Volume 1 — Inheriting Everything

Chapter 1

There’s something called “Murphy’s Law,” a collection of sayings that are half-jokes, half-sarcasm.

Among them is the rather hopeless maxim: “If there’s room for something to fail, it will eventually fail.”

Because I happened to know that phrase, I found myself hesitating in front of the sheet labeled “Course Preference Form.”

“…I already decided, didn’t I? I’m going to become an ‘Explorer.’”

It was just before summer break. On the last day of the first term of high school, I was confirming my post-graduation plans while looking at the form we had been given.

Looking around, hardly anyone seemed troubled like I was; everyone had confidently selected “Further Education” without hesitation.

Of course they had—my school, Meiou Exploration Academy Affiliated High School, is one of Japan’s top “Explorer Training Institutions,” and students can advance directly into the prestigious Meiou Exploration Academy through an escalator system.

Granted, there’s a minimum entrance exam to take, but it’s said that no student from this high school ever fails it, and as long as you prepare properly, you’ll pass without issue.

But on my form, the first-choice field contained only the word “Explorer”, and everything below it was blank.

In other words, I was choosing not to pursue higher education and instead become a “high-school-graduate explorer” who goes straight into the dungeon.

Still… that lingering “Is this really okay?” feeling—mixed with Murphy’s Law lingering in my head—continued to gnaw at me.

That’s when it happened. A gust of wind blew in through the wide-open windows—left open because the school was too cheap to use the air conditioner—and the sheet on my desk, despite its heavy emotional weight, was literally blown away.

It landed on the desk beside mine.

Right in front of Kasumi Kitashiro, a girl whose friendship had colored my school life since the start of high school—someone who had easily crossed the boundary of gender to become a true friend.

“Hey, something flew over here, Akira. Huh? Why is your first choice ‘Explorer’?”

“Oh, that? I was thinking of becoming an explorer right after graduating high school, but I’m kind of hesitating at the last minute.”

Hmm? Oh, right. I never talked to anyone about my plans.
Congratulations to her—she’s the first to hear it. (Well, aside from my parents.) As expected of a best friend.

“I didn’t hear anything about that. I totally thought we were going to advance together.”

“Eeeh… but don’t you want to become an explorer sooner rather than later? Dive into a dungeon, make money with your own strength? Isn’t that romantic?”

“It is romantic, but also dangerous, you know? We have the chance to go to Japan’s top academy, you realize? Why not just get the ‘Explorer License’ while studying? The academy literally has hands-on dungeon training classes.”

“Wait, seriously? I didn’t look into the academy’s curriculum because I wasn’t planning to go. Hmmm… then I guess I can study for the license and the entrance exam at the same time?”

“It’ll be tough, but doesn’t that sound better? Let’s advance together.”

“…I did spend last night convincing my parents, though. Changing my decision right away feels kind of awkward.”

“Wait, last night? Wouldn’t that make it easier? You can just say, ‘I reconsidered and want to study a bit more.’ You should tell them soon.”

“Hehehe… My dear Papa and Mama boarded flights to China and America this morning. They’ll be gone for a while, so I’ll just… change my plans on my own.”

“What a free-spirited household.”

And so—simply talking like that—my future path changed rather lightly.
I erased the word “Explorer” with my eraser and wrote “Meiou Exploration Academy” instead.

It was then that something… stirred inside my head.
Like a faint ripple. A strange feeling.

What, the wind? Or did I catch a cold?

“Hey, Higashiyama! You’re the only one who hasn’t turned in your form yet. Hurry up so we can move on.”

“Ah—done! Sorry, turning it in now.”

I shook off the momentary odd sensation, figuring it was nothing, and submitted the form.

This is fine. Suddenly changing my mind might seem fickle, but Kasumi was right.

I mean, even if it’s my own future… deciding it without consulting a friend at all feels kind of dishonest.

Plus, dismissing the academy without even researching its curriculum just because I wasn’t planning to attend—that was pretty shallow of me.

Yeah… studying while working on getting my license, and then working as an explorer in my free time—that path exists too.

“All right, everyone submitted? Then here’s the next handout. Not that I expect anyone to sign up, but this is for anyone who wants to obtain a ‘Dungeon Blessing’ during summer break.”

My heart stirred a little.

A Dungeon Blessing is a “special ability” that anyone—young or old—can obtain the first time they enter a dungeon.

More precisely, they’re divided into “Blessings” and “Skills”:
Blessings have unusual, special effects, while Skills are more straightforward—at least that’s how people commonly describe them.

To become an explorer who dives into dungeons, you need both talent and harsh training.

But if you fail to get a “useful Skill or Blessing” at the last moment, all that hard work—well, it wouldn’t destroy your future, but you could end up with a major handicap.

And through many years of study, it has gradually become clear that this “Dungeon’s Blessing” tends to change depending on when you enter the dungeon.

There are countless “Branching Dungeons” all over the world. Each one likely has its own tendencies, but first, let’s talk about the two dungeon entrances that directly concern us—those within Japan.

The Ginza Branching Dungeon and the Sapporo Branching Dungeon.

These two are said to grant the most “highly versatile skills” when entered around February to March.

And the strength of the skills or blessings you receive is influenced by your age.
For whatever reason, those who are 17 to 18 years old are the most likely to receive the strongest skills or blessings.

In other words, to put it simply, “right before graduating high school is when you can get the best skills or blessings.”

That’s why the teacher said, “I don’t think anyone will want to, but…”
He assumed that since the most favorable season was well known, nobody would wish to obtain their skills or blessing at such a sub-optimal time as now.

But! Even though I’ve recently changed my mind and decided to continue my studies, my fascination with dungeons is still stronger than most people’s.

If it’s just getting a “Dungeon’s Blessing” — nicknamed the Dungeon Gacha — then isn’t it fine to try a little earlier? After all, even for summer vacation, long years of research have revealed certain tendencies too!

I check the box on the form for “I wish to enter the dungeon during summer vacation” and hand it back to the teacher.

Actually, it’s said that “during July to August, unusual skills or blessings are more likely to appear.”
Of course… almost none of those turn out to be particularly useful.

However — there have been rare cases, true jackpots, where someone entered in July and received an absolutely insane blessing.

Its name: Blessing of Dawn.

Its effect: “From sunrise until noon, the user’s stats are doubled.”
A completely broken ability.

The person who received it is still relied upon as a main force in crucial dungeon raids, to the point where teams even adjust their assault time just to deploy them effectively. They’re a national asset on the front lines.

Of course, I’m not expecting to receive anything nearly that powerful. But still, the idea has a certain romance, right?

So since I’ve chosen to pursue further studies, at least let me take a little gamble on the “Dungeon Gacha.”

Thus, on the final day of the first term, I made a big decision:
On the first day of summer vacation, I will enter the dungeon and obtain a “Dungeon’s Blessing.”

…Incidentally, it seems I’m the only one in my class who chose this option.

Tch! Everyone else chose the safe route…!