Slowly, consciousness seeped back into Leo's mind, like rays of sunlight filtering through dense clouds. His eyes fluttered open, blinking against the harsh glare of the hospital room's candlelight.
Confusion was all he felt as he looked around the unfamiliar room. When the memories came back, he quickly shot up in bed.
"Bell?!" He shouted in worry. He quickly threw the blankets off him and went to stand up. As his feet touch the cold floor and his knees buckle under the weight of his body, he falls to the ground as his body screams for rest.
"Mr. Cranel!" A voice raging with worry shouted as the doors suddenly opened. The voice was familiar, warm, and reassuring, and Leo turned to see the kindly face of Nurse Airmid.
The nurse quickly rushes over to his side and helps Leo back to the bed. He tries to stand up, but his body struggles. "Easy there. You took quite a beating out there." She said, her voice gentle as she pushed him onto the bed.
"Have you seen Bell?" He asked, his voice hoarse from disuse. "I was trying to find him before. I must have passed out." He explains, looking down with frustration at not being able to find his brother.
"I'm not sure where Mr. Cranel is, but I overheard people speaking about another white-haired adventurer fighting in an alley."
Leo runs a hand through his hair as his worry increases for his brother. "I need to find him and make sure he's okay. Am I good to go?" He quickly asks, trying to stand up. The nurse gently sits him down again.
"Your body needs rest. It's only been ten hours since you were brought in here. Ms. Tulle was very worried about you, and rightfully so." She explains picking up a nearby paper. "You're ribs were cracked, with some of them broken, brusing all over from torso to head. Unfortunately, your clothes were destroyed; the only thing that survived were these."
She pulls out the pair of gloves that Hestia had given him before leaving with Bell. "Lucky me; glad they're in one piece." He says.
"If you must search for your brother, I'd advise you to do so quickly. You're body needs rest." She says it with a small smile. With that, she helped him to his feet, steadying him as he swayed unsteadily on his wobbly legs.
"Thank you, Ms. Teasanare." Leo says, grimacing but smiling at the kind nurse. His lungs were on fire, but he swalloed it and took a step.
"Go slowly; I'll help you." She says.
Together, they made their way down the quiet corridor, the steady rhythem of Leo's footsteps echoing in the empty halls. And as they reached the front door, Leo's posture got better; he's standing on his own with ease but is still in pain.
"I do wish you would stay over night; your condition worries me." She says Leo takes a few steps forward and opens the doors, letting the cool night air in. "I'll be okay; I just need to make sure Bell is safe."
His muscles protested with every step, still sore and tender from the battle. The air was alive with the sounds of the adventurers mingling after a long day and vendors trying to make a quick vali.
It was a strange sight to most, seeing the white-haired adventurer slowly walking down the street in a hospital gown, his expossed butt out the backside. Elven adventurers, man or woman, blushed at seeing the exposed nature of Leo and quickly averted their gazes with a red hue.
Elf's are really reserved spieces of people; they get flustered or embarrassed at the slightest romance in public. If they find a spouse, they are, in turn, the most perverted, but only with said person.
As he walked, Leo's eyes scanned the bustling crowd, searching for any sign of his brother amidst the throngs of people. With each passing moment, a sense of unease grew, a gnawing feeling of anxiety twisting in the pit of his stomach.
"Oi, white hair! Trying to give everyone a good show, are ya?!" A voice called out to him, and turning, he saw a burly dwarven man laughing.
"No? Why would you say that?" Leo questioned, and the dwarven man laughed more and slapped his knee. "Your ass is hanging out! Most of the knife ears have been a flustered mess!"
Leo is slightly taken aback and looks down to see the gown fluttering in the breeze; his backside is indeed exposed. Waving his hand dismissively, he looks back at the laughing dwarf.
"Thanks for the warning. I was looking for my brother. Have you seen another white-haired adventurer? If it helps, he has red eyes; same as me." He asks, the dwarf shakes his head as he brings up a hand to stroke his massive beard.
"Afraid not, lad, I just called out to you to let you know about your perdicament with an exposed ass and all." He explains.
"All right, I guess I'll be going then." He says, turning and walking further down the main street.
But as he wandered through the street, Leo couldn't shake the feeling of being lost. Adrift in a sea of unfamiliar faces. His eyes were then drawn to the familiar building of the hostess of fertility, and a surge of relief quickly filled him as he quickened his pace.
He reaches the front door and peers into the night rush. Adventurers can be seen mingling, eating dinner, drinking, and playing cards. Suddenly, his vision is obstructed by a long, flowing brown cat tail. Looking up, he sees Anya looking down at him with a large smile.
"Nya! It's the other white hair!" She cheers as she pulls him through the front door. "Wait, Anya!" He protests, but it falls on her deaf ears as he's pulled up to the counter. Quickly, he turns to the corner seat and stands stiffly with his hands crossed behind his back.
"Oh, if it isn't one of the cute brothers! Quite the outfit you have on." Said Mia, she crosses her arms with a smirk as she looks at the gown.
"Um, good evening, Mamma. My ass is kind of hanging out." He states bluntly, The older woman's face heats up slightly before she busts out laughing. "I didn't peg you for the bold type. Oi, useless elf; get over here!" She calls out into the pub room.
"Need something, Mamma Mia?" She questions before her eyes shift over to Leo standing on edge. Mia points a thumb over her shoulder to the white-haired adventurer with a smirk.
"Take him upstairs, where his goddess is resting." She says.
"Very well, Mr. Cranel, follow me." She says turning on her heel and walking towards the stairs.
Leo keeps his hands behind his back as he stiffly walks around the corner to follow behind Ryuu. Mia laughs and glances, getting a full view of his buttocks.
"I told you white hair has a nice ass, Nya!" Said Anya, her partner in cat mischif Chloe nods her head in agreement.
"Nice and plump. I want to squeeze it." She says it with a faint smirk, and Mia slaps the counter loudly, making them jump.
"Get back to work, you pervy cats!" She shouts at them.
Leo and Ryuu climb the stairs in silence; she turns, glances at him, and points to another set of stairs.
"If you go up there, you'll find goddess Hestia and Mr. Cranel." She states.
All the worry and anxiety left Leo, and as he heard her, a large smile appeared on his face. "Bell's here?! Thank the gods, he's okay." He says this as relief washes over him.
"I'll leave you two alone if you need anything; call for me and I will assist you." She says this before turning and walking back down to the pub.
Leo quickly scails the stairs and finds Hestia laying asleep on a coat while Bell sits at the foot of it with his knees to his chest.
"Glad to see you're okay, Bell."
His brother opens his eyes and turns to see Leo standing at the head of the stairs, his eyes widening slightly.
"Leo?! I visited you in the hospital earlier; you should be in bed sleeping." He says worriedly. Leo smirks and takes a seat next to him.
"You're the second person to tell me that. What happened to Goddess Hestia?" Leo asks, and Bell looks down at the floor, a frown forms on his face.
"She's just tired and resting. I feel really bad, bothering Mamma Mia and the others with this." He explains dejected.
"We have to help each other with trouble; Mamma Mia said it was okay." A familiar voice calls out, and the two brothers turn to see Syr, who has a huge blush on her face. Leo quickly remembers his perdicament and stands up, turning to face her.
"Sorry about that, Syr." He apologizes for showing his exposed behind to the waitress; she looks at him almost hungrily and shakes her head.
"It's okay; I heard about what you did. You were amazing; both of you were. It feels like it's all my fault since I forgot my wallet.." She trails off.
"No, it's not your fault, Syr." Bell says quickly.
Leo takes the opportunity, quickly steps into a dark corner, and fixes his perdicament. He quickly slips the gown off and wraps it around his waist, keeping his private areas well private to not offend anymore elves or women.
"Oh! I heard from all the townspeople that both of you were very heroic when you faught the monsters." She said with a large smile. Bell sheepishly rubs the back of his head.
"Oh, no... All I did was run around." He says, slightly embarrassed by the praise, Leo reappears now with the gown wrapped around his lower half. He plants one of his hands on top of Bell's head and ruffles his hair.
"Well, it beats me. I traded blows with a mutated silverback and got thrown around a bunch." He says with a small smirk.
"I saw a little bit of Bell's fight." Syr says, gaining a bashful look. She slowly leans up toward his face and whispers. "And I fell in love."
Bell breaks out in a large blush at the sudden words. Syr pulls away from him and hides her face with a serving tray she was holding.
"I'll go help in the pub. See you later, Bell, Leo." She states before running down the stairs.
Leo looks to see Bell, still in a flustered state, and chuckles. "W-was she making fun of me, maybe?" He questions. Leo laughs more and shakes his head at his brother's denseness.
"Maybe, who knows?" Said Leo.
"Bell... Bell." With a groggy voice, they turn to see Hestia reaching out for something before her arm falls to her side. Bell quickly gets up and walks to the side of the cot. Leo remains standing and leans against the nearby wall.
Hestia rubs her eyes grogily as she slowly sits up. She glances around, confused, till her eyes land on Bell.
"You scared me when you just collapsed like that." Said Bell with relief, Hestia smiles as her brain wakes up. "I guess the exhaustion caught up with me. Sorry to worry you."
"You should have seen him asleep sitting up." Leo calls out.
Hestia looks over Bell to see Leo leaning against the wall. She smiles at seeing her other child safe and healthy. "Glad to see you're safe, Leo."
"I'm sore and tired, but I'll live. Also, those gloves you gave me somehow survived my fight with a mutated silverback." He states holding out the pair of gloves. Hestia motions him over by waving her hand.
"Come kneel in front of me; I need to update your status." She says.
Leo walks over and kneels before his goddess. She pulls out a small needle and pricks her finger. "May I see your gloves?" She asks before continuing, and Leo holds them out for her. She takes them and drops a drop of her blood on them before dragging a finger over them.
Suddenly, a bright blue light emitted from them before disappearing. She nodded her head in satisfaction and set the gloves off to the side.
"These gloves are special. They are alive; the more it's wielder grows, the stronger it will become."
"The more I grow...?" Leo asks, looking down. Hestia smiles and gently pats Leo on the back as his stats go back into his familia mark.
"I was also wondering that, Goddess. Where did you get these? On the scabbard, it says Hephaestus, and on Leo's gloves, it says the same thing. Is that-"
"It was that Hephaestus, yeah! The one and only." She interrupts Bell; he's taken aback by holding a weapon made by the smithing goddess herself.
"You got us weapons from Hephaestus herself? How'd you manage that?" Leo asks, turning to face her. Hestia leans back against the headrest of the bed with a small smile on her face.
"I knew how; Bell always had his face pressed up against the glass of her shop. It may not have been what you wanted, but... These are the only two of their kind in the whole world. Amazing, right?" She says gently rubbing her fingers over the gloves. The two brothers are taken aback and too stunned to even speak.
"I didn't want to just watch anymore, or you two just take care of me." She said.
"But the money! Weapons from the Hephaestus familia are really expensive." Bell states worriedly. Leo slowly stands up and grabs the pair of gloves, slipping them onto his hands. He cracks his knuckles with a smirk.
"If that's the case, we're going to need some vali's." He states this before turning around and walking towards the stairs.
"Leo! You need rest; you just woke up after fighting that silverback!" Bell protests.
He turns to face his brother with a battle-hungry smirk. "I can sleep when I'm dead. We could use the money." He says walking down the stairs and back into the pub.
As he reaches the bottom, his eyes travel the room to see that it's even more packed than before. The biggest addition was that the Loki familia once again had a celebration.
"Good job today, Aisy-pu~" Loki says before taking a long swig of her ale. Leo walks towards the door but feels a strong hand grab his shoulder.
"You're thinking of going to the dungeon, aren't ya?" Said Mia, turning, he saw a small smirk on her face. "Thats the plan. I wanted to try out something."
"Mr. Cranel, you should rest. You're body is still exhausted from facing that silverback. The dungeon can be very unforgiving and hit you harder when you're tired." Ryuu said, appearing from the kitchen door. Leo sighs and takes a seat at the bar.
"Maybe you're right, but I'm itching to get back in there." He says massaging his fist. Mia laughs and sets a pint of ale on the couter for him.
"Are you sure you're not half dwarf? You have our damned mindset." She says with a toothy grin, Leo shrugs his shoulders.
"I never got to meet either of my parents; I only ever heard stories from grandpa about them." He says before taking a small sip. Mia nods her head as she gently sets a plate of food in front of him.
"Make sure you eat up, kid!" She states that before turning to other things, Leo smiles genuinely before quietly eating his food.
The torchlight flickered against the damp stone walls of the dungeon as Leo and Bell ventured deeper into its depths, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. Each step brought them closer to the unknown, closer to the dangers that lurked in the shadows.
As they rounded a corner, a pack of goblins emerged from the darkness, their eyes gleaming with malice as they brandished their crude weapons. Without hesitation, Leo and Bell sprang into action, their new weapons at the ready.
Bell wielded his dagger with practiced precision, his movements fluid and graceful as he danced through the fray. With each strike, he found his mark, his blade flashing in the dim light as he dispatched his foes with ease.
Meanwhile, Leo's gauntlets pulsed with arcane energy as he unleashed a flurry of devastating punches on the goblins. With each blow, he felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, his fists hitting harder and faster than before.
"RRRRGAHHH!" Leo shouted as he slammed a goblin into the ground. The small humanoid creature crumpled under the weight, spilling its insides all over the stone ground.
Together, they fought as one, their movements complementing each other with seamless precision. Where Bell struck from the shadows with deadly accuracy, Leo charged into the fray with brute force and an unyeilding will.
As the last goblins fell beneath their combined onslaught, Leo and Bell stood victorious amidst the wreckage of their fallen foes, their chests rising and falling normally, something they were not used to after a fight.
"We took care of them rather quickly. Should we head deeper?" Bell asked, looking down a dark hallway. Leo was going to agree, but his mind traveled to Eina the last time they went deeper without telling her.
"We should probably tell Eina. The last time we did was when the minotaur was on a rampage," Leo says.
"Maybe you're right. We've already filled out pouches anyway; let's head back up." Bell said with a smile. Leo nodded his head and walked alongside Bell as they walked out of the dungeon.
Ten minutes later...
"THE SEVENTH FLOOR?!" Shouted their advisor in surprise, she looks between the two with a worried look. The brothers share a look as Eina continues to scold them for thinking something foolish.
"You two almost got killed on the fifth floor not that long ago! What are you going to do on the seventh!? And don't get me started on you, Leo; it's only been a day since your fight with the silverback, and you want to go to a lower level and fight stronger monsters?! Are you two out of your minds?!" She shouts.
"B-But we've grown up a lot since then, and a bunch of our status levels have gone up to E, Ms. Eina." Bell says sweating nervously. Eina gives them a knowing look as she glances between the two, not believing them.
"What? E? No way..." She says it flatly. Leo sighs and rubs a hand through his hair. "If you need proof, you can read our backs."
"Fine. It should be impossible for you guys to have E ranks; it's only been 3 weeks after all." She says walking from around the counter.
Eina leads the two adventurers to a private room that has a curtain door where they can be away from prying eyes. Bell goes first and lifts up his shirt, revealing his familia mark. He has a nervous look on his face as he feels Eina's gaze travel all over his back.
"No way. Strength and Vitality are E... Agility, D RANK?!" She screams in shock. Bell nervously jumps and turns with a worried look upon hearing her shout.
"It's just like you said, but there are parts of it that I can't read. But your ability is real, Leo; it's your turn." She says, looking at him, nodding his head, he turns and lifts up his shirt, revealing his own familia mark.
She reajusts her glasses and glances all over his familia mark taking in every inch of it. "How is this possible?! Vitality and Agility are E. Strength... C?!" She shouts even louder, seeing that Leo has a higher stat than Bell.
"Trust me, I had the same reaction." He says with a small smile as he pulls his shirt down. Eina rubs her temple as she thinks over the new information.
"So does that mean we're safe to go to the seventh floor, right?" Bell asks excitedly.
"Yeah, with those status scores, I have to grant you access to the seventh floor. But that means the problem is..." She trails off as she looks over at the two adventurers.
Her eyes glaze over their appearance; Bell just wears a small single chest plate, while Leo only wears the clothes on his back.
"Are you two free tomorrow?" She asks, smiling at the two.
"Yeah, we will be." Leo says. Her smile widens as she nods her head a few times. "Can you two meet me by the main fountain tomorrow bright and early?" She asks.
Leo and Bell share a look and nod to each other before giving her a nod. "Yeah, we can do that." Bell says.
"Okay, you two are free to go. I have some paper work to take care of; if you plan on going back into the dungeon today, please be careful. I'll see you two tomorrow!" She says with a smile before leaving the room.
"That was strange; I wonder what that was about?" Leo is confused by Eina's behavior. Bell shrugs his shoulders. "Not sure; at least we have a nice advisor that cares." He says smiling.
"Me too. So, what are we doing now?" Leo asks, glancing at Bell. Before the young adventurer could respond, his stomach growled loudly.
"Welp, it looks like we're eating at the hostess. Let's go." Leo said, sliding the curtain open and walking out.
The Tower of Babel loomed over Orario, its towering spires reaching towards the heavens like fingers of stone. A large shadow casted over the area where Leo and Bell are standing as the sun had started to peek over the horizon.
"How'd you sleep, Leo?" Bell asks stretching his stiff back, he glances at his brother and shrugs. "Okay, how about you?" Said Leo.
"That couch kills my back, It's been stiff for the last few days." Bell said leaning backwards as he trys to crack his back.
"Hey! Bell, Leo!" Shouted Eina.
Turning they saw their half-elf advisor smiling in a new outfit. She is wearing a nice white shir with a black bow holding it together, a red skirt that stops just above her knees. Her glasses are also missing letting the two see her beautiful green eyes.
Bell was too stunned to speak as he watched her approach them, Leo smiled as a slight red hue appeared on his face but he quickly shook it off as he waved back.
"Good morning, Eina." He said smiling towards her. The half-elf's smile seems to widen as she stops infront of the two.
"Good morning! You two are really early, aren't you?" She said cheerfully. Leo threw his arm around Bell and put him in a headlock.
"Oi Leo!" Shouted Bell slightly embaressed from Leo's sudden move.
"Yep! We're both excided to get some new armor, isn't that right Bell?" He asks while ruffleing his hair.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm excided! Come on, stop doing that!" He whines as Leo continues. Eina giggles at seeing the brothers antics.
"We're you tow that excided to go shopping with me?" She asks teasingly. Both brothers look at her confused when an Idea pops in Bell's head.
"Leo hasn't stopped talking about you since yesterday, he was really looking forward to today." He says smirking. Eina looks over at the young adventurer with a knowing look before she bats her eyelashes at him.
"Is that true? Were you really looking forward to spending the day with me?" She asks shyly. The headstrong Leo found himself stunned and could only stutter a response.
"I-I-I mean, u-um- Yeah, I-I was!" He stutters out. She smiles and leans forwards with her arms outstretched to tease him furthuer.
"Hey, Leo. Don't you have anything to say about my outfit?" She asks bashfully. The young adventurer was taken aback and looked her up and down taking in all of her beauty.
"You look beautiful..." He says while looking away, Eina's face heats up from the compliment but her smile grows.
"Shall we go?" She asks trying to hide her red face, the two adventurers nod and begin following behind her as she lead them down the street.
As they made their way through the crowded streets of Orario, Eina couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest. She had been looking forward to this day for weeks, eager to show Bell and Leo the wonders of the marketplace and help them find the perfect armor for their next adventure.
"Here we are." Eina announced, gesturing towards the large tower. Leo lets his gaze travel all the way up the tower trying to see the top but it's way to big.
"Babel?" Questions Bell curiously, Eina steps infront of the two and nods.
"Yup! To the Heaphaestus familia's shop." She said.
Bell begins to panic since they didn't have even close to enough of valis to buy somthing from Hephaestus familia.
"EH!? We don't have the kind of money it takes to shop at the Hephaestus familia store!" He shouts, Eina laughs at his reaction and Leo nods his head in agreement.
"He's not wrong. I think I have around 6,000 valis on me." He says looking through his money pouch. Eina shakes her head and gently grabs Leo's wrist and begins to pull him towards the entrance.
"Just come on. A boy shouldn't keep a girl waiting." She says smiling at him over her shoulder.
"Wait for me guys!" Shouts Bell as he slowly jogs to catch up to the two, Leo shakes his head with a small smile and lets Eina drag him into the tower of Babel.
The three of them step into a nice little elevator and let it carry them up a few floors. It suddenly stops as the shutters open revealing a ornate hallway with displays of perfectly forged armor and weapons.
Leo's eyes travel around the hallway as he's the first out of the elevator, it falls on a display showing off a nice armor set with gold engravings. A little price card sits next to it, it reads 22,400,000 Valis.
"22 MILLION VALIS!" Shouts Leo in shock, Bell's face pales as he looks at his brother.
"W-What did you say?" He asks, not sure if he heard him right. Leo gently grabs Bell by the head and turns his face towards the display. Bell's eyes travel to the price, causing his own eyes to widen.
"22 MILLION VALIS!" Shouts Bell in shock. Leo turns around and notices the displays throughout the whole hallway.
"I had no idea that this was in the tower." He states. Eina giggles at their reactions and smiles at them.
"We're heading for the upper floor, but this is also part of the Hephaestus familia's store, so let's stop in." She says, and slowly walks forward.
The brothers slowly follow behind her and look at each display. The weapons and armor slowly start to increase in price the deeper they get. Bell's eyes widen at seeing a nearby display; he quickly walks over and presses his face against it.
"THIRTY MILLION VALIS?!" He shouts in shock, and Leo runs a hand through his hair.
"How the hell is anyone supposed to afford this?" He says this after looking at all the expensive displays.
"You two are still level one adventurers; it'll be a while till you can afford something like this." She says with a small smile, the door from the side of the display they are looking at opens, and a cheery voice calls out to them.
"Welcome! What are you looking for today, sir?"
She opens her eyes to see both of her children in front of her with a female half-elf behind them. Her eyes widen at the potential for Bell to find someone other than herself.
"Color me surprised; it's Goddess." Leo says, then steps back and stands next to Eina. Bell's eyes widen as he quickly steps away from the display.
"Bell/Goddes?!"
Both speak simultaneously; Eina lets out a little snicker while Leo stiffles a laugh himself.
"What are you doing here?! I noticed you've been busy lately, but I thought it was at the food cart." He exclaims, confused; it goes in one ear and out the other for Hestia as she questions Bell.
"Wh-Wh-What about you?! What are you two doing here? And who is this half-elf?!" She asks as she lightly glares at Eina. Leo holds out his hand and motions to their advisor with a small smile.
"This beautiful lady is Eina, and she is our advisor." He states, Eina's face slightly heats up from the compiment but bows towards their goddess.
"Hello, Goddess Hestia, as Leo said; I am Eina Tulle, with the guild. I'm the Cranel brothers hunting advisor."
Their goddess stares at Eina with a look of suspicion; she goes to walk forward, but Leo steps in front of Eina with a small smile.
"Me and Bell need some new armor, and Eina here was kind enough to show us around. What's the name of the shop we're going to, Eina?" He asks, glancing at the half-elf. She puts a hand on her cheek as she starts to think.
"It's called Gear Grimoire; it sells any type of gear for all adventurers; it's just around the corner; over there." She says, pointing to the left, Leo smiles and gently grabs her hand, causing her face to turn bright red from the sudden action.
"Okay. Eina and I will check the place out. Whenever you're done here, Bell, we'll be in Gear Grimoire, okay?" He asks with a small smirk, and Bell slowly nods his head, confused.
Leo gently leads Eina down the hall, towards the shop she mentioned earlier. He opens the door, and the dimly lit interior of the shop is filled with the scent of aged leather and the faint aroma of herbs used to treat the various goods on display. The shelves were lined with an assortment of weapons, and the walls were lined with an assortment of armor.
"Oh, wow. This stuff is cheap." He says Eina doesn't respond and looks at the floor, embarrassed by their current perdicament.
"L-L-Leo..." She gently whispers out, and he turns to her with an eyebrow arched, confused. Her face and ears are bright red, and his eyes glance down and see that he had interlocked their fingers as they walked.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." He says quickly, letting go. Eina glances up towards him with an embarrassed smile and lightly shakes her head.
"N-No, it's fine. Anyways, a-are you surprised to see that the cost is more in your price range?" She asks, trying to shake off the embarrassment. Leo looks around and nods, seeing a nearby mace. It's head is a ball of iron with spikes sticking out of it, and the price is 600 valis.
"Yeah, I thought Hephaestus Familia only sold the best of the best." Eina lets out a small giggle.
"All the stuff here is from new blacksmiths in the Hephaestus familia. Even if it's cheap, it's to their advantage to have their work sold and evaluated. And some of them are really good!" She explains.
She leads him deeper into the store, and the variety increases. Some elven armor types can be seen littered around on small displays, and a few dwarven items are also thrown into the bunch. Leo's smile widens at seeing the variety of gear from different cultures, and his gaze falls upon a dusty corner tucked away from the prying eyes of casual customers. Curiosity piqued, and he felt drawn towards it, as if the very air whispered tales of forgotten treasures awaiting discovery.
"I'm gonna go check the back out."
Eina calls out to him, confused, and watches as he walks into a dark corner of the shop. Pushing aside a tattered curtain of fabric, he stepped into the secluded alcove and found himself standing before an old wooden chest. It was weathered and worn, its surface marred by the passage of time and neglect.
"It's like a different shop back here.." He spoke quietly, and with cautious fingers, he lifted the lid, revealing an array of forgotten relics and artifacts. And there, at the bottom of the chest, partially obscured by layers of dust and cobwebs, lay the Ironclad Barbarian Vestments.
The leather tunic was rich in hue, and its texture was imbued with memories of countless battles and untold adventures. The iron plates gleamed faintly beneath the dust, hinting at the protective strength they once offered. The fur lining, though matted and worn, still retained a semblence of its original luster, evoking visions of fierce winters and storms in the North.
As he carefully lifted the armor from its resting place, the dust danced in the air, catching the faint rays of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the ceiling. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and he felt a connection to the armor, as if it were calling out to him. Gently shaking off the dust and cobwebs, he examined the Ironclad Barbarian Vestments more closely. Despite its neglected state, the armor exuded a timeless charm and rugged elegance.
He scans the armor over for the smith signiature but finds none. Curiously, he peaks back into the chest and finds a pair of sturdy leather boots, their soles worn yet resilient, designed to withstand the rugged terrain of the Dungeon. The intricate stitching and bronze accents mirrored the craftsmanship of the vestments, suggesting they were part of a matching set.
Tucked beneath the boots were a set of greaves, their design echoing the barbarian aesthetic of the armor. Crafted from the same weathered iron and supple leather, they promised to shield the wearer's legs from the myriad dangers lurking within the depths of the Dungeon.
Right beside the chest where Leo picked up the armor, a box gleams, catching his attention. Glancing over at it, a small chestplate sits on top of the rest of the gear that goes with the set. Curiously, he crawls over to it and sees a bright stainless steel plate. It has deep red accents that gleam with anticipation.
A small price tag hangs out of the box of 9,900 valis. Leo smirks and drags the box off the shelf towards his own gear that he had found. The faint sound of footsteps approaches him from behind as a femenine voice calls out cheerfully.
"There you are, Leo. I found something good-" She trails off as she sees the two sets of armor in front of him. He turns and looks up at her with a wide smile.
"I think I'll get both of these. This one is for me, and the other is for Bell." He states as he puts his armro into the box with Bells. She looks at him curiously before glancing down at the box. Her eyes are drawn to the dusty-looking leather armor that rests on top.
"That armor looks old; are you sure that's what you want?" She asks, and Leo nods and easily lifts the box up.
"Yeah, it's perfect. Also, the other set is for Bell. I want to get him something." She lets out a small giggle.
"You really care for Bell, don't you?" She asks in a teasing voice, and Leo lets out a chuckle as they begin to walk towards the shopkeeper.
"Yeah, that's what brothers do. I also wanted to get him something, since he bought me my sword."
"You two plan on going into the dungeon today?" He looks over to her and nods his head. "Yeah, not only could we use the valis, but I want to try out my new armor." He says excidedly.
"I think it's about time; you both get a supporter." He glances at her, confused; he's never heard of a supporter. "A supporter?" He asks, confused.
"Yeah, they make things more efficient. If you want, I can look for one."
Before he could respond, they had reached the counter. He sets the crate of armor down, and the proprietor, an elderly man with a weathered face and wise eyes, looks up from his ledger.
"Excuse me, but how much are both of these sets of gear?" He inquired, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable dent in his coin purse.
The old man studied the items before him, his fingers tracing the contours of the armor and boots with a knowing touch. After a moment's contemplation, he looked up and met Leo and Eina's eyes once more. "These have been gathering dust in the back of my shop longer than I care to admit," he confessed, a hint of nostalgia coloring his voice.
"They were brought to me by a seasoned adventurer who had long since passed; he claimed they had served him well but were no longer needed." Pausing to gather his thoughts, the shopkeeper continued, "In all honesty, I had nearly forgotten about them. It seems they were waiting for the right person to come along and give them a new purpose."
With a warm smile, the old man takes the leather greeves, boots, and chestplate out of the box and pushes them towards Leo. "Consider them a gift," he said graciously. "It's clear to me that you are the person he was thinking of when parting with these." A nostalgic glaze graces the old shopkeeper's eyes as he looks at Leo.
Stunned by the unexpected generosity, he struggled to find the words to express his gratitude. "T-Thank you, sir." He stutters out, and Eina giggles at his reaction. "That was very generous of you; thank you, sir." She says that, bowing towards the old shopkeeper, he lets out a chuckle and waves his hand.
"Think nothing of it, now, onto this other set. Ah, Welf Crozzo's set. If memory serves me right, he named this Pyonkichi Mk-II. The price is 9,900 valis, but since you seem like a wonderful young couple, I'll throw in a 50% discount."
Eina and Leo glance towards each other with a red hue on their faces. The young man sheepishly rubs the back of his head. "Oh, me and her aren't together. She could do a lot better than me." Eina's face shifts to worry at how easily he put himself down, but before she can respond, the old shopkeeper lets out a laugh.
"Forgive this old fool; it seems my eyesight isn't what it once was. You reminded me of me and my wife, Lyria, when we were your age. Now, the price is 4,950 vails."
Leo reaches into his coin purse, pulls out the correct amount, and hands it to the old shopkeeper. He nods with a wistful smile on his face before setting it under the counter. He places the leather armor back into the crate before sliding it towards Leo.
"Thank you for your patronage; please come again." He says this before sitting back down and focusing back on his ledger.
30 minutes later...
The sun had started to dip below the horizon. Leo and Eina looked for Bell but couldn't find him and ended up at the fountain, where they had agreed to meet up today. A comfortable silence hovers around them as both have small smiles on their faces. Leo slowly turns to Eina and stops.
"Thanks for coming with me today; sorry about Bell. He must have gotten dragged away with our goddess." Eina's smile widens towards him as she reveals something from the small of her back. "Oh, right." She says this quietly as she unfolds the cloth holding something.
"Leo, take this." She holds out a green-looking wrist guard. He shifts the crate under his arm and gently grabs it from her hands. "What is this?" He asks curiously as he inspects it, and she smiles sweetly at him. "It's a present from me. Make sure to use it!"
"Are you sure?" He asks worriedly; it looks like it cost a lot of valis. It was a dark emerald green guantlet that slipped over any bracers that an adventurer would wear. She nods her head with a soft giggle. "I'm sure. You never know when an adventurer is going to die. I know lots of adventurers who never came back. I don't want you to go away." She trails off as a sad look graces her face.
Leo smiles, and he sets the guantlet into the crate before gently patting her on the head. Her face turns bright red, even her ears. "Thank you for the gift. I'll make sure to come back, so smile. You look a lot better that way." The half-elf advisor lets out a high-pitched noise as she looks at the ground, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Y-Y-You're welcome. I'll see you and Bell tomorrow!" She quickly shouts out before running away, unable to take anymore. Leo watches as she quickly turns a corner and disappears.
Leo turns with a smile still on his face and starts his walk back to the abandoned church; hopefully Bell will be there.
15 minutes later...
The sun had started to dip lower in the sky, giving it an orange or pink hue over the city of Orario. Leo walks down a staircase that leads to the run-down side of the city, and as he reaches the bottom, a small blur crashes into him, knocking his crate free.
He turns to see a small, frail girl laying on the ground; she has a torn tunic that exposes her stomach.
"Shit, are you okay?" He asks, kneeling down to help her up; she struggles to even lift her own body weight.
"You're not getting away anymore!"
Turning, he sees a man with long, dark black hair who's in a messy ponytail. He has his sword drawn and holds his arm back, ready to swing.
"You damned prum!" He shouts with rage.
In an instant, Leo puts himself in front of the girl and reaches his hand out. His bracers gain a small bluish/purple hue as he catches the blade with ease. He grits his teeth as the man struggles and tries to cut through his arm. The enraged man takes a calming breath and pulls his sword away before sheathing it on his back.
"Who the hell are you?! Are you with her?!" He says with disdain, Leo keeps up his gaurd just in case.
"Who I am doesn't concern you, and no. I've never seen her in my life." Leo says, his voice calm and collected, ready for a fight if need be.
"Then why protect her?" He asks quietly, and the air around the mystery attacker feels like he'll attack at a moment's notice.
"First of all, she's half your size. Second, I really hate assholes that pick on people, especially women."
"Huh?! What'd you say, you goddamn brat?!"
The man's glare worsens and is now directed towards Leo. The young man dawns his fighting stance as he pulls out his sword and points it threateningly towards him.
"Stop it." A femenine voice calls out to them. They both turn to see an elven woman wearing a waitress uniform. She has a cold look on her face as she looks at the man standing across from Leo.
"You shouldn't be sword fighting in the middle of the city." Says Ryuu, the man scoffs at her and glances between the two of them.
"Stay out of this, bitch! Get lost, you-" Before he could say another word, Leo stepped forward and threw a heavy punch, sending the man flying through the air. He lands hard into the ground and rolls before slamming into a building.
A quiet groan escapes the man as he tries to stand up, but he falls limp and unconscious. Leo clicks his tongue and kneels down to grab the discarded gear he had lost due to that small girl bumping into him.
Ryuu's cold exterior drops and switches to one of surprise as she slowly walks towards Leo. The young man looks up as he grabs the last piece of his gear and gives her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about that; kinda lost my cool there." Looking off to the side, she shakes her head and glances back at the knocked-out man.
"Why'd he attack you?" Ryuu questions. Leo stands up and looks over at him with a glare. "He was chasing a small-looking girl; she was in a bad way, if her clothes are anything to go by." Leo explains.
The young man lets a sigh escape him as he bows his head towards the elven beauty. "Thanks for trying to step in and resolve things peacefully." She shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry for interfering."
"Like I said, you were trying to resolve it peacefully. So, I owe you one." She looks at him confusedly and arches one of her eyebrows. "I didn't do anything that warrants compensation; besides, if something happened to you, Syr would be sad." Leo lets out a small chuckle and shakes his head.
"Ah, I see. I thought she had a thing for Bell, not me. I'll have to tell her that I have my eyes on someone else." He says, taking a few glances towards Ryuu, and she nods her head once.
"If you could, please let her down gently. She is a kind person who wears her emotions on her sleeve. That is all I ask." She says, bowing towards him, and Leo smirks.
"That was the plan. Anyway, what are you doing at this time?" He asks curiously. He glances at the bag she carries in one of her arms and sees a variety of food, from vegetables to fruits to some paper-wrapped meat.
"I was out getting some produce for our lunches tomorrow. Will you be coming by at the same time?" She asks, and she cutely tilts her head with her natural serious face. Leo nods as his smile grows.
"Of course. Your lunches are the best; I look forward to eating them every time me and Bell go into the dungeon."
The tips of Ryuu's ear slightly heat up, but to the untrained eye, she keeps her calm exterior. She nods her head and turns to the right.
"I'll be on my way, then. Until tomorrow, Mr. Cranel." She says as she walks away. Leo watches as she dissappears around a corner and begins his walk home, hoping to see Bell.
It takes him an additional five minutes to reach the run-down church; he walks through and down the stairs.
"Bell, are you here?" He calls out as he steps into their home. Bell and Hestia can be seen sitting on the small sofa. The small goddess has an open book on her lap while Bell counts a few monster drops.
"Ah, Leo! Sorry about today; I kind of got distracted." He says, sneaking a glance at their extremely happy goddess, he sighs and nods his head.
"Don't worry about it, also, here. I got you a little something." He says with a smile, and Bell looks at him curiously.
He watches as Leo takes out a leather armor set; he has a smile on his face as he pushes a crate towards him. Curious, Bell looks in to see another set of armor, but this one is metal with red accents.
He reaches out and picks up the plate that covers the wearer's chest. He turns it over to see the smith's signature.
"Welf Crozzo?"
"So, what do you think?" Asked Leo, Bell looks down at the rest of the armor before a large smile breaks out onto his face.
"It's perfect; thank's Leo." He pulls his brother into a hug, and Leo pats him on the back a few times before pointing his thumb over to his giant great sword.
"Well, you got me that, so I thought I should get you something. Are we going into the dungeon tomorrow? I'm eager to try out my new gear." Leo says as he picks up the leather armor, and Bell nods his head with an excited smile.
Timeskip
Its the next day and Leo and Bell have equiped their new armor, Bell's armor consists of a front and back small chest plate, shoulder plates, wrist plates, plates that rest on his waist and knee pads. Leo has medium style leather/iron armor that covers most of his torso while leaving out his right arm, the shoulder pad on his left has a few small spikes but they don't get in the way when he moves, the lining around the neck and creases have fur of some kind of wild animal.
His leather greaves are made of the same weathered Iron and supple leather, giving off a barbarian aesthetic. The boots were a mix of leather and iron, they had iron soles while the rest was leather.
Leo sheathed his colossal sword to his back and turns to look at Bell, he nods his head a few times before clapping him on the back.
"That armor suits you just fine, brother." Bell smiles and nods his head, he takes in Leo's appearance with a wide smile.
"You look really cool, like a hero!" He exclaims excidedly, Leo chuckles and ruffles Bell's hair.
"What kind of heroes are you lookin up too? I look like a bandit, but thank you Bell."
15 minutes later...
The two brothers can be seen walking towards the dungeon; currently, the streets around them are packed with different adventure groups. But what caught their eye were people carrying large green backpacks; some were small, others were muscular.
"A supporter, huh?" Bell whispers quietly as he looks at the people curiously. Leo nods his head and points to one with a backpack. "Are those the supporters?" He asked, and before Bell could give his opinion, a femenine voice called out behind them.
"You two with the white hair! Hello!" She says.
Turning, they see a small woman with a large green backpack strapped to her back. She has a white cloak that covers her body and has the hood up. She has a small smile on her face as she looks between the brothers.
"Hello, misters. Sorry to bother you, but are you two looking for a supporter?" She asks. Leo and Bell share a glance, unsure if they want one or not. Leo takes in the small girl's appearance, and she looks vaguely familiar. He looks at her curiously.
"Do I know you?" He asks, and the girl visabely tenses up, but to the untrained eye, she smiles up at the adventuring duo. "Are you okay, mister? You seem confused, but it's actually quite simple. I'm just a poor supporter who wants to pick through the leftovers and advertise herself! This is the first time we're meeting, mister!"
She pulls down her hood to reveal a head full of chestnut brown hair, and two little ears wiggle around. Bell unconsciously reaches his hand out and gently begins to rub them; the small woman's face heats up, and she starts to squirm.
"Are you a chienthrope?" Bell asks as he keeps touching her ears; she squirms under his touch. Leo sighs and swats his hand away, giving the poor girl room.
"Bell, you know better than to just touch an animal person's ears."
His eyes hold a stern look to them; he doesn't want Bell to do what he did when they were younger.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" He quickly apologizes and bows to her; the blush hasn't left her face as she sheepishly waves her hand.
"Liliruca thinks you two should take her as a supporter!" She reiterates once again that the two brothers share another look before facing the young woman again. Before one of them could speak, she pointed towards Bell with a large smile.
"It's rare to see an adventurer equipped with a backpack, not to mention just the two of you. Usually they are in big groups, but Lili saw you two and thought, " She trails off, quickly shakes off the blush, and looks at the two with a serious expression.
"So, what about it? Do you need a supporter?" She asks for the third time, and silence falls over them as the two brothers think it over. Leo lets a small smile fall on his face and places his hand on Bell's shoulder.
"I'm fine with it; what about you, Bell?"
"I've been thinking it over, and I'd really like to have a supporter with us." He says, causing Lili's eyes to light up, and she eagerly takes a step towards the brothers.
"Really?! Then would you take me?" She asks with a hopeful voice. She takes a step back and suddenly has a sad expression as she absent-mindedly messes with one of her ears. "I'm so poor and barely have enough to get by. And having a boy touch something so important to me... You need to take responsibility, don't you?" She asks, turning towards Bell. Leo laughs as he sees his brother's face turn bright red.
"You can be our supporter for the day, Lili." Said Leo with a small smile, the girl's face lights up in happiness, but a glint of malcious intent twinkles in her eyes.
10 minutes later...
Leo swings his sword in a wide arc, killing three large ants. Green blood mixed with random parts decorates the walls. Bell quickly dashes towards his brother and slices a small needle rabbit's head off. He quickly turns his body and kicks a killer ant in the head before jumping back.
Leo quickly reacts and slams his sword in an overhead arc, completely cutting the ant in two. The sound of someone clapping catches their attention, and they see Lili, their new supporter, watching them with a wide smile.
"Wow! You two are really strong!" She compliments the two, and Bell wipes the sweat from his forehead as Leo claps him on the back.
"Good job, and thanks for watching my back." Bell nods and kneels down to grab a magic stone. "I feel like I can focus with Lili watching our backs; I don't have to bounce around." He says with a small smile.
"You two are amazing! Since you can defeat all these monsters by yourself, though, it looks like your weapon helped a lot. She says, staring at Bell's knife. The young man glances at it and sheepishly nods his head.
"Yeah, maybe I'm relying on this knife TOO much."
Lili stares at the knife curiously, but a scheming glint is hidden in her eyes as she squints her eyes slightly at him. Leo walked over to some of the corpses of monsters that lay on the ground. He carves out the stones with ease as he turns to the two.
"Say, Lili? What familia are you from?" He asks curiously, and the supporter looks over at him and tilts her head before kneeling down and grabbing a nearby magic stone.
"Oh, right, the Soma familia." Lili says.
She walks around and starts grabbing all the stones that litter the ground; a tense and uneasy aura hangs over her after revealing her familia. Leo keeps glancing at her as he silently carves out the stones from the monsters.
"Anyway, Bell, you should help your brother with the magic stones. I'll get the ones on the ground; after that, we'll call it a day." She explains. Lili holds out a small knife for Bell to use in carving out some of the magic stones; he nods and takes it before going to a nearby corpse.
Lili's eyes never leave Bell's sheath that's on the small of his back; she keeps her eyes on his knife as the scheming glint returns as she grabs nearby magic stones.
