Chapter 90

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---

The dull sound of flesh being struck echoed through the dojo. It was the sound of me intercepting the tip of the bokken (wooden sword) that Jūzō-san suddenly swung at Mika and Sae, just before it hit Mika. The speed of the strike was fast, but it seemed Jūzō-san was holding back, so it wasn't as powerful as it could have been. Still, such an action couldn't be allowed.

"What are you doing, Jūzō-san!?"

I protested, still gripping the bokken. Hearing my protest, Mika and Sae, who had finally realized the situation, collapsed as if their legs had given out, and stared in shock at what was happening... no, they were in a daze.

"Hmm..."

"No, that's not a 'hmm'! Why are you doing something like this!?"

"Well, I wanted to check your sense of danger."

"Huh!?"

I couldn't immediately understand what Jūzō-san meant. As I tried to read his true intentions, Jūzō-san released the bokken, indicating he had no intention of attacking further, and sat back down.

"You're leading these girls into the dungeon, so I wanted to see how much awareness you have as a guard. Guarding means being in a situation where you don't know when or how an attack might come, and being willing to put your own life on the line to protect the ones you're guarding. ...Do you understand so far?"

"...Yes."

Since Jūzō-san started explaining the reason for his sudden attack, I suppressed my anger and reluctantly listened to him.

"Kusakari, you did manage to protect the girl, but barely. As a guard, you're不合格 (unqualified). You failed to notice the signs of an attack before it happened, and you let it be carried out..."

"But, Jūzō-san, I never thought you would suddenly attack us. Especially in the dojo..."

"Is that so? I tried to give you clear signs..."

"Old man, are you talking about the bokken you left next to you while meditating?"

"What, Yūji, did you notice that?"

"...Yeah, kind of."

Yūji interjected with a gruff tone, pointing out the signs of the attack that Jūzō-san mentioned. From Jūzō-san's reaction, it seemed he was correct.

"Usually, you don't leave the bokken next to you when you meditate. I was a bit puzzled about why you had it there... sigh."

"Recognizing the difference from usual is a pass, but stopping your thoughts there is not acceptable. You came here to train so you can survive and return from the dungeon, right? You should have been in the same state of mind as if you were in the dungeon from the moment you stepped into the dojo. Honestly, I've already tried ambushing you a few times during training..."

Jūzō-san crossed his arms and sighed at our incompetence. I looked away, feeling guilty, as I remembered being hit by plastic kunai during our sparring sessions. When I protested, I was told that in a battlefield, there are no one-on-one situations without stray bullets or interference. Indeed, in the dungeon, when fighting multiple monsters, stray bullets and interference often occur.

"I'm sorry for doing this to the girls."

"No, no. It seems you had a good reason, so you don't have to bow so deeply..."

"...That's right. So, please stand up!"

Jūzō-san bowed deeply to Mika and Sae, but they were flustered by the sudden change in the situation. I guess it's confusing when someone like Jūzō-san bows deeply to apologize.

"Alright. Then, let's start discussing the girls' situation."

Jūzō-san stood up and began speaking in a gentle tone. I was already exhausted, even though the training hadn't really started yet.

---

We prepared cups of tea, and while taking a break, we had Mika and Sae directly explain to Jūzō-san why they wanted to become explorers. After they finished, including today's incident, Jūzō-san sighed deeply.

"I see. Hearing it indirectly and hearing it directly makes a big difference."

"Yeah, they're really a nuisance."

"Yes. The team has grown in size over time, and their attitude towards non-team members has become more aggressive. We can still refuse their invitations for now, but after the summer break..."

"From what I've heard, it's a difficult situation."

The team of repeat explorers, who continued to delve into the dungeon during the Golden Week, has apparently increased its number of members in a short period after the Golden Week. They have significantly increased their funds through daily exploration and are holding karaoke parties after school, trying to win over the middle ground who don't openly oppose the team.

Today, Mika and Sae were late to class because they were also invited to participate in the parties.

"What a troublesome group..."

"Using force to make them comply and giving them candy to increase their numbers... To counter their organization, we would need to provide an alternative 'candy' to prevent the current members from defecting."

"That's true. Many of the members who can't take the explorer exam due to age restrictions will eventually become explorers as time passes."

"Given that they are receiving benefits, the repeat explorers won't accept a refusal to take the exam at the last minute."

With the fact that they are benefiting, the non-explorer members of the team have no choice but to become explorers.

"In that case, will they be treated as meat shields in the already established team structure?"

"Probably not that obvious, but..."

"Who knows? If they have a solid organization, it might be different."

They might start extracting a portion of the dungeon income as a "contribution fee." The earlier one becomes an explorer, the higher their level will be. So, those whose birthdays come earlier will naturally be in higher positions, and those whose birthdays come later will be in lower positions. For the current explorers, the costs of the parties and the recruitment of new members are investments. Even though they are currently spending money, they will be in a position to extract benefits as the leaders of the organization in a few months. Those who join the parties and become members will likely end up with significant debts later on, especially those whose birthdays come after the summer break.

"Those who are already explorers will be the leaders, those whose birthdays come before the summer break will be the middle ranks, and those whose birthdays come after the summer break will be the lower ranks, right?"

"Probably, and once they join such an organization, it will be difficult to leave."

"It's like a mafia."

A group of mentally immature individuals with the power to surpass the current security forces... the quality is too poor.

As we discussed our speculations based on what we had heard, Mika and Sae spoke in trembling voices.

"Big brother... how accurate are these speculations?"

"Hmm? Well, they are just speculations, so not everything will be accurate, but I think you should take them with a grain of salt."

"Even half...?"

Mika and Sae whispered, their faces slightly pale. Even if only half of it is true, it's hard to imagine a future of poor quality.

"By the way, Mika and Sae, how many of the first-year students are in each faction regarding this issue?"

"Yukino? Uh... Sae, do you know?"

"Probably. Before the Golden Week, there were 3 clear opponents, 6 ambiguous neutrals, and 1 supporter."

"Before the Golden Week, they had already gathered 40-50 members."

Shizue asked the two, who were making dark speculations and looking anxious... when did she start calling them by their names?

Mika didn't know, but Sae seemed to have a grasp of the situation and answered. Before the Golden Week, they had already gathered 40-50 members.

"Since they are trying to win over the neutrals, it's unclear what the current ratio is. But, more people have been participating in the parties recently..."

"It seems a significant number have switched to the supporter side."

Our sighs echoed in the dojo. Even now, they are a major force, and at this rate, they will likely exceed 100 members soon. A team with more than a quarter of the first-year students... it seems that just becoming explorers won't be enough for Mika and Sae.

---

As we were trying to figure out how to deal with the situation, Sae raised her hand hesitantly and suggested an idea.

"Can we at least form a team to oppose them, even if we can't dismantle them?"

"Well, a one-party dictatorship is not ideal..."

"That's true. Even a small team with some influence would be better..."

"But can we form a team that can oppose them in the current situation? They already have a team of nearly 100 people."

"Given the current situation, it would be difficult to recruit a large number of people. Unlike the repeat explorers' team, we lack the funds and the power, so there won't be many willing to join."

"I see..."

We showed skepticism at Sae's suggestion. While her idea had merit, there was something missing to make it a reality. That something is...

"To form a team that can oppose them, we need a leader who can stand up to the repeat explorers."

"Right. Ideally, someone at the same level as the repeat explorers. At the very least, the leaders should be evenly matched to serve as a deterrent."

"And the leader must be a first-year student. This is a problem within the first-year class. If older students were to lead, it would complicate the situation. If the current first-year students become third-year students, the balance of power would be disrupted, and the deterrent would fail."

To form an organization, a leader or a just cause is needed. However, the repeat explorers' team has not engaged in any overtly problematic behavior beyond their blatant recruitment and poor conduct. It is impossible to form an opposing organization under the current circumstances. If we still want to form an opposing organization, we need a leader who can openly declare opposition and establish the organization.

"...Then, I'll do it."

"...Mika?"

As we were discussing countermeasures, Mika suddenly spoke up.

"Are you serious, Mika?"

"Yeah. I thought becoming an explorer would help me reject their invitations, but from what you guys said, that won't be enough. If that's the case, we need to take action ourselves."

"But, being a leader means standing in the front line against them. You'll definitely face harassment."

"I know. But if we don't, we'll have to spend our high school years hiding from them."

"..."

Sae fell silent, understanding Mika's point. We can still form an opposing organization now, but if we miss the opportunity, it will be too late. The repeat explorers' power will grow rapidly. They won't do anything reckless while the older students are still in school, but once they become the seniors... it's hard to imagine a bright future. If we do nothing, Mika and Sae will have to be cautious and avoid conflicts with the repeat explorers throughout their high school years. That would be too much.

"Then, I'll be the leader and form an opposing organization. I don't want our high school life to be ruined by those guys."

Mika declared firmly with a smile. In the silence that followed, Sae offered her support.

"...Alright. I'll assist Mika."

"Sae?"

"I can't let Mika stand alone in the front line..."

"Sae... yeah, let's work together."

The two held hands and pledged to work together. We watched them in silence, unable to say anything. If Mika has made her decision, we will do our best to support her with everything we can.

---

To ensure a peaceful high school life, we have decided to form our own opposing organization!