kscans

Chapter 92 - Interlude: Arms Reaching from Across the Sea

Interlude: Arms Reaching from Across the Sea

Side: None

Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. A certain floor of the Central Government Complex.

In a conference room at the Dungeon Agency, the staff wore somber expressions.

'High School Student Dies in Dungeon.'

He hadn't been caught in a stampede. He was a boy who had passed the adventurer exam and entered a dungeon through all the proper channels, only to be killed by a monster.

In response, the public was now crying out, 'Putting underage civilians in dungeons was a mistake after all.' Just moments ago, a group of young opposition party politicians had shown up at the Dungeon Agency, smartphone cameras in hand.

After forcefully presenting the 'will of the people' to Director Akasaka and his team, they had left, looking satisfied as they reviewed their recorded videos.

The reason the Dungeon Agency staff were so dejected was not because they were being told they had killed the young adventurer...

No, it was because they themselves believed it.

If they were being honest, none of them wanted to send civilians into dungeons in the first place. The Dungeon Agency was full of eccentrics, but their ethics and social conscience were sound.

They proposed the current Dungeon Law because they believed the country would fall otherwise. Because they believed that if that happened, everyone would die.

But time had passed, and the resolve they'd felt back then had softened. Now, this incident had occurred.

Even the staff members who had begun to think of their work as a 'necessary evil' were now pale, fighting back waves of nausea.

In this heavy atmosphere, after observing a minute of silence for the deceased adventurer, Director Akasaka spoke.

"Before we begin this meeting, let me make one thing clear. The death of this boy is not your fault. This is an incident for which I, and those above me, must take responsibility."

"But sir..."

"If you feel any guilt, channel it into your work. Use it to ensure we don't have another victim like him. At least, that's what I intend to do."

He appeared as composed as usual, but inwardly, Director Akasaka was anything but calm. His own daughter was the same age as the boy who had died, and she too was an adventurer.

When would his own child meet the same fate? The thought made him desperately want to call his daughter right now and tell her to quit.

And yet, he prioritized his duty.

"...Yes, sir."

After seeing his subordinates nod, however reluctantly, Director Akasaka clapped his hands lightly.

"Then let's get to the main topic. Thanks to information from the Self-Defense Force, we now have a detailed picture of what happened. Please review the materials."

The staff lowered their eyes to their tablets, laptops, and paper documents.

The incident occurred in an F-Rank dungeon where Zombie Kobolds appear.

Three 16-year-old high school boys went through the Dungeon Store reception and began their exploration.

It was their second time here, and combined with their experience from the practical exam, they had grown complacent around the Zombie Kobolds, according to the surviving boy.

As they explored, their banter naturally increased, and all three let their guard down. That's when three Zombie Kobolds ambushed them.

The surprise attack injured the face of the boy in the vanguard. Although it was later confirmed to be just a scratch, the sudden pain caused him to drop his weapon.

Seeing his own blood, he panicked and tried to flee. He ended up colliding with the rear guard, and both of them fell. The remaining boy, flustered, tried to fight back with magic, but he was overwhelmed and pinned down by two of the Zombie Kobolds.

The sight of this froze the vanguard in terror, while the rear guard, who had been knocked over, scrambled away from the scene at full speed.

Despite being bitten on the calf, the boy who fled was lucky enough to be rescued by other adventurers passing nearby.

The vanguard, who had curled up on the ground with his head in his hands, was attacked with claws and fangs but suffered no life-threatening injuries.

However, the boy who had been held down by two monsters and had his throat torn out was pronounced dead ten minutes after being rescued by another adventurer.

That was the full account of what happened that day.

Placing the paper documents on the table, the director continued.

"Why did this incident occur? I want each of you to list the reasons. Specifically, 'what caused this boy's death.'"

"...I believe their carelessness was the primary factor."

A female employee looking at a laptop spoke, forcing a calm tone.

"The dungeons accessible to adventurers are fundamentally designed with a 'safety margin.' The standard is that one shouldn't suffer serious injury unless they make a series of major mistakes."

If this were a game, the 'Ranks' stipulated by the current Dungeon Law would be misaligned with the appropriate levels.

For example, an 'F-Rank' adventurer should be able to fight an 'E-Rank' monster on equal footing or better. However, the Dungeon Law's standards are set with a one-rank difference between adventurers and dungeons.

The sole reason for this was 'safety.'

A dungeon is, by its very nature, far from safe, but that doesn't mean safety can be ignored. On the contrary, it is of the utmost importance.

"Right. What's the next reason?"

"Well, how about their response, like first aid? Awakened Persons are tough. If he'd received proper treatment on the spot, he might have survived."

A male employee holding a tablet stated this with a nonchalant air.

As he said, Awakened Persons are extremely durable. The two surviving boys in this incident sustained injuries that would have taken a non-Awakened Person at least two months to recover from.

And yet, their wounds healed within a week of being brought to the hospital.

Awakened Persons are not afflicted by existing diseases or poisons, and their natural healing abilities are high. The boy whose throat was torn out likely would have survived if he had received proper on-site treatment.

"Then shouldn't we also consider their armor? Even with Arcane Gear, at F-Rank, a standard bulletproof vest is often tougher."

"They needed a chaperone, too. I think someone should have been there to admonish them for their rookie carelessness."

"We should also think about how they reacted to being hit. Getting used to pain, you could say. It's only natural for any living creature to flinch when injured, even if it's minor. They might have suppressed that reaction if they had been accustomed to it beforehand."

Opinion after opinion was added to the whiteboard. After a while, the director clapped his hands again.

"Alright, now let's think of countermeasures for these causes. We'll discuss the priority of which to address later. First, regarding the carelessness that was brought up."

"...For that, all we can really do is issue warnings during the training courses."

"We should create a video incorporating this incident. It would be best to upload it not only for the courses, but also at every Dungeon Store and on our website."

"But will people actually watch a video like that...?"

"It's just like renewing a driver's license; the Dungeon Law requires adventurers to renew their licenses periodically. The initial plan was 'three years after obtaining the license' and then 'every five years' after that... Should we shorten the intervals?"

"I don't know. If we make it too frequent, we won't have the capacity to handle it on-site."

"For now, the safest bet is to create a new warning video to show during the adventurer training course... We can notify current license holders via email and through bulletin boards at each Store to watch the video."

"We should ask the television industry for cooperation as well. I have a connection from university; I'll reach out to them."

"Good. Once the video is complete, negotiate with them to have it broadcast on TV."

"Yes, sir."

The discussion proceeded at a rapid pace.

"Next, regarding on-site medical treatment."

"That's a difficult one. We teach first aid in the course, but the ability to make split-second decisions and act on them isn't so easily acquired."

"It's not just a matter of courage and composure, either. An injury like this one is beyond the scope of what we teach in the course."

"It'd be nice if even an amateur could heal someone easily. You know, with something like a 'magic potion.'"

The employee with the tablet operated his screen.

A moment later, an email was sent to each staff member's terminal and laptop.

"This is data on the magic potions currently under research. According to this, even the relatively easy-to-produce ones can treat 'fractures and lacerations.' And all you have to do is pour it on the wound."

"...It's like a 'healing potion' from an anime or a game."

One of the staff members muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"'Healing Magic' users are rare. If we could sell or distribute magic potions, the survival rate of adventurers would certainly increase."

"However, magic potions haven't been approved yet."

"I know. Not only is the theory behind them unexplained by modern science, but the clinical trials aren't even finished. We can't publicly authorize their sale yet."

"What about an emergency authorization?"

"That would be extremely difficult. Unlike an infectious disease, this incident doesn't pose an immediate, large-scale threat."

"I've heard rumors that they're already being circulated among regular adventurers, kind of like a barter system."

Currently, manufacturing and selling magic potions is illegal.

However, creating them is not forbidden. As long as no profit is made from it.

Even if some production-class adventurers 'gift' their homemade magic potions to adventurers or companies they're friendly with, it's a very gray area, but not explicitly black.

As long as there's no clear reciprocation for it.

"I hear it's especially common in clans and such."

The female employee with the laptop glanced at Director Akasaka.

The Walkers, too, were receiving items similar to magic potions from the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club through the same channels. Of course, Akasaka was aware of this but deliberately turned a blind eye.

"We need to publicly permit the sale and distribution of at least the 'Lesser Healing Salve'... was that it? Even if it's easy to make, mechanization is impossible, so cost and quantity will be an issue... but before that, there's the problem of whether it will be approved at all."

"Reviewing every magic potion would take years, no doubt about it."

"Even if we focus on just one, we first need to scientifically explain the mechanism by which it heals wounds from a pharmaceutical perspective..."

"Alternatively, we could encourage adventurers to join 'clans' that trade in magic potions with production-class members."

The director's words made the staff freeze for a moment.

"Mutual aid among adventurers, starting with clans. Through that, they can share magic potions and equipment. Veterans can offer warnings to newcomers. It could lead to the resolution of many different problems."

"...Won't that just create mafias, sir? The future is already uncertain enough without a public body giving them a push."

The male employee with the tablet broke out in a cold sweat.

The female employee with the laptop nodded in agreement.

"Relying too heavily on the private sector because public institutions can't keep up will destabilize the nation. Military power, personnel, funding—an organization that amasses all that will eventually start imposing its own rules on others. Just like a country."

"Exactly! And we've already got organizations like Turohorse popping up!"

Turohorse.

The NPO for Awakened Persons that had also approached Yamashita. The name meant 'wheel' in Greek, and a golden wheel adorned each of their branches as their symbol.

In reality, it was a gathering of Awakened-supremacists, espousing the ideology that Awakened Persons, as the superior species, should guide humanity.

On the surface, they were still a moderate group, but it was rumored they were already engaging in radical activities behind the scenes.

Kidnapping and assaulting non-Awakened individuals. Threatening corporations. Using aggressive recruitment tactics. And so on.

They were an extremely dangerous group, already marked by Public Security.

"I understand. But we need 'mutual aid' among adventurers, even if it's just an emergency measure. I believe we must support and regulate it."

"If it goes well, it could solve a lot of problems... but it's way too risky, don't you think?"

"I'm prepared for that... though I doubt my head would be enough to pay for it if something went wrong. We'll put this on hold for now and return to the original topic. On-site first aid in dungeons."

"...Understood. I'll begin drafting a request for cooperation from medical device manufacturers—"

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After about two hours, the meeting concluded, and everyone returned to their work.

Director Akasaka was preparing to take the consolidated opinions to his superiors when two of his subordinates approached him from either side.

"...Sir. Regarding the proposal to encourage joining clans that came up during the meeting, were you perhaps thinking of the Walkers?"

"No. In fact, if that plan were to be approved, I was thinking of excluding the Walkers."

At Director Akasaka's words, the female employee with the laptop's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yamashita is a trustworthy man. However, that may not always be the case. People with power inevitably change. Whether for the better or for the worse, we can't know at this stage."

"So you're saying it's dangerous for the Walkers to become too powerful."

"Including that, it's on hold. It would be ideal if we could bring them entirely over to the government's side... but there's their relationship with the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club. It's difficult right now."

Given its nature, the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club was an organization whose activities the government couldn't track if they truly went underground.

Unlike the Invisible Ninjas, which Director Akasaka had once misunderstood, they were, in a sense, a true secret society. Albeit one with very peculiar goals and motivations.

Currently, the Walkers were the only leash on them. A leash that could easily be removed, but one that would make a loud noise if it were.

While the power dynamic was absolute, the Walkers themselves were now a large-scale clan... no, a 'guild.'

A guild that was still expanding at the cost of Yamashita's scalp and stomach lining. Its influence far surpassed that of an average clan.

"Well, let's put that matter aside for now."

The male employee muttered, tapping his tablet.

"More importantly... what's the situation with that other matter?"

"...My old haunt says they can see a faint connection."

"I heard the same from my contacts."

Director Akasaka gave a small nod.

"Turohorse is receiving support from the United Kingdom."

From the day Director Akasaka realized his misunderstanding about the Invisible Ninjas, and simultaneously began to question why the UK had taken no overt action regarding Yagawa Kyouta and his party, he had been using various contacts to investigate that country's movements.

This was the result.

"So it's true..."

"Yes. But at the same time, my old friends told me they couldn't investigate any further."

"Same here. Public Security has no intention of doing anything more than surveilling Turohorse."

"You're kidding. This time it doesn't seem like it's just a misunderstanding."

The employee sighed, clutching his tablet.

"...And the support is being heavily disguised. It seems the funds are being sent through multiple organizations and accounts."

"So much so that we wouldn't have noticed the connection if we hadn't been looking for it specifically."

Wasn't that country still the strongest when it came to clandestine operations on the world stage?

Just as the rumors whispered, the UK's movements were hard to grasp. This flow of money only became visible because they started with the assumption that 'that country might be involved.'

"But I don't understand their motive. The Awakened are predominantly Japanese. Some foreigners who have lived in Japan for years have also awakened, but even so, there are few British nationals. An Awakened-supremacist ideology should be incompatible with the UK..."

"I can't even begin to imagine. Besides, providing financial aid in a way that leaves almost no evidence also carries the risk of not being able to receive anything in return."

"Yeah. The whole 'we helped you, so give us something' deal, right? If there's no proof of support, they could just play dumb."

"Either they're holding some kind of leverage that forces them to reciprocate, or... is there some benefit to Turohorse's actions themselves?"

"At this stage, we can only speculate."

"Yes. This matter requires further investigation."

"Eh? Is this our case to handle now?"

The male employee's cheek twitched as he held his tablet.

Director Akasaka, looking like he was fighting a headache, gave a small nod.

"It's an organization of Awakened Persons. I've already been told by the higher-ups, 'If anything happens, the Dungeon Agency will take full responsibility.'"

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"I don't want to get involved either. But it's a job someone has to do."

The frown lines on his forehead deepening, the director finished gathering his documents and started to walk away.

"Investigate in your spare time. I'll try to look into it somehow on my end as well. But don't overdo it."

"We're already overdoing it..."

"Aargh, fine, I get it."

"My apologies."

After offering his subordinates a wry smile, Director Akasaka finally left the room.

As his shoes clicked on the floor, he thought.

Turohorse was, frankly, not a particularly disciplined group. If someone tried to use them, they could easily splinter and go rogue at a critical moment.

What could the United Kingdom possibly want from them...?

"Haaa..."

The connection between the UK and Turohorse, discovered by pure chance. This time, it wasn't Director Akasaka's misunderstanding.

The U.S. military's suspicious activities concerning dungeons. China's aggressive recruitment of Awakened Persons. The UK's secret funding of Turohorse. And interference from other nations.

Deciding to stock up on energy drinks and cup noodles at the convenience store near the government building on his way home, Director Akasaka walked down the sparsely populated corridor.

Once again, the lights at the Dungeon Agency stayed on late into the night.