Chapter 22.
Hope you enjoy the read.
Kay bye.
XXX
Sixteen minutes.
That was the amount of time a single individual had required in order to bring a country to it's knees.
From the moment his wrath took the shape of a lighting-clad dragon to the moment the Queen of Altena declared their loss, sixteen minutes had passed.
The shortest war in the history of the world which saw a country as powerful as Altena taste defeat.
Two thousand three-hundred and eighty-five people had lost their lives in the span of but sixteen minutes.
The greatest number among the casualties, one thousand eight hundred, had been the city watch soldiers, positioned upon the wall which the great beast brought down.
Their cause of death had been mostly by means of being crushed by the debris of the wall. That which was supposed to protect them had been their grave.
The Royal Guards of the palace had been killed to the last man by the aggressor.
Half of their number, the aggressor had killed outside the city walls.
The other one hundred, equipped with Magic Weapons and ordered to use hit-and-run tactics by Secretary Castius had been killed one by one throughout the city.
Their cause of death had been death by electrocution.
As for the rest, the remaining three hundred and eighty-five deaths, they had been solely civilian deaths.
Civilians who, despite the aggressor's warnings to remain within their homes ventured outside to go on with their daily lives. Their cause of death had been via getting hit by lightning strikes.
Statistically speaking casualties had been low indeed when compared to the whole of Al-Dale's population, but nonetheless…
Altena suffered, and not just from what they had lost.
Treasurer Cicero's public declaration in which he listed off his many, many wrongdoings continued to hurt Altena even after his death.
From the countries sharing boarders with Altena to Orario itself many parties made use of the public statement and moved in to gain profit in a truly savage display of politics. Naturally, many of said parties were already well aware of what the Treasurer had done, yet they needed evidence to move in and reclaim what they had lost.
Evidence they now had thanks to no other than Altena's aggressor himself.
But even so, Secretary Castius, now plagued with a stutter problem, took everything upon his shoulders from the reconstruction efforts to dealing with the vultures attacking them from both inside and outside seeking whatever profit could be gained from the weakened Altena.
As for the Queen herself, no one has seen her in person since her public declaration of defeat to the world.
Two weeks had passed since the battle, now named the Vindictive War, and though life simply went on for everyone involved and uninvolved in the battle itself one questioned remained unanswered:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is the child...nay, the man who brought a country to it's knees?
XXX
"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Come on, come on, come on! Is this all?!" From within the depths of the Dungeon a single laugh echoed louder than anything else, it's pitch shrouding even the screeches of the Monsters that were being slain. "Hahahaha, I ain't finished yet!"
The boy jumped backwards, making use of the safety the wall behind him provided and taunting a group of Monsters closer to him. Once they were at a good distance he placed his right foot on the wall and used it to propel himself forward with immense speed, bringing his curved greatsword in a perfectly executed swing upon the four Monster's midsection. A second later they dispersed into ash, only their Magic Stones left behind as a reminder that they had ever existed.
"Booya! Life-cheats for the win, baby! Ahahaha!" Seiji laughed as the fight was concluded wiping the blood off his blade by swinging it once to his side then proceeding to collect the Magic Stones for his new Familia.
Shortly after arriving in Orario and witnessing the live war Seiji set out to find an honourable deity and receive his Falna. Luckily he found one such God quickly, and since then, he has been braving the Dungeon on his own, ever seeking out higher strength in the Monster's defeat and their Excelia.
But even so…"...Hahahaha! It's not enough! I don't feel in deathly peril just yet! Next Floor, next Floor! Ahahahaha!"...it was not enough for the boy and he stormed off towards the next Floor in search of higher challenges.
In truth, being only a beginner his Guild Advisor encouraged him to spend the first month on the 1st to 3rd Floor to allow himself to get accustomed to life as an Adventurer and the many dangers that lurked within the Dungeon.
However, he had already fought on the 5th Floor and was now on his way to the 6th Floor.
Seiji spent a lifetime being bedridden and sick, from childhood until recently.
During that time despite the flame of willpower shining brightly in his soul he could not get up and truly follow his ambitions.
But that was over now: he was healthy, his sickness cured.
He could run, and fight, and finally laugh as much as he could.
He had a life's worth of lost time to catch up to and no danger would keep him from his ambitions any longer.
"Muhahahaha! I'll carve my name into the history books in but a heartbeat! So come on, fight me! I'm here, you Monsters! Here, over here, Seiji Okita is right here, alive and kicking! Muhahahaha!" The adrenaline levels high in his system Seiji no longer knew exactly where he was, having spent little time on memorizing the Dungeon maps and was now simply running around the Dungeon while holding his sword high above his head. "Hahahahaha!-Bleah...*Cough*, *Cough*...Crap, just swallowed a fly...*Cough* *Cough*...Mhm, much better. Then, once again...BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Before long a rumour would start to spread among the Adventurers: that of a boy who lost his bearings and laughed his lungs out while running across the Dungeon Floors.
Adventurers who heard his laughter took it as an omen that no Monsters would be around to ambush them, all of them drawn to the extremely loud voice of the boy.
Soon enough he would get his first unofficial alias, granted to him by his fellow Adventurers, an alias true to his habit of drawing all Monsters to himself:
Self-Parade Maniac.
XXX
The Pallum let out a small yawn, stretching his back until he heard a pleasant popping sound in his spine then leaning forward towards his desk. A mountain of papers were laid out before him, all vital to their Familia's next move: the postponed expedition.
Overall most matters had been taken care of: the team formations, the path they would take, the three main squads...Nonetheless, other matters needed further attention, as well.
An expedition was a lengthy investment and any investment needs to yield profit to be worth the time.
Thus, a great deal of Quests from the Guild up to requests from other Familia were Finn's current main objective as he needed to sort through them and accept only those quests they could take care of before needing to return to the surface.
After all, they could only take so much equipment and food with them and though the Dungeon was also a good source of food and Drop Items they also had limited capacity to carry back materials.
Quests needed to be hand-picked quite thoroughly, indeed.
Another matter was their equipment: after Altena interfered with their orders Finn was forced to order the same equipment and items to be delivered again however just a short while after Altena lost the war their stolen orders somehow mysterious found their way before the Twilight Manor's gates.
As such almost twice their original required items were now available and he needed to sort through them and see what they needed most.
Just the Captain's duty, Finn told himself at the sight of the extra workload.
Finn sighed and looked to the chair across his desk. "Sigh...Sure wish the boy would be here..."
Fuzen had previously asked Fuzen if he was interested in learning under him, and the boy had agreed almost immediately. After all, it was the Captain's duty to teach the basic of adventuring to the younger members.
And what better way to learn adventuring than to learn about logistics and strategy?
Initially Finn had believed that such complex matters would be too hard for the boy to understand, but...he was proven wrong and before long, the boy had been tasked with helping Finn, to a certain degree that is, with such matters.
And he proved himself good.
Really good.
Suffice to say Finn had others he could rely on for such matters: Raul, Anakitty and even Loki to a certain degree, but he also needed to set a norm for them to achieve in their tasks.
The boy required no such norms: his efficiency-based lifestyle allowed him to quickly and swiftly tackle the tasks handed to him without further explanation.
He slightly missed it, Finn admitted to himself.
"...Really let a good opportunity slip past us, huh…?"
Finn had watched the Vindictive War with great interest and by the time Fuzen managed to get Queen Maelia to surrender, the Pallum was grinning with excitement.
After all, the boy was not simply good: he was excellent.
His power, his drive, his determination, all of them were present in the boy in their purest forms possible and witnessing them sparked a certain something within the Pallum.
I want him back.
As soon as he began to watch the battle unfold those words passed through the Pallum's head: he wanted the boy back.
He wanted his Familia's swordsman back.
Granted there would be some backlash: some people in Orario were already starting rumours about Fuzen while others were, quite honestly, afraid of him.
Some wished he would never again step foot in Orario.
It was understandable, to a certain degree.
After all, almost four hundred civilians died as a result of his attack on Al-Dale. If he were to unleash Raiju upon Orario for any reasons at all…
"...And so what?"
That is how Finn responded to people with those thoughts running through their heads. Freya Familia, Loki Familia, Ganesha Familia and countless others, Orario was a city with many human-shaped disasters walking around it's streets.
Fuzen was dangerous, yes.
But so was Riveria and her extremely large area-of-effect Magic.
Ottar, too, was the strongest individual in the city, able to crush anything in his path.
Gareth as well, and Bete too.
Not to mention Ais, Shakti of the Ganesha Familia, Allen of Freya Familia, heck even their Lefiya had the potential and Magic to raze a whole small city to the ground.
Finn had required a couple of moments to understand why people were so afraid of him but then finally came to the only logical conclusions:
Firstly, his age.
People were afraid of a child with so much power in his grasp.
To that he could only say that they were fools.
Fuzen had been very responsible with his mysterious strength when around other people. Granted, he was reckless when on his own but the safety of others had always been, during his whole stay with Loki Familia, on the very first spot.
Secondly, he guessed it was his otherwise sudden revelation as a noteworthy individual.
After all Loki and Finn both made sure that his achievements in the past year were kept a secret if for no other reason than to keep the boy safe and away from unwanted attention.
Taking out a Familia's gifted yet low-Level members was a very viable method of sapping away at a rival Familia's power, after all.
Yet it was their desire to protect him that backfired on him now.
With that said, people already knew of Fuzen thanks in no small part to Raiju's manifestation but...they have never been shown exactly what the boy was capable off.
Thus it was quite probable that they decided to imagine Fuzen as much weaker than he actually was.
Why?
To protect their own peace of mind.
Everything was better if you didn't imagine what a dragon flying above your head could do to you, after all. In the end, ignorance was bliss.
Ah well. People will eventually understand how responsible the boy is with his power. Only question remaining is: where is he?
Two weeks passed since he defeated Altena yet no one has seen nor heard of the boy, his current whereabouts unknown.
Finn himself was unsure what to think of this.
He knew for certain that Fuzen would desire to continue his training even after a feat like that, and Orario was his best shot at becoming stronger, something he actively sought. Yet as far as his sources could tell him, the boy has not arrived in Orario yet.
Which was strange for even though Altena was quite a distance away, it would take five days at most to reach Orario from there, and that was if weather was bad. Whatever he would take a carriage or simply fly on Raiju's back he should have come back to the Dungeon City by now.
If not that then at least rumours of his whereabouts should have spread.
After all, everyone knew his face now so he couldn't exactly stop rumours from spreading.
Just as Finn was pondering on the matter a knock at the door shook him from his thoughts. He lifted his eyes to see Riveria walk in, the High Elf good enough a friend to no longer require permission to step inside.
"I've transmitted your message to the Guild, Finn. They said our plan for departure aligns well with them."
"That's good to know. Then, we depart in nine days for our expedition."
Orario was a city without an army.
After all, every legal Familia was required to help defend the city in time of need, a rule that existed since times immemorial. However it was because of this rule that a Familia as strong as Loki's needed to plan their expeditions carefully with the Guild: when they would depart, how far they would go and their approximate time of return were all important factors for the city.
Overall, for smaller Familia this was not quite such an important matter and they could plan their expeditions whenever they so desired. However, Loki Familia played a vital role as one of Orario's strongest defenders and their absence was a massive drain on the city's strength.
Thus, the Guild required exact details regarding their expeditions.
Then according to the timespan they would be away the Guild would keep other large Familia from going on expeditions, all in order for sufficient Adventurers to be present should some threat to Orario appear.
It was because of this that, for example, Loki and Freya Familia would never be allowed to go on expeditions into the Deep Floors at the same time.
"By the way, that sure required more time than I expected. Did something happen on the way, Riveria?" Finn asked, immediately noticing the Elf's expression shift.
"Sigh...I helped a couple of Ganesha's people with identifying an Adventurer found murdered in a back alley."
"Oh? Let me guess…"
"It was a member of the Soma Familia, yes." The High Elf nodded.
"The second one this week, no less. Counting last week this bring them up to five members killed."
"Yes. It seems someone is actively targeting them." Riveria gave a nod, another sign leaving her lips. "Someone with a grudge against all of Soma Familia."
"Hmm...While having someone like that on the loose is quite unnerving all we can do for now is trust in both the Guild and Ganesha Familia."
"Let's just hope they catch whoever is doing this sooner rather than later."
Finn gave a nod."Mhm. Anyway, how are things going?"
"You mean our mages? Well, they are certainly motivated." She replied with a chuckle, her pupils unified shout of battle still vibrant in her mind. "Now that they have seen how incredible Magic truly is they are eager to brave the Dungeon on this upcoming expedition."
"Hmhm. Leave it to that boy to motivate others into following his example." They both laughed before silence filled the room. It only lasted for a couple of moments but it was enough to give a hint to their thoughts.
"Any news?"
"None yet. I've tasked a couple of our own to monitor the city gates and keep an eye out, but...nothing so far."
"...Maybe he went back home?"
"Come on, Riveria. You know him as well as any of us. Is he the kind of person who would miss on the opportunities of the Dungeon?"
"...But then again, it's been two weeks, Finn. Surely someone, somewhere would have seen him."
"Hmm…"
Inside their minds only one question remained unanswered:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is our Familia's swordsman?
XXX
She finally understood the events of that night, thanks in no small part to the man's public apology.
That man had used her to get to him, and it had worked without a hitch.
Worst of all however was the fact she remained none the wiser.
She had originally blamed his actions on his mental instabilities but after the war came to an end, and the Treasurer of Altena showed his face before the world, naming off his many wrongdoings, Amid felt a strong feeling of shame wash over her.
Naturally, being a doctor Amid knew that the boy had issues. Though it was not her specialization she nonetheless could see the hints that he was not quite...normal.
Yet even so, disregarding everything he had done for her, disregarding who he was, she simply blamed everything on his illness.
He is attacking solely because of the illness plaguing his thoughts.
"...Sigh…" How naive she had been to think like that, completely ignoring who he was as a person, ignoring his very character. "...He...saved me, didn't he…?"
She could remember clearly the last time she talked to Fuzen, the night prior to him leaving Orario.
That man, the Treasurer of Altena, has entered the shop as a customer and Fuzen rushed in mere minutes later, his otherwise nonchalant expression replaced by one of steely gravity.
Whatever that man did in that moment, only he and perhaps Fuzen knew, but the boy let the man walk away and then leaving her shop shortly after, as well.
And yet, she questioned herself: what might have happened differently?
She was not a fighter herself, despite her Level 2 Status.
She could evade a Level 1 and run away, but the only reason she even managed a Level-Up was because of her C rank Magic Attribute and her hard work in brewing medicine and adding some perks to existing cures.
The Treasurer confessed to having ordered kidnappings after being forced by Fuzen to do so.
So then...would she have been kidnapped, as well?
Is that why the boy came rushing into the store sweating, for the first time showing signs of fatigue from physical strain alone?
Granted, her Familia had a good reputation and a good income but otherwise they were not a Familia which housed strong individuals.
So could they resist kidnapping?
Probably not, especially if the kidnapper was a man with as much power and money as the Treasurer of Altena.
Within Orario they were safe, for all Familia in the city benefited from their services. That is why medicinal-type Familia were much safer than exploration-type Familia: no one in their right mind would ever declare a War Game on the doctors who prepared their healing potions.
But outside of Orario? It mattered little...
Keep your mask on.
Those had been his parting words, words which still confused her. She reached for her face with a hand. My mask...
No, she knew he didn't mean her appearance.
Even though, a couple of months ago, he did rush inside the shop and more or less kidnapped her back to the Twilight Manor, as the Loki Familia played some sort of games and apparently she was the first person who came to his mind on his request to find something which took one's breath away.
She still remembered his reply when she asked him how she even fit that description at all:
Because you are breath-takingly beautiful, in body and soul alike.
…
…
…
"Ahem...I should...not think like that. I am six years older than him, after all. Mhm."
Shaking her head to get the highly unusual thoughts going through her mind out Amid decided she needed to talk to the boy. She needed to thank him for what he has done for her, and then ask what exactly he meant with her so-called mask.
But one question remained before she could do anything:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is the boy who, most probably, saved my life?
XXX
An apology.
That is all she wanted to do: apologize.
But she knew she could not do so in her current state.
She would not be worthy enough for it.
She would feel ashamed to meet him now.
And so…
"You little bitch!" The Adventurer roared, lifting his kite shield to deflect the bolts she fired at his head. The projectiles flew to the sides but they fulfilled their role: to block the man's view of her.
Using her small frame the girl ran in a half circle to the man's left side, jumping forward and firing a bolt before she hit the ground. Even the armour the man wore had it's weakness, and her bolt hit exactly one such weakness: under the armpit.
The Adventurer hissed in pain, his shield lowering in order to put less strain on the new wounded area.
This was a chance, one she would not miss: the girl jumped to her feet and drew the knife on her leg, dashing to the man in a low position and making the most of her small stature.
But wounded as he was, the Adventurer was still was still much more experienced than her, unlike his beginner partner she already took care off a couple of hours ago on the surface. He countered her dash with a low kick, one fast enough she could not dodge in time. She heard a crack in her ribs then flew sideways, her low weight hardly putting a resistance against the sudden impact.
Stomp!
Not giving her a single second of reprieve the Adventurer stomped on her stomach with all his might, the pain enough to make her experience a complete blackout twice over.
But she somehow regained her consciousness, just in time to see the man above her, his hands wrapped tightly around her neck.
She could not breath and panic soon followed.
This man was of the Soma Familia as well, however unlike her previous targets he had been a Level 1 for a long time and was just a stone's throw away from a Level-Up.
Without a doubt her hardest fight to date.
...D-Damn it...damn it...damn it…
She cursed as her consciousness slowly began to fade away, a feeling she hated above all else. Always getting used by others, always getting beaten by others, her consciousness conditioned itself to try and escape the pain.
It was a reminder of her weakness and she hated it.
Her weak side.
Her treacherous side.
She hated it all.
I really...hate it…
She could no longer put up a fight, her arms falling to her sides.
This was it.
She took an oath of vengeance and now she paid the price for it.
She was about to die.
Finally, this whole mess that was her life would end.
...I am sorry...I...truly am…
With the last embers of her fading strength the girl thought of the one Adventurer who had been different. A boy who helped her, who reached out his hand to her not to strike and belittle her, but to pull her up. The boy who first gifted her something without asking for something in return.
The one person who had been different.
The one whose trust she shattered thanks to the weakness within her heart.
Then her mind remembered something else: the conflict now known as the Vindictive War.
She had watched that war from a pub, and her jaw dropped open when she heard the boy's declaration of war.
He was no legendary hero.
No fabled individual from eras past.
No child of prophecy.
He was but human, someone she had walked alongside with, someone who taught her how to first hold a blade correctly.
He was but human and mortal as her yet he remained resolute in the path he choose and pushed on.
No matter the perils, no matter the foe.
This was not over yet.
There was one last effort she could do.
"You little bitch, die already- Gaaahhh!" She curled her fist and hammered the bolt stuck in the man's side. He screamed in pain as the projectile found it's way deeper inside his organs, flipping over to the side in agony.
This was her last chance: though she felt dizzy from the lack of air the girl reached for the small knife fastened to her thigh and jumped atop the man, trying to plunge the knife into the man.
But his desire to live proved strong, as well: despite the pain and the blood he was choking on he managed to grab her by the forearms, holding the knife away.
Panic washed over her.
There was no way she could win a power struggle, especially now after the wounds she suffered.
Think! Something, anything!
Slowly the man pushed her back, lifting his upper body from the ground while ignoring her weight atop of him completely. She knew that if he got back up again she would die for sure. So she resorted to less conventional tactics: she let her knee slide along the side of his armour and right across the bolt in his side.
Just like that, she won.
The sudden vibrating pain from the wooden bolt had the man let out a sharp gasp for air, an action which saw him sapped of strength for but a moment, a moment the girl used to break free of his hands and plunge the knife into his throat.
And so she survived while the man who made her life a living hell died.
I did it...I did it...I'm stronger now, Master Fuzen...But still…
"It's...not enough…"
The girl backed away from the dying man, taking a seat on the ground to catch her breath.
Once the adrenaline kick began to leave her body the pain in her abdomen from the stomp earlier began to intensify to a point where she turned around and emptied the contents of her stomach alongside a handful of blood.
Her body was still very weak, susceptible to pain and injuries most other Adventurers could shake off. But it was not all bad: the years of endless beating she received from her Familia had hardened her to a certain degree.
The very pain they inflicted upon her now was a source of strength she could use in her fight against them.
The irony almost made her laugh.
Not wasting any more time and fearing other Adventurers coming her way the girl pulled out a low healing potion and tried her best to drink it all in one gulp, not wishing to waste the pricey potion like the breakfast she had just thrown up.
I need to move before anyone comes this way...Gotta loot whatever I can first, though.
She quickly searched the body of the man, finding quite a few valuable things: a couple of potions, an expensive looking ring and the pouch of Magic Stones he collected. It was a shame about the armour but she had no time to take it off the corpse nor any space for the whole set.
The sword and shield he wielded would have to do.
I still need to make the money I did as a Supporter for the monthly tribute, so I need Valis to replace the time I took to kill those bastards. Sword and shield look decent, they'll sell for a good price. Then I need bolts and to get my crossbow upgraded. It lacks too much in firepower...Sigh...Guess I'll have to go a couple of days without food for this…
She felt no pride in looting the dead but she could hardly help it.
She needed money to reach her goal.
She needed money to destroy Soma Familia completely.
I'll destroy this Familia and gain the right to step in front of him again. The right to apologize.
Though they had spent little time together it had been enough for the girl to learn some things about the boy. If she were to try and apologize right now, in her current weak state, he would not even think about forgiving her.
More probably he would outright be disgusted with her.
So she needed to become stronger.
To show him it was not a mistake to let her live back then when he possessed every right to kill her.
...I'm sorry. I'm too weak. My apology will have to be postponed for a long time...But I will apologize, Master Fuzen. Lily will apologize…
Though she remained vigilant and focused one question popped in her mind as she walked away from the dead Adventurer of her Familia:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is the boy who changed my life?
XXX
"Outta my wayyy!" The man yelled, jumping up and kicking the Monster's head off, it's body dispersing into ash a moment later.
He was far from done, however, and once his foot touched the ground again he jumped onto the next target.
Bete was currently fighting in the Lower Floors having been tasked by Finn with gathering certain Item Drops which were required for the expedition to come. He was leading a small expeditionary force consisting of him and twelve others, Level 3's and a couple Level 4's.
He didn't bother with them, however, and simply ordered the lot to hang back and try not to die. The strong had no need of the weak and Alicia could take care of their sorry asses instead, anyway.
"Bete, don't break off from the formation! We need you here!" The Level 4 Elf shouted as she fired three more arrows and three Monsters turned to ash a mere moment later. Their group kept a tight formation as to not allow any Monsters to reach the Supporters and Mages in the middle but the waves upon waves of Monsters came faster than they could clear them.
The werewolf looked over his shoulder at his party and tsked in disappointment.
In truth, though he had indeed broken off from the formation he was keeping the side with the most Monsters at bay by himself, taking a heavy burden upon himself to allow the others some breathing space. "Don't order me around, doll face! Deal with it yourself!"
Alicia cursed her luck of being in a party with the werewolf but otherwise saved the anger for later. Looking back, she noticed another group of Monsters closing in on their rear.
No, I don't think so.
She took a step back into the inner side of the formation, the action alone telling her party members all they needed to know and two of them closed in on her to protect her. She took a couple of moments longer to make sure her Spell would have enough power and then…"[Freeze, binding chains of winter! Sagittarius Grace!]"
A whirling sphere of chilly energy manifested above her, shooting a couple of fast magical shots at the Monsters in front of her and killing them instantly. The energy from the sphere then descended down into the arrow she readied in her bow. Alicia took her stance, aimed at the lined up Monsters and shot the arrow.
Being a mage and archer both she incorporated both of her strengths into one.
In reality, any other mage would need a staff or hand signs to direct their Magic wherever they desired but she could imbue her arrows with said Magic, instead.
The arrow flew forward, many times faster than she could ever shoot a normal arrow and pierced through all the Monsters in a straight line. As her element was ice the Monsters were instantly frozen to their core and shattered into pieces a single moment later.
"Let's do this, Loki Familia!" Her shout rallied her party and they fought with new-found vigour.
In the distance Bete had watched his party fight despite the Monsters surrounding him, throwing a short smirk their way. Heh, weaklings think they're hot stuff.
Not about to lose to the weaker members Bete launched himself forward and tore through the Monsters ranks with a savagery only Vanargand would be capable of.
He's had about enough of their stench, after all.
…
"...There was no need for you to break off from us like that." The battle having come to an end the Elf reprimanded her superior with a sigh, no longer having the energy to even be mad at him. She knew Finn sent her with Bete because the party needed a cool-headed veteran to balance out Bete's impulsive behaviour.
"Shut it. Don't expect others to come to your rescue every single damn time." The werewolf replied, focusing his sharp senses to scout for any other groups of enemies which might show up. "And you weaklings stop acting like you just fought a Monster Rex and get to collecting the Drop Items already! I ain't planning on baby-sitting you any longer than needed. I gotta prepare myself for the expedition."
"Going into the Deep Floors again?"
"No, I plan on a picnic on the surface." He sneered. "Of course I'm going into the Deep Floors once we collect everything we need!"
"..Sigh…"
"Don't you sigh me, doll face!"
Having no desire to fight with the Level 5 any longer Alicia turned around and requested another quiver of arrows from the Supporters, having spent all her ammunition in the last fight.
A couple moments of silence followed before Bete spoke again.
"Hey. You've been in the same group as that runt a couple of times, right?"
This was surprising to say the least: the Vanargandasking about someone? Alicia couldn't help but wonder if a storm was coming up. "Yes?"
"And you guys been to these Floors together before?"
"Yes, we came here together as the Second Group to do quests."
"Aha. So, who's faster in clearing up the trash from these Floors? That runt or me?"
Alicia took a moment, having finally realized what the werewolf was on about. Like most other Adventurers in town he had been inspired by the events from two weeks ago. "Well, if I have to guess…" The fact that she needed to guess something like that when there were three Levels worth of difference between Bete and him was already amazing in itself, Alicia thought to herself.
However, that mattered little indeed.
A sword as fast as Ais's, a calculated mind as precise as Finn's, an overview of everyone's well-being like Riveria's and a determination as unflinching as Gareth's hardy body. And of course..."I know better than to lie to you, so I'll be honest. He was faster in dealing with the Monsters on this Floor."
"Ohh, that so?" Bete smirked with a twitch, irked at the comparison. But it was a rhetorical question anyway. He's been there by that runt's side before on the last expedition, the two of them plus Ais all part of the vanguard.
Bete was skilled enough to compare his own strengths and weaknesses to that of others so he knew the answer to his question beforehand.
It irked him.
No, in truth, it pissed him off royally.
He was used to getting disappointed by others, by their weakness, by their fragile mentality.
And that is why, with a question on his mind, Bete felt annoyed:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is the asshole runt who managed to gain my respect?
XXX
All she had ever desired was to be strong.
Strong enough to never again feel that pain she experienced as a child.
Strong enough to defeat that pitch-black winged nightmare which plagued her dreams.
With that single goal she set out into the Dungeon.
With that goal alone she became Level 5.
Became the Sword Princess.
And for a long time, she did not think she needed anything else.
As long as I continue like this, I will become strong enough someday.
That is what the girl thought.
But lately, she...questioned her ambitions.
No, that was not it.
She still wanted to become strong.
That didn't change.
What she questioned instead was her way of going about it.
Would she ever become strong enough just by defeating Monsters in the Dungeon? It's how she reached her current state, but...was it how she could reach the peak?
Ais sighed, looking up to the blue sky above her.
She did not venture into the Dungeon today, instead choosing to remain at the Manor and think.
Granted, it was not her forte but lately she had been thinking a lot.
Especially after the war she had witnessed.
It had been a short war, yes, but also one which left her in awe, and most importantly, in fear.
His Magic was powerful.
Extremely powerful, in fact.
She doubted her own Magic would prove much of an advantage if she were to fight it. But that was not all.
As a swordswoman herself and as someone who crossed blades with the boy on numerous occasions, she could tell: while his Magic was strong, his swordsmanship was even stronger.
And that scared her.
If someone as young as that, if someone of just Level 2 Status could reach that sort of prowess with the sword...where did that leave her?
...In the dust.
Ais was...frustrated.
She wanted that strength, too: the strength the boy possessed.
But how could she get it?
He was no longer part of her Familia so she could try and replicate his Style again...but she was too scarred to do so.
After all she did not doubt the boy's words: that he would watching her. Sure, maybe he was not watching her right now but if she were to train with his Style again and get stronger she had a very real hunch that the boy could immediately realize it upon simply seeing her.
He's...scary...
Feeling a drop of sweat run down her cheek Ais decided against it.
She did not wish that wrath upon her again.
But it was more than just that.
After she suddenly fell ill all those months ago Ais felt like something within her changed, starting as soon as the day after the boy's treatment. Like there was a little empty hole within her.
Like something was missing.
She had no idea why this was so.
Was it simply a side-effect of that strange illness?
Or maybe of the treatment itself?
She had questioned Riveria and Loki, both having been present during the boy's treatment but neither could tell her anything helpful.
He simply touched her head and stayed motionlessly for many hours by her side, focused and unmoving.
After he stripped her naked and poked her with some needles, that is.
She...still did not know how to feel about that.
Her face did feel slightly hot whenever she imagined it, however.
I guess...it couldn't be helped…?
Whatever the cause, Ais guessed...no, she knew that even if she tried to replicate that boy's Style again she would fail this time thanks to that empty hole within her chest. It was from there she felt like she was drawing forth the strength necessary to perform the boy's Techniques, and thus why it would not work now.
So then, what else could she do to become stronger?
Fighting Monsters no longer helped her as much, her Status barely improving lately no matter how many of them she cut down.
And her swordsmanship?
She was good, she knew that much, but…
You are blunt and untempered. You have not yet reached the sharpness your potential and talent could allow you to reach.
The boy had said that to her once, but she did not understand what he meant.
He was telling her she lacked something, but what exactly?
What did he mean by blunt?
What did he mean by untempered?
While Ais was pondering on those questions another one popped inside her head:
Where is Kenshi?
Where is the boy who holds the answers to my questions?
XXX
Another day, another victory.
Well...not entirely.
Had it not been for the help of some members of the Hermes Familia he would have remained lost within the Dungeon...but who cared about the small stuff in the end, anyway?
He lived and that was as good a reason as any to be happy.
Hahaha! Today was fun for sure!
The boy thought to himself as he just left the Babel and was on his way home. Fun as it had been for the boy himself, however, today's victory came at the cost of many injuries. The potions he got from his God were already used earlier so now he had to limp his way back while using his greatsword as a crutch, hopping from one leg to the point of his blade.
His appearances were a good reason for laughter to those Adventurers scattered around the Babel, mocking him for his shortcomings, but he cared little for their antics. After all...
"Hahaha, good! Laugh! Look at me and laugh! Laugh while you can! One day, I'll whoop all of your asses! Buhahahaha!"
Having said his piece Seiji walked on, his smile never wavering.
He was hurt, and he was beaten.
Bitten even, by some nasty little Monsters of the Dungeon and their sharp fangs.
They even bit him in places he didn't even knew he had.
But it was good.
Of course he was no masochist but being hurt meant he could finally fight.
He could finally put up a fight.
Not caring about scaring away the civilians around him with his bloodied body and creepy smile Seiji continued on, one hoop at a time, his mind focused on only one thing.
Right here, right now, I am alive. And it's all thanks to…
"[Fuzennnnnnnn! Where are you?!]" He shouted his lungs out while using his native language, the civilians near him jumping away in surprise at the sudden cry. "[Damn it, come out already! I want to show you my gratitude, you stone-faced shorty!]"
But alas, no response came.
Two weeks passed and not even a rumour of his friend in the whole city.
Being a newcomer Seiji had little contacts or associates in Orario but even so he asked Fuzen's former Familia as well as his new God to tell him if anything about Fuzen came up, but it didn't.
Not one peep.
It was slightly worrying, in all honesty.
Seiji knew Fuzen at least somehow better than others and he was not one to lose time. When he decided to leave for Orario Seiji knew he would not take it easy in pursuing his goal. And it was especially now, after a victory like the one he gained, that the boy should have made the most of his newly-found publicity.
But he didn't.
...Ah well, he will show up eventually.
Deciding to not dwell on it any longer than he needed to Seiji shook his head and walked on. He had entered the 7th District a while ago and his new Familia was on the main avenue running across this section of Orario.
Before long, he had arrived, opening the door to the pharmacy with an explosive push. "Hahaha, I have returned, Cap', boss!"
"You don't have to-!" The other member of his new Familia, Naaza, froze in place as she turned to look at him. "...Seiji."
"Yeah, Cap'?"
"...Why are you beaten blue and black?"
"Hahahaha, it's cuz I fought of course! Cap' is kinda slow on the uptake if you need to even ask."
"Sigh...Miach-sama is going to-"
"Ah, Seiji-kun, you're ba-?!" Just then Miach, his new God, came out from the workshop and after getting a glimpse of the boy's condition he teleported to his side in but a moment. "Heavens, you're wounded!"
"It's nothing, boss! Just shows I survived another day! Muhahahaha!"
"This is no time to laugh, young man. Quick, come with me. You're lucky I just brewed some potions!"
"Haha, thanks!" Seiji replied, though he had little say in the matter anyway as Miach simply lifted the boy off the ground. For a God with human limitations placed onto him upon his arrival in the Lower World he was still surprisingly extremely strong, lifting Seiji like he weighted nothing.
Watching the two hurry into the next door Naaza couldn't help but sigh.
It confused her, after all: how could a single boy bring this much liveliness into a place? He had barely been part of their small Familia for a week now.
The Chienthrope didn't quite yet knew what to think of her new comrade. Well, she did know he was not a bad person, which was always desired, but…
He declared before joining that his goal was to make his name one worthy of the history books. It was a fair enough goal for someone of his age yet Naaza still asked him why he would choose a small, medicinal-type Familia with a large debt if his goal was that grand.
Seiji gave her two reasons:
One, his life had been saved by the elixirs made by Orario's doctors, a medicine which was only a myth in his homeland. Thus he wanted to show his gratitude for those working in the trade and contribute as much as he could.
She actually liked and respected this first reason of his.
And then the second reason, because to make his name well-known he would need to perform great deeds and lifting a Familia out of a large debt by braving the Dungeon on his own would make for a fine, first great deed.
This reason, she didn't really like.
It was stupid, after all, risking life and limb just for that alone. Granted, she was certainly grateful for the extra Valis the boy brought into their Familia but she still could not agree with a reason like that, in no small part because it made her think he had an impression of hopelessness associated with her and Miach.
Which was not the truth.
They were in a great deal of debt, yes, but they were getting by and few Familia with only one member could say the same.
"...Then again...I doubt he actually meant it like that. I might just read too much into it…"
Whatever his reasons he nonetheless choose specifically their poor Familia to join out of the myriad of richer Familia he could have reached out to. Miach was extremely grateful for this and that was reason enough for her to be grateful, as well.
Miach is laughing a lot more lately as well...Now if only that boy could stop making us worry so much…
Just on cue the door opened again. "Hahaha, I tell you boss, I'm for real over here! I mean, just how does a Monster come up with the idea to bite me there?"
"Hmhm, it could have been worse. Just consider yourself lucky nothing was bitten off."
"Buhahaha, I know right?! Imagine the weight imbalance I would have if that happened! Hahaha!"
"Hahaha."
...Don't know what their talking about but it looks like Seiji managed to make even the mother hen Miach laugh about injuries. That's pretty incredible in it's own right…
"Anyway, Cap'! Let's go on a date!"
Ah, yes. His third reason for joining our Familia…
True to his very simple and direct nature Seiji had named his third point upon being questioned by Naaza regarding his reasons of joining them, and it was nothing else but his desire to get a kiss from her.
"Seiji, I told you-"
"Nah Cap', I don't mean it like that this time. I mean all three of us: let's go out." Seiji quickly informed. "I made some extra profit today thanks to a couple of Drop Items so I was thinking, we could all grab a bite in the city. You know, celebrate a bit."
"What occasion are we celebrating?"
"Hahahaha, we are all alive and well, that's as good a reason as any to celebrate, isn't it?"
Both Miach and Naaza chuckled at the reply from Seiji.
It was a very simple reason, one which anyone else might not even consider but the boy meant every word of it.
"Not to mention you are absolutely gorgeous, Captain, and I'll gladly celebrate that every single day of the week. Hahahaha!"
"...Sigh…"
"Anyway, gotta take a bath first! Potions might have taken care of my wounds but not of the dried blood, dirt and Monster saliva." The boy stormed off to the second Floor where the bath was located without wasting any more time, as eager as always to go out and not be confined within a house any longer.
"...Miach-sama, is this really ok? We still have the shop to run…"
"Naaza, working hard for one's livelihood is good but we also need to know when to take a break. And it's not that bad, is it? We are due to close soon enough and Seiji will take a while to bath and get ready. At most we will close a single hour earlier than usual, but with Seiji's income from the Dungeon we will still be in the green, no?"
"Well...you are not wrong…"
"Hmhm, it's been a while since we have gone out anyway, isn't that right Naaza? And all things aside I wished to do something similar for Seiji anyway."
"You did?"
"Of course. He's my precious Child after all." Miach replied, true enough to his nature. By now, Naaza had little else she could say against this plan and so she simply shrugged her worries away and decided to go along with the other two.
Now that she thought about it, she could really use a break...
XXX
"Huh. Interesting." The boy muttered as he approached the East District, the place he choose to go and eat, his God and Captain allowing him to choose.
In truth he had only once been to the East District aka. Little Far East and that was on his third day in Orario after he met some of his kinsmen and was told of this city within the city. Holding onto it's name the East District was located within Orario's 3rd district, on the eastern side of Orario.
It covered a rather large area as well, however it was less known about than it should have been thanks in no small part to it's inhabitants distant nature.
Most people living here were refugees from the Far East, having fled the constant wars their country regularly launched at itself in search of a better life.
A life they had found...to a certain degree, that is.
All things aside, however, Seiji could not remember there being guards stationed at the entry gates before. They looked like civilians, as far as their clothes were concerned that is but the way they stood and observed everything with hawk-like intensity already spoke much of what they were doing.
Hmm...Ah well, nothing a bit of socialization can't get over.
He approached the group of five men, Miach and Naaza following shortly behind. "[Greetings, my countrymen. Is something wrong?]"
The five men stared at him for a moment then at each other before finally giving a unified nod, one of them taking a step forward. "[It's nothing, friend. We are just making sure no unwanted troublemakers plan on disturbing our peace here. Night out?]"
"[Haha, yeah! Wanted to have my God and Captain here taste a bit of eastern cuisine, show them our good sides, too.]"
The man gave a faint smile, followed by another nod. "[Then please do enjoy your time here. I would suggest the takoyaki, all stands use fresh ingredients from Melen.]"
"[Thanks, I'll do that, then!]"
Seiji then walked past the men, his Familia but a step behind.
Miach too thanked the man having understood everything that was being said. Gods could understand and read every language created by mortals, after all.
"Have you been here before, boss? Captain?"
"I cannot say I have been, no." Naaza replied.
"I was here once but it was a couple years now. To be honest I don't remember any guards back then."
"They weren't there a two weeks ago, either. Meh, nothing to worry about. Only natural for people to want to keep trouble out."
"I guess so. By the way, how much money do we have with us?" Naaza asked, having brought no money of her own.
"All I earned today, it's with Boss."
"And how much is that?"
"Sixteen thousand." Miach answered, taking out a pouch of Valis from underneath his robes. "Of course, we should not spend it all."
The Chienthrope raised an eyebrow.
She may no longer be able to enter the Dungeon but she had been an Adventurer herself, once. No way anyone could make sixteen thousand Valis from the 1st or 3rd Floor alone, not even with a couple of Drop Items.
Seiji went deeper than what he should have, no doubt having ignored everything his Advisor told him. And she would have a word with him in private later. His eagerness be damned, she would not allow him to sadden Miach with his death.
But...that would be later.
Now, their Familia would take a short break.
"Hahaha, I'm sorry, by the way. I know I insisted we come here but I ain't got a clue where or what we should eat. I'm not that familiar with the food around here, either, after all."
"Hm? But why?"
"Hahaha, I've been piss poor my whole life so ain't no way I could have afforded anything more than radishes, at best. Hahahahaha!"
"O-Oh, I see…"
"Yeah! But hey, we're here right now, aren't we?" Sniffing a good scent Seiji walked past a house which was still being constructed, the workers hard at work on the skeleton frame. "I get to try my homeland's cuisine for the first time together with ya two, so no way anything's gonna taste bad! Let's go, let's go!"
Aww, that's kind of sweet. Miach and Naaza both thought the same giving a low chuckle in response to the boy's words. Indeed, their Familia has become quite lively, no doubt about that.
"...Now, if only that stone-faced shorty were here, too…" Seiji muttered, slowly coming to a halt, hands curling into fists at his sides. "...Damn it...[Fuzennnn, come out already! You stone-faced shorty!]"
Seiji shouted yet again at the top of his lungs, taking both his Familia and all the bystanders by surprise.
He wanted to show his gratitude.
He wanted to see him again.
And then, he wanted to hand him Hachiman's message he was tasked with delivering.
But alas, despite his shouts, no reply came.
Seiji sighed and moved his leg forwards..."Auch!"...only for something hard to strike him in the head, powerful enough to bring him down to one knee. Looking to his side he noticed a wooden mallet laying on the ground.
Was that what hit him?
"...Gods above who have not descended...Put a lid on it, would you?"
Seiji shot back up to his feet and turned around.
He looked left and right.
Nothing.
He looked up to where a construction site was.
And then a smile took shape upon his lips.
XXX