Ais Wallenstein.
Age: Seventeen.
Known as Orario's strongest swordswoman, she wielded her unbreakable rapier Desperate in combination with the wind magic Ariel, enabling her to fight with breathtaking speed and ferocity. The gods had thus granted her the title of Sword Princess.
At only eight years old, she had tied the record for the city's fastest level-up, previously held by the adventurer [Silent] Alfia. It had taken her one full year.
Of course, that record had already been shattered, completely, by Renjiro… or more precisely, the siblings known as the Twin Stars.
For the record, this three-no girl¹ had reached Lv.5 more than two years ago and had been accumulating ever since, unable to find the chance to break through to Lv.6.
It left her deeply frustrated.
Perhaps it was for that very reason that she now stared so intently at Lumine.
And indeed, the similarities between the two were uncanny.
Both golden-haired and golden-eyed.
Both skilled with the single-handed sword.
And at present, like Aether, Lumine's Falna only allowed her to awaken the power of wind.
The wind element she commanded manifested as faint green ripples.
Quite a lot of coincidences, huh… Renjiro (Aether) muttered silently to himself.
Meanwhile,
Ahem.
Behind the large desk, Finn let out a discreet cough.
The sound finally pulled Ais's thoughts back to reality.
Seizing the moment as everyone's attention naturally shifted his way, the Pallum Lv.6 and renowned adventurer smiled warmly at Aether and Lumine.
"Although this isn't quite the welcome ceremony I had envisioned… I'm very glad to meet you both. Welcome to the Loki Familia."
"Let me introduce myself properly. I am Finn Deimne, current Captain of the Loki Familia. Please, just call me Finn."
He gestured politely to his side.
"And this here, "
"Name's Loki! Nice t' meetcha~"
The red-haired, flat-chested goddess, speaking in a Kansai dialect, sat cross-legged on the edge of Finn's desk, propping her ankle with one hand and waving casually with the other. She looked every bit the mischievous eternal tomboy.
At that moment,
"An honor to meet you, Braver, and you as well, Loki-sama."
Aether smiled, pressing a hand to his chest.
"I'm Aether… and this is my sister, Lumine."
"You may call us simply by our names. We hope to get along well with everyone during our time here and would appreciate your guidance."
Feels just like a student exchange program, he thought wryly.
One by one, the others in the room introduced themselves:
Riveria Ljos Alf, the Nine Hells, royal elf and Lv.6, famed as Orario's strongest mage and Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia.
Gareth Landrock, the Mighty, dwarven veteran, Lv.6, one of the Familia's Three Pillars alongside Finn and Riveria.
Tione Hiryute, the Jormungand, and her younger sister Tiona Hiryute, the Amazon, both Lv.5 Amazons.
And then,
"Tch. What's with everyone sitting around introducing themselves? This ain't a tea party."
The words came from a scar-faced werewolf youth, hands shoved into his pockets, his voice dripping with disdain.
Having been leaning against a bookshelf with arms crossed, he now strode casually toward the door, brushing past Aether and Lumine.
At the threshold, he paused just long enough to mutter:
"Tch, another masked bastard."
"Bete! That's enough. Where do you think you're going?"
Tione immediately snapped, a loyal supporter of Finn unwilling to see the Captain embarrassed by the wolf's rudeness.
"What else? Breakfast."
With that, Bete Loga kicked the door open and walked out.
As his footsteps faded,
An awkward silence fell over the room.
Finally,
"My apologies, Aether, Lumine. Bete is, "
"You don't need to apologize, Miss Tione."
Aether shrugged lightly.
"I've heard of the Ferocious Wolf. He may be blunt to a fault, but I don't believe his occasional rudeness should fall on others to apologize for."
And besides,
'Masked bastard,' huh? Guess he means I'm fake…
He had to admit, the wolf's instinct wasn't wrong.
Because the truth was, Aether was hiding a great deal from everyone here.
For instance,
Without question, Paimon's spatial inventory ability would skyrocket the efficiency of Loki Familia's expeditions.
But since I plan to use Paimon Time for assassinations, I can't risk exposing too much about Paimon in front of outsiders.
Solo dives are one thing, but in joint expeditions, too many witnesses could be dangerous.
It was a conclusion he had already reached before stepping foot in the Twilight Manor.
Right now,
"Speaking of which, it is mealtime."
Finn smoothly steered the conversation away, glancing at them.
"Aether, Lumine, would you care to join us?"
"Ah, we already ate before coming."
Aether answered with a shrug.
At his side, Lumine quickly added, so no one would mistake their refusal as sulking over Bete's outburst,
"We tried Orario's Fried Potato Ball-kun. They're really delicious… and very filling."
The words had barely left her lips when,
Hohhh
A sudden, intense gaze struck her.
Lumine instinctively turned her head,
The Sword Princess.
Expressionless. Staring right at her.
Like they were comrades bound by fate.
And then,
"What flavor of Fried Potato Ball-kun do you like?"
With an abrupt step forward, Ais's golden eyes sharpened, her tone deadly serious.
It was as if she were demanding a battle strategy rather than a snack preference.
Caught off guard, Lumine stepped back slightly.
Then, hesitantly,
"Uh… red bean cream flavor?"
Hohhhh↑↑
Ais's eyes sparkled as she grasped Lumine's hands.
She didn't say a word.
But her gaze was shining like starlight.
Honestly, it looked like she was one drink away from raising a glass and shouting, Comrades!
Why are you looking so serious about this, honestly…?
================
Footnotes:
Three-no girl: Anime slang for a girl with no expression, no emotion, and no intonation.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 654+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 218
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 200
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 130
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 59
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 53
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 43