231A/N: Sup guys, wiErD here, and I've got another chapter for you all.
Hope ya like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my plots. Everything else is owned by their respective creators. Support the official releases.
― Confusion ―
There was no shortage of activity happening inside the Guild exchange as employees continued their jobs, helping and accommodating adventurers that came and went through the two huge doors of the building. The height of the day was already shifting to the afternoon as the sun had just finished delivering its hot intensity to the inhabitants below. Thankfully, the employees inside didn't have to bear the same heat as those adventurers outside unless there were tasks that needed them to move from their usual workplaces.
Rose sorted documents swiftly as she finished another batch of papers sent her way just a few minutes ago. Her sharp eyes made quick work of sifting through every letter and passing them to the next person. In addition to handling several adventurers assigned to her, and some additional ones, she never caved under pressure. It was her job. And it had been for many years. If she wanted to brag, she was probably the most effective Guild employee as of yet aside from her other senior employees who had been working far longer than her.
Her eyes peered over the documents, the sound of the dip pen drawn across the pages provided her peace for a time. It was not always like this, although she appreciated the relaxing atmosphere.
Few adventurers come by to exchange their loot. Usually, it would begin around a few hours from now or in the afternoon. She was glad that she didn't have much to do with adventurers. However, that didn't mean that she was in the mood to relax.
Those silent minutes soon came to an end when the doors burst open all of a sudden. In came four adventurers with sour looks, anxious even on their faces. The werewolf took a short glance towards their person and silently scrutinized them wordlessly; four men no older than thirty, judging from their still youthful physiques. Most of them were covered in adequate apparel, leading her to assume they were Level 1 adventurers. She didn't need to look any further as she noticed multiple scratches and wounds on them.
She returned her gaze to her papers as she let her thoughts finish her words.
'Another failed adventure.' Rose guessed.
Despite ignoring the group, it was made void when they stomped their way in front of the counter, specifically to the counter next to hers. And then came the shouts.
"That wasn't part of the deal! You said that place would have a lot of drops!" The man barked, clear hostility visible from his voice as he confronted the Guild employee in front of him.
The employee looked stuttered, seemingly caught in a daze.
"Don't look at me like that! You know what I'm talking about. That recently explored area you just told us about. You said that it would be a place to get some loot. Not a damn monster party! You almost got us killed!" He shouted enough for the whole people inside to hear.
"I-I told you... T-That place was not cleared recently. I-I specifically warned you many times about it and there was not enough information to verify the number of monsters in that area. I did my part as your advisor."
"Your part?! Like sending a bunch of people in those areas just to get more information in exchange for their lives?! Of course, you did your part!" He spat.
"I-I never meant that..." The employee whimpered, shocked and scared to answer directly to the angered party.
"Tsk, this is why you Guild people are so..."
"Treating our lives like nothing!"
"We demand compensation!"
The party's complaints continued to escalate.
"W-What?"
"Don't give me that shit! We almost lost our lives going into that place and you're going to leave us like that?! What's the rest of the others going to think about the Guild, huh?!"
"I-I don't think-"
"You're supposed to keep us safe, right? And you almost got us killed!"
"What's the rest of the people gonna think that the Guild is using us adventurers as cannon fodder?! You're just gonna think that you're high and mighty just because you are part of the Guild, huh?! And you can't even compensate us for giving false information!"
Rose sighed at the exchange. While she didn't feel the need to intervene since there would be others to take care of unruly adventurers, she didn't like the way the conversation was heading. The person beside her was already close to tears from being verbally attacked by them. She didn't want a nasty situation happening between the Guild and the adventurers.
Pausing her work, she put down her pen and made her way towards the already sobbing employee, taking over her job in response. "I'm sorry to hear about your situation but this is in no way the Guild's fault."
"What's that?!"
"As far as I remember, my colleague here already gave your party numerous warnings about exploring the area that she thought was the best answer to your inquiries. This is in no way a responsibility of your advisor or the Guild. If anyone's to blame for your mistakes, it would be you, their leader." Rose explained, her eyes wearing a mask of coldness towards them.
"B-But she did tell us of that location! We would've never gotten that decision if we were not aware of it!" Another answered back half-heartedly, seemingly shaken at her sudden intervention.
However, Rose saw through it and fired back with a much colder and uncaring expression. "Yes, she did tell you of that and it was also her job to advise you and your members against that decision which she did before telling you that information."
Rose paused for a moment, briefly staring at her colleague who was still shaken up from the exchange before letting a slight nod. "She even made an effort to assign high-level adventurers to that area to gather information and lessen encounters for rookies like you. Still, you ignored her warnings and pressed on like a bunch of fools. It is no longer her fault or the Guild's when your party decided against that advice."
"Wha―"
"The Guild has always been working with adventurers regarding the dungeon and its dangers. We always advise them to be more responsible to give them the most optimal chance of survival. We would never advise anyone that would lead them to their deaths. The moment you entered the dungeon, the responsibility now lies with you and not us. You should've considered her words instead of dismissing them." Her gaze towered over the group. Her wolf-like appearance became more apparent as her tone of voice shifted slightly into contempt.
"I..." The man stammered, seemingly taken aback by the response. His strong demeanor immediately shrunk in front of Rose who looked at him like he was some newbie on the job, despite his years of being an adventurer in the city.
"I suggest that you take a more careful approach this time. You should be thankful instead. Her advice warned you about the possible dangers. If she didn't, you've ended up on some monster's feast in god knows where in the dungeon." Rose finished without an ounce of soft tone coming out of her mouth. She wanted to make sure that her message was sent across.
The man stumbled back. His face could only sport a red color on it as he gritted his teeth in frustration against her. People were already looking on their way and seeing their stares at them made it increasingly hard to press on the matter any further. It would've worked on the other employee since she looked like she was still fresh on the job, but against Rose who had seen countless people like them, there was no way they could threaten her and the Guild.
To save face, he simply turned around and went back to his friends and went to the exchange counter instead, keeping their anger to themselves.
Rose took a quick sigh of relief as her eyes traced their fading figures away from the counter. She turned back to the employee who had her knees collapse altogether while in the company of two other employees to help her up.
When the situation was clear, she knelt right in front of her with her stern expression still intact. "That was a close call. I would advise you not to give them more than necessary. You're lucky that you only got blamed instead."
"Y-Yes. I'm sorry." She shook her head.
Rose watched her slowly get back on her feet and get carried by the other two as they guided her away from the counter. She then turned to another employee standing near her. "Get me a piece of paper... And a permission from the section leader to issue a quest."
Thanks to this, she had another pile that she needed to finish first instead.
Good thing the alibi worked.
'This day just keeps getting better and better.'
As she was about to immerse herself inside her thoughts, her sharp ears managed to catch something from the group that she had a beef with. While out of her vision, she could still hear them talking to each other despite keeping their voices at a minimum for anyone to be heard. She didn't care about the affairs of familias and adventurers but due to her innate abilities as a werewolf, she could not escape these conversations and inadvertently came across as eavesdropping on them from time to time.
"Ten thousand valis? All this for just ten thousand." One of them answered.
"This is not enough to cover that. Do you know how much that drink cost?!"
"We're gonna need more than just this."
"We'll find a way. There... may be other options to get more valis than the dungeon."
"You're right. You're right..."
"Goddamit..."
Rose felt her brows squint as she watched the group from a distance. Eventually, they walked away from the building, leaving her to contemplate the conversation she heard moments before. One senior employee came up beside her as soon as the troubling party was out of the premises.
"Sorry to have you take care of that." He passed an apologetic smile. "I've already sent someone to post a quest in that area. We're just gonna have to wait for someone to accept it."
"It's nothing to feel sorry for. They're just one of those types of people. And frankly, a bit worse than the other ones..." She paused. "How is she?"
"She was just shocked. She'll probably be able to work again tomorrow."
"I see..." Rose muttered. She could only hope for her colleague to muster up the courage to come back and work again.
"Even so, to think that it's the fourth one from the same familia today."
The red-haired woman perked her brows in curiosity upon hearing his response. "What do you mean?"
"The symbol on their clothes. I know it. It's from the Soma Familia."
"Soma Familia, huh..." She murmured as her memory began recalling the aforementioned familia. "I heard that they had some trouble with the Guild lately."
Soma Familia. One of the familias that reside in Orario. Their influence amongst the familias was not high but what they were known for was their business in selling alcohol, particularly to their namesake, the soma. It was the efforts of their patron god Soma himself that helped advertise this drink to the public. So much so that many people sought out their products by joining just to be able to taste them.
Although Rose was not interested in knowing the soma, she knew from conversations with other people about its allure and taste even though she didn't have one herself. Even the gods were not exempted from being customers of the product which added credibility to it being highly sought after.
They had also begun to delve into the dungeon exploration business but they didn't have the prestige nor reputation of a high-ranked familia. They were not in the realm of a middle-ranked familia either despite their numbers. They were a newbie exploration type with its members consisting of Level 1s and nothing more.
However, that remains to be true according to their updates with the Guild. Rose suspected that the number of people might not be correct to prevent a higher tax from the Guild. Still, their numbers make up for the disadvantage against other lower familias. It wouldn't be strange for her to imagine them doing some other nefarious business to acquire valis.
Still, she was confused. Despite hearing rumors of their products being sold at a high price, she found it weird that members of the familia would still seek more valis even though they were already members of the said familia. She assumed that they had some exclusive right to the product, unlike outsiders who had to pay for it just to acquire it.
"The complaints were not severe towards them but..." Her colleague continued. "Most of it was always about the valis exchange."
"Valis? We always update the values of every drop item known in the dungeon." Rose answered in defense. There was no way she could imagine the Guild cheating on their adventurers with money. Otherwise, it would've caused a huge scandal and lessened its authority in the city.
"No. It's not about the value, it's the amount that they usually demand. They know the value of their drops but they are always on edge when valis is involved. I'm sure you noticed it too."
Rose stopped as she caught onto what he was implying. She could see the subtle differences in people's expressions when given a full view of it. That last group didn't even bother hiding their full intent when they confronted her. That moment and the conversations she heard from them all had something in common.
Greed.
"Should we put a notice on them?" Rose proposed.
"I don't think so, no. They don't necessarily violate any rules in the Guild. But their haggling continues to be a pain for some of the employees here. We are even receiving complaints from adventurers about their actions as well." He said so in exasperation.
"Then what's the call?"
"For now, nothing. Although it never hurts to keep an eye out. Do you happen to have an adventurer from the Soma Familia?" He asked to which she immediately denied. "Well, I guess I might as well inform you to be careful when dealing with one of them. It's a little unfair but if these behaviors continue to persist, we have no choice. Their god Soma has been neglecting his children and now they are getting rampant."
"Got it." Rose nodded and took all that she heard to heart. Not before long, she was left to her own devices as the workflow continued as usual. It didn't take long for her to realize her incomplete work and start resuming once more.
Another pile of papers appeared on her right desk, much to her irritation.
A few minutes later, the doors slammed open, and Rose suddenly felt some sort of deja vu happening right now. When her eyes peered over to the counter, her face soured before she could even release her usual sigh.
...
"That was a pretty fun run. Nothing like a good exercise to keep yourself in shape for tomorrow." Natsu grinned. His arms nestled behind his back as he walked beside his party.
"Disregarding the botched plan we had earlier, I guess it was a good first attempt. Lil Wendy was able to cast her magic." Welf answered.
"I-I'm sorry. It seems like I still need more practice." Wendy pouted dejectedly.
"Don't worry about it. If you're thinking about when that Imp got close to you, it's our fault. We still have a long way to go in figuring out our formations." Natsu reassured her.
"Yeah. It's a good thing we had this run to see what's missing in our lineup. We should probably try it again soon."
"What do you think, Lili?" The voice of the leading party leader soon got the Pallum back to her senses as soon as the conversation shifted towards her.
"I-I think it's a pretty fair lineup. Wendy-sama is already developing to be a mage and can be a valuable asset to the party if she desires it. There are some mistakes here and there but with a little polish and several practice runs, I think it'll be a solid party. I guess." Lili answered as honestly as she could.
"Huh? I thought you would rate it lower than that?" Natsu replied.
"I mean, in terms of firepower, you could practically clear all the monsters in the Upper Floors without difficulty. But the flexibility of the party still needs some practice. You should always be prepared to handle any type of situation that you are not expecting to happen. That's how different the Middle Floors are—and how dangerous the dungeon is. The last thing you would want is having your guard down."
As much as she praised some of the group's unique strengths, she couldn't shy away from addressing some weaknesses in return. Being someone with countless parties, she developed a sense of intellect just by watching from the sidelines. It was becoming some sort of a trait for her despite being a supporter.
Most supporters could only focus on their safety and contribution to the party but Lili apparently could go beyond just doing that. Which was why she became some sort of observer much to the group's relief. It was the first time she was appreciated for it. None of the parties she joined ever noticed that.
And speaking of her experience, Lili could tell that Natsu could stand alone as a one-man army, at least on the Upper Floors anyway. The magic and skills he demonstrated throughout the exploration shocked her. Despite him being a Level 2, the movements and instincts he displayed were sharper than what an average Level 2 adventurer would be. She had multiple Level 2s in her parties prior and none of them had displayed this much performance. She was surprised that none of the two found that odd although she imagined that they were just used to it.
"Man, Lil Lili is sure harsh with the lectures." Welf drawled.
"I can feel my ears bleed already." Natsu whined.
"I'm serious! It's becoming a problem! Natsu-sama, you are too reckless! You always leave your formation and you are wasting too much magic which in turn, increases your chances of a Mind Down!" Lili scolded. The other two could only look at her in shock.
"Ugh..."
"When a Mind Down settles in you, you are putting a huge risk in the party since you are the best offensive this party has at the moment. Losing you will significantly lessen the party's overall performance and survivability. It puts you in a vulnerable position when a battle becomes a long one. You will be seeing more long battles once you begin venturing to the Middle Floors. You should always conserve your magic as much as possible and only use it if you have to. Don't rely solely on potions. Between the three of you, you drained a lot of potions the most. Keep in mind that we only carry a limited amount of potions per journey. You are not the only one who needs replenishment potions. You will not last long in a fight like that." Lili scolded.
"Ugh..."
"And you, Welf-sama. Your recklessness is not as bad as Natsu-sama's but it puts the party in a tight spot when our vanguard is in disarray. Not to mention, your eagerness to join him in that regard. You are overstretching your distance which in turn gives an opening in our formation. We can't expect Natsu-sama to be in the same spot most of the time when something unexpected happens. While it's not ideal that Natsu-sama shouldn't leave the vanguard position, that doesn't mean that you should too. You should work on your ability to adjust our vanguard if Natsu-sama can't provide the same."
"Ugh..."
"And lastly, Wendy-sama." Lili finally turned towards the bluenette who had eyes like that of a child awaiting punishment from their parents.
"Y-Y-Yes?"
There was a moment of pause from the Pallum but she slowly softened her tone of voice.
"You're too nervous and panicky. While I can understand that you are a beginner as a mage, you should try to focus on harnessing your magic as much as possible without faltering. I understand your fear of safety during a fight but it's the vanguard's job to keep you safe at all times. I'm sure you trust both Welf-sama and Natsu-sama so try to be comfortable when performing your magic. Every second counts when you're inside the dungeon. It would be a great start for you to practice chanting magic. Aside from Natsu-sama, you can be the difference in determining the party's survival. Mages are the trump card in the party. They can release powerful spells that can turn the tide of the battle. Whether it is an offensive or a defensive one, mages are usually the ones that determine the course of the battle, especially in unexpected situations. It might be a big expectation to fill in but if you train to compose yourself while under stress, you will find yourself becoming the most important lineup in this party."
"Lili-san." Wendy muttered.
"Honestly, hearing that you're a supporter like me and have an innate talent to become a mage, I'm kinda jealous."
"H-Ha?"
"Not everyone can become something else apart from what they have. You have talent. Call it a god's blessing or something. You can do things that I won't be able to do."
"T-That's not true, Lili-san!" Wendy suddenly answered, much to Lili's shock but returned her gaze with an understanding expression.
"Wendy-sama. I appreciate your words but-"
"Lili-san. You're underestimating yourself. I think you're amazing too."
"You don't have to go that far for me. I only tell what I see is true. I tried to do something I thought I could be and realized that I had no talent for it. But you..." Lili said. But before she could even continue, a hand was placed upon her head softly. Realizing who it was, she averted her gaze away from Wendy and towards Natsu who was smiling at her.
"Come on. You don't have to sell yourself short like that. I agree with Wendy here."
"Please, you don't have to."
"I'm serious, Lili. None of us could've known our shortcomings with just one look. If anything, that's the first time someone pointed out something wrong with our party." He admitted.
"He's right, Lil Lili. I admit I'm quite surprised that you picked up on those by just your observation alone. To be honest, you might be a better leader than short stick over here." Welf asked, earning a glare from the pinket.
"Not you too, Welf-sama?"
"I also think so too!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Even Wendy-sama?!"
"Lili-san knows a lot of the things that I want to learn too. As a supporter, I feel like I need to learn more to be able to help." Wendy admitted.
"Y-You really don't have to say it like that." Lili turned her body against them as if to hide her embarrassment away. "Honestly, you guys are so strange."
"But you know, now that we think about it, we have a lot of issues in our party that needed fixing." Welf changed the topic and began pondering.
"Can't argue with you on that." Natsu shook his head. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Lili's advice and their recent run left a lot of problems in the formation.
"We're giving ourselves too open from the monsters." Welf replied. "I guess I need to practice more on my swings."
"Reconsidering my training offer now?" Natsu asked happily.
"Hell no."
"Shame."
The group walked their way back to the Guild with Natsu in the lead. With a loud noise, he pushed the doors forcefully as he made himself and the rest of his party known. His face sported a wide grin as he raised his hand towards one of the receptionists as if to call their attention. Immediately, the reception in question came back in the form of a sour look. However, the adventurer paid no heed of it and smiled as he spotted her in view. "Yo."
"Back from the dungeon, I see. I thought you would come later than usual." Rose replied nonchalantly.
"Err, we're not diving that deep today. We're practicing our lineup for the Middle-Floors." He explained.
Rose's brows twitched at the last sentence. Her eyes finally stared right back at his. "You know that I wouldn't authorize such a thing. Even as your temporary advisor, I'm not sending someone unless I deem them able."
"So what am I going to need to get your permission then?" Natsu complained.
"I dunno. Wait for your advisor to come back, I guess."
"That's two weeks! There must be something that you can give me!"
Rose pondered for a moment but after the experience she had with the previous group, she looked back at him with finality. "There is none."
"You're just trying to get back at me, aren't you?!" He accused.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose answered subtly, hiding a slight smirk from the edge of her lips from the adventurer.
"Fine. You win. But I'm trying that Middle Floor soon!"
"Go ahead. Just don't blame me in the afterlife. If you really want to go that badly, you're gonna need more people in your party to be able to attempt the Middle Floors. Three of you ain't gonna cut it."
"Well, in that case, we got a new member right here."
Rose must've failed to spot the 'new member' the adventurer was talking about since she was standing right behind Welf and Wendy as if to hide from view. When the topic of the new member was omitted, her eyes finally landed right on the petite supporter.
"Who is this? I believe you didn't mention her to me." She asked as bluntly as she could. The utter indifference and coldness in her tone made the person in question yelp in fear.
"Hey now, you're scaring her. That's not a good way to greet adventurers, you know. At least try to be a little itsy bitsy nice for a change." Natsu teased.
Rose let out a sneer in response before letting out a stamp of sarcasm along with a smile. "I'm being nice. It's just hard to be in front of a monkey."
"Well, gee thanks. I didn't know you see me like that..." He paused after realizing it. "You... You really wanna go at it, huh?" Natsu's vein popped, showing a fist that was ready to punch someone.
"Hey... uhh Natsu, we didn't come here for your lover's quarrel, did we?" Welf asked, seeing the conversation suddenly gravitating towards the two for a while.
"WHO SAID ABOUT A LOVER'S QUARREL?!" Rose and Natsu both shouted in unison.
Welf crossed his arms with a smug grin. "Gee, sorry man. Didn't expect quite a reaction there."
"Even for a joke, that was tasteless." Rose glared.
"That's kinda rude, Welf. I still have my standards." Natsu answered.
Not long after they had broken away from each other, they were back to clashing their heads with one another as their banters resumed. Luckily, Rose had enough to deal with the adventurer and decided to back away, feeling that she didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment.
"I'm quite busy at the moment so if you have something to exchange just head to the other counter. Any talk about that venture to the Middle Floors is pointless."
"Hey, come on. I told you we have a new member right here."
"Just because I told you the bare minimum number of party members doesn't mean I will just give the green light to you to attempt the Middle Floors. Remember, your party has yet to experience what's down there and you haven't taken any extensive lessons from your original advisor about the Middle Floors as well."
"That's because Eina is out of the city."
"Then you will have to wait until she comes back. Or if you're fine having other advisors to teach you the lessons, only then I can permit you to head down with some appropriate gear as well." Rose answered. The pinket, on the other hand, could only groan at the mention of lessons.
Natsu hated being in a room to be taught by someone. He was not bright to catch most of the things that were being said to him all the time. Eina was patient with him throughout their lessons so he could only imagine how unbearable other advisors would be if he agreed to be taught by someone else. He was already reflecting on his behavior during the lessons recently but he was still slow on the uptake when it came to lessons. He was more keen to pick things up on the fly. It's how he was able to operate thus far.
Additionally, Eina introduced some unique ways to impart her lessons to him in a much easier and more digestible way. Which gave him enough time to understand them.
The timing of her departure was so sudden that they didn't have a chance to inform each other. He was so looking forward to seeing her reaction to his new abilities and such back then.
Thinking about that made him hesitant to answer.
Only a moment passed, and he finally relented.
"Alright, fine. I'll take the lessons. Who do you reckon?" He asked frustratingly.
Rose, meanwhile, was surprised to see him making a decision. She thought he would be too stubborn to take the lessons and guidelines of the Middle Floors but it seemed like he could be levelheaded at times.
That aside, he was still her responsibility.
Rose paused before finally speaking once again. This time with a more serious gaze towards the pink-haired adventurer.
"Well, for one it would be me. If you want to go deeper, I can teach you all the things regarding the Middle Floors and advise you in acquiring the proper equipment before venturing down there. I'm sure Eina stressed multiple times during her previous lessons with you—the Middle Floors are different. The dungeon is still a dangerous place. There is a multitude of dangers that you will encounter whether it be a monster or a situation. Every adventurer attempting it for the first time must be given advice and lessons beforehand."
"Okay, I'll do it." Natsu nodded, taking her warnings to heart.
"As for the others, they need to take their lessons from their respective advisors if they still don't know about it. Any sufficient amount of knowledge about the Middle Floors will do." Rose turned her eyes to the other three.
Welf and Lili both raised their hands.
"I actually got into the Middle Floors with my previous parties so I'm familiar with the mapping of the routes." Lili clarified, shocking the three.
"Never ventured it but I took lessons about the monsters, drops, and the materials on those floors."
"That'll do. It works further well if you have someone in the party familiar with the maps of every dungeon floor." Rose nodded in response before turning her eyes to the last two.
"Which leaves us to the two of you. You both need to undertake some additional lessons before I can deem your party able to attempt the Middle Floors. Work on your party formations and be prepared to spend some valis for some recommended gear for protection. Remember, as your advisor my job is to fully ensure that you are well-equipped to handle the dungeon at all times. I don't care if you disregard some of the lessons as long as you know by heart about the dangers. What you do inside will be your actions and decisions. Be prepared to hold that responsibility, got it?" She finished with finality.
"Of course." Natsu nodded.
All seemed about to end in a while until Rose added something as a reminder.
"The last thing we all want is a bodybag." She solemnly spoke. The group could feel the tense atmosphere suddenly sink in. The mention of death was known by everyone but there was an unspoken rule of not raising such a topic inside the Guild or the dungeon in order not to dampen the spirit of every adventurer braving the dungeon. It was a reminder that most newbie adventurers often forget.
On the flip side of all that fame and glory, there was death and despair.
There was a mix of varying emotions from the group after hearing her last line. Welf and Lili seemed accustomed to the statement but still showed signs of visible tension. Wendy was probably the most surprised of all of them due to hearing it directly from someone for the first time. The mention of someone dying in the dungeon wasn't really new to her but she had several close calls and experienced near-death several times as well, especially during that time with the Irregular. While it did give her a reason to better herself, hearing about someone's death still bothered her for a time.
Natsu, however, looked worried after noticing Rose's expression just now. He was so used to dealing with Eina that he forgot he was currently with someone else. That was why he kept his usual rambunctious attitude towards her. He still wasn't registering the fact that Rose was an advisor long before Eina and had other adventurers before him taking the same advice as he did before.
Wherever those people were now, he didn't know. But if her face indicated such a strong emotion like that, it probably wasn't a good ending.
He took his silence as an acknowledgment of her words.
"Then if there's nothing else, you can come back here tomorrow and start that lesson. Just a warning though. I'm not like Eina. I won't be too lenient." Rose cautioned, switching back to her stern attitude almost immediately.
Natsu nodded wordlessly as the tense atmosphere suddenly vanished with the changing of subjects.
"Oh, and another thing." She added. "You should be more careful letting people in your party."
"Why is that?" Natsu asked. The others also tuned in curiosity.
There was a short pause in Rose's speech before she resumed. "A lot of complaints have been on the rise recently. Complaints about a group of adventurers having some pretty extreme quarrels among themselves. It was bad enough that a member of our staff got involved in the ordeal."
"Well, conflicts within a party are common but I never thought the Guild would be affected too." Welf replied.
"Usually with matters like these, the Guild does not involve itself unless it turned into something else like a dispute between familias that requires their intervention."
"So these problems have caused the Guild to become involved then?"
"Not quite. It is not big enough to be considered a problem but some cases often got the Guild employees involved."
"Is that the reason why you were suspicious of Lili?"
Rose nodded, turning her gaze at the Pallum. "I didn't mean to be rude. I apologize for showing such a crass attitude." At the same time, Natsu sneered at her with her last line. She glared for a moment before returning to the conversation. "It's just that I just got informed by my senior to advise my assigned adventurers to be wary when recruiting people to your ranks."
"Wouldn't that be counterproductive?" Welf asked, seeing that it would diminish the chances of people partying from a different familia. It would certainly cast further suspicion and doubt on those kinds of people looking for a party on their own.
"It's unfortunate but we are receiving reports of adventurers being taken advantage of by other adventurers. These cases usually go hand in hand when partnered with other familias. It's the reason why most parties go with their own familia..." She paused. "—Which is why I'm only giving you all a fair reminder. That doesn't mean that you should heed it but you need to be extra careful in the future. You don't see a party with different familias most of the time. Some cases of partying with different familias just happen on circumstances or when there are already given agreements between them."
"I see. Certainly, you can argue that people are just not comfortable with strangers they are currently partied with unless you know them."
"Judging from your reactions, you seemed familiar enough with your newcomer so there shouldn't be a problem but I had to remind you regardless." Rose paused, looking at Natsu. "I'm just saying that you should be more careful. If you trust her, then it's fine."
"So who were those people?" Natsu asked.
"Those people who were causing a ruckus lately... are from the Soma Familia." Rose explained, earning alarmed looks from the four.
...
Dusk came as the group finished their matters at the Guild headquarters. They exchanged all the drop items they acquired and separated once the task was done. Wendy and Welf were the first to part ways as usual to prepare for their own ventures for tomorrow. After learning much from Lili's assessment and Rose's advice to the party, it was decided that they would be postponing their dungeon run for now and would be focusing on reflecting on their roles a bit more. Natsu being the most stunned of all, agreed as well. Even he had something to work on first before they could continue their exploration. The conversations from earlier brought him some much-needed information to evaluate himself and the rest of his party moving forward.
There is a lot to prepare first before attempting the middle floors.
Which now brought him back with Lili beside him.
The Pallum beside him was silent for most of the conversation earlier when Rose mentioned something about her familia. A curious part of him wanted to ask right away but he didn't want to impose. He figured it wouldn't be right to ask her about it since she had been silent throughout the ordeal.
Whether it was due to something she couldn't tell him or the others, he wouldn't want to force her to say it to him.
Lili, on the other hand, was occupied with her current thoughts. So much so that throughout their time back at the Guild, she was seemingly listless after hearing news of her familia getting into some trouble with the Guild.
When she heard the name of her familia, her heart suddenly sank. She was so caught up with her time with the party that she forgot the reality she was currently in before she met the salmon-haired adventurer.
It led her to think deeply about her decisions moving forward now that she was out of the clutches of her familia for now. However, she would be a fool to believe that she was free from them. Every time she tried to distance herself, she would always find herself looking back to the place where she desperately wanted out. She had experienced it multiple times. Every time she ran away, the Soma familia would always find her. Whether it be in the form of her familia members or some hired adventurers to take her back by force if she disobeyed.
They would trample on the path she tried to make for herself and pull her back into the fold.
And worst of all, she would be subjected to that goddamned soma if she disobeyed.
It was a terrifying thought that haunted her, especially when she consumed the product that everyone worshipped their familia for.
It was the moment where she felt herself unable to resist until it was too late. She had become addicted to it like all others. Luckily for her, she hadn't got the taste of it ever since but the lingering taste of its scent and allure would send shivers down her spine. Like an invisible chain locking her by the neck and suddenly remembering the godly sensation of its drop even when she happened to whiff even just a fraction of it.
Hell, just mentioning that name would immediately cloud her mind to the point that she couldn't even tell if she was in control of her own body or not.
She did not want to experience it again. More so as getting thrown around by the likes of her familia members.
Lili knew that she was slowly running out of time. She lost a significant portion of her savings from her previous adventurers and it was only a matter of time before Ged and Canoe would strike. She had to make a decision soon.
Her trial run with the party is already long finished. There is no point in keeping her around after this. That's the relationship she had with this party.
"Hey, you alright, Lili?" She heard him asking. "You've been really quiet ever since we got out of the building."
"O-Oh, it's just... I have a lot on my mind lately." Lili answered in a daze.
"Is the split money not enough for you?" Natsu continued.
"No, no, no! It's more than enough! It's nothing like that!" She vehemently denied his assertions. To be honest, though, she would've tried making some pitying excuse to guilt trip him into getting more from the split if he was just another adventurer she disliked. However, she had seen him help her before and offered support throughout their time together. Plus, she had already hesitated to do such things after meeting him and the others.
She still had some reservations about them but they were quite different from the ones she had resented from the start. If her pessimism wasn't so bad, she would've dropped her guard around them already. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't being lured into their kindness. She feared being betrayed again. However, there was a bigger fear that she didn't want to come to pass in the coming days ahead.
Right now, she was at an impasse. Should she involve him here? She still hasn't told him about Canoe. Or that man from earlier.
However, she feared that they would change once she decided to tell them the truth.
She didn't want to see their faces. Scorning her for what she had done to them.
It would probably be fine for her if Natsu ended her services right here and now since it was merely a trial run and a temporary replacement for their supporter role. It would save time and she could easily cut relations with them. It would spare her the pain of seeing their disgusted faces towards her. Lili would not hold it against him if he were to cut ties with her after this.
After all, she was just like them. No different from the people who used her.
Her not being able to enact her usual tricks to cheat on them already botched her plan. Not with the uncertainty she was having right now towards these people, especially him.
A cold feeling was suddenly felt in her hands as she was holding her pouch of valis. A cluttering sound of valis assailed her ears and her hands suddenly had to put more strength as something was added to them. Her eyes stared widely at the pink-haired adventurer who handed his own portion to her without a word.
"N-Natsu-sama! I-I can't accept this!"
"Don't worry about it. Just think of it as compensation for your trouble back then."
"Trouble?"
"You know, the one where I had to piggyback you all the way to the dungeon." He mentioned. Lili had to suppress the growing red cheeks after recalling the said moment from before.
"Could you have worded it a little better than that?!"
"That's the second time someone told me that." Natsu said, amusingly. "Well anyway, I was about to ask you something."
"What is it?" Lili looked up in curiosity.
"Do you have someplace to stay after this?"
Lili stammered, a bit surprised at his question. "I do. But it's a long walk from here and..." She trailed off in her sentence as she felt hesitating once again.
"I see..." She heard him mutter but not before continuing. "Then what say you can stay at some place near? I know a place where you can rest for the time being. I'll put in a good word for them and pay it myself."
"Thanks for the offer but I'll be fine on my own. You don't have to worry about me." She smiled in confidence.
"That's not what I'm worried about though."
"Huh?"
"Say, do you have some free time tomorrow at noon?" He asked.
"I guess I do have some time." Lili answered, wondering why he was asking such a thing.
"Well in that case, can you come with me to the dungeon then? After my lessons with Rose."
"Didn't you guys just discuss holding off the exploration for a while?"
"Well yeah. But there's something I need to do and I need you to be my partner."
"P-Partner?!" Lili stuttered almost immediately. Her cheeks rose in temperature and immediately shook her head down to avoid being seen by him. It was only a few moments that she realized her misunderstanding and tried to calm herself down. "What do you mean by that?"
"I was thinking that you could be my supporter. I had a lot of things on my mind after our assessment earlier and I want to improve myself so I can be stronger." Natsu explained.
"But aren't you strong enough? I mean, you're already a Level 2."
"Well yeah. But it's not about that. I want to learn more about the dungeon, tips that can help me last longer, or anything that would make me effective in the long run. Just like you said, I can't rely on my magic all of the time. That's why I need your help, Lili." He said as he knelt beside her to match her level.
"But didn't the trial run already end? I appreciate your words to me earlier but we made our agreement as a party and that was it."
Lili looked shocked at the serious face he was making. Just a while ago, she always noticed him goofing around with the others. There was still a sense of seriousness in him when they entered the dungeon but this was the first time she actually saw him more committed at something.
All because of what she just said to him? That he needed to improve more?
Most adventurers wouldn't do that—much even listen to a Pallum like her.
They would settle for less once they knew they acquired strength over the majority of the people who lacked power or were weaker than them. Lili could count how many adventurers would flaunt their power and abuse them to people who could not fight back.
Plus, there was also that one other thing.
"Well, how about another offer then?"
"Wha-What?!" Lili felt like falling down face-flat.
"This time from me." Natsu answered with a friendly tone. "I need a good supporter who can teach me and go with me in the dungeon tomorrow."
He lowered himself, kneeling just to match her with a face that Lili could only describe as something like that knight. So much so that she instinctively turned her head sideways to avoid exposing the glowing red marks on her cheeks as her thoughts were suddenly a mess. Still, she saw him continue and this time, he reached a hand in front of her as a gesture of his invitation to her.
Lili had seen it several times. Hands reached before her as if to offer help and kindness. Yet... every time, she was tricked and cast aside while their mockery of laughs at her would echo in the background. She could not help but recoil slightly at the gesture like she was seeing it as some sort of trauma to her.
How many times she had been subjected to misery with those hands? Granted, it was him but the memory in her kept conflating it to the previous people she had met, mirroring it that made her reaction all the more reasonable than otherwise. She knew already that Natsu would never do such a thing but the fear always crept inside her that she could not help it.
Hesitation drew a long silence and when she noticed that his hand withdrew from her, her heart felt a slight tinge of relief but immediately sank as she realized that she probably made her answer to his offer. Still averting his gaze, her expression made the next stream of emotion that she failed to mask in time.
But then... his words came next.
"I see..."
Lili couldn't make out the tone he was giving after seeing her reluctance but she could tell the disappointment hanging over his face without even looking at him. It was like a pattern that she had gotten used to so she didn't have to affirm it.
She knew that this relationship was over.
But just as she resigned to the outcome, she heard his next words.
"Guess, I'll try again tomorrow."
"Ha?"
It was the appropriate response from her. So much so that she finally looked up to him with an incredulous look on her face.
"Well, I mean, it's pretty late so inviting you out of the blue must've been too hasty. Sorry about that, haha." He apologized with a rather innocent look on his face. A complete far cry from the expression that she was expecting.
"W-What do you mean?"
"I will ask you again tomorrow if you're willing to be my supporter again." He said as a matter of fact.
"You're... not disappointed?" Lili muttered dumbfoundedly.
"Well, I am but I'm not just gonna give you up. I can't just pass on a great supporter. Your input is really helpful. And I want your opinions about our party's shortcomings in the near future too. I'm sure Welf and Wendy will appreciate it. I mean, you're practically in a party with us."
"It was a one-time thing!"
"Even so, it was fun."
His words coupled with his smile finally halted her words from coming out. Confusion drew across her face as she was left speechless as a result.
"I understand that you have things you don't want to discuss with us so we won't pry unless you want to." Natsu assured.
"But shouldn't you be suspicious of that person being in your party?"
"Everyone has a secret that they don't want to share in this party. And even so, we are still functioning as a party, right? What's wrong with keeping a secret or two from each other?" His words stopped her from replying any further.
Natsu softened his expression and once again placed a hand over her head instead as a sign of his reassurance.
"I'll be here at the park at noon. I'll wait for your reply tomorrow. Be careful out there, okay?"
And with that, he walked away from the guild entrance, leaving Lili in her thoughts.
The Pallum watched his figure slowly disappear amongst the crowd. However, she noticed him stopping momentarily once again and turned towards her as if to shout something.
"Oh, and if you do find yourself in a pinch, I'll be looking for you! Count on it, Lili!"
Those were the last words she heard of him on this day. And Lili could not help but notice the widest grin plastered on his face as he parted those words.
The split rewards and his compensation remained at her side but her attention was still glued to the direction where the pinket had disappeared into. Normally, she would not hesitate to take the valis, given that she was fixated on it in hopes of getting herself away and enjoying the fruits of her labor double-crossing adventurers but this one had her feeling conflicted over it. It was given to her and by her merit for contributing to the party.
Her eyes fell to the pouch she was holding. She felt no joy even with its bountiful amount. There was nothing to feel over something that she was being given. Because it was her first time receiving it as such.
All her life she had never experienced being rewarded that it almost became a foreign concept to her, added to the complicated look on her face when she received it.
Her heart clenched as her thoughts wandered back to the adventurer who she was talking with a moment ago. The tender warmth of his hand over her head had her making an unclear expression, trying to understand the truth behind his actions toward her.
"Why? I don't get you at all."
...
A/N: And that's the end of the chapter 13. To be honest, while writing this part, I didn't realize that I was way over the mark of my usual 10k per chapter quota so I decided to halve the entire thing and make it into two chapters. So, this one got the double update. It was also tiring since I had to fill in gaps and scenes for Lili to explore her development. Not to mention, the recent chapters of Danmachi gave some lore along the way so there's a lot of adjustment to be made.
There's also the Fairy Tail side of things to consider since I'll be introducing a major character soon into the story since we only have Natsu and Wendy at the moment. Can you take a guess? It's the opposite of hot.
That's all for now. See you in the next chapter!
- The wiErDos send their regards -