BLUE TWILIGHT
“Oh, I forgot to say, well done on reaching Level Two, Bell…”
Nahza congratulates me as she’s counting up my purchases. I look up in surprise to see her relaxed gaze directed right at me.
I’m at Blue Pharmacy, the building that serves as both the home of Miach Familia and their main place of business. This is where I like to stock up on items before heading to the Dungeon.
The crate I’ve placed on the counter contains the potions I’d like to buy. There are multiple vials filled with colorful concoctions.
“Where’d the time go?” Nahza muses. “I feel like we just met, and you’re already Level Two. Well done, Bell. There’s a good boy…”
She reaches out a hand and strokes my head, ignoring my reddening cheeks. All I can think to say is, “Th-thank you…”
“And if you’re moving up in the world, that’s good for business, too…So I got you something.”
“Huh? Wh-what is it?”
“A gift box. No need to pay. It’s on the house…”
She pulls a few test tubes out of a wooden box and hands them to me. Before I can possibly refuse, the chienthrope girl flicks her tail and grins.
“But don’t get the wrong idea, Bell. This is an investment, understand?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“If everyone sees an upper-class adventurer using our products, they’ll come to our store. It’s basically free advertising.”
Due to their power and fame, upper-class adventurers attract a lot of attention around the city. Even though I only just ranked up, Nahza must be keen to use my status as a third-tier adventurer to attract more customers.
Her droopy eyelids conceal a determined glint in her eye. I freeze for a moment, then melt into a defeated smile.
“I find I must agree with Nahza on this one. Please take them, Bell.”
“Lord Miach…”
Nahza’s god emerges from the shelves, where he seems to be doing some cleaning. His smile is pleasant as always.
“It all happened so fast that we never had the chance to celebrate properly,” he goes on. “Perhaps Nahza’s rather mercenary statements have dampened that sentiment somewhat…but I would very much like for you to consider these a gift all the same. Congratulations.”
At this point, it would be rude to refuse, so I humbly accept the unwieldy pile on the counter.
“Thank you,” I say, gathering up everything in my arms before I bow and leave the store.
“Potions, antidotes…There are even high potions in here.”
As I walk down the street, I sort through the items and pick out whatever I might need quick access to in the Dungeon. Slipping them into my leg holster, I quickly fill the pocket to capacity and place the rest in a bag for Lilly to hold on to.
Not long ago, having this many items at my disposal would have been unthinkable…
I also thought this when I was getting my new armor, but I’m spoiled for choice compared to when I first started out. It still doesn’t feel real. And I should be happy about that, but…I don’t know…
I’m not sure how to explain why I feel this way, so I scratch my cheek and then hurry to meet up with Lilly outside the Dungeon.
Today’s party consists of me plus Lilly, my supporter, and Welf, the blacksmith.
Although we only assembled this party for the first time a few days ago, we can already handle the first eleven floors of the Dungeon, and now we’re regularly on the twelfth, the last of what’s commonly known as the upper floors.
Welf is good on the front lines, and his addition to the party dramatically reduces the burden I previously had to bear alone, allowing us to advance deeper with less risk. At least, that’s how Lilly explained it to me.
Once again, we finish exploring the twelfth floor for the day and begin our trip back to Babel, the skyscraping tower built atop the Dungeon. Once there, we trade in our magic stones and drop items, then head over to the diner to find a table and divvy up today’s earnings according to our usual rules.
“Well then, let’s tally up the totals,” says Lilly, taking charge of the distribution. “Today’s earnings add up to seventy-two thousand valis. That means thirty-six thousand goes to Mr. Bell and eighteen thousand each to me and Mr. Welf.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“…Erm. Can we change this ratio?” I object. “It feels unfairly in my favor…”
The way we usually divide payment is that I receive half, then Lilly and Welf split the remainder—in other words, they each get a quarter of the total haul. They justify this by saying I always have to work the hardest, but…Well, it makes me feel a bit guilty.
I suggest making it an even split instead, but that idea is quickly vetoed.
“If anything, we’re still not paying you enough, Mr. Bell,” Lilly says. “And I receive far too much for a mere supporter.”
“Upper-class adventurers make a lot of money,” Welf chimes in. “Anywhere else, and we’d be treated like bottom-feeders compared to you.”
They explain that just because a split is equal doesn’t mean it’s fair. I don’t know how other parties do things, so I can’t really argue.
“………”
Welf smiles and just urges me to take it, pushing the bag of gold coins into my hands.
“A promotion?”
“That’s right. Hestia Familia is now officially rank H. Congratulations, Bell.”
The walls of Guild HQ take on an orange glow in the evening light. After parting ways with Lilly and Welf outside Babel, I came straight here to check in with Miss Eina.
“Erm, but I’m still the only member. Are you sure that’s right?”
“Mm-hmm, that’s true,” says Eina with a conflicted look, “but we have your recent level-up to consider as well, so we can’t really leave things as is…”
The Guild ranks familias based on their combat strength and other abilities on a scale from I up to S, just like with stats. Higher-ranked familias generally get better treatment and earn more recognition from the Guild…or so I hear.
Eina carefully explains that keeping the familia at rank I simply isn’t an option—even though Lady Hestia only has a single follower—because I’m now an upper-class adventurer.
“And here, this is for you,” she says, handing me a rolled-up parchment. “It contains all the details of your promotion. Your taxes have gone up accordingly, so make sure you give it a careful look and let Lady Hestia know too, okay?”
I unfurl the parchment and take a quick glance at the contents, and sure enough, my tithes to the Guild have increased. I reflexively mutter a groan upon reading the number written there. Eina offers me an awkward smile.
“…Erm, if that’s all, then I’d better head home,” I say.
“Yep, that’s all. See you later, Bell.”
I half-bow and leave as Miss Eina waves me off.
So this is how much I’ll be paying at the end of this month…
I have a lot to think about as I make my way down Northwest Main Street, the road known as Adventurers Way. My eyes remain fixed on the scroll in my hands as adventurers with weapons, big and small, pass by either side of me.
Lately, the sums of money I’ve been dealing with just keep growing larger, both in earnings and spending. That came up in my conversation with Lilly and Welf earlier, too. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.
I wonder why I feel that way…? It’s almost like…
For some reason, I can’t seem to figure out how I’m feeling and why, so I scratch the back of my neck, put the scroll away, and begin walking down the madder-red streets.
“Maybe I should get my weapon looked at. It’s been a while.”
I stop in the middle of the road and quickly come to a decision. After spinning around, I head toward my new destination. A smile leaps onto my face, and my footsteps feel lighter. It’ll be nice to have a change of pace after everything that’s happened today!
“Hey, what kind of game d’you think you’re playin’, punk?”
This was supposed to be a nice change of pace!
The gravelly voice’s threat has me trembling like a frightened rabbit. The thug and his friends have me trapped and alone. As soon as I stepped off Main Street, this group of human and animal-person adventurers huddled me into a shadowy back alley, and now they’re glaring daggers down at me. All I can do is give my best prize-winning smile in an attempt to smooth things over.
Wh-what do they want with me?
“There’s no way a skinny little brat like you took down a minotaur. Just how dumb do you think we are?”
“Bet you made the whole thing up, didn’cha? Think we don’t see what you’re tryin’ to pull?”
“You expect us to stay quiet and kiss your ass like the rest of the damn city?”
Goddess’s words from a few days ago surface in my head.
Word is spreading about what you did, and some people aren’t happy about it. Keep a low profile for a while, okay?
I can see that now!
I’m sorry to say this whole situation has me utterly petrified. I can’t move a muscle.
“We’ve been all over that piece-of-shit Dungeon for years now with nothin’ to show for it. You tellin’ me some stupid white rabbit came up and swiped the big prize from right under our noses? Don’t make me laugh.”
This angry guy is claiming I made everything up, including defeating the minotaur and maybe even my level-up. Unfortunately, I’m way too scared to say anything, and my silence seems just to aggravate him further. Right as he steps forward to lay a hand on me, a figure slips out from the shadows and steps between us.
“Can I help you, gents?”
“W-Welf!”
I don’t know how he knew where I was, but I’m grateful for Welf’s backup. While I’m about as intimidating as a bunny, his ferocious glare has the street toughs on the back foot. Welf draws his longsword and steps between us.
“Wh-who’s this punk?!”
“Who cares? Get ’em both!”
Welf’s sudden appearance doesn’t faze them long, though, and after seeing they still vastly outnumber us, they draw their blades.
Suddenly, a cordial voice cuts through the heavy gloom. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
The thugs, Welf, and I all spin to face the newcomer. Standing there is a blond-haired young man with calm blue eyes like the surface of a lake—a prum, based on his childlike height. There isn’t a single person in all of Orario who doesn’t know who he is.
“Finn Deimne?!”
The captain of Loki Familia, said to be one of the strongest familias in the city.
One of the thugs manages to choke out, “B-but we heard Loki’s crew was still away on an expedition…” Welf and I are unable to say anything at all. Only Finn is unruffled as he flashes a warm smile.
“I wouldn’t fancy your chances against me, even as a group,” he says to the thugs. “Besides, I won’t go easy on anyone causing trouble for my friend here.”
Welf shoots me a glance as if to say, “You know him?!” I rapidly shake my head. The thugs all look at one another, then their nerves fail them one by one, and they flee into the night.
Once their footsteps fade, it’s only the three of us standing in the silent dusk-lit street. It’s only then that the prum’s grin turns into an altogether more familiar smirk.
“Stroke of midnight’s bell.”
I suddenly realize what’s happening as “Finn” is wrapped in ashen light. A few seconds later, the one standing there is Lilly.
“Li’l E! Th-that was you the whole time…?”
“It’s a transformation spell,” Lilly explains. “Please don’t tell anyone else about it.”
Cinder Ella. A rare spell that allows Lilly to take the form of anyone she pleases. Even a seasoned adventurer can’t tell the difference between her disguise and the real thing.
“D-does that mean you know Finn—I mean, Mr. Finn, Lilly?”
“As if. You think a lowly little prum like me could ever be introduced to our race’s savior?”
I know that appearances aren’t everything—Lilly needs to know a person’s mannerisms and speech patterns to mimic them effectively. I thought perhaps they were more well acquainted than I realized, but Lilly quickly corrected me.
“I’ve just met him once or twice. He’s a fellow supporter of Mr. Bell. Not quite as literally as me perhaps…but enough about that. Let’s talk about you, Mr. Bell, because I’m sure that won’t be the last time something like this happens. You need to learn how to stand up for yourself.”
“Yeah, you were lucky Li’l E and I were around this time. We’re not always gonna be there to pull you out of a tight scrape.”
“I-I know…”
I apologize, and shortly after, the three of us go our separate ways. Welf and Lilly disappear into the shadows, leaving me alone. I stand there for a while before deciding to get a move on, tracing a familiar path to an old, worn-out building.
“Come on in—oh, if it ain’t Bell! Been a while, boyo!”
“Sorry… I know I haven’t been here for so long…Is it okay if I come in?”
It’s a shop located in the backstreets of the main road called the Baby Bird’s Anvil. The proprietor, a dwarf named Dald, is dressed in overalls and a blacksmith’s apron. He greets me warmly, placing the book he’s reading down on the counter and letting me into the shop.
Mr. Dald makes a living honing adventurers’ weapons after they’ve been worn down in the Dungeon. Miss Eina introduced me to him when I was just starting out because his services are very affordable and well-suited to novice adventurers.
“Could I ask you to sharpen this knife for me?” I ask.
“No problem, boyo,” says Dald, taking the weapon that Welf made for me. “Well, well. Isn’t this a pretty thing? You’re moving up in the world, lad.”
“Ha-ha, yeah…”
Mr. Dald was very kind to me when I was new, even going so far as allowing me to pay on credit whenever I came back empty-handed. He’s one of the few people who knows just how pathetic I used to be. While I stand there red-faced, he goes into the workshop and begins pedaling the whetstone.
“I was thinking I haven’t seen you lately,” he says. “Have you found a smith you can trust?”
“S-sorry. I did meet somebody, yeah…”
“Hoh-hoh, that’s quite all right, boyo. This place is for baby birds. All that means is you’ve finally flown the nest.”
Welf usually handles my weapons repairs, too, which means I normally didn’t need to come back here anymore. That makes me feel a little guilty, but Mr. Dald seems to find it welcome news.
“Listen, Bell. I actually have a favor to ask. Do you think you could sell me your old weapon? Only if you’re not using it anymore, that is.”
“What?”
He explains that he always tries to buy old equipment from promising-looking newbies. That way, he can hang them up in his shop and say to the next generation, “Look! The great names of the city were once in your shoes.”
That reminds me of Nahza. Do all businesses work the same way? I think wryly, and I pull out my old knife to offer as a donation. Mr. Dald takes it eagerly and leads me into a back room.
“Wow…” I gasp as I enter. The stone wall on the west side is completely packed with weapons. Knives, one-handed swords, short spears, and hand axes are all hung up in velvet-backed picture frames like prized paintings. As I stare in shock, Mr. Dald fixes my knife to an empty frame and hangs it on the wall.
For a moment, I feel a sense of pride, seeing a weapon bearing my name up on the wall of a place like this.
“So all these people are upper-class adventurers now,” I say, staring in wonder at all the others on display.
“Not anymore.”
“…Huh?”
Mr. Dald gives a solemn sigh. “Adventurers don’t tend to stick around long. Most of the names up on that wall died a while back. I think there’s only a dozen or so of them left alive…”
I’m unable to speak. Mr. Dald looks up at the wall, but it’s like he’s gazing at something far beyond it.
“Stay alive out there, boyo,” he says with a smile. “Make a name for yourself…so I can tell all my customers you were once a baby bird in my care.”
He turns and gives a splendid, eye-creasing smile that I can see even through his thick beard, his face lit up by the light of dusk streaming through the window.
“I will,” I reply.
The sun has already set over the western walls by the time I exit the shop, leaving only a faint glow in that half of the sky. As night approaches, I silently make my way home, my route illuminated by the soft light of the magic-stone lamps and the last vestiges of the evening’s rays.
“Bell! Yoo-hoo!”
“…Goddess?”
I hear a voice behind me and turn to see Goddess chasing after me, a big smile on her face, her long twin ponytails bouncing with each step.
“Oh, work was exhausting as usual! But walking home with you makes it all worthwhile!”
She bounds over to me, full of energy, then notices my somber look.
“Is something the matter?” she asks.
“Huh…?”
“You look unhappy, like a lost kid. What’s up?”
I didn’t mean to show it, but Goddess notices my peculiar mood in an instant. I briefly consider denying it, but I close my lips before I even get the words out. Instead, I look back into her bluish eyes and admit how I’m feeling.
“I can’t really explain it,” I say. “But it feels like everything’s changing so fast, and I’m scared.”
What I’ve taken is only the first step on my journey to be just like the one I look up to, and yet it already feels like I’m living in a totally different world. I get anxious just thinking about it. I haven’t changed—at least I don’t think I have—but everything around me is so different now. The things I own, the amounts of money I make and spend, and even how other people treat me. I feel like I’m being swept away on a wave I can’t control.
“I’ve come so far, so fast, and I’m still only a beginner…I’m just feeling anxious about that, I guess…”
I pour my uncertain feelings into those words and present them to Goddess. I’ve been running for so long that when I finally stop and look back over my shoulder, I’m stunned by just how far I’ve come. The place I started from is nowhere in sight, and the place I ended up is completely unrecognizable.
It’s only been two months since I came to this city and already a year since Grandpa passed. At Mr. Dald’s place, I saw the fate that awaits the vast majority of novice adventurers, and it made me think of everything I left behind to come here. It makes me uneasy about the future and a little bit homesick to boot. Add it all together, and I’m not really sure how I should be feeling anymore.
“…I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m worrying about nothing, aren’t I?”
As soon as I unpack my troubles, I start feeling guilty for it. Goddess has no one besides me to rely on. I need to stay strong and suck it up so that I can be there for her. I force a smile and try to change the subject, but then Goddess says something I don’t expect.
“What are you talking about, Bell? That’s a perfectly valid reason to be worried.”
“Huh?”
My eyes go wide. Goddess is wearing a big smile.
“When I first came down from heaven, I was so nervous about it! It was such a big change, and I didn’t know what to expect…kind of like what you’re feeling now.”
“………”
“So there you have it! If even a goddess can be worried, then it’s nothing to be ashamed of, right?”
Goddess’s words are like a magic spell. They seep into my chest, thawing my hard, frozen heart.
No matter how unreliable or pathetic I’m feeling, she accepts me as I am.
“Besides,” she says, grinning broadly. “No matter how much everything else changes, I’ll always stay the same. So whenever you feel lost or lonely, you can always come home to me. I’ll be waiting.”
Her words warm my heart like the fires of a hearth. A place to call home, no matter how hard it gets…It makes me so happy.
“…Bell, are you crying?”
“N-no…”
I wipe a single tear from the corner of my eye. Goddess doesn’t press the issue further. I expect she already knows how she made me feel. Instead, she smiles.
“You know, for all that’s changed, you’re still the same crybaby you always were!” she teases.
“Th-that’s not true!” I protest, blushing.
We both grin from ear to ear and decide to head home together.
The sky overhead is half red, half blue. We both reach out and hold hands like it’s the natural thing to do.
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