Juzo-san set the four boxes he had brought aside and sat back in his original position.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Not at all. Are those… the items?"
"Indeed. These are the things you ordered."
"I see. Thank you for your help."
"Think nothing of it. It was no trouble at all."
I bowed my head and thanked Juzo-san.
While Yuji and Hiiragi-san, who were in the know, watched our exchange with knowing smiles, Mika and Saori-chan—who were completely in the dark—watched us with puzzled expressions.
"Mika. Saori-chan."
"Yeah?"
"Yes?"
I shifted my gaze from Juzo-san and addressed the two girls sitting side by side.
"Those things Juzo-san brought… they’re actually the weapons you two will be using in the dungeons."
"What?!"
Mika and Saori-chan’s eyes went wide, and they let out a synchronized yelp of surprise. Well, I suppose anyone would be shocked to hear that so suddenly.
"Since you’re minors, you can’t buy weapons yourselves because of the Firearms and Swords Act. So, I asked Juzo-san to purchase them by proxy."
"By proxy…"
"If you hold an Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures, the law allows for a transfer of ownership even to minors. Normally, you’d just have a guardian handle the proxy purchase, but my family and Saori-chan’s parents are amateurs when it comes to judging the quality of a blade."
It would be a disaster if they came home with decorative wall-hangers just because they looked flashy.
"That’s why I asked Juzo-san to prepare them while you two were busy with your training."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. These were made specifically for you. Juzo-san chose them based on your training performance so far, picking pieces that fit your individual combat styles."
To be precise, I had placed an order with Kyosuke-san through Juzo-san.
As the girls’ eyes sparkled with anticipation, Juzo-san placed the longer boxes in front of them. Mika’s box was tied with a red Sanada cord, and Saori-chan’s was tied with yellow.
"Go on, open them up."
"Okay!"
Mika and Saori-chan replied energetically and began joyfully untying the cords.
When Mika lifted the lid, she saw Japanese paper used as cushioning. Removing the paper revealed a black spear with a red butt cap resting on felt cushions. Saori-chan’s spear was identical, save for its yellow butt cap.
"..."
The two of them stared down at the spears in their boxes, their faces lit up with silent delight.
"Just so you’re aware, those spears… cost about seven hundred thousand yen each."
"What?!"
The joy on their faces froze instantly, and they went completely still. Well, anyone would lock up if they were suddenly told a single item cost seven hundred thousand yen.
"Weapons used by explorers in dungeons are strengthened as the explorer undergoes a level up. In other words, the more you use them, the stronger they get. But if you start with low-quality, cheap gear, the weapon will break down quickly. You’ll end up spending more on constant repairs in the long run."
"He’s right. Our weapons were decent enough, but we were rough with them. We had to send them in for repairs after only a short time…"
"It’s true. That was a rather painful expense…"
Yuji and I looked up at the ceiling, recalling the hit our wallets took. We’ve only had one repair so far, but even a single maintenance session costs a significant amount.
"B-But… Onii-chan. We don’t have that kind of money."
"T-That’s right. We worked part-time during Golden Week, but even with our savings, we don’t have anywhere near a hundred thousand yen."
Mika and Saori-chan’s faces twitched as they realized they couldn't afford the weapons. No ordinary high school student could just cough up seven hundred thousand yen on the spot.
"It’s fine. I’ve fronted the money for now, so you can just take your time paying me back."
"..."
When I offered a pleasant smile and said I’d wait patiently for repayment, Mika and Saori-chan’s faces went pale with despondency.
"It’s okay, Mika-chan, Saori-chan."
"Hiiragi-san…"
When Hiiragi-san spoke kindly to them, they looked up at her with pleading eyes, like kittens looking for a savior.
"At the current market rates, you could easily pay that back after defeating ten minos."
"T-That’s…"
Hiiragi-san… I think that’s a bit too much to ask of rookies about to enter their first dungeon.
Seeing their stunned, twitching expressions, Hiiragi-san let out a small chuckle.
"I’m only joking. Let’s see… I suppose you could pay it back if you found one or two skill scrolls?"
Apparently, she was just teasing them. Well, minos aside, the difficulty of finding a skill scroll isn't that high if you're lucky. If Fortune smiles on you, they can even be found on the surface floors.
"I-I see…"
"Skill scrolls…"
Hearing the term, Mika’s face continued to twitch, while Saori-chan fell silent with a thoughtful look. It was common knowledge that skill scrolls rarely circulated on the open market. This was partly because they were rare, but also because most explorers used them for their own growth rather than selling them to the Association.
"You lot… Save that talk for after you've actually checked the goods."
As we were fussing over the money, Juzo-san spoke up from the sidelines. I realized we had completely forgotten to actually inspect the equipment.
"Ah, right. Sorry. Mika, Saori-chan?"
"Oh, right."
Mika and Saori-chan carefully lifted the spears out of their boxes.
"Wait… it’s surprisingly light."
"It really is…"
They both looked puzzled by the unexpected weight of the weapons.
"The shaft is metal, right? Why is it so light when it’s all metal?"
Mika tilted her head, flicking the shaft with her finger to check the material.
"Yeah, the shafts are a titanium alloy. They're much lighter than steel."
"Titanium?"
"Um, Onii-san? Isn't titanium really expensive?"
"It’s more expensive than steel, sure, but you two wouldn't be able to handle them if they were too heavy, right?"
It might be a different story once they leveled up and improved their physical stats, but right now, they wouldn't be able to wield spears made of solid steel. I had specifically asked Kyosuke-san to manufacture those shafts using hollow titanium alloy pipes.
Incidentally, the tips were made of the same ultra-high purity iron we had provided previously.
"Try a few swings to check the balance."
"O-Okay."
"Yes."
Mika and Saori-chan stood up and moved a safe distance away from us. They took up their stances and began executing spear forms—likely the ones taught to them by Juzo-san—moving with slow, deliberate precision. Gradually, the speed of their movements increased until the blades began to whistle through the air.
After repeating the forms for a few minutes, they came to a stop.
"Wow. This spear feels perfect. It’s like it’s an extension of my hands."
"This feels more natural to me than the wooden spears we used for practice."
Mika and Saori-chan both praised the weapons. Since their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, they seemed to have taken a genuine liking to them.
After watching them handle the spears, Juzo-san spoke.
"Hmm. It seems the craftsmanship is exactly as ordered. Young ladies, did you feel any discomfort? Any sense that the center of gravity was off?"
"No, not at all."
"I only swung it for a moment, but I didn't feel anything strange either."
"I see. That is good to hear."
Hearing their impressions, Juzo-san nodded with satisfaction. Kyosuke-san's skill was undeniable, but Juzo-san's ability to identify their habits was equally impressive. He had ordered weapons that fit them perfectly just by observing them.
"Well, that should suffice for the spears. We should check the other items as well."
"The other items…?"
"Ah, right, those boxes."
Saori-chan looked at the smaller boxes sitting next to Juzo-san. We had been so distracted by the spears that we'd forgotten the rest.
The two sat back down, returned the spears to their boxes, and looked expectantly at the smaller containers.
"Go on, open them."
"Okay."
Mika and Saori-chan untied the cords on the short boxes Juzo-san nudged toward them. Inside, just like the spears, were kaiken wrapped in Japanese paper. They were built to the same specifications as the ones we used.
"…A dagger?"
"…"
Mika unsheathed the kaiken and tilted her head while examining the short blade. Beside her, Saori-chan stared at her own blade in total silence.
Wait, Saori-chan?
"…Hehe."
As Saori-chan stared fixedly at the steel in her hand, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she let out a faint, airy giggle. As I thought, she really does have a bit of a blade-obsessed streak. Honestly, I don’t think she should smile like that in public.
It was an incredibly unsettling look.
"S-Saori-chan?"
Mika, noticing the smile, called out with a nervous twitch in her eye.
"Hehe… What is it, Mika-chan?"
"Ah, no, well… are you okay?"
"Okay? Why wouldn't I be?"
"Ah, well… if you don't realize it, then never mind."
The moment Saori-chan looked away from the blade, her expression snapped back to normal. The sheer speed of the change made Mika’s face twitch. Well, anyone would be put off if a friend went from a creepy giggle to a bright, innocent smile that quickly.
"Really? You’re acting weird, Mika-chan."
Saori-chan gave a small, wry smile, seemingly puzzled by Mika’s reaction. Is this girl going to be okay…? She isn’t going to suddenly start swinging that kaiken around, is she? Like a 'blade happy' version of trigger happy.
For a split second, the rest of us cast a collective look of suspicion at Saori-chan.
Attempting to break the awkward silence, I cleared my throat.
"Ahem. Well, in any case, you both have your weapons now."
"Ah, yeah. That's right…"
"Y-Yeah. You're right…"
"Hmm."
"Y-Yeah…"
"Yes!"
Everyone except Saori-chan caught on to my intent and jumped back into the conversation. No one wanted to linger in that suffocatingly awkward atmosphere.
"Juzo-san, do you have the weapon registration documents for these?"
"Of course."
Juzo-san pulled four brown envelopes from his robe and handed two to Mika and two to Saori-chan.
"If you take these to the government office and complete the ownership transfer, these weapons will officially be yours."
"So these are the papers…"
Mika and Saori-chan took the envelopes and looked at them with a sense of gravity.
While I was at it, I decided to ask the final question.
"Juzo-san."
"What is it?"
"How much did the spears and kaiken end up costing in the end?"
"…Hmm. This is the invoice that came with the shipment."
I looked through the four invoices Juzo-san handed me and rubbed the bridge of my nose. The amount was roughly what I had been quoted, but it was still a staggering sum. Before showing the invoices to the girls, I handed them to Yuji and Hiiragi-san.
"…Well, it seems like a fair price. They are custom-made, brand-new pieces, after all."
"…That's true. They're actually a bit cheaper than the standard models listed in the Association's pamphlets."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san agreed the price was fair, but I wondered how the girls would react.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke to the two, who were still staring at their registration documents.
"Uh… Mika? Saori-chan?"
"…What is it, Onii-chan?"
"Yes?"
"Here, have a look."
I thrust the invoices I had taken back from Yuji and Hiiragi-san in front of them.
"What’s this?"
"The invoices for your spears and kaiken."
"!?"
When they saw the numbers on the page, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They froze in total shock. For the record, the total amount listed was over nine hundred thousand yen—almost one million yen per person once you counted both weapons.
"Like I said before, I’ve fronted the payment for now. You two can just pay me back at your own pace, okay?"
"Y-Yes…"
The excitement from moments ago vanished, replaced by dazed, haunted looks as they accepted the invoices. I suppose this was a heavy blow just when they were getting fired up to register as explorers and head into the dungeon.
Leaving the two of them stunned with their invoices, I discussed the remaining schedule with Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and Juzo-san.
"We’re planning to go to the government office now to finish their explorer registration and weapon registration."
"I see. Does that mean you'll be taking them to a dungeon as early as tomorrow?"
"I ordered the necessary equipment for dungeon diving yesterday, so if it arrives today, I’ll take them. I think it’s best to let them experience the atmosphere of a real dungeon as soon as possible."
"I see. Just make sure not to push them too hard."
"I understand."
Ideally, we should have given them time to practice with their new weapons, but I believed the air of a real dungeon was the best teacher. Once they've felt the reality of the environment, their focus during future training will be on a completely different level.
I checked the clock on the wall and looked to Juzo-san.
"Well then, Juzo-san. I think we'll be heading to the office now."
"Very well. Take care out there."
"Thank you."
With Juzo-san’s blessing, we took the hands of the still-catatonic Mika and Saori-chan, gathered our gear, and left the dojo.
Now, we just had to make it to the Dungeon Association before the registration counter closed…