“That’s them over there?”
“Uh, yes.” The lad glanced at my motley crew: two teenage heims, a swordsman, a young lady knight, two elves, an archer, and a mage.
“Ah, sorry. I don’t work with elves.”
“Oh, okay. My mistake.” The guy bowed his head in apology, as if he’d done something wrong. Nothing you could do about interracial issues.
“Pardon me, would you like to work together with us?”
“That your party?” inquired the next candidate, an older adventurer whose gear, well-worn for an initiate, hinted at a previous life as perhaps a soldier or mercenary.
“Yes, that’s them.”
“Whoa, a group of ladies all to yourself?”
“Who you callin’ a lady?!”
“Shuna! Noooooo!” Needless to say, the negotiations failed.
“Pardon me, would you like to group with my party?”
“You’re that guy the Zavah Night Owl Trade Group’s got at their beck and call, aren’t you? The one who was in on it with the scammers who started selling all that fishy ‘Champion of Light’ crap, right?”
“I just do some consulting for them.”
“I hate that kinda shady business. Somethin’ about it feels cowardly. You’re an adventurer—make your money like one.”
“Uh, right.” Next. Gotta keep moving. “Excuse me, would you—?”
“Ack! It’s the Otherworlder.”
“Wait, isn’t he the one they say you shouldn’t mess with?”
“Never mind, sorry to interrupt.” The old rumor I’d started bit me in the butt. “Excuse me, would you consider joining up with my party?”
“Hmm, nah, I don’t like the cut of your jib or that wily grin on yer face. Same goes for those glasses.”
The elven mage behind me got to her feet with a clatter. “Are my ears playing tricks on me? Better eliminate all possible sources of that noise just in case.” She cracked her fists violently.
“Lana! Dooon’t!” We reached an impasse.
“Sorry, um, if you don’t mind, would you consider—?”
“Yeah, no. I was here the whole time, you know? I heard everything. Hard pass.” Fair.
“Pardon me, would you—?”
“Sorry!”
“Eeeeek!”
“Get away from meeee!” My last option ran away screaming. Out of the twelve parties present, we’d gotten into physical altercations with two, were rejected by six, and sent four running.
Yep, this must be what they call crushing defeat.
“Umm, good job, Yaya. You did your best.”
“Éa’s exactly right, darling. It’s not your fault those insolent wretches don’t know basic manners.”
“Lala, I’m pretty sure using your fists isn’t exactly polite, either.”
“Did you say something?”
“Nope, not a word.”
At least the two of them were trying to cheer me up.
“Dude, you’re so frickin’ laaame.”
“Oh, shut up, Mr. I Go Berserk If Anyone Ever Calls Me a Girl.”
“Urgh! That’s not fair, I—”
“Elven guys take that as a compliment, you know! You should be thanking them, if anything!”
“But I’m not an elf,” Shuna protested meekly, shrinking under Éa’s rebuke. He never could stand up for himself against a strong-willed girl, a lingering malady developed from his childhood as his five older sisters’ favorite punching bag. As an only child, I would’ve killed to have switched places with him.
“Tell him, Bel.” Éa prodded our young lady knight sitting off to the side, totally zoned out.
“………”
“Éa, her name is Lis for the time being,” I corrected, reminding my younger sister that, for various and sundry reasons, an entity—one whom multiple gods had assured me “ain’t evil” and that I was free to “make use of”—calling herself Lis had taken over Beltriche’s body.
“Okay, Lis,” Éa tried again. “Say something.”
“……Something.” Cliché at best. My little sister threw me a What the hell? kind of look.
“Beats me,” I replied.
I knew she was strong, an expert in the Church of St. Lillideas style of magic, and a brutal swordswoman. But she was a nightmare to communicate with. Sometimes, she’d ask me a question out of the blue, then act as if she couldn’t care less if I responded. Other times, she’d just disappear in the heat of a battle. We’d all go crazy looking for her, only for her to come waltzing back, offering nothing more than she was “taking care of something” as her reason. She was eccentric, surly, inconsiderate, and worst of all, had a hearty appetite. (Oh, wait, that’s actually a good thing.)
Bel…… Bel, come back to us! We’re in desperate need of your charm and winning smile. To be totally honest, all our diplomatic hopes rested on your shoulders. When you get back, you better believe I’m gonna give you an earful for letting this random person possess you without even asking me.
Honestly, though, your precious Sou feels like his heart’s about to crumble.
“Souya,” Evetta called out.
“Oh, yes?”
While I was busy wallowing in misery, every other party waiting in line had partnered up, stirring up old memories of being the last one picked in gym class.
“Some things never do change, do they?” she remarked. “It’s heartwarming in a way.”
“Don’t rub it in!” I haven’t forgotten our adventures around town where every single god and goddess refused to consecrate a covenant with me.
Paying no mind to my protestations, the horned counselor began escorting the other parties to their places.
“What should we do, my love? Shall we go home?”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” I hemmed.
Lana’s suggestion did tempt me. It had taken a whole day to traverse the tenth through fourteenth floors. We’d now learned the route and enemies along it by heart, so next time, we’d probably get through it in about fifteen hours, including time for breaks to rest and sleep. Still, it would be a pain in the ass to do it all again. An enormous drag. And given how my motivation was basically running on fumes, it’d likely be at least another five—no, more like ten?—days until I could drag my butt back to the dungeon. Worst case, I wouldn’t have it in me to come back for a good three weeks or more. I had lost all drive to finish my original mission, and whatever urgency I’d felt had long since disappeared. What I really wanted was to go back to camp and mess around in the fields. I’d become obsessed with tending my own garden.
Plus………the person who longed for glory more than any of us was no longer here. Shuna came in at a close second, though he’d wanted to gain honor not for himself but for his master, and he’d already accomplished that. As word of Shuna the Dragonshell Slasher spread around town, more and more people learned of his master, Legure the Graceful, as well. All he had left to do was stake the rest of his life on ensuring he brought her no shame. The elven girls never had much interest in adventuring. As for Lis, I couldn’t say.
Yeah, there’s no way I can go home like this. I’ll one-hundred-percent lose all interest in ever coming back.
“Lana………let’s wait and see if another party comes along,” I said at last.
“All right, darling.”
But would waiting actually solve anything here?
“Oh, it’s you,” called a familiar voice. Oh, I know you.
Just then, a well-to-do young lady adventurer with blond ringlets and her reptilian beastmaid appeared, along with a knight of small stature. About one hundred thirty centimeters tall, the knight had armor covering every square inch of his body and wore a helmet featuring a bird-beak design over the nose, though it seemed a couple sizes too big for him. He looked almost like a toy figurine complete with a round shield and rapier. I knew the two ladies, but I’d never met this diminutive paladin before.