Once the draft of the contract for Hirose-kun and his party was finished, I had the President check it over, then printed three copies—one for each of them. I slipped the documents into clear folders to keep them from bending, then tucked all three into large kraft envelopes. Shipping prep complete.
As we’d arranged beforehand, the envelopes were all addressed to Hirose-kun’s house. He’d mentioned they would distribute them among themselves once they arrived, which was a big help for us since it saved on postage.
"That should do it. Now I just have to drop these off at the post office and I’m done."
With the task finished, I stretched my arms to work the tension out of my back. But even alongside that sense of accomplishment, a nagging thought lingered. Although things had moved at a breakneck pace from the property viewing to the contract phase, part of me felt that things wouldn't stay this simple.
Ever since we visited the Cape property, Hirose-kun and his party had been acting... out of character. Though I hadn't known them long, it was clear they were the cautious sort. Despite the Cape land being a dream-like property full of romantic appeal, it felt slightly unlike them to push for a contract immediately after returning from the viewing—it felt a bit impulsive. Under normal circumstances, I would have expected them to pick the proposal apart with questions until they were fully satisfied.
"It might not go straight to a signed deal after all..."
"What might not go straight, exactly?"
"Eh? Oh, President! Sorry, I was just..."
Without noticing, the President had approached my desk, and he’d overheard the anxious murmur that had slipped out. I considered making up a quick excuse to cover it, but the look in his eyes told me I shouldn't bother. I decided to be honest about my concerns.
I took a breath to steady myself and laid out the points that were bothering me.
"Well, sir... about this contract with Hirose-kun’s group. Things moved so quickly that I’ve started to feel a bit uneasy. Usually, even if they were ready to talk about a contract, they would have circled back with more questions first. This time, perhaps because they were so excited during the viewing, everything just moved along like clockwork."
"Ah, I see. You’re worried because it’s going too well. Honestly, I was thinking the same thing. Based on how they’ve acted before, they normally would have taken the proposal home to sleep on it at least once. It shows just how much they liked the Cape property, but it wouldn't be a stretch to call it a bit of a rush, would it?"
"That’s exactly what I’m thinking. That’s why I’m worried it won't actually be settled this easily."
"You’re likely right. They’re probably suffering from a bit of tunnel vision right now, dazzled by the 'romance' of a property with its own cape and underground cave. I expect their guardian, Juzo-san, will be the one to throw cold water on them."
The President wore a complicated expression as he gave me a cautionary instruction.
"Once they cool their heads, they’ll probably realize there was a lot they forgot to ask. Just make sure you’re ready to answer them when they do."
"Understood. I'll prepare more detailed materials regarding the land."
"The inquiries will probably come after the documents arrive, so there's no need to panic. Though, when it comes to explorer-type questions, it's always hard to predict what they'll throw at us."
"You can say that again. Every time we’ve gone on a viewing, they’ve come at us from a completely unexpected angle."
The questions they asked when hunting for property didn't just have a different focus; it was more like their entire perspective was on another plane. Things we never even considered when dealing with ordinary people or companies were top priorities for them, and vice versa. It made them difficult to handle because the common sense didn't apply.
Take wildlife, for example. An ordinary person would worry about animals damaging the property. With explorers, we were watching recorded footage of a deer rolling over to beg for its life... I mean, what even is that?
"Exactly. It might be tough, but use the internet and whatever else you can to dig into it. Even if your research ends up being slightly off the mark, having some background knowledge is far better than having none when you need to respond."
"I understand. I'll look into it as much as possible."
The President nodded at my response and walked away.
Well then, I’ll finish the mailing procedures and get to work.
Whether it was "just as I thought" or "exactly as expected," the contract signing with Hirose-kun and his party was postponed. The stated reason was a lack of sufficient confirmation and explanation on their end. It seemed that moving for a contract immediately after the viewing really had been a bit too hasty.
When Hirose-kun called to request the delay, his voice was heavy with apology. I felt a wave of relief that I’d prepared in advance, but that feeling vanished the moment he started listing their new concerns.
"A survey of the cliff face from the sea..."
"Yes," I replied to the President. "Since there’s a possibility of a collapse due to impacts during training, they want to check for any fragile areas in advance."
"Wait, wait. A cliff face collapsing from the impact of training? Are they planning to conduct live-fire exercises like the Self-Defense Forces?"
"Who knows? But with them, I can't rule it out. They can bore a tunnel into a cliff with nothing but a shovel, after all..."
The President seemed to recall the footage of their "work." A look of "don't be ridiculous" crossed his face for a split second, only to be replaced by a grimace as he went silent, seemingly accepting the possibility. He realized that with Hirose-kun and his friends, it might actually happen.
Well, given that explorer skills include things like magic, you could argue their training is a live-fire exercise. I’ve seen videos from overseas where an explorer’s magic blew a scrapped car into iron filings.
"Also, they’re concerned about the disaster history of the cape. They want to know if there’s a record of storm surges hitting that area during typhoons."
"It's right on the water, so that’s a fair point. If they build a training ground only for a surge to wipe it out, it would be a catastrophe. Look into it for them."
"Yes, sir. And related to that, they want us to check with the local Fisheries Cooperative Association to see if the waters off the cape are active fishing grounds. They're worried that if a projectile from their training flies into the sea, it might hit a fishing boat."
"...I see. Even for a training ground, we have to consider those kinds of factors when explorers are the ones using it."
Faced with these unique concerns, the President began to rub his temples as if a headache were coming on. The Cape property had a massive area, so it shouldn't be a dealbreaker if we positioned things correctly, but it made me realize that many smaller properties simply wouldn't work as training grounds depending on their surroundings. If we sold a bad location, we’d get a reputation for selling "training grounds" that couldn't actually be used for training due to the environment.
No one wants to make an expensive purchase from a real estate agent with a bad reputation. In a world where you can find plenty of ordinary, reputable agents, customers would just stop coming, and the business would tank.
"Right. And they said this next part is their most important consultation..."
"...What is it?"
"They want to know if we can accommodate a preliminary investigation for a skill use permit certification from the Association. Apparently, without that certification, they aren't allowed to use offensive skills even on private property. If the property can't pass the inspection, it won't serve their purpose as a training ground."
"Meaning the lease would be pointless for them?"
"...Yes."
As I explained the system I’d completely overlooked, the President sighed and shook his head with a self-deprecating smirk.
"I didn't know about that rule... but that's just a sign of our own lack of preparation. Hirose-kun and his party said they wanted a training ground from the start. We should have been researching the legal side while we looked for the land. To introduce a property that fails the regulatory requirements to a customer specifically asking for an explorer training ground... it’s a professional disgrace."
"I agree. When Hirose-kun mentioned the certification, I felt like I’d really dropped the ball. Even if we aren't experts in the explorer industry, the fact that we missed a rule listed right on the Dungeon Association's website is..."
"You’re right. We claim we want to do business with explorers, yet both of us missed a basic regulation. There’s no excuse. We were so caught up in their incredible abilities that we neglected the actual work—the effort to find a property that truly fits the client's needs. We need to reflect on this."
"...Yes, sir."
The President and I stood there for a while, heads bowed in shame and self-reproach.
Eventually, the President gave his cheeks a sharp slap with both hands to snap himself out of it.
"Reflection is necessary, but it doesn't move us forward. Yuta, find out everything you can about this certification system immediately. Even if it's just on paper, I want to know if that property qualifies."
"Understood. Give me an hour; I'll have the details."
"I'm counting on you."
I hopped onto my PC and dove into the Dungeon Association's website, scouring it for everything related to the certification Hirose-kun had mentioned.
An hour later, I reported back. From what I could find, the Cape property seemed likely to pass the requirements for the certification without any major issues.
"Good. That’s a relief. Tell Hirose-kun we'll allow entry for the preliminary investigation. As for the other requests, tell him we're on it and to give us a little more time."
"Understood. I'll get back to him right away."
"Thanks. And keep digging into explorer regulations. There might be other critical systems out there, and we can't afford to be caught off guard a second time."
"Understood. I won't let it happen again. I'll look into every related regulation I can find."
I gave my answer in a firm voice, determined to redeem myself.
Soon after, Hirose-kun reported that they’d applied to the Dungeon Association for the preliminary investigation. He said the date wasn't set, but it would probably be in two or three weeks. That sounded about right to me. Government-adjacent organizations are usually buried in red tape, and unless it's an emergency, they don't move fast.
Or so I thought, until Hirose-kun called back looking flustered.
"What? They're doing the investigation this weekend?! Are you serious?!"
It was a total shock. Same-day processing? Does the Dungeon Association operate on a completely different logic than a normal bureau? While the fast turnaround was helpful for the project, it meant our window for preparation had just slammed shut.
But with the date set, there was nothing to do but scramble.
"Understood. Then we'll meet up this weekend and head to the site together."
I hung up and gave the President a weak, hollow response. As I thought about the mountain of documents we needed to submit for the preliminary investigation, I realized a "death march" was now a certainty.
I shot a pleading look at the President for help, but he just gave me a look of warm, pitying encouragement. I was on my own.
"Fine... I'll do it!"
I fired myself up, determined to make things right, and threw myself into the work.
After a frantic struggle, I managed to finish all the necessary paperwork just in time for the investigation. On the day of the survey, I accompanied the group and successfully navigated the explanations for the Association investigator. I was beyond exhausted.
"Next, we have to address the points raised in the survey and prepare for the final certification inspection. Which means more paperwork..."
It was a never-ending cycle—one mountain after another—but seeing the goal slowly get closer gave me the strength to keep going.
Wait, what? "We don't want to spend too much on renovation, so we'll handle the required fixes ourselves instead of hiring a contractor"? And "Hirose-kun and his party said they'd help, so it'll be fine"? Are you serious, President...?
And so, our battle for the skill use permit certification truly begins.