by Fujino Omori
Begin Reading
Insert
Table of Contents
Yen Newsletter
Copyright Page
In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Prologue
FASTEST BOY IN THE ALLEYS
The Guild Headquarters was filled with the chattering of a lively crowd this morning.
The traffic of adventurers coming and going through the headquarters’ wide lobby was always at its peak between sunrise and noon. Of course some were visiting their adviser before heading into the Dungeon, but most of them spent their time reading notices that had been posted on the Guild’s announcement bulletin board overnight or talking with fellow adventurers.
Most of the notices contained information about new items on sale from the mercantile Familias or requests for specific drop items from the Dungeon. However, announcements about the strength of each Familia as well as sightings of rare monsters in the Dungeon were posted as well. The Guild posted all of this to assist adventurers in their travels.
What the adventurers learned today from this notice board could determine their luck tomorrow, not to mention their pay. Obviously, they couldn’t afford to ignore it.
Bathed in the strong sunlight coming in through the high windows of the Guild lobby, many races of human and demi-human swiftly went about their business.
“Whew…So many adventurers showing up today.”
“We’re working now. No time for small talk.”
Eina Tulle gave her coworker Misha Frot a light warning without getting up from her chair at the counter window.
Just as Misha said, more adventurers than usual were visiting the Guild on this particular morning. Eina and her coworkers knew that this was no accident; something had spurred the adventurers into action. She herself had been busy since early that morning and was just now able to catch her breath.
Usually around this time, adventurer traffic would be slowing down to the point that some of them would try hitting on the cute receptionists at the Guild. Most days the girls would just roll their eyes, but today the would-be suitors were mercilessly shot down and shown the door so that those needing advice could come to the front.
“Denatus is coming up, so it looks like adventurers who leveled up are waiting around…But it has to be the news about you-know-what—that Minotaur that showed up on the ninth level.”
“…Yes, it certainly looks that way.”
Three days ago, there was an announcement that had made Level 1 adventurers’ eyes lose color.
It read: MINOTAUR SIGHTED IN UPPER LEVELS.
The notice, issued by Loki Familia, sent waves of fear through more than half of the adventurers in Orario. Demands for more detailed information had been coming in nonstop ever since.
Monsters appearing on floors where they weren’t normally seen was nothing new. In most cases, the monsters were encountered two floors above or below their recorded origin point. But this Minotaur was spotted on the ninth level, meaning that it had somehow journeyed up from the Middle Fortress. The earliest floor where Minotaurs were usually encountered was the fifteenth, six floors below.
The fact that this was not the first time a Minotaur had been seen in the upper levels was what really made the adventurers’ blood run cold.
It had been about one month ago—the day that Bell met Aiz—that the beasts had been spotted much higher than normal.
That particular incident had been caused by an accident during Loki Familia’s return from an expedition. Guild employees had explained this many times, but adventurers were not that easily convinced. Some adventurers claimed there had been a change in the Dungeon’s design that allowed Minotaurs to be born in the upper levels.
Eina and her coworkers were unable to dismiss it as an exaggeration.
For Level 1 adventurers, this was a matter of life and death. If monsters from the Middle Fortress were roaming the upper levels, they couldn’t work. Understanding their fears all too well, the Guild accepted the fact that many would panic and did their best to quell the adventurers’ fears.
…Haven’t heard from him since that day, either. Is he all right?
Eina hadn’t seen Bell during the rush of adventurers, and it made her extremely nervous.
It had been less than a week since his last visit to the Guild, so she knew it was too early to be anxious…But Bell had nearly been killed by a Minotaur recently. Just hearing the monster’s name might make him take more precautions than necessary, though she couldn’t blame him.
Thoughts of Bell running through her head made Eina feel restless, an uneasy pulse throbbing in her chest.
“Ah, Eina’s favorite adventurer spotted, twelve o’clock.”
“!”
Her friend’s needlessly long-winded voice caught Eina’s attention, and she looked up.
Sure enough, the boy’s signature white hair stood out from the crowd as he weaved his way toward the reception counter. Once he noticed Eina’s gaze, Bell blushed a little as he flashed a toothy grin.
“What’s this—doesn’t he look like he’s in a bit better mood than usual?”
“…”
This time Misha’s words rolled in her left ear and out the right. The warmth of relief ballooned within Eina, her pinkish lips curling into a smile before she took a deep breath and pulled herself together.
Watching Bell maneuver through the crowd like a rabbit through a meadow, she was a bit irritated that the boy had made her worry. However, relief won out.
“Good morning to you, Miss Eina!”
“Morning, Bell. It’s been a while. I probably don’t have to ask but…Working hard in the Dungeon?”
“Yep! Giving it my all! Although it’s been a few days!”
“Heh-heh, breaks are important, too. The body needs to rest, so a few days sounds about right.”
An even bigger smile bloomed on Eina’s face as she talked with Bell.
Sitting next to her coworker, Bell’s infectious good mood made Misha grin as well. She left her chair at the counter to give Eina some space. Sitting down at her desk, she set to work sorting the documents on it.
Eina’s eyes softened as she asked another question.
“So, did something good happen?”
“H-how did you know?”
“One look at you and anyone could tell.”
Eina giggled for a moment as Bell put a hand to his reddish cheeks.
She knew from the look on his face that Bell couldn’t wait to talk about whatever it was that had happened. Eina blinked her emerald eyes slowly and nodded her head, as if to say, “Go ahead.” The boy nodded back brightly. He hadn’t looked this happy since the day that he’d officially become an adventurer. Just behind Eina, Misha fought back a smile by biting her lip. The human girl backed away from the mountains of paperwork on her desk and slowly stood up, inching ever closer to the conversation.
He really can’t tell a lie, thought Eina as she waited for Bell’s next words. A calm, warm feeling swelled within her; it was as if she were looking at her own younger brother.
“W-well, you see…”
“Yes?”
Then Bell flashed his teeth again in another happy smile and a twinkle in his eye before saying
, “I’m Level Two now!”
Misha’s paperwork fell to the floor with a great swish sound.
The human girl froze like a statue, her back toward Eina and Bell.
Misha had seen Bell’s paperwork on Eina’s desk before, so she knew that Bell hadn’t been an adventurer for even two months yet.
Eina smiled.
It was a beautiful smile.
A moment later, shock took over her face as she, too, froze.
To be more precise, time had stopped.
It was as if the two ladies were in a bubble; the usual noise of the lobby couldn’t reach them.
“…huh?”
Did I hear that right? That was the only thing she could think of to explain what she just heard. A dumbfounded smile still stuck on her lips, her head tilted to the side as her mind raced to find answers.
A corner of her mouth started twitching.
“Like I said, I’m Level Two! Me! Since three days ago!”
In too good a mood to notice Eina’s state of shock, Bell happily repeated himself, loud enough to be heard over the din.
The tension in her body that had built up passed her breaking point, causing her to shudder in her chair at the counter.
“Level Two?”
“Yes!”
“Three days ago?”
“Yes!”
“And that’s the truth?”
“Yes!”
“Bell, when did you become an adventurer?”
“A month and a half ago!”
Bell’s words hung in the air.
The human and half-elf shared a smile, the conversation fresh in their minds.
Another wave of adventurers had arrived and stood in line behind Bell, looking agitated and impatient as they waited.
Since Misha hadn’t budged an inch, the reception counter had become gridlocked.
Squeak! Eina shot up from her chair—and exploded.
“LEVEL TWO IN SIX WEEKS?!”
Her shrill scream cut through the commotion of the lobby.
Every Guild employee sitting in the office behind the reception counter suddenly jumped to their feet as Eina’s voice thundered through.
Taking the brunt of the blast, Bell broke out in a cold sweat as he leaned away from her.
CHAPTER 1
DENATUS
“I’m so sorry!”
Eina clapped her hands together with a loud smack and bowed her head.
They had moved from the Guild Headquarters reception counter to a small conference room just off the Guild lobby. This modestly decorated room was normally used for one-on-one conversations because it was soundproof.
Bell and Eina sat across from each other on either side of the desk as she apologized over and over.
“To scream like that when there were so many members of other Familias there…I’m very, very sorry!”
Just minutes earlier, Eina had yelled personal information at the top of her lungs. All who were within earshot now knew that Bell had leveled up.
No matter how surprised she had been by the news, just thinking about the looks she had received after her outburst was enough to make her face burn bright red.
She had failed to protect an adventurer’s personal information. Eina was so ashamed by her actions that even her ears seemed to blush.
“I-it’s not a problem, Miss Eina. Adventurers’ levels always get announced, anyway…So a few people found out a little early. That’s not a big deal, is it?”
The half-elf hadn’t even tried to raise her head, and it was starting to make Bell feel uneasy. His voice shook as he searched for the right words.
A worried look appeared on his face as she finally made eye contact with this boy who couldn’t grasp the real problem.
That’s true…But the issue here isn’t the fact you leveled up; it’s the speed at which you did it…
Reaching Level 2 in just over a month was by far and away the fastest level-up on record. Even putting it into words was absolutely ludicrous.
Leveling up required a grand act—such as slaying an enemy stronger than yourself, and overloading the container that is your soul, with excelia. Eina was one of the few people who knew how fast Bell has been growing, but for even his Level to go up this quickly…It was as if he had shattered the most common of common sense.
Even though this information would have been announced eventually, Eina would’ve liked to have kept it a secret for as long as possible.
It was an unlikely story to begin with, and many would not believe it…The gods and goddesses, however, loved this sort of “never been done before” story.
Images of the deities of Orario staring at Bell and drooling with excitement popped up in Eina’s head. She started feeling a bit queasy.
“Um, Miss Eina…?”
“…It’s nothing. Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there.”
Trying to shake off the visions of gods and goddesses chasing Bell around the city, Eina straightened up and forced an awkward smile. Letting out a quick sigh, she returned her attention to the matter at hand.
“Bell, I must apologize again, but I have a request. I know you came all the way here to talk to me…but I have some work to do.”
“Y-yes, sure. What can I help with?”
“I want you to tell me everything you’ve done as an adventurer up to this point.”
“Huh…?”
“Even a rough outline is okay. The kind of monsters you fought, the quests you completed, things like that.”
Eina pulled a pen and notepad out of the desk as she spoke.
The Guild collected and announced data on how adventurers leveled up, so long as it didn’t cross the lines set by each Familia pertaining to the personal information of their members. This was all to help increase the collection rate of magic stones from the Dungeon.
Since Bell had just achieved the fastest level-up on record, Eina wanted to focus on the way he gathered excelia. His name would most likely be well known soon, and a record of his exploits would be something no one would overlook.
In short: “This is how Bell did it. Follow his example and get stronger.”
Eina wanted to get this information because casualties would decrease if other adventurers knew how to grow as fast as Bell. Careful not to break any more rules, she listened carefully to everything he had to say.
Bell finally reached the events of three days ago.
For the second time that day, Eina’s head started to spin.
“A M-Minotaur…”
Thump. Eina’s head tilted limply over before she brought her right hand up to support it.
—Three days ago, ninth level, encountered a Minotaur, slew it.
Every word out of Bell’s mouth made Eina more and more light-headed. Everything he said matched Loki Familia’s report perfectly.
When she’d asked the messenger to tell her who had taken care of the monster, he’d sounded a bit ambiguous. Eina could remember his muddled words as she stood behind the counter at the Guild. Naturally it would have been hard for anyone to believe that a Level 1-ish adventurer could slay a Minotaur.
Eina closed her eyes for a moment to shake off the dizziness before opening them in a blaze of anger.
She glared accusingly at the boy as if to say, After all those times I told you not to go on adventures! Bell broke out in a cold sweat, his body shrinking in the chair.
Just what kind of magic did he use…?!
She spent almost an hour trying to get a clear answer of exactly how a Level 1 adventurer managed to take down a Level 2 monster like a Minotaur.
“…Whew. I’ve got a pretty good idea now. A pretty good idea of just how little you actually listen to what I say.”
“Huh?! No, that’s—…I’m sorry.”
Anger still radiating off of Eina, she closed her eyes as Bell tried to explain himself. However, his voice trailed off halfway through and he ended up apologizing and hanging his head.
Opening one eye to see a very depressed B
ell sinking in his chair, Eina couldn’t help but feel a little put off by his childish way of regretting his actions.
On the other hand, she was glad to know that Bell fully realized what he had done.
If he had been off by so much as one second at any point during that battle, he wouldn’t be here to reflect upon it now.
“…Bell. I wasn’t there, so there is a chance I could be wrong. Perhaps your decision not to escape was the right one after all.”
“Miss Eina…”
“I might not have the right to scold you…but still—please don’t ever forget this one thing: Everything is meaningless once you’re dead.”
I’m begging you, she said to the boy with her gaze.
She couldn’t hide her own conviction that coming back home alive was the most important thing of all.
Bell hadn’t moved in the slightest from his position on the chair, but he slowly raised his eyes to meet hers and nodded.
Their eyes locked for a long moment before Eina lightly cleared her throat. In an attempt to clear the slightly gloomy atmosphere that filled the room, she leaned over the table and extended her finger all the way up to Bell’s eyes.
“In any case—just don’t be reckless, understand?”
“Y-yes!”
Eina bopped her finger on the tip of Bell’s nose before smiling and returning to her seat.
That’s enough reprimanding for today, she thought to herself.
Her brown hair swishing just above her shoulders, she looked at Bell with a warm smile.
“…Bell, congratulations on your advancement to Level Two. You’ve been working very hard.”
His nose still slightly indented from Eina’s finger, Bell’s face lit up as he smiled from ear to ear.
He wasn’t a particularly conceited person, but those were the words that Bell really wanted to hear just then.
“Thank you very much,” he said with red cheeks. His adviser Eina, who had watched him grow since his very first day as an adventurer, couldn’t help but feel proud.
“Should we leave it at just the level-up announcement for today? Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”
“Ah, that’s right…Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you about, Miss Eina.”