It was just after three o'clock when the phone rang. I had just reached a stopping point with my urgent tasks and was about to take a break, so I answered without any particular apprehension.
I regretted it the instant I picked up. Well, goodbye to leaving on time today, I thought.
"Yes, hello? This is Baba with the Dungeon Acquisition Management Division."
"Ah, thank you for taking my call. This is Hakamada, director of the [X] Dungeon Association Branch Office."
I hadn't expected a direct call from a branch director. Even though he couldn’t see me through the phone, I instinctively straightened my posture.
I might work at headquarters, but I’m just a rank-and-file employee. Do you have any idea how much of a gap there is between me and a branch director?
"Always a pleasure, Director Hakamada. How can I help you today?"
"Yes, an incident has occurred that requires an urgent report. Could you put me through to your division head? Tell him that 'the acquisition of a First-Class Classified drop item has occurred.' I believe he’ll understand the gravity of the situation."
"...First-Class?"
I let out a faint, disbelieving murmur, doubting my ears for a second. "First-Class Classified" was a category reserved for drop items whose discovery could have a profound impact on society. Most of the items in this category were those produced during the earliest stages of dungeon exploration—the so-called "first drop items."
Those first drops possess extreme functionality and rarity; in the current state of exploration, they are virtually impossible to obtain. In short, he was reporting that someone had found a very dangerous, very significant item.
"Yes. Could you pass that along for me?"
"Y-Yes! P-Please hold for just a moment!"
To be honest, my voice was probably an octave higher than usual.
My colleagues shot me confused looks at my sudden outburst, but I was in no state to care about appearances.
"Division Head!"
I put the call on hold and practically ran to his desk, ignoring the stares of the other staff. Normally, I would just transfer the call via the extension, but with a First-Class Classified matter, it was best to keep the information as contained as possible. Until we decided on a course of action, I needed to report directly so no one could eavesdrop.
Of course, given my reaction on the phone just now, I’m sure everyone already suspected something major was up.
"What is it, Baba-kun? You’re making quite a scene. What’s the rush?"
"My apologies, Division Head. I have an urgent, confidential report. If I may..."
I checked our surroundings and whispered Director Hakamada’s message into the ear of the division head, who was looking at me with a skeptical expression.
"I have received a report from the director of the [X] branch that a First-Class Classified drop item has been acquired."
"!"
His expression shifted instantly. The moment he heard "First-Class Classified," his face went pale.
He quickly scanned the room and snapped out his next instructions.
"Understood. This is a bad place to talk. Tell the director I will call him back immediately from a secure line. Get his number for me; I’m moving to the meeting room."
"Understood."
I hurried back to my desk and resumed the held call.
"Thank you for waiting, Director. I’ve briefed the division head. He’s moving to a secure room and will call you back immediately. Could you wait just a moment?"
"I understand. Thank you for the trouble."
Given the nature of the report, Hakamada understood the need for security and hung up without any complaints.
I checked the call log, jotted the number down on a memo pad, and rushed to the meeting room to hand it over.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is Director Hakamada’s number."
"Thank you, that helps. Also, until we decide how to handle this, I want you to act as my support, Baba-kun. Since this is a sensitive matter, the fewer people who know, the better."
"Understood. Please let me know when you need me."
I replied obediently, though his tone hadn't really left me a choice. I’d only answered the phone, yet I’d already been dragged into a mess.
I gave a light bow and left the meeting room. I decided to try and take that break in the rest area.
"I'm exhausted... I don't want to get any deeper into this, but I can't help but wonder what they found."
I grabbed a cup of coffee from the server—one of our few office perks—and sank into a chair. I let out a long, heavy sigh. It had been less than thirty minutes since the phone rang, but I was already mentally drained.
The first drops I knew about were all incredibly precious. More importantly, items designated as First-Class Classified were usually magic items; no matter which one it was, it would cause an uproar. Finding a literal mountain of diamonds would have been less of a headache.
"And now I'm the division head's assistant... and I still have all my own work to do."
Thinking about my current workload, I sighed again.
As I sat there, nursing my coffee and dreading the rest of the day, a colleague came running into the breakroom looking panicked.
"There you are! Hey, Baba, what the hell did you do?! The division head is frantic, and he’s calling for you!"
"...Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me! Just get to the meeting room, now!"
"O-Oh. Right. Thanks."
Startled, I threw away my cup and hurried to the meeting room. The division head, looking visibly shaken, ushered me inside.
I sat across from him, but he said nothing at first. He just sat there with his elbows on the desk and his hands clasped over his face, lost in thought. It felt like a high-pressure job interview.
After about five minutes, he finally spoke.
"Forgive me, Baba-kun. I was having trouble wrapping my head around the situation."
"Ah, no... so, what’s going on? To call me back so suddenly..."
"Ah, I didn't mean to startle you. The truth is, we have to move immediately. I asked for your support, but now that I've seen the details, I'm trying to figure out our best move. This is turning out to be more troublesome than I imagined."
"By troublesome, do you mean it’s related to the First-Class Classified item?"
Knowing I was officially stuck in the middle of this, I steeled myself and pushed for more information.
The division head let out a small sigh and nodded weakly.
"Yes, exactly. It’s a matter involving a First-Class Classified drop item and monster appearance information with disclosure conditions."
"...Wait, both at once?"
"Yes. According to Director Hakamada, the First-Class Classified drop item appeared because a monster with disclosure conditions showed up. Thanks to that, we have two major headaches hitting us at the same time."
The division head looked up at the ceiling as if at a complete loss.
I was the one who wanted to look at the heavens. Why was a regular guy like me getting caught up in top-secret business?
"Baba-kun, do you have any urgent work on your plate right now?"
"Ah, no. I have several tasks, but I finished the urgent ones just before the call, so nothing pressing."
"I see. That’s good. I’ll send out the orders later, but I want you to handle this case full-time. I'll have your other duties redistributed to the rest of the staff. I feel bad for them, but this is the top priority right now."
"Eh? Ah, yes, sir."
Wait, wait, wait. I understand why it has to be me for security reasons, but dumping my work on everyone else like that... I’m going to have to buy a lot of apology gifts later.
As I accepted the assignment with a somewhat distant look in my eyes, the division head began to explain the situation.
"First, the background. This occurred in the dungeon managed by Director Hakamada. A certain party was fighting an ogre on the 29th floor when it happened."
"An ogre? Was the report from a corporate explorer party?"
Currently, ninety percent of civilian explorer parties capable of reaching the ogre floors are affiliated with corporations. Getting down to the 30th floor requires staying in the dungeon for a long time, which is nearly impossible without a proper corporate backup system.
"No, apparently it was a student explorer party. I’ve only seen the brief, but they seem to be a highly capable team with a solid track record."
"A student explorer party... They must be talented, but I'm just glad there wasn't an accident."
"Indeed. Setting that aside, it seems an irregular phenomenon occurred during their battle with the ogre. While the occurrence rate is low, this phenomenon has been reported by Self-Defense Forces explorer parties before. However, this is the first time a civilian party has ever encountered it."
"That's... I’m not sure if they're lucky or unlucky."
Encountering an unknown irregular phenomenon is definitely bad luck, but if they made it out without major injuries, I suppose they were lucky.
The division head continued with a grimace.
"And after overcoming the irregular phenomenon, they obtained a drop item... and that item was..."
"The First-Class Classified drop?"
"Yes. Even the Self-Defense Forces, who have actually encountered this phenomenon, have only managed to obtain it a handful of times. In that sense, those students are incredibly lucky."
"And that’s why everything became a mess at once?"
Despite the complications, if they got a drop that rare, their luck was definitely through the roof.
"Exactly. We need to discuss how to handle the First-Class Classified drop, but we have to disclose the information about the irregular phenomenon as soon as possible. These students managed to survive their first encounter, but we can't assume everyone will. If people know this kind of monster behavior is possible, they can prepare for it."
"That’s true. For an explorer, information is survival. If it came out that we knew about this irregular phenomenon and didn't say anything, we’d be held responsible for any deaths."
"Precisely. Since the Self-Defense Forces had already reported it, the plan was always to verify the info and then release it once a civilian report came in. To be honest, I thought we had another year or two of breathing room before that happened."
"I suppose it just means the civilian explorers are getting better. We should be happy that we have more capable people out there, right?"
The number of civilian explorers was growing every month, and the quality and quantity of drop items were rising steadily.
Of course, that came with a whole host of new problems, but for the most part, Japan’s dungeon industry was booming.
"I suppose so. Anyway, Baba-kun, you are dedicated to supporting me until this is resolved. You’ll handle the coordination with other departments, negotiations, setting up meetings, and drafting documents. I’m sorry, but until the secrecy is lifted, we can’t bring anyone else in on this."
"I understand. If we don't prepare properly before going public, it'll be chaos. If our official stance isn't solid and a dangerous rumor starts, explorers will start dying."
"I’m counting on you, Baba-kun. It’s going to be a rough ride."
"Yes, sir."
After that, the division head worked with the upper management to handle the First-Class Classified drop and the irregular phenomenon. I worked as his shadow, acting as the liaison between various departments.
After many dizzying, sleepless days, it was finally decided: the Public Relations Division would begin notifying explorers about the irregular phenomenon caused by the ogre before the end of the year. As for the mithril—the First-Class Classified drop—it would be officially announced at the end of the fiscal year. This was done to ensure the information about the irregular phenomenon was fully understood before the announcement of the mithril. They were worried that if they announced both at once, explorers would rush in to find mithril without understanding the danger, leading to needless deaths.
Hah... it looks like my work on this is far from over.