Sakaki Tetsuro
Mosscreep Ruins- Necks' Manse
Time Unknown (Morning)
The man could only nod and give a bemused smile. "Lesson learned, Ms. Inihara. Lesson learned. As untrained newcomers, we aren't fit to survive alone. I'll consider the idea again in ten years. Perhaps by then I'll have approached your level, that of a Snack who can run around without fear." It was easy to assume he could go by himself as she had, but it was even easier to forget that she was someone who had spent more time in this world than he could imagine. Mai's argument had been logical, so the only thing he could do was agree and go with the group. After all, he'd learned more than enough from failure for several lifetimes.
...it didn't help that the girl's challenging grin was all too familiar. Almost made him feel like a delinquent again, being told off for trying to do something stupid. He actually wanted to make another dumb suggestion just so she'd yell at him.
And then there was the frustration. She'd said it herself. The option was fit only for those with a Death Wish. Had he picked it on purpose, knowing that? Was he falling into old habits again as this world pulled out parts of himself he didn't want to look at? The man didn't know. He just knew that his body itched to go, to do something, and perhaps to throw itself into a horrible situation and make it out against all odds. It wouldn't have been the first time.
Diving right in? Sakaki Tetsuro had done that. Despite all of his appearance to the contrary, he was the kind of person who, when the going got tough, would throw himself into the deep end without knowing how to swim and hope he learned how to before he ran out of air.
In this situation, though, he couldn't exactly say no.
"Yet even without splitting up, I think that stash of yours is what we should pursue," the man said. "From what you've told me this world has ghouls and ghosts aplenty, but less in the way of beneficial items, so I'd place a higher importance on them. Still, if the vote is against me, I'll heed the advice of my students, and yours."