Since my daughter had taken action just as promised, the meeting with the seniors from her club who worked as explorers was arranged much sooner than I had expected. In the process, I received a message from the parents of her friend, Hino-san—who intended to start exploring alongside her—stating that they wished to be present for the discussion. Even though I had done some prior preparation, I granted them permission to join, as we were both parents of children who had suddenly made an outrageous demand. When a child announces they want to enter an industry their parents know nothing about, anxiety is the only natural response.
Given the nature of the discussion, we couldn't meet in a public place where we might be overheard. I searched for rental conference rooms online and booked a room nearby. While a private room in a restaurant might have sufficed, it didn't seem right to invite high schoolers to a place that might make them feel small or intimidated, even if they were seniors working as professional explorers. For a first meeting, a rental conference room with a simple interior seemed like the better choice. And then...
"All right, shall we head out?"
"Yes, if we leave now, we should arrive at just the right time."
Slightly before noon on the day of the meeting, I left the house with my wife, Harumi. We had arranged to have lunch with Hino-san’s parents before meeting up with our daughters to have a preliminary talk.
If we didn't get our stories straight first, it would likely be difficult to have a smooth conversation with the seniors. At the very least, we needed to decide beforehand what we were going to ask.
"The restaurant was the Italian place in front of the station, right?"
"Yes."
When my wife and I arrived at the restaurant, we informed the clerk of our reservation and were guided to the private booth in the back.
A man and a woman were already seated inside.
"I’m sorry, I hope we haven't kept you waiting."
"No, no, we just arrived a little early ourselves, please don't worry about it."
"I appreciate that. I look forward to our talk today."
"Likewise. Thank you for agreeing to our sudden request to join you."
Bowing slightly, I exchanged greetings with Tatsuro Hino and Kirie Hino, the parents of my daughter’s friend.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, my wife and I took our seats.
"Goodness, I must say, the girls' proposal really came as a shock."
"Haha, you're right about that. It seems they had been preparing for quite some time, but from our perspective, it was incredibly sudden."
After placing our orders with the clerk, we exchanged mutual wry smiles, commiserating over the shared trials of parenting.
Perhaps it was because they were in an environment where so many of their friends were obtaining their Armed Exploration Permits for Special Underground Structures, but our daughters had shown signs of interest in the explorer industry since they started high school. After all, dungeons and explorers have dominated the news lately. I had suspected they might bring it up eventually, but I really wished there had been more of a warning.
"Yes, but at least we saw how serious they are. If they hadn't made any preparations and just insisted they wanted to become explorers, I would have turned my daughter away with a stern lecture, even if it meant she'd hate me for it."
"I understand completely. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the exact same thing, Kengo-san."
"Well, I suppose that’s precisely why they enlisted the help of their explorer friends to make sure their foundations were solid."
"Indeed. They’re either very sensible or just incredibly thorough. At the very least, we owe it to them to listen properly instead of rejecting them out of hand. They’ve shown us their true intent."
Since we were meeting people after this meal, alcohol was out of the question. Holding a glass of oolong tea, Tatsuro and I exchanged complicated, wry smiles.
Even a little research into dungeons and explorers revealed the dark side of the industry alongside the success stories. Even with the help of experienced seniors, it was hard not to worry.
"Exactly. It makes me resent my own ignorance. I know the surface-level info, but I'm clueless about the actual state of the industry. If I knew more, I could at least offer them some advice."
"I feel the same way. I keep an eye on the news and the internet, but I’m still left wondering what the reality is."
Despite the dungeons being open to the public, I had never personally entered one. I had seen the interiors and the monsters on TV and online, but I didn't have a tangible sense of how terrifying they truly were. My knowledge was limited to hearsay.
That was why, even though my daughter was about to dive into that world, I felt helpless—I wanted to do something for her, but I didn't know what was best.
"Yes. That’s why I'm so grateful for the chance to hear from your daughter's seniors, who have been active since the early days. We're currently groping in the dark regarding what gear they need or how they should prepare."
"Me too. To be honest, there are so many things I want to ask, like what the current explorer affairs are really like. For instance, if someone gets injured in a dungeon, can a recovery potion really heal them perfectly? I've heard the stories, but having never used one, it's hard to believe they can just erase an injury like that."
Tatsuro took a nervous sip of his oolong tea, his expression a mix of anxiety and hope.
"I understand. I've heard that injuries are part of the job, so I want to hear from someone with experience if they can truly heal major wounds. If those stories are true, then even in a worst-case scenario, I can feel some peace of mind as long as my daughter comes back alive, no matter how badly she's hurt..."
"It would be best if that never happened, but we have to be ready for anything. At the very least, I want to be certain that the rumors about recovery potions are true."
Dungeons—once the stuff of fairy tales—were now reality. While I could believe that a recovery potion could fix a small cut or a broken bone, the more incredible stories about regenerating lost organs or limbs seemed like a stretch.
But if those "tall tales" were actually true, it would be a significant source of comfort for us as our daughters prepared to enter the dungeons.
"Hopefully, we can clarify the truth behind those stories today."
"We lack so much knowledge about this industry. Since we have this rare opportunity to speak with experienced, active explorers, I want to ask everything I can."
This was a precious opportunity; we were going to learn things that were hard to find on TV or the internet.
Tatsuro and I nodded to each other and began refining the list of questions we had prepared.
"It's true that even beginner gear requires a significant investment."
"It seems the girls have been saving up, but they'll likely come up short. I intend to provide some support. If she were to suffer a major injury because we skimped on equipment, I’d never forgive myself. I’m not going to pay for everything, but I'll cover the minimum essentials."
"Yes, we plan to do the same. Since explorers earn their living by selling drop items to the Dungeon Association, we have to ensure they have the gear to at least stand a chance against the monsters."
"It's common knowledge that in the early days of the industry, many people entered without armor and ended up severely injured. No matter how many people say it's safe or easy, you can't neglect the basic precautions."
We reached an agreement on the necessity of financial support and began estimating the costs. Even if it was necessary, I still wanted to keep the expenses within reason.
"I heard that prices have been falling lately? I took a look at social media, and it was full of newcomer explorers complaining."
"I saw that too. The buying price for rare items is holding steady, but the price for common drop items from the shallow floors has plummeted, hasn't it?"
"Exactly. And that's where our daughters will be starting, right? I've seen some heartbreaking posts from people saying they can't even cover their transportation costs."
"It's basic economics—more suppliers mean a surplus, which drives prices down, but still..."
Tatsuro and I worried that even if our daughters were successful, they might struggle financially for a while. Not earning much right away was common in any profession, not just for explorers.
It might be prying, but I decided I’d ask the seniors about an explorer's typical finances. I wanted to support her, but that assistance couldn't last forever.
"The more we talk, the more questions I have."
"Indeed. By the way, isn't it about time?"
"Hm? Oh, time really got away from us. You're right, we should head over."
"Let's go, then. It's time to meet the seniors."
With that, my wife and I left the restaurant with the Hinos and headed toward the rental conference room.
The meeting with my daughter's seniors came to a close, and we finally arrived home, exhausted. The discussion had been more intense than I expected—or rather, looking back, it was the parents who were panicking and making strange demands. I had gone in thinking of them as my daughter's school seniors—skilled explorers, yes, but still just high schoolers. Until I sat down with them, I had completely misjudged them.
They were professionals. Not just "seniors" or "high schoolers," but professional explorers.
"I heard they were nice seniors, but they were nothing like I imagined."
"They are nice, though? They taught us so much, and they took the time to have this long, complicated talk with us."
"You're right. They're good kids who genuinely care about you. But more than that, they are unmistakable professional explorers. That's why they were willing to speak with us so candidly."
As active explorers, they told us everything. Some of it matched my research, while other parts were entirely new.
Throughout the talk, they remained objective, offering the perspective of professionals who knew the front lines. They weren't excited about having new juniors or trying to talk the girls into it; they simply stated the cold reality of the industry.
"Usually, kids that age will embellish their stories to look good, but they stripped all of that away. You noticed that, didn't you?"
"...Yeah. The seniors don't hold back. They tell you the hard truth and then ask, 'So, what are you going to do?'"
"I imagine that’s how they always are when it comes to the dungeon. But thanks to that, you won't get carried away like some of the other kids, right?"
"Yeah. I know the dungeon is dangerous, that it's not very profitable at first, and that it takes a lot of hard work to keep going. But I... we still want to go. I don't want to just listen to everyone's stories from the sidelines anymore. I want to be part of the conversation."
It was true that most of her peers had already obtained their permits and entered the dungeon at least once. She had every reason to feel left behind.
Moreover, as a practical matter, I started to think that we're entering an era where having some dungeon experience and a higher level will be essential. That was the impression I got after speaking with the seniors today, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
"Besides, I can already feel a gap between explorers and everyone else. I felt it strongly when I took the qualification exam."
"What do you mean?"
"You know that physical abilities increase when your level goes up, right?"
"Of course. Even though the seniors we met today looked like ordinary students, they have the ability to perform those incredible demonstrations we saw at the sports festival with total ease."
Sitting across from them, I had found myself wondering if those unassuming kids were really capable of such feats. But as the meeting progressed, I became certain that they were.
But what did that have to do with the exam?
"Right. When explorers level up, they gain superhuman stamina and concentration. That's incredibly useful outside the dungeon too, isn't it? Like for school exams or studying for university?"
"!?"
I nearly shouted at my daughter's words.
The surge of student explorers in my daughter’s year meant that a growing number of her peers were likely leveraging the benefits of being an explorer to boost their academic efficiency. To a student facing entrance exams in a few years, that was a terrifying prospect. We were heading toward an era where dungeon levels correlate directly with academic success.
If you don't level up in a dungeon, you'll be at a disadvantage in your exams... is that how it's going to be?