Since it was Saturday, classes wrapped up at noon.
The five of us were having lunch together at the school cafeteria, discussing Mika and Saori-chan’s success on their exams.
"First off, congratulations on passing, Mika-chan, Saori-chan."
"Thank you, Yukino-san!"
The two of them responded energetically to Yukino-san's congratulations. It was the first time we'd all been together today.
Then, Yuji spoke up as well.
"For real, I’m just glad you both passed without any drama."
"Yeah! But we had so much training from Juzo-san, you know? Passing a little exam like that was easy!"
"She's right. Compared to Juzo-san's lessons, the exam itself was a walk in the park," Saori-chan added.
"Well, looking at it that way, I guess you’re right."
As Yuji nodded in agreement with their logic, I decided to poke a little fun at them.
"Oh? Mika, I remember you making a huge scene about how the written exam was going to be a disaster, yet now you’re saying it was a breeze? Interesting."
"Eh? Ah, well... that’s... ugh."
Mika was at a total loss for words. Her eyes darted around as she looked to Saori-chan for a lifeline, but her friend only offered a wry smile, showing no intention of coming to her rescue.
"Kokonoe-kun. That's enough teasing Mika-chan for now."
"...You're right. Sorry."
"...Phew. Thank you, Yukino-san."
With a small sigh, Yukino-san stepped in to bail Mika out and put an end to our banter. I cleared my throat and moved the conversation along.
"Anyway, I'm just glad you both passed safely. Now, Saori-chan..."
"Yes?"
"I think Mika mentioned this, but did you bring your passing notice with you?"
"Yes, I have it right here."
Once I saw Saori-chan nod, I turned my attention to Mika.
"You didn't forget yours either, right?"
"Nope."
"Good."
Confirming they both had them, I glanced at Yuji and Yukino-san before turning back to the girls.
"Then, as planned, we’ll stop by Yuji's house first, then head to the Dungeon Association to handle your explorer registration. Does that work for everyone?"
"Yes!"
"Absolutely."
Mika and Saori-chan beamed with joy. I couldn't really blame them. This was the moment all their hard work enduring Juzo-san's brutal discipline was finally going to pay off. According to the Association’s website, they handle registrations until 6:00 PM on Saturdays, so we should make it in time if we head out now.
"Yuji. Is the thing I asked for over the phone yesterday ready?"
"Yeah. I told Gramps about it, so it’s all set."
"Got it. Thanks."
I offered a brief wave of my hand in thanks.
Curious about our exchange, Mika tilted her head.
"Hmm? Onii-chan, did you ask Yuji-san for something?"
"Huh? Oh, just a little something..."
"Suspicious..."
Mika peered into my face with a skeptical look. Avoiding her gaze, I looked away and tried to change the subject.
"We shouldn't keep Juzo-san waiting too long, so let's finish up lunch quickly, okay?"
"...Onii-chan, you’re being incredibly obvious about changing the subject."
"Am I? I don't know what you're talking about."
I played dumb while shoveling a spoonful of curry into my mouth. Seeing me like that, everyone except Mika let out a quiet, wry chuckle before returning to their meals.
Once we finished lunch, we left the school and headed toward Yuji's place. Along the way, Saori-chan asked about our visiting training, so I told her it had officially ended yesterday.
"Wait, yesterday was the last day? Onii-chan, you didn't tell me that!"
"Oh? Did I forget to mention it, Mika?"
"You totally did!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Mika protested the oversight, so I held my hand up in front of my face and gave a slight bow of apology. I must have been too preoccupied with the online shopping yesterday.
"Anyway, that's the deal. We'll be joining you two for Juzo-san's training again."
"Really? It was getting a little lonely with just Mika-chan and me, so I'm happy we'll be together with you and the others again, Onii-san."
Saori-chan's face lit up with genuine delight at the news.
"So, Onii-chan, are we going to resume the dungeon clearing we put on hold for the training?"
"Yeah. We haven't gone in nearly a month. I’m planning to head into a dungeon tomorrow to see how much we've improved."
"I'm so jealous..."
Mika and Saori-chan looked at me with envious eyes.
I gave a wry smile and caught the eyes of Yuji and Yukino-san; they both nodded back with similar expressions.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I was actually planning on taking you two along for tomorrow’s exploration."
What!?
"Of course, that's assuming we get your explorer registration, weapon registration, and equipment all sorted out today..."
Yay!
"Hey, listen to me."
Mika and Saori-chan were literally jumping for joy, their excitement radiating from their entire bodies. They didn't even wait for me to finish the sentence...
I clapped my hands a few times to get their attention.
"You two. It's not a done deal yet, okay?"
Ehh...
"I can't exactly take you into a dungeon without any gear, right?"
The two of them groaned in disappointment.
I had ordered their gear yesterday via express delivery, but unexpected delays can always happen. I'd asked my mother to let me know the moment the packages arrived, so I was currently just waiting for her call.
"Setting the gear aside, you can't even set foot in a dungeon without explorer registration in the first place."
Oh.
"Don't 'oh' me..."
Seriously, how swept up in the moment are they? I get being excited, but if they get this restless, they're going to get seriously hurt.
"Maybe I should rethink taking you two after all..."
We're sorry!
As soon as I mentioned canceling the trip, they both bowed their heads in immediate apology. Yuji and Yukino-san watched our antics with amused smiles.
As we chatted and bantered, we arrived at Yuji's house.
With Yuji leading the way, we entered the dojo and called out to Juzo-san, who was meditating near the entrance.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Gramps. We're back."
"...Hmm? Oh, welcome back, Yuji. I see the lad and the lasses are with you."
"Hello!" we all greeted him with a bow.
"Well now, don't just stand there gawking. Come in and sit."
Prompted by Juzo-san, we walked over and sat down in a row in front of him.
"Now then, first off, let me say congratulations to the Kokonoe lass and the Kishida lass."
"Thank you very much!"
"You've only just taken the first step, mind you. Don't go getting cocky and letting your guard down, you hear?"
"...Yes."
Likely remembering their earlier behavior with me, Mika and Saori-chan's responses were a bit sheepish.
The three of us couldn't help but grin.
"? What's the matter? You two seem to have lost your spark all of a sudden..."
Juzo-san tilted his head, looking puzzled by their sudden slump. I suppose it would look strange if you didn't know about our conversation on the way here.
"Don't worry about it. They're just feeling a bit of self-loathing after realizing how much they were floating on air after getting their results."
"...Ah, I see. So that’s how it is."
With my explanation, Juzo-san understood why they were hanging their heads.
"Well, it's only natural to be walking on clouds when you're happy, but do it in moderation so you don't get tripped up."
"...Yes."
The two of them gave bashful replies to Juzo-san's gentle advice.
After that, Juzo-san turned his gaze toward the three of us.
"I heard from Genya that you've finished your training?"
"Yes. We were given the passing grade yesterday."
I straightened my posture as I answered.
"And? Was it a good experience, receiving training from that man?"
"Yes. It was an eye-opening experience that made us realize just how inadequate we still are."
It truly was.
If we had kept diving deeper into dungeons as we were before Genya-san’s training, we eventually would have misjudged a situation and ended up seriously injured... or worse. It’s true that thanks to the Slime Dungeon, our levels and skills are far beyond those of most explorers.
But that’s all we had. We were overwhelmingly lacking the experience needed to actually master those physical abilities and skills. Power is useless if you don't know how to use it properly.
"In particular, learning to recognize when to retreat was the most valuable lesson of all."
"Ho... knowing when to walk away, is it?"
Juzo-san nodded with interest and gestured for me to continue.
"Yes. In the final stage of the training, we sparred with the three instructors from the Fujiki household. To be honest, we couldn't even touch them at first..."
"Wait, really?"
"All three of them? He actually pulled those guys out... Genya really didn't pull any punches."
Mika and Saori-chan looked back and forth between us with disbelief.
Even Juzo-san raised an eyebrow in surprise when I mentioned the three instructors.
"In terms of raw physical stats, the three of us were superior to them. Overwhelmingly so."
"I don't doubt that."
"But when it came down to actual combat, we were completely helpless."
Thinking back on it now still makes me feel frustrated with my own incompetence.
Of course, we were holding back enough to ensure Fumiya-san and the others weren't seriously injured, but we were definitely attacking with intent. In terms of pure speed, I doubt they could even visually track our movements.
And yet, we couldn't land a single meaningful hit.
"The instructors told us our movements were full of waste and too easy to predict."
"That sounds about right. In your case, because your physical abilities allow you to brute-force almost anything, your movements have become crude. To anyone with real skill, reading your next move is child's play. Though, even if they can read it, most wouldn't have the technique to actually counter it. The instructors at Genya’s place are a different breed, though."
It seemed Juzo-san had already figured out the exact points Fumiya-san and the others had made.
"Well, that's just something you have to polish over time. There are no shortcuts to true growth. It’s a matter of daily devotion."
"Understood."
We all nodded solemnly at his words.
"But because we were pitted against those three instructors, we learned the most effective way to deal with a truly dangerous foe."
"Ho... and what would that be?"
I glanced at Yuji and Yukino-san for a second, then turned back to Juzo-san.
"To turn tail and run as fast as possible to avoid a fight."
Wait, you run away!?
"Ho..."
Mika and Saori-chan cried out in shock, while Juzo-san let out a sound of approval.
"Naturally, if it's a situation where we can't run or have something to protect, we won't. But we learned that if there’s no absolute reason to stay, running is the best option."
"Training is one thing, but fighting a battle you can't win just for the sake of your ego is just stupid," Yuji added.
"Exactly," Yukino-san agreed. "If you fight a hopeless battle just for pride, you're not just destroying yourself—you're dragging everyone around you down with you. We learned that the hard way during the drills."
One after another, we shared the lessons we'd taken to heart.
By stubbornly trying to beat Fumiya-san and the others, we had experienced dozens upon dozens of failures in our escort mission. And the objective was simply to move Ririka-san up and down a mountain...
"I see. It sounds like Genya gave you some very fine training indeed."
"Yes. He was incredibly thorough."
So thorough it almost gave me a phobia of weighted vests...
"In the real world, knowing when to retreat is what separates the living from the dead. Learning that now will be an irreplaceable asset for you. In actual combat, the ones who don't know when to walk away are the first to disappear..."
Saying that, Juzo-san looked away from us, closing his eyes as he tilted his head toward the ceiling. He likely had his own memories of such things.
After a minute of silence, Juzo-san lowered his head and looked at us again.
"Well, I’ll check the results of your training for myself later. But first, let’s get the business out of the way. Stay right there."
With that, Juzo-san stood up and disappeared into the storage room where the equipment was kept.
He returned a moment later, carrying two long, slender boxes and two smaller boxes under his arms.