Atarashi ensei

Chapter Eleven: Atarashī Ensei

Upon their return from the Denatus, Hestia, Aedan, and Alfia took some time to relax before meeting with the rest of Hestia Familia to explain. They relayed all that happened, and all of the information they had to share about their goals, swearing the whole Familia to secrecy before doing do.

With their anomalous appearance and power, Hestia Familia took the news much better than expected, even though were surprised at the weight of the final goal that their new members were aiming for.

"Given what we shared and are planning to do, I would like for you, captain, and our Goddess to consider taking on the challenge of slaying another Harbinger in the next year or two. I was surprised to hear that you already slew Antares, but there are more yet remaining"

Bell was silent, unknowingly to the others he was stuck in his memories of their time with Artemis before he had to do what was necessary to protect everyone; he was still bitterly sorrowful about it.

"I… I'll think about that Mr. Aedan, I promise. For now though, I feel like we should focus on the Dungeon"

"Of course. I told the deities that I recommended that only first-class adventurers be recruited to the party for the last Grand Quest; focusing on the Dungeon will allow what I think is possible- perhaps- in raising everyone here to that level" now his words drew shocked, loud reactions from the others as he laughed, "I don't think any of you are going to grow as fast as Bell, but I believe you have the potential to get there in five years, should we have so long. Levelling once per year is a harsh pace to set, I know. My hope is that we can all face the challenge together; I don't want to leave anyone behind because of level difference. Bell is level 4, Lili, Welf, Mikoto are all at level 2, and Haruhime is a level one, but can level up when you please. I think it can be done, and I hope our captain might even surpass me in that time" he almost laughed out loud again at the bug-eyed look Bell gave him; the boy could certainly make a range of expressions.

"For now, I believe our captain's mapping plan will be the key to helping us grow, but I have another suggestion. You see, in my long life, I have discovered some secrets to the nature of excellia and leveling that not many people ever come to know" his words drew in the others, causing them to lean on the edges of their seats. Bell and Mikoto were particularly captivated by the potential knowledge, but even Lili, Welf, and Haruhime were tempted, "One thing is that excellia, and the development of one's status, is something that can be heavily exploited"

"Exploited, what do you mean?"

"For example, you are aware of how one might develop the Hunter or Abnormal Resistance abilities?"

"Yes" Lili answered, "for Hunter, one has to kill a large amount of the same type of monster before levelling up to level 2; Abnormal Resistance is usually gained by being exposed to Purple Moth poison multiple times before levelling…" she trailed off as she realized where he was going.

"Right, that is the basic idea. Our experiences as adventurers shapes how our falna grows. Knowing this, we can coax it into an advantageous direction. Bell is already doing this by changing up your formation to give you excellia you normally wouldn't have; even changing to a weapon you have no experience with in the Dungeon will boost excellia gain. However, you can push it much more than that. If I wanted to say, force the development of a skill which would aid me in battling dragon-type monsters…"

"Then it could be done through focusing on gaining excellia by killing those type of monsters in the Dungeon!" Bell exclaimed.

"Exactly right. This not only affects developmental abilities, but also skills, which can show up at any time regardless of whether you level up or not. Of course, skills tend to be more unique, but they can be replicated if information is shared. As far as replicating goes though, Developmental abilities are easier. If I wanted the Magical Resistance ability, all I would need to do is play at being the target for you all to practice your magic on; unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to level up again; at least not in the time we have"

"In other words, you wish to focus on our development more; of course, that means we could still use you for magic practice in order to get the Mage ability, right?" Lili observed, gaining a devious grin.

"That's right, though it will be more effective to do so in the Dungeon. Another thing I have learned is that simply being in the Dungeon grants more excellia than not; so I suggest all training be done there from now on. Although we can just go to the 18th to train in relative peace; in addition, it will be best to earn level ups as soon as we are eligible to, and then continue to grow our stats afterword. This will make the level up as optimal as it can be"

"So what do you think our focus should be with this in mind, Ser Aedan?" Mikoto asked.

"I understand that each of you have special niches, but like I've said, being well-rounded will be the key for us in our future endeavors. Normally, I would suggest that we get as close to maximizing our stats as possible before levelling to compound the effect. However, Haruhime's magic will help mitigate that. So we will raise all of your stats until the lowest is C rank at least before attempting to raise your level. Of course, doing this will likely push your natural best stats to their max, which will work in our favor, too. I will explain more as we grow, but for now, we will train the fundaments, expand the Familia if possible, and I will say our aim will be: two years from now, all of us will be level 3 with the right to advance to 4, and just raising your stats, or already having grown to level 4. Then we will be on track.

"I must admit, if you go through with this training under me, you may well come to hate me; many others in the past have, after all. It will only get more intense as the years pass, as we push harder into the Dungeon to gain excellia at the same rate to continue growing"

"You're doing a great job of hard-sellin' it to us, huh?" Welf awkwardly smiled, scratching his head, "but the truth is, I've already decided to get as strong as I can, to keep adventuring with everyone. I wanna stay with 'em, and keep getting better at my craft to help everyone, too. Lady Hephaistos' Captain Tsubaki is like that; she's first-class, as well"

"Right, for now, I think Bell's plan is a solid start, I just wanted you all to keep in mind what I know about excellia; there's more to it, but I think now is a good point to get some rest and prepare for tomorrow"

So they retired for rest. Bell had done as he said he would and gone to the Guild to inform them of their plan. Eina had been partially surprised, but happy at her advisee's change in interest with the Dungeon. She had called in her supervisor- Rose Fannett- to get the plan approved. Rose, having become familiar with the rookie, felt a bit bad about having bet he would die within a few weeks; not just for the lost sum of 25,000 vallis, either. She had received the mapping plan with pleasant surprise; most adventurers just wanted to dive, kill, and harvest as much as they could in the Dungeon, which was all well and good, and lucrative. However, mapping work was essential.

The Guild provided maps to adventures upon request and payment, and therefore had to ensure- like all the information they provided- that they were accurate. With mapping work, this was verified in person- that is, Guild members are escorted in the Dungeon while verifying the legitimacy of submitted maps. There was a lot of paperwork involved, but if adventurers were willing, it was far more rewarding in vallis than killing monsters alone. The Hestia Familia was requesting the right to map floors 10 to 18, which was a massive amount, and that meant the Guild would provide map data which was up to date for those areas. The Hestia Familia would complete the work and submit it. After approval, a team of Guild employees would be sent with the adventurers to verify the work.

Given that Hestia Familia had multiple level 2 adventurers, a level 4, and two new first-class members, the Guild could easily approve the mapping request, since the team which would verify the maps would be well-protected. She smiled when she gave him the approval.

'This will be great, I know it; a fully complete map of the Dungeon from the surface to Rivira'

Usually mapping work was done partially for floors. They had partial map data all the way down into the deep levels, after all. Completed maps were far more valuable, though, commensurate with the greater difficulty to create and verify them, so not many people bothered. Rose couldn't actually remember the last time they had received a mapping request, and she had been with the Guild for over seven years!

The sun rose lazily into the sky, still obscured by Orario's great wall when Hestia Familia made their preparations. They left with goodbyes to their Goddess as they went to the entrance atrium to the Dungeon before it was crowded by the typical foot-traffic.

"Alright everyone, we will head straight to the tenth floor, then investigate the boundaries of the existing map while Lili works to complete it" Bell gave a short pep-talk to the others, "Hopefully we can make good time, but focus on staying safe in our new formation; our number one goal is to gain excellia while staying alive. Everything else comes after. Let's go!"

They set off with smiles and a pep in their step. Horus included, though he made sure once they entered the Dungeon proper to minimize his presence, Alfia doing the same. It was unlikely the Dungeon would send monsters their way if they didn't. The group stuck to the main path, Haruhime and Welf easily making their way as they went down to the 10th floor.

Bell had been surprised that Lili already had the basic knowledge needed to do cartography. Still, it was immensely helpful as they traced their way around the bounds of the floor, Lili using principles of mathematics to gauge proper distancing and angles as they worked in a massive, oblong circle. They made it to the rough halfway point after several hours and a lunch break: the entrance to the 11th floor. It was the first time that the map linked up with the Guild's records.

"Lili can't believe that floors this high aren't fully mapped out" she grumbled as they decided to take another break at the floor entrance.

"Well, it is pretty dangerous, we've been pressed all day" Welf groaned a bit, and he was right. As they had gone about their work, he and Haruhime had been almost constantly attacked by huge groups of Orcs and Imps. When they passed through any groups of the landform trees, Bad Bats attacked them, too, with goblin elites and kobolds. When that happened Mikoto often had to step in and assist, though they knew it would only get worse deeper down. They would have to deal with Hard Armored, Silverbacks, Infant Dragons, Wyverns, Hellhounds, Ligerfangs, Minotaurs, Crystal Mantis, Lamia Mormos, Almiraj, and Dungeon Worms before too long.

Welf had experience fighting these, of course, but not as the primary fighter, and Haruhime was taking her first crack at the frontline; both were pushing their limits, and thoroughly taking advantage of the break. Lili was organizing her work under the watchful eye of Aedan. He was honestly impressed at her work and organization. Map-making was no easy thing, after all.

"Good work there, young one; that skill o' yours is beyond what I'm capable of"

"Thank you Mr. Aedan, Lili has always had to be crafty and good with her mind; she had a really rough time until she met master Bell" the pallum smiled something bittersweet, and focused back on the mess of papers, clearly ending any chance of further conversation. He left her be, and turned his eyes over the rest of the group.

Bell was speaking with Welf and Haruhime as they rested, while Mikoto was standing near Alfia, though their backs were turned to him. Everything was fine, quiet, and friendly.

'When was the last time things were really like this? It was different, those years with Alfia and I… Before then, I can't even remember the last time I went into the Dungeon alongside others' he couldn't help reminiscing, despite how old it made him feel. Well… how old it reminded him he actually was.

Their break ran its course and Bell called for them to continue on. As they skirted the opposite side of the floor, they noted that- unlike the other side, which had a smooth boundary dotted with forests of landforms- this side had its outer wall broken up by numerous side rooms and passages, which made the mapping much longer. The area was more similar to the floors above them save for the light-colored stones and mist. They were still harassed by groups of monsters, though even greater in number than before. Still, they made steady progress; the change in environment actually worked in their favor, reducing the strain on Welf and Haruhime as they battled, Mikoto keeping her eyes peeled for any spawning monsters or side passages.

It was a bit of a maze, but nothing compared to how the middle levels would be. Deep in one of the rooms though, they encountered an Irregular.

"Huh, s'a bit unusual to see an Orc with adventurer's kit" Aedan mumbled. They came across a group of Orcs once more, only to find one armed with a battle-ax and some armor on its legs, though it didn't look any different than the other Orcs otherwise; however, once they engaged it was clear that it was stronger. The Orc outlasted the others and managed to fight both Welf and Haruhime after all of the others had died. Mikoto was about to step in, but Welf signaled her back.

"Haruhime, think you can support me without your magic? I think you and me can take it down" he grunted. She wasn't as confident, but nodded and followed up with him anyway, wielding the spear he had forged for her as they tried to unbalance the Orc, "I'll do some damage and draw his attention, take any openings you see!" he shouted as he diverted a brutal chop of the ax with his broadsword before landing a glancing cut on its forearm.

The battle continued as Mikoto eventually needed to focus on keeping approaching Orcs and Imps at bay; Bell helped her occasionally, but was able to witness the fight as it unfolded. He had already been able to tell that the Orc was almost as strong as the Minotaur he had fought the first time he levelled up. It was a bit weaker, but still stronger than a normal Minotaur. Welf and Haruhime were whittling away at it, bit by bit, before Welf landed a decisive strike.

With a roar, he blocked a downward chop, sending it back up and staggering the Orc before diving through the gap in its legs, slicing deep into the inside of its back leg. The Orc stumbled with a wail of pain, sinking to a knee and unintentionally burying the ax into the Dungeon floor. In an instant, Haruhime charged with a yell of her own, stabbing deeply into the chest of the Orc, nicking the magic stone and finally killing the monster.

With a huffing sigh, she dropped to her knees, breathing heavily, "That was… a bit much. I'm glad it's over" Bell was quick to rush to her with a smile, wrapping her in a hug.

"That was great, Haruhime! You and Welf handled it well, and I think it was an enhanced species" he released her from the hug, oblivious to her flustered state as he ran to pull Welf up from his bottom, taking a short rest himself, "Nice one!"

"You know it! Can't let you be the only one that deals with weird crap down here" he chuckled after he got to his feet.

Once everyone had recovered, they investigated the room before continuing on. After another couple of hours, they arrived once more at the entrance to the 10th floor, making a full circle, and took another long break.

"Hmm… won't be too much longer before we need to wind things down to go home" Bell muttered as he approached Lili, "Hey Lili, how does our map look compared to the Guild reference?"

"Master Bell, um… Lili's estimation is that there is a good deal to explore in the gaps between the main path and the boundaries that we mapped so far. Maybe… about as much area as the 1st or 2nd floors? It's probably nothing but landforms, but we can't leave the work incomplete"

"That is a good bit, but not something impossible to finish today; those side rooms took up more time than I thought this floor would, but I think we can push to finish it then head back for the night; I don't see any point to camp in the Dungeon until we get further down"

"Lili agrees, once we finish up here, we can head back and rest; Lili will compile the map properly another time, the field notes are enough for now"

So they continued on, set on completing the map of the 10th floor on their first day. They doubled back, filling in the gaps of the side they had just explored between the boundary and the existing map data until they made it back to the entrance to the 11th floor. This went much more quickly due to there being nothing but open space covered in misty fog, aside from sparse copses of dead landform trees. Of course, there were some monsters, but their numbers were greatly reduced from before; a combination of their previous time in the area as well as being closer to the main path, where most adventurers would be doing their hunting.

Filling in the map on the other side of the room though was more interesting. The larger groups of landforms they had seen earlier had apparently indicated a large forest of them. This, like the side rooms and passages from before, extended the time their work took. They steadily continued until they came upon another surprise: a large mound rose out of the mist, its pale color giving it good camouflage from afar. Investigating led Welf to discover an entrance partway up, and they noted that the structure was about three stories, and perhaps as large as Hearthfire Manor. Wrinkling her brow in slight frustration, Lili prepared more paper as they dove into the cave.

It was a simple trip, though. The path wound around the inside of the hill and gradually down, before opening up and showing the hollow interior.

"It's a pantry!" Haruhime whisper-shouted as they emerged into the large room. Indeed, a massive green crystal pillar filled the middle of the space, providing sustenance for the small horde of monsters that had yet to notice them. Lili stopped them.

"Wait, this could be a chance for Miss Mikoto to use and train her magic; we can't explore the space until the monsters are clear, anyway" they agreed, and setup to protect Mikoto as she began chanting in case the monsters noticed. Luckily they did not, although Bell had to kill some that tried to come in from behind them.

Mikoto cast her magic, taking their lessons into play as she shaped its effect, pulling the monsters together while crushing them down. She continued to pour mind into the attack, straining as monsters began to die, turning to dust. After a few minutes, she dropped to her knees and released the magic, and the remaining monsters regathered themselves and made a haphazard charge toward them, most stumbling from the damage. Welf and Haruhime were able to pick through their reduced numbers, and soon the pantry was clear for Lili to map out while Bell helped Alfia collect the massive amount of drops.

"Quite the boon, coming across this much in the pantry" she said quietly as she deftly harvested magic stones quickly. Bell smiled in response, seeing the large quantity of monster drops.

"Well, my luck ability helps a bit with monster drop items, and other things I guess"

"Luck? That must be quite rare, I've never heard of it"

"Goddess said she thinks it's something like divine protection… I don't really understand it, but I think it has been extremely helpful for me; it's like a guardian spirit keeping me safe, or making us rich, in some cases" he chuckled, thinking back to the one time he had ever gone to a casino or gambling house.

"Truly? Say, I would bet that that ability could net you a Jackbird, and that means its drop, too"

"Hm, Jackbird?"

"Oh, I forget how new you are to the Dungeon despite your growth, it's a very rare monster- even more than the Blue Papilio- that appears on the 1st floor only. It looks like… a rooster, with green-yellow feathers. They are terribly fast, and always run when they sense you; if you get one though, they always drop the Golden Egg, which are worth 1,000,000 vallis each. It might be a great way to train your Luck"

"Ah! That's a great idea, thank you Ms. Alfia"

"You're very welcome, Bell" they continued their work in silence, quickly finishing before Lili had completed hers. The pantry was shaped like a great dome or roundhouse, with some rooms off the main area with the crystal pillar. Most of the rooms had freshwater, but one was different. The light colored crystal framing the back wall was a somewhat familiar sight to the Hestia Familia. Mikoto, Welf, Haruhime, and Lili all looked back to Bell, who nodded and stepped forward.

"Firebolt!" his spell shattered the wall of crystal, revealing a hidden passage further down into the Frontier behind it, "Follow my lead, this may go to a Xenos village, or somewhere completely different"

They nodded seriously, though their new members had puzzled expressions, "Xenos, what are you talking about, captain?" Aedan asked.

"Well, I owe you both a bit of an explanation sooner than I thought; just keep in mind that this is another Familia secret, okay?"