Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 6 (5 page)

His golden earrings wavered slightly in the darkness.

Hyacinthus looked up and narrowed his eyes at the brilliant moon, shining in place of the sun on this clear night.

“So then, you have made a full recovery?”

“Yes, I feel great.” I smile and nod at Eina.

I had decided to drop by Guild Headquarters the day after the events at Hibachitei.

She and I are sitting in one of the Guild’s consultation boxes as I bring her up to speed and we discuss how to proceed from here.

“Do you know how worried I was? I just about had a heart attack when I heard you hadn’t returned from the Dungeon.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“…But I’m willing to forgive you. You made it back in one piece, after all.”

She flashes a grin.

My cheeks flush with warmth as my eyes are drawn in by her beautiful, refined smile.

She was so happy when I came to see her the other day that she cried. The image of her first tear rolling out from beneath her glasses is still fresh in my memory.

“I can’t thank you enough for the salamander wool…It saved our lives.”

“Is that right…” She softly smiles at me again, her eyes half closed.

We sit on either side of the desk in silence, regarding each other for a few moments.

Eina coughs under her breath. The atmosphere in here is getting a little awkward.

“Back to the business at hand, Bell…Strictly speaking, I’m not allowed to pry for information, but it was quite dangerous?”

“…Yes.”

She didn’t have to say anything else for me to know what she was talking about.

It could only be the Irregular’s—the Goliath’s—appearance in the safe point. The Guild was doing everything in its power to keep the incident in the dark, including forbidding its employees to look into it themselves. So instead of talking about the cause, Eina asks me about the perilous situation.

I slowly nod my head. Looking back at her, she also nods and says, “I see.”

I see a flash as she adjusts her glasses—it feels like her emerald-green eyes gaze right through me.

“I would like to offer you as much assistance as possible from here on out. For starters—I’ll increase the scope and depth of our study sessions.”

“Huh?”

“I was foolish not to inform you about the monsters deeper in the middle levels and the safe point, since I assumed that there was no chance you could possibly go that far. It was my fault you weren’t prepared. I won’t let that happen again. It’s become evident after this incident that it’s impossible to predict what you might encounter, and where…Yes, I’ll make sure you’re ready for anything the Dungeon can throw at you.”

Eina has been giving me what she calls personal lessons—more like heavily informative lectures—ever since the day I first registered with the Guild and she was assigned to be my adviser. The Guild doesn’t require her to do any of this, so it’s all her idea. Thanks to these lessons, knowledge of the Dungeon—monster types and abilities, the layouts of the floors, and so on—has been drilled into my head.

I come to the painful realization that I’m alive today as a result of her aggressive teaching techniques…and now they’re going to get more intensive? Both Eina’s strict lessons and Aiz’s harsh combat sessions could give the ancient Spartans a run for their money.

Eina just grins that same grin as my body shrinks back into the chair, my face drifting backward. “Let’s do our best,” she says, her eyes smiling at me.

She’s really worried about me. I can’t refuse her offer.

I lightly return the smile, nod again, and say, “I will…”

“All that’s left to discuss are your plans for today.”

My heart rate goes back to normal and our conversation resumes. I tell Eina the schedule I have in mind. “Ah…sure. I’m planning to go back into the Dungeon in two days.”

“In two days…Is it correct to assume that you’re taking a rest?”

“Well, the truth is that Welf…the smith I have a contract with is making some new equipment for me.”

I see a spark of understanding flash in Eina’s eyes the moment I mention Welf’s name and our contract.

We lost a lot of weapons and armor on our trip to the eighteenth floor. My light armor is in bad shape after the battle with the Goliath. While it’s still usable, Welf insisted on crafting new gear for me.

The work of High Smiths, those who have acquired the Forge ability, puts the quality of all others’ work to shame. This is Welf’s first job as a High Smith; he’s a bit more excited than usual. I can’t wait to see what kind of armor and weapons come out of his workshop.

“In that case, you will resume Dungeon activities once your new equipment is complete, yes? Which floor are you planning on going to first?”

“I think it’s best that we start at the thirteenth floor. We might have made it to the eighteenth, but it wasn’t pretty…”

Eina gives a few more pieces of advice as she and I work out a few finer details for my battle party’s return to the Dungeon.

Our first goal is to completely master the thirteenth floor. Now that Welf’s Level 2, it should be much easier to hold our own. Still, we can’t let our guard down.

Next, Eina introduces several quests that we could undertake after evaluating my battle party’s new balance. Quests are issued by individuals who require items that can usually only be found in the middle levels and below inside the Dungeon.

I’m thankful to Eina for giving me this opportunity to gain valuable experience and accept two quests: one, find the drop item from a specific monster; and two, locate a special mineral found on the thirteenth floor and bring it back to the surface.

Our very productive conversation over, the two of us stand up and leave the consultation box.

“One last thing, Bell. Don’t get into fights with adventurers from another
Familia
. I’m sure that Goddess Hestia has already scolded you enough, so I won’t say much…”

“Y-yes…”

“But I’ll say this much: Nothing good can happen from two groups fighting with each other.”

She leans in closer and talks about last night’s events. “In the worst case, the entire city of Orario could become a battlefield if two
Familias
fight head-to-head.” A chill of fear runs down my spine as I gulp down the air in my throat.

I thought I’d understood how dangerous these fights could be, but the seriousness in her voice makes that threat feel very real.

“…?”

We had just returned to the lobby and I was about to say good-bye to Eina at the reception counter.

I feel someone looking at me from behind. Turning around, I suddenly meet the gaze of two female adventurers in the corner of the lobby. Both of them seem to be looking at my eyes and hair for some reason. They must’ve been trying to find me, because they’re coming this way.

It’s about noon. There are usually a lot of adventurers coming out of here at this time of day, and today’s no exception. The two women weave their way through the white marble lobby and come to a stop right in front of the two of us.

“Bell Cranell—am I wrong?” the lady with short-cut hair asks in a strong, curt voice.

“Th-that’s me.” I’m at a loss as to how to respond. Her partner lightly drifts up to me, long hair lightly swishing behind her as she nervously sways back and forth.

“Umm, this…”

She bows forward, her eyes glancing up at me as she holds out a letter.

No, it’s…an invitation.

The envelope is extremely fine and sealed with a wax emblem. Ingrained in the wax is
a bow and arrow in front of a sun
.

My eyes widen in surprise. The shorthaired girl opens her mouth to speak.

“The name’s Daphne. That’s Cassandra. As you can see, we’re from
Apollo Familia
.” The lady, Daphne, introduces herself and confirms what I thought.

An emblem that simultaneously inspires images of an archer and a beam of light through the darkness—
Apollo Familia
. These two are in the same group as the adventurers last night at the bar.

Eina leans over to me and whispers in a hushed voice, “Daphne Laulos and Cassandra Illion. Level Two, third-tier adventurers.” They must be well-known veterans.

I’m sure both of them are older than me. I picked up on the aura of strength emanating from Daphne right away, but she seems calm and in control. The same can’t be said for her friend Cassandra. The air about her is distant, a childlike innocence in her eyes.

I’m pretty sure they were waiting for me, watching all the adventurers come in and out of the Guild from a spot where they could see everything.

I freeze in place, looking at both of the ladies in turn. The one named Cassandra takes another step forward.

“Um, you see, it’s an invitation. Lord Apollo is going to hold a Celebration, a-and if you’d like…I-if-if you don’t want to, that’s okay…”

Slap!
Daphne hits the back of Cassandra’s head with an open palm and steps in front of her.

“Oww,” comes a soft cry. Daphne ignores both the cry and the beads of cold sweat running down my face and shoves the invitation into my hands.

“You must inform your goddess. Got that? You got the invitation.”

“…I understand.”

Daphne steps away as soon as I get the words out of my mouth. She must not have wanted to waste any time on idle talk, because she motions to Cassandra and turns to leave.

She suddenly stops in midstep and looks over her shoulder, short hair shifting to the side.

“My condolences.”

What? I open my mouth to ask, but Daphne doesn’t say anything else.

She’s already halfway into the crowd. Cassandra makes a small bow before taking off after her.

Eina and I watch them go. I look down at the invitation in my hands as soon as they disappear out the front entrance.

That night the goddess and I are at home, just like usual. I tell her everything that happened this afternoon.

“An invitation to the ‘Celebration of the Gods’…”

The opened envelope lying in front of her, my goddess sits in her chair as she reads the paper in her hands.

We’ve just finished dinner. All that is left on the table are two cups of hot tea. The goddess was tired after a long day at work, so I’m washing dishes.

“It’s been about a month and a half since Ganesha held one…I imagined someone would organize something soon.”

The Celebration of the Gods is a party for deities by deities.

I’ve heard that part of it is so that the host can brag about their
Familia
’s influence and power, but it’s basically a place for the gods and goddesses to have fun. My goddess has participated in at least one of these Celebrations before.

This time,
Apollo Familia
will be hosting a Celebration in two days.

Apollo Familia
…I’ve looked into them myself. They have a good deal of influence as well as many powerful adventurers. One of their battle parties successfully slew the Goliath on level seventeen. The Guild gave them a D ranking.

Compared to our undersize
Hestia Familia
, they are far more prominent in Orario.

“What should we do?”

“We can’t ignore it, not with the fight yesterday…”

I feel absolutely horrible. The goddess looks trapped, as though both decisions are impossible.

The brawl with
Apollo Familia
was only twenty-four hours ago. How would it look if we refused their invitation so soon after?

Thinking about it logically, ignoring their invitation would be like throwing mud in their faces.

“Hmm.” The goddess’s mouth pouts up toward her nose in thought.

I quickly apologize. “This is all my fault, Goddess…”

“No, it’s all right, Bell. You don’t have to feel that way…The truth is, I don’t like Apollo that much.”

“Eh? Can I ask why?”

“Ha-ha……A lot happened in Tenkai.”

I tilt my head to the side, confused by the change in the goddess’s tone.

“Anyway, back to the matter at hand…This Celebration is a little bit different than usual. A bit more interesting,” she says while looking at the invitation, a grin on her lips.

I gave her the envelope without reading it myself. What could be so interesting about this Celebration?

I start putting dry dishes away, but my mind won’t stop racing.

“It’s pretty well decided that we have to participate. Miach and the others probably have their invitations by now. Chances like this happen once in a blue moon, so why don’t we all enjoy this together?”

Enjoy this together?
I look over my shoulder at the goddess.

This may be a little out of the blue, but Orario is greeting spring now.

The heavy clouds of winter have all disappeared, leaving behind the blue sky as a background for all of the blooming flowers. I’ve heard that many people come to Orario this season to visit because the weather is very stable. The seasons were beginning to change when I came to the city about two months ago. It could be said that outsiders like me coming into Orario are what make this city so lively.

The air is still crisp in the mornings, but the temperature steadily increases day by day.

Signs that summer is fast approaching are everywhere—but I know that the changing of the seasons isn’t why I feel so hot right now.

Rumble, rumble.
The wooden wheels of our horse-drawn carriage grind against the stone road beneath me. I run my fingers through my bangs for no reason at all. My palms are moist with sweat.

I can’t relax. I don’t think my body will calm down until tonight is over, but we have to get there first. I cast my gaze out the window and watch the red-tinted cityscape pass by.

The carriage comes to a stop.

The horses neigh in the background as the door of our fancy carriage opens in front of me. I step outside.

I’m not used to these clothes—wearing a coat with tails feels weird. Even the sound of my expensive shoes clicking with each step sounds like someone else.

My feet finally beneath me, I turn around and extend my arm to the girl behind me.

Lady Hestia emerges from inside the carriage, a joyous smile on her lips.

Just like me, she’s wearing extremely formal clothing. She looks even more beautiful and stunning than usual.

“Thank you, Bell. You’re pretty good at this escort thing.”

“R-really…?”

She’s taking long, elegant strides toward me. I’m so nervous that my joints are tightening up. A puppet could move more freely right now.

More and more extravagant horse-drawn carriages arrive every moment. Handsome men and dazzling women wearing some of the most expensive clothing I’ve ever seen fill the street. But the knockout punch comes from the exquisite manor—no, the absolute
palace
—that’s looming over me. I’m trapped in a different world, and even breathing is a challenge.

Today’s Celebration hosted by
Apollo Familia
requires deities
to bring one of their followers
, making it a god and human mixer party of sorts.

These parties are called “Celebrations of the Gods” because only gods are allowed to attend. However, this time the host has decided to change things up a bit. The deities want entertainment, and this gives them an opportunity to show off their favorite followers. So there are many adventurers and smiths mixed in with the absolutely flawless looks of their gods and goddesses. Lady Hestia and I are among them.

A farm boy from the middle of nowhere, wearing extravagant clothing and trying his best to look taller…I must stick out like a sore thumb.

I look down at my black coat, wondering if I even belong here. All of my clothes were prepared specifically for tonight, which makes me feel even more out of place.

“You look amazing, Bell. There’s no need to be embarrassed,” the goddess says calmly as I start to feel light-headed. I don’t know if it’s because she has an excuse to wear an extravagant dress, but she’s in a very good mood.

Her aquamarine dress is lined with many frills and laces; it looks like flowing water as she moves. The focal point of the dress is, of course, her magnificent chest. Honestly, I don’t know how to look at her right now.

The queen of a distant land…Well, maybe not that far, but the goddess has achieved a radiant balance between cute and beauty.

“My apologies, Hestia, Bell. Preparing everything for us, including these clothes, must’ve been difficult.”

Lord Miach emerges from our horse-drawn carriage and joins us. Nahza is beside him, her hand resting in the crook of his arm. Of course the two of them are dressed just as formally as we are.

Lord Miach’s
Familia
is very poor, so he was opposed to spending money on something like this. He wasn’t planning on coming to the Celebration at all until Lady Hestia told him, “It would be good for Nahza to get out and spread her wings once in a while.” Lord Miach nodded and eventually agreed. As a thank-you, the goddess and I had paid for their formal attire, as well as hiring the horse-drawn carriage for this evening.

Considering that they give me substantial discounts on high potions and dual potions that normally cost tens of thousands of vals, this was much cheaper.

“Thank you for the invitation, Bell…”

Nahza is a Chienthrope, a dog person. She says hello from beside Lord Miach while our two deities carry on their own conversation.

I’ve only seen Nahza wear simple clothes, so seeing her in a full dress is very novel, not to mention appealing. The dress itself is a soft red with long sleeves designed to cover her artificial right arm.

“…Do I look nice?”

She lightly pulls the skirt of her dress out to the sides with her fingers and does a little curtsy. I give her a big nod, as big as my stiff neck will allow.

Her eyes are the same as always, half closed. But there’s the joy in her expression that I haven’t seen before.
Swish, swish.
Her tail happily flicks back and forth beneath her dress.

“Well then, shall we proceed?”

“Sure. All right, Bell. I’m counting on you?”

“Y-yes!” Slowly but surely, I reach out and take Lady Hestia’s extended hand.

I turn to the front and am once again overwhelmed by the extravagant palace in front of us. The doors to the front entryway are open. All of us make our way inside, our clothes and shoes sparkling as we pass through the well-lit doorway.

My breath leaves me.

It’s a different realm, one that I have no connection to, a world of the night.

If someone had told me when I first came to Orario that I would be able to be a part of this realm alongside my goddess, would I have believed them?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited…but more than that, I’m nervous.

Time stands still as I’m swept up in the luxurious atmosphere around me. I take a small breath before taking my first step into the hallway.

Other guests make their way into the building as well, men escorting the women. Lord Miach and I each take the hands of our partners and join the line flowing deeper into the palace.

The entrance hall is just as ornate as the outside of the building.

Golden pillars decorated with hundreds of candles line the hallway. I have to squint my eyes. The soaring style of architecture makes it feel very open. Alabaster statues designed to look like every single god and goddess stand in different areas of the hallway like small shrines.

The hallway leads to a set of equally extravagant stairs. The location of tonight’s party is waiting for us at the top: the second-floor ballroom.

The ballroom is already noisy with guests who had arrived before us. And, of course, the ballroom is just as well decorated as everything else. Many chandeliers equipped with magic-stone lamps hang from the ceiling, and long tables with elaborate spreads of food run down the sides and back of the ballroom. There’s a balcony beyond the tall, thin windows.