine their overall standing. Rumors had been circulating for a while that things would head in this direction, so most explorers had already anticipated the shift. They formed parties with their friends and accepted the new rules without much pushback.
At the same time, a major corporation specializing in dungeon-derived goods established a subsidiary dedicated to dungeon exploration. They began an aggressive recruitment drive—effectively scouting—to secure exclusive explorers for their own supply lines. On the condition that the company would cover expenses like equipment and medical fees, many corporate-affiliated explorers were born—mostly drawn from the pool of F-rankers. These individuals became known as salaryman explorers. Since the drop items they obtained were funneled directly to their parent companies, other corporations seeking to stabilize their own procurement routes quickly followed suit. The scouting war between firms intensified as everyone vied for talented exclusive explorers.
Furthermore, as a countermeasure against the rising number of robberies and assaults occurring inside dungeons, it was decided that the number of DP would be increased to conduct regular security patrols within the levels.
Following the implementation of the party system, the official announcement to lift entry restrictions was finally made. Explorers were once again free to enter dungeons at will, and they eagerly returned to the challenge.
A few days after I commissioned Kyosuke-san to forge our weapons, the new school year began. We moved up to our second year of high school, splitting into the science and humanities tracks after the opening ceremony. Fortunately, the three of us who had opted for the science track were placed in the same class to start the year. Incidentally, Noguchi and his cronies had also chosen the science track, but they ended up in a different class.
After homeroom ended, the three of us lingered in a corner of the classroom as the other students trickled out.
"Still, we were lucky to all end up in the same class," Yuji said.
"Yeah. I honestly thought we’d be split up until I saw the list," I replied.
"Me too," Hiiragi-san added. "I was already wondering how I would coordinate with you and Kokonoe-kun while we were at school."
"Looking at the assignments, everyone seems pretty widely dispersed. I barely recognize anyone else in here."
I looked around the room, but there were almost no familiar faces. Aside from the three of us who’d been in the same class last year, the only person I recognized was... maybe the girl serving as the student council secretary?
I turned my attention back to Yuji and Hiiragi-san to bring up a problem I’d been wrestling with.
"So, about that... what are we doing for a party name?"
"A party name, huh..." Yuji mused.
"That's right," Hiiragi-san said.
Because of the Association’s new party system, we now had to officially name our group.
"It’s nice that we can register on the Association's website so we don't have to go there in person, but..."
"You’re talking about that rule where they won't accept names that just change one character at the end or add a number to an existing name, right?" Yuji asked.
"Yeah. It’s a tedious regulation."
"True," Hiiragi-san agreed. "I looked at the registry of party names earlier, and it seems most of the famous terms from fantasy and mythology are already taken."
"They won’t allow similar names... in other words, we have to think of something original."
Sigh... what a drag.
But if I registered some weird party name now, I’d probably regret it for the rest of my life. Among the names I’d skimmed through on the registration list, some were clearly just jokes or memes. Could the people who registered those really stand having their joke names called out every time they went to a service counter? I’d hate that.
"For now, we should avoid anything too weird... right?" I asked.
"Obviously," Yuji said.
"I agree. Especially considering we’ll be using it every time we enter a dungeon," Hiiragi-san added.
It seemed the two of them had also spent some time looking through the registration list.
As the three of us put our heads together over a smartphone to brainstorm, a name popped into my head. I checked it on a free translation site first, and since the ring of it wasn't half bad, I pitched it to them.
"How about 'Team NES'?"
"NES?"
"Is it an abbreviation for something?"
"NES... Natural Enemy of Slime. It’s an acronym taken from the English translation of my title."
Natural Enemy of Slime—the title I had earned back in the slime dungeon. Thanks to the leveling we did there, we’d been able to explore dungeons relatively safely. I didn’t think it was a bad choice for a team name.
"That's the name of the title you have, right, Daiki?"
"Yeah. Doesn't it have a good ring to it? Team NES."
"Well, I guess it does."
"I like it," Hiiragi-san said. "I can't think of anything else, so... why not? It’s not a strange name by any means."
Both of them gave what felt like passive approval, but neither seemed to have any real objections.
"Then, is Team NES okay for our party name?"
"Works for me."
"Me too."
"It’s settled, then. I’ll go ahead and submit the application."
I accessed the Association’s website on my phone and walked through the registration process. After filling in the required fields, I hit the submit button. The review was completed in seconds. There were no duplicates for the name, and the application passed on the first try.
"Registration successful. As of today, we are officially Team NES."
"Well, even with a name, it doesn't really feel any different than before," Yuji noted.
"True."
When he put it that way, I didn't really have a comeback. Though, for what it was was worth, some things had officially changed.
"Since we’re all D-rank explorers, our party rank is D-rank (Provisional)."
"(Provisional)? What's that about?"
"According to the site, parties registered online are given provisional status until they update their Explorer Cards at a service counter."
"Huh."
"Well, we don't have to go just for that. we can just do it the next time we're at a dungeon."
I wasn't inclined to make a trip to the Association just for an update. Plus, it was pretty sly how they wrote in tiny letters that the card update fee was 300 yen. For now, the talk about the party was finished.
Once we confirmed that no other students were left in the classroom, we moved on to a more serious topic.
"Speaking of which, have you two heard anything more about those attackers?"
"Nothing," Yuji said. "We gave our statements at the office that day, and I haven't heard a word since."
"Me neither," Hiiragi-san added.
"I see... There’s been a lot of reporting on TV, but I wonder what actually happened to them."
We knew almost nothing about the fate of the two attackers. The DP at the scene had mentioned they might contact us later for testimony, but perhaps it wasn't necessary since the criminals had confessed so readily.
"I was curious, so I did a bit of research on the penal code," Hiiragi-san said. "It seems their crime qualifies as robbery resulting in injury. Apparently, the sentence is life imprisonment or a minimum of six years, and there’s almost no chance of a suspended sentence."
"One of them looked like a minor, though. Him too?" I asked.
"Yes. The Juvenile Act applies, but for a charge like robbery resulting in injury, they’re typically referred back to the prosecutor to be tried in district court as an adult."
"Whoa."
"Even so, it’s better than what would have happened if Shinohara-san and the others had died," Hiiragi-san said in a detached tone.
In the extraordinary environment of a dungeon, had their senses become dulled? What they did was not something permitted in a country governed by the rule of law. However, the price for committing a PK in reality was quite steep.
"But if that's the case... won't those guys try to break out of prison?" Yuji asked. "If the sentence is heavier than they expected, they might just go for it. If you use explorer abilities, you could probably break out of a normal prison pretty easily."
He had a point. A high-level explorer could smash through a concrete wall with their bare hands, depending on the thickness. If they wanted to leave, a standard cell wouldn't hold them. What kind of countermeasures were in place for that? I didn't want them coming after us for revenge after a jailbreak.
"As far as I know, there aren't specific prisons for explorers yet," Hiiragi-san replied.
"Is that really okay?"
"Who knows? But there’s not much else they can do. Even if they wanted to build a new prison for explorers, construction would take years. It’s only been about a year since the dungeons appeared, after all."
"True, Hiiragi-san is right. I guess they have no choice but to use existing facilities for now."
It was a worrying situation. If they targeted us directly, we could fight them off, but if they went after the people around us, we might not be able to protect everyone.
"I don't know if this helps, but apparently, the number of prison breaks in Japan is very low—only a few cases per year. Most inmates serve their time obediently."
"Now that you mention it, I rarely hear news about prisoners escaping."
"Whether they can't escape or simply choose not to, I don't know," Hiiragi-san said. "But for the most part, the people with explorer licenses in Japan are former civilians. Even if they have the power to run, I’d like to believe they won't."
I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be reassuring. Hiiragi-san herself seemed to lack confidence in her own words; her expression was clouded. It was true that explorers started as ordinary citizens, but they were now immersed in the brutal world of dungeon diving. It wouldn't be surprising if their personalities had warped. I was more than a little aware of that change in myself, too.
"Well, I'm sure they'll handle it by mixing high-level explorers from the DP in with the prison guards," Yuji said, trying to lighten the mood. "If there’s a visible deterrent, those kinds of people will probably think twice."
"You're right. If there are DP nearby, explorers would probably behave themselves."
"Exactly," Hiiragi-san agreed. "They’re increasing the number of DP for dungeon security, so they should have personnel to spare for prisons as well."
"Though I don't know if that'll happen immediately," Yuji added. "I just hope there aren't any weird turf wars."
His concern was valid. Prisons fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, and it was unclear if seconding DP—who were police officers—would be permitted. I had the impression that government ministries didn't usually get along. Though I didn't know the reality of it, we looked at each other and couldn't help but let out wry smiles.
Just then, the classroom door slid open and a male teacher called out to us.
"Hey, you three. How long do you plan on staying here? I’m locking up, so hurry up and head home."
"Ah, yes, sorry!"
Urged by the teacher, we grabbed our bags and left the room. Most of the other students had already gone home; the school building was unexpectedly quiet, making our footsteps echo.
"No club activities today, I guess."
"Well, the entrance ceremony is tomorrow. It would be a disaster if the decorations got messed up."
"That's right. Speaking of which, Kokonoe-kun, is Mika-chan ready for her big day?" Hiiragi-san asked.
"Of course. She’s been fidgety since this morning."
The high school Mika and Saori-chan had tested into was this very school. In other words, starting tomorrow, the two of them would be our juniors.
"She said she was going to the hair salon this morning, so she should be back by now."
"The hair salon?"
"She wants to reinvent herself for her 'high school debut.' I don't know exactly what she's doing, though."
"I see."
She had told me to look forward to seeing the change when she got home, so I was actually a bit curious.
"Kokonoe-kun. Make sure you give Mika-chan a proper compliment, okay?"
"I know. I’ve already thought of a few choice things to say."
I took Hiiragi-san's advice to heart. If I failed to compliment her and Mika's mood soured, it would be a long night. It was her big entrance ceremony; I wanted her to start her high school life on a high note.
As we reached the lockers and swapped our shoes, Yuji asked about my plans.
"So, does that mean you’re skipping training today and tomorrow, Daiki?"
"Yeah. I’m helping Mika out with some stuff after this, and tomorrow the whole family is going out to celebrate her entrance. Let Juzo-san know for me, would you?"
I had mentioned it during our last practice, but I wanted to make sure the message got through. Proper etiquette is important, after all.
"Got it. What about you, Hiiragi-san?"
"I'll be at training."
"Then I'll see you at the usual time."
"Yes, see you then."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san confirmed their plans. Was it just my imagination, or did they look like they were making a date?
With those idle thoughts in mind, we left the empty school grounds and headed our separate ways home.