A few days had passed since my return to Tsutrail following our introductions to the clan’s sponsors.
I arrived at the conference room early to attend a meeting scheduled to determine the future policy for the explorer parties under our banner. The turnout was substantial; in addition to the leaders of each party, several representatives from the Exploration Management Department were present, led by the department head, Estella-san.
"Mornin', Orun-chi! Looking forward to today!"
I took my assigned seat. Estella, sitting beside me, was the first to speak.
"Good morning, Estella-san. Likewise."
"Say, Orun-chi, did you see the morning edition of the Carteri?"
"The Carteri? If you mean the piece on Jade Gale, then yes."
I recalled the headlines I’d skimmed earlier. The news agency had run an extensive feature on the party in this morning's paper.
When I asked if that was what she was referring to, Estella nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that’s the one!"
According to the article, Jade Gale—an A-Rank party currently ranked third in terms of deepest floor reached among active explorers—was launching their attempt to conquer the 90th floor today.
Jade Gale was the home of Loretta-san, the explorer I had faced in the first round of the martial arts tournament back in June. Since the start of the year, they had been shattering their own records in the Great Labyrinth of the South at a staggering pace. It was no exaggeration to call them the fastest-rising party in the field right now.
"How likely do you think they are to pull it off, Orun-chi?"
"I'd say they’re almost guaranteed to succeed."
"Oho... and what makes you say that?"
Perhaps she hadn't expected me to be so definitive; she looked at me with a surprised, curious expression.
"Recently, Copper Afterglow has been diving to the 90th floor quite frequently and submitting regular reports to the Guild. Jade Gale wouldn't move unless they'd studied that intel first. They likely have a solid plan based on the data. That’s why I’m confident they’ll clear it."
"Hee... I see. I hadn't really factored in Copper Afterglow’s movements. True, their reports have been coming in pretty regularly, so there’s much more intel on the 90th floor than there used to be. In that case, I really need to start prepping an explanation for the sponsors... Ugh, what a pain..."
Estella slumped, a gloomy aura beginning to radiate from her.
"Are you worried about them catching up to us, Estella-san?"
Copper Afterglow, currently in second place, was a party that avoided the Deep Floors entirely. Because of that, they were never considered a threat to the top-ranked Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. Jade Gale, however, was clearly intent on conquering the Deep Floors.
That was the source of Estella’s gloom. After all, Golden Dawn had overtaken Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky in a similar fashion once before. I could understand why the clan leadership and the sponsors were on edge.
"Exactly! We can't just ignore Jade Gale’s momentum. We finally reclaimed the top spot after Golden Dawn imploded... I really don't want the sponsors breathing down my neck again!"
Estella started acting like a child throwing a tantrum, muttering, "I hate it, I hate it!" over and over.
Over the last six months, I’d come to realize she was frighteningly competent at her job, but looking at her now, you’d never believe it. I knew this was her true self, and I was secretly glad she felt comfortable enough to show it to me. However, there were people in this room who didn't know her that well. For the sake of her reputation, I couldn't let her keep this up.
"I think you’re overthinking it, Estella-san."
"Huh? Why’s that?"
To ease her mind, I offered my analysis.
"Explorers have to submit regular reports to the Guild, right?"
"Y-yeah. Usually, the parties write them, but for a big clan like ours, a dedicated department handles the interviews and drafting. In the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, that’s us—the Exploration Management Department."
Technically, anyone could become an explorer. Upon registration, you received a Guild Card that granted access to the Labyrinths, but it also came with the obligation to report your findings. While you didn't have to report after every single dive, failing to do so regularly resulted in penalties. Most explorers were diligent about sharing information.
Furthermore, the Guild maintained a continent-wide information network. It was safest to assume they knew exactly who was entering the Labyrinth and how far they were going.
"I appreciate all the work you do on those reports. They’re a huge help."
"Fufufu... You'd better be grateful! Come to think of it, Orun-chi, you used to write the reports yourself back when you were in Golden Dawn, right?"
"I did. It was a hassle, but it was a good way to review our progress. Honestly, I think it might be good to make the explorers do it themselves once in a while. Anyway, I’m getting off track. My point is that anyone can view those reports, and they reveal a lot about a party’s character."
"True. We use them for party analysis all the time. You can catch glimpses of their preferred tactics and what they prioritize during a dive. ...Though the reports you wrote were so clinical and dry that it was impossible to glean anything beyond the bare facts. They were so perfect it was actually annoying."
"Well, we didn't have the manpower of a major clan, so information was our only lifeline. We couldn't afford to give anything away. But back to the point—have you looked at the reports for Jade Gale?"
"Of course! They’re the most talked-about party right now. I’ve read every word."
"Then what was your impression of them?"
"Hmm... Primarily that they’re obsessed with speed-clearing the Great Labyrinth of the South. Also—and I hate to say this—their party composition feels a bit old-fashioned. They apparently brute-forced their way through the 88th floor, the one they call the 'Bane of the Front-line.' Their whole concept feels very similar to the former Hero Party."
The "old-fashioned" composition Estella mentioned referred to the era before the concept of "roles" became standard. Back then, parties didn't use Enchanters or specialized Defenders; they were almost entirely made of Attackers. While they had incredible explosive power and breakthrough ability, they lacked sustainability. Their overall conquest speed was significantly lower than modern parties.
The "role" system—assigning specific duties to each member—was a revolutionary idea credited to Selma-san. In the old days, only the exceptionally gifted or the incredibly lucky could advance. Today, the general floor-depth of explorers has increased precisely because these specialized roles allow even A-Ranks to survive the lower levels.
"I agree with you," I said. "And if that’s the case, don't you think the 91st floor will be a dead end for them?"
"Ah! You're right! The 91st floor is a nightmare of endless monster swarms! A vanguard-heavy group like Jade Gale will be overwhelmed!"
Jade Gale was the antithesis of the modern "balanced" party. Their lineup consisted of three front-line attackers, one defender, and one healer. While they were peerless against single, powerful enemies, their effectiveness plummeted as the number of foes increased. On the 91st floor, where the sheer volume of monsters was staggering, they wouldn't be able to play to their strengths.
"Exactly. It's possible they have a trump card hidden away, but there's no use worrying about 'what-ifs.' I don't think we need to lose any sleep until they actually clear the 91st. And by then, we'll likely be even further ahead ourselves."
"Yeah, you're right! I feel much better now. Thanks, Orun-chi!"
Thank you for reading.
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