The day after our dungeon dive with Mika and the others, the three of us walked toward Kiritani Real Estate. When we had visited at the end of summer vacation, I failed because of my naive assumption that the discussion would wrap up easily.
Yeah. Thinking about it again, buying land isn't the kind of thing you decide on in just a day or two.
"We have an appointment, but it hasn't been that long since our last visit. I wonder if this will really work out?"
"It’ll be fine, probably," Yuji said. "They’re professional real estate agents, aren't they? This time we've actually consulted with them and conveyed our requests properly, so they should be able to show us something that more or less meets our needs."
"He’s right," Hiiragi added. "Last time, we were just talking past each other... well, it seems that was actually Juzo-san’s scheme—or rather, his 'education.' That’s why things ended up so poorly. But this time, we’re asking them after a proper discussion, so there’s no need to worry."
Certainly, Juzo-san’s scheme had played a part, but I felt the primary cause was that we had taken land acquisition too lightly. Despite being complete amateurs, we had listed nothing but absurd conditions for Kiritani-san and his team... I really felt bad about that.
Well, it seemed they were also in a state of trial and error regarding properties sought by explorers, so I just hoped they were willing to write it off as a learning experience for both sides.
"I guess so. I hope that’s the case, but... I still have this lingering anxiety, you know?"
"Well, I can’t say I don’t understand the feeling, but it’s useless for amateurs like us to sit around and worry. If it were impossible, they would have contacted us in advance. The fact they didn’t means they found something."
"I hope so."
"Don't sweat it. We're almost there. You'll find out the answer to your questions soon enough, Daiki."
Saying that, Yuji lightly gestured toward the end of the street. Ahead of his finger stood a single building—the one housing Kiritani Real Estate.
He was right; I’d have my answer soon.
"True... I just hope there’s a good property."
"Yeah."
And so, carrying a mix of slight anxiety and expectation, we moved forward. Once we reached the building, we climbed the stairs and paused for a moment in front of the second-floor office.
Normally, I would have just opened the door and walked in, but that slight hesitation made me pause for a split second.
"...What’s wrong?"
"Ah, no, just a feeling, I guess?...Phew. Excuse us."
Taking a breath, I spoke up as I opened the door and stepped inside.
"Ah, as I thought, nobody's here. In that case..."
Looking around the office, it was empty just like last time. Releasing the tension that had tightened my shoulders, I stepped up to the reception counter and, drawing on my previous experience, pressed the buzzer without hesitation. A short, light chime rang out, confirming the switch had worked. All we had to do now was wait.
"That should do it. What should we do? Should we go ahead and sit at the reception table?"
"I’d like to say yes," Yuji replied, "but that would be a bit much, right? Let's just wait here and look at the property flyers until someone shows up."
"Good idea," Hiiragi agreed. "It would be a bit awkward to seat ourselves before being invited."
So, we decided to wait while browsing the property information sheets posted all over the wall near the entrance. Someone would likely come within a few minutes anyway, so there was no rush.
About three minutes after I pressed the buzzer, the door to the inner office opened and Yuta-san appeared.
"Thank you for waiting! Welcome to Kiritani Real Estate—Hirose-sama, Kokonoe-sama, Hiiragi-sama!"
Upon seeing us, Yuta-san gave a polite bow and greeted us energetically.
"Ah, Yuta-san. We're in your care today."
"Yes! Oh, everyone, please head over to the reception table first. We can't have a proper talk while standing."
"Thank you."
Prompted by Yuta-san, we moved to the table and sat down. Once we were settled, Yuta-san spoke up with a slightly reserved tone.
"I’ll go fetch the materials for the properties I’ll be showing you today. Please wait just a moment. Ah, what would you like to drink? We have coffee, black tea, green tea..."
"Ah, coffee for me, please."
"I’ll take coffee as well."
"I’ll have... black tea, if I may?"
"Understood. Two coffees and one black tea."
After taking our orders, Yuta-san gave a light bow and left the room. Once he was out of sight, Yuji turned to me with a relaxed, relieved smile.
"Looks like the disaster you were worried about didn't happen, Daiki."
"Yeah, looks like it. If he's bringing materials, it means they found properties they can actually recommend."
"The rest depends on whether any of them catch our eye... though we won't know that until we hear the explanation and go for the site visits."
"We were much clearer about our requirements this time, so that part should be fine. The rest is whether we can agree on the terms... but yeah, that’s also a conversation for later."
My anxiety was gone, and in its place, my expectations for the properties grew. I realized I was being quite fickle, but I genuinely hoped there would be a good find today.
Five minutes later, Yuta-san returned with the documents and drinks, accompanied by Kiritani-san. They distributed the drinks and took their seats across from us.
Once everyone was ready, Kiritani-san bowed slowly and opened the conversation.
"Well, welcome, everyone. It’s been a while since your last visit."
"Yes, thank you for your help the other day," I said. "We caused a lot of trouble with our amateurish ideas..."
"No, no, please don't let it bother you. Outside of this industry, buying and selling land is a rare occurrence. Most people who visit us have no idea what kind of specific requests they should even make. If anything, we’re the ones who should be ashamed for not listening properly and failing to introduce suitable properties."
"Haha, hearing you say that makes me feel a bit better. But the root cause was really my gra—my grandfather's strange scheme. We've truly been a burden to you, Kiritani-san."
"Not at all. Isn't he a fine grandfather? To arrange a situation where it's okay to fail just so young people can gain experience... that's not something many can do."
We shared a brief moment of mutual understanding over the difficulty of being pushed around by Juzo-san, which helped soften the atmosphere. Greetings were exchanged between Kiritani-san and Yuji, and the meeting began on a peaceful note.
"Well then, let’s move past the greetings and get straight to the property introductions... is that alright?"
"Yes. Please."
"Then Yuta-kun, I'll leave the explanation to you."
"Yes, sir. Leave it to me."
We moved quickly to the main topic. We planned to visit the sites afterward, so we didn't have time to waste on small talk. Yuta-san handed us several sheets of paper from his folder.
"After searching for properties that meet your requests and the conditions we discussed last time, we’ve narrowed it down to three."
"Three properties, huh..."
"Even though I say three, those are just the ones that fit your current conditions. If you decide to change your requirements after seeing these, that number will naturally change."
That made sense. Once we actually saw the land, we might realize we wanted something different. For now, these three were the closest matches.
"Shall we begin the introductions? Is that alright?"
"Yes, please."
"Then, for the first property..."
We turned our attention to the information sheets as Yuta-san began his explanation.
The first property was a mountain that seemed somewhat like the moderately maintained campsite we’d seen before. However, the phrase "somewhat maintained" was the catch. It reportedly had a somewhat maintained path, a somewhat maintained clearing, and a somewhat maintained forest.
"It was originally a forestry mountain, so there are paths for transporting logs and the site where a shed for tools once stood, although the building itself is gone."
"Heh... it looks a bit cluttered, but it definitely gives the impression of a mountain that’s seen some work," I remarked.
"The trees are mostly planted, but since the previous owner left the business, it's been neglected for years. The undergrowth is overgrown. It isn't a 'well-kept' forest, but it’s in better shape than a purely natural one."
Since it wasn't as perfectly manicured as the mountain we’d seen last time, it seemed to align with our request for something more like a wild grove.
"In that case, what about the clearing... the old shed site and the paths? Are they still usable?"
"There are no planted trees around the shed site, so clearing out the brush should be relatively easy."
It would be a massive job if we had to fell trees just to make a space to stand, but if it was just cutting back weeds, that was manageable.
"As for the paths, they're wide enough for a vehicle—specifically, a transport cart—so while they aren't paved, they can be restored."
"A transport cart..." I paused. "That's a specific choice of words. You didn't say 'car'?"
Normally, you'd just say a car could pass through, right? Why specify a transport cart?
Yuta-san’s expression twitched slightly as he revealed the background.
"Well... actually, this mountain has been neglected since the end of the Meiji era."
"The end of Meiji? So it's been abandoned for nearly a hundred years?"
"Yes. Consequently, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this mountain is currently untrodden land where almost no one ventures. Even just reaching it requires a journey across mountains and valleys."
"That’s... quite deep in the wilderness."
We stared at the information sheet with distant eyes.
"Yes. However, the accessibility is actually better than you might think."
"...I'm sorry?"
Wait, wasn't it a remote wilderness?
"Actually, near this mountain—well, 'near' meaning ten kilometers away—there is a railway station. You’d have to change trains a few times, but you can get there from this town."
"A railway station..."
"Yes. From there, it’s a grueling trek through steep mountain paths. However, based on the superhuman physical abilities you showed us during our last visit, we believe it shouldn't be a problem for explorers. Of course, for ordinary people, it’s a treacherous route even with full climbing gear..."
"Ah, I see..."
With our physical abilities, a ten-kilometer mountain trek could be cleared in no time. We weren't professional mountaineers, so steep cliffs or wide valleys might be tricky, but if there was a traversable route, we’d be fine.
In fact, if we viewed the journey to the site as part of our off-road training, it might actually be a plus.
"Therefore, for someone who can ignore the difficulty of the approach... in this case, an explorer... it's quite a good property."
"I agree," I said. "If you ignore the trek—which an explorer can—it sounds like a great find."
"Yes. And regarding your request that wildlife is fine for training—or rather, that it's preferable—because of the location, there are plenty of wild animals."
"What kind of animals?"
"...Mainly deer and boars, but there have been sightings of large bears as well."
A mountain that remote was bound to be a habitat for predators. Yuta-san looked grim, silently warning us of the danger, but hearing about bears didn't really spark a sense of crisis in us. After all, we had specifically hunted bears in the dungeon for their materials.
Yeah... definitely not a problem.
"I see. That makes it even better for explorer training. If there are bears, we can use the environment to train our situational awareness and keep a constant level of tension."
"...I see. Right. Well, that covers the general explanation for this property. Do you have any questions?"
For a moment, Yuta-san looked both surprised and exhausted. He closed his eyes and took a small, deep breath as if swallowing his disbelief. I’m sorry, Yuta-san.
After a few more questions to confirm there were no major deal-breakers, we moved on. I was impressed they had found something like this so quickly.
"Then, I'd like to move on to the second property. Is that alright?"
"Yes, please."
We leaned in to listen as the description of the second site began.