While Mika and the others were nursing Kawahara-san, I spoke to Kajihara-kun and Kurata-kun, who were standing watch with me. Still appearing dazed by the way Kawahara-san had lost her mind and collapsed, the two of them slowly turned to face me.
They looked completely checked out.
"Hey, Kajihara-kun, Kurata-kun. Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"…What is it?"
"It’s about Kawahara-san. I know it’s bad manners to pry, but… well, after seeing her break down like that, I can't exactly ignore it."
"Right, of course. So, what did you want to know?"
Kajihara-kun’s voice was hollow and dejected. I threw a few questions his way.
"First, am I right in assuming you guys are rookies who started your explorer careers after summer vacation began?"
"Yes… we started right at the beginning of the break."
"I thought so. In that case, you were able to descend this far relatively smoothly, without being caught up in the crowds on the upper floors, right?"
"Yeah. We were lucky enough to run into monsters constantly, so our leveling was fast. We managed to get down here way quicker than the other rookie parties who started at the same time as us."
Kajihara-kun spoke with a faint trace of pride as he recalled their progress. It was natural, I suppose. If they had achieved results that put them a step ahead of their peers, they’d want to boast a little.
However, in this specific case, the fact that things had gone smoothly was exactly what led to their misfortune.
"I see. You were lucky. Considering how packed the upper floors are right now, most parties can barely find a single monster to fight."
"Yeah. Even when I talked to my friends, they were all complaining about not finding anything."
"I bet. But to have started this summer and already be down here, you must have been coming to the dungeon almost every single day, right?"
"Yes. It was just so much fun seeing our levels go up every time we dived…"
So they had been coming every day. Faint, wistful smiles appeared on their faces—the kind of look common among rookie explorers. It was a sense of omnipotence and superiority born from gaining physical abilities and skills that clearly surpassed those of non-explorers.
It’s an understandable feeling, but it’s not one you should wallow in for long.
"Did you take any rest days at all?"
"Eh? Well, no. We figured we’d have family stuff to do during Obon anyway, so we could just rest then. We haven’t really stopped since we started."
"…"
While other parties were struggling to find monsters, these guys had been so intoxicated by their rapid progress that they dived day after day without a single break. That was dangerous.
I used my left hand to hold down my right, which was reflexively trying to cover my face in frustration, and asked my final question.
"One more thing, if you don't mind."
"Sure, go ahead."
"Was Kawahara-san… actually enthusiastic about becoming an explorer?"
I voiced the one concern that seemed most critical to this whole incident.
My guess was probably…
"Enthusiastic? Not really. She mostly just went along with it because we invited her."
"Is she the type of person who’s a bit reserved? Someone who has a hard time saying no when pushed?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah, she is."
"Yeah, definitely."
Kajihara-kun and Kurata-kun looked as if the realization had finally hit them. Seeing them like that, I couldn't hold back anymore. I looked up at the ceiling and covered my face with my hand.
My bad feeling was right on the money.
"…"
Is something wrong?
My reaction clearly made them uneasy. Feeling a headache coming on, I rubbed the bridge of my nose and explained why I was looking toward the heavens.
This was going to be a hard truth for them to hear.
"Look, to summarize what you’ve told me: you took a girl who wasn't even keen on being an explorer and dragged her through the dungeon day after day to fight monsters. Is that about right?"
…
"And I’m guessing that because your exploration went so well, none of you had suffered a serious injury until today?"
"…Eh? Ah, yes. We’ve had some scrapes, but just small cuts and bruises."
"I knew it. And then, today was your first time fighting humanoid monsters—goblins. And in that first real fight, one of your party members got seriously hurt for the first time."
As I spoke, their expressions twisted. They were finally beginning to grasp what I was getting at.
Suppressing a sigh, I delivered my final deduction.
"Kawahara-san was likely piling up stress from doing a job she wasn't suited for, day in and day out, without any chance to catch her breath. Then, a series of overwhelming events hit her all at once: her first fight against humanoid monsters, a major injury to Kurata-kun, a desperate battle for survival, and then our sudden appearance. Everything she’d been bottling up finally reached its limit and exploded."
…
"You were lucky enough to find monsters despite the crowds, lucky enough to level up fast, lucky enough to get better results than everyone else, and lucky enough that no one got seriously hurt until now."
But was that really "lucky"? For Kawahara-san, who hadn't wanted to be here in the first place, it was actually a string of terrible luck.
If they’d been "unlucky" and couldn't find monsters, or if they’d struggled to level up, or if they’d only had mediocre results, or if someone had suffered a minor break early on… if even one of those "lucky" streaks had failed, they might have taken a break and refreshed their spirits. Or she might have found the courage to tell them she wasn't cut out for this and quit.
"Because everything was going so well and the rest of you were riding that momentum, Kawahara-san—being the quiet type who doesn't like to kill the mood—couldn't bring herself to say anything. She couldn't say 'no' until she finally broke. That’s my guess, anyway."
"…"
…
Kajihara-kun and Kurata-kun hung their heads, clenching their fists in silent regret. Tsutsui-san, who had been listening while tending to the girl, looked down at Kawahara-san with eyes brimming with tears, her face full of guilt.
We could only watch them in silence, our own gazes heavy with things left unsaid.
A little while later, Kawahara-san woke up. She was a bit groggy at first, but she was calm and able to speak normally.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—she didn't seem to remember her breakdown. She didn't even understand why she was lying on the ground. It was probably a self-defense mechanism of the mind.
"Umm… thank you so much for saving us."
"Hm? Oh, don't worry about it. We just happened to be in the area, so we stepped in. It would’ve been a nightmare trying to sleep tonight if I’d just left you there when I could’ve helped. We did it for our own peace of mind, so don't let it weigh on you."
"…Okay."
She was so gentle that it was hard to believe she was the same person from earlier. She really was a kind-hearted person at her core. And that was exactly why her passive nature had led her to this point.
I turned to the other three, who were awkwardly avoiding her gaze, and spoke in as casual a tone as I could muster.
"Well, since Kawahara-san is awake, let’s move to the staircase plaza. Kurata-kun lost a lot of blood, so continuing the exploration is out of the question, right?"
"…Ah, yes. You're right."
"I can't escort you all the way to the surface, but I’ll see you to the plaza. From there, you should be able to get back safely if you just stick with the flow of other explorers heading up."
"…I’m sorry. We really appreciate the help."
Kajihara-kun bowed slightly on behalf of the dejected party. Seeing Kawahara-san now—oblivious to her own breakdown—seemed to be tearing them apart inside. Kurata-kun and Tsutsui-san both looked completely broken.
There was no way they could keep going. They were physically exhausted, but the mental damage was far worse. Kawahara-san was the most obvious case, but the other three definitely needed counseling as well.
"That’s the plan. Mika, Saori-chan. We’re going to guide them to the staircase plaza."
"…Okay."
"…Yes."
Mika and Saori-chan, who had seen the whole exchange, were also looking pretty down. Witnessing a situation like that was heavy. Since it was their first time seeing something like this, it was only natural for them to be affected.
I’d have to check in on them once we dropped these guys off…
"Oh, that’s right. The payment for the recovery potion…"
As we began to move, Tsutsui-san spoke up as if she’d just remembered. Right, I hadn't been paid for the potion yet. Between Kawahara-san’s episode and everything else, it had slipped my mind.
I looked at Tsutsui-san, then at the two boys.
"…Right, we haven't paid you yet. I’m sorry."
"Sorry about that. After you saved us and everything…"
Kajihara-kun and Kurata-kun apologized and bowed. Given what had happened, it was understandable, so I didn't hold it against them. At least they brought it up themselves.
For context, a beginner recovery potion from the Association costs about 10,000 yen. Expecting someone to have a 10,000-yen bill on them in the middle of a dungeon was a bit much.
"Umm, I’m sorry. I don't have my wallet on me. Would it be okay to pay with drop items? If you could come to the surface with us, we could pay in cash, but…"
"Hmm, the surface is a bit of a stretch. We’re planning to continue our exploration after this, so I’ll take payment in drop items."
"I see. Understood. When we get to the staircase plaza, I’ll show you what we have, so please pick whatever you like."
When I said I couldn't go to the surface, they all let out small, disappointed sighs. Deep down, they probably really wanted a full escort back.
However, this trip was led by Mika and Saori-chan, so I couldn't just decide to leave on my own. Normally, we should have parted ways right then and there, but that felt a bit cold. Since we’d gone this far, getting them to the plaza was the bare minimum.
"Alright, let's get moving."
"Yes."
Kajihara-kun supported Kurata-kun, while Tsutsui-san helped Kawahara-san. We split up to the front and back, keeping them sandwiched between us. We weren't that far from the plaza, so it wouldn't take long.
Still, I probably shouldn't expect much from their drop items. They were only on the shallow floors, after all.
Once we reached the staircase plaza, we accepted the drop items from Kajihara-kun’s party as payment, told them we were resuming our exploration, and said our goodbyes. As we left, Mika and Saori-chan kept looking back with worried expressions, but I nudged them forward and steered them away.
Once basic safety was ensured, there was no reason to linger. In more ways than one…
"Hey, Onii-chan? Don't you think we should have taken them all the way to the surface?"
"I agree. I’m… I’m really worried about them."
"You two are kind. But if you aren't prepared to see someone through to the very end, it’s better not to get too deeply involved."
"…Prepared?"
"…Deeply involved?"
Mika and Saori-chan tilted their heads, looking puzzled. I wiped the emotion from my face and explained why I had been so quick to leave.
"A while ago… about six months back, we ran into a similar situation. A party of explorers was being attacked by other people."
"…You mean PK?"
"Yeah, that. We got there in time to save them, so they were all fine… physically."
"Physically?"
Sensing the change in the air, they both looked uneasy.
"Recovery potions fixed their bodies, but the trauma remained. I found out later it was affecting their everyday lives. Back then, we were worried just like you two are now and wanted to help, but we backed off because Juzo-san gave us a warning. He said, 'It takes a long time for a wounded heart to heal. If you aren't prepared to take responsibility for them until the very end, don't lend a half-hearted hand. Getting involved without commitment is the worst thing you can do, because both sides end up getting hurt.'"
…
As I told the story in a flat, level voice, Mika and Saori-chan fell silent, looking as if they’d forgotten how to breathe.
"Back then, I realized that no matter how much power we have as explorers, we’re still just high school kids. We aren't in a position to carry that kind of weight when we're not even independent ourselves."
…
I thought back to Miyano-san and the others, and I could only pray that Kajihara-kun and his friends wouldn't have to walk that same dark path.