Dungeon Oratoria Online

by asdf1asdf1

DOO is the first game to be created in a long awaited category, a VRMMORPG. Follow Kirito and co as they seek to clear out the depths of the dungeon located beneath the city Orario. However, this game is no mere entertainment, it's a real world, where death in the dungeon means death for your body. The only way they can escape the game is to clear the bottom floor of the dungeon.

32. Chapter 29

Author's note:

Ello again and for the last time this summer! Obviously I had to end it on a cliffhanger so you don't run off and get bored :)

On a more serious note, this chapter is still ramping up for the next arc and therefore is a bit dry but has some fun interactions.

As always, enjoy and I'll catch you again in September.

-asdf

---

Chapter 29: The Clouds of War

Argo:

"You're the best one for this mission. No one will find you! Gah!"

Raging to myself, I repeated the words of my aggravating god. His eyes pleading as he stared up at me blubbering. Of course I had no option but to accept!

Immediately after though, he bounded to his winking at me confidently, the previous distress gone in an instant. With no more than a wave of good luck, he left, leaving me to do this most unpleasant task.

That left me, attempting not to shiver on top of a roof as I stared down at a side of Orario nightlife I had never wanted to visit. Despite the night and my invisibility, I left like any movement may be detected. I still didn't understand how Kirito had found me that one time.

Maybe I should find him and talk to him about…

Shaking my head I disperse the thoughts. They'd only interrupt with my observations. Observations I really wish I didn't have to make. The stories I'd read and representations I'd seen in movies and books really didn't do the real thing justice. But then again, I don't think anyone would have imagined this on such an enormous scale.

Looking to my left, I could barely make out the elegant spires of a tall building rising in the distance, some two or three blocks away. That was Belit Babbity, home of Ishtar familia and the center of Orario's pleasure district. From there, the area spread out in a circle for three or more blocks in some places.

Even as I took it in, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. The sea of adventurers that showed up at night and were met by scantily dressed women. Almost every single building within this area served as a brothel of some sort. Each one slightly different, catering to different tastes or cultures or whatever else it was that it took to draw customers.

Yet, despite all of this, I was supposed to find one person. A singular being that would render the package Hermes had useless if they weren't around. Whether the eventual plan was to kill or kidnap them, I didn't know. The only thing I did know was that I was hunting for a Renard. A member of the same race as me. A race blessed with sorcery.

Consigning myself to a long, dangerous night of attempting to evade Berbera while finding this person. Male or female, young or old, Hermes couldn't tell me. Only that they would belong to this stupid race that I'd gone and chosen for myself oh so long ago.

---

Hestia's Church:

"There you are!"

"We were worried sick for you, where did you go?"

"Hehe," Walking a little straighter at her children's words, Hestia flashed them all a giant thumbs-up. It was rare to see them all gathered in a single place. The table was surprisingly ful because of it. Kirito looking pensive as he sat at the head of the table, Yui perched on the arm of his chair, rubbing his back. On the other side sat Strea, lounging back in her chair, not looking particularly troubled by Hestia's absence. Beside her was Lili, someone Hestia hadn't expected to be fretting over her absence while Bell played with the hilt of his broken weapon. Across from the two of them were Leafa and Silica, chatting quietly as to not disturb the others.

Thinking back on it, Hestia probably should have told the two of them a more accurate time frame of when she would back. By the time the forging was complete, the night was through. Now, as she finally got in through the door, the sun was coming up.

"It just took a little longer than I thought it would…"

"So… You spent this whole time… Talking about weapons?" Bell asked curiously.

"Not quite," Hestia smirked. Ready to show them her worth as a goddess, Hestia dramatically reached behind her before whipping the new weapon out, sheath and all proudly on display. "Tada! A new weapon! I call it… The Hestia Knife!"

"Amazing Mama!" Yui cheered her on, Hestia's chest puffing up more and more.

"Hestia knife?" Kirito asked, "is there something special about it?"

"Hoho, wait until you see this!" Grinning at them all, Hestia withdrew the knife from its scabbard and set the Ἥφαιστος marked sheath aside. Under the dim light of magic lanterns, the jet-black blade glimmered softly with an almost unearthly presence. Holding out a finger, Hestia gently stabbed herself, her euphoria allowing her to ignore the pinprick of pain. As the ichor trailed down its edge, the center of the blade shone with a violet light.

"Whoa…"

"It looks so cool…"

"Hehe!" Preening under their compliments, Hestia knew that the work had been worth it for just this moment. Now, even when they went to the dungeon, it would be like Hestia was there with them, protecting them.

"G-Goddess…?" Came Kirito's hesitant voice.

"What is it?" Hestia smiled back, waiting for additional praise from her first member.

"I couldn't help but see the insignia… Uh… How much did this cost?"

"That's right!" Lili agrees instantly, her eyes going wide with horror. "This blade was clearly made by a high-ranking smith in the familia, this is going to cost a fortune!"

"Uhh… D-Don't worry about it!" Hestia insisted, albeit awkwardly. "H-Hephaestus and I worked it out. It's all taken care of!"

"Really?" Kirito asked suspiciously, working as a team with Lili to uncover the secrets behind the cost. "Liz was complaining about ore costs recently. Something about outside shipments not arriving, driving up the costs of dungeon ores."

"W-Well Hephaestus has connections, I'm sure!" Hestia tried to argue back, having been put on the back-foot. "A-And like I said, we worked it out!"

"Tell us what the deal was then," Lili frowned. "As a dungeon exploring familia, we need to know the amount we need to make so that we can plan which floors to hit and any beneficial quests. That's on top of an expedition we should plan for the end of this month to fulfill the guild's requirements there. We also have taxes coming up the month after that. Due to not having a full six months as a C-rank familia they will be reduced, but still hefty."

"Urgh." Beaten entirely by Lili's straight-forward speech about economics and the challenges ahead, Hestia slumped under the force of her gaze. The jovial mood was forgotten entirely as everyone, even Strea looked at Hestia with trepidation, waiting to hear the number they would have to make. Swallowing once to steel herself, Hestia opened her mouth and still found herself with no words. The money truly wasn't her children's problem, yet she knew that telling them that would only worry them further.

"It's really not a big deal," Bell broke in, saving Hestia. "We need weapons to fight monsters, right? The stronger the monster, the stronger the weapons we need!"

"E-Exactly!"

"So… What tier of weapon is it? Bearing the Hephaestus logo, and with its look… it has got to be at least tier three, right?"

"Umm…"

"Tier?"

Hestia relaxed a little as Kirito also didn't understand Bell's question. Thankfully, it seemed the boy had completely removed the focus from the price of the weapon.

"You don't know? High-class adventurers typically had three classifications for the best weapons. Tier one weapons were extremely powerful, capable of cutting through any monster. Tier twos were behind this in power, but typically had other properties. For example, durandal weapons, or weapons that couldn't break, fall into this category. Tier threes were again a bit weaker, but still quite expensive. These usually hovered around the four to ten million vali range. …I'm surprised you don't know this."

"…"

Glancing between the two boys, Hestia held her breath as they stared at each other. Neither of them looked angry or tense, yet there was a distinct tension in the air.

"I have a blacksmith that makes my gear for me." Kirito shrugged, leaning back in his chair first. "For that reason, I'll abstain from using the dagger. Also… I don't really want to learn a new fighting style."

"Same," Strea yawned, her usual excitement missing as she shrugged in almost a perfect replica of Kirito. "How are you supposed to bisect your foes with a knife?"

"It's really between Bell and Silica," Kirito agreed with a nod. "They're our only two knife users."

"Maybe I wanted it Onii-chan!"

"Ah, s-sorry! …Do you want it Leafa?"

"Nope!"

"Then what are you complaining for!?"

Breaking into laughter at the siblings' antics, the mood into the room lightened. Even though exhaustion was pressing on all of them, some brevity had returned. Kirito's pout, Leafa's teasing smile, the others' chuckles. It felt like a familia to Hestia. As they stood there smiling though, she realized that she hadn't told them the most important part, what made the knife special.

"Ah, before you decide who gets to use it, I have something else to tell you all." In broad strokes, Hestia outlined what Hephaestus had told her. That since it had some of Hestia's ichor in the knife, and her hieroglyphs were carved into it, the blade was for all intents and purposes, 'alive'. As it's user grew, so would the blade.

"T-That's…" Bell stuttered.

"Perfect!" Lili crowed with excitement jumping up to her feet. "Do you realize how much money we can save with these!? One weapon to last an adventurer's whole career!? It's unheard of!"

"U-Umm… W-well… Hephaestus swore to never make another one unless it is truly needed…"

"W-wait," Lili froze, "you mean Hephaestus herself forged this blade?"

"Yep!" Hestia nodded proudly. "She may not have any fancy abilities, but she's a great smith!"

"H-How much did that cost!?"

"A-Again with the cost?" Hestia protested weakly.

"T-This is a unique blade, isn't it?" Bell wavered slightly, his face white from shock. "B-But no… Something like this… It's easily over 100 million."

"Umm…" Muttering, Hestia couldn't help but notice as the entire familia stared at the small blade in her hands in horror. At a price tag that was simply beyond their comprehension. "L-Like I said, don't worry about the price! Hephaestus gave me a job to pay it off!"

"A job?" Lili asked suspiciously. "There are few jobs that can generate that amount of money quickly."

"I-In a human's lifespan," Hestia agreed with a small life.

"Did you really do this?" Kirito asked quietly, silencing everyone else. "You took on a job to pay to back a ridiculous sum. All for a weapon for us? …Thank you, goddess."

"You're welcome," Hestia beamed back. One by one all her children bowed their heads in respect. Even Yui had a solemn grace about her as she acknowledged the sacrifices Hestia had made for them.

"On the bright side!" Lili interrupted after a moment of silence, "it's not like first-tier weapon prices are entirely outside the realm of possibility for us. If our captain and his party keep improving rapidly, then by the time Udeaus falls again, we can be among the first familias to bring back deep floor drops!

"Hehe, just imagine the price mark-up as items forgotten about for a year re-enter the market…"

"L-Lili…" Bell protested the Prum's open greed weakly.

"A-Anyway!" Kirito spoke trying to steer the conversation to its finish, "we just need to decide who gets the knife…"

Instantly Hestia felt a divide in the room. She could see in both Bell's and the quiet Silica's eyes that they both wanted the pitch-black dagger. Bell needed a new weapon and Silica felt like despite recently leveling up she was still far behind the others. Likewise, Leafa and Lili had clear opinions based on their looks on who they thought deserved it.

"W-Well," Hestia swallowed, "I thought we would share it. Since it's a familia item, anyone who needs it or wants it can take a turn…"

"So, you want to… what? Set up a rotating schedule? Give it to someone if they are entering a new floor for the first time or something?" Kirito asked.

"Good idea, Papa!"

"Hehe, that's our captain!" Strea agreed with Yui, the two of them having no clear preferences for the weapon as far as Hestia could tell.

"That could work…" Lili admitted reluctantly. The look in her eye told a different story though. She clearly wanted Bell to have it for the extra insurance it would provide.

"N-No!" Silica protested with a shake of her head as she finally spoke up. "D-Don't worry about me. I can make do with what I have…"

"Are you sure?" Kirito pressed her. "Like Hestia said, It is a familia weapon, it may be good for all of us to get acquainted with it if it's our most powerful weapon."

"Y-Yes, of course! Besides B-Bell has no weapon right now!"

Waiting for a moment, no one spoke up against Silica's words. "Well, here you are then Bell! Good luck in the dungeon!"

"…Thank you, goddess. It means a lot to have you looking out for me."

"Hehe!" Giggling, Hestia couldn't stop herself from ruffling Bell's hair. The white strands were unbelievably soft. It was easy for her to imagine that it was a rabbit's fur she was petting.

"Hmm… Carry me to bed Papa?"

Broken out of her thoughts, Hestia looked up to Yui resting heavily against Kirito, her eyes staying open for a second only to gradually slide closed. After a second, they snap back open and repeat the process. Smiling at the cute scene, Hestia caught Kirito's eye and shared a secret glance with him.

"Of course, Yui. It's been a long day."

"Hmmm… Technically the day started five hours thirty-six minutes and forty-two seconds ago."

"…What?"

Everyone looked at the girl in the state of falling asleep in confusion. Quickly, Hestia turned her gaze to the wall-mounted magic stone clock. As she watched, the minute hand ticked over, changing the time from 5:36, to 5:37. It didn't display seconds, nor did she think Yui was staring at it. Yet Hestia instinctively felt the truth from the girl. Yui had been absolutely certain of the time as she spoke.

Into that uncertain atmosphere, the familia broke up to go their separate ways. Hestia watched as Kirito walked off, bearing a sleeping Yui in his arms, no explanation offered for her strange knowledge. Ripping her gaze away from the adorable sight, Hestia sheathed the dagger and slid it over to Bell.

As he examined it in awe, Hestia felt the exhaustion return. While conversation had chased it away for awhile, it now returned stronger than ever. With a half-hearted wave, Hestia departed up the stairs to find a bed. She'd need her strength for her new job tomorrow.

---

Silica:

"Urgh… How are you not tired? We barely got any sleep…"

Ignoring Leafa, Silica kept pacing quickly along the paved path, Babel growing increasingly larger in her eyes as she made a beeline for the structure.

"If you wanted the dagger, why didn't you say so?"

The question was too much for Silica as she exploded back. "Because I did what I was taught to do! Politely refuse all offers and only accept when they insist again!"

"Ah, sorry…" Leafa mumbled back somewhat embarrassed that she hadn't picked up on it. "L-Look, why don't we just return and tell Bell that you changed your mind? Then the two of you can share!"

"No." Silica shot down. "It's over alright? I need to focus on getting stronger with what I have…"

"Don't get sassy with me," Leafa bit back. "I was just trying to help."

"…I know," Silica sighed deeply, Rubbing at her tired eyes. "I'm just… frustrated. Everyone else has all of these cool abilities and you're all so strong… and I'm… forgettable."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Silica blushed deeply. Averting her gaze from Leafa, Silica wriggled in embarrassment. She didn't know why she had said that. Silica blamed it on a mixture of her anger and exhaustion from staying up all night.

"Silica… I umm… I want you to know… I don't think of you that way. You saved my life against that man on the tenth floor. And you've done so much more as well."

Taking a quick glance back at Leafa, Silica was surprised to see an answering tinge of embarrassment touching her cheeks. The words had been delivered so eloquently Silica hadn't expected her to be embarrassed as well.

"…Thank you."

"…But?" Leafa asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't change the fact that despite claiming I wanted to get strong enough to stand at Kirito's side… I've done nothing to make that a reality."

"W-What do you mean? That week before we went to the eighteenth floor you were in the dungeon more than anyone!" Leafa protested. "I want to catch up to him as well, and I'll admit it does feel disheartening to have him hit level three just as we hit level two… but we can't rush improvement."

"Grr…" The truth in Leafa's words stung. For a long moment they walked in silence as Silica tried to process the conversation. "Yet… doesn't Bell seem to ignore that logic? Did you hear his explanation of where Hestia went? Broke his dagger against a killer ant apparently."

"Yeah, I heard." Leafa answered with a puzzled look. Struggling with the same impossibility that Silica was.

"That's faster than even you, yeah? And you beat Kirito's time to level up."

"You were with me the whole time." Leafa answered honestly. "Floor seven in a week… Even for us from the other world that sounds suicidal. But for an adventurer from here…" Leafa paused as she shook her head in disbelief. "It's completely impossible from everything I know. The previous record before Kirito shattered it was a year. Even on that pace… would Bell even have a single stat in H?"

Silica simply nodded in agreement. Everything Leafa had said was something she had considered while musing the night away. "Hestia didn't say as much… but I got the impression she got the weapon for him."

"…I'd say you're overthinking it," Leafa sighed, "but it does make a lot of sense. If Bell really is growing faster than us somehow, then he would need a weapon that grows with him more than we do."

Once again in response to Leafa's well laid out thoughts, Silica found her left with nothing to say. Instead, she pulled out her own short sword and stared it. While she got it sharpened at the guild almost daily, the blade was almost spent. Silica had received it as a present with the money left behind from Lili before she went on her adventurer and came back with Bell. The blade had seen her through her endeavours against the rare beast on the tenth floor and the subsequent journey to the sixteenth.

Now though, Silica could feel it in each swing she took. She was outgrowing it. No, she already had. The blade was holding her back. It didn't have enough power to cut through middle floor monsters effectively. While her magic could offset some of the problems, it wasn't the same.

Ching!

Glancing to the side at the sound, Silica noticed Leafa staring at her own blade. While the long katana was certainly beautiful, it was beaten even more than Silica's weapon. Silica had no doubt that Leafa was in almost the exact same position she was. Left with an old rundown blade and only magic could propel is far enough to accomplish their needs.

"How much do you think it would cost to get one of those indestructible weapons Bell mentioned?" Leafa scoffed, shaking her head at the blade for another second before ramming it back into its sheath.

"More than we have, that's for sure," Silica tagged on, sighing heavily. "It's so stupid that Hephaestus won't make any more of those blades. How are we supposed to catch up when we need to continuously replace our weapons?"

"Seriously. I wonder how Kirito…"

"…That's it!"

The girls' eyes lit up at the same time as they shared a smile. ""Liz!""

Abandoning their previous course to the dungeon, the two girls set off for the nearest Hephaestus store they could find. Firmly fixed in both of their minds was the brown-haired girl they had encountered on two different occasions at this point. Most recently though, she had eaten supper with them one time. During it, she had looked extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed the entire time, barely saying anything.

Immediately after, however, that image faded and was replaced by another. Leafa wielding the blade that girl had forged against the monsters of the eighteenth floor. How it had even managed to stagger a floor boss. The girl had not struck them as their ideal of a 'blacksmith', but if she had made Kirito's sword and the magic dagger that Leafa had used to save everyone, then they were willing to trust her.

"Excuse me," Silica asked the clerk at the first store they came across. "Do you know where a smith named Lisbeth is?"

"Lisbeth huh?" The clerk grunted. With a large sigh, the man produced an impressive register from behind the counter and placed it on the countertop with a gigantic thud, dust rising in a cloud around the three of them.

With laborious actions, the clerk thumbed through the giant book. Growing impatient, Silica shuffled in place, unsure what the man was even doing. "Umm… Are you…"

"Nothing in our shop."

"…What?"

"We sell none of Lisbeth's works here. It seems like there are some in Babel six and Babel seven."

"O-Ohh…" Silica stuttered in response, caught off guard by the information. "W-We wanted to find Lisbeth herself… Not her stuff."

"…"

"…"

"Tell me that before I scan through the damn book! Customers think they can just order us around…"

"W-We're very sorry," Leafa apologized for Silica, bowing slightly. "But umm… do you know where she is?"

"Guh, I've heard the name before. She shares a forge with a bunch of other familia members in the west north-west sector. Near the industrial area. Now, are you shopping for something?"

"N-No," Silica stuttered. "Thank you for your time!"

Bowing deeply as a pair, they exited the store. Chased out by the glare of the lone attendant. Finding their way back onto a main street, Silica and Leafa set out toward their original destination, Babel. It was the fastest way they knew of how to get from North main to North-West main.

"I just realized…" Leafa mused. "What are we actually going to say to her?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Silica smiled back, "we're going to ask her to make new weapons for us!"

"Will it really be that easy?" Leafa muttered.

Ignoring her friend, Silica led them further and faster toward their destination. After turning onto north-main, it was easy enough to find the forges. All she had to do was follow the plume of smoke. Standing outside the dilapidated building, Silica got cold feet. The noises coming from inside were suddenly very loud and authentic. Deep booming voices, the clanging of hammers, and an aroma of steel hung in the air.

"Are… Are you going in?" Leafa asked. "I don't want to waste an entire day…"

"Y-Yes of course!" Silica declared marching through the open door before her nerve left her. Inside was a whole new world, one totally different from any she had experienced up until now. Gaping at the various furnaces and anvils, Silica plodded through them with a wondering look on her face. Each and every person was completely focused on the task at hand. Be that forging, sharpening, or a dozen other tasks around their work area.

"I don't see her…" Leafa murmured, keeping her voice low.

Nodding in agreement, Silica bit her lip in consternation. "Is it possible that we have the wrong building? Maybe there are other Hephaestus forges around here…"

"May as well ask…"

Flagging down one of the workers at the front with a tentative gesture, Silica hesitated under the woman's sharp gaze. It was clear that the heavyset dwarf didn't want to be disturbed.

"I-I well…"

"We're looking for Lisbeth," Leafa aided her, directing the conversation to herself.

"You're in the right place…" The dwarf rumbled back. "However… she hasn't been here in a couple of days. Used to alternate between the dungeon and here with hardly a break. Haven't heard anything from Hephaestus so she's probably on hiatus or something."

"Well… What now?" Leafa asked dejected. "We have no blacksmith."

"Yeah…" Silica sighed in agreement, head bowing in disappointment. "I'd say we should look for her but…"

Silica's words were cut off as a figure dashed through the open door. Their pace drawing attention of the smiths. Gaping in awe, the girls couldn't believe their luck as Lisbeth rushed up to them, and then kept on going straight past.

Sharing a quick glance, the girls rushed after her further into the warehouse. "L-Lisbeth!"

"Wait up!"

"Huh?" Finally grinding to a stop at an abandoned workstation, Lisbeth turned to stare at the girls. After a second it turned into a suspicious glare. "Kirito better not have sent you with some stupid request that's going to take me forever to complete…"

"N-Nothing of the sort," Leafa assured the girl.

"T-That's right!" Silica chimed in, slightly off put at the girl's negative reaction to their presence. "We wanted you to make weapons for us!"

"No."

""HUH!?"" Stunned by the absolute rejection Silica and Leafa could only stare helplessly as the blacksmith turned back to her workstation.

---

Kirito:

"Thank you…"

"It's a pleasure as always…"

Giving an awkward smile, I waved and left guild headquarters. The last hour had been an ordeal of extreme awkwardness. The atmosphere between Eina and I had shifted entirely. It wasn't as if I didn't know why either, she couldn't accept my harem.

I could see it her every gesture and sentence. How she tried to treat me the same as before, but couldn't quite manage it. The relationship between us had changed, and I knew now it would never go back to the way it was before. Our relationship had been closer than adventurer and advisor, I had felt comfortable coming to Eina with my problems. Consulting with her about special abilities and my issues. Now though, I doubt I would be able to. The air in the consultation room was awkward even when focused on matters that required a member of the guild.

My head was now swirling with all the different conditions and regulations surrounding a formal expedition and the requirements set out around the successful completion of one. We had three different options. The first, go to a floor that our familia has never explored, in this case, the nineteenth. The second, map out an edge of an unfinished floor. Since every floor on the eighteenth and up were mapped out in their entirety, that wasn't an option for us yet. The last was also not really an option, defeat a remarkable monster. While the definition of 'remarkable monster' was extremely vague, it seemed to refer to all floor bosses and some nastier irregulars. Anything that a small group of adventurers would struggle to subdue.

Really then, we were left with only one option, our first foray into the colossal tree labyrinth. Encompassing the nineteenth to twenty-fourth floors, the nerd part of me was drooling in excitement at the prospect of witnessing it already. Apparently, the giant tree in the center of eighteenth floor was the top of the beast whose trunk stretched through the entire section of floors. Unlike the cave designs I'm used to; the tree labyrinth is far more open. High vaulting roofs of at least twenty metres or more created an open feeling with the path meandering in winding loops across massive distances. The scale of the floors were incomparable to the higher ones. Eina had put it into perspective for me. For high tier familias, they typically take about four to five hours to reach the eighteenth floor when dragging carts with them. Clearing the next six floors takes at least an hour longer. What's worse is that the floors only increase in size from there.

With my mind hundreds of metres below the surface, I walked along north main not really seeing anything. Even though I knew it would be at least a couple of weeks until we could prepare a proper expedition, the thought already excited me. New monsters, new floors, all wrapped up in one exciting new adventure.

I only half felt the excited smile stretch my lips as I staggered unseeingly along. This was an opportunity I never would have gotten back in my old world. Rather than being trapped here… I felt blessed. No longer was I another average student, destined to waste my life sitting at a boring office job. Here I was someone. I got to experience amazing adventures. Everything my naïve mind had dreamt of while I was growing up.

It was a similar feeling to when I would finish a tutorial for a game I was excited for. In a way, that's all I had done. Back in the beta test, I had gotten to the seventeenth floor and failed. Here, I had finally cleared the content that I was prepared for. Past this, every single experience would new and fresh. The expedition could not come soon enough.

"That's a pretty scary look you got on your face, Kii-bou."

"Ahh!" Stumbling backward, my level three status did nothing to save me as I fell awkwardly into the side of a nearby building, my head slamming painfully against the stone side. "A-Argo!?"

A sniff was all the answer I needed to that question. "Based on the rumours I hear about you; I would have thought you had developed a more elegant bearing than this."

"Haha… Sorry," I apologize with an awkward half-smile. With my thoughts firmly back on the surface, I peel myself off the ground and take a good look at Argo. Blinking, I wonder for a moment if this is truly the girl I used to adventure with. She's wearing a matching set of black pants and shirt. There's even a cloak slung over her shoulders with the hood pulled down. "Whoa, you're wearing more black than me…"

"Shut it, Kii-bou," she snaps back. "Black is helpful when you're out at night."

"Out at night?" I repeated stupidly, taking a closer look at her face. There are bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. The eyes themselves are bloodshot like she has been staring intently the whole time.

"Yes. Some of our deities don't tuck us into bed at night and sing us lullabies."

"O-Oh… Umm, sorry?"

"What are you apologizing for!? If you want to make it up to me, the least you could do is buy me something!"

"I-I'll do just that…" blown away by the ferocity of Argo's words, I was just glad that her anger didn't seem to be directly focused at me. I was merely the person that happened to be here to receive it. "Is something… you know…"

"You know…?"

"…The matter?" I finish weakly as I find Argo a nice spot under a parasol. I don't know what they serve here, but I gesture at a nearby waitress to bring us drinks.

"The matter? No, of course nothing is the matter! Haha, I mean… Why would something be the matter! It's not all of these bloody deities that walk around with their heads in the clouds, controlling us like mere pawns in their games! No, of course everything is fine."

"Uhh…"

"I mean… What on earth could possibly go wrong if I don't find one stupid Renard?!"

"Renard?" I repeat weakly. As I do, Argo finally freezes up. Her angry exhausted expression morphing into embarrassment.

"Uh… Can you do me a favour and just forget you heard that?"

Tilting my head, I hold off my words as the glasses arrive. Placed on the table by a pretty elven waitress, I struggle not to watch her as she saunters away and look instead at what's been delivered. The glasses contain only water, but they're filled with pure shimmering cubes of ice and a slice of lemon on top. With summer fully arriving in Orario, I hadn't realized how much I'd missed cold drinks. Taking a sip, I find the pure water instantly hits the spot. "Ahh…"

"Seriously?" Argo scoffed. "What about water could… Ohh…"

"Haha," I laugh at her. "I think you owe me an apology now."

"Yeah," Argo admits, a slightly guilty expression on her face as she calmed down. "I was rude to you. Thanks for not abandoning me."

"Of course not," I assure with a smile. "We're friends after all, right?"

"Urgh, I get now how you pulled it off…"

"…What was that?"

"Nothing. Thank you and… just forget everything I said." Downing the rest of her drink, Argo stood up to leave.

"Wait." Sticking out my hand, I grab her sleeve. The fabric is slightly moist in my hand, proof of how hot it must be for Argo to walk around in the noon day sun in this attire. "I know we aren't in the same familia… but I still want to help."

"Kii-bou… Don't do this. You don't know what you're getting into."

"I'm trying to help my friend." I stare at her, trying to convey my determination. "That's all I need to know to want to help."

Slowly, Argo returns to her chair, fidgeting under my gaze. "I… Well I've been tasked with finding someone."

Tilting my head, I frown at the strange statement. "Who?"

"I don't know who they are, could be a man or woman, young or old, the only thing I do know…"

"Is that they are a Renard," I finish, piecing together her earlier words.

"Precisely."

Leaning back, I take a long sip of my water. The refreshing drink helps to clear my head and focus my thoughts. "Hmm… Do you know a familia?"

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

"…Well?"

"I can't tell you."

"O-Okay…" I stutter. Chalking it up to be some client confidentiality thing, I try and move on. "While it will be hard for me to help you search without knowing the familia… The guild does keep a record of every familia member. If you get permission, you can view the name of every adventurer recorded in said familia."

"Won't help." Argo denies me. "They'll be a non-combatant."

"Huh?" Taking a long hard look at the strange girl across from me, I can't make heads or tails of the situation. "It would be a lot easier to help if you told me what was going on…"

"…Sorry Kii-bou, I can't do that. …Not to you."

Maybe it was the increased status, but I knew Argo hadn't meant for me to hear those final words. There was a sad look in her eyes. Like she wanted to tell me but was too scared to do so.

"What if…"

Pausing my thoughts take a moment to come together. Under Argo's quizzical look, I try again.

"If your familia is struggling with this… Why not make it quest? Then I can officially help you."

"You don't understand," Argo sighs. "It's not that I don't want help, I don't want your help."

"O-Ohh…" Scratching my head, I feel extremely stupid. I don't know how I had confused signals this much. Argo had talked to me first and seemed generally appreciative. "I umm… I guess I'll leave then?"

"Wait, no. Sorry… That came out badly." Collapsing to the table, Argo's eyes shone with guilt. "I didn't… It's just…"

"Argo…?"

"The person is in the pleasure district Kii-bou. I just… don't want you going there."

"The pleasure district?" Rolling the unfamiliar words over my tongue, I'm shocked by how red Argo's face is. The usually unflappable, taunting girl is on the verge of a breakdown.

"Y-Yes… It's umm, well… God never mind, forget I said anything."

"Argo," I sigh at the girl, "do you want my help or not? Whatever this place is, I'm sure I can take it."

"…You're right." Argo agrees, taking a deep breath. Following that up with a drink of my water, she looks almost composed when she stares at me again. "It's a giant section of the city just off of South-West main. Essentially… The whole place is a brothel."

"A b-brothel!?" Stunned, I gape at the girl. Slowly my cheeks heat as I think about the place. "B-But… Umm…" Unable to form a coherent thought, all I can do is sit in place.

"Tsk. This is why I didn't want your help! It's going to give you ideas you shouldn't have!" Argo pouts as she glares daggers at me.

She's really cute when she's angry.

Jerked back into mobility by the random thought passing through my head, I'm at least able to function again. "S-So this Renard umm… works there? T-They would be a girl then, right?"

"Don't you know anything Kii-bou?" Argo sighs for the umpteenth time, the anger slowly leaving her face. "People are fucking weird. They use the pleasure district to fulfill all of the strange fantasies that they can."

Blushing deeply, I have no response. It's a struggle to stop my imagination from creating images of what fantasies Argo may be referring to. "So… I just have to go there and find a Renard?"

"Exactly," Argo nods sharply. "As much as it pains me to admit, you'll be able to move around much more easily in there than I can. I have to stay on the rooftops out of sight. You can mingle with the crowd and stare at the line-ups."

"S-Stare at the line-ups…" Repeating numbly after Argo my whole body felt hot with a strange nervous heat. I was intently aware of everything. The cotton of the casual shirt I was wearing scratching at my neck. The slight unevenness of my chair forcing me to sit at a slight slant. The list went on and on as I continued to shift.

"I know you like staring at girls Kii-bou… but for the life of me if you get distracted and actually buy one of them… I will tell your girls."

"I-I would never!"

"Uh huh. That was a solid nat 1 on the persuasion check."

Wincing under Argo's criticism, I forced myself to do some soul searching. Would I actually do what she'd suggesting? Knowing how badly I'd hurt the people I love? "Argo, I would never spend the night with a random girl." Staring her down, Argo eventually nods in approval.

"Willingly anyway. Do your best to avoid any amazons that you see wandering the streets, alright?"

"Didn't you hear?" I smirk back at her. "I hit level three now. I think I'm fine."

"…Whatever, it's your head. Ten o'clock, meet me at central park, there's a circular fountain in the South-west quadrant we can meet."

Nodding back, I finish off my water with one final swig.

"Also, Kii-bou… If you actually pull this off for me, who knows, maybe I'll ask to join as well."

"A-Argo." Calling out her name, the girl is already gone with one last teasing wink left behind. Feeling my pounding heart, I take another swig of water to cool off only to remember I'd just finished it.

"Another one, sir?"

"No thanks, just the tab."

"That comes to 2,000 valis."

"2-2000 valis!?" Blanching in disbelieve, I look around in horror at what I realize now is apparently a first-class café. Groaning in disbelief I reluctantly extract the money. "You owe me Argo." Muttering at the absent girl, I set off home. I'd like to get a nap before I take on what's sure to be a long night.

---

Lisbeth:

Gathering the materials I need, I can feel the two disbelieving gazes burning into my back. While I felt a little guilty, I was busy. There was no way I could make weapons for people right now. That was even including the assumption that they would be paying for those weapons. Which wasn't the impression I had from the wording.

"L-Lisbeth!" Leafa spoke, "how could you…?"

"Say no?" I finish for her. "Easily." Standing up I turn around to face the two of them. "I'm currently trying to improve my forging abilities, meaning that my entire day is spent practicing. Beyond that, I'm guessing you came to me under the assumption of getting a discount."

"D-Don't you make Kirito weapons for free!?" Silica pled, staring at me with large brown eyes. While the pig-tailed girl was undeniably cute, I only felt anger rising within me.

"I make Kirito's weapons for free because he is an investment. The only other person I have a contract with doesn't even get her weapons for free. She pays, with real valis."

"Please! We really need new weapons and…"

"No!" Cutting off her explanation I glare at both of them. "How dare you come in here and disrespect me like this!? How would you feel if I came to the two of you asking for hundreds of thousands of valis and a full day of work!?"

Blowing past their stunned forms, I made for the entrance. A hammer in my right and a bag of ore slung over my left shoulder. I was already late to return since I stopped for lunch before coming here. Welf was going to upset, lecture me about not really caring.

Yet, I found Welf's anger to be the less of the two pressing issues on my mind. All I could focus on was wondering if they really knew what they were asking for. How expensive high-quality weapons are. Even if they didn't… I felt… dirtied.

For the first time, I felt like I understood Welf a bit more. Was this how he felt when people came to him asking for magic swords? Like his skill and dedication were being completely neglected in favor of an ability he didn't earn?

"At least they offer to pay him…"

Muttering, the distance between our forges disappears in no time due to my angry gait. Slowing briefly, I pry the door open and step into the stifling heat once more. Although this is only the second day of my training, the forge here already feels natural to come back to. The quiet, the peacefulness inherit in its privacy is blissful. One day soon, I hope I can get my own private forge.

"Yo, back so soon. I was hoping to finish this before you got back."

"Soon?" I ask in confusion to Welf's voice who I'd missed hunched over the forge. "Aren't I late?"

"What are you talking about? I thought you'd be another hour getting your stuff."

"Oh…" Blinking slowly, I feel a little stupid, wondering how I'd confused the times so badly. "Well I guess I was kind of chased back here a little sooner than I would have been."

"Want to talk about it?"

When Welf was forging it was so easy to forget my issues with him. His goofy smile reminded me of a big brother that I never had. Of the bond we shared before I as well turned my back on him.

"You know the boy I have a contract with?" I find myself speaking as I settle in to watch Welf work.

"Yeah, Kirito, right? Based on the way Klein speaks about him, you would think he shits rainbows."

"Well, graphic imagery aside, yes, him."

"What he do?" Welf asked as he began working on his forgery. It looked like a knife to me, but he was beating the metal so thin it would snap on first contact with another weapon.

"He did nothing. It was some of his familia members that tracked me down… What are you making?"

"Throwing knifes," Welf grunted in reply. "First time trying. I got a couple Al-miraj horns and was curious."

"Oh, does the drop weapon improve weight and weapon balance?" I ask curiously.

"Something like that," Welf shoots me a quick smile before focusing on his work again. "I'm going for light and quick throws. It won't have the weight or thickness to punch through armour but throwing knifes are shit at that anyway."

Nodding in agreement, I found myself fascinated by how clear Welf's strokes were even when he was talking. His arm moved perfectly, each hit applying the exact same amount of force. It was a little awe-inspiring and more than a little intimidating.

"So, what did these friends of his do?"

"They wanted weapons," I summarize bluntly.

"For free? Tch, damn adventurers. They see smiths as nothing more than their own personal weapon vendor."

"…That's not true." I deny softly. "Kirito has always treated me well."

Welf grunted in admission of my point. "You're right, Klein's a great guy. But two out of thousands isn't exactly inspiring."

"You have a point there… I just… It hurt to realize that they saw me as nothing more than a tool to get better gear." Admitting my feelings to Welf, I finally bow my head, looking away from his technique.

"I may know better than anyone how that feels," Welf chuckles slightly.

Answering him with a forced chuckle, a slight smile touches my lips as he confirms my thoughts from earlier. "I thought you may. It's no wonder you blow up on people so quickly."

"Haha, so now that you understand, I think you owe me an apology!"

"I would… but I still think you should make magic swords for people that are willing to pay a fair price and need them." I fire right back.

"Grr… I guess I have to admit, I've never had someone ask me for free gear before because we share a friend."

As words die between us, I'm a little more at ease. It's not like I don't understand the girls' position. And I know that Kirito would be devastated if something happened to them… but I can't do it. There's something inside me, pride maybe, that refuses to give away my skills for free. Even with Kirito, I get something in return. The combat experience and tips alone were more than enough to make up for the equipment I've given him. Combined with the exposure of making his gear, our deal has worked out extremely well for me.

"Well that's the first three. Let's get you in front of the forge now, yeah?"

"Huh?" Snapping to attention, I wondered how long I spent lost in my thoughts. Klein, true to his word, had already made and was quenching three of the throwing daggers. They didn't have a hilt attached yet, but the hard part was done now. As Klein set them to the side, I moved somewhat nervously to the forge. My previous attempts to met Klein's standards had all ended in failure.

"So, you have some metal choices, what are you going to forge, and with what metal?"

Biting my lip, I look through the selection of what I'd brought. It ranged in quality from as low as iron, all the way up to an ingot of Noh Steel from the dungeon's twenty-third floor. Going between them, I select a metal called blue steel. Called that due to its coloring, it was actually a diluted form of mithril. While the second-tier metal is usually used in its pure state due to its ability to conduct magic, it still makes everything that it is in lighter. Unrefined Blue steel sometimes drops from the dungeon, but most of it is usually imported, just like mithril.

"Hmm, that's actually what I'm using in these throwing knives. What are you making?"

"Throwing picks." I decide on the spot. I'm not sure how often Kirito still uses them. But the ones he originally had must be running out by now. Either way, it will be good practice for in forging something I haven't done before.

Welf raises a questioning eyebrow but doesn't stop me. "In that case, here. Take an Al-miraj horn. The combination should produce good long-range weapons."

Nodding my understanding, I begin the process. Sticking the metal in the forge, I leave the horn out for now. It will melt quicker than the metal, and I don't need the entire ingot.

Once it reaches the correct temperature, just soft enough to cut in half, I do exactly that. Setting the unused portion aside, I allow it cool normally back down. It shouldn't weaken the metal any when I use it next time. Leaving the other side in the forge, I measure the elasticity of the metal with a careful eye. Dictated by little more than colour and gut impression, I carefully begin my work. Lengthening the half an ingot, I start flattening it out. Once I'm satisfied with my creation, I grab the horn and press it into the middle of the thin sheet. Carefully wrapping the soft metal around the horn, I stick it back into the forge.

"Interesting decision on how to utilize the drop item…"

"You would have done it differently?" I ask Welf curiously. In order to learn everything I can from him, I'm willing to look stupid.

"Yeah. The horn is already kind of like a pick, right? I'd have divided the horn into the number of sections that I want, then apply a strip of liquid metal to it. Heating that up then shaping it."

"…Thank you for your advice." Nodding along with his words, I can understand what he means. However, I'm too far along to try something like that now. In short order, the horn has melted inside its casing of metal.

Retrieving it, I begin the process of splitting it into sections. First in half, I have no idea how many throwing picks I'll have to make to go through all of the material I used. Setting aside one half, I begin breaking up the second. As I do, I realize how small each sliver is going to have to be to form a proper pick. Raising my forging hammer, I begin to pound on of them. Making sure the metal curved down into a point at the front, its length was smooth and flawless. The back opened up into a small grip that would be used to throw it. Giving it an appraising eye, I set it aside and move onto the next one.

A long time passes in silence. The only constants are the slamming of metal on metal as I infuse the picks with my advanced ability forge, taking their power and strength beyond what an average person could. The pile steadily grew larger and larger. The dimensions of the picks consistent under my watchful eye. After a few of them, I stopped worrying as much. The strokes and process were fairly easy.

"That was well forged."

Thank you…" I reply, wiping my brow as the last bit of metal is discarded, not enough left to form a final pick. Exhausted, I flash Welf an excited smile. That was the most complimentary he's been of me so far.

"Go home and get some rest. I want to finish my throwing knives. Tomorrow… you'll forge a magic blade."

"R-Really!?" I squeak with excitement. "You'll actually show me!?"

"That was the deal, wasn't it?" Welf sighs, as if he still doesn't understand why he agreed to this. "You wanted to learn how to forge better magic swords to protect the people you care about. If you want magic swords, I'll show you magic swords."

"…Thank you." Bowing deeply, I left for the day. I could feel it, I was getting better. There was still a long road in front of me, but for now, all I can do is continue making progress.

---

Silica:

"Well that sucked. Why was she so mean to us!?"

"Silica…" Leafa winced.

"…We were pretty disrespectful, weren't we?" I sigh, sitting down heavily on the departed smith's stool.

"We?" Leafa protests, "you're the one that asked for free weapons!"

"Well we can't exactly pay for them, can we!?" I shoot back. Based on Leafa's expression, she's feeling as guilty as I am.

"So, what do we do?" The girl asks.

Surprised by the question, I'm unsure how to respond. I'm always the one following her around. Leafa's the party leader, not me. This was a one-time exception where my anger and exhaustion led me into this humbling scenario.

"Why are you…"

"Hey, you two. We heard Liz kick you out, so scram."

"Huh?" Words cut off; I look up at a group of three people. Blacksmiths from nearby workstations that are glaring at us. "W-We were just…"

"Leaving." Leafa completes. Stepping in once again when I'm not up to the task. "If you see Lisbeth, can you tell her we're sorry? We didn't mean to…"

Leafa as well was cut off by a loud snort from the central man. The muscles in his forearms bulging. "Adventurers."

Saying it like it was a swear word, the man left his two companions following him. Nonetheless, they only went a short way, keeping an eye on us to make sure we left.

"Let's go." Leafa commands.

"…Yes." Following weakly along, I feel horrible. I can't get over Lisbeth's expressions and words. How succinctly she had summarized the monumental effort and money I had casually asked for. "Hey Leafa?"

"What is it?"

"I want to apologize to her."

"Me too."

"We'll need to enter full-on money generation mode," I warn Leafa. "Especially with Lili running financials and trying to cut back everything."

"Yeah," she winces in agreement. "I was actually wondering if we would make more money with a supporter."

"But who? I mean… I don't want to do it, and I doubt you are either. Maybe Yuna would do it, but I get the feeling she won't."

"Honestly…" Leafa replied slowly, "I was thinking about Yui."

"Y-Yui!?" I scream back at her. "B-But she's like ten! Does she even have a status!? How can you consider bringing her along!?"

Leafa hesitates slightly, but she doesn't back down. "I actually overheard Hestia and Kirito talking about her one day. Yui's status is pretty decent somehow. Also, she has a skill that protects her from monsters."

"I guess I can't exactly say that little girls have no place in the dungeon…" Grumbling about it, I'm still not wholly convinced. "Are we sure she'll be able to do it though? Even if we use her as nothing more than extra baggage, she may still panic and run at the sight of monsters."

"It is a risk," Leafa agrees, but I can tell her mind is already made up. "But I had a conversation with her earlier. She's getting really bored just sitting at home doing nothing. I think she'd jump at the chance to become a supporter."

"Hmm… I mean… the decision is up to her." While I do feel protective of the cute girl who has fit in the role of Kirito's child extremely quickly, I also know exactly how it feels to have your decisions ripped away from you. When adults decide to 'protect' you, not letting you do what you want. "What if she'd rather go with Kirito?"

Leafa frowns before confidently nodding. "If that's her decision, we'll just have to prioritize catching up with Kirito's party and proving that it is more beneficial for us to work together."

"Hehe," giggling slightly, I feel some of the guilt leave me now that we have a plan forward. "It sounds like you want Yui to join Kirito so that we have an excuse to come as well."

"O-Of course not! I-I was just saying that we need a supporter. If that requires getting strong enough to adventure with Onii-chan… well…"

"Sure sure… No other reason, huh?"

"Like you're one to talk!" Leafa pouts back at me. "You'll probably pretend to strain your ankle and then request for him to carry you!"

How does she know!?

"I-I would do no such thing!"

"Riiight."

"Grr…" Pouting slightly, I turn my head away, unable to bear the sight of Leafa's teasing smile any longer. Looking down an alleyway, a flash of black crosses my vision. Finding it again, I freeze in surprise. "Kirito?"

"Huh?" Having kept walking without me, Leafa eventually stops and comes back. "What's up?"

"It's Kirito." Pointing him out, I grow surer of the fact. Not one else could manage to walk through such a crowded street not seeing anything. His black eyes were completely glazed over.

"Onii-chan!"

Left behind by Leafa bounding ahead, I growl and try to catch up. "Kirito!"

"Huh?" Stopping, the boy turns to look at us. Blinking slowly, he eventually rubs his eyes. "W-What are you two doing here?"

Sharing a frown with Leafa, I don't understand the stutter in his voice. "Is… Something wrong?"

"W-Wrong!? W-Why would something be wrong. I am simply heading back home to take a nap after visiting the guild."

"Onii-chan?"

"T-That's right! I saw my advisor and am going to take a long, but not suspiciously long, nap."

Left speechless, I look at Leafa in surprise. It reminded me of the night on the eighteenth floor. To anyone with a half a brain it was obvious what happened between Kirito and Asuna when they finally slipped back into the camp in the early hours of morning. Kirito was hiding something… poorly.

"Do you… Umm… Need help with anything?"

"H-Help!?" Kirito squeaked, fidgeting badly under our gazes, "I-I am level three! If anything, you need my help!"

"As far as I know, levelling up doesn't make you any smarter," Leafa bit back, the heat in her voice making me feel almost sorry for the wilting Kirito. "Unless it does, you still need a lot of help."

"Uff, Leafa," Kirito whined, "you should show more respect for your older brother…"

"Nope!"

Leafa denied him, moving forward all the while. Grabbing one of Kirito's arms, she held it next to her body, smushing it between the curves of her body that were visible without her armour hiding them. Curves that were developing far too fast for my tastes. Looking down at my body, I couldn't help but wince. Despite only wearing a cotton t-shirt in the heat, there was no definition to speak of. My body hadn't changed at all during my time in this world. I was pretty sure Leafa was only a little bigger than me when we joined Hestia familia together. Like in all other things, she was far outstripping me.

"If I hid my opinion of you… I couldn't do this…"

Glowering at them from beneath my bangs, I was shocked at Leafa's bold move. Even if the kiss was a quick one, it was completely public. PDA to the max!

Yet, none of the passers-by really seemed to care. Thinking about it, it seemed like the people here were far more used to seeing contact out in their daily lives. Part of that seemed to be from the deities that roamed the city looking for fun. Their low morals corrupting the people here.

But I never expected Leafa to become one of them!

"Well, let's go home together then!"

"Y-Yes…"

Following along behind them, I felt like a third wheel. If I tried to do what Leafa had done… No, I can't! Caught in a torrent of strange emotions, I forgot completely about Kirito's strange behaviour. Leafa's even stranger actions had driven them from my mind quickly enough.

"Sooo, Onii-chan, are you going to tell us what happened? Did the guild give you really bad news?"

"T-The guild?" Kirito asked, still in a kiss-induced stupor. "Uhh, yes! You are exactly correct! I have learned the details required for the expedition we need to go on."

"Uhh… Seriously?"

"Absolutely! Essentially, there are three options, but the only one we can really do is go to the nineteenth floor and beyond."

Finding myself surprisingly interesting in the conversation, I step up to Kirito's other side. "How do we prove we actually went though? Couldn't we just say we went? Or get another familia to bring us some stuff?"

"Well," Kirito explains, his demeanor loosening up and becoming less rigid, "theoretically, the second would work by all accounts. The problem is the volume of items you need to bring back. For example, one of our options for the nineteenth floor is like a pound of one of these herbs. No matter what drop items you use to prove you went that deep, the combined price of them is over a quarter million valis. This makes it simply not worth it for most familias to bother trying to fool the guild."

"I see…" Murmuring in appreciation, it certainly wasn't a system I would have thought of. "What if we fail though? If we don't bring back the necessary materials, what does the guild do?"

"I wondered the same thing," Kirito smiles easily back at me. "It's easy to imagine a scenario where we encounter an irregular and someone gets injured or something of the like. It turns out, unfortunately, that the guild is rather obsessed with clearing the dungeon. Therefore, the familia needs to submit a written document summarizing the reasons behind the expedition's cancellation and an outline for another expedition and the goals that will be fulfilled then."

"Urgh, sounds like a social essay," Leafa shivers. "Never thought I'd have to do something like that here."

"As long as the expedition goes off without a hitch, we won't have to," Kirito assures her with a pat on the head.

"I never get head pats…" Muttering out loud, I underestimated Kirito's hearing as he turns a quizzical smile to me.

"Ah, sorry Silica. Here you go."

"W-Wait!" I protest the wonderful sensation for some reason. "I never said… I mean…" Grumbling, I stop fighting and soak it in. Unlike last time, Kirito stays away from my ears. A part of me is disappointed, but overall, I'm glad. I just don't know if I'm ready yet for that. Especially in a public place.

"Better now?"

"…Thanks… I guess." Blushing I turn my face away from him. Even as I do so, I can feel my tail betraying me. Swishing back and forth happily from the treatment.

"Well… Umm, I'll catch you two tomorrow!"

"Huh?" Muttering in twin confusion with Leafa, I realized that we had arrived outside the church. But even as Kirito ducks inside and abandons us, his words don't make any sense.

"How long is he planning on sleeping?"

"Hmm… Let's keep an eye on him. I get the feeling he's up to no good."

"Y-Yes! Should we tell the others as well?"

"Maybe…" Leafa reluctantly agrees. "We may need the extra eyes to keep a close enough eye on him. As much as I hate to admit it, Onii-chan is extremely proficient at slipping away at inconvenient times."

"He does emit that vibe, doesn't he?" Agreeing with Leafa, we make out way into the house.

---

Kirito:

"I can do this."

"I can do this…"

"…I hope."

Muttering to myself in the mirror did nothing to remove that slightly sick look on my face. As the time drew closer with frightening speed, my stomach was a mess. It gurgled and twisted in anticipation of an experience I never would have thought I'd have.

Sighing, I turn away from the mirror and observe the clothes spread out on my bed. I didn't really have any clothes that I thought would look the part. But then again, I don't even know what looking the part means for this.

Rubbing a hand across my face, I large part of me wanted to bail. To go tell Argo that I couldn't do it. That I was a coward unable to face this task. Leaning against the wall, the feelings fade in a moment.

"Alright, let's go…"

Forcing myself back to the bed, I quickly pick out an outfit. Due to the tight storage space in the old church, I still don't have many options. In the end, my outfit looks almost the same. The difference is that my black cloak is thin and in better condition than my beaten-up adventuring one. The same thing with my pants. The shirt is the hardest thing to pick out. Usually I just use it as a layer and alternate between them for adventuring as its just an underlayer. Now though, I go for a gray one. Altogether I look… like a child.

While my cheeks aren't as round anymore due to my more rigorous exercise schedule, the rest of me is still child-like. "Maybe I'll grow soon…" Groaning to myself, there was little else I could do.

Closing my eyes, I tried to switch mindsets. "I am the black knight. Infamous carouser. I am going to the pleasure district in search of a woman worthy to join my harem. Someone exotic that I've never had before. That'll work… right?" Praying that it would be enough to get me through the night, I slipped out the window and into the night.

---

Bell:

"W-Why are we doing this? We should be resting so that we can have a productive day in the dungeon tomorrow…"

My complaints fell on deaf ears. To a person, the whole familia looked primed and eager to execute this 'plan', if it could even be called that.

"Come on Bell! Don't you want to know that Kirito is hiding?" Lili responded, flashing me an excited smile.

"Why are you so happy about this?" I mutter back at her. All the while though, I finish preparations. Strapping the Hestia knife to my belt, the rest of my armour is hidden under a cloak that I fasten around me. The rest of the familia is dressed similarly. Literally everyone is coming with the exception of the goddess, who has been passed out in a coma since coming home in the morning.

"Aren't you curious?" Lili whispers back. "Kirito's a pretty mysterious guy, a little like you."

"We're nothing alike," I grumble, forced to avert my eyes.

"Are we heading out then?" Strea asks, quieter than usual. I'm not sure how the others managed to convince her not to talk and spoil the whole thing.

"Patience little sis!" Yui scolds her. "We need to wait for Kirito to leave first."

"Should be soon," Leafa mused, "I mean… It's almost 10 pm already. Where could he be going this late."

I kept my mouth closed at this question. A man going out late at night… I learned from my old god quickly enough what that meant. Although strangely enough, despite the old man's love of romance, it was one place he seemed to not like. Meeting Lili's gaze, I wonder is she's come to the same conclusion as I have.

A part of me hopes that I'm wrong. While we got off on the wrong foot, he's still my familia captain and an integral part of how our familia works. If the girls found out he was cheating on them… Things wouldn't end well.

"He left!" Silica's hissed voice came from the entryway. "Hurry up, he's moving fast!"

With no time left to prepare, we're gone. Despite the darkness, the air is still warm from the hot day. With no rain in sight it will probably stay this temperature until the sun rises in seven hours.

Jogging along after them, our group stays in a wary cluster, an air of anticipation hanging over them. Situated near the back, I can see little but their cloaks. After a minute, we turn unto main street and straight south toward Babel. While most things in the city are south of us, I can't help but be pessimistic.

"Lili…"

"Huh, what's up? We can't talk too loud of he'll hear us!"

"Umm… Aren't you… Worried? About where he may be headed?"

"Where he's headed? What do you mean?"

Guess I was alone in my thoughts then. "I mean… that place. In the south-west…"

"That place…? Ohh…" To my surprise, Lili starts giggling. "Not at all. I guess you kind of only know this new Kirito. But back before, when they rescued me from Soma familia… Kirito personally took great risks to help me out. I'm sure that's what he's doing now, helping someone."

Wincing slightly under the barrage, I can feel the trust Lili has for the boy in every word. How much they all trust him. Maybe that's why I don't want to. Why I want to surpass him. For as I've learned, against monsters, it doesn't matter how strong you are. Anyone can die, at any moment. The strongest hero, the person you look up to as your role model, the ideal person… Can disappear like a mirage in the desert.

"Look, you'll see."

"…I hope so." Muttering along, my pessimism only gets worse as our course continues unerring. Our party moving in jerking strides as we try to keep Kirito at the edge of our vision.

"Is it my imagination… Or did Kirito change clothes?" Leafa mutters to the group as we hide once again.

"He did!" Yui agrees happily. "Papa looks far more respectable in this attire than his usual!"

I swear if you make her cry…

Grumbling internally, I have to look away from Yui's shining face. She looks so happy trailing after the man she clearly adores. I can only pray that whatever he's doing isn't what I fear it is.

"Let's go again…" Silica decides, her ears primed in that direction. Among all of us, she's the most focused on the person himself. With her superior hearing, Silica is in charge of making sure we don't get too close yet keeping us in a place where we don't lose him.

In no time at all, we've cleared North main and entered central park. With the pace of a man on a mission, Kirito circles around babel and heads for the park on the south-west side. Just as I'm sure of his destination, he stops, leaving us in an awkward spot.

Backing up to a nearby tree, we stare through the lamp-lit surroundings at where his silhouette is little more than a shadow to me at this distance. A backdrop of darkness against a bubbling fountain. After a couple tense minutes of waiting, another shadow joins him.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know, they're wearing more black than Kirito!"

"Whomever it is… I get the feeling it's a girl."

"He's on a date?"

"Oh! Does that mean I'm getting another Mama soon?"

Listening with half an ear to their conversation, I'm sure we're through the worst of it at this point. It's unlikely that Kirito would meet someone here just to proceed into the pleasure district. I can't help but recall Lili's words from minutes earlier. About how sure she was sure that he was going out to help someone. If it was that simple though, why didn't he mention it?

"They're on the move again!" Silica hissed as attention faltered. "And… Huh? Where'd the second person go?"

Looking back toward them, I independently confirm Silica's assessment, the second person is gone. Waiting nervously, I expect Kirito to turn around and head home, his dealings here complete. Inexorably though, he continues south.

"I think… we may want to turn back." Forcing myself to speak, his destination is all but confirmed. There is very little in that direction except the pleasure district.

"Huh, why?"

"No way, we've come so far!"

"I didn't want to believe Bell at first either," Lili murmurs in support of me. "But… I think we've seen enough to know his destination."

Every person turns to Lili with confused eyes. Apparently, none of them know the layout of Orario's districts well enough to determine the destination except Lili and me.

"I suppose seeing is believing," Lili sighs. "Let's go."

"…O-Okay."

With the party thoroughly confused, we set off again. My whole body feels like it's trapped in some sort of frozen state. I don't want to believe it, but as evidence continues to stack up… I have no choice. Already, as fear begins to take hold of me, I can imagine the collapse of the familia. How this one night will destroy all the trust Kirito had built up over months with everyone.

"This is why you don't build harems…" I groan to myself as we begin passing by buildings, the atmosphere of the city changing rapidly. The girls have begun noticing it as all. Groups of drunk gods heading the same direction as us, their eyes alight with the prospect of blowing their familia's hard-earned money.

While the gods were the more confident, it was easy to pick out the seasoned adventurers as well. Men who have had the same routine for ten, twenty, even thirty years. Go to the dungeon and play it safe. Make only enough money to be able to spend it on alcohol and women.

"W-What is this place?" Silica's question needed no answer however as we followed Kirito's path. Going straight between two amazons wielding spears acting as guards for the district, we were there. I thought I knew what to expect, I was wrong.

The smell hit me like a wall. It was a cloying confusing mixture of perfume and cologne. Of sweat and incense. Instantly after that, it was the sound that consumed me. The harkenings and words I'd never heard spoken with a straight face before. Behind them came the noises from the buildings themselves. It was faint, blocked by layers of wood and stone, but the moaning and sounds of bodies colliding lit my face up like a furnace.

"Oh my god…"

"T-This… W-What's going on here!?"

"Papa…"

As one our group froze, unwilling to take another step further into this place of debauchery and pleasure. Feeling an angry gaze focused on me, I turn and see Lili glaring at me. "W-What!?"

"Why do you look so interested!?"

"I-I'm not!" Responding weakly, Lili's mouth turns into a hard line. My lie was weak and easy to see through. For despite how overwhelming the place is, it's also amazing. It possesses a vibrancy and mysticism I've never experienced before. I can see now why it's so popular, beyond the obvious charms. There isn't another part of the city even close to this.

"Grr… Anyway, what are we, ahh!"

As Lili cuts off with a scream, we whip around as another presence appears beside us. I hadn't even felt them approach. Dressed completely in black, I can't see any of their features.

"What are you all doing here!? Kirito didn't ask for your help, did he!? Even he wouldn't be that stupid!"

"W-Who are you!?" Lili stutters back, the closest to the robed figure.

"Urgh," groaning at us, the figure lovers their hood. From underneath a distinctly feminine face appears with large brown eyes and curly brown hair. Sitting on top of their head, however, are a distinctive trait that I'd only heard about before.

"You're a Renard."

"Yeah, Argo's the name, now beat it! I'll escort you out."

"Wait!" Leafa implored stepping up to the mysterious fox girl. "What about Kirito!? We were following him and…"

"He's on a mission helping me out," the girl bit back, frantically looking around at the passers-by that were beginning to take notice of our strange group. "Now we need to leave immediately. This place is dangerous. Especially for people that aren't here as clients!"

"Now hold on," Strea frowns, stepping beside Leafa. The large girl instantly commands the conversation, her presence could not be ignored. "This is public space, why can't we follow Kirito and help him out?"

"Because you're all extremely obvious!" Argo groaned, her countenance becoming increasingly stressed. "This district is not safe right now. Stop sticking your noses in places they don't belong. Now let's go! GO!"

Beginning to physically grab and pull at us, our group began moving in a lurching stumble. Not resisting, I felt like leaving now was best before the curious Yui who had remained silent put the pieces together was for the best. I didn't like how her eyes tracked over the scenery, resting on the scantily dressed girls with an intense curiosity.

"W-Wait!" Leafa yelled again. "I'm not leaving without Onii-chan! He's not strong enough to say no! He'll get eaten up!"

"Him? You should worry about getting eaten yourself…"

Freezing once again, I felt all of my instincts kick into overdrive as an intense presence falls over me. Never had I felt such a bloodthirsty gaze directed at me. It's magnitude far outstripped the kobolds or even that final beast I fought back on the farm. All at once, all of the effort and time I'd spent in the dungeon was meaningless. Compared to this monstrosity staring me down, I was a rabbit. Unable to do anything but try and flee.

Stepping into view was an amazon. She wore her gray hair short and stylish. She didn't need a weapon to overpower all of us with her aura. I struggled to believe exactly how frightening she managed to be while wearing little more than underwear. From behind her approached another two amazons. Neither of which possessed the same aura as the first, but both wore a smile suggesting their strength was unlikely to be needed if we fought them anyway.

"I can't believe the rumours were true. Hermes did send his little fox. It's almost disappointing we caught you so quickly. Aisha will surely be upset that we didn't at least get to compete in a hunt."

"Tch, damn amazons." Argo growled back. "You really want to do this here? Out in public?"

"I don't think you understand," the gray-haired amazon fired right back, not scared in the least by Argo's words. "We own this whole place. It all belongs to Ishtar familia."

"You all… leave." Argo commanded.

"W-What? No way!" Leafa rejected her again. Onii-chan is still in there and…"

"He'll be fine!" Argo berated her, never taking her eyes off the amazon. "We're the ones in trouble."

"For now…" The amazon purred, "but tell me, is this… Onii-chan, is it? Is he strong? It's been a long time since I've had a man that can really get my blood pumping."

"Oh, good idea Samira! We should totally hunt him after we drag these guys off to Belit Babbity!"

"Hehe, watching Samira hunt is also educational."

At last my body finally began working. Taking one half-step back, I reached out to pull at Lili's arm. I can't handle this. I'm not strong enough. I need to flee.

I can feel tears bubbling up behind my eyes. Tears of the weak me that I thought I had left behind. Tears that had burned away in the unquenchable flames of anger tearing at my soul.

Yet they've returned.

Back to the weak me that's unable to do anything.

"Bell?"

"Lili… We need to run."

"W-We can't! W-We're allowed to be here!"

Her eyes told a different story from her words. Like mine, they shook with fear. The knowledge of knowing our level one statuses would do nothing to protect us from these adventurers.

A second later, the atmosphere shifted. The bloodlust reached new heights as my body screamed at me to flee.

"RUN!" With no warning, Argo cried out loudly, throwing something at the ground as the lead amazon Samira made her first move.

"Huh?" Startled, I stumbled back with Lili as a cloud of smoke consumed the area. Coughing loudly, I pulled her along with me as I stumbled to where the entrance should be. Through the haze, I could just make out another figure that looked like Silica. I have no idea where any of the others went.

"Where are we?" I ask as we finally emerge, the smoke faint enough to see through.

"I-I'm not sure," Lili admitted. "We're near the northern edge, so we need to go North."

"Follow me."

Appearing before us was Silica, her face gaunt with fright. I wasn't sure how she was even still moving with her hands shaking as badly as they are.

"W-We are going to be okay… We are going to be okay…"

Listening to her mantra helped settle my nerves. I couldn't afford to be useless here. I had a duty as a man to get them out of danger! My god may have been wrong about many things, but that is one I still believe to be true. A tenet that my father lived his life by.

"We can do this Silica," I try to assure her.

"O-Of course we can! I-I am level two, I will protect you!"

Despite the shaky words, she does stabilize a little as we make our way forward. Despite doing my best to listen, the sounds of the nightlife have continued unabated. The beckonings and laughter drown out any possible screams or combat. If only…

"Hey Silica, can you hear them?"

"I-I'm umm… trying not to listen. B-But, you're right, I'll give it a try."

Blushing, I try not to think about how much worse it must be for her. The things I could hear only faintly would be loud and obtrusive on her senses.

"I don't…"

"Join in the hunt? A Renard girl? Got it, I'll spread the word."

Looking at each other, the three of us dove into an adjacent alleyway as the girl who spoke ran past. I sensed no particular power from her, or ability. She looked like a normal prostitute. Yet her words had clearly been about capturing Argo.

"That's what she meant!" Lili exclaims with horror. "That Samira girl… She said that Ishtar familia owns this entire district. That means all of the prostitutes…"

"Are eyes and ears for their familia," I groan, beginning to lose hope that we'll be able to get out. "With everyone looking for us, we have no chance."

"But…" Silica broke in, her voice confused, "aren't they only looking for Argo."

"She's right," Lili nods sharply. "Lili believes that they don't care about us. Argo is the only one they want."

"So… We just walk straight out?" I ask. I've never been one for strategies. My approach is usually to hit it head-on. Probably why I only killed one Killer Ant before my knife broke. Thankfully, Lili seems to have a proficiency for it.

"No." Lili denies. "If we run into one of the three of them, they'll probably try to catch us just to either create a hostage situation or get information on where they are. You two, wait a minute and then run straight north out of here. Don't stop until you reach central park. I'll probably be five minutes behind you."

"W-Wait, Lili, what are you planning on…"

"No time! Your scars are mine, my scars are mine. Cinderella!"

With a slight puff, Lili's form shifted before my eyes. From her usual prum stature and bearing, Lili was now taller and garbed completely in black. Her hood was back though revealing an entirely different face, and two golden ears sticking out on top.

"W-What…" Stuttering in confusion, all I got was a wink before Lili took off out the other entrance and away to the South.

"D-Did she just transform?" Silica asks me in confusion.

"I-I guess." Stummed, I hadn't realized that Lili had magic. That meant along with Yui, I was the only adventurer in the familia without magic. Damn that hurts. But what hurt even worse was my helplessness. "I hate this."

"W-What?"

"Getting protected. Being unable to do anything. I thought… When I became an adventurer, it would different."

"I know how you feel," Silica admits, leaning against the wall. "I always feel in the way. Unable to live up to the examples the others set. Floundering around in the dungeon trying to prove myself."

"To be honest…" I admit to her. "You never really struck me as an adventurer."

"…" Silica doesn't answer for a while as she fiddles her thumbs together. "I think that's the real reason I wanted to become one."

"Huh?"

"When I arrived in this world… I was so lost, so devastated, unable to leave. Even the kids at the orphanage I stayed at never really trusted me. I thought it was because I was from a different world. Looking back on it now, it was because I saw them as less than me. Artificial creations whose world I didn't want to be a part of."

"W-Where are you going with this?"

"O-Ohh, I'm a little off course, aren't I?" Silica blushed, averting her head. "All I really wanted was a place I belong, but the orphanage head kept telling me to take it easy. That maybe I could find a job at a restaurant serving or sweeping tables. Maybe someone like Demeter familia would take me in to help grow vegetables.

"No one thought I could be an adventurer. Not until I met Leafa and Kirito. When I expressed my desire to stay and become a familia member, he nodded along like it was perfectly natural for me to become an adventurer. They didn't judge me because I was small or shy."

"I see… We should go." Left with nothing to say, I felt budding respect for the girl. Shorter and even younger than me, she had braved the dungeon depths numerous times. As soon as I thought that though, images of another girl crossed my vision. One that had thrown themselves into the dungeon with reckless abandon. A girl that had been even younger than Silica is now when she lit Orario abuzz with her feats.

Gritting my teeth, I push through the memories and dash out onto the street. Not bothering to hide, we head straight north along the street. Drawing nothing more than a few curious looks, we're out. Yet, even as the noise fades behind us, neither of us slow down until we reach that same fountain we spied on Kirito observing.

Panting, I curl over it. I'm winded from the sprint. We easily covered over a kirlo in three, maybe four minutes.

"You're fast," Silica comments calmly beside me.

"T-Thanks," I gasp, "but you're not even breathing hard."

"Hehe, well I am level two." Silica smiles teasingly. "Can't have you catching up to me too quickly now."

"Haha, but one day I will, I promise you that." I smile at her.

"I look forward to it," she answers sincerely back. "It will be fun to explore as a full familia someday."

"Who knows, maybe that day isn't so far off."

"So, you are growing really fast!" Silica accuses me. A slight pout twisting her lips.

"Uhh, yeah," I admit, peeling myself off the fountain. "That's why I really wanted the knife Hestia got us. It will allow me to grow even faster."

"…I suppose you deserve it," Silica sighs, looking down-trodden.

Looking at her short sword she was strapped to her waist, I remember what Kirito said. "Oh, you fight with knives as well, don't you?"

"Y-yes," Silica admits. "I used too until I got this short sword that was better. I still use them on occasion."

"O-Ohh…" Feeling a little guilty, I blush slightly in embarrassment that I hadn't realized. "M-Maybe we can share sometime…"

"N-No!" Silica rejects, shaking her head and hands. She somehow manages to look even more embarrassed than I feel for not realizing earlier. "I couldn't do that to you. You're trying to get stronger and deserve something like this. I should have managed my money better and had enough for an upgrade when I needed it."

"B-But you'll be left weaponless if it breaks!" I protest.

"And that knife is your only weapon!" She fires back. "B-Besides, there is someone I need to apologize to. Keep it. Use our goddess' gift to run as fast as you can."

A little overwhelmed by her kindness, I bow my head. "Thank you. I'll be the first person to catch up to our captain."

"Don't think I'm going to make that easy for you!" Silica answers right back, her eyes glimmering with determination. "That's my plan as well!"

"Well, looks like you two have grown closer."

"Lili!" I breath her name in relief as the familiar prum girl saunters over to us. Instantly though, it's replaced by guilt. While I've been standing here getting to know Silica, Lili was risking her life for us. The others still missing at the same time.

Soon after though, the darkness melts away, revealing a trail of tired figures converging on our location.

"Lili found them all!" She declares proudly.

"You're amazing."

"Hehe, feel free to praise Lili more."

"Umm, alright. Y-Your magic was incredible! I totally couldn't tell you apart from the other Argo!"

"Hehe, and?"

"I'm going to have to cut the two of you off there," Argo's nasally voice interrupts us. "If you really want to get involved, fine. I'll tell you all what Kirito is helping me with.

The mood sobers as the group forms a semi-circle around Argo. To a person, besides Yui, their clothes are slightly ripped. Argo has it the worst. The entire lower half of her cloak is ripped off.

"Now then…"

Listening, my stomach gurgles in horror at the short story. Hoping our leader is still alright, I cast a gaze to the south, feeling everyone else doing the same thing.

---

Kirito:

"O-Ohh black knight, what about her! She's an elf, that's pretty cool, right!?"

"Ha, an elf! I've had Elf before! I said exotic! I don't know why I thought a lowly place like this would reveal such a girl!"

Sweating bullets, I didn't know how much longer I had left. Almost as soon as I entered the district, I ran into a gang of gods that recognized me. With nothing left to do, I defaulted to the lines I had prepared for myself. Now, the gods were excitedly leading me from line-up to line-up. Carefully judging each girl on display as they tried to find one 'exotic' enough for my tastes.

"Ah, the black knight really is something else, isn't he?"

"Crazy enough to convince me he could be like one of the old heroes!"

"Wouldn't that be something!?"

"Ha…" Breathing lightly, I felt faint. My level three status did nothing to protect me from their words or the alluring senses in the air. So many of the girls had beckoned and asked for me. It was a literal heaven that every guy in my middle school would have killed to have a chance at.

Now though, I had thankfully matured enough to wave them off. Honestly, this fake aura I was holding was the only thing that was saving me. I had vastly underestimated how hard saying that one word could be: No.

When they were right beside you, holding onto your hand with wide innocent eyes, promising you anything you could every want, words disappeared. Only that cold visage I'd trained my face into before I entered remained. So far It had scared all of the girls off, but if I encountered one it didn't…

"Oh, let's try over there!"

"Oh, that's the 'red-light' place, yeah?"

"Yupp! Maybe the seasoned black knight will consider far eastern beauties exotic enough!"

Getting pulled along, I try and stabilize myself during the break from staring at girls. My mental fortitude is in pieces around me as the nightlife whirls with a ferocity I hadn't expected. There was none of the reserve and quiet dignity I had come to expect from my experiences in japan.

"Oh no!"

"Flee!"

"Antianeira!"

"Huh?" Left behind while I'm trying to stabilize myself, I'm forced to stop as a figure appears in front of me. It's an amazon like none I've ever seen before. Her height is intimidating as she stares down at me, a knowing smile on her thin red lips. She looks like a dancer with wide, curvy hips covered by a thin veil. Like most amazons, her entire midsection is bare, only her sizable breasts are covered with a matching violet garment.

Swallowing heavily, I struggle to remember my name. Despite all the experiences I've had with women this last month, I've never faced this much sexiness. Even Strea with her woman's body still acts like a child most of the time. This amazon exudes a deadly power that tempts me to get closer. To see if it really is as strong as it appears, to see if I'm equal to it.

"It seems the black knight really did venture into our abode. Here to steal one of our prostitutes, I hear."

"Ah… Uh…"

Persona! Remember the persona!

Unable to do anything else, I fall back on the lines that have been falling from my mouth for the past thirty minutes. "Haha, well you should know how it is! I'm bored with my regular girls, need something new to spice it up!"

"Oh, spice it up, huh?" The amazon smiled with deadly grace, closing the remaining distance between us. Placing a singular finger on my chest she began walking around me in a circle. "So, you would say your vitality is good?"

"G-Good!? It's amazing! The best!" Vitality? Unsure of what the foreign word even means, I'm left replying with my regular lines hoping I don't look stupid until she leaves.

"Hmm… could be interesting then… I have a deal for you, Mr. Black knight."

"Y-Yes?"

Trying not to gasp, I'm shocked as her arms wind their way around my midsection pulling my body against hers. Even through my clothes I can feel her breasts and toned abs. Her light breaths tickling my ear. "A competition. If you outlast me, I'll pay the redemption of any prostitute you choose."

"R-Redemption?" I ask stupidly.

"You honestly came here without even knowing that much," the amazon clicks her tongue with displeasure, letting my body go at the same time. "It's the price required for the girl's familia to let her leave. Usually hovers around the one million mark."

This could solve Argo's problem!

If the Renard is a prostitute, then as long as I pass this girl's test, I can free them and fix the problem she's having! "S-So what exactly is the test?"

Rather than answer, the amazon narrows her eyes and approaches closer. Bringing her nose to my neck, she takes two long, deep sniffs. "You talk a big game, but you're a virgin. What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe I actually got excited for once."

"Haha…"

How the hell does she know!? She could smell it!?

"I won't deny your scent is mixed up with a lot of other females, but you haven't bonded with any of them. So that begs the question… Why did you come? To learn the ropes? Get a prostitute to teach you so you don't embarrass yourself? Or maybe… You really were telling the truth…"

"Uhh…" Feeling my heartrate increase, I felt trapped. The aura around the amazon was quickly morphing from playful if intimidating to deadly. A cloud of suspicion building around her.

"Aisha!"

"Samira?"

"We found the fox, but she got away. She was with a group, kept talking about the black knight."

Having heard enough, I sprinted away. Planting my foot, I was in an alleyway before either of them could react.

"AFTER HIM!"

"Oh shit, oh shit." Dashing through unfamiliar streets, I couldn't help but panic as answering footsteps followed me.

All the while, a column of black smoke began rising in the north-west district of the city. Unnoticed and unheeded as I continued my escape.