-Third POV-
"Up! Down! Up! Down!" Francis's voice boomed as he barked orders at the trembling figures on the ground.
It had been a week since the Lopez brothers, along with Uriel, made their way to Orario with the Artemis Familia.
During this time, Francis had begun training both Alex and Uriel intensely. The first few days were tough on them; neither had ever done such strenuous exercise before. But both adapted quickly and now they were starting to show real progress.
Francis had managed to teach them the basics of his [Aincrad-style] swordsmanship. The core of the [Aincrad-style] lies in continuous, flowing attacks that seamlessly chain together without pause unless interrupted. It's an aggressive style that focuses on relentless offense.
Alex was doing fairly well, though it took him a while to pick up the fundamentals. Uriel, on the other hand, was nothing short of a prodigy.
She grasped the techniques immediately, even managing to perform the advanced move [Vertical Square] without Francis ever teaching her. It was almost frightening how quickly she learned.
Beyond swordsmanship, Francis was also focused on understanding Uriel's latent powers. She may not have remembered it, but during her emotional outburst, she had summoned a fire that even Francis feared. A simple pat on her head had been enough to calm her, but he knew that this power could be dangerous if left unchecked.
He had tried to get her to activate her powers again, but so far, no luck. Francis suspected that some sort of condition needed to be met for her ability to manifest, but he wouldn't know for sure until they joined a familia and her status was revealed.
"198... 199... 200. Alright, you two can stop," Francis called out. Panting heavily, Alex and Uriel dropped to the ground, exhausted.
"Alex, go take a bath and make yourself some breakfast. Uriel, you go take a bath too. I already made your breakfast," Francis instructed.
"Hey, why does Uriel get her breakfast made and not me?" Alex complained. He had noticed that Francis had been much kinder to Uriel than to him, and he felt it was unfair.
"Are you a cute blonde whose hair feels like clouds?" Francis shot back shamelessly.
Uriel blushed as she got to her feet, while Alex stormed off angrily. Knowing it was pointless to argue further, he headed to the nearby river to wash up. Uriel followed, but went to a different location.
"You know, you really are being unfair," came a voice from the shadows of the trees. Artemis stepped forward, her blue hair shimmering in the sunlight as she approached Francis.
"Well, Uriel's already got the basics of my sword style down. The only thing she needs now is experience and to learn some sword skills.
Alex, on the other hand, still has a lot of work to do before he's ready. I'm pushing him hard now so he doesn't get hurt later when it really matters," Francis explained. He wasn't trying to be unfair; he just didn't want Alex to face the consequences of being underprepared.
"But what brings you here, Artemis? You don't usually come talk to me."
Over the past week, Francis had become friends with many of the Artemis Familia members. They weren't used to being around decent men, and Francis stood out by not ogling them or making lewd comments.
Sure, he stole a glance here and there, but he did it subtly and without making anyone uncomfortable—a skill he had honed during his awkward high school days.
Because of his respectful behavior and easygoing personality, the girls had warmed up to him, especially Lante, Rethusa, and, surprisingly, Artemis herself.
At first, there was tension between them, but they had bonded over the stories Francis told during dinner. These tales—borrowed from anime and light novels—captured their imaginations, especially Artemis, who had a particular fondness for the romance stories.
"I'm here to warn you," Artemis said seriously. "We're only two days away from Orario, but there's something happening there that I'm sure you're not aware of."
Francis frowned, his mind racing. 'Problems? What problems... Oh no, it's that time. Evilus is still around.' His stomach churned.
Evilus was a notorious evil organization that had plagued Orario for years before the main events of Danmachi.
Their goal was to sow chaos, and they sought to release the dungeon's monsters upon the city. The mere mention of them sent a chill down Francis's spine. He also knew that they were involved in some of the darkest arcs, including the deaths of entire familias.
"Evilus, right? Not the friendliest bunch" Francis asked, his expression grim.
Artemis nodded, impressed that he had guessed so quickly. "Giggle They're certainly not friendly."
A long, awkward silence followed. Artemis had come to deliver her warning, but now that it was done, she didn't know what to say next. It felt strange to just leave, so she hesitated.
"Want to hear another story?" Francis asked suddenly, filling the silence with the only thing he knew Artemis liked—his stories.
She smiled softly and gave a small hum of approval. "Mhm."
"Alright then, let's go with this one: A long time ago, 10,000 people were kidnapped by an evil god and placed in a floating castle named Aincrad. This castle had 100 floors, each more dangerous than the last, and the only way out was to clear them all. The catch? If you died in the castle, you died in real life..."
As Francis began his story, Artemis's eyes lit up, and the two of them settled into the familiar rhythm of storytelling. For now, they could forget about the dangers ahead.
-Scene Change-
As Francis told Artemis about the floating castle of Aincrad, Rethusa and Lante watched from a distance, whispering to each other.
"Hey, don't you think they're getting too close?" Rethusa muttered, narrowing her eyes at the sight of Artemis sitting comfortably next to Francis.
"Yes, Lady Artemis has never been this close to any man before," Lante responded, her curiosity piqued.
"Do you think he could be... 'that'?" Lante asked, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone.
"Her Orion? Maybe. I hope so. It's about time Lady Artemis experienced love like any human would. After all, isn't that part of why the gods descended? To live like mortals?"
Lante nodded eagerly. "Yes! And maybe if she does, she'll finally abolish her no-dating rule!"
Their excitement was short-lived as a chilling voice suddenly interrupted them. "What's this Orion you two are talking about?" Uriel stood behind them, her expression dark and intimidating.
Rethusa and Lante froze, slowly turning to face Uriel, who was glaring at them with an intensity that sent shivers down their spines. For the rest of the day, Rethusa, Lante, and Uriel remained on edge, watching from a distance as Francis and Artemis continued their conversation, oblivious to the tension around them.
By nightfall, the camp was alive with laughter and the crackling of a fire, the stars twinkling brightly above. The Artemis Familia had gathered, enjoying the peaceful evening.
"Hey Francis, are you cooking?" one of the girls asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Hm? I thought Rethusa was cooking tonight," Francis replied, glancing at her.
"Her food's good, but yours is so much better! Please make those squirrel sandwiches again!" the girl begged, and soon others chimed in, nodding eagerly.
Rethusa's cooking was decent, but Francis had gained a bit of fame for his meals, thanks to the spices he had received from the system. His cooking had become a favorite among the girls.
"Hoh, you don't like my cooking?" came Rethusa's voice from behind them. The girls stiffened in panic. Rethusa stood there, arms crossed, with a playful yet dangerous glint in her eyes.
Francis chuckled. "Come on, Rethusa, don't tease them. Here, I made two for you," he said, handing her two sandwiches, which she accepted with a satisfied grin.
Just then, Francis felt a small tug on his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Uriel pouting cutely, and he was about to ask what was wrong when they were interrupted.
"We've got a problem!" one of the scouts ran into camp, breathless. "There's a small village, or maybe a nomadic tribe, being overrun by a monster wave not too far from here."
"Tch! Right when Francis made food," Lante groaned, but she didn't hesitate to head to her tent and gear up.
The others, too, scrambled to prepare, their lighthearted mood quickly replaced by seriousness.
Francis sighed as he looked toward the distant mountains, knowing that their journey to Orario would be delayed. "Just when we were so close," he muttered, shaking his head.
But there was no time for complaints. He stood up and began to gear up as well, ready for the unexpected battle ahead.