A short rest allowed Hino-san to regain her composure, and Tatebayashi-san’s outward demeanor had returned to a calm state as well.
Suzune was still a bit pale, but her footing was steady enough that continuing the exploration seemed safe for the moment.
"Well then, shall we head out soon? We still need to find a monster for Tatebayashi-san, after all."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
"I don't think we'll run into one immediately, but don't let your guard down. Things can happen faster than you expect, just like before."
"Yes."
Tatebayashi-san nodded deeply at my advice, her expression growing solemn. She was gripping her weapon with a bit of force, but her hands weren't shaking, so she didn't seem to be overly paralyzed by nerves.
"Mika, Saori-chan, I’ll leave the vanguard to you again. Hino-san and Tatebayashi-san, stay between us and observe their movements. Try to learn the proper way to navigate the dungeon."
"Leave it to me."
"Understood."
" "Yes!" "
"Then, let’s move out."
We set off once more into the depths of the dungeon in search of monsters. Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san walked with firm steps; the impact of the previous battle didn't seem to be hindering their mobility much.
"Hmm, I think it might be affecting her more than she looks. Hino-san’s walk... her core seems a bit wobbly, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Some of it is probably fatigue from being in an unfamiliar environment, but it's a bit too pronounced for just that. She likely doesn't realize it herself, but she's subconsciously hesitating."
"Hesitating... as in, she's afraid?"
The three of us—Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and I—took our positions in the rear guard. We watched the girls closely as we maintained vigilance, whispering our observations to one another.
To our eyes, while Tatebayashi-san was maintaining a relatively normal gait, Hino-san's movements were distinctly less stable than usual.
"Probably. She might not even be aware of it, but deep down, she doesn't want to fight monsters anymore. At least not today."
"I suppose that's only natural. The first real battle, the first time taking a life... it takes a heavy mental toll. The lingering sensation in your hands, the visceral reality of what you've done. Those aren't things you can just shake off easily."
"I agree. Let's stick to the plan: we'll head back early once Tatebayashi-san finishes her fight. Right now, they're running on adrenaline and staying composed, but once that tension snaps, it could get dangerous."
We knew from experience. During our first dungeon run, we'd been so shaken after our first fight that we let our guard drop and ended up getting injured. There was no reason to push these two too hard on their very first day.
"True. In that case, I hope we find something sooner rather than later..."
"It’s the 1st floor, though. I don't think we'll be lucky enough to find another one right away. Since it's less crowded than the main paths, it shouldn't take an hour... but we’re probably looking at around thirty minutes."
"That sounds about right."
On the floors we usually explored, we'd encounter monsters almost immediately, but the encounter rate on shallow floors like the 1st floor was notoriously poor. The fundamental issue was simply that the explorer population was far too high.
"Well, all we can do is keep searching and pray for a quick encounter."
"Yes."
"I guess so."
The three of us let out synchronized sighs as we focused on the four girls walking ahead.
"For now, we just have to make sure we don't miss any changes in their condition."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san nodded silently at my words.
Luck wasn't on our side this time. It took about forty minutes of wandering before we finally sensed another monster. We'd picked up a few traces twice before, but both times we'd sensed other explorers nearby and chose to take different paths.
With encounter opportunities already so scarce, the sheer number of people in the dungeon was a constant frustration.
"Hmm?"
"What is it, Mika-chan?"
"Stop. There’s one up ahead, Asami-chan."
"!?"
Mika and Saori-chan came to a halt, signaling the presence of a monster in the corridor. Tatebayashi-san, who had apparently relaxed a bit during the long search, looked startled as she tightened her grip on her weapon.
"Yeah, this presence... it’s probably a hound dog. It feels just like the first one."
"A hound dog..."
Tatebayashi-san murmured the name with a look of unease. She was likely remembering the fight Mika had demonstrated earlier.
"Ah, yep. It’s a hound dog."
As we advanced a bit further, the monster's identity was confirmed. Mika’s intuition had been spot on.
"Are you ready, Tatebayashi-san? Do you think you can fight?"
"Y-Yes! I’m okay. I can do it."
"All right. Then this one is yours."
Tatebayashi-san replied forcefully, as if trying to shout down her own agitation. There was a slight tremor in her voice, but I chose to let it slide for now. I handed her the water gun loaded with super-spicy water.
"Here. You saw how Hino-san did it, but take a practice shot first."
"Understood."
Taking the gun, Tatebayashi-san moved away from the wall and fired a quick test shot. The brief moment of action seemed to settle her nerves slightly. It was a small risk to take right before a fight, but clearly a necessary one.
"You look ready. Let's do this."
"Yes."
"Mika, swap places with Tatebayashi-san."
"Roger that. Good luck, Asami-chan!"
"...Right."
Tatebayashi-san gave a stiff reply and stepped forward with measured, slow strides. After a few paces, she crossed into the creature's alert range. The hound dog fixed its eyes on her and began a low, menacing growl.
"Grrr!"
"..."
As Tatebayashi-san closed the gap, the growling grew louder. Then, the moment the distance between them hit a critical point, the hound dog lunged.
"Graoooh!"
"!"
The monster charged, closing the distance in an instant as it prepared to spring. Tatebayashi-san didn't panic. She raised the water gun in her right hand, aiming for the creature's snout as she waited for the perfect window.
And then...
"Gao!"
"Hah!"
The moment the hound dog leapt at her, Tatebayashi-san pulled the trigger. Mid-jump, the creature had no way to dodge and flew face-first into a stream of super-spicy water.
"Gyan!?"
"Whoa!"
Tatebayashi-san sidestepped the incoming projectile of fur and teeth. The hound dog, blinded and burning, crashed into the ground as its posture collapsed.
The super-spicy water was incredibly effective when it landed a direct hit.
"Gyuuuh...!"
"Ugh..."
The hound dog writhed on the floor, clawing desperately at its own face with its front paws to get the liquid out, ignoring the way its claws tore its own skin. Tatebayashi-san stared at the carnage with a grimace.
"Asami-chan, don't just stand there! Finish it!"
"This is your chance while it's down!"
"!? Ah, r-right!"
Snapped back to reality by Mika and Saori-chan, Tatebayashi-san set the water gun down. She gripped her iron pipe with both hands and hesitated for a fraction of a second before slowly approaching the suffering creature.
"Gyuuuh... Gyuuuh..."
"..."
At the sound of the hound dog’s pathetic, weak whimpers, hesitation flickered across Tatebayashi-san’s face. It was undeniably hard to deliver a finishing blow to a helpless, crying opponent. But this was a monster. If she intended to survive as an explorer, this was a hurdle she had to clear.
"Tatebayashi-san."
"Phew... haaah... I'll do it!"
At the sound of my voice, she found her resolve. She raised the iron pipe high over her head, took aim at the fallen creature, and...
"!"
"Gyan!?"
She swung down with everything she had. The pipe connected with the hound dog's skull with a sickening, dull thud that echoed through the silent corridor. Tatebayashi-san held her follow-through position, eyes wide and shoulders trembling slightly.
"..."
Ten seconds of silence passed before the hound dog began to dissolve into particles.
With that, the kill was confirmed.
"Asami-chan, it's over."
"! Ah... yeah."
"It's okay now. Look, it's already turning into particles."
"...Yeah."
Mika’s gentle voice broke her trance. Tatebayashi-san backed away from the remains with stiff, slow movements. She looked dazed; we’d definitely need to follow up with her soon.
A few seconds later, after the particleization finished, a small bottle was left rolling on the floor.
"Oh! A drop item. It’s a bottle... is that a recovery potion?"
"No way, really? That's lucky."
"Eh? What?"
Mika and Saori-chan voiced their surprise at the sight of the loot. Just as they said, finding any drop item other than a Core Crystal on your very first run was exceptionally good luck. Tatebayashi-san, still reeling from the shock of the kill, looked completely lost as she processed their excitement.
"We’ll need an appraisal to be sure, but if this is a recovery potion, the profit from today’s run just skyrocketed."
"In concrete terms, that's a few thousand yen. Enough to cover your travel expenses and leave you with some spending money."
"Starting in the black on your first day is a great omen. Most people start in the red because of equipment and travel costs."
"Yeah, yeah! That's a total newcomer milestone!"
Most rookies were lucky to break even on their first trip. Being in the plus column meant the run was an objective success. There were rare cases where a lucky party found a rare drop and made a fortune, but those were extreme exceptions.
"I... I see. Haha... hooray?"
"That's the spirit! Say it like you mean it, Asami-chan! For your first run, this is a massive success!"
"Exactly! Come on, Suzune-chan, you too! Hands up! Today was a big win!"
"Eh? Ah, okay. Um... hooray?"
Mika and Saori-chan went all out celebrating, dragging the two newcomers into their energy. Eventually, both Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were caught up in the momentum, joining in on the cheers with slightly confused smiles.
It was a bit of a weird scene, but seeing the gloom lift from their faces made it worthwhile.
"All right, you four. I know you're excited, but let's dial it back. We're still in the dungeon; getting too carried away is dangerous."
"Ah, right. Sorry. But it's great, isn't it? If this is how their first run went, it's a total success, right?"
"Yeah, it is. Given that most newcomers start in the red, there's no question that this was a victory."
"I knew it!"
When Mika looked to me for confirmation, I gave her a firm nod. Seeing this, both Hino-san and Tatebayashi-san let out small, genuine smiles.
It looked like we’d managed to minimize the psychological trauma. If they were going to continue as explorers, having their first experience be a "success" was a huge psychological advantage. Of course, I’d have to be careful they didn't become overconfident or start chasing that high, but that was a concern for another time.
"All right. As we planned, we're ending the exploration here and heading back. The shock of a first run is no joke, so there's no need to overdo it."
"Yeah, the plan was one monster each. I think we should call it a day."
"I agree. We should turn back now."
Mika and Saori-chan were on board with the retreat. Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san didn't say it aloud, but their expressions practically shouted that they wanted to go home. I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san, who both gave silent nods of approval.
The decision was unanimous. The exploration was over.
"That's it for today. We're retreating. We'll head toward the traveling queue first, but don't get sloppy. Keep your eyes open until we're out of the gate."
" " " "Yes!" " " "
"Roger."
"Understood."
"Then, let’s go!"
And so, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san’s first dungeon exploration drew to a close.
Of course, we were still inside the dungeon, so we couldn't truly relax until the very end.