Startled by Juzo-san’s sudden roar, I accidentally spilled my tea all over my lap.
“Hot!”
“Honestly, what were you lot thinking?”
Ignoring my yelp as I writhed from the heat on my knees, Juzo-san directed a question at us with a flat tone and a cold, piercing gaze.
“Er, well...”
As Yuji and Hiiragi-san looked on, clearly unsure of what exactly Juzo-san was angry about, the old man let out a small sigh and clarified his question.
“Hah... From those looks on your faces, it seems you don't even know why I’m upset. Why did you lot swap the drop items those girls found for skill scrolls that trade for such high amounts of cash?”
Hearing Juzo-san’s explanation, Yuji and Hiiragi-san finally understood the source of his ire.
The two of them began explaining our reasoning for the swap. Meanwhile, I was frantically dabbing at my knees with a handkerchief to soak up the spilled tea.
“Hah... I see. I understand why you did it.”
Juzo-san finished listening to their explanation and let out a long, weary sigh.
By the way, I joined in the explanation halfway through once I’d finished dealing with the mess on my lap.
“For now, let me just say one thing to you three. You’ve gone too far, you fools.”
Juzo-san tossed those words at us with an exasperated look.
The three of us reflexively glanced at each other before I decided to ask what he meant.
“Hey now, Old Man. Calling us fools all of a sudden is a bit much...”
“Fools are fools. Do you lot not realize that your actions were incredibly overprotective?”
“““...?”””
Seeing us tilt our heads in unison, Juzo-san let out a pathetic-sounding sigh.
“To think not a single one of you is aware... To put it another way, that skill scroll swap you performed was essentially giving those girls millions of yen in pocket money for no reason. If you don't call that overprotective, what do you call it?”
“““...Ah.”””
Hearing Juzo-san’s analogy, the weight of our actions finally hit us. Our faces cramped up. To us, skill scrolls were items we could obtain relatively easily, and exchanging things for several hundred thousand to over a million yen was a common occurrence. We had completely misjudged the gravity of the situation.
Giving a high schooler millions of yen in pocket money...
“...Are you only just realizing it now?”
Juzo-san wore an expression that suggested he was appalled to his very core as he looked at us.
Unable to withstand his gaze, we all looked away, hanging our heads.
Having it pointed out so bluntly made us realize that what we had done was undesirable—it was something we never should have done. We sat there, dejected.
Juzo-san spoke in a flat, uninflected voice, trying to reason with us.
“I’m sure you did it with good intentions after hearing about their financial situation... but have you considered the impact that act will have on them? You understand that, don't you?”
“““...”””
Now that we were thinking clearly, our heads cooled down, and we were able to evaluate our actions objectively.
Because of our intervention, the very first skill scrolls Mika and Saori-chan obtained were items worth a fortune. On the surface, it looked like extreme beginner's luck. However, analyzing the situation calmly, it was a dangerous precedent.
This was one of the standard paths taken by people falling into gambling addiction.
“If those girls learn that they can get precious items—easy money—just by entering a dungeon, it will lead to trouble. Especially since they experienced this windfall at the perfect time to solve their financial woes. I wonder just how much elation and relief they felt at that moment?”
As Juzo-san continued, I clutched my head. I realized the magnitude of the impact our casual meddling might have had on Mika and Saori-chan. Though we meant well, we might have given them a warped perception of how dungeons worked.
In the worst-case scenario, they might become obsessed with dungeons, just like those explorers who are lured in by dreams of striking it rich and never leave. It might sound like an exaggeration, but I realized it wasn't impossible for this one incident to have that kind of impact.
“So? When will the Association's appraisal results be out?”
“...In two or three days,” I muttered, staring at the floor as I relayed the schedule I’d been given at the counter.
“I see. Then before that, you must give those girls a thorough talking-to.”
“...Yes.”
Juzo-san was right. Before the appraisal notification arrived and they saw the actual cash value, we had to set things right. Since they hadn't seen the money yet, and they’d already seen bad examples of explorers like the Repeating Students at school, we might be able to steer them away from the "gambling addiction" path by teaching them the harsh reality beforehand.
I didn't know how effective it would be, but we had to try.
“I’ll give the girls a warning myself before tomorrow's practice. But you lot must also make sure they understand, you hear?”
“...Yes.”
“...Yeah.”
“...Yes. Understood.”
The three of us finally looked up and answered him.
Having finished reprimanding us over the swap, Juzo-san moved the conversation toward our training methods.
“This is a good opportunity. Shall we also talk a bit about your teaching policy for those girls?”
“Our teaching policy...?”
“Yes. Previously, you said you would take some time until the girls got used to hunting monsters, didn't you?”
“Yes. If they don't get used to defeating... killing monsters, they won't be able to progress properly. Our basic policy is to let them get used to it on the surface floors while raising their levels a bit.”
“Specifically, what are you doing?”
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Right now, we use the Seasoning Series to weaken the monsters, and then we have the two of them deliver the finishing blow. Once they get more comfortable with it, we intend to have them fight without our assistance.”
“...You’re being quite thorough.”
“We don't want them to push themselves too hard and get seriously injured.”
I thought of Mika and Saori-chan, who were still exploration-fresh without a single scratch, and spoke with a hint of pride.
However...
“Kokonoe boy. I understand you're worried about your sister, but don't you think you're being a bit overprotective?”
“...Eh?”
Overprotective? Our training?
“Even if it's because you're worried, you're preparing far too much for them. Granted, when giving beginners experience with their first kill, stopping the monster's movements is... well, it’s fine for a start. I said as much last time. But, Kokonoe boy? If you keep that up, those girls will eventually think it's natural to have everything prepared for them. If that happens, they’ll just rot. Besides, if you're entering a dungeon, isn't it normal to get injured or fail? Don't explorers build experience by learning from those things? Your current method ensures safety, but it's preventing the girls from gaining actual experience with danger. For their sake, I think you lot should take a step back.”
“““...”””
We fell silent. Thinking back on today’s exploration, it was true—during the last battle on the first floor, it felt like Mika and Saori-chan were waiting for us to disable the monsters with the Seasoning Series. The negative influence was already starting to surface.
“I know you're guiding them carefully so they don't sustain major injuries or trauma. But you know, indulgence and kindness are two different things. Your current way of teaching is just spoiling them.”
“““...”””
“You don't want them to get hurt, you don't want them to be traumatized... I know that comes from a place of kindness. But you need to have a little more faith in them. Doing everything for them isn't kindness.”
“...I suppose you're right.”
Juzo-san’s words pierced through me. But thanks to that, I regained my objectivity. Indulgence and kindness... when I looked at our actions from a third-party perspective, we really were being too overprotective.
Even if it was my sister and her friend, having top-class explorers stick to them and set everything up so they could safely deliver finishing blows... this was no different from the "empty power leveling" you see in fantasy novels where people gain levels without any actual skill!
Why hadn't I noticed until now? As that thought took hold, I slumped my shoulders in depression.
“Yeah, you're right. Now that it’s been pointed out, we really were being way too soft on them...”
“Yes... I have no excuses. It was definitely overprotective,” Hiiragi-san added, looking just as dejected as me.
“You lot... overprotectiveness is something you never notice while you're the one doing it. It’s only when someone else points it out that you can look back and see the flaws. Now that you’ve realized it, all you have to do is think about how to fix it.”
“...I see.”
“...Yeah.”
“...Yes.”
Hearing Juzo-san’s encouragement, I realized there was no point in wallowing. We needed to figure out how to guide Mika and Saori-chan properly.
“As I said before, the current situation where you prepare everything must change. At this rate, the girls will never develop independence.”
“Independence...”
“Exactly. In the current state where they’re being coddled, they won't develop the drive to avoid repeating mistakes—they won't grow through failure. After all, you’re removing the possibility of failure before it even happens. Nobody grows when they're being coddled.”
“““...”””
I was truly at a loss for words. We thought we were helping them grow, but in reality, we were smothering their potential. My head hung low again.
“...Now, don't look so miserable. It’s difficult to ask young people like yourselves, who lack social experience, to suddenly raise someone else. Especially when it involves something as dangerous as dungeon exploration. Considering a small mistake can lead to a major injury, it’s only natural to become overprotective. I won't say it’s good to fail, but you're still within a range where this can be corrected.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yes. Fortunately, the girls are still just building their foundation. If you correct your methods now and explain the difference between the old way and the new way, it’ll be fine. They’re at an age where they can be reasoned with; if you lay out the logic, there should be no problem.”
I looked up at Juzo-san. He was smiling with total confidence, a stark contrast to our gloom.
There was no concrete proof, but looking at that smile, I strangely felt like things would work out.
“Now, shall we hammer out the details of how to guide the girls?”
“...Yes!”
“Yeah!”
“Please!”
The three of us straightened our posture and bowed deeply to Juzo-san. At that moment, I was truly grateful to have such a reliable and respectable mentor to turn to.
We spent the next hour with Juzo-san, refining our approach to training Mika and Saori-chan.