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My name is Selma Crodel.
I'm an explorer affiliated with the clan "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky", and one of the executives responsible for organizing our explorers.
I stopped by "Rougetsu-tei," the clan's casual diner aimed at younger crowds, just for a quiet meal.
That's when I ran into my little sister Sophia—accompanied by none other than Orun from the hero party.
At first I bristled, thinking he might be after my adorable sister. But no—it turned out he'd rescued her, and she'd invited him to dinner as thanks.
Sophia, the ultimate introvert, inviting someone herself? That was new.
Somehow the conversation pulled me in too, and the three of us ended up eating together.
Orun has black hair and lapis-blue eyes; I think he's eighteen.
Average build, nothing standout.
During last month's joint subjugation he'd worn a mage's robe, but today it was a hooded long coat—more practical, easier to move in.
As we talked over the meal, it came out that he'd left the hero party and was currently freelance.
Before I knew it, I was asking him to join our upcoming guided exploration.
"…Guided… exploration?"
Of course he didn't know the term; he echoed it back questioningly.
"Sorry—I should've explained first. Guided exploration is a new initiative we're planning in "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky"."
It was actually the sponsors who pushed for it.
I wasn't thrilled, but it got approved anyway.
And if we're doing it, failure isn't an option.
"…Go on."
Orun's eyes sharpened with interest.
Good—he was hooked.
"The plan is for several A-rank or higher explorers to lead our clan's rookies. We descend the great labyrinth to the fifty-first floor in just three days."
"Three days to the fifty-first floor? That's an insane pace."
He was right on the money.
The fifty-first floor marks the halfway point of the great labyrinth.
It's true that up to sixty is considered "relatively easy" by some—but only veteran A-ranks say that.
Even the most talented rookies normally take six months to a year to reach that depth.
Three days? Any sane explorer would call it reckless.
Yet those old sponsor geezers…
"…It's definitely aggressive, but if we always take the shortest routes, it's not impossible. Fortunately our clan has over ninety percent of the upper and middle layers mapped."
""Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky" gets pushed around too, huh…"
Orun gave a wry smile, reading between the lines and offering sympathy.
The "too" implied the hero party had faced similar unreasonable demands in the past.
"…A plan this extreme—you could've refused. Your clan isn't short on arguments or influence. You're going through with it because it lets the newbies skip floor bosses from now on, right?"
This guy… How sharp can one person be?
I'd given only the bare minimum details.
Yet he'd grasped not just the background, but the exact strategic upside.
From his tone, he already understood the clan's current predicament too.
Talking to him felt eerily like briefing the clan leader—like he could see straight through everything.
Every ten floors in the great labyrinth sits a floor boss—powerful monsters that block the way forward.
You can't advance without defeating them.
Most deaths or career-ending injuries happen against floor bosses.
But if the accompanying veterans handle the boss instead, the rookies can still register at the next layer's crystal and skip ahead.
Once registered, they can teleport to deeper layers anytime without fighting the boss again.
The hope is they'll grow strong enough to take bosses themselves eventually.
But there's no need to risk underage kids' lives unnecessarily—that's why the plan got greenlit.
"…Exactly. So what do you say? Since you're free, I'd like you to join us."
"From what you've said, this is a big deal for your clan. Why ask an outsider like me?"
Orun fixed me with a steady, searching gaze.
Those eyes seemed to say he'd spot any lie.
I first learned of Orun Dura during last month's joint subjugation.
I'd been tracking the hero party ever since they started making headlines years ago, blasting through the lower layers.
I gathered plenty on the other four.
But Orun? Just "some quiet enchanter"—barely a name.
In the pre-subjugation briefing, when I first saw his magic, I inwardly sneered.
Enchanter strength is judged partly by buff potency.
Four to five times base physical stats? That's elite.
Orun's buffs? Barely double.
Below average even among ordinary enchanters.
I couldn't fathom how someone so mediocre had made it into the hero party.
Then actual combat started—and my opinion shattered.
Yes, his buff strength was low.
But his casting speed was monstrous.
I'm confident in my own speed, yet while I cast one spell, he fired off four or more.
I couldn't believe a human could cast that fast.
Worse—he used spells I'd never seen or heard of.
Probably originals he developed himself.
And their effects more than compensated for the weak multipliers.
Situational awareness, foresight, perfect timing on support—everything about him surpassed me.
He was the ideal enchanter I'd always pictured.
"What I value most in you is your adaptability. This guided exploration will involve over fifty people pushing through the labyrinth. Unexpected problems are inevitable. Having you there would be reassuring."
In the joint subjugation—his first time under my command—he'd anticipated my orders within minutes, acting on them before I even spoke.
I'm convinced that even in situations I can't read, Orun would find the optimal path and deliver the best outcome.
"I didn't realize you rated me that highly…"
He gave an awkward smile.
This vibe… he might turn me down.
"U-um! I'm participating in the guided exploration too… as a rookie! So if Orun joined, I'd… I'd be really happy…"
Sophia, who'd been quietly reading the room, jumped in at the perfect moment!
Thank you, Sophia!
"…Alright. I'll help. But don't get your hopes too high—I've got limits too."
"Really?! Thank you!"
"One condition, though."
Just as it seemed settled, he threw in a caveat.
What now? Massive pay? Clan secrets? Those would be tough…
"…Name it. If I can, I'll make it work."
"I'm switching back to swordsman—frontline attacker—starting today. You evaluated me as an enchanter, but for this, I'll join as a swordsman."
...What is he even saying?
With that much talent as an enchanter, why revert to frontline now?
I didn't understand his reasoning, but if a crisis hit, surely he'd fall back on his real specialty.
"…Fine. I accept. You'll join the guided exploration as a frontline attacker. Come to clan headquarters tomorrow at eight p.m. We'll go over details and compensation then."
"Got it."