My eyes widened slightly in surprise at Hiiragi-san’s question. We had already decided, the three of us, that we wouldn't tell Mika and the others about that place.
However, seeing the look in Hiiragi-san’s eyes, I swallowed the words I was about to use to question her intent. I could clearly see the genuine concern she felt for her younger juniors in her gaze.
After a brief, silent pause with my eyes closed, I gave her my answer in a quiet but firm voice.
"Yeah. For now, I have no intention of telling Mika and her friend that it exists."
"Are you sure? If we use it, we can guarantee their safety, you know?"
Hiiragi-san peered into my face, her expression a mix of anxiety and worry.
"I know, but the situation has changed since we last discussed this. I don't think telling them about its existence now would be for their own good."
"It wouldn't be for their own good?"
"…Daiki, what do you mean by that?"
As I spoke in low tones with Hiiragi-san, Yuji, who had been sitting silently beside me, joined the conversation as if he couldn't let the comment go.
After looking at both of them, I lowered my voice and explained my thoughts.
"If Mika and Saori were challenging the dungeon as individuals or as part of our party, I’d be the first to suggest using the Slime Dungeon to boost their levels, just like we did. But right now, when they’re about to become explorers and try to launch a counter-organization, I think it’s a bad idea."
"Why would it be bad? If they’re building an organization to oppose the others, wouldn't it be better if their abilities as explorers were higher?"
"He’s right. Being stronger than the rival organization would be a powerful selling point."
I listened to their opinions and quietly shook my head.
"It’s true that being strong is essential given the nature of a counter-organization. I’m sure it would work well when recruiting first-years, too. But I don't think they'll be able to maintain the organization through strength alone."
"…They won't be able to maintain it?"
"Kokonoe-kun, what does that mean?"
Question marks seemed to float over both of their heads.
"If those two use that place to become stronger than—or even equal to—the repeating students, then the organization will function well enough at first. But over time, I believe a risk will emerge that causes the whole thing to collapse."
"Why? The people they’re targeting are the ones who resent the repeating students or the neutrals leaning that way, right? Why would it fall apart just because time passes?"
"Even if it doesn't collapse entirely, it’ll likely suffer from internal rifts and become impossible to control. Especially the larger it gets."
The two of them looked even more confused.
"Think about it. This organization we’re starting is a club. We have the justifiable cause of 'rampage deterrence' and the authority of being a 'school-sanctioned organization,' but Mika and Saori are the ones who have to lead the first-years, who will make up the bulk of the members."
"Ah."
Yuji seemed to realize what I was getting at.
"There’s an invisible barrier between us second-years and the first-years that makes it hard to intervene. On paper, we’ll be the club’s superiors, but we don't intend to do anything more than act as mentors, do we? That means Mika and her friend will be the ones handling the actual day-to-day activities with the first-years."
If that barrier didn't exist, the older students would have stepped in and crushed the repeaters' group long ago. But because those guys are skillfully operating within the social sphere of the first-years, the upperclassmen have been put in a position where they can't touch them. They’ve successfully fostered a climate where it’s considered incredibly uncool for seniors to meddle in the affairs of their juniors.
"I hate to say it, but do you think Mika and Saori have the aptitude to lead a crowd?"
"That’s…"
"…I don't think they do," Hiiragi-san admitted.
"They’re just high school students. They don't have the overwhelming charisma you see in manga, and they aren't the type of people with such natural virtue that others just flock to them. In that case, what do you think is necessary for them to lead?"
The two of them fell silent, lost in thought.
In a typical manga, the protagonist starts an organization and talented people naturally gather and unite to defeat the enemy. But in reality, it doesn't work like that. Even if you gather people under a noble banner, and even if their goals align, every individual has different thoughts and motivations. Maintaining an organization is far harder than starting one.
The typical things needed to keep a group together—charisma, natural virtue, a sense of duty, or offering high-tier rewards—are all things that are nearly impossible for average high schoolers to provide. Furthermore, the club we’re planning is born from a grim necessity; it’s not the kind of thing where you can talk about dreams or romance.
So, when I thought about what could actually bind them together…
"…I think what they need is empathy."
"Empathy?"
"They need to make people feel like Mika’s actions were the exact same ones they wanted to take."
Mika and her friend are just the catalyst. There are plenty of people who don't have the courage to take the first step themselves, but will gladly follow someone who has. It’s like a small demonstration growing into a massive protest. Those people will support Mika because they empathize with her actions.
"If they can achieve that, the organization will expand rapidly, and keeping it together should be relatively easy. At the very least, I think they can hold the ranks until they dismantle the repeaters' group."
"…That makes sense," Yuji agreed.
Given the club's goal, there’s no need to maintain a massive organization once the repeating student problem is solved. They can dissolve it in stages and just keep the core members at the end.
To that end…
"I think Mika and her friend need to have as many relatable elements as possible."
"I see."
"But Kokonoe-kun, how does that relate to not letting them use that place?"
It seemed Yuji and Hiiragi-san were mostly on board with my logic, but the core question remained. Which was fair.
So, I posed a question to them.
"Yuji, Hiiragi-san. What was your very first impression after you cleared a dungeon for the first time?"
"Huh? My first clear? I guess… that it was gross?"
"Right. I’m the same as Hirose-kun. I felt disgusted. I still remember the unpleasant sensation of killing a monster…"
Exactly.
"I felt the same way. But for most ordinary explorers, the first thing they feel after their first clear is terror."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san both raised their eyebrows in surprise.
Yes, we felt aversion, but ordinary explorers feel fear. When you look at why that gap exists, the answer is obvious.
"Because we got a boost before we ever went in. Even when we encountered monsters, we didn't feel afraid because of the sheer power difference. The disgust of the act was the only thing that left an impression. We skipped the fear."
Thanks to the Slime Dungeon, we’ve never truly struggled. But because of that, our perspective is different from that of a normal explorer. If we’re trying to build an organization through empathy, that difference is fatal.
"There are plenty of first-years who haven't joined the repeaters yet, and as time goes on, more of the club members will become explorers. If those people realize that Mika and Saori have fundamentally different sensibilities from their own, will they really be able to empathize with them?"
"That’s…"
"If Mika and Saori use that place to boost themselves and start clearing dungeons easily, they’ll end up with the same perspective we have. I don't think they’d do it on purpose, but if they even hint at how easy it is for them, everyone else will see them as elites playing at being heroes."
They’d be seen as stuck-up "strong" types flaunting their easy success. Once that filter of prejudice is in place, no matter what Mika does, it will be viewed in a negative light. They won't be able to win anyone’s heart.
"Eventually, dissatisfaction would grow among the actual explorers in the group, and the whole thing would fracture. Once a rift forms, it spreads until the organization collapses."
It’s hard for a person to stay in a group when they’re unhappy. An adult might endure it to provide for their family, but students? Their lives depend on their parents; they have no reason to stay in a club if they hate it. If one person leaves out of frustration, the rest will follow like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
"That’s why I don't think it’s the right move for them right now. For their safety, sure, we should use it. But since Mika and Saori decided to lead this fight themselves, I want to support them in a way that actually lets them succeed."
Using the boost isn't necessarily what’s best for them.
"If we just take them into the dungeon for power leveling, rather than using that place to become instantly strong, the sensory gap won't be as bad. No matter how much we protect them, they won't actually be strong themselves. If they take a hit, they’ll get hurt. They’ll feel the same fear every other new explorer feels."
Fortunately, we’re training under Genya-san to learn how to guard others. I’m not being overconfident, but we won't fail to protect them against surface floor monsters.
Did Juzo-san introduce us to Genya-san with all of this in mind?
"Yuji, Hiiragi-san. I think there are only two experiences that every explorer can empathize with: the permit exam and the first dungeon dive. Those are the two things everyone goes through."
"…Yeah, you're right."
"If we use that place to skip the struggle of those experiences, Mika and Saori will have a perspective that no one else can share. For someone trying to lead, that’s a fatal flaw."
That was my reasoning for keeping the Slime Dungeon a secret for now.
Hiiragi-san closed her eyes and thought about my explanation for a long minute before speaking.
"…I understand your point, Kokonoe-kun. It’s certainly possible. The downsides of using that place… we’re certainly feeling them ourselves right now, aren't we?"
"Yeah."
That’s exactly why we’re going through hell with Genya-san. It’s necessary, but it’s tough.
"…Alright. I’ll do whatever I can to help support Mika-chan and the others."
"I'll help too, for what it’s worth."
"Thanks, Hiiragi-san. Thanks, Yuji."
I gave them a small bow of gratitude. By the time we finished talking, Muroi-san was already due to arrive. After asking Juzo-san to look after Mika and Saori's final training session, we left the dojo and climbed into Muroi-san’s car.
"Thanks for coming."
"Of course."
With a brief greeting, the car pulled away.
Well, my test results were solid. Time to put everything into clearing Phase 3 today!
An organization led by a stuck-up person with no real charm, character, or influence—someone who can't hide their sense of superiority—is usually destined for a short life, isn't it?