Chapter 9: Debts

Not too long after Mia's exit, Hit made his way to the bathroom to freshen up and took a much-needed shower. He reflected on his battle as the water pelted down. "I truly was lucky..."

The Minotaur that Hit had faced was in very bad shape, already grievously injured before they met. The stalactite, that happened to fall upon it, had also contributed to its sorry state. The cumbersome creature was used to the immense halls of the 17th floor, not the narrow corridors outside its spawning habitat. It had been tired and wounded; whereas Hit was filled with determination and fuelled by adrenaline. Luck and skill were the driving factors in this fight. If any other fighter of comparable speed and strength had attempted the same stunt Hit had, they would undoubtedly lose, unless they possessed a very powerful skill or magic. Only Hit's vast combat experience, garnered over hundreds of years, and his repeated attacks of a vital point using time skip, had assured his victory.

'These creatures... or golems... don't have normal vital points.' Other than crushing their bones and external features, Hit had not seen any recognisable internal organs.

'At least they possess a core. My lethal attacks should be useful.' Hit sighed, he was getting tired of his killing techniques being restricted. From the tournament of destroyers to the tournament of power. 'But how do I locate the rocks within their bodies? Is it species-specific? Thankfully, the stone didn't change position while we fought. But that doesn't rule out the possibility.'

Hit turned off the water and dried himself. 'Why now? Why did my time skip not unlock before, during my strenuous training?'

Hit thought back to his fate-defying moment in the dungeon. His life had been on the line; he had focused everything he had on survival. Hit threw the towel to the ground.

'Dammit! My mind never struggled to keep up during our skirmish. It was this feeble bod-…'

Hit's eyes widened in realisation. His time skip was completely natural to him. Him. Hit, the peerless assassin of universe 6. 'Hit' was the consciousness who had escaped universal annihilation, not the body he currently resided in. Time skipping had only awakened when his life was on the line, and his body was pushed beyond the limits of human flesh. Only then, could mind and body truly synchronize. 'That must be it. Perhaps there's a different power structure in this world. I must have forced my body to adapt'.

Hit placed his towel in the cleaning basket. 'I have been training my body expecting it to come naturally when it was only natural to my mind. I will need to put myself in more life-threatening situations...'

An image of a furious Mia flashed through his mind, terrifying teeth gleaming as if to tear into him.

'...that are not quite as dire as today's'.

The sun had begun to set as Hit gazed out his window. He wore clean clothes and was ready to descend below, although he wasn't looking forward to it. 'Hm... Those annoying pests are going to question me again. I'd rather descend into the dungeon than down those stairs...'

Hit remembered the one who healed him. 'Ryuu... That was the silent one who led me to my room. She feels troublesome, just how did she heal me?'

Hit marched down to his trial. 'Regardless, I'll never leave a debt unpaid.' He patted his pocket, wishing it was fuller. 'I've got a bad feeling in the pit of my wallet...'

…

Mia stood at her usual place behind the counter, drying a mug. "Well, well, well. If it isn't sleeping beauty. Nice of you to finally come down."

'Sleeping beauty' was not too pleased at the nickname and huffed. Although, Hit was feeling much more relaxed in the bar than he had yesterday. It was nearly completely empty, housing only a few waitresses.

Hit yawned. "What time is it?"

"4:30 in the afternoon, of the following day. Yer little adventure where "nothing happened" was yesterday." Mia put the mug down and held up her fingers in quotation marks, as she repeated Hit's final words prior to blacking out. "It's just before the dinner rush, so there's time for ya to finally meet everyone properly."

"...Fantastic", Hit deadpanned.

Mama Mia held her hands close to her mouth as if creating a funnel. "ATTENTION!". The ensuing shout was deafening.

Girls jumped in the air throughout the room. The poor things scampered to form a line in front of their master. One even saluted.

"Alright everyone, in case any of you didn't see him, this here is our current guest." Mia pointed a palm towards him and paused.

The boy nodded. "Hit...".

"As you can tell he doesn't say much. Now, I'll introduce my girls". Mia pointed a palm to the first girl and moved from left to right.

"This is Ryuu Lion, you already met. Next is Anya Fromel..." This was the saluting girl, a brown-haired cat person. A mischievous look played on her face.

"Then comes Chloe Rollo, ..." Another cat person, black haired; she looked quite crafty.

"Lunoire Faust, ..." A human with short brown hair smiled lightly at Hit.

"And finally, Syr Flova; you two had a very long chat two days ago." Syr looked away from him, seemingly annoyed, yet relieved.

Hit nodded again, then strode towards the sole elf in the room. Ryuu tensed.

Hit bowed. "Thank you for healing me, I would not have survived if it weren't for your aid."

"Nya?" Anya seemed shocked.

"I wasn't expecting that." Chloe Rollo held a hand to her mouth.

Ryuu was the most shocked, although she did not show it outwardly. It seems she might have been wrong about the boy. "You are welcome. However, if you want to thank anyone, it should be Syr. It was her who notified me."

Hit bowed towards Syr as well. "Then I thank you as well."

The grumpy girl crossed her arms. "...and?"

"... and apologize for making a mess", Hit finished her sentence.

Syr grumbled. "That's not what I meant! You really worried me, Mr Hit!" She curled inwards. "I thought you were going to die..."

Hit straightened himself up. "...Apologies. Is there any way I can make it up to the two of you?"

Syr waved a finger at him, threateningly. "Never get hurt like that again! And go to the guild if you need help, immediately!"

"I will." Hit bowed his head a little.

He then turned to face Ryuu again. The elf stood stoically, although a look of sadness bled through. "Do not make her cry again".

Hit nodded "I will not."

The cat girls were huddled together, tails flicking about. "He really doesn't say much does he nya?", "Nyaha!"

"Ya haven't forgotten our deal?" Mia brought Hit's attention back to the counter.

"Of course, not". He took a seat at the same position as his first night there.

"Good. Now you can make up for the ...'mess you made'. Moving on to your bill for our services...". Mia reached into her apron's pocket.

Hit readied himself. 'Here it comes...'

A piece of paper was slid towards him "2500 valis".

Hit's eye twitched. '...what!?'

"1000 valis for the initial healing and magic; 1000 valis for the treatment plus cleanup; and 500 valis for pissing me off."

Hit drooped. "...just how much money do you think I have?"

Mia laughed heartily. "Don't worry too much lad, just pay it back using the money you make adventuring. You know how, dontcha?"

Hit gritted his teeth. "... Definitely"

The tall woman clapped him on the shoulder, repeatedly. "I guess someone just needs to get a move on then. HAHAHA! And ya better spend a lot tonight!"

The surrounding girls looked shocked; just what was Mia doing charging him so much? Her motivation was simple, it would motivate him to join a familia quickly. She could tell Hit was stubborn, just like her. It was also for this reason that she gave him such a vague deadline to pay it back. Even an average solo adventurer could make over a 1000 valis a day, and he was far beyond average.

Hit piped up. "500 just for pissing you off? Your husband must be in a lot of debt."

Mia froze in place, hand on his shoulder. The maids backed off to a faraway corner. "Got a tongue on ya too, eh lad? Want me ta cut it out for ya?" A dark miasma surrounded Mia as some of her hidden strength leaked out. Hit felt like his shoulder would be pulled clean off.

"I'll take two large specials and a big mug of your most expensive ale, madam." Hit decided to save his skin.

The monstrous aura around the woman receded and she made her way to the kitchen. "Right y'are lad! May! Time to get cooking!"

Hit mourned the death of his wallet. 'Oh well... At least the food's good.'

His shoulder ached as he rubbed it. 'I'll have to ask for a spar against her when I'm stronger'.

The pub was especially busy tonight: jovial music raised everyone's spirits and adventurers of all disciplines were drinking the night away. Hit sat in his usual position, enjoying his very large plates of food. He had spoken to Syr a little and the two reconciled successfully. She had gone off to meet a little friend of hers: a young white-haired boy who looked quite lost as he peered in from the street.

Hit felt a little better about himself, as he was not the only one being scammed tonight. The poor boy was staring up and down, from the noticeboard to his hands, as he franticly calculated the bill for the battered catfish special that Mia had just dumped on him.

Currently, Hit had just finished his third pint of ale and Syr was chatting amicably with the boy she invited.

"Aww, tough break kid. Guess ya got dumped." Mia appeared in front of him, hand extended. A fake expression of pity was on her face.

Hit handed her the mug and she took it. "Don't you have someone else to annoy? You're very good at it."

"HAHAHA! That I am, but it's especially fun to watch you squirm." Mia laughed as his frown deepened.

She handed Hit a full mug and pointed at Syr's newest victim. "That kid over there is even cuter than you! You two know each other?"

Hit decided to end the one-sided conversation and turned around to enjoy his drink in peace.

"Nya! The special guests with the reservation have arrived! Nya!". Anya twirled around as she sang out her sudden announcement.

A group of powerful well-known adventurers followed: the Loki familia.

The first to enter was a short androgynous person, red hair held in a small ponytail. Their attire was not far removed from an Amazon's, that is to say, it did not cover up very much. They wore a blue fabric band around their chest, and the opposite of a sleeveless shirt covered the top of their body: it consisted solely of black sleeves and a collar. Their palms were held against the sides of a pair of black shorts. Hit wondered if they could sense their surroundings, as the person's eyes were firmly closed.

Behind them, entered the two Hiryute sisters; the werewolf Bete Loga; the high elf Riveria Ljos Alf; the young elf Lefiya Viridis; and the stocky level 6 dwarf, Gareth Landrock.

Last to enter was the captivating Ais Wallenstein. She wore a regal white dress, which complemented her flowing gold hair. The garb gave her the appearance of a dangerous flower. Her trusty rapier, strapped to her waist, showed that every rose had its thorn.

Everyone ceased their merriment to gaze in awe at the newcomers. Ais' beauty was especially captivating.

One lecherous fool dared to catcall her. "Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!"

He was quickly chastised by his peers. "Look at the emblem dummy! That's the Loki familia!", "Watch your mouth, that's the sword princess."

A certain white-haired boy was blushing up a storm in the corner, much to his waitress' chagrin.

The Loki familia did not have to wait for long, as their pre-ordered food and drinks arrived. The immense table was bursting with various dishes, ranging from seafood, to poultry, to thick cuts of red meat.

Loki stood on her chair, a foot on the table to make up for her diminutive height. She held a tall tankard of beer in her hand.

"Alright guys! You really kicked that dungeon's ass! So tonight, we feast. Eat, drink, and get drunk!"

"""Yeah!"""

Everyone then brought up their tankards, and cheered, beginning the celebration for the night.

Hit looked them over as he sat drinking. 'Are they famous adventurers? They definitely seem to be a cut above the rest.' He also swore two of them looked familiar for some reason.

"Odd. I guess the werewolf bears some resemblance to the trio de danger from Universe 9". Hit muttered to himself.

"Universe 9? What's that?" Mia was still standing behind him. Her hearing was much better than a normal human's.

"Nothing." Hit continued to look about, they wore some very expensive clothes. 'I need to commission myself some armour. ...when I get out of debt.' Hit needed another drink.

Mia raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze. "Oh? You interested in the Loki familia? Or has one of the girls caught yer eye?"

"The former." Hit clarified for her.

"Tch. You're no fun." Mia then smirked playfully.

"Ooooh, what about the werewolf, he's good look..."

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ Hit turned around, giving her a side eye. "Don't. Even. Dare".

The jester put her hands up in mock defeat "Fine, fine... I guess it's natural, they're one of the strongest familias in Orario."

Hit raised his eyebrow this time. "They are?"

Mia looked at him blankly again, what was wrong with this kid? "Ok, this is getting stupid now. Just how much of an air head are ya?"

Hit placed his mug beside her. "I am not stupid; I just need to learn more about this environment."

A loud thud resounded behind them as Bete Loga put down his mug, forcefully. "Hey Ais! It's about time you told everybody about what happened the other day, it was freaking hilarious~" His voice was slurred, it was his sixth mug.

"...And what story is that?" Ais' melodious voice sounded clearly in response. She was barred from drinking alcohol following... The Incident.

Bete pressed on. "Come on, you know what I'm talking about. All those damned Minotaurs got loose. You told me you went down and finished the last one off on the fifth floor, right?"

Of course, there was a second beast that escaped onto the very same floor, but Bete was not as forthcoming with his experience.

A wolfy chuckle threatened to break into laughter. "You had to save that tomato dumbass." Bete then turned to others. Seeing that Ais did not want to recount the tale, he decided to do so himself. "So, there's this little pansy running around down there, and this big ugly cow starts chasing him, right? So, Ais shows up and cuts the thing to pieces..."

...

Hit noticed a change in the air in someone to the left of him. It was Syr's white-haired friend: he was looking down in shame or anger as he gripped his knees.

...

Bete's grin broadened as he remembered the blood-covered boy who ran past him. "...and the little wuss gets absolutely covered in blood. Kid looked like a big ol' stupid tomato!"

The Hiryute sisters joined in and laughed at the poor boy's expense. Most of the others drank their beverages and attempted to ignore him.

"And check this out! Then tomato guy runs away screaming his freaking head off!"

Riveria's ears and eyebrows began to twitch. The mutt was getting on her nerves for the umpteenth time.

"The dumbass just up and runs away from the woman who saved him! Hahahaha!" Story finished; Bete smacked his leg as he roared with laughter. "What a pathetic jackass!"

Riveria finally intervened. "That will be quite enough out of you, Bete. The monsters only escaped the seventeenth floor because of our mistake. It wasn't the kid's fault, don't even try to..."

Bete slammed the table with a fist. "What!? The idiot bit off more than he could chew trying to be a hero! You can ask Ais; she knows what I'm talking about!" He then swung his alcohol filled body to face the blond girl opposite and leaned into her. "Tell her, who's the more big, strong, and handsome hero? Me or that little scrawny tomato turd?"

Finn, ever the pacifier, attempted to dissuade the situation. "Uh, Bete? I think you might be drunk."

Bete did not move and continued shouting in the emotionless girl's face. She cringed slightly as spittle flew. "I asked you a question, Ais! What would you do if that kid walked up to you and said he had the hots for ya? I'm sure you'd tell him to get lost right?"

He then dealt the finishing blow. "That snot nosed infant has no right to even be near you! You're way too good for a loser like that! Can you even imagine that crotch sniffer as your partner?"

'Insect.' Hit cast a withering stare at the dog. He was now starting to feel enraged, in addition to the general annoyance he felt at the mutt's grating voice. This wretch had failed to accomplish his goal and was now laughing at someone else for not being able to complete it for him? 'One should carry their own burdens, to the very end.'

Hit also now knew that it was their fault he had faced that 'cow'. This elicited feelings of both gratitude to have faced such a strong foe, and anger that he had nearly been killed due to a moron's mistake. The pain felt by the boy beside him was also felt by the former assassin, for different reasons.

Cutlery clattered to the ground as a tan blur ran out of the pub.

"Bell!" Syr called out to her friend, 'Bell' apparently.

"We've got a dine and dash!", one of the Hiryute commented.

The redhead of the group twirled an empty mug lazily "There's always something scandalous going down at Mama Mia's!"

Ais ran after him, feeling a connection to the boy. However, she was too late as neither hide nor tail of him could be seen as she turned her head left and right, outside the inn.

"That might have been..."