Chapter 21: Goliath. Naaza
The Hostess of Fertility.
The crowd was rather rowdy at that moment.
Adventurers left and right were cheering in jovial exuberance.
Drinks were spilled in the commotion of all the clinking glasses, and the various waitresses at the Hostess tried their best to keep the floors clean.
Mama Mia would normally kick out such lousy guests, but when it comprised all of the customers at the pub at that moment, she was left with little to do but relish the fact the profits were going up due to the sale of beer and other alcohol.
All of this was caused due to an announcement that came from a rather petite woman with red hair and light clothing. Her voice clearly shows her lack of soberness at the moment.
"AGAIN! CHEERS TO MY FAMILIA! CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO THE 59TH FLOOR BABY! WOOOOOO!-"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!-"
The goddess Loki, the head of the Loki familia, which rivals the Freya familia for the current strongest dungeon exploration group in Orario.
A god, a divine being, a person of worship in the olden days...was now pissed drunk with a crowd of equally pissed drunk adventurers as she bragged about her children.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!-"
The goddess shouted.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!-"
The crowd replied.
Loki was currently standing atop her stool as she waved her mug of soma, spilling its contents to nearby drunks as she drunkenly struggled to keep her balance.
"...Lady Loki...please get down...please-"
A green-haired elf of fair complexion said as her face scrunched up in embarrassment.
Riveria Ljos Alf. A high elf, and a top executive of the Loki familia.
"I don't know what to say...but please accept our condolences..."
"Yeah...sorry 'bout that Mama Mia..."
A pallum and a dwarf began expressing their apologies on behalf of their goddess to the proprietress of the pub, Mia.
This was not the first time such an incident took place when they visited the pub, and as such, they have already made an informal agreement with the Hostess of Fertility when it came to the recompensation for the trouble their familia brings as customers.
"Yeah yeah, the usual...just leave it by the counter when you all leave"
Said Mia, annoyed in tone, but she simply couldn't refuse the pay a large familia gave to maintain their image.
Finn Deimne and Gareth Landrock were the two individuals talking to Mia. The captain and vice-captain of the Loki familia respectively.
"What are you all looking at huh?!- If you want to say something just spit it!"
A light gray werewolf shouted to the crowds in intimidation, his habit of unwarranted confrontation and anger issues increased as he became intoxicated.
Bete Loga, an executive of the Loki familia.
"Um...um...b-be-....."
As Bete continued to become confrontational with the other patrons, an elf with golden yellow hair, tried and failed to calm the werewolf down. Succumbing to her social anxiety rather than confronting the intimidating Bete to stop.
Lefiya Viridis, successor in training to Riveria, and leading member of the second string team of the Loki familia expedition party.
"HAH?! What'd you say wimpy elf?!-"
"Hiiiiiii!-"
Lefiya immediately was struck with fear but was assisted by the appearance of two other girls.
"Oh shut up you mutt. No wonder no one likes you, even kind Lefiya is scared of your intimidating ass!-"
"Bete, I highly suggest you calm down your behavior...it would inconvenience captain Finn"
A pair of Amazoness twins stood up for the scared elf, both clearly drunk, and both not having the best relationship with the Bete for being so open to confront him.
Tiona and Tione Hiryute. A pair of twins who were both executives of the Loki familia.
"HAA?!- Bring it on flat chest!- You as well pallum simp!-"
"...bring it on!-"
The twins both radiated an aura of hatred to such a severe provocation, to the point that they both harmonized in their acceptance to beat the cocky werewolf black and blue, something the twins weren't often seen doing despite being twins.
"..."
Observing the chaos her familia was producing to celebrate their expedition that was to come in the next week, a girl of golden blonde hair simply sipped her juice as she ate a jagamarukun she bought prior to entering the Hostess.
「The Sword Princess」or more commonly known among adventurers as 「The War Princess」.
Ais Wallenstein, the mysterious child of a great hero and renowned spirit from 1000 years past, and an executive of the Loki familia as well as their familia's poster girl.
Tonight was just another night when the storm known as the Loki familia invaded the Hostess of Fertility to cause a ruckus, dragging every other adventurer along with them.
But as the crowd of noises continued to flare around, there was one customer of the Hostess who was visibly different from the excited crowd.
"....ugh-"
Tired, quiet, and in desperate need of a break but choosing not to.
A man who was but a weak falna-less adventurer, whom other perceived as being maidenless.
An adventurer with a modicum amount of skill with an average amount of wealth and ability.
But in secret, the hero in the shadows had the attention of Orario in a vice grip.
Executing cold justice on various criminals and dungeon monsters, while saving numerous victims from a life of hell or from the jaws of death.
Known in secret as the Gray Ghost, but known in public as Bell Cranel.
Such a person...with a storied history...is now tired out of his mind as he rested his head on the pub counter.
"....ugh..."
"....you alright there Bell?"
Syr asked in concern to the young man, as he continued to groan in tiredness despite not being drunk
or suffering from any illness.
'I...I'll be fine Syr...I just...need....a moment to think..."
Groggily replied Bell.
Though the other waitresses were extremely busy, they also expressed concern for Bell, even the annoyed Mama Mia.
He had long continued to foster his relationship with the Hostess, and after continuing to serve as their last line of defense in the kitchen, they got even closer than what a customer would normally be able to achieve. Being considered the phantom seventh member of the Hostess, after the phantom sixth member, May.
Bell's current tiredness was not unwarranted however, it's because his workload massively increased during the past few days...
'With the collapse of the Hypnos familia, there were a bunch of assholes that wanted to fill in the power vacuum left by their monopoly in the illegal drug trade...'
Bell was busily fighting off a power grab of numerous criminal familias with the disappearance of Hypnos...if that wasn't enough...
'I also had to deal with tracking and destroying all of Enyo's dirty ass attempts to spread his influence and cause chaos...'
Bell was also keeping track and destroying all the seeds Enyo/Dionysus was planting in the background.
'That's on top of all my other responsibilities...at least I can find solace in pissing that bastard wine god off'
Beyond Bell's comprehension, his wish was becoming true. Dionysus continued to put on his stoic smile, but beneath, he was fuming and cursing the Gray Ghost like some scooby-doo villain.
Turning his attention away from his thoughts about Evilus and crime fighting, Bell began to observe the Loki familia.
'Even until now... it's still a bit surreal to see them so close...'
Bell as a frequent customer of the Hostess of Fertility, naturally saw the Loki familia arrive to party up a storm.
Seeing the various members of the familia he has watched and learned about in his previous life, Bell became a bit star-struck even though he had long accepted this world as his reality.
But though he admired them, he did his best to do so at a distance. Making sure not to grab their attention.
'It's really hard to though. Bete is a confrontational monster...'
Bete had a keen sense to know if he or his familia was ever watched, and he didn't hesitate to try and start something if he did.
Not wanting to fight against the furry equivalent of Jin Mori, Bell tried his best to not be caught by him...
'But there were a lot of close calls...'
Bell remembered the various instances he looked in his general direction, but failed to pinpoint a specific target.
Another thing he confirmed with his numerous encounters with the Loki familia was a lack of concerning attraction to Ais Wallenstein.
'I was worried for a bit that all Bell Cranel's would be fated to tunnel vision on Ais...and though she is a beauty...I wasn't enamored by her like the original Bell'
'I wonder if this means I won't have Liaris Freese...perhaps I just need to fall deeply in love with another girl?...'
As Bell pondered the possibilities regarding his cheats as the main character of Danmachi, his ears began to notice a conversation that erupted near the Loki familia's table.
"Hey! So are you guys looking forward to something specific in the next expedition?"
A random patron asked the Loki familia party, to which promptly replied their own answers, even Bete and Tiona, and Tione stopped fighting with the sudden question and answer.
"Hmmm...not sure...this expedition this time is to simply gather funds. I don't think we are ready yet to progress to the next floor"
Finn stated, his answer is carefully articulated. His experience of upkeeping the familia's image came naturally to the sudden question asked.
"We're also planning to have our more inexperienced expedition members gain some time in combat. Like your young Lefiya over here"
Riveria stated as she tried to promote her successor to the various patrons of the Hostess.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Lefiya quickly spat out a response while stuttering.
"I-I'll do my best-tyu!?-"
She bit her tongue.
The various patrons, waitresses, and Loki familia laughed fondly at the shy elf. Lefiya blushed to high heaven at her fumble.
But after the main points of the expedition were said, Tiona quickly answered to give her personal expectations.
"Ooh! Ooh! Me! I personally want to meet with the Gray Ghost this expedition!!"
"?!-"
Bell flinched and choked a bit at the amazoness' loud answer. Luckily, his behavior wasn't noticed due to the reaction from the crowd.
"Why would you even want to meet him Tiona? Aren't you strong enough to not need his help?"
Asked a random patron in the Hostess.
The Gray Ghost was tangentially linked with weak adventurers almost losing their lives in the dungeon. It was known that the Gray Ghost only showed himself to people in need when spoken in the context of the dungeon.
So for Tiona to state her desire to meet him as a level 5, many people doubted why she would even meet him.
But Tiona simply replied.
"... it's because...HE'S JUST TOO COOL!!~"
Tiona shouted her praise for the Gray Ghost, causing a flinch in Bell once again, and Tione to sigh.
"here we go again..."
Tiona had long since become a fangirl for the various exploits of the Gray Ghost, tiring her familia and fellow adventurers with her deep analysis of each of his stories and accomplishments, something that was very unusual for someone people described as muscle-brained.
The girl had a deep love for fairy tails and heroes ever since she was young, and to see a hero's story unfolding right in front of her, she naturally gravitated to it immediately.
"I mean did you hear about his rampage near Daedalus street the other day!! People described seeing him dashing through the night sky like a spirit of justice and vengeance~ His heavy metallic chains crying out into the sky~ Striking fear and dread to all who opposed him!"
Tiona said poetically as she stood atop her seat, upstaging the drunk Loki and capturing the attention of the crowd as she regaled the hero's numerous tales.
"The night raid against Dolos. The midnight hunt to save Hephaestus. Each and everyone one of his stories is just so cool~ Don't you agree?!"
Tiona flamboyantly rallied the crowd, gathering their cheers into a phrase that has resounded through every bar and pub in Orario.
"CHEERS TO THE GRAY GHOST!!"
Tiona shouted.
"CHEERS TO THE GRAY GHOST!!"
The crowd replied with just as equal energy.
The clinking and drinking of beer and alcohol were apparent after the fact, laughter erupting once more through the Hostess.
"The Gray Ghost huh...I would not lie and say I wouldn't be interested in meeting him"
Said Finn as Tiona continued to rally the crowd in cheers for the Gray Ghost. Interested in the person for being able to serve as a symbol for people to look unto, something he wished to do for his fellow pallums.
"Same. I wanna see how the lad fights personally...and how much alcohol he can take HAHAHAHA"
Gareth said in a laidback manner, enjoying the food, alcohol, and atmosphere.
"I too would want to meet him, his magic from the stories that are told about him are quite fascinating...you think so too right Lefiya?"
"Y-yeah! The way he makes his swords is something I want to study..."
Riveria and Lefiya stated. Both are interested in his magic as scholars in the field.
"The Gray Ghost? Bah- The guy is just an edgy bastard"
Bete Loga offhandedly insulted the guy, but secretly in his heart, he wondered if the Gray Ghost was the ideal he strove for in his tragedy of a past.
However...
'GUH!-'
Bell took severe mental damage from being called a chuunibyou.
'I won't deny that being an eminence in shadow...appealed to me aesthetically...'
Bell wished he could deny Bete's claim, but his heart knew the truth he didn't wish to acknowledge.
"How about you Ais? I'm personally rather neutral after my sister constantly talked about him to me...so do you want to meet the Gray Ghost?"
Tione said rather tiredly as she failed to stop her twin's fangirling for the hero in the shadows.
"..."
Ais pondered on the question for a while, the other members of the Loki familia besides the fangirling Tiona turning to listen to her.
"I want to meet...I want to know how he trains"
Hearing her answer, the Loki familia could only express a silent 'as expected'.
Tiona had long talked about the Gray Ghost to Ais over the past few months, and as a result, began wanting to discuss how he trains due to his exploits resonating with her mission to tear down her enemies and monsters.
But a certain goddess was rather annoyed at how some Ghost schmuck took over the spotlight when it should've been her precious children's expedition to be talked about.
"What's so cool about the Gray Ghost anyway! My cute little Ais can become a better hero than him any day!"
Loki said so as she attempted to fondly fondle Ais, only to miss as Ais dodged.
With Loki on the floor and Tiona hearing her idol bias being slandered, she promptly replied to the grieving goddess.
"Don't be such a sourpuss Loki. Just because Lord Gray Ghost is more popular doesn't mean you have to drag him down-"
"?!-"
Loki was shocked. Tiona had so easily given up on her goddess for a man she barely knew!
"H-How can you do this to me Tiona?!~~ You even used honorifics for that bastard and not me!~~ WHY?!-"
To which Tiona coldly replied before turning back to sing cheers and steel stories of the Gray Ghost.
"That's because I don't respect you Loki. And I respect Lord Gray Ghost. It's as simple as that"
"GAH?!-"
Loki crumbled into the floor once more. Her face pale, her spirit broken her heart in shambles.
"I-....I-...I'VE BEEN CUCKED BY THE GRAY GHOST!- ONORE, GRAY GHOST!~~"
Loki cried out to the heavens as she watched her radiantly beautiful amazoness child be stolen by the Gray Ghost. Metaphorical tears of blood ran down her face as actual tears did.
"Mama Riveria!~~ Please soothe this broken heart of mine!~~"
Loki immediately lept to Riveria, her lips puckered and her hands ready to fondle her high elven bosom, only to be stopped by her hand.
"Please maintain decorum Lady Loki. You will have to prepare for this in the future more often. What will happen if a girl in our familia began dating someone from another?"
"?!-"
Loki, crushed with this realization by Riveria, was shattered once more.
"NO! NO! I REFUSE TO GIVE UP ANY OF MY CHILDREN TO THE WICKED MEN OF THIS WORLD!-"
The image of Loki's numerous female children leaving the Twilight Manor to meet their partners passed through her mind. The idea left the goddess shooketh.
"Wicked men of this world? Pot meet kettle Loki, you're probably more wicked than most men with your daily sexual harassment"
Bete said to kick his goddess while she was down, but Loki promptly fought back against the sassy werewolf.
"Oh shut it doggy!- At least I'm honest with my emotions and don't bottle them up like an overused trope!-"
"HA?!-"
The table of the Loki familia descended into even more chaos as Bete and Loki began to argue, Tiona continued her praise of the Gray Ghost, and the other members tried their best to contain it all.
'This...isn't good for my heart...'
Bell who was secretly listening in to the commotion tried to recover his bearings after the emotional rollercoaster he just went through.
'I already cooked food for Lili back at the hideout...so I'll just retire for the night at the inn...'
Bell now prepared to leave the Hostess for the night and sleep. He didn't know if his ego could take another sermon of Tiona extolling himself.
"Mama Mia...I'll be leaving now...and good luck with the clean up"
Bell placed a pile of coins for his meal by the counter, counting them to be enough, Mia wished the boy a safe trip back, tired from thinking about the mess she and the waitresses would have to clean up.
"...yeah, thanks, kid...you have a good night"
As Bell went up to leave, Syr and Chloe bid him goodbye.
"Nya? Leaving? Have a goodnight Bell~"
"Have a safe walk back to your inn Bell~"
Bell replied back to their gestures. He began maneuvering his way through the rowdy crowd before bumping into Ryuu who was also trying to maneuver through it.
"Hm? Oh, Mr. Cranel, leaving for tonight?"
Ryuu inquired, wanting to have a little small talk.
"Y-Yeah. Also Ryuu... it's fine to call me Bell you know"
Bell replied with some small talk as well, the crowd had moved when Ryuu asked her question.
Bell and Ryuu were just as well acquainted as the other waitresses, but he could never seem to get Ryuu to refer to him by his first name.
'I know its because of her past...but it doesn't hurt to try'
Ryuu was generally distant from most other people in her life after she had taken revenge for her familia by single-handedly wiping the floor with a majority of the remnants of Evilus. Only getting close to the original Bell due to him somehow getting by her senses and touching her hand.
'If I remember correctly...Ryuu was taught by her captain Alise to never let go of a man who was able to touch her hands...that's why she was so infatuated with the original Bell...not that I'm insane enough to even attempt such a thing'
Bell was proud of the fact he was able to get so close to the famous 「Gale」without resorting to setting off a flag.
"I'm much more comfortable with referring to you as just Cranel... it's not meant to show any disliking... it's just-"
Seeing how Ryuu was worrying about how to explain her circumstances without revealing them, Bell simply decided to retract the issue and deal with resolving her trauma another day. Bell was interested in recruiting her to join his party in the future after all.
"It's alright Ryuu, it's just a preference of mine. If you're uncomfortable with it, that's fine with me"
Bell said to Ryuu with a smile on his face. Knowing it was genuine, Ryuu was relieved.
As the two were about to end the conversation, the crowd which had cleared up for their conversation was suddenly moving towards them.
In an instant, a tall and bulky veteran adventurer was about to hit Bell at a rather fast speed.
Ryuu, only knowing him as a falna-less adventurer, immediately moved to get him away.
Bell, with his senses enhanced with reinforcement and through his various battles, moved on instinct to move away.
The two, due to their conflicting choice of actions, collided with one another.
"Crane?!-"
"Ryu?!-"
Having awkwardly met in the middle of their paths, they were stunned for a moment, but it was too late for the both of them.
The crowd began to move through Bell and Ryuu, eventually causing them to lose balance in the ensuing chaos.
"!-"
Seeing Ryuu begin to trip, Bell immediately reached out to stop her fall, but the chaos turned his genuine effort to save a friend from falling...into something...peculiar.
"?!- Oh- Sorry for bumping into you! Are you oka-"
A random patron said as he wanted to apologize for bumping into someone...but what he saw shocked his eyes...
"..."
"..."
Ryuu looked as if she were about to fall, but was propped up by Bell.
His left hand was on her waist...her left hand held firmly by Bell's right.
..
.
'....HOW IN THE FUCK DID THIS TURN INTO A BALLROOM DANCE DIP?!-'
Bell was in shock at the current situation.
His face was mere inches away from Ryuu, and the sound of her breathing was apparent to his senses.
'Did he just...my hand!-'
Ryuu felt the tight embrace of Bell's hand. A grip that radiated its resolve to never let go.
The elf began recalling the numerous times her captain and fellow familia members talked about how she should chase a man that was able to hold her hand despite all her guards.
'So does this mean...for Mr. Cranel...I should...!-'
Realizing the implication of this moment, and beginning to see Bell in a new light...blush began to show on Ryuu's face...one which was famous for never emitting much change.
'Damn it! Ryuu is already blushing!-'
Bell immediately recognized the plot progression this was heading towards.
'I need to stop anyone from calling out to this spot. Or else!-'
Bell immediately looked towards the man who spotted his current predicament with Ryuu.
He locked eyes with the patron, but his fears were soon confirmed...he was going to shout.
His eyes reeked of inebriation...Bell can already see his mouth begin to sentence him...a public execution.
'No...please...I already get enough silent hate from the other male customers!-'
It's too late...it was already in motion.
'Make it stop!'
With a loud cry, fueled by shock and alcohol, the patron cried out.
"MISS RYUU IS BEING COURTED!!-"
'Ah...it seems death is finally upon me-'
Bell quietly accepted his fate with a single tear...
"WHAT?! RYUU IS BEING COURTED?!-"
The first to cry out was the extremely drunk Loki.
A major reason she kept coming back to the Hostess was for the cute waitresses, so she immediately jumped into action upon knowing such an accusation was made.
The crowd began to open up around Bell and Ryuu.
The sight was clear to see.
A romantic dip, the elf waitress in his embrace...her cold face...red with passion.
Loki's heart was shattered for the third time tonight...her passion was broken beyond recognition...she lost strength in her knees upon seeing the indomitable Ryuu conquered...her body had hit the floor.
The other members of the Loki familia ignored their deflated balloon of a goddess to look at Bell and Ryuu.
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria were impressed someone could rile Ryuu to such an extent.
Tiona and TIone began to look at the juicy source of gossip.
Bete dismissed the scene with a click of his tongue.
Lefiya began heating up with her immense imagination.
And Ais simply continued to eat her jagamarukun in confusion.
'What's so wrong about carrying a girl like that?'
The workers of the Hostess naturally knew the truth of the situation.
They knew Bell wasn't the type to flirt with them...however...it was shocking for them to see their stoic coworker blush so profusely at the sight.
Syr looked onto the scene with her eyes, any trace of light within them was long gone.
Chloe who was near her noticed a peculiar sound.
'Did something break? I heard something crack-'
The whole pub went quiet as they continued to observe Bell and Ryuu.
'Palace security level...100%'
Bell quipped to himself mentally to cope with the situation.
It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to the poor Bell.
But the silence was broken not too soon after, by a group of inebriated individuals.
"ONORE BELL CRANEL!!-"
Bystander A had arrived at the scene, and he brought with him his posse of fellow bystanders.
"We tolerated you getting friendly with Miss Syr...we were able to tolerate you being friendly with all five waitresses at the same time...we were at the edge of our sanity when you met the phantom sixth, May...but this?...this has gone too far!-"
"YOU'RE COURTING DEATH! BELL CRANEL!-"
Bell Cranel watched in horror as he immediately began to get jumped by the numerous background characters as he still held onto Ryuu.
But just as he was about to face his imminent fate-
"Dear customer, it's not allowed to run so violently in the premises of the Hostess~ Please come with me to settle the fee for your infraction with Mama Mia nya~"
Anya grabbed hold of one of the leading background characters by the collar.
"Dear customer, we have suspected that you might have some overdue fees on a tab~ Might you please accompany me to resolve this discrepancy?~"
Lunoire did the same as Anya and grabbed another background collar, this time by their wrist collar.
The two waitresses looked towards the sunken Bell, communicating with their vision alone.
'This is repayment for all times you saved us in a rush hour nya!~'
'Go forth, young man...live to fight another day!'
Seeing their confident smiles, tears began to form in Bell's eyes.
'hic...hic...so this is the power of friendship-'
The power of Bell's bonds and his numerous unpaid overtime worked to save him from the jaws of social death.
'I'll never forget this...you two!-'
Bell found the courage within him to make the most out of the two waitresses' sacrifice!
"?!-"
Ryuu was suddenly positioned properly by Bell, still struggling to process what had just happened.
"Sorry about this Ryuu! But I gotta go. See you soon!-"
Bell then hurriedly exited the Hostess with great speed, leaving behind a dazed Ryuu.
"S-See you soon too...Bell..."
Outside Bell was lamenting over how destiny could even produce such a situation.
'I just wanted to rest on my bed...IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!-'
He ran across the streets of Orario with tears in his eyes.
Bell's social life had plummeted back to how it was in his home village. He would no doubt be scorned by many of his peers.
His skill 「Harem Protagonist EX」has struck once again.
..
.
Mia, seeing the mess that her pub has devolved into sighed heavily.
It was messy and noisy, and her emergency cook would no doubt be scorned forever by the male patrons moving forward.
" sight...what the fuck even happened..."
She said as she entered the kitchen to grab the mop, not even bothering to deal with the disguised goddess who looked like she broke.
...
..
.
The seventeenth floor of the Orario dungeon.
A sprawling maze of bedrock...a place where all the safeties of the early floors are now gone...monsters of stronger strength and group size begin to appear more frequently...holes and tunnels that can be fallen into which can drag one into floors beyond their capability...
This has become the death tomb of many adventurers...the middle floors...the cave labyrinth
"ha...ha...ha...ha..."
In the dark murky hallways of this dangerous place...
Where every corner can possibly spell the doom of blooming warriors...
"ha...ha...ha...ha..."
A group of four adventurers desperately run from their certain doom.
"MOOOOOOOO!-"
"?!-"
"Shit!-"
Heavily wounded, their mind reserves pitiful in quantity.
Their supplies ran low, their weapon useless in their current worn and torn state.
'Please...please...I don't want to die like this!-'
So were the thoughts of a chienthrope who was within the group of running adventurers.
What they were experiencing was the effects of a vile practice looked down upon by many adventurers and gods.
Pass Parade.
The act of passing a crowd of aggro'd monsters onto a passing adventurer group, hoping to be able to escape by using the group as a distraction...often times leading to the deaths of the distracting adventurers.
'This was just supposed to be a simple material collection...why did it have to be like this!-'
The chienthrope was named Naaza Erisuis, a distinguished member of the Miach familia, a familia which revolved around the selling and producing of potions to adventurers.
Naaza was a well-respected member of the Miach familia. Her talent as an adventurer was rather mediocre, only being able to attain level two after six years of being in the profession. But although she wasn't a skilled warrior, she more than made up for it with her ability to brew potions.
Her theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of herbology and potion-making was on the level of genius among the various members of the Miach familia, even warranting the head god Miach himself to tutor the girl to raise her talents.
When Naaza reached level two and gained her Mixing development ability, her talent as a potion maker soared tremendously. Quickly rising through the ranks to become the vice-captain of her familia due to her immense worth.
'Picking up some herbs on the seventeenth floor for a commissioned potion...how did it turn out like this?!-'
Naaza was tasked with the completion of a potion a smaller familia requested. The market price for the herb was rather high, and their stocks were running low, so Naaza decided to ask permission to hire an escort guard to collect enough of the herb to resupply their storage.
Miach agreed to the course of action, even going out of his way to pay the extra fee for a commissioned party with a record of flawless escorting.
The dungeon dive was going well. Naaza even made small banter to the escort party...until a passing group of dilapidated adventurers performed a pass parade...and sicc'd a raging horde of minotaurs onto her and the escorts.
'Those idiots probably got too cocky and rushed the horde...who would rush so many minotaurs with equipment like theirs?!-'
Naaza cursed the idiotic adventurers, but such a thing was sadly normal in the dungeon.
Adventurers who get too cocky from their level-ups or from a new skill tend to overreach their capabilities.
One can only grow through delving into the jaws of danger, but there is a fine line between foolishness and bravery with the skill to back it up.
'T-This is!-'
Naaza was broken out of her thoughts as the walls around her began to resemble less like rocks and more like smooth crystals.
A wall filled with the wailing cries and regrets of numerous adventurers who have fallen on this floor.
The crystal wall of grief. The spawning place of the monster rex known as Goliath, and the pathway leading to the safe zone known as Rivira.
This was the target of the Naaza and the escort guards.
They were in no condition to deal with the pass parade, the number of minotaurs simply wouldn't allow it with their states.
So they opted to rush to the safe zone of Rivira to escape with their lives.
'It's almost there...Its almost!-'
Just as Naaza could begin to see the entranceway to Rivira appear in her vision...
She was pushed by the escort party towards the horde of minotaurs...
"Huh?-..."
Naaza's eyes widened then closed instantly as she crashed into the ground.
"THEY ARE GAINING ON US. AND WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR LIVES...WE'RE SORRY-"
The escort party shouted as they continued forward, not even turning their backs to Naaza.
'So that's how it is...they would rather sacrifice a stranger than their own comrade...'
Naaza was struck once more by a vile practice frowned upon by all adventurers and gods.
Party Abandon.
Functioning the same way as a pass parade, but much worse. Choosing to abandon your own party members instead of strangers...to serve as a distraction for the chasing monsters...
Though it's rare to happen, it does still occur...mostly in parties that are built between numerous familias...or escort parties hired through commission...
'You...bastards...'
Seeing how quickly the people she was getting along with prior become so ruthless as to party abandon her when the safe zone was within reach.
'This is...just too cruel!-'
Tears began forming in Naaza's eyes, threatening to spill out at any moment.
Just as the escort guards were about to dive into the tunnels to Rivira.
It came.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!-"
A great shout came from within the wall of grief.
Numerous cracks formed as debris began falling onto the entrance of Rivira, closing it entirely.
"Motherfu-"
The escort guards were crushed in their entirety, under a great heavy hand.
As if they were nothing more than flies...nuisances...karmic punishment perhaps?
'No...no...no...no- It's too late!-'
The reason Naaza and the now-dead escort guards were rushing was not only because they feared the minotaur horde behind them...
But because they all knew that today...was the day the monster rex known as Goliath was supposed to respawn.
"ha...ha...ha...ha-"
Naaza was struck by absolute fear.
She tried her best to remain her calm rational self...steadying her breathing to calm down...but...
'It's pointless...'
Despair had taken root within the Chienthrope as blood poured down her face from the crash of her sudden betrayal.
'A horde of minotaurs on my back...the Goliath in my front...there's no escape'
Blood drained from her face...continuing to do so with every second...becoming paler and paler...
'ha...ha...ha...'
Naaza desperately continued issuing commands to breathe, but her breaths were merely figments of her imagination at this point.
Her body was too scared to breathe, furthering the paling of her body with a lack of oxygen.
Her perfectly groomed tail was now tucking the farthest it can go...
Naaza's vision became darker and darker as she watched the Goliath slowly approach her.
She could no longer hear its roar nor the cries of the minotaur gone wild as a result of its effects.
'...'
A deafening silence was all that remained in Naaza's mind...
'They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die...but nothing is flashing for me'
In a moment of tranquility brought about by her acceptance of death...Naaza thought oddly about the lack of phenomenon as it loomed over her...her demise.
'Perhaps it's because I spent my entire life working and studying...I never did spend much time with friends...never once did I even think of romance...'
...
'If I can somehow survive this...'
..
'I won't take my life for granted...'
.
'so please...somebody-'
"I got you"
'?!-'
Another shadow loomed over Naaza's body, the texture of a cloak could be felt on her skin.
A figure stood before her and a minotaur that threatened to consume her whole, he blocked the maw of the beast with a pair of chained blades.
「Sword Barrel: Full Open」
Sets of identical chained swords began to appear out of thin air and immediately launched themselves at the horde of minotaurs with ruthlessness and proficiency.
'...this is...a path...'
The launched sword and the slashes of the figure cleared an opening in the large horde of minotaurs, a clear path to break through them.
"?!-"
Naaza looked up as a shadow covered them.
The Goliath was now upon them, readying his fists to pummel the two.
"Hold on"
The figure wrapped his arm around the Naaza before quickly launching off the ground in the nick of time. Barely escaping the Goliath's blow.
"..."
The two of them now stood behind both the Goliath and the remaining minotaurs of the horde.
"..."
Naaza had prepared to become one with death, so still remaining alive was a shock to her.
She turned her gaze to the figure beside her, she recognized who it was immediately.
'Gray...'
But before she could finish her thought, Bell had given her a potion and instructions.
"Take this...I've cleared the path ahead of you of monsters...there should be a nearby party of adventurers in the distance...consume the potion and run. I'll deal with the monsters"
Hearing what Bell was saying, Naaza immediately interjected, she didn't believe such a thing was possible.
"G-Gray Ghost, you cant!- The minotaurs and the Goliath at the same time?!- You'll-"
But Naaza was cut off from her explanation by a pat on the head by Bell. The warmth gave her silence and her protest immediately.
"If I don't stop it here...it will become the demise of another adventurer:
"..."
Naaza was shocked at the realization, her adrenaline and fear blinding her to the obvious.
"If left unchecked, the Goliath and that large horde of minotaurs will be given free rein to wander the seventeenth floor...causing massive destruction"
"..."
"I have to be the one to stop it here"
Naaza clenched the hem of Bell's cloak with all her remaining strength.
"But...if I leave you here...I'll be the same as-"
As if reading her mind, Bell cut her off before she could accuse herself of something horrid.
"You aren't like those people...this isn't a selfish pass parade...or a vile party abandon...this is a request...from me to you"
Bell rubbed Naaza's head as she continued to cry, but he eventually began moving forward, breaking away from the chienthrope.
"Run...now"
Naaza hazily watched as her tear-covered eyes still trained on Bell.
"B-bu-"
But Bell wasn't taking anything else but confirmation as an answer.
"I SAID RUN NOW"
"!-..."
With heavy regret in her heart, blood pouring down her face alongside her tears...
Naaza took the potion Bell had given her entirely...and began running away...
'Please...please...make it out alive...I'll call for help...so, please...
'Don't die'
..
.
"She's much more innocent than the Naaza of the original...so this would've been the event where she lost her arm...but still...how would she have made it out alive from this mess..."
Bell said as he observed the battlefield in front of him.
"Perhaps Naaza is stronger than I thought? She does possess an unknown magic...whatever...I can think about it later...for now"
The cries of the various minotaurs and the roar of the Goliath resounded through the walls of the dungeon...this would probably be Bell's toughest battle yet.
But...beneath the mask...he was wearing a smile.
"I was getting tired of beating up a bunch of weak criminals...and an adventure would be boring if there were no stakes right?"
His heart pounded greatly. The last time it beat in such intensity was his first battle against the goblin variant all those years ago in his childhood.
"A person I have to protect behind me...probably calling for help...and I have to face off against enemies that outnumber and outpower me?...is this some shitty joke? Cause sequels tend not to do very well after the first time y'know..."
The minotaurs began to crawl on all fours to prepare for a charge...
The Goliath swung its heavy arms high...
"Well then...electric boogaloo it is...so bring it on!-"
Bell's eyes flared to life as a mist of blue began to trail away from him.
His muscles tensed in anticipation.
His magic circuits brimmed with energy.
Sparks of blue began converging around his body.
...
..
.
「Trace on」