[Miyakonojo Local Product Promotion Center — Parking Lot]
We went down the Miyazaki Expressway and pulled onto National Route 10, heading toward Miyakonojo Station. After a while, we saw Miyakonojo Roadside Station on our left. I’d heard that that roadside station was the best in the Kyushu and Okinawa area; it was bustling even on a weekday.
Right next to the roadside station stood the Miyakonojo Local Product Promotion Center building. On the first floor, dozens of local products were being displayed. The B-Rank dungeon had appeared right in the parking lot of this building.
The 43rd Infantry Regiment of the Miyakonojo Garrison had been dispatched to seal off and guard the parking lot. At first, the army had intended to close off the whole area, including Roadside Station Miyakonojo, but the Miyakonojo Tourism Association and the Department of Economy, Trade, and Industry at city hall had sent numerous petitions, eventually succeeding in reducing the size of the sealed-off area.
“I’m Colonel Nakamura, Commander of the 43rd Infantry Regiment of the JGSDF. I will be in charge of assisting you,” Colonel Nakamura introduced himself, bowing to us.
We returned his salute.
Currently, the JGSDF was still in charge of guarding the dungeons, but talks were ongoing between the Ministry of Defense and the newly established Ministry of Dungeons. These talks didn’t have much to do with the potential benefits that could come from handling the dungeons but rather with the way the area around them ought to be organized. If the Monster Stampede did occur, the areas directly surrounding the dungeons would become the first defense line against the monsters. If monsters came crawling up from the dungeon using the stairs, it might be possible to fend them off with machine guns. Naturally, no one knew what form the Stampede would take, so it seemed like the Ministry of Dungeons would be tasked with brainstorming and devising solutions for all kinds of possibilities.
“This is the only dungeon that appeared in the south of Kyushu, so the City of Miyakonojo is hoping to make it into a new tourist attraction of sorts. The mayor would also like to hand you a letter of thanks in person once you are done clearing the dungeon,” said the city hall representative.
I forced a strained smile. The moment we’d announce the dungeon was successfully cleared would most likely be aired on national television. The mayor clearly picked that time to hand me a thank you letter to advertise the city. This city was the complete opposite of Kanazawa City, which had hoped to see the dungeon entirely destroyed. Still, I had no intention to refuse. If the number of adventurers increased, we’d be all the more prepared to face the Monster Stampede.
“We’ll have each team work in relays as we move forward. First up is your team, Masayoshi,” I explained.
Masayoshi’s team got ready as we set up camp in the Safety Zone of Floor 1. The first week in the dungeon would be dedicated to mapping the first four floors. In the meantime, the rest of the members would wait above ground, myself included. Masayoshi and his teammates should head back up and join us in around one above-ground hour.
“Don’t overdo it, all right? If advancing further seems too dangerous, come back,” I warned.
“I know. Don’t worry.”
There were plenty of tanks—mostly former sumo wrestlers and Gamerican football players—in Masayoshi’s team, but there were also people who could use magic and skills like Reconnaissance. All in all, they were the perfect team to handle that tedious first step, as they all had great endurance.