"All right, Logan, you’re next. Why did you decide to become an explorer?"
"…I became an explorer to send money back to my village. You can earn a lot if you're willing to put in the work, and my hometown is a desolate place—we barely have enough to eat from one day to the next. I was born there and, for better or worse, I had a talent for magic. The villagers told me I shouldn't waste away there. They pooled what little coin they had to send me to Tsutrail. That’s why I have to succeed. I want to make sure no one in my village ever goes hungry again."
Logan had a solid conviction of his own.
He must have worked desperately hard when he first joined the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. I could tell from the way he fought during the Guided Exploration that his skills were the result of genuine effort. His talent was outstanding; it was no wonder those around him had placed such high expectations on him.
Unfortunately, those expectations had pushed him in the wrong direction.
However—
"And yet, I lost my way. Everyone called me a genius, and I let it go to my head. I was arrogant. It’s humiliating to admit, but I really believed my skills were on par with an S-Rank Party… I was dead wrong. When that Black Dragon glared at me, I was paralyzed with terror. Even though I thought I had S-Rank strength, my mind went blank, my legs gave out, and I couldn't move an inch. Yet you took that thing on alone and killed it, Orun-san. Seeing you fight… it made me realize how blind I'd been. I was so disrespectful to you, telling you that you were weak or that we didn't need you. I’m truly, deeply sorry—"
Logan spat out the words like a confession, tears welling in his eyes.
He’ll be fine now, I thought.
"—I won’t lose sight of my goal again! My village sacrificed everything to get me this far. I'm going to make their lives better—that’s my purpose! But my heart is weak, and my skills aren't enough. I need more power to achieve my dream. So please! Teach me the Explorer’s ABCs! I’m begging you!"
Logan bowed his head deeply. I felt a sense of desperation from him that was even more intense than his earlier apology. By putting it into words, his purpose had likely become even clearer to him.
Even so, he’s a lot like me. He has the kind of eyes I like.
"…I understand. I’ll teach you everything I know. Whether you can turn that into power depends on your own effort. Also, if you ever lose sight of yourself again, don't worry—I'll punch you until you snap out of it."
"Ahaha… then I can rest easy. I look forward to working with you!"
"Finally, Caroline. Why did you become an explorer?"
"Hmm, I don't really have a grand reason like those two. I'm just good at killing magic beasts. When I kill them, people smile. That’s why I’m an explorer. Simple as that."
I could vaguely sense a deep darkness within her. Before, as an outsider, I’d avoided prying, but I couldn't do that anymore. Eventually, I would have to confront that darkness.
"I think that's a fine reason. Magic stones are indispensable to our lives. Do you like seeing people smile, Caroline?"
"Yeah! I love it! Because people who are smiling don't hit me! When magic beasts are around, everyone stops smiling. So, I kill the magic beasts."
…This goes deeper than I thought.
"I see. In that case, you should cooperate with Sophia and Logan. If you do that, I think you’ll all be able to keep smiling."
"Hmm, that Black Dragon really was super strong. To win against something like that, you'd have to be as strong as you, big brother, but that's impossible for me right now. If I try to coordinate with them, will I be able to kill things like that? I want to kill the vermin that take away everyone's smiles."
"I can't say for certain, but if you all work together, your chances of winning will certainly go up."
"I see… okay then, I'll think about it."
It seemed Caroline's current objective was defeating the Black Dragon. For the time being, she would probably start participating in our team coordination of her own accord. She didn't seem to have a particular obsession with fighting alone, so long as the target died.
"I understand everyone's reasons for becoming explorers now. I want you to hold onto those feelings. Your origins can be a surprising source of strength when things get tough."
Even for me, the final deciding factor when fighting the Black Dragon had been the vow I made when I first started.
"Um, Orun-san, do you have a dream or a goal?"
"Of course I do. I became an explorer with a single resolve: to become strong enough to protect what is precious to me, no matter the circumstances—so that no matter how unfair the world gets, I won't lose anything ever again. You can't protect anything if you're weak. That's why I'm still striving for more strength."
Yes, I still had to get stronger. My current strength wasn't nearly enough to conquer the Great Labyrinth. From here on out, magic beasts even more powerful than the Black Dragon would appear. I couldn't afford to be satisfied just because I’d managed to slay one dragon.