Encounter

Harukaze Reito sat on a park bench, a plastic bottle of water in one hand, nursing a throbbing hangover with irritation while waiting for his instant cup noodles to finish cooking as a sobering remedy.

He could have used recovery magic to cure the hangover, but recalling yesterday’s events would only depress him further, so he deliberately chose to face the hangover head-on.

The new suit he’d worn so sharply yesterday was now wrinkled from sleeping in it, and with his tie loosened for comfort, he looked slightly disheveled as he slurped the noodles that were ready after three minutes.

Feeling the cool morning breeze pleasantly against his hungover face, Reito was zoning out, not thinking about anything, when a voice suddenly called out to him.

“Hey, mister, treat me to some food?”

“Huh?”

Had he dozed off for a moment? Before he realized it, a high school-aged girl with blonde hair, dressed in a uniform, stood in front of him.

Her modified uniform, worn in a flashy, rebellious style typical of gals from then and now, didn’t change as she flashed a grin and spoke to Reito again.

“I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, y’know. A cute girl like me is asking, so come on, treat me?”

“Nah, I’m not treating you.”

“Tch, stingy much? Are you, like, some laid-off loser? Hanging out in a park this early, nowhere to go home to?”

The carefree girl giggled as she threw questions at him.

Reito was used to this kind of attitude. As an adventurer, he’d met all sorts of people, and his ex-girlfriend’s friends, who dumped him yesterday, included plenty of gals like her.

Normally, it’d be best to avoid getting involved, but maybe because of the lingering alcohol, Reito decided to humor the girl’s conversation.

“Wrong! And you, skipping school to mooch food in a place like this? Get to school already! School!”

At Reito’s words, the girl’s face clouded over.

“…I dropped out of school. Stuff happened, and, like, I might die today or tomorrow, so I’m just talking to anyone who’ll remember me a little! Ugh, why am I even saying this? Maybe ’cause you’re easy to talk to, mister?”

Her awkward smile was different from the innocent one she’d shown when begging for food—it was a smile that seemed like it could vanish into thin air.

Reito knew that expression all too well.

It was the hollow cheer of someone at their breaking point, the face of someone recklessly heading toward death.

Seeing that look on the girl, words slipped naturally from Reito’s mouth.

“What happened? I mean, me? I was gonna propose yesterday, but I got dumped ’cause she’s got a fiancé! We’d been together since high school…”

Seeing Reito laugh weakly as he shared his own misfortune, the girl’s smile returned with a soft chuckle.

“What, she cheated on you? That’s so lame! Me, my mom and dad ditched me and went off somewhere… My school withdrawal was processed without me knowing. It’s so embarrassing I can’t even tell my friends, my house lease got canceled so I can’t go back, and the only thing I can do to survive is probably become an adventurer? So, like, tomorrow I might end up as monster chow and die.”

The girl’s story was far heavier than Reito had expected. Saying she might die today or tomorrow was an exaggeration, but it was clear the shock of being abandoned by her parents had driven her to a state of reckless despair.

“If you go to a G-class dungeon where adventurer registration isn’t required, there’s almost no risk of dying, so you could build confidence there before registering as an adventurer. If you’re nervous, want me to come with you?”

“Whoa, mister, is that a pickup line? I don’t sell my body, y’know! That’s why being an adventurer’s my only option!”

At her age, even getting a part-time job would require parental consent.

She probably thought prostitution or adventuring were the only paths that didn’t need it. In reality, adventuring required parental consent for minors too, but there were loopholes.

“No way, that’s not it. I’m a former adventurer, you know. I’ve seen too many people die for reasons like yours. If I ignored you and you died, it’d leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just my self-satisfying hypocrisy, that’s all.”

“What’s that, acting all cool? But, well, maybe I’ll take you up on it. Dying alone sounds scary…”

Up until now, Reito had saved adventurers in over their heads in dungeons, as far as he could reach.

Adventuring was a matter of personal responsibility, but Reito couldn’t just abandon people and leave them to die.

Pretending not to hear her last comment, Reito stood up from the bench.

“Come on, let’s go. Can’t fight on an empty stomach, so I’ll treat you to a cream bun at the convenience store, alright?”

“Ugh, so cheap! And why’s it gotta be a cream bun?”

As Reito started walking, the girl followed, laughing.

Reito used recovery magic to cure his hangover, bought the girl a cream bun at the convenience store, and headed with her to the nearest G-class dungeon.

◇◆◇◆

The organizations managing dungeons are divided by rank.

International Adventurer’s Guild

This international organization, overseeing the highest-difficulty S-class and upper-tier A-class dungeons, requires an international adventurer’s license for entry. It holds authority greater than individual nations when it comes to dungeons.

Staff at the International Adventurer’s Guild need a special qualification as international civil servants.

Their branches are distinguished by having country names attached.

National Adventurer’s Guild

Operated by individual countries, each with its own management style.

They mainly oversee F-class to mid-tier A-class dungeons. In Japan, working for them requires a national civil servant qualification.

Their branches are named with prefectures and numbers.

Entry to these dungeons requires an adventurer’s license.

Local Adventurer’s Guild

In Japan, the lowest-tier G-class dungeons are managed by local municipalities, staffed by local civil servants.

Their branches are named after districts, cities, towns, or villages.

Unlike the others, G-class dungeons don’t require an adventurer’s license due to their low difficulty, only age verification for entry.

Thus, each adventurer’s guild has distinct characteristics, and most dungeons require an adventurer’s license for entry.

Those with this license are called adventurers.

To obtain an adventurer’s license, one must either pass the so-called one-shot exam held monthly by the National Adventurer’s Guild or achieve a status review and 1,000 magic stone contributions in a G-class dungeon managed by the Local Adventurer’s Guild.

There’s a reason why the administration manages this so strictly.

Long ago, the discovery of an unknown substance called magic stones helped solve the world’s severe energy shortage.

Dungeons appeared suddenly across the world, like something out of a story.

Humanity succeeded in generating electricity, albeit inefficiently, using magic stones harvested from the monsters within.

At the time, severe environmental pollution led to global discussions on stricter CO2 emission limits.

This revolutionary technology resolved the challenges of banning thermal power and tightening restrictions on nuclear energy.

As a result, CO2 reduction proposals were approved by countries worldwide.

However, this sparked a territorial war.

Known as the Third World War or the First Chaos War, it was a massive conflict.

Five major nations fought a chaotic war over control of magic stone resources.

Or rather, illegal dungeon raids and magic stone smuggling escalated into full-scale national conflicts, driven by the world’s desperate energy shortage.

The war even reached the point of deploying nuclear weapons, previously sealed by name.

A nuclear war among the five major nations.

What brought an end to this chaotic war was, once again, dungeons and magic stones.

A multinational civilian group called The Wise entered the war.

The Wise were dungeon explorers who mourned the lives lost in the scramble for magic stones.

They were also the group that discovered magic stones could enhance physical abilities and manifest special powers when absorbed into the body, beyond just generating electricity.

Using special abilities gained from magic stones to neutralize nuclear weapons and physical prowess surpassing conventional weaponry, The Wise forcibly ended the bloody, chaotic war.

However, this led to a contentious international conference where The Wise were appointed as advisors to unify global politics around dungeons, a decision met with much opposition.

Despite the resistance, no one could defy the force that ended the war, and the current system has since allowed the world to develop, so the conference can be considered a success.

This led to the administrative management of dungeons, resulting in laws like the Magic Stone Management Law and the Adventurer Law.

Though called global unification in name, little has changed for individual nations.

Previously, laws, rules, and lifestyles existed under each country, but now, the International Adventurer’s Guild, a new organization above nations, governs only dungeon-related matters, which were once lawless.

The Magic Stone Management Law controls global energy, an outrageous concept for national leaders, but for ordinary citizens, it’s a reliable institution ensuring magic stones prevent energy shortages.

Nations likely wanted to secure more magic stones to gain favorable positions in international affairs, but now they compete through efficient energy extraction methods and recruiting skilled adventurers and clans.

In this historical context, dungeons are administratively managed, so any adventurer’s guild offers clean, well-maintained buildings and courteous service, allowing anyone to try becoming an adventurer.

However, there are always exceptions.

Reito brought the girl to the Local Adventurer’s Guild.

The G-class dungeon here is the lowest tier, accessible without an adventurer’s license, so both Reito and the girl could enter.

Still, entry required some procedures, so they went to the reception desk to enter the dungeon…

“Huh? Harukaze?”

The staff member at the desk turned out to be Reito’s high school classmate.

“I heard you got dumped by Kaori, right? Well, Katsuki’s a better guy, so it’s kinda obvious, isn’t it?”

Reito couldn’t recall her name, but he remembered she was one of Kaori’s gal friends. Though her public servant job toned down her flashy appearance, her casual gossip during work hours suggested her personality hadn’t changed.

Plus, knowing about Reito’s breakup the very next day meant she likely knew about Kaori’s cheating too.

“I’m the one who introduced Katsuki to her, so I’m pretty proud! Kaori’s gorgeous, so I hooked her up with a great guy! Compared to that, what’re you doing? Got your adventurer’s license revoked, didn’t you? Instead of coming here, why not find a proper job? It’s a chance to move on to a new path, y’know? Oh, I get it! You’re thinking of starting over from a G-class dungeon to re-earn your license? Lame! Give it up. Going for achievements instead of the one-shot exam has no future. Oh, I’ve got an idea!”

It seemed she didn’t just know about the cheating, but Reito had no chance to interrupt as his former classmate rambled on.

To enter this dungeon, they needed ID for age verification. Since Reito no longer had an adventurer’s license and the girl was a first-timer, they’d submitted their personal cards. The ex-classmate scanned Reito’s card into the machine, swiftly operating the keyboard, and with a satisfying click, pressed the final button as if finishing triumphantly.

“All done! I put you on the blacklist so you can’t re-earn your adventurer’s license. You graduated college, so get a proper job instead of adventuring. Even a high school grad like me became a local civil servant, see? And you, girl, don’t get mixed up with this guy. Even a gal like me settled down and got a stable job as a civil servant. You should study hard instead of getting suckered into adventuring.”

Her verbal attack, initially aimed at Reito, now targeted the girl beside him.

Glancing sideways, Reito saw the girl clenching her fists so hard her hands changed color.

This had to stop.

Just as Reito was about to act, a woman with a bright smile spoke up from behind the ex-classmate.

“Shimizu-san? What are you saying during work hours! I’ll take over here, so go sort documents in the back!”

Though smiling, her words carried clear anger. The ex-classmate replied, “Yes! On my way!” and scurried off like a startled rabbit.

“We sincerely apologize for our staff’s behavior. I, Saruwatari, will handle things from here. May I ask your purpose today? I overheard something about an adventurer’s license, so I assume it’s related, but could you explain from the beginning?”

Unlike the ex-classmate, her demeanor was impeccably polite—though that’s how customer service should be.

Reito exhaled through his nose with a weary sigh, letting go of the retort he’d prepared for his ex-classmate, and explained their purpose to Saruwatari.

“It’s not for me. This girl wants to become an adventurer. I’m a former adventurer, and since she’s scared of her first dungeon, I’m here to accompany her. We plan to build her experience safely before she gets a license, so we’d like entry permission. We’ve already submitted our personal cards.”

Reito spoke as if the earlier incident didn’t bother him, gently placing a hand on the head of the girl, who was still looking down.

Startled by the sudden touch, the girl looked up at Reito’s face.

Man, I’m pathetic. I was about to handle it, but Saruwatari shut it down before I could say anything, Reito thought, mocking himself internally while giving the girl a reassuring smile.

“Dungeon entry, is it? …Yes, we have your personal cards. Please provide your signatures.”

After checking the cards, Saruwatari handed Reito and the girl two tablets and styluses.

Personal cards are protected so that even in legal cases, multiple steps are required to access their information.

The only visible detail is the name on the surface.

Identity verification involves scanning handwriting and fingerprints to confirm a match with the card’s data.

Naturally, the handwriting data is made unusable after verification.

So, Reito and the girl wrote their names and pressed their fingers—five in random order, left and right—onto the tablet’s fingerprint sensor.

A beep sounded from both devices, confirming successful authentication.

“Thank you. Harukaze Reito-sama and Hiiragi Karen-sama, correct?”

Reito learned the girl’s name from Saruwatari’s words. Her name was Karen, and he gave a wry smile, thinking he should’ve asked sooner.

“Entry permission granted. You may proceed to the gate. What about equipment?”

Saruwatari’s question about equipment likely referred to renting weapons or armor.

She probably skipped the gate directions and equipment explanations because Reito mentioned he was a former adventurer escorting the girl.

Saruwatari wasn’t just polite—she was adaptable.

“We’re good. I’ll handle it.”

“Understood. Please adventure safely.”

As Saruwatari bowed, concluding the interaction, Reito called to Karen and moved to the next area.

They headed to the changing rooms.

Reito used spatial magic to pull out an inner suit, a type of armor worn under clothes, and handed it to Karen.

Karen’s jaw dropped, stunned as Reito produced the inner suit from thin air.

She seemed eager to ask about magic, but since discussing it in a Local Adventurer’s Guild without adventurers around would draw attention, Reito cut her off, saying, “I’ll explain in the dungeon,” and told her to change into the inner suit before heading to the men’s changing room himself.

The inner suit is armor worn like underwear after removing outer clothing.

You can wear it with or without undergarments—either is fine.

After putting it on, you press the crown-like part of the wristwatch-shaped ring on the inner suit with a click.

The loose, one-size-fits-all inner suit then adheres tightly to the body, becoming transparent except for the ring, and doesn’t restrict movement at all.

Afterward, you put your regular clothes back on.

You might think monster attacks would damage the clothes, but thanks to mysterious magic stone technology, the clothes remain undamaged unless the inner suit’s durability is exceeded.

Since Reito was wearing a suit, he redressed in it and, for good measure, tightened his tie with determination.

After waiting outside, Karen emerged from the women’s changing room.

However, since Reito hadn’t explained how to wear it, she didn’t know the proper method.

It was typical of a high schooler, but her short, gal-style uniform skirt revealed the baggy inner suit stretching down to her ankles, looking like she was wearing track pants underneath.

Her upper body was hidden by a cardigan, but the unfitted inner suit made her look bulky and puffed up.

Reito hadn’t thought much of her taking so long, assuming girls’ changing took time, but the suit’s improper fit must’ve caused the delay.

Laughing and apologizing with a “my bad,” Reito adjusted the wristwatch part to fit and transparentize the inner suit.

Karen marveled at the now-invisible inner suit, then shot Reito a complex look—part embarrassment for her mistake, part irritation for not being taught properly.

But wasting time here was pointless, so Reito brushed it off, saying, “Ask everything in the dungeon,” and headed toward the gate.

On the way, Reito and Karen, who appeared to have no armor, were stared at by other entrants decked out in bulky carbon protectors or light armor.

Their inner suits, high-end armor costing at least fifty million yen, were unfamiliar to those exploring this dungeon, so they looked defenseless, like they were courting death.

Well, there was no need to explain unless asked.

For Reito, the priority was ensuring the girl he’d decided to look after didn’t die.

Amid the stares of other entrants, Reito and Karen entered the Local Adventurer’s Guild Katsushika Ward Branch G-rank dungeon, commonly known as The Lumberjack’s Meadow.