CHAPTER 208(Plan B: The Direct Approach)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

---Babel Floor 51, Expedition Planning Room...

Hephaestus and Riveria are both patiently waiting for Yang and Welf. The goddess sits around the large conference table, relaxed into one of the soft chairs as she anxiously taps her foot, staring at the sealed documents on the table itself.

Riveria is standing at the front of the room, on the opposite side of the room from her is the Vault and door to the forge. But in front of her are two bookcases. Both are filled with unique books numbered from 1 to 101. The black books have no other text on their spines and there is still an entire bookcase off to the side that remains empty, waiting for more.

Between the cases is a blackboard, with scribbles and notes for her to clearly read, her mind easily connects the dots between the numbers and the notes, once more she finds herself taken aback by the impossibility and grandeur of how far their expeditions have gone. Only this time she's not surprised, if your captain can crater a city this should be expected.

"The Coral Highlands?" Riveria asks aloud as she reads from the board, eyes taking in the seemingly random notes and thoughts written out.

"That's what Yang is calling the most recent safe zone," Hephaestus explains. "Welf said it's more beautiful than any area the dungeon had before it, as if a rainbow fell to the sea before all the water was drained out."

"Hmm, that must be where the Coral Drops come from," Riveria realizes. "One hundred and one floors, so the dungeon doesn't stop at one hundred," she grimaces, realizing that her familia hasn't even conquered half the floors.

"Apparently not," Hephaestus says. "Try to keep that to yourself, don't want the public having a meltdown, that's why we don't exactly publicize this information."

"Yet you brought me, an outsider, into this room."

"Less of an outsider than you think, Yang trusts you and you're one of the few high-level adventurers Thalie hasn't wanted to kill at some point," Hephaestus says.

"And Welf?"

"He...he tries to avoid Elves in general, especially if you happen to be a princess, I'm sure you understand why," Hephaestus gives her an apologetic look.

"I hold no negative feelings toward him, Rakia has been trying to wipe us out for centuries, at least when he realized he was a tool he had the decency to leave," Riveria says while giving an understanding nod before turning back to the board.

"You should tell him that when he gets here," Hephaestus says as they fall into a comfortable silence once more.

A few minutes later Riveria breaks the silence as she notices a strange list on the board, "why are these held apart from the others? I assume they're all monsters, yes?" she steps aside and gestures to a list of names.

Taking a look at the board Hephaestus raises a brow at the strange gap in the list, "I recognize some of those names, honestly I try not to get into their business aside from whatever Welf tells me during pillow talk---"

"I didn't realize you two were so, intimate," Riveria shyly says.

"Honestly we were dragging our feet, should have gotten together years ago," Hephaestus admits with a sigh. "But yeah I don't even read expedition reports so I'm far from the best person to answer that."

"I recognize some of these names, they were included on the danger listing the guild gave Ganesha and Loki," Riveria points to a few names as she speaks. "Rajang, that's the ape-like creature that almost killed us, Deviljho was referred to in the notes as 'Giant angry pickle', Freya familia dealt with that. Some of these we thankfully haven't encountered yet but are in the notes, Legiana, Diablos, Bazelgeus, Tigrex, Teostra, and Lunastra, but these seem different," she points to the handful of names at the top of the list, a gap separating them from the others.

Hephaestus walks up to take a closer look and recognizes one of the names from her talk with Welf, "Safi'Jiva," she mutters thoughtfully. "That must mean these are the big bad Elder Dragons."

"There are so many, eight more in addition to that dreadful gold furnace we fought, and the Kirin," Riveria frowns at the names.

"Oh no, there are at least a dozen more Elder Dragons, these are just the ones at the very top, not to mention the Magical Monsters from the other side of his book. His theory is the dungeon creates both the more naturally plausible monsters such as the Elder Dragon as well as more mystical natured monsters such as Udeaus," Hephaestus says, giving a simple and truthful explanation of monsters being pulled from both 'Monster Hunter' and 'Dungeon & Dragons'.

"I see," Riveria scans the list once more before pointing at 'Safi'Jiva', "and you said Welf spoke of this one, I assume they fought it."

"Floor one hundred boss, or I think that boss was Tiamat, honestly I was half asleep but it's around there somewhere," Hephaestus shrugs.

Riveria's eyes go wide and she takes a fearful step back, "Tiamat?!"

"Huh, yeah she's on the Magical Monster list, not an Elder dragon I think, but it's ok they won. Plus Safi'Jiva is where Yang copied the Sapphire of the Emperor, he's the Emperor of Elders or something like that," Hephaestus says casually.

As Riveria lets her thoughts wander she realizes something horrific, "But Safi'Jiva is sixth on the list, if it's the Emperor, what are these," her delicate fingers point out the top five names on the list.

Dire Miralis, Alatreon, Black Fatalis, Red Fatalis, White Fatalis & the divine Elder Dragon of the Earth, Shara Ishvalda.

Hephaestus grimaces at the thought, knowing what Yang described these monsters as, world enders. "Well, what's above a king Riveria?"

A tense silence forms between them as Riveria flattens her lips, almost forming a cold sweat in realization as she speaks, "a god..."

"Sorry for the wait!" Yang loudly announces as the door gently swings open.

"Ah!" Riveria is startled out of her thoughts by the sudden entrance, feeling like her heart tried to leap out of her chest.

"Uh, you ok?" Yang asks as he and Welf move to take their seats opposite the ladies.

"Where's Thalie?" Hephaestus asks.

"Couldn't make it," Welf says as he sits down, "she's with Mikoto down in Rivera."

"The town in the floor eighteen safe zone, quite the sight for a level one I'm sure," Riveria says.

"Not just a level one," Yang says, "I still haven't been to it, every time we pass through that floor I always forget it exists."

"Low quality yet overpriced goods," Riveria says, "and besides your Inventory makes it redundant to visit, it's for people who can't make the trip to floor eighteen and back in a day, useless to high-level adventurers like yourselves."

"Doesn't mean I can't go sightseeing, that's part of the fun of the dungeon, once you get past those boring caves on the upper floors you get to see the fun stuff," Yang retorts.

"Hmm, true, I suppose you get to experience new things all the time, I've been adventuring for thirty years on the same fifty floors so I've seen everything they have to offer."

"I'm sure there are things even you haven't considered yet," Yang says with a warm smile, unable to imagine how bored he would be stuck on the same floors for decades.

"Ahem," Hephaestus fake coughs to get their attention, "as glad as I am to see Yang making...friends, can we please focus on the matter at hand," she lifts the sealed documents for them to see.

"Right, my apologies," Riveria says as she and Yang lean back into their seats.

Hephaestus slides the documents over to Yang who raises a brow at the action, "me?"

"It's addressed to you, the Trifecta is independent of my familia, remember, I'm just an accessory," she explains.

"Right," Yang says as he gracefully opens the documents, only seeing a single page inside. Written on it is the fanciest penmanship he's ever seen, with the sigil of what he assumes is Riveria's family, a green tree with deep roots residing in a circle.

Everyone waits patiently for a moment as he reads the document twice then speaks, "they refused."

"WHAT!" Riveria stands up with the shock, her ever-composed demeanor dropping as she glares hatefully at the paper.

Rudely snatching the paper out of Yang's hand she begins pacing around the room, frantically reading the content.

As she reads she speaks around only a few phrases, "we graciously inform you... no outside help...we understand the threat...the Elves stand proud and united...our roots are firm and our forests will hold strong...no outside assistance will be accepted! What?! He's gone mad!"

Hephaestus and her adventurers share uneasy glances as the princess fails to mask her emotions in any dignified way, after a minute she realizes the scenes she's made and awkwardly sits back into her chair, perfect posture as she slides the paper back over to Yang as if none of that just happened.

"So you expect us to pretend we didn't see that?" Yang asks teasingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Riveria gives a challenging look, "and besides, they'll never believe you."

Yang shakes his head and slides the paper to Welf for him to read, "so why'd they refuse us really? All they kept saying was no outside help will be accepted, your dad got some secret weapon to fight fifty of Welf's older swords?"

"Sadly no, this is all because of pride and resentment," Riveria says.

"He's willing to fight Rakia without help because of that? No offense but, the Elves have a pretty tragic track record with Rakia and these crusades."

"And they've never had these many of my swords in the past," Welf says as he continues reading.

"Elves are naturally proud," Riveria says. "Elves born and raised in the forest, especially the Royal Forest are easily disgusted by what they deem imperfect. Humans and Demi-humans are viewed as beneath them, even half-Elf people. It's why only pure Elves are allowed to enter."

"Yeah, already knew they were racist assholes," Yang says. "And apparently your dad is exceptional even among them if he's willing to let everyone die rather than accepting help."

"I wish you wouldn't refer to my father like that," Riveria says.

"And I wish it wasn't true, but reality sucks sometimes princess. We both know if he doesn't change his minds it 'bye bye Elven Forests', and I'm willing to bet you're the only person he'd listen to," Yang says.

"It's possible, but unlikely," Riveria says.

"Even if he doesn't accept outside help, you're the princess," Welf says as he passes the paper over to Hephaestus, "Loki has more than a dozen pure elves, why aren't all of you running off the join the war?"

"Some of us have," Riveria says.

"But not you?"

"No, not me. Joining the war means you have to remove your Falna as it would implicate Orario, and Loki doesn't get involved in conflicts that don't directly threaten Orario. If I returned my father would lock I'm in the palace until the war was over, seeing as the last time a royal elven woman went to battle against Rakia she died, that was my mother when I was just a baby," Riveria says.

She notices Welf quickly look away with a grim look on his face, "that couldn't have been your fault, that was ninety years ago, I doubt even your father was a soldier yet. But my father won't allow me onto the battlefield without a Falna, and I can't join the war if I have one. It's safer that I simply wait in Orario if he doesn't change his mind."

"Hmph, more lenient than I would have been," Yang says. "I wouldn't even let my children enter the dungeon much less join a war."

Riveria and Hephaestus raise a brow at this before the Elf speaks, "the Dungeon Emperor wouldn't let his children follow his own path?"

"Absolutely not," Yang says. "They can be alive and boring rather than famous and dead."

Riveria feels her heart skip a beat as Yang's protective side shines through, "that's certainly not what most high-level adventurers think. But I honestly don't see how we move forward with this plan. My father will never change his mind and this is one of the only ways to legally join the war."

"One of?" Welf asks, "what are the others?"

"The only other plausible method is to bait Rakia into attacking you first, but seeing as you're based in Orario they can't do that. And if you enter their territory they're justified to attack anyone that enters without permission, and they'd never give you permission," Riveria explains.

"What if we somehow got Rakia to stop hating the Elves?" Yang asks, "What even caused all this crap anyway?"

"The story is mostly lost to history," Riveria says. "The popular theory is that the first king of Rakia had a disagreement with the first king of the Elves, my ancestor, and the feud grew from there."

"So pretty drama becomes a war," Welf groans.

"It's more pretty than you think," Hephaestus says with a shameful look as she stares down at her lap.

"You know the origin?" Riveria asks.

"Well...I kinda, maybe, perhaps...caused it," Hephaestus mutters quietly.

All the adventures stare at her with wide eyes, completely taken by surprise at this reveal.

"What?" was all Welf could ask.

"It's not only my fault ok," Hephaestus pleads unconvincingly.

"I'm guessing gods being assholes and mortals suffering for it, but please, try to convince us otherwise," Yang taunts.

"Alright alright," Hephaestus takes a deep breath, "a very long time ago, back in heaven, I was married---"

"WHAT?!" Welf almost falls out of his seat. "Oh c'mon, you were married to Ares?"

"Aphrodite?" Yang asks.

Hephaestus looks at him in surprise before she remembers where he came from, "yes Aphrodite," Welf feels suddenly relieved. "Aphrodite and I were married, even as a goddess of beauty she and I were in love, until she saw all of me," Hephaestus gestures to her eyepatch. "Around that time things we're exactly prefect with us and...Ares gave me a contract, the gods were descending to somewhere new and he wanted me to add something, a species to be his soldiers. They would love war, battle, they would be like barbarians with massive figures and naturally inclined to conquer lands and expand."

"That doesn't sound like any of the races that exist," Riveria points out.

"No, and that's the problem," Hephaestus says.

"You broke the contract," Welf realizes in horror where this story was going, the most sacred thing to a smith is his contract, it's something that you must never betray.

"Worse," Hephaestus says. "Ares was constantly checking my progress and during his visits, he and Aphrodite became...close, eventually she left me for him. I became jealous, angry, I used his materials to spite him, created a race inclined to the use of magic, nature-loving, frail-looking, peaceful, and reclusive people, the complete opposite of what he wants."

"You made us," Riveria mutters quietly as the room falls silent. "My gods...that's why he hates us, we were made from his will and you perverted the design..."

Hephaestus hangs her head in shame as everyone takes a moment to process things. Welf falls silent for a time as Yang and Riveria speak.

"So we definitely can't change Ares's mind, and he's on the offensive," Yang says. "That just leaves your dad as the only option."

"Another impossible mission, unfortunately, my father will never accept your help."

"But we have to try," Welf says. "I've gotta at least try to make things right."

"If you care so much, carry so much guilt, why not just show it with your words," Riveria says. "I hold no resentment to you, all you have to do is apologize, and as the princess of all elves, I shall forgive you."

"No," Welf says instantly, "I'm an adventurer and a smith, either way, words are useless so I have to let my actions show my resolve."

This gives Yang an idea, "maybe words are useless to you, but we can probably use them," he locks eyes with Riveria, "princess, take me to see your dad."

"What? Did you not hear me say that anyone aside from pure Elves are forbidden, even gods can't enter?"

"I'm hoping that going with the princess will be enough, and I think it's worth the risk considering there won't be a forest if we fail."

Riveria barely thinks for a second before she nods," agreed, we should leave by morning, I'll have to speak to my familia this evening."

"Perfect, I'll come to get you in the morning."

Riveria immediately gets up from her chair, "I believe that's all the business I have here today, I'm sure your three have much to discuss," she says as she exits the room.

As Riveria exits Yang is about to speak but stops himself, noticing the blank stare of Welf's face and Hephaestus still looking down at her lap, clearly ashamed of revealing her past.

"Well...I'm gonna go pack," he awkwardly says while leaving the two smiths to themselves.

A minute after he leaves, Hephaestus is the first to speak, daring to look up she sees Welf is blankly looking in her direction but not at her, still trying to make sense of everything he learned today.

"Are you ashamed of me now, knowing that I broke a contract?" Hephaestus asks in a shaky voice.

"Huh," Welf snaps out of his stupor and looks at her strangely, "I'm still trying to process that fact that you were married..."

---Yang's Bedroom, Later Than Night...

"Are you done yet?" Freya asks, sitting against the cushioned backboard of the bed as she reads her book. Only wearing a loose silk top and a pair of matching panties under the blanket.

"Almost," Yang, much to the shock of regular people, was using a small flame on his hand to carefully clean every fiber of this Blue Zinogre Coat, "need this to be spotless when I meet the king."

"I can't believe you're playing politics, if you want to end the war so badly just take me with you and I'll charm the war council," Freya casually suggests.

"I may hate politics but I'd rather not give the Elves another reason to hate Welf, this is more than just a war for him remember, plus I'm definitely pushing my luck with just showing up in their Royal Forest," Yang says as he takes one last look at the coat and stores it in his inventory.

"Right right, still think you should just fly off to Rakia and incinerate the city, or use a Tsunami so nobody knows it's you," Freya suggests.

"Again, not the point, and if I do that it would basically start a world war, we're the smallest of twelve continents and they're all positioned around us since Orario is the center of the world remember, don't want them all uniting against us."

"I think you can win that fight," Freya says as she sets her book down on her bedside table while Yang crawls under the blanket.

"Just because you can win fights doesn't mean you should start them, and I'd rather not make a habit of involving myself in pointless wars."

"And this method gives you time with Riveria," Freya teases, "war council tends to last days at least and it's still three weeks before Rakia starts, according to the declaration at least."

"That's the least of my concerns right now," Yang says with an annoyed groan.

"Well, who knows what can happen after maybe a week together," Freya shrugs.

"If that happens I'm sure the king would want me dead and I'll destroy our chances of fighting Rakia," Yang points out.

"Seems worth it," Freya argues.

"It's not," Yang says as he reaches down and gently pulls her ankles, taking her from leaning against the backboard to laying flat on her back. Throwing the blanket aside he gets above her and shuts her up with a deep kiss before pulling away. "Our last night together for who knows however many days, and all you can think about is me sleeping with Riveria?"

Freya looks up at him with a sudden hunger in her eyes, "you're right, how wasteful of me..."

---Twilight Manor, Riveria's room...

"How angry will he be?" Lefiya asks, sitting at Riveria's desk as the woman folds, sorts, and packs clothes on her bed.

"Extremely, my father is the least, flexible, on those particular beliefs."

"Hmmm, I always heard the king was a kind man," Lefiya says.

"And I assume you've only heard that from pure Elves?"

"Well...yeah."

"Exactly," Riveria says as she finishes packing her bag, only to realize something is missing. "Hmm, I think I forgot my underwear..." she begins looking through the bag for it.

"Here you go," Lefiya says as she hands Riveria a stack of clothes.

The princess mindlessly takes the clothes and places them into the bag before she pauses, and sees what is on top, slowly removing the items she holds them up, one white and one black, both lacey lingerie.

"Lefiya, these aren't mine," Riveria says in an unamused tone.

"Huh, that doesn't make any sense, I only bought those for you," Lefiya says innocently.

"Excuse me?"

"Well... who knows what could happen at night in the palace," she shrugs.

Riveria frowns and shoves the clothes toward Lefiya, "return them, you know why I can't do that."

"Because you don't want to be happy?"

"Because it's wrong," Riveria says through gritted teeth," you know that."

"But you always told me to do what makes you happy?"

"Lefiya, you're supposed to be a good girl, what's gotten into you?"

"I am good, I just think, that maybe, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for you to try it, see how you feel after."

"If I try it I can't go back, you know this."

"Maybe that's for the best," Lefiya shoves the clothes back toward Riveria. "Just in case, you don't have to use them, and even if you do just keep your robes on and nobody will even know."

"I'm not packing these," Riveria says with finality.

"Well then good luck, because you won't have enough if you don't pack them, I burned all the others," Lefiya says boldly.

Riveria is completely stunned by this, "you...you're supposed to be a kind girl, now you're burning my clothes!"

"And you're supposed to be an adventurer but you're too much of a coward to chase your dreams!" Lefiya yells back at her mentor, causing Riveria to lean back in surprise. Taking a deep breath she calms herself, "you don't have to do what Freya wants, just take the first step and see how you feel about it."

Scrunching her face and narrowing her eyes at her student, Riveria reluctantly puts the clothes into her bag, "since when did you become so assertive..." Riveria mutters.

END CHAPTER---

The Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Ares stuff is pulled from Greek mythology but edited for danmachi

In my original plot scheme from this time last year, I had the contents of this chapter set as number 200, so we're running a bit longer than planned it seems.