by Fujino Omori
Her face was awash with a complicated expression, anguished, as though she had not yet come to a decision herself. The Fairy Force, including Lefiya, who had seen the event from start to finish, looked on supportively.
“It wasn’t some coincidence—or a whim. That siren covered me of her own volition. Even at the cost of her own body…she protected me with a spirit that can only be called philia—friendship. I’m still haunted by her gaze and smile…”
Though Alicia had a gentle side as an elder of the group, everyone knew that beyond it was her elven pride and fastidiousness. And if she was feeling something other than scorn toward a monster, no one in Loki Familia was stupid enough to fail to understand what that meant.
“I don’t want to admit or accept it. But I can’t help thinking…that was a noble display of her selflessness. If I failed to admit that, I feared I would become lower than the monsters—a dishonorable beast,” Alicia finished, carefully choosing her words and choking them out.
The moment she slipped back into her chair, drained, the room fell totally silent. Even all the other outspoken elves closed their mouths.
“…I’ve changed the order around, but I’d like to go back to the premise that led me to this conclusion.”
In the quiet room, Finn began to explain the current situation.
“In order to differentiate them from other monsters, I’m going to refer to the armed monsters as Xenos from now on. Because of their high levels of intelligence and apparent self-awareness, the Xenos have had countless of their comrades hunted by Ikelos Familia .”
“!”
“As far as the Xenos are concerned, the forces inside Knossos related to the smuggling of monsters are their enemies. I won’t go so far as to say that an enemy of an enemy is an ally, but…our interests are undeniably aligned. And just this one time, we can direct them as needed. That was my conclusion.”
“But, Captain, that means…”
“That’s right. We made a deal to temporarily join forces this one time. It’s for the sake of taking on Knossos…for the sake of ensuring victory in the coming battle, where the fate of the city hangs in the balance.”
By this point, Finn was simply discussing justifications for their actions while arguing in his sagacious and sound way.
It provided just cause for suddenly dropping such volatile news, softening the blow by shuffling the order of his delivery to manage their expectations. And Finn’s plan had clearly worked, given how even the members who had gnashed their teeth at the news were noticeably less tense.
Starting with why the Xenos had come aboveground, Finn continued to divulge all relevant information. Of course, he hid the connection between Ouranos and the Xenos to prevent further disorder, but other than that, he shared everything.
Gareth and Riveria spoke for the first time to bolster his explanation.
“We’re not saying you have to meet halfway with all monsters. The opposite, in fact. I’d actually say you shouldn’t trust them at all.”
“When you explore the Dungeon in the future, keep in mind that hesitation will get you killed. I understand it is asking a lot of you, but detach your identity as adventurers from this situation.”
Gareth had aimed his address at primarily the men. And looks of understanding spread among the elves at Riveria’s statement.
Finally, as if measuring her timing, Loki announced her divine will. “Well, basically, this is a battle to avenge Leene and the rest, so we’ll use whatever we hafta.”
A short speech, but the results were immediate. At the very least, there was no one left who would openly voice their opposition.
“…Let’s end this here. I’d like you all to take a moment to think and talk among yourselves. Okay? This isn’t an order but a suggestion. I’d like you to mull it over.”
Finn looked out at the faces of all the familia members again, saving the golden eyes of a certain girl for last.
“If anyone wishes to abstain, come to my office. I have no intention of trying to stop you. I’ll ask you to keep our discussion secret but nothing more. I’ll respect your decision. Okay, then—you’re all dismissed.”
With that, Finn left the room with Loki and the other leaders.
Once they took their leave, a furious exchange of opinions ensued among almost all the familia members who’d stayed behind in the dining hall. There was no end of things to discuss, and those who had felt suffocated by the atmosphere before could finally speak their minds.
Hesitation. Bewilderment. Rage. Hatred. Fear. None of these emotions were inherently wrong, but none were entirely right, either. They continued engaging in heated discussions about the relations between people and monsters—starting from when they were summoned in the morning until being dismissed at noon. The sky gradually darkened, bringing out the stars, as the conversations carried into the evening.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen the familia act like this…I think you all might be glaring more than when we went on the expedition…Urgh…”
Raul wobbled like a ghost before almost collapsing into a chair. He sat down at the table with Anakity and the rest of the reserve members, plus Tiona and Tione.
With raised voices, the lower-tier adventurers had roasted Raul, scapegoating him with their discontent and grumbling. Unlike Bete, he could be dragged into conversations and become the target of their complaints, which was why he had their trust (?). He had done his best to seriously and kindly listen to everyone, even though that ended up totally exhausting him. He sprawled out on the table, facedown, as Anakity patted the back of his head.
There was no change in her expression, but it seemed like she was showing her appreciation to him for serving this critical role or perhaps she was simply saying he had done a good job.
“By the way…what do you all think?”
“…I guess I’m fine either way. As long as we can get our revenge on the guys who killed Leene, Lloyd, and the others. That said, I’ve got some reservations about borrowing the strength of a monster…”
Raul had peeled himself off the table as he asked his question. Around him, Lefiya, Rakuta, and other female familia members were bustling about to distribute sandwiches, unable to sit still while everyone else kept arguing without even having lunch.
The one to respond to his timid question was the chienthrope Cruz, a Level-4 member of the junior members like Raul, who crossed his arms.
“But…but, Cruuuuz! They’re monsters! Aren’t you scared?” Lefiya’s roommate, Elfie, cut in.
“Well, yeah, it’s scary. We’ll be fighting with them, after all…If that black minotaur comes out…yeah, I’d jump out of my skin! I’m definitely uneasy about it!” The Level-4 human Narfi chimed in, shivering as she held herself, seemingly remembering the sensation of that bloodcurdling howl on Daedalus Street.
“B-but it’s the captain. He must have a plan…Erm, though it’d be impossible to work together…But I guess all we can do is trust him. This isn’t really the time to be fighting among ourselves…”
All Raul could utter was a noncommittal opinion.
“Are you dumbasses still at it?”
“B-Bete…”
His ashen hair billowing, the werewolf barged in and cut through the dining hall to get something to eat. He was one of the few people who had left promptly upon dismissal, ignoring those who had stayed behind arguing. Bete was maintaining his lone-wolf act, but for once, he didn’t try to make fun of the people discussing the armed monsters. Settling at a spot one table away from Raul, he scraped the chair across the floor before hunkering down.
When he turned his gaze to Rakuta, the hume bunny girl scurried back to the kitchen to fix him whatever supper was left.
“…Hey, Bete. What do you think of the armed monsters?”
“What?”
Tiona had been quiet all this time and used this opportunity to speak up, which the werewolf must not have expected. His voice sounded weird, and he looked uncharacteristically startled.
“…Have you made up your mind?”
“Erm…Well, I didn’t realize everyone was gonna be so worried and upset about the whole thing, so I actually tried my hardest to rack my brain, but…” admitted one of the Amazonian twins, who was generally considered a bad thinker by everyone—including herself. Sitting cross-legged in her chair, she folded her arms, groaning in thought, as she closed her eyes and nodded to herself.
But it didn’t seem that her answer was going to change, because she opened her eyes and said, “I don’t think we need to be afraid of those monsters.”
“!”
“Finn said it, too: Those armed monsters haven’t hurt anyone. And I saw one of them protect a kid on the street.”
Tiona didn’t mention that the one she had spotted was the vouivre, but she did tell them about everything else. Raul and the others were thunderstruck. As with Alicia’s tale, hearing about a monster protecting a person was mind-bending—a contradiction to an inherent truth of the world.
Everyone around them naturally listened in on the conversation among elites.
“At least I thought it wouldn’t be so bad to fight together with those armed monsters…Um, Xenos, was it?” Tiona laughed thoughtlessly.
As Narfi and the others felt unsettled by her sloppy grin, Bete shot her an exasperated look and glanced over at Tione.
She had stayed behind in the dining hall due to her younger sister’s insistent badgering, even though she was fed up with everything. When she noticed his gaze, she audibly snorted.
“That’s what the captain decided! I’m gonna follow his lead, even if it means fighting alongside the filthy monsters!”
“You’re damn consistent, ya know that…?” Bete was so beyond dumbfounded that he even felt a little respect for her undying belief in her beloved captain.
Raul and the others shared a wry smile.
“And what about you? What side are you on? I figured you would have blown up right away,” Tiona retorted.
“It ain’t a joke if the city goes under because we’re cooped up here complaining. That’s all,” Bete responded, sounding almost bored.
“…”
“At the end of the day, I can air my grievances and bloodlust all I want in the Dungeon. Gramps and the old hag said it, too. We’re adventurers. That doesn’t change. Am I wrong?”
Bete’s response was simple, though he was choosing his words carefully. His amber eyes flashed, as though he was remembering something he’d seen two days earlier during the battle on Daedalus Street. In fact, his explanation was so straightforward that it didn’t allow any room for debate, silencing the familia members who were listening.
“Assholes who just want to complain can go ahead and leave the familia. That’s all there is to it.”
“Oooh, someone thinks he’s cool. You’re such a poseur.”
“You’re the one who asked me, you dumb Amazon!”
Watching Raul and the others lunging to stop the first-tier adventurers from fighting—an everyday scene in Loki Familia —everyone who had been furrowing their brows all day started to break into smiles here and there.
After tussling with Bete for a while, Tiona whirled around with disheveled hair, turning her attention on a certain girl. “What do you think, Lefiya?”
“I…”
After distributing refreshments, Lefiya had been watching their exchange from a few steps away. She finally shared her thoughts in her honest way. “I’m afraid of the monsters…but I get the feeling those ones might be different.”
“Different?”
“Unlike every other monster we’ve come across in the Dungeon…they didn’t evoke the same sort of intrinsic hatred.”
She was thinking, of course, about the siren who had protected Alicia. The scene that she’d witnessed during the retreat from the battle with the Evils’ Remnants was stuck in the back of her mind. She was afraid that her next comment might cause her friends to shun or criticize her, but she pushed forward, clearly articulating her thoughts.
“I think…those monsters have hearts that care about their comrades…like elves and everyone else.”
Lefiya’s voice echoed through the dining hall. There was a brief moment of silence before Tiona broke into a smile and pounced on her with a big hug.
“Yeah! Yeah! Me too! Those monsters care about their friends!”
“M-Miss Tiona…!”
The monsters cared about their friends. It may have been the strangest thing that could be said, but there was certainly enough evidence to come to that conclusion. The other familia members had fallen into silent reflection, as if preoccupied with their recollections of the battle that had raged in the Labyrinth District. Bete scoffed and Tione sighed, while Raul and the others wore strained smiles, but there was no doubt that Tiona’s innocent outburst had shattered the tension and helped everyone relax.
Even Lefiya caught her infectious laugh, finding a little peace of mind.
“…”
But her face clouded over as her gaze landed on an empty seat. It was where the girl with golden hair and eyes had sat, the first to leave the dining hall after Finn’s talk was over.
Moonlight streamed in through the window. Beyond it spanned the navy sky, dressing the unlit room in a dark purple.
The noise coming from the great hall was distant, muffled. In fact, her room was so quiet, it was hard to believe both spaces were part of the same manor. It was as though it had fallen off the edge of the world.
“…”
Wearing a plain white dress, Aiz wasn’t doing anything in particular as she sat on top of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She buried her face gently between them, her long eyelashes trembling as she looked down at the sheets. The moonlight rested on her slender ankles.
“Aiz, I’m coming in.”
There was a gentle knock on the wooden door that echoed through the room.
Paying no heed to the lack of response, Riveria entered. As she came to a halt with the closed door behind her, she looked at Aiz sitting atop her bed, deep in thought. Riveria fell silent.
For the past two days, Loki Familia had been swamped dealing with the cleanup from the Xenos emerging aboveground. The bulk of it had been repairing and cleaning up Daedalus Street, which had become a battlefield, where a rapid rebuild of the district was underway. Loki Familia was proactively taking part in that day in and day out. They had no choice in the matter, really.
On top of that, thanks to Ouranos’s maneuverings, the Guild had publicly declared that Loki Familia had eliminated all the armed monsters, which meant Finn, Riveria, and Gareth had to deal with that as the ones in charge. And in Riveria’s case, she had to take care of Alicia and the other elves who had interacted directly with the Xenos. It had been an extremely busy few days, during which she had not had any time to talk to the girl before her, even though it had been clear she was in a terrible state.
“…Aiz. What happened on that day?”
Aiz had hardly opened her mouth at all since then. She had not tried to interact with anyone and responded with only the bare minimum when Lefiya or Tiona or the others tried to engage her. She was trapped inside a prison of anguish. Riveria had come to understand this.
“…” Aiz did not answer the question posed to her by the high elf graced with fluttering jade hair. Instead, she responded with one of her own: “Riveria…do heroes exist?”
That was her question. Aiz herself did not understand why she’d asked it.
“Are there heroes for certain people…for one person? Do they exist?”
“…”
They were pointless questions. Ones without answers. What flashed through Aiz’s mind was the boy who stood against her in order to protect a monster girl—and the tears of a dragon girl, onto which she had projected her younger self. These scenes from two days ago were still haunting her.
“…Those who wait for a hero end up dying in obscurity. Or at least, that’s how the majority of them meet the
ir ends. Only a handful are ever found by one.”
Aiz seemed lost, but there was almost a sense of pleading in her words. In response, Riveria gave the logical answer. It was a self-evident truth. Aiz lowered her eyes, hiding her doll-like features, as she started to talk in fragments.
“I couldn’t cut it down…A monster.”
“…”
“Not because it could speak. Not because it seemed human…but because it cried.”
“…”
“The way I did back then…”
“…”
“And I thought…Bell and that vouivre…weren’t wrong.”
“…”
“I…broke…the promise I made to myself.”
Her confession sounded like that of a holy woman who had committed a sin, reading back the charges against her. Her voice was clear, monotonous and dispirited, as it echoed under the moonlight. In her penitent admission, she wasn’t castigating herself; there was only disappointment.
Aiz Wallenstein was unstable, more conflicted than even Riveria had ever seen her before.
A pained look crossed Riveria’s face as she saw Aiz averting her eyes, cloaking herself in solitude. But moments later, the elf assumed the stance of the faction’s second-in-command.
“Aiz. If you haven’t made up your mind, I’ll have you excluded from the plan for the upcoming assault on Knossos.”
“!” Aiz’s face snapped up.
Riveria pinned her with a stern gaze, making her announcement with a detached look. “Now that we have the key, the next plan will be a full-scale assault. An all-out war with the Evils. That’s including the creatures. We don’t have the freedom to bring along anyone who doesn’t have the motivation to swing a sword.”
“B-but…”
“It’s true that the plan will be difficult to carry out without you. But more important is the fact that if you were struck down, it would have a major impact on the people in your unit.”
As you are now, you would be a burden and nothing more. That was what Riveria was clearly telling her. Aiz could not say anything. She understood her current condition better than anyone. Even if she did take part in the fight, the way she was now, it would only lead to exactly the sort of situation Riveria was worried about. Aiz hung her head, trying to hide her disappointment.
