That day, I noticed some unusual visitors in our department. They were a trio of young people—two boys and a girl—who looked to be about high school age. Usually, our visitors are planning representatives from various corporations, so a group like theirs was a rare sight indeed.
Furthermore, since our department allows for online applications, the number of guests who bother to visit us in person has dwindled significantly.
"Excuse me, may I ask a few questions?"
One of the boys called out to the staff member at the reception desk with a look of slight unease. It seemed he wasn't used to visiting government offices; even a brief glance revealed how nervous he was.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"I’d like to inquire about the application process for a permit to establish a training ground on private land where skill use is allowed..."
"Pardon? Oh... wait, excuse me. You're asking about setting up a training facility for skill use?"
The staff member wore a bewildered expression, double-checking as if to confirm he’d heard correctly. It was only natural to be confused when someone who looked like a high schooler came in to ask about a procedure typically handled by major companies.
Undeterred by the clerk's confusion, the boy began explaining the circumstances behind their request.
"I... I see. Just a moment, please. I'll go call the person in charge."
Still looking baffled, the receptionist went over to speak to Nohara-kun.
"Nohara-san, we have guests. They're here about an application for a skill use permit at a private training facility... but no matter how I look at them, they’re just kids. Probably high schoolers."
"What? High schoolers are here for us?"
"Yes. It seems they're trying to build a training ground themselves and want a permit to use skills there."
"Hmm... Given how crowded public training grounds are these days, I suppose I understand the sentiment, but I find it hard to believe high schoolers could buy land that actually meets the criteria for a permit..."
Nohara-kun stood up with a look of annoyance, scratching his head as he mulled over how to handle it. His attitude wasn't exactly professional, but given the request, his reaction was understandable. Obtaining a skill use permit for a training ground requires a significant amount of land and equipment, like defensive walls, to ensure no damage is caused to the surrounding area.
Even corporations struggle to meet the requirements for certain types of facilities; I doubted a group of teenagers could pull it off. I don’t dislike young dreamers, but wanting their own training ground felt like a premature fantasy. It was the kind of dream that could wait until they graduated and became established explorers.
"Thank you for waiting. This is Nohara-san from the Private Training Facility Management Section."
"I'm Nohara. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Kokonoe. It's a pleasure."
After hearing a bit more from the boy—Kokonoe-kun, apparently—Nohara-kun decided that standing around at the counter wasn't ideal and guided them to the Consultation Room.
Kokonoe... I felt like I'd heard that name somewhere before.
Once Nohara-kun had settled them in the room, he returned to perform an identity verification using the Explorer Cards he had collected. Suddenly, a sharp, stifled groan echoed through the office.
Wondering what was wrong, I looked over at Nohara-kun and saw him staring at his computer screen, his face draining of color. Worried by the eerie atmosphere he was suddenly projecting, the surrounding staff members called out to him. Nohara-kun looked back and forth between his monitor and the Consultation Room as if he were seeing a ghost. This was clearly no ordinary situation.
"What's the matter, Nohara-kun? You're white as a sheet."
"Section Chief Kawakita, my apologies. It's just... I've discovered something unthinkable."
"Something unthinkable? You were just checking their IDs, weren't you? Surely there’s nothing that shocking in there."
"P-Please, look at this."
Nohara-kun stepped aside and pointed at the screen, urging me to see for myself. Displayed there were the records for Kokonoe-kun and his two companions, Hirose-kun and Hiiragi-san. Their basic registration information was standard, but the achievements they had racked up as explorers were nothing short of extraordinary.
Just looking at the major highlights: despite being a small trio, they had cleared the 30th floor—a feat few civilian explorers, even corporate ones, have managed. They had also assisted in rescuing crime victims and arresting criminals inside a dungeon, and they’d even filed a discovery report for an undiscovered dungeon... Wait, what was I looking at?
"...Is this really the record for those kids in the other room?"
"Yes. I handled their Explorer Cards personally. There's no mistake."
"I see..."
I was left staring blankly at the screen, unable to look away from the list of accomplishments that seemed impossible for student explorers. Even full-time professionals would struggle to produce a resume this impressive. And yet, these students had done it.
That was it... The names Kokonoe, Hirose, and Hiiragi were the ones I’d heard from the division head. He’d mentioned them as the most promising young stars the Association was monitoring. I hadn’t realized they were still in high school, but here they were. In that case...
"If it’s them, the idea of building their own training ground might not be a pipe dream after all. Given their track record, they must have earned enough to afford a suitable location if they've been saving properly."
"Huh? Ah! You're right. With those rewards, it’s actually feasible."
"Exactly. Nohara-kun, I'm going to report this to the division head immediately. Since they're high-priority prospects, we need to decide on our official stance. You prepare the necessary documents. I'll be right back."
"Understood."
I took the Explorer Cards and hurried toward the desk of the Division Head of the Private Training Facility Management Section. I couldn't leave them waiting in the Consultation Room for too long.
As I approached, a slender man with graying hair looked up from his paperwork.
"Excuse me, Division Head Koiwa. I have a matter I need to discuss with you urgently."
"Is there a problem, Section Chief Kawakita?"
"Not a problem per se, but I felt this required your input. We have applicants here for a skill use permit for a private training facility, and I'm a bit unsure how to proceed."
"Why? Just process it according to the regulations. Whether they pass or fail is one thing, but we accept applications from anyone. Is it someone on the Association's watch list?"
Division Head Koiwa gave me a skeptical look.
"They are on a list, but it's the opposite one. It’s the group of promising young explorers you mentioned before. They want to set up their own training ground and are here for the permit. Here are their Explorer Cards. Their records are staggering."
"Kokonoe, Hirose, Hiiragi...?! Those three are here?"
"Yes. I have them waiting in the Consultation Room."
Koiwa nearly jumped out of his chair, his eyes wide. When I confirmed they were currently in the building, he looked relieved and sat back down. It seemed they were even more important to the Association than I had imagined.
"So, Division Head. How should we handle them?"
"...As you know, they are the best of the next generation. Their skill is beyond reproach, and unlike many young people who gain power, they don't have behavioral issues. In fact, they’re the opposite; they’ve helped people in need and acted as a counter-example to the more delinquent explorers. The Association wants youths like them to lead the industry and inspire those who follow."
"I see."
"Therefore, the Dungeon Association stands to benefit if they own their own training facility. If high schoolers can show that being an elite explorer allows you to earn enough for your own private grounds, it serves as a powerful motivator. A clear success story like that will encourage other young explorers to follow in their footsteps. It leads to an increase in motivated, virtuous explorers, which is exactly what we want."
Koiwa looked me in the eye, his tone turning sharp and decisive.
"Section Chief Kawakita, process their application with the highest priority. I believe our schedule is relatively clear right now? If they're building a training facility, it’s best if it's functional while they’re still in school. Ideally, I’d love to publicize them as the first private explorer group with their own dedicated training facility... though they might decline that. Regardless, even just the rumor that student explorers have their own grounds will have a major impact."
"Understood. However, prioritizing them might mean delaying other applications. I hope you'll back me up on that."
"That can't be helped. If anyone complains, send them to me."
Despite his slight grimace at the thought of the extra work, Koiwa agreed to take responsibility. With that assurance, I committed to making their application our top priority. As long as the delays weren't extreme, we wouldn't see much pushback, but it was better to have the chain of command settled now.
"Then I'll get right on it."
I bowed to the division head, retrieved the cards, and hurried back to Nohara-kun.
Once I rejoined Nohara-kun, we finished the paperwork and headed to the Consultation Room. Between the discussions and the reporting, we had kept them waiting for nearly half an hour.
The moment we entered, we both apologized profusely.
"I am terribly sorry for the long wait, everyone. I am Kawakita, the Section Chief of the Private Training Facility Management Section."
"Please, accept our deepest apologies for the delay."
Kokonoe-kun and the others were polite, but I could see the faint signs of irritation and dissatisfaction they were trying to hide. Nohara-kun didn't seem to notice, but I felt a twinge of regret. I should have at least sent someone in to give them an update. Nobody likes being left in a room for thirty minutes without a word.
Since they accepted our apology on the surface, I decided to move straight to the business of the application before things got awkward.
"Please fill out these documents and let us know your preferred date for the investigation. We can't guarantee the exact slot, but we will do our absolute best to accommodate your schedule."
"Understood."
After a brief discussion, they requested the preliminary investigation take place on a weekend so they could be present when school was out. It was a natural choice for students. Most corporations request weekdays during business hours, but for them, Saturday or Sunday was the only option.
Since I had orders to make this the highest priority, it looked like I was going to have to authorize some overtime.
"Understood. Once we've coordinated with our other appointments, we’ll schedule the investigation as close to your request as possible. We'll contact you within a few days once the date is finalized."
"I see. Thank you very much."
Despite the initial hiccups, we successfully processed the application for Kokonoe-kun's preliminary investigation.
After seeing them out, I reported back to Division Head Koiwa and immediately began the scheduling. Since we were on the fast track, the earliest possible date was this coming Sunday. The only question left was who would be working the weekend... but we all knew who was drawing the short straw.
And so, my apologies, Nohara-kun. It looks like you and I will be spending our Sunday together at the office.