Episode 48: Seeker’s Town
It appeared suddenly amidst the serene countryside.
A white dome at its center. Surrounding it were various facilities, including hotels and apartments for lodging.
The white cityscape, spanning about one square kilometer, resembled a compact city.
“That’s the ‘Red Dungeon.’ The surrounding buildings are lodging facilities exclusively for Seekers and labs used by researchers,”
The president explained, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Maika had told him, “Don’t smoke in the car!” so he didn’t light it, just resentfully kept it in his mouth.
“So, this town was built for dungeon exploration?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s the deepest dungeon in Japan, after all. Preparing for it takes a considerable amount of time and effort. To reduce that even a little, lodging facilities and shops were built.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
A gate was set up at the entrance to the town, and when the president showed his Entrance Pass to the guard, they opened the gate. We entered and parked the car in a designated parking area.
It seemed that the parking spots were meticulously assigned to each company.
Getting out of the car, I took the luggage from the trunk.
“The room we D-Minor are renting is on the third floor of Building 04. Let’s carry the luggage there!”
“Yes, sir!”
We divided up the considerable amount of luggage and carried it. By the time we reached the room, I was out of breath.
“This is the room we’ll be using…”
It was like a one-room apartment. A slightly spacious layout, with the furniture unified in white. I placed the luggage we brought in the living room and looked out the window.
“There are a lot of people. Are they all from companies?”
“Yeah, only people from dungeon-related companies or government officials are here. Most of them are probably people in the same line of work.”
The president also peered out the window, watching the people heading towards the white dome. While Yuma and the president shifted their gaze outside, Maika lined up the baskets she had brought on the living room table.
“Let’s have lunch a little early. Everyone, go wash your hands!”
“Oh! Yuma, we’re going into the dungeon this afternoon, so eat as much as you can!”
“Yes, sir!”
Yuma and the president washed their hands and immediately took their seats.
“Tanaka-san, come on over!”
“Yesss~”
Tanaka, who had been putting luggage away in the shelves, was called by Maika and came over, wiping away sweat. When everyone was seated, Maika opened the lids of the three lined-up baskets.
“Ooooh! Looks delicious!!”
Yuma couldn’t help but exclaim. Inside the baskets were colorful dishes.
Sandwiches with ham and eggs, salads and fruits. There were also rice balls, wieners, rolled omelets, and Karaage.
Yuma almost drooled at the sight of the classic dishes.
Everyone put their hands together and said in unison.
““Thank you for the food!””
With chopsticks in hand, Yuma piled his plate with dishes. The president also took dishes without losing out, and the two of them devoured the food.
Tanaka, who looked like he would eat the most, was daintily carrying small amounts to his plate.
‘He’s surprisingly not as gluttonous as he looks,’ Yuma muttered in his mind.
Enjoying Maika’s delicious homemade lunch, Yuma finished his meal with great satisfaction. He rubbed his stomach, which had expanded from overeating.
I didn’t expect to be eating together in such a homey atmosphere.
“We’ll be using this as our base for three days, diving into the dungeon. Yuma, you brought your change of clothes and stuff, right?”
“Yes, that’s all fine. But what about meals during our stay? Is Maika-san going to make them every time?”
When Yuma looked, Maika grimaced and shook her head vigorously.
“I can’t make them every time, you know. There are many restaurants here that Seekers use, so we’ll use those. I made lunch today because I wanted to save on food expenses as much as possible.”
“I see.”
‘This really is a town that caters to Seekers in every way,’ Yuma thought, impressed. The president, who was picking his teeth with a toothpick, stood up.
“Well, shall we go? I want to go down to the tenth floor and come back by evening.”
Yuma and the others took their necessary luggage, left the room, and headed for the dome-shaped facility.
◇◇◇
As we approached the white dome, Yuma was overwhelmed by its imposing presence.
The outer wall was probably over twenty meters high. Not quite as big as the Tokyo Dome, but close to it.
The entrance was closed by an iron gate, and conspicuous security was visible.
It was completely different from the ‘Blue Dungeon.’
“The security is very strict, isn’t it?”
When Yuma asked, the president, who was showing his Entrance Pass to the guard, replied, “Well, yeah.”
The sturdy-looking doors opened to the left and right, and Yuma and the other three entered.
“This is the deepest dungeon in Japan, and there are fire-attribute Monsters. The security is tight to prevent Monsters from the deep layers from getting out under any circumstances.”
“But Monsters can’t get out, right?”
“Yeah, they can’t. But when this town was being built, dungeon research hadn’t progressed much yet. The government panicked at the sudden appearance of unknown creatures and built this grand thing.”
Yuma was convinced by the president’s explanation. Certainly, if something like a dungeon suddenly appeared, anyone would be confused.
The four of us were now walking in what seemed like a large entrance hall.
Well-built people who appeared to be Seekers and businessmen in suits were standing around talking here and there.
“Well, this building itself is like a ‘Cage’ to keep the Monsters locked up. Whether it’s useful or not, it’s definitely connected to the peace of mind of the surrounding residents.”
As the president was talking about that, a group wearing white and gray uniforms came from the other side.
For a moment, they looked like members of a team from a special effects show.
“Oh, if it isn’t Kanzaki!”
The president stopped, saying, “Hmm?” The one who called out was a burly man at the head of the group.
The ‘DeNA Elceed’ logo was on his chest.