floor 18 (4)

I need some coffee (-_-) zzz

~~

Observing the departing figures of the Loki familia, I silently wished them good luck and returned to the team. However, a sense of something missing lingered.

Hestia, who was always in the vicinity of the camp, was nowhere to be found. Moreover, Bell seemed to be missing as well. This unusual circumstance raised my guard.

Upon checking Bell and Hestia's tent, it was evident that a fight had occurred inside. A piece of paper lay on the ground, my magic couldn't discern the color differences, leaving me unable to read the ink.

(If you were wondering about the previous description with color by Xian's POV, those are just narrative convenience making it easier for the reader to tell who it is, since it would be hard to just describe people by just how long their hair is, etc.)

Exiting the tent, I approached Ryuu, who was resting on a log. She noticed me and greeted me.

"Read it." I handed her the paper. Ryuu read the contents and frowned.

"Bell is in trouble," she said, rushing over to alert the rest of the team.

"You still didn't tell me what it said," I muttered, though I pieced together enough clues to form a general idea of what was going on.

I spread my senses throughout the whole floor and saw Bell running in a certain direction. My figure disappeared from the campground as I quietly followed Bell, who seemed to be in distress. Bell arrived at a hill, but I stopped following him as the trees cleared into a large open space.

Many adventurers from the town had gathered in a ring, with one standing in the middle.

"Bell Cranel, I challenge you to a duel!" he declared, pointing at Bell.

"Where is Goddess Hestia?" Bell voiced his concern.

"You can see her once you beat me," the other adventurer replied.

Bell, feeling pressured, accepted the challenge. He entered the ring as the other adventurers cheered. However, I sensed a powerful magic item in the possession of the challenger, an item far beyond what his current strength would allow.

'Someone is behind this,' I thought. I spread my senses once more and saw two familiar figures overlooking from a faraway cliff. I decided to greet them.

Appearing behind Hermes and Asfi, I quietly walked up to them and opened my mouth.

"So it was you." Hermes and Asfi jumped at my sudden presence and looked at me.

"Oh, Xian, you scared me for a second. What brings you here?" Hermes asked with a nervous smile.

"You were the one who gifted him the magic item, right?" I pointed at the man who was ready to fight Bell.

"Wh-What are you talking about" Hermes' sweat built on his face, but I quietly sat next to them much to both of their confusion

"Are.. you not going to help Bell?" Asfi asked as I paid attention to the match. As the fight commenced, the man rushed at Bell, who looked around in confusion and received a punch.

"Bell is still naive about the darkness of the world. I just wanted him to face it head-on," I explained, continuing to observe the match.

"You're more ruthless than I imagine, throwing your own student into danger, without helping him one bit" Hermes commented

"Aren't you scared this would break Bell's spirit?" Asfi asked.

The man persisted in assaulting Bell. Bell discerned the man's invisibility and responded by shutting his eyes much to everyone's confusion.

"The spirit of a hero is near impossible to break. Once they set their eyes on something, they will obtain it." The man swung again, but Bell miraculously dodged and countered with his dagger, sending the man into a panic. Bell's movements now mimicked mine, leaving a faint afterimage with each step.

"A talent near limitless. Even at a glance, he could mimic strategy and movement, and leave him with something to learn for weeks. It would not be a surprise if he learned it," I said, a hint of pride in my voice as Hermes and Asfi nodded.

"Additionally, I do not want him to rely on me alone but to rely on others as well." I turned my attention toward a group quickly approaching the fight. Ryuu, Welf, and the rest were closing in. The adventurers from the town noticed them and started an all-out fight. The man who was fighting Bell now struggled to get close to him as he formed an invisible defense of daggers

I turned my attention back to Hermes, who was watching the scene unfold and remembered something I had to do. Placing my hand on Hermes' back, he looked at me with confusion.

"What is it, Xian?" he asked. I didn't reply and pushed him off the edge. Both Asfi and Hermes reacted in shock as I quickly formed ice attaching itself to Hermes' feet, leaving him hanging by the cliff.

"Hey, hey, what was that for?" Hermes held his hat and asked.

"Your mere presence ticked me off," I said, paying my attention back to the fight. Asfi also looked at the fight, ignoring the helpless Hermes.

"Hey, Asfi, at least help me here," Hermes complained.

"You deserved it." Asfi referred to the bath incident and turned her attention back to the large fight. Now the battle was almost at an end, with many adventurers from the town unconscious from Ryuu's brutal strikes. Liliruca, who was missing from the scene, now appeared with Hestia in tow.