The Next Day,
Early 7 Am
Location: Stardust Garden,
Lucian Pov:
Astrea: And Then Hestia And Loki Started Thier Brawl.... Pfft, It Was Quite Amusing Scene To Watch, It's Been Some While Since I Last Saw Loki Like That .....
I Nodded Away, Not Commenting On What She Just Said,
Though It Was A Funny Thing To See, Loki's Obsession With.... Um 'Mature Girls' Came From Her Own Lack Of 'Feminine' Charm,
Well, Thinking About Greak Gods... Yeah Let's Not Try To See Them By Normal Standards, They're Quite Into Incest As Well As Cheating, Multiple Affairs....
Astrea: Now It Won't Be Long Before People Would Learn That I Am Back, And I Would Have To Re-establish My Presence As The Goddess Of Justice In This City Once Again.....
She Trailed Off Into A Spacing Out Moment,
Was She Actually Reminiscing About The Past ?
But About Retuning Back To Goddess Of Justice Means I Might Get Dragged Into City's Security Matters,
Which I Definitely Can't Do, I Still Have To Grow Stronger,
I Should Try To Wake Her Up, Before She Starts Crying Because Of That Tragedy...
Lucian: Well... I Think That Would Be Wonderful, Although I Don't Know How Much If A Help I Would Be, I'm Still A Level One.....
Astrea Suddenly Jolted A Bit, Then Still Heard What I Was Saying,
She Gave Me A Comforting Smile, As She Explained Further,
Astrea: Don't Worry About That, I Plan To Help Meditate Matters From A Neutral StandPoint, And I Want to Use That To Send Someone A Message,
Someone..... It's Ryuu Isn't It ?
I Raised A Eyebrow, As I Spoke,
Lucian: Send A Message To Who ?
Astrea Didn't Speak, She Went Silent, Wanting To Gather Her Thoughts,
I Didn't Disturb Her, Allowing Her To Take Her Time,
After A Few Minutes, She Took A Deep Breath And Spoke,
Astrea: ....... Lucian, I Suppose I Should Tell You About This, Lucian, I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You, My Entire Familia Didn't Die, There's Still One Alive Besides You....
Right At The Bull's-Eye,
Lucian: And What Happened To Her ?
Though I Knew Some Points, I Would Like To Know More From The Ones Who Was There,
Astrea Took A Shaky Breath, Then Spoke,
Astrea: After My Familia Was Killed, The Final One Told Me To Leave The City As it Wasn't Safe For Me Anymore, She Said That She Needed To Do Something, And I Couldn't Be Around For It, I Knew She Was Going To Kill Everyone Who Was Involved In That Incident, So I Had Her Renounce Her Justice, And I Left Her Alone, I Regretted That Decision Everyday....
Her Eyes Were Holding Back The Tears, I Took Out A HandKerchief And Gave It To Her,
She Took It And Wiped Off Her Tears,
Lucian: I'm Sorry For Asking This Question Without Thinking About How It Would Effect You..... But Now Your Back, Maybe You And She Can Rebuild What You Once Had....
Astrea Sniffed, Wiping Off Her Last Tears Before Nodding,
Astrea: That's What I'm Hoping For... So Will You Help Me ? I Plan To Meet Her In The Upcoming Monsterphilia Festival,
I Gave Her A Reassuring Smile,
Lucian: Sure, I Would Help As Much As I Can, Besides It Would Be Bad Etiquette Letting You Walk Alone During Such A Busy Day....
Astrea: Thank You, Lucian, I Am Sure You'll Manage To Have Fun If Your Stuck With Me,
She Joked Slightly,
Lucian: Hey, We Can Explore The Festival Together And See What It Has Stored For Us,
Astrea: Yes, We Can, Now Hurry Up You Breakfast, Your Going To The Dungeon Today Aren't You ?
I Looked Down At My Attire, My Spirit Steel Armour Mark 01,
As For My Sword, I Used A Normal Scrabard For It,
Lucian: Yes Astrea Sama, It's Also To Test My Gear's Capabilities, This Is My First Prototype Armor,
Astrea: I Can See That, It's Not Normally Traceable, But Upon Seeing It More Closely, I Can Tell You Somehow Created A Alloy Of Steel And Spirit Tree Wood, It's Name ?
Lucian: Spirit Steel Alloy,
Astrea Chuckled Upon Hearing This,
Astrea: A Simple Name Yet Almost Impossible For Others To Even Make An Ounce Of This Alloy, Be Careful, Unique Items Are Extremely Rare, Any Adventure Would Even Trade Their Life To Have Such Equipment.....
I Nodded In Understanding, For Normal Adventurer, It's A Nightmare To Get Better Gears,
Upon Finishing My Breakfast, I Stood Up,
Saying My Goodbye To Astrea, I Left For The Dungeon, I'm Thinking Of Trying To Reach My Limit Of My Status,
Floor 10 Is My Objective,
In There, I Should Find New Monsters,
Orc, Bad Bat, Imp, Needle Rabbit,
Surprisingly, I Haven't Seen a Single One Of Them, It Should Spawn In Floor 7-10 Or Something,
Anyway, It's Time For Another Grind.....
Timeskip.....
Stardust Garden,
7 PM,
Lucian Pov:
Astrea: Sigh, You Really Know How To Blow My Expectations,
Hearing This, I Couldn't Help But Offer A Smile,
Today, My Dive To 10th Floor Was A Good Harvest
80 Needle Rabbit Magic Stone, 15 Needle Rabbit Tusk,
90 Imp Magic Stone,
35 Bad Bat Magic Stone,
122 Orc Magic Stone And 4 Orc Hide,
I Didn't Sell All The Orc Hide, I Sold 3 Of Them, While Using The Last One For Creating A Better Scrabard For Caliburn,
Total Earning Was Over 200,000+,
Exactly 207,780 Valis,
Lucian: So, Shouldn't We Update My Status ?
Astrea: Hai Hai, Come On, Sit On The Chair And Take Off Your Shirt,
I Quickly Sat On The Chair And Took Off My Shirt, I Was Actually Excited To Learn My Progress,
Astrea: Alright, Let's See How Much You Progressed....
She Gently Caressed My Back,
Then, I Felt A Drop Of Liquid Fall On My Back, As I Could Feel Changes In My Soul,
Astrea: It's..... You Really Surpassed My Expectations.....
I Could Tell From Just That Reaction, I Might Have Reached SSS Stat....
I Could Hear Astrea Taking In A Deep Breath, Then Taking Another Paper, And Imprinting My Status On It,
Astrea Then Stood Back, Waiting For Me To Wear My Shirt Back,
I Stood Up, And Wore My Shirt Back, Then Sat Facing Astrea,
Lucian: So..... How Far Did My Stat Go ?
Astrea: Pfft.... Ahahha.... Sorry, It's Just Your Making Quite A Expression For Such a Serious Question In Hand,
Hm ?
What Type Of Face Did I Made To Make Her Laugh ?
(Great Sage: Answer, Master Made A Facial Expression Comparable To A Overly Exci-)
Okay Okay, I Understand, We Should Talk Later Great Sage,
(Great Sage:.....)
Astrea: Ahem, Here's Your Status,
Astrea Gave Me The Paper, A Smile Accompanying With Her,
I Took The Paper, Looking At My New Status,
Name: Lucian Vandris Alf
Level: 1
Strength: A (879) → SS (1,089)
Endurance: A (860) → SS (1,090)
Dexterity: S (967) → SSS (1,167)
Agility: S (989) → SSS (1,198)
Magic: SS (1,067) → SSS (1,287)
Development Abilities: None
Magic: Vail Of Shadows
Skills:
1. [Great Sage]
2. [Predetor]
3. [Pain Nullification]
4. [Mana Burst]
I Stared At My Status,
Especially Magic, It Has Went Beyond The Rank Of SSS,
Technically SSSS Class, But The Status Can't Recognise That Due To The Fact It Wasn't Designed For That,
It Was The Status Rank Bell Achieved After His Training With Freya Familia After He Was Gaslighted By Freya That He Was From Freya Familia, Not Hestia,
I Think It Was With Agility, And SSS Rank With Every Other Stat,
I Better Max My Limit, As It Would Stay As Invisible Base When Leveling Up, My Powers Would Be Stronger Then Others Who Are On Similar Level,
Astrea: Limits Off,
I Turned Towards Her, Confused Why She Said That,
And Upon Seeing My Confused Face, She Explained,
Astrea: People Who Can Fight On Par With Beings Above Their Level Of Strength, Those People Are Called By Two Names,
I Understand It Kind Of, Besides The Other Name Is Obvious,
Lucian: Others Are Called Hero's, Right ?
Astrea: That's Correct,
Lucian: And You Think I Might Be One ?
She Nodded In Confirmation....
Technically, I'm Not The Hero, In This Generation, It's Bell Cranel,
He's The Last Hero That Will Ever Set Foot On This World,
Besides, I Don't Have The Qualifications Of A Hero, Just Because I Have A Cheat Code That Can Make Me Grow Stronger Then Others As Well As Very Fast,
Lucian: I.... Doubt That True, I Can Only Grow This Strong This Quickly Is Because Of My Skills, And I Don't Have What It Takes To Be A Hero.....
That's My True Thoughts, I'm Not Selfless, I Won't Bet My Life On A Fight When I Know I Would Lose, I Don't Have The Mentality Of A Hero, Like Bell Cranel.....
Astrea: Is That So ? Very Well,
I Blinked, Caught Slightly Off Guard By Her Easy Acceptance, Even More Easily Then Before....
Lucian: You're Not Going To Try To Convince Me Otherwise ?
Astrea Smiled, A Knowing, Gentle Expression That Held Back A Lot Of Emotions,
Astrea: Lucian, Heroism Is Not Something That Can Be Forced Or Convinced, It Is Not About Possessing Certain Qualities Or Meeting Arbitrary Standards, A Hero Is Simply Someone Who Stands When Others Cannot, Who Acts When Others Freeze...You've Already Done That More Than Once.....
Hearing This, My Mind Went To Find The Moments Similar To Her Explanation.....
Yeah, The Wyvern Confrontation Alone Says Why She Thinks Of Me Like That,
She Stood, Smoothing Her Dress,
Astrea: Besides, Whether You Believe Yourself To Be A Hero Or Not Is Irrelevant To What You Are, Time Will Reveal That Truth, For Now, Focus On Yourself, The Monsterphilia Festival Begins Tomorrow, And I Intend To Bring You Along....
Lucian: To Meet Her ?
I Asked, It Would Be Awkward If I Somehow Got Into Thier Conversation That's Ment To Be Private,
Astrea: Yes, Ryuu Lion... My Last Remaining Daughter From The Old Familia..... She Works At The Hostess Of Fertility Now, Hiding In Plain Sight. I've Been Avoiding Her Since My Return, But... I Think It's Time We Faced Each Other Again,
Her Voice Wavered Slightly At The End,
I Stood, Walking Over To Her Side,
Lucian: Then We'll Face Her Together, You Won't Be Alone This Time, Astrea -Sama,
At Least, I Will Be At Your Side Until Your Private Conversation Starts,
She Looked At Me, Her Eyes Shimmering With Unshed Tears, And Pulled Me Into A Gentle Embrace,
Astrea: Thank You, Lucian, You've Given Me More Courage Than You Know.....
I Awkwardly Patted Her Back, Physical Affection Still Felt Strange, Especially With A Goddess, Even After All This Time,
Astrea: Now Then, Get Some Rest, Tomorrow Will Be A Long Day, And I Want You At Your Best, We'll Visit The Hostess For Breakfast Before The Festival Begins,
Lucian: Understood, Good night, Astrea-sama....
As I Walked Back To My Room, I Couldn't Help But Feel A Knot Of Anxiety Forming In My Chest,
Lucian: Tomorrow... Tomorrow, Freya Would Make Her Move, I Need To Be Ready In Case Things Go South....
(Great Sage: Notice, Based On Current Parameters And Intelligence Gathered, The Probability Of Hostile Engagement During The Monsterphilia Festival Is 87.3%, Recommendation: Remain Vigilant And Maintain Combat Readiness At All Times.....)
Lucian: Yeah... I Know, Let's Just Hope well Can Stop Whatever I'm Going To Face If Things Go South.....
I Closed My Eyes, Covering Myself With A Blanket,
Great Sage, Sleep Mode Please,
(Great Sage: Confirmed, Activating Sleep Mode.....)
As She Finally Actived It, I Felt My Consciousness Slipping Though, As I Slept.....
The Next Morning
Location: Hostess of Fertility
9:15 AM,
3rd Person POV:
The Morning Sun Filtered Through The Windows Of The Hostess Of Fertility,
Sun Casting Warm Light Across The Wooden Tables,
The Pub Was Quieter Than Usual, The Breakfast Crowd Still Trickling In And Out, Mostly Almost Gone,
Bell Cranel Sat At A Corner Table, Nervously Counting The Few Valis He Had Left, His White Hair Was Slightly Disheveled, And His Red Eyes Held A Mixture Of Determination And Embarrassment,
He'd Been Pushing Himself Hard In The Dungeon, Trying To Get Stronger, Trying To Be Worthy Of Standing Besides Ais Wallenstein,
But His Meager Earnings Weren't Enough To Cover Both Equipment Repairs And a Proper Meal Yet,
Bell: Maybe I Should Just Order Water And Bread....
Clearly, His Financial Status Wasn't In Great Shape,
Soon, A Familiar Face Showed Up,
Anya: Nya~ Bell-Kun ! The Usual ?
The Cheerful Cat Girl Bounded Over, Her Tail Swishing Happily,
Bell: Ah... Actually, Anya-san, I'll Just Have—
Before He Could Finish, The Door Chimed,
Anya's Ears Perked Up, And She Turned Towards The Entrance,
Anya: Welcome, Nya !
Bell looked up—and froze.
Standing In The Doorway Was A Strikingly Beautiful Woman With Long Chestnut Haired And A Serene, Almost Ethereal Presence, She Wore A Simple But Elegant White Dress, And Her Eyes Held A Kindness That Seemed To Radiate Outward,
Beside her stood a young man—a Dark Elf with white hair and emerald green eyes, clad In Mix Of Grey-Dark Clothes And A Leather Overcoat,
Bell Especially Looked At The Dark Elf, Especially Hearing What Happened After He Left From Syr And Anya, He Was Especially When They Meet, He Would At Least Thank Him,
Bell: "That's... He Should Be The Guy From A Few Nights Ago, The One Who Stood Up To Loki Familia For Slandering Me....."
Anya: Oh ! Mr. Vandris ! Lady Astrea ! Nya~ Welcome Back !
Astrea Smiled Gently,
By This Time, Many People Had Left To Attend The Monsterphilia Festival, So Aside Bell, There Was No One Else Besides The Hostess Waitress....
Astrea: Good morning, Anya-san, Is Mama Mia Available ? And..... is Ryuu Here ?
At The Mention of Ryuu's Name, Anya's Cheerful Demeanor Faltered For Just A Moment, She Glanced Towards The Kitchen, Where The Sound Of Clattering Dishes Could Be Heard,
Thinking Through Her Choices, Anya Quickly Decided To Call Mama Mia,
Anya: She's... Yeah, She's Here, I'll Go Get Mama Mia, Nya,
She Scurried Off, Leaving Astrea And Lucian Standing Near The Entrance,
Bell Couldn't Help But Stare, There Was Something About The Woman—Something That Made His Heart Ache With A Strange Sense Of Nostalgia, Like Seeing A Long-Lost Memory,
(A/N: It's Astrea's Demeanor That Gives Off A Maternal Aura, Works Especially With Orphan, Like Bell....)
Bell: "Who... Is She?"
Lucian's POV:
I Could Feel Bell's Gaze On Us, The Kid Was Sitting In The Corner, Looking Like A Kicked Puppy,
Even I Can't Help But Say He Looks Like Those Cute Animals, Especially That I Was A Cat Person.....
Lucian: "Great Sage, Scan Him, I Want To Confirm Something..."
(Great Sage: Acknowledged, Scanning... Complete, Target Identified As Bell Cranel, Level 1, Notable Skill Detected: [Realise Phase], Current Emotional State: Anxious, Melancholic, Determined.....)
Figures, The Poor Kid's Probably Still Beating Himself Up Over The Minotaur Incident,
One Can Hardly Believe In A Few Months He Would Be Facing Juggernaut, A Level 4 Or Bordering Level 5 At Least, Especially Which Is Equipment With Anti-Adventurer Mechanism,
Astrea Walked Towards A Table Near The Center Of The Pub, And I Followed, As We Sat Down, Mama Mia Emerged From The Kitchen, Her Massive Frame Filling The Doorway,
Mia: Well, Well, If it Ain't The Lady Of Justice Herself,
Mia's Voice Was Gruff, But There Was A Warmth In Her Eyes,
Astrea: Hello, Mia, It's Been A Long Time....
Mia: Seven years, You Got Some Nerves Showin' Your Face Here After All That Time, Astrea,
Astrea Flinched, But Mia's Stern Expression Softened Into A Grin,
Mia: But I Ain't Mad, Just Glad You're Back, The City Needs More Gods Like You, Not Scheming Vultures Like Loki And Freya,
Should I Say It's Expected Of Her ? Astrea Should Know Her, Especially As A Vetaren Goddess, And Mia Should Have Been Active Back In The Day Before Otter Stepped Up,
Astrea: Thank You, Mia, That Means A Great Deal To Me...
Mia Crossed Her Arms, Leaning Against The Wall....
Mia: So, What Brings You Here ? Don't Tell Me You're Just Here For Breakfast,
Astrea: I... I Came To See Ryuu....
The Air In The Room Seemed To Freeze,
On Would Say It's A Pressure, Even I Couldn't Move Freely
Bell, On The Other Side, Stopped Stuffed Bread Into His Mouth Halfway, Almost Choking On It,
Mia's Expression Grew Serious, And She Glanced Towards The Kitchen,
Mia: I See, You Finally Worked Up The Courage, Huh ?
Astrea: I Have, And I Brought Someone With Me—My New Familia Member, Lucian,
Mia's Sharp Gaze Turned To Me, And I Felt Like I Was Being Appraised By A Veteran Warrior,
It's Not Like The Subtle Way Great Sage Appraises.....
Mia: So You're Astrea's Kid Huh, I Should Have Expected It, Also Your The One Who Told That Stinking Wolf To Shut Up, Ain't You ?
Astrea Glanced At Me, Almost Asking Who Pissed Me Enough To Be Called Out To Be Shut Down,
But She Kept That Thought To Herself,
Lucian: That Would Be Me,
Mia: Heh, Got Guts, I'll Give You That, Alright, I'll Get Ryuu, But Don't Expect This To Be Easy, Astrea, That Girl's Been Carryin' A Mountain Of Guilt And Regret For Seven Years, This Ain't Gonna Be Some Tearful Reunion Where Everything's Forgiven In Five Minutes,
Astrea: I know, But I Have To Try,
Mia Nodded And Disappeared Into The Kitchen,
Now Hopefully They Make Up With Each Other...
3rd Person Pov:
Ryuu Lion Stood At The Washbasin, Scrubbing A Plate With Great Precision, Her Sky-blue Eyes Were Distant, Lost In Thought,
She Has Barely Slept The Night Before, Ever Since Her Encounter With Lucian Two Days Ago, Her Mind Had Been In Turmoil,
Ryuu: "Lady Astrea Is Back... She Has A New Child... She's Moving Forward...."
The Thought Filled Her With Equal Parts Relief And Guilt,
Ryuu: "I Abandoned Her, I Left Her Alone To Chase My Vengeance, I Stained The Name Of Justice With Blood, How Can I Ever Face Her Again ?"
She Didn't Know Should She Face Her, She Was Too Scared To Find Out, So She Had Decided To Stay Away, Let Her Goddess Restart The Familia Of Justice.....
Mia: Ryuu
Ryuu's Hands Froze, She Turned To See Mama Mia Standing In The Doorway, Her Expression Unreadable,
Ryuu Was Thinking So Much, She Didn't Notice Astrea Had Came Here To See Her....
Ryuu: Yes, Mama Mia ?
Mia: Someone's Here To See You,
Ryuu: If it's A Customer Request, I Can Handle it—
Mia: It's Astrea,
Ryuu's Eyes Widened, And The Plate Slipped From Her Hands,
'CRASH !'
The Porcelain Shattered On The Floor, But Ryuu Didn't Move, She Stood There, Frozen, Her Breathing Hitching In Her Throat,
Ryuu: She's... Here ?
Mia: Yeah, And She Brought That Dark Elf Kid With Her, They're Waitin' For You In The Main Hall,
Ryuu's Hands Trembled, She Looked Down At The Broken Shards Of The Plate, Her Reflection Fractured And Distorted,
Ryuu: I Can't... I Can't Face Her... Not After Everything I've Done. I Don't Deserve—
Mia: Ryuu,
Mia's Voice Was Firm, Cutting Through Ryuu's Spiraling Thoughts,
Mia: Listen To Me, Girl, You've Been Punishin' Yourself For Seven Years, You've Been Hidin', Workin' Yourself To The Bones, Pretendin' You Don't Deserve Happiness Or Forgiveness, But You Know What ? That's Just Another Form Of Runnin' Away,
Ryuu: Mama Mia...
Mia: Astrea Didn't Come Here To Judge You, She Came Here Because She Misses You, Because She Still Cares About You, So Stop Actin' Like A Coward And Go Face Her, You Owe Her That Much,
Ryuu's Eyes Filled With Tears, But She Nodded Slowly,
Ryuu: You're Right... I'll... I'll Go...
3rd Person Pov:
As Ryuu Emerged From The Kitchen, Her Face Pale And Her Hands Clenched Into Fist's,
The Moment Her Eyes Landed On Astrea, She Froze,
Astrea Stood, Her Own Eyes Glistening With Unshed Tears,
Astrea: Ryuu...
Ryuu: Lady... Astrea...
The Two Women Stared At Each Other, The Weight Of Seven Years Pressing Down On Them Like A Physical Force,
Then, Ryuu's Legs Buckled, And She Fell To Her Knees,
Ryuu: I'm Sorry... I'm So Sorry, Lady Astrea... I Failed You... I Failed Everyone... I—
Astrea Rushed Forward, Kneeling Down And Pulling Ryuu Into A Tight Embrace,
Astrea: No, Ryuu, You Didn't Fail Me, You Survived, That's All I Ever Wanted For You....
Ryuu Broke Down, Sobbing Into Astrea's Shoulder,
Ryuu: But I Killed Them... I Hunted Down Every Last Member Of Rudra Familia... I Stained Justice With blood... I Became Everything We Stood Against...
Astrea: You Were Hurt, You Were Broken And I Wasn't There To Help You, If Anyone Failed, it Was Me,
Ryuu: No... No, That's Not—
Astrea: Shh..... It's Okay, We Both Made Mistakes, Ryuu, But We're Here Now, And We Can Move Forward Together,
Lucian Looked Away, Giving Them Their Moment, Taking A Look Through The Morning Menu,
Bell, Who Had Been Watching From His Table, Looked Equally Emotional And Confused, His Red Eyes Shimmering,
Anya Sniffled Besides Them, Wiping Her Eyes With Her Apron,
Anya: Nya... This is Too Much For My Poor Heart...
Lucian: Yeah... Let's Give Them Some Privacy....
He Stood Up And Gestured For Astrea,
Lucian: Astrea-Sama, Why Don't You And Ryuu-San Talk Somewhere More Private ? There Should Be A Room Inside At Least, Right ?
Mia: Yeah, Follow Me,
She Led Astrea And Ryuu To A Small Private Room At The Upper Floor Of The Pub, Closing The Door,
But While They Left, It Left A Confused Rabbit....
Bell Cranel Sat At His Table, Utterly Bewildered,
Just Some Moment Ago, They Were Nearly Making Even Him Feel Crying Without Knowing Why, And Now He Got His Sense's Back, He Felt Confused.....
Bell: "What... just happened?"
He looked At Lucian, Who Had Returned To His Seat,
Bell: Um... Excuse Me...
Lucian Glanced At Him,
Lucian: Yes ?
Bell: That Woman..... Is She...?
Lucian: The Goddess Of Justice, And That Elf, Ryuu-San, Was One Of Her Former Familia Members,
Bell's Eyes Widened,
Bell: Astrea Familia... I Don't Remember Hearing About Them.... Sorry About It, I'm Still New In Orario....
Lucian: It's Ok, It Has Been 7 Years Since Astrea Had Disbanded Her Familia, They Were Wiped Out Seven Years Ago In A Incident, Ryuu-San Was The Only Survivor,
Bell: I See...
He Looked Down At His Hands, His Expression Thoughtful,
Bell: "So Even Goddesses And Heroes Carry Pain... I'm Not The Only One Struggling..."
Before Bell Could Dwell Further, Anya Bounded Over, Holding A Small Purse,
Anya: Oh ! Wait Up White Hair, Nya ! I Almost Forgot !
Bell: Hm ?
Anya: So What I Want Is For You To Give This Wallet To That Airhead Syr, Nay,
She Handed Him The Purse, And Bell Only Took It In Hand, Not Fully Understanding What Anya Ment,
Bell: Um, I'm Sorry, I'm Not Sure I Understand Still,
Lucian: It's Syr's Purse, She Wants You To Take It To Her,
Bell Turned To Lucian, Hearing His Words,
Anya: That's Right, Nya, I Want White Hair To Take The Wallet To Syr, Nya, Which She Forgot When She Skipped Out On Her Shift And Went To Monsterphilia,
Lucian's Eyebrow Twitched A Little, This Cat Is A Lot Troublesome Then What He Had Delt With.....
Lucian: So The Situation Is, She Wants You To Give This Wallet To Syr, And Of Course She Didn't Skip Her Shift, Mama Mia Wouldn't Let That Happen, Likely She Took A Day Off, So Help Her Out,
Anya: Please!
Anya Chimed In, Cornering Him To Take This Quest....
Bell: Alright, Leave It To Me,
Bell Didn't Hesitate Much And Agreed On,
Anya: Nya~ Now That That's Settled, What Can I Get You For Breakfast ?
She Obviously Asked Lucian,
Lucian: The Usual For Me, Pile It High,
Anya: Nya-Haha ! You Really Do Eat A Lot For Someone So Skinny !
She Bounced Off Toward The Kitchen, Preparing For Lucian's Breakfast....
Bell: Um... Lucian-san, Was It ?
Lucian: Just Lucian Is Fine,
Bell: Right... Lucian-san... Can I Ask You Something ?
Lucian: Ask Away,
Bell: How... How Do You Get Stronger ? I Mean... You're Level 1 Like Me, But You Stood Up To A Level 5 Without Hesitation, How Did You Get That Kind Of Courage ?
Lucian Paused, Considering His Question, Technically He Did It Only Because He Knew They Wouldn't Attack Him Or Do Something Later, They're Not That Much Petty....
Lucian: Courage ? I Don't Think It Was Courage..... Bell Was It ? It Was Just... Necessity, When You See Something Wrong, You Can Either Stay Silent Or Speak Up, I Chose To Speak Up Because Staying Silent Felt Worse,
In A Way, It Was Why He Actually Stood Up,
Bell: But Weren't You Afraid ? He Is A Level 5... He Could Have—
Lucian: Of Course I Was Afraid, But fear Isn't The Problem, Fear Is Natural, It's What You Do With That Fear That Matters, You Can Let It Paralyze You, Or You Can Use It To Sharpen Your Focus,
Bell Looked Down At His Hands,
Bell: I... I Want To get Stronger, I Want To Be Someone Who Can Stand Besides The People I Admire, But Every Time I Try, I Just... Fail....
Lucian: Then Fail Better Next Time,
Bell: Huh ?
Lucian: Failure Isn't The End, Bell, It's Just Experience, It Tells You What Doesn't Work So You Can Adjust And Try Again, The Only Real Failure Is Giving Up,
Bell's Eyes Widened, And A Small, Determined Smile Appeared On His Face,
Bell: Fail Better Next Time... I Like That,
Lucian: Good, Keep In Mind You Need To Stay Alive For That, Now Go, Find Syr And Give Her That Purse, She's Likely Trying To Find It If She Has Noticed She Doesn't Have Her Purse On Her,
Bell: Oh Right ! Then I'll Be Off !
With That, He Left The Hostess Of Fertility, Going To Search For Syr,
Timeskip....
One And A Half Hour Later,
3rd Person Pov:
The Door To The Private Room Finally Opened, And Astrea And Ryuu Emerged,
Both Of Their Faces Were Streaked With Dried Tears, But There Was A Lightness In Their Expressions That Hadn't Been There Before,
Ryuu Walked Towards Lucian, Who Had Finished Eating And Is Now Was Waiting For Them,
Ryuu: Thank You... Mr. Vandris,
Lucian Looked Up From His Now-Empty Pile Of Plates,
Lucian: For What ?
Technically He Hasn't Down Anything,
Ryuu: For Giving Me The Chance To See Lady Astrea Again, For Not Letting Me Run Away,
Lucian: "Uh, Shouldn't It Be Mama Mia ? I Just Accompanied With Astrea, Mama Mia Pushed Ryuu To Face The Reality..."
Lucian: Don't Thank Me, Thank Yourself For Having The Courage To Face Her....
Ryuu Smiled—A Small, Genuine Smile,
Astrea: Ryuu, How About Joining Us For The Monsterphilia Festival Today ?
Lucian Raised An Eyebrow, Things Are About To Get Chaotic,
Lucian: She Got A Day Off ?
As Soon As He Asked, Mama Mia Stepped Up, Explaining,
Mia: I Decided To Give Her The Day Off, Girl's Been Workin' Herself To Death For Seven Years, She Deserves A Break,
But Ryuu Protested, It Was Pushing Them Together A Bit Too Fast,
Ryuu: But Mama Mia, I Can't Just—
Mia: Shut it, You're Goin', and That's Final, Now Get Outta Here Before I Change My Mind,
Ryuu: ....Thank you, Mama Mia,
Ryuu Bowed Down From Her Waist,
Mia: Yeah, Yeah, Just Don't Go Cryin' On Me Again, Or I'll Dock Your Pay,
Ryuu Laughed—A Soft, Genuine Laugh,
Timeskip,
Lucian's Pov:
The Streets Of Orario Was Packed,
Everywhere I Looked, There Were Stalls Selling Food, Trinkets, And Festival Games, Children Ran Through The Crowds, Laughing And Chasing Each Other,
Adventurers Mingled With Civilians, And The Air Was Filled With The Smell Of Grilled Meat And Sweet Pastries,
It Was... Lively, Almost Overwhelmingly So.....
Astrea Walked Besides Me, Her Expression Serene But Tinged With Nostalgia,
Astrea: It's Been So Long Since I've Seen The City Like This... So Full Of Life.....
Ryuu, Walking On Her Other Side, Nodded,
Ryuu: The Monsterphilia Festival Is Always The Highlight Of The Year, Ganesha Familia Works Hard To Make It A Success.....
Lucian: I Can See That, Quite Well Maintained As Well,
I Gestured Towards The Ganesha Familia Members Stationed At Various Points Throughout The Festival Grounds...
Ryuu: They Have To Be, With This Many People Gathered In One Place, It's A Prime Target For—
She Stopped Mid-Sentence, Her Expression Darkening, As She Whispered,
Ryuu:.....For Groups Like Evilus....
Lucian: I Doubt They'd Be Foolish Enough To Start A Fight Now, Ganesha Familia Aside, Other High Level Familia Are Keeping It Safe From Them....
Both Heard My Words And Nodded Slightly, The Idea Still Hasn't Moved Yet,
Great, Now I Have To Change The Atmosphere While Two Vetaren People From The Dark Age, Who Are In A Sad, Angry, Yet Cautious Mood.....
Freya Would Make Her Move Soon, Controlling The Captured Monster To Make A Trial For Bell,
Great Sage, Is Anything Out Of The Place Type Happening ?
(Great Sage: Notice, Scanning... Multiple High-Density Mana Signatures Detected Near The Central Arena, Analysis Suggests Controlled Monster Presence, Likelihood of A Premeditated incident: 91.7%.)
So Everything Is Still Going Like Cannon,
Lucian: "I Hope There's No Butterfly Effect Of My Actions Yet...."
Oh Wait.... I Just Jinxed Myself Didn't I ?
Astrea: Lucian ? Is Something Wrong ?
I Gave A Polite Smile,
Lucian: No, Nothing, Let's Just Enjoy The Festival For Now....
But Internally, I Was On High Alert,
Original Trial For Bell Didn't Get Any Casualties, But I Can't Bet Everything On That, Monster Are Unpredictable, I Can't Bet That They Won't Disobey Freya's Order When Charmed,
Lucian: "Freya Is Going To Make Their Move Today, I Need To Be Ready...."
Timeskip....
Central Arena, Afternoon
Lucian Pov:
Astrea: That Is Pretty Sweet, It's Called Crêpe Right ?
Ryuu: Correct Astrea Sama, But I Am Still Surprised To Learn That This Is Your First Time Eating A Crape....
'Munch'
'Munch'
I Ate My Crape, Still Looking Out For Anything That Indicates Freya Making Her Move,
Not To Mention We Were Walking Besides The Central Arena Just Because I Wanted To Make Sure There's No Accidental Deaths....
???: Is That True ?!
??? 2: Someone From The Ganesha Familia Was Saying That, Monsters Escaped From The West Gate !
Hearing This, Both I And Ryuu Stopped, Looking Towards The Same Direction.....
Astrea, Seeing That We Both Were Looking At Somewhere Also Turned Her Attention Towards That,
Lucian: We Should Help Right ?
Ryuu:..... Let's Talk With Them First....
Saying That, All Three Of Us Walked Towards The Two Guild Receptionist, Misha And Eina,
Eina: You're Too Loud !, What If You Cause A Panic Because Of It,
Misha: I-I'm Sorry.... Anyway, They Said If There's Any Adventurers Nearby, Ask Them From Help, No Matter What Familia They Are From,
Eina: But The Odds Of Any Being Around Are....
Astrea: If You Don't Mind, We Can Help You,
They Turned Towards Us,
Somehow They Hadn't Noticed Us Yet,
Eina: L-Lady Astrea !
Lucian: Sorry But We Overhead About The Matter You Were Saying, If You Don't Mind We Can Offer Some Help,
Ryuu Shot Me A Look, Was She Thinking I Was Overestimating Myself ?
Misha: W-We Don't Mind !
With That, She Started To Explain About What Happened,
Monsters Escaped From The West Gate District,
Fortunately, They Are All Level 1, No High Level Monster, Mostly Are Hobgoblin, War Shadow, Kobold, And A Few Stronger Ones Like A Silverback And A Few Orcs,
Though Ryuu Showed A Complicated Expression, She Should Know I Have Become A Adventure For A Few Days...
But Expecting Me To Kill Monster That Are The Strongest In Level 1 Category ?
No Chance,
Lucian: I See....
'Roar !!!'
???: Help !
???: Monsters !
Oh Great, Problem Has Already Delivered To Us Huh,
Misha: That's One Of The Escaped Monster! A Orc !
Eina: Astrea Sama, You Shou-
Before They Could Continue, I Activeted Mana Burst, Took Out My Caliburn, And My Blade Already Descending Into It's Body,
'Sling !'
With A Clean Arc, It Was Cut In Half, Body Turned Into The Black Mist And Magic Stone Dropping.....
I Looked At The Group,
Lucian: Let's Continue, We Can't Have Monster Roam Free Can We ?
They Looked Shocked Except Astrea,
Well She And Rose Only Knows That I Have Dive Down To Floor 10,
This Is Basically Not Even A Warm Up,
Misha: R-Right, We Also Have Asked Other Adventures... So Maybe About 6 or 8 More ?
Lucian: Lead The Way,
Misha Then Turns Back And Runs Towards The Arena, Asking For More information About The Escaped Monster,
While I Walked Back To Astrea,
Eina: Mr.Vandris .... You....
I Looked At Ryuu, Her Expression Was Calmer, At Least She Understands I Wasn't As Weak As She Expected For A Week Worth Time Adventuring,
Ryuu: "That Magic Power.... A Spell ? No, There Was No Chant, Likely A Skill.... Boosting Strength, Agility Likely...."
???: Wait Ais !
Hearing A Familiar Voice, I Turned Around,
Only To See Loki And Ais Walking Towards Us....
Great, Another Problematic Job Is Incoming....
Why Couldn't It Be Less Problematic....?
Timeskip....
3rd Person Pov:
Afterwards Lucian's 1 Shooting Orc, It Drew Some Attention From People, Especially A Certain Level 5,
Why ?
Because Of His Fighting Style, Speed Strength That Was Way Over A Typical Level 1,
And As A Half Human-Spirit Hybrid, She Could Sense The Magic Power Lucian Used Pretty Smoothly,
Her First Question Was To Ask About How Did He Get So Strong As A Level 1, Especially When She Later Noticed That His Base Strength Wasn't Bad Too,
But Since There Were Monsters Roaming Free, They First Decided To Deal With Them First,
Honestly, With A Level 5 And A Decently Overpowered Level 1, It Didn't Take Much Time Before They Dealt With Everything, Except A Silverback, Which Was Fighting Bell,
By The Time They Found The Silverback In Daedalus Street,
Loki, Astrea, Ryuu, Ais Were There, Watching People Praise Bell For Solo Killing A Silverback,
While Lucian Stood Back, Watching Over Him,
Lucian: "Seems Like He Got His Knife.... At Least That Hasn't Changed.....-!?"
(Great Sage: Notice-)
It Was Like An Instinct,
Without Hesitation, Lucian Pulled His Sword And Blocked The Incoming Attack,
'Clang !'
The Sound Was Deafening, A Spear And Sword Met, The Sound Of Metal Screeching,
It Was A Humanoid Figure Wrapped In Tattered Black Clothes, But Mostly Fine, It Held A Spear,
The Spear Had Only Stopped Inches Before Astrea's Heart,
Lucian: Get Back !
Ryuu Didn't Hesitate, In A Single Pull, She Took Astrea In Her Hands And Kept Back,
The Next Moment, Lucian Lowered His Blade Slightly, Allowing The Spear To Thrust Forward And Closing The Gap Between Them,
'Thump !'
With A Quick Kick, The Figure Was Thrown- No, Slid Backwards About A Few Meters,
And By Then, The Chaos Of Daedalus Street Had Started.....
Next, The Turning Point