The sound of blades clashing echoed through the otherwise silent corridors of the Dungeon, muffling the subtle screeches of monsters.
Even the Dungeon's darkness was briefly broken by spells that lit the area in a blaze.
A group of raiders found us during one of our breaks, right after we passed by the door to the Boss room.
This deep into the floor, we had to be careful with each encounter, so of course, Mia and Claire rushed forward.
Three of Ellie's arrows raced past them, briefly stopping the lunar glowstrikers in their tracks.
With the corridor walls as her support, Mia launched at a hobgoblin riding on top of a lunar glowstriker.
Her claws minced the monster's neck, and her feet stomped its mount's head into a pool of blood.
Similarly, Claire's sword flared, and upon contact with the blade of a hobgoblin, it exploded in a vertical flame slash that split monster and mount into two almost even piles of burnt flesh.
Though everything happened in a flash, before the two could compete for the next raider, a thick, reflective bluish spike rose from the ground, the two monsters impaled by it staining the ice crystal red with their blood.
The second wave avoided the crystal only to be met by a combination of Licia's sword slash and a fire bolt launched from my palms.
With Anna and I slightly behind the other three, I felt confident in letting her defend Ellie and Beatrice while I poured my mana into bolts of fire to support the girls in the frontline.
Beatrice's magic ran on the walls, blasting the hobgoblins in the back before they could reinforce the front.
After one last shot, Ellie lowered her bow and sighed.
Her arrow crossed the distance between Mia and Claire, piercing the skull of the last monster... their target.
The two turned around, giving her a mean look.
She raised her palms, but before she could apologize, Licia scolded Claire.
Hearing Licia's scolding and not being able to argue against it herself, Mia lowered her head, even though she wasn't the main target.
Suddenly, she jumped back behind Ellie.
The elf jolted in surprise, but seeing Mia's ears twitch, I joined her.
Together, we killed two cloaked goblins hidden in the shadows behind our line before they could cause trouble.
Miwen: "Hah... Think we can take a breather now?"
With her eyes closed, Mia began to sniff the air.
Her eyes turned a little, and after a second, her shoulders slumped.
Mia: "I thought the break was already over?"
Everyone lowered their guards, and we sat on the ground.
After Licia and I distributed water bottles to the girls, we also took a moment to rest.
Mia: "...You're keeping up well."
She whispered under her breath, as if not intending me to hear it.
When I turned to her, Mia gulped down the entire water bottle in one go.
Miwen: "Keeping up is a strong word."
When everything worked, we had a golden formation in our hands.
With her speed, Mia could comfortably disrupt even big groups.
Quite a few times, she was the first contact between us and the monsters in our way, and the fact that we hadn't suffered any injuries so far proved how good she was at it.
She'd draw attention, dodge attacks, and leave even the toughest monsters we found exposed.
Licia and Claire were able to capitalize on her perfectly. They'd show up from her flanks and with their absurdly high coordination, most monsters met their ends without knowing what hit them.
However, Claire wasn't satisfied with playing second fiddle.
And as for me...
I couldn't copy Mia, even though I also focused on speed.
Even following Claire and Licia was exhausting for me; I'd often find myself one or two steps behind them.
Mia: "Don't sell yourself short. I've seen you running back and forth."
She opened my backpack and searched for another bottle.
This time, she drank it slowly.
Miwen: "That's thanks to Anna."
Hearing her name, Anna briefly turned towards us.
The claymore I gave her was paying dividends.
While she rarely faced anyone alone, its length allowed her to support the frontline without joining them.
The tremors caused by the sword were a small problem, but given the experience of our frontline, the shaky ground actually turned into an advantage for us.
Anna: "E-Eh?"
I flashed her a friendly smile and waved my hand.
Since she often stood between the two lines, waiting for the few monsters that slipped past the others or guarding the back from ambushes, she didn't seem to realize just how much help she was.
But it was her presence that enabled me to focus on magic or helping Licia and Claire deal with the bigger groups.
Mia: "Still... You're improving a lot faster than I thought..."
Though she slouched, her grip on the bottle became strong enough that the plastic crumpled in her hand.
Miwen: "...It'd be hard not to when you're taking such good care of me-"
She nudged my arm with her elbow, refusing to so much as look my way.
Mia: "Since you like it this much, I'll put you through hell."
Miwen: "It'd be a lovely journey..."
Instead of hitting me again, she turned her face away and focused on emptying her bottle.
Looking forward, I found the reason why.
Ellie: "S-Sorry to interrupt..."
Even though she was already so cute, when flustered, she reached new heights.
She leaned forward, almost bowing while awkwardly scratching the back of her head.
The embarrassed smile she wore made it hard to believe that she was the same girl who'd been hitting shot after shot just a few moments earlier.
Miwen: "You want another bottle?"
She shook her head and extended her hand toward me.
Ellie: "Anna found this on the ground."
A small, completely black orb rested on her palms.
Ellie: "I think it was from the last group. But it could be from another party..."
We were so deep into the floor that it was unlikely for another party to have made it this far.
More than likely, it was the result of Mia and Claire charging forward without a care in the world other than their competition.
Whatever the case was, we picked it up, so it was ours.
Ellie: "Also, um... Thanks for earlier!"
She bowed to Mia and me, her eyes closed.
Mia: "Mm."
I knew personally how long it took for Mia to get close to others. Her way of making friends and showing affection was pretty unique.
The thought of giving her a nudge in the right direction flashed through my mind, and I couldn't stop myself.
Miwen: "Now that I think about it, your tribe was full of hunters, right, Mia? Do you also know how to use a bow?"
The plastic bottle fully deformed under her fingers.
Mia: "I wasn't great at it, and without the level cap, I'm faster than most arrows anyway..."
She still didn't look our way.
Ellie was about to leave, but I gave her a signal to stay for a few more seconds.
Miwen: "I see... What about Ellie, though? How does she compare to the hunters in your tribe?"
If there was one thing Mia was honest about, it was her respect for people's combat abilities.
And as expected, she earnestly ran her mouth.
Mia: "On archery alone? She'd be among the best..."
Ellie sat before us.
Surrounded, Mia couldn't avoid the two of us.
Ellie: "I didn't know you came from a tribe of hunters... What was it like?"
Mia: "I mean... Normal? Uhm..."
The two slowly warmed up to each other during our break.
Their conversation revolved around monsters they had in the past, and their opinions couldn't be more different.
Ellie: "Monsters with high defense and tough hides were a pain for me back then... Whenever my Gift failed to activate... It was the worst feeling..."
Her ears drooped, and she fidgeted with an arrow, scratching the ground.
Mia: "I like hunting the big ones. The small, slippery ones are a pain, though..."
Despite disagreeing with her, Ellie started praising Mia, saying she had an easy time because she was so strong.
My fiancée got overwhelmed by the overly enthusiastic elf, so I landed her a hand.
Miwen: "...You two also seemed to hate the hobgoblin archers, right-"
They were always Mia and Ellie's first target, even when they were hidden behind other monsters.
Mia: "Their aim is terrible. It's hard to predict what'll happen, so I try to get them first."
Ellie: "That's right! They are the worst!"
Both nodded at the same time, and though Ellie's head bobbed faster, she and Mia shared the same annoyed expression.
As payback for helping her make a friend, Mia had me undergo her spartan training regimen, once more forcing me to be the spearhead of our party.
Despite how harsh she was, the experience was valuable for me.
The first time I went through it, I made a bunch of mistakes that could've ended badly, which I didn't repeat this go. I was comfortable enough to experiment a little more, especially since I knew there was a strong party to support me.
Because of that, it took us a while to return to the Third Floor's settlement, but thanks to the black mana orb Anna found and another one we got on our way back, we earned $240 today.
As far as raids went, this was a success.
While there were no incidents on our way back home today, Licia, Claire, and I arrived slightly later than expected since I stopped for a small shopping trip.
Before starting dinner, I had promised to keep Mia company, and we sparred for a few minutes inside the Kingdom.
She seemed to enjoy beating me into shape, and I was glad to see a smile on her face, terrifying as it was.
Once Mia was satisfied, I caught a glimpse of Ellie training her bowmanship.
Because of the conversation she shared with Mia in the Dungeon, I became quite interested in it.
Though her skillfulness also drew me in.
She easily handled a bow almost her size, with focused eyes.
Watching the path her arrows made only to hit the center of her mark was mesmerizing.
Ellie: "Um... Perhaps... Do you wanna try?"
She let out a small, resigned sigh.
As she lowered her bow, she turned and greeted me with a slightly awkward, yet incredibly gentle smile.
Miwen: "Eh? Nah... I doubt I'd be any good."
Her form was beautiful.
Every small movement seemed meaningful and deliberate.
I couldn't imagine replicating that, and I thought it'd look disrespectful to try.
Ellie: "Ah, but that's fine! I'll help you!"
Despite her shy exterior, her excitement always seemed to win out when she interacted with others.
It was hard to say no when she handed me the bow with such expectant eyes, but as soon as she started touching me, I regretted the decision.
She wasn't being naughty, just correcting my form, but...
Her expression was so serious, and she did it so thoroughly that she almost seemed engrossed by it.
I ended up being the one feeling all the embarrassment.
Ellie: "Now, when you draw the bowstring towards you, try to keep an anchor point like the corner of your mouth..."
She tapped her lips with her index finger, a rather cute movement, if not for the earnestness in her eyes.
Ellie: "That helps your consistency whenever you're shooting!"
I tried hard not to be distracted by her, answering her energy in kind.
As she pointed at the marking on the side of the house she lived in with Beatrice and Anna, I took a deep breath.
The string resistance was higher than I expected, but instead of pulling it harder, I slowly brought it closer.
Once my hand had reached near my mouth, I released the bowstring.
Just as I fired, a cold breeze hit us, brushing Ellie's hair with enough strength that she had to hold her head.
The arrow still flew straight forward, though.
Its tip sank into the wood.
Miwen: "Oof... Almost though."
I couldn't tell whether the breeze got in my way or if it had helped me get close to the mark.
However, while I missed, it was by so little that I ended up pretty satisfied.
Ellie: "Eh? A-Are you sure it's your first time?"
She glanced at the mark and then back at me, her eyes blinking a few times.
Miwen: "Shooting a bow? Yeah. Why?"
I couldn't understand why she seemed so worried and tilted my head slightly.
Ellie: "Um... It's just that... I made the mark using my hand, see?"
She held her open palm in front of her face.
Ellie: "B-Because of that, the mark is really small, you know? M-Most monsters have heads bigger than that, so... You'd probably have killed them..."
Even though I wasn't feeling bad about it at all, she tried desperately to comfort me.
After Mia's training, it was impossible not to appreciate the contrast between my two teachers.
Miwen: "It's all good, I'll be sure to hit it next time."
I smiled at her, showing that the shot didn't make me any less excited about archery.
Ellie: "B-But... We were shooting from the same distance... It's quite far..."
She walked toward the arrow and measured its distance to the mark with her thumb.
With her going this far to keep me in a good mood, I couldn't give up after just one shot.
Miwen: "Don't worry, I know I shouldn't expect much from a first attempt. If it doesn't get in your way, maybe you can teach me more?"
Ellie: "I... Wha....?... No... Not at all..."
Without the bow in her hand, the shyness returned.
Even after I handed it back to her, it still felt like she was a little confused and in a daze, her shots not as precise as before.
I tried shooting a few more times, but unfortunately, we couldn't stay long and had to return home for dinner.
Licia was already able to handle the kitchen by herself, so I let Ellie help her while I worked on dessert.
During the shopping trip on our way back, I got everything I needed, but just in case...
Miwen: "...Is there any flavor you don't like? Or one you're looking forward to?"
I turned toward my fiancée, fighting against the TV for her attention.
Mia: "Not really. I never ate cake."
She shook her head from side to side, returning her gaze to the TV.
My kitchen wasn't that big.
Cooking together with Ellie and Licia already limited our movements a lot, and that was mostly thanks to Ellie being so pocket-sized.
But after hearing what Mia said...
Licia: "You're going all out?"
Just seeing how I organized my "station", she flashed me an excited smile.
Miwen: "You bet."
I didn't know much about Mia's preferences, so I decided to cover as much ground as I could.
Licia: "Then... Whoever gets praised more wins?"
Before starting on Mia's request, I glanced to the side.
Licia was cutting a seasoned chicken, while Ellie peeled potatoes.
On their side of the counter, they already had carrots and herbs ready.
Miwen: "Don't go crying when you lose."
While Licia chuckled, Ellie stared at the two of us with a hint of concern, seemingly confused about why we were competing.
After about half an hour, Claire's stomach started complaining that we were taking too long.
I had just the thing to distract her, but I decided to hand it to Mia instead.
Mia: "Hm? What's this?"
In her hands, she held the bowl I had just used, streaks of leftover chocolate glaze still running on it.
Miwen: "It'll still take me a while to finish, so... Have fun while you wait."
She seemed a little hesitant at first.
However, after tasting a finger-full of chocolate, she couldn't stop herself anymore.
To stop Claire from stealing some from her, Mia held the bowl before her face, licking it clean.
As I resumed my work, my phone rang with a notification from Roy.
I'd usually wait until after dinner, especially when I had my hands this full, but...
Something told me I should take a look.
And I was glad I did.
According to his message, a friend of a friend said that the Army Of The Gifted's structure had changed.
They still kept various high-ranked members, their so-called executives, but at the very top, there was a new leader.
Or rather, a second leader.
While the old leader was still the public face, this new guy had just as much authority.
Since this change happened recently, there weren't any obvious effects yet.
However, the AOTG wouldn't leave my mind.
It should be none of my business.
But thinking about it...
Licia: "...Did you not like it?"
Before I knew it, we had already finished dinner and desserts.
Everyone was enjoying their food, while I was the only one with a sour face.
Miwen: "Hm. No, it's great. You guys should be proud."
Even though it wasn't a well-kept secret, it didn't make sense for the AOTG not to announce these changes.
It also seemed strange that a decade-old organization would suddenly shift structures so dramatically...
Every time I thought about it, a chill ran down my spine.
Ellie: "A-Are you sure?"
I decided to brush away these feelings to enjoy Licia and Ellie's dinner.
And it was a good decision.
Their cooking was as warm as their personalities, with just enough seasoning to make me want seconds.
Miwen: "My turn now, huh?"
The girls seemed to have enjoyed dinner so much that Licia stared at me with a smug smile plastered over her face.
It was a difficult battle, but I was just as confident.
Claire: "That's... Very orange."
Licia: "Nhm. So that's what happened to the carrots..."
After we took the dishes to the sink, I served each of the girls a slice of carrot cake with a chocolate glaze on top.
It was a recipe I had never tried before, so I wasn't sure how hard it'd be, nor how the girls would react.
Mia: "Oh... So you can make cake with carrots?"
Her gaze drifted toward Claire, the only real noble on the table, and the only one who had actually experienced all the luxury that came with a territory.
Claire: "I didn't know either. The chefs back home never did this..."
The recipe turned out to be surprisingly simple, so maybe her house's chefs felt it'd be too unsophisticated for the duke and his daughter.
However...
Miwen: "Well?"
Mia: "Hm... I don't know much about sweets, so I can't really compare to anything, but... I like it! Good job, pervert."
Even though she was the daughter of her tribe's chieftainess, Mia's life was as far from luxurious as it could be.
Thankfully, I had prepared just for that.
Miwen: "We'll be fixing that today. Just a second."
I went back to the kitchen and placed slices of a different cake on a plate for her.
This time, it was a lemon cake.
Claire: "You made two!?"
I nodded silently, staring at Licia.
She shook her head slowly, wearing an overwhelmed smile.
Mia: "It's not as sweet, but... I want seconds..."
Throughout the night, Mia ate almost half of the lemon cake by herself.
She even asked me to save a slice for tomorrow, if I could.
Of course, there was no way I'd ever refuse a request from my fiancée.
Licia: "...You got one up on me, huh? Cheeky."
As we sat on the sofa, Licia rested against my arm, poking my cheek.
I pulled her closer, my arm wrapped around her shoulder.
Miwen: "You were good, but... Better luck next time."
I'd gone above and beyond, but it was well worth it to watch the girls enjoying themselves.
Despite how I felt about the AOTG, at that moment, all I could think about was how we'd spend tomorrow together.