"I'm finished…"
We're eating breakfast under the first rays of sunlight to reach over the city wall.
Mikoto sounds like she didn't sleep at all last night as she slides her chair away from
the table.
She didn't eat much, only one piece of bread. Soup and salad untouched, she says
anyone can have her Jyaga Maru Kun. It's still sitting on a plate all by itself.
Clearly not hungry, she trudges her way to the sink to wash her plate, and I catch a
glimpse of her downcast face. The goddess, Lilly, and Welf look just as worried about
her as I am.
"Say, Mikoto, is something wrong?"
"Miss Mikoto was out late last night…"
The goddess leans out of her chair, closely followed by Lilly. Mikoto doesn't even turn
around, just sets her plate out to dry and leaves the kitchen.
Welf makes eye contact with me and I nod back. Forgetting good manners for now, I
wolf down my remaining breakfast as quickly as possible.
I leave the cleanup to Welf and follow Mikoto.
"Miss Mikoto!"
"Sir Bell…"
Still dragging her feet, she was about to head out the front door.
She looks up at me. Her normally dignified dark-purple gaze is nowhere to be seen.
"So you did go last night…"
Mikoto's shoulders hunch over as she weakly nods.
Just as I thought, she went to check on Haruhime. I can kind of guess what happened
by looking at her face… but I ask her to tell me about it anyway.
She lightly nods again. Preferring to sit down, we go outside onto the front lawn and
find a spot filled with empty boxes and barrels on the corner of the property. Both of
us take a seat.
"I went back and called upon Lady Haruhime… but I was rejected."
She starts telling me everything that happened.
Apparently she couldn't sit still after our conversation at the bookshop.
Disguising herself as a man, she went to the red-light district under the cover of night.
Her gaze falls to the grass at her feet, clearly hurting.
"She claimed not to know who I was…"
Judging by the reaction, I don't think that Haruhime knew her childhood friends were
in Orario. I wasn't there to see the "rejection," but maybe Haruhime was just startled
by the sudden reunion?
Or perhaps… she didn't want her friend to see her as a prostitute.
It's just a guess, but after spending several hours with her, I don't think she would have
been excited to see Mikoto.
"… Um, Miss Mikoto. What was Miss Haruhime like, back in the Far East?"
I don't even know why I want to know this much about her.
I should be trying to cheer up Mikoto, but I bring this up instead.
"… She was well mannered, elegant, and gentle to a fault. With no knowledge of the
outside world, even the most mundane things surprised her… made her happy."
Mikoto doesn't take her eyes off the grass as the words kind of tumble out of her
mouth.
She's lost in her memories.
"She was a timid person. Different from Lady Chigusa, Lady Haruhime was always
concerned if she was allowed to be where she was, constantly anxious… That's why it
brought me great joy whenever she smiled."
Haruhime as a little girl… I can imagine her soft golden hair and innocent smile.
"Most of all, she was very kind. Even before we met, Lady Haruhime heard rumors
about the shrine just visible from behind her manor in the mountain… She asked her
father to send a donation of food."
"She did…?"
"'Since I cannot eat all this myself, please give some to the gods'… It was the first
request she ever made of her father."
Haruhime had been born into a life of comfort, without fear of hunger. Hearing about
how Mikoto and the others lived must've been a real shock to her. Hearing about
children and gods who clothed themselves with whatever was available and lived by
growing and selling roots or other plants from their mountain garden probably
sounded like something out of a book.
Mikoto said she already had a love of reading, escaping from her lonely existence into
the beautiful worlds among the pages. It was there that she gained the compassion to
help people she'd never known. Apparently, she was quite persistent about sending
aid to the shrine.
"All of us jumped for joy on the day that food was delivered to us as donations. Of
course, we were interested to know who had been so generous. Once we heard it came
from the manor at the base of the mountain, Captain Ouka led all of us to the large
wooden building. We started looking over their fence…"
That's when she first saw Haruhime.
Their expansive lawn was well kept, filled with rock gardens and small trees. They
first caught a glimpse of her, a renart with a brush in her hand, writing a scroll. But
her eyes were looking outside, filled with loneliness.
"While embarrassing to admit, it filled us with courage. This great person had rescued
us from hunger; we would save her from desolation."
Mikoto's cheeks blush as a small smile appears on her lips.
From there, the children of the shrine consulted with the gods about how to help the
girl. That's when Lord Takemikazuchi learned of Haruhime's situation and gave them
the push they needed.
"Lord Takemikazuchi bestowed us with his Blessing so that we could repay Lady
Haruhime for her kindness."
He had refused to do it until they completed his combat training. However, he gave in
after seeing the virtue in their purpose.
That means she… received her Status to help Haruhime?
"The rest I explained yesterday. All of us worked together to sneak into the manor and
bring Lady Haruhime outside."
Using the techniques they learned from Lord Takemikazuchi, as well as their Statuses,
they had an easy time avoiding the adults on patrol and taking Haruhime outside to
play at night.
Mikoto grimaces and says that from Haruhime's father's point of view, they were
nothing more than bad karma for a good deed.
"At first, Lady Haruhime was startled. Children she'd never met before suddenly
appearing in her bedroom and telling her to come with them…"
However, once they convinced her to leave, Haruhime got her first taste of excitement.
After two or three times, the renart waited excitedly for the group of kids her own age
to return at night.
"Even after we were discovered, we continued to sneak in to visit her… She said to
us…"
The manor was more heavily guarded than ever.
A group of children had evaded patrols to bring their friend outside.
Two figures, one with golden hair and one with black, running hand-in-hand through
rice patties in the moonlight.
The young girl stopping to catch her breath, blushing as she looked at her friends,
smiling.
—Mikoto, Ouka, all of you are like the heroes from a book.
The other black-haired figures stop running, turn to face her, and smile back.
"We were happy, proud to consider her our friend. We had repaid the debt… We had
made the lonely girl smile."
Mikoto goes on to say that they took Haruhime to many places around the mountain.
The troublemakers who kept kidnapping his daughter—the lord of the manor stopped
sending assistance to the children of the shrine, but that didn't stop Mikoto and her
friends from finding ways into his manor.
Ouka, Chigusa, Mikoto, and the other members of Takemikazuchi Familia played and
laughed together with Haruhime… until that day came.
A smile had been growing on Mikoto's face as she recounted their old adventures.
Suddenly, like waking up from a dream, she looked back down at the ground.
Then, Haruhime was sold to another country and became a prostitute.
Meanwhile, they journeyed to Orario two years ago, fought tooth and nail to gain
excelia to improve their slowly growing Statuses, and were finally getting results.
Ouka, and then Mikoto, ranked up.
And now they were involved with a well-known "rookie" and had gained a little
notoriety in their own right.
Mikoto and Haruhime had taken very different paths to suddenly reunite in a big city
far from home.
Mikoto's voice quivers as she recounts their unexpected reunion and how their
positions had changed.
"If she is in pain, I want to be of help… No, I want to return to how things were once
before."
Mikoto couldn't keep her voice steady as she revealed her deepest wish.
Reaching around, she runs her fingers over where her Status is engraved on her back.
"This is rather selfish… but I want to see Lady Haruhime smile once again."
Only then do I notice the tears running down her cheeks. She quickly wipes them away
with her arm and falls silent.
Once again, I have no idea what to say to a crying girl.
Our conversation over, I wait with Mikoto until she calms down.
Apologizing for the shameful sight, she says she was planning on visiting the Guild.
Despite knowing it would be pointless, she wants to see if there are any other options
she could pursue.
I ask to go with her. I doubt I can make much difference, but I don't want to just sit
around, either.
She agrees and the two of us leave through the front gate.
"…"
"…"
We step out onto the street in front of our home in silence.
Both of our heads are filled with thoughts of Haruhime. Saying anything at this point
would just be a pointless attempt at licking each other's wounds, so we keep our
mouths shut.
If anyone saw us now, they'd probably comment on how depressed we look walking
side by side like this.
"H-hey there, Bell. Little Mikoto."
"… Lord Hermes?"
We're less than a block away from home.
Lord Hermes suddenly appears from behind a few trees. The feather in his cap
bouncing as he walks, he stops right in front of us.
This is strange, like he was just waiting for someone to come out of our home…
"Um, have the two of you had any run-ins recently? Like, say, a lot of Amazons all at
once…?"
"Wh-what kind of question is that…?"
Mikoto is the first one to respond to Lord Hermes's very unexpected inquiry. Well,then
again, Aisha and a lot of Amazons chased me half to death a few nights ago, but…
Lord Hermes is alone again today and very anxious about something. I kind of feel
sorry for him.
He's playing with the brim of his feathered hat and can't look at me for more than a
few seconds at a time. On his third pass, he notices that we're not doing all that well,
either.
"You two seem a bit glum… Something happen?"
Mikoto and I chance a glance at each other and look to the ground.
The air around Lord Hermes instantly changes and he flashes a charming smile.
"If you consider me worthy, I could lend you some advice."
"Um…"
"I swear on my divinity that anything said will stay between us."
He takes off his cap and places it over his heart.
"I am a god, after all. I might be able to help."
Even his tone has changed—it's more powerful, the voice of someone who can guide
the lost children of Gekai. He even flashes a wink.
Mikoto and I look at each other once again… then to Lord Hermes, and we nod.
We want to do something about Haruhime's situation, and if there's any chance that
Lord Hermes can help us out, we'll take it.
There's a place to go for secret meetings.
At least that's what Lord Hermes told us as he leads the way to a small cafe on the
southwest side of the city. I've been through here once before, when I met the goddess
in Amour Square.
We had to weave our way through narrow paths in order to find this cafe , Wish.
Apparently, this little place has quite the following. It has a very modern design and
everything is nice and clean inside and out. Looking in through the windows, we can
see it's completely full of young couples.
An elf hostess wearing thin-rimmed glasses meets us at the front door and guides us
to a seat at the back of the cafe .
"I see… So your friend is a prostitute."
Lord Hermes takes a sip of his tea as I bring him up to speed on the situation.
Mikoto kept her eyes on the table while I spoke, looking up only from time to time.
Now all we can do is wait for his response.
"I'd listen to Lilly, she has a very good point. If you tried to go and take your friend out
of the brothel by force… it'd be the same as pointing a blade at Ishtar herself. I really
can't recommend that."
Lord Hermes continues, saying that Hestia Familia wouldn't stand a chance if a
skirmish broke out. Every one of his words feels heavy. Mikoto can't even look at him
now. Lilly, Welf, and the goddess would be dragged into this if we did anything rash.
That much is obvious.
And Mikoto just underwent conversion… She can't leave the familia.
If that were an option, she wouldn't have to worry about the rest of us and could go in
by herself.
Just one look at the side of her face tells me that that was running through her mind,
too.
"Generally speaking, familias stay out of one another's hair. So if you stick your neck
out to help a friend in another group, you're going to cause more problems than you
solve."
Our faces grow dark. Lord Hermes's tone didn't leave any chance of misunderstanding.
So there's nothing we can do. I've never felt so powerless.
"—However, prostitutes are another story."
His voice sounds a lot brighter this time.
""What?"" We respond in unison, willing away our disappointment with smiles.
"It all depends on her rank… her standing within the familia. If she's near the bottom
or a noncombatant, redemption might be an option."
"Redemption"—Hermes explains the rule exclusive to the Pleasure Quarter.
Simply put, it's a system that allows someone to trade a large amount of money for a
prostitute's release.
A person can "buy" a prostitute by paying off her debts or by paying an acceptable
amount to the brothel itself, thereby granting her freedom. In this way, upper-class
adventurers can turn their favorite prostitute into a lifelong companion. Sounds like
it's not all that rare.
I can't say I'm all that comfortable with treating people like merchandise like this,
but… right now, this just might be it.
"… Redemption might be possible for the common prostitute… but would Ishtar
Familia be willing to release one of their members so easily?"
Just as I'm starting to get excited about this, Mikoto states a major problem. I can tell
she's forcing her voice to stay calm.
Lord Hermes smiles at her. Does that mean it's not an issue?
"Aren't you forgetting? Ishtar is a Goddess of Beauty and also has the ability to control
love, to a point. If a man wishes to offer redemption to one of her own, she wouldn't
refuse."
SWISH! Mikoto and I look at each other so fast her hair stands on end. I gulp down the
air in my throat.
"The only hurdle left is if your friend is a combatant… or if she's at the lower end. One
or the other."
Lady Ishtar isn't about to let a powerful fighter or leader walk away.
Lord Hermes watches our faces carefully, waiting for a response. But I already know
the answer. I jump to my feet and lean over the table.
"TH-THAT'S OKAY! I doubt that Miss Haruhime is very high up at all!"
That came out a lot louder than I thought it would.
The Haruhime I met two nights ago in the Pleasure Quarter wasn't a fighter, I'm sure
of it!
I'm not sure if she has a Status or not, but judging by the way the Amazons talked
about her, there's no doubt in my mind that she's one of the lowest-ranking members
of their familia.
All the other couples in the cafe suddenly spin around to look at me after the outburst.
Hermes grins and nods.
"In that case, there could be light at the end of this tunnel."
Mikoto's lips start to quiver the moment Lord Hermes says that. Her mask of
hopelessness is slowly breaking away.
Then she jumps up and leans over the table right next to me.
"Wh-what's the cost for redemption?"
"That depends on the prostitute's rank, but… I hear it's usually somewhere between
two and three million."
That hits me like a ton of bricks. I clear my throat and hear Mikoto do the same. But—
—It's not impossible to get that much money.
It might take a while, but for a familia capable of working in the middle levels like we
can, it's not just wishful thinking.
At last, there's hope.
My cheeks flush as my heart beats faster.
She wants to be taken away from there. Haruhime told me as much that night in the
red-light district. Just like how it was in the books she read.
We can help her!
"If it's all right with you, could you tell me more about this girl? I could do a little
investigating around Ishtar's establishments, maybe lend a helping hand?"
Mikoto and I had just managed to convince our bodies to sit back down in our chairs
when Lord Hermes said that. Looking at Mikoto, I see that she can't contain her
happiness any more than I can.
"Haruhime—Lady Sanjyouno Haruhime! She's about my age, and a renart!"
Mikoto wasted no time in taking up Lord Hermes on his offer, and told him her name
and race.
"… Renart."
Lord Hermes's eyes go wide. His lips seem to stumble over that word.
That's no act. He's genuinely shocked.
The deity closes his mouth and makes direct eye contact with both of us.
"Lord Hermes…?"
His sudden change of mood is making me worry. I have to ask.
Lord Hermes quietly strings together words.
"This, um, goes against my principles, but…"
He pauses for a moment before continuing.
"Bell, the night I bumped into you in the Pleasure Quarter, I was on my way to Ishtar's
with a special package."
"Special package…?"
"It's taboo for a deliveryman to reveal the contents of his client's order—worthy of
expulsion, I might add… but I'll do you a favor."
Mikoto tilts her head in confusion. I'm sure my face doesn't look much different from
hers, either. Lord Hermes opens his mouth to speak.
"I delivered an item called a Killing Stone."
… Killing Stone?
I blink a few times. Pretty sure I've never heard of that before.
Judging from the expression on Mikoto's face, she hasn't, either.
"That's all I can tell you. Well then, Bell, Mikoto, I'll be seeing you."
Lord Hermes slides back his chair and stands up.
Adjusting his hat, he gazes down on me from the shadow of the brim.
He goes to the counter and pays the bill before disappearing outside, leaving Mikoto
and me completely bewildered.
"What was wrong with Lord Hermes?"
"I have no clue. What would cause that sudden change…?"
Mikoto and I leave the cafe and decide not to visit the Guild. We're going home instead.
We need to talk to Lilly and Welf about raising enough money for a redemption.
Mikoto and I are walking side by side, trying to figure out what just happened.
What was Lord Hermes trying to say… For now, I'll put the Killing Stone on the back
burner.
We travel through the side streets deep in thought.
"…?"
"Isn't that…"
Our three-story manor is just visible after turning off one of the wider streets when
something else catches our attention.
A horse-drawn carriage is parked just outside the front gate.
A snap rings out just moments after we see it. That sound is followed immediately by
the horse's whinny and the fancy carriage pulls away.
Mikoto and I quicken our pace, curious. Welf and Lilly are standing next to the gate,
the goddess with them. And she's holding a piece of paper.
"Welf, Lilly! Goddess!"
"Ah, Bell. And Mikoto. Glad to see you're home."
"What was that just now?"
The three of them turn to face us when I call. Mikoto asks a question.
Lilly glances at the paper in the goddess's hands and answers.
"A quest from a trading company."
Trading company? I ask for confirmation and Welf nods.
"This is also 'cause of the War Game. One of the greedier ones is looking for money."
"Hm." The goddess, standing between Welf and Lilly, frowns as she rereads the paper.
Judging by the name at the top of the sheet, this company goes by the name Albella.
That means that one of the large trading companies that supports Orario's economy
has come directly to Hestia Familia with a quest.
There are many items that can be acquired only from us adventurers, which means
these relationships are very valuable. Most adventurers never see the deals that go on
behind closed doors for the drop items and other materials collected or mined from
the Dungeon.
Merchants based on the main continent are particularly fond of items retrieved from
the lower levels and deep levels, or so I'm told. Since only a few familias and
adventurers can make it that far down, they're willing to pay extra for their services.
Therefore, they try to develop relationships with strong familias to satisfy their own
clients.
Which means that this company, Albella, witnessed our victory in the War Game and
deemed Hestia Familia worthy—our arrow is pointed up and they want to build a
relationship as quickly as possible.
"Almost like an investment… Happens all the time in Orario."
Merchants sponsor parties of adventurers every day in order to get their hands on
rare items from deep within the Dungeon.
Adventurers can buy items for lower prices and in return sell their loot for a little less
to the merchants to return the favor. There are advantages for both sides.
There's quite a bit of risk in signing that kind of contract, but a lot of money can be
made by not going through the Guild.
"They came to us without informing the Guild, so this isn't an authorized quest.
However, they've identified themselves."
Lilly takes another look at the sheet, her eyes zipping through the details as she
explains them to us.
"The client is a recognized trading company, much more trustworthy than other
unauthorized quests."
Thinking over what Lilly said, I decide to ask for more details about the quest itself.
"So, what do they want us to do?"
"It says here they want a good amount of quartz from the Dungeon's level-fourteen
pantry."
The goddess answers my question.
Welf leans over her shoulder for a closer look.
"This is a big reward for something so simple."
"It's their way of asking for more favors in return."
Welf and Lilly make the remarks, gawking at the sheet in the goddess's hand. Mikoto
and I make eye contact.
Then we both look at the goddess, step forward, and say:
""H-how much?""
"One million valis."
"O-one million…?!"
The goddess's response is enough to nearly knock the two of us off our feet.
That would take a major chunk out of what we need to pay for a redemption!
"What should we do, Lady Hestia?"
"Hmm… I don't really want to get involved with merchants and companies and all
that."
Either she doesn't want to deal with all the paperwork or she's afraid of being taken
advantage of, but the goddess doesn't sound too interested.
"I know they came all this way, but let's decline—"
""Let's do it!""
"UWAH?!"
Mikoto and I desperately try to stop the goddess from finishing that sentence.
Our faces beet red, she jumps backward in surprise.
"Not just to establish a connection, and I am fully aware that having something just to
have it is quite narrow-minded, butin any case we need money as quickly as possible!"
"I-I agree!"
Mikoto steps forward, saying more words in one breath than I ever could. I step up
evenly with her and offer my support.
Mikoto tries again, gesturing with all her might to try and convince the goddess.
"Hnhnnn… Well, my own debt caused problems for everyone… And this is just a quest,
so maybe we can talk about it?"
She takes another look at the paper with beads of sweat rolling down her face before
finally giving in.
""Th-thank you very much!""
We thank her and immediately slap our hands together in an epic high five.
"What's going on…?"
"Looks like they found something to do."
This must be what a fish feels like after being released back into the water. I can feel
Lilly's eyes on us. She must be shocked—after all, we were almost dead on our feet
this morning. Even Welf's chuckling at us now.
"While I'm a little concerned you're getting too friendly with Mikoto, Bell… let's go
back inside for now."
The four of us follow her back inside to talk about the quest in more detail.
Now that we don't have to kidnap Haruhime from enemy territory, this is the best time
to tell everyone about the redemption.
Mikoto's got a pep in her step; I'm pretty sure I do, too. But wait, there's something
else I'd like to ask.
"Goddess, what's a Killing Stone?"
"Killing Stone? Never heard of that."
Recounting Lord Hermes's delivery to Lady Ishtar, I explain to everyone that the
Goddess of Beauty Ishtar has a Killing Stone. But Lady Hestia looks clueless.
I turn to Welf and Lilly.
"Any ideas, Li'l E?"
"No, Lilly doesn't know anything, either."
No luck.
No one has seen one or even heard of it… Killing Stones must be extremely rare.
It seems a little strange, but I decide to let it slide as we make our way through the
front door.
In the end, we decided to accept the quest from the Albella Trading Company.
Lady Hestia kept giving me suspicious looks for some reason when we told her that
we can rescue Haruhime, a prostitute, with a redemption. It was Mikoto's earnest
pleas that made her begrudgingly accept—Mikoto went out to inform Takemikazuchi
Familia about Haruhime the moment we finished up.
Neither Lilly nor Welf raised any objections, so Hestia Familia embarked on a quest to
receive one million valis.
"We're here to complete a quest, yet again."
Now we're prowling the fourteenth floor of the Dungeon.
We spent the last two days following our meeting preparing for the quest and
completing the paperwork. Now all that's left is the quest itself. Lilly is carrying her
oversize backpack as her earlier comment echoes down the long, rocky tunnels.
Faint light shines down from far above; the air is thick and moist. The holes in the floor
that proved to be our worst nightmare only a few weeks ago lurk in the shadows of
the Dungeon, which appears to be a normal cave only on the surface.
We passed through the upper levels with no problems whatsoever and arrived in the
middle levels with ease. A few quick battles here and there, and our four-person battle
party has made it to level fourteen.
"Now, everyone, let's keep moving!"
I can feel the excitement in Mikoto's voice, calling back from the head of our formation.
Swish, swish! Mikoto swipes her katana back and forth in her right hand with all the
excitement of a kid on the way to a candy store.
Welf takes his eyes off her for a moment and looks back at me. Both of us share a smile,
not sure how to react.
"The quest requires us to go into this floor's pantry. Lilly recommends that we don't
do anything rash…"
The pantry is just what it sounds like: a place in the Dungeon where hungry monsters
go to eat. Lilly mentions the dangers of this place and holds back a sigh as she watches
Mikoto's demeanor with concern in her eyes. Lilly takes a moment to rummage
through her backpack, making sure that we have plenty of items and that our
camouflage cloaks are ready.
An uneasy smile still on my face, I check my equipment as well.
Weapons—the Hestia Knife and both blades forged from a red Minotaur Horn are all
I've got with me; no shield or buckler. Mikoto and I gave all our backup daggers and
blades to Lilly for safekeeping. I'm wearing the same armor as I did during the War
Game, Pyonkichi, smooth and shiny thanks to Welf's recent repairs.
We finally made enough progress at home for Welf to fire up his forge for the first time.
Since he didn't want any of us to go to the Dungeon underprepared, he worked really
hard making new weapons and armor for all of us before coming down here.
"A redemption, huh? Didn't even know that existed."
Welf is walking right next to me in the middle of our formation, a greatsword at the
ready over his shoulder.
Satisfied with this peaceful option, he flashes a grin.
"Yes. It might be hard to collect enough money, but… we can help her."
I look back at Mikoto, a smile growing on my face. Both of us are in high spirits.
We're going to save Haruhime—thoughts of her smile fill my mind as I take hold of
one of my knives.
"Redemption costs three million… Just to be safe, having five million on hand would
be a good idea."
"Ehh… That'll take forever."
"Then we better consider going deeper into the Dungeon."
Sharp eyes scanning the Dungeon for monsters, Lilly joins our conversation from the
back of the line.
Welf suggests that we can make more money by going to the lower levels.
"Bell's Level Three, so we should be able to make it to level twenty, right?"
Welf turns his shoulders and flashes another grin to Lilly behind us.
It's generally accepted that Level 2 adventurers can safely work in the middle levels
between the thirteenth and twenty-fourth floors. According to the Guild, Level 3
adventurers like me are allowed to venture into the lower levels that start on the
twenty-fifth floor.
Lilly, who's become our party's strategist, shakes her head at Welf's proposal.
"Mr. Bell being Level Three makes no difference. The Dungeon can bear its fangs at any
time. We could be wiped out without proper preparation on any floor."
She's not taking lightly her experience from the battle on the eighteenth floor. I doubt
she'll change her opinion anytime soon.
Even if we should be able to reach the twenty-fourth floor on paper, there's always a
risk in going deeper—there's a big difference between "information" and
"experience."
She makes a good point… It'd be really dangerous to go down that far halfheartedly.
I understand wanting to make progress quickly, but this is an issue that can't be solved
by just one person getting stronger. All of us, as a party, need to be fully prepared
before pressing forward. Lyu told me a while back that only a balanced party can
survive in the middle levels. One adventurer by themselves would be overwhelmed by
numbers.
We have a goal, but it can't be rushed. I tell myself over and over not to get
overconfident.
Now's the time to concentrate on the quest.
"—Be still."
Mikoto is quite a few meders ahead of us when she suddenly comes to a halt and tells
us to stop.
Turning around, she looks past our formation and focuses on a spot behind us.
Lilly quickly adjusts her position in the formation… Just as Mikoto warned us,
WHOOSH! Something pops up from a hole a little behind us.
A tigerlike monster with a body that's solid like a rock comes into the light.
"Liger fang…!"
"It must've come to this floor from below."
Lilly calmly explains the Irregular as the rest of our jaws drop in the face of a monster
that shouldn't show up until level fifteen.
The beast must've just killed something, monster or otherwise, because its claws and
fangs are dyed red with blood. Its thick fur standing on end, the monster roars right at
us. It will take something longer than a knife to penetrate its armor-thick coat.
It looks just as aggressive as the Minotaur that came to the higher levels. Despite its
bloodshot death stare, Welf glances over at Mikoto with admiration and says:
"A detection Skill—very useful."
"No, I can sense only monsters I've encountered before… and it also depends greatly
on my clarity of mind. Please don't depend on it."
We told one another our Skills and Magic once we all became members of the same
familia.
Mikoto fought against a liger fang on her way down to the eighteenth floor when she
was looking for us before. She walks past me to face the beast that she felt coming,
katana already raised into a defensive position.
"It's faster than a Minotaur! Stay alert!"
"Yes!"
Mikoto charges toward the roaring beast. Welf and I are close behind as even more
monsters join the fray.
Violent echoes of adventurers engaged in combat with monsters rang out from far
down the passageway.
A group of women cloaked in hooded robes were standing by in a room not too far
away—each of the tan-skinned warriors held her weapon loosely in one hand.
"Progress?"
"Couldn't be better. One million valis was enough to lure them out. The Albella Trading
Company told them to go to this pantry… They have to come through here."
Another tall and slender woman, an Amazon, approached the group. She went to their
leader, whose eyes—Aisha's eyes—were flashing from deep beneath her hood.
Samira, her gray hair and face hidden beneath the rough fabric, smirked as she
answered.
"Nice plan, having a trading company issue the quest for us. I had no idea that was an
option."
"Those Albellas owe us in more ways than one… Lady Ishtar helped 'em out of a tight
spot as well. They couldn't refuse us."
Aisha had a pretty good idea what transpired behind the scenes of this contract.
Hooded robe swaying just above her knees, she made her way to the middle of the
group.
Several hooded figures stood with their backs to a large steel container as if protecting
it. Aisha walked past them and placed her hand on the cargo box that was big enough
to fit a few people. Slipping her fingers into the handle, she opened the door.
"Haruhime, get ready."
One lone girl was sitting in the back corner of the cargo box.
Dressed in long, loose clothing—Far Eastern–style combat attire—she wore a helmet
that had been heavily decorated with feathers. Her beautiful golden hair was braided
and tied into a bun that was hidden along with her ears under the helmet. Even her
bushy fox tail was completely concealed.
Every effort had been made to hide the fact that this girl was a renart. Her brilliant
green eyes shifted toward Aisha.
"… Are we here to… abduct an adventurer?"
Her eyes shook softly as she spoke. Aisha's expression, however, didn't change.
"We are."
"Who, may I ask?"
"You don't need to know."
Aisha reached inside the container, grabbed the young girl's arm, and pulled her up.
Then she leaned in so close that her lips grazed the feathers on Haruhime's helmet as
she spoke.
"Same as always, got it?"
"… Yes."
Aisha's strong voice reverberated inside the steel box. Haruhime looked at her feet as
she whispered her response. Satisfied, Aisha let go.
"Aisha, it's them!"
"… All right, all of you, into position. And stick to the plan."
One of the scouts had returned. Every one of the hooded women took proper grasp of
their weapons the moment Aisha issued her orders.
"—That sound."
We'd fought our way through many groups of monsters and made a great deal of
progress into the Dungeon.
Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps reaches my ears.
"Those screams, human and monsters… They're coming this way."
"Oh hell no, not again!"
Mikoto focuses her ears in that direction. Welf sounds really annoyed.
Judging by the echoes, I'd say that's a decent-size pack of monsters chasing after a
party of adventurers at high speed. All are the telltale signs of a pass parade. All of us
immediately tense up.
A party of hooded adventurers appears at the other end of the tunnel, a large group of
the beasts nipping at their heels.
"From the front… They're coming out of the pantry?"
Lilly adjusts her backpack as she assesses the situation, eyes glued to the oncoming
threat. Quickly closing all the pockets of her backpack, she lets her eyebrows sink as
everyone prepares to make a break for it.
This tunnel is a long straightaway. There's no reason to risk being overrun by standing
our ground. It's much safer to keep those hooded adventurers between us and the
monsters.
"Back to the intersection!"
I give the order that everyone saw coming and we take off.
Adjusting our formation, we go back up the tunnel we came from.
I glance over my shoulder every few seconds, judging the distance between us and
them. We make it into the intersection—but a heartbeat later…
Two more groups of adventurers, one from the left and one from the right, flood into
the intersection with us in the middle.
"Two more?!"
Lilly's shrill voice pierces the air.
Pass parades are about to collide. All of us are stunned by this highly unlikely turn of
events.
Monster roars and battle cries envelop us in a matter of moments. We're being
overrun!
"UW-UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"E-EVERYONE!"
A whirlwind of chaos erupts in the intersection, with us trapped in the middle.
The hooded adventurers dip and dive out of the way, leading packs of angry
hellhounds and almirage right to us. There are so many black shadows and bodies
zipping in and out of sight that I lose track of Welf and Mikoto for a few seconds.
The only thing I can do is trust them and protect our supporter. Lilly needs me. I jump
in front of her, hacking and slashing my way through waves of fangs and fur.
I'd forgotten one very important thing: the first pass parade. They've caught up.
"A third…?!"
The group slams into our battlefield from behind.
More screams, more roars, and even more fangs come flying at me. I slice an almirage
at the last possible second. There's no room for error. Another flash—a monster has
sunk its teeth into Lilly's backpack. Quickly dispatching it, I pull Lilly closer to me.
Monsters in every direction—I'm completely enclosed in a cage of claws and fangs.
But it's what's on the outside of the cage that catches my attention. The three parties
of adventurers come back into the intersection. Ignoring the monsters, they point
their weapons at us.
"Who the hell are these guys?!"
CLASH! Welf uses his greatsword to block a scimitar sword. WHAM! Mikoto's katana
collides with a club.
More and more of the hooded adventurers jump over the ring of monsters to attack.
With a knife in each hand, I deflect the ones who come my way, protecting Lilly with
all my might.
Another wave of monsters joins the fray. Flashes of steel and sharp claws relentlessly
assail me from every direction.
This is far too organized to be a pass parade. These numbers, this location—all this
means that they were after us all along.
"You're coming with us."
"Wha—"
A female voice sounds as a black shadow falls over me.
I look up and see a black robe slicing through the air and coming right toward me.
The sleeves of her loose, hooded robe make the woman look more like a bat, eyes
flashing from beneath her hood.
That second of hesitation is all she needs to swipe at me from midair with a long,
powerful leg.
"?!"
I manage to get my arms up to defend at the last possible moment, but the impact still
sends me flying backward.
"Mr. Bell!"
My body arcs high over the monsters' heads. Lilly's voice reaches my ears, but she
sounds… distant.
The power of that incredible kick propels me completely outside the cage of fangs.
No! Lilly, Welf, Mikoto!—They've got me isolated!
I can still see them inside the cage as I hit the ground and roll. The black robe gets
closer with each rotation. WHAM! Another kick drives me farther back and around the
corner.
I can't see anyone else!
"GWA—uhh…!"
I finally get my feet underneath me and try to stand. The black shadow comes flying
around the corner… and removes her black robe.
"Aisha…?!"
"We meet again, and so soon."
She's got on tight, minimal purple clothing like a dancer's, long black hair, streamlined
legs… and a massive blade at her side.
It's just her and me. There's no one else to witness the true form of an Amazonian
warrior emerge from the black robe now at her feet.
"What is going on…?"
Rather than answering, she points her weapon right at my chest as the howls and
echoes of battle rampage through the tunnel.
Her wooden weapon is very similar to Welf's greatsword.
The only real differences are the noticeably longer handle and the upward curve of the
blade.
She's holding the weapon with her left hand, eyes glaring menacingly down at me from
just behind the tip of the blade. Her mouth opens.
"You can direct your hate at the unpredictable whims of a goddess. That or—"
I hadn't calmed down enough yet to notice until now.
There's something weird going on with her dark skin—different spots all around her
body are sparkling.
Now, why would…?
"—curse yourself for getting noticed!"
Aisha vanishes into thin air.
"?!"
Pieces of the Dungeon floor burst into the air where she stood. It takes a moment to
realize Aisha's gone.
She's on top of me in the blink of an eye, that curved sword of hers on a direct course
for my gut.
I thrust the Hestia Knife forward out of reflex and manage to safely guide the blade
past my chest.
Aisha doesn't even wait for the sparks to clear from the collision to launch her first
kick. It connects with the ferocity of a spear into the middle of my exposed chest.
My breastplate instantly cracks, breaking free from its restraints as the metal screams
on impact. What was left of the armor flies off my body.
Too fast—!
Knocked off balance, I can catch only the flash of Aisha's next merciless kick already
on its way.
I fall to my hands and knees before jumping back up to my feet. Knives still in both
hands, I go on the offensive.
I fight back the confusion and chaos by focusing all my emotions into my blades and
charge forward. The Amazon meets me head-on with unbelievable speed.
Arcs of dark-purple and crimson light shower her wooden blade, but nothing gets
through. She counterattacks with those long legs, connecting time and time again with
my armor and skin.
—She's faster than me!
That's not possible.
I know for a fact when I fought her three days ago in the Pleasure Quarter I had the
advantage in speed.
My speed, my Agility, was higher, I'm sure of it!
It's been only a few days, so why?
"My Status ain't any different."
Aisha spins into another attack and practically reads my thoughts.
The palm of her hand flies right in front of my face. It was all a feint so she could get
her heel above my head and slam it down into my shoulder.
I catch a glimpse of my beaten and damaged reflection in her eyes—she's wearing the
same expression as Hyacinthus at the end of the War Game.
"Miss Mikoto, please follow Mr. Bell!"
"But—"
"I'll clear the way—move!"
Voices sounding similar to my friends' reach my ears from far away. However, I don't
have time to process their meaning.
My sense of self is disappearing with each blow, focused down to a fine edge. A purple
edge that manages to block an oncoming kick.
Throwing her leg out of the way, I swipe forward with Ushiwakamaru Nishiki.
"HAAH!!"
CLASH! My crimson knife connects with the flat side of her blade.
I see her grip loosen for a moment and focus all my strength onto that one point. The
weapon spins from her grasp a moment later, flipping through the air.
She's disarmed. Her eyes jump open for a moment in surprise—but that's all.
Changing her strategy, Aisha grabs hold of me with both hands.
"?!"
Tremendous pressure encompasses my shoulders, each finger digging deep into my
skin. One quick swipe at my feet to get me off balance again and she slams my back
into the wall.
My bones crack on impact. Then Aisha starts to run with me pinned against the rocky
tunnel surface.
"UGH—UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
BANG BANG BANG BANG!! Every bump in the wall slams into my back, my skin burning
from the friction and waves of pain pounding through my body every second.
Aisha forces me even farther down the tunnel as pieces ofthe wall either explode away
or embed themselves in my skin.
—This is insane!
I can't get away, can't block, can't defend.
This unbelievable strength—not just the power from her blows but the individual
fingers on the verge of tearing my shoulders apart—doesn't add up.
It's not just her speed, it's her Strength, too.
She's in a completely different class from the other day.
Actually, this is more like—
—Level 4?!
The realization jolts through my body.
Everything shaking, the only thing I can see clearly is the look in Aisha's eyes. She's
absolutely terrifying.
I hang on to my knives for dear life. Working up all the courage I have, I try to take a
swipe at my unarmed opponent—silence.
"?!"
Sudden weightlessness. The shards of rock that were tearing my back to shreds are
gone.
But the overwhelming force is still pushing me. That's when I realize what happened.
I was pushed down one of the many holes in the Dungeon walls on this floor.
Her fingers still digging deep into my flesh, the two of us tumble down the chute
connecting to the floor below.
"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?!"
She's not letting go. Down, down, down.
Drops of sweat pour off me as the air suddenly becomes even more humid. We rotate
forward, falling headfirst.
I fight to catch my breath. The sparkles of light coming off her body are burning
themselves into my memory.
Enchantment?!
That makes sense—for only a moment.
There was a chapter dealing with enchantments in one of those books that Eina drilled
into my head. Enchantments with this much of an effect simply don't exist. At most,
they can add fire or an electrical element to a weapon for a limited time, but nothing
like this.
—Their members fought with strength well beyond that of their reported levels.
—Personally, I'm afraid of Ishtar Familia.
Eina's warning passes through my head, making my skin break out in goose bumps.
"GEH—UWWAAAHHHHHHH!"
We emerge through the ceiling of the fifteenth floor. I grit my teeth and twist my
shoulders, finally breaking her grip.
Kicking off of Aisha, I manage to get my body into a good position to take the fall at the
last possible second.
The back of my shoulder hits first. The momentum sends me rolling down the tunnel,
but I catch a glimpse of my opponent landing softly on her feet. I put my foot down
and stop the roll as soon as there's a good distance between us.
"Haaah… haaah…!"
I've taken so much damage that even the feeling of air coming into my chest burns.
Kneeling on the floor and clutching my ribs, I look up at Aisha. There isn't a single hint
of emotion on her face.
Most of my armor's been destroyed and I dropped a knife somewhere around here.
Aisha takes a few steps forward, an executioner bound to do her duty.
"Sir Bell!!"
A voice from above.
A surprised Aisha and I look back toward the hole in time to see Mikoto appear from
the opening.
Her violet battle gear has been torn to shreds and bloody cuts cover her exposed skin.
Katana flashing menacingly in her right hand, she lands with nary a sound.
"… How the hell did you know we were here?"
Mikoto doesn't answer Aisha's cold question. She does, however, charge.
My eyes fly open as I jump to my feet and do the same.
It's two-on-one, a pincer attack.
I don't care how cowardly it is. She has her back to me and I'm seizing the opportunity.
She's left me no choice. I have to end this, now.
"Samira's team lost track of a brat. How sloppy."
But it's useless.
Mumbling something about her allies upstairs, Aisha takes a defensive stance.
Her long rightleg shoots out at Mikoto, forcing her to use her katana for defense before
she can get in range. SNAP! Aisha's kick is so powerful it bursts through the guard and
her foot connects with Mikoto's chest.
Shifting her balance, Aisha then spins like a top and comes at me with a roundhouse
kick before I can get within striking distance. The specks of light all pulse as one,
distracting me for a very valuable instant. I can't defend myself in time as her foot
collides with the side of my face.
I fly backward as Mikoto rises. Unfortunately, Aisha sees that, too, and brings her leg
high above her head before bringing down her heel.
"UGWAH!"
"GEH!"
Aisha's heel hitting just below her neck, Mikoto crumples to the ground. I land quite a
ways behind them.
The Amazon dances her way out of our pincer attack, long black hair flowing
gracefully behind her.
"M-Miss Mikoto…?!"
Her body is twisted into an awkward lump on the floor. She's not moving.
A graphic demonstration of the difference in their levels. I force myself to my feet and
take a few steps toward her.
"Nahh. That one's already done."
Aisha looks back at me with ice-cold eyes. I was knocked clear back to an intersection;
there's no way I can get to Mikoto in time.
A heartbeat later…
WHOOSH. A new dark shadow falls over me.
" "
A horrifying smile greets my eyes as I turn to face the newcomer.
A body standing over two meders tall. Stocky arms stretched out to the sides.
My instincts scream to run away, every nerve firing at once, but it isn't nearly soon
enough.
Even faster than Aisha, it prevents my escape with a fist the same size and power as a
ballista—by slamming it into my back.
"GAHH!"
My body bends backward like a broken board, all the air forced out of my lungs on
impact.
Pain blasting through my stomach like a wrecking ball, my feet leave the ground as my
body goes airborne.
My vision gets fuzzy, but not fuzzy enough not to realize another boulder-size fist is
coming right for my face. It opens at the last second and snatches my head out of the
air.
"—GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH!"
Laughter like the croaking of an overgrown frog reaches my ears before what feeling
I have left in my body tells me that I'm pinned against a wall.
My bones crack under the pressure. But it's the Dungeon wall that gives way first,
cracking and exploding into thousands of pieces around me. Showered in an avalanche
of stone debris, my arms and legs go completely numb.
I can't see anything but darkness with my eyes stuck between two gigantic fingers.
Hopeless despair floods my mind and unimaginable pain jolts through my entire body.
"Ah…" Even my vocal cords have given out.
The hand moves away from my face and light hits my eyes.
The last thing I remember seeing is that woman's horrifying smile.
Literally embedded in the wall, I lose consciousness.
"DAMN IT!"
A greatsword cleaved the final hellhound in two.
Corpses of countless monsters and piles of ash littered the hallway.
Slamming the greatsword into the floor and using it like a cane, a man wiped the sweat
and blood out of his eyes as he looked around the area.
"Where the hell are they?!"
"Lilly has no idea! Mr. Bell and Miss Mikoto haven't come back…!"
Lilly responded to Welf's angry scream with a yell of her own.
The groups of hooded adventurers tormented the two of them to their heart's content
before killing most of the monsters and disappearing without a trace. Welf and Lilly
were now all alone in dead silence.
They fought off their confusion and anxiousness enough to begin searching for their
lost allies. The badly injured human and prum were soon discovered by passing
upper-class adventurers, and word of their plight spread.
"—It cannot be."
Elsewhere…
The screams of the victims were long silent.
Haruhime stared in disbelief at the people just beyond her feet.
A white-haired boy, battered and bloody, and the girl with long black hair covered in
bruises and gashes, lay unconscious just in front of her.
"Master Cranell… Miss Mikoto."
Many Amazons worked quickly around her, preparing to return to the surface, as she
sat in a state of shock.
"Why'd you have to pick up that little girly, Aishaaa? Our orders are to take the bunny
home."
"She'd be in some monster's belly by now if I'd left her there. Wouldn't be able to sleep
at night."
The monstrous Amazon Phryne and Aisha exchanged words.
Haruhime's lips trembled as she turned to address them.
"Lady Aisha… Were these people the targets for this mission?"
"… That's right. On Lady Ishtar's orders."
Every ounce of strength left the renart's body.
She watched in dismay as their bodies were loaded into the metallic cargo box behind
her.
"Aahh..."
Pale as a ghost, Haruhime fell to her knees.