When we arrived at the building housing the appraisal counter, the interior was packed with explorers. I suppose that made sense; anyone finishing their run and leaving the dungeon eventually had to stop by here.
Resigning ourselves to the usual crowd, we pulled a waiting number for the appraisal and purchase counter from the ticket machine.
“Number 127... Eight groups ahead of us,” I noted.
“With this many people here, only having eight groups ahead of us is actually pretty lucky, isn't it?” Yuji asked.
“It is,” Hiiragi-san agreed. “They’ve increased the number of appraisal and purchase counters, so our turn should come around in about ten minutes.”
Years ago, even with only eight groups ahead of you, it wasn't uncommon to be left waiting for over thirty minutes. Considering that, the line moved much faster nowadays. We scouted for a place to sit and managed to find some empty seats in the waiting area.
“Now we just wait for our number. But... what should we do about the split?” Yuji asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The distribution of today’s appraisal value. We and Mika’s group each found one recovery potion, but the orc meat and the rest of the drops are going to be a bit of a pain to divide fairly.”
“That’s true. A straight five-way split... well, the ratios are a bit skewed for that.”
While we had taken turns fighting the orcs with Mika and Saori-chan, the size of the packs we encountered varied each time.
“The total amount of orc meat we gathered is roughly the same for both groups,” I suggested. “Why don’t we just split the total into two halves first, and then divide those by the number of people in each group? Splitting hairs over the exact cents would just be a hassle.”
“I guess that works... Mika, what do you think?” Yuji turned to her.
Technically, our group had defeated more orcs, so this calculation would result in Mika and Saori-chan earning slightly more than a perfect per-kill split. It meant a small loss for us, but it wasn't a margin I cared about. However, if the girls felt uncomfortable with that, I was willing to do the tedious math—though the one actually doing the math would be the staff-san at the appraisal counter, not us.
“Hmm, it’s a good deal for us, but are you guys sure, Onii-chan?” Mika asked. “Since we tagged along, aren't you making less than you usually do...?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I assured her. “It’s not like we’re desperate for cash right this second. We have enough savings that a slightly lower yield from one or two runs isn't going to hurt us.”
“I see... then I’ll accept it. Is that okay with you too, Saori-chan?”
“Oh, yes. Um, thank you very much?”
Mika and Saori-chan gave their consent, though they still looked a little hesitant. As we talked, the minutes ticked by until our number was finally called.
“Thank you for waiting. Here for a drop item appraisal? Please present your Explorer Cards.”
We handed over our tickets and cards to the staff member, who greeted us with a professional smile.
“Thank you. Please place the drop items for appraisal here.”
“Understood.”
We began unloading the recovery potions, orc meat, and other drops from our backpacks and cooler bags onto the counter. Since we had a significant amount of orc meat this time, a veritable mountain of flesh soon piled up. The staff member seemed perfectly used to the sight, however, watching the heap grow with a calm, unfazed expression.
“That’s everything. Please take care of the appraisal.”
“Certainly. It will take a few moments to finalize the value, so please wait a moment.”
The clerk quickly moved the pile of items into the back room, handing them off to the staff responsible for the actual valuation. While we waited, the reception staff asked a few standard questions.
“Are there any items you wish to retain rather than sell after the appraisal?”
“No, not this time. Please purchase everything we’ve submitted.”
“Understood. There were several medicinal fluids among the items. Please be aware that if these are found to contain dangerous goods, they will be slated for disposal and excluded from the final appraisal value.”
“Understood.”
While we went through the basic formalities, the appraisal was completed. The staff member printed out the appraisal sheet sent from the back and handed it to us. The whole process had become so much more streamlined over the years.
“Thank you for waiting. Here is the appraisal for the items you submitted.”
“Thanks. Let’s see...”
I scanned the sheet. As expected, the orc meat—being our most numerous drop—made up the bulk of the value, coming in at around 110,000 yen. The unit price had dropped compared to the old days, but the sheer quantity made up for it. The total value for the entire haul came to approximately 150,000 yen.
“If there are no issues with the appraisal, please sign here to confirm.”
“Got it. Everyone, we’re good with this, right?” Yuji asked.
“Yeah.” “Yes.” ““Yes!””
With our collective approval, Yuji signed the sheet and handed it back.
“Thank you. Now, which account should the funds be transferred into?”
“We’d like them transferred to our individual accounts in specific amounts. The breakdown is...”
After a few more minutes of logistics with the staff member, the transfer was finalized. It worked out to roughly 35,000 yen each for Mika and Saori-chan, and 25,000 yen each for the rest of us.
“Thank you for your service. We look forward to seeing you again.”
“Thank you.”
We gave the clerk a polite nod and left the counter. Once we were outside the building in a less crowded spot, we took a moment to stretch and relax, exchanging words of exhaustion and relief. We still had to get home, but for all intents and purposes, the dungeon exploration was ninety percent over.
“Good work, everyone. That takes care of the business side of things for today.”
“Yeah. For such a short run, that was a pretty decent haul.”
“I agree,” Hiiragi-san said. “As long as we aren't in the red, I'd call it a success.”
“I guess that's true,” Mika said with a sheepish grin.
“Haha, yeah,” Saori-chan added.
The girls seemed a bit amused by our perspective, but for the three of us, being able to cover the expenses for five people and still walk away with a profit in the tens of thousands from a quick trip to the shallow floors was a win. Turning a profit on the shallow floors is actually quite difficult these days. In the past, the high payout per drop made it easier, but now the market is flooded, and prices have dropped.
Besides, if you fail to dodge an attack and get hurt, between the cost of recovery potions and hospital bills, you can easily find yourself out tens of thousands of yen in an instant. To make matters worse, most insurance plans still don't cover injuries sustained inside a dungeon.
“Well then, shall we head to the eat-in space—the vending machine corner?”
There was no sense in dwelling on finances forever, so I gestured toward the new building and called out to the group.
“Right. If we linger too long, it’ll be dark before we get home. Let’s go.”
“Yes, let’s.”
“Mm-hm!”
“Okay!”
The building wasn't far, and I could see other explorers heading in the same direction. It seemed to be a popular spot. I had seen the construction going on, but I hadn't realized they were building a massive eat-in space. I imagine there had been plenty of requests for a place where people could sit down and eat in peace.
The Association can clear land and put up basic structures pretty quickly. As long as there’s a roof, some tables, and chairs, it’s good enough for explorers. It probably costs a bit of money, but it’s an effective way to maintain order; providing a simple comfort like this helps keep frustrations from boiling over.
“This is the place...”
The newly constructed eat-in space was a massive, warehouse-like hall. Most of the floor was filled with tables and chairs, while the walls were lined with a staggering array of vending machines. There were nearly twenty commercial-grade microwaves distributed around the room for heating up food.
The place looked like it could easily accommodate over a hundred people at once. I wondered if it was larger than a typical shopping mall food court.
“Whoa, look at all of them!” Mika exclaimed.
“There must be... forty... nearly fifty machines,” Saori-chan noted, her eyes wide as she scanned the rows along the wall.
From a quick glance, there were over ten drink machines, alongside a huge variety of machines for meals, desserts, and snacks. There were even a few selling essentials like disposable chopsticks, paper plates, and wet wipes. They really had thought of everything.
“This is... a lot more impressive than I expected. With this many machines, the selection should be great,” I said.
“Yeah. Look at those posters. They’ve got collaborations with famous restaurants. This isn't just a basic vending machine corner,” Yuji observed.
“Is that the logo for a famous Chinese food chain?” Hiiragi-san asked, pointing. “And there are logos for major frozen food brands and family restaurants too.”
I wasn't sure how the Dungeon Association had negotiated with all these companies, but the variety was incredible.
“Hey, hey, let’s go look! This looks amazing!” Mika shouted.
“I want to see too!” Saori-chan added.
Mika and Saori-chan, who had initially been curious but skeptical, were now practically vibrating with excitement. They started pushing us toward the machines, unable to wait another second. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and we followed their lead to see what was on offer.
The selection was as diverse as promised. There were the "safe" options from major food manufacturers we were all familiar with, collaboration dishes from famous restaurants often seen on TV, local items from shops near the dungeon, and even high-priced "premium" meals that used plenty of dungeon food. Even if you ate here every day, you could probably go months without getting bored of the menu.
“Honestly, there’s so much I don't even know where to start...” I muttered.
“I know what you mean. With this many choices, I’m paralyzed,” Yuji agreed.
“Sometimes having too many options is just as bad as having none,” Hiiragi-san sighed.
The selection covered everything from Japanese and Western to Chinese cuisine. We were so overwhelmed by the variety that we couldn't make a decision. If we were planning to eat everything eventually, we could just start at one end, but we weren't that ambitious. Not having decided what we wanted before we walked in was our biggest mistake. Everything in the photos looked delicious.
“So, what are we getting? I’m not actually that hungry, to be honest...” I said.
“Yeah, I’m not really in the mood for a full meal,” Yuji added.
“Something light just to tide me over would be fine,” Hiiragi-san agreed.
The three of us were already feeling "full" just from looking at the options. Mika and Saori-chan, however, were still brimming with energy. They were currently staring down the machines with the intensity of hunters stalking prey.
I noticed some brochures by the entrance; I’d have to grab one on the way out. Next time, I was definitely doing some research before coming here.
“I’ve decided! I’m getting this! What about you, Saori-chan?”
“I think... I’ll go with this and this.”
It seemed the girls had made their move. With eyes sparkling, they began tapping buttons and making their purchases. Unlike them, the three of us—after much more deliberation—were probably just going to settle for some pizza and fries to share, along with some tea.
Still, now that we had a plan, we needed to find a place to sit.