Jack of All Trades, Party of None

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My name is Selma Claudel.

I’m an explorer belonging to the clan called the silver rabbits of the night sky, and I serve as one of the clan executives responsible for coordinating the explorers.

One day, I casually visited the Moonplay Pavilion, a popular casual dining restaurant run by the silver rabbits of the night sky catering to young people, and unexpectedly ran into my younger sister, Sophia.

Sophia was with Orun, a member of the hero party. At first, I was on guard, wondering if he was targeting my dear sister. But it turned out to be the opposite—he had helped Sophia and had invited her out for a meal.

It’s rare for shy Sophia to take the initiative and invite someone herself.

Before I knew it, I ended up joining them for the meal.

Orun has black hair and lapis lazuli-colored eyes, and I believe he’s about eighteen years old.

His build is average—neither too skinny nor too muscular.

Last month, during the joint subjugation, he wore the robes of a mage, but now he was dressed in a hooded long coat that looked much more mobile than before.

While eating, I learned from the conversation that Orun had left the hero party and was currently freelancing.

Before I knew it, I had asked him to accompany me on a teaching exploration.

“…Teaching exploration?”

Naturally, Orun, who didn’t know about teaching explorations, asked me what it meant.

“Sorry, I should have explained first. Teaching exploration is a new initiative planned by the silver rabbits of the night sky.”

This was a project sponsored by our backers.

I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it, but in the end, it was decided to be carried out.

And since we’re doing it, we absolutely have to succeed.

“…Please continue.”

Orun’s eyes turned serious.

It seemed he was interested.

“The plan is for several A rank or higher explorers from our clan to lead a group of rookie explorers and descend all the way to the fifty-first floor of the Great Labyrinth within three days.”

“Fifty-one floors in three days? That’s quite an unreasonable schedule.”

Orun’s objection was valid.

The fifty-first floor is the halfway point of the Great Labyrinth.

It’s true that the difficulty from floors one to sixty is generally considered relatively low, but only A rank or higher advanced explorers say that.

For rookie explorers to reach the fifty-first floor, even the most talented would take six months to a year.

And yet we’re talking about clearing it in three days.

Any sensible explorer would immediately realize how impossible this is. But those old men sponsors...

“…It is indeed an unreasonable schedule, but if we always take the shortest path, it’s not impossible. Fortunately, our clan has already completed over 90% of the mapping for the upper and middle layers.”

“The silver rabbits of the night sky are being pushed around too, huh…”

Orun seemed to understand the background of this plan and offered a sympathetic chuckle.

If he says “too,” maybe the hero party has had unreasonable demands in the past as well.

“…If the plan is this unreasonable, you could have refused it, right? I doubt the clan isn’t capable of defending itself with logic. So the reason you decided to go ahead with this plan is to allow rookies to bypass the floor bosses in the future, isn’t it?”

This guy really... how sharp can he be...

I had only given him the bare minimum of information.

And yet, from just the background of this plan, he even guessed the benefits.

Judging from his tone, he must understand the current situation the silver rabbits of the night sky are in.

It’s the same feeling I get when talking to the leader. It’s as if he sees right through everything.

In the Great Labyrinth, every ten floors have a powerful demonic beast called a floor boss.

Defeating the floor boss is necessary to advance to the next floor.

Most explorers who lose their lives or get injuries severe enough to force them to retire sustain them during battles against floor bosses.

If an advanced explorer accompanying rookies defeats the floor boss, the rookies can advance to the next floor.