"Shit! Aiz, go after him!" yelled a blond prum.
The girl didn't hesitate. She nodded and shot off, closely followed by a gray-haired Lycan, whose agile strides struggled to keep up with the blonde.
The Loki Familia, or at least its executives, were returning from a mini-expedition to gather funds. Their weapons never lasted long in their hands, and someone had to pay for the damages. Better to be well-prepared than to run out of equipment at the worst moment.
Everything was going as planned until the unexpected happened: a stampede of minotaurs.
Nothing the executives couldn't handle, of course. Tiona, for example, grabbed two of those beasts by the neck and began choking them with terrifying ease. In that moment, who were the real monsters?
But not everything went perfectly. Some minotaurs, terrified, managed to escape and started fleeing toward the upper floors. And there lay the real problem.
Upstairs were rookies, young adventurers just beginning to explore the Dungeon. If something happened to them, it wouldn't just be a problem for the Loki Familia but also a heavy burden on the executives' conscience. No one wanted to live with the memory of a life lost due to their negligence.
Aiz reacted instantly. The Sword Princess moved like lightning, leaving behind a grumbling Bete, who was trying to keep up. Although he was the fastest under normal circumstances, she had already activated Tempest, propelling herself with the speed of a hurricane.
The sounds of chaos began to filter through the halls: deep growls, the resounding crash of a minotaur's horns against the walls, and the constant vibration of the ground beneath their feet. The dull, unpleasant green walls, with their strange moist texture, seemed to shrink with each impact. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, marking the beast's path as it charged relentlessly.
A rookie was in trouble.
Aiz turned a corner, then another, desperately searching for the room where the confrontation was taking place. Each wrong turn brought a mix of frustration and anxiety. She couldn't afford to arrive late—not now, not when a life was on the line.
Finally, she found the room.
The scene she encountered caused her usual calm expression to falter, revealing an unusual concern. It was one of theirs. The rookie's white hair was unmistakable, even now, stained with blood.
The boy was pinned against the wall, growling fiercely, his teeth seemingly cracking under the pressure his weakened body was struggling to endure. His gloves gripped the minotaur's horn desperately as it advanced slowly, cruelly, agonizingly, piercing into his abdomen.
The boy's gaze was a reflection of pure terror, but within it also shone a spark of unyielding determination. He was scared, that much was clear, but he wasn't giving up. That mixture of fear and resistance caught Aiz's attention, unconsciously drawing her to remember a moment from her own past.
However, the rookie's strength began to waver, and the horn finally sank completely into his abdomen. Aiz reacted immediately, feeling a pang of shame for having allowed such a thing to happen.
She rushed forward and, with quick, precise, almost elegant movements, severed the minotaur's arm, followed by its head, in an instant.
The creature disintegrated, leaving the boy to collapse against the floor.
The young boy looked up at Aiz, his eyes full of terror... though that fear didn't seem directed at her. Her own thoughts unsettled her. Was he afraid of her? The confusion in his eyes reminded her of the looks she'd received since reaching Level 5. Was she truly that frightening?
Her suspicions were confirmed when the boy barely managed to thank her, addressing her with an honorific, before trying to stumble away from her.
"Don't call me that..." Aiz murmured in her usual serene tone, though a faint trace of discouragement crept into her words. "And no. Why are you trying to run?"
Effortlessly, she extended her arm and stopped the young man before he could move any further.
"I..." he muttered, but his body simply couldn't take it anymore.
He collapsed suddenly, unconscious. Aiz caught him before he hit the ground, observing him closely.
As she inspected the room, she noticed the marks on the walls and floor—the traces of the battle he had fought. It was impressive how much he had resisted, given that he was only a Level 1. She pulled out a potion from her armor, ready to heal him, but couldn't shake the thought that he had something different, something that picked up her interest.
Of course, compared to Bete, he was forty times less aggressive, strong and fast, but to be fair, Bete had been an adventurer for many more years.
Aiz carefully poured the potion over Bell's wounds, letting the liquid start to take effect as white smoke rose slowly from the injuries. It wouldn't be enough to heal him completely, but at least he'd be able to make it to the surface.
Aiz silently watched the white-haired boy. His face, previously contorted in pain, now showed an expression of calm and serenity; to some extent, it was... relaxing to see him like that. He looked tender and vulnerable, like a plush toy you'd want to hug.
Unconsciously, her hand rose toward his silky, soft hair, where his ears rested. Aiz didn't seem to mind the blood in that moment, but a sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. The echo resounded through the now-silent Dungeon.
Quickly, she carefully laid Bell back on the ground, ensuring not to hurt his injured body, and stood up, looking toward the entrance of the room.
"Tsk... Can't you go any slower, Aiz?" Bete said, kicking a rock in frustration before noticing Bell lying on the floor. "Isn't that our new recruit? He looks like a tomato with all that blood. Weaklings like him shoul—"
"Bete, stop," a prum interrupted, stepping in behind him. The minotaurs had already been exterminated moments before Aiz had left.
"Still! Just look at him!"
"Have you forgotten he's been an adventurer for less than a week? Look at the room; he put up a good fight." The Familia's captain, holding his spear firmly, observed the boy and the battle's aftermath. Sure, he'd taken a beating, but he'd held his ground impressively well. It was... interesting. The wolf, on the other hand, just let out a low growl before leaving the scene.
"Is he stable, Aiz?"
"I think so..." the girl replied, lowering her gaze.
Finn noticed but chose not to say anything. It wasn't the right moment.
"I'll take care of him. Hurry up and rejoin the rest of the group."
"...Alright…" Aiz answered, standing and casting one last glance at Bell.
"Love at first sight?" Finn thought to himself but shook his head. He knew that wasn't like Aiz, so he assumed it was just curiosity—a natural reaction.
Placing his spear on his back, Finn easily lifted Bell with both arms. Despite their difference in height, it was effortless for the prum; Falna allowed for wonders like that.
Without wasting time, he hurried to catch up with the rest of the group to leave the Dungeon. They were already on the fifth floor, and it wouldn't take more than 20 minutes to reach Babel Tower—or so he calculated. He decided to relax; after all, his thumb had stopped throbbing.
Finally... home.
Though they had only spent two days in the Dungeon, the sight of the Loki Familia's home was comforting, like a warm breath of relief after the tension they'd endured.
The warm air quickly dispelled the depressive thoughts clinging to the adventurers from their time in the Dungeon—especially since one of their own had been injured due to their mistake. Thanks to the benevolence of whatever force watched over them, they'd managed to arrive in time. A boy with that level of talent couldn't be allowed to die so young.
Waiting for them at the entrance was an unmistakable figure: a goddess of unique appearance, with vibrant red hair and mischievous eyes that seemed to spell trouble before she even spoke.
At the sight of her Familia's high-ranking members returning, Loki leapt toward them with unrestrained energy.
"Aizzzz-puuuu!" she shouted excitedly, hurling herself at the blonde with a blatantly perverted look plastered across her face.
Aiz nimbly sidestepped the attack, which set off a chain reaction: one of the Amazons immediately moved aside, followed by the other. With no one else left to dodge, the goddess collided with the unfortunate blonde elf.
"Eep!" Lefiya squeaked, trapped in Loki's "affectionate" embrace, which quickly devolved into shameless groping reminiscent of a lecherous old man.
The rest of the group let out a collective sigh, as though this were a scene they were regrettably accustomed to. Everyone except Bete, of course, who was carrying Bell on his back with a mix of annoyance and resignation, muttering things that everyone could hear but chose to ignore. He'd agreed to carry the boy after Finn, with his calm yet firm tone, reminded him of how hard Bell had fought.
"Tsk… I'll let it slide for today." the wolf thought, eager to rid himself of the "extra weight" on his back, preferring to think of it as luggage rather than anything else.
Meanwhile, Loki ended her "attack" and stood up with a carefree grin.
"I was bored! You know how mama is when it comes to fun... stiffer than her staff."
"Who's 'mama'?" asked a green-haired elf who had arrived just in time to hear the comment. Without much thought, she smacked Loki on the head with said staff.
The goddess merely rubbed her head as crocodile tears welled up in her now-glassy eyes.
"Mama—err, I mean Riveria," the Familia's vice-captain, then turned her attention to the white-haired boy, her eyes widening as her maternal instincts flared to life.
"What happened to him?!" she exclaimed, alarmed at Bell's pitiful state.
"Bell? Oh, he had some bad luck. During our descent to the middle floors, a few Minotaurs managed to escape and reached the upper floors…" Finn explained, scratching his head with mild discomfort. As the Familia captain, he couldn't help but feel responsible for the mistakes that had occurred within his team.
A brief silence followed. Finally, Aiz spoke, her voice calm but tinged with guilt:
"It was my fault. I watched his fight for a moment, and the Minotaur injured him."
Riveria sighed in exasperation, massaging her temples.
"Loki, I thought you warned the boy to be more careful."
"You know, I'm just as worried as you are," Loki replied, clutching her chest with exaggerated dramatics. "It pains me to see him like this. But hey, that kid is as stubborn as Aiz." Despite her humor, her concern was evident. Loki's mischievous tone, while irritating, often managed to lighten the mood.
Aiz averted her gaze, a faint pink hue coloring her cheeks.
"Anyway…" The green-haired elf gestured for Bete to carry the boy into the mansion's main hall. The others followed quickly, filling the spacious room. All eyes were on the unconscious lycan.
The wolf, clearly irritated, set his "burden" down with more care than he let on, placing the young white-haired boy on a couch. He rubbed his neck in relief, muttering something unintelligible.
Riveria wasted no time. Her sharp eyes evaluated Bell's wounds before raising her staff. With the elegance of someone who had mastered her magic over nearly a century, she recited a brief chant, and a green light began to glow at the tip of her staff, gently extending toward Bell's injuries.
"Van Alheim," she chanted. The light grew brighter, bathing Bell's body in a warm, healing glow.
To the onlookers, it was a familiar sight but no less impressive. Riveria's magic always carried a majestic and almost hypnotic quality, no matter how many times it was witnessed.
Suddenly, the boy moved abruptly. With a gasp, Bell grabbed Riveria's hand and bolted upright as though waking from a nightmare.
"W-Where am I?!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed, trying to process his surroundings.
More concerned than frightened, his gaze landed on Aiz before quickly darting away, embarrassment evident on his face.
But the blonde thought differently; her mind wandered back to the Dungeon. Those same eyes filled with terror and fear had looked at her then. Her body tensed, discomfort clear in her posture. What had she done to make Bell look at her that way? Her gaze fell to her hand, a faint glimmer taking her back to that moment. The hand she had offered to help him up was stained with blood… blinking, she looked back at Riveria, waiting for her to speak.
Riveria blinked, slightly surprised. It wasn't common for someone in his state of injuries to react so quickly. Still, that didn't stop her from reprimanding him.
The others remained stunned for a few seconds, even Bete, who turned away briefly. This kid was definitely a tough one.
"Don't move!" Riveria commanded, her voice sharp enough to freeze Bell in place.
"Y-Yes, mama!" he stammered, the word slipping out before he realized what he'd said. He quickly lay back down, obeying more out of instinct than understanding.
The room fell silent, the group holding back a laughter out of fear of angering Riveria. Only Loki's snicker broke the quiet.
"'Mama! I suppose that it really combines with you." the goddess howled, pointing at Riveria. The elf barely moved a muscle, but the prominent vein on her forehead and the glare she shot Loki were enough to stifle any further laughter or comments.
Loki raised her hands in mock surrender, retreating behind Finn with a nervous smile. Meanwhile, the others couldn't help but smirk subtly—even Aiz.
"They're going to give me gray hairs…" the Elf murmured, her tone was one of a resigned person.
Riveria continued her treatment in silence, letting her magic stabilize the boy. By now, his natural recovery and the potion he'd been given had done most of the work. Luckily, it wouldn't be necessary to involve Dian Cecht; at least that thought brought her some relief.
Still, her attention lingered on the faint sighs Bell let out, interspersed with small grimaces of pain. His hands instinctively returned again and again to the area of his abdomen, where the Minotaur's horn had pierced him. The Elf couldn't help but imagine the suffering he must have endured—both in experiencing it and recalling it.
"You fought the Minotaur instead of running?" she asked, breaking the silence in a neutral tone that masked her concern as she finished using her magic.
"I-It wasn't on purpose! I had nowhere to ru—" Bell's response was cut short by a violent coughing. The pain in his abdomen flared up sharply, forcing him upright in an attempt to bear it, which only worsened the situation.
"Don't move!" Riveria reprimanded, letting out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the day. "No shouting, no unnecessary movement. And you're grounded for disobeying orders."
"Heh, Elf-mom to the rescue," Loki chimed in from the back of the room, a teasing smile on her face as she hid behind an irritated Bete. The wolf-man, clearly uncomfortable, struggled to shake off the goddess as if she were a piece of gum stuck to his jacket, though to no avail.
Riveria chose to ignore the comment and turned to Lefiya, signaling her with an authoritative gesture. "You'll be in charge of educating this reckless wolf. We don't need another Bete running around the house."
The idea landed like a rock among the group. Everyone winced at the thought of what that would entail. Dealing with one Bete was already enough—two? That would be unthinkable. Bete just froze in place, embarrassed; had they just compared him to that lost pup?
"No, no! Thank you very much, Lefiya; I trust you!" Loki declared, raising her hand theatrically while still shamelessly hiding behind the gray-haired wolf she had just insulted.
"Huh?! What'd you just say?!" Bete growled, offended, as he turned to the goddess, who responded by sticking out her tongue.
The scene made the room fill with joy and laughter once again, excluding Bete—but including Bell, who, for a moment, forgot the pain that coursed through him.
"Me…? Are you sure, Riveria-sama…?" the timid Lefiya asked, lowering her head slightly.
"I chose you because I trust you, Lefiya. Besides, this will serve as training for you."
"B-But… I don't think I'm the right person…" The Elf clutched her staff tightly to her chest as if trying to hide behind it.
"I don't want to be a burden to—" Bell cut himself off when he noticed Riveria. The Elf didn't need words; her icy, serious gaze said more than any phrase could.
The white-haired boy simply flattened his ears and leaned back against the couch, resigned. Clearly, his opinion didn't count at this moment.
"This is punishment for Bell and training for you. Bell is younger and less experienced than you, Lefiya. It's your responsibility to make sure this reckless boy learns some discipline."
The comment hit Bell like an arrow to the chest. That made several in just a few minutes.
"Come on, Lefiya! You don't want another disobedient puppy in the Famil—Eeek!" Loki tried to joke but was swiftly interrupted as she was chased by an irritated Bete.
While Bete pursued her with a serious expression, he clearly wasn't using his full speed. The others in the room barely paid attention; it was just another typical scene in the Loki Familia—maybe too typical. Loki's cries as she was nearly caught faded into the background.
"Besides, since you're forbidden from going to the Dungeon, reading will help you advance a bit in your magic," Riveria added, her tone more instructive.
Lefiya finally nodded, defeated. All the arguments were valid, after all, and Bell didn't seem like a bad person. Although she barely knew him, there was something in his gaze—a mix of nervousness and determination—that gave her the impression of someone honest and without ulterior motives.
The Elf stopped clutching her staff and approached the Lycan, offering her hand. The gesture puzzled Bell; weren't Elves supposed to avoid physical contact?
"P-Pleased to meet you… Bell-san. From now on, I'll be under your care— I mean! I'll be taking care of you." The Elf's ears turned a deep crimson, as did her cheeks, which only made her look even more endearing in Bell's eyes. A blush couldn't help but appear on his cheeks at the sight of the sweet yet beautiful elf.
"You can call me Bell, Lefiya-san. I trust in your teaching," he responded with a gentle smile as he softly took her hand.
Aiz, on the other hand, seemed to pout slightly as she watched the scene from afar. How was it possible that Lefiya could approach the boy so easily when she herself couldn't find the words to speak to him?
Riveria let out a faint but tender smile at the first interaction between Bell and Lefiya. However, she didn't overlook Aiz's reaction. Something seemed to be on the swordswoman's mind, and the Elf knew it wasn't wise to leave it unchecked.
Finn, for his part, observed the scene in silence, as he often did. Although his expression remained calm and controlled, a slight twitch in his thumb betrayed his thoughts. He wondered if Aiz might make the wrong decision by letting her disordered emotions guide her… It wouldn't be the first time.
With his decision made, Finn sought to clear up any doubts lingering in the air, especially those that might be in Aiz's mind. He clapped his hands firmly to grab everyone's attention.
"Well, with that settled: Lefiya will oversee Bell's training this week, and to keep Aiz sharp, she'll train him in physical combat next week. Everyone is dismissed."
Aiz snapped out of her trance at hearing the last part of the captain's statement. She tilted her head briefly, confused, but had no choice but to nod. Not that she disliked the idea. Although she didn't fully understand why Finn had decided it, a small spark lit in her mind. Perhaps she could apologize to Bell naturally.
With that, the Familia members began to disperse. Some, like Bete, opted to go to sleep, tired of Loki's boundless energy, while others, like Lefiya and Aiz, headed to take a shower to wash off the Dungeon's grime.
Bell, for his part, tried to get up from the couch to head to his assigned barracks but was stopped by Finn, who had noticed a clear grimace of pain on the boy's face. Acting more like a concerned leader than a captain, he took the Lycan's arm and slung it over his shoulder.
"There's no need to push yourself anymore today. Come, I'll help you."
The white-haired boy nodded, grateful for the gesture. As the two walked toward the barracks, Bell couldn't help but reflect. His body was at its limit, but his heart… hadn't felt so full in years. Seeing how everyone treated him as one of their own, without questioning his place, made him feel something he had never experienced before: belonging. A silly smile spread across his face as he realized his greatest worry had vanished; he was no longer a stranger in a giant city—at least for now, he was just a young boy being scolded by his elders. Funny, to say the least.
Welp, one more chapter done. Today, I'm feeling a bit tired since, to write this chapter, I had to start rereading Sword Oratoria to get the personalities and some events right. I hope they turned out to your liking. Another thing is, wow... to maintain this level of writing, I need to write the text in my native language and then translate it piece by piece using a dictionary and occasionally a translator for some sentences (to make sure they make sense). Thankfully, it's not Google Translate! Is it a colossal effort? Yes. Is it worth it? For you guys, absolutely hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter—don't hesitate to share your thoughts! See you soon, everyone.