Keeping a close eye on Mika and Saori, who were both looking a bit pale, we made our way back toward the dungeon entrance. Other explorers we passed gave us skeptical looks, likely because our clothes were perfectly composed and hadn't a speck of dirt on them. However, one look at the girls' ashen faces was enough to change their expressions to understanding. They offered brief, sympathetic greetings before continuing on.
Well, at least they haven't vomited. It could be worse...
"Are you two okay?" I asked.
"Y-Yeah."
"Yes."
The adrenaline from the monster slaying had finally worn off, and the realization that the exploration was almost over had brought a wave of relief—and with it, all the mental exhaustion they’d been suppressing hit them at once.
Their voices were small and lacked the spirit they’d shown before entering. Their focus was clearly flagging. If I didn't get them out of the dungeon and let them rest soon, we were going to have a problem.
"Hang in there, we're almost outside. You can't really relax while you're still inside a dungeon."
"Okay."
"Yes."
Encouraging them as we went, we picked up our pace toward the entrance. However, obstacles have a way of appearing at the most inconvenient times.
"...A monster."
The shadow of a creature appeared in the beam of our light, and a strained, trembling sound escaped Mika's lips. Having just let her guard down because the exit was in sight, this encounter was a heavy blow for both her and Saori-chan.
"...Here it comes," Yuji said.
Walking at the front, Yuji spotted the monster—a hound dog—and issued a curt warning.
As if his voice was the trigger, the hound dog lunged out from the darkness. Letting out an intimidating roar, it charged at us much faster than a horn rabbit. The distance closed in the blink of an eye.
"Out of my way."
Yuji spat the words out and casually whipped his right leg upward. It was a brutal kick to the hound dog's jaw from below. Delivered with safety shoes reinforced with steel plates, the strike was more like a blow from a heavy mace than a foot. The hound dog didn't even have time to yelp; the dull crack of the impact echoed through the corridor as the beast was launched toward the ceiling.
It traced a perfect arc through the air, seemingly suspended for a moment, before crashing back to the ground with a wet thud like a dropped tomato.
"Whoa, it really flew. That was right up against the ceiling."
"Indeed. Given that its head didn't actually explode, it seems he’s getting better at controlling his strength," Hiiragi-san observed.
Mika and Saori-chan stood in stunned silence, their eyes and mouths wide open. I suppose it’s a natural reaction to seeing a monster sent flying into orbit by a casual-looking kick. As for the man himself, Yuji simply lowered his leg and watched the hound dog as it lay twitching on the floor.
A few seconds later, the corpse vanished without a trace.
"...Dud. Too bad," Yuji muttered, sounding slightly disappointed.
The ground was empty. It seemed this hound dog had been a dud monster that didn't leave any drop items behind.
"Hey, Onii-chan..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Mika, still visibly shaken by Yuji's absurd combat style, tugged on my sleeve to get my attention.
"Are there... duds when it comes to monsters?"
"Oh, right, I guess I haven't explained that yet. Drop items have specific rates. Common drops are things like the Core Crystal Saori-chan got or the monster meat you found. Magic items and skill scrolls are much rarer. Because of that, people call monsters that don't drop anything 'duds.'"
"Huh, I see."
"Of course, there are exceptions. For example... Hiiragi-san, would you mind?"
"Not at all."
Accepting my request with a nod, Hiiragi-san drew a knife from the back of her waist. This was her favorite skinning knife, a blade that had tasted the blood of countless monsters. I couldn't even guess how much block meat from orcs and minotaurs this thing had produced.
Mika and Saori-chan stared at the weapon.
"It looks like an ordinary knife, but it's actually a magic item."
"A magic item..." they both whispered, their voices full of awe.
"The effect of this skinning knife is that if you stab it into a defeated monster, it forces it to drop an edible item."
I should mention that using this knife prevents anything else from dropping. If you're looking for skill scrolls or other magic items, you absolutely shouldn't use a skinning knife. It’s perfect for explorers who specialize in gathering ingredients, though—just like Hiiragi-san used to.
"Wow, that's so convenient."
"Well, there are downsides, but it’s definitely useful. Right, Hiiragi-san?"
"Yes. I've been saved by this knife more times than I can count."
Hiiragi-san looked at the blade with a deep sense of nostalgia. In truth, that skinning knife was the only reason she could consistently meet her quotas for orc meat. The difference in efficiency between having one and not is night and day.
"Hey, guys. Let's save the shop talk for later and get out of here. We can talk all we want once we're outside."
"Ah, sorry, Yuji. You're right, let's head out."
Yuji, who had been keeping watch since the fight ended, cut into our conversation. I gave him a small, sheepish nod of apology.
"He's right. We can go into the details later. Is that okay, Mika-chan, Saori-chan?"
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
Hiiragi-san sheathed her knife and gently led the girls forward, who both looked a little sorry to see the magic item go.
"Alright. Let's move."
Confirming we were ready, Yuji took the lead. We followed close behind.
Ten minutes later, we stepped out of the dungeon. Mika and Saori's very first exploration was officially over.
As we emerged, we ignored the long lines of people waiting to enter and headed straight for the sanitary control zone. While the air showers and germicidal lamps were routine for us, Mika and Saori were wide-eyed at their first experience with industrial-scale sterilization.
I suppose being treated like a walking biohazard is a bit of a shock.
"That was intense. I didn't realize explorers had to do all this just to leave..."
"It's to prevent any biohazards from spreading outside. It's a 'better safe than sorry' measure."
"I get it, but... being treated like a germ feels kind of bad."
Despite understanding the necessity, Mika looked a bit pouted.
Hmm. Maybe using the Cleansing skill so early was a mistake? Perhaps I should have let them experience the discomfort of being covered in monster blood for a while. If they’d walked out smelling like a slaughterhouse, they might have appreciated the sanitary control zone a bit more.
"You'll get used to it soon enough if you keep coming back."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, that's just how it goes."
By the time our conversation ended, the sterilization process was complete. We slipped past the crowd of people still waiting to enter and left the main building. From there, we headed straight to the locker rooms.
"Let's meet back here in the waiting area once everyone is changed," I said.
"Got it. See you in a bit."
"Yes. Mika-chan, Saori-chan, let's go."
"Yes!"
We split up at the entrance, and the girls followed Hiiragi-san into the women's locker room. Yuji and I stood there for a moment.
"...They seem to be handling it okay for now."
"Yeah. They're a bit pale, but neither of them is breaking down. They'll be fine."
"I hope so. But they probably haven't really felt the fatigue yet. I remember my first time—the exhaustion didn't truly hit until I was back home."
There’s no place like home to finally let your guard down. I remember eating lunch just fine after my first hunt, but by the time dinner rolled around, I could barely swallow a bite. With that in mind, it was probably a good idea to make sure the girls ate a big lunch now.
"I know what you mean..." Yuji muttered, his expression turning bitter as if he were recalling a similar memory.
"Well, the rest is up to their own mental strength. All we can do is offer to listen if they need to talk."
"True. I just hope they don't bottle it up too much."
"I'll ask Hiiragi-san to keep an eye on them. They might find it easier to talk to another woman than to us."
"Good call. I'll mention it to her as well."
"Thanks, Yuji."
"Don't worry about it."
I gave him a quick nod of thanks.
"Well, shall we get changed? If we stand around talking too long, the ladies will beat us out."
"Yeah, let's go."
We grabbed our gear and headed into the men's locker room. Since I hadn't actually fought anything, I wasn't dirty, so I finished changing in record time. I’d used the Cleansing skill earlier, so it wasn't strictly necessary, but I took a quick shower to wash off the sweat anyway—mostly just for the sake of the routine.
Once we were done, Yuji and I sat on a sofa in the waiting area, sipping juice. And then we waited. And waited...
"Hey, Yuji..."
"...Yeah?"
"How long have we been sitting here?"
"I don't know. Probably twenty minutes since we got out of the locker room?"
"Right..."
We’d chatted for a bit, but eventually ran out of things to say and started scrolling through our phones. Still, there was no sign of them.
I hope they're almost done...
"Actually, Yuji."
"...Hmm? What?"
"What’s the plan for after this? It's barely noon. Want to grab lunch in the town before we head back?"
"...That sounds good. I brought some convenience store onigiri, but I can just eat those later at home. Might as well eat something decent here."
"My thoughts exactly."
Today was just a trial run for the girls, so we’d planned to finish early. Everyone had only brought light snacks. There was no harm in taking them home. Besides, it’s nice to eat in the dungeon town once in a while.
"Do you have a specific place in mind, Daiki?"
"Here, take a look at this. I grabbed it from the stand earlier."
I handed Yuji a free gourmet guide I’d picked up when I bought my juice.
"A gourmet map of the town. It even has coupons."
"Let's see... Wow, there are a ton of options."
Yuji and I started scouring the map, debating which restaurant to hit. By the time we’d finally narrowed it down, Hiiragi-san and the girls finally emerged from the locker room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, boys."
"Sorry we took so long!"
"Our apologies for the wait."
The three of them, now back in their casual clothes, approached us. We looked up from the map and tried to sound as casual as possible.
"No worries, we didn't wait that long."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
I really wanted to say, "We've been sitting here for thirty minutes!" but I bit my tongue. Complaining would only ruin the atmosphere, and that wouldn't help anyone.
"Oh? What are you looking at, Onii-chan?"
"A gourmet map for the town."
"A gourmet map?"
I explained to Mika, Saori-chan, and Hiiragi-san what Yuji and I had been discussing.
"Oh, I had no idea there were so many restaurants using dungeon ingredients here."
Hiiragi-san was the most intrigued. Being from a family that ran a restaurant, her curiosity was piqued immediately.
"I think it's a lovely idea. Let's have lunch in town."
It seemed Hiiragi-san was on board. However, Mika and Saori-chan both looked a little hesitant.
"Um, Onii-chan... Restaurants that use dungeon stuff are way more expensive than normal ones, aren't they?"
"Well, yeah. The ingredients are expensive, so the prices are naturally higher."
"...Then I can't go. I didn't bring enough money for a fancy lunch like that."
"Me neither. I don't have enough on me for a high-end restaurant today."
The girls looked genuinely disappointed.
"Don't worry about it. I'll treat you both. Think of it as a celebration for getting through your first exploration safely."
The cost wasn't a big deal given my current income. Besides, I needed to make sure they ate something substantial now while they still had an appetite, before the post-dungeon fatigue truly set in. This was a tactical investment in their health.
"Really!?"
"Really."
"Yay!"
Unaware of my hidden motives, Mika practically skipped with joy.
"Are you sure, Onii-san? Even for me?"
"Of course. It's fine."
"I see. Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it."
Saori-chan bowed politely. Now that the plan was set, I stood up.
"Alright. Now that we know what we're doing, let's go get these drop items appraised and cashed in."
"Right. Shall we?"
"Yes, let's go."
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
We left the waiting area and began the walk toward the purchase counter.