◇
"And then, listen to this! The second he appeared, he wiped out that whole pack of Orcs in a flash!"
After dinner, I parted ways with Orun and headed back to the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky headquarters with Sophia.
Sophia had been quiet while Orun was actually in front of her, but the moment he was gone, she became incredibly talkative about everything that had happened today. By nature, Sophia was shy and struggled to speak with strangers, but once she opened her heart to someone, she became quite proactive.
Even so, it had been a long time since I’d seen her in such high spirits.
"Well, for a guy like him, the result wouldn't have changed even if there had been dozens of them," I said.
"I knew it! After all, he was an Explorer in the Hero Party. Something like that must be easy for him!"
"...I can do that much, too, you know. I could take down a hundred Orcs without a scratch."
"I know, I know! I know that Big Sister is the greatest Enchanter there is!"
I felt a pang of conflict.
I was well aware that the world called me the Continent's Greatest Enchanter, and until recently, I had taken immense pride in that title. However, after witnessing Orun’s combat prowess, that confidence had been ground to dust.
Moreover, my party hasn't been able to make any real progress in the Deep Floors for an entire year. If Orun joined us, would he be the one to break this deadlock?
I gave myself a mental shake to drive out the weakness. I couldn't let Sophia see me like this. I had to remain the sister she looked up to.
"Yes, of course. And I’ll continue to be the best."
This was a vow to myself as much as it was for her. I had seen a glimpse of my own ideal self last month—I would keep striving to reach it.
"I’m going to work as hard as I can to become an Explorer who can stand side-by-side with you, Big Sister!" Sophia declared.
"Just because you say that doesn't mean you're allowed to go into the Labyrinth alone again, understood?"
"I-I know..."
At any rate, I needed to decide how to handle the party that had abandoned her. She was a member of our clan, and more importantly, my darling little sister. If they were going to leave her for dead, they had to be prepared for the consequences.
I’d already squeezed the members' names out of her, so I could carry out my retaliation immediately—but for now, I had to focus on the Guided Exploration.
◇
As we chatted, we reached the clan headquarters in no time.
"I have some business to attend to, so go back to the room, Sophia. You can head to bed without me."
"Are you going to be late?"
"No, I don't think it'll be that long."
"Then I'll stay up and wait for you! Good luck with work!"
Sophia gave me a bright smile and skipped off toward our quarters.
Ah, my sister really is the cutest thing in the world.
◇
I walked through the halls of the headquarters until I reached my destination. Taking a steadying breath, I knocked.
"...Enter."
Recognizing the voice, I opened the door and stepped inside.
"Excuse me. Grandmaster, I apologize for the late hour."
The room was arranged like a study. At a desk in the center, a man sat buried in paperwork. This was Vince Briars. He was in his thirties, with brown hair and sharp black eyes. He was the head of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky—known to every member as the Grandmaster.
Vince had taken over just last year, but because he had rebuilt the clan with brilliant efficiency during its most chaotic period, the members placed absolute trust in him.
"Selma. Did something happen?"
"I have two points I wish to report."
"Hmm..."
Vince stopped writing and shifted his gaze from the documents to me.
"First, regarding the Hero Party—"
Gh—!
The moment I mentioned the Hero Party, a staggering wave of pressure radiated from the Grandmaster, making me gasp.
"...My apologies. I didn't expect them to be the subject. Please, continue."
"Yes. It appears that the Hero Party’s Enchanter, Orun Doura, has left the group."
"............I'm not doubting your word, but is that the truth?"
Vince’s expression was one of pure skepticism. If I had heard it from a third party, I wouldn't have believed it either.
"It is a fact. I happened to run into him just now, and he confirmed it himself."
"...If it came from the man himself, then it must be true. There’s no reason for him to tell a lie that would be so easily exposed."
I nodded in agreement and pressed on.
"With this, the Hero Party's decline is certain. Without Orun, that party would never have reached S-Rank—let alone the Deep Floors. I believe this significantly increases the chances of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky returning to the front lines."
The other members of the Hero Party were certainly skilled and their coordination was high, but if someone asked me if they were truly S-Rank elites on their own merit, I would hesitate to say "yes."
Orun's support magic had pulled every single one of them up to a higher stage of combat. That was the only logical explanation for how they had reached the 94th Floor.
"I heard your report on Orun Doura last month as well," Vince said. "But is he truly that essential? No one besides you seems to rate him so highly."
"Enchanters are notoriously difficult to evaluate. Our clan has several excellent Enchanters, yet I am the only one the public notices. That alone is proof."
"That's a fair point... Perhaps I need to reconsider how we market our support roles."
"I'm not blaming you, Grandmaster. It's simply the reality of the profession. I’ve been considering how to change that perception, but I haven't found a definitive solution yet."
"A task for another time, then. But back to the matter at hand—even if the Hero Party's progress stalls, it is currently impossible for us to reach the 94th Floor as we are now. Catching up remains a distant dream."
"...You're right. Which brings me to my second report: Orun will be accompanying us on the Guided Exploration starting the day after tomorrow."
"...What did you have to give up to get him?"
"Actually, nothing. Through a stroke of luck, the conversation went smoothly. We’ll be paying him a fee, of course, but I don't believe the amount will be unreasonable. I couldn't discuss specifics in public, so he's coming to the headquarters tomorrow night to finalize the details. However, during the negotiations, he likely grasped our clan's current predicament."
"The situation with the sponsors?"
"Yes."
The Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky relied heavily on financial aid from the nobility. While our various business ventures were successful, the sponsors' contributions still made up over fifty percent of our total income. If that funding were cut, we would be in a dire state.
Until a year ago, our clan held the record for the deepest floor reached among active Explorers. But the Hero Party caught up to us, and that coincided with the departure of our party's absolute ace. Now, we've been left two floors behind.
The sponsors are furious, and we are in no position to rock the boat. This Guided Exploration—with its reckless, slipshod plan—was an order from the sponsors, designed to squeeze more resources out of the Middle Floors for their benefit. We only accepted it because we couldn't afford to provoke their wrath further, and because there were minor benefits for us as well.
"...If he’s already left the Hero Party, I suppose we don't need to be overly cautious, but let's be safe. I’ll join the meeting tomorrow."
"Understood."
"Now, the Guided Exploration is partly intended to scout talent for promotion to the First Unit. Do you intend to make Orun Doura our fifth member?"
The First Unit was the party I led. We were currently stalled at the 92nd Floor. Our ultimate goal was, naturally, the complete conquest of the Great Labyrinth of the South—defeating the 100th Floor Boss.
"I am considering it as an option," I admitted.
"I understand he is talented, but he is an Enchanter, isn't he? We already have you, a woman recognized by everyone as a top-tier Enchanter. Last year, we lost our absolute ace front-line attacker. I find it hard to believe that adding a second Enchanter to the mix will solve our problems. In terms of party balance, I cannot permit it."
"You’re... right..."
The Grandmaster’s logic was sound. If Orun joined as the fifth, we would have four back-line members and only one in the front. We would never survive the Deep Floors with that formation.
It was more realistic to promote one of the other guides, just as we had originally planned. Besides, there was no guarantee he would even want to join the clan. In fact, it was more likely he wouldn't.
"That said, I have no problem with him helping with the Guided Exploration. A former member of the Hero Party must have survived countless life-and-death situations. He’ll be an asset there."
"Understood. That is all I have to report. Excuse me."
I stepped out of the Grandmaster's office.
I was at a complete deadlock. Even though our rivals had essentially self-destructed, we hadn't taken a single step forward since last year.
How do I break through this...?
"Haa... for now, I just want Sophia to give me a hug."