Prytaneum
Cooking
I entered the Pantheon feeling more tired than when I'd woken up. I saw a few people glanced my way and did my best to ignore them, hoping that it was nothing big. That was probably just me wishing for the impossible, but I could try at least—and it had only been a day, how many people could have been told to keep an eye out for me?
…I probably didn't want the answer to that question and so made a point of not trying to ask. Instead, I looked around until I spotted Eina, standing in a different part of the Pantheon then I was used to. I hoped that was just because I didn't usually drop by at this time of the day and not as a result of some kind of punishment and made my way over.
"Eina," I said as I got close enough. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
She jumped lightly, apparently distracted by her paperwork. I tried to sneak a subtle peak at it to see what had her so preoccupied and was promptly thwarted by the fact that I could barely read the language it was written it and the fact that I was dyslexic besides. Probably should have expected that, really.
"Percy?" Eina asked, looking surprised to see me, but no more then I'd expect from someone who hadn't expected me to come in. She also didn't look infuriated with me, so I deduced that she probably hadn't heard about yesterday yet. I guess tellers in the Guild weren't included in the first stages of the divine rumor mill. Instead, she just furrowed her eyebrows and looked me over once, seeming worried. "Of course. Are you feeling alright? Should you be running around so soon after nearly dying?"
I frowned, unsure of which time she was talking about before realizing she was probably still thinking about the magic sword thing, which was now…one, two, three…four near death experiences behind? And only two days ago. Maybe I did need a vacation.
"I'm okay," I assured her, deciding to put that aside for the moment and build up to it a bit. I didn't think it would change anything, really, but it had the advantage of being then instead of now. "I just wanted to ask for some advice."
Eina frowned slightly, knowing me too well, before forcing a smile.
"About what?" She asked and I took a deep breath before deciding to tackle the least dangerous topic first.
"Well, uh," I began, clearing my throat awkwardly before trying for a smile as well. "I'm Level 2 now?"
Eina's smile froze—or rather, she froze. For a long moment she didn't move at all, but slowly, shock began to spread across her features.
"I'm sorry," Eina said, expression disbelieving. "What was that?"
"I'm Level 2 now," I repeated, feeling concerned.
"Level 2?" She repeated numbly. "Since when?"
"Since yesterday, I guess," I said.
"Since yesterday?" She asked. "Percy, remind me—how long have you been an adventurer?"
"Uh…" I paused for a moment, considering that for a moment. Dates weren't my strong suit, but it wasn't that long ago. "About three weeks now, I guess."
"Three weeks," She said back to me, eyes growing wider and wider. "Level 2 in three weeks!?"
Eina nearly shouted that last part and I winced slightly, looking around at the crowded room, the entirety of which was now looking our way. Eina clapped her hands over her mouth, looking horrified at what she'd just done.
"Um," I said, feeling more and more awkward by the moment. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private…?"
Before I could finish, Eina suddenly grabbed my head and all but dragged me away, face turning red as she pulled me towards the conference room we usually used.
"I'm sorry!" She apologized the moment the door swung closed and leaning her head against the door, hands on her head. Even though I couldn't see her face, she was blushing to the tips of her ears. "Shouting such a thing when there were so many adventurers could hear…how could I have done such a stupid thing, ugh!"
"It's, uh…it's okay?" I said, looking at her in concern as a stood just a few steps away. This was the most distraught I'd ever seen her, more so that even when her job was at risk—she seemed like she was moments away from banging her head against the wall. "Lili said that Level Ups get announced anyway, so it's not really a big deal…?"
"It's not that you Leveled Up—it's how fast you did it!" She groaned miserably. "Damn it…! I didn't even consider that you might have Leveled Up after fighting against the Soma Familia and I was so surprised, I let personal information slip…!"
I coughed awkwardly at that, but she didn't seem to notice.
"No, really, it's okay," I said. "Part of why I came here is because Hestia and Hephaestus said that I should get my Level confirmed again before any gods questioned it. So getting the word out was a good thing…?"
"Even if confirming it is good, at the very least I'd want to hold off on revealing it to the public for as long as possible," Eina mumbled, hands coming up to cover her face as she finally turned around and leaned against the door. Frankly, she looked like she was about ready to slide down it and start crying.
"It's okay," I tried to assure her, being locked in a room with an emotionally distraught girl making me feel even more awkward than being the center of attention of the entire Guild. As such, I desperately tried to change the subject. "Can I, um…can you help me with something now, Eina?"
She mumbled something I couldn't understand, but which I decided was probably an attempt to ask 'what?'
"It's about…Developmental Abilities," I said, saying it carefully.
"Huh?" Eina asked, looking up at me. Her face was still red but she didn't seem to be crying and her eyes promptly focused on me contemplatively, which I chalked up as a victory. "Oh, I see. Percy, you're not officially a Level 2 yet, is that it? I sounds like you have more than one Developmental Ability to choose from."
"I suppose?" I replied, shrugging helplessly at her. "I talked about it some with Hestia and Lili, but they only knew the basics about a few of them, so there's some stuff I don't really get and I wanted to ask you about it before making a decision."
Eina nodded and frowned before drawing a pen and notepad from the desk in the room and slowly taking a seat, gesturing for me to follow suit.
"What abilities are there to choose from?" She asked.
"Abnormal Resistance, Hunter, Mage, Magic Resistance, Spirit Healing, Swordsmanship, and Taming," I replied, having heard them enough times in the last hour or so that I could recite them all by heart.
Eina stopped for a moment to just stare at me.
"…What?" She asked, seeming stunned again. "That's…seven Developmental Abilities? No, not just that; how did you…?"
"It's a long story," I evaded. "But you know about them, right?"
Eina frowned at me and was silent for a long moment.
"I do, but…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Percy, could you do me a favor?"
"What?" I asked, surprised that she'd ask such a thing now. "What do you need?"
"Could you tell me everything you've done as an adventurer, up until now?" She asked. "Nothing that reveals anything personal of course; even just a rough outline is fine. I just want to know exactly what kind of monsters you've fought, what kind of quests you completed, that sort of thing."
"Why do you need something like that?" I wondered, confused.
"The Guild collects information on any adventurers that Level Up, leaving out anything personal," She explained, raising an eyebrow when I looked at her with surprise. "It shouldn't be surprising, should it? The Guild's business is the sale of magic stones, which adventurer's gather—and stronger adventurers gather stronger magic stones. Naturally, it's in the Guild's best interests to do everything they can to help adventurer's level up safely. If possible, I'd like to gather information on how you did it."
"Level up safely," I repeated before chucking awkwardly. "I'm not sure I'm the best guy for that, Eina…"
Eina sighed tiredly, nodding her head at that, before looking back at my face.
"True," She said. "But even so, I would like to do everything I can to help keep other adventurer's safe. I apologize again for revealing your Level, but I swear on my life, I'll do my best to not to reveal anything that could endanger you further."
"You don't have to go that far," I replied, bemused. "Like I said before, I trust you and I'll tell you anything you want to know. It's just, I don't think any of it'll be that helpful and…well, can we talk about my stuff, first? Because I don't want you to be angry when we talk about it…"
Eina clicked her tongue at me, expression growing annoyed at once.
"So you've been hiding things from me?" She asked.
"Uh…" I answered, brainwaves flat-lining for a moment. "It's more that some details just didn't seem that important?"
Her eyes narrowed and I did my best to look properly abashed. I don't think she bought it.
"Fine," She said anyway. "You'll tell me everything, afterwards?"
"Of course," I said and she took a deep breath, seeming to gather her thoughts.
"You just need more information, is that it?" She asked. "And advice on what to pick? I don't know how much help I'll be, but…I should be able to at least give a few details. Shall we start from the beginning?"
I nodded in acceptance.
"I assume you already know all about Abnormal Resistance?" She guessed, but didn't wait for me to nod. "It's perhaps the most common of all Developmental Abilities, due to the Purple Moths on the Upper Floors. Nonetheless, it's a very important ability and many adventurers consider it invaluable. Simply put, it allows its owner to resist poisons and other such ailments, and in the Dungeon where one never knows what might happen next, it can easily save your life. While the Purple Moths are only dangerous when encountered in large groups or if their effects are left untreated over long periods of time, deeper floors possess much more dangerous beasts, which can easily slay adventures even after the battle is over."
"I do like not being poisoned," I admitted, though on the inside I was thinking that I'd managed okay using water to recover, at least so far. It'd be foolish to just assume that would always be enough and that there was no benefit to having the ability, but I also had Argos, one of my new skills. While I hadn't exactly had a chance to test it, from what its description and Hestia had said, it should protect me from anything like poison, at least until the battle ended. After that, I might well keel over and die, but by that point, I'd hopefully have done something about it. While I didn't think it was useless, it was on the lower end of my personal list right now.
"I'm glad," She said. "Given the options you have to choose from, however, I'm not certain I would recommend you getting it right now, despite the potential danger. I just want you to keep it in mind and be careful not to dismiss it in the future."
"Right," I replied.
"Next is Hunter," She continued. "It's a rare skill, because in order to gain it, one must slay an enormous amount of monsters in a short period of time—and it can only be obtained at Level 2. Even so, it's highly valued by gods and adventurers alike because of its effect; it greatly increases its owner's Basic Abilities against any type of monster they've slain before. For adventurers, who delve into the Dungeon regularly and face the same monsters again and again, its value can't be underestimated. If you intend to venture deeper into the Dungeon and clear it floor by floor, you'll encounter monsters countless times and Hunter will help you progress efficiently. Of course, in the end the one to make the decision will be you, but as it can only be obtained at Level 2 and because of the dangers you face, I would recommend considering it heavily."
I nodded, as Hunter had already been near the top of my list. Hestia had told me most of that already and I had to admit, the fact that I could only possibly get it now made me lean towards it—but more than that, it was like Eina said. My goal was to explore the Dungeon, searching for any sign of my friends, and that meant fighting countless monsters. More than that, however, the Dungeon routinely spawned armies of monsters to attack me, armies that got more dangerous by the floor. So far, I'd managed just fine and with my recent increases in Status, I was pretty confident that I could reach as deep as the eighteenth no problem. Beyond that, though…
And, perhaps even more importantly, I had to consider what could happen to everyone around me. When I reached the eighteenth floor last time, the Goliath that spawned had threatened everyone's lives. I couldn't continue my quest until I was sure that I could keep that from happening again—and also protect people from whatever else might happened. I hadn't been able to defeat the Goliath alone before, but as a Level 2 with Hunter, perhaps that might change. Hunter meant that as long as I could beat something once, however close the fight might have been or where it was located, I'd have a better chance of repeating that feat the next time I faced it or even if there was a group. It was tempting.
But on the other hand…
"Next is Mage, an ability invaluable for magic users," Eina continued, watching me think. "It increases the power of spells, widens their area of effect, makes them more efficient, and generally supports the use of spells. You often use spells in battle, right Percy?"
"Yeah," I said, even though I still had a hard time thinking of my powers as 'spells.' "I have three of them."
"Then I would highly suggest that you consider Mage as well," She said. "Magic is a powerful weapon if used properly and Mage will greatly enhance your facility with it. It can be risky, however, because of the inherent dangers of using Magic—its costs, the time it takes to successfully cast a spell, the danger you're in while casting, and so on—but assuming you're part of a group equipped to deal with such things, it may be even more valuable than Hunter."
I didn't have to worry about most of those things in the first place, or at least not as much as most people probably did. I didn't need anything like an incantation to cast my 'spells' and I could fight just fine while using them. Even the cost wasn't as big an issue, since I could draw strength from the water itself. What's more, I'd found myself relying more and more on my powers when it came to fighting stronger opponents. If I could improve it…
And what's more, how far did Mage go? My 'spells' covered more than just making waves and storms—they were what strengthened me in water, what let me recover, and who knows what else. My general weirdness was all 'magic.' My highest stat, for a long time, had been Magic. Odd as it was to even think, I was a magic user first and foremost. What's more, if the things Welf had said about Mage and Mystery interacting were correct, it could be worth it in other ways, too.
The only downsides was that almost all of my 'spells' were conditional—most of them dependent on water or something similar. I could summon water, of course, but while Mage would presumably help with that, it was painful and exhausting at the best of times, and I might not always have a handy lake around when the Dungeon threw something awful at me. If I'd had to fight the Goliath on the seventeenth floor instead of the eighteenth, odds were I'd have died, either because I couldn't face it on barren ground or because I'd exhaust myself just trying to summon enough water to stop it. Hell, I might kill myself that way, like I had against Zanis.
My Magic was powerful, but if I relied on it completely, then what would I do when I got in over my head in a less fortunate place?
"Magic Resistance is exactly what it sounds like—the ability to resist spells and magical abilities," Eina said, interrupting my thoughts. "In all likelihood, you got it because of your fight with Zanis. Still, its usefulness is undeniable; while it's obviously effective against the spells of other adventurers, it's also effecting on the magical abilities of certain monsters. Such creatures are relatively rare, but they tend to be lethal, and so it could prove lifesaving."
I thought of the Goliath's roar and bobbed my head once.
"Then comes Spirit Healing, a very rare skill," Eina said, happily playing the part of teacher to my silent, dutiful student, and I was content to just let her talk. "Lady Riveria possesses it, I believe, and it's another Ability that's priceless to a magic user. You can think of it as the ability to regenerate magic, slowly restoring energy after use. Because a magic user's spells are often their life line, its use should be obvious, especially in prolonged battles and expeditions."
"Which is more useful?" I asked. "It or Mage?"
"It depends on what type of magic user you are," She replied. "You can think of it like this—Mage makes your spells better, while Spirit Healing allows you to cast more spells. In some situations, that can be a great strength in its own right, but on the other hand, if your intended use for magic is as a weapon to utterly annihilate all opposition, the focus may be less on casting many spells and more on ensuring that the original casting destroyed everything in its path. Of course, ideally, one would simply have both, like Lady Riveria."
I nodded. I could already recover my strength from the water, so it wasn't as big a deal for me, but it had been one of the abilities Hestia and Lili hadn't known much about. Of the two, I favored Mage, though, both because I didn't strictly need Spirit Healing and because it was more my style.
"As for Swordsmanship and Taming, both are rare skills as well, but I'm not as familiar with them," Eina stated. "Swordsmanship, of course, greatly enhances its wielder's swordsmanship while Taming aids in the taming of monsters, but to what extent, I'm unsure. Very few people possess the former to my knowledge, why the experts in the latter belong primarily to the Ganesha Familia, who I've only truly gotten to witness during the festivals. At a guess, I'd say that both have other effects to enhance their usage, much like Blacksmith elevates its users work, but that's largely conjecture on my part. I'm unsure what supernatural versions of such skills would look like, to be honest, as I've never truly seen such things pushed to their limit. I could look into them more, if you'd like?"
"Please," I said. I did like to think of myself as a pretty good swordsman and I was curious whether Taming would have some type of beneficial effect on Mrs. O'Leary, so neither of the abilities were off the list, per se, but neither had truly caught my eye, either. Right now, I was wondering if I should go a step further, though; I'd brought my Status sheet with the intention of showing Eina and asking for her advice and Hestia had…not quite agreed, but had reluctantly allowed me to do as I saw fit. Frankly, it'd be a relief to just completely stop hiding things from Eina and ask for her advice, but at the same time, a part of me was nervous, not so much about how Hestia had reacted, but because Eina herself had been concerned when I told her about it before.
First things first, I thought. I'll keep my end of the bargain.
"So, uh…you wanted to know everything I've done, right?" I asked. "Just…try not to get too mad, okay?"
"I promise nothing," Eina stated outright.