"This is the first lesson I'm going to teach you, Alise."
"The Dungeon is extremely dangerous. Even if it's only the first floor, the moment you step inside, you've already entered danger."
"Never treat adventuring the way you treat daily life. If you do, you will lose your life."
Elise's serious tone snapped Alise back to her senses. She truly had been too careless just now, allowing a monster to circle behind her.
If Elise hadn't been by her side, she might already have been attacked.
Alise also understood her current situation. Although her strength might have improved somewhat, her attitude toward adventuring had not yet changed.
She had always believed that so-called adventures were just like the stories in heroic legends—simple, filled with the shadow of myth.
But reality told her otherwise.
Adventuring was not fun, nor was it easy.
Instead, it overflowed with danger.
It was completely different from what she had imagined!
"Alise, have you truly prepared yourself to become an adventurer?"
"Yes, I am prepared!"
"Whether it's adventure or justice, I want both! And I'll do better than anyone else!"
Faced with Elise's question, Alise became extremely serious.
She had come to Orario to realize her dreams!
To adventure here, to encounter companions, to explore the unknown, to grow stronger, to become famous throughout the world!
And the decision she had just made after joining the Familia—justice!
Boring? Exhausting?
How could those things possibly stop her from chasing her dreams?
Was Alise naive?
Very naive.
Countless adventurers had been struck down by the monster known as "reality," changing from chasing dreams to simply earning valis to get by.
She still clung to the idea of fulfilling her dreams. That was naivety in its purest form.
But...
Elise was happy!
It was precisely because people who believed in dreams still existed that legends would never end!
Wasn't the protagonist of this world, Bell, the same?
He had always believed in encounters within the Dungeon.
A person's dreams would never end...
Wasn't that right?
To belong to the same Familia as someone like that—surely the future would never be boring.
"You're actually pretty good."
"Hmph! Of course I am!" Alise accepted Elise's praise without hesitation. "I'm a super beautiful girl of the flame type! How could those things possibly defeat me?"
"But you're still too weak."
Hearing Alise's self-admiring words, Elise mercilessly struck her down with a blunt remark. In any case, it didn't hurt her at all.
"Uh, that can't be helped. I'm only Level 1, after all. But I'll definitely grow stronger in the future. Our Familia will stand at the top of the world, and everyone will know our names!"
"I agree with the last part. So... when we get back, I'll be adding extra training for you. We'll aim to make you stronger as soon as possible."
"Don't say something like that!"
In the end, their conversation once again turned into playful banter. Perhaps that was Alise's talent.
For the remainder of their time, Alise followed behind Elise as a supporter, occasionally picking up the magic stones that fell to the ground.
Elise did not take Alise to the deeper floors. Instead, she wandered within the range of the first five floors. Whenever she encountered monsters, she would draw her holy sword and engage them in combat.
Yes—engage.
Elise did not use overwhelming power. Instead, she adjusted her speed and strength to roughly match Alise's level.
That way, even from behind, Alise could clearly see her movements. In the future, when facing various monsters, she would have a greater chance of survival.
Tomorrow, I'll let Alise try exploring the Dungeon on her own a little. With her strength, the first five floors shouldn't be a problem—as long as she doesn't mess up...
"That's enough for today. Let's hurry back to the Familia. Astraea should already be preparing dinner and waiting for us."
"Yay!"
Within the Astraea Familia, there were only two things that had left a deep impression on Alise.
The first was Elise's special training...
It was simply hell!
Even if she couldn't run anymore, she had to keep running. Even if she collapsed from exhaustion, she still had to endure being beaten. Even when her magic and mental strength were completely drained, she was forced to continue casting spells!
Injured?
Unconscious?
Don't worry. With a full purification and healing package, she would be restored to full health and consciousness in an instant.
After that... let's continue!
If this method were used for training in another Familia, someone would be crippled within days. Only Elise dared to do something like this.
And so, the two of them began their journey back to Orario.
However, at that moment, something unexpected happened.
Of course, this "unexpected" event did not refer to any sort of crisis. Instead, it was the sound of discordant voices drifting from the distance, causing both Elise and Alise to frown.
"You've had a pretty good haul today. Why don't you take it out and let us have a look?"
"Hiding a whole bag full, huh? Not bad at all!"
"Yeah, yeah! We seniors didn't run into any monsters, but you were lucky enough to do so well. Shouldn't you share some with us?"
Judging by the voices, it sounded like several adventurers were robbing someone. Elise, however, could clearly perceive the situation.
Five people were surrounding a single adventurer.
That adventurer's body was covered in wounds. There was more than one cut across his face, and blood was still flowing.
Yet the bulging pouch at his waist clearly showed just how fruitful his harvest had been today.
The five adventurers, on the other hand, were completely uninjured. From their tone, this clearly wasn't their first time doing something like this.
Almost instantly, Alise understood what was happening and prepared to rush forward to help the adventurer—but Elise stopped her.
"Having the heart to help others is commendable. But with your current strength, you may not be a match for those five."
Elise raised a finger. Points of starlight gradually emerged, wrapping around Alise's body.
Very quickly, Alise became semi-transparent. If one didn't look closely, she was almost impossible to notice.
Even Alise herself stared at the sight in shock. She hadn't expected her captain to possess such an ability.
How convenient!
"This is another common occurrence in the Dungeon. Aside from monsters, there is another kind of danger—the threat that comes from other people."
"In unseen places, there are always temptations, traps, robbery, and slaughter. The methods adventurers use are often far more insidious than those of monsters."
Elise's voice reached her ears, and Alise immediately turned to look at her.
"This ability can make you transparent, but remember, it isn't perfect. If someone looks carefully enough, they can still see you."
"We are a righteous Familia. When we encounter something like this, we cannot simply ignore it."
"Let me see how you resolve this situation, Alise."