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"And then!? He appeared right in front of me and took out the whole pack of orcs in an instant!"
Dinner was over, and Orun had parted ways with us at the diner. Now Sophia and I were walking back to clan headquarters, where our rooms were.
She'd been quiet while Orun was around, but the second he left, the words poured out. She was practically glowing as she recounted the day's events.
Sophia's always been shy with strangers—struggles to open up at first—but once someone earns her trust, she latches on hard and talks nonstop.
Still, seeing her this cheerful was rare. It had been a while.
"Well, against dozens of orcs, the result would've been the same even if there were more. That's just how capable he is."
"See? He was in the hero party, after all! Of course it was easy for him!"
"…I could do it too, you know. A hundred orcs? I'd come out without a scratch."
"I know! Big sis is the greatest enchanter on the continent—I get it!"
Hearing that twisted something inside me.
I knew the world called me the continent's top enchanter. Until recently, I'd believed it too.
But after seeing Orun fight last month, that confidence shattered.
And my party hasn't made any real progress in the deep layers this past year.
If Orun joined us… could he turn things around?
I shook off the weakness creeping in.
I couldn't show this side to Sophia. I wanted to stay the big sister she looked up to.
"Of course. I'll keep being the number-one enchanter from here on out."
A vow to myself as much as to her.
I'd seen my ideal enchanter last month. I'd keep working until I could stand beside that image.
"I'm going to train hard so I can catch up to you as soon as possible!"
"Just don't go sneaking into the labyrinth alone again, okay?"
"I-I know… I won't…"
Anyway, what should I do about the party that abandoned her?
Clan comrades—and my precious little sister. If they ditched her, they'd better be ready for payback.
I already got their names. I could act anytime.
But right now, the guided exploration had to come first.
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Chatting with Sophia made the walk fly by, and soon we were at headquarters.
"I've got some business to handle. Go on to your room—feel free to sleep if you're tired."
"You'll be late?"
"Not too late, I think."
"Then I'll wait up! Good luck with work!"
She flashed a bright smile and headed off toward her room.
Ah… my little sister really is the cutest in the world.
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I walked through headquarters until I reached the target door.
After a steadying breath, I knocked.
"…Come in."
I opened the door at the voice from inside.
"Excuse me. Sorry to bother you so late, Commander."
The room resembled a study. At the center desk sat a man buried in paperwork.
Vince Briars—thirty-something, light brown hair, black eyes.
He was the top of "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky", known to everyone as the Commander.
He'd taken over last year during the clan's worst chaos and turned it around with masterful leadership. The members trusted him completely.
"Selma. Something up?"
"I have two reports, if I may."
"Hm…"
He paused his work and looked up from the papers.
"First concerns the hero party—!"
The moment I said the words, an overwhelming pressure rolled off him. I swallowed hard.
"…Sorry. Didn't expect that name. Go on."
"Yes. It seems Orun Dura, the hero party's enchanter, has left the group."
"…You're sure? I'm not doubting you, but…"
He looked unconvinced. I couldn't blame him—if someone told me the same, I'd have reacted the same way.
"It's true. I met him by chance earlier, and he mentioned it himself."
"…If he said it personally, it's probably real. No reason to lie about something we could verify easily."
I nodded at his murmur and continued.
"This weakens the hero party for sure. Without Orun, they wouldn't have reached S-rank depths. It raises our chances of reclaiming the frontline."
The other hero party members were skilled, coordination flawless.
But were any of them truly S-rank caliber on their own? Hard to say yes with confidence.
The hero party's ninety-fourth-floor record owed everything to Orun's buffs elevating everyone a tier higher.
"I heard about Orun last month too. But really? No one else rates him that highly."
"Enchanters are hard to evaluate. Our clan has plenty of excellent ones, yet I'm the only one the public notices. That proves it."
"That stings… We need to rethink how we promote our support roles."
"No blame intended—just stating facts. I've been thinking about publicity too, but nothing solid yet."
"Something for later, then. …Back to the point: even if the hero party stalls, we still can't reach ninety-four floors in our current state. Catching up remains impossible."
"…You're right. Which brings me to the second report: Orun has agreed to join the guided exploration starting the day after tomorrow."
"…What did you offer him?"
"Nothing. It just… worked out. We'll pay him, but nothing outrageous. Details couldn't be discussed outside, so he'll come to headquarters tomorrow night. That said, he might have grasped our clan's situation during the talk."
"The sponsors?"
"Yes."
Our clan relied heavily on noble sponsors for funding.
Our businesses were successful, but sponsor money still made up over half our income. Losing it would cripple us.
A year ago we held the deepest active record—until the hero party caught up, our absolute ace left, and now we trailed by two floors.
The sponsors were furious. We couldn't afford to rock the boat.
The guided exploration itself was born from their sloppy demands—for quicker access to mid-layer resources. We had benefits too, so we reluctantly agreed.
"…If he's already out of the hero party, maybe no need to be too cautious. Still, better safe. I'll sit in tomorrow."
"Understood."
"The guided exploration also aims to scout potential first-unit promotions from the escorts. Are you thinking of Orun as the fifth member for your party?"
The first unit was my party—currently at ninety-two floors.
Our ultimate goal: conquer the southern great labyrinth's hundredth-floor boss.
The clan had many other explorers and parties, grouped by rank: second unit for A-ranks, third for B-ranks, and so on.
"It's one possibility I'm considering."
"I get that he's talented. But he's an enchanter. You're already the best we've got in that role—acknowledged by everyone. We lost our irreplaceable frontline attacker last year. Adding another support instead of replacing that damage dealer won't fix our balance. I can't approve it."
"…Yeah. You're right."
His logic was sound.
With Orun as fifth, we'd have four backline and one frontline. No way that clears deep layers.
Better to stick with the original plan—promote from the other escorts.
Besides, we didn't even know if he'd join the clan at all.
Realistically, the odds leaned against it.
"That said, having him escort is fine. He's survived countless hells with the hero party."
"Understood. That's all for my reports. I'll take my leave."
I stepped out of the Commander's office.
…Dead end everywhere.
The hero party finally self-destructed, handing us an opening—and we hadn't advanced a single step since last year.
How do we break out of this…?
"Sigh… For now, I just want Sophia to cheer me up."