"Then next—Logan. Why did you become an explorer?"
"...To send money back home. I chose explorer because effort directly translates to earning power. My village has poor soil—barely enough to eat day to day. I was lucky—or unlucky—to have magic talent. Everyone said I'd waste away there. They scraped together what little they had and sent me to Tsutorail. So—I want to succeed as an explorer. Make sure no one in the village goes hungry. Let them eat their fill."
Logan had proper convictions too.
He'd probably worked desperately when joining *Silver Rabbit*.
His performance in the guided expedition proved he'd put in real effort.
Logan's talent stood out.
No wonder people had high expectations.
Those expectations twisted him the wrong way.
But—
"Yet I lost sight of myself... Called a genius—got completely carried away. Cocky. Embarrassing, but I genuinely thought my strength would work in an S-rank party... I was wrong. When the black dragon glared at me—pure terror. Thought I had S-rank power—yet my mind blanked, legs froze. Couldn't do anything. And you faced it alone—defeated it. Watching you fight—I realized I saw nothing. Called you insufficient, replaceable—over and over. I'm truly sorry—"
Tears welled in Logan's eyes as he confessed like penance.
—Seems okay now.
"—I won't lose myself again! Everyone back home scraped and struggled to get me here! I'll ease their burden—that's my goal! I'm weak-hearted, underpowered! To achieve it—I need way more strength. So please—teach me the basics of being an explorer! I beg you!"
Logan bowed deeply—desperate.
More intense than before.
Putting it into words probably clarified his purpose.
(Those eyes... resemble mine back then.)
"...Got it. I'll teach you everything I know. Turning it into strength is up to your effort. And—if you lose yourself again—I'll knock sense back into you. Don't worry."
"Haha... Then I'm relieved. Please take care of me!"
◇
"Last one—Caroline. Why did you become an explorer?"
"Hmm—I don't have deep reasons like them. I can kill monsters. Killing monsters makes people smile. So—I became an explorer. That's it."
I could vaguely sense deep darkness in her.
I'd avoided touching it before since she was an outsider.
Now—that wasn't an option.
Eventually—we'd have to face that darkness.
"That's a solid reason. Magic stones are essential for daily life. You like seeing people smile, Caroline?"
"Yeah! Love it! Smiling people don't hit me! Monsters make smiles disappear. So—I kill monsters."
...Rooted deep.
"I see. Then cooperate with Sophia and Logan. That way—you can all keep smiling."
"Hmm... That black dragon was super strong. To beat something like that—I need to be as strong as you, big bro. But right now—impossible alone. If I match everyone—could we kill it? I want to kill that monster that stole everyone's smiles."
"Can't promise—but teamwork raises the odds."
"Hmm... Yeah—I'll think about it."
Her current goal: kill the black dragon.
For now—she'd probably join coordination willingly.
Didn't seem fixated on soloing it.
"Got everyone's reasons. Don't forget that beginner's spirit. Your origins can unexpectedly become your greatest support."
My final trump card against the black dragon was the vow I made becoming an explorer.
"Of course I have one. I vowed: 'No matter how unfair things get—I won't lose anything important. I'll become strong enough to protect what matters in any situation.' I became an explorer to keep that promise. If you're weak—you can't protect anything. So—I'm still going to get way stronger."
Still not enough.
Conquering the Great Labyrinth required more than my current strength.
Stronger monsters than black dragons would appear.
Beating one wasn't enough to get complacent.