After confirming that the pack was annihilated and the kobolds' corpses had vanished, I cautiously looked back at the other parties. I found exactly the expressions and gazes I had expected directed our way.
Specifically, they were looks of sheer shock and fear.
"..."
"..."
For a long moment, we and the other parties just stood there in silence, staring each other down. It was a situation where neither side knew how to broach the subject.
However, in terms of the degree of impact, we were the ones who had anticipated their reaction before acting. Therefore, we were the first to recover.
"A-alright. Everyone made it through without a scratch."
"Y-yeah. For enemies of this caliber, it was no problem."
"Y-yes, exactly. More importantly, let's collect the drops and pack up quickly. Even though we were attacked, this is still our rest period."
"Good point. Let's hurry up and get everything so we can go back to sleep."
Though we faltered slightly from the tension, we spoke in the casual tones we’d rehearsed, raising our voices just enough for the other parties to overhear.
It was a defensive play meant to keep them at a distance—a silent "don't come crowding around us." If we let them approach while they were still rattled and irrational, their questions would be incoherent and things might escalate into a fight. If they were going to interrogate us, I wanted them to get their stories straight within their own parties first.
"..."
Perhaps our deterrent worked. Although the other explorers were buzzing with whispers once the initial shock wore off, no one charged over to demand answers. That said, they’d almost certainly corner us after the break or while we were heading out.
With those thoughts in mind, we began gathering the items dropped by the kobolds. Among the loot...
"Oh, is this... a magic item?"
"Could be. It looks... like a pencil, sort of."
"I wonder what it does?"
Among the drops was an object resembling a pencil, its surface etched with intricate geometric patterns. If I used my Appraisal Analysis, I could identify it instantly, but I refrained since the other parties were watching. I didn't think I'd be caught, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
As a result, we were left tilting our heads in confusion, unable to determine the item's purpose.
"Since it looks like a pencil, I'd guess it's for writing, but..."
"It’s not like we can just 'test it out' to find out..."
"True. From the look of it, it's likely a consumable. There's a good chance it's a one-and-done deal."
The item had about two centimeters at one end where the patterns stopped, almost as if it were implicitly telling the user to sharpen that part. If so, Hiiragi-san was likely right about it being a single-use item.
Well, just because something was a magic item didn't mean it had infinite uses.
"Probably. In that case, we'll just take it back as is and wait for a professional appraisal."
"Right. Since we don't know what it is, I guess we can only hope for a high price."
"If it’s something good, we can have a really fancy celebration later."
We made sure to keep up the act, chatting cheerfully as if we were excited about the potential payout. To be honest, one more magic item didn't really move the needle for me at this point, but as long as we were under observation, we had to play the part.
A group of high schoolers who just found a potentially high-value magic item but collected it with total indifference... yeah, that would have looked suspicious in more ways than one.
"Alright, that's the last of them."
"The drop rate was actually pretty good this time. Nine items out of seventeen kills."
"And one of them was a magic item, so it's a huge haul."
In reality, seven of those nine items were Core Crystals. If the magic item hadn't dropped, it would have been a dismal result. Earning only a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of yen for killing over ten kobolds... yeah, the risk-to-reward ratio was abysmal.
"Well, now that we're done here, let's get back to sleep. We won't recover if we don't rest properly."
"You're right. I'm sorry, Hirose-kun, but we'll have to ask you to take over the night watch again."
"No problem. I've already had plenty of rest, so you two go ahead and get some sleep."
Once the items were secured, we gave a brief nod to the other parties—who were still visibly conflicted about how to react—and then Hiiragi-san and I beat a hasty retreat into the camp screen before anyone could speak to us. We left Yuji outside on watch.
Sorry, Yuji. You're just going to have to endure their stares for a while.
The sound of my name being called snapped me awake instantly. Since we'd been hit twice already, my first thought was "not again" as I sat up and scanned for threats, but I couldn't sense any monsters.
Puzzled, I looked around only to see Yuji peeking his head into the camp screen, looking noticeably worn out.
"Morning, Daiki."
"Yeah, morning, Yuji....Is it time already?"
"Yeah. Anyway, now that you're up, let's start getting breakfast ready."
"O-oh... sure."
Once he saw I was awake, Yuji pulled back outside. I guess it really was that time... I needed to get moving.
I climbed out of bed and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in my muscles.
"It's better than the ground, but these folding beds still leave you stiff."
If it were a high-end, sturdy folding bed, things might be different, but this was a cheap model I’d picked up at a clearance sale. Its comfort was mediocre at best. I considered buying a better one after this, but as long as there was a chance we'd have to abandon it during an emergency, I hesitated to invest in anything expensive.
Having to trash a bed worth tens of thousands of yen every time monsters attacked... that would be a painful hit to the wallet.
"Ah, Hiiragi-san. Good morning."
"Morning."
I turned toward the sound of movement and saw Hiiragi-san already tidying her bed. She moved with her usual efficiency, showing no signs of morning grogginess.
Ah, I was the last one up.
"Come on, Kokonoe-kun. We need to get breakfast started, so clear your bed and make some room."
"Right. Sorry."
I scrambled to pack away the bed, managing to secure a cooking space in about ten minutes. Though I call it "cooking," we were really just boiling water.
After setting up a Silent Wall for soundproofing, I had Hiiragi-san fill the aluminum pot with water just like yesterday and lit the instant barbecue stove. Even though her ability to create water was common knowledge now, I decided to keep using the Silent Wall to maintain the habit of privacy within the dungeon. Also...
"Yuji, I'm starting breakfast. We’ve got gyudon, oyakodon, or Chinese bowls... which do you want? Whoa..."
I poked my head out of the camp screen to ask him, but the words died in my throat.
A bed of needles... that was the only way to describe the stares currently directed at our camp screen. The scrutiny was even more intense than when I had been on watch.
"Hmm? Oh, Daiki."
"...Uh, Yuji? Has it been like this the entire time?"
"Yeah. Man, it’s tough being the center of attention..."
When Yuji turned to face me, he had a strangely serene, almost enlightened expression on his face.
...I’m so sorry, Yuji. Thanks for taking one for the team.
"Anyway, you asked what I wanted? Let's see... I'll go with the oyakodon."
"Got it. Oyakodon it is. I'll call you when it's ready, so just hang in there a bit longer."
"Understood."
Apologizing profusely to Yuji in my head, I ducked back inside the camp screen to escape the eyes of the other parties.
This was bad. I had to get breakfast ready as fast as possible for Yuji's sake.
"What's wrong, Kokonoe-kun? You look like you've seen a ghost..."
"Ah, Hiiragi-san. Sorry, we need to hurry with breakfast."
"Why? It's not like we're in a—wait, are there monsters nearby?"
"Not exactly, but in some ways, this is worse than a monster attack..."
"?"
Hiiragi-san tilted her head at my vague explanation. I couldn't blame her for not getting it. With a grimace, I described the scene outside the camp screen and the state Yuji was in.
Once she heard the details, Hiiragi-san frowned and let out a heavy sigh.
"I see. So that's how it is out there."
"Yeah. That's why I want to get this over with."
"You're right, I wouldn't want to be out there either. Let's hurry."
Even so, the food needed a set amount of time to heat in the water, so there was only so much we could do. We moved as fast as possible on everything else, though.
Fifteen minutes later, breakfast was served.
"““Thanks for the food!””"
We brought Yuji inside, and the three of us started eating. Some might argue about not having a lookout, but we could detect a monster attack even while eating, so it wasn't a problem. The real issue was the mental strain Yuji would have faced if he’d had to stay outside under that constant barrage of stares while we ate.
"...This is good."
...Yeah. It really is.
Seeing Yuji eat his oyakodon with a look of profound, exhausted appreciation, Hiiragi-san and I could only offer vague agreement. I honestly didn't know what else to say to him.
Just watching him eat was enough to tell us how much he'd suffered during his watch. He really had gone above and beyond.
"Ah, uh, Yuji? You want some of this?"
"Here, Hirose-kun. Have mine too."
Hiiragi-san and I both pushed our side desserts—sweet potato and chestnut yokan—toward him. I hoped the sugar would help him regain some of his mental equilibrium.
"Hmm? Oh, thanks, you guys."
There was something profoundly melancholic about the gentle way he thanked us.
The rest of our awkward, uncomfortable breakfast passed in somber silence.
Once we finished eating and began dismantling the camp screen to depart, several people from the two corporate groups and the University Student Party finally seemed to work up their courage and approached us. Their faces were a mix of confusion, tension, and awe.
Relax, we're not going to bite.
"They're all coming over, just like we thought."
"Yeah. I guess it was inevitable."
"Probing too deeply into another party is bad form, but they'll at least want the basics."
The three parties stopped a short distance away, exchanging wary glances with one another. Then, Tadamasa Baba from Hazama Shoji stepped forward as the spokesperson and spoke in a stiff voice.
"Ah, er, sorry to interrupt your preparations. Do you have a moment to talk?"
"...Yes, that's fine."
"Thank you."
When I answered as our representative, a look of visible relief washed over Baba-san's face.
He cleared his throat, his expression turning serious as he addressed us.
"I know this is a breach of etiquette, but there are some things we need to ask you... if that's all right?"
"It depends on the questions, but I have a feeling I know what you’re going to ask, so go ahead."
"I appreciate that. We have two questions, both regarding the combat with the kobolds."
Baba-san held up one finger.
"First, about the behavior of the first pack. Why did they go out of their way to avoid fighting you?"
"Who knows? Honestly, we're just as confused as you are. That was the first time we've ever seen a kobold—or any monster—act like that."
"Wait, really? We assumed you were using some kind of skill or magic item to repel them..."
I wondered for a second if "we" meant just his party, but the looks from the other two groups suggested they’d all come to the same conclusion.
Well, given the situation, it was a logical guess.
"Unfortunately, we don't have anything like that. That's why we're so baffled as to why they stayed away."
"I see..."
Baba-san and the others looked disappointed, though I wondered what they were really thinking. Deep down, they probably suspected we were holding out on them.
The mood was getting a bit heavy, so I decided to try and lighten things with a joke.
"Actually, we had curry for dinner. Maybe the smell of the spices was too much for them? Kobolds do have dog-like faces, after all."
"Haha... surely not..."
"Haha, yeah, you're probably right."
"“Haha...”"
My joke fell completely flat. We all just stood there, exchanging dry, forced laughter.
W-well, at least it broke the tension. I'll call that a win... maybe.