The three of us arrived at Yuji’s house about fifteen minutes before our scheduled meeting. The trio of watchers was still trailing us, but I decided to ignore them for now.
We passed through the main gate and headed toward the dojo. Inside, we found Juzo-san already seated in the center, deep in meditation.
"I'm home, Old Man."
At Yuji’s call, Juzo-san ceased his meditation and slowly turned his gaze toward us.
"...Hm? Oh, Yuji. Welcome back. And you've brought the Kokonoe boy and the Hiiragi girl with you, I see..."
"Hello, Juzo-san."
"Good afternoon."
Hiiragi-san and I greeted him with polite bows.
"Old Man, did we keep you waiting?" Yuji asked.
"No. I was merely meditating because I wished to; do not let it trouble you. More importantly, don't just stand there at the entrance. Come inside."
Juzo-san gave a small beckoning motion with his right hand, calling us over.
"Now then, I shall go prepare some tea. You lot, set out some floor cushions."
With that, Juzo-san stood up and walked toward the kitchenette.
A short while later, we sat facing Juzo-san, sipping the tea he had brewed. Drinking tea in a quiet dojo... it brought a strange sense of serenity to my mind.
However, that peaceful atmosphere was shattered by Juzo-san's next words.
"So then. What exactly is this 'serious' matter you wish to discuss?"
Our bodies stiffened for a moment. I took a shallow breath to steady my nerves, then set my teacup back on its saucer.
Hardening my resolve, I spoke up.
"Juzo-san. What we want to consult you about today is related to the observation you made previously."
"? Something I pointed out... Ah, you mean that strange boost to your foundations?"
For a moment, Juzo-san crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought, but he immediately realized what I was referring to. He narrowed his eyes, directing a sharp, piercing gaze toward us.
"Yes. We were hoping you could give us some advice on that matter today..."
I felt suppressed by the intensity in his eyes, but I steeled my core and gave a firm nod.
"Hmm..."
The air in the room grew heavy.
Juzo-san sat with his arms crossed, silently gauging our worth, while we endured his scrutiny head-on. A taut tension filled the dojo, followed by a silence so profound it was almost painful.
"..."
Whether it was ten seconds or a full minute, I couldn't tell. Time seemed to flow at an agonizingly slow crawl.
Then, that oppressive atmosphere finally broke with Juzo-san’s voice.
"...Very well. What is the story? For now, just speak your piece."
Released from the crushing tension, we let out the breath we had been holding in a collective sigh of relief.
I regained my composure and looked Juzo-san straight in the eye.
"Yes. Well, the beginning of this story goes back about a year... to when dungeons first appeared across the globe."
"A year ago? That is quite the backtrack."
"It is. Actually, when the dungeons appeared worldwide, one manifested right in my home... specifically, inside the desk drawer in my bedroom."
"...Ho."
The moment I mentioned the existence of my private dungeon, Juzo-san narrowed his eyes even further, as if trying to discern if I was spinning a yarn. It was a natural reaction; honestly, I wouldn't have believed it either if the roles were reversed.
Even when I’d told Yuji and Hiiragi-san, they only truly believed it once I’d physically shown them the place.
"...It seems you aren't lying."
"I'm not. However, since words alone are hard to credit, please look at this."
I reached into my Spatial Storage and began pulling out items I had obtained from the Slime Dungeon, using Psychokinesis to arrange them neatly across the floor. It started with Core Crystals, then moved on to skill scrolls, magic items, various fantasy metals, medicines like high-grade recovery potions, and massive, unrefined gemstones. Soon, the dojo floor was packed with a fraction of the hoard I’d amassed over the last year.
Juzo-san hurriedly moved to stop me.
"Wait, wait! Hold on a moment, Kokonoe boy! Just how much do you intend to pull out!?"
I stopped at his command.
However, the floor was already littered with what the public would consider extreme rarities or high-value exchange items. Even if I were to sell these off at a standard market rate, it wouldn't just be a fortune—it would be enough to purchase a cutting-edge fighter jet for tens of billions of yen in a single cash payment.
"...Daiki. Exactly how much of this stuff have you been sitting on?"
"It’s... it’s incredible..."
Even Yuji and Hiiragi-san, who knew the secret, looked a bit pale at the sheer volume of the pile. Honestly, I didn't think it was that much. If you keep hoarding everything you find until you reach Level 99 without ever cashing it in, this is just what happens.
Besides, what I’d laid out was only a small portion of the clutter sitting in my Spatial Storage. I was certainly glad I had that skill.
"Um... Juzo-san. Does this help you believe me?"
"Y-yes. Having been shown evidence of this magnitude, I have little choice."
"I'm glad."
Juzo-san was clearly struggling to maintain his composure. It occurred to me that this was a form of gunboat diplomacy—intimidating the other party by flaunting overwhelming wealth and power.
"F-for now, Kokonoe boy. Put these away."
"Ah, right."
At his urging, I began returning the items to my Spatial Storage. As I moved the massive gemstones, I noticed Hiiragi-san staring at them with a look of longing. Maybe I'd give her one later. Something like raw lapis lazuli can be polished with simple sandpaper, even if it does take a lot of time.
Within a minute, everything was packed away.
After I gave him a brief overview of the Slime Dungeon’s nature, Juzo-san took a sip of his now-cool tea. He let out a heavy sigh and looked at the three of us with a weary, half-lidded expression.
"Haa... I knew you were hiding something, but I never expected a secret this outrageous..."
"...Our apologies."
"However, a dungeon where only slimes appear... that is indeed a difficult matter to handle. Especially considering that mountain of treasure you just showed me, it certainly isn't something you can reveal on a whim."
"Exactly..." I muttered, feeling validated.
"If news of your dungeon got out, interference would come from every direction, using both legal and illegal means. From that perspective, keeping it a secret was likely the right call."
Coming from someone as experienced as Juzo-san, that conviction made it feel like a certainty.
I didn't want any part of that. A cinematic thriller where international intelligence agencies fight over a desk drawer in my house? No thanks.
"However, a secret cannot be kept forever. You understand that as well, don't you?"
"...Yes."
That was the reality. No matter how hard we tried, a secret this big would eventually surface.
That was the very reason we had come to Juzo-san.
"We feel it would be better to prepare for the reveal rather than have the secret exposed while we're defenseless."
"Quite right. If the secret leaks before you're ready, you'll be playing catch-up from the start. You'll lose the initiative. Once that happens, you're at the mercy of the situation... and that rarely ends well."
"Yes. So, regardless of whether we decide to go public or not, we want to make sure we're prepared for either outcome."
"I see..."
Juzo-san nodded deeply at my explanation.
"Then let us proceed. In your current position, you have two main options."
"To hide it or to reveal it, right?"
"Precisely. Currently, you are choosing to hide it, and you have succeeded so far. But as I said, secrets have a way of getting out. There’s no telling where the leak might come from, and you three have been drawing quite a bit of attention lately. Case in point: those three watchers currently lurking outside."
"...You noticed them too?"
"Of course. I am not so senile that I would miss such amateurish surveillance. Since they’ve been hovering there since before Yuji left and after he returned... it was obvious who they were looking for."
So it was blindingly obvious to him. Well, if we’d noticed, it was only natural he would.
"Since you are in the spotlight, it is inevitable that people will try to dig deeper. These current watchers are low-level; the people behind them likely aren't looking for more than surface-level information for now."
"I suppose so..."
That was exactly what worried me. If the state or the Dungeon Association got serious, our amateurish cover-up would reach its limit. Thanks to my time with Genya-san, I had a healthy respect for what professionals in that field could do.
I had no intention of being arrogant enough to think we could fool the real experts forever.
"For now, you are probably seen as nothing more than promising newcomers. But if you achieve more great feats, the investigation will turn serious. You realize that, don't you?"
"...Yes."
The stake that sticks out gets hammered down. In this day and age, a civilian can obtain power far exceeding the police or military just by diving into a dungeon. If someone achieves extraordinary results, they’ll be flagged as a person of interest to the state, regardless of their personality. Once that happens, the discovery of the Slime Dungeon is only a matter of time.
"For a while, you should stay quiet and focus on training your sister and her friend. In time, the hype surrounding your area boss kill will die down."
Juzo-san was right. While a civilian party killing an area boss was a massive deal right now, it wouldn't stay that way forever. Eventually, other explorers would start clearing them too.
If we focused on training Mika and the others and avoided any more public achievements, I hoped we’d eventually be pushed to the back of the government’s and the Association’s records.
"I hope it’s that simple..."
"At the very least, you must make an effort to keep the secret until your preparations are complete. You've already stood out, and there’s no changing that, but there is no need to give them more reasons to watch you."
"...Understood."
"Yuji, Hiiragi girl, are you both in agreement?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
The three of us took his advice to heart. We would keep our heads down for the time being.
Juzo-san finished his tea and spoke again.
"Now, as for the option of going public... honestly, I cannot recommend it, no matter how you go about it."
He frowned slightly, his voice tinged with a hint of old irritation.
I wondered if something had happened in his past.
"Setting aside the potential profits, the fact that an individual possessed and concealed a dungeon is trouble enough. If the media catches wind of it, they will scream for blood and ratings."
"The media... Yeah, I can see them having a field day with 'The Secret Private Dungeon'."
"And the masses, who follow such reports without a second thought, would follow suit."
Juzo-san looked bitter as he sighed. He clearly had some bad experiences there.
"Um, Juzo-san? If possible, we’d like to find a quiet way to go public—something that doesn't involve a media circus."
"I know. You want to pass the word to the upper echelons of the government in secret, don't you?"
"Yes. If possible, we were hoping to settle things by handing over the Slime Dungeon and its drop items in exchange for being left alone..."
We just wanted to deal with the dungeon we’d failed to report in a peaceful way. To avoid any legal repercussions, I was willing to hand over the entire mountain of loot in my Spatial Storage. It was basically found money to me anyway.
Besides, thanks to the Slime Dungeon, we were at a level that far outstripped other explorers. Even if we gave away everything we had, we could easily dive into other dungeons and earn it all back.
"It is true that, through my connections, I could likely put you in touch with the higher-ups, though it would take some doing."
"Really!?"
"Yes. However, Kokonoe boy... before we go that route, there is one thing I must confirm."
"What is it?"
Juzo-san looked me straight in the eye, and after a short pause, he asked the million-dollar question.
"You speak of 'handing over' the dungeon... but is the dungeon itself actually capable of being moved?"
At that question, the three of us felt our expressions cramp.
Yeah... that really is the problem, isn't it?