Distant lights sparkled in the damp darkness of a rocky passageway.
The flickering dots created long shadows at the feet of monsters. Firebreathing hellhounds growled as they sniffed the air. The white fur of a pack of
horned almirage rippled as they looked around restlessly with their adorable
faces, floppy bunny-like ears bouncing in time with their feet. The beasts were
on the hunt, using their extraordinarily sharp senses of smell and hearing to
locate the invaders crazy enough to enter their territory.
Monsters tracked their prey as they snaked their way through the countless
tunnels of the intricate maze known as the Dungeon.
Somewhere deep within—KASHH KASHH.
The sounds of digging echoed through the hallways.
"Hey…is this really the right spot for mining?"
"Ahhh, do you doubt Lilly's information? Lilly did the proper research, and
she knows that upper-class adventurers bring home lots of those stones from this
area."
A young girl used a portable magic-stone lamp to illuminate an area for the
young man to slam his mattock into the cavern wall.
Welf and Lilly worked in a dark corner of the Dungeon while quietly
bickering back and forth.
"Sir Welf, Lady Lilly…still no success?"
"M-monsters could be here any moment…I don't know how much more my
nerves can take…"
Two new hushed voices joined the conversation coming from Mikoto and
Bell.
All four adventurers were careful to keep their bodies low and out of sight.
The boy with ruby-red eyes and white hair and the young girl with long black
locks tied into a ponytail were sidled up close beside where Welf and Lilly
engaged with the cavern wall. Bell and Mikoto were serving as lookouts.
Needless to say, they were watching for monsters.
They were in a semicircular small room at the end of a long, narrow hallway.
The four of them had come here to mine the Dungeon for a specific stone. If a
group of monsters came barreling down the lone path or burst from the Dungeon
walls around them, there would be no escape. With no end to their mission in
sight, the two human lookouts shed another drop of nervous sweat every time the
mattock hit the stone wall.
The wall that Lilly and Welf were facing bore the scars of their labor while
hundreds of pieces of stone littered the floor around them. As of yet, they had
still not hit pay dirt, and as Bell listened to the pair's unproductive bickering
with an unreadable expression on his face, he happened to spy a spare mattock at
Welf's feet. Abandoning his post, the boy went to pick up the tool and set to
work.
The tool itself was made from the same material as many of the weapons and
armor used by adventurers. Trying it out, Bell swung the metal tool against the
cavern wall a few times.
Just as he began, rock crumbled away and a few twinkling objects fell to the
floor.
"Ah."
"""AH!"""
A few flashes of light caught their attention as the ore rolled on the ground.
"W-we've done it! It's blood onyx!"
"You did it, Bell!"
"As expected, truly!!"
Relief and joy instantly spread throughout the party as they picked up three
of the gemstones, stowed them in a small bag, and quickly left the dead end
behind.
Transitioning from the subterranean cul-de-sac into a much wider regular
path in the Dungeon, they finally got a chance to breathe.
"As requested, we have collected more than two blood onyx…And with this,
our quest is complete, right?"
Lilly took one of the minerals out of the bag as they walked through the
room. She examined the black onyx's surface, directing her gaze at the bands of
bloodred and coal-black reflecting light from above. Welf and Mikoto, walking
close beside their supporter to protect her, exchanged smiles as they were drawn
in, too.
"Our other quest for the almirage furs was fulfilled after slaying that pack a
while ago as well…"
"Yeah. Got 'em both done real quick…You know, Bell, ever since I joined up
with you guys, drop items and stones like today seem to just fall into our laps.
Do you just have really good luck?"
"Ah-ha-ha-haa…"
Bell had received two quests from Eina before Apollo's banquet was held.
The deadline was fast approaching, so the party of four adventurers had
journeyed to the thirteenth floor in the middle levels of the Dungeon.
Bell laughed drily at Welf's comment. About one month ago, when he
obtained the Advanced Ability "Luck," Eina had taken a guess as to its effect—
and now her words bubbled up in the back of Bell's mind.
Now that he thought about it, drop items seemed to be appearing at a higher
rate than before he leveled up…The boy tilted his head and mumbled to himself.
"Is this really okay? There was no time left on the quests, but…There's so
much work to do with moving into our new home, but we dropped all that and
came down here…"
"It's always necessary to think about the future, Mr. Bell. That doesn't
change just because the familia got bigger."
Following Lilly's merry comment, Welf turned and smiled.
"And I'm sure after the War Game and all, you wanted a chance to test out
your current power, ain't that right?"
Welf keenly pointed this out almost like an older brother, leaving Bell
speechless for a moment. The white-haired boy nodded sheepishly as he said,
"A-a bit…" He was lost for words as he looked at the man resting a greatsword
on his shoulder.
They had overcome the fierce battles of the War Game, deepened their bonds,
acquired new strengths, and become family in the process.
Today was their first trip into the Dungeon as the reborn Hestia Familia.
"—Everyone, get ready."
Mikoto, her eyes locked on the path ahead of them, sounded the alarm.
Even before she finished speaking, Bell and the others drew their various
weapons as quickly as Mikoto, everyone on their guard. All of them spotted the
many sets of glinting eyes rushing in their direction from deep in the darkness.
Welf and Bell moved to the front as the first wave of beasts came into the
light.
"I'm counting on you to take point!"
"On it!"
More than ten creatures leaped from the monsters' ranks, aiming to slash at
the party in a swarm.
The hellhounds preparing to launch their ranged fireball attacks were the very
first targets for the two flashing knives and greatsword. High-speed slashes
dismembered the attacking monsters' bodies, while a slash with the ferocity of a
sledgehammer struck a particularly large monster, smashing it to pieces.
"Lady Lilly, a spear!"
Mikoto moved into position behind Bell and Welf, who had already begun
fighting, with her long black ponytail fluttering behind her.
Wasting no time, Lilly thrust a hand into her backpack and drew a short metal
stake with a blade on one end. She threw the weapon with all her might, and
when it flipped horizontally, in the blink of an eye, it extended into a two-mederlong pole before landing in Mikoto's grasp.
A collapsible silver lance. The former member of Takemikazuchi Familia
wielded the weapon with ease from the center as she covered the flanks of the
two forward attackers. Her swift, accurate strikes skewered the agile almirage
one after another. It wasn't long before a trail of monster corpses and piles of ash
were left in her wake.
Without missing a beat, she moved to intercept the natural weapons used by
the monsters—stone tomahawks—and deflected them away from Bell and Welf.
"Well, it appears that Lilly's completely not needed anymore."
Standing by in the rear, Lilly looked over her comrades while admiring their
handiwork. The entire encounter took less than a minute from start to finish.
Bell had become strong enough to pierce enemy ranks, carrying the party on
the offense. He and Welf had learned how to anticipate each other's movements,
their teamwork improving with each battle. Now that Mikoto had joined their
group, they could count on additional support from the center of their formation.
Since Bell could focus solely on attacking, their battle party was much more
balanced than before and at least twice as powerful. With an upper-class
adventurer and a High Smith strengthening their forward and center ranks, they
had a distinct advantage over the monsters on this level.
"There's nothing to fear on level thirteen!" Lilly gleefully declared, happy
instead of sad that she no longer had a role to play during battles. She hummed
cheerfully while making her way to the line of monster corpses to perform her
role as a supporter: to collect the spoils of battle.
That's when they heard something.
Ferocious war cries of monsters and a noisy, deep-voiced yell.
"Isn't that…a scream?"
"They are steadily approaching…I-it can't be."
Thud thud thud thud thud thud! Bell and Mikoto were petrified as the sounds
echoed and approached from the darkness.
And a heartbeat later…
Just as they had feared, a group of adventurers emerged from a hallway,
pursued by an even larger horde of monsters.
"They're coming right for Lilly and everyone…?!"
"Hang on a sec, hasn't this exact damn thing happened before?!"
The oncoming party of adventurers was madly running for their lives. That
was, until they caught a glimpse of Bell's battle party. Their leader sneered as his
bloodshot eyes twisted with glee.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…!" Mikoto desperately apologized in response to
Welf's outburst.
"You guys—Hestia Familia, aren't 'cha?! Be grateful, we'll share our haul
with you!"
"Like hell you will!! As if we need 'em!"
"R-run!"
Passing off monsters from one party to another—a pass parade. Welf's
enraged shouts and Bell's terrified screams overlapped as they approached.
Bell and his battle party turned their backs to the oncoming adventurers and
the thirty-plus monsters not far behind them and took off at full speed.
"Who the hell was it who said we had nothing to fear on this floor?"
"It depends on the time and place!! Gah, Lilly couldn't even collect any
magic stones…!"
"Lady Lilly, quickly! Hand me the backpack!"
"Wh-which way was the exit again?"
Welf readjusted the greatsword against his shoulder and let his frustrations
show. Mikoto took the large backpack from Lilly and quickly slung it over her
own shoulders. Bell swooped in and picked up the short prum girl, running as
fast as he could with her in his arms.
The monsters picked up their pace, excited by the smell of even more fresh
meat in front of them.
The reborn Hestia Familia used everything they had to escape from the
Dungeon.
Night.
Shrouded in darkness beneath the crescent moon, countless magic-stone
lamps dotted the cityscape of Orario.
Standing proudly in the middle of Adventurers Street—Guild Headquarters,
the majestic Pantheon. The clang of metal upon metal rang out from the
industrial districts. The business quarter truly came alive, with rounds of
thunderous applause bursting from the theaters and excited cheers echoing out of
the casinos. Indeed this city, blessed with the resources harvested from the
Dungeon, never slept, the hustle and bustle never ending.
In this thriving metropolis that seemed to symbolize prosperity itself, there
was a certain place.
Flirtatious voices came from within the many small buildings that lined the
street there.
Sometimes strong and sometimes barely above a whisper, these were the
voices of men and women consumed by passion. Flickering candlelight
illuminated the pairs of shadows intertwining on many of the windows and walls
up and down the street, forms braided on beds.
Here desires turned into money, filled with bordellos as far as the eye could
see.
The aptly named Night District felt completely different from the rest of the
city. Dimly lit and seemingly standing apart from all the other streets and
neighborhoods, it was always permeated with a mysterious, bewitching
atmosphere.
"…That shithead."
Where people indulged their cravings and appetites, the brothels.
She sat above it all, watching from the highest floor of her own palace.
The shapely woman was heavily accessorized with a golden crown, earrings,
an ornate necklace decorating her cleavage, and bracelets around her wrists and
ankles.
The only piece of cloth on her body that could truly be called clothing was a
thin skirt around her hips, held in place by a cord tied at her side. There was
nothing keeping her voluptuous breasts from view; only one strap of cloth
prevented her from exposing everything to the world. Her perfectly proportioned
hourglass figure and silky smooth coppery skin, openly displayed, were enough
to make any man lose his mind. Her beauty was strong enough to bring a country
to its knees—her divinity simply took it one step further. Truly, gender mattered
not when looking at her body, which could hold anyone prisoner as it exuded a
sweet, alluring aroma.
Her room was dark, illuminated by only the crescent moon and stars above.
With the room open to the night air on all sides, she had a perfect view of the
tower standing in the middle of the city. She glared at it, as if trying to burn it
down with sheer intensity and loathing.
She stood in the highest place in all the Night District.
However, she wasn't satisfied.
As for why, it was because of the chalk-white tower in the center of the city
that pierced the skies, soaring overhead as though looking down on her, laughing
at her.
The woman stared daggers at the highest floor of that tower.
That's where that vile woman would be even now, a Goddess of Beauty like
her—the silver-haired goddess whom she hated most of all.
"Why are you there? Why is it you and not me who sits on the throne?"
Unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable.
That woman was always looking down on her from the highest perch.
As if she were no different from the rabble when viewed from such heights.
Her beauty allowed that goddess to take anything she wanted within Orario—
no, the world. And she was rubbing it in her face.
That deplorable vixen. Unbelievable.
Were all the children of Gekai, and the other gods, blind?
Ignoring her own unparalleled beauty and giving that their attention?
Categorically inconceivable.
Cursing that goddess with every fiber of her being, the goddess Ishtar's
beauty warped into something much more frightening.
"Don't get full of yourself, Freya…"
Fully drawn curtains let in the moonlight, illuminating Ishtar in profile.
The irritating truth was that that goddess was not only higher ranked in name
but led a familia more powerful than her own. So powerful, in fact, that they
could prevent others from catching up.
For it was Freya's beauty, along with her powerful followers, that allowed
that woman to keep her place at the top.
"Keh!" Ishtar kept her eyes firmly on Babel Tower as a small laugh escaped
her lips.
The smile on her face was one that could Charm anyone who laid eyes upon
her—but it also hid a dark side.
It wouldn't be long now.
It wouldn't be long until she pulled that woman down from her perch.
Ishtar's lips curled into a conniving grin.
"Just you watch."
Spitting out those words under her breath, she stood up from the sofa she had
been sitting on.
A bowl of exotic fruit sat on a table with a long, thin smoking pipe made in
the Far Eastern style sitting at its base, all beside the sofa. The goddess grabbed
her pipe before exiting the room. Several handsome young servants followed
right behind her as she descended into the center of the palace.
Her braided black hair swayed from side to side and looked almost as though
hues of purple were weaved into it. Smoke billowed from between her succulent
lips after one pull from her oriental pipe as she descended to the top floor
overlooking a grand inner chamber.
Spread out beneath her were her followers. Ishtar put her hands on the railing
and addressed the prostitutes below.
"Now, ladies! It's time to ensnare new clients! Tonight again, drown
yourselves in love to your heart's content!"
The crowd roared in approval. They were composed mostly of Amazons and
contained a wide range from pretty, adorable girls to mature, sensual women.
Ishtar looked down at their enthralling, lust-inspiring faces and couldn't help but
grin.
Her words were the signal for all the prostitutes to move out onto the streets.
Some tried to get customers on looks alone, others called out to passing men, or
still more directly approached the males who met their approval. The men had
no idea that they were being hunted. Their thirst for pleasure emptied their
wallets, spread information, relieved them of prized possessions, and
surrendered their hearts to be devoured by the women in the brothels.
Like the ancient capital of old, built on decadence and immorality, this place
was now alive with the celebration of hedonism and pleasures.
"Aisha, let's get moving… Before all the hunky ones get taken!"
"Ahh, right behind you."
An Amazonian woman responded to one of her kin. She walked the streets of
the Night District, her long, toned legs bathed in moonlight until she stopped and
looked back.
The atmosphere within Orario's red-light district was foreign and exotic,
unlike anywhere else in the city.
The brothels were designed to look like those from an island country far
away. The red pillars and walls were brilliant and flashy, drawing in anyone who
saw them. The Amazonian woman stood for a moment and admired one of the
villas highlighted by the lights. Narrowing her eyes to hide her own pity, her
long black hair fluttered behind her as she turned to rejoin her friend.
She strode past a window in front of one of the brothels where several
prostitutes were lined up, waiting for customers.
Many young women had gathered in a chamber that was open to the street;
only a lattice barrier separated them from the street as they called out to
passersby, smiling and inviting them inside charmingly with friendly waves and finger curls.
"…"
Amid the prostitutes advertising their goods, there was one girl who sat
quietly in the corner of the chamber.
Unlike the other women around her, she sat with her knees together and lips
closed. Her cute, supple features and presence were enough to attract the
attention of potential customers. Wearing a kimono—said to be the traditional
garb of that island nation—underneath a traditional red bridal robe, her delicate
body stood out like a beacon.
She had straight golden hair with green eyes, as well as a bushy tail of the
same color as her hair.
With long, fox-like ears, the girl was absolutely stunning.
The only accessory she was adorned with was a black collar around her neck
as she looked out from the chamber that served as her prison.
A cloud in the night sky shifted, allowing a moonbeam to cast its light upon
her. She quietly whispered to herself.
"Seven more days…"