Earth Dungeon 63.1

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Chapter 63.1. The Minamoto Family

When Fuuka slid open the sliding door and entered, I found Minamoto Kurou, the head of the Minamoto family, and my father, sitting cross-legged inside.

There were top-tier Three Families ruled the inner town; Ashikaga, Taira, and Minamoto. Minamoto was one of them, and Minamoto Kurou was its head. General Minamoto Kurou of the Army. Among the naval forces of Taira and the air forces of Ashikaga, the Minamoto family still held a dominant position. 

We controlled logistics and were a significant force as a corporation. It was only natural for us to control the military in various parts of Japan. Even when it came to conquering dungeons, the Army took the lead.

The naval forces, led by Taira, were responsible for transportation, and the air forces, led by Ashikaga, were needed to destroy large dungeons. However, Gen's supremacy remained unchallenged. 

Nevertheless, Ashikaga was skilled at expanding their connections and had a shrewd political acumen. That's why Fuuka had been encouraged to Teru was the second son, and there were older brothers in the Minamoto family, so there was no issue with succession. It was a political marriage, but Fuuka disliked Teru because he was good at seizing opportunities, wearing powerful armor whenever there was even a slight danger to his life, and was adept at taking credit away from others. So, she was thinking of somehow avoiding the engagement.

"You've come, Fuuka. Please, have a seat for now."

My father, who looked at me with a sharp gaze, had a presence that forged through countless trials and battles over the years. Despite being my father, I couldn't help but feel nervous in his presence.

"How can I help you today?"

I asked as I sat down on one of the cushions there.

"Yes, your recent field training. You did well."

He held a shining silver cup in his hand, and with a smile on his face, my father praised me.

"I never expected you to defeat an Azure Dragon."

"It was a formidable opponent, but luck was on my side, and I had the help of excellent soldiers."

We both understood that we, the students, didn't defeat Azure Dragon. That was just a facade we put up. We also paid a significant amount to the skilled soldiers to keep their mouths shut. I'm sure we had prepared a suitable reward for Captain Marume too.

After Silph disappeared and I confirmed the scene with the new Silph, I reported that we removed the fangs, scales, and core, leaving the rest untouched. That's when that idiot Teru, suggested that we should claim that we defeated Azure Dragon ourselves.

He's good at taking credit, and it surprised me. He looks like a charismatic young man, but the gap is astounding.

But we accepted his proposal. When Teru and Kiyoshi asked who had defeated Azure Dragon, I gave a vague answer while pretending to be meaningful. They must have mistaken it for the work of the Minamoto family.

"Do we not need to split it into four parts?"

I asked, implying whether we should not hand it over to the people behind that girl. However, my father frowned and answered.

"We don't know the background of the girl you encountered, and we don't know the background of the man you were planning to scout either. There are all sorts of fiends lurking in the inner town. Some people pretend to know but don't. And people who pretend not to know but do. It's difficult to judge. I think they belong to Taira. That place does seem eerie. There are rumors that they are conducting research that they can't show to the public."

"Indeed. Are those people not human unless they're Taira?"

"What a boring joke." 

Father snorted. It was a dull joke, but they called themselves Taira, just as we called ourselves Minamoto. We naturally had a rivalry and were constantly watching for opportunities to undermine each other. It's exhausting.

"But the Taira don't explicitly claim them as their subordinates. That's just perfect. Go provoke them. If the opportunity arises, poach them. If we can recruit talent nurtured by the Taira, there's nothing more delightful."

"Understood, Father. I'll try to contact the girl who I believe to be at the academy."

"Yes. Be very cautious. The enemy isn't just the Taira. There are other clans too. The people from Chiba City might be behind it. We want to expand our pool of talent, those with skills to conquer dungeons."

Father reached into his pocket and took out a bright red core. It was an old one converted into a pendant. He squinted at the core as if shadowed.

"Core Store. The types available for exchange will likely continue to increase in the future. High-rank cores will probably be exchangeable. Whoever hoards cores at that time will be the winner."

"Why not just buy cores then, as a country? Wouldn't that work?"

"No, that won't work. Buying low-rank cores is pointless. But items that we can probably exchange for high-rank cores. They're likely to be magnificent. Potions that heal injuries, elixirs that extend lifespans."

Father smiled with a hidden meaning as he looked at the gleaming core. It did seem like a possibility. But there was no evidence for any of this.

"You're dreaming too much. It might take another hundred years for them to be added to the lineup, you know?"

It was an unsecured investment. The stakes were too high.

"That's true. But there are other reasons. We're running low on ammunition. Dungeon appearances have been increasing all over Japan. At this rate, consumption will exceed production."

He frowned as he put away the core and spoke with a sigh mixed in.

"Is it that bad?"

"Yes... It's been increasing rapidly over the past few years. Kyushu seems to be in a tough spot. They're using student soldiers there. Tokyo has also received requests for support. There are reports of entire nations collapsing elsewhere."

I didn't know it had gotten this bad. Every district was divided similarly. If student soldiers were being mobilized in Kyushu, it meant that the residents of the outer town and the ruins in Kyushu were likely in dire straits.