Chapter Text
Liliruca Arde scrambled through the dungeon, her legs pounding faster than they ever had before. Her hood had blown off five minutes ago, and her oversized backpack had been discarded even earlier.
She’d had to leave it behind to save her life. Trying to go back for the loot had gotten Canou killed.
A loud roar echoed from behind her, and Lili almost sobbed. The minotaur was still chasing her. Why was it so focused on her specifically? Was this just some manifestation of the bad luck that had plagued her since she was a child? Some whim of the Dungeon?
Whatever the case, she had nothing on her that could even damage a minotaur. The Magic Sword she’d saved for an emergency hadn’t even singed it.
As the pallum turned the corner, a shock of white overtook her vision before she came to a very abrupt halt. As she stumbled back, Lili had the briefest realization that she’d stumbled into someone before the roar of the minotaur echoed out from the corridor she’d just vacated.
Forcing herself back to her feet, the pallum ignored the quivering in her limbs as she got ready to keep running.
“What was-” The person she’d run into said, stupidly. He was just standing there , a confused look on his face as he stared at the corner she’d come out of.
“Run!” Lili yelled at him as she took off. Her limbs ached with each step, but she kept moving. She had to, if she wanted to live. The stranger practically leapt after her as another bellow rang out, louder than before.
All too soon, the stranger caught up with Lili, his longer legs letting him outpace her, even if he couldn’t have had a tenth of the experience Lili did in the Dungeon. The Pallum spared him a glance as they ran. His most distinctive feature was easily the shock of white hair. But the guild-loaned equipment stood out as well.
Not even ten seconds after they started running, and her head start had already evaporated.
That’s what I get for being nice, Lili thought to herself as her chest heaved, her legs struggling to keep up the blisteringly fast pace she forced herself into. Should’ve just left him behind. At least he would have slowed the minotaur down.
There was another junction up ahead. One way, Lili knew, led to a dead end. The other went towards the stairs to the fourth floor. Maybe…
A plan started to form in Lili’s mind.
“Go left up here!” Lili shouted, every word an agony. She didn’t have the time to see if the stranger heeded her words as they raced through the dungeon. The footsteps of the minotaur were getting closer and closer. She could almost feel its putrid breath on her back.
As she rounded the corner after the junction, the pounding slowed to a stop. Lili heaved a sigh of relief, even as she continued to run. She needed to put more distance between her and the minotaur. If she pushed herself, she might be able to make it to the fourth floor before the minotaur was finished with the adventurer.
Then the great heaving hoofbeats started up again. Lili smirked, despite her exhaustion. That’s right, she thought, Go chase that decoy.
But the hoofbeats didn’t recede. They were coming closer. Had the minotaur caught the adventurer already? No. There'd been no roar of triumph, no cry of victory. The Minotaur had just decided that she was the easier target.
Lili almost sobbed as she pushed herself back into a sprint. Hadn’t the world shat on her enough? Forcing her into the Soma Familia, throwing her lack of talent in her face, forcing her to steal, lie, and cheat just to survive? Was all her struggle for naught? Was she going to die here in the dungeon?
Maybe it would be easier to just give in.
At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about being hungry anymore.
No.
She had to live. If only to spite Zanis. Lili chanced a peak behind her. It was just in time to see the minotaur barrelling around the corner. The bovine humanoid towered almost to the ceiling, with great, protruding horns, and arms thicker than Lili’s entire body. She’d be paste if it managed to hit her even once.
Scrambling at her pockets, Lili pulled out one of the last devices she had, dropping it as she ran. It was a simple smoke bomb, cheaper than even the weakest healing potion. But if it gave her even a second, then it was well spent. With a small crack, it went off behind her, wisps of smoke curling at her heels.
The minotaur charged through the smoke, its arms extended. It was fast, unfairly fast. Lili ducked her head, panting as she forced her legs to move, move, move! As she took another step, her foot went sliding out from under her.
She’d tripped on a loose rock.
Lili hit the ground hard, rolling and tumbling, her clothes tearing and leaving blood on stone as her body was abraded by the rough floor.
The Pallum blinked away the tears that threatened to overwhelm her as she struggled to her hands and knees. Her limbs didn’t want to obey her, her breath was coming in ragged pants, and her hair hung limply, slick with sweat. She barely managed to move before she collapsed again.
Lili rolled over onto her back.
If she was going to die, she was going to stare death in the eye.
The minotaur’s footsteps were slower now, as if recognizing that its prey could no longer flee. Lili glared at it from where she lay, summoning up all the hatred and anger that boiled within her and casting it out in her gaze. If only she’d saved up for the 100,000 valis sword instead of the 50,000 one.
No, no magic sword that she could afford could make a dent on this monster. The minotaur raised a fist as it approached her, ready to bring it down and crush her. For a second, Lili thought she saw a brief flash of white.
At least it’ll be quick, The Pallum thought wryly as the minotaur’s fist began to descend. It was coming closer and closer, but Lili resisted the urge to close her eyes. She’d been a coward all her life. Maybe in death, she could be brave. Who knows, maybe that adventurer had made it out alright, and would tell stories of the Pallum who sacrificed herself for him. Wouldn’t that be ironic?
As the fist barrelled closer, Lili felt something wrap around mer torso. It felt like a hand. Before she could even react, she was pulled out of the way of the Minotaur’s attack, pressed against someone’s chest. She could feel arms supporting her, holding her as if she weighed nothing as their owner ran.
But it was the sight that made her ragged breaths stop for a heartbeat.
It was the adventurer she’d tried to use as bait. His red eyes were wide, and sweat was pouring down his brow, but he was holding her close, his hands tight around her body as the minotaur bellowed behind them.
She could feel his heart beating like a rabbit’s foot. Lili wanted to yell at him, to ask why he’d come back for a useless supporter like her, after she’d tried to use him as bait. But she couldn’t muster the words.
He was scared, possibly out of his mind. But he’d come for her. He didn’t know her, and he’d come for her regardless. Lili felt tears prick at her eyes. He was almost the exact opposite of any storybook hero; weak, small, and inexperienced. And yet, in that moment, he shone brighter than any hero in any story Lili had ever read.
A bellow and a crash rang through the corridor, and Lili yelped, covering her head with her hands as shards of rock pelted her. It must have been even worse for her savior, but he didn’t even stumble, just gritting his teeth as he continued to run. But it was all for naught. Lili saw the minotaur’s fist behind the adventurer’s head, heading right for them. She opened her mouth to call out, despite knowing that it would be futile.
But he must have seen something, because at the last second he leaned to the left, and the attack merely clipped him.
It still sent him sprawling, and Lili screamed in fright as she and the adventurer tumbled across the ground. He never lost his grip on her, and when they slid to a stop, the adventurer was still holding her tight.
Lili forced her aching limbs to move , to force away the grip that kept her captive as she stumbled to her feet. The adventurer slowly staggered to his feet in front of her, reaching for a knife strapped to his back. It wasn’t a very good knife; it couldn’t be worth more than a few thousand valis.
The minotaur approached slowly, almost leisurely. But Lili knew that it could accelerate to a mind-bending speed in an instant. The Pallum shrank back, eyeing the exit of the corridor. It was around another bend. If she ran, could she make it before the minotaur did? Would the strange adventurer help her again?
No, she couldn’t rely on another’s kindness, no matter how much she wanted to.
“Stay behind me.” The words were shaky, almost like the adventurer was saying them to himself rather than to her. “I’ll protect you.” But Lili wanted to believe them. The Adventurer raised his knife in a futile gesture as the minotaur lowered its head, blowing out a snort that made the air steam.
It was going to charge.
The adventurer’s arms and legs were quivering, but his stance was steady. The minotaur grunted, and then roared, heavy footsteps shaking the dungeon as it began its charge.
Then, as soon as the charge began, it ended.
A flash of gold so bright it almost blinded Lili shot through the dungeon, and the roar of the minotaur abruptly cut out. Something warm splashed against Lili’s face, and a second later the stench of blood hit her nose.
The minotaur collapsed into a pile of meat, cut apart into so many pieces that she could probably just drag the magic stone out without even needing her knife. In its place stood a figure that Lili recognized instantly.
The Idol of the Loki familia was hard to forget.
Aiz Wallenstein stood in the fifth floor corridor of the dungeon, looking for all the world as if she was just coming off a stroll. There wasn’t even a strand of hair out of place. Lili felt the black pit of jealousy rise in her throat. Had she ever struggled to put food on the table? Not knowing if her own familia was going to beat her until she told them where her money was squirreled away?
Of course she hadn’t. She was untouchable by mere mortals.
The Sword Princess stepped forward, cocking her head as a piercing gaze swept up and down Lili and the Adventurer. The aforementioned adventurer shook, his white hair dripping red with blood. He’d gotten the worst of the splash of minotaur blood. Even from behind, Lili could easily tell that he’d need to at the very least deep-clean his clothes and maybe replace them entirely.
“Are you alright?” Lili flinched at the words that came out of Aiz Wallenstein’s mouth. The girl tilted her head, stepping forward. Her eyes were alight with… no, it couldn’t be concern. No one as strong as her would trouble themselves with the common rabble.
The Sword Princess took another step forward, reaching out a hand. The adventurer shuddered, before he suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, dashing away down the corridor towards the stairs.
Lili blinked.
Aiz Wallenstein looked just as surprised, her eyes wide.
“Ah…”
“Bwahahahahaha!” The laugh that burst out from behind the Sword Princess made Lili flinch. “Oh, that’s hilarious!” A figure just as famous as Aiz Wallenstein was bent almost double, laughing so hard it looked like he was crying.
“He really just fucking ran away!” Bete Logia straightened up, still chuckling to himself. “But I guess that’s all you can expect from a weakling like him. I’m surprised he didn’t wet himself!”
Don’t talk about him like that.
The thought was so sudden that Lili had opened her mouth before she could stifle the urge to speak. Where had it come from? The Mad Wolf had said nothing false.
“What about you, huh? Are you gonna run away too?” Bete Logia tilted his head. Lili demurred her gaze, staring down at the ground. It wouldn’t make a difference if I did. She thought to herself.
“No.”
“I… want to apologize.” The words made Lili’s head shoot back up. Apologize? Why would someone as strong as Aiz Wallenstein want to apologize to anyone? “It’s our, his really, fault that the minotaurs were on this floor in the first place, and because of us you had to experience something you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s alright Ms. Wallenstein!” Lili’s mouth moved on its own as her brain whirled. “One must be ready to adapt in the Dungeon, after all.”
“Still, you shouldn’t have had to-”
“Oh, give it a rest Aiz.” Bete cut in. “The weakling is fine, so let her get back to the surface.” The Mad Wolf shrugged. “We did our job. If she can’t take care of herself now, we’ve got no reason to coddle her.”
A roil of anger shot through Lili’s body. It was an old anger, one that she was more than familiar with. Of course he didn’t care what happened to her. He was a first-class adventurer and she was just a weak, useless supporter.
The Sword Princess glanced back and forth between her and the Mad Wolf, a small frown etched into her face. Then, she turned fully to face Lili and uttered the second sentence that had taken Lili’s breath away that day.
“Would you like an escort up to the surface?”
For a moment, no one moved. Lili didn’t dare breathe as she stared up at Aiz Wallenstein. Why was she offering to spend her time with one of the common rabble, a nobody, someone who couldn’t even fight for herself.
“Aiz, c’mon, don’t tell me you’re actually concern-”
“Lili would like an escort very much, Ms. Wallenstein!” Lili’s traitorous mouth once again moved without any input from her mind. The Sword Princess smiled. It was a small smile, but something about it seemed pure, genuine, more happy than anything in the world had any right to be.
“Good. Let’s get going.” Aiz turned and started walking towards the stairs. Lili had to scramble to catch up, so sudden was the motion. As the two walked away, she could feel the heat of Bete Logia’s gaze on her back, and shivered beneath her tattered cloak. Was he going to hunt her down for daring to take up some of the Sword Princess’s time? She glanced back over her shoulder. The Mad Wolf was grinning. It was a savage grin, and not one she liked.
Then she and the Sword Princess turned a corner, and left him behind.
The walk was silent, and calm. If Lili hadn’t been sore all over and still bleeding from some of the worse scrapes, she would have thought it a dream. Why else would a first class adventurer be escorting her up through the Dungeon.
As they reached the stairs, Lili let out a little gasp, as if just remembering something. “Ah, Ms. Wallenstein?”
“Yes?”
“Lili left her backpack on the sixth floor. Would it be possible for her to go back for it?” Lili dipped her head. It was an unreasonable request, by all means. Not only was her backpack rather heavy, and she was too tired to carry it, they’d have to travel all the way back through the fifth floor to get it.
“What does it look like?” Lili couldn’t help glancing up. Surely she couldn’t mean to… “Ah, it’s very big, and stuffed full. Bigger than Lili is.” Aiz Wallenstein nodded, before glancing around the room.
“Stay here for a minute.” And then she blurred into a sprint, moving so fast that all Lili saw was a flash of golden light.
The Pallum sat down. Was the Sword Princess really planning to search the entirety of the sixth floor just to grab her backpack? The fabric that made up her shirt had to be more expensive than Lili’s backpack and everything it contained.
Despite herself, she laughed. She laughed long and hard. “If only!” she choked out between giggles. “If only I found her earlier!” If Lili had found Aiz Wallenstein back before she became a first class adventurer, she could have easily duped the kind, naive girl into giving her enough money to free herself, or even take her into the Loki familia.
There was no chance of that now, though. The Sword Princess would never extend a hand to a worthless supporter like Lili. She was an Adventurer, one of those privileged few who enjoyed their power without truly realizing what they had. Lili laughed herself hoarse, taking a moment to ponder the bitter irony of the situation.
When her energy was spent, she just sat there, staring up at the ceiling of the dungeon.
Lili didn’t often have time alone like this, to reflect and just… relax. There was always the rush to earn more, to gather more money for the next round of payments, to save up to finally leave.
She didn’t like it.
Lili wanted to be doing something. Every second that she sat on the floor of the dungeon felt like one second closer to Zanis deciding that she was no longer making enough money and forcing Soma down her throat so that she’d be more “incentivized”.
Lili felt a rush of wind and there was a horrid scraping noise. The Pallum glanced up to see Aiz Walenstein sliding to a stop in front of her, one hand looped through both straps of the enormous backpack that Lili could only carry because of the skill she’d gained. A worm of jealousy wove its way through her abdomen. Of course the adventurer could easily do something she’d struggle to even attempt.
“I saw it on my way up,” Aiz said, lowering the backpack to the floor gently, before extending a hand. “Do you need help putting it on?”
The Pallum grasped Aiz’s hand tightly and let herself be pulled up. “Lili will be fine, Ms. Wallenstein. You shouldn’t trouble yourself with her.” True to her words, she crouched down, trying to ignore how her thighs screamed at her, and hefted the pack onto her shoulders. Her muscles quieted once she was standing again, Artel Assist recognizing that she was carrying a heavy load and compensating her a bit for the weight.
Aiz nodded, and then started up the stairs. Lili followed her, her every motion painful.
They barely made it to the top of the steps before Lili collapsed to one knee. Aiz was at her side almost immediately, a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
“Lili will be fine, Miss Aiz.” The Pallum tried to shrug off the Sword Princess’ hand. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with a supporter like her.” Lili pushed herself to her feet, swaying as a sudden rush of lightheadedness overcame her. She just needed to get to the top of the dungeon, and then she could purchase a potion. It would be expensive, but better than having to sit out several days while her body recovered naturally.
The Sword Princess frowned, then pulled a small bottle out of the pouch she wore on her hip. “Here, drink this.”
Lili glanced down at the potion, then back up at Aiz. That was a high grade potion, easily worth at least 750,000 valis. More money than Lili could expect to earn in a month or more. And she was just… giving it away. The Pallum gingerly reached out and took the potion. If she pushed herself, how much could she sell it for? This could get her most of the way out of her debt if she found the right buyer. But…
Aiz was looking at her with a concerned frown.
The Pallum uncorked the vial, and drank. It tasted like chalk mixed with apples, but as the last drops rolled into her throat, she could feel the itching, crawling sensation of her skin healing as a flood of energy revitalized her. Lili felt like she could run all the way to the top of Babel if she had to.
The Sword Princess smiled as she took the vial back, slipping it into her pouch. It was subtle, more in her eyes than her mouth, but Lili was very good at reading people. She had to be, to survive.
It was surprising just how curious Aiz was. She, with only a little prompting, asked Lili about what seemed like every aspect of being a supporter, from how she could carry her backpack, to what her normal duties were, to how she’d mapped out the Upper Floors. But as the unlikely pair approached the stairs leading up and out of The Dungeon, Aiz asked about something else.
“The boy you were with…” Aiz trailed off, her eyes searching for something to complete the sentence. “Who is he?”
“Lili doesn’t know him,” Lili said, frowning. Why was the Sword princess interested in a nobody like that adventurer? “Lili ran into him while she was running from the minotaur. Lili tried to get him to run away, but he saved me instead.” The Pallum frowned internally. Why had she admitted that? It wasn’t much, in the grand scheme of things, but she could have just as easily said that she didn’t know him. It was the truth, after all.
“He saved you?” Aiz smiled. It was just like her earlier smile; barely there, but it seemed to light up the gloom around them. “He sounds like a good person.”
“Too good for the Dungeon.” Lili muttered to herself, so low that even a high-level adventurer likely wouldn’t be able to hear. The traffic was heavier now, as they approached the stairs that led up above ground. At the foot of the steps, Lili turned around, smiling up at Aiz as brightly as she could. “Thank you for the escort, Ms. Wallenstein! I should be okay from here.” In response, Aiz cocked her head.
“Are you certain?” Lili almost winced. The Sword Princess looked… sad. She was so terribly easy to read, from the way her eyes widened slightly, to the slim gap of her mouth and the minute slump of her shoulders…
“Mhm!” The Pallum hummed, forcing down the offer to walk her home that wanted to bubble out of her throat. Even if the Sword Princess was horrified at the true shape of the Soma Familia, nothing would change. It was better this way. Lili turned around, and started to climb the steps. Yet, no sooner then she lifted her foot, did she feel herself losing her balance. The energy of the potion that Aiz had given her had long since faded, and for a moment, she didn’t even register herself falling backwards.
Before she hit the ground, her movement was arrested.
A quick, nervous glance told the Pallum that Aiz had caught her backpack with one arm, and the Sword Princess quickly tipped Lili back upright. Lili sighed internally even as her erstwhile companion hovered around her.
‘Would you be willing to carry my backpack up for me, Ms. Aiz?” The Pallum asked, tilting her head back, closing her eyes, and smiling a smile that looked much happier than it was. A fraction of a second later, Lili felt the heavy weight on her back lift as the Sword Princess lifted her backpack off of her.
It was a relief so sudden that Lili almost staggered. Even with Artel Assist, carrying such a heavy load was no easy task. Normally she could manage it just fine, but most days she didn’t run through most of two floors fleeing a minotaur. As she was adjusting, Aiz started to walk up the steps, the backpack slung over her shoulder as if it weighed almost nothing.
Lili had to scramble a bit to keep up. But soon enough, the unlikely duo emerged onto the floor of Babel. Surprisingly enough, no one turned to look. For a heartbeat, Lili relaxed. Then a shocked gasp rang out across the floor, barely audible.
It was that adventurer who’d saved her. He had washed the blood off, and with his wide eyes, he looked like nothing so much as a startled rabbit. For a moment, none of the three of them moved. Then he flushed a deep red, turned and started running again.
Lili snickered as he vanished. She couldn’t help it.
“Is he afraid of me?” Aiz asked, tilting her head. She sounded so bereaved that for a heartbeat, Lili thought that the two might already know each other.
“Well, Ms. Wallenstein is very hard to approach,” Lili said, walking over towards the counter where drops were exchanged. “Now, Lili can handle herself from here, and I’m certain Ms. Wallenstein's familia needs you.”
Aiz nodded, still staring in the direction that the white-haired adventurer had vanished. Lili coughed politely. The Sword Princess startled, all but shoving Lili’s backpack into her arms, before stepping back.
“I should be getting back to my familia.” Aiz half turned to leave, before casting a look back over her shoulder. “Have a good day?”
“You have a good day too, Ms Wallenstein!” Lili said brightly, letting a smile that was more genuine than her normal one slide onto her face. Aiz responded with a small upturn of her lips. A more subtle, but also more genuine, expression. Then she left, striding through the main floor of Babel back towards the Dungeon with purpose. Lili watched her go, turning over all their interactions in her mind.
“Miss, I cannot evaluate your drop items if they are within your backpack.” The annoyed voice of the Guild Employee startled Lili out of her reverie. The Pallum turned back to the counter, grateful that it was installed at such a height that she didn’t have to use a footstool, and began the long and laborious task of sorting out her loot.