DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario
"So, are you done pretending?" Violet asked in a playful tone.
After returning to the Dragon's Nest, the members of the Aislynn Familia separated so they could get cleaned up after their trip to the Dungeon earlier in the day. Tatsuo, James, Aletia, Akatsuki, and Zelretch returned to their own bedrooms to bathe, while Alfonzo and Elicia returned to their shared room to bathe and unwind in the way that a young married couple does. Meanwhile, Violet and Momo carried Sakura, who was still feigning unconsciousness, to her room.
However, when they were alone in the corridor, Violet spoke, causing Sakura's eyebrows to twitch and Momo to look at her in confusion.
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"Pretending?" Momo asked in a confused tone. "Are you saying that Sakura-San is pretending to be asleep?"
"That's right," Violet replied with a giggle. "I don't know how long she's been pretending, but I noticed it when we got to the villa's gate. And I think Tatsuo-Kun, James-San, Alfonzo-San, Lici-San, Zelretch-Dono, and Aislynn-Sama noticed as well."
Hearing that, Momo's eyes widened. Then, she turned her head to stare at Sakura while she and Violet continued carrying her toward her bedroom. After feeling Momo's intense stare for a few seconds, Sakura felt too awkward to continue pretending. So, she let out a sigh, straightened her posture, and separated from the two.
"You could have just taken me to my room and left me there first," Sakura said with a pout.
"But if I did that, I wouldn't have gotten to see that cute pout," Violet said while gently pinching Sakura's cheek.
"Hmph!" Sakura snorted as she swatted Violet's hand away.
"So, why did you pretend to be unconscious?" Momo asked curiously. "I was really worried, you know?"
"Sorry," Sakura said while lowering her head guiltily. "I didn't mean to make anyone worry. I just..."
"You just wanted Tatsuo-Kun to be the one to carry you to your room, right?" Violet said playfully. "No, you probably would have continued to pretend even then, right? Then, Tatsuo-Kun would have no choice but to help you take off your dirty clothes, take you to the bath, and help you wash. Then, while he was doing that, you would suddenly wake up, and... Well... I think we all know what comes next."
In response, Sakura, while blushing slightly, turned away from Violet's playful gaze. Meanwhile, Momo, who was much more sheltered than Sakura, blushed fiercely as she stared at Violet and Sakura alternately with her eyes wide open and her mouth agape.
Seeing the two's reactions, Violet laughed. In fact, she laughed so hard that she doubled over and tears came to her eyes.
*Bang!*
However, while Violet was laughing, Sakura's embarrassment eventually got the better of her, causing her to run away. Then, after opening her bedroom door and stepping inside, she slammed it shut, causing Violet to laugh even harder.
"Do... Do you really think she would have done that?" Momo asked while looking in the direction Sakura had run off.
"Oh, without a doubt," Violet replied with a shrug and a smile. "But that's natural, isn't it? I mean, she really loves him and wants to give him everything."
"But... They aren't even married yet," Momo said, her face reddening at a visible rate as scenes of Tatsuo and Sakura doing this and that ran through her mind. "It... It's not proper."
"You're so cute, Momo-Chan," Violet cooed as she threw an arm around the aspiring Hero's shoulders. "Anyway, we need to get cleaned up before dinner, too. Let's go to the big bath, and we can talk more."
"Talk about what?" Momo asked, her face practically glowing from her intense blush.
"Oh, you know..." Violet replied as she started pulling Momo toward the communal bath. "A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hehehe."
Though she still thought it was improper, Momo could not deny just how curious she was about Violet's probable topic of conversation. So, she did not resist as Violet pulled her toward the communal bath.
About half an hour later, James, Violet, Aletia, Akatsuki, Sakura, Zelretch, and Momo started trickling into the main hall of the Dragon's Nest. When they arrived, they saw Aislynn sitting there with a smile on her face. However, Tatsuo, Alfonzo, and Elicia were nowhere to be seen.
"Are you all feeling better after a nice bath?" Aislynn asked calmly.
"Yeah, a long, hot bath feels great after a day in the Dungeon," James said as he stretched before flopping down on one of the couches in the room.
"Where are Tatsuo-Kun, Alfonzo-San, and Elicia-San?" Momo asked curiously as she took a seat as well.
"Like you really have to ask about Alfonzo-San and Elicia-San," Akatsuki replied while rolling her eyes as she, too, took a seat. "They're doing what married couples do in their room."
"Hey, Akatsuki," James said, a genuine hint of curiosity in his tone. "Every other time something about sex comes up, you call whoever brought it up a pervert. But you never say that about Alfonzo and Lici. What's the deal with that?"
"Didn't I say it already?" Akatsuki asked while rolling her eyes for a second time. "They're a married couple. It's perfectly fine for married couples to do things like that."
"Old-fashioned," Aletia said bluntly as she sat down next to Violet. "No wonder you don't have a boyfriend."
Surprisingly, Akatsuki did not get angry at Aletia's comment. Though she did not like being mocked for being single, she was happier that Aletia did not say she was single because of her stature. Then again, Aletia's stature was even more diminutive than Akatsuki's, so if she had gone in that direction, she would have ended up slapping herself in the face.
"Anyway, Alfonzo and Elicia are still in their room," Aislynn said, confirming Akatsuki's guess. "As for Tatsuo, he's in the kitchen getting dinner ready."
Immediately upon hearing that, Sakura stood up and started walking toward the kitchen.
"I'll help Tatsuo-Kun," Sakura said without slowing down.
"I'll help, too," Violet said with a smile as she stood up and followed Sakura.
And just like that, the number of people in the main hall fell from eight to six.
"Well then, since we have some time to kill, perhaps we should get some of the Falna updates out of the way," Zelretch suggested.
"If that's what you want," Aislynn said with a shrug. "It's not like there's anything better to do."
"Yeah, she's right," James said while letting his head drop forward. "Sigh It's only been like ten days, and I already miss video games, manga, and anime."
"You know, you could start drawing manga yourself," Akatsuki said. "I mean, if you really miss them that much. Also, if there's anything like a printing press in this world, it could be another source of money for the Familia."
Hearing that, James' head shot up, and his eyes started shining.
"Akatsuki, are you a genius?" James asked with an excited smile spread across his face.
"Maybe," Akatsuki replied with a smug smile spreading across her face.
"Are we doing Falna updates or not?" Aislynn said as she stood up. "If so, meet me in my room, and we'll get it over with quickly. I don't want to be late for dinner."
"She's turned into a total foodie," James muttered as he watched Aislynn climb the stairs. "Then again, I can't really blame her. I mean, the shit Tatsuo and Alfonzo make is even
better than Grayfia's and Zest's cooking."
"Their cooking really is remarkable," Momo added with a nod. "They're better than any of the chefs my family employs as well."
"Well, you all can keep talking," Akatsuki said as she stood up. "I'll go first since no one else is moving."
And with that, Akatsuki started back up the stairs, making her way toward Aislynn's room.
Over the next two hours, James, Aletia, Zelretch, and Momo also got their Falna updated. These were the results.
Status
Name: Hanekura Shizuka
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I4 -> I28
Endurance: I4 -> I30
Dexterity: I10 -> I69
Agility: I11 -> I69
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Silent Step
-A Skill that allows the user to move in relative silence. Silence scales to Dexterity, while movement speed scales to Agility.
Status
Name: Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I4 -> I30
Endurance: I2 -> I15
Dexterity: I6 -> I44
Agility: I7 -> I50
Magic: I10 -> I75
-Magic-
Kaleidoscope
-Allows the user to create a passage glowing with kaleidoscopic colors to anywhere the user has been before. However, this spell cannot move between separate spaces.
-Chant: Pierce a hole to the Root and show me all of the world's mysteries. Kaleidoscope.
Jewel Magic
-Allows the user to seal magical energy into jewels or magic stones to cast one-time spells. Different jewels and the magic stones of different monsters have different effects.
-Chant: Chantless.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Yaoyorozu Momo
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I7 -> I61
Endurance: I8 -> I67
Dexterity: I7 -> I59
Agility: I8 -> I65
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Material Creation
-Using the lipids in the body, the user is able to create any inorganic materials or items they have sufficient knowledge of.
Status
Name: James Alaverus
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I6 -> I44
Endurance: I5 -> I33
Dexterity: I9 -> I75
Agility: I9 -> I77
Magic: I8 -> I56
-Magic-
Senbonzakura
-A bladed weapon in hand breaks down into a thousand cherry blossom-shaped blades that the user can control with their Mind. Movement speed, sharpness, and distance scale with Mind usage.
-Chant: Scatter, Senbonzakura.
Flash Step
-A movement spell that uses magical energy to bridge the gap between two points. Distance scales with Mind usage, while speed scales with the Agility Stat.
-Chant: Chantless.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Aletia Galdea Vesperitio Avatari
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I2 -> I11
Endurance: I2 -> I10
Dexterity: I4 -> I29
Agility: I5 -> I36
Magic: I11 -> I81
-Magic-
Dragon of the Five Elements
-Allows the user to conjure a dragon of one of the five elements—Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, or Wind—to attack a target. The size and power of the spell scale with the Magic Stat and Mind usage.
-Chant: Oh, [Insert Element Here], I beseech thee. Gather at my call and smite mine enemies. [Insert Element Here] Dragon.
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Super Regeneration
-As long as the user has remaining magic power and Mind, injuries will heal automatically.
After everyone finished, they sat at the dining room table and discussed their gains over the last six days in the Dungeon.
"Everyone grew at a pretty steady rate," James said while looking over all the Status sheets lined up on the table. "But damn, Momo, you grew more than everyone else."
"It's probably because of the long battle earlier today," Momo replied calmly. "I would imagine Tatsuo-Kun and Sakura-San will have similar increases in Attributes as well."
"Yes, I would imagine that irregular situations cause more growth than regular hunting," Zelretch said while stroking his beard.
"You're all going to pull ahead," Aletia said with a slight pout.
"I'd rather grow at a steady rate if it meant facing fewer situations like that," Momo said solemnly. "By the time we were done, everyone was exhausted. Sakura-San even passed out from Mind Down."
"That probably has something to do with the fact that she keeps [Kage Sosa] active all the time, though," Akatsuki pointed out. "Then again, it is a really good early warning system. But still, she should probably hold back more."
"Hold back on what?"
Hearing that bubbly voice, everyone turned toward the dining room's entrance. When they did, they saw Alfonzo and Elicia entering the dining room hand in hand. On top of that, Elicia was smiling brightly, which was not out of the ordinary. However, it also looked like she was glowing and thoroughly satisfied.
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"You must have really put it down, Alfonzo," James said with a smirk while holding up a fist to Alfonzo. "I mean, look at the smile on Lici's face. She could light up the entire street outside the villa."
"Pervert," Akatsuki muttered.
Hearing James' comment and seeing the expressions on everyone's faces—Zelretch smiling in a way that all men would understand, Momo blushing furiously, Akatsuki trying to hide her own slight blush, Aletia looking toward the kitchen longingly, and Aislynn covering her giggles with one hand—Alfonzo smiled proudly as he approached the table and bumped fists with James.
"If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it well," Alfonzo said smugly.
"Yeah, and he was definitely doin' it, doin' it, doin' it well," Elicia added rhythmically. "Anyway, what were you guys talking about? Oh! You got your Statuses updated!"
As she spoke, Elicia noticed the Status sheets spread across the table. Then, she let go of Alfonzo's hand, skipped around the table, and read them one by one. Alfonzo, on the other hand, began reading them more calmly.
"Ooh! Momo got a lot of points!" Elicia cheered after looking over all the Status sheets.
Then, Elicia pounced on Momo and wrapped her in a tight hug, causing the aspiring Hero to smile awkwardly.
"Everyone grew a lot," Alfonzo said shortly afterward.
"I wanna see Tatsuo's update," James said. "I bet his was something stupid... Damn main character..."
"Jealousy isn't a good look on you."
"Say that when you lose that main character skill," James said sharply as he turned toward the entrance to the kitchen.
Like James, everyone turned toward the kitchen after hearing that voice. And just as expected, they saw Tatsuo, Violet, and Sakura carrying platters filled with food, plates, cutlery, glasses, and a pitcher of juice.
"Don't blame me for being the shit," Tatsuo said smugly. "I didn't ask to be like this. Sigh You have no idea how hard it is to be this amazing."
In unison, James, Elicia, Akatsuki, and Momo rolled their eyes. Meanwhile, Alfonzo started laughing loudly, while Aislynn and Zelretch smiled at Tatsuo's youthful exuberance. As for Violet, Aletia, and Sakura, they smiled at Tatsuo dotingly.
"Anyway, let's eat before the food gets cold," Tatsuo said as his smile turned triumphant. "After we eat, I wanna get my Status updated, too."
"Any plans for the day off?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"I'm gonna use the forge," Tatsuo said. "After going into the Dungeon for a week, I've realized that our plain iron weapons aren't gonna cut it for much longer."
"That's not a bad idea," Alfonzo added. "We'll definitely need stronger weapons when we go deeper."
"I just wish it wasn't such a hassle to carry so many weapons," Tatsuo said in an aggrieved tone. "I miss being able to pull out any weapon I want from my [Inventory] or use [Projection Magecraft]. Maybe I can use my [Magic Circle Creation] to make something like a storage ring. Then, I can switch weapons whenever I want."
Hearing that, James', Elicia's, Violet's, Aletia's, Akatsuki's, Sakura's, Zelretch's, and Momo's eyes lit up. Meanwhile, Alfonzo nodded along with Tatsuo's idea.
"In theory, it should be possible," Aislynn said while cupping her chin with a contemplative expression. "But you'll probably need the Mystery Development Ability to do it."
"Seriously?" Tatsuo asked with a frown. "Damn... Now I'm gonna have to study the language of the gods on top of doing all that damn Familia paperwork."