Chapter 42: Home

Glee bubbled within Hit as he finally stepped out of the dungeon, and into the plaza that greeted all aspiring adventurers. Twin guards glanced at him momentarily, before returning to their duty. Hit's lavender coat and trousers were not nearly as instantly recognisable as his grey trench coat.

Red eyes brightened as they met the true light of day, for the first time in nineteen days; the sun shone over Orario, unobstructed by a single cloud in the endless azure sky. Hit's chest expanded as he inhaled the fresh midday air, full of familiar scents that wafted from nearby food stalls. A warm feeling sparkled within the adventurer's chest, something entirely foreign to him. 'How strange. I never realised how much this place has grown on me. I suppose it is a natural feeling, something nomads do not have the privilege of experiencing.'

Homesickness was a novel feeling for the alien. Hit had enjoyed himself within the dungeon; however, nearly three weeks underground was becoming too much of a good thing. He never became too attached to his relatively empty nameless village, yet still felt a pang when he thought of Mary.

A number of approaching footsteps indicated that the rest of the company had also exited the dungeon, drawing far more attention. They had a similar reaction to Hit, albeit lessened, and finally relaxed in the familiar environment. Welf stretched his body, eliciting a round of snaps and pops as the stress melted away. "Man, am I glad to be back!"

Hestia seemed to regain her liveliness, a natural consequence of exiting the jaws of your only natural predator. "Yeah, I'm starving! Let's go eat!"

Bell chuckled and stooped down to let his Goddess down. "First, let's go see Eina about your quest, Goddess." The petite woman whined, but eventually obliged, likely feeling guilty for being a burden.

The deity shook a little on her thin legs, waving her hands around for balance. Once she was stable, she sighed and rubbed her chin. "Oh, yeah... I forgot about that..."

"How could you forget about putting your entire life savings on the line!?" Liliruca stomped up to the goddess, shocked that the being could be so irresponsible. Money was life and death for Lili, before she met Bell, and was her only protection from the Soma familia thugs.

Hestia stuck her hands on her hips and glared at the pallum. "I wanted to save you guys, ok! Is that so bad!?"

Lili shrank at the outburst, feeling guilt and shame for not understanding Hestia's feelings. The pallum was still not used to others caring for her, nor how people normally showed affection to one another.

Mikoto intervened before the 'staring contest' could escalate into an argument. "Rest assured, goddess Hestia, we will not be asking for any compensation. This is our way of repenting for what we did."

Ouka stood at her side, simply crossing his arms. The captain still believed that he made the correct choice; anyone else in his position would have also prioritised their own members' survival, over random strangers.

Bell walked ahead, passing Hestia, who was now thanking Mikoto by sobbing and bowing to her repeatedly. The deity was eternally grateful that her hasty decision had not bankrupted the familia. Mikoto simply patted Hestia on the shoulder, feeling quite overwhelmed. Bell stopped next to Hit, who was busy glancing at the sights that greeted them.

The white-haired boy chuckled at Hit's sudden excitement, from a few minutes ago. Upon seeing glimmering shafts of light, Hit had instantly sped off, leaving behind the shocked motley of adventurers. Bell followed Hit's gaze and joined him in sightseeing. "Happy to be back?"

Surprisingly, Hit nodded his head. "Orario has its charms..." He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and languidly traipsed along Orario's northwest road.

Bell was shocked for a moment, and followed after his mentor, looking back to make sure his friends were also trailing along. "You're not going back to the Loki familia, Mr Hit?"

Hit shook his head and continued to keep a lookout for any intriguing sights. "No. I'm going to report to Eina. I have learned that if some nuisances are simply ignored, they become more problematic." Hit did not want a repeat of his first day's ordeal. If he accompanied these people, they would divert Eina's attention, and answer any of her annoying questions. Hit did not dislike the girl, he simply liked his peace and quiet.

Bell smiled and matched Hit's pace. "Great! Let's see her together! I hope she hasn't been too worried..."

Off to the side, an apple salesman wiped his weary eyes, and grinned at the duo. "Well, well. Haven't seen you in a while, kid. Here, catch!"

Hit's hand materialised in the thrown fruit's trajectory and caught the gifted item; he nodded and munched into the present. Perhaps using time skip was a little excessive; however, every skip would generate latent time energy, ripe for storage. This exchange was one of Hit's daily routines, where he received his breakfast from one of the many civilians, he had rescued from rampaging hard armoureds. It was amazing how far-reaching acts of kindness could be, causing goodwill to blossom throughout a community. In parallel, insidious actions had the opposite effect, while spreading at an even more rapid pace.

Bell marvelled at the interaction, his respect for Hit growing even further.

...

"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!" Eina Tulle blubbered into Bell's shoulder, sending tears streaking down the boy's clothes. He hadn't even entered the guild building yet was instantly attacked by a flying elf. Guild representatives peeked out from within the building, whispering to each other. Misha Flott sighed as she stepped into the archway, relieved that her friend had not lost another adventurer. Rose Fannet, a red-haired werewolf, simply gazed impassively at the gathering, yet, she too felt relief that Eina's heart would not be hardened by another loss.

Bell spluttered and blushed as the ordinarily composed advisor trembled against him. Hestia and Lili's eyes blazed in livid fury; rage was directed at yet another challenger aiming for their 'prize'.

Hit's eyes sparkled at the opportunity: the woman's attention was held solely on Bell. He turned from the emotional reunion and took a few steps away. 'I'll leave them to it; the kid will explain all the details. If Eina still has any complaints, Loki can deal with them.'

Hit had never actually told Eina he was joining the Loki familia expedition; in fact, he usually only gave out brief details of the monsters he fought.

Their usual conversations were slight alterations of the following: "How was your day?" "Fine." "What did you do?" "Kill monsters…" "Where did you go?" "The dungeon…"

However, even this diluted explanation still managed to worry the woman during each progress update. Hit had purposefully avoided her, leading up to the dive, hoping to avoid any hurdles to his newest adventure. Hit's feelings on Eina were still rather obfuscated: the woman was definitely noble, and cared for those under her wing; however, she could certainly be overbearing. Having someone care for him, was not something Hit was used to, leading to the obvious social awkwardness.

"…"

Suddenly, the proceedings behind Hit stilled, and silence flooded the plaza. Harsh footsteps drew closer to Hit, who halted in his escape. Unfortunately, the choice to slowly withdraw had actually singled him out: a hasty evacuation would have been the superior choice here. Hit sighed as the looming clacking sounds stopped, suddenly. 'She's right behind me, isn't she?'

Hit turned back, slowly, to face a stern elf, whose brows were furrowed. Eina held her hands together, and gripped them tightly, ruffling the white frilly sleeves of her guild uniform. Green eyes were not visible, hidden by the glare of thin spectacles; however, Eina's lips thinned and trembled as she stood in place.

Hit huffed and closed his eyes, readying himself for a tiresome chat. "Look..."

*Woosh*

Hit stiffened and gasped as the lithe elf zipped forwards and hugged him. Behind, the rest of Hit's entourage gaped, particularly Bell, whose eyes bulged, in worry for his advisor's life. Eina buried her face into Hit's chest, practically falling into it, due to her hasty approach.

"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me you were going on an expedition! Why haven't you been meeting me for progress updates! Idiot...Idiot!" The words were slightly muffled, due to the teary girl's position. Eina had heard the rumours from ascending adventures: how a purple comet had unceasingly zipped across goliath, like a guardian angel; and how a bloodied corpse had soared through the sky to save the entire floor's populace.

Slowly, Hit relaxed, and put a hasty halt to his usual instinct: to destroy any unknown stimuli. Eina was now the second person to have hugged him in hundreds of years. Hit looked down as intermittent sniffles escaped the girl, who flittered between anger, relief, and anguish. The pair stood for a lengthy minute, with Hit not knowing how to react. Eventually, the boy huffed, and patted the elf on the back, rather awkwardly. "Apologies. You would have likely protested the excursion."

Eina abruptly stopped her crying, and lifted her head, to meet eyes with the vexing adventurer. He reminded her so much of Maris Hackard, a headstrong girl, formerly assigned to her. Eina had never been quite the same, following her death. The blue haired adventurer had an unyielding personality, wishing to become stronger as quickly as possible. Initially, their relationship was strained, yet the two soon became friends... Eina shook her head, flinging the memory away, and spoke up, this time, in a quiet voice.

*sniff* "That's no reason not to see your advisor, Hit. I would have definitely protested, but I know how special you are... I can be a little meddlesome..."

"Very meddlesome." Now that Eina had recovered, Hit stuffed his hand away, and ruined the touching meeting with an unnecessary correction.

Eina's hug became firmer as she cried out. "You're not supposed to agree with that!"

"...but you have a good heart." Hit interrupted Eina's building anger, with a lovely compliment. His lips turned upwards, ever so slightly, into a faint smile.

Eina blushed, and looked down, unwilling to meet Hit's eyes. The boy's smile was minuscule, yet still managed to be blinding to her. "I-I... T-thank you, Hit."

Before Eina could snuggle for too long, she realised that they were not alone. The elf shot away, face blazing with heat, and pushed her glasses up, hiding an equally radiant smile. She turned away and faced the busy guild building.

"Y-You should also think about how your friends feel, Mister Hit! They worry about you too!"

"Friends...?" Hit blinked and looked behind the shuffling elf. His curious gaze was greeted by a slew of smiles, from his newest acquaintances. '...I wouldn't be so sure...'

It was not an easy notion for Hit to conceptualise; however, he had been slowly accruing embers of friendship during his stay in Orario. Bell smiled, and walked up to him, leaving the throng of onlookers. "Sure! We're your friends, Mr Hit! A-as long as that's okay with you?"

Eina nodded to herself, with a satisfied smirk. "See, Hit! Now you have no excuse to not come back in one piece."

Hit shook his head, yet could not help the warm, fuzzy feeling that glowed within him. "I swore, did I not? I will always return; there is no need to worry."

Eina stuck her hands on her waist and replied in a voice filled with pride. "Worrying for my adventurers will always be my job! But... I will do my best to be less strict with you from now on, Hit." She then turned to Bell, startling the boy. "You don't get the same excuse though, Bell! I will be seeing you right before your next dungeon dive!"

"O-of course, miss Eina!" Bell shied away from the imposing woman and attempted to calm her down. Only Hit could withstand her overbearing attitude, with his own indomitable will.

Hit made to leave, for the second time, yet was stopped by Bell's shout.

"W-wait, Mr Hit! We're all going to the hostess for dinner, tonight. Would you like to come along? You can bring your friends along too!" Bell had already invited a number of his new friends, even including Mord and his colleagues. Hermes had overheard the conversation and would likely invite himself.

Hit thought for a moment yet could not think of a reason not to attend the gathering, other than potential nuisances. 'I was going there anyway, as thanks for Ryuu's healing magic...'

"I was going to the inn regardless. You may do as you wish. However." Hit's relatively relaxed expression set into a menacing glower, filling Bell's heart with dread.

"Do not tell Mia how much we earned." Sadly, the monetary reward for Goliath's defeat had not actually been distributed yet. Hit did not want his remaining funds, within the familia safe, to be decimated by that ogre.

Bell gulped at the sudden shift in tone. "S-sure. I-I'll see you there!"

Hit continued to stare into Bell's eyes, briefly, to make sure his warning was imprinted into the boy's mind. Satisfied, Hit nodded, and finally exited the scene, now making his way towards Orario's north road. It was finally time for Hit's latent potential to be unleashed.

"There he is!"

"It's the giant killer..."

"Maybe he really is a ghost..."

"What's he wearing!?"

Whispers engulfed Hit as he marched down the unusually busy Twilight mansion foyer. A sense of unease had crept up Hit's spine as soon as he entered the familia grounds, where the guards received him with awed expressions, rather than the usual indifference. The boy kept his eyes fixed ahead, and paid them no heed; however, Hit would make sure to avoid coming here at these hours.

Floorboards twitched soundlessly as Hit walked up the stairs; however, his path was blocked by the approaching figures of Finn and Gareth, whose eyes widened upon seeing him. Gareth now wore his casual wear, consisting of a green, sleeveless gambeson.

Finn shone an especially toothy grin as he strode forth. "Well, well. If it isn't Goliath slayer in the flesh."

Gareth was far dourer, feeling like he had somehow lost an unspoken battle with the boy. "Aye. And after all that trouble I went to, ta stop ya from fighting the thing..."

"Word travels fast..." It was at this moment that it dawned upon Hit: remaining in one fixed location had quite a large drawback. Namely, people's insatiable demand for entertainment would lead to ceaseless rumours being generated. Hit's explosive growth was completely natural to him; however, the denizens of this world found it ludicrous. Try as he might, there was nothing that could halt the growth of his legendary status here. Fortunately, he did not have to deal with this troublesome property in his past life, at least directly. If a location became bothersome, he could take flight to a whole other galaxy, leaving any gossipers behind. Perhaps fighting against Goliath, in full view of over fifty adventurers, had not been the best idea.

Finn nodded. He had heard this morning's rumours and tall tales of ants felling giants. Apparently, floor 18 had been the site of an immense siege against an irregular Goliath, the first of its kind in creation. Dozens of brave adventurers had fought, tooth and nail, for their survival, and bought the time needed for their two heroes to finish the job. Little rookie and a previously unheard-of Hit had saved the day, with the use of their limit breaking attacks. "Indeed, word of mouth passes far more quickly than anything else."

Gareth was still sore at his loss and pulled at his beard in annoyance. "I honestly can't believe it. An irregular Goliath? It's unprecedented! How'd you do it?"

Hit's annoyance was beginning to grow into anger. He had not felled the giant on his own: it had been a monumental battle involving scores of brave individuals. "I was not alone. If I were, it would have obliterated me."

Finn sent Hit a genuine smile. "Well, it's nice to hear you're being more of a team player now!"

Hit decided enough was enough and grunted, before walking past the pair, towards Loki's room.

Finn watched the hero go, mind whirring at the possibilities. "I have high hopes for him. This proves he's worthy as a true high rank adventurer. A level one, dealing the finishing blow to a level 5... It's the stuff of legends."

Gareth huffed and set his grievances aside. "People're calling him a hero, along with that little rookie …And he's only a level one in writing; I've seen what 'e can do."

Finn raised his thumb upwards and stared at the throbbing digit. "Orario's going to start changing; I can feel it."

The pallum simply prayed it was for the better.