Ais's origins were, in fact, never clearly explained in the original work.
Consequently, all Riezel knew was that the Great Spirit Aria truly was Ais's mother, and that the great hero who had accompanied that spirit throughout her life—Albert—was Ais's father.
Yes, Ais not only carried the bloodline of a spirit, but she was also the descendant of a hero.
Albert was an extremely special figure in the history of heroes, as he was not only mentioned in Dungeon Oratoria but also in many fairy tales and folk legends.
Among all of his great achievements, the most famous was undoubtedly driving back the legendary Black Dragon.
It was one of the three great monster kings that had once ruled the Lower World in ancient times and was regarded as a pitch-black calamity, the harbinger of the end, and even now, it still threatened the Lower World.
Long ago, Orario had three great adventurer quests known as the 'Three Great Quests,' and those quests were not only the shared wish of the people but were also considered absolute necessities if one wished to save the Lower World.
The content of the Three Great Quests was to defeat the three great monster kings that stood at the apex of all monsters, whose power far surpassed any monster currently known within the Dungeon, and even far exceeded that of any known adventurer.
They had once brought about enormous disasters to the Lower World, and no one knew how long they had ravaged it, nor how many lives had been lost because of them.
People generally believed that monsters on the surface could be hunted and defeated, yet these three great monster kings alone continued to threaten the Lower World, leaving humanity almost powerless to resist.
Those three monster kings were:
The king of the land, Behemoth.
The overlord of the seas, Leviathan.
And finally, the Black Dragon.
After a thousand years had passed, the king of the land, Behemoth, and the overlord of the seas, Leviathan, were successively defeated.
As for the ones who accomplished this, they were the two strongest familias that had once reigned over Orario for a millennium—the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia.
However, those two strongest familias were unfortunately defeated fifteen years ago in their battle against the Black Dragon.
Because of that defeat, the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia were dragged down from their pedestal, and their strength was severely diminished. In the end, they were driven out of Orario by the combined forces of Loki and Freya, disappearing from the eyes of the world.
As a result, the Black Dragon became the final target designated by the Three Great Quests, and also the last monster king that continued to endanger the world even now.
A thousand years ago, when this pitch-black dragon rampaged across the land and brought devastation to all living beings, the Great Hero Albert stepped forward alone.
At the cost of his own life, he tore out one of the dragon's eyes, forcing the Black Dragon—now known as the One-Eyed Black Dragon—to flee to the distant northern lands after letting out a cry that shook the heavens and quaked the earth.
After that, the gods began descending to the Lower World, bringing the ancient age to an end, and the age of gods walking the land officially began.
The sacrifice of the Great Hero Albert was equivalent to declaring the end of the age of heroes and the ancient age, ushering in a brand-new age that would go on to shape the fate of the Lower World.
Hence, all people unanimously acknowledged him as the strongest hero and also the last hero.
After the Great Hero Albert, no hero capable of changing the fate of the Lower World was ever born again.
For a thousand years, people continued to pray and yearn, hoping that another hero would one day rise, defeat the One-Eyed Black Dragon, conquer the Dungeon, and rid the world of its suffering.
Even the gods were waiting, yearning, and cultivating potential, trying to bring forth a true hero.
In this world, the word 'hero' carried that much weight, constantly tugging at the hearts of both mortals and gods alike.
In a sense, Labyrinth City Orario could be said to have been entrusted with immense hope by both the people and the gods.
Because this place possessed the Dungeon—an environment that allowed people to constantly challenge themselves, explore endlessly, accomplish great deeds, complete adventures, and steadily grow stronger through the Falna granted to adventurers.
For that very reason, it became the center of the world, drawing the gaze of everyone everywhere. Not only because it suppressed the Dungeon, but also because it was regarded as the place most likely to give birth to a hero of a new age.
As for the final extermination quest among the Three Great Quests, people likewise placed their hopes on the adventurers of Orario. Here, anything related to the word 'hero'—whether people, events, or objects—was enough to drive both the masses and various gods into a frenzy.
Ais was not a hero, yet she was the only child left behind in this world by the last hero.
However, why she had survived for a thousand years and awakened once more in the current era remained a mystery.
Likewise, why a spirit—who should not have been capable of bearing children—had a daughter with the Great Hero Albert was also a mystery.
All Riezel knew was that when Ais appeared in the current era, she was still a seven-year-old little girl. In the end, she was taken in by the Loki Familia and became the Ais Wallenstein of today.
Within the familia, only Loki, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth knew of her origins.
Ais's lifelong wish was revenge.
Revenge for her father.
Revenge for her mother.
Revenge was her unchanging obsession, the fundamental reason she clung so fiercely to becoming stronger. And the targets of her revenge were not limited to the One-Eyed Black Dragon alone, but all the monsters in this world.
As a result, she hated monsters, despised them, and wished to exterminate every last monster in existence.
Eventually, this wish and obsession brewed into pitch-black flames within her heart, causing her to awaken a dangerous skill designed solely for fighting monsters.
However, because the skill was far too dangerous, Finn and the others strictly forbade her from using it. Thanks to that, she had never once used the skill in front of Riezel, not even when facing the Monster Rex Udaeus or the Demi Spirit.
And that was all Riezel knew—beyond that, there was nothing more.
Of course, compared to the rest of the familia, he already knew quite a lot.
After all, even veterans like Raul and Anakitty knew nothing about Ais's origins—what everyone in the familia believed was that Ais had no parents.
Who would have imagined that this doll-like girl with golden hair and golden eyes possessed such a harsh and bizarre background?
As someone who knew a little of the truth, Riezel had no intention of digging into Ais's secrets, because he knew this was a wound buried deep within her heart.
If it were forcibly unearthed, she might be left riddled with scars.
Cold and emotionless on the surface, yet in truth simply innocent and unfamiliar with the ways of the world, Ais was actually more fragile than anyone else.
What others saw was only the dignified and imposing swordswoman known as the Sword Princess. What they could not see was that deep within her heart, there was always a small child who had been left in the darkness for a very long time, crying without end.
If she could choose, Ais sincerely wished that she did not have to take up a sword, did not have to become a swordswoman, and could instead live carefree, just as she had in her childhood.
Even when facing monsters, difficulties, danger, or setbacks, she wished it would not be a matter of drawing her blade and cutting everything down, but rather of calling out someone's name loudly, letting someone else save her, protect her, and become her hero.
Unfortunately, no one saved her, and no one became her hero.
And so, after her tears had long since run dry, she grasped the hilt of her sword with a heart full of hatred and a burning desire for revenge.
Such was Ais's truest self.
"Alright, let's just drop it."
Riezel let out a quiet sigh and chose to end the topic.
"Since the captain and the others haven't brought it up, and Ais herself doesn't want to talk about it, there's no need for us to worry about it."
"We just need to know who the enemy is and who would try to hurt Ais—that's enough."
"Everything else? Doesn't matter."
Hearing this, Tiona, Tione, and Anakitty exchanged glances, then all smiled at one another.
"Of course!" Tiona said energetically, no longer wearing a troubled expression. "Ais is our friend—our family. Whether she's a spirit or a human, that won't change!"
"Yeah!" Tione cracked her knuckles and gave a fierce grin. "I don't give a damn what those so-called Creatures or that Corrupted Spirit are scheming. If they wanna mess with someone from our familia, they're gonna have to get through me first."
"I don't know how much I can really do," Anakitty said quite earnestly. "But trying to harm my companions is the same as trying to harm me. Anyone like that—no matter what they are—I won't let them off."
Riezel smiled faintly and nodded at the three women, affirming their words without saying anything further.
Only then did they end the discussion and disperse.
He watched the three women leave, and after a short while, he turned around and began to walk forward.
When he reached a corner, however, he suddenly stopped.
"You heard it, didn't you?"
Without any clear reason, Riezel spoke these words aloud.
"You're not alone."
Leaving these words behind, Riezel departed on his own.
After some time had passed, a figure with softly swaying golden hair quietly appeared from the corner.
Who else could it be but Ais?
At this moment, she gazed at Riezel's retreating back, standing there in a daze for a long while, faint ripples slowly forming within her clear golden eyes.
"…Thank you."
After a long pause, Ais murmured, and a rare smile appeared on her usually expressionless face.
Outside the corridor, beneath the night sky, the full moon continued to quietly scatter its silvery frost, illuminating not only Twilight Manor but also the darkness within her heart.
===
Early the next morning, the Loki Familia finally began processing the spoils brought back from the expedition.
Raul and Anakitty took all of the magic stones to the Guild's exchange office to convert them into valis.
Gareth and Bete carried the drop items obtained from the Deep Floors to the Hephaestus Familia for delivery, and at the same time asked Tsubaki to repair Bete's metal boots, which had been damaged during the fight with the Demi Spirit.
Riveria, together with Lefiya, Alicia, and the other elves, went to evaluate materials such as minerals and herbs brought back from the 59th Floor.
Ais, Tiona, Tione, and the others went together to the Dian Cecht Familia to restock essential potions that had been consumed in the Dungeon.
As for Finn and Riezel, the two of them made a trip to the Dungeon.
"I found a treasure of unknown origin in the Dungeon. It might help make up for the familia's lack of funds."
Because of Riezel's words, Finn, the captain who had been worrying about the familia's financial situation, was immediately overjoyed. He quickly went to the Dungeon with Riezel, reached the 18th Floor, and dug out a treasure chest filled with gold and silver.
Naturally, this so-called treasure chest was Riezel's own handiwork.
He wanted to contribute to the familia, but he could not explain where he had obtained such a large amount of gold and silver.
As a result, he could only claim that he had accidentally discovered a treasure, possibly a relic left behind on the 18th Floor by a familia that had once fought in the Dungeon, or by heroes from ancient times, using that explanation to smooth things over.
Thankfully, the outcome was very smooth.
Although Finn felt puzzled by and concerned about the treasure's origin, he did not particularly doubt Riezel's words.
Riezel had even deliberately aged the treasure chest and the gold and silver inside it, making it obvious at a glance that they had been buried underground for a long time, which dispelled Finn's suspicions.
As for how he had done it, it could only be said that magic truly was omnipotent.
Aging the treasure had been accomplished with Tier Magic, while the chestful of gold and silver had been created using the Akasha Continent's Structure System Magic.
Thanks to that, the familia not only made it through a financial crisis, but also earned a substantial profit, causing Loki to jump for joy when she learned of it.
"Great! I don't have to cut back on my drinking money anymore!"
Sadly, the overexcited scoundrel goddess was later banned from drinking anyway, leaving her feeling deeply aggrieved.
Just like that, the Loki Familia spent an entire day handling the aftermath of the expedition, and on the day after everything was finally finished, Finn led a large group to East Main Street, where Monster Feria had once been held.
"So, this should be the place, right?"
Finn turned his head and looked at Riezel, Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya, asking the five of them for confirmation.
At this moment, they were on a street not far from Amphitheatron.
Now, however, there were relatively few pedestrians here, nothing like the overwhelming bustle of the Monster Feria on that day.
Why?
Simply because the surrounding area had been temporarily sealed off by the Guild.
At this moment, only staff of the Guild and members of the Ganesha Familia were allowed to come and go here, along with some unaffiliated construction workers carrying piles of tools as they moved earth and stone around.
On closer inspection, there was also a huge pit that led straight underground on this somewhat desolate street.
It was, unmistakably, the massive pit Riezel had created when he collapsed the street with Arcs Ray.
More than a month ago, he and the others had fought several Violas here, causing severe damage to the area.
Now, after more than a month had passed, the streets that had been wrecked by the battle were almost fully repaired. Only that massive pit still could not be dealt with, and so had been temporarily left as it was.
"Yeah, this is the place."
Riezel nodded and answered Finn's question.
"All those Violas popped up right here."
"They crawled out of the ground like a bunch of earthworms."
"E-Even the surrounding buildings were damaged."
"...Yes, this is it."
Tione, Tiona, Lefiya, and Ais spoke one after another, echoing Riezel's statement.
"Good."
After confirming this, Finn immediately issued his orders.
"Starting now, investigate this entire area. One group will remain on the surface, and one group will go underground. You must find the movement routes of those Violas. Not the slightest clue is to be overlooked."
""YES!""
Everyone responded at once and immediately moved into action.
===
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