章 28: Enter the dungeon
(Garth POV)
"You're the little Pallum girl that was getting her head kicked in the other day."
She pouted angrily.
"Is that how you remember me?!"
"Well yeah. It's what went down the first time I met you."
"I'm pretty sure there were other things you could have said!" she shouted.
"Well it was the simplest way to remember you kid."
She huffed and turned her face to the side, pouting deeply with her brows furrowed.
"Just because it's the only thing you remember me by, it does not make it any nicer. And I'm not a kid! I'm fourteen years old, adult age!"
"Well that's young to me who is sixteen." I said while simultaneously wondering if I would be older than everything in this universe put together since I was born before the story had been written by Omori.
"I'm only two years younger!"
"Which makes you a kid to me. Take it as."
She let out another huff before sighing and looking back at me. Although she had to crane her neck upwards since I towered over her. She didn't even reach my waist.
"Well sir, as I was saying I was wondering if you were looking for a supporter?"
I nodded.
"Indeed. Although I have to warn you kid, we're going down on an expedition possibly to the lower floors. I don't know what level you are but a supporter is never above level one. I can't guarantee your safety on this run. S are you still up for it?"
Lili paused and pursed her lips, scrunching her eyes up in an adorable way as she pondered over her answer. She honestly looked more cute than someone making a decision whether or not they were going to jump into the bloodstained maw of death.
"How deep are you going sir?"
"Well Finn of the Loki Familia is leading this expedition and he says they want to deal with Amphisbaena on the 27th floor, so we're definitely walking into the lower floors. Depending on their mood perhaps they may go onto the deep floors."
Lili thought for a bit longer before she nodded her head.
"Okay, I'll come."
I raised my eyebrow and looked at her with an unimpressed gaze.
"Seriously? That's a reckless decision to make. Sure you're in a large group of of first class adventurers but we can't say for sure that a monster won't lob off your head by pure chance when we are distracted by the hordes that are going to spawn on top of us. Not to mention we have to make it past one monster rex before moving down to Amphisbaena."
"Not if I stick to the back."
"Huh?"
"Supporters usually stay safe at the back because the monsters don't usually spawn at the back of a group. Plus I'm not sure that much could happen to me when the most powerful adventurer in Orario is going to be my benefactor and my charge during this expedition." She smiled cheekily.
I sighed and shook my head.
"I really have become famous these past few days haven't I?"
"Uh-huh."
I thought for a few more moments. It was a death sentence trying to bring a low level one down that deep into dungeon. However, Lili was always known to be tougher than she should be.
She was also one of the adventurers I was scouting to add to my group of adventurers that would take down the black dragon and find whatever had been hidden at the bottom of the dungeon.
While she wasn't that powerful of a fighter, she was a brilliant commander in the light novels as far as I knew of them. And bringing her down into the dungeon this deep this early may also give her a bit of a reality check as well as some experience with true danger.
When she eventually met Bell and hopefully joined him at Hestia's side, she would be able to handle him better and he would have somebody dependable to rely on.
Even if she was a new soul, Lili was after all the reincarnation of one of history's most brilliant strategists in Danmachi, so much so that her people came to worship her as a goddess because of the glory she brought to them. Her talents bled out even into the second life of hers.
Thinking of that, I'd have to keep a closer eye on the timeline. Coming here a year ahead of canon meant I was here six months before Hestia's descent approximately. That particular event would be when I had to tighten my grip over certain events.
The best way I could ensure Bell's safety from his own reckless misdemeanours was by making sure that events played out as much as they did in canon when regarding him. I can't imagine many people being happy with my decision but I was intent on recruiting Bell as well if only for his past as the Argonaut.
"Last chance to back away from this kid. You still in?" I asked her.
She nodded firmly with a 'hmph!'. I smiled.
"Alright then. Welcome to the team. Naturally I only expect you to pick up the cores of the monsters I kill. If you wanna do your own stuff, you can do that as well. I assume you know this already but I'll say it anyway. My name is Garth Ragnar."
"And I'm Liliruca Arde. Lili for short if you must. And please stop calling me kid." She said as she held a hand up to me. I took it and shook her hand, silently marvelling at how small it was. My whole hand could actually swallow her entire forearm, that's how tiny she was.
"Sure thing Lili. Now that we've got that sorted, we'll be heading down soon. I'd recommend staying at the back but in line behind me. That way it will be easier for you to catch any cores I drop."
"Okay."
I nodded in satisfaction. I started walking back towards my friends again with Lili tailing behind me. The others looked up at me as they saw me approach.
"Hey Garth. Secured yourself a supporter?" Tiona asked me.
"Yep. Meet Lili." I said while gesturing towards the little Cienthrope.
"H-hi." She stammered slightly while going a bit red. I mean she was in the presence of some of the most renowned people in the world. It probably felt sacrilegious to her that she was standing in the same group as them.
Finn nodded in approval before he addressed me.
"Good job then Garth. We're going to start heading down now. You don't mind joining us in the vanguard do you?"
"Nope. Not at all. Things will be more fun that way."
"Sure. I'm eager to see what kind of power that stupid level of yours affords you." Tione exclaimed gleefully as she leaned my cleaver towards me. I picked up the giant thing and pressed it to my back.
Under my cape was an extremely powerful magnet that just made the iron weapon stick to it. So it hung there suspended and I wouldn't have to worry about balance or it moving while I was walking.
"Are we ready?" Finn's voice echoes throughout the gathering. There was a collective nod and noise of approval from every figure there. "Then let's go."
Taking the lead, he marched the vanguard, me included, into Babel towards the metal doors which beheld the spiral staircase descending down into the dungeon. This time around I took the stairs instead of just jumping off.
It felt a little weird going back in as I was suddenly conscious of a malevolent presence engulfing us as we made it past surface level. I'd been too focused on my excitement the first time around to notice the contempt the dungeon itself held for adventurers.
And as I entered, I felt a spike in that hatred as well as the dungeon seemed to bear its will down upon my shoulders. Of course it did nothing thanks to my superhuman physique and the fact I was just not afraid.
But I couldn't help but feel that I had to keep my guard up or something, especially when for a split second I felt the dungeon appear to experience a moment of astonishment and glee before it returned to its usual hating self.
Most would shrug it off as a coincidence or my nerves acting up and making me think things things and feel things that actually weren't much of a concern. But I'd watched too many fictional shows to know that that is what makes karma bite you in the ass cuz you didn't take the warning.
'The dungeon is up to something.' I thought grimly. 'But what? Is there more to Freya's warning, or am I the one overthinking things?'
---
(General POV)
Freya stood at her window, clutching at her elbow while clasping a wine filled chalice in her other hand. Her eyes followed her husband as he stepped into the dungeon.
She sighed for the umpteenth time today as she drank in the luminescent colours of his soul. It provided her with a sensation so much sweeter than the wine in her hand.
The only thing that topped it was the intimate moments they shared, the vows they whispered to one another, the secrets they unveiled to one another. Over the past week that she'd come to spend with her Odr, she'd learned many things that had her floored.
The tales he'd shared with her of her mythical alternate self from his world had left within her a mixture of emotions she honestly didn't know what to do with.
To know that an entire race of bloodthirsty pillagers and warriors spilled blood in her name as sacrifices, to learn of their beliefs about her had left her feeling equal measures of amazement and disgust.
At first things had started off sweetly, and while they were still very sweet, only now was she beginning to realize the gravity of their arrangements. For one thing, they were so different. Her casual indifference to mortal life was something he loathed and berated her for.
Her disregard for the consequences of her actions also did not sit favourably with him. He'd spent a whole hour lecturing her about it and that as someone in such a high position, it was her duty to lead by example as she was directly responsible for countless lives, even if they were lives that she had ensnared.
Those two things were just a couple from among a plethora of other things he'd addressed. But despite all that, she could sense that his love for her was genuine and he valued her above everything else.
The fact that he would so abrasively point out all those flaws on their first week of being together just made her love him even more as he didn't see her as a perfect being like so many others did.
Truly, she'd have no other as her Odr.
But recently she'd been having increasing worries. For as he stayed longer in Orario, the more things about him were revealed. His absurd power which she still could not grasp the depths off despite laying next to him every night. His ability to generate Arcanum unwittingly as if almost on instinct. His insight into the meaning of strength and the purpose of the dungeon.
There were just so many things about him that kept popping up, she was beginning to fear for their relationship. Not that it would break apart, but that her fellow deities would not allow for it to continue as peacefully as she would have liked it.
Already she was receiving word from the darkest recesses of Orario's underbelly that a plan was being put into motion to 'deal' with him. She scoffed at the thought. What chance did a bunch of ants have against the mountain that was her husband?
But it was a sign, a sign that people were already rearing their ugly heads ready to strike. She had nothing to fear from the mortals but she certainly had much to fear from the gods. Garth was not willing to start a war with them for their sakes and their Familias.
He had no qualms about using his power for selfish gain, or to put someone in their place. But to antagonize people on such a large scale? Many innocents would end up as collateral damage and that was not something he wanted. She knew he would sooner leave Orario than let the people come to pain.
But if he were made to leave, she would not be able to go with him. The position she sat in now tied her to the city to defend against the true evils out there. As such, she could not abandon everything just to be with him.
Indeed, she had waited millions of years for him but she did have other children to care about. He made it vehemently clear that she was to never abandon them out of selfishness.
Usually Freya would not be so agitated about things like this, but today in particular was a day where she had every right to hold these worries. Unbeknownst to her beloved, today was the day of a Denatus.
Usually such a gathering was nothing more than a bit of free time to laze around and chat. But with everything that had happened so far due to his presence on the board, she was bound to have a hard time while there.
She could only hope that some miracle happened which would keep everything the way they were now.
"Lady Freya. It is time." Ottar said quietly as he bowed in her direction.
She let out a sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding and faced her formerly strongest child.
"Very well Ottar. I leave things in your hands."
"Understood."
She marched out of her room, ready to take on the challenge that lay ahead of her. She would keep her beloved no matter what.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read ahead on my P@treon:
P@treon/ Vulkizaro_Zoromi
When I hit 50 patrons, I will open a discord server. Please join and support me.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット