Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 2 (21 page)

“Everyone who drinks alcohol looks strange to my eyes…but no one has done anything I would consider out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?”

“Well…a friend of mine recommended it to me. But from the things I’ve heard about
Soma Familia
…”

There was some truth in Eina’s words. Even though she didn’t feel right, purposely misleading Reveria with her answer, the chance of getting valuable information from her was too good to pass up.

“I see. I too have heard a few things about members of that
Familia
being odd, almost cold.”

“Lady Reveria, do you know anything about them?”

She got her hopes up, and her voice cracked with excitement.

Her cover was blown.

Reveria closed one eye and stared at the excited Eina for a moment.

Oh no…
Eina froze. She realized her mistake a moment too late.

Reveria was very sharp. She could sense the emotions of whomever she was talking with and figure out their true intentions. Reveria was the only person Eina couldn’t keep a secret from when they were children.

Reveria had more than likely figured out that Eina was investigating
Soma Familia
.

A wave of cold sweat passed over her body as Eina waited for the high elf’s response.

“…Whatever. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any information concerning that
Familia.
No more than you know, probably less.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Reveria had seen right through her, but Eina was relieved that the high elf hadn’t asked for a reason why.

She gazed at Eina for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak.

“While I don’t know about them…I do know someone who knows something concerning that group.”

“…Yes?”

“Would you accompany me to my
Familia
’s home?”

The head residence.

That was this building put into words.

I never heard anything about them…but this is just how the home of a prominent dungeon-prowling
Familia
should be…

The building was located on the northern edge of Orario. It stood on the side of a backstreet, one block away from North Main.

Long and thin, it was as if the builders had to squeeze it onto the spot. Several pointed towers protruded from the roof like a line of spears standing on end, supplementing one another.

Of course these bronze towers were nothing compared to Babel but were still tall enough to make someone crane their neck to look
up at them. The very tips of the towers were dyed black by the evening light.

It was a dwelling carved from flames.

“Lady Reveria, welcome back.”

“Excuse me, this person with you…is she with the Guild?”

“She is the daughter of a friend. I request that you overlook her position.”

After being questioned by male and female guards at the doorway, Reveria and Eina walked into the building.

The two of them looked as though they could be sisters, walking side by side. In reality, Reveria was many times older than Eina.

Elves live the longest of all the races of demi-humans.

“I suppose it’s a little late for this, but…but are you sure this is all right?”

“What is?”

“Inviting me, a member of the Guild, into a home like this…If private information about
Loki Familia
became public because of me…”

“Do not speak of impossibilities, Eina. If I felt you had the potential for something like that, I would not have brought you here. Or perhaps you are trying to insult me?”

“N-no, not at all…”

More and more childhood memories came flooding back into her head as Eina followed Reveria through the main hall and into a reception room.

The room itself was completely open to the hallway and decorated in a calming, light orange color scheme. There were many expensive-looking sofas and round tables draped in cloth. While every furnishing there was of the highest quality, it seemed less a reception room than a space for repose and conversation.

Eina got a good feel for the overall atmosphere and mood of
Loki Familia
just by looking around this room.

Hey, not bad. I wouldn’t mind living here myself—Hmm?

She noticed something as her gaze reached the far corner of the room.

It was in an armchair facing away from her. There seemed to be a big fluff of golden string attached to the side of it.

No, not string—blond hair. It was the back of someone’s head, their hair flowing down the side of the chair and sticking out.

The person sitting there slowly turned her thin neck to face the elves.

Eina suddenly swallowed a lump of air.

“Welcome home, Reveria.”

“Yes, Aiz. I have returned.”

The speaker was a beautiful girl, even younger than Eina.

What stood out more than her soft, delicate features was her refined solemnity. Still, her eyes glimmered like pools of gold on her face. The word “innocent” seemed to fit her very well.

A noble beauty and a childlike purity seemed to coexist within her.

As Eina had said once before, just seeing the girl’s beauty made her heart skip a beat.

Aiz Wallenstein.

The blond-haired, golden-eyed adventurer whom Bell couldn’t get out of his mind.

“Who is…that person?” Aiz asked.

“I…um, I’m…” Eina stuttered.

“She is like a member of my family. You two, introduce yourselves.”

They followed suit and exchanged greetings. Aiz didn’t break eye contact with Eina as she spoke, her words clear and concise.

Without any armor on, Aiz looked like a very sheltered girl. She was very feminine, with her slender body wrapped in a pure white one-piece dress. It accentuated her generous bosom, as well.

Aiz’s bare feet were pearl-white, like alabaster, smooth and vibrant.

…Breathtaking.

Eina didn’t feel right, looking at Aiz this way. Even though he wasn’t here, it felt like she was wedging herself between Bell and Aiz.

Moving slowly and carefully, Eina walked around the armchair and took a seat on the sofa facing her. Reveria joined them, with a table situated between the three girls.

“Aiz, have you purchased replacements for the items used during the last trip? We set out again in ten days.”

“Yes…I’ll go tomorrow.”

Aiz’s voice was muffled by her knees; she was holding them to her
chest while sitting in the chair. Her words sounded dull, like a bell fallen on its side.

Eina could tell something wasn’t right. She glanced over at Reveria, only to see a look on her face that the high elf often gave Eina years ago—a warm, motherly expression. Eina finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

“Um, Lady Reveria?”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you think that Aiz looks…a little upset?”

Eina couldn’t feel any energy coming from the girl, her face half hidden behind knees covered in white cloth. Even Aiz’s hair seemed to be missing its usual luster. It hung limp over her shoulders.

Eina hadn’t known the girl for long, but she could tell Aiz was very sad.

Reveria laughed quietly at Eina’s question, letting a rare smile onto her lips.

“Oh, a boy she’s been interested in for a while now apparently ran away from her.”

Reveria’s shoulders shook as she laughed again, teasing Aiz about the situation. Eina, on the other hand, didn’t feel like this was a laughing matter. “That’s terrible…” she said, her hand on her forehead.

It looked as though the chances of her cute little subordinate getting a girlfriend were rather low.

Eina decided to hide this information from Bell and seal it within her memory.

“…Lady Reveria. About the reason I came here today…”

“Oh yes, my apologies. Let’s call her here.”

A still-smiling Reveria reached into the bag she had brought back with her.

She pulled the bottle of Soma out of it.

“Um…Lady Reveria? Weren’t you going to summon someone for me…?”

“It would be a waste to go looking for her. She has always been very elusive; I don’t know how much time finding her would require. It would be more effective for her to come to us.”

Before Eina could ask another question, Reveria removed the lid of the wine she’d purchased herself, though the fact that she’d put all of her purchases on
Loki Familia
’s tab seemed somehow more striking.

Soon, the surprisingly sweet smell of the wine filled the reception room.

“Wow…a frosty smell.”

“I may be quite accustomed to it, but this smell still has that effect.”

Eina enjoyed the aroma for a moment before realizing that Reveria was holding out a glass in front of her and took it out of reflex. Before she knew it, a high elf was pouring her a drink. Eina was on the verge of passing out from shame and embarrassment.

Feeling bad that Reveria had gone through the trouble, she cautiously raised the glass to her lips.

Oh my…!

Her eyes shot open the moment the glass touched her lips.

It was heavenly. Too heavenly.

It was so sweet that her tongue almost went numb. But somehow it had a smooth, almost melting texture.

Its sweet bouquet instantly filled her nose. The aftertaste was so invigorating that her very consciousness seemed to be tossed around inside her head until the very last drop. That feeling made its way into her body, right down to the tips of her toes.

No wonder so many people like this wine…
In just one gulp, Eina learned firsthand where the wine’s reputation came from.

“I know that smell…”

It was only a heartbeat after Eina put Soma to her lips.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The sound of excited footsteps drew ever closer, as if being pulled in by the smell of the alcohol.

“Hey, you—is that Soma?!”

With that, the vermillion-haired goddess of this
Familia
, Loki, appeared from around the corner a second later.

“She has arrived.”

“So that’s what you meant by her coming here…”

“I knew it! I knew it! That’s Soma, all right! Did ya get me a present, Reveria? You devoted child, you!”

Eina took a look at the glass in her hand, the source of the mellow smell around her. Next she looked at Loki, in awe of how well Reveria’s plan to summon her had worked.

Even in the dimly lit reception room, Eina could clearly see Loki’s vermillion hair and eyes.

“While it was I who purchased the wine, the idea was not mine.”

“Well then, musta been Aiz! And here ya were actin’ all sad since you came back from the Dungeon! It was ta keep this a surprise! Geee! Aizuuu, yer soo cute!”

“Not me.”

Loki was ready to jump onto Aiz and give her a big hug, but an intimidating glare from the depressed girl stopped her in her tracks. Aiz’s eyes were saying “Touch me and I’ll slice you.”

“Huh…?” Loki was confused as she took a few steps backward, sweating.

“A-Aizuu…Isn’t that a little too prickly, even fer you? What ya think?”

“If you want my permission, use words I can understand. More importantly, the person who brought the wine is standing right there.”

Ah, so that’s how this is going to work.

Eina realized this was part of Reveria’s plan as well.

The person who had information about the inner workings of
Soma Familia
was in fact the goddess of her own
Familia
, Loki. By appeasing her with a gift, Loki might be willing to answer a few questions.

Directly asking a god for their opinion made Eina rather uncomfortable, but she forced herself to relax.

“Huh? Who’s this girl here?”

“This is our first meeting, Lady Loki. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Eina Tulle. I know that my being here is very unexpected…”

“No need ta be so formal. Yer makin’ my neck itchy. Talk normal, got it?”

Loki waved off Eina’s formality like it was too much trouble to bother with as she turned to face her. Loki stiffened when she noticed Eina’s uniform and planted her gaze firmly on the half-elf.

Her thread of a right eye opened; a catlike smile popped up on her lips.

“What’s this here, a Guild member payin’ my
Familia
a house call?……Old man Uranus, claimin’ neutrality and all that, yet havin’ a dagger armed and ready. That how this is?”

“N-no, it’s not! I…I…”

“This girl is my guest. I won’t allow such slander.”

“Ah, ehh. So yer Reveria’s guest, my mistake, then. Sorry ’bout that, Einy. Beg yer pardon?”

“I-I’m fine. Please pay it no mind…”

Feeling Reveria’s quiet gaze, Loki tried to pass the moment by shrugging and laughing it off.

She then plunked herself down on the sofa.

“That’s enough with keepin’ up appearances, let’s get ta it. Ya brought me one of my all-time faves, which means ya wanna ask me somethin’. Am I right?”

“…Well then, I’ll get right to the point. If you know any details about what goes on behind the scenes at
Soma Familia
, would you be willing to tell me?”

“Bringin’ Soma fer that? Ha-ha. I see how it is.”

Holding the bottle in one hand, Loki rudely grabbed a glass from the table and poured her own drink. One big gulp and a long, satisfied sigh later, Loki turned her reddening face in Eina’s direction.