After finishing some small talk and a status report, I settled the matter of my request to Genya and hung up the receiver. It had been a sudden request, but fortunately, Genya had accepted it without hesitation.
It pays to have people owe you favors.
"Very well, that takes care of the preliminary arrangements. However, it would be a bit cruel to throw them straight into Genya’s hands. Their exams end tomorrow, so I suppose I should let them do a rehearsal at the very least."
Checking the dates on the calendar hanging on the wall above the telephone stand, I reviewed my grandson’s and his friends' schedules. I could hardly allow their concentration to be significantly disrupted during their testing period, after all.
However, once the exams were over, that was a different story.
"First, I’ll tell Yuji to bring the Kokonoe boy and the girl over to the house after the exams are finished."
Imagining the reaction when I broke the news, I felt the corners of my mouth lift slightly as I walked toward my grandson's room with a light step.
The next day, my grandson and the others sat before me, having changed into their plain clothes.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting."
"Ah, no, it's fine."
After moistening my throat with the tea the Hiiragi girl had brewed for me, I broached the subject. My grandson and his friends were planning to spend their summer vacation staying overnight in a dungeon. However, from what I had heard, they were being reckless… or rather, their lack of preparation was glaring. I couldn't believe they had thought of sleeping in a dungeon where monsters roamed when they had next to no experience with a bivouac—or even a regular camp.
Certainly, given their strength, the monsters on the floors they had already cleared would be no match for them. But when it came to staying overnight, being strong wasn't enough. There were various skills they needed to acquire. Thus, I came to the main point.
"I’ve spoken with Genya about this."
The moment I said those words, the expressions of my grandson and the others cramped up in unison, just as I had expected. Well, considering the nature of the training Genya had put them through last time, such a reaction was only natural. It seemed to have been quite the grueling training session. It was a perfect example of how even if physical abilities are enhanced by a level up, the mind is a different matter entirely. That was exactly why the training they were about to undergo was so meaningful.
After persuading the reluctant trio and getting them to agree to participate in Genya’s training camp, I proposed a relief plan of sorts.
"Yuji, take the two of them and go camping starting tomorrow."
With so little camping experience, jumping straight into Genya’s training would likely be too much for them. They needed to get used to it. At the very least, they should gain enough experience to secure their food and beds while remaining on guard. Since they would be active for several days in a row, proper rest was essential.
My grandson and the others were a bit hesitant about the sudden departure the next day, but perhaps because I explained the necessity of the rehearsal and offered to lend them equipment, they nodded and accepted with an air of slight resignation. They seemed reluctant, but even a simple experience beforehand should make the main event much easier, wouldn't it?
"Well, we’re off."
"Take care."
The next day, after seeing off Yuji as he left the house with his camping gear on his back, I made a phone call.
"…Oh, Genya? It’s me. It’s Juzo."
"Ah, Juzo. You’re calling quite early in the morning. What’s the matter?"
After being put through and waiting for a short while, Genya answered the phone.
"Ah, no, nothing much. I just wanted to confirm the matter I asked about the other day. How is it going?"
"I’m in the middle of making various arrangements now."
"My apologies for the sudden, troublesome request."
"No, don't worry about it. It certainly was sudden, but there are benefits for us as well."
"Benefits?"
I had thought we were the ones profiting unilaterally, using the favor the Kokonoe boy and the others had earned.
"Having them act as training partners for Yuji and his group is good stimulation for our new recruits. The ones who acted as their opponents during the previous training seem to have realized how vast the world is thanks to them; they’ve been putting even more effort into their training than before."
"I see. Well, if there’s a benefit for your side as well, it makes me feel a bit more at ease."
"When it comes to scenarios involving explorers, Yuji and the others are invaluable opponents."
My grandson and his friends probably thought they were keeping it a secret, but it seemed Genya had seen right through them. Well, since his own granddaughter was an explorer, it was easy to surmise that my grandson and his friends possessed power far exceeding that of an average explorer.
Considering that, for Genya’s side, having a chance to safely gain experience against top-tier explorers was an extremely valuable training opportunity.
"Of course, we are deeply indebted to Yuji and the others for the matter with Ririka. We believe that providing the best training we can offer is the best way to repay that debt."
"I suppose so. It will likely feel like quite the harsh training to them, but it’s not easy to prepare training that those three would actually find difficult."
In terms of skill, the trio still had many glaring weaknesses. However, when combined with the physical abilities they had gained through leveling up, their overall combat capability was quite high. Because of that, their opportunities to gain the kind of experience one only gets through being inexperienced had drastically decreased. The importance of improving endurance due to a lack of physical strength, the degree to which concentration lapses when stamina runs out… there were mountains of things they needed to experience and recognize to become truly strong. But thanks to the shortcut known as a level up, they had lost the chance to taste the bitterness that normally comes through training and actual combat. They likely recognized the importance of these things as knowledge, but if asked if they truly felt it in their bones, I couldn't say for certain that they did.
However, setting up a place where the current trio could experience that was, to put it mildly, a Herculean task.
"True. Even during the last training, the only ones who could give Yuji and the others a hard time were our elite-class members, and even then, that was only at the beginning. Once they learned the strategy and got used to it, they broke through easily."
"They probably think it was harsh training, but that was at a level that should have been impossible to clear even for someone with a fair amount of training. It’s not something that high schoolers with only a bit of training should have been able to dismiss as merely 'tough'."
"Yes, exactly. Thanks to that, that training session made us realize exactly what high-level explorers are made of. When I think that we’ll eventually have to deal with opponents like that in our line of work..."
A heavy sigh from Genya leaked through the receiver. It seemed the impact my grandson and the others had made during the previous training was quite significant. Well, even for me, if I imagined multiple people with strength approaching theirs attacking a target I was supposed to protect… the possibility of being unable to stop them might very well arise.
Since Genya’s business involved guarding VIPs, they likely needed to establish countermeasures against explorers as soon as possible.
"So, don't worry about the training. For us, training with Yuji and the others is desirable. Though, if possible, I would appreciate it if you could give me a bit more notice next time."
"Haha, my apologies."
It certainly had been sudden. I should probably consult with Genya a bit earlier from now on.
After that, I had a brief meeting regarding the training and then ended the call with Genya.
"…That’s soft."
"…Soft?"
Listening to the report of the camping trip from the returned Yuji, I couldn't help but let those words slip as I furrowed my brows.
The incident with the accidental "souvenir" was one thing, but it turned out the trio had gone on a perfunctory camping trip where they had actually designated sentries. I thought I had told them what the purpose of the rehearsal was.
"Yuji. You understand why I sent you all camping, don't you?"
"? Yeah, it was for the rehearsal of the training camp we’re doing at Genya-san’s place next, right?"
"Yes, and yet, look at you all... Why did you even go camping? Setting aside the boar incident, why were you sleeping so peacefully? During the night, you should have split into resting members, sentries, and attackers to at least do a rehearsal for a bivouac!"
After Yuji showed a look of blank amazement at my point, he averted his eyes from me, looking sheepish.
He hadn't realized the point… no, he had tried to let the Kokonoe boy and the girl just gain experience with staying outdoors. Truly, he was too soft.
"N-No… but, Daiki and Hiiragi-san weren't used to camping, so I thought I should prioritize getting them accustomed to it first..."
"Whether they are used to it or not is because of your lack of preparation. It’s already been over half a year since you became explorers. You’ve had the idea of diving into dungeons during long breaks—like summer vacation—for a long time now, haven't you? If you had such thoughts, you should have gained camping experience beforehand without me having to point it out. What you should have done during this trip wasn't getting the Kokonoe boy used to camping, but learning how to get sufficient rest while preventing attacks."
"……"
Yuji, who had been about to argue, fell silent at my words reproaching his poor leadership of the camp.
Phew… at this rate, they were going to have a very hard time with Genya’s training. After all, they would have to get rest while fending off attacks for the main event with no real know-how.
"…Well, this will also be a good experience."
Proper training, performed with a full understanding of its significance in preparation for the main event, is what truly matters. Training done for some vague reason is nothing more than a waste of time compared to training with a clear objective. The camp my grandson and the others just did was exactly that.
Well, if it only ended in a waste of time, that would be fine, but depending on the circumstances, it could lead directly to life or death.
"I’m counting on you, Muroi-kun."
"No, the pleasure is mine."
I waited for the Kokonoe boy and the Hiiragi girl while chatting and drinking tea with Muroi-kun, who had come to pick them up. Yuji had already returned home, but the Kokonoe boy and Hiiragi girl couldn't exactly come straight here after school.
"I know I’m the one who asked, but you managed to get the preparations ready in such a short time despite the sudden request."
"It was certainly sudden, but the part that takes the most effort—arranging the personnel—was surprisingly easy, so it wasn't that difficult."
"Oh? Were there that many people with nothing to do?"
"No. Because of the previous training, when I told them that Yuji and his group would be the training partners, many people volunteered to participate. Thanks to that, everyone is full of motivation."
"I see, I see. That sounds like it will be good training for both sides."
I sipped my tea and couldn't help but let my mouth curl into a delighted smile.
Since the previous camp hadn't gone well, this training—with highly motivated attackers coming at them—would likely be more severe than the trio could imagine. Well, they would gain much in proportion to their suffering, so I would have them give it their best.
After chatting with Muroi-kun for a while, the Kokonoe boy and Hiiragi girl arrived.
"Well then, Muroi-kun, give my regards to Genya."
"Understood."
Once the greetings were finished, the car driven by Muroi-kun carrying my grandson's friends drove off.
Three days later, the returning trio was in a state of utter exhaustion. Well, I had expected this to some extent, so the result wasn't particularly surprising.
"You look quite worn out, Yuji."
"…Yeah, I’m exhausted to my core."
Mm-hmm, it seemed even talking to me was a chore. It looked like he would fall asleep the moment he lay down.
"Which means you weren't able to get much rest. How about it? Don't you think that if you had done a proper rehearsal during last week's camp, you might have handled this training a bit better?"
"Yeah… what you told me last week really hit home, Grandpa. Honestly."
"I see, I see. That must have been tough. Well, since you’re tired today, I won’t ask for details. You should get some rest."
"…Yeah, okay. Good night."
With that, Yuji headed toward his room with a staggering gait.
After seeing off Yuji, I placed a call to Genya.
"Oh, Genya? Yuji just got back. He looked quite worn out; it must have been some intense training."
"Yeah, it was something else. Our training participants are currently sleeping like the dead in the prefab hut too."
"Hahaha, it sounds like it was a very meaningful training session for both sides."
Genya and I let out small, suppressed laughs over the phone.
"Then, as planned, I’m counting on you for next week as well."
"Yeah, leave it to me. Though, I’m worried about whether our people can put up a good fight against Yuji and the others now that they’ve experienced this."
"If they can't apply the experience of tasting bitterness to the next time, there’s no point in training."
"True. Well then, I suppose I should go give our people a pep talk."
Responding with a cheerful voice, I hung up the phone.
The following week, when I heard that my grandson and his friends had overwhelmed the opposition by applying the lessons from their failure, I made sure to keep it a secret from Genya that I couldn't help but grin.