“The branch manager meeting will begin now. The topic… Is the same as before.”
The other branch managers could not hide their awkward smiles as they heard Miki’s sloppy introduction.
These meetings were supposed to happen once or twice a month, but the number of meetings had become abnormal as of late. This was because a certain someone increased the drop rate of items in the beginner dungeon, weakened monsters, and not only revealed how to make rare monsters spawn, but even made videos where he beat them available. Rumors beckoned rumors, and adventurers who called other dungeons their bases gathered in one dungeon.
Because of this, the beginner dungeon was going through an unprecedented boom. Its employees could not deal with it all, both in and out of the dungeon, and small quarrels with adventurers who already frequented the dungeon were common. They had to solicit help from employees of other dungeons to mediate, and strong cooperation was required.
And so, it was proposed that meetings were held between auctions, to improve coordination.
Lately, the aforementioned events led to auctions of the first area to be incredibly active. While the items put up for auction by his team grabbed attention, there was also an increase in other skills. Because of this, time was put aside before and after meetings for casual conversation about the auctions.
“Firstly, about the approved suggestion of adventurers with exclusives being allowed to traverse the beginner dungeon with them. This has eased our load, and made it so we don’t need more proxies. Thank you very much.”
‘No problem, we have to be there for each other.’
‘The meeting rooms are still packed, so you rented a floor in a nearby hotel. I can’t help but adore your finesse, Miki. ’
Said Ryuu, the branch manager of the high rank dungeon, followed by Youko, the branch manager of the Heart Dungeon. Since both dealt with that certain adventurer, even if for a short time, they understood Miki’s trouble all too well.
‘The fever in the third floor was unexpected, and the impact of the message reverberated, but since the third floor was lightly populated to begin with, it thankfully won’t create an excitement on the level of the fourth floor.’
‘The difficulty on that floor is too high compared to what comes before it and after.’
‘If the rare monsters are also tough, it will be hard for the teams that call that dungeon their base to take them down. Despite it seeming more profitable, I think the natural result will be for it to stay an unpopular floor.’
“Still, the stat debuff and disclosure of footage will have a big effect. We already have several reports that Orochi and Dread Boars have been defeated. And teams in our dungeon are teaming up to successfully fight Berg Bears.”
‘Hou, already?’
‘They had useful information, after all. It is truly enviable that they can take on a challenge knowing their abilities.’
‘And since young Amachi is defeating never before seen monsters, we cannot measure how fast he will grow.’
Five days had passed since Shouta conquered the third floor, and the strength of the rare monsters that spawned in that mountain and forest spread far and wide. Branch managers shuddered at their power, which seemed to not fit a third floor, and even veteran adventurers hesitated to face them.
But in the auction held two days before, Shouta presented a skill called Earth-Shaking, along with a video that introduced it. This resulted in all three items being sold for high prices, and as rumors that the rare monster Orochi dropped it spread, a fire was lit under hesitant adventurers.
As a result, the same Orochi that was avoided despite having the lowest level out of the three rare monsters was hunted eight times in two days, with two of them dropping skills.
‘Did that… Rare II appear before them?’
“No, apparently none of the teams spawned it. The more fired up among them were disappointed, but the monsters with Evil Eye all easily surpass the appropriate level. I’m relieved it never spawned.”
‘Hm, yes, Evil Eyes have varying degrees of effect. Perhaps they were picturing it on par with a cockatrice’s petrification.’
‘Cockatrice… Being stared at by them causes the target to slowly petrify from the extremities…’
‘Yes. That much is not a problem, but Lamia’s Evil Eye is most likely a top class one. You warned of that, correct Miki?’
“Yes. Both the video and the database warn that it is akin to instant death, but perhaps the message did not come across.”
Only the branch managers saw the part where it immediately petrified Shouta in his first encounter. This was to preserve Shouta’s honor, but it meant that branch managers and adventurers perceived its danger differently.
‘Since people are motivated to conquer the third floor, maybe we should announce it more clearly. Is there information on the teams that hunted Orochi this time?’
“Yes, here.”
‘Ah, there are ones from my branch. I’ll make sure exclusives call attention to this.’
‘I also see two of my teams. Leave them to me.’
‘And I will deal with my three teams.’
“Well then, I will make an announcement to the adventurers of the beginner dungeon to make sure they know. This should make for fewer accidents…”
The branch managers then continued their discussion, trading opinions and consolidating policies to ensure the beginner dungeon operated smoothly.
‘By the way Miki, where is the boy and the others?’
‘Yesterday Sakuya…’
‘Yes, I invited them to a private beach owned by the Houjouin family.’
‘So, the Bonin islands?’
‘Yes. There are no ordinary people there, so they can relax far from prying eyes.’
They had no plans, and were going to laze around the house, but as a thank you for that present, they were invited to a private beach of the Houjouin family, and made their way there the morning of the previous day.
‘But is that not Sakuya’s favorite? She must be quite enthusiastic to allow entry there.’
‘Yes. After all, he gave me quite a passionate present.’
Sakuya’s cheeks loosened into a bewitching smile, and as people reacted with teasing, jealousy, and suspicion, Miki whispered quietly enough for no one to hear.
“…You picked it.”
‘But if they left on a trip yesterday… It will take some time for them to explore the fifth floor.’
‘I can’t wait to see what he will show us.’
As the meeting neared its end with a harmonious air, Sakuya spoke as if remembering something.
‘Oh I have two things to report.’
‘Ooh, what is it Miss Sakuya?’
Sakutarou, the branch manager of the Mechanical Dungeon, urged Sakuya to continue with an expression of adoration.
Her eldest, and biological son Yuzuru was conquering his dungeon, so their relationship was deep.
‘Firstly. Of the one hundred dungeons that supposedly appeared this year, six remain unaccounted for. It seems they really are not in the first area.’
‘Ooh, I see, that is good news! Thank you for leading the investigation.’
‘They were not found on the second, third, or fourth either, so we can assume they are not in this country…’
‘That is reassuring, but… We can’t be too optimistic about it. It’s about time a stampede happened after all.’
Stampedes happened when no one entered a dungeon in two or three months, and its monsters went undefeated. There was not much they understood of it, but relying on what they did know, they worked to prevent a repeat of the first disaster, and closely managed dungeons that they attempted to find as soon as they appeared.
However, that year, they only found ninety-two dungeons. Since they always appeared a hundred at a time, there was a frantic search for them all over the world.
‘Worst case scenario, there could be another outbreak in an area already occupied by a previous stampede.’
‘That would be hell for that land, but if we are not going to find them, perhaps that is the safest scenario…’
Sakuya then spoke with a bright voice, as if cutting the solemn air. But what she said was very far from a bright subject.
‘Secondly. My son-in-law’s efforts are drawing attention not just nationally but also internationally. And various countries are sending specialists to investigate him.’
‘Ooh, your web of information truly is wonderful, Miss Sakuya…!’
“…So the time has come.”
‘They really won’t leave him be.’
‘It’s unavoidable. It was a matter of time the moment he went above A rank.’
‘What countries are we talking about, Sakuya?’
‘The Knights of the Holy Seal from the Vatican, the Saint of Destruction from France, and the Thunder Witch and Speedstar from America.’
The branch managers braced for this new source of trouble.
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