Following a smooth launch, we surged up the rain-swollen river with vigor. Even where the rising waters had turned into rapids, we weren't swept off course; the boat’s bow pointed straight upstream as we advanced. As far as we were concerned, even a river turned into a raging torrent was no obstacle!
...Actually, that was a total lie. Our departure was anything but smooth.
"Kokonoe-kun, you’re rowing too hard! The boat’s veering left!"
"Eh, sorry! Yuji, can’t you pull a little harder?!"
"A little harder?!...How’s this?!"
"Too much! Now we're drifting to the right!"
With the river swollen into a series of rapids, the bow of the rubber boat was constantly being tossed about. Simply keeping it pointed upstream was a trial in itself. Since neither Yuji nor I had any real experience rowing, we struggled to maintain a consistent balance between our strokes. We had more than enough raw thrust, so while we were zig-zagging all over the place, we weren't actually being washed downstream.
As I suspected, even if we were explorers who could overcome most things through sheer force, setting off without any practice had been reckless.
"Uugh... Ah, Hiiragi-san! Driftwood up ahead!"
Yuta-san, who was crouching low and clinging to the boat for dear life to avoid being bucked off, pointed forward to alert Hiiragi-san. To be honest, the only thing Yuta-san could really do in this situation was try to stay on board.
Upon hearing his warning, Hiiragi-san quickly scanned the water ahead and spotted the log.
"The front?! I see it... Hup!"
Despite the boat’s unstable, swaying motion, Hiiragi-san timed her move perfectly. She used her oar to deflect the log, knocking it out of our path.
The plastic oars were too flimsy for propulsion, but because of their length, they were ideal for clearing debris. Furthermore, for someone like Hiiragi-san who specialized in spears, clearing obstacles with a long pole—even if it was just an oar—was a task she could perform with ease.
"Thank you, Yuta-san! Please keep a lookout and let me know the moment you see more debris!"
"Of course! It would be a disaster if a log punctured the boat!"
We were in a rubber boat; unlike those made of metal or reinforced plastic, a direct hit from a drift log would poke a hole in it instantly. Even if the fabric was thicker than a standard recreational raft, it was still fragile.
Because of that, while Yuji and I acted as the engines, we had Hiiragi-san serving as the safety and obstacle-clearance officer. Our roles for this mission were clear: Yuji and I were the rowers, Hiiragi-san was safety, and Yuta-san was the navigator.
"I think we're finally going straight! How does it look, Hiiragi-san?! Are we on course?!"
"Yes, we’ve steadied out quite a bit! Keep it up!"
"Roger that! Yuji, this seems to be the right amount of force!"
"Got it. I'll maintain this rhythm then!"
After battling with our oars—or rather, our shovels—for about five minutes, Yuji and I finally got the hang of it, and the boat began to travel in a straight line. The bow still wobbled occasionally, but if we could stay pointed upstream eighty percent of the time, that was good enough.
By the ten-minute mark, things had settled down to the point where we could actually look at the scenery and chat. Man, I was worried at first, but we were doing pretty well once we got used to it.
"It’s nothing but cliffs around here. Landing directly from the boat looks like it would be difficult."
"True. But if we go a bit further, there are riverbanks where it’s easier to go ashore. Also, you can’t see them today because of the flood, but at normal water levels, there are narrow banks on both sides. Getting off mid-trip isn't actually that hard."
"Narrow... Is there enough space to pack up the boat?"
"Hmm, I think so. That said, they're only about a meter or two wide, so you couldn’t manage it with a large group."
"I see, understood."
Yuji nodded, looking satisfied with Yuta-san’s answer. Climbing cliffs might be necessary, but it meant they could transition to the mountain from several points. It would take some effort, but a two-meter-wide space was enough to deflate and pack the boat. Barring exceptions like today’s high water, ordinary people could likely navigate the river and take breaks if the current was calm. In fact, people used to transport timber by boat along this route in the past, so it was definitely feasible.
"The trees are lined up quite neatly. Are these mountains also part of a plantation for forestry?"
"Yeah, most of these mountains were planted. This region used to have a thriving forestry industry. However, ever since the demand for domestic timber plummeted due to competition from imports, the less accessible areas—like the one we're heading to—have been left abandoned. The active forestry sites these days are mostly concentrated in the more convenient areas closer to town."
"I see. It’s certainly inconvenient if you have to use a boat just to move the wood. If there was high demand it might be worth it, but with things as they are, the maintenance costs must be prohibitive."
"Exactly. As a result, the land is up for sale, but the access is so poor that it’s just stayed on the market until now..."
Yuta-san replied to my question with a wry smile. Sellers usually put land on the market because it’s a burden to manage; if it were profitable or convenient, they wouldn't sell it in the first place. Selling usually meant they were either desperate or the land had become a liability. And if it remained unsold, there was almost certainly a glaring drawback.
In this property's case, the transportation access was abysmal.
"If demand for domestic timber increased, the mountains would be utilized since transport technology is better than it used to be. But without that demand..."
"Is the demand not expected to grow?"
"Compared to a while ago, the push for domestic timber has helped, but it hasn't grown enough to warrant large-scale production. Buildings are still primarily reinforced concrete, and domestic wood just can't compete with imports on cost. Unless a project prioritizes aesthetics or public image over everything else, most developers go with the cheapest option."
"That makes sense. If you have the luxury to care about looks, you might pay the premium, but normally you just use whatever is cheapest as long as the quality is fine. It’s hard to grow a market like that."
Yuta-san shook his head regretfully as he answered Hiiragi-san's question. For expensive investments like buildings, cost was king unless the buyer had a very specific vision. This lack of demand meant costs stayed high because there was no mass production—a vicious cycle where it was too expensive to use, and therefore too expensive to produce.
Unless the government provided massive subsidies to make domestic wood cheaper than imports, or raised tariffs on foreign timber, there wouldn't be a sudden surge. And raising tariffs would cause all sorts of other problems.
"...So, nowadays, these mountains are just prime habitats for wildlife. They might get some minimal maintenance, but they're basically left to nature."
"Which means it's about the same as the mountain we visited this morning, then?"
"Pretty much. Though I never expected to see a 'big shot' like that show up right in front of us."
"Haha... a big shot, huh."
Yuta-san gave us a look that suggested he had seen something he still couldn't believe. We all averted our eyes simultaneously, looking a bit awkward.
I mean, can you blame us? Who would have expected a bear to pass out in shock and a boar to belly up in total surrender? We were just as surprised as he was.
"Normally, our company wouldn't recommend properties surrounded by mountains like this unless there was a specific reason. But seeing how you all handle things, I'm starting to think we can recommend them to explorers without any hesitation. After all, there haven't been any real problems so far."
"Haha..."
We gave strained smiles at Yuta-san’s resigned expression. Incidentally, we were currently charging up a flooded river at high speed, kicking up massive plumes of spray like a speedboat.
Yeah, we really couldn't argue.
"Still, this was good. I thought this river trip was impossible at first, but now it’s clear that explorers can clear it as long as they have the right gear and a bit of practice. This is valuable data."
"I'm glad it helped. Oh, but please don't assume every explorer is like us, okay? There’s a massive gap in physical enhancement depending on the level. A rookie who just started and a high-level explorer are as different as heaven and earth."
"I know. Accompanying you today has made me realize that deep down in my bones. I’m going to suggest to the President that we have some lower-level explorers visit the sites as well to collect more data. Your data is great, but from what you’ve said, it sounds like you guys are the absolute cream of the crop. It’s better to have more points for comparison."
That was a relief. If Yuta-san had assumed we were the average, he might have sent low-level explorers to a property they couldn't handle and caused a serious accident. An explorer who could comfortably clear the 10th floor or higher could probably handle a site teeming with wildlife. For anyone weaker than that, it would be dangerous.
They probably wouldn't be swarmed by a pack of bears, but they still needed the strength to handle a single large animal if they ran into one.
"That’s probably for the best. It feels weird saying it ourselves, but we're definitely in the upper tier of explorers. If you can get more data to compare us against, you should. Proof is better than theory, after all."
"Exactly... Once the President sees the recording of this viewing, I'm sure he'll agree."
Ah, right. Evidence—the video recording—is much more persuasive than just hearing about it. Once Kiritani-san sees the "negotiation" with the animals and our "shortcut," he’ll definitely agree to the comparison plan.
...Seriously though, please make sure that footage doesn't leak to the public.
After about twenty minutes of chatting and traveling upstream, Yuta-san tilted his head slightly and pointed forward.
"We should be arriving soon... Ah, is that it?"
In the direction he was pointing, a small riverbank came into view. Several thin logs were jutting out of the water nearby.
...Wait, are those logs supposed to be a pier?
"It looks like the pier is submerged under the floodwaters."
"What? It’s completely underwater?"
"Looks like it. The bank is much narrower than usual, and since only the tops of the supports are sticking out, it’s safe to assume the rest is submerged."
"I see... So we should just pull up onto the bank then?"
Even with the flooding, the bank was about four or five meters wide, which was plenty for a landing. The water would likely shallow out near the pier, so we needed to approach carefully and then pull the boat up. It would be a disaster if we rammed the bank and tore the bottom. Even if we didn't need it for the trip back, it would be a waste to break it.
We slowed our pace, and while Hiiragi-san checked the depth with her oar, we glided toward the bank. And then...
"It's getting very shallow. Any further and we'll scrape the bottom. It’s shallow enough to walk, so let’s get out here."
"Alright, everyone out. The current is still fast, so watch your footing."
At Hiiragi-san’s signal, Yuta-san gave the order to disembark.
In the reverse order of how we had boarded, Hiiragi-san went first, grabbing the rope to keep the boat from drifting away once it lost its momentum. I followed, then Yuji, and finally Yuta-san.
"We made it. I never expected to move this fast against a flooded river. Honestly, you guys never stop surprising me."
"Haha, well, we're here, so let's not sweat the details. More importantly, Yuta-san, is this it?"
Yuji tried to nudge the conversation forward as Yuta-san checked his watch with a look of newfound enlightenment.
Yuta-san nodded and spoke clearly.
"Yes. This is the second property—the mountain with the river access."
Having conquered the unexpected flood, we had arrived at our second destination.
We had the strength, but our lack of coordination showed; practice really is everything.