Sarutahiko Familia Premise Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter! Bell’s new weapons are finished and his armor has been repaired and improved. Welf does good work! Now Bell and Lili can return to the Dungeon and stat working on getting Lili’s stats ups a lot more! Not to mention making some more money, even though the Sarutahiko Familia will be fine on that front for quite a while thanks to taking all of the Soma Familia’s assets. Kek! Perhaps they’ll even have a third member joining them? Speaking of joining, Bell’s incredible performance in the War Game has definitely brought attention to the Sarutahiko Familia. Perhaps that will progress Sarutahiko’s task of strengthening the Shinto Pantheon’s influence in Orario? While all of this is going on, Ais is approached by a mysterious figure that would like her to accept a Quest.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 9 – Return to Dungeon, Ais’s Secret Quest

At Welf’s smithy, Bell was marveling at his newly repaired and upgraded armor. “This is amazing, Mr. Welf.” Bell said as he admired the shinobi battle armor he was wearing once more. “It even feels stronger than it did before.”

Welf smiled brightly at the compliments on his work. “You’re welcome, Bell! It came out great, if I do say so myself!”

“Lili thinks you look great, Master Bell.” Lili praised her lover with a smile.

Bell picked up his new chokuto and looked the blade over. “So, this is Nosteel, huh?” It had a slight weight to it that made it a little heavier than his old sword, but this new blade was clearly of better make and quality.

“Yep, it costs a bit, but since it’s a material from the Lower Floors of the Dungeon, there shouldn’t be much of anything in the Middle Floors that can break it.” Welf said with a nod, happy to see his work being recognized and praised.

Putting the chokuto on his hip and his new Nosteel knife in the holster built into part of his upgraded armor, Bell was once more fully equipped for the Dungeon. Since he’d already paid Welf for his work, Bell wondered about the look on the Smith’s face as he and Lili were about to leave. “Did you need something else, Mr. Welf?”

Welf rubbed the back of his head for a second before exhaling and speaking up. “If possible… Could I join your Party?”

“Why would a Smith want to join our Party?” Lili questioned curiously. Sure, Smiths were known to go into the Dungeon to harvest materials that they wanted, some even making it to Level 3 in the process. But a lot of Smiths simply bought the materials they wanted from the Free Market in Orario. A Smith actually becoming a Party member was a bit unusual.

“To be honest…” Welf sat down heavily on a stool. “I’m still only Level 1. My skills as a blacksmith have plateaued. Unless I Level Up and gain the Blacksmith Developmental Ability, I’m not going to be able to progress my skills any further.”

Bell thought about it for a long moment. “What do you think, Lili?”

Lili looked at Welf, and then at the armor and weapons that the Smith had forged and repaired/upgraded for Bell. It was clearly quality work, especially for a Level 1 Smith. “Without knowing anything about Mr. Welf or his capabilities, it’s risky to bring him with us into the Dungeon.”

Welf knew that was true, but he still sagged a little at hearing it.

“Maybe a trial run, then?” Bell considered as he looked between Lili and Welf. “We’re planning to head down to the Eleventh Floor. We can evaluate Mr. Welf’s abilities on the way down.”

Welf perked up a little at what Bell was saying.

“It would be a good way to find out how well he’d do as a Party member, and if we could trust him.” Lili looked at Welf for a moment. She’d lived far too long being taken advantage of by Adventurers to ever trust someone right away. But Welf didn’t seem the sort, at least on the surface.

“That’s all I can ask.” Welf gave the two a bow of thanks from his seated position. “I won’t let you down, I promise!”

Bell smiled at Welf and held out his hand. “We’re planning to head to the Dungeon now, if you’re available.”

Welf took Bell’s hand and stood up with a grin. “Hell yeah, just let me grab my sword!” He moved to the far wall of the smithy and picked up a greatsword that was hung up. The sword was almost entirely black, save for the silvery cutting edge. Welf strapped on an over the shoulder harness and then took the greatsword off the wall before attaching it to the harness on his back, allowing him to carrying the large weapon on his back freely and leave his hands free when necessary. He put on a brown leather belt with a couple of good-sized pouches on the side to hold materials and potions and then turned to Bell and Lili. “Ready to go!”

The three left Welf’s smithy and headed towards the Dungeon together for the first time.

-Twilight Manor-

Ais was out in the garden with her sword, Desperate, in her right hand while her left hand was held to the small of her back to keep it out of the way. A somewhat formal stance and pose for a sword user when practicing. Ais moved the sword through a series of intricate movements that, while beautiful to look at, would become a terrifying sight if a living body was put directly in front of the blade.

‘Weight. Balance. Grip. Cutting edge. Adjustments complete.’ Ais brought her sword to a stop, back in the starting form once again. She’d fully adjusted to her new Level 6 power. There was no further disconnect between her mind and body after almost a full day of sparring with Tione and Tiona yesterday. ‘Everything is in sync again.’

A single leaf fell from the nearby tree and fluttered through the air in front of Ais.

There was a series of blurring slashes from her blade before Ais returned to her stance.

The floating leaf developed a grid pattern across its surface before falling into perfectly cut squares, like confetti, that all floated towards the ground.

Pleased that her skills weren’t getting rusty, Ais sheathed her sword. It was only then that she noticed that she was being watched.

“Th-That was amazing, Miss Ais…” Lefiya gushed, her cheeks pink as she held a book close to her chest.

“Lefiya.” Ais smiled at her friend. “Good morning.”

“S-Sorry… It was so captivating…that I forgot to introduce myself.” Lefiya apologized for watching Ais without saying anything.

“…thank you?” Ais wasn’t really sure about Lefiya’s compliment on her swordsmanship. To Ais, it was an effective method to kill Monsters, there was nothing beautiful about it.

“So, it is true that you practice so early in the morning.” Lefiya smiled at Ais, having nothing but praise for her friend. “That’s why you’re so strong… I must learn from your example!” Lefiya tilted her head slightly. “Who instructed you in the art of swordsmanship?”

Ais looked down a bit, staring at the green grass before she spoke. “…my father, I guess…” Memories of those times brought some happiness, but it was always tainted by grief and sadness that swelled up if she thought about them for too long.

“Is that so?! Even as a Magic user I can tell that you’ve really honed your technique! So, it’s from your father…” Lefiya was delighted that Ais was willing to share such things with her. “If I may ask, what are your parents doing right now?”

“Lefiya, how much time does it take to retrieve one book?” Riveria asked from behind the younger Elf. She picked Lefiya up by the back of her shirt, easily holding the cute Elf girl off the ground.

“L-Lady Riveria!” Lefiya almost panicked that Riveria had come looking for her because she’d taken too long.

Riveria let out a small sigh. “You have your own training to attend to.” She reminded Lefiya of why she was fetching the book in the first place. She turned her gaze to Ais with a small smile. “And you, Ais? It has been a while since you last joined us.” Lefiya glowed at Riveria’s suggestion and the idea of having early morning lessons with Ais. “Physical strength is not all that’s required to improve.”

Ais recalled the strict lessons that Riveria had forced on her as a child and slowly backed away while waving off the offer with her left hand. Anyone looking could tell that the blonde’s entire demeanor had become almost fearful.

“I see. That is unfortunate.” She turned and carried Lefiya away. “Lefiya, we’ll continue until breakfast.”

“M-Miss Ais!” Lefiya held out her hands towards Ais.

Ais could only sigh in relief that she’d managed to escape. ‘I’ll go into the Dungeon for a little while after breakfast.’

-Floating Bridge Mansion-

Sarutahiko looked at the three girls currently kneeling in front of him. Two were from the Far East, while the other was a Prum, similar to Liliruca. They’d arrived not too long after Bell and Lili had left to pick up Bell’s repaired armor and new weapons so that they could return to the Dungeon today.

“Please, Ōkami-sama, allow us to join your Familia.” The Hume Bunny girl requested with her head still bowed. She had yellow eyes and white hair along with rabbit ears that were normal for her race. She wore a yellow headband, a black choker, a loose kimono with a leaf design that she left open, exposing her chest which she covered with sarashi wraps, a lavender obi, and a katana that she normally kept on her waist, but was currently lying beside her in its sheathe to show that she had no hostility towards Sarutahiko.

“Is that truly what you three desire?” Sarutahiko questioned the girls. He’d sent almost a dozen people away already that had wanted to join his Familia after seeing Bell’s amazing feat in the War Game with Soma Familia. None of them had the proper character that he wanted in his Familia. He’d seen it in their eyes; greed, thirst for power, dishonesty, not a single one of them wanted to join his Familia for any good reason. But these three…just maybe.

The Renard in the modified Miko outfit spoke without lifting her head. “Yes, Ōkami-sama.” Like her Hume Bunny friend, she also had yellow eyes, but possessed red markings at the edges. She had long, black hair along with matching fox ears and tail. Beside her, on the ground, was an ōnusa, which was her weapon of choice to use with her Magic. “We wish to make up for past mistakes and grow stronger together.”

“I-If you could, please, give us a chance, Lord.” The Prum girl requested politely, but showed a more withdrawn personality through her tone of voice. She had blue eyes and short gray-green hair that curled inward, with two petal like hairs at the top while the rest framed her cute face. She wore a black top with yellow along the collar, brown shorts with yellow lines, an orange jacket with yellow edges, black gloves with yellow edges along with orange cuffs with the same design, a brown leather belt, and had a silver breastplate. Her weapon, a hammer, also rested on the ground beside her.

“Raise your heads.” Sarutahiko instructed calmly. The three girls looked up at the elder God and met his eyes. All three of them felt as if their every intention was suddenly laid out before the Deity they kneeled before. It was a rather intense experience, even though Sarutahiko’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. It was several long moments later that Sarutahiko stopped scrutinizing them and spoke. “You three speak openly and honestly. Your hearts are in the right place as well. I will welcome you three; Tsukinokami Kaede, Shinonome Momiji, and Coco Collins, into my Familia.”

“Thank you very much, Sarutahiko Ōkami-sama!” Kaede and Momiji bowed fully to the elder God, nearly pressing their foreheads to the ground.

“Thank you very much, Lord Sarutahiko.” Coco copied her friends and bowed low as well, nearly prostrating before Sarutahiko.

Sarutahiko stood up from and motioned for the three girls to follow him. “As I do with all of my new Familia members, you’ll perform Misogi to purify yourselves and symbolize your new path in life. Momiji, do you know of this rite?”

Momiji nodded once to her new God. “Yes, Sarutahiko-sama. I come from a line of Miko in the Far East. We practice Misogi during certain times of the year.”

The four of them walked all the way around to the back of the compound to where the waterfall was. Sarutahiko shrugged off his clothing, much to the embarrassed squeak of Coco, and head into the shallow pool of water in just his fundoshi. The somewhat shy Prum looked over to her friends, only to see both Kaede and Momiji taking off their clothes as well.

“W-What’re we d-doing?” Coco asked, not having moved to take off anything yet. “We shouldn’t get naked with a man, right?”

Momiji turned to Coco with a kind smile, already down to just panties and the sarashi wraps covering her still growing breasts. “This is Misogi, a ritual of purification, Coco. It’s not something to be thought of as sexual. Sarutahiko Ōkami-sama is the Deity of Misogi, Strength, Guidance, and Martial Arts. It makes perfect sense that we’d perform Misogi before entering his Familia.”

“It’s no big deal.” Kaede agreed, also down to her panties and sarashi wraps. “It’s not like we have to be naked.”

Coco blushed but turned her back and slowly began to take off her clothes. Once she was down to just her panties and her small bra, she followed Kaede and Momiji to Sarutahiko’s side and all four stepped beneath the waterfall at the same time. Sarutahiko led the three through the ritual of purification, and once they were finished, he led the three girls out of the pool of water. Two female retainers were there with fluffy towels for the four of them.

“Thank you.” Coco’s cheeks were still red as she quickly wrapped the large towel around herself.

Momiji and Kaede both giggled at Coco’s shyness as they also wrapped towels around themselves.

The three girls dried off and put some of their clothing back on as Sarutahiko brought them inside and to his office. Kaede sat on the cushion in front of Sarutahiko when he motioned for her to do so. The Hume Bunny girl removed her sarashi wraps while using the large towel to cover herself, and then held the towel over her chest for modesty as she showed her bare back to Sarutahiko.

Sarutahiko began inscribing the required hieroglyphs upon Kaede’s back. A place for her name, her Level, Basic Abilities, a place for Skills to manifest, another for Developmental Abilities, and a single slot for Magic was added. With the Falna complete, Sarutahiko pushed a tiny scrap of his Divinity into it and watched his Falna appear on Kaede’s back like a tattoo. The image of a warrior standing under a waterfall performing Misogi was now proudly worn on the Hume Bunny’s back.

As the previous stats that Kaede had earned filled in the appropriate parts of the Falna, Sarutahiko got a look at the strength of his new Familia member. Humming in thought, and recalling Liliruca’s issue with Status Updates in the Soma Familia, the elder God nodded once and finished the process when nothing new manifested.

“Would you like to get a Status Update now, Kaede?” Sarutahiko asked the Hume Bunny girl with the air of a grandfather.

Kaede blinked once, looked at both Momiji and Coco, then looked over her shoulder at Sarutahiko. “I don’t have much money on me right now, Sarutahiko-sama.”

Sarutahiko closed his eyes and let out a small sigh to make sure he controlled his temper. ‘What a horrible state you let your Familia fall into, Soma.’ He thought to himself after hearing what Kaede had said. “I do not charge for Status Updates in my Familia, Kaede. No Deity should do such a thing, in my opinion, as it does nothing but weaken the bonds that a Familia should form.”

“Oh…” Kaede’s eyes widened and a cute smile formed on her face. “Then, yes, I would like a Status Update, Sarutahiko-sama.” She smiled over her shoulder at her new God happily.

“Very well.” Sarutahiko returned the smile and let a second drop of his blood touch Kaede’s new Falna. The familiar blue-white glow covered her back and Sarutahiko watched all of her relevant Excelia since her last update. It was quite a bit, as it had been roughly four months since her last Status Update, but once Sarutahiko had seen all of it, he moved the Excelia into the Falna and watched the numbers of Kaede’s Basic Abilities increase. “One moment…” He placed a blank paper onto her back and copied the update over with a swipe of his fingertip. “Here you are, Kaede.”

“Thank you very much, Sarutahiko-sama!” Kaede happily took her first Status Update in months and looked it over.

-Status-

Kaede Tsukinokami

Level 1

Strength – G 283 > F 320

Endurance – G 258 > G 292

Dexterity – F 301 > F 344

Agility – F 311 > F 355

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

Usagipo (Rabbit Step) – Increases the user’s speed and lets them clear distance in fewer steps. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“Wow, I guess four months adds up.” Kaede was happy with her boost in stats and happily showed the paper to Momiji and Coco.

Once Kaede moved aside, Momiji sat in front of Sarutahiko, her bare back exposed to him once she pulled her long, raven black hair over her shoulder so that it wouldn’t be in the way.

“I’m ready, Sarutahiko-sama.” Momiji said as she awaited her new Blessing.

Sarutahiko let a drop of his blood touch her back and began the process of giving the Renard his Falna. Once he finished writing the hieroglyphs, he let the light fade away before a second drop of his blood touched Momiji’s back again as he gave her a Status Update. Just like Kaede’s, it had been almost four months since her last one, so there was quite a bit to watch. “There we are.” Sarutahiko smiled as he copied the Status Update onto a blank paper and handed it to Momiji. He’d just let her new development be a surprise.

Momiji eagerly took the paper with a bright smile on her face. “Thank you very much, Sarutahiko-sama!” Her yellow eyes quickly devoured the paper to see her growth.

-Status-

Momiji Shinonome

Level 1

Strength – H 164 > H 193

Endurance – H 139 > H 160

Dexterity – G 255 > G 291

Agility – G 247 > G 276

Magic – G 282 > F 324

-Magic-

Shūryō (Cool Autumn Wind) – Magic that appears as orange, red, yellow, and brown leaves that cut like blades with a cool breeze. Those cut by the leaves have their Status lowered. The decrease in Status is dependent on the user’s Level.

-Skills-

Kurokojutsu (Black Fox Magic) – Increases the effects of the user's magic and improves Mind usage.

-Status-

“I have a Skill?!” Momiji exclaimed brightly as she showed Coco and Kaede her Status Update. “It’s my first one!”

“You grew a lot too!” Kaede pointed out the increase in her friend’s stats with a laugh.

Coco smiled happily. “Congratulations, Momiji.” Momiji’s Magic had helped their Party in the Dungeon more times than she could remember, so to see her friend develop a Skill that made it even better was great.

“Is this the Renard ‘sorcery’ that I’ve heard mention of?” Sarutahiko asked his new ‘child’ about her Magic.

Momiji straightened up (making sure to keep her chest covered with the towel) and turned to look at her new God. “Yes, Sarutahiko-sama. Renard sorcery often has powerful effects on the Status of others, usually to a different degree than regular Anti-Status Magic.”

Sarutahiko nodded after a moment to think about it. “I see. Then it will be another boon for our Familia.”

Momiji smiled and gave Sarutahiko a short bow before moving off the cushion so that Coco could take her place.

“Are you ready, Coco?” Sarutahiko asked softly to the obviously shy Prum.

Coco made sure her chest was covered before nodding. “Yes, Lord Sarutahiko.”

Sarutahiko let a drop of his blood touch her back and began giving the Prum his Falna. Once he finished writing the hieroglyphs upon her back, he allowed the light fade away before he let a second drop of his blood touch Coco’s back again so that he could give her a Status Update too. Just like the other two girls, it had been roughly four months since her last one, so it took a little time to watch the Excelia. “I see. One more moment…” Sarutahiko grinned as he copied the Status Update onto a blank paper, happy to see that something new had manifested for the girl that was clearly the more withdrawn type. “Here you are, Coco.”

“Thank you, Lord Sarutahiko.” Coco accepted the Status Update, happy that she’d get to see her growth and finally have all her hard work applied to her Status.

-Status-

Coco Collins

Level 1

Strength – H 182 > G 207

Endurance – H 139 > H 160

Dexterity – G 205 > G 236

Agility – G 227 > G 262

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

Demure Potential – Increases the user’s stats by a large amount.

-Status-

“Eh?!” Coco cried out in surprise at seeing her first ever Skill. “I have a S-Skill?!”

Momiji and Kaede were on either side of Coco in seconds as they looked at her Status. “Congratulations, Coco!” The two hugged their friend between them, knowing how much this meant to Coco. Their shy friend might not say it, but they both knew Coco felt like she was holding them back in the Dungeon.

Coco felt her cheeks burn red at being hugged by both of her friends when they were all only wearing towels for the most part. “Th-Thank you…” She tried to hide her face with the Status Update paper. “M-Maybe now I can be more u-useful in the Dungeon.”

“You’re always useful, Coco.” Kaede assured her Prum friend with a bright smile.

“You’ve never once let us down.” Momiji said with a soft grin as she squeezed Coco a little more.

Coco smiled, small happy tears in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you.”

Sarutahiko smiled at his three newest ‘children’ seeing how close they were. ‘This is what it means to be Familia.’ He told the three girls to get settled in and that they could pick any of the empty bedrooms as their individual rooms. “You’ll be fetched by one of the retainers when it’s dinnertime, so don’t worry about missing it as long as you’re within the compound. Since you still have most of the day, once you’ve chosen your rooms and settled in, you can ask any of the retainers to take you to the equipment room to get fitted with armor and a new weapon if you need one.”

Coco, Momiji, and Kaede all stared at Sarutahiko in stunned surprise. The fact that they’d be provided with new equipment free of charge was something they’d never once experienced while part of the Soma Familia. The fact that only Coco had any real armor (and that was just a beginner’s light armor breastplate from the Guild) had been part of the reason the three-girl Party had to hold back and be extra cautious while dungeon crawling. But with some new armor to protect them, they could progress a little faster without worrying as much that a single glancing blow from a Monster would give them a fatal injury.

“Thank you very much, Lord Sarutahiko/Sarutahiko-sama!” Kaede, Coco, and Momiji all thanked their new God at the same time.

Sarutahiko only chuckled and waved the girls away so that they could start getting settled in with the help of the retainers. Once the girls were off to pick out their new rooms, the elder God grinned to himself. “Won’t Liliruca and Bell be surprised when they get back from the Dungeon tonight?”

-Dungeon ~ Eleventh Floor-

Wsh

Wsh

Two bolts from Lili’s bowgun flew through the air and stabbed into an Orc’s eyes, blinding the Monster.

“BUUAARRGGHH!!!” The Orc bellowed in pain and swung its landform weapon around wildly, trying to hit what it could no longer see.

Pomf

A small bag hit the flailing Orc in the face, releasing a thick cloud of purple powder. The Orc inhaled deeply, only to start hacking and coughing immediately. The Large Category Monster staggered backwards, still swing the club landform around, even as its face began to have distended veins appear all over it.

Wsh

Wsh

Wsh

Three more bolts were launched from a safe distance by Lili. Each shot nailing the Orc in the head, until the Monster finally collapsed, blinded, poisoned, and injured. It went still a few seconds later and didn’t move again.

“Woo~” Welf whistled at Lili’s take down of a Large Category Monster. “Those’re some impressive skills, Little Lili!”

“Mr. Welf should be watching his back!” Lili yelled at the Smith as she kept moving, already going after her next Monster.

“BUUUAAHHH!!!” An Orc charged at Welf from behind, its landform club raised high to crush the Smith.

“Whoa!” Welf raised his sword to block the club and staggered back a step from the force. With a strained grunt, he pushed the Orc back and then put his strength into a powerful swing that nearly cut the Orc in two at the waist. A shower of blood painted the grass red as the Orc collapsed to the ground and didn’t move again. “Gotta focus!” This was his first time on the Eleventh Floor and Lili was correct, he really should be keeping his senses as sharp as possible.

Bell used his new chokuto to cut off an Orc’s arm, making the Monster lose its club along with the limb. He kicked an Imp away, making it crash into two others with an audible snapping sound. His blade decapitated the injured Orc and he kicked off its dead body to leap into the air and come down on the next Orc, stabbing it straight through the head. Bell wasn’t on top of the dead Orc for long as he leapt down to decapitate the two injured Imps.

“RAAAHHH!!!” A hard Armored roared at Bell before rolling up into a ball and slapping the ground with its powerful tail. The sharp scales along the Hard Armored’s back made it into a rolling ball of spikes shooting straight at Bell.

“Earthly God’s mastery, Gogyō…Fu!” Bell made to hand signs and then blew on his blade, coating it in wind and turning it into a long vacuum blade. He swung his sword, the Wind Magic greatly extending its reach, and cut the Hard Armored in half. The two spinning pieces bounced across the ground, sending blood flying all over the place, before coming to a stop. Bell didn’t stop there though as he charged towards a group of Imps and two Silverbacks. Another swing of the vacuum blade and all of the Monsters were dead, the Imps decapitated while the Silverbacks were bisected at the waist.

“Hyah!” Welf brought this greatsword down on a Silverback that had tried to jump at him from one of the dead trees that littered the Eleventh Floor. The ape Monster cried out as the heavy blade cut deeply into its body before Welf kicked it off of his sword.

“BUUAARRRHH!!!” An Orc charged at Welf with its club raised high.

Bell landed beside Welf, his flying kick crushing the head of an Imp that had tried to sneak up on Welf. “Mr. Welf, don’t try and block the club! Angle your sword so that the club slides towards the ground!”

“Huh?!” Welf asked only for the charging Orc to get in range and swing down on him. Without much thought, Welf did what Bell said and took a half-step to the right while angling his sword at a roughly fifty-five degree angle. The Orc’s club hit the sword, but Welf quickly realized that he didn’t even feel half as much force compared to last time. The club hit his greatsword and then glanced down the length of the blade until it hit the grassy ground. “Gotcha!” Welf was inside the Orc’s guard with a single step forward, his sword slashing deeply into the Orc’s gut and painting the grass with its red blood. “Great advice, Bell!” Welf thanked, but Bell was already dealing with other Monsters.

Lili loved her new backpack, medium-sized, it fit perfectly on her back without being cumbersome or too heavy. This freed up her mobility and allowed her to be a more active participant in the fight. “Take this!” She tossed three poisoned senbon into three Orcs.

“BUUAAARRRGGHH!!!” The Orcs bellowed in annoyance, rather than pain. All three rushed at Lili, looking to crush the Prum.

“Got you.” Lili smirked as she leveled her bowgun at the rushing Orcs.

Wsh

Wsh

Wsh

A bolt stabbed into the knee of each Orc. The injury staggered the charging Monsters and Lili grinned as two of them fell on their faces as their injured legs gave out from their weight.

Wsh

Wsh

The still standing Orc was blinded as its eyes were pierced by bolts.

“Have a little more!” Lili tossed three pouches at the flailing Orcs.

Pomf

Pomf

Pomf

The three clouds of purple poison blended together into a larger fog of death as the Orcs started hacking and choking. The still mobile Orc staggered out of the cloud, still blinded, and then collapsed onto its hands and knees.

Wsh

A final bolt it’s the top of the Orc’s head and punctured straight through and into the brain. The Large Category Monster collapsed with a thud and didn’t move again.

“Screee!”

“Screee!”

“Screee!”

“Screee!”

“Screee!”

A swarm of Bad Bats descended from the ceiling where they’d just spawned from. Their screeches quickly increased in pitch to become their debilitating sonic howl. Nearly visible waves filled the air as the swarm targeted the three-man Party.

“Earthly God’s mastery, Gogyō…Rai!” Three quick hand signs and Bell launched a widespread arc of lightning at the airborne Monsters.

Bzzzztttt

The howls of the Bad Bats went silent as they were electrocuted. Their twitching bodies fell to the ground with wisps of smoke rising off of them.

“That takes care of the howls.” Bell said under his breath as he headed for a group of Orcs that he’d sensed with his Kanchi Skill.

“Buuhaa?!” The first Orc to emerge from the fog barely had time to see Bell before its head went flying. Bell’s new chokuto easily cutting through the Monster’s flesh and bone.

The second Orc was no better as Bell used the dead Orc as a springboard to leap into the air and bring his blade down on the second one, splitting it from shoulder to groin. Bell’s talent meant that he’d managed to avoid shattering the Magic Stone by missing it with only a few centimeters to spare. The third Orc managed to swing its club at Bell, only to miss as Bell moved and cut off the fourth Orc’s right leg.

“BUUUAARRGGHH!!!” The Orc collapsed to the ground, nearly knocking the third Orc over in the process.

Bell’s sword passed through the third Orc’s neck while it was off balance. He tore the blade out sideways, a fountain of blood gushing from the massive wound. The fourth Orc barely saw the blade coming towards its eye before it died as Bell stabbed straight through its head.

“GRRAAAHHH!!!” A Silverback bellowed as it tried to crush Bell from above.

“Hup!” Bell’s foot came up in a perfect roundhouse that not only shattered the Silverback’s jaw, but sent the ape Monster flying off to the left where it crushed into the ground in a heap.

“Gii!”

“Gee!”

“Kree!”

Three Imps glided toward Bell with their claws out, looking to slash at him.

The first Imps didn’t even see the blade that killed it. The second only saw the blur of Bell’s fist coming at its face before it died. The final Imp was crushed under Bell’s powerful axe kick that shattered most of the short Monster’s bones.

“That should be all of them.” Bell didn’t’ sense any other Monsters in the area through his Skill. “Looks like we’re done for now!” He called out to Lili and Welf.

“Man… They weren’t kidding when they said the spawn rate increases on the last three of the Upper Floors.” Welf exhaled as he and Bell watched over Lili as she harvested the Monster’s Magic Stones. “Thanks for the tip earlier, it really made taking out the other Orcs easier.” He gave Bell a grin.

“No problem, Mr. Welf.” Bell returned the smile with one of his own. “You’re capable of fighting Large Category Monsters one-on-one, so that helps us out too.”

Welf rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, maybe, but I don’t have anything on you.” The majority of the Monsters currently lying dead on the grassy ground had been killed by Bell.

Not too long later and Lili was finished. A pile of Magic Stones and several Drop Items were now resting on the grass. Welf looked at Lili’s backpack and then at the two piles. Bell chuckled as Lili pulled out a scroll from her backpack.

“Okay… I feel like I’m missing something.” Welf looked between Bell and Lili. “How’re we supposed to carry all of this back when we’re done for the day?”

“Lili has it covered, Mr. Welf.” Lili unrolled the scroll to reveal two circles of script that the Smith didn’t quite recognized. Part of it was clearly the characters of the Far East, but the rest was completely unknown to him. Lili placed one of her hands on each circle and in a small puff of smoke large sacks appeared on top of the scroll.

Welf backed up a step in surprise. “What the hell?!”

Lili laughed brightly at surprising Welf. “It’s Lili’s Skill, Mr. Welf, nothing to be afraid of.” Lili opened one of the sack and started filling it with the Magic Stones.

“Lili’s Skill lets her be both a Supporter and a Combatant for the Party by reducing how much she has to carry directly.” Bell explained without going into too much detail with someone not from their Familia.

Lili filled the second sack with the Drop Items they collected; a Bad Bat Wing, Imp Horns, Orc Hides, and Hard Armored Scales. After tying off both sacks, Lili placed them back on the circles of script and then touched the script again. In another brief puff of smoke, both sack vanished back into the scroll.

“Okay, that’s cool as hell.” Welf grinned at the demonstration of Lili’s Skill.

“Thank you, Mr. Welf.” Lili smirked as she rolled up the scroll and put it back into her backpack. “Shall we continue?”

Welf rested his greatsword on his shoulder. “I’m ready when you guys are.”

Bell closed his eyes and spread out his Kanchi Skill’s range. “There’s a group of Monsters in that direction, roughly one-hundred-fifty meters away.”

Lili and Bell headed towards the next group of Monsters while Welf followed behind.

‘I think I’m going to really like being in a Party!’ Welf smiled to himself as he followed after Bell and Lili. Partnering up with them would surely produce WAY better results than doing everything solo liked he’d been forced to for so long.

-Dungeon ~ Tenth Floor-

Ais was making her way through the Upper Floors easily killing every single Monster she’d come across, so far. Her speed meant that most of the Upper Floor Monsters didn’t even notice her before she was already far past them. Not that she was collecting the small Magic Stones of the weak Monsters. They could be scavenged by the Level 1 Parties for all that she cared. Today was about heading into the Middle Levels to test out her new Level 6 prowess in real combat.

“Hm?” She stopped and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Staring at seemingly nothing, Ais still had a feeling that she was being watched. “Something’s…there.” She unsheathed Desperate and pointed it at where she felt the gaze coming from.

With what appeared to be a ripple of air, like someone pulling away a cloth, a shadowy figure emerged. The person was dressed in ragged black robes and was wearing a mask over their face. On the person’s hands were metal gauntlets with sharp points at the end of each finger.

“So I’ve been noticed.” The figure spoke, sounding like it might be a man, but the voice through the mask was noticeably distorted. “I underestimated you.”

“Do you have business with me?” Ais questioned the person, not relaxing her stance in the slightest.

“Indeed.” The figure said. “However, before stating my purpose, I’d like you to lower your sword. I mean you no harm.”

Ais narrowed her eyes, by lowered the tip of her blade towards the ground, knowing she could bring it back up faster than most people could react. “…who are you?”

“Me? Just a washed up Mage.” The figure answered without answering. “…perhaps you’d understand if I told you that I’m the one that spoke to Lulune Louie?”

Ais perked up just slightly at hearing the familiar name, but kept her eyes sharp.

“Ais Wallenstein… I’d like to entrust you with a Quest.” The mysterious figure said plainly. Not getting an automatic rejection from Ais, the person continued. “There’s currently an irregular incident involving a strangely massive horde of Monsters on Floor Twenty-Four. Several Adventurers have already been lost because of it. I would like you to investigate or eliminate the cause. Of course, there will be a handsome reward. The origin has been traced to the deepest point of the Floor…most likely the Pantry.”

‘I had no idea…that something like that was happening.’ Ais slowly sheathed her sword, not feeling like the person in front of her was lying, but her hand never let go of the hilt. ‘But why ask e to investigate instead of their own comrades?’

“The truth is… Hashana was sent to Floor Thirty where a very similar thing occurred.” The cloaked figure explained, seeing Ais’s focus increase as her golden eyes became more intense. “There is a strong possibility this is connected to that individual… To that mysterious orb that attacked Rivira.”

‘This is bait…’ Ais realized instantly. ‘Meant to grab my attention… But…’ She vividly recalled the red-haired Tamer woman and the beating that she’d taken from her. The strange mutated Monster that felt like a Spirit…and had been in the back of her mind ever since that day.

“The situation is grave, Sword Princess.” The mysterious Mage placed his hands together as if praying, or perhaps begging. “Please lend me your strength.”

‘…There aren’t any bad intentions.’ Ais finally removed her hand from her sword. “Understood…”

The black cloaked man bowed his head slightly. “You have my gratitude. If possible, I’d like for you to set out immediately. Is that acceptable?”

“Can…I send a message to my Familia?” Ais asked as she opened up a narrow pocket in the right side of her hip armor.

“Ah, I see.” The so-called Mage noticed what Ais had pulled out. “Yes, that will not be a problem.”

Ais used her Portable Feather Pen, a slightly expensive Magic Item that turned a small amount of blood into ink, to write a short letter explaining the situation to Loki and her Familia. She carried these implements at Finn’s request in case they ever needed to communicate with the surface or leave notes in the Dungeon. Once she finished the letter, she put the feather pen away and rolled up the message before placing it into the gauntlet-covered hand of the black-robed person.

The person nodded once and then gave Ais the location to meet up with the others that had agreed to the Quest and a code to use to identify herself as one of them. With that done the two parted ways, the Mage faded back into invisibility once more.

‘I wonder if Bell is…’ Ais shook her head. ‘No… Even if he’s in the Dungeon right now, I can’t get him involved. This will be…my own adventure.’ She took off towards the stairs to the Eleventh Floor. If she kept up a decent pace, she could be on the Eighteenth Floor in just an hour or two and meet up with her ‘allies’ for this Quest.

She had no idea that her message would not only make Finn, Loki, Gareth, and Riveria facepalm at her going off into the Dungeon on some shady Quest. But would also prompt Loki to send a small three-man Party chasing after her.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon -

“Your Magic Stones were worth 65,820 Valis and your Drop Items, including Orc Hides, Imp Horns, Bad Bat Wing, and Hard Armored Scales, come out to 36,288 Valis. Your total for this exchange is 102,108 Valis.” The Chienthrope woman behind the glass smiled at Bell, Lili, and Welf as the large drawer was pushed onto their side, a small sack filled with Valis coins inside.

“So much in one day.” Welf had never managed anything even close to this on his own. “Being in a good Party really makes a difference!”

“Are you okay with only twenty percent, Welf?” Bell asked as he started counting out Welf’s share.

Welf nodded with a grin. “Yeah, you gave me pick of the Drop Items for my first thirteen percent, so I’m still coming out with thirty-three percent of the loot.” He patted the sack that Lili had let him have which had some Hard Armored Scales in it that he was looking forward to working with.

A little later and Bell pushed Welf’s twenty percent of the Valis over to the Smith. “20,421 Valis for you, Mr. Welf.”

“Thanks, Bell.” Welf scooped the money into his own hip pouch with a smile. “I hope I’ve been able to earn a place in the Party today.”

Lili and Bell looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them.

“Same time tomorrow?” Bell held his hand out to Welf.

“Sure thing, Bell.” Welf shook on it with a grin. “Little Lili.” He shook the Prum’s hand too, holding back a snicker at the bemused look Lili gave him for the nickname.

-Hephaestus Familia Home-

“So, you found a Party?” Hephaestus commented after watching Welf’s Excelia.

Welf nodded as he let Hephaestus continue his Status Update. “Yeah. They’re good people.”

Hephaestus had a small smile on her lips, glad that Welf had finally found a Party to work with him. Her ‘child’ going into the Dungeon alone over and over again for the last couple of years had always worried her. “Hm?” She watched Welf’s Basic Ability numbers increase, but noticed they were a bit higher than what she felt they should be after the Excelia that she’d just watched. ‘Maybe I’m just off because I’m not used to any of my Smiths killing so many Monsters in one day?’ Hephaestus shrugged it off for now and placed a blank paper against Welf’s back. A twirl of her finger had the new numbers copied over and she handed the paper to Welf while she locked up his Falna.

-Status-

Welf Crozzo

Level 1

Strength – D 577 > D 592

Endurance – E 481 > E 496

Dexterity – C 605 > C 621

Agility – E 469 > E 484

Magic – I 51

-Magic-

Will o’ Wisp – Incantation: “Ignite. Heretic spell.” Anti magic fire. If timed correctly it can cause an Ignis Fatuus to enemies.

-Skills-

Crozzo Blood – The user can create Magic Swords. Can raise the power of Magic Swords during creation.

-Status-

“Whoa… That’s a big jump!” Welf commented on his increase with surprise. “Over sixty points in one day? Does the Eleventh Floor really give that much more Excelia? Or is this just what happens with a good Party?”

Hephaestus laughed softly at Welf’s amazement. “A bit of both, perhaps? It’s a good thing either way.”

Welf had to agree. He’d never gotten such a large increase on his own, so something was definitely working in his favor today. “I’ll keep it up and finally get to Level 2! Then I’ll make my way up to High Smith once I acquire the Blacksmith Developmental Ability!”

“Always strive towards your goals, Welf. Just be careful so that you don’t stumble on your way there.” Hephaestus both encouraged and cautioned him.

-Floating Bridge Mansion-

Bell and Lili both blinked as they recognized three familiar/semi-familiar faces in their Familia’s home.

“Good evening, Cranel-sama.” Momiji bowed to Bell politely as her new Captain.

“Good to see you again, Cranel-sama.” Kaede followed Momiji’s lead.

Coco took a second to work up her courage. “I-I hope you’ve had a good day, Captain.”

Bell blinked again. “Uh… Can someone explain what’s going on?”

“Lili would like an explanation too.” Lili said, looking between her three former Familia members from Soma Familia.

Sarutahiko motioned for Lili and Bell, both freshly bathed, to sit down. Once the two were sitting on cushions across from the three newcomers, Sarutahiko spoke. “Bell, Liliruca, these three are Coco Collins, Tsukinokami Kaede, and Shinonome Momiji. They’ve joined our Familia as of this morning.”

Lili looked between the three girls and then at Sarutahiko. “Lili knows who they are, Lord Sarutahiko. They used to belong to Soma Familia.”

“We’d like to apologize.” Kaede spoke up as the three girls bowed in full dogeza before Lili. “We saw what you were going through on multiple occasions and did nothing to help you.”

“Our lack of action was shameful and unforgivable. But we beg you to give us a chance to make things right.” Momiji requested with her forehead pressed to the tatami mats.

“We were dealing with our own issues, but you clearly had it much worse than us. We should’ve tried to help you.” Coco apologized without daring to look up from the floor.

Bell looked between the three girls and Lili. “Lili, did these three?” The rest of the question was left unsaid, but Lili didn’t need to hear it.

With a shake of her head, Lili dispelled Bell’s suspicions. “No, Master Bell. These three were in a similar position to Lili. Only instead of not drinking the perfect Soma wine to save money and try to escape the Familia. These three saved money to meet their monthly quotas when they could so that they could get Status Updates.”

“We knew the Familia was rotten, but we knew it would be almost impossible to leave when the price to leave the Familia was 10,000,000 Valis.” Momiji said without looking up.

Kaede spoke up after Momiji finished. “Instead of trying to escape as fast as possible, we saved our money to try and get stronger so that we could earn more money deeper in the Dungeon and then escape.”

Coco sounded like she was close to tears. “We should’ve approached you…b-but we didn’t…and you were alone with everybody targeting you…”

“Stop.” Lili said and the three girls stopped trying to speak. “Lili understands what you three were trying to do. Lili doesn’t blame you for looking out for your group. Soma Familia is gone now, so let’s leave it in the past.” The three girls looked up at Lili in surprise. “Do your best for our Familia, for Sarutahiko Familia, from now on.” She gave the three a smile. “Lili doesn’t hold anything against you.”

“Miss Arde!” Coco nearly crawled across the floor to hug Lili as small tears of relief and happiness fell from the corners of her eyes.

Lili gently hugged Coco back, soothing the younger girl in the process with quiet words.

Sarutahiko and Bell both looked at Lili with pride for not holding the three girls’ inaction in the past against them. Despite all of the pain and loneliness she’d gone through, Lili was still good person at heart that could forgive and accept others.

“It will be dinnertime soon.” Sarutahiko smiled and looked at Bell and Lili. “I’ll give you both a Status Update and then we’ll all go eat.”

“You go first, Master Bell.” Lili said as she was still holding Coco and comforting the other Prum.

Bell kissed her lips, making Momiji and Kaede blush slightly at the display of affection, before he moved over to sit in front of Sarutahiko. He shrugged the top of his yukata off, revealing his muscled body to the eyes of the three younger girls for the first time. All three of them squeaked and looked away after a second, which made Lili giggle.

Sarutahiko placed a drop of his blood on Bell’s back and watched his Falna appear. As he watched the day’s Excelia, the elder God couldn’t help but comment. “I see you’ve found a third member for your Party.”

“Yes, Mr. Welf was worked well with us today, so we’re going back down to the Eleventh Floor tomorrow.” Bell said as his God continued the update.

“All done, Bell.” Sarutahiko copied the numbers over to a blank paper on Bell’s back and then handed the sheet over while locking up the Falna.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 2

Strength – I 52 > H 116

Endurance – I 50 > H 111

Dexterity – I 53 > H 118

Agility – I 51 > H 112

Magic – I 55 > H 124

-Magic-

Gogyō (Five Elements) – Incantation: “Earthly God’s mastery.” This Magic allows the user to use five different elemental Magics by using the appropriate word modifier: Sui for Water Magic, Do for Earth Magic, Fū for Wind Magic, Rai for Lightning Magic, and Ka for Fire Magic.

Kokushin (Black Needle) – Incantation: “Disrupt.” This Magic allows the user to create a black material in the shape of needles, batons, or rods at the cost of Mind.

-Skills-

Fugō (Sign) – Allows the user to change the form of a spell by making different signs with their hands.

Shihyō (Paragon/Teacher/Model/Leader) – Removes limits of growth. Rate of growth increases in proportion to the user’s efforts to improve. Growth of others increases when instructing them.

Kanchi (Sensing) – Allows the user to sense living things within a certain range of themselves and distinguish between Monster and Non-Monster. The range increases based on the Magic stat. Active Trigger.

-Developmental Ability-

Martial Mastery – I

-Status-

“Not too bad.” Bell remarked as he looked over his growth. “Glad that I’m still growing.” He knew it would be harder and harder for him now that he had Leveled Up once, but he would always strive to be better and push forward towards his goals.

Bell moved to burn his Status Update while Lili moved to take his place, Coco having calmed down and moved back over to sit with Kaede and Momiji.

Lili undid the top of her yukata, but held the long sleeves over her breasts for modesty’s sake since she was going braless tonight, like she often did when at home. She felt the drop of blood touch her back, and saw the blue-white glow out of her peripheral vision, but the whispered conversation among the three girls caught her attention when she heard her name briefly mentioned.

“Arde-san was very kind to forgive us.” Momiji whispered to Kaede and Coco.

Kaede agreed with a nod and then glanced at Lili for an instant. “She’s got bigger breasts than all of us.” She patted her sarashi-covered girls. “I thought Prums were supposed to be small.” Kaede looked at Coco with a teasing grin.

“M-Miss Lili is like a b-bombshell by Prum standards…” Coco admitted with red cheeks. Her hands moved to cover her chest. “I hope I can even get close to her in a few years.”

Lili barely suppressed a laugh at what the younger girls were talking about. She barely remembered her parents since she’d lost them so young. But she was fairly certain that she’d just gotten lucky with the blessings from her mother.

“Here you are, Liliruca.” Sarutahiko locked up her Falna and handed her the paper with her updated Status on it.

“Thank you, Lord Sarutahiko.” Lili smiled at her God as she put her yukata back on properly before taking the paper from him.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – H 192 > G 210

Endurance – H 179 > G 201

Dexterity – F 373 > E 404

Agility – D 520 > D 552

Magic – D 544 > D 568

-Magic-

Cinder Ella – Incantation: “Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.” Transformation Magic that enables the user to transform into anything around their size.

-Skills-

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this Skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Storage Scroll – Allows the user to store non-living objects in scrolls. The scroll’s script must be written with ink that is mixed with the user’s blood.

-Status-

“Lili went up a lot again.” Lili was very happy with her growth. “Thank you for your instruction, Master Bell.”

Bell waved her thanks off with a chuckle. “You’re the one putting in all of the effort, Lili. I’m just glad that my advice can help.” Helping Lili in the Dungeon kept Shihyō working for Lili and boosting her growth as she worked as hard as she could every single day in order to improve. Her efforts fueled the bonus effect of his Skill and Bell was always happy to see Lili’s growth.

Once Lili burned her Status Update, the six of them headed for the dining area for dinner, already able to smell the food.

“Lili does hope that she might eventually develop another Magic that’s more useful in the Dungeon.” Lili said to Bell as they walked hand-in-hand down the hall.

“Your Magic is useful, Lili.” Bell assured her with a warm smile. “It makes keeping an eye out for us easier, especially since I can’t use my Skill while in combat or anything.”

Lili squeezed Bell’s hand with a soft smile on her lips. “Lili knows that… But she can’t help but want a Magic that more directly helps out in the Dungeon.”

Bell leaned down and kissed the top of Lili’s head. “I’m sure if that’s what you truly want, then it’ll eventually come in time, Lili.”

Lili certainly hoped so as she sat down next to Bell for dinner. Her Transformation Magic had been born out of her overwhelming desire to hide and flee from the abusive Soma Familia. ‘Maybe now that Lili is in a loving Familia, she can develop a Magic to support and help them all.’ It was currently her greatest wish as an Adventurer and she just had to hope that someday it came true.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Welf completes Bell’s gear and asks to join the Party.

Lili and Bell agree to a trial run and Welf pulls his weight on the Eleventh Floor! Nice! Looks like the Party just got bigger!

Ais has acclimated to her Level 6 power and heads into the Dungeon to test it out in real combat! She certainly didn’t expect to be given a Quest by a mysterious Mage! If you’ve read Sword Oratoria, you know where this is going!

Momiji, Kaede, and Coco (All from the game Danmachi Orario Rhapsodia) formerly of Soma Familia, have joined the Sarutahiko Familia! The Familia grows a bit bigger! Yay!

Sarutahiko will hopefully get to see his wife again sooner rather than later!

You may remember these three girls from the War Game. Bell dealt with them quickly, but very gently compared to MOST of the other Soma Familia members! Kek!

Now with a three-man Party established and some juniors in the Familia, how will Bell and Lili’s days of dungeon crawling go? We all know Bell is going to include the three younger girls in training at the Familia Home, especially since he can’t drag them down into the bottom of the Upper Floors with their current stats.

But…having TWO Parties in the Familia can be beneficial in its own way!

How will Ais’s secret Quest go? Will things change or stay the same? Which of the lovely ladies that Bell loves gets a date next?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!