The grim rumors surrounding high-grade recovery potions had left a heavy silence in the room. There wasn't much we could do about it until more capable explorers entered the scene, though. After all, dungeons had only existed for less than two years, and the profession itself was barely a year old. Most civilian explorers were still somewhere between rookie and mid-level; almost none of them were in a position to secure high-grade potions.
On the other hand, explorers attached to public organizations like the Self-Defense Forces or the police probably had a decent supply. They already knew about the high-ranking ogre variants, which suggested they were farming those floors specifically to secure high-grade drops.
"Anyway, I wandered off-topic, but that’s the reality of recovery potions," Yuji said. "They’re expensive, but a mid-grade recovery potion can heal almost anything that isn't a fatal wound."
"I see. From what you've said, it certainly sounds that way," Kengo-san replied. "Just to be sure, have you ever seen the long-term results after someone heals with a mid-grade recovery potion? For instance, have any side effects or anything similar appeared?"
"As far as we know, there aren't any physical side effects," Yuji answered. "However, they can't heal mental scars or trauma. We’ve personally met explorers who retired because of the psychological toll, even though their physical wounds were completely gone. I spoke with one person who’d recovered enough to live a normal life but said returning to the dungeon was out of the question. Apparently, their party members were still suffering and hadn't been able to move on at all."
"So, you've heard this directly, not just as a rumor." Kengo-san looked somber. He turned toward his daughter and Hino-san, his gaze heavy with the unspoken question: Do you really want to do this?
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san also listened to Yuji’s words, but perhaps because the reality hadn't truly set in yet, they simply wore unreadable expressions.
"Of course, that story was from right after the dungeons opened to the general public," Yuji added. "Back then, no one really understood the dungeon. We didn't have the combat know-how, and the unspoken rules—the etiquette—among explorers hadn't been established yet. Everyone was just winging it and learning as they went."
"Are you saying those were accidents born of a lack of experience?"
"I wouldn't say all of them were, but the situation has improved so much that those kinds of incidents are much rarer now....Mika-chan, could you tell them a bit about it?"
"Y-Yes!" Mika replied, her voice jumping an octave from nerves.
"Haha, no need to be so nervous," Yuji said, trying to ease the tension. "I just wanted to hear about the current atmosphere on the upper floors. For example, do explorers get into brawls all the time? Do you see a lot of people walking around injured, or explorers leaving the wounded behind to keep hunting?"
"No way! Even for a dungeon, the public order isn't that bad!" Mika fired back. Yuji was definitely laying it on thick to get her to relax.
I had to agree. If things were as bad as Yuji’s jokes suggested, the dungeon would be some kind of lawless wasteland.
"Haha, well, now that you've loosened up, tell us the truth. What’s it actually like lately?"
"Right. Um... well, the upper floors have a pretty high population density right now because of the massive influx of newcomer explorers for summer vacation. There was some friction between the veterans and the rookies who didn't understand the unspoken rules—like not jumping into someone else’s fight without permission—but that’s settled down over time. The safety and order haven't really gotten worse. However, because there are so many people, the monster encounter rate is down. Plus, since there are more drop items coming out of the upper floors, the buyback prices have dropped. People are a bit prickly because of that."
"I see. So it's the usual cycle," Yuji noted.
"Is it? Everyone feels a bit more on edge than usual to me..."
Mika and Saori-chan were seeing the summer rush for the first time, so their surprise was understandable. But we’d seen this play out before. Between the high school seniors hitting the dungeon during spring break after exams and the new first-years joining during Golden Week and summer vacation, this was our third time witnessing the cycle. It usually took about a month for things to stabilize. No major issues were likely to pop up at this point.
"It’s a mix of the lower encounter rates and the drop in prices," Yuji explained. "Explorers who have graduated from the rookie stage are trying to decide whether to move down to deeper floors. To maintain their income, they have to find floors with fewer people and better drops. That pressure is probably what’s making the atmosphere feel so tense."
"That makes sense," Mika replied. "If you’ve leveled up enough, moving deeper to find better loot is the logical choice. The influx of newcomers probably gives people who were already thinking about it a reason to finally move down."
"Exactly. Besides, if you're obviously stronger than everyone else around you, staying in the upper floors just draws glares. It’s easier on the mind to move to a floor that matches your skill level."
"Oh, now that you mention it, we’ve definitely gotten looks like, 'Why are they still on this floor?' a few times," Mika said.
That wasn't surprising. Mika and Saori-chan had been trained in the fundamentals by us; their starting point was miles ahead of the newcomers who just joined because of the trend. It was only natural that they progressed faster than average. We had been very cautious about moving them deeper to prevent injuries, but to outside observers, their pace must have looked incredibly fast. Luckily, it meant they weren't too affected by the chaos of the rookie rush.
"I'm sure," Yuji said. "So, what can you tell us about the injury rates or the state of combat among the newcomers?"
"From what we've seen, there aren't many serious injuries on the upper floors. Because it's so crowded, there are usually several other explorer parties hanging around whenever a rookie group starts a fight. If a backup request is called, someone else jumps in right away."
"I see. So as long as they don't wait too long to call for help, they aren't likely to get hurt badly. Did you see any fights over splitting the drops after a backup?"
"I didn't stick around until the end, but it didn't look like anyone was arguing."
Generally, it was an unspoken rule to give up a portion of the loot as a reward for backup. While disputes happened, they were rare unless a high-value item like a skill scroll dropped. And with so many witnesses around, it was hard for anyone to demand an outrageous fee without ruining their reputation. There were always exceptions, of course.
"Thank you, Mika-chan," Yuji said. "As you just heard, the upper floors are relatively safe right now. If someone realizes they're in over their head and asks for help immediately, it’s very unlikely they’ll suffer a life-altering injury."
"It seems so," Kengo-san replied, looking directly at Yuji. "Based on your accounts, a baseline level of safety is being maintained. But I also get the sense that it would be dangerous to rely on that entirely."
"You're right," Yuji agreed. "In the end, the only thing that matters in the dungeon is your own strength. You can't count on help always being nearby. The most important skill is the judgment to know where your limits are—knowing when to push and when to walk away."
"Knowing when to retreat is key, then."
"Yes. Most injuries happen because people misjudge their limits and go too deep."
Newcomers were actually more prone to pushing too far precisely because so many people were around. They fell into the trap of thinking they were safe just because everyone else was doing it. It was the "safety in numbers" fallacy. Still, it was better for them to experience a minor scare while a safety net existed than to make a fatal mistake later. Explorers who had been through a bit of pain tended to be more cautious and better at gauging their abilities.
"So, as long as one stays level-headed and stays in the upper floors, it's relatively safe. Is that a fair assessment?" Kengo-san asked.
"I can't promise zero injuries, but I'd say any wounds would likely be within the range of what a beginner recovery potion can handle."
I remembered how my classmates used to show up to school looking like mummies, but none of them had been truly crippled. These days, income had stabilized enough that people didn't hesitate to use recovery potions. I rarely saw anyone coming to school with visible bandages anymore.
The parents let out a collective sigh of relief. The tension in the room began to dissipate as their primary concern was addressed. Just as the atmosphere turned more relaxed, Kirie—Hino-san’s mother—started handing out bottles of tea from a convenience store bag. She’d missed the chance to do it earlier when the conversation kicked off so abruptly.
"Sorry about that. I should have handed these out when we first sat down."
"Please, don't worry about it."
"No, it's my fault," Kengo-san added. "I jumped straight into the hard questions. I should have let everyone settle in first, but I was just so restless..."
"We understand," Yuji said. "It's natural to be concerned about the safety of your daughters."
We all shared some small talk while drinking our tea. The parents looked much more at ease now. Eventually, the conversation turned to what the girls had told them about our own skills.
"The girls told us quite a bit about what you all can do," Kengo-san said. "That appeal demonstration you did at the sports festival—was it really just a fraction of your real speed?"
"Haha, well, something like that," Yuji replied. "The speed was real, but the movements were mostly for show. We were focusing on what would look good for the audience."
"Then your actual movements in the dungeon are beyond even that? I find that hard to even imagine..."
"It's just different," I added. "In the dungeon, you don't use flashy, wasteful movements like that."
Our movements were refined by Juzo-san to be as efficient as possible. I was still nowhere near his level, but compared to most, our form was clinical. When you applied that efficiency with the physical stats of a high-level explorer, you could dominate monsters with ease.
"I can't even spot where the waste would be," Kengo-san mused. "But if they train, will our daughters be able to move like that?"
"In terms of raw speed and power? Yes," Yuji said. "They can reach that level of physical capability."
Kengo-san narrowed his eyes, then asked one final, heavy question. "I see... Do you think the number of explorers will keep growing?"
"Probably," Yuji replied. "The number of professionals might only grow moderately, but the number of people acting as student explorers will likely explode. Even now, nearly half of all high school students have probably tried it at least once."
"So it really is going to become common..."
"Yes. Though there are rumors that schools might eventually ban students from getting an Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures. Between the short history and the various issues that keep popping up, there’s talk that all schools except for the specialized training academies might forbid it entirely."
That would probably take years to actually happen, though. The backlash from current student explorers would be immense until those training schools were actually ready.