We hurried up to the platform as if to escape the curious gazes following us, only breathing a collective sigh of relief once we were sure those eyes were no longer on us.
I turned toward Saori-chan and spoke.
"Phew... Good morning again, Saori-chan."
"G-Good morning. I’m sorry. Things got a bit awkward because of me..."
"No, no, it wasn't your fault, Saori-chan, so don't worry about it," I said with a wry smile, trying to put her at ease.
Seriously, though, it wasn't her fault at all, so why did the mood turn so heavy? Was it that? Did people think we were in the middle of some messy love triangle drama because it was one guy with two girls?
"Y-Yes... Oh, that’s right, Daiki-san, what’s the schedule for today?"
"Hmm?"
"The other day, I was just so happy that we were going to a dungeon together that I didn't actually hear the details."
Saori-chan asked about the plans in her usual reserved manner. Just as I was about to give her the same explanation I’d given Mika, Mika cut in, clapping a hand on Saori-chan’s shoulder.
"Oh, Saori-chan, about that..."
"Eh?"
Mika pulled Saori-chan close and began whispering in her ear like they were sharing a juicy secret. I didn't think it was the kind of thing that needed to be so hush-hush, but whatever.
After about a minute of whispering, Saori-chan looked me straight in the eye, her expression brimming with motivation.
"I'll do my best!"
"Oh, uh, right. Good luck..."
"Yes!"
Saori-chan pumped her fists with a "fired up" look and gave a high-spirited reply. Good grief, Mika, what did you tell her? Saori-chan seems incredibly hyped. I'm starting to worry her enthusiasm might backfire if she overdoes it...
While we were talking, the train we planned to take pulled into the station.
"Alright, let's get on. I hope we can find seats..."
"Oh, Onii-chan, those seats over there are empty!"
"Hmm? Ah, you're right. Let's sit there, then."
Fortunately, a set of face-to-face box seats was vacant, so we claimed them. When you're traveling as a group with bulky gear, this kind of seating is a real lifesaver.
The train departed the moment we sat down, heading straight for the station nearest the dungeon.
As we approached our destination, the number of fellow explorers carrying large bags increased sharply. The demographics skewed young; most were likely student explorers on summer break, just like us. Corporate explorers would usually have their own company vehicles, after all.
That meant the explorers using public transport were mostly independent types or students.
"We’re arriving at the station soon, so let's get ready to disembark."
"Okay!" "Yes!"
The other passengers who looked like explorers began to stir as well, so we gathered our bags to make a quick exit. The train wouldn't stop for long, and with the number of people getting off, we had to be efficient.
When the train reached the station and the doors slid open, a massive wave of explorers poured onto the platform. Whoa, there are a lot of them.
"Mika, Saori-chan. Make sure you don't get swept away."
"It's fine, we're used to this. Right, Saori-chan?"
"Yeah. Ever since summer break started, this 'dungeon rush hour' happens every morning."
While I was taken aback by the crowd, Mika and Saori-chan seemed perfectly unbothered, navigating the human wave toward the ticket gates with practiced ease. They've certainly grown tougher in the few days I haven't seen them. I followed closely behind, making sure not to lose sight of them.
After passing through the gates, I led the girls toward the bus rotary.
"Ugh, it's packed here, too."
I let out a small sigh as I looked at the long line for the bus heading to the dungeon. I’d seen the same sight at the station I usually used, so it seemed things were the same everywhere, whether in the countryside or the city.
"The number of people has doubled since the holidays began. It can't be helped..."
"So many newcomers our age have joined in at once because of the summer break."
"...I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but maybe they really should have brought back the entry count restrictions for the summer season."
In the past, when there were too many newcomers right after the dungeons first opened, the authorities had implemented entry restrictions. I had some bitter memories of not being able to get in, but it definitely cleared up the chaos and made things smoother.
It might be too late for this year, but I hoped they would take this situation into account and bring back summer-only restrictions next year.
"Even so, we have to get on that bus to reach the dungeon..."
"Hey, hey, Onii-chan, we could always take a taxi?"
"...Can't you guys pay for the taxi fare yourselves for once?"
"..."
Mika suggested a taxi to avoid the crowded bus, but at my retort, she looked away and went silent. She was totally counting on my wallet.
I let out a soft sigh and turned to Saori-chan, who looked a little sheepish.
"...What do you think, Saori-chan?"
"Um... I think the bus is fine."
Giving Mika an exasperated look, Saori-chan scratched her cheek. It seemed Saori-chan wasn't planning on indulging in a little luxury at my expense quite as brazenly as Mika.
I wouldn't mind paying for a celebratory meal after we were finished, but before we even started? That was a bridge too far.
"Well, that's that. What's it going to be?"
"The bus is fine..."
"I see."
Mika puffed out her cheeks in a pout, muttering her concession. If she was going to feel bad about it, she shouldn't have suggested it in the first place... Sigh.
Still, leaving things on a sour note wasn't great. Maybe I should offer a little "carrot."
"Sigh. I'll pay for the celebratory meal after we’re done today, so give it your all until then."
"!? Wait, really!?"
"Well, it'll just be a light snack before we head home, okay?"
"Yay! Hey, Saori-chan, what should we have him treat us to!?"
At the mention of a reward, Mika threw her hands up in joy, while Saori-chan gave a wry smile.
"Save the excitement for when we're finished. You're about to enter a dungeon; if you're too distracted, you're going to get hurt. Also, if you slack off, the meal is cancelled."
"Wh-What!?"
"Well, obviously. It's a reward for working hard, after all."
It felt a bit like a "good cop, bad cop" routine with myself, but entering a dungeon in such a floaty mood was far too dangerous. I had to keep them grounded, or I’d regret it later.
Hearing my condition, Mika immediately began firing Saori-chan up so they wouldn't lose their treat. No, Mika, you're the one I'm worried about.
"You two, let's get in line. If we dawdle too long, we'll run out of time to explore."
"Eh? Oh, right."
"Yes."
After calming Mika down, we joined the queue for the bus. They were running extra shuttle services for the dungeon, but just getting there was going to take a considerable amount of time.
To be honest, I felt like running there would be faster... but it would be foolish to exhaust ourselves before the exploration even began.
When we finally arrived at the dungeon, the place was buzzing. Just as I’d heard, there were countless fresh-faced student explorer parties who looked like they’d just started this year.
I wondered how many of them would still be at it by the end of the summer...
"It's really crowded."
"It's been like this every day since summer break started."
"Everyone looks so carefree; it makes me nervous just watching them. It makes me realize how lucky we were to be guided by seniors like you, Daiki-san."
"That's really true."
Mika and Saori-chan both wore thoughtful expressions, nodding firmly as they compared the rookies around us to me.
True enough. Having an experienced mentor makes a massive difference in survival rates, not to mention injury rates.
"Well, it's hard to find a proper mentor, but the Association does hold Newcomer Explorer Training. If they attend those, they can learn the basic know-how. If they utilize those resources wisely, even a rookie party can be reasonably successful on their own. Besides, it’s not like we can assign an instructor to every single new party."
"Yeah, I guess that’s true."
"Corporate explorers can pair veterans with rookies, but if an independent rookie party tried to hire a veteran as a guide, they just wouldn't have the money."
A veteran explorer could earn hundreds of thousands of yen a day. If you wanted to hire someone like that to guide you, it would cost a fortune. In the current climate where you're lucky to encounter a monster once or twice a day on the upper floors, it was financially impossible for rookies to hire veterans.
Even if the Association were to subsidize it, getting such a budget passed on short notice would be a nightmare.
"The Association is trying, but they're a new organization... It's only natural that their systems are still a bit immature. As time goes on, I'm sure they'll iron out the flaws, but..."
"But that means the people here right now are the ones who suffer," Saori-chan finished.
"You could call it growing pains, but when those pains involve people's lives, it's not something you can easily brush off."
"You're right..."
Though it hadn't been made public, the number of injuries among rookie explorers had likely spiked this month. Since it hadn't become a scandal, I hoped that meant there hadn't been any deaths... at least, I wanted to believe that.
I shook my head to clear away the dark thoughts and turned to the girls.
"Anyway, shall we? At this rate, even signing in at reception is going to take a while."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
We bypassed the chatting rookies and headed quickly toward the reception building.
We waited in line for about thirty minutes before finally finishing the registration and heading to our respective locker rooms. The layout was standard for dungeon facilities, so I had no trouble finding my way.
I stuffed my things into my assigned locker and began to change.
"Hmm, I probably shouldn't have tried to cram everything into one bag."
I pulled out my jersey and armor, looking at the now nearly empty bag. Since this was just a day trip, I didn't need to pack much food or bedding, so I’d used the extra space for my change of clothes. I’d figured less luggage was better.
However, since I ended up putting my street clothes into a folding bag and leaving them in the locker anyway, I realized I might as well have brought two bags from the start.
"...Alright, I've got everything."
Once I finished changing, I did a final equipment check. I shouldered my lightened pack, gave my cheeks a quick pat to psych myself up, and stepped out.
Mika and Saori-chan were the focus today, but I couldn't afford to be lax either.
"The girls are... still inside, I guess."
I looked around the waiting area, but there was no sign of them yet. They were probably still changing. I sat down on a nearby sofa and observed the room while I waited.
"...Not only are there more people, but the wait times are clearly getting under the veterans' skins."
While no one was openly picking fights, I could see some experienced-looking parties casting irritated glances at the rookies, who were chatting away without a hint of tension. These were likely the types who spent most of their time on the shallow floors. Even there, while the average income wasn't high, you could hit the jackpot with a skill scroll drop. With the influx of rookies, these veterans probably felt like their territory was being crowded and their efficiency ruined. Since they were pros, they wouldn't do anything as stupid as a PK or MPK, but if a rookie got into trouble, they might not lift a finger until it was almost too late.
The atmosphere was far from ideal. I let out a small sigh just as I spotted Mika and Saori-chan finally emerging from the locker room.