"Well...I'll be damned…" The red-haired Goddess muttered, her eyes half-opened. A rare sight indeed, even for her Familia.
The Loki Familia was powerful and well-known, thanks in no small part to their top 3 Executives, The Captain Finn Deimne "Braver", Riveria Ljos Alf "Nine Hells" and Gareth Landrock "Elgarm". However, other members were also on their way to become First Class Adventurers. Among them was Ais Wallenstein, who had became Level 5 one year ago, at the age of 13. And with that, she set a record well-known among Adventurers for the fastest Level Ups in recent history. The Gods acknowledged her feats, and so she received the Alias "Sword Princess".
She was indeed very talented, and Loki was very proud to have her in the Loki Familia. The red-haired trickster even believed in Ais's potential to become a Level 7, and higher.
It was thus understandable that both the Goddess as well as the other Executives were shocked at what had transpired in their very own garden.
"So...you said you wanted to join my Familia?" Loki asked, arms crossed. She did her best to try it, but as a Trickster God, she was usually the one to prank, surprise and shock others. It rarely happened to her, and thus, when it did happen she was not fully capable of hiding her feelings.
The boy did not lift his eyes, instead cleaning the few drops of blood from his sword. He only looked at the Goddess once his sword was cleaned and back in it's scabbard. After a moment, he nodded.
"Well...you already showed us your skill...But any reasons why a young lad like you wants to be an Adventurer?" Loki asked, though it was not quiet for safety concern reasons. Many children joined Familia from a very young age, especially here in Orario. However, with some luck the boy would not be aware of this fact, and talk a bit about himself so that Loki could better understand him as a person.
"...With this sword…" The boy said, his eyes darting to the sword at his hip, too long for his small body. He looked back at Loki, and she could feel the resolve in his stare. "I will grasp the heavens."
"...Huh?"
XXX
Finn Deimne was a busy man. Contrary to what many actually believed, being the Captain of a large Familia meant his shoulders were always burdened with responsibility. Paperwork, logistics, recruitment, planning, financial awareness...There was much to do, and he rarely got time to rest. Not that the Pallum was complaining, of course. He knew what he was getting into when he decided to become the Pallum's Light.
"With that, let's decide the team-ups for this month's exploration." Finn said to the other two people seated at the table, Riveria and Gareth. Meetings like these were important, especially so for a large Familia.
Generally speaking, there were two ways to run a Familia, depending on their size. If a Familia was small, then usually the members would all brave the Dungeon together, so that all could become stronger and increase chances of survival. At first, this seems like a good and logical idea, however that also depends on the Level of the members. If, for example, there is a Level 3 or 4 member in the same group as multiple Level 1's, and if that person joins the fight on the Upper Levels, then the latter members will gain less Excelia than normal. Secondly, if such a party has too few strong members and more Level 1's, then if that party decides to go to a Floor fit only for the strongest of their party, then that member might have too much ground to cover, defeating both the monsters only he or she can slay fast while also keeping the other weaker members alive. Overall, this first way of running a Familia is both good and bad, depending on the Familia itself.
The second way is used by large Familia like Loki, Freya and Ganesha Familia. With more members comes the possibility to plan carefully picked parties to compliment each other strengths and weaknesses. As a large Familia usually has a great variety in the Levels of it's members, this is done to both strengthen the members of the party as well as to keep a balance in Orario. After all, despite what people outside of Orario would believe, the political situation in the City was heavily influenced by the strongest Familias and which members are available when the city, meaning the Guild, needs them.
"We still have to assign a team for the Quest by the Dian Cecht Familia. Let's start with that." The sturdy dwarf voiced, and he was met with two nods. "They have asked us for herbs found on the Large Tree Labyrinth, as well as blood from the Green Dragon. The deadline is five days."
"We need to keep securing our good ties with the Dian Cecht Familia for the large-scale expeditions into the Deep Floors. Without their Potions, such expeditions would not be possible to begin with." Finn stated, and naturally, the other two Executives were also well aware of this fact. Large scale expeditions had to be carefully planned, and it was not an understatement to say that large Familia like Loki's needed the support of many other Familias to make them a reality. The amount of food, potions and equipment alone was staggering.
"Then I propose we send one of our Level 5's as the leader of the party tasked with this Quest." Riveria said after a moment of thought. Finn crossed his arms, thinking on this for a few moments before shaking his head.
"No, our Level 4's can handle this." he said, adamant in his decision and trust. "While I understand why you might want to send a higher Level member for a quest directly issued to us, our Level 4's also need to be entrusted with more responsibility."
"No objection." Gareth nodded.
"No objection." Riveria also agreed after a moment.
"Good. Then, as the leader of this party, I suggest Anakitty." Finn voiced, and he was met with two more nods. "As for the party size, I would suggest nine: seven fighters and two supporters."
"This Quest requires a large amount of gathering. Would it not be wise to assign more supporters?" Gareth asked with a raised eyebrow. Dian Cecht Familia was one of the largest medicinal-type Familia in Orario. As such, any Quest issued by them meant a lot of resources had to be gathered, as their many Doctor's burned through them quite fast.
"Indeed." Finn agreed with a slightly mischievous grin. "However, I want them to think about how to make the most efficient use of their small number."
"A test in the middle of such an important Quest?" Riveria shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "Sounds like something you would do."
"Hmhm. With that said, let's choose the other members."
"I suggest having Line and Orba as the Supporters. They are both Level 2, and their Abnormal Resistance is high enough for whatever the Floors will throw at them."
"I second that." Riveria nodded.
"I agree." Finn also agreed. Today they were truly quick in agreeing. "With that, we filled in the Supporters. Now for the front-liners."
"Morel might be only Level 2, but his defensive abilities are rather high. I suggest adding him." The High Elf voiced.
Finn took but a single moment to decide before nodding. "Ok. I had planned to add him to another party, but this will be a better choice. His Abnormal Resistance Ability needs some improvement, after all."
"I agree. Then, I also suggest adding Elfy to the party. If you want this Quest to act as a sort of test, then the jungle-like Floors will be a good place for her to learn to be mindful of her Fire Magic." Gareth added after letting out a puff of his pipe, and the other two nodded.
"Mhm. So four more to go." Finn stated. "How about having Rakta go with this party? She usually acts more like a Supporter, but with Line and Orba already assigned to these roles, we'll have her gain a bit more fighting experience."
"Well, she is a Level 2 with good ranks in her Basic Abilities." Riveria added. "And even after all this time, the 24th Floor where most of the Quest resources are located is still not completely mapped. Having someone like Rakta who excels at mapping with the party will help."
"Good thinking, Riveria." Finn agreed. "Then...how about him?" The Captain asked, and the other two Executives only needed a moment to understand who exactly he was referring to.
"…"
"…"
"...Hey, hey, why the long faces?" The Pallum asked with a laugh. "His potential is there, isn't it?"
"Finn, his highest two Stats are only D. You know that it is recommended to have at least C rank in Basic Abilities for Level 2's to go into the 24th Floor." Riveria reprimanded her Captain for his thoughtless suggestion. At best, the boy would be a liability to his party. At worst, the boy himself could die.
"Riveria, surely you haven't forgotten how that boy managed to join our Familia? You were there, after all."
"I am not questioning his potential, I am questioning his current Status."
"...And still, you can't help but wonder." Gareth stated, his hand stroking his beard. "If he managed to do that back then, how would he fare against these Floors and the challenge they present?"
"...I understand both of your curiosity." The High Elf nodded slowly, her brows shifting into a frown. "But I cannot agree to this. Though this assignment is not a death sentence, it is not far from one."
"You need to have more trust in our members, Riveria. I for one, trust him. I know for sure he will survive."
Riveria looked at both of her fellow Executives, back and forth, back and forth, then sighed as her head dropped slightly. "...Very well. If anything happens…"
"It won't. I'm sure of it." Finn stated, and both Riveria and Gareth couldn't help but be in awe at the level of trust their Captain had in the boy. He had not shown this kind of trust in another person in...a long time. "So it's decided then. He will join this party."
"Yes." Gareth nodded, as did Riveria a second later.
"Hmhm, I can't wait to hear what will happen...Oh, anyway, now to the last members…"
XXX
Once their meeting on today's business was concluded, Finn had Riveria and Gareth go and inform everyone of their newly-assigned roles while he went to inform the boy personally. It wasn't much of a choice, in all honesty. After all, only he could shake the boy out of his trance.
Walking down from the meeting room on the upper floors, Finn went to the main hall downstairs, and then down the left corridor, taking another left to reach the rather spacious garden. He could still remember when he had just met Loki and it was just him, Riveria and Gareth, paying for rooms at the inns of Orario. Some ten years after their Familia was created, they had enough money to buy the land on which the Twilight Manor now stood.
Though with the expenses we have to spend on the expeditions, we are still paying off the debt of the Manor...
Shaking their financial situation off his mind, Finn reached the garden behind their base, and sure enough, the one he was searching was there.
"Yo, Fuzen." The Captain called out as he approached the boy. Of course, as usual, he received no verbal or physical response, but he knew the boy was now aware of his presence, and would listen to him. "I've come to tell you that I decided to have you accompany a small party of our members into the 20th to 24th Floors for a Quest."
"…" The boy did not give any sign of acknowledgment, but he had heard loud and clear.
"It's a bit before noon right now, and you will be leaving in six hours, so this will not disturb your training."
"...Mhm." Fuzen let out a sign of approval, his hand reaching once again for the longer sword fastened at his hip. He grabbed the handle, rolled forward, turned around facing his previous position, drew his sword and in a perfect arc, slashed upwards.
If I remember correctly, that was called Rising Lightning. Finn thought as he crossed his arms and observed the training Fuzen was doing. From his last stance, he turned once again 180° degrees, threw his main sword up in the air, grabbed his second, smaller katana, drew, slashed, sheathed it again before reaching for the sword still in the air, grabbing it and in a single fluid motion, sheathing it as well.
Without losing any time, he walked back to the very spot he had been before, and took his stance once again, doing the same two techniques again. However, Finn was a Level 6, and he could tell with a single glance: this time it was faster. The third time, even more so.
Fuzen had joined Loki Familia almost a year ago. He simply popped up at their gates one day, full of scratches and bruises, and asked to be allowed to meet the girl known as the Sword Princess. At that time, Ais was inside the Dungeon with the Executives. Having been told this, Fuzen nodded, went on the opposite side of the Twilight Manor's front gates, took a seiza sitting posture and simply waited.
For two days.
In that time, he only got up when nature called. For sustenance, he only ate dried soy nuts he had packed in his bag. Besides that, he did not move from his position at all. Finn could still remember how the guards stationed at the gates were both awed and terrified at the display of pure discipline.
After Ais had came back with Finn and the others, they were informed of Fuzen's request. Ais agreed to the meeting, and Fuzen's first words were a request for a duel. Well, what happened afterwards is a story for another time, but Finn doubted he would have the chance to witness something like that ever again in this lifetime.
Since then, it's been ten months. Fuzen became a member of the Loki Familia, but only after going through a talk with Loki. Apparently, the young boy, some ten years of age at the time, had a very strict training regime he wished to live by no matter what, and he informed Loki of the times he would train, and how he desired to not be disturbed. Naturally, he also informed her that if something urgent came up, he would drop his training and rush to aid in whatever way he could.
Loki decided to agree to these terms, as she was hyped to meet someone as strange as Fuzen, and the prospects that someone like him would bring into her Familia. And so, for the last ten months, Fuzen woke up earlier than anyone, prepared his own breakfast, trained from dawn to late afternoon, then dwelled into the dungeon on his own before returning, going to sleep and repeating. Every single day, without delay.
Grasping the heavens with your sword, was it?
Finn's eyes made for the bench a short distance away. There was a water canteen on it, and then, laid on a clean white cloth, Fuzen's katana. Even though he was no swordsman himself, Finn realized the second he saw it that Fuzen's katana was a masterpiece. It's scabbard was a vibrant, electric blue colour in harmony with cherry blossom petals which covered some of it's length, placed in a way as if they were swept aside from their branches by a gentle wind. The grip was the same colour as the scabbard, wrapped in a style Fuzen had called Katatemaki, with the diamond shaped wrapping only at both ends, while the middle was wrapped straight. The guard, to most swordsmen's awe, was forged in the shape of a lotus flower, and like the pommel and kaijiri at both ends of the katana, which had cherry blossom flowers engraved in them, was a faint and pleasant pink. As for the blade, well...it was something else, to say the least. He had once Fuzen about it when he caught him in a rare break during training, and apparently, the sword was not an actual katana, but rather, an O Katana, as it's blade was longer than usual.
Though anyone could see that the sword meant a lot to the boy, he did not actually use it while training. Instead, he had one of the best blacksmiths in all of Orario forge a replica of his sword simply for training. Still, even though only a replica, you cannot replicate a masterpiece with third-rate resources, and as such Fuzen was still paying off the one hundred and thirty thousand Valis for the training sword.
"...Anyway, make sure to not be late. The others will wait for you at the Babel entrance, one hour after your usual training ends." With that, Finn turned around and left. Though he had received no verbal response or even a nod, he knew that Fuzen heard him. Now all that was left was to inform Anakitty of her secondary mission while on the Quest.
XXX
With six years of experience as an Adventurer behind her, Anakitty Autumn was considered one of the best Second Class Adventurers in all of Orario. She did not let pride get the better of her, however, as she was fully aware how others were much stronger than her. Perhaps that is why her Captain, Finn, tasked her frequently with important Quests. She was naturally happy to be entrusted with responsibility, and was no stranger to it.
However, she could not quite put together what the Executives were thinking when they created this party led by her. For once, Morel was not quite ready for the Floors they would be going to. His Basic Abilities were slightly on the low end, and though he had the Ability [Shieldmanship], increasing his proficiency while wielding a shield...well, she hoped that worn out shield of his would not break. Secondly, Elfy only had one spell, [Scorch Ray], and the slightest mistake on her part could trap the whole party in a blazing hell, seeing how the Floors they would dwell into were jungle-like. Thirdly, they only had two Supporters with them. Granted, they were both Level 2 and had a high enough [Abnormal Resistance] as to not die of the many poisonous monsters and plants, but it was too little.
Gathering Quests needed a lot of time, and their deadline was in five days. She doubted it would take more than two days for them to complete said Quests, but having at least three or four Supporters would improve their efficiency. After all, while the Supporters gathered the materials, all others needed to stand guard, so it's not like everyone could merrily gather materials, unless they wanted to be ambushed by monsters and die horribly.
Lastly…him.
Anakitty brushed the hair from her eye, and looked over at the small boy besides her. She knew as much about him as everyone else...which meant she didn't knew anything about him at all except for the very obvious things.
He was a boy, maybe ten or eleven years old? He never answered when asked, however his short stature, roughly 135 centimetres tall, spoke of his age for him. His smooth dark hair was twice the length of Anakitty's, and her own hair went past her shoulders. Fuzen usually kept it in a high ponytail, only the bangs which covered his hazel eyes cut shorter. Also, his choice of attire, long black pants called hakama and a black loose shirt fastened by what Anakitty knew was called an obi, as well as an open turquoise jacket, called a haori, with cloud designs on it, were good clues that he was originally from the Far East. Strangely enough, though, he wore normal leather boots instead of the usual sandals used by the easterners.
At his left hip were his two katana, the long and beautiful one, which was still the talk of the Familia frequently, and the shorter one, which Anakitty knew from her visits to the weapon shops that it was called a chisa katana. The small sword was roughly ninety centimetres long, while the masterpiece was roughly one meter and twenty eight centimetres long. Thanks to Fuzen's short stature, he actually had to press his left hand on the handle in order to push the katana end up, in order to avoid having it drag along the ground.
Now, as to why Finn had his be a part of this party...she did not know. So far, since he joined almost a year ago, she was never in a party with him, nor has she seen him fight as he went into the Dungeon alone. All she knew was the story of how he got into the Familia... She also did not know what his capabilities were, nor how his personality was. Would he rush ahead, or stay back? Did he fight aggressively or defensively? She would need to find out before reaching their destination.
"Fuzen." She called out as they had just arrived on the 2nd Floor. Rakta had the role of acting as their vanguard, taking out the weak monsters to allow them easy access deeper into the Dungeon, so she had time to talk with him.
"Mhm." The boy simply grunted in response. She was well aware of the large scar on the boy's throat, but could he actually speak? She had never heard him speak back at their base.
"Uhh...Can you speak? I'm asking because I need to know if you can relay information once battle starts."
"Yes."
...Whoa...He's the epitome of to the point...The Cat Person thought with a twitching smile. "I see, that is good to know." She nodded, as did he. With a quick glance behind her, Anakitty noticed how the other party members were also listening closely to their conversation. Rakta's bunny ears were also twisted to the sides, she probably listened closely, as well.
"Mhm."
"So, I know you usually come here alone. This sudden party-up must be slightly shocking for you."
"Mhm."
"Then, do you understand what our task is?"
"Mhm. I understand the Quest requirements. However, mine is another role." Fuzen stated, his monotone voice not changing in the slightest. Another role? Now she was intrigued.
"And what might that role be, Fuzen?"
"I will dedicate myself to protecting you." Came the immediate reply.
"...Huh? Me?" Anakitty asked, taken aback by the sudden statement of her much younger Familia member. "Uh...You do realize I'm a Level 4, right?"
"Mhm."
"Then...why do you believe you have to protect me?"
"...You...are not very bright, are you?" Fuzen's question had Anakitty stop in her tracks, a few giggles coming from behind her as the others had a blast with the way the conversation was going.
"...That's not very nice to say, Fuzen."
"...Sigh...You are the appointed leader. Whatever this Quest is a success or not is tied to your survival. I do not have the ability to lead. Does anyone else here have?" he asked, but as always, he did not look at anyone in particular, only ahead. After a couple of seconds of silence, he nodded. "I see. Then you are the only leader. Thus, I will protect you."
...O-Oh. So he was saying that based on that line of thought. That's...good to know...Anakitty nodded as she continued to walk. "I see. So that was the logic you used."
"Mhm...Also, you are a lady."
"Hm? Ohh, I didn't knew you were a gentleman."
"I'm not." He replied faster than was necessary.
"Hmm...However, you don't need to protect me. I'm strong enough to protect myself." She reassured him with a smile, happy at his intentions.
"I know. You are stronger than me. But I am also stronger than you."
Taking a moment to process what Fuzen had just said, Anakitty realized something: working in a party with the vague Fuzen might just prove to be even harder than the Quest itself. Looking over her shoulder at the others, Anakitty was met with several head shakes. It seems no one else understood what the young boy was going on about.
Did you knew it was going to be this difficult, Captain? The Cat girl sighed as she remember the secondary task Finn had tasked her with. This was going to be much harder than she initially believed…
Meanwhile, as the leader sighed at the hardships ahead of her, the boy which just so happened to be at the core of most of her hardships had but a single thought.
I want to go back to training...Sigh…
XXX
After a quick stop at the 18th Floor, known as Rivira, where they rested and had a quick bite, the party of nine moved on, ever deeper into the Dungeon. Anakitty had not interacted with Fuzen anymore after their last conversation. Not because of a lack of wanting to do so, mind you, but because the boy looked like he said all he had to say, and did not wish to talk anymore.
You are stronger than me, but I am also stronger than you...Was it? I wonder what he meant by that...The Cat girl could not understand the meaning of those words. Sure, Fuzen was a child, no older than eleven at most, but he did not give off the impression of someone who said something just for the sake of saying it. He understood that she was stronger than him, both in Level and Basic Abilities, as well as experience in the Dungeon. But at the same time, he stated he was stronger than her.
"...Autumn-sama." She heard Fuzen call out to her, and she looked over to him. During their whole descent, he had not left her side. "You look lost in thought. Focus."
"H-Huh?"
"...If the leader makes a mistake, the subordinates also suffer. We are almost at the stairs to the 20th Floor. Focus."
"Right. Sorry about that. These Floors are not really a challenge for me anymore, so I tend to pay them no mind." She said as she straightened her posture, hoping that the members behind her did not notice her being lost in thought.
"...Mayhaps when you are alone, that is a safe way of thinking." Fuzen informed with a nod, which then turned into a shake of his head. "You are not alone right now."
Whoa, that was unexpected. He's barely had ten months worth of experience in the Dungeon, but that is a very mature take on the dangers here. Look at me, being put in my place by a junior...Maybe the Captain was right to form this party…
"...You're right. Our supporters are especially in danger on these Floors."
"Mhm."
Slowly but surely, they walked on, ever deeper. Rakta, thanks to her Hume Bunny enhanced hearing, continued to act as their scout, however Anakitty had her close the distance to the main group. These Floors were dangerous, so if the scout found himself surrounded by enemies, they might be in serious danger if the main group takes too long to aid them. Unlike the eighty meters which she had her scout keep in between them on the Upper Floors, Anakitty had halved that distance now.
"Keep your guard up, everyone." The Cat girl said to her fellow Familia members. Overall, they had a smooth descent without much action until now, and she could see the others starting to relax more than was ideal. Well, everyone besides Fuzen. That boy's intense glare on their path ahead did not waver at all. Poor Rakta's bunny instincts must be screaming to her that the real danger was behind her and not in front of her. "Don't forget that this is the Dungeon-!"
"Enemies!" A shout from their scout stopped Anakitty mid-sentence, and with a single, fluid motion, she drew her double-edged sword, ready for combat. "Mad Beetles! Over twenty of them!"
"Okay, let's go! Supporters, stay back! Morel, protect them! Everyone else, let's do this!"
With a unified shout the group rushed forward, where their scout Rakta was already engaged in combat. As they ran down the corridor into the clearing where the fighting started, Anakitty noticed something rather strange. Despite everyone rushing forward at full speed, the boy who stuck by her side was not running. He was walking, always just one step ahead of her her. He was walking...but he was keeping up with everyone else.
What the actual…? No, focus. Questions come later.
The party clashed against the monsters, and while the others held their own against the Monsters, Anakitty soon noticed that they were forgetting basic knowledge on them. "Their exoskeleton is hard, aim for their arms and legs, the inside of their mouth and the crevices on their bellies!" She shouted as her blade found it's trajectory into one of the Beetle's mouth and out the other side, the Monster falling limp at her feet.
There were no immediate monsters around her, so she took a moment to look over the battlefield. Rakta had used the length provided by her spear to take care of the enemy safely. So far, she had killed three. Elfy on the other side, just finished her incantation and brought her wooden staff in front of her. With [Scorch Ray], a piercing-type Flame projectile, she took out two Beetles in a single spell.
Claire, also a Level 2, used her high Dexterity stat to gracefully evade all attacks that came her way, all the while countering with quick attacks from her two short swords. She had already killed two, while two more Beetles were trying to hit her while screeching. Claire would be able to take care of herself.
Morel had his shield raised high, the two Supporters behind him. Three Beetles were using the gaps in the formation to make their way towards him, which was not good at all.
He needs help!
Just as her body finished turning around towards the three, a flash of steel being drawn at incredible speed cut down the outermost Beetle. A jump on it's shoulder, and then using the decapitated body as a stepping stone, Fuzen jumped forward towards the other two enemies. Another flash of steel being drawn, and another head fell to the ground. The last Beetle turned around, while Fuzen twisted mid-air. He somehow managed to turn around, his back at the Beetle, before turning once more, drawing his sword and flying past the now headless monster. Using his momentum, Fuzen landed on Morel's shield with both feet, crouched and jumped forward, towards the third Beetle approaching Claire from behind.
He drew the same sword he used to kill the last three monsters, his chisa katana, and performed a forward flip, plunging the sword right into the Beetle's skull. Unsurprisingly, he used the lifeless corpse as another stepping stone, and jumped onto another enemy.
What the actual hell…? He's...flying...That was all Anakitty could think off as her sword felled yet another Beetle.
Within ninety seconds of engaging, all the Monsters were taken care off, and Anakitty had the group gather up and searching each other for wounds while the Supporters were tasked with retrieving the Magic Stones from the monster corpses.
They fought well, despite the sudden ambush. Rakta, who usually took the role of a Supporter, also proved herself well by making first contact with the Monsters and still keeping a cool head. Their fire mage observed the battlefield carefully and fired off her Spell which could easily hurt allies as well only when the window of opportunity for it opened up. However, there was one member who lost his cool.
"...Morel."
"Y-Yes?" The man flinched at the sound of his name.
"You need to keep a cool head." The Cat girl said. "You are tasked with a defensive role in keeping Line and Orba safe. Back then, you were being slowly but surely surrounded by three enemies, but you did not shout out your predictment. Thankfully everything turned out okay thanks to Fuzen quick reaction. You should thank him properly."
"A-Ah, yes. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks a lot, Fuzen." The man nodded and turned to thank the youngest among them, who was busy cleaning his chisa katana with a cloth he procured from the pouch on his ride hip. As usual, he did not verbally reply, but he let out a Mhm. "That was pretty amazing back there. Still, those were the moves of a Level 3 Adventurer. Aren't you a Level 2 like me?"
"Mhm." The boy nodded.
"... I see. Anyway, thanks again."
"Mhm." His katana now clean and back in it's scabbard, the boy walked towards their leader, taking his position to her right side again.
With all Magic Stones collected and all members unharmed, the party made it's way further down. Their goal was less than two hours away now. Deciding that their last formation worked quite well, Aki had not changed their formation nor tactic. They would advance as before. Naturally, that also meant the short easterner was stuck to her side…
"That was quite something back then, Fuzen."
"I have no idea what exactly I did to impress you, Autumn-sama."
"Right before we engaged the enemy, we were all rushing forward. However, I didn't see you running, but you made contact faster than any of us."
"...Alas, that is a matter for another time." He dismissed her hidden question with a casual shrug. Now, Aki was not an easily irritated person by nature, however being shrugged off this casually made even her slightly...angry.
"Are you...dismissing me? Like, to my face?"
"I apologize, was I being to direct in my response?" The boy asked with a monotone tone, same as usual, not the slightest hint of his apologize palpable. "Your westerner culture is hard to understand, as are your social...rights and wrongs. As I wish to avoid further misunderstandings, I will simply be honest: I was indeed dismissing your hidden question and shrugging it aside. Ah yes, to your face." Hearing the painfully honest answer to her question, as well as the snickering from the other Familia members behind them, Aki simply smiled forcibly, feeling her hands clasp into fists at her sides. She wanted to give her junior a piece of her mind, but she was also aware that they were in the Dungeon. This matter would have to wait until they were back on the surface.
XXX
"How's the gathering going?" Having reached the 24th Floor, the two supporters went on to gather the materials needed for the quest completion. Though it would have been easier if everybody started gathering, the truth was that the dense jungle Floor hid many dangers, and as such everyone besides the two Supporters had to be on guard. Already they were attacked two times by Sword Stags and Deadly Hornets.
"Almost done with the these herbs. Just need a few more." The Supporters answered as they neatly packed the herbs into their backpacks. They had been at it for more than two hours, and they were just about finished with the third type of herb out of the five they had to gather.
"Enemies from the rear! Lizardmen, six of them!" A party member called out as the distinguishable form of the bipedal Lizardmen lurked out from the bushes. Aki turned around to face them, and she cursed their own lax attitude that allowed the monsters to sneak up on them.
They are too close for comfort. I should-
"I will take them." Came the fast statement from the youngest member of the party. Without waiting for any sort of approval, he dashed off, jumping from tree to tree until reaching the Lizardmen. Unsurprisingly, while still in mid-air he drew his shorter katana, and using only the same draw, cut and sheath technique, the Lizardmen heads went flying. Aki herself knew she needed roughly ten or twelve seconds to take care of six Lizardmen. They were the equivalent of Level 2 adventurers, after all. Fuzen however only needed three seconds. "...It is done."
"I...can see." Aki responded, as surprised as everyone else. "Everyone, stay on guard. The enemy this time came too close for comfort. Widen the perimeter. Supporters, go back to your initial task." Her orders given, the leader of the group called Fuzen over to her.
"How may I help?"
"Fuzen, I appreciate you taking care of the enemy that quickly but you should wait for my orders."
"I see. I understand. Given the small number of enemies I believed I should take care of them, as I am the fastest in our current group. Was that a wrong thought?"
"It...wasn't wrong. You did take care of them quicker than even I could. However, depending on what kind of monsters and their numbers attack us, I need you on standby. I was going to take care of the Lizardmen myself."
"Hmm...Isn't that a wrong way of thinking?" He asked after a moment of thought, surprising Aki with his question.
"How so?"
"The leader should be in a position from which he or she can oversee the whole battlefield. If you had engaged the Lizardmen and in that exact moment another monster group had appeared somewhere else, you would not have had the time to give orders on the fly. Or am I wrong in my assumption?"
He's...not wrong. It's not the first time I lead a group on a Quest. Was I too naive so far…? Thinking about it, Captain Finn always stands back and only engages when his strength is absolutely necessary…
"That's true…"
"If that is true, then give me the permission to act on my own and take care of sudden changes like the Lizardmen that just now breached our perimeter. With my mobility I can easily take care of it." He offered after a moment, and Aki had to think for a moment. It was true that somehow, he was even faster than a Level 4 like her. His reflexes were also nothing short of amazing. Still, while they were all Adventurers, Fuzen was young, too young for her comfort. However, she also had to think about the secondary objective Captain Finn tasked her with…
"Very well. Then I'll leave that to you."
"I shall not disappoint." With a nod, the boy walked to the centre of their formation, ready to move in all directions as the need arose.
...This is what you wanted, right, Captain…? Sigh…
One break and four hours later, the group managed to collect all the required herbs, and were now resting on a cliff on the 24th Floor. They had fought a couple more times in the last hours, and the lower Level party members were starting to get exhausted. They needed to rest well for the final part of their Quests.
"Now that we gathered all the herbs, all that remains is the blood of the Green Dragon. While the deadline for the quest is five days, our Captain also wanted to test us. That is why we were grouped like this, as we never worked together before. Secondly, the Captain also wants to see how quick we can deal with a Quest, and so the faster we can complete the Quest, the more merit we will gain."
"Ohh, sounds good!"
"So it was a test after all…? Damn that Pallum…"
"Let's do it, let's do it~"
"Witnessing her comrade's high morale, Aki let a small smile escape her. They could do it. While the Green Dragon was strong, she was Level 4, and they also had a mage with them. No problem. "Ok, then let's go through the plan. First, I will draw it's attention by charging at it from the front. I'm the only Level 4 here, so I'll manage that on my own. Elfy, you flank it and use your magic to weaken it's wings and limbs. And Fuzen-...Where's Fuzen?" Looking once over the group, she failed to locate the youngest member of her party.
The others also looked around, all around them, but the boy was nowhere to be found.
"...This can't be. Wasn't he here with us?!" Aki asked, looking all around them. Had she just...lost a party member? No, that can't be, she wasn't that careless. She knew he had been there, resting with them.
"Aki, what do we do?" Asked another member. "Should we look for him?"
Look for him? This floor was twice the size of Orario. Where would they even start, and what were their chances of finding someone in this jungle?
God damn it, where did he go…? Think, think...He was definitely here, so he didn't get lost, he walked away on his own. But then, where…?...Ah…
"Everyone, pack everything up. I know where he is." Aki said after she realized the stun their young member pulled on them. They needed to move fast.
XXX
"I mean…" One of the members behind her said after a long pause where the group simply looked at the scene before them. "He has to be the Captain's love child, or Ais's brother, or something...right?"
Aki also had a similar thought fly through her mind, though not for long. By all rights, as the appointed leader of the party, she should be angry at Fuzen for ignoring her and doing things on his own. She really should be angry. But...seeing the boy meditating crossed-legged on the Green Dragon's decapitated head...well, she forgot to be angry.
"...Ah, you have arrived." He acknowledged their presence without opening his eyes. "It is done."
"We...can see." Aki didn't even bother to try and find out who spoke first. Just how many more child prodigies was Loki going to get under her wings?
"Fuzen, don't you think you should have...waited for us to engage the Green Dragon together?"
At the question, the boy looked at Aki, then at the head he was meditating on, then back to Aki, tilting his head in confusion. "It is dead, is it not?"
"I mean...Sigh...Why did you fight it alone?"
"You were all tired from everything which happened thus far, and I simply thought I would spare my comrades the troubles the lizard would cause. Was I wrong in my approach?"
She could not deal with it. She wanted to be angry, like Captain Finn when Bete or Tiona did something stupid and he reprimanded them for it. However, she could not be angry. One might have thought that it was simply a facade, a mask worn by a child using his innocence to escape punishment. But if the last couple of hours taught her anything, it was that Fuzen was simply like that. He did in fact fight the Green Dragon by himself in order to spare the rest of the party the trouble of fighting him.
"...No...No, I guess you were not wrong...Line, Orba, collect the blood and then extract the Magic Stone. Our Quest is complete. We make for the 18th Floor after this, rest up there and then return to the surface."
Knowing the corpse would turn to ash after the Magic Stone was extracted, Fuzen jumped down from the head, and approached the two Supporters. "Do you require help?"
"Ah, no. We're fine."
"I see."
"Say, Fuzen?" Asked Line.
"Hm?"
"Did you...did you really call the Green Dragon a lizard?"
He looked at the five meters long corpse of the Dragon behind them for a couple of seconds, confused by the question. "It is a lizard, is it not?"
"...Y-Yeah...I guess it is. A...lizard…"
"It is concerning you need to ask such a question. Are you feeling well? Mayhaps the poisonous air of this Floor has affected you? If so, I have an Anti-Poison potion here-"
"No, no. I'm...fine." Line shook her head, a bit touched by the concern the boy showed for her. More troubling for her was the fact that a low-rank Level 2 adventurer like Fuzen managed to cleanly cut off the head of a monsters which many dubbed a mini Monster Rex, and was now calling it a simple...lizard.
"...I see. Then, I shall protect you while you gather the Quest material."
On that same day, the party returned to the surface, their Quest completed. Such was the Loki Familia, with all their odd balls members, some more so than others. In the end, Aki didn't even need to give the order for her secondary task, as Fuzen took care of the Green Dragon by himself.