Chapter 36

A laminated sheet of paper. On it was a list of services available to explorers of various ranks, clearly itemized for easy understanding.

It was filled with copyright-free illustrations, which made it look even more homemade.

Could this be from Mr. Hirose?

"Yes, well... I like making things like this, so I thought I might be able to use it for work, even if just as a sample."

"I've never seen a layout like this before... It's easy to understand, but it seems a bit light for something aimed at explorers."

"That's true. The PR department rejected it for that reason... even though they are much more casual on social media and such."

He muttered complaints about the PR department, seemingly with something on his mind. Well, I suppose the character required for internal distribution materials and external social media posts is different...

I’d better not touch on that. He seems rather sensitive about it.

Mr. Kodo seemed to sense this too, and responded with a nonchalant "I see" and left it at that.

Anyway, I read the sheet specially made by Mr. Hirose. There’s a lot written, but with things like this, it’s fine to focus only on the parts you want to read. Let’s see...

"Services available to E-rank explorers... First, an increase in the number of items available for purchase at the dungeon exploration item store."

"Items include weapons, armor, and other equipment. You can get higher-performance items compared to when you were F-rank."

Right next to the guild headquarters, there’s a store dedicated to explorers. It stocks weapons and armor needed for dungeon exploration, as well as various equipment.

The items available for purchase are determined by the explorer’s rank. When you become E-rank, you can buy items that are a step up from what was available at F-rank.

For me, who is destined to fight bare-handed, weapons are not something I often use, but an increase in the variety of armor and equipment is certainly welcome.

Especially the equipment. The equipment for F-rank dungeons is, to put it bluntly, quite ordinary. Yet, the prices are exorbitantly high, so it’s often more cost-effective to prepare substitutes from home centers or similar places.

It might also indicate that F-rank dungeons are relatively safe and less dangerous, to the point where you can use ordinary items as substitutes... but still, a pair of the cheapest exploration safety boots costs 10,000 yen. I saw the same thing at a home center for 1,980 yen.

I want to say, "Come on, that’s ridiculous."

"Second, the ability to join the explorer-specific social network."

"This... well, you can join if you feel like it. There aren’t many users, though."

"Is that so?"

It’s like a school-specific online bulletin board. I’m not sure I want to interact with other explorers that much, so I’m hesitant about using it.

When I asked Mr. Kodo, who seemed hesitant, he gave a rather disappointing answer.

"In a community of only 10,000 people in the country, even with anonymity, a single boastful post can easily reveal your identity, especially if it involves rare skills or titles. Most people with good internet literacy just browse."

"Well, it’s supposed to be a service that’s up-to-date with the times... but young people’s culture is complicated."

"I see."

That sounds like I’d be pretty out of place.

Even with anonymity, I stood out too much at the recent Shining Yamagata. The scene of people across the country looking up at the shining me, like a religious painting, was widely discussed.

I’m sure my story is already being talked about on this social network. Who would want to post on such a platform? I’d be too scared to even browse it.

"Those who don’t mind can post without hesitation, so it might be helpful if you want to learn about other explorers’ work styles. It’s up to you, Kosei."

"Well, I’ll take a look once."

"Please do. It’s a shame when a system that’s been set up isn’t used much."

I smiled politely at Mr. Hirose’s somewhat melancholic comment.

I then looked at the third item.

"Um, the third... is this the last one? The ability to participate in club activities within the guild? Club activities?"

"Ah, those are more for adults. Exploration, especially dungeon exploration, is a life-or-death job, but it also comes with a lot of free time and waiting periods."

"Those who have hobbies in their private lives are fine, but there are also a certain number of people who have nothing to do. These club activities are a form of recreation for them."

"I see..."

It seems adults have a lot of things to deal with...

I don’t have any particular hobbies right now, so I don’t think I’ll join any club activities.

But maybe I’ll use them after I graduate from school.

I found myself thinking about the future, even though it’s still a long way off.

At the time of posting this story:

- 1st place in the Low Fantasy daily ranking

- 4th place in the overall daily ranking

- 7th place in the overall weekly ranking

Thank you very much.

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