Once we finished all the measurements, we set about leveling the ground, which had been roughened up during our final endurance run. While we hadn't exactly gouged the earth, the skid marks from where we had decelerated were quite noticeable. It would be a hassle if the manager asked us what we’d been doing later on.
After spending about ten minutes smoothing over the conspicuous tracks, we stared at the notepad summarizing the results of our fitness test and held our heads in our hands.
"This is... well, it’s like looking at a spec sheet for a special effects hero from a Sunday morning show," Yuji remarked.
"Yeah, definitely. At a glance, that’s exactly what it looks like..."
"...But aren't we missing the stats for punching and kicking power?" Hiiragi-san asked.
"Uh... do we really need those?"
As Yuji and I traded nonsense with wry smiles, Hiiragi-san gave us a half-lidded, exasperated look. No, no—if we actually measured those... well, things would get out of hand, wouldn't they?
I cleared my throat and tucked the notepad into my Spatial Storage. It would be a disaster if I misplaced it and someone saw the contents.
"Well, since we were measuring things ourselves, I can't honestly say we found our absolute limits, but I think we’ve got a general idea of where we stand, right?"
"Yeah. At the very least, I think we've grasped the current state of our abilities," Yuji agreed.
"That's true... It was within expectations, in a way, but it's the kind of result I was hoping was wrong," Hiiragi-san added.
「「「...」」」
I know, right? I never thought we'd actually end up with results resembling a special effects hero. We looked at each other and stood in silence for a few seconds with awkward expressions, then shook our heads slightly as if on cue.
Seriously, how did it come to this?
"W-well, anyway, we've mostly achieved our goal for today, which was to 'understand our current power.' Shall we head back? It’s just about lunchtime; let's find a place to eat."
"Right. Even if we're going to discuss the results, it’s probably better to take some time to let our heads cool down first," Yuji said.
"Yes, I agree. No matter what we decide to do with this data, we'll come up with better ideas once we've settled down a bit."
And so, even though we had rented the place for the entire day, we decided to pack up early since we had finished all the tests by noon. Even deep in the mountains, we couldn't exactly practice high-speed combat at a public facility. If someone happened to see us, we could be suspected of the unauthorized use of explorer skills and be brought in for questioning. If that happened, there was a chance that everything we were hiding would be dragged into the light one after another.
That said, it wasn't something we could do at a certified training ground where skill use was permitted. Sigh... should I really just buy a mountain in some remote, out-of-the-way place and build a private training ground? Financially... I might just barely be able to swing it.
After checking that all the facilities at the plaza were locked, we headed down the mountain and decided to have lunch at the nearest family restaurant. Since we didn't know the area well, we weren't sure what kind of shops were around. It was better to go with a safe chain than to gamble on a random local place. We all ordered the daily lunch special, which turned out to be a hamburger steak plate with rice and soup.
Once we finished our meal and were taking a breather, we began to talk shop.
"So... what's our next move?"
"Even if you ask that... the certified training grounds are always fully booked, so don't we have to ask Genya-san like we always do?" Yuji suggested.
"Or perhaps we could do it inside the dungeon?" Hiiragi-san proposed.
Those were the two realistic options. Of course, both had their pros and cons. Yuji's plan ensured safety, but secrecy would be non-existent—though, considering Genya-san and the others already know a fair amount about us, it might be a bit late to worry about that. Conversely, Hiiragi-san's plan ensured secrecy, but it offered no guarantee of safety and presented time issues. If we descended near the 40th floor, we wouldn't have to worry about prying eyes. However, the time it would take to travel back and forth, and the risk of monsters launching a surprise attack during practice... it was a difficult choice.
I took a sip of my slightly cooled coffee and voiced my opinion.
"If we’re prioritizing safety, Yuji's plan is better. But honestly, considering our test results, I think it might be better to follow Hiiragi-san's suggestion and test the waters in the dungeon once first, even if there's a bit of danger. You know, if we don't understand how to hold back properly at first..."
"...That's true. Daiki has a point. Considering these numbers, it might be better to test things out where no one is watching rather than suddenly showing off in front of someone else."
"...You're right."
Vivid images appeared in our minds of us failing to regulate our strength and putting on a pathetic display of clumsy, high-speed pseudo-coordinated attacks driven solely by our raw stats.
Yeah. It really is better to get used to the speed ourselves first, especially before we show anyone else.
"But Daiki, where are you planning to do it? If we pick a bad spot, we might get targeted while we're exhausted from doing something we're not used to, you know?"
"Yeah, I thought about that. So, considering time and safety, I think that place would be best..."
Since we were in a public restaurant, I avoided using specific names while telling them the candidate site. Both Yuji and Hiiragi-san seemed to grasp where I meant, as their expressions shifted to understanding.
We continued the conversation while carefully avoiding proper nouns.
"That place... the spot guarded by that talented guy?"
"Yeah, where that talented guy used to be. We can secure a safe, wide-open space there."
"That place would certainly ensure safety. But..."
The "talented guy" referred to the Ogre-san, who had tried every trick in the book to avoid combat.
While agreeing with my opinion, Hiiragi-san looked a bit uneasy. Well, there certainly had been a cause for concern there on our way back the other day.
"Hiiragi-san, you're worried about those people, right?"
"Yes. Those people have taken up positions right in front of it, haven't they? Being right next to them makes me a little uneasy..."
"It certainly is a concern if they're stationed there."
Since it was separated by a large gate, I didn't think they would peek. Especially if they were corporate explorers, they should at least have that much professional courtesy. In their case, being rude would directly affect the company's reputation....I wonder if that large gate can be locked from the inside?
While we were contemplating the potential for friction, Yuji made a suggestion.
"...I see. In that case, why don't we try diving into a nearby dungeon first? Maybe those types haven't set up camp there yet."
"Ah, true. That might be a possibility."
"Right... it might still be okay over there."
The dungeon we usually frequented might have had its progression speed accelerated compared to other dungeons because of us. The professional corporate explorers were probably thinking, Are we, the pros, letting amateur student explorers hold the top floor clearing record?
Yeah, that wasn't out of the question. From the company's perspective, they’d probably wonder why they were losing to students despite investing so much in support. There was a high chance they were being pushed by corporate orders and quotas—basically, pressure from the top.
"Let's try going there next time. If those kinds of people have set up camp when we get there, we can just leave without doing anything. It's always better to avoid trouble whenever possible."
"True, we won't know for sure until we actually go there."
"Then let's try going the day after tomorrow. We can make it a day trip to that one."
Assuming the travel routes weren't congested, of course.
Anyway, that was how we decided to head to a nearby dungeon the day after tomorrow. Although I say "challenge," our real goal was just to find a suitable training ground.
After the three of us wandered around town to prepare for the trip, I returned the key for the plaza to the municipal office, and we disbanded. When I went to return the key before the office closed, despite having rented it for the whole day, the clerk gave me a bit of a suspicious look. Apparently, most users return it the following day.
A lot had happened, but I made it home safely before dinner.
"Ah, I'm exhausted..."
"Geez, Daiki, saying that as soon as you get home... where on earth did you go that made you so tired?"
As soon as I got home, I sat on the living room sofa and grumbled over a glass of cold barley tea. My mother, who was preparing dinner, spoke to me with a frown.
"Hmm? A mountain plaza..."
"A mountain plaza? Did you go hiking?"
"Hmm, was it hiking... I wonder?"
I tilted my head, unsure how to answer. Since we had ridden bicycles up a mountain pass, I wasn't sure if it counted as hiking.
...Wait. Riding a bicycle up a mountain felt like it might actually be harder than climbing it on foot.
"Anyway, Daiki, Mika said she wanted to talk to you once you got back."
"Mika did? So she's already home..."
"It seems she has something she wants to consult you about. She had a very serious look on her face..."
"A consultation, huh..."
Something Mika wants to discuss... if I had to guess, it was probably something related to the dungeon restrictions I relaxed for her recently.
"Got it, I'll go see her for a bit."
"Please do. Oh, by the way, dinner is at 6:00."
"Roger."
I placed my empty glass in the sink, gave Mother a quick nod, and headed to my room with my things. After putting my luggage away, I went to Mika's room.
I knocked on the door.
"Mika, you there? I'm coming in."
"Eh, Onii-chan? Wait a second!"
After the sound of some hurried movement inside, the door opened slowly, and Mika poked her head out.
"Haha, you're back early."
"Well, it’s not like I went to a dungeon today, so I wasn't going to stay out late. More importantly, Mom told me you had something you wanted to talk about..."
"Y-yeah. Well, I'll tell you once you're inside. Come in."
"Then, excuse me."
I entered Mika's room and sat down on a spare cushion. Mika sat across from me, glancing at my face repeatedly.
Then, after taking a small breath to steady herself, she looked me straight in the eye.
"Um, Onii-chan. The thing I wanted to talk about... is the Goblins that appear in the dungeon."
"I figured it might be that..."
"...Yeah."
Mika gave a small nod, her expression darkening. I knew it. With the level of skill I’d seen from Mika and her friends recently, Goblins were enemies they could defeat without any problems. The issue, however, was that they were humanoid monsters. They were a rite of passage for rookie explorers—or rather, a mental cutoff line. Many rookies stumbled there. If they couldn't overcome it, they either had to quit being an explorer or stick to specializing in the shallow floors.
And it seemed Mika was currently caught at that cutoff line.
"...Hey, Onii-chan. How did you overcome that and move forward?"
"Is it okay if I interpret that as asking how I was able to kill Goblins?"
"Yeah."
Mika looked me straight in the eye, her gaze wavering with anxiety.
I thought for a moment while scratching the back of my head, wondering how to put it, then I looked back at her.
"To be honest... it's just 'getting used to it'."
"Getting used to it?"
"Yeah. Just like you are now, we were also deeply shaken after killing several Goblins. But as we fought them over and over again, I gradually became accustomed to the disgust and guilt you're feeling now. Maybe my senses just became numb, but I became able to endure it."
"..."
"Even now, I still feel a twinge of disgust and guilt, but it’s very minor. I hardly ever get lost in worry like you are now, Mika."
"..."
Mika looked at me with a mix of surprise and anxiety. The surprise was likely at how calmly and bluntly I had answered, while the anxiety was probably over whether she could ever reach that point.
I gave Mika a gentle look as she sat there brooding.
"...Mika, you don't have to force yourself to keep being an explorer, okay? Some things just don't suit certain people, no matter what. If you want to continue, you can always choose to only visit floors where you don't have to fight humanoid monsters."
"..."
"Well, it's not a problem you can easily reach a conclusion on, so just take your time and think. I'm always here if you want to talk."
"...Okay."
If this were a consultation about how to fight better, or how to find and disarm traps, I could give her all the advice in the world. But this was a matter of the heart. I could listen and offer my perspective, but the final answer had to come from her.
I watched Mika as she looked down and began to think deeply, hoping that she would find an answer she could live with, whatever that answer might be.