Chapter 24: A Fresh Start
"To think you can surprise me after all," Caster said as he looked at the two girls standing across his desk with appraising eyes. "You have worked hard haven't you, Goddess Hestia?"
"Huhu! Praise me more Caster!" Hestia said as she threw her chest out.
After a quick shower, the entirety of Hestia Familia had convened in Caster's office for proper introductions.
Bell was sitting on one of the couches in the room with Assassin and Lily at his sides. Archer was leaning his back against the wall beside the door while Saber was standing behind Bell with his hands behind his back. Hestia herself was standing beside Caster.
"Your names, now," Caster demanded.
"Y-yes!" The small, stammering, elf girl began. "P-Primo Libera! N-n-n-nice to meet you, sir!"
"I'm Emma Flores," the human girl greeted them in a much calmer fashion. "A pleasure to meet you all."
Caster gave them a curt nod as his eyes turned to the tapestry hanging on the wall behind him. Bell also turned to look at the newest addition to Caster's office. A large piece of cloth depicting a grail holding a burning fire within as well as a small bell tied to its base. The new Emblem of Hestia Familia.
"Well, what do you think?" Hestia asked looking quite pleased with herself. "It took me all night to figure it out then I sent it over to a tailor for the banners!"
"It will have to do," came Caster's rather flippant reply as Hestia let out a displeased growl. "Have the two of you entered the Dungeon yet?"
"No we haven't, sir," Emma replied, shaking her head. "We were planning to go tomorrow."
"I see…" Caster nodded as his eyes scanned the other occupants of the room. "Saber. Accompany them as a Supporter."
"Very well," Saber answered with a nod.
If Bell remembered correctly, the plan was to let Assassin handle the Supporter role but it looked as though Caster wasn't sure if that was such a good idea at the moment.
"Huh? Is that really necessary just for the First Floor?" Hestia asked. "I mean, I would feel better if someone went along with them but you all just came back right? Wouldn't it be better for you to rest up first?"
"There is no problem, Goddess Hestia," Saber replied. "I will be at one hundred percent in the morning."
"Well…if you say so…" Hestia mumbled. "I also want to throw a party for everyone too. One to welcome Primo and Emma properly and to celebrate everyone else's return from the Dungeon."
"One thing at a time," Caster said, not dismissing the idea entirely. "One must prepare properly if one is to throw a celebration after all. So let us hold it in a few days and celebrate their return from their first voyage as well."
Or rather it would seem the king was all for it.
"Uwaa…Gil's acting all nice all of a sudden…" Hestia said before shirking back when Caster leveled a sharp glare at her.
"The main concern is for the two of you," Caster continued, returning his gaze to the two newcomers. "If you feel having a break right after the first day will be detrimental to your own progress we shall hold off on the celebration."
The Dungeon was a world of kill or be killed. A newbie Adventurer needed to acclimate themselves into such an abnormal setting as soon as possible in order to be successful. However, sending a new team in one day and then celebrating their return the next was a privilege belonging to a successful Familia after all.
"Well, it's fine isn't it?" Hestia asked. "Just think of it like a school initiation before being let off for a weekend."
"Those don't tend to help the nerves of the more serious students though," Archer muttered.
"Now now, let's just forget about the Dungeon for at least an hour or two," Hestia said quickly changing the topic while clapping her hands. "Emma and Primo already introduced themselves so let's have everyone else do so as well."
Caster let out another small breath through his nose before speaking.
"My name is Gilgamesh," Caster said. "However, you are to refer to me as 'Caster' or 'Captain' at all times. Is that understood?"
""Yes!""
As the two girls nodded, Caster gestured for them to sit down on the couch opposite of Bell while Hestia plopped herself down onto the side of Caster's desk.
"I guess I'm next?" Bell asked. "I'm Bell Cranel. Level 2 and the Vice Captain of the Familia."
"Moonlit Dawn right?" Primo asked as Hestia winced with a slight sob escaping her lips that went unnoticed from everyone except Caster. Primo however was staring at Bell with starry eyes…not unlike the same eyes Bell used to look at Archer and the others at first. "How did you do it? Did you really take down a Minotaur on your own."
"Yes," Bell nodded. He wondered if he should act a bit more humble but in the face of a cute junior, he wanted to boast of his accomplishments, if only just a little bit. "It's thanks to everyone's help that I got this far."
A little wish could go a long way after all.
"Shall we go in order then?" Archer asked. "You can call me Archer. It's been a while since I was taking on a Quest from another Familia but I take care most of the chores in the Familia. If you need anything bought or fixed just let me know."
"Liliruca Arde," Lily introduced herself with a quick bow of her head. "But just Lily is fine! Lily is the Familia's Supporter so if Miss Primo or Miss Emma have any questions just leave it to Lily!"
"Sigurd," Saber's introduction was short and curt. "Please refer to me as Saber in public. I am currently in charge of Bell's training. If you either of you wish to join in do not hesitate to ask."
"…What kind of training is it to make someone reach Level 2 in a month and a half?" Primo muttered looking rather pale.
"We're Jack!" Assassin said, raising a hand over her head in greeting. "Let's be friends, Primo!"
"Y-yeah, sure!" Primo stammered at first but the sight of a girl around her age seemed to have calmed her nerves.
"Well now that that's done it's time for dinner!" Hestia said as she hopped off Caster's desk. "Archer, if you're tired I can do it so just rest for the day."
"No, I feel energized being back home after so long," Archer said with a smile. "Let me get back to work at least."
"Fine…but I'm going to help and you can't stop me!"
"…Are you feeling all right, Lady Hestia? Not running a fever I hope?"
"I'm not lazy all the time, damn it!"
"That would be news to me," Caster muttered as Archer let out a warm chuckle before leading the way out of the office.
"Are you going to eat, Lord Caster?" Lily asked, turning around at the door.
"No, I have some work that needs to be taken care of," Caster said as he stood up. "You need not wait for me."
"Understood. Have a safe trip, Lord Caster."
"Hmm. You have done well today, Liliruca Arde."
"Thank you very much."
X-x-X-x-X
"If you have any dietary restrictions let me know," Archer said as he worked behind the counter.
"I don't have anything in particular," Primo replied as she watched him cook from the other side of the counter. "Ah but if you could put a little less meat then that would be fine."
"Anything you particularly dislike though?" Archer asked.
"No…after traveling to Orario from my village I've decided that being picky about food just makes you hungrier…"
The young girl's eyes seemed to fade slightly as she looked off to the side. Considering that many people traveled for weeks, or even months, just to reach this town, fresh food would be a luxury and Primo must have learned to quickly deal with all sorts of foods in order to fill her stomach during her travel to the city.
An Adventurer must not be picky about their food if they wanted to Adventure properly but just like down on the Eighteenth Floor, eating nothing but one kind of food over and over would be a mental burden especially when there wouldn't be too many opportunities to cook properly.
Archer smiled as he reached over the counter and patted Primo on the head, bringing the girl's senses back to the present as she pouted up at him.
Judging from how close she seemed to Emma despite only knowing her for a few days, Archer judged that Primo didn't have the same aversion at being touched by non-elves that a few of the more prideful elves had. It was probably due to her young age or something she also discarded along the way to Orario. Or it was simply because as a member of the same Familia, Archer became someone she trusted almost unconditionally.
"By the way, Archer," Emma began as she walked over with a giggling Assassin on her back and an apologetic looking Bell behind her. "You said you were on a Quest? What was it about? That is…if you can share it that is."
"It was a job with Loki Familia," Archer replied while chopping up the vegetables that Hestia was peeling and handing to him. "The pay was good even though I had to be away for a while."
"Loki Familia?" Primo asked with wide eyes. "T-then you got to see Lady Riveria right?"
"Y-yeah," Archer nodded with a wry smile.
It seemed as though every elf was enamored in some way like she was some sort of celebrity. Granted she was a member of royalty so it probably was something like that. The person in question seemed like she could do without the constant admiration of her race though.
"Umm, don't take this the wrong way Primo," Bell began. "But since you admire Lady Riveria so much, did you try joining Loki Familia?"
"Loki probably wouldn't have turned you away without seeing you first at the very least," Hestia pointed out.
"I couldn't do that!" Primo replied. "If I joined Loki Familia just to try and get close to Lady Riveria then I would just be a stalker right!? No! Lady Riveria is best when admired from afar!"
It seemed that she never planned to try and join Loki Familia to get close to her idol in the first place.
"But wouldn't it be hard to learn magic without a teacher?" Emma asked. "The basics are just memorization but I think having a proper mage would be more helpful in the long run, right?"
Even though everyone in the Familia aside from Emma herself could use magic, no one really knew the intricate details.
Bell's magic was instant cast so he could fire it and forget about it unless he was using Argonaut to charge it.
Archer's magic was unique to himself so others had no way to use his knowledge.
Caster, for all his title and potential, had actually very little magical knowledge and all his magic consisted of firing spells held within wands and staves.
Lily's magic was simple disguise magic and not used for combat and had only a single verse to trigger and release the magic so there wasn't much use there.
Saber's magic involved no verses but instead the use of carving runes in the air or into another medium.
And Assassin was…Assassin. She probably didn't understand anything about magic outside of her own instinct.
"I'm not starting from zero," Primo replied as she threw out her chest. "I learned a bit from Adventurers and other Elves that passed through my village on occasion and Miss Eina said that she can recommend some books if I need them."
It would seem that Primo had put in a lot more thought about becoming a Mage than it first appeared.
"What about you, Emma?" Saber asked from his seat at the dining table. "Have you thought about using magic yourself?"
"Hmm?" Emma blinked in surprise in the middle of setting Assassin down, the question completely catching her off guard. "Magic? Me?"
"Yes. It might not be as efficient but I too learned Magic from my wife in the past. It is a bit unusual but I may try to pass some of the teachings onto you if you wish."
"Ah, come to think of it I think I remember reading something like that," Bell spoke up. "Magic comes into two forms. Innate magic that a person has naturally usually though training and the like amongst certain races. The second is acquired magic that appears to those who received the Falna. It can appear when we receive the blessing or through an outside force thanks to the Falna drawing it out."
"Yes. Aside from time spent, I do not believe there is anything to lose with this method, Emma."
"If you're offering then I won't turn it down," Emma replied with a nod. "Ah…but I think I'd rather practice with a sword more first. I know the basics but…"
"Understood. Whenever you are ready then."
There was no point in trying to teach Emma too many things at once. Create a foundation with her swordsmanship and then build upon it with magic afterwards.
"Miss Primo should consider what she wants to do as well," Lily spoke up from her spot at the table as well.
"Me too?" Primo asked.
"Yes. Does Miss Primo want to be a traditional mage that sits in the back and fires off spells or does she want to be a Magic Knight like Master Archer and Master Saber who use their spells in conjunction with fighting on the front. Lily believes it's called 'Concurrent Chanting,' right?"
"Yeah," Archer nodded. "I've seen Riveria use it firsthand to great affect. She can pull monsters away then freeze them once she was done. Lefiya Virdis, Riveria's student, can also do it."
"I-I see…"
"Now now everyone, you're getting ahead of yourselves," Hestia said with a smile. "Let Primo practice actually using her magic first. Then we can talk about where to branch her skill set into after."
It was rather obvious that everyone was excited about the newcomers. Even the usually stoic Saber was already considering how to train the two of them. It was most likely everyone's way of trying to make them feel welcome and accepted.
Truly, this Familia was a unique one.
X-x-X-x-X
"So…" Hestia began as they had dinner of pan fried noodles with meat and veggies. "How was the job?"
They had extended the table out to accommodate the new members.
Hestia sat at the end of the table opposite of the head which was Caster's usual spot. To her sides were Bell and Assassin, making it obvious to the senior members of the Familia that she was playing favorites as usual. On Bell's side of the table sat Archer and Saber while on Assassin's side sat Emma, Primo and then Lily. Boys on one side and girls on the other.
The goddess was talking to Archer who shrugged his shoulders.
"Dangerous and something I really don't think I should attempt again," Archer replied.
"Good cuz I'm not gonna let you if there's a next time," Hestia said with a nod. "If they want spare weapons they can order them ahead of time."
"Are you a blacksmith, Archer?" Emma asked.
"Not in the usual sense," the man replied as he held his hand out and a blade appeared in his hand. "I can use my magic to create swords more or less out of thin air so Loki Familia asked me to join them on an expedition. An instant replacement for a weapon that might break in the Deep Floors is invaluable after all."
"And you can make weapons that are useful for those High Rank Adventurers?" Primo asked with wide eyes. "That's amazing!"
"Come to think of it…" Bell began. "Does this mean you can make that Magic Sword Welf used during the Floor Boss fight?"
Archer nodded his head.
"I won't do so though, out of respect for Welf."
Bell nodded his head as Primo and Emma looked at each other.
"Welf?" Emma repeated. "Is he another Familia member?"
"Oh no, Welf is my personal Blacksmith," Bell said with a smile. "Welf Cr-"
Bell's mouth slammed shut as everyone aside from Emma and Assassin turned to look at Primo who just looked around in confusion.
"What?" She asked, leaning back slightly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"N-no, it's not you…" Bell said quickly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I suppose I forgot about that too," Hestia sighed. "I was so happy to have Primo and Emma in I forgot about your other party member, Bell."
"Is something wrong with this Welf person?" Primo asked.
"Not particularly…but well…" Hestia began before clearing her throat. "Listen Primo. Bell's personal Blacksmith is a member of Hephaistos Familia. His full name is Welf Crozzo."
Primo's eyes widened at the name while Emma remained confused but kept her silence as she turned toward Primo.
"By 'Crozzo' do you mean that Crozzo?" Primo asked as Bell nodded his head with a bitter face. "I see…so that's why you were all worried."
"Sorry…" Bell apologized quickly. "It just kind of slipped my mind…"
"It's fine, I'm not mad," Primo said with a smile. "I totally heard a lot of horror stories in my village about Crozzo Magic Swords but it wasn't like my tribe's forest got burned down so I don't really care. Besides, that stuff happened way way before I was born, so I don't really get it other than 'it was bad.'"
"Oh Primo, you're such a good girl!" Hestia said as she hopped out of her seat and ran over to hug the elf girl, causing her to squeal in surprise. "So mature too! If only other elves can be as accepting as you!"
"L-Lady Hestia!"
"Welf is a good man who detests his family's Magic Swords," Saber added. "If he could he would distance himself from them entirely."
"Lily doesn't think Master Welf can do that any more," Lily replied as she poked at the peeling skin on her arm that made it look like she had a bad sunburn from the Hellhound's flames. "At the very least, Master Welf is willing to use them to help us when we're in danger."
"Someone should check on him tomorrow then," Hestia said as she released Primo after giving her another pat on the head before returning to her seat. "Not only to see if he's okay but to see whether or not he Leveled Up. You said he was only going to be in your Party until then, right?"
"Ah…" Bell had completely forgotten about that condition.
"Do not worry, Bell," Saber said. "As I said before. Welf is not the type of person to leave as soon as his goal has been reached. He will continue to travel with you so long as you wish for it."
"Right."
"Lily thinks that everyone should visit Master Welf then before going into the Dungeon," suggested Lily. "To introduce themselves to him and see if Master Welf can make Miss Emma some armor."
"Wasn't he Bell's personal Blacksmith though?" Emma asked.
"Yes but it doesn't mean he can't make other things for other people," Bell explained for her. "Just don't ask him for a Magic Sword. He works in both metal and leather armor so if you want something lighter it shouldn't be a problem. I don't know if he knows anything about magic staffs though."
"That's okay. Miss Eina helped me pick a decent one already," Primo said with a nod. "It did cost most of our budget though."
"Well with Caster back we'll be able to allocate more money there so don't worry about it," Hestia said with a wave of her hand. "It's only expected that Mages have a bit more upkeep compared to everyone else."
"It also means that everyone has high expectations of you, Primo," Emma said with a smile. "So let's both do our best."
"Right!"
X-x-X-x-X
The next morning, Emma woke up to something clanging outside.
Sitting up in her bed, she rubbed her eyes as she walked to the window and opened it. Peering outside, she tried to find the source of the noise and saw that it was coming just below her. Her eyes widened as she saw two people dashing back and forth in the front yard. Black and silver shadows struck each other faster than she could track them and judging from the sound of metal clashing against metal, they were only getting faster.
Finally, a loud grunt of pain escaped from the pair as the smaller shadow was knocked to the ground and she saw Bell slide across the yard for a moment before stopping just before hitting the gate.
"Wow…"
The gasp left Emma's lips before she realized it.
Adventurers were amazing. Was that something she could eventually do as well? Excitement coursed through her body as she remembered she would be entering the Dungeon for the first time today. Her eyes fell back down toward Bell as he rubbed the back of his head with a laugh before Saber walked over and helped him up. Saber then turned to look at her which made Bell realize that she had been watching. The two of them waved up at her to which she returned before they started practicing again.
"I see…" Emma muttered as she looked at the clock on her wall. "So this is how Bell got to Level 2."
Even so, despite being a Level 2, Emma could tell that Bell couldn't break through Saber's stalwart defenses nor could he completely defend himself against the older man's attacks. As fast and powerful as Bell was, Saber was still on a completely different level. Although Hestia's personality made Emma a bit worried at times even though the goddess was very kind and supporting, she was happy to see that they were still a serious Familia.
"If they're like this…maybe we can find each other soon…" she muttered with one hand grasping the gem around her neck.
Clapping her hands together, Emma pulled her head back into her room and closed the window. She had to prepare for her first day after all. Getting dressed in her tunic as well as the Guild-issued breastplate, Emma left her room and nearly ran into an extremely sleepy looking Lily who had her arm wrapped up in bandages as well as a patch on her cheek to care for her burns.
"Ah! Good morning, Lily," Emma said quickly as the pallum let out a huge yawn in response.
"Good morning Miss Emma…" Lily replied with a quick bow without even opening her eyes. She then blindly reached for the stair's guardrail and started descending the staircase as she spoke. "Is Miss Emma ready to go into the Dungeon?"
"About as ready as I can be," Emma answered as Lily nodded her head. "Any tips?"
"Do not go past the First Floor," Lily muttered as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "The only monster that Miss Emma should see are goblins. They are weak enough that even a newbie can beat a group of them without getting hit. Just do not get surrounded."
Emma nodded her head as she quickly placed her hands on Lily's shoulders and steered her away from walking face first into the couch.
"Since Miss Emma is going with Miss Primo, Miss Emma should do her best to protect her as well," Lily continued, not really paying attention to where she was walking now.
"Right…" Emma nodded. "Um…do you think you should sleep some more, Lily?"
"Lily will go back to bed after breakfast…" the pallum replied with another yawn. "Then she will go back to sleep. Forever."
"At least wake up by dinner time," Emma said with a giggle.
It would seem that the actual Supporter wouldn't be joining them today due to still being exhausted from her previous expedition.
"Good morning, Emma, Lily."
A deep baritone greeted them when they entered the dining room. Archer, who Hestia had told Emma was her second Child, was busying himself in the kitchen.
"Today's the big day, right Emma?" Archer asked with a smile as she led Lily to her seat where the smaller girl quickly thumped her head against the table. "Think you can fit in some food before you go or do you think you might not be able to keep anything down right now?"
"Umm, maybe some toast would be fine," Emma said. She wasn't particularly hungry like Archer guessed but it probably wasn't a good idea to go into the Dungeon on an empty stomach. "And some jam if we have any left."
Archer nodded before loading some already made toast onto a plate and placed it in front of her along with some butter and a jar of peach jam.
"Be sure to leave some for Primo," Archer added with a smirk as Emma nodded with a giggle. The elf seemed to love peaches more than anything else. "And for you, Lily?"
"Eggs…sausages…a potato puff…and someone to feed Lily," Lily replied as she lifted her head up with her mouth wide open.
Archer responded by dropping a wet towel on her face, causing her to squeak and sit up properly.
"I know you're sore and want to get back to bed but at least eat by yourself properly," Archer said with a sigh as Lily just smiled at him.
"Ahh…Lily really did miss Master Archer being at home," Lily said as she rested her head against the table again.
"I missed you too, Lily," Archer chuckled before placing a plate down in front of her. "Sit up."
"Yes Mama~"
"…"
Archer looked as though he wanted to protest that label but he held his tongue as he went back into the stove.
More than merely a group of Adventurers, Emma felt as though everyone acted like one big family.
"I think I'm really lucky to be here," she thought as she took a bite out of her toast.
As Emma finished her first slice, she turned to see Primo wandering down with Assassin and Hestia right behind her.
"Uuu…are we always going to have to get up so early?" Primo asked.
"Well since you and Emma are still new you probably won't have to after today," Hestia said as they sat down at the table. "Bell used to get up even earlier when it was just him and me since we were constantly broke but now that I have all of you that's a thing of the past!"
"Basically…since Miss Emma and Miss Primo will stay in the first few Floors for the time being there's no need to wake up early," Lily continued. "It just that waking up earlier means more training time."
As Archer set down food for everyone, Bell and Saber finally came back inside, Bell looking a bit battered but he was smiling rather brightly.
"Oh, come to think of it," Hestia began as the two of them took their seats. "I was so happy to have you all back that I completely forgot to update everyone's Status yesterday."
"Right…that was a thing we had to do," Archer muttered as if he had completely forgotten about it.
"Well let's do it before you all leave today. My job starts in the afternoon so I have some time. Come to my office after breakfast. Girls first so Miss Supporter can get back to sleep as soon as possible."
"Lily loves Lady Hestia~" Lily said, giving a weak and sleepy cheer.
"Lily is like a baby now," Assassin said as Lily simply let out a relaxed sigh with her head on the table.
"Without Caster here, Lily appears to be much more relaxed," Saber noted.
"Lord Caster said he had a meeting with someone yesterday," Lily said. "It must have been important if he hasn't returned yet."
Emma had only seen the man once and he certainly exuded an air of majesty and importance. Judging from all the slabs and papers within his office, he seemed disproportionately busy for a Captain of a relatively small Familia. Or rather…why was he using stone slabs when parchment was readily available in the first place. Was it just a personal preference of his for some reason or was there some magic involved? Well, it probably wasn't her place to ask in any case.
When breakfast finished, Hestia called everyone except Primo and Emma to her office one at a time to update their Status.
First was Lily.
The pallum girl disappeared into Hestia's office and after a moment there was a loud scream of happiness as she burst out of the room with the biggest smile on her face.
"Lily is now Level 2!" She said as she dived into Bell's chest.
"That's…that's great, Lily!" Bell said as he returned the hug before squeaking and releasing her.
"Yes!" Lily nodded as she stepped back. "Now Lily can support Lord Caster and Bell even better!"
After a round of congratulations, Assassin went in next, then Archer, Saber and then finally, Bell.
Hestia seemed to be taking a long time with Bell, longer than the previous three combined. Suddenly the office door flew open and the Goddess came out with a pale look on her face.
"I'm calling another meeting!" Hestia announced as she ushered everyone inside.
Compared to Caster's office which was all business aside from the few accommodations for guests and meetings, Hestia's office was much more homey.
The walls were covered with shelves and books as well but they were novels for entertainment rather than work. Below some of the shelves were glass cases with wine bottles in them as well as another case that contained a rather worn and used dagger that had the label "Bell's First Weapon" on it. On the desk in the room were several portraits of every Adventurer in her Familia taking up most of the space on top of the desk with Bell's and Assassin's sitting in the front most position. There was also a note attached to the side of one of them saying "Group Photo needed!"
The sides of the room had comfortable armchairs laid out with two of them placed right in front of Hestia's desk and another pair of couches located in the center of the room.
The two massive discrepancies between the two offices neatly portrayed the personalities between the two heads of the Familia.
Bell was there, shirt still removed while gaping blankly at his Status sheet.
"Is something wrong, Bell?" Primo asked as she walked over and peered over Bell's shoulder before she let out a choking sound. "Grk!?"
At Primo's surprise Archer lifted his hand and placed it against his face.
"Let me guess," the man sighed. "Level 3?"
Lily and Emma both wheeled toward Archer, eyes wide open before turning back toward Bell who stiffly nodded and set his Status Sheet down on the table.
Bell Cranel
Level 2
Strength: D521- A875
Defense: C632-S997
Dexterity: B721-S934
Agility: B742-SS1007
Magic: A891-SS1087
Development Ability
Mage
Abnormal Resistance
Hunter
Emma may be a new Adventurer but even she didn't need the others to tell her that such numbers were definitely not normal.
"What the hell did you guys do down there!?" Hestia shouted. "I know you went to fight the Floor Boss but did you make Bell fight it alone!?"
"We did not," Saber replied quickly. "Bell played an important role in the battle and also delivered the final blow."
"Bell also got lost on the Eighteenth Floor after being chased around by Miss Lefiya and ended up fighting a New Species," Lily added. "Oh and he beat three more Minotaurs on his own in two minutes."
Hestia buried her face into her hands and let out a long and agonized sigh while Emma couldn't help but feel both amazed and just a little bit intimidated by Bell. The kind looking boy was hiding a powerful monster under that cute face of his.
"Well, let's wait until Caster comes back before we decide what to do with this," Hestia said as she looked at Bell. "But what I'm thinking is that even if you do decide to Level Up Bell, is that we don't report it to the Guild."
"Isn't that illegal?" Archer asked.
"We'll use the excuse that we didn't think they'd believe us," Hestia answered quickly. "Level 3 in THREE WEEKS. Who does that!?"
"Bell apparently," Emma said with a giggle as Hestia let out another groan telling Emma that she wasn't in the mood for such jokes. "Sorry…"
"Listen," Hestia said seriously. "If this gets out our Familia will become under more scrutiny and Bell will definitely get targeted by the more…let's call them persistent gods. And if that happens…"
Hestia turned toward Saber and Archer who nodded their heads in understanding.
"Well, whatever Caster wants to do he can't stop you from Leveling Up, Bell," Hestia said with a sigh. "So you decide if you want to go for it or try and raise up those Parameters a bit more."
"…I didn't think Status numbers go up that high…" Primo muttered as she walked around the couch and sat down beside Bell. "How do you do it?"
"I don't know if I'm doing anything different from everyone else," Bell replied honestly. "I think it's because I have the support of Archer and the others."
Emma turned toward Archer but the man seemed to be looking curiously at Hestia who was doing her best not to meet anyone's eyes.
"W-well in any case!" Hestia said quickly as she cleared her throat. "You're burning daylight here! Let's all work hard today! Jack, you're going to come help me with work today, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy Hestia!" Assassin nodded.
"Lily is going back to bed if no one else needs her," Lily said as she walked out of the room muttering something about Bell's growth and Spirits under her breath.
"Then I'll handle the shopping after seeing what supplies we're low on," Archer said. "Come to think of it…we're practically out of space for new members already aren't we?"
"Indeed," Saber nodded. "If I had to guess, Caster is most likely either looking for a new property or consulting someone about adding more rooms to the Home."
"Like a detached house or something?" Hestia muttered. "I don't think the rooms are big enough for two people anyway so that might be the best if we don't want to leave this place after barely a month. We have quite a bit of unused yard space and if need be we can see if we can't buy one of the buildings next to us. Well, I'll leave the details to Gil as usual!"
"The Captain has his work cut out for him, doesn't he?" Emma turned to Saber and asked as a chuckle escaped the man's mask.
"Then I'll head over to Welf's to see how he's doing," Bell said before looking at Primo and Emma. "Do you want to come with me?"
"If Mister Crozzo is going to help us then I want to see if he can make some robes for me," Primo said as she stood up alongside Bell. "I don't like the Guild's breastplate all that much…"
"If possible please refer to him as 'Welf,' Primo," Saber said as he opened the door to let Bell and the girls out. "As was said, he does not like his family name."
"What a weird person…" Primo muttered.
"Should we stop by the Guild first?" Emma suggested. "Just to let Miss Eina know we're going to head into the Dungeon?"
"That's probably a good idea," Bell nodded as they gathered their things and headed out, saying goodbye to Archer, Hestia and Assassin as they did.
X-x-X-x-X
Their first order of business was to visit the Guild.
The building wasn't quite as busy as it was when Emma came before but there were still quite a few Adventurers lining up in front of the reception desks and the money changer at this time.
Bell scanned the row of desks before spotting Eina at her usual station and led them all to her.
"Good morning, Miss Eina!" Bell greeted the Advisor who stared at him.
She then dropped what she was doing and ran around counter in order to grab Bell by the shoulders.
"Are you okay!?" were the first words to come out of her mouth. "Are you hurt?"
"I-I'm fine!" Bell said as she started shaking him. "We beat the Floor Boss and all came back safely."
"That's not what I heard!" Eina hissed before dropping her voice to a low whisper. "It was an Enhanced Species!"
"Why do you look like you only just found out this morning?" Primo asked.
"Because she wasn't working when we reported it to the Guild last night," Saber replied.
"I had to hear it from your Captain when he came by to pick up the certificate the Guild issues as proof of defeating a Floor Boss," Eina said. "And I only heard about you going down to do so from your Goddess a day after the fact!"
"I'm sorry!" Bell apologized immediately. "But Caster sprung it up on us the night before and we left early in the morning…"
Basically, there just wasn't time between Caster's decision and the start of the trip for Bell to tell Eina about it. Even so, the Advisor definitely did not look happy about it at all. Emma wondered if it was okay for her to worry so much about a single Adventurer when the Guild was supposed to be neutral in all things but if no one was calling her out on it then it probably was fine.
"Still, I'd like it if you make an attempt to tell me if you're going to go on an expedition, okay?" Eina asked and Bell nodded.
"I will, I promise," Bell said before his face broke into a smile. "By the way Miss Eina, we got a Familia Emblem now!"
Bell showed her the Hestia Familia Emblem patch that had been sewn onto his sleeve by his shoulder. The flaming grail easily visible for Eina to see.
"I've noticed," Eina said with a smile. "Especially since I've already seen it on Primo and Emma."
Indeed, there was a similar patch on Emma's sleeve and on Primo's back as well, causing Bell to deflate somewhat.
"Come now, you can't make such a face in front of your juniors," Eina said as she returned back behind her counter. "Are you heading down to the Dungeon today?"
"Ah yes," Bell nodded as he turned around to look at Emma and the others. "Caster's having Saber look after them but I was thinking of coming along as well."
"Good," Eina said with a smile. "It's important to look after your juniors after all, Vice Captain."
"Of course!"
"Oh and I don't know if your Captain had told you yet, but your Familia Rank has gone up again with your defeat of the Goliath. Congratulations everyone, you're Familia Rank is now Rank F."
When Emma had talked to Eina to register a few days ago, Hestia Familia was still only Rank H. They had jumped two whole ranks thanks to the deeds of her seniors.
"Four places from the bottom," Saber muttered. "Goddess Hestia will be displeased at the increase in taxes."
Eina could only laugh apologetically at the man's blunt assessment.
"Soon we'll have to go on regular expeditions for the Guild, right?" Primo asked Eina who nodded.
"Well, 'soon' might be a bit much but you need to be Rank D before that happens," Eina replied. "That said, it is a bit unusual for a new Familia to be placed so high already. With only one Level 2 and a handful of Level 1s. I suppose my superiors believed that since you could defeat a Monster Rex with those numbers that it was fitting."
Eina turned her head to one of the bulletin boards and Emma saw that a notice had been put up announcing their Familia's success. It certainly explained the looks their group was getting.
"But be careful, okay?" Eina said as she leaned in close. "A lot of questions are floating around concerning your Familia."
"About our Levels, right?" Saber asked and Eina nodded. "As of this moment, every single member of our Familia aside from Bell and Lily are Level 1. I can say this in front of any god with full confidence."
"Lily is…your pallum Supporter, correct?" Eina asked as she gestured for them to follow her, seeing that this conversation might take a while and that they should move to a private room. "So you are officially reporting her Level Up?"
"Yes," Bell nodded.
Emma supposed that was technically true. Although Bell could Level Up as well, he technically hasn't yet. Still…she wondered if it was okay complying with the letter of the law while completely ignoring the spirit of it.
"Wouldn't it be faster if the guild told us to prove our Levels?" Primo asked.
"The Guild is wary about doing that," Eina said once they were inside a private and soundproof room. "A while back, several Familias accused Ishtar Familia of falsifying their Levels and had the Guild examine the Status of the entire Familia. Parameters, Skills, Magic, Development Abilities…all of it was exposed…and found no signs of foul play. Everything was as reported. Thus Ishtar Familia demanded compensation from the Guild and the Guild leveled penalties against the other Familias who made the accusation."
"…And then Ishtar Familia destroyed the other Familias that were weakened from the fines, right?" Emma asked, seeing where the story was going and Eina nodded.
"Yes. That is why the Guild doesn't look into such things without direct and undeniable proof first."
"Then how about we nip the discussion here?" Saber suggested as he stood up. "You are able to read the hieroglyphics, correct Miss Eina Tulle?"
"Y-yes but…" Eina began as Saber removed his armored gauntlets and pauldrons. "You're not suggesting I look at yours are you?"
"I trust you to only look at the Parameters," Saber said as he placed a hand on the collar of his tunic. "It will be enough for your superiors as well, will it not?"
"B-but your Status is locked, right?" Eina asked. "I wouldn't be able to see it without your Goddess's blood anyway!"
"Have no fear, I had her keep it unlocked after I had my Status updated this morning," Saber said as he removed his tunic, revealing his bare back and the Falna upon it. "Caster and I had planned this a while back. There is no worry."
Primo let out an embarrassed squeak as she turned her eyes away from Saber in embarrassment. Emma tried very very hard to do the same but could only cover her eyes with her hands…and even then she still peeked through the cracks in her fingers toward the man's back. It was as though someone sculpted a perfect rendition of the male figure out of ice and then brought it to life. A chiseled body covered in old scars that detailed a life of Adventure long before the man came to Orario.
Nevertheless, a red-face Eina managed to look through the top part of the Falna before her face slowly paled in surprise.
"…You really are still Level 1…" she gasped. "And what's more…not a single Parameter is over two digits…"
"The Falna does not take into account an Adventurer's life beforehand, correct?" Saber asked as he turned around and grabbed his tunic. "I have lived rather full life before coming to Orario and joining Hestia Familia."
"Yes…" Eina nodded as she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I understand, I'll let my superiors know. Hopefully this will be enough for them."
"That is all we ask," Saber said now fully dressed again. "Any further investigation will not be tolerated."
"I understand," Eina nodded again. "Also, I already told your Captain this but please be aware that the Guild declared the appearance of the Black Goliath to be an irregular event and has put a gag order on it."
Bell and Saber shared a look before turning back to Eina.
"Um, what does that mean?" Bell asked.
"It means that as far as the Guild is concerned, you defeated a normal Goliath down in the Dungeon, not an Enhanced Species."
"But why?" Bell asked, standing up before Saber placed a hand on his shoulder to push back down. "Isn't it important for Adventurers to know that an Enhanced Floor Boss could spawn?"
"I agree," Eina said with a nod and a grimace. "But it's been labeled as an irregularity, 'a random act of the god,' as you will. So unless it spawns another time…"
"Ah…" Bell muttered as if understanding something as he turned toward Saber who nodded his head in understanding as well.
"But won't it be too late by that time?" Emma asked. "I don't know how a Floor Boss Fight usually goes but if it's stronger than usual won't it be extremely bad if it shows up again?"
"I know…but my hands are tied. My bosses are more concerned about keeping things calm than anything else. They're reasoning is that if other Familias are worried about facing an Enhanced Species, fewer Adventurers would move pass the Seventeenth Floor…especially considering that the respawn time for the Goliath was a lot longer than usual. I think the only reason they even allowed your Familia to claim victory over it is because you walked into the Guild carrying its Drop Item as proof of its existence. I'm sorry."
Emma looked at Bell and she could see his frustration clear on his face but he seemed to understand that getting upset with Eina wasn't going to change anything.
"I understand…" Bell nodded. "I guess I can't really say anything else since Caster seems to have agreed as well."
And that was the end of that.
After that they said goodbye to Eina, who promised to file away the new information about Lily's Level Up and Saber's Status, and headed toward the Northeastern District of Orario also known as the Industrial District.
Which meant they had to walk past Babel Tower along the way.
"It's…big," Primo muttered as she looked over her shoulder back at the tower. "I always knew that but…"
"It's a different thing to see it so close up, isn't it?" Emma asked and Primo nodded.
"And the Goddess Freya is said to live up on the top floor, right?"
"That's what I have heard, yes," Saber said with a nod, turning his head to glance at the highest level of Babel while Bell shivered a bit. "Are you feeling cold, Bell?"
"I…don't know?" Bell replied as he rubbed his arms. "Let's just hurry."
At Bell's urging, they quickened their pace until they reached a single story building covered in soot and burn marks with a smokestack in the corner of the roof. With the heavy equipment lying outside the building it was the perfect picture of a forge.
Saber announced their presence with a heavy knock on the door. After a minute, a rather tired looking young man with red hair opened the door with a yawn. His sleepy expression cleared immediately when he saw it was Saber and Bell at his door.
"Yo, morning!" He greeted them with a big grin. "Wait, were we going into the Dungeon today?"
"We are," Saber said as he stepped to the side and indicated Emma and Primo. "Our Familia gained two fresh new members during our expedition and it will be their first day in the Dungeon. I have been tasked to oversee their first day."
"Ohh, always nice to see newcomers," Welf said as he extended his hand out to Emma who accepted his rather eager handshake. "I'm Welf, a Blacksmith. If you ever need anything just let me-ahh…"
Welf's words trailed off when he spotted Primo who was looking up at him. She then reached out and shook his hand on her own accord with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Mister Crozzo!" She greeted happily him. "I'm Primo Libera!"
"Uhh…yeah! Nice to meet you Primo!"
"Not going to give her a nickname, Welf?" Bell asked with a smile.
"I'm not gonna push my luck just yet," Welf admitted with a laugh before turning toward Emma again.
"Emma Flores," Emma introduced herself with a quick bow. "Nice to meet you Welf."
"Same to you, Emma," Welf nodded. "So did you just come by for introductions or…?"
"Well, that and…did you manage to hit Level 2?" Bell asked.
Welf's response was a big smile and a thumbs up.
"Oh, congratulations!" Primo said as she clapped her hands. "That's important, right?"
"Yep! Now I can make more powerful weapons and get to use Lady Hephaistos's signature on my best works!"
In short it was his chance to make a bigger name for himself.
"Then I will ask the question Bell is hesitant to," Saber said as Bell winced. "Will you be continuing to be a part of our Party?"
"What, worried I'll leave you?" Welf asked with a laugh. "Don't worry. I'll hang around if you still want me to."
"Of course I do!" Bell said with a nod before looking at Emma and Primo. "Ah…but it might be some time before we head back into the Dungeon ourselves…"
"No problem, I understand," Welf nodded as he moved aside to show the inside of his forge where Emma could see countless materials that looked like they came from monsters as well as minerals that might have been mined from the Dungeon itself scattered around the room as well as what looked like a massive black slab of flesh on a table that stood out from everything else. "Your Captain popped in last night to hand it over. I'm gonna be busy with these things as well."
"Can you make a robe for me?" Primo asked. "The guild armors were rather uncomfortable…"
"She means they were too big for her," Emma stage whispered to Welf who snorted as Primo let out a betrayed shout and started pounding Emma's back with tears of embarrassment.
"Sure no problem!" Welf said after clearing his throat. "Dunno if I can use the hide we got from the Floor Boss since it weighs a ton but I got some furs lying about…somewhere. What about you Emma? Want some light metal armor like Bell or perhaps something with monster leather like mine?"
"Umm…maybe something with monster leather with some metal parts," Emma replied. "Not as much as Saber's or Bell's. Maybe just for my chest?"
"Got it," Welf nodded. "I'll visit your place with some sketch ideas in a few days. Just be sure to have your measurements prepared by then. I mean, I can do it for you but…"
His voice trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head as Emma giggled into her hand.
"Of course, Welf."
"Oh we should celebrate your Level up some time too," Bell added. "We're probably going to hold a welcome party for Primo and Emma soon so why don't you join us?"
"You sure? I wouldn't wanna intrude."
"If you're going to be Partying with our seniors then you're practically one of our Familia already," Primo said. "Unless you rather celebrate with your own Familia first?"
"Well when you put it like that," Welf shrugged with a smile. "I'll join you guys if you'll have me."
"Of course!" Emma nodded as she clapped her hands together. "We'll be counting on you from now on too, Welf."
"Leave it to me! I'll take care of all your equipment needs!"
"That being said…" Primo began. "Do you know anything about magic staves?"
"Ahh…sorry," Welf apologized as his bluster faded away. "Ain't got the first idea other than that most of the Elf Mages I've seen use staffs or weapons made from some important tree from their forests. You might have to see someone who specializes in that sort of thing."
Primo nodded her head in understanding.
"Do you know of any specialty places?" Primo asked as Welf scratched his head.
"Hmm…I heard that there was a shop near the Guild that dealt with wands and the like but like I said, I ain't an expert so you might as well ask there for more info."
"All right," Primo nodded as she looked at her beginner mage staff. "I'll just stick with this for now then."
"Why not ask Caster for one?" Welf suggested. "He has like a million of them lying around doesn't he?"
"I can't do that!" Primo said quickly. "I have to work my way up to getting one! As a Level 1 without a single parameter point to her name, a beginner weapon is enough for me."
"Haha, well aren't you diligent?"
With the meeting done, they bade goodbye to Welf and headed for their actual destination.
Babel Tower and the Dungeon below it.
X-x-X-x-X
"We finally made it inside the Dungeon…" Emma muttered as she and Primo looked around at the wide corridors of the underground labyrinth. "I wonder if we really can handle the monsters here. I'm more nervous than I thought…"
"D-d-d-don't worry Miss Emma!" Primo began trying to to build up her on confidence. "I'm r-r-right behind you!"
"Don't worry about it too much, Primo, Miss Emma," Bell said with a smile. Even though he hadn't been told to come, Bell came along at the suggestion of Saber and Bell seemed to jump at the idea of taking a teaching role. "The monsters on the Upper Floor might be scary to newbies but with the Falna the two of you are more than a match for them."
"Indeed," Saber nodded. "Do not let your guard down in any case. If it gets dangerous, Bell and I will be here to help."
"U-understood!" Emma replied as Primo could only nod her head. "Oh umm…by the way, Bell?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"You don't have to be so formal with me you know? I may be older than you but you're my Vice Captain and my senior, right?"
"Ah…you have a point there…" Bell admitted. "Then…Emma…Primo, whenever you two are ready. The formation will be Emma in the front and Primo in the middle. Saber and I will take the rear."
With a nod, Emma and Primo started moving forward.
"The two of you understand what the Dungeon is and the role Adventurers play within it, correct?" Saber asked as they walked passed several other Parties to reach a corridor off the main path that was less crowded.
"Yes," Primo nodded. "The Dungeon spawns monsters from the walls and Adventurers hunt them to collect their Drop Items like fangs or Magic Stones to sell and make money."
"Or use those Drop Items to make new equipment out of," Emma added.
"Correct. If there is anything you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask us…after this of course."
"A-after what!?" Primo shrieked, her nerves finally boiling over.
"M-monsters?" Emma asked as she squinted her eyes to try and get a better look down the dark tunnel.
"Shh," Bell shushed them quickly. "Would you like me to show the two of you how Goblins fight or do you want to jump into the deep end first?"
"I-if you'll please," Emma replied.
"Don't worry about it," Bell said as he stepped to the front. "All right, stick close and watch how I move. Primo, do you want to try close combat as well?"
"I-I'll pass for now…" Primo replied, her knees clattering against each other as Saber patted her on the shoulder to try and calm her down.
"Then hold off on your Magic for now," instructed Bell. "I'll jump in first and draw their attention, Emma. After that you try to take them out while they're distracted."
"G-got it!" Emma nodded.
"And above all else, be sure to keep an eye on Primo," Saber added. "As a Mage, her self-defensive options are much more limited, especially when she is casting a spell."
"Yes!"
"…Is that a nicer way of saying that I'm a burden?" Primo asked softly.
"All Mages are burdens when they start out," Saber replied bluntly. "That is why they train hard to become an asset instead. Concurrent Casting, chanting faster, manipulating Mind faster…there are several ways they can ease the burden on themselves and their Familia. You will get there, Primo. And we shall help you along the way."
"Got it," Primo nodded just as a group of goblins appeared from around the corner causing her to let out another shriek. "Hiii!"
"Emma, watch for an opening!" Bell said as he shot forward. One moment he was right beside her and then she blinked and Bell was already in the middle of the goblins. It was like a whirlwind had appeared in the middle of the monsters as they scattered in fear before launching themselves at Bell. However, Bell moved so fast that Emma could barely keep track of him as he easily weaved around the goblins even though they attacked him at the same time.
Emma watched them jump at Bell, swinging their stubby arms at him and saw how he moved to avoid them. She wasn't sure she could mimic his moves so she decided to focus on how the goblins moved instead.
Seeing her chance, Emma drew her blades and rushed forward, striking the closest goblin in the back. The monster slumped forward, unmoving as the other three screeched at her in rage. With a casual slap from Bell though, the one furthest away from her was sent flying to the side. One of the remaining goblins lunged at Bell, leaving Emma to take on one on her own.
Staring at the monster, Emma felt her heart pound in her chest before the monster lunged at her. Stepping back she quickly dodged it just as its claws missed her face and swung her sword up, slashing the monster and knocking it away into a wall.
"I did it…I did it!" Emma said as Bell kicked the final goblin aside, smashing its head into a wall. "I did it Bell! Saber!"
"Yep, you did well!" Bell praised her with a smile. "Wow…I remember my first goblin too…"
"Now all Emma needs to do is to run home to the goddess and tell her about it," Saber said, his eyes smiling as Bell flinched in shock.
"Geh! How did you know about that!?" Bell asked. "Did the Goddess tell you?"
"Indeed," Saber replied with a chuckle. "She told me all about how you slew your first goblin…one single goblin before running home to tell her about it."
Bell let out a scream of embarrassment as he reared back with his hands around his head. His aura of a cool senior vanishing in an instant as both Primo and Emma shared a laugh.
"But there you have it," Saber said as he knelt down so that he was closer to eye level with Primo. "With the grace of the Goddess Hestia, your body is strong and fast enough to handle any number of goblins that come your way."
"Got it!" Primo nodded as Saber dug out the tiny fingernail sized Magic Stones from their chests, showing the girls where they were located. "I'll join in on the next one as well!"
"Atta girl, Primo!" Emma cheered as Bell stopped tracing lines on the Dungeon floor with his finger and stood back up.
"Then let's keep on going," Bell said, looking as though he was trying to regain some of his pride and confidence back but his movements were stiff and jerky.
Emma felt a bit bad for laughing but picturing Bell running home to Hestia after entering the Dungeon for barely an hour just to get the goddess to praise him couldn't help but make her smile. Level 2 bordering on Level 3 Record Holder or not, he was still a boy that was still even younger than her with all the awkwardness that it entailed. Not that she didn't understand how he felt. She herself was so happy that she managed to defeat even two goblins that she immediately sought praise from Bell and Saber. If she had been alone would she have tried running back as well?
It wasn't long before they came across another group of goblins although they hadn't noticed them yet.
"All right, let's have Primo use her magic here," Bell said as he walked forward. "I'll keep them busy while you chant, all right?"
"Yes!" Primo nodded as she stepped forward staff pointing forward. "Glittering stars crossing the night sky."
As Primo began her chant, the goblins turned their heads toward her and with a screech they charged forward with Bell quickly moving to intercept them before they reached her.
"Hear my naïve prayer and guide these falling lights…"
Emma's gaze was torn between watching Bell fight and seeing Primo's majesty as lights swirled around her in response to her prayer. This was her first time seeing a spell being cast to completion as her village, one month away from Orario by carriage, was neither large nor important enough for a mage to stop by and show off their magic.
"Descend o starry tears! Blast away these hapless rejects!"
For her first time casting, Emma thought Primo was doing rather well, although she had nothing to compare it to. The words were said in confidence without any stuttering and the light around her was shining brightly. Primo then swung her staff toward the goblins, signaling Bell to quickly retreat out of the line of fire as seven orbs of lights appeared around Primo's body like twinkling stars.
"Lumine Pleiades!"
The stars flashed once before beams of light shot forward at the goblins. Most of the beams missed with only one of them hitting dead on, but the explosions they kicked up upon hitting the ground was enough to take out the Dungeon's weakest monsters.
"Wow…" Emma breathed as the corridor was filled with smoke.
"I did it!" Primo cheered, jumping up and down. "I did it! I did it! On my first try too! Well, it's only natural for a genius like me!"
"Whew, that was dangerous!" Bell said as he ran out of the smoke back to the others. Despite his words, not a single speck of dirt or singe could be seen on his clothes. "But like I thought, full-chant magic is so cool!"
Saber simply chuckled as the smoke cleared and he glanced over at the remains. Or rather, the lack of them.
"It would seem that that spell is overkill against mere goblins," Saber noted. "The spell destroyed their Magic Stones as well."
"Ah umm…I'm sorry…" Primo apologized as her ears drooped.
"No, I am not criticizing you, Primo," Saber said. "I am merely noting that the goblins are far too weak for you to use your magic on. Besides, we have no need for such small Stones in the first place."
"I agree," Bell nodded. "I think war shadows are probably more of a better target to use magic against but we're not going to see any all the way up here."
"War shadows…appear on the Sixth Floor, right?" Primo asked.
"Yes. They're resistant to physical attacks unless you strike their core so magic is usually the way to go. That's why it's a good thing both of you joined at the same time."
"Indeed," Saber nodded. "Once we continue our deeper dives, the two of you will have to support each other. Depending on what happens I believe either Archer or I should accompany you."
"Didn't Caster want Jack to act as their Supporter?" Bell pointed out. "I think they'll be fine with just her."
Saber was quiet for a moment before nodding his head.
"True. I suppose I am merely being overprotective again."
"I don't blame you, Saber. After everything that happened during the expedition, even I'm a bit worried about leaving Emma and Primo alone with just Jack to support them."
"Well we shall see what happens," Saber said as he gestured for Emma to take the front. "Let us continue a bit further."
X-x-X-x-X
They ventured a bit further with Emma and Primo taking turns dispatching the monsters. It was slow going but Emma didn't mind. She was learning a lot by watching Bell move and she felt more and more confident about being an Adventurer with each goblin she cut down. But even without any armor, Bell's Status made it so that none of the goblins could even scratch him. Emma felt that she understood just how different a High Class Adventurer was compared to a Level 1 like her.
Primo attempted to fight in close quarters alongside Emma but when a goblin lunged at her, she panicked and started screaming and swinging her staff so wildly that she smacked Emma across the head.
"…Let us wait a bit before we have you move to the front as well," Saber said as Emma patted the sobbing and apologizing Primo on the head with a smile.
"The journey to be a Magic Knight is a long one, isn't it?" Bell asked with a laugh. "Are you okay, Emma?"
"I'm fine," Emma replied. Though the bonk to the head did hurt, it wasn't as though it was going to leave a bruise or anything.
"I'm sorry…" Primo apologized for what felt like the hundredth time as Emma sped up her head pats.
"Come on, I said I'm fine," Emma said as she bent down and hugged the elf. "Besides, it's not like I don't understand. They're really creepy, aren't they?"
Primo silently nodded her head as she accepted the hug. Mage and adventurer or not, she was still a ten-year-old kid after all.
"We've hit the entrance to the next floor," Saber noted as Emma followed his gaze toward a set of stairs leading down a few dozen feet away from them. "The Second Floor is not so different from the First but let us turn back for now. There is no need to go down just yet."
Emma agreed. Even if Eina said that there was just more goblins down there with the occasional group of kobolds, just the thought of going down even further into the Dungeon was a bit much for her right now. She didn't know how long they spent in the Dungeon but it felt like days since she last saw the sun.
"How do you two do it?" Emma found herself asking as Saber and Bell turned toward her.
"Do what?" Saber asked.
"Go into the Dungeon for days on end? It's only been a few hours and I already feel exhausted."
"It's just something you get used to," Bell replied. "To be a good Adventurer you have to get used to being in the Dungeon. The best of the best can even spend weeks down here."
"Adventurers are amazing…" Primo muttered.
"I would say Adventurers have no inkling of common sense," Saber said as he glanced over at Bell. "Or self-preservation."
"What?" Bell asked, sounding a bit defensive as Saber turned his eyes away. "What!?"
"In any case, if you are feeling tired Emma, let us make haste to the surface. We won't search for any more enemies but we will continue the training should we come across any more enemies."
Primo and Emma nodded their heads as Saber had her take the front again.
They didn't encounter any monsters on the way back for the most part as several other Parties were making their way through the Dungeon as well. Considering the time and that they were only on the First Floor, these Adventurers were either also newcomers, people who wanted to take it easy today and make some pocket change, or people who had long since given up on going any deeper.
Eventually, the walls in front of them started to crack, indicating a monster birthing event.
"Since this is the last fight of the day, let us have both of you fight," Saber said as he turned toward the girls. "Emma, you are to hold the goblins in place while Primo does her chant. It'll be fine to kill a few but try to leave at least one for Primo. Do not take any chances though."
""Yes!""
The girls replied at the same time as Emma stood in front of Primo while the elf prepared her chant.
"Glittering stars crossing the night sky…"
As if reacting to the chant, the monsters burst out of their holes faster than usual and lunged at Emma, three of them in total.
She jerked her body back as the claws soared over her head and delivered a kick to the one that in the middle, sending it flying back. Getting back onto her feet she quickly dodged another swipe from the second goblin and kicked it away as well.
"Emma, remember you have swords too!" Bell called out in a teasing voice.
"I know!" Emma replied feeling rather embarrassed as she just remembered that she was wearing a skirt. "But they're so short it's hard to swing at them sometimes! Eep!"
She quickly ducked under the final goblin's swing as she rolled back to her feet. She then realized that she ended up placing herself in the middle of the goblins.
"Just stay calm…" she told herself as she looked around to get a bead on the location of the three goblins. Beyond the one right in front of her she could see Primo still chanting with Bell and Saber a bit behind the elf. She had to figure out how to do this on her own. She can't rely on Bell and Saber forever as they'd eventually be going into the Dungeon depths for their own Adventure. "But still…if I can just move like Bell does…if I can just move like him…!"
After all, the goal was not to defeat them but to buy time for Primo to finish her spell.
The goblins lunged at her and she dodged and weaved around them. She knew her clumsy movements were nothing compared to the refined movements she saw Bell and Saber do earlier this morning. But they were enough that she wouldn't get hit by the tiny monsters.
When she had the chance, she slashed at a goblin and managed to deliver a deep cut into its arm.
"Emma!" Bell called out and Emma turned to see the sparkling lights around Primo flashing, telling her it was time to go.
"Lumine Pleiades!"
As Emma ran away from the goblins Primo's spell shot past her and struck her targets, kicking up smoke in the corridor.
"We did it!" Primo said as she ran up to Emma.
"Yay!" Emma cheered alongside the elf as the two high-fived each other with both of their hands.
Behind them their two seniors looked on with smiles. But then…
"Get down!" Saber called out.
"Eh?"
But neither of them could properly react to Saber's warning. Turning around, Emma saw something black lunge out from the smoke. Emma dived away from them, tackling Primo toward the ground as something sharp cut across her back.
"FIREBOLT!"
A flash of red flames streaked above Emma's head and blasted the monster that had attacked them to dust.
"Emma! Primo!" Bell called out as he ran over to them. "Are you all right?"
"I-I think so," Emma replied with a wince as she tried moving her hand to touch her back over her shoulder. The cut didn't feel deep but as she couldn't see it she didn't know how bad it was. At the very least she could feel blood seeping down.
"Do not move," Saber said as Bell helped a tearful Primo up to her feet while Saber examined Emma's back. "Hmm…it is not as bad as it looks. Here, drink."
He handed Emma a bottle of red liquid and she drank the syrupy liquid obediently. Once the bottle was empty, the sharp pain on her back was replaced with cold relief.
"Miss Emma…" Primo began with a sob.
"Don't worry," Emma said, putting on a brave face as she patted her head. "I'm all better now."
"I'm sorry," Bell apologized with a pained expression on his face. "I let my guard down."
"That goes double for me…" Saber added with a nod. "Still…I cannot believe that a war shadow would appear up on the First Floor…"
"That was a war shadow!?" Primo asked. "But Miss Eina said that monsters don't travel up more than two floors!"
"They're not supposed to…but it doesn't mean they don't," Saber said as Bell frowned. "In any case, I believe that is enough for today. Can you stand, Emma?"
"Y-yes…" Emma nodded as she took Saber's hand and managed to stand up despite her wobbly legs.
"I'm sorry, Emma," Bell apologized again. "I should have been paying more attention."
"N-no, it wasn't your fault," Emma insisted. "No one could have expected a monster from the Sixth Floor to be up here. And I shouldn't have let my guard down just because Primo finished her spell…"
"But…"
"That's enough you two," Saber said as he placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Or we shall be here forever listening to both of you attempt to shoulder the blame."
"Yeah…you're right," Bell admitted. "For now, we should head back up as fast as possible and tell the Guild what happened. It might 'only' have been a war shadow but if they're moving all the way up to the First Floor now then other newbies might be in danger."
Emma nodded in understanding as Bell took the front to lead them back out while Saber followed behind at the rear.
As they walked Primo slipped her hand into Emma's. Although the younger girl was probably doing it for her own comfort, Emma felt no small amount of relief from the gesture as well.
