P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I try to fix them
CHAPTER 4
YOSHIWARA X UTAKATA
"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 café
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 café,
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 café.
"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 café 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 café 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, but in 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-UWOOOOO OOOO OO O O OOO O OO OO OOO OOO O !"
"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— U W AAAAAAA AAAA AA AA A A AAA A AAA A AA A AA AA !"
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 of the 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 right leg 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.