I maintained a perimeter watch while keeping a close eye on Mika. She seemed to be doing better, but her face was still a little pale. Clearly, taking down her first goblin had taken quite a toll on her.
Looking at her now, it seemed like it would be a while before she fully came to terms with what she’d done.
“Are you okay, Mika-chan?”
“Y-yes. Much better than I was a moment ago…”
“I see. But don’t push yourself, okay? If it gets to be too much, just tell us and we’ll take a break.”
“Thank you very much…”
Hiiragi-san placed a hand lightly on Mika’s shoulder, offering gentle words of concern. Though Mika still lacked her usual spark, her voice was steady as she replied.
Based on their conversation, she seemed stable enough for now, but I’d have to keep observing her.
“Um… Big Brother? Do you have a moment?”
“Hm? What is it, Saori-chan?”
Saori-chan spoke to me as I walked just ahead of her, her expression tense as she gripped her spear.
I wondered what was on her mind.
“Do you think Mika-chan will be okay?”
“Hmm, that’s a tough question. Hiiragi-san is looking after her, but whether she can ultimately move past this is up to Mika herself.”
“……”
“But, well… she’ll probably be fine. Mika’s tough; she should be able to overcome this, even if it takes some time.”
“…Are you sure?”
“Probably.”
When I gave her a noncommittal, vague assurance to smooth things over, Saori-chan shot me a skeptical look. Hey, I’m being serious here.
I decided to explain the reasoning behind my optimism.
“Apparently, a lot of explorers who retire after fighting humanoid monsters end up retching immediately after the battle due to acute stress.”
“…Eh?”
“Others fall into a state of minor delirium and go wild, fighting off their own teammates, or they’re so consumed by guilt that they resort to self-harm.”
“Wait, really? Is that actually true?”
“Yeah. So far, Mika is just depressed. She hasn’t shown any of those other behaviors. That’s why I think she’ll probably be okay.”
As she listened to my explanation, Saori-chan’s expression turned solemn. She glanced back at Mika, who was walking close to Hiiragi-san.
However…
“Saori-chan. I’m glad you’re worried about Mika, but don’t let your guard down. We don’t know where a monster might jump out from.”
“Ah, right! I’m sorry!”
She had been so preoccupied with Mika that her alertness had slipped, so I had to give her a quick warning. Even though Yuji and I were guarding the front and rear for enemy attacks or traps, there was never an excuse to grow lax inside a dungeon.
Properly chastened, Saori-chan apologized and resumed her scouting with a sharp gaze.
We spent the next fifteen minutes hunting. After handling a few encounters with non-humanoid monsters along the way, we finally found our target: a goblin, the same type of humanoid monster Mika had defeated.
Almost simultaneously, the goblin noticed us and let out an intimidating roar.
“Alright, give it your best shot, Saori-chan.”
“…Yes!”
Encouraged, Saori-chan took a small, deep breath and stepped forward.
As I caught a glimpse of her profile as she passed me, her face was tight with anxiety and tension. However…
“…Saori-chan?”
I inadvertently whispered her name. For just a split second, I thought I saw a flicker of dark joy in her eyes. Hmm, I felt like I’d seen that look somewhere before…
While I turned that thought over in my mind, Saori-chan closed the distance with cautious steps.
“Gyah! Gyah!”
“……”
“Gyah!”
“……”
“……”
““……””
The goblin stopped its posturing, recognizing Saori-chan as a threat as she closed in. It ceased its roaring, drew the club in its right hand back, and lowered its center of gravity, ready to spring at any moment. It was waiting for her to enter its reach before pouncing.
It was a reactive combat style, the complete opposite of the aggressive goblin Mika had fought.
“Phew…”
Saori-chan came to a halt just outside the reach of the club. She lowered her hips and drew back her spear. Her posture was like a taut bow, ready to snap.
Their eyes met for a heartbeat, and then the goblin and Saori-chan lunged simultaneously.
“Haa!”
“Gi!”
Saori-chan’s spear reached first, thanks to its superior range. She thrust straight for the goblin’s face, but perhaps due to a momentary hesitation, her aim was slightly off-center. The goblin tilted its head, and the spearhead only grazed its cheek. It wasn't enough to kill it. Startled that her finishing blow had missed, Saori-chan froze for a fraction of a second.
The goblin didn’t miss the opening. It swung its club horizontally toward her flank.
“Gi!”
“!?”
The goblin let out a short cry of triumph, certain it would land the hit, while Saori-chan’s eyes went wide as the club rushed toward her ribs. I instinctively started to move to protect her, but I stopped myself when I saw her next action.
“—!”
“!?”
Saori-chan jumped instinctively, narrowly dodging the club. Because the goblin had put its full weight into the swing, it lost balance when it missed its mark, its body twisting awkwardly.
Having vaulted into a partial front flip, Saori-chan quickly pulled back her spear mid-air, twisting her body to realign her aim. While the goblin was still recovery from its massive whiff…
“Ya!”
Saori-chan drove her spear into the back of the goblin’s defenseless head. This time, her aim was perfect. The spearhead pierced through the skull.
The goblin died instantly. Its knees buckled, and it collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“Whoops.”
Realizing the goblin was going down, Saori-chan let go of her spear—which would have been hard to yank out quickly—and focused on her landing. She chose to sacrifice her weapon to ensure she landed on her feet and remained ready for another attack, rather than fumbling with it and leaving herself open.
If she were facing multiple foes, throwing away her weapon wouldn't be the best move, but in a one-on-one fight after delivering a fatal blow, it was a smart call.
“……”
After landing cleanly, Saori-chan quickly drew her backup dagger and stayed low, watching the bleeding goblin for any signs of life.
After a few moments of tense silence, the goblin’s body began its particleization.
“…Phew.”
“Good work, Saori-chan.”
Once the body started dissolving, Saori-chan finally relaxed. She had stayed alert until the very end; she had the right mindset.
I walked past the dissolving remains and approached her with a nod.
“I was worried for a second when the spear missed, but you handled the follow-up perfectly.”
“I—I wasn't calm at all. I missed the first shot because I hesitated…”
“Even so, taking down your first goblin without a scratch is an incredible achievement.”
“D-do you really think so?”
When I praised her, Saori-chan looked away, appearing a little embarrassed.
“Anyway, how are you feeling? Not nauseous or anything?”
“…I’m fine. I don't feel sick at all.”
“I see…”
I studied her face closely, but she didn’t look like she was faking it. If anything, she seemed a bit exhilarated. To put it bluntly, Saori-chan was surprisingly thick-skinned.
While Mika still looked like she was about to be sick, Saori-chan was already full of energy right after the fight.
“Well, if you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”
I turned my attention to where the goblin had vanished. The particleization was finished, leaving Saori-chan’s spear and a knife on the ground.
It looked like we got a drop item this time.
“Looks like there’s a drop item, Saori-chan.”
“Eh?…Ah, you’re right!”
She let out a happy cheer as she saw the knife. Nothing had dropped when Mika killed hers. Saori-chan retrieved her spear and picked up the knife.
I recognized it immediately—it was a dismantling knife.
“Is this… just a regular knife?”
“We won’t know for sure until the Association appraises it. It could be a normal blade, or it could be a magic item with special properties…”
“Wait, this might be a magic item!?”
“Based on the look of it, it’s likely a knife with a dismantling enchantment. There's a good chance.”
“Yes!”
When I told her it might be a magic item, Saori-chan threw her hands up in celebration. Hey, that’s dangerous! I get that you’re happy, but don't go waving a knife around when people are standing right there…
Incidentally, my appraisal confirmed it was indeed a dismantling knife. They’re a fairly common magic item, but a magic item nonetheless. It would fetch a decent price.
“Hey, you two! We’ve done what we came here for. Should we head back up?”
As Saori-chan and I were discussing the drop, Yuji called out from his post at the rear.
“Ah, sorry! You’re right. We’ve met our goals for the day, so let’s head out.”
I shouted back so everyone could hear. Saori-chan was fine, but Mika was still struggling, so there was no reason to linger.
“So, Saori-chan. We’re heading back. Is your spear okay? It took a hard hit when the goblin fell. Any damage?”
“Eh, ah… hold on! I’ll check!”
Saori-chan carefully inspected the spear from tip to base. Even with her level enhancement bonus and the weapon's natural durability, it had been slammed into the floor while stuck in the monster. A maintenance check was essential.
After a minute of scrutiny, she gave me a relieved smile and reported that everything was fine. For the cash-strapped duo, repair costs would be a major crisis.
“It’s fine. Just some blood and grease, but no damage.”
“Good to hear. Once you’ve cleaned it off, let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Saori-chan took her maintenance kit from her pack and began wiping down the spear. It would have been faster to use our cleansing skill, but it was important that they didn't become overly reliant on skills they didn't have. They needed to learn how to maintain their own gear.
Unless they were about to exit or were covered in blood spray, I wanted them to handle the basic maintenance themselves until they learned the cleansing skill.
“All done!”
“Alright, let’s move. Everyone, we’re heading back up!”
With Saori-chan ready, I gave the signal to the group.
It was nearly ten hours later when we finally stepped back out of the dungeon.
“Phew, finally out.”
“We ran into quite a few monsters on the way back, too.”
“We did. Honestly, I think we fought more on the return trip than we did on the way down.”
““……””
Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and I chatted casually as we passed through the gate, but Mika and Saori-chan were trailing behind, looking absolutely drained even though their steps were steady.
We had taken breaks, but it had still been a long string of battles. Now that they were safe, the fatigue was clearly hitting them all at once.
“Are you two holding up okay?”
“…Yeah, barely.”
“…I’m fine.”
Despite their words, the exhaustion was written all over their faces. Maybe I should have called it a day a little sooner.
We moved through the hygiene management area and headed toward the changing rooms.
“Anyway, good job today. All that's left is to change and turn in today's haul. Just a little further.”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
At the mention of the payout, they both seemed to find a second wind. We’d picked up quite a few drops this time, so the exchange should be worth the effort.
“Well then, Hiiragi-san, I’ll leave these two to you.”
“Sure thing, leave it to me.”
With that, Hiiragi-san led Mika and Saori-chan into the changing room.