We’d been struggling under the weight of the orc pack's assault, and we couldn’t immediately process the reality that it had all ended just seconds after our request for assistance was accepted. For a long while, we simply stood there, stunned, our expressions blank with shock.
No, honestly, in a situation like that, anyone would have been dazed, right?
"Phew... Are you injured?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah, I’m... I’m fine."
The person who had caused our stupor—the young male explorer (likely a high schooler) who had accepted the request—checked on me with a slightly concerned look. Physically, I was unscathed, but mentally, I felt like I’d taken a massive hit.
Since I couldn’t exactly voice my true thoughts, I gave a small nod and told him briefly that we were okay.
"I see. That’s good. Well, it looks like they’ve finished up over on the other side, too. Shall we regroup?"
"Eh?"
For a second, I didn't follow what he was saying. Then I remembered that the Soga Team had been caught in a pincer attack; it had been a total melee. That meant the other team members must have been fighting as well. Snapping out of it, I spun around to check on the rest of the group.
What I saw were my teammates, also wearing stunned expressions, staring at the two explorers who had presumably stepped in to assist them. Yeah, that made sense.
"Ah, right."
That was all I could manage in response. In truth, the battle was already over... or rather, they had ended it. Since there was nothing left for us to do, we needed to regroup, check for damages, and discuss the gratitude and rewards for their help.
However, after being given such a magnificent display of assistance, I had no idea what kind of reward we should even prepare. Soga-san, please do your best to wrap up the negotiations. These kids are clearly high-level explorers; there’s no way we could try to bully them into a deal using our superior numbers. If we actually fought them, we’d lose for sure.
"Hm? Oh, it looks like the particleization has started. Let's regroup with the others after we collect the drop items."
"Ah, understood. Kagawa, you help with the collection, too."
"U-Understood."
The corpses of the ten or so orcs scattered around, all sliced to ribbons, began to undergo particleization as time passed. It was my first time seeing this many monsters dissolve into light all at once. The same scene was likely unfolding on the other side. In a way, this sight alone was a form of intimidation...
Once the particleization finished, several drop items were left rolling where the corpses had been. The final haul was...
"One skill scroll, two recovery potions?, one block meat, and three Core Crystals... That's a decent drop rate."
"You're right. Still, getting even one jackpot item like that was lucky, wasn't it?"
"True. Well then, now that we've collected the drop items, let's regroup."
"Yeah."
And so, Kagawa and I headed back to the main group alongside the young explorer who had assisted us. I just hoped the talk would end peacefully.
After joining up with Soga-san and the rest and looking around, I saw that there were no major injuries or damage to our cargo. It seemed we had successfully weathered the orc ambush—albeit with the help of high-level explorers.
The Trio of high-level explorers who had stepped in were currently talking with Soga-san.
"Thank you for the help. We were in a tight spot."
"No, no. We thought we might be overstepping, but you looked like you were struggling."
"Haha, you saw us in a pathetic state. It might sound like an excuse, but if we didn't have cargo to protect, we could have handled ourselves a bit better. But given the nature of our work, the reliable transport of requested items comes first, so things got a bit messy."
"I see. It's true that having an escort target makes monster battles significantly more difficult. On top of that, being caught in a pincer attack by so many enemies at once..."
On the surface, the conversation between Soga-san and the Trio was proceeding calmly. There seemed to be no problems so far. The talk eventually turned to the matter of the reward for their assistance.
Judging by their appearance, I didn't think the Trio were the type to extort a high fee... but caution was still necessary.
"So, regarding the reward for your help..."
"Ah. Right, we have to discuss that."
Hearing Soga-san mention the reward, the boy equipped with a kodachi, who seemed to be the leader of the Trio, rested his chin in his hand, looking thoughtful. Normally, in a case like this where an assistance request was accepted, a portion of the drop items obtained in the battle would be handed over based on the level of contribution.
However, in this specific case... how would we even calculate that?
"To be honest, I wouldn't mind handing over all the drop items from this battle to you. After all, you defeated over seventy percent of the enemies."
"That's..."
Yes, the problem was the fact that the people who helped us had slain over seventy percent of the attacking orc pack. Seventy percent... it was hard to tell who the main combatants even were at that point. Certainly, we had faced the orcs and suffered some exhaustion—both in terms of stamina and equipment wear. Since we hadn't been entirely useless, it was a bit frustrating to think about handing over every single drop item and getting nothing, but I could understand Soga-san's reasoning.
In short, the decision on the reward split was being left entirely to the Trio.
"..."
"I feel bad for giving you a proposal that forces you to worry, but I honestly didn't know how else to handle this. So, please take whichever drop items you like. Of course, it's fine even if you take all of them."
"Could we consult for a moment?"
"Ah, of course."
The boy gave Soga-san a slight, silent bow and began whispered deliberations with the other boy and the girl in his party. Well, anyone would be bewildered if they were suddenly given a free hand regarding payment. The total drop items collected from both sides were two skill scrolls, one magic item, three recovery potions?, three pieces of block meat, and five Core Crystals. We wouldn't know the value of the skill scrolls or the magic item until we paid for an appraisal, but if we cashed everything in, it would probably be several hundred thousand or maybe close to a million yen. Given that, it was a tough decision.
If they took everything as Soga-san suggested, it would be a nice profit for them, but a crack of resentment—however small—would form between us. On the other hand, if they refused and said they didn't need anything, it would cause a different kind of dissatisfaction, making us wonder if they were looking down on us. So, the consultation they were having now was about finding the right balance. I wondered what they would decide...
"It seems you've reached a decision?"
"Yes. As a reward for our assistance, we would like to take one magic item."
"Is only one enough?"
"Yes. We didn't step in because we wanted a reward. Receiving even one magic item is plenty. Besides, it might turn out to be something huge depending on the appraisal results."
It seemed they had decided to take only a minimal share. Among the items we found, the ones that could be cashed in for a high price were the skill scrolls or the magic item. It was a gamble, but by taking one, they stood a high chance of getting at least a hundred thousand yen.
Apparently, they didn't want to cause any trouble over the distribution either. I was relieved they made a solid judgment that didn't match their youth.
"Haha, that's certainly true. All right, then for the reward for the assistance request, we'll go with the transfer of one magic item... is that okay with everyone?"
"Yes."
The matter was settled. It had gone smoothly without any conflict this time, but disputes over rewards are actually quite common. That's why people are often hesitant to put out a request for assistance. Especially with young student explorer parties, those who make pragmatic choices while considering the other party's circumstances are in the minority. If you gave a typical group a free hand like we just did, they would likely take everything or grab all the highest-value items without a second thought. They’d do it without considering the long-term consequences.
If they thought about it, they'd realize how disadvantageous it is to leave a bad taste in the mouth of a party they might have to fight alongside again someday. Beyond just bumping into each other in passages like this, there are times when multiple parties have to cooperate to defend the staircase plaza where base camps are set up. If a party gets a reputation for being greedy, they might find themselves rejected for cooperation because they're seen as untrustworthy and troublesome. Some might say there's no use worrying about the future, but if you only think about the immediate gain, you'll never earn the trust that comes from repeated fair dealings. It’s all about balance, but that judgment is quite difficult for young explorers. From that perspective, they made a very mature choice that benefited both sides.
"Well then, we'll be heading out first."
"Yeah, we'll be departing once we've finished checking the cargo. Be careful on the way."
"Yes, thank you. Everyone, take care."
With the transfer of the drop item finished, the Trio departed for the surface ahead of us. We stayed behind to double-check our cargo. We hadn't taken any direct damage, but it would be bad if there was an oversight. We had to verify everything before moving out.
And so, we watched the three of them depart.
A few hours after that battle with the orc pack, we finally managed to return to the surface. Fortunately, the cargo was unaffected by the skirmish and we were able to move out quickly, so we returned exactly on schedule.
Haa, this exploration was exhausting in so many ways...
"All right. Then, after a ten-minute break, we'll take this cargo to the appraisal counter. Everyone, check your belongings to make sure you haven't forgotten to take anything out."
"Understood."
Following Soga-san's instructions, we headed to a nearby vending machine corner to take a breather. The job wasn't over yet, but since we were out of the dungeon, I felt it was okay to relax a little.
As I was resting and chatting with Tamori and the others over coffee, Tamori suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Come to think of it, Senpai. I just realized... wasn't that Trio we met during the orc ambush that 'Rumored Trio'?"
"...Rumor? Ah, that tall tale we were talking about on the way in?"
"Look, they were a trio too, and they'd managed to dive all the way down to the 26th floor. On top of that... even though they were on their way back, did you see their armor? Not a single noticeable scratch on it."
"Now that you mention it, you're right..."
Prompted by Tamori, I recalled the Trio from the 14th floor. It had been dim and I hadn't looked too closely at the details, but it was true that their gear had been pristine. For that matter... even though they had slaughtered that many orcs, they hadn't been splashed with a single drop of blood. They must be high-level explorers who are incredibly used to combat; they were in a completely different league than us.
If it were them, it wouldn't be strange at all if they were the source of those rumors.
"I guess it wasn't just an exaggerated tall tale after all."
"Yeah. If it's them, I can believe they're getting results just like the rumors say—no, after seeing them in action, I'd believe it even if I were told they were doing even better than the rumors."
"True. I wonder how they even pull off stunts like that..."
We both remembered the sight of them beheading multiple orcs in a single instant. If people saw that, of course rumors would spread. With that kind of skill, they would be incredibly reliable allies. It might be worth trying to recruit them into our company after they graduate. I should talk to the company scouts and see if they can look into them.
After finishing our break, we took the goods and moved to the appraisal counter for corporations.
"We will begin the appraisal now. Please wait a moment."
"We're counting on you. Ah, and as for this part..."
"Understood. I'll proceed with the paperwork for that."
Thanks to the establishment of the corporate counter, appraisals that used to take forever were now handled smoothly. In our case, most of the items we submitted were for our own use and weren't being cashed in, but the volume we brought in at once was quite large. Soga-san was also requesting the cashing-in of items that weren't on the official collection list, which would be used for temporary bonuses. The system was that once those items were sold and the money was transferred to the company's account, it would be distributed to the team members after a small commission was deducted. We brought in a lot this time, so I was looking forward to seeing the final amount.
The appraisal finished about thirty minutes later. We collected our items and moved to the parking lot where the company car was waiting.
"Good job, everyone! A lot of unexpected things happened during this run, but we reached our collection quota and everyone returned safely without injury. Once we take this cargo back to the company, the job is officially over. I know everyone's tired, but we’re almost there. Stay sharp until the very end."
"Yes!"
With Soga-san's closing words, we climbed into the car with the luggage. As soon as I sat down, a wave of fatigue finally crashed over me. The drive back to the company was about an hour... I think I'll sleep for a bit.
Haa, this exploration was definitely a tiring one.