The lively atmosphere of the Babel plaza was a stark contrast to the heavy gloom radiating from the Sword Princess.
Ais Wallenstein walked with her head bowed, her golden eyes dull and locked onto the cobblestone path beneath her boots. Her pristine silver armor was battered, stained with dried monster blood and some of her own, but the physical damage paled in comparison to the exhaustion weighing her down.
Her muscles twitched in protest with each step, the source being the remnants of the unnatural fever still burning beneath her skin, leaving her feeling brittle and weak.
This was the effect of a cursed weapon, or so the companion walking beside her had concluded.
Asfi Al Andromeda, the blue haired captain of the Hermes Familia, had cleverly ordered her Familia members to head back to their headquarters to ensure she could have a private moment with the battered first tier adventurer.
"Are you feeling any better, Sword Princess?" Asfi asked, her tone a mix of professional courtesy and genuine concern as she adjusted her glasses. "Has the cursed fever broken yet?"
"A little," Ais replied softly, her voice a bit raspy.
Asfi's eyes drifted to the small bandage over Ais's cheek. "And the wound on your face? It doesn't look deep, but it doesn't seem to be closing like the others."
Ais reached up, her fingers brushing against the edge of the bandage. A phantom itch echoed through her mind at the touch. The cut inflicted with that strange katana seemed to be the hardest to heal. The potions had managed to dull the ache, but the cut itself wasn't closed entirely.
"It still hurts," Ais admitted quietly.
Asfi hummed thoughtfully. "I see. It might require an Elixir or specialized healing magic. Like I said before, these are undeniably wounds inflicted by Cursed weapons. They are notoriously troublesome, but most of them operate within a strict time limit, or if one takes down the weapon causing the curse."
Asfi paused, her gaze sharpening as she shifted to a different subject. "Speaking of cursed weapons...Who was that man? The one you were fighting? I keep a good log over first tier adventurers, I don't recall seeing his face anywhere."
Asfi needed intel. Fels would want a deeper report on the monster horde, the destroyed Pantry and most importantly, the anomaly of a man with zero magical presence who had beaten the Sword Princess.
Ais kept her gaze on the ground as she shrug. "I don't know him personally. I can't help you much."
It wasn't entirely a lie. She knew nothing of value, only the bitter taste of the dirt he had kicked her into.
Asfi let out a sigh, accepting the dead end. "Figured as much," she murmured. Seeing no further use in pressing the exhausted girl, she offered a polite nod. "Take care of yourself, Sword Princess. Get some rest."
With that, Asfi parted ways, melting into the crowd of the plaza.
"Rest." The word sounded almost offensive to her right now. How could she rest? She had been humiliated. Her magic, her speed, her entire existence as a warrior had been dismissed as a joke by a man who, by his own admission, didn't even possess a shred of magic.
She needed to recover immediately and dive back into the dungeon, deeper than ever before. She would swing her sword until her hands bled, then she would find that man again and erase the stain of this defeat.
Ais was so violently engrossed in her internal vows of strength that she entirely failed to register the person standing directly in her path.
Likewise, Bell Cranel was lost in his own world. The white haired boy was standing near the entrance of the plaza, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
He had been waiting for Toji to exit the dungeon for a long time now. The rabbit had urgent business to deal with and he needed his deadbeat captain to do it, the very same man who had abandoned him in the dungeon.
He was so focused on the entrance and the words he had been practicing in his head for hours that he completely failed to notice the blonde adventurer walking blindly toward him.
SMACK!
"Ah!"
"Oof!"
The collision was clumsy and hard. Ais, already drained of her balance and strength, was easily knocked backward. Bell, caught completely off guard, tumbled forward. They hit the cobblestone together.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Bell yelped immediately, scrambling to his knees, his hands waving in frantic apology before he even looked at who he had hit.
Ais let out a soft groan, rubbing her forehead as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "It's my faul—"
They both looked up at the same time. The apologies died in their throats.
Ais's golden eyes widened slightly. Staring back at her were two very pure, familiar red eyes. She recognized him instantly. The white hair, the innocent face. It was the rookie she had saved from the Minotaur on the 5th floor. The same boy who had run out of the Hostess of Fertility when Bete had drunkenly mocked him. The same boy she had seen defeat a Silverback during Monsterphilia.
And, more importantly...the same boy who was beside the lip scarred man at Monsterphilia.
'This is perfect,' Ais realized, her chest giving a sudden jolt.
Bell, however, looked as if he had just seen a ghost. His jaw dropped, hanging wide open as the sheer, terrifying reality of the situation crashed into him.
'Wallenstein! I just knocked over Ais Wallenstein!' His cheeks erupted into a violent shade of crimson. His breathing hitched, turning into rapid panicked gasps.
Driven by pure instinctual embarrassment, Bell scrambled backward on his hands and knees like a frightened rabbit, desperate to flee.
"S-Sorry for bumping into you!" Bell squeaked, his voice cracking horribly.
Seeing him prepare to bolt, Ais felt a spike of panic. She couldn't lose her only lead!
"Wait," Ais called out, pushing herself to her feet and stepping forward to grab his shoulder. But her body betrayed her. The sudden movement, combined with her light fever and battered muscles, caused her legs to buckle and fall forward.
"Are you alright?!" Bell's overwhelming instinct to run away from his idol vanished the very second he saw her falling. Moving faster than he thought he could, Bell's arms snapped out, catching Ais by the shoulders and midriff before she could hit the ground, supporting her entire weight against his body.
Ais's eyes widened as her cheek met his chest. She felt a sharp sting of heat rush to her face at the indignity of the situation. She, a Level 5, the Sword Princess, was so weak right now that a Level 1 rookie had to catch her from collapsing in the middle of the street.
Bell's face was practically radiating heat. Holding the girl of his dreams in his arms was overloading his nervous system.
Ais quickly pushed herself back, finding her footing and pulling away from his chest with an averted gaze.
"I'm alright..." she murmured quickly, brushing the dust from her armor to hide her flustered state. "Just...tired."
Bell was visibly shaking, his eyes darting toward the alleyways, clearly preparing to bolt the second it was socially acceptable to do so.
Ais knew she had to hook him before he ran.
"I remember you," she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the noisy plaza. "From the Minotaur incident."
Bell's heart stopped.
A wave of shame crashed over the boy. His shoulders slumped, and his legs trembled. She remembered. Of course she remembered! She remembered him as the pathetic, blood soaked weakling who screamed and ran away crying.
But then, Ais took a step closer, her golden eyes softening into a look of...acknowledgment?
"You were very brave," she said softly.
Bell blinked, his eyes rocketing up to meet hers. He was completely caught off guard by the words.
"That rampaging Minotaur was there because of my Familia's mistake," Ais continued, her tone solemn and sincere. "Any other rookie would have run away instantly or fallen to the monster's strength. Yet, you stood your ground and survived."
"You dropped your weapon that day," Ais reached into a small pouch attached to her waist. Her hand retrieved a familiar object.
Bell stared at the combat knife Toji had given him. It looked spotless, the blade had been professionally cleaned and sharpened to a razor's edge.
Ais offered it to him with a slight bow. "I kept it safe until we could meet again. I am truly sorry that you had to go through that because of me."
Bell was utterly speechless. He sputtered, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, his brain struggling to process the fact that his idol had just praised his bravery and apologized to him.
Gathering every ounce of courage he possessed, Bell took the knife, his hands shaking as his fingers brushed against hers. He bowed so deeply he nearly headbutted her head.
"Y-You don't need to apologize at all!" Bell shouted, perhaps a little too loudly. "You saved my life! If you hadn't shown up, I would be dead! I am eternally grateful for your help!"
Ais's expression softened further at his pure unfiltered gratitude. The dark heavy clouds that had been suffocating her mind since Toji's beating parted just a fraction. She offered him a soft smile.
"May I know your name?" Ais asked, her voice light, taking the necessary step to close the distance.
Bell practically jumped out of his skin. He stammered, letting out a highly nervous chuckle as his eyes darted toward the Babel tower entrance. "I-It's B-Bell! Bell Cranel!"
Ais followed his gaze to the massive dungeon entrance. "Are you waiting for someone, Bell?"
Bell scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his mind still dizzy from the fact that he was having a casual conversation with the Sword Princess. "Y-Yes, actually. I'm waiting for my captain to come out of the dungeon. I have some really important things to discuss with him."
Ais's eyes narrowed slightly as she put the pieces together.
"Your captain..." Ais began, testing the waters carefully. "Is he a tall man? Wearing a tight black shirt, with a scar on his lip, and...a worm monster wrapped around his torso?"
Bell perked up instantly, his eyes widening in surprise. "That's two out of three! He doesn't have a monster on his torso, but yes, that's him! How do you know him? Have you seen him?"
Ais tilted her head internally at the 'no monster' part, but decided not to linger on it.
"I have seen him..." Ais said, carefully excluding the 'How' and hoping Bell wouldn't bring it up again. "I believe he was heading out of the dungeon quite a while ago. You might have missed him."
Bell's face instantly fell, disappointment crossing his features before he quickly masked it. "I see...Thank you for informing me, Miss Wallenstein." He bowed deeply, "I—I should probably go look for him then. E-Excuse me!"
He began to back away, preparing to turn and sprint.
Ais felt a cold spike of panic. She hadn't extracted any actual information about the man. She couldn't let Bell leave yet.
"W-Wait," Ais called out, her voice cracking slightly with uncertainty.
Bell froze in his tracks, staring at her with building nervousness. Did he do something wrong?
Ais bit the inside of her cheek. She was the Sword Princess. She was independent and fiercely self-reliant. But if she wanted to beat that monster of a man, she needed to know her enemy.
Swallowing her pride, Ais looked down at her boots, allowing the physical exhaustion to reflect clearly on her face. It was a show of weakness, but it was necessary.
"Can you...accompany me back to my Familia home?" Ais asked softly. "I fear I might pass out from my injuries on the way."
Bell looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
Escort the Sword Princess? Back to the Twilight Manor? The home of the Loki Familia?
His chest rose and fell rapidly as his brain tried to comprehend the request. He felt like he was going to pass out before she would.
Ais peeked up slightly, watching the trembling rabbit eagerly.
Bell firmly bit his lip, swallowing down the mountain of nervousness threatening to choke him. He stood up straight with a shaky resolve.
"I...I would be honored to help you!" Bell almost squeaked, offering his arm to her with a rigid, military stiffness.
Ais looked at his trembling arm, and then up to his determined but blushing face. Despite the humiliation of her defeat, Ais found the corners of her lips pulling upward into a soft smile.
"Thank you, Bell."
༻❁༺
The afternoon sun bled a deep orange across the courtyard of Twilight Manor.
Sitting at an ornate patio table, Loki rested her chin in her palm, her crimson eyes filled with boredom. A glass of wine sat by her elbow. While her posture screamed laziness, her mind was spinning calculations.
She was chewing on the recent developments regarding those unnatural new monsters that had been popping up recently: the Violas and Virgas. And then there was Dionysus. The god of wine had been surprisingly generous with his intel, offering up anything she demanded and playing the part of the concerned deity perfectly.
Even with all that, and the fact that there was not a single thread pointing to him as a suspect, Loki couldn't shake the itch at the back of her skull that there was something about his story that felt too convenient.
"Argh! Arrows...wait, no! I lost the rhythm!"
A loud groan echoed across the lawn.
Loki's gaze drifted toward the center of the courtyard. There, Lefiya Viridis was down in the grass. The young elf was attempting to master the mental gymnastics of concurrent chanting, trying to move rapidly and cast simultaneously. So far, she had managed a spectacular series of tripping over her own boots and losing her spell mid-incantation.
"Lady Loki," a voice called out.
Loki shifted her gaze as Line Arshe, one of her Familia's supporters and healers, approached the patio. "What's up? Don't tell me Finn wants me to do paperwork again. Tell him my arm fell off."
"No, Goddess," Line replied with a polite bow. "You have a visitor. Lord Dionysus is here to see you."
Behind the glasses wearing supporter, two figures stepped into the courtyard. Dionysus walked with his usual elegant stride, his blonde hair catching the fading sunlight. Trailing a step behind him, her expression an impenetrable frost, was a black haired elven girl, Filvis Challia.
Loki let out a quiet sigh, instantly hiding any doubt of his true intentions from her crimson eyes for now. The tactician vanished, replaced in a second by the goofy, laid back trickster goddess.
"Well, well, ain't this a surprise!" Loki whistled, kicking a spare chair out with her foot. "Grab a seat, Dionysus! Didn't expect ya to pop by unannounced. Care for a drink?"
"I must decline the drink for now, Loki, though I appreciate the offer," Dionysus replied smoothly, taking the offered seat with a polite smile. "I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but I did promise to share any suspicious activities I come across, and I am here to fulfill that promise."
He folded his hands on the table. His eyes briefly flicked toward the lawn, where Lefiya had just managed to scramble back to her feet, chanting under her breath while attempting a combat roll, only to end up tangled in her own dress.
Dionysus watched her with mild amusement before turning back to Loki. "Have you heard what's going on down on the 24th floor of the dungeon?" he asked.
Loki hummed to herself as she thought about it before shaking her head. "Nope, can't say I do."
Dionysus nodded. "There was a large monster gathering. But what caught my interest was an extremely odd move by the Guild. I don't want to point any fingers, but...I'm beginning to suspect that Ouranos—"
"Whoa, hold yer horses right there," Loki interrupted, raising a finger. Her voice remained casual. "Your little pitcher's got big ears, don't you think?" She pointed at Filvis, who narrowed her eyes at the sudden attention. "If yer gonna start tossin' around names like the bigwigs of the Guild, we're gonna make this private."
Dionysus stopped. He looked at Loki, then offered a nod. "Of course. You are absolutely right."
He turned his head over his shoulder. "Filvis, my dear. Why don't you go over and help that elf girl with her training?"
Filvis, who had been standing like a stone statue behind his chair, jolted slightly. Her stoic facade cracked with immediate protest. "Lord Dionysus, I cannot. I am your assigned bodyguard. My place is by your side."
"I am perfectly safe within the walls of Twilight Manor, Filvis," Dionysus said softly, his tone gentle but carrying the absolute authority of a deity. "Besides, the Loki Familia and ours are getting closer. It would do us good to bridge the gap between our members. Go on, get to know her. Who knows? Maybe you two will get along."
Filvis bit the inside of her lip. Her red eyes darted between the smiling Dionysus and the awaiting Loki. The atmosphere clinging to both deities made it clear this wasn't a request she could refuse.
"As you wish, my Lord," Filvis murmured, bowing her head before turning and walking stiffly toward the center of the lawn.
Lefiya was resting her hands on her knees while gasping for air. She felt a shadow fall over her and jolted upright, nearly stumbling backward.
Standing before her was an older elf. Her dark hair, pale skin and strikingly beautiful but completely cold eyes made her look like a statue of ice.
"O-Oh! Um, hello!" Lefiya stammered, frantically trying to brush the grass and dirt off her clothes. "Did you need something? I'm Lefiya Viridis!"
Filvis stared at her. It was a completely dead, unblinking stare that made Lefiya want to crawl into a hole and hide.
"What are you doing?" Filvis finally asked, her voice low and devoid of emotion.
Lefiya looked away sheepishly, her face burning with embarrassment. "I was...practicing concurrent chanting. I'm trying to move and maintain an incantation at the same time, but my focus keeps splitting...and I keep screwing up."
Filvis didn't respond immediately. She cast a brief glance over her shoulder toward the patio, Dionysus caught her eye and offered an encouraging wave.
Filvis turned her attention back to the nervous girl, who was currently smiling with panic at the lack of reaction.
"I am Filvis Challia," she introduced herself softly, then stared at Lefiya's hands. "If you are trying to maintain a spell while managing movement...you are focusing too much on the world and not enough on the mind's flow. I might be able to give you a tip."
Lefiya was taken aback. Her panicked expression was replaced instantly by sparkling eager eyes. "Really?! You'd do that for me?! Wait, are you a mage like me, Miss Filvis?!"
"No," Filvis corrected, her tone flat. "I am a magic swordsman."
Back at the patio, Dionysus was watching the exchange with a fond smile playing on his lips. Even Loki, despite her hidden suspicion, found herself cracking a small smile at the sight of her clumsy mage making a new friend.
"Ah, children..." Dionysus mused softly. "They are fascinating, aren't they? I love each and every one of my own so dearly. I would do absolutely anything in my power to see them protected from this cruel world."
Loki hummed in agreement, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, yeah. They're a handful, but they're ours. Ain't nothing we wouldn't do for 'em." She let the silence stretch for a second before her gaze hardened. "Alright, Dionysus. The kids are playing. What were mommy and daddy saying about Ouranos?"
The warmth in Dionysus's eyes vanished. "Ouranos is likely conspiring something," Dionysus stated flatly. "Something that directly involves the 24th floor. One of my children managed to pick this up before it was removed from the quest board a few days ago."
He reached into the pocket of his coat, pulled out a folded piece of parchment and slid it across the table toward Loki.
"Preservation?" Loki raised an eyebrow, her accent dropping slightly as she read the words again. "Of a monster pantry? Since when does the Guild give a rat's ass about preserving the dungeon's ecosystem? They pay us to clear it out."
"Exactly," Dionysus whispered, leaning in closer. "Why would Ouranos's Guild issue a quest to forbid anyone from entering the Pantry, right before a sudden monster horde conveniently appeared there? And even more suspicious, why hire someone through the quest board to do it, rather than issuing a standard mission to an aligned Familia? My theory is that they bypassed us entirely because they didn't want us to see what was inside."
Loki set the paper down, her fingers drumming against the table. "You're tellin' me the head of the Guild is suspected of harborin' those plant freaks?" Loki asked, her red eyes opening wider. "That's a serious accusation."
"I'm telling you that Ouranos and his lapdogs know more than they let on to you or me," Dionysus replied, his voice perfectly calibrated. "He controls the flow of information in Orario and knows the dungeon more than anyone. If he is cultivating these monsters, or keeping the identity of whoever is hidden...then the Guild itself is compromised."
Dionysus watched the doubt take root in Loki's eyes, a glint of satisfaction settling deep within his chest.
༻❁༺
Bell Cranel and Ais Wallenstein walk through the streets of Orario was quite calm, the noise of the city seemed to mute itself in their presence.
Maybe because everyone was awestruck at seeing the Sword Princess and a random kid with their arms linked.
Bell was stiff as a board, his heart hammering against his ribs frantically.
Not even a few hours ago, walking past the Sword Princess was merely a dream he sought to make into reality...
But now he had his arm linked with Ais Wallenstein! The Sword Princess! He was helping the girl of his dreams get to her home!
He didn't know if he could take anymore surprises.
He kept stealing nervous glances at her, growing curious about her injured state but not saying anything as to not offend her.
Ais, however, was was calculating her next move. She had the boy besides her and could now figure out exactly who and what the lip scarred man was. But she needed to control her tone to not appear desperate or suspicious.
"So, Bell..." Ais began, keeping her voice soft to sound casually curious. "Your Familia...you mentioned waiting for your captain earlier. What is he like?"
Bell blinked, slightly caught off guard by the question. "Toji? Uhm...he's...scary, I guess?" Bell admitted with a nervous laugh. "Actually, he's pretty brutal."
Toji. She finally had a name for the face. Ais kept her golden eyes fixed forward. "Brutal? In the dungeon?"
"In general," Bell corrected gently. He hesitated slightly, clearly debating how much to reveal, before sighing. "My Goddess...well, she calls him a deadbeat. They aren't exactly on good terms."
"A deadbeat?" Ais echoed, genuine surprise bleeding through her stoic mask. The man she fought had moved like a peerless apex predator and not some lazy deadbeat.
"Yeah," Bell nodded, looking down at the cobblestones. "He's mostly away from home. My Goddess always complains that whenever he gets his hands on any money, he just spends it all gambling."
Ais frowned slightly. "I see," she murmured. "But surely, as your captain, he guides you? Does he train you to fight?"
Bell rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, he did initially. Taught me the absolute basics harshly to make sure I didn't die. But then he just...stopped. He told me that if I wanted him to actually teach me anything else, I'd have to pay him for his time." Bell let out a hollow chuckle. "I...I can't afford his fee."
Ais felt her steps falter for a fraction of a second.
This man, who possessed strength that could beat a Level 5 adventurer like her, was extorting a penniless, weak rookie for basic survival lessons? And he spent his time gambling? The sheer indignity of being defeated by such a lazy, greedy scumbag made the wound on her cheek ache with fresh irritation. She was beginning to feel bad for poor Bell.
"But..." Bell added softly, his ruby eyes staring down at his boots, the memory of Lili's betrayal and Toji's abandonment still fresh.
Any rational adventurer would have called Toji an absolute scumbag for what he did to Bell...but if Toji hadn't been there, if Bell had gone into the dungeon alone with Lili like any other day, he would have been dead.
While Toji was indeed a piece of shit for leaving him to face off against all those monsters without assistance, at the very least he had given the rabbit a weapon to survive the clash.
Bell sighed tiredly. "I'm not entirely sure, but...deep down, I think he cares about us. Even if he doesn't show it at all."
Ais didn't respond, but she committed the infuriating profile to memory. Driven by greed. Heartless. Brutal. But possibly cares about his Familia. It was a bizarre profile.
As Bell finished talking about Toji, a silence formed between them once more as they continued walking.
Bell, however, found himself emboldened by the conversation. Having opened up about his own Familia, the burning question that had been eating at his mind finally pushed past his lips.
"Miss Wallenstein...?" he began, his voice soft.
Ais blinked. "Just Ais is fine," she said, pushing the thoughts of the mercenary away for now. "Did you need something, Bell?"
"I...um..." Bell fidgeted nervously as his grip on her arm stiffened even more. "If it's okay to ask...Ais-san, how did you get hurt like this? Your armor...your face...You're the Sword Princess. You're...you're the strongest person I know. I can't imagine anything doing this to you."
Ais stopped walking, their arms unlinking. She stared at the ground, the shadows of the evening hiding the fury in her golden eyes. When she finally spoke, her voice was coated with a bitter realization.
"I thought I was strong," Ais admitted, her grip tightening on the hilt of her rapier. "I was arrogant. I believed my speed and my magic were enough. But I was wrong. I'm not as strong as I thought I was. There are things out there who are in an entirely different realm of strength and cunning."
Bell stared at her with wide eyes. To hear his idol, the untouchable adventurer who had carved through that Minotaur like it was made of paper, speak with such vulnerability...it shattered a naive illusion he hadn't realized he was holding.
Even the absolute strongest were not invincible. The dungeon and the world above it, was vast and unimaginably dangerous.
A small smile touched Bell's lips. "I...I think I understand," he said quietly, catching the Sword Princess attention.
"I've had so many close calls. Every time I go into the dungeon, I feel like I'm surviving on pure luck. It's terrifying." He paused, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "But...I have someone I need to catch up to. A special someone. And to reach them...to be worthy of standing beside them as equals...I have to get stronger. I can't afford to be weak."
Ais looked at the albino boy. The sheer resolve burning in his eyes was blinding, it resonated with the black flame in her own chest, though his fire felt far purer than her own.
Her expression softened, and a gentle, breathtaking smile graced her lips. "Then...let us become strong together," Ais said.
Bell's breath hitched. "E-Eh?"
"I need to train and push past my limits," Ais continued, stepping closer. "If you want to catch up to this special person...I can help you. We can train together for a few days, it's not like your captain would do it." And this will be the perfect opportunity to ask more questions regarding this Toji person.
Bell felt as though his soul might actually leave his body. He nodded frantically, his face burning brighter than the sunset. "Y-Yes! I would be honored! Thank you!"
Ais nodded, her mind already calculating training regimes that would benefit both of them.
A few minutes later, the imposing iron gates of Twilight Manor came into view.
Bell stopped a respectful distance away. "H-here we are!" he said, bowing lightly. "I need to go now. And thank you...for offering to train me!"
"Thank you for your help, Bell," Ais replied with a smile.
She watched the white haired boy turn and sprint down the street. A small part of her felt lighter, but as she turned to face the gates of her Familia's home, the dread settled back.
Before she could even reach for the iron handle, the gate clicked open.
Stepping out into the evening air were three figures: Dionysus, Filvis, and a relaxed looking Loki, who was in the middle of seeing her guests off.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll keep in touch about the whole Guild issue—" Loki was saying, waving a hand dismissively before her eyes landed on the battered figure standing at her gates.
Loki froze. Her relaxed demeanor vanished in a fraction of a second, replaced by a look of frantic concern.
"Ais-tan?!" Loki shrieked, sprinting forward and practically tackling the Sword Princess. "What the bloody hell happened to yer pretty face?!"
Loki's hands hovered frantically over Ais's battered armor, eventually focusing on the bandage across her cheek.
Ais flinched. She could feel the eyes of Dionysus and Filvis burning into her back. She didn't want to admit defeat in front of strangers.
"I got into a fight...with a monster," Ais lied, looking away as a blush crept up her neck and cheeks.
Loki stepped back, crossing her arms. "You realize I can't be fooled, Ais," Loki said with a deadpan look. "I'm a god. I know when my children are lying to me. A monster didn't do this. You were beaten. By who?"
Ais bit her lip hard, she had forgotten about that.
"I was in the dungeon," Ais whispered, her voice low. "On the 24th floor's Pantry...and I fought a man there."
Behind Loki, Dionysus visibly stiffened. Loki's eyes widened before snapping toward him.
"A man?" Loki pressed, her voice becoming deadly serious. "Who was it? Give me a name, Ais."
Ais couldn't bear the interrogation anymore. She looked away. "You don't need to know," she said, her voice tight.
Before Loki could demand more answers, Ais pushed past the three of them, marching into the manor.
"Ais! Get back here!" Loki called out, taking a step after her.
But the Sword Princess didn't turn back, disappearing into the main halls of the manor.
Loki's fists clenched at her sides. She slowly turned around to face Dionysus.
Underneath his perfectly crafted mask of polite concern, Dionysus was practically glowing with a maddening internal grin. The mercenary had outdone himself by managing to beat the Sword Princess.
This was the cherry on top for his plans.
"Loki..." Dionysus murmured, his voice filled with manufactured sympathy. "I believe we know the answer. It was most certainly the Guild's hired muscle."
He gestured toward the open gate where Ais had vanished. "They were willing to brutally beat anyone who got close to the Pantry...even someone of the Sword Princess's caliber. It really makes you think, doesn't it? Just what exactly is Ouranos hiding down there to warrant such violence?"
Dionysus tilted his head, his eyes locking onto Loki's. "Could you still question my theories now, Loki? After seeing your own beloved child in this state?"
Loki's crimson eyes were no longer squinting. She stared at Dionysus, absorbing the implications.
"You should go now, Dionysus," Loki said, her voice eerily calm. "I have matters to attend to within my Familia. I'll contact you when I'm ready."
Dionysus recognized the dismissal for what it was. He offered an understanding nod. "Of course. Please, tend to her. We will speak soon."
He gestured for Filvis, and the two turned, disappearing down the darkening street.
Left alone at the gates of Twilight Manor, Loki turned her gaze toward the center of the city where Babel stood.
For a second, the urge to march into the Guild hall and demand answers face-to-face with Ouranos flashed through her head. But Loki was a goddess of trickery and strategy.
Storming the castle this early would only reveal their hand. If Ouranos was desperate enough to ensure secrecy that he put mercenaries capable of defeating Ais on his payroll, confronting him directly would only make him bury his secrets deeper.
Loki turned her back on Babel and walked into the manor, the heavy iron gates slamming shut behind her.
༻❁༺
The walk back to the abandoned church felt less like walking and more like floating through space.
Bell Cranel's boots barely seemed to touch the cobblestones. The evening chill had fully set in, driving most of the citizens indoors, but Bell couldn't feel the cold. He was practically vibrating, electric currents of pure excitement coursing through his veins.
Ais Wallenstein. The Sword Princess. The girl who had saved him, the idol he had placed on an untouchable pedestal, had just looked him in the eyes and promised to train him.
He clutched his chest, feeling the frantic, joyful beat of his heart. He couldn't believe his fortune. The sheer terror of losing his knife, the betrayal, the near death experience, it was all washed away by the brilliant golden light of her smile.
By the time he pushed open the creaking doors of the ruined church, the moon was already high in the sky. He carefully made his way to the hidden doorway behind the altar, his mind buzzing with plans for tomorrow.
Hestia was likely still out working her shifts, he figured he would have to wait until the morning to track down his deadbeat captain.
He descended the stone steps into the basement, the faint glow of a magic stone lamp casting flickering shadows across the single room.
And then, Bell froze.
The euphoric high shattered completely, evaporating from his system like water thrown onto hot sand.
Sprawled lazily across the lumpy sofa in the center of the room was Toji Fushiguro. One leg was thrown over the other, his hands resting behind his head as he stared up at the cracked ceiling.
Hearing the footsteps stop on the stairs, Toji slowly shifted his gaze. His dark eyes locked onto the trembling white haired boy.
"Huh," Toji hummed, his deep voice entirely nonchalant, devoid of even a shred of guilt. "Surprised you ain't dead."
Bell's expression morphed. The lingering joy vanished, replaced by a churning mixture of betrayal, anger, and deep seated confusion. He stepped off the last stair, his fists clenching at his sides as he approached the sofa.
"Why..." Bell started, his voice low and shaking with restrained emotion. "Why didn't you help me back then? You were right there. Why didn't you stop Lili when she took my gear? When she trapped me?!"
Toji let out a long sigh, the kind a man makes when dealing with a particularly slow toddler.
"Are you stupid or just ungrateful?" Toji asked, his tone dripping with lazy disdain. "I lent you a weapon, didn't I? A damn good one, too. That's more help than most monkeys ever get down there."
He finally rolled his head to look fully at Bell, a mocking smirk playing on his scarred lips. "If you're dumb enough to blindly trust a random supporter who practically had 'shady' tattooed across her forehead, that's your own fault. The dungeon isn't a playground, kid. Consider it a lesson for next time."
Bell ground his teeth together. He lowered his head, the memory of Lili's sneer burning in his mind. "She took my knife," Bell said, his voice cracking slightly. "She took the knife Goddess gave me."
Toji shrugged, closing his eyes again. "Too bad."
Bell looked up, a wave of helplessness washing over him. That knife was everything. It was proof of Hestia's belief in him. And Toji didn't care at all. A spark of desperate defiance flared in Bell's chest.
"I...I wonder what Goddess will do if she finds out about this," Bell said, intentionally keeping his tone steady to emphasize the subtle threat. "How you left me down there. How you let her knife get stolen."
The faint light of the magic lamp seemed to dim.
Toji stood up. It wasn't a fast movement, but the sheer, oppressive gravity of it made the air in the tiny basement feel instantly heavier.
"Did I hear you right, little rabbit? Making threats?" Toji loomed over the boy, his broad shoulders blocking out the light. His dark eyes were entirely dead, carrying the quiet lethality of an apex predator inspecting an insect.
Bell's brave facade shattered instantly. His survival instincts screamed at him, his knees buckling slightly as he practically shrank into himself, taking a frantic, stumbling step backward.
"I was kidding!" Bell squeaked out, folding like a house of cards. "I was kidding, I promise! I won't tell her!"
He scrambled back another step, looking down at the floorboards in absolute shame. The defiance was entirely gone, leaving only a desperate, panicked kid behind.
"I couldn't find Lili," Bell admitted, his voice dropping to a miserable whisper. "Not even a trace. I looked everywhere, and the knife...it's gone."
He looked back up at Toji, his ruby eyes wide with unshed tears. He threw his pride away completely. "Toji-san, please. Help me find it. Help me find the knife. It's a special gift from the Goddess, I can't lose it! Please!" he begged, standing on the absolute brink of tears.
Toji stared down at the pathetic sight. He scratched the back of his neck, the oppressive, suffocating aura vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
"Sure," Toji said.
Bell's head snapped up, his eyes widening in sheer surprise and a sudden influx of hope. "Y-You will?!"
"Yeah," Toji replied smoothly, stretching his arms above his head. "For the right price. I'm hired help, kid. If you can afford my rates, I'll help you track down your little thief."
The hope extinguished as quickly as it came. Bell's shoulders slumped, his gaze dropping back to the floor. "I...I can't afford it. I don't have any Valis. I'm completely broke."
"Good luck then." Toji waved a hand dismissively, watching the completely devastated kid shrink back into himself.
Toji's gaze lingered on the boy as he quickly ran some mental calculations. The kid was improving fast...and a blank-check favor from a rookie with a suspiciously fast growth rate might be worth more than a few silver coins in the long run.
"Fine," Toji grunted, rubbing his temple. "I'll help you out, kid. But you owe me. A big one. I call it in, you do it, no questions asked. Got it?"
Bell's head shot up. The tears threatening to spill over vanished entirely, replaced by a blinding, radiant smile. "Really?! You'll actually help?!" Overwhelmed with relief, Bell practically jumped forward, looking as if he were about to hug the imposing mercenary.
"Yeah, yeah," Toji muttered, holding up a hand to stop the boy from getting any closer. "Save the puppy eyes for your girl, that shit won't work on me."
BANG!
The heavy wooden door at the top of the stairs flew open, crashing loudly against the stone wall.
"I'm hooooooome!" Hestia's cheerful, energetic voice echoed down the stairwell. A moment later, the petite goddess came bouncing down the steps, her twin tails swaying happily.
However, the moment she reached the bottom, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her blue eyes narrowed in suspicious as she looked between Bell, who looked incredibly flushed, and Toji, who was standing entirely too close and actually having a conversation with him.
She sniffed the air dramatically. "Something smells fishy," Hestia declared, planting her hands on her hips. She marched right up to them, glaring daggers at Toji. "What is going on here? What are you two doing?"
Bell started sweating bullets immediately. His mind went completely blank. If he said they were talking about the dungeon, she'd ask about his gear, and if she asked about his gear, she'd realize the knife was gone.
"W-We were just—!" Bell stammered, his hands waving frantically in front of him as he desperately tried to concoct an excuse. "I-It's nothing, Goddess! We were just talking about...um...about..."
"Girls," Toji provided helpfully, his tone entirely deadpan.
Bell froze, turning his head slowly toward Toji, absolute horror painted across his features.
Toji smirked wickedly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked directly at the Goddess. "Just teaching him not to trust any women with a cute face. I personally suggest looking at the ass first, saves time."
Bell exploded into a violent shade of red. "T-T-Toji-san!?" he shrieked, covering his face with his hands, steam practically whistling out of his ears.
Hestia's jaw dropped in sheer outrage. Her face turned equally red, but purely from fury. Stepping protectively in front of Bell and pointing a trembling finger right at the mercenary's chest.
"You absolute degenerate!" Hestia snarled, her voice echoing off the basement walls. "I knew you were a terrible influence! Stop corrupting my pure, innocent Bell with your filthy mind right this instant, or I swear to the heavens I'll kick you out to sleep on the streets!"
"Whatever. Shortstack," Toji muttered with a dry chuckle.
༻❁༺
True to his word, Toji had gotten up early to track down the stolen knife. However, instead of setting off alone like Bell assumed he would, the mercenary had dragged the white haired boy out of the church by his collar with him.
They both walked through the vast city, not stopping anywhere in particular and not checking for clues, which made Bell nervous enough to finally break the silence.
"Toji-san, how exactly are we going to find the knife?" Bell asked, jogging slightly to keep up. "We can't just walk around and expect to find something!"
Toji didn't bother looking over his shoulder. "Are you always this annoying in the morning?"
"I-I'm just asking!" Bell stammered, clutching the empty sheath at his thigh. "We don't have any leads!"
"I ain't doing the legwork," Toji grunted. "Tracking down a rat in a city this big is a shitty, boring job. We're going to see a friend. He handles the boring stuff."
Bell tilted his head. A friend? He couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of person Toji Fushiguro considered a friend.
As they walked deeper into the labyrinth of Daedalus Street, the atmosphere changed drastically. The crowded streets shifted into narrow alleys where the sunlight failed to reach. The people lingering in the shadows casted malicious glances their way.
Bell felt his stomach tie into a knot, unconsciously shuffling closer to Toji's broad back.
They stopped in front of a rotting wooden door set into a crumbling stone wall. It looked like it belonged to an abandoned warehouse.
Toji stepped up to the rotting wood and knocked rhythmically. Three heavy thuds, a pause, then two light taps.
A small, rusted slit slid open at eye level. A pair of cold hardened eyes peered out from the darkness.
"The moon bleeds silver," a gruff voice whispered from the other side.
"Open up or I'm shoving the door up your ass," Toji threatened, his expression bored.
"Ah! Toji!" The eyes behind the slit widened in sheer panic before the sound of heavy locks franticly unlatching echoed through the alley. The guard pulled the door open for the Sorcerer Killer. "Terribly sorry, didn't see you very well through this shitty slit. You can go in."
Then, the guard's eyes locked onto the trembling white haired boy standing behind the mercenary. "Who's the kid?"
"Luggage," Toji dismissed, his tone carrying a sharp edge that warned the guard not to press the issue.
"N-no problem. Go ahead." The guard backed away quickly, suddenly remembering what had happened to the last guy who tried to assert authority over the Sorcerer Killer.
Just as the two stepped inside the building, Bell's brain completely short circuited.
The outside had been a picture of decaying filth and poverty, but the inside was an entirely different world. The heavy door closed behind them, shutting out the slums and trapping them in a subterranean palace of vice and luxury.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a warm golden glow over plush crimson carpets. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, cigar smoke and high-end alcohol. Wealthy looking merchants and even high ranking adventurers sat in velvet booths, throwing away amounts of Valis like there was no tomorrow.
And then, Bell noticed the real attractions of the room.
Beautiful, half naked women wearing little more than translucent silks and strategically placed jewelry danced and lounged around the wealthy patrons.
Bell's face erupted like a volcano.
"W-W-W-What?!" Bell sputtered, slapping his hands over his eyes, though his fingers were spread just wide enough to let him peek through the gaps. "Toji-san! What is this place?! Why are we here?! T-Those girls—they aren't wearing—!"
"Shut up, keep your eyes forward and let the grown-ups talk," Toji ordered, entirely unfazed by the hedonism surrounding them.
Whimpering, Bell glued his eyes to Toji's back, moving as stiffly as a board as he followed his captain through the club. They bypassed the crowded main floor, heading toward a raised VIP section at the far end of the establishment.
Sitting behind a heavy mahogany table was a man in a tailored suit. slicked back dark hair, sharp features and a thin cigarette held between his fingers.
He looked like the textbook definition of an underworld broker. Not that Bell would know what one looked like.
"Yo." Toji approached the table and raised a hand in a lazy greeting.
Shiu Kong looked up, a slick smirk spreading across his face. "Fushiguro. Didn't expect to see your mug so soon."
Without waiting for an invitation, Toji pulled out a velvet chair and collapsed into it.
Bell, completely paralyzed by nervousness and the sheer overwhelming atmosphere of the club, remained standing rigidly a few paces behind Toji's chair.
Kong took a huff from his cigarette. "You heard, Fushiguro? Thanks to our...mutually beneficial relationship, I managed to buy out this fine establishment for myself. The previous owner had a sudden, very unfortunate accident."
Toji hummed dismissively, resting his chin on his hand. "Yeah, tragedy. Must be tough running a brothel when the pleasure quarter is your competition."
Kong chuckled deeply, tapping his ash into a crystal tray.
All the while, Bell was fidgeting frantically. His eyes darted anywhere that wasn't the stages filled with women, keeping his distance to the point where he couldn't quite figure out what exactly the two men were talking about.
Kong eventually shifted his gaze, his eyes landing on the trembling rabbit, and raised an eyebrow.
"Have a seat, kid," Kong offered, gesturing to the empty chair beside the mercenary. "Shiu Kong. I deal with information and even acquisitions, if ya catch what I'm saying." He chuckled with a wink.
Bell did not catch what he was saying at all. He scrambled into the chair, sitting perfectly straight. "I-I'm Bell Cranel! I-It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!" Bell introduced himself nervously, clinging to his polite manners.
Kong looked amusedly between the terrified, pure hearted boy and the deadly, lazy assassin sitting next to him.
"So, Fushiguro," Kong mused, a teasing glint in his eye. "What's this? Is it 'Take Your Kid to Work' day?"
Bell violently choked on a lungful of air, coughing frantically into his fist. "T-That's not it!" Bell wheezed, "He's my Familia Captain!"
Toji let out a dry chuckle, glancing sideways at Bell. "As if. My actual brat has way more potential than this nervous stick."
Kong hummed to himself. "So you do have a brat of your own? Can't say I'm surprised." Kong closed his eyes for a second, an entertaining image of a mini Toji Fushiguro running around with a tiny knife forming in his mind.
Bell turned toward Toji so fast he nearly snapped his own neck. "Y-You have a child?!"
Kong leaned across the table with a grin splitting his face as he pointed his cigarette at Bell. "Kid, your captain has a dangerous way with the ladies. With the way he lives, you shouldn't be surprised if he's got at least ten more little brats in development scattered across the city! Hahaha!"
Bell sputtered, his mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish at the revelation Kong just dropped.
"Alright, that's enough," Toji cut in, his tone dropping the casual banter and shifting smoothly into business. "I'm not here to talk about my kid. I need something located."
Kong's posture straightened immediately. The teasing broker vanished, replaced by the calculating professional. "Care to elaborate?"
"The brat's fancy knife got stolen," Toji explained, gesturing lazily toward Bell with his thumb. "Got swiped by some Pallum rat down in the dungeon. I need it back."
Bell hung his head low, deeply ashamed that his failure to protect his gear was being broadcasted to a stranger, but he managed to speak up to add one helpful detail. "She has some kind of appearance altering magic...I saw her as a Pallum, but the next day she was an animal person."
Kong hummed thoughtfully, taking a small sip from his drink. "A Pallum or animal person thief with transformation magic. That doesn't narrow the suspect pool down at all, but keeping an eye open for the knife itself will help locate her."
He paused, a sly smile returning to his lips. "it's quite hard to track a single stolen item if I don't have enough specific information to go by...But consider it done. For a finder's fee, of course."
Bell suddenly jolted upright, slamming his hands on the table. "You'll really find it?!" he asked, his eyes practically glowing with desperate hope.
Kong chuckled at the sheer earnestness radiating from the boy. "You're talking to professionals, kid. I can find anything for the right price."
He reached into his suit, pulling out a crisp piece of parchment and a pen, sliding them across the table toward Bell. "Write down what you know about the girl, it might come in handy. Also, try to draw a detailed sketch of what the knife looks like, and I'll get your fancy weapon back in no time."
Bell nodded so fast his head became a blur. He snatched the pen and practically dove into the paper, writing furiously. "Yes! Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!"
As Bell was entirely absorbed in writing down Lili's description and sketching the Hestia Knife, Kong leaned back in his chair. He cast a highly amused glance at Toji.
"Didn't know you started babysitting your Familia, Fushiguro," Kong whispered, keeping his voice low enough that the rabbit wouldn't hear over the noise of the club.
Toji reached over, casually taking a glass of expensive liquor from a passing waitress's tray. He took a slow sip, his eyes locked onto Bell's scribbling form.
"It's not for free," Toji murmured.
Kong sighed softly, a smile on his face. "Of course it's not."
༻❁༺
And done
This wraps almost everything up I guess. Minus two
I think this is shaping up well...
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