05 — Disaster in the Holy City
05 — Disaster in the Holy City
People don’t grow as simply as they do in stories. There’s no real-life training arc that gets you from point A to point B like it was meant to be. Protagonists fight and struggle with all they have, grapple with weakness, defy society. Eventually, with a bit of luck, they overcome the odds and grow. They power up, win the battles they lost in the past, and the story moves on.
But this wasn’t fiction.
One month after discovering the truth about Substance X, I’d completed my exploration of floors thirty-one to forty. I was proud of my pace. But I had no great success story to tell, no nail-biting adventure worthy of a protagonist. What am I doing wrong? I wondered. I had the luck, to a monstrous degree, in fact, but maybe Monsieur Luck didn’t work quite like the sheer dumb fortune of the main characters in the stories I’d read.
For example, the experience I gained from charting out each floor led me to a skill that allowed me to visualize maps in my head. And that wasn’t all either. The one major threat in this labyrinth, the traps, were always first triggered by monsters. It almost seemed intentional, after a point. And the first treasure chest I found, after I’d started to doubt that they even existed, was not only completely un-booby-trapped but contained a highly advanced healing grimoire that I’d never seen anywhere else.
Ghastly skeletal creatures in flowing black robes that conjured images of the Grim Reaper himself weren’t even a challenge. Sure, they were only wraiths, but I had expected a tougher fight than the one they put up. I bet they never imagined my Aura Coat and Spiritual Resistance would completely nullify their dark magic. I almost felt bad for surprise-attacking them when they inched closer, thinking their spells had affected me. Substance X had made me impervious to their illusions and mind control, so the magic they cast would simply shatter and fizzle away as it enveloped me.
The way that every single one of these creatures sneered when they thought they had won sent shivers down my spine and made me feel sorry for those imaginary people who had supposedly died at their hands. I liked to imagine that when they vanished in a puff of purple miasmic smoke they cried out, “What?! Impossible!” in disbelief.
Normally, I’d have been excited about how strong I’d grown after clearing ten whole floors in only a month. But I had an inkling of what the fourth boss would be, which left me feeling more worried than gratified. Assuming the pope had built this place, this would be the climax of the scenario she’d crafted—the first expedition. I was about to meet the paladin and templar captains who had defeated the original fourth boss.
“I feel like I’ll be gutted if I waltz right in, so maybe I’ll stop by the Adventurer’s Guild first. Gather some info.”
I couldn’t shake my bad feeling, so I left the next boss for another day.
“Welcome back.” Waiting for me as I emerged was Cattleya’s usual warm smile.
After learning the shocking truth about Substance X, I felt the need to recount to her the details of what had led to me drinking it in the first place.
“Oh, that sounds awful. It’s a good thing the rumors they spread about you weren’t any worse.”
And with that foreboding statement, our rapport returned to normal.
“I finally made it to the fortieth floor,” I said.
“You never stop amazing me, Luciel. So, what kinds of monsters are down there?”
“Wraiths, death knights, mummies, ghouls. Nothing good, really.”
“Question... Has anyone ever said that you lack common sense?”
“Um, yes. Lumina, about fifteen minutes after meeting her in Merratoni, actually.” Now, that was nostalgic. Well, aside from the awful glare she’d given me at the time. I could’ve done without that.
“That doesn’t surprise me somehow,” Cattleya remarked. “I know you’ve taken on wights, but wraiths surpass even A-rank monsters on the danger scale.”
“I know, but dark magic doesn’t do a thing to me. My support magic and resistances make sure of it. Plus, I might be sturdier than I give myself credit for.” I had a certain substance to thank for that, of course.
“Because of...you-know-what?”
“Yep. It’s given me grief over the last few years, but I’m grateful for it.”
“‘Grief’ is certainly one word I’d use to describe it.”
“Well,” I laughed, “I think I’m going to pop into the Adventurer’s Guild for a change of pace.”
“Oh, before I forget, the Valkyries came back briefly but only to report in. Then they were sent right back out.”
“Uh, is it just me or does it seem like Lumina’s regiment is the only one that’s this busy?”
“No. It’s not just you, but it won’t be long now,” she returned with a menacing, icy grin. “A wound must be disinfected before it heals. You remember that, Luciel, and tell me if anything happens.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!” I stuttered.
Cattleya’s overwhelming intensity reminded me of Brod when Bottaculli had marched straight into the guildhall. I left for the Adventurer’s Guild in a cold sweat.
I felt a tug on my robe just as I was about to enter the building.
“Hm?” I turned around and saw nothing. “Must’ve imagined it.”
I went to open the doors again when I finally noticed a small beastgirl holding the hem of my robe.
“Could you let go of me, please? Do you need something?”
The girl nodded repeatedly, tears welling up in her eyes. She released my robe, and I crouched down to meet her gaze. As I was pondering what to do, I realized that me being alone with a young girl posed an ominous threat to my already-damaged name. Bringing her to the guild staff was probably the smartest option here.
“So, you need help? Why don’t we head into the guildhall first, okay?”
The teary-eyed girl hesitated, then nodded again. I hoped this was a simple case of a lost child.
“Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, Saint Weirdo!” two voices shouted as we entered. “We’ve been waiting for you, Mister Luciel!”
“What?! Nanaella? Monica? What are you two doing here?”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d waited so long to hear from them only to be met with deafening silence, and now there they were. Right in front of me. Maybe they’d come to tell me about their weddings in person. It had been several months since I’d heard about the engagements, after all.
I’d just braced myself for the news when a group of adventurers appeared out of nowhere and dragged me downstairs.
“Hey, wait!” I shouted. “I don’t have time for this right now!”
My pleas fell on deaf ears. Nanaella and Monica were one thing. They’d understand. But I didn’t want to freak out the little girl I’d brought with me.
The adventurers downstairs spotted me as I entered and began to cheer.
“Saint Weirdo’s here, guys!”
“We’re saved!”
“Don’tcha mean the Masochist Zombie Healer?”
“Shut the hell up, idiot; that name’s forbidden! He’s Saint Weirdo, or Saint Sir Weirdo the Knight to you.”
“Look alive, folks! Help’s here!”
“This way, Saint Weirdo! Hurry!”
“Someone haul in the injured around town!”
“Give the Saint hell ’n I’ll drop your damn rank here and now. Everyone got that?” Even the guildmaster joined the clamor. My timing couldn’t have been better.
After my captors finally released me, I made sure that the beastgirl was still behind me, then got Grantz’s attention. “Wow, that’s a lot of wounded today. But first, I found this little girl looking for help in front of the guild. Can you see what she wants?”
“Get in damn line, I said!” he barked at the adventurers. “Whatcha say? Oh, the girl. Kids aren’t my specialty. Milty, take care ’o the sharp-nosed gal there.”
“Of course,” Milty replied. “Saint Weirdo, please begin with that group there. They need urgent care.”
“Got it.”
My head still spinning from the chaos, I began to administer treatment. Three Area High Heals, a few Cures, Recovers, and Dispels, and thirty minutes later, I finally finished. I downed a bitter potion to stave off the exhaustion and nearly forgot about Nanaella and Monica as I focused on recovering my magic. Before I chatted with them, though, I had to address what I had actually stopped by for.
“Excuse me, Guildmaster, I’d like to learn more about undead monsters. Could you guys look into that for me?”
“Brainiacs,” he yelled, “hit the books! Saint Weirdo’s not gettin’ away today!”
The adventurers gave a hearty shout of approval.
“I’m doing what now?”
The newly-healed patients stampeded up the stairs, leaving only me, the guild staff, and the beastgirl holding hands with Nanaella and Monica, who had joined us at some point.
“I’m sorry, Saint Weirdo, but could you accompany the little girl back to the slums? Quickly,” Milty said.
“Um, quickly? Is there a hurry?”
“Yes, there is.”
“I’m sorry, Nanaella, Monica. It looks like we’ll have to catch up later.”
“Oh, we’re going with you,” Nanaella declared.
“Let’s get going,” Monica added.
When did they become so assertive? I knew I wouldn’t get a real answer if I asked, so I kept my thoughts to myself.
“Are there any adventurers who could come and help keep the girls safe, Guildmaster?” I asked.
“I’ll escort ya there personally,” he replied.
You didn’t become a guildmaster without being a distinguished adventurer yourself. We could rest easy with him as our guard.
“Thanks, that’d be great. Nanaella, the Holy City is even harder on beastpeople than Merratoni. Please be careful.”
“I will.”
Wounded adventurers, Nanaella and Monica, and a lost beastgirl. Things were getting messy. But I held it together and the five of us set out for the slums. None of us had any idea what we’d find when we arrived.
I hadn’t been anywhere in the Holy City aside from the main streets, so this was a learning experience for me. As we entered the slums, we crossed from one street to another, and it was almost unbelievable how quickly things went from pristine to decrepit.
Then I lost my breath.
Puddles of blood dotted the road like a pox. We continued on, pushing through the crowds while I prepared a chant. How many people had been hurt to have spilled this much? How many lives were in danger? How many lives were already lost?
Past the throng of people was a beastman standing in front of a group of several others as if protecting them. Blood stained them all. He was frozen, like he’d passed out standing up. I approached him and prepared to cast Area High Heal.
“Watch out!”
I reacted to the voice too late. The knife plunged into my side. He’d caught me completely off guard. Call me crazy, but I wasn’t prepared to be stabbed by someone who was unconscious as I tried to heal him and his people. It hurt like hell, but he’d missed my vitals. Still, Nanaella, Monica, and a little girl who needed my help were behind me. Now was the time to be strong.
“Okay, that hurts,” I whimpered. “Wow, that hurts. All right, screw this, everyone’s getting healed!”
As it turned out, it was very hard to “be strong” with a knife in your side. I yanked it out, tears in my eyes, and cast Area High Heal. That way, the beastpeople around us wouldn’t be in any danger either. I’d already cast myself dry at the guildhall, though, and this pushed me to my absolute limits.
“Luciel!” Nanaella cried. “Are you okay?!”
“Did he just stab you?!” Monica shouted.
“Looks like he was unconscious, so let’s say I gave him that one,” I joked.
I was happy that they were worried about me but also kind of pissed off. Then again, yelling at the person I’d just saved wasn’t a good look either. Neither was complaining in front of a kid. I took a deep breath.
“I’m real sorry, Saint Weirdo,” Grantz said, “the fella went right under my nose.”
“It’s okay; you haven’t been in the field for a while. And you couldn’t have sensed his intentions while he was unconscious. I know I didn’t.”
I’d nearly forgotten that the guildmaster was supposed to be guarding us. I doubted whether he would have been able to react in time even if he had seen the knife coming. From his build, the man appeared to be more of a hard-hitter than a speedster.
I chugged another potion, cast Purification on myself and the blood-soaked beastpeople to clean us off, and then added a quick casting of Recover for any status debuffs, just to be safe.
I sighed. “Okay, so no one’s lives should be in any danger now. We need to get these people somewhere safe. I think the Adventurer’s Guild would be best.”
“Smart thinkin’. Anyone with a free hand, get to haulin’! Take these folks to the Adventurer’s Guild!”
Nearby adventurers and able-bodied beastpeople started carrying the wounded at Grantz’s orders. The little girl accompanied the man who had stabbed me. Her father, perhaps.
I suddenly found myself surrounded by local residents prostrating themselves before me.
“Um, do you all need something?”
“Please,” one of them begged, “save us.”
It must have looked like I’d healed everyone there out of the goodness of my heart, expecting nothing in return. But I could easily get into trouble if I went around giving handouts.
“I’m no savior. I only heal injuries, fix stomachaches, cure poisons, that sort of thing,” I explained.
“Are you going to heal these people for free?” Nanaella asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Luciel,” Monica warned.
“No, not for free. How would you all feel about making a deal?”
Nobody was going to be healed without agreeing to a few conditions first.
＊
Unbeknownst to Luciel, whose hands were fairly full with the situation at hand, the guildmaster had assigned several other adventurers to guard them as they entered the slums. And the scene that had just played out before them stirred their emotions.
“Did you see that? That guy stabbed Saint Weirdo! He blew a fuse but healed everyone anyway!”
“Any normal healer woulda died or passed out.”
“They sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to cast spells.”
“They wouldn’t even have tried. Like they’d ever bother healing beastfolk.”
“But it had to’ve hurt. Didn’tcha hear? He said so himself.”
“The guy’s a freakin’ zombie, for real. It’s like nothing stops him.”
“Man, we’d have been in a bad way if he bit it here, huh?”
“That’s for sure. I can’t even count how many of us he’s saved. Those beastfolk wouldn’t have made it without him.”
“Probably. It’s easy to forget since he’s so young, but that armor means he must be a pretty important guy in the Church. I hear he’s in with the Valkyries too.”
“It could’ve been a mob of human supremacists who lynched those poor people.”
“We oughta keep an eye out or he could wind up in trouble.”
“Let’s keep our ears to the ground.”
And so Luciel set about healing the residents of the slum, completely unaware of the machinations of those behind him.
＊
Nanaella, Monica, and I were chatting in a cafe near the Adventurer’s Guild that I frequently ordered food supplies from as I took a break from all the healing.
“I’m sorry you two came all the way out here just to get wrapped up in this madness.”
“Don’t mind us. That’s who you are,” Nanaella said comfortingly.
“Honestly, I wish you’d worry about yourself more,” Monica chastised me. “When I saw that knife in you...I nearly lost it.”
I was relieved that they didn’t seem to think I had changed after all this time. The three of us, comrades-in-arms, could still talk as we used to. Behind Monica’s smile, she never stopped being worried sick about me. While I’d been healing the people in the slum, she wouldn’t let me out of her sight and kept asking how I felt. I could count on one hand the number of people in this city who cared about me that much. Her and Nanaella’s coming must have been a gift from God. A little surprise from Monsieur Luck to help bolster my courage before the fortieth-floor boss.
“I’m sorry to worry you. Truth be told, I never thought something like that would ever happen to me, but I’ll be careful from now on.”
“We’re not fishing for apologies. Are we, Monica?”
“Nope. Just let us be worried.”
At least they weren’t upset with me.
“Sorry for the wait.” A waitress arrived with our drinks, so I took the opportunity to change the subject.
“What are you both doing out here anyway? I can’t imagine it’s easy for the guild to get by without two of its receptionists.”
“Exactly. Just think about how busy it’s going to get after the weddings.”
“We wanted to come visit while we still had the time.”
I felt my stomach drop at the word “weddings.” But wait, if they were worried about things at the guild getting busy, were they not the ones getting married? I had to be sure.
“So, who are the lucky girls?”
They looked at each other, then Nanaella answered, “Melina and Mernell.”
“We’ve sent you letters, Luciel. Have you not been reading them?”
I felt myself tense up. “What?! You’ve been writing to me? I haven’t gotten a single reply to my own letters, so I was about to stop trying. I thought I was being a bother.”
“Wait, you’ve sent letters to us?! I haven’t seen a single one!” Monica replied in shock.
“Me neither.”
What in the world was going on? Not a single one of our letters had made it to the other?
“I’ve been writing Master regular updates on how things have been going for me.”
“Oh, I remember Brod seeming particularly happy one time,” Nanaella recalled. “I think he got one letter, but nothing else.”
“Grantz, the guildmaster here, should be sending them to the Merratoni Adventurer’s Guild.”
“We’ve addressed ours to the Holy City Adventurer’s Guild since the Church doesn’t accept mail.”
Probably to prevent information leaks.
“They’re taking our money to send those letters and you haven’t received anything?”
“Nothing. This sounds like an issue to bring up with the guild,” I grumbled. “Well, we’re all here now, so let’s catch up.”
I couldn’t tell them about the labyrinth or my job, but I told them Brod would’ve been proud that I’d been keeping up with my training, told them I’d started practicing my horsemanship, and how my new nickname—Saint Weirdo—had originated. They, in turn, filled me in on what had happened in Merratoni since my departure.
After lunch, I showed them around a few streets and shops I knew. Our time together was short but precious.
As it turned out, the culprit in the case of the missing letters was the guildmaster himself. I dropped by the place infrequently, and when I did visit and asked for a delivery, it always turned into a party, at which point he would completely forget to put in the request for me. And the rare occasions where he didn’t forget, Nanaella and Monica’s fan club would flat-out refuse to take the job.
Several other adventurers were implicated in the guildmaster’s crime, and for their wrongdoing they would be punished with a pitcher of Substance X, to be administered by Milty, the vice guildmaster.
Nanaella and Monica were staying in the city for three nights, so I decided I was going to spend as much time with them as possible for the duration of their stay. My plans, however, never went the way I wanted, and they encouraged me to keep accepting requests at the guild, so I ended up healing in the training grounds and purifying cesspits in the slums to combat a local plague.
The people of the slums flinched at the sight of my white robe, but Nanaella and Monica’s presence helped to soothe their nerves. I was merely holding up my end of the deal by cleaning their homes and treating their people, yet idolizers still insisted on extolling my name. This couldn’t be my responsibility forever, though, and I had to make that clear.
“Please don’t expect me to do this anymore, everyone,” I announced. “This was a one-time public service, so hopefully this bit of sanitation will give you all some peace of mind against the epidemic. But you have to keep things sanitary or it won’t help anything long term.”
One thing I’d learned from my time in the slums was that it was an active community of people who were willing to work. If they all banded together, they could break the cycle that kept their hovel down.
“One kindness begets another, and that begets another, and the chain goes on. I believe that’s how we create a better world. And that’s why I want you all to work together to make your home a better, cleaner place. I know you can do it.”
The time the girls and I spent together during their visit wasn’t especially unique or noteworthy. We just worked. That was all. I knew it wasn’t right for them to be working so hard during their vacation, but they seemed to enjoy themselves all the same.
Next time, though, I had to show them a good time. I would make sure of it.
After finishing up my work at the guildhall one day, I was called to Grantz’s room.
“Um, could you all please get off the ground? I swear, I’m completely fine now. And I’d prefer to not have any more ridiculous rumors spread about me.”
A group of beastpeople had bowed down in front of me with their heads pressed to the floor, and holy crap was it awkward. I’d have taken fighting the undead over this spectacle any day. I heaved a sigh.
“I’m simply ashamed beyond words that I brought harm to such a prominent and noble healer. Not even my life could right this wrong.”
“Yeah, no, I don’t want it. And frankly, you shouldn’t throw it away right after you got it back,” I said flatly. “And, um, what was it you said you all were? Representatives of Yenice?”
“Yes. You’re too kind.”
The independent city-state known as Yenice was unique in its lack of blatant discrimination and was run by representatives of various kinds of beastpeople who were elected once every two years. These particular representatives were in a difficult situation because they hadn’t been attacked by monsters but rather assaulted by other people.
“Just to be absolutely sure, you don’t know anything about who attacked you or why?”
“No. We only came to request the establishment of a Healer’s Guild in our own country.”
“You’re foreign dignitaries and no one was sent out to meet you?” Their attackers were almost certainly human supremacists. Or a group who had something to gain from keeping Yenice devoid of healers.
“We received an offer, but we didn’t want to make an event of our arrival, so we refused,” the representative explained. “Our only objective was an audience with the pope.”
“I see.” I decided to leave Yenice’s affairs to Yenice. There were likely complicated historical contexts behind all this, and it wasn’t my place to get involved in foreign politics. “Where exactly were you attacked?”
“A band of thugs descended on us just outside the city walls. They were well-organized and disciplined. One wrong move could have been our last.”
“Disciplined, eh? I smell a plot,” the guildmaster rumbled.
“I’m just a healer, so there isn’t much I can do about that. But I’m impressed you all managed to make it out okay.”
“Yes, we were very lucky. It was only thanks to the arrival of some adventurers and a well-timed attack by a flock of flying monsters.”
That explained all the adventurers who had been injured lately. I couldn’t do a whole lot to help combat airborne enemies other than heal their victims, but thankfully things seemed to be calming down.
“So, any luck with getting that audience?” I asked.
“We recently concluded our talks. Safely, this time.”
They were already done? Then what was I here for? To listen to their apology in Grantz’s place like some scapegoat?
I side-eyed the guildmaster. Nanaella and Monica were leaving tomorrow, and I was stuck here playing diplomat. Better safe than sorry, though.
“Just in case, I have to recommend you be extra careful on your way home. Maybe hire some bodyguards until you reach the border. You could be assaulted again, or they could easily cook something up and accuse you of being bandits.”
“You really think that’s possible?” the beastman asked fearfully.
Truthfully, I didn’t think it was that serious, but they had to be careful. Their safety wasn’t assured.
“You might even want to stay here at the guildhall for a while and ask an adventurer to deliver the news ahead of you.”
“That makes sense. If our talks can be finalized, any would-be ruffians would lose their motive to attack.”
They had a small girl with them as well, so I figured caution would be wise.
“If your budget allows, when you hire your guards, you should have the guildmaster choose his best and most trusted.”
“You believe all this is necessary?”
“Yes, I do,” I said firmly. “I have a lot of beastfolk friends—people I owe a lot to. I wouldn’t want them or any of you to become victims of racism in this country. I’ve heard it runs deep even within the Church itself.”
“That’s...unfortunate to hear. Thank you for your advice.”
“Not at all. If you could handle it from here, Guildmaster, I have things to do now.”
“No problem,” Grantz replied. “Thanks again for all the help, pal.”
“And thank you for all that information on the undead. I might not be able to come back for a while, so make sure to be careful. Until next time, everyone.”
As I turned to leave, I saw the mute little wolf-girl who had stopped me in front of the guildhall. Sheila was her name, and she’d lost her vocal cords in an accident long before. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. Something about me and wolf-people just seemed to click.
“You’re a hero, Sheila. You saved everyone,” I told her. “Keep your head high and don’t ever let fate decide who you are.”
I tried to cast a healing spell on her in vain, knowing full well that it was beyond my capabilities, then left the guildmaster’s room.
I went downstairs, where I found Nanaella and Monica surrounded by local adventurers.
“They’re with me,” I said loudly, in a deep voice that surprised even myself. “Is there a problem?”
“There he is,” one of the adventurers said. “Say, which one of them’s your girl? It’s gotta be one of ’em, right? They came all the way out here just for you.”
“I mean, it can’t be both. Two beautiful Merratoni receptionists? Please tell me it’s not both,” another begged.
“It’s gotta be the money. Or maybe his looks? Man, how the hell else is he this popular with the nicknames he’s got!”
That last one’s rudeness aside, at least they weren’t giving the ladies themselves any trouble. But now Nanaella and Monica wouldn’t stop staring at me.
“They’re both important to me. They’re the reason I am where I am today,” I declared. “Without them, I wouldn’t have made it through Master Brod’s training or continued to drink Substance X.”
“Wait, did he just say ‘Brod’? The Whirlwind?”
“You’re shittin’ me! His master’s a dragonslayer?!”
“So, they’re the reason he can drink that garbage, eh? Yeah, we’re out of our league.”
“You couldn’t pay me to drink that stuff. You’ve found yourselves a good man, ladies.”
Everyone started smiling at the pair. Why? I had no idea (I never did), but everyone was enjoying themselves, so what was the harm?
Later on, the guildmaster treated me to dinner as an apology for the incident involving the letters, which then turned into a full banquet. When the fervor reached its peak, Substance X started to make its rounds, knocking people out and quieting things down enough for the girls and me to talk by ourselves.
“Sorry, guys. This is a bit rowdy for a vacation, huh?”
“Please, don’t even say that. We heard all about how hard you’ve been working from the guildmaster and his adventurers.”
“Nana’s right. Be proud that you’ve earned the respect of so many people. That’s not easy to do for a healer, as I’m sure you know.”
I was filled with nostalgic joy. They used to cheer me up just like this back in Merratoni. It was what had carried me through Brod’s training.
“I’m really happy you came.”
“And we’re happy you’re doing well for yourself.”
“Just please try not to make too many enemies at the Church. The rumors I heard when I worked at the Healer’s Guild were never good.”
It was probably a bit late for that, but I felt revitalized now. Like I could take on the whole labyrinth.
“I’m doing everything I can to be able to get back to Merratoni someday. I promise.”
We chatted for a while longer before I escorted them to their inn and returned to HQ.
The next morning, I went to see the girls off.
“Thank you both for coming out here. It was great seeing you again. Next time, I’ll be the one to visit.”
The few days they’d been here had undoubtedly been hard enough on the Merratoni guild. I couldn’t imagine they would have time to visit again in the near future. And as for me, I had a feeling my descent into the labyrinth was about to get a whole lot more hectic. I’d need to do a ton of training, both physical and magical, if I wanted to make it through.
“Don’t stretch yourself too thin,” Nanaella insisted.
“You listen to her. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get our letters from now on.”
“I’ll keep the pressure on the guildmaster here. Oh, but just so you know, things may get extra busy at work soon, so I might not be able to write as often. I’ll save my stories for when I see you, though.”
“We’ll be waiting,” they replied together.
I felt my lips tighten into a smile. I couldn’t thank them enough. “Tell Master I’m keeping up with my training and that I’m still planning to land a hit on him.”
“Is it just me or do you seem more mature lately?” Nanaella observed.
“You think so? I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“But that’s no excuse to take on more than you can handle, okay?”
“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ve had enough of being stabbed.”
I watched their carriage pull away from the city, heading back to Merratoni. Milty had organized a B-rank party of women to escort them, and I offered her my thanks.
After the carriage disappeared from view, I went about gathering food supplies for my next stay in the labyrinth. The place’s days were numbered.
Of course, it went without saying that I stocked up on extra Substance X as well.
After a meal in the HQ dining hall, I set out for the labyrinth. Cattleya was already at the counter by the time I arrived.
“Oh, are you just now heading down?”
“Yeah. And I feel like I’m constantly on a bed of needles out here, so I was thinking about living there for, say, half a year or so.”
“You must be an idiot if you think I’m going to let you do that,” she retorted.
“I figured as much. But ever since I helped to clean up the slums, I’ve started to stand out more than I’d like. Everywhere I go, I have this anxious feeling. I need to get stronger or I’m going to end up assaulted at best, assassinated at worst.”
“I can speak with Her Holiness, if you’d like.”
“Please do. What a sad world this is if all it takes to be hated is being kind to people.”
“A sad world indeed.”
“Well, anyway, I’m going down. I’ll be careful.”
“Come back safe.”
I opened the doors and stepped into my training grounds.
Two months had passed since Nanaella and Monica’s visit, and I’d made significant progress with my preparations against the fourth boss, but I still couldn’t shake the chills I got when I thought about actually challenging it.
I was currently riding Forêt Noire, the one horse who would let me sit on its back, to take my mind off things for a bit.
“What am I doing being scared of the unknown like I’m on my deathbed or something?”
“Does the unknown frighten you?”
“Uh, Forêt? Did you just talk?”
“Ever the dullard, Luciel.”
I recognized the voice and turned around. “Oh, Miss Lumina. Back from your deployment?”
“Indeed, but not for long. We’re off to the Illumasian border shortly. And I believe I told you the ‘miss’ was unnecessary when we first met.”
What brought on this change?
“Oh, right. Um...” I faltered. “It sounds like you guys have it rough.”
“Such is my duty. But what about you, Luciel? What troubles you?”
Lumina knew about the labyrinth, so maybe it was okay to vent to her.
“It’s the main chamber on the fortieth floor. I’m expecting an extremely powerful knight to be waiting for me there, and I don’t know if I’d even stand a chance.”
“You’re a timid one, Luciel, but I don’t think this is necessarily a shortcoming. The labyrinth is worthy of caution. It takes lives. But if uncertainty is your concern, what say you to a sparring match?”
“You’d do that for me? But you’re about to be deployed again.”
“Indulge me. I am curious to see what you’ve learned during your year at the Church.”
“I’ll take you up on the offer, then.”
I returned Forêt to the stables, not forgetting to thank my partner for his help, then came back to meet Lumina’s challenge.
“I’m not going to hold back, Lumina. I want your best.”
“Big talk. Show me you have what it takes to back it up!”
Lumina’s blade was instantly upon me. I funneled magic into my sword and shield, magically augmented my body beyond its normal limits, and blocked the blow with everything I had. The clang of metal on metal had just reached my ears before I saw her second attack coming. I hurled my shield at her and summoned a second one.
She was faster than me in every way. A full-frontal assault would never succeed. My only hope was to be crafty.
I threw my sword, and then a dagger immediately after that. Lumina shouted in surprise, hesitating just enough to save my hide. And thank goodness for that. Cheap tricks were all I had up my sleeve, and if she’d kept steamrolling me, I would’ve lost immediately.
I was in awe of her skill, amazed that she’d pushed me to use my Physical Enhancement technique so defensively. Lumina was incredible.
“I’m impressed, Luciel. You’re even stronger than I expected.”
“The feeling’s mutual. Here I thought I might’ve been closing the gap between us, but not even Physical Enhancement was enough to match your speed. I was getting a little cocky there.” She still felt slower than Brod, though.
“So, that’s the technique you were using,” she mused. “I want you to take the offensive this time. Go on, come at me.”
I had a bad feeling about it but no say in the matter. “If you insist.”
I barraged her with attacks, Physical Enhancement working at full force, but not a single hit came even close to landing. She coached me as we sparred.
“You’re giving away your feints with your eyes.”
“Your strikes are too linear and easy to parry.”
“Using Physical Enhancement is smart, but you’re losing flexibility.”
Our match quickly devolved into a crash course in combat.
“You’re making impressive progress,” Lumina commented afterwards, “especially considering it’s been less than a year, but I still think you should steer clear of strong opponents. At least until you have better control of your body while it’s being enhanced.”
Hold on, is she speaking more casually now? When did that happen?
“I appreciate the advice. I’ve been working on better controlling Physical Enhancement, but now I have a clearer picture of what to aim for.”
“I feel strength in you, Luciel. Keep working towards those goals of yours.”
“I will. Also, why are you talking differently?”
Red instantly flooded her face, and she turned away. “I’m unused to speaking with a tone of authority,” she confessed. “I am working at it, but it requires my attention or, well, as you saw...”
“I don’t think it’s so bad letting your hair down, so to speak. It suits you.”
“I will...remember that. But there is a woman I admire, a fellow knight, and this is how she carries herself.”
“I understand. If you ever want to relax and just let yourself talk, though, I’m always here.”
“Thank you, I...I may do that.”
“Any time.”
The next day, Lumina and her Valkyries departed for the border once again.