Takes place almost immediately after chapter four.
Ignore the probably impossible things that happen. A story is a story, I'm bound to diverge from the world's rules. So don't mind me...
Here's hoping that you like this one. Chapter Six is proving to be annoying to write. I'm referencing the Anime, and I should sift through the SO's novels again for that scene. No Monsterphilia this time, but Six is definitely that section. Curb expectations appropriately.
"Speaking"
Personal Thoughts
*Ability/Spell*
...
Lefiya opened her blue eyes, feeling quite rested. She had stayed up all night waiting for Axton to get home. At first, she just wanted to yell at him, but she was worried about him after the fourth hour.
She sat up from her bed and immediately checked her-
My bed?!
Lefiya turned every which way and confirmed that she was indeed in her room. She was lucky she didn't scream. Who moved me? She looked all around her room and found nothing out of place. Then she smelled it.
The scent of a fresh autumn breeze. It was more of an earthly scent, reminding her of her forest, Wishe Forest. Her homeland was nice and it definitely had this type of smell, but something was off…
Was it Miss Ais who moved me? "No no, Miss Ais smells like a summer spring breeze when she uses her magic." Wait… does that mean…?
"Was it Axton who moved me?" Lefiya squealed in a multitude of emotions. Embarrassment was the primary one, mortification the next, and for some reason, Lefiya felt giddy?
Why would I be giddy if he moved me? He touched me! But that would mean… no! No lewd thoughts! Still, why did he? He could've just left me there and I would have been fine. Even so, he does seem to worry about us lower-leveled members a lot. Ever since I saw him cry, I've been wondering about what he's like outside of his persona. Lefiya signed, she wondered what it would be like to have a sibling to talk to, to argue with…
Her brain immediately came up with a thought and she wanted to drink a potion that made her forget these last fifteen seconds.
Lefiya jumped back on her bed, buried her face into her pillow, and screamed. Why were emotions so complicated?!
After Axton left Finn's office, he was so tired that the floor sounded pretty damn great right about now. He had to explain to Hestia, Bell's Goddess, or as Loki calls her, 'Loli-Big-Boobs' what happened to her precious child.
Just moments ago, Axton explained everything, having been sober, from when they entered the Hostess, to Bete being Bete, to when Bell ran off and Axton chased after him, to his conversation with Amid, and then back to the Hostess where the night ended. Of course, Finn asked him where he was after that. That was the moment that the hope that he'd forgotten that was dashed. Loki also was there to make sure that I wasn't going to lie. Even if she wasn't there, Lady Hestia would've been able to detect me lying. I don't have a reason to.
After explaining where he went and telling them that they could confirm with Shakti, "So, that's all I have to say, is that satisfactory?" Axton asked, and his legs were quivering as he literally took it too far today.
Finn and Loki looked on in worry and quickly dismissed him. He thanked them before exiting, which brings us to the present. The Pallum Captain felt a little bad for allowing the spar to happen, but he hoped it served as a lesson to Axton so that he wouldn't push himself.
As Axton was trying to walk through the halls, his hand was on the wall to support him. After everything today, the spar sapped most of his energy, coupled with his lack of sleep in the past twenty-four hours, he was exhausted. He wonders how Ais does it sometimes. Fighting monsters in the Dungeon is one thing, but fighting another person as skilled as Axton is, his own sister to boot, well… that'll do it, and running across rooftops… that too.
Just as he was about to round the corner, his leg gave out, and he expected no one to be there. That was, of course, not the case. He heard a shriek and then an oof.
Axton felt something squishy in his hand. Deliriously, he squeezed. His now tired-addled brain decided, Must squish…
That was until he felt someone hit his head. He didn't feel all of it, but it was more of an incessant tapping. When he looked up to see who he fell on, he saw very angry blue eyes and a red face.
Axton's eyes widened and his face turned a deep crimson before he threw himself off them and backed up sputtering apologies. He ended up against the wall, his head in between his legs. He didn't expect to see her out of her room so soon. He thought she was fast asleep, so he wouldn't have to worry about bumping into her.
The person he ran into… well, she was furious. "First Loki, now him… how many perverts live around here?" Lefiya's voice carried in the hallway, even though it was meant to be quiet.
"I'm sorry! I'm really exhausted, and I sincerely didn't mean to… to pull a Loki." Somewhere in the Manor, the Trickster sneezed. "I literally have taxed my body today, the spar with Ais sapped me of the strength that I hoped to save before going to bed." Seriously, saving Bell was hard work. Then, he'll have to deal with Amid, but that's a future Axton problem. "Also, I apologize for potentially scaring you at the Hostess yesterday. I didn't have a handle on my emotions."
"Surprisingly enough, I understand." A hand appeared in his line of vision, "Come on, I'll guide you to your room. But only so that we're even!" She added on in a rush.
Axton looked up at the elf, her face bright red, most likely due to the embarrassment. He grabbed her hand gently, so as to not crush it, and Lefiya gently had him wrap an arm around her shoulder. "So who won?"
Looking over at her again, making sure that this was indeed Lefiya, "We tied… for like the sixtieth time in a row. Honestly, Ais will win the next one, probably."
"Well, good for her," Lefiya said, not realizing the impact that it had on him. Axton had to hide the hurt from his face as she looked over at him. He must have done a terrible job at hiding it because she apologized immediately. "I'm sorry! I wasn't saying that you weren't as good as Miss Ais. You both are pretty amazing and super cool and I just want to thank you for protecting me all the time even though I sometimes feel-"
Axton silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Relax, can you do that for me?"
The pair both relaxed at this, then blushed… for some reason. Neither one said a word, even after Lefiya opened Axton's door. She set him on the bed and quickly retreated from his room.
He tried to say something but she didn't hear it as the door slammed. Right now, he didn't have the energy to try and chase her, she was long gone. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a rock. He didn't have time to dream about… certain things.
Little did those two know, someone was stalking them. It wasn't Loki. "Are those two… dating? Or are they just too dense to realize it?"
"What are you doing, Tiona?"
"Nothing!" she shouted immediately.
The very next day, Ais found herself sitting on a bench outside of the Manor, across from a fountain. Loki definitely didn't spare any expense making her home extravagant. In fact, she had left the Manor earlier to get a formal dress for Ganesha's Banquet for the Gods. Only the Gods are invited, so as much as Loki laments not being able to take Ais or Axton, she'll have to make do. Plus, she heard Itty Bitty was going to be there.
Anyway, back to Ais. Her thoughts were still confused from yesterday. When she said that she didn't entirely understand, she spent the night trying to figure out her own emotions. So, she sat with a despondent look on her face, her mind racing faster than her wind.
Above her were three people, the Amazon twins, and the young elf. "Miss Ais seems really down from yesterday."
"Well, it certainly wasn't from their spar. They both admitted that the other could have won given a little more time," Tiona said.
"It was most likely what they silently talked about during their spar. Remember, out of all of us, Axton understands Ais the most, and right behind him is Riveria," Tione factually stated. At the sound of his name, Lefiya felt a jolt in her chest. She didn't know why and chose to ignore it.
As the trio was talking, they saw Riveria approach Ais and the two had a quick conversation. "Do you think we should take Miss Ais out shopping? To cheer her up?" Lefiya suggested, her finger tapping her chin in thought.
The Amazon twins had a perfect idea and basically dragged the young elf down to Ais at the perfect moment that Riveria was walking away. "Hey, Ais!"
The golden-haired girl turned to see the three amigos, one being somewhat reluctant, approach. "How does a day of shopping sound?"
"Shopping?" Ais tilted her head to the side, making Lefiya internally swoon at just how naturally beautiful she was, but then her mind went to seeing Axton do the exact same thing but raising an eyebrow and- No no no! Lefiya quickly disregarded the thought.
"Uh-huh! There are plenty of shops that can easily sell some pretty cute clothes," Tiona continued. "We just gotta find you the perfect getup so that way, we can watch little Pincey be all overprotective."
"Don't let her kid you, Ais," Tione rolled her eyes, "but we are serious about the shopping trip. Plus, it is a nice day today."
Ais thought about it for a moment before eventually nodding, not noticing her brother slipping outside the Manor's gates. Lefiya, however, did and questioned it, before blushing after what happened yesterday. "Yo, Lefiya? Why are you blushing?" Tiona wrapped her arms over the elf's shoulders, giving her a knowing grin.
"N-Nothing, Miss Tiona," Lefiya waved it off, but the blush was still present on her cheeks.
Ais stood up from the bench and put her hand on Lefiya's cheek, "You feel warm, you aren't ill, are you?"
Lefiya's blush intensified and the young elf felt like she could die and go to Heaven. Miss Ais is touching me…
Miss Ais… is touching me!
MISS AIS IS TOUCHING ME! I COULD EXPLODE IN HAPPINESS!
"Woah, she's really burning up," Tione put her own hand on her forehead, and it felt warmer than the weather.
Realizing where she was, "Oh no, I'm fine, just uh-"
"Are you sure?" Ais asked. Her thoughts were still scattered, but at least she knew that she wanted to apologize to Bell… that was his name if Ais remembered it right. She knew that much, but she didn't know when she would run into him again.
Little did she know, her brother was going to search for him himself.
"Yes, Miss Ais, I'm fine. Now, let's go!" Lefiya cheered and she thought about taking Ais's hand, but that would be too forward in her eyes. Still, her mind came up with the fantasy of holding Axton's hand… Why am I so hung up on him?
Axton made it out of the Manor pretty early, considering the lack of rest he had. Nightmares continued to plague him, and he hoped that it wouldn't reflect externally. With that being said, Axton actually had a list of things to do. First, he needed to get to Goibnui Familia to service Requiem because, after that spar, he didn't want to risk having a dull blade. He'd sharpen it himself, but he doesn't possess the Blacksmith or Forge development abilities, so no dice. Second, he needed to talk to Amid, and third… it depends on the second.
As he entered the shop in between Northwest and North Main, he felt the heatwave from the forges. It was enough to make him sweat and the Prince wondered how they didn't suffer from heatstroke. Stupid question, their falna allows them to withstand it longer. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole lot of them have some sort of heat resistance. "Prince, that you?" One of the smiths called out to Axton.
"How are you doing, Saber?" Axton spoke to the Cow Person hammering away at their forge. He was taller than Axton by thirty celch, but he carried himself with a soft demeanor.
"You here to see the boss man?" Referring to Goibniu.
Holding Requiem in hand, "Yeah, a routine sharpening. The fiftieth floor certainly… had its quirks."
"Come in, Sword Prince," the voice of the God came through the door.
Axton waved goodbye to Saber, who immediately got back to work. He entered Goibniu's personal forge and the elder man sitting there. "Good morning."
The God let out a smile, "I see you're here for a sharpening, the young lass is coming by today as well."
"Oh, better make this quick then, I have other things to do," Axton said, unsheathing Requiem and handing it over.
Goibniu inspected the blade and raised his graying eyebrows, "What the hell did you fight down there?"
"Acid-spitting caterpillars, and then fought Ais the next day," Axton answered. Goibniu found no lies, which made him sigh.
"Well, I'll take your word for it. This should take about four days. In the meantime," the God turned around and reached for a suitable substitute. "Take this. It's not unbreakable, and knowing how aggressive your fighting style is, it's as strong as it can be without Durandal."
Axton bowed his head as he accepted the sword, "Thank you, Lord Goibniu."
Goibniu rolled his eyes before lightly whacking Axton over the head with the sheath of the substitute sword. "Now go out and enjoy the day, you hear me?"
"Sure thing, but may I recommend that you practice what you preach?" Axton quipped as he slipped outside the door of the shop.
Goibniu chuckled as the Sword Prince left, and a mere five minutes later, did the Sword Princess enter as well. Giving her the same speech he gave Axton, she was given a rapier that should stand up to her more aggressive fighting style. Goibniu seriously considered what it would take to get these two to give it a rest.
Axton then headed over to Dian Cecht's clinic and knocked on the door. Amid opened the door, "Sword Prince, welcome."
"Hello, Dea Saint," Axton responded. He entered after Amid gestured him inside. "So, did he leave already?"
Amid headed behind her counter, "Yes, Mr. Cranel had departed this morning with Lady Hestia. I certainly got an earful from her, but I told her that without you, he wouldn't have made it back alive."
There was a wince, "Did you have to be blunt?"
"Yes," she replied unapologetically.
Axton paused, "Well, that means I'll have to find him later, but before that, do you have anything you need me to do?" He was asking for his request that he owes her if she had one. He knows that it was only a day, but sometimes she might need some materials to stock up.
Amid thought for a moment, "Well, I do need some materials off the twenty-fourth floor, so would you be so kind as to acquire the items on this list?" The Doctor handed Axton a list of simple metals, like iron and copper. A few of the items were monster drops like War Shadow's Finger Blades from the sixth floor and the list went on.
"Alright, and when do you need this?" Axton inquired.
Amid smiled, something that Axton has seen a lot of as of late, "As soon as you can. There is no rush."
Axton grinned, "Sure thing, I guess I'll be on my way… after I get my armor on…" To be fair, he should have expected this, so it wasn't anyone's fault except his own. With that being said, he left with his list in hand and a wave behind him.
Getting his armor from his room was easy… and that was repaired... somehow. It must be some stupid logic, but Axton won't look a gift horse in the mouth. So, when he got all sorted, he headed to Babel. It was about mid-afternoon, so he should be back before midnight.
However, he was in for a surprise when he arrived in front of Babel to see Ais and Lefiya. "Hey!" Axton shouted.
""Axton!"" both girls said, both in surprise as well, but one was certainly higher pitched. Take a guess on who it was.
"What are you doing here?" Lefiya asked, the elf had a backpack on her back. She was supporting Ais it seemed.
"I owed Amid a request, and she's cashing in. I'm headed to the twenty-fourth-floor pantry. I won't be in your way," Axton said, making a move to slip by his sister and fellow familia member.
Ais intercepted his arm, "Did you find him?"
Confused for a moment, he tilted his head, then his eyes lit up in recognition, "No, he was already gone, but I feel like we'll see him soon, somehow. Now, if that is all, I'd rather not be delayed. I'd like to be home before Mama tears me a new one." Her spells aren't just for show. They hurt like nothing else, well, except for that one time.
Ais nodded, letting go and he slipped off into Babel to descend the stairs into the first floor. The Guild frowns upon people leaping off the top step to land in the middle. If not handled with some tact, there'd be a crater. The Sword Princess watched as the Sword Prince leaped down anyway, except he used a high concentration of wind to slow his fall. She narrowed her eyes, while Ais is far more deadly with Ariel in large-scale terms, Axton is better on small-scale terms like the dagger throw on the fifth floor and this descent.
It wasn't a skill associated with Ariel, but it felt like a derivative of it. The ability to subtly alter his wind to near precise measurements. However, she didn't have time to stop him as Lefiya mumbled, "Stupid Axton, showing off like that…"
"Lefiya? Is something wrong?" Ais's golden eyes searched her elven companion.
The elf hmphed, "No, let us get going, Miss Ais." As a bold move, she grabbed her hand and dragged her into the Dungeon.
Ais, taken by surprise, followed after Lefiya, eventually gaining her footing back.
Before the girls went into the Dungeon, they went on a shopping trip. However, with two Amazonian women with them, it obviously took a turn. At first, Lefiya took a moment to compose herself, but then she swears on Forest Teardrop that they were doing all they could to embarrass her.
Tiona was especially excellent at it—unknowingly or not—at making the young elf blush like a bright red tomato, causing Ais to truly be concerned. Having figured out the emotion, she could identify it easier now. "What about this?" Tiona asked.
To her credit, the blush on Lefiya's face was subdued, having been subjugated to entering a store that sold clothes… for Amazons. To an elf, who wore clothes that covered most, if not all of her body, this was her worst nightmare. "Miss Tiona, are you trying to bash my pride as an elf? You would not see me in this at any time!"
Hook, line, and sinker. Sorry Lefiya, and sorry Ais, "What if Axton saw you in this? What do you think he'd do?"
The rebuttal was right on Lefiya's tongue, but at the mention of Axton, not found, please load the backup. She basically short-circuited, in simplest terms. Tione immediately smacked Tiona upside the head, "That was poorly handled."
Someone's coming to my rescue! Lefiya internally cheered.
"You should have gotten this, convinced her to wear it, then set them up to be in the same place at the same time," Tione said with a grin that showed that she wasn't on her side.
I retract my previous statement. The young elf immediately felt mortification wash over her as her eyes turned to Ais.
Ais immediately took an interest in the conversation but held off from speaking, wanting to see where this was going. Why would Axton want to see Lefiya in this? If not obvious, Ais did not mean this question maliciously. She was genuinely curious, a feeling she knew quite well. Her growing curiosity would hopefully bloom into something greater. "Is something wrong?"
"B-But but, I… t-they…" Lefiya stumbled over her words as the tips of her ears turned bright red and her face flushed brighter than ever before. If she kept this up, she was in danger of passing out in embarrassment. Something that hasn't happened ever, and she did not want to be the first. It didn't help that a deviant thought came to her mind. Seeing Miss Ais in one of these… If she wasn't careful, there may have been some crimson essence spilled from her nose.
Thankfully, Tiona and Tione apologized before getting some 'clothes' for themselves. Ais even picked one out that was purchased by Tione. The blond-haired girl questioned it, but the elder Hiryute shot her down immediately. "It's a gift," was all she said.
The quartet finally left that store and Lefiya took the lead going to a store that sold elven clothing. North Street in Orario was famous for being the 'clothing district' at least on the main drag. The side streets had housing, little hidden cafés, and some other secrets only known to those with a keen eye. Anyway, Lefiya basically dragged Ais inside and tried to find her something.
Even after all of this, Ais was confused as to why the three of them were so insistent. While she was paying attention, she was thinking back to the spar, and what her brother was trying to communicate. He saved… Bell? The same Bell who was covered in blood because of me? There was something in Ais's head that likes to take over.
Let's call her mini Ais.
Mini Ais wanted her to chase after him when he ran off. But her body wouldn't move, couldn't move, to chase after him. She looked into his ruby eyes and saw something pure in them. A white flame. Nothing like the black flames of hatred that clouds her soul.
"What about this, Miss Ais?" Lefiya's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Ais turned her eyes to the dress she was holding in her hands, a long purple frilly dress, similar to the one Lefiya was wearing. If there was a difference, then Ais didn't see it.
"How do you guys wear this? I would feel like I'm suffocating," Tiona said idly. She was genuinely baffled that elves could wear such clothing and then fight in it.
"We do hold ourselves to a standard. Other clothes may suit her," Lefiya snapped back half-heartedly. Rummaging through the racks, Ais reaches in and pulls out a nice blouse, jacket, and short skirt, one that was her preferred length, just above her knees. She slipped off to the dressing rooms to try it on.
"Where did Ais go?" Tione asked, having noticed the Sword Princess's absence.
"Right here," the girl in question said as she stepped out. Lefiya felt her heart drop into her stomach, then launch into her throat and back again. Ais looked so beautiful that she questioned if she was really mortal.
"Miss Ais… you look…"
She frowned, "Is it bad?"
Immediately Lefiya shook her head, "No no! You look perfect!" the comment just came out and a brilliant flush dosed her elven features… again. Her ears even twitched in embarrassment as they turned cherry red.
Ais's frown turned into a small smile, nothing like the one she gives Axton, but Lefiya took the victory for what it was. "Okay, I'll get this one." The outfit in question was beautiful, brown laced-up boots, black thigh-high socks, a white frilly skirt, a brown corset hugging her stomach—a red ribbon tied at her right hip, and oddly enough, a teal jacket with brown cuffs and collar with gold trimming. A red ribbon hung loosely around her neck.
"You're not spending a valis today, Miss Ais. This is me thanking you, so consider it a gift," Lefiya said.
Of course, Tiona and Tione had something to say. Tione first, "That definitely fits you perfectly. Now, if we could only get you in a bikini, then everyone would be all over you."
Tiona, of course, had two things to say. "Well, it'd be interesting to see Axton's reaction. He'd probably laugh at them for trying to touch her, but then he'd help her fend them all off. Plus, if I was a man, I would immediately try to romance you… well, I could try…" her eyes gained a pensive look, one that wasn't natural with her. "Or I could… Nah, that'd never work."
Deciding it was best to ignore the two of them, Ais looked to Lefiya, "Okay?"
Lefiya's radiant smile blinded the Amazonian twins, but they had teasing smiles on their faces.
In the Dungeon, even after going through the first eight floors, Ais and Lefiya eventually got onto the topic of Monsterphillia, an annual event hosted by the Ganesha Familia, where they have monster tamers bring up monsters to do a show for the people. Of course, the female duo noticed the cages being carted to the surface, "What is that?"
"Oh!" Lefiya said. "It's Monsterphillia! I heard that they brought up monsters, but I never knew how. I guess this answers my question."
"I… never had much interest. Monsters are monsters, they cause havoc wherever they go," Ais said in a dark tone, shocking Lefiya. Her eyes spoke of darker times for herself, where she threw herself into the Dungeon time and time again.
"Miss Ais?" Lefiya asked, internally scared. The aura she was giving off made Lefiya's instincts react.
Ais snapped out of it and turned to Lefiya, who flinched slightly. That made Ais pout, "I'm… sorry for scaring you. Forgive me," this was accompanied by a short bow, surprising Lefiya.
"I-It's alright, Miss Ais. I was going to ask if you wanted to go. I'm sure Miss Tione and Miss Tiona would have accompanied us." Maybe Axton if we asked.
"My brother would surely go, in fact, he goes every year, except four years ago, but we were on an expedition during that time."
"But would you like to go, is what I'm asking, Miss Ais," Lefiya said bashfully, cheeks flushed.
Ais titled her head, "Okay."
"Great!" Lefiya cheered. One step closer, but why don't I feel as accomplished as I should?
Four years ago, Lefiya was just inducted into the Loki Familia; she had graduated—at age eleven—from the School that's based in Orario's education district at the time. She leveled up a year later at the age of twelve, making it to level three, and she has only gotten to where she is now. Even though her magic stat was somewhere in the S range, her other basic stats were hovering in the G to I range. Still, that hasn't stopped her.
"What was he like back then?" Lefiya asked, naturally. Her subconscious wanted to know, and since he was brought up, she had to know. Even though it's only been mere days since the expedition, seeing him cry has awakened a curiosity in her. Since her end goal was Ais, the best source to learn that was her brother, naturally. Not because I like him or anything, but because he'll give me answers that even Lady Riveria doesn't know… that's logical, right?
A soft smile came to Ais's aloof expression, and Lefiya blushed, seeing the beauty that was Ais Wallenstein. "Carefree, if what I think it means is right…" she paused. "He used to be more… child-like."
"Him, a child? He acts so seriously most of the time," Lefiya said, shocked.
"I know why…" The smile turned into a frown. There was hurt in her eyes like the memory was physically painful to remember. Her hand went to her stomach, under her heart. The young elf wondered why she did that.
Lefiya obviously didn't expect the turn of events. There was a time that Axton was really a kid? The way he carried himself over the past four years in Lefiya's eyes was akin to a protector. It was obvious after some observation. Knowing that was information that she didn't have the right to ask, "So, do you think he was alright heading in by himself?"
Ais only nodded as the duo left Babel and headed back to the Manor.
Once they entered the door, it was quiet, "You both are late. It's been two days and you have yet to truly let your body rest." On the staircase was Riveria Ljos Alf. "I see you brought Lefiya with you."
Not that they were surprised, but Lefiya quickly jumped to Ais's defense, "Lady Riveria, I'm the one who asked to tag along with Miss Ais. She wanted to get used to the temporary blade."
"We just came back from an expedition and the first thing you do is spar with your brother and then immediately go into the Dungeon when you should be recovering. Speaking of, where is your brother?"
The door flew open, "Right here!" Both Ais and Lefiya turned around to see Axton have minor scratches and a grin on his face. "The request for Amid took a little bit longer than I wanted, but I only went to the twenty-fourth floor, and only for the pantry. Sorry about that, Riveria."
"Oh, look at what we have here, you being a mama again, Riveria?" A slurred voice came from the opposite staircase. Loki stood at the top with a wineglass in hand, reinforcing the fact that Loki is a drunkard.
"Don't call me that, Loki."
"Whatcha doing?" the Goddess asked, unperturbed, taking a few steps down.
"Lecturing these three, as they should've been home hours ago. Axton, I will be speaking to Amid to verify this request," Riveria answered then turned to the younger sibling.
Axton chuckled, "Thankfully, Amid had provided me with a letter, clarifying that she did indeed have me on a request on behalf of her. Since I saved Bell and had to bring him to her clinic right as she left… I owed her." The letter in his hand was then run up to Riveria and placed in her awaiting hand.
The High Elf narrowed her eyes at him, but he took it in stride. The other two females watched on. Loki took this opportunity to speak, "Well, it's about time that I start acting like a God and dole out some punishment. Ais, my sweet, you're with me tomorrow."
Lefiya didn't like that, "No! Miss Ais was going with me, she said she would."
Ignoring Lefiya's outburst, "You're not off the hook either, Axton. You're coming too." Loki's grin was different. Not her perverted one, but an emotion or feeling that Axton couldn't discern.
"What do you possibly need Royalty for tomorrow? You know how much I love going to Monsterphillia! Sure, we kill monsters from those floors time and time again, but I like seeing the tamers have fun, the smiles on peoples' faces, and the morale of Orario skyrocket. Sure, most adventurers find it boring, but I don't," Axton's impassioned speech allowed Lefiya to see what Ais had meant. He was being a child for once, not the adult he had to mature as.
"Sorry, but this is an important meeting and I need bodyguards. After calling Riveria 'Mama' she won't go, Finn is busy with paperwork, and Gareth is going to be busy training the lower-leveled members. Bete's still sulking. Tione and Tiona are going anyway," Loki reasoned for Lefiya's benefit, making Axton pout.
Despite the punishment, Lefiya found herself giggling at Axton, "Miss Ais, you were right." But why do I feel upset? She would have to meditate to see if she can get an answer.
"Didn't you say you were going to take Ais, Lefiya? You could've asked me and I would've gone with you, but," The Prince then cleared his throat, "Sure, just let me know when you plan to leave. I'll be ready a half-hour before. Does that work?"
The tone shift was not lost on Ais, Riveria, and Loki. The Goddess nodded, "That's fine, and as my last order for the night: Go get cleaned up and head to bed, all of you."
"Yes, Loki," three voices said. Those were the children. Riveria raised an eyebrow.
Once they were out of sight, the High Elf critically eyed her patron goddess, "What's the motive? You know how excited he gets."
"Oh, Mama, don't worry about it. With who I'm meeting, they're needed," Loki said with a surprising display of sobriety.
"I shall take your word for it. Good night, Loki," Riveria stated before retreating up the stairs.
As soon as she left, Loki giggled, "She didn't deny it… Looks like Mama is here to stay."
"Go to bed, Loki!"
"Alright alright, I'm going!" She again didn't deny it.
In the halls of the Dungeon, something—no someone, stirs. They sat in the shadows of the twenty-fourth floor, completely out of sight and masked their presence. Better yet, they were capable of masking their presence as one of the monsters present.
They had a specific mission, to look for any signs of her. The reason for them living was to find her to then eradicate her. What caught them by surprise was the one that looked like her but was not her. It was a male version of her. They whispered to themselves, "There was never any record of her having a male child. This is interesting. I should observe."
It turns out observing him was a waste of time. All he did was sit in an alcove in the wall, then when he needed to, he leaped out, killed only Sword Stags and Deadly Hornets, and then hid in the wall. The monsters were none the wiser. He cleaned up the stones so that other monsters don't eat them and become enhanced species.
They slipped close by to hear him mumble, "Well, about fifteen more of these to go… and as much as I want to sleep, that is a bad idea… I wonder how the girls are doing…" The next few mumblings were about some girl named Lefiya. The other he didn't mention.
Then it got even worse when they picked up their sword, "I know you're there and have been for a while, so why don't you leave? I'm here on a request, and I'd very much not like to deal with a monster party this late in the day."
They paused, surprised, but their expression didn't show it. They knew they were here the whole time? They have to report this to him, otherwise, they may very well slice them up. The sounds of footsteps echoed off the Dungeon walls. He narrowed his eyes, and all he saw was red armor, and when they turned, he saw green eyes staring him down, with red hair, the color of freshly split blood.
The boy identified them as a her, so she ran away, but something tells the boy that they would meet soon. Far too soon for his liking. She retreated back down some tunnels and barreled through a wall or two. With her knowledge, she knew all the best paths to gain some distance between him and her. He felt like a level five, possibly six. His stats must be really up there to feel that way. While confident in her ability to fight, she was after her. Which leads her to believe, was the other girl her?
She finally stopped on the thirtieth floor. She traveled along the side paths all the way there, avoiding other adventurers. If she found one, they were silenced immediately. No one must know of her presence yet. Once she made it to a secluded area of the thirtieth floor, she spoke, "There has been a development."
The shadows on the wall twisted and morphed before forming a person under a hood. Their facial expression and face were not able to be seen. "Explain."
"There may be more than one offspring to her. To Aria."
There was a moment of silence in the area, the two figures stared one another down, neither willing to break eye contact first. "Start from the beginning, and do not leave a single detail out, Revis. He will want to know what has transpired today." The figure looked over this red-headed woman before noticing the blood on her chest plate and visible skin. "How many?"
The woman, Revis, shrugged, "Lost count after five." She obviously didn't care. All she knew was that she was below the boy in level. Which leads to another question, what was he doing there?
"You are going to interrupt my master's plans."
"With the trail I left behind and with what I plan on doing, your plans will follow along nicely," Revis scoffed at this figure. "Now, I need to get the perfect bait to get him here…"
...
The outfit described is the Sweet Princess from DanMemo, the mobile game, since I didn't want to have the same outfit from the anime or the LNs. I couldn't find one that looked tame and wasn't some armor or something. So, I went with that.
You might be wondering what I have planned... well... it involves Revis.
You won't get the full plan from me.
EDIT: Also, thanks to Agopessimist for calling me out on my shit. You'll notice the corrections throughout, so again, thank you. I checked the Wiki, and the pantry is located on the 7th, 20th, and 24th floors. I used the lowest one since Agopessimist pointed out that Axton is Level Five, meaning, he can go lower without a problem.