by Fujino Omori
The Goddess Freya’s love was like a wind embracing the world.
Even if someone reached out to catch it, they would fail. Her love would envelop them like a soft breeze, but the moment they thought her love was theirs, it would slip through their fingers.
Wind could not be contained. It was no one’s possession. It could not be stopped.
Above all, wind sought no companion.
Wind chose a direction on a whim and drew its own path under the sky. If it should find a traveler on an open plane, it would smile and go to embrace him. But as soon as the traveler turned to face it, the wind had already moved on.
At the same time, the wind was fair.
It brought the good fortune of a cooling breeze to everyone it passed.
Sometimes, it was harsh; other times, gentle. It could flow down from the north, or waft up from the south.
It would always whisper in your ears as it blew by. Wind never stopped. Wind was eternal.
As long as Ottar and the other children were on this earth, no matter where they went, the wind would always reach them.
The fact that I’m here now, is that the answer?
What if the wind had a sky to go home to? A sky that the wind yearned for?
As a person of this world, all he could do was look up at that sky.
If looking up at it from far below triggered a petty emotion from within, then yes, it very well could be envy.
Envy and jealousy were sides of the same coin.
Childish…
A painful smile broke through his hard, emotionless exterior. This would have been very surprising, if anyone had been there to see it.
In truth, he had accepted this the moment he agreed to follow Freya’s command. The wind had blown past him.
Keh! A single laugh filled with self-mockery echoed through the cave.
“…Hmm.”
Ottar stopped walking.
The two boar ears sticking out of his black, thin, almost frame-like helmet twitched in response to something up ahead.
His feet changed direction to the source of the sound. Sure enough, not far from the tip of his boots, the red-black head of a bull emerged from a hole in the wall that had been hidden between two boulders.
“Mmroooo…!”
“There you are.”
The bloodshot eyes of the beast found their new prey: Ottar.
Minotaur. A large-category monster with the body of a muscular man and the head of a bull. This one stood even with Ottar—perhaps even slightly taller. Starting with their height, the two combatants had a lot in common.
This was the reason Ottar had been prowling a level of the Dungeon filled with monsters far below his own level.
He was here to catch one of these violent beasts.
“Mmmmmrrrrrgh…!”
The Minotaur was getting excited.
A landform was in its grasp. This natural weapon found within the Dungeon itself was shaped like a stone ax.
The edge of the weapon was covered in a crimson liquid. Either it had just finished off an adventurer, or it had covered the ax with its own blood. Ottar couldn’t see any damage on the beast itself.
This is the one, Ottar thought as his rusty eyes narrowed.
Reaching for his belt, Ottar let the bag over his shoulder fall to the floor with a loud thud. Along with the sound of the ground cracking on impact, metallic jangling sounds also echoed.
The sound of the crash was as good as a starting whistle for the Minotaur. It squinted its eyes as it charged headlong at Ottar.
“Mrroooooooooah!!”
The beast’s strides hit the ground with such force that fragments of broken rocks flew backward in its wake. The Minotaur held the ax high over its head with one hand as it closed the distance.
Faced with a charging Minotaur roaring loud enough to make the walls shake, Ottar didn’t bat an eye.
Holding his pack upright with his right hand, Ottar let his left arm hang loosely. He waited, unarmed, for the imminent arrival of the Minotaur.
The instant that the Minotaur planted its foot—hard enough to leave a small crater—in front of Ottar to strike, the massive man calmly raised his left arm.
“Mrooooh…Mroa?!”
“…Well done. You’ve been chosen.”
Ottar blocked the stone ax completely.
In fact, it was the ax that took damage. The blade cracked, bits and pieces falling to the floor.
The Minotaur had put all of its weight into that attack, only to be blocked by Ottar’s armor-lined arm.
While the armor itself had to be considered, this level of Defense was otherworldly. Ottar stood flat-footed on impact, but his massive body didn’t budge. Without taking a defensive stance, he had taken the Minotaur’s attack head-on.
Ottar looked like he was a gigantic tree, rooted to the spot, as he delivered his appraisal of the Minotaur.
It might have been instinct, but the Minotaur took one, then two steps backward, its eyes shaking in fear.
It had learned a little too late that the creature in front of it was even more of a monster than it was.
“Groh… ?!”
“You are welcome to try again. If not…”
Ottar’s penetrating gaze made the Minotaur freeze in terror.
Ottar watched as the stone ax fell from the Minotaur’s limp fingers, and got an idea.
He reached behind his waist. Keeping his eyes locked on the Minotaur, Ottar grabbed one of the twin swords strapped to his belt—a greatsword, really—pulled it out, and tossed it in the Minotaur’s direction.
“…Uwwa?”
“You demonstrated good technique. Now use this.”
With an eerie charm that would’ve unnerved anybody watching, the Minotaur cocked its head in confusion at the hilt that was thrust at it.
Its eyes jumped nervously between Ottar and the sword over and over again, before it timidly reached out and took hold of the hilt.
The Minotaur’s fingers carefully wrapped around the handle, and then it took a firm grasp.
On my life, Mistress Freya, I will not hold back.
Freya had said it herself: She’d left the boy Bell’s growth in Ottar’s hands.
As he had replied in that conversation, there was only one way for him to grow. Freya gave him the order, knowing full well what could happen.
This Minotaur would fight Bell.
The path Ottar was preparing for Bell was a cruel one, full of thorns.
…These might be more than mere preparations.
Up until this point, Ottar had encountered many Minotaurs, but felt them unworthy.
And all to remove the last chain within the boy’s soul. To bring out the “glow” that Freya desired.
For Level One adventurers, defeating a Level Two monster like the Minotaur was next to impossible. Due to the difference in pure strength and ability, a Level One adventurer would have to have a death wish to even challenge one of them. Despite this, Ottar had given his chosen Minotaur a weapon.
Ottar’s “guidance” was so severe, it bordered on tyranny.
Ottar had to admit a faintly absurd emotion had taken root in his heart. He had been forced to think about a boy named Bell.
Was he, perhaps, trying to erase the boy from Freya’s sight?
Ottar asked himself that question, and answered with a resounding no.
Should the boy die, there was no doubt that Freya would pursue his soul. She would be willing to go all the way to the heavens to hold him in her embrace. If she weren’t, she would never allow Ottar to put him into such a dangerous situation.
At this point, it didn’t matter if Bell lived or died. No matter what happened, the goddess of love would be waiting for him.
This was not jealousy.
This was a trial.
If you’re worthy of her love, survive this.
Ottar wanted proof that Bell was deserving of special treatment. Proof that he was right for Freya.
He didn’t care if
he lost her affection. He was willing to accept that all of her love would go to Bell alone.
However, he refused to allow someone unworthy of her attention to dirty the name of the goddess he worshiped.
Now that you have her attention, it is your duty to prove yourself worthy. It was this emotion that drove Ottar.
“Mroooaaaah!”
“…Correction. I’ll have you use the weapon correctly.”
Ottar easily deflected the Minotaur’s first errant swing of the greatsword.
In order to prepare the beast in front of him for its role, Ottar was prepared to “train” it and fully intended to do so.
The sound of swords clashing echoed, flashes of sparks from steel colliding with steel erupted for hour upon hour.
All for Freya.
Ottar simply followed orders to the best of his ability.
“Mr. Bell, why are you a mess before going into the Dungeon?”
“Ha-ha-ha…Well, you know, this and that.”
I weakly laugh off Lilly’s question to reassure her.
Somehow I’ve made it through two days of Aiz’s pulverization…I suppose I can call it “intense training.”
Lilly gives me a look like she knows I’m hiding something, and I can’t blame her. The way my body looks now, she probably thinks I was run over by stampeding monsters or something.
But I can’t tell her the truth. I don’t want to tell her. I don’t want her to know just how unbelievably uncoordinated I am.
I couldn’t block a single strike. Not one. And now I’m an absolute wreck.
I knew going into these training sessions that it would be foolish to think I’d get better right away…But to come away every time no better than a breathing punching/kicking bag, what confidence I had is gone.
I knew I wasn’t that strong, but I didn’t realize just how far I have to go.
There’s her level, and then there’s my level. There’s still enough distance between us to make my head spin just thinking about it.
I walk into the lobby of Babel Tower alongside Lilly, feeling slightly depressed.
The lobby is absolutely massive. The floor is covered in large circular patterns of deep blue and white. But the most beautiful feature of the lobby has to be the stained-glass windows made to look like flowers that line the walls.
Many adventurers are here now, either on their way into the Dungeon or coming out of it. By the looks of it, most of them are, like us, about to head down into the labyrinth. However, there are some who look like they’ve been in the Dungeon overnight.
The contrast of the smiling, happy battle parties and the slouching, downtrodden battle parties is very striking.
The amount of loot adventurers bring back from the Dungeon tells all. Nodding slowly to myself as Lilly and I make our way through the crowd, I promise myself that we won’t look like the depressed ones at the end of today.
It’s a problem we all share, and nothing to scoff at. Nothing at all.
“Lilly’s sorry, Mr. Bell, for making you carry Lilly’s things when you’re so tired.”
“Don’t be, it’s my fault I’m tired…and anyway, I can still carry an empty backpack.”
Lilly looks back at me with a very apologetic expression as we descend the first stairwell leading to the Dungeon entrance, her shoulders sinking. I crack a big smile and jump up and down a few times, saying, “See? So light!”
We’ve switched places—or at least that’s how we’re dressed right now. Basically, I’m carrying Lilly’s bag, so I look like a supporter.
Meanwhile, Lilly’s not wearing her usual cream-colored robe, but a sturdy-looking leather jacket on top of lightweight clothing. The icing on the cake is that she’s wearing my protector like a sheath across her back, the baselard sticking out of it…so she looks to everyone else like an honest-to-goodness adventurer.
Why are we putting on this façade? To keep Lilly’s existence a secret from Soma Familia.
Of course, Lilly is using her magic to disguise herself, but at her height and carrying something as distinct as that oversized backpack of hers, anyone with a good brain in their head might be able to connect the dots.
Prums, being one of the shorter races of people, don’t usually carry bags almost twice their own size. The same goes for children of other races.
We’re being extra careful, and that’s why we came up with this act.
“And we’ll switch out soon anyway, no need to worry about me.”
Since we’re just posing as each other’s role, we need to be out of sight before we change back. The best spot seems to be right before the tenth level, somewhere on the ninth floor. The fog on the tenth floor is another bonus; we don’t have to worry about other parties of adventurers catching a glimpse of us by accident.
We divide up the loot evenly for the return trip so that things don’t look that strange when we get back to the top.
Only a few days have passed since Lilly’s “death,” so I think going a little overboard to protect Lilly’s identity is just about right.
“Mmm…Lilly is in debt to Mr. Bell, and so recent, too. Lilly feels bad doing this to Mr. Bell…”
The tone of Lilly’s voice falls, almost to the point of pouting as she spoke. The wolf ears on top of her head fold down, tips below the base.
I laugh helplessly and take another look at her.
For me, the baselard is a short sword, but it suddenly looks a lot bigger strapped to Lilly’s back. That realization makes me smile. The hilt of the baselard is sticking out from under long, ash-colored hair. With eyes like golden harvest moons, she must have decided to try to be a lycanthrope today, a werewolf.
The long hair was such a change to her usual image that I didn’t recognize her at first. Kind of like going from an energetic, prankster type of child to a mature, book-loving, almost royal appearance.
A few other things here and there are different, too; she’s completely different from the Lilly I’m used to.
“Ah, um…what, is it a bit too much?”
She must have noticed my eyes. She’s looking up at me, a bit unsure of herself as her voice quietly shakes.
I don’t know if she’s talking about her adventurer outfit or the werewolf transformation, but I just smile and shake my head.
I tell her that she doesn’t look strange at all.
“You just look so different…a fresh look, maybe? Actually, I think you look pretty cute.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah, you look good like this.”
She nervously looks up at me before her eyes start to twinkle with happiness.
Lilly turns back to face forward, but her wolf ears perk up and I can see a tail swishing back and forth under her skirt.
I don’t think I meant to, but seeing how Lilly responded to my compliment, seeing how happy she is, makes the corners of my mouth curve up without my even thinking.
I feel like I’ve got a cute little sister. And that feels…nice.
I’m watching all the adventurers who pass by us…Maybe we look like brother and sister to them.
“A hare and a wolf…”
“Wolf and bunny…”
“The rabbit is the supporter…Oh, I wonder if he’ll get eaten.”
“Emergency food supply in a last-resort scenario…how miserable!”
“Scary, scary. Can’t judge adventurers just on looks and status, now can ya? Better keep my guard up.”
…This is weird.
Why do I feel like I’m being insulted?
Whisper-whisper. I can hear all of you, right here, you know?
I’ve never felt this kind of kind gaze from adventurers—it’s like I’m the center of attention in a pity party.
Especially the remark of that male elf a second ago. What did he mean by “how miserable”?
At least my smile is carrying me through this, but a new question jumps into my head as I take another look at “adventurer” Lilly.
I open my mouth to ask he
r. I can tell she’s still in a really good mood just by looking at the side of her face.
“Hey, Lilly. You can’t upgrade your status anymore, can you?”
“What’s Mr. Bell talking about?”
“…You know, since you can’t go to Soma Familia, you can’t meet up with your god, right?”
Careful not to be overheard; I lean close to her ears as I speak.
It’s impossible for Lilly to go anywhere near Soma for the time being. Therefore, the status on her back won’t change.
As an adventurer, not being able to update my status would be a death sentence. I imagine it’s the same for supporters, too. As I go to deeper floors, the monsters get stronger, which means it’s more dangerous…
“Aren’t you worried?” I ask her with concern in my eyes.
“To tell the truth, Lilly is a little worried…but it’s probably fine. At the very least, Lilly’s okay for now.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, Lilly is good at finding ways to deal with monsters…After all, Lilly hasn’t had a status update in almost half a year now and been okay.”
“H-half a year?!”
Her words throw me for a loop.
I don’t think I need to spell it out, but without a status update, she won’t get stronger after everything she’s been through. All the times she’s taken a hit, fought a monster—it’s all been meaningless. Talk about high risk, no reward.
Lilly grimaces when she sees the shock on my face and explains.
“To get a status update in Soma Familia, Lilly had to make quota.”
“Wha…isn’t that… ?”
“Yes, it’s Soma’s…condition.”
According to Lilly, Soma doesn’t do many status updates for anyone at first.
It seems strange to me, but it sounds like he only does status updates on an “as-needed” basis. He commits all of his time and money to his one true passion, making wine. So if someone like Lilly isn’t making money for him, it’s a waste of his time to make her stronger. Without money from his adventurers, he can’t make wine.
On top of that, his Familia is quite large. To update all of their statuses probably takes a very long time and would have been a real pain…
