Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 4 - Chapter 1.1

FIRST CHAPTER AND THE BOY… 

The city was asleep. 
Not a single light flickered within the whole of Twilight Manor, home of Loki Familia. 
The residential building and its surroundings ran thick with shadow. Members of the familia stood watch at the main gate in sets of two despite assurances from their patron deity that “’S all good, don’t worry ’bout it.” Even now, guards were changing shifts—from a mixed set of humans to a female elf and animal-person pair. Within the manor itself, magic-stone lamps flickered unsteadily throughout the hallways like candlesticks. 
Accompanying the main building were many towers, thrust upward like spears at the ready. One such tower was the maiden tower, where only the most beautiful of women, scouted by Loki herself, resided. 
It was from within that gloom that a silhouette emerged. 
Out slipped a leg in frilly pajamas, descending to the floor below. There was a rustle of cloth, hidden in a darkness as black as the world beyond the window’s pulled-back curtains. 
The shadowy figure changed clothes, careful to be silent lest it awaken its roommates, still fast asleep in their beds. Then it slipped out the door and into the night. 
“I can’t believe I’ve woken this early…” Lefiya mumbled to herself upon exiting the room, her long golden ponytail swishing behind her. 
It had already been four days since their confrontation with Levis and her creatures down on the twenty-fourth floor. 
After succumbing to Mind Down and resting for nearly three days straight, Lefiya had never been more awake. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, unable to sleep even a moment longer, she felt her elven ears twitch back and forth as she tiptoed down the narrow hallway. 
Might as well take this opportunity to train, right? 
She curled her hands into two tight fists, brimming with determination. 
The incident on the twenty-fourth floor had reminded her of how powerless she really was. It reaffirmed her resolve to become stronger, not only to ensure she’d never drag down her seniors in Loki Familia but for her own sake, as well. 
A flame sparked in her azure eyes. 
This early, I might even get the chance to train with Miss Aiz! 
Her usual dignified, composed elven countenance dissipated in an instant. 
There was no one Lefiya looked up to more than the golden-haired, golden-eyed swordswoman. She never missed a training session, waking up in the wee hours morning after morning to hone her blade work. If Lefiya left now, there was a chance she could spend time with her dazzling goddess. Feeling just a tad bit sneaky, or maybe more than a little, her feet seemed to be practically skipping as she hurried along. 
Training so early, Lefiya? I’m impressed. Oh, Miss Aiz! This is nothing! I still have so much to learn, so at least this much is expected. Eh-heh-heh, but I do enjoy praise… 
Lefiya wore a little grin as the “Eh-heh-heh” slipped from her lips in reality, as well. 
In a delightful mood, she steered herself toward Aiz’s usual training spot in the courtyard. 
“Hmm…This is strange. Perhaps I am too early, after all?” 
Lefiya peered down from the bridge connecting the tower, searching for her golden-haired, golden-eyed warrior in the courtyard below. Strangely, she was nowhere to be found. The magic-stone pole lamps hadn’t even been lit yet, leaving the grass of the courtyard still bathed in darkness. Lefiya cocked her head in curiosity. True, the short hand on the timepiece had yet to reach three. Perhaps even Aiz had her limits. 
Lefiya drooped in the middle of the bridge, gloom weighing heavily on her shoulders. Finally, she renewed her resolve, intent on starting her training alone all the same. 
“Huh? Miss Aiz?” 
At that exact moment, Lefiya caught a glimpse of the very person she was looking for. 
Not in the courtyard but in a space behind the manor, situated neatly between its towers. Already clad in her lightweight armor and sword hanging from her side, she was acting shifty—checking first left, right, then back again before leaping noiselessly atop the wall surrounding the manor. 
“?!” 
The sight of Aiz sneaking out without going through the gate caused Lefiya’s big blue eyes to grow as wide as saucers. 
The sole witness to this suspicious behavior, Lefiya couldn’t help but worry that Aiz might be headed to the Dungeon all by herself, and she took off after her idol in a fit of worry. 
Leaping nimbly from the bridge, she headed for the garden. There would be no time for fetching her staff as she took off at a gallop and quickly cleared the wall. 
 
It was dark and cold as she ran through the city streets. 
Before long, Lefiya realized that Aiz’s destination was not, in fact, the center of the city where Babel Tower sealed the massive hole leading into the Dungeon. 
Instead, the elusive figure trailing golden locks seemed to be headed toward a district in the northwest. 
Where on earth could she be off to this early in the morning…? 
Tiny puffs of white air rose from her lips before melting into the shadows as she pushed her legs as fast as they could go. 
Stopping for just a moment to ask for directions from a demi-human and a group of drunken, stumbling adventurers, she followed in Aiz’s wake. Try as she might, however, she couldn’t keep up, and eventually she lost sight of her mark altogether. 
Lefiya came to a stop near the northwestern wall, struggling to catch her breath. 
“I was so sure she came this way…” 
The stone path she’d reached was enclosed on all sides by houses. She paused to examine her surroundings and the ornate magic-stone lamp poles all neatly aligned before taking off at a run once more. 
She left the main street behind, dashing first onto a rather wide but tidy backstreet before disappearing down a complex web of small alleyways. 
Lefiya blindly chased that shadow for twenty or thirty minutes, wrestling with the ever-branching roads. She didn’t even know what she was doing anymore, yet she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She had to find Aiz. 
Before she knew it, a considerable amount of time had passed. 
Head on a swivel and mind consumed by the frantic search, Lefiya sailed around the nearest corner and found herself face-to-face with an oncoming body. 
“Eeek!” 
“Whoa!” 
There was a sharp crack as their heads collided. Both parties landed hard on their rumps. 
They were motionless for a few moments, teary-eyed and groaning as they held their heads in pain. 
Of all the—! 
As a Level 3 adventurer, she couldn’t believe that she had ended up splayed out on the ground like an utter klutz. It was her own fault, really. She’d gotten too caught up in her chase, unable to think of anything except Aiz. 
“I’m very sor—” 
“P-pardon me, ma’am!” 
Her apology was cut short by an even louder one, and the speaker got to his feet in a hurry. 
Upon peering upward, her eyes met those of a boy. 
A rubellite-eyed, white-haired human boy. 
He had the most cherubic of features, his hair reminiscent of the pure-white snow that often painted the landscape of elven villages in the woods Lefiya had once called home. He was young—there weren’t any men in her familia who were younger—and slim, his features lean and slender. 

 

Lefiya couldn’t help but wonder if their ages weren’t so different. The boy, on the other hand, simply reached his hand toward her. 
“Are you all right…? Ah—” 
But then his outstretched hand suddenly stopped short. 
Reflected in those ruby eyes of his were the decidedly pointy, decidedly twitchy ears of an elf. Like Filvis from Dionysus Familia, prideful elves loathed skin-to-skin contact with anyone they didn’t approve of. While this didn’t hold true for their entire race, the number of elves who couldn’t get over their discomfort was considerable. 
As though familiar with it himself, the boy hesitated, unsure whether or not he should retract his hand. 
All Lefiya could do was sigh. She could see in his face how distraught he was. Not wanting to be misunderstood due to the habits of other elves, she took the boy’s hand herself. 
He was surprised, for sure, but not to the point that she couldn’t use his hand to pull herself to her feet. 
She took a moment to dust herself off before meeting those rubellite eyes again. 
“Thank you very much! And I do apologize. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” 
“N-no, I—! I was the one who should have been more careful…” 
Lefiya delivered her apology with a smile while the boy could only stumble over his words in response. 
One might actually think the boy had never even spoken to a girl before from the way his face heated up, especially contrasted with Lefiya’s calm, very elven demeanor. His discomfort was palpable. 
There was something authentic about him. A simple sort of humbleness. From the look of his lightweight armor, he must be an adventurer. 
As all these thoughts ran through her mind, however, another joined them. 
Oh, right—Aiz! 
Practically bent forward in her urgency, she quickly asked whether or not he’d noticed someone matching Aiz’s description nearby. 
“Golden hair and golden eyes…?” 
“Exactly! The Sword Princess! Aiz Wallenstein! You’re an adventurer, no? Surely you know her! Have you seen her?” 
She could feel the desperation building in her voice. 
The boy, however, was silent, and Lefiya could have sworn she saw the beginnings of sweat forming on his temple. 
“You’re, uh…not from Loki Familia, are you?” 
Lefiya’s brow creased. Where’d that come from? “…? I am, yes. Why?” 
The corners of the boy’s mouth twitched. It was almost as if he was hiding something. The hints of perspiration on his face quickly became full-fledged beads. 
Wait a minute…Lefiya’s eyes narrowed, her demeanor shifting. There’s something quite suspicious about this… 
Now she was certain he was covering something up. 
“You know something, yes? Tell me what you know about Miss Aiz!” She was practically shouting at this point. 
The boy didn’t waste a second—he turned tail and bolted. 
“You—!” 
The way his white hair fluttered in his escape reminded Lefiya of a bounding rabbit. 
Not about to be outdone by a human, no matter how fast his legs could apparently go, Lefiya shot off after him like an arrow. 
“You come back heeeeeeeeeere!!” 
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!” 
Amid the silent streets, its residents still fast asleep, the chase had begun. 
His head start vanished in an instant. After throwing a glance over his shoulder only to see Lefiya gaining on him, the boy gave another startled eep. 
He couldn’t have been higher than Level 1, that much was certain, which meant he was no match for the speed of a Level 3 like Lefiya, even if she was a magic user. The distance between them grew shorter, shorter, and shorter. 
He definitely knew something about Aiz and what she was doing all the way out here in the wee hours of the morning—it was written all over his face. 
Lefiya could feel it in her gut. The polite and sincere nice-guy bit had been nothing but an act. She revised her evaluation, seeing him now as nothing but a rude, insolent boy concealing information about her precious Aiz. 
Her eyes narrowed like brilliant deep-blue razors, the rabbit in her sights. 
“Eeeeeeeeeeep!” 
“You little—!!” 
Around and around and around they went through that chaotic disarray of back alleys. Why hadn’t she caught up with him yet? 
She willed her legs to move faster, her eyes glued to the boy’s back and her mind screaming. 
—He’s used to this! 
The way he used the complicated back roads to his advantage, almost as though he’d been trained by Daedalus himself, and that explosive dash of his— 
Lefiya found herself at a loss. What kind of monsters had hounded him at Level 1 that he needed to be this good at running away? 
Still, she was close. She had only about five meders left. 
No matter what he did, at this point, there was no way he could shake her. 
Gotcha! No sooner had the thought entered her head, however, than the boy leaped down a new street. 
“Wh-where’d he go?!” 
In the instant it took Lefiya’s field of vision to shift to this new alleyway, the boy had simply vanished. 
Where is he?! She was in a panic now. Head whipping from side to side, she discovered the entrance to another side corridor and tore down it in a flash, arms swinging wildly. 
Caught up in her search for Aiz, she neglected to fully take in her surroundings. Failed to closely examine the small enclosure, hidden in the shadows of the nearby buildings like a blind spot. 
And she never noticed the old stone well, its bucket rattling from its pulley…but no one in sight touching it. 
 
“Good…morning?” 
“Haah, haah, haah…! G-good morning!!” 
“…Is everything all right?” 
“Oh, sure…I’m fine! Just had a…a bit of a run-in…with a forest fairy…” 
“A forest…fairy?” 
“So beautiful but so terrifying…!” 
“Are you…sure you’re all right?” 
“If I could…sit down for a little bit…” 
“Right, of course…” 
And thus the first act atop the city walls came to a close. 
The real training, however, had yet to begin. 
 
“Haah, haah, haah…!” 
Three hours must have passed since she started chasing after that boy, the sun now peeking out from below the horizon and the sky a gentle pink. Lefiya’s shoulders heaved with every breath. 
It would seem so much time spent running was too much even for a Level 3. Her stamina was depleted, her skin soaked with sweat, and her body teetered in exhaustion. 
“Where in the world is he…?!” 
The lovely elf girl had nearly worn herself out. 
As fruitless as her persistent efforts to find Aiz and the boy had become, she couldn’t give up. 
It was at that moment, however, that she felt someone’s presence behind her. 
Two someones, actually. 
With a little gasp—and a sudden feeling of foreboding—she quickly dove behind the nearest cover she could find. 
Peeping her head out just enough to have a look, she felt her heart stop. 
It was her target. The boy with the white hair. And practically hanging off his shoulder was none other than Aiz. 
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat—?! 
With a mighty ZAP, a colossal lightning bolt seemed to strike the top of her head. 
Her every muscle frozen in shock, Lefiya found herself rooted to the spot, skin cold and clammy. 
Had she looked closely, she would have noticed Aiz was simply lending the boy an arm—he was quite bedraggled and altogether spent by this point, after all. But Lefiya was not examining closely. No, those blue eyes of hers saw nothing but a passionate, intimate embrace. 
Someone somewhere was laughing at her, their mocking voice, real or not, ringing in her ears. She was nothing more than a living statue in the shadows. 
Aiz, on the other hand, completely oblivious to her junior’s turmoil, walked right past Lefiya in her despondent heartache, consoling the boy all the while. 
 
That night, as the members of Loki Familia were helping themselves to supper in a corner of their large mess hall, a certain elven maiden was wallowing in a cloud of misery, avoiding all eye contact with her peers. 
“…What happened to her?” 
“No idea…” 
Tione and Tiona could be heard whispering back and forth, the two of them huddled together in front of Lefiya as though conducting some sort of secret meeting. And, indeed, Lefiya’s head was curved at an unnatural angle that was almost gruesome. Even Aiz, sitting next to the two Amazonian sisters, had finally noticed Lefiya’s distressed aura. It puzzled her. 
Every girl in the hall and even the guys currently congregating around Bete and Raul were visibly whispering, elbowing one another, and generally keeping their distance from the dejected elf. 
“…Lefi…ya? Is everything all right?” 
Girding herself against the oppressive miasma enveloping the girl, Aiz took a step toward Lefiya—an act that garnered the admiring gazes of her peers. The trembling hesitation in her voice was audible. 
Lefiya didn’t respond, not even lifting her head. 
Just as Aiz was getting truly worried about the girl’s state of mind, Lefiya posed a question calmly, gently, in a husky timbre practically squeezed from her throat. 
“What were you doing with that human this morning, Miss Aiz?” 
“?!” 
Aiz was overwhelmed by an incredible sense of enmity and menace…How does she know?! 
Lefiya just sat there, waiting for Aiz’s response, with her head bowed, her eyes hidden beneath her bangs, and extraordinary gloom emanating from her every pore. 
The incriminating silence only heightened Aiz’s turmoil. She could feel everyone’s eyes and attention on her back. She needed to do something. Grabbing Lefiya’s hand, she quickly pulled her out of the mess hall. 
“L-Lefiya…how did you know…?” 
She took Lefiya to an empty room, still very much on edge. 
It was rare to see Aiz so visibly shaken. Lefiya, on the other hand, had yet to lift her head. 
As the pressure continued to throw Aiz’s consciousness into disarray, Lefiya finally parted her lips in response. 
“This morning, I chased you to the northwestern part of town…It was there that I witnessed a goddess of the sword with beautiful golden hair and eyes in the arms of an unknown human boy.” 
“?!” 
“Miss Aiz, you wouldn’t…happen to have some sort of long-lost sister, would you? Or perhaps I was hallucinating…? I…I have been thinking about it all day, Miss Aiz, and I still have yet to come up with an explanation that makes sense…” 
“L-Lefiya, try and…calm down for a moment, would you?” 
“If that really was you, Miss Aiz…I…I—!!” 
The pressure in the room multiplied exponentially. 
Lefiya drew closer. The veteran top-class adventurer was sweating. She could feel the elf’s shadow consuming her. 
When she slowly raised her head, there were tears in those brilliant azure eyes. 
At any moment, it seemed she would fling herself upon Aiz in a sobbing fit like a child who’d lost her most precious, admired, beloved sister for some reason, and Aiz was terrified. 
There was no longer any way for her to hide what she’d done. It was that frightening thought that prompted her to spill everything. 
“……You were training on top of the wall?” 
“Y-yes.” 
“…Then who was that boy holding you?” 
“Um…But he was having trouble walking, so I simply lent him my shoulder…” 
It didn’t take long before the interrogation made the situation crystal clear. 
The black cloud of miasmatic anguish exuding from Lefiya steadily dissipated, and light returned to her vacant eyes. 
“So…what you are saying is that…you are going to be training this human before the expedition begins?” 
Aiz nodded. Now that Lefiya had returned to her normal, calm self, she let out a sigh of relief as she smoothed down the front of her clothes. 
T-to think that boy would ask someone from another familia to train him. For free, even! Does he have no sense?! 
Of course, that didn’t prevent a different concern from forming in the back of Lefiya’s mind. 
Camaraderie between gods and their familias’ members was understandable, but this? This went far beyond the scope of simple kindness. And of all the possibilities, Hestia Familia? Just who are they?! 
And even then there was the issue of their differing social statuses. 
On the one hand, there was this lower-class adventurer from an insignificant familia, and on the other was not only a top-class adventurer but one of the leaders of the strongest factions in the entire city to boot. 
Anyone else listening to this would surely tell him to “learn his place.” 
This is insane! Unbelievable! Outrageous!! 
All manner of curses rang through her head, the face of that white-haired boy rising in her mind. 
The impudence of that boy! All alone with Miss Aiz like that! I am so…so…JEALOUS!! 
That was the reason, ultimately. 
That boy was monopolizing her Aiz for personal early morning training. 
Lefiya’s entire being curdled with envy at the mere thought of that nameless white-haired boy. 
“Um…I think you may have gotten the wrong impression. I was the one who offered to train him…It’s not his fault. He wouldn’t be involved if not for me.” Seeing the resentment and jealousy playing out like a wordless soliloquy on Lefiya’s face, Aiz quickly tried to intervene. 
The desperate way Aiz tried to cover for the boy, however, only worsened Lefiya’s mood, expressed as a guttural “Gnkk…” 
Look at her, so concerned for him. Does that boy know how lucky he is? Does he?! 
“Please, Lefiya. Don’t tell Loki, Finn…anyone about this, okay?” 
That beautiful curve of her brows. That golden tremble of her eyes. 
Do you really want to train him that much, Miss Aiz? the voice in her head implored weakly, frailly, as she trembled in silence. 
She tried to keep her emotions from rushing out, but she couldn’t bear it any longer. 
The jealousy welling up inside finally exploded, her voice rising as she hardened her resolve. 
“If…if you want me to keep this secret, you will have to do something for me!” 
No one would have believed that Lefiya, now completely red in the face, had demanded something from the person she admired more than anyone in the world. 
It completely blindsided Aiz. A mutiny like this, or resistance rather, was the last thing she’d expected, and it shocked her. 
Seeing the look on Aiz’s face made Lefiya’s heart ache, but there was no turning back now. 
“Y-you must train me, as well! Just like that human! Only you and me! Alone!!” 
The words crackled on her tongue, her face a brilliant shade of red. 
All Aiz could do for a moment was blink in silence. 
Then, finally, she nodded ever so slightly. 
“If that’s what you want…” 
“R-really?!” 
Aiz nodded again. “Yes…It’s all right.” 
“Y-yes!” 
Lefiya gave a little leap right there on the floor, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her long bright sunny locks swirled around from her prancing, revealing the light-pink flush of her soft cheeks. 
She was positively beaming. Her earlier jealousy, the boy—everything else was forgotten. 
And all her beloved Aiz could do was stare in confusion as the elf girl twirled around and around and around. 
Thus, in return for keeping the practice atop the city walls a secret, Aiz came to train not one but two. 
 
Only six days remained until the day of the expedition. 
This marked the second day of their training. 
Same as the day before, Aiz had been conducting the breeze with her scabbard atop the city walls since the early hours of the morning. 
The wind shrieked, and in every fading flash of her vigorous slashing was the white-haired Bell. 
“Make every move count. Think before you move. Use the space to your advantage.” 
“R-right!” 
Aiz emphasized each word with a jab of her scabbard as Bell moved to block each attack with his dagger. It was an intense back-and-forth, or perhaps it would be more accurately described as fending off a one-sided assault. Their feet moved like lightning as the scrimmage continued. 
After worrying all day yesterday, she’d finally decided on what to teach. 
They’d practice dueling. 
There was no way someone with her limited conversational skills would be able to instruct anyone using her words. It wasn’t possible to convey everything she knew about combat. After countless failures on the first day, she offered him a new proposal and said only one thing: 
“Let’s fight.” 

Their weapons clashed, the two of them reading each other’s movements, looking for anything they could use to their advantage. 
She told Bell to get a feel for everything she did during their practice battle, and then to steal everything he could. 
Aiz might have been using only her scabbard, but Bell wielded a real dagger fit for use in the Dungeon, so it was about as close to a real battle as they could get. She tried just hard enough to distill any unfounded fears the boy might have, not even allowing him to fight back as she peppered him with blows from her relatively harmless scabbard. 
“Flailing wildly in an attempt to block…won’t help.” 
“Ngh?!” 
“Connect each block with your next move, whether attacking or changing position.” 
Of course, Aiz wasn’t going to leave everything up to Bell to learn himself. 
She made sure to point out anything she noticed as the two of them fought, interjecting words of advice between jabs. Even though she rarely spoke, Aiz still managed to provide him the minimum degree of instruction. 
Whenever he exposed an opening or made a poorly conceived move, Aiz imbued her scabbard with her thoughts and struck his body as though warning him. 
How strange… 
In the dim light of the still-distant sunrise, Aiz took the opportunity to examine Bell, who was frantically attempting to block her every attack. 
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria had drilled the same basics of combat into her some nine years before, when she was learning the ways of adventurers as well as absorbing their wisdom. Now she was the mentor. 
As Aiz recalled all these somewhat poignant memories, she saw her young self reflected in the boy in front of her. Determined to stand and face her despite his ragged breathing, he seemed to transform into an inflexible golden-haired, golden-eyed girl who hated to lose. Meanwhile, she’d become Finn, with his carrot-and-stick approach, as well as Gareth, hearty in every word and action. Most of all, she was Riveria, the severe disciplinarian. 
Her hands didn’t stop. Everything those mentors had taught her was coming back to her. She could see the mock battles especially clearly. 
But only doing this together wasn’t enough. 
Guiding his movements, she made sure he was following her every step as she attacked. 
Finn and the others had done this much, at least, to instruct the young girl she’d once been. 
But I can’t yet match something like that… 
She couldn’t mimic them. It was absolutely impossible for her to stand in the same league. 
And as Bell’s breathing grew more and more ragged, even more so than yesterday, all Aiz could do was utter a silent apology. 
There was a reason Finn, Gareth, and Riveria were the leaders of Loki Familia. 
They’d shown her patience through the many arguments shared together and given all their guidance freely despite her childish resistance. The more she came to understand their degree of accomplishment, the more she felt the full weight of her own immaturity press down on her. 
So she assigned herself a new mission. She would, of course, help Bell hone his skills through this training, but she would also be polishing her own at the same time. 
Her scabbard collided with Bell’s dagger, causing a dull thud. 
“Mm…Well done.” 
“Y-you mean it?!” 
He’d blocked it quite well, actually. Referencing the way Finn had spurred her on with both praise and criticism, Aiz made sure to do the same. 
The words made him so happy, Bell all but forgot the pain and exhaustion, his face brightening with an almost visible shine. 
All Aiz could see was a rabbit perking up at a carrot dangled in front of its face, and the thought brought a tiny smile to her lips. 
Bell blushed instantly. Aiz cocked her head just slightly in confusion. 
“Shall we rest for a bit?” 
“Oh, uh…sure.” He wheezed in response, shoulders heaving with his every breath. 
Aiz lowered her scabbard as Bell did the same with his dagger. 
The two of them stood facing each other, five steps apart atop the wide city wall, as the breeze cooled their hot skin. 
He’s improved since yesterday… 
Aiz watched as Bell wiped the sweat from his face. 
Compared to the first day, there was a dramatic difference in his movements—well, perhaps that was a bit of an overstatement, but the change was certainly visible. Whether or not this was due to his uncanny growth, however, Aiz couldn’t be certain. 
There was a kind of simpleminded intensity radiating from him. As though he clung to her every word, taking everything she’d told him and reexamining it endlessly. 
That being said, there was no way he could go beyond her instructions or surpass her expectations. Still, he was doing well. 
He needs to focus on defense…After that, technique and strategy. 
She’d evaluated him yesterday—the first day of their training—identifying and pointing out his current level and weaknesses. 
The problem was that Bell Cranell was a coward. 
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it actually had some advantages when it came to solo trips into the Dungeon. When it came to combat, however, that cowardice led to one major problem: Bell was more apt to flee than fight. Fearing enemy attacks and the pain they might bring, he often took off like a frightened rabbit. This explained why his evasion skills were more developed than his defensive skills. 
Aiz made it her top priority to teach him how to properly defend. 
Actually, what she really wanted to do was pass on her technique of deflecting and eluding incoming attacks. 
When they started, there had remained a mere seven days to train him before Loki Familia’s expedition. If she could impress upon him even a fraction of all the defensive skills, methods, and strategies she hoped to teach, then one way or another, she could make it work. 
His shortcomings. Areas of improvement. Strengths. 
She carefully considered each of them in turn, going over everything she already knew about the boy. 
He does have…one thing going for him… 
His ability to flee from danger—practically a specialty at this point—was impressive even by Aiz’s standards. 
While this was likely due to his craven nature, it was still a splendid weapon of his. 
Bell’s strategy in fights fundamentally boiled down to a hit-and-run approach. 
After taking into account his disposition, constitution, familia, and aptitude with his weapon, that wasn’t necessarily a poor decision. 
But if he could only harness the courage he’d shown earlier… 
After peeling off that shell of his…things could get interesting, Aiz’s intuition was telling her. 
The first topics that rose to Aiz’s mind were speed and quantity of attacks. Making full use of both would give him a fierce attack—a rush. 
If he could learn to use two weapons at once, a dagger in each hand, that would be perfect. 
Striking from the front with great agility. Truly, this was Aiz’s preferred style. 
—She had thought that far before gasping involuntarily. 
Was that all right? Molding the boy in her own image? No, no! I can’t, I can’t! Her head throbbed from the inner turmoil. 
What discipline to follow was Bell’s decision. 
Forcing her ideals onto someone else was simply unacceptable. Even more so when it came to combat. 
Her only job was to teach him the basics, not lead him, and she needed to remember that. 
“Still…he could be interested,” she muttered beneath her breath. 
Once Bell’s breathing had finally settled back into a steady pace, Aiz explained what she’d observed from their duel. 
“I’m a…coward…” 
Bell’s shoulders gave the slightest of shudders. 
That reaction was enough for Aiz to realize she’d hit the nail on the head. 
“You’re still…worried about that? What I said yesterday…?” 
“No, I mean, it’s…well……yeah.” Bell’s gaze went first left, then right, before finally dropping to the ground. His voice seemed liable to disappear back down his throat. 
The pathetic sight brought with it the sting of her own failure, and Aiz furrowed her brows. 
You’re…a coward. 
There’s something that you’re afraid of. 
I don’t know what it is that frightens you but…when the time comes, you’ll only be able to run away. 
That’s what she’d told him yesterday before plunging head-on into their duel. 
What she’d unearthed and revealed to him. 
No doubt, her words had hit quite close to home. 
Which would explain his newfound refusal to retreat—to the point of reckless abandon—meeting every one of Aiz’s blows as though shying away would spell disgrace. 
Aiz’s tactless commentary had burrowed its way deep inside him, where the resentment and shame continued to weigh heavily on his shoulders even now. 
I hurt him again… 
Aiz was beginning to get an idea of just what it was Bell feared so much. 
Though there wasn’t much she could do until she knew for sure, it was clear that the scar was deep—some sort of trauma, almost—and it wasn’t something he would easily overcome. 
And here Aiz was brazenly provoking him despite how much he was subconsciously suffering. Was she really so incompetent? 
Or was it just that Bell didn’t want to hear that from her? 
That he was a coward. 
Perhaps he wanted to scream at her how he was no coward. 
All Aiz saw standing in front of her was a young boy giving his all to be strong…even as his torment and shame trampled him. 
“…Mhn, uh…What I said earlier? About you being a coward? That…was wrong.” 
She couldn’t take it any longer. It was unbearable seeing him like that. 
To unravel his misunderstanding, as though caressing those pitiable cheeks, she tried to speak her mind. 
“I don’t think…you’re pitiful, useless, or anything like that. I know yesterday…I called you a coward, but it’s important that…” 
Her words were broken, faltering, and her voice grew softer and softer, heavy with emotion. Bell’s distraught face rose to meet hers. 
As those entreating rubellite eyes trembled with feeling, the words became harder and harder for Aiz to find. 
Frustrated at her inability to express herself, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. 
“…While cowardice should not be confused with caution…” 
She prefaced her thoughts with the words she remembered Finn, Gareth, and Riveria told her once. 
“Sometimes…being afraid of something can save your party in the Dungeon.” 
“…” 
“Really, people who feel no fear at all are more dangerous.” 
—Someone like me, said the voice from deep inside her, but she continued, Bell hanging on her every word. 
“Which is why it’s important…that you’re not ashamed to be afraid. Okay?” 
“Miss Aiz…” 
“I don’t want you to ever forget that.” 
Now that she’d gotten the words out there, she couldn’t stop them, and Bell continued to gaze up at her, wide-eyed, opposite her, as she shifted the focus back to her with just four words: 
“The way I did.” 
“Huh?!” 
“I did nothing but worry Riveria and the others. I got my friends involved yet felt nothing. That doesn’t make me an adventurer…that makes me nothing but a monster.” 
Aiz lowered her head. She had long since become numb to fear or terror in her quest for power. 
Letting the thoughts of her past drift through her mind, well aware that she could never change from the foolish girl she’d become, she gave Bell her advice. 
“Don’t become like me.” 
The self-deprecating girl could see nothing but her feet now. 
The voice spilling from her throat seemed so distant, a dim shadow settling on her slim shoulders. 
She no longer noticed Bell in front of her, her vision now completely occupied by the rocks of the wall beneath her. 
“…Th-that’s not true!!” 
The loud voice shook her from her reverie. 
“A monster wouldn’t have been able to save me!” 
Aiz’s head snapped up to find Bell leaning forcefully in her direction. 
The words continued to shoot from his mouth with uncanny boldness. 
“The way you rescued me was amazing! Like a hero out of those stories I heard as a kid! And so beautiful, too! You…You’re the one who gave me my dream of becoming an adventurer! So when you say things like that, I-I mean, it’s like…well…you know…?” 
As if taken aback by his own ramblings, Bell’s words grew increasingly incoherent, and his face turned a brilliant pink. 
Aiz felt her own face heating from the unadulterated praise and adoration. 
Such candor and sincerity. As Aiz stood there in amazement, her cheeks growing warmer, she couldn’t help but reaffirm her belief that this boy was exactly the same as she had been once upon a time. 
Her lips curved up in a tiny arc. 
She saw herself, eyes shining as her mother told a story. 
She remembered her dreams, full of heroes and adventure. 
Wonderful, sweet memories of her childhood, called forth by the boy standing before her. 
From deep within the frozen recesses of her heart, a tiny flame flickered. 
“Thank you…” 
The slight curve of her lips erupted into a full, wide smile. The white rabbit had soothed her heart. 
For just a moment, Bell was stunned. Then the embarrassment welled up inside him ridiculously quickly, and he could not bring himself to look at Aiz’s face. His eyes wandered this way and that, focusing on everything but her. 
Finally, he responded with a shy laugh of his own, happy that he’d been able to bring a smile to Aiz’s face. 
“…Shall we continue with our training, then?” 
“S-sure!” 
Aiz felt a small tingle deep inside as the faintest traces of light appeared along the eastern horizon. 
Pale-pink light dyed the tips of the distant mountains as dawn’s glow slowly overtook the dark cerulean sky. As Aiz gazed out across that magnificent scenery, she brought her scabbard to the ready. 
Bell followed up with another energetic reply, and their training began anew. 
…He’s gotten better. 
Aiz’s eyes narrowed, following Bell’s movements, as she became the Sword Princess once again. 
While he still wasn’t able to block every one of hers attacks, he wasn’t just flailing wildly anymore. Face hardened like he was possessed, Bell chased every one of Aiz’s slashes, carefully reading her timing and slipping his dagger into any openings. 
Her words must have hit home, since Bell’s tendency to leap forward recklessly had all but vanished. 
Seeing the difference her words had made gave Aiz a wonderful feeling of accomplishment as his teacher. 
—I-I did it. 
Being someone normally so bad with words only reinforced her satisfaction; Little Aiz inside her raised both hands in triumph. 
Her joy was so great, in fact, that quite suddenly, without warning, she gave it everything she had. 
Her scabbard became a blur, each slash faster than the next. 
“Nngh!!” 
“Ah.” 
Her scabbard collided with the side of Bell’s head, and with a strangled cry he tumbled to the hard stone. There was a loud thud. 
And now the boy was splayed out on the ground, his body slack. 
She’d knocked him out cold. 
“N-not again…” Aiz muttered before dashing to his side. 
This was what happened as soon as she got careless. It would seem that as someone with zero teaching experience, she couldn’t properly adjust the strength of her attacks, after all. 
Calming herself, she took a knee beside Bell, still sprawled faceup on his back. She reached out, fully prepared to take him in her arms in an act of gallant bravado. 
Until— 
She realized with a start… 
“This feels…” 
Passed out in her lap. Eyes closed as though sleeping. 
Aiz suddenly had the very strong feeling that this had happened before. 
Not more than a week prior, down on the fifth floor of the Dungeon, after succumbing to a bout of Mind Down, he’d been passed out just like this. 
That’s right—the situation was almost exactly the same as when she had done as Riveria said and laid his head in her lap, only to have him dash off at top speed! 
Whereupon she’d turned bright red and been heavily criticized by Riveria. 
What was it that elegant high elf had told her? “Men usually adore this kind of thing! You’re probably just doing it wrong!” It might as well have happened yesterday, the way that memory was burned into the back of her mind. 
Of course, Riveria had only been giving her a hard time, struggling to hold back a grin all the while. Aiz, on the other hand, had taken her words as gospel. 
Gulp. 
Body trembling slightly, she shifted toward Bell. 
She couldn’t just end things here. Watch out, Riveria! Watch out, white rabbit! It was time for her unyielding, indomitable spirit to shine. Her revenge was nigh. 
Failure was not an option. Not this time. 
Ever so slowly, Aiz took a hold of Bell’s head and positioned it atop her thighs. 
“Mmhn…” Bell murmured. 
That same weight and pressure. 
As she knelt with Bell’s head in her lap, embarrassment she was entirely unaccustomed to washed over her, and a touch of pink brightened her cheeks. 
All the while, the eastern sky silently grew brighter and brighter. 
Night turned to morning, and the horizon displayed the most beautiful fairy-tale-like colors, the light wrapping itself around Aiz’s shoulders as she gently stroked Bell’s forehead and cheeks. 
There was something so innocent about that sleeping face, and it brought a small smile to her lips. It really did feel as though her heart had been given a good cleansing. 
Was this the way her parents had felt when they’d put her to bed so many years ago? 
She ran her fingers through his soft white hair, letting his heartbeat guide her into a relaxing sense of calm. 
Forgetting why the two of them were up on the city walls in the first place, with Bell’s head on her lap, she let herself enjoy the moment to her heart’s content. 
“Mmn…” Bell murmured again, right before his eyelids fluttered. 
Aiz drew in a gasp, freezing momentarily before flinging her hands behind her back. 
And then she waited, face revealing none of her inner turmoil. 
She held her breath as Bell’s eyes slid open ever so slowly— 
“W-waaaah!” 
As soon as he realized the situation, Bell sprang from her lap with a scream. 
Aiz’s shoulders drooped as she watched him scuttle away. 
Am I really as bad at this as Riveria said…? 
On the other hand, Bell paid Aiz no attention and didn’t stop running until he’d made it to a distant corner, face flushed with his back pressed up against a parapet. 
“Wh-why a lap pillow?!” 
But all Aiz could think about in response to Bell’s vigorously sputtered question was how awful she must have been. 
She couldn’t tell him that she was bitter about losing to Riveria and had wanted to even the score. 
Something deep inside her chest reverberated with a weak groan. 
“I thought maybe…it would help you recover…more quickly…” 
Unable to even glance in his general direction, she struggled to throw together an excuse. 
Her response was met with a suitably suspicious look from Bell. 
“…Sorry.” She uttered a meek apology, head drooping. 
Aiz confessed the lie she’d just told him, still kneeling upon the stone. 
“Actually…I just wanted to do it to you…” 
After hearing her true intentions, Bell turned a brilliant shade of red. 
“She doesn’t know what she’s saying…she doesn’t know what she’s saying…she doesn’t know what she’s saying…!” 
Aiz was the kind of person who couldn’t help but misinterpret things, but what she said had completely shaken Bell and broken him. Again and again he repeated something to himself, both hands cradling his head. 
Aiz cocked her head to the side as she watched Bell struggle with waves of emotional turmoil, warning himself to not misunderstand. 
Seeing his strange behavior, Aiz asked tentatively, “You didn’t like it…after all, then?” 
“Ehhhh?!” 
Bell’s head shot up. 
Next thing she knew, his already flushed face grew even darker as his hands leaped up in frantic denial. 
“I don’t hate it at all! In fact, it’s more like a-a side benefit? I-I mean, no! No, that’s not what I meant! Forget that! I mean, I did enjoy it, but—Wait, I didn’t mean that in a weird way…!” 
He rattled off one thing after another, unable to communicate his thoughts while his face became redder than an apple. 
“Then…will you let me try it on you again?” 
“More than let you, I want you to do it, but…it’s just that, you know, it’d be embarrassing and pathetic…I mean, it’s really only something you do when someone’s passed out and there’s no other option, right—?!” 
“So…as long as I only do it when you’re unconscious, it’s fine, right?” 
“Huh?” 
Aiz rose to her feet in one swift motion, readying her scabbard. 
Her golden eyes bored into Bell with intense desire. 
Aiz’s spirit was unwilling to yield to Riveria’s evaluation, but more important, a wish to hold the white rabbit in her lap once more bloomed inside. Her heart would be soothed and she would ruffle his soft white fur. 
Bit by bit. 
She steadily whittled down the distance between them. 
The strange atmosphere she’d created was too much for Bell to stay silent. “M-Miss Aiz? Miss Aiz?! Why are you looking at me like that?!” 
“You’re imagining things.” 
Bell fearfully readied his dagger and prepared to back up, only to realize he was already against the wall. There was nowhere to run. 
Eyes glimmering with an all-consuming longing, Aiz eliminated any doubts the boy had as she practically flew toward him. 
Not even two seconds went by before Bell’s shrieking “Gaaahhh!!” rose into the sky. 
Several minutes later… 
Bell was, once again, passed out cold with his head neatly positioned in Aiz’s lap. She ran her fingers through his bangs over and over, a blissfully satisfied look on her face. 
A few more minutes later… 
Aiz started with a gasp—she’d completely forgotten the original purpose of their training. 
When at last the boy’s eyes reopened, she peppered him with apologies.