Pang! Pang! The echoes of metal on metal filled the air. Relentless, high-pitched bangs came from all directions at once. A shower of sparks accompanied each one, momentary light flashing throughout the room with every impact. Falling hammers, masculine smiths wiping away rivers of sweat, the grunts and groans of their labor—this was a workshop through and through. Bright red flames burned at fever pitch within four massive forges, one on each wall. The heat exuding from their openings was stifling. A young prum girl, most likely a student of the trade, hurriedly worked her way through the animal people and dwarves with her arms full of firewood and extra tools. “HUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?! Damn you, Amazon! Rot in HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!” Five large men were hard at work in a corner of the workshop, repeatedly striking a large chunk of adamantite. Bringing down hammer after hammer that looked powerful enough to crush a large-category monster’s head in one blow, they shaped the extremely stubborn metal to their will, eliminating the impurities. All the smiths had acquired the Advanced Ability “Forge,” which allowed them to instill special characteristics in their work. The head of each hammer glowed with a soft red light—not unlike Magic—as they breathed steadily and transformed the ore in front of them into a weapon that would become something far superior to the rest. The most experienced High Smith among them led the charge, his loud, gruff voice not allowing the others to slow down. Aiz made herself as small as possible as she listened to the grievances of the sleep-deprived smiths, most of which were directed at her best friend or at herself. Walking very quietly and hoping to go unnoticed, the blond-haired girl came to a stop in front of a deity. “To think, you destroyed it in only five days…” The girl’s shoulders trembled under the weight of Goibniu’s dry, heavy words. While the god was small in stature, similar to a dwarf, his wizened features were offset by his incredibly muscular physique. He looked the human girl in the eyes and let out a long sigh. It was the morning after the Monsterphilia. Aiz was here to retrieve her weapon of choice, Desperate, from Goibniu Familia’s home, the Three Hammers Forge. The repairs were finally complete. She stood at the counter in the very center of the long, rectangular workshop. It was still quite early in the morning, and yet the smiths of Goibniu Familia were already hard at work all around her. Every single one of them was covered in sweat. It didn’t matter if they were putting hammer to steel on a workbench, tending to the forge fires, reviewing the orders for custom-made weapons posted on a bulletin board near the doorway, or whatever else they been assigned—everyone was busy. Goibniu handed Aiz’s favorite saber, Desperate, to her over the counter at the same time that Aiz returned the weapon loaned to her during the repairs—a rapier. At least, what was left of it. “You young’uns sure know how to make a smith miserable…” “…I’m sorry.” Goibniu looked down at the remains on the counter between them as Aiz’s shoulders sank. Knowing that the remark was aimed at her and Tiona, she did her best to apologize. However, her weak voice was barely audible over the organized chaos surrounding them. The rapier had been at her side during the Monsterphilia and shattered during the battle against monsters loose in the town. Now it lay on the counter, nothing more than scraps, the only piece still recognizable its hilt. Even a child on the street, at first glance, would be able to tell it was beyond repair. It had been unable to withstand the strain of Aiz’s fighting style, combined with the stress of her Magic. Its days as a weapon were over. “Loki Familia, again?!” came the fed-up whispers and angry glances of the hardworking smiths all around them. While Aiz felt guilty for causing them so much trouble, she was also grateful for their skilled labor. “…How much do I owe?” “Forty million valis, or thereabouts.” Gong! That number reverberated her head, its weight hitting her like a ton of bricks. Aiz rubbed her temple as she collected her thoughts…and decided she had no choice but to prowl the Dungeon to pay back the debt. Goibniu crossed his arms and mumbled under his breath. Aiz realized something that made her shoulders sink farther still as she looked at the deity’s stern expression. Her apology to the white-haired boy would have to wait.
The sound of a blade cut through the air. The light swishes that followed the blade were proof of the immense speed and precision of each strike. Silver flashes of a saber tore through the crisp morning air. The sun had still not risen from the eastern horizon, and yet Aiz was practicing her techniques in the central garden of Loki Familia’s home. No one had ordered her. It had been her idea to add early-morning training to her daily routine when she was nine years old. Whether for daily review or to polish her swordsmanship skills, Aiz had practiced in this garden almost every day she was at home since then. This kind of practicing paled in comparison to the combat experience she gained in the Dungeon, but she never neglected it. She couldn’t afford to neglect it. Like many of her fellow adventurers, Aiz was afraid of one thing: becoming unable to move forward.
She didn’t move far from one particular patch of grass in the garden. After spending a week with the rapier, she needed some time to become reacquainted with the finer details of Desperate. She swung vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, over and over, her blade singing around her. Keeping footwork to a minimum, Aiz’s sword cut through the air like a baton conducting her one-person symphony of silver slashes and echoes. Rays of red light started to light up the sky before she knew it. The sun was rising. A leaf fell from the branch of the tree in the garden. “Hyun!” A silver streak cut straight through it in midair, punctuating the end of her practice. Aiz watched the pieces fall as she returned her blade to its sheath. “…?” Her morning practice over, only now did Aiz realize she was being watched. Spinning to find the observer, she immediately saw the elf Lefiya standing next to the doorway to one of the towers adjacent to the garden. She appeared entranced, her eyes wide. The elf, holding a thick book, stood like a statue and only snapped back into the moment when she noticed Aiz was looking at her. A smile quickly appeared on her lips as she balanced the book against her chest and gave Aiz a round of applause. “A-absolutely incredible, Miss Aiz! I was so caught up in the spectacle that I forgot to announce myself!” “Umm…Thank you?” Aiz tilted her head as she answered Lefiya’s praise. She had never been complimented on practicing before and was unsure how to react. Lefiya’s cheeks turned light pink as she excitedly ran up to the girl, her dark blue eyes shimmering in the morning light. Overwhelming admiration filled her gaze. “So it is true that you practice even this early in the morning…That’s why you’re so powerful…I must learn from your example!” After witnessing how the “Sword Princess” trained, Lefiya felt as if she had discovered one of Aiz’s secrets and vowed to apply herself to it. Aiz couldn’t help but smile at the young elf, the corners of her lips turning upward. “Who instructed you in the art of swordsmanship? Being a magic user, I am a novice with blades. Even so, I can see the quality of your techniques…” “…My father, I guess.” Aiz let her gaze wander as she came up with her answer. “Your father…Speaking of which, where are your parents now…?” Lefiya’s question trailed off as a new voice rang out from a different direction. “Lefiya. How much time does it take for you to retrieve one book from the archive?” “L-Lady Riveria…” Another elf descended a set of stairs and entered the garden: Riveria. She came to a stop, pointed ears completely still even as her jade locks wavered in the morning breeze. One look at Aiz with her hand still on the hilt of her saber, and Riveria nodded, piecing together exactly what had happened. She sighed under her breath. “You haven’t the time to be distracted by Aiz’s training. You have your own to attend to. We will continue until breakfast is served. Aiz, we shall talk later.” “M-Miss Aiiiz…” With the book under her arm, Lefiya weakly called out to her friend as Riveria pulled her back into the tower. In response to the elf’s mournful look, Aiz gave her a little wave in an attempt to cheer her on. Riveria was training Lefiya in magic. Judging by the bags under her eyes, they’d been at it all night. Aiz had been in a similar position until just a few years ago—in her case, learning the finer details of being an adventurer. She knew exactly how strict Riveria’s teaching style could be. Memories of those days flashing through her mind, Aiz waved again in encouragement as Lefiya disappeared from sight. Aiz left the garden and walked back into another tower, saber in hand. After a quick shower, Aiz made her way through the long, narrow hallways of her home toward the cafeteria. Quite a few people were already there, busily preparing breakfast or setting up the table for other members of the familia. The various aromas wafting out of the kitchen made her stomach grumble. She’d been up for hours but hadn’t eaten anything. A quick peek through the kitchen window told her that today’s breakfast was composed of vegetable soup and salad made with liberal amounts of vegetables, salted meat and vegetable sandwiches, and vegetable omelets. A substantial delivery from Demeter Familia had come in just the other day and was being put to good use. Their produce was always sweet and crisp, so Aiz always looked forward to the deliveries. Unsure whether they would be able to finish everything, Aiz grabbed some plates and started to help set the table. She’d finished placing a few dishes when suddenly… “Whoa! Miss Aiz! When did you get here?” “We appreciate the thought, but we can handle this!” While thankful, other members of the familia wouldn’t allow her to do such lowly work as setting a table. They took the dishes right out of her hands and asked her to wait. Because she was always treated like the princess of a castle, there was quite a bit of distance between Aiz and the lower-ranking members of the group. She understood that lowly chores like setting the table were beneath the elites, but even so…after seeing how Tiona and the others were able to mingle with everyone else, it would be a lie to say she didn’t feel lonely. Her shoulders sank as she stood empty-handed in the cafeteria. “M-Miss Tione, breakfast is our responsibility…” “I’m gonna cook the general’s breakfast, end of story! You can’t stop me; now out of my way!” Aiz looked back through the window and saw Tione trying to push her way through the crowded kitchen to get to a cooking station. Talking excitedly with their younger peers—at least that’s how it looked to Aiz—Tione looked very impressive. She watched as the Amazon was gently and politely “convinced” to leave the kitchen. “Uwh…” “?” Feeling that she couldn’t be useful in the cafeteria, Aiz ducked out into the nearest hallway. Turning the first corner, she nearly ran into the werewolf, Bete. He startled at meeting her so suddenly, the corner of his mouth twitching until he was able to force an uncomfortable smile. “……Y-yo.” Aiz tilted her head, a little confused as to why Bete was so awkward this morning. Then it came to her. Not much time had passed since the incident with the white-haired boy at a bar called The Benevolent Mistress. Bete’s attitude had angered her at the time, but he had shown a great deal of remorse after the fact and had barely talked to her since. Bete had been drunk—and while Aiz’s opinion of him had dropped slightly, the night in question didn’t bother her much anymore. So, she was about to answer him with a “Good morning,” when… “G’morning, Aiz!” “Guh?!” Thump. Bete was pushed out of the way as Tiona rushed up to Aiz and gave her a big hug. Aiz bent backward to support the Amazon’s sudden weight. At the same time, Tiona looked over her shoulder at Bete and stuck out her tongue. Crick-crick. Ignoring the sounds of Bete grinding his teeth together, Tiona hopped down, grabbed Aiz’s wrist, and led her away. “Aiz, nothing good ever comes from talking to Bete. Let’s go!” “Oi! I can hear you, you shabby, reedy-lookin’ woman!!” “Don’t call me thaaaaaat!!” “Ah, umm…” “—Such a ruckus at the crack o’ dawn! Keep it quiet in the halls, would ya?!” And so Aiz and the others were scolded by the dwarf Gareth Landrock until breakfast was served.
“Now then, General. I lovingly made your breakfast myself. Make sure to clean your plate.” Breakfast was getting under way at the cafeteria. Hands and arms crisscrossed the table, grabbing bowls of hot soup and fluffy omelets before they disappeared. The leader of the familia, a prum named Finn, sat at the head of the table, but was mostly hidden behind the massive amount of food placed in front of him. A gargantuan fish, its head, fins, and scales still attached, had been roasted whole over an open flame; a wild breakfast fit for an Amazon. The fish in question was often mistaken for a monster because of its ridiculous size and the twisted shape of its thick scales—a dodobass. A species easy to catch in the saltwater lake southwest of Orario, it was sold throughout the city. This particular fish was still rather young when it had been caught, but it was well over one meder in length. The prum just stared at the fish without saying a word. Tione looked extremely proud of her work as she convinced Finn, under heavy duress, to start eating. It wasn’t long before every other set of eyes around the table looked at him with pity. “Aiz, what’cha gonna do today?” “Well, um…” The many conversations of fifty-plus people at the table echoed around the long cafeteria. Tuning out the noise, Tiona took a big bite out of the sandwich Aiz gave her before asking her question. “I broke a sword the other day, and have to pay for it…” “Are you talking about the rapier you used during the Monsterphilia?” Lefiya asked from the other side. Aiz gave her a quick nod. She recounted yesterday’s conversation with the god Goibniu—and why it was necessary for her to earn that money in the Dungeon. She felt a little shy being the center of attention and fell silent once her story was finished. “Okay, I’ll come, too! Knowing you, you’ll be down there for a week, right?” “But, Tiona…” “It’s fine, it’s fine! I’m getting Urga remade from scratch, and I need to get some money ready.” “If…if it will not be a bother, please let me help you as well!” Tiona offered to join her with the excuse that she had debts of her own. Lefiya just didn’t want to be left out. Aiz felt truly sorry that she’d gotten two of her friends involved in her own problem but couldn’t turn them away. After all, it made her genuinely happy that they had offered to help in the first place. “…Okay. Please join me.” The blond’s face relaxed as a small grin appeared on her lips. The other two girls smiled back right away. “Home will be pretty empty with us gone. Maybe we should tell Finn first?” “I agree. The next expedition is not for a while yet, but if we are planning on spending more than a few days in the Dungeon, I believe it would be a good idea to inform Loki and everyone.” Lefiya answered Tiona by saying that disappearing without notice would make the others needlessly worry about them. The three girls started to discuss how long they would stay in the Dungeon and what they would need to prepare for their trip. Other members of the familia had finished breakfast and were starting to leave the cafeteria, returning to their rooms one by one. Aiz watched the room empty out and suddenly realized that Loki was nowhere to be seen. It seemed strange to her that their normally lively and energetic goddess didn’t stop by to say hello. She hadn’t heard anything about Loki drinking so much the night before that she was bedridden by the resulting hangover again. “You three, what’ve you been talking about?” “Oh, Miss Tione.” “We’re going to spend a week earning some money in the Dungeon. Wanna join us?” Her breakfast with Finn over, Tione walked over to the group of girls sitting farther down the table. Finn had refused to eat her lovingly prepared dodobass on the grounds that he could never hope to finish it. So she took it on herself to eat the rest of the meal that her “sweetheart” took a few bites from. Tione looked rather pleased with how things had turned out this morning, but her expression soured after hearing Tiona’s plan for getting the money. “A week? I don’t want to spend that much time away from the general, so that’s a no.” Tiona had had a feeling her sister would say that. A twinkle in her eye and a grin on her lips, she played her trump card. “You know we were gonna invite Finn along, too?” “Then I guess I have no choice but to give you a hand. Be grateful.” Aiz glanced at Lefiya as the two girls shared a grin at Tione’s sudden willingness to help out. Loki Familia’s home, the Twilight Manor, was more like a housing project of several high towers gathered together in one spot. The largest, thickest tower stood in the center and was surrounded by the remaining six. The shape and height of the six towers varied, but all of them were connected at the base—creating a ring around the independent central tower—and each was connected on the higher floors by stone bridges to make traveling from tower to tower more convenient. Three of them were devoted to the male members of the familia, and four to the female members. Shared spaces such as the archives and cafeteria were not centralized in one tower. Simply put, the place was loosely supervised chaos. Finn’s private quarters, and office, were located in the northernmost tower. “Finn—we’re coming in.” Tiona knocked twice and announced herself before opening the double doors and walking into his room. Aiz was close behind her, followed by Lefiya and Tione.
Finn’s quarters and connected office space were wide and roomy—fitting for someone in charge of the familia. A bookcase covered an entire wall on one side, and a rug as colorful as a wreath of flowers decorated the floor. A tall grandfather clock stood against the back wall. The entire room had a calming, brown color-scheme, making the white marble fireplace stand out. In the back of the room, Finn was seated behind a large desk that didn’t fit his body size in the slightest. “What’s gotten into all of you, barging in here like this?” “Ah, Lady Riveria…You were in here as well?” Finn was focused on the task at hand, his eyes poring over a stack of paperwork. Riveria was standing at his shoulder. The two of them had come straight to his quarters to work on the familia’s finances right after breakfast. The familia’s second-in-command held another stack of paperwork in her arms as she eyed the new arrivals. “We’d like to talk to Finn about something.” “Hmm. Can it wait a few minutes? I’m almost at a stopping point.” Finn didn’t even look up as he responded to Tiona. His feathered pen was a blur as he signed his name over and over again before receiving another stack from Riveria. Aiz used the time to have a look around his quarters. First, she was drawn toward the grandfather clock. She admired the inlaid crystals, probably magic stones, in the clock face that read 9:30 in the morning, and she listened to the clicking of the pendulum’s swing. Next, the tapestry hanging above the fireplace, opposite the bookshelf, caught her attention. It showed an armored woman who was surrounded prominently by spears and a slew of other weapons. Gold and silver thread had been woven into fabric to create the image of a goddess. The deity was known as Phiana, a fictional goddess that many prums believed in with all their heart and soul. She was represented by a group of knights from the Ancient Times. Those knights were the first and last taste of glory for prums as a race—even Aiz knew their story. However, as soon as the living gods had descended from heaven, belief in Phiana had disappeared overnight. Prums lost the belief that unified them and soon faded into irrelevance. Now, in a world where people of many different races received the Blessing from deities and forged their own stories of heroism, the number of famous prums was surprisingly low. Aiz had heard that Finn had come to Orario to champion his race and reinvigorate his kin. In a move he himself would not deny was shameless, Finn had entered into a contract with Loki and received her Falna in the center of the world, the Labyrinth City, in hopes that his name would ring out. Considering that a tapestry of Phiana was hanging proudly in his quarters, it was safe to assume that Finn had not lost faith in her. It also showed that Loki either was either quite generous or indifferent to the fact that the leader of her familia had faith in a goddess other than herself. Aiz also knew that Loki didn’t ask to be worshiped, or anything close to it. It was also quite possible that Loki allowed it because he was Finn. Aiz looked over her shoulder toward the prum sitting in the back of the room. The familia’s flag, the comical smile of the trickster—their familia’s emblem—hung on the wall behind his desk. Her train of thought finally came to a stop. “That should do it. Sorry to keep you waiting. What’s on your minds?” “You see, General, Tiona and these two would like to spend some time in the Dungeon and would like to know if you’re interested in joining them…” Tione stepped in front of the other girls the moment Finn looked up from his now-finished paperwork. Finn had a quick and simple response: “Sure.” He agreed not only to let them go into the Dungeon for an extended period of time, but to join them as well. “I was just thinking about taking a jaunt into the Dungeon myself real soon anyway. It’s nice to prowl at your own pace every now and then.” As the acting leader of the familia, he was in charge of organizing and overseeing every expedition they undertook. He smiled and said it would be fun to go in without any major plans or people to look after during his free time. “No backing out now, Finn!” Tiona said with a grin, knowing that his participation meant Tione would come by default. “This might be a good chance to get out and stretch your legs, Riveria. You’ve been overloaded with busywork recently, so why not join us?” “…That is absolutely true. I shall accompany you. I feel sorry for Gareth, but he will have to take charge in our absence.” With that, their party became six. With the exception of Lefiya, each member was a top-class adventurer. The five of them were a very formidable group. “Oh, keep this a secret from Bete! If someone tells him, he’ll want to come. And if he comes, we’ll never have a moment of peace.” That morning’s conversation still fresh in her mind, Tiona’s lips twitched threateningly as she looked at each of her allies in turn. Her warning was greeted by strained smiles. At the same time, they knew that sending all their heavy hitters underground would cause its own problems, so there were no objections. “How about meeting at Babel Tower once everyone’s preparations are complete? Say, around noon?” ““Yeah!”” The Amazonian twins thrust their right arms in the air. Aiz did the same, with Lefiya following suit, albeit a bit more reserved. Riveria chose to keep her mouth shut, closing her eyes and ignoring their childish excitement. And so everyone agreed to Finn’s proposal.
Orario’s Northwest Main Sreet, “Adventurers Way,” was bustling with too many people to count. The early-morning sun shone down from a blue sky, gleaming and sparkling on all types of armor as humans and demi-humans hurried to finish their preparations for entering the Dungeon. The shutters and heavy doors of every shop had been flung wide open in an attempt to welcome customers inside. The proprietor of a shadier shop farther down the backstreets was holding various kinds of suspicious-looking potions in one hand, trying to convince an inexperienced female adventurer to buy a few. Adventurers in a hurry constantly ran into one another, bumping shoulders and shouting insults back and forth, yelling at someone else from somewhere else about something or other. The adventurers preparing to go to the Dungeon again today made this street come to life. “Amid, high potions, please! The good stuff, and lots of them!” “I’d like the same one as Tiona…Five please. And a magic potion, too.” “Yes, of course.” An emblem depicting a ball of light among medicinal herbs hung inside a building of clean, pure white stone. Tiona and Aiz had found their way to one of the many counters. Standing on the other side of this one was Amid, a doll-like girl with long, light silver hair. A vast inventory of potions in different-colored vials lined the shelves behind her. Silver hair waving from side to side, she quickly collected the items they requested and placed them on the counter. The two girls’ faces were reflected in the sky-blue and citrus-orange-colored liquids in front of them. “Are you planning to spend a long time in the Dungeon starting today?” “Yep. Tione, Lefiya…Finn and Riveria are coming, too.” “Amid, anything you want? We’ll be going to at least the thirtieth floor, so if you tell us what to get we can pick something up for you!” “May I make such a request? Since you offered…Could you retrieve some White Leaves for me?” She asked Aiz and Tiona to get supplies for Dian Cecht Familia, which specialized in medicine and other healing items. Checking their memos one more time, the girls stocked up on everything they might need. The Dungeon was not a forgiving place, and staying in top condition was extremely difficult. Therefore, a great deal of adventurers brought more items and weapons with them than necessary if they planned on staying there for an extended period of time. Their backpacks might be a bit bulky, but adventurers tended to believe that it was better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. It was the only way to prepare for the unexpected. Accepting their friend Amid’s request, the two girls bought a small mountain of items before leaving the shop. “Lenoa. We are coming inside.” “Ahhh, Riveria, so you’ve come…What’s this, the girl is with you today?” “I-it has been a long time.” The elves had arrived at a shady-looking shop located off a side street branching from Northwest Main Street, after many turns, a descent down a staircase, and a warped wooden door. The shop itself was decently spacious, but a bit dim. Magic-stone lamps designed to look like fireballs hung from the ceiling. The shelves built into the walls housed jars filled with snakes, frogs, scorpions, and other off-putting insects. Something seemed to be simmering in a black cauldron in the back of the shop, judging from the red steam rising from it. Lefiya’s eyes jumped from item to item; she wasn’t used to these surroundings. At the same time, an elderly lady behind the counter held a staff out to Riveria. “Have the magic crystals been replaced?” “Yes, all good to go. Got the special ones just like you asked for. But, my word, breaking four at once on one of those expeditions or whatever it is you do, it’s unheard of…” The shop owner’s white hair stood out against her black robe. Her crooked nose twitching, the wrinkles around her mouth worked their way into a smile as she complained. Riveria had asked her to make repairs to her silver-and-white staff. Taking it in both hands, she inspected it closely. As a high elf, her graceful features were enough to make goddesses jealous. Immaculate jade eyes made their way up the shaft of her weapon, counting a total of nine magic crystals before looking back at the old woman. Staffs designed for magic users like this one wouldn’t last long in hand-to-hand combat and couldn’t be found at the run-of-the-mill weapon shops. They were designed to amplify the users’ Magic power and increase the effectiveness of their Magic, completely different from weapons like swords that were designed to provide a cutting edge to an adventurer’s Strength. Therefore, the creators of these staffs must also possess very powerful Magic. Very few people were capable of creating these weapons from scratch, and the ones with such an ability were referred to as “mages.” To put it another way, they were smiths for staffs. Mages used wood from the holy trees that comprised many elvish forests as well as special kinds of metal and ores to create items that enhanced a magic user’s abilities. They also could create magic crystals that didn’t exist naturally in the world. Coming in many brilliant colors, the crystals dramatically increased the effects of spells. The difference between a staff with these crystals and one without was like night and day. The head of the staff that Lefiya carried with her was equipped with four azure magic crystals. Rows upon rows of short staves and long wooden staffs, said to be a mage’s heart and soul, lined one of the walls of this shop, which was already filled with many mysterious and questionable items. Looking around to see if there was anything else important, Lefiya happened to catch a glimpse of a strange book on a shelf high above the counter. “Umm…Correct me if I am wrong, but is that a grimoire?!” “Ahh, well spotted, child. That it is.” Lefiya blinked her eyes in disbelief as the shop owner slowly nodded. Incredibly thick, the book cover was littered with unusual letters and insignias. The rare grimoire held a miracle within its pages: the ability to force a reader to learn a Magic spell. Out of all the people in the world, it was possible to count the few who were able to make them. “You do not seriously expect me to believe that you created it, Lenoa?” “Ee-hee-hee-hee, oh no no. I’m not that powerful of a mage. I have an acquaintance in Altina who was nice enough to spare me one.” Lenoa’s response suggested that she wasn’t divulging the whole story. A well-made grimoire not only taught its reader new Magic, it could also increase the magic slots in their Status. The absolute maximum number of slots was three; there was no way to add a fourth. However, those with two slots would gain a third, and those with one would gain a second. This one item could dramatically increase an adventurer’s Magic ability instantaneously. For that reason, a single grimoire was valued more than even top-of-the-line weapons. This particular one was up for sale but had had its price reassigned several times as the older ones were crossed out a written over. Even so, the enormous figure on the price tag sent shivers up Lefiya’s spine. “Well, for the two of you, who can use more than four spells, this thing ain’t more than a shiny paperweight, I bet.” Looking like an old witch who would never reveal her birthplace or familia allegiance, the store owner eyed Lefiya and Riveria with her crooked nose held high and a smirk on her lips. “There are some in Altina who have their eyes on you.” “M-me as well? Not just Lady Riveria?!” “Come, child, did you think no one would notice such a flashy title as ‘Thousand’? EE-he-he-he, don’t travel alone at night.” “Enough with meaningless threats, Lenoa. Lefiya, do not take her seriously. We are leaving.” “You don’t play along at all, do you, Riveria?…Hee-hee, thanks for the business.” The shop owner watched them go out the door with a mysterious smile on her face. Pulling Lefiya, still gulping with shock, by the wrist, Riveria left the shop behind. Finn and Tione arrived at the white marble lobby of Guild headquarters. Working their way through the Pantheon’s massive crowds of adventurers that could rival the throng on the main street outside, they made their way to a large bulletin board. “It’s good to accept a normal quest every once in a while. We’re going there anyway, so why not do our adventuring our way? Plus we need money, right?” “Yes. Aiz and Tiona both have to pay for their weapons. Aiz has to foot a ridiculous bill, too, but that idiot sister of mine just had to order a weapon loaded with adamantite…” “So then, we need a lot of simple quests that pay well…Sounds like we should stick with monster-type quests.” Finn and Tione searched the bulletin board for any quest that lined up with their plans. The board itself had so many sheets of paper pinned to it that it was difficult to see the original color underneath. Each sheet of paper detailed a quest available for adventurers to undertake, ranging from collecting special drop items to protecting merchant caravans. Even though not all the quests involved the Dungeon, they had many options to choose from. “Hey, this one looks interesting.” “Which one?” “‘Song that echoes through the Dungeon…Please find the source of the song I heard in the Deep Levels’…Oh? Apparently it’s not a monster’s roar, more like a sweet melody. Captivating enough to make this guy fall in love, by the sound of it. He wants to know if it’s a person, a monster, or the Dungeon itself…The client claims he thinks about it so much he can’t sleep at night.” “That’s no good, General. It’s obviously a wild-goose chase. The reward isn’t that good and we don’t have time to waste on it.” “Where’s your sense of adventure?” Finn’s shoulders slumped at Tione’s less-than-enthusiastic response. There was nothing that adventurers loved more than a mystery that made their hearts yearn for an answer—or at least, that’s what Finn claimed. The prum flashed a youthful, toothy grin. The two of them spent some time finding quests of interest and took them off the bulletin board. Next they went to the Guild’s reception counter to fill out the paperwork, and the quests were officially theirs. Once they completed the mission, they could return to this window with the contract and proof of completion—or the requested items—and claim the rewards left by the quest’s client. In addition, an adventurer’s reputation with the Guild increased every time they completed a quest. Complete enough of them, and the Guild was likely to raise their familia’s rank. Of course, not all quests were equal. Carrying out the difficult missions was the best way for Dungeon-prowling familias to gain a good reputation in the Guild’s eyes. Finn and Tione thanked the reception clerk for his time as soon as the contracts were complete. Then the two left the Guild and made their way to meet up with the others at Babel. “Oh, it’s Finn and Tione.” “We’re the last ones? Sorry to keep you waiting.” The four girls had gathered in the shade of a tree that stood about ten meders from the white skyscraper towering over the center of Orario’s expansive Central Park. Three sets of eyes turned to see Finn, carrying a spear over his shoulder, and Tione with a large backpack slung over hers. Kicking one of the broad leaves, Tiona excitedly picked up her own massive weapon as the last of their party arrived. Riveria and Lefiya had magic staffs at the ready, and Aiz adjusted Desperate’s sheath at her waist. “Looks like everyone’s ready to go. Shall we?” “Yes. It has been too long since we have prowled the Dungeon together.” “Eh-hee-hee~. I’ve been itching to get in there all morning!” “Would you look after yourself, for once?” Finn and Riveria exchanged words just before Tione got tired of Tiona’s giddy excitement. Lefiya smiled at the two Amazons before turning to face Aiz. “I will do my utmost to be useful.” “Thanks, Lefiya…I’ll work hard, too.” Aiz flashed a faint smile before joining the others looking up at the sky. The white skyscraper seemed to pierce the heavens overhead. They spent a few moments taking in the sublime tower before bells rang out from the east. It was now exactly noon. With the metallic ring echoing through the city, the battle party made their way through Babel Tower’s front gate.
“…” In the highest room of the Twilight Manor’s central tower. Loki sat quietly among the many types of glass bottles and unique items scattered around her room, sifting through news pamphlets one at a time. Sold by merchants and even a few familias, each of them had several articles written in Koine. Many strategies went into selling these papers—some came with minute illustrations, others had attention-grabbing titles or humorous wit in their narratives. Anything to appeal to potential customers. Loki’s eyes lit up as they passed through some recent gossip and found an article pertaining to the monsters escaping into the city—the incident during the Monsterphilia. “Dahh~…Nothin’ new in this one, either.” Loki stayed in her chair as she tossed the news back onto the table. In addition to the several other pamphlets that she had just read, there were a few larger illustrated papers spread out on it. Most of them depicted the events of the Monsterphilia. Ganesha Familia’s negligence, a spy’s plot to attack the city, some god who just wanted to see what would happen—each one had their own theories as to how the monsters escaped, but Loki was looking for something a bit more specific: information about the carnivorous plant monsters. None of the papers even mentioned them. “Hmph,” grunted Loki in frustration as she leaned back in the chair and put her hands behind her head. Gaze rising from the table to the ceiling as if she was deep in thought, she slowly stood up. She left her room and ascended the spiral staircase that connected it to the rest of her home, then she went across one of the stone bridges into another tower. She glanced inside every room she passed to see who was around. Unable to find anyone, she ended up in the main lounge that functioned as a reception room. It was also a favorite relaxing spot for many members of her familia. “Oh, just you, Bete? Where’s Aizuu and the rest?” “…The Dungeon, where else? Even dragged Finn down with ’em. Won’t be back for a while, by the sound of it.” The werewolf had his feet up, sprawled out on a sofa in a small room just off the hallway that was often used for consultation. He had glanced at Loki coming in and spat out a blunt answer without bothering to get up. “So ya got left out?” “Like hell I did!” Bete snarled as he sat up. Muttering something like “Don’t be stupid” under his breath, his now-free tail slapped against the sofa with a loud thump. She had hit the nail right on the head. “There, there, now,” she said in a soft, soothing voice. Changing the subject, she asked him what his plans were for the day. “…Ain’t doing jack,” he said after a few moments of silence. “…Say, Bete. Sorry, but would ya mind stickin’ with me for the day?” “Huh? And do what?” asked Bete, eyebrows sinking into a suspicious glare. “There’s somethin’ I wanna look into.”
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