P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them
area existed. Lilly, Bell, and the rest of the party gaped at the thought.
"..."
A large opening connected to what seemed like a dark abyss.
Bell's party quietly took their first steps.
They fell into formation around Wiene. Bell held the magic-stone lamp high
as everyone followed his path.
Quartz crystals provided nothing more than a slight glimmer. The lamp's
beam was all they had to cleave through the darkness. They were so on edge, a
few confused their own heartbeats for far-off footsteps and the rock crunching
beneath their feet as a sign of danger. The passage was quiet, but the party heard
every little sound. Without the occasional familiar monster cry in the
background, the silence was deafening.
There was no way to know what creatures they would encounter.
Should an as-of-yet-undocumented Dungeon gimmick or an Irregular occur,
death was a very real possibility.
This was pure, unbridled "unknown."
Their throats were dry, but their skin was slick with perspiration. Their five
senses were focused beyond their intended limits. Their minds had never
endured such stress, and yet, at the same time, they also felt sharper than ever
before. Nothing was more reassuring than a familiar hilt in their grasp. The
"unknown" revealed more of itself with each step, just like it had for their
forebears.
Bell led the party farther and farther into the Frontier. Just as everyone's
anxiety hit its peak, the rocky tunnel's end came into view.
"It's dark…"
And it opened up.
Bell and Welf were suddenly freed from the claustrophobia that plagued them
in the tunnel. This new space was extremely wide, overwhelmingly so. The
words that fell from Welf's lips resounded off into the darkness.
This was probably a large room. However, it was pitch black.
The lamp's illumination couldn't penetrate far enough into the darkness to
find the opposite wall.
"...Um, Mikoto."
"Sir Bell?"
"Are there any…monsters in here?"
"N-no, not as far as I can tell…"
Bell struggled to control his trembling voice as he asked.
Something was there.
There was definitely something in here.
More somethings than he could count were watching them.
They hid in the darkness, masking their presence while observing the
adventurers' every move.
Terror crept into Bell's veins as he realized how very many eyes were looking
at him.
Mikoto's Skill couldn't detect them. That left only three possibilities: these
were people, they were monsters they hadn't encountered before, or they were
simply lurking just outside Yatano Black Crow's range.
A fresh wave of cold sweat ran down Bell's neck as his mind raced. He had
to issue orders, get Haruhime to recast her Level Boost, make sure Wiene was
protected, and so on.
However, there wasn't time.
An incredible killing intent swelled within the darkness.
""""""!!""""""
It swept over Bell, Lilly, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Wiene like a jolt of
electricity.
The animosity was intense enough to halt these upper-class adventurers in
their tracks.
Suddenly, thud thud thud THUD THUD THUD!! The unmistakable sound of
feet charging directly at them reached their ears.
At the same time, whoosh! Several feathered wings took flight.
"!!"
Bell's left hand guided the lamplight toward the closest oncoming sound.
The beam cut through the darkness, but Bell could make out only one thing—
scarlet scales.
"—R U OOOO O OO O O O O OOO OOO OO O O OO OOOOO O H ! !"
Bell's eyes flew open as he recognized the reptilian-warrior howl.
—A lizardman?!
A lizardman with bloodshot eyes didn't give Bell a chance to attack as it
stepped deep inside his space.
The lizardman wielded a long curved blade in its left hand—a scimitar. A
flash of silver scythed down with blinding speed.
""
The invisible swordsmanship stole Bell's breath away.
The Hestia Knife in the boy's right hand had moved to the right place out of
sheer luck.
The two blades collided directly in front of his chest.
Immediately after, he felt the impact with his entire body, making his vision
swim before hurling him to the side.
"Bell!"
The boy slammed into the ground, rolling away from the party as Welf's yell
reverberated through the room.
The lamp fell from Bell's grasp, and a reptilian foot crushed it beneath its
talons.
With the light source gone, the area was plunged back into darkness.
"What the hell is going on—?!"
"HYAA!!"
"—?!"
Welf 's heart was racing in his darkened surroundings when a small shadow
zipped toward him.
He promptly raised his greatsword overhead, where it crashed into something
with a high-pitched metallic ring. The impact was strong enough to drive him to
his knees.
Sparks scattering from the collision briefly revealed the attacker: a
diminutive monster wearing a red hat.
"A goblin?!"
The plump bottom-rung monster disappeared into the veil of darkness. Welf
watched with stunned eyes, unable to believe its strength.
"!"
"!!"
Even farther back in the rear guard, Mikoto recognized the sound of
projectile weapons whistling through the air. Jumping over to land by Wiene, she
deflected the shots with a sweep of her katana.
"—Feathers?!"
In the instant it took her precise blade to repel the projectiles, she realized
what they were as they fluttered before her eyes.
Still recovering from the shock, she realized another volley of feathers was
heading right at her from the same direction.
"Everyone! Wiene!"
"GAAAAAH!!"
"!"
Bell had gotten back on his feet while yelling in his party's direction, but then
another flash of silver descended upon him.
He dodged the lizardman's blade by the slimmest of margins, and the monster
howled as it pressed the attack.
Bell moved to engage an opponent he could barely see.
"Wh-what in the world is…?!"
A metallic ring echoed in the chamber; a burst of sparks scattered through the
air. The bestial howls combined with the adventurers' panicked gasps in the
chaos.
Bell's party was forced into a desperate last stand, relying only on sound. The
battle left Haruhime powerless to do anything. In the obfuscating dark, the
pandemonium reached a fever pitch.
"!"
At that moment…
Lilly's hand, which had plunged into her spare pouch the moment combat
began, brushed against what it was so desperately searching for. While fighting
against fear and panic, the devoted supporter of the party made a quick decision
and grabbed what she needed to overcome their trial.
She pulled a small bag out of her pouch, opened it, and flung it forward with
all her might.
"Lamp Moss!"
"!"
"?!"
The bioluminescent substance spilled out, spreading across the ground.
It was the Lamp Moss Lilly had harvested on the nineteenth floor.
Pieces of the Colossal Tree Labyrinth's primary light source lifted the shroud
of darkness surrounding them.
Friend and foe alike were caught by surprise as the battlefield came into
view.
"…!"
That's when Bell's party definitively learned the true identity of their
attackers.
"Huuooo!"
"OooOOooOO…!"
A lizardman, a goblin, and a harpy flapping its wings in midair appeared.
The species of monsters might have been different, but they each had one
thing in common: all of them had equipment, whether scimitar or hand ax, shield
or armor.
"Monsters…!
"…With weapons…!"
Bell and Welf could hardly believe their eyes.
Both clearly remembered the posting on the Guild's bulletin board:
A report stating that monsters had been seen stealing equipment from
adventurers or looting it from dead bodies in the Dungeon. It had even displayed
a sketch of them with the gear. Both young men felt as though that drawing had
come to life.
"H-how many of them are there…?!"
At the same time, Lilly was more distracted by the other monsters farther
back.
In addition to the harpy, a gargoyle and a griffin circled the space above their
heads. Meanwhile, on the ground were…lamias, al-miraj, formoires, war
shadows, the humanoid spider called arachne, unicorns…The horde was
composed of myriad monsters hailing from the upper, middle, lower, and even
deep levels of the Dungeon. The space almost seemed big enough to fit the
surface's Coliseum, and the number of eyes watching them in the room made
Mikoto and Haruhime turn pale.
Wiene fearfully looked around at the numerous monsters that had many of
the same features she did.
"OO OO OO O OO O OO OOO OOO O O OO OO OO O OO O O O O! !"
The lizardman facing Bell let out a ferocious roar, and the other monsters
started to move all at once.
The blue-green light emerging from the ground illuminated claws and fangs
as well as the raised swords and axes.
"All these guys…!!"
"They're after Lady Wiene?!"
The attacking monsters' weapons were all aiming for the vouivre girl at the
center of their party.
Breathing ragged and eyes filled with bloodlust, they headed for Wiene with
drool spilling from their mouths. Welf and Mikoto desperately tried to hold back
the onslaught threatening to overwhelm them.
"The magic sword isn't an option like this…!"
The battle had transformed completely into a wild melee in the darkness.
Engaging the monsters in hand-to-hand combat, Welf and Mikoto could
potentially get caught up in the blast.
The chamber's entrance, their only escape route, had been blocked off at
some point during the fight. Lilly yelled in frustration, frowning as she loosed a
barrage of arrows into the air only to have the harpies overhead launch a volley
of feathers in her direction.
"Lilly! Haruhime!"
"Lady Wiene!"
As the attack neared the supporters, Wiene shielded them with her one wing.
Haruhime and Lilly embraced the girl as her peculiar appendage spread open.
The pain and shock from the attack drew a groan from her.
"I-it hurts…"
Another round of feather missiles descended on the girl—but then Bell
turned toward them from his distant location.
"—FIREBOLT!!"
A roar.
Swift-Strike Magic streaked across the chamber to protect Wiene and the
girls.
Several thunderous bursts of flame cut through the darkness and collided
with the harpy and the griffin in midair. Shrieking in pain, the monsters fell to
the ground in a trail of smoke. The gargoyle, along with the other airborne
fiends, used their wings to shield themselves from the magical attack like Wiene
had done earlier.
"SHAAAAA!!"
"!"
The snarling lizardman charged forward and slashed at Bell as if to remind
him who his opponent actually was.
Bell had been interrupted in the middle of launching more ranged attacks and
only barely managed to dodge.
The lizardman carried two weapons: a longsword in its right hand, a scimitar
in its left. A breastplate was firmly strapped to its chest over its scarlet scales.
Metal plates covered its forearms, waist, shoulders, and knees, protecting the
vital areas. The equipment might not have been the highest quality, but the
lizardman could be described as fully armed and armored, standing a head and
shoulders taller than Bell.
Bell grimaced as he drew Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki and faced his opponent
with double knives.
This lizardman…It's strong!
Not only was its first strike fast enough to create afterimages, it was smart
enough to exploit the darkness for offense and defense.
Being on the receiving end of the monster's onslaught, Bell was well aware
of the creature's potential. There was no comparison between this lizardman and
the one he fought earlier on the twentieth floor. Its strength, speed, and skill with
the sword were in a different league. Welf might have been joking around about
one of them honing its technique, but this monster fit that description. The
possibility that this could be some subspecies of lizardman popped into the back
of his head.
In terms of Level, the monstrous warrior could be beyond him—while only a
guess, Bell couldn't shake the thought.
Bell's rubellite locked onto his foe. It glared back at him, running its tongue
eagerly back and forth behind its sharp fangs.
He would never reach Wiene and the girls without winning this fight.
Silencing every doubt, the boy held nothing back as he charged forward to
defeat the lizardman.
"Hya!"
"GRWAAA!!"
The Hestia Knife slashed forward, leaving an arc of violet light in its path
while the monster's longsword came down with its full strength behind it.
The two closed upon each other and collided.
""!""
The blow confirmed Bell's suspicions. The lizardman was incredibly
powerful.
At the same time, the lizardman was taken aback by the boy's incredible
speed.
Rubellite eyes met reptilian pupils.
The faintest of grins appeared on Bell's lips, and the lizardman bared its
fangs in what resembled a ferocious smile.
""—OOOOAAAAHHHHH!!""
Bell and the lizardman roared at the top of their lungs as they crossed blades
again in a flurry of strikes.
"Li'l E—do it!"
—Elsewhere, Welf stood as the last line of defense holding back the
advancing horde.
He yelled over his shoulder, using the flat part of his blade as a shield against
the onslaught.
"But—"
"JUST DO IT!!"
The formoire laid into his makeshift defense with a metallic club. Knowing
that the next block might be his last, Welf wasn't about to let Lilly object. The
prum was hesitant, glancing to the other side only to see Mikoto fighting for her
life against several monsters at once.
Tightening her grip on the glistening dagger-shaped magic sword, Lilly bit
her lip before finally hardening her resolve.
"FIRING!!"
With that, she swung the red dagger with all her might.
A river of flames surged from the Crozzo Magic Sword in a straight line.
Welf and Mikoto noticed a sudden wave of red light in their periphery and
immediately dropped to the ground. Using their incredibly quick reflexes, the
monsters jumped out of the fire's path at the last moment. The beasts shrank
away as a corner of the room erupted into a ball of flames.
"AHHHH!!"
"RUOOO!!"
Bell's battle with the lizardman continued unabated, the two going blow for
blow as flames danced in the background.
Their profiles were cast in a soft orange light as longsword and knife
collided. The scimitar streaked through the air, only to be intercepted by a
crimson blade. Then as a violet slash arced forward, the longsword halted its
advance.
The monster had displayed a powerful fighting style that included fierce
kicks and an approach to swordsmanship that made good use of its combat
instincts, all backed by sharp, unyielding counterattacks.
Bell's body became a blur, and the lizardman's blades sliced through empty
air. Sparks erupted from the armor that stopped the boy's attack. The monster
knocked him backward, but not before a line of scarlet scales was ripped from its
body in a spray of dark-red blood.
Then…
"SHAA!"
"WHA—?!"
Their stalemate was broken.
Bell was trapped between the scimitar and the longsword. Caught in
simultaneous attacks on the left and right, he blocked both weapons with his
knives. In that moment, something flew in from an impossible angle and nailed
him in the stomach.
—A tail!!
The third strike came from an appendage as thick as a log.
The completely unforeseen attack from a creature that shouldn't be very
experienced fighting adventurers sent Bell reeling.
It was the perfect final blow. Striking from an angle that the boy never
thought to defend, the lizardman's tail knocked Bell off his feet. Now was the
monster's chance to finish him off, and it used the opportunity to drive its
clawed foot into Bell's chest in a powerful kick.
The boy hurtled backward through the air.
"GAH!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The lizardman declared victory with a roar as Bell's body bounced deeper
into the room like a river rushing through broken levees.
He lost his grip on the Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki, and the
weapons flew from his hands.
The lizardman warrior wasted no time in turning around, shifting focus to its
original prey. Its bloodshot eyes landed on the vouivre girl surrounded by
adventurers, and it charged.
" !!"
Wiene reflexively cringed in fright at the pounding footfalls and savage roar.
Cutting straight across the scorched battlefield, the lizardman raised its
longsword high overhead.
The monster's long shadow fell over the girl unable to stand when…
"No!!"
"!"
Haruhime jumped in front of her, arms open wide as Lilly embraced Wiene,
placing her own body in front like a shield.
Two more shadows jumped into the fray as the strike hurtled toward its
target.
"Oh no you don't!!"
"I won't let you!!"
A terribly battered Welf and Mikoto brought their greatsword and katana
crashing into the longsword.
Two blades came together in time to catch the longsword. Their weapons
audibly groaned as the two adventurers fought the incredible power and weight
—and then it stopped.
The longsword came to a halt a tiny distance from Haruhime, who was
positioned directly in front of Wiene.
Rattle rattle rattle! The lizardman tried to force its weapon forward, its
orpiment-colored reptilian eyes wide with shock at the strength of the humans
holding it back.
""
Just then…ring, ring.
The lizardman's ears picked up a chime.
Shifting its gaze to the source of the sound, it saw an adventurer bounding
toward it like a blood-splattered rabbit. And then a punch of bright white light.
A five-second charge.
Bell's eyes flashed as he unleashed every bit of anger with his entire body.
"HA A A AAA A A AAA A AAA AAAAA AAAA A A A A A A AAA A! !"
Impact.
"GOHOO!"
The glowing fist collided with the lizardman's cheekbone.
Several broken scarlet scales soared through the air. Now it was the
lizardman's turn to be sent flying.
The blades fell from its grasp and loudly tumbled across the floor.
It worked…!
Bell had used his Skill, Argonaut, while moving at high speed.
Seeing Wiene in danger had provided him with an extra spark of emotion and
determination. Up until now, he'd been able to charge Argonaut only with his
feet firmly planted on the ground. The situation had forced him to do a
Concurrent Charge.
The lizardman bounced off the ground and hurtled through the air into a
pitch-black stalagmite a good distance away, finally coming to a stop.
The other monsters had fallen back, forgetting to even bellow after seeing the
magic sword's destructive potential. Silence hung in the air.
At the same time, Bell paid no attention to his numerous injuries and stood
with his back to Wiene, ready to face the next challenger.
"GEH—"
Clawed fingertips digging into the floor, the lizardman pulled itself up using
the stalagmite for support.
Still seated on the ground, the monster made a noise in its throat—when it
suddenly lifted its head and cried out toward the ceiling:
"GUH-GYA-GYA-GYA-GYA-GYA-GYA!!"
Bell, Wiene, and the rest of the party watched in disbelief.
The murderous aura and rage that had been washing over them just moments
ago were gone. It was almost comical to see a lizardman holding its gut and
cackling like this.
Scanning the room again, the party realized that the other monsters'
threatening glares had disappeared as well.
"GYA-GYA-GYA-GYA-GYA—!"
Slowly but surely, the cackling cries began to change.
"—HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
They started to sound much more like a person's laughter.
"Eh…?"
"Wha…?"
Haruhime's and Lilly's astonishment at the sound was plain on their faces.
Welf, Mikoto, and Bell were just as dumbfounded.
Unable to comprehend what they were seeing, there was nothing to do but
stand and stare.
Realization started to set in. Each member of the party glanced at Wiene
before returning their gaze to the lizardman.
"That's new! Never met adventurers like these before!!"
Never in the familia's wildest dreams had any of them expected a lizardman
to start speaking, let alone with this level of fluency.
The monster happily slapped its knees a few times before climbing to its feet.
"Adventurers willing to sacrifice themselves to save a monster! Haaah! Don't
know what this feeling is, but I like it!"
"—Didn't I tell you, Lido? These ones are different."
Flap! A new set of wings took flight.
A single golden feather fluttered to the ground from overhead. One of the
winged monsters—a siren—glided down.
"I know that voice…"
"There's no way…"
Bell and Welf flinched as soon as they heard the new voice's unusual
inflection. The golden-winged siren landed with a smile on its face.
"So we meet again."
One look at the monster's sky-blue eyes was all Bell and Welf needed to be
certain.
It was the strange robed person—no, monster—they had encountered on the
nineteenth floor.
Seeing her face for the first time, they were shocked at just how warm and
friendly she seemed. Neither Bell nor Welf could string words together to
respond.
Just like Wiene's, her beauty was breathtaking. Her long, dull golden hair
was light blue at the tips. Not unlike the half-human/half-bird harpy's, both of
her elongated forearms formed beautiful golden wings. Similarly colored
feathers covered most of her lower body, the exception being the birdlike talons
on her feet.
As she wore a battle cloth that Amazons would have approved of over her
pronounced bust, her un-feathered stomach was completely exposed.
The siren standing in front of them was a far cry from the ferocious beasts
they had heard of that froze adventurers in their tracks with earsplitting screams.
"Yeah, it's just as you said, Rei! These guys are different!"
The lizardman addressed the golden-feathered siren, Rei, as it giddily
approached the group, its thick tail swaying back and forth.
The two monsters walked right up to Bell as the other party members
watched in various states of shock. Lilly was perfectly still, slack-jawed. Mikoto
was confused beyond words, and Haruhime tried to figure out what to do.
"Sorry about that. You were too fast for me to hold back."
"Umm…huh? I…um..."
It took Bell several moments to understand that the lizardman was talking
about the battle that had just ended.
And for good reason. The monster that nearly killed him moments ago was
suddenly more interested in having a conversation than cutting him to shreds.
"First off, let me apologize. We've been testing you from the start."
"Test…ing…?"
"Yeah. We had to know if adventurers had truly taken in one of our comrades
or not. Would they abandon her at the first sign of danger? Use her as a decoy to
make their escape…?"
Those words surprised not only Bell but the entire party. Wiene was no
different.
"We'll explain the details later, but…I'm sorry for scaring you like that and
inflicting so much pain."
"...!"
"Thank you for protecting our comrade all this time."
The lizardman no longer felt like an enemy. In fact, it apparently had never
intended to kill them in the first place.
Its lowered reptilian head and sincere voice all but confirmed it.
Next, the lizardman shifted its gaze to Wiene and opened its mouth to speak.
However, the startled girl dashed for the safety of Haruhime's shadow.
The lizardman chuckled to itself, not reproaching her in the slightest. Giving
up on the endeavor for now, it turned back to Bell.
Urhh…
Bell was in serious agony, with open cuts all over his body and a throbbing
pain in his chest where the creature's foot had connected that showed no signs of
dulling. But the ache couldn't be farther from his mind.
Sharp claws and fangs; skin covered in scales. These were not familiar traits
for a person. And yet the lizardman was interacting with Bell, a human, without
making him fear for his life as any other monster would.
A lizard warrior equipped with adventurers' gear.
A talking monster.
The same as Wiene.
"I'm Lido; as you can see, I'm a lizardman. Nice to meet you, Bell Cranell."
"H-h-how do you know my…?"
"Ahh, I heard it from Fels."
—Well, they were the same to a point. Wiene had a mostly humanoid form,
making her appearance easier to accept.
That was the main difference between the lizardman looking down at him
from just above eye level and the vouivre girl. He bore a perfect resemblance to
others of his species. If a wolf walked up to a lamb and tried to start a
conversation, the peaceful grazer would probably have the same reaction.
Bell's mind was moving too fast to pay any attention to the word that
sounded like a name. On the verge of passing out, he managed to come back into
the moment.
"Hey, mind if I call you 'Bellucchi'?" Lido asked.
"Uh, um, sure…G-go ahead."
The lizardman narrowed its reptilian eyes, focused on Bell.
Smiling…perhaps? It wasn't the hungry stare that hunters wore in front of
their prey.
Many thoughts ran through Bell's mind as he looked into the lizard's
squinting eyes, but it was difficult to make sense of any of them.
"Bellucchi."
"Y-yes?"
"Let's shake hands."
Huh?
Bell came back into the moment as its right hand appeared in front of him.
It was covered in red scales and protected by a metallic glove, its fingers
ending in sharp claws.
Pupils shrinking to nothing but red dots, Bell stared at the hand hovering in
front of him.
He knew what following through on the gesture would mean, and it made
him feel faint.
"M-Master Bell…" "Sir Bell…" "Bell…" "Mr. Bell!"
His allies couldn't bear the tension and called out to him, but they didn't
move from where they stood.
Haruhime was pale as a ghost, Mikoto dizzy and on the verge of becoming
physically ill, Welf unable to hide his anxiety, and Lilly struggling with her
growing alarm.
All of them knew that what they were seeing defied logic. They called out to
their leader, voices like hands desperately reaching out to stop a fall.
"..."
Sweat poured from Bell's skin. It wouldn't stop flowing.
A handshake. A sign of friendship. A bridge between man and monster.
Unprecedented. "Unknown."
Bell couldn't help but feel that he was making a mistake somehow. It seemed
like the instinct to refuse that right hand and turn away was overwhelmingly
correct. His completely nonfunctioning mind thought so.
He wanted nothing more than to run away from a decision that would turn all
common sense on its head.
However, the lizardman was patient.
He waited for Bell to either make a move or reject the offer.
He was afraid.
Bell was terrified.
Of those fangs, those claws, all those scales. Of the reptilian gaze, of the
creature's terrifying visage.
Every fiber of his being wanted to put as much space as possible between
himself and the lizardman looking down at him.
Logic screamed in his ears that it would be easier to listen to reason and flee.
But.
Bell glanced over his shoulder.
"Ah…eh, uh..."
He saw the vouivre girl's bewildered eyes.
He thought back to when they first met, remembering how he felt during that
fateful encounter.
"…"
Finally…
Bell smiled.
A bit clumsily.
—If this is a mistake, I'd rather make it for the right reason.
"A-hem." He cleared his throat.
And worked up his courage.
"...…P-pleased to meet you."
Bell stiffly stretched his lips and took hold of the extended hand.
Haruhime and Mikoto watched with bated breath. Welf flashed a grin and let
his shoulders relax. Lilly looked up at the ceiling and let out a long sigh.
Bell shook hands with a monster.
"—Pleasure's all mine!"
The lizardman—no, Lido—bared more of his fangs in a broad grin and gave
Bell's hand a firm shake.
One heartbeat later—"WOOOOOOO!!"
The adventurers nearly leaped out of their skins as a burst of sound roared
through the room.
The monsters that had been just as anxiously watching Lido and Bell as the
adventurers—they were celebrating.
The red-cap goblin applauded. Harpies on the ground skipped excitedly. The
formoire pumped its fists into the air, albeit slowly. al-miraj hopped around in
circles. The cheers continued.
Friendship between man and monster—this day would go down in history,
and all were elated to be a part of it.
"Hey, over there, hit the lights!"
Lido's booming voice cut through the celebration to issue orders.
Hellhounds and other agile monsters brought the magic-stone lamps out from
hiding places in the rock landscape and flipped them on using claws or fangs.
"Monsters…using magic-stone lamps…"
Mikoto was dumbfounded at the sight of monsters operating the man-made
devices.
Harpies had already taken to the air and started pulling back pieces of thick
cloth to reveal the quartz crystals hidden underneath.
Every detail of the limestone cavern-like room came to light in a matter of
moments.
"—A g-green dragon?!"
"One of those was in here the whole time…?"
Far away from the entrance where the party stood, a dragon more than ten
meders long lay at the base of a quartz pillar. Its body covered in scars, the
wizened beast observed the adventurers with quiet eyes that seemed to contain
the wisdom of countless years. Lilly and Welf recoiled at the presence that had
been watching them from the shadows.
"Please, let me greet the surface dwellers!" "Uuuu…" "Me too!"
Some who could speak, others who could not, as well as those who had
difficulty with pronouncing words—every sort of monster gathered in front of
Bell.
"I have heard stories about you. It is an honor to make your acquaintance,
Signor Bell."
"S-Signor?"
"To be able to shake your hand, I am very happy!"
"Th-thanks."
"I'm Laura. Good to meet you."
"N-nice to meet you, too…"
"..."
"Eep!"
The red-cap goblin who called him "Signor" was the first in line as monsters
approached Bell one at a time to shake his hand. His face had gone entirely stiff,
and at times he would quietly shriek—such as when a silent large-category
monster, a formiore, held out its massive hand toward him.
"I apologize for the late introduction. I am Rei, a siren."
"I'm…B-Bell Cranell."
"Yes, I am aware…Bell, thank you for saving my comrade."
The siren from before came to exchange greetings with the young boy as
well. She offered her wing, the tip extended out like a finger. Bell clasped it.
Feeling the soft feathers in his hand and noticing Rei's ravishing smile, he
blushed bright red.
"They're all happy, too. They're glad to meet a person who doesn't reject
us."
The lizardman warrior, smiling from ear to ear, watched the monsters
approach Bell one after another, sometimes shaking his hand again and again.
Bell looked around after hearing Lido's comment.
The gentlemanly red-cap goblin, the harpies bursting with emotion, the lamia
that spoke in halting sentences, the silent war shadow…It didn't matter if they
could speak or not, or even if they were humanoid or monsterlike, Bell could see
consciousness in every one of the monsters who came to shake his hand. Some
had tiny palms, others were large and covered in fur, but every one of them was
warm.
As an indescribable feeling swelled within Bell, the monsters chanced
glances over in the direction of Lilly and the other adventurers.
However, Welf and the others uncomfortably avoided the incoming gazes.
"…Uuuu."
As for Wiene…
She watched the cluster of monsters surrounding Bell like a child whose
treasure was about to be stolen from her.
"Kuuu…"
"A-al-miraj…"
She watched as a new, smaller monster briskly stepped up to Bell. It wore a
loose blue battle jacket and had a broken pocket watch hanging around its neck
like a pendant. The white rabbit looked up at the boy with cute round red eyes.
Bell bent over, the same awkward smile on his face as he held out his hand.
"Kuuu!" The al-miraj wiggled its long ears and leaped at him.
"H-hey, wait, that tickles…! Wh-why are you licking me?"
"Aruru…She cannot speak, but it seems she's taken a liking to you."
"When you say 'she'—it's a girl?!"
The al-miraj had already jumped onto his chest and was happily licking his
cheek when Rei offered an explanation. Bell almost screamed hysterically. Lilly
and the other adventurers weren't sure what to say as they watched the
indescribable scene of two "rabbits" frolicking together—and that was when the
dragon girl finally exploded.
Rushing out from her hiding spot behind Haruhime, she ran straight for Bell.
"N-no! You can't have Bell, no!!"
"Kuu?!" The al-miraj yelped as the vouivre girl physically pulled her away
and latched on to Bell's arm.
The monster came bouncing back, hopping adorably to protest. But Wiene let
out an "Uuuu!" and wouldn't retreat even one step, which was when she noticed
—
—that she was surrounded by monsters, and they were all looking at her.
The creatures that were as fantastical in appearance as she, the ones she'd
been too afraid to face, were now right in front of her.
The siren Rei stepped forward, and Wiene tightened her grip on Bell as she
approached.
"Would you please share your name with me?"
"…Wiene."
"Wiene…It's a very good name."
Rei smiled at the quiet voice.
Wiene blushed, squirming as though she were being tickled after the
compliment on the name Bell and the others had given her.
A few moments passed before a winged hand was extended to her.
The vouivre girl hesitated, fearfully reached out with her own hand several
times, then quietly settling into a grip.
The golden-winged siren smiled with her blue eyes.
"A pleasure to meet you, our new comrade. No one here will hurt you. We welcome you."
Just as the boy and his familia had done, she had been accepted as a
"comrade." Wiene's amber eyes opened wide.
Touched by the kindness and acceptance, she quietly wept.
After the soft wingtip reached out and dried her tears, the smallest of smiles
bloomed on the girl's face.
The surrounding monsters howled to the ceiling, as though giving their
blessings.
"…Um, please tell me."
Around the time the echoes started to die down…
Still not fully grasping the situation around him, Bell spoke while still
hugging Wiene.
"All of you, and Wiene—what are you?"
It was what they'd been trying to find out ever since the day they met the
fantastical girl. Bell and the party wanted to know the answer to that question
more than anything else.
Every monster turned to face the adventurers.
As the representative of the group, the golden-winged siren answered.
"We are Xenos."
"—Xenos?"
Hestia whispered under the light of the crackling torches.
Ouranos, still seated on his throne, nodded in response.
"That's how we refer to them…Monsters endowed with intelligence."
In the Chamber of Prayers beneath Guild Headquarters, the elderly deity, who
knew everything about the situation, informed Hestia as to Wiene's true identity.
Xenos…A word that gods and goddesses used to describe heretics.
They were anomalies expunged from the established system.
"You're saying that Wiene is also one of these Xenos, or whatever you call
it?"
"Indeed. All of them share one thing in common: an intellect that far exceeds
what is normal for monsters…They possess the capability to understand—but
more important, they all have hearts that are in no way inferior to our children in
terms of will and emotions."
"...!"
"Abnormal monsters that aren't dominated by the urge to murder and
destroy…"
Hestia almost forgot to breathe as she listened to Ouranos bring these facts to
light.
His voice continued to resound in the Chamber of Prayers, adding that the
human-shaped monsters looked almost no different from the people who
inhabited the mortal realm.
"As for when the Xenos first appeared, it is not known. However, those of us
who have observed them with our own eyes and come in contact with them have
ever since offered them support under the pretext of 'protection.'"
"Support…? The Guild is supporting monsters?!"
What the hell are you thinking?! Hestia was about to embark on a rant when
something occurred to her.
She and her followers had done exactly the same thing for the vouivre girl.
They had harbored and continued protecting her.
It was just as Ouranos said. That pure, innocent girl had a heart of her own,
no different from Bell or any of her other children.
The elderly god did not budge as he watched Hestia's mouth snap shut. Then
he continued.
"This mission's purpose was to return a Xenos who had reached the surface
back to her allies in the Dungeon. That Xenos is none other than the vouivre girl
you and your children have been protecting, Hestia."
"…I won't bother asking how long you've known. Just tell me where Bell
and my children are going right now…"
"They should be headed to where the Xenos reside—their Hidden Village."
The mission had been to take Wiene home.
The unrest spreading throughout the city after the other night's commotion
must have been the impetus for creating the mission.
Hestia let that idea sink in. At the same time, a new question arose. The
goddess couldn't stay silent.
"Ouranos, why did you bother asking us to carry it out at all? Couldn't you
have kidnapped Wiene and brought her back by force? Why let us learn about
these 'Xenos' at all?"
"There are several reasons, including that Bell Cranell and your children have
already become aware of monsters that could communicate using language.
However, the most important one is…"
Ouranos paused for a moment before he told Hestia.
"I decided it was possible your familia, no matter how minuscule the
chance…could become our hope."
"Hope?"
"Yes," said Ouranos with a nod.
"To bridge the gap between people and monsters and lead to the path of
coexistence."
"This is a dream, right…?"
"Would you like Lilly to pinch your cheek to check…?"
Welf and Lilly spoke as though they were in a trance.
Bell heard their mutters, unable to hide the cold sweat running down his own
cheeks.
"Food! Drinks! Bring out everything we have! Today, we need to celebrate
our new comrade and the first people we've ever had as guests!"
The monsters erupted with excitement as soon as they heard the lizardman
Lido's booming voice—the room shook from all the noise.
A wide array of food, including fruits, nuts, and herbs found in the Dungeon,
was circulating. Barrels of alcohol carved with marks that read RIVIRA were
rolled out. People and monster alike sat in a large circle encompassing several
bright magic-stone lamps.
The whole scene was reminiscent of the night spent with Loki Familia around
a campfire. It was truly a banquet.
"Bellucchi, eat all you like; don't be shy! Try this!"
"Wh-what is it…?"
"You humans call it 'mruit.' Supposed to be a real delicacy on the surface!"
Lido, seated on Bell's right, held out what looked to be a red fruit in the palm
of his hand. Very slowly, Bell picked it up and took a cautious bite. It felt like he
was biting through a thick slab of soft meat, but his taste buds disagreed as a
mellow, fruity flavor washed over his tongue. The texture was unlike any beef,
pork, or chicken and he could describe it only as the finest steak of some sort,
eliciting his surprised reaction. "It's so good…"
Honey-cloud fruits and more were placed in front of Lilly, Welf, and the
other adventurers as well. Smaller monsters like the red-cap goblin and al-miraj
were in charge of distributing giant mushrooms grilled by hellhound flames atop
wide leaves in lieu of plates.
"Um, sorry for hitting you so hard back there…"
"Don't even sweat it. Everything'll grow back soon enough. And I didn't
exactly hold back, either."
Bell gingerly brought up Lido's left cheek—specifically the painful-looking
wound his fist had made. He apologized guiltily, but the lizardman warrior
merely brushed off worn-out scales with his arm.
"Nothing to lose sleep over," said Lido, his sulfurous yellow eyes forming
crescents. Most likely, he was smiling.
Bell was getting to the point that he could recognize their facial expressions,
even if they didn't look like people. It had been a real struggle at first, but the
young boy felt as though he was getting the hang of it.
Lido's low voice and ferocious appearance made him seem much more
intimidating than many of his comrades, but he was surprisingly personable. It
was thanks to his constant laughter that Bell was able to stay somewhat calm
despite their company.
He felt proud of himself for adapting so quickly—then again, he might've
also just become numb.
Those thoughts made him want to laugh in spite of himself.
"Now that I think about it, you guys drink liquor…?"
"Yeah. At first I thought, What the hell is this? but then I got a taste for it,
and now it's become a habit! People really make the most interesting things!"
Lido was drinking from what was most likely a bottle that had been discarded
somewhere in the Dungeon. His breath smelled of alcohol as he slapped Bell on
the back several times. Around them, a stunningly beautiful lamia was as red in
the face as the lizardman, and several other monsters were not far behind, either.
"Never been less drunk in my life…"
At the same time, Welf and the other adventurers weren't as social.
A troll passed by, giving out wooden tankards filled with the cheap brew.
Welf had hoped liquid courage would save him, but to no avail. Lilly sat next to
him, sinking further into silence.
Mikoto and Haruhime sat on their heels, incredibly tense, as a group of
harpies gathered around them with eyes gleaming in curiosity. They seemed
most interested in Haruhime's scent, sniffing the air around her as the renart
seemed on the verge of passing out.
"And then Bell came back to save me."
"Did he? That makes me jealous. Bell is certainly stra—Ahem, very kind."
"Yep!"
Wiene sat on Bell's left. Receiving warm welcomes from all the monsters,
despite her bewilderment, she would every so often flash an unworried smile. At
the moment, she was speaking with the siren Rei, recounting the events up to the
current day.
While it was a little bit embarrassing for Bell to hear his name mentioned a
few times, the entire party was overwhelmed by the monsters' hospitality.
"So then this alcohol and equipment…Is all of it from adventurers…?"
Their hosts continued rolling out more food and drinks. Bell watched in awe,
glancing at the armor covering Lido's body before cautiously asking.
The Guild had posted notices on the bulletin board about monsters seizing
adventurers' equipment. Bell was pretty sure he was looking at the culprits right
now.
"Weeell, yes and no. The alcohol was a gift, but these blades once belonged
to an adventurer who suddenly attacked me."
Lido let his gaze fall on the scimitar and longsword lying by his feet as he set
his bottle down on the floor.
"But he dropped them and ran away as soon as I started fighting back…
Thought I might as well try them out. Adventurers take monster claws and fangs
home after slaying them, right?"
"Th-that…Yes, it's true."
"People seem to want them back even after they're dead, so we try to return
what we can…But adventurers get angry at us for carrying their weapons. It's
hard to know what to do."
Lido spoke with a nostalgic air, as if remembering a specific incident in the
Dungeon. Bell couldn't respond.
"I gotta tell you, liquor is amazing, but crafted weapons are really something
else! They cut better than those flowers over there and are a whole lot harder.
There's no way we could make those!"
Words excitedly pouring out of his mouth, Lido spoke with tremendous
respect for people and their creations.
Many other monsters wore some type of battle cloth, Lido included, even if
they didn't have armor. A few of them wore normal clothing, like the scarf that
the red-cap goblin had wrapped around his neck.
Perhaps they were trying to imitate people…copying what they saw.
Bell felt that each of them had grown fond of the handiwork of surface
dwellers for one reason or another.
"—Lido, stop this nonsense at once."
The speaker hurling venomous words toward them weaved through the
banquet's commotion.
"They're people. They aren't worthy of trust!"
"Are you still on about that, Gros? You saw how Bellucchi and his friends
protected Wiene with everything they had. We only had to go through all that
because you insisted on testing them. Ain't that right?"
Standing apart from the monsters who had joined Lido in welcoming the
party, there were others who had separated themselves from the group.
A gargoyle, an arachne, and a griffin, among others, were seated atop a
nearby cliff. All of them were glaring at Bell. Its body composed of ash-colored
rock, the gargoyle called Gros implored Lido to see reason. Instead, the
lizardman turned back to Bell and waved off Gros's words. "Don't mind him,"
he said reassuringly.
"Sorry, they…All of us have been through a lot. The news that people would
be coming here had everyone on edge."
"Th-that's, um…It's okay."
"From what we've seen of you on your way here and in battle, we know that
all of you are different from normal adventurers. That includes them."
"Wait a second, on our way here…? You were the ones watching us in the
Dungeon…?"
"Oh, you noticed? That's right, our comrades kept an eye on you until your
arrival."
Lido went on to say that, in addition to testing them, Xenos members had
trailed the adventurers to make sure that they could rescue Wiene in a worst-case
scenario.
That explained why Bell felt they were being watched in the Dungeon.
"Were you guys only watching us in the Dungeon? Was anyone on the
surface…?"
"Nope, Lett and his team started observing you upstairs, on the nineteenth
floor."
Lido scratched his scaly chin, clearly stating that he didn't know of anyone
going any higher than that.
Bell's mind began turning again once he realized that those first watchers
were someone else.
"…Hey, was that true, what you said a second ago? Are you in league with
the Guild?"
Slam!
A wooden jug was set on the floor with more force than necessary.
Welf had been following their conversation and couldn't hold back any
longer.
Surprised that Welf had spoken up on his own, Lido blinked a few times
before flashing his fangs in a grin.
"Yeah, all true. They've pulled a lot of strings to keep us hidden, as well as
provide us with food and equipment…They've done more than enough for us."
"…Lilly cannot take you at your word that the Guild would dirty its hands to
keep this secret. The risk of discovery is too great, and the benefit…What
benefit could there be?"
"We are not simply parasites that rely on the Guild's charity. We accept their requests to
investigate situations or strange incidents while suppressing uprisings in the shadows…Our
relationship is 'give and take,' as they say on the surface."
Lilly made her skepticism known while Rei stepped in to support Lido's
explanation.
The Guild asked the Xenos to respond to Irregulars before adventurers were
alerted to the danger or when the situation was too difficult for adventurers to
handle by themselves.
"We got similar goals, that's all." Lido casually dismissed the notion.
"But I'd say that we're more connected with a god named Ouranos than with
the Guild itself. Most Guild employees have no idea we're down here."
"L-Lord Ouranos…"
Orario's founding deity. Several of the adventurers gasped at the name.
The Guild claimed to lack any form of military power, yet here sat their—no,
Ouranos's private army. Suddenly, Lilly and the others realized where Lido and
the rest of the Xenos stood in the hierarchy.
"So then, it's just as you said. This mission…"
"That it is, Bellucchi. Lord Ouranos contacted us, and we agreed to test the
people who lent a helping hand to one of our comrades."
The mission hadn't been issued by the upper levels of Guild management but
from Ouranos himself, its true head.
They'd been dancing in the palm of his hand—being appraised. Bell and his
party knew the whole truth now.
"However, hearing about you got our hopes up a bit."
Just as Bell was about to ask for clarification—
A booming voice came from the other side of their makeshift magic-stone
campfire.
"REI! SING!"
"OOOOOOOOOOO!!"
A couple of drunken monsters started demanding a song, and more howled in
approval.
The siren, still seated close to Bell, sighed and looked up at Lido. He nodded,
eyes twinkling with expectation.
Rei grinned and stood.
"I suppose I must. I shall sing and add some color to this banquet."
Taking a few steps forward, whoosh! One flap of her wings and Rei landed
on top of the tallest magic-stone lamp with the grace of a feather.
She turned on her heel to face Wiene, Bell, and the others, wearing a delicate
smile.
"A new comrade and guests from the surface are here. Let's make this one special."
With that, Rei closed her eyes and drew a breath.
Silence hung in the air for a fleeting moment before a beautiful voice
replaced it.
"Wow…!"
"This song…"
Hearing the high-pitched notes, Wiene suddenly smiled with joy, while Bell
and the others reacted with surprise.
It was the gentle soprano that had guided them through this Frontier.
The siren brought one of her golden wings to her chest, singing happily and
enjoying her solo with a smile on her face. There were no instruments or lyrics.
The pure melody alone was enough to ensnare the hearts of her listeners.
A single siren, weaving a song with her eyes closed, ringed by people and
monsters sitting side by side.
The scene, illuminated by quartz and magic-stone lamps, was so elegant and
beautiful that it seemed to come from another world.
This hardly seemed to be the same dark labyrinth filled with monsters deep
underground—but then again, perhaps it was one of those moments when the
Dungeon would allow its audience a glimpse at sacred mysteries and illusions.
The song reverberated deep into the maze.
Bell and the others had never heard a song so captivating, so beautiful, and
the passage of time left their minds.
"Let's dance, surface dwellers! May I have this one?"
"Eh? Wha…wai—Please don't, I'm not a dancerrrrrr!"
"M-Mikotooo!"
A young harpy girl dragged Mikoto out, leaving a wailing Haruhime to chase
after them. In the ring's center, two shadows danced together. A curious and
energetic monster girl twirled hand in hand with Mikoto, or perhaps it was more
accurate to say she swung her partner about. A human hand and a winged hand
were clasped tightly together.
The singing siren chuckled to herself for a moment before changing the tune.
Her beautiful ballad became an upbeat, toe-tapping rhythm similar to a waltz.
Completely drunken Xenos rushed to join Mikoto. They called out to one
another, pairing off. The red-cap goblin and a lamia joined hands, hellhounds ran
stride for stride with al-miraj, and the formoires joined the trolls, using their
gigantic fists to pound the floor like drums. Other monsters came up to Wiene
and whispered in her ear to join. "Okay!" she replied cheerfully, heading toward
Haruhime. Meanwhile, the gargoyle and his group watched the tumult from their
distant seats, unamused.
The song, cheers, and laughter wouldn't stop.
Wiene pulled along a flustered Haruhime all the way to where Mikoto and
her partner were, before starting their own dance.
The long shadows of people and monsters stretched across the floor, mingling
together.
"…Things never get this crazy."
Lido's eyes were filled with delight as he muttered. And his lips were
definitely turned up in a smile.
Bell, Lilly, and Welf were convinced they were dreaming and still at a loss
for words. But before they realized it, all of them were laughing.
The siren's soothing song and the echoes of joyful howls serenaded them.
"Lido, what did you mean earlier when you said we got your hopes up a
bit…?"
"Hmm? Ahh…"
Bell watched Wiene and the girls for a time before turning back to Lido.
The reptilian warrior didn't look away from his dancing comrades as he
responded.
"You gave us hope—that maybe things can change…"
"People and monsters coexisting…?!"
Hestia wasn't sure how many jolts of surprise shot through her body after
what Ouranos had just said.
The elderly deity's face was as stoic as ever. He did not turn away from her
stunned expression.
"Do you understand what you're saying, Ouranos…?!"
"Of course."
People and monsters living together in peace was impossible.
Hestia had already reached that conclusion, and yet Ouranos responded with
a deep nod. He knew what that meant.
Those born in the Dungeon were the greatest enemy of surface-dwelling
races. People killed monsters and monsters killed people. With such
overwhelming fear and ingrained hatred on both sides, they would like nothing
more than to avoid each other. They could not be together.
The various races residing in the mortal world were fated to kill and be killed
by monsters.
That was their destiny ever since monsters first emerged from the "Great
Hole" back during the Ancient Times.
They were doomed to fight for all eternity.
Then Ouranos arrived with the divine will to turn that undeniable truth on its
head…Hestia frowned, unable to overlook such a desire from the Guild's master,
of all people.
"However, the Xenos do not attack people instinctually but instead wish to
engage with them in dialogue."
"!!"
"Rather than with fangs or claws, they wish to use words and logic to make
their voices heard. They want to walk on the surface. They want to know our
children…to learn more about people."
Wiene's face appeared in the back of Hestia's mind.
"Self-aware Xenos are constantly under threat even from normal monsters.
They live in alienation and exile. They have no place to belong on the surface or
in the Dungeon."
"…"
"With no one to hear them, their easiest choice as monsters was to resign
themselves to oblivion. However, they possess determination as well as the
means to express their thoughts and wishes. Just like our children," he said.
"Then I discovered them."
Ouranos lowered his eyes ever so slightly.
"As the one who offers prayers to the Dungeon…No longer could I withstand
their lamenting as they perished."
Someone sure is diligent—Hestia tried to force herself to poke fun at Ouranos
but she couldn't manage to get the words out.
Because she had met Wiene.
Could she really bring herself to abandon the vouivre girl now?
Could she become a treacherous and deceitful goddess for her familia's sake?
Hestia's thoughts swirled, trapping her in a whirlpool of choices and
decisions. After a few minutes of heavy silence, she lifted her face and started
asking Ouranos another question.
"Are you serious about bringing harmony to the children and monsters?"
"The will of the divine has been set. However, it is an impossible demand.
The truth is that it is beyond my control."
Ouranos had no qualms about confessing everything in response to Hestia's
question.
"If our goal is harmony between our children and monsters, then we must
question the reason of their existence in detail."
—Prove that monsters themselves were important.
From birth, they were constantly stigmatized because of their physical
features that diverged from what was considered normal.
Threatening physiques, claws and fangs that were symbols of bloodshed,
death-heralding flames, and voices tinged with savagery.
In order to break free of their reputation as icons of slaughter and violence—
as well as for the sake of establishing peace—there was no choice but to
demonstrate their role in this world to the children of the mortal realm. In order
to realize their dream of basking in the surface's sunlight, it was imperative to
overcome people's hatred and fear by proving their significance.
One option was the cruel subjugation method known as taming. Although it
would allow them to be recognized by the masses, it required living with a collar
of thorns. What's more, that path would never lead to true peace.
"…So basically, in your quest to prove the meaning of their existence, you
thought there's a possibility Bell and my other children could become a bridge
between the two sides?"
"That is correct."
Hestia let her head hang limply at the revelation. The elderly deity was so
unbelievably open about these secret plans it was almost refreshing.
She understood Ouranos's reasoning. After getting to know Wiene, she also
wanted to help the Xenos find happiness.
However, this path put Bell and their familia in a very precarious position.
Ouranos mentioned alienation and exile. If the fact that Hestia Familia had
assisted these "monsters" became public knowledge, not only would their
standing in Orario be at risk but their place in the entire world. Just like the
Xenos.
Perhaps it was impossible, but Hestia preferred to not have their fate hanging
in the balance.
Even if that means running away, the goddess thought to herself.
"Is what you just said the Guild's opinion on the matter as well?"
"Currently, it is mine alone."
That made sense.
Declaring peace with monsters would shake the world to its core.
Even Ouranos, the one heralded as the founding deity of Orario, could not
help but lose political power as cracks formed in his base.
"The highest levels of Guild management, including Royman and his closest
advisers, have been kept in the dark on this matter."
His employees had been ordered only to deliver the mission to Hestia
Familia. Most likely, Royman believed that Bell's rapid growth had caught
Ouranos's attention and the deity intended to test the boy's strength with the
mission.
Ouranos explained this to Hestia.
"So the only ones who know are…"
"Among deities other than myself, Hermes, because he accepts my
requests…and Ganesha."
"G-Ganesha?!"
Hestia was completely taken aback at the unexpected name.
"You must be kidding," she said, wide-eyed.
But then, her shoulders jolted.
"Don't tell me the Monsterphilia is…?"
"Correct. It was conceived five years ago in order to soften people's hatred
for monsters, no matter how slight, and has continued ever since."
The Monsterphilia: an event that turned taming monsters into a spectacle.
The festival had been proposed and organized by the Guild. It hadn't been the
brainchild of deities who craved entertainment. It was still relatively new, and
Hestia had heard that the Guild didn't offer much explanation about it during
Denatus.
Now she was able to connect the dots.
Ouranos had been the driving force behind the event. Putting on a show
despite the dangers of bringing monsters out of the Dungeon was all his idea.
He wanted to soften the public's opinion of monsters by showing the majestic
tamers interacting with them, making the beasts less alien, providing a
foundation for future change.
It was all to lay the first stepping-stones that would lead to a day when the
Xenos could revel in the sun's rays.
It wasn't just "Monster Festival" but "Monsterphilia."
But that merely served as the first stage, and its impact was rather limited.
"I informed Ganesha in order to gain his support."
While the Guild oversaw the event, it was Ganesha Familia that provided
tamers for the show.
Ouranos would never have gained Ganesha's confidence by being
manipulative. So the elderly deity had no choice but to reveal his divine will.
Never thought it'd be Ganesha…
Out of everything she had heard, that had been the most surprising. Hestia
wiped the sweat off her neck with visions of the friendly god wearing an odd
elephant mask popping up in her head.
She promised herself right then and there to take some time to get to know
him better.
"Is that everyone working with you?"
"No," Ouranos responded plainly to Hestia's question.
The god looked down at his feet as if he were gazing deep into the Dungeon
far beneath.
"Fels is also with us."
"Well…this certainly exceeded my expectations."
A serious voice devoid of any shock or mockery reached the banquet, still as
lively as ever with singing and dancing.
Bell and everyone else who heard the remarkably monotone voice turned
toward the entrance of the room to see where it came from.
"Fels, you made it!"
What they saw seemed like a living shadow, wearing a long black robe and
black gloves adorned with intricate patterns. Bell and the adventurers were quick
to react to this mysterious individual, instantly ready for a fight, but Lido opened
his arms and gave the newcomer a friendly wave.
Fels. A name that both Lido and Rei had mentioned quite a few times.
The adventurers still watched the hooded figure for a bit as he approached.
However, Fels seemed more interested in watching Wiene and the other dancers.
"You're here earlier than I thought you'd be."
"I came as fast as I could. But please, Lido, I could do with a quick
explanation. To tell the truth, I'm quite startled."
Fels asked the lizardman warrior climbing to his feet to recount what had
happened.
The adventurers followed suit, standing as Lido brought the stranger up to
speed. "Oh-ho?" A light chuckle emerged from the hood. "You all may be more
important than we thought."
Fels looked down toward Bell and the others, offering words that were
difficult to discern as praise or ridicule.
The black-robed figure stood just a little shorter than Welf. Examining each
member of the trio in turn, the shadow come to life continued speaking.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Fels. I act as a liaison between
Ouranos and the Xenos—a messenger, if you will. I also take on odd jobs as
necessary."
"O-odd jobs?"
"Yes, that's right…Perhaps you would understand if I were to say that I was
the one keeping tabs on you and the vouivre girl?"
"!"
Bell, Lilly, and Welf were stunned.
Something resembling a laugh spilled from the darkness of Fels's hood as a
gloved hand rose into the air.
"Bell Cranell, Lilliluka Erde, Welf Crozzo…as well as Mikoto Yamato and
Haruhime Sanjouno. I've been observing your activities over the past week."
Those were the only words they needed to hear to put the pieces together.
The person in front of them was the Guild's "eyes" who had taken the liberty
of thoroughly investigating them without their knowledge.
"Are you…Are you a monster, like them?"
Lilly knew that something was odd about this person; something felt off.
Fending off her confusion, she pressed for answers.
"Nah, Fels is a person," Lido replied, and Fels's black hood fluttered up and
down again.
"Formerly a person may be a better choice of words."
Huh? Bell nearly whispered under his breath.
"I'll show you."
Two black gloves took hold of the hood and pulled it back.
"—"
For Bell, Lilly, and Welf, time came to a screeching halt.
The eyes that were supposed to be there didn't exist—just two pitch-black
cavities, empty eye sockets.
The skin they expected to see was also missing. Perfectly aligned teeth
protruded from the exposed jawbone.
The face simply didn't exist.
A white skull of death stared back at the adventurers.
"A…a skeleton?!"
"Hold up, hold up, hold up…!"
"A spartoi?!"
Three voices shrieked.
There was no doubt that it was a skeleton's head—no eyes, no nose, no ears,
no hair, just bones. The horrifying personification of death itself was proof
enough that this being was no living person.
Bell was reminded of the skeleton monsters from the deep levels called the
spartoi. But Fels slowly shook his skull side to side to refute the boy's terrified
scream.
"Sorry, but I am not a monster. As I said, I am formerly a person."
"F-formerly a person…?"
"What…what the hell happened…?!"
Lilly could only echo Fels's words as Bell struggled to speak, mouth opening
and closing again and again. Meanwhile, Welf clenched his teeth together in a
desperate attempt to remain calm but couldn't hide the fear scrawled across his
face. Fear was a natural reaction to a voice originating from a skull with no skin
or throat to speak of.
While the three of them stood dumbfounded, it was Lido who spoke up with
an answer:
"Fels is the Sage. An awesome Magus."
Those words.
It was as though Bell and his companions had been doused by water, all of
them going silent.
That is, until a moment later, when Lilly let out a cry.
"The Sage?! As in THE Sage?! The one who created the Philosopher's Stone
in the Kingdom of Magic—the only one to ever successfully create the elixir of
eternal life? That Sage?!"
"Y-yeah…Probably that Sage, I guess…?"
The lizardman was unfamiliar with what was considered common sense on
the surface, so the prum's red-faced outburst caught him by surprise.
Overwhelmed by this demi-human girl only half his size, Lido took a step back
as a stunned Bell remembered the story Eina had once told him about the Sage.
Just as Lilly said, that legendary person created the Philosopher's Stone, a
magic item that granted the user eternal life.
Mastering the Advanced Ability Enigma, the Sage became the most powerful
Magus in history.
He brought his creation, the Philosopher's Stone, before his god only to
watch the deity smash the stone on the floor…
If that story were true, then the being standing before him was worthy of
being named among the heroes in fairy tales and legends. Bell's eyes opened as
wide as they would go.
"Another correction, if I may. I am what became of the one once called the
Sage."
The Magus shocked the adventurers further, explaining with a shade of self-
deprecation.
"As my story will be handed down to future generations…and as it is told
even today, I came to loathe the deity who destroyed my precious stone. I
became more driven than ever before in my pursuit to acquire more knowledge,
to unlock the secrets of immortality…and became what you see now."
The skeleton recounted the traumatic experience with that god while running
black gloves up and down the robe that hid the rest of his body.
"My methods took their toll, causing my skin and flesh to rot off my bones.
Now I have become something more revolting than a monster. I've forgotten the
sensation of hunger and thirst…I am no more than a living ghost."
Fels finished by saying that all his experimentation produced was a "curse."
Learning the other side of the story, one that had been lost in history, the
adventurers gulped as the Sage's fate came to light.
At the same time, they were in awe at how cruel the deusdea could be,
completely ruining the lives of their followers.
"I now go by the name Fels the Fool."
"Fels." A fitting name for someone who had once been known as "Sage,"
only to have been reduced to a farce.
Incapable of expressing even the slightest emotion, the skeletal Magus who
could no longer even smile now went by that name.
"…Mind explaining how the Sage ended up in a place like this?"
"It's a long story, to say the least. Suffice it to say that Ouranos took me in
despite my wretched state after I wound up in Orario."
Welf certainly looked uncomfortable, but he posed his question without fear.
Fels responded openly, making the peculiarly indistinct voice friendlier in tone.
"Now I'm privy to a front-row seat in the 'center of the world,' the driving
force behind the changing times."
Pulling the hood back up, Fels spoke as though satisfied with the state of
things.
As Bell stood frozen in place, he had thought nothing could surpass the shock
of encountering Lido and the other Xenos. Now his eyes were spinning from a
second knockout blow.
"The Sage, huh…Well, of course I've heard of him. So that kid from earlier
has become your right-hand man, Ouranos?"
"I do not deny it. Outside of my agreement with the Xenos, Fels is the one
piece I can move at will…My private soldier."
Ouranos nodded at Hestia's inquiry.
Several familias, including Ganesha Familia, worked closely with the Guild
to create a public face. Meanwhile, Fels, a Magus—a being who had a firm
handle on the intricacies of Magic—worked in the shadows, conducting dirty
jobs and taking on secret missions.
"I take it Fels played a major role in keeping the Xenos a secret up until
today?"
"Indeed. We have already worked together for centuries."
Fels also filled the role of Ouranos's personal bodyguard. Many Guild
employees had witnessed his movements through Guild Headquarters, with
rumors of an elusive "ghost" circulating among their ranks through the
generations, each with a common thread.
"Monsters with the capacity to think and feel…I first encountered Lido and
his kind fifteen, maybe sixteen years ago."
Fels continued to speak even as the siren sang among the happily dancing
monsters in the background.
At that time, members of the familia close to Ouranos captured them. The
deity managed to keep their presence a secret from the rest of Orario by issuing a
strict gag order. That familia fell into ruin and no longer existed.
Fels obeyed Ouranos's divine will and had served as a messenger ever since,
eventually becoming the Xenos's first contact with the world aboveground.
"After talking with Lido and his companions, we decided to dub their group
of heretics 'Xenos.' They now live as a community under the same name."
"A community?"
"Yeah. Others like us are born throughout the Dungeon. We make contact
with our comrades to form our own organization."
Bell asked for clarification from Fels, but it was Lido who provided the
answer.
"We gather in Hidden Villages like this one and travel between different
floors in the hopes of finding comrades nearby."
As soon as Lido explained that most of their activities took place in the lower
levels, Lilly jumped back into the conversation to ask about something that had
been stewing in her head for some time.
"…This has been bothering Lilly for a while, but…do monsters not spawn in
this room?"
"Oh? You noticed, Lillicchi?"
"L-Lillicchi…?"
As the prum struggled with how to feel about being addressed in such a
strange manner, Lido glanced out over the chamber dotted with dark-green
quartz jutting from the walls and ceiling.
"This place…You might call it a safe point. There are plenty more just like
it."
"Eh?!"
"Of course, adventurers haven't found them. That's why we call these places
Hidden Villages."
Lido ignored the astonishment on Bell's, Welf's, and Lilly's faces and carried
on with his explanation.
The Xenos frequented undiscovered Frontiers in the middle levels all the way
down to the deep levels—places adventurers didn't know existed—using them
as base camps in their search of monsters who shared their unique gifts.
They were a community of monsters, a traveling brigade.
"There are about forty Xenos at the moment…The numbers go up and down,
but Lido, Rei, and Gros were members from the start."
"It has been a long time, yes?"
Fels glanced at the siren and gargoyle while the lizardman flashed a toothy
grin.
"…That would make you the leader, wouldn't it?"
Welf finally asked what he and Lilly had suspected for a while now.
"Yeah. Gryuu used to hold that title, but his dragon body can't move like it
used to. So I'm leading everyone in his stead now."
"Then the strongest member is…"
"Of course! You're looking at him!!"
Lido proudly puffed out his armored chest.
Bell thought that might be the case after fighting the lizardman one-on-one.
Lido was most likely holding back at the time, but it still summoned flashbacks
of Ishtar Familia's first-tier adventurer, Phryne, during the battle. Therefore, the
boy had suspected that the lizardman's potential strength could very well exceed
hers.
"…Well, that's what I'd like to say."
—However, Lido let his reptilian head droop, shoulders slumping right away.
"One of our newest comrades took the title from me in no time flat…"
"O-ohhh…"
Welf wasn't sure what to do with the clearly depressed lizardman. Bell,
however, was stunned.
The question had to be asked.
"Um, so, what's this new member like?"
"He isn't here now. He's a strange one, I tell you. Went off to the deep levels
on his own for training."
"Th-the deep levels…Do…do you think that's okay?"
"Knowing him, I think worrying would be a waste of time."
Lido drily chuckled to himself as if he was exhausted just thinking about it.
"…Mr. Fels."
"What is it, Lilliluka Erde?"
After some time had passed…
Tired of singing and dancing, the revelers were starting to seat themselves on
the floor. Mikoto, Haruhime, and Wiene were among them.
Lilly had been lost in thought when, finally, she looked up at Fels.
"When the siren Rei…Miss Rei spoke with us, she described the Xenos's
relationship with the Guild as 'give and take.'"
"Yes, this is true."
"Lord Ouranos provides support, and in return the Xenos scour the Dungeon
for new members…Is that really everything?"
Her chestnut-tinted gaze bore into the darkness beneath the Magus's hood,
but his only answer was silence.
"Lilly can't help but feel that this relationship is too one-sided. There's
something oddly urgent about these heretics' chosen words and actions…"
A group that used several unknown Hidden Villages and had members
capable of traveling alone in the deep levels possessed considerable power. The
brigade of monsters called Xenos should be able to take care of itself with or
without assistance from Fels and Ouranos.