The morning sun streamed through the gaps in the curtains, waking me as the light hit my face. I had stayed up late into the night researching that company, so I was still drowsy and feeling the effects of a minor sleep deficit.
Of course, the headache brought on by the stress of my investigation was a much bigger concern than the sleepiness.
"...Yeah, they're definitely bad news."
I had already reached that verdict last night, but I’d hoped a good night’s sleep might offer a different perspective once my head had cooled. However, even with a groggy morning brain, my conclusion remained the same: they were total garbage. Based on everything I’d found, their online reputation was a complete disaster.
Even accounting for the fact that they were a start-up, if I had to give them a star rating, they wouldn't even earn a two.
"Explorers are essentially responsible for themselves, so setting aside the lack of compensation for injuries, their management is a joke. Underestimating request difficulty and setting impossible deadlines is just unacceptable..."
I had found numerous posts on message boards detailing the misery of explorer parties who had signed on with them.
One party claimed they were assigned high-difficulty requests that were completely beyond their capabilities.
Another said that when they turned down a request they couldn't handle, the company retaliated by "freezing" them out, only offering low-paying scraps that weren't worth the effort.
There were accounts of parties being forced into high-risk jobs and then being slapped with heavy penalties because they missed the delivery deadline.
Others reported being injured during a request, only to be met with total indifference—no get-well wishes, much less any financial support.
Buried under a layer of obviously fake five-star reviews written in shallow, generic prose, these heavy, detailed warnings stood out. The exact problems I had anticipated were already happening. The company clearly lacked any real management capability.
The only saving grace so far was that I hadn't found any reports of "the absolute worst-case scenario." That was likely only because they were still new and hadn't landed any high-difficulty contracts for advanced explorer parties yet. Give it time, and this company was going to get people killed.
"It’s going to be hard to say, but I can't just keep quiet about this to Taiga-niisan..."
Even if he was already having second thoughts about going pro, it would be incredibly awkward to walk up to him and say, "That company you picked is the absolute worst!" Still, it would probably help his party come to their senses.
Then again, they might just fall into despair once they realize they were so overconfident that they neglected basic research.
"Still, I suppose it’s better than letting them walk blindly off a cliff..."
My stomach churned just thinking about his potential reaction, though!
With those unpleasant thoughts clouding my head, I rolled out of bed and pulled the curtains wide, squinting at the brilliant morning sun with a gloomy expression.
I washed my face and headed into the living room. Mother was busy in the kitchen, and Father was on the sofa watching the news. Mika... didn't seem to be up yet.
Hearing the door, both of them looked my way. I gave a small wave.
"Morning, Dad. Morning, Mom."
"Ah, morning."
"Good morning, Daiki. Want some breakfast?"
"Yeah, please."
I sat down at the table, and after a short wait, Mother served a meal of toast, bacon and eggs, tomato salad, and coffee. It was the quintessential Western-style breakfast.
"Thanks. Let’s eat."
"Enjoy. By the way, Daiki, was Mika awake?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. I didn't hear anything from her room, so she’s probably still asleep."
"I see... I wish she’d get up soon. It’s much easier to clean up if everyone eats at the same time."
Mother looked toward the ceiling—toward Mika’s room—and let out a small, troubled sigh. I understood the sentiment; cleaning up in shifts was a hassle.
As I bit into my bacon-and-egg toast, I tried to send a mental "wake up" vibe to my sister upstairs. Just to be clear, I don't actually have a telepathy skill; it was just a wish.
"So, Daiki, you said the two of you were going to a movie. Have you decided what to see?"
"Yeah, an action movie that’s been getting a lot of buzz. I figured we’d also hit a few shops while we’re out."
"I see. Then I won't need to worry about lunch for you two."
"Right, we'll eat out somewhere."
As I was finishing my breakfast and chatting with Mother, Mika finally shuffled into the living room, looking half-dead.
Huh. Did my mental vibe actually work?
"Morning..."
"Morning," we replied in unison.
"Good morning, Mika. Stop moping around and go wash your face. I’ll get your breakfast ready."
"...Okay."
Mika stifled a yawn and shuffled back out of the room as instructed.
Once she returned with a fresh face and a bit more life in her eyes, she started on the breakfast Mother had set out.
"You're up late, Mika."
"Mmm, yeah... I might have stayed up too long."
"Doing what?"
"I was messaging everyone to let them know I was back from the trip. The group chat just kept going..."
Apparently, the conversation had quickly shifted from her being home to the upcoming event. Everyone was excited, particularly about the food stalls. While they were interested in the corporate booths, the weight of their anticipation was clearly leaning toward the snacks.
"I see. Well, I guess we’ll have to give it our all for this event."
"Wait, Onii-chan, give our all for what?"
"What else? The food tour."
"Does that mean you're going to treat everyone!?"
Mika leaned across the table, her eyes sparkling with hope. I let out a small sigh and lightly pushed her forehead back with my index finger.
"As if. Maybe for Tatebayashi-san and the others, but you and Saori-chan are making a decent living as explorers, aren't you?"
"Eeeh..."
"You’ve been working hard. You should have plenty of savings for this, right?"
"..."
Wait. What was that awkward silence?
As Mika looked away with a guilty expression, I felt a muscle in my cheek twitch.
"Don't tell me you spent it all?"
"No! I haven't gone that far! I’ve properly set aside the money for my necessary expenses. It’s just..."
"...Just?"
"The money I have left for fun... is a little low..."
Mika finally confessed her financial state.
I was relieved she had at least saved her overhead costs, but I wasn't thrilled about her getting reckless with her spending just because she’d started earning more.
"You really need to manage your money better..."
"I am! But girls have a lot more things to buy than you think, Onii-chan!"
"..."
There wasn't much I could say to that, so I just rubbed my forehead and sighed again.
"In that case, do you want to skip the movie today? If you're short on cash, maybe you shouldn't be going out."
"I have enough for the movie. It’s just... if we're going to be hitting stalls that use dungeon food, I’m not sure my wallet can take it."
"Well, it’s true that anything with dungeon food in it is expensive."
Because of the high cost of raw ingredients, even stall food becomes pricey if it uses dungeon products. If Mika was low on funds, I could see why she'd be worried about a food tour.
Still, she really should have saved more.
"So, you see..."
"So, work hard in the dungeon once the Obon holidays are over."
"Eeeh..."
"You said you have your necessary expenses left, right? Then earn it yourself before you try to dive into someone else’s wallet."
If she were short on transport money because she had to restock supplies, I might consider lending her some. But if it was just play money, she could earn it. Mika and Saori-chan are in a far better situation than the average newcomer explorer. Most rookies can't even dream of earning a stable income without putting their lives on the line.
I’m excluding myself and my party from that comparison, since we're basically an anomaly.
"Ugh..."
"Groaning won't change anything. If you don't like being broke, stop wasting money on things you don't need. Even after your expenses, you should have plenty left over for savings."
"Ye-yeah. I guess you're right..."
A dejected Mika bit into her toast, looking thoroughly defeated. Mother, Father, and I all watched her with varying degrees of exasperation. I’d heard many stories of people losing their way after suddenly coming into money, and Mika was currently teetering on that edge.
If she had blown her equipment and supply budget too, the whole family would have staged a massive intervention. She was lucky she’d at least kept that much.
"Anyway, let’s get going once you're done."
"O-okay..."
Mika’s energy had plummeted before we’d even left the house, but it couldn't be helped. The morning had taken a bit of a preachy turn, but hopefully she’d cheer up once we were actually out.
I finished my breakfast before her and started getting ready, making sure I had the file of summarized reviews and warnings about that company to show the Dungeon Association later.
Once we were both ready, we headed out. Thanks to the relentless sun, the temperature was already over thirty degrees. It really was amazing how much hotter the asphalt made everything compared to the dirt roads in the countryside.
"It’s so hot..."
"You okay, Mika?"
"Ye-yeah. I’m fine..."
I checked on her as she wilted under the glare. If we stayed in the sun too long, heatstroke was a real risk. I’d have to find a shop to duck into if it got too bad.
As I worried about her, Mika turned to me and stared for a long moment.
"...Hey, Onii-chan. Why do you look so perfectly fine?"
"Hmm? I guess... because I’ve trained?"
"I’ve been training as an explorer too, you know..."
"Then you’re either under-leveled or under-trained. Your resistance naturally increases as your level goes up, and once you get the Heat Resistance skill, this kind of weather doesn't bother you at all."
In the future, people might start becoming explorers just to survive Japan’s summers. The heat lately has been getting ridiculous.
I wondered if the trend would be "become an explorer to avoid heatstroke" or "you won't get heatstroke because you're an explorer."
"...That feels kind of like cheating."
"Not really. The fact that Heat Resistance exists as a skill means there are places in the dungeon where you absolutely need it. We’re still in the early days, so you can make a living on the shallow floors, but if you want to be an explorer for years, you’ll eventually have to push into areas that require those kinds of resistances. As time passes, the average level will rise, and exploration will become more efficient."
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Anyway, if you keep diving, you’ll get it naturally. It’s a nice little bonus that makes summer easier to deal with."
For a casual explorer, that bonus might actually be more valuable than the loot.
Chatting like that to distract ourselves from the heat, we made our way to the station. The theater was in a city a few stops away. With an explorer’s stamina, we could have walked, but neither of us wanted to brave the blistering sun for that long.
We hopped on the train and soon arrived at our destination.
"Here we are. So, Mika, what time does the movie start?"
"Um... in about thirty or forty minutes? If we take our time, we should reach the theater about fifteen minutes before it starts."
"Alright, let's head over slowly and see the sights on the way."
"Okay."
Being the middle of Obon, the town was packed. We navigated the crowds carefully, heading toward the cinema.
"We're here... but man, it's crowded."
We arrived fifteen minutes early as planned, but the lobby was overflowing, mostly with parents and children.
"It is the holidays, after all. Everyone’s probably out for the same reason."
"Yeah, I guess so. Especially for families, the holidays are the only time parents can take their kids out....Hey Mika, do you think we can actually get seats?"
"Hmm. This isn't a summer anime movie for kids, so we should be okay."
"I hope so. Let's check the counter."
I went to the ticket window expecting the worst, but I was able to buy tickets for the action movie surprisingly easily. I felt a little silly for being so tense about it.
Scratching my cheek to hide my embarrassment, I bought some drinks, and we headed into the theater. I really hoped the movie lived up to the hype.