Following our discussion about the contract changes with Hirose-kun and his party, I threw myself into preparations for a session to verify data on the development capabilities of explorers. Calling it "data collection" was a bit of a stretch, though; we were complete amateurs in that field and hadn't the foggiest idea what kind of data we actually needed. I had to start from square one.
I figured the best way to begin was to seek help from experts who actually knew what they were doing.
"President, do you have a moment? I’d like to run something by you."
"Hm? Oh, Yuta-kun. What’s on your mind?"
"It’s about the matter with Hirose-kun and the others. I’m thinking of asking these three individuals to help with the first verification session. What do you think?"
With an expression mixing anxiety and hesitation, I handed the President a sheet containing brief profiles of the experts I intended to recruit. I had worked with these people on a different matter before, so I figured they would be easy to talk to.
The President looked over the profiles, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"It looks like a solid lineup. Since this is the first session, it’s all about establishing a baseline for explorers. Besides, if we crowd the place with too many specialists, Hirose-kun and his party might get nervous and fail to perform at their best. An expert in terrain and geology, one for forestry, and another for construction... for the initial stages of land development, this selection is perfect. More importantly, as long as you stress that this is strictly confidential, those three aren't the type to go blabbing about what they see. At this stage, I want to keep our data collection partnership as quiet as possible."
"I understand. This is a golden opportunity to get a head start on the competition. Based on my experience accompanying them on property viewings, I suspect Hirose-kun’s work is going to be quite shocking. Even for experts, they likely haven't seen top-tier explorers in action."
"Likely so. Based on the footage you brought back from the viewing, they should be able to clear land at a speed at least comparable to heavy machinery... and as a single individual, no less."
I thought to myself that anyone with a normal sense of reality was about to witness a scene that defied common sense. The experts would probably end up shell-shocked by the end of it, but I’d just have to hope they’d appreciate the experience.
After all, a few years from now, this might become a common sight.
"Yes. Even Hirose-kun and his party gave off the impression that while development takes time, it doesn't require much effort. I think they can handle minor civil engineering—the kind that usually requires heavy machinery—with a DIY mindset."
"DIY, huh? I suppose that might be exactly how it feels from their perspective."
"I believe that as long as they have the tools, the development will proceed with that level of ease."
"As long as they have the tools... In that case, it would be wise to gather data on exactly what kind of tools they need to work efficiently. In the future, when we start marketing properties specifically for explorers, we could provide those tools as a 'development kit.' I imagine it would be very well-received."
I nodded, impressed by the President's suggestion. It was true that even if someone acquired land, trying to develop it by trial and error would be a nightmare. In this day and age, you can find a fair amount of information online, but it’s a total mixed bag—some of it is reliable, while the rest is complete garbage. If we could provide high-quality, foundational information as part of the purchase, we might attract customers who were previously too intimidated by the lack of knowledge to take the plunge.
A company that provides the essential knowledge for explorers to build their own training grounds... that would be a unique weapon that no other firm could easily replicate. Even if the information eventually leaked through talkative customers, as long as we established our brand through proper advertising, the circulation of that data would only cement our status as the pioneers of the field.
"Understood. I'll look into various options for development tools while consulting with Hirose-kun and the others."
"I'm counting on you. Once we have the data, we might even collaborate with manufacturers to create an original line of tools for explorers. If they're working with the power of heavy machinery, standard tools probably won't be durable enough to withstand their strength."
"A dedicated brand of tools and agricultural equipment for explorers... the possibilities are endless, President."
"Yes. But everything hinges on whether we can get high-quality data. I'm counting on you for the verification session, Yuta-kun. I'll reach out to the experts on this list myself. They aren't likely to refuse, so proceed with the preparations on the assumption that they'll be there."
"Yes, sir! I'll get right on it."
After bowing to the President, I began organizing the session with the three experts in mind.
Once the development verification session was over—conducted under the supervision of the experts with the full cooperation of Hirose-kun’s party—the four of us returned to the office. While Hirose-kun and his friends waited in the reception room, I headed back to the main office to give the President a brief report. Since the results of this session would influence our entire business strategy, he was clearly anxious for the details.
As soon as I walked in, the President gestured for me to come over, his face a mask of intense curiosity and nerves.
"Good work, Yuta-kun. So, how did it go? I received some brief calls from the experts, but they sounded absolutely exhausted. They mentioned seeing something incredible, but they also sounded like they were in some kind of daze..."
"Ah, they contacted you already? When we parted ways, they looked like their souls had left their bodies, so I was a bit worried."
It was no wonder they were shell-shocked. After all, they’d watched a tunnel get bored through a mountain and a forest cleared in the blink of an eye.
"I see... So, what actually happened? It's a bit worrying to have all three experts sounding that stunned. Was it really that shocking?"
"Well... yes. Very."
To answer the President's question, I summarized the events of the session one by one. We’d started with simple digging as a warm-up, moved on to tunnel excavation to test their limits, then handled the clearing and stump removal necessary for forest land, and finished with construction training for rest areas and storage sheds. It was staggering how much they had accomplished in just a few short hours.
And the results were far beyond what anyone would believe possible through human effort alone.
"...I see. If that’s what they were watching, I can't blame them for their reactions. We had the benefit of seeing them work during the property viewing, so while it's still amazing, we aren't at the point of refusing to believe our own eyes."
"Actually, President, even I was stunned. Watching them punch a hole through a rocky mountain in minutes... I knew they could do it, but seeing them do it so casually was something else entirely. I recorded the whole thing, so you can see for yourself. You're going to be speechless."
"When you put it that way, I'm almost afraid to watch... but it’s vital data. I’ll review it carefully later."
"It’s incredible footage. You have a lot to look forward to."
The President winced slightly at my intensity, but I really wanted him to understand the scale of it. A video wouldn't be as visceral as being there, but it would be enough to get the point across. Solid rock being hollowed out like butter... Hirose-kun and the others claimed the rock was "soft" and easy to dig, but what on earth constitutes a "soft rock" to people like them?
I thought I’d come to understand explorers after the viewings, but apparently, once you hit a certain level, the impossible becomes mundane.
"Right. Anyway, Yuta-kun, you're keeping Hirose-kun and the others waiting, aren't you? Let’s head downstairs."
"Eh? Ah, is it that late already?! Sorry, President, I’ll get ready! Oh, and here—while you’re waiting for me to finish the tea, please take a look at a bit of today's footage. It’s even wilder than you think."
I handed the President the data from the session and then hurried to prepare the property documents and tea.
A few minutes later, when I looked back to call him, I saw the President staring at the monitor with his eyes wide and his jaw practically on the floor. It looked like he’d reached the tunnel excavation scene.
"President? President!"
"Hm?! Oh, Yuta-kun. Are you ready?"
"Yes. Well? What do you think of their digging speed?"
"The impact is on a completely different level when you see it for yourself. So this is an explorer's development capability... If they can do this, I can see why they're so confident about handling remote properties on their own."
The President let out a heavy sigh, looking somewhere between impressed and defeated. He was clearly realizing that in a few years, he would be doing business with people like this regularly. Until now, working with explorers had just meant renting apartments near dungeons—it was just an extension of normal real estate.
But the industry's common sense—something he’d thought would be mostly untouched by the arrival of dungeons—was clearly about to be overhauled at a terrifying pace. It was a massive business opportunity, but the struggle to adapt to these new customer needs was going to be exhausting.
"Indeed. We should probably head down, President..."
"Ah, right. We've kept them long enough. I’ll finish the video later."
The President closed the window, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and then put on his professional face as he followed me out.
During our meeting, Hirose-kun and his party explained the sheer utility of skills. They ranged from the flashy "magic" found in games to subtle but vital physical buffs, and even convenient everyday abilities.
Personally, I was intrigued by the flashier stuff—conjuring flames or controlling the wind. The President, on the other hand, was far more interested in practical utility like the Cleansing skill. He was already calculating how much he could save on turnover cleaning costs if he had an employee who could use it. Honestly, for everyday life, convenience-type skills did seem much more useful than combat ones.
"I see. If we hire former explorers, we'll need to evaluate them based on their skills as much as their level," the President noted. "A person's value could change drastically depending on what they can do, even at a lower level."
"That's true," Hirose-kun replied. "However, skills require the energy you gain from leveling up. No matter how good the skill is, it's useless if you don't have the energy to power it or keep it active. If you're going to hire former explorers, it's probably best to look for a good balance between level and skills."
"A fair point. It wouldn't do us any good to hire someone for a specific skill only to find out they don't have the level to sustain it. In that case, it might be better to hire a high-level explorer with no useful skills and just train them in normal work."
"I’d recommend that. High-level explorers tend to be fast learners, unless the job requires some incredibly specific artisanal talent."
When we asked why level affected learning speed, Hirose-kun explained that higher levels provided physical buffs that extended concentration spans, which in turn boosted learning efficiency. It made sense—most mistakes in simple tasks happen because people get tired and lose focus. If you could drastically reduce that fatigue, your learning curve would naturally sharpen.
...Wait. I wondered if we were heading toward a society where people became explorers just for the career-enhancing "skill-up" potential.