Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 11
--+--
Chapter 11: Floor Boss Goliath
--+--
On the way down to the Middle Floors, Alise didn’t forget to ask what Hoshimi Miyabi was going there for.
“Ais vanished on the Eleventh Floor. Based on her expression before she disappeared, there’s a 99.99% chance she’s entered the Lower Floors. This violates the plan we made before entering the Dungeon, so I need to bring Ais back to the Familia.”
“You don’t have to make it sound that formal…”
Miyabi’s report-like tone gave Alise a strange feeling. It was a bit like facing some Guild employee who’d been working behind a counter for years.
That might not have been the best way to put it, but Alise couldn’t think of a better comparison.
What made it feel even stranger was that Miyabi was a newcomer, yet she was trying to restrict a second-tier adventurer from going deeper into the Dungeon.
To Alise, it felt like the whole order of things had flipped upside down.
The two of them headed lower and soon reached the Fifteenth Floor. Once they entered the Sixteenth Floor, the area became far larger than the Eleventh Floor, and the monsters were much stronger.
Still, for Alise and Miyabi, monsters of this level were little more than free kills.
As they cleared out the monsters, Alise kept stealing glances at Miyabi. Her own comrade Kaguya was a master with an Eastern blade, and since Alise sparred with Kaguya often, she knew a fair bit about that kind of weapon. Miyabi’s swordplay didn’t look flashy, but her speed and precision were terrifying.
Every slash struck a monster’s weak point, and she could cut dozens of times in a single instant. Beneath those flashes of steel, monster corpses fell one after another.
In Alise’s eyes, Miyabi seemed used to fighting monsters. Her movements, and the calm way she handled ambushes, didn’t look like those of a rookie who’d just joined a Familia.
‘Did she convert from another Familia?’
While Alise was wondering about Miyabi’s background, she noticed Miyabi had stopped. They’d found an injured adventurer leaning against the wall.
“There’s someone hurt.”
Alise rushed over, and Miyabi followed close behind.
“Hey… wake up. What happened here?”
The injured adventurer came around, dazed, and saw Alise’s signature red hair.
“Are you… the Scarlet Harnel of the Astraea Familia?”
“That’s me. What happened?”
“Cough, cough… the Floor Boss… Goliath, the Floor Boss of the Seventeenth Floor, respawned early. It destroyed the passage to the Eighteenth Floor and attacked us. The Sword Princess from the Loki Familia saved us.”
“An early respawn? Was it an Irregular?”
“Doesn’t look like it. Aside from respawning early, that Goliath wasn’t any different from a normal one.”
The injured adventurer passed out again. Alise stood and turned to Miyabi. “Goliath has respawned. It’s the Floor Boss of the Seventeenth Floor and has Level 4 strength. Even the Sword Princess probably can’t beat it alone. We need to hurry and support her—hey! What’re you doing?”
Before Alise could finish, her body suddenly tipped sideways and lifted off the ground. By the time she came back to her senses, Miyabi was carrying her like a princess.
“Do you know the way to the Seventeenth Floor?”
“I-I do.”
“Point the way.”
Miyabi pushed off with both legs and shot forward at the same speed she’d used on the streets of Orario. Alise got to experience the same treatment Ais had. Because of Alise’s build, Miyabi couldn’t tuck her under one arm, so she had to carry her princess-style.
“Wait… you’re too fast… left… no, right… down! Don’t just jump!”
With Alise’s sharp cries guiding her, Miyabi ignored every monster that spawned along the way and reached the Seventeenth Floor.
--+--
The Seventeenth Floor was a scene of ruin. Inside a white cavern that looked as if it were built from crystal walls, more than a dozen adventurers lay unconscious from heavy wounds.
Their armor had been smashed to pieces, and some were missing arms or legs. Without Ais, they’d have ended up as monster food.
In the center of the cavern, a brown-skinned giant roared again and again, hammering the ground with fists like boulders. Its target was a blonde girl who barely came up to its toes.
Ais looked battered. Her outfit was torn in several places, revealing smooth skin beneath, and the rapier in her hand was chipped.
Yet despite her rough appearance, she had no clear wounds, which meant she wasn’t at a disadvantage.
“Let’s go.”
Alise activated her flame enchantment and moved to help, but Miyabi stopped her.
“Wait.”
Miyabi looked calm, and her right hand wasn’t even on her sword hilt. She didn’t seem to have any intention of joining the fight.
“Why?”
Alise was about to question her, but Miyabi pointed at the fallen adventurers.
“Securing the injured comes first. We’ll move them somewhere safe.”
Miyabi’s voice was cool, but it carried a force that left no room for refusal. In her eyes, Goliath was only a bit stronger than a General-Class Ethereal. With the strength Ais had shown, she could handle it.
Miyabi and Alise began moving the wounded.
They carried them to the entrance of the Seventeenth Floor. It was far enough from the battlefield, and there were no monsters nearby, so it was a good place to leave the injured.
While the two of them moved the wounded, the battle between Ais and Goliath reached its peak. Goliath punched toward Ais, but she slipped out of the way. She used its arm as a path and ran all the way up to its shoulder.
“Awaken.”
Green wind wrapped around Ais. The wind looked thin, almost as if a wave of the hand could scatter it. But anyone who knew the Sword Princess knew this was powerful magic that combined reinforcement, defense, and attack.
It could protect Ais’s body, and under her control, it could also gather onto her sword and burst out all at once. Ais leapt high from Goliath’s shoulder. Her body was so small that she wasn’t even bigger than one of Goliath’s eyes.
Yet that tiny girl made Goliath feel fear. It raised its other hand to swat Ais away, but it was too late.
“Ariel!”
The scattered wind gathered around Ais’s sword, spiraling along the blade in green coils.
After Ais shouted the spell, the compressed wind burst toward Goliath’s head. Ais had stayed at Level 4 for two years, and her strength was already about equal to Goliath’s.
On top of that, her skill [Avenger] granted her extra power when fighting monsters. One Goliath wasn’t beyond her. Ais’s full-strength strike had only just touched Goliath when it blew apart the upper half of its head.
The blade-like wind tore through Goliath’s skin, muscles, and even bone without mercy. The pain made Goliath howl. For Ais, victory was within reach.
But fate loved a joke.
Ais’s magic was too strong, and the sword in her hand couldn’t fully withstand its power. The moment the wind gathered, fine cracks had already spread across the blade.
After the magic was released, the rapier shattered into pieces, and without a vessel, the spell scattered.
Goliath had suffered a grave wound, but it wasn’t dead. The pain instead drove its savagery higher, and its movements became much faster than before. It swung its arms in a blind frenzy and, by sheer chance, struck Ais while she was off balance in midair.
Ais slammed into the ground. The force made her spit blood. Luckily, Goliath’s wound kept it from pressing the attack, or Ais would’ve been badly hurt.
Ais struggled to her feet, threw aside the hilt of her broken sword, and looked around for a weapon she could use. Then she spotted a sword almost as tall as herself and moved toward it at once.
By then, Goliath had adjusted to the pain. It soon locked onto the little girl who’d caused it so much suffering. It picked up a rock and threw it at Ais with all its strength.
The stone flew so fast that Miyabi, who’d finished moving the wounded, could faintly hear a sonic boom. The rock shot straight toward Ais, and the wind it carried stung her face. She didn’t panic. Instead, she rolled forward.
That roll let her grab the sword and dodge Goliath’s attack at the same time. Ais raised the battered greatsword and rushed Goliath. Goliath tried to stop her with its fists, but she slipped past each blow.
Ais reached Goliath’s feet and began her little pedicure project. A tiny girl hacking away at a giant’s feet with a greatsword was, in truth, a rather funny sight.
Strength had always been Ais’s weak point, and the weapon in her hands was only a beginner’s blade worth a few thousand valis.
So the damage she dealt was little more than a scrape, but Ais still kept attacking Goliath. Dodge, attack, dodge again, attack again. Like a tireless machine, Ais launched strike after strike at Goliath.
“The Sword Princess doesn’t seem quite right.”
Alise, watching from the side, took in every change in Ais. The current Sword Princess looked like a beast that had lost its reason. She ignored everything around her and only knew how to fight the monster.
“You’re right.”
Alise turned toward Miyabi, only to find that Miyabi had grasped her scabbard at some point.
Alise then judged the distance between them and Goliath. From where they stood, Goliath was at least seven hundred meters away.
If Ais truly couldn’t beat Goliath, would Miyabi be able to act in time?
“She’s lost her rhythm. Her breathing’s a mess.”
Miyabi’s words pulled Alise’s attention back to the battlefield. Sure enough, just as Miyabi had said, the greatsword in Ais’s hands was covered in cracks, yet the damage she’d dealt to Goliath was almost nothing.
The greatsword shattered, and Ais made the same mistake as before. The instant the blade broke, she lost her balance. Goliath used the opening to kick her into the wall.
After taking blow after blow, even Ais lost the ability to move for a while. Her whole body was embedded in the wall, and blood had dyed her pale face red. Even the world before her eyes had become a field of crimson.
Goliath jumped high toward Ais. In her eyes, the blood-red humanoid shape began to change into a vicious dragon with claws and fangs.
It was the dragon buried deep in her memories, the dragon that had killed her father and mother.
Was the despair she’d faced back then going to repeat itself now?
Ais felt the emotion called despair wrap around her. Back then, she’d been powerless. Now, even after growing stronger, she still couldn’t do anything.
She blamed herself again and again for being weak, and at the same time, she wished a hero would appear and save her.
The two feelings tangled together, and the wind around Ais grew stronger. Yet the green wind began to darken, as if blackness were seeping into it. As Goliath’s attack drew closer, Ais’s wind grew fiercer, and its color grew darker.
Crack.
The wind around Ais stopped moving. White ice wrapped around the black wind.
Goliath’s scream pulled Ais back to herself. What she saw wasn’t Goliath’s huge body, but Hoshimi Miyabi, who stood only half a head taller than her.
Miyabi’s pale green haori and long black hair fluttered in the wind, faintly revealing the word Special printed on the back.
“You did well. Rest now. Leave the rest to me.”
Miyabi’s words carried a strange power, and they struck Ais deep in the heart. Ais felt that no matter how great the danger was, as long as Miyabi was there, nothing would go wrong.
Ais closed her eyes as told. This time, the vicious dragon no longer appeared in her mind. Instead, she saw Miyabi’s back.
Miyabi gripped her sword hilt with her right hand, drew in a deep breath, and pressed her left thumb onto the fingerprint lock on her scabbard.
The lock lit red, and blue Foxfire burned along the blade. The flames soon spread from the sword to Miyabi’s body, staining the ends of her black hair with a darker shade.
As for Goliath in front of her, Miyabi had cut off its left arm when she rushed in to save Ais. Now it clutched the wound and howled without stop.
Achoo~
Alise sneezed, but her emerald eyes stayed fixed on Miyabi. She was afraid she’d miss even one part of this scene.
Miyabi moved. In the blink of an eye, she reached Goliath’s side. Her blade left its sheath, and she unleashed several powerful slashes in an instant.
Goliath’s legs and its remaining arm were cut off one after another. Foxfire burned at its wounds, but the strange part was that the wounds didn’t char. They froze instead.
With all four limbs severed, Goliath had no way to fight back. It could only let out helpless scream after helpless scream. This time, Miyabi didn’t return Tailless to its sheath. She held the sword with both hands.
The Foxfire burned brighter and brighter, and the cavern grew colder and colder. Miyabi let out a sharp cry and swung at the fallen Goliath.
A blue sword wave more than ten meters tall rushed straight toward Goliath. It gave one final scream before the sharp wave split it in two.
The slash didn’t vanish after that. It tore onward toward the wall behind Goliath.
BOOM.
A chasm was carved through the ground, the ceiling, and the wall. Both sides of the ravine froze over, and blue ice crystals glittered with dazzling light.
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 12
--+--
Chapter 12: Quick to Apologize, Never Going to Change
--+--
“The Dungeon... is afraid.”
In the Guild’s underground altar, Ouranos sat at the center of the shrine. The candle flames on both sides swayed in the draft, and their shifting light made his face flicker between shadow and glow.
From the darkness at the edge of the altar, a figure stepped forward. He wore a black robe and a hood, and his body looked thin to the point of ruin.
“The Dungeon can feel fear?”
His voice was hollow, with a strange echo buried inside it.
“An unknown power has entered the Dungeon,” Ouranos said. “I can sense it. The Dungeon fears this power, yet behind that fear, there’s also desire.”
“Desire?”
“It desires that unknown power. It wants to touch it, even steal it... Fels, has anything worth noting happened in Orario lately?”
“One thing. The Astrea Familia found the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia being ‘abducted’ by people suspected to be Evilus. The matter has spread across Orario, but just now, the Loki Familia sent someone to the Guild and said it was all a misunderstanding. They’ve asked the Guild to help clear things up.”
Fels paused, then added, “I’m curious what kind of ‘misunderstanding’ could make upper-class adventurers from the Astrea Familia think the Sword Princess had been abducted.”
As Ouranos’s eyes and ears, Fels had no way to get first-hand news from inside Orario’s strongest Familia.
“The Loki Familia, then. Fels, keep watching them. Inform the Guild as well. I need to know what happened in the Dungeon.”
“Understood. I’ll see to it at once.”
--+--
By the time Riveria and Kaguya reached the seventeenth floor of the Dungeon, the battle had already ended.
Since they’d confirmed that Goliath wouldn’t respawn at once, Hoshimi Miyabi and Alise had moved the wounded into the cave.
Riveria first looked at Goliath’s body, which had been split clean in two. Then she looked at Hoshimi Miyabi, who was caring for Ais nearby, and pressed a hand to her aching head.
A rookie who’d just received a Falna had defeated a Floor Boss. If even the gods, who’d lived for ages beyond counting, heard that tale, they’d laugh and ask, “Are you sure you’re awake?”
And yet Hoshimi Miyabi had done it. She hadn’t just slain Goliath; she’d also dealt huge damage to the seventeenth floor itself. The ravine left by that one slash made it possible to see both the floor above and the floor below.
That single strike had carved out two long vertical shafts. Riveria crouched and looked down, and she could see the scenery of the eighteenth floor. Above them, it was the same.
Newly spawned monsters wandered along the edge of the fresh opening, trying to come down, only to be stopped by some unknown force that held them at the rim.
“Is that Renard you recruited really a rookie?”
Kaguya’s narrow eyes went wide as she stared at the two “wounds” in the Dungeon, struck dumb by the sight.
She could’ve believed it if someone had said a Level 7 adventurer had caused this, but the one who’d damaged the Dungeon so much was a newcomer who’d only just joined a Familia.
“I’m shocked too, but it’s the truth,” Riveria said with a helpless smile.
It seemed she, Finn, and Gareth had been far too conservative when they judged Hoshimi Miyabi’s strength. This wasn’t power a Level 6 should have.
Riveria soon turned serious and said to Kaguya, “Lady Kaguya, I’d like you and the Astrea Familia to keep this matter secret. Publicly, we’ll say Ais defeated the Floor Boss Goliath.”
“Oh? You want to hide Hoshimi Miyabi?” Kaguya arched a brow and caught the scent of profit at once.
“That’s right. Finn has other plans for Hoshimi Miyabi.”
Riveria stopped there, then looked around out of habit before stepping closer to Kaguya. She lowered her voice beside her ear. “It’s about the Evilus remnants.”
Kaguya understood. They wanted to use the gap in information and turn Hoshimi Miyabi into bait, drawing those Evilus remnants out of hiding.
A Level 1 newcomer who’d just joined the strongest Familia would make an easy target in their eyes.
“Fine. We’ll help keep the secret. But if you get any information about ‘them,’ you’ll share it with us at once.”
“We will.”
With that, the two reached an agreement, then walked over to Hoshimi Miyabi and Ais. Hoshimi Miyabi had sensed their arrival long ago, but since they’d been talking and Ais’s condition had seemed stable, she hadn’t gone over to interrupt them.
“Sorry, Riveria. I went into the Dungeon without permission.”
“It’s fine, Hoshimi Miyabi. We’ll talk about your matter later. Let me look at Ais first.”
Riveria wanted to launch straight into lecture mode and make sure Hoshimi Miyabi learned her lesson. But members of another Familia were still present, so she had to suppress the urge and focus on using magic to heal Ais.
Kaguya, meanwhile, went to find her captain. Ever since Hoshimi Miyabi had swung that blade, Alise had been in an almost giddy state.
The moment she saw Kaguya arrive, she started talking about what had just happened.
“Kaguya, you’re here! Too bad you came late. You didn’t see Hoshimi Miyabi’s slash. It was so cool, even cooler than when you show up.”
Kaguya kept a polished smile on her face, but the veins standing out on her forehead made it clear she wasn’t happy. Her eyes narrowed.
“Alise. Try saying that again.”
That single move made Alise shut her mouth at once. She knew Kaguya well. Right now, Kaguya was a powder keg with a lit fuse.
“Uh... I’ll go check on the other wounded.”
When Kaguya saw Alise trying to flee, she called her back and repeated Riveria’s request. She stressed one point above all: no outsider could learn that Hoshimi Miyabi had defeated Goliath.
After Riveria finished healing Ais, she and the Astrea Familia members who arrived later brought the wounded to Rivira on the eighteenth floor. Then she took Hoshimi Miyabi and the still-unconscious Ais back to the Loki Familia.
Riveria first sent Ais back to her room to rest. Hoshimi Miyabi, meanwhile, was called to Finn’s office.
--+--
“Sorry. This time, it was my mistake.”
The moment she entered the room, Hoshimi Miyabi admitted fault before Finn could even speak.
Rather than feeling relieved, everyone present got an even worse headache. That attitude was far too much like Ais: quick to apologize, never going to change.
Riveria had lost count of how many times she’d scolded Ais for sneaking into the Dungeon. Each time, Ais had shown a perfect attitude when admitting fault. Not once had she fixed the problem. When it was time to go to the Dungeon, she still went.
“We’ll set that aside for now,” Finn said. “Hoshimi Miyabi, why did you go into the Dungeon with Ais?”
Hoshimi Miyabi kept up her proper attitude and explained the whole matter from start to finish.
When Finn learned that this entire chain of events had started because Hoshimi Miyabi hadn’t had money to buy spare clothes, he didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 13
--+--
Chapter 13: Pathetic Status
--+--
Killing a floor boss in the Dungeon because she needed money to buy clothes.
It sounded like two things with no link at all, absurd enough to make a person laugh, yet it had happened right beside Finn.
He pressed a hand to his brow and said, “This was Riveria’s mistake. After taking you to your room, she should’ve arranged for someone to prepare spare clothes and daily necessities for you.”
The real issue was that Hoshimi Miyabi had buried Riveria under a string of specialist terms while they were in the room, leaving Riveria so stunned that she’d forgotten the matter.
She’d gone straight to Finn with a head full of questions. Finn, hit by the same barrage of unfamiliar terms, had also forgotten to ask whether Miyabi had been settled in.
That chain of missed steps had left Miyabi with no choice but to head into the Dungeon and earn money herself. There, she’d run into Ais. The two of them went into the Dungeon together, got mistaken by the Astraea Familia, charged down to the seventeenth floor, and defeated the floor boss Goliath.
After all those coincidences were added up, the culprits behind the whole mess turned out to be Finn and Riveria, the two senior members of the Familia.
If Riveria hadn’t gone to ask her questions at once, and if Finn had kept a little more sense about him, none of this would’ve happened.
“Ahahahahahaha! I’m dying! Finn, I can’t believe you and Riveria had a day like this. This is too funny.”
Goddess Loki sprawled across the sofa with no trace of dignity, clutching her stomach as she laughed. Her voice rang through almost the entire Twilight Manor.
For someone who loved watching chaos unfold, today’s mess was pure entertainment.
“Enough, Loki,” Finn said. “Since it was a misunderstanding, let’s leave the matter there for now. Miyabi defeated Goliath, so you might as well update her Status first.”
A brand-new Level 1 adventurer had gone into the Dungeon on her first day and defeated the floor boss Goliath.
In theory, that should’ve counted as a great feat worthy of a Level Up. But Miyabi’s case was too unusual. She already had strength on par with Level 6, or perhaps even higher, so she couldn’t be treated like a normal rookie.
Finn was curious too. He wanted to know how much Miyabi’s Status would grow after defeating Goliath.
“Sure thing. Miyabi babe, let’s go update your Status. I’m curious too. Let’s see how much you gained from beating Goliath.”
Loki sprang up from the sofa, her lecherous grin back on her face.
“Let’s go.”
--+--
After Loki left with Miyabi, Finn thought for a moment and had someone call Anakitty over. He asked her to prepare spare clothes and daily necessities for Miyabi.
Miyabi followed Loki to the room and, just like last time, took off her top. Loki had learned her lesson from the last incident, so she didn’t dare take advantage of Miyabi.
She behaved herself, pricked her finger with a needle, and let her blood drip onto Miyabi’s back.
Light flickered. A jester emblem appeared on Miyabi’s once-bare white back, covered in dense sacred script. Almost all of it recorded Miyabi’s Status and Skills.
Under Loki’s control, Hoshimi Miyabi’s Status was updated for the first time.
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi
Lv. 1
Strength: I 0 → I 5
Endurance: I 0 → I 5
Dexterity: I 0 → I 20
Agility: I 0 → I 20
Magic: I 0 → I 0
--+--
[Skills]
Isshin Dojo: Enters a state of deep meditation to train. The results of training are reflected in Status growth.
--+--
Her total Status increase was only fifty points.
For a new adventurer, gaining fifty points from a first trip into the Dungeon would be huge progress. But what if those fifty points came from a floor boss?
A Level 1 rookie had defeated Goliath alone, a floor boss with the potential of Level 4, and in the end her Status had only gone up by fifty points. Loki’s mouth twitched.
She’d been prepared for this, but when she saw such an absurd growth rate with her own eyes, she still had trouble holding it together.
Even a Level 6 adventurer like Finn could gain close to a hundred total points after fighting Goliath one-on-one.
Miyabi, meanwhile, had cut her way from the first floor to the eleventh, then gone down to the seventeenth and fought Goliath on top of that.
And yet the result was only fifty points.
At this rate, how long would it take Miyabi to reach Level 2? Three years? Five? Maybe even ten.
Worse, Status growth wasn’t the main problem. The real issue was the Great Feat. For an adventurer to Level Up, one of their five basic abilities had to reach D, and they also had to build up enough great feats.
Defeating a floor boss alone would already meet the great feat requirement for a Level 4 adventurer’s Level Up. Yet Miyabi hadn’t gained any great feat at all. That meant a monster on Goliath’s level was nothing to Miyabi. It didn’t even count as a powerful enemy.
“Take a look. Your Status growth is pitiful. You can almost call it no growth at all. You didn’t even get a great feat.”
Loki copied the updated Status onto paper with a limp, lifeless air, then handed it to Miyabi.
“I expected as much. A monster of that level stopped being a threat to me when I was sixteen.”
In Miyabi’s view, Goliath was, at most, only a little stronger than a General-Class Ethereal. Since Goliath didn’t raise the Ether activity around him, he was much easier to deal with than one of those.
“Yeah, I figured. But don’t worry. Finn’s preparing an expedition. Once you enter the deep floors, your Status should grow fast.”
“It’s fine.”
Miyabi didn’t care how fast her Status grew.
With the Falna, she kept getting stronger. Without the Falna, she’d still keep getting stronger. To her, the numbers on the Falna were only a clear way to track her rate of progress.
In other words, Miyabi saw the Falna as a training data sheet that could be updated at any time.
--+--
When Miyabi returned to Finn’s office with her updated Status, she found that Riveria, who’d been taking care of Ais, had also collapsed. Miyabi wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but Riveria seemed to avoid her eyes, and her cheeks looked a little red.
“It didn’t increase by much. Looks like killing monsters in the Dungeon doesn’t suit me well.”
Finn took the sheet from Miyabi’s hand.
“Only fifty points in total? I understand. We’ll update it again after we come back from the expedition. Riveria…”
When her name was called, Riveria stood in a hurry and gave Miyabi a small bow.
“I apologize. Today’s situation happened because of my mistake. If I’d remembered sooner to prepare spare clothes and daily necessities for you, none of this would’ve…”
Miyabi looked at the tense Riveria, walked over, and patted her on the shoulder.
“You don’t need to apologize. In the end, I’m the one who failed to keep an eye on Ais before entering the Dungeon. The seventeenth floor was an emergency. Even without Ais, I’d have gone to help. I hope you can understand that.”
Miyabi didn’t think this was Riveria’s fault. At its root, the problem was that Miyabi had underestimated just how obsessed Ais was with the Dungeon.
“Still, I didn’t do my job,” Riveria said. “I’ve already sent your spare clothes to your room.”
Once she saw that Miyabi had forgiven her, some of the unease in Riveria’s heart faded.
“How’s Ais?”
Miyabi only wanted to ask about Ais’s condition, but the moment the words left her mouth, the whole room fell silent.
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 14
--+--
Chapter 14: Height: 170 cm (With Ears)
--+--
Today was Hoshimi Miyabi's second day in Orario.
Miyabi woke up early. Dressed in a pure white sleep robe, she rubbed her eyes and walked toward the bathroom from memory.
A soft thud followed as her forehead met the wall, and that one close encounter woke her up on the spot.
The strange decor around her reminded Miyabi that she'd been sent to this unfamiliar world by some being with a nasty sense of humor.
She picked up the change of clothes Riveria had brought over yesterday, along with a toothbrush that looked a lot like a scrub brush, then headed for the shared wash area. She brushed her teeth, bathed, and changed.
By the time Miyabi stepped out again, she'd changed into an outfit with Orario's own style. Maybe Riveria had seen her leek-green haori and misunderstood it as a sign that Miyabi liked green clothes, because everything she'd brought leaned towards green.
It was a sleeveless emerald robe paired with a white wide-sleeved shirt, a brown leather waist cincher, and a black shoulder guard on her left arm.
The outfit toned down Miyabi's futuristic feel, but added a kind of noble grace in its place. Once she finished dressing, she picked up Tailless and prepared to head outside for morning training, only to run into Riveria right beside her door.
"Good morning. How did you sleep last night?"
"Good morning. Last night's sleep quality was above average. I didn't have nightmares, and I'm in good condition this morning."
It was the same familiar way of speaking, like she was filing a mission report.
"You don't have to be so formal. It's just a normal greeting." Riveria gave her the schedule. "Breakfast is in an hour. After we eat, I'll take you to register as an adventurer. We'll also exchange the magic stones from yesterday's Dungeon trip for valis. That should take about two to three hours. Is there anywhere else you'd like to go after that?"
"Could we go to a smithy? I'd like to ask about the price of having a weapon made."
"You want to replace your sword?"
"That's right. This sword... has special circumstances. I can't use it for long periods in Orario. If I get a replacement early, I can start adapting to it sooner."
If her W-Engine and bracer broke, at worst she just wouldn't be able to use them. But if the sheath that sealed Tailless broke, that'd be a real problem.
So after learning that she'd be staying in Orario for a long time, Miyabi's first thought was to get another sword.
Riveria understood. Just like yesterday, what worried Riveria was whether Orario could repair the sword if it broke.
"All right. Once registration is done, I'll take you to the Goibniu Familia and the Hephaestus Familia. They're the most famous smithing Familias in Orario."
"Understood. I'll go train first, then."
Miyabi went to the open space outside the Familia home. It looked like a training ground set up for Familia members. By the time she arrived, several young members were already sparring there.
The moment Miyabi stepped onto the grounds, those young members stopped at once. The whole place fell into a silence so deep it felt eerie. Finn had locked down the news, but they'd still heard bits and pieces yesterday.
On her first trip into the Dungeon, she'd gone all the way down to the seventeenth floor and helped the Sword Princess take down Goliath.
Ais had been the main force in that fight, of course, but for a rookie who'd only just received her Falna, not dragging anyone down in front of a floor boss was already rare. Because of that, almost none of the Familia members looked at Miyabi like a beginner.
Miyabi found an empty spot, gripped Tailless, and took a deep breath.
Her training began: thirty thousand sword swings within one hour.
An hour later, Miyabi first went to the bathhouse to rinse herself off. Then, with her hair still not dry, she headed to the Familia dining hall.
The food in the dining hall was simple: a piece of bread and a bowl of soup with some vegetables and meat in it. This was what Miyabi would be eating every day from now on. Orario's food options were nowhere near as rich as New Eridu's.
In silence, Miyabi added a new tag to Orario in her mind: "poor food variety."
After breakfast, Riveria took Miyabi to the Guild headquarters in northwestern Orario.
The arrival of one of Loki Familia's top members drew the attention of the other Guild staff and adventurers at once. Quite a few people looked over by instinct at Orario's strongest mage.
The Guild staff grew flustered because Riveria had come in person. Some even filled out forms wrong from sheer nerves.
Riveria had long since grown used to this kind of scene, so she acted as if no one else was there and began teaching Miyabi the basics of the Guild.
"This is the Adventurers Guild. All new members of a Familia have to come here to register. You'll only become an adventurer after registration. Besides that, the Guild also posts all kinds of commissions. There are adventuring commissions that ask you to gather items from deep in the Dungeon, escort commissions for merchant caravans, and even some business commissions.
"For us in Loki Familia, before entering the Dungeon, we usually come here to accept adventuring commissions. Think of it as extra income."
As Riveria explained, she brought Miyabi to the counter.
"Hello. This is Hoshimi Miyabi, a new member of our Familia. I've brought her here for registration."
The staff behind the counter all looked at Miyabi with open curiosity.
If Riveria, a member of elven royalty, had personally brought her here to register, then this Hoshimi Miyabi was most likely a talent Loki Familia planned to raise with care.
"Y-yes... Please wait a moment."
A girl with brown hair and green eyes, who looked about fourteen, hurried to take out a form and place it on the counter.
"P-please fill in your basic information on this paper."
The girl kept her head lowered the whole time and didn't dare look at them. That was what caught Riveria's attention.
Riveria noticed that the girl's ears were sharper than a human's, yet not as long as an elf's, and she understood at once that the girl was a half-elf.
At the same time, the half-elf girl's face and green eyes reminded Riveria of an old friend.
"Are you new here? What's your name?"
The girl jolted when Riveria spoke to her without warning.
"Lady Riveria, I... I'm Eina Tulle. I joined the Guild one month ago."
The similar hair, those eyes, and her surname told Riveria where she'd come from.
"Is your mother Aina Tulle?"
"Huh?" Eina lifted her head in surprise. Her emerald eyes were full of doubt, as if she couldn't understand why Riveria, a member of elven royalty, would know her mother's name.
Riveria's expression softened. The way she looked at Eina now held the warmth of an elder.
"Your mother was a friend who left the elven village with me. I didn't expect her child to be this grown already. Is she well?"
"I'm done..."
Miyabi's voice cut into their conversation at that exact moment. Eina had no time for small talk and went right back into work mode. But when she picked up the form, her expression turned strange.
"...Miss Hoshimi Miyabi, are you sure you didn't write this wrong?"
Eina judged Miyabi's height by eye. She was only a little taller than Eina herself. Eina was 152 cm, and Miyabi couldn't be more than 155 cm at most.
Yet in the height field on Miyabi's registration form, a clear number stood there: 170.
"There's no mistake. Everything written on that form is true and correct."
As if to prove that she hadn't written it wrong, Miyabi placed extra emphasis on the words "true and correct."
"This..." Eina looked troubled, but Miyabi didn't give her a chance to argue. She turned to Riveria and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Riveria looked at Eina, who seemed lost, then at Miyabi, who kept a calm face while giving off the clear air of someone thinking, "Time to run." Riveria let out a few soft laughs and said, "No. Shall we go to the weapon shop now?"
"Let's go..."
"All right. Eina, we'll be leaving now. Let's find a time to have coffee together and talk more about your mother."
The two of them left the Guild in a hurry, leaving Eina, a new employee, standing in disarray behind the counter.
"Ah, Lady Riveria... Miss Hoshimi Miyabi!"
The two of them seemed not to hear Eina calling after them, but their steps grew even faster.
Just then, a pink-haired girl about Eina's age, also a Guild employee, leaned over from beside her.
"Eina, what happened?"
Eina gave a bitter smile and explained that the height Miyabi had written didn't match her actual height. When the pink-haired girl heard that was all, she waved it off at once.
"That girl is a Renard, right? If you count her ears, isn't she 170 cm tall? You just need to add the two words 'with ears.'"
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 15
--+--
Chapter 15: Cursed Blade
--+--
After leaving the Guild, Riveria took Hoshimi Miyabi to a shop run by the Goibniu Familia. Goibniu Familia was one of Orario’s finest smithing Familias.
Unlike the Hephaestus Familia, which focused almost fully on smithing, Goibniu Familia handled construction, renovation, and other commercial work as well.
Even so, their core trade was still forging weapons and armor. Many of Loki Familia’s upper-class adventurers were regular customers here, so when Riveria thought of making a weapon, Goibniu Familia was the first place that came to mind.
Compared with the Hephaestus Familia’s shops, Goibniu Familia’s storefront wasn’t all that large. Sparks flew inside as hammers struck anvils, and even from outside, the steady ring of metal on metal never stopped.
“This is our first stop: Goibniu Familia,” Riveria said as she pushed open the door. “Many members of our Familia come here often. You can come here in the future to buy equipment or have it maintained.”
“Welcome. What can I help you with—L-Lady Riveria?”
The clerk at the counter saw someone from Loki Familia walk in and stretched his neck by reflex, trying to see whether anyone stood behind Riveria. Once he confirmed there was only Hoshimi Miyabi beside her, he let out a breath.
Loki Familia was known for burning through weapons, especially its top adventurers.
After each expedition, their gear came back in pieces, and the Goibniu Familia’s smiths had to work through the night to repair everything.
Loki Familia always paid well, but those waves of overtime still left the smiths in misery, so whenever someone from Loki Familia walked through the door, the Goibniu Familia felt joy and pain at the same time.
This time, though, it was Riveria. As a mage, she didn’t use weapons, and even if her staff were damaged, she wouldn’t bring it here for repairs.
“Hello, Bors. I’m here to see Lord Goibniu.”
“Good timing. Our god’s free right now. He’s in the workshop out back, so you can head over yourself.”
“Thank you. Let’s go, Hoshimi Miyabi.”
Miyabi didn’t say a word. She followed Riveria without fuss.
In the workshop behind the store, Miyabi saw an old man sitting on a stool with his upper body bare. He looked like any ordinary blacksmith. Compared with the other smiths, his frame was much thinner, and his muscles didn’t stand out much.
Sweat covered his forehead, and he seemed to have just finished working at the forge. A white towel hung around his neck, and he used it to wipe his face.
Like Loki, this god of smithing looked like a plain old craftsman. He didn’t look like a god at all.
“Riveria, huh? Is your Familia preparing for another expedition?”
The first thing he asked when he noticed Riveria was about an expedition. Riveria was a mage and didn’t need weapons, so she seldom came by. Once she did, there was a strong chance Loki Familia had something big planned.
“The expedition is still being prepared. I’m here today with a commission. It concerns Ais’s sword.”
Riveria took out a bulging money pouch and placed it in front of Goibniu.
“Please forge Ais a one-handed rapier with the Durandal attribute. This is the deposit.”
Goibniu took the pouch and weighed it in his hand.
“Mm. So you finally saved enough.”
“Ais killed the Floor Boss Goliath yesterday and earned a large sum. It just covered what we were missing.”
Goliath’s magic stone sold for seven million valis. Eighty percent of that went to Hoshimi Miyabi, while the remaining twenty percent went to Ais. Together with the money Ais had saved from going into the Dungeon over the past few years, it was just enough for a weapon with the Durandal attribute.
That also meant the money Ais had left with Riveria was now gone, but Riveria believed Ais would like this sword.
“Fine. It’s for that little girl, right? Come pick it up in a week.”
“That works. There’s one more thing, Lord Goibniu.”
Riveria looked at Miyabi, signaling that it was her turn. Miyabi held Tailless across her body.
“Can you forge a blade similar to this one?”
Riveria had made this request on her behalf. Miyabi gave her a curious glance but didn’t say much. She wanted to see whether this god who ruled over smithing could make a blade like Tailless.
“A Far Eastern-style sword? For a blade of this form, you should go to the Cyclops.”
Goibniu took the blade from Miyabi, and his eyes widened at once. His expression grew far more grave than before.
“This blade... where did you get it?”
“It’s a family heirloom.”
“Hmm...”
Goibniu returned the blade to Miyabi.
“Go to the Hephaestus Familia. Without releasing my divine power, I can’t forge a blade like this.”
“Understood. Sorry to trouble you.”
Miyabi didn’t dwell on it. She turned and walked out. Riveria meant to leave with her, but Goibniu called her back.
“Is she a new member of your Familia?”
“Yes. She joined yesterday. Why?”
Goibniu stared at Miyabi’s departing figure. Only after she’d fully disappeared did he speak.
“By Far Eastern terms, that blade is a cursed blade.”
“A cursed blade?”
“It’s like a cursed weapon, and a strong one at that. As her senior in the Familia, you should remind her to use that blade as little as possible.”
“A cursed weapon...”
As the name implied, a cursed weapon carried a curse. Because of that curse, it could raise the wielder’s strength, but it also took some kind of price from them in return.
Freya Familia’s dark elf had a magic sword like that. His cursed magic sword could boost his abilities by a wide margin for a short time, but it also increased his stamina drain.
Riveria stepped out of Goibniu’s workshop with worry weighing on her mind. Her eyes fell on Tailless at Miyabi’s waist, and her expression turned complex.
“What’s wrong?” Miyabi noticed the shift in Riveria’s mood and asked.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go take a look at the Hephaestus Familia.”
Riveria wanted to ask Miyabi about that blade, but this wasn’t the right place. It’d be better to wait until they returned to the Familia headquarters, then find a time to talk with her.
Riveria felt a headache coming on. On her first trip into the Dungeon, Miyabi had gone as deep as the Middle Floors and even fought Goliath. On top of that, she carried a cursed weapon strong enough to make a god take notice.
For a moment, Riveria felt Miyabi might be even more of a problem child than Ais.
--+--
The two of them went to the Hephaestus Familia next. The Hephaestus Familia was far larger than the Goibniu Familia. It not only had its own shop in Babel, but its well-known smiths also had independent workshops of their own.
This time, Riveria brought Miyabi to the forge of Hephaestus Familia’s captain, the Cyclops.
Tsubaki Collbrande was the captain of the Hephaestus Familia, as well as a Level 4 Second Class Adventurer.
She was half Far Easterner and half dwarf, with dark skin and bold clothes. Bandages covered only her chest, while loose pants hung around her lower body.
“Yo, Riveria. What wind blew you here?”
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 16
--+--
Chapter 16: Because She's Not Human
--+--
With just one glance, Tsubaki's gaze locked onto Tailless and wouldn't move.
"That sword..."
"It's Hoshimi Miyabi's family blade. We've come to ask whether you can make something similar," Riveria said.
Remembering that even the previous smith hadn't wanted to take the job, Hoshimi Miyabi spoke at once. "It only needs to look similar. As for the material... that's not needed."
Tailless had been forged from a special Ether substance that the first head of the Hoshimi family brought back after venturing deep into a Hollow.
In this world, where Hollows didn't exist, making a sword from the same material was impossible. Hoshimi Miyabi only wanted a blade that looked the same, a replacement she could use when needed.
Riveria, though, had misunderstood her. Or maybe Hoshimi Miyabi's earlier comment about how no one here could repair her belongings had struck a nerve.
Whether they'd met Lord Goibniu or Tsubaki, Riveria had asked for the same thing: a blade similar to the original.
As far as Hoshimi Miyabi cared, good handling was enough. She didn't have many demands beyond that.
Tsubaki scratched her head. "If it's only the shape, then there's no problem. But before I start forging, can you draw that sword and let me take a look?"
Hoshimi Miyabi drew Tailless. Its shape and color looked close to a foreign-style katana, but as a top-class smith, Tsubaki caught the difference at once.
"Huh. That's a material I've never seen before." Driven by curiosity, Tsubaki reached out to touch the blade, but Hoshimi Miyabi moved first and slid it back into its sheath.
"Sorry. This sword's special. No one but me can touch it."
Riveria felt a bit surprised. Back at the Goibniu Familia, Hoshimi Miyabi hadn't stopped Goibniu from touching Tailless. Then she thought it over and understood. Goibniu was a god, so Hoshimi Miyabi must've believed the curse on the blade wouldn't affect him.
'Come to think of it, Hoshimi Miyabi still doesn't have a clear grasp of Orario or adventurers. I need to teach her the basics soon.'
"So this sword has quite the secret," Tsubaki said, pulling her hand back with regret. Her one uncovered eye still fixed on Tailless in Miyabi's hand. "I don't know what that secret is, but I can feel a strange power in it."
"It's a curse... or rather, something close to a curse."
A mature voice rang out. From the room behind the workshop emerged a red-haired woman whose appearance matched her voice. She was tall, with crimson hair bright as a forge fire.
Like Tsubaki, she wore an eyepatch, though hers was much larger and covered almost the whole right side of her face.
She wore a plain white shirt and tight black pants, a simple outfit that showed off her figure and gave her a sharp, gallant air.
"A curse?" Tsubaki scratched her head, unsure what to make of that. She'd handled many cursed weapons, but none of them felt anything like Hoshimi Miyabi's Tailless.
"It works much like a curse, but it's not the same thing." The red-haired woman walked up to Hoshimi Miyabi with a calm expression. "May I look at that sword?"
Riveria hurried to introduce her. "This is the patron goddess of the Hephaestus Familia, Lady Hephaestus. Lady Hephaestus, this is our Familia's new member, Hoshimi Miyabi."
"A new member?"
Her red eyes turned to the somewhat small Renard, and shock flickered through them. If she had to compare Hoshimi Miyabi to a weapon, she wasn't a billet that had just joined a Familia. She was a finished blade, already quenched and complete. And a masterpiece like this had only just joined?
As Hephaestus studied Hoshimi Miyabi, Hoshimi Miyabi also observed Hephaestus.
Though Hephaestus was a woman, Hoshimi Miyabi felt that, compared with Goibniu whom she'd met earlier, the deity before her seemed even purer.
"Hello."
After a brief greeting, Hoshimi Miyabi handed Tailless to Hephaestus.
Seeing the stark difference in treatment, Tsubaki couldn't help grumbling from the side. "That's so unfair. Just now, Hoshimi Miyabi wouldn't even let me touch it, but she hands it straight to Lady Hephaestus."
"Because she's not human..." Hoshimi Miyabi answered.
The air froze at once. Hoshimi Miyabi was telling the truth, but why did it sound like an insult?
Hephaestus didn't mind. She accepted the sword from Hoshimi Miyabi and examined it.
"Hm?"
With just one glance, Hephaestus noticed that although the sword's power resembled a curse, that power had been sealed. In practice, the sword wasn't different from any ordinary weapon. Hephaestus turned the blade over and looked at the sheath.
From the eyes of a forging goddess, the sheath's craftsmanship was flawless. Every step sat in the right place. Its appearance lacked beauty, but nothing else was lacking.
"The sword's power has been sealed. But this sealing method... it's a technique I've never seen before."
That single sentence shook Riveria and Tsubaki to the core.
Though the gods had their powers sealed after descending to the lower world, their knowledge and skills hadn't been sealed.
A mortal craftsman could spend a lifetime trying and still fail to match a casual tap from a god's hammer. The forging skills that humans took pride in meant almost nothing before the divine.
Yet now, Hephaestus had said that even she'd never seen the technique used to make this sheath.
Just where had this sword come from?
Compared to Tsubaki, who couldn't even speak, Riveria managed to keep a little calmer.
'Maybe this is the technology Hoshimi Miyabi mentioned, the one tied to integrated circuits. Even the gods don't know it.'
Seeing everyone's shock, Hoshimi Miyabi gave a brief explanation. "My father had someone make this sheath."
She said nothing more.
Hephaestus gave a small nod, closed her eyes, and let her slender fingers glide over the blade.
"I can feel it. Rather than a sheath, it's more like a lock. This lock can seal the sword's power, but it can also open according to the user's will. The only thing is... I can't find where the lock's key is."
At that, Hoshimi Miyabi raised the thumb of her left hand.
"This is the key."
Silence fell again. Hephaestus, Riveria, and Tsubaki all stared at her, none of them knowing what Hoshimi Miyabi meant. Riveria felt it most of all. Once again, she realized how poor her knowledge seemed in front of Hoshimi Miyabi.
Hephaestus returned the sword to Hoshimi Miyabi with clear reluctance.
For gods like her, discovering the unknown was the greatest joy. Compared with Tailless itself, Hephaestus felt far more interest in the sheath.
It looked like an ordinary sheath, but the craft hidden within it was complex. As a goddess of forging, Hephaestus wanted to hug the sword to her chest and study both blade and sheath down to the last detail.
But all of that required the sword owner's consent.
Hephaestus took a deep breath and suppressed the stirring in her heart, a feeling she hadn't had in years. She handed the sword back to Hoshimi Miyabi and made her offer.
"Hoshimi Miyabi, will you lend me this sword for one month so I can study it? In exchange, I'll forge a weapon suited to you with my own hands."
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 17
--+--
Chapter 17: Shock! For the Sake of Research, the Goddess Actually…
--+--
Unlike Goibniu, the God of Smithing, Hephaestus never forged weapons on a whim. Every piece she made was the peak of her craft, and most of them came from her own personal interest rather than a commission.
Because of that, every one of Hephaestus's works was a divine weapon adventurers dreamed of owning. And now this goddess had offered to forge a weapon for Hoshimi Miyabi herself? Riveria almost wanted to accept on Miyabi's behalf.
But for some reason, when Riveria looked into Miyabi's calm, unmoving eyes, she felt that Miyabi wouldn't agree.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse. I won't hand this blade over to anyone. Not even a god."
Miyabi's refusal was firm. Since Hephaestus was a goddess, she wouldn't be bewitched by the blade, so Miyabi could lend it to her for a brief look.
But taking it away for study had already crossed Miyabi's bottom line. No matter what the other side offered, she wouldn't agree.
"Oh? Why refuse?" Hephaestus asked. "Since I came down to the Lower World, I've rarely forged weapons with my own hands.”
“Fewer still are the adventurers who've been able to use weapons I've made. I swear upon the name of the smithing I govern that I'll forge you a weapon no worse than the blade in your hand."
"You've misunderstood."
Miyabi returned the blade to her waist and rested her right hand against the sheath. "I'm not fixated on which weapon's better. I'm using this blade now because it's the only one that suits me at the moment. And second, this blade's safest in my hands."
Those words caught Hephaestus's interest. She carried a cursed blade that held great power, not for the sake of that power, but to restrain it?
"So you've never used the power inside the blade?"
"Never, apart from when I lost control once because of an accident as a child."
Few adventurers in Orario could resist the lure of power. If they truly owned a weapon that could grant them great strength, then even if they knew it was cursed, they'd still accept it with joy.
That was why magic swords were so precious. Their existence could bridge the gap in strength and let an adventurer gain fame and wealth with ease.
Adventurers chased power, but Hoshimi Miyabi restrained it. If Hephaestus had only been curious about the scabbard of Tailless before, then now she was curious about Hoshimi Miyabi herself.
As a goddess, Hephaestus could tell that Miyabi wasn't lying. She truly hadn't relied on the power of that sick blade.
Only...
Hephaestus turned to Riveria. "She's really a newcomer?"
"Ahem. Some matters aren't convenient to discuss." Riveria knew she couldn't lie in front of a god, so she could only brush it off as a Familia secret.
Hephaestus nodded in understanding. "How about this, then? My promise to forge you a weapon stays the same. In exchange, you let me study your scabbard for three months, two hours each day. You'll bring the blade here yourself, and I'll study it right under your eyes."
"Hey, Lady Goddess, do you really have to go that far?" Tsubaki couldn't understand why Hephaestus would compromise this much just to study Miyabi's scabbard.
Hephaestus's appearance fee alone started at one hundred million valis, and the weapon she meant to forge would include both labor and materials.
The material costs alone would also begin in the hundreds of millions. Tsubaki didn't care about the valis, but she didn't understand why Hephaestus would make that kind of promise over a scabbard.
"I'm curious too," Miyabi asked next. "Why are you so set on studying the scabbard?"
"Because I crave the unknown." Hephaestus gave her answer without hesitation, and as she spoke, her gaze never left Miyabi's scabbard.
"Gods came down to the Lower World because Heaven was too dull. We can't resist the miracles and unknowns of this world. The craft behind that scabbard is an unknown I've never seen before, and it's also a miracle that belongs to humanity."
"In that case, I accept." This time, Miyabi didn't refuse. Gods had no power in the Lower World, so she didn't have to worry about Hephaestus taking the scabbard by force.
As for the members of the Hephaestus Familia, if their captain was their strongest fighter, then there wasn't anyone in the whole Familia who could beat her.
"Then we have a deal. I'll need some time to prepare the forging materials and the contract. Three days from now, then. Come again in three days. Once we've signed the contract, we'll begin."
Miyabi and Riveria left.
--+--
Once the workshop door closed, Tsubaki couldn't hold back her curiosity anymore and asked Hephaestus about the scabbard's secret. Hephaestus didn't answer. Instead, she asked Tsubaki a question.
"Tsubaki, can you forge a tool that suppresses a cursed weapon on your own?"
"Uh... aren't you making things hard for me? Without the [Mystery] development ability, that's pretty tough."
"That's right. Without [Mystery], it's hard." Hephaestus looked toward the workshop door, her gaze seeming to pierce through the wood and follow the two figures walking away. "But that scabbard did it. It didn't use the power called a miracle.”
“Instead, it found patterns within the known world, then used those patterns to arrange and integrate every component. Relying on that principle, the scabbard achieved a kind of miracle different from [Mystery]."
--+--
After leaving Hephaestus's workshop, Miyabi bought a few daily necessities, then she and Riveria returned to the Loki Familia.
Riveria told Miyabi to rest in her room first, while she went to Finn's office and told him what had happened that day.
Gareth, Finn, and Loki had all gathered in Finn's office, as if they'd been waiting for Riveria.
"So that's what happened..." Finn said. "Thanks for your work, Riveria. Gareth, let's postpone the test for now. What we need to do first is help Hoshimi Miyabi adjust to life here. Tomorrow, I'll have Raul act as her supporter and take her through the Dungeon in detail."
Every adventurer in the Familia who was Level 2 or above knew the truth about Miyabi cutting Goliath in half with a single strike.
Miyabi already had some standing among the Loki Familia's upper and middle ranks, so the test no longer mattered much. Their top priority was getting Miyabi used to the Dungeon as soon as possible.
"I've got no complaints," Gareth said. "To be honest, even I'd feel uneasy fighting that little lass."
Seeing that the three leaders had finished their discussion, Loki brought up another piece of news. "All right, don't be so serious. We've still got a month to prepare for the expedition, and I believe our dear Miyabi will adjust to the Dungeon in no time. Also, to welcome dear Miyabi into the Familia, let's all go to the Hostess of Fertility and eat our fill."
"Loki... the Familia's finances are tight..." Finn tried to stop his goddess's sudden impulse, but sadly, Loki didn't care.
"Money doesn't matter. Worst case, we'll put it on the tab. Everyone, get ready. Bring dear Miyabi with us. We're going."
With a grand wave of her hand, Loki marched out of the office with her head held high, leaving the three of them behind with helpless smiles.
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 18
--+--
Chapter 18: Black Goliath
--+--
“GRAAAH!”
The huge roar shook the whole cave, and loose stones rained from the walls as the sound rolled through them.
Hoshimi Miyabi held her breath, focused her mind, and stood atop a massive boulder as she stared down the familiar monster before her.
The creature looked almost the same as Goliath, but its skin was black, and its body was about twice the size of the one Miyabi had seen in the Dungeon the day before. Next to it, Miyabi’s small frame looked like a shred of meat caught between its teeth.
Goliath charged, swinging its thick arms. Miyabi drew Tailless and met it head-on. As she ran, she kept cutting, sending cold flashes of steel across Goliath’s wrists, tendons, and other weak points.
If this had been the Goliath from the Dungeon, those slashes would’ve taken its limbs clean off.
This time, the Black Goliath’s wounds were shallow.
Miyabi didn’t lose heart. She stopped and slid her blade back into its sheath. Near her head floated a strange round creature, with two horns on top and a single eye in the middle.
Just as Miyabi’s thumb was about to touch the scabbard, the little sphere slipped into her sword.
Blue ice-flames burst to life along the blade. They didn’t stay there. They climbed Miyabi’s arm, spread higher, and dyed even her long hair and eyes blue.
Miyabi nudged the blade forward.
In the next instant, huge slashes fanned out toward the Black Goliath. The monster crossed its arms before its chest to block her attack.
It slipped past part of the fan, but two strikes carved deep wounds into its arms, so deep the bone showed.
At the same time, blue foxfire began to burn inside the wounds. Its flesh healed at a visible pace, but the foxfire didn’t go out.
It spread over the monster’s whole body, and wherever it passed, flesh and blood turned to solid ice.
In a few short breaths, the Black Goliath’s body was “painted” white. Ice wrapped around it from head to toe. It tried to shake the frost loose, but the ice clung to its body as if it’d grown there.
Goliath’s movements grew slower and slower. It raised both hands, still trying to struggle, but soon even that motion stopped.
Goliath had become an ice statue.
Miyabi gripped her sword with both hands, kicked off the ground, and flew into the air. She shot toward Goliath like a streak of ice. The ice-flames on her blade burned brighter and brighter, and her speed kept rising.
She swung at the Black Goliath. A crescent slash, wrapped in flying frost, cut through the monster.
Crack.
The ice shattered, and blood burst from Goliath’s black stomach. The force sent the huge monster staggering back until it finally fell onto its backside.
Miyabi landed and let out a long breath, then returned Tailless to its sheath. The fight, though, wasn’t over. Her strike had almost cut the Black Goliath in half, but the wound began to heal right before her eyes.
“Looks like I’ll need to kill it in one hit.”
Miyabi closed her eyes, bent her body a little, and placed her left thumb on the fingerprint lock of the scabbard. Red light flashed. The blue foxfire swelled to more than twice its earlier strength, and Miyabi began charging power on an even higher level.
Once Goliath’s wound had mostly closed, it struggled back to its feet.
It opened its huge maw, and red light began to gather at its mouth. Both sides had drawn together their strongest power. The battle would end with this one blow.
Or so it seemed.
--+--
Knock, knock.
The sound at the door pulled Miyabi out of her training state.
When she opened it, Riveria stood outside. She’d only just left a little while ago.
“Did I disturb you?”
“No. I was training for a fight against an enhanced Goliath. Your timing’s perfect.”
“Huh?” Riveria tilted her head and glanced into the room. She didn’t see any signs of a battle, so what had Miyabi meant by that?
“Ahem. Well, Loki’s gathered the Familia at the Hostess of Fertility for a banquet. She said it’s to celebrate you joining the Loki Familia.”
“A banquet? I’m not going.” Miyabi refused without a second thought.
The word banquet made her think of her father, dressed to the nines as he moved through crowds of false, high-ranking people with a polished smile. Sometimes he’d even swap his wine for pomegranate juice. Miyabi had always kept her distance from that kind of banquet.
Besides, she wouldn’t even attend a work report meeting. There was no way she’d go to something that troublesome.
Her blunt refusal caught Riveria off guard.
“May I ask why you don’t want to attend? This was arranged to welcome you into the Loki Familia, after all.”
If the guest of honor didn’t show up, then what was the point of the banquet? And Loki, who’d been looking forward to it more than anyone, would no doubt throw a tantrum in Finn’s office.
After weighing Loki against Miyabi for a moment, Riveria grew even more set on convincing Miyabi to come.
“It’s a pain. I don’t like all the scheming and double-talk at banquets.”
Pfft.
Miyabi’s look of disgust made Riveria laugh before she could stop herself.
“You’ve misunderstood. The banquet I’m talking about isn’t the sort you’re imagining. It’s just everyone sitting together for a meal. Loki only wants an excuse to drink.”
“...Then I’ll go. Give me a moment. I’ll take a shower and come down.”
“All right. We’ll wait for you.”
About half an hour later, Miyabi arrived at the first tower. She wasn’t wearing the clothes she’d had on that morning. Instead, she’d changed into a beige dress and a pair of white heels.
The outfit made Loki’s eyes light up at once. She rushed over and circled Miyabi, looking her up and down.
“Whoa, Miss Hoshimi Miyabi, this look’s got none of that sharp warrior air. You look more like the sweet girl next door.”
Everyone else was surprised by the change too. Once Miyabi took off her battle outfit, she seemed to turn from a seasoned warrior into a noble young lady in an instant.
The grace she carried by nature wasn’t the least bit weaker than Riveria’s, even though Riveria was elven royalty.
“What’s wrong? You said we were going out to eat together, so I changed into everyday clothes. Is there a problem?”
“Ahem. There’s no problem. But Hoshimi Miyabi, when you go out alone, it’d be better to wear something easier to move in. Orario isn’t safe at all times.”
Finn had only just started to remind her when Loki cut him off.
“Enough, let’s go. I can’t wait to drink!”
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 19
--+--
Chapter 19: The Hostess of Fertility
--+--
“That’s the top brass from the Loki Familia, and Goddess Loki’s with them.”
“Braver, Nine Hell, Elgarm, and Sword Princess... Outside of expeditions, you almost never see them moving together.”
“There’re other upper-class adventurers with them too. Where’re they headed?”
“That road should lead to the Hostess of Fertility, right? Their people eat there all the time.”
“That’s the Level 4 Vanargand, isn’t it? He only joined a year ago and already leveled up. The Loki Familia’s something else.”
“Huh? There’s an unfamiliar face. Is she a new member of the Loki Familia?”
“And she’s a Renard. Even in Orario, you don’t run into many Renards.”
“But why doesn’t she have a tail? Is she mixed?”
“Speaking of Renards, I heard a merchant from outside’s going to bring one to Orario to sell soon.”
“Seriously? Aren’t Renards all from the Far East?”
“It’s true. My cousin works for that merchant. Word is, she’s a Renard who made some mistake in the Far East and got exiled.”
The Loki Familia stood out too much. Wherever they went, they drew looks from street vendors and adventurers alike. Among them, Hoshimi Miyabi stood out even more in her plain clothes, with a pair of fox ears on her head.
After all, Renards were rare in Orario. Rare enough that a Renard slave could fetch a sky-high price on the black market.
As she walked, Miyabi could feel several greedy gazes buried in the crowd, so she edged closer to the group and used her companions to shield herself.
Before long, Miyabi found herself walking near Ais. She was about to chat with her, but soon noticed something off.
Ais’s movements were slight, but Miyabi still caught the faint limp in her step, along with the way she sometimes reached back to cover her rear.
‘Had her injury from last time still not healed all the way?’
Out of concern, Miyabi asked, “Has your injury from last time still not healed?”
At the sound of Miyabi’s voice, Ais snapped her head up, and a bit of light returned to her hollow eyes.
“It’s healed.”
“Then why’re you...?”
Ais didn’t answer. She only forced a pitiful look onto her face and stared at Riveria’s back. Miyabi didn’t need her to say a word. Riveria must’ve carried out some kind of “educational work” on Ais.
After two days with the Loki Familia, Miyabi had a rough grasp of how the three leaders divided their roles.
Finn, as captain, handled the Familia’s daily operations and the preparations for expeditions. Riveria managed daily life in the Familia, especially problem children like Ais.
As for Gareth, he seemed to do a bit of everything, though he was probably in charge of the members’ regular training. Still, the Loki Familia wasn’t a specialized department like Section 6. Of the three leaders, only Finn had a clear role, while the other two mostly handled whatever came up.
From the look of things, Ais had always been under Riveria’s care. Even the money Ais earned from going into the Dungeon seemed to be managed by Riveria.
The group arrived at the Hostess of Fertility. At first, Miyabi had thought the phrase described the owner, but once they reached the place, she realized it was the restaurant’s name.
The Hostess of Fertility was a famous restaurant in Orario, known for its huge portions and good food. Many adventurers chose to come here for a full meal after returning from the Dungeon.
The Loki Familia were clearly regulars. As soon as they stepped inside, a waitress greeted them with a smile.
“Welcome, Lady Loki. You’re back again, meow.”
“Yep, here we are. I made arrangements with Mia this morning. The table’s still there, right, Anya-tan?”
Anya was a brown-haired Cat Person. At Loki’s words, she quickly led them to a round table in the center of the restaurant.
“Of course it’s still here. This is the one, meow. Should we serve the usual food?”
“Hold on. Miyabi, what do you want to eat? This welcome party’s for you. You’re the star, so of course you get to order.”
The moment Loki said that, the adventurers who’d been eating, drinking, and chatting all turned their eyes toward Miyabi. The Loki Familia took in new members every year, but they’d never held a special welcome party for one before.
‘Does that mean this Renard girl’s a one-in-a-million genius the Loki Familia found?’ Similar thoughts rose in everyone’s mind. If she wasn’t a genius, there’d be no reason for the Loki Familia’s leaders to value her this much.
“I don’t have any special requests for food... Do you have melon?”
“Melon? We don’t, but we can go buy some first, meow. If the guest wants it, Anya can have a coworker buy it, meow.”
“Thanks for the trouble.”
“Got it, meow. Then we’ll serve the rest of the food like usual, meow.”
Anya hugged her menu and left. Only after she vanished into the kitchen did Miyabi ask Riveria beside her a question.
“That Cat Person waitress seems like a strong adventurer.”
“She used to be an adventurer. Because of certain matters, she ended up working here.”
Riveria didn’t say much more about Anya.
--+--
Anya carried the menu back into the kitchen, then whispered to the silver-haired waitress washing dishes beside her, “Syr, the Loki Familia has a new member again. She’s a very pretty Renard lady, meow.”
The waitress named Syr twitched her brows at that, and curiosity flickered in her gray eyes.
“A Renard? I’ve never seen one before. Anya, cover for me for a bit. I’m going out front to take a look.”
The instant she heard she’d have to cover for Syr, Anya sprang back like a startled cat with all her fur standing on end.
“No, no, no! I still have tons of work out front.”
Syr at once put on a pitiful look.
“You won’t?”
That cute face, paired with that expression, dealt Anya a heavy blow. She took a deep breath, then glanced with some hesitation at Mama Mia, who was busy in the kitchen.
“O-only for a little while, meow.”
“Great. I love you the most, Anya.”
Syr gave Anya a wink, then rushed out to the dining room. The restaurant was already packed with people. Aside from the Loki Familia, there were adventurers from other Familias drinking and boasting.
Even with so many people there, Syr found Hoshimi Miyabi in the crowd at a glance.
Because...
‘So bright... Her soul... It’s so bright, just like a hero’s.’
After only one look, Syr couldn’t tear her eyes away from Miyabi. She was different from those who might become heroes, or the so-called hero candidates.
Hoshimi Miyabi’s dazzling soul proved she already was a hero. She must’ve accomplished countless miracles that even the gods would’ve thought impossible to have a soul that shone so bright.
But if that was true, why was someone like her a “new member”?
--+--
Hoshimi Miyabi, Enters the Dungeon! - 20
--+--
Chapter 20: Back into the Dungeon
--+--
During the welcome party, Hoshimi Miyabi got to know quite a few mid-ranking members of the Loki Familia.
There was Anakitty, the catgirl; Raul, who was a Level 2 adventurer yet far too humble for his own good; Alicia, who called herself the captain of Riveria's guard; and several other promising upper-class adventurers.
And, of course, there was Bete, the werewolf who'd ended up with Miyabi's blade pressed against his neck the first time they met.
The man awkwardly raised his cup and apologized to her, which sent the rest of the executives into fits of laughter. Loki laughed so hard she nearly slid under the table.
After crawling back up, Loki kept teasing Bete without mercy, needling the werewolf until his face went red and he almost lost it right there.
Miyabi said she didn't mind, but her attitude toward Bete stayed cold. She didn't like the way he talked. Everything out of his mouth came back to strength and weakness, as though he was apologizing not because he'd been wrong, but because Miyabi was stronger than him.
Aside from the Loki Familia, Miyabi also met Mia, the owner of the Hostess of Fertility.
The woman looked fierce, and her strength matched her looks. Even though she only carried a spatula later on, Miyabi knew that plain-looking spatula could turn into a deadly weapon at any moment.
Miyabi couldn't help wondering why someone that strong would be content running a tavern. There was also a silver-gray-haired waitress named Syr. Miyabi felt the girl was a little too warm toward her, but she couldn't sense any malice from her at all.
Syr's enthusiasm reminded her of the fanatical fans she'd run into back in New Eridu after completing high-level assignments.
Once she'd eaten and drunk her fill, Miyabi returned to the Familia. After washing up, she sat on her bed, took out the brush and scroll she'd bought during the day, and began writing in her diary.
This was her second day in Orario. Only two days had passed, yet to Miyabi, it felt like several had gone by already.
After recording what'd happened over the past two days, Miyabi set the brush down, lay back on the bed, and drifted into sleep.
--+--
Early the next morning, Alicia, the elf she'd met during dinner the previous night and who called herself the captain of the guard, knocked on Miyabi's door.
"Lord Finn would like you to come see him."
As she delivered the message, Alicia took a careful look at Miyabi's outfit. Her clothes were neat, her hair was combed smooth, and there wasn't a single flaw in her bearing or appearance.
'Good. This way, she won't embarrass herself when she sees Lady Riveria again.'
"Understood. I'll go now."
Miyabi changed into her combat uniform, picked up her weapon, and headed to Finn's office. Now that she thought about it, she'd been in Orario for three days and had gone to Finn's office three times.
Since Finn was the captain of the Familia, Miyabi couldn't shake the feeling that she was going there to "give a work report."
Still, Finn wasn't like those deskbound leaders in Public Security who'd drone on without end, so Miyabi didn't feel much resistance toward visiting his office.
After knocking and entering, she found that Finn wasn't alone. Riveria was there too, along with Raul, whom she'd only met yesterday.
"You're here, Hoshimi Miyabi. Today, I'm planning to send you into the Dungeon. Raul will volunteer as your supporter and handle the monster corpses.”
“This time, you're permitted to go as deep as Rivira on the eighteenth floor. Your main tasks are to get used to the Dungeon and learn the routes through the first seventeen floors in preparation for the expedition later."
There was no doubt that Miyabi was strong, but Loki didn't plan to let her enter the deeper floors before the expedition. Of course, for someone who was still Level 1, going as far as the eighteenth floor was already a bold move.
"Understood."
Miyabi then looked over at Raul. "I'll be troubling you this time."
"It's no trouble, no trouble at all. I'll do my best as your supporter."
Raul's tone was so humble that he didn't sound like a senior speaking to a junior at all. He sounded more like an employee working alongside his boss.
In truth, Raul did want to put on at least a little senior's dignity in front of Miyabi.
"You don't have to be so polite. I need an hour to complete my 'thirty thousand sword swings' training. Let's meet at the Familia entrance in an hour and a half. How's that?"
"Y-yes, that's fine. I need to prepare some items anyway."
An hour and a half later, Miyabi and Raul, who was carrying a mountain of bags, met at the Familia entrance. The two set off together toward the Dungeon entrance. On the way, Miyabi's appearance drew plenty of attention.
By yesterday, word had already spread through Orario that the Loki Familia had invited a new Renard member to join them. On top of that, the Adventurer's Guild had posted Miyabi's information on the bulletin board that morning.
It only listed her name, Familia, and level, but that was enough for many people to recognize who she really was.
As her supporter, Raul got to experience the kind of treatment he usually only saw when he walked around with Finn and the others.
--+--
After entering the Dungeon, Raul began explaining the monsters on each floor and the routes forward so he could fulfill his role.
Miyabi had already memorized the general paths from the first floor to the eleventh.
The only section she hadn't memorized was from the twelfth to the seventeenth floor, since she'd been in a hurry to find Ais back then and hadn't made a point of remembering the route.
So Raul focused most of his explanation on the floors below the twelfth. "Starting from the thirteenth floor, you'll be in the Middle Floors. The monsters here are stronger than the ones on the Upper Floors, and they appear more often. There's also a chance that irregular situations might occur."
As Raul explained, he watched with envy as Miyabi cut down the monsters before her one after another with elegant swordplay.
The title the gods had given him was [High Novice], which meant he was an ordinary person with no special traits. In truth, the title suited him well.
Within the Familia, Raul was Level 3. As a High Class adventurer, he'd already surpassed more than half of Orario's adventurers. But in the monster den that was the Loki Familia, he'd become the plainest one of all.
He had no skills, and all his stats were painfully average. Even his fighting style was simple and plain. Because of that, he envied adventurers with flashy combat techniques and powerful skills.
He also tended to make his gear look as impressive as possible, hoping he'd shake off the title [High Novice] once he reached Level 4.
Miyabi's swordsmanship was graceful and brilliant. It was beautiful to watch, yet packed with killing force.
Raul couldn't help thinking that if he could learn even one or two moves from her, he might earn a much cooler title after his next level-up.
While Raul was lost in his daydreams, more than a dozen bull-type monsters blocked Miyabi's path. He snapped back to himself and hurried to warn her.
"Careful! Those are Minotaurs. They're famous rookie killers..."
--+--