"Surprise!" Hestia exclaimed, throwing her arms wide as she presented a group of strangers who seemed to shrink slightly under the sudden attention.
All For One's gaze swept over them, noting their unique attire. From what he could surmise, they seemed to hail from the "Far East" that he had heard some people talk about—a nation that bore a surprising resemblance to old Japan from his world.
His eyes flicked back to Hestia, narrowing slightly as he wondered what fresh headache she had managed to saddle him with this time.
After yesterday's eventful night, he had dragged himself to the temporary apartment he rented for the two of them, catching only a few hours of sleep before rising for yet another day of butchering monsters in the dungeon.
The ideal life, he thought dryly.
Hestia, halfway through nursing her hangover, had insisted on accompanying him to the dungeon entrance to "see him off."
He had agreed, not out of affection, but because the energy required to dissuade her wasn't worth the effort.
Now, faced with this "surprise," he was curious about her intentions.
The group before him was distinctive enough to catch his attention. Most intriguing was the man at their center, whose aura radiated "divinity"—a telltale sign of a god.
It was one of the peculiarities of this world, as Hestia had once explained. Gods, no matter how unassuming their appearances, carried an unmistakable presence. Their divinity was palpable to all mortals, like a faint vibration on the air that set them apart.
"Ahem." The man cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking All For One's train of thought.
"I'm Takemikazuchi, head of the Takemikazuchi Familia," he said with a polite smile, extending his hand.
All For One accepted the handshake, meeting the god's gaze with practiced politeness. "Bell Cranel," he replied smoothly, "captain of the Hestia Familia. A pleasure to meet you." First impressions, after all, were crucial.
"I've heard a lot about you from Hestia," Takemikazuchi said, his smile growing. "Including how you managed to reach the twelfth floor in only, what, four weeks? That's an impressive record!" He gave a hearty tap on his shoulder, clearly impressed.
All For One's eye twitched ever so slightly.
Hestia, in her typical foolishness, had apparently been sharing his progress with potential adversaries.
Wonderful.
He forced a gracious smile. "Thank you," he said with a slight nod, before turning his gaze to Hestia, one eyebrow raised.
Hestia scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Oh, right! I forgot to tell you." She coughed lightly into her hand, trying to compose herself. "Remember when you mentioned wanting a bigger party?"
So, that was her angle.
Her lips curled into a proud smirk. "Your sweet goddess managed to secure you a trusted party to travel with! Aren't I the best!?" She leaned in a little too close to his personal space, her tone brimming with excitement.
"A party, huh?" All For One muttered, his gaze drifting back to the six individuals standing a few feet away. Some whispered among themselves, while others seemed impatient, their eyes darting toward the dungeon entrance.
'They'll do,' he thought. With his current progress, even with Welf's help, it would take months to push past the twelfth floor. A larger party would undeniably work in his favor. Besides, with Hestia knowing their god personally, he could at least trust them enough not to pry into his business.
He turned back to Hestia, who was practically bouncing in place, her eager expression waiting for his approval.
He smiled genuinely—something he found far too easy to fake with this body's innocent features. For once, she had been useful beyond simply updating his Status. A compliment was in order for her efforts.
"Yes," he said, his tone smooth and appreciative. "You did well. Thank you, Goddess."
Hestia practically glowed at the words, her cheeks tinged with pink. 'Yes!' she thought, her heart soaring. She had actually been useful to her Bell-kun!
Coughing to regain her composure, she turned back to Takemikazuchi. "N-Now, Takemikazuchi! Let's introduce the children to each other and see them off!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his shoulder and began dragging him toward his Familia members.
"S-Slow down, Hestia!" Takemikazuchi yelped, clearly uncomfortable being dragged in front of his subordinates. The sight was almost comical, given the stark difference in their statures.
All For One followed at a leisurely pace, his mind on the potentials of this arrangement.
He needed to inform Welf about this unexpected addition of numbers when he arrived. The smith had shown hints of frustration with their current plateau at the twelfth floor, though he had hidden it well.
Convincing him to accept this change shouldn't be difficult.
Hopefully, with this new party, progress in the dungeon might finally resume at an acceptable pace.
---
"Are you sure this is the place?" Momiji asked nervously, her gaze flitting across the alleyway lined with homeless people. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she turned to her friend and fellow Familia member, Kaede.
Kaede, however, seemed completely unbothered by the atmosphere. "Of course, I'm sure! Coco said to keep going ahead and then turn left." She marched forward confidently, ignoring the glares from the supposed homeless people around them.
Momiji followed hesitantly, shrinking under the weight of the stares they were receiving. "I really don't like this," she muttered under her breath.
The two girls had been given a task by their new employer, Liliruca Arde. The job seemed simple enough, but Momiji was already regretting agreeing to it.
It had taken a considerable amount of effort for Coco to even wake them up this early in the morning. They worked hard in the Dungeon—was it too much to ask for a bit more sleep?
The people around them looked like any other homeless individuals in Orario, but these were actually members of the Soma Familia. Due to their age—most were over fifty—the Familia's captain had discarded them like trash, leaving them to survive on the harsh streets.
Among them were former adventurers and workers with years of experience, though now they seemed like little more than street thugs.
The task was straightforward: find a person who was interested in a job. But their employer hadn't specified anyone in particular, leaving Kaede and Momiji to decide who to approach.
Kaede scanned the crowd with a critical eye. "Who to ask, who to ask..." she murmured to herself. Her gaze landed on someone, and she abruptly pointed. "Let's ask that one!"
Her sudden outburst made Momiji flinch. "Be quieter!" she hissed, glaring at Kaede. "This is a dangerous area—why can't you see that!?"
Kaede scratched the back of her head sheepishly, still pointing toward the person she'd singled out.
Momiji followed her gaze to a plain-looking man with short, messy dark hair. He sat slouched in a chair, his arms limp at his sides, gazing at the sliver of sky visible from the cramped alleyway.
His cold, soulless eyes and the dark circles under them gave him an air of quiet menace.
Momiji frowned. Everything about this man screamed, 'Don't bother me.' Though he looked younger than most of the others—maybe only a few years older than them—she instinctively wanted to avoid him.
"Maybe we shouldn't bother him," she said, tugging at Kaede's arm in an attempt to move her forward.
"Nonsense! He'll definitely want to know about what we're doing!" Kaede declared enthusiastically, dragging Momiji along as she approached the man.
"Hi there!" Kaede greeted cheerfully, waving with a bright smile.
Momiji tried to hide behind her friend, the idea of interacting with such a shady-looking individual filling her with unease.
The man slowly turned his eyes toward them, his cold gaze unchanging. He raised an eyebrow, then looked back up at the sky. "I don't sell to kids," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.
'Sell?' Both Kaede and Momiji exchanged a curious glance but didn't comment on it.
"A-actually," Kaede began nervously, her initial confidence faltering slightly at the indifference of the man, "we were wondering if you'd be interested in a job opportunity!" She forced a bright smile, determined to stick to the task. After all, they were helping homeless people—it was a good cause!
The man shifted his gaze back to them, one eyebrow arching higher. "And what kind of job could two brats offer me?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.
"O-oh... Uh..." Kaede stammered, suddenly realizing that Coco hadn't given them any specific details about the job.
"We don't know," Momiji said while stepping out from behind Kaede, though her confidence faltered as the man's intense gaze bore into her.
"W-we can leave you be if you're not interested!" she blurted out, turning on her heel in an effort to escape.
"No," the man said quickly, his voice sharp. "I'm interested."
He smiled then, but the expression twisted his features in a way that felt anything but reassuring.
Kaede's face lit up with relief, while Momiji frowned, a sinking feeling settling in her chest.
'Great. The first one they recruit is a creepy guy.'
With one down, they had nineteen more to go.
Great.
---
Awkward.
That was the most accurate word to describe All For One and Welf's mood.
They were marching through the 12th-floor entrance, and their new "party" was essentially ignoring them entirely.
In All For One's case, he ignored them in return—the silent treatment actually suited him. They were doing the heavy work for him, after all. No need to waste precious energy, especially given how little rest he'd gotten before waking up for the dungeon again.
Welf, however, didn't seem to share his sentiment. "O-Oi, Bell, maybe we should just... go past them?" he suggested, hinting at leaving their group behind and continuing on their own as they used to. His expression betrayed his discomfort.
It was more accurate to say that "awkward" best described Welf's mood.
All For One eyed the group ahead of them. He could understand Welf's discomfort. Besides ignoring them, their captain—Kashima Ouka—hadn't included them in the formation, forcing the two of them to fend off monsters alone.
While fending off monsters wasn't particularly difficult, Ouka had made it clear they wouldn't be sharing loot. "What you kill is your loot," as he had put it. And since the monsters naturally targeted Ouka's larger group first due to their numbers, Welf and All For One were left with the scraps.
Their earnings so far were dismal—reminding All For One of his early days in the dungeon.
Additionally, they spoke in their home nation's tongue—purposefully, of course—heightening Welf's discomfort.
They spoke in Japanese—a surprise for All For One. He had initially found the Far East's similarities to Japan intriguing, but discovering an entire language from his world here?
Fascinating.
Turning to Welf, All For One offered an understanding smile. "Don't worry, it's the first day. If this continues, we'll just leave—simple as that." His calm, logical tone was meant to alleviate Welf's discomfort.
He needed to reach the middle floors. These fodders were making his task easier, so Welf could keep his grievances to himself.
"Ouka-dono, don't you think you're being unreasonable?" All For One's ears caught the voice of Yamato Mikoto addressing their captain in Japanese. Her expression mirrored Welf's discomfort.
Heh. They likely thought he didn't understand their language. No need to reveal otherwise.
Ouka scoffed, making no effort to hide his displeasure. "I don't know what Takemikazuchi-sama was thinking, but these two aren't part of our Familia. We shouldn't interact with strangers."
Mikoto's face fell further. 'This is not right,' she thought bitterly.
"These two are children of Takemikazuchi-sama's friends. We shouldn't treat them like this—it's improper," she countered, her voice resolute. Takemikazuchi-sama would be very disappointed if he found out about this behavior.
"Ouka, maybe we should at least give them a chance?" Chigusa suggested, clearly uneasy about the growing wall between the two groups.
Ouka sighed and turned to the other three members of the group."Do you want to give them a chance?" he asked, seeking their opinions.
"Meh."
"Don't really care."
"I'm fine either way."
Asuka, Sato, and Kubo answered indifferently, mostly siding with Ouka's stance.
Reaffirmed, Ouka refocused on leading the way deeper into the 12th floor. "You two can give them a chance if you want. We're fine as we are."
Mikoto glanced at Chigusa, but the latter lowered her head, avoiding eye contact.
It seemed she was on her own in this.
Mikoto slowed her pace, allowing the two newcomers to catch up.
All For One, having understood the entire conversation, resisted the urge to sigh.
Sentimental fool. Why couldn't she just follow her captain's example and leave him alone?
Welf perked up when he noticed Mikoto getting closer to them, hopeful that something might finally break the oppressive awkwardness.
"Hey!" Mikoto greeted in Koine, her expression friendly.
"Hey..." Welf replied, waving nervously. The sudden attention after so much quiet was unexpected.
All For One stayed silent, his focus on the path ahead. They were entering the 12th floor now—the thickening mist and the expansion of the walls and ceiling were clear signs.
Silence stretched once again, the only sound coming from their steps.
"Uhh..." Mikoto began hesitantly. "I wanted to apologize for my Familia's behavior. We're supposed to be a party, and we should be working together." Her expression was sincere, genuinely apologetic.
Welf relaxed slightly, his stiffness easing. "To be honest, I don't think that big guy wants us here at all." He chuckled dryly, though his tone lacked humor.
Even without understanding their tone, Welf could feel the hostility radiating from Ouka.
He had agreed to this arrangement hoping to finally reach the middle floors, but now he realized he'd been too optimistic.
Mikoto lowered her gaze, guilt evident on her face. "Ouka-dono is nice," she began hesitantly. "He's just... not very good with new people." Her voice wavered as though she wasn't entirely convinced herself.
Welf looked unconvinced but chose not to comment, instead focusing on the path ahead. The thick mist made spotting monsters difficult, though he could feel them nearby.
Silence returned, and Mikoto fidgeted uncomfortably. Her gaze shifted to Bell Cranel—the white-haired rookie. His eyes were fixed ahead, his expression unreadable.
"Bell-dono," she called suddenly, drawing his attention. His red eyes turned to her, studying her intently.
She took the opportunity to study him as well. Takemikazuchi-sama did mention he was strong. From his behavior, she could see that he was not a helpless rookie.
All For One raised an eyebrow. "Do you need something, Miss Mikoto?" he asked, his tone polite but reserved.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Uh, yes," she replied. "I was curious about your magic. Is it a short chant? And do you know concurrent chanting too? I noticed how you move a lot while using your fire."
"Oh yeah, I also noticed that you weren't chanting anymore. How do you do that?" Welf asked, leaping over a small hole in the ground.
All For One carefully considered his answer.
Refocusing on the path, he simply replied, "I chant in my mind."
"Neat," Welf commented, raising a thumb in approval. Maybe he should try learning to do that too.
"As for concurrent chanting... " All For One continued, "I'm not familiar with it," he admitted truthfully.
His research on magic wasn't extensive; mages tended to keep their secrets closely guarded for some reason.
Mikoto looked surprised. "O-oh, well..." She hesitated but decided to share some knowledge as a senior. "Concurrent chanting is the art of casting while moving. I know how to use it, but I'm not the best," she admitted sheepishly.
So, it's similar to how he chants his Raijin enhancement spell.
"I heard it's pretty dangerous," Welf added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Some of the guys at the tavern were talking about a guy's spell exploding inside him. Nasty." His face twisted in slight disgust. To think his own spell could cause something similar was disturbing.
"How hard is it?" All For One asked, curious.
"Very hard!" Mikoto exclaimed. "It's like handling a bomb in both hands. One mistake, and your magic will cause an Ignis Fatuus!" She flinched slightly, as though recalling a bad experience.
Welf's cry of pain interrupted them. Both All For One and Mikoto turned to see him struggling to pick himself up off the ground.
"Why are there so many holes?!" Welf grumbled, brushing himself off.
All For One observed their surroundings, noting a series of holes scattered across the visible floor of the dungeon. The mist made spotting them difficult at first.
Crouching near one, All For One examined it closely. "These aren't just holes," he muttered. These are definitely monster tracks—a large one, too.
Mikoto knelt beside him, her expression tense. "You're right, Bell-dono," she said before rising swiftly. "I'll inform the others. You two should join us!" Without waiting for a response, she sprinted ahead to catch up with her group, who were already moving quickly.
All For One turned to Welf. "Prepare your weapon," he instructed, his tone firm. "Something big is roaming here."
Welf sighed, pulling his greatsword from his back. "This is the last thing we needed," he muttered.
They began moving toward Mikoto's group, carefully navigating around the holes to avoid tripping.
All For One's thoughts lingered on the creature that had left these tracks. If it was the monster he suspected, this encounter could prove... lucrative.
Still, given the number of parties that had passed before them, the likelihood of it being dead already was much higher.
'One can hope,' he thought with amusement.
---
Liliruca Arde's gaze remained fixed on the score of people working below in the old alcohol factory. They moved diligently, scrubbing floors and clearing debris in an effort to make the place operational once more.
Following Bell-sama's request, she had tasked Coco with instructing her two friends to spread the word about a job opportunity among the streets where the Familia's older, discarded members lived in homelessness.
As she anticipated, persuading these forgotten souls to take the job hadn't been difficult. Desperation, after all, made people pliable.
She was surprised when Bell-sama had asked her to handle something like this and even more surprised when he revealed that he somehow owned this factory. Thankfully, she managed to keep her composure.
She didn't want Bell-sama to think she was weak.
Momiji and Kaede seemed to have done an acceptable job. The recruits showed signs of competence; a few even appeared to have some experience with brewing—a good addition, considering that this is an alcohol factory.
Bell-sama had also been very clear about the importance of gaining influence within the Familia. If she truly intended to topple Zanis' iron grip, she would need loyal backers of her own.
While these particular workers wouldn't be of much use in political maneuvering or building influence, this was still an essential first step. Through her, they would earn much-needed income, and in return, they would owe her their loyalty.
Old dogs, after all, rarely bite the hand that feeds them.
"U-um... L-Lili?"
A timid voice broke her train of thought.
Lili turned to see Coco standing awkwardly behind her, nervously fidgeting with her hands. Her expression was a mixture of hesitation and curiosity.
"Yes, Coco?" Lili replied, keeping her tone neutral and measured. Bell-sama had emphasized the importance of maintaining an air of reservation when dealing with others.
Coco hesitated, her voice trembling as she finally spoke. "I-I was just curious... w-why are you helping them? I thought you h-hated the Familia..." She trailed off, her eyes darting to the floor.
Lili resisted the urge to roll her eyes but made sure to keep any annoyance off her face. Coco and her little group weren't troublemakers, and their usefulness only extended so far. For that reason, she had not informed them of her true intentions.
She had carefully crafted an image of herself as the "kind Lili who wanted to help her Familia." It was a useful façade, one that ensured Coco and others like her would follow without question.
"Yes, I dislike the Familia," Lili admitted, turning her gaze back to the workers below.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of a younger worker with messy black hair arguing with a blonde elf—one Bell-sama had tasked with overseeing the operation. Though the elf looked annoyed, the situation appeared under control.
She turned back to Coco, her expression serious. "But that doesn't mean I'm blind to reality."
Lili moved slowly toward the window, the light from outside highlighting the dusty vase resting there. She picked it up, running her fingers over its surface.
"Tell me," Lili began, her voice soft but probing, "weren't you tricked into joining this Familia?"
Coco flinched at the question, her head lowering in shame. "Y-Yes," she admitted quietly.
Like so many others, Coco had been lured in by the divine taste of Soma's wine, desperate to experience its euphoria again. Joining the Familia had seemed like the only way to get another sip.
"I thought so." Lili's voice carried a note of understanding as her gaze studied the vase in her hands.
"Everything is rotten on the surface, Coco," Lili said, her tone reflective as she wiped a layer of grime off the vase. Beneath her touch, delicate floral patterns emerged, hidden until now.
"Sometimes, you have to forcefully remove the rot to uncover something better underneath." She placed the vase back down gently, her fingers lingering on its surface for a moment before turning back to Coco.
"And the first step," Lili continued, her voice sharp and her eyes focused, "is helping the neglected people."
Coco stared at her, a spark of awe lighting in her eyes. She didn't remember Lili ever being this ambitious...
"Will you help me achieve better results, Coco?" Lili asked, her voice softening as she offered a kind smile.
Coco hesitated, her hands clenching nervously at her sides. "W-Well..." She wasn't one for big plots or schemes, but something about Lili's words stirred an old, buried desire within her—a desire to see the Familia change for the better.
"I-I'll help you," Coco stammered. Despite her nervousness, she stood firm.
Lili smiled inwardly, satisfied with Coco's response. 'She really needs to work on her confidence.'
With that matter settled, Lili turned her attention back to the workers below, her expression thoughtful.
This was just the first step—a small one, perhaps—but Liliruca Arde was ready to walk a marathon if that's what it took.
---
"It doesn't matter," Ouka said in Koine, his tone final, leaving no room for argument.
All For One watched as Mikoto's features twisted in irritation. She must have finally had enough of his obstinance.
"There is a possible infant dragon roaming here! You know it's not the best idea to fight it with only two of us as vanguards!" she countered, gesturing to their group, which was mostly composed of supporters—not counting himself and Welf, of course.
Ouka scoffed. "Like I said, it doesn't matter. Besides, a party must have already dealt with it." His confidence never faltered as he added with a mocking chuckle, "Even if we do encounter it, maybe that white rookie will finally be useful as bait."
All For One's eye twitched at the insult. Perhaps he should consider orchestrating an unfortunate accident for this arrogant brute.
"OI! Who are you calling bait, you vacuous bastard?!" Welf—bless his soul—had apparently reached his limit with Ouka's indifference and decided to step in on his behalf.
Ouka turned on them, his scowl deepening. "You two can scram to whatever hole you want. We never wanted you here anyway."
Mikoto's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could you say tha—!"
Her words were abruptly cut off by a deep, guttural growl reverberating from somewhere further ahead.
The thick mist obscured their vision, but Mikoto and the others could make out the shadowy outline of a monster approaching, its massive frame causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble.
Welf's eyes widened. "Oh, shit," he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. He had never encountered an infant dragon before, but from the tales he'd heard, it definitely shouldn't be this big.
The group instinctively took a step back, their breathing hitching. It was their first time facing an infant dragon. While most of them were Level 2, they were supporters. Ouka and Mikoto were the only heavy hitters among them.
As the shadow grew clearer, the dragon's dark orange scales came into view, their surface glistening faintly in the dim light of the floor.
Ouka gritted his teeth and stepped forward, positioning himself between the group and the beast, his battle axe at the ready.
"Everyone, get into formation!" he barked, snapping the Takemikazuchi group into action as they scrambled into a defensive stance.
Ouka eyed the dragon warily. Maybe he should have listened to Mikoto's warning.
His grip on his weapon tightened, doubt creeping into his mind about whether his old axe could even pierce the monster's tough scales.
The dragon's head finally emerged from the mist—carrying the lifeless body of a person in its jaws.
The beast let out a low growl before tossing the corpse toward them. Ouka barely managed to dodge as the body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Ouka's gaze returned to the dragon's maw, where he spotted a supporter's bag clutched tightly in its teeth.
The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
The dragon tossed the bag into the air, scattering its contents—magic stones—throughout the misty sky. The shimmering stones rained down, only to be greedily snapped up by the dragon's open jaws.
"Fuck..." Ouka cursed under his breath. A damn infant dragon strengthened species. Of course.
He glanced back at his comrades, their faces pale and uncertain. They were outmatched, but he refused to entertain the idea of failure.
"Get ready!" he ordered, his resolve hardening. He would fight to the death if it meant protecting his group.
The dragon let out an ear-piercing screech, the sound sharp enough to make their ears ring and their knees buckle. Then it charged, its enormous body causing tremors with every step.
Ouka stood firm, prepared to meet its onslaught.
The beast's gaping jaws loomed closer, ready to swallow him whole—
A massive ball of blue fire roared past him, its heat so intense that Ouka flinched away instinctively.
The flames struck the dragon directly in its open mouth. The beast screeched in agony as the fire consumed it from within, its movements faltering. With one final, pained roar, the dragon collapsed, its body disintegrating into black dust and leaving behind a massive magic stone.
Ouka's eyes widened in shock. Slowly, he turned back toward the source of the flames.
All For One stood with his arm extended, smoke rising faintly from his hand. Beside him, Welf stared in open-mouthed awe.
"Amazing!" Welf exclaimed, clapping All For One on the back. "I thought you were exaggerating when you talked about your new attack!"
All For One's eyes met Ouka's, who, along with the rest of his group, stared at him in stunned silence.
"I recall you saying that what we kill is our loot, right?" All For One said, his tone dripping with amusement as he quoted Ouka's earlier condition.
Ouka gritted his teeth but said nothing, turning away with a scowl. "We are leaving!" he growled, then headed toward the path that led to the higher floors.
"What a brickhead," Welf muttered, walking toward the magic stone. He struggled to lift it, grunting under its weight.
All For One eyed the stone. Its brilliant light illuminated the area around it faintly.
'So much for a strengthened species,' he thought mockingly. At least its core was valuable.
"Oi, Bell! A little help?!" Welf called out, wobbling as he tried to balance the massive stone.
Sighing, All For One moved to assist him.
What an interesting day.
---
Happy New year!
Your Christmas gift? A new chapter of course!
Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy this chapter, reader.