Chapter 4
Her side: Supporter Lily
A/N:
Narration
"Talk"
Monologue
*sfx*
"So you hired a supporter from a different familia?"
"Yes!"
The day after Eina along with Bell Cranel, an adventurer under her supervision and Riveria, a first class adventurer and executive of the Loki familia bought a new set of armor for him, this young rookie reported back after a days worth of exploration in the dungeon that he now hired a supporter from a different familia.
Sure nothing is wrong about that but...
Eina look at this adventurer of hers who is glowing and exuding a radiance of gullible aura.
"Have you consulted with Lady Hestia about this?" Eina asked in a worried tone.
Sure the guild does not forbid such actions but what worry her the most is Bell's trusting nature.
"I'll report this back to goddess after we meet." Bell replied happily. "I did ask Lily, that's the name of the supporter, if her deity if okay with it and she did say that her god doesn't care so it should be ok."
"Have you asked the name of this supporter's familia?"
"I think she said she belong to Soma's familia." Bell answered as he scratch the back corner of his head.
"Okay, I got it," Eina said as she writes her report on Bell's progress.
"Ms. Eina, do you know what does the Soma familia do?"
"From what I know, they like the Demeter familia focus on produce. Their familia mainly sells wine."
"Do you have any question left Bell?"
"Actually do adventurer's and supporters not go along well?" Bell said with a worried expression as he point the seemingly distant relationship between an adventurer and a supporter base on how Lily express it during their time in the dungeon.
"I see..." Bell murmur after receiving Eina's explanation.
Hm?
Just then, her eyes that stared at him from top to bottom as he stood noticed something is off. Mainly the scabbard of Bell's newly acquired dagger i empty.
"Bell, I don't want to alarm you unnecessarily but did you go back to your home before reporting back here?"
"No, is something wrong Ms. Eina?"
"Bell, your dagger is missing."
"Eh?... Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh?"
Bell was dumbfounded at first before looking to where his dagger is located.
I-it's gone!
The color of his skin started to fade
T-the knife Goddess gave me... it' gone!
"Ms. Eina! I... I"
"I know Bell, you can go now."
Haaaaah I just hope I am not overthinking this.
A new supporter that just comes to him and his dagger missing...
An hour later.
"Haaaah... Haaaaaah.. urg... haaaah..."
Running with all her might, Lily tries to flees back to her hiding location.
For once Lily thought that luck have graces her after acquiring that black knife from that gullible adventurer only to find out that the knife is a useless piece of junk when she tried selling it.
Her misfortune was just starting as after leaving the shop, she encounter the maid elf from before. Not only that but she took notice of the knife she stole err aquired that she hurriedly hide but she had no choice but to abandon the knife and flee.
Damn it!
Lily groans as she touch her stomach that was in a massive pain.
That strength... its far worse from the beating I got from those scum adventurers. Too strong for an ordinary elf to do.
The elf sure is scary but the maid that accompany her might be the worst of all from Lily's point of view especially the way she look at her. Though Lily manage to run away in exchange for the knife Lily acquired, Lily once again bumped into that rabbit adventurer, luckily now in her disguise.
Master- that rabbit manage to persuade the two that Lily is different from the Pallum that they encountered earlier but...
"... don't get too cocky okay?"
The woman called Syr whispered back to her before leaving with the barbaric elf.
A whisper devoid of malice and at the same time carry a heavy weight upon them. The way she look at Lily before and now as if she saw right through Lily's disguise sent shivers to her spine.
"Lily, what did Ms. Syr said to you?" Bell asked after seeing a clearly visible shaken Lily.
"N-nothing at all. But w-who are they, Master Bell?"
"Them? Their waitresses from the Hostess of Fertility."
"... Master Bell,"
"Yes, Lily?"
"Never ever bring Lily there."
The next day, Lily and Master Bell once again entered the dungeon. This time around he change the location to the knife to his green vambrace.
With this it'll be more harder to once again take that knife. But the knife itself is no good. I need to get the whole package from Master- from that rabbit.
That afternoon,
"Oh? It looks like he got stronger again,"
At top of Babel, Freya muses at sight of the white haired adventurer as he walk alongside a pallum disguised as a chienthrope. This is the second time they go on an adventure and seeing her actions may benefit Bell's growth, so she let her action the previous day slide.
"It's natural for you to get strong," Freya continued. "Shine brighter... its your just obligation for making me fall for you."
From time to time, our Goddess would gaze down on Orario from her suite at the top of Babel, looking at the new individual she took a liking to. Of all those individual, this one is unique. Gone are the days where she would instantly go to action and obtain what she yearns. Right now she looks contented watching from afar and hatching plans for him to grow behind the scene.
"Fufufu look, Otar, once again he noticed me."
Once again, she continue to look at the adventurer Bell Cranel like a ordinary person in love. Those love-struck gaze along with gestures of playing with her hair and a smile that held a deep thought. Even for the Goddess of love, she who love all equally never let out such feature as she is currently doing. As those eyes sees through the very soul of an individual, there's no question that this adventurer will surpass everyone.
"But perhaps the time is ripe for him to have a new development."
"And what development do you think is suited for his current level?" Otar asked curiously. The last development include a silverback and the Goddess of mischief knocking down their doorstep. Would she once again send a monster for him to overcome?
"Right now, I think it's about time for him to get a magic of his own."
From watching down on the white haired adventurer walking side by side with a mischivous pallum and the Goddess Hestia not far away, sulking and sobbing on Miach's shoulders, she shifted her focus onto the shelf full of grimoir.e She carefully consider each book until her slender finger tip stop at a certain location.
"Otarl, I'm sure you already know what to do right?"
"Yes," moving from where I am standing, I took the book that was handed to me. All I need is to put it in a place that would make it possible to reach him. A place that is too common. A location that might not fully be traced directly to us unless the one doing so knows a thing or two. A place where she works.
"Is something wrong Ais?" Riveria askd just as they ascended the fifth floor.
After returning back to my famila from buying a new set of armor for the adventurer Bell Crannel, the amazon siblings invite us to go unto an adventure into the dungeon. Myself, Ais and Finn included, depart to the 18th floor where trouble greeted us.
There, we met an individual, the one known as Revis and the start of the trouble that we encountered at the 18th floor. An individual that can hold her ground even against me and Finn combined. Something that only the King has done so far. An individual that knows something about Ais. Otherwise, she won't be calling her Aria.
Though the enemy flee, the encounter itself just fueled Ais hunger to get stronger. So once preparations are complete, we parted path from Finn and the others who returned back and us who descent to the 37th floor where Ais challenge the floor boss all by herself.
It took us three days to returned to the surface and at the fifth floor, we encountered someone who is lying on the floor.
Seeing a body laying in the dungeon, Ais quickly rushed to check the adventurer's condition.
Isn't he...?
As I approach him, I began to recognize the feature of that white hair and build.
This is definitely him.
My body became tense the closer I got.
"Riveria, this child..." Ais trail off as she squat beside him with a worried expression no less.
"Don't worry,"
I reassured her seeing that his body is not injured. Upon further inspection, the symptoms clearly shows mental fatigue. Knowing him, it is possible that he gained his first magic and tries it out till he fainted. Knowing him the excitement of gaining magic was far too grate that he disregards our warning.
For some reason, this angers me... similar to when Ais was small and called me 'that'.
"Mind zero, he's just exhausted."
Eh?
For the lack of a better word, Ais look far too relieve. And this is saying something considering this is Ais Wallenstein we are talking about.
"So Ais, do you know him?"
I ask just in case. She was there when I defeated the minotaur and she even try running after him when Bete berates him at the pub.
"The kid with the minotaur."
Her answer is short and exact.
"Riveria... do you think there's a way to compensate him for what happened back then?"
I can't believe what I am hearing.
"Compensate?"
"Back then, after defeating the minotaur, he run, terrified when I came. That is why I'm sure that I scared him."
If a parallel world exist and that it is you that rescued him and fell for, I have confidence that he will still run way as well. Who ever replace us in that scenario, Bell Cranel's action would not change.
He run away from me then and he tried to run away when I nurse him from his injury...
Then it hit me, an idea that might help her in her worry.
"Actually there's a way..."
And so I told her the plan.
A simple plan that will let Mr. Cranel rest in her lap.
"But will it be enough?"
"Trust me, men usually like them."
"Hmmm,,, okay,"
"I'll go back now," I said as I left the two in that position.
"okay, leave it to me," Ais replied as she place her right palm onto Mr. Cranel's hair.
If Finn and the others saw this, I bet they would think that their mind is playing tricks on them. Ais is literally glowing with pure joy.
Soma familia...
It had been days after Bell reported that he hired a supporter.
Normally, as his adviser, I wont intervene much as such occurrence is not uncommon after all but from time and time again, adventurers from the soma familia shows up and cause a disturbance. There's also an aura of uneasiness and desperation that can be seen in each of them.
The very least I can do now is to look further into it.
At a certain shop, after parting ways with Lady Hestia, I decided to restock on some items we spend the previous day. In one of those shops, I encountered my friend Eina.
Base from her statement, she is her looking fo Soma's wine and to know more about the familia itself.
"Let me buy it for you"
"But you don't have to Lady Riveria,"
I insisted. Though I don't drink, I know someone who likes to and has the information she wants so after a few minutes of shopping, I led Eina back to our Familia's home.
"Eh? Did something happened to the sword princess?" Eina whispered as after entering Loki's familia, she took quick notice of the sulking sword princess.
"Let's just say a sinful rabbit dump her,"
"A what now?"
Truly a very sinful rabbit. For someone who said he no longer wants a harem, he sure is attracting several females. The Goddess Freya is one thing but for Ais to show some sort of attraction to him is another story.
Not that I mind whoever interacts with him.
"..."
Seeing me entered the room, Ais quickly stood, pouts and went to Loki's room.
Still mad I guess...
"Wait here for a bit," Riveria said as she gesture Eina to take a sit while she sat on the opposite side of her.
"We got a level 6!"
Loki's loud voice can be heard from her room minutes after Ais entered for their regular status update.
Congratulation, Ais, those last battles were enough to push Ais to level up.
"I understand,"
After going into the dungeon, without Lily this time as she seems to be busy with something, I reported back to Ms. Eina.
There, she gave me a casual warning regarding adventurer's and even supporters from the Soma familia.
"Do you really understand Bell?" Eina asked skeptically.
"Uhm... I decide to trust Lily until this trial run is over," Bell replied while scratching his cheeck against his adviser's scrutinizing gaze.
"*sigh* Very well," Enia replied in resignation. "Oh and by the way, congratulations on obtaining your first magic."
"Eeep!"
"Hmmmm?"
Miss Eia hmm as she raise a questioning look at me
"M-miss Eina, w-where exactly did you heard this?"
This is bad. Really reeeaaaly bad. I was about to report this to her of my magic but if she already knew then...
"Bell, do you know what mind zero is?" Eina ask casually but there is a difference in her tone and the atmosphere of the room became heavy.
I'm doomed!
I fell on my knees as if all energy escape from my entire body. Looking up at a domineering stare of Ms. Eina, I have no other option but cower in fear.
"I-I-I'm soooorrrrryyyy!"
"No you're not!"
What comes next is another one of Ms. Eina's infamous spartan lesson that ended evening. From the looks of it, while looking information for the Soma familia, she came across a certain lovely yet scary at times high elf that told her that some of my terrible mishaps in the dungeon.
Despite Ms. Eina's warning and Goddess disapproval of a female supporter in general, in the end the decision was still left to me.
That look of sorrow, and desperation that can be traced on Lily's face from time to time. I am well familiar of that feeling. If not for Goddess, who knows what would happen to me. I might end up just like her and because of that, I decided to trust her. I decided to trust Lily. To lift her up in her time of need just like what Goddess did to me.
"Wait for me, Lily,"
During our last trial, we proceed to go to the 10th floor. Where Lily finalize her plan. For the first time, I've encountered strong monsters that came in horde. The ants from the 7th floor is nothing compared to this and in the middle of that chaos, Lily took my knife.
"Get out of my way!"
I need to reach Lily fast before they do!
"████▄▄▄▄▄▄"
While being outnumber by orcs, a familiar roar caught our attention.
"Silverback," I muttered under my breath.
*swish*
Within the midst of monsters and the Silverback that made its presence known, a strong individual rushed through and eliminate most of the monsters that kept on appearing in a flash. But due to the heavy fog of the floor, I never recognize who she was.
"Get back, I'll handle this,"
"Thank you!" I yelled as I hurried back to the upper floor. Hopefully I make it in time.
Finnaly... I can die...
Finnally... I can restart again...
"Firebolt!"
*Boom*
Eh?
Opening Lily's eyes, Lily saw the back of Master Bell and not the usual back of an unrealiable rabbit. but the back of a hero Lily only heard on tales.
"M-master Bell... wh-why?"
"Firebolt!"
"Firebolt!"
"Firebolt!"
This is bad... if... if...
"Master Bell..."
Taking the knife that I tried to protect from being taken, Lily, with all her strength hand it back to Master Bell.
"Thank-"
What comes next, Lily doesn't know. Before even finishing Master Bell's word, Lily fell unconcious.
The time Lily wakes, she is in the infirmary of Babel and the sun alreay set.
Then realization struck as Lily's tears fell to no end.
The image if Master Bell saving her despite of her sins is not a dream.
"Uuuuuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Lily cried her hearts out in the empty room till Lily once again fell asleep.
Thank you Master Bell.!
Thank you!
Thank you!
And I'm sorry!
Aaaaaaaannd cut.
With this, it marks the end of v2/arc 2 of danmachi emerald version. After this comes the epilogue.
With this, the experimental phase of this story telling comes to an end. Wheter we will use this again is still up there but it will no longer be for an entire arc.
Though in this story, Riveria took the spot for rescuing Bell, Ais over all scenario can't be switched to the High elf so the lap pillow for Ais remained as well as who assist Bell in the 10th floor.
For one of Riveria's monologue that take jab on the original story is to show how much she knows Bell's personality from their interaction since the start of the story.
For the review, likes and follow, thanks.
