[Tropics Bar — Ezoe Kazuhiko]
After the barbecue, it seemed a lot of the bachelors—including Akira—headed to Misakicho. Although Akira seemed frivolous at first sight, he actually had everything together, so it was probably fine to leave things to him.
I didn’t join them, instead having a glass of whiskey at the hotel’s bar. Vice-Minister Ishihara sat next to me. The bartender seemed to want to give us some privacy and stood as far from us as he could. There were no other customers around us either.
“What’s with this atmosphere?” she asked.
“We’re just two adults having a drink together. Don’t worry. I’m a bit of a coward, so I wouldn’t dare hit on someone like you.”
“You sure are. Oh well, I don’t mind. I’m glad I finally had the chance to forget about work for a while. I’ll probably spend the day lazing around at the spa tomorrow. Please take me back to Tokyo after dinner.”
I was not acting this way because of a lack of experience. In fact, I had had plenty of lovers before. I had no intention of looking at Ishihara that way, though. I didn’t see her as a woman, but rather as an important partner in my fight against the dungeons.
“There are only two Rank B dungeons left in Japan, one in Sendai and one in Miyakonojo. Then there’s the Rank C dungeon in Nagoya and the Rank D dungeon in Hakata...” I paused. “We can get rid of these four within the year. The Rank A dungeon Abyss and the Rank S dungeon Avaritia will probably take us some more time, though.”
As soon as I said this, Ishihara lowered her voice and switched back to Vice-Minister mode.
“Clearing dungeons inside the country is important, but you should start working abroad soon. As soon as the Paralympics end, I want you to go check out the Republic of Sina’s dungeon. It’s located right on Dūnhuà Lù, one of Taipei’s most prominent avenues. They’ve been going around the issue by controlling traffic, but they seem to be having a difficult time finding alternative routes that lessen congestion issues. They want the dungeon completely gone.”
“They want to erase the dungeon? Well...” I paused. “I don’t really mind, but what do we stand to gain, then?”
“We’re still negotiating with them at the moment. The Japanese government wants the Republic of Sina to give up its claim on the Senkaku Islands. Compensation for the Busters will only be traveling and lodging expenses, though.”
“Does that mean the government will owe us a favor?”
“You’ll be doing it to better your reputation. As the situation stands now, Dungeon Busters will end up monopolizing every dungeon in Japan. You will pocket hundreds of billions of yen every year without doing a thing. Do you think public opinion will see that in a positive light? Even if Japan eventually nationalizes the dungeons, you’ll be keeping ownership for the next few years. If you want the public to accept that, you need to improve your image. Working without compensation for the good of the country is more likely to get the people on your side than merely clearing dungeons and reaping the benefits.”
“Ha ha... We are to show our patriotism, huh?” I asked. “I agree, though. Adventurers, just like the JSDF, must be loved by everyone. At least for now.”
In light novels, people tended to casually enter dungeons, farm magic stones, roll the gacha, and go home happily, their pockets full of potions and items. The real world didn’t work like that, however. It was only a matter of time before A-Rank monster cards were classified as weapons of mass destruction. Most countries would also try to control strong adventurers and use them as single-man armies. The masses would then cower in fear and reject adventurers.
Still, when you took the considerable advantages of exploiting dungeons into account, it was impossible to avoid going down this path. It was human nature to always seize the opportunity in front of you in spite of the potential future drawbacks.
“Enough business talk. I heard that this bar served a drink that won a prize in the Awamori Cocktail Contest,” Ishihara said before ordering one.
The bartender started masterfully shaking her drink. I also emptied my glass and ordered a cocktail. I wasn’t usually that fond of sweet drinks, but I decided to enjoy the Tropics’s specialty tonight.