Once we finished discussing which skills might be viable for the construction tests, we took a break for tea. We had packed a lot of information into the session, and I figured Kiritani-san and Yuta-san needed a moment to organize their thoughts.
While there were plenty of skills that could be useful for construction alongside dungeon exploration, securing explorers capable of mastering those skills was another matter entirely. Given that their industrial effectiveness wasn't yet fully proven, any company hiring them would have to weigh the risks carefully.
"…Say, Hirose-kun," Kiritani-san began. "Suppose we hire explorers with these skills. Is there a chance the authorities might turn around and tell us that using skills on a construction site isn't permitted? If we can't secure the necessary permits after putting people on the payroll, it would be a significant loss."
"…That’s hard to say," Yuji replied. "Currently, if an explorer wants to use a skill on private property, they have to apply for a permit from the Dungeon Association. If the relevant authorities approve, they’re good to go. However, that regulation was designed with the assumption that explorers would be practicing their skills outside of dungeons. It wasn't written with industrial use by a corporation in mind."
"So, you don't know if the permits would be granted?"
"No. In a sense, construction using explorer skills would be considered a specialized technique that differs from existing methods, which means its safety hasn't been officially vetted. If the government verifies these methods and confirms they’re safe, they’ll likely grant permission… but that process could take anywhere from months to years. Oh, but there might already be companies or institutions testing these methods. If so, the timeline could move up. After all, dungeons have been around for over a year now. Domestic and foreign governments and corporations are bound to be researching everything related to them."
I figured Core Crystal power generation was a prime example of that. It wasn't the kind of thing that could have been developed without an exhaustive study of Core Crystal properties. And as long as research into the application of drop items existed, it was a safe bet that skill application was being studied too. The Self-Defense Forces teams were at the forefront of dungeon capture in Japan. Given how often the SDF was deployed for disaster relief in this country, there was no way they weren't researching how explorer skills could be used for recovery and reconstruction.
If that was the case, it was reasonable to assume the government was already moving forward with verifying these construction methods behind the scenes.
"…I’ll try to probe some of my connections on that front," Kiritani-san mused. "If we’ve thought of it, others have too. Someone, somewhere, must be making progress on this research."
"I don't know if they'll be willing to share, but the Self-Defense Forces are probably your best bet," Yuji suggested. "They’re the most advanced organization in the country when it comes to dungeon capture. I'm sure they've explored all sorts of ways to use skills."
"In that case… maybe I'll try to get a rise out of that acquaintance of mine. I should be able to gauge something from his reaction."
"Kiritani-san, please don't be too aggressive about it," Yuji warned, looking a bit anxious as he countered the president's ominous mumbling. "They’re a national organization, and they might be bound by confidentiality agreements. I’d hate for them to start suspecting us just because we were the ones who brought it up."
Even if the idea was something any explorer with knowledge of skills could come up with, the SDF was the kind of organization that would investigate anyone who poked their nose into classified matters.
"Hm? Oh, you're right. Indeed. Let’s start by looking into the safer channels first."
"Please do."
I felt relieved when Kiritani-san accepted Yuji's advice. Since we were hiding things that would cause us no end of trouble if discovered, I didn't want him doing anything reckless that might blow back on us.
With the report on the development verification concluded, we shifted the discussion toward our next steps. This verification had been a way for Kiritani-san and Yuta-san to gain the foundational knowledge required for explorer-led development, which in turn helped them narrow down the requirements for the land they would find for us.
Thanks to our previous site visits, we had already identified several candidates even before the tests. Today’s results provided the final push needed to make a selection.
"Based on what we’ve learned today, these are the properties I’d like to recommend to you," Kiritani-san said.
He pulled two sheets of paper from a stack of documents and placed them on the table. As we looked them over, he gave us a brief summary of each.
"The first property is in the mountains. The local train line doesn't run very often, but there's a station nearby, so the access isn't terrible. There’s also a small town nearby with a home center, which should make procuring supplies for your development work relatively easy."
"…It doesn't seem to be that far from our town, either," I noted, checking the map. "If we push ourselves, we might even manage to get there by bicycle."
"I suppose explorers like you might manage that…" Kiritani-san said, looking a bit skeptical. "But a private vehicle would be much better."
"I'll look into that once I'm old enough to get a license," I replied.
The property was dozens of kilometers away from my house—not a distance a normal person would ever consider for a bike ride. Kiritani-san and Yuta-san had been working with us on this explorer-standard property search for so long that they were starting to accept our logic with a simple "Well, they're explorers, so I guess it’s possible?" They looked a little awkward as they answered, but the shock and disbelief that used to plaster their faces had vanished.
I wasn't sure if they had just gotten used to us or if their common sense had simply been eroded away, but Kiritani-san’s perspective was clearly shifting.
"So, Kiritani-san, does that home center offer delivery?" Yuji asked.
"I did a quick check, and it looks like they will for a fee. However…"
"They won't deliver if it's too deep in the mountains, right?"
"Exactly. Unless it’s a site that at least has a road passable by a standard vehicle, getting things delivered will be difficult."
Even if they did deliver, it would likely only be to the edge of the development site. We would need to set up a materials depot or an unloading zone along the road. If the leased land itself touched the road, we were fine; otherwise, we might have to lease a separate small patch of land for unloading just to keep our activities camouflaged.
Yuji must have been thinking the same thing, because he asked about the site's layout. "Kiritani-san, does this land have any road access?"
"Let’s see… yes, it should be fine. The access point is narrow, but a portion of the property borders the road. It also serves as the entrance to the land, so you should be able to clear a path for bringing in materials."
"I see… then logistics shouldn't be an issue."
"I believe so."
If we could bring in materials openly, it would make the development much easier, even if the work itself looked a bit suspicious. We could explain away the speed of the work because we were explorers, but we couldn't easily hide where and how we were transporting massive quantities of supplies. Being able to work without drawing unwanted attention was a major plus.
"And how much traffic does the road bordering the land get?" I asked.
"It's not a main thoroughfare between towns, and there aren't any large factories or tourist spots nearby. You’ll rarely see a person or a car passing through."
"So we can assume we’ll have plenty of privacy."
Thanks to the many site visits we had already conducted, this property seemed to meet almost every single one of our requirements. We wouldn't know for sure until we saw it in person, but based on the paperwork, I was already impressed. It was quite spacious, which made it ideal for a training ground.
"It sounds like a great property. I’d love to see it for myself."
"I agree," Yuji said. "You can't tell everything from documents. It’s important to see it with your own eyes."
Kiritani-san and Yuta-san looked pleased by our positive response. After all the trouble they had gone through during our previous searches, they finally seemed to have a handle on what we were looking for, despite how much our needs differed from a typical client's. Yuta-san, in particular, looked especially satisfied since he was the one who had to do the legwork on the ground.
Buoyed by the success of the first property, Kiritani-san moved on to the second document with an air of triumph.
"The second property is a plot of land on a coastal cape."
"A cape? As in a landmass jutting out into the ocean?" I asked.
"Yes, exactly. It's a bit of a trek from the nearest public transportation, but that means there are no shops or houses anywhere near it. A road runs close to it, but it’s a dead end, so you’ll almost never see a car."
"Wait… are you saying this property is the entire cape?"
Yuji and I stared at the second document. An entire cape?
"Yes. The property consists of a steep cliff covered in thickets. It’s been left untouched because it’s considered difficult to develop."
"A steep cliff covered in thicket… is there any flat ground where we could build a small cabin or something?"
"There is. Only the area directly along the coast is a cliff. Most of the rest is just overgrown brush. If you clear it out, you’ll have plenty of room for a building."
"I see… but I can't really get a sense of it until I see the site. On paper, it's bigger than the first property, but I can't quite picture the layout…"
I felt the same way. When I heard "cape," I thought of tourist spots with lighthouses, but I knew that wasn't what he was offering. A steep cliff by the sea… it sounded like the kind of place where a detective drama would reach its climax.
I was having a hard time visualizing the reality of the place.
"Well, why don't you go take a look? You still have time today, don't you?" Kiritani-san suggested.
"Eh? Oh, yes. We planned to spend the whole day on the development verification, so our schedule is clear."
"Then I’ll have Yuta-kun drive you over. It won't take long to get there, and seeing is believing, after all. Yuta-kun, is that alright with you?"
"Yes, sir. No problem. Including the site visit itself, I think we can be back in two or three hours."
Since we were clearly struggling to wrap our heads around the description, Kiritani-san’s offer was a lifesaver. The first property was easy to imagine because it was similar to what we had seen before, but this one… yeah, it was definitely better to just go see it.
We gave a small, apologetic bow to Yuta-san, who was being asked to drive us for the second time in one day.
"Alright then, Yuta-kun, take them to see the site. In the meantime, I’ll review the footage from today’s test. I have the general idea from your report, but I want to see the tunnel-digging process for myself."
"Understood. The footage is unedited, so it might be a bit rough in places, but I’ll leave the recording gear on your desk, President."
"Good. Yuta-kun, get moving."
"Roger that. Everyone, I’ll go get ready. Give me a moment."
Yuta-san and Kiritani-san gave us a quick nod before leaving the room to prepare. Left alone, we sat and chatted about the documents while finishing our tea.
"A cape, huh… what is that place even going to look like? I have no idea."
"It probably isn't a scenic vista from a travel brochure," Yuji said. "But if it’s covered in thicket, it shouldn't be a total rock pile. I can't picture it either."
"Me neither," I admitted. "But Kiritani-san wouldn't show us something completely useless. We're about to find out anyway, so let’s hold our judgment until we get there."
We decided to wait and see, sipping the last of our tea while we waited for Yuta-san to return.
I wondered what kind of place it would turn out to be. It felt like we had just stumbled upon a diamond in the rough.