After collecting the crimson gem, our gazes naturally drifted toward the door ahead—the one leading down to the 30th floor. Since it was an unknown floor we had yet to see, I felt a spark of curiosity, a desire to step through that door just to see what lay beyond.
However...
"Let's head home for today."
"...Are you serious, Yuji?"
Yuji had a reluctant expression, but the look he directed at us was grave.
"Yeah. To be honest, we have no luck today... or rather, this entire exploration has been cursed. We had that trouble at the campsite, then that mess of a battle just now. If you push your luck at times like this, you end up facing a real disaster."
"..." "..."
I couldn't argue. Something else might very well happen if we kept going. As Yuji said, this trip felt like a streak of bad luck, and Hiiragi-san didn't seem to have a counterargument either. It was true that some of the issues were our own fault, but as for the conflict with the others, it felt like a case of terrible timing. What if Hamatani-san and his group hadn't lost their water? What if the second kobold attack hadn't happened? What if... It felt as though a series of "what ifs" had piled up, creating the perfect storm for trouble.
We just had no luck this trip... That was the only way to describe it. And considering that...
"True, it might be better to call it a day here..."
"I suppose so. I'd rather not force the issue and get dragged into some new mess," Hiiragi-san added.
Remembering everything that had happened, both Hiiragi-san and I agreed with Yuji's pragmatic assessment, albeit with some lingering regret. Misfortunes never come singly, one thing after another, out of the frying pan and into the fire... there were many ways to put it, but the bottom line was that it was best not to push it.
After casting lingering glances at the door leading to the 30th floor, we finished our preparations to withdraw and left the room where the ogre had been. I made a silent vow that the next time I came here, I would definitely see what was on the other side of that door.
By the time we climbed the stairs back to the 28th floor, we checked our watches and sighed. Even with the fight against the ogre, not even thirty minutes had passed since we arrived. Considering we fought two monsters, it wasn't a long time, but... we had a dilemma.
"Counting travel time, it’s been about three hours... I wonder how things are at the camp?"
"...It’s not long, but it’s not short either," Yuji replied.
"You're right. As far as cooling off goes, three hours is a decent amount of time. If anything, the problem is our own state of mind. That ogre fight just left us more frustrated," Hiiragi-san noted.
An awkward silence fell between us. Originally, the fight against the ogre was supposed to be a way to vent the irritation from the earlier conflict. But in the end, it had only piled on more frustration.
How did it end up like this? Was I being punished for trying to use a battle as a stress reliever?
"...If possible, I'd like to clear up the misunderstanding, but I'm not going to go hunting for them. Does that sound okay?"
"Yeah. I want to settle the discord, but if we face Hamatani-san and the others while we're in this mood, who knows what we might let slip over some trivial trigger..."
"Harsh words only lead to more of the same... I can't guarantee we wouldn't snap," Hiiragi-san agreed.
There was no telling when the frustration building up in my chest might explode. I didn't want to engage in a delicate social interaction while carrying a metaphorical time bomb. The trouble with Hamatani-san and his group was currently minor. But if we faced them in this state of mind, we might accidentally let an unnecessary comment slip and pour oil on the fire.
If we happened to run into them on the way, we would have to talk, but it wouldn't be wise to actively seek them out.
"Then let's go with that."
"Right."
"Understood."
With that, our policy for dealing with Hamatani-san and his group was settled. The enthusiasm I’d felt before the ogre fight—the drive to actively go and clear things up—had already evaporated.
With somewhat heavy footsteps, we began the long climb back toward the surface.
When your luck is out, bad things really do tend to pile up.
About thirty minutes into our ascent, we ran into them in a corridor on the 24th floor. Who? It was exactly who you'd expect... Hamatani-san and his party.
"..." "..."
Both groups stopped in the middle of the passage, wordlessly radiating an awkward atmosphere. Neither side knew how to break the ice. Normally, you'd just say, "Good work today. What a coincidence!" but those words felt stuck in our throats.
It wasn't that we were on terrible terms, but... the incident with Ekizawa-san? was still casting a long shadow.
"..." "..."
The awkward silence stretched on. We would start to open our mouths only to close them, and whenever our gazes met, we looked away in unison. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were trapped in a social death spiral.
I thought we were just going to walk past each other, leaving the tension and the seeds of discord behind...
"I'm sorry!"
"...!?"
Suddenly, a voice of apology rang out from behind Hamatani-san. Everyone's gaze snapped toward the source, where Ekizawa-san? stood with an expression of deep guilt and regret.
"I said such terrible things to you. I am truly sorry!"
Noticing our eyes on him, Ekizawa-san? bowed deeply as he apologized.
Was it that? Maybe he couldn't stand the guilt of causing this suffocating atmosphere...? No, I shouldn't be so cynical.
"Eh, ah... um, Ekizawa-san, is it? Please... I can't say don't worry about it, but we also feel our phrasing was poor at the time, so you don't have to bow so low..."
"No, I was entirely in the wrong. It's only natural for me to apologize. Honestly, I should have come to you immediately afterward. But by the time I'd cooled down after being scolded by Hamatani and the others, you had already left... It's late, but I am truly sorry!"
With that, Ekizawa-san bowed deeply once more.
Seeing him like that, the three of us looked at each other with troubled expressions. What do we do now? Honestly, I hadn't expected a sincere apology from their side. I’d only hoped we could explain our background in martial arts, clear up the misunderstanding, and put out the fires of discord. After seeing his earlier outburst, I never imagined he would offer a total apology.
I sent a gaze toward Hamatani-san, silently asking for a rescue.
"...Raise your head, Ekizawa. If you keep bowing like that, you're just going to make them uncomfortable."
"Hamatani... but..."
"I'm telling you, being over-persistent is its own kind of rudeness. Come on, head up."
"A-Ah... okay."
Prompted by Hamatani-san, Ekizawa-san? finally stood up straight. We let out sighs of relief while conveying our thanks to Hamatani-san with our eyes. I didn't know how much longer we could have stood there if he had kept bowing.
With the awkwardness somewhat dispelled, we decided to provide the context that had caused Ekizawa-san to blow up in the first place.
"We're sorry for the lack of explanation earlier. The truth is, we attend a koryu martial arts dojo. That's why we can hold our own reasonably well even without relying on skills or magic."
"Reasonably well... in a fight like that, huh?"
Ekizawa-san wore a wry smile, clearly remembering how we had handled the kobolds.
I suppose it sounds a bit arrogant to describe overwhelming the monsters they were struggling against as only being "reasonably" good. But it was the truth.
"We receive very strict instruction. When you combine those techniques with an explorer's physical abilities, they work surprisingly well. No matter how high an explorer's stats are, if they don't know the optimal way to move their body in combat, they'll never utilize their full potential."
"Not utilizing it, huh..."
"From that perspective, it looked to us like you and your party weren't quite fighting in a way suited to your physical abilities."
"..." "..."
At my comment, Ekizawa-san, Hamatani-san, and the others all went quiet, putting their hands to their chins in thought. It seemed they had some inkling of what I meant. If they underwent the same kind of training we did, they could likely achieve the same results—provided they didn't quit halfway through.
"Not suited, you say... Even so, I did learn the basics at a martial arts culture school before we started being explorers in earnest."
"I don't know which school it was, but those are generally based on the physical limits of ordinary people. Even if the training is beneficial for a normal person, it might actually be acting as a shackle for an explorer."
If a beginner explorer is taught that a specific form is optimal, they might try to faithfully maintain that form even after their physical abilities skyrocket through a level up, leading to disjointed, inefficient movements.
Furthermore, explorers have skills and magic to fall back on, so even if their movements are a bit off, it's rarely fatal. Since they can still win even if they struggle, many explorers probably convince themselves that their current level is "good enough."
With that in mind, I looked at Yuji. He knew what to do.
"Hamatani-san, please take this."
"...What's this?"
"It's a memo for a culture school affiliated with the martial arts dojo we attend. It's near this dungeon. I had it ready in case you were interested."
Yuji handed over a slip of paper with the name and address of the school his family ran nearby. Hamatani-san tilted his head, not quite understanding the intent, so I added an explanation.
"The dojo we attend focuses on 'martial arts specifically for an explorer's physical abilities.' If you go there, you might be able to reach a level of power beyond what you have now."
"..." "..."
Hearing that, the entire party's gaze fixed on the memo in Hamatani-san's hand. They looked intensely curious. They were likely imagining themselves fighting with the same ease we did.
Well, there was no need to dampen their spirits by telling them they’d have to see hell a few times to get there.
"...T-Thank you. I'll check it out when we have a break."
"Please do. Also, there are other affiliated schools in different areas, so you can look those up online if this one is too far."
"Got it."
In any case, I was glad the misunderstanding was resolved. I had worried for a second that the memo might be seen as us saying "you guys are weak, so go get help," but their reaction was positive.
The heavy atmosphere from our initial meeting had vanished, replaced by a much more cordial mood as we prepared to part.
"Well, we're heading back to the surface. Good luck with the rest of your trip, Hamatani-san. Don't push yourselves."
"Yeah, thanks. We're going to hunt around these floors for a few more days before we head back."
We waved to each other as we headed in opposite directions—us toward the surface, and them deeper into the dungeon.
I had thought we were purely unlucky this trip, but being able to clear the air with Hamatani-san's party was a stroke of good fortune. Now we just had to get back to the surface without incident... Nothing else is going to happen, right?
As we climbed to the floors closer to the surface, the crowds grew thicker. Since it was summer vacation, young explorer groups that looked like students were everywhere. It was obvious from their gear and their general vibe, but one group in particular stood out.
Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reasons.
"...That's not good."
"No. I wish they'd show a bit more etiquette—or at least some common sense."
"Honestly. Picking a fight in a place like this without a care for anyone else..."
We were on the 3rd floor. I didn't know what had started it, but a group of student explorers had started a brawl in the plaza near the stairs. They were currently being pinned down by a few people who looked like high-level explorers. Since it was a shallow floor, the combatants were likely low-level, but they were still explorers. A fistfight between explorers was bound to cause collateral damage.
"This is awful. Look at the state of these tables and chairs."
"Are there any injuries...? It looks like only the participants got hurt."
"They didn't use weapons or skills, at least. Still, it's a massive nuisance."
Fortunately, no innocent bystanders seemed to be injured, and even the brawlers hadn't sustained anything life-threatening. However, the property damage was extensive. To trash a plaza that serves as an oasis for resting explorers... those kids might just find themselves banned from this dungeon. They’d certainly been marked as troublemakers by everyone watching.
Maybe they just got carried away by the summer vacation excitement, but they really should understand the difference between right and wrong. Even if it's just a few bad apples, actions like this make people look at student explorers as a whole with a more critical eye.
I had been thinking all day that we had no luck, and stumbling onto a scene like this really drove the point home.
I guess when your luck is out, it’s out all the way.