Chapter 30

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---

That day, I was eating breakfast with my family as usual. The dining table was filled with a warm and harmonious atmosphere, just like any other day, with all of us enjoying a peaceful meal together. However, this everyday scene began to change little by little when the TV in the living room switched to a government broadcast without warning.

While eating, I listened to the TV to see what they were saying. The government spokesperson, with a serious face, announced that a dungeon had appeared. At that moment, I wondered if I had heard it wrong and doubted my ears. My brother, on the other hand, turned his face towards the calendar, making a sound. But I couldn't take my eyes off the TV.

After all, it was a dungeon, a dungeon. Something that had only existed in games and manga was now confirmed to exist in our country by the Japanese government, and was announced to all citizens through a government broadcast. There was no way I wouldn't be curious about what the spokesperson would say next! At that moment, my heart was indeed filled with excitement and curiosity.

When the government broadcast ended, I excitedly shouted to my family, barely finishing my meal. My brother scolded me, and my excitement temporarily subsided, but deep down, a kind of admiration for the dungeon had taken root. I wanted to go there once and experience the dungeon myself. When I accidentally let that thought slip out of my mouth, I got scolded by my mother.

After finishing breakfast, my brother and I went to our rooms to prepare for school. We changed from our pajamas into our school uniforms, applied a natural makeup that wouldn't be noticed by our teachers, and got ready. We then returned to the living room with our school bags. The TV in the living room was still showing news, but the content was terribly confusing. After such a government broadcast, it was understandable, but at this rate, I probably wouldn't be able to watch my favorite astrology segment. I switched channels to other stations, but all the programs were showing confused anchors due to a lack of information, and there was no new information about the dungeon.

As I continued to watch the discussion news programs with so-called experts and other commentators, my brother entered the living room. Compared to when he went to his room, his face looked a bit pale and tired. Did something happen in his room? I asked him, but he replied with a bitter smile, saying he was fine. He didn't look fine at all.

Prompted by my mother, my brother and I left the house as the time to go to school approached. After leaving the house, my brother looked at his room with an indescribable expression and a worried gaze. What really happened in his room?

---

My brother and I walked the same route to school for a while. After walking for a bit, we reached the intersection where our routes diverged. Here, we said goodbye, as we used to go to the same middle school until last year. I waved to my brother and turned the corner to walk the path leading to my middle school.

"Michika!"

"Ah, Sae!"

At the school gate, Sae Kishida, my best friend since elementary school, called out to me. She has long, shiny black hair tied in twin tails, a petite figure, and large breasts that are disproportionate to her size, with adorable buck teeth and a competitive personality. I secretly felt down when I compared her large, bouncing breasts to my own, which barely showed any signs of development. Last year, they were almost the same size, so why did such a difference appear? Maybe it's my diet?

After exchanging morning greetings with Sae, we talked about the dungeon on our way to the classroom. Since the news didn't provide any useful information, we indulged in imaginative conversations based on our knowledge of games and manga, discussing whether we could level up and if we could obtain drop items.

When we arrived at the classroom and looked around, the other classmates were also talking about the dungeon, forming several groups and chatting happily. The boys were excitedly discussing going to the dungeon to defeat monsters, while the girls were talking about whether there were fairies or cute mythical creatures. Yes! It's very popular! Until the teacher came in and the homeroom started, the classroom was filled with talk about the dungeon.

After school, there was a school-wide assembly about the dungeon, but it was just a long, unproductive speech by the principal. Really.

"Come on! If there's nothing to talk about, they should wrap it up quickly!"

"Yeah, I want to go home early to see if there's anything on the news."

"Right! Hey, isn't that Michika's brother?"

While complaining about the school-wide assembly on our way home, we saw my brother in civilian clothes. He didn't seem as gloomy as in the morning, but he looked a bit confused. When we called out to him, he said he was on his way to the supermarket to do some shopping. After talking for a bit, we said goodbye to my brother and went to Sae's house.

While drinking juice and watching TV in Sae's room, the scenes from the morning chaos were repeatedly shown. The area around the dungeon in a residential area was designated as an evacuation zone, and residents were evacuating en masse. The faces of the residents on the screen clearly showed fear and confusion, indicating that an emergency had occurred. Sae and I continued to stare at the TV in silence for a while.

"Wow, a lot happened while we were at school."

"Yeah, other news programs are also talking about various things that happened today related to the dungeon."

"About the civilian who ignored the warning and entered the dungeon and was injured by a monster..."

"I understand the desire to enter the dungeon, but getting injured by ignoring the warning... isn't that just getting what you deserve?"

As we watched the news, Sae and I felt both fear and a mysterious charm from the dungeon. Is this what they call a dangerous allure? I understood the danger but still felt a desire to go there once. After chatting for about an hour in Sae's room, the sunset prompted me to leave before it got dark.

When I got home, my brother seemed to have returned from shopping, as his shoes were in the entrance. I greeted my mother in the living room and headed to my room on the second floor. On the way, I heard a faint "thud, thud" sound coming from my brother's room. Was he doing some kind of craft? I tilted my head and put my things in my room, changed into my pajamas, and went down to the living room, looking forward to dinner.

---

Since the dungeon reports, Japan... and the world have changed dramatically.

Japan was the first to practically use the core crystals produced from the dungeon for power generation. Since the great earthquake, Japan's industry had been suffering from chronic energy shortages and production decline due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants. With the resolution of the energy problem, the economy has become more active, and signs of economic recovery are beginning to appear. In proportion to this, public opinion, which had been critical of the dangers of the dungeon and denied its existence, has shifted to support and defend the dungeon. The media has been running special features on the dungeon and reporting daily, leading to what can be called a dungeon boom.

Now, the government is being asked to open the dungeons, which are currently closed by the Self-Defense Forces and police, to civilians, and demonstrations are being held in front of the National Diet building on weekends, causing a stir. I also want the dungeons to be opened to civilians, but I don't have the enthusiasm to participate in the demonstrations. I just listen to the occasional news reports and think, "They're working hard," as if it's someone else's business.

Finally, whether due to the daily demonstrations or some government reason, the dungeons are being opened to civilians. However, to enter the dungeon, a special underground structure exploration permit issued by the newly established Japan Dungeon Association is required...

"Michika, why do you look so puffed up?"

"What do you mean, brother! I can't even enter the dungeon!"

"Well, you're not old enough yet."

Due to the age restriction, I can't even take the qualification exam.

Moreover, with my high school entrance exams coming up this year, my family doesn't seem to want me to take the qualification exam. Ugh, there's no one on my side at home. This means that the gap between me and those who will start off with a sprint will be decided. Unlike in games, there are no measures to help beginners... When I learned from the news a few days later that the number of first-time qualification exam takers exceeded 50,000, I couldn't help but stomp my feet in frustration.

But, a month later, something even more surprising happened...

"Hey, brother, why did you suddenly decide to go to the dungeon? You didn't seem very interested in going to the dungeon..."

My brother, who had always seemed uninterested, suddenly said he would take the so-called explorer exam. My brother, who had always scolded me for wanting to go to the dungeon. After a brief discussion, my mother signed the application form my brother brought. I was curious.

When I asked him a bit persistently, he told me the reason, but I wasn't entirely convinced. I don't think my brother, who had always said the dungeon was dangerous, would take the exam just because a friend invited him. In fact, the news often reports that explorers who went to conquer the dungeon suffered various injuries. Yet... why did he agree? In the end, I didn't get a real reason, and my brother went to take the explorer exam.

It seems my brother passed the explorer exam! He said the exam itself was easy, but he was nervous until the results were announced. He plans to go to the association branch on the weekend to register officially.

"Welcome back! How was it? Did you register successfully?"

"Yeah."

In the evening, as the sky turned a crimson color, my brother came home. He was carrying a long leather bag that he didn't have when he left in the morning. He said it was something he received from Yuzi. However, his expression seemed to be deep in thought. Did something happen during the registration? After dinner, we all gathered in the living room to see my brother's permit papers and card, but they were... ordinary. I thought they could have been a bit more elaborate.

"Welcome."

"Thank you. Come in, come in."

My brother's friend came to the house. I know Yuzi, but who is that woman? Could it be that the friend who took the explorer exam with my brother was Yuzi and that woman!? When I peeked out from the living room to the entrance, my brother introduced me to the woman. Her name is Hino Yuki. She is my brother's classmate and took the explorer exam with him.

My brother led them to his room and went to get drinks. They stayed in the room until late in the afternoon. The room was a bit noisy, but they were probably excited about the dungeon. After they left, my brother's face seemed more relaxed. He had been deep in thought recently, so it felt like I hadn't seen him so relaxed in a while. In the week before he went to the dungeon, the two of them visited my brother's house every day. Did they have that much to talk about beforehand?

"Welcome back, brother!"

"...I'm home."

In the evening, as the sun was setting, my brother came back from the dungeon. He didn't seem to have any noticeable injuries, and I let out a sigh of relief, patting my chest. I wanted to hear about the dungeon, but my mother scolded me and told me to wait until after dinner. I moved to the living room and gave up on hearing it right away.

We were all gathered around the dining table, but my brother's behavior was strange. He was just poking at his favorite ginger pork with his chopsticks and not eating it. My mother noticed his strange behavior and changed his dinner to rice with tea. What's wrong with him?

"Is it ready yet...?"

After dinner, I waited in my brother's room to hear about the dungeon. The room was cluttered with the things he had taken to the dungeon. He must not have had time to clean up after coming home for dinner. I thought about helping him clean up, but my brother came into the room.

When I asked my brother about the dungeon, he handed me a long leather bag.

"Take it out and see."

I opened the bag as my brother instructed, and a Japanese sword in a black sheath came out. The moment I saw it, my body froze. The heavy weight clearly indicated that it was not a toy but a real sword. A Japanese sword... my brother told me its name was Shiranui. When I pulled Shiranui out of the sheath, a silver blade that reflected my face like a mirror appeared. I was immediately captivated by its appearance. As I felt a sensation as if my heart was being sucked in, my brother's words brought me back to reality. He said that Shiranui was a weapon that could take lives.

It felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer. My hands holding Shiranui were trembling. My brother clearly said that he had taken Shiranui to the dungeon and killed monsters. I had misunderstood what dungeon exploration was. It was different from games and manga. At that moment, I felt my ignorance, and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. I couldn't say anything and just bowed my head, trying not to let the tears overflow. My brother then gave me a choice: to continue listening to the story or to stop. He even said it was okay if I didn't want to hear it, but I decided to continue listening, gritting my teeth and looking