After accepting the envelope from Mika, I thanked her while fighting to keep my composure. I hurried to my room, my heart racing. Once inside, I tossed my school bag onto my desk a bit too roughly and sat on the edge of my bed, the Association’s envelope still gripped in my hand.
I took a deep breath to steady myself, then carefully tore open the seal and pulled out the contents.
"Let’s see... what have we here? An appraisal report and a letter..."
Just as I had suspected, it was a magic bag appraisal report and an invitation for an interview, identical to the ones Yuji had shown us. I skimmed through the pages; the text was virtually a carbon copy of his.
If I had to find a difference, it was only that the item name in the appraisal column read "Magic Bag (2)."
"The appraised value is fifty million yen here, too... That means Hiiragi-san probably got the exact same thing."
Three magic bag appraisal reports. That meant they were paying out a total of one hundred and fifty million yen. For a government office, that was a staggering sum to move. I was impressed they had managed to push through a budget request exceeding a hundred million in such a short window. I wondered just how deep their contingency funds—or perhaps their confidential hush-money reserves—actually ran.
Then again, it was a testament to just how grave this situation was.
"...I’d better confirm it, just in case."
I tossed the letter onto the bed and reached for my phone to call Hiiragi-san. She was likely staring at her own envelope right about now.
I dialed her number, and after a few rings, she picked up.
"Hello, Hiiragi-san? Sorry to call out of the blue. I wanted to check something with you—is now a good time?"
"...Yes, it’s fine. I actually wanted to check in with you as well, Kokonoe-kun, so your call is perfectly timed."
Hiiragi-san’s voice sounded drained, confirming my suspicion that she had already seen the Association's documents.
I exhaled quietly and cut to the chase.
"Since you sound like you’re already on the same page, I won't beat around the bush. Did you get an envelope from the Dungeon Association?"
"I did. My mother handed it to me the moment I walked through the door."
"So we’re in the same boat. And the contents—were they the same as what we saw at Yuji’s?"
"Yes, almost identical. There were a few tiny variations, but nothing of any consequence."
The "variations" she mentioned were probably just the numbering on the item name. Since mine was (2), hers was likely (3). I’d have to check the originals later to be certain.
After confirming the situation, we both let out a heavy, synchronized sigh over the line.
"Giving this much to each of us... that makes this a pretty serious situation, doesn't it?"
"I agree. For the government to scramble over a hundred million in rewards in such a short time is extraordinary. The dungeon is one thing, but it means they value that item far more than we imagined."
"Well, it could be the spark for a distribution revolution. It’s only natural they’d be obsessed with information control. If word leaked to the public at the wrong time, it could trigger a disaster."
"True. But now I’m genuinely worried about this interview on the weekend. I can't help but wonder what they intend to say to us..."
The fact that they were paying fifty million yen per person while demanding a face-to-face meeting suggested this wouldn't be a simple formality. If it were just about the non-disclosure agreement and scouting, it wouldn't be so bad... but I had a sinking feeling they were going to bring up something much more complicated.
Maybe I should talk to Juzo-san before we officially sign any non-disclosure agreements. We needed advice on what kind of terms we should insist on. I decided I’d consult him tomorrow.
"I think our only real move is to cooperate with the investigation regarding the discovery, but firmly decline any scouting. If they bring up anything else troublesome... we’ll just have to tell them we need time to consider it and push the deadline back."
"I hope they... let us do that."
"I’d like to believe they won't demand an immediate answer on the spot. At least, that's what I’m hoping."
"I suppose you're right."
We hadn't done anything particularly suspicious this time, so I figured we were safe on that front. As for the physical feats we showed Uwajima-san and his team, a top-tier explorer could theoretically replicate them, and since we hadn't used any skills, there shouldn't be anything for them to interrogate us about. If anything, they might ask why we were so willing to hand over the magic bag—but if I told them I just wanted to avoid the headaches of owning it, they’d likely accept that.
...I just wanted this meeting to go over quietly.
"Well, until the interview actually happens, all we can do is simulate our responses and try to get through the day without a hitch."
"You're right. There's no use in overthinking it now."
Having the Association envelopes arrive for each of us individually definitely made the upcoming meeting feel more high-stakes. At least they hadn't given us separate appointment times; that was a small mercy, though it didn't do much to lift the weight in my chest.
I shook my head, trying to clear away the growing dread, and offered one more suggestion to Hiiragi-san.
"Anyway, Hiiragi-san, I’m going to call Yuji and let him know we got our envelopes. Is it okay if I handle the contact?"
"Yes, of course. Please do."
"Got it. Oh, and is there anything you want me to pass on? I was thinking of suggesting that we talk to Juzo-san before we sign any formal non-disclosure agreements."
"I’m in full agreement. As long as it’s before the official signing, we’re still in a gray zone. I’d really like to get his advice on the contracts. I don't know the first thing about what to look out for in these types of agreements."
After getting her okay and confirming a few more details, I hung up. It had been a short conversation, but the moment it ended, a wave of mental exhaustion hit me.
I just hoped that because the payout had tripled, the trouble hadn't tripled along with it.
After a brief rest, I called Yuji and informed him that the Association had reached out to Hiiragi-san and me as well. He sounded surprised at first, but then he let out a weary sigh and agreed on the plan.
"You're right. It’s probably best to sit down with the Old Man and iron things out before we sign anything. We need to know which conditions to hold the line on. I’ll go ahead and talk to him."
"Thanks. Going into that interview without any preparation is starting to feel dangerous. I don't expect them to be blatantly malicious, but they could easily bury some tricky clauses in the fine print."
"I’d like to think they wouldn't go that far... but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."
They seemed to be showing some consideration for our student schedules with the meeting time, so I didn't think they’d be completely unreasonable. However, as Yuji said, caution was the best policy. If a clause was written vaguely enough to be interpreted however they liked, it could come back to haunt us later.
It was best to eliminate every risk we could.
"The sooner the better, so I'll see if we can talk to the Old Man tomorrow or the day after. I'll let you know once I've cleared it with him."
"Sounds good. I'll pass that along to Hiiragi-san."
"Thanks. I'll probably have an answer by tomorrow."
"Understood. I’ll wait for your call."
I said my goodbyes and ended the call. I shoved my phone into my pocket and collapsed face-down onto the bed.
Grabbing a nearby pillow, I shoved my face into it and screamed out every bit of frustration currently rotting in my head.
"Argh! This is such a pain! I don't even want the money! Can't we just pretend none of this ever happened?!"
Holding the secret of the Drawer Dungeon meant we wanted to avoid the Association like the plague. But in this case, since we had stumbled upon an undiscovered dungeon with third parties like Yuta-san and Kiritani Real Estate present, the situation had spiraled. Of course, the primary catalyst was the fact that we had turned in a magic bag as a first drop.
If we had just reported a "suspected dungeon," it might have ended with a simple report. But since we had gone inside to confirm it and walked out with a rare item, we couldn't not submit it without risking the Association's suspicion. If we tried to hide it and got caught, we’d be under constant surveillance as potential possessors of dangerous magic skills or toxins.
"Thinking about what they’re going to say this weekend is giving me a stomach ache."
If it stayed at hush money and scouting, fine. But if they started looking into our track record... that was where the real trouble lay. We had a plausible excuse for our strength—the training we did with Juzo-san and Genya-san. But for student explorers with normal attendance who didn't live in the dungeons to be performing at a top-tier level...
Anyone who understood the reality of the dungeons would look at those results and wonder exactly how we were doing it.
"God... what a headache."
After moping into my pillow for a while longer, I pushed myself up and slapped my cheeks to snap myself out of it.
"No use whining about it now. It’ll work out! We’re consulting Juzo-san and we’re going in prepared. It’ll be fine."
It was pure self-hypnosis based on zero evidence, but it helped. I shook my head, noticed I was still in my school uniform, and changed into my lounge clothes.
Sometimes a change of clothes is enough to shift your mindset.
"Alright. Dinner, bath, sleep. I don't have the willpower for anything else today."
Even if I could fake some energy, my mental stamina was spent. Better to recharge now and prepare for tomorrow.
The next morning, while I was walking to school with Mika, a voice called out to us from behind. I turned to find Yuji, looking somewhat worse for wear.
"Morning, Yuji. You look exhausted."
"Good morning, Yuji-san."
"Morning, you two. Yeah... well, I was up talking to the Old Man."
It seemed the source of his fatigue was the proposal I’d made yesterday. He had clearly wasted no time talking to Juzo-san.
Yuji stole a quick glance at Mika before continuing.
"Daiki, I filled the Old Man in. He told me to bring you and Hiiragi-san over today after school."
"That’s a huge help. But are you sure today is okay? We just brought it up yesterday."
"Yeah. He said it’s better to get this over with early. Apparently, there’s a negotiation tactic where people try to catch you off guard—a surprise attack. They might claim there’s an emergency and try to pull the meeting forward when you’re physically and mentally unprepared so they can push through their own terms. He said we need to finish our prep as soon as possible so we don't get blindsided."
"...So Juzo-san thinks this situation warrants that kind of vigilance."
Yuji frowned slightly and gave a small nod.
"He said it doesn't hurt to be cautious. Better to be prepared for something that doesn't happen than to be caught sleeping when it does."
"...You're right. It really doesn't hurt to be cautious."
I rubbed my forehead, letting out a soft groan as a phantom headache throbbed behind my eyes. I knew this was going to be a hassle, but if Juzo-san thought we needed to be this careful, it was even more serious than I’d feared. Going in without a plan was definitely out of the question.
As I was talking with Yuji, Mika chimed in, her expression clouded with worry.
"You guys sound really serious."
"Yeah, a little bit. Oh, sorry Mika, but we’re going to be heading out early after school today."
"Oh, okay. I was going to help with my class's project anyway, so that’s fine. But... are you going to be okay?"
"It’ll all be over after this weekend. It won't interfere with the school festival."
"I see. If you say so, then... just don't do anything dangerous, okay?"
To put her mind at ease, I gave her a reassuring, albeit slightly strained, smile and a nod. I didn't think anything truly dangerous would happen, but with Juzo-san sounding the alarm, the scent of trouble in the air was getting stronger by the second.