Gin and Elise—or well, mostly Elise—chatted about her family. About Xander, her coolest brother, about Camilla, her mature, wyvern-riding sister, about Leo, her smart, magic-wielding brother, and about Corrin, her kindest sister.
It wasn't hard for him to notice that she had all her memories intact. That gave him a plethora of confusing feelings.
On one hand, it was good that his skill didn't erase her past; but on the other hand, this meant that Elise, with all her happy exterior, was actually fully aware that his skill had basically ripped her away from her beloved family.
Both he and she weren't ready to tackle that topic quite yet. As such, the two of them kept talking about nonsensical stuff: about how riding wyverns was a thing, about how her sister could turn into a dragon, and how Elise herself was actually a descendant of some Darkness Dragon God.
Hel would love her. Elise had all of her backstory covered.
"So you are a… troubadour?" Gin's mind ground to a halt as the topic shifted to an absurd one. "So you, like, lull the enemies and raise the morale of your friends with music?"
"Of course not, silly!" She giggled and looked at him as if he were some dim-witted toddler. "A troubadour's job is to heal people with magic. We are also good at riding horses. That way, we can get to the wounded faster."
"…So you are a healer on a horse?"
"Yep!"
"And you also play music on the side?"
"I do, but not all troubadours play music. Troubadours are troubadours because they can heal people, not because they play music."
"Right, you lost me there." Gin closed his eyes in frustration. "No offense, but your world's got some issues, Elise."
"Yeah, the eternal darkness in Nohr could be a bit of a problem. The maids have a hard time getting the laundry to dry." Elise nodded sagely.
Eternal darkness? The fuck? Gin resolutely stayed away from that topic.
"Oh yeah, by the way. Just to make things clear, what do you actually know about me, about this world, Elise?"
She placed a finger on her lips. "Hmm… I know that you are serving goddess Hel, and how there is a big dungeon filled with dangerous monsters, and how you value archery so much, and that you aren't a mage. Oh, I know about the prices on the menu at the Hostess of Fertility too."
She kind of knew everything that he knew, then? That was neat.
Well, that knowledge should serve her well. It wouldn't take her long to get accustomed to this world. Depending on what skills or spells she gained, she could even join him in a dungeon dive soon.
But before all that, there was something he needed to make sure of first. Gin gulped down a glass of water and readied his nerves. Not skirting around issues was a part of being an adult, after all.
Elise, seemingly reading the air, patiently waited for him to speak up.
"Hey, Elise. Are you okay... with all this?" He looked straight at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
"You aren't talking about the porridge, right?" Gin offered a weak smile at her attempt to lighten the mood.
"No, unfortunately. I know the porridge is more than okay." He played along before talking again.
"Are you okay with fighting here? With living in this world? With… the possibility of, you know?"
"Dying?"
Gin could only nod silently at her directness.
She smiled sadly.
"I am not that smart, Gin. When Xander and Corrin fought, I couldn't do anything. It was frustrating. The only thing I could think of to stop them was… taking the blow."
He knew of this.
He had experienced it before, after all. It still felt weird to hear her view on it, though.
"It's scary. It's painful. Even now I don't know if it was the correct action to take, but—"
"It was my choice." Elise looked back at him resolutely. "It's the same with answering your call. It was my decision too. At the time I made the choice, I already paved my path, you know?"
"If that path required me to fight monsters, to feel scared again, to get hurt again, then so be it. I am fully prepared, Gin. So please don't be shy to count on me."
"I see." Éljúðnir was nothing but an invitation. Elise received it and decided that answering his call was the right choice to make. She was ready for it.
Gin offered his hand to her. "Then I will be counting on you in the future. Thank you for answering my call, Elise."
She shook it happily, swinging their hands side to side. "Yup! It's going to be great working with you, Captain!"
Elise was strong.
That was the only conclusion Gin could make from this.
...
He had learned some new things about Elise during their journey back to Orario.
She was an energetic, happy bundle of joy, but at the same time, she was also a dainty noble girl who was used to traveling on a horse or carriage.
A four-hour walk was nothing short of torture for her; not only that, unlike him, she didn't have a Falna yet.
"Captain."
Gin looked back at Elise, who was being carried on his back.
"Yeah?"
"I am sorry." She looked down in shame.
"Nah, no worries. I am a Level 2. You are way lighter than the bag I carried yesterday." He shrugged.
"Besides, I am your captain. You can count on me as much as I can count on you."
"-Okay!" She sure was quick to bounce back. He guessed it was a good trait of hers. "Then for the last spurt, I will be the one carrying you home!"
"No, please don't. The gatekeepers will beat me black and blue for child abuse."
Those Ganesha Familia members could be brutal sometimes!
Getting Elise inside the walls of Orario wasn't hard at all.
She was such a lovely girl that, if she got into a scuffle with security, the onlookers would probably beat the shit out of the authorities first.
It took the two of them no time at all to arrive at Helheim after passing the check at the gate. Now, he was standing before the door to Helheim as usual.
Hel was probably waiting in front of the door as usual.
"Elise, open the door." Gin handed the key to Elise.
She nodded, not even questioning the gesture.
As the door to Helheim opened, darkness greeted the two of them.
Ah, yep, Hel definitely knew they were back.
Did she close all of the curtains?
As he peered deeper inside, he noticed a small shadow standing on the stairs to the second floor.
"Who's there!?" Elise, seemingly noticing the same thing, gasped in awe.
"I am the dead, the dark, the silence. I am Hel."
Yup, that was his goddess alright.
She was definitely pumped to be getting new blood so soon!
"Welcome to the Hall of the Dead, O' Budding Flower."
"Wow! Hel-sama, you were so cool!" Elise gushed as she approached Hel. "Did you know we were coming!? As expected of the Goddess of Death!"
"Umu, the underworld sees all." Hel smiled proudly.
She was really satisfied with Elise's reaction, huh?
"The place where my palm reaches the sky has served its purpose. Although I dwell in the darkness, I shall not reject the light. For its role has been to illuminate your path to my altar, Budding Flower."
"Wow, Hel-sama sure is mysterious, isn't she?" Elise whispered excitedly to him as Hel walked away.
"Hey Gin, do you understand what she was saying?"
"…The time is not yet ripe for you to open the box of disaster, Twilight Princess." Gin answered her, following Hel's lead. "As the stars burn out, one day the darkness shall deem you worthy of their affection."
"That's so cool!" Elise's squealing reverberated inside the usually quiet home.
By the way, Hel was saying that she was spending time on the roof when she spied them returning.
"Anyway, Elise. Follow Hel-sama quickly. She is going to prepare for your induction into our familia. Just relax and follow her instructions, okay?"
"Aye, aye, Captain!" Elise yelled out and proceeded to look for Hel.
...
Gin was cleaning up after dinner, washing the numerous wooden plates and utensils by the sink.
Dinner had been a huge feast as usual, with him pulling out all the stops to welcome Elise.
Now she was sleeping in her room, which had already been prepared and cleaned beforehand by Hel.
There would be a lot more to do tomorrow now that Elise had joined in.
He needed to report to the Guild to get her an assigned Guild staff member, buy some clothes, equipment, and personal supplies for her, and on top of that, he was going to introduce her to the people from the Loki Familia.
As he was finishing up the dishes, Hel approached him.
Noticing Hel's serious look, he quickly tidied up and patiently waited for her words.
"The Budding Flower has received my blessing. She has become the bloom that will persevere even against the darkest light," Hel said. "Nay, calling her a bloom might be an insult. Her beauty lays not in her outer layer. Her indomitable spirit and honest nobility, akin to the grass that persists even after being trampled upon, are something I truly treasure."
Hel had no complaints about Elise's character then.
That was good news.
"Excellent. Such precious spirit is what we need to fill our dark halls. As her captain, I will fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities and more."
"Good. Remember, my champion: our new addition might be the yet-to-bloom flower, but you are the mighty tree that supports my divine will. You are the pillar where my darkness reigns supreme."
Gin smiled confidently at Hel's declaration.
"Your legend shall take root, and the branches of that great tree shall reach your kindred souls. Grow, flourish; other sagas shall be naught but vines that decorate your greatness even more."
"By your divine will." He knelt before her.
"Umu. With that said, I shall bear the truth of Éljúðnir that I stumbled upon today."
The truth about Éljúðnir? That skill still had other effects?
Gin watched as Hel spread a status paper in front of him.
It was Elise's.
"Wait, what?"
No matter how many times he looked at it, the words on the paper didn't change.
"This is…"
Elise von Nohr
Level 1
Str I 33
End I 74
Dex H 103
Agi G 275
Mag F 364
Skill: Dragon Vein
Magic: Physic
No matter how you sliced it, this wasn't the status of someone who had just received their Falna.
If Elise were normal, then the result would be I-0 in all basic abilities. This status made it seem like she had received a Falna before.
"All of her journey is neatly packed inside. It is not her existence that breaks the norm. It is yours, my champion," Hel said as she brought the status paper toward the hearth.
Gin watched as the flame licked the paper and turned it to ashes. "Éljúðnir… is a skill that breaks the laws of this world."
"Keep this in mind, my champion. The truth of Éljúðnir shall never leave this hall."
Not caring about his state of mind, the next day came around as usual.
Gin sighed and questioned when exactly his life had become so weird.
Éljúðnir was a troublesome skill in a whole different class than Niflheim.
Sure, Niflheim sacrificed his dignity for power, but having that skill known by others would only cause some teasing and misplaced envy.
If anyone found out about Éljúðnir, however…
Endless War Games, headhunting using [Charm], or even Hel's assassination weren't impossibilities.
A skill that summoned a ready-to-fight warrior was just that valuable to some gods. Even ignoring that, the rarity alone would be cause for them to add him to their collection.
Luckily enough, Éljúðnir would remain hidden as long as the Hel Familia kept silent about it.
For example, in the case of Elise, no one would know the truth of her status as long as they didn't witness the moment she received Hel's blessing.
As far as anyone else knew, she was just a talented newbie or a random member of a minor familia from the outside world he had recruited.
The real problem would be the summons after this. If his gut feeling was right, then there might be a chance that the person appearing next would have the status of a Level 2.
If he kept leveling up from now on… and reached Level 8, for example, what excuse could he make if he brought a Level 7 out of nowhere?
…
No, never mind.
If he became that high-leveled, he would just need to destroy anyone stupid enough to challenge his familia!
The first few years would be the real balancing act.
Oh well, he could think about the details later.
For now, he needed to prepare breakfast.
Deciding that, he headed toward the door of his room, only to have it opened by someone else.
"My goddess?" Hel entered his room, ignoring his confusion at her appearance.
"My champion, before you head out for your duties, I have something to give to you. Here." Hel showed him a large book with a blank cover.
Looking at it, he instantly recognized the thing for what it was.
"A Grimoire?" he muttered dumbly.
A Grimoire.
It was a magic item that could only be used once.
Its effect? Forcefully awakening a magic spell from anyone who read it. It was the most sought-after magic item by high-level familias.
Why was it only high-level familias that looked for them?
Their price.
In the previous annual auction, his golden egg's starting price was 1 million.
The Grimoire sold in that same auction had a starting price of 150 million!
No one would be insane enough to buy a Grimoire unless they were filthy rich.
How in the world could Hel get her hands on one!?
"My goddess, this is—"
"My champion," Hel interrupted him midway, forcing the Grimoire into his hands. "Please, put your trust in me. You must be hungry for answers, but the time is not yet ripe."
"The only thing that I can tell you is that I paid the price for it. Thus, you have to embrace the power within it and add it to your arsenal." Hel cupped his cheeks with her hands. "Everything that I did, I did it for you. Please let this one truth sate you for now."
"By your will," Gin answered solemnly.
This was the first time Hel had hidden something from him, but it didn't matter.
That one truth was enough.
The rest of his curiosity could be doused by his trust in her alone.
He sat down on the bed again, feeling the weight of the tome on his thighs.
Using the Grimoire was simple.
You just had to read it, and it would read you back. It would find your desire and drag it into the spotlight.
And thus he read. Page after page. Slowly but surely, he felt the Grimoire probe his mind.
His desire… He knew his honest desire.
The ideal self that he was working toward.
Not a self-proclaimed archer who uses attack magic to destroy his enemies, he wanted to be an archer with a bow that utilized his high magic.
That was why.
The spell that would awaken would not be an attack magic.
With that simple criterion alone, his desire was laid bare.
The desire to survive, the desire to live.
Now that he thought about it, it was quite ironic that even though he was a champion of the Goddess of Death, he picked the option that would help him prolong his life.
Nah, he had a feeling that Hel would approve of his desire.
...
"Please fill in this form, Miss Von Nohr."
Rehmer slid the form over to Elise's side. Gin silently watched beside her as Elise wrote her information on the paper.
It was afternoon now.
The two of them were in the Guild, taking care of Elise's registration. Thankfully, the knowledge given by Éljúðnir also extended to writing alphabets.
Obviously, some of her answers were half-truths or left blank on purpose. It might be easy to prepare some made-up background for her, but it was riskier in the long run.
Besides, it wasn't particularly weird for adventurers to hide their backgrounds.
He knew that the Guild wasn't privy to adventurers' origins, since some of them wanted to get a fresh start in Orario or outright had criminal pasts.
Rehmer accepted the filled form from Elise without changing his expression.
As expected, he didn't really care about stuff that wasn't included in his job description.
"Thank you for filling out the form. After this, you can choose to attend a short beginner's class on adventuring, though for all intents and purposes it is optional for you, considering that your familia already has an experienced member."
"Is that so? Hmm… Captain, what should I do then?" Elise turned to him.
That Elise knew everything that he knew was his working theory before, but he wasn't so sure now.
Elise's knowledge was spotty at best.
She didn't know the location of the Guild HQ or his battle against the Jack Bird, for example.
The details of which knowledge was given and which wasn't were still up in the air. Éljúðnir was still as confusing as ever.
Well, the fact that Éljúðnir didn't give Elise the entire scope of what he knew was good for him in a way.
He still had some things he preferred to hide from her.
His past, his feelings for Hel, the fantasies that he had used to jack off… there were a lot of things that Elise was better off not knowing.
"It's better if you take it," Gin decided after a moment, with Rehmer nodding along in approval.
"Having someone I can bounce my ideas off of is better in the long run. Even if you know most of this stuff, learning it again won't be a waste of time. Just treat it as a refresher."
"Okay!"
"Then Ms. Von Nohr, please go to reading room one. My fellow staff will debrief you on the basics."
"Alright, see you later, Captain." Elise waved to him and headed toward the room.
Gin waved back, leaning on the counter nonchalantly.
"Congratulations on your first member, Mr. Hvergel."
Gin turned his attention back to Rehmer. "So, seeing as you are not moving away, is it correct to assume that you still have something to talk about?"
"Yeah, actually, you see…" Gin took out a flyer with simple writing and illustrations on it and showed it to Rehmer.
[Hel Familia Needs You! Let's Make Orario Great Again!],
[Newbies and Veterans are welcome.]
[We are not just a familia. We are a family.]
Below those words, numerous stickmen with smiley faces joining hands in front of a rainbow were drawn.
Rehmer read it for a second and raised his eyebrow. "A notice for recruitment, is it?"
"Yeah, both Hel-sama and I decided that it is high time we expand the familia. I want to place this on the notice board." Gin pointed to one of the boards.
"I need to supervise Elise during dungeon diving anyway, so adding one or two newbies to the mix now should save us time."
"I am in agreement with that opinion. Unfortunately, we as the Guild cannot provide support for familia recruitment," Rehmer sighed.
"The reason is?"
"Mr. Hvergel, you should know by now that the number of small- to medium-sized familias in Orario exceeds two hundred. The Guild couldn't possibly accommodate recruitment for all of them," he explained.
"Even if we could do so, recommending certain familias over others would be clear favoritism. As such, the Guild steers clear of matters of familia recruitment."
Well, that was actually a fair reason.
"Oh well. Do you have any ideas on how to do this, then?"
"Hmm, the obvious one would be having members of your familia hand out the flyers near the gates. Other than that, you might be able to ask some inns and restaurants to keep some flyers in case their customers sound interested in joining a familia."
Hmm… He didn't have acquaintances at any inns, but he was on decent terms with all the eating places across Orario.
Yep, this should work nicely.
"Yeah, that's doable for me. Thanks, Rehmer."
"You are very welcome," Rehmer replied offhandedly as he started to work on another form.
"Besides, I predict your familia will be busy with random applicants showing up at your familia house by next week."
"Huh? Why?" That was a pretty specific prediction.
"Ah, this should clear your confusion, Mr. Hvergel." Rehmer brought out a single envelope and handed it to him.
"This is?" Gin examined the envelope, finding it completely blank on both sides.
The only clue was the logo on the wax seal. It was some kind of tree, maybe?
"An invitation to the Denatus for Goddess Hel," Rehmer replied. "It will be held in six days' time. Although attendance is mandatory, one of the agenda items for it will be the naming ceremony for adventurers who leveled up—you included. I believe that Goddess Hel will be keen to take part in it."
Yep, Hel would definitely attend, no doubt, but that was okay.
Gin had already determined to accept whatever alias the gods came up with.
The other high-level adventurers happily received theirs and the response from their surroundings was generally good.
Whatever alias the gods gave him, he would accept it with full gratefulness.
…
…
…
Alright, that was a lie.
He wasn't ready at all!
He knew a lot of high-level people, and most of them had decent, simple aliases.
Take Finn's alias for example: his alias, [Braver], Hero, was easy to understand, not only that, it also suited his image of being a perfect warrior and leader.
At the same time, Gin had also heard of the numerous painful names across Orario.
Some dude he didn't know was called [Azure Dragon Stigma], and another was [Death Cry Garden].
Those guys were probably members of some no-name familia who got saddled with horrible names as jokes.
The fact that those dudes seemed to like the names sent shivers down his spine.
Imagining being in the same shoes as those dudes, with others celebrating and calling you by those cursed aliases, was already torture.
"Okay, there will be an upcoming Denatus in a week." Gin could feel cold sweat forming on his back.
"What's that got to do with recruitment?"
"I believe that the Hel Familia will be in the spotlight for a while after the Denatus. After all, you are the current [Record Holder] for leveling up."
"I am?"
"You are. The previous [Record Holder] was Ais Wallenstein from the Loki Familia, who leveled up after one year, while you leveled up in 8 months and 15 days. You lead by three and a half months."
"I am pretty awesome, huh?" Gin nodded to himself.
"Yes, you are."
Gin sent a confused look at Rehmer's reaffirmation.
Rehmer adjusted his glasses and continued. "I am only speaking objectively here. You becoming a record holder is one thing, but when you add your fighting style as an archer—a rearguard—and the fact that you came out unscathed after heading out solo to fight an Infant Dragon, the thing you have accomplished could only be described as 'awesome'."
"Wow, thanks for that, man." Gin rubbed his nose shyly.
To think that Rehmer of all people would say that to him!
"Mr. Hvergel, for better or worse, your accomplishment will affect the other adventurers." Rehmer's tone didn't sound joyful at all.
"It might be weird to hear this from me, but I wish that you will keep exceeding everyone's expectations to the point that people give up on emulating what you did."
…So that was it.
Gin could read between the lines. If things went as Rehmer feared, the number of adventurer deaths would probably rise for a while, huh?
"No worries there," Gin answered him. "I will keep going full throttle to show my abnormality."
"Then I pray for your success in the future, Mr. Hvergel."
There was no need for anyone to follow the path he just took and die on it.
....
"Hey guys." Gin raised his hand in greeting to the gatekeepers of Twilight Mansion.
"Oh, Gin. Here to visit us again?" They returned his greeting with a smile. "Been busy, huh? We heard that you went outside the city for two days."
"Yeah, there were some things I needed to take care of." He shrugged. "So, who's home right now?"
"Ah, Captain and the others received some intel about an Evilus attack in the Seventh District, and your friends went on an expedition with the vets. Ais-san and Loki went out to buy some snacks. They should be back shortly."
"Ah, I see. Probably out buying Jagamaru-kun again. I swear Loki is spoiling her too much," Gin ranted before noticing Elise being left out of the conversation.
"Oh yeah, by the way. This is Elise, my newest member."
"I am Elise von Nohr, Hel Familia healer! Nice to meet the two of you! Thank you for taking care of my captain." Elise smiled happily and shook the gatekeepers' hands. "Your familia home is so big! It must be tough during cleaning time, huh?"
'Leave it to Elise to suddenly strike up a conversation with people she just met.'
Gin sighed and left her to her own devices. Maybe it was better to wait here too, Ais and Loki should be back any second now.
Oh, speak of the devil.
He saw Ais and Loki approaching the gate, holding a bag full of Jagamaru-kun.
"…Gin!?"
"Ais, hey. Nice timing as usual. You too, Loki." He greeted the two of them, but they stayed unmoving.
'What was up with them?'
"Oh right, Elise! Come here, let me introduce you. This little munchkin is Ais, and that sly, evil-looking goddess is Loki."
"Oh, hello Ais! Hello to you too, Loki-sama! I am Elise von Nohr. The Hel Familia's newest member and healer." She offered her hand to the two of them, mirroring her earlier action with the gatekeepers.
This time, the response was different, however.
"B-blonde hair, twin-tailed loli!? Holy shit, Gin! Ya actually found a combination of Hel-tan and Ais-tan!?" Loki wailed and pounded the ground.
"Gah!!! How could I keep finding gems stuck to you like this!?"
Loki was being Loki as usual, so Gin ignored her and focused his attention on Ais.
Her face was pale and her whole body was shivering.
"Blonde hair… Twin tail." She ignored Elise's hand and pointed to her hair instead.
"G-Gin… So, you are just playing with me?" Ais sobbed. "You are just playing with my heart, aren't you!?"
Nani?
...
"Right, have you calmed down now, you munchkin?" Gin asked Ais, who was currently munching on a Jagamaru-kun beside him.
It had taken him a lot of time to appease Ais while smacking Loki away from groping Elise.
Right now, he was sitting beside Ais on a sofa in the Twilight Mansion lounge.
Across from him, Elise and a tied-up Loki were chatting animatedly about something.
"Umu, feed me again." Ais opened her mouth wide like a baby bird.
This conceited little…
"'Umu' is the trademark trait of Hel-sama, you munchkin." He pinched her cheek tightly. "You've got some guts trying to imitate her."
"Awuuu, Gin, don't pinch my cheek. It hurts."
"Hehe, Captain and Ais are really close with each other," Elise giggled. "I am kind of jealous."
Gin flinched at her words. Did his interaction with Ais remind Elise of her siblings?
"Uh, well, do you want to feed Ais too, Elise?" He passed the bag of Jagamaru-kun to her. "You just have to slowly hold the stuff near her mouth and she will latch onto it pretty quickly."
"Oh, can I!?" Elise clapped her hands happily and hopped in beside him.
"Ais ain't a pigeon, you people. By the way, untie me and let me join in too."
The two of them ignored Loki's comment and proceeded to try and feed Ais.
"Here, here. Open wide, Ais." Elise brought a Jagamaru-kun closer to Ais's mouth.
Ais, for her part, closed her mouth stubbornly and hissed at Elise once the latter's hand got closer.
Yeah, this wasn't a pigeon. This was more like a feral cat.
"Okay, relax, Ais. Elise isn't an enemy." Gin patted her head slowly, feeling Ais calm down under his touch.
"See, she's bringing you your favorite Jagamaru-kun. Don't you remember? Jagamaru-kun is your friend, so anyone who lets you eat Jagamaru-kun isn't your enemy."
"…Isn't my enemy?"
"Yes, see? Elise is your friend too."
"…Friend." Ais finally nodded and opened her mouth.
"Dude, this is definitely child indoctrination right here."
Shut up, Loki.
"One Jagamaru-kun coming right up." Elise happily placed the potato snack in Ais's mouth. "Hehe, is it tasty?"
"Yes," Ais answered, munching happily under Gin's head pats.
She sure was living her best life right now.
Elise looked at the two of them with a smile.
No, there was still an underlying sadness there. Gin offered his free hand to her.
"…Well, do you want some head pats too?"
She perked up at that. "Oh!? Can I? There's no age limit? I always wanted to try that! Thank you, Captain!"
She tilted her head in his direction. He gently patted her head too, side to side, making little circles; every head-patting technique he knew was poured into his hands.
"Ehehe, this isn't bad at all."
Well, he was glad that she enjoyed it, at least.
"Oi Gin, give me some head pats too. I want to take part in this scene."
Why did this goddess always have to ruin the atmosphere?
"Shut up, the only part that will touch your head is my foot." Gin wriggled his left foot toward Loki's head.
"Oi! This is discrimination, dammit!" She wiggled away from his impending foot-head-pat.
"Oh, Teach, Sir Finn, Sir Gareth, you are back." Gin greeted Riveria and the others as they entered the lounge.
They weren't in their battle equipment, so they must have come back earlier and freshened up before heading here.
"I knew you were here from the general atmosphere." Riveria only sighed at the sight of Ais and Elise snoring on his lap and Loki tied up on the other sofa.
"Hey guys, how was your work?" Loki asked cheerily despite her tied-up state. "Any Evilus elites, or is it just Finn's biggest fan along with some grunts?"
"The usual one, unfortunately," Finn answered with a tired smile before taking the seat next to Loki.
Riveria and Gareth also took the free seats.
"She has been very active as of late. The other Evilus groups are getting pretty rowdy as well. Honestly, it is quite troublesome."
"Finn's biggest fan?" The others grinned at Gin's confused look before Riveria spoke up.
"We were talking about Valleta Grede."
Gin let out an 'ah' of understanding.
Valleta Grede. [Arachia]. Level 5.
She was a top member of Evilus—their most well-known member, in fact.
The reason for that was simply because of how vocal she was about being the perpetrator during numerous Evilus attacks in the city.
He didn't know anything about her relationship with Finn, though.
Finn's biggest fan, huh? He imagined Valleta inside his head.
"Notice me! Finn-senpai!" Imaginary Valleta said as she bombed a building.
"My love burns hot red for you, Finn-sama!" Imaginary Valleta made a heart with both of her hands above her head in front of a burning building.
"Aughh, Fortissimo, Finn!!!" Imaginary Valleta said as she sucked on a handkerchief with a drop of Finn's blood.
"…"
Gin felt sick just imagining it. Damn you, Evilus!
"…Have you tried baiting her with a Finn body pillow?"
His innocent, earnest question was answered with guffawing laughter from Gareth and Loki.
Riveria buried her face in a pillow, probably laughing her ass off too.
Finn looked at him with a faraway look.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she actually had one already."
"…Yikes." Evilus members were scary as hell. "Uh, just stay strong, Sir Finn."
"Thank you for that, Gin." Finn answered with a tired smile. "By the way, who is the young lady sleeping on your lap?"
"I am very sorry for nodding off!" Elise bowed repeatedly to the three executives as soon as she was completely awake.
She pouted at Gin. "Uuuhh Captain, you should have woken me up as soon as they arrived, geez."
"Sorry, sorry. You looked so content in your sleep that it completely slipped my mind." He brushed her off.
"Anyway, yeah. Elise here is my newest member. She's a healer, so don't hesitate to call on her if you ever need an extra one for an emergency."
"Hoo, a healer?" Riveria examined Elise for a while before giving him a pointed look. "It is not my place to comment on your choices, but… Your familia formation is all over the place, Gin. Two rearguards, one of which is a pure spellcaster, don't make a balanced party. You really need to get a vanguard soon if you want to seriously advance."
"I know, I know. I am working on that." He took out the recruitment flyer and showed it to her. "See, I am working pretty hard on this, you know?"
"…It doesn't seem like you put much work into it, honestly."
"Ah right, I should have drawn some clouds and mountains in the background, huh?"
"I doubt that will change things," Gareth commented before picking something up off the floor. "Lad, you dropped this."
"Hmm? Ah right, my bad. Thanks, Sir Gareth." Gin pocketed the envelope again.
"…Oi Gin, ain't that a Denatus Invitation?" Everyone stared at him at Loki's words. "You… You leveled up, didn't you?"
"YES!"
Gin pulled out the envelope again, bringing it out before putting it in front of Loki's shocked face.
"I DID!"
"…Nani?" Loki's stupid face gave him strength.
Time to rub salt in the wounds!
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I just accidentally shot down an Infant Dragon, you see? Who would have thought that something like that would count as a Great Feat!"
"Iyaaa, to think one measly dragon would land me a private dinner with Hel-sama! Oh, did I mention that she cooked for me?"
"And to my surprise, I am actually the current [Record Holder]. Eight months, was it? Ah, my evolution is just too fast, my bad. I should have held back a little, huh?"
"Oh right, right. I got a new spell too. Sheesh, leveling up comes with a whole lot of perks, doesn't it?"
Well, Blikjandaböl came from using a Grimoire, but she didn't need to know that.
"Wahahahaha! Taste defeat, Loki!"
"Gin."
His celebration was cut short. He looked back and saw Riveria looming over him.
"Eh?"
"My office, now." She said curtly before exiting the room.
....
"…Did I do something bad?"
Gin felt like a child in a time-out as he sat across from Riveria at her desk. The two of them had been staying silent for a while. He gulped.
"So… are you mad?" he finally mustered enough courage to whimper like a little girl.
"Maybe I am," she breathed out. "Do you know why?"
"…No?"
"I know your status, Gin. Your strength, your magic, your skill—I know all of them. I am not surprised that you managed to defeat an Infant Dragon," she said, before sighing.
"That doesn't change the fact that what you were doing was incredibly reckless. You were hunting it alone, weren't you? A Level 1 rearguard fighting on the lowest upper floor, fighting alone against a Monster Rex-class monster along with other monsters that spawned. It wasn't a surprise that you leveled up from doing something so insane."
"…I am sorry." Gin didn't even talk back to her. Riveria was worried about him.
Challenging her right now would surpass childish and reach A-hole territory.
"No. I apologize as well," she muttered. "You are an adventurer. Not only that, you are a captain of your own familia. You are entitled to make your own decisions and act upon them."
Seemingly deciding on something, she looked at him.
"Gin. You are letting your guard down in front of Loki," Riveria remarked. "She might act the fool, but she is still a God. You were goaded into exposing your cards one after another to her. You have new magic, correct? You should have hidden that fact."
Huh? Her advice left him flabbergasted.
"Why? We are allies. There's no harm with her knowing just that."
"We are allies, yes, but we are not from the same familia," she said sternly. "Do you know, Gin? The only people that know my status are myself and Loki. Not even Finn knows the full details. People change their allegiances all the time. What if the day comes when you need to face us, the Loki Familia, while you keep showing your magic and skills one after another? You will be fighting against enemies that know your strengths and weaknesses inside out."
She took a deep breath before delivering her decision.
"That is why, Gin. From today on, I will not teach you anymore."
"…What?" He looked at her in confusion. "Big Sis, you are kidding, right? This is so sudden."
"No, it's not. You are a Level 2 now. You have proven that you have what it takes to grow and survive." Her gaze had a hint of pride in it. "You don't need me to point out where you should walk nor protect you from behind. The day when you stand side by side with me doesn't seem to be so far away."
Gin looked at her again.
Riveria Ljos Alf.
She was a high elf, royalty among the noble race of elves.
All elves respected her.
Mortals and even Gods extolled her beauty, power, and majesty.
To him, however, she was just his mentor. The second person who opened a new path for him.
She treated him with fairness, not once underestimating him even when he was nothing but some dumb hunter who only knew some archery.
The days he spent with her were both rewarding and eye-opening.
It was nice having someone he could count on for answers, having someone who actively tried to push him into a better version of himself.
He saw her as his big sister after that. Someone who would give him the affection he never got past his early childhood.
He felt a sense of pride for uncovering the side of her that no one else knew. Just seeing her laugh gave him a different kind of happiness from eating his food.
And now… And now she would distance herself from him. All for his sake again.
She was standing right in front of him. So why did she feel so far away from his grasp?
The answer was obvious. Right now, he was still unable to catch up to her.
That's right. Still unable. Not can't.
He would catch up to her.
He would step upon the same stage, looking at the same view as her.
Ah… He wanted to be by her side.
Not as a student. Not as a brother.
He wanted to stand by her as an equal.
That's why…
He didn't beg her to keep pulling him by the hand. He didn't lower his head in gratitude.
Instead…
"...That day will come sooner than you think. I promise." He looked straight at her. "Riveria."
"I will be holding you to that then, Gin."
That day, he lost his mentor and gained a new goal.
Once again, he looked forward to the faraway future.
---
Gin new spell :
[Blikjandaböl]
I descend to the end. Overtaking the galloping horse, across the loud stream, over the high walls. Walking through the feast of the dead. My feet step into the innermost chamber of the beloved goddess. My body becomes the curtain that foretold disaster! For I am beloved by Hel! Blikjandaböl!
(Ghost form, immune to all attacks, unable to attack, always active as long as near an enemy.)