Because Division Head Koiwa had instructed us to prioritize the matter, the schedule was finalized with sudden urgency. I rearranged my work shifts and began preparing for the preliminary investigation set for Sunday. Even for a preliminary investigation, the process wouldn't be as simple as just looking at the site; there were numerous documents that had to be ready by the day of the visit.
To start, I contacted the real estate agency managing the land where Kokonoe-kun and his group planned to build their training facility. A company called Kiritani Real Estate was apparently in charge.
"……Hello. Is this Kiritani Real Estate? This is Kawakita from the Private Training Facility Management Section at the Dungeon Association, ○○ Branch."
"Um, the Dungeon Association……?"
"Yes. I have a few things I would like to inquire about. Do you have a moment?"
"Ah, yes, sorry. How can I help you?"
When I identified myself as being from the Association, the woman who answered let out a momentary gasp of fluster, though she quickly regained her composure to confirm my business. I could sense a certain weary exhaustion in her tone for some reason…… Had they had some kind of trouble with us before?
Regardless, I couldn't very well ask such an intrusive question, so I suppressed my inner curiosity and began to explain the nature of my inquiry as calmly as possible.
"Yes. My reason for calling today concerns the explorer Kokonoe-kun and his party, who are clients of your company. We have received an application from Kokonoe-kun’s group for a preliminary investigation regarding a skill use permit for a private training facility. I understand that your company currently manages the property in the application. Is that correct?"
"Um, yes. It is true that the explorer Kokonoe-sama and his party are using our services, but regarding the specifics of your inquiry, I’ll need to check with the person in charge. I’ll transfer you now, so please wait a moment."
"I understand. Thank you."
After I agreed, the line clicked over to hold music.
A minute or two later, a young man's voice—different from the woman who had first answered—echoed through the receiver.
"Thank you for waiting, I’ve taken over the call. My name is Yuta, and I’m the one handling Kokonoe-kun and his group. You mentioned an inquiry about the preliminary investigation they’ve applied for……?"
"Yes, that is correct. I apologize for the late introduction; I am Kawakita from the Private Training Facility Management Section."
"A pleasure to speak with you. So, what was it you needed to know?"
After exchanging brief greetings with the representative from Kiritani Real Estate, I went through the list of confirmation items needed to draft the documents for the preliminary investigation. It seemed Kokonoe-kun and the others had already spoken to them, as the interview with Yuta was completed in a relatively short time.
Well, the location of the property was one thing, but the site area was so unexpectedly vast that I found myself asking him to repeat the figures several times in disbelief. It was absolutely not the kind of plot a small party of student explorers would think of owning.
"Thank you for your cooperation. That covers everything I needed to ask."
"Not at all. We’ll be counting on you for the preliminary investigation."
"Yes, we will proceed as scheduled. I’ll see you at the site on the day of the visit."
"Understood."
After confirming the date, I ended the call with Kiritani Real Estate. Although there were some surprises, I had managed to gather most of the information needed for the paperwork. Now I just had to draft the documents based on these details…… but I think I’ll leave the actual writing to Nohara-kun.
After all, I had assumed they were purchasing a small patch of land deep in the mountains to build a modest facility, but I never expected they were aiming for a plot of land so ridiculously large you could practically fit a theme park on it. It would be best to consult with Division Head Koiwa about this beforehand. If we ran into trouble later because the site area was deemed too excessive, the administrative cleanup would be a nightmare.
"Sorry, Nohara-kun, could you put these documents together? I’m going to have a quick word with Division Head Koiwa."
"Ah, sure. Understood…… Huh? Section Chief Kawakita, is this figure for the site area right? Isn't this way too big?"
"I thought the same thing, so I double-checked with them multiple times, but they insist it’s correct. That’s why I’m going to consult with the division head now."
When I confirmed the numbers weren't a mistake, a pained expression crossed Nohara-kun’s face as he stared off into the distance. I knew the feeling all too well. No matter how lucrative the explorer business could be if handled correctly, this wasn't the kind of property a student explorer usually tried to buy.
Just how much were they planning to pay for this place?
"Well, I’m leaving the rest to you."
I left Nohara-kun to his work and headed for Division Head Koiwa’s desk.
As scheduled, the preliminary investigation for Kokonoe-kun's application was successfully completed by myself and Nohara-kun, both of us working through our day off. Because the property was even more vast than we had imagined, we were both completely worn out from all the walking. I thought I had understood the scale from the paperwork, but seeing it in person was overwhelming. The land Kokonoe-kun and the others were considering sat on a cape facing the sea; the way the view opened up toward the horizon probably made it feel even larger than it actually was.
Regardless, there was no doubt you could build a theme park there.
"That was exhausting, Section Chief. I didn't think it would be that much land."
"Indeed. Reading about it and actually being there are two very different things."
"Right. And we have to walk across that entire place at least one more time, don't we?"
"If they move forward to the final screening, then yes. And if they fail the first time, we'll be coming back to walk it over and over again."
"I really hope that doesn't happen…… Maybe I should buy some trekking shoes."
Nohara-kun looked troubled as he pondered the purchase, but perhaps I should buy some to reduce the fatigue as well. It wasn't as if this would be the only time I’d need them; they might come in handy for other assignments in the future.
……I wonder if I can expense the shoes?
"Well, setting that aside, Nohara-kun, as soon as we're back at the Association, please start on the investigation report. We need to notify them of the results as soon as possible."
"Understood. I'll have it ready in two or three days."
"Sorry to rush you. I’m counting on you. I suppose I should go ahead and secure a spot on the schedule for the examiners with magic skills. There were fewer issues than I expected, and if they're in a hurry to start construction, they'll likely submit their final application quite soon."
"That's likely. It seems the real estate agency is treating this as a test case to build up their own know-how for explorer-oriented businesses…… they’re moving fast."
I agreed with Nohara-kun's assessment of the agency. They were being very proactive; whenever I requested documents about the property, they sent them over immediately. They likely anticipated that the demand for training facility land would grow. We at the Association also believed that if the dungeon trend continued at this rate, the number of private training grounds would skyrocket within a few years. Currently, the capacity of the public training grounds managed by the Association simply isn't enough.
While there are constant demands to increase the number of public facilities, taking rapid action is difficult now that the initial chaos of the dungeons appearing has settled. Land acquisition takes time, and budgets are limited; we simply can't open multiple training grounds across the country all at once.
"You're right. Which means the application for the final certification inspection might come in two weeks, or a month at the latest. The faster they move to accumulate this kind of expertise, the more first-mover advantage they’ll gain. Once they finish the repairs on the points we flagged, I expect they'll apply immediately. Depending on their foresight and motivation, it wouldn’t hurt for us to be prepared."
"Does that mean more holiday work……?"
"Most likely. Since the primary applicants are students like Kokonoe-kun, they won't want to do the final certification inspection on a weekday. That means I need to find magic-skill-holding examiners who can work weekends…… I wonder if anyone is available?"
Since examiners with magic skills are mostly former mid-level explorers who retired for various reasons, their numbers are small. If we don't book them early, we won't be able to conduct the inspection.
Since I had been told to prioritize this, I figured it would be best to talk to Division Head Koiwa and have him secure someone for us.
"……We should probably ask them soon. It’s a lot to ask someone to work a weekend on short notice."
"True. I’ll talk to the division head and at least get the ball rolling."
This preliminary inspection had also been decided on short notice, forcing me to cancel a shopping trip with my family. I had to leave the house under the cold glares of my wife and children for breaking my promise. Nohara-kun had also had plans, but he had canceled them to work the weekend for me.
If we had at least a week’s notice, even holiday work would be much more bearable.
"Now then, enough complaining. Let's grab some lunch and head back."
"Sounds good."
I climbed into the Association's car with Nohara-kun and left the site of Kokonoe-kun’s future training facility behind.
As expected, a little over a week after we sent the preliminary results to Kokonoe-kun and the group, Kiritani Real Estate submitted an application for the final certification inspection. Apparently, they had finished the repairs on the damaged areas and completed the necessary safety checks in less than seven days.
I was glad I had moved early to secure the examiners, anticipating their quick response.
"Division Head Koiwa, Kiritani Real Estate has applied for the final certification inspection. I’ve secured the necessary personnel, so the inspection is good to go…… but the staff will be working through the weekend again. Is that alright?"
"Ah, sorry for the trouble. It’s a shame, but I’m counting on you. How many people are we looking at this time?"
"Four people. As before, it will be myself and Nohara-kun, with Otani-kun and Yaguchi-san handling the magic skill tests."
"Otani and Yaguchi, eh? I heard there are underground caves on that property—will they be okay? Especially Yaguchi, if I recall……"
Otani and Yaguchi were both former explorers who had joined the Association as examiners after retiring for various reasons. Otani was relatively stable, but Yaguchi suffered from claustrophobia due to trauma she had experienced in a dungeon. Since the property included an underground cave, Division Head Koiwa looked a bit concerned.
It was unlikely, but if the two of them panicked in an underground space and started firing off attack magic in a frenzy, it would be an absolute disaster.
"It should be fine. We won't push them, of course. When it comes time to inspect the caves, we’ll consult with them carefully before proceeding."
"I see. Make sure you don't overtax them."
"Understood. We’ll carry out the final certification inspection this Sunday."
With the division head’s approval, I notified Kiritani Real Estate of the date and contacted Nohara-kun and the others. They looked a bit disgruntled, but since I had warned them in advance, I managed to get everyone’s consent. Well, holiday work is never fun, especially for Nohara-kun—like me, this was his second weekend on the job this month. Still, once it’s decided, there's no use grumbling about it.
We didn't have much time before the inspection, but because we had prepared beforehand, the day of the final certification exam arrived without any major panic.
"We will now begin the final certification inspection for the skill use permit for this private training facility."
Thanks to the preliminary investigation, the inspection proceeded smoothly. Every flagged area had been repaired, and all the necessary documentation was in order.
The live-fire tests conducted by Otani-kun and Yaguchi-san also finished without incident, and there were no issues like the underground cave collapsing. However, during the cave investigation, the environment proved to be a bit too close to Yaguchi-san's trauma, so we had her sit that part out to avoid pushing her too hard.
"This concludes the final certification inspection for the skill use permit. Good work, everyone."
I bowed lightly as I declared the end of the inspection. The final pass-fail judgment would only come after a detailed analysis of the materials and our findings, but in my personal opinion, a pass was all but guaranteed. It looked like we wouldn't need to do this again—I certainly didn't want to work any more consecutive holidays for a while.
A few days later, just as expected, Kiritani Real Estate was officially notified that they had passed the final certification inspection for the skill use permit. All that was left was to pray that their ideal training facility would be successfully completed.