With the talk about the backup reward finished, the party of four we had rescued began preparing to return to the surface. Between their physical and mental exhaustion, it seemed they had decided to call it a day early.
Well, if we hadn't stepped in to help, it would have been a very close call for them. At the very least, someone would have sustained some level of injury. Heading back to regroup was a sound decision.
"Man, you guys really saved our skins. It was unlucky that so many goblins showed up, but it was a stroke of good fortune that a strong and kind party like yours was nearby. Even when you put out a call for help, there are some parties that won't jump in to assist right away."
"Eh? Does that actually happen?"
"Yeah, it really does. I mean, they'll step in if things get truly dangerous, of course. It’s what you’d call 'reward hiking.'"
"Hiking... the reward?"
I chatted with the man who seemed to be the party leader, mostly to pass the time while he finished his preparations. The topic of backup rewards came up during our conversation, and as I listened to the details, I heard something quite interesting. Apparently, even when a backup request is made, some parties are reluctant to provide support just so they can drive up the price of their help.
Basically, when another party provides backup, the standard reward is to hand over a portion of the drop items... but it seems greedy people exist everywhere.
"They wait until the very last second before stepping in, then demand an exorbitant reward. For example, surrendering every single drop item."
"Every single one? Isn't that a bit too greedy...?"
"Oh, absolutely. But what if you’re cornered by monsters and about to be lynched? What if you have a party member right in front of you groaning in pain? You end up agreeing to those terms just to get help, don't you? And then, they're kind enough to quickly heal your injured member with a recovery potion after the battle is over... It makes it pretty hard to complain that the reward was too high, doesn't it?"
"Wow, that's..."
The idea of hiking up rewards like that was irritating, but given the fact that they did provide help and quick medical treatment... there certainly are people who operate in such a shrewd, or rather, cunning manner.
Generally, you only request backup from another party when you're cornered or encounter an enemy you can't defeat. Even if the reward is settled by mutual agreement... well, it is an agreement. However, if a high reward is taken under those circumstances, it leaves a significant amount of resentment. But what if they also do you a favor, however small? Regardless of how you feel inside, it suppresses any outward opposition. After all, the fact remains that they saved you and treated your wounds. Even if you were to complain to other parties, you'd likely just be dismissed with the logic that it was your own fault for exploring beyond your means.
"Well, I don't think it's praiseworthy behavior, but I suppose it's better than nothing since they do step in before someone gets seriously hurt. Then again, on the flip side, there are still parties out there that try to haggle down the reward even after being saved..."
"Ah, the kind of people who request help and then say things like, 'We didn't need your help!' or 'Who told you to butt in!'"
"Exactly, those guys. I can understand the desire to lower the cost, but the party providing backup is stepping in while accepting a corresponding level of risk. Being stingy with the reward is just... Even if you succeed once, there's a chance you'll be refused the next time you call for backup because of it. There's no point in strangling your own future just for a momentary gain."
"That's very true..."
I’d heard stories that when the party system was first established, those kinds of people appeared frequently. Apparently, after causing all sorts of trouble, a self-purifying mechanism—specifically, the refusal of backup—eventually kicked in, and most of those malicious parties were naturally weeded out through retirement or disbandment.
That said, since new parties are formed and replenished all the time, those types of people never truly disappear. And it was only the truly vile parties that vanished; minor disputes over rewards still occur fairly often. It’s a reward earned by braving danger, after all; nobody wants to reduce their earnings for no reason.
"Thinking about that, we were really lucky this time. You guys accepted the request and moved in to help immediately, and even though the drop items were honestly pretty pathetic, you didn't complain once. Depending on the party, I thought it wouldn't have been surprising if you'd demanded something else..."
"Well, we won't know for sure until we put them through appraisal, but those items might be a lucky find in their own way..."
"Even so, isn't it far too cheap a reward for fighting dozens of goblins?"
"No, no, we didn't really expend anything, so that reward is perfectly fine."
The man looked at me with a gaze mixed with apology and concern, but I returned a wry smile and told him it wasn't an issue. Honestly, a battle of that level wasn't a burden at all for Yuji and me. If anything, the drop items were so pathetic that I felt bad for even accepting them.
While we were talking, the group of four finished their preparations.
"Well then, we should be going now. You really saved us, thank you so much for the backup!"
"Thank you very much!"
"Not at all. Take care on your way back."
After they expressed their gratitude with slight bows, we watched them leave the trap room.
Now then, all that was left was to wait for the trap's recast time, and then it would be our turn.
While waiting outside the room for the trap's recast time to end, we held a strategy meeting centered around Mika and Saori-chan.
Well, I call it a strategy meeting, but in reality, it was just small talk to pass the time.
"Something unexpected happened, but after the trap room's recast time is up, I’m going to have Mika and Saori-chan fight. The three of us will go into the room with you, but we’re basically just going to watch without interfering."
"Got it!"
"Yes!"
When I confirmed the plan for what came next, Mika and Saori-chan gave strong nods in response. Nodding back, I shifted my gaze from the girls to Yuji and Hiiragi-san.
"That's fine with you two as well, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I’ll see how much they can do."
"Good luck, you two."
"Y-Yes!"
In response to the encouragement from Yuji and Hiiragi-san, which was delivered with faint smiles, Mika and Saori-chan gave somewhat nervous replies. We had seen them fight monsters a few times on the way here, so we already knew to some extent how much they had grown.
All that remained was to see how well they could handle today's objective: multi-opponent combat. A performance where we had to step in was out of the question, but I was looking forward to seeing how they would handle themselves—whether they could pull off one-hit kills efficiently, whether they could move without getting injured, and whether they could finish the fight without getting covered in blood.
"Oh, right. Just to be safe, keep in mind that dozens of goblins might show up in this battle. Based on what those guys said earlier, for some reason, way more goblins than usual seem to be appearing."
I reminded Mika and Saori-chan of our concerns regarding this battle. If they anticipated the worst-case scenario beforehand, they could handle it calmly even if far more enemies appeared than expected. It seemed the guys we just helped had been thrown off by the unexpected number of enemies, which messed up their coordination and forced them to call for backup. From what I’d glimpsed out of the corner of my eye, they might have been able to handle it if they’d stayed calm, though it would have taken time. Well, I don't know if their stamina would have held out until the end, though.
"Yeah, I get it. I'll be careful."
"Yes. But if too many of them come out..."
"Of course, if too many show up, we'll step in to thin them out and perform a number adjustment. You're here for practice, and an excessive number of enemies isn't appropriate for that. That's okay with you two, Yuji, Hiiragi-san?"
Based on the premise that we were supposed to be watching without interfering, I checked with Yuji and Hiiragi-san if it was okay to hunt some if the numbers were unsuitable for training.
"That’s probably for the best. If they're here to practice multi-opponent combat and there are too many enemies, it won't even be practice anymore."
"I agree. For training purposes, it's better to fight a moderate number."
"I thought so. Then, how many should show up before we step in, and how many should we leave for them?"
Since they agreed on the number adjustment, the three of us discussed specifically how many to leave.
"Let's see. Based on how they fought on the way here... maybe around twenty?"
"I think the two of them could handle around thirty. But... since it's the first time, maybe around twenty as Hirose-kun suggested is better."
"I also think around twenty is good for this fight. If it's ten-odd, they might take some time, but they probably won't struggle. For practice, it’s a better experience if they have a bit of a hard time."
Everyone pretty much agreed that around twenty was the right number. It was the line where the two of them, who weren't used to multi-opponent combat, would likely struggle a bit.
With the discussion mostly settled, I turned to Mika and Saori-chan.
"So, that's the plan. We're going to have you two fight around twenty goblins... do you think you can do it?"
"Twenty... Yeah, I'll try."
"...I'll do it."
When I checked with them, Mika and Saori-chan gave short, firm replies with determined expressions, nodding strongly. It would be difficult, but I could feel their fighting spirit.
After waiting for a while while chatting and maintaining a moderate level of tension, the trap room's recast time elapsed.
"Looks like it's about time. You two ready?"
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
"Alright. Then, let's go."
And so, with Mika and Saori-chan in the lead, we stepped into the trap room.
As we cautiously entered the room, the floor near the center was emitting a faint glow. It seemed the trap had successfully reset as planned.
Which meant it would start immediately.
"Mika, Saori-chan. It's starting soon. We'll be standing back, so do your best."
"Make sure your first priority is moving in a way that keeps you from getting hurt."
"The key to group combat is to always keep coordination and an escape route in mind. Try your best not to get surrounded, you two."
We moved to the wall near the entrance and settled into our observation positions while giving Mika and Saori-chan advice.
"Yeah, just watch us!"
"Yes, we'll do our best!"
Mika and Saori-chan replied to our cheers while keeping their eyes fixed on the center of the room.
Then, both girls readied their weapons and approached the center of the room, putting some distance between themselves and us.
「!?」
It happened just as Mika and Saori-chan reached the midpoint between us at the wall and the faintly glowing center of the room. The floor, which had been glowing faintly, flared up for a moment, and then something began to emerge as if crawling out of the floor.
"The trap's activated! The goblins are coming!"
"Yeah!"
"Yes!"
After calling out to snap Mika and Saori-chan out of their momentary freeze from the surprise of the trap activating, I paid attention to the number of goblins appearing.
If twenty... or nearly thirty came out, we'd have to adjust the numbers.
"Twenty-four, twenty-five... What should we do? Should we shave off two or three?"
"...No, maybe it's fine like this? If they can demonstrate the same level of skill they showed on the way here, a 'bit of a struggle' might just turn into a 'decent challenge,' I think."
"True... If there were any more, we should probably cull them, but with this many, maybe we don't need to step in?"
The number of goblins that appeared with the trap's activation was twenty-five—a borderline number that made it hard to decide whether to cull or observe. Before the goblins could start moving, we had a quick discussion and concluded we would stay back this time.
The hurdle for the training had gone up slightly, but Mika and Saori should be able to overcome it. And so...
"Mika, Saori-chan! We're not going to step in, so do your best!"
"You can do it if you don't overdo it, so don't panic."
"Good luck, you two!"
I told Mika and Saori-chan that the training would continue as is.
"Roger! Let's go, Saori-chan!"
"Yeah! Let's do this, Mika-chan!"
Mika and Saori-chan readied their weapons and dashed toward the swarm of goblins.
Now then, the objective of today's dungeon exploration—multi-opponent combat training—begins.