Chapter 3
Kyra The Thunderstorm
The gods named her, the level 6, Kyra Slavis of Zeus Familia, The Thunderstorm partially due to her trademark skill, Kaminari, which covered her body in electricity and move lightning fast, but, in reality, it was what happened after she triggered Kaminari that earned her her nickname. The moment her skill was triggered, dozens of monsters were instantly slain. Even high level boss monsters from the deep floors could put up no resistance and were slaughtered like animals. She was Kyra Slavis. The thunderstorm, the disaster. None could oppose a disaster.
And now the adventurer that could be comparable to a disaster was about unleash her fury onto the monsters that dared to attack humans. Dared to attack Bell.
*pop!*
The instant the bubble popping sound could be heard, the chienthrope girl, Nim, and the elf girl, Phina, appeared out of thin air, surprising everyone (today was full of surprises), except for Kyra, who was expecting them, and Bell, who was so dazed and in pain that he could barely process anything.
The reason Nim and Phina were able to appear like they did was due to Nim's magic, Spacial Shift. Said magic allowed the caster, and who ever was in physical contact with her, to shift a certain amount of distance away from their original spot. A useful magic to get to far away locations. Unfortunately, it had a drawback.
"Phew!" Nim sighed in relief after falling to her knees and gasping for breath. She looked like she just ran a marathon. "I need to get in better shape. Who would've guessed 8 kilometers would be so draining?"
Every shift took a little bit of energy for each cast. Do it too much and, of course, you'll be completely drained of energy.
"Phina-chan, take care of Bell-kun, now," Kyra ordered, still facing the goblins.
"Bell-kun?" Phina looked to where Bell was and her eyes widened in horror. It would be a miracle if he was still breathing. Why he was still standing was beyond her. She ran to him immediately.
"Now that he's being taken care of…" Kyra charged at lightning speed, too fast to see. The goblins were helpless. They couldn't even react, let alone defend. In a single instance, all of the goblins upper halves flew upwards before turning to magic stones. To call it anticlimactic would be an understatement. They were massacred.
"We're saved…?" Clarabeth's father gasped in disbelief.
"C-Clarabeth!" Her mother dashed to her daughter at hell's speed and wrapped her arms tightly around her little girl, tears running down the woman's cheeks. The father followed quickly after them and all embraced his wife and daughter.
"Mama…?" Clarabeth gave a dazed glance glance to her mother, before returning her gaze to Bell, who, after being laid down was being treated by Phina, who cast a healing spell the created a blue glow that encompassed Bell's whole body. "B-Bell-kun, will he be okay?"
"He's certainly not in good shape," Phina muttered, staring at the now unconscious Bell. He had lost a lot of blood and almost all of the bones on his right side were shattered. His injuries were too severe for Phina to completely heal with just one treatment, but he could alleviate the pain and could save him from critical condition, at least. She glanced to the side at Clarabeth and smiled assuredly. "But he has a tough body. He'll be fine."
"Good!" Clarabeth sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness," her mother sighed also, gently stroking her child's head. She didn't want to say it, but she didn't think her daughter could survive getting hit by a monster even once. "I need to thank Bell-kun once he gets better. And you too miss." She added after seeing Kyra walk over to them. "You must be an adventurer from a familia. I can't imagine an ordinary person doing what you just did."
"We are," Kyra nodded, looking down at the parents and child. The mother had long blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her daughter. She wore a one piece, cream colored dress and her daughter wore a white flower patterned dress. Both were attractive for their ages. The perfect image of countryside beauties. The father was a bespectacled mane with dark hair and wore a semi formal suit. He had short brown hair and slightly tanned skin. "No one else was hurt, right?.
"Fortunately, no," Clarabeth's father answered after getting up. "Thanks to you and Bell-kun. My name is Kirk Augustine. This is my wife, Anna, and our daughter, Clarabeth. You are?"
"My name is Kyra Slavis, an adventurer of Zeus Familia."
"Zeus Familia?!" The merchant exclaimed after hear the human man, Kuda, introduce his party. "The legendary group of adventurers from Orario?"
"That's how people think of us, at least," Kuda chuckled. "But now we've "fallen from grace", so to speak, and are now wandering around."
"But I had heard that Zeus Familia was wiped out when-" The merchant stopped himself from saying anymore. He wasn't tactless enough, or stupid enough, to remind one the strongest adventurers in the world of "that". The party couldn't be called small, but the legendary familia was known to have one of the largest numbers in Orario. If this twenty man party was all that was left, then Zeus Familia must have truly gone through hell. "N-Never mind. Anyway, you said something about monsters before?"
"You don't have to worry," Kuda assured him, not knowing that Bell was seriously injured. "Kyra can easily and swiftly take down any monster. So could you please take us to the mayor? Or maybe where Bell is staying?"
"...I'll take you to the mayor's place," the merchant decided before leading them to his location. As the Zeus Familia walked through the tiny village, they earned the peculiar stares of the villagers. It was only natural. This being an out of the way village, a group of adventurers like them seldom, if ever, made appearances here. The fact that the group was filled with so many different races was the cherry on top.
"We're here," the merchant said once they arrived at their destination, the mayor's office building. While it certainly wasn't the grandest or biggest building the party of adventurers had seen, it was still one of the bigger structures in the village that that they had seen. It was a white house made of brick and wood. There were windows and a door. The building looked like a house. "The mayor's house."
"Thank you…" Kuda just realized he never asked for this man's name.
"It's Dorwen," the merchant said, guessing what Kuda was thinking. "Before you go in, may I ask you people something?"
"Sure," Kuda nodded.
"Bell-kun… You're really planning on taking him away?"
"It's complicated," Kuda answered. "Does he mean a lot to you?"
"Our village is small, as I'm sure you've noticed. Our total population count is, what, 100? Maybe less. We're all pretty purehearted an practical here, admittedly. Most of the couple's here don't usually get married until their mid twenties, so our birth rate is pretty low. In a good year, we'll have a hand full of babies. I don't think we have any other ten year old's besides Bell. He's a sweet kid, but doesn't really socialize with other brats. When the old man died, I'm sure he had to have felt unbearably lonely, still does. There's no way he's over it."
Zeus Familia stood silently, attentively listening to Dorwen's story, their eyes covered in a shadow.
"We love him, everyone in this village cares about him, but I don't think we can replace the old man. So, what I think I'm trying to say is, if there are people who out there who can be his family, then I'll be happy for the kid. He deserves that much." He stopped, a small smile on his face. "Hahaha… I don't know why I said all of that. I-I'll go see the mayor and tell him that you're here."
Perhaps due to the lax nature of a countryside village, Dorwen was able to open the mayor's house door without knocking and entered, which was very strange to the Orario adventurers. In the city of the dungeon, actions such as those were frowned upon. Dorwen left the adventurers with somewhat thoughtful expressions.
"...He was sincere," a female prum said softly. She had blonde hair tied into a bun and green eyes. She wore a casual cream colored dress and black shorts. Strapped to her back was a crossbow that matched her small, childlike size and a dagger was at her waist. Her appearance was that of a little girl with weapons, but she was much older, much stronger than she looked.
"I could tell, Wilna," Kuda replied. Wilna was a level four, which was no small feet for a prum, who were considered the weakest race and always had difficulty leveling up. She had a unique skill that allowed her to anticipate monsters attacks, as if reading their minds. However, it wasn't mind reading, it was more like reading their emotions. Despite popular belief, monsters weren't thoughtless killers, at least not every single one. They were survivors. They wanted to survive their battles with adventurers as much as adventurers wanted to survive fights with them. It was by reading their emotions that Wilna was able to anticipate the various strategies the more intelligent monsters used. However, monsters were not the only ones whose emotions she could read. She could read people too. She could tell if they're lying or being truthful, happy or sad, or even just plain confused. In the case of Dorwen, he was completely sincere. He really cared for Bell. "He's a good guy. I can tell that much."
"It isn't just him," Wilna continued. "It's all of these people. None of their hearts feel murky. They're truly pure."
If anyone asked Wilna if reading people's emotions was a blessing, she'd say no every time. Wilna obtained her ability after she became level 2 and, ever since then, she had to face the fact that a lot of people, people she passed by every day on the streets, weren't as pure as they made themselves out to be. They were dark and twisted, or tinged with envy, or riled with hate. Ugly emotions that gave people to do bad. However, she didn't allow herself to lose her faith in humanity. Some people do bad, others do good. Some people do bad for good reasons, others do good for the wrong reasons. Nobody was truly perfect. Everybody had some dark patches in their hearts. Overcoming the dark parts was part of a person's job and Wilna found that beautiful.
However, her skill did make it hard for her to trust in others. When faced with the ugliness of man's heart. She couldn't help but be repulsed. However, Zeus Familia was different. Even if some of their hearts had the murky emotions that made her hesitant to form meaningful relationships with people,their heroism and kindness overcame all of that, making them clear.
But these differences made the naturally curious Wilna wonder. Why was Zeus Familia, and these villagers, so… clear? What was it that a farming village and a party of adventurers had in common that they shared this trait? Wilna was curious to find out.
"Are you having second thoughts?" The elf woman asked.
"Second thoughts?" Kuda said with his eyes covered by his bangs. "Why would I have second thoughts? Celesta?"
"So, you two close?" Phina asked casually, starting a second healing. Phina couldn't heal the boy all at once, but they also couldn't move him without at least two healing spells. Maybe more.
"Not really," Clarabeth answered, not taking her eyes off of Bell. With the goblin problem resolved, Clarabeth had anxiously sat on her knees by Bell's side, patiently waiting. "I just see him pass by our family's store, which is why I don't understand why he saved me. I-I'm grateful, but..."
"He probably didn't have a reason," Phina said softly. "From what I can say, he just wanted to save you."
"...Who are you people anyway?" Clarabeth asked, not feeling like continuing the conversation. "You guys knew Bell-kun's name before anyone had said it. Do you know him?"
"W-We're acquaintances of his grandfather," Phina explained hesitantly. "We um…"
"Old Man Cranel?" Clarabeth said, surprised. "But he died."
"We're aware," Phina nodded. "The old man asked us, our leaders to be exact, to take care of Bell-kun if he died. So that's why we're here."
"Oh… is it okay to be talking with you while you're… doing what you're doing?"
"Don't worry," the young female elf smiled. "Once you start a spell, it's simply a matter of holding myself in place."
"Oh," Clarabeth sighed, indifferent, which made Phina frown. A girl her age, of any age shouldn't be so glum. Not after their life was saved.
"Hey, did you not want Bell-kun to save you?" Phina asked, her expression serious.
"H-Huh?!" Clarabeth was shocked at the sudden question.
"Are you not grateful?"
"Of course I am, but-"
"Then you should be thanking him."
"I will!"
"Then you should give him a passionate kiss when he wakes up."
"Okay!" Clarabeth agreed without thinking before blushing after realizing what she had just agreed to. "W-Wait what?!"
"It's practically traditional for a damsel in distress to thank her savior with their body," Phina explained as if it were common sense. "Although, considering your age, a kiss will have to suffice. That said, I wonder if Bell-kun is interested in girls right now. Maybe you could promise your body to him when your older?"
"That's… That is…" Clarabeth was now completely red in the face and was practically steaming.
"Aw, you're embarrassed," Phina cooed. "You do see Bell-kun as a member of the opposite sex, don't you? You won't have a problem having him taking your first kiss or your- OWW!"
"Stop teasing her, Phina," Nim, the chienthrope girl, ordered after smacking the elf hard on her head. She left a huge bump. "You're an elf. Shouldn't you be ashamed at talking about such a questionable subject?"
"Oooh… you hit me far too hard, Nim," Phina moaned, rubbing the bump on her head. "I was just trying to cheer her up."
"Then you should've stopped at the kiss," Nim advised. "Sex was a little too extreme for a girl her age."
"You think?"
"I do," she sighed before facing Clarabeth. "Bell-kun saved you because it was in his instinct. It was his choice, so there's no need to be upset over it. If you really appreciate what he did, then be thankful you're alive. Don't overthink the situation. You're alive and he's alive. Call it a win and leave it at that." She added, smiling warmly.
"...Right, I will," Clarabeth nodded.
"That was sweet," Phina said. "But it was mostly stoney."
"At least I didn't suggest two preteens hooking up," Nim retorted.
"It was a joke," she argued.
"It was still creepy!"
"...I'm sorry about them," Kyra said apologetically to Clarabeth's mother and father, who were watching them from a distance.
"It's fine," Anna replied. Despite the scary situation that had just transpired, she seemed calm and cool. Kyra believed she was tough skinned. "Clarabeth seems to be cheering up."
"That's good," her husband said, equally calm. "Although, that elf girl seems different from the other elves I've seen. I would assume she would be a bit more… reserved."
"Phina-chan was raised outside of the elven homeland by non-elf parents, so she doesn't have the same habits and mannerisms as elves with a more traditional upbringing," Kyra explained.
"I see," Kirk nodded. "But, still, I can't believe you girls are from Zeus Familia. Even all the way out here in the sticks we occasionally hear about the legendary familias, Zeus and Hera. I never thought I'd get to meet some of their members, let alone be saved by them, even less by the legendary Kyra Slavis."
"I am hardly deserving of praise," Kyra said, denying her status as a top-class adventure as she glanced at the unconscious boy being healed by Phina. "Not after failing to protect Bell-kun."
"...But-"
"I realize that I should be grateful that he's alive at all," Kyra admitted, interrupting Anna. "But it still hurts."
Kirk and Anna exchanged looks before the latter asked something. "Excuse me, um, may I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"You say you know-er-knew Cranel-san, right," Anna asked.
"That is correct…"
"Then... he was a member of Zeus Familia as well?"
"!?" Kyra was shocked by the question, however she knew that she should have guessed that someone would assume that the old man would be from the familia. It wasn't wrong, yet it wasn't correct either. "...Yes. He was."
"...I see," Anna nodded, sounding slightly skeptical. "He always told stories about how great Orario adventurers were. He must have been speaking from experience."
"Indeed," Kyra nodded, unable to look at the couple in the eyes. She decided to approach Phina and Nim, who with Bell and Clarabeth. "Phina-chan, how is Bell-kun?"
"He'll live," Phina answered. "He isn't fully healed, but the worst is over. If we can feed him some healing potions, then he'll be completely fine."
"Can he be moved?"
"Yes, but it needs to be gentle," Phina advised.
"Understood," Kyra nodded. "Nim-chan, how do you feel, stamina wise?"
"I feel mostly fine," Nim answered. "But Kuda-san and the others aren't where they were before. They're at the mayor's house, which we don't know where it is."
"That's right," Kyra realized, feeling like kicking herself for forgetting. "It was stupid of me to not bring a single vial of healing potion."
"We should've remembered too," Nim sighed.
"Um, excuse me, but," Clarabeth spoke up shyly. "There is a doctor's office at the foot of the hill."
"That's right," Anna said. "He also has potions too."
"That's great!" Kyra exclaimed happily. "I'll take him there right now."
"We'll lead you there," Kirk offered. "The Doc's place isn't very distinguishable from other people's homes."
"Thank you, that'd be much appreciated," Kyra lowered her head.
"Please," Kirk said dismissively. "That's hardly enough to repay you for saving our lives."
"Indeed," Anna nodded. "How about you all come over to our house for dinner. Sorry that that is all we have to provide, but I am a very good cook, if I do say so myself. Not sure how I compare to cooks in Orario, though."
"N-No, I mean we came here with a very big group," Kyra explained, trying to find a way to gently turn them down because she didn't want to impose.
"That's fine," Ann assured. "They can come too."
"There are about thirty of us."
"That's nothing compared to the holidays," Anna chuckled. "Between my husband and I, there are over 100 mouths for me to feed."
"That's impressive…!" Kyra couldn't help but say, sounding shocked.
"Not really. The point is, we'd be happy to have all of you over," Anna insisted. It was quite clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Including Bell-kun."
"Well… if you insist," Bella conceded. "But I warn you, some of our boys aren't very good at table manners."
"I'm quite used to that, honestly," Anna laughed.
"But firstly, we should get Bell-kun to that doctor," Bella reminded them all. "Phina-chan, should I make a stretcher for Bell-kun with materials from those woods?"
"I think it would be fine if someone carried him on their back," Phina advised before adding something with an awkward face. "Maybe you… Kyra-san?"
"...If it must be done," Kyra nodded, unemotional. Then, she crouched down, readying her back to be ridden on. "Help him on my back. And be gentle."
"Yes, ma'am!" The two girls obey unquestioningly as they, gently, lifted up Bell's unconscious body with Nim lifting up his upper half and Phina lifting his lower half, then smoothly laying him on Kyra's back, who held Bell onto her by grabbing his legs and wrapped them around her torso. His head rested comfortably on her shoulder. Throughout the process, Bell didn't react at all. If Phina hadn't already checked him, she would have assumed he was dead. The very thought sent a chill down her spine.
As the female adventurers were at work, the Augustine family couldn't help but notice a certain awkwardness in the air, mostly exuded by Kyra. However, they dismissed it as only their imaginations. It really wasn't their business anyway.
"Let us go," Kyra said. The Augustine adults nodded, then led the way. As Kyra followed, with Nim and Phina behind her, she felt mixed. On one hand, she was happy to have Bell on her back, but on the other hand, it was after she failed to save him from being hurt. He was unconscious, unaware that he was even being carried. It broke her heart. Nevertheless, was aware that this was the price she paid for her decisions. And she would carry them out no matter how terrible she felt. No matter how much her heart would shatter in the end.