Chapter 46: Groundwork

The radiant sun glittered across crystal clear windows as Hit sailed through the air, his amethyst hair billowing as he went. Heavy boots barely alighted onto rooftops as he fell onto the structures and propelled himself into a series of leaps. The dwellings' inhabitants felt and heard absolutely nothing as the legendary powerhouse somehow moved light as a feather. Red eyes zipped around, keeping an eye out for any changes to their surroundings, and fell onto groups of small creatures, before swaying away to more important sights. These overlooked beings were numerous civilian children, who dotted their windows with dozens of handprints as they watched the 'flying' adventurer go, erupting into a sea of smiles and giggles as they pointed at the awe-inspiring sight. Finally, Hit ended his fleeting journey by gracefully dropping and rolling into a secluded alleyway, and walked out of it as if nothing was amiss, hands stuffed in his pockets. 'Hm... that may have been overly conspicuous...' Hit had become quite accustomed to the dense forests of the large tree labyrinth and the idea of a boring stroll was not very appealing to him today. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop during Orario's rush hour was not very stealthy, at least during daytime, yet was certainly entertaining.

Hit now meandered betwixt a sea of armoured humanoids, and more subdued civilians, as he made his way towards the city's sole guild building. Most individuals kept to themselves; however, the odd adventurer did recognise him, likely due to his recent level up, and kept a wide berth. The guild's multicoloured banners fluttered above Hit as he pushed the building's green saloon doors open and marched inside, eager to finally begin his productive day following its slow start. He had initially been obstructed by obtuse bookkeepers, who were in disbelief that a single level 2 could receive such an immense sum in a single transaction, and wanted to detain Hit for questioning; however, a few intimidating glares and painful promises had shut the annoying individuals up.

Hit quickly scanned the entry hall and caught sight of Eina Tulle, who was busy scribbling away at a piece of paper, serious expression and gleaming glasses making her appear quite determined. A towering stack of similar such documents stood to her left, indicating that the woman had an incredibly arduous and monotonous day ahead of her. Oddly, the stacks of leaflets were far shorter on the other attendants' desks, who appeared far more relaxed on this sunny morning, and chatted amicable amongst each other. 'Why are the others simply lazing about? Is she forced to bear the brunt of the labour here?' Hit decided to leave the woman be, and made his way towards the Guild library, yet halted in his marching as he noticed a familiar face. Upon closer inspection, it was his!

A flier had been hung up on the guild's noticeboard and detailed Hit's recent rank up and basic information, complete with a sketch of him, which was surprisingly well-drawn. The artist had somehow managed to capture Hit's hostile aura and coldness perfectly. A trio of adventurers stood ahead of Hit, scrutinising the city's most recent gossip as they chatted to one another.

A stocky dwarf of the group huffed to his colleagues, pulling at his greying beard in chagrin. "First the rabbit boy, and now this brat? What the hell are kids eating these days?"

To the man's right, an amazon licked her lips and devoured the drawing with her lustful gaze. "~Those harsh eyes… they're making me heat up…~" Silky red trousers billowed around slender legs as the muscular woman leaned forwards, savouring every pencil stroke.

The group's human companion, a short redheaded girl, rolled her eyes behind them and looked eager to set off, inching away from the shameless gawkers. "He looks creepy to me, Miss Amina… Can we be sure Loki's not just pranking everyone again? All these rumours about black Goliaths and purple lights are just too ridiculous to believe…" The disbelieving girl turned towards the male of the trio, cocking her head to the side. "Maybe they're both fakes, Mr Rex?"

Rex the dwarf frowned at this 'Hit' person's registered Familia, one that had been growing in power by leaps and bounds in the past few years, most recently thanks to the emergence of several new level sixes, mere days ago. "Loki may be a trickster, but she does nay spread lies. An' everyone involved in Rivira's recent battle is telling the exact same story… That wouldn't be possible if it weren't the truth, girlie…"

The amazon, Amina, whirled around and looked down at the shorter woman, arms crossed. "You always have to be such a party pooper, Celia! There's nothing wrong with a bit of gossip… And you find most guys creepy! The abundance of strong men here is what makes an amazon's life worth-w-worth… wow…" The woman seemed to stutter and lose her composure as she looked at something behind the redhead: the very man they had been discussing.

Rex and Celia furrowed their brows at Amina's sudden blubbering; however, they both joined in her stupefaction as they too turned around. Celia nearly had a heart attack as she looked upwards, only to stare into a terrifying grimace; whereas, the dwarf sweated profusely and fumbled for his axe, danger senses screaming at him to flee.

Amina was the only one who was not frozen in place and blushed, looking demurer and more maidenly than usual as she spoke on instinct. "H-Heya handsome…" She gulped as Hit's bloodthirsty eyes now wavered to her tanned face, forcing her crimson blush to deepen. "W-Wanna share a night together…?" The woman's legs twitched as she attempted to draw closer to Hit, yet increasing trepidation cooled her blazing libido. Rex and Celia stared wide-eyed at their companion's rash act and readied to defend her or flee from the scene; neither was sure whether their bodies would obey them, or simply act on instinct.

Hit continued to stare ahead, harshly, and marched forwards, forcing the two women to step aside. The rude man then grasped at the troublesome flier, and tore it right off its pin, shoving the page into his pocket. Without uttering a single word, the mysterious man then trudged off towards the Guild's other facilities, leaving the shivering trio of adventurers to their lonesome.

The dwarf finally allowed himself to relax and struggled to breathe, grasping at his chest. "That… Huff…That was no ordinary human… So, those tall tales really were true…"

Amina also seemed to struggle to breathe, for an entirely different reason. "T-That overbearing aura… His assertive stance and cold indifference… That man is every amazon's dream…~" A slender hand rose upwards to meet a rosy check as the woman leered at Hit's retreating body, eyes roaming downwards. "Damn…" She bit her lip as pink hearts blossomed in her purple pupils.

Her companions huffed and looked at the amazon, eyes filled with pity and slight distaste.

'Masochist…'

'…Pervert'

Towering bookcases surrounded Hit as he traversed through the forest of literature, on the lookout for research material for his mission. He was slightly distracted as he pondered his recent series of interactions. 'Really? Offering to bed a random man on her first meeting with him?' Hit shook his head. 'I ignored it before, but people are definitely acting abnormally now that I have grown in power. I keep underestimating their senses… Despite not possessing ki, they certainly are perceptive.' Hit stowed the topic away for later thought and huffed as he walked to the end of yet another hallway. One important topic seemed to be missing entirely, regardless of where he looked. 'Why is there nothing specifically dedicated to Evilus? The best I can find are vague history texts…' He held a number of folders and notebooks under his right arm and was now becoming quite tired of traipsing around the history and "E" sections of the library. 'I suppose it cannot be helped…'

Hit decided to stop wasting time and marched up to the second floor, unloading his cargo onto a secluded table, situated in its left-hand corner. He pulled out a rustic chair beside it, sat himself down, and readied his body for a couple hours of reading. The academic began by opening a large folder, labelled 'Bounties of Orario', and scanned across its well-read pages. Gruff, dirtied faces greeted him as he rifled through the folder, seeking out two familiar individuals within the sea of illustrations. Expectedly, each page detailed a known criminal, or wanted criminal gang, and informed the reader of their appearance, last known location, and crimes committed; most also possessed sketches with varying degrees of quality.

Red eyes widened in glee as they finally settled on a distinguishable duo, nestled amongst a group of other ne'er-do-wells. 'Found you.' Hit narrowed his eyes at a simple sketch, which illustrated five individuals: two short pallum males; a towering bald man; a brown-haired human male; and a tattooed woman. Hit zipped his finger along their description, taking in the information at lightning speed. 'Unnamed band of thugs. Identified members: Hugo Porter, 'Naga', 'Sicho', 'Finks', and 'Ripper'. Last sighted in Daedalus Street. Bounty: 500,000 Valis each. Wanted Alive for thievery, drug offences, and failure to surrender to law enforcement.'

Hit's eagerness wilted as he discovered their last known location: Daedalus Street. 'Is that it? A vague description of the city's most intricate portion? This does not make my task much easier…' This was a correct assessment from Hit, as Daedalus Street was known for its winding passageways and immense size. It was stated that if someone were to ever enter this region unprepared, they would never find their way out, giving it the nickname of the 'other dungeon'. It was often a waste of time for disciplinary forces to chase after thieves and wastrels into the area, as its inhabitants often acted as an information network, alerting any criminals to the presence of dangers, in exchange for 'protection'. This was not too unexpected, as the region was home to poorest classes of Orario, who held no gratitude in their heart for the city who, in their eyes, abandoned them long ago. Hit had not yet dipped his toe into the region, since he recognised it as having little value to him at the time; however, his heart now beat in excitement at facing this newest challenge. The Ganesha Familia would most certainly possess far more detailed information regarding the target's whereabouts; however, this strategy would instantly alert the useless lot to Hit's investigation, and so was discarded: Hit was not at all in the mood for any roadblocks to his progress at this stage.

'Most of their names were likely epithets or aliases, apart from Hugo Porter. I will begin with him.' Hit placed the bounty folder to the side and pulled the largest of his collected tomes into its previous position: a family register used by Orario's forces to track information of a genealogical and family-centric legal interest. This was the most recent edition and had obviously been heavily revised; however, it was still enormous, and its text was miniscule. Such a hindrance was no issue for Hit's high-level eyesight, and he quickly opened the tome mid-way and made his way to the 'H' section.

'Hugo Obel, Hugo Ophis, Hugo Paver, Hugo Poet… Hugo Porter. Age: 23. Sex: M. Address: 43 Icarus Parade. I have no clue where that is…' Hit had performed a wide sweep of the city on his initial arrival here, yet had shown little interest in its surface, following his first dip into the dungeon. The rest was history… He would now have to cast his attention to the human aspect of this region. 'Two leads. Not a bad start.' In order to take no chances, Hit made sure to look up the other names within the register; however, the potential aliases either returned absolutely nothing, or individuals that did not match the bounty's illustration.

Snooping finalised, Hit placed two smaller books in front of him: a tattered history book and a recently published book detailing adventurer skills and elusive abilities. His reasoning behind the second book was to research one of his recently attained techniques: the development ability Mystery. Unfortunately, there was no tome that solely focalised on Development abilities, so Hit was hoping that there would be an excerpt here. 'Such lack of specific information… If my Tides of Time were more developed, I would attempt to locate that hidden gnome library that Loki referred to…' Hit shook his head and went back to reading; there was no point in dwelling on his current shortcomings.

Hit stretched his weary body after finally reading through every page of the two tomes, feeling a little disappointed. The history tome provided no new information and focused on the city's architectural development, beginning with the work of an excentric man known as Daedalus, who crafted Daedalus Street and was the chief architect for the tower of Babel. 'Hm. I thought it was the Gods who created the structure? Although, this only states that he was the architect, not the one who constructed it.' Apparently, the man had gone insane, and went missing within the depths of the dungeon; quite the unpleasant way to go... Moving on, there was a brief paragraph dedicated to Evilus, and their rampant destruction of the beautiful city; however, it merely reiterated that Evilus was a group of Familias comprised of lunatic assassins led by evil Gods.

On the other hand, Hit's research on Mystery had gone rather well. The tome was largely useless, and what it referred to as 'elusive abilities' were actually basic abilities and rudimentary descriptions of everyday adventuring terms. It was likely written by a civilian, who was an 'adventuring fanatic', since it focused more on adventurer aesthetics than anything else. Hit was beginning to think that a visit to the smaller Loki familia library would have been more fortuitous; however, he would never have found a family register there. Furthermore, knowing his luck, Hit was absolutely certain that a bothersome familia member would have interrupted his research, and potentially relayed his perusals to the executives. Thankfully, his hope returned in full when he stumbled across a page dedicated to Mystery and its esoteric power. According to the tome, its users could activate a miracle and create structures referred to as 'magic items'; sadly, the book did not disclose what these items were, stating that no bearer had ever been seen using the ability. Below this brief description was a small list of names, stated to be history's sole known users of the ability. Hit's eyes widened again as he recognised one of them.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...

Known Bearers of Mystery

Daedalus family: Rumoured Possessors.

Ancient Sage: Likely Deceased.

Head Researcher Kazuma: Likely Deceased.

Asfi Al Andromeda: Alive

Airmid Teasanare: Alive

-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...

'Andromeda!? That's the blue-haired woman working under the insect, Hermes… I estimated her to be around high level three or four…' Hit thought back to his battle against Goliath, and every interaction he had with the woman. 'We first met on the 17th floor, then during Bell's battle. Finally, I recall her catching me during the final assault on Goliath…' Hit smirked as a series of unknowns could now be rationally explained. 'Her invisibility device and Hades Head! That energy cloaking device fits the description of a magic item, perfectly! Those winged boots of hers are likely another candidate… Such marvellous creations are thousands of years ahead of this world's technology. I will have to weasel some information out of her…But how…'

Hit tapped a finger against the oak table below him and held his chin in deep thought. 'We parted on relatively amicable terms; however, she has no obligation whatsoever to disclose the intricacies of such a rare ability, particularly to someone who is a potential threat. If I were in her position, I would tell any scrutinizers to take a long walk off a short bridge...' The unsure man huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair in annoyance. 'If I appear as the far weaker party, Andromeda will be more likely to lower her guard and spill her secrets, which means that disclosing my development of Mystery is not the correct course of action… Perhaps I should approach her asking for advice on how to acquire the DA on my subsequent rank up? Hm… A possible strategy… However, she will want appropriate compensation… Do I have any other options?'

Hit's vision shifted to the final listed bearer of Mystery: Airmid Teasanare. 'I recall Riveria speaking of her. However, I know nothing about the woman, nor do I have any potential leverage against her. No, I will contact Andromeda first, and keep Teasanare as a backup. Failing that, I will have to proceed without any clues.' Hit nodded his head and closed the two books, pushing them to the side for subsequent return. 'I now know where I must go. The Hermes Familia home and Icarus Parade.' The responsible man then picked his books up and returned them to their previous positions…

Two short trips later, and Hit now stood in front of a large city map, plastered to the wall. His eyes and hands were a blur as he skimmed through a heavy book, titled 'Familias of Orario'.Finally, he settled on a page and tapped his finger against a passage. 'Hermes Familia. Type: Exploration. Registered Familia Home: Traveller's Inn. Members: Hermes (Deity), Asfi Al Andromeda (Captain), Falgar Batros (Vice-Captain), Lulune Louie, Golmeth, Tabitha, Suicia, Thane Hire, Nelly, Meryl Tear, Dodon, Laurier Swall.'

*Thump*

Hit snapped the book closed and darted his eyes across the immensely detailed map before him, settling onto a position on its left-hand side. 'Tsk. Of course it's in Orario's western region…' Unfortunately, the Hermes familia home was on the opposite side of the city, compared to Icarus Parade, which was located south of the Adventurer graveyard, nestled between DaedalusStreet and the Entertainment district. Hit tutted at the needless annoyance; and placed his final book back, before walking back towards the Guild's main hall. 'Oh well, at least the blue pharmacy is on the way… I can finally sell my gathered herbs.'

Hit walked into a far quieter grand hall as he exited the library, noticing that a nearby clock now turned to 10:30 in the morning. He also scanned the guild's noticeboard and was rather annoyed to see that his poster had been replaced, affixed by four pins this time.

He tore it off just as easily.

The now far grumpier man then took a detour from his intended path and walked up to the furthest attendant booth from him, stopping in front of two women: Misha Flott and Eina Tulle, who were chatting to each other as they faced away from him. Miraculously, Eina's pile of documents had now shrunk to a meagre pile a few inches in height.

The pink haired Misha munched on a thin potato snack, dotting her cheeks and the floor with fine crumbs. The woman gulped the savoury dish down and spoke to her colleague in an overly excited manner. "Wanna grab some lunch soon, Eina?"

Eina balked at her fellow guild worker "Huh!? It's not even eleven o'clock, Misha! Is food all you think about!?"

Misha pouted and waved her snack around, dashing the floor in even more crispy fragments. "I can't help it! It's so boring here!"

Eina leaned into her shorter companion and poked at her inflated cheeks, repeatedly. "It's only boring since you don't do your work! Now give me that, I didn't get the chance to eat breakfast this morning!"

*Cough* *Cough*

A deep cough behind the duo forced them to flinch in surprise. Eina gasped and blushed slightly as she turned around and recognised the newcomer. "O-Oh! Hello H-Hit… I-It's good to see you again…" A small smile graced her face as she remembered yesterday's hug; she had felt so safe in his grasp. Well… she was the only doing any hugging, but it was still a pleasant moment.

Misha giggled at her superior, hiding her mouth with a small hand, and waltzed away. "Fufu… I'll leave you to your ~boyfriend~, Eina dearest…"

"Wha!? Misha! DON'T SAY THAT!" Eina's entire face reddened, and her ears twitched up and down in embarrassment as she whispered harshly to her scandalous colleague.

Hit ignored the two's comments and stampeded on with his own motive for being here. "Is there really a need for… This?"

*Bam*

Several pencil holders keeled over as Hit slammed his rank up notice on the wooden desk, perhaps a little more forcefully than he would have desired.

Eina was startled from her episode and blinked as she focused on what Hit had just dumped on her. "Huh? U-Um, well… That's your rank up notice, Hit. Congratulations, by the way. Every adventurer who levels up has their picture and shortened status posted for everyone to see. It's to show off your progress, and to keep everyone informed of each Familia's strength." The half-elf pushed her petite glasses up and took on a slightly annoyed expression, which only served to accentuate her refined cuteness. "I suppose I now know that it did not fall off accidentally!"

Hit was not intimidated and continued to stare into her forest-green eyes. "I do not care what others think of me. Stop posting these useless fliers."

Eina gulped, forcing down her shyness, and stood straight in front of Hit's glower. "Sorry Hit, but it's mandatory for all adventurers, not just you. And don't be so grumpy! It's also a way to show civilians that you're all gradually getting stronger, and that the city's safe.

Hit crossed his arms and scoffed at the paltry argument. "I have already shown them that with my own two hands. This is a breach of privacy and a waste of time."

Eina backed down again, reminded of Hit's heroic battle against a crystal mantis, where many civilians had nearly met their demise. She was about to retaliate with a fiery retort, but her attention was drawn to the side as a number of guild workers were staring at the pair, chuckling to one another. Eina now realised that she and Hit looked like a bickering married couple, and so made to resolve the disagreement. Eina coughed to excuse her delay and addressed Hit once more. "I-I want to help you, Hit; really, I do, but I can't do anything about it. Royman would never allow special treatment... particularly from me…"

Hit was becoming more annoyed by the second, but recognised this issue as one that would become far more serious if he pressed on. He reached down and picked the bothersome status sheet up, focusing more on its written details this time. 'Level 2, my picture, and my familia… I suppose I may be overreacting slightly…' In Hit's previous life, it would be unthinkable to find a written document referring to him: No civilisation would dare risk his deadly ire. The assassin also went to great lengths to conceal every detail about himself, something that was a rarity in Orario: adventurers were quite the celebrities, after all. Hit stuffed the page away and huffed, looking at Eina more calmly this time. "Then forget it. Although, should you find that subsequent sheets vanish, take your time to replace them."

Eina paused for a moment before realisation struck her. She rose a hand to her mouth, hiding bubbling laughter. "Fufu… Yes, accidents do happen I suppose…Hihi."

With this unspoken promise, Hit could rid himself of unwanted attention, and Eina would not get into trouble for aiding him. The elf noticed that Hit's gaze was now swaying away, indicating that the laconic man would be making a hasty getaway. Eina quickly brought attention to herself by reaching a hand towards him, stopping short of making contact. "W-Wait! Please, Hit, I wanted to thank you before you leave..." Hit rose a brow as his advisor bowed to him, slightly. "Thank you so, so much for saving everyone on the 18th floor... The guild can't thank you enough. And neither can I… Thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you or Bell hadn't come back to me…" *Sniff*

Tears threatened to fall as Eina sniffled quietly, quickly grasping for a white handkerchief. Hit cocked his head to the side as Eina dabbed delicately at her watery eyes. 'Such emotional beings…How do they sway between sentiments so easily?' This was an unhealthy and natural observation from Hit, a man who had become largely detached from the world for quite some time. He shook his head at the gratitude sent towards him, regardless of the warmth he felt inside. "I did not save anyone, Eina; I only sought retribution from that titan. Besides, it was a combined effort."

Eina giggled at Hit's usual seriousness and unwillingness to accept praise. 'I suppose he would never admit to it…' The advisor finally wiped away her tears and straightened back up. "R-Right… S-Sorry about that… I guess I haven't completely recovered from yesterday! Seeing Bell this morning was quite emotional too…" The advisor thought back to an hour ago, where Bell and his friends had checked in with her, prior to their descent. The little rookie had become quite embarrassed when Eina gave him a mini-lecture and checked his equipment for any faults, perhaps as a way to simply spend some time with her youngest charge. Eina smiled and finally recovered, brushing her ruffled hair back into position. "Anyway, now that that's sorted, is there anything else I can help you with, Hit? …A-Anything at all?"

Part of Hit wanted to question the girl about Evilus: surely, the trivia expert would know something of use… However, he dashed the idea away since it would likely only draw attention to him and his mission. Eina likely already knew about the potential Evilus members he had apprehended and could easily deduce the reason for Hit's sudden interest. Seeing that the meddlesome woman would undoubtedly impede his progress, Hit shook his head. "No. That will be all, Eina." With that, he turned around and marched away.

"O-Okay, until next time, Hit…" Eina waved the man off, a little offended by his curtness. Although, she recognised that it was an integral feature of the recluse.

Once the saloon doors opened and closed, leaving the guild largely free of adventurers, Misha Flott sauntered over to Eina, waving her finger as the half-elf had done many times to her. "Naughty Eina! You're two-timing that Bell cutie, and this Hit guy! I never thought a goody two shoes like you would end up in a love triangle…"

"GRRRR!" Eina's longing expression darkened as she growled and launched herself at Misha, who hurried to evade the elf's tackles.

Misha rolled out of the booth, and sprinted towards her other colleagues, who were vehemently shaking their heads and directing her to run in any other direction. The woman refused to obey their orders and continued to race towards them, gasping for air. "R-Run away, everyone! She's gone crazy!"

"GET BACK HERE!" Eina screamed and barrelled through the wall of guild employees, determined to catch her prey and tickle it until it admitted defeat.