Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 6 (17 page)

“Li’l E went back to…No, no, was taken back to
Soma Familia
.”

“?!”

“The other guys got in my way, couldn’t help her…I’m sorry.”

This unexpected news left Bell and Hestia reeling in shock.

How? Why now? Was she safe?—Bell’s spirit ignited, question after question burned through his mind. But it all came down to one thing: He had to rescue her. He needed more information; he needed to talk to Welf.

However, Hestia’s hand wrapped itself around his elbow before he could take his first step toward the redheaded man.

“Bell, do as I say.”

“B-but–?!”

“I swear to you, I will rescue our supporter. So please—have faith in me.”

Hestia cut off Bell’s attempt to argue.

The goddess believed in her child; all she asked was that he believe in her.

Bell’s veins burned with adrenaline, but the look in Hestia’s eyes cooled the flames. The muscles in his tense body relaxed until finally…he chose to believe.

All of the emotions that raged through his mind just a moment ago now at ease, he nodded.

“Bell, please give me my knife before you go.”

“Here.”

“Welf, I apologize, but I’ll need your strength to rescue our supporter.”

“No need for apologies. I’m ready for anything.”

All instructions given, Hestia looked up at Bell one more time.

“The rest is up to you. Now get moving.”

“Yes!”

With that, Bell dashed from the noisy garden in front of
Apollo Familia
’s home as fast as his feet could carry him.

There was only one week.

He had until then to get stronger than his enemies—stronger than Hyacinthus.

The Status on his back felt hot as he ran. Fatigue, mental strain—none of that mattered to him anymore. He set a course for the tall tower in the north where the Sword Princess was waiting.

CHAPTER 4

The news that a War Game would be held spread like wildfire among the gods.

Of course the adventurers and citizens of Orario couldn’t help but notice the jubilant and high-spirited deities all around the city. It was no time at all before every living thing on the surface of the Labyrinth City knew what was going to happen.

Something else transpired just mere moments after Hestia and Apollo’s announcement had been made official.

“That’s it, that tower has to be…!”

Bell had left
Apollo Familia
’s home at a dead sprint and worked his way through a city much more active than usual. Weaving through unfamiliar territory, he arrived at the northernmost block. One month ago now, he trained with her on top of the city wall. Doing his best to remember the landmarks she taught him, Bell desperately searched to find the building she called home.

The white-haired boy practically flew down North Main Street, furiously pumping his arms in perfect rhythm with his strides. The side streets webbed out around him; his eyes desperately scanned for something familiar.

He turned into one side street filled with decorative houses and well-known structures. Bell kept his eyes on the rooftops, trying to find the one that was higher than the others. A few more turns and suddenly he found himself outside
Loki Familia
’s home, the Twilight Manor.

“You there, halt!”

“State your business!”

“Let me talk to Aiz…Let me talk to Aiz Wallenstein!”

A man and woman immediately blocked the intruder’s path at the entrance to their home. The boy pleaded with them to allow him to meet with Aiz.

The male guard took a look at the frantic boy’s face, his eyebrows sinking lower and lower as he started to connect the dots.

“You, Little Rookie…? What’s the big idea, trying to meet with her?!”

Bell’s white hair and red eyes must have tipped him off. The guard immediately came to the defense of his ally, trying to protect her from this outsider. However, Bell couldn’t afford to back down.

The boy asked the guards many times to let him see Aiz, but he couldn’t explain himself. The guards’ voices grew steadily louder and angrier as the boy’s pleas became more and more desperate. It didn’t take long for other members of the
Familia
to make their way outside.

“…!”

A group of twenty adventurers emerged from the building that was built like a wall of spears with several towers reaching out to the sky. They spread out just behind the two guards, ready to defend their home against the intruder. Bell’s situation had just become that much more perilous.

The new arrivals started shouting threats, calling him “pitiful,” “shameless,” and “reckless,” among others…They already knew that
Hestia Familia
would be taking part in the War Game and believed he wanted to convince Aiz to join the fight—a fox recruiting a tiger for her claws. They would do everything in their power to drive him away. Their desire to protect their ally quickly turned to anger—how dare he use her for his own gain?

Fear consumed the boy’s body as he took a step back out of reflex.

He knew full well that what he was doing was shameful.

But he was unwilling to turn his back.

He only had a small window of time to get stronger, to overcome the gap that separated him from his new enemy. The only way he knew to become stronger than Hyacinthus in time was to learn from Aiz once again. Just like how she had made him strong enough to take down a Minotaur.

The fact that Lilly had been kidnapped was still eating at him inside. Instead of rushing to save her, he was standing out here getting yelled at. Every moment he wasn’t making progress to rescue her or getting stronger felt like an eternity.

“Let me see Aiz!” he pleaded with the mob again, bowing over and over. Every muscle in his face was squeezed to its limit.

“What’s all this?”

A voice cut through the chaos.

The mob of adventurers immediately fell silent. Bell stopped moving, his eyes glued forward.

A top-class adventurer, the Amazonian girl Tione Hyrute, walked out onto the lawn. As was normal for her race, she wore clothing that exposed a great deal of her wheat-colored skin. Her long black hair swished back and forth over her shoulders and down her back as she approached.

The mob quickly parted, allowing her to pass. She walked directly up to Bell.

One of the guards leaned close to whisper into her ear and explained everything that had happened so far. The Amazonian girl’s eyes flashed at Bell.

“Be gone from here. I cannot allow this mockery to continue.”

“…?!”

Tione showed no sympathy. She had delivered the will of
Loki Familia
in place of their leader, Finn.

Her tone was cold and her stare showed no willingness to listen. Bell cowered in her presence. She crossed her arms, aura unyielding and overwhelming. A moment later, she grabbed both of Bell’s shoulders and pushed him away from the front entrance.

“W-wait! Miss Tione?! Please, just hear me out…!”

Bell was forced to step backward to stay upright. Her strength overpowered him in no time as Bell was driven farther and farther away from his last hope.

His body shook, trying to push forward, when Tione leaned in close.

“—Turn right from here and go two blocks down that street.”

“!”

Her voice was quiet so as not to be overheard by the onlookers.

Tione ignored the look of shock on Bell’s face and gave him one last shove into the street.

Her face might as well have been carved from stone, emotionless as she stared at him for a long moment before turning her back. Bell watched her long black hair dance behind her, unable to move or speak. The Amazonian girl walked swiftly back through the mob and into the building.

At long last, Bell’s muscles started to respond. Slowly at first, he backed away from
Loki Familia
. Feeling the angry glares of the adventurer mob, Bell backtracked down the same street that he had come…The boy took off running the moment he was out of sight.

He followed Tione’s directions, running through a dim back alley with his heart racing and fighting for breath. One block, two blocks and—

“Ah! Hey, Aiz! Argonaut’s here—!”

“Aiz?! And—Miss Tiona?!”

Standing there to greet him were none other than the saber-wielding Aiz and the other Amazonian girl, Tiona, with some kind of large sheath resting over her shoulders.

Bell froze in surprise, but Tiona greeted him like a friend as the two girls walked up to meet him.

“We saw you from the window, Argonaut. Some kind of magic-stone lamp went off in Aiz’s head, and we asked Tione to meet you.”

Tiona went on to explain the other side of the story.

Aiz had figured out immediately what Bell was doing when he appeared at their front door. The look in his eyes told her that the boy wanted another round of training. However, they couldn’t allow the mob to see her, so they sent Tione outside to deliver a message.

Whether she wanted to help out her friend or she was just along for the fun, Tiona was completely on board with the idea.

“…Aiz, is this okay?”

Bell took a very cautious step forward as he spoke.

She had no reason to teach him anything, Bell was asking for a huge favor. Since their
Familias
were not working together, she’d be doing this on her own as well as face the consequences it might bring.

Bell’s words hung in the air for a moment, tension rising. Finally, Aiz gave him her answer.

“I cannot fight for you or alongside you…You have to do your best, and then…”

“Yep, yep! This is your fight, Argonaut!”

Tiona interpreted Aiz’s vague words before—
whoosh!
—pointing her finger right at him.

Bell broke out in a cold sweat. Aiz continued.

“I think it would be wrong to…abandon you.”

“Aiz…”

The look in the girl’s golden eyes made Bell’s heart melt. Completely ignoring the sudden change in mood, Tiona jumped back into the conversation.

“This is
fine
, no
problem
. If Aiz whips Argonaut into shape, the War Game will be more entertaining! Loki’n all the rest’ll be thrilled for sure!”

Bell could only grimace at the thought. If the difference in power between him and
Apollo Familia
wasn’t so staggering, their fight would be more fun to watch. Aiz looked at the Amazon and lightly smiled.

“But for me,
Apollo Familia
is going about this all wrong. Way over-the-top, dirty, I just can’t stand it…”

Tiona’s cheek twitched for a moment before she looked at the boy and grinned from ear to ear.

“So I’m gonna help you, too, Argonaut!”

“Wait, so that means…”

“Yep! You’re stuck with me, too!”

Bell looked at Aiz, unsure what to say. She nodded back to him.

Getting over the shock of this turn of events, Bell wasted no time in showing his appreciation to the girls.

“Really, I can’t thank you enough…”

“Relax, relax, it’s nothing! Let’s go, time’s a-wastin’!”

“Yes.”

Bell swore to himself right then and there that he would find some way to repay them for their kindness. He was in their debt.

Tiona was so excited that she thrust her large apparatus straight up, a childish smile on her face. Bell and Aiz followed her down the backstreet.

Their destination: the same place they’d trained before—the northwest city wall.

Bell’s training under two top-class adventurers was about to begin.

The Guild officially approved the War Game between Hestia and Apollo almost immediately.

At the same time, preparations began all around the city.

However, no one was busier than the Guild employees. They had to find a way to allow both sides to unleash their full potential within the rules of the game while posing no danger to the citizens of Orario. The combatants would need supplies, directions, and most of all a stage on which to conduct the War Game. It could start any day; there was no time to waste. They also had to accommodate the wishes of the gods.

There wasn’t a soul in the city, adventurer or otherwise, who wasn’t waiting with bated breath for the conditions of the War Game to be announced. In the meantime, all they could do was prepare.

“—Is Hestia still not here today?!”

On the thirtieth floor of Babel Tower in the center of Orario…

Apollo had reached his breaking point.

Many gods and goddesses had gathered around a circular table in the center of the web of high pillars that supported a lofty ceiling. The rules and style of the War Game were to be decided by the two participating gods as well as the observers—in order to squeeze every possible ounce of entertainment out of the event—at this Denatus meeting.

Three days had passed since the assault on
Hestia Familia
.

Apollo had become irritated that his opponent refused to show her face. She excused her absence by claiming to be “sick” for the past few days. Despite her assertion that she was not physically well enough to take part in the meeting, it was clear as day that she was stalling for time.

Apollo angrily paced around his chair, insisting that she was concocting an escape plan. The moment he finished his rant, the doors to the tall chamber swung open.

“Sorry I’m late. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Although her words were polite, she didn’t sound the least bit sorry. Miach strode in beside her.

What’s more, she showed no remorse for keeping the Denatus at a standstill. Apollo scowled at her.

“You’re very late, Hestia. How do you plan to take responsibility for delaying Denatus to this extent?”

“It’s not my fault I got a fever after being chased around the city by your followers. For a while there, I thought I was a
goner
.”

Hestia once again brought up her health to circumvent Apollo’s complaints. Miach sided with Hestia, backing up her claim.

“Yes, she was in dire straits.”

“Yah, yah, Itty-Bitty’s a moron, but enough burnin’ time. Can’t we get goin’?”