After school, we gathered at the dojo in Yuji’s house for our first training session in a while. Practice with Juzo-san was primarily focused on "shaking off the rust" for Hiiragi-san and me, as we were both still feeling the lingering lethargy of the holiday.
"It seems you haven't been neglecting your drills, but your instincts have certainly dulled..."
"I’ve at least been doing my practice swings every day, you know?"
I caught Juzo-san’s direct overhead strike with my wooden sword, holding it at an angle to let the impact slide off.
"Indeed, your basic forms haven't crumbled. However..."
Juzo-san unleashed a strike even faster than the last, aiming right for my ribs. Without panicking, I thrust my wooden sword between my side and his blade, intending to parry—
"Guh!?"
"Your timing is off. At this rate, you'll end up breaking your own weapon again."
Unable to fully redirect the force, my wooden sword was knocked violently aside.
Juzo-san’s blade, having repelled mine, was now inches from my flank. I hurriedly backstepped to create some distance.
"For the time being, we shall use mock battles to clear away the rust from those sluggish senses."
"...Yes, sir."
Juzo-san lowered his stance, and I held my zanshin for several seconds before breaking my own. It seemed I had been slacking off during Golden Week even more than I’d realized.
I bowed to Juzo-san, offering my thanks for the instruction.
"Thank you very much."
"Mm. Next is the Hiiragi girl, yes?"
"Yes. Please, look after me."
Called forward, Hiiragi-san swapped places with me and leveled her wooden spear toward him. I stood beside Yuji to watch the match.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. But Juzo-san is right; I need to shake off the rust. I couldn't move nearly as well as I thought I could..."
I recalled the exchange and sighed at my own inadequacy. Yuji patted my shoulder, offering a bit of comfort.
"Well, wasn't that unavoidable? It looked like Grandpa was cheating a bit—using a trick at the last second so you couldn't bleed off the impact."
"Even so, that was an attack I managed to parry back before Golden Week. My instincts are definitely shot."
"That’s..." Yuji trailed off, his eyes wandering as he struggled to find a rebuttal.
"Besides, look..."
I pointed toward Hiiragi-san. Just like me, she had failed to properly redirect Juzo-san’s strike, and her wooden spear was sent flying.
"..."
"They say if you miss one day of practice, it takes three to win it back... and they aren't kidding."
Since my practice swings had become a daily habit, I hadn't skipped them once during the holidays, but because I hadn't sparred with anyone, I could feel my combat senses had degraded. During the New Year’s break, we hadn't been doing such high-level exchanges, so I hadn't noticed any deficiencies then. Going forward, I’d have to figure out a way to secure a sparring partner during long breaks. Maybe I should drag Mika into this...
While I was contemplating countermeasures for skill decay, the match between Hiiragi-san and Juzo-san came to an end.
"Right, my turn. I'm going in."
"Good luck."
Yuji gave me a quick nod and moved to face Juzo-san as Hiiragi-san stepped out.
"Good work," I said to her.
"..."
She didn't answer. She silently set her wooden spear aside and sat down next to me. Judging by her grim expression, she was likely agonizing over her own performance. For an explorer, a decline in skill was synonymous with a higher risk of injury.
"Did Juzo-san give you a earful too, Hiiragi-san?"
"...Yes. He told me my combat instincts were rusty."
"I see. He told me the exact same thing."
"...Kokonoe-kun too?"
"Yeah."
It seemed our lack of sparring during Golden Week was catching up to us. Even if Yuji was away on a trip, I should have contacted Hiiragi-san so we could at least spar a little...
"I did my spear drills every day, but I suppose that wasn't enough," she said, letting out a heavy, regretful sigh.
"Well, Hiiragi-san, there’s no use dwelling on what’s already done. We just have to train hard to get those instincts back before our next dungeon dive."
"...Yes, you’re right. It’s exactly as you say, Kokonoe-kun."
Hiiragi-san shifted her mindset at my words—which I was also using to motivate myself—and lifted her gaze to watch Yuji and Juzo-san. Having performed mock battles at the regional event, Yuji’s instincts hadn't dulled; he was holding his own against his grandfather quite well. He appropriately handled the little tricks that had tripped us up, avoiding the humiliation of having his weapon knocked away.
The exchange continued for some time before ending as it always did: Juzo-san landed a solid blow on Yuji’s flank. I wondered when Yuji would finally be able to land a single hit on the old man...
After training, we sat in the dojo sipping tea with Juzo-san, as was our custom. Usually, we’d be lively with stories about dungeons, but today the atmosphere was different. I had brought up my conversation with Miyano-san at the event venue.
"...I see. So that is what became of Miyano and his group."
"..."
"How tragic..."
Yuji listened with his eyes closed in silence, while Hiiragi-san bit her lip. Juzo-san, sharing the table with us, sipped his tea and listened from a more detached perspective. Once I finished speaking and saw us all hanging our heads in gloom, Juzo-san finally spoke.
"However... for those who live as explorers, that is one possible conclusion. As long as you make a living by trading in lives, such dangers will always follow you."
"But, Juzo-san..."
"Kokonoe boy. There is nothing you can do. If you intend to step in, are you prepared to carry the burden of those people's lives on your shoulders? If you can only offer half-hearted help, then I will give you a piece of advice... stay out of it. It will only end with everyone getting hurt."
When I looked up, Juzo-san was sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, as if he were recalling something from his own past. Had he experienced something similar? Seeing his expressionless face—devoid of even bitterness—I suspected he might have tried to help someone once and met with a disastrous result.
Was he warning us not to repeat his mistakes?
"From what I hear, you saved their lives and treated their injuries, did you not? You even caught the ones who harmed them. In that case, everything that follows is their own problem. You have no reason to feel at fault."
"...Yes."
He stared straight into my eyes as he declared this. I could say nothing in response; I could only nod.
"Naturally, that goes for Yuji and the Hiiragi girl as well. If you lack the resolve, do not get deeply involved."
"...Yeah, I understand."
"...Yes."
Neither Yuji nor Hiiragi-san had the resolve to argue with him. They nodded just as I had.
Resolve, huh. As long as I was an explorer, I had the resolve regarding my own life and death. I even had the resolve to deal with any worst-case scenarios involving my party members. But if I were asked if I had the resolve to carry the weight of a stranger's entire life... I didn't.
"You three are certainly top-tier as explorers. Your achievements speak for themselves. However, you are still high school students—children who have not even reached adulthood. Do not try to force yourselves to carry responsibilities that even adults cannot bear. You will be crushed by the stress before you can help anyone."
" " "..." " "
"But do not forget. If you continue as explorers, this is a fate that may one day befall you as well. Do not neglect your daily training and refinement, lest you meet the same end. Once the deed is done, regret comes too late."
" " "Yes." " "
Juzo-san spoke calmly, his tone admonishing rather than angry. That only made his words pierce our hearts even deeper.
Following his advice, we decided to set aside the matter of Miyano-san and the others. Naturally, we weren't entirely satisfied with the situation, but as a practical matter, what we could do was essentially nothing. I took a sip of the now-cold tea, moistening a throat that had gone dry from tension.
"...Phew."
The first sound to leave my throat was a deep sigh of powerlessness. No matter how excellent we were as explorers, I was vividly reminded that we were ultimately just students. I stared into my empty cup, looking at the tea dregs at the bottom. I didn't have the energy to try anything else.
After a moment, I saw Juzo-san refilling his cup from the teapot and spoke up.
"...Ah, right. Um... Juzo-san? Can I ask you something?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Actually, two more people are going to be diving into dungeons in a party with us soon. Would it be possible for you to give them some training as well?"
I made my plea for Mika and Saori. If they gained at least the basics of martial arts before entering a dungeon, their behavior inside would change. I wanted them to learn to act cautiously so they could avoid unnecessary injuries.
"I don't mind giving them training, but who are they? If you're forming a party with them, I assume they are people close to you."
"My younger sister and her friend."
"The Kokonoe boy’s sister, eh?"
I explained the circumstances—how Mika and the others had ended up being pushed toward becoming explorers. As the story progressed, Juzo-san’s face began to show visible exasperation. Well, anyone would react that way after hearing this...
"What on earth is the world coming to..."
"You think so too, right? But unfortunately, it seems to be true. I confirmed it today at school by asking around the first-year students."
"What an absurd story. Even if it is difficult to intervene, the schools are being far too reactive." Juzo-san let out a tired sigh and finished his tea. "Well, very well. Bring your sister and her friend next time; I shall train them."
"Thank you very much!"
I bowed deeply from my seat on the floor.
"By the way, Kokonoe boy. Have your sister and her friend also done some boosting, as you three have?"
"...Boosting?"
When I looked up, Juzo-san was staring directly at me. My eyes widened, and my heart skipped a beat. I tried to act as normal as possible, but the response I squeezed out probably sounded a bit strained.
I heard later that Yuji and Hiiragi-san’s expressions twitched at that moment, and they watched our exchange with bated breath.
"What, did you think I hadn't noticed? If so, you underestimate me. I haven't aged for nothing. Besides, you're far too shaken. By reacting that way, you're essentially confirming that I'm right."
"..."
My cheek twitched. It wasn't surprising that Juzo-san would notice, but where exactly did he figure it out? I frowned, unable to help staring at him with a suspicious expression.
"Haa... Among my acquaintances are police officers and members of the Self-Defense Forces. Some of them hold high positions and have asked me to train their personnel. In the early days after the dungeons appeared, I gave training to those who had dived in and fought monsters."
"...Ah."
Yuji let out a small gasp of surprise. It seemed he finally realized the connection.
"Compared even to them, the abilities you three possessed when we started training were far higher. Even if you had dived into a dungeon once, it wouldn't make sense without some kind of boosting."
" " "..." " "
"Especially the Kokonoe boy. The first time you swung that wooden sword, your form was a mess, yet your core never wavered. No matter how much a man trains his body, a novice can't do that. It’s only possible if your physical abilities are so far beyond the norm that the sword feels as light as a dry twig in a child's hand. It’s impossible for an ordinary human—even a professional athlete."
"..."
"The same went for Yuji and the Hiiragi girl once I gave them those swords. The growth rate of your physical abilities is too fast. I take it the secret to the boosting is held by the Kokonoe boy?"
I had intended to keep it a secret, but it was apparently plain as day to Juzo-san. Having been hit right where it hurt, I reflexively looked away. It was a gesture that completely confirmed his suspicions.
For a long moment, a heavy silence filled the room as we averted our eyes while Juzo-san maintained his piercing gaze.
"...Well, fine. I will not press you for details now. You can tell me when you feel ready to talk."
Juzo-san was the first to yield. He dropped the pressure and took another sip of tea. I let out a faint, relieved breath and asked him a question.
"...Is that okay?"
"If I force it out of you, it will only leave ill feelings. Speak when you feel you want to. When you've made up your mind, you can come to me anytime. I'm always willing to listen."
Juzo-san didn't pursue it further, but I knew this was just a moratorium. He likely suspected I was hiding a dungeon... or something similar. Deception wouldn't work on him anymore.
"...I’ll think about it."
"Mm."
Juzo-san's nod brought the topic to a close. After promising to bring Mika and Saori the next day, Hiiragi-san and I left Yuji’s house and started our walk home.