“May I make such a request? Since you offered…Could you retrieve some White Leaves for me?”
She asked Aiz and Tiona to get supplies for Dian Cecht Familia, which specialized in medicine and other healing items. Checking their memos one more time, the girls stocked up on everything they might need.
The Dungeon was not a forgiving place, and staying in top condition was extremely difficult. Therefore, a great deal of adventurers brought more items and weapons with them than necessary if they planned on staying there for an extended period of time. Their backpacks might be a bit bulky, but adventurers tended to believe that it was better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. It was the only way to prepare for the unexpected.
Accepting their friend Amid’s request, the two girls bought a small mountain of items before leaving the shop.
“Lenoa. We are coming inside.”
“Ahhh, Riveria, so you’ve come…What’s this, the girl is with you today?”
“I-it has been a long time.”
The elves had arrived at a shady-looking shop located off a side street branching from Northwest Main Street, after many turns, a descent down a staircase, and a warped wooden door.
The shop itself was decently spacious, but a bit dim. Magic-stone lamps designed to look like fireballs hung from the ceiling. The shelves built into the walls housed jars filled with snakes, frogs, scorpions, and other off-putting insects. Something seemed to be simmering in a black cauldron in the back of the shop, judging from the red steam rising from it. Lefiya’s eyes jumped from item to item; she wasn’t used to these surroundings. At the same time, an elderly lady behind the counter held a staff out to Riveria.
“Have the magic crystals been replaced?”
“Yes, all good to go. Got the special ones just like you asked for. But, my word, breaking four at once on one of those expeditions or whatever it is you do, it’s unheard of…”
The shop owner’s white hair stood out against her black robe. Her crooked nose twitching, the wrinkles around her mouth worked their way into a smile as she complained.
Riveria had asked her to make repairs to her silver-and-white staff. Taking it in both hands, she inspected it closely. As a high elf, her graceful features were enough to make goddesses jealous. Immaculate jade eyes made their way up the shaft of her weapon, counting a total of nine magic crystals before looking back at the old woman.
Staffs designed for magic users like this one wouldn’t last long in hand-to-hand combat and couldn’t be found at the run-of-the-mill weapon shops. They were designed to amplify the users’ Magic power and increase the effectiveness of their Magic, completely different from weapons like swords that were designed to provide a cutting edge to an adventurer’s Strength. Therefore, the creators of these staffs must also possess very powerful Magic. Very few people were capable of creating these weapons from scratch, and the ones with such an ability were referred to as “mages.” To put it another way, they were smiths for staffs.
Mages used wood from the holy trees that comprised many elvish forests as well as special kinds of metal and ores to create items that enhanced a magic user’s abilities. They also could create magic crystals that didn’t exist naturally in the world. Coming in many brilliant colors, the crystals dramatically increased the effects of spells. The difference between a staff with these crystals and one without was like night and day. The head of the staff that Lefiya carried with her was equipped with four azure magic crystals.
Rows upon rows of short staves and long wooden staffs, said to be a mage’s heart and soul, lined one of the walls of this shop, which was already filled with many mysterious and questionable items. Looking around to see if there was anything else important, Lefiya happened to catch a glimpse of a strange book on a shelf high above the counter.
“Umm…Correct me if I am wrong, but is that a grimoire?!”
“Ahh, well spotted, child. That it is.”
Lefiya blinked her eyes in disbelief as the shop owner slowly nodded. Incredibly thick, the book cover was littered with unusual letters and insignias. The rare grimoire held a miracle within its pages: the ability to force a reader to learn a Magic spell. Out of all the people in the world, it was possible to count the few who were able to make them.
“You do not seriously expect me to believe that you created it, Lenoa?”
“Ee-hee-hee-hee, oh no no. I’m not that powerful of a mage. I have an acquaintance in Altina who was nice enough to spare me one.”
Lenoa’s response suggested that she wasn’t divulging the whole story.
A well-made grimoire not only taught its reader new Magic, it could also increase the magic slots in their Status. The absolute maximum number of slots was three; there was no way to add a fourth. However, those with two slots would gain a third, and those with one would gain a second. This one item could dramatically increase an adventurer’s Magic ability instantaneously. For that reason, a single grimoire was valued more than even top-of-the-line weapons.
This particular one was up for sale but had had its price reassigned several times as the older ones were crossed out a written over. Even so, the enormous figure on the price tag sent shivers up Lefiya’s spine.
“Well, for the two of you, who can use more than four spells, this thing ain’t more than a shiny paperweight, I bet.”
Looking like an old witch who would never reveal her birthplace or familia allegiance, the store owner eyed Lefiya and Riveria with her crooked nose held high and a smirk on her lips.
“There are some in Altina who have their eyes on you.”
“M-me as well? Not just Lady Riveria?!”
“Come, child, did you think no one would notice such a flashy title as ‘Thousand’? EE-he-he-he, don’t travel alone at night.”
“Enough with meaningless threats, Lenoa. Lefiya, do not take her seriously. We are leaving.”
“You don’t play along at all, do you, Riveria?…Hee-hee, thanks for the business.”
The shop owner watched them go out the door with a mysterious smile on her face. Pulling Lefiya, still gulping with shock, by the wrist, Riveria left the shop behind.
Finn and Tione arrived at the white marble lobby of Guild headquarters.
Working their way through the Pantheon’s massive crowds of adventurers that could rival the throng on the main street outside, they made their way to a large bulletin board.
“It’s good to accept a normal quest every once in a while. We’re going there anyway, so why not do our adventuring our way? Plus we need money, right?”
“Yes. Aiz and Tiona both have to pay for their weapons. Aiz has to foot a ridiculous bill, too, but that idiot sister of mine just had to order a weapon loaded with adamantite…”
“So then, we need a lot of simple quests that pay well…Sounds like we should stick with monster-type quests.”
Finn and Tione searched the bulletin board for any quest that lined up with their plans. The board itself had so many sheets of paper pinned to it that it was difficult to see the original color underneath. Each sheet of paper detailed a quest available for adventurers to undertake, ranging from collecting special drop items to protecting merchant caravans. Even though not all the quests involved the Dungeon, they had many options to choose from.
“Hey, this one looks interesting.”
“Which one?”
“‘Song that echoes through the Dungeon…Please find the source of the song I heard in the Deep Levels’…Oh? Apparently it’s not a monster’s roar, more like a sweet melody. Captivating enough to make this guy fall in love, by the sound of it. He wants to know if it’s a person, a monster, or the Dungeon itself…The client claims he thinks about it so much he can’t sleep at night.”
“That’s no good, General. It’s obviously a wild-goose chase. The reward isn’t that good and we don’t have time to waste on it.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
Finn’s shoulders slumped at T
ione’s less-than-enthusiastic response. There was nothing that adventurers loved more than a mystery that made their hearts yearn for an answer—or at least, that’s what Finn claimed. The prum flashed a youthful, toothy grin.
The two of them spent some time finding quests of interest and took them off the bulletin board. Next they went to the Guild’s reception counter to fill out the paperwork, and the quests were officially theirs. Once they completed the mission, they could return to this window with the contract and proof of completion—or the requested items—and claim the rewards left by the quest’s client.
In addition, an adventurer’s reputation with the Guild increased every time they completed a quest. Complete enough of them, and the Guild was likely to raise their familia’s rank. Of course, not all quests were equal. Carrying out the difficult missions was the best way for Dungeon-prowling familias to gain a good reputation in the Guild’s eyes.
Finn and Tione thanked the reception clerk for his time as soon as the contracts were complete. Then the two left the Guild and made their way to meet up with the others at Babel.
“Oh, it’s Finn and Tione.”
“We’re the last ones? Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The four girls had gathered in the shade of a tree that stood about ten meders from the white skyscraper towering over the center of Orario’s expansive Central Park.
Three sets of eyes turned to see Finn, carrying a spear over his shoulder, and Tione with a large backpack slung over hers. Kicking one of the broad leaves, Tiona excitedly picked up her own massive weapon as the last of their party arrived.
Riveria and Lefiya had magic staffs at the ready, and Aiz adjusted Desperate’s sheath at her waist.
“Looks like everyone’s ready to go. Shall we?”
“Yes. It has been too long since we have prowled the Dungeon together.”
“Eh-hee-hee~. I’ve been itching to get in there all morning!”
“Would you look after yourself, for once?”
Finn and Riveria exchanged words just before Tione got tired of Tiona’s giddy excitement. Lefiya smiled at the two Amazons before turning to face Aiz.
“I will do my utmost to be useful.”
“Thanks, Lefiya…I’ll work hard, too.”
Aiz flashed a faint smile before joining the others looking up at the sky.
The white skyscraper seemed to pierce the heavens overhead. They spent a few moments taking in the sublime tower before bells rang out from the east. It was now exactly noon.
With the metallic ring echoing through the city, the battle party made their way through Babel Tower’s front gate.
“…”
In the highest room of the Twilight Manor’s central tower.
Loki sat quietly among the many types of glass bottles and unique items scattered around her room, sifting through news pamphlets one at a time.
Sold by merchants and even a few familias, each of them had several articles written in Koine. Many strategies went into selling these papers—some came with minute illustrations, others had attention-grabbing titles or humorous wit in their narratives. Anything to appeal to potential customers.
Loki’s eyes lit up as they passed through some recent gossip and found an article pertaining to the monsters escaping into the city—the incident during the Monsterphilia.
“Dahh~…Nothin’ new in this one, either.”
Loki stayed in her chair as she tossed the news back onto the table. In addition to the several other pamphlets that she had just read, there were a few larger illustrated papers spread out on it. Most of them depicted the events of the Monsterphilia.
Ganesha Familia’s negligence, a spy’s plot to attack the city, some god who just wanted to see what would happen—each one had their own theories as to how the monsters escaped, but Loki was looking for something a bit more specific: information about the carnivorous plant monsters. None of the papers even mentioned them.
“Hmph,” grunted Loki in frustration as she leaned back in the chair and put her hands behind her head. Gaze rising from the table to the ceiling as if she was deep in thought, she slowly stood up.
She left her room and ascended the spiral staircase that connected it to the rest of her home, then she went across one of the stone bridges into another tower.
She glanced inside every room she passed to see who was around. Unable to find anyone, she ended up in the main lounge that functioned as a reception room. It was also a favorite relaxing spot for many members of her familia.
“Oh, just you, Bete? Where’s Aizuu and the rest?”
“…The Dungeon, where else? Even dragged Finn down with ’em. Won’t be back for a while, by the sound of it.”
The werewolf had his feet up, sprawled out on a sofa in a small room just off the hallway that was often used for consultation. He had glanced at Loki coming in and spat out a blunt answer without bothering to get up.
“So ya got left out?”
“Like hell I did!”
Bete snarled as he sat up. Muttering something like “Don’t be stupid” under his breath, his now-free tail slapped against the sofa with a loud thump. She had hit the nail right on the head.
“There, there, now,” she said in a soft, soothing voice.
Changing the subject, she asked him what his plans were for the day. “…Ain’t doing jack,” he said after a few moments of silence.
“…Say, Bete. Sorry, but would ya mind stickin’ with me for the day?”
“Huh? And do what?” asked Bete, eyebrows sinking into a suspicious glare.
“There’s somethin’ I wanna look into.”
CHAPTER 2
INCIDENT
Aiz’s battle party entered the Dungeon through Babel Tower at noon as planned.
Goblins and kobolds attacked them within moments of entering the first floor, but they were quickly dealt with. With Aiz and Tiona acting as scouts and the front line of their formation, it didn’t take long for monsters to realize they didn’t stand a chance. In fact, the path in front of the two girls was practically clear from that point on. Other adventurers also noticed their presence and were careful not to get too close.
They breezed through the upper levels and proceeded all the way down to the seventeenth floor.
“Ahhh, I feel like myself again with Urga in my hands.”
“Miss Tiona, has your weapon been remade?”
“Yep, this is her! Urga, the second! Still hot off the anvil~!”
Tiona casually spun the hulking double-bladed sword Urga around in her right hand as she responded to Lefiya’s question. She had picked up the made-to-order weapon from Goibniu Familia just before their excursion began. She looked like a kid who had just left a candy store with the biggest lollipop imaginable.
It was a little bit thicker than Urga the first, and most likely sharper, too. It required a ridiculous amount of time and resources for the High Smiths to create, more than even Aiz’s Desperate. Tione used the fruits of their efforts to recklessly dive at an oncoming liger fang, slicing through the beast like a knife through butter.
“Goibniu Familia’s smiths must’ve worked half to death…”
Tione sighed to herself as she pulled the magic stone out from what was left of the monster’s body. Although Lefiya had been assigned the role of supporter for this journey, Tione joined her in collecting the stones and drop items, placing them into long, tubular backpacks.
Finn and Riveria enjoyed the show as Aiz made quick work of another liger fang. The blond swordsman then collected its magic stone and a drop item, liger fang fur, by herself. She had to aggressively engage monsters in combat in order to earn enough money to pay off the rapier, but the real money was waiting in the Dungeon’s lower levels and Deep Levels.
In general, as one ventured deeper into the Dungeon, they would find stronger and stronger foes. And as the monsters got more powerful, the loot after defeating them would also become more valuable. That’s why, for the strongest adventurers like Aiz,
it was much more efficient to get to the lower levels as quickly as possible.
The path to 40 million valis was going to be a long one. Aiz treated this as a warm-up as she cleared the way to the deep levels for the rest of the battle party.
“The Goliath’s not here. Someone take care of it?”
“Hmm, most likely the adventurers of Rivira slew it. Bad for business if no customers can get through.”
The battle party had arrived at the very back of the seventeenth floor, a cavern that was large enough to allow large groups to pass through it all at once. Tiona and Finn couldn’t see the floor boss—a category of monster known as Monster Rex—that could slow down the advance of adventurers indefinitely. Instead, comparatively smaller monsters like Minotaurs roamed the open space unhindered.
Aiz and the others advanced straight through the boss-less cavern. Tione and Finn jumped into the fray to help finish off a few aggressive Minotaurs. Even though Lefiya was not very good at close-quarters combat, she managed to get in a few hits using staff-fighting techniques she had obtained thanks to Riveria’s instructions.
The group pressed forward until they arrived at a tunnel at the end of the cavern—the entrance to the next floor.
“All right~. Break time~!”
Tiona, the first out of the sloping, curvy tunnel, stretched her arms as high she could. As the rest of the party emerged, they were greeted by warm light shining down from the ceiling of the eighteenth floor. There were only a few trees in their immediate vicinity, but a lush forest spread out in front of them.
Light and clean air like this was completely out of place in the middle of the Dungeon, which was crawling with monsters. It was hard to believe they were deep underground in this safe point, similar to the one that was on the fiftieth floor, where Loki Familia had made camp on their previous expedition.
“No matter how many times I come here, this floor is always beautiful.”
“Yes, it is…”
Elves were known for their love of nature, especially forests. Lefiya’s cheeks flushed a light pink as she spoke and Aiz nodded in response.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 2 Page 3
