Ordinary Person × Modern Dungeon × Summer Vacation Life = Rise to Success!? 〜A Private Dungeon Was Made at the Remains of a Secret Base From Childhood〜 - Episode 5: Official Recognition

Episode 5: Official Recognition

“Our private dungeon… you say?”

“Yes, and I mean that in two ways… Let me explain step by step.”

According to what Yamada-san from the Explorer Association said, it went like this:

• • Currently, the dungeon only has one floor. The area is about 200m × 200m. If you go to the edge, there’s an invisible wall.

• • On the first floor, three terrains have been confirmed: countryside, forest, and river.

• • No monsters or traps were found.

• • The magical element value inside the dungeon is only slightly higher than a typical dungeon.

• • It’s possible that the dungeon could grow in the future. But as of now, there is no danger. Entrance restrictions based on status values are deemed unnecessary.

“And the most important thing. During the investigation, I confirmed with Omoigawa-san. This dungeon appeared on the site where you, Natsume-san, and Omoigawa-san used to play as children… in your secret base, correct?”

“That’s right…”

“That is likely the reason. This dungeon seems to have inherited the nature of a secret base quite strongly. Specifically, it appears that the entrance to the dungeon can only be opened by you, Natsume-san, and his friends.”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, the only ones who could open that door were me and Otama-chan.

It may be called a private dungeon, but maybe outsiders truly can’t enter at all.

“Furthermore, it’s the same inside the dungeon. The exact mechanism is unclear, but it seems that the space inside the dungeon was created. It was likely fueled by your and your friends’ thoughts and memories.”

“Uh… what does that mean, exactly?”

“—Simply put, this dungeon may have been born as a playground meant just for you. There might even be rewards that only you can obtain.”

“Ah…”

I took out the magic stone I had gotten from the dragonfly from my pocket.

“Speaking of which, this…”

—I explained the process of how I obtained the magic stone.

“Just as I thought… I possess the [Presence Detection] skill. But I couldn’t recognize the dragonfly as a monster.”

Sato-san from the prefectural office raised his hand to add on.

“Even with the magical monster detector I brought from the prefecture, the readings were always zero. In fact, the dragonfly even landed on the detector’s antenna. There wasn’t the slightest response indicating it contained a magic stone…”

“Then it’s settled.”

Yamada-san from the Explorer Association looked around at the city and prefectural representatives and nodded.

“To us, this dungeon is nothing more than an empty space. There are no monsters or items. We can’t even enter in the first place… Therefore, the legal classification is Type-5… There’s no doubt it’s a private dungeon.”

“No objections.”

“For now, it is safe. But Natsume-san, if there are any abnormalities in the dungeon, please contact the Explorer Association immediately. Failure to do so may result in a fine.”

“Understood.”

In this way, the dungeon on my property was officially recognized as a private dungeon.

“But, Natsume-san. Just one thing…”

Yamada-san raised her index finger and said,

“You must not touch things inside the dungeon carelessly. You haven’t even taken the explorer training yet, and you don’t have any recovery potions. It was fine this time, but what if that dragonfly had been poisonous?”

“Y-yes… I’m sorry.”

I got scolded by Yamada-san.

“Pfft, hehe…”

“Mmph…”

Otama-chan looked delighted to see me getting scolded and laughed.

But if you act like that…

“Hey! Omoigawa-san, you’re being too relaxed! You’ll get a lecture when we get home!”

“Ehh~ W-why~…”

See?

“Hahaha…”

Seriously, she’s hopeless.

…Ever since I quit my job, I’d been feeling down. But somehow things were starting to feel fun.

I should thank Otama-chan for that.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave now. Natsume-san, the Explorer Association is located on the first floor of Eayon. If you plan to explore the dungeon, please come take the training course.”

“Got it.”

“Omoigawa-san will kindly teach you.”

“Ehehe, I’ll be waiting~!”

Otama-chan gave a clumsy wink.

☆★☆

That night. 

I reported the entire matter to my parents.

“…So basically, it is a dungeon. But they say it’s not dangerous.”

“Hmm…”

But my parents had grim looks on their faces.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Well, you know… Dungeons are scary, right? Like Goblins, Orcs, or other monsters appear, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be better to bury the whole thing along with the door?”

“I told you, nothing like that shows up.”

“Besides, I was thinking of selling that mountain anyway since it’s not doing us any good. There might still be people doing solar power, or outdoor lovers.”

“It’s the age of magic stone power. So solar power isn’t trendy anymore. And campgrounds have long since passed their peak.”

“Still…”

…Seriously.

It’s been a while since I felt this out of sync.

This was what I hated, which is why I moved to Tokyo.

But the landowner is my parents.

I have to respect their wishes. And people aren’t convinced just through words.

The fact that I can think like that now probably means I’ve grown up.

“Then, how about this? Give me a bit of time. Let me check if there’s anything valuable inside the door. The city hall said it’s safe. So I don’t think there’ll be any immediate problems.”

“Hmm, I suppose. If the city hall said so…”

“That mountain’s worth maybe a million yen if we’re lucky. I hope we can at least get that much out of it.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

Though I thought, “No one would take that mountain even if you gave it away for free these days,” I kept that to myself.

……………A million yen, huh.

For now, I’ll just have to produce some results.

☆★☆

The next day. 

I immediately visited the Explorer Association inside Eayon.

There, I found Yamada-san, who had come to investigate the other day.

“Good morning. I’d like to take the explorer training course.”

“Oh, Natsume-san. Good morning. Is it the course for private dungeons like the one yesterday?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then I’ll go ask Omoigawa-san to be your instructor. I gave her plenty of instruction yesterday, so I think today’s training will be perfect.”

“That sounds good.”

When Yamada-san went to the back, Otama-chan came out in her place.

“Today, I will be serving as your instructor. I-I am Omoigawa Tamaki. P-pleased to meet you!”

Behind her, Yamada-san was nodding in satisfaction.