Chapter 35: Around the campfire

Dusk fell onto the Loki familia encampment, flooding it in darkness. Great forests, boulders, and perilous cliffs were reduced to mere silhouettes in the dimness, reminding adventurers that danger still lay here. The dungeon floor was quiet, largely free of roaming adventurers, who were busy relaxing for the day.

One individual simply could not shake their worries and gazed out into the murk from their tent. They held the flap of fabric, that made up its door, to one side. Bell Cranel marvelled at the crystalline ceiling. During the day, it shone to become a uniform blue sky, seemingly infinite in its dimensions. However, at night, the individual crystals gained a moment to shine, and reflected the blue glow from minerals below, thus shining like an array of stars.

"Mm..."

"Ghh..."

Bell gasped as he finally heard sounds of activity behind him and turned around.

His previously sleeping companions shook their heads and shuffled in their beds. Welf Crozzo blinked his grey eyes and stared upwards, astonished to still be alive. "Where... in the hell are we?"

Liliruca Arde was equally shocked and spoke in a quiet voice. "I have no idea..."

Bell walked over to them and called out, ecstatic. "You guys! Do you remember anything? It's me, Bell!"

Lili smiled warmly at her crush and raised a delicate hand towards him. "There's nothing that could make me forget who you are, Master Bell... Promise..."

Welf scratched at an annoying plaster that someone had placed on his cheek. "Yeah... And I remember that squeaky little rat voice, so I guess I'm okay..."

Bell laughed, merrily, happy his friends were back to their usual selves. The caring boy helped the duo up and offered them drinks. Unfortunately, Welf and Lili found it difficult to meet Bell's gaze or touch their tea. Bell tilted his head, wondering if they weren't feeling well.

Welf sat with his legs crossed, looking saddened. Lili was equally depressed, ears drooping as she sat in a seiza position. "I'm sorry I wasn't stronger, Master Bell..."

Welf nodded, still not looking up, and bowed his head. "Yeah... and I must have been a huge burden, literally. My apologies."

Bell finally uncovered the reason for their distressed state and waved his hands. "No! There's no need to apologise!" The boy then fixed his friends with a determined expression, saddened that they viewed themselves as burdens. "Without Lili, we wouldn't have even thought of going down to the 18th floor... And if we didn't have you, Welf, those hellhounds would have cooked us! This party wouldn't stand a chance on the middle floors, without you two!"

Welf and Lili raised their heads, shocked at Bell's kindness. The blacksmith nodded, smiling at his buddy. "True..."

Lili's eyes sparkled at Bell's encouraging words; her illusionary tail wagged at the praise. "So, in other words, we couldn't have done it without all of us!"

The trio giggled, sure of their friendship. Welf sipped his tea, which was at the perfect temperature. Perhaps, it was better to have waited. "But who even saved us? Did you really cart our butts all the way to some camp?"

Lili's tail stopped wagging and puffed up as she glanced at her surroundings. "Yeah... don't tell me you bought a tent! I heard prices are awful down here!"

Bell shook his head; these two were always looking out for him. "No, no. We're at the Loki familia encampment. They've agreed to let us stay here while runners get some antidotes from the surface." Bell's smile widened; his friends would finally meet Hit! "... And the one who saved you two, was Hit! He's the guy I told you about."

Welf scratched his chin, racking his mind over their regular conversation sessions at the hostess of fertility. "Oh, yeah... I think you told us you fought him once... guess I need to thank him too, huh..."

Lili furrowed her brow, never being a trusting person, at least of newcomers. "You only met this guy a few times, though, right? Are you sure he's trustworthy?"

Bell bobbed his head, resolutely. "Yep! He showed me how large the gap is between me and experienced adventurers... Hit completely destroyed me... even though he didn't have a falna at the time..."

Welf's eyes widened, remembering more of their previous chat.

Lili bit her thump in worry. She was always considering dangers to their party, and this Hit person was no different. "He must be an incredible fighter... probably gained experience outside of Orario... That's even more shady! Are you sure he's even your friend?"

Bell shook his head; their relationship was not so casual. However, Hit definitely seemed more mellow now, at least when you did not offend him. Bell still wanted to know how Hit got so strong, without a falna. It couldn't simply be those exercises, right? The activities had been quite beneficial to Bell's growth; however, they weren't life changing. It was Hit's simple encouragement that Bell appreciated the most. "He's more of a mentor, but I hope we can be friends someday. We had another chat and... spar... today... He taught me a lot! He means well and healed my injuries. I still couldn't beat him though, despite Hit being a level 1 now."

Bell's companions shouted in shock, nearly falling over.

"Are you freaking serious!?"

"That's crazy!"

Bell raised his arms, seeing that his friends' eyes were darting around his body, searching for any injuries. "W-we didn't use any magic or weapons, so neither of us were using everything we had! He's just really, really strong... And a good person, I can feel it!"

Lili's tail and ears sagged a little, yet she would always put her faith in her saviour. "Huff. Alright, Master Bell. If you trust him, then Lili will do her best to as well."

Welf patted Lili on the shoulder and laughed. "Relax, shrimp! I'm sure he's fine! How scary can the guy be? It's not like he's monster, for crying out loud! HAHA!"

Bell pursed his lips, not wanting to dissuade them any further. Lili did not appreciate the shrimp comment, and attempted to topple the much taller boy, from his cushion seat, in vain.

*Swish*

Suddenly, the fabric to their tent was pulled to the side, allowing three sets of eyes to gaze upon a blonde beauty. Ais Wallenstein peered into their sanctuary, blinking a little at the rowdy pair, who had finally woken up. "...Alright, dinner will be ready soon... Are you all okay?"

Welf and Lili disengaged, with Welf gasping at the living legend. "Sword princess!"

Lili gazed at the girl and could not help but become a little entranced at her beauty. "You're... Ais Wallenstein...?"

Ais nodded and beckoned them forth. "...I'm glad you are feeling better. When you're ready, please join us for dinner..."

Bell stammered a little and gathered their belongings, becoming a white blur of anxiety. "Ah! Of course! We'll be right down!"

Lili and Welf chuckled at the energetic boy, and got up as well, looking forward to the feast...

A little later, and the trio found themselves sitting in a circle of adventurers. They rested on the ground, which was a little uncomfortable; however, the heated magic stone lamps and tasty aroma assuaged any complaints. Bell sat with his friends on his right (Lili, followed by Welf) and the Loki familia adventurers on his left (Ais, followed by Tiona, then Tione). Lili had changed out of her cloak and now wore her red skirt; white and red top; and black tights. Lefiya, Gareth, and Riveria sat on the opposite end of the circle.

Finn Deimne stood atop a large box, at the centre of the gathering, and addressed the company. "Our guests this evening are three brave adventurers, who risked their lives to help each other in the dungeon."

At their mention, Bell; Lili; and Welf stood up and bowed in gratitude.

Finn smiled and continued. "Please make our fellow adventures feel welcome and enjoy your meals for the night!"

Speech finalised, Finn hopped down, allowing conversation and music to bubble around the gathering. Cooks began to filter in and deposit a multitude of bowls in front of the weary travellers, filled with soups, salads, breads, and dried meats. However, an unexpected guest waltzed into view, along with them, causing shadows to dance on the stone walls. Bell noticed the newcomer, and called out, waving a hand. "Mr Hit! Over here!"

Lili and Welf stopped gazing hungrily at the food and followed Bell's gaze. The two gulped a little at the sight. Hit was an imposing figure, standing around Welf's height, and possessed quite a muscular build. However, a long trench coat magnified his threatening aura, along with his frowning disposition, and blood red eyes. As Hit meandered towards Bell, the other Loki familia members also seemed to gawk at him, for reasons unknown to the pair. Hit stopped to the left of Bell, behind Ais, who peered up at him, prettily. His harsh gaze cast over to the two unfamiliar individuals, recognising them as the garbage secured from the 17th floor. "Hm. So you two didn't die, after all."

Welf and Lili pushed down their worry, and stood up, before bowing. Welf began their words of gratitude. "...And I hear that's thanks to you, big guy. You have my thanks. We owe you our lives."

Lili was incredibly wary, but would not allow the red haired oaf to outdo her. "Yes, thank you, Sir."

Hit's eyes scanned the two guarded individuals, making them feel quite naked under his gaze. Satisfied, the strict teen nodded. Welf and Lili held embers of strength, and their bodies were honed. It was easy to tell that they were dependable people. "You two are stronger than you look".

Welf relaxed and stood straight again, pleased that Hit was not quite as scary as Bell made him out to be. It was close though; he certainly did not want to fight the guy though, ever. "Uh... cheers for the compliment... I think..."

Bell diffused the awkward atmosphere, and patted next to him, shuffling over towards Ais a little, who enjoyed the sudden greater proximity. "Sit next to me, Hit! Thanks for coming, by the way; I'm glad you three all got to meet each other!"

Hit stooped down, into his meditative sitting position, and brought some bowls towards him. "I'm merely here for the free food."

This elicited a round of chuckles from surrounding adventurers, and the group settled into their meals...

...

After people had devoured most of the banquet, it seemed that it was time for dessert. Along with a few cakes, a yellow fruit was also given out. This was one of Ais' favourites, and she hoped that Bell would like it too. She removed one from her plate and handed it to him. "Here, Bell... try this..."

Bell blushed and took the offering. It looked quite tasty and smelled exceptionally sweet. Although, how did they carry fresh fruit down here? Would it not spoil? "T-thanks. What is it, Miss Ais?"

Ais chided herself, forgetting that the boy had never been here before. "It's some eighteenth-floor fruit..."

Bell gazed at the small fruit in wonder. "Huh? Fruit can grow down here?"

He raised the object to his mouth and bit off a soft piece. Sadly, his face contorted into one of disgust. "EUUUGHH! BLEEEEHH!"

Lili peered over at Bell from Hit's side. She was rather displeased that the two had been separated by this rude guy. Hit had not said a word, since his arrival, and just shovelled away food and drinks. Lili licked her lips at Bell's treasure. "You don't like it? If it's too sweet for you, then I'll eat it! Ahhhhhhh". The girl smiled at Bell, and leaned over, not caring if the action was rude to Hit. She opened her mouth, looking forward to the indirect kiss.

Bell glanced over to Hit, who was definitely offended, so decided to get this over with quickly. "S-sure."

However, just as the fruit was falling past Lili's soft lips, Welf had snuck over and held his hand over the girl's mouth. The mischievous boy returned to his seat and munched the stolen kiss down.

Confused, Lili lost her dreamy expression, and followed the chewing sounds.

Welf cringed at the ridiculously sweet flavour. "Eugh. Way too sweet for me..."

The pallum grinded her teeth in fury, and bounced up, kicking Welf in the back, repeatedly. The boy simply continued chewing, if only to spite her.

From Bell's left, Ais picked up another fruit, a little dejected, and looked over to Hit. "Would you like one, Hit?"

Hit shook his head in revulsion. He had had the displeasure of consuming the overripe fruit during his exploration of the floor. "Solely if I was starving to death. That variety is far too sweet; the conditions for its growth are more favourable on the floor below".

Hit then took out some smaller, greenish-yellow fruits from his coat, and placed them on an empty bowl. He picked one up and ate it, looking pleased at the taste. "Try one."

His colleagues looked at each other, and a few brave ones picked up a berry, which had a similar morphology to the previous fruit. After a moment of hesitation, they each took a bite.

Bell nodded, happily. "Mmm... That's much better!"

Welf gave Hit a thumbs up. "Perfect, just perfect!"

Lili grumbled, along with her stomach, but snatched one up as well. She sniffed the fruit, and looked at Hit, suspiciously. Perhaps out of fear of missing out, she too took a chomp out of it.

*Munch*

Her face broke out into a serene smile, but quickly resettled into her serious demeanour, when she noticed Hit was peering at her. "Hmph. It could be a little sweeter..."

Ais was also munching away and couldn't help but agree.

Bell looked at Hit in awe. He seemed to know so much about the dungeon! Additionally, didn't this mean Hit had already gone to the 19th floor?! From healing plants; to using the terrain to his advantage; and now knowing where to get the best produce...

"How did you know where to get this, Mr Hit? You seem to know so much about the dungeon!"

Hit reached over to the bowl, but saw that it was now empty. Perhaps, he should not have shared his harvest. "You should analyse your surroundings as much as possible. There is still much to discover."

Bell smiled, pleased that he was correct about Hit. Under his serious nature, was a proud warrior, who wanted to know all there was about the world.

Abruptly, Hit's gaze shifted up, and a blur materialised in front of the cornered bunny boy. It was Tiona, whose presence forced Bell to shift even closer to Ais. Hit remained in place, refusing to compromise, and simply continued to nurse his drink. To Bell's left, Tione had also walked over, and bent down, offering Bell a tantalising view, which he vehemently tried to avoid. Lili stared at the invaders with a furious expression.

Tiona began the conversation in her usual singsong voice, and placed a hand on Bell's leg. "Hey, Mr Argonaut... You've got to tell us how you got your abilities to all be S rank!"

Tione sat down next to Bell, cornering him further. Poor Ais was forced to shuffle away, pouting. "Yeah! You've got to give us all the juicy details..."

Bell gulped and looked over to Ais, actually wanting her to save him this time. Unfortunately for him, she merely pushed her hair to the side and listened closely. She was an accomplice! Bell stammered, and looked everywhere for salvation, before settling on Hit. Surely, he had loads of S ranks!

"I-I really don't know! W-what about you, Mr Hit? Do you have any S rank abilities?"

Hit glanced over at Bell, and narrowed his eyes for some reason, giving him a calculating, and slightly disappointed look. Ultimately, the boy huffed, and disclosed the details. "I possess S rank in strength, and I am certain dexterity has reached it by now. The others are well on their way."

"Wow! In less than a month? Tell me how!" Tiona giggled and attempted to bounce onto Hit's lap, but she only ended up hitting the uncomfortable ground below, eliciting a surprised yelp from the girl. Hit had skipped time and was now glaring down at her.

The Hestia trio gasped and shouted in surprise at the impossible phenomenon.

"W-what!" Bell's eyes widened in shock and awe.

"How did he!?" Lili shifted away a little, alarmed.

"Pfft!?" Welf spat out his drink.

Hit ignored them and answered the annoying pest's question. She had attempted many such acts of affection, yet they always failed. "I am certain that your mental state and desires factor into it. Simply push yourself as hard as you can. Worrying about it will slow your progress."

Hit faced the shaky Bell and asked him to clarify on his status, acting as if 'teleporting' was a normal daily activity... well, it was for him. "You already possess S rank in all your abilities? Do you possess a skill that enhances growth?"

Bell spluttered and turned to face Hit properly. "H-hold on a second! What was that just now!? You disappeared!"

Tiona giggled and lay her head on Bell's lap, whose face now fitted Bete's tomato nickname perfectly. "That's Hit's skill! He's really cagy about it, but he can teleport! I think a few metres... It makes him super fun to fight!"

Bell's face shot up to meet Hit's, in reverence. "That's amazing, Mr Hit! I've never heard of a skill like that!" The boy's amazement dimmed into fear, as he thought back to their earlier spar. "I-if you used that skill during our fight...I'd be done for" Bell shivered at the thought.

Lili was having an aneurysm to the side, in utter disbelief at Tiona's brazenness. She decided to boost Bell's confidence. "You said your magic was prohibited, right Master Bell? The outcome would be different if it was allowed."

Hit glared down at the small girl, who shrunk a little. "Yes, I would have obliterated the kid."

Hit turned back to Bell, whose face had become a little whiter. "My question? Do you have a status boosting skill?"

Tiona bounced up to face Hit, and crossed her arms, as if she was protecting the younger boy from a bully. "Hold on! If Mister Argonaut reveals his skill, you should tell us what yours is too!"

Bell shook his head and laughed, nervously. "I-it's okay. I have one that boosts my attacks in special cases. Maybe that's it?"

That wasn't the exact description of Argonaut. The incredible skill allows the user to charge an action, exponentially, following three minutes. However, the immense stored power would be lost if Bell was attacked or lost focus.

Tiona shook her head, and tutted, annoyed that Hit still hadn't revealed his skill. "Nah, we have skills like that too, and our abilities have never grown like either a' yours... At least tell us your motivation, Hit! You said desires matter, right?" Tiona whined and invaded Hit's personal space, forcing the boy's glower to deepen.

Hit huffed. 'Why must I keep repeating myself? Free alcohol always comes with some sort of drawback.'

"I have told you many times. I do not care about the falna, nor levels. My growth is simply a byproduct of my work, and desire for strength."

Tiona growled and sat down, getting herself comfy in Hit's seat. Her arms waved around as she threw a tantrum. "Grrrrr! But we always wanna get stronger too! It's not fair!"

Hit ignored her childlike actions and walked closer to Bell's side. "And what is your motivation?"

'Perhaps the boy doesn't realise the reason himself.'

Bell eyes darted to Ais, and his alabaster skin blossomed. "I...um...well..." He looked down with a goofy expression and twiddled his fingers.

Hit followed Bell's gaze and studied his mannerisms. He came to a rather obvious conclusion. '...Love? My growth was surpassed due to the power... of love. Perhaps universe 2 was on to something... The person that Eina said the brat was working towards, must be Ais.'

*Groooooaaarr*

A faint roar solely reached Hit's ears and sent a feeling of recollection coursing through him. Hit ignored the blushing boy and rocketed off into the night.

Tiona stammered and cocked her head, confused at the strange boy. "Huh!? Where are ya going, Hit?"

"Uaaaaaaaaaa! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Stop roooooolingggg!"

Suddenly, a girlish scream assaulted the adventurer's ears, and they all turned towards the floor entryway, right where Hit had run off to. Bell's eyes widened in fright and confusion, recognising the voice, and raced towards it.

Soon, he came to a stop next to Hit, who was staring at the archway in anticipation. On cue, a red screaming ball rolled down the steep floor, and landed in front of them. A salamander wool cloak shot off it to reveal a diminutive girl, with a rather immense bust. She wore a tight white mini-dress and simple white flip flops. Her bra was replaced with a blue string, and her black hair was held in twin tails, by flower accessories, which jingled as she flopped onto the ground. Her pure white skin was marred by a few scratches and scrapes, likely from her bouncy journey. The unfamiliar maiden groaned, looking quite winded and frightened. "Ughhhh... why didn't they come after me?"

Hit looked at the petite woman, in cold fury, and addressed Bell. Shadows crept over Hit's face, dreading a repeat of the day's prior events. "This yours?"

Bell was utterly flabbergasted by this woman's sudden appearance, yet he was even more confused by Hit's question. He was referring to her as if she was litter. "Huh!? Uh... y-yes?"

Hit launched himself off with a powerful push and became an intermittently disappearing blur. Bell shook his head and consoled his precious Goddess.

Author's Notes

I love writing character interactions; definitely my favourite part of this…

Poor Hit, he's getting more and more annoyed.