Hey, my friends, hello, a good day to you all.
I'll be posting the chapter a bit earlier today since I'll be spending the rest of the day on two things.
First, I'll do a slight rewrite of 4 chapters, I did a few mistakes in regards to personality and information, and I only realized it after I started reading the sword Oratoria manga.
Second, I'll try to finish the chapter for my other Novel, I'm late already and that damn cold has finally settled, hopefully, I'll have that done soon.
Don't worry, I'm not pushing myself, at most, I'm upset.
See ya all soon.
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PS! Here are some images for the Xenos, and for the new person, I forgot to add them recently, so here they are.
I'll probably add them in the previous chapters, but unless you re-read them, there is no need to check it out.
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"Mellios Silver…"
"We've finally met." Fels said slowly
'Silver slowly turned his head to face the mysterious newcomer.'
'At first, he was confused, the genderless voice wasn't one he recognized, but the moment he saw the black robe and silver gauntlets, something lit up on the far edges of his mind.'
'He looked at the hood, but he could see nothing but darkness inside, the hood was also a magic item, just like the rest of the robe, the gauntlets, and even the metallic boots hidden beneath the robe.'
'Silver wasn't surprised by this person's appearance, nor the fact that he seemed to know him, it was to be expected given who it was.'
'But he had to keep some level of an act, it would do no good if he were to show that he knew anything about this person for now.'
"You know me?" Silver asked
"How can I not?"
"Ever since the attack against the Loki Familia, your presence has been seen in many minor and bigger events across Orario…"
"And now, you are the record holder for the fastest Level up... By a mile, much to Goddess Loki's dismay, she caused quite the ruckus when she visited the Guild after the Denatus."
"Haha... I'm sorry?" Silver asked jokingly
'However, it was impossible to discern this being's expression, it's voice did not change as it continued to say:'
"... Many are expectant in regards to how long you'll take to Level up once more, me included."
"Your strength is also very impressive, being Level 2, you fended off and defeated a Green Dragon, I was very surprised when I heard about it."
'Silver scratched the back of his head and said:'
"I merely won because I won the battle of attrition, and in the end, I sacrificed a portion of myself to deal the killing blow... That's not optimal."
Besides... I can hear suspicion in her voice... If it's a 'her'...
Should I just say I'm Level 3 and be done with it? Considering her position...
"Yet you defeated it, few could repeat what you did, regardless of their accomplishments."
"Speaking of which, you're also probably the one behind the recent unrest on the 24th floor right?"
"..."
'Silver looked at the cloaked figure with a calm expression.'
'It seemed that his indiscriminate fighting has attracted some level of attention... It was bound to happen eventually, he was surprised this didn't happen sooner.'
'Perhaps due to the fact, his fights have started to grow wider in scale...'
'But with that in mind, Silver really wanted to know how much this person and the Guild respectively knew about him.'
"What do you mean?" He asked, keeping on the act
Go on, tell me what you know.
'Fels raised her hands and shook them.'
"There is no need to act defensively, I am not your enemy, nor I'm I here to punish you, it's more about curiosity... And my way of helping you, since it seems you wish to keep this a secret."
"..."
'Silver remained silent, but that was enough for Fels, she immediately started to speak:'
"For the last 2 or so weeks, every day there would be a period where the monsters would go into considerable unrest within the 24th floor."
"However, such unrest was also noted on the 21st, 22nd, and the 23rd floors."
"Prior investigation points to the use of a certain illegal item… The same one you used."
"And you think it was me?"
'I did train on those floors, but only once, it was when I was trying to figure out the best place to train. A place where the ratio of all things combined results in the most optimal scenario...'
'Deeper doesn't mean better after all...'
"Initially, I didn't even consider you, after all, what can a recent Level 2 adventurer have to do with unrest on the Middle floors?"
"But now, I am certain."
"I see, I'll try to be a bit more cautious next time... I hope my actions haven't caused any trouble... Have they?"
'Fels shook her head.'
"Thankfully, no such thing has happened, no adventurer is rash enough to rush into a berserking wave of monsters, even large Familias will avoid those to preserve strength during expeditions, much less isolated parties."
"Yeah... You're right." Silver said with an awkward smile
"In any case, this was what I wanted to say." Fels replied slowly
'However, Silver still asked:'
"So? What is the thing you want to tell me? You didn't tell me all of this for nothing right?" He said with a small smile
"... It seems you have noticed, this makes things simpler."
"As you must've heard, recently, everyone is on edge due to recent attacks from a group of illegal poachers, and they are known to use similar illegal items during their operations."
"Such attacks aren't uncommon, since it's impossible to regulate adventurers and ask them to not attack the Xenos, however, such situations are extremely rare as they'll once upon a blue moon meet each other."
"Yet, this isn't the case for this group of poachers, they actively seek them out..."
"I had great difficulty trying to tie their movements to this recent unrest, but now it's explained… It was you." Fels said
'Silver smiled slightly.'
"That's right, but if there is a dangerous group like that roaming around, it's best to not assume it was all me simply because of convenience." He replied sternly
"But of course, such a possibility never escaped from my mind."
'Fels nodded, before replying:'
"Please, don't treat this as an interrogation, I just wanted to make things clear…"
"It's fine, I'll simply try to reduce the scale of things and not indiscriminately destroy my surroundings." Silver replied as he shook his head
"But if I am allowed to ask, why were you using this Powder? Even if it was to complete a Quest, using it on such a wide area..."
'Silver scratched his chin, thinking of an answer, but in the end, he said:'
"Why? Because it's part of my daily training."
"Tr-Training you say?... Daily training?"
'Fels seemed considerably surprised, for the first time, she stuttered in her speech.'
"Yes, hunting monsters the normal way is... Pardon my arrogant words, a waste of time."
"..."
"With my set of abilities and Skills, I've come to the conclusion that fighting off large numbers of enemies is the most ideal for my growth... Even if rash, this is the style I've determined for myself after many dives in Dungeon."
"But I can't just go after large groups, those aren't common, monster migrations do happen, but that is only under special circumstances."
"There are other situations where large groups form, but all of that is just like the former, happening under unreliable dates."
"So I came to the conclusion that it would be easier if they came to me rather than me to them… Is that an odd way of thinking?"
'Even the Xenos seemed surprised to hear this...'
"Silver-chi, isn't that pretty dangerous?" Lyd asked confused
'Lyd frowned pretty hard, but he couldn't really find a flaw in his words. Of course, common sense dictated that people would often prefer to go to the monsters than the contrary.'
"Yes, it is." He replied with a nod
"So why do you do it?" Ray asked
'Silver raised his eyebrow in wonder.'
"An adventurer is meant to brave the unknown while challenging higher and higher risks, to break their chains and reach the Gods..."
"If I was afraid of such danger I wouldn't have become an adventurer in the first place."
"Because just like you, I also have my own dream."
"..."
'They all remained silent until Fels opened her mouth to ask:'
"But even so, isn't it too much to use luring powder on an entire sector of the 24th floor? Alone?"
Much less as a Level 2...
All adventurers, without exception, would always choose to preserve their strength at all times, those that didn't are already dead or retired after heavy injuries or traumatic experiences.
But he is saying that he prefers to fight everything at once? And the more the better?
He's trying to make it sound logical and as if it was the natural conclusion to derive.
I can count on one hand the number of people who risks themselves to such a degree in the name of self-training...
People of old, already forgotten or became legends, nothing but stories for children to smile at...
But recent names would include... The Sword Princess when she was younger, and the Champion... Ottar.
There are others who come close, but they always operate within a certain risk margin.
'While Fels thought, Silver said:'
"It depends, for everyone? Probably so."
"However, I am very aware of how dangerous my actions are to other adventurers."
"I have the means to flee in case things go bad, and to clean up afterward, but I always make sure to stick to all safety measures. Not only for myself but for the people around me as well." Silver said with a straight face
"I check to see if there is any group nearby, and I train far away from the main paths and even side paths, sticking to wild regions during my training."
"Although today was a bit much and something unexpected happened… I didn't expect there to be such a creature nearby, I made a blunder."
"It was my first time meeting a Green Dragon, although I am disappointed that I failed to find its treasure tree. But I'm happier that I managed to have my arm back."
'Fels was a bit shocked.'
'Even Lyd, Ray, and the others were also considerably mouth opened.'
"So you're saying that… Every day… You enter the Dungeon alone, go to the 24th floor, spread luring powder, and fight whatever comes your way?" Fels asked speechlessly
"That's mostly correct, that's pretty much what my schedule was for the past 2 or so weeks."
"Silver-chi..." Lyd said
Just thinking about it... About his state when I first found him...
So he fought against that entire army of monsters and then proceeded to engage with the Dragon...
Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
'Fels remained silent for a long time.'
"It makes more sense now." She said as she shook her head
"What does?"
"Your reports… I always found it strange for a Level 2 lone adventurer to bring back loot that not even large groups from decent-sized Familias would be able to gather."
"There was even a request for a private investigation, but the results were inconclusive since you did spend most of your time in the Dungeon. And the Guild was unwilling to send personnel to investigate deeper."
"My apologies if it offends you in any way, that wasn't the intention."
'Silver shrugged.'
"I fully understand what the Guild thinks, I'm not a child."
'Albeit I'm curious about who asked for such an investigation, she enforced the word "private", and as such, it should've remained a secret...'
'But she told me such a thing happened. To warn me? Who else is after me? Hum...'
"My actions aren't exactly subtle, for example, today, I should've killed a hundred monsters at the very least, if it was a big Familia, no one would mind, but me?"
"That's why I store part of it away and sell it over time... Even if the price of the magic stones decreases slightly."
'I had stopped doing it after I became Level 2, but I was forced to do so again, just like she said, I don't want people to sniff around me too much.'
"I don't doubt it, seeing the massive pile of drop items stashed nearby."
"But… I'm not here to reprimand you for your actions, or to discuss how you train."
"Although I will ask you to be more careful next time."
"There is a reason this powder is considered illegal, so I hope you don't misuse it."
'It seemed she could only keep a blind eye for this, any more than this and the Guild may be forced to take action...'
'And he understood loud and clear what she was trying to say.'
"Why trust me?"
"You've already given me a reason."
"..."
'He remained silent.'
"Although our first encounter was rather unusual, I would still like to extend my greeting to you and an offer."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm called Fels, and I am currently representing Ouranos in helping the Xenos achieve their dream."
"And also to make sure they remain safe and hidden in order to reduce possible chaos and further repercussions."
"Ouranos?" Silver asked
"That is correct."
"13 years ago was when I first made contact with the Xenos by chance, and since then we've been working with them towards coexistence."
"Ouranos and I believe that it is more than just a dream, but we always lacked the means to achieve it."
"And that is also the reason why I am here."
"Adventurer Silver, do you believe it's possible for Humans and Xenos to live in harmony?"
"..."
'Silver raised his head, looking at all of the Xenos that were now looking at him, waiting for his reply.'
"Yes, I don't think it's impossible..."
"Yet, my short answer is yes, but my true answer is, it depends on how you want to do so."
/Whispers…/
'The Xenos started to become worried as they talked.'
"Oh? Would you mind elaborating?"
"Of course not, although it's a bit long..."
"Time is the thing I have most." Fels said ironically
'Silver nodded, understand the hidden meaning within it.'
'Fells also had a lot of secrets hidden beneath those robes...'
'He walked back and sat down on a rock near the bonfire.'
"To explain why my answer is like that, we need to determine the time frame for this dream."
"Because I can't see this being possible within the close future, much less on a medium-term, and depending on how far you look, even on a long term as well…"
"Perhaps this may only be done after I die of old age… And looking after yourself, towards the next generations is not something everything can do, or are willing to do."
"Why do you think so Silver-chi?" Lyd asked, a bit depressed
"Lyd, just like each Xenos is different from each other, each individual up there is different from each other, in many diverse ways and in ways you can't comprehend right now, be it good or bad."
"People have been in War against monsters for too long… They won't accept your existence so easily."
"Even me... I grew up in a village in the countryside, and although I never lost a family member to a monster, I heard of people that did lose someone to a roaming monster..."
Just look at the Loki Familia, half of their Executives are like that...
"I am a curious person, and although I consider myself open-minded, this doesn't mean I can fully see you all as friends, I'm sorry for being harsh."
"My hard training, my vocation as an adventurer has taught me to be wary of those claws and fangs you have... Hell, I'm even wary of other adventurers when I'm down here."
"I see..." Lyd said as he looked at his claws
"But Lyd, don't get me wrong, I still believe you are all much more than simply intelligent monsters, you have been constantly proving that to me."
"So I'm willing to give it a try... Or several tries." He said with a small smile
"Silver-chi..."
'Silver turned his head and looked back at Fels.'
"People are selfish, even if they understand they are all capable of thinking and are completely unlike monsters, they'll simply ignore it as that is easier."
"People don't want to make the hard decisions, they'll wait for those on top to make them first, or for someone braver to act first, it has always been like that."
'And in the end, they'll complain, although, it's not entirely their fault either, I'm not trying to antagonize the people here.'
"Elves were just like that, weren't they? Completely isolated from everyone, and extremely racist. It wouldn't be uncommon for them to kill travelers on sight if they were to cut a tree of their forest, or to get too close to their borders."
'Fels remained silent, understand where he was going with this.'
"The Elves' situation is different yet similar to this one."
"Why were the Elves accepted?" He asked Fels
"Because of many reasons, but the most important was that they didn't have that many grudges with everyone else… Because they looked similar to the other races, almost put on a pedestal due to their beauty, history, and grace by them."
"However, the Xenos are very similar to everyone's Number 1 enemy, and second of all, it's much easier to pin a Goblin as dangerous than a pretty and gracious Level 6 adventurer."
"A mother would feel much safer putting her child next to dubious adventurer than an inoffensive Xenos, just because he or she looks like a monster."
"This is the hypocrisy of men..."
"Under this thinking, introducing someone like Ray to the surface world would be much easier than Lyd. But it would still be an incomparably difficult task."
"Do you understand where I'm getting at?" Silver asked as he looked at Fels
"I do, it was something I've considered as well, and the very reason why it's so difficult to achieve this dream, even after 13 years have passed."
"How long would take to make this mother comfortable with leaving her child with a Xenos? How long would it take to make her trust them?" Fels said
"This isn't something that can be done just like that, but it isn't impossible." She replied in a strong tone
'Silver nodded.'
"That is why I said yes, but that it depends."
'The Xenos looked at each other, discussing what he had just said.'
"Even so, we've always known that coexistence would be a hard task, and with that in mind I ask again:"
"Are you willing to help us?"
"..."
'Silver looked at the Xenos, but he didn't smile.'
"Didn't I say it before? I'll give it a try, as many times as I..."
/Roar!/
'The Xenos roared in excitement, cutting Silver, but he didn't smile, instead, he continued after they calmed down slightly:'
"There is one issue we need to resolve before we proceed, one that albeit dark, I need to say out loud else this wouldn't feel genuine to me."
"I want to give it my all, but I want to be honest as well."
"Humans, Elves, Beast people, and more are all community species."
"This means that it's impossible or at least, very hard to live alone or in isolation for extreme periods of time, if done so, severe psychological trauma would happen."
"If I choose to openly support something the majority refuses, this will affect my everything and those around me in the eyes of everyone else."
"So yes, I am willing to help, but my mother? My father? My friends? What would they think of my actions? Most importantly, what would the people think of them?"
"I can stand being pushed out because I live my own life, but can my friends and family do the same?"
'But Fels simply said:'
"There is no need to openly reveal your support because we aren't ready to reveal our existence to the world."
"That is why we've been working hard to make people used to monsters slowly, but what we needed was someone like you."
"Someone who can act as a bridge, slowly over time, and not in a sudden manner."
'Silver remained pensive.'
'In the end, he knew that, there was no need for him to say that, but now that he did, he felt a bit better, it made him feel as if they were on the same page.'
'At the end of the day, there would come a time where he would be forced to make a public choice, and what would he choose at the time?'
"There are several things I would like to ask."
"First being, what sort of coexistence do you seek?"
"What do you mean Silver-chi?" Lyd asked
'Just living on the surface... What else could we ask for?'
"There are many ways I can think of to introduce you all to the surface world."
"We could go with this extremely and painful process you've all been following of slowly trying to communicate."
"It may work once in a while, but what about when it fails? The loss of progress would be massive, while the pace would be slower than a nail's pace."
"If you wish to walk outside then you'll eventually need to reveal yourselves."
"It isn't an easy path, but a path is a path."
"But you could also aim for something else… Simply announcing your existence."
"What?! That is..." Fels said
"That would make things too chaotic!"
If they were suddenly revealed to the world...
"I'm not saying for you all to simply reveal yourselves, but instead, to prove to the entire world that what they think does not matter."
"What do you mean Mr.Silver?" Ray asked frowning
'Silver expression turned dark, the yellow light from the bonfire fire shone on his face, casting a shadow on the rest of his body.'
"How does a nation sustain itself? Through power. A powerless nation will only fade away from history."
"If you are all strong enough, then what about their opinion? You could easily climb the Dungeon and take a portion of the surface to live in."
"And slowly from there, you could start talking and negotiating, and make people deal with your existence."
"Even if this generation doesn't tolerate you, and the next one is the same, one day, they'll simply adjust, it'll come a time where a kid will just grow and say: Those guys? They've always been there, what about it?"
"Of course, assuming you all last long enough."
'What Silver said made them all silent.'
"That's too extreme." Fels said
"I know, but it was just a suggestion."
"What I'm trying to say is that, no matter what you all do, it's impossible to achieve complete harmony within this lifetime, but depending on how you all act, perhaps those that will come after you will be able to enjoy the morning sun without a shred of worry."
"It has always been like this, not only for you, but for those on the surface as well, the scars of War last generations, even now, conflicts between Elves and other species exist, and it'll probably last for a long time."
"..."
'Fels was feeling extremely conflicted.'
'Because what he said was technically right...'
He isn't wrong, but those words are filled with violence and they point out a grim future...
If such a path is chosen, casualties from either side will be inevitable.
But he is also saying that our original course of action is also not without flaws.
And the result of it is already showing itself.
A long and arduous path where many sacrifices will have to make... It's just that the sacrifices are made over time instead of at once.
No matter what path we choose, casualties will happen from both sides…
'Looking at their expression, Silver let out a sigh.'
"Looks like my words were too much, I'm sorry everyone, I spoiled the mood."
"This was merely a suggestion, so don't take it too seriously."
"Such a problem wasn't so simple to resolve in the first place, my words are merely that, words, life is full of surprises, plans often not prove to be useless."
'But Lyd said with a firm tone:'
"No, you're correct. We are weak."
"We have to be strong so we can follow our dream, and fight for it."
"Because of our weakness, we lost some of our friends because we couldn't protect them..."
"We were fooled by their lies, blinded by a promise of coexistence, and this light burned us."
"However, I am unwilling to let go of our dream like this, else their sacrifices would've been meaningless."
'He looked at Silver and said:'
"I want to see the fabled sun. Would you help us?" He asked as he stretched his arm once more
'It meant something completely different.'
"..."
Although things happened suddenly, what I wanted has not changed.
'Silver grabbed Lyd's hand.'
"Only if you help me achieve mine as well." He said with a smile
'Lyd smiled.'
'Previously, it was a light-hearted greeting, now, it was a promise.'
/ROAR!/
'The Xenos cried loudly in cheers...'
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Notes
Phew, more than 4K words.
It was hard to write this chapter.
I hope it went out okay, now it's time to do the rest.
See ya!
PS: There is one thing a lot of people have asked me, and that is why do I reply to many comments with a '.'.
It's pretty simple, I use a dot to mark all mistakes or things for me to take a look at later.
So if you see a dot on your comment, it's pretty safe to say I'll take a second look at it.
Even if you simply said something ironically, remember that I cant see the context for your comment, so I take it at face value.
Thanks for reading!