My eyes opened due to the annoying sunlight coming through my window.
My chest... it hurts.
Lying on the ground for almost an hour hurts.
Still... it was fun, I guess.
Uhm... I wonder if he'll ever teach me how to use those weapons...
Those weapons he carried were pretty cool.
I got up from my bed and stretched my body.
My legs also hurt from running all that time, but the pain will dissapear eventually.
I just hope we don't have to do it again today...
Ugh...
I prepared to start the day, getting my equipment, my backpack and my white cloth coat ready.
Maybe... I should buy a little more clothes, I don't think they're that expensive...
I really hope they're not, since I don't know when was the las time I went shopping.
I entertained that thought for a long time while I finished the preparations and left my house to go to the Dungeon.
Which clothes would look cute?
I frowned and stopped in the middle of the street.
Where did that come from?
I shook my head and continued on my way.
Once I arrived at the plaza in front of Babel, I sat down next to the fountain and left my backpack aside.
The mas... erm... Yuri hasn't arrived yet.
...
The sun is a little hot today.
It's still early, but I think I'll have to find some shade.
My heart skipped a beat when a gloved hand rested on my shoulder.
I turned, hoping it was him, but my heart sank when the person next to me was not Yuri, but Kanu.
"Hello, Arde..."
"W-What do you want?"
I could feel the sharp tip of something collide with my back.
"I think you and I have something to talk about."
No... not again...
I grit my teeth. "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
He pressed that thing against my back and it hurt a little.
"Let's leave the act aside and get straight to the point."
Tsk... damnit!
"I want that idiot you work with, I want him dead and you will help me."
Shit, shit, shit!
"If you don't, well... I wonder how happy Zanis will be knowing that his favorite supporter is still alive, heh."
"No... don't you dare."
"Yes and I'll be watching you."
If only...
If Yuri were here, he'd beat this idiot again.
But...
How I wish I had my gun now for... for...
"You have until tomorrow, Arde."
He let go of my shoulder and walked away. I could see him put a dagger in his pockets. "Just don't cry later, you are warned."
He got lost in the bushes in the park after that.
Oh...
Freaking... damnit...
What do I do now... what am I going to do now!?
Now I must betray him, guide him into a trap so that...
Should... should I tell him?
I don't know, I don't know!
"Aye."
I raised my head and could see Yuri's slightly tired face.
He raised an eyebrow when he saw my face. "Is there something wrong? It seems like you saw a ghost, you're as pale as a blanket."
I... I'm so sorry.
"N-No... it's nothing..." Should I really tell him?
He yawned. "Look, we're not going to the Dungeon today."
That's a relief, although I still have to...
"Instead, I'll teach you how to use new weapons, what do you say?"
...
Eh?
"New weapons?"
"Automatics, more than anything, so gather your things and let's go at once, time doesn't wait."
"A-Ah! Okay!"
A distraction, yes, that's what I need now.
I could tell Yuri what happened and... I don't know, surely we can make a plan, after all, he's a lot stronger than Kanu, right?
Even so...
... I wonder how happy Zanis will be knowing that his favorite supporter is still alive...
Zanis is something else...
I don't know how effective Yuri's weapons are, but facing a level 2 and angering the entire Familia is...
Come on, I have to think of something to avoid a disaster!
"Are you okay there, Lili?" Yuri's voice brought me out of my thoughts.
"Ah?"
"You look worried, are you sure nothing is happening?"
Damn, can't I hide my feelings well!?
"Uhm, what do you mean by 'new weapons'?" I asked to avoid telling him anything yet.
"Well... mostly, submachine guns, smg's for short..."
Weird names...
"You'll understand when you see it." He assured me with a small smile.
...
I coughed into my hand and looked away.
We both continued until we separated from the crowded streets, exiting through the alley that led towards the ruined part of the city.
This place still has very good views.
To what Familia all this must have belonged, I don't know, but they left many memories.
We went down the giant stairs and walked for a while until we reached a peculiar place.
"What is this?" I asked as I saw the metal hatch that surely led to the basement of a house that wasn't even here... it just looked weird being here in the open.
"First of all, did you eat anything before coming?"
I refuse to answer.
"You have to eat, otherwise how are you going to grow?"
Ha, ha...
"Are you going to tell me what is that or not?"
He laughed lightly before answering. "My bunker, come on, I'll get you something."
...
Yeah, why not?
"It better be something delicious." I told him as I followed him down the stairs into the darkness...
Putting it that way, this is kind of scary. Am I really following this guy I met a few days ago into this suspicious hole in the ground?
"Everything that is canned is delicious."
Huh. "Right, that's what those... cans are for?"
"Yup, small containers where all kinds of things are kept." We got to the bottom and he opened the metal door in front of us. "Usually to preserve food."
"Then... just food." I responded, entering with him and looking inside his 'bunker'.
It was a little small, as soon as I entered there was a sofa against the wall to my left. There were also some metal shelves on which various objects rested, such as bottles, cans, clothes or even what I assume are other types of weapons that I don't know about.
"Yeah, mostly that, and it preserves it for a long time, usually years... plus I can do some pretty creative explosives with them."
That last bit was kind of worrying coming from him, but I found myself more distracted by the different... 'things' that were here, especially the workbench with different strange tools. "I see..."
Apparently he noticed my little astonishment and pointed to the table. "Do you like it? Maybe later I can teach you how to make something, but for now, let's eat."
He walked over to a metal box I hadn't seen before. "Leave your backpack there, we'll go to the shooting range in a while."
I didn't respond, but complied, taking my gigantic pack off my back and leaving it next to the poorly maintained couch.
Now that I realize, it smells weird in here.
I don't know, like... rusty metal... or something...
Maybe it's blood, he sometimes ends up soaked in monster blood, which is normal, but the fact that that particular smell is permeated in this place means that either he doesn't clean his clothes or...
"Your house smells weird."
"Man caves always do."
Huh???
"What??"
"Nothing, tell me..." He asked me while looking through that box. "Would you rather know what you're going to eat or leave it to chance?"
I'll ignore that weird thing he said earlier...
"Uhm, chance?"
He pulled out a flat can, with no 'label' or anything written on it.
"This is a can of 'tourist delight', food taken from a military warehouse inside the Zone... I have no idea if it has already expired or not... well, it's better to find out now than later." That's pretty gross, but I still watched him open the can and smell its contents. "Eh, it's just tuna, it looks in good condition."
He handed me the can along with a fork. "Here, if you get a tummy ache, I have some pills for that."
I accepted with some hesitation, since I was actually kind of hungry.
Although that 'tummy ache' thing is worrying.
Still, I sat on the couch and as soon as I took the first bite, I found myself quite enjoying the canned food, as he called it.
Maybe it's the hunger.
The atmosphere was very relaxing, especially with the music he played, it was an exquisite moment to sit and eat while listening to music with my friend.
Ehh...
Well, I guess I could call him that, after all, he's fun to hang out with.
Friend, friend, friend...
It feels weird to imagine it that way, I never had a friend in my life, until now.
Except from Cornwall, but I barely talked to him, so I don't think that counts that much...
...
It's a shame this has to end soon...
A thought crossed my mind.
"Yuri." Between bites, I asked. "How do you see me? I-I mean-"
Almost immediately, he responded. "With my eyes."
This moron...
"I mean what do you think of me!"
This... fool laughed at me for a few seconds before speaking again. "Practically, a co-worker, although I'm not even an adventurer, so I don't know."
Oh... that's... a little disappointing.
"But..." For some reason, that 'but' raised my hopes a little. "If I'm being honest, you're the first person I've interacted in a friendly manner in years... so I consider you as a friend."
Hm.
"But you barely know me."
"Pst, what about that? I can say the same about you, besides, didn't you reveal to me that you can change races at will? I don't know about you, but I think those are the kind of secrets you only tell a friend."
That's a good point and, in retrospective, I feel dumb about it.
"Why are you asking me these kind of things anyway? Finish your food quickly so we can start your lessons."
I nodded and continued until the can was empty.
The flavor was a little flat, but it was enough to make me feel satisfied.
He turned off the music and asked. "Ready?"
"Ujum."
"Great." He took out small green metal boxes that rattled when he picked them up. "Help me carry these, I'll carry the weapons."
"And why don't I carry the weapons?"
He looked at me from head to toe and simply said. "Safety reasons."
Should I feel offended?
We left his 'bunker' and headed to the shooting range. I left my backpack behind since I didn't need it for now.
When we arrived, I put the metal boxes on the floor and he stacked the weapons on the flat stone we used as a table.
"Well, let's remember." He said as he grabbed my belt from the pile of weapons he brought. "How do you load a gun?"
He threw my belt at me and I caught it in the air. My gun was resting in its holster and I smiled when I saw it.
If only I had had it an hour earlier...
Yuri said I could conceal a weapon if I hid it under my clothes, so I might as well try that now.
I opened my cloth coat and placed the belt over my red skirt.
Maybe... Yuri is right, my clothes are quite small, even for me.
Now I feel a little embarrassed about my coat being open.
I shook my head and unsholstered my Makarov, taking it with two hands in a position I saw Yuri doing frequently.
I noticed that it was unloaded and with the safety on.
I pulled the slide and checked to see if there were any bullets in the chamber.
Yuri made sure to teach me all of this that day to prevent me from having an accident.
It's not like I'm going to forget it now, he made it very clear to me that accidents with firearms are paid with life.
I released the safety with my right thumb and, with my left hand, removed a magazine from my belt pockets.
Hm... I still need some practice reloading a gun, but I think that's easy to do.
I inserted the magazine and pulled the slide.
"Got it."
"Okay, I'll assume that, with that, you already know how to reload, so let's get down to business."
I put the safety back on my pistol and left it in its holster while I watched Yuri pull a specific weapon from the stack.
"This." He said while cocking that weapon. "It's a vz.61 Scorpion submachine gun, a Czechoslovakian weapon, which I doubt you know where that place is... originally made to use the .32 ACP caliber."
"Originally?" I asked.
"Good observation." He removed the magazine from the gun. "This particular one has been modified to accept the 9x19mm caliber, a slightly larger type of bullet, but with similar maneuverability, plus it is more convenient for me to make 9 millimeter than 32 ACP."
Ooh.
Wait a second...
"Wait, you can make bullets?"
He smiled. "You want to learn?"
That is...
"Absolutely!"
He laughed. "That'll be a class for another day."
Oh..
"So, are you going to teach me how to use that?"
He reinserted the magazine and walked over, then handed the gun into my hands. "Of course, it shouldn't be that difficult."
I adjusted my headphones. "We'll see about that."
I took the weapon in my hands, its size was not as exaggerated as the other weapons in the stack, so its easy for me to manipulate.
I immediately recognized the handle, magazine and barrel, so I have to assume this is the trigger.
I found the similarity with the other weapons he used yesterday, those with the magazine in front of the handle.
"Just a warning." I listened carefully. "Due to the nature of this gun, I suggest you hold the handle and magazine tightly before pulling the trigger."
Erm... strange instructions, but surely there must be a reason.
I paid attention and prepared myself, although I don't know exactly what for.
He pointed towards a metal plate. "Pull the trigger."
I did it and, to my surprise and fright, not just one shot came out as I was used to, but several until I stopped pressing the trigger. The bullets ricocheting off the plate with a metallic sound.
It shoots so fast!
Thanks to the warning, I was able to hold the gun well and not be jostled as much, but it did make my thumb go numb.
Ouch.
I saw his smile. "What do you think?"
It felt...
"Awesome."
I heard him laugh. "Continue until the magazine runs out, we have several more weapons to test."
I rolled my shoulders in anticipation.
Now that I knew how the gun worked, I held it better and pulled the trigger.
The rest of the shots were much better, most crashing on the target without problems.
When the bullets ran out, I found myself enjoying the submachine guns.
He brought me another full magazine. "Here."
I replaced the empty one and looked for the slide, but the design of this 'Scorpion' confuses me...
"To load a bullet into the chamber, retract the small piece at the side of the gun." He explained. "The top should open for a second before it closes, just like a pistol."
What, this?
I followed the instructions and was surprised by the fact that it worked. How? No idea, he's just teaching me how to use the gun, not comprehend its internal functioning.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Yuri take out another weapon from the pile, a different looking one that I couldn't explain.
I guess he will do that in a moment.
I aimed the gun and emptied the magazine at the different targets on the shooting range.
Euphoric.
I saw him put a package of paper on the stone table.
"Bullets." That was the only thing he said, so I walked over and undid the rope holding everything together. The note on top with strange words falling next to it. The only thing I could understand from the inscription was the '9x19mm', which is the caliber which Yuri already explained to me previously.
Although is it really necessary to use the same type of bullet? Sure, I know there are bigger bullets, the 9x39mm one I saw the other day when I reloaded his gun probably couldn't fit in the magazine of this one, but...
Ah... forget it, it's too complicated for me to care right now, I'm having fun and would rather avoid the headache. Surely he will explain to me later.
"Thank you." I told him, and then removed the magazine, filling it with the new bullets.
While doing that, I could notice that he took the gun and somehow extended it by lowering the strange metal rod that went on top of the 'Scorpion'.
"This is a retractable stock." He explained as he took a stance with the gun. "It serves to have better stability with the weapon, as well as to be much easier to carry when retracted, hence the name."
Oh.
That's pretty clever.
Although it's to be expected, the strange firearms he keeps presenting me are brilliant, way better than crossbows... which is the only similar thing I can think of right now.
"Cool, right?"
I just laughed with him as I finished with the magazine.
Once that was done, he handed me the gun again and I replicated the posture he did before.
"So..." I started. "This piece of metal on my shoulder is called a stock?"
He crossed his arms and shrugged. "It will be a stock as long as you can use it to support yourself and have better control of the stability and recoil of the gun."
Eh, sounds about right.
"Now that you know how to handle a submachine gun, how about we try one of the more modern models?"
...
Ah?
The confusion must have been evident on my face because then he told me. "Yup, that gun is like 52 years old and I have much better ones than that."
But... but...
"That doesn't make sense, how is that gun so many years old and I haven't heard of it until now?"
It made no sense!
"Besides! Why isn't it popular here in Orario? You have a lot of weapons, so I guess they must be common where you come from..."
They would have made my life a lot easier a long time ago.
"You see, Lili..." He began, sounding somewhat melancholy. "Let's say I come from a very far away place."
Hmm... still, that doesn't explain how is it that old...
"Well, that doesn't matter now." He spoke, interrupting my thoughts. "Because..."
He took out a gun with a mostly black pattern, similar in size to the Scorpion, if not a little larger.
"This, my dear friend." He began as he retracted the 'stock' of the gun and loaded a magazine in it. "It's a Heckler Koch Machinenpistole 7, or shortly... MP7..." He explained. "A 4.6x30mm gun that fires 950 rounds per minute, so everything in the general direction you're shooting will be annihilated."
Ohh...
"Is there anything special about it? You said it was a modern gun."
"Aah... now you'll see." He said as he turned around and, with a tool, began putting things on the gun.
I just sat there waiting until he finished and showed me the same weapon again, but with a rather different look.
I couldn't really explain it well, it seemed weird.
He pointed to the elongated object that was attached to the Machinen-that cannon.
"I've put a few accessories on it, like this one here, called a suppressor," He explained calmly. "It can reduce the sound a gun makes, but it doesn't completely hide it, they generally work better in open spaces and with smaller calibers, but I think you might like it, as well as..." He pointed out the other thing, something of more square appearance above the gun. "This EOTECH holographic sight, which is a great way to eliminate targets."
I wasn't comfortable with that last part, but I didn't say anything about it.
I didn't really understand the usefulness of that either, but I decided to go along with it.
"And... what's that thing? Uhm... stuck to the side of the gun."
"Tell me, Lili... do you like flashing lights?" He asked me as he pressed a button and the thing attached to the gun projected a bright line of red light, aligned with the barrel of the gun.
That is...
That looks amazing!
"This is a laser sight, quite useful when you don't feel like aiming, just guide the red dot towards what you want to see disappear and voila." He explained, although I wasn't really paying much attention anymore as I saw the wonder of a 'modern' weapon. "Well, try it!" He spoke, holding out the gun to me.
I couldn't stop a smile from forming on my face as I took it in my hands.
It should be noted that the weapon was somewhat heavier than the previous one, but it didn't matter much now that I had something new to try.
I followed the red dot with my eyes as I moved the gun.
It feels awesomly good.
Out of curiosity, I lined up the laser with one of the targets and, without bothering to aim, pulled the trigger.
The gun fired with a sound almost pleasing to the ears, the small burst of bullets hitting the target with a clang.
I don't know what I felt at that moment, but probably happiness.
This is fun!
Yes, I think that is the right word, although its scary to think that this is also a weapon of death.
"This is impressive!" There was no other way to explain it, I really liked this.
"Try aiming with the holographic sight." It was the only thing he said to me as he leaned on the stone table.
I did so and was able to observe the target through the bright red circular pattern of the scope... which was so cool that I lost myself looking at it for a moment.
Overall, the gun felt pretty good with the accessories and... I think I quite like it.
"Yuri! You have to show me more of these weapons... they're so cool!"
"Well, it will depend on your size, but sure."
"Haha, yeah."
Wait...
"Hey!"
"Oi, you two over there! Why are you making so much noise!?"
I noticed how Yuri tensed and reached for one of the weapons that were on the table, but he relaxed slightly as he saw who was coming towards us.
I think she's a goddess... although I haven't met her before.
"Aha! So it was you guys that were making that much noise!"
"Uhm... we?"
Yuri just remained silent.
"Why are you making so much noise at this hour!? I haven't been able to get my beauty sleep on my day off because of you!"
Uhm...
"Sorry but who are you?" Yuri asked.
"Hmph! Are you asking me!? You guys should introduce yourselves first!"
I heard Yuri sigh somewhat tiredly, a feeling I share now.
He pointed to himself. "Yuri." And then to me. "Lili."
"Lili." I said, pointing to myself so as not to lose the habit. "Yuri." And then to him.
The deity in front of us only seemed somewhat confused by that.
Or so it seemed until her face gained a tinge of recognition when she saw us.
"Uhm... sure." She coughed lightly into her hand and straightened her back. "I am the goddess Hestia! And... it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Finally?
Apparently, Yuri had the same thought because he asked. "Do you know who we are?"
"Er... not really, it's just that my child told me that you guys saved him, so, on his part..." She bowed. "I give you my most sincere thanks."
Oh... a god bowing in front of me...
I didn't see this coming.
"Oh, the white-haired boy? Yeah, I saved his ass there in the Dungeon." He responded casually... which was infuriating considering we're dealing with a deity. "You have to teach that kid some common sense, he'll get himself killed one of these days."
The goddess Hestia raised her head and showed an innocent smile. "Hehe... yeah, it sounds like my Bell."
"Ha, well, we'll make less noise if that's what's bothering you." Yuri answered. "Send my regards to the boy in passing."
"Ah! In fact, I would like to ask you something... if it's not... too much trouble."
This... is going to get interesting.
In the bad sense, of course.
What more can you expect from a god?
Curiously, now a goddess owes me a favor for accepting to take care of her son.
I don't know what I could possibly need from a poor goddess, but I'll think of something. Opportunities appear on their own, after all.
Now that I'm babysitting two dumb teenagers, I'd better take the violence scale up a notch and wear something that's truly efficient and cheap.
First of all, something to avoid being overwhelmed by monsters, a PP-19 'Bizon' will be enough.
Cheap ammunition, good rate of fire and ammunition capacity as well as a controllable handling.
Three spare magazines will be sufficient, those of 64 bullets.
Next, to continue the tradition, I will use the Remington again. Preferred ammunition will be pellets, but I will also carry slugs for medium-range targets.
It won't be very effective, but we'll just be exploring the Dungeon now, so no crazy adventures this time.
I hope...
I will continue to carry the Deagle as it is turning out to be a good idea.
Although I should pack other headphones for the boy too, I don't want to leave him deaf and have his goddess complain to me later.
Also a respirator and extra filters just in case.
Lastly, something for extreme cases where I'm forced to get up close and personal.
My Kukri machete.
It's in pristine condition after the maintenance I gave it yesterday while watching Lili practice her aim, so there shouldn't be a problem.
Hilariously, she chose to make the MP7 her primary weapon. When I asked her, she insisted it's because of the abundant ammo it can carry, but I'm pretty sure the reason is the accessories.
And I completely understand her.
I gathered everything I needed and left it on my couch except for the MP7, which I kept inside my backpack along with some full magazines of the weapon in question.
Alright, now that I have everything ready.
I put on the Altyn helmet and lowered the visor.
All that remains is to wait for the brat.
"Uhm... h-hello?"
Speak of the devil...
Although... I don't know if that description is correct, the child looks more like an angel than anything else.
Maybe a rabbit... bunny?
"I'll be out in a moment." I shouted as I quickly adjusted everything into place around my body.
When I had everything ready, I checked a second time just to be sure and finally left my bunker.
The boy was outside, sitting on the ground, waiting.
"I hope I haven't bored you enough." I told him.
"Ah! N-No, everything's fine... shall we go?"
"Sure."
Curiously, again, this boy and his goddess were my neighbors. Apparently, they lived inside the secret basement of the church not so far from my shelter.
The goddess insisted on paying me to take care of the boy, but I declined and told her I would do it for free.
Even if it would have been funny to take advantage of a poor goddess, I really didn't want to push my luck and receive divine punishment later. Who knows what kind of power these... 'gods' have.
It's kind of scary.
Come to think of it, I should fit bulletproof vests for him and Lili, who knows and another one of those Sin guys shows up.
Although in reality, there's not much a vest can do to protect their fragile bodies...
I glanced at the teen by my side as we headed into the populated area of the city.
Yep, he looks pretty fragile, maybe sparring would be good for him, some boxing classes would help him.
Eh... it depends on what his goddess says.
...
Damn, it feels pretty weird knowing that deities exist here... in... wherever here was.
Tsk.
"What's your name, kid?" I kinda forgot.
"Bell, Mr. Yuri..."
Interesting name.
"And... Bell, how is your goddess?"
"Oh, she's still asleep, she'll go to work later."
Does his goddess work? Interesting.
"I see."
A calm silence settled between us.
We walked down a busy street until someone stopped us in front of a restaurant.
It was a young lady of the same size and age as Bell, wearing a maid's uniform and carrying a basket in her arms. Her hair was also peculiar, being grey.
As soon as she saw Bell, she greeted him with a smile. "Bell! Good morning, here I brought you a... basket... Bell, who is... him?"
I looked out of the corner of my eye at the boy who seemed a little more nervous than before.
"A-Ah! Hello Syr... uhm... this is Yuri, one of my party members!"
I laughed internally at the young man's eccentricities. "I'm his babysitter."
"Ohh, I see." She moved closer to Bell as she handed him the basket, then petted his head. "Take good care of Bell!" She said with great joy, much to the embarrassment of the albino teenager.
I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, this girl likes to tease others, doesn't she?
Alright, I'll have to defend a little of Bell's honor, even if I started the joke.
"Don't worry, I'll bring your boyfriend back safely." I smiled when I noticed the small blush that appeared on the girl's face, as well as how tomato Bell became. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some work to do in the Dungeon."
She shook her head and simply laughed. "I see, then good luck guys!"
"Ah! See you Syr!"
I simply nodded in her direction and turned towards the immense tower in the center of the city.
Its name was Babel, Lili told me yesterday.
As we walked, I nudged the boy lightly. "So... was she really your girlfriend?"
He babbled a bunch of unintelligible words as his face turned red again, his blush being very noticeable due to his facial features.
The child is white as paper and very easy to tease.
"N-No! Not at all! I... uh, she's just a friend."
"Yes, and I'm going to believe you because...?"
"S-Stop bothering me..."
I laughed at the boy's expense. "That restaurant, do they serve good food?" I asked him, changing the subject.
Relieved that I'm no longer teasing him, he replied. "Well, I've only been there a few times, mostly because I don't really have much money to pay for their meals, but yes, they cook very well." He finished with a smile on his face, surely remembering those meals.
Hm, that gives me an idea...
"Tell me, boy." He looked at me, though I could see in his eyes how slightly annoyed he was at being called that. "Will your goddess care if I steal you from her for a while?"
"Uhm, I don't think so... maybe a little, why?"
"How about I take you to dinner there?"
His face lit up, but then he looked away with some embarrassment. "I-I don't think you should spend your money on-"
"Tsk, nonsense, I have enough money for a good meal." I hugged him with my right arm and pulled him towards me as we walked. "That little girlfriend of yours would be very happy to see you for dinner, wouldn't she?"
I could immediately feel him trying to get out of my embrace. "Y-Yuri-san!"
I laughed audibly. "Okay, okay... but seriously, wouldn't you like to eat something delicious? I know I would, so consider it a meeting to get to know each other better now that we're at the same 'party', what do you say?"
I heard him growl into my embrace. "Alright."
I let him go and he wobbled a little as he walked.
"Great, then we have a plan."
He didn't respond, but I could see the slightest smile adorn his face.
Little rabbit...
I messed up his hair with my gloved hand, and he protested, but didn't do much to stop me.
When we arrived at the plaza, we saw Lili sitting next to the fountain, swinging her legs and looking at the tower with a neutral expression.
When her eyes landed on us, I could see her smile and gather her things to catch up with us.
"Good morning, Lili."
"Good morning, Yuri!" She turned to the boy and smiled mischievously. "So you're our protégé, huh?"
"Please, I'm very vulnerable of any kind of teasing now..." Was what Bell regretted.
Lili laughed lightly and then shook her head. "Good morning, Bell." He greeted, then adjusted her backpack and gestured with her head towards the tower. "Shall we go?"
"Yup."
We descended the stairs of the Dungeon and separated ourselves from the flow of adventurers coming in and out from the depths.
When we got to the 3rd floor, we were able to relax more now that it was very unlikely that we would meet anyone else down here.
"And... why the basket?" I heard Lili ask.
"A-A friend gave it to me." Bell replied as he took out an apple from it. "It's my breakfast."
"Aww, and didn't your friend bring it for us too?"
"Erm... I could share with you if you wish..."
"Don't pay attention to her, Bell." I mentioned while unsheathing my machete. "Eat calmly and don't worry."
"But I haven't eaten all day! Let him share a little with me."
I reached into one of my vest pockets and pulled out a granola bar. "Catch."
She reached for the candy and opened the wrapper, taking a bite afterwards. "Eh, this would do."
CRACK
"Bell, how good are you with that knife?"
The boy set the basket on the ground and unsheathed the small blade he carried on his hip, taking a stance against the goblin that emerged from the wall. "I consider myself an amateur, sir."
I nodded and opened my backpack, taking out Lili's unloaded MP7.
She gasped at the sight of the gun. "My baby!"
She approached and snatched it from my hands, stretching out the folding stock and removing the safety, then extended one hand toward me while the other held her gun.
"Ammo." She spoke with a smug smile on her face.
I think I spoiled her a little too much.
I pulled out four magazines of MP7, each holding 40 rounds, full of training bullets.
The 4.6 are a bit expensive, I don't have many, so it's better to get rid of all the training bullets I have saved.
They still kill, it's just that the material piercing is very poor in that ammunition because, upon contact, they dematerialize into fragments.
I handed them to her and she didn't hesitate to adjust them to her belt after opening her coat.
She slipped one into the gun and pressed the button to release the bolt, loading a bullet into the chamber.
While she did that, I could hear Bell dispatch the goblin without a hitch.
"Bell, if you keep that up, you'll be the one taking care of us."
The boy laughed lightly as he scratched the back of his head.
I won't interrupt until we find something particularly difficult. In the meantime, I'll let Lili and Bell deal with the threats.
"You two get rid of the monsters, this time I'll be in charge of cutting magic stones."
"Eh, but Yuri, I could-"
"That would take away your time from using your 'baby'."
"Ehhh... good point."
I opened my backpack and took out a can of beer.
This will be a walk in the park.
This place was strange.
The people were strange.
The language was the same, I had no idea why the hell it was Japanese.
How odd.
"Boss, where do we put this box?"
"What is it?"
"It's the weapons."
"Leave them on the second floor and have the guards start arming themselves."
"Right away."
I took a cigarette and a match out of my leather jacket and opened the window of the abandoned building we appropriate.
The owner was very happy to give it to us when we threatened his family, so there's that.
I took a puff of the cigarette and set it aside.
I'm pretty sure this strange place will be a lot of help to us.
After all, with the end of the world back home, we're somewhat desperate for alternative energy methods.
It's not like I'm complaining, now I can do whatever I want and no one will say anything.
The only bad thing...
"And what are we going to do with the guild, boss?"
It's just that this place has the same stupid bureaucracy as the world from 10 years ago.
"Keep up the spying, Yarik... we'll think of something..."
Yuri cut open the body of a kobold with his kukri machete, removing the magic stone attached to its heart.
The beast vanished in a fine cloud of dust and he put the magic stone inside Lili's backpack, which he dragged along the ground.
"Hiyaa!" He heard Bell scream after ducking under the claws of another Kobold, cutting off its legs along the way.
A different Kobold attempted to grab Bell from behind, but was stopped by a flurry of gunshots straight to the back. The beast fell to the ground, dying.
"Thank you, Lili!"
"Don't get distracted!" She yelled at him as she jumped out of the way of two goblins that were chasing her.
"S-Sure!" Bell replied as he walked over to help her, having finished off the remaining Kobolds.
Lili rolled on the ground, avoiding a goblins' stone axes.
She fired a burst without aiming, letting the laser sight guide her aim, and got one of the goblins in its center of mass, the other was killed by Bell, who grabbed it from behind and plunged his dagger into its chest, ending the fight.
"H-Hey! Be more careful!" Lili shouted. "I almost put a hole in you."
Bell adjusted the headphones he was wearing on his head. "Sorry! Uhm... I thought you needed help..."
"Well, yes! But don't run directly into my line of fire." She answered him while checking how many bullets she had left in the magazine.
"She's right you know."
Bell hung his head low at Yuri's words.
"It's good to want to help your teammates, but make sure you don't get in the way too." Yuri explained as he opened one of the last monster corpses. "I would hate to tell your goddess that you died by friendly fire."
The boy grimaced, but nodded at the words.
Yuri stored the last of the magic stones and put away his machete.
"Very good." He checked the watch on his wrist, noticing that it was already almost 5 pm. "I think we've been here long enough, how about we come back?".
"Yes, I'm running out of bullets." Lili responded.
"Uhm, yeah, I think that would be the best." Bell added.
"Okay then, let's go back."
Yuri handed Lili her own backpack. She made fun of him a little for not being able to carry it on his back.
"So, what do you want for dinner today?"
They both turned their heads towards Yuri.
"Quickly, say something, I'll pay."
Lili shrugged and Bell put a hand to his chin.
"Really? Uhm..."
"If you had the menu right now I would like to see it."
"Good point... boy, its all on you, show us somewhere to eat."
"Erm... sure!"
Everyone left the Dungeon with a considerable amount of magic stones stored in Lili's backpack.
First they went to exchange said stones, Yuri sitting outside waiting for Bell and Lili to return.
When they did, they divided the money equally and followed Bell towards that restaurant from the morning.
"The Hostess of Fertility? Interesting name." Lili noted.
Bell, knowing full well that he would be the center of jokes for just being associated with the place, decided to speak up before anything else came up. "A-Ah...yeah, I'm friends with one of the girls who work here." He explained. "It's a good place."
The internal lights of the building illuminated the street with their yellowish glow, the figures of all the adventurers who were drinking inside showing themselves through the windows. The atmosphere was a happy one full of pride.
It reminded Yuri of the Zone. Specifically, the 100 Rads bar.
The doors of the establishment were open, the menu of the day hanging on the wall outside.
One of the waitresses, the same one with blue-gray hair that Yuri and Bell ran into in the morning, noticed them standing outside and approached them.
"Ah! Bell, Yuri, good night."
"Don't forget about little Lili." Yuri added, patting his partner's head.
"Hey!"
Syr laughed lightly and then bowed. "Nice to meet you, Miss Lili, I'm Syr Flova."
"Huh, I didn't know your other name." The Stalker mentioned.
She just brought the wooden plate to her face, covering her mouth, and laughed lightly in a mischievous manner.
"Why don't I show you a table?"
She led them to a small table and arranged three chairs for them.
They all sat down, one on each side of the square table against the wall, and turned to Syr.
"So guys, what do you want to order?"
"Uhm... I... I think some noodles with vegetables."
"I don't know! Whatever Yuri asks for."
"Uh... whatever you think is delicious." Yuri finished saying to Syr.
"Alright, wait a second then!" She exclaimed, and then retreated towards the counter where there was a very robust woman preparing and delivering dishes.
Yuri took off his helmet and left it on the table, then rested his arms on the same one. "Well? Satisfied with today's profit?"
They had made around 40 thousand Valis by staying on the fourth floor.
They would have gained more if they had gone down to the seventh, but they were not sure if their new partner could withstand the level of the monsters on that floor.
"Yes! It's a lot more than I was doing venturing out on my own, thank you very much!"
Lili crossed her arms and raised her head, a smug smile on her face. "It's what we usually do when we go together, so be grateful that we share the pay with you."
"Ehehe... yeah, I guess so." The rabbit said as he scratched the back of his head.
His face lit up as he seemed to remember something.
"It's true, I've been meaning to ask, are you... are you two from the same Familia?"
Lili stopped the act and stretched her arms. "Actually no, Yuri is from... uhm..."
She looked at him and the Stalker simply nodded.
"I am from the Soma Familia and he has no Familia."
Bell frowned and stayed quiet for a solid ten seconds, waiting for that information to sink into his mind.
"What?"
"And you, boy? I assume your Familia's name is Hestia."
"D-Don't change the subject!"
"I'm back ~!"
The three turned to see Syr arrive with three plates on her tray.
The first was a mountain of noodles with vegetables, which was what Bell asked for.
The other two were fried chicken dishes with boiled potatoes accompanied by salad.
"Hehe, enjoy ~" Syr said, then took a chair and sat next to them.
Everyone looked at her.
"And what are you doing here?" Yuri asked her.
Syr put a hand to her chest and feigned sadness. "You hurt me, Mr. Yuri, I thought you would want me here to accompany you this sweet night."
He simply laughed, knowing full well what she was trying to do. "No, it's not that, it's just that I didn't think you were forward enough to admit that you came here to be with your boyfriend."
At that, the girl couldn't defend herself, so she turned very red and tried to deny it.
Yuri's laughter didn't help and only served to embarrass her more, as well as Bell who was eating his noodles in silence, hoping that he wouldn't be detected and, consequently, caught up in the pranks.
Lili simply joined in Yuri's laughter, albeit with a little less animosity.
"No, seriously." The Stalker started. "Shouldn't you be serving other customers or something? I doubt you get paid to simply eat."
Syr shook her head and responded with a smile. "Actually, Mama Mia gave me permission, she owns the place." She explained as she rested her head on the table. "There aren't as many customers as there were a while ago, so I have some free time."
Yuri simply scoffed with a small laugh and used the fork he was given to lift one of the cooked potatoes to his mouth.
Delicious, it's been a while since he had a good hot meal served to him.
"Not to be annoying, but do you have anything to drink?"
Syr stood up from her seat. "Sure! Any preference?"
Yuri looked at his two companions.
"Maybe... juice." Bell responded.
Lili just looked at Yuri, waiting to see what he would ask for.
He turned his head towards Syr and responded. "A beer for me and another juice for Lili."
"Hey! I can dri-"
"Nah, I'd rather not take you home drunk."
The Pallum grunted and crossed her arms.
Syr laughed at the group's eccentricities and nodded. "Alright, then I'll be right back ~!"
Once Syr walked away, Lili complained to Yuri. "I can drink beer too, you know?"
"My point still stands."
While this place may allow it, he wouldn't.
Sure, teaching her how to use firearms is just as wrong, but with the nature of this world, he supposed it's justified.
He pointed to the plate of food that Lili had not yet touched. "Eat, okay?"
"Hush..." She complained, but decided not to continue with the topic.
It only took a few seconds until Syr returned, her tray filled with two jugs, two glasses, and a rather large mug with foam surpassing the edge. "Hello ~!" The waitress greeted, her cheerful personality always present.
Yuri licked his lips with some anticipation. He wondered what the local beer was like.
Once Syr served the glasses and mug, the atmosphere became a little more cheerful.
"Well? Did you guys talk about private things while I was gone?"
"Bell, control your girlfriend."
"But she's not my girlfriend!"
Yuri scoffed as he pulled out his PDA, he wanted to try something.
He checked the radio signals and connected to the Zone's.
He turned up the volume enough so that only they could hear it and left his device in the center of the table.
The melody began with the drum and its plates, and then they were accompanied by a guitar and the voice of Víktor Tsoi.
Svezda po Imeni Solntse was playing.
A song that talked about war.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Hm? What is that?" Syr asked, showing the same level of confusion as Bell upon hearing the melody.
"Music." Was his only response as he took the first sip of his beer.
Hmm...
It was okay.
He just continued eating.
"Is it a magic item?" Bell asked, somewhat fascinated by the PDA.
In fact, anything that is much more technologically advanced for these people can turn out like magic before their eyes, was what Yuri noticed.
"Let's say yes." It was the only thing he answered.
"Woaah..."
Dinner continued normally, everyone enjoying the quiet melody of the song.
"The language... is strange." Syr noted.
Yuri laughed internally at the irony, having thought that the language of this place was strange, so for another person to say the same about one of the tongues of Earth was quite funny.
"Is Russian." He explained. "One of the languages spoken in my homeland."
"Oh! Chernubyl, right?" Lili asked.
Despite being wrong, Yuri just nodded and didn't bother to correct her.
"Hmm~ it's certainly a melancholic song, what is he talking about?" Syr asked, curiosity in her voice.
"War." Was the only response from Yuri, who just continued eating calmly.
At the dry response, Syr stopped smiling. "Nothing else?"
"Nope, just talks about the nature of war." Yuri explained. "The song is named 'A Star Called the Sun' and it talks about the nature of war, how... no matter the reason or the way, all wars take place under the star we call sun."
"That's... pretty sad."
"Yup, after all..." He added. "It's always the same, people killing each other."
"But..." Syr tried to object.
"Don't try to explain it, it's just how people are." Yuri intervened. "We just have to accept it and make melancholic songs about it."
Syr just closed her mouth and rested her head on her arms, a sad grimace on her face.
"Don't make that face, war may never change, but people do, and so do times of peace, that's why songs like this exist, so that the same things don't happen again."
Although we never know, it was what he left last, but he didn't say it.
The group just continued eating, the silence between them replaced by the music that continued to play from Yuri's PDA.
Eventually, one of the waitresses went to serve a group of people outside and then came in announcing. "Nya! Customers with reservation on the way, nya!"
Yuri, with his back towards the door and not caring much, continued eating.
Bell and Lili, on the other hand.
"A-Are they...!?" Pallum exclaimed.
Bell was simply stunned and with his mouth open.
Syr turned her head and only deigned to raise her eyebrows at the new guests.
Yuri, seeing their faces, took a moment to turn around and see what the fuss was about.
It was a group of extravagant people, was what he noticed, observing their peculiarities.
Especially because among them was that blonde girl who saved them.
"Ah! They're the Loki Familia." Syr spoke. "They are regulars here, apparently their goddess likes this place, plus they just got back from an expedition, so they came to celebrate."
"Huh, I didn't expect to see her again."
"Hm?" Syr looked at Yuri somewhat confused.
"We met the Sword Princess in the Dungeon..." Lili responded, somewhat nervous about the presence of such strong adventurers. "She saved us from a minotaur, so there's that..."
"Oh, I see." Syr responded. "Were you on the middle floors then? Minotaurs usually appear there."
"Uhm, no..." Bell said. "It was on the 5th floor."
Syr looked even more confused.
"In fact, we followed it from the 7th floor." Yuri added. "It seemed scared, but as it fled towards the upper floors, we had to kill him."
"Maybe it was the expedition's fault." Syr mentioned. "It's obvious that a monster runs away scared from a stronger predator, so it surely escaped from the Loki Familia and you ended up fighting it."
Yuri cocked his head. "Makes sense."
"Aren't you angry?" The waitress asked.
The Stalker sighed. "Well, it almost killed us, made us waste ammo and a potion, but it would be more our fault for following him, so I guess not." He turned to continue eating. "Besides, if we hadn't intervened, Bell would be dead and he's too cute for that, right, kid?"
"Awww, you even look like brothers." Syr clapped her hands together in a small applause. "Cute."
"Mr. Yuri! Please don't embarrass me!"
"Uh, yeah, whatever."
All the members of the Familia who had arrived sat around a large table and were served by the other waitresses, several quite appetizing dishes were served to them.
The Stalker continued eating, as did the other adventurers who had turned to see the strongest Familia in Orario.
Seeing this, Lili and Bell followed suit and did the same.
"Aand..." Syr began, trying to make conversation when she saw everyone quiet. "How do you find the food?"
"It's good." Bell responded happily, knowing full well that he wasn't going to pay.
"Hm-hm." Lili hummed, drinking her juice.
The waitress looked at Yuri.
He noticed that she was waiting for a response from him, so he simply drank his beer, thinking about what he was going to say.
None of the garbage he ate back in the Zone could compare to this, so he supposed it's fair to say it was absurdly delicious.
"I might come back tomorrow, it's delicious after all."
"Aah~, are you sure about that? Isn't it because the girls in this restaurant caught your attention too?" Syr asked, her voice sweetly mischievous.
Yuri simply scoffed. "Might as well bring Bell back so you and him can fraternize a little."
"E-Eh?"
"M-Mr. Yuri!"
He chuckled as he picked up some salad with his fork.
"Okay!" The scream was accompanied by a crash so loud that it moved the table slightly and caused Yuri to drop his fork.
"What the f-"
"Ais, tell everyone what happened!"
Yuri picked up his fork from the ground and set it aside, then turned around and watched what the hell happened.
When he saw the man with wolf-like features stand up, cheeks flushed and with a mug of beer in his hand, he sighed.
Of course someone had gotten drunk, they sell beer here, after all.
It was also not surprising that it was someone with such little resistance to liquor, considering that those people had just arrived and been served.
He wondered how strong the guy is if just the fact that he stood up was enough to move the ground slightly.
There were a few seconds of silence before a familiar voice answered. "What do you mean?"
"You told us!" The guy growled, pointing at the woman who was sitting with her back against them. "About those minotaurs that ran away! You took out the last one in the 5th floor and saved those stupid weaklings!"
Yuri raised an eyebrow at that.
For a single second, he thought about putting a bullet between that guy's eyes, but just laughed internally at that thought and continued eating.
He had done similar things before, killing people who even dared to look at him the wrong way.
This was a new beginning and he didn't want to ruin it by murdering someone seemingly famous in a public establishment, he didn't want to have to disguise himself again for the rest of his life.
The wolf-guy probably doesn't even know what they look like, he doesn't remember seeing that guy whith the lady who saved them.
Syr, recognizing who the werewolf was referring to, looked a little uncomfortable, as did the two teenagers in the table.
She was about to stand up and do something, but Yuri simply put a hand on her shoulder.
"Syr."
"But he-"
Yuri just showed her a smile. "Tell me, what's that guy's name?"
She looked at him with confusion.
"Quickly, tell me everything you know about him."
"Are you talking about the group of minotaurs that attacked us on the 17th floor and fled when we responded?" The conversation behind them continued.
"Yes, yes, them!" The werewolf responded while shaking his hand in a dismissive manner. "By some miracle they escaped! Tired too, it was at that moment..." He took a moment to burp. "It was there that those... 'adventurers', damn newbies, were running away from that thing, Ais said so!"
The adventurer in question frowned, not having said that when she told her goddess what happened.
Yuri just continued listening as he finished his food, it was tasty.
"And by his level, he is one of the executives of the Loki Familia... their goddess is there with them." Syr spoke, explaining to Yuri who Bete Loga was.
He nodded and looked to his side, noticing Bell eating with very little enthusiasm, as well as Lili.
Syr seemed quite sad to see them like this.
"Not hungry anymore?" he asked.
They both nodded.
He just grunted and looked at Syr.
"Sorry, could you get all this inside something to take home?" He took a bag full of Valis out of his backpack and placed it on the counter. "Consider this the pay and an apology for what I'm about to do."
"Don't do anything stupid, Mr. Yuri." She responded as she picked up the plates.
"And she left them there completely scared!" The guy added while laughing. "Even one of them ran away as soon as he was saved! Damn pathetic!"
Yuri unholstered his Deagle and picked up his backpack that he had left on the ground, hiding his weapon between the luggage and his body.
"I'm not stupid." He mentioned. "Just a bit crazy."
The guy was laughing pretty hard, no doubt the effects of the alcohol kicking in with the amount of beer he's been drinking.
"Who would have thought that Ais would scare away the coward!"
"A coward you say?" Yuri called, raising his voice enough for the Loki Familia table to hear him.
Everyone turned to him and Ais, the blonde girl who saved them, was surprised to see them there.
The guy continued laughing for a few more seconds before responding. "Yes, those weaklin-!"
"You talk so casually about those weaklings that you probably don't even care that they almost died."
The werewolf, far from realizing that the happy atmosphere of the establishment had changed to a more somber one, responded. "Hehe, ha! Yes! And why would I? They couldn't even-"
"Defend themselfs against a beast twice their size with enough strength to knock down the walls of the Dungeon?" Yuri interrupted, finally managing to get the werewolf's full attention. "I don't know, Bete, from what I'm hearing so far, you guys let the minotaurs on the 17th floor escape and one of them wandered... to the 5th! A group of people almost died because of that, now tell me that it was their fault for having been alive that day and not having died sooner like the weak beings they are."
"M-Mr. Yuri..." Bell tried to intervene, not really wanting a fight to break out.
"Oi! Watch your mouth, old man!" Bete shouted in response as he slammed his cup on the table.
Yuri felt his eyebrow twitch.
"And why would I?" Yuri mimicked with a smile, making Bete grind his teeth. "What? You're so used to letting your tongue loose that you can't take shit for you part? And here I thought that the strong ones know how to keep their shit together." He reached out to his own mug of beer and drank every last drop, some foam of the beer on his upward curved lips.
"I'm going to break you if you don't shut up!"
With a shit-eating grin on his face, Yuri continued to press fruther. "For what? Tell the truth? You were once weak too, does it hurt you that much to remember the past?"
Bete threw the cup to the ground and prepared to attack, Yuri's words having hit directly at the werewolf's repressed feelings. "It's over! Get ready to-!"
Everyone saw Yuri smile even more when he uncovered the weapon he had hidden.
The strongest of the Loki Familia saw it and had time to react, but they didn't. They couldn't even sense that the guy was strong, although they were confused about the strange looking weapon he was carrying in his hand.
They doubted the guy had the guts to do whatever he was planning against one of the strongest members of their Familia.
When he pulled the trigger, the hammer was released and the gun consequently fired, they were duly surprised when the projectile that came out of the barrel of the gun went faster than the speed of sound, roaring with an exaggerated noise and disorienting all the low-level adventurers on the pub for a single second.
The bullet passed the upper right ear of Bete's head, missing its mark and getting stuck in the wooden wall due to the acute angle at which it was fired.
Due to the sound barrier being broken right next to his sensitive animal ear, Bete's eardrum was slightly damaged, making him wince in pain.
The drunkenness also left him at that moment, being replaced by a death scare.
All the executives of the Loki Familia went on high alert.
Yuri simply lowered his weapon and laughed lightly. "You're drunk, drink some water." Was what the Stalker said at the same time that Syr returned with a cloth bag, some bentos with the leftover food there. "Syr, I'm sorry about the hole in the wall, I hope the money is enough to forgive me and repair the damage, now if you'll excuse us."
He picked up his helmet and PDA, then stood up, being followed by a very embarrassed Bell and Lili who hated being the center of attention at those moments.
"The food was delicious." He added as he took the bag and turned towards the exit. "I'm threatening to come again, anyway, see you."
And just like that, as quickly as it happened, it was over, and everyone was left wondering who this strange person was.
"Uhm... here."
We had accompanied Lili to the place where she was staying.
Of course, more than anything I had to force her to accept, since the moon was showing high and the lamps on either side of the street could only do so much to illuminate the area around it.
"Well, be careful then." I responded, to which she nodded and turned around, leaving behind another alley.
I knew very well that the place where she slept was around the corner, but she surely didn't want us to know that.
"Is she going to be okay?" I heard Bell ask next to me.
"Of course, she's more than capable of taking care of herself." I responded, mostly because I had now allowed her to keep her gun and MP7.
Trusting her will do her good. That way, she will trust me too.
I hope she realizes soon that, as long as she doesn't tell me what's bothering her, I won't be able to help her.
"Let's go, Bell."
"Sure."
We both walked away from there as we walked back towards our respective homes.
The streets were not empty, the night was still young and I could see the random civilian walking around.
Curious thing that there is almost no sound past midnight in this city.
But there's still light here, so I didn't have to worry too much about any scumbags appearing from the shadows to mug us.
From where I was standing, I could see Bell depressed, looking down at the ground and walking aimlessly, just following me.
Hm.
I might as well practice the conversation I'll have with Lili if she doesn't tell me what's got her so worried lately. The lost look with which I found her this morning was not pleasant to look at.
It makes me think something else is going on and I don't like it at all.
"Is there something wrong, kid?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but almost immediately closed it, his attitude quite unsure, a stark contrast to how he behaved for the rest of the day. Quite happy and excited to have a team of people willing to go with him to the Dungeon.
"Is it because of what happened earlier?"
The boy sighed and, seconds later, nodded his head.
"Would you like to explain?"
"It's just..." Bell started. "It's... what that adventurer said..."
Hmph, maybe I should have intervened sooner.
"You know none of that was true."
"But that doesn't take away from the fact that... I'm still very weak..." He looked me in the eyes. "Even next to you I... I'm not-"
"Stop right there, boy."
"Eh?"
I patted his shoulder and pulled him into a hug, the boy looked like he needed it.
"Being weak doesn't take away from the fact that you wanted to face that thing head on, and that is very brave."
"B-But I ran away at first!"
"As anyone in your position would have done." I replied. "There is only one life, Bell, you have to appreciate it."
"But you... you..." He hung his head. "Even if you don't have a falna... you faced the minotaur and saved me..."
"It was nothing, kid."
"Still...! You didn't even show fear when you challenged that adventurer who said those ugly things..."
Honestly, that last one was quite nice to do.
"In the face of everything with a smile... makes you look quite heroic..."
Tsk.
"Something I would like... to be..."
Hmm.
I see.
Honestly, I have nothing to say to the boy. Everything I'm thinking about can be hurtful and even traumatic.
...
Hmph.
No, there is something I could say right now...
"If you want to be a hero, don't try to be like me."
He just remained silent.
"If you really... from the bottom of your heart, want to be a hero, be your own example." I added. "There is no better way to improve yourself than self-criticism, but don't be too hard on yourself either, we all start out weak at first, it is our emotions that make us change, both for the better... and the worse."
I pressed his chest with my index finger. "Keep that pure heart that you carry there and that wish of yours to be a hero will be fulfilled."
I mostly joined the army to support my family, we were pretty poor back then, but then that feeling of doing the right thing grew inside me... until everything collapsed.
But there was no need to tell him that.
"Feelings can take you very far." I explained to him. "Be pure like the fact of wanting to protect others... or the deep hatred that we all have within us."
I released him from the hug.
"Find your motivation, you will see that you will become stronger that way."
I wanted to tell him the truth about me...
... but if he sees me as someone admirable... who am I to ruin his dreams?
I will try to be a good role model.
The rest of the way was silent.
When we arrived at the dilapidated church where he was staying, I handed him the leftovers for his goddess and we simply said goodbye. I lost sight of him when he entered the church.
I went back to my own basement and threw myself on my couch.
Well, it's a given that after that little disagreement at the restaurant my reputation will spread like wildfire.
I knew it would happen... I have no regrets.
Damn loose-mouthed fool, just like all those stupid people who laughed along with him.
I don't usually get carried away by simple words, but I did when I saw them so affected by the ones of that asshole.
Again, I don't regret it, let the bastard do it and apologize personally.
Now, I noticed that my two dumb little companions fight well, just not as a team.
Both focus more on speed, but for different reasons.
Lili often attacks and flees, avoiding danger before it's close enough to pose a threat to her.
Bell, on the other hand, focuses on eliminating threats as quickly as possible by directly atacking them.
I can already see the personality of both of them in each combat style.
While Bell has dreams of a heroic nature that lead him to stand between danger and others, Lili prioritizes her survival while ensuring that the enemy cannot fight back.
Bell is a bleeding heart, Lili is a growing strategist.
They are both good in their own ways.
It helps that they're relatively newbies, although the word newbie doesn't fit very well for Lili considering she's been on many more Dungeon expeditions than Bell and I combined.
Still, she lacks combat experience.
I might as well train them like I learned.
In the Zone.
Or we could continue exploring the Dungeon and I'll guide them along the way, but I think there's no better teacher than the Zone for this kind of thing.
Although I'd prefer there were fewer opportunities for them to die, so I really don't know.
Although, now that I realize it, that would be cruel.
Cruel? Since when do I care about being cruel?
Hm.
Of course, fucking idiot, they're damn children, you're not going to be a savage and throw them into the damn Zone because it's the most optimal method.
...
Well, some expeditions to the Zone inside the Dungeon would certainly help prepare them mentally for more horrific things that we are sure to encounter the further down we continue.
I couldn't know, but that's certainly the idea and I'd rather not be caught unprepared.
Leaving that aside for now...
I stood up and grabbed the AKS-74U that was hanging on my shelf, then removed the magazine and cocked the weapon, catching the 5.45x39mm bullet in the air.
The light from my shelter shone on the polymer-coated steel cartridge.
Lili belongs to the Soma Familia.
It was an expected surprise... as well as an unpleasant one.
It's obvious that the girl is hiding from her own 'Familia', using that magic of hers to change her race or something.
I guess it's normal, a group of addicted alcoholics is not a good place for a young girl of that age, too many things could happen.
It's a miracle the girl's still alive.
Maybe because of the fact that the captain of the Familia himself is a 'Level 2' guy.
If he's as strong and fast as the girl who saved our butts... then it makes sense that all those addicts would behave and not go on a rampage all over town.
Or they must be so hooked that they only care about the liquor itself.
Be that as it may, it's very dangerous to go alone hoping that they are not going to attack me.
Still, I have to get her out of there.
Maybe she can take me there...
But if I ask her, she might completely shut down the idea and don't let me help her at all, she seems like the type to do that.
There is no other choice then, I will have to wait for her to speak with me.
Fucking hell.
Even so, that doesn't take away the possibility of meeting that idiot anyways.
I set the gun aside and removed the ammunition inside the magazine.
I started filling it with hollow point.
Excellent expansion and impressive stopping power, making it a very lethal cartridge considering what it can do to soft tissues such as skin or flesh.
Originally made for hunting.
Perfect, because I'm about to hunt some motherfuckers.
I started filling magazines with those bullets and replacing the Bizon ones in my vest.
More weight, but I can deal with it.
Besides, it's worth it, I'll get rid of that trash if I find him in the Dungeon.
I loaded the gun with one of the fresh magazines and cocked it while supporting it with the workbench.
I'm not going to lie, I feel a little nervous.
...
Doesn't matter.
Again, I would solve my problems the only way I know how.
"So, you went to have dinner with the others."
"Ujum!"
Beneath the dilapidated church, Bell stood with his goddess.
"Hmph, you had me a little worried, but seeing you happy and bringing me food... I'll forgive you just this once!"
Bell smiled as he rested his head on the bed he was lying on.
Currently, he was receiving a stat update, Hestia on top of him and watching the entire process on his back.
"Eh?"
"Is something wrong, goddess?"
Hestia was, to put it simply, dumbfounded.
The skill point jumps her child had achieved were incredible, absurd!
She reviewed his excelia, his memories converted to points.
He didn't do much today, just fight monsters, get teased a lot by Yuri, and eat dinner at that restaurant.
As well as the Loki Familia's conversation... about her child.
Unforgivable! Outrageous!
She watched as that stranger, Yuri, defended him with pure words against one of the Familia executives, the one who kept insulting them.
It made her blood boil, but it's not like she could do much now.
Although she was very grateful to Yuri for putting that guy in his place.
She calmed her breathing and continued to observe.
Keep that pure heart that you carry there and that wish of yours to be a hero will be fulfilled.
She remained silent.
Slowly, a smile began to form on her face.
"Did you have a good day, Bell?" She asked as she used a piece of paper to copy down her child's statistics.
"Yes!" The boy responded, his spirits quite high.
Hestia could guess why.
Silently, she thanked that stranger again for preventing her son from losing his motivation.
She didn't want to see that sparkle in his eyes disappear.
Now, she knew that Bete's words had affected him, but if just one more push was what he needed...
With her thumb, she erased Bell's skill, 'Liaris Freese', from the paper.
If he came to believe that his growth is only through his own efforts... then Yuri's words would have more weight in his mind and would motivate him even more.
After all, what he said was technically true regarding the functionality of the skill.
It will be the little secret that she will keep from her adorable child.
A day had already passed and... and I didn't do what Kanu asked me to do.
...
I'm done...
At least... at least now I have a reason to warn Yuri.
Will he still see me as her friend after that?
I fell onto my bed, feeling defeated.
I can't do anything right and now I'm going to lose the only most important person to me.
FUCK!
...
I sat on my bed and let my gaze wander around my small room.
There was my gun, as well as my belt.
I didn't take my eyes off either of them.
There is a solution for this, although I don't know if Yuri would accept it.
I don't know if I'm strong enough for it either.
Surely Zanis is going to take measures to... to have me back in his power.
That... pig!
I can't let that happen, not when I have half the money needed to get out of the Soma Familia.
Just... a little more, I need more time.
I have two options, disappear again...
Or trust and tell him everything and hope for the best.
I stopped looking at my weapons and looked out the window.
The moon slightly illuminated my room, bathing part of it with its light.
It was relaxing to watch it in its entirety.
In the distance I could see the walls of the city.
I wish I could leave Orario.
I sighed, knowing that I couldn't do that until I was free from my Familis.
I put out the candle on my table and lay back down on my bed.
Tomorrow is uncertain, but at least I can find comfort in that someone truly cares about me.
For some reason, that thought made me sleep well.
Guess what I was doing this afternoon.
Dying.
Seriously tho, my eyes hurt now and I have a test in an hour.
Funny ocurrence.
To Lotus! Uhm, yeah, Lili's skill could help her carry heavier weapons since her skill doesnt specify about the weight thing.
The thing is how would she handle them? The majority of the larger caliber weapons are about her own height, if not higher XD
Anyways, that question is answered by "attatchments".
Maybe replacing the stock and the barrel of a AR-15 for something more small would introduce her to the world of 5.56x45mm.
Although it would be funny to imagine Lili trying to carry a PKM and use it.
Anyways, hope you guys liked this episode.
Peace.
~ Moi