"All right..."
One day after the day Bell was probably on his date, I was putting on the new armor that had arrived yesterday.
The light armor made from the ultra-hard metal adamantite was exactly as I ordered, it didn't restrict movement, yet boasted incredible durability. I even thought it might hold up until around the 14th dungeon floor. Truly, this was armor made by a master smith. And the color was exactly as requested: black.
By the way, I said Bell was probably on a date because he had work yesterday. If not for that, I could've easily followed him around and teased him later... Such a pity.
As usual, I left the house and locked the door behind me. We hadn't made a set plan, but if I went at this time, Bell would probably be at the usual square. While on my way, I reflected on yesterday's events.
In addition to this armor, I had also heard some interesting news from Lefiya. Apparently, several new types of monsters, including those man-eating flowers, had appeared around the Safety Point on the safe dungeon floors. By coincidence, Lefiya's group, the Loki Familia, and adventurers from Rivia, the city at the Safety Point, were there and took care of the threat. Recently, things have been getting more and more suspicious.
Speaking of incidents, there was another one: Hashana Dorlia of the Ganesha Familia was apparently killed by a red-haired woman. Hashana was a level 4 known as the"Hard Fist Fighter." and reportedly had his head torn off. I had never met him personally, but I'd seen his shows at the Monster Festival several times.
According to Lefiya, there were other troubles too, but they were still being cleaned up. I'm really grateful that she comes to visit despite how busy she is. I plan to use my contacts to investigate if the culprit can be found.
Lost in thought, I finally arrived at the usual square and spotted a familiar head.
"Hey, Bell!"
"Oh, Toki!"
He turned around wearing his new armor. His iron-colored light armor was complemented by a green emerald-colored protector on his left hand.
"Wow, Toki, you got the armor you mentioned the other day!"
"Yeah, now I finally feel like a proper adventurer."
"Nice!"
"But you..."
I finally said what had been bothering me since earlier.
"You look more rabbit-like now."
"What!?"
When Bell wore it, the iron color looked almost white, and combined with his vibe, he really did look like a rabbit.
Bell's face flushed red, and he lunged at me. Ha! After training with Asfi-san, this is still nothing!
"Um, Bell-sama?"
Just as I was joking around, a voice called out.
"That's the person who was talking about earlier..."
"Ah, sorry."
The speaker was a girl about 100 cm tall, dressed in cream-colored robes, carrying a backpack far too large for her stature.
"Bell, who's this?"
"Uh, I just met her over there..."
"Liliruca Arde."
"From the Hermes Familia. I'm Toki Ortyx. Nice to meet you."
He extended his hand. Liliruca looked a bit surprised but shook it. However, her eyes seemed to be studying us like prey.
"So, what's the story here? Bell, are you hitting on her?"
"No! I was just waiting for Toki when she called out to me. Said she was a supporter and asked if I needed one."
Ah, reverse pick-up, huh?
"Well then, if it's alright, could I join you?"
"No problem. But Liliruca, isn't it risky coming along with two rookies like us?"
"Toki-sama, please just call me Lili. No honorifics, no formal speech. Bell-sama, you too."
"Wait, but..."
"I see, you want to keep a clear distinction between adventurers and supporters. Got it. If that's the case, I'll do that."
"Wait, Toki!"
"Listen, this is a chance. Until now, when our backpacks were full, we had to go back to the guild and then return to the dungeon, a huge hassle. But with her, that process improves drastically. Plus, she's professional. A pro supporter. Someone like her agreeing to accompany us rookies, we should listen to her. Right?"
"Y-yeah, got it."
"I'm glad you understand. Shall we go then?"
…..
[Later, as they proceed through the dungeon, fighting monsters]
"So you're not a freelance supporter?"
"No, Lili belongs to a Familia."
Bell and Liliruca were talking while we moved through the dungeon. This part, I could handle alone, besides, I had already decided to let Lili come with us. Bell was probably trying to assess her.
We circled around without descending further.
"What Familia?"
"Soma Familia, Bell-sama."
...Maybe I rushed that. Soma Familia is quite famous, known for exploration but also for producing and selling alcohol, the kind that sells for absurdly high prices. Their total equipment value can exceed ours combined.
The Soma Familia is also somewhat notorious for causing various troubles. Their common trait? Money. They tend to try to earn as many Varis as possible.
While thinking that, I glanced back to see Bell fiddling with Lili's ears. What the heck?
"Bell, what are you doing?"
"Ah! S-sorry!"
"Ouch..."
Lili covered her ears and blushed faintly, shooting me a sly look.
"To have my precious ears messed with like that by a man... You'll have to take responsibility, won't you?"
"Good luck, Bell. Hermes-sama says marriage is the graveyard of life."
"That's quite a leap!"
I teased Bell as we kicked away some goblins. This was nothing.
"Lili isn't asking for anything like that. She just wants Bell-sama to officially accept her accompanying us, just like Toki-sama."
"...Alright, I agree for now."
"Thank you!"
"So, do you need a contract fee or anything like that?"
"Sometimes, but today it's just a trial."
"I'll cover the contract fee."
I interrupted.
"Ah, no, but..."
"I run a shop, so I'm particular about contracts being clear. I want to discuss this properly later, so talk to me about it next time. Bell, I leave the guard duty to you."
"Okay. We should've talked this over at Babel's eatery or something."
"Don't say that, I just realized it too."
Because I wanted to test this armor's performance as soon as possible.
The dungeon changes its terrain and nature drastically after a certain floor. From the 1st to the 4th floor, there are fewer monster types and their abilities are relatively weak. However, from the 5th to the 7th floor, everything shifts dramatically.
The variety of monsters increases sharply, and they spawn at much shorter intervals. Typically, these floors require at least three lower-ranked adventurers with some experience to handle. But for us, things were a little different.
"Hah!"
"Take this!"
Thanks to Bell's explosive growth and my combat experience, we were able to handle the fights without any trouble.
"Gyaaah!?"
"Byugi!?"
We took down a 'Purple Moth' descending from above and landed. Ahead of us stood two Killer Ants.
"Right side, I've got this!"
"Got it!"
I smiled slightly at my partner's prompt response and stabbed a knife into the gap in a Killer Ant's shell, finishing it off.
"Oof!?"
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the side. Looking over, I saw Bell's weapon stuck, caught between the corpse of a fallen Killer Ant.
"What are you doing? Move on!"
"I-I know!"
We exchanged words and charged into the remaining monsters.
"You two are so strong~!"
While we fought off the monsters, Lili was gathering the corpses of those we had defeated into one spot.
Her movements up to now had been truly impressive. Unlike me, she was careful not to accidentally encounter monsters head-on, and now she was clearing away the bodies so they wouldn't interfere with our battle.
"Shh!"
"Gigi!?"
Bell methodically took out the Killer Ants that were calling for reinforcements. Because of their tough shells, they take me a bit longer to kill, so Bell, who has higher attack power, handled the Killer Ants while I took on the other monsters. Our coordination was seamless without even having to say it.
"Gush…! Shaaaaaa!!"
"Whoa! Hey, you two! They're spawning again!?"
"Bell, you're closer!"
"Leave it to me!"
Bell sprinted toward the Killer Ant that was struggling to get out from the wall. Meanwhile, I cleaned up the remaining monsters.
"Ahh… what are you going to do, Bell? That Killer Ant is stuck in the wall now."
"W-What should I do?"
I overheard their conversation and saw the Killer Ant half-hanging from the wall while Lili hopped up and down beside it.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're as scatterbrained as ever."
"D-Don't laugh!"
"Well, Bell's strong but kind of weird, isn't he?"
"E-Even you, Lili…"
Bell, who had been looking embarrassed moments ago, slowly let out a wry smile at Lili's teasing laugh.
After that, Lili retrieved the magic stones from the monsters. This was entirely her domain, and all we had to do was keep watch.
"Wow, you're really skilled…"
"I don't have many talents other than this. You two who defeated these monsters are way more amazing."
"No, actually, that's all we can do. Your detailed support really helps."
"Oh, you're too kind."
"I mean it."
Lili's technique was truly refined, she made a tiny hole in the monsters' bodies and extracted the magic stones through it. Compared to Bell and me, her efficiency was on a completely different level.
"By the way… are you two really novice adventurers? Taking down this many monsters all by yourselves…"
"Ah, well, there's a little secret to that. Sorry, but don't pry."
I warned her firmly. If she dug any deeper, Bell might slip up and reveal something.
"I see… Well, Bell, your strength is probably not just your status, but also your weapon."
Lili's tone shifted, and her gaze fixed on Bell's knife.
"I knew it. I kinda rely on this knife too much. Maybe that's why I can't really get stronger. Honestly, I think you, Toki, are more impressive."
"Nah, I've had my share of past experiences that helped me, so Bell's growth speed is something I envy."
"Is that so…"
We were all facing away from Lili, but I'm more sensitive to human movements than monsters'.
"By the way, Bell, how did you get that knife?"
"My god… the main god of my Familia gave it to me. I heard from Toki that it's a custom-made weapon. Apparently, my god asked a friend of his to lend it. That's kind of reckless."
"…That's a good god."
Her voice carried a trace of agitation and slight jealousy. Looks like there's some backstory there.
"Bell."
"Ah, done?"
"Let's take the magic stones from that Killer Ant stuck in the wall too, since we're at it."
"Right, Toki."
"I'll keep watch."
"Thanks. But how should we do it?"
"I think cutting its thin abdomen will do. The magic stones are inside the chest. Then Lili will handle the rest."
"Got it. Then…"
"Yes, Bell."
"Uh… okay."
I tightened my guard, expecting an attack. Bell stood on tiptoe, focused on cutting the Killer Ant's abdomen.
A killing intent-like aura rose from Lili. Just before it peaked, I turned around.
"By the way, Bell."
Lili quickly withdrew her hand, clearly noticing me even though she was out of my direct sight.
"What? I'm concentrating right now."
"About the payment for 'The Hostess of Fertility' from before, it's time to pay me back."
"Oh, sorry, I forgot."
"Told you. You can pay me from your earnings this time."
"Alright, got it. Here, Lili, it's done."
"Ah, yes."
Afterwards, we returned to Babel to treat the 'poison' caused by the Purple Moth's toxic scales.
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