Dungeon's Final Boss: Banished by My Boss, the Goddess, to Earth—So I'll Continue My Past Life - 17

Chapter 17: The Dungeon Minister

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I had finished setting up convenience stores in all dungeons across Japan that had existed for more than three years. The existence of dungeon convenience stores had already been widely publicized—not just by Mimimi Amanokawa, but by numerous other D-Tubers who streamed footage of dungeons in various ways. Awakened individuals who took their dungeon activities seriously were often wealthy, and nearly all the products sold had been tested and proven effective by them.

The only exception was the Revival Powder. Even when calculated using the minimum purchase price of magic stones set by the D-Ministry, it was worth at least one hundred million yen. The only chance to test its effectiveness was when someone actually died.

That said, it had already been purchased multiple times. Whether anyone had actually tested it remained unknown, as no footage of such an event had been made public. Regardless, all other items had been verified through videos, making them a standard part of dungeon exploration for challengers in dungeons where convenience stores had been established.

Eating buff-enhancing meals meant that adventurers could fight with boosted abilities for the entire duration of their expedition, resulting in greater rewards. Hiring golems ensured safe travel to magic stone veins and provided security during mining operations, allowing miner-type Awakened individuals to achieve both stability and double their usual yield.

The rapid increase in magic stone production and the rise of dungeon convenience stores had even become a hot topic on television. Massive amounts of products to sell in the dungeon convenience store were stored in my item box and each sale resulted in ten times the amount of magic stones I needed to create the product. Which means, my magic stones were being replenished at ten times the item’s value.

Furthermore, whenever an Awakened individual who had eaten the store’s food engaged in combat, I could collect a portion of their experience points. The same applied when golems fought and defeated monsters. The mechanisms I had once devised to protect the dungeon and strengthen myself while waiting in the innermost chamber during my time as a dungeon boss were now being repurposed by dungeon challengers—ironically, serving to further enhance my own power.

Now, the next step was global expansion. As I sipped coffee in a café while researching potential locations on my phone, someone sat down across from me. This old-fashioned café was a personal project of the building’s owner, who ran it as a hobby. Since the owner didn’t care much about attracting customers, the place remained quiet, making it one of my recent favorites. There was no need for shared seating, given how empty it was. I looked up to see who had joined me—it was Samejima-san.

“Oh, hello, Samejima-san.”

“Hello, Hasegawa-san.”

Samejima-san ordered a cream soda.

“You seem to have quite a knack for business.”

“Hahaha, what are you talking about? I’m currently on leave. To be precise, I’m currently unemployed.”

Even as she shot me a sharp glare, I could only feign ignorance. Besides, assuming she was referring to the dungeon convenience stores on my own would be a risky move.

“And what exactly do you think I’ve done, Samejima-san?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

That was all she said before falling silent again.

This is so troublesome.

“…You’re talking about the dungeon convenience stores, aren’t you? You think I’m involved with it?”

“I know you are.”

“I’m not. I’m not even an Awakened individual.”

“But despite that, you seem to know quite a lot about dungeon convenience stores.”

“I’ve recently started watching the D-Tuber Mimimi Amanokawa’s streams from time to time. Now that I have free time after quitting my job, I figured I’d check them out. Besides, dungeon convenience stores have been all over the news.”

When I responded like that, Samejima-san pursed her lips and fell silent. Being watched like this was uncomfortable. I had no idea what she wanted from me. And in the first place, even if dungeon convenience stores were illegal, wasn’t that a job for the police? Why would the D-Ministry be involved in this?

“Samejima-san, why exactly are you suspicious of me?”

“I want to uncover your mystery.”

“My mystery?”

“You took down a Spriggan Giant, a monster that even Awakened individuals struggle with. Yet, you’re not an Awakened. Why?”

“Even if you ask me that… I don’t know, maybe your detection machine was malfunctioning?”

I said it as a joke, but of course, she didn’t laugh.

“Today, I want you to meet someone.”

“Your father?”

“Why would it be my father? Come on, we’re going.”

“Do I have a choice in the matter?”

“I told you before, I do have some authority, you know?”

“…I see.”

The fact that she didn’t immediately resort to using that authority was probably proof of her fundamentally good nature. Even so, this persistence of hers was starting to become a problem. Would she continue pursuing me until I revealed my secrets?

Things are getting a bit complicated…

If only everyone was as straightforward and kind as Mio-chan, the world would be much easier to deal with. But that wasn’t how things worked. When we left the café, a far more luxurious car than the one I had ridden in before was waiting for us. What was it called again? Right—a Century.

Since I didn’t drive, I wasn’t particularly familiar with cars. The backseat door was opened, and I was shoved inside. There was already someone else inside. A man who looked to be in his forties. His silver-framed glasses stood out. He had a broad chest and wore an expensive-looking suit that seemed almost too tight for his frame. He would  probably be at least 180 centimeters tall if he were to stand.

“Uh… Nice to meet you.”

“Forgive my rudeness.”

As Samejima-san got into the passenger seat, the car started moving.

“I am Gin Niitaka, the Dungeon Minister.”

“Oh, I see. I’m Jiro Hasegawa.”

Without exchanging business cards, we simply bowed our heads to each other. Niitaka-san smiled wryly.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I still find the title ‘Dungeon Minister’ strange. Don’t you think it sounds odd? Dungeon Minister. Even if we just slapped ‘Minister’ onto a government bureau’s name, compared to something like ‘Minister of Finance’ or ‘Minister of Education,’ it feels so haphazard and unserious. The name lacks any sense of refinement.”

“Huh. So that’s why people call it D-Ministry or refer to you as D-Minister?”

“Ah, yes, I’m grateful to those who call it simply ‘D.’ But I suppose the media still finds it awkward. They only ever address me as ‘Minister.'”

“Hahaha.”

“We can’t describe dungeons using anything other than ‘dungeon.’ That’s how little we truly understand about them. Which means, there is still so much we don’t know, Hasegawa-san.”

Smoothly, he guided the conversation toward the main topic.

He’s a skilled speaker….. And he’s strong. Sure, he’s not as strong as Samejima-san, who’s sitting at the front, but I think Minister Niitaka is also an awakened individual. 

“Yes.”

“I want to make it clear. I have no intention of punishing you for the video incident.”

“Oh, well… Thank you for that.”

“However, our current technology is unable to determine what you are. That, in itself, is a problem.”

“I see.”

“The unknown is terrifying. That’s a natural fear for any living creature. The viewers of those videos assume you’re an Awakened, so they affectionately call you things like ‘Dungeon Ojisan,’ but we know that the detection systems cannot classify you as one at all… So tell me, what are you?”

His expression was sincere as he asked me that question.

“I am just a regular human, as my family register states.”

“There’s no way that’s true, is there?”

His voice never rose, but the pressure was palpable. Trapped in their car, I had no means of escape. Minister Niitaka was even more thorough than Samejima-san—there were no openings with him.

I guess I have no choice. If things go south…

“If something like that did exist, and if you all decided you couldn’t accept it… What would you do? Would you fight me? Here, right now?”

The driver’s face turned pale in an instant. For him to withstand this atmosphere, he too must have been a high-level Awakened. Both Samejima-san and Minister Niitaka exuded what could only be described as killing intent or battle aura.

“If it’s necessary, then yes. As the Dungeon Minister, it is my duty to do that.”

“I see.”

I exhaled once and, in response, released my own battle aura.

“Against me?”

“Urgh—”

“Ugh…!”

“Eek—!”

Minister Niitaka groaned, Samejima-san shuddered, and the driver looked ready to faint. The moment before an accident, he managed to steer the car onto the shoulder. It was a cool-headed, precise decision. He bolted from the driver’s seat and vomited on the roadside.

“This presence…!”

“No way… This can’t be!”

They felt it. They understood what this was. Samejima-san aside, I was a bit surprised to know even Minister Niitaka recognized it.

He must have an extensive amount of combat experience.

“Could it be… Are you a monster?”

“So? Do you think you can accept my existence?”

“…Before that, let me ask you this. Are you still an enemy of humanity?”

“No.”

I was impressed by how quickly he arrived at that question. I shook my head.

“I believe that I am a human, just as my official records state.”

“I’d like to talk a bit more first.”

Minister Niitaka forced a smile despite the cold sweat beading on his face.

“Very well.”

I withdrew my battle aura, ending the pressure in the air. Since the driver was incapacitated, Samejima-san took the wheel. That said, her driving was terrifying. We all screamed the entire ride.

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