CHAPTER 2

DID SOMEONE ORDER A WOLF?

“We need to get our hands on one of the keys.”

It was morning at Loki Familia’s home.

They were conducting a meeting in the dining hall, and Finn was speaking to the rest of the familia.

“While most of them certainly are secure within the Evils’ grasp…there is one we may still have a chance with.”

“You think that Ishtar Familia might have had one? They were the ones hauling the violas to Meren, after all,” Tione pointed out.

“Indeed. Considering the close relationship between Ishtar and the Evils, there’s a strong possibility she may have been given one of the keys,” Finn confirmed. “Due to the surprise attack from Freya Familia, Ishtar should no longer have any contact with the Evils. The key may have gotten lost in the attack. There’s also a chance one of her ex-followers may know of its location. We have no choice but to take our chances…Which is why, from today forward, we’ll be putting all our efforts into finding that key.”

The air in the dining hall grew tense.

“I’d like everyone to start by gathering as much information as possible. Scout out the Pleasure Quarter; interrogate any former members of Ishtar Familia you can find. Do try to keep things on the down low, though, if you would. Does anyone have any questions?”

“I do; I do!” Tiona’s hand shot up just like always. “This is about something else but…where’s Riveria? I haven’t seen her anywhere.”

“Riveria has already left on an errand.”

“I see…Well! That stupid wolf! Where’s he?”

“Worried about him, are you?”

“As if! Just wondering if he was skippin’ out. Totally in-ex-cusable!” Tiona hurriedly added, unable to hide her petulance. Neither she nor the rest of the familia members knew Bete had been placed on leave.

Unsure if it was for better or for worse, Finn shot the Amazon a smile all the same, deciding it would be best to cover for the wolf for the time being. “Bete is, well…Let’s say he’s probably out sniffing around for something on his own at the moment, hmm? Anyway, if that’s all the questions for now, let’s go ahead and split into teams: I want a search team and an interrogation team…If you would, then, Loki?” Finn added, his last comment whispered in the goddess’s ear.

“Roger that, boss! Leave it to me!”

As everyone in the hall rose to their feet to start forming their teams, Loki wove through the hustle and bustle, surreptitiously sliding up next to Aiz.

“Got a favor to ask of ya, Aizuu.”

“Loki…? What is it?”

“Keep an eye on Bete for me, would ya? No reason to go outta your way, though—just while yer out ’n’ about doin’ yer own stuff is fine.”

Aiz’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

“Poor thing may have gotten the boot ’n’ all, but, well, Bete’s still Bete. He’ll be out there lookin’ for clues on his own. Doesn’t matter how he talks in front of y’all.” Loki’s eyes were filled with nothing but trust in her lupine follower. It was a different kind of trust than Aiz and her peers had in one another. This was the unconditional faith of a mother.

“Now, I’m pretty sure the enemy’s not gonna try anything aboveground. I also don’t think Bete’s stupid enough to go wandering about Daedalus Street on his own. But still. Look for ’im for me, would ya?”

“…But I…”

“Huh? Somethin’ wrong, Aizuu?”

“I told Bete that I…hate…him…” Aiz mumbled, her gaze pointed downward.

Hearing this from the girl of few words was enough to make Loki bring her arms to her stomach in a giant belly laugh.

“Bwa-ha-ha-ha!! Now you’ve done it! Poor Bete’s prolly lyin’ dead in the street right about now!”

“S-so, I…I just think that…maybe it’s not so good if…we see each other now…” Aiz continued despondently.

Calming herself, Loki turned toward Aiz, speaking as she would to a child. “Whaddaya think, Aizuu? About Bete? And the rest of the familia?”

“…Well, I…Maybe I told him I hate him, yes…but I…” Aiz started, searching for the words inside her as though attempting to take another look at what was really in her heart. Loki watched gently all the while. “…I can’t help but remember before…when Tiona and Bete would fight, and…Raul and Lefiya and the others would all panic, trying to stop them, and…everyone would laugh…”

“Right.”

“…I want it to be like that again…The way it used to be…” she finished, her golden eyes turning momentarily toward Tiona and Tione. Even with Raul and the others there, it felt like there was something missing. The familia just felt off.

When Aiz glanced back up, Loki had a huge smile on her face, and she reached forward to tousle the swordswoman’s golden hair as though awarding her a gold star. Aiz scrunched one of her eyes shut, not even bothering to push the goddess away despite how much it tickled.

“I feel the same, Aizuu. But considerin’ how stubborn Tiona and the others are actin’, there’s no one else I can go to to help fix this but you. Finn’s got my hands tied, after all.”

“…”

“If yer still feelin’ a little anxious, though, you can always go to Lefiya for help. Whaddaya say, huh? Can I count on you?”

“…Yes, I’ll…do it.”

The short answer brought another smile to Loki’s face, and the goddess patted her on the shoulder. As the rest of her colleagues filed their way out of the room, Aiz threw her gaze toward the window and the sunlight filtering in.

“A magic item with a weird symbol thingy carved into it…?”

Back in the Pleasure Quarter and the high-class brothel Lena had been using as her secret spot beneath the shadow of the city’s eastern wall…

Having moved to the courtesans’ old living quarters on the first floor, Lena was currently stuffing her face with bread from her stash, gazing down at a piece of parchment in her hand. On it was a rough sketch of the item in question—Bete’s handiwork, with just enough detail to be discernible.

“You’re looking for this thing? By the way…you sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

“You think I wanna be even more in debt, you hag? I’ve got enough on my plate as it is!”

“It wouldn’t be like that at all, and you know it! I even made this myself!”

“All the more reason not to…” Bete grumbled to himself as though he hadn’t heard.

Indeed, sandwiching Lena and the table was a whole smorgasbord of simple Amazonian dishes—cut it up, toss it on the fire, and serve. Throwing a glance at the sliced dried meats and bread, the cheeses and honey, Bete looked back up, returning to the topic at hand.

“Your damn goddess mighta had somethin’ like this. Ain’t it familiar at all?”

“Hmm…” Lena murmured as she took a swig of magic-stone-refrigerated milk. Staring long and hard at the D symbol carved into the surface of the ball in the sketch, she raised her gaze to search Bete’s face. “…Though I can’t say for absolute sure…I feel like I’ve definitely seen something like this before…maybe?”

“Really?!” Bete demanded, hand on the table as he leaned toward the girl. Lena nodded boastfully. “Then hurry up and tell me, would ya?!”

“For free?!”

“Huh?”

“That was some embarrassment you put me through last night…I may need a little something to get my mouth working again,” she continued, eyes closing as her lips curled upward with salacious intent.

Bete’s cheek twitched. “You askin’ for a beating, you damn witch?”

“Such violence! This is the negotiation table, don’t you know? The whole point is not to offend the opposing party…Even an Amazon like me knows that!”

“Oh, quit your whining! If that mouth of yours won’t listen, I’ll make sure your body does!”

“Then you’ll question my body? Oh my, Bete Loga! I see you’re quite bold even in broad daylight!”

“Stop hearing only what you wanna hear!”

The fight from the night prior continued, but no matter how much he yelled, it had no effect on Lena, who was sitting prettily with her hands clasped against her cheeks for the moment.

She was possibly the most vexing human being Bete had ever come across. If she had been a normal adventurer, he’d have grabbed her collar right then and there and beat the daylights out of her. But considering the girl in front of him now would probably enjoy that, this made her particularly difficult to deal with. If not nauseating to deal with.

Never in his life had he imagined that someone being attracted to him could be worse than someone who hated or feared him.

Though perhaps it was a little late to say it, he was finally starting to empathize with Finn, given how Tione was usually glued to him. He almost wanted to apologize to the prum captain.

“If you’re not gonna tell me, I’ll just ask another one of you damn Amazons!”

“But maybe I’m the only one who knows about this little ball, hmm? Plus, do you really expect Aisha and the others to bare everything to the one who took them to town last night? It’s just like back in Meren, hmm?”

“Guh…?!”

She had a point. The “repulsive werewolf” was more likely to get spit on than get any sort of information out of the other Amazons. Which meant the only negotiation partner he had left was Lena.

As Bete struggled to find his voice, Lena shot him a wink, drawing a miniature circle in the air with her finger. “Besides, isn’t that the rule of you adventurers? To always pay for your information?”

Bete clenched his canines together as hard as he could.

He already knew the incorrigible girl in front of him wasn’t going to ask for money or any other “normal” payment for the information he sought.

“…What do you want, then?”

“For you to give me a baby! —Kidding, kidding, just kiddiiiiing!” She quickly backpedaled as Bete raised his fist up in a sincerely murderous move. Sweat soaking her forehead as she racked her brain, she finally popped her head up with a smile.

“Go on a date with me, Bete Loga!”

Later that day, when the morning sun had just crested over the city’s walls and the thrum of daily life had returned to its streets…

Northwest Main Street, nicknamed Adventurers Way, was as busy as always, filled to the brim with demi-humans on their way to explore the Dungeon. The nearby Dian Cecht Familia facility, as well—the solid-white field hospital—boasted its own fair share of visitors.

It was here, in the hospital’s pharmacy, that the high elf Riveria stood.

Across from her at the counter was the silver-haired human girl Amid Teasanare.

“Were you able to discern anything from the dagger in question?”

“Indeed, we’ve completed our inspection. However, I really must say…There is something undeniably queer about that weapon,” Amid replied, her voice hard as she dropped her eyes to the obsidian dagger lying atop the counter.

It was a cursed weapon—endowed with an Unhealable Curse.

It was also the same weapon that had been used to slay Leene and the others down in Knossos, retrieved by Aiz herself.

“It boasted quite a curse…I still remember when you brought Captain Finn in with it. None of the items currently in circulation had any effect. It was only by my magic that we were able to make any headway, and it required an extraordinary amount of Mind…” Amid’s tiny hands clenched visibly as she relived the memory in her head. “I even tested it on my own body later. Not even protective accessories or magic items had any success in resisting the curse,” she finished, voice grave.

“No way to defend against it and nigh un-liftable save for the magic of Dea Saint. A powerful curse, indeed…”

Existing equipment and items were entirely ineffective, both in protection and as restoratives. Though perhaps what worried Riveria even more was the thought that there were more of these weapons out there.

The sword the creature Levis had used against Aiz and Finn, the abandoned dagger before them now that had been used against Leene and the others, and even the weapons Tione’s assassin opponents had used against her had all been capable of inflicting this dreadful curse with merely a single graze.

Which meant the enemy had at least one person crafting these vexing weapons for them.

“For a hexer to be able to craft cursed weapons such as these…their power must be incalculable—far beyond our wildest imagination. Either that…or they’re being guided by some kind of crazed delusion…” Amid mused, the outline of some faceless yet assuredly unbalanced hexer beginning to take shape in her mind.

Riveria couldn’t have agreed more.

There was a chance these Evils’ Remnants had all the cursed weapons they could possibly want, which meant going in without a plan would only force them to make more sacrifices. If they were going to return to Knossos, they not only needed to get their hands on one of its keys but also do something about these weapons.

“Then the anti-curse I ordered. Do you think you’ll be able to craft it?”

“…It will be difficult, to be frank,” Amid confessed, the fatigue plaguing her features evidence enough as to the countless times she’d already attempted to craft the curse-repelling medicine in question. And thanks to her near-translucently pale skin, the fatigue looked almost painful. “But…I will do my best. I can’t allow such a weapon to exist,” she finished, dauntless will coloring her voice. It was a rare sight to see the delicate doll of a girl express such strong emotion. After throwing a bitter glance down at the dagger on the counter, she returned her gaze to Riveria. “I will defeat this curse.”