Waking up felt like regaining feeling in a dead leg. First—a dull emptiness, then—a sharp, tingling wave rolling from his heels to the crown of his head. His body ached, his muscles felt like twisted ropes, but it was a living pain. Not the agony of death.
Rane opened his eyes.
His first thought hit him like a reflex: Bell.
He flinched, ready to jump up, ignoring the protest of his ligaments, but immediately froze. Right by the bed, curled up in an uncomfortable position on a chair with his head resting on the edge of the mattress, the boy was sleeping. His face was pale, shadows lay beneath his eyes, but his chest rose and fell evenly.
Rane exhaled, slowly sinking back onto the pillows.
"That was close..."
He allowed himself a second of weakness, closing his eyes. A quick mental check of his own body surprised him. The fractures had knitted together, the torn muscles had restored their integrity, even if they responded with a pulling ache at every movement. The magic of this world truly worked wonders inaccessible to the medicine of his past life. If one didn't know that a couple of hours ago he was coughing up pieces of his lungs onto the dungeon floor, they might think he had just overtrained.
The rustle of the sheets made Bell flinch. The boy snapped his head up, blinking sleep-filled eyes. When his gaze focused on Rane's face, his sleepiness vanished like it was blown away by the wind.
"Morning," Rane tried to smirk, though the skin on his face felt like parchment.
Bell froze. His lips trembled, and moisture instantly gathered in the corners of his eyes.
"Rane..."
"Hey, don't start..."
He didn't get to finish. Bell clenched his fists on his knees until his knuckles turned white, and lowering his head, began to speak. His voice was breaking.
"Forgive me! It's my fault... I panicked. Because of my weakness. If I had been stronger... If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have had to... You almost died because of me! If it wasn't for the Loki Familia... I'm just a burden..."
The stream of self-flagellation poured out in an endless river. Bell spared no epithets, dragging himself through the mud. Tears dripped onto the expensive carpets.
Rane stayed silent. He didn't interrupt, letting the boy spew out this poison, only sparing a brief thought for their saviors. He just stared at the ceiling, listening to the sniffles, and waited. When silence finally hung in the room, broken only by the sniffling of a nose, Rane shifted his gaze to the window, where a patch of blue sky was visible.
"You know, I have no idea how we even managed to beat that thing," he said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "Remembering that feeling... it was certain death."
Bell perked up, raising his tear-stained face:
"But you could! You wounded it! If I hadn't gotten in the way... if I had at least distracted it properly, you would have..."
"I would have died," Rane cut him off coldly.
Bell choked on air.
"Let's face the truth," Rane turned his head, looking straight into his partner's red eyes. "I only distracted it. If the Loki Familia hadn't arrived in time, we'd both be decorating the floor of the fifth level right now."
Bell flinched. Rane continued, ruthlessly dissecting the situation:
"Maybe without you, I would have been in slightly better shape. Maybe I would have landed a couple more hits. Or maybe it would have just smeared me with its first swing, not distracted by you. Guessing 'what if' is for idiots. We survived. And that's enough."
Bell opened his mouth, preparing to argue, to start up his broken record about his uselessness again, but Rane pushed himself up on his elbows with effort, and his gaze became as heavy as a tombstone.
"Listen here. I didn't save your hide just to listen to your whining now. You're alive. I'm alive. Stop sniveling."
He paused, watching Bell struggle with his emotions.
"I still haven't heard what you were supposed to say instead of all this nonsense."
Bell froze. He looked at Rane, absorbing the harshness of his words, and gradually, realization broke through the veil of guilt. He sniffled, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and finally looked straight at his friend. Without self-pity.
"Thank you, Rane."
The old man in a youth's body chuckled, falling back onto the pillow.
"Now we're even."
Outside the door, leaning his back against the cool wall of the corridor, stood Finn. Hearing those last words, the small Pallum smiled faintly, shook his head, and soundlessly vanished into the shadows of the hallway.
***
"Magic is really incredible, huh?" Bell muttered, casting apprehensive side-glances at his partner walking beside him.
Rane walked with a steady step, albeit a bit slower than usual. He squared his shoulders, stretching his stiff body.
"That's an understatement. I feel like I've been chewed up and spit out, but I'll live."
The corridor led them into a spacious gallery overlooking the front courtyard. Rane stopped, looking down.
A crowd was seething at the manor's massive gates. Dozens, if not hundreds of people—humans, dwarves, beastmen—were gathered at the entrance, undergoing strict inspection by the guards.
"Open house?" Rane guessed.
"Almost guessed it!" a ringing, cheerful voice rang out right behind them.
They turned around. Two Amazons were approaching them.
Telling them apart wasn't difficult, despite their obvious relation. One had long black hair, an ample chest, and an aura of mature, predatory femininity. The second had a short haircut, an almost complete lack of curves, but with such frantic energy in her eyes that it seemed she was about to start bouncing in place.
"Today is the official Familia recruitment!" the younger one beamed, winking. "My name is Tiona! And this is my sister, Tione."
"We're glad to see you've come to," Tione nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. Her gaze was evaluating, but not hostile. "To be honest, I didn't think I'd see you on your feet this soon. You looked awful."
Rane smiled—that same "adult" smile that clashed so much with his youthful face.
"Well, that's roughly how I feel. I'm Rane," he nodded to the beauties who had appeared. "And, you know, maybe meeting the Minotaur wasn't such a bad idea. If the reward for it was meeting such beauties—I'm ready to do it again."
Tiona let out a ringing laugh, blushing slightly, while Tione raised an eyebrow in surprise, though the corners of her lips twitched.
"What a flatterer," the older Amazon snorted. "And I thought you were going to drag our names through the mud. After all, it's our fault the monster broke loose. We almost sent you to the next world."
"Getting mad at one of the strongest Familias in Orario?" Rane shrugged, maintaining his composure. "A waste of nerves. What happened, happened. What's the point of holding a grudge?"
Tione looked at him for a couple of seconds, as if trying to find the catch. Finding none, she sighed heavily:
"A-a-alright. You're a weird one. Our captain wanted to see you. Come on, I'll show you the way."
She turned and strode forward, her hips swaying in time with her steps.
"She didn't want to let you see him at all!" Tiona giggled, falling into step beside Bell and Rane. "She thought you'd whine and demand compensation. And take up her precious captain's time."
"Shut up, idiot!" barked Tione from ahead, without turning around.
"You're the idiot!" Tiona stuck her tongue out at her and laughed again, nudging Bell with her elbow. "Don't mind her, she's just mad because the captain is using her as an errand girl."
The walk to the office passed to the accompaniment of the sisters' bickering and Bell's embarrassed silence.
The captain's office turned out to be spacious, flooded with light from a huge window. Behind a massive desk piled high with maps and reports sat that very same Pallum.
Finn Deimne.
Rane had never seen him in person, but failing to recognize this figure was impossible. His short stature was compensated by his gaze—calm, piercing, and not at all matching his childish appearance.
"Come in, have a seat," Finn smiled affably, pointing to the chairs. "I'm genuinely glad you recovered so quickly, Rane."
"I am also genuinely grateful for your care and our rescue," Rane nodded politely, sitting down. "Without your help, we wouldn't have pulled through."
"How are you feeling?"
"Crappy. But a couple of days, a hearty meal—and I'll be as good as new."
Finn chuckled in amusement.
"Glad to hear it. As the captain of the Loki Familia, I would like to officially apologize once more for..."
"Could we skip that?" Rane interrupted him softly but firmly, wincing slightly. "Honestly, I'm tired of hearing apologies. The incident is resolved."
Finn froze for a second, then his smile grew a bit wider.
"Alright. Accepted."
He laced his fingers together and looked at Rane with a different gaze. The polite societal veneer vanished, giving way to businesslike interest.
"Then I have a question. Descending that deep without a Falna is suicide. Why risk it like that? Wouldn't it be safer to join a Familia, since otherwise there won't be a second chance."
Tione and Tiona, standing by the doors, pricked up their ears as well.
Rane leaned back in his chair. He understood that any heroic pathos here would sound fake.
"Well..." Rane scratched his cheek thoughtfully, looking at the ceiling. "Probably just simple curiosity. I was curious to see how far I could go. Without divine power. With exactly what I have right now."
Silence hung in the office. Bell stared at his friend, his mouth agape. The Amazons exchanged glances.
"Although," Rane added, smirking crookedly and rubbing his neck, "it's probably stupid hearing that from a guy who almost got smeared across a wall, huh?"
Finn laughed. Genuinely, brightly.
"That is a worthy answer."
The captain stopped laughing, and his gaze became as sharp as a spear.
"The Loki Familia does not forget its debts. But it's not just about debt. I see potential. In both of you." Finn paused, giving his words weight. "I want to invite you to join our Familia."
"Eh?!" Bell jumped in his chair.
Tione nodded approvingly:
"Finn doesn't make mistakes. If he decided so, it means you're worth something. I'll put in a good word with Loki."
"Yeah! It'll be fun with you guys!" Tiona chimed in.
Finn smiled:
"Of course, the final decision lies with the Goddess, but my recommendation practically guarantees admission. Do you agree?"
Rane looked at the dumbfounded Bell. Delight mixed with disbelief could be read in the boy's eyes. A "golden ticket" into one of the strongest factions in the world. The dream of any rookie.
Rane shifted his gaze back to Finn.
"I would like to think about it for a bit and look around. Also, I have a small request."
"And what is it?" Finn raised an eyebrow.
Rane nodded toward the window, where the crowd of applicants buzzed below.
"I want Bell to go through the general selection. Just like all the other candidates down there."
"What?!" Bell gasped, looking at his friend like he was crazy.
"Huh?" Tiona blinked in surprise.
Rane calmly met Finn's surprised gaze. He had no intention of giving Bell an easy way out. A hero shouldn't receive power as a handout for suffering. He had to take it. And past events had absolutely nothing to do with it...
"Since it just so happens that recruitment is today... Let him show what he's capable of."
Finn slowly, with interest, looked at the pale Bell, and then back at Rane. Amused sparks danced in the Pallum's eyes.
"Interesting... Why not!"