Familia's emblem to create an IOU. They come to collect the money later."
There were two payment options in Rivira: trade items for merchandise directly or by
signing a payment contract.
It would be cumbersome and even dangerous to carry large amounts of money into
the Dungeon. To get around this, a Familia's emblem was used as credit. Then
someone representing the shop would return to the outside and show up at that
Familia's home, the emblem in hand.
The opposite was true with the Exchange in Rivira. The shop had a representative on
the surface where an adventurer could take a receipt issued by the shop to receive
their money.
For that reason, suspicious persons who refused to identify themselves could never
do business in this town.
"You haven't made an emblem yet, have you, Hestia? It'd be a good idea to do that; it
would help Bell out a lot, too. An emblem works like identity verification; there are
places in Orario where they come in handy."
"Ohhh, an emblem… I see…"
Hestia folded her arms and looked up toward the ceiling.
While her lack of followers was a problem, the thought of Bell having his own emblem
made Hestia excited. She stole a glance at the Familia emblem sewn into Asfi's battle
cloth, winged traveler's hat, and sandals, and had fun envisioning the emblem she
could create for him.
She was lost in thought when suddenly—thump.
"You got a problem?"
"Ah… Sorry!"
Bell was quick to step in front of Hestia and apologize. He bowed a few times before
looking up at the adventurer's face and saw a scar that he remembered from
somewhere…"Huh?" He remembered where at the same time that the scarred
adventurer did.
"You… No way…!"
"That's him! Mord, that's the brat from the bar!"
All three were human men. The one with the scar was named Mord, and his two
companions were behind him.
The three of them had been present at The Benevolent Mistress during Bell's levelingup party. They'd incurred the wrath of Lyu and the other staff members before being
chased out.
Bell watched in horror as Mord took on a much more frightening visage.
"The hell're you doin' here…!"
Mord's anger from the bar incident must've been directed at Bell because he started
to reach for the boy.
However, he caught the glint of golden hair out of the corner of his eye. The Kenki was
watching.
His eyes flinched even while his teeth were bared in Bell's direction. He felt Aiz's
empty golden gaze wash over him. "Tsk!" The man clicked his tongue as he backed
away, his allies in tow.
"Hey, hey, Bell. You're not going out and picking fights with adventurers like that, are
you?"
"No, it's not like that…"
"So, what happened between you and them? Strangers don't getthat mad at each other
on sight."
Trapped between Hestia's and Hermes's questions, Bell forced a shaky smile and
explained what happened.
"Ohh?" said Hermes, his ears perking up in the middle of Bell's story.
"So, those children consider Bell an enemy…"
He took a look at the three of them, getting smaller as they walked down the other
side of the path.
The view of the eighteenth floor from the town's central square is absolutely
breathtaking. There's a cliff right on the other side of this railing and the lake is far
below. I doubt anyone could survive falling off. Even the craziest of daredevils
wouldn't even think of trying this one.
We all met up again after exploring the town in groups, but I came over here to check
out the scenery by myself.
Lord Hermes offered to buy everyone a "Dungeon Sandwich" at a nearby cafe . The
goddess and the others are eating there now. Sandwiches with liberal amounts of fruit
between two slices of bread… including the honey cloud. I had to escape.
Also… The Dungeon heals itself after taking physical damage, so it's impossible to
break ground and build something sturdy or blast away rock to hollow out an area for
a shop. They have to use the terrain as is. Although, I've heard that some rather
enthusiastic adventurers brought building materials down from the surface and used
them in combination with the natural features of the eighteenth floor to make a stove.
I don't know if they're passionate or just crazy… but the fact remains that the town of
Rivira has fresh-baked bread and other food readily available. It's selling quite well,
actually.
"The deepest town in the world, huh?"
A town run entirely by adventurers.
It's literally the frontier base for Dungeon exploration.
Many adventurers use this area as a place to organize their final plans for journeying
into the lower levels. Of course, this is just for upper-class and top-tier adventurers
who are up to that challenge.
That's where she is—at an extremely high level, one that I can only look up at and
admire.
I take another look at the vast open space that is the eighteenth floor, while standing
behind a railing made of rusty old swords and broken spears.
"Ah…"
I hear footsteps and immediately turn around, only to see her… Aiz is walking toward
me by herself.
My body freezes as she comes to a stop in front of me. But her eyes, they're looking
past me and off into the distance.
"What were you looking at…?"
"Eh, um… Well, I-I was looking for the entrance to the nineteenth floor."
I panic when she asked the question out of the blue and that's the best I could do.
She walks up next to me and points somewhere on the eighteenth floor. She must've
believed me. I force my body to turn around and take a look.
"The Central Tree…"
"The big one in the middle… The one right there?"
"Yes. The entrance to the nineteenth floor is between its roots…"
Her fingers, wrist, and elbow all extend straight toward the base of the behemoth tree.
As if to reinforce what she was saying, black shadows emerge from the roots almost
on cue. The monsters take a quick look around before splitting up, a few heading north
and the rest going east.
"…Um, Aiz, why did you come out here?"
"Because you weren't with everyone else… So, um."
…She was worried about me.
Those words send my beating heart into a tailspin.
Even just thinking about them makes me blush. She's right there, looking at me with
those golden eyes. We're standing close enough that I could reach out and touch her,
easily. I can feel the blood coursing through my veins. It's hot.
"…Did you want to be alone?"
"I-i-it's not like that! I'm really happy that you're here—No, wait—what I mean is,
um—"
The look of concern on her face makes me so nervous that I can't speak straight, to the
point that the truth comes out. It's too late to try to fool her with a loud voice.
I quickly try to hide my face behind my right shoulder and cautiously peek out.
Once I finally do get a look at her… her eyes are wide open and she's smiling. If I'm not
mistaken, Aiz is blushing.
"Bell, you're always so nervous…"
Her words are warm and filled with caring, like the way that she would speak to
someone close to her.
She said my name. I can't talk. My chest might explode.
My spirit is shaking to its very core.
I've never… felt like this before.
"…"
This is not good. My resolve is wavering.
If she keeps standing this close to me…
Even though I've never accomplished anything, even though I'm way out of my league,
if my knees get any weaker in the warmth of her presence…
I might just give up pursuing her.
I quickly look down, hiding my eyes behind my bangs and blushing like no other.
My spirit is singing throughout my whole body. I squeeze my eyebrows together in a
desperate attempt to keep myself steady.
All the butterflies in my stomach are making their way up my back. I can feel their heat
as they move.
Then without warning:
The goddess suddenly jumps into my line of sight, as if she were trying to tear us apart.
"—Wow, what a view!!"
"Wha—?!"
Flip! I take my eyes off the ground and, sure enough, the goddess has wedged herself
between us.
Aiz looks just as surprised as I am. The goddess is forcing a smile, her eyes half lidded.
"No fair, Bell. Going to such a beautiful spot and not inviting me! We are more than just
companions, you know!"
A ping of fear courses through my skin as I repeatedly apologize to the goddess's
smiling face. The way she emphasizes the word "companions" is absolutely terrifying.
"So as you can see, Miss Wallensomething, get lost! Don't get in the way of our family
time! This is reserved for just Bell and me!!"
"U-um…"
Shove, shove. The goddess keeps nudging Aiz's breastplate with her hand and Aiz has
no idea what to do. I move in to try and stop her.
I manage to fit myself in front of the goddess—she's almost growling—even as she
keeps looking at Aiz menacingly. Sweat won't stop pouring down my face.
"…? Goddess, are you wearing something new?"
"Oh, Bell! You noticed!"
She spins toward me, her expression completely different. She thrusts a small, open
pouch out at me. There's a clear vial inside.
"Isn't that… perfume? Is this the one that you saw earlier…?"
"That it is—a girl has needs, after all! Don't tell me you want some stinky, swordswinging girl at your side, Bell?!"
She really does smell good, but I sensed something evil in her words. Aiz blinks a few
times, brings her arm up to her nose, and—sniff, sniff. She smells like pure water,
though… Why is the goddess being so aggressive today?
She tells me she borrowed Lord Hermes's emblem to buy the perfume. She's spent
more than a day in the Dungeon, so I can't blame her for being a little bit self-conscious
about her aroma.
"Wha… Aiz, you defeated a floor boss by yourself, right?"
I have to clear the air, change the subject at any cost.
Also, I… need to hear this for myself.
The goddess's head spins around to look up at her. Aiz just tilts her head to the side
and nods with a quiet "Yes.
"But it was only because I had Reveria's help…"
"Even still…"
"…Yes, I slew it."
—All I was able to do was run from the Goliath.
—She stood up to one of them, alone, and won.
She's still far away, far above me. In fact, the obvious distance between us is so great I
wouldn't be surprised if the girl standing here is an illusion. I got a little bit of
notoriety, so what.
I reconnect with my true, cowardly self, as well as with what I'm aiming for, what I
want to be.
"Nothing to worry about, Bell! With the two of us working hard together for long
enough, you can do it!"
The goddess suddenly raises her voice.
I admit I'm a little bit flustered, but that makes me happy to hear.
I can work harder, become stronger, and reach my goal.
However, for the goddess's sake, for my family, I won't overdo it. I won't leave her
behind.
The promise I made a long time ago echoes in the back of my mind. I look at both of
their faces, Aiz's and the goddess's… All I can do now is focus all of my energy on
getting stronger.
It seems so clear again.
"Wallensomething, no wandering off again without my permission!"
"I am sorry…?"
Aiz and the goddess seem to be having some kind of argument.
I lower my eyebrows and force a smile. But before long, all my worries leave me and I
smile for real.
"Afternoon" began on the eighteenth floor the moment Bell and the others returned to
Loki Familia's forest camp.
The light that came from the white and blue crystals covering the ceiling had
noticeably intensified in the span of a few minutes. Monsters roaming the northern
area of the floor howled as if celebrating the Dungeon's gift.
"Hey, let's all go take a bath!"
Tiona excitedly called out to everyone just before reaching the center of camp. All of
the trees around them were bathed in the early afternoon warmth of the crystals
above.
The group was just about to go their separate ways when she made the suggestion.
First she looked toward Aiz and Tione, but also extended the invitation to Hestia and
Mikoto's group.
"Again—? How many times will it take until you're satisfied?"
"What's the problem? There's plenty of time. And the water feels amazing."
"Besides, wouldn't the sight of Lady Hestia's boobs make you go insane?"
"F-fat chance! W-why would it?!"
The twins' comical argument showed no signs of slowing down. Not too far away, Lilly
looked up at Hestia.
"What should we do, Lady Hestia?"
"Wellll… Of course, I would like to wash up a bit…"
Hestia looked down at her dirty clothes and less-than-clean skin.
Of course, her journey to the eighteenth floor made her sweat more than she'd like to
admit, and she'd fallen to the ground so much since she'd arrived here that her
normally white clothes were now a few shades darker. Even if washing them was a
lost cause, she at least wanted her body to feel clean.
"How about you Mikoto, Chigusa? Want to come bathe with us?"
"If I am welcome, I would like to… Chigusa?"
"M-me too… Y-yes."
"What about Miss Asfi?"
"…Lord Hermes."
"Ahhh, sure, sure. I'm well-protected here, so you can relax for a while."
Lilly looked up at Asfi when she asked. Hermes didn't even look around when his
follower asked him for permission, instead just waving his hand as though he didn't
care one way or the other. "Well then, I shall join you," said Asfi as she pushed the
bridge of her silver glasses higher up her nose.
"Aiz, too. Let's go!"
"Sure…"
"Invite Leene and the others, too. We'll take turns as lookouts."
Tiona embraced Aiz from behind, smiling brightly. The blond girl nodded and the rest
of the women started to move out of the camp.
Tione went around the camp to invite a few more female members of their battle party
to come with them. Being naked and defenseless in a forest where monsters lurked
was a very scary idea.
Tiona led the group out of camp and into the forest, all of the men staying behind.
"Ta-da, here we are!"
""""Whoa…""""
Hestia, Lilly, Mikoto, and Chigusa responded in unison.
The first thing they saw when they came into a clearing was a waterfall standing ten
meders tall.
The water came down with enough force to release a fine mist, cooling the air around
them. Their skin was covered in small beads of moisture in no time flat.
Tiona had taken them to an isolated lagoon at the base of the waterfall. It was
completely encased by a wall of trees and crystals. The canopy of a large tree covered
the lagoon from above. The azure color of the water's surface sparkled in the
afternoon light, reflections dancing on the trees surrounding them. They had found a
hidden jewel within the forest.
"Isn't this great? Found it myself the other day!"
"Agreed, this is a very beautiful spot…"
"Lilly has a question, if you don't mind, Miss Tione. Where is this water coming from?"
"It's different from glacier runoff or melted snow. There's a special crystal even deeper
in the forest that constantly produces pure water. It's much cleaner than the water
outside. You can drink it, no problem."
Conversations between Tiona and Mikoto as well as Tione and Lilly filled their
companions' ears as the group made their way toward the water.
There was no shyness or hesitation among them at this point. They shed armor and
clothing while talking as if around the dinner table. Tione's full, luscious breasts and
Tiona's sleek, slender body emerged. Mikoto and Asfi pulled off their clothing and set
it neatly on the ground beside them. Chigusa, blushing from head to toe, was the last
to start disrobing.
As for Aiz… After a series of clicks to detach her armor, she gently grabbed her
underclothing. There was a certain pair of eyes on her—Hestia watched closely as Aiz
exposed her curvy, yet well-defined feminine form.
A moment later, the goddess practically threw her garments to the ground.
"Heh-heh... Looks like I win!"
"Are we competing, Lady Hestia…?"
The short goddess puffed out her chest, looking around triumphantly.
Aiz's undergarments hung loosely in her grip as she looked down at the extremely
confident deity with confusion. Lilly was about to remove her panties when she, too,
turned to look at the young goddess with tired eyes.
"Guess what? These hair bands were a gift from Bell! A present to show his affection!"
"Lady Hestia, would you mind sharing more of that story…!"
Lilly drifted closer as Hestia removed the hair bands and held them out for everyone
to see. Even Aiz perked up a bit to get a better view.
All of the girls gathered around, talking excitedly as they took their first steps into the
lagoon. Their lookouts stood at the edge of the clearing, ready to protect their friends
from anything that came too close.
"…Now should be good."
Lord Hermes nods to himself as he whispers those words.
"Huh?"
"Bell, would you join me for a moment?"
We were just kind of hanging out around the camp, but Lord Hermes came up to me
with a serious look on his face.
He keeps his voice low, as if he's trying not to be overheard.
"I've been waiting for this chance. No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this
chance is the reason I'm here… A chance to be alone with you."
He's been waiting for a chance to talk to… me…?
He must have something very important to talk about. At least that's what I'm getting
from how he's acting. He's turned off all of his charms, his orange eyes looking straight
ahead without blinking.
I've never seen Lord Hermes like this. I gulp down the air in my throat. I can see Welf
and Ouka off on their own in different areas of the camp. They haven't noticed us.
Feeling a little uneasy, I slowly nod.
"Join me," Lord Hermes says as he starts to move. No one moves to stop us as we leave
the camp and enter the forest.
"…Um, Lord Hermes? Where are we going?"
I had followed him quietly for a while, but he's not slowing down. All I can do is direct
a question at the back of his head.
We're pretty deep into the forest now. There's no one anywhere near here, so it should
be safe for us to talk about anything.
"…This already looks good," says Lord Hermes as he stops in front of a tree.
Its trunk and branches look very strong and sturdy. Lord Hermes suddenly starts
climbing it. It looks like he's done this a few times, to say the least. He uses his long
arms and legs to work his way up the trunk.
"Now, Bell, get up here." I zoned out there for a second but quickly respond to his call
and follow him. Two people climbing a tree in the middle of nowhere—I'm sure this
is a very bizarre scene.
"E-excuse me, Lord Hermes?"
"Just as I thought. Have a look, Bell. These branches are strong enough to walk on."
Just when I thought he was going to tell me what we're doing here, he grins at me with
twinkling eyes.
I take a look from this high spot in the tree canopy, and sure enough there is a small
network of sturdy tree branches that form a hidden path. I'm completely clueless as
to why he pointed that out to me, but suddenly he laughs with a "Ho-ho!" and steps
out onto the first branch.
"L-Lord Hermes, didn't you… want to talk to me about something?!"
"Talk? I never said anything about talking, my boy."
"Wha…?" I start to say, but Lord Hermes pushes aside some leaves and steps onto the
branch of another tree. We move through the canopy, the light shifting above us,
filtering through the leaves as the branches shift under our weight. This is worse than
the tree bridge to Rivira; keeping my balance takes every ounce of concentration.
"Why are we up here?!" My frustration gets the better of me as I try to keep up with
him—he comes to a sudden stop and looks back at me.
Hermes gives me a very manly grin, then jerks his chin in a certain direction to draw
my attention.
Dossshhhh. I can hear a waterfall.
"We've come this far. You should've figured it out by now—We're peeping."
"?!"
I freeze as my eyes fly open. Lord Hermes takes on an air of providence with his next
words.
"All those girls down there are taking a bath, you know? It's practically our duty to
have a look, don't you think?"
"No, I don't!"
"No need to shy away, Bell. Seriously, I bet Hestia scrubs your back in the shower every
night already."
"That has never happened!"
What is this god saying?!
"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" He's laughing at me. I don't think he believes me, either. My face
pulses with heat as Lord Hermes turns his back to me and quietly sneaks forward,
almost floating down the path of branches. He must know exactly where he's going
because he's not hesitating at all. I've heard of people being desperate, but this is
insane!
The sound of rushing water is on the other side of the wall of leaves by the time I catch
up to him.
"This is wrong—let's turn back, Lord Hermes! We shouldn't be here…!"
"Bell, top-class adventurers will hear us if we make too much noise."
He cups his hand over my mouth and points down. My eyes follow straight to—a group
of heavily armed female adventurers. They must be keeping an eye on the forest.
I back away from his hand and look up at him. His smile is absolutely radiant. I've
never seen a perverted smile look so appealing.
It could be because of the sound of the waterfall or how wide these leaves are, but it
seems that Aiz and the others, including the lookouts, haven't noticed us yet.
"Lord Hermes, Lord Hermes, this is bad, they'll tear us to pieces…!"
"This is pitiful, Bell. Peeping is a man's due! Just think of it as you and I are sharing a
particularly delicious bottle of wine… Didn't your grandfather teach you anything?"
The two of us advance slowly down the branch, whispering to each other, when
suddenly a shiver goes down my spine.
Peeping is… a man's due?
I feel like something is waking up inside me. Something from a long time ago,
something from when I was a kid. What was it Gramps was trying to teach me back
then? My surroundings suddenly don't matter as my memory kicks into high gear.
Everything comes out at once, like mist from a black jar—especially when I hear Aiz's
innocent voice coming from below—but I use every fiber of my being to seal that black
jar shut.
"Let me out—!" The words seem to come from behind the seal in my head. If I'd
hesitated for a moment, I'm sure I would've been overpowered by the wicked urge
held within. But my reasoning in the now wins the day. I reach out and put my hand
on the shoulder next to me.
"L-let's go back, Lord Hermes!"
I lean forward as if to stand up and start to pull him away from the waterfall.
"Ah, if you move too much…"
Just then.
Crack. The branch beneath us screams out in pain. It starts moving up and down.
The large branch that has been supporting our weight breaks at its base next to the
tree.
Lord Hermes manages to shift his weight to an adjoining branch, but I'm off balance
and on two feet. Whoop—
I fall straight into the open air.
"—Daaaaaahhhh!!"
With nothing to stop me, I fall face-first into the body of water below.
Splash! The water explodes around me as I make impact.
"Blugh, glub, glublubb?!"
Luckily I fell into a relatively deep part. I frantically kick my arms and legs to get back
to the surface. My face erupts out of the water and I take many deep breaths.
Water's in my lungs, making me panic. I pick a direction and flail my arms and legs in
a desperate attempt to reach land. Finally my feet touch the bottom, then my hands.
Khaa, khaa! After a fit of rough coughing, I finally catch my breath.
"…Argonaut?"
My body shivers at the sound of the voice coming from just above my head.
I stare at my reflection in the light-blue water for a moment before slowly, very slowly
lifting my eyes.
"What, did you want to take a bath, too?"
"Such a calm face… You're quite good, aren't you?"
U—waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
The Amazonian twins are right there. Tiona is leaning in toward me with curious eyes
while Tione is behind her, running her fingers through her long hair.
They're completely naked and not trying to hide anything, their wheat-colored skin
completely exposed.
—Have Amazons no shame?!
"Wha-wa-wa-wa…?!"
"Eh? Ehhh…?!"
"Don't tell me… Lord Hermes?"
To my right, a very pink Mikoto stands completely still as Chigusa swiftly hides her
body underwater.
Asfi is next to them. She doesn't have her glasses on but that doesn't stop her from
looking up into the tree, beams of rage blasting out of her eyes.
Rustle. The branches around the area I fell from start twitching.
"Bell, it's children like you…!"
"W-what do you think you're doing, Mr. Bell?!"
To my left, the goddess has her hair down and her feet on the bottom of the lagoon.
Half of her bulging chest is hidden under the waterline as she yells at me with a red
face.
Lilly's the same way, screaming in a high-pitched voice.
"…ah."
And directly in front of me…
Aiz is standing with her back to the waterfall, hugging her body to hide her chest. Her
cheeks are a light shade of red.
Water is dripping from her wet golden hair, tracing its way all the way down to her
legs.
I turn a deep red as the image of Aiz's naked body is burned into my eyes.
The next moment, my head explodes.
"S-SOOOOOORRRYYYYYYY!!"
I launch myself out of the water and race past the lookouts in the blink of an eye, taking
off into the forest as fast as I can.
I charge into the forest with reckless abandon.
More distance, faster, forward! A big tree stands in the middle of my path so I take a
hard right. I cut over to the forest floor, running like a scared rabbit.
But then I notice something important.
"I—I'm lost…"
At long last, the flames burning within me cool enough for me to think straight. I take
a look around and see that I don't recognize anything. The trees and crystals in this
area don't look like the ones close to the campsite; the canopy is thinner and brighter,
too.
Am I in the southern part of the forest? The east? Maybe the southeast?
I try as hard as I can to remember how the forest looked from the town of Rivira this
morning, but I can't remember any details. I don't think anyone could remember the
layout of an area after only one day.
I have no clue where I am.
"Guaaa…"
"B-bugbear…?!"
I quickly jump out of sight after catching a glimpse of a bearlike monster sitting at the
base of a tree.
If I remember right… their Strength and Defense are on par with a Minotaur. But what
really makes them dangerous is deceptively high Agility that doesn't match their large
body size. First appearing on the nineteenth floor, they corner their prey before
tearing it apart. The thought of an agile Minotaur is absolutely terrifying. This
particular bugbear must be hungry, or it's found its favorite thing in the world, because
it's completely distracted by the fruit on the lower branches of the tree. It's got one
honey cloud in its massive paw and another in its mouth.
I clasp my hands over my nose and mouth while trying to get my beating heart under
control. Turning my back toward the tree, I slowly shimmy around the trunk and wait
for the bear to leave.
T-this is bad, really bad…!
An impending sense of danger, being lost in a forest filled with monsters, takes over
me.
Aiz said something earlier today about the adventurers in Rivira regularly culling the
monsters on the eighteenth floor to keep their numbers down. Unfortunately, I don't
think they come this far out in the woods—why would they? That means there are
more of them out here than closer to town.
I'm lost and more than likely surrounded by monsters. This is a very, very dangerous
situation.
If I don't get back to the campsite by "night"…!
I press forward, my eyes playing tricks on me, making the forest look like an ominous
swamp, my ears on high alert.
Wait… What's that?
A different kind of sound sends my mind into a whirlwind.
This isn't the quiet murmuring of a stream, but like water being poured out of a glass…
Very unnatural.
I can't deny that there's a chance that a monster is making the sound at a nearby pond.
In fact, that's probably it. But I'm hungry and my throat is dry enough to rival a desert.
I decide it's worth the risk and walk toward the sound of the water.
A pile of logs greets my eyes as I turn a corner. They're blocking the area between two
trees on the ground, but I can climb up and over them. Keeping an eye on my footing
to avoid the clumps of moss, I work my way to the top and through the opening,toward
the source of the noise. Kaw, kaw! Two bird monsters fly off in the distance.
The foliage around me becomes thicker, the path darker. But before long, everything
around me starts taking on a light-blue hue.
The trees stand like vertical columns, crystals shining beneath my feet as if guiding
me forward…
"—"
The forest opens to reveal a small pond.
All words leave me as soon as I lay eyes on the middle of the body of water.
There is a fairy.
She doesn't have a thread of clothing, only milky white skin—her slender back to me
as she washes her body. She cups her hands together and carefully lifts the water
above her head before letting it run through her hair.
This looks like a page out of a fairy tale, no joke.
A bathing fairy. A chance encounter deep in the woods with a beautiful water spirit.
This is no different. She's frozen the flow of time, but for some reason I can make that
connection.
Blip, blip. The water makes soft splashing sounds as the fairy moves. She has a slender
but muscular frame and long, pointed ears.
I stand with my hand resting on the tree beside me, dumbstruck as I take in the view.
My brain doesn't have the ability to produce any kind of emotion when faced with this
kind of beauty.
But wait, in those fairy tales, right about now…
The person who sees the fairy taking a bath suddenly gets hit with an arrow—
"—Who's there!"
Light flashes.
A sharp voice and a white blade were thrown at me at the same time—a dagger buries
itself in the tree next to my face, above my hand. Shing! My ears finally register the
sound of the blade piercing tree bark. Gulp. I swallow the air in my throat.
The elf's sky-blue eyes lock onto me. Lyu's eyes.
She has her left arm wrapped around her chest, hiding it from view. Her right hand,
the one that threw the dagger, is still extended as she glares straight through me… Her
eyebrows sink the moment that she realizes it was me who was peeping on her.
"Mr. Cranell?"
"…S-SORRYYYYYYYY?!"
All of my muscles snap to life at the sound of my name. I jump back and away before
landing on all fours and executing Takemikazuchi Familia's trademark facedown bow.
I slam my face into the ground, trying to apologize.
What am I doing, WHAT AM I DOING?! I've made the same mistake again?!
That'stwice in a row?! I scream at myself over and over. LordHermes must never know.
My ears burn red as I clamp my eyes shut. "Haa…" I hear her breathe out.
My shoulders shudder in fear as I wait for her next words.
"Please turn your back."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
I keep my head down, rotating on my knees. The edge of the pond leaves my line of
sight; tree roots take their place. At that point I raise my upper body and sit as still as
stone.
I can hear the sound of cloth behind me as rivers of sweat run down my face. My
cheeks blush. She's putting on clothes.
"You may turn around."
Slowly, carefully I shift my knees around. Lyu's wearing the same battle cloth that I
saw her in yesterday.
Hip-hugging short pants and long boots. She's wearing that cape over her shirt but the
hood is down. The beautiful elf and I make eye contact.
"First, I would like to hear your explanation."
"Y-yes!! Well, you see, it's like this…!"
Lyu walks right up to me and I stand while stuttering, trying to tell her what
happened… but the truth is too embarrassing. What am I supposed to say? That I was
discovered watching the other girls bathe and then came here?!
I have to think of something else… No.
Her sky-blue eyes are looking right through me; she'd spot a lie instantly. And that
would make her even more furious.
My jaw flexes open and closed a few times before the words start to come out. She
listens quietly as I confess to every moral outrage I've committed in the past hour.
I thrust my head down below my waist as soon as I've told her everything there was
to tell.
"I understand your situation, Mr. Cranell. Allow me to guide you back to Loki Familia's
campground after this."
"…Y-you'll forgive me?"
"There is no need for forgiveness, for you are not at fault. A grudge against you would
be misplaced."
"H-how do you know I'm not lying…?"
"Mr. Cranell… Modesty may be a virtue, but please stop regarding yourself as inferior.
It's a bad habit."
I apologize to her once again. Lyu sounded a little angry there.
Looking down on my abilities… So she's angry at me for the way I think about myself?
Lyu walks toward a different tree, leaving me standing there for a moment. She
must've stashed her wooden sword and other weapons there before getting into the
spring.
Lastly, she affixes a small pouch to her belt underneath her cape. "My apologies for the
wait," she says as she comes back.
"…Um, this is a little late, but thank you for coming all this way to rescue me. This floor
is pretty far down…"
"No, please don't concern yourself. I was planning to come to this floor regardless. The
distance is not a problem."
My eyes flicker a little bit wider. I wasn't expecting a response like that.
Lyu continues talking anyway.
"I have something to take care of before leading you back to the campsite. Can you
spare some of your time?"
"Ah… Sure."
She says a quick thank-you and starts walking.
I catch a glimpse of the side of her face before following her.
"Lyu… were you, um… in the forest this whole time?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you join everyone at the campsite? There're monsters out here! Wouldn't
it be much safer with—"
"I had an errand to attend to. And I didn't want others to see my face."
She said everything evenly and without emotion, just like usual.
Lord Hermes said something before, she who had "reasons"…Is this what he was
talking about?
"I assume that god Hermes has informed you about my past already."
"No, nothing…"
"…Really?"
"Y-yes."
"It seems I have come to the wrong conclusion…" Though she's looking the other way,
I can sense the pained smile on her face. "We've already come this far. There's no point
in hiding anything at this stage. Follow me."
What is it…? Does she have some kind of connection to this floor?
All I can do is just follow that cape and think about the moment when she said she was
once known as an adventurer.
Lyu must know this area extremely well. She's walking with purpose as she makes
sharp turns at specific trees and crystals as if following a set path. We walk for about
twenty minutes without encountering any monsters before arriving at her
destination.
"This is…"
What greets my eyes after emerging from a narrow tunnel through the trees is a
graveyard.
There's a small open space surrounded by thinner trees and absolutely stunning
crystal formations.
A series of wooden crosses, broken tree branches held together with string, are lined
up in the clearing and bathed in the crystal light shining through the canopy above.
"…Mama Mia occasionally gives me time to bring them some flowers."
Lyu goes to each of the grave markers and carefully sets a flower in front of them.
Was gathering these flowers her "errand"?
She reaches under her cape to the small pouch and withdraws a bottle—she pours a
little bit of the wine onto each of the graves.
"Lyu, what is this place—?"
"All that remains of the women who fought by my side. My Familia."
She quietly looks back at me as she speaks. I feel like I've just been hit by a ton of
bricks.
Her sky-blue eyes draw me in.
"Another with knowledge of my past has emerged. It's only a matter of time before you
find out… I would regret not telling you myself."
She says it's a bit selfish of her, but asks for my permission.
I nod back at her.
"My name appears on the Guild's blacklist."
"?!"
Then she says something unbelievable.
"My position as an adventurer has been revoked. There was a time that a bounty was
placed on my head."
She hid her face and she didn't stay with us at the campsite… Is that why?
"I once belonged to Astrea Familia… She is the goddess of justice and order, and I
idolized her from the day we met."
Lyu Lyon. That's how she was known. Her title, "Gale Wind."
A hooded adventurer shrouded in mystery whose full name was unknown.
"Apart from activities in the Dungeon, my Familia took it upon itself to eliminate those
who try to rob Orario of peace. For that reason, we made many enemies."
She says that as recently as five years ago, Orario was inundated with an "evil" that
threatened the city.
Swearing upon Astrea's crest, a winged sword of justice, Lyu and her allies fought to
purge the city of that cancerous presence and protect those vulnerable to it.
"Until, one day, a Familia that had taken up arms against us set a trap in the Dungeon.
I was the only one to escape alive… Unable to retrieve their bodies, I collected what
articles I could and buried them here."
"So that's what these graves are…?"
"Yes. These women were fond of this location."
She tells me that they would always casually joke, saying if they died, they wanted to
be buried here.
I can't imagine what images must be running through her head. She looks toward the
ground, her lower lip quivering.
"…I went to Astrea as the sole survivor and told her everything. Then I pleaded with
her to leave Orario by herself. I begged her for days, and at long last she obliged."
"Y-you helped your goddess escape?"
"No, not that."
Lyu's voice snaps, saying her reasoning was much more selfish as her fists clench.
"I didn't want her to see the passionate, violent creature I was becoming."
She says that she didn't know how to control the emotions that were overtaking her
at that time.
"I had to avenge those who had fought beside me. I set my sights on the Familia that
ended their lives and swore to take revenge alone."
"A-alone…?!"
Attacks under the cover of darkness, ambushes, traps. She used all manner of sneak
attacks to eliminate them one by one—until that Familia was wiped out.
A large and influential group in Orario was torn out by the roots and utterly eliminated
at the hands of a single elf.
"My actions had nothing to do with justice. Filled with a lust for revenge, I tracked
down each member and erased them along with anyone connected to them… Even the
slightest suspicion was enough."
That's what landed her on the Guild's blacklist.
In her quest for vengeance, she earned the hatred of not only adventurers but
merchants, smiths, and townspeople. They were the ones who issued the bounty.
The reward for her capture kept growing and growing… The Guild had no choice but
to punish her despite the surrounding circumstances. Especially considering she had
bared her fangs at groups connected to the offender. After all, they sold the items and
weapons used to kill her family.
With the goddess Astrea outside the city walls, her Status remained intact as the "Gale
Wind" covered Orario in a storm of fury.
"…So, what happened after that?"
"I collapsed. With all targets eliminated, with no one left, alone in a back alley."
She must've accepted death the moment she swore revenge.
Her quest complete, her goddess gone and friends dead, there was nothing left for her
in this world.
"Covered in blood and dirt on the side of the road… It was a fitting end for someone
who had committed atrocities such as I."
"…"
"However…"
"—Are you okay?"
A warm hand had reached out to take hers.
Syr found Lyu in that back alley and saved her.
She listened to her story—everything Lyu had done, over and over—and managed to
bring her back from the brink.
"After rescuing me, Syr convinced Mama Mia to employ me as a waitress at The
Benevolent Mistress... I also keep my hair dyed."
Since she'd always worn a hood and gone by the name Lyon during her time as an
adventurer, the chances of her being discovered were very low as long as she changed
the color of her hair.
In a soft tone, Lyu goes on to explain how she became her current self.
"…I apologize for soiling your ears."
"Wh-what?"
"In short, the elf you see before you is a shameless, violent criminal… I have betrayed
your trust, Mr. Cranell."
She looks at me with the same calm expression, even though she's confessing all of her
crimes to me. I clear my throat.
I don't know how to respond, so I just say the first thing that comes to my mind:
"Lyu… Please stop regarding yourself as inferior. I'll get mad at you."
Her sky-blue eyes open a little wider.
She stands still for a moment before finally saying:
"That was… very clever."
Only very slightly, but her lips soften.
She isn't smiling by any means, but her eyes don't look as piercing as they normally
do.
All I did was repeat her own words back to her, just stole the line, but her reaction
makes me feel good. Why wouldn't it? Her usual ice-cold expression just warmed up a
little.
A tranquil mood overtakes us in the middle of the graveyard, surrounded by green
leaves and crystal light.
"…Can I ask…"
"What is it?"
"Can I ask why you came to Orario?"
This is my best chance.
My best chance to find out why Lyu came to the place where people go to follow their
dreams.
I want to know why she and I met in the first place.
"…"
She opens her mouth very slightly before looking up toward the ceiling.
Then Lyu squints her eyes to protect them from the beams of light penetrating the
canopy above.
"…We elves are a race known for our good looks."
Her eyes barely open, she wanders around the grassy Dungeon floor.
At long last, Lyu continues her story.
"Myself and others have been praised for our beauty. However, is that really true?
Extremely proud and revolted by anything unclean, we do not allow others to easily
touch our skin…"
"…"
"There are some who believe other races to be dirty on the surface as well as within,
and refuse to interact with them, isolating themselves in their home forests. At the
very least, most of the elves from my home forest believed as such…
"However," she continues.
"Only recognizing their own beauty while looking down at everything else as if it were
nothing more than trash… A thought came to me."
Lyu once again looks up to the light.
"That the beautiful, magnificent elves were actually the most revolting."
Knowing the value that elves place on interpersonal relationships, I bet she was the
only one who felt that way.
Among all those elves, so full of pride, she was the only one to question their logic.
"As soon as that idea took hold, it was impossible to remove. I became embarrassed of
my own motherland, so I left… and eventually arrived in Orario."
"By accident?"
"Not exactly… I heard many travelers say that Orario was home to gods, humans, and
other fairies, a place full of life where people gather. I thought that if I were there, I
might be able to find something… No, that's not it."
She looks into the palms of her hands as if she's remembering her first days in the city.
"I wanted companions worthy of my respect who felt I was worthy of theirs."
It was the one thing that she didn't have growing up in elvish culture with elvish
customs.
People who placed no value on race or looks, but on content of character. Friends who
would laugh alongside her.
"I came to the city with high hopes… but they were quickly dashed. I didn't expose my
skin to anyone but other elves. My face always covered by a hood, I slapped away any
hands that reached out."
Elvish culture was too deeply ingrained… Lyu couldn't turn over a new leaf.
In this new place, she was constantly stared at because of her beauty, and she couldn't
take it.
Elves don't allow someone they don't trust to touch their skin. She couldn't fix that and
other elvish teachings that had been drilled into her head since childhood—it must've
tormented her.
"What a jest. I left my homeland because I couldn't stand my own kind, and yet in the
outside world, I was no different from them. So I cut myself off, creating a wall."
So that was why she kept her hood up during her time in Orario.
She was disappointed in herself for realizing she was exactly the same as the elves
back in the forest.
From her point of view, she was the one looking down at people.
Her inborn disdain for other races came full circle, back to herself. It became selfloathing.
"I didn't change. I was still an elf, nose high in the air with pride."
"Lyu…"
"However."
Her tone suddenly changes.
Then she walks right up to me, face-to-face, and gently grabs my hand.
"—Huh?"
"Just like this, there was someone who took hold of my hand, who I could touch."
She's shaking my hand.
Her fingers feel so small and delicate that I'm afraid they might break off if I shook
back. And yet, her skin is very soft and supple. My cheeks blush before I know it.
"This is my second time with you, yes? Do you remember?"
"Y-yes?!"
"The day when you lost your knife and were desperately searching."
I'm too stunned to figure out what she's talking about at first, but then the feeling of
her skin on my hands triggers a memory. The day when Lilly, disguised as a dog
person, stole the Divine Knife. That's what she's talking about.
I clearly remember happily embracing her hands because she had recovered the knife.
"I was very taken aback. Taken aback that I didn't immediately throw the human who
had suddenly grabbed my hands onto the side of the road."
Her face forms an expression I've never seen on Lyu before: a mischievous grin.
I wouldn't have been able to say anything if she'd sliced me in half… Only now does the
realization hit me. My cheeks and ears are burning, but I do my best to force a smile.
"You are the third person who I did not immediately punish for touching my skin."
She says that with her hand still firmly grasped around mine.
—Eh? Your name is Lyu? That's too hard to say. I'll call you Lyon from now on!
The first, the bright and cheerful girl who invited her to join her own Familia.
—Are you okay?
The second, the nice girl who extended a warm hand to her cold fingers, the waitress
who gave her a place to be.
And the third is…
"Please don't make such a confused face. I feel like you're making sport of me."
"S-sorry!"
"I am joking… I have been following your actions closely since we met. I've come to
understand your weakness, your sincerity, and most of all your spirit."
"Lyu…?"
"Mr. Cranell, you are kind."
Completely overwhelmed by this new aura radiating from her eyes, I can only respond
by saying her name.
She blinks her eyes closed, the blue orbs hidden from sight for a moment, before
slowly opening them up again.
"You are a human worthy of my respect."
Lyu… smiles.
Her thin eyebrows relax as the edges of her feminine lips curl upward.
My whole body blushes pink as she faces me with a smile as pure and clean as a white
lotus.
"…Uh."
"Mr. Cranell?"
I know it's a little late, but now I truly know why the smile of an elf is a dangerous
thing.
The smile of a refined elf while knowing their usual demeanor day in and day out is
particularly brutal. It's a trump card powerful enough to make my knees go weak
despite having my own aspirations.
Elvish beauty isn't all just on the surface.
A smile that they give only to their most trusted companions.
My eyes are filled with the light beams from above and the tranquil colors of the
graveyard and flowers, but most of all, the beautiful smile on her tilted head.
Now I think I know why other races have a thing for elves.
"Ow, ow, ow… What would you do if you broke my face, Asfi?"
"You reap what you sow."
"Night" had already fallen on the eighteenth floor of the Dungeon.
Two figures quietly made their way out of the forest campsite: Hermes and Asfi.
"A god no better than a Peeping Tom… Have you no shame!"
"Peeping isn't that big of a deal for us…"
Bell, who had gone missing after the peeping incident, returned to the campsite
shortly before dinner. The fact that he was led to the scene by the deity—and that he
practically buried his face in the ground bowing—allowed him to escape with a harsh
verbal warning. Only Hermes, the instigator, was physically punished.
"…Well then, where are we going on this pitch-black night?"
"On a pitch-black night like this, there's only one place to bring a lady. Isn't it obvious?"
On the other side of the grasslands before them, the lights of the town of Rivira shone
like a beacon from the west.
"To a tavern."
"Damn it!"
Inside one of the few taverns in a small niche of Rivira.
Built inside of a naturally occurring crevice in the cliff face, the bar floor was covered
by a dirty rug and had only one table with a few chairs. The walls were dotted with
portable magic-stone lamps. Even in here, crystals grew on one of the walls and a few
spots in the ceiling.
One man slammed his mug down on the table inside this bar that was a little bit
different from most adventurers' usual watering holes.
"Take it easy, Mord."
"Shut it! That brat, I have no freakin' idea how he got down here… Too damn cocky!"
"That jealousy I hear?"
That line got a chuckle out of everyone around the table, other than Mord.
Only a select few upper-class adventurers had the ability to come to Rivira, meaning
that the more time you spent there the more you got to know the residents who did
business.
The customers at this bar might have been from different Familias, but they were on
good terms with Mord's group.
"The hell you laughin' about?! That piece-of-shit rookie hasn't done nothing, levels up
in a few months, and now his ass is allthe way down here?!How stupid are we, workin'
hard for years just to make it this far!!"
Recounting the events at The Benevolent Mistress, Mord wasted no time in pointing
out the source of his rage.
All the people here were part of an exclusive club of upper-class adventurers within
Orario. The thought of some newbie walking the same streets was something he
couldn't take lying down.
Even more so that some of the gods themselves were talking about this particular
rookie, this "rabbit."
The bar became quiet enough to hear a pin drop when Mord's rant finally came to an
end.
"Even got himself some high-quality salamander wool… Damn that kid, I wanna tear
his head off."
Mord spat in anger before taking another swig from a particularly potent ale, even by
Rivira's standards.
"But Mord, no matter how much you want to knock 'im down a peg—how? He's with
the Kenki."
"One of Hermes's and also… Takemikazuchi's group, too."
Mord's companions sat on either side of him, trying to make him see reason.
"The guy wouldn't be here without them… Don't you think the Little Rookie realizes
that?"
"Enough small talk! Are you gonna help me or not? Which is it?!"
Their words had done nothing more than make Mord even angrier.
The adventurers sitting around the table froze in place; the fury emanating from the
man's eyes wouldn't let them move. They knew that at any moment Mord could draw
out any of the weapons hanging from his waist if the thought crossed his mind.
"If we could get him alone, lure that punk-ass brat away from the others…"
Bell had stood out too much.
He'd come too far into the middle levels too quickly after leveling up.
Quickly enough to draw the attention, and outrage, of other upper-class adventurers.
"O-oh, you boys are really living it up in here!"
Twitch. Every set of eyes in the bar fell on the entrance.
They saw Hermes, walking in like he owned the place, followed quietly by Asfi.
"…What business do you have, Mr. Deity? If you're looking for a drink, it'd be better to
go back up top."
"Ha-ha, I just heard some sneaky plans in the works and couldn't help myself."
Step. One of the adventurers put himself firmly between the god and the exit.
He knew their plan. Hermes had been with Bell, and would no doubt warn him. The
god couldn't be allowed to escape.
Things like this happen all the time these days… Asfi lamented as she hid herself in
Hermes's shadow.
"So, what's it to you? You gonna try and stop us by yourself?"
"What gave you that idea? Do as you like. Ignore me and keep forming a plan."
"Whaa?" Mord's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"I happen to like children like you. This world would be so boring if everyone played
nice."
Hermes's eyes arched into a smile as he chuckled to himself.
Just for a moment, Hermes flashed his true character—one who enjoyed all of the
charms of being on earth as a god.
He wasn't showing tolerance for good and evil. He actually was good and evil.
Mord was left speechless by this presence before him, something far more mysterious
than any monster.
"You want a chance to attack Bell, yes? In that case, why don't I tell you our plans for
tomorrow?"
"…How do I know I can take your word, Mr. Deity?"
"Hey, hey, this is Hermes you're talking to. I don't lie to any children."
A few of the others around the table tried to get Mord's attention, but he ignored them
and took Hermes's offer.
"I'm not in a position to help you directly… Oh yes, if you need a 'lucky charm' of
courage to vanquish your foes, I have a little something you can borrow."
With that, Hermes turned to Asfi, who handed him an item. Hermes took it and
presented it to Mord.
It was a small helmet. Based on its design, it looked more like a hat with a small brim
around the front.
Its color was the same as the dirt found deep in the earth, black as coal.
"And this is…"
"A magic item forged by the one and only Perseus. It'd be easier to show you what it
can do."
Mord's words left him as he watched others put on the helmet. He couldn't believe his
eyes.
A magic item created by one of the most celebrated item makers in Orario. Perseus's
items were said to grant the user Magic and Skills through the power of "Enigma."
"Seriously, I can use this…?"
Mord's voice shook as Hermes nodded with a "Yeah.
"However, on one condition…"
Mord took the item in one hand and held it to his chest, his eyes gleaming.
"Entertain me. Give me a show I won't soon forget."