The revelation from Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san left us speechless, our eyes wide with shock. I had certainly picked up on a certain vibe lately, but hearing it directly like this still carried a significant weight.
It made sense, I suppose. When every other member of the club is an explorer, it’s only natural to feel a sense of curiosity or even alienation. I could understand why they’d want to follow suit and become explorers themselves.
"I see..."
I took a sip of my remaining coffee to steady my nerves, then shifted my gaze from the two girls toward Mika.
"Mika, did you know Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were planning this? I mean, did they consult you before coming to us?"
"Yeah. They told me a while ago that they wanted to talk to you guys once today’s exam was over."
"I see. So this isn't just some impulsive thing brought on by the post-exam adrenaline."
Mika nodded, confirming my suspicion. I felt a small wave of relief. At the very least, they weren't rushing into the dungeon as a way to cope with the fear of having failed their bookkeeping exam. Becoming an explorer just to run away from failure is a recipe for disaster.
If they only ended up traumatized by the reality of killing monsters, they’d be getting off easy. At worst... things could end far more tragically.
"...Have you two been thinking about this for a long time?" I asked.
"Yes," Tatebayashi-san replied firmly. "I’ve known that all of you were explorers since I joined the club, and I’ve been interested in it from the start."
Hino-san, sitting beside her, nodded in silent agreement.
"Well, after the spectacle we put on at the sports festival, I guess it’s to be expected. Besides, in this day and age, everyone’s interested in dungeons. Among the second-years and above, nearly every student already holds an Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures."
"Yes. In our class, most of the people who have had their birthdays are already working as explorers," Tatebayashi-san said.
"It felt like the numbers spiked all at once over summer vacation," Hino-san added.
Given that environment, it was only natural they’d want to join in—especially if they’d been interested for a while and had friends they could talk to about it.
"Though, whether they actually stick with it is another story..." Mika muttered.
"Hm? Have people already started quitting?"
"Oh, definitely," Mika replied. "There are plenty of kids who realized that the reality of fighting monsters just... wasn't for them."
"Some had close calls," Saori-chan chimed in, "and others realized they just can't handle the blood."
That tracked. No matter how much of a trend it became, there would always be individual differences in aptitude. However, the fact that Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san still wanted to dive in after seeing and hearing about those failures suggested their resolve was genuine.
"So, you two want to try being explorers even after seeing what happens to those who fail?"
Yes!
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san met our eyes directly, their voices clear and their nods resolute.
This wasn't something I could just brush off. I needed to listen to them properly. Once I was sure of their determination, I decided to gauge exactly how much they knew about the life of an explorer. They had some prerequisite knowledge from Mika and the others, but I needed to be certain.
"Alright, I understand you’re serious. But let me ask: how much do you actually know about being an explorer? You aren't just relying on basic info from TV and the internet, right? You understand the inner workings?"
"Ah, yes. We’ve overheard other explorers talking, and we've heard quite a bit from Mika-chan and the others, so we have a general idea..."
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san looked a bit anxious, so I turned back to Mika.
"Mika, how much detail did you give them?"
"A fair amount. We talked about the types of monsters that show up and what kind of drop items you get."
"I see... What about the financial side?"
"Hmm. I think I mentioned that the buyback prices for drop items have been dropping lately?"
So they’d only discussed the surface-level finances.
"What about the initial investment? The maintenance costs for equipment? Taxes on your income? Even the cost of recovery potions can be staggering if you use them frequently."
"Initial investment... we talked about how much it costs to get a starting set of gear. I haven't really touched on the other stuff yet," Mika admitted.
"We figured they might stumble during their very first monster hunt," Saori-chan added, "so we haven't brought up maintenance or taxes yet."
I could see their point. If they couldn't even get past the first step, worrying about taxes and maintenance was putting the cart before the horse. There was no sense in complicating things before they even started. Besides, since the club used taxes as the theme for our school festival attraction, they probably had a better grasp of that than most.
"So the money talk has been limited to the absolute basics of starting out."
"Yeah," Mika said. "You don't know if you'll last until you try. That’s why when Asami-chan and Hino-san consulted us, we focused on teaching them how to defeat their first monsters without getting hurt."
Mika and Saori-chan looked rather proud as they began to explain their curriculum.
"Teaching them? Like what?"
"Physical conditioning and movement, mostly," Mika explained. "Just making sure they can move their bodies properly when they’re standing in front of a monster."
"In the beginning, Asami-chan and Hino-san lacked basic physical strength, and they didn't even know how to swing a weapon," Saori-chan said. "We were too worried to let them near a dungeon like that."
We're very grateful, the two juniors said in unison.
Apparently, Mika and Saori-chan had been training them after school. They’d been doing light jogging and strength training together, and for safety, they’d even been practicing their swings using toy swords from a 100-yen shop. Since Mika and Saori felt the two still lacked the fundamentals, they had planned to wait until they consulted us before starting more serious drills, like mock battles.
"It’s better to show some preparation to prove you’re serious," Mika said. "I figured if someone asked Onii-chan to help them become an explorer without any prep, you’d just doubt they were actually committed."
"True enough. In that sense, I can certainly see their dedication."
I wasn't sure how far Mika’s training had taken them, but the fact that they’d spent time preparing before coming to us was a point in their favor. I turned back to Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san.
"I understand that you’re both serious about this. So, since you’re consulting us, is there something specific you need help with?"
"Umm, yes."
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san shared a look, then turned toward Yuji with sudden resolve. Wait, Yuji?
Before I could wonder why, they addressed him directly.
"Hirose-senpai... we heard from Mika-chan that the weapons they use were provided by your grandfather."
"Hm? Oh, I see where this is going," Yuji said. "Yeah, technically, the weapons Mika-chan and Saori-chan use were passed down to them by my Old Man."
I remembered now. Because of legal age restrictions, minors can't directly purchase weapons like swords or spears. If a minor explorer needs a weapon for the dungeon, an adult has to buy it and then transfer the ownership to them. We’d used our connection with Juzo-san to get high-quality gear.
Lately, as dungeons have become more mainstream, a trend has started where parents of student explorers will purchase weapons on their children's behalf. But wait...
"Wait a second. Have you two talked to your parents about wanting to be explorers?"
"That’s, well..."
"Umm..."
At my interjection, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san looked away, their expressions growing awkward.
Ah. They definitely haven't.
"Look, I know it’s late to be saying this, but you need to talk to your parents. Being an explorer is a lucrative job, sure, but it’s dangerous. I’m sure you’ve seen classmates coming to school with injuries."
"I... have seen them," Tatebayashi-san admitted.
"One of them said it was just a light injury," Hino-san added, "but they were covered in gauze. Lots of it."
"Recovery potions heal things instantly, but they’re too expensive to use on small scratches that heal on their own," I explained. "Unless it's a wound from deep in the dungeon, most people just use normal bandages for light injuries on the shallow floors."
Thanks to that, our classmates had looked like a legion of mummies for a while. Now that they’d leveled up and gotten used to the monsters, you didn't see people coming to school bandaged up quite as often. Of course, it seemed the first-years had now taken their place as the resident mummy squad.
"Point is, unless you’re exceptionally skilled, you’re going to have constant scrapes and bruises. If you become an explorer without saying a word and come home covered in wounds, your parents will be devastated. At the very least, you need their permission and understanding."
"...You're right. I understand," Tatebayashi-san said with a small nod. "I'll talk to my parents soon."
"I will too," Hino-san promised.
I was glad they understood. I decided to move on to more practical matters.
"This might be a bit blunt, but do you have a plan for your initial investment? Even a basic set of gear costs a fair amount."
"I think we'll be okay," Tatebayashi-san replied. "We set a savings goal after talking to Mika-chan. I think we have enough to buy the same kind of gear they started with—assuming the secondhand market hasn't spiked."
"I see. We can check the Dungeon Association’s secondhand listings later. You might find a bargain."
"Yes," Tatebayashi-san said. "Mika-chan told us their first sets were used but in great condition, so secondhand is fine for beginners."
"They said the previous owners quit almost immediately," Hino-san added, "so the gear was basically new but half the price."
Mika and Saori’s armor had indeed been a lucky find. Whether we’d find another deal like that would depend on luck. However, while they could manage armor on their own, the weapon was the real hurdle. They could use makeshift tools like iron pipes or shovels, but it’s always better to have the real thing—if only to avoid being targeted by other explorers looking for an easy mark to harass.
"Secondhand is definitely cheaper," I said. "But for weapons, you really want something new—or at least something with a quality guarantee. With used weapons, there’s always a risk they could fail in the middle of a fight."
"...Yes, Mika-chan told us the same thing," Tatebayashi-san said.
"But proper weapons are just so expensive..." Hino-san sighed, her shoulders slumping.
It seemed they had the funds for armor, but the weapon was out of reach. The spears Mika and Saori used were incredibly expensive; I’d effectively fronted the cost for them for a while, and they’d only recently finished paying me back. That kind of money wasn't something ordinary students like Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san could just produce.
"And, well, considering the price of the weapons Mika-chan uses, it’s even harder to talk to our parents about it..."
"I see."
It would be easy for us to offer to cover their costs like we did for Mika, but she’s my sister and Saori is her oldest friend. Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were juniors we’d only known for a few months. Were we really in a position to front hundreds of thousands of yen for them?
Financial dealings are always a delicate matter.