5 Chapter 5: Going in deeper
Freya was a nervous wreck, even if she is a goddess she had just come close to death as even if she was a goddess all her power was sealed, if she let it out she would be send back to Tenkai… of course she could get back to the lower world but it would
take too much trouble to charm her way back.
Still all the attacks were aimed to maim her, not kill her.
She didn't know if it was good or not.
"Ottar… have you discovered the one who attacked me?" Freya asked.
Ottar bowed "I am afraid not… but whoever it was was very good… the attacks were aimed to hit you and incapacitate you, but I am not sure who could have done it, I would have figured out if I had any of his weapons that he used, however that became
a dead end… all the weapons he had used suddenly shattered into dust, all I could tell is the fact that the quality of the swords were superb" Ottar said. "those are weapons that a regular Familia couldn't have access to, so we can discard any Familia that
are mid to low level"
Freya nervously took a sip of wine from her goblet.
"Ottar… I want you to find this attacker and bring him to me. I want to meet this person who was even able to get so close to do such deed from you" Freya said.
She was trying to sound confident but was not fooling him.
Ottar simply bowed, if his goddess tasked him to bring the assailant alive to her then he would do so.
Still he had to wonder… who would be brazen enough to dare attack a goddess of such a high level Familia?
Elsewhere.
It was a hectic day… yesterday.
Shirou managed to find Bell and Hestia after the chaos was over… Bell was frantically running around with an unconscious Hestia in his arms.
The boy looked tired and afraid.
It seems like Hestia passed out and was in a panic due to that, fortunately Shirou found them and assured that Hestia was in no danger, she was just passed out either due to adrenaline wearing off or due to having the danger over.
They managed to get to the Benevolent Mistress, the pub they frequented and managed to borrow a room for the goddess to recover from her ordeal.
Shirou offered that as repayment he would work on the kitchen for the day.
Mama Mia was originally unwilling but relented, the boy had his heart in the right place and was if anything a good person if he wanted to repay a favor she had done on a whim.
Shirou was now sitting on the sofa looking worried.
He had managed to track the entity that caused the monsters to escape and cause such chaos on the streets. It was a sheer miracle that no one was injured, however he was unable to do anything else as the entity had a powerful guardian.
He doubted he could win such a fight unless he used his trump card, something he was unwilling to do unless it was a last resort. He had launched a couple more swords as both a distraction and deterrent, as one was aimed at the entity and the other
would hit the Guardian should he choose to protect her.
The Guardian parried the first blade and took the other blade to his chest without flinching. This made Shirou wisely choose to flee before confrontation was imminent.
That's when he knew he would need to be stronger than what he is now… but should he? He had managed to fool Hestia by preventing her from accessing all of his excelia he had managed to hide.
He heard from people that Bell was not so lucky as he had to fight a monster he was not yet ready to face… but thanks to Hestia's gift and boost of confidence and Falna he too down the monster that was threatening to kill her.
"You done well Bell… be proud… you have saved her" Shirou said as he patted Bell on his head.
Bell looked so happy then.
The next morning Shirou had questions
It seems that he had a story behind him, he asked Hestia to further understand what had happened while he was fighting the monsters on the streets near the arena.
She told him what had happened, how the monster had targeted her for some reason, what Bell did… what he said.
Shirou understood Bell… he was a lonely boy looking for a family to call his own.
He wanted to be a Hero so he could be strong enough to not loose his family as he had lost his grandfather.
Shirou debated within himself.
Should he tell him what lays beyond?
The possible repercussion of becoming a hero?
Should he act as a Devil's advocate?
No, it would be quite a hypocritical bastard if he did so.
Then again Emiya Shirou was a hypocrite.
A person who killed to save.
In the end he decided not to.
Bell had a wish, he worked hard to reach it and he wouldn't spit on his efforts to grow strong.
It was early in the morning when he got up to contemplate all this and now it was time for breakfast,
He decided to treat them both to a good breakfast on the Merciful Mistress… they would be starving after what happened yesterday.
He went down to the restaurant floor to help set up for business.
"thanknya for helping us out Shirou-nyan" said one of the girls that worked here.
She was a catgirl with a verbal tick that was rather endearing and would be classified as Moe from the world he come from.
The other person working there was a girl, elf by the looks of it, she had a rather cold look on her, like a cold beauty of sorts, distant as if she was far away from grasp of mere men.
It was the smell of freshly cooked food that made Bell wake up, closely followed by Hestia.
Bell was treated as a hero by the staff and brought him drinks and food as congratulations… Hestia was smiling as she celebrated with them.
They did not know that a meddlesome goddess would not have learned her lesson.
Syr appeared not soon after and apologized, because she had forgotten her coin purse she had, in some way or form, made Bell involved in this fiasco.
Syr looked so apologetic as Bell tried many times to reassure her. After a few long moments, her face relaxed. Bell was relieved.
"But today, so many people were talking about you. How brave that adventurer, how brave you were." Syr said.
"Ehhh…"
"I think so, too. Actually, I saw you fighting the silverback on Main Street for a moment…" She continued.
"I wasn't that brave… All I did was run away, and I couldn't damage it at all…"
Bell strung words together confusedly. He didn't know how to react to her kind compliments, so he just put on a smile and shrugged his shoulders.
Syr giggled when she saw his face, her light gray hair shaking.
"Even so, you looked really good." Syr said
"Eh?" Bell said not catching what she said.
"… I probably shouldn't say this, but seeing you face down that monster… I fell for you at that moment."
She whispered those words into his ear behind her hand. Bell's eyes shot open.
Syr stepped back, her face tinted red by the evening sun. A beautiful smile bloomed on her lips.
Thump, thump, thump. Bell was left speechless as he watched Syr walk to the end of the hall and down the stairs. He scratched his head.
"Was she teasing me…?"
Her eyes had looked a bit like she was playing a cruel joke, or maybe that was just the sunlight.
Freya's HQ
Freya however had nor learned her lesson it seemed.
Freya has a special ability, it didn't interfere with the lower world and was not noticeable if she used it so no one was the wiser about it.
She could see the 'color of the soul' of a person. By doing so she could see the 'value' a person had.
The reason she was after Bell was simple.
the color he had was 'Transparent'
That meant he could become any color he desired.
And Freya wanted to dye Bell in the colors of her choosing.
However there was someone that was also as interesting; Hestia's second child… Shirou.
She had asked about the boy and Hestia told her a bit.
It seems like he was experienced with combat and tactics enough so that even if he was low level he could venture deeper into the dungeon, tough he rarely done so… his main concern was to get Bell physically and mentally ready for combat so if
something happened to them in the Dungeon Bell could survive long enough to either escape or be rescued.
Freya had tried to get a glimpse of this boy but it was like he always knew where she was and avoided her.
It was rather irritating and, if she were honest, Freya loved it… she thought of it as teasing and him playing hard to get...a denial play of sorts.
She wanted to see his color.
However she had to be careful… she now had 2 things distracting her… She had to choose which she should pay attention to first.
Bell's growth won in the end and thus decided to further enhance it… all it would take is a little cunning and a special book.
Ottar would faithfully obey the commands that his goddess gave.
Merciful Mistress
Shirou was cooking a storm much to Mama Mia's surprise.
The boy had a lot of talent in the kitchen it seemed, she never heard or tasted the dishes they boy was making, so unlike what they were used to doing, but the dishes were by no means bad, if anything more people had come than usual!
Shirou was piling order over orders as he moved comfortably around as a veteran.
Mama Mia decided that the Hestia Familia should be more frequent guests and see if she could steal him from time to time.
The boy did not seem to mind doing a woman's work… he was such a strange fellow.
It was after breakfast that Hestia told us why she had passed out.
I was very sure that facepalming had happened, as well as some walls big hit by Shirou's face.
It seemed that out goddess went to the party to beg a favor from Hephaistos to make a weapon for Bell… and to do so she spend 30 hours in Dogeza.
How else would Shirou react over such stupid reason to pass out after a monster chase.
Granted he had done some really stupid thing but never because of something so insignificant as a Dogeza.
He wanted to whap the irresponsible twit that put such an idea on her.
Seriously… he even called it a technique to end all techniques.
Just what kind of person was it that said such a lie to Hestia?!
Still the results spoke for themselves.
The "Hestia Knife", a weapon designed for Bell's use, it had the ability to grow stronger the stronger the user got.
This was basically what a gamer could call a cheat weapon, not unlike Shirou's many Noble Phantasms.
While Shirou could reproduce the knife and possibly wield it due to his ability he could not reproduce the blessing on the knife… for him that knife might as well be a butter knife… he even saw the brief history of the weapon:
THIRTY YEAR LOAN, 420 PAYMENTS
A PROMISE MADE THROUGH FORCED LABOR AT HESPHAISTOS FAMILIA'S BABEL BRANCH LOCATION. HESTIA'S EXTREME SHOPPING.
"A HIGH QUALITY BLADE FOR NEWBIE ADVENTURERS" CREATED BY HEPHAISTOS HERSELF AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION.
HESTIA'S HAIR, BLOOD "IKORU," AND HIEROGLYPHS WENT INTO ITS CREATION. THE KNIFE HAS A STATUS OF ITS OWN.
IT GAINS EXPERIENCE ALONG WITH ITS USER AND GROWS. THE WEAPON IS ALIVE.
ONLY SOMEONE WITH HESTIA'S BLESSING CAN USE IT. IT WILL BECOME WORTHLESS IN ANYONE ELSE'S HANDS.
WHEN ITS USER BECOMES "THE BEST," SO WILL THE WEAPON.
HEPHAISTOS HAS DEEMED IT "BAD FOR BUSINESS."
It was a knife that symbolized the love Hestia has for Bell.
Shirou closed his eyes as he saw it.
The 2 symbols that made him feel closer to her… Saber.
He sighed, yes… he could understand why he couldn't use them and frankly he did not care… it was for the best.
They decided to take the day off, all this excitement and the poor goddess was so tired still as she was… there was no way they could go about, she needed to rest some more before she could move around much.
They decided to just rest for the rest of the day.
Elsewhere
Supporter: a noncombatant, dungeon-prowling party member.
Their main role is to collect magic stones and dropped items after battle and bring them safely to the surface.
They shoulder the load behind the action so that party members fighting monsters on the front lines aren't weighed down more than necessary.
In short, supporters are just porters. They carry the loot.
"What the hell are ya doing?! Move yer ass!"
Business as usual today. More verbal abuse.
A male adventurer angrily yelled at a supporter just a few steps behind him, who was almost hidden under the shadow of a massive, bulging backpack.
They were in a labyrinth where the only thing that wasn't a problem was finding sufficient lighting.
The man's voice was full of unhidden contempt as he railed on his supporter.
"At least carry my stuff properly, ya good-for-nothin'—!"
This was nothing new, just more of the same porter abuse this particular supporter had heard quite enough of.
But arrogant words could sometimes lead to violence. Adventurers are above supporters and feel nothing for those they outrank.
Adventurers don't even give them a second glance.
In fact, supporters who fall behind are mocked and become the butt of jokes told later on.
Adventurers' cruelty to anyone weaker than themselves knows no bounds.
They can take money, dignity, hope—everything.
This particular supporter had heard these words somewhere:
First, an adventurer could not reach their full potential without a good supporter.
Second, it was the efforts of supporters that allowed adventurers to prowl the dungeon.
Third, supporters had a hidden strength within.
They were very pretty words, and very easy to accept. They stood to reason. They felt true.
Supporters filled the important role of lightening the strain on adventurers. No one could refute this fact.
"Like hell I'm gonna pay a lazy-ass weakling who holds me back!"
But just how many adventurers were there who could even begin to comprehend these facts?
Where were the admirable adventurers who appreciated how much supporters did for them?
Did an adventurer who didn't look down with contempt on a supporter who is lagging behind even exist?
"Listen up! Ya better do your job if we get surrounded, clear?! Useless friggin' supporter!"
Supporters made excellent decoys when being chased by monsters.
The supporter looked up at the honorable adventurer who so honestly made his expectations known, and lightly smiled.
Yes, yes.
They weren't that hard to understand, really.
All adventurers were the same.
Little did this supporter know that she would soon find what she was looking for.
That light at the end of the dark tunnel she walked.
Next day
Shirou and Bell where on the lower floors this time hunting ants.
The killer ant attacked and Bell dispatched it effortlessly, due in combination of his own new found status upgrade and his new weapon bestowed upon him by Hestia.
"Should I tell him exactly how much this weapon cost her?" Shirou debated on telling him or not… just to see his reaction.
He decided not to and put a bit more than the 10 percent he was supposed to on the Familia coffer.
"that should make a dent on that payment plan" Shirou thought as he kicked an ant away.
Shirou had to say this… Bell looked like a kid with a brand new toy using the Hestia Knife (to be fair Shirou was more inclined to call it the Hestia Blade… sounded much better).
Still they managed to farm a lot of magic stones and a fair amount of rather rare monster drops, those should fetch a high price on the Exchange once they go topside.
And so they made their way back up where Bell thought would be surprised by their prowess... obviously Eina would be delighted at their growth.
Guild Exchange, topside
"What floor?!"
"Agh!" Bell let out a scream. The cause of his pathetic squeal was a frowning Eina Tulle fuming with anger and glaring right at them.
Bell and Shirou had both made a triumphant return to the Guild after prowling the seventh floor with the assistance of Hestia's Knife. He'd gotten the money from all of his magic stones and drop items at the Exchange and went to give his adviser an
update with a big smile on his face. But the second he said, "Seventh level," his good mood came to an abrupt end.
"What is with you?! Does nothing I say stay inside that thick skull of yours?! Going from the fifth to the seventh?! Are you insane?!" She said as she poked his head accentuating each word as she did so.
"S-s-s-s-ssorry!"
Wham! Eina slammed both of her hands down onto the table. Her emerald eyes burned, her head leaning to the side. Bell was little more than a frog being stared down by a python.
"and you…. You are worst! You clearly know your own limits and are aware of his yet you do such stupid stunt? Are you two THAT eager to get hurt?"
"Well… isn't getting hurt in our job description? I mean regardless of what we do we will get hurt regardless of how careful we are" Shirou said.
Eina glared furiously at him, yet he looked unrepentant.
"I think I will age prematurely if I continue to worry about you two… specially you" she said… adding that last part in a whisper.
"aren't you half elf? I don't think anyone would notice, besides you look really beautiful" Shirou said making her blush.
"W-w-well regardless… it is our duty to make sure those we supervise are doing OK… if you two are able to go so deep into the Dungeon then I guess I can't say anything" she said slightly pouting.
She originally wanted to check their stats a bit… however, all the city's adventurers were under the jurisdiction of the Guild and were forbidden from giving out personal information to anyone, including Guild employees. Their levels and Familias were
reported, but nothing more than that.
There were also adventurers who had special skills and magic. The relationships of the gods and their Familias were constantly changing. Today's friend might be tomorrow's foe. Information was tightly protected to cover potential weaknesses.
Still she earned to know a bit about Shirou as well, he had been instrumental on Bell's growth and thus wanted to have a measure of the person who had been training Bell… he had heard some things from Aiz and her group and some other adventurers
about the fight with Bete and his training of Bell as well as letting Bell do all the fighting until he was either too tired or completely out of his depth.
She thought that he was treating Bell as a lion would do their cubs, some tough love type training.
And thus it was her job, nay, her duty to get a better read on this person… so she could do a better job as an adviser, nothing more… she found the perfect excuse… alibi… whatever.
"Bell, Shirou" she said.
"Y-yes?" Bell said awkwardly
"Do you have any plans tomorrow?" she said with a grin.
"…Huh?"
Shirou blinked.
The next morning
Bell's POV
A day has passed since our conversation.
We are standing by myself in a half-circle-shaped park built just off of North Main.
Waiting for Eina.
Yep, I'm meeting her here.
Is this…a date?
No, that's not possible, I reassure myself.
Yesterday Eina asked us if we had time to go buy some new armor with her.
Seemed like she thought my current set wouldn't be enough… and Shirou… well he had literally no armor to speak of. Once again, she's going out of her way to help us. She's looking out for us. I had to say she is very dedicated
So she's not thinking of this as a date. She's just being kind—kindly failing to mind her own business.
…Still, to anyone who didn't know the details, this really would seem like…
All of the conditions are there.
Conditions like "Let's meet at ten in front of the bronze statue in the park!"Just the
"Hey! Bell! Hey Shirou"
And now the time has come.
The owner of the pretty voice comes jogging up to me waving her hand, her figure growing in my line of sight.
"Good morning! Aren't you early? Was the idea of buying new armor that exciting?"
"Ah, no, I just…"
"Well, I was excited, too. I know this is your shopping trip, but I'm eager to get started."
"Is not that… I think it's because of whom is accompanying us" Shirou said.
Eina is wearing clothes I've never seen her in before. Usually she's in a perfectly pressed Guild uniform, but today she's in a cute, lacy white blouse and a short skirt. She's got a good sense of fashion. I can't really look at her the same way I usually do,
not to mention she blushed when she heard what Shirou said.
Maybe it's because I'm used to seeing her in that uniform all the time, but today she seems more grown-up. How do I put it…she's practically glowing.
Yes, she's very cute.
I am totally taken in by the charms of this new Eina.
"Do you think I'm strange for getting excited about buying possibly dangerous equipment?" she asked teasing Bell a bit.
"N-no, not at all!" I vigorously shake my head, but Eina just giggles. Whoa, whoa…
Eina is probably a contender for the first or second most popular Guild member among all adventurers. I wonder if all half-elves are like her…
"Ahem. Anyway, Shirou?" she asked.
"What is it?" he asked
"What do you think? Seeing me out of uniform? Anything to say?" she asked as she did a twirl to show off.
"It suits you, is cute yet not childish… it certainly makes you very charming and brings the best of you" Shirou said nodding.
This made her blush more profusely.
"Ah… is… is that so?" she said coyly.
Is it just me or was I a 3rd wheel on this excursion?
Armory stores
Bell was looking around clearly quite taken by all the armors and different weapons in here.
She explained a bit about specialised abilities that some people got… most usually the ones who worked with armors and weapons… Forge.
According to Eina, Forge is necessary to become a smith in today's world. Also, apparently more than half of Hephaistos Familia's smiths have it. To put it another way, more than half of them are level two or above. That's a very strong group.
"Smiths have been around since ancient times, of course. Most of their works are antiques now, but there are some that can still be used. But blessed smiths with the Forge ability can add special properties to the items they create." she explained.
"Special properties…?" Bell asked, Shirou also listened in.
"An ability unique to that individual weapon. You know how adventurers can get skills on top of their statuses? Smiths with the Forge ability can give skills to weapons. For example, blessed smiths can make a sword that will never break or will always be
sharp. If they were just shaping metal, they couldn't do that, right?" she said.
Very true, Bell nods in agreement.
"There are also weapons that produce something very similar to magic—like shooting flames when swung, things like that." she said.
"Huh?!" Bell said surprised.
"I thought this was common knowledge…Anyway, weapons that can produce magic-like effects are referred to as 'magic blades.' Only a few smiths can make them." she said continuing her lecture
Bell swallows audibly. What this all means is that if I can get my hands on one of these magic swords, I would have the power to take on experienced swordsmen.
"A quick warning—'magic blades' have a limit. Once they have used up all their energy, they break. And they're not as powerful as spell-based magic from a magic user." Eina adds that they're both disposable and extremely expensive, a smirk on her face
was clearly seen.
I guess that means that most adventurers don't use magic swords. I'm sure that it's not due to lack of popularity. But taking a weapon that will break into the Dungeon, where anything can happen, wouldn't make me feel safe.
Shirou sighed "not that it matters since I can simply recreate them at will so long as I got the mana" he thought as be continued to look at the many swords he would NOT need to buy.
In no time at all we reach the fourth floor of Babel.
"The shop I have in mind is a few more floors up, but as long as we're here, let's take a look around. You want to see the top-of-the-line equipment too, right?" she said with a smile.
The entire floor is filled with weapons and armor shops. Bell had to admit that he got excited looking at all the sharp, shiny things. He nodded to Eina as we step off the pedestal.
There is only one sign on the whole floor: Ἥφαιστος. Don't tell me…all the shops here are part of Hephaistos Familia…?" Shirou asked.
"I see you noticed the logo. Actually, all the shops from the fourth floor up to the eighth floor are owned by Hephaistos Familia." She said.
…The entire floor…Just how powerful is Hephaistos Familia?!
By the way, they also have a shop close to my home with the goddess on Northwest Main.
The short sword in the window…is worth 8 million vals. That's enough to buy several houses.
Stepping up to the display window of the closest shop, a crimson sword enshrined there catches my eye. Bell went up to take a look at the price…
"…Thirty million vals?!" Bell said in shock.
All the blood leaves his face. He lifted his hand to his forehead, trying to steady myself. He could tell that next to him, Eina is giggling to herself.
Bell has a Hephaistos-made knife on himself right now; it was a gift from his goddess. She told him that it was the only one in the world…How much did it cost?!
"Welcome to our store! Can I help you find anything today?" The store clerk must have seen Bell staring and drooling at the sight of the crimson sword. She comes up to greet us in a bright, cheerful voice.
The girl is short, but she looks extremely professional, with a very well-rehearsed smile glued onto her glowing face. Twin black ponytails bouncing around her head make her look very cute indeed.
She wears a deep red apron-style uniform, which is being pushed up by breasts much too big for her body type, jiggling with her every movement…
It was then he realized just who it was.
"…Um…Goddess? What are you doing?" Bell asked.
Her smile instantly freezes.
So this is why. I thought she'd been more tired than usual recently. She's been working here…! Bell reasoned.
"Why are you here?! You don't need two part-time jobs! Didn't I just say that we can start saving money because I'm going deeper into the dungeon?!" Bell said.
"Listen closely, Bell. You are going to forget that you saw me here and quietly leave right now…! It's too soon for you to be here!" she said desperately.
"It's too soon for you, too! Aren't you getting thirty vals an hour at your other job?!" Bell said.
"Don't make fun of my career in potato snacks!" she said with a pout.
"Forget about that! Come on, let's go home. You're a goddess! You can't be seen like this, it's embarrassing! Are you trying to become a laughingstock?" Bell said.
"Let go of me, Bell! Let go now! Even gods have to throw away their pride when times get tough!" she said.
"And when are times ever tough for gods?! Just please, listen to what I'm saying!" Bell said pleading with his goddess.
He grabs her right arm with both hands, turn, and tries his best to pull her out of there.
Why in the world is my goddess being so stubborn…?!
I can feel Eina's wide-eyed gaze on my back, but now is no time to worry about that.
"Hey! New girl! Stop playing around! Back to work!" another worker says.
"Yes, sir!" she said immediately freeing herself from Bell's grasp.
"Huh?"
Boing! The goddess twists out of my grip and bounds away.
I watch her twin ponytails dance behind her for a moment before she disappears into the back of the shop.
"Did you do this on purpose?" Shirou asked mildly amused.
"To be perfectly honest this was completely unexpected" she said. "any ideas as to why she is working here?" she asked.
"I got one big one" I said, discreetly eyeing at Bell's knife.
"Still tough… Bell, you are in no position to complain about what Hestia does, she is working to help provide for the Familia so you have to appreciate her hard work too, she doesn't want to be a burden to us so she is doing everything she can, do you
understand?" Shirou asked.
Bell hesitantly nodded…. But did not like this.
"W-well, just as interesting a goddess as ever, I see?" Eina said as she forces a smile.
Bell felt a bit dejected, but then he remembered that he was not alone today. He forces myself to look up.
…he decided to forget this trouble with the goddess, for now.
"It's all right. Shall we go upstairs?" she asked.
Bell nods lightly a few times as the still-awkwardly-smiling Eina leads us back to the pedestal.
We board the "elevator" (as the magical lift turns out to be called) and arrive on an upper floor soon after.
"This is us." She said.
"so we arrived here…" Shirou said.
Eina pushes open the glass to reveal another level inundated with shops just like the fourth floor.
Swords, spears, axes, war hammers, blades, bows and arrows, shields, armor, and many other pieces of equipment are on display at all the shops on this wide floor. The only difference is that there are more customers—more adventurers—here.
That thought made Bell flinch for a moment.
"You're thinking that you don't have a place shopping at Hephaistos Familia's shops, aren't you, Bell?" she asked.
Bell was not in the best mood, and he shoot her a look saying it's a little late for that now. But then he nods and agree with her.
Eina looks down on me like queen over a servant, grinning.
"Actually, that's not completely true. But, seeing is believing! Follow me." Eina guides me into the nearest shop—a spear shop by the looks of it.
Shirou continued to see the weapons and appraising them… he looked like a fine connoisseur as he inspected the blades with but a single glance… unknown to anyone that he was actually copying them and including them to his reality marble.
Leading us to the very back wall of the shop, she stops in front of a spear rack. All of the combat-ready spears stand on end, blades facing the ceiling.
Just as Bell start thinking "Here we go again", his eyes catch the price tag: 12,000 vals.
"H-huh…?"
I might be able to afford this… Bell thought
"Hee-hee, surprised, aren't you?" she said with a smile.
"W-well, yes, but why?" Bell asked
This price is unbelievable. Shocking, even. Eina sounded like she was awfully pleased when she asked if I was surprised, too.
I'm still staring at the spears, though.
"What sets Hephaistos Familia apart from other smiths is that they have even their most inexperienced members make items and sell them in their shops." She explained.
"Is that…okay? I mean, compared to the masters…" Bell begun.
"Of course, those weapons are not sold next to ones made by master smiths. But the new smiths get valuable business experience and they can sell their work directly to adventurers. It's a real plus for the younger smiths to get feedback—both the good
and the really harsh. It all helps motivate them to make better and better weapons." She explained.
"Indeed, that way once they are bought it will help the smith grow in skill… provided that the comments don't break him" Shirou said.
Bell was a bit surprised, but then again it makes perfect sense. Rather than being restricted to experimenting or practicing, getting comments and criticism from people in the real world would be a lot more motivating.
"It's good for the stores, too. They can sell these weapons to very low-level adventurers and get more customers." she continued.
So they can bring in newbies along with the all-stars. Once the newbies get stronger, they can afford better weapons from the same shop. Eina says it's like a pyramid. The shops draw in as many of the new adventurers as they can to build as many
relationships as possible. When the adventurers level up, they become regulars of that shop and buy high-level weapons.
That's what's special about Orario. The large population of adventurers brings out all kinds of benefits and possibilities.
"The most important thing here is that new adventurers and new smiths form bonds early in their careers. Doesn't matter if it's weak or strong." she said.
What do you mean by that? Bell asks with my eyes.
"New smiths are discovered by new adventurers through the items the smith makes. If an adventurer remembers the smith's name, they might have a client. Very talented—but unpolished—smiths can be hidden in the rough of the business, just waiting
for an adventurer with an eye for quality to find them. They might not become close friends, but adventurers who have used their items in combat, felt their armor on their skin, will give the most valuable feedback." she said sagely.
…Makes sense when she puts it like that.
At the very least, I feel that way about my dagger and light-armor provisions from the Guild, reasoned Bell.
"Smiths can bring out special properties in the items they make if they are forging them for someone in particular, especially if there is a strong bond between the smith and the adventurer…Or at least so they claim." Eina lightly sticks out her tongue. I
freeze in place.
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined Eina doing something so…childish.
"Kind of got sidetracked a little bit there, but what I'm saying is that there are items made by Hephaistos Familia that are in your price range. How much do you have on you right now, Bell?
"Um, should be right about twenty thousand valis."
"And you Shirou?"
"Double that… but I don't need much in the way of weapons or armor… let's see what we can find" Shirou said.
"I wonder if we'll be able to find you a full set of new armor. Like I said before, there are diamonds in the rough made by raw ore smiths. We just need to dig them up! Let's go!" she said pulling them both.
Eina seems more excited than we are.
It's all I can do to force a smile now that I've come to my senses a bit.
She leads us to a shop that has a sign outside equipped with armor and a shield.
Eina suggests, with a peppy smile on her face, that we split up to cover more ground. So Bell set foot inside without her.
The view from my first step inside the establishment is that it's like nothing I've ever seen before.
Bell's POV
Just look at these! Were they really all made by lower-level smiths? Everything looks amazing!
Looking into the forest of armor is the highlight of the day so far. Pure white mannequin chests wear many different shapes and kinds of armor. It doesn't matter that the head and arms are missing, the chest looks very dignified. A few full-bodied
mannequins are equipped with the works. I can clearly see myself wearing those armored plates in battle.
Shield and battle helmets on shelves line the walls. Some look impenetrable, some are simply gorgeous—there's something for everyone.
Male and female customers fill the shop, all looking for a piece of armor that suits them. It looks like you can try on the armor, too.
I think…I'm starting to get a little excited…! What do I do now?…Huh?
As I take in the sights and sounds, my eyes are drawn to a spot at the back of the shop.
It's the most ordinary-looking corner of the store. There's a box filled with equipment pieces just sitting there.
Are they…armor pieces?
The rest of the store's stock is equipped on the mannequins, so are these junk boxes? They're just lying here like a pile of trash. Wait, there is another box next to it, and a few more after that. I guess these must be the items that the Familia deemed not
worth putting on display.
I'm sure they wouldn't sell them if they were faulty, but maybe there are some imperfections or something like that.
"Ah, yep, they're for sale…"
There is a price tag on the bottom of each box: 5,700 vals, 6,800 vals, 3,900 vals…All the prices are written in red ink by different people, but all of them are quite cheap.
The full set of armor that I saw toward the front of the store is 15,000 vals, and my current light armor from the Guild is 5,000…Yep, I've probably got the right idea. These are in my price range.
Then again, Eina would say that this is something that's going to save my life, so I shouldn't be stingy.
I suddenly stop in front of a box in the middle of the row.
This armor—its spirit is calling to me from within the line of boxes.
Silver. Rather than having a reddish tint or darker black hues, this one shines like pure white metal.
No flashy colors or fancy decorations, it looks like it just finished cooling from the forge. It's tugging at my heartstrings.
I bend down to get a closer look; it's light armor.
There are knee guards and a small breastplate designed to fit snugly against the chest. Under those pieces I find wrist and elbow guards, along with a plate that covers the lower back. It's built to protect the bare minimum of the body to allow for
maximum mobility. Kind of a patchwork armor.
Lifting up the breastplate, I discover it's very light—much lighter than my provision armor from the Guild. Just hitting it a few times doesn't tell me much, but I think it's sturdier than my Guild armor, too. At least it feels like it.
It's just my size…This is almost scary.
I think I'm in love.
It might be because this is the first one I've picked up. But suddenly all I can see is myself wearing this armor.
I hold the breastplate up to the light for a closer look. Flipping it around, there it is: the maker's signature is on the inside. "Welf Krozzo."
Looks like this wasn't worthy of the "Ἥφαιστος" name.
Welf Krozzo…
I'll remember that.
My brain snatches the name from the armor like a hawk snatches a fish out of water. It's a smith's name I'll be looking for from here on out.
Eina told me about the bond between adventurers and smiths. So this is what it feels like.
I'm already set on this light armor. I want to buy it, right now.
Let's just look and see how much it is…Gasp! 9,900 vals!
That's just within my means and had a bit left over!…
"Hey-y, Bell! I found something really good! A protector and leather armor! They're a little expensive, but it would be a good idea to get at least one of…Oh? Did you find something?" Eina said as she looked at Bell.
Eina has returned. She bends down over me, an unimpressed look on her face.
Maybe she doesn't like it because it's being sold in a box, as though that's somehow proof of its poor quality.
"…Are you getting that?" she questioned.
"Yes. I'm buying this."
"Haaa…You really have a thing for light armor, don't you? Just when I found some good things for you, too…" She said.
"I'm sorry."
Eina sees my shoulders shrink, as I didn't have anything else I could say. She forces a smile and waves it off. "Don't worry about it. You are the one who's going to wear it. I do want you to think about your safety a bit more…but if you've decided to buy
this, that's good enough for me." she said.
"Actually… that armor is quite good, it is a shame it's sold for so low a price… you have good eye for quality" Shirou said as he inspected the armor.
"…Thank you."
I stand back up again and pick up the box.
After making my way to the counter and paying for it, I only have 1100 vals left…
Today has gotten very expensive.
It seemed as if Shirou managed to buy himself a form fitting breastplate.
It was black with silver accents decorating it along with a pair of steel toed boots and a pair of black trousers.
"This should suffice for now" he said nodding.
"Ah… that being said… I got you a little present… here" she said.
It was a red coat of sorts that looked eerily familiar to Shirou for some reason.
No doubt about it… the red coat she had giving him looked similar to the "Shroud of Martin" that Archer used.
However this coat had no special properties as Archer's did.
Still he appreciated her gift all the same and profoundly thanked her.
Shirou's POV
"It's gotten pretty late…" Bell said.
The sky is turning red. Late evening has arrived.
We walked Eina back to her dwelling after we finished shopping, and am now close to our own.
We walk down West Main and find out usual side street that leads to the old church.
"To think I would get that nervous being around Eina…This isn't good." Bell thought.
Bell could just see Aiz Wallenstein looking at him with disappointment and yelling all kinds of things at him. This is all in his head, of course.
"I don't want to think that I could be interested in someone else…Just a little while ago, I was thinking how great it would be to have a harem. Ha-ha-ha" Bell laughs out loud a bit and try his best to run away from that fact.
"The person for me is Miss Wallenstein; the only person for me is Miss Wallenstein…" he thought.
"…Footsteps?" Shirou said as a small dagger materialized on his hand, ready to attack if needed.
We stop walking.
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound of someone running comes from the other end of the side street. No…two someones, one big, one small. I can tell by the echoes of their shoes.
"Where…?" Shirou said to himself as he concentrated further, enhancing his senses with his magic unbeknown to Bell.
We've just come off West Main. Looking back the way we came, I could still see people moving on the crowded street.
The footsteps are getting louder, and they're coming this way.
They're still a little ways from us, but I don't like the idea of an incident happening so close to my home.
Being as careful as possible, I took a look around the corner of our usual route.
"Ow!" a voice grunted
"Huh?!" Shirou said as he took a step back from the person who bumped into him.
A shadow passing in front of my face suddenly crashes to the ground. It must have tripped over my foot as the shadow tried to turn the corner.
Trying to keep calm, I turn around for a closer look.
"…A prum?" Bell said.
The person is a bit shorter than the goddess, with limbs so thin that they might break if I touch them. Seeing how small every part of the body is, the name of a certain race of demi-human came to mind.
They are known for loving good food, dancing, and being merry.
"Excuse me, are you okay?" Shirou asked with genuine concern.
"Eh…h." The stuttering prum pulls her body off the pavement.
She's a girl, as Shirou noticed, her messy, chestnut-colored hair is long enough to hide her neck.
She looks like a child. That would explain her small size. Her oversized spherical eyes make quite an impression on me.
"Found ya, ya piece-of-shit prum!"
I'm just about to extend my hand to help the girl up when a human appears at the other end of the street. His rage-filled voice is making the girl shake with fear. Poor girl.
The man's eyes shine with anger, and he looks to be an adventurer, too.
He seems to be—perhaps twenty years old? He has a relatively large sword strapped to his back.
"Yer not gettin away…!"
The man is like a demon breathing hellfire as he looks down on his prey.
He's not even looking at us directly, and I still lean back a bit just in case i should act.
—What was he going to do to this prum girl?
Crack
A swift kick right to the nose sends the adventurer flying off..
"…What the?! Kid, yer in the way! Beat it!"
The man had been so focused on the girl that he just now realized I was here.
He cleaned the trail of blood now going down his nose.
I just stared at the man as I projected Kanshou and Bakuya.
To Bell he was facing down the man's powerful aura… this was different from training as he never felt a human's malicious intent as he did now… I square my stance and lock my legs in place.
"Umm…What are you going to do with this girl?" I asked as I stated at the man with cold flinty eyes.
"Shut it, brat! If ya don't scram right now, I'll carve ya up along with the piece of shit behind ya!" he said as he took out his sword.
"Bell… look closely… this is how you fight another person… don't worry I will not kill him… but he will certainly wish I have though" Shirou said.
Bell noods. He don't know the details, but this man is about to do something very cruel to the girl behind us.
I pull my backpack off my shoulders and lightly toss it to the side of the nearest building. Of course the man is surprised, but I can see a look of shock on the girl's face just behind us, too.
The glazed look in the man's eyes vanishes as a new wave of red rage overtakes him.
"Kid…! Do ya want to die?!"
"Sharpen your senses… else you will miss it" Shirou said.
A gust of wind.
"What?! Where did that bastard go?!" The assailant shouted in shock.
Bell and the prum girl were startled by the sudden displacement of the wind around them and finding Shirou gone.
Bell looked up as he heard a ruffling sound and saw him, twisting his blades so that the flat of the blade would hit, he slammed both blades upon his back, rendering him unconscious face first into the pavement.
"Stop right there." A forceful voice fills the area.
I look toward the source of the familiar sounding voice.
An elvish girl holding a large paper bag stands just a few feet away.
Like Eina, her eyes and nose are high on her face. The main difference between her and the half-elf is that this girl's ears come to a full point.
Sky-blue, almond-shaped eyes bore straight through me.
Wait, isn't she…Lyu? One of the waitresses who works at The Benevolent Mistress?
"Oh, Lyu… out so late? Don't worry about this… this guy just tried to harm the little prum girl there, is all taken care of already" I said as I was on top of the adventurer's back, a knee on his back and my blades to his sides.
I scratch my chin and avoid looking at her. "Um, Lyu, why are you here?"
"I was shopping for supplies to prepare for this evening. Unlike in the afternoon, adventurers visit our establishment in the evening. So if we are not fully stocked, many problems tend to occur. I happened to see you in the middle of my errand, and you
know the rest." she explained.
That makes sense. The Benevolent Mistress is a popular bar, so they would run out of ingredients and wine rather quickly. I know this from first hand experience.
Then again, "I know the rest"…We don't know each other very well. Maybe Lyu has a strong sense of justice?
"What about you? Why are you here?" she asked.
"Well, you see, this girl here…Huh?"
I spin around, looking for the prum girl, but she's gone. She's vanished into thin air.
"Was someone there?" she asked.
"Y-yeah. At least, I thought so…" I said.
She must have gotten scared and run away.
Well...It can't be helped; even Bell was scared out of his wits.
She turned towards Bell and nodded, he had also been involved in this little debacle and explain what had happened, it was obiously the girl had ran away in fear.
"If you will excuse me, I will take my leave now." she said with a slight bow.
"All right," I say. "And really, thank you so much."
We exchange a quick bow and go our separate ways.
The next morning
"Alrighty…"
Bell, fully equipped in the new armor he bought the previous day, took a look at himself in the mirror.
It went very well with his black inner clothing and pants. The new armor was so light that he could barely feel it. He would be able to move freely in combat.
His new emerald-green protector lightly sparkled on his left arm.
Bell ran his fingers down the outer edge of the gift from Eina with a smile on his face.
"Goddess, I'm heading out!" Bell said with a cheery voice.
At the same time Shirou had put on his breastplate as well as pants and coat… the last one being a gift from Eina, he sighed once he looked at himself in the mirror "This is like some kinda of tasteless joke on me" Shirou thought as a he was now dressed
rather similarly as EMIYA.
"Have a good rest Hestia-san, have a good time at work later on" Shirou said.
"Gotcha…Have a good day…" said Hestia… feeling rather lethargic and tired.
Bell grimaced a little at the sight of his exhausted goddess, sinking ever lower into the middle of the bed. Bell reached for the door. He had already given up on getting an explanation as to why the goddess was working at Hephaistos Familia.
It seemed Shirou might have a clue, but told him to keep out of it.
Bell took one last look into the mirror. Now that he no longer had to wear Guild provision equipment, he looked more like a full-fledged adventurer. Bell smiled at his reflection and gave a nod of approval.
He left the hidden room under the only church, dagger and Divine Knife tucked into the armor behind his lower back.
Nice weather today…The sky that opened up before them was blue and clear.
A smile perked up Bell's lips as he gazed at the sky. He felt like something good was going to happen today.
He followed the side roads to West Main, and then down to Central Park.
Bell and Shirou joined the waves of adventurers gathering at Babel Tower.
Seize the day…Bell mouthed to himself, a certain blond-haired, golden-eyed girl on his mind.
"Mister, mister. Mister with the red hair."
Shirou stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out if the voice was addressing him.
"Huh?" He turned in the direction the voice came from, but all he could see were other adventurers coming and going, all of them avoiding making eye contact. None of them could have been the owner of the voice.
"Mister, down…down here."
The voice of a little girl tickled his ear. Dropping his chin, he saw she was there.
The girl stood about 100 celch tall, dressed in a plain cream-colored robe. A hood covered most of her face with a little bit of chestnut-colored hair sticking out. A backpack at least twice, no, three times her size, big enough to surprise Bell, was strapped
to her tiny shoulders.
Bell's eyes went wide as he felt a strong sense of déjà vu. Memories of the event on the side street the day before came flooding back into his mind.
"A-aren't you…?" Bell begun but was cut short.
"Pleased to meetcha, mister! If you don't mind me asking, are you looking for a supporter?" Interrupting Bell's words, the girl pointed an almost infant-sized finger toward our back.
She was pointing to our backpacks.
Anyone could guess that an adventurer walking alone and equipped with a backpack was going solo—perhaps thinking If only I had a supporter…
So the girl had come to confirm and asked him directly.
"W…what…?" Bell said.
"Are you confused? This is a pretty simple situation, you know. A poor supporter has come to you, an adventurer, to sell her services in the Dungeon."
Opposite Bell's wide-eyed, confused look, the girl squinted her eyes and smiled from ear to ear.
"No, I mean, but…aren't you…from yesterday…?"
"…? Mister, have you met Lilly before? Lilly doesn't remember."
Shirou was how suspicious… there was a magical scent on this girl and it was famous too, no doubt this was the same girl from last night.
Many adventurers gave them annoyed looks as they passed by, wondering what these two were doing in the middle of the road.
"Are you sure?" Bell said.
"So, mister, do you want a supporter?" she asked, trying to dodge his inquiry.
"Well…if I could find one…Yeah, I'd like one." Bell said nodding, he looked at Shirou who was also interested.
Of course he was interested for other reasons… why is this girl suddenly here? Why pretend she has not meet us?
"Really? Then please take Lilly with you,mister!" The girl looked so happy and innocent, her round eyes shining through her bangs from under her hood. Those big eyes found their way to the blades tucked nicely into Shirou's waist.
"I suppose that'd be okay…" Bell said.
"Ah! Names? Sorry, Lilly didn't introduce herself." The girl took a few steps back and cheerfully smiled at Bell and Shirou.
"Lilly's name is Lilliluka Erde. What's your name, mister?" The eyes looking up at Shirou twinkled suspiciously under her hood.
There was something on those eyes…
Something he had see many times before.
Save me.
Later that day
"So, you aren't a free supporter…?" Shirou asked.
"Nope, Lilly's in a Familia." She said with a peppy smile.
They are on the second floor of Babel Tower, in the cafeteria. It's midmorning; most adventurers are prowling the Dungeon so the cafeteria is mostly empty. The small girl, Bell and Shirou sit facing each other across a table in the middle of the wide-open
lunchroom. Bell has a few questions he wants to ask this Lilliluka Erde.
"What's the name of your Familia?" Bell asked.
"It's Soma Familia, mister. Lilly thinks her Familia is pretty well known." she answers.
It seems like this girl who's approached me about going into the Dungeon together had been released from a contract with members of a different party.
She has spent every day since then making trips between the Guild and Babel, trying to find someone to hire her to make money. She's in dire straits. Today, she happened to see them.
She saw someone without a party or a supporter, a solo adventurer.
She jumped at the opportunity without a second of hesitation.
Sure, I said I'd like a supporter, but to have someone just show up right when I wanted one…Bell was not that naïve.
He takes another look at her. Her body is very thin, and the slender lips that I can see beneath her hood always have the same happy smile plastered on them.
While Bell can't see her eyes, she's got a cute little nose in the middle of her small face. She seems like an adorable kid.
I don't want to doubt what this innocent-looking girl is saying, but Bell didn't think it's right to just agree to something straightaway without asking a few questions first. It's just common sense. Not to mention this also involved Shirou as well, so he had
also a voice in this decision.
Something just doesn't feel right, so Bell kept asking the girl more questions.
"But, why me? I'm not in your Familia. It's not good for two members of different Familias to have a connection like this. Why don't you join adventurers in your own group?" Bell asked.
"Eh-heh, Lilly is so tiny, and not strong at all. 'Lilly is slow and will hold us back,' all the honorable members of Lilly's Familia always say. Lilly is treated like a burden. Even if Lilly asked them, they won't say yes."
Shirou noticed how her eyes moved to the side, the first truthful thing she had said so far.
"She's being left out? Now I want to help her." Bell thought.
"Lilly's so useless in a fight it's embarrassing. The air at home is so bad; Lilly has been going from cheap hotel to cheap hotel every night to sleep."
"Wait…She can't sleep at home? Not even relax…? What's with that?!" Be thought in shock
Her words shock him to the core. I can't believe anyone would treat a member of their own Familia like that.
For Bell, a Familia is a family.
Sure, there are only 3 members of Hestia Familia, but there is a strong bond. Not just a friendly connection but a real, warm family tie between us. Even if another person were to join our Familia, I don't think that would ever change.
A Familia is there to help you through thick and thin, that's how it should be.
But this girl's family is…shutting her out?
Bell felt a little dizzy. He didn't know if he shouldn't just take her at her word, but his whole world just turned upside down. I he was quite shaken.
"Lilly doesn't have enough money to stay at the same hotel tonight. So please, please, please, mister! Take Lilly with you into the Dungeon today!" she begged.
"Well…um…"
"Ah! If you're worried about the Familia thing, there shouldn't be a problem. Lilly's god, God Soma, doesn't talk to any other gods or goddesses, ever. So, unless your god already has something against God Soma, I don't think any fighting will break out
between our Familias."
She must have misunderstood why Bell was mumbling. Lilliluka didn't let any silence into the conversation and added that piece of information.
…I do have a few thoughts on this, but for now, let's change the topic.
Now's as good a time as any to put some of my misgivings about her to rest.
"I understand your situation, Lilliluka…but can I check one thing?" Bell said.
"Sure, what is it?"
"We seriously haven't met before?"
Is she really not the prum girl we met in the side street yesterday?
That's what has been bugging him. I don't know the face of the prum girl or her voice, but physically Lilliluka looks almost exactly like her. It happened yesterday; my memory isn't that bad.
Shirou looked at Bell, seemed that he was thinking along the same lines.
"Today was the first time Lilly met you…Are you confusing Lilly for someone else?"
"…If it's okay, could you take off your hood?"
If I could see under that long hood, then I could make up my mind. I feel like they could be the same person because I have only seen half of Lilliluka's face.
Lilliluka looks at me for a moment after my request. Looking all around the room very quickly, I hear a soft "Okay…" come from beneath her hood. Her tiny hands reach up and pull it back.
"…Huh?" Bell said in shock seeing her face.
"T-this enough?" On the top of her head, cutely fluttering from side to side, are two animal ears.
Bell jaw drops. If this is true…
"…So, you're animal people?"
"Y-yes. Lilly is a Chienthrope—a dog person."
A few second pass until…pop. I stand up and lean over the table.
Lilliluka fidgets in her chair; maybe she can feel my gaze. A tail is swishing back and forth under her robe. I can see the chestnut fur on it poke out from under the hem.
She's no prum…But a little animal girl?
…No way.
My mind is still in shock, but my hands move on their own. They reach up and grab hold of both of the girl's animal ears, barely noticing how her small shoulders cringe.
"Hnnn…"
The ears between my fingers are soft and warm. They're tender.
Bell rubs his fingers up and down the ears, Lilliluka getting redder and redder.
…They're real.
The soft fur, the muscles beneath the skin, the pink and moist inner ear—everything is real. There is no mistake.
It's not her…
I have no doubt. They may look similar, but they're not even the same race. There's nothing left to ask.
I let go of all of the trivial questions and just go with it.
Shirou still looked at her.
"Those are fake… but why insist on this charade?" he thought as he could sense the magic surrounding her.
Still he couldn't deny her… She joined them for a reason.
Save me
That look in her eyes… that was her true feelings, hidden under her lies and her charades… she was looking for it.
Some please… rescue me.
"So what will you do, mister? Will you hire Lilly?" she said with a teasing tone.
"…All right, I'll bring you along. For right now, just for today, we'll hire you as a supporter." Bell said after Shirou also consented.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
After what I did to her ears, how can I refuse? If I left right now, I'd be the scum who did that to a little girl, then ran off.
…And on top of that, if I'm being honest, I want a supporter more than anything right now. I want to get as strong as I can, and I can't do that unless I can focus completely on combat. Lilliluka's proposition is a godsend. That was Bell train of thought.
"Well, um, isn't there an advance payment or something I have to give you before we go?" Bell asked.
"Sometimes that's true, yes. But today is a trial, so we can just divvy up the money after we get back from the Dungeon. If you'd give Lilly thirty percent, Lilly will jump with joy!" she said.
"That's all? Fine with me. I'd just like to be more professional…" he said.
From there we put our heads together to work out the details for a while, the same carefree smile plastered on Lilliluka's face.
Later in the dungeon
Each section of the Dungeon was its own world, with unique layouts and characteristics.
The walls on levels one through four were a pale blue, and monsters that appeared there were usually just goblins and kobolds. There weren't many types of them, either.
The monsters closer to the fourth level were a little stronger and smarter than those higher up, but it could still be said that this area was the easiest for newbie adventurers to conquer. If they went in alone and avoided being surrounded—or better yet,
formed a party—then there was very little risk in prowling these floors.
Everything changed on the fifth level.
The walls turned a slimy green and the layout got more complicated, but that wasn't all. More unpleasant monsters, like the seventh level's killer ant, appeared in larger numbers. Plus, the birthing interval of monsters was much shorter on the seventh
than the fourth.
The moment an adventurer ventured into a dead end, they could be swarmed from all sides by monsters pouring out of the dungeon walls.
Many adventurers who grew overconfident on the upper levels met their doom here. Even if they didn't let their guard down, newbies got their first glimpse of the true threats inside the dungeon on lower levels five to seven. It was their first major
obstacle to overcome.
They couldn't just go lower when they got bored on the upper levels. Adventurers needed to build a strong foundation before going deeper. Not just a strong "status," they needed experience, good equipment, fast reflexes, and general adventurer
knowledge—among other things.
However Shirou and Bell had been on lower floors before and came out fine (Shirou) or somewhat exhausted (Bell).
It seemed as Shirou would be taking an active role today for a change, as he effortlessly killed 4 Kobolds and went after an errant Killer Ant.
"Huaaa! So strong!" Lilli said in awe.
Bell, not to be outdone, parried the attack of a Killer Ant with his emerald protector and promptly beheaded the monster with the Hestia Knife.
"Mr. Bell is also amazing!" she said.
It was then when a Needle Rabbit popped up from behind Lilli.
Shuck.
A white sword flew inches away from Lilli face and found itself lodged on the face of the Needle Rabbit that was gonna attack Lilli by surprise.
"T-thanks" she said with a slight blush.
Don't be sorry… just pay better attention" Shirou gently admonished.
Both of them killed the monsters left and right as Lilli picked up the magic stones they were left after the monsters bodies vanished as well as some monster parts that they left.
Shirou took notice that she would pocket a stone or two every now and then.
"Mr. Bell and Mr. Shirou are very strong! I may have gotten extremely lucky to find you two!" she said in delight.
A fake smile.
Her eyes went from Shirou's blades to Bell's knife.
It was really unnoticeable… but Shirou saw it.
"Please, don't be so formal, just use our names… no need for the "Mr." part" Bell said.
"On an unrelated note…Is Mr. Bell really a newbie adventurer? Lilly can't believe Mr. Bell slew all of those monsters alone…" Lilly stopped working on the monster in front of her and counted the dead bodies with her tiny fingers.
If she counted the monsters already turned to ash, Bell slew four killer ants, three purple moths, and five needle rabbits, for a total of twelve monsters.
Leaving out the human-sized killer ants, the remaining monsters were all classified as "small," so it wasn't that difficult for adventurers to take on all of them.
But the icing on the cake was that Bell slew them all alone. Lilly couldn't look at him the same way after seeing what he could do.
Not only that but Shirou, who became an adventurer almost at the same time, had killed twice as him with no sign of being tired at all.
"Yes, I won. But they almost had me more than a few times…" Bell said.
"Mr. Bell is fighting by himself, so of course that's going to happen. Most distinguished adventurers like you come into the Dungeon in a party of three or more, you know? They don't want to fight solo down here." Lilli said
"That's because they don't want to, right? Doesn't mean they couldn't do it. There are tons of Level One adventurers who are stronger than me, too." Bell said looking at Shirou.
"That…may be true." Lilli conceded.
"You've accompanied many parties into the Dungeon, right Lilly? So you've seen adventurers who are much stronger than me."
"…Yes. Lilly has seen adventurers stronger than Mr. Bell…" She said honestly.
"So, I've still got a long way to go."
Lilly looked up at a grimacing Bell with frustrated confusion. He had completely missed her point.
There were, in fact, solo adventurers who prowled the Dungeon on their own. However, Lilly wanted to know if Bell and Shirou had really only started the job less than a month ago.
Common knowledge said that Level One adventurers could conquer lower levels one to twelve.
To put it in terms of which levels were appropriate for which statuses, adventurers with a status of I or H could work in levels one through four, G and F in five through seven, E through C in eight to ten, and B through S in levels eleven and twelve.
However, this was merely the received wisdom. Level Two category monsters would appear beginning with level thirteen and below, so it was generally accepted that Level One adventurers had no hope of clearing any of those floors.
If one were asked to state the average level of an adventurer in Orario, the answer would have to be "One." More than half of all adventurers worked on the top twelve floors. Half of the remaining adventurers were at level two, with the remainder a mix
of those who had become even more powerful.
The line between Level One and Level Two separated the lower-class adventurers from the upper class, and there was a significant difference. This was because they entered the "Third Tier" class of adventurers from Level Two.
Since Level One was average, going beyond that point required a good amount of talent and skill.
Since adventurers' statuses were considered personal information, they were well protected. Figuring out an average status was very difficult. However, most adventurers who hadn't yet leveled up to Two spent the bulk of their time on levels seven to ten
of the Dungeon.
To put it another way, the average adventurer's status grades were somewhere between G and C. That was the line that beginners had to cross to become experts.
Bell and Shirou were already standing shoulder to shoulder with these "advanced beginners" after only a few weeks of working as an adventurer. It was understandable that Lilly would have some trouble believing what she had witnessed that day. She
would be more shocked if she heard how deep they gone a couple of times on their own.
"Also, Mr. Bell has a good weapon to go along with his strong status." The tone of Lilly's voice made a sudden but subtle change.
Bell didn't notice, and shyly laughed at her words.
"Yeah, you've got that right. I've been relying on this knife a bit too much. At this rate, I won't get much stronger, will I?" Bell said.
"No, no, it's a weapon's dream to be wielded by a worthy master. The point is, Mr. Bell's strength is wielding that weapon without wasting movement. Today is proof of your strength." she
said.
"Do…do you really think so?" Bell asked.
Bell had his back to Lilly, keeping a sharp lookout for monsters. His hand reached around and stroked the knife.
Black from end to end, it was a very rare knife indeed.
Bell's fingers ran along the Ἥφαιστος insignia on the sheath of the weapon.
Lilly's eyes went wide and flashed a fiery blaze.
"Lilly doesn't know much about weapons, but Lilly knows that knife is special. How in the world did you get it? Lilly doesn't mean to be rude, but Mr. Bell is still a newbie, and newbies don't have much money…" She asked.
"The goddess…the goddess of my Familia gave it to me. Apparently she went through a lot asking one of her goddess friends for it. I think she tried a bit too hard." he said.
"What a…nice goddess you have." she said looking to the side.
"Yes. She's very important to me."
Bell didn't notice the hidden twinge of jealousy or the shaking in Lilly's voice.
Lilly finished off the last needle rabbit a bit more roughly than necessary before standing up and sneaking up behind Bell's back.
"Mr. Shirou? What about your blades? They look amazing! But I am unsure who made them… there is no 'signature' on them" she asked.
"and there shouldn't be… you see these swords are special" he said with a grin.
"Oh? How so?" she asked as she got closer to Bell's back.
"These swords were never meant to be used to fight… they were decorative pieces for a Emperor long ago… they are made from a meteorite ore you see?" he said.
"Mete...orite?" she said tasting the new word.
"A fallen star" he clarified.
You could see the Vali signs on her eyes.
"You see the emperor tasked a blacksmith to craft a beautiful weapon out of the ore of the Fallen star… however it was hard because the ore wouldn't melt no matter how hot the furnace got… the emperor grew mad and told him that if he didn't do it they
would both, the blacksmith and his wife, would die" he said.
"that's horrible!" she said in all honesty.
"so… in order to save her husband the wife the herself into the furnace… providing with her body the fuel needed… with her sacrifice the blacksmith was able to complete his work… he made two blades but decided to keep one as a memory of his wife,
however the emperor was enraged and killed him… making the other blade turn black… now these 2 blades will never be separated… not even in death" he finished the story behind the 2 swords he held.
Lilli was crying after hearing such a sad and romantic story.
They went their ways out of the dungeon after a good day of hunting, due to having Lilli help out they had tripled their usual amount of items they carried.
"One other thing: Are you sure you don't want a signing fee or an advance payment?" Bell asked.
Keeping an eye on the road ahead, I ask Lilly about the details of our contract.
Lilly said it during our sorry excuse for a signing ceremony in Babel Tower. That she only wanted a share of the income after taking our loot from the Dungeon to the Exchange.
We are the one hiring her. There should be more to this…
"Yes, that's fine. Mr. Bell isn't working with any other party members, so there won't be any problems figuring out who gets what at the end of the day…and then." Lilli said.
"And then?" Bell repeat back to her like a parrot.
Lilly's cheerful mood changes all of a sudden…I feel like I see a little hesitation in the eyes hidden behind her bangs.
"…Also, this is the best arrangement for Mr. Bell and Mr. Shirou, yes?" she said.
"Eh?"
There's a strange mix of sneering and self-mockery in her words.
Bell was a little flustered, hearing Lilly talk like that for some reason. Bell didn't have a clue why.
Less than a second later, Lilly smiles her usual smile, like nothing had been said and her usual cheerful personality floods back in.
"Alrighty, let's go! There will be no problems as long as Mr. Shirou and Mr. Bell's hard work helps Lilly eat something good tonight!"
"S-sure…" Bell said awkwardly.
"The best for me…? So that means, basically, I don't have to pay her?
Or maybe something else entirely?" Bell taught.
Bell didn't know what she's trying to say.
He is not her, so I have no idea what she's thinking or what she might be hiding.
It's just—
—You're no different from the other adventurers.
I get the feeling that that's what her eyes were saying to me.
This girl… she had it tough. That is what Shirou had managed to uncover from her mannerism and how she acts and talked.
Shirou wanted to investigate this a bit more so he decided to stay at the Guild for the time being.
"Hey, Eina-san… how are you?" Shirou greeted the half elf woman.
"Ah! Shirou-san! How are you? Is there anything I could do to help you? Oh! I see you are wearing the coat I got you… I am so happy!" she said with a smile.
The other Guild ladies looked at her with jealousy.
"Yes, it is very warm… thank you very much for the wonderful gift, Bell also send his thanks for his as well, anyways, that is not what I came for right now… I have a question and I think you are the most suited to answer me… would you mind?" Shirou
asked.
Eina blushed as she imagined that Shirou would propose to her.
"What can you tell me about the Soma Familia?" Shirou asked.
Eina nearly tripped at the question… she was prepared for the other question.
"Ahh…. I see well the Soma… if I had to say they are… odd" Eina said choosing her words carefully.
"Odd how?" Shirou pressed.
"How you say… well look here comes one now" Eina said looking at the adventurer that came in.
"See, it's them again. That guy's in Soma Familia."
"…"
Eina frowned at the situation unfolding across the way.
Their angry words reached her ears as Eina tilted her head forward to listen in.
"A measly twelve thousand vals?! Come on! Are you blind?!"
"You fool! How long do you think I've been doing this job, huh? My eyes are just fine!"
They were arguing about the terms of an exchange, that much was certain.
This kind of thing wasn't all that uncommon. Adventurers bet their very lives every day prowling the Dungeon. After working all day, they came to the Exchange with hopes great or small, but many tended to get upset and raise their voices if the amount
offered for their Dungeon loot wasn't as high as they were expecting complaining that it wasn't commensurate with the effort.
The Guild was used to this kind of thing, and all of the appraisers lined up close to that counter had a lot of guts. This particular appraiser was yelling just as loudly as the adventurer.
This kind of argument was just another day at work.
However, whenever Soma Familia's adventurers made a scene, a normal argument tended to become anything but normal.
There was no point in adding up all the times members of Soma Familia had criticized an appraiser's offer. It was a daily occurrence. The Guild employees were long since fed up with this daily farce.
All of Soma Familia's members had the same issue with the Exchange's terms: "Give us more money!"
They had an obsession with money that went beyond rationality.
Their demands for large sums of money were fierce enough to make all the bystanders' blood run cold.
"Ugh—just watching this makes me want to tear my eyes out! It's sickening! Sooo glad I'm not in charge of Soma Familia!" a Guild member said.
"…"
Eina scowled at her human coworker's choice of words, she looked at Shirou "See?"
The Soma Familia where possessed by something, they way the acted was not normal and that scent he had…
It was the scent of wine.
Was he a drunkard? No… This scent was magical in origin.
What is this all about?
