Chapter 4 - Falna and Dungeon.

As I accompany Loki to her room, I begin to look around the mansion. It's a really beautiful architecture. It looks like a mix of medieval with something more Victorian. Victorian mainly due to the ornate, likely very expensive furniture.

After climbing a flight of stairs, I see Loki stop in front of a door, opening it and entering after calling me to follow her.

"Well, well, Elizabeth-chan. Take off your shirt and lie there so I can put your falna on... and maybe, accidentally, my hands might slip, heheh," Loki says with a perverted smile on her face. My expression remains stoic, but a small spark of anger appears on my face.

"Don't worry, goddess Loki. My magic might also 'accidentally' summon a sword," I say with a cold smirk as I lie down on the small couch and lift the back of my shirt.

I hear Loki gulp and then clear her throat.

"Hehehe, it was just a joke, Elizabeth-chan. Well, let's begin," Loki says, apparently trying to change the subject. Well, it seems I have a knack for intimidating people in this world.

I stay still with my eyes closed and soon feel something drip on my back and a certain spark of warmth spreading through my body.

"W-what?" Loki screams so loudly that I probably think even the people on the lower floors of the dungeon can hear.

"What happened, goddess Loki?" I ask in a conventional stoic tone. Well, it seems my abilities really surprised her. I don't blame her, after all, the goddess really spoiled me with these gifts.

"I already knew you probably had a magic ability because of making your equipment appear and disappear, but four abilities?! And all of them extremely powerful! HAHAHAH, I really am a lucky goddess!!" Loki starts shouting and celebrating. It gets so loud that I hear some knocking on the door. Probably one of her children was worried/curious about what's going on.

"Wait a minute! Well, Elizabeth-chan, I'll write down your status on a sheet so you can see," Loki says as she places something on my back, and that spark of warmth returns again. "Alright, you can get up now, and here are your stats," Loki continues.

I quickly get up and pull down my shirt, not wanting to give this perverted goddess a chance. I take the paper as soon as Loki offers it to me. Hmm... it seems some things are hidden, just as the goddess mentioned.

Name: Elizabeth

Race: Half High Human / Half Heroic Spirit

Level: 1

Strength: I 0

Resistance: I 0

Dexterity: I 0

Agility: I 0

Magic: I 0 (200)

Abilities:

Commander: Your mind remains calm and centered, no matter the occasion. As a side effect, it strengthens your mind against magical and mental attacks.

Perfect Warrior: Your skill in weapon handling is near perfection. As a side effect, weapons you are not yet proficient with become 5 times easier to learn.

Queen of Battle: The amount of excelia gained in battle is multiplied by x5. The more disadvantageous the battle, the more excellence is won.

Heroes' Will: Ancient heroes leave their legacy to you. Their weapon skills and battle experiences are passed down to you.

Spells:

Weapons Cemetery: Where the weapons of ancient heroes rest. But as you possess their will and desire, you can summon the weapons you desire from the beings who rest on the hero's throne. The greater the strength and quality of the weapon, the more magic you will spend to summon and maintain it.

"Hmm... interesting," I say aloud, trying to sound at least a little surprised upon seeing my abilities.

"Listen, Elizabeth-chan. I want you to clear up a few things for me, please. First of all, I've never heard of heroic spirits before, and it seems like one of your abilities complements your magic well. Also, there's your race with you being half heroic spirit," Loki says, and for the first time, I see her with a more serious expression. Apparently, she might be concerned.

"To start, you could say I have a certain relationship with a heroic spirit initially. So much so that you could say I can summon those black equipment. They were a gift. And heroic spirits themselves are great heroes who, after their death, their deeds and legends become so strong that they are given a chance to return to the living," I say, trying to keep some half-truths. After all, at least for now, I don't want to spread my secrets. I know Loki wouldn't tell anyone, or just her executives, but it's good to keep this to myself for now.

"Hoh... I see. That's really surprising. To think something like that existed," Loki says, completely absorbed in her thoughts, crossing her arms and looking at the floor. It seems I managed to hide a few things with some wordplay. "But well, Elizabeth-chan. Now, I was going to offer you a beginner's gear, but it seems you already have your own, which is superior. Next, you need to go to the guild to formalize your adventurer status. For that, I'll ask mama Riveria to go with you, and I'll also ask her to teach you the basics of magic so you can develop your unique magic with her help," Loki says next.

"I see. Alright," I say while crossing my arms. Hmm... this is tricky. I know most of my magic, and since I used it before the falna, I can use the excuse that I was already trained before in both weapon handling, combat, and magic. This should ease some future problems.

"Well, well. You can go explore the mansion a bit and wait by the front door, please. I'll call my executives and have a little conversation with Riveria about your situation," Loki says, smiling again with her eyes closed.

I nod, bowing slightly and leaving the room shortly after. For now, I think I'll just go to the kitchen to grab some dried supplies and water so that once I register at the guild, I can head to the dungeon to start leveling up my stats. After all, lost time means lost strength.

After walking a bit, I end up chatting with some staff members who are really kind and give me what I asked for. They even gave me a small bag as I start heading toward the mansion's entrance.

I start thinking a bit about the Weapons Cemetery. It's kind of like an Unlimited Blade Works from Emiya Shirou, but more beautiful, in my opinion. I wonder if I could store outside items there? Hmm... I probably can't. I'll have to run some tests later.

After a few minutes, I see a relatively tall figure, green-haired, dressed in a classic mage's robe from fantasy worlds. In the anime, Riveria was already really beautiful, but she doesn't compare to how stunning she is in reality here.

I snap out of my daydreams when I see her approaching me. I notice a small smile on her lips, on an otherwise stoic face.

"You must be Elizabeth, our new companion. I'm Riveria, a mage and one of the three high executives here in the Loki family. Pleased to meet you," Riveria says with a soft, but slightly stoic voice.

"Pleasure to meet you, Riveria," I say, bowing slightly and then looking back at her face again. Well, if I had any doubts about my preferences for men or women, I don't anymore.

"As Loki mentioned, first we will go to the guild to formalize your adventurer registration. After that, the goddess said you have permission to go to the dungeon to adventure, but you must be careful. Try to return in time for dinner," Riveria says after finishing speaking, gesturing for me to start following her.

Slowly, we begin walking through Orario, and Riveria's fame is truly remarkable. After all, she is one of Orario's strongest adventurers and an extremely capable mage, so it's only natural that she attracts attention.

Our walk is silent, and that doesn't bother me, nor does it seem to bother Riveria either. Not because she dislikes me, but because this seems to be the way both she and I operate.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrive at the large blue guild building. Even though I already know it, it's really beautiful. We walk up to one of the people attending, and I see Rose again. I walk up to her while Riveria follows behind me.

"Rose? A pleasure to see you again," I say with a small smile as I stop in front of the pink-haired girl.

"Oh, Elizabeth. It seems you've returned..." I see her smile slightly too, and her eyes widen a bit but quickly return to her usual stoic nature after noticing Riveria beside me. "I see you managed to join the Loki family, congratulations. Here's your form for adventurer registration."

I offer a thankful smile and quickly begin filling in the blanks. Of course, I leave the abilities and magic sections blank before handing the document back to Rose.

"Well, thank you, and congratulations on becoming an adventurer. Normally, we assign someone to be your guide on dungeon teachings and other matters, but since you're in the Loki family, I don't think there's a need. Happy hunting, and please be careful," Rose says next, bowing slightly at the end.

I thank her and start walking with Riveria again, leaving the guild.

"I'd like to explore the dungeon a bit, please," I say as I turn to look at her.

She nods and hands me a small crystal that displays a faint yellow glow.

"This is a day/night crystal. It basically indicates whether it's day or night when you're in the dungeon. Use it to keep track of time," Riveria says as I take the crystal.

"Thank you, and I'll return in time for dinner." I thank her and bow again. Then, I see Riveria nod and return, probably to the Loki family mansion.

I wait for her to move away a bit before heading toward the dungeon. I keep my hands in the pockets of my coat as I continue walking toward the tower. I hear some murmurs and taunts from a few people, but I ignore them.

Well, time to start boosting my stats...