Published: January 22, 2026
"Alright! Then, let's head to the Great Labyrinth this afternoon!"
After teaching them about demonic beasts, I covered basic concepts like the different roles and the mindset of explorers, and by then, it was exactly noon.
"Eh, is that okay...?"
"Yeah, I'm entrusted with the training policy. You guys would get bored sitting through lectures all day on your first day, right? You probably want to move around. Also, to decide future training plans, I want to see your actual abilities again."
I planned to have the three of them eat lunch in the cafeteria, but instructed them to eat lightly.
When asked if I was eating in the cafeteria, I told them I had my own homemade portable meals, so it was fine. The three of them got curious about these portable meals, and we ended up all eating them together.
The portable meals I make prioritize function over taste.
I've improved them to the point that they're not terrible, but they aren't exactly delicious.
Naturally, the moment all three put the portable meals in their mouths, their expressions froze.
"What is this!? It’s not tasty— mumble mumble!"
"I-It's delicious, master! To think you can even make something like this, you’re amazing!"
Just as Carole was about to give her honest opinion, Log covered her mouth with his hand and tried to support her.
"Phew! I’d die from this!"
"Haha... I know the taste is a bit off, so don’t push yourselves. Want to switch to cafeteria food now?"
"N-No! We can’t just waste something you kindly made for us!"
Not only Log but the other two also seemed intent on eating everything.
They didn’t have to push themselves here...
◇
After lunch, we arrived at the eleventh floor of the Great Labyrinth.
"Alright, from now on, each of you will fight alone. I want to see how far you can go on your own. If anything happens, I'll definitely protect you, so fight with all your strength. Also, when you fight, wear this necklace around your neck."
Since monsters tend to come toward groups rather than individuals, I had them wear the necklace I used in the black dragon battle.
Sophie would fight first.
The enemies were five slimes.
"Sophie, good luck!"
"I-I’m going! ...[Fire Arrow]!"
Slimes are considered representative weak demonic beasts.
However, they have high physical resistance, and their weak point—the core—is small and hard to see, located at the center of their bodies.
That makes them tough opponents for novice swordsmen.
But Sophie is a mage.
Even against five slimes, she should be able to defeat them without difficulty.
She chose [Fire Arrow], an intermediate mage technique of the fire element, which slimes are weak against.
When the slimes approached, she calmly kept her distance.
Maintaining a certain distance, she took them down one by one.
If she could master parallel technique construction, her elimination speed would improve further, but for a beginner, her choice of magic and positioning were good.
As expected, Sophie should learn parallel construction from now on.
◇
Next was Log’s battle.
The enemies were four goblins.
Since Log is an enchanter, he ideally shouldn't participate much in attacks and should focus on buff management for allies.
But with only three people in the party, he had no choice but to join the attack.
I wish there was a newbie who could keep up with these three...
Log swiftly cast magic like [Earth Thorn (Rock Needle)] and [Fire Arrow], turning the goblins into magic stones.
Watching the battle again, I was certain.
Log can do parallel construction.
The explorer management department is where new explorers are trained, so I doubt they teach advanced explorers’ parallel construction techniques here.
So either he learned on his own or was taught by another explorer.
Either way, to be able to do parallel construction at his age is impressive.
Log's attitude might be rough, but his skills as an explorer are already solid.
Now, what should I teach Log from here on?
◇
Lastly was Carole’s battle.
The enemies were two white wolves.
White wolves are demonic beasts known for their swift movements and powerful bites.