With the parental meeting—or was it a consultation?—successfully behind us, we parted ways with Tatebayashi-san and the others in front of the rental conference room and decided to drop by a nearby cafe for a break.
Even if it hadn't been quite as draining as the last time, the experience had still left me mentally exhausted.
"Phew. Good work, everyone."
"Yeah, good job. I’m just glad we reached a smooth conclusion."
"Indeed. While we already knew the outcome going in, I’m relieved they didn't have a sudden change of heart and complicate things," Hiiragi-san added.
"Asami-chan and Hino-san looked so relieved too," Saori-chan noted.
"She’d been worrying since this morning, clutching her stomach and wondering if everything would be okay," Mika said.
We all let out a collective sigh of relief.
Though the meeting was a formality with a predetermined outcome, this was an issue that had been hanging over our heads for a while. It wasn't something we could ignore entirely. If things had gone sour, we would have been looking at many more days of headaches.
"I agree. I’m just glad that bit of trouble is sorted. From here on out, we can just focus on guiding them as their seniors, right?" I asked.
"Yeah. For now, our goal should be making sure they can avoid the typical mistakes beginner explorers make," Yuji replied.
"True. Ultimately, they’ll have to gain their own experience and build their own know-how, but there's no harm in us stepping in early to clear away the hurdles beginners usually trip over."
With the mess settled and the weight lifted from our shoulders, the three of us began exchanging ideas for Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san’s training. Relieved of our stress, the suggestions started flowing freely.
"Hey, hey, Onii-chan, shouldn't we order something first? We’ve been sitting here for a while now. Look, even the clerk is giving us a look that says 'Order something already.'"
"Hm? Oh, right. We should probably get something."
I’d been so absorbed in the conversation that I hadn’t noticed the time passing. The shop wasn't particularly crowded, but as Mika pointed out, the clerk was casting frequent, pointed glances at our table.
Yeah, better order something soon.
"It’s almost dinner time, so let’s stick to something light."
We decided on the dessert and drink set.
Once the order was placed, the silent pressure from the clerk evaporated. We resumed our discussion while waiting for the food to arrive.
"So, neither of them seems to have any issues with basic athleticism. Starting tomorrow, I’m thinking of focusing on their endurance while working in practical movements. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me," Yuji said. "Endurance can only be built over time, and it’s better to give them plenty of hours to get used to movements they aren’t familiar with."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said. "But shouldn't we start by finding weapons that actually suit them? We’ve been having them practice the basics of staff and sword techniques, but watching them... something feels slightly off."
I nodded along with Yuji. We’d both noticed a certain sense of incongruity during their practice swings the other day.
Of course, it could just be that they were clumsy because they had only just started.
"True. It might be best to have them try out all the standard types."
"Yeah. Why don't we try the stuff at my family’s dojo?" Yuji suggested.
"If possible, use training gear rather than the real thing, okay?" Hiiragi-san requested.
"We have practice equipment, so that won't be a problem. It’d be dangerous to hand real weapons to amateurs who don't even know how to hold them."
It seemed Yuji’s dojo was fully equipped with practice versions of various weapons, like bamboo swords and the like.
I suppose that’s just the kind of hobby Juzo-san would have.
"I’m surprised you have so many varieties. Can you use all of them, Yuji?"
"No way. Mastering every single weapon is impossible. I can use a few reasonably well, but most of them are just tools to help you learn how to handle an opponent using that weapon. It’s about understanding their movements and their range."
"Ah, I see. For that purpose."
Hiiragi-san and I nodded, satisfied with his explanation.
However, Mika and Saori-chan tilted their heads, not quite grasping the concept.
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"Hm? Oh, basically, we keep them so we can practice identifying the characteristics of an opponent's weapon at a glance. Think about it—in a dungeon, fighting a monster for the second time is always easier than the first because you know what to watch out for, right? It's the same even against a human. Regardless of the skill gap, if you know the traits and range of their weapon, it's easier to deal with them."
"Exactly," I added. "Especially in one-against-many situations, it's crucial to grasp the enemy's style and maintain your distance. This applies to being an explorer, too. For instance, if you’re facing a mixed-species group, you might be so focused on one monster that you misjudge the range or attack pattern of a different species... and that’s how disasters happen."
Yuji was stating something with a perfectly straight face that even veteran explorers found difficult to master.
Mika and Saori-chan seemed to realize the weight of what he was saying, as their expressions soured into looks of concern.
"That makes sense, but isn't that incredibly hard?"
"Well, it’s certainly difficult, but you’d be surprised how much you get used to it after a few tries," Yuji said. "If you can't handle it, you end up in a world of pain, so you naturally learn to do it right just to avoid that."
"……Meaning you keep getting hurt until you can do it?"
"It’s training. Well, in training, you just end up with some bruises. In a real fight, it’s much worse than just 'painful.'"
Yuji wore a weary expression as he explained to Mika and Saori-chan that the training was the lesser of two evils. Given that look, he must have been put through the wringer by Juzo-san in one-against-many mixed-species combat drills.
He’d definitely been through some pain.
"Sounds like you had it rough."
"……Yeah. It was rough."
Yuji stared off into the distance, seemingly reliving those drills.
Yeah, it might be necessary training, but let’s skip anything that leaves Yuji looking like that. They’d probably develop a different kind of trauma before they even set foot in the dungeon.
"Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun. We’ll test their aptitude, but that kind of training is strictly off-limits, understood?"
"Yeah, obviously we won't do that."
"Right. That’s way too early for amateurs. If we ever do it, it should be much, much later."
Yuji, you should probably just say 'never.' Mika and Saori-chan have 'what the heck' written all over their faces.
Hiiragi-san let out a small sigh and shook her head firmly.
"It’s off the table. It might be necessary eventually, but one-against-many mixed-species battles don't happen on the floors beginners dive into. We haven't even encountered anything like that on the 10th floor, have we?"
"Well, that’s true, but it wouldn't hurt to do it..."
"It would hurt, and it’s premature. They’ll give up on being explorers before they even see a dungeon."
She was right. If we tried that now, it would almost certainly end that way. Even Mika and Saori-chan, who were already active explorers, would likely break mentally if they were forced into that kind of training at this stage.
Faced with Hiiragi-san’s point, Yuji gave a reluctant nod, looking slightly dissatisfied.
"Fine, I’ll drop it. But we’re going to be very thorough with the mock battles and other drills."
"In fact, we have to focus on that," Hiiragi-san agreed. "Neither of them has any martial arts experience. Without proper training, they won't be able to move an inch in a real fight."
"Agreed."
While the unreasonable drills were off the menu, it looked like the remaining training was going to be intense. I’d have to manage Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san carefully to ensure they didn't collapse from fatigue.
Yeah, I should probably consult Hiiragi-san about that part.
"Pardon the wait. Here is your order."
The clerk’s voice broke the conversation as they brought our food.
We had all ordered the same thing: today’s dessert set, featuring a small fruit tart and our respective choices of drinks.
"Is that everything for your order?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Please enjoy."
With a slight bow, the clerk departed.
"Well, the conversation isn't over, but let’s eat while it’s fresh, shall we?"
"Good idea. Let's eat."
"Itadakimasu!"
The fruit tart was topped with strawberries, kiwi, oranges, and blueberries.
The crust was crisp, and the acidity of the fruit balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the cream. This was definitely a hit.
"This is delicious."
"Yeah. The balance is just right."
Yuji seemed to like the tart as well, taking a sip of his coffee with a satisfied expression.
Mika and the other two girls were already alternating between their tarts and drinks with looks of pure bliss.
"This is really relaxing."
"I agree."
Thanks to the tarts and coffee, the heated atmosphere calmed down.
We really were mentally drained; sweets were exactly what we needed.
"Well, we still have time before their dungeon debut, so there’s no need to rush. As long as we practice steadily, they’ll be fine."
"True. The goal is just for them to defeat monsters without getting injured the first time they go in."
"Exactly. Expecting a beginner to act like a one-man army is just reckless. Coming home without a scratch—that's more than enough for a start."
"Yeah, you're right."
Perhaps it was the sugar, but Yuji’s somewhat aggressive stance had softened.
"Coming home without injury—that's all a beginner needs to focus on at first. Overdoing it and getting hurt defeats the whole purpose."
"Yeah, I guess I was getting ahead of myself. Sorry for suggesting something so reckless."
"It's fine. If they plan to continue as explorers, it's training they'll need eventually. You weren't wrong."
"Right. You were just rushing things a bit."
"Exactly."
Yuji lowered his head slightly as he withdrew his suggestion, and we all accepted it without issue.
Once we’d finished our tarts and settled down, we moved on to discussing tomorrow’s training and the plans for the weekend.
"I'm planning to start the training in earnest after school tomorrow. Does anyone have a problem with that?"
"No issues here."
"I'm fine too."
"No problem! We were already practicing together anyway!"
"I don't have any problems either."
It seemed there were no objections to starting tomorrow.
That left the question of where.
"For the location, should we use that corner of the athletic grounds again?"
"Yeah. If we have a spot right here, there's no need to go elsewhere. We won't have much time on weekdays as it is, so wasting it on travel would be inefficient."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said. "We aren't doing full-scale mock battles yet, so let’s just keep borrowing a corner of the field. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the other clubs aren't exactly active."
I think that's definitely the 'unfortunate' side, Hiiragi-san. Having so many clubs suspended because they lack members is pretty grim.
Setting that aside, if it's open, we might as well use it.
"Right. In that case, should we get official permission to use the grounds?"
"Do we really need to? If we're in a club's way, we can just move. As students of this school, we have the right to use the grounds as long as we aren't causing trouble."
"True. And if anyone complains, we can just get permission through a teacher. Besides, it’s not like we’ll be using it for very long."
Given the desolate state of the field I saw yesterday, I doubted anyone would kick up a fuss over us borrowing a corner for a short time.
"Then let's meet on the field tomorrow. Should we bring a change of clothes too?"
"Yeah, let's bring our school tracksuits for now."
"We'll need to prepare our training gear too."
I'll have to ask Mika and get the same brand of training gear she uses. It’d build a sense of unity if we all matched.
Besides, it would be awkward if we were the only ones showing up in expensive designer activewear.
"We'll do that for tomorrow, then. For the weekend, can we use your place, Yuji? It depends on Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san’s schedules, but I want to check their weapon aptitude."
"Sure thing. I'll get everything ready."
"Thanks. Mika, sorry, but could you check with Tatebayashi-san and the others later? Tell them if they're free, that's what we want to do."
"Got it. I'll send them a message now."
"Much appreciated."
With the weekend plans tentatively set, we finished our discussion. Seeing as it was getting late, we decided to head out.
"Well then, let’s give it our all starting tomorrow."
I muttered those words as I stepped out of the cafe, feeling quite refreshed.
When you’re mentally exhausted, sweets really are the best medicine.