After discussing the rental contract for the Cape property with Kiritani-san, we agreed to move forward with terms that largely mirrored our previous agreement. Since the biggest hurdle had always been whether or not the skill use certification would be granted, the basic contractual conditions were easy enough to reuse.
However, the conversation did get a bit lively regarding one specific point that had come to light during the certification process.
"Regarding the renovation of the fence—should we arrange for a contractor on our end? They’re an associate of mine, so I’m sure they could offer a decent discount..."
"Ah, no. For now, we’re thinking of leaving the fence as it is. Tearing it down and installing a new one would be quite expensive. Besides, we’ve been talking about trying to build an earth wall ourselves as part of our magic skill practice..."
Although we had received a passing rating in the recent inspection, our opinions and those of Kiritani Real Estate differed regarding the fence. From Kiritani-san's perspective, he wanted to renovate it to serve as a reference for future explorer-oriented properties. On the other hand, we wanted to handle it ourselves to gain experience with our skills.
Well, it’s also fair to say we were hesitating because a professional renovation would be incredibly pricey. It wouldn't be difficult to come up with the funds since we still have the hush money left, but if we squander it without thinking, our financial balance will eventually collapse.
"I see... Since this is a lease, I can't realistically cover the full amount, but our side would be willing to bear some of the costs for the renovation, you know?"
Since we had received a passing rating, we were technically allowed to keep the current fence. Therefore, Kiritani Real Estate's stance was that since they were already performing maintenance, they wouldn't perform a full renovation themselves at this stage. As a company, it was only natural that they wouldn't want to incur unnecessary costs if there were no legal violations or safety hazards.
While they didn't object to us replacing the fence, they were offering to cover part of the cost, which was a very generous condition. However, once we have the certification, we can provide a substitute for the fence using our own skills. Considering the expenses, declining was the only logical choice.
"I appreciate the offer, truly, but we want to try moving forward with the renovations using our own strength first. If it goes well, we can significantly reduce the costs."
"I see... Understood. Then, if you ever decide you need a specialist, please let me know. Through this job, I have quite a bit of influence with those kinds of contractors and would be happy to introduce you."
"Thank you. First, we’re going to sit down and discuss exactly what kind of training ground we want to build, then we’ll draw up a concrete plan based on the inspection results. Some parts of our initial plan look like they might be problematic..."
When we first viewed the Cape property, we had imagined a shooting range where we could fire magic toward the sea, but Kawakita-san’s feedback revealed that such an idea was a non-starter. If we had built it without that being pointed out, we likely would have caused a serious accident eventually.
Because the original plan was riddled with potential issues, we needed to go back to the drawing board. We had been discussing the renovations bit by bit since the preliminary inspection, so I didn't think it would take too long to produce a concrete proposal.
"It’s common to adjust plans based on inspection results," Kiritani-san said. "Fortunately, you aren't bound by troublesome restrictions like delivery dates or handover deadlines, so you can afford to take your time. If you build structures haphazardly, it’s a massive pain to remove them later. I'm sure you're eager to get started, but it's safer to wait until you've solidified the overall vision."
"Solidifying the vision... Thank you for the advice. It’s a vast piece of land, but we can't just build things randomly. It would be a disaster if we ended up with lodging facilities right next to a loud shooting range."
A lodging facility where intense vibrations and the sound of explosions echoed constantly... yeah, that would be the worst possible layout. Staying there every night would probably drive someone straight into a sleep-deprivation-induced breakdown.
Even if we were doing the construction ourselves, we needed to give proper consideration to the layout of the facility.
"Indeed. Well then, shall we proceed with the contract based on the previous draft?"
"Yes, please. Oh, but let’s wait to sign the formal agreement until the skill use certification is officially in our hands. I'm sure it'll be fine at this point, but just in case..."
"Understood. I will prepare a draft and send it over, so please review the terms and conditions."
"Will do."
With the talk regarding the rental contract settled, we decided to sign the final paperwork once the certification was official. We’d come so far; there was no way our application would be rejected now... right?
About a week later, we received word from Kiritani Real Estate: our skill use certification application had been approved. When the news came, the feeling of relief far outweighed the surprise.
I was truly glad we’d made it.
"Whew... looks like we passed."
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. "I was starting to worry. If we’d failed despite the inspection, we would have had to do a total renovation of the Cape."
"That would have been impossible for us, both in terms of time and money," Hiiragi-san added. "I'm so glad we passed this time."
I was relieved they didn't demand an excellent rating across the board to grant the certification. Considering that just renovating the fence could cost anywhere from several million to nearly ten million yen if we hired a contractor, a total renovation would have been unthinkable. Even though we can earn a lot through dungeon exploration, we can't just pour money into a pit.
If it came to that, independent explorers would never be able to own a private training ground unless they were backed by a dungeon-related company with massive capital. As romantic as the idea was, the cost was just too high.
"Exactly," I said. "But now there are no more obstacles. With the certification, we can renovate the Cape using our own skills, which will keep costs down. Now, how should we change the layout..."
"Whoa there, Daiki, you're getting ahead of yourself. Did you forget Kiritani-san's advice already? If we don't solidify the vision first, it'll just be a cluttered mess. We have to think about the aesthetics, too."
"He's right," Hiiragi-san said. "We have no intention of selling it now, but if we ever decide to let the property go in the future, an organized, tidy site will attract far more buyers than a haphazard facility."
As I grinned, caught up in the excitement of finally being able to build our own facility, Yuji and Hiiragi-san quickly reined me in. They were right; just because we finally had a place to ourselves didn't mean we should act on every whim.
I took a deep breath to calm down.
"Sorry, sorry. You’re right—planning is key. It would be a disaster if we couldn't sell it later because we messed it up now."
"I think private training grounds are rare now," Yuji said, "but in a few years, any organization of a certain size will want one. Take dungeon-related companies—if they want to secure materials regularly, they'll need to train their own high-level explorers... which means raising newcomers from scratch. We might be able to sell the place to one of them down the line."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san added. "To raise your level, you need to defeat monsters inside a dungeon, but you can develop skills and techniques safely outside. Practical combat is important, but if a company wants to reliably increase its numbers, it’s better to train newcomers in skill usage and situational awareness before sending them into a real dungeon. I’m sure we’ll see more organizations looking for their own facilities."
I nodded, following their logic. Dungeon-related companies would accumulate their own unique know-how as the years went by, and they would likely want to keep those secrets away from competitors. A private facility was the perfect solution. A company's power lay in the strength of its explorers, its efficiency in collecting materials, and its ability to sustain long-term exploration. The stronger the explorers, the deeper they could go to find rare materials, leading to higher profits.
And to achieve that... they needed a steady supply of high-quality newcomers.
"For an explorer, getting injured is just part of the job," I noted. "Even if you can heal with recovery potions, many people retire because of the mental trauma. Unless a company can keep bringing in quality rookies, they won't just stagnate—they'll decline as they lose people."
"And to prevent that, you have to maintain a certain standard of quality. Scouting veterans is an option, but it’s not a stable way to maintain numbers. Raising them yourself is better. But you can't just throw rookies into a dungeon without a plan; they need a safe environment to learn the basics. And for that, you need..."
"A training ground outside the dungeon," Hiiragi-san finished. "Complete with a skill use certification."
Yeah. If we built it properly now, we could sell it even if we didn't need it ourselves in a few years. As long as we didn't get too greedy and just focused on covering the land price, renovation, and maintenance, it would be a solid investment.
If we tried to inflate the price too much, the sheer size of the property might make it hard to sell, though.
"Let’s build this place with the future in mind."
"Agreed."
"Right."
We resolved to build a respectable... or at least a decent-looking training facility. The last thing we wanted was for it to turn into a negative property because of our own lack of foresight.
Saturday. After school, we went home to gather our things before heading to Kiritani Real Estate.
"It’s finally contract day. I’m actually a little nervous."
"Me too," I admitted. "Not long ago, I never would have imagined signing a land contract. Especially while still in high school."
"I feel the same way," Hiiragi-san said. "I thought the earliest I’d ever do something like this was after moving out for university or a job."
We walked toward the office, our faces more tense than we had expected. It was probably the most nervous the three of us had been since our very first dungeon dive.
As we got closer to the building, our conversation died out, replaced by a heavy silence.
"We're here."
"Yeah, we are."
"Here we go."
Even though we had visited this shop many times before, we all stood in front of the door and swallowed hard. The gulp was so loud I wondered if people on the street could hear it.
After taking one deep breath in unison to steady our nerves, we stepped forward and climbed the stairs.
"...I'm opening the door."
Yuji’s short confirmation was met with silent, tense nods from Hiiragi-san and me.
He slowly turned the knob and spoke in a voice that was clearly strained despite his best efforts to sound calm.
"Hello. I'm Hirose. We’re here for the rental contract."
"Hello."
As we stepped inside and announced ourselves, Yuta-san appeared from the back of the office.
"Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you. Please, have a seat in the back."
Yuta-san greeted us with his usual friendly demeanor, leading us toward the reception area.
To him, a rental contract was just a routine part of the job, so he had no reason to share our anxiety. Seeing him acting like it was any other day helped some of that pointless tension bleed out of us.
"I’ll go get the President, so please wait just a moment. Oh, and the usual drinks for everyone?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
"Right away."
We gave a small bow as Yuta-san left the room. Once he was gone, we all let out a long, collective sigh, finally letting our shoulders drop.
That’s right. We’d worked hard to reach this moment. There was no need to be this worked up.
With the certification in hand, the real work was about to begin.