"That's how we ended up working together."
"Then after that, we started bickering over costs and production details, and that's how things ended up the way they are now."
"Well, honestly, the problem was mostly the latter. I only ever took on stuff that got rejected by Gubnew Familia. Your quality is definitely better, One-Eye, but the time it takes is the issue, so of course I'd end up going to Gubnew first. Reflect on that, One-Eye."
"That's because that side is a collaboration, and I'm doing my work alone, personally, without anyone else. And since the topic's come up, let me be blunt, Magus—you have terrible taste."
"You've had plenty of interesting things over the years, but there were also more than a few bizarre ones that completely wrecked the balance of the weapons.
Even setting practicality aside, some of those things simply couldn't be made that way. You should have at least considered the person actually making them.
What the hell even is that triple-spiral sword? No, wait—was that even a sword to begin with? No matter how I look at it, it just seems like some weird club.
And then later you had me weave a cloak, make accessories, do this, do that, and on and on. How many demands can one person make? I'm a blacksmith!"
"Shut up, One-Eye. All of those things are my romance. As if I'd ever make some cowardly compromise with filthy reality."
"That same old 'romance' you always go on about. And yet when it comes to costs, you're disgustingly realistic in the most cowardly way possible."
"That's one thing, and this is another."
"Sure, whatever."
Maybe it was because we were talking about the old days after so long.
Tsubaki was unusually full of complaints today.
For me, it was one of the black histories I'd very much like to forget.
No matter how angry I'd been, I really shouldn't have acted so childish.
Let's reflect on that, this body.
Still, in that regard, I really don't seem to mesh with the people of this world at all.
Even something like a naming ceremony proves that much.
No matter how much of it is just cultural differences... well, what can you do?
As long as it isn't me, that's enough.
By the way, nobody still knows that the hooded white guy from back then was me, or that I was the one who lured the monsters into the city, right?
I did retrieve the sword with the rock still attached to it, just in case someone found out.
Though Tsubaki did look at me a little suspiciously about it once before.
But since she hasn't said anything since then, it seems she's just decided to bury it in her own heart.
For me, that was truly a relief.
Setting aside the trouble I went through back then, if this ever got out to other people, I'd never hear the end of it.
Anything that might turn into gossip, especially among the gods, is an absolute no from me.
So this is the kind of story I'll take to my grave.
I'm definitely not the bad guy here.
"Hmmm~ Sooo~ that's how it is~ You two had that kind of relationship~"
"Tiona?"
Then, the atmosphere around Tiona, who had been listening to our conversation from the side, suddenly turned strange.
Why did her eyes look dead... again?!
I still don't know exactly what's going on, but please, can you blacken out at a reasonable pace now?
At the very least, couldn't you turn it on and off like Saber by yanking out an antenna or something?
"Hmm? Oho~? I see, so that's how it is?"
"What's with that sleazy pervert old-man face... no, more like Hermes one second before he starts making a move?"
"Putting aside whatever that comparison was supposed to mean. You really are completely oblivious in this area, Magus. Or are you deliberately pretending not to notice?"
"This area? What are you talking about?"
Tsubaki ignored my confusion and suddenly walked over to Tiona.
But wasn't she in a pretty dangerous state right now...? Was it really okay to approach her so casually?
Wasn't that a little risky?
My worries proved pointless, however, as the two of them pressed their faces close together and began whispering in low voices, having some secret conversation before soon parting ways.
What was strange was that Tiona, whose eyes had been dead just moments ago, was now smiling brightly with a face that had returned to normal... no, even brighter than usual.
What kind of magic did Tsubaki just use?
Did she maybe soothe her with some future blacksmith service or something?
Girls' talk really is impossible to understand.
"Hahaha, do your best, both of you! Well then, I'm busy, so excuse me~"
"What was that about?"
With that, Tsubaki left, and the two of us were alone again.
"What did you two talk about to make you like that?"
"N-no! Nothing! It was nothing!"
"No, if it was nothing, then fine. Why are you so flustered?"
"A-ah, geez! I said it was nothing! More importantly, everyone's busy right now, so let's finish saying hello quickly! Ahh, so busy, so busy!"
But because Tiona was so oddly flustered by my questioning, the atmosphere never quite returned to how it had been before.
It was a little... no, quite suspicious, but I decided it wasn't worth worrying about too much, so I didn't press the matter any further.
Instead, my eyes were drawn to some interesting connections.
"That elf over there?"
While Tiona was still out of it, I took the opportunity to walk over to them.
Where I headed was where two beautiful and cute elf girls I'd met before were talking to each other.
For now, this younger-looking girl was Loki Familia's "Thousand Elf."
"Hello. You're Lefiya, right? We met before on the 24th Floor..."
"Who... ah, that human mage from back then?"
"More precisely, I'm a Magus. Please call me that. And I'm honored you remembered me. I was in your debt in many ways back then."
"No, I should be the one saying that. ...But what brings you here?"
"I suppose you haven't heard yet. Thanks to Tiona's recommendation, I'll be joining this expedition to the Deep Floors as well. We'll be moving together for a while, so I came to greet you and say that, along with what happened last time, I'll be in your care this expedition too."
"Ah, yes. I-I'll be in your care too."
Good, that was a light greeting.
Now then, it was the other one's turn.
From what I'd heard before, this black-haired girl was supposedly Dionysus Familia's "Maenad."
Though she seemed more famous as a "Banshee."
I pretended not to know that and asked Lefiya to introduce her.
"By the way, who's this elf lady? I believe I was also indebted to her back then. Could I ask for a brief introduction?"
"S-she's Firvis. She's from a different branch of Dionysus Familia than us. Firvis, this person here is the human mage from the 24th Floor back then... I mean, the Magus. He came to thank you for helping him."
At Lefiya's introduction, Firvis's indifferent crimson eyes swept over me.
Her cold reaction made it obvious she had no interest or curiosity in me at all.
"Not really. It was nothing."
"You're even cooler than I expected."
"Ah, haha..."
Of course, her answer was nothing but a polite response with no friendliness, and not even much consideration.
She was clearly very different from Lefiya, who was already a little flustered by how cold the conversation had become right beside her.
No, in a way, if she was an elf, maybe this was the more natural reaction, and Lefiya was the strange one for treating people with even a little friendliness?
Even so.
Come on, I'd just seen her looking at Lefiya with warm, sunlike eyes a moment ago.
Thinking that this was a girl who could be warm if she wanted to, but was deliberately choosing not to depending on the person, made me oddly petty.
All right, maybe I'll tease her a little.
"I was inconsiderate and interrupted the two of you. Then I'll excuse myself."
"Ah, um, please take care of us on the expedition from now on."
"Same here. You looked pretty strong when I saw you back then. Please take good care of Viridis during this expedition."
"Think nothing of it."
Saying that, I stepped a little closer to Firvis.
Then, ignoring Lefiya, who would surely be startled and flustered beside us, I brought my mouth right up to Firvis's ear...
"Then please send my regards to [Enyo] as well, masked freak."
"!?"
In a voice so quiet Lefiya couldn't hear it, but clear enough for Firvis to hear perfectly, I whispered to her.
Then, when I pulled my face back from hers, sure enough...
"Oh dear. Are you feeling unwell, Firvis?"
"Firvis, s-s-s-san?"
Unlike her icy expression from just moments ago, the black-haired elf girl was now deathly pale, sweating cold sweat.
A faint smile touched my lips.
Now that was a much better face.
All right, what should I say next to play with this ice fairy... kuheh!
"Aaaah~?"
"Eek! T-Tiona?"
"I went out of my way to personally guide you, and here you are... what are you doing right now~?"
"N-no. I was just thanking these two ladies for the help they gave me last time, ngh!"
"Hmph! You're not done saying hello yet! Hurry up and come over here!"
"W-wait! I get it, so at least let go of me first...!"
Ah, just when things were getting interesting, this happened.
What a shame.
In the end, Tiona interrupted me, and after that I didn't get much more fun out of the situation.
With Finn's speech ending the expedition's start and Firvis leaving after seeing Lefiya off, that was that.
In fact, because of that incident, Lefiya's wariness toward me had shot all the way up to MAX, and having her eyes follow me around was exhausting in all sorts of ways.
When a pure and innocent fairy girl looks at you like that, this old man doesn't get excited—he starts questioning life and loses all motivation to live.
Haah, I already miss our Lili.
Come to think of it, they should be in the Dungeon around this time too.
I wonder what they're doing.
Just as I was sighing at my boredom...
"I'm telling you, it was a Minotaur!"
"An-sama... please save Bell-sama..."
Lili appeared before me again in a miserable state.
And with that, I was able to witness a boy's "adventure" from a place I had never expected.
The story of a small rabbit and a great bull-man.
A trial prepared and savored by a goddess, and faced and overcome by a boy.
The kind of story that is, of course, an adventurer's "adventure," and yet at the same time, a rare legend.
"It's just like [Argonaut]."
Just as I said.
The scene before my eyes was like a single frame from a fairy tale.
The boy with the familiar face before me was growing right in front of my eyes, like the protagonist of a story, like a hero.
Like a foal just born into the world.
Like that wondrous first step.
The boy—Bell Cranel—was challenging "adventure" for the very first time in his life.
Not only me, but all of the Loki Familia executives who had come along were left staring in a daze.
A moment of "adventure" that was very small, yet by no means trivial, and above all else, magnificent.
I could carve that fleeting instant clearly into my brain with my own two eyes.
"BuoOOOOOO!"
"Fire, Bolt!"
Boom
The ending was, naturally, a happy one.
The little rabbit's teeth—Bell Cranel's sword—had finally and proudly leapt over the trial before him, the Minotaur.
It was nothing short of a miraculous sight.
"Ha, hahaha..."
I laughed in relief.
The boy I had only slightly, but honestly not even expected much from.
A shallow connection formed at best through his ties with Lady Hestia and Lili.
So I had treated him lightly, with a bit of a testing—no, experimental—mindset.
That brat was Bell Cranel.
And I had dismissed such a talent as having no ability at all, entirely on my own.
What a laughable fool I was.
At this rate, did I even have the right to mock the Tsubaki of the past, back when she had gone astray?
My current self felt so pathetic that even these eyes, hidden behind my Mystic Eyes, seemed wasted on me.
If I were being completely honest, I felt like gouging out all these useless eyeballs and replacing them with new ones.
That was how astonishing the boy's growth was, how impressive his achievement had been.
It might not have looked like much to other people, but at least to me, and to everyone here, it was not insignificant.
This was clearly my mistake.
If I'd known this would happen, I would have given the boy something even more... something more exciting, something overflowing with romance!
Something even greater could have shone on the boy's adventure!
No, no, what I gave him before was definitely a great item too, but it still needs time before it settles into his body, so it won't show any immediate effect.
Right! Since we've met like this, I should give him something—except I don't have anything!
All I have are things meant only for me, things only I can handle!
What a completely useless pile of crap!
What were you doing, past me, you son of a bitch?!
Go bite your tongue right now, smash your face into a plate, and die already, you bastard!
Just as I was beating myself up internally,
"Riveria, tell me that guy's status! You can read it, can't you?"
"What's this, Bete? You're telling me to spy on him now?"
"He's right there in plain sight! What the hell do you mean spy? He just happened to come into view! It's not a violation or anything! Right?!"
Some loud idiot was barking nonsense somewhere.
But I was in such an ecstatically good mood right now that, for the sake of the Hiryute sisters' faces, I'd let it slide generously.
Instead, I wordlessly walked over to Bell and took off the cloak I'd been wearing, draping it fully over his back.
The wolf was flustered by my action.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
"He's an acquaintance. Let's stop the rudeness here."
"That's... tch!"
He seemed ready to argue, but perhaps realizing my words were perfectly reasonable a moment later, the wolf backed off without saying more.
Instead, Finn spoke to me and asked a question.
He too had a face full of curiosity.
"An acquaintance, huh. Then at least tell me the boy's name."
"That much, sure."
Then, in my place, Ais answered the question.
"Bell. Bell Cranel."
She looked at the unconscious boy with a gentle expression.
Huh, to think she was also one of this child's connections.
He was a more capable rabbit than I'd thought.
This was going to require a lot of revisions to my future plans and schedule.
"Ah, right."
Come to think of it, this cloak I'd just given the boy...
Of all things, this one should be fine to hand over to him.
Compared to the original, it lacked a lot of options like flight functions and such, but it was still a successful [Mystic Code], just like the Caliburn replica, so it should be fine.
This one wasn't something with a special use so much as something that needed to be treated properly as an individual.
"In that sense, I'll leave this child in your care for a while. And while you're at it, please take care of my disciple Lili too. You can do that, right?"
At my command, the cloak gave a slight movement at the hem, as if saying it understood.
Reassured, I turned around and headed back toward where Loki Familia was gathered.
Ah, but before that, I should do what I came to do.
Even if the person involved wouldn't hear it.
I spoke with as much solemnity and respect as I could.
Never did I think I'd be the one to play this role.
"Rejoice, boy. Your wish will finally be fulfilled."
You who dreamed of a dazzling hero, you who longed for a heart-pounding encounter.
May a happy ending be with you at the end of your adventure—your trial.
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