Following a path that was little more than a game trail, we trailed behind Yuta-san deeper into the mountain. Even calling it a game trail was generous; it wasn’t as if any branches or undergrowth had been cleared away through regular maintenance. It was simply a neglected mountain path.
That said, for ordinary people unaccustomed to the wilderness, it would likely be quite a struggle to navigate.
"The center of the lot for sale is just a little further ahead," Yuta-san called out.
"Wait, if that’s the center, does that mean we’re already on the property?" I asked.
"Yes. Everything from the clearing where we parked the car to the path we’ve been walking is included in the lot for sale."
We had walked several hundred meters behind Yuta-san already, which meant this plot was substantial. It might have even been a kilometer long on each side.
After listening to Yuta-san’s explanation, we paused to observe our surroundings. The trees were of the same species and stood at relatively uniform intervals. There were also clearings that appeared to have been thinned out to allow sunlight to reach the mountain floor. Based on the layout, we all came to the same conclusion.
"Um, Yuta-san, is this a plantation forest?" Yuji asked.
"Ah, yes. The owner is in the forestry industry, and I’ve been told these trees were planted decades ago. However, due to the recent slump in the domestic timber market, the area has been somewhat neglected lately."
"I see. That makes sense. I thought the trees looked a bit too neatly lined up..."
Yuji nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, though his eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. I could tell what he was thinking. A managed forest meant there was a high likelihood that people might wander through for maintenance.
Since we wanted to avoid the public eye, a feature that would normally be a selling point for an ordinary buyer was a mark against the property for us.
"Yes," Yuta-san continued. "And perhaps because it’s been maintained regularly over the years, dangerous wild animals rarely appear around here."
"I suppose the regular human presence makes it hard for them to establish a territory," Yuji noted.
"Exactly. Though I say they 'rarely' appear, it’s not as if they 'never' do, so we can't let our guard down. Even if there are none here now, they could easily migrate from neighboring mountains."
"Right. We'll be careful."
The presence of dangerous wildlife was certainly an important factor. No matter how large or cheap a mountain was, one infested with dangerous animals would be terrifying. Well, for ordinary people, at least.
As for us? We regularly dive into dungeons filled with hostile, dangerous monsters by choice. This wasn't exactly a point worth stressing over.
"Oh, we’re almost at the center."
As Yuta-san spoke, a clearing roughly thirty meters square opened up before us in the middle of the mountain.
"We’ve walked quite a way from the parking lot... was that about five hundred meters?" I asked.
"Roughly. The owner cleared this spot out. Apparently, he originally intended to build a mountain hut here, but after various circumstances, he stopped after the clearing was done..."
"So only the open space remains?"
"So it seems."
The existence of a pre-cleared space was a definite plus. However, the path leading here was completely unmaintained, making it difficult to bring in construction materials or equipment. If we wanted to build something here, we’d have to start by fixing the road... all five hundred meters of it.
I wondered how much a contractor would charge for that.
"Well then, I was planning to move on to the next inspection point, but would you like to take a break first?" Yuta-san asked.
"No, we’re perfectly fine. If anything, are you okay, Yuta-san? We’ve walked a fair amount of mountain trail already. If you’re tired, please don't hesitate to say so."
"Haha, thank you. I'm still doing alright. Let’s head to the next spot, then."
And so, led by Yuta-san—who insisted he was still going strong—we moved on to the next site. Looking back, he was really showing us excellent properties: a parking area, a buildable clearing, a valuable plantation area, and a lack of dangerous wildlife.
Of course, for our specific purposes, it was leaning toward a failing grade.
After about an hour of trekking and finishing our inspection, we returned to the parking lot. As my first mountain inspection, it had been quite interesting. Though whether we would actually buy the place was another matter entirely.
More importantly, while we weren't tired at all, Yuta-san was clearly spent after pushing himself to keep up. He was going to need a break before he’d be in any condition to drive us back.
"...Are you okay?"
"Haha... sorry. Please let me rest for a second."
"Yes, of course. Take all the time you need."
"Thank you."
Yuta-san slumped into the driver's seat, wiping sweat away with a towel. His rounded back and drooping shoulders radiated exhaustion. If he was that tired, he should have just taken a break during the hike instead of being stubborn. We watched him catch his breath, feeling a bit bad for him.
After resting for a while, Yuta-san looked toward us.
"So, what did you think? Any initial impressions?"
"Well... I think you’ve shown us a very high-quality property," I said.
"I agree," Yuji added. "It’s rare to find a property with such a well-prepared environment, isn't it?"
"I never imagined you would introduce us to such a favorable location," Hiiragi-san added.
We each gave our feedback. Honestly, it was a much better property than I had expected. Beyond the path to the center, there were rivers, rock faces, and even a plateau with a great view. It was a fantastic property—for a normal buyer.
"I see. I'm glad to hear it made a good impression."
"Yes, however..."
"However?"
"It’s... a bit different from what we were hoping for," Yuji admitted.
"What!?"
Yuta-san’s face was a mask of pure shock. He had shown us a premium property and received glowing feedback, only to be hit with a rejection. I could understand why he was wondering "Why!?"
Yuji raised his hands in a calming gesture as Yuta-san looked ready to leap out of his seat.
"Please, calm down. There are a few reasons, but to put it simply, it’s a bit... too well-maintained."
"...Too well-maintained?"
"Yes. What we’re looking for is a mountain that is, if anything, unmaintained. A place where human hands have barely touched it and wild animals are common..."
"Excuse me? But wouldn't that..."
Yuta-san looked utterly perplexed, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to process Yuji’s words. For a normal client, this would be an unthinkable reason to decline a sale.
But we weren't normal clients.
"The reason we’re looking to buy land is to create a space where we can train as explorers," Yuji explained. "For training in traversing uneven terrain and reacting to ambushes, a steep, neglected forest of miscellaneous trees is much more effective. Having wild animals around is also great for practicing enemy search and alertness. Looking at it from that perspective, the mountain you showed us today is... a bit too nice to be a training ground."
"Ha... haha. I... I see..."
Yuta-san’s cheek twitched. It was an understandable reaction. The conditions we were asking for were usually the reasons people gave for not wanting to buy a property. To a real estate agent, a mountain like that was nothing but a toxic asset. No honest agent would ever dream of recommending such a place to a client.
To hear that we wanted to buy a toxic asset after turning down a premium property was enough to make anyone's head spin.
"So, while we appreciate you showing us around, we’re going to pass on this particular mountain."
"I-I see. If that’s the reason, then I suppose it can’t be helped. I should be the one apologizing for failing to provide a property that matched your criteria."
"No, no. We're the ones who should apologize for not being clearer about our requirements."
Despite his lingering confusion, Yuta-san bowed his head. We followed suit, bowing slightly with awkward expressions, feeling guilty for having such bizarre demands.
It really goes to show how important it is to align expectations beforehand.
Once Yuta-san had finished his rest, he got back behind the wheel and started the drive back to the office. Even though the inspection had technically been a failure, it had been educational. I now had a much better idea of how mountain lots were sold. I’d been worried about the subdivided nature of the listings, but seeing how vast they were, I realized I didn't necessarily need to own an entire mountain to get what we wanted. Though, owning the whole thing would still be ideal if possible. Either way, the image was becoming much clearer.
Since we had finally bridged the gap in understanding with Yuta-san, the conversation in the car turned to what kind of mountains might actually fit the bill.
"I have to say, I never would have guessed those were your requirements," Yuta-san said, his tone becoming casual again now that he was back in the driver's seat. It was much easier to talk to him when he wasn't in full professional mode.
"Haha, well, it makes sense. From a normal perspective, we’re asking for the absolute worst conditions possible."
"But those specific conditions might actually make it harder to find a spot," Yuta-san mused. "Any mountain near civilization has been touched by human hands to some degree."
"I suppose so."
"You might find what you're looking for in the deepest parts of the wilderness, but then you’d have zero accessibility. If it takes a full day to get there on foot, surely even you guys would have to pass, right?"
"A full day on foot, huh..."
A full day's walk. Assuming a speed of four kilometers per hour and ignoring fatigue or elevation, that would be about ninety-six kilometers. Ninety-six kilometers? Wait... isn't that a perfectly manageable distance? Ordinary people can finish a full marathon in four and a half hours, so for an explorer... yeah, we could do it.
I instinctively glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san. Both of them were looking back at me with the exact same thought in their eyes.
"See? That would be impossible, right?" Yuta-san chuckled.
"Ah, well... actually, that might not be as impossible as it sounds," Yuji said. "I think we could probably get there in two or three hours if we ran."
"......What!?"
Yuta-san let out a cry of pure shock, his head whipping around to stare at Yuji in disbelief.
"Yuta-san, watch out! Keep your eyes on the road!" I shouted.
"!? Ah, sorry!"
At our panicked warning, Yuta-san immediately snapped his attention back to the front. Fortunately, the road was straight and empty, so we didn't swerve, but that was a close one. Then again, we were the ones who had shocked him, so I couldn't really blame him.
Yuta-san took a few deep breaths before speaking again, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead.
"Can you... can you really cover nearly a hundred kilometers in two or three hours?"
"Y-yes. A high-level explorer can maintain a pace comparable to a moped for several hours at a time. A hundred kilometers is a distance we can cover without much trouble."
"I... I had no idea. I’ve seen specials about explorers on TV, but I never imagined they were capable of that..."
"Well, it’s not exactly something we go around bragging about. It’s natural that you wouldn’t know."
"Haha... wow. I see. If you’re capable of that, then I suppose your requirements for the mountain start to make sense."
Yuta-san let out a long, weary sigh, looking like a man whose entire world view had just been upended.
After a moment, he let go of the wheel for a split second to slap his cheeks, psyching himself up. He glanced at us through the rearview mirror.
"Alright, I’ve got it! I will personally find the perfect property for you! I’ll even tell the president to make me your dedicated agent."
"Wait, really?"
"Absolutely. Handling properties for explorers is only going to become more common from here on out, and this is great experience. It’s clear that what explorers want is fundamentally different from normal clients. I want to build up that expertise through your request. So please, don't hold back—tell me exactly what you need, and I'll give it my all!"
"Oh... okay. Thank you?"
Before I knew it, a revitalized Yuta-san had volunteered to be our exclusive agent. I mean, having a dedicated contact would certainly make things easier, but I couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by his sudden intensity.
Confused but grateful, we rode in silence as Yuta-san’s car pulled into the parking lot behind the office.