Volume 2 Chapter 1: DATE, THEN SUPPORTER

Crunch, crunch comes the sound of something chewing the earth.

Light spills down from the ceiling, lighting up the pale green walls in every direction around me. I'm standing in a square space within the dungeon simply called a "room."

I've got the Divine Knife from Hestia aimed at the ground chewer, the blade coming out the bottom of my hand.

The thing has four legs, two thin arms, and two big eyes. Its body looks like a giant red ant.

What makes it different from a normal ant is that it's as tall as I am when it hoists its upper body up, pivoting around its hunched-over midsection.

A killer ant.

It's a monster that first shows up on lower level seven. I've heard that it's called a "newbie killer," just like the Wall Shadow on the sixth level.

It got that nickname due to its thick skin and strength that puts lower-level monsters like goblins to shame. The killer ant's skin is so tough that it might as well be armor. Halfhearted attacks bounce right off the living shell, and piercing that outer layer is no easy task.

There are four sharp claws at the ends of its arms. Warped and curved, the deadly weapons dangling in front of its body give me the creeps.

Those claws carve people up before they can break through the ant's defenses. That's the usual pattern.

Adventurers who are used to the monsters down to the fifth level don't expect these ants to be all that smart, and tend to become said ant's afternoon snack.

"Gegii!"

Click, click, click. The killer ant snaps its mandibles together, chewing the air.

One more thing—this monster can summon other buddies. It doesn't call out to them but releases some kind of pheromone that humans can't smell to gather its friends. I hear it happens when they're in a pinch.

It's a handy combination of toughness and teamwork. But for an adventurer, it's a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, I have to take it out fast. A quick strike to a vital spot is my best bet.

The ant and I stare each other down, both of us taking a few steps forward.

"—Yah!"

I make the first move. Absorbing the first blow and counterattacking really isn't my thing.

It charges right at me, its right arm raised high. I meet it head-on, jumping in close to its body.

I catch a flash of a white arc out of the corner of my left eye—slash!

I'm just a blink faster. The monster's claws, along with a good part of its arm, go flying.

"Giii!!!!"

The monster's right side, its arm—and weapons—are gone. Its shrieks of pain fill my ears as I brace the Divine Knife for impact.

The recommended method for killing a killer ant is to aim for the space between the solid shells at the joints, to hit the soft flesh beneath. It might be hard for a newbie adventurer to pull off, but at least that's the theory.

However, I've decided to ignore that.

No arm—and no weapon—means its defenses are weak on the right side. I jam the jet-black blade between its head and thorax.

"—"

I can feel the thick skin around its neck tear as my blade passes through.

The feeling doesn't last long. The blade glides through the monster's flesh without much resistance. All that's left is to finish it off with a flick of the wrist.

Shing! The blade hits a good note as it slides out from under the ant's neck, sending its head flying to the ground.

A purple liquid dribbles out of the open wound, an insectoid expression of surprise at this turn of events still on the monster's head as it crashes to the dungeon floor.

The headless body stands there for a moment, not realizing something is missing. A few breaths later, it notices and falls like a bag of rocks.

"...Yep, that was good!"

I flick the purple goo off the Divine Knife before taking a closer look at it.

It fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. It's almost like we grew up together, or it grew into my hand.

Its potency, too, leaves nothing to be desired. The blade cut through that killer ant's armor like a hot knife through butter.

Amazing! This is the strength of a Hephaistos-made weapon!

A gift from my goddess!

"—"

With the look of a kid who just got a new toy, I set to work on the slain monster to get the magic stone within its chest.

In reality, I'm not all that different from a child. I feel like I did on my birthday when Gramps gave me Dungeon Oratoria, a picture book filled with images of famous heroes. It was so special to me, I was afraid to open it at first for fear that it would get dirty.

Of course this present would be wasted if I didn't use it, but the feeling is the same.

Thank you, Goddess...

I smile as her face floats into my mind. She's been so busy lately; I'll have to find time to thank her properly.

I will get strong. Strong enough to be worthy of this weapon—strong enough to make my goddess proud.

Returning the blade to the sheath tucked into my lower back, I set off to find my next target on the seventh level.

"What floor?!"

"Agh!" Bell let out a scream. The cause of his pathetic squeal was a frowning Eina Tulle fuming with anger and glaring right at him.

Bell had made a triumphant return to the Guild after prowling the seventh floor with the assistance of Hestia's Knife. He'd gotten the money from all of his magic stones and drop items at the Exchange and went to give his adviser an update with a big smile on his face. But the second he said, "Seventh level," his good mood came to an abrupt end.

"What is with you?! Does nothing I say stay inside that thick skull of yours?! Going from the fifth to the seventh?! Are you insane?!"

"S-s-s-s-ssorry!"

Wham! Eina slammed both of her hands down onto the table. Her emerald eyes burned, her head leaning to the side. Bell was little more than a frog being stared down by a python.

Eina was angry because Bell was showing no concern for his safety and lightheartedly entering deeper floors. He was adventuring, and it was that with which she took exception.

"Tell me, just who was it that was nearly killed by a Minotaur only one week ago?"

"Uh, m-me?"

"Then just why are you doing this?! Do you not understand how dangerous it is, after all you've been through?!"

"I-I'm sorry...!" Bell said, his eyes filling with tears. This was by far the angriest he had ever seen her. Eina was going all out. Her desire to keep Bell alive was turning her into an ogre.

A newbie adventurer with not even a month of experience going deeper than the fifth was the same as suicide.

The dungeon layout became more complicated after the fifth level, not to mention there were more powerful monsters. Bell went down to the seventh level—if the killer ant had called its friends, he wouldn't have made it out alive. Killer ants were not a pack of Kobolds; they would tear a solo adventurer limb from limb.

"You don't seem to understand the word 'dangerous.' Not even close. I'm going to fix that, right here and now!"

Bell let out another pitiful cry, as he had become all too familiar with Eina's Spartan-like style of "guidance" in the past few weeks.

Bell had seen everything she taught him in the field, but being able to say "I understand, leave it to me" to his adviser was entirely another matter. Bell rushed to explain.

"Please, wait! I, um, grew quite a lot since then, Ms. Eina!"

"'Quite a lot' is quite a claim from someone who's only just gotten to grade H!"

"N-no, it's true! Several of my basic abilities are already at E!"

"...E?"

Eina froze on the spot, her eyes open wide.

She didn't understand what he said at first, but when her mind sorted it out, she raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Do you think you can fool me, making that kind of claim?"

"It's true, all of it! Maybe I'm in some kind of growth spurt, but I'm getting stronger very fast!"

"...Really?"

Eina cast her bewildered gaze at Bell as he nodded with all his might.

She hadn't been his adviser long, but she was able to tell when the boy in front of her was lying.

And according to her intuition, Bell was telling the truth.

"...Really, E?"

"Y-yes."

Eina put up her hands, palms forward, as if to say "wait a minute."

The remaining grades were S, A, B, C, D, then E. She counted them out on her fingers, nodding to herself, saying, "Hmmmm." One more time—S, A, B, C, D, E...six again. Same as before.

Eina was now officially confused. She didn't completely doubt Bell, but that rate of growth sounded like it came out of a horror story.

Eina had guessed grade H because that was the highest ability level for adventurers with Bell's amount of experience. H was the highest believable amount of growth over that span of time, and that was only for the really gifted individuals.

G was already ridiculous, and anything above F...That was just too fast, no matter how she thought about it.

If Bell had been a warrior before he'd become an adventurer, with combat training of some kind, then she might have been able to accept it, maybe. But he was a farmer. Still, he didn't look like he was lying at all...

"Hm-hm-hmmm..." Eina said as she stroked her chin with her pointer finger, not able to figure out which was true.

Bell sat there silently, watching her as if she could explode at any moment.

"Hey...Bell."

"Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Would you mind showing me the 'status' on your back?"

"...Huh?!"

A high-pitched gasp escaped Bell's throat as he looked at Eina's serious face.

"It's not that I don't believe what you're saying, it's just..."

She looked away, shaking her hands back and forth, trying to make sure Bell didn't get the wrong idea.

She felt that the most reasonable explanation was that Bell's goddess, Hestia, had made a mistake when transcribing Bell's status.

Or perhaps there was a misunderstanding somewhere.

The idea that Bell had improved to grade E stats was just that inconceivable for her.

Eina wasn't going to believe a single word out of Bell's mouth until she saw undeniable proof.

"B-but the number one thing that adventurers aren't supposed to reveal is their status...right?"

All the city's adventurers were under the jurisdiction of the Guild and were forbidden from giving out personal information to anyone, including Guild employees. Their levels and Familias were reported, but nothing more than that.

There were also adventurers who had special skills and magic. The relationships of the gods and their Familias were constantly changing. Today's friend might be tomorrow's foe. Information was tightly protected to cover potential weaknesses.

"I give you my word that I will not tell a soul what I will see. I'll take full responsibility if your status becomes public. If that happens, I swear I will obey you."

"Obey...? Hang on, Ms. Eina, you can read hieroglyphics?"

"Yes, but only a little. I think I can read enough to understand statuses, though."

Eina had attended her fair share of school and had excelled in theological studies. She could certainly read and write simple hieroglyphs.

"If I don't see it with my own two eyes, I will never clear you to go deeper than the fifth level."

"That definitely would cause a lot of problems for me..."

"I promise I won't look at your magic or skill slots, so, please?"

"I don't have any skills or magic anyway, so that wouldn't change a thing...but okay."

Bell gave in to Eina's request as she bowed forward and clapped her hands together.

Eina had done so much to support Bell in the past; he felt that she deserved his complete trust, just like Hestia. Bell had no reason not to take her at her word.

"Well, um...I'll take off my clothes now?"

"If you're embarrassed enough to blush, don't check with me first! You'll make me uncomfortable, too!"

Both of their cheeks flushed red as Bell stood up and faced a far corner of the wide room. A flustered Bell unhooked his armor and quickly pulled off his undershirt.

Rather than immediately focusing on the status engraved on the boy's back, Eina's eyes were drawn to his remarkably chiseled back muscles for a brief moment. Shaking her head a bit, she forced her eyes back to the hieroglyphs.

Her pointed ears turned a light shade of red as her eyes scanned the markings left to right.

Bell Cranell

Level One

Strength: E-403 Defense: H-199 Utility: E-412 Agility: D-521 Magic: I-0

No way...

She couldn't believe her eyes; her jaw dropped slightly in shock.

With the exception of Magic, he was definitely strong enough to keep up with monsters on the seventh level. Eina tended to judge adventurers by their defensive ability, so Bell's low "Defense" grade made her a bit nervous. However, his hit-and-run combat style fit very well with his ability levels, so she came to the conclusion that he dodged most attacks anyway.

The fact that his "Agility" was already at grade D made her a little nauseous.

I can't believe it...

Eina lightly coughed in her throat. It was the sound of her concept of "common sense" being broken; a cold chill worked its way up her spine. Working at the Guild and advising many adventurers, Eina knew just how abnormal Bell's growth rate was.

His growth was more than through the roof. It was otherworldly.

—A Skill?

The possibility popped up in the back of her mind.

Maybe he has a Skill that explains the unusual growth, she thought to herself with a twinge. The only way to check...was to go back on her promise.

If it's just a quick look...

Her eyes glanced below Bell's abilities and took in the hieroglyphs.

Where Bell's Magic and Skills were listed.

She had already come this far. It was too late to look away now. Wanting to know what was inside a treasure box after peeking through the lid must be a trait of demi-humans.

Her curiosity was piqued; she looked at all his Skill slot.

...Ahh, nope.

She couldn't understand what was written.

The amount of complex characters was too much for her to make heads or tails of it.

It could be that his goddess, the overprotective Hestia, might have put an extra layer of protection over his status so that others couldn't read it even if they had a chance. Eina didn't have a full understanding of hieroglyphs' size and stroke order, and she didn't realize that Hestia's "protection" was actually just her own bad handwriting.

Eina had newfound respect for Hestia and her strategy for keeping Bell's status a secret.

"Um...Ms. Eina? Are you finished yet?"

"A...ah! Yes!"

Eina's ears jumped as Bell's still-embarrassed voice reached them and she noticed the situation. Eina laughed out of her own embarrassment as she looked away from Bell's status and bowed a few times in apology.

It's true...she groaned to herself.

There was no way she could withhold permission to enter the seventh level with a status like that. As long as he was careful, he should be able to go there safely, even alone.

—However, she did have one other problem with him going that far down.

"..."

"W-what is it?"

Fully dressed, Bell heard his voice waver as Eina's eyes traveled his body from head to toe. Her gaze was overwhelming.

But it didn't look like she doubted Bell's ability or strength.

She wasn't looking at his body; she was looking at the poor excuse for armor that was covering it.

"Bell."

"Y-yes?"

"Do you have any plans tomorrow?"

"...Huh?"

A day has passed since our conversation.

I'm standing by myself in a half-circle-shaped park built just off of North Main.

Waiting for Eina.

Yep, I'm meeting her here.

Is this...a date?

No, that's not possible, I reassure myself.

Yesterday Eina asked if I had time to go buy some new armor with her. Seemed like she thought my current set wouldn't be enough. Once again, she's going out of her way to help me. She's looking out for me.

So she's not thinking of this as a date. She's just being kind—kindly failing to mind her own business.

...Still, to anyone who didn't know the details, this really would seem like...

All of the conditions are there.

Conditions like "Let's meet at ten in front of the bronze statue in the park!" and "Just the two of us!"

Whoa! Whoa!!!

"Hey! Bell!"

"!"

And now the time has come.

The owner of the pretty voice comes jogging up to me waving her hand, her figure growing in my line of sight.

"Good morning! Aren't you early? Was the idea of buying new armor that exciting?"

"Ah, no, I just..."

—I just think it's strange to be alone with you, Eina. I don't have the guts to say that to her directly, though.

"Well, I was excited, too. I know this is your shopping trip, but I'm eager to get started."

Eina is wearing clothes I've never seen her in before. Usually she's in a perfectly pressed Guild uniform, but today she's in a cute, lacy white blouse and a short skirt. She's got a good sense of fashion. I can't really look at her the same way I usually do.

Maybe it's because I'm used to seeing her in that uniform all the time, but today she seems more grown-up. How do I put it...she's practically glowing.

Yes, she's very cute.

I am totally taken in by the charms of this new Eina.

"Do you think I'm strange for getting excited about buying possibly dangerous equipment?"

"N-no, not at all!" I vigorously shake my head, but Eina just giggles. Whoa, whoa...

Eina is probably a contender for the first or second most popular Guild member among all adventurers. I wonder if all half-elves are like her...

"Ahem. Anyway, Bell?"

"W-what is it?"

"What do you think? Seeing me out of uniform? Anything to say?"

She looks up at me with the eyes of a mischievous child.

Whoa, whoa, now...

"You look...well...much younger than usual."

"Hey! I'm still only nineteen, you know!"

"Owowowowowow!!!!!"

Eina whips her thin white arm around my neck, putting me in a headlock.

As I try to escape, my neck slips into her armpit, my cheek rubbing up against a very soft bulge...

"Hey! Say you're sorry!!"

"P-please, forgive meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I yell with all my might over the sound of Eina's amused laughter.

"It's been a while since I've been out shopping like this."

"Really? I'm surprised that people can leave someone like you alone...especially guys."

"Hee-hee, you're good, Bell. But it's true. I've been busy at work ever since I started at the Guild."

The sky is a bright, clear blue.

Perfect for a date...is not what I'm trying to say, but the weather is very calming. I follow Ms. Eina southward on North Main, a cooling breeze at my back.

The main streets are always busy at this time of day. It's difficult to get anywhere. Employees of stores both large and small stand outside trying to bring in customers. I could swear the ground shakes when a dwarf yells out his store's special deals.

A few of them call out to Eina (apparently mistaking me for a manservant) but she just waves them off with a friendly grin. One animal-person clerk looks really happy when she flashes him a smile.

"Um, can I ask where we're going today? If we keep going this way, we'll end up at the Dungeon..."

"Would you be angry if I said 'Not knowing is part of the fun'? Okay, I'll tell you."

Orario has eight main streets all extending out from the core. There's one that goes north, one that goes northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest. If you think about it from a bird's-eye view, there are four thick lines intersecting in the middle of the city.

The Dungeon is right where they all come together.

But on ground level, the main streets all meet at Central Park. It's right in front of us now. In the center of the park is an overwhelmingly large building. It blocks more and more of my view of southern Orario as I wait for Eina's answer.

"Our destination is...the Dungeon."

"Whaaaaaaa?"

"The tower above the Dungeon—Babel, to be more specific."

Babel Tower functions as a lid over the Dungeon itself. It's that big building casting a massive shadow over western Orario right now.

Being a "lid," Babel is used to monitor and control the Dungeon entrance.

Managed by the Guild, it's a building that adventurers see very often.

"Babel...Isn't it just a public facility and a...shower room for adventurers?"

"You really are clueless, aren't you? But you've only been an adventurer for a few weeks, so I guess it can't be helped. Right, then, you're gonna get some useful information today."

I remember all too well her Spartan style of "summarizing" useful information about the Dungeon, and to be honest, that look in her eyes is scaring me.

Praying that it won't get as intense as that time, I brace myself for the incoming lecture.

"Just like you said, there are shower rooms for adventurers as well as public facilities inside the tower under the Guild's control. Did you know there are a cafeteria, hospital, and even an Exchange in Babel?"

"Huh? I thought that the Exchanges at the Guild's main office and branches were the only ones."

"Nope, there is one here, too. But it is a little understaffed, so I hear the lines get a bit ridiculous. Anyway, one more thing. The Guild rents out open space to shops and merchants, and that's where we are going today."

Okay, now I get it. The reason we've come this far is that we're going to visit one of the equipment shops in Babel Tower.

"Babel was built right on top of the Dungeon, so naturally all the shops there cater to adventurers. Many of them are run by mercantile Familias that specialize. I imagine you've heard of Hephaistos Familia?"

"Y-yes."

My heart jumps. My hand grabs the knife currently tucked into the back of my armor.

"How much do you know about Hephaistos Familia, Bell?"

"Well, um, I know that that Familia makes very high-quality weapons and equipment that all adventurers want..."

"Yep, that's absolutely right. As it happens, we are going to a shop run by Hephaistos Familia today."

"Wh-whaaaat?"

It's the loudest I've yelped all day. Eina looks at me like a kid who just pulled a prank and I was her victim.

I hurry up to her, hoping for some kind of explanation. But she just steps to the side and reveals a wide-open space at the base of Babel Tower behind her.

"We're here..."

Central Park.

It makes a perfect circle with the massive white tower in the center. With trees planted all over the place and fountains built into the ground, it really does feel like a park.

Back on North Main, all sorts of people mingle together as they go about their business. But most people in Central Park are carrying big swords and long spears—they're adventurers. The truly scary thing is that even though there are enough adventurers here to make my eyes spin, Central Park doesn't feel full at all.

"Eina, what is going on? Do I look like an adventurer who could buy anything from Hephaistos Familia?!"

"Not knowing is part of the fun! You'll see when we get there."

"I've been sweating bullets since we met up this morning! I can't take much more of this!"

She looks right at my strained face and crying eyes but is utterly unmoved by them. She won't even slow down.

"Here we go! Man up and stop complaining!"

My face turns red and my mind is blank as Eina grabs my hand and pulls me into the tower.

Her thin hands are soft and warm—the complete opposite of mine. Hands get rough when you work in the field every day. My head swims; I can't grab onto any of my thoughts.

As we weave through the crowd, I can't help but feel like all the male adventurers about to go into the Dungeon are looking at me like they want to murder me...

I take a deep breath and look up at the tower to calm down.

"Ms. E-Eina, m-m-my hand...Please let go. I'm begging you...!"

"Since we're about to pay one of the top forging Familias a visit, it would be a good idea to know a little about the smiths themselves, right? Bell, do you know about 'Advanced Abilities'?"

I guess she's going to ignore my bumbling request. I'm a man, but I can't even get her to listen. I feel like I'm dying here.

I do my best to shrink behind her, shaking.

"No...I don't."

"A blessed person receives an Advanced Ability by choice when their level goes up. They're usually more specialized than basic abilities."

Eina simplifies it by explaining that an Advanced Ability is like a reward for your level going up...a "rank up" present of sorts.

"The kinds of Advanced Abilities available for someone to choose are predetermined, but one option is called 'Forge.'"

Burst Ability and Forge. I've never heard these words before.

According to Eina, Forge is necessary to become a smith in today's world. Also, apparently more than half of Hephaistos Familia's smiths have it.

To put it another way, more than half of them are level two or above. That's a very strong group.

"Smiths have been around since ancient times, of course. Most of their works are antiques now, but there are some that can still be used. But blessed smiths with the Forge ability can add special properties to the items they create."

"Special properties...?"

"An ability unique to that individual weapon. You know how adventurers can get skills on top of their statuses? Smiths with the Forge ability can give skills to weapons. For example, blessed smiths can make a sword that will never break or will always be sharp. If they were just shaping metal, they couldn't do that, right?"

Very true, I nod in agreement.

"There are also weapons that produce something very similar to magic—like shooting flames when swung, things like that."

"Huh?!"

"I thought this was common knowledge...Anyway, weapons that can produce magic-like effects are referred to as 'magic blades.' Only a few smiths can make them."

I swallow audibly. What this all means is that if I can get my hands on one of these magic swords, I would have the power to take on experienced swordsmen.

"A quick warning—'magic blades' have a limit. Once they have used up all their energy, they break. And they're not as powerful as spell-based magic from a magic user."

Eina adds that they're both disposable and extremely expensive, a smirk on her face.

I guess that means that most adventurers don't use magic swords. I'm sure that it's not due to lack of popularity. But taking a weapon that will break into the Dungeon, where anything can happen, wouldn't make me feel safe. Yeah, I bet that's why most people resist the urge to get one.

Well, that and the price tag.

"Um, Eina. Are there Advanced Abilities other than Forge?" As an adventurer, I have to ask. I'll be going down that path someday. I will rank up!

"Well, many adventurers gain abilities called Heavy Guard or Magic Control. Other than that, there is also an ability called Enigma."

"Enigma...?"

"Yes, now how do I explain this...It allows someone to perform a special trick—a miracle, if you will. A 'Divine Art' might be a good way to put it. Do you know about the Philosopher's Stone, Bell?"

No, of course I don't. I shake my head side to side.

"This happened a long, long time ago, but a member of a Familia with the Enigma ability succeeded in making an item called the Philosopher's Stone. The stone grants the user eternal life."

"...I don't know why, but my jaw won't close."

"Hee-hee, I know, right? But there is more to this story...You see, the maker took the Philosopher's Stone to the god of the Familia...The god took the stone in his hand and smashed it to pieces on the floor in front of him...the source of eternal life."

"............"

"According to the story, the god looked at the maker's shell of a face after that and laughed so hard he pulled a muscle in his stomach."

This is the cruelest myth I have ever heard.

When I say myth, I'm talking about a story about the gods that has a completely appalling ending.

I'm so lucky to have met Hestia first...

"The Philosopher's Stone was created by accident, and all attempts to recreate it failed. No one after the maker mastered the Enigma skill, so his Philosopher's Stone became a legendary item."

"Mastered...? So these abilities need experience to grow, like a status?"

"Not quite. The abilities do have an S to I grade, but raising the level doesn't require experience like a status. It takes much more to raise the grade, and is very difficult. It's nothing like raising a basic Ability."

That sounds really hard...but I don't actually say what I'm thinking.

I'm still a ways away from experiencing this myself, but I can imagine.

We arrive at the front gate of Babel Tower during our conversation. "Gate" might not be the best word because the ground floor of the tower has many arches all the way around the circumference, to allow any number of adventurers to enter from any direction at any time. Passing through the nearest arch, a pale blue and white lobby opens up in front of us.

The entrance to the Dungeon is right below our feet.

"From here...?"

"We go up. The shops in Babel start at the fourth floor."

The first floor of the tower is, as I said, a massive lobby. The community center is on the second. We climb up to the third, Eina pulling me by my hand to the middle of another lobby. I catch a glimpse of the Exchange out of the corner of my eye. But I can't see any stairs.

There are several wide, circular pedestals on the floor of the lobby. Eina leads me up onto one of them. A clear tube of something clear rises up around us. I swear it looks like glass...

Eina reaches for some kind of control panel. The instant she touches it, the pedestal leaves the floor and begins floating in midair.

It goes up and up...no, it's growing upward!

"?!"

"A-ha-ha, I was the same way the first time."

It seems the pedestal and the glass are parts of a floor-transport device...Most likely this is another magic-stone device.

That means that there must be a large number of magic stones beneath the pedestal, and their energy is being converted into lift. Eina takes a look at my surprised face and explains that the magic stones needed to be changed out after a certain amount of time. This thing doesn't just work forever, it turns out.

In no time at all we reach the fourth floor of Babel.

"The shop I have in mind is a few more floors up, but as long as we're here, let's take a look around. You want to see the top-of-the-line equipment too, right, Bell?"

The entire floor is filled with weapon and armor shops. I'll admit I get excited looking at all the sharp, shiny things. I nod to Eina as we step off the pedestal.

There is only one sign on the whole floor: Ἥφαιστος. Don't tell me...all the shops here are part of Hephaistos Familia...?"

"I see you noticed the logo. Actually, all the shops from the fourth floor up to the eighth floor are owned by Hephaistos Familia."

...The entire floor...Just how powerful is Hephaistos Familia?!

By the way, they also have a shop close to my home with the goddess on Northwest Main.

The short sword in the window...is worth 8 million vals. That's enough to buy several houses.

Stepping up to the display window of the closest shop, a crimson sword enshrined there catches my eye. I go up to take a look at the price...

...Thirty million vals?!

All the blood leaves my face. I lift my hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself. I can tell that next to me, Eina is giggling to herself.

I have a Hephaistos-made knife on me right now; it was a gift from my goddess. She told me it was the only one in the world...How much did it cost?!

"Welcome to our store! Can I help you find anything today?"

The store clerk must have seen me staring and drooling at the sight of the crimson sword. She comes up to greet us in a bright, cheerful voice.

The girl is short, but she looks extremely professional, with a very well-rehearsed smile glued onto her glowing face. Twin black ponytails bouncing around her head make her look very cute indeed.

She wears a deep red apron-style uniform, which is being pushed up by breasts much too big for her body type, jiggling with her every movement...

"...Um...Goddess? What are you doing?"

"......"

Her smile instantly freezes.

So this is why. I thought she'd been more tired than usual recently. She's been working here...!

"Why are you here?! You don't need two part-time jobs! Didn't I just say that we can start saving money because I'm going deeper into the dungeon?!"

"Listen closely, Bell. You are going to forget that you saw me here and quietly leave right now...! It's too soon for you to be here!"

"It's too soon for you, too! Aren't you getting thirty vals an hour at your other job?!"

"Don't make fun of my career in potato snacks!"

"Forget about that! Come on, let's go home. You're a goddess! You can't be seen like this, it's embarrassing! Are you trying to become a laughingstock?"

"Let go of me, Bell! Let go now!! Even gods have to throw away their pride when times get tough!"

"And when are times ever tough for gods?! Just please, listen to what I'm saying!"

I grab her right arm with both of my hands, turn, and try my best to pull her out of there.

Why in the world is my goddess being so stubborn...?!

I can feel Eina's wide-eyed gaze on my back, but now is no time to worry about that.

"Hey! New girl! Stop playing around! Back to work!!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Huh?"

Boing! The goddess twists out of my grip and bounds away.

I watch her twin ponytails dance behind her for a moment before she disappears into the back of the shop.

"Goddess..."

"W-well, just as interesting a goddess as ever, I see?" Eina doesn't know how to respond to my pitiful voice, and she forces a smile.

I feel a bit dejected, but I then remember I'm not alone today. I force myself to look up.

...I'll forget this trouble with my goddess, for now.

"Sorry you had to see that..."

"It's all right. Shall we go upstairs?"

I nod lightly a few times as the still-awkwardly-smiling Eina leads me back to the pedestal.

We board the "elevator" (as the magical lift turns out to be called) and arrive on an upper floor soon after.

"This is us."

"We're here..."

Eina pushes open the glass to reveal another level inundated with shops just like the fourth floor.

Swords, spears, axes, war hammers, blades, bows and arrows, shields, armor, and many other pieces of equipment are on display at all the shops on this wide floor. The only difference is that there are more customers—more adventurers—here.

That thought makes me flinch for a moment.

"You're thinking that you don't have a place shopping at Hephaistos Familia's shops, aren't you, Bell?"

I'm not in the best mood, and I shoot her a look saying it's a little late for that now. But then I nod and agree with her.

Eina looks down on me like queen over a servant, grinning.

"Actually, that's not completely true. But, seeing is believing! Follow me."

Eina guides me into the nearest shop—a spear shop by the looks of it.

Leading me to the very back wall of the shop, she stops in front of a spear rack. All of the combat-ready spears stand on end, blades facing the ceiling.

Just as I start thinking Here we go again, my eyes catch the price tag: 12,000 vals.

"H-huh...?"

I might be able to afford this...

"Hee-hee, surprised, aren't you?"

"W-well, yes, but why?"

This price is unbelievable. Shocking, even. Eina sounded like she was awfully pleased when she asked if I was surprised, too.

I'm still staring at the spears, though.

"What sets Hephaistos Familia apart from other smiths is that they have even their most inexperienced members make items and sell them in their shops."

"Is that...okay? I mean, compared to the masters..."

"Of course, those weapons are not sold next to ones made by master smiths. But the new smiths get valuable business experience and they can sell their work directly to adventurers. It's a real plus for the younger smiths to get feedback—both the good and the really harsh. It all helps motivate them to make better and better weapons."

I'm a bit surprised, but then again it makes perfect sense. Rather than being restricted to experimenting or practicing, getting comments and criticism from people in the real world would be a lot more motivating.

"It's good for the stores, too. They can sell these weapons to very low-level adventurers and get more customers."

So they can bring in newbies along with the all-stars. Once the newbies get stronger, they can afford better weapons from the same shop. Eina says it's like a pyramid.

The shops draw in as many of the new adventurers as they can to build as many relationships as possible. When the adventurers level up, they become regulars of that shop and buy high-level weapons.

That's what's special about Orario. The large population of adventurers brings out all kinds of benefits and possibilities.

"The most important thing here is that new adventurers and new smiths form bonds early in their careers. Doesn't matter if it's weak or strong."

What do you mean by that? I ask with my eyes.

"New smiths are discovered by new adventurers through the items the smith makes. If an adventurer remembers the smith's name, they might have a client. Very talented—but unpolished—smiths can be hidden in the rough of the business, just waiting for an adventurer with an eye for quality to find them. They might not become close friends, but adventurers who have used their items in combat, felt their armor on their skin, will give the most valuable feedback."

...Makes sense when she puts it like that.

At the very least, I feel that way about my dagger and light-armor provisions from the Guild.

"Smiths can bring out special properties in the items they make if they are forging them for someone in particular, especially if there is a strong bond between the smith and the adventurer...Or at least they claim."

Eina lightly sticks out her tongue. I freeze in place.

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined Eina doing something so...childish.

"Kind of got sidetracked a little bit there, but what I'm saying is that there are items made by Hephaistos Familia that are in your price range. How much do you have on you right now, Bell?"

"Um, should be right about ten thousand vals."

"I wonder if we'll be able to find you a full set of new armor. Like I said before, there are diamonds in the rough made by raw ore smiths. We just need to dig them up! Let's go!!"

Eina seems more excited than I am. It's all I can do to force a smile now that I've come to my senses a bit.

She leads me to a shop that has a sign outside equipped with armor and a shield. Eina suggests, with a peppy smile on her face, that we split up to cover more ground. So I set foot inside without her.

The view from my first step inside the establishment is that it's like nothing I've ever seen before.

Just look at these! Were they really all made by lower-level smiths? Everything looks amazing!

Looking into the forest of armor is the highlight of the day so far.

Pure white mannequin chests wear many different shapes and kinds of armor. It doesn't matter that the head and arms are missing, the chest looks very dignified. A few full-bodied mannequins are equipped with the works. I can clearly see myself wearing those armored plates in battle.

Shield and battle helmets on shelves line the walls. Some look impenetrable, some are simply gorgeous—there's something for everyone.

Male and female customers fill the shop, all looking for a piece of armor that suits them. It looks like you can try on the armor, too.

I think...I'm starting to get a little excited...! What do I do now?...Huh?

As I take in the sights and sounds, my eyes are drawn to a spot at the back of the shop.

It's the most ordinary-looking corner of the store. There's a box filled with equipment pieces just sitting there.

Are they...armor pieces?

The rest of the store's stock is equipped on the mannequins, so are these junk boxes? They're just lying here like a pile of trash. Wait, there is another box next to it, and a few more after that. I guess these must be the items that the Familia deemed not worth putting on display.

I'm sure they wouldn't sell them if they were faulty, but maybe there are some imperfections or something like that.

"Ah, yep, they're for sale..."

There is a price tag on the bottom of each box: 5,700 vals, 6,800 vals, 3,900 vals...All the prices are written in red ink by different people, but all of them are quite cheap.

The full set of armor that I saw toward the front of the store is 15,000 vals, and my current light armor from the Guild is 5,000...Yep, I've probably got the right idea. These are in my price range.

Then again, Eina would say that this is something that's going to save my life, so I shouldn't be stingy.

"...?"

I suddenly stop in front of a box in the middle of the row.

This armor—its spirit is calling to me from within the line of boxes.

Silver. Rather than having a reddish tint or darker black hues, this one shines like pure white metal.

No flashy colors or fancy decorations, it looks like it just finished cooling from the forge. It's tugging at my heartstrings.

I bend down to get a closer look; it's light armor.

There are knee guards and a small breastplate designed to fit snugly against the chest. Under those pieces I find wrist and elbow guards, along with a plate that covers the lower back. It's built to protect the bare minimum of the body to allow for maximum mobility. Kind of a patchwork armor.

Lifting up the breastplate, I discover it's very light—much lighter than my provision armor from the Guild. Just hitting it a few times doesn't tell me much, but I think it's sturdier than my Guild armor, too. At least it feels like it.

It's just my size...This is almost scary.

I think I'm in love.

It might be because this is the first one I've picked up.

But suddenly all I can see is myself wearing this armor.

I hold the breastplate up to the light for a closer look. Flipping it around, there it is: the maker's signature is on the inside. "Welf Krozzo."

Looks like this wasn't worthy of the "Ἥφαιστος" name.

Welf Krozzo...

I'll remember that.

My brain snatches the name from the armor like a hawk snatches a fish out of water. It's a smith's name I'll be looking for from here on out.

Eina told me about the bond between adventurers and smiths. So this is what it feels like.

I'm already set on this light armor. I want to buy it, right now.

Let's just look and see how much it is...Gasp! 9,900 vals!

That's almost all of my money...

"Hey-y, Bell! I found something really good! A protector and leather armor! They're a little expensive, but it would be a good idea to get at least one of...Oh? Did you find something?"

Eina has returned. She bends down over me, an unimpressed look on her face.

Maybe she doesn't like it because it's being sold in a box, as though that's somehow proof of its poor quality.

"...Are you getting that?"

"Yes. I'm buying this."

"Haaa...You really have a thing for light armor, don't you? Just when I found some good things for you, too..."

"I'm sorry."

Eina sees my shoulders shrink, as I didn't have anything else I could say. She forces a smile and waves it off. "Don't worry about it. You are the one who's going to wear it. I do want you to think about your safety a bit more...but if you've decided to buy this, that's good enough for me."

"...Thank you."

I stand back up again and pick up the box.

After making my way to the counter and paying for it, I only have 100 vals left...

Today has gotten very expensive.

"Huh...?"

Eina's gone. I turn around with my new armor in a box strapped to my back, looking for her.

Just when I start to wonder where she could've gone, I find her. She'd been standing right behind me, a sparkling smile on her face. Maybe she'd just come out of the shop?

"Bell, here."

"...What?"

She leisurely hands me a long, narrow vambrace.

It fits just over the wrist and extends up the arm to the elbow. I can tell from the outer shell it's designed to be used like a shield. The armor is the same color as Eina's eyes, emerald green.

"I-is this...?"

"It's a present from me, so please use it, okay?"

"Whaa? N-no, I can't accept this! I'm giving it back!"

"Whaaat? Are you saying you can't accept a girl's present?"

"N-no, it's not that...I just feel so pathetic!" With sweat pouring down my face, I just blurt out how I really feel. No matter how much older she is than me, getting a present from a girl like this...It feels like I've done something wrong.

Eina flashes a big smile as my shoulders start melting again.

"I want you to have it. Not for me, for you."

"Wha...?"

"The truth is, adventurers never really know when they'll die. Even ones who are really strong just disappear as if by the whim of a god. I've known many who didn't come back."

"......"

"...I'd like you not to be one of them, Bell. O-ho, I guess this present is for me, after all."

Eina laughs a bit to herself but never takes her eyes off me.

Those tranquil eyes.

"Is that bad?" she asks.

I look at the floor.

My reddening face is hidden by my hair.

I don't have what it takes to refuse her gift after that.

"...And Bell, you said that you loved me."

My face is beet-red now. My neck jerks my head up and I meet her eyes with my own.

Looks like she's blushing quite a bit, too.

"That was, well...I was just so happy that you were encouraging me...!"

"I was happy too, that you said you loved me. I realize you didn't mean it 'that' way."

Both of us are blushing up a storm.

"It's not just because of that, but I want to give you strength. You've been working so hard, and I want to help you. Will you accept it, please?"

Sniff. My nose is starting to run.

I wipe it with my sleeve, nodding.

"Thank you...very much......"

"You're welcome."

I can feel gentle warmth flowing from the emerald protector on my arm.

"It's gotten pretty late..."

The sky is turning red. Late evening has arrived.

I walked Eina back to her dwelling after we finished shopping, and am now close to my own.

I jog down West Main and find my usual side street that leads to the old church.

To think I would get that nervous being around Eina...This isn't good.

I can just see Aiz Wallenstein looking at me with disappointment and yelling all kinds of things at me. This is all in my head, of course.

I don't want to think that I could be interested in someone else...Just a little while ago, I was thinking how great it would be to have a harem. Ha-ha-ha, I laugh out loud a bit and try my best to run away from that fact.

The person for me is Miss Wallenstein; the only person for me is Miss Wallenstein...

"...Footsteps?"

I stop jogging.

Thump, thump, thump. The sound of someone running comes from the other end of the side street. No...two someones, one big, one small. I can tell by the echoes of their shoes.

"Where...?"

I've just come off West Main. Looking back the way I came, I can still see people moving on the crowded street. The footsteps are getting louder, and they're coming this way.

They're still a little ways from me, but I don't like the idea of an incident happening so close to my home.

Being as careful as possible, I timidly look around the corner of my usual route.

"Ow!"

"Huh?!"

A shadow passing in front of my face suddenly crashes to the ground. It must have tripped over my foot as the shadow tried to turn the corner.

Trying to keep my own scream down, I turn around for a closer look.

...A prum?

The person is a bit shorter than the goddess, with limbs so thin that they might break if I touch them. Seeing how small every part of the body is, the name of a certain race of demi-human came to mind.

They are known for loving good food, dancing, and being merry.

"Excuse me, are you okay?"

"Eh...h."

The stuttering prum pulls her body off the pavement.

She's a girl. Her messy, chestnut-colored hair is long enough to hide her neck.

She looks like a child. That would explain her small size. Her oversized spherical eyes make quite an impression on me.

"Found ya, ya piece-of-shit prum!"

I'm just about to extend my hand to help the girl up when a human appears at the other end of the street. His rage-filled voice is making the girl shake with fear. Poor girl.

The man's eyes shine with anger, and he looks to be an adventurer, too.

He seems to be—perhaps twenty years old? He has a relatively large sword strapped to his back and looks much more experienced than me.

"Yer not getting away...!"

The man is like a demon breathing hellfire as he looks down on his prey.

He's not even looking at me directly, and I still lean back a bit out of fright. This guy is scary...

—What was he going to do to this prum girl?

My body moves on its own after that thought runs through my head.

I step into his path, hiding the girl behind me.

"...What the?! Kid, yer in the way! Beat it!"

The man had been so focused on the girl that he just now realized I was here.

My cheeks twitch. I've stared down hundreds of monsters, but I'm not used to this feeling.

Facing down the man's powerful aura, I square my stance and lock my legs in place.

"Umm...What are you going to do with this girl?"

"Shut it, brat! If ya don't scram right now, I'll carve ya up along with the piece of shit behind ya!"

—Nope, can't move.

My eyes moisten up a bit, but I've made up my mind.

I don't know the details, but this man is about to do something very cruel to the girl behind me.

I pull my backpack off my shoulders and lightly toss it to the side of the nearest building. Of course the man is surprised, but I can see a look of shock on the girl's face just behind me, too.

The glazed look in the man's eyes vanishes as a new wave of red rage overtakes him.

"Kid...! Do ya want to die?!"

"W-wait...just a minute. If you can just calm down...!"

"Shaddup!! The hell is wrong with ya?! Is short stack there yer friend or something?!"

"N-never seen her before in my life."

"Then why the hell are ya protecting that piece of shit?!"

"...B-because she's a girl."

"The hell are ya saying...!"

Really, what am I saying...? But I don't think I have a choice. That really is the reason. That's what real men do, right? It's normal to help a girl in trouble. Do I need any more reason than that?!

"Fine...I'll slit yer throat first, kid...!"

The man reaches behind his back and draws his sword.

I can feel his intent to kill all over my body. I pull out the Divine Knife in response.

Ahh...I hear something gulp air behind me. Stealing a quick glance, I see the girl has her eyes fixed on me.

No, not me...the Divine Knife?

The man is taken aback at first, but soon assumes a ready stance and glares at me with pure hatred.

—This is bad.

This is my first time facing off against another human...My legs won't stop shaking. Can I...fight this fight?

I'm already nervous, but his killing energy is starting to make me panic. Sweat pours down my face. I swallow spit in my mouth over and over again. A ferocious smile grows on the man's lips as he sees my pitiful excuse for courage in the face of danger. He probably realizes that his opponent isn't ready for this.

He takes a few steps forward. I would like nothing more than to take a few steps back, but I force the urge down with pure willpower.

I can't see this ending well for me. But I can't back down.

It takes all of my power just to raise my eyes to meet his.

The next heartbeat, the man jumps straight for me.

"Stop right there."

The man never brings down his blade.

A forceful voice fills the area.

The man and I both look toward the source of the voice. An elvish girl holding a large paper bag stands just a few feet away.

Like Eina, her eyes and nose are high on her face. The main difference between her and the half-elf is that this girl's ears come to a full point.

Sky-blue, almond-shaped eyes bore straight through the male adventurer.

Wait, isn't she...Lyu? One of the waitresses who works at The Benevolent Mistress?

"Where do these rats keep coming from...?! What's yer deal?!"

"The one you intend to kill...He is destined to become the companion of a person irreplaceable to me. I will not allow you to injure him."

What did she just say...?

"What the hell is wrong with people today?! Ya really wanna die so bad?!"

"Silence!"

—The air itself seems to freeze.

The man who was yelling at the top of his lungs swallows his words. Lyu stands before us, her eyes sharp slits on her face. The sheer pressure of her presence is intense. A look of panic works its way onto the man's face.

I don't have any room to criticize him; I'm shaking in my boots, too.

"...—...?!"

"I don't want to cross blades with you. I have a bad habit of going too far." Lyu sounds detached, almost bored. She is bathed in red light from the setting sun shining in behind her from West Main.

I'll bet—yes, that's the truth.

It has to be true; I can tell how strong she is just by her posture.

The adventurer starts to flap his lips, like he's trying to deliver on his last warning. I hear a sharp shing, and suddenly there's a stiletto in Lyu's free hand.

C-couldn't see it at all...

"D-DAMN IT!"

The man turns slightly blue in the face before making a hasty retreat.

"......"

"Are you all right?"

The girl in front of me managed to fend off an adventurer without having to even throw a punch...I'm more than a little scared of her now.

I wipe off the sweat that built up under my chin.

Whether I'm sweating this much from staring down the man or from Lyu's display of power, I'm not sure.

Is Lyu, maybe, an adventurer herself...?

"Th-thank you very much. I was in a bit of a pinch there..."

"No, I'm sorry for getting in your way. I'm sure you could have dealt with this situation on your own just fine."

"I'm not so sure about that..."

I'd been petrified. I couldn't see myself getting out of that alive.

I scratch my chin and avoid looking at her. "Um, Lyu, why are you here?"

"I was shopping for supplies to prepare for this evening. Unlike in the afternoon, adventurers visit our establishment in the evening. So if we are not fully stocked, many problems tend to occur. I happened to see you in the middle of my errand, and you know the rest."

That makes sense. The Benevolent Mistress is a popular bar, so they would run out of ingredients and wine rather quickly.

Then again, "I know the rest"...We don't know each other very well. Maybe Lyu has a strong sense of justice?

"What about you? Why are you here?"

"Well, you see, this girl here...Huh?"

I spin around, looking for the prum girl, but she's gone. She's vanished into thin air.

"Was someone there?"

"Y-yeah. At least, I thought so..."

She must have gotten scared and run away.

It can't be helped; even I was scared out of my wits.

But that does seem kind of strange...

"If you will excuse me, I will take my leave now."

"All right," I say. "And really, thank you so much."

We exchange a quick bow and go our separate ways.

"Alrighty..."

Bell, fully equipped in the new armor he bought the previous day, took a look at himself in the mirror.

It went very well with his black inner clothing and pants. The new armor was so light that he could barely feel it. He would be able to move freely in combat.

His new emerald-green protector lightly sparkled on his left arm.

Bell ran his fingers down the outer edge of the gift from Eina with a smile on his face.

"Goddess, I'm heading out!"

"Gotcha...Have a good day..."

He grimaced a little at the sight of his exhausted goddess, sinking ever lower into the middle of the bed. Bell reached for the door. He had already given up on getting an explanation as to why the goddess was working at Hephaistos Familia.

Bell took one last look into the mirror. Now that he no longer had to wear Guild provision equipment, he looked more like a full-fledged adventurer. Bell smiled at his reflection and gave a nod of approval.

He left the hidden room under the only church, dagger and Divine Knife tucked into the armor behind his lower back.

Nice weather today...

The sky that opened up before him was blue and clear.

A smile perked up his lips as he gazed at the sky. He felt like something good was going to happen today.

He followed the side roads to West Main, and then down to Central Park.

Bell joined the waves of adventurers gathering at Babel Tower.

Seize the day...Bell mouthed to himself, a certain blond-haired, golden-eyed girl on his mind.

"Mister, mister. Mister with the white hair."

Bell stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out if the voice was addressing him.

"Huh?"

He turned in the direction the voice came from, but all he could see were other adventurers coming and going, all of them avoiding making eye contact. None of them could have been the owner of the voice.

"Mister, down...down here."

The voice of a little girl tickled his ear. Dropping his chin, he saw she was there.

The girl stood about 100 celch tall, dressed in a plain cream-colored robe. A hood covered most of her face with a little bit of chestnut-colored hair sticking out. A backpack at least twice, no, three times her size, big enough to surprise Bell, was strapped to her tiny shoulders.

Bell's eyes went wide as he felt a strong sense of déjà vu. Memories of the event on the side street the day before came flooding back into his mind.

"A-aren't you...?"

"Pleased to meetcha, mister! If you don't mind me asking, are you looking for a supporter?"

Interrupting Bell's words, the girl pointed an almost infant-sized finger toward the boy's back.

She was pointing to his backpack.

Anyone could guess that an adventurer walking alone and equipped with a backpack was going solo—perhaps thinking If only I had a supporter...

So the girl had come to confirm and asked him directly.

"W...what...?"

"Are you confused? This is a pretty simple situation, you know. A poor supporter has come to you, an adventurer, to sell her services in the Dungeon."

Opposite Bell's wide-eyed, confused look, the girl squinted her eyes and smiled from ear to ear.

"No, I mean, but...aren't you...from yesterday...?"

"......? Mister, have you met Lilly before? Lilly doesn't remember."

Many adventurers gave them annoyed looks as they passed by, wondering what these two were doing in the middle of the road.

"Are you sure?"

"So, mister, do you want a supporter?"

"Well...if I could find one...Yeah, I'd like one."

"Really? Then please take Lilly with you, mister!"

The girl looked so happy and innocent, her round eyes shining through her bangs from under her hood. Those big eyes found their way to the knife tucked nicely into Bell's waist.

"I suppose that'd be okay..."

"Ah! Names? Sorry, Lilly didn't introduce herself."

The girl took a few steps back and cheerfully smiled at Bell.

"Lilly's name is Lilliluka Erde. What's your name, mister?"

The eyes looking up at Bell twinkled suspiciously under her hood.