Mika and Saori’s spears stood out like sore thumbs on the train, but fortunately, we made it home without being stopped by the police. The decision to wrap them had been a masterstroke.
As I opened the front door with my key, I called out to my mother, who I knew was home.
"I’m back."
"...Welcome home."
There was a brief pause before my mother's voice drifted from the living room in response.
The first thing that caught my eye upon opening the door was a literal mountain of cardboard boxes piled high next to the entryway. Judging by the email I’d received earlier, these had to be the items I’d ordered.
"Whoa! That’s a lot of boxes..."
Mika peeked over my shoulder from the doorway and let out a small cry of surprise. She had ordered things along with me, but she seemed unable to hide her shock at the sheer scale of the delivery.
After all, the boxes took up nearly a third of the entrance hall.
"...That’s quite the haul."
"...It certainly is."
"Wow, I didn't think there'd be this many..."
Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and Saori-chan were all peeking over my shoulder as well, their reactions mirroring Mika's.
As we stood there, stunned by the sheer volume of cardboard, the door to the living room opened and my mother stepped out.
"Welcome home, Daiki, Mika... Oh? Your friends are here too?"
We're back.
"Excuse us for the intrusion!"
We all hurriedly greeted her as she appeared in the hallway. I pointed at the mountain of boxes and asked the obvious question.
"Hey, Mom. These are all for me, right?"
"Yes. Honestly, I was shocked. You mentioned packages were coming, but you didn't say there would be this many..."
"Fair enough..."
Even I hadn't expected such a massive delivery. I knew I’d ordered a lot, but I’d assumed they would be consolidated into a few large crates during shipping.
"In any case, could you do something about this pile? We can't have the entryway blocked by cardboard forever..."
My mother rested a hand against her cheek, looking troubled as she stared at the boxes. She was right; we couldn't just leave them there indefinitely.
"Got it. I'll clear it out right away."
"Please do."
I gave her a small nod and then glanced back at the four people behind me. I sent them a silent, pleading look: You guys are going to help me, right?
It took about ten minutes, but we managed to move the entire mountain of boxes—minus a few items—into my room. Long live the physical enhancements of a high-level explorer. Even boxes that normally required two people were easily carried in stacks.
With this kind of strength, maybe I should work part-time for a moving company?...Actually, probably not.
"Phew, I think that’s all of them. Thanks for the help, everyone."
"Don't worry about it. This was nothing," Yuji said.
"He's right. Moving this much stuff is hardly a chore for us," Hiiragi-san added.
I thanked them both as I set down the last of the heavy boxes. Naturally, neither Yuji nor Hiiragi-san looked even remotely winded. On the other hand...
"Ugh... that was heavy."
"Phew..."
Mika and Saori-chan were both lightly out of breath, having already collapsed onto the floor cushions in front of the low table.
"You two okay?"
"...Yeah."
"Yes... I'm fine."
Despite their claims, they both looked a little worn out.
"I see... Well, in that case, could you two start checking the contents? I want to make sure there aren't any missing items or defects."
"Okay."
"Sure."
I pulled some utility knives and scissors from my desk drawer and handed them to the girls. Since we’d bought several things second-hand, a few scratches were to be expected, but clear damage or malfunctions would be a problem.
Mika and Saori-chan got up and began opening the nearest boxes. A massive amount of padding spilled out of the cardboard, followed by clothes, shoes, and other supplies.
Honestly, the sheer amount of cushioning was the only reason there were so many boxes. I grumbled about the inefficient packing as I gathered up the discarded material while the girls worked.
"Is this... what they call a job well done?" Yuji asked, staring at the waste.
"No. It’s just terrible packing," Hiiragi-san replied flatly.
"Exactly..."
Seeing that half of every box was just filler, Yuji and Hiiragi-san seemed to share my frustration. Packing materials aren't free; the Dungeon Association really needs to learn how to save some space.
"Onii-chan, there aren't any noticeable scratches on these, so it looks like everything's fine."
"Everything is okay over here too."
While we were complaining about the logistics, the girls had finished their initial inspection.
"Good. In that case, go ahead and try on anything wearable, like the clothes and shoes. I checked the sizes before buying, but things can be different when you actually put them on."
"Okay. Oh, hey, Onii-chan? Should we try these on too?"
"These?...Ah, right. You should probably check the fit on those as well."
Mika was pointing to a set of protectors identical to the ones we used. I had found them unused on an auction site and snatched them up to keep expenses down. Since they were 70% off the retail price, they were a total steal.
"Hiiragi-san."
"...Yes, Kokonoe-kun?"
I turned to Hiiragi-san, who was examining the equipment.
"Could you show Mika and Saori-chan how to put on their protectors?"
"How to put them on? Sure, I don't mind."
"Thanks. Then you two... you heard her. Go ahead and try them on while Hiiragi-san shows you the ropes."
With her consent, I urged Mika and Saori to practice fitting their armor. If they practiced now, they’d be able to gear up much faster once we got to the dungeon tomorrow.
"Got it. Yukino-san, please help us."
"Of course. Leave it to me."
The three of them gathered the necessary gear and headed out.
"While they're changing, Yuji and I will clear out the empty boxes and organize the remaining supplies. That sound good, Yuji?"
"Yeah."
"Take your time, girls. There's no need to rush," I called out.
"Okay! Thanks!"
The three girls carried their gear from my room over to Mika’s.
Meanwhile, Yuji and I focused on breaking down the cardboard and checking the functionality of the smaller items, like the headlamps.
"They've been gone for a while. Does changing really take this long?" I asked after a bit.
"Daiki, it hasn't even been twenty minutes. It’s their first time putting on gear; don't be so restless."
"I'm not restless. I just didn't realize it took this much effort."
The protectors we used were designed to be relatively easy to get in and out of. Even for a beginner, it shouldn't have taken this long...
"They're probably just gossiping," Yuji suggested. "Talking about what to expect in the dungeon and whatnot."
"Maybe. There are probably things they’d rather ask her than me..."
I had told Mika and Saori-chan about the dungeon many times, but men and women often focus on different things. They likely had questions for Hiiragi-san that they were too embarrassed to ask me directly. If that was the case, it was only natural for it to take a while.
Yuji and I continued our inspection while chatting, until Yuji noticed something.
"...Hm? Hey, Daiki. This one isn't working."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah. It flickered for a second and then died. I’ve swapped the batteries a few times, but it won't turn on."
"Damn, that’s a pain... Since it was an auction item, I can't return it or get an exchange."
I tinkered with the broken Maglite Yuji handed me, my expression souring. The listing had said "operation confirmed," but it looked like I’d been sold a lemon. Since it was a cheap used item, I just had to take the loss.
"Nothing for it. I'll just swap this one with my own light."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I use light magic almost exclusively now anyway, so I don't really need a physical light. I'll stop by the electronics store and buy a replacement on my way back from walking Saori-chan home."
For now, the priority was making sure Mika and Saori-chan had functional equipment. I didn't want them worrying about gear failure right before their first dive.
"Fair enough. Just don't forget to buy that replacement. Even with light magic, you always want a backup light source."
"I know."
If we hit a magic-nullification space, relying solely on light magic would leave us in total darkness—a literal nightmare scenario. You can never have too many different types of light sources. In fact, it was a basic requirement for our party. We carried electric lights, magic (light magic), ignition (flares), and chemical (chemlights).
Thirty minutes after the girls had left, Yuji and I were just finishing the final sorting when they returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"We're back!"
"Thank you for waiting."
Led by Hiiragi-san, Mika and Saori-chan stepped into the room fully geared up. They wore their protectors over their tracksuits, complemented by helmets with headlamps, safety goggles, assault gloves, and steel-toed boots.
It was essentially the same outfit we wore, but seeing them in it, they looked quite intimidating. If I encountered someone dressed like this outside of a dungeon, I’d either ignore them completely or run for my life.
Still...
"You both look the part. Like real explorers. How’s the fit?"
"It’s good. I wouldn't say it's perfect, but nothing feels like it’s in the way," Mika said.
"Yes. It doesn't feel tight or restrictive. I think I'll get used to it after wearing it a few times," Saori added.
"Good to hear."
It looked like there were no issues with the fit of the armor. That was a relief.
"In that case, let’s head out to the yard for some practice swings. I want to see how the gear feels when you're actually moving."
"Wait, in the yard? Dressed like this?"
"If you can't swing your weapons in that gear, you won't be able to fight in the dungeon. Better to find out now."
Ideally, we would have done this at the Hirose dojo with real spears under Juzo-san’s supervision, but it was too late in the day for that. For now, we’d just use the wooden training spears in the yard to make sure the gear didn't interfere with their reach or movement. Obviously, we couldn't go swinging live steel in a residential neighborhood.
"Yeah, you're right. We should do it."
"Understood."
They both nodded, agreeing with my logic.
"Alright, let's head out to the yard."
After putting them through their paces—all while my mother watched from the window with a look of pure bewilderment—we returned to the room, and I handed over the rest of the supplies Yuji and I had sorted.
"Okay. This pile is Mika’s, and this one is Saori-chan’s."
"Thanks, Onii-chan!"
"Thank you so much."
The two of them looked genuinely happy as they took their gear. Finally, they were ready. I felt a surge of pride as I looked at them, thinking back on how long they’d trained for this moment.
"Alright. We have an early start tomorrow, so let’s call it a night."
I switched gears, signaling the end of the meeting.
"Right. Let’s head out," Yuji agreed.
"Indeed. You two, I know you're excited, but make sure to get plenty of sleep. Dungeons are dangerous when you're tired," Hiiragi-san cautioned.
"We will!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The girls answered her with earnest nods.
"Okay then. Saori-chan, I’ll walk you home and help you carry all this, so let’s get your stuff together."
"Yes! Thank you very much."
Saori-chan began packing her things. She stuffed her clothes and smaller items into a large cloth bag she’d brought, while the protectors and heavier gear went into a cardboard box that we sealed with tape and tied with string to make a handle.
The packing took about five minutes.
"All set. Ready to go?"
"Yes, let's go."
Saori-chan carried her weapons and her cloth bag, while I took the heavy cardboard box and the crate for the gun locker we’d left in the entryway.
The four of us headed for the door, seen off by Mika and my mother.
"I’m going to walk Saori-chan home now."
"Okay! See you tomorrow!"
"Make sure she gets home safely, Daiki," my mother added.
"Of course."
"Thanks for having us!"
And with that, we stepped out into the night.
Tomorrow was the day. Their first real dungeon crawl. The supplies were here, the gear was checked, and the preparations were complete.