DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
After being forced to eat the food, May reacted just like everyone else. However, her level of embarrassment was much higher than the others, as well. But she, like the others, finished every bit of the food on her plate, all while sporting the most intense blush anyone had ever seen.
Then, shortly after may finished eating, Mia stood up and swept her gaze over everyone in the pub before focusing on Tatsuo and Alfonzo.
"Alright, you've wasted enough of our time." Mia said while waving towards the Hostess of Fertility's entrance. "Now, get out."
"Damn… that's kinda cold blooded, Mama Mia." Alfonzo said while smiling wryly. "You eat our food then kick us out immediately."
"First of all, that was MY food." Mia said while crossing her arms. "Second, if you wanna stay so bad, I'm going to put you to work in the kitchen with May. So, do you really want to stay?"
"I think Mama Mia is right." Tatsuo said while standing up. "It's time to go. Besides, we still need to get familiar with Orario. I mean, we've only been here a few days, and this is the first day we have time to just wander around."
"Little brat." Mia could not help but chuckle as she spoke. "You're running from work at top speed, huh?"
"It's not that I don't wanna work with you or May." Tatsuo said while shooting a smile at May, causing the cat girl chef to blush even harder. Then, with a solemn expression on his face, he turned back to Mia and continued. "But can you really afford to pay chefs of our caliber?"
"Sharp-tongued brat." Mia grumbled.
Though Tatsuo asked if Mia could afford to pay Tatsuo and Alfonzo, that was not what he meant exactly. Because everyone was well-aware of just how prosperous the Hostess of Fertility was. Rather, what Tatsuo meant was, "Are you willing to pay chefs of mine and Alfonzo's caliber?" And the answer to that question was a resounding no.
So, when Tatsuo heard Mia's response, he only smiled. Then, he gestured for the members of his Familia to get up before they all said their goodbyes and left the staff of the Hostess of Fertility to finished preparing for the day.
After leaving the Hostess of Fertility, the Aislynn Familia did just what Tatsuo said, split into smaller groups, and separated to explore the parts of Orario they all found interesting. Though, Tatsuo's group was definitely the biggest, as Violet, Aletia, Sakura and Momo chose to follow him.
The other groups consisted of Alfonzo and Elicia in one while James, Akatsuki, and Zelretch made up the last group. Then, until the sun started to set, the three groups explored Orario, checking out stores, street food stalls, and any other place that caught their attention.
At around the time the sun set, the groups trickled back into the Dragon's Nest where they found Aislynn waiting in the main hall with a smile on her face as she sat comfortably on a couch with her legs crossed and her arms spread across the couch's backrest. {Pic}
"So, did you all have fun exploring?" Aislynn asked with a smile.
"It wasn't much different than the towns and cities in our world." Alfonzo said with a shrug.
"The fashion isn't quite as good, though." Elicia said with a slight pout. "Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed."
"Does that mean you're gonna open a Taylor Shop here, too?" Zelretch asked curiously.
"Nope." Elicia replied. "Maybe if we were gonna live here permanently. But two years isn't enough for me to do everything and still explore the Dungeon."
"Good." Akatsuki said while looking at Elicia out of the corner of her eyes. "When I saw the look on your face when you got back, I thought you had misplaced your priorities."
"Hmph!" Elicia snorted while turning her nose up playfully. "Even if I'm obsessed with making clothes and fashion, I know when it's time to work and time to indulge."
"Yeah, she never made the mistake of letting her passion get in the way of a job after that first time when we were almost half a day late for a quest." Alfonzo said with a smile.
"Hey!" Elicia exclaimed as she turned to glare at Alfonzo with her hands resting on her hips. "We don't talk about that anymore. I made a mistake, I learned from it, and I never did it again. So, there's no reason to bring it up."
In response, Alfonzo raised his hands disarmingly while smiling at his wife's frustration. Meanwhile, everyone else had to stifle their laughter.
"So, will you all be going to the Dungeon again tomorrow?" Aislynn asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer."
"That's right." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "We'll be going for the next six days. Then, we'll take the seventh off to rest, repair equipment, and do whatever else we want."
"T and I will be using those rest days to outfit the Familia with new equipment, too." Alfonzo added. "I'm sure everyone noticed all that good shit in the forge, right? That should be more than enough to make everyone gear that should get them all the way through Level 1."
"If you say so." James replied with a shrug. "Honestly, I don't know a damn thing about making equipment. I only know how to use it."
Most of the others nodded along with James' statement. Though, Zelretch did put on a different expression.
"What's wrong, Zelly?" Elicia asked after noticing Zelretch's expression.
"Actually, I was just thinking…" Zelretch said. "I wonder if I can put my skill in crafting Mystic Codes to use in this world. I mean, it feels kind of strange to not have the Jeweled Sword in my hand."
"That would only be possible if you get the Mystery Development Ability." Aislynn said calmly.
Development Abilities are different from Skills and Magic Adventurers get when the Falna is applied or updated. Instead, they can only be gained during the Level Up ceremony. In terms of gaming, they are like acquiring passive skills that can be improved through constant use. Though, they do have the reputation for increasing at a rather slow pace.
As for the Mystery Ability, it's a Development Ability that very few Adventurers have obtained. And it makes the crafting of magic items possible. And Zelretch's famed Mystic Code, the Jeweled Sword, would be a prime example of a magic item in this world.
In fact, in most worlds with magic, the Jeweled Sword would be called a magic sword. However, in DanMachi, a magic sword is a completely different concept. In DanMachi, magic swords are disposable weapons that allow even those without magic to cask magi spells with just the slash of a weapon.
Whereas Magic Items are permanent items granted with certain magic effects. For example, the most famed wielder of the Mystery Development Ability, the captain of the Hermes Familia, Asfi Al Andromeda, created a pair of winged sandals named Talaria that allows her to fly.
"But don't you have to learn the language of the gods to gain the Mystery Ability?" Tatsuo asked.
"That's right." Aislynn replied with a nod. "But you don't have to learn it fully. You'd only have to know enough to read a Falna. Which shouldn't be all that difficult for someone of Zelretch's experience."
"You may be overpraising me, Lady Aislynn." Zelretch said while smiling wryly. "Though, I must admit, I am interested in trying to gain this ability, if only for the sake of recreating my Jeweled Sword in this world."
"Then, you can come to me after your trips into the Dungeon." Aislynn said casually. "I'd be happy to teach you."
"Many Thanks." Zelretch said as he placed his left hand over his heart and bowed slightly.
Waving off Zelretch's gratitude, Aislynn stood up from the couch. Then, she walked in front of Tatsuo, took him by the hand, and dragged him towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Huh? Where are we going this time?" Tatsuo asked curiously. "I don't need my Falna updated."
"You're the Familia Captain." Aislynn replied while rolling her eyes. "So, it's time you started getting used to a captain's duties. We're gonna go over all the accounts tonight. And we'll be doing so until your next day off."
*Thud!*
"Seriously?" Tatsuo asked as his tail slapped against the floor involuntarily.
*Thud!*
Tatsuo once again thumped his tail on the floor when he heard the others laughing at his misfortune. Then, he glared at them over his shoulder with a promise of retribution before he disappeared from the views of the others.
The next morning, when everyone gathered in the dining hall, they were surprised to see that Tatsuo was not with Alfonzo preparing breakfast. So, they all turned to look at Aislynn, the last person to see him last night. {Pic}
"Hey, Aislynn, where is Tatsuo?" Elicia asked curiously. "I thought he would be in the kitchen with Fonzie, but he's not."
"He's probably still getting ready." Aislynn replied nonchalantly. "We stayed up pretty late last night."
Aislynn punctuated her sentence by licking her lips and getting a bit of amusement out of the reactions Aletia and Sakura showed. Yet, no one else reacted in the way she wanted them to, causing Aislynn to pout at the others.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Akatsuki asked while rolling her eyes. "You said you were taking him to do paperwork last night, remember? And judging by that guy's personality, he definitely was not in the mood for anything else after that."
"Ugh… I feel for the kid." James said while shaking his head sympathetically. "Paperwork is the worst kind of necessary evil."
"When a Devil says something like that, you know it's bad." Violet said in a joking tone.
"Well, at least I understand why he's not here." Elicia said with a shrug. "I mean, keeping up with the books of my shops back on Earth Land is already more work than I want to deal with."
"And that's why I never officially joined the Clock Tower.' Zelretch said while nodding in a sagely way. "If I had, they would expect me to take up a position of power. And all that means is endless amounts of paperwork and political intrigue."
"Sounds awful." Sakura said. "It makes me wonder why Rin-Neesan would ever want to study there."
"Oh, she definitely didn't." Zelretch said with a mischievous smile on his face while stroking his beard. "I made her do it. Thought it would be fun to watch."
Hearing that, everyone who knew something about the Clock Tower n Zelretch's world looked at him as if he were the devil.
"There's another one." James muttered. "I'm starting to think all of you are more devil-like than I am."
Like that, the group continued to chatter while Alfonzo cooked breakfast. But the conversations eventually came to an end when Tatsuo, already geared up, stepped into the room with an exhausted expression on his face. {Pic}
"Man… You look like shit." James said jokingly.
"Thanks." Tatsuo replied flatly as he slowly trudged towards an open chair. "Good to see you, too, James."
"Tatsuo-Kun, are you okay?" Violet asked in a concerned tone.
"Maybe you shouldn't go into the Dungeon today." Sakura said worriedly.
"Yes, such fatigue is not suitable for a dangerous environment like the Dungeon." Momo added with a stern nod.
"Your sleepy face is cute." Aletia said, breaking the concerned atmosphere.
Hearing that, everyone turned to look at Aletia with differing expressions. While James, Elicia, Akatsuki, and Zelretch smiled at Aletia's straight forward affection, Aislynn just smiled at the situation. Meanwhile, Violet, Sakura, and Momo looked at Aislynn reproachfully. However, Aislynn did not pay any attention to their stares as all of her attention was focused on Tatsuo.
"I'll be fine." Tatsuo replied while waving off the concerns. "I just need something to eat. Then, I'll be good as new."
"Did someone say eat?" Alfonzo asked as he stepped into the dining room while balancing a huge tray of food in one hand. "Oh, it looks like Tatsuo finally decided to join us after wrestling with paperwork all night."
*Bang!*
"Ugh!" Tatsuo groaned while letting his head fall onto the table.
With a laugh, Alfonzo served everyone's breakfast before taking his own seat.
"So, what are the team assignments?" Akatsuki asked after swallowing a mouthful of food.
"We have three dedicated mages." Zelretch said. "So, Sakura, Aletia, and I should all be on different teams."
"That makes sense." James said with a nod while cutting into his omelet. "But the real issue is that one team will have four people. Also, we only have two tanks."
"They'll definitely have to be on different teams." Elicia said while pointing at Violet and Momo. "So, two teams are already two-thirds complete."
"The third team should have four people." Sakura said softly.
"Agreed." Alfonzo added. "I think me, James, and T should be on different teams, too. "
"That was the plan." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "Actually, Aslynn and I already came up with something last night."
Hearing that, everyone turned to look at Tatsuo to hear his team assignments. And Tatsuo did not keep them waiting.
"The first team will be me, Momo, and Sakura." Tatsuo said calmly.
"You only put it that way so you wouldn't need to carry any magic stones." James accused.
"And?" Tatsuo asked uncaringly. "The next team will be James, Violet, and Aletia."
While Violet did not react much to the team assignment, Aletia pouted because she would not be on the same team as Tatsuo for the second day in a row. But she did not complain. Meanwhile, James was too busy being dumbfounded at Tatsuo's shamelessness to react to the team he was assigned to.
"So, that means the last team is me, Fonzie, Zelly, and Akatsuki." Elicia said with a cheerful smile.
"That's right.' Tatsuo replied with another nod. "But these are not permanent teams. We'll change them again next week, and the week after, and the week after that until we eventually get the most perfect combinations."
"Sounds good to me." Alfonzo replied with a shrug.
"No objections." Zelretch added.
"I don't care what the teams are as long as everyone comes back safe." Akatsuki said solemnly.
"Well then, now that that is settled, you all should get going." Aislynn said. "Time waits for no one, after all."
Nodding in response, the others continued eating. Then, when they were done, they picked up their weapons and the lunches Alfonzo packed before leaving the Dragon's Nest and making their way towards Babel Tower in the center of the city.