Once we were sure Shiraishi-san and her group had left, Hiiragi-san and I started to head back inside the camp screen, only to feel another presence approaching.
And it was coming from the direction of the stairs...
"..." "..."
"Ah, hold on a second. I know you've noticed me, so would you mind not trying to sneak back inside without saying a word?"
Tsk! Che!
The voice stopped us just as we were pretending to be oblivious. I couldn't help but click my tongue inwardly. Come on, wouldn't a considerate adult have the grace to just let us leave in peace?
Keeping my thoughts to myself, I did my best to maintain a neutral expression as I turned toward the speaker.
"Ah, sorry, we didn't notice you... Did you need something?"
"I know I'm interrupting, but... could you not look so displeased?"
I’d tried to offer a smile that was both apologetic and refreshing, but the man was scratching his cheek with a fingertip, looking genuinely awkward. Apparently, my attempt at a poker face had failed.
"..." "..." "..."
An awkward silence settled over us as we stood there, all looking equally troubled.
However, there was no point in staring at each other forever, so I cleared my throat to reset the conversation.
"Ahem... So, did you need something?"
"You're just going to act like that didn't happen... well, fine. Ahem! I happened to see your negotiations with those people earlier. That was quite a masterful piece of bargaining."
"O-oh... thank you?"
For some reason, he had jumped straight into praise. Seeing the bewildered expressions on our faces, the man tilted his head for a moment before clapping his hands as if realizing something.
"Ah, sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Tadamasa Baba, Captain of the 5th Resource Recovery Unit in the Dungeon Resource Procurement Section of the Resource Procurement Department at Hazama Shoji."
"I-I see. Is that so..."
"Oh, you haven't heard of us? I thought our company was putting quite a lot of effort into advertising..."
If asked if I’d heard the name before, it wasn't as if it was completely foreign. Hazama Shoji... if I recalled correctly, they were a company that started operating almost immediately after dungeons were opened to the public. Back when most companies were purchasing dungeon materials from the Association to resell, they were one of the firms that moved early to form their own explorer units.
How did I know that? Well, they were among the scouts—those invitations—sent to me after the sports festival. I’d done a quick background check on the companies involved, so I knew the general gist of their business.
"I've... at least heard the name. I know you're in the dungeon-related business..."
"Well, I suppose that’s to be expected if you're not a student in the job-hunting generation."
"I... apologize."
"No, don't worry about it. I'm just feeling a bit down because our name recognition was lower than I thought."
Baba-san's shoulders slumped slightly, but he shook his head to pull himself together and turned back to us.
"I've shown you a pathetic side of myself."
"No, it's fine. So, may I ask what your business with us is?"
"Ah, sorry. Regarding why I called out to you... here."
"This?"
I took the small piece of paper Baba-san held out—it was folded in quarters—and opened it so Hiiragi-san could see as she peeked over my shoulder.
The contents were...
"A Corporate Briefing for Students?"
"Yes. Soon, dungeon-related companies are going to hold a joint corporate briefing aimed at students—specifically high school and university students. That is the information pamphlet for the event."
"Heh, so it's like a job fair?"
"No, it's an event aimed at a slightly lighter form of enlightenment. The occupation of 'explorer' itself hasn't been around long, you see. For those who want to become explorers or students who are currently active as such, I think it's hard to imagine what it’s like to belong to a company. This event is meant to introduce the specific stances each company takes when challenging the dungeons."
Enlightenment, huh? I was sure it also served as a way to scoop up talent early or prevent potential recruits from leaking into other industries.
Let's see... The event was scheduled for two days on the Saturday and Sunday after the Obon holiday, taking place in twenty designated cities nationwide. It was a pretty large-scale event. Oh, it looked like the Dungeon Association was a co-sponsor as well.
"At the event, we plan to explain each company's basic work systems, provided equipment, backup structures, and things of that nature."
"For something called 'enlightenment,' it seems quite professional."
"It's precisely because it's enlightenment. If visitors get a bad impression here, it damages the image of the entire industry, not just the companies. An industry where new talent doesn't enter is an industry in decline. The issue of successors is a problem no profession can avoid."
I see. Because it was a newly created category of work, if they didn't convey the correct image, it would cause problems later.
"Also, as written there, the admission fee is free for students if they present their student ID."
"I see. That's a welcome thing for a student's wallet..."
"Well, there's no point if we can't get people to show up first."
We shared a light laugh, and a somewhat harmonious atmosphere filled the space.
But...
"So, what is the main point? Surely it's not just an invitation to an event?"
"Well, yeah. The main point is this."
With that, Baba-san held out another small piece of paper.
Wait, was this a business card?
"To put it simply, I'm scouting you."
"...Scouting us?"
"Yeah. Though a low-ranking guy like me doesn't have hiring authority. I’ve been instructed by the company to speak to and report on any noteworthy freelance explorers I find."
"...I see, so that's how it is."
"Yeah, that's how it is. Just being able to reach this floor makes you a significant talent as an explorer, for sure. You more than meet the criteria for being approached."
I wanted to ask how he knew we were "freelance," but since I’d introduced myself as a high school student during the negotiation with Shiraishi-san and the others, he likely assumed we weren't affiliated with a company yet.
"That said, I think it's perfectly natural to be suspicious of a sudden scouting offer. That's why I gave you the event pamphlet. Our company will have a booth there, so it would be appreciated if you could learn about our stance as a company through that. If you show the business card I just gave you to the person at the booth, they'll be able to give you more details."
"So that's what the pamphlet was for."
I had wondered why he brought such a thing into the dungeon, but it made sense. Rather than being scouted by a corporate explorer you met in the dungeon, you were more likely to succeed if you lowered the target's guard, showed sincerity, led them to an event, and handed them over to a professional recruitment specialist.
While I was listening to Baba-san with the pamphlet in hand, I saw another man approaching from the camp next to the stairs.
Wait, that was the tent for the other corporate explorer party... which meant...
"Excuse me, while you are in the middle of a conversation... would you mind listening to what we have to say as well?"
Just as I thought—this one was also here to scout. Baba-san glared at the man who interrupted for an instant, though he immediately smoothed over his expression.
The man elegantly ignored Baba-san's reaction and held out a business card.
"I apologize for the delay. I am with this company."
The business card the man produced read: Asahi Sakuoka, Procurement Staff, 2nd Squad, Dungeon Food Section, Materials Procurement Department, Masai Foods.
"Sakuoka-san, is it...? Um, and your business?"
"My business is the same as the gentleman from Hazama Shoji over there."
"Which means, in other words..."
"To put it bluntly, I'm here to scout you."
Ah, I knew it.
He probably saw Baba-san talking to us and rushed over to make sure he didn't miss out. Since the conversation hadn't ended immediately and Baba-san and I were talking harmoniously, he must have gotten impatient and decided to cut in.
"That said, I doubt you would believe me if I just barged in with such an offer. Therefore, our company also has a booth at the event mentioned, so please use it to help make your judgment. If you present the business card I gave you to the person in charge of the booth, they will provide a more detailed explanation."
"Ah, yes..."
"Then, I shall take my leave. Thank you for your time."
Sakuoka-san gave us a light bow, then turned toward Baba-san.
"I apologize for interrupting your conversation."
"Ah, no. Please don't worry about it."
"I am glad to hear that. Then, if you'll excuse me."
With that, Sakuoka-san showed no hint of lingering regret or a desire to say more. He walked back toward his camp with a composed stride. We and Baba-san watched Sakuoka-san's back with stunned gazes.
Yeah, that was a masterful exit. But because of that...
"..." "..." "..." "..." "..."
Since Sakuoka-san's exit was so flawless, Hiiragi-san and I silently sent Baba-san a look that asked, “How much longer are you staying?”
Whether he got the message or just sensed the shift in the air, Baba-san opened his mouth with an uncomfortable expression.
"W-well, I should probably be going as well."
"Ah, yes. I see..."
"Y-yeah. Well, if you like, please come to the briefing event. I'll tell the person in charge to look after you as best they can."
"Ah, yes."
With that, Baba-san hurried away from us, still wearing that awkward expression.
Ah, I see. Could it be that Sakuoka-san’s quick withdrawal was calculated to cause exactly this? Rather than clumsily cutting the other person off, interfering with the scout, and causing a scene, he pretended to be impolite, cut in forcefully to state his business, and left immediately. By doing so, he made Baba-san—who had been talking to us first—look like the bothersome person who was pestering us. Naturally, Baba-san didn't want to leave that impression. In that case, the only choice Baba-san had was to leave as quickly as possible. As a result, the scouting negotiation with us ended on an ambiguous note. He had prevented a promising explorer from being snatched up by a competitor while still managing to promote his own firm.
Yeah, that was some masterful sabotage.
"...Shall we go back?"
"...Yeah."
Suddenly caught in the crossfire of corporate posturing, Hiiragi-san and I retreated inside the camp screen, both of us looking a little worse for wear. We felt even more mentally drained by the pitying look Yuji gave us when he welcomed us back.
Sigh...
It was finally over. That was my primary thought as I drank the coffee Yuji had prepared. Honestly, if it was going to be this much trouble, I couldn't help but think it might have been better to set up camp on the uninhabited 26th floor from the start.
However...
"We should probably be a bit more careful about our conversations and actions when there are people around," I said.
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. "Even actions or conversations that we think are normal—there's no telling what kind of value they might have to others."
"You're right," Hiiragi-san added. "If anything, it's a good thing we noticed at this stage. If we had done the same thing on an upper floor where there are more people, it might have turned into a massive commotion by now."
Hiiragi-san was right. If we had done the same thing on an upper floor, we might have been swarmed by explorer parties desperate for water. Among the gear carried by explorers planning a dungeon stay, water takes up the most space and is the hardest to decrease. If it became known that such a bottleneck could be resolved so easily, some fool would inevitably try to exploit us.
In that sense, doing it here—where people who could still exercise self-control had gathered—was a blessing in disguise. It was an invaluable experience, even if it was exhausting.
"For now, if we don't learn how to conduct ourselves during a dungeon stay, things are going to get tough," I noted.
"True. Based on the training the other day, I don't think there's much of a problem with the act of staying in the dungeon itself, but we need to know what kind of behavior or speech triggers other explorers."
"Exactly. Manners that respect the TPO—time, place, and occasion—are the basic building blocks of avoiding trouble. When we get back, let's look into that a bit more."
"Agreed." "Agreed."
As we shared bitter smiles over our coffee, we felt deeply that there are some things you simply can't learn through training alone. That said, we were scheduled to be here for a few more hours. I couldn't help but feel a little worried about whether we’d manage to stir up even more trouble in the time we had left.