CH 12

~Hero’s Perspective~

The two weeks of classes were like a study camp for college entrance exams, although there was a break once a week.

No, back then we were studying to consolidate what we had learned in our entire lives, but the classes we were taking were something else entirely.

Things that had only been talked about in the world of fiction were now being talked about in the world of non-fiction, with the government’s views mixed in. We were told to memorize everything, and we had to keep studying for the test in two weeks.

Fortunately, the test was taken in a group, so if someone else could remember, they could answer. However, there was another obstacle standing in the way. The test included a physical education skill.

We had to train hard to make sure that everyone passed the test. Since we were taking the test as a group, it was obvious that we would either pass or fail together. If any one of us failed the test, we would be held jointly responsible and no one would be issued a certificate.

That’s how strict the qualifications are that we’re trying to get.

[Dungeon Explorer License Test]

It’s August 1st in Japan. The dungeons appeared all over the world, starting from the west of the globe then finally appearing in Japan. A lot of things have happened since then, and the government has been dealing with it, and finally decided to open dungeons to the private sector. As an experiment, 25 groups of 4 people were recruited, for a total of 100 people.

Despite the fact that the recruitment period was only one day, there were many applicants, and a lottery was held with a daunting number of applicants. However, the sense we get when we take the class is that the government probably has a say in the selection process. It would certainly be a shame to have people with dangerous ideas exploring the dungeon with us.

Well, the test was over and we were sent back to our rooms. We were sent back to our rooms, but the only device we could get information from was the TV, which they said was to prevent information leaks. We don’t even have a smartphone or a computer. It was no use, but I was bored. So, the two girls and two boys assigned to the same room enjoyed talking with each other.

Incidentally, we were assigned to this group because one of the requirements for the dungeon search was that there had to be four members of the same sex or two members of the opposite sex, not a couple.

If I may say so, this room is also a part of the training to prepare for the dungeon, and if there is any excessive violence or mistakes between men and women, the whole team will be disqualified immediately.

A day had passed since then, and the results of the test came back. I was worried because I hadn’t been told what my passing score would be, but when I opened the envelope that arrived at the team’s office, I found a letter of acceptance and a document about my career. We were happy to see each other.

We passed with a score of 90 out of 100. I hadn’t been told that there was also a standard test which meant that the test score could go up or down by 5 points. This meant that the true perfect score was 105. Our score was 92. I really thought we were in danger. We got 90 points for the test, plus two points for the standard test.

The paperwork said to wait for a while, so we were chatting and laughing when the phone rang. Of course, it was a landline phone with a limited number of extensions. According to what I was told there, there was going to be a party to celebrate my acceptance. I was told that I should attend if I could, so we all decided to attend.

The party started, and our heads spun at the sight. There were only 20 test-takers in the room. After that, the speaker told us that the remaining 80 people, or 20 groups, had failed the test. Some of them had scored 93 points on the test, but because of their attitude and abusive language towards the instructor, they had been disqualified with -4 points.

From there, we were able to make friends with the other successful students at a buffet-style party for the common people. The group was so unique that we could barely distinguish ourselves, and the only thing that made us unique was that we were the youngest and in a group of two men and two women.

The rest of the group consisted of some very pretty women and some smart-looking women. And then there was a group of unusually muscular men and a group of people who looked like yakuza but were still very polite. Oh, we’re so tiny.

That day, we signed some non-disclosure forms about what we would be told tomorrow, our phones were returned, our rooms were moved, and we were given more space. That was about it.

The next day we were gathered in the morning and told to decide on the name of our group. Apparently, there were various inconveniences with groups of more than five in the dungeon, and that’s why they were applying for four people each.

And in the dungeon, a group of four people is called a party. We had 30 minutes to decide the name of the party.

After the name of the party was successfully decided, each of us decided on our own weapon, and those who had decided on a weapon were the first to submit an application.

Incidentally, the name of the Party was [Hero Party] for us. Well, I was joking too much.

The four beautiful women were called [Yamato Nadeshiko]. I guess it makes sense from the way they look.

The well-dressed women were the [Grapevine Association]. To be honest, I don’t really understand these people.

The bizarrely muscular group is the [The Biceps]. I wonder if that’s really enough.

And the yakuza-like people are the [893 (PacSun)]. I wonder if that name is okay. Copyright-wise. [T/N: I don’t get the number reference. I know there’s a brand named パックサン or Pakkusan or PacSun. Someone tell me please]

So, we jokingly named ourselves the “Hero Party” so that we could be part of this unusual group.

Although it was a joke, it had something to do with the job in the dungeon that we were told to decide on before deciding on a weapon.

I am a [Sword].

The other male party member was a [Shield] and the two women were [Magic] and [Heal].

I think it’s a combination you often see in fantasy novels. Incidentally, since this was also an experiment, I was told not to have more than two people with the same job at the party. By the way, since strategies were involved at this point, we had to adopt a system of non-interference with the rest of the parties.

The two magicians were going to use light swords for self-defense and the Shield was going to be the one used by the police. The problem was me. At first, I had applied for a sword. But when it came time for training, I broke it.

I realized that swords are difficult for people who don’t know how to use them, so I went with a Western sword. By the way, we didn’t have to worry about money because we paid the initial fee including the cost of these things.

This was how we finished our preparations to dive into our own dungeon. Starting tomorrow, we would enter the dungeon in order of the party with the best exam scores, staggered by time. I’ve already written a contract saying that they can’t guarantee my life. I’m nervous but looking forward to it.

Incidentally, it seems that our party will be the last to enter the dungeon.