RECOLLECTIONS CHAPTER 1 THE YOUNG GIRL’S BEGINNINGS
“Are you sure about this?” the goddess asked.
She stood facing a small back.
The skin was unbelievably smooth and pale.
Untouched by violence, as if antithetical to the very idea of it.
“If I do this, there’s no goin’ back, ya know?”
The goddess checked one more time as she gave her final warning. Her vermilion hair wavered. Blood seeped from the cut on her finger.
“That’s part of becomin’ a god’s follower.”
The little girl had only one response.
“Hurry and do it.”
Her voice did not waver in the slightest; her determination was sharp like steel.
An unwavering resolution. Her golden eyes, fixed straight ahead, were the same. In them was a cold gaze like an unsheathed blade that would cut through any- and everything. It was too sharp for a child not yet even ten to wield. The goddess could sense only danger in the girl’s future from it.
The goddess looked down and softly put her finger on the girl’s back.
Her flowing blood slowly drew out the letters of the gods.
The line of characters was like an inscription, vermilion hieroglyphs reminiscent of a sunset.
Once the goddess’s and girl’s true names were inscribed, the Blessing announced to the world that another god’s follower had been born.
“Welcome to Loki Familia. Now yer one of my followers.”
?
“Rose.”
The bored werewolf receptionist waiting at the counter looked up when she heard her name.
Before her eyes was a high elf who possessed peerless beauty.
Rose had been chosen by the Guild in part for her good looks, but she could not hold a candle to the high elf. It was a bit of a well-known story around the Labyrinth City that this unrivaled high elf had even inspired the jealousy of a goddess, setting off a full-blown incident. The jade hair gathered around her collar was jewellike, befitting the dignified aura of a high-level magic user.
However, the young receptionist was neither entranced nor jealous of those looks. She did not even fix her bored slouch as she responded—seeming more annoyed by the hassle than displeased.
“Welcome, Loki Familia Vice Captain Riveria Ljos Alf. What brings you here today?”
“You can stop with the formal greetings, Rose. You’re not even acting like you mean it.”
“It says in the manual that we’re supposed to do that for the major familias, so I can’t help it, you know? If we don’t do what we’re supposed to, we get a pay cut.”
Riveria furrowed her brows in a dignified way, to which the werewolf responded while twirling her red hair with one hand.
They were in Guild Headquarters, located in the city’s northwest district. This organization was the main administrative force in Orario, which had neither king nor feudal lord. Whether past, present, or future, it served as the Labyrinth City’s core.
“Five years ago, when I first met you behind the counter, you were so innocent. You’ve really changed. I think you were fourteen then? That willfulness hasn’t gone anywhere, though.”
“That was right after I started the job. Could you please not bring up things from forever ago?”
“For an elf like me, it’s not all that different from something that happened only a month ago.”
The sun shone into the lobby as adventurers and workers bustled around. Rose sullenly crossed her arms. She was wearing a black uniform provided by the Guild and, at the moment, emphasizing the one area where she could win against Riveria. She responded with an overfamiliar tone of voice.
“Well? I’m sure you didn’t come to shoot the breeze. If this is gonna be a pain, I’d rather you hurry up and get it over with. They get fussy over every little thing when we deal with you guys or Freya Familia.”
As if confirming what she said, all the Guild staff behind the counter glanced over at the two of them.
Silenced for a moment, Riveria nodded and responded.
“Yes…Registering an adventurer. I’d like you to process someone.”
Rose looked confused.
“Registering an adventurer…And where is said new adventurer? I can’t register someone if they aren’t here themselves.”
“She’s here.”
“Huh?”
“The new adventurer is here.”
Following Riveria’s gaze downward, Rose leaned over the counter.
Like she said, there was indeed a person standing there. A young human, still so small that the counter was enough to hide her. A golden-haired, golden-eyed young girl wearing plain clothes.
Rose’s eyes widened. Despite the girl’s age, her beauty rivaled Riveria’s. Her golden eyes were particularly striking; in them dwelled a strong, determined light that was entirely at odds with the rest of her appearance. Her gaze contained a steely resolve unbefitting a child.
“I would like to register this girl as an adventurer.”
“…All right, all right. I’ll take care of it.”
Rose bluntly accepted the request.
Assuming a professional attitude, she suppressed a reproachful glare and swallowed what she really wanted to say as she started the registration process.
“Can you write?”
“…”
The little girl nodded in response to Riveria’s question.
Standing on a stool made for prum adventurers, she grabbed the quill pen offered to her and started to write on the provided parchment.
“…Wait, those are hieroglyphs? Use Koine.”
“?!”
Rose was shocked as Riveria helped the girl fill out the registration sheet’s required sections.
Name…Aiz Wallenstein. Age seven, eh? And absolutely nothing else…
Place of birth was blank, background was blank, everything else was blank, blank, blank…A void that told nothing. Other than her age, no information was listed at all.
Rose frowned but didn’t say anything.
This was Orario. Outlaws looking to get rich quick and people with guilty consciences came here all the time. And the Guild welcomed anyone who could take on the Dungeon. If they investigated everyone who didn’t reveal their past or career, it would never end.
Other than special cases like spies or informants working for other countries or cities, anybody could become an adventurer. That was the rule here. Rose accepted the parchment and approved it, like always.
“As for an adviser…Well, you guys won’t need that. A big familia like yours doesn’t need any support from us.”
“Yes, we’ll take care of her instruction ourselves.”
The Guild had instituted a system of advisers, mainly to assist newly established familias and novice adventurers, but it was unnecessary for one of the largest and most famous groups in Orario.
At that, Aiz Wallenstein looked up at the high elf.
“Is it…over?”
“…Yes. The registration is done.”
“Then I’m going.”
Despite just meeting her, Rose could tell from that curt exchange that the little girl was heading for the Dungeon.
The sharp-eyed girl jumped off the stool, about to dash off. But before she could leave, Riveria grabbed her by the collar of her shirt.
“Wait, you fool. Do you really intend to go straight to the Dungeon?”
The girl coughed cutely before glaring like she was about to get revenge for her parents. Not that the expression could possibly faze a first-tier adventurer.
“Going into the Dungeon without any preparation is suicide. What exactly were you planning to do without a weapon, at least?”
“Tch…”
“The first step is obtaining equipment. You need weapons and armor.”
Riveria won the argument with sound reasoning. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, Aiz glared at her before giving in reluctantly.
“…Want to use the Guild’s stock?”
Watching the exchange from the sidelines, Rose cut in.
“Yes, please. Those will be perfect for a novice who doesn’t know anything.”
“I never thought I’d see the day I’d be offering beginner’s adventurer equipment to Loki Familia. All right, dear, follow this clerk to get your measurements taken.”
She called over one of the women behind the counter to lead Aiz aside. The human worker held out her hand, but the girl refused to take it, simply following behind silently like a doll.
“Someone who can write hieroglyphs. Did you abduct her from some kingdom? Or one of the professors in the Education District?”
“Do not pry. That’s all I can say.”
“Hmm…Well, whatever. Though we’d rather you do something about the Evils than mess around with new adventurers.”
“That’s a bit of a sore spot.”
The two spoke without looking at each other, focused only on the unsmiling little girl who was having her measurements taken.
“So the city’s biggest faction is planning to arm a small child with a sword, then send her to die in the Dungeon?”
“…”
“You’re that desperate to expand your faction’s influence? If so, I gravely misjudged you.”
“…”
“Even if she wanted it herself, isn’t it the job of the adults in the room to stop her?”
“…”
Once they were alone, Rose unleashed all the opinions she had been holding back. They were her true feelings, her criticisms as a Guild employee who had seen too many adventurers rush to their deaths.
Riveria did not respond. Glancing over, Rose saw that the high elf was trying her best not to show any emotion, so she ended her tirade.
Rose had only just met the girl, after all.
To her eyes, it looked like Riveria was also trying to figure out how to cross the moat that the little girl had dug around herself.
“That one’s headed for an early grave.”
She ended with her appraisal as a member of the Guild.
“A fast life doesn’t begin to describe it. I’ve met a lot of adventurers, but that’s the first time I’ve seen eyes like that. The moment you look away, she’s gonna get herself killed.”
Riveria had a clear answer to Rose’s warning.
“I won’t allow it,” she declared. “That’s why we are here.”
?
This air is familiar. When I was younger, I stumbled into here.
The moment Aiz stepped in, she remembered that sensation.
As she felt the vaguely cool air on her skin, her eyes took in her surroundings.
Despite being underground, phosphorescence lit the area. The dim blue walls and ceiling indicated that this was the entrance of the labyrinth.
This was the first floor of the Dungeon, in the Upper Levels.
Passing through the spiral staircase to the big pit below Babel and beyond the wide Beginning Road, Aiz and Riveria arrived at a certain corner of the labyrinth. There was a single path to follow, with no forks in the road. However, Aiz seemed agitated as she stood out front. Excessively so, as if she was tackling the most stressful thing in the world. Her sharp gaze searched for any hint of monsters.
“Quit tensing up so much. You are breathing too shallowly. What are you going to do later if something as minor as this wrecks your nerves?”
Despite being only a few steps behind her, Aiz didn’t hear Riveria’s words. The young girl tightened her grip on the sword in her hands. She had a Guild-provided straight sword, quaintly named Little Blade. It was a weapon generally used by prums, but it was perfect for Aiz, who was not even 120 celch tall. Her armor had also been provided by the Guild, something called Little Leather also intended for use by prums.
Her leather boots creaking, Aiz proceeded step by step into the Dungeon. She noticed that her field of vision was narrowing. When it became too hard to breathe, she finally realized that she had been hyperventilating. Her body had become so tense, she could barely move at all.
Become strong.
She had no idea whether she was feeling nervousness, exultation, or something else altogether.
I have to become strong.
But Aiz realized that she was, at this moment, standing at the starting line.
For my wish, no matter what.
It announced the end of her life as a naive little girl. There was no one who would protect her anymore. Or at least that was what she believed.
Having taken up such a scary weapon and accepted its profound weight, she had no choice but to wield it.
That’s why I’ll…fight monsters.
Aiz wished for power.
She had insisted that she had to become strong.
And in response, they had—Loki Familia had met her demand.
It’s fine as long as I can go to the Dungeon.
If she received a Blessing, roamed the Dungeon, and defeated monsters, she would obtain the power she was looking for. That was what they had said.
Riveria watched in silence with an inscrutable expression as the girl crossed her starting line.
The moment Aiz had been so desperately waiting for finally came.
“Graaa…”
“!”
Short limbs and a chubby torso. Greenish skin. A goblin. One of the monsters native to the first floor and a common low-level creature for adventurers to face first.
Standing before her on the path, the goblin bared its small fangs and growled. Aiz’s heart skipped a beat. Her back grew hot where the Blessing had been inscribed, as if it contained a black flame.
“Don’t rush in thoughtlessly. Don’t think about killing it in one blow, either. Just—”
Riveria’s advice was ignored before she even had a chance to finish. Aiz dashed forward without listening to her instructions at all.
“Tch! Fool!”
The elf’s rebuke fell on deaf ears as the young girl charged with her sword held high.
Despite yelling at her, Riveria made no move to help. She had already determined that even if the goblin landed a counterattack on the young girl, it would not be able to inflict a lethal wound. Also, it was important to learn from mistakes. That was what she thought.
Then something unexpected happened.
Golden hair fluttered.
A slash came down with all her weight behind it.
The monster was in pieces.
“?”
“Gyaaaaaaa?!!!”
Flesh scattered, blood sprayed, and the creature raised a dying cry. Its limbs ripped apart, the ugly monster turned into an even uglier lump of meat. It had taken only an instant for a slash from Little Blade to fell the monster.
Riveria was at a loss. It looked more like the monster had been hit with a sledgehammer than with a blade.
One strike.
The goblin was dead from a single strike.
The first strike of a Level-1 adventurer who had just obtained her Status should not be that strong.
It was an unbelievable result—overkill.
This marked the very first battle of the adventurer known as Aiz Wallenstein, as well as her first victory.
“This…”
Aiz stood up straight, her upper body covered in gore from the clumsy slash. Her lips trembled as she whispered subconsciously.
“…This…is the first…”
The inaugural kill.
Her first step past the starting line.
However, no emotions swelled in her chest. There was no sense of achievement, no excitement, nothing. Covered in blood, she seemed disinterested as she surveyed the results of the fight.
This was only the first stop along the way. The road to reach the strength she desired was so long that such a small step mattered very little in comparison to the goal in the distance.
That was why Aiz ran.
She screamed to fan the flames of her fighting spirit, her chest quivering.
Drawn by the girl’s cry and the scent of their kin’s blood, a mob of monsters gathered ahead on the path.
Riveria came to her senses and tried to keep Aiz in check, but the young girl shook her off and headed deeper, slicing into the pack of howling monsters.
The sword created a symphony of dull thuds, leaving countless wounds in its wake.
Along with monstrous screams.
“This can’t be…It’s impossible.”
That was all Riveria could do to put into words the scene that unfolded before her.
“Goghaaa!”
“?AAA?!”
Whenever the girl unleashed a strike with all her strength, any monsters standing before her were blown to bits.
Just like the first goblin, hunks of their flesh scattered.
“Uuuuaaaahhhh!!”
To Riveria, it was plain brute force. The girl put her weight behind the prum-size sword and leaned into every attack right as she started to fall. However, the force contained in that blow was more than enough to slay a goblin or a kobold. Their menacing growls quickly changed to yelps of fear. Because of her strength attribute, the sword itself was already wearing down.
It was a bizarre sight—monsters’ arms and legs strewn about while the wall was splattered with fresh blood everywhere. A normal person would never associate the carnage with this girl who couldn’t properly wield a sword and had no idea how to fight. As Aiz continued to snarl and charge at the monsters, Riveria felt a chill.
“Ha!!”
“Gegee?!”
Riveria shuddered as Aiz finished off the last remaining monster. Gritting her teeth with all her might, the girl fully committed to a slash that struck the kobold in its torso. The monster’s body crumbled along with its magic stone, turning to ash.
“Haaa-haaa-haaa…”
The only sound left was the girl’s ragged breath echoing in the Dungeon.
“…Aiz, that’ll be all for today. We’re going back.”
Riveria could tell that Aiz’s condition was getting dangerous and decided it was time to return.
“I can still…keep going…”
Aiz’s desire to fight was still high, and she backed away when the elf held out her hand.
Then something suddenly fell out of Aiz’s mouth with a plop.
“Ah…”
“…?”
The girl seemed shocked as she realized what had happened. Riveria dubiously leaned over and picked up the object that had fallen from Aiz’s mouth.
“This is…”
The shining white thing lying in Riveria’s open palm was not a magic stone or anything of the sort, nor was it a drop item—it was a baby tooth.
?
“Ga-ha-ha-haaa!”
Loki burst into laughter as she examined the cute little baby tooth.
“Usin’ so much strength that ya lose a tooth?! That’s rich! But yeah, yeah, makes sense. Aizuu’s just a sweet li’l seven-year-old girl, after all!”
“But to grit your teeth so hard while you’re fighting…”
Finn smiled with chagrin from behind his desk as Loki rudely kicked her feet up on it, holding her stomach after too much laughing.
They were in the office of Loki Familia’s home. Loki, Finn, and Gareth were present, along with Aiz and Riveria, who had just returned from the Dungeon. They had come to report on Aiz’s debut after she registered at the Guild.
Aiz was blushing as she avoided making eye contact.
“Hey, Aizuu! Smile and say ‘cheese’! I wanna see that cute little gap-toothed smile of yours!”
“Don’t wanna.”
Aiz turned away and headed for the door as Loki approached with a lecherous grin.
“I’m leaving.”
“—Not a chance! Gareth!”
All of a sudden, the goddess snapped her fingers. Sighing, the dwarf closed in and lifted Aiz like a feather.
“Gh—?! L-let me go!”
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I’m the goddess here!”
Hoisted by her arms, Aiz swung her legs helplessly as Loki immediately started her attack. Narrowly avoiding any perverted locations in a calculated manner, she began to tickle Aiz.
“~~~~~?Ngh?!”
“Come on now—open yer mouth for me!”
The little girl’s eyes went wide as her stomach was assaulted by two hands’ worth of fingers. Resistance was futile, and in seconds she burst out in exclamation.
“Sto—Gya-haaa! Stop it! Ah-ah-ha-ha-ha!!”
Riveria put her hand on her cheek and turned away while Finn’s familiar exasperation appeared on his face. Aiz blushed bright red, tears in her eyes as her mouth opened wide.
Loki peered in and saw the gap where the upper molar next to her canine had fallen out, leaving her gums visible.
“Ah-ha-ha! Sooo cute! I’ll hold on to that memory forever! I’m gonna cherish this tooth!”
After her guffaws died down, Loki wrapped the tooth in a scarf like she was preparing it for the afterlife.
Soon they settled down.
Containing her involuntary laughter, Aiz gradually stood up, her golden eyes blazing. She closed in on Loki with tremendous speed and lashed out with a leg sweep.
“Hmph!”
“Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!”
Now that she had received a Blessing, the young child’s low kick was backed by enhanced strength that could slay even monsters, and that attack scored a clean hit on Loki’s shin. The goddess rolled around while cradling her leg as Riveria and the others tried to suppress the headaches they felt coming on. Furious enough that even her ears seemed red, Aiz didn’t give Loki so much as a second glance when she finally left the room.
The goddess’s coarse wails echoed around for a little while longer.
“…So how was it, Riveria? How did she seem?”
Judging that the young girl was now far enough away, Loki stood up as if she had been faking all along. Her demeanor was dead serious, nothing like her ridiculous performance earlier.
Meeting her gaze, Riveria shared her impressions of the girl.
“For the most part, it went as expected. No thought at all about the danger to herself. Because of her goal, she is too obsessed with power.”
“‘I want power,’ huh? It’s not my place to talk about other people’s wishes, but that girl’s desire is a bit too direct. It’s dangerous. And it’s painful to watch.”
Finn smiled sadly as he leaned back in his chair. Then, as if just realizing something, he soon raised a question.
“Good job getting her out of the Dungeon, Riveria. Seems like she would have kept fighting until she collapsed. Was that little baby tooth how you did it?”
“No. Before she had a chance to collapse, her weapon gave out. That was when she started listening again.”
“What’s that? Even if it was one of the Guild’s stock weapons, it shouldn’t be falling apart from spending half a day with a greenhorn…”
Riveria drew the shortsword at her waist, the Little Blade she had taken from Aiz, then handed it to Gareth. Sliding it out of the scabbard, he noticed the blade clearly had significant chunks missing. The dwarf could not contain his surprise as he examined the weapon in his hand.
“She killed monsters with one blow…literally blowing them to pieces. That is not a feat that should be possible for a Level-One adventurer.”
“Do you think…it was that Skill?” Loki raised her eyebrow a bit.
“Anything else would be unthinkable.” Riveria confirmed her suspicions. “That is an amazing Skill…but it’s also the chain dragging her closer to death.”
What had happened in the Dungeon replayed itself in Riveria’s mind. Defeating too many monsters summoned more enemies, leading to a dangerous predicament. Then there was also Aiz’s lack of concern for her wounds.
Looking into the elf’s jade eyes, the others sighed with a tinge of anxiety.
“Guess we can’t be tellin’ her about that magic like this…”
“Yes. If we provided her a powerful weapon, it’d only be putting her in even more danger. She isn’t ready yet.”
Looking down, Gareth responded as if he saw something in the broken sword.
Loki had not told the girl about the magic ability that had appeared on her Status. It was obvious that the moment she learned about that colossal power, she would force herself to keep fighting without end.
“First, we need a way to control that Skill…If we can’t instill a mind capable of controlling those emotions, this is hopeless. What she needs now isn’t physical conditioning. It’s mental training.”
Finn, Gareth, and Loki all nodded in agreement with Riveria’s conclusion.
“Yeah, let’s get to it…So we wanna teach her how to think like an adventurer—or more like how to fight and just, like, general knowledge, yeah? Plus an education on how to act like an upstandin’ person. Someone’s gotta teach her.”
“Teach? But who…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell in the room as everyone focused on Riveria.
Sensing their silent gazes, the mage looked up, flustered.
“Wait a minute…Me?”
“Unfortunately, the captain can’t really focus on a single member. And I have to deal with the Evils, too. Of course, I’ll make time to check in on how it’s going.”
“Is my job description not vice captain?! What about Gareth?!”
“I got a slew of annoying missions still. And I ain’t sure how to put it nicely, but I dunno the first thing about how to handle a lass that age. It’d probably be easier for Aiz to have a woman watching over her, right?”
“That’s a convenient excuse!”
“And besides, Riveria, you were the one who volunteered to watch over Aizuu today. Doesn’t she bring out your motherly instinct?”
Finn and Gareth shrugged helplessly while Loki smiled provocatively.
“Don’t make assumptions, Loki!”
“It’s a perfect opportunity. Riveria’s gonna be a mama!”
“I’m unmarried and you know it!”
“I know, I know. High elves can hide their age, but ya should give it a try before yer too old to get married.”
“Hmph!”
“Iggyaaa?!”
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