Tomorrow had arrived.
Strange.
After yesterday, I was certain I wouldn't get any sleep at all. But soon as I set my head down, I slept like a baby. I was woken up by the scent of the campfire. The smell of fish being smoked.
I was the last one up; I realized as I turned my head, Seeing Mika, Takeshi our thief Shin, and Mr Hicks all seated by the campfire, eating.
"Ah, Sato. Come on up, you must eat." Hicks let out as he noticed me waking up, "we must all be at the top of our game for today."
"Right... The Dungeon run," I stood up, noticing none of our party members met my eyes. The air was quiet, heavy in a way that made even small movements feel loud. Only Sir Hicks' voice and steady smile seemed untouched by it.
"Oi, Sato," Shin glanced my way, "Me and Mika-chan stood watch this night. After we leave the dungeon, it's yours and Takeshi's turn."
I swallowed the morning mucus as I looked at him evenly, "Yeah. I know.."
I took a breath.
"I'll... wash my face," I murmured. Sir Hicks gave a short nod, nothing more. I walked off toward the nearest river, knelt by the bank, and began splashing cold water against my face.
Before coming to this world, I always imagined camping in an isekai setting as something chill. Campfires, light banter, falling asleep under the stars.
'I already prepared myself for not being able to use a bathroom, or toilet paper... Well, luckily they had those. But apparently paper is expensive. Only us heroes can really afford it. Peasants or other adventurers either do not wipe at all or use leaves and sand or scraps of cloth...' Eugh. I shook my head, trying to push the thought away.
Then I blinked, my reflection rippling in the flowing river water. The scent of damp earth mixed with my own sweat reached my nose, sharp enough that I noticed it immediately.
'But now, 8 months later... Even I had not realized how much there is to do when you camp in a fantasy setting.'
For example, showers. Even for the privileged bunch, bathing is a once-in-a-week luxury unless you are a water mage, some filthy-rich merchant, nobility, or royalty. The last time I took a proper shower... Or even brushed my teeth; was over a month ago, back when we were still in the Capital, before we set out on this dungeon run. Since then, it had been rivers, boiled water, and quick wipes that never quite felt clean.
And that was not even counting the baggage I had to carry, or item maintenance. I had not even considered that a mage-type like me would end up wearing armor at all. Armor had to be constantly checked and cleaned, leather belts needed drying and oiling, blades like Shin's and Takeshi's had to be inspected for rust or chips and cleaned after every battle, and clothes had to be aired out unless you wanted them to rot while you wore them. That was just the tip of it.
That's why Mithril was everyone's wet dream. Even mine, at some point. It barely chips if you treat it well enough.
Before nightfall, we always had to find a place with a drinkable water source nearby. A river that flowed somewhere, because apparently stagnant water could get you sick overnight, but not one that flowed too fast either. We needed a place we could escape into if necessary, without a strong current dragging us away.
After the isekai high faded, a few days after we left the Capital with Sir Hicks, that was when we all realized it.
'This is no game, or light novel.'
And according to what I learned from Sir Nickelson in the Capital... The way they value efficiency and politics over morals... Unless we found a way to make ourselves useful, or became insanely rich after the Demon Lord was dealt with, assuming we even beat her at all...
'...we should all just go home afterward. Even with all our great abilities.'
I looked down at my hand, watching it glow faintly as I summoned my rune magic.
'If we choose to stay here...'
'...we would only suffer.'
I had not even considered it until my time as 'Gary the Royal Guard':
'That a hero's use is something that does not last forever. People. The kingdom. None of them will need us once the Demon Lord is gone.'
'And...' I clenched my fist. 'We are just kids. Kids who got powers by chance. At best, we become useful pawns if the kingdom decides we are worth keeping around. At worst...'
'We get killed.'
The thought would not leave.
'When I compare our two worlds, there is one thing they share.' I swallowed. 'Politics.'
'And in my old world... politicians never hesitated to do horrendous things if it meant keeping their power.'
My chest tightened.
'Who is to say killing kids to stay in a high position is above a king who sent Makoto to die without blinking?' I narrowed my gaze.
'Am I... overthinking this?'
"SATO! Imma eat your fish! We do not have time to shower today! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" a voice called out.
Takeshi.
Right.
Dungeon run.
'I'll worry about it later,' I sighed, splashing my face one last time before standing up and walking back.
Takeshi was chewing loudly, Mika sat cross-legged with her bow resting beside her, and Shin leaned back against a log, picking at his teeth with a twig like he had not just complained about breath five minutes ago. Sir Hicks stood apart from them, wiping his hands on a cloth before folding it neatly and placing it back into his pouch.
He looked up as I approached.
"Good. You are awake and breathing," Sir Hicks said mildly. "Sit. Eat. We leave in ten minutes."
"Y-yes, sir," I answered automatically, sitting down and taking what remained of my portion.
As I ate, Sir Hicks' gaze passed over each of us in turn. Not counting. Measuring.
When we finished, he cleared his throat softly. The sound alone was enough to make Takeshi straighten and Mika stop fidgeting.
"Today's dungeon is classified as D-rank," Sir Hicks began, hands clasped behind his back. "Low class. Shallow structure. Sparse monster density. In theory."
He let that hang for a moment.
"In practice," he continued, "dungeons are living things. They do not care about classifications, confidence, or rank. They respond to mistakes."
Takeshi snorted. "With all due respect, sir, we have A and B ranks here. A D-rank dungeon should not—"
Sir Hicks raised one finger. A smile hidden beneath his brown mustache.
Takeshi stopped.
"—be underestimated," Hicks finished calmly. "That sentence has buried more adventurers than dragons ever have."
Silence settled again.
"You are strong," Hicks said, looking at each of us in turn. "Abnormally so. You adapt quickly, strike harder than your frames suggest, and possess rare abilities that most knights never see in their lifetime, even in higher levels... To top it all off, Otherworlders such as yourself, as you know - are fundamentally different from us natives."
"Hm... You were never specific what makes us so special, you know?" Mika asked as she leaned in.
"Many things!" Hicks said without missing a beat, "Some things include: The ability to view your own stats, levels, your level of mana and skills... The like, in an interface. We rely on guessing and listening to our bodies and mana."
"Hmmm... I guess that makes sense.." Mika sighed.
My eyes narrowed.
'He said "some things". Not everything... Even back at the Capital, he told me he can't say what our advantages are. I guess it's to keep us obedient?'
"But," Hicks added evenly, "you are still children."
That deflated her immediately.
"You have not entered a dungeon in this world without supervision," he said. "You have not felt how the stone closes in. How sound travels wrong. How panic spreads faster underground than fire ever could."
He turned his gaze to me.
"Sato."
"Yes, sir."
"You will lead," Hicks said without hesitation.
Shin blinked. "Huh?"
They all looked at me now.
"Hey, sir..! He's too weak—"
"You are a Sage," Hicks continued, not minding Takeshi's interruption. "You possess trap detection magic, terrain awareness, and restraint. That alone makes you first."
Takeshi once more opened his mouth, then closed it.
"If you could detect traps better than Sato, I'd have let you lead," Hicks said, glancing at him now, "but you follow only after traps are identified. Not before."
"...Right," Takeshi muttered. "Makes sense, I guess..."
"Pfsh," Shin scoffed, looking away.
"Sato will move at walking pace," Hicks went on. "You will check floors, walls, ceilings, and thresholds. You will speak up even if you are unsure. Especially if you are unsure."
I nodded. "Understood."
"Mika."
"Yes, sir!" she answered, straightening.
"You are rear-midline," Hicks said. "Your Starshot has great penetration, but uses a great deal of mana. That means you hold fire unless ordered or unless a clear kill presents itself after it is CLEAR that Takeshi or Shin can't handle it on their own. Do not tunnel-vision."
Mika puffed her cheeks. "...Yes, sir."
"Takeshi."
"Hah, finally," Takeshi grinned, resting a hand on his claymore.
"You are the anchor," Hicks said. "Frontline, but not point. You engage only after confirmation. Your role is not to charge. It is to hold... And protect your Sage."
Takeshi's grin faded, replaced by a nod. "Sucks I have to play babysitter... But aight..."
"And Shin."
Shin straightened instinctively.
"You follow Sato's signals," Hicks said. "You check blind angles, listen for movement, and finish what gets past the front. You do not overextend."
"...Y-yeah, sure. Whatever."
Hicks looked at us one last time, his expression kind but unyielding.
"You will enter alone," he said. "I will not intervene."
Mika swallowed.
"This is not a test," Hicks continued. "It is experience. You are allowed to be afraid. You are not allowed to be careless."
He adjusted his gloves.
"Remember," he said quietly, "bravery is loud. Survival is disciplined."
For a moment, none of us spoke.
Then Takeshi exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "Well," he muttered, "guess it's too late to fake food poisoning."
Mika snorted despite herself.
I tightened my grip on my spellbook, feeling its worn cover beneath my fingers.
Dungeon run.
Sir Hicks stepped aside, gesturing toward the forest path.
"Let us begin," he said.