LHR ended with a chorus of wails as many of my classmates collapsed in despair. After Yuji and I offered a silent prayer for the dejected souls, we bid farewell to Shigemori—who sat there with a smug grin, having finished all his assignments—and left the classroom. Since we were headed for the clubroom, I briefly considered inviting Hiiragi-san, but she seemed busy talking to her friends. We simply caught each other’s eyes for a moment, and I gave her a small nod.
It had clearly been a while since they’d last seen one another; that conversation wasn't going to end anytime soon.
"Yeah. Everywhere you go, it's nothing but noise."
"Well, naturally. even if they were just first-years, ten people dropping out all at once is bound to pique everyone's curiosity."
As we made our way to the clubroom, the halls were buzzing with talk of those first-years. The news Hirasaka-sensei had delivered was quite the bombshell. No one could make much of a scene during LHR, but now that school was out for the day, the floodgates had opened. Everyone was gossiping about the dropouts however they pleased.
Among the snippets of conversation drifting through the air...
"Man, I’m jealous. Hey, why don’t we just quit school and focus on being explorers full-time?"
"Don't be an idiot! There’s no way we could pull that off. Do you have any idea how high the risk is?"
"He's right. Sure, the income might look good in the short term, but what happens if you get seriously injured? It’s one thing if it’s a wound that heals, but at worst, you could lose a limb."
"But look, right? Even if you got hurt that badly, couldn't you fix it with those high-grade recovery potions people have been talking about?"
Influenced by the mass exit, some students were eyeing the door with envy, arguing for a professional life. I could hear their party members—looking either exasperated or genuinely angry—trying to talk sense into them.
As I suspected, the news was bound to give people ideas. I could only pray that their friends' persuasion hit home.
"Honestly, a mass dropout... what were they thinking? I just hope my little brother doesn't get any ideas..."
"Oh, that’s right. Your brother is a first-year here too, isn't he?"
"Yes. He had a birthday before summer vacation, so he’s been working as an explorer since then. I'm worried he'll be swayed. If his party members invited him to quit and he said yes..."
"Ah, I see. That definitely is a worry..."
Apparently, that girl’s younger brother was a first-year. If you had a relative in that grade, you couldn't just ignore the issue. I was worried since Mika and her friends were first-years too, but fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—we had discussed the risks when talking about Kirishima-kun on the way to school, so they were likely fine.
It was just a shame Saori-chan hadn't been with us at the time.
"Hey, did you hear? Apparently the group that dropped out were those guys acting all high and mighty just because they were the first ones in their year to go pro."
"Wait, really? Man, you're quick. Where'd you hear that?"
"A junior who's my childhood friend told me. He said, 'Those are the kind of guys who quit.'"
"Heh. So this whole thing was just the result of them acting like hotshots?"
"Probably. Word is they had serious conduct issues. Maybe they just made it too hard for themselves to stay in school?"
I overheard something very intriguing. A group of first-year explorers with bad attitudes? The ones who had started earliest? That sounded suspiciously like...
I reflexively turned to Yuji, who was walking beside me.
"Hey, Yuji? Could it be that the ones who quit are..."
"...It might be. But it’s not confirmed yet. We should wait until we hear from Mika-chan and the others before jumping to conclusions."
"Ah, right. That’s probably for the best..."
I didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed. Still, if the rumors were true, a problem that had been giving me a headache since the start of the term might have just solved itself.
Listening to the various rumors, Yuji and I picked up our pace toward the clubroom.
Since the other members weren't there yet, we decided to do some light cleaning. Our club hadn't held any activities in the room over the break, so it had been sitting sealed for over a month. It was a bit dusty, so it needed to be aired out and wiped down.
Not that the physical labor mattered to us.
"Cleansing... there. All clean."
"Daiki, I'm finished over here too."
"Thanks, Yuji. I guess that's enough?"
"Yeah. I think we got most of the dust."
The Cleansing skill really was handy, even if it was a bit underwhelming if your proficiency wasn't high.
Once the room was aired out and the chores were done, Yuji and I took our seats.
"We’ve killed enough time. I wonder if Mika and the others will be here soon?"
"Who knows? We got off easy with a simple warning, but a mass of dropouts from the first-year class is a different story. They might be holding some kind of special guidance session to tighten the ranks."
"Ah, I see. Yeah, that makes sense."
It would be a disaster if more first-years started dropping out to become professional explorers. To keep them in line, the faculty was likely explaining exactly how difficult it was to re-enroll once you’d quit. If they didn't do at least that much, there would be no deterrent.
Besides, those who dropped out as a group hadn't necessarily just finished the paperwork today. The school would have had time to prepare materials for a lecture.
"Then they might be a while."
"Likely. Let's just relax and wait."
We sat and chatted about summer memories for a bit until I sensed someone outside. Thinking it might be Hiiragi-san, I looked toward the entrance, but the one who opened the door was Hashimoto-sensei, our club advisor.
I figured she’d come by to check on us since it was the first day of the new term.
"Oh? Is it just Kokonoe-kun and Hirose-kun?"
"Ah, yes. The others haven't arrived yet."
"I see. I wanted to see everyone and talk... that’s a shame."
"It’s been a while since class ended, so I think they'll be here soon."
"They haven't sent any word about missing club, either," Yuji added.
Hashimoto-sensei let out a small sigh, her expression slightly troubled. After a brief shake of her head, she turned back to us.
"Well, I suppose I'll talk to you two first. Do you have a moment?"
"Sure, no problem. Is this about... the mass dropout of first-years?"
"Yes, that's part of it."
"Part of it" meant there was more. As I pondered that, Hashimoto-sensei took a seat and pulled several sheets of paper from her file case, handing them to us.
What is this? Wait, ah...
"This is a list of companies that made inquiries about you during the summer break. In short, they’re scouts. Since you asked me to turn them down in advance, I told them you were honored but wished to focus on your studies for now. Fortunately, most were just reaching out to establish a connection. They mentioned they’d like to try again if the opportunity arises, so it seems they had no intention of forcing the issue."
"...This many companies reached out?"
"Yes. I did a light check on my end, and very few of them have bad reputations."
Yuji and I looked through the papers. They listed the names and contact information for dozens of companies. I couldn't believe how many inquiries had come in.
"Was it because of what happened before summer vacation?"
"That? Oh, you mean the sports festival? We certainly got plenty of calls after the sports festival, but this is likely something else. When I asked where they had heard of you, they said their employees had encountered some incredible student explorers while diving."
"Inside the dungeon, huh..."
"Ah, I see," Yuji nodded. "Those people must have filed reports. Well, they have to write daily activity reports, so it makes sense."
It was true that we’d run into several parties of corporate explorers during our summer dives. Those employees must have reported back to their headquarters. For companies looking to expand their market share, a student explorer party capable of reaching the 30th floor with just three people would be a prize they’d be desperate to snag.
And even if we hadn't introduced ourselves, a mixed-gender trio of high schoolers was a distinct enough description that anyone could identify us by checking with the Dungeon Association. They had brokered a scouting offer for us once before, after all.
"Well, that’s likely how it happened. I'll give you the list of companies so if any of them catch your eye, you can look them up. Of course, I'm here to consult if you need it, so don't feel pressured."
"Yes, thank you very much."
"Thank you."
Yuji and I offered a light bow. Seriously, the effort it must have taken to handle dozens of scouting inquiries one by one... I was filled with respect. If we’d had to handle that ourselves, it would have been a nightmare.
As we were looking over the list, the door opened and Hiiragi-san appeared, looking somewhat weary.
"Good work, Hiiragi-san."
"Good work."
"Good work... Oh, Hashimoto-sensei?"
"Hello, Hiiragi-san."
Hiiragi-san’s eyes widened in surprise; she clearly hadn't expected to see our advisor here on the first day. Especially since our club wasn't the type to get into trouble.
"Perfect timing. Here’s your copy, Hiiragi-san."
"...What is this list?"
"Apparently, these are the companies that tried to scout us over the summer."
"They heard reports from employees who saw us in the dungeon and wanted to snag us early. It's a bit shocking to see this many calls, isn't it?"
As Yuji and I explained, Hiiragi-san’s brow furrowed, her expression making it clear she found the whole thing a hassle. I’m sure Yuji and I looked exactly the same.
As long as we were active in the dungeon, it was impossible to remain completely unseen. We tried to be discreet whenever other explorers were around, but the word had still gotten out. I suppose diving to the 30th floor as a trio was just too conspicuous. At this point, we just had to be glad they weren't approaching us directly.
"I’ve already told the boys, but I’ve turned them all down for now. However, they said you're welcome to reach out whenever you like."
"Hah... thank you very much."
"...From that reaction, it doesn't seem like you're interested. Well, that’s fine. I just wanted to let you know the inquiries had come in."
"Um, thank you for all the trouble."
Hiiragi-san also offered a bow of gratitude.
Good grief. If it’s like this during our second year, next year is going to be even worse.
About fifteen minutes after Hiiragi-san arrived, Mika and her three friends finally showed up. Their faces were a complicated mix of relief and exhaustion.
"Good work, Mika. You’re late."
"Good work, Onii-chan. Oh? Sensei is here too?"
"Yes. Hello, Kokonoe-san. You look exhausted."
"H-Hello, Sensei. Haha, well, a lot happened..."
The four of them took their seats, looking drained. It seemed I was right about the special guidance session for the first-years. After they exchanged glances, Mika spoke as if a dam had burst.
"Hey, Onii-chan, do you know about the mass dropouts in the first-year class?"
"Yeah, I heard during LHR. Ten people quit to go pro, right?"
"Yeah, exactly. Well, about that... the truth is, the group that dropped out was..."
Mika paused for a moment to catch her breath before delivering the news.
"It was Goto-kun and his clique."
"...I see."
Having already suspected as much, I simply closed my eyes and offered a quiet reply. They had been such a nuisance to Mika and her friends that we had used the club and the sports festival to keep them in check, but I hadn't expected it to end like this.
Wait... could it be that our interference was actually what pushed Goto-kun and the others to drop out?