Upon hearing Uwajima-san’s declaration of the dungeon’s designation, Yuta-san let out a long, heavy sigh. He then straightened his posture and looked Uwajima-san directly in the eye as he spoke.
His demeanor was that of a professional adult who fully grasped the weight of his public responsibility regarding the discovery of a dungeon.
“Thank you. Since you have granted provisional designation, we will proceed with the necessary procedures on our end. To that end, I would appreciate it if you could walk me through the upcoming administrative flow for the Dungeon Association and the government.”
“Understood. The process for transferring the dungeon’s management will begin after the official designation is finalized, but I expect preliminary negotiations to start almost immediately. Additionally, once I submit the results of this investigation to the Association, this entire area will be closed off to prevent ordinary people from wandering in while we await official status. The police will handle security during this period, so the landowner will not have to bear any of those costs.”
“That is a relief. Not having to provide our own security against trespassers is a huge help. I certainly didn't want to get into a dispute with the landlord over security expenses. When do you expect the police to arrive?”
“Once we report the findings to the Association, the police will be notified through the proper channels. However, given how remote this place is, getting them here today will be difficult. I imagine security will be on-site in two or three days… within a week at the latest.”
Uwajima-san and Yuta-san calmly worked through the upcoming steps. It was always better to establish a shared understanding early on to avoid having to redo work later. I’d heard plenty of stories about projects going sideways because everyone started working without actually being on the same page.
Keeping a job running smoothly really did come down to the fundamentals: reporting, communicating, and consulting.
“I see. I have a general grasp of the timeline leading up to the transfer. We’ll move through our paperwork as quickly as possible.”
“Good. Detailed officials from both the Association and the government will likely be dispatched soon, so please consult with them as you proceed. I’m strictly an investigator, so I don't have a complete handle on the minutiae of the administrative side.”
“Understood. Thank you for the information.”
The discussion between Uwajima-san and Yuta-san seemed to reach a natural conclusion, and both men exhaled, letting the tension drain from their shoulders. Maintaining that level of formality forever would only lead to a stiff neck.
Uwajima-san gave a slight bow to Yuta-san and us before turning to issue instructions to Ogawa-kun and Sugawara-kun.
“Ogawa-kun, Sugawara-kun. I’m sorry to make you work right after coming out of the dungeon, but we need to start the verification process immediately. Now that we’ve confirmed this is a dungeon, I want to get back and report it as soon as possible.”
““Yes, sir!””
“Ogawa-kun, find a spot nearby where a helicopter can land. Sugawara-kun, handle the photography required for the report. I’ll stay here and get a bit more information from Hirose-kun and the others to supplement our findings from the interior.”
““Understood!””
Following their orders, Ogawa-kun and Sugawara-kun got straight to work. Ogawa-kun scanned the small island where the dungeon sat before running off toward the surrounding wetlands, while Sugawara-kun pulled out a digital camera and began photographing the entrance and the surrounding landscape.
Once they were off, Uwajima-san walked over to us with a slow, measured pace.
“Hirose-kun, Kokonoe-kun, and Hiiragi-san, right? You probably heard me, but would you mind telling me a bit more about the dungeon?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Yuji replied. “What do you need to know?”
“Nothing too complicated. I just want to hear about your encounter and subsequent combat with the monsters inside. I was told you didn't have any proper equipment when you went in to investigate… so how exactly did you defeat them? During our survey just now, we engaged in combat as well, and the monsters that appeared were on par with those found in existing dungeons.”
“How did we defeat them, you ask…?”
It seemed he was genuinely puzzled—or perhaps suspicious—as to how we managed to take down monsters with no gear. It was a natural question, given the circumstances.
Of course, things were different for high-level explorers.
“If you're asking how we beat them, I just sort of kicked it away,” Yuji said. “You know, like kicking a ball.”
“You kicked it? The monster?”
“Yeah. It was a horn rabbit. It charged at me, so I dodged and kicked it right in the face. One hit did the trick. I saw your movements on the way here, Uwajima-san; I imagine you could do something similar, right?”
“…Well, I suppose I’ll say that I could,” Uwajima-san replied, scratching the back of his head with a troubled expression.
He was likely imagining the difficulty of writing in an official report that the first discoverers kicked the monsters to death. Someone familiar with high-level explorers might accept it as "one of those things," but if the bureaucrat receiving the report didn't understand the reality of high levels, they’d probably reject it and demand he stop submitting such ridiculous stories.
Uwajima-san’s honest feeling was probably that he wanted to avoid such a professional risk if possible.
“…Well, never mind the method. I assume the drop item appeared when you defeated that horn rabbit?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” Yuji said. “When the horn rabbit died, it dropped that bag that seemed like a magic item, which we handed over to you.”
“I see. So a bag that seemed like a magic item dropped, then?”
“Exactly. We wouldn't know what kind of skill is attached to it without an appraisal, but well, it’s just a bag, after all…”
Yuji spoke with a nuanced tone, acting as if he wouldn't particularly miss it. Since Uwajima-san and his team had appraised it earlier, they already knew exactly what kind of skill the bag possessed. Uwajima-san looked like he wanted to say something for a moment, but he closed his eyes briefly before speaking with a solemn face.
He leaned in and lowered his voice, making sure Yuta-san wouldn't overhear.
“Based on your behavior so far, I think you already understand, but let me give you a piece of advice. There is a high probability that this drop item will not be returned to you and that a monetary exchange will be recommended. If that happens, you should simply agree to the exchange. It might not feel great, but it will settle things more peacefully.”
“…So it really is that much of a headache. Understood. I’ll consider myself lucky just to get paid for it.”
“I’m sorry. Honestly, the timing is bad for this to be released to the public. The higher-ups will almost certainly judge it so as well.”
Uwajima-san didn't explicitly reveal that the appraisal showed it was a magic bag, but his apology was sincere. It would have been easy to act annoyed, but we knew what he was trying to tell us, so we simply nodded.
As a man bound by his position in an organization, there were many things Uwajima-san couldn't say. Even so, he was giving us a heads-up so we wouldn't run into trouble later, operating on the assumption that we already knew exactly what the drop item was.
“Well then, I’ll conclude the interview with you all here. Someone might ask for your statement again later, and while I know it’s a hassle, I’d appreciate your cooperation. In an organization like ours, different departments often fail to share information, and they might ask for another interview because the first report didn't reach them.”
“Haha, is that how it goes?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to ensure you don't have to repeat yourselves, but when a dungeon is discovered, so many organizations get involved that things don't always circulate perfectly.”
“Understood. We’ll keep an eye out for any calls from the Association for a while.”
To be honest, it would be a pain if they kept calling us in, but ignoring them would only invite more trouble.
With Uwajima-san’s interview finished, we began preparing to head out while waiting for Ogawa-kun and Sugawara-kun to finish their work.
Twenty minutes later, they both returned. Sugawara-kun’s task of taking photos for the files hadn't taken long, but Ogawa-kun’s search for a landing site had been more difficult. The land here was mostly wetlands—not the kind of terrain that could support the weight of a helicopter. If they landed in the wrong spot, it could lead to a major accident.
Because of that, Ogawa-kun had taken his time, but it seemed he’d found a viable location.
“I found a place where we can land on the north side of this island. It’s about a kilometer away, but there’s enough space for a landing zone and a cargo area.”
“Good work. Let’s go check it out, and if it looks solid, we’ll set up the landing markers and a windsock.”
“Yes, sir. This way.”
Following Ogawa-kun’s lead, we moved to the candidate site.
“Here it is. Since it’s away from the wetlands, the ground is a bit soft, but it should be able to support a helicopter.”
“Yes, it’s a bit soft, but not impossible like the area around the island. If we’re going to use it for heavy supply transport, we’ll eventually need to reinforce the ground.”
“Right. But for small craft transporting personnel and light supplies, it should be enough.”
“I agree,” Uwajima-san said. “I should probably recommend the construction of a helipad here as soon as possible. This place is far too deep in the mountains for people to commute to every day.”
He was right; there was absolutely nothing out here. He’d mentioned the police would handle initial security, but there were no roads for cars, meaning the only options were walking or flying. Unless the police officers were high-level explorers, they’d be forced to spend hours hiking mountain trails just to get to their post.
Since the government hadn't officially seized the land yet, they couldn't exactly start building roads or modifying the area without the owner’s consent.
“Yuta-san, I’m sorry to ask, but could you negotiate with the landowner? If we don't secure at least a supply route, even providing security is going to be incredibly difficult.”
“Understood. I’ll contact my office and have them request permission to build a temporary helipad here when they report the discovery to the landlord.”
“Please do.”
Uwajima-san gave a polite bow as he made the request, and Yuta-san nodded in agreement. It wasn't the kind of thing anyone would reasonably refuse. Besides, once a dungeon was discovered, the owner would eventually have to part with the surrounding land anyway, so they weren't likely to put up a fight—especially for land they were already trying to sell.
“Now, let’s get those markers and the windsock set up.”
““Roger!””
“Wait, Uwajima-san. We’ll help you,” Yuji offered. “It’ll go faster with more hands.”
“That would be a great help. Let’s get started then.”
We pitched in to help, and Uwajima-san accepted the aid. The sooner we finished, the sooner we could go home. Yuta-san clearly wanted to get back to make his own reports to the company, so it was best to just knock it out together.
Working under the investigators' instructions, we quickly fashioned a functional landing area.
Once the work was done, we all made our way back down the mountain to the clearing where the cars and the helicopter were parked. Our business here was finished; there was no reason to linger.
Oh, and just to be safe, we made sure to string up yellow "Keep Out" tape and warning signs around the dungeon entrance and the surrounding trees. It might not stop people who were determined to trespass, but it would keep sensible ordinary people away.
“Well then, Uwajima-san, we’ll be looking forward to working with you on the rest of the process. We’ll start the transfer paperwork as soon as we’re back at the office.”
“No, the pleasure is ours. Thank you for notifying us of the discovery. It’s thanks to your quick response that we were able to secure the dungeon before anyone got hurt. If you happen to find another one, please let us know.”
“Yes. Though I hope it’s not something that happens too often, this is our business, so we’ll be sure to contact you if it does.”
Uwajima-san and Yuta-san exchanged a firm handshake as they said their goodbyes.
With that, the investigators boarded their helicopter. It rose into the air with a deafening roar and a blast of wind, flying off into the distance.
The joint investigation was over, and the transfer process was finally underway.