.
.
.
—
"… You're here Finn, not tired, are ya?" Gareth asked as he welcomed the Pallum inside the largest tent
Finn sat down next to him at a large table, "And you sound quite relaxed."
Two friends, reunited. Even in this professional setting, the atmosphere was light and cheerful, not serious in the slightest.
Gareth laughed, taking a sip from his tea mug, "This has probably been the most I've relaxed in the Dungeon in a while."
"Is the difference that considerable?"
"Very much so. The boy… not just his magic, he's quite handy himself. The correct word might be… proactive?"
Finn smiled, clasping his hands together, "Seems like he left a positive impression on you."
"And one he did… one hell of an impression… Not just me, you could ask any of the others and they'd give you similar responses."
"I'm itching to hear it."
Immediately after reaching the 18th Floor, Finn led the forces of the Loki Familia to where their camp was located.
Even though he expected it, seeing a nearly built camp from the get-go was quite surprising. For once he didn't need to give orders or guide them, for Loki's children were quite independent and able by themselves.
So he left them be and walked straight into the central tent where Gareth waited for his arrival...
"Well…"
Gareth recounted his experience on his way down. Much of it was within Finn's expectations, but the more he heard it, the more he understood just how much he had underestimated the daring adventurer who had reached out to him weeks before.
What he didn't expect the most was their speed, with or without Silver, Finn calculated that their overall time would remain the same, for they weren't constrained by anything and could thus move at whatever speed they deemed fit.
Even then, they somehow were hours ahead of schedule...
"… And from what I heard, there's even more he did before. He seemed to have done something that completely shook Bete and the others, if everything I said before hasn't been enough to prove that."
Gareth tapped his hands on the table, "I'm telling you Finn, this kid might be harder to deal with then little Ais in the past."
Finn's expression was a mixture of extreme seriousness and bewildered astonishment. He closed his eyes as he thought for a moment before opening them again.
"If anyone had told me this story, I wouldn't have believed them."
"And do you think I would?" Gareth asked as he laid back and crossed his arms, "Have you ever heard of a Level 1 taking down a Minotaur? Not even Ais was able to do that… she might've been able to, but still."
Little Ais was one monster of a child. The combination of her unique Skill with her Magic caused most Upper Floor monsters to burst into pieces upon mere contact with her blade.
Although at the expense of her own physical and mental faculties, which lead to them heavily suppressing her actions for her own sake...
Finn smiled helplessly, thinking about the times where he'd be forced to run around the place whenever Ais vanished in the Dungeon, "I understand how you feel… but we're going over the subject at hand."
"Indeed, we are. If he was capable or not, none of it really mattered."
To them, if Silver could handle himself or not wouldn't make a difference, what mattered was calculating just how much of an impact his magic would have on their expeditions, and how great of an influence it would have on their operations if they were to rely on him more.
But so far, the results were going towards the extreme end of Finn's calculations.
This wasn't completely ideal either. The greater his ability became and the more convenient he became, the greater a hurdle his lacking presence would leave in their Familia whenever he wasn't present, and even more issues would arise.
How much did it take to train and condition everyone so they could function the way they did now? And how much would it take to retrain them if Silver were to join or to be taken away later down the line?
It wasn't like Finn hadn't done such calculations before, whenever a prominent individual joined their ranks or achieved a notable rank up, he'd be drawn back to this board and re-do his thinking... but this time, the impact it could have was too great.
Silver's magic was like a poisoned apple, sweet beyond measure, but overconsumption could lead to more than just an eternal slumber…
"Given his abilities, he won't be able to follow us beyond the 28th Floor, but that was already planned for."
Finn put his thumb on his chin, going into deep thought…
The 28th Floor safety point was the first spot where the Loki Familia's expedition split. From there, only Level 2 adventurers and above were allowed to proceed, and even then, Level 2 adventurers were only good enough to act as supporters.
No matter how capable Silver was, there was one thing he lacked most Level 2 adventurers possessed… the extremely important Development Ability Abnormal Resistance. Without it, most strikes, even a mere graze, might kill him on the spot before aid could be provided.
Either way, Silver had no desire to go beyond that floor. He knew his limits, strength and progress were tightly chained, and should be achieved step by step.
He and the other lower ranked members would be left behind to watch over their camp while the rest marched onward into the depths.
Of course, it might be extremely mentally taxing to leave him stranded on a Floor for several days or longer, so this is usually where the Loki Familia's training method is applied.
Some Level 3 adventurers would be left behind to watch over the camp and assist other lower-leveled adventurers on their training… mostly Level 2 members.
For Level 1 adventurers like him, this wasn't the time for that. In fact, in this expedition, one could probably count on two hands the number of Level 1 adventurers lying around.
Just because this was the Loki Familia's biggest event, it didn't mean they mobilized their entire force to deal with it... Level 1 adventurers were usually trained at other times, and only those close to ranking up were brought to experience one last challenge before their big moment.
This was how the Loki Familia avoided losing a single member while also enhancing their forces in the last few years to the state it was now!
Gareth looked at Finn as he pondered in silence, "… Still not convinced?"
"That's not it."
"Then blurt it out; it's unlike you to keep even me in the dark."
"… I'm worried about the others." Finn said as he sighed, "An exceptional member can bring great motivation, but too exceptional can cause the opposite effect."
'The balance between the ranks has been kept thanks to everyone's efforts, but how will they react if someone like him comes crashing through? An outsider no less.'
"Just think of when Ais joined. How long did it take for us to incorporate her properly into our ranks? The work we went through to have her socialize more…"
"People now see Ais as an idol and as a target to reach. Loki made her the face of the Familia after all."
Gareth chuckled, "She still complains about that."
Finn's tone deepened, "But an outsider? If he comes out of nowhere and starts taking care of everything, it can only go one of two ways…"
Gareth sighed, "They'll either welcome him with open arms as some "God Supporter"… or they'll push the lad away."
Gareth knew about this fact also, he had been paying great attention to everyone's reaction during the last few days as Silver's existence was exposed to those in charge of logistics.
Things spread even after after Loki's little play in the gym. A low ranked adventurer faced their own and won, and that caused quite the ruckus in the Familia.
The rumors spread quickly, everyone already knew this expedition was a little different from the others, and now that they had arrived here, it was only a matter of time before words jumped around and people understood what was going on.
Neither Finn nor Gareth had the intention of keeping quiet about it, but they had to keep their reactions in consideration… and to some degree, Finn wondered if this was all Loki's intention from the beginning.
"The lad himself is quite understanding, you heard what he said before, he doesn't care what others say about him, he's a strong kid, his character might be even stronger than Bete's… you know how sulky he can get behind that thought persona of his."
Finn smiled helplessly, "That doesn't make things any better. Just because he doesn't mind, it doesn't mean the issues magically go away. On the contrary, it might only make others shun him even more."
Gareth smirked, "I have to disagree with your worries this time, Finn. I think you're overthinking it."
"Things will be fine, that kid isn't your usual unusual kid, you'll see. And trust the others a bit more, they aren't kids anymore."
A laugh echoed in the tent, "Quite a powerful impression indeed. I might even say you like him."
"Stop being cheeky, you child knock-off." Gareth said as he waved his hands
"Hahaha!"
After a short chat, the two stepped out of the tent.
"Well then, let's see for ourselves how he does. And after that, let's have you grab a meal."
"I'm fine…"
"That's what you always say. If we leave you be, you'll only end up eating basic rations until we return."
"Haha…"
…
Finn walked around the camp with Gareth, but everything was flowing smoothly. New tents were being raised, some had already gone to cook their meals, others were taking care of their equipment, and a few were sorting through the loot.
Everyone had their own roles, even if it meant taking a rest and doing nothing.
It wasn't just the Loki Familia, like previous expeditions, children from other Familias had been summoned to assist them in their operations.
Smiths worked on improvised workshops, healers helped with minor wounds, both from other Familias cooperating through contracts.
Their little walk led them to their destination. A large purplish portal had been opened near the edge of their camp, and dozens of people could be seen coming in and out of it with boxes and other items.
Next to it was a small crowd, curious adventurers from all races stood beside it, touching, tripping, and trying to mess around with the vortex of mist and energy.
Silver stood next to them, explaining his magic as he helped the others unload their supplies. Compared to what Finn had suggested earlier, everyone seemed extremely interested in Silver and was actively interacting with him.
'This is almost like watching Riveria teaching others…' He thought as he looked around in interest
"… See?" Gareth said as he elbowed Finn, "I told you everything was going to be fine."
"Ha… Can't blame me for being a bit too cautious, right?" Finn added with a light exhale as he put his hands on his waist
"You're always overly cautious, that's your "Standard Mode" as Loki would say."
Gareth turned around, "Anyhow, if you need me for anything, I'll take a walk to find that troublesome kid."
"Bete, huh… once you do, tell him I'd like to speak with him too."
"Sure thing."
As Gareth left, Finn turned his attention back to the portal, and approached everyone with a smile on his face.
…
"… Everything's going well here, I presume?" He asked aloud as he approached the crowd
"Captain!"
"Finn."
"Sir!"
Everyone turned to him and greeted him, Silver did as well, although his focus remained on the portal.
"… Guys, are you done unloading? This is getting a little difficult to maintain." He said as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead
"Just a little more!" Someone said as they walked past Silver, entering the portal
But he soon stepped out with a small box, "Man, this sure is handy…" the man added with a smile.
Silver looked at him with a broken expression, his Mind reserves running dry, "…"
"You don't look too good." Finn said as he looked at Silver
"This is my first time maintaining a portal of this size for so long. I must say its proving quite taxing…"
"Keep it up!" A chienthrope with fluffy dog ears said as he laughed on the side. He held a large scroll in one hand and a pen in the other as he kept track of everything that came in and out of the portal
"… Hupp! This is the last one, close it up!" The man from before said as he put down a large box full of cloth
"WAIT! Don't leave me behind!" Exclaimed a young girl with horns on her head as she jumped out from the portal, her expression of desperation as she exhaled in relief
Silver smiled awkwardly, "I can just open the portal again if you get trapped inside…"
The others laughed as the young girl put her hands on her face to hide her embarrassment, and Finn smiled slightly as he closed his eyes.
'It seems I was thinking too much.'
While the portal closed, Silver turned to Finn, "Do you need anything from the storage?"
Finn raised an eyebrow and his hands in denial, "Hm? No, no… I was just checking, don't mind me."
"Then that's a wrap."
'Just in time… I'm having a headache.'
Silver walked forward and gestured at the portal. Its edges were slowly drawn together until he could grasp them, pulling them together until only a tiny vortex stood on his palm, which he promptly crushed as it turned into a dozen wisps of purplish-dark fog.
"That was cool." Someone said as Silver shook his hands
The others whispered to each other in mild amusement.
"I'll take my leave now, Dablon. If you need me for anything else, just call me." Silver said as he walked to the side
"Sure thing!"
Silver nodded not only to Finn but also to the others, and left to rest somewhere else.
Finn watched him go and knew there wasn't much else for him to do here. Rather than go after him, he walked back to the central tent and began his postponed work.
There was much to do.
…
Silver lied down on the grass far from the camp, "Phew… the prep work is finally over."
'With everything of importance unloaded, all I have to do is wait until we move on or until someone calls for me, but that might take some time.'
"Now what?… Should I pass by Rivira and check things out?"
"… Excuse me."
Silver tilted his head backward, and the sight of the slender and ever-powerful Sword Princess blessed his eyes.
From this distance, it was almost as if he could see beneath her skirt, but with a sigh, he closed his eyes and sat down, turning to her calmly, "Ais? Do you need me for something."
She was masked, as expected. After someone noticed the injury on her face, she was reminded of her embarrassment and ran away, somehow finding Silver resting in the grass.
She nodded faintly, "Teach me how to train."
"Train?"
"Yes. I realized that strength is too vague, to grow stronger, I must first master a routine. That's what Leon told me."
"Leon, huh…"
'That came out of nowhere. Damn you, Leon! It isn't enough to beat me up, you now give me homework?'
"But why me? Wouldn't it be best to ask Finn and the others? They've been with you for a long time, they know your schedule best to teach you such a thing."
"They already taught me lots. This time, I want to learn from you."
"… Sigh."
'Stubborn lady. I thought things were over after I told them how I trained, but she's still pressing me. Is it just me, or did that only make her more resolute on asking me for advice?'
'I was thinking of perhaps helping her and the others a little after this was over, but she just can't sit still.'
"… I already said that I can't teach you much, but you won't take no for an answer."
"… I won't?" She asked aloud as she tilted her head, "If you don't want to…"
"I'll help! Sheesh…"
Silver got up and dusted his clothes. He looked around for a while before finding a good place.
"Follow me."
/Sha!/
Silver jumped down the small hill, floating to a lower open patch of land as Ais jumped after him.
"… Alright, here's the deal." He said as he turned to her
"Would you mind showing me your blade?"
Ais looked at her waist, "My sword?"
"Yes, there's one thing I want to check if you don't mind."
She unsheathed her rapier without protest, giving it to Silver, who checked it intently.
(Image)
"… This isn't your main sword, right? It's too simple."
"Yes, this is a spare. I use it up to the Lower Floors, which then I take out Desperate." She said as she gestured to her other blade
"Hm… why do that?"
'I've heard of that blade. First Class weapons are usually known quite well by the public.'
Ais pondered for a moment, "Because using it too much dulls the edge, which is difficult to correct in the Dungeon."
"To maintain its top condition, Finn suggested I use a simpler one until we entered the Lower Floors."
That only made Silver's suspicions stronger, "That blade of yours, if I'm not mistaken, it's a first-class weapon with the Durandal property. At these higher floors, your sword shouldn't dull even if you struck it against the walls ten thousand times… yet you're afraid of its edge getting dull?"
Desperate is a weapon that cannot be broken, allowing its continued use for the wielder. That was what it meant for a blade to possess one of the greatest properties that can be embedded in a weapon.
That wasn't a figure of speech, it really could not be broken… not by anything known, that is. For her to be worried about it dulling before the Lower Floors… was akin to hearing someone being worried a metal rod would bend by striking a pillow.
"…"
Ais dropped her head, pensive… "I think so?"
"… You don't need to think too much about it." He replied with a sigh as he gave her the sword
"I think I know how to help you. I saw you fight on our way down, and honestly, your swordsmanship is far beyond the likes of me to correct. Or better put, I'm too concerned about putting doubt in your head and impeding your own development then anything else."
"To me, your swordsmanship is a blade made solely for monsters. You polished it to fight them and nothing else, and that is correct in a sense… but here's the thing." He said as he looked at the ground
"It's too brutish."
Ais' expression froze as she momentarily grew pale. She muttered a weak sound in her throat like the squeal of a hamster, and Silver wondered how it was possible to do all of that while maintaining a fully stoic expression.
No, that wasn't right… Ais showed concern for a slight moment as her eyes rolled around.
"There's no need to act like that, this is merely my opinion."
"When you fight, your blade takes the path of speed. To take down the monster before you as fast and as efficiently as possible… but for you to gain speed, you have to sacrifice something else."
He gestured with his hands, imitating her movements against invisible monsters, "Your blade bears the brunt. When you cut and slice, its edge wears down, even more than normal… not because of your lack of skill, but because you chose the path of quickness… even if it meant cutting straight through the hardest part of the monster."
"Just cut them down quickly and cleanly. Your blade can handle it, your strength is sufficient, so what's the problem?…"
He smiled, "I bet you have an issue with maintenance fees, right?"
Ais paled at the mention of her dread enemy. Her greatest fears brought forth… the terrific and ever-growing bill that ate away at her wealth every visit she made to the smithy.
How many times had she made the calculations? How may visits to the food stall did her blade consume in its eternal hunger? She didn't even want to think about it.
"Your expression tells me you do… Well, that's it then."
Silver smiled proudly, "I'll teach you how to fight in a way that's less punishing on your blade!"
Ais nodded eagerly.
"My first lesson is quite simple. Don't be afraid of how you fight. Your swordsmanship is fine as it is, I only mean to teach you how to take more care of it so its edge dulls less."
"For First Class adventurers, it can often be too difficult to care about precise trajectories amid the battlefield, but unless you're carrying a large hammer like Gareth, I suggest you pay more attention to where you swing it."
Silver walked to the side, and a purple vortex formed before him as he reached inside, "Let's start with a simple exercise."
He took out a wooden sword, and then…
"!!"
From inside the vortex, Silver took a chained creature, it's green skin nearly unmistakable.
A villainous smile popped onto his lips as he gazed upon her like a wolf eyed prey, "Your task here is simple… you must teach this Goblin swordsmanship with this wooden blade."
"Ehhhhh?"
Ais was focused, more focused than she had ever been in a very long time. But all of a sudden, her thoughts were spun around as she lost track of what was going on.
'Teach… a Goblin??'
"The goal here is neither to kill nor break the blade, you must simultaneously subdue the beast and teach it how to hold a weapon, all the while controlling your strength so nothing breaks… or dies."
"Once you've taught it enough, we can move on." He said as he walked to her, giving her the wooden sword
While Ais was still stunned, he looked at her waist, "I'd recommend putting your weapons down too, but feel free to act as comfortable as you like."
"W-Wait…"
/Growl…/
Ais looked between the Goblin and Silver as he looked away, reluctantly taking hold of the wooden sword as the chains binding the Goblin were undone and pulled into the void.
/DASH!/
The starving Goblin ran forward, and Ais instinctively struck down with the sword.
/SLAM!/
The impact was so great that the Goblin was sent face-first against the ground at a ninety-degree angle. The sword itself burst into pieces as the back of the Goblin burst open and the ground caved in…
"…"
Ais looked at the smoking twig that was left of the sword and then at the blood staining her hand and face as Silver appeared beside her.
"That ended faster than I expected." He said as he took out a notebook and wrote something on it
"…"
Ais gave him a silent yet perplexed glare as if she wanted to ask, "What just happened?!"
"Alright, don't look at me like that. How about we just try again?" He said as another Goblin appeared before her
Ais really wanted to ask him why he had two Goblins with him, but before she could ask, the Goblin dashed at her.
To her, she could complete a full string of thoughts, and the Goblin would remain in place, motionless. Still, she was patient, and the creature soon reached her.
This time, she stepped to the side, evading, and she did the same thing five more times until Silver shook his head.
"That's not how you do it. Teach it how to fight… how to fight you." Silver said as he kept writing down on his notebook
"Fight me?"
"Yes… teach this monster until it can break through your technique… theoretically, of course. I'm afraid that even if were to feed it a mountain of magic stones, nothing would change."
'But maybe that could work. I've been feeding these Goblins different amounts of Magic Stones for several days, and they've grown considerably stronger than others, yet I've seen little change.'
'Perhaps what they need to transform is another stimuli… a First Class adventurer should do, right?'
/Grab!/
Silver used Telekinesis to move the Goblin away from Ais, giving it a small metal dagger so it could fight her properly.
"Now try again. This time, the Goblin's properly armed."
Silver tilted his head as he lectured Ais, "Most monsters already know how to fight with weapons, but monsters of the Upper and Middle Floors can barely show any degree of martial acuity or cooperation."
'On average at least, Lizardman deeper down can show some Swordsmanship… at least those on the surface did.'
"KAKAKI!"
The Goblin dashed after her with bloodshot eyes. With greater focus, she parried his strike, only for the knife to split the wooden sword apart.
Seeing this, Silver wrote more on his notebook, "It broke, you fail."
"…"
Ais was upset, she looked at the chipped wood with a frown as Silver took another wooden sword from his pocket space, giving it to her.
"Care to try again?"
"Yes."
Silver smiled as he looked at her, Ais was as focused as ever now. Almost as if fire was burning in her eyes…
'Seems like she's finally serious. Let's see how far she can go with this handicap.'
Silver had never intended for her to succeed in this session. His sole goal was to break down her aggressive instincts so they could move this training into something more effective.
Goblins were cheap to manage, but stronger monsters weren't. He wouldn't risk some of his projects just to train her…
/SLASH!/
/Clack!/
Ais parried the metal knife without damaging the wooden sword, a feat even Silver thought improbable.
/Clack!/
Again she succeeded, and for the next nine times, she parried them all without difficulty!
/Crack!/
But when the Goblin dashed forward and pierced with the knife, she instinctively pierced with the wooden sword, puncturing its forehead while cracking the blade in half.
Goblin N2 thus perished.
"Fail. But you're improving." He added with a faint smile
But all Ais heard was mockery…
"Mnnn…"
Ais pouted, for some reason this guy knew how to get on her nerves. Be it board games, cooking, or now this, he just couldn't stop upsetting her.
Why?
"Want to try again?"
She merely handed over the broken blade without looking at him.
"That's the spirit." He said with a chuckle as he took out another Goblin from his pocket space
'That said, I only have one more stored away. I was planning to use these monsters for my experiments on the 28th Floor… looks like I'll be needing to fetch a few more test subjects to make my time less dull down there.'
But for now, Silver's focus was on Ais alone.
/Clack!/
Time passed like that, the golden-haired swordswoman and the Goblins, and Silver observing their confrontation from the side.
…
/Chattering…/
Not long after Finn's arrival, the second group of the Loki Familia's expedition, led by Riveria, arrived.
Large carts carrying most of their supplies were led to their camp and unloaded.
But rather than overlook their activities, like Finn had done before, the first thing Riveria did upon her arrival was to head to the central tent where Finn and Gareth awaited.
A short but familiar conversation ensued…
…
"… It's hard to believe, even with your words." Riveria said as a bead of sweat fell from the side of her head
Gareth nodded, "I struggled to believe too, and I was there. I don't blame ya, this situation was just too abnormal."
"The more I hear about him, the greater my curiosity grows. I've been wanting to meet him for a while, but we've never had the chance."
Her eyes sharpened, "It's almost as if he's avoiding me."
"Haha, it's definitely a coincidence… but I understand where you're getting at." Finn said as he smiled awkwardly
'I'm certain he's avoiding her… and I don't blame him. This magic maniac…'
"I feel like he's hiding something. Aren't you the same, Gareth?"
The Dwarf scratched his beard, "It's easy to accuse another. For now, I'm on the fence about it."
"That just answers the question. Suspicion doesn't come from nowhere." Riveria said as he got up from her seat
"Already? Give the kid a break."
She walked outside, faintly lifting the cloth with her staff as she turned around, "I know everything you've discussed before and what Loki said as well, but this is the Dungeon." She said as her expression grew serious.
"And I'm taking no chances."
She left, leaving the other two alone.
"… Oi Finn, she's serious about this. Doesn't she think its too much to push a kid around with her age?"
"You said that, not me." Finn replied as he scratched his chin
But after a moment, Finn also grew a little serious, "To be honest, I'm with Riveria. Ever since I first met him, I couldn't help but feel like he withheld something from us."
"No matter which deity it is, and how much Loki trusts their decision and actions, as the Captain of the Loki Familia…"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Finn… we old-timers need to sniff around a bit from time to time."
Gareth stepped out of his seat, going for the exit as well, "But that kid must've had his reasons. And since she's so keen on playing the bad cop, then I'll play my part."
Finn exhaled, "You're sounding awfully like Loki, you know that?"
"Buwahaha! How couldn't I learn a thing or two after being around her this long?"
"Anyhow… you coming?"
Finn's broken smile turned into another sigh as he jumped from his seat and followed the burly Dwarf outside.
…
/Clack!/
/Clack!/
"…!"
/Fwoosh!/
Ais awkwardly clashed with the Goblin, evading its strikes and punishing its weak movements with jabs and thrusts.
How to teach a beast that doesn't understand words swordsmanship? One that followed no proper path, erratic yet predictable… Ais once thought. Much less with a tool so weak it would shatter with as much as a little impact?
One broken blade turned to eleven, one Goblin turned into four, but she had finally arrived at an answer.
All she had to do was punish its movements, guiding the Goblin through violence into a proper, sharper stance.
/Smack!/
"Kii!"
"Wrong, do it again."
Kicks and punches became her teaching tool, the blade in her hand a mere decoration, a tool to represent the proper stance… which the Goblin slowly copied.
Ais saw for herself something she didn't think possible. The slow and dimwitted Goblin was… learning, and at an accelerated rate.
It learned how to keep its feet steady so it wouldn't fall to a little poke from her feet, it learned how to lift its foot and avoid her, then how to prevent her subsequent kicks and punches, forcing her to speed up or change tactics.
She never thought this was possible, she never thought monsters could even learn like this. She knew they could grow stronger, beasts of unimaginable power would grow from devouring and surviving dangerous encounters. It was one reason the Lower Floors were dangerous.
Beasts would prey on each other, devouring their flesh and magic stones. Even with the natural means of sustenance the Dungeon provided to its children, the Dungeon emulated a full ecosystem, where from the smallest to the biggest member of the food chain.
In deeper floors where adventurers did not step frequently, monsters would grow beyond their limits, becoming Enhanced, and on rare occasions, Irregulars able to bypass natural orders.
That was among the many reasons the Guild pushed for Expeditions. The Guild would often put on bounties of immense value for the constant scouting and hunting of any abnormal creatures found on those floors, all to prevent the greatest of disasters… the fall of a top-class adventuring party.
Adventurers who could dive into the Lower Floors did not come easily, and it was in the Guild's and, by consequence, the city's interest to keep them alive.
/Slash!/
The Goblin's blade was flung upward by a precise strike from Ais before it was kicked away as she lost her focus.
Despite their fight, Ais' gaze would often fall on the wooden blade in her hand. Whenever she used it, her trembling eyes would fall back into it, scanning it for potential cracks and failures.
Whenever she noticed that there were none, she would sigh in relief before restarting.
Unbeknownst to her, each sword Silver gave her was slightly more robust than the previous one, allowing her to push it further before it cracked.
He made it as such so she would understand the value of keeping the blade intact, but also allowing her to push it more and more as she improved her technique.
And she was improving, and at a considerable rate at that. She pierced and slashed with precision, now targeting areas and moments that would stress the blade less, all hoping to keep it intact.
Seeing her act, Silver figured another of Ais problems… her immense hatred of monsters.
Whenever she fought, Ais would find herself in her own world. In this world of hers, nothing aside from the extermination of all monster life before her would begin… it was something so precise Silver could bet that in a battlefield, Ais would be able to accurately identify a thousand people within a sea of ten thousand monsters.
Or so he thought, at least… not that he would ever risk himself to prove that…
Ais lived with a focus lens before her eyes, and Silver's first thought was to reduce that anger, or at the very least, help her broaden her gaze so she would learn to see not only monsters, but herself and the blade in her hand.
To some degree, Silver could tell that Ais had already undergone such training before. He didn't have to think far to understand why… who would want to see a young girl such as herself be so hard on herself in a place so grim as the Dungeon?
His thoughts fell on the Loki Familia itself, they were the people that taught her how to see beyond the monsters before her and into her surroundings, and to protect herself so she wouldn't just mindlessly charge into battle.
He didn't figure all of this out within just this moment. It took many days of listening to others and his time with her recently to put it all together, and he was more than happy to learn more.
/Step…/
But it seemed their time for today was over. Amidst her next bout with the Goblin, someone approached them.
…
Riveria stepped into the training grounds where Ais squared off with Goblin N4, her eyes shifting around as she tried to make sense of the situation.
'Just what am I looking at?' She thought as she looked at the situation
Ais, not tired in the slightest, faced a beaten and roughed up Goblin, the smell of potions in the air and clearly not coming from either her, or Silver, who stood on the side watching it all unfold with a notebook in hand.
Her inquisitive eyes fell on him just as his vision fell on her, 'I feel like whenever I meet to hear of him, something strange is going on.' She thought as he waved back at her eargerly.
Seeing this, her expression only tensed more, 'I originally thought those things came as a coincidence, but it seems he isn't without fault… Somehow, I feel a tint of Loki in him… the inner desire to want to cause trouble.'
Riveria had enough watching and walked down the slope with her usual cynical expression.
"What are you two doing?" Her expression tense, her voice coarse but filled with inquiry
"Riveria?!" Ais asked as she turned her head, and that was her fatal mistake
/PIERCE!/
She pierced with the blade, driving it straight into the Goblin's head! The blade shattered with a loud crackling pop, and the Goblin was sent rolling backward, hurt but alive.
If not for its strengthened state, this one, like the second Goblin, would now have a hole in its forehead.
Seeing this, Silver sighed, "I'm trying to teach her how to take better care of her weapons. It's the only thing I can teach her."
"And what does this have to do with a Goblin being all the way down here? Where did it come from?"
"She has to start somewhere."
"That doesn't answer the question."
Touching the back of his head, Silver tried to play dumb, "The Goblin?… I brought it here?"
"How?"
Silver took a deep breath, 'This lady sure enjoys asking questions… She won't let me go until I really answer her…'
"I took it here."
"How?"
"I shoved it inside my magic space." He said as he gestured with his hands, making a twirly gesture with his fingers
"… Why did you shove a Goblin inside your pocket space?"
"So I can take it out later. I'm conducting research on monsters, and I thought I would have the time, eventually."
"… You can't just take a Goblin and bring it around with you." Riveria said as she touched her forehead
'It's confirmed, this boy thinks in a completely alien manner. He's just as troublesome as all of them!'
'I heard from Gareth he shoved a house inside that space… what else did he hide in there?!'
"Why not? The Goblin was pretty fine until I took it out. No one even knew I had it until I said I had it."
Riveria looked at him the way a mother would look at a child that knew it was guilty… "And is that an excuse?"
Her tone was almost accusatory… no… it definitely was.
"From a certain perspective…"
She grasped her nose bridge as Ais looked away, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead as she thought of a way to run away, "And? Do you have other monsters lying around?"
Silver shook his head, "I'm afraid she killed them all."
"!!"
Ais felt Riveria's gaze fall on her. She froze in fear as the Sage crossed her arms, "Stop running away." She exclaimed as she noticed Ais slowly drifting in the grass…
"You, anything to say for yourself?"
"I… wanted to learn…"
Like a child being found amidst mischief, Ais tapped her fingers together as she tried whistling, only to fail miserably.
"Sigh…"
'I have so many things I want to ask, especially what he just blurted out about research… but one thing at a time.'
"Is it time for lunch? I'm getting quite hungry." Silver said as he patted his stomach
"#!! It isn't. I came here for another subject." Riveria spoke as her eyelids twitched
'Did I just see that right? Is this boy playing around with me? Teasing me? Now of all times?'
'He knows why I'm here and has the gal to play along, just look at that smirk, I've seen Loki with that same… this is starting to bother me…'
She smiled internally, 'Fine then, let's play a little.'
"I came here because I'm mildly curious. I've been keen on seeing your magic up close, yet our schedules never seemed to cross. Would you be too kind as to show me your magic?"
She stepped forward, speaking in a more formal tone, "I heard you possess two extremely rare magics and was keen on witnessing them. Complete telekinesis, the kind of Magic I've only ever read of in books, and manipulation of space, allowing for the creation of your so-called "Rooms"."
"Would you mind showing them to me?" She asked with a gentle smile, the kind only a pure Elf could give
The smile a mother would give to a newborn child… but to him, that was an extremely evil smile… And Ais seemed to think the same as her expression palled even more.
Silver scratched his head as a confident smile popped onto his face.
'I'm screwed.' He thought as his expression remained resolute
"Sure! Let's start with that last one."
He stepped forward, reaching into the air as Ais stepped closer to Riveria with a defeated expression.
"Because my magic is already activated, there's no need for me to chant it again."
"And so I've heard. Even for conditional magic, a trigger is usually needed to halt its effects. However, that isn't always the case, for magic fizzles out over time, or unique cases appear." She said as she looked at Ais
Ais famed magic, Ariel, the Wind element Enchant, could be activated at will with a Spellkey, and it could be deactivated at will in the heat of battle to preserve both stamina and Mind.
But that was that, and this was this… even if she accepted this unique case as it was…
"Would you mind chanting it for me? I also research magic quite deeply, if you don't mind." She added as Silver manifested his pocket space
"…"
'Crap.'
'She's really onto me… this place will be my grave.'
Silver did not panic. Even in the face of certain doom, he extinguished his pocket space and tried again.
"~Room!~"
He gave it his all to make it convincing. What was once a joke on his side had become a staple of his magic, and now, before this 100-year-old mega elf Sage, he was going to put his all into making this as convincing as possible…
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
Only for him to be busted almost immediately.
…
.
.
.
Notes
Is this the third or fourth time Silver is busted almost immediately? He's really unlucky, trying to act up either in the face of the Gods, or a mortal Sage...