It was one of the regular evenings, and I was just lying on one of the sofas in the main hall of Astraea familia. Reading a storybook about heroes that Ardee gave me.
Man, heroes are so cool… I can understand why this world yearns for heroes, even more than my former one. They shine so brightly, it's almost blinding.
"How long are you going to laze around? You waste of space." Kaguya's snarky voice made me stop reading. I looked at her, and she appeared upside down in my vision, since she was standing behind me, and I had to bend my head to see her.
She was wearing her usual red kimono, her eyebrow arched in discontent.
"I am not a waste of space, I am worth 200 million Valis, and just so you know, that's their assessment and not mine," I told her, even if that bounty didn't cover half of my weapons cost and signifies that I am worth less than my weapons. I am not going to let her have the satisfaction of mocking me.
"Comparing your worth with a bounty is so pathetic."
"Says the one who doesn't have any." I sit up straight, book still in my hands.
"Well, well, let's calm down, both of you. Besides Arin, weren't you planning on taking on Goliath to get some extra Excelia before you level up?" Seeing me getting ready to destroy Kaguya's pride once more, Alise decided to interrupt us.
"Yeah, that was the plan, but I don't think all of us can go down to the 18th floor, since the city rebuilding is still going on."
Although the original plan was to take the Goliath as a challenge alone for me to level up from 2 to 3, that plan was scrapped because of Evilius's attack. So now that all my stats are in the S or SS category, I was thinking of using Goliath to farm some more Excelia. I don't think I can cap out my stats limit, but it would still give me some level of Excelia boost.
"He-hem, Arin, you seem to forget that now we, in Astraea Familia, are all level 5s and 4s. All of us don't needs to go." Said Alise with her usual smugness.
"Hmm… how about Alise and I go with you, Arin-san?" Ryuu, sitting near me, spoke.
"Yes, that will be good enough for us to make a quick trip down to the 17th floor." I mean, putting me, who is a pseudo level 5, aside, both Alise and Ryuu are stronger than their level suggests, especially with their magic 'Agaris Alvesynth'.
"I will also come with you." Surprisingly, the fourth person who wished to join us was Kaguya herself.
"Hehe." Laughed Lyra, "What Kaguya? If you are worried about Arin's safety, you should just say so.
"I am not worried about him, but I am worried about this useless Pixie and captain; they have a habit of jumping straight into trouble." Kaguya scoffed at Lyra.
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Cried Ryuu.
"What are you talking about, Kaguya?" Said Alise. "There is no way something like that can be true for my beautiful, perfect self he-hem!"
"Haa…" Seeing both their behaviour, Lyra sighed. "You are right, Kaguya; someone needs to look after them."
"Lyra!!" Ryuu's loud voice was ignored as Lyra made her way back towards her room.
"So? Should we leave now?" I asked, to which they nodded and started preparing.
.
.
.
.
.
It was not that difficult for us to get down to the 17th floor.
"So, the goliath is already waiting for us down there, huh?" We were on the 16th floor, walking towards the entrance to the 17th floor, when I asked.
"Yes, all the high-ranking adventurers had been busy, though now they will also start diving in the dungeon, again, since all the cleanup has been completed," Ryuu explained as we defeated any monster that came out our way.
"Makes sense, I guess," I replied, observing how the dungeon felt completely different than what it felt when Delphyne was making its way through the dungeon previously.
Though it would be more correct to say, the dungeon has become normal again.
As we neared the entrance to the 17th floor, we encountered a group of minotours.
"Arin, leave them to us. You should conserve as much energy as you can," suggested Alise, and sprinting towards the minotours at the front, with Kaguya and Ryuu following closely behind her.
I watched as they quite literally massacred the group of minotaurs.
Kaguya, with her far eastern swordsmanship, decapitated two minotaurs at once, and Ryuu, with her wind-like grace and elegance, glided through the group, defeating several of them at once. While Alise, with her superior strength, overpowered every one of her opponents, it was not just brute strength; her techniques were extremely refined.
Before long, there were just magic stones scattered throughout the floor.
"He-hem, being a level 5 makes things so easy, though my beautiful and perfect self wouldn't have had any trouble with opponents of this level before either." Alise sheathed her rapier and spoke with narcissism seeping into her every word.
"That may be the case, Alise, but we should not get overconfident with our strength," Ryuu warned Alise.
"Of course, Lion. I was just stating an observation." Alise replied.
"But you're right, Captain, once we start our expeditions again, we will be able to go deeper in the dungeon than ever before." Stated Kaguya, checking her katana before sheathing it.
"Expedition, huh? It would be interesting for sure." I said, we started making our way down to the 17th floor.
I wonder what lies at the deepest floor of the dungeon.
I thought my curiosity was getting the better of me.
"Arin, you ready?" Alise's voice brought me out of my thoughts.
"Yup, ready as ever," I answered.
"Arin-san, good luck," cheered Ryuu.
"Just go and defeat it already, we don't have all day." Commented Kaguya.
Here goes nothing, I thought, and started making my way towards the Goliath, which was just roaming the 17th floor like an NPC. As I got slightly closer, it noticed me, and…
"GAAAAAHHHHAAAA!!"
It let out a deafening roar. I remember the first time I heard that roar, I was unable to move for a moment, but now, after seeing and hearing the roar Delphyne made, it just feels irritating in comparison.
The roar stopped, and the Golaith charged at me, its big legs like the trunk of a massive tree, providing a very fast speed. Before long, it was in front of me, bringing its fist down in an attempt to make a meatpaste out of me.
I took a big jump to the side, as a big crater formed in the place where I was standing just a moment before. For a split second, I wanted to check if I could bear the weight of its fist, but my instinct told me that would not be a good idea, and seeing the crater, it looked like dodging was the right option.
I might have been able to take that strike, but it wouldn't have been worth it.
The goliath, instead of raising its fist, slides its hand across the floor. Instead of jumping or dodging the attack, I latched onto its arm. After its movement was completed, the arm was raised high in the air, a perfect position for me to jump towards its face.
As I started falling towards its face, I brought my sword out and drove it straight into its right eye.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The beast howled in pain, its other hand coming toward me in a motion like the goliath was trying to kill a mosquito. I jumped down as the slap connected to its own face. With my magic activated, it was not that difficult for me to dodge its attacks.
"Why does it feel like Arin is bullying the goliath…?" Said Alise as she observed from a little distance.
"Because he is, I already told you, He is not what he looks like, he is a sick pervert taking pleasure in other suffering!" Kaguya spoke in a loud voice, clearly trying to make fun of me.
"Kaguya! Arin-san is not like that! He is a respectable human being!" Ryuu tried to defend me.
But I didn't have the time to retort, since the goliath started to go into a frenzy, waving its arm around, stomping its feet.
Seeing that, I decided to finish the battle as it would be pointless to continue it further.
"Agni O." I summoned my blue flames, shaping them in the shape of arrows, and hurled them towards the goliath.
BOOOOMMM!!!
"GAAAAAHHHH!!!"
The flames did their work, the goliath started to collapse, only to support itself by its hands, its skin was burned all over. I decided to end it swiftly, not intending to prolong its suffering. I sprinted towards the goliath, running up its back, and stood over its neck.
I sheathed my sword to use the move I was refining with Kaguya's help.
"Matataki!" My sword was released from the sheath at a speed that was never reached before, but this time there was no sound, not even the air being cut; it was silent. My sword travelled in an arc, cutting the Goliath's head clean off.
BUUUSSHHH….!
The large frame of Goliath turned into ashes, leaving behind the big magic stone.
"You did it, Arin-san!" I heard Ryuu's excited voice and looked up to see all three of them walking towards me.
Your Iai technique has become passable." Said Kaguya with a neutral tone, but I could tell she was smiling behind that scruff of her kimono that hides her face.
"Congratulations, Arin! You looked so cool back there!" comes Alise with her usual cheery voice.
"Thanks for the compliment, everyone. You girls helped me a lot, defeating all the monsters on our way here."
"Nah, nah, thing nothing of it. Now let's get back. We need to get these magic stones exchanged at the guild."
"Yup, we should get going, it must be around evening now," I said, as we dragged the magic stone back with us.
Reaching the surface was slightly tougher than making our way down, mainly because of the huge stone.
As we exited the tower, I could see that the sky was starting to turn a slight orange color.
"Ah! Everyone, do you mind exchanging the magic stone without me? I need to pick up my sword that I commissioned from Hephaestus Familia store." Ryuu's words stopped us in our tracks, and I remember she had given the branch of the sacred tree that Ardee retrieved from one of the bases of Evilius to be remade to be a proper weapon.
"He-hem."
Alise looked at Ryuu once and then looked at me and gave a smirk…?
"Sure, Ryuu, rather Arin, you should also go with her," Alise suggested.
"Wait, Alise, Arin-san doesn't have to trouble himself with it. He must also be tired from his battle earlier." Ryuu argued.
"It's fine, isn't Arin?" Alise asked me, giving a wink.
"Yes, Ryuu, I am not that tired. I can accompany you, or… do you not want me to go with you?" I asked her.
"N-No, Arin-san, I would be happy if you came with me," Ryuu said, and blushed slightly.
"Let's go then. See you later, Alise, Kaguya."
After that, we made our way to Hesphasteus familia, doing some chit chat along the way.
"And then Lyra said, knowing how to keep a poker face, it is very important."
"Haha, I don't think she is particularly wrong, though; it is an important skill to have, after all."
"I agree with you, but the way she explains it is just like how a con artist would do." Said Ryuu, shaking her head, her long, soft, beautiful, blonde hair fluttering this way and that with her motions behind her.
"Hm? Arin-san, is something wrong?" It seems I stared at her for a little too long.
"Nothing, just your hair is so beautiful and soft," I told her honestly.
"Re-Really? I think your hair is also very soft and fluffy," she said, her hand petting my hair. I didn't call her out on that, since she seems to be doing it unconsciously. But it looks like she realised it and brought her hand back to her side.
"Thanks for the compliment, but I like your hair more; mine is just dull black hair, you can find anywhere." Nothing like her shining blonde one.
Ryuu abruptly stopped in her tracks, pulling my hand to stop me as well. She was wearing a very serious expression as she spoke.
"You have a very bad habit of belittling yourself. I will say it again, you are a human worthy of my respect. Please do not ignore my opinion, I don't say it to just anyone." Her eyes were shining, filled with determination as she spoke.
I remember being told the very same thing by the others as well.
Does that how I looked to them?
A person who belittles himself?
I thought I came across as a pretty confident, self-aware, and even slightly narcissistic.
"Um. Sorry, Ryuu, I will be careful." I said, still not understanding it.
"Please do, it would be such a waste if you hold yourself back because of some small issues," she replied, and we started walking again.
Belittling myself, huh?
I need to think more about it.
I thought, as I didn't want to appear as someone with self-esteem issues, especially to them.
After that, we got back to our normal chit-chatting, sometimes just enjoying the silence that settles between us, as we made our way to Hephasteus's familia shops.