Chapter 88

The bus had been traveling for about two hours. Just as the conversation about my skills was winding down, and everyone was spending their time as they pleased, the destination came into view.

As for me, I was chatting amicably with Ms. Mochizuki, discussing everything from daily life to dungeon exploration.

Incidentally, I didn't end up telling the other explorers about my other skills or titles. I thought it might be a bit too unconventional to keep showing them, and fundamentally, I'm not the type to reveal my hand. Besides, I don't feel like actively showing off those poetic attributes. If asked why, I wouldn't be able to give a clear answer, as there are too many aspects of my status that I can't explain myself. I can't show off something I can't explain.

The scenery visible from the window was characteristic of an ancient city, with old, dignified buildings standing side by side with modern skyscrapers. It's called a grid, and I think it's a fitting description when you look at the city from above. The headquarters of the neighboring prefecture stood out among these buildings, a retro wooden structure that exuded a unique atmosphere.

"Wow, that's amazing. It's quite different from our headquarters."

"It's said to be over 80 years old, and it preserves the appearance of the early Great Dungeon era. There's even a museum inside."

"Really?"

As Ms. Mochizuki, who had participated in this tour before, explained, I gazed at this charming building. Due to its age, it showed signs of deterioration in various places, but it was clear that repairs were being attempted regularly. It might be cheaper to tear it down and build a new one, but this headquarters building is probably a symbol of the pride and tradition of the explorers in this prefecture.

Two buses entered the grounds. Beyond a square that resembled a garden, there was a parking lot for large vehicles, where the buses stopped.

"Ah, we've arrived." As I stepped off the bus, I felt a different air and atmosphere from my hometown. The saying "different places, different things" applies even to the air.

As soon as I got off, I stretched to loosen up my body. Then, Ms. Kanae got off the first bus and came over with a smile.

"Welcome, Kōhei. What do you think of my hometown?"

"Ms. Kanae, it feels very dignified and historical."

"Yes, but it also has a somewhat rigid mindset, which can be both good and bad. Hehe, I'm honored to receive your praise."

Being praised for the land where she grew up must be very gratifying. Ms. Kanae seemed even more cheerful than usual, and it made me feel happy too.

Anyway, first, we needed to greet the headquarters. We gathered and moved in a somewhat disorganized manner. It felt like a mob...

In front of the headquarters, the staff and explorers were lined up, waiting for us. A man standing in the center was probably the head of the headquarters.

"Welcome, explorers. I am Kasa, the head of this headquarters. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you!"

In response to Mr. Kasa's greeting, everyone replied in unison. The staff and explorers on the other side also greeted us. Hmm, it felt a bit like a sports club.

After the greetings, we received an explanation about the tour inside the headquarters. There would be no exploration today. Over the next two days, we would explore in groups, divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Each group would consist of half from our side and half from their side, forming mixed parties. The dungeons we would explore seemed to be of low difficulty, so this event was really more for recreation and interaction.

Since there would be no exploration until tomorrow, we would head to the hotel and have free time. However, we were supposed to act with the explorers from the other side, as the purpose was interaction. It wouldn't be appropriate to just play with our own group.

So, I looked for a partner from the other side to team up with Ms. Kanae. I didn't want to team up with someone scary, and I wondered if there was anyone who looked kind. As I looked around with Ms. Kanae, two explorers approached us.

"Gōdō! Long time no see."

"Long time no see, Gōdō. How have you been?"

"Suzuyama? And... Marie!?"

A male explorer around Ms. Kanae's age, who must be Mr. Suzuyama. And a very sturdy, elderly female explorer, who looked to be over 80, walking with a cane. She seemed to be from the West but spoke Japanese fluently.

Her name is Marie... Ms. Kanae seemed quite surprised. What's going on?

"This is... Marie-Belle François, a top-tier explorer recognized as S-rank in the UK."

"...S-rank!?"

"She is the oldest active explorer at 83 and serves as a special board member of the WSO, a respected figure in the community. Oh, and the one next to her is Suzuyama, an A-rank explorer and my contemporary."

"Ah, that was short! Well, it's understandable since it was after Marie-Belle."

Mr. Suzuyama chuckled. Anyway, I was extremely surprised to suddenly meet the world's top explorer.

"I've heard about you, Kōhei Yamagata. Call me Marie. Fafafa... I see, you're quite something."

Marie-Belle, or Marie, peered at me closely.

This is getting intense...

At the time of posting this story, it has received the following rankings:

- 1st place in the Low Fantasy category for daily, weekly, and monthly, and 3rd place for quarterly.

- 12th place in the overall daily, 13th place in the weekly, and 6th place in the monthly rankings.

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