Is it Wrong to Live Transmigrated as Bell Cranel in a Dungeon?

by Meetra 0 Surik

A fan with partial knowledge of the series is merged into Bell shortly after Zeus left him. With no perfect recall, armed with vague knowledge from the anime and other fanfics - Can our protagonist use their knowledge to save OG Bell's loved ones? Can he save the world from the OEBD? Or will he fail everyone and himself? The answer will tell if it is wrong to live as Bell Cranel!

13. Chapter 11: The Underworld Resort

Is it Wrong to Live Transmigrated as Bell Cranel in a Dungeon?

Chapter 11: The Underworld Resort

"When the galaxy takes something from me, I want the power to let go… and I want the power to heal the echo… when it's gone."

Mira to Meetra Surik, KOTOR II

---

Main POV

As I started to wake up, I felt really groggy. And sore. I slowly blinked my eyes open, and after a moment things started to come into focus. Thankfully, it seemed I didn't accidentally lose my eyesight.

I was clearly in some kind of tent. I'd spent too much time camping Before to ever mistake it. It's the same reason I knew all of those useful knots. Thank you BSA for drilling all those survival/wilderness skills into me.

It was clear that I was somewhere safe. Which just left me wondering where on earth my friends were and how they were fairing.

I pushed myself up, my arms and chest burned in protest. "Welf? Lili?" I asked hoarsely, my throat was rather parched. I can't help but wince at how weak and sore I felt.

"Are you okay?" said familiar words from a familiar voice.

"A-Ais Wallenstein?!" I stuttered, my head instantly turning to meet the sound of the other occupant in the tent. My arms gave way under me, I hadn't meant to look around with such force or maybe my sense of balance was just off.

My eyes widened as I began to fall over, realizing that Ais was much closer that I thought she was. In the moments my face began falling forward, I could feel a spot on my back begin to burn; and I knew enough to know that was the spot where my Development Abilities were written down…

Any thoughts are disrupted as my face lands in between a certain valley.

Soft! Unexpected! Are the base thoughts that immediately run through my head, my damn reptilian brain being the first to process the sensation and reality around me.

Then the rest of my brain kicked into high gear, and I quickly pushed myself away from Ais. My face burned with embarrassment and a hint of arousal. Can you blame me? Hello?! Boobs are boobs!

"Sorry!" I apologized loudly, and quickly looked for anything to change the topic, "So sorry! But, uh, what are you doing here, Ais-san?"

"Ais," the adventurer insisted I address her informally.

"A-Ais…" I repeated sheepishly. Don't get annoyed with me, I'm just the kind of person that can't help but be overly formal at times.

Ais then answered my question, "We were returning from our expedition. For reasons, we needed to stop on the 18th Floor. This is our camp. I found you and your comrades at the entrance."

"Ah… I see…" I sighed in relief. It was good to hear that out loud. I mean, that much was pretty obvious at this point. But give me a break, I'd just woken up.

I look around the tent, and quickly find my friends. Both of them are still asleep, wrapped in a few bandages under thick blankets.

"Welf, Lili…" I sighed in relief. Though inside I was a little worried. But not just from the obvious concern about their health.

Something to keep in mind about Lili in particular is her transformation magic. When out in public and the first several Floors of the Dungeon, Lili would use her clienthrope disguise with altered facial features. It was only in private and deeper in the Dungeon did she put her real face back on.

I'm not sure why her paranoia allowed that, but not for her to bother going back all the way to her original race and form. The armchair psychiatrist in my head assumed it was because she hated the Pallum race for its lack of physical strength and stature.

The point was, Lili's true face was visible and so it was worrying for the sake of her concealment efforts. It's not like she could just change back either. Not that Loki Familia had seen her. It would give away the kind of magic she has. The most Lili might be able to get away with is changing her race back and just insisting that everyone must be mistaken if they claim otherwise.

"They'll be fine," Ais assured me, breaking me from my thoughts, "Riveria and the others healed them. They had taken a lot of damage… you were also in bad shape."

I only notice then that my own head has some light bandaging - I must have hit my head harder on the fall down to the 18th than I realized?

Ais then parted my bangs with her fingers and slowly stroked my head.

My cheeks flush pink as I feel her fingertips run through my hair. I was hardly expecting such an intimate gesture from the pretty girl. Then again, my hair was pretty thick. Hestia and Lili had both told me in passing that it was soft like rabbit's fur…

Ais then asked me, "Any pain?" She tilts her head to the side as she asks.

My whole body turns red. I can't help but think I'm just like Syr: I have high attack but low defense when it comes to flirting.

"T-thank you very much… for saving us, really…" Somehow I manage to force my body away from her gentle hands and express my gratitude.

Ais sets her hands in her lap and shakes her head from side to side. "It's nothing," she says with a small smile. I don't know why, but I feel really happy right now.

She slowly moves her head to look toward the exit of the tent. "Can you move?"

"Uh… Yeah," I answered, not entirely expecting the question.

"Finn told me… Our commander told me to contact him when you awaken. Come with me, would you?" Ais stands up as she asks and I give her a sharp nod.

I quickly climb to my feet. She offers her hand to help me up, but I can't afford to embarrass myself even more. Trying to display some amount of strength, I respectfully decline. There's a new shot of pain… Man this burns. I guess I took more hits than I realized. I wouldn't be surprised if I was hit by debris from the Goliath's attacks and just didn't notice it in the heat of the moment.

I follow Ais through the exit as she lifts the fabric door out of the way.

"Whoa…!" I gasp, taking in the sights.

A huge campsite comes into view. We're surrounded by trees, but the forest isn't that dense here. Tents have been pitched all around us. All of them are facing toward a central area. Large cargo boxes are sitting on top of tree roots throughout the camp.

It reminds me of my many times camping out in the woods. It's nostalgic, comforting, and a reminder of the beauty of nature.

Dwarves, animal people, elves… A surprising amount of them are women. Another group of adventurers, a mix of demi-humans, has a very serious air about them. But some are just talking, almost relaxing with one another. Two animal people are sitting beside each other in the grass. A dwarf and an elf, one leaning against a tree with his arms crossed while the other uses her hands to make gestures as she talks…

Their armor and weapons show signs of fierce battles, and yet their gear still sparkles. Whoever made their equipment was extremely good at what they did.

A party of adventurers from what could be called the strongest Familia in Orario… I can feel the aura of strength radiating from all of them. My body is instinctively trying to tense up defensively.

The members of Loki Familia then start to notice us in turn.

But they look right past Ais and straight to me. They don't seem all that happy to see me. Is it because I'm from another Familia? Or because I'm walking next to Ais? Both?

Ais tilts her head.

I felt like deadpanning as I mentally concluded that it was both but more of the second reason than the first.

A barrage of inquisitive looks keeps coming as I move forward, following Ais to the largest tent. I try to strike up conversation to focus away from all the looks.

The Loki Campsite is located on the top of an elevated portion of the Dungeon Floor, presumably near to the pathway to the 17th Floor. As such, while there are plenty of trees nearby, the ceiling of the 18th Floor is distant but still visible.

"How are the lights working down here, exactly?" I asked Ais.

"It's all crystal," She answered, "As time passes, the light will fade and night will fall."

I could see the crystals sparkle even from down here, I just didn't know the specifics behind it. Good to know there was still a day-night cycle. But most importantly, "...it's beautiful!"

Ais hummed her agreement, "Adventurers call this labyrinth utopia 'Underworld Resort'."

With that exchange, we found ourselves at the main tent.

Whatever conversation was going on in the tent before we entered stops. The boy-like figure sitting on some crates looks over at us with a polite smile, "Greetings. Ais has already told me about your situation… but if you don't mind, I'd like to hear the full story from you adventurer-san."

The person speaking to me has blond hair, very similar to Ais' golden locks. His eyes are a deep blue, the same color as a lake. Just standing in front of this Pallum boy is making every hair on my body stand on end.

No, it's not just him. There are two incredibly strong demi-humans behind each of his shoulders. I steal a few glances in their direction, but I avoid eye contact at all costs.

"Oh-ho, this that adventurer you were talking about, Riveria?"

"Indeed, Gareth. This is Bell Cranell."

A dwarf built like a stone fortress and a very refined elf. I can feel their gazes; just by listening to their conversation I know they're appraising me, judging me.

I'd be really nervous if I didn't regularly watch them get plastered at the Hostess of Fertility.

Okay, to be fair, Riveria never gets drunk and Finn only gets tipsy. But still, to me these top-class adventurers happen to also be regulars. So that somehow makes being around them even without my disguise as something easier to manage.

So I, slightly nervously at first, began to give my tale on my party's expedition before now. The main edit was a careful omission on the usage of Argonaut and Hiraishin.

This, of course, left things like my quick elimination of those Minotaur to be a little suspect. Which these high level adventurers definitely picked up on. They were just polite enough to not try to dig too deep into the specifics of my abilities like that. It's in bad taste and they know it.

Gareth was the first to comment after I finished my tale, saying, "So that's how you made it to the 18th Floor on your first trip to the Middle Floors? You did well to escape from the Floor Boss!"

"No," I denied, "It was only because of our teamwork and a lot of luck that we all managed to make it here. Still, before anything else, thank you for saving my friends!"

I thanked them with a sharp bow.

"I understand the situation," Finn said to me, "We will welcome you as our guests."

"I'm grateful for what you've done for us," I thank Finn again, "I'll be sure to repay this debt!"

"Nonsense," Finn dismissed, "If I left one of Ais' acquaintances to die, she'd never forgive me."

A glance at Ais herself revealed that her eyes were showing agreement with Finn's words, causing the other three Loki Familia adventurers to chuckle to themselves.

"Still, please allow me to help out around the camp. Perhaps there is some way we can assist you all on your own return to the surface?" I then start to bargain. I appreciated Ais' and Finn's assistance, but I wasn't expecting their help to be for free. Adventurers didn't work that way.

Finn hummed, then explained, "A monster poisoned some of our comrades with a particularly nasty venom. Our swiftest members left to fetch an antidote from the surface. We are planning on staying here until they return with the medicine. I'm sure there are a few things you can help around camp in the meantime. We can discuss arrangements for heading to the surface later."

"Of course," I said, understanding the logistics that Finn was still putting together considering the unexpected health issues in his expeditionary party.

I could also tell from the glint in Finn's eye that he caught onto the fact that my eagerness to help was to help settle the debt as quickly as possible. Thankfully, he seemed alright with playing ball. Maybe he was interested in seeing if the Hestia Familia could become some sort of vassal Familia?

Who's to say?

Ais and I leave the tent at that point. But right as we go through the tent-flap we run into a pair of Amazons.

"It's really him! The Argonaut-kun!" said Tiona, the younger of the sisters with the shorter hair and a chest of… justice.

"Hey there, Ais," Tione said with far more normal levels of energy.

"Tiona, Tione," Ais acknowledges their existence.

"You woke up!" Tiona said enthusiastically, "That's terrific, Argonaut-kun!"

"Uh, me?" I can't help but ask for clarification. They didn't read my Status two weeks ago did they?

"Don't mind her," Tione said to me, "It's just what this idiot likes to call you."

Tiona giggled, "We saw you fight that minotaur! It reminded me of that old fairy tale I was fond of!"

Bell's knowledge alone would have told me, but I did make it a prudent matter to read Dungeon Oratoria myself. So I quickly realized the literary parallel since the hero Argonaut's hardest challenge was against a minotaur-like monster.

If not for Ryuu-sensei's training, I wouldn't have even noticed Tiona as she glomped my arm. As is, seeing the blur and avoiding it are two entirely separate things.

No. That's not right. I could have reacted. Training from Ryuu allowed me to at least attempt to react to Level 4 speeds — my instincts had built to that point, thanks Liaris Freese.

It's that I failed to dodge. Not because Tiona chased me. But because the spot where Luck was located on my back had burned, distracting my instincts from lashing out.

My reptilian brain can't help but note that while Flat is Justice, flat doesn't mean nothing. Rather, in fact, this only means I finally understood what those capitalized words meant. I try to ignore the burning sensation in my back, which I now know is from my Falna and not just soreness.

"If you're in the Middle Floors, that means you're a Level 2, right?" Tione asked as Tiona rubbed her body on me.

Little son, remember, this is not the time!

Tione leaned forward closer to me, further emphasizing her scantily clad bossoms shielded by a small red top. "And you even beat a minotaur by yourself! You're good!"

Little son, stay down I said!

I tried to fight down my embarrassment and arousal, but based on how hot my face was I could tell it wasn't working. Is this what it means to have your reproductive instincts kick into high gear after going through a life or death struggle? Or is my teenage body just that horny?

…probably both. Fuck me. Not literally!

"He's blushing! So cute!" Tiona pointed out teasingly, having let go of me.

"A-ah, well," I stammered, trying to compose myself, "I-If you like hero stories, I could share some tonight or something– A-A-Around the campfire, I mean! I just! I–I know some stories you wouldn't find written anywhere else in the world, so…"

Somehow, my attempts to create a distraction aren't working as I intended. Even now, I realize that it totally sounds like I'm trying to hit on them. Kill me now. I'm so embarrassed with myself…

Tiona and Tione were looking at me smugly. Like predators observing their prey. I left myself wide open with that phrasing of mine.

"Ara? So you do have eyes on all three of us? How lewd~ Ecchi~" Tiona teased. Tione meanwhile giggled at my misfortune.

"Around the campfire I said!" I protested, my face burning hot like molten steel, "The only girls in my heart are–!"

I covered my mouth. My damn mouth was moving faster than my brain. Did I lose too much blood or am I just an idiot?!

Considering how I rushed my party too deep into the Dungeon… I must be an idiot. Which is unfortunate. It's easier to get more blood than to cure stupidity. Someone please have pity on my poor self.

I can already hear Eina-san's lecturing voice now. I'm going to get a stern talking to for sure…

"Oho! This one really is a rabbit, huh?" Tione said teasingly, brining my thoughts back to reality, "To think a cute innocent looking boy like you is hiding a side like that…~"

The way these Amazon girls are looking at me. I feel like I need an adult. Wait, I am an adult. Kinda. Shit.

There is only one option. Run.

"Speaking of campfires!" I proclaim, "I should go and start gathering the stuff for one! This was great, but I must get going!"

I didn't wait for a response before booking it. I could hear the sounds of laughter behind me as I ran. And while it was a bit mortifying, I couldn't help but feel a little happy at getting those girls to laugh. Maybe it was because I'd been in a bad situation until recently, that such positivity was so warming to my heart.

Don't get me wrong! I wouldn't do anything and everything just to get a pretty girl to laugh! I'm just saying that depression is bad and that joy is good.

Have I suddenly gotten really smart in the last minute?! I kid, I kid.

I paused then, taking a few breaths as I came to a stop in the nearby woods. A moment later, there was the sound of wind and footsteps from the leaves beside me. I didn't need to look to know it was Ais again.

I looked over to her, and asked, "Could you help me gather a ton of sticks and twigs? I'll find some good sized logs to use."

"Sure," Ais answered with a small nod.

And like that we got to work.

---

From my time in Scouting, in the place Beyond, if the other boys wanted a sustained fire large enough (but still safe) that you'd still flinch standing within 6 meters of it, I was the man for it. Honestly it was simple. With the biggest logs on the bottom, make two of them parallel, make the next layer rotated 90 degrees, and repeat. In other words, a 'log cabin' style fire. Completely fill the insides with sticks and twigs, maybe some dead straw or grass and you're set. Just keep on adding fuel to keep the thing going and remember to have a source of water nearby just in case. And a circle of rocks around, so that in case the fire falls over or spreads it can't get to grass or other foliage; there wasn't any need to worry about the tree canopy above since there wasn't one at the campsite.

It honestly didn't even take that long. With Ais helping me, we got a 1.2 x 1.2 x 4 meter log cabin filled to the brim - with spare firewood for a couple of hours - in just two hours.

Of course, I made sure to dip in to check on how Lili and Welf were doing. I checked on them several times, roughly every twenty minutes. It wasn't strictly necessary, as all their worse wounds had been healed. Even Welf's broken ankle. They just needed rest to supplement the magic used on them. Still, putting aside how important it was to be prudent, they were my friends so I wasn't just going to leave them hanging.

Heh. Leave. Leaf. I'm hilarious. Sorry, that joke only works for English speakers. Everyone here speaks 'Kione' otherwise called 'Common'. It's just Japanese though. The written script, however, is basically English. It's really weird, don't think about it too much.

Not the point.

Anyway, gathering the firewood was easy enough. If you've ever been camping in the woods, then you'd know that it's easy to find dead trees everywhere. Don't bother chopping down live trees. It's not good for the local environment, and since it was recently alive, there's too much water in them anyway. They burn horribly and sizzle as the water inside is boiled away.

Why were there dead sticks and logs when all of this was made by the Dungeon? Well, the Dungeon seems to like creating plant-life that goes by different rules than the monster-life it creates. So while monsters have magic stones, the plants and such don't. So plants and such can be harvested and not immediately turn to ash or something. Basically, the Dungeon is weird and fascinating.

Wait, this is also hardly important.

What is important is that after finishing up the fire with me, Ais was called away back to the main tent with Finn and the others. And while I was an official guest, it was clear that the other members of the Loki Familia weren't exactly thrilled to have an outsider amongst them. So I went ahead and retired to the tent being lent to my friends and I. While gathering the firewood wasn't particularly difficult, I could still use some rest myself after that long trek down to this Floor.

I watched over my friends the rest of the day - a modest lunch dropped off by Ais before she left as soon as she came. And I continued that way until the crystals on the ceiling dimmed - the outside looking like any other night on the surface.

I'd just gotten back to 'my' tent after lighting the campfire for everyone, when I noticed Welf and Lili both start to stir.

I gasped in excitement as I went over to their bedrolls.

"...Where are we?" Welf asked, confused and a little weakly.

"...Bell-sama," Lili said slowly, having noticed me right away.

"Lili! Welf!" I called out happily, "How are you feeling? Are you alright? Do you recognize me?"

These are important first aid questions in case they hit their heads or something you know.

"I'd never forget your face, Bell-sama," Lili said to me with a little wave and a weak smile.

It felt like my heart skipped a beat. My ears burned, not expecting Lili's words to deal such emotional damage to me. Damn, my flirting defenses are really low after all.

Welf grunted and said, "And if I can hear Lil'Lili flapping her gums, I guess I'm doing fine."

"Good to hear!" I said, if he was already up for banter, then he must be doing pretty good.

They're both clearly still a little bit woozy after opening their eyes, but once their heads are clear enough they sit up on their own. They stay on the ground, blankets covering their legs as I explain everything that's happened.

First, we made it safely to the 18th Floor. Next, the Loki Familia is taking care of us.

I try to be as simple and precise as possible - they had just woken up after all. Both of them sit quietly, staring at me until I finish. Then… they apologize.

"Lili's so very sorry, Bell-sama…"

"We held you down there… Sorry, man."

"Oh, come off it!" I rejected their words heatedly, to their shock. I continued saying, "None of you did anything wrong! It's not like we were trying to tackle all of the Middle Floors on our first try. We just wanted to dip our toes into the 13th and we were well prepared for that. None of us could have known that things would escalate like they did. If anything, it's my fault for pushing us to go deeper."

Honestly. The chances of that Far Eastern Familia, whose name escapes me for being really long, would happen by us just like in the show on presumably the same day? I couldn't replicate that if I tried. It was sheer coincidence. I'm not going to avoid pushing deeper into the Dungeon just because it might line up with potential events from the original. That just doesn't make sense.

But it is my fault for having us be down that far for as long as we were. I was too desperate for all of us to grow as fast as possible and my friends could have died because of my decisions. I'd have to live with that fact.

I then said to them, "Besides, without Lili's prudence with supplies and her knowledge on the Dungeon, we wouldn't have made it here. And without your anti-magic Magic, Welf, I wouldn't have been able to safely fight off all of those Hellhounds. We got the best ending because we all worked together. And that's that, you hear?"

"…Well said."

"We would've died if one of us wasn't here. Lili agrees."

Their confidence seems to be coming back. Their faces transform from grimaces into actual smiles. A moment later, all three of us wrinkle our faces as we laugh with one another. My speech was a little preachy. And it helps laugh away the lingering negative feelings.

After our little laugh, Lili spares no effort and uses her transformation magic. To my surprise she changed herself back into her original form.

"Looking good, Lili," I said, "but why…?"

"Transforming always helped heal Lili's minor injuries," Lili explained, "And besides, while Lili does not trust adventurers? there is nowhere safer than the Loki Familia camp."

Considering how I was the one who brought up the side-effects of transformation spells, it was clear that Lili's words were more for Welf's benefit than mine.

But nice try, young lady. Don't think I didn't notice how you were effectively dodging the question!

But before I could argue the point, it was then that someone opened the flap to our tent.

"…Dinner's ready. Are you okay?" Ais asked as she ducked in. She must have been looking for me since I'd been gone for so long. I had just started the fire for everyone to eat around. I had been told that dinner was almost done. Ais must have gone to look for me at the obvious spot.

"I-It's the Kenki!" Welf exclaimed in shock.

"Ais Wallenstein!" Lili said similarly.

If my life was an anime, I might've sweatdropped. Didn't I just tell them we were with the Loki Familia? I'll give them a pass since they recently got up.

"Thanks again for sharing food and shelter with us," I tell her, "I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing," Ais assured me, "Are you all able to come outside?"

"Sure," I say before turning to Welf, "How's the leg?"

Welf moves his leg and winces, "Best take it easy for a little."

"Gotcha," I said, going over to once again lend him my shoulder. With that out of the way. I lead my friends towards the roaring fire.

"Hey, Bell, so how do you know the Kenki?" Welf asked me.

Ah, they are more surprised that she is coming over to us personally instead of someone else in the Familia. Assuming that she is close to me would make sense. I mean, we are familiar with each other. I just forgot that others are unaware of that. I'd unknowingly been rather casual with her today so it slipped my mind.

"Let's say it's a long story involving a few coincidences," I tell him.

"Bell-sama, please tell Lili all about it sometime soon," Lili asked politely, with an undertone I couldn't place exactly.

I decided to tease her, "I don't think Ais Wallenstein is going to scam me, you know."

"Adventurers are adventurers!" Lili retorted - not that I ever asked her to, but Lili still was unable to let go of her hatred of Adventurers. Still though, I got the impression that wasn't her main concern.

"What am I then?" I ask her lightly.

"Bell-sama is Bell-sama," Lili answered simply, and perhaps evasively.

"That's descriptive," I deadpanned, which caused her to giggle in amusement.

We soon enough reach the center of the camp where my large campfire is raging, lighting up the entire clearing with its luminosity. I can make out a circle of adventurers around the fire - members of the Loki and Hephaestus Familias.

I could tell for sure because Welf seemed to groan as he recognized some of them.

All eyes are on us. We make our way to an empty spot and take a seat.

The moment my rear touches the ground with a 'plop', Ais sits down on my right. Lili takes a seat on my left and Welf on the other side of her. We've naturally sat down according to rank.

Neat. I certainly won't complain about sitting between two ladies.

Finn stands above all of us on top of a few crates, and speaks loudly over the crackling of the fire, "Everyone, please listen. As I've told many of you, we are hosting some guests tonight. One of which helped construct this fire we now all enjoy. These brave adventurers risked their lives for each other, and made it all the way here as a result. I won't ask you to be friendly with them. However, I would like you to respect them as fellow adventurers while they are with us… Now, let's have a fresh start and dig in!"

"Well said…" I said quietly to myself. It was a direct appeal to their pride as adventurers in an attempt to help avoid fights and conflict. A glance at Lili told me that even she was compelled by his words. If she was willing to relax a little, then the rest of these adventurers surely would as well.

Food is passed around at this point. I soon find myself with a nice meal of bread, a potato and beef stew, and a few other vegetables and fruits.

The gathering of adventurers proceed to dig into the food and engage in idle chatter. After a few minutes, Ais passes a yellow-orange fruit that's shaped like a gourd or a pumpkin but the size of two strawberries.

"What is this?" I ask, not recognizing the fruit.

"A fruit from the 18th Floor," Ais answered.

"Fruit from a Dungeon, how ironic," I utter before trying a bite. I quickly wince at the flavor. Maybe it was because Bell's body, who lived on a rural farm his whole life, was unused to sweets. But even with my memories of my western tastebuds, this was too sweet, even for me. Which is saying something.

Taking a look around, however, shows that all of the female adventurers of the Loki Familia seem to love the fruit. Just one bite and their faces melt, their hands on their cheeks. I can tell that shivers are running down their spines.

Scary.

"Bell-sama! Bell-sama!" Lili eagerly called out next to me, getting my attention, "If you don't like it, I'll have it!"

"Sure, thanks Lili!" I said, glad to not waste food, though I faltered a little when Lili made no effort to grab the fruit and instead opened her mouth for me to feed it to her.

Ah! I was almost caught off guard there! Thankfully, I remembered that time with Hestia at Monsterphilia, and so I wasn't too embarrassed at the scene Lili was making.

After smacking away Welf's hand that tried to snatch the fruit for himself, I fed Lili the remainder of the 'Honey Cloud' fruit - taking the stem back with me as Lili savored the sweet treat.

Lili's face visibly reddened, though that could have just been the lighting from the fire. She put her hand to her cheek as she moaned with pleasure.

Which caused me to blush, as I couldn't remember the last time I heard such a lewd noise. Lili's small stature from being a Pallum meant that I couldn't help but have my brain's first impression of her was that of a child. But at that moment, I was suddenly very aware of how womanly Lili's curves were.

Calm yourself, Bell! You're already crushing on multiple girls! Try to contain your damn hormones, me!

I tried looking anywhere but at Lili, and the closest thing to lock onto was Welf who towered over Lili. He was nursing his hand, but looking at me with a smug and amused grin.

Shit. He's going to give me so much crap for this later on.

A glance back at Lili showed her still lost in her own pleasure, and I shivered.

Worth it.

I'm a horny teenager (well teenage hormones anyway). Cut me some slack.

I go back to looking around, in order to help calm myself down.

Everyone in the circle around us is illuminated by the orange and yellow light emitted by the campfire. They're all eating, drinking, and chatting with one another. They look like they're having a great time, their shadows dancing on the trees behind them as several throw their heads back in laughter at the same time. This whole scene looks like a picture out of a standard D&D campaign or your typical medieval anime — a group of adventurers having a meal together, deep in a forest under a full moon.

I can see that they do have a few people surrounding the camp as lookouts, but everyone else looks like they're on vacation.

"Exotic fruit, a sky… There's supposed to be a town here, too, right?" Welf said, trying to start up a conversation.

"Really? That does sound familiar…" I said in reply. Thinking deeply about what I remember about this Floor from the show. A town sounds familiar. Something about it looking like some kind of shanty town with exorbitant prices?

I turn to Ais without thinking. She looks up from her plate of food and quickly nods, saying, "…Tomorrow, shall we go?"

"Yes, please!" I instantly replied. I, however, internally cringe as I realize how quickly I agreed to go on an outing with Ais. Something about an offer for going on an outing - and not a date - coming from a girl made it impossible for me to even think of anything but acceptance.

No, let's think about it logically. Learning more about the only town inside the Dungeon was just natural? And getting a tour from an experienced and trusted adventurer like Ais was a guarantee that you would be getting a safe and quality tour. In that light, my acceptance was just a logical masterpiece!

And Ais had tilted her head as she asked, with an expectant look in her eye. There was only one option for me to choose.

And I clearly chose correctly. Because Ais looked at me from the side, with a smile so small it was easy to miss but it was there either way.

"Hiya, Argonaut-kun!" I know exactly who it is even before I even look up to see Tiona walking this way.

Her older sister, Tione, is just a few steps behind and they sit down on either side of me. I couldn't help but jerk slightly. Somehow, I was surprised at how bold and uncaring about personal space Amazon girls were. I really should have known better.

"W-What's up?" I asked, stuttering at the intrusion of my personal space as Tiona got her face a little too close to mine.

"You gotta tell us that story!" Tiona said insistently, "You promised to tell us a story later, remember? Now is later! Think of it as payment for food and lodging, ne?"

I couldn't help but laugh at Tiona's excitement to hear a hero story. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you. No need to guilt trip me."

I coughed into my hand as I gathered my thoughts on how to convey the story of Spider-Man.

I began to regale, "In another world, where the only difference between Humans, Amazons, clienthropes, elves, and more is the color of their skin and the shape of their features, all people are about equal in their strength. There were no gods and goddesses from Tenkai to bestow the Falna. With no Dungeon or monsters, there are no monster stones to fuel industry. And magic is so rare that to all but a few it is nothing but Myth.

"Instead, the world of man improved their civilizations with the power of science. By using the natural laws of nature and existence to create great feats of engineering and technologies that you can hardly imagine. Towers made of metal and glass even higher than the Tower of Babel and cities filled with millions of people all on their own.

"Our story follows a man named Peter Parker…"

I then started to regale a version of his story based on the Sam Raimi Trilogy. How a shy, nerdy teen is bitten by a radioactive spider – a magic of sorts – and wakes up to find himself with spider-like abilities and immense strength. How he got into a fight at school, abusing his power. The words of warning from Uncle Ben, on what kind of man he would change into. That with Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. How he selfishly uses his power to make money fighting in the arena. How he let a criminal run off with the money he 'should have' won but was scammed out of, was scolded by the police, and responded that it wasn't his problem.

And how it was that very same criminal that shot his Uncle as he fled the area in a carjacking.

I had just finished describing how Uncle Ben died in Peter's arms – Ais' eyes burned with deep emotion, Tiona was crying, Tione was thoughtful, and Welf and Lili both had looks as if they seemed to have understood some great truth – when the sound of a woman's distress nearby was too noticeable to ignore.

"Why you…!" the feminine voice had yelled. As if pushed down something.

I was about to get to the part where he got that criminal killed in his revenge, and how it didn't make anything better. But I could get back to that later. Someone seemed to be in trouble. Monsters were on this Floor despite it being a safe area. They didn't spawn here, but they did come from above and below.

Wait, that wasn't just any woman, it sounded a lot like Hestia-sama was rolling down a slide. Just like the one nearby from Floor 17…

I bolted from my seat and ran over to the entrance from Floor 17. At the base of the entryway, even with the poor lighting, the sight of Hestia-sama wrapped in Salamander Wool was unmistakable.

"Damnit!" Hestia complained from her spot on the ground, "Nobody told me about that huge thing!"

"Hestia-sama?!" I exclaimed in shock.

There was a beat of silence then as we looked at each other in mutual shock.

Then Hestia's expression lit up in relief before she launched herself at me. She glomped me with her entire body, wrapping her legs around my waist as the force of her impact sent us tumbling backwards to the ground.

"Bell-kun! Bell-kun! Bell-kun!" Hestia chanted, almost hysterically in relief.

I smiled sadly, giving her this moment to vent her emotions. I'm sure she was worried sick when we didn't show up on time like we usually did yesterday.

After a few moments, Hestia pushed herself up, but continued to straddle me. She caressed my face and then pinched my cheeks and said, "Bell-kun! Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me. This is reality," I managed to get out despite the pulling she was doing on my face making it harder to make words.

Hestia then shuddered as she looked down, she choked out, "I-I'm s-so r-reli-ieved!"

She was lightly crying, and for a moment I couldn't help but be shocked at the sight. I'd never seen her cry like that before, I was stunned at the mere sight of it. Something was just inherently wrong about it. Hestia only deserved to be feeling happy thoughts and emotions.

I couldn't help but feel guilty for making her feel this way. But what could I do? It is the nature of this line of work for death to be waiting around every corner. It's why making any kind of deeply personal relationship with Eina-san is so difficult.

But this isn't about her right now. Right now, my Goddess needs to be cheered up. So I lean up, take Hestia into my arms, and hug her so her face can rest on my shoulder or the crook of my neck.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," I apologized softly as I rubbed the back of her head. Her hair, while a little sticky from sweat, was still as silky smooth as always.

She hummed into my neck as she hugged me back.

"How long exactly do you plan on being so lovey-dovey in front of Lili!" the Pallum girl exclaimed from behind me. I heard the footsteps of Ais and Welf as well behind me.

Hestia's head bolted up, and I assumed she was glaring as she yelled, "Don't ruin our touching reunion!"

Lili retorted, "Bell-sama got hurt protecting us! He needs to rest!"

Hestia then let go of me in shock as she pointed, "Ais Wallenwhatsit?! Why are you here?!"

Lili, apparently, took advantage of Hestia's loosened grip to tackle the both of us. Before I could blink twice, the two girls were having an impromptu wrestling match. Or at least, that's what it looked like.

It… it was kind of hot…

FOCUS BELL! Find your motivation! Damn these teenage hormones!

I shook my head and looked back towards the entryway from the 17th Floor as more figures emerged.

The first was a pair of girls. Two very familiar girls.

"Cranel, you are safe?" Ryuu asked me, in her adventuring gear. A green flower-shaped hood and with a white sleeveless top underneath. A pair of long, brown gloves and boots with a white sash around her waist where she keeps her wooden sword and a pair of short swords. A pair of green spats that show off her voluptuous thighs.

Focus! Me!

"Oi!" Chloe Rollo yelled at me, "Eyes up front! I– A monster could have killed you ten times over with how focused you were on Ryuu-chan's thighs, nya!"

The former assassin was wearing a top, shorts, and hooded cloak that she used to cover her face. It screamed normal and sketchy at the same time. Perfect assassin's garb. Though she did have pouches and such. I could just barely make out the knife she had hidden on her person – not counting the hidden blade bracer on her arm.

"R-Ryuu-sama! Chloe-sama! You guys came too…?" I asked in shock. Something about this series of events felt off. I wasn't exactly aiming on repeating the disastrous first attempt into the Middle Floors. But I remembered enough to know that of the Hostess Girls it was only Ryuu who ever really kept taking back up their sword.

Chloe was definitely not here in the original.

"Indeed," Ryuu answered simply.

"The rest of the girls wanted to help too, but they've got their own problems. Mainly Mama," Chloe explained.

That was explanation enough. Anya seemed terrified of the Freya Familia - where it was well known that Freya was headquartered at the top of Babel Tower overlooking the Dungeon. And Lunoire was especially desperate for a more 'normal' life – so she was likely even more rusty with her skills. After Ryuu, Chloe is the next most fit for such an expedition.

Chloe then said, whispering into my ear, "We Hostess girls gotta stick together, you know?"

I can't help but smile appreciatively and wince at the same time, "The sentiment makes my heart go 'doki, doki' but it also deals a different kind of emotional damage…"

Chloe laughed before patting my shoulder. She then pouted as I smacked away her other hand from attempting to grope my rear.

"Why'd I even agree to teach him again…?" Chloe muttered jokingly to herself as Ryuu pulled her away by grabbing Chloe's cloak.

The next figures were ones I'd seen once before.

"Yo," Hermes said with a two-finger salute, with his ace Asfi next to him.

"Hermes-sama, I'm surprised to see you!" I said.

"When I heard you were in trouble, I knew I had to help out my dear friend Hestia," Hermes said with his usual grin as we shook hands.

Hermes then pointed back to the entryway and said, "Though we would have had a much harder time without those children."

There was a small group of adventurers over there. One was a young woman with aqua-blue hair and silver glasses. The other three wear matching armor — not only a sign of them being from the same Familia, but that they hailed from the Far East. There is a shining emblem on all of their armor: a sword sticking out of the earth.

"…Hey, Bell," I notice them even before Welf points them out.

Those people are… I've seen those bluish purple eyes. They were glazed and filled with tears on Floor 13. That must be Mikoto. Yes, I remember her vividly now.

The mood darkens.

This… is going to be a lovely conversation.

---

"—Our deepest and most sincere apologies," Mikoto pleaded from her position on the ground.

We were back in the tent provided by Loki Familia. We had come back here after meeting up with the group led by Hestia-sama. Ryuu-sama, Chloe-sama, Hermes-sama, and Asfi didn't come with us. They were waiting elsewhere while we had this more private discussion. Party to party.

The girl in front of me has her knees, the palms of her hands, and her forehead pressed to the floor in apology.

"Whoa…" Hestia and I take a step back at the overwhelming, almost divine power of her stance. Of course, this reaction was more of an inside joke rather than actual shock.

So this is Takemikazuchi Familia's ultimate technique: the dogeza bow…! That was a joke, but it was still something to see someone else actually use right in front of you.

The other two members of the Take Familia had far different attitudes. The small girl seemed to shrink in on herself. While the male had his arms crossed defensively. He seemed resolute and unapologetic.

"…All the apologies in the world won't be enough for Lili to forgive you. We almost died."

"Yeah, this isn't about to go away with a few words."

Lili and Welf, however, aren't fazed by the full-body bow. They stand tall and speak with a serious edge to their voices. And I can't really blame them for feeling upset. It was a pretty shitty situation. And proof that heroism from adventurers was actually a rarity and far from the norm.

Mikoto raised her head to meet Lili's eyes. She keeps eye contact as she raises her body into a kneeling position, "Your anger is justified. You are free to berate us to your heart's content."

"Um, you see, really… We are very sorry…" The shy Chigusa stuttered as she spoke, her eyes hidden by her bangs. Mikoto, on the other hand, spoke clearly and with great remorse.

Passing off monsters to other adventurers in the Dungeon is normal. So much so, in fact, that many adventurers consider it a necessary tactic for survival. No one expects it to happen to them… but as long as there is no malice to it, all adventurers are expected to accept that they could be on the receiving end of a pass parade at some point. At least that's what I've heard from Lili. She's likely biased, no she definitely is, but she is also just as likely to be entirely correct.

However, in our case, coming so close to the line between life and death because of their stunt has left a sour taste in my friends' mouths. Even Hestia crosses her arms and lets out a long "Hmmmm" as the drama unfolds before her. This much was obvious just from their facial expressions.

"If anyone's at fault, it's me. We got in over our heads and it was on my order. But I don't think what I did in the end was wrong," said Ouka as his towering frame steps in front of Mikoto.

I slightly frown at him. He doesn't shake or quiver at all, a mountain in the middle of the tent. It's readily apparent that he consciously chose the lives of his friends over the lives of complete strangers.

He was prepared to face this kind of outcome the moment he gave the order to pull a Pass Parade after his attempt to grind via Monster Lures became too much to handle; all for the sake of his allies. There is something to be said about that kind of resolve. But I also can't help but find a flaw in it.

Welf looked ready to retort viciously at Ouka's words, but I cut him off by raising my hand.

I harshly looked at Ouka and said, "You may not have done anything wrong as an adventurer. But I think we all know you did something wrong as a human being. Someday, you'll have to choose what you'd rather be. Remember that."

Ouka looked shocked at my words. Out of my periphery, I could tell that Welf and Lili at least were surprised as well.

With my reprimand out of the way, I softened my gaze, "That said, while I can't forgive you for putting my friends' lives in danger. I can forgive you for risking mine."

"Huh?" Damn near the entire tent said at once.

I gestured to my friends, palm facing the ceiling, and elaborated, "It's up to them to forgive you for what you've done to them. That's not something I can speak for them, even as their party leader."

I then faced him directly and said, "But as someone who took up a vow of heroism, to save those in need, I already resolved to put myself in harm's way to aid others. So, really, the only thing I'm upset about is how you put my friends in danger - not just myself."

Ouka seemed surprised, before eventually saying, "...you're being serious."

It seemed he had trouble believing my words. Mikoto and Chigusa were looking at me in disbelief.

Glancing in my periphery showed that Lili was looking at me with a mixture of exasperation and 'why am I not surprised?' Meanwhile, Welf looked like I took all the wind out his sails.

"That said," I concluded, "I can't blame you for wanting to save yourself and your comrades. I'd surely be tempted to do the exact same in those circumstances."

After a moment, I heard Lili sigh, "If Bell-sama is willing to let you off the hook, then there is nothing more Lili can do but follow him."

"I'll let it go for his sake," Welf sighed before growling, "But I am never going to be chummy with you."

"Good," Ouka said with a nod, he seemed to be relieved that the rest of my party was following the normal script, "That's how it should be."

A good portion of the tension was gone at this point now that our collective beef was resolved for the moment. Which is just when Hermes and Asfi entered the tent.

"Hello again, everybody. We're back. Loki Familia was very understanding of our situation."

So that's where Lord Hermes and Asfi disappeared to. They were getting permission to stay at the camp from Finn and the other leaders. How polite.

"My, my… What's going on in here, Hestia?" Hermes asked his fellow deity.

"Oh, you know. This and that," my goddess's summary is a little bit too brief, but Hermes seems to be satisfied with it and puts on a smile larger than I thought possible.

"No need to think so hard about this! Look at it this way: Mikoto here owes you a big favor. At the same time, you want a chance to atone — am I right?" Hermes said, winking at the girl still kneeling on the ground.

My spine tingled at Hermes' expression. I had the sudden impression that Hermes was scheming something.

"Of course we do…"

"Think about it, Lili. Should the time come, you can have them bend over backward to help you out of a sticky situation. Doesn't that sound good?" Hermes proposed.

"…If the time comes," Lili hesitantly agreed.

Hermes moves away from Lili and Mikoto's impromptu staring contest and turns his attention to Welf and Ouka.

"Welf. Sure, this group in front of you got you into one heck of a mess, but they came down here because they wanted to help you. My presence had nothing to do with it."

"…Like I said, I'll play nice. But don't think you've been forgiven."

"Yes… That's fine."

"Now then, what are the plans from here on out?" Hermes smiles again and opens his arms as if nothing were wrong in the first place.

He then gestured towards Asfi. The girl looks a little perplexed but comes forward anyway.

"First of all, concerning our return to the surface… We will leave this floor once Loki Familia slays the Goliath. It's in our best interest to avoid danger."

All of us nod in agreement.

"Loki Familia will move out two days from now at the earliest," she continued.

"Which means we have a whole day to kill… Since we're already down here, why don't we do a little sightseeing on the 18th Floor?" Hermes then suggested something that everyone was quick to agree to.

This may be a safe point in the Dungeon where no monsters are born, but it's still the Dungeon. We decided to stick together as a group. Classic buddy system. Considering that Ais had promised to take me to the town tomorrow, we agree that that's where we would go. Hestia was particularly vocal about it.

Our planning session ends rather quickly. Now all that's left is to get some sleep.

"Oh, that's right. Welf."

"What is it, Hestia-sama?"

The ladies had claimed the right to sleep inside the tent, so the men were on their way outside to keep watch and find a comfortable place to lie down when Welf was pulled aside.

Hestia had also called over Chigusa and received a long, weapon-like thing wrapped in white cloth from her.

"This is something Hephaestus was holding on to. She also had this to say. Let me see… 'Stop compromising allies for your pride'… or something like that."

"…" Welf was silent as he took the weapon from Hestia and quietly walked outside with me, as I was holding the tent flap open.

"Welf?" I asked him with concern.

"…It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he responded to me, but he never took his eyes off the cloth-covered thing in his hands.

I'd like to pry further, but I doubted he had the energy for another civil and emotional conversation. So I shrugged and went over to the smoldering remains of the fire, to safely ensure it was put out before turning in for the night.

---

An hour or so later, Welf stomped over to me and grabbed me without a word. I silently in confusion let him drag me into the Loki Familia campsite and into one of the tents.

I quickly deduced that it was the all-female tent the Loki Familia was using. What with all the bedrolls and the women. Only Ais and Riveria were missing, at least from what I could tell at a glance.

I felt like one of those protagonists in a shitty anime that has to go to an all-girls school. Scary.

Leifya, the amber haired elf, was especially angry at my presence. I wondered what on earth I was about to be subjected to as Welf bolted and I knelt down in front of everyone.

"…U-um… why am I… here?" I shyly asked, intimidated at the amount of feminine adventurers that could kick my ass for the slightest, well, slight.

"Ho-ho-ho. So you're Bell Cranell. Welfy's done sold you out! You'd best prepare yourself." Tsubaki, the Level 5 Captain of the Hephaestus Familia, laughed nefariously, looking more and more like some kind of evil magistrate. She was a half-dwarf whose skin-tone could be mistaken for an Amazon. She was famous enough for me to recognize her in a glance – thanks Eina for letting me look through the public database.

"S-Sold out…?!" I couldn't help but gulp. Did Welf owe these people money or something?! I can't tell if Tsubaki is just mischievous or being serious.

Sitting there now as part of this Loki Familia emergency summons, surrounded entirely by beautiful women (at least one of whom seemed to want him dead), I wouldn't be surprised if I looked very much like a scared little rabbit with nowhere to run.

"We're not gonna bite, so you can calm down, okay? Consider this payment for the room and board, hm? Just answer a few questions for us, and then you can leave," Tione explained, keeping her tone cordial and neighborly. Once again using their hospitality as a tool to get me to go along with their demands, not that I minded.

Oh, just an interrogation? I could handle that. I could feel my shoulders relax marginally.

"Eh-heh-heh… Argonaut-kun! It's Argonaut-kun!" Tiona was practically rocking back and forth atop her crossed legs as she eagerly eyed me.

Her eyes glimmered with excitement. I had the feeling our shared love of hero stories made me one of her favorite people or something. "Hey, hey! You know a lot about legends of heroes, right?"

What did I just say? That's all but confirmation. Not that I minded, Tiona was really growing on me. It helped that her innocent love of hero stories (and small chest) totally destroyed any romantic vibes. As someone who didn't have female friends for the longest time, I didn't mind making up for it in this life.

"Er… I could probably recite the Dungeon Oratoria verbatim…" I reveal sheepishly. Bell had read the collection of stories almost religiously. When I, myself, had done another read through those memories had solidified to that point.

This only excited Tiona all the more, and she promptly began testing me.

"Then who's the lady who Sir Garrard saves, huh?"

"Queen Altis…"

"Then, then, where did Giorgio the Dragon Slayer kill the dragon?"

"Lake Sirena…"

"Then, then, then, what weapon did he use to kill it?"

"A spear-like holy sword… and a maiden's ribbon."

"Awesome!" Tiona cried out buoyantly when I answered every question correctly. Her face flushed with excitement, she leaned forward in visible anticipation. "Right, then, Argonaut-kun! The story of Arcadia—"

"Ahh, put a cork in it already! We have more important things to talk about!" Tione cut in, it would seem we were starting to try the sister's patience.

Tiona grumbled with a little pout as a couple of girls whose names I didn't know chuckled to themselves at the fairy-tale-loving Amazon's antics.

"Getting back to the topic at hand, do you know anything about a spirit called Aria?" Tione asked, moving right along.

"You mean the great spirit of the Dungeon Oratoria? The one closely connected to the life of Albert the Great? That Aria?" I asked in clarification.

I knew enough from fanfics that those two were Ais' parents. And that I should definitely not be aware of that fact. Best keep that to myself for the time being.

"Yeah, yeah! That one!" Tiona replied happily.

As the legend was one of the world's most well-known fairy tales, its basic details were known to just about everyone — the name of the hero, Albert, for instance. It was like asking someone to recount the story of Cinderella; damn near every American knows the gist of it.

In any case, I knew that there were a fair amount of discrepancies in the stories and legends passed down among the different races, mostly as there was a tendency to put one's own race's heroes on a pedestal. Which was hardly surprising, in hindsight.

A hero in the dwarven legends, for instance, was nothing but a stubborn, bigoted coward in the holy book of the elves. And in Amazonian stories, it was one of their own warriors who slayed the legendary beast, while the beastmen claimed no, it was one of their thieves.

Needless to say, opinions varied greatly. Information on the legends ran rampant with bias, and there were few experts on the subject to begin with. The "official" origin stories recognized by the gods were neither read nor acknowledged, as the races much preferred to believe in stories reflecting their own pride and dignity. Dungeon Oratoria was merely one of these god-sanctioned legends. It was a massive epic spread across multiple volumes, some of which had been lost to the sands of time, making those who'd managed to read it in its entirety few, indeed.

This wasn't like Renaissance Europe where Kings and Lords were paying people for knowledge on arts and sciences. So nobody bothered to become an expert on the subject. Except for Bell. Go figure.

Even describing the existence of the inconsistencies seemed to impress a lot of the listeners.

"Okay, what about the story where Aria cuts herself in order to share her blood with someone…?" Tiona asked somewhat nervously.

"Hmm…" I hummed in thought, that wasn't ringing any bells. "I don't think I've ever

read that one, no…" It definitely wasn't in my copy of the Dungeon Oratoria.

"All right, how about Aria protecting an injured human? And that human going on to have descendants of their own?" Tione followed up in rapid succession.

"...Nothing exactly like that was recorded in my version of the book" I responded hesitantly.

A sense of gloom settled over the group. They appeared to have hit a brick wall.

"Although…" I said slowly, unable to stop myself from throwing them a bone. "I'm not sure about 'descendants,' per se, but… Albert the Great did supposedly have a child."

"What?!" Tiona burst out. "I've never heard anything about this!" Her eyes grew as round as saucers. "Did you read the original version? The very first one from a thousand years ago?"

"Erm, well… no, but… it was more like… something my grandpa drew," I answered sheepishly. Tiona blinked incredulously.

Even Tione and the others were taken aback.

"Did you grandfather… write picture books?" Tione's eyes narrowed in scrutiny.

"Haha… hahaha… erm, well, how should I put it?" my face twitched as I let out an awkward laugh.

I could tell that they were thinking that my grandfather told me more of a dramatization of the story to appeal to children, not something they could actually rely upon for facts.

That was what the majority of the tent quickly thought to themselves, since their concentration was obviously waning.

It's not like I could tell them my gramps was Zeus. I wasn't even supposed to know that information.

Well, I mean, I could tell them gramps was Zeus, but I had the impression that mentioning the Zeus and Hera Familias to people from the Loki Familia of all people wasn't the best idea.

Tione, however, remained intensely focused on the conversation. "What happened to the kid, then? I remember at the end of Albert's story…"

"Yeah, he was involved in the final battle… but he just disappeared," I answered her last question. The final battle referring to when Albert managed to injure one of the Black Dragon's eyes.

"By the way, who were the women in his party again?" Tiona continued, "I mean, if he had a kid…"

"There was, uh… the Amazonian Empress Ivelda and… the High Elf Queen, Celdia," I answered. And the moment the High Elf's name passed from his lips, every Elf in the tent was on their feet.

"—And just what the hell are you implying here?! Celdia-sama is an eternal saint! Devoid of impurities! The pride of our people, who left her own home on a quest to save the world! It's unthinkable that she would ever have a child with someone of another race!" The elf with golden hair and green eyes yelled at me.

"All our nobles are descended from Celdia-sama's younger sister Rishena-sama! Including our very own Riveria-sama!" Lefiya continued.

My eyes popped at the sudden aggression; even Tiona and the others were startled by the outburst from the two red-faced elves. How on earth was I implying anything?! I was just listing the female members of Albert's party! I hadn't insinuated shit!

"We already have our own bumbling stooges calling themselves 'royalty' and spreading rumors about some 'orphan' of Celdia-sama's starting their own sect or what have you… and now you're saying we should believe them?!" the unknown elf girl continued to yell.

"A violation of her majesty!" Leifya agreed with the other elf.

"The illustration wasn't even of an elf!" I angrily retorted, unable to tolerate the unreasonable attitude towards myself. Is this the rumored Elvish pride that Ryuu-sama hates so much?

There was a beat of silence as people seemed surprised at my outburst.

I couldn't stop myself from saying, "If anything, it looked a whole lot like Ais–!"

My eyes widened as I realized I totally spilled the beans.

Everyone looked at me in shock.

"W-what did you–" Tiona began to ask, but I knew that this conversation had already entered dangerous waters and I needed to leave five minutes ago!

"W-well this was lovely! I'll finish the story about Spider-Man later! BYE!" I made excuses as I got up and bolted through the tent flap behind me.

I think the only reason I got away was because my inadvertent revelation surprised them so much that they couldn't react.

I held back a sigh of relief as I made a break for it into the surrounding forest.

I wasn't going to take any chances and so I figured I'd hide out in the forest for the night. Using all my wilderness survival and recently learned 'assassin' skills, I laid a false trail and snuck away into the woods – hoping to track down where Ryuu and Chloe were staying.

Thankfully, Chloe seemed to have left some signs of where they were in the woods. Maybe she knew I might come and try to look for them?

I was about to enter the small clearing where Ryuu and Chloe seemed to have set up camp when the hairs on the back of my neck shivered and my Luck Ability began to burn.

I swiftly turned around just in time for a silhouette to pounce on me. I fell into the clearing with the other person on top of me – my face covered in something soft, which made it harder to breathe. My hands had grabbed onto the person who jumped me as I had fallen. Without thinking, I clenched my hands into the person on top of me and found the parts I grabbed to be incredibly squishy…

A girlish voice made some kind of combination of a yelp and a squeak. A voice I realized was Chloe's. And considering my sight was already adjusted for the low light levels, I finally realized Chloe's bust was in my face. Which meant I was grabbing her… her…!

My hands bolted away from Chloe's butt as I stammered, "I-I'm s-sorry!"

Chloe, who had pushed herself off of me, but was still straddling me, looked down at me with an embarrassed blush, "I was supposed to grope you, not the other way around, nya…"

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized again, putting my hands together as if in prayer.

"Well~" Chloe said mischievously, "Maybe if you let me–"

"Denied."

"Denied."

Ryuu and I both said at the same time. I looked at her in surprise, having not noticed her presence until now.

Chloe shuddered, "Scary…"

I'm not sure if Chloe's reaction is from how Ryuu and I spoke in unison, or the sharp look in Ryuu's eye.

Why does Ryuu look so upset anyway? Maybe her elvish sensibilities find such 'public' affection to be offensive. Let's go with that.

Ryuu, thankfully, pulled Chloe off of me and I got to my feet.

"So!" Chloe said, "What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Ah," I began to explain, "Some of the Loki Familia were asking some tough questions. So, after informing Welf, I decided to hide out in the woods for the night. I figured I'd check up on you guys while I was at it."

Chloe then grinned at me, "And because you wanted some strong girls to make sure those big bad monsters didn't get you in the night."

"Er, well, you aren't entirely wrong…" I said with a wince, my secondary objective being sniffed out by the cat person.

"Cranel does seem to need proper rest," Ryuu commented before walking closer to me.

Without prompting, Ryuu began to chant, "The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you. Noah Heal."

Even though I've had it used on me what feels like a hundred times now (1), I'm once again awestruck at the sight of Ryuu's magic. Having been from a word without magic, I don't think I'd ever lose the wonder I feel getting to see it in person.

With that being said, it also meant I was an expert in what Ryuu's healing magic normally felt like. And the spell she had just used on me was easily the strongest I'd ever felt it.

"Wow, Ryuu-sama, that felt even better than normal!" I couldn't help but comment on it.

Ryuu bonked my head, "Drop the 'sama'. And that's because my spell works better in a forested environment."

Before I could say anything else, Ryuu demanded idly, "Sleep. You've had a long few days."

She then walked off, presumably to keep watch over this little camp.

Chloe slapped my butt, "You heard her! Get some rest, unless… you'd like to spend it with…~"

"Goodnight, sensei," I said dismissively with a wave backwards as I walked away – hoping no one caught my blush as I went to make myself comfortable. Trusting that Chloe wouldn't molest me in my sleep…

Why did I think coming here was a good idea?

---

Other POV

Finn was taking an early morning walk through the camp. It was a rare moment of peace for him. In between returning from everything that happened on Floor 59, planning the logistics of their current encampment, and hosting guests — Finn had his hands full. It was for those reasons he was taking advantage of a rare moment of solitude and serenity — or at least as much as these woods below ground would allow.

And it was because of that early hour, that he was surprised to see anyone up and about.

Even more so, it wasn't a figure he immediately recognized. For there was no one that small even among the Hephaestus Familia smiths that had come with them.

But he did recognize the figure after a moment. It was a fellow Pallum, a girl who had come down to this Floor with Bell Cranel.

He wasn't surprised it took him a moment to recognize the young woman. When he had first met her as Bell Cranel faced that Minotaur, the Pallum girl's face had been heavily obscured with dirt, blood, and tears. Combined with her hooded cloak, it made recognizing her facial features impossible. Even the night prior, he hadn't gotten a good look as he had been too focused on Bell Cranel and managing the entire camp to notice her.

But here and now, she was the only thing in front of him. The girl seemed to have been out gathering water — for both drinking and cooking, he would assume.

So it was only until then that he had finally gotten a good look at her face — for until now, he had only seen her both at a distance and when the lighting was poor.

She, that Pallum, was so uncannily similar in appearance to the depictions of Fianna that he swore he was dreaming; that he was having some dream where he got to meet Fianna herself. Needless to say, he was stunned.

It felt like a fated encounter. He, one of the few Pallum who still looks up to Fianna as an idol and a pedestal to reach, to meet someone like her.

Finn shook his head, amused at his own over-excitement. Just because she looked like Fianna's depictions, it didn't mean they were anything similar in character or devotion.

Finn then thought to himself about that. He wouldn't know if she was anything like Fianna or not if he didn't talk to her. And, frankly, considering how she had stuck by Bell and their party to reach this point spoke well of her potential strength. Not many Pallum have made it this far down into the Dungeon.

But then again, she had been so determined to follow Bell Cranel's orders and to try and save his life that she ignored her own injuries and threw away her pride in order to convince him and his Familia to help her. Her bravery was something that spoke to him.

He wanted to know about her. So, unable to restrain his curiosity, he approached.

"Good morning!" He greeted normally with the amount of casualness expected between acquaintances.

Lili paused, the water in her pail slushing as she suddenly stopped. She looked at him warily, "…Good morning, Adventurer-sama."

Finn's smile didn't waiver at the cold tone or the excessive respect used to address him. Was the girl really just a supporter?

"Feel free to call me Finn," he said to her, seeing how she would react while also being polite.

"…this one is called Lili, Finn-sama," Lili responded distantly. It was clear she'd rather be anywhere else. She refused to meet his eyes, despite how easy it would be for a change. Finn's intuition said she was looking away for more reasons than a veneer of submission.

Despite the interaction only being two sentences, Finn was now invested. This girl was interesting. It was clear to him that the girl was hiding under a mask of a submissive supporter – which made a sort of sense considering how supporters are treated by most Familias outside his own. And his intuition was telling him that a strong personality was hiding underneath. He wanted to see if he could bring it out.

"It's nice to meet you, Lili-san," Finn said politely, "Forgive me for interrupting you. However, I had to stop and ask, have you ever been compared to Fianna-sama before?"

"Fianna-sama?" Lili said in confusion, her time still borderline hostile, "Never heard of her."

"I'm not entirely surprised," Finn said to her, "Not many Pallum look up to Fianna-sama like they once have. Ever since the Age of Gods and her divinity was condemned, us Pallum have lost our will, lost our way. I'm just surprised, since you greatly resemble depictions of her."

"Haaah!" Lili laughed, her voice full of scorn and mockery. Finn's institution told him that Lili's hatred wasn't just directed outwards, but also to herself.

"How fitting!" Lili said derisively, "that a disgraced idol would resemble Lili. Truly, how fitting."

Finn could see the hatred she felt for her own people and for herself.

For Lili had finally met his gaze. Her eyes were filled with emotions and passions. And drive. Drive for someone. A drive to be something. There was enough determination in those eyes to match his own. He was captivated.

"Please marry me," Finn spoke without thinking.

"…Eh?" Lili was stunned at the sudden proposal.

Finn blinked, he was surprised with himself too, "My apologies, my instincts got the best of me. I've just never met a member of our race before that feels so strongly. So full of determination."

"…Lili supposes she will accept your ridiculous apology. And for the record, Lili rejects you categorically," Lili said to him, extremely bluntly, not even bothering with her submissive act anymore. Finn could at least patt himself on the back for managing to bait Lili out of one of her masks so easily. Finn wasn't sure how to feel about how quick Lili was to make such a declaration though.

Finn, however, was intrigued with Lili's words. His intuition was telling him that she was rejecting him for more reasons than his… poor timing.

"May I ask why?" He asked, "It seems to be something beyond my poor timing. Don't mistake my next comment for arrogance, it is just a fact that I am well known—"

"So why is Lili not falling head over heels for the most famous Pallum in the world?" Lili said sarcastically, interrupting one of the strongest adventurers in Orario without any fear or hesitation, "It is because you are an Adventurer."

"Because I'm…" Finn was stunned at the reasoning. It wasn't what he had expected to hear. In fact, it made almost no sense to him. All he could understand was that whatever Lili's reasons were, they couldn't be based in logic. Again, this wasn't arrogance, but just a factual statement.

"Lili hates adventurers. Lili is only getting along because doing so helps Bell-sama. Lili only gets along with the blacksmith because he is more blacksmith than adventurer," Lili all but ranted to him.

"And what of Bell Cranel?" Finn asked, having noticed the exception to her original party in her words.

Finn's expression hadn't changed, but he was internally stunned as Lili's expression softened as she smiled, "Bell-sama is no adventurer. Registered with the Guild, he is. Crawls the Dungeons, he does. But he is nothing like you."

"How so?" Finn asked, intrigued in their conversation. And taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the boy who broke beyond S-rank.

Lili looked smug, "You helped Bell-sama because you had something to gain. Bell-sama would have helped you because you needed help, if things were reversed. Because Bell-sama is no adventurer."

What Finn didn't know but had suspected and what Lili was aware enough to know was: Bell would have likely weighed and/or acknowledged the personal gain. But they would have been secondary reasons to help justify things to Lili for her own sensibilities and not the primary one.

Lili saw through Finn, and knew his hospitality was first about improving his image over actual altruism.

Finn, interested in Lili's perception, asked, "What is he then?"

Lili's expression softened again, "Bell-sama is a Hero. He is nothing like you."

Lili couldn't have known how much those words could have affected Finn. A man whose entire goal was to become a hero like Fianna to inspire the Pallum people. For the first time in years, someone instilled a seed of self-doubt within him.

His eyes widened at her words. Even if Bell wasn't actually a hero, it didn't matter. It was clear that Lili believed in the words she was saying wholeheartedly.

"…I see," Finn said, "It's refreshing to see such close bonds in person… I should let you be on your way. Apologies for bothering you."

Lili huffed as she picked up her bucket, "Lili expects adventurers to bother Lili. As long as you know not to get between Lili and Bell-sama then Lili is content."

She quickly proceeded to ignore him before going on her way.

If anyone else was up, it would have been surreal to see what was once seen as the weakest of the Pallum reject the 'strongest' of them.

And Tione would have tried to kill Lili, but that was hardly the point.

Finn couldn't help but wonder if he had lost more than he had gained from that conversation… and if that feeling was just confirmation that Lili was right.

He had much to think about.

About both of them.

---

Main POV

The next morning, the Loki Familia was nice enough to give us some food for breakfast. I had, of course, slunk back into camp at an early hour. My sleep schedule had me up and about when I would normally start training with Ryuu.

Not too long after eating, Ais then led us toward the town, just as she promised she would. Tiona and Tione must've had some free time as well because they're coming with us.

I was worried that the Amazon twins would bring up what happened the prior night, but they seemed to be acting like everything was normal. It seemed they weren't going to push me for any more details, which I couldn't help appreciate and be skeptical of at the same time. In any case, since I was reluctant to share any more information, I'd just have to live with the current status quo. (2)

Meanwhile, Ryuu and Chloe are still hiding at their camp in the woods. Likely to help hide Ryuu's identity from the Loki Familia on the off chance someone like Riveria might recognize her.

The town has a lake view… or rather it was built on the main island in the middle of the lake. A very defensible position, how smart of them. We move out of the forest covering the southern part of the 18th Floor toward the lake in the west.

"Hey, Hestia-sama…" I started to say.

"Hm? What is it, Bell-kun?"

"Something about you seems different since you got here yesterday…" I implicitly asked. Something about her presence just felt off.

Since Ais and the others have gone ahead, with just Hestia next to me, I ask her a question that had been on my mind.

"Ahh," she responds and grins back at me. "All Gods and Goddesses have a special aura. I'm concealing mine right now — so nothing knows that I'm here."

Aura… The way for the people of Gekai to know that the person standing in front of them is a deity. It's almost like a glow. I remember feeling it from Hestia the moment I met her.

At some point I'd heard that when a god uses their divine power, Arcanum, their aura goes into overdrive and other deities know about it. Basically, everyone would know that they had violated their own rules, and they would be exiled back to Tenkai.

"Generally speaking, Gods and Goddesses aren't allowed in the Dungeon," Hestia then said.

"Can I ask why?" I asked, trying to remember said facts from the show.

"Because it would be bad if they found out," Hestia said mysteriously.

They? Does she mean the Dungeon or the other gods? I mean, both could apply.

Something tangentially related then clicked for me.

Did the Black Goliath spawn because of something Hestia or Hermes did on this Floor in the show? I can't remember the exact details… but that sounds about right… (3)

I resolved to keep an extra eye out for trouble. I'd rather not accidentally spawn that Irregular if I could help it.

"Would it be possible to update my Status in such conditions?" I asked in curiosity.

Hestia put her hand to her chin in thought, then said, "That shouldn't be a problem."

"Then if we could do that at some point, I'd appreciate it," I said to her.

"Let's do it before bed, Bell-kun!" Hestia said with a thumbs up.

Before bed… Hestia's phrasing conjured images in my hormone-filled head…

"I know we're headed to that massive lump of an island… but how do we get across the lake?" Welf asked ahead of me.

"There's a really big tree lying on its side that makes a bridge between the two. Look, see?" Tiona answered Welf's question without hesitation.

"If there's a town down here, wouldn't you guys have been better off staying there instead of the woods…?" Welf then asked.

"They'd rob us blind, so no," Tione replied almost instantly with a deadpan.

Ah, so my memory that prices were exorbitant here was correct. Though it makes one wonder how the economy works down here. Bringing money down into the Dungeon seemed like it would be an odd decision. I'm sure that my unasked question would get answered soon enough.

The road leading to the town is a steep one. The island looks like a mountain from far away, but from here it looks more like a cliff. Small plants and crystals jut out from the cracks in the stone wall. We climb high enough to get an incredible view of the entire floor.

"Yeah. Now that's what I call beautiful."

"Huff, huff… ha, wow. This is amazing."

Hermes was perfectly fine, which isn't too surprising since he seems to travel a lot. Meanwhile my Goddess is gasping for breath, but both of them have the same reaction to the scenery. Don't get me wrong, the rest of us are absolutely astounded. We can see everything from here.

There are no walls or rooms on the 18th Floor, it's just a fat cylinder with a domed top. The crystals cover every inch of the ceiling and spread all the way to the other side of the floor.

The tunnel to the 17th Floor is on the southern edge of the forest – not that I had a compass or map or sun to base directions off of. Loki Familia's camp is in that area. The forest itself extends far into the east and has many rivers and springs throughout the greenery.

The trees thin out considerably in the north. I don't know if it's because the rest of the land is an open plain, but the dark shadows roaming around really stand out. There's nothing else they could be but monsters.

"Monsters come to this floor, just like us…" Ais answered my unasked question about the shadows.

"It would be appropriate to say that this is their haven, not ours," Asfi declared, explaining that the monsters come here looking for all of the abundant fruit and fresh water.

The colossal tree I saw before stands in the center of it all. It's the only place higher up than the island in the western lake that we're standing on.

"Lili's never been far away from Orario but… this is very pretty."

"No, you can travel far and wide and never find a view that will rival this one," Mikoto gave her opinion.

"…Reminds me of the mountains in our beloved homeland in the East," Ouka reminisced.

"Yes…" Chigusa finally agreed shyly.

It's impossible not to be moved by the natural beauty surrounding us. I'm doing my best to engrave this view into my memory.

We leave the cliff overlooking the 18th Floor and follow what's left of the path to the top of the island.

An arch-shaped gate decorated with flags at the end of two rows of wooden pillars greets our eyes. 'HELLO FRIENDS, WELCOME TO RIVIRA!' is written across the top of the gate in Koine. So if you only know the language of the Amazons or the Elves or the other languages in the world, then you are screwed.

Which reminds me. I happen to know a little Elvish, because of course Bell does. But with my knowledge from Beyond, there's a little bit of humor in it. Much like how the spoken word of Koine is basically Japanese – the spoken word of the Elves is German. I'm not sure if this is some cosmic reference to Japan's obsession with Germany or a reference to the old Germanic tribes that lived in the woods of Germania who eventually toppled the Roman Empire. Either way, it is both hilarious and incredibly cringe.

"Better not let that fool you. They're just warming you up, making you feel good before coming for your wallet." That's the second time Tione has warned us to be careful here. In any case, we pass through the gate.

The town is on the very top of the island, mixed in with beautiful white and blue crystals and the natural scenery.

The 'buildings' are nothing more than shacks made out of scraps of wood and large tents with signs on them. A few of them are built into large cracks in the walls of stone and tunnel entrances. The town's hotel is like that, too. Since the town is built halfway into the cliff next to a relatively flat area, many stairs are necessary to help people go from shop to shop. No matter where you go around town, the pristine lake below and the amazing backdrop of the 18th Floor are always in view.

The rest-stop town that is surrounded by rock and crystals… that is Rivira. Not to be confused with Riveria the adventurer – haha, I'll be here all week.

"This town is run by adventurers, of course. There are no bothersome rules or regulations here, so everyone is able to do business as they please," Asfi explained to me and my party.

She says that this town in the middle of the Dungeon was once controlled by the Guild as a frontline base of sorts. Adventurers themselves took over the place after the Guild gave up trying to maintain it.

The logistics of maintaining an outpost inside the Dungeon did seem to be troublesome to put it lightly. Just figuring out a way to safely get supplies down here with that Level 4 Goliath at the exit point of Level 17 seemed like a lost cause.

The reason that this spot on the 18th was chosen out of everywhere else on the Floor was because the lake and rocky cliffs provided protection from the monsters on the floor. Classic static environmental defenses.

With the exception of the south gate, where we came in, the north gate, and the east gate overlooking the lake, the town is surrounded by a thick wall. It isn't much compared to the wall surrounding Orario outside, but the crystal and rock structure looks plenty sturdy.

Many adventurers use this town as a base camp for repeated trips below the 18th Floor. Rest up, go Dungeon crawling, come back, and rest up again… It's apparently not uncommon for people to follow that cycle until they physically can't continue anymore. Which makes sense, it saves time from going all the way back up to the surface a further 17 floors.

"So do the monsters not attack this town?" I ask, curious about the level of hostility the monsters show on this Floor.

"Of course they do. Just last month it was overrun and they completely destroyed everything," Tione answered.

"That was a close one! We just happened to have front-row seats!" Tiona exclaimed with an inappropriate amount of cheer.

The Amazonian twins respond awfully casually about something that should be really scary. Is this the infamous insanity that strong people always seem to have?

"But all the adventurers here are really good at running away. They wait for a little bit after an attack, come back, and rebuild," Tione continued.

"Set up, get smashed, set up again… It happens over and over," Tiona summarized simply.

So the town is in fact under the constant threat of monster attacks. Even though all of the residents are upper-class adventurers, the town is reduced to rubble as soon as an irregular monster shows up. But as soon as the monsters go away on their own, the adventurers come back to set up shop again.

The current Rivira is the 334th reincarnation. Adventurers are either a really determined lot or incredibly stupid. Lili would probably just describe them as greedy, and she'd probably have a point – as I couldn't help but get that impression myself as I looked at the prices in the stalls.

"Excuse me, Asfi-sama. There are tons of crystals all around town…" Lili asked the blue-haired adventurer sheepishly.

"Indeed. Any of the crystals that are found on the 18th Floor can be turned in for money at the Exchange aboveground," Asfi answered, seeming to understand Lili's desire for coin.

"—Bell-sama, let's collect as many as we can before we leave!" Lili's eyes sparkle as she smiles at me while we walk into the town's main square.

I know I just roasted Adventurers for their greed, but I'll excuse Lili's own behavior since we did lose all the monster stones and drops from our expedition. It would be nice to not have this expedition be a financial loss.

We are even prepared to gather loot since we came as armed and equipped as possible. And there is a reason I came to town completely armed and geared up before considering that. The Floor might be a safe zone, but the monsters afoot are still hostile.

I'm even already stocked up on Double Potions from Naaza that Hestia brought with her. Hestia even brought another pouch of throwing knives (for coupling with Hiraishin) in case I had lost mine.

"All right, Bell-kun. Let's go out on the town together! You there, stay away!" Hestia grabbed me before dragging me away from Ais Wallenstein. Or attempting to anyway, as we all had to go down the same street.

"Yes, yes…" I said with a chuckle as she led me away into the town. I might have hastily agreed to come here because Ais asked me, but I didn't mind getting separated. It might help me recover some dignity after agreeing so swiftly like a pet rabbit.

It became quickly apparent that, due to the nature of the town of Rivira, almost all of the structures in town were shops.

Of course, there were a few cramped hotels and a tavern here and there, but weapon and item shops dominated the streets. Every single establishment was owned and operated by adventurers.

And all the equipment here was available on the surface with one or two fewer digits in the price.

Asfi and Hermes explained as the group entered a new street. "Things like weapons, items, and food are sold at many times their original price here."

"It's not easy to get these things in the Dungeon, so most adventurers break down and buy what they need no matter the cost."

Just as Hermes said, supplies were very difficult to obtain. The business owners of Rivira knew that and took advantage of the adventurers who failed to prepare enough stock.

"Water is expensive in a desert… It's the same thing."

No matter where anyone travels around the world, there will be places where they can get specific items much cheaper than others and vice versa.

Spend a large sum of money on an item that could save your life, or save that money for later and risk death.

The adventurers who passed through Rivira were all forced to make that choice.

Everything right down to magic-stone lamps was extremely expensive.

I watched from a distance as Lili and Welf lost their shit over the price of a backpack and whetstone respectively.

I then noticed a certain setup and asked a question to our guides, "Is that an Exchange?"

"They really can get away with anything down here…"

"…W-wow."

Ouka and Chigusa commented respectively.

"Sure is," Tiona said casually.

It was a very simple system once it was explained to us. The adventurers who ran this Exchange would buy drop items and magic stones for less than half their value and sell them to the Guild for full price when they returned to the surface.

Of course, the adventurers who sold the items now would get upset, but they realized that there was a limit to how much they could carry. It was better to sell off their extra items here than throw them away. This also gave them the opportunity to continue crawling the Dungeon for more magic stones and drop items to take to the surface.

From the buyer's perspective, it was an easy way to get valuable items and profit from them.

"This is a scam…"

"Captain Ouka, you are correct, but please be prudent," Mikoto said as the voice of reason.

The compensation was low, but no fights broke out over it.

The owners were quite strong — strong enough to keep the other store owners quiet — and ran the most profitable business in Rivira.

One such owner particularly noticed Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa giving him nasty looks. He glared at them while tapping a massive club against his shoulder. The three adventurers quickly took their leave.

Buy low, sell high.

It wasn't just the motto of the adventurers in the town of Rivira, it was their way of life. Something told me that Lili would especially hate the people of this town as a matter of principle.

"…But Hermes, no adventurers carry large amounts of money down here. How are they supposed to buy anything with prices this high?"

We had all seen the high prices. It was Hestia who asked the question that was on everyone's mind. She had found something… a small bottle of perfume. Her eyes were locked on it even as she spoke.

Hermes gestured toward the man sitting at the back of the shop who took out a piece of paper and requested a signature.

"Just like that, they put it in writing. The shop gets the adventurer's signature and their Familia's emblem to create an IOU. They come to collect the money later," Hermes had explained.

There were two payment options in Rivira: trade items for merchandise directly or by signing a payment contract.

It would be cumbersome and even dangerous to carry large amounts of money into the Dungeon. To get around this, a Familia's emblem was used as credit. Then someone representing the shop would return to the outside and show up at that Familia's home, the emblem in hand.

The opposite was true with the Exchange in Rivira. The shop had a representative on the surface where an adventurer could take a receipt issued by the shop to receive their money.

For that reason, suspicious persons who refused to identify themselves could never do business in this town.

As someone who mostly enjoyed Danmachi through the anime, this was all new information for me.

"You haven't made an emblem yet, have you, Hestia? It'd be a good idea to do that; it would help Bell out a lot, too. An emblem works like identity verification; there are places in Orario where they come in handy."

"Ohhh, an emblem… I see…" Hestia folded her arms and looked up toward the ceiling.

Being more aware of our surroundings, I pulled Hestia away before some adventurers blatantly tried to walk into her.

The adventurers glared at us, recognizing us as newbies to the Floor. Before one of them said, "Mord-san! It's the weiẞes Häschen! The Rookie Record Holder! White Phony!"

Oi, oi, that unofficial title is a little long don't you think?

Mord's face turned nasty as he growled, "The hell are you doin' here…!"

Mord took an aggressive step forward, before one of his comrades put a hand on his shoulder, "Mord-san, look!"

They must have realized we were traveling with the Loki Familia. Because they clicked their teeth before stomping off.

"Hey, hey, Bell-kun. You're not going out and picking fights with adventurers like that, are you?"

"No, it's not like that…" I denied to Hestia.

"So, what happened between you and them? Strangers don't get that mad at each other on sight."

Trapped between Hestia's and Hermes's questions, I said, "He's just one of many adventurers who aren't pleased with how quickly I've leveled up."

"Ohho…" Hermes said with interest, but otherwise everyone let the matter drop. And we continued our exploration of the town.

---

Not much happened after that in the town. I separated from the girls with Welf at lunch since Hermes directed them to a sandwich place that made liberal use of that Honey Cloud Fruit. When we met back up, Hestia showed off the perfume she bought using Hermes' emblem/money – something about him owing her; I wasn't sure if the so-called debt was from something in Tenkai or more recent.

The Dungeon's lighting had intensified into 'Afternoon' by the time we made it back to Camp. I had quickly noticed earlier how the day and night cycle for the lights was not synced with the actual day and time. It was making my already confused sense of what day it was even more in question.

I had actually barely made it into camp before I was waved to the side by Riveria.

A little shocked and perplexed at why the High Elf would want to speak to me, I cautiously followed her to the nearby treeline.

"What can I do for you, Riveria-sama?" I asked her.

"You can drop the formality," Riveria assured me, "We are all adventurers here."

"I don't think your zealots will appreciate such sentiment," I said harshly, not mincing my words. Was she trying to get me lynched by her elvish comrades by being too casual?

Riveria flinched. I thought I heard a rustling of branches, but it was probably just a monster nearby.

Riveria then said, "That's harsh of you to say, but perhaps not unfounded. I actually wanted to apologize for my subordinates' behavior last night. I wasn't there for it, but I'm aware of how they treated you and I apologize for that."

I sighed deeply as I ran my hand through my hair. Since Bell was something of an expert in terms of Elvish culture, as far as a teenage human could be anyway, I had a lot of perspective on the problems with it. Especially since I had a perspective from an otherworldly culture.

I said to Riveria, "It would be rude of me to reject your sincere apology. But would you allow me to say something?"

"I so reason not to," Riveria responded, seemingly welcome to hear my thoughts.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," I prefaced, "But one reason why you became an adventurer was to get away from the struggles of your position in your home forest, is it not?"

Riveria's expression was stoic, "You are… surprisingly well informed."

Hah, thanks Riveria shipping fanfics, your knowledge is paying off.

I then said, "I merely deduced that from how quickly you wanted to be treated casually 'by a mere human' right before apologizing to said human. You've probably only gone so far as to verbally tell people to drop the formalities and left it at that, haven't you?"

Riveria didn't respond to my rhetorical question. Her sharp eyes were all the answer I needed.

I continued, "I'll be blunt. I really admire the strength and wisdom and beauty of the Elvish people, yourself included. But your people's racism is not only ugly but it is dangerous."

Riveria's eyes initially widened when I said 'yourself included'. She then looked attentive at my final words. She asked, "Dangerous?"

"Two of your subordinates went into a frenzy at the slightest implication of Celdia-sama interacting with a human," I led off with, "That kind of blind zealotry is not only disturbingly unhealthy, it is incredibly dangerous. Imagine a scenario for me. A politically powerful elf with charisma to boot. How easy would it be for such an elf, with hatred or greed in their heart, to use their words to turn the Elf's sanctification of the High Elves into a Casus Belli for a Holy Crusade against 'inferior races'?"

Riveria paled at the thought I introduced to her, "C-crusade?"

"I've read stories about it," I told Riveria, "How all it takes is a single man, with hatred in their heart, to turn normal people into those that condone genocide for perceived slights. It would be all too easy for one elf with too much power and wit to bring war and death to the world."

Hitler's Germany. Stalin's USSR. Mao's China. And many more. All it takes is one man to lead the world to slaughter. I can't help but wonder if someone similar could drive similar racial violence by using the easily manipulated elves who almost have hatred baked into their culture. It's the one thing about elves I can't accept, and why Ryuu is so special. Because I know from Before that she came to Orario to forsake such beliefs.

But Riveria isn't Ryuu. She's an actual High Elf that does nothing to prevent the abuse of her worship.

"I'm sure if the various tribes weren't as decentralized as they are," I said to her, "Then I'm all but certain it would have happened already. But with how separated your people are, it's hard for such ideas to spread across the entire population. I'd consider yourself lucky for that."

Riveria seemed to be appraising me in a new light. I swear she was looking at me with respect and wariness. "You've given me much to think about Bell Cranel."

"That's all I ask," I responded.

Riveria nodded to me before departing into the woods. It seemed I really struck a nerve that she needed to think about.

In any case, I shrugged and entered the camp proper.

---

Other POV

Lefiya shivered from her position as she eavesdropped on Riveria-sama and her rival Bell Cranel.

Even before Riveria had scolded her, she was regretful of how aggressive she had been against the young adventurer. She wasn't regretful of defending Celdia-sama, per say, just that her own reaction was a little too far.

But she hadn't even considered the reality that Cranel had painted. And now that he uttered the idea, she couldn't unsee it. Her own village was used to non-elvish traders and tourists, but she wasn't ignorant of how other elves were much more fervent in their… dislike of other races.

Lefiya was conflicted. The fact that High Elves are superior and to be honored is clear. But she hardly can agree with killing others over such beliefs. Is it really so easy to get people to do… that… as Bell Cranel claims?

Lefiya isn't sure she wants to know the answer.

"Lefiya! Are you coming or not?!" Tiona called out from nearby.

"C-coming!" Lefiya called back, before heading in Tiona's direction.

Lefiya wasn't sure what to think. But she resolved to treat others with more kindness and restraint.

Bell Cranel too… as long as he stays away from Ais.

---

Main POV

"…Now should be good, " Hermes nods to himself as he whispers those words.

"Huh?" What was that about?

"Bell, would you join me for a moment?" Hermes asked of me, causing alarms to ring in my head. There was some kind of undercurrent to Hermes' words. Like he was up to shenanigans.

But maybe I was just being on edge from chewing out a Level 6 adventurer.

We were just kind of hanging out around the camp, but Hermes-sama came up to me with a serious look on his face. He kept his voice low, as if he's trying not to be overheard.

"I've been waiting for this chance. No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this chance is the reason I'm here… A chance to be alone with you," He said almost dramatically.

He's been waiting for a chance to talk to me…?

My eyes shoot up in shock. Is it about that!?

Even if it isn't, whatever it might be is definitely very important to talk about. At least that's what I'm getting from how he's acting. He's turned off all of his charms, his orange eyes looking straight ahead without blinking.

I gulp down the air in my throat – I just got through one difficult conversation not too long ago. Looks like I'm in for another one. I can see Welf and Ouka off on their own in different areas of the camp. They haven't noticed us.

Feeling a little uneasy, I slowly nod.

"Join me," Hermes says as he starts to move. No one moves to stop us as we leave the camp and enter the forest.

After a while, I can't help but ask him, "Hermes-sama? Where are we going?"

I had followed him quietly for a while, but he's not slowing down. All I can do is direct a question at the back of his head.

We're pretty deep into the forest now. There's no one anywhere near here, so it should be safe for us to talk about anything.

"…This already looks good," Hermes said as he stopped in front of a tree.

Its trunk and branches look very strong and sturdy. Hermes suddenly starts climbing it. It looks like he's done this a few times, to say the least. He uses his long arms and legs to work his way up the trunk.

"Now, Bell, get up here." I zoned out there for a second but quickly responded to his call and followed him. Two people climbing a tree in the middle of nowhere — I'm sure this is a very bizarre scene.

I'm chalking this up to the eccentricities of a god at this point.

"Are you ready now, Hermes-sama?" I asked, a little incredulous.

"Just as I thought. Have a look, Bell. These branches are strong enough to walk on."

Just when I thought he was going to tell me what we're doing here, he grins at me with twinkling eyes.

I take a look from this high spot in the tree canopy, and sure enough there is a small network of sturdy tree branches that form a hidden path. I'm completely clueless as to why he pointed that out to me, but suddenly he laughs with a "Ho-ho!" and steps out onto the first branch.

"Hermes-sama, didn't you… want to talk to me about something?!" I asked, completely bewildered at Hermes' behavior.

"Talk? I never said anything about talking, my boy."

"Wha…?" I start to say, but Hermes pushes aside some leaves and steps onto the branch of another tree. We move through the canopy, the light shifting above us, filtering through the leaves as the branches shift under our weight. This is worse than the tree bridge to Rivira; keeping my balance takes every ounce of concentration.

I might have Hiraishin, but I'm no Leaf Shinobi. Tree hopping is a skill.

"Why are we up here?!" My frustration gets the better of me as I try to keep up with him — he comes to a sudden stop and looks back at me.

And why is my back burning?

Hermes gives me a very manly grin, then jerks his chin in a certain direction to draw my attention.

I focus my senses in that direction and almost immediately hear a waterfall.

"We've come this far. You should've figured it out by now — We're peeping," Hermes said as casually as mentioning the weather.

"..." My jaw drops. You've got to be shitting me right now?!

Hermes takes on an air of providence with his next words, "All those girls down there are taking a bath, you know? It's practically our duty to have a look, don't you think?"

"No, I don't!" I whisper harshly. How could I forget that Hermes was a Super Pervert?! This asshole!

"No need to shy away, Bell. Seriously, I bet Hestia or Ryuu-chan scrubs your back in the shower every night already,"

"That has never happened!" I hiss as my face explodes red at the fantasy Hermes described.

What is this God saying?!

He then starts laughing at me, completely unafraid of adventurers with their enhanced hearing detecting us. I don't think he believes me, either. My face pulses with heat as Hermes turns his back to me and quietly sneaks forward, almost floating down the path of branches. He must know exactly where he's going because he's not hesitating at all. I've heard of people being desperate, but this is insane!

The sound of rushing water is on the other side of the wall of leaves by the time I catch up to him.

"This is wrong — let's turn back, Hermes-sama! We shouldn't be here…!" If Hermes is caught, I'll surely be detected and assumed to apart of this perverse expedition. I don't have a series of Hiraishin marks set up for me to make a getaway. I'd surely get spotted by the Level 5s and 6s that are likely to be in that pool!

"Bell, top-class adventurers will hear us if we make too much noise," He cups his hand over my mouth and points down, suddenly caring a lot about how much noise we make now. My eyes follow straight to — a group of heavily armed female adventurers. They must be keeping an eye on the forest. In case of monsters.

Ah, that's why he wanted us in the trees. All the monsters that roam this floor (and don't fly) wouldn't be smart or small enough to be in the trees.

I back away from his hand and look up at him. His smile is absolutely radiant. I've never seen a perverted smile look so appealing. Damn his godly appearance!

It could be because of the sound of the waterfall or how wide these leaves are, but it seems that the others, including the lookouts, haven't noticed us yet.

"Hermes-sama, Hermes-sama, this is bad, they'll tear us to pieces… literally!"

"This is pitiful, Bell. Peeping is a man's due! Just think of it as you and I are sharing a particularly delicious bottle of wine… Didn't your grandfather teach you anything?"

I have half a mind to just manhandle the god myself, but I had the feeling that if Hermes resisted then we would both get spotted instantly. Shit, we're fucked!

The two of us advance slowly down the branch, whispering to each other, when suddenly a shiver goes down my spine.

Peeping is… a man's due?

I feel like something is waking up inside me. Something from a long time ago, something from when Bell was a kid. What was it Grandpa Zeus was trying to teach Bell back then? Probably the path of the Super Pervert or something stupid.

Needless to say, my final thought allowed for reason to beat out my libido. I choose to be happy, not horny!

"Hermes! We've got to leave! While we still can!" I insist as I finally decide to risk grabbing him and booking it out of there.

"Ah, if you move too much…" Hermes began to warn me before…

Crack. The branch beneath us screams out in pain. It starts moving up and down. The large branch that has been supporting our weight breaks at its base next to the tree.

Hermes manages to shift his weight to an adjoining branch, but I'm off balance from my attempt to grab him and so…

I fall straight into the open air.

"—Daaaaaahhhh!" I can't help but yelp before instinctively holding my breath. With nothing to stop me, I fall feet-first into the body of water below.

Splash! The water explodes around me as I make impact. Luckily I fell into a relatively deep part. I frantically kick my arms and legs to get back to the surface. My face erupts out of the water and I take many deep breaths. Swimming with clothes on is already burdensome, doing so with armor is concerning.

Still, despite holding my breath, I got some water down my throat, forcing me to start coughing it up. After a short fit of coughing, I catch my breath.

"…Argonaut-kun?"

My body shivers at the sound of the voice coming from just above my head.

I stare at my reflection in the light-blue water for a moment before slowly, very slowly lifting my eyes.

"What, did you want to take a bath, too?"

"Such a calm face… You're quite good, aren't you?"

Milk Chocolate! Unexpected! Smooth! My reptilian brain immediately has these thoughts as the spot on my back continues to burn.

The Amazonian twins are right there. Tiona is leaning in toward me with curious eyes while Tione is behind her, running her fingers through her long hair.

They're completely naked and not trying to hide anything, their dark-colored skin completely exposed. Not even a tan-line…

—Have Amazons no shame?! Oh, right, they don't.

"Ah… ah…" I struggle to find the words to get me out of this situation.

"Eh? Ehhh…?!"

"Don't tell me… Hermes-sama?"

To my right, a very pink Mikoto stands completely still as Chigusa swiftly hides her body underwater.

Asfi is next to them. She doesn't have her glasses on but that doesn't stop her from looking up into the tree, beams of rage blasting out of her eyes.

Rustle. The branches around the area I fell from start twitching.

Hermes you asshole! I won't forget this! (For multiple reasons…)

"Bell-kun, it's children like you…!"

"W-what do you think you're doing, Bell-sama?!"

To my left, Hestia has her hair down and her feet on the bottom of the lagoon. Half of her bulging chest is hidden under the waterline as she yells at me with a red face.

Lili's the same way, screaming in a high-pitched voice, as she hurriedly covered herself.

"…ah."

And directly in front of me…

Ais is standing with her back to the waterfall, hugging her body to hide her chest. Her cheeks are a light shade of red.

Water is dripping from her wet golden hair, tracing its way all the way down to her legs.

I turn a deep red as the image of Ais' naked body is burned into my eyes. She's like an angel that has descended from on high…

The next moment, my head explodes from the overloading stimuli.

"S-Sorry!" I launch myself out of the water and race past the lookouts in the blink of an eye, taking off into the forest as fast as I can.

I vaguely hear Lefiya scream out a chant as magic explodes behind me. Thankfully, the girls must have stopped her since the shot landed short – I could feel the shockwave.

But beyond that, nothing stopped me as I made my getaway.

---

I charge into the forest with reckless abandon.

More distance, faster, forward! A big tree stands in the middle of my path so I take a hard right. I cut over to the forest floor, running like a scared rabbit.

But then I noticed something important.

"I—I'm lost…"

At long last, the flames burning within me cool enough for me to think straight. I take a look around and see that I don't recognize anything. The trees and crystals in this area don't look like the ones close to the campsite; the canopy is thinner and brighter, too.

Am I in the southern part of the forest? The east? Maybe the southeast?

I try as hard as I can to remember how the forest looked from the town of Rivira this morning, but I can't remember any details. I don't think anyone could remember the layout of an area after only one day.

I have no clue where I am.

And worse yet, I heard a twig snap near me.

I spin towards the sound, hand moving to draw the Hestia Knife. Despite the shade, I make out the figure.

An elf with long black hair and red eyes, wearing a frilled white dress with a white coat with light blue edges over it.

It took a moment, but my brain managed to supply a name.

"Filvis? Filvis of the Banshee?" I asked in confusion, not expecting to run into her in these woods.

I not only remembered her from fanfics, but rumors about her circulated around the Hostess a few times (thanks Mord-san).

A survivor of the Nightmare of the 27th Floor. Member of the Dionysus Familia. Level 3.

What isn't common knowledge is that she is a Creature. I'm not sure on the details as to how she became one, just that as a result she uses Magic Stones like the Xenos to grow stronger and sustain herself. As a result, her Falna is also corrupted/malfunctioning. And she views her current self as an abomination. I remember all of this clearly from Fanfics because of how unique it was and how desperate those Bells were to save her.

I'm brought back into focus as Filvis grunts at me. "Indeed. Are you done balking at me? Whatever, forget you saw me."

"Ah! Wait!" I call out suddenly, so much so that I'm surprised myself.

Filvis halts from walking off, and faces me again. Her face looks slightly surprised, but is still mostly cautious.

"First, let me apologize for how my actions looked," I apologized, remembering her bad reputation, "I was merely surprised to run into you out here, Filvis-san. Please forgive my behavior."

I finished my words with a little bow.

Which seemed to fluster the elf, who then said, "R-raise your head! Fine. I'll believe your words. Was that all?"

For a moment, it was. Then I remembered all the chaos that happened on this Floor in Canon. There was far from a guarantee it would happen again. Still, on the off chance, if just a warning might help ensure her safety… I had to take it. It was the right thing to do.

"Ah, no," I began saying, "I just wanted to say… Let's call it an adventurer's intuition. But I have a bad feeling something might happen on this floor soon. So, please, stay safe."

"Is that a threat?" Filvis demanded, "Even so, I'm not one to run from a fight! Is this your true nature? Asking me to leave in such a roundabout manner? How disgraceful!"

"It's not a threat!" I insisted, "I just have a gut feeling that things are really hectic right now. I can't really say anymore. I just want to make sure you stay safe because I know Filvis-san is a good person."

Filvis laughed a hollow laugh, "A 'good person' he says! You know nothing about me, boy."

"I know that you shouldn't be ashamed of what happened to you, Filvis-san," I countered.

Which gave Filvis pause, my knowing tone striking a coord, "W-what do you…"

"I don't know how it happened, but I know you didn't choose to become a Creature," I tell the red-eyed Elf.

Filvis' eyes widened and she instantly grabbed and drew her weapon. It took all my instincts to keep my hands to my sides and to not react at all. I left myself vulnerable, because I had to let Filvis have some measure of control to calm her down.

"How in heaven and earth do you know that…!" Filvis growled.

Keeping my hands down, and voice level, I say, "That doesn't matter. No one leaked anything. I haven't told anyone, because it's no one else's business. Can you please put that away? I haven't drawn my weapon, I'm defenseless. I don't want to fight. I just want to talk. Okay?"

Filvis' grip on her blade is so tight her hand is shaking from the pressure. But I guess my honesty got across to her, because Filvis took a deep breath and sheathed her short sword. "Say your peace then, weiẞes Häschen."

"It may be ignorant, and not my place…" I start saying, "But I need you to listen, and try to understand… A wise woman had once said, ''Sith' is a title, yes, but like you, the title is not who I am. It is not what I believe. For you… it is different.'"

"What are you trying to say?" Filvis demanded, no doubt slightly confused at the foreign term at the beginning of my quote.

"I'm saying that the labels that others and ourselves give do not truly define us," I tell her firmly, "Those changing things that mean different things to each individual. Rather, what matters is the person we want to be, and the actions we take to make that ideal reality."

"You…" Filvis said slowly, starting to understand what I was trying to tell her.

"You may look down on yourself for what you've become," I told her, "But you don't have to let that define you. Everyone has a right to life, liberty, and happiness. And so do you. So don't let others, or yourself, tell you otherwise."

Filvis was dumbfounded. Was it just at the self-righteousness of my words, or the confidence in which I said them? Was the idea Ryuu taught me of 'living up to one's true self' that hard to accept?

In any case, Filvis then gave an amused scoff. Her tone was light and relaxed as she said, "You're an idiot, aren't you? Just like that Loki Familia Elf."

"Probably," I agreed with a chuckle. "If that's what it takes for a pretty girl like you to help conquer your demons. I'd gladly be called an idiot for all of time."

Filvis shook her head in exasperation. She said, "At the least, I won't forget your words, weiẞes Häschen, even if I don't believe them."

"The name's Bell. Bell Cranel," I interjected with a smile.

But she said nothing, she was already running away.

Is this what it's like to be on the other end of my little escapes? I can empathize with Ais a little now.

---

Other POV

As Filvis fled, thoughts circled in her head.

Why did she believe him? That he hadn't told nor will tell anyone her darkest secret? Something about his eyes… She couldn't detect a single lie.

Her first instinct would be to let Dionysus-sama know about this as soon as possible. But, if what Bell Cranel said was true… then she owed him a debt for his silence.

Yes. As long as Bell Cranel stayed uninvolved, there was no need to reveal anything. It would be their little secret. This would be how Filvis repaid the white-haired boy.

It truly was a shame though… If he was right, and that her actions were more important than what she was…

If only she met Lefiya and Bell sooner. Because by his own words, she was…

…

…The only thing she didn't understand was…

Why was he glowing as she left? (4)

---

Main POV

I felt really justified in preparing a generalized speech for Filvis after I heard rumors about her drag up my memories of the fanfics she had been a part of. And satisfied that I actually managed to pull it off in the heat of the moment.

I then felt really dumb for not asking her for directions. Because I was still just as lost. And following the direction she went in would be weird – she might think I was stalking her and that my words were just pretty lies.

Still, I wasn't completely hopeless, as I had some ideas for how to try and find civilization. I could hear the sound of moving water from a creek/stream. And it's fairly common knowledge to know that following water tends to lead you to people.

That and having another serious conversation after running away from the girls really made you thirsty.

So I quickly located the stream, took a few scoops of water to parch myself, and started following the 'trail'. Hopefully it would take me to the lake surrounding Rivira where I could find my way back to camp from there.

I followed the rocky shores of the small stream for a minute or so before it took a bend around some dense foliage.

I thought I heard ruffling around the corner, a monster? Before I could do anything, however, a projectile so fast I could see but not react blasted a hole into a tree near my head.

I might have yelped at the sudden attack. Could you blame me? That was scary!

"Cranel?" the voice of Ryuu called out from the direction of the attack.

"Ryuu-san?" I called back, not expecting to randomly run into her in the woods. Not surprised, mind you, I just wasn't anticipating randomly encountering another elf in the woods so soon.

I almost peaked around the corner, but halted as I remembered what happened to myself roughly 10 minutes ago. So I hesitantly asked, "...are you decent?"

"...Indeed. Though I have the feeling there is a story behind that tone of your's, young man," Ryuu responded, instantly seeing right through me.

Knowing that Ryuu's dignity is maintained, I finally approach so we can talk properly. Ryuu is back in her adventuring gear, though she was midway through putting her green cloak back on so there was nothing keeping me from seeing her thigh gap besides sheer willpower.

"...Well, yes, there is," I admit sheepishly, "It's not my fault, but I'll still apologize later…"

I proceeded to regale my side of the story on how Hermes tricked me and left me for dead at the hands of furious women. During that time, Ryuu started gathering white flowers that were growing in the area as she listened; I helped gather some as I told my tale. I left out my interaction with Filvis as that was entirely our own business.

"...I see. I understand what happened. I'll help guide you back to camp after this," Ryuu said, believing my story without hesitation.

"Thank you very much," I say to her, "I'm just glad Syr isn't here right now."

Ryuu actually gave a chuckle at that, which caused my heart to skip a beat, and said, "Yes, she would be thrilled to comment on how well your plans to acquire a harem are going."

"I'm not!" I protest with a blush. Damn you Syr for infecting Ryuu-san with your teasing habits! "I'd be content to just make one woman happy for the rest of my life."

"No you wouldn't," Ryuu denied, causing me to falter.

"What?" I asked, breathlessly and confused.

"You love too much," Ryuu declared matter-of-factly, like she was describing water as blue. "I've overheard the details of your descent to this Floor. You saved your comrades when you could have run and saved yourself. It's… admirable…"

Ryuu's words were kind, but I could hear hidden sorrow within them.

For the record, I had never read the entire Light Novel. But I did go and read the portions in the Light Novel on Ryuu's story and the events surrounding the Juggernaut. Because, of course, I was a big Ryuu fan. So I recognized that Ryuu was contrasting my own actions with the false perceptions of her own.

My heart felt hollow, in pain. Seeing Ryuu like this… was unpleasant. It hurt. Because after seeing her everyday for almost two months… she was something important to me.

But, even so, I couldn't just barrel into that conversation. So I instead asked, "Why are you going so far out of your way to avoid the others? I'm sure they wouldn't mind another couple of guests…"

I already knew the answer, of course, but this was just the primer question. I wanted to hear Ryuu say it herself. And besides, Ryuu did have the choice to reveal herself regardless – she just pragmatically didn't do so because of the consequences not being good ones.

"I had an errand to attend to. And I didn't want others to see my face," Ryuu answered. The errand sounded like a bad excuse to me. But I also couldn't completely deny it either.

"I assume that the God Hermes has informed you about my past already," Ryuu then said to me. I assume she deduced that her past was the reasoning behind my questioning.

"No, nothing…" I replied honestly. I knew everything, but Hermes had told me jack shit. It is just that I had already confirmed enough information that Ryuu's actions were 99% likely to be the same as in canon.

"…Really?" Ryuu asked again. Her tone gave nothing away, but I intuitively realized that she detected I knew about her past and was surprised that I hadn't learned of it from Hermes-sama. She was confused at how I knew anything.

"Yes," I answered honestly. Which was easy, because while I had talked with Hermes about Ryuu and Astrea-sama in our first meeting, it wasn't anything Hermes had informed me about.

"It seems I have come to the wrong conclusion…" Though she's looking the other way, I can sense the pained smile on her face. "We've already come this far. There's no point in hiding anything at this stage. Follow me."

I say nothing, letting Ryuu gather her words as she leads us to our destination. She's walking with purpose as she makes sharp turns at specific trees and crystals as if following a set path. We walk for about twenty minutes without encountering any monsters before arriving at her destination.

"This is…"

What greets my eyes after emerging from a narrow tunnel through the trees is a graveyard.

There's a small open space surrounded by thinner trees and absolutely stunning crystal formations.

A series of wooden crosses, broken tree branches held together with string, are lined up in the clearing and bathed in the crystal light shining through the canopy above.

"…Mama Mia occasionally gives me time to bring them some flowers," Ryuu tells me as she goes to each of the grave markers and carefully sets a flower in front of them.

She reaches under her cape to the small pouch and withdraws a bottle — she pours a little bit of the wine onto each of the graves. A 'popular' practice when visiting graves in both the East and West.

It doesn't take much to recognize where we are. "Ryuu, this is…" I begin to say, choosing my words carefully to not be insensitive.

"All that remains of the women who fought by my side. My Familia," Ryuu finished my sentence, mistaking my pause for a question.

Ryuu refuses, no she simply has eyes for nothing but the graves before us, to look at me.

"Another with knowledge of my past has emerged. It's only a matter of time before you find out… I would regret not telling you myself," She says it's a bit selfish of her, but asks for my permission.

"I'd like to hear it. From your own mouth, in your own words," I tell her - leaving a subtle hint to the extent of what I believe to truly know.

"My name appears on the Guild's blacklist," Ryuu leads with before elaborating, "My position as an adventurer has been revoked. There was a time that a bounty was placed on my head."

I already knew this clearly. I'd long since confronted Eina about this very fact.

"I once belonged to Astrea Familia… She is the Goddess of Justice and Order, and I idolized her from the day we met."

Lion. That's how she was known. Her title, 'Gale Wind.' A hooded adventurer shrouded in mystery whose full name was unknown. This too, I was aware of. Though I continued to stay silent to allow Ryuu to tell her tale.

"Apart from activities in the Dungeon, my Familia took it upon itself to eliminate those who try to rob Orario of peace. For that reason, we made many enemies."

She says that as recently as five years ago, Orario was inundated with an 'evil' that threatened the city. Evilus. The Dark Age.

Swearing upon Astrea's crest, a winged sword of justice, Ryuu and her allies fought to purge the city of that cancerous presence and protect those vulnerable to it.

She doesn't use the following words to describe themselves, but they were heroes. I knew this much.

"Until, one day, a Familia that had taken up arms against us set a trap in the Dungeon. I was the only one to escape alive… Unable to retrieve their bodies, I collected what articles I could and buried them here."

"...May I ask why at this place?" I asked. Wanting to respect the brave women that fought for what was right.

"Yes, they were fond of this location," Ryuu answered wistfully, "They often joked… saying if they died, that they'd like to be b-buried here…"

Ryuu choked up a little with grief. I could tell she felt regret at being unable to actually bury their bodies here. The monsters of the Dungeon must have claimed her comrades… I could hardly imagine…

"…I went to Astrea as the sole survivor and told her everything. Then I pleaded with her to leave Orario by herself. I begged her for days, and at long last she obliged," Ryuu continued to tell me.

"Why would you do that? I know Ryuu isn't the kind of person to run away from injustice," I ask her firmly.

"You are partially right," Ryuu snapped, "I had no intention of running. My reasoning was selfish. I didn't want her to see the passionate, violent creature I was becoming."

She says that she didn't know how to control the emotions that were overtaking her at that time.

"I had to avenge those who had fought beside me. I set my sights on the Familia that ended their lives and swore to take revenge alone."

"...that sounds lonely…" I whisper. Of course it was lonely. All her friends had… but still, the idea of Ryuu — alone — surrounded by darkness…

Because of my nature as being from the Beyond. And because of my first week in this world… I knew what it was like to be alone in the world, without anyone or any support. Ryuu was the first person I connected with in this world. In a way, it is thanks to her that I am no longer that lonely loser she met me as.

Ryuu either didn't hear or ignored my words as she said, "I wiped out the enemy Familia. Night raids. Ambushes. Traps. Driven by rage, I did whatever was necessary to avenge my comrades."

A large and influential group in Orario was torn out by the roots and utterly eliminated at the hands of a single elf. This too, was something I was already aware of.

"My actions had nothing to do with Justice. Filled with a lust for Revenge, I tracked down each member and erased them along with anyone connected to them… Even the slightest suspicion was enough."

That's what landed her on the Guild's blacklist.

In her quest for vengeance, she earned the hatred of not only adventurers but merchants, smiths, and townspeople. They were the ones who issued the bounty.

The reward for her capture kept growing and growing… The Guild had no choice but to punish her despite the surrounding circumstances. Especially considering she had bared her fangs at groups connected to the offender. After all, they sold the items and weapons used to kill her Family. This much was technically in the public record – if not entirely in the public consciousness.

With the Goddess Astrea outside the city walls, her Status remained intact as the 'Gale Wind' covered Orario in a storm of fury. Nothing could seal or silence her besides death.

"…So, what happened after that?" I asked.

"I collapsed. With all targets eliminated, with no one left, I was alone in a back alley. Devoid of strength."

She must've accepted death the moment she swore revenge. No, not quite, she was likely searching for death to come and take her. Yet it never got her. And with her quest complete, her Goddess gone and friends dead, it seemed like there was nothing left for her in this world.

I knew what it felt like to be lost. To be alone. To not have others who understand you… That feeling will never go away for me. As someone from Beyond. There will always be something that separates me from everyone else. But it's because of that pain that I understand… that I know…

"Covered in blood and dirt on the side of the road…" Ryuu said self-deprecatingly, "It was a fitting end for someone who had committed atrocities such as I. For someone who let her hatred consume her."

…that all it takes is for one person to reach out their hand to save you…

"However…"

"—Are you okay?" Syr had said to her then, Ryuu told me. That a warm hand had reached out to take hers. Syr found Ryuu in that back alley and saved her. She listened to her story — everything Ryuu had done, over and over — and managed to bring her back from the brink.

"After rescuing me, Syr convinced Mama Mia to employ me as a waitress at The Hostess of Fertility… I also keep my hair dyed."

Since she'd nearly always worn a hood and gone by the name Lion during her time as an adventurer, the chances of her being discovered were very low as long as she changed the color of her hair.

"…I apologize for soiling your ears," Ryuu concludes.

…I knew that all it takes is to be inspired by those who endure the pain of the world, and continue to uphold their ideals. Even as they stumble.

"What are you saying!?" I demand. Barely holding back my raging emotions at her deprecating words.

Ryuu turned to face me. Her eyes were dark with loathing and pain and self-hatred. It's a look I've seen many times when she doesn't think anyone is nearby…

"In short, the elf you see before you is a shameless, violent criminal… I have betrayed your trust, Cranel-san," Ryuu said sadly. She was pushing me away. I knew she didn't want to. But her guilt could no longer let her keep up the 'sham'. Not in front of her dearly beloved friends.

…Ryuu, how can you not know, not see, how much you've saved me?!

So I say with determination, "Ryuu. Stop speaking so horribly about yourself. It's unseemly."

Her eyes widened. "...What…?"

Ryuu seemed shocked that I hadn't denounced her.

"Everything you've told me so far, I've already known for a long time," I finally dropped the bombshell.

"What?!" Ryuu snapped in shock.

"Everything, besides Syr's exact role, I knew everything. But even that much I could easily deduce from how close you two are," I clarify.

"Then… why…?" Ryuu asked. She was confused as to why I would so freely associate with such a 'villain' as herself. When I had loudly proclaimed to walk a path of justice.

"Because Ryuu is my Hero," I declared to her.

"Me…?" Ryuu's eyes were wide and confused and lost. She didn't understand.

"When I was weak and naive. When I was unsure of myself. Ryuu was there for me every time. You showed me how to fight. How to be confident in myself. To be true to my ideals. To my true self." I told her all of how she saved me from my own flaws and insecurities.

"And when I was in danger, you didn't even hesitate to lend your strength to save your friend. When I was weak, you didn't even hesitate to share your experience and wisdom. When I was injured, you didn't hesitate to heal me." I tell her all the good things about herself that she willfully ignored.

"If Ryuu is truly such a bad person, then what am I who learned almost everything about being an adventurer from you? Well?"

"T-that–! That's what I'm trying to apologize for!" Ryuu retorted, "For having some dirty elf taint–!"

"Bullshit!" I interject, "I just said to stop talking poorly about yourself! I refuse to reject you! You've tainted nothing! Listen to me when I tell you that you've saved everything!"

Ryuu shook her head, unable to accept my words.

"I will never blame you," I declare, "The actions you took. The things you've done. Certainly, you went too far."

Ryuu hung her head, as if awaiting judgment.

I finished my judgment by saying, "But I will never condemn you for it."

Ryuu's gaze snapped to mine in shock and bewilderment. She expected a 'hero', a 'boy' like me to reject her for her sins. "...W-why?"

"Why? Because the Astrea Familia, because you, gave everything for Orario. But no one reached their hand back when you had fallen. The city left you to your demons. Abandoned you. Spit on all the good you did for the city. The only choices you had were to lie down and die… or to do something about it. So that no one else could suffer like you had."

Ryuu's hands balled tightly into fists. She growled, "I didn't destroy them out of any sense of justice! It was revenge! Personal scores! There was no righteousness! No justice! Only pain, anger, and hatred! That's what I am!"

"Maybe you are," I admit.

"Then…!" Ryuu said expectantly, as if believing I'd finally reject her.

"Then I will save you!" I declared, reaching my hand out to her, "Even if I can't do it now, if it takes me years, I will save you. Even if the entire world stands against you, still I will save you. Because to me, the true Ryuu Lion is beautiful in every sense of the word. Not just appearance but in her very being. She's kind and resolute. A heart of justice and righteousness. Who loves so, so deeply! She is Strong, and not just with the finesse of a blade or the might of her magic."

I took a step forward and slowly took one of her shaking hands into my own. Ryuu's eyes were wide, shocked, and awed. She couldn't see the Ryuu I saw. Like I couldn't see the Bell that she had seen that day before the Minotaur.

I knew I was talking a big game, saying I could save her. The fact I was forced to come to this Floor after my mistake is proof that I'm not that great. I've made my fair share of mistakes and failures. But I couldn't fail here. Not when it was so important.

A single conversation and flowery words would never be enough to heal the pain in Ryuu's heart. My experience with Lili was proof of this. These sorts of things took time and support. Which is why I was assuring Ryuu that I would never give up on her, and would never abandon her.

"How is it that you don't understand?" I asked her rhetorically before saying, "Haven't you realized? People are cruel. We are selfish. We abandon each other at the slightest sign of trouble. We give in to our vices. We are the worst creatures on the planet. Even Monsters are less pitiful."

Ryuu looked at me, her eyes wide.

"But that is precisely why we can be noble, with hearts full of justice," I tell her with determination, "Our greatest power isn't the strength given to us by the Gods. It is… our ability to change ourselves! We can be kind. We can care for others. We can sacrifice ourselves for them. And we can hold strong to our virtues.

"People are at their strongest when they help each other. In saving another, we save ourselves," I declared to her. And to myself.

My words were not just an ideal, but a promise. A promise to her and to myself. The extra motivation to make sure I never falter in my ideals, lest I disappoint the ones who believe in me.

Back Before, I hadn't the power to act or the will to try. I was just another cog in the wheel that is society. It was only in my final moments that I really achieved something worthwhile.

My head hurts at the memory. A public place. A deranged gunman. A little girl in the crosshairs. I became a shield. A bang. And finally Nothing. (5)

"You saved me," I tell Ryuu once more, "And I want to pay it forward and save everyone I can. I want to change. I want to be a Hero. Aren't you tired? Tired of suffering? Tired of the world passing you by, unable to change a damn thing? I know you are, because instead of apathy, you refused to let me give up and lose myself.

"The strength to defeat Evilus in battle is not what mattered. Never. True strength was the courage to stand one's ground against the whole world," I told her.

"T-then I am truly weak," Ryuu said to me, "I abandoned Justice. There was only anger, and hate, and pain in my heart. I wasn't saving anyone. Not even myself."

"And yet you likely saved someone anyway, even if it was for the wrong reasons," I countered, then saying, "Things in life aren't as Black and White like in my fairy tales. And everyone makes their mistakes. But we all have the ability to change, to atone for our mistakes. To become something more than ourselves. We have to. I know it."

There was a long moment of silence. It was an impasse. Ryuu was unable to forgive herself of her sins. Ryuu hated herself. I believed that Ryuu could be a True Hero. A Paragon of Justice. I knew that despite her collected exterior, she loved others so deeply. The day we met, she took care of me even though she barely knew me. I loved her.

"Tell me about them," I said to her.

"...Huh?" Ryuu whispered, unable to raise her voice to me.

"You think yourself dirty, despicable - do you? Then, the Fall of your Familia, tell me it. It's the source of all of this, isn't it? Nothing has convinced me of the Ryuu you see in the mirror so far," I said to her logically. This was the last bit needed to destroy the lies surrounding Ryuu's heart. Not that it would magically cure Ryuu of her trauma, but I thought conquering it would finally let her open her eyes to the present and the future.

Ryuu, who must have forgotten I was holding her hand, tightened her grip with mine as she took a deep shaky breath.

And she told me the tale of a horrifying monster. A tale of tragedy. A tale of sacrifice. A tale of heroes, and the lone survivor.

(Go read Volume 14, Chapter 13 of the Light Novel, then come back. I'm not inserting nearly a whole damn chapter where nothing really is different.)

---

I shuddered with every breath, doing all I could not to cry. I didn't have it in me to be impressed with myself for remaining outwardly calm. Ryuu was not as composed, upon finishing her tale she fell to her knees and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Seeing the strong, beautiful elf who believed in me like this, it broke my heart. Sorrow clutched at my soul, whispering that I could never conquer such despair in another's heart…

That was the only moment of hesitation, of fear, I had before categorically rejecting all thoughts of failure. No, even if I failed to help Ryuu here and now, I would never give up. I loved Ryuu Lion, and I would do anything to make sure she would live and die with a genuine smile on her face.

Ignoring Elvish customs, and Ryuu's own rejection of physical contact, I didn't hesitate to get down onto my knees and take Ryuu into my arms for a hug. She didn't resist, even instinctually.

"I-I… killed my friend Alise… with these two hands…!" Ryuu choked out as she cried tears of grief.

"I'm not the elf you think I am… I'm a criminal, soiled beyond belief…" Ryuu continued to gasp out as I held firm and refused to let her go or be alone.

"I have no right to speak of Justice… Justice has been lost for me… For me… Justice no longer exists," Her dejected words were but a whisper among the wind that blew the leaves of the subterranean trees. "I… don't know anything about Justice."

I pulled back a little, and forced Ryuu to look me in the eyes, grabbing her chin with one hand to force her blue eyes to meet mine.

"Didn't you hear me earlier?" I asked her rhetorically, "You've given me so much. Each and every day. You taught me to be strong, how to fight. You listened to my problems and called me out for failing to live up to my true self. Even now, you came down here to save me and my friends. You have Justice within you, why can't you see it?"

Ryuu's eyes widened.

"I've seen so many small acts of righteousness," I tell her insistently, "With customers at the Hostess, the time we first met Lili, with the girls. And I will never forget those words you gave me on that day I happened upon the Minotaur. The words I needed to hear, from the person I needed to hear them from. The way you believed in me – it saved me! Even if no one else could see it, you became my hero. Strong and Right, that's the Ryuu Lion I see!"

"No… you're wrong! I was wrong! I lost my hold on justice…!" Ryuu denied.

"You, wrong? I won't let anyone deny your worth… Not even from yourself…!" I declared, contradicting Ryuu's contradiction.

I continued, "I don't know the old Ryuu Lion, but… still…! Even so…! I…! I believe in you!"

Ryuu's eyes shook as I rephrased the words that Alise had surely given her so long ago.

"I know Ryuu will make the right choices, and has Justice in her heart, because it was Ryuu who reached out and saved me! When we met! When I lost my resolve! And everyday in between! I know that Ryuu's heart is full of love and compassion and justice! I won't let all that time, and all those choices, and all those feelings be meaningless!"

Ryuu's darkened eyes stilled, a small flicker in the far reaches of black pupils.

"I swear!" I declared to her and to all of heaven and earth, "I won't ever leave you behind! Not without a guarantee that your final days will be without regret, with a smile on your face!"

I could see it in her eyes. Ryuu couldn't believe such a day would ever come. But in her eyes was a shimmer of something I'd never seen from her before.

Hope.

Hope for Tomorrow.

The Fire of Hope had been rekindled in a weary heart.

We won.

---

A few moments later, we separated and got off of the ground.

Ryuu had regained a semblance of composure. My heart was beating a mile a minute. Letting out all of my heart and feelings like that… was nerve racking and terrifying. But also satisfying. I just hoped that my words would find a way to resonate with Ryuu, if not now then in the future.

All that mattered was the day that Ryuu smiled in happiness with all her heart.

"...Forgive me for my shameful display," Ryuu said quietly to me, trying to regain some measure of normalcy.

"Never you mind," I said with a smile, "The only shameful thing Ryuu can do in my eyes is to talk shamefully about herself."

Ryuu's eyes swirled with emotion I couldn't place, she was silent for a long moment, and whispered so quietly I almost missed her saying, "...at least that was right…"

"Huh?" I asked, trying to make sure I heard that correctly.

"Nothing," Ryuu dismissed.

"Fine," I said, not buying it, before saying, "Just understand that any more attempts to blame yourself for what happened to Them will result in consequences."

"Consequences?" Ryuu asked incredulously, "But–!"

"I literally just heard your recount, one that is likely biased against yourself mind you," I interrupted, "And even so, I got the impression that you didn't kill anyone. Rather, it sounds like Alise and the other's burdened you with carrying on all their hopes and dreams. So I won't let you talk bad about them or yourself. Unless you plan on no longer being the Ryuu Lion that I and they see?"

Ryuu looked frustrated with herself. Frustration at being unable to convince me of her sins. Frustration at the burden on her shoulders. Her inability to no longer lie to herself.

"I know!" I said jokingly, trying to ease the mood, "I get to call you 'Ryuu-sama' or 'Ryuu-sensei' or 'Ryuu-sensei-sama' one hundred times for each time you degrade yourself."

"What?!" Ryuu yelled incredulously, "What kind of pettiness is this?!"

"If it didn't bother you, it wouldn't be a punishment, you know?" I said matter-of-factly.

Ryuu looked absolutely spent. She was just DONE. If it was any other time, it would have been hilarious.

Right now though? I was only a little past half-way through the day and I was also emotionally spent. I wanted to take a nap.

Ryuu sighed, then gave me a tired bow, and said, "...Thank you… for joining me here… for listening… for… In any case, please excuse me. After… all this… I need to rest."

I gave Ryuu a tired yet relieved smile of my own, "It was my pleasure, I'll likely do the same not too long from now. Please, rest easy, Ryuu-sensei."

Ryuu twitched as I used one of the suffixes she dreaded so much. But said nothing aside from instructions on which way to proceed from here to get back to the Loki Familia Camp. I hardly blamed her for no longer escorting me directly – we both needed some space.

Ryuu gave me another small bow and words of thanks before ushering me to leave. I began to follow the path Ryuu described to me. I noted the lack of movement from Ryuu's direction behind me. I guess she had more thoughts to herself and her comrades.

I hoped she was a little closer to finding Peace.

---

Other POV

Ryuu stood alone once more, surrounded by empty graves and rusted weapons.

"...Truly, I am a fool," Ryuu said to herself.

Indeed, Ryuu felt like the biggest fool on the planet. It says something that someone seven years her junior is able to see something so clearly that she could not.

No, that wasn't fair. Bell Cranel had wisdom beyond his years. He was just inexperienced in utilizing it. And he was only human. He had his doubts and insecurities. But he loved so deeply. And he… that person… believed in her.

If Ryuu had said she was completely happy these last five years, it would be a massive lie. She loved Syr, and the other girls, and the Hostess. She was… content. But she wasn't satisfied. She wasn't at Peace.

Ryuu didn't doubt that Syr had always known this. Especially after so many years together. But Bell Cranel saw through her in mere months. And his answer, or at least part of it, made so much sense.

All these years, she had effectively been static. Stationary. She was a pathetic elf because she let herself become one. She didn't try to change. All she did was run from herself and her sins. She put down her sword in hopes of never hurting anyone ever again.

She knew she was a sinner. Why hadn't she sought redemption? Atonement?

She didn't believe she was worthy of it. But was that the ugly pride of an elf? Or the reaction of a scared, lonely girl? Of someone who had been hurt too much, too quickly?

Bell Cranel's words implied something, to Ryuu in any case. That refusing to change from her sinful ways, from refusing to atone… that in itself was a sin. Her self-loathing itself was something selfish of her.

He didn't mean to imply that, of course. Ryuu knew that Bell was not so callous. But she saw that interpretation anyway.

Instead of doing something. Instead of pursuing Justice, she might as well have become a corpse. No, even a corpse is more useful than herself up to this point, because at least a decomposing corpse can feed beasts and insects.

Bell could have rejected her. He had seen through her. No, not through, Bell had seen everything that Ryuu was as she was. And instead of condemning her, he believed she could still be good. That she still had Justice in her heart. That she was someone to admire, a hero.

Ryuu… she hadn't felt this loved… since Syr had thanked her all those years ago; thanked her for fighting Evilus as Bell too had thanked her. She hadn't felt this loved since everyone was gathered in the Stardust Garden so long ago – when her Familia was still with her.

Bell Cranel was hardly perfect. His tactics and leadership could use improvement. His judgment was certainly questionable for believing in an elf like herself (and to think the other races thought elves had no sense of humor…). He wanted to do so much, but didn't have the power or reach to do so. He wanted to save people, but he was still figuring out how to do that. His journey was far from over, rather, it was still just beginning.

He'd need someone to guide him along the road of Justice. Someone to stand by and support him. Whether it be an extra sword, a shoulder to lean on, or words in his ear…

…Perhaps it would be a good way to start off her road to redemption.

"Right…? Alise…?" Ryuu asked the memorial, pleading that for once in her life she was making the right decision.

It was a start.

---

Main POV

When I returned to the Loki Familia Camp, not only had 'night' fallen over the Floor, but I returned to a loose gathering of ticked off female adventurers. A gathering whose heads quickly cooled at the sight of me.

"What happened to you?!" Hestia cried out hysterically as she bolted through the gathering to start fussing over me. Lili was right behind her.

"Bell-sama is as pale as the moon!" Lili claimed.

"T-that so?" I asked, feeling dead on my feet. Actually, now that I thought about it, I was swaying a fair bit as I stood in place… But I still… needed to offer… apologies from before…

"A-anyway… I need to…" I tiredly tried to say, struggling to keep my words together. After all the deep conversations I've been through today. Especially the one I just left with Ryuu, I was emotionally and mentally spent. I felt like I could sleep an entire day away.

"You need to lie down!" Hestia began mothering me, "You look ready to drop dead any moment!"

The sight of the Astrea Memorial flashed through my mind.

That… was bad phrasing… and timing… both…

I wanted to protest, but I couldn't find the strength to stop Lili and Hestia from ushering me towards the tent we were borrowing.

"Everyone knows that it was Hermes-sama that put you up to it," Lili assured me, having deduced the reason behind my protests.

"Yeah, that perv!" Hestia agreed, "Don't worry, everyone can see how chalked up you are about it!"

That… wasn't why I… was in this condition… but… I wasn't going to correct them…

Still, my honor as a non-peeper had to be satisfied.

So I finally resisted their tugging and said, "No… just five minutes… is all I need…"

My eyes frantically searched for assistance before noticing a lingering and perplexed and blushing Ais Wallenstein nearby.

Inspiration struck.

"Ais-san…!" I called out, getting her attention.

She perked up and regarded me.

"Wake me in five minutes?" I implored her.

Understanding washed through her golden eyes as the blush on her face dimmed. She nodded affirmatively.

That was all I needed to see to let go and drop to the floor like a ragdoll into the sweet embrace of slumber…

---

…I woke up to the sound of Hestia and Lili's squabbling.

"...No, I should be the one to give him the lap pillow!"

"No! I should be the one to do it! I'm his Goddess, after all!"

This sounds like one of those childish circular arguments. When was the last time one of these happened in front of me in real life?

I noticed my head was on something soft. Familiarly soft. And on a familiar incline. I recognized this feeling. The loud conversation was a big context clue.

I looked up to see Ais' face above mine. I felt like I should be embarrassed that Ais was giving me a lap pillow on the edge of camp, where damn near everyone could see us. But while my head might feel rather refreshed, I guess I was still emotionally spent, because I couldn't find it in me to care.

"So, uh," I said casually, almost zen in my calmness, "Sorry for, uh, dropping in earlier."

I know, I'm hilarious. Dropping in, get it?

Ais blushed, looking away, before shoving me off so I couldn't look at her face. My face landed nose first into the grass and dirt.

That was fair. I deserve that.

I rolled onto my back, rubbing my nose as I said, "Well, I'm off to do the gentlemanly and heroic thing of apologizing to everyone else."

I say it was heroic, because I had a non-zero chance of dying in my quest for forgiveness. I was prepared for the consequences, even if it was Hermes-sama's fault. A hero's life was sacrifice, after all.

I leaned backwards to give myself a little momentum to rock back on my feet. I used a similar bow to Ryuu's earlier and apologized to Ais again, who quietly accepted my words, before casually leaving Ais there and Lili and Hestia to their bickering.

Is this what it's like to have Hatake Kakashi's sense of humor? I felt like I understood his character a little more. Talk about based.

In all seriousness, after finding a small magic lamp, I tracked down the girls involved and gave sincere apologies for the entire incident. I'd hardly meant to do it, but it was still the proper thing to do for intruding on their privacy like that.

Of course, people were hardly ever purely rational, so I went the extra mile to ensure I wasn't murdered for my perceived transgressions.

I spent so long on my knees, it was a surprise I didn't dig myself a hole, and at the sight of me throwing myself on the ground again and again in Far Eastern prostration, none of the girls could stay mad at me for long. Not that I was trying to abuse its effectiveness for my own safety, I honestly was sorry for the entire incident. I wasn't even too mad at Hermes, though I was never going to let him live it down.

When they additionally took into account the extenuating circumstances involving a certain God who'd instigated the entire affair, there was no way they could punish me beyond a harshly worded warning.

Tiona and the others weren't bothered in the least by what had happened, and they simply brushed it off with a laugh. Asfi, on the other hand, actually turned my apology around, apologizing to me instead for her god's behavior.

She at least got a chuckle out of me calling him a Super Pervert.

While the coed 'Sword Princess Protection Unit' still had one last riot left in them, Ais managed to quell it without incident. Even Finn and the other Familia leaders could only chuckle in amusement as I came to them in heartfelt apology for the trouble I had caused.

A peeping incident could have seriously stained relations between the Loki and Hestia Familias, so I was glad that the higher ups were taking it all in good faith. And blaming Hermes. Nice.

All in all, I was quickly exhausting myself again. I was honestly considering just using a Double Potion to perk myself up, but the thrifty part of me held off on such frivolous desires.

Which is, of course, when an ominous presence could be felt behind me. I slowly turned, finding the pissed off visage of my self-proclaimed rival, Lefiya Viridis.

"Unforgivable… unforgivable… unforgivable…" she chanted like an unholy mantra.

My brain, too spent to be anything other than zen, couldn't help but internally comment how this was some stereotypical 'girl gets pissed off at getting accidently peeped on' trope going on right in front of me.

Or was she mad because Ais gave me a lap pillow in public? Considering the look in her eyes… Maybe both.

Then I remembered that Lefiya was a Level 3 magic caster. Who could probably actually follow through on killing me - either on accident or on purpose considering her strength. Or I assumed such.

Lefiya was the protagonist of the spin-off series, I knew this much. Our combined Protagonist Energy(™) gathered in one place was guaranteed to cause mayhem for one of us and our surroundings. Especially considering her current state.

So without hesitation, I pulled out that Double Potion and downed it in a single go. I felt my bodily exhaustion fade away and my mind clear as the potion did its 'magic'. And prioritizing my own health over the local environment, I dropped the empty vial, and started turning around.

Because at this point, she seemed to sink — before jerking forward, kicking off the ground with every ounce of mind and spirit she had, and launching toward me at the speed of sound. Crying out, she yelled, "Don't youuu mooove!"

"I said I'm sorry!" I yelled back as I unashamedly ran away.

Our grand game had begun anew. Once more we were in heated chase, the white rabbit wisely evading the unjust feminine wrath as my bloodthirsty fairy assailant attempted to run me down. If I wasn't having to control my breath as I ran, I'd probably be laughing hysterically at how comedic my current situation was. But I had to focus on the task ahead of me.

I, of course, now had the leveled-up move speed of a Level 2 and then some, but my pursuer currently possessed the transcendent move speed of a female mage driven mad by pure, unadulterated rage. Her speed went beyond what her Agility stat should be, and in the blink of an eye, both her, the pursuer, and I, the pursued, were free of the camp, disappearing into the forest beyond.

---

Lilliluka Arde

Level 1

Strength: H: 101 - H: 164

Vitality: H: 149 - G: 200

Dexterity: H: 189 - G: 243

Agility: F: 329 - F: 378

Magic: F: 353 - F: 355

Magic:

(Cinder Ella)

• Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing the message of midnight.

Skills:

Artel Assist - When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, the skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Development Abilities:

()

---

Authors Notes:

Alternative Chapter Title: Bell Interacts with Every Major Elf Character

(1 ) Bell has been healed by Ryuu's spell 181 times now. He gets healed about three times a day on average. Definitely enough times to get an achievement in a video game. I wonder how this might affect Ryuu's stats should she level up?

(2 ) The girls of the Loki Familia are unsure if the so-called picture made by Bell's grandpa is just a coincidence or not. Maybe it's just Bell imprinting since his infatuation with Ais is pretty obvious. Maybe there's something more to Bell's words. They aren't sure, and since he seemed so reluctant to answer further, they have little choice but to leave things as they are.

(3) Bell is making an understandable but wrong assumption. The Dungeon had been experiencing tremors before Hestia and Hermes had even entered the Dungeon. Go back to the previous chapter where the gang just enters Floor 13. The exact reason behind the Black Goliath is not so simple to deduce or prevent. Classic protagonist Luck that it spawns while Bell is there in canon.

(4) The protagonist's words to Filvis wouldn't have been as effective if Lefiya hadn't already gotten her into a good mood lately. Unfortunately, appealing to her nature as a Creature alone isn't enough to save her. Because Filvus has already condemned herself as a sinner because of whatever crimes she has done. Sue me, I've just finished reading Sword Oratoria Volume 6 – I only know more about Filvus from fanfics and her Wiki page. In any case, Bell's words are still enough for Inspiring Leader to activate just a bit.

(5) And this is why Bell will never invent guns.

"I swear! I won't ever leave you behind! Not without a guarantee that your final days will be without regret, with a smile on your face!" — Be careful of making promises, Bell… that might not be an easy one to keep…

'Under Resort' is renamed to 'Underworld Resort' because the original feels like a bad translation rather than proper English. While references to the 'underworld' and thus 'death' seems like a taboo for adventurers, I also think it serves as a point of mocking such 'weak' sensibilities. Or, in other words, the people of Rivira are calling out everyone else as being sensitive snowflakes for trying to sidestep how dangerous their profession is.

Chloe is here! Hostess girls gotta stick together, you know? Speaking of, Chloe will have an updated character sheet in a few chapters, so watch out for it!

So, yeah. Bell is a busy boy today. Hestia had also brought the Status Snitch along, since leaving highly illegal stuff at your empty church is a bad idea. So Lili got an update in the Dungeon while Bell was off doing other stuff.

Riveria got a talking to about elves being racist, and her response is essentially, 'you right'. I swear, in my opinion, the only reasons the elves outside of Orario haven't raged racial wars is because their population is too low and decentralized for such an effort. Elves got some problems.

And Hestia, for fucks sake, this is not the time to be making death flags! Showing up as Bell is talking about Uncle Ben's death. Saying lines about people looking dead. Hardly the time woman! Someone tell this deity to watch her mouth!

Finn and Lili have a solo conversation, resulting in the whole marriage proposal thing happening earlier. However, Lili's intuition is second only to Finn's own and its enough for her to see through Finn's hidden agenda and motivations. Which is why Lili also sees through any logical arguments that Bell might make, and can tell he is honest in his intentions deep down. Poor Finn, lol.

Bell totally baited Ryuu into spilling her whole backstory in a single go. What a mad-lad. At this point, Ryuu doesn't fully believe in his words. But she mostly does. And is essentially hoping that Bell will save her by allowing her to help him. All because words alone aren't enough to convince her. Similar to why Filvis doesn't, words without action to back them are meaningless. But she is holding out hope, because she has been convinced on some level. Ryuu won't have to wait too long, however, for the universe to give her and Bell something to put his declaration to the test.

The main thing preventing Bell from being able to Talk-no-Jutsu people like Filvus and Ryuu in one go is because while he does understand loneliness he doesn't quite understand loss and suffering as extreme as they have.

Because the protagonist is from the Beyond and is unwilling to share that with anyone… he will always feel slightly detached from everyone around him. It's a good thing that Hestia is scheduled to have a talk with him about that very fact at some point. The main takeaway is that Bell understands loneliness.

But while he has experienced the loss of loved ones from Before… It's nothing like the suffering that Filvus and Ryuu have experienced. If he truly wants to understand them, he needs to understand that pain… I've watched and read too much Naruto, haven't I…

Don't worry though, I don't think this is the 'Bell suffers Arc'. Maybe next time?

Next time, Chapter 11.5 'where two protagonists bond fighting a plant monster and Bell learns that Evilus still kinda exists'.