Chapter 37:

Drawing Lines in the Sand

We had a bit of a problem on our hands. And I wasn't talking about the apparent fatigue of the party that had set in after spending five days on a massive ship.

Before we arrived at any inn, I thought to check our finances. I usually assumed the role of the party's treasurer, seeing as how I was 'the girl who was good with numbers.' But now, with Roxas, Talhand, and Elinalise dropping into the party, I had more than my fair share of work to do. I was pleasantly surprised when they collectively poured more than twice the amount of funds we had previously into our shared wallet. In the Demon Continent's currency, we had, in total, 29 Green Ore coins—the highest currency available. That evened out to just about 30,000 yen.

And when we exchanged it for Milis currency, we received two General's Dollars, one Gold coin, and a singular Silver coin. If I did the math, we were missing three silver coins, which meant we'd lost 3,000ish yen. I figured it was just a byproduct of conversion rates and the transaction fees, which were apparently universal—err, multiversal, maybe? All of those digressions aside, we were more than above the acceptable range of cash we needed to survive.

But the problem presented itself fairly quickly.

"Whaddya mean the inn is full? This is the seventh that we've checked in the past ten minutes!" Ares shouted at an inn proprietor in frustration. The proprietor, seemingly never having heard of us, stood unphased by his exclamation.

All of the regular-priced inns were all somehow and inconveniently full. I was honestly just as frustrated as Ares. Maybe I had just a bit more self-control than he did, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say I was irritated. Sure, we'd been turned away more than once before. But never to this extent.

"Relax a little, Ares," Elinalise said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The rainy season is right around the corner, so I don't doubt that all of the good inns are going to be booked for a while."

Rainy season, huh? I'd heard about it before since it'd particularly stuck out to me as one of this world's strangest natural phenomena. It was a three-month period where a continuous downpour affected the Great Forest of the Milis Continent. The monsoon levels of rain made the entire forest and the highway completely impassable. Let me put that into perspective a little. The Great Forest completely dominated the northern half of the Milis Continent. That distance could fit four entire Fittoa Regions!

At first glance, you'd think that people would rather rush down the highway to the Blue Dragon Range to escape being stuck here for a fourth of the year, but there was a bit more to it. Certain monsters only appeared in the labyrinths and around the city during this time, having been washed up by the deluge. So many adventurers looking to make a pretty penny came pouring in around this time of year.

And that, evidently, was the source of our problem. But with it came a golden opportunity.

Since there were so many adventurers in town for good reason, we could swipe ourselves a good portion of the money that would keep us afloat. We'd do that simultaneously with garnering a reputation here in the Milis Continent. Apparently, not many people had heard of The Dragon King's Odyssey outside of the Demon Continent. The name did a lot of good for us, so I wanted to keep it up if I could help it. And, with that, we could kill two birds with one stone.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The only options available to us in terms of having a ceiling over our heads were either extravagant inns that we just barely had enough cash for, or inns that were, for lack of a better term, shitty. I didn't want to have to sleep in a place like that, but it would be the most efficient if we wanted to save up. Fuck, everything had to be efficient, right?

Damn. This stuff is kind of exhausting. It was like this back in the early days, but I thought we were past that.

"So, what are we thinking?" I asked the rest of the party, sitting on a cushioned seat at one of the Adventurers' Guild's tables. "I really can't figure out what to do next."

Ares took a sip of his drink. "Can't we just leave? If we're gonna be stuck here for god knows how long, we ought to get a move on before that happens, right?"

I can't argue with that. But there are more important things than just going through this as fast as possible. If we do that, we'd probably end up in dire straits. Or, in other words, we'd be broke.

I glanced at Ares. "That's an option, sure, but I don't think trying to make our way through the Great Forest when the rainy season is practically on top of us is a good idea. What if it starts raining without warning when we're barely halfway through the forest? Besides, this city's full of people right now. There's probably not going to be a better chance of getting our reputation back up than now."

Elinalise nodded in agreement. "I think it's worth staying, considering our goals. Even if we have an idea of where Paul is, there's merit in trying to gauge exactly what's going on with him. Plus, I'm getting sick of moving around so often."

Hah. Ironic that you tell that to us specifically.

Ares sighed but relented. "Alright, alright. I get it. But let's please find somewhere decent to sleep. I don't want to wake up with a rat bite."

"That's only if we can find an inn," Alek said, bringing up the elephant in the room that we were all ignoring. I hadn't talked to Alek in a bit, despite our closeness. I kind of felt bad about it, but I was glad he was still keeping up with the rest of us. The past two weeks were pretty hectic for all of us, even for what's become my life now.

But there were two equally clear-cut, if inconvenient, answers to our problems. But at this point, we'd either have to settle for a hobbit hole—apparently, hobbits or halflings did exist in this world, which was what people mistook Ares and I for—or forfeit a large amount of our savings to stay at a luxury inn, the only ones that weren't packed like a can of sardines.

But there were issues with both of them. For one, the party's morale would probably decline considerably if we were to stay in the rundown equivalent of a cramped studio apartment. Our party would practically be on our last legs if we weren't constantly getting fresh air back in the Demon Continent, considering the god-awful standard of quality of the inns. Morale is absolutely the most important thing in a party, and three months of living like that would punch a hole straight into ours.

And as for the luxury inns? Sure, that's the easiest way out of this, but the catch is that we'd eat through our cash so fast that we would only be able to stay at the hotel for a week before we came up dry. Chances were, both of them would not be a permanent solution. So what the hell are we supposed to do? I would bet good money over that being the shared sentiment amongst all of us.

Just as I was thinking that, my overthinking was rendered useless.

Talhand sighed at Alek. "You say that like there's no way we can stay at one of 'em fancy inns. There are labyrinths around these parts. What money we can't get from doing regular tasks we can jus' get inside."

We all collectively perked up. How the one who picked up on what was staring us straight in the face was Talhand was beyond me. From what I'd seen so far, Talhand wasn't the most social person, but I figured that he at least made up for it… some way or other. There had to be a reason why he was a vital member of Paul's party.

"Good thinking," Roxas shot a nod at Talhand. "I feel stupid for not realizing that 'til now."

"A labyrinth, huh? You sure that's the best idea with the two of them?" Alek said, clearly meaning Ares and I. Alek had gone labyrinth diving before, like I'd mentioned once, but it never went that far. Back then, he was mainly just aiming for popularity in the heroic sense, but now, we're looking at it as a means to gain money. Besides, it was our only option.

"There's no way I'm sitting out of that. The last time you went in a labyrinth, you told me that you'd let me go in with you the next time," Ares argued.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think there'd be a next time," Alek sighed. "I don't suppose you want to be left out of this, either, Lumina?"

"Right on the nail," I replied. I'd be lying if I didn't want to take a break from all of this and just let myself loose down there, free to curse any monster to death without being interrupted. Err… not like I know what the inside of a labyrinth looks like. Books don't help in that regard.

"I, for one, would love to see how they fight," Elinalise commented. "I've heard so much about you in particular, Lumina. It's only natural for me to be curious about what you can do."

"If we want to be a competent party, we at least need to know what all members are capable of, not jus' the one," Talhand added. "I'd prefer not to get stabbed in the back by some abomination 'cause I mistakenly thought someone had my back."

"R-Right," Elinalise said, working her jaw. She looks like she's holding back some words right now. Are they not on good terms?

"If everyone's on board, then I suppose we could give it a shot," Alek conceded, crossing his arms. "But we need to have some caution. For one, we need to get the money we need and get out, no more or no less. Because if we risk it for more riches, we risk losing lives. Labyrinths are unpredictable, and the only reason I've been able to get out of several alone is that I'm a step away from a hero," he grinned, garnering strange looks from around the table.

Way to be humble, Alek. But I have to admit that he's right, at least. I really, really don't want my resting place to be a few dozen meters underground in some cave. What a sick joke that'd be.

"I'm sure the Guild has some more information on the labyrinths nearby," Roxas suggested, nodding toward the reception area. "If we can take a look at that, we won't be going in blind at the very least."

"Mhm," Alek hummed in agreement. "Asking around for some advice from veteran adventurers wouldn't hurt, either."

"We could also use some supplies," Roxas added. "Elinalise and Talhand used up most of our cash to buy a Sleipnir mount, so we don't have that much on hand in terms of material possessions."

"Damn it, we should have kept the thing instead of sellin' it. If only I'd known…" Talhand grumbled.

"There was no way you'd know," Elinalise responded. "Besides, we have better things to be doing than asking ourselves the question of what if."

Talhand grunted in response.

"Right. I suppose we should start gathering information first. We'll only know how much money is in our budget once we check how much it'll be to stay at a luxury inn," Alek said.

"Hm… can't we just split up?" Ares piped up. "That'd be faster, right? We could check the prices and then buy supplies ourselves."

A beat passed. "That's not a bad idea, now that you mention it. As long as you know what you're doing," Alek said, his eyes trailing over to Roxas. "How about you," he pointed to Roxas, "accompany them? And buy what you think we need."

"Huh? Oh, sure," Roxas responded. "How do y'all feel about meeting back here in one hour?"

"That works for us, probably. Alek, Elinalise, and I'll stay back and look for some information," Talhand remarked. "If we're quick about it, we might be able to get down into a labyrinth before dusk."

"That's settled, then," Alek said, finishing his cup and getting up from his chair. I set my fork down and got up, pausing when I felt a tug on my robe's ivory shoulder.

"Good luck out there, Mina!" Elinalise quietly encouraged.

I flashed a smile at her. You know, I don't hate the nickname. It makes me feel like Miss Elinalise is kind of like my older sister. I could get used to having such an elegant lady watching over me like a sibling. She's so sweet.

"You too!"


Our first course of action was to check out the luxury hotels to get a good understanding of what our budget looked like. We couldn't exactly go on a shopping spree if we didn't know how much money it would take to get a roof over our heads. We had a vague idea where they were located since we'd already asked around, but that put into perspective how large the city was.

I'd compared Zant Port to Wind Port, but the city as a whole was so much bigger. And the place was more colorful in general, which was a fresh breath of air having spent a year in the most drab and dull place known to man. There were sheepdogs and domesticated cats running around, stalls lined with colorful fabrics that drew in adventurers and merchants, and young children about my age playing in the streets with a ball. A mix of troubadour singing and street musicians filled the air with a sensation that made me feel… like I belonged here, almost?

We asked a few merchants where the luxury hotels were, and they told us that there were three that still had rooms open—the ones that they were staying at. When we asked for the room prices, they all gave the same answer, presumably because there was a streamlined price amongst the hotels. And it turned out to be not as expensive as I thought. Just four silver coins (4000~ yen) a night, meaning that with our current money, we could stay there for just over a full week. And that was with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Certainly an uptick from those 15 stone coins back in the Demon Continent. Oh, we've come so far.

We decided to give ourselves one General's Dollar (10,000~ yen) to buy up some supplies and leave the rest for the inn. However, that lowered our 8-day stay down to a 5-day one.

Is that too little? Nah, I shouldn't worry about it much. If we do one labyrinth every three days and rest in between the days, we should be just fine.

Anyways, with that, our budget was more or less secured. We navigated toward the mercantile district. I was taken aback at how dense the area was. There was practically a crowd around every store, and the chattering of several races overlapped to create a buzz of excitement. Maybe it was because the businesses were all set up in what looked to be a fairly normal set of alleyways with hanging buildings, creating overhangs decorated by vibrant banners, but it looked quite cramped.

The three of us overheard dozens of these small conversational snippets as we waded our way through the crowd in search of a shop that sold what we were looking for.

"You're out of luck. We're out of stock."

"Who the hell would pay a General's dollar for one backpack?"

"Hello?! Is there an apothecary here somewhere!?"

"Yes, I do free samples. Ah, just take one, kid. Kid? Kid?! Where are you going?!"

"Roxas, you said we're looking for light spirit scrolls?" I asked.

"That's right. Last I remember, they weren't too expensive," Roxas responded, his eyes staring off into the distance.

"Hm. I guess torches wouldn't work for long-winded deep cave exploration," I mused quietly.

For a moment, I considered asking why it was our only option, as opposed to bringing down some sort of fire to light our way. But of course, carbon monoxide poisoning had to exist if fire did, so I figured this world had at least some grasp on the subject.

"Eh? Why not?" Ares asked me. After being prompted like that, I couldn't help but be reminded of the times when I was Sylphie's tutor. Well, I'm missing the hair bun and the glasses, but I can make do without them.

"It's not too easy to explain why, but if you light a fire in an enclosed area, say, a cave, you'll fill the room with…" I stopped myself for a moment to choose my words wisely, "an invisible poison that has no smell. If someone breathes too much of it in, they'll die. There's no cure as far as I know."

I tried my hardest to not forget some trivial details from Earth just in case they came in handy later, and this was one of these cases. And I knew some really random stuff. For example, I knew the full anatomy of the human eye. I even knew how to stop a bleeding wound—which, ironically, ended up being useless here.

"You know about Spelunker's poisoning? I don't think I ever taught you that," Roxas remarked, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Spelunker's poisoning? Guess that's what they call it here. Now… what to respond with? I don't think saying 'I spent twenty years of my life Wikipedia diving, I didn't need you to teach me that,' would be a good idea. Hey, Paul was a labyrinth explorer, right? Surely he won't mind if I throw him under the bus a little.

"Paul taught me about it after you left Buena," I explained.

"Hm. Odd that he'd teach ya something like that while you were that young, but I can see Paul doing it. Knowing that guy, he was probably itching for someone to 'spread his wisdom' to," Roxas sighed.

With those words, I realized that I'd never thought of it that way. Paul was way too young, even by my world's standards, to have a child and settle down. From the bedtime stories that he'd told me of his grand adventures, he seemed to just be the type of guy to play around. No wonder he'd been so excited to have Sirius—he could finally let loose and teach his child the one thing he'd devoted his life to.

With that in mind, all of his terrible behaviors and fuck ups as a father were put into another perspective. Paul had me when he was nineteen—that may be a fully matured adult in this world, but to me, he was just a teenager. And whatever caused this teleportation incident, it tore him away from it. From all of his children.

I don't think any version of me could've handled it. I silently told myself that I'd make sure to give him some much-needed time in the spotlight when I met him again. Maybe I'd even let him show me how to use a sword.

Hehe. I'd be spoiling my own father. I missed him, and badly.

"Looks like this might be it," Roxas announced, stopping right in front of a large establishment that spanned the size of three regular shops in the mercantile district. A large sign atop the main entrance read "Stuffs and Staffs," which I assumed to be the name of the place.

There were various stalls around the place, all manned by people who looked fairly experienced. Of course, none of them held a candle to some of the merchants in Roa, but that was that and this was this. After browsing for several moments, I noticed quickly that the stalls outside of the store sold cheap, highly in-demand products so that they could earn money faster. Stuff like whetstones, flint and steel, bedrolls, all of that jazz. But after giving it a quick once-over, I couldn't find anything like a scroll. There were various magical implements, but none of them caught my eye. The more valuable stuff was probably in the building itself.

"We should head inside," I told the two of them.

"I couldn't find any scrolls out here," Roxas agreed. Ares looked mildly disinterested, but he followed us along into the store.

The interior of the store was much more lively than I expected it to be. About a dozen people were browsing the products, and a troubadour was playing the flute at the back of the store. A woman sat at the store's counter, looking fairly aloof. There were items lined along the walls, displays holding all sorts of wands, and what I assumed to be grimoires arranged on shelves. And most eye-catching of all, an array of colorful magician staves secured with a metal lock were presented against a grand display.

There was only one thing on my mind as I admired the shop's items.

I wish I could buy it all!

Roxas walked up to the receptionist, clearing his throat a few times to get her attention. She snapped to attention, her long eyelashes fluttering with surprise.

Hm. Have I seen her before? The woman looked vaguely familiar.

"Oh! How can I help you?" She said after a moment of deliberation.

"We're looking for light spirit scrolls. You have any left in stock?" He asked.

"You're in luck! There's only one cartridge left," She adjusted her glasses and got up from her seat. She rummaged through a few things under her counter and brought out a few scrolls that were stored in some sort of cylindrical compartment, sort of like where a letter would be stored.

"Here you go! There are five in this one here. It'll be one gold coin and three silver," she said, pushing the compartment toward us with three delicate fingers.

I set down my backpack and took out the cash I had on me. "Could I pay with a General's dollar?" I asked, just to be sure. I held it out to her.

"Certainly!" She responded, taking it from my hands and setting it aside. I glanced over at Ares, who was examining a wand while she got my change.

"Thank you for your patronage," she said, smiling cheerfully. I handed it over to Alek and grabbed the compartment. Her blonde bangs that draped over her eyes stiffened for a moment as she paused.

"Are you…" she left the words on her tongue as she squinted her eyes. Seriously, do I know her, or something? I could've sworn I've seen…

"Uoh! It's you! Meadow, right?" I asked, my eyes widening in recognition.

"So it is you! From that time when I spent a few years in Buena!" Meadow exclaimed. This was the lady who'd given me advice on where to buy a ring for Sylphie back during the months leading up to her tenth birthday. The thought brought up good memories, ones that I never wanted to forget as long as I lived.

"I'm glad you're okay, Meadow," I said.

"I should be the one saying that! Look at you, all grown up in that beautiful robe of yours. Asuran, right?" she asked.

"Huh?" This robe's Asuran? Then why did some random merchant in Rikarisu have it?

"Ah, well, it doesn't matter. It took me a fair bit to get my bearings after I was unceremoniously dumped here by that massive explosion. My heart goes out to those affected by the disaster, really," she said.

I'm not surprised it's widespread knowledge here, but I'm not used to it after nobody even heard of it in the Demon Continent. No wonder word of our party hardly got here. The rumor mill just doesn't work as fast across the two continents, apparently.

"Oh, do you know anyone around these parts that have been teleported here from Fittoa?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not. I know that Milishion has a Search and Rescue party, but that's all I know," Meadow explained.

"Search and Rescue?"

Roxas, who'd been silent up until then, spoke up. "That's the same organization Paul was setting up. Paul leaving a letter about it in Fittoa was the only reason Talhand, Elinalise, and I even knew that you were missing."

"You're separated?" Meadow asked.

"Mhm. We're going to take a bit of a rest here before we continue on and meet up with him. I was actually teleported halfway across the world to the northeastern Demon Continent. I spent a year getting to Wind Port with that guy," I pointed to Ares, who was still looking through items like a child in a ball pit, "and one other."

"The Demon Continent? It's a miracle you're even alive, Lumina," she replied.

"Well… it wasn't… terrible?" I squeaked out. She shook her head and waved me off.

"On that topic, is the redhead that friend of yours from way back when? The one you bought the ring for?" she chirped.

"Eh? No, no," I laughed. I remembered how flushed I got when she asked me that I was too young to be getting married. "The first time we met was sometime around my tenth birthday."

"Hmm… well, if you're looking to get a ring for him, we have a few rings in stock here, you know?" she grinned.

What's with her and her teasing!? "I-I'll keep that in mind…" I stammered out.

"Hehe… While I'd love to keep talking, some customers are waiting behind you. Let's talk later, alright?"

"Sure!" I agreed. "We'll be around this city for a bit, so I might see you again. See you around, Meadow."

I silently waved goodbye and walked across the store to where Ares was looking around. I peered at what he was holding, a charcoal-black wand with a sheen of gloss that shone in the light of the store. I turned my head to the sound of Roxas's voice.

"You know, I've got a lot of respect for wand makers," Roxas stated, dragging his fingers along a silver wand. "Since I know how hard it is to make one."

"You've done it before?" Ares asked, surprised.

"Just the one time. And it was for Lumi's graduation ceremony," Roxas smiled. Huh? That wand… Roxas made it himself?

"Huh? You did?" I asked, surprised.

All that time, I'd assumed that he'd bought it from somewhere. Argh, now I feel bad for leaving it back in Roa…

"You didn't know? You're supposed to make a wand like that to your students when they master Elementary-class magic, remember?" Roxas prompted.

"I mean, I remember that. I just didn't know you made it yourself," I clarified.

"Didn't you mention something about tutoring one of your friends back in Buena?" he asked. "Does she not have a wand?"

"You mean Sylphiette?" Ares chirped.

"You know her?" Roxas glanced at him, tilting his head quizzically. I've got to catch Roxas up with our history. I mean, he doesn't even know how close we are. Though… if I'm looking forward to something, it's explaining how we met in Rikarisu. I'm sure Ares will appreciate me going into reaaal depth about it. Hehe…

"Nah, I only know her from whenever Lumina and I chatted about random things when we were still practically strangers," Ares clarified.

"Ah, that makes more sense, haha. Was starting to think you came from Buena as well," Roxas chuckled.

"But, like you said, I did make a wand for Phi myself," I said. Feeling that nickname on my tongue felt almost nostalgic.

"Impressive. I don't think I could do something like that your age," Roxas said. Always the modest sentiment with Roxas. His being so humble means I have to really push to get it into his head that he's truly an amazing person.

"Not as impressive as you, Mister. I know firsthand how taxing it is to tutor someone for years on end, and you had to do it all by yourself without…" Using cheated memories from a past life, I wanted to continue.

"You're awfully praising for someone of your caliber, ya know? The only thing that separates me from ya is you not knowing how to cast a King-class spell, and I'm afraid you could probably pull that off as you are now!" he laughed.

"I've got so many other things to show you, Mister. I'm your student, after all," I smiled.

"Then, I'm looking forward to seeing how much you've grown," Roxas said, patting my head with a kind smile like he used to. Though, now, he had to reach a little more than back then.

"I could say the same to you," I pridefully curled my fingers into a fist. "For the first time, I'll be seeing you in combat, you know?"

"Hmph. Are you sure you'll be okay in that labyrinth?" Roxas asked, his lips pursed.

"I've grown up a little! Let me hammer that into your brain, won't you?" I joked.

"I'll just have to see," Roxas exhaled out of his nose and flashed a grin at me. I could already taste the satisfaction of hearing Roxas acknowledge me again after so long.

I've got to show him that the past six years haven't been for nothing. That, without his help, I would be nowhere close to where I am today. If there's anyone in this world who deserves my respect, it's him.

And now, I need to make sure he knows I'm worthy of his respect, too.

Ares, strangely enough, was silent for the rest of the trip to the inn.


The six of us stood before the unassuming entrance of the labyrinth. It looked more like a carved-in nook of a cave than a formal entrance, but I guessed it was the price of going to a lesser-known labyrinth. After all, if we went to one swamped with adventurers, we probably wouldn't have a very easy time getting what we needed. I probably didn't have to say this, but adventurers were brutal when it came to money. There were more than a few times when Ares and I were ambushed and nearly mugged. Not that I'd let it happen, of course.

"Is everyone well informed of the plan?" Alek asked.

Apparently, while we were off shopping, Elinalise, Alek, and Talhand thought up a battle formation for us in case we needed to fight a bunch of monsters with too much HP for their own good. I was a bit disappointed at first, but when I thought about how they were the ones who'd already had experience inside labyrinths, I figured that there was no harm done. My advice would probably just end up as shitty suggestions coming from the knowledge I'd garnered from years of playing rogue-like RPGs. Best leave it up to the pros.

Alek was the primary tank. He'd stand at the forefront of the group and distract—or decimate—any monsters nearby. Ares was a secondary attacker, who could tap in and out with Alek at any time if he needed backup. Elinalise was a line of defense, someone who could protect the three mages at the back end of the formation. I couldn't really decide on a specific label for Talhand's role, but he'd use his skills as an Intermediate-Class earth magician and a jack-of-all-trades when it came to his battle skills to aid us.

And Roxas and I were in the back of the formation, serving as the backline magicians. I'd have to make sure I showed off my Curse Magic to Roxas. It was the one thing I was looking forward the most to.

"Alright. The role of party healer falls onto you, Lumina," Alek explained. "Don't be afraid to help out with your Curse Magic, though."

"Understood," I replied.

Healing and offense, huh? For my first time in a labyrinth, it seemed awfully clear-cut for me. Well, in all fairness, we had the remnants of an S-rank party and the North God all in one group, so I doubted that we'd have much trouble. In any case, I could handle it. There was no world in which I couldn't.

"Curse Magic?" Roxas whispered, leaning closer to me.

"Don't worry about it for now," I whispered back, waving him off flippantly.

The one class of member we were missing was a thief—or scout, depending on if you're lame or not—but I didn't see any issue going in without one.

"Our goal is to reach the final floor," Alek clapped his hands.

"That's three floors in total, yer hear?" Talhand added.

I eyed the entrance of the labyrinth as the rest of the party cheered. It was a dim darkness, but thanks to the nature of the entrance, hardly any sunlight entered. For a moment, I faltered. But when I looked at our extremely high-level party, I regained my confidence. I was surrounded by capable allies, and, most of all, I was confident in my own strength. If the grin on Ares's face is any indication, he was too. Even if we were the youngest here, there was no doubt in my mind that we wouldn't pull our weight.

Ares lightly slapped me on my back.

"Let's go, shall we?" he said, bowing in the Asuran-style that I hadn't seen him do in ages. I took his outstretched hand and flashed a smile.

"Let's get going."


Author's Notes:

Hey! I'm so excited to finally greet you guys again after my three-week break! First and foremost, I absolutely needed that break. A ton of stuff came up during my break, so I'm glad I could kick back for a bit. But now, I'm back! I hope you guys all had an amazing Christmas and, subsequently, New Year! I hope you guys continue to support Lumina Greyrat in the coming year! :ErisHeart:

I'm jumping straight into my usual Tuesday release schedule (I say, as it's 40 minutes away from being Wednesday) with a slightly linger chapter than usual. I hope you guys liked this chapter as much as I did while writing it, it's so chock full of little references that I doubt anyone else will get, but that's the fun in it. There's a lot to be explored with the new party dynamic, so this chapter is purely character interaction for the most part, and the next will be a mix of action and development.

As always, thank you for reading. I truly, truly appreciate everyone who leaves a comment/review, you make my day even if you leave a single sentence. Thank you.

The next chapter *should* be released by January 28th, titled... A Gap In Trust.

Special Note: I recently uploaded an Oneshot by the name of Their Shared Sentiment: Lara and Sieghart Greyrat! If you're caught up with the main story of Mushoku Tensei, please give it a try! It's on my profile, so you shouldn't have a hard time getting to it. Cheers!