Chapter 18

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When I turned to the direction of the voice, I saw four boys, slightly older than us, arguing with a middle-aged male clerk in front of the display counter lined with swords.

"You can't sell swords to anyone under 18 years old."

"So what!? We're registered with the association, we're official explorers! We have the right to use and possess weapons, don't we!?"

"Ah, that rule, right? It only grants the right to possess and use weapons, not the right to purchase swords for anyone under 18."

"「「「「...Huh!？」」」」

...What? So, you're saying we can't buy weapons even though we're under 18?

"Figures."

Yuzi muttered something. Does he know something?

When I and Hozuki looked at Yuzi with questioning eyes, he sighed and explained.

"The Law on the Regulation of the Possession of Firearms and Swords... basically, the Gun and Sword Law. It doesn't allow anyone under 18 to possess firearms and swords."

"? But doesn't that contradict the Dungeon Law?"

"No, apparently it doesn't."

What does that mean? A law that prohibits the possession of firearms and swords by those under 18 and a law that permits it, how can they not contradict each other? As Yuzi tilted his head, Hozuki and I looked at him in confusion. Yuzi then gave us a more detailed explanation.

"As the clerk said, the right of explorers includes the possession and use of weapons in the dungeon for those under 18. Got it so far?"

"Ah."

"The rights of explorers under 18 are limited to possession and use in the dungeon."

"「...Ah!」"

Hozuki and I slapped our hands together, finally understanding Yuzi's point. In other words, the rights of explorers under 18 regarding weapons are limited to possession and use in the dungeon.

"The rights we have as explorers are possession and use in the dungeon. The right to purchase is not included."

Yuzi's statement was affirmed by the male clerk, who continued to stubbornly refuse the boys' requests. From what we overheard, the boys seemed to have the funds to make the purchase, but the clerk was adamant that they lacked the qualification to buy.

"Probably, this law was intentionally designed with this loophole."

"Probably."

"Right, so..."

As we quietly observed the situation, the expected scenario unfolded.

Several burly men in security uniforms approached the arguing boys and the clerk from the staff room. The boys, too engrossed in their argument with the clerk, didn't notice, but the clerk gave a subtle nod to the security guards. The guards quietly positioned themselves behind the boys and then spoke up.

"Excuse me, guys?"

"Ah!? What!? We're... busy...?"

"We can't have too much commotion here. There are a lot of dangerous items on display. Could you come to the office with us?"

"Uh? But, what?"

The boys finally realized the situation they were in, their faces turning pale as they were escorted to the staff room by the security guards.

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After the boys were led out by the security guards, other young people who appeared to be under 18 and were in the official shop hurriedly left for the elevator hall. We watched them go, exchanging glances and sighing.

"Figures, this would happen."

"Those security guards were probably waiting there on purpose."

"So, the clerk's response was also part of the plan, right?"

We commented on the farce we had just witnessed. This kind of disturbance was likely anticipated since the Dungeon Law was enacted. The government probably wanted to discourage dungeon exploration by those under 18, but it was difficult to create a law that would limit career choices. Thus, they created a tacit regulation by linking the Gun and Sword Law. The right to possess and use firearms and swords in the dungeon, as stated in the Dungeon Law, was intended for those 18 and older. However, the minimum age to become an explorer is 16. By exploiting this age gap, they aimed to temporarily dampen the enthusiasm of those under 18 and raise the starting age for dungeon exploration.

"You can go to the dungeon at any age, but you can't buy firearms and swords. Try again when you're 18!"

This is likely the unspoken message the government is sending to explorers under 18. While the government hasn't imposed a direct restriction, it wants the under-18s to voluntarily delay their dungeon exploration. This is to prevent the loss of young, inexperienced explorers, which could lead to a shortage of human resources and tax revenue in the future.

"So, basically, we can't buy weapons."

"This is a problem."

"Meaning... we either give up on the dungeon or go in unarmed?"

We sighed again, impressed by the cunning approach. By responding to the demands of the young generation for dungeon access while restricting weapon purchases, they effectively discouraged under-18s from going to the dungeon. The bureaucrats who drafted this law certainly knew what they were doing. The fact that they had shown us the weapons in the catalog during the test lectures now seems like a clever move. Thanks to the catalog, the explorers who took the lectures have an unconscious image of the weapons they want to bring to the dungeon. Most explorers would likely choose weapons from the catalog unless they have a strong preference for something else. The weapons displayed in this official shop are deliberately those that would violate the Gun and Sword Law.

"Moreover, I think they will impose additional restrictions on explorers under 18 who go to the dungeon with their bare hands or makeshift weapons."

I nodded in agreement with Yuzi's words. Without the ability to buy weapons, some under-18s would likely try to equip themselves with alternative weapons and go to the dungeon. This was probably anticipated.

"They might plant informants among the explorers to create a trend of looking down on under-18s who don't have proper weapons..."

"Probably. The government wants to create a situation where the trend is created by the explorers themselves, making it harder for under-18s to go to the dungeon."

The government imposed a double-layered restriction on under-18s by using both physical and psychological means. This would likely deter those who were just curious about the dungeon. It's an effective strategy that doesn't require unnecessary expenses.

"So, the question is, what do we do about weapons?"

"Right, but we can't buy them."

"..."

The more we thought about it, the more we realized the disadvantageous situation for those under 18. We racked our brains to find a solution. If we had proper weapons, we could counter the trend, but...

Of course, one solution would be for me to give the two of them the weapon-type items I have in my spatial storage, which were dropped by slimes. However, this would raise suspicions about the origin of the weapons since they have a very unique and anime-like design. We would need to have been to the dungeon at least once to avoid trouble.

While we were stuck in this thought, Yuzi came up with a proposal.

"Alright. Since we're going to the dungeon on the old man's orders, he'll probably provide us with weapons. Why don't you two come to my place on the way back?"

"Your place?"

"Yeah. I told you before that my family runs an old martial arts dojo, right?"

"「We remember.」"

Hozuki and I nodded in response to Yuzi's question.

"There's a term, 'bugei hyakka,' which means 'a hundred martial arts.' In schools that originated from battlefield martial arts, students are expected to learn a variety of martial arts, including weapon handling. My family's dojo has a large collection of real weapons for practice."

"So, you're suggesting we take some of those weapons?"

"Legally, it might be okay, but are you sure it's legal?"

Indeed, if we could get weapons from Yuzi's family, the weapon problem would be solved, but would it be legal? I was skeptical.

"True, there are procedures for transferring swords, but since we are allowed to possess them as explorers, I think it would be fine if we follow the proper procedures. ...But we should confirm that."

I was still uncertain, but Hozuki looked relieved.

"If it's legal, this would solve our weapon problem."

Yuzuki's reaction was a bit surprising, but I understood when I remembered her situation. If we couldn't go to the dungeon, it would directly affect her life.

"Alright, let's consult the weapon registration office about the transfer."

"Right, there's no point in us trying to figure it out on our own."

"..."

I nodded in agreement with Yuzi's suggestion. The official shop was now quieter and less crowded after the earlier commotion, and the remaining older customers were giving us looks that made us uncomfortable. We decided to leave the shop and head to the elevator hall. The looks from the remaining customers were filled with disdain and contempt, especially from those in their early twenties. If this atmosphere spread, it would certainly discourage under-18s from going to the dungeon.

"Hey, Yuzi, Hozuki, let's leave the shop. Thanks to that farce, we're feeling pretty out of place."

"Right, we should leave quickly."

"Agreed."

We left the official shop, feeling a sense of relief as the uncomfortable gazes disappeared. We sighed again, wondering how many times we had done so today.

"Isn't it just as we expected? The customers are being manipulated."

"Right, the atmosphere will probably be even worse when we go to the dungeon."

"Definitely. A few batches of test takers have already gone to the dungeon, so it's not surprising if a trend of looking down on under-18s has already formed. This is quite a troublesome setup."

Thinking about the future, I felt exasperated. From the government's perspective, this might be a way to protect under-18s from the dangers of the dungeon, but the blanket approach is problematic. They haven't considered those who have no choice but to go. However, it's not feasible to handle such a large number of people individually.

Fortunately, there was a loophole. When we consulted the weapon registration office about the legal aspects of transferring weapons, we were told that under-18s could possess and use transferred firearms and swords in the dungeon if they were officially registered as explorers and followed the proper procedures. The office didn't explain this to all explorers, but they would provide the information if asked. Typical bureaucratic response.

In any case, this resolved our weapon problem. We sighed deeply in relief in front of the window, feeling a weight lifted off our shoulders.

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We plan to update frequently during the holiday.