Episode 100: Interrogation
Japan Dungeon Association, Kanto Branch.
This organization, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, is a third-sector entity established to manage and operate dungeons within Japan, conducting investigations jointly with the Ministry of Defense.
A man walked through the main floor of the Japan Dungeon Association (commonly known as JDA).
Hideki Kousaka, the JDA’s chief auditor, cut a serious figure with his navy single suit, two-block haircut, and rimless glasses.
He was currently wrestling with a certain case.
He had received a sudden phone call in the early morning, before dawn had even broken, reporting that the ‘Black Dungeon’ in Yokohama had been conquered.
Thinking it was absurd, he went to the site only to find that the dungeon was indeed beginning to collapse.
This was unprecedented in Japan, marking the first-ever dungeon conquest. Moreover, it was accomplished by a group of only three people.
One was a researcher, and the other two were Seekers.
There was no way such a small group could conquer the ‘Black Dungeon,’ which had one hundred and fifty floors.
Anyone familiar with dungeons would say the same. Kousaka shifted his gaze from the JDA’s open office to the glass-walled conference room.
Inside, a large man was talking with a JDA employee.
Kousaka opened the black file in his hand. The man’s name was Koutarou Kanzaki, one of the Seekers who had entered the ‘Black Dungeon,’ and apparently the president of a company called D-Minor.
Upon investigation, it turned out to be not even a mid-sized company, but a micro-enterprise among micro-enterprises.
The president himself seemed to be only a B-rank Seeker.
“I can’t believe it, can you? That someone like him conquered the ‘Black Dungeon’!”
Kousaka looked to his side to see a petite woman peering into the conference room, trying not to be conspicuous.
The chestnut-haired woman, dressed in a charcoal gray suit, was watching Kanzaki with sparkling eyes, looking very interested.
“Kurumishita, what are you doing? What about your work?”
“But, senpai! How can I ignore something so interesting happening!”
“What’s so interesting about it? Don’t be so insensitive.”
Sighing at Kurumishita, who seemed to be having fun, Kousaka looked back at the conference room.
Kanzaki had stood up and seemed to be shouting something. The employee dealing with him was flustered. There was no choice—
“I’ll go and hear what he has to say directly.”
“Eh!? Senpai, are you going? Then, please take me with you!”
“Hmph, do as you like.”
◇◇◇
“So, I’m telling you, I’ve said it many times! When we got to the lowest level, the way back suddenly disappeared! Then, a huge monster appeared, and we were running around trying to escape.”
“Yes, so please tell me more about that.”
Kousaka calmly observed the man in front of him.
Kanzaki and the female researcher had been immediately transported to the hospital after returning from the dungeon, but with only minor injuries, they had complied with the JDA’s summons and come straight to the interrogation.
The clothes he was wearing were the same ones he had worn into the dungeon, tattered and filthy.
However, Kanzaki seemed relatively energetic, with only a scratch on his right hand. It was hard to believe he had traveled back and forth through one hundred and fifty floors.
“So, you’re saying you didn’t defeat the monster on the lowest level?”
“Huh? Of course not. There’s no way I could do something like that with my skills! We were running from a huge Golem when it lost its footing and fell into a bottomless hole. After that, an earthquake occurred, and a slope appeared leading upwards. That’s how we escaped with our lives.”
“I see…”
The story made sense, but—
“I find it hard to believe that you reached the lowest level with just three people… How did you get there?”
“Hmm? That’s obviously thanks to Aisha’s advice. We didn’t want to go, but she said she could show us the optimal route, so we just went along with it.”
“Aisha… Dr. Aisha Kisaragi, is it?”
“Kousaka-san, you know her?”
Kurumishita, who had been listening quietly from behind, interjected.
“She’s a researcher of the Black Dungeon, a famous scholar. Though she’s also famous for causing a lot of trouble.”
“That’s definitely her!”
Kanzaki laughed cheerfully.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, the final conquest of a dungeon is prohibited by law. If this incident is determined to be intentional or due to negligence, you may be held liable.”
“I know that! We didn’t do it because we wanted to conquer the dungeon. Or are you saying we should have just died on the lowest level!?”
“I’m not saying that. Of course, if the legitimacy is recognized, there will be no problem.”
Kousaka looked at Kanzaki with utter composure. Kanzaki returned the gaze with a fierce look.
“In any case, we will need to conduct several more interviews for the investigation. We would appreciate your cooperation.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
Kanzaki said, sounding weary, and stood up from his seat.