Overloaded With Attributes Chapter 37

The Osaka Second Labyrinth and Three Piec... Er, Three Types of Permits 

"Ahem. Now then, as I touched on a bit earlier—it's already been two weeks since we enrolled in this school..."

"Why are you suddenly being so formal?"

"(He's definitely about to say something weird.)"

"And 'touched on earlier'? When? You didn't say anything before this."

"..." Sheesh, I just start talking and I'm already taking heavy fire. So yeah, here we are again, the usual members all gathered together. The only difference is that this time, we're all rattling around in the back of a bus. (To be precise, all of Class 1-A of the Labyrinth Department is on this bus.)

That's right, in case you forgot, we're actual high school students! ...Albeit, students of the slightly "weird" Labyrinth Department.

"And so! Today is the momentous occasion where we head to our very first dungeon!"

"...Who, exactly, are you narrating for?"

"(It's fine. Tiara can 'see' the audience, too.)"

"Huh? What are you seeing? That's kinda creepy, scoot."

"(I played along and he betrayed me?!)"

"Yuu, you're a real jerk sometimes."

"..." Right. So today is our "Dungeon Practical," not just a "field trip." We're currently heading to the "Osaka Second Labyrinth." By the way, just because it's called "Second" doesn't mean there are two of them. It was just the second dungeon to appear in Japan. Source: our textbook.

"By the way, I'm the type who gets motion sick if I can't recline my seat all the way back..."

"What?! Why are you saying that after the bus already started moving?!"

"...You were the one who sprinted onto the bus first to grab this exact back seat, weren't you?"

"(Tiara doesn't get motion sick. But she does sympathy-vomit.)"

"..." "Look, it's our first real Labyrinth Dept. activity, okay?! I was so amped up that 'motion sickness' just... completely slipped my mind!" It's fine, buses like this always have a plastic bag in the mesh net on the seat back... It doesn't have one?!

"Teacher! Yuu... Kashiwagi-kun is making a 'I'm-gonna-die' face and puffing his cheeks out like a squirrel! And Hiesu-san next to him is making the same face!"

"What?! If something happens to a boy, it's my neck! Uh, quick, something to... there's nothing!"

A girl in the seat ahead of me quietly offered her blazer... what am I supposed to do with this? I'll just... press it to my face and breathe... inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... Okay, I've calmed down a bit.

"...What exactly are you doing?"

"Hm? Replenishing my supply of fresh... high school girl... aroma." ...Crap, did I say 'aroma' out loud?

Thanks to our teacher's desperate plea—"Driver, please be as smooth as possible! No sudden braking! My career is on the line!"—we managed to arrive at the dungeon parking lot. It's... perfectly natural that it took me a little extra time (for a part of my body) to calm down from the sweet scent wafting from the pile of uniforms being offered to me.

I got off the bus a bit after everyone else. Waiting for me were the four members of my party—the ones I'd be conquering this dungeon with for the next year... or maybe three.

"...So, what are we doing today?"

"The scary part is... you're probably not joking."

"(Just charges ahead with no plan. That's our Yuu-kun.)"

"Today, we're doing the paperwork to apply for our 'Dungeon Entry Permits.'"

"..." And so began the "Dungeon Entry Permit Lecture."

"...I have a question," Shizuka started. "You do know that you need a 'license' to enter dungeons in Japan, and that there are 'three types,' right?"

"Nope."

"How did you even pass the Ourin entrance exam...?"

"I didn't take one."

"(...Unfair.)"

"..." "...Kudo-san. Please handle the detailed explanation."

"You're just dumping it on me?! ...Fine. Uh, right. Let's start with the one we're applying for today, the 'Explorer License'—"

Right, the Explorer License. This license, also known as the "Hunter Card," is officially called the "Labyrinth Entry and Labyrinth/Exterior Monster Hunting Permit." As the name implies, it's the permit for those who will be subjugating monsters in the dungeon.

Apparently, it's the only license that includes "Hunting Permit." But that doesn't mean "if you don't have one, you're not allowed to fight back!" or some other idiotic (but totally plausible in my old Japan) restriction. It's just a title for a "monster-hunting specialist."

Of course, since you're a "specialist," you also have "duties." If monsters break out of the dungeon, or if the cull-rate isn't high enough, there's a chance you can be "forcibly conscripted by the government."

"That's only a downside! I didn't hear anything about this! This is tyranny! Tyranny by the Board of Education and the government!" Rise up, people! Now is the time to fight the Federation—

"They... literally explained this in class."

...Eh? They did?

"Wait, then why is everyone okay with this? Who would want a license like that?"

"Because there are merits that outweigh the risks, obviously."

First off, in Japan, a "cull" has never failed—meaning, monsters have never escaped the dungeon.

"I see. So it's all 'what-ifs' and 'hypotheticals'." ...I have a real knack for getting caught up in those... I have a bad feeling about this.

"For starters, one merit is 'preferential tax treatment'." Drop items from monsters or materials found in the dungeon... normally, selling them incurs a flat 50% tax. For Explorer License holders, that's reduced to 20%.

"And the other one. The Explorer 'Rank System'... you... at least know that, right?"

"Hmph. Of course not."

"Why are you so proud of that...?"

The Explorer Rank is... basically... an "Adventurer Rank." For example, the lowest rank, "Bronze," requires you to "be able to defeat a 1st-floor monster solo." Since the first monsters are just "Mochi" and "Cave Wolves," even a rookie can beat them with basic prep. So, the Bronze rank is issued "without an exam."

After that: 2nd Floor: "Iron" 3rd Floor: "Silver" 4th Floor: "Gold" 5th Floor: "Platinum"

And, if you hit "Gold" or higher, you're granted the title of "Shishaku," a 'single-generation' noble.

"...Anyway, we got a bit sidetracked. Next are the other licenses—"

I mean, "what other reason is there to enter a dungeon besides fighting monsters?" But, unlike the isekai "caves where monsters just live," this world's dungeons are "special spaces" where defeated monsters and mined resources regenerate over time.

"The second license is the 'Labyrinth Resource Mining Permit,' also known as the 'Digger Card'." Exactly what it sounds like. A "Digger." They don't fight monsters; they "dig" materials from the walls and ground.

This is the license for professional companies and contractors, not students like us. Naturally, they're accompanied by corporate Explorers for protection.

"Finally, the third is the 'Labyrinth Transport Permit.' This is for people called 'Porters.' Their main job is carrying luggage, but sometimes you get 'Veteran Porters' who also act as guides for newbie Hunters."

I get it. They're like the "Sherpas" of dungeon-climbing.

"However, unlike Explorers or Diggers, it doesn't require special training or knowledge, so almost anyone can get one. I mean, you still have to have a 'clean criminal record' and basic stuff like that."

"They're like allies, but not allies," Shizuka cut in. "It's best not to get involved with them beyond a purely professional capacity."

"...And Shizuka just had to steal the last word, didn't you?!"

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