Once my sparring session with Mika was over, I chatted with the drunks who were already well on their way to being hammered. Just then, a man's voice echoed from the entrance, announcing his return.
However...
"I'm home..."
The voice likely belonged to Taiga-niisan, but it was flat, devoid of any energy.
Based on his tone, I wondered if today’s exploration had been a bust.
"Welcome back, Taiga. I told you to come home early today because Daisuke and the family were visiting..."
"Sorry, sorry. I actually cut the exploration short, but I got held up with the procedures at the purchase window..."
"I see... Still, I wish you would have at least called."
"I will from now on."
I could hear the conversation between Aunt Maho, who had gone to greet him, and Taiga-niisan. The purchase window was crowded? Did it really get that busy during the Obon period? Maybe salarymen were using their summer break to go exploring.
A short while later, the door to the living room opened, and Taiga-niisan appeared.
"I'm home. And, uh, it's been a while."
"Oh, welcome back, Taiga. You made it home safe without a scratch again today."
"Welcome back, Taiga-kun. Thanks for having us over."
Father and Uncle Yamato spoke to Taiga-niisan as he entered, while my grandparents turned to confirm he was back safe. Mika and I simply gave him a small nod and a polite greeting.
After acknowledging us, Taiga-niisan scanned the living room and tilted his head slightly. He was probably looking for my mother.
"Taiga-niisan, Mom is in the kitchen with Aunt Maho getting dinner ready."
"Ah, is that so? Oh, right—it’s been a long time, Daiki, Mika-chan. Make yourselves at home."
"Thanks, Taiga-niisan."
"It's been a long time."
Though his words were welcoming, the gaze Taiga-niisan directed at Mika and me seemed to waver with a flicker of unease.
While I was inwardly questioning his look, Aunt Maho called out to him.
"Taiga. Dinner is almost ready, so go and get changed quickly."
"Ah, right. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll go change for a bit."
"Oh, Taiga-kun, no need to rush," Father added.
"Yes. See you in a bit, then."
With that brief exchange, Taiga-niisan left the living room to change out of his gear.
Once he returned in fresh clothes, our long-awaited family dinner began. The menu featured an abundance of produce grown right here on my uncle’s farm. While the dishes were simple, the vegetables were fresh and packed with flavor. The vegetable stew in particular was exquisite, perfectly highlighting the natural taste of the ingredients.
And then there was the meat.
"This kakuni is delicious. It doesn't taste like pork; what is it?"
"That's the red boar meat Taiga brought home," Aunt Maho explained. "Compared to wild boar, the meat is more tender, but the fibers are firm, so it's perfect for kakuni."
"Ah, I see. Dungeon meat. It's certainly tender, but it still has a satisfying texture."
Father happily stuffed his cheeks with a piece of the red boar. Come to think of it, the last time we visited, the table had been set with wild boar received from a local matagi. But now that Taiga-niisan was an explorer, monster meat from the dungeon was becoming a staple.
Well, as long as it tasted good, it didn't really matter to me.
"I see, so Taiga-kun brings meat home too."
"Does that mean Daiki-kun and Mika-chan do as well?"
"Yes, they often bring back all sorts of things. It's a huge help since everything is so delicious."
Mom and Aunt Maho chatted about the items we'd brought home since becoming explorers while they sampled the monster meat dishes. Um, could you please keep your voices down? Especially regarding the specific meat I bring home...
Meanwhile, Mika and I struck up a conversation with Taiga-niisan about the dungeon.
"Heh—so you guys became explorers too."
"Yeah, a friend invited me around the end of last year."
"I became one after my birthday this year," Mika added.
"I see... So, how is it? Is your exploration going well?"
Since Taiga-niisan was feeling us out about our progress, I decided to steer the conversation toward the concern Aunt Maho had raised.
"Yeah, it's going well, in a sense. Though our party's policy is 'safety first' to avoid injuries, so our progress might be a bit slower than others."
"Onii-chan and his friends are all about training, training, training before we even set foot in a dungeon."
"I think that's better than falling into a crisis because of a lack of preparation, don't you? Besides, thanks to that policy, no one has been seriously injured yet."
"Well, I guess that's true," Mika conceded.
She teased us about the time we spent preparing, but since she understood how dangerous it was to get hurt in a dungeon, she didn't actually disagree with our approach.
However...
"Daiki... do you really do that much training before going to a dungeon?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah. One of the friends in my party has a martial arts dojo at his house. Through that connection, we get all sorts of advice on how to fight. Right?"
"Yeah. I get lessons alongside Onii-chan and the others too."
"...I see."
Taiga-niisan muttered a reply, his brow furrowing. It seemed our answer had given him something to chew on.
But since I didn't want him to just spiral into gloom, I hurriedly broached the main topic.
"S-Speaking of which, Taiga-niisan, I heard from Aunt Maho that you're planning to be a full-time explorer after you graduate high school..."
"...Ah, you heard about that."
"Y-Yeah. Just that you weren't going to college and were going to start working instead. I don't know the details."
Based on what I'd heard earlier, I expected him to brag about his plans, but for some reason, Taiga-niisan seemed completely dejected.
...Wait, what?
"Um, Taiga-niisan?"
"Hmm? Oh, I was definitely talking about that. Exploration has been going well lately, and I’ve been able to earn a stable income."
"Heh. Does that mean your party focuses on gathering monster meat?"
Earning a stable income meant that instead of relying on rare drops like skill scrolls or recovery potions, they were likely using dismantling knives to focus on gathering meat. Only a tiny fraction of top-tier parties could make a living just by fighting their way through a dungeon; everyone else had to be smart about materials.
"Yeah, we mainly gather orc meat around the 10th floor."
"Orc meat, huh... It's similar to pork, so it has high demand and plenty of uses. The price stays pretty stable, too."
"Thanks to that, we get a decent income even on day trips."
Being able to secure a stable income on day trips while diving near the 10th floor meant that Taiga-niisan's party was at the level of an intermediate explorer party. They could probably push as far as the 20th floor if they really tried. But diving deep doesn't guarantee a steady paycheck, which was likely why they stuck to the high-demand orcs.
"So, are you still set on being a pro explorer instead of going to college?"
"About that..."
Taiga-niisan looked awkward, scratching the back of his head as if he were struggling with something.
Wait. Wasn't he clashing with Aunt Maho because he was stubbornly insisting on the explorer profession?
"It’s not that my desire to be an explorer has changed, but... I’ve started to think that maybe it wouldn't be too late even if I took some time to prepare more."
"Prepare..."
Did that mean he was considering university after all? Had the problem solved itself?
Hearing Taiga-niisan's reply, I felt a bit like the rug had been pulled out from under me. I’d been readying a whole persuasion speech.
"Yeah. Right now, it's basically just a hobby. I’ve started to feel like my current self lacks the strength to do this as a real job."
"I see... So does that mean you're going to university, Taiga-niisan?"
"I think that's one of the options. However..."
"...Because you're in a party, you can't decide on your own?"
Taiga-niisan nodded at my question and let out a small sigh.
That was the downside of being in a party—you couldn't just do whatever you wanted. Major decisions had to be discussed. I'd heard Taiga-niisan's party was made up of friends from school, which meant they were all high school seniors.
"Originally, we all planned to become explorers together and make a name for ourselves. When we talked about it, I thought we could definitely do it, so I agreed without thinking—looking back, that was my mistake. Now I’m wondering if they'll even listen to me if I say I'm the only one backing out because it's too early..."
"..."
Mika and I exchanged a look. Seeing Taiga-niisan so full of regret was painful. If one member suddenly opposed a plan that everyone else was gung-ho about, it was obvious how that would go down.
"...Just so you know, it's not like I'm on bad terms with them. We even went to the dungeon together today and got along fine."
"I'm sure..."
"Yeah. But... they probably won't agree with me."
I didn't know what had caused his change of heart, but it seemed Taiga-niisan was the only one who felt inadequate and underprepared. The other party members were clearly still set on going pro.
Taiga-niisan was the only one who had woken up from the dream, and now he was looking at the reality... It was a rough spot to be in.
"But if I'm going to speak up, now is my last chance..."
"...Yeah, definitely. If you're going to apply for university, now is the final window."
If he had been keeping up with his studies, it might just barely be in time for entrance exams—depending on the school. But if he delayed any further, it would be too late. This Obon break was the final watershed moment.
"I might get kicked out of the party, but I have to say something."
"...I suppose so."
Taiga-niisan looked like he was bracing himself for a conversation he dreaded. He went quiet, focusing on his food with a thousand-yard stare. Mika and I felt pretty awkward for the rest of the meal. We’d addressed the concern Aunt Maho and the others had brought to us, but it felt as if a new problem had surfaced in its place... though I couldn't really be expected to manage his social life.
After dinner, Aunt Maho stopped Mika and me as we were heading back to our room. She thanked us profusely. It felt a bit unearned—it wasn't like we'd actually done anything; the problem had seemingly resolved itself.
After that uncomfortable exchange, Mika and I stepped away from the adults to talk on the veranda.
"Hey Mika, why do you think Taiga-niisan changed his mind?"
"How should I know?"
"Well, true..."
Based on everything we'd heard, Taiga-niisan had been obsessed with being an explorer. He’d even gone to the dungeon today despite knowing we were visiting. Someone considering college would usually take a break during Obon. Had his change of heart happened just today?
"Maybe something happened in the dungeon?" Mika suggested. "Like he got beaten by a monster or saw someone get hurt?"
"I thought about that, but Uncle Yamato said he came home without a scratch today. It sounds like he hasn't been injured in a long time."
Of course, a teammate could have been hurt, but then it would be strange for the rest of the party to still want to go pro. Something had specifically triggered this in Taiga-niisan alone.
"I see... Then what else could it be?"
"No idea."
"Wait... oh."
"Hmm? You realize something?"
Mika’s expression suddenly turned awkward.
"He-Hey, Onii-chan? Remember how you said earlier that you felt someone watching us while we were sparring in the garden? What if that was..."
"...Ah."
"..."
We looked at each other, cold sweat breaking out on our foreheads.
We... might have accidentally broken Taiga-niisan's spirit without even realizing it...