落とし穴３６掘：そこに山があるから 概要 (Part1)
### Pitfall 36: Because the Mountain is There - Overview
Yes, I’ve been busy lately, so I apologize for the delay in updates.
In exchange, I’ve uploaded character designs to the activity report, so please take a look at those as well.
Now, this time it’s a long-form story about a pitfall!!
The contents are for you to enjoy.
Well then, here you go.
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### Because the Mountain is There - Overview
There is a saying on Earth.
Someone once asked a mountaineer:
"Why do you want to climb Everest?"
And the mountaineer replied:
"Because Everest is there."
In Japan, it’s often mistranslated as "Because the mountain is there," but the meaning remains the same.
It means that for that person, no further reason is necessary.
It is a phrase that describes the pursuit of something, simply following one's passionate emotions.
Yes, everyone has moments like that—times when they act purely on impulse.
That’s just how feelings work, isn't it?
"So, despite your usual high-minded speeches, why are you preparing to peek into the women's bath?"
The foolish Steve asks the obvious.
"You really are an idiot, Steve... It’s because the women's bath is there!!"
***
### Title Correction: Because the Women's Bath is There - Overview
**Side: Yuki**
"No, why now of all times? And it’s not even the bath for your wives, but the one in Weed’s entertainment district. If you mess this up, it could turn into a diplomatic incident! You’re a staff officer of the Weed army, and you’re Seraria-nee-san’s husband, for heaven's sake."
"Don't be like that, Steve. Don't get all serious on me now. I don't remember raising you to be like this."
"No, no, I’m basically diligent! I’ve been working hard alongside you since this dungeon was first built, haven't I!?"
It’s no use, Steve just doesn't get it.
Thinking back, I’ve come a long way.
To think that such a classic trope wouldn't fly here.
Or perhaps the problem is that I’ve become too important. This is why I hate being a big shot.
"Jokes aside, look at this."
I have no choice but to hand a certain report to Steve.
"Hm? Is this the performance report for the bathhouse security equipment?"
"That's right."
Yes, what I handed to Steve was the performance report for the security equipment currently installed in the various women's baths in Weed.
Security matters like these are under the jurisdiction of Tori and Riel, so I hadn't looked at them until now, but I decided to review them after receiving a certain petition.
"Wow, this is amazing. Not a single successful peek into the women's bath so far—it’s all ended in failure, hasn't it? Thanks to that, no one has been harmed, and the would-be peepers were just given a stern warning before they could even be branded as offenders."
As Steve read aloud, not a single person had succeeded in peeking until now.
"So, why are we, as military personnel, the ones who have to peek into the women's bath?"
"It’s a kind of town revitalization project, or maybe an event..."
I hand him another flyer.
"『Women's Bath Peeking Tournament!! Those with courage, participate!! Note: As this is an event, you will not be prosecuted for criminal activity, so please rest assured. *While there are women in the bath who are nude, most are expected to be wearing swimsuits. We are also recruiting women to enter the bath. Rewards will be provided for swimsuit rentals and event assistance, as well as reports on the situation of those coming to peek from a special perspective.』...What is this!?"
"Exactly what it says. It’s a project to promote the safety of our 'impenetrable' defense equipment, and to turn it into a festival by declaring that it’s not a crime since it’s done with consent."
"And the motive behind this?"
"It’s a promotion to provide technology to other countries. We’ll earn foreign currency that way. We want them to think, 'If you want security equipment, go to Weed.'"
"No, what kind of shady salesman are you? Other countries aren't going to accept something like that."
"That’s why I said 'technology provision.' We’re selling the parts. Traps, interception magic, that sort of thing. So they can build it themselves."
"Whoa, if that’s the case, the resistance will be lower. And you’re targeting individual buyers, not just countries, right?"
"Obviously. The benefit of selling parts is that it’s relatively cheap. Depending on how they’re used, it could also help merchants who travel from village to village."
"Ah, so that’s the real goal. We can't just give them away for free to merchants traveling from village to village, so this way we can openly provide defense items and improve their safety, right?"
"It’s been a problem in various countries for a while now. Dungeon-based transportation has certainly increased distribution capacity, but because it’s more profitable to be involved with dungeons, fewer people are going out to the provinces to trade."
"Well, if you think about safety, that’s only natural. At this rate, the provinces will dry up or people will just leave."
"Exactly. Places where the life cycle is self-contained, like villages, are fine, but towns that rely on outside supplies will definitely decline. No, villagers will leave for those towns, so the villages will end up in danger too. Which means the industries in those regions will decline."
It’s a common occurrence in Japan, too.
People gather in the cities, the countryside becomes depopulated, and things stop functioning.
Well, Japan has cars, airplanes, and incredible road maintenance, so it rarely dries up completely, but in this other world, logistics are mostly left to individual discretion.
Countries do maintain the roads to some extent—though that just means moving grass and rocks out of the way—but measures against bandits and monsters are left entirely to the individual.
As a result, there is concern that towns and villages far from dungeons will suffer a terrible decline.
Actually, Weed, Litea, and Gartz started using dungeon-based distribution early on, so it’s already happening.
Initially, I thought we in Weed would take on the sales business in those depleted areas while gathering information, but Weed’s name became more famous than expected, and dungeon distribution started in various countries, making it impossible to handle.
This women's bath peeking project is the solution to that.
"So it’s a project that the countries will be grateful for, too?"
"That’s the idea. Well, they’re probably thinking about talent scouting, too."
"Ah, you mean people who can stand their ground against Weed’s traps?"
"Exactly. They’d want people like that, wouldn't they?"
"Well, yeah. They’d want personnel who can get past the Boss’s traps and have the guts to stand back up even after getting caught. Wait a minute. Are you going to be the one making the traps for this women's bath? If you do, not even all of humanity could get through them!"
"Are you an idiot? Read the flyer properly."
At my words, Steve flips the flyer over to read the details.