Kays Translations

Chapter 229: Is it Okay if I Destroy It?

One week had passed since the discussion with the Director, and today, the government’s recruitment requirements were finally announced.

Simultaneously, pre-registration had begun online. By entering the required details, one could immediately make a reservation.

Looking at the input form, it demanded quite detailed information. I won’t delve into specifics, but it conveyed the seriousness of the government’s intent. Alongside Director Masaki, I continued to check the screen.

“What do you think? It seems to generally match your expectations, village chief.”

“Yes, no issues there. Although there are a few points of concern.”

Among the lengthy input items were sections to answer favorite anime, manga, and light novel titles. There were also questions like “Do you like animal ears?”, “Is fluffiness justice?”, and “Do you prefer lolis or mature women?”. Of course, I had no memory of making such requests.

“Understanding the enthusiasm, preferences, and even fetishes of applicants is essential. Those who casually respond here will be summarily dismissed without further ado.”

“I see… It seems reasonable in its own way, doesn’t it?”

There were plenty of points to nitpick, but let’s leave it at that. Judging by Masaki-san’s attitude, it didn’t seem like a joke at all. Let’s just assume there was meticulous planning behind it…

After confirming the recruitment details, we moved on to the topic of the adventurer system. With dungeon operations now underway, there were various developments. Some of these changes directly concerned us.

Currently, there were 20 dungeons nationwide, all under management with entrance gates installed. Security by the Self-Defense Forces was tight, and entry was restricted to adventurers only.

In line with this, the adventurer system had been fully implemented. Although the registration process was relatively simple with no particularly strict screening, minors required parental accompaniment for entry. There was a trend called “parent-child hunting” in the streets, and some middle-aged men seemed quite enthusiastic about it.

Additionally, magic tools for personal identification had been developed, allowing free appraisal at each dungeon’s reception. Officially, this was for determining entry and exit, and the reasons for such measures were self-explanatory.

By the way, these magic tools only revealed the “name” and “level,” with no details about skills.

“Indeed, weapon and armor development has progressed, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, adventurers can purchase them at a low cost. There’s also a rental system.”

Mainly swords and spears made of iron, along with items like breastplates, seemed to be the main offerings. These were temporarily stored at dungeon annexes and couldn’t be taken outside; they could only be used within the dungeon.

“Appraisal seems quite thorough as well. Is it mainly to control adventurer crimes?”

“Exactly, criminal acts by registrants are severely penalized. Immediate expulsion for infractions in daily life.”

“Expulsion… You mean, literally that?”

“Strictly between us, they’re detained in the dungeon for handling.”

While there were limits to adjudication by law, anything goes inside the dungeon. If you said someone was killed by a monster, no one would know. With such a tone, they had probably done it many times before.

At the armor storage, they also bought magic stones and materials. Rather than cash transactions, they used their My Number card.

It was linked to registered banks for automatic deposits. Thanks to this, the card’s distribution rate had reportedly increased significantly.

“By the way, Masaki-san, does this relate to us?”

“Oh, actually, the price of magic stones is going to be revised soon. Details are here…”

After looking over the paper handed to me, it contained a price list for magic stones. I’ll skip over the materials, but the contents were roughly like this:

====

“Goblin-Class Magic Stone”

– Previously 2,000 yen per piece

– Now 5,000 yen per piece

“Orc-Class Magic Stone”

– 3,000 to 50,000 yen per piece

“High-Rank Orc-Class Magic Stone”

– 100,000 to 200,000 yen per piece

====

“The goal is to activate the adventurer system, so we plan to increase the purchase price of magic stones soon.”

“Huh? High-rank orcs, have they already been hunted?”

“No, these are estimated prices for high-rank stones.”

“I see, but with these prices, it seems promising. It might lead to a get-rich-quick fever.”

Some adventurers had already progressed to the 9th floor. However, so far, only regular orcs had appeared. If it was the same as in the other world, they should encounter the boss room on the 10th floor… What about here?

“What happens if you conquer the dungeon?”

I had heard from the goddess before that if you conquer the lowest level, it disappears. But I had always been curious about what it was actually like and what happens after it disappears.

There was still one month until the villagers’ acceptance review. It seemed like the right time, so I decided to consult Masaki-san.

“Masaki-san, I have something to discuss…”

“A discussion?”

“Do you think it would be bad if we were to erase the nearby park dungeon?”

◇◇◇

Ten days had passed, marked by twists and turns, but finally, permission to conquer the dungeon was granted. As expected, the decision wasn’t made solely by Director Masaki; it required consultation with that person…

“Alright, let’s get pumped up!”

“Director! We’re ready whenever you are!”

This enthusiastic declaration came from Director Masaki, accompanied by assistants Shiina and Yuzuno.

They were gathered at the dungeon’s reception, dressed in armor made in Nanashi Village. Alongside them were the Japanese members, Touya and Sakura, and the beastmen allies, including Drago.

“Masaki-san, remember, today is just an observation. Absolutely stay in the rear. You’ll die instantly if you rush forward.”

“Yes, I’ll stick tightly to the rear!”

“Got it!”

Leaving aside these remarks, today also served as a leveling up session for the three. Their loyalty was exceptionally high, and their future as villagers was assured. Moreover, they were among the most important individuals for us right now. We brought them along to ensure they wouldn’t accidentally die somewhere.

“Alright, everyone, let’s confirm the formation once again.”

Making this declaration, I surveyed the participating members. Today’s expedition team was as follows:

====

Vanguard: Touya, Drago, Nail

Rearguard: Village chief, Sakura, Akiho

Scout: Lev

Observers: Masaki, Shiina, Yuzuno

====

With Akiho and myself providing protection for the three, the rest of the team would bulldoze ahead. There were no fancy strategies; it was just a brute force party.

Lev, the scout, was entrusted with guiding us as we swiftly dove into the dungeon. We politely declined the Self-Defense Force’s offer to accompany us—being accidentally shot was our biggest concern.

With everything ready, we initiated the transfer using the teleportation circle and moved down to the 5th floor. From there, we would use detection methods to aim for the lower levels.

Since there were three members with lower levels, we smoothly progressed by defeating encountered monsters along the way…

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter