BXBX NOVEL Chapter 19: Rules
"Oh, really?"
Shishijima-san\'s face clearly showed his relief. If only Grandma would show a little more consideration, Shishijima-san wouldn\'t have to suffer so much... but then again, she\'s always been like this since I first met her a few years ago.
"So, UNKNOWN... Kisaragi-kun, you\'re thinking of starting dungeon streaming?"
"Well, it\'s more like I\'ve just gotten interested in it and am still in the preparation stage."
"It\'s rare for you to show interest in something. I thought your life revolved around dungeons, food, games, and sleep."
"Even if it\'s true, please don\'t say it out loud."
It might be true, but some truths can hurt when spoken!
"We\'ve observed the dangerous behaviors associated with dungeon streaming. Personally... I think regulating it might be one solution."
"That wouldn\'t work. While dungeons are technically national assets, we don\'t have the means to fully monitor everything that happens inside. Besides, imposing regulations now would only provoke backlash and could result in a decline in the number of new explorers, which has just started to rise."
I understand what Aizawa-san is trying to say. Although dungeon streaming can be made safer with high-performance cameras that allow automatic recording, the momentary distractions from checking comments or adjusting settings could prove fatal.
It\'s a complex issue. Considering Aizawa-san\'s position as the head of the Explorer Union, it\'s understandable that he might lean towards regulation.
"What about other countries?"
"Among the leading nations, the United States and Australia were the first to establish laws regarding dungeon streaming. The U.S. has opted for a fully permissive stance, while Australia has some restrictions but generally allows it."
"So, we can\'t be the only ones imposing regulations."
Countries with a high number of dungeons are considered leading nations, and Australia, which quickly boosted its national power thanks to dungeons, is indeed proactive when it comes to dungeon-related matters. The U.S., often called the land of freedom, remains fully supportive. As for the other leading nations like the U.K., Germany, and France...
well, they\'re unlikely to impose strict regulations either. If Japan were to regulate dungeon streaming alone, it could potentially cause an outflow of explorers to other countries.
"The issue isn\'t with dungeon streaming itself, but with the dangerous behaviors that accompany it. Perhaps it\'s a matter of insufficient awareness?"
"Kisaragi-kun is right. We won\'t regulate dungeon streaming itself, but dangerous actions must be addressed. We should hold mandatory training sessions for all explorers to raise awareness."
Dungeon streaming has made dungeons more accessible, which has attracted more people, but it might also have dulled the sense of danger. Most of the viewers and streamers don\'t even make it past the middle floors, so it\'s crucial to instill a proper sense of caution. This isn\'t really about dungeon streaming itself.
"So, the official stance of the Association is that there\'s no issue with dungeon streaming?"
"Exactly. Kisaragi-kun, feel free to stream without any concerns."
"Thank you."
I still think they\'re consulting the wrong group, but it\'s reassuring to get direct approval from the Association. Once Asakawa-san is trained enough to handle the lower floors, I might start streaming the deeper levels myself. It\'s a bit of an opportunistic way to put it, but with no one else streaming the lower levels of Shibuya Dungeon, it\'s like sitting on a treasure trove.
"Streaming, huh... I\'m not interested in popularity, but if it helps with public relations, it might be a good idea. Why not have the Association hire official streamers?"
"Even though we operate with some degree of freedom, we\'re still a government agency, so that\'s not possible."
"Typical rigid thinking—very Japanese."
That guy... I think he\'s an S-rank explorer. Rumor has it that he\'s been to the deeper floors several times with his party, and he\'s somewhat known among the general public as well.
"If you\'re going to start streaming, I might make a guest appearance. I could say I\'m your mentor."
"I don\'t remember learning much from you to be honest."
"You ungrateful brat, after I taught you shikigami summoning."
Sure, Grandma knows a lot and is knowledgeable, but I hardly remember being taught anything directly. Most of the time, she\'d just hand me a book from the house and tell me to read it. Plus, she only got into it when she was younger but gave up because she didn\'t have the talent for it.
"Well then, I suppose that wraps up today\'s meeting. As usual, the minutes will be sent to everyone. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out anytime."
For S-rank and higher explorers, who tend to be quite busy, meetings are always kept short. Today\'s meeting was no more than thirty minutes.
Now that the meeting\'s over, I should go check out cameras for streaming. I\'d better look for some high-end ones in stores since I\'m still a beginner.
"Kisaragi-kun, if you\'re looking for a camera, try this store."
"Huh?"
As I was about to leave the meeting room, Aizawa-san suddenly spoke to me.
"I don\'t stream myself, but I use some pretty good cameras for recording inside dungeons. I recommend this one."
"Oh, thank you!"
This guy really is kind.
The Explorer Association is a government organization, while the Explorer Union is a group of explorers. It\'s sort of like a labor union.
The Union was apparently formed after the government treated explorers like slaves to collect dungeon resources, leading to a lot of casualties in a short time. The Union now serves to protect explorers.
Since Aizawa-san is the head of the Union and an EX-rank explorer, it makes sense that he\'d use high-end cameras for dungeon recording. Though, from what I hear, he\'s basically a corporate slave, constantly buried in paperwork, which makes him the kind of adult I don\'t want to become.
With the store\'s address Aizawa-san gave me in hand, I quickly left the meeting room.