Chapter 1
At first glance she (Ais Wallenstein) lay on the snow-white haired newbie adventurer, who is terrified, trembling and had his back against the dungeon's cold stone walls by the previous slain minotaur,
her eyes widened slightly in shock.
Eh...? That's...!
The ruby-red glittering eyes that stare at her with unhidden admiration and gratitude... it reminds her of...the escaped rabbit in her dreams...no, it's more like...
Her own timid, pitiful younger self...
In her past, when she was just a mischievous, playful little girl, wandering around, she shared a similar fate...
Just like the boy currently on the ground, trembling weak and helpless in the dungeon depths, terrified of the unknown and possible deadly monsters lurking in the dark shadows, ready to attack.
It's the look currently in his red eyes that shone brightly at the moment... that look she has discarded...
Her younger self had once held the same admiration gaze, when she was saved by (him) from a monster... it's the same adoration and admiration gaze, along with the pure gratitude for her saviour that her younger self had held in her eyes back then,
When she requested excitedly for "him" to be her personal hero, just like in the bedtime stories and legends her gentle mother used to read to her as bedtime stories...
(At that time, "he" simply smiled apologetically and replied he couldn't comply with her request back then. He told a pouting and confused her younger self that "he" already had her mother, and gave "his" blessings that one day she might truly encounter the hero who solely belonged to her and her alone...)
,...but this isn't the right time to be reminiscing about her past experience, plus... there's no one to save her back then from the later despair; it's herself that has to survive on her own.
She sighed, pulling herself back together from the past to the present.
It's their careless mistakes of scaring and driving, minotaur hordes from their original floors to the upper floors in the first place.
All of which has caused rookies or newbies adventurers forced to confront minotaurs who were completely out of their league, resulting in near-death trauma and so on ...so they must take their responsibility to wipe them out in making certain that no one else would suffer further from their mistakes as a remedy.
"Errm, excuse me...? Are you alright?"
There are no significant injuries on the outside as far as she could examine with her eyes alone, but the boy, currently soaked in blood, didn't give any response in the form of words or movement. Even as she tries to lean in for a more detailed perspective, he doesn't even flinch; instead, he stays in a catatonic and unresponsive frozen trance.
...in this awkward silence, the girl's doll-like, blank and emotionless face hid a surging wave of embarrassment and weird emotions...
She feels quite sorry and pity for the blood-splashing incident where she caused the boy to slay the minotaur earlier...
Anyone normally would have been in a state of complete shock, scared out of their minds being soaked by blood and all, not to mention that a mess of disgusting gore is currently sticking upon him ...
And for whatever reason unknown to the girl, the white-haired boy's eyes were filled with tears...? Some of his noticeable exposed skin through the blood was turning a deeper shade of red...is the boy running on fever?
She's genuinely starting to get concerned if the boy's mind is broken from overwhelming stress or trauma, perhaps the boy had suffered some internal wounds unseen from the outside, and so she decided to ask again, lending out a helping hand at the same time, in order to resolve the awkwardness of talking herself without getting a response...
"Errm, can you try to stand?"
The boy's lips trembled for a moment before he spoke, just as he was about to give a proper response, but Ais's sudden interruption had been the final straw that pushed the bursting emotions in the boy's crazy beating heart, as his tears-filled gaze lay upon her outstretched helping hand.
and slowly turned up towards her face, Ais felt a bit uneasy,
Being stared at by the boy is a bit embarrassing in the current situation, as she is forced to wear... quite the morally inadequate, backless, sleeveless revealing skin-tight clothing and silver piece armor as part of her sly and perverted goddess personal command,
Since the idiot slant eyes goddess with vermilion hair and flat chest would cry hysterically, flail around, beg, and even threaten to bite off her tongue to commit suicide if Ais refused to comply with her strange suggestions for clothing.
Of course, she quickly figured out it was merely a stupid plot in the end to get her serve as the perverted trickster goddess's own personal dressing doll, ...but before she could consider changing into better clothes and armor, the revealing outfit that prioritize mobility and agility had already grown on her... it's too late to reconsider...
But back to the current situation,
She tilted her head in a confused manner. Why is the boy's exposed parts of the neck, ears, and skin turning redder at the moment?
"- Aa-"
"A-?"
Before she even tried to comprehend what the boy was currently trying to express with the "-Aa?", the boy suddenly jolted up like the panicked little white rabbit in her dreams that her younger self captured, broken from his trance...
Without warning beforehand,
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
The boy bolted away from the scene, with the impressive speed for his beginner level, that would remind her of seeing the boy earlier trying to escape from the minotaur chasing him, all the while squealing at a high-pitched, girly voice.
...Ais is left stunned, she is at an impasse and loss of suitable words to describe the increasingly awkwardness in her situation, she could only stare blankly in vain and confusion as the boy's runaway presence slowly faded into the upper floors along with the weird screaming ...
...why does it seem like whether it be in her dreams or in reality, the white rabbit would have always run away from her in terror...?
Is she truly that terrifying to the white-haired boy? did the previous description of her being scary by Bete actually be accurate ?
"Am I... truly that terrifying...to others ?"
She carefully steals a glance at her bloodied gloved hand, noticing it's drenched in blood from the earlier kill... maybe it's because of the blood that the boy refused her aid... but isn't the boy's soak in blood too as well??
"Ku ... bwahahaha ... hehe ... he--! He--!!hahaha- (coughing) As expected, "sword princess" isn't just for show. Hahaha (dry coughing), it's simply too amazing... hahaha!!!"
It seems the embarrassing situation has been witnessed from beginning to end... by her familia's tsundere werewolf companion, who's currently having a smug look on his face, trying to stifle his roaring laughter and keep his cool,
But he ultimately failed and howl till his ribs and stomach hurt, rolling here and there on the ground, yet still he laughs and crackles on and about until he's dry heaving and close to dying of laughter.
"bwahahahahahehehe... to be able to scare away a boy on sight alone... fleeing and shrieking.. haha uwahahahaha, what a mighty reputation...!?! I would have expected no less from our Ais...hehehe!!!"
... sulking in an unpleasant silence, an irritated Ais had half a mind to shut his big rude mouth up by knocking him unconscious and causing some temporary memory loss...
her normally unemotional blank doll-like face is embarrassed, turning bits of slight red-pink and blushing like young girls her age supposed to, while she pouts like a scarred pufferfish bulging up...yet bete is too engrossed in laughing to notice the obvious warning for him to shut up...
Yes, as she considered more about it, it would have been a truly splendid idea to knock the real inconsiderate moron bete unconscious right here, right now.
Since there are no powerful monsters left on the fifth floor, and it's for the greater good, to prevent Mr Bete's big and crude mouth from sprouting his stupid rumors and false news all over Orario after he's drunk on wine...
It wouldn't be an easy task normally though, since werewolves are a race of demi humans born with well enhanced senses of hearing, smell, and sensing danger, Bete himself too is no slouch in sparring combat even when compared to her. But currently he has completely lowered his guard, laughing without a care about his undefended head, it's the perfect opportunity...
Maybe with a well-coordinated heavy wind assist strike from her sheathed sword, "desperate", it would work...?
As Ais tries to get closer to get a clean strike upon the laughing bete unaware-empty head, suddenly, another slight tremor of the ground can be felt..and the laughing werewolf finally ceased further attempts at dying of laughter,
his eyes narrowed in alert, clicked his tongue in annoyance, all the while locating the source...
Within a moment, the werewolf turned his gaze to another tunnel and moved, she gave a sigh for missing her chances, and quickly moved to exterminate the surviving last herd as well
Well, contrary to their beliefs that the minotaur she killed a moment ago is the last one, it seems like there's another horde that escaped their extermination process somehow. As they make their way to the source of the ground shaking in haste, since as far as they know, the higher rank adventurers that could deal with such monsters are in the lower floors, while the other group of their familia rival top adventurers doesn't usually come down, except the maybe the Boaz...the rest preferring to train amidst themselves in near death combats.
it could very well be another beginner or rookie adventurer who's in danger of getting swarmed by minotaur hordes at the moment..as they started to take up speed...
... a great sound resounded across the tunnel as they were hurrying through, stopping them right in their tracks.
The unmistakable sound that could be heard in some of the worst storms above ground...or when high-ranking elf mages, witches, and great spellcasters cast a long chant lighting spell...?but from the mere sound of it...
The crackling of a great lightning, the booming thunderclap...and the smell of burned flesh in the air...
high-ranked adventurers who have been veterans in the front lines of sweeping and exploring dungeon floors, ...would have developed a special intuition for danger against certain enhanced species of monsters and the floor bosses themselves, the monster rexes, lord and undisputed lone kings of the floors themselves
It can be safely said that merely by gazing upon the same adventurers who are recognized as the same rank or higher, powerful monster, or enhanced irregular monsters top-class adventurers would have accurately determined where the danger levels it should be and the supposed intelligence of such a monster as well, formulating battle strategies based on their battle combatants from their past experience diving into dungeons.
And now, the current two of the top-class adventurers in Loki Familia had finally arrived at the source of the sound of thunder, expecting perhaps some slightly lower-ranked adventurer than themselves, adventurers who used lightning based magic swords or another high-ranking mage supporting a group in battle against hordes of minotaurs.
... only to find several lingering carcasses and decaying ashes spreading across the ground.
The sheer magnitude of the attack is powerful enough to scorch the ground to a deep black, leaving tiny sparks and ambers, to the point that the drop items and magic stones that should have priority to be secured and collected by the adventurers would have been destroyed without a trace...
To be able to instantly wipe out a horde of several minotaurs, it would either be a long chanting spell, instant magic skill from a high level or a powerful melee combat adventurer in the category of near level 5 or 4, perhaps even higher...
Yet most of the ones they know couldn't possibly be on the floors they currently are right now...
...So who in the world?
The girl only managed to catch a glimpse of the fading soft golden glow, emitting from the right arm of a human male who turned his back ? with visible strands of dark hair, a young boy who has covered his features and face well in the shades of a black hoodie jacket shirt, turns his back before leaving the scene in speed...
She's disappointed, she didn't even get to ask if he had seen or knew that white-haired boy she met earlier, but... undoubtedly a mere glimpse was all she needed to estimate the black-haired boy's combat strength when she saw the boy...
The heavy air of a veteran, who has seen and passed the trials of countless battles of life and death, but why did that person carry the similar aura as her comrades and top combatants adventurers in her own familia...?
She couldn't tell much about the black-haired boy at the moment. As far as she could tell from that glance, he should very much possibly wield a powerful skill or a hidden magic spell that would have marked him well above normal adventurers from the beginner floors and newbies, alongside with his aura of past battle experience...that may mark him well as one of the top ranks adventurer
...but the peculiar part is why would he be here on the beginner floors?
And there's no rumours of such a human male of that young age being able to cast such a powerful lighting spell...he should have been famous and well known... maybe to avoid the guild taxes?
... to reasons even herself unknown, she kept her assumptions and thoughts to herself, while ignoring the late-arrived, annoying werewolf who keeps questioning about the situation, as she guessed that the black haired boy might have been an adventurer from afar who didn't wish for publicity or fame, maybe preferring to keep his strength in secret.
after all, the world is a big place, it's not too surprising if there's few high rank adventurers from other remote places... there's the knights of knights from the sea traveling academy who are rumoured to be on par with the king from their rival familia...
Anyways, it seems like Loki famila's long expedition into conquering the dungeon floors to break the previous records is finally at an end, with some new unresolved mysteries...
the new types of acid-spitting caterpillars monsters that they spotted on floor 50 that render normal weapons useless, harvested magic stones that are a different hue of colour from usual, with dark impurities like something foul has tempered with it, and the powerful male stranger with lightning magic wandering in the beginner floors...
...loki familia base, twilight Mansion,
after selling their spoils, again sending their cheerful amazon signed smiths crying for the reparations of weapons, a warm bath ...
the sword princess lays on her bed for a long rest... she's deep in her thoughts about the day, still much unsatisfied for her stagnant strength, at this speed she's improving...it may take her forever to fulfil her deepest desire for vengeance against that monster...!!
many call her the natural enemy for monsters, but she is still far too weak compared to the monster she swore vengeance on...
she still...has a long path of thorns to walk...so far that she can't even see the end of it...so little that she had walked...
...but also...the dream she had earlier about her younger naughty self captured a squirming little red eyes white rabbit...she couldn't help but compare it to her today's experience... along with the sound of thunder in beginner floors...?
she is a bit depressed to be honest, it's the first time anyone has run away from her in terror after she saves them...but also, a bit interested in the boy she saved.
(her sly and perverted goddess Loki notices her hidden tiredness, wounds easily while updating her status in the goddess chambers, even though she's normally goofy and perverted..she does have some impressive observation skills at noticing little details like these... perhaps even Ais own thoughts isn't safe, but Ais is grateful that Loki kept quiet about it with a wink~)
Still ...both the white haired boy and the little rabbit escaped her though in the end...but that boy she saved reminds her of her younger self... maybe... just maybe he would hold the same thoughts as her own past ...?
... just maybe she would have someone who'll truly open her heart, to soothe the burning dark flames of vengeance...
she couldn't help but smile thinly for that moment alone in her thoughts, before finally succumbing to sleep, knowing pleasant dreams awaits her...
It's like meeting the rabbit boy had eased her burden of seeking power a bit...
...
... earlier in one of the chambers, 5th floor
aiolia flexed his fingers with lingering sparks, feeling them twitching and going numb...his teenage face slowly turns into a frown, already the previous attack he throws on the hordes of minotaurs drains him more than usual,
It vexes him, the price demanded for existing in a world that he doesn't belong to, the loneliness and pain...
earlier...
the horde of minotaurs that ran into him at first attacked in a desperate panic trying to get past him, thinking he's just another obstacle, but merely burning his Cosmo to a point and effortlessly deflect-shattering one of the upper part of the stone clubs to dust that they swung at him, showing them the clear difference in strength,
they went silent, paused and slowly looked at the leading minotaur's broken stone club, then made an anonymous decision collaboratively.
they immediately turn tail and try running the other way, just like good, smart animals who would recognize a higher class predator they couldn't possibly defeat when they see one...
well, he felt sorry about it, but he can't let them return to terrorise others, even if it may be someone he doesn't even know about,...and so, for the time...he willingly allows himself to don just the gauntlet armour parts of his gold cloth, that somehow followed him here years ago to sustain his power...or was it decades ago ?
...?
...how ...long, had he lingered in this world...?
the erosion of this world...is truly irritating.. he received information of individuals and some history that he didn't even ask for, and now he even has a few important details of his past memory erased...this world is trying to merge him into itself or erase his identity completely...
it's like he already lost track of time being too long in his self built farm...
but nevertheless, this... nostalgic feeling is always welcome... it's his own pride and last remembrance as who he was, the evidence that he is part of his kin even in another world,
As always, the place that they truly thrive in is to aid others who needed help and defend what's important to themselves...in battles
the joy of being reconciled with the Leo constellation god-made gold cloth, even if it is just parts of it, the beating of his heart, the boiling of his blood that's hot enough to burn...it's what made him feel alive... burning his Cosmo...
-κεραυνός ( thunder bolt)-!!
his fist strikes, lightning bursts out and blasts the panicked minotaurs scrambling on top of one another in the tunnel trying to escape him, the lethal attack finally puts them out of their misery at last, being flocked here and there by mortals like a joke...
it's weakened, but it's still enough to defeat all of them in one strike, but according to the info he memorized...he is fairly certain minotaurs weren't supposed to be spawned or appear here, ... but... it seems like the perpetrators responsible for driving the monsters up here are coming to clean up their mess.
..at least they weren't intentionally trying to kill greenhorn adventurers...best to avoid a confrontation with them...they'd ask too many questions after seeing him
and now to catch up with his silly little friend...he can sense him already in the upper floors, and so he puts weight on his feet, and bolted off before they arrive
...
...
Let's talk about the labyrinth city, Orario.
It's said to be the heart of the world itself, founded by the first god who later descended from the heavenly realms, Tenkai, to the mortal realm genkai,one of the oldest gods who held the highest respect amongst deities and significant authority in the city, it's his authority and prayer power alone that kept the monsters at bay in the dungeon, ouranos
In the ancient times before gods and goddesses decided to walk among mortals, monsters roamed free and painted hell on earth, a true banquet of despair and madness where mortals must fight using every ounce of their strength and wits to barely survive the relentless assault of monster kin,
But even that isn't enough; the first despair came from the depths of the dungeon, a place where even the gods would not speak of.
That despair has come with the appearance of the first great calamity monster, a black monster dragon that eventually gained the name [Nidhogg] ,the first form of true despair that surpassed all other monsters at its time, before the three that would come later...
Before the gods and their loyal adventurers, it took six spirits, beings of lesser power than the gods who reigned, yet wield considerable power themselves, who took pity on the mortals' despair and plight where every hero failed against the dragon serpent, and aided them in defeating Nidhogg.
The battle itself is too old in history to be recorded in detail, but few gods still remember it, for it left a terrible wound...in the spirits and the world so much that the deed itself couldn't be replicated ever again.
It was then, the gods that were probably bored out of their minds in little scuffles and scheming games at Tenkai, finally decided to lend a hand to the praying mortals following the first that comes down, for the sake of their personal amusement, observation or some other ridiculous reason. The gods themselves have chosen to bound themselves in rules and seal off their greatest weapon, Arcanum, before descending into Genkai, the mortal realm in order to experience another lifestyle,
and they incidentally destroyed the first Babel tower mortals created... which were rumoured to be far bigger than it is today...
The divine powers that could possibly shape and destroy the world or wipe out the calamity monsters easily, instead they choose to bring themselves closer to mortals, by placing faith in mortals to protect themselves, bestowing their grace in the form of falna and blessings in return for lodging, protection, food, and coin
The deities raised their chosen mortals powers, and mortals eventually gained the strength to combat monsters under each familia gods and goddesses, it's a win-win situation for both, eventually, they would have formed the foundations of the later great Orario city.
Which would be in time, expand and grow into a thriving metropolis, with the highest building being the rebuilt Babel tower that reaches the heavens, on top of the dungeon itself to serve as the lid covering over the breach of monsters, a booming population consisting of uncountable demi-humans and humans alike sprout out, some choose working as adventurers to slay monsters, seeking fame and glory from deeds.
others that preferred a much peaceful life, choose to work as restaurant owners, bar keepers, innkeepers, pleasure houses to provide nourishment and entertainment to the adventurers, or at the guild for simple management jobs, also blacksmiths and builders that provide equipment and repairs.
It's a city that cares only for strength and achievement, not division of race or personal allegiance.
Or at the very least it's looking like that...on the surface view
Aside from the great tower, the city is lined with high circular thick walls that stand tall well above the buildings except the tower. Their only true purpose is to serve as a second emergency containment shell, to seal off the breach of the monsters spawned by the dungeon in case they crawl out.
Of course, the dungeon itself isn't amused at all being sealed off. it itself can be identified as a living entity that bears extreme prejudice and sheer hatred against mortals and deities alike, and so it again spawned calamities that even the dungeon itself couldn't contain.
And then came the birth of the three great calamity monsters, far mightier and definitely more dangerous in comparison to Nidhogg,
The Earth Emperor, Behemoth, the Sovereign of the Seas, Leviathan, and the Overlord of the Skies, the Black Apocalypse, the Undefeated and undisputed dragon king, Apex of all existing Monsters, the Black Dragon, who would later be known as the one-eyed black dragon.
The three calamities would tremble and poison the land ,terrorise and stir the seas, burning down the skies, to the point that even the later familias led by the gods and goddesses were too weak to challenge or slay them, for even their best had never managed to touch the true depths of the dungeon itself, and only two respective familias managed to contain them in certain areas, but not the black dragon.
At that time, before the age adventurers or the deities that comes and grant mortals aid begins, it was the mercenaries that usually dealt with monsters, and it took the sacrifice of the mightiest adventurer of his time, Albert Wallenstein, the mercenary king, sword champion, who's managed to defy and drive off the black dragon with his best attack, giving it a permanent scar by taking one of its eyes in an exchange for his life, thus earning the dragon another name as the One-Eyed Black Dragon, a true living testament from ancient times to both the strength of mortals and monsters alike.
Eventually, the Earth Emperor Behemoth and the Sovereign of the Seas leviathan would be slain by the two most powerful families led by the High Gods Zeus and Hera who claimed the thrones of Orario strongest. with the silence and gluttony as the ones that contributed the most in battle, They carried the hopes and admiration that they would finally be the ones who would bring down the black apocalypse and begin the true golden era of mortals.
At that time, before the age adventurers or the deities that comes and grant mortals aid begins, it was the mercenaries that usually dealt with monsters, and it took the sacrifice of the mightiest adventurer of his time, Albert Wallenstein, the mercenary king, sword champion, who's managed to defy and drive off the black dragon with his best attack, giving it a permanent scar by taking one of its eyes in an exchange for his life, thus earning the dragon another name as the One-Eyed Black Dragon, a true living testament from ancient times to both the strength of mortals and monsters alike.
defeating the earth emperor and the sovereign of the seas took a heavy toll on their own, it resulted in wounds and poisoning on most of the top combat executive adventurers to the point that they were greatly weakened, each from the two respective familia.
In the end, the silence and gluttony were the few remaining survivors under the true despair brought by the black apocalypse's onslaught, whereas the rest were annihilated completely unable to cope or survive with its despairing power.
Despite all that they have done in the past, a single mistake and failure is all they need. The people of Orario grant no sympathy or support and they desperately need someone to place their blame, despair, and frustration. It's said that the throne of the two mightiest families was usurped and dethroned by Loki and Freya families respectively, or it's the people themselves who placed them to replace the empty thrones...in order for hope to live on
Eventually, they were driven out, but some speculated it was themselves who had wished to leave willingly, after all, the few remaining survivors still wield great powers that few familia can ever hope to match, to serve a greater purpose or simply to avoid fighting another battle of such despair. Nobody could discern.
The truth will only be known by a few.
Some of the deities, of course, didn't always wish to serve the greater good. In Tenkai, where they originally ruled, they often fought to the death, lied, tricked, tried to sow discord and madness, obsessed with even laughable silly slights from other gods or goddesses.
Even after they came down from Tenkai, they still served for their own agenda, wishes and personal purpose. Some chose to create dark familias whose purpose was to continue that lifestyle. Most led under an organization called Evilus.
Hence, a great period of darkness begins.
Some speculate that Evilus was created purely for the sole purpose of seeking amusement from the suffering of mortals, or being evil for pure evil's sake.
After the great feud or dark era has passed with the death of past heroes, some evil gods,and their own created monsters. The Labyrinth City finally rests, more or less under a thin glass-like fragile peace-truce, with merely some small insignificant skirmishes, fights, and war games fought between families at most here and there to avoid too much bloodshed spilled among themselves and loss of valuable manpower to conquer the dungeon.
although it wouldn't be long before some deities cause trouble or destruction again for their amusement.
Of course, some deities who command enough power and riches of their own in the city barely care to even attempt to follow the strict rules. After all, at best, the guild could not force their acquiescence in certain matters, the few actions they could take against them is to figuratively punish them with some fines and warnings,
Mainly due to the fact that the guild itself is weak and doesn't have enforcers strong enough to match the strength of each of the deities leading their own factions in the city...
some may question why they didn't simply overthrow the guild and rule the city themselves, but the answer is clear for all to see, it's because the guild itself had maintained some semblance of order, that no one wishes to disrupt, as most factions more or less profits from the peace...
and other factions are always eyeing each other up, seeking weakness and loopholes to take one another down for being eyesores, whoever that provoked or shown their cards first would have been everyone's target...or some just doesn't bother, simply being too uninterested to care for petty stuff like holding a grudge and prefer to observe the starlight view of city lights than scheming in dark.
time passed...to the present
And now, a thrilled white-haired boy with sparkling ruby-red eyes who couldn't wait to seek advice on his finally arrived "fateful encounter" , he didn't' even care he was covered in blood and guts, running at top speed across the streets !
dripping monster's blood in places due to his speed here and there all the way to the guild hall, riling up waves of nausea and half-barf from passers-by due to the revolting smell and disgusting bloody sight, some horrified young children and womenfolk straight away fainted, who thought they had seen a wraith or murderer, and stalls owners along the street cursed the boy underneath their breath for ruining the business mood, staining products with blood, and so on...
Then came another black-haired boy, with the exact opposite features: blue eyes and a calm, cool face. With astonishing speed, he quickly somehow evaporated all the blood stains and trails before the stall owners could blink? He even bought and took the products that were stained by blood and placed the perfect amount of payment...!
he could do nothing about the fainted ones though...
Before the white-haired boy could have made an even greater fool of himself by screaming at the top of his lungs in front of the guild, the black-haired boy simply tackled him expertly, covered him with a newly bought towel, took a panicked and confused red tomato boy to a nearby deserted alleyway with some few onlookers who quickly run away.
...all the while managing to give a quick bow for scaring some of the pedestrians earlier to their confused and shocked looks...
"What is that for just now? A new type of fancy demonstration show for adventurers' weirdos and their speed?" (random person frowning and confused)
"Who knows...my idea? Let's just keep going on about our business and pretend it never happened, by the heavens... I still almost vomit..." (wise sage-like random person)
"Good idea, yeah. Agreed.Thanks" (all in unison)
In the deserted alleyway...
"Earnestly...(sigh) ..Bell San, I have half a mind to knock you out there, even if you are too excited to care...that appearance would have caused a heart attack to Miss Tulle if you weren't careful. What's the rush for?"
Aiolia, after cleaning most of the blood and wiping off the gore, wearily sighed and chided the boy who hung his head sheepishly and managed to look a bit apologetic, all the while still grinning like a sweet-toothed child who had found candy unexpectedly.
"I'm sorry, Aiolia-san. I have something very important that I must ask Eina san immediately regarding Ais Wallenstein information !"
... aiolia is stunned by the boy's sheer audacity of requesting someone's personal information, what drove the boy to such an extent?
Apparently it's important to the point that bell have to rush through streets with a crowd witnessing you screaming while covered in monster's blood and gore...?
(Aiolia dead-panned his eyes, which bore heavily upon a beaming, eye-sparkling bell. He sighed and chose to ignore the scene that's in the past...and the humiliating past would stay in the past if he could help it)
" Well... there's no hope in curing idiocy after all (aiolia muttered, looking defeated), and better you-"
well...the boy's already gone without a trace, he failed to quell the excitement that would have promised a good lecture from the half elf advert later...such good times...it... reminds him about...his own sibling...he smiled wryly...
(Like his deceased brother...when they played the role of undercover fools in the past...to scout places... he intentionally hid more of his pained features underneath his hood shade.)
he turned the corner of his eyes to the direction of the dungeon where he destroyed a good number of the minotaurs earlier with his supposed magic keraunos
...and he's weakened significantly as well...is it from going dormant for too long...or is it due to the fact he's in a different world?
there are rules and bounds that even he couldn't surpass...more so in another world...at the very least he still wield power enough to protect himself and others... perhaps that's for the best... power that's too destructive in a fragile world is never good...and the deities here acts goofy and childish, rather than theirs who's high and mighty, bloodthirsty for humans destruction...
he must get stronger now, since he already had a motive and something to protect in this world
he would have to arrange a meeting with that healer later to get a check up...after all...there are powerful monsters that could very well kill him easily in this world...and he would need further treatment for his own recovery to secure his safety and his friend's
(But still, although considerably weakened... the minotaurs he destroyed earlier... it kind of reminds him of his past adventures with his own adopted sister servant and morals mentor, in another time and a different world, on the site of the remote labyrinth, at the island of Crete...)
Aiolia could feel himself smiling wistfully whilst following the boy
...
...the half-elf advisor immersed herself in her work, drafting, signing, rearranging, forms, pamphlets, books others... while waiting patiently for her charge to return today...
Hopefully again safe and sound in one piece...
Now that she remembers it, that particular day where she meets a rabbit-like, bunny boy, or was it more accurate to say like a tamed cute al-miraj?
It was just a day just like any other of her usual job. But what happened would have surprised even herself...The half elf advisor thought with bits of happiness in her smile.
At first, when she had decided to take on such a job of being an advisor for adventurers who brave and roam dungeons, it was due to the high pay wages to support her parents back home...her mother is an elf companion that travels with a certain escaped royalty elf from the forest...due to hating the rules and reasons of needing to play princess.
And her father, a human, has to work hard to support them. She wishes to reduce their burden and comes to Orario to undergo a series of tests in knowledge of monsters, the dungeon landforms, and handling adventurers so on, so she could serve others as an advisor, a stable job with high pay and low risk.
She couldn't really understand adventurers at the time, who had chosen to delve into the dungeon despite there being other safer options...and her first adventurer is a human girl with blue hair, Maris Hackard, who would always quarrel with her in certain subjects of her sizes and shape due to jealousy of feminine charm...
she remembers faintly about their first quarrel, which resulted in them calling each other names...so on...
It is one of her most cherished memories... even though it's bittersweet in truth,when reminiscing it during her free time
Eventually they bonded together, and she is proud to call her friend in time. She didn't quite understand back then why her senior warned her not to deepen her bond with those she would advise, or try to venture into their personal affairs.
But eventually, she finally learned the lesson of the reason why with the hard way.
It came with the form of her first bonded adventurer friend's lifeless eyes staring blankly at the heavens above, a cold dead corpse carried that has been one of the few remains picked up from a wipe out adventurer party, with an arm missing, being devoured by the monsters they faced
...she always knew that it might happen, from the day she learned the basics of her job scope, that deaths, and maiming of adventurers is a daily occurrence in the dungeon, it's higher risk and higher rewards situation...
She just chooses to ignore that, and thinks maybe her first friend wouldn't be the one...and the pain and grief that comes with it is overwhelming...
And from that point on... no matter how many bitter tears she shed in her senior's comforting lap... the ones she took over eventually perished one by one until she lost count, turning deaf and numb...bags underneath her eyes from grief and unrest
... it's truly a living hell, every time a bond is formed... it's almost always a farewell that would have happened sooner or later...till she starts having thoughts of if herself is to blame, but thankfully her senior woke her up by saying she put too much credit on herself.
..She once thought about heeding her senior's advice and merely acted like an automaton within her own duty,no more no less.
But that would have been a blatant lie to herself; in truth she herself had seen the dreams and will of her friend Maris living in another form through their daily lives...
And if she simply gave up on them, not only would it have been an insult to her first charge living memory...and also simply cowardice, and so she changed, unlike her seniors who wore fake smiles and merely acted for the job's wages sake, she intervened and did more than her job demands in guaranteeing their survival,
starting by making recommendations first and then later escalate to the point of making certainty that they knew every bit of information to avoid incidents, forcing most of them to learn in extra-long orientations and info tests before sending them on their way.
She wouldn't let them go on risky "adventures".
Sometimes to the point of making certain the validity of information gained, she would have personally ventured into the dungeon herself or hired few experienced adventurers for certain tasks and quests.
After five long years of accumulating experience on the job, she managed to achieve a bit of change within her advisory colleagues shut-in, closed demeanor to newbies adventurers and opened them up gradually...
Later...she meets the two, a white-haired boy who bears the looks of a rabbit that would attract others to protect him...and another black-haired farmer boy?
Huh...weird...she could have sworn she had seen the farmer boy before with the same face passing farm goods even before she started working here...?
did he have elf blood running through his veins or something that slowed his age appearance..?... or could it have been her hallucination or a lookalike?
She became the white-haired boy's personal advisor mainly due to a moment's reckless thought: that her colleague rose mentioned the white one would have died soon enough with that goofy attitude, and even half jokingly bet on how long he would last.
However, her senior at that time is tensed, eyeing the other boy who's clearly unhappy, no doubt he heard their words, perhaps sensing unpredictable coming danger, danger that they couldn't brush off..although most can't see it due to the other boy being so calm and quiet.
...she saw it then, she could feel her heart grasped by dread,and her face blanched when wisp and little sparks of lightning magic crackling from the other boy who was undoubtedly annoyed and a bit angered,
but eventually he chose to defuse the situation, knowing that her colleagues didn't truly mean their words and intent, he returned to his normal nonchalant state when he quickly noticed her staring at him from the corner,
...so on that day, she chooses to rebel against that bet by pushing aside all the work assigned to her, adamant in her choice even when her senior tries to reason with her to give up on the white haired boy,
she simply decides to become an advisor for that white-haired one, swearing that she would make certainty of his survival by strictly ensuring the boy knows of all the secrets for survival, and to make her point to shut up her colleagues inappropriate bets in the future with the black-haired boy's aid.
"MMMMMMMIIIIISSSSSSSSSS EINA--!!!"
(hmm...so he made it back safely again today... that's already two weeks in total...she smiled reassuringly and encouragingly at the sound)
But this time...she heard him before he even arrived, even though she had heard him excited before, seems like he would have brought something worthwhile to record in her daily personal perspective recordings of the boy again
(she's delighted to hear his voice shouting, although a bit freak out by his high enthusiasm)
that habit of hers...it begins when her charge first celebrates an achievement in defeating merely a single goblin from the beginner floors, perhaps it's funny to others, but seeing her charge pure joy in such a meager achievement, it did bring her happiness as well.
how long has it been from that day...
This time it's as if the boy is about to burst from within, from excitement alone...she hurriedly fixed her glasses and straightened her clothes, calming herself, before he entered the guild hall in order to maintain an image of a high profile and professional advisor to present herself before them.
And now Eina Tulle, the half-elf advisor of the guild...is currently facing her favourite adventurer, Bell Cranel, who seems to be a bit red stained with... monster blood ?! and somehow over-excited, blushing fiercely and panting heavily for some reason unknown...?
A wild and excited bell barges into the guild hall, instantly rushing his way straight to her reception desk, startling her slightly, while aiolia enters calmly after and merely stands aside in an Inconspicuous corner, giving her a tired look, and a polite nod of acknowledgement.
"Please, tell me everything you know about Ais Wallenstein!"
"huh?"
...
...
she couldn't grasp the situation...she thought it would have been another boasting of defeating some numbers of beginner monsters again.
While aiolia merely closes his eyes, and simply gestures at the usual private room the two normally use for eina, wordlessly advise her to take the talk into private secrecy, in order to avoid the increasingly suspicious-staring crowd at the two.
Eina gives out an over dramatic sigh and complies, taking hold and dragging bell inside with a stern look, who's still too excited and sparkling to read the awkward mood...
Since weird muttering, and strange looks are increasing from just about everyone present in the guild hall..
(How peculiar...bell never has shown such a high interest for one of the top class adventurers in the past before...?What happened to be able to spark such a great interest in him like this...?)
once they're in the room, eina immediately starts to her ranting and scold bell in a strict way, determined to correct his recklessness behaviour and inconsiderate demeanor he showed earlier.
"slow down... firstly... bell, you can't just simply walk into the guild hall and just shout for someone's information !! causing such a disgraceful scene like that is inadequate in the first place ! others here would have started questioning if your sanity's intact, or you have been cursed to lose your senses, or if you're a natural-born weirdo if you behave like that..!?do you not care about your own reputation in public?! understand!!
"I am very sorry about that..."
"And you as well, aiolia san, i would have thought you'd have a better sense to restrain bell from making a complete fool of himself !"
the half elf turned and started to berate the other mysterious boy as well, whom she had acknowledged as the boy's friend, and half-caretaker
"i tried, but he failed to listen, tulle san, it still took me a while to clear up the gore and blood the boy's got from his earlier incident though, otherwise he would have been in an even more sorry sight..."
"what...?!"
aiolia closes his cerulean blue eyes, unmoved and casually takes a sip of his self brought tea in a bottle, caring little for the advisor's accusation ranting to give a proper reaction
(in hindsight, if aiolia truly wished to, there're some forceful alternative ways for him to stop bell from making a fool of himself, but he supposed he's still retained a bit of his mischievous and childish side from his past, and wanting to tease them...)
the boy finally calms down better after the half elf advisor gives him a severe reprimand, hearing the harsh words coming out of his advisor seems to have cut the boy deep...as hot tears are welling up in his eyes, like a sulking adorable little puppy...
And...it's still effective as always...making his strict, kind advisor crack a painful smile from the guilt of being overboard, she tries to comfort the sad boy by pinching the bridge of his nose as a little punishment with a warm motherly smile
"Well, given how fast people got bored...that weird reputation wouldn't have lasted for too long... most likely it would take a day or two, then people would soon forget all about it, but please... be careful next time, okay ?"
Bell nodded up and down as fast as he could. The half elf advisor, finally satisfied with the boy's promise and look of remorse, returns to the topic at hand, the boy's earlier strange request...hmm
"So, if I am not mistaken, earlier you wished to request information about Ais Wallenstein, one of the famed top adventurers in the Loki familia, is that correct?May I ask for the reason behind your sudden interest in her?"
"Errm... it's like this..."
And so the boy whispers as soft as he could about all that had happened in his delving of the dungeon today, with every second passing the boy's face turning redder having to talk about everything, he skips out on some of the details for his few dignities...
...from daring to venture off his usual route , to encounter and being chased, eventually cornered by a raging minotaur, and the fateful encounter of being saved from certain death by the top female adventurer, the sword princess,
He tried to thank her for the timely rescue, but his bursting emotions overwhelmed him, too shy at the time to do anything...in the end he cowardly ran away from her to the streets soaked in blood, finally being cleaned up by aiolia san and arrived here.
the more Eina heard about it...the darker and angrier her pleasant face quickly turns with each passing detail of the boy whispers l...! even a vein starts popping up on her forehead...
the motherly smile disappeared, replaced by disbelief and growing fury...
the boy gulped, knowing what was coming and braced himself while aiolia simply sighed heavily again, already blocking his ears while closing his eyes as well, preparing for the impending storm in the form of a harsh dressing-down.
"Ahhhh!!!!why don't you ever tried listening to my advice?!?!you went alone!? soloing deeper than you should from the beginner floors in the dungeon?! even without earlier preparation or knowledge of what you could possibly have encountered?! have you gone nuts?! how many times have I told you that adventurers shouldn't go on risky adventures?!?!"
"Y-yes, l promised that l have,l-learned my lesson... ma'am..."
the boy shrinks smaller into the sofa , teeth chattering, stammering his words as he trembles in guilt and fear from the absolute savage tirade of tongue-lashing, Which he definitely deserved for daring to ignoring the words of his caring advisor and almost gets himself killed.
-adventurers shouldn't go on risky adventures -
it's the half elf advisor's personal motto and sincere thoughts about those who would work and risk their lives as an adventurer delving into the dungeon facing deadly monsters, it may sound weirdly since it goes against its own words, but it's ultimately her true wish for those adventurers...to be not merely over ambitious but wise as well.
"-to gain maximum insurance and guaranteed self care safety in the first place, by gathering all info available and harsh training first before you risk your lives in the dungeon-"
it's what the half elf advisor aimed to carve it on every newbie adventurer, since their death rates are the highest amongst all of them.
"well, ms advisor this is sort of being quite unfair to bell if you researched the situation thoroughly...after all, the boy wasn't expecting to encounter a minotaur that's labelled as level 2 category monster in the 5th floor of the dungeon, since they would mostly spawn on the 15th floor, isn't it?"
aiolia shrugged casually and tried to speak for a grateful Bell's defense, while eina looked livid and tongue tied, but ultimately she could not refute his words. since nobody could predict what may happen in the dungeon where everything is possible.
"hah...how ...(eina shook her head)how annoying...I have no words to refute that fact that aiolia san stated, anyways...bell...just try to be cautious in the future, at least had aiolia or someone accompany you before attempting to delve into the Dungeon again...and also, the main reason you ignored my advice daring to venture deeper than the beginner floors...bell, are you holding some foolish daydream of that sort in the dungeon?"
(if I had gone with him each time...he would never grow out of my shadow and fulfill his own dreams, as silly as it may sound) (aiolia)
eina gaze sharpened and bore into bell, catching on something fishy on where this conversation is going...
"a tee~hee...haha, err...miss eina, ... about the information I requested earlier...can I hear more about it?"
the white haired boy looks a bit silly, being found out guilty so easily like that, the earlier assumption is obviously on the mark, so he tried to change the topic quickly,
in the beginning, it's absolutely the boy's most desired dream, of living the life like the famed heroes, building a harem and all after all it's his grandfather's motto that "real men seek to build a harem of cute girls and beautiful women!!"
..even his advisor was eyeing him suspiciously, shaving whatever self esteem and self worth he had at that time...and his friend simply gives the blank eye look, when he decides to make a big fat lie about his impure intentions during going through the necessary orientations and the procedures of being an adventurer.
since if he said the truth, most likely he would have been mocked at or even got a slap for a good wake up call...of that, he had no doubt, he himself had wanted the same thing once when he faced death in the form of the minotaur...
but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise truly,
(on this very day and moment, the newly reborn white haired boy would cast all of his past impure thoughts aside, with an honest reason to risk his life again in the dungeon, in order to gain his crush ...! )
it all happened because of that fateful encounter, the meeting with his heroine...
"well...(sigh), with the guild neutral standing grounds, it's prohibited by the common laws and regulations of Orario for a lowly advisor like me to share explicit info about top adventurers, reasons being for fear of assassination, attacks or harming attempts to the top adventurers, since powerful monsters can be take down by planning, the same could apply to the adventurers themselves by their nemesis or enemies..."
the half elf advisor holds up a finger to make her point of neutrality clear to the anticipating bell, while aiolia seems to be immersed in just drinking his tea.
"just to be clear with you, whatever knowledge that I could provide to you now should already be stale news, or known well by the public"
and so she started her descriptions and info briefing : Ais Wallenstein, currently one of the executives, a known swordswoman of Loki familia, her peak swordsmanship undeniably already marked her place as the highest among female adventurers...
... rumoured to have solo wiped out an entire horde of monsters in the lower dungeon floors equivalent to level 5, earning her the name "kenki", or more precisely, the "sword princess", even among the deus dea, her name and beauty were widely spread,to the point the gods and goddesses even grant her a name in the form of [aizu chan~the unparalleled beauty!! ]
(bell's eyes sparkled)(while aiolia stiff a yawn)
". moving on... ( clearing throat) according to this...some special news resources, many that attempted, male gods or mortals alike that had tried and get closer for the sole purpose of wooing her, somehow all ended up tragically crushed to their bones, mobbed by gangs, beaten up badly, gets their property all stolen...some deeds said to be done by Ais herself, others by her protective familia executives who didn't took kindly upon their relentless advances, or plotted by the goddess Loki herself..."
"...the victims are numerous enough that it creates a long list , adding on, currently it marked the thousandth kill high record till this day" ( bell paled)( aiolia shook his head)
"hmm...that's the gist of it all, there's simply too much info and small talks about her from these days, part of it as Ais herself is simply too popular, being a top female pro adventurer, natural-born beauty with high combat abilities and all, is quite the celebrity for rumours and news...so on... continuing..."
most of the Intel wasn't what the boy in love was seeking...so he decides to push a bit specifically for details to win her crush over, with both of his cheeks burning hot, he mustered courage and... asked, knowing it would expose his true feelings...!
but right now, it is his burning desire that won over reason...!!
"err...miss Eina...what I wanted isn't her news as an adventure...b-but... something like her hobbies, favourite food, maybe... something similar to the last part you said just now ?"
... silence...
...the half elf advisor halted for a moment,
Eina blinked a few times, finally caught on what the boy's is implying... even a daft fool would know the meaning of such a strange request, She gives a complex smile and chuckles lightly, meanwhile elegantly bringing her lips to the teacup to soothe her sore throat from talking with fragrant tea.
"Ah...so that's where this absurd enthusiasm of yours coming from...Bell, have you fallen for Miss Wallenstein as well ?"
"err.mm...N-nope,...kinda, maybe...yes(whisper)"
"Aha~ tis nothing to be ashamed of, she does have a great number of admirers that continuously grow, even I as a female that's the same as her, I could feel my heart skipped a beat when I see her..."
the half elf feels a bit dejected from losing in feminine attractiveness compared to another female in front of the boy...just like her friend's jealousy trait in the past...huh, it can't be helped, but she finally granted the most anticipated and desired piece of news that makes bell jumps up and bumps his fist together in triumph celebrating the best news he heard all day long.
(Aiolia shrugged in his corner, knowing the bell still has a long way to go, even with this news..)
the news being Ais Wallenstein is currently single and isn't dating anyone...
"well...as for hobbies and whatsoever personal matters, I have no idea about those...huh, wait a moment- ?! ( she suddenly realises she sounds silly, and her colleagues, Misha, the others who loved to tease her could very well have been eavesdropping outside right now on this conversation!!)
she sets down the pile of documents in a loud thud on the meeting table, forcefully intending to end this conversation before it gets out of hand.
"T-This is the guild's official workplace!! those stupid questions don't concern your job at all !! And I don't play MATCHMAKER-!!"
"Err ...you could try to be ...one? I guess?"
the white haired boy doesn't want to give up so early, surely the wise, gentle and all knowing half elf advisor could guide him to a way to win his crush's heart somehow...!
"NO and never !! if you have no further good inquiries related to your profession, just go home already!!"
she shuts him up, leaving the boy dejected...and trying to shoo him away by pushing him out, escorting him herself all the way to the guild lobby, while sending a death glare to the other boy who followed, merely stopped a while at one of the pictures hanging on the wall of the guild hall lobby.
Ζεύς, the picture read thus...then he scoff and continued on his way
the white marble halls of fame, that are decorated with pictures of famous past heroes and various gods, making the boy yearning for his dream of gaining a place by his crush...but the half elf advisor is having none of the lovey dovey nonsense anymore, side eyeing him with a you know what expression
"there are other things for you to consider as well, isn't that right?"
the boy sighed in reality, knowing well about his alarming financial problems... having barely enough valis to support his patron goddess and himself, if it wasn't for his friend generosity to rebuild the abandoned church property and bring some food... people might have mistaken his familia for beggars hideout.
"furthermore... you already received a falna from another goddess aside from Miss Ais's familia goddess Loki isn't it? to court another familia's adventurer would be next to impossible"
the boy nodded, even if it's a day of excitement and wonderment, life still needs money to continue normally... with his advisor to guide him to the magic stone exchange site...since he's too disappointed and depressed from reality...
...after a while... exchanging valis for magic stones that the boy earned in his delving, cutting off the necessary cost and all... it's bar
(but even so... theres a living proof of such a union...)(aiolia)
She states undeniable facts, the boy's desires dimmed as if life and joy itself has been drained out of him...so the half elf advisor changed the subject to business in order to serve as a distraction for the boy.
the boy nodded, even if it's a day of excitement and wonderment, life still needs money to continue normally... with his advisor to guide him to the magic stone exchange site...since he's too disappointed and depressed from reality...
...after a while... exchanging some valis for magic stones that the boy earned in his delving, cutting off the necessary cost and all of his debts... it's a pitiful amount...
... Eina speaks to bell something at the last moment before he heads home, making the boy burst out again and hugging the bright red faced half elf advisor, after sending the half elf advisor blushing and muttering gibberish, the boy happily agreed to meet him at night in the church after reporting to the boy's patron goddess first,
now that it's over... it's high time he settled his own business,
it's time to pay the healer a visit then...he just hopes that that bothersome healer with an attitude doesn't annoy him... again
...
words from the author :
this is just a dumb fanfic for me to kill time while waiting for my favourite authors fanfic update, it's only a crack fic and so on, being bad grammar mistakes and stupid ideas, probably gonna discard it once I ran out of ideas, so don't worry
so aiolia power levels are at least comparable to a level 5, near level 6 if he donned the full gold cloth( since the world of danmachi isn't happy he's here) and could use technique from some gold saints that he calls friend, not from aiolos though,
Aiolia has been living near orario for a long time and is simply farming, occasionally sweeping out stray monsters and idiots who tried to rob him, being on low profile until he meets bell