At Juzo-san’s prompting, Hiiragi-san and I sat on the sofa opposite him. It was my first time sitting here, and it was incredibly comfortable, cradling my lower back with a gentle, supportive firmness. I wasn't exactly an expert on furniture, but this was clearly a high-end piece.
Hiiragi-san and I wore nervous expressions, sitting in silence as we waited for Juzo-san to speak.
"Now then, I shall wait until Yuji arrives before we discuss the land... Tell me, how is school life? I imagine you've been kept busy lately with the training ground and dungeon exploration, but don't forget you're still students. It's important to make memories and do things typical for your age while you can, you know?"
"Yes, it’s been fairly fulfilling, I think," I replied. "I have a few doubts about whether it’s 'typical,' but I still go out and have fun with friends after school on weekdays and such..."
"I see. That is good to hear. While it is fine to focus on one thing during your youth, having a wide range of experiences makes for a richer life. I had my share of wild streaks when I was young, too..."
"Wild streaks, huh?"
I felt a mixture of curiosity and anxiety at his words. I wanted to ask for details, but I was afraid some terrifying legend of his martial exploits would come out. He had the kind of presence that made it easy to believe stories about him being a delinquent leader who conquered the whole country back in the day.
"Well, all sorts of things. You should enjoy the things you can only do as a student. Fortunately, you lot don't seem to have much need to worry about your wallets."
"That's true. Luckily, we don't have to worry on that front. But we haven't exactly been throwing money around recklessly."
It was true that, thanks to our dungeon exploration rewards, we were wealthy compared to the average high schooler. However, just because we had money didn't mean we knew what to do with it. We didn't have many opportunities to spend, we had no interest in designer brands, and as for luxury cars, none of us even had a license.
Since our only daily expenses were things like snacks after school, our savings just kept growing, excluding the overhead for our dungeon dives.
"Oh, is that so? I think failing once or twice is a good way to learn moderation... but well, everyone has their own way. Enjoy yourselves in reason. It is better to experience a recoverable failure before you make one that cannot be undone."
"I'll keep that in mind. Though, I suppose right now is the biggest spending moment we've had."
"Indeed. Buying such a vast plot of land all of a sudden is quite a bold move."
As he spoke, Juzo-san let out a wry smile and slowly glanced at our faces. Even though he wasn't explicitly scolding us, Hiiragi-san and I instinctively straightened our posture, our bodies tensing up. This... he was definitely going to have something to say.
Just as a strange tension filled the reception room, Yuji entered at the perfect moment, carrying drinks and tea snacks.
"Sorry to keep you waiting... Wait, what’s with this atmosphere?"
Though puzzled by the mood, Yuji began arranging the drinks and snacks on the table. Well, if you walked into a room this thick with tension, you’d probably knit your brows, too.
Once he finished setting everything out, Yuji sat on the sofa next to me.
"Now that everyone is here, shall we begin? You two probably don't have much time on a weekday, after all."
After taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, Juzo-san made his declaration, and we finally got down to business.
Standing up from the sofa, Juzo-san took a large envelope from a document shelf and placed it on the table in front of us.
"These are the documents regarding the land contract that Yuji asked me to look over. The content is just a draft, mind you, not the official sales contract."
With that, Juzo-san opened the envelope and handed Hiiragi-san and me each a bundle of clipped papers. These appeared to be the copies of the contract Yuji had mentioned.
The bundle was about ten pages long, packed front and back with small, dense text.
"There are so many pages."
"Is that so? I consider this to be on the light side," Juzo-san remarked. "If the land had messy complications regarding rights, it would be as thick as a small booklet."
"Is that right? Then the fact that it's only this many pages means the land is in pretty good shape."
"From what I have heard, this land had its rights issues resolved back when a resort development plan was proposed. In that regard, it is good land with few headaches. Normally, with such a vast plot, multiple landowners would be involved, and complications often arise during the contracting phase."
As I marveled at the thickness of the documents, Juzo-san explained the tedious reality of land contracts with a slightly exasperated expression.
It certainly made sense that the more trouble there was, the more pages the contract would require.
"I see... So we can assume there are no issues with the rights to the land we're trying to buy?"
"It is likely fine, but you should ask Kiritani for the details. There are things you cannot understand simply by looking at paper. There could be serious problems that do not appear on the surface... for instance, if the road connecting to the national highway is private property and the owner is in a dispute with the neighbors."
"Oh, I've seen that on the news sometimes," I said. "How a road is private property, so someone puts up obstacles to block people and cars from passing through..."
I recalled a news segment about a person blocking a road in the middle of a neighborhood and demanding a toll. Those kinds of issues wouldn't be listed in a contract, no matter how much you read. You might notice if you talked to the neighbors or the real estate agent before buying, but it wasn't the kind of thing they would proactively volunteer unless the buyer asked. I’d have to check with Kiritani-san.
Still, the fact that such a story was the first thing to come up suggested that the biggest problems with land were usually people and relationships.
"Precisely. Those are the kinds of problems that are invisible on paper. It is too late once you've already bought it."
"I suppose so. Those issues wouldn't be in the documents, so it's probably safer to double-check with the real estate agent almost to the point of being annoying..."
"That would be for the best. Since this job was through my referral, Kiritani should not have introduced any problematic properties. He knows well enough what would happen if he did..."
"I... I see."
For a split second, Juzo-san's expression turned predatory. I was curious about what had happened between him and Kiritani-san in the past, but I was too afraid to ask.
I’d just assume this property was safe.
"Well, you should confirm those details with Kiritani later. He won't want problems arising later due to a lack of communication either. He will answer if you ask focused questions. However, he cannot answer if your questions are too vague, so research past land disputes before you talk to him."
"Understood. It's definitely easier for him if we ask about specific problems rather than just a vague 'how is it.' I'll look up common troubles on the internet."
"Mm."
Past land disputes... We had asked questions about the land itself, but I didn't remember asking things like, "We heard about this kind of trouble happening elsewhere; could it happen here?" We had mostly been viewing the property based on the information Kiritani-san provided. Now that Juzo-san pointed it out, our exchange of questions had been far too shallow.
I’d make a list and ask Kiritani-san if any similar troubles might occur.
"Now, with the preamble out of the way, let us discuss the contract itself."
"Yes, please. So, Juzo-san, how does it look to you?"
"Mm. I have looked it over, and as a contract, there are no major issues. The contents are standard clauses, and there were no items aimed at tricking you."
Hearing that, the three of us breathed a sigh of relief. Juzo-san had been acting so grave that I'd worried we'd done something incredibly stupid.
But our relief was short-lived. Juzo-san’s next words made us straighten our backs in tension once more.
"However, that is only to say there are no problems as a contract. In terms of financial conditions... there is a bit of a question mark."
"...Was there something wrong?"
"Well, if you ask me if this amount is appropriate rent for the size of the land, I do not think it is too high. However, considering the surrounding environment and the underground cavities, you could probably negotiate it down further."
"Actually... this is the first time any of us have ever leased land, so we didn't know if the suggested amount was reasonable," I admitted. "That's why we wanted to consult you. Is it expensive, then? According to the rent info we looked up, we thought it was manageable..."
We had no idea what the market rate was. Even when we tried to look it up online, every property had different conditions, so it wasn't much help. The only thing we found was the vague rule that monthly rent should be a certain percentage of the sale price.
In that state, judging if the price was fair was impossible.
"As far as the market rate goes, it is not expensive, but that would be for land in a residential area. Given the situation surrounding this plot, you could probably lower it more. Though, given the sheer size, they likely will not give you a massive discount."
"No, if there's even a chance they'll give us a discount, we should definitely negotiate. The less money going out, the better."
"True. Well, consider it a learning experience and try your hand at negotiating."
"We'll do our best."
The discussion about rent reached a temporary conclusion, and we all took a moment to sip our tea. I had expected much harsher criticism, so I was glad it had only been this much.
Once he finished his tea, Juzo-san continued, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Now for the next matter. I want to confirm something first: the purpose of using this land is to build a training ground for explorers, correct?"
"Yes, that's right. We wanted a place where we could move around at full speed to practice teamwork and use attack skills."
"Therein lies the issue. If you intend to use it that way, you will need to obtain various permissions from the Dungeon Association, right? Will you be able to get those permissions just because you leased this land?"
"That is, well... we haven't confirmed that yet. We thought we'd do it after we decided on a place..."
At our hesitant response, Juzo-san placed a hand to his forehead and let out a heavy, weary sigh.
"You lot... That is the very first thing you should have confirmed. What do you plan to do if the permission isn't granted after you've already signed the lease? Before having a contract like this drawn up, you should have confirmed with the Dungeon Association whether permission to use skills would be granted! You have jumped the gun!"
"We're sorry!"
"Sigh. Well, I suppose you got carried away after finally finding a good property, but you must calm down and proceed in the proper order. First, you must explain the situation to Kiritani, ask to delay the signing, and then get permission from the Dungeon Association. If you cannot use the land for your purpose, there is no point in leasing it. And when you call Kiritani, make sure you apologize properly for your blunder."
"Yes, we'll make sure to apologize thoroughly."
The three of us could only shrink back in shame, hanging our heads before Juzo-san. My face felt like it was burning.
He was right. We’d gotten ahead of ourselves just because we found a nice spot. If the permission to use skills wasn't granted, the lease agreement didn't matter at all. It would be the ultimate case of putting the cart before the horse.
It was an obvious mistake, and we had been too swept up in the excitement to see it.