Disclaimer: Black Clover is owned by Yūki Tabata, Studio Pierrot, and Shonen Jump.
A spotlight casts upon the stool with the open book once more.
Stamping on it was a black bird scratching its talons across the pages, futilely trying to turn it despite its lack of opposable thumbs.
It could curse itself for its undexterous existence, forever doomed to simply fly and peck at things to interact with the rest of this world that it was born in.
But how can this, empty world, where all that exists is a book, a stool, and a single light shining in the darkness, can usher any form of stimuli?
Not even the bird, the sole current inhabitant, knows.
All it does is try and turn the tome towards its next page no matter what, even if it mean it had to rip the current page off to see what lies beyond-
"Caw."
... It tears off the page that stood on, reading the following:
HEAVEN AND HELL COMETH HITHER
CONVERGE THY BOUNDRARIES UNTO THE FALSE WORLD
The torn page the drifts away from the light, crumbling and fading into flakes as it left the light.
Saga 41: Canned Heat Part 1
"Good morning..." Fana yawned as she came downstairs, greeted by Iris, Violet, Peony, Daisy, Fanzell, Dominante, and Klein at the breakfast table.
The family of now ten (Duhat and Mariella left early for work) now lived in the Terra Cotta Dormitory, its former owner, Krieger/Atlas, now dead after unleashing literal hell upon all of Libratium, with said event hanging over everyone's heads (literally, in Violet's case, since she literally had her head ripped off before being patched back with a MASS pack).
It was a miracle that despite a good two-to-three months since that attack, everyone still had the appetite to actually eat anything. Talking however, seemed like a fantasy, given how desensitized everyone was to the mere concept of "madness."
"... I'm done." Fana then gets up before taking her empty plate to the countertop before taking her bags. "Thanks for the food. See you guys at dinner."
She leaves without a word, out the streets, and towards her current workplace at Magia Academia, Libratium's main institution of learning all magic.
Apparently, the library we happened to crash into happened to be owned by a Dragon, of all beings... Elf!Fana rolled her eyes as she and [Salamander] perched on both of their host's shoulders. ... Come to think of it, Ezel, why are you in your compact form?
I rather not have my dick hanging out in public, unlike some people, the Fire Spirit replied in a deadpan manner. ... That and remember that time when I nearly set the books we were supposed to be shelving on fire?
I assumed that grimoires in general had protection from magical elements! the Elf specter pointed out.
They must've degraded over centuries, then... the Fire Spirit hypothesized. ... Who knows? As magic, we simply exist. Not our position to question why we burn. Only that we simply burn because of it.
Meanwhile, the actual Fana sighs in apprehension before arriving at the library under repair.
Its rows of bookshelves were being replaced, it's destroyed archives' worth of contents were being steadily restored by specialists, and the slight throbbing in Fana's head that are not coming from her two guests was becoming harder as she approached towards the certain circle-like crossroads-section of the library.
"... Time for the daily grind." Facing her palm towards the floor, the floor then shifts in place before slowly spinning down in a spiral-like patter, the floor she was standing on opening a spiraling staircase leading further down towards basement level.
Lighting her hand lantern with her [Fire Magic], Fana goes downstairs for a prolonged period of time until reaching a door.
She then pries her right eyelid open before the window, resulting in a click that indicated that the door was unlocked. Opening it, it then revealed another hallway that went even further in, being even dimmer that the stairwell that she entered prior.
... Even after months of coming down here, I can never get used to this place, Elf!Fana commented.
If I didn't know any better, I'd assume that this whole city was built atop the gates of Hell... the [Salamander] grumbles as both him and the Elf ghost goes inert upon a powerful presence making itself know, and Fana herself to quake in her shoes.
"State your name..." a voice echoed from further in.
"... It's Fana," she answered. "Fana of the [Salamander]."
"... Come in."
A magenta-colored magic circle shines before her before passing through her, blinding her from the glare of the light before opening her eyes, finding herself deep in a cavern stacked up high with ancient tomes and scrolls, with about a couple of them floating around freely and towards a certain direction like that of numerous satellites.
Around said scriptures was a massive Dragon. But unlike the rest of its brethren, this being was massive, almost three times the size of the likes of Agi, Bufu, Kouha, and Zio. A coat of fur with a hint of lavender shading a dull white color in place of brightly-colored scales, two pairs of wings akin to that of a bird of prey's rather than that of the ridged sails of its compatriots, and perched upon her lupine-esque visage was a pair of reading glasses before her rainbow-colored eyes, focused on the various texts that she read without diverting as so much as a single nanosecond of attention towards elsewhere.
"... Lady Psi," Fana greeted with a bow.
An apron, a duster, and a bandana were telekinetically sent towards the girl, dressing her up and placing the tool around her fingers.
"Get to work," the Dragon ordered without so much as moving her mouth, confirming its ability to be a telepath. "... I don't invite you here to gawk."
Without complaint, Fana then begins dusting the old books that the Dragon Psi wasn't reading, as per her "compensation" destroying centuries' worth of knowledge during her fight with Loki.
How is this supposed to help? asked Ezel.
"Really, it's to keep you away from from burning my books again, whelp," Psi replied telepathically. "... That and a punishment is needed of an infraction, unintentional or otherwise."
I do remember there being someone else at the library, though... the [Salamander] commented.
Fana does not complain, knowing that it's better to just shut up and work out her community sentence (of 1,000 hours, about 200 down). At least that way, she doesn't have to think about the underlying implications of her own home life.
"... You seem more unfocused than usual, child," Psi pointed out. "Don't hide it from me. I know all that goes on here."
Fana was bothered by that question, but opts to not ask.
"... So that's your choice?" Psi replied. "Just because I know everything doesn't mean I exist to rule."
"... Why?" Fana asked as she dusted the books cover to cover. "... Why are you so nosy but at the same time... so aloof?"
"Curiosity, my child," she answered. "It keeps my old mind from eroding to oblivion. To seek answers is the reason for my existence. I know all that goes on now. But the future is yet written."
Fana opts to not press the issue any further. "... I don't want to think about it."
"You will, eventually," Psi rebuked. "... Just don't regret it when you ultimately choose to not act upon changing times, understood?"
Fana then keeps working until her shift was concluded. Without a work, she clocks out, heads back upstairs, and returns home with a trail of students leaving their classes.
Unlike her previous forays, however, there was no stimulation nor satisfaction in her routine. It felt as if her life was gradually losing purpose after months of relative peace.
"... What is it that I want?" she asked herself.
Then just as she returned home, she then comes across a certain flyer that blow onto her leg. Picking it off, she then reads it.
"... 'Dungeon Officially Open in Libratium: Challenge the [Catacombs]'," Fana read. "... 'Not conquered in over 444 years of its inception; The seal guarding the entrance has been removed. Admissions open now'? What the hell?"
... Normally, you'd tell other people to stay away from Dungeons when they pop up, Elf!Fana recalled her time when she and her friends weren't allowed inside. ... But I suppose given that this is the Spade Kingdom, anything goes.
[Salamander] the reappears on Fana's shoulder into the material world. "Hey, how about we tackle that place ourselves?" Ezel suggested. "Sure as hell beats our current day job and that Psi's orders don't mention of us having to complete it in a due date!"
Fana grumbles as she goes back into her dormitory. "Sure, when we have the time..."
After that noncommittal statement, Fana then sets the flyer on the front desk before washing up and heading back towards dinner.
"So..." Iris spoke as she served a meat-lover's casserole with onion gratin for dinner. "... How have all your days been doing?"
"Mr. Frei's lessons in the Evocation Course have been... enlightening, to say the least..." Violet answered. "... No wonder why that class was so hard to get into. Everyone wants a piece."
"I had fun!" Peony remarked.
"Me too!" Daisy parroted.
"Ms. Luciel has been helpful developing my Contractor abilities," Mariella remarked.
"... It's fine," Klein said in an apathetic tone.
Upon the younger members sharing how their days went, it was the adults' turn to share.
"Well, you see..." Fanzell (dressed) then goes over to Dominante. "... We're going to have a baby soon!"
"E-EHHH?!" Iris exclaimed while the rest of the younger members of the family began to clamor excitedly. "... Si-SINCE WHEN?!"
"About a few weeks back," the Witch revealed. "... I wanted to make sure that it was healthy, and that I also want it to make a surprise!"
"C-Congratulations!" Mariella stammered before answering, admittedly not knowing how to feel at this sudden shift in development. "... So how long until we get a new face around here?!"
"Eight to nine months," Fanzell answered as he and his wife looked at each other lovingly before coming in for a kiss. "Our family's about to get a lot bigger, so get ready for that!"
Of the three of Iris' children, the eldest, Violet, then goes of to Klein. "Isn't it so exciting?!" she squealed. "You're going to be a big brother soon!"
"Uh..." the boy stammered before complying. "Y-Yeah. I'm stoked..."
Fana could only nervously chuckle as she didn't know to react to this sudden shift in events. ... Um, Elf!Fana? How am I supposed to react to this? she asked mentally. I'm feeling... happy, but I don't know why!
You're on the right track, really, the Elf ghost answered. ... I mean, life is supposed to be celebrated, not to be feared, right?
Fana sighs before nodding. "... Fair enough. Come 'ere!"
She then suddenly hugs Iris, much to the widowed mother of three's surprise. "Uhh, thank you?"
"Sorry! Just doing it in the heat of the moment and I don't know why!" Fana panicked before hugging Klein.
After the rush of joy swept past the dining room, everyone calms down before remembering something important.
"... Heracles," Fanzell said out loud. "... How has he been?"
Everyone then recalls how during the last minutes of Loki's life, that denizen of Hell had attempted to pull a last-ditch effort to kill everyone in Libratium with a literal bang... only for said conjurer to be squashed flat by his own creation.
It was morbidly ironic in a comedic sense, but also harrowing how close everyone came to arriving at the center of complete obliteration.
"... Last I saw him, he was part of the volunteers who were trying to fix up that hole that Atlas had opened up," Iris explained. "I tried approaching him a few times, but he seems more... distant lately."
"Surely, it can't be that bad," Dominante protested.
"He's literally living on the other side of town in a single-room flat," Iris revealed. "... I don't know why, but when I tried to invite myself, he just locked the door."
Fana blinked at the last part of that statement. "... Doesn't he like, destroy every door he comes into?"
Mariella nods in confirmation. "... Personally, I think that incident of having his soul nearly ripped out changed him," she hypothesized. "I asked Duhat about it, but and Ms. Luciel still don't know how to make heads or tails of what happened other than that part of his soul being able to generate endless magical energy in perpetuity. Heck, they actually spend more time trying to keep that part of the soul contained than actual research, simply because that [Surtr, the Destroyer] was merely a taste of what happens if said energy source... goes kaboom."
"Explains why he's coming later than usual..." Violet pointed out, to which Peony and Daisy nod.
Fanzell then claps his hands before taking his own emptied plate. "Well, that was a pleasant dinner, all things considered!" he remarked with a cheery tone suppressing his existential dread. "Alright everyone! If and when you run into our old friend Heracles, tell him that he's part of our family ever since he pulled our carriage across Ulster and that he's welcome here anytime! At least that way, he won't feel alienated from us after all we've been through!"
"Agreed." Dominante then gets up before walking back upstairs with her husband. "... Mariella, you and Klein do the dishes tonight. It's your turns, after all!"
The ex-Crypteia nods before taking her own plate to the counter.
As soon as everyone finishes their meals and washes up for the night, Mariella and Klein stand before the sink washing the dishes (the former standing atop of a stool).
"... So, big sis," the boy said as his hands gingerly handled the plates. "... Am I... still a family?"
"It's obvious that you are, Klein," the girl answered as she dried the cleaned dishes. "... Are you still concerned about your origins?"
The boy shakes his head in denial. "... I'm okay, really-"
"Klein, I'm Diamond Kingdom's ex-secret police," she pointed out. "My former job is to perceive other people and their lies."
The boy then breaks down as his eyes begin watering. "... Am I real?" he asked. "... My dad... or the man who I thought was my dad... hated me... because I wasn't real... so do you guys... hate me... because I'm not real?"
Mariella then pulls in Klein for a hug. "... Never," she bluntly answered. "... Klein, that man may have never loved you, but our love for you is real. Don't you ever doubt that, no matter what."
The boy nods as his tears wet Mariella's shoulder.
She even admits that ever since that revelation, Klein's emotional state being in a fragile state.
To be told that their father never loved them, on top and because of the fact that they weren't real, and to serve as a reminder of his failure, all ushered forth by that Devil's machinations to manipulate a spineless wretch pretending to be a man and usher forth a path of destruction for the sake of satisfying his rage...
No child should ever carry that burden.
"... I will never abandon you, nor will anyone else here!" she reassured firmly. "So please... don't give up on yourself!"
The girl hugged her younger adopted brother tightly as Smurf, the restored [Gnome, the Earth Spirit], waddled up towards Klein from behind and hugged his ankle.
Even with those affirmations of acceptance and love, the turmoil within the boy's heart receded, but never eradicated.
The scar branded onto his soul was deep, too much so, in fact.
The love he'd received hurt, and yet he doesn't know why.
Upon finishing washing the dishes, Mariella then takes Klein up to his room while the latter catches a glimpse of the flyer left on the reception desk where Atlas as "Krieger" sat behind all the way into the night.
"Don't worry about what you have to do, just make sure that you live well, alright?" Mariella reassured before helping him wash up and tucking him into his bed. "... Goodnight."
The door shuts in his room, closing another day in Libratium.
The Next Day...
Fana yawns as she gets back to her home after another day of volunteer work.
Is this what being an adult feels like? she asked, with only her incorporeal guests being the ones to reciprocate her words.
I died during my puberty, so I really don't know, Elf!Fana answered with a shrug. Nor were the other adults back in my village were this battered.
And I am a Fire Spirit, so sue me, Ezel remarked.
Fana sighs as her guests weren't exactly helping, but just as she could walk back home in her lull, her face then runs into a lamp post, landing smack dab into the iron shaft, snapping her out of the funk before landing face-first into someone's soft bosom.
"Whoa!" a woman's voice exclaimed before Fana looked up. "You alright there, Fana?"
"... Miss Sirona?" she mumbled before a man dressed like a cleric walked up from behind the blue-haired woman.
"By the Dragons, miss, you look thrashed!" Hama pointed out before helping Fana stand up straight before using his own [Light Magic] to heal her bruise. "... Our esteemed Lady Psi can be quite the taskmaster, indeed."
"The insides of my head feel like they're going to leak out of my ears..." Fana then gags before vomiting all over her shoes. "... About 700 more hours to go-"
"You know that you really don't have to go every single day, right?" Sirona revealed, causing Fana's eyes to widen in surprise. "... She didn't explain it to you, didn't she?"
Fana and her two incorporeal guests go stark-white in shock at the realization.
"And before you... well, say why, I have a question," Hama asked. "... Did you ask?"
Fana laid slumped over Sirona's arms like a laundry set out to dry.
"... Blink once if 'yes,' blink twice if 'no'."
Fana blinks twice.
"I don't blame you," the cleric confirmed. "... When I was your age, I did indeed displease Lady Psi, and I would've fainted if she'd actually allowed me to. More specifically, my brain."
"Point being, she's scary. I myself asked for a break after a month in during my volunteer period after one of my books were overdue," Sirona added. "She knows what's going on with everyone throughout the whole city-state, and the reason why she's so aloof is that she's that all-knowing. If she acts, that means the situation has gone bad."
"... I'll ask her tomorrow," Fana remarked.
"Attagirl." Hama and Sirona then helps her get back home, but on their way there, the three spot a massive gathering of people coming into the city-state.
"Oh right...!" the cleric remarked with a hint of familiarity. "... I forgot that a Dungeon opening up here would attract a lot of Adventurers."
"Uhh..." Fana then looked out towards the collection of people dubbed "Adventurers" make their way into various inns for the evening. "... Should I... be familiar with them or something?"
"With what?" Sirona asked.
"... Eh, whatever?" Fana deliriously answered, her brain a little too mushy from Psi's constant surveillance.
Both adults sigh before heading over to a cafe for a drink.
"Our treat," said Hama as Fana drank her tea. "... Better?"
Fana nods. "... Okay, my head's a lot clearer now," she confirmed before putting her cup down. "... The exposition, please."
Hama then clears his throat before beginning his explanation. "... Alright, first, the background."
He then pulls out a napkin along with a quill pen.
"As you may or may not know, the city-state of Libratium's foundation was built atop ruins of an old civilization," he began. "What you might not be aware of is that said ruins are in fact, a Dungeon."
"Specifically, the world's oldest unconquered Dungeon in history, the [Catacombs]," Sirona added. "For 444 years, no one has ever mapped out the entire place, and those who go in either never come back out, or come out without a lot of people left over."
"It's from these experiences that the 'Unspoken Rules of the Adventurer' were then established," Hama continued after he finishes drawing out the crude image of what the [Catacombs] and its depths look like, being a conical abyss that stretched for miles into the earth's surface. "Rule #1: Party of four maximum. That way, logistics won't be an issue, and should a whole army go in there and come out in a single digit amount, the retention rate could be avoided."
"Rule #2: Set up markers," Sirona explained as she held up two fingers. "Until the Dungeon is conquered, no one actually owns the Dungeon. Granted, it may sound rich coming from us; people like us literally living on top of it, but still, we prefer to avoid having sinkholes open up underneath our homes if possible. That, and the markers help along other Adventurers coming in and help the MASS staff find your bodies... provided if you're not eaten whole by then."
"Let me guess, cow-sized rats?" Fana recalled seeing them come crawling out of the hole that Atlas had bored into the city-state's streets along with the entire block it was on.
"That's just the basics," Hama amended. "Deeper you go, there are even more dangerous Wilderbeasts and Elderbeasts waiting down there. So yeah."
Fana grumbles at the fact that no matter where they go, she and her family could never escape them.
"Speaking of which..." Fana then looks up at the sky. "... Is the AEON repaired yet?"
"Eh... not quite, but we're getting there," Hama confirmed. "... At best, Lady Kouha is leading the charge by making her presence known throughout the lands, deterring any cocky [Wyvern] or [Lindwyrm] from getting close."
"And Lord Bufu is patrolling the surrounding coasts to ensure that no one attacks us from the sea," Sirona added. "... We've been through worse. We'll get through this. It'll soon pass."
"I hope you're right..." Fana then chugs her cooled tea before refocusing. "... So, any more of these 'Unspoken Rules'?"
"A few more, yes." Hama then hails the waiter before ordering more tea.
"Rule #3: Loot found in the Dungeon is first come first serve," Sirona explained. "... Last thing we need to worry about are Parties self-destructing in already-hazardous environments. So, a 'Gentlemen's Agreement' was sort of made between various representatives via reputation and no one wanting to party with a known-murderer, which then brings us to Rule #4..."
Then three more cups of tea are then set down at the table they were on.
"Parties must establish solidarity agreements before registration," Hama revealed. "To be and lead an Adventurers' Party means that trust is the most valuable resource there is. Moreso than any gold or jewels you might find. Competence breeds competence and vice-versa. Dungeons are already dangerous enough, so instead of reinforcing goodwill, we're appealing to pragmatism, but having a solid rapport with your party genuinely helps."
Fana could already look at some of these "Adventurers," with some of them looking more akin to traditional depictions of bandits and the personalities to match. "... Are there any of them that I should watch out for?"
Both Hama and Sirona looked at each other before getting up. "... Why don't we see them ourselves?"
The three then head towards the gateway, where the stream of newcomers seeking fortune down in the [Catacombs] are still going.
"Several of them are no-names, probably thrown-together in the last minute or so," Sirona explained. "But among the crowd, I can see some veterans and legends."
She then points towards a Party comprised of a young man in a purple tunic wielding a simple sword and shield, a blue-haired and roguishly-handsome looking young man with a pair of knives twirling around his gloved hands, a pair of blond-haired sisters, the taller one in green wielding a small wand and buckler while the shorter one in red carried a magic staff that was twice as tall as her, a young woman with a bright-lime tunic and armored boots with a black ponytail strapping her claws around her arms, a short and rotund old man looking like a nomad with a large moustache walking with a cane, and a large and imposing man in black armor lugging around a massive and thick tower shield along with a greatsword and a warhammer.
"That right there are the Dungeon Rescue Corps, the Lamplighters!" Hama explained. "Those are luminaries that voluntarily go into a Dungeon and rescue anyone trapped inside, braving all sorts of dangers to get to their rescue targets, and even conquering a few themselves in order to save a single person! They are, by far, the most trustworthy Adventurers that you can ever run into!"
Fana could notice that all of them had lanterns hanging around their waists, a symbol of their unity and dedication.
"Hey I know those guys!" Sirona then pointed towards a group comprising of a redheaded man with a mane-like hair dressed in fur and bones while slugging around a massive two-handed longsword with serrated edges, a magenta-haired elf wearing a white dress that showed off a lot of her skin and figure, a beast-like blond man with muscles brimming from his furred vest and baggy pants, a diminutive, almost sprite-sized Dwarf wearing a black and gold vestments akin to that of a jester's, a dashingly-handsome looking young man with bronzed skin and blued dark hair tied up into a ponytail wearing a suit akin to that of an elusive gentleman with a hint of alluring danger, and a warrior-like maiden in holy-looking armor and cloak wielding a spear and a shield. "They're the Trial Takers!"
"Who?" Fana asked.
"One of the most daring group of Adventurers to ever exist," Hama explained. "They are known to go out of their way to tackle the most brutal, hardest, and dangerous Dungeons ever known! The [Tower of Madness], the [Cauldron of Fire], the [Labyrinth of Despair], and many others! Many fell and lost where they prevailed! Their Relics and armor are proof of their successes!"
Fana then focused on that group of six in particular, seeing that the other Adventurers are looking at their gear and equipment in pure awe and a slight tinge of envy.
"Whoa, those guys mean business," Fana remarked before pointing towards another incoming group. "... And who are they?"
Both Hama and Sirona then wince upon seeing a group led by a red-haired armored knight, a purple-haired mage with a white hooded jacket over her robes, a verdant-clad elf archer, a gruff-looking mercenary-like man with a right arm made of metal blades, an alabaster and stark-looking girl who moved akin to that of a marionette, and a girly-looking boy dressed in white and blue armor, slugging around a whole marble pillar roughly five times his size and height as his weapon.
"... Aw sacré bleu, not those misery lot of merde..." the cleric sighed. "... If you don't know, they are the Arms Legion."
"Put it simply, they are a bunch of greedy and miserly bastards and bitches who only goes Dungeon-delving for one thing and one thing only: loot," Sirona explained. "Not only they're quick to empty out every chest and hidden treasure they run into, but they're also not above looting other dead Adventurer's equipment from said Dungeons, and resell them at an inflated price. That aside, they're competent enough to have lasted over 18 years, even after countless attempts to have them killed. Even the Zogratis Clan couldn't lay a finger on them after they ripped them off by selling an allegedly-cursed weapon for four times its original market value."
Fana grimaces at how... slippery some Adventurers can be.
"Hey! I know those kids!" Hama then pointed towards a quartet consisting of a fully-armored knight with a bang of pink hair sticking out of his chainmail hood, a goggled young man with cat-like familiar perched on his shoulder, a redheaded archer girl showing off her midriff and limbs confidently, and a bookish mage lugging around a massive grimoire the size of a front door and thick as a brick wall. "They're this year's most promising rookies!"
"Rookies?" Fana remarked as she saw the quartet, noticing that they look about her age.
"Yep. The Red Leaf Party," Sirona introduced. "They're known to have conquered [Babylon], a Dungeon that several other Adventurers couldn't conquer due to its confusing layout, but these four managed conquer it fair and square, and on their first attempt too! All eyes are on them as everyone looks forward to how they grow from there!"
Then following that modest group came in a literal army of horseback knights and mages in armor and robe alike, all of the looking like they came from varying walks of life, all led by a blue-haired young man with the bearing of a heroic prince, who in turn was flanked by a hooded man akin to that of a young, but worldly sage.
"Oh, those guys!" Hama remarked at the absolutely-massive group of numbering around dozens. "... The largest Adventurer Party in all of existence, the Riders of Flame."
"Rumors have it that those guys are trying to start their own nation, but while most dismiss their ambitions as pure crock, no one can deny that their tactical prowess and sheer experience of going through countless battles without losing a single man!" Sirona explained. "... For 12 years straight!"
Then after that behemoth of a Party comes a ramshackle-looking bunch of Adventurers consisting of a blond pirate carrying one too many swords, a busty redheaded mage with too many magic staves, a sharp shooter in black uniform-like dress with an overly-complicated looking [Firebolt M3] magic bowgun modded to hell and back, a young girl with an earthly touch to her bearing as she cuddles a blue cat-like familiar against her cheek.
"Oh, haven't seen those guys in a while!" Sirona exclaimed at the rowdy bunch. "Those guys are the Epic Battlers of Fantasy!"
"Out of all the Adventurers, those guys tend to... uh, bumblefuck their way through Dungeons, mainly because they tend to argue more than other Parties," Hama explained. "... Still, those collection of Relics aren't just for show. They have survived countless encounters through thick and thin, and have been together for over fifteen years and counting."
"... They look fun to be around," Fana commented before looking at another group of incoming Adventurers. "Oh! Who are they?"
Said Party consisted of a cylindrical-looking golem, a tacky-looking woman with a pair of forked-bladed knives, a grotesque-looking cleric wearing vestments looking like intestines, a round-looking man with a sunny smile and a mace, an elderly Witch carrying herself in an aloof disposition, a heavily-armored woman lugging around a spiked bludgeon, a morose-looking woman with a crossbow made of steel, a hyperactive-looking Contractor with a disposition of an imp, a stoic looking man cradling an orb of crystal, a blank-looking golem resembling a featureless human wielding a knife and a compact crossbow, a [Myconid] carrying spherical bombs around their body, a boastful-looking [Lizardman] wielding a pair of shortswords, a woman wearing a blank helmet wielding a cubical hammer, a Jotun with red face paint and blue tattoos slugging around a massive pickaxe-like weapon, a plain-looking man wearing white-colored light armor and wielding a sling, and a woman dressed in a cloak over her beige tunic wielding a bow.
"Oh no... not those idiots..." Hama groaned.
"The worst Adventurers in all of history... the Controlled Accord," Sirona explained reluctantly. "... Eight straight years of being Adventurers, and they have nothing to show for it. In fact, they just get in the way of other, better Adventurers."
"Really?" Fana remarked before looking at them, sensing that their confidence was completely unearned. "... Yeah, they're way too smug and incautious."
"Word of advise, ignore everything they say and do," Sirona advised. "... Although for the latter, take it the opposite direction as a learning experience on what not to do while you're in a Dungeon."
Fana nods before she notices the crowd, even the irrelevant Controlled Accord, were beginning to part, as if literal royalty (that they respect), was coming.
No words were said as the sounds of an accordion played. The person playing it appears through the entrance, being a short, hooded man with a sky-blue tunic under his cloak and armored boots over his beige pants. His right arm held an ornate shield that had a sword's handle on its upper crown, almost acting as the blade's sheathe, and around his waist were an assortment of lanterns, pouches, and a quiver full of arrows.
I don't know about "Adventurers" or anyone of some sort, but this guy feels... powerful! said the Elf spirit.
He hides great power, but lets it seep out like air rather than let it roar out like fire, Ezel commented. ... He earned his respect among his peers, I can assume that much.
"... Who's that?" asked Fana.
"That man right there?" Hama pointed towards the man viewed in awe. "... That right there is THE Adventurer."
"No one knows who his name is, nor he's willing to utter a single word," Sirona added. "But no one can doubt that he's unparalleled. The 'Nameless Bard,' the 'Silent Soloist,' the 'Hermitic Hero,' the 'Nomadic Legend,' and the 'Crownless King of the Frontier.' No Dungeon, no Wilderbeast or Elderbeast, and no god can stop him."
Fana dared not to question as the man entered a humble establishment before disappearing into that cottage.
"So..." Sirona said as she looked at Fana, "what do you think of Adventurers?"
The girl sits cross-legged to ponder at what she'd learned. "... Honestly, it sounds simple," she commented. "But I have a nagging feeling that it's something else more... complex."
"That is Adventuring in a nutshell," Hama answered. "You see the world for the way it really is. All the excitement and dangers are laid bare and open just for you. Question is, are you willing to welcome it with open arms?"
Fana grumbles before getting up. "... Let me sleep on it," she answered before walking away. "I mean, I've only been hear for like barely half a year and I just earned my liberation from the Diamond Kingdom, so yeah... I'm honestly a bit overwhelmed by the choices that I can make... but I'll... humor it... as a spectator, of course."
Sirona and Hama nod in agreement. "You do you!"
Fana then runs off deeper into the city and back towards the direction of her home.
Elsewhere in Libratium...
A kid around Klein's age getting lost in a city's streets isn't uncommon. But due to a sudden increase in foot traffic due to the influx of Adventurers coming in to challenge the [Catacombs], suddenly, a kid barely going into his pre-teens now found his way back home filled to the brim with drunken hollers of revelry and strangers coming from all walks of life.
Normally, a Chevalier would come and take him back home, but right now, they were all busy making sure that things didn't escalate. So little Klein was left for himself to make sure that he didn't get trampled upon by the unsuspecting crowd.
"Hey, isn't that...?" one of the Adventurers remarked as he passed by.
"Heard rumors of this whole city being ransacked by some guy," another remarked before drinking her mead.
"One guy? Really?" a third commented.
Klein's pace picks up as he could feel the eyes and words being aimed precisely towards him.
"Apparently, the guy was from the Diamond Kingdom. Survivor of some genocide."
"I heard that he was an illegal Contractor who struck a deal with a Devil just for the sake of revenge."
"Heard he had a kid."
"Yeah well, get this..."
"What? He's not real?!"
"Just some wish come true as some sort of collateral."
"So what? We let him walk?"
Klein could feel his heart and soul be picked apart like a carcass to vultures. "Shut up... shut up... shut up..."
"What's one kid of a psychopath to the rest of us?!" a cocky [Lizardman] remarked as he dumped a whole bottle of hot sauce into his meal. "That said, if he tries anything...!"
Klein flinches as he saw the Adventurer stake his knife into the spiced steak before eating it whole.
"Then I'll eat up whole before he knows it!" He and his group laugh at their dinner table, treating Klein's existence like some sort of joke as the boy felt his heart fraying from all directions before he breaks off into a sprint.
"I'm not a monster...!" he sniveled as he tried not to cry, running down the alleyway as if he were fleeing from a monster of his worst nightmares. "I'm not a monster...! I'm real...! I'm real-!"
The boy then falls onto his back upon running into someone.
"I-I'M SORRY-!"
"What are you acting all scared for?" The boy then looks up to see a burly and muscular man standing before him, his mighty mitt of a hand brushing back his spiky black hair under the moonlight. "... C'mon on, I ain't gonna eat you or anything."
Klein then takes the man's massive hand before being picked up by him.
"You lost?" The boy nods in response to the man's questions. "Well, I'll keep you company until someone picks you up. I stand out anyway."
"... Even to those... strangers?" Klein points at the Adventurers frequenting the numerous taverns and eateries, with no two people looking anywhere alike, let alone mundane.
"Trust me, no one here is jacked as me," the man replied with a beaming grin as he flexes his arm. "... That said though, wanna see something cool?"
Before he could know it, the man then picks up Klein and flies towards the highest point of the current district, that being the rooftop of a three-story tavern housing a lot of Adventurers.
Klein was a bit unnerved at how easily the man had performed vertical travel, but that feeling of unease was quickly replaced by a sense of awe upon looking up at the starry sky.
"Looks way better than a few months ago, right?" the man pointed out as he and Klein looked up. "... Funny thing is, this scenery is the only thing that sticks in my head. Everything else goes poof! Like smoke."
"... Mister?" the boy asked. "... Do you have no memories?"
"Yeah... kinda," the man replied with a shrug. "I mean, some of my memories have come back for the past few weeks, but... I can take care of that myself."
With utter seriousness, the man then looks at Klein.
"... Were those meanies talking about you?"
Klein nods in confirmation. "... They are right though," he added. "... Not only my dad is a murderer, but I wasn't even his real son. I'm not real."
"Hmm... I don't get it," the man rebuked as he felt up the boy's arms and skin. "... I mean, you're still warm to the touch and squishy and all sort of stuff. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're real to me!"
Even though Klein had taken that statement of affirmation to heart, a sense of doubt and unease still plagued his immature soul.
"... You're still hurtin', right?" The boy nods in confirmation. "... Well, I kind of remember being in your state right now."
The boy looks up at the man as the latter began telling his recently-recovered memories.
"... I remember having parents, but they hated me," he began. "Despised me, just because I was born 'different.' So I was left to my own devices, waiting for the Grim Reaper to come and take me as I wasn't back allowed in my house. Then, someone picked me up, listened to my woes, and gave me the one, golden advice that I hold onto dearly to this day."
"Which is...?" Klein asked as the man smiled nostalgically.
"... 'Prove yourself,' he said," he revealed. "So I did. I began training under him until the sweat rolling across my skin turned to steam. I trained my magic and muscles until they were both begging for mercy as their weaknesses were being burned away fiber by fiber. I became stronger and stronger with each passing day as the sun's rays beat me down like how my parents would when I was weak! I went through hell and back, all for the sake of accepting me upon my return!"
Klein's eyes then light up upon hearing his inspirational backstory. "... Mister," he said. "... Did your parents ever accept you?"
"Funny thing is..." the man sighed out. "... That's where my memories end. I don't know if they accepted me or not, but I can assure you that they did!"
The man then gets up on the rooftop that they were standing on before raising his fist up towards the starry sky above.
"If you're strong, then no one will ever reject you!" he confirmed. "Take it from me! I did not get this buff by sitting around when I was a kid!"
"... So if I want people to accept me, I have to become stronger?" Klein asked.
"Not 'have'! 'Can'-no, 'will'!" the man confirmed with absolute confidence. "So don't listen to those who never met you personally! Make them know your best self, starting now! And then come back when you're fully prepared-!"
"Klein!" Fana's voice called out from below, revealing the pink-haired girl looking up at him below the streets. "What are you doing up there?! Everyone's worried sick of you not coming home on time! Hurry up and get down from there!"
The boy then looks back where he sat from, only to see that the man had disappeared. "... Alright," he remarked. "... Can you help me down?"
Fana then summons [Salamander] to help her fly up towards the rooftop before taking him back home, with the man watching them from the other rooftop with a smile.
"... He'll get far," Heracles remarked, still keeping himself far from familiar company, seeing Klein off as he rode off back home with that girl. "I'm sure of it."
He then jumps down back onto the streets and disappears into the crowd more easily than a man of his stature should.
The Next Morning...
Fana lets out an especially loud yawn as she rises from her bed.
Another day of the grind... she thought as she went out of her room to wash up with the rest of the ladies living with her in the dorm.
I'm surprised that we managed to get a wink of sleep given the amount of drunkards that were present throughout the whole city-state, Elf!Fana pointed out.
Eh, let them sleep off the booze from the night before, Ezel the [Salamander] remarked as their host went downstairs for breakfast. ... What? I used to drink recreationally back at the Fire Temple!
Both Fanas rolled their eyes as the host half sat down on her spot at the table.
"... Is that all of us?" Iris commented as she mentally counted everyone downstairs.
"Where's Klein?" asked Mariella.
Fana sighs before getting up. "... I'll go wake him up," she volunteered as she went back upstairs. "... Heavens forbid that he slept himself into a slump after an adventure and a half last night."
Fana then makes her way into the boy's room, knocking first before waiting for a response.
"... Klein?" she called out after the room beyond the door was silent. "... I'm coming in."
The girl then creaks the door open, only for her and her two incorporeal guests' eyes widening in shock.
The room, from its bed being empty, to the window being open.
"... He ran away?!" she gasped before looking around the room, turning over anything she could consider where the boy would be hiding as if it were a mere prank. "Klein? Klein?!"
Even after every space was investigated, with Fana turning up with nothing to show for it.
When did he flee?! the Elf ghost pointed out.
Must've been during when we were dead asleep! the [Salamander] suggested. ... I don't sense the Gnome being anywhere near us-!
Then, from the open window, a wind blows through, sending a loose sheet of paper towards Fana before landing against her torso. Peeling off, she then reads what was written on it.
"... 'I will come back stronger, so don't worry about me'."
Her trembling hands then turn the paper over to find that said note was written behind the flyer advertising the public opening of the [Catacombs].
Which was today.
Breathlessly, she then runs back downstairs with the note in hand.
"EVERYONE!" she cried out. "KLEIN'S GONE!"
Everyone present on the table freeze where they sat at. "... What-?"
The doors then ring open as they could register what could happen. "Sorry if I'm late, everyone!"
Duhat then looks in, his look of exhausted relief being replaced with a confused stupor on this suddenly-tense atmosphere.
"... Did I miss something?" he asked as he dropped his bags onto the floor.
"Honey, read the room..." Wadjet, his Contracted Demon, sighed.
At the Entrance of the [Catacombs]...
"LADIES, GENTLEMEN, BOYS, GIRLS, AND THAT TECHNICOLOR RAINBOW IN-BETWEEN! WELCOME TO THE [CATACOMBS]' GRAND RE-OPENING!"
The gathered Adventurers roared in excitement as they all stood before the ever-effeminate and perky Paladin of Premier Charlamagne, Astolfo, who then threw aside most of the commemorative speech that he was supposed to give, knowing full well that the Adventurers gathered here are an impatient lot.
Oh well, he thought. At least the rush will make a decent culling process of who are the real "Adventurers" here.
"By the decree of our dearest Premier..." The Paladin then steps back before picking up his bludgeon and then smashing the magical seal before the Dungeon's entrance. "... THE DUNGEON IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! GO NUTS, YOU GREEDY BASTARDS AND BITCHES! TO THE BOLD GOES GLORY AND GOLD!"
Everyone gathered before the entrance then all make a mad dash towards the opened [Catacombs], among them being Klein and Heracles.
"Never thought you'd be crazy enough to go Dungeon-delving!" the burly man pointed out as he carried the boy over his shoulder. "Or invite me, for that matter!"
"You got strong because of things like this, right?!" the boy pointed out as Smurf the [Gnome] rode on his head. "So you'd know best how to get strong!"
Heracles beatifically smiles as they head into the depths. "You and I are gonna be legends by the end of this!" he declared as they then leapt down towards the deepest area of the first level. "So let's make everyone proud!"
"Right!"
25 Days, 11 Hours, 45 Minutes, 10 Seconds Remaining...
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: And here we are at an Arc I've been wanting to work on for a while!
... And it took me until I entered this fic's sunset phase. C'est la vie, I suppose.
So, this whole arc is going to be one giant D&D and Darkest Dungeon tribute, with Fana now having to throw together whatever kind of party she can just to get Klein back from the [Catacombs] after a miscommunication and the latter's misguided attempt to earn everyone's approval (give him a break, he's still a kid who has to deal with trauma of his own existence as a fake human; from personal experience, one does not make wise choices when they're mentally compromised).
And Fana still has to deal with her own issues of entering indentured servitude under a Dragon after accidently destroying her library during the fight with Loki and Atlas.
So really, this is only the prelude. The starting pistol before shit REALLY hits the fan.
And to those who are still reading this, THANK YOU for sticking with me.
This fic is basically my high school-cringe and I intend to put a close to it in two arcs.
So stick by until I give this white elephant of a fic the end that it deserves. Until then, wish me luck!
References:
- This whole arc is named after Jamiroquai's song, "Canned Heat."
Adventurer cameos:
- Lamplighter Dungeon Rescue Corps/Lamplighters: the Dragon Quest 11 party.
- Trial Takers: Trials of Mana's main cast (Berserker, Mystic Queen, Annihilator, Chaosbringer, Vigilante, Meteorite Classes in order of introduction).
- Arms Legion: Elsword's Year One Cast (Lord Knight, Elemental Master, Grand Archer, Blade Master, Code: Nemesis, Iron Paladin Classes in order of introduction); and their misery reputation as looters is a reference to the game's infamous monetization system (they don't let you keep the characters' base class costumes permanently/15 days, forcing you to buy costume pieces just to not make them look naked/generic).
- Red Leaf Party: Korean Maplestory comic main cast (Fighter Dodo, Rogue Aruru w/Pipi the cat, Ranger Bow, and Mage Deliki); aka, my childhood back at South Korea. Also, funny note about the latter, in the game's promo art, Deliki is classified as female, the comics make Deliki male; so I just split the difference and made Deliki nonbinary. And their name and status as "promising rookies" are a reference to Goblin Slayer's "Greenhorn Party" that the Priestess first joined before they all got TPKed (sans the Priesty girl).
- Riders of Flame: Fire Emblem archetype cast tribute (led by the "blue-haired Lord").
- Epic Battlers of Fantasy: Epic Battle Fantasy Cast up to 5 (my childhood in Flash Games).
- The Controlled Accord: Concord cast (living up to their reputation as the worst Adventurers to ever exist to reflect the game's epic fail).
- The Silent Soloist, The Nameless Bard, etc.: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Link (with so Kass thrown in).