Published: January 22, 2026
"Alright then, next is Logan. Why did you become an explorer?"
"...I became an explorer because I wanted to send money back to my hometown through my own efforts. My village is a barren land, struggling just to have food for the next day. I was born there, and whether it's fortune or misfortune, I have a talent for magic. The villagers told me I shouldn't waste my potential in the village, gathered what little money they had, and sent me to Tsutolairu. So, I want to succeed as an explorer so that no one in the village goes hungry, and I can give everyone a full stomach."
Logan clearly has a conviction.
He must have worked desperately when he joined the silver rabbits of the night sky.
Watching him fight during the training exploration shows he truly put in the effort.
Logan's talent is outstanding.
It's no wonder everyone has high expectations of him.
But as a result, things took a turn for the worse.
However—
"Despite that, I lost myself… I was called a genius by those around me, and I completely got carried away. I got cocky. Embarrassingly, I thought my skills could hold up even in an s-rank party… But it was completely different. When the black dragon glared at me, I felt nothing but fear inside. Even though I thought I had s-rank abilities, my mind went blank, my legs trembled, and I couldn't do anything. And yet, Mr. Orun challenged that opponent alone and defeated it. Watching Mr. Orun fight made me realize I hadn’t seen anything at all. I said many rude things about being underpowered or saying I was replaceable—I'm truly sorry."
With tears welling up in his eyes, Logan poured out his confession.
—I think he's okay now.
"I will never lose myself again! Everyone in the village has struggled to bring me this far! I want to make their lives easier. That is my purpose! I have a weak heart and lack strength! To achieve my goal, I need to become much stronger. So please! —teach me the basics of being an explorer! Please!"
Logan bowed deeply and begged.
His plea felt even more urgent than before.
Putting it into words must have made his purpose even clearer.
(Still, there's something similar about him. Right now, Logan's eyes have the look I like.)
"...Alright. I'll teach you what I know. Turning that into power depends on your effort. And if you lose yourself again, I’ll punch you to wake you up, so don’t worry."
"Ahaha… that’s reassuring. Thank you very much!"
â—‡
"Last is Caroline. Why did you become an explorer?"
"Hmm, I don’t have reasons like those two. I can kill demonic beasts. If I kill demonic beasts, the people around me smile. So I became an explorer. That’s all there is to it."
I can somehow sense she carries a deep darkness inside.
Before, I avoided touching on it as an outsider, but that won't do anymore.
Eventually, she'll have to face that darkness.
"I think that’s a respectable reason. Magic stones are indispensable to our current lives. Do you like seeing people smile, Caroline?"
"Yeah! I love it! Because people who are smiling don’t hit me! When demonic beasts exist, people lose their smiles. So, I kill demonic beasts."
…That darkness seems quite deep-rooted.
"I see. Then, let's cooperate with Sophia and Logan. That way, I think you all can keep smiling."
"Hmm, that black dragon was really strong. To beat something like that, I’d have to be as strong as you, big brother, but I’m not there yet. If I train like you guys, will I be able to kill that black dragon? I want to kill that harmful beast that stole everyone’s smiles."
"I can’t guarantee it, but if we all work together, our chances of winning should increase."
"I see—yeah, I’ll think about that."
Caroline's current goal seems to be to defeat the black dragon.
For now, it looks like she’ll join the team efforts from now on.
She doesn’t seem attached to fighting the black dragon alone.
"I understand everyone’s reasons for becoming explorers. I want you to never forget those initial intentions. Your origin can unexpectedly become your support."