While the announcement that the payout for the magic bag would be tax-exempt was a welcome surprise, the meeting was far from over. If I let my guard down now, I’d likely live to regret it, so Hiiragi-san and I maintained our blank expressions, continuing our roles as the designated pressure elements.
Yuji, for his part, didn't seem particularly shaken as he continued his conversation with Miyashita-san.
"With that, we’ve concluded our discussion regarding the exchange of the drop items you submitted. Do you have any questions?"
"Just one," Yuji replied. "Will I need to go through any specific procedures during my tax return?"
"No tax procedures are required for this matter. Since the payout is tax-exempt, you are free to use it as you wish. However, please be aware that if you intend to distribute the funds to your parents or others, those sums will be subject to gift tax. Be careful of that."
"I understand."
In other words, if I wanted to share this wealth with my parents or Mika, the government would take a cut in the form of gift tax. If I wanted to avoid that, I’d have to spend it on myself. I wondered if high-end gifts like a world tour were out of the question, but treating them to a meal at a family restaurant would surely be fine. I suppose as long as I followed the common wisdom—don’t brag to others if you win the lottery and don't waste it all—I’d be okay.
As I pondered these things while listening to the back-and-forth between Yuji and Miyashita-san, the conversation transitioned to the next topic.
"Are there any other questions?"
"I’m satisfied on my end. Do either of you have anything?" Yuji asked, turning to us.
"I think I’m good for now," I replied.
"I’m fine as well," Hiiragi-san added.
Since Yuji had checked in with us, we kept our answers brief. To be honest, once I heard that no tax procedures were necessary, I didn't really know what else to ask, so I figured it was best to stay quiet. I didn't want to say the wrong thing and let my guard slip.
Seeing our reactions, Miyashita-san gave a slight nod. Having judged that there were no further issues, he broached the next subject.
"Since there are no more questions, I’d like to move on to the next matter. Shall we?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
The next matter... This was likely the real reason we had been summoned here.
Miyashita-san cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and glanced briefly at each of our faces. We mirrored his movement, sitting up straight and looking him directly in the eye.
"Now then, allow me to explain once more. As you’ve likely gathered, the Association believes it is premature to reveal the existence of magic bags to the public. The government holds the same view. They wish to keep this under wraps until they can either establish a reliable supply line to meet consumer demand or figure out how to manufacture magic bags themselves. If their existence became public knowledge now, chaos would be inevitable; there is simply no prospect of meeting the demand. It would be one thing if they were merely traded at astronomical prices due to their scarcity, but we want to avoid situations where owners are targeted or robbed by individuals driven to desperation for a magic bag."
"I agree with that assessment," Yuji said, nodding as he looked down at the documents he’d been handed. Hiiragi-san and I followed suit, our brows furrowing slightly as we scanned the details of the magic bag acquisition status. According to the data, magic bags had an incredibly low drop rate and were exceedingly difficult to obtain.
Naturally, the documents shown to us wouldn't contain the whole truth, but even so, there was clearly no way to satisfy public demand at this stage. If there were, they wouldn't be showing this kind of classified data to people who just happened to stumble upon one. Miyashita-san’s comment about crimes against owners was likely a thinly veiled warning to us. He was telling us that even a rumor of us owning one would put us in danger.
"Indeed. Unfortunately, we still need more time. Eventually, as the levels of explorers as a whole rise, we may see an environment where they can be obtained with relative ease, but we aren't there yet."
"That’s true. It’s only been a little over a year since the dungeons appeared," Yuji noted. "Civilian explorers haven't even been around for a full year. While it might happen eventually, I agree that it’s premature now. However, looking at the recent movements of the corporate faction in the dungeons, I suspect the environment the Association desires might be closer than you think."
"Oh? Is that your opinion as a top-tier explorer?"
"I’m not sure about 'top-tier'... but I’ve been thinking about it during our recent explorations. We have the advantage of being a small group with high mobility. However, our numbers limit our carrying capacity, making us ill-suited for long-term expeditions. In contrast, the corporate faction uses their numbers to establish bases within the dungeons, allowing them to achieve steady results over the long term. Their progress is slow because they have to build bases and secure supply lines, but given enough time, they will surely push deeper and deeper."
In fact, most of the explorers we’d encountered past the 30th floor were corporate-type parties. Except for outliers like us, organizational power became the deciding factor the deeper one went. For typical small parties, going past the 20th floor almost necessitated camping inside the dungeon. Camping meant an exponential increase in required supplies, which in turn ate up their carrying capacity and limited how many drop items they could bring back. To maintain even a minimum profit, most small parties had to stop at floors where they could still break even. After all, no one wants to risk their life only to end up in the red.
This left the deeper floors to the corporate explorer parties, who could afford to secure supply lines. As long as they could stay profitable, it was only a matter of time before they reached the floors where magic bags dropped. Once that happened, a steady—if small—supply would hit the market. And once magic bags became available, the carrying capacity limits on other parties would loosen, accelerating dungeon conquest and further increasing the supply.
"I see. The Association keeps an eye on their movements, but it's difficult to grasp everything that happens in the depths of a dungeon. Hearing such an evaluation from experts like yourselves gives us much to look forward to."
"I don't know how much our word is worth, but if they keep to their current strategy, I think you can expect results eventually."
Miyashita-san looked momentarily relieved at Yuji’s assessment—which seemed to be a mix of honest opinion and flattery—though he quickly returned to his professional mask. The Association had high hopes for the corporate faction but lacked data on their deep-floor activities. Hearing a seal of approval from us, with our record as top-tier civilian explorers, must have put his mind at ease.
Uwajima-san, who was observing the meeting, also looked fascinated by our evaluation. As a member of the division that handled initial dungeon investigations, he surely had a fair bit of experience as an explorer himself. He was likely very interested in the assessment of corporate-type parties.
"I see. We will take your opinions into consideration."
"Ah, please don't weigh it too heavily. It’s just an evaluation from a layman’s perspective," Yuji said, looking slightly flustered by Miyashita-san’s positive reaction. It was the first time since the interview began that I’d seen Yuji lose his cool, even slightly.
Miyashita-san cleared his throat to shift the mood, locking eyes with the flustered Yuji.
"Apologies, we’ve wandered off-topic."
"No, I’m the one who said something presumptuous."
"Not at all. The insights of those who have seen their work on the front lines are invaluable. Thank you."
"I... see. I’m glad to hear that."
In that short exchange, Yuji regained his composure and resumed his neutral smile. It was only a momentary slip from being praised, so it didn't last long.
Finally, Miyashita-san got to the heart of the matter.
"Allow me to speak plainly. The situation regarding magic bags is as I’ve described. Therefore, we have a request for you all: as long as you know of their existence, please refrain from speaking about magic bags for the time being."
"Given what you’ve told us, I understand why it’s best we don't spread the word. We don't want any suspicious characters following us around, either," Yuji replied.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"However, may I ask one question?"
"Yes, what is it?"
Yuji straightened his back, a hint of tension crossing his face as he addressed Miyashita-san.
"In cases involving this level of confidentiality, wouldn't there normally be a non-disclosure agreement? Is a mere 'request' sufficient?"
"It is certainly not ideal for this information to leak. However, in this case, since you are all minors, we cannot legally enter into such a contract with you. The Dungeon Association operates as a public institution, and we cannot move forward with contracts that would be legally questionable..."
"So... it has to be a request."
"Yes. That said, while we aren't signing a formal contract, you should treat it as a non-disclosure obligation in the form of a request. Even if you were to speak of the magic bag, there would be no legal penalty. However, in cases of malicious leaks, the Association may impose penalties against you as affiliated explorers. And, I am sorry, but... Hirose-san."
With a tense expression, Miyashita-san turned to Juzo-san, who had been watching the proceedings with his arms crossed.
"...What is it?"
"I’m afraid we must ask you, Hirose-san, to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding our discussion today."
"Hmph. A natural precaution. And if the secret of the magic bag should leak from the mouths of my grandchildren, the responsibility falls upon me as the one who signed the agreement—is that the long and short of it?"
"..."
At Juzo-san’s pointed question, both Miyashita-san and Uwajima-san bowed their heads apologetically. I’d suspected as much, but that was indeed the play. This was why Miyashita-san hadn't objected to Juzo-san’s presence. Since we were minors, we couldn't sign NDAs, but Juzo-san, as our guardian, was an adult. There was no legal obstacle to him signing one. Still, the idea of holding him responsible for us felt a bit much.
Juzo-san, however, nodded as if Miyashita-san’s request was perfectly reasonable.
"Very well. These children understand the situation they’re in; they won't be foolish enough to go blabbing about it. However, I’ll have no part in a contract with an indefinite term."
"...Thank you. We will, of course, take that into account."
"Then we have no problem."
Miyashita-san bowed to Juzo-san before producing two sheets of paper from his file. Glancing at the documents, I saw the heading "Non-Disclosure Agreement." He had clearly come prepared from the start.
Juzo-san scanned the contract, and once he was satisfied with the contents, he signed both copies and handed them back. Miyashita-san confirmed the signatures, signed them himself, and returned one copy to Juzo-san. I imagine they were each keeping a copy for their records.
"With that, we have concluded the meeting regarding the new dungeon and the handling of the magic bag. Thank you all for taking the time to meet with us today."
"No, thank you for your thorough explanation," Yuji replied.
The interview ended without any major friction. We had been braced for something much more troublesome, so the fact that it ended so smoothly felt almost like an anticlimax. Still, we didn't exactly want more trouble, so we were relieved it was over. All that was left was to provide a copy of the recording.
However, Miyashita-san’s next words made me realize that my relief was premature.
"By the way, everyone. To change the subject... would you have any interest in becoming Association-exclusive explorers?"
The question was asked casually, but Miyashita-san’s face wore a broad, pleasant smile that hadn't appeared once during the formal meeting. It was a smile that suggested the main event was only just beginning.
A surprise attack just as we were relaxing. They say a school trip isn't over until you get home, but I suppose a negotiation isn't over until you’ve left the enemy's camp.