Wielding the dagger in my right hand, I sliced through the Silverback that emerged from the mist. Without hesitation, I hurled the throwing knife in my left hand, striking down an Imp hidden deeper within the fog. After scanning my surroundings to ensure no more threats lurked nearby, I began extracting magic stones from the defeated monsters using my shadow techniques.
It was the morning after my brief visit to the newly reformed Hestia Familia. With no work lined up and nothing pressing to do, I decided to revisit the dungeon after a long hiatus... alone.
The usual crew, including Bell, was busy organizing their belongings in the new home. While I had a friendly relationship with the Hestia Familia, wandering freely through their private quarters felt inappropriate. That left me with the option of tackling the dungeon solo for the first time since becoming an adventurer, a new experience I decided to embrace. To ease into it, I chose the 12th floor for a warm-up. Though the mist hampered visibility, the monsters never bothered concealing their presence, making it manageable.
Still, venturing solo presented its own challenges. From scouting to combat to retrieving magic stones, tasks typically shared among a group now fell entirely on my shoulders, quickly draining my stamina.
More than anything... the solitude stung. I'd grown so accustomed to Bell's presence during our dungeon expeditions that I never felt isolated. But today, for the first time, the absence of companions left me uneasy.
After collecting the magic stones, I checked my pocket watch, 12:17 PM. Lunchtime, a moment that usually arrived swiftly, now seemed to stretch endlessly.
Hiding in the mist, I suppressed my presence and pulled out some bread and a water bottle I'd purchased in town. Without conversation to break the silence, I hurriedly wolfed down the bread, eager to move on.
𓂀═════════════𓂀
"Ugh... I'm exhausted!"
It was still well before sunset when I emerged from the dungeon and trudged up to the guild counter. My advisor, Misha, greeted me as I blurted out my weariness.
"Rough day, Toki? Solo runs are tough even for you, huh?"
"Yeah, soloing was hard, but that's not all..."
I trailed off, hesitating before sharing the real reason I cut my trip short.
"Right after lunch, I had the bad luck to cross paths with an Infant Dragon."
"...What?"
"I spent two hours fighting it, dodging all over the floor while chipping away at it. Finally managed to take it down and retrieve the magic stone, but I was too drained to continue, so I called it a day."
The truth? That story was mostly a lie.
The battle didn't happen right after lunch but some time later. Using the mist for cover, I managed to finish the fight in about 30 minutes. Still, fighting what was essentially the boss of the floor left me exhausted enough to head back early.
"Wait, you took down an Infant Dragon on your own?"
"Not exactly. The mist was thick, so I couldn't see clearly, but a group of adventurers helped me out."
Another lie. The room where I fought was off the main route, so no one else was around.
"I see... that makes sense." Misha said, exhaling in relief. She seemed satisfied with my explanation, though the details were far from airtight. I half-expected her to question me further, but her acceptance felt anticlimactic.
The reason behind my deceit? My level. Officially, I'm a Level 2 adventurer, having only recently advanced about three weeks ago. Normally, that means my abilities would be rated around H or G. Taking down an Infant Dragon solo at such a level would be nearly impossible, or so people would think.
To keep my true capabilities under wraps, I resorted to these fabrications.
"By the way, the guild seems unusually busy today." I remarked, watching the staff bustle about.
"Yeah. Apparently, the number of monsters on the 3rd floor has dropped dramatically. They're investigating why."
I tilted my head, puzzled.
"The 3rd floor already has fewer monsters compared to deeper floors. Is it really something to panic over?"
"It's strange, though. According to one adventurer I spoke with, they encountered monsters only 14 times on the 3rd floor all day yesterday."
"Only 14? That's definitely abnormal."
As she explained, I tried considering possibilities. Could it be like the recent Minotaur incident, where a lower-floor monster accidentally wandered upward?
"They checked for that, but no reports of such sightings have come in." Misha said.
So that theory was out.
"Understood. I'll look into it as well."
"Are you sure? Will you be okay?"
"Come on, I'm still Level 2. Even if I run into a Monster Party on the 3rd floor, I can handle it."
"...Alright. Just be careful, okay?"
"Always."
"Alright, then."
I waved goodbye to Misha and stepped out of the guild.
Now, to start investigating… or so I thought, but with a good amount of cash from converting magic stones, I figured I'd return home first to deposit funds into the familia treasury. Even though Hestia-sama had received partial compensation from the War Game, we still hadn't fully recovered the fines from the penalties imposed earlier.
After arriving home, I deposited the money, recorded it in the ledger, and stepped back out, only to be greeted by Asfi running toward me.
"Asfi? What's wrong?"
"Toki, have you seen Hermes-sama anywhere!?"
"No, I haven't seen him today, but..."
I had a sinking feeling. Somehow, I already knew where this was heading.
"Did he ditch you again?"
"...Yes."
"I see. I'll help you look for him."
"Thank you."
After gathering the details from Asfi, I dashed off into the city.
𓂀═════════════𓂀
"And why, of all places, am I here?"
The sun had long since set, and the moon, nearly full, cast its glow over the city. I now found myself in a place I'd rather avoid if given the choice.
Buildings of various cultural styles lined the streets, illuminated by pink-tinted magic stone lamps. The air carried a sweet, intoxicating scent. This was the southeastern district, Orario's infamous entertainment quarter.
Following the trail of information I'd pieced together while chasing Hermes-sama had, somehow, led me here.
Sighing, I began searching for him. Along the way, a few courtesans approached, offering their company. Politely but firmly, I refused, knowing full well that indulging them would likely result in Lefiya killing me later.
As I pressed on, I spotted a couple of familiar faces. Curiosity got the better of me, and I called out to them.
"What are you doing here, Mikoto, Chigusa?"
Mikoto immediately extended a hand toward me, almost as if to swat me away, but I dodged her swing.
"Mikoto, it's me, Toki."
"Oh! T-Toki-dono! My apologies..."
Realizing who I was, Mikoto lowered her head in embarrassment.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. But why are you two here?"
Mikoto and Chigusa stood close together, their hands clasped near their chests as if for comfort. Both were blushing deeply, making it painfully obvious that this was their first time in such a place.
"W-We're looking for someone... But, um, what about you, Toki-dono? Why are you here?"
With a grimace, I answered, "I'm searching for my god."
"I-I see..."
"By the way, have either of you seen Hermes-sama?"
"N-No, we haven't." Mikoto replied.
"Me neither..." Chigusa added timidly.
"I figured as much..."
I hadn't held out much hope to begin with.
"Alright, then. I'll leave you two to it. For now, I'll trust this task to the ones tailing you from behind."
"From behind...?"
Mikoto and Chigusa turned around, startled to find Welf and Lili standing there. Ignoring their surprise, I left the area, hoping to continue my search in peace.
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