Well, here it is.
Chapter 37.
In truth this Chapter was written at lighting-speed over the course of two days. Reason for this is because I had no idea how to proceed and if I had taken any more time to think I don't doubt it would have taken a month or so to bring it out.
So unlike my usual 10-12k words Chapter I narrowed down the important points I wanted to reach and made this 6k words Chapter into a sort of overview for the next big thing that will happen, which I believe will add some more spice (and wholesomeness) to the story as a whole.
Ah yes, this Chapter has a nice little moment at the start, some Seiji and Naaza after that, a little bit of Mikoto and some Tsubaki towards the end.
Well, that's about it.
Have fun reading and see you at the end.
Kay bye.
XXX
In truth she knew she should not be in awe any longer, the many months having already cemented the impression on her.
Even so, however, Lefiya could not take her eyes off what was happening below her in the garden, the loud yells of the two Amazon twins as they fought against the eastern boy. Tiona was using her Urga while her sister only used her fists and legs, as per Fuzen's request.
The massive weapon of the Amazon came down upon him, no doubt capable of leaving lasting damage had it connected. The boy however used the low-quality chisa katana in his left hand and with a reverse-grip upwards slash directed the massive weapon to his side as he took a step closer to the girl, the wooden sword in his right hand striking her across the neck at incredible speed.
Tiona let out a small gasp as her body moved away from the hit, losing her balance for a brief moment.
Just before he could attack again Tione jumped at Fuzen and threw a kick at his face which surprisingly enough made contact. Fuzen's smaller frame got lifted off the ground and thrown to the side, but not before he managed to bring up his wooden sword and hit Tione across the left side of her abdomen.
In the next moment he was sliding across the ground on his side but quickly twisted his body and used his arms to push himself back up to his feet. He spit out a mouthful of blood and then jumped back into the action, taking not a single second time to rest.
'They've been going at this for at least ten minutes already…'
The Elf thought to herself as she observed the fight unfold from the balcony. In reality she could hardly make up anything that was happening, that was simply how fast the three fighters down in the garden were fighting, but every now and then she managed to get a glimpse of the action when the three slowed down for just the blink of an eye to decide on their next action.
It was during this time that Lefiya noticed something most intriguing: the boy was sweating.
And not just simply sweating, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
This made no sense.
Of course, compared to others from their Familia her time spent together with Fuzen was minimal but she had enough time to observe during their Expeditions.
When others tired and required a break from the continuous fighting, the boy would fight on with barely a drop of sweat on his face. When others gasped for air after running for hours on end through the Deep Floors, he would be calm, collected and with a breathing unfitting of the circumstances surrounding him.
And yet right here, right now he was drenched in sweat.
It made no sense whatsoever.
'Well, I guess it does actually…'
This was the third day since Alicia had been treated by the boy himself. On the first day he quickly left the Manor after the treatment had been completed, coming back only late at night after he took care of stuff, as Fuzen himself put it.
Then came the training which once again took place in the Twilight Manor's garden.
Day and night, without rest not unlike what one would expect of a madman, he trained. No simple swings of his sword either but instead continuous use of Techniques that made Lefiya wonder just how much stamina would be required to pull off even just a handful of them in quick succession.
To say he had fallen face first into the ground unconscious one too many times to count would be an understatement.
Yet no matter how long that moment of respite was, ranging from mere minutes to whole hours, Fuzen stood back up and continued from where he last left with the determination in his eyes never wavering.
Finally now on the third day he decided to actually take a couple of hours to sleep and once he woke up he immediately set out to seek Tiona and Tione, requesting for their help. Lefiya herself had been eating lunch with the twins when he found them so she had heard their whole conversation.
"May I request your aid in my training, Tione-sama, Tiona-sama?" He had asked them.
Suffice to say Lefiya had not been the only one surprised to hear such words come out of the boy's mouth. "You, requesting help? Well that's a first. What's the occasion?" The older twin asked in return.
"I need the help of fighters like yourselves in order to kill that Were-Jaguar bastard." The clarity with which he made such a claim still managed to frighten Lefiya to this moment.
But...she found herself unable to distrust his words.
Be it 'That Monster will die' or 'I will do it', every instance Lefiya could think of where Fuzen had made a clear statement about his objective had come to pass. He had seen all of them fulfilled and right now she felt it would be no different.
Why?
She truly could not say.
He had lost to that mysterious man, Fuzen himself admitted as much. In fact lost was too mild a word to describe the reality of the situation: annihilated would be far more accurate.
Yet even so he said he would defeat that man, and Lefiya could not help but nod at the words.
The individual who defeated her idol said he would win, after all.
Thud!
Just then the sound of the boy's body hitting the ground reached Lefiya, the Elf noticing how Tiona had cast aside her weapon as well and engaged him unarmed. Suffice to say, while he was as sharp as always even he could not fully defend against two battle-loving Amazons, tired as he was most of all.
'He will manage...right?' Lefiya questioned as she watched the boy get thrown like a rag between the twins, any chance of retaliation now lost.
XXX
"This might be a bit late to ask now...but is there any point to this, Fuu? Will it help you get stronger?" Taking a brief moment of rest after what felt like roughly half an hour the younger twin asked as she sat on the ground by her sister's side, Fuzen just a meter or so away from them with arms wide spread to the sides.
"...What are you talking about? Of course it won't." He replied as he wiped the blood from under his nose, though his sleeve alone proved too little to absorb all of it. "People don't get stronger overnight, that only happens in novels."
"Then why do it, then?" Tiona inquired and from the looks of it, her sister had been just a moment too late to ask the same question.
"...Toughening. Well, I'm not surprised you would not understand. You probably had far more confrontations growing up than me, if your battle lust is anything to go by."
"Hm?"
Interestingly enough, though he would usually keep to himself and not explain any further Fuzen glanced over at Tiona for a brief moment before his lips parted again. "I'm used to pain of all sorts. My trainer made sure of that, forcing me to experience hell manifold over. However, I am not used to getting hit since my fighting style allows me to avoid most attacks. So when I fought that bastard and he jabbed me in the face, I blacked out. It was...an unfamiliar experience, something I am not used to."
"Oh. I see. So that's what you mean by toughening."
"Mhm. It's a desperate attempt to say the least. I doubt it will actually be helpful. But if I can attune my body and brain to resist just one more punch before giving out on me that could make the difference between winning or losing."
"You're really planning on going against him alone, aren't you?"
"Well, it is a matter of time, after all." He said as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, his back slouched and eyes drilling holes into the ground below him. "It's not like the world stays stationary. While we are doing this, another Familia like Freya or Ganesha could corner that bastard and bring him down. Not to mention our own Captain is still sending out patrols with you Executives at the front. So I need to hurry."
"Why is it that important to you?" Tione asked, by now slightly more interested in the conversation than before. It was rarely their swordsman showed any sort of interest for anything but his goal.
"Why, you ask…?" He took one moment to ponder on the question. In truth however there was no need for it for he knew the answer, but the notion of saying it felt wrong and strange to him.
The idea of wanting something for himself was alien to say the least.
Honour. His duty. His behaviour. Everything had been drilled into his skull over and over again from as far back as he could remember. All he needed to do was follow what he was taught, seek what he was taught to seek, behave as he was taught to behave.
Everything else was unnecessary.
"...I feel like...If I don't defeat that bastard myself...I cannot get back...something which was lost. I think. Maybe. I guess? Does that...make sense to you?"
To his surprise both Amazons nodded with a smile at his words. "It sure does!" Tiona exclaimed.
"Now you're starting to sound like a man." Tione replied. "Though of course nowhere near the Captain's level..."
"I am? I see…"
"So what now? Do you wanna still go at it?"
"I don't think I can still fight that bastard if my brain turns to mush." He said as he pushed himself up to his feet. "Let's stop here, though I would appreciate it a lot if we could do this again soon."
"Well, as long as it's not during the time I need to patrol the Dungeon as per the Captain's orders, I'm fine with it." The elder twin replied and Fuzen nodded. Tiona of course also agreed to it.
"Great. Your help is highly appreciated. Now, time to wash up and make something to eat. Gotta make up for neglecting my body…"
The words reached Tiona's ears and she immediately understood what this meant, the girl knowing Fuzen liked preparing his food far more than going out to eat. "Me too, me too! Feed me too!"
"Sure thing." To Tione's surprise he agreed without hesitation as he extended a hand and helped the cheerful girl up. He tried to help Tione up as well, but the Amazon held up a hand and stood on her own.
"What'cha gonna cook?"
"I was thinking Omurice."
"Sounds good! So...what's that?"
As they walked back inside the Manor, Fuzen and Tiona shoulder to shoulder and Tione just a step behind them, the older twin began to wonder something.
"Well...It's omelette rice. So an omelette made with fried rice and scrambled eggs, usually with a chicken meat filling. Does that sound to your liking? I can make something else if not."
"What the! That sounds amazing! How fast can you make it?!"
"I mean, I've been training so I forgot to take out meat to defrost. It will take longer than normal since I need to go out and buy some."
"I can do that! That way you can cook it quicker, right?! Right?!"
"You would do it? That's be great. I'm going to need some chicken breast, then. Do you require Valis?"
"Nah, if you cook then I'll pay for it. That way it's fair, right?"
"I see. That sounds...acceptable. Let's do that, then."
'When did they get this friendly?' Tione wondered as she observed the two with a raised eyebrow. Her ever-cheerful sister aside she had not once before seen Fuzen behave this casually with anyone at all.
"Ah. Tione-sama, would you like some, too?"
"...Sure."
XXX
"It doesn't sound bad, but...there are many uncertainties and risks." The man at the head of the table spoke as he scanned the words on the Quest once again, his arms crossed around his chest.
The heavy-built boy to his side nodded in agreement. "I agree. The only clear specifics are the reward and the date of the Quest start. Everything else is unspecified."
"But even so…" The black-haired girl spoke up, having already tried to convince the two to allow her participation in the peculiar Quest ever since she lay eyes on it.
The God and the large boy exchanged a look. "Well, the reward is certainly good…" The first responded. "And there is some trust to be found in the validity of it, him being the Quest giver and all…" The second voiced.
"That is what I've been saying! So let's do it!"
A couple of silent seconds passed by before the God in the room spoke up again. "The requirements say that he only seeks Level 1's, and those up to fifteen of age as well as no Mages. With that said, only Mikoto, Chigusa and Asuka would qualify to take part in the Quest. Well, Mikoto already made it clear she wants to go, but...what about you two?"
The two short-haired girls nodded a single moment later.
"If Mikoto is going, I'll go too."
"Same here."
Now aware of what his members wanted the God Takemikazuchi crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Though Ouka was the Captain of his Familia the final decision was his to make regarding whatever or not his Familia would apply for this Quest.
'That boy, huh…?' The image of the long-haired boy who helped his Familia when they first arrived in Orario flashed in his mind. 'Something feels off about him, but his sword is the real deal. The accumulation of hard-earned strength and a warrior spirit made manifest, what every God of War seek in our mortal Familia.This Quest does not specify what the exact goal is, but if my intuition is right…'
"Mikoto. Why do you want to take up this Quest so badly?"
"Well...A Quest is a request for help, right?"
"Yes."
"He already helped us so much, being our mentor on the Dungeon when we first arrived in Orario, so I thought that if there was any way to repay him for back then..."
"...All right." Takemikazuchi stated with a nod and a smile. "Let's go by the Guild and have you three apply for it, then."
"All right!" Mikoto exclaimed with a smile of her own, bowing her head to her God. "Thank you, Takemikazuchi-sama!"
"Make sure you all do your best on this Quest."
Indeed, if his intuition was correct then there was a hidden reason for a Quest of this nature.
XXX
He rarely complained but if there was one thing he had not yet managed to brush aside it would be the smell.
As someone blessed with a Falna his primary senses were already enhanced over those of a regular person's and in truth he wished that would not be the case at the moment. There was little he could do however and so he simply decided to try and breath through his mouth only.
'Still, I wonder…' He tilted his head and looked to his side at the woman working besides him, closely watching the brewing of the potion on the fire in front of her. 'I wonder how she can smell so pleasant when she works with this stuff daily…?'
Despite the question in his mind the boy did not require long to figure out the reason behind it.
It was because she was his Captain.
'Yeah, that's gotta be it.'
His stare however did not go unnoticed. "Seiji, focus."
"O-Oh, right! Sorry, Cap!"
With a quick bow of his head Seiji turned back his focus on the task at hand.
Obviously enough, he was not brewing Potions like his Captain. He lacked the proper knowledge for such a thing and even if he started learning he doubted he would show any sort of talent in the domain.
Instead he choose to simply fill up the vials with the finished potion his Captain prepared in order to at least contribute somehow and free up his God thus allowing Miach to do more important work. For that matter the long-haired God was out at the moment, procuring more necessary crafting materials as they were running low on herbs and other components.
As for how much he would procure, well...that remained to be seen.
Miach Familia had been approached with a job, something they had not experienced in a whole long year. They had been a Familia of only two after all and they were also poor thus cutting down their chances on regular clientele by a large margin. Business was poor for them and thus job requests were something the God and Chienthrope did not even dream off anymore.
And then Fuzen came and visited their pharmacy just a couple of days ago with nothing else but a job request.
It was a well-paying job with easy requirements and a realistic deadline, though it was hard to both keep the business open while also focusing on brewing the amount of Potions needed.
As for the amount itself, well…
"So you have put up a Quest and need Potions for it, have I understood this correctly?" Seiji's God asked after Fuzen explained his job request and what lead to it over a cup of tea, Seiji and Naaza also listening in.
"That is correct. The Quest was put up today and it will begin in seven days so you would have six days to finish brewing the Potions and thus my request."
"Sounds good, but what about the amount itself? How many Potions do you require?"
"Yes."
"Come again?"
"...I do not know how many individuals will partake in the Quest. It could be fifty, it could be ten or it could be none at all. With that said I cannot give an accurate number. However, let us compromise and decide on a minimum amount. How much would you say a small-scale expedition would require?"
Suffice to say both his friend and God discussed the details over some good twenty minutes until they decided on an amount of both Low and High Potions which was reasonable. Then came the large upfront payment from Fuzen which he had on hand, something which made Seiji believe he was going to offer the same payment no matter what amount of Potions he and Miach would decide upon.
'He's helping me again. He has ties with the Dian Cecht Familia yet came to us for this job. Damn, as if that Gladius he gave me wasn't enough…'
It didn't even stop there, however.
Right before Fuzen left their Pharmacy he requested, not asked, that Seiji free up his schedule for the day his Quest was set to begin.
Naturally this confused Seiji. 'Why do you need me, anyway? As much as I hate to admit it, I'm weak you know?' The older of the boys asked with a confused frown.
'Someone obviously needs to carry all the Potions. Might as well be you. Don't worry, I'll pay you as a Supporter separately from the job request.'
Suffice to say, his Familia's financial status for the foreseeable future looked very good, indeed.
"Just a couple more days then it's time. Think we're gonna be finished by then, Cap?"
"...Miach and I should have the required amount ready in two days. Everything else we manage besides that will be paid for on the side, as Fuzen Katsumi agreed to."
"Oh, two days is it? Then no need to rush, right?"
The reply to his question did not come soon, a couple of moments of silence befalling the workshop they were in. Glancing over to his side Seiji noticed Naaza deep in thought before the girl parted her lips. "Seiji."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Your friendship with Fuzen Katsumi is very beneficial. Make sure you don't lose it-"
Crack!
The sound of the vial in Seiji's hand getting squeezed until it shattered drew the Chienthrope's attention, her head turning to the side and realizing Seiji was gazing at her with a gaze unlike his usual one: one filled with a silent anger. "He's not a damn gold mine, Naaza. He's my bro."
Realizing her mistake Naaza lowered her gaze and sighed. Managing to anger someone as cheerful as Seiji was indeed not an easy thing to achieve, yet she had managed to do just that. "I'm sorry."
Silence reigned once again as the boy proceeded to pick up the shards of the broken vial from the table and the floor while the girl went back to brewing.
Seiji liked Naaza.
Or perhaps it was better to say he loved her.
Of course he knew he was still just a boy and his feelings might not have been as cemented as he believed, but the fact remained she was someone special in his eyes. The moment he first saw her had been accompanied with a revelation which made itself clear in his mind.
'Ah, she's the one.'
That had been what he thought upon their first meeting and that feeling remained ever since, only getting stronger with each passing day.
But, as much as he loved her this was not something he could allow to stand.
As much as he loved her he was still Seiji Okita and he held the title of 'Warrior' granted to him by Hachiman, God of Warriors.
And as someone who had lived every day of his life with the knowledge he could die at any time until only recently, Seiji had made up his mind before he set out on his journey.
He would not change his morals and ideals for anyone.
Just because he was cured did not mean he was safe. He could still die at any moment, especially with his choice of becoming an Adventurer.
So he would live a life without regret.
Would he simply let Naaza think like that about his friend he would regret it, and somehow he believed Naaza herself would regret it down the line, as well.
"...No, I am sorry as well." Finally he spoke after clearing the shards and safely disposing of them. "Our Familia hadn't had a wealthy customer coming to us with a job request in a long time, right? So I get where you are coming from. This is a chance, and you trying to take hold of it for the sake of the Familia. But...That's my bro for life you are trying to use, you know? I'm not happy about that, Naaza."
"...I know. I'm sorry. It's as you say, I saw a chance appear before us and I thought about squeezing everything we could out of it. It won't happen again, Seiji." His Captain apologized, obvious enough to the boy that she regretted her earlier words.
"Thanks for understanding, Cap. You really are the best! And...well, I know this doesn't mean much coming from the present me, but...I'll become strong super fast and get us out of debt, so please endure it for just a little while longer. Because, in my eyes…" Seiji stopped mid-sentence, but not because he was unsure about his words but rather because he did not know if the moment was appropriate.
The hesitation however did not last longer than a mere second.
'...Ahh, to hell with the moment.'
"Because in my eyes Captain is not beautiful because she schemes but because she endures when others would have given up. That is...what I think."
Naaza did not respond to his compliment instead simply staring at him with parted lips for a short moment before a smile formed on her face as her hand moved to rub the nape of her neck. "...Thanks for the compliment."
"It's just the truth, Cap!" Seiji flashed one of his toothy smiles at her. "So, uhh...Is everything alright?"
"Hm?"
"No, I mean, like…" He raised his hand and pointed a finger downwards at her. "Your tail's wagging like crazy."
Looking over her shoulder behind her, Naaza noticed that Seiji was right. Her tail was indeed wagging to the left and right, at least until she grabbed it with one hand and held it in place. "...It's nothing."
"...I see." From his reply she doubted he was convinced but luckily for her Seiji did not insist on the matter any longer and went back to his job of filling up the vials with the finished potion.
'...I did not realize I was this weak to compliments. Haaa…' Following Seiji's lead Naaza went back to her own work, but a thought persisted in her mind. 'Wait, was it because it was a compliment, or because it was him who made it…?'
XXX
It was finally time.
The materials she requested had arrived and her schedule was free, thus Tsubaki could get started on forging.
Naturally she had also made sure he was present, not having forgotten that the boy to her side told her he would show the process through which his Sword School's sword became what it was today.
Suffice to say having him just a step behind her and inhaling and exhaling was not what she had expected, but the boy himself did say he would join in when the time was right. She was not exactly that familiar with him but even she knew him not to be a liar, and so she simply nodded at him.
For his newest set of katana Tsubaki had decided on a mixed alloy of Hihiirokane, a rare metal from the boy's homeland as well as a processed version of Blood Onyx, a material found in the Middle Floors. It would be a set of bi-metal katana, using the best attributes of both materials.
Not the highest tier materials she could have gotten her hands on but the request was for the set to be Second-Tier. And even without the set using first-tier materials like adamantite those katana would be very sharp and durable, indeed.
Tsubaki had gotten her forge ready beforehand and once Fuzen also arrived and was ready, she began the process.
In truth the forging of a sword would take days if not more...for an unblessed individual, that is. Being both Level 5 and having the Blacksmith Development Ability, not to mention Tsubaki's overall skills and talent meant this expected time would be shaved off by a large margin, not to mention she had worked with both metals before and knew about their attributes which also played a big role.
At the latest she would be done tomorrow night with both the requested katana and chisa-katana. The fact that she already had a clear image of how the weapons should turn out to be helped her greatly.
Putting on her work bandana and making sure her forge was blazing, Tsubaki began her work of which the first step was heating up the metals until they were red hot.
After that followed the hammering process, which would be repeated until the hot bi-metal would take desired shape. For those unblessed, it could take a whole day of heating, hammering, re-heating and repeating. For Tsubaki it usually took around three to four hours for a katana of the standard length, and at most three hours for a chisa-katana.
Then it happened.
About halfway through the hammering process, when Tsubaki had managed to give the heated metal a rough sword shape Fuzen stepped forward to her side.
"I will now assist." He stated bluntly as always as he moved to the opposite side of the anvil from her and reached out towards the tang, the part of the blade which would later go into the handle.
'Idiot!' Tsubaki was about to yell at him for being stupid. Even blessed individuals like themselves were not immune to heated metals after all, something he should have been well aware of.
She had taught him the basics of blacksmithing over the course of multiple weeks after he came to her with the request after all, and he had her sign of approval. He could perform maintenance on anything except high tier weapons.
In a way it was scary how quickly he had grasped the basics, at times the Cyclops believing him to be a sponge which only existed to absorb knowledge. That is why his act of stupidity stupefied her.
But before she could utter anything his bare hands touched the tang...and nothing happened.
No scream.
No sizzling of skin and blood.
No smell of burned flesh.
Nothing.
"...You may resume now, Collbrande-sama."
Apparently oblivious to the fact Tsubaki was shocked to see him touch hot metal with his bare hands the boy lifted his head to stare at the blacksmith, silently telling her to continue her work.
With that said the woman herself required a couple more moments to collect herself, then shook her head and went back to work. He was a strange kid, she knew that much, and so she decided to not get surprised by anything else he would do from that point forward.
Even so she was not used to hammer a blade with her off doing nothing as she would usually use clamps to hold the blade onto the anvil, but she quickly adapted. And it was then she noticed it.
The metal she was hammering began to feel different, the resistance both more fierce and lighter than before, alike. Almost as if something within the material itself changed.
Tsubaki looked to her side: Fuzen's eyes were tightly shut while an incredible amount of sweat ran down his face. He was focusing, but on what?
Before she realized it the metal which had cooled down slightly since coming out of the fire burst into flames before her eyes, taking the Cyclops by surprise. Within seconds the cooled metal was once again red hot and it no longer required to be put back into the fire for heating.
'Hey, hey, hey...What the hell is going on here?'
"...Now, Collbrande-sama."
'...So you won't explain, huh? Well, that's a given. No one gives out their secrets that easily. I'll play along then, and strike this metal into a worthy blade. And then I'm gonna have you explain.'
Side by side they would go on to forge both swords of the set Fuzen requested, and it would turn out to be an incredible set of blades indeed.
Unique, some might even call it.
XXX
The set date had come, and with it the beginning of the Quest he had put down exactly a week ago.
It was without a doubt a waste of time but even so he had to do it. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he were to die at the Were-Jaguar's hands with the knowledge that he didn't even try.
As for the requirements he tried to make them as appropriate as he could, but even so he doubted they would help much.
The meeting place had been pre-established: the foot of the Babel, the northern entrance to be precise. As for the time of meeting, seven o'clock. The sooner they went on their way the better.
Having finished his morning routine of training and eaten his breakfast Fuzen fastened his new swords at his hip and hopped onto Raiju, mentally telling the dragon to be on his way.
Suffice to say flying beat every other sort of transportation as far as speed was concerned and the duo arrived at Babel in less than two minutes. From his position he could already spot the group of Adventurers who signed up for his Quest.
'One, two, fifteen, twenty-eight...Forty-six, huh? Damn. That's more than I envisioned would sign up. Then again...wonder how many are gonna be left after the 1st Floor?'
By now the city of Orario had already gotten used to the sight of Raiju's dragon form flying above their heads and thus no panic broke out, at most he could spot some children stopping their playing in the distance to look up at the flying creature, or some foreign merchant losing all colour in his cheeks but otherwise observing the people around them going on with their everyday lives.
His group was only slightly different: they knew of his Magic but had probably only seen him transformed once and so they stared with open jaws as the dragon in his medium-sized form began to descend in a spiral pattern towards them.
Fuzen hopped off once they were some ten meters away from the ground, landing on one foot and gracefully walking up closer to the group of rookie Adventurers within the same second. His left forearm rested on the hilt of his new katana and he came to a halt, staring from left to right at those who signed up for his Quest.
They were all older than him, obviously.
Few kids of only eleven winters would be crazy enough to walk down the path of carnage or Adventuring.
Or both for that matter.
He also spotted Seiji among the group, already making friends with the others. He flashed him a thumps-up as soon as their eyes met, but the gesture was ignored. He had his own job to do, a job Fuzen had no doubts he could manage. Anything else was unnecessary: this was a Quest, after all.
"I am Fuzen Katsumi of the Loki Familia." He introduced himself after memorizing the faces of everyone present. "And also the Successor of the martial school knows as the Lightning Sword Style. Lastly, I am the one who put up the Quest you have all come here for."
It did not take long for him to figure out the others were kind of disappointed to see him in person. Mayhaps their impression of someone of his infamy did not meet the reality?
Or maybe...
'Tsk. I'm still growing you asswipes. I swear, every single one of you…Haaa...'
"I would also appreciate if you would stop gawking at me. Yes, I'm elven years old and I have the appropriate height of someone my age and Race."
"Buhahahahahaha! No you don't you shorty!"
Of course, he did not even need to look to figure out who that had been. "Tsk...Anyway, with that out of the way I would like to thank you all for deciding to sign up for my request despite the lack of information I have made public on the goal of the Quest itself."
By now the first of the applicants stepped forward, a girl who seemed to be around fifteen of age. "Then, how about we hear more about that now?"
"Indeed. Well then, the goal of Quest itself is simply: I am looking for something within the Dungeon. Your job is to help me find it."
"...Well, what are we looking for?" Another one asked, a Hume Bunny girl of maybe fourteen years of age.
"That is for me alone to know." He replied, bluntly as always.
"...How are we supposed to help you find this 'something', then?"
"Well, first let me explain the process of the Quest." Fuzen stated and allowed for one second of silence to make sure his next words were received by everyone. "We will descend into the Dungeon and then move only along the main road until we reach the stairs leading to the next Floor. At each entrance to a lower Floor we will take a break and then those who wish to quit the job will be escorted back to the surface by Raiju, my dragon." He said as he pointed a thump over his shoulder at Raiju. "We will repeat this process for each Floor, only moving through the main road of each Floor."
Suffice to say by now the confusion began to show on the faces of the Quest applicants for they did not understand the reason for such a Quest.
"Ah yes, the reward of twenty-five thousand Valis per person will be granted to you whatever you want to leave after reaching the entrance into the 2nd Floor or the one leading to the 20th Floor."
And that confusion only began to grow within them as Fuzen continued to speak.
"Wait, wait. So we can just leave after reaching the end of the 1st Floor...and we don't fail the Quest?"
"Yes, that is correct. The reward will be granted regardless of when you quit. The decision of 'when' lies with you alone."
"You mentioned the 20th Floor before, but...you do realize you only asked for Level 1's for this Quest, don't you?" Another asked.
"Yes, I am aware. What of it?"
"...Level 1's can't survive the 20th Floor, Kenshi."
"Then quit before we reach that Floor." Fuzen shot back at lightning speed, feeling the mocking tone in the applicant's tone. He was thinking him stupid. "The Quest will be in effect until I either find what I am looking for or until the last of you applicants decides to quit."
"And if no one quits?"
"We keep going."
"...Until when?"
"Until the last applicant quits or I find what I am looking for. The 20th Floor, the 30th Floor, the 40th Floor and beyond, it matters little to me."
"...This guy's bonkers." He heard someone whisper from among the group, but he cared little.
"Now, allow me to introduce you to those who will help me. Get over here." He made a head sign and Seiji moved through the group, stopping at Fuzen's side. A gigantic Supporter bag was flung over his back. "This is Seiji Okita of the Miach Familia. I also employed the services of their pharmacy for this Quest and Seiji will follow us on our linear expedition. He holds in his Supporter bag potions brewed by his Familia, enough for all those who are present. You may all request help from him in case of injury. You will not be charged for it, as I already paid for both the Potions and his services by myself. Think of it as a free service, if you will."
This seemed to gain some favour from the group of applicants as the look in their eyes changed ever so slightly.
"Next up is…" Fuzen looked to his other side and a brown-skinned man with short, curly dark-brown hair stepped forward. "Modaka-sama of the Ganesha Familia. I have reached out to his God for help, asking for one of his members to oversee this Quest. He has in his possession a list of all your names from the Guild, and he will accompany all those who return to the surface until he sees you leave the Dungeon. Upon arrival on the surface he will have you all sign the before mentioned list as proof of your safe return from the Quest."
"Why is this necessary?" A Cat Person boy asked from the middle of the group.
"Because anything can happen in the Dungeon. Do not misunderstand: you may get injured during the Quest but that is why Seiji is here. None of you will die or get mortally wounded on my watch. However, I cannot rule out the possibility of someone faking injury and trying to get recompensation from my Familia after quitting the Quest. As a member of the Loki Familia I will allow no one to sully the name of my Goddess. That is why Modaka-sama is here. He will see you all returned to the surface as you will be when and if you quit: Alive, and uninjured."
Bonkers as some thought him to be there was no mistake in anyone's minds: Fuzen Katsumi had carefully thought about the Quest and how it would go, not to mention the repercussions that could happen from a Quest which mixed together so many people from so many Familia.
"...If that is all you wish to ask, we shall now proceed to start the Quest."
XXX
My boi's got too much cash to spare -_-
Guess that happens when one of his paintings is worth some eight hundred thousand, give or take. Blame that on eccentric Deities who are willing to spend big money on useless things (if Apollo's statues of himself is anything to go by)
Some of you might realize where I am going with this, some might not. To make things fair for everyone and keep things spoiler-free, please refrain from writing your theories on why this Quest was put up and what the end goal is if you decide to leave a review (which again, is always highly appreciated, believe it or not)
Ah yes, maybe it was already starting to become clear but the ice around someone's heart is starting to melt down, slowly but surely.
All I can say is 'God have mercy' at this development.
Anyway, that's about it.
Hope you enjoyed the read and see you next time.
Stay safe and do your drugs until then. (-_-)
Kay bye.