Feeling somewhat conflicted after our warm-up on the first floor, we moved to the stairs leading down to the second.
The result only complicated my mood further.
"Hmm... we really didn’t encounter a single monster on the shortest route down."
"Yeah. Most likely, as soon as a monster respawns, it's being defeated by an explorer group passing through," Yuji agreed.
"For explorer groups whose main area of activity is the 10th floor and beyond, monsters that act alone instead of in packs are easily dispatched," Hiiragi-san added.
Looking back at the path we had just taken, the three of us wore expressions of mixed emotions.
Then, Mika and Saori-chan, who had already descended a few steps, called out to us in slightly reproachful tones as we lingered at the top of the stairs.
"Um, Onii-chan? Are you coming or what?"
"Excuse me, everyone? Shall we head down?"
"Eh? Oh, right. Sorry. We're coming."
Prompted by Mika and Saori-chan, we hurriedly descended the stairs. Since we had to return home today, we didn't have time to waste standing around. We needed to reach our target floor as quickly as possible.
When we reached the bottom, the scene was just as unusual as the floor above.
"...As I thought, it’s deserted here, too."
The safety area on the second floor, which was usually bustling with people, was almost entirely empty.
"There's nobody here..." Mika muttered, glancing around the vacant space.
"Yeah. Well, unless they’re explorers who use this area as their hunting ground, most people would just bypass this place since the exit is so close."
"But shouldn't there be more people on their way back from exploring?" Mika asked.
"There's only one more floor until the dungeon exit. Unless they have severe injuries or exhaustion, most parties heading home probably just push through," I explained.
"I see..."
Taking a break right before the exit makes it easy to lose focus, and it’s hard to psych yourself back up once you've relaxed. It would be a different story if resting was an absolute necessity, but otherwise, most would rather finish the journey in one go.
Still, more importantly...
"For now, let's keep moving. We'll take breaks along the way, but today’s main focus is exploring from the 7th floor onward. Since we're diving deep, it’ll take more time to get back, so we have to hurry or we'll lose time for actual exploration."
"...Okay."
"...Yes."
When I said that, Mika's expression stiffened and she shrank back nervously, while Saori-chan looked tense but also strangely excited. Their reactions differed, but I wondered if they both remembered yesterday's battle against the goblins.
While feeling slightly worried about Mika's reaction, I urged everyone forward.
"Alright, let's go. We'll head straight down to the 5th floor while gauging the situation. Yuji, Hiiragi-san—please back them up."
"Right, leave it to me."
"Understood."
After asking Yuji and Hiiragi-san to keep an eye on Mika and Saori-chan, we left the safety area and resumed our dungeon exploration.
It took about an hour and a half of steady progress and minor skirmishes to reach the plaza that served as the 5th floor’s starting point.
"Alright, let's take a quick break."
"Finally! A rest!"
The moment I announced the break, Mika gave a cry of joy and slumped against the wall near the stairs.
Wait, hold on.
"Hey, Mika. This isn't a safety area where monsters won't attack. Don't let your guard down that much."
"I know that."
"If you know, then act like it..."
If she really knew, she shouldn't be sitting with her back flush against the wall—a position that makes it difficult to stand up quickly. Her lack of vigilance was still worrying.
I sighed at Mika's attitude and took a leisure sheet out of my bag, spreading it a short distance from the wall. This sheet was extremely thin and light with no cushioning; its only purpose was to keep the dust on the ground off the gear we took off our shoulders. Since I had the Cleansing skill, I didn't have to worry much about dirt, but it was a matter of principle.
"Shall we sit?"
"Yeah. It’s a good spot for a breather," Yuji said.
We all sat down on the sheet and took a short rest, replenishing our sugar and fluids. I had to remind myself not to drink too much water, as finding a place to relieve oneself was a hassle. There were portable options, but I preferred to avoid them if possible.
"Everything has been smooth so far."
"Yeah. Avoiding traps and fighting monsters—there were a few lapses, but you two are getting much more efficient. Keep it up," Yuji said, praising the girls.
T-Thank you very much!
Mika and Saori-chan responded happily. As Yuji noted, they were clearly getting used to dungeon exploration and had started to carry themselves with more confidence.
Though, as I saw with Mika's sitting posture earlier, they still had plenty of weak points.
"Hey, Kokonoe-kun? How deep do you plan to dive today?" Hiiragi-san asked.
"I don't have a specific target floor, but if we have time, I'd like to let them experience simultaneous combat against multiple humanoid monsters at least once."
As I replied to Hiiragi-san, I saw the expressions on Mika and Saori-chan's faces twitch. I hurriedly added some words to reassure them.
"I mean, only if the opportunity arises. We aren't going to force a fight, so you don't need to be so nervous."
"O-Okay."
"U-Understood."
My words seemed to help, as the tension in their faces eased slightly. We weren't going to force anything on two people who had just experienced their first humanoid battle yesterday. In the worst-case scenario, pushing too hard could lead to a repeat of the massive goblin horde we had faced in our younger days.
After about fifteen minutes of a combined strategy meeting and break, we stood up and packed away the sheet.
"Now then. Break's over... shall we?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Yes."
After double-checking that no one had forgotten any equipment, we resumed the dive.
"Yah!"
Mika's spear thrust forward, piercing a goblin's chest. Even as its face twisted in agony, the goblin summoned the last of its strength and raised its club, intending to hurl it at Mika.
Just as it prepared to throw...
"Ei!"
Mika didn't miss the opening created by the goblin's shifted weight. She twisted her spear and dragged the monster to the ground. Caught off guard, the goblin fell helplessly, and its final counterattack ended in failure.
The club flew harmlessly from its hand. Deprived of its weapon, the goblin looked regretfully at the spear in its chest before it finally expired.
"...Phew."
Once she confirmed the goblin was dead, Mika withdrew her spear and exhaled the tension that had built up in her lungs.
A moment later, the goblin dissolved into particles of light, leaving a Core Crystal rolling on the floor.
"Good job, Mika."
"...Yeah."
"Still not used to it?"
"A little."
I spoke to Mika in a concerned tone. This was her third goblin kill of the day, but the weight of it still seemed to affect her. This was something that only time and experience could solve. If I pushed her too far, it could cause lasting psychological damage.
"Here. For now, take a deep breath and center yourself."
"Okay."
Following my instructions, Mika took several deep breaths. Even if it was just a monster, killing something humanoid was difficult to do with perfect equanimity. However, the number of breaths it took for her to calm down had been decreasing with every kill. Eventually, she would reach a point where she could stay composed immediately.
I just didn't know how long that would take.
"Phew."
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, let's keep moving. Saori-chan, you're up next... Are you ready?"
Since Mika had regained her composure, we resumed our exploration of the 7th floor. Goblins on this floor usually appeared alone, so I was having the girls take turns. When I checked in with Saori-chan, she responded with unexpected vigor.
"Yes, I'm totally fine!"
Perhaps because of the consecutive battles, Saori-chan's mood seemed heightened. She gripped her spear tightly, looking like she was itching for the next fight.
I started to worry about her in a different way than I did for Mika.
"Ah, um... Saori-chan? It's good that you're energetic, but while we're in the dungeon, let's try to maintain your composure and keep a cool head... okay?"
"Eh?! I am calm!"
"Actually... from the outside, it’s a bit hard to call you 'calm' right now."
"Wait, really?!"
It seemed she hadn't realized it until I pointed it out. Caught up in the heat of battle, Saori-chan was no longer accurately gauging her own state. This was definitely something to address. If you lose your cool, your attention and judgment slip, creating easy openings. We were here to support them now, but if they were to dive alone, this kind of excitability could lead to disaster.
For example, missing a trap that would be easy to spot if calm, or miscalculating the distance between yourself and your allies during a melee... in the wrong situation, those were fatal mistakes.
"I'm serious. For now, Saori-chan, take a deep breath and settle down."
"Y-Yes..."
Saori-chan followed my instructions, repeating the deep breaths just as Mika had. While she did that, I leaned in to consult with Yuji and Hiiragi-san.
"...What do you think?"
"We’ll probably have to talk to the Old Man and increase their mental discipline training. It’s fine while we're here to back them up, but it’ll be dangerous if they're on their own," Yuji said.
"I agree. Combat training is vital, but we can't afford to neglect the mental foundation," Hiiragi-san added.
"...Then let's consult Juzo-san when we get back and revise their training menu. Sound good?"
Yuji and Hiiragi-san both nodded.
"That's for the best. We can guide them to a point, but we should get the Old Man's advice before finalizing anything."
"I think so too. If we give them the wrong kind of mental guidance, we might actually make the problem worse."
"...Then it’s settled."
We shared a quick nod and turned back to Saori-chan. She had finished her deep breathing, and the frenetic energy from before had been replaced by a more grounded presence.
"Are you feeling more composed?"
"Y-Yes... I'm so sorry. I made a fool of myself..."
Having regained her senses, Saori-chan looked down bashfully and apologized in a tiny voice. It wasn't something she strictly needed to apologize for, but I figured it would be kinder to just let it go than to keep pressing her.
"Now that Saori-chan is settled, let's keep moving."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
"Okay."
"...Yes."
Leading the somewhat sheepish Saori-chan, we resumed our search for monsters.
After Mika and Saori-chan had each fought five goblins on the 7th floor, we moved down to the 8th. We decided to have lunch in the plaza near the stairs while staying vigilant for attacks. Even though we veterans were mostly just watching, the girls were burning through calories with all the combat. If they didn't keep their energy up, they might freeze when it mattered most.
"I mentioned this at breakfast, but don't eat until you're stuffed, okay?"
"I know, I know. Eighty percent full, right?" Mika said.
"Exactly. Eighty percent."
Mika frowned slightly at my nagging as she bit into a convenience store rice ball. Hmm, maybe I was being a bit too repetitive.
Reflecting on my own behavior, I decided to pivot to the 8th floor.
"Anyway, from this floor down, goblins will start appearing in groups. You both need to be extra careful."
"Groups... how many are we talking about?" Mika asked.
"Let's see..."
I recalled our past explorations to answer her. "The most we ever ran into was a horde in something like a trap room."
"Ah, that time. That was a lot of them..." Yuji recalled.
"True. We were still fairly new to being explorers back then, so that many goblins really gave us a hard time," Hiiragi-san added.
Seeing the three of us frowning and murmuring bitterly at the memory, Mika and Saori-chan looked visibly shaken. To them, a group large enough to trouble us must have sounded like a nightmare.
In reality, we were just unaccustomed to fighting humanoids back then and felt bitter because we struggled against mere goblins. We also ended up covered in blood from head to toe.
"Back then, there were twenty-some goblins at once, weren't there?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"The grease and blood from all the kills made the weapons so dull they wouldn't cut anymore. That was the real struggle," Hiiragi-san said.
"In the end, we had to use our katanas as clubs and beat them to death," I added.
Nowadays, we all had the Cleansing skill, allowing us to fight indefinitely without our weapons losing their edge. But back then, we didn't have such a convenient skill. The final deciding factor was essentially blunt force trauma or hand-to-hand combat. Thinking back, that battle was definitely one of the reasons Shiranui's lifespan had been shortened. Proper weapon maintenance and usage are vital.
"...You two should really buy the Cleansing skill scroll as soon as you have the money."
"...Yeah," Yuji agreed.
"...I think so too," Hiiragi-san added.
When we glanced at them, Mika and Saori-chan shrunk back, their expressions slightly pained.
After their eyes darted around nervously, they managed to squeeze out a response.
"Um... I'll think about it once I've saved up."
"M-Me too... I'll consider it."
Judging by their reactions, getting them to buy skill scrolls would be a tall order. Even with the income from this trip, their wallets were likely tight due to debt repayments.
Sigh... I really wish a Cleansing skill scroll would just drop for them...