Chapter 7: Up Down
This time, it’s not a general discussion, but a practical one.
We’ll build cabins in each region without bias, using them as bases while rotating to hunt down the Fog. Each party must include at least one member with high detection abilities. These were established as the basic strategies.
From there, the discussion progressed without losing momentum, becoming quite lively. Everyone present was a seasoned warrior, so it was only natural that we engaged in a frank exchange of ideas, ultimately deciding on the party compositions.
Once the meeting reached a pause, I let out a sigh.
Reflecting back, a lot had happened during this meeting. The first thing that came to mind was Anon. For some reason, he kept turning to me, saying things like, “Right, Row? You think so too, don’t you?” and “What do you think, Row?” Each time, I struggled to come up with a response, wracking my brain to answer him. Was this bullying?
Next was Ash. When I was confirmed as a member of the Sealed Labyrinth exploration team, Ash looked at me with a serious expression and declared, “I’ll also head into the Sealed Labyrinth. I will protect you, Row-kun.” When our eyes met, her face turned red as if she had a fever, and she quickly looked away. I appreciated her words, but when she blatantly averted her gaze, it hurt me…
Then there was Saga. While I was struggling to deal with their antics, he chimed in, “This is why women are like this, right? Don’t you think so, Row?” He sought agreement on numerous points I didn’t want to nod along to in front of the women. How could I possibly respond with, “Yeah, that’s right”? Give me a break!
Amidst all this, I decided to leave the discussions to them and glanced at Sensei, who was sitting next to me (Saga’s opposite). Our eyes met, and her mouth formed a little ‘ω’ shape. This was a clear sign that she was in a particularly good mood.
I asked, “Sensei, you seem to be in high spirits. What’s going on?”
She replied, “I enjoy the noise, you see,” and let out a mischievous chuckle.
“Well, Son-in-law, it seems being around them has brought your face back to a somewhat decent state.”
“Did I really look that bad?”
“You had quite the gloomy expression. It improved as the discussion progressed, though.”
It seemed I had caused her unnecessary worry. I should do something nice for her next time (maybe a meal).
As I pondered this, the meeting reached its climax and was nearing its end. At that moment, Anon suddenly turned to me.
“By the way—”
There was a brief pause. Was he waiting for the right moment to speak? Because of that, an air pocket formed, and the room fell silent.
“What is it?”
All eyes shifted to me and Anon.
“There’s another party that has boldly declared their intention to explore the interior of the Sealed Labyrinth, aside from the party centered around Row.”
“Huh?”
I let out a bewildered sound. My thoughts momentarily froze, but Anon’s demeanor and words rapidly gained significance in my mind.
Wait a second. This is—
This is bad! Really bad!
I had a terrible premonition! My instincts were usually spot on in these situations—
“It’s the Hero Party.”
My instincts were right, as always (trembling voice).