The four girls who entered the clubroom sat down with a spring in their step, immediately diving into the consulting situation as if they couldn't wait another second.
Judging by the bright expressions and upbeat tones of Tatebayashi-san and her friend, I expected good news.
"So, about yesterday. I told my parents that we were turning down the consulting offer, and I also shared the dungeon-related information you all taught us."
"Setting the consulting aside, did you actually tell them about the dangers in the dungeon?"
I worried that the news about explorers potentially fighting one another inside the dungeon might have been a bit too much for their parents to handle.
"Yes. We could have kept it a secret, but considering the training we’re about to start and the chance of something happening if we said nothing, I thought it was better to tell them now. Besides, if the worst were to happen and we hadn't said anything, I wouldn't want them blaming you all for not warning us."
"...I see."
Even if something happened that was completely out of our hands, if we had known about such risks, people would naturally think we should have given a warning. If their daughter were to get injured, I could understand why parents might lash out at us, even if they were just looking for someone to blame.
To prevent that, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san had apparently chosen to speak up, even knowing it might make it harder to convince their parents to let them continue.
"Well, they were worried as soon as they heard, but my dad and the others had apparently been looking into things since our talk the other day. They said they’d heard rumors that such things happened. They seemed skeptical about whether it was really true, but after hearing what you seniors had to say, they accepted it, even if they looked a bit pained. They knew it was common in overseas dungeons, but they were surprised to hear that the same thing is happening in Japan, even if it's less frequent."
"That makes sense. I suppose the fact that it's rarer here than overseas was the point where they finally compromised?"
"I think so. My parents told us that if such dangers exist, we should listen carefully to what our seniors say and make sure we’re properly prepared."
"I see. Well, as long as they’ve accepted it with a full understanding of the risks, that’s good."
If they were giving us their blessing despite knowing the dangers of interpersonal combat, then we had to train these two thoroughly to meet those expectations. At the very least, they needed to be capable of escaping an ambush.
Well, Mika and Saori-chan were planning to train their combat skills anyway, so we could just teach them all together.
"Yes. But they still seemed a bit reluctant, so I think it would be a good idea to show them some results at some point."
"True. Maybe a sparring session or a mock battle before you actually enter the dungeon would give them some peace of mind?"
"I think if we can show them that we can actually move, they’ll be a bit more at ease. Neither of us has ever done martial arts before, so seeing us move like that would help a lot."
"...The timeframe is short, but I’ll teach you how to move reasonably well."
Maybe I should have them learn some showy stage combat alongside the basic conditioning? Something like what we showed Hiiragi-san’s parents back then.
Since they wouldn't have the boost from a level up, it wouldn't be as flashy, but we could still show that they were capable of handling themselves.
"Yes, please!"
"Right. That said, we have to start with basic stamina. If you're gasping for air halfway through, it’s not going to look very impressive."
And so, it was decided that we would hold a demonstration before they made their dungeon debut.
Once that was settled, we finally got to the main point.
"We got a bit sidetracked, but was everything okay with turning down the consulting offer? You two look like you reached a good conclusion."
"Yes, we both managed to settle it. Our parents said from the start that it was fine to refuse if it was impossible, so when we gave them the reasons you explained, they agreed immediately."
"On the contrary, they were actually beating themselves up for making such a reckless request. They were worried they’d troubled you and almost caused a situation that would involve the school."
We're truly sorry for all the trouble!
As they said that, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san bowed deeply in apology.
It really was a matter that had revealed more and more problems the more we looked into it. It certainly wasn't the kind of thing high school students should be doing as a side project. That was the sort of thing you'd start a specialized company for.
"You don't need to apologize so formally, so raise your heads. It was just a proposal born from the heat of the moment, and it gave us a good chance to think things over too. Teaching others is hard."
"Yeah," Yuji added. "Until now, I’ve just been going with the flow since we’re all close, but thinking about it seriously was enough to give me a headache."
"Indeed," Hiiragi-san agreed. "But thinking about it objectively this time really opened my eyes to a few things."
She was right. We had to consider our own standing as explorers and the actual monetary value of our labor.
I’d felt it vaguely before, but things had certainly reached a strange level.
"Onii-chan and the others really are amazing as explorers, aren't they?" Mika whispered to Saori-chan. "I knew they were strong, but they're legit top-tier."
"Yeah," Saori-chan replied softly. "To think we're being taught by people that incredible... thinking about it again, it's a crazy situation."
I could hear their "secret" conversation perfectly from where I sat, but I decided not to tease them about it.
"Anyway, I can take it that you both have your parents' full consent regarding turning down the consulting?"
"Yes, I've properly secured their understanding," Tatebayashi-san said.
"It's fine on my end as well," Hino-san added.
"I see. That's a relief."
The issue that had been weighing on my mind for a while now seemed to have been resolved without any drama.
As we breathed a collective sigh of relief, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san spoke up again, looking slightly apologetic.
"About the meeting with our parents... I'm sorry. It looks like meeting this week will be difficult. Their work schedules are hard to adjust, so they asked if we could aim for next week instead."
"It's the same for my parents. This week is looking tough."
The two bowed slightly as they explained the delay.
Well, they’d only just had an introductory meeting the other day. It would be emotionally difficult for them to keep asking for early leave or time off in the same week unless it was an absolute emergency.
"Well, we were the ones asking on short notice. We aren’t in a huge hurry, so next week is fine....Right?"
"Yeah," Yuji said. "If they’ve already agreed to drop the consulting, there’s no rush for the meeting itself. Those two can just focus on building their foundations until then."
"I don't mind either," Hiiragi-san added. "As Hirose-kun said, they should just work on the basics until we start moving in earnest."
With Yuji and Hiiragi-san’s approval, we settled on meeting the parents next week. We’d coordinate the specific date and time later once their parents had checked their schedules.
"Understood. I'll tell my parents when I get home."
"Got it."
Yes!
We’d probably know the exact day by tomorrow or the day after.
Since there was no rush, we’d just wait for the word while easing the two of them into their basic training.
Now that the consulting talk was over, we discussed our plans for the rest of the day.
I’d heard that Mika and the others had already started them on basic stamina training, so I’d asked to see how much Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san could actually do at this point.
"Since we’re done with the talk, is it okay to check on what we discussed yesterday?"
"Yes, of course."
"We've already brought our training wear."
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san gestured toward their school bags.
Since they usually practiced in a corner of the school grounds, they had readily agreed when I asked to observe.
"Then Yuji and I will head out and wait by the entrance. Just call out when you’re done changing."
Yes!
"See you in a bit."
Yuji and I left the clubroom to let the girls change.
We waited by the first-floor entrance, killing time with some idle chat.
"Well, I'm glad the consulting thing is over and done with."
"No kidding. It was a reckless thing for high schoolers to take on. I’m glad it settled where it did."
"Me too. If we’d fought over whether to do it or not, it probably would have ruined our relationship with Tatebayashi-san and the others. I’m just glad we had a valid reason to say no. I hate to think what would have happened if I’d just said yes without thinking..."
With that weight off our shoulders, we could focus on their training.
"That aside, I wonder how much they can actually do. Mika made it sound like they were in decent shape, at least."
"I wouldn't get my hopes up," Yuji cautioned. "Unless they were athletes before, they've only been at it for a month or two."
Even though explorers got a massive physical boost from level ups, they couldn't use that power effectively without basic motor skills. If they didn't know how to control their bodies, they’d just end up being jerked around by their own strength.
We’d all learned that the hard way when we had our own rapid level ups in the past.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh? You're done already?"
I turned to see Hiiragi-san, followed by Mika and the other three, all dressed in training wear. Mika and Saori-chan were training with them, so it made sense they’d changed too.
Hiiragi-san, however, was still in her school uniform.
"Wait, are you all wearing the same training wear?"
"Yep," Mika said. "We thought it would be better if we looked like a group. We’re borrowing space on the grounds, so it helps if people can tell we’re all in the same club."
"And since we sometimes train off-campus, having a uniform makes it less likely that random people will try to bother us," Saori-chan added.
That explained the matching outfits.
"I see. That makes sense. But wait... that isn't some super expensive brand, is it?"
I had a sudden worry. Matching uniforms were great, but I didn't want them to be a financial burden on Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san.
Unlike Mika and the others, they weren't making explorer money yet.
"Hmm? Oh, no, it's fine. You can buy these at any normal shop. They were actually on sale, so we got them pretty cheap," Mika reassured me.
"Oh, good."
It seemed my concern was unnecessary. High-end athletic brands could be ridiculously pricey.
"Alright, everyone, let's head out," Hiiragi-san said, herding us toward the door. "We’re here to see where those two are at, and that’s going to take some time."
"Right. Let's go."
We swapped our shoes and headed to the corner of the grounds Mika usually used. Other athletic clubs were active nearby, but just as I’d heard, their numbers were noticeably thin.
Before summer vacation, it had seemed like they were finally getting more members.
"The lack of members in the athletic clubs is even worse than I thought."
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. "Individual sports might be surviving, but the team sports are practically dead. If the sports world doesn't do something soon, the competitive population is just going to vanish."
We watched the struggling clubs for a moment, feeling a strange sense of melancholy.
"You two, stop brooding and get over here. We're starting!" Hiiragi-san called out.
"Ah, sorry. We're coming!"
"My bad!"
Yuji and I hurried over to where the four girls stood waiting in their training gear, looking ready to give it their all.