The Kaiser Incident and the Tourist Pass
Kaiser used to be the largest guild in Bangladesh.
Yes, 'used to be'. That's a thing of the past.
One year ago, Kaiser was destroyed.
By a single individual.
Kaiser had always had a terrible reputation.
Monopolizing hunting grounds, stealing, sabotaging other guilds, harassment, and aggressive poaching.
Their behavior was so egregious they were even referred to as "Dungeon Mafia."
Complaints poured in, but the Dungeon Agency largely turned a blind eye.
It later came to light that some bureaucrats and politicians were receiving large sums of money from Kaiser, but at the time, Kaiser was practically untouchable.
They dominated the dungeon business in Bangladesh and did whatever they pleased.
Kaiser set their sights on Shahzad.
They launched a full-scale smear campaign against him.
Why was Shahzad targeted?
Political reasons? Involvement in vested interests? A love triangle? Publicity? A desire to control him?
Many rumors circulated. The truth, however, is still unknown now that Kaiser has been obliterated.
But I think the main reason was likely simple: their pride was hurt.
Among adventurers, it was often said:
"They act all high and mighty, but even if they all gang up together, they couldn't beat a hair of Shahzad alone."
Using someone else's name like that is cowardly and pathetic.
But it was undeniably true.
And that's probably why Kaiser couldn't just ignore it.
(He must have found it so annoying.)
It all started with mild provocations.
---
"He's not as great as the rumors say."
"There's a lot of fake news mixed in."
"He's just a fraud with good theatrics."
"Eating worms? That's seriously gross."
---
Shahzad, however, didn't respond at all.
He completely ignored them.
That probably hurt their pride even more, so their harassment escalated.
They burned papers printed with Shahzad's face, made life-sized dolls of Shahzad and tore them apart.
Eventually, they even put a bounty on his head.
This excessive behavior finally prompted the Dungeon Agency to issue a warning.
"The bounty was just for information about Shahzad. We never intended to cause harm."
Kaiser offered such a ludicrous excuse.
They even took advantage of the backlash to stir up hate speech.
---
"Why is he so intent on hiding his identity?"
"Doesn't he have something to hide?"
"Criminal!"
"For the sake of the public, we should thoroughly investigate his background."
"He should come out of the dungeon and explain himself to us."
---
Ignoring their own actions, they treated Shahzad like some kind of public menace.
And unbelievably, the Dungeon Agency sided with Kaiser.
Despite everything Kaiser had done, they faced no repercussions.
Instead, the agency issued a public statement urging Shahzad to turn himself in.
And the consequences of that decision…
Well, everyone knows what happened next.
Kaiser was utterly crushed like ants.
Their branches across Bangladesh were attacked one after another, and their headquarters were reduced to nothing.
Their various misdeeds were exposed, leading to numerous arrests, including bureaucrats and politicians.
Thanks to that, the current Dungeon Agency has reportedly become much more transparent and functional.
The person who attacked Kaiser remains unknown.
Despite the scale of the incident, not a single piece of evidence was left behind.
But honestly, the only one capable of such a thing is…
(Now that I think about it, I'm related with someone who can single-handedly destroy one of the world's largest guilds…)
But knowing what kind of person he is, I don't feel scared at all.
After all, it was Kaiser who picked the fight in the first place.
(It's completely excessive self-defense… No, it's probably not even self-defense at this point.)
Kaiser already had a terrible reputation.
I've heard that while the executives enjoyed the spoils, the lower-level members were exploited and barely scraping by.
Considering that, taking down Kaiser could almost make him a hero.
But that's not how it turned out, and there's a reason for that.
The existence of the Tourist Pass.
For ordinary people to enter a dungeon, they must either join a guild and become adventurers or purchase a Tourist Pass.
Tourist Pass holders receive a small drawstring pouch.
Except for items purchased from shops or craft stores, only items that fit inside this pouch can be taken out of the dungeon (and they must be obtained by the individual themselves).
The items from the upper floors of dungeons aren't anything particularly valuable.
While the rule is officially in place to allow tourists to take home souvenirs, the real purpose is largely to combat tax evasion.
Adventurers are required to appraise their items at market value and pay a 20% tax to the government.
On top of that, they must pay a cut to their guild.
The exact terms depend on the contract, but adventurers typically take home 50-60% of their earnings, sometimes less after expenses.
Because of this, there was once a trend of using tourists to smuggle items and evade taxes.
Many adventurers are dissatisfied with the current system.
But for now, becoming an adventurer remains the most advantageous option.
You get support from your guild, surprisingly good benefits, and, most importantly, it's easier to find comrades to entrust your life to.
If you're serious about dungeon diving, there's no alternative to being an adventurer.
And yet…
Shahzad still hasn't registered as an adventurer.
He doesn't belong to any guild and always buys a Tourist Pass.
Why would he do something so inefficient?
Becoming an adventurer would be far more beneficial.
With Shahzad's reputation, he could join the biggest guilds under the most favorable terms.
Some might even offer huge signing bonuses just for the prestige of having him.
There's only one…
Just one advantage of the Tourist Pass:
You don't have to reveal your identity.
You can dive into dungeons without anyone knowing your background or name.
But even so…
Imagine it.
Hardened adventurers gearing up, forming parties, strategizing, and preparing extensively to face the dangers of dungeons.
Even then, there's no guarantee of survival.
Yet Shahzad casually strolls in lightly equipped, dives solo into the deepest levels, and returns with rare items.
Then he hands everything over to the government without hesitation.
Even though he has a history with the Dungeon Agency due to the Kaiser incident.
Why go to such lengths to conceal his identity?
That overwhelming strength…
Maybe Kaiser wasn't destroyed because they picked a fight with him, but because they tried to uncover his identity.
What do people see when they look at someone like Shahzad?
— Take the items. Just don't pry into my business.
That's more than enough to terrify people.
Not just adventurers, but even government agencies.
(Well, honestly, it's just that he doesn't see himself as an adventurer. He still thinks of himself as just a camping enthusiast.)
He hands over items simply because he's not attached to them.
In fact, he probably thinks it's only fair since they provide such a great camping spot.
(That's why he diligently brings back items, even though they don't benefit him. He's too kind.)
Then my eyes caught another piece of news.
A captured Nagin had escaped, and a woman was saved just in time from its attack.
Shahzad didn't accept any thanks or praise; he simply left.
But before leaving, he gave the woman a ring.
A ring worth over 2 million BDT .
The woman's interview, uploaded just minutes ago, showed her glowing with excitement, as if she'd just been proposed to.
On her left ring finger was the ring in question.
"It looks like he proposed… What is he doing… He really is hilarious."
But I can't let Shahzad see this news, I thought, just as the doorbell rang.
Who would visit this early in the morning?
Then I realized there was only one person it could be.
I got up and headed to the door, still not fully awake from the lack of caffeine.
When I opened it, sure enough…
"Welcome back, brother."
Standing there was just a camping enthusiast (albeit the strongest in the world).