We decided to give Saori-chan and the others some time to let the information sink in and cool their heads. Even if we tried to explain more now, it would likely just result in information overload.
I spent about ten minutes killing time with mundane classroom chatter. Once I saw that Saori-chan and the girls had regained their composure, I picked up where I left off.
“I’m sorry for interrupting the flow like that...” Saori apologized.
““We’re very sorry.””
“No, no, don't worry about it. It’s a lot to take in, so it’s only natural to be confused.”
The three of them gave a slight bow, and I waved my hand with a smile to show I didn't mind. It was perfectly understandable for them to be flustered, given that they hadn't received any prior warning that we were looking to buy a training ground.
“So, for now, Yuji’s Old Man has introduced us to a real estate agent he knows, and we’re in the middle of scouting potential sites for the training ground.”
“Are you actually taking action already...?”
“Yeah. We’ve gone to several property viewings, so we have our eyes on a few candidates, but we’re still officially searching.”
“That’s incredible. I had no idea things had progressed so far...”
Saori-chan and the others murmured in admiration, looks of surprise still etched on their faces. From their perspective, they’d only just heard about the plan, so I suppose the fact that we were already well into the execution phase was a second shock.
I hadn't mentioned specifics like the budget, but hearing that their seniors were in the market for land... well, I couldn't blame them for being stunned.
“The project has been in motion since around summer vacation. Thanks to a very helpful real estate agent, we’ve been able to look for properties that meet our specific criteria.”
“Finding a plot of land for an explorer is a lot more complicated and specialized than your average search,” Yuji added. “If it hadn’t been for the agent the Old Man introduced us to, we probably would’ve been shown the door as soon as we laid out our requirements. What an explorer needs is worlds apart from what a normal person looks for.”
“That’s true,” Hiiragi-san agreed. “A general real estate agent in town that primarily handles rentals like apartments and condos likely wouldn't have the kind of properties we’re after. In that sense, we were lucky we didn't have to spend weeks just trying to find a professional who could even understand our needs.”
I said "since summer vacation," but in reality, we’d only started right at the very end. Still, as Yuji and Hiiragi-san pointed out, being introduced to Kiritani-san was a godsend.
Just to be sure, I had once checked the listings posted outside a real estate office near the station, but there was nothing remotely like the secluded mountain plots we were finding at Kiritani Real Estate. If I’d gone inside and asked, they might have had something in their database, but judging by their window displays, it was clearly outside their wheelhouse.
“So real estate agents have their own specialties too,” Mika noted.
“Just like any industry, the scope is huge once you break it down. They build their businesses around their strengths as a selling point. Some specialize in rentals, others in community-rooted residential sales.”
“That makes sense. If the scope is too wide, you wouldn't even know where to begin the consultation. It’s probably easier for the client if the focus is narrowed down.”
“Exactly. And the agent we were introduced to is particularly strong in rural land—mountains and forests far from human habitation. If we’re going to build a training ground where we can get permission to use attack skills, we don't really have any choice but to look in places like that.”
As I gave a brief overview of Kiritani Real Estate, Saori-chan and the others nodded with understanding. Securing permission to use attack skills was the most vital condition for the training ground project. There would be no point in building a facility if we couldn't actually practice our skills there.
I then went on to describe some of the properties we had viewed so far.
“Wow... a former mine. I never knew you could even buy land like that.”
“We only found out how many strange properties are out there by looking,” I said.
“In a normal life, that’s a world you’d never have any connection to,” Tatebayashi-san remarked. “But even if it fit your criteria, shouldn't you stay away from a place like that? There’s always the risk of toxic substances leaking out.”
“We had the same concern. It was just too dangerous, so we passed. If something went wrong, there’s no way we could take responsibility for it.”
“Good point. But you also said that with mountain land, people might dump industrial waste there without you knowing...?”
“Remote land away from the public eye is convenient for people trying to do illegal things. If we buy a place like that, we’ll have to install fences and multiple surveillance cameras... It sounds like it’ll be a real pain to manage.”
The properties we’d seen in the beginning were from when our requirements were still vague, so they were full of issues that were too large to ignore. Even if they were cheap, we couldn't afford to buy something that might result in legal battles or police involvement.
In hindsight, those initial listings Kiritani-san showed us were like ‘tutorial’ properties meant to teach us the harsh realities of land hunting. It didn’t seem like he ever actually expected us to buy them.
“So, that’s where we are. We’re still cycling through the various listings he sends us.”
“And every trip is a learning experience,” Yuji admitted. “To be honest, I think I took the whole idea of buying land way too lightly. I’m really feeling that now. I should’ve studied up more before we started moving.”
“I feel the same,” Hiiragi-san sighed. “We managed to earn the money for it through the explorer profession, but we’re painfully aware that we lacked the knowledge to use that money effectively.”
Recounting it all made us sigh at our own naivety. We’d set conditions only to change them after every viewing, and after our sudden windfall, we’d jacked up the budget and switched from buying to leasing... yeah, our planning had been pretty sloppy.
“There, there. You’re making up for the lack of knowledge with legwork. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect place eventually, Onii-chan.”
“Buying land really is complicated...”
“Yeah. Not that we have the kind of money to even think about it anyway...”
The four girls, led by Mika, gave us sympathetic but slightly hollow laughs.
High schoolers burdened with real estate woes were a rare breed indeed. They could offer a wry smile, but they couldn't exactly relate.
Once I’d finished explaining the training ground purchase plan to the extent I could, I asked them to keep it under wraps. Even if word got out, most students would probably take it as a joke, but there were always people who would believe anything.
Thanks to the school festival, our club—and us specifically—stood out quite a bit. I didn't want to throw fresh fuel on the fire and cause another scene.
“So, that’s the deal. I’d appreciate it if you kept the training ground project a secret.”
“Of course. I won't say a word,” Saori promised.
“Same here. Though I doubt anyone would believe me if I did...”
“I don't know about that,” Tatebayashi-san countered. “Given your track record so far, Seniors, I think a lot of people might take it seriously. But don't worry, I won't talk either.”
“Haha, thanks. I’m counting on you.”
Though a lingering sense of unease remained, I chose to trust the three of them. With that settled, I moved on to the proposal the three of us had discussed earlier.
“Now then, let’s change gears. I want to talk about the club's new policy, and it actually ties into what we were just discussing.”
“It does?” Mika asked.
“In a way. You remember how our presentation at the school festival was a huge success? It got a lot more attention than we expected.”
“Yeah. It was exhausting dealing with all the visitors, and even after the festival, I’ve been bombarded with questions by other students who work as explorers.”
“The school distributing copies of our materials helped things settle down, but I still have people coming to me for advice,” Tatebayashi-san added.
It seemed Mika and the others had also had a rough time since the festival. Since our presentation had direct implications for student explorers, the fallout had been significant.
Relief, shock, despair—the reactions had run the whole gamut.
“Right. Regardless of the chaos, it’s safe to say the presentation was a major success. But we can't let that be our only achievement.”
“I guess not. So what’s the plan? We still have the bookkeeping certification exam in November...”
“Exactly,” Tatebayashi-san said, looking a little concerned. “You said you wanted the exam results to be the club's main achievement, right, Seniors?”
“That was the original plan, yeah. But I realized that our experience with the training ground project could be turned into a club activity.”
“The training ground project? I don't think many students are looking to buy land...” Tatebayashi-san tilted her head.
I nodded in agreement. “You’re right, they aren't. But don't you think there are plenty of students who want to rent a place for themselves? Especially the third-years, with graduation just a few months away?”
““““Ah!””””
“Exactly. I think plenty of third-years will be thinking about leaving home and starting out on their own once they head off to college or start working...”
All four girls looked enlightened.
“Most students won't have the first clue where to start when it comes to their first apartment hunt. They'll just be wandering aimlessly. What if our club put out information regarding real estate rental contracts? It might not be as explosive as our school festival presentation, but I think it would draw a significant amount of interest.”
“You’re right. A lot of students think about living alone for college, but they have no idea how the process actually works,” Tatebayashi-san said thoughtfully.
“And this year’s third-years have been working as explorers since last year, so they probably have a decent amount of money saved up.”
“They might be dreaming of nice rooms and fancy furniture. Reusing your experience for a topic like that would definitely get people’s attention,” Tatebayashi-san concluded, clearly convinced.
“It would draw interest and provide a tangible service to the student body. I think we can definitely count that as a club achievement.”
“In terms of activity results, providing information that actually helps people is perfect.”
“Right? We’ll keep the bookkeeping certification as planned, but in terms of our contribution to the school, a research project like this would be very easy for the administration to recognize.”
The four girls exchanged looks and nodded. They agreed, albeit with one condition.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with the bookkeeping certification exam... then I think it’s a great idea.”
“I agree,” Mika said. “We’ve worked too hard studying to fail the exam because we got distracted by something else.”
“Me too,” Saori-chan added. “I really want to pass after all this work.”
“I’m with the others,” the last girl chimed in.
They weren't against the idea, but the qualification exam was their priority. Given the choice, they’d choose the certification every time.
“Of course. That’s perfectly fine. We’ve all studied hard, and if we’re going to take the exam, we should aim to pass. Besides, as long as we can compile the findings by the end of the year, there’s no rush.”
The four of them looked visibly relieved.
It seemed the club's new direction had been officially accepted.
A new course set, despite a bit of initial bewilderment.