After hearing what I had to say, Mika and Saori-chan fell silent, biting their lips and knitting their brows. A heavy atmosphere drifted between us, and for a long while, the silence persisted. Well, this wasn't exactly the kind of conversation normal high schoolers were supposed to have. However, if they intended to continue as explorers, it was a reality they couldn't avoid.
I kept my mouth shut, letting the two girls think. While I waited for them to reach an answer, I quietly kept watch over our surroundings. Finally...
"...Hey, Onii-chan?"
"...What is it?"
"Was the reason you and the others didn't actively invite Tatebayashi-san and her group to become explorers because you thought something like this might happen?"
"...Yeah. As long as they don't say they want to become explorers of their own volition, we have no intention of forcing them. If someone jumps in without a goal, just going with the flow... they might end up like Kawahara-san."
No matter how trivial it might be, if people have a goal they've decided on for themselves, they can use it as a foundation to persevere. Conversely, if they just drift along without a purpose to support them, they'll easily crumble when pushed into a corner during a crisis. Even if the eventual decision is the same, the difference between being swept along and deciding for oneself has a massive impact.
"...That makes sense."
"Hm? Did you say something to Tatebayashi-san and the others?"
"...Yeah. During summer vacation, I did ask them once if they wanted to go to the dungeon together."
"I see..."
Mika and Saori-chan averted their eyes awkwardly, looks of apology crossing their faces. Since they had extended the invitation before witnessing today's incident, I couldn't really blame them, but a complicated expression crossed my face as well.
"Ah, but Tatebayashi-san and her friends turned us down, saying they wanted to focus on their qualification exams, so it's okay... I think?"
Saori-chan looked unsure of her own words, her voice trailing off as she gradually looked away from me.
"Ah, yeah, I guess so."
Was that a close call, then? Well, for the time being, it might be better to check their intentions again later. Since they said they wanted to focus on their qualification exams, they probably won't say yes until those are over, at least.
Still, if they truly want to do it from the bottom of their hearts, I'll make sure to instruct them properly so they can become full-fledged explorers. But for now, more importantly...
"..."
" "..." "
The heavy atmosphere had softened somewhat, so I looked straight at Mika and Saori-chan. I could see a flash of resolve in their eyes. After we stared at each other in silence for a few moments, the two of them spoke up as if they had finally made up their minds.
"I'm not quitting."
"I won't quit either."
"...I see."
Though they were short words spoken while looking me straight in the eye, it was a powerful declaration that conveyed their determination. Even though they had just seen the actual examples of Kajihara-kun's group falling apart and the cornered Kawahara-san becoming hysterical, and while they couldn't hide their anxiety and agitation, I could see no wavering in their will to continue. It seemed they had both seriously resolved to become full-fledged explorers.
Therefore, I didn't do anything as boorish as asking for confirmation, simply giving a short nod in response.
Shaking off the somber mood, we resumed our exploration of the 7th floor. Compared to the upper floors, there were far fewer people here, and the encounter rate with monsters had improved slightly. Well, only a very little bit, though.
And so, we had our second encounter with some goblins.
"Hah!"
"Yah!"
" "Gyah!?" "
Their spears pierced the chests of the two goblins simultaneously, and the monsters died without being able to mount any significant counterattack. When facing an equal number of enemies, the two of them were now capable of instant kills.
All that remained was to see if they could handle encounters where they were outnumbered.
"Good job, you two. That was well-handled."
"Thanks, Onii-chan."
"As long as the monsters are at this level, there's no problem so far."
While pulling their spears out of the slain goblins, Mika and Saori-chan kept their eyes forward, remaining on alert. If a monster had strong vitality, it might try to get one last bite in even after receiving a fatal wound. Even against an opponent they could overwhelmingly defeat, they couldn't let their guard down until the monster disappeared.
Once they confirmed the goblins had begun their particleization, Mika and Saori-chan exhaled the breath they had been holding and relaxed.
"After what happened earlier, I thought it might interfere with your fighting... but you seem fine."
Even though they were just the ravings Kawahara-san blurted out while hysterical, there was no changing the fact that those words had been directed at them. They weren't spoken with malice, but they were the painful cries of someone whose heart was about to break. There had been a distinct possibility that the girls would let it get to them, causing them to lose their precision and get injured.
I had intended to intervene if necessary, but it seemed my worries were misplaced.
"...It's true that Kawahara-san's words bother me. But... I've made my choice."
"Yes. Unlike her, we decided to become explorers ourselves."
Mika and Saori-chan spoke with conviction, and I felt relieved seeing them look straight at me. Having made their resolution, they wouldn't be shaken by mere ravings.
Then, as if in response to their determination, a single scroll dropped where the goblins had finished their particleization.
"Yes! A skill scroll!"
"It really is!"
Finding the skill scroll, Mika and Saori-chan cheered, rushed over, and picked it up. This was their first decent high-value exchangeable drop item of the day. The two, who had been frustrated by the lack of good loot until now, threw their hands up in joy.
For the time being, it looked like they had secured enough income to avoid going into the red. The psychological burden of potentially losing money on expedition costs had been lifted.
"All right, let's keep going like this!"
"Yeah!"
Obtaining the skill scroll boosted their spirits. It seemed the heavy atmosphere that had been lingering like a faint scent was now completely dispelled. With our preparations finished, we resumed our exploration with high spirits.
After several more battles and completing a general sweep of the 7th floor, we arrived at the stairs leading down to the 8th floor. However, Mika's and Saori-chan's expressions were once again looking a bit sour.
"Sigh, I thought our luck had turned around..."
"We fought a fair amount, but today is really a poor harvest."
After getting the skill scroll, they had continued enthusiastically, but the results were underwhelming. Despite encountering and fighting a fair number of monsters, the only drop items they got were Core Crystals. I suppose it was better than nothing, but that was about it. If they hadn't gotten that one skill scroll, the results might have been too pathetic to look at.
I asked Mika and Saori-chan, who were hanging their heads at the poor harvest, whether they wanted to head down further.
"So, what do you want to do? If we stay here, we'll be in other people's way."
"..."
"...Mika-chan, shall we go down? If we go to the staircase plaza below, we can take a break."
"Yeah, you're right. It might be better to decide while resting down there instead of standing around talking here."
Mika, clearly fed up with today's lack of luck, agreed with Saori-chan's suggestion and decided to head to the staircase plaza below. It was a difficult decision: move forward or go back. In terms of time, there was still room to continue. However, considering today's luck, turning back wasn't a bad option.
We went down to the 8th floor staircase plaza, found an empty space, spread out a leisure sheet, and sat down.
" "..." "
While rehydrating, Mika and Saori-chan gazed toward the passage leading deeper into the dungeon with lifeless eyes. They were clearly torn. Originally, today's exploration was supposed to be a test to see if they were ready for more freedom. For them, the exploration from here on was the main event... but after everything that had happened, combined with this inexplicable lack of luck, they were hesitating to move forward on momentum alone.
After staring into the depths of the dungeon for a while, Mika and Saori-chan let out small sighs, their expressions suggesting they had given up.
"...Hey, Saori-chan?"
"...What?"
"It's frustrating, but I think we should call it a day and head back."
"I was thinking the same thing, Mika-chan... I think it's better to stop here this time."
There was not a trace of energy in their voices. Well, I suppose it couldn't be helped since they were turning back just before reaching their goal.
Still, in terms of knowing when to quit, it wasn't a bad choice. Forcing an exploration when things are going poorly creates a great deal of mental stress. At times like this, one's thoughts tend to lean toward the negative. They could at least take solace in the fact that selling the skill scroll would cover their costs, avoiding a heavy blow to their wallets.
"So we're turning back, right?"
"...Yeah, I think we should stop here. We still have time, but a lot happened today."
"That's right. We're trying not to think about it, but when there's a bit of downtime, it comes back to us anyway."
As I thought, even if they seemed fine, the incident with the other party had made an impact. That was only natural.
However, this was a sight they would see many times in the future. If they didn't get used to it—or at least get to the point where they could brush it off—future exploration would be difficult.
"I see... If you two ever want to talk about something, feel free to come to me. I don't know if I can give you a perfect solution, but I can at least listen."
"...Yeah."
"Yes, we'll count on you then."
I felt the gloom on their faces lift slightly. Just knowing that they could talk to someone makes the heart a little lighter. I just hoped they would talk to me freely instead of bottling it up like Kawahara-san.
After resting for a while at the 8th floor staircase plaza, we began the trek back to the surface.
Joining the flow of returning explorers, we arrived back at the 7th floor staircase plaza. The girls looked around with anxious expressions, checking to see if Kajihara-kun and his group were still there. If we ran into them now, it would make our decision to leave quickly back then feel meaningless.
Fortunately, they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed they had already headed for the surface; after all, nearly two hours had passed since we parted ways.
"It looks like... they're gone."
"Yeah. I hope they made it back up safely..."
"If they moved along with the flow of the other parties, they should be fine, probably."
Mika wished for their safe return, while Saori-chan still looked a bit worried. Even moving with a crowd didn't mean they were absolutely guaranteed not to be attacked. Since there was a fair distance between parties, a monster could still spawn and attack if the timing was right.
Still, with other parties nearby, help was only a shout away. Unless the parties around them were also rookies.
"Hey, Onii-chan? If I look closely, this place..."
"...The atmosphere is a bit strange, isn't it?"
Observing the people waiting in the plaza, Mika and Saori-chan seemed to sense something, their expressions stiffening. It seemed they had noticed.
"...Many of the parties waiting here are stuck explorers who haven't been able to overcome the hurdle of fighting humanoid monsters. Because they can't bring themselves to do it, they just stay here and hunt the non-humanoid monsters on the floors above."
Because they don't have the resolve to take that step forward, they can't advance, yet they can't bring themselves to quit being explorers either. So they stay stuck. Furthermore, there's a constant demand for drop items from the upper floors, so if they have some strength, they can earn a consistent income. They even get the occasional bonus from skill scrolls.
That's why the 7th floor staircase plaza—the boundary line in any dungeon—has such a unique atmosphere. It’s a thick mix of envy, longing, jealousy, spite, and self-reproach. When we came down here last time, Mika and the others were too tense about their first humanoid battle to notice. This time, however, they had the composure to look around, and they finally felt the 7th floor’s distinct vibe.
" "..." "
"They probably won't pick a fight, but if you're going to keep going as explorers, it's better not to have unnecessary contact with them. It rarely leads to anything good for either side."
After all, the perspectives of those who stay and those who move forward will never truly align. It was enough to simply understand that people like this existed.