Chapter 56 - Ais: I Saw
"Ais? Why are you here?"
Just after finishing magic item, Orsted sensed a presence beside him.
Turning around, he saw Ais leaning forward, hands on her knees, and flinched in surprise.
Ais's presence was almost imperceptible.
Even though he'd been fully focused on process, Orsted remained attuned to his surroundings—yet he hadn't noticed her approach until she was right there.
"You can make magic items?"
Ais didn't answer his question.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her tone laced with curiosity as she sought confirmation.
She'd just witnessed Orsted's hands glowing with light, and when it faded, a pair of items appeared.
Items that can be created like that were classified as magic items.
She knew this much.
It was her first time seeing one crafted before her eyes, and the maker was someone she'd been thinking about lately.
She hadn't expected to encounter Orsted again after just three days, here on the 18th floor.
That he could craft magic items was surprising.
Perhaps Riveria and the others were right—Orsted might the person who brought those books.
The elven boy before her was full of unexpected talents.
She'd have to tell Riveria and the others about this when she returned.
Ais's reaction made Orsted's eye twitch slightly.
He'd asked her a question, only for her to respond with one of her own.
But knowing her personality, he let it slide.
"As you saw, I was indeed making a magic item," he admitted.
There was no point in denying it when she'd seen everything. As he spoke, he tucked the items away.
"So, you just got back from an expedition—why aren't you resting at your base?"
Orsted asked, curiosity piqued as he stowed items.
His question stirred memories of the past few days.
On her way back from the dungeon, she'd crossed paths with Orsted and watched him kill Minotaurs with ease.
At the time, she hadn't thought much of it—only that he was strong.
But later, when she saw Lili's swordsmanship and learned that Orsted had taught her, Ais felt a spark of interest.
She wanted to spar with someone who wielded such refined skills.
Yet, having only just met him, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
She'd set the thought aside, not dwelling on it too deeply.
Lili's swordsmanship, she presumed—was impressive but not invincible.
There were those who could counter it, like herself.
A spar with Orsted would be ideal, but if it didn't happen, she could always ask Finn instead.
For the past few days, she'd stayed with the Loki Familia as usual, with no plans to return to the dungeon.
That changed yesterday when Finn and Riveria mentioned that Orsted might be able to craft grimoires.
That piqued her interest intensely.
No adventurer could resist the allure of grimoires.
Even as a Level 5 adventurer, Ais was no exception.
She possessed only one magic—Ariel and longed to awaken another to bolster her strength.
But grimoires were rare in Orario, nearly impossible to come by.
Even when one surfaced, the Loki Familia might miss it, snatched up by another familia unnoticed.
It all came down to luck.
If Orsted truly could craft grimoires, Orario would have its own grimoire-making mage.
The Loki Familia might secure some, and she could potentially obtain one too.
She didn't let her hopes soar too high, but the possibility gnawed at her.
So, that morning, she'd left the familia and headed for the dungeon.
Before entering, however, she'd seen a guild notice: Hestia Familia's adventurer, Orsted, had ranked up from Level 1 to Level 2.
That realization hit her hard.
She'd ranked up from Level 1 to Level 2 in a year—a record dubbed the fastest in Orario's history.
Yet Orsted had done it in under a month.
It was unprecedented, unimaginable.
And there was more.
Knowing he'd just ranked up, she recalled that, at Level 1, Orsted had defeated Level 2 monsters like the Minotaur with ease.
How had he achieved such power at Level 1?
She burned to know, but as a near-stranger, she had no right to ask.
His secrets weren't hers to pry into.
So, despite her curiosity, she'd pressed on with her original plan and entered the dungeon—never expecting to find Orsted on the 18th floor, crafting a magic item before her eyes.
Snapping out of her reverie, Ais looked at Orsted and said softly, "Congratulations on reaching Level 2."
Once again, she hadn't answered his question.
Orsted: ...
---
Read advance chapters at:
patreon.com/verse7
Powerstones:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter