Ever since I've used that spell, I've been feeling strange... My body feels strange.

Closing my eyes and paying careful attention, I could sense something inside me. It was as if my blood pulsed, urging for something. My skin tingling, even itching. But I couldn't quite discern whether this sensation was pleasant or unpleasant. It just felt... odd.

"I want to use it again..."

I wanted to use that spell again, I wanted to study it, but I was not in the right condition to use it. My hands were still in pain from the consequences of my own actions. And I've been mentally unstable since the assassination.

I had no idea what was happening to me; were my mother still here, she could have surely given me an explanation...

"Argenta, this is for you!" Joey suddenly appeared in front of me, snapping me back into reality. He held a blue gift box with a cute ribbon enveloping it. I stared at it; it was bringing back bad memories.

"It's not my birthday..." I acidly told him, raising my eyes to meet his gaze.

"It doesn't have to be your birthday for people to give you something."

A shrewd objection.

"Why would you want to give me something?" I countered.

"Huh..." he seemed taken aback, as if he hadn't expected a refusal. "Well, lately you seem really down. I was hoping to cheer you up with this," he murmured.

I shifted my gaze onto the box once more... I really hated it, and the more I stared at it, the more I despised myself.

"Don't you want it?" he asked.

"No..." I replied.

He looked at me with even a more saddened expression, but it didn't seem like he wanted to give up. "May I...?" he asked, gesturing to the space next to me on the staircase.

I made room for him to sit beside me. He stood silent for a bit, faintly sighing.

"Argenta... I know next to nothing about dungeons or how guilds operate. I didn't even know they had collaborators. But tomorrow, you're going inside a Double-S rank dungeon. Even knowing nothing about them, it doesn't take a genius to understand it's going to be dangerous... It would make me feel a bit more reassured knowing you had this, and it would make me happy if you accepted it," he confessed, offering the box to my face once again.

I sighed, annoyed by his persistence. "Fine... I'll take it."

I grabbed it and quickly removed the ribbon, taking my time to lift the lid; on its inside: a dagger.

"I know it's not your old weapon, but I hope you like it, and that it will be useful for the dungeon," he said, showing a gentle smile.

Somehow, I had anticipated it would be a dagger, that's why I didn't want to face it. Luckily, it was quite different from my mother's, even from the very first impressions. This dagger was azure-ish, with a blade that seemed to shimmer with an enchantment. My mother instructed me well about enchanted weapons; they typically use magic or enchanted materials to make them, meaning the enchantment would eventually wear off, becoming just a plain and ordinary weapons, so they had limited uses. Still, for a dungeon, it should be enough. I hadn't even thought about getting a new weapon.

I gently lifted the weapon. It felt slightly heavier than my mother's dagger, but it was still nice to wield. "Thanks..." I murmured.

He seemed relieved, sipping something from a cup with a straw.

"What's that thing you're drinking?" I asked.

"It's a beverage. Try it, it's fresh," he offered, extending the cup towards me.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I took a sip from the straw; to be a beverage, it was unusually thick, but it had a fruity flavor and was pleasantly cold. "Hm, not bad. You can take it back," I said, returning the cup.

"You can finish it, it's almost empty anyway," he refused.

"No, it's yours. Take it," I insisted, just like he insisted with the gift box.

"Oh, okay..."

Afterward, we simply enjoyed the breeze.

"Hey, Argenta," he called out after a while.

"What?" I turned my attention to him.

"Be careful tomorrow."

I scoffed. "Who do you think you're talking to? Don't worry."

The next day, after waking up and stowing my codex inside its bag and my new dagger in my pocket, I descended the stairs to the lounge, only to find it filled with people. As I made my way down the last few steps, I tried to process the confusion inside my mind.

"The rest of the guild members... and the others from the allied guild," I realized, noticing the various capelets in the crowded room.

Spotting Joey engaged in conversation with two individuals, I decided to approach them. A total of ten people were in the lounge; I only knew two of them: Joey and Laura.

Joey noticed my approach and made the introductions easier for me. "Good morning, Argenta. This-"

"Hii! I'm Selena, and this is my boyfriend, Jerald. Is it true that you don't have a personal weapon?" the girl suddenly interrupted Joey, seized my hurting hands and started a conversation hitting the most sensitive spot right away. She's too energetic, looking at me with golden sparkling eyes... I already don't like this blondie.

"Hmm... yes, it's true," I replied, taken aback by the sudden excitement. I had just woken up...

"Forgive her, she was excited to meet the new member, and she got even more excited when she heard about your anomaly," the guy, Jerald, intervened.

"I don't mean it in a bad way! This is just the first time I heard about someone without a personal weapon, but you could say I'm rare, too! My divine weapon is a pen!" Selena exclaimed.

"A pen? Oh..." I was intrigued; she suddenly showed me her weapon. It was a golden pen, quite small and rounded in the middle. It was... funny-looking.

"And, please allow me..." she leaned in, scribbling something on my cheek.

"Hahaha-!" I covered my mouth with both hands; I suddenly burst into laughter, and not from the tickling sensation of the pen's touch. Meanwhile, she was proudly smiling.

"This is its power!" she exclaimed. "I wrote 'laugh' over your cheek. It lasts only for a few seconds, then it dissipates. It can be various actions, but its effectiveness varies from person to person. On Elizabeth it has no effect at all, but it seems to work like a charm on you! It's so funny!" she friendly chuckled.

That wasn't a spell, it was simply the magic of her divine weapon; forcing an action upon its target... What a frightening and interesting power.

"Somebody called me?" Elizabeth appeared from the side.

"Kyaa! Elizabeth, my love!" Selena jumped at her, affectionately hugging and fervently caressing her head, making her hair a mess. Resistance was futile; she seemed to have given up since the beginning. This must've been a regular occurrence. "I've missed you so much, Elizabeth!"

"Yes..." was all that Elizabeth could muster, suffocated between Selena's breasts.

"Even Leonard arrived," Joey remarked, nodding towards him from the distance.

"Oh! I have to tell him something!" Selena released Elizabeth from her clutches and rushed towards the leader.

"Everyone is so calm... I expected more tension before a Double-S rank dungeon," Joey confessed.

"That would only worsen the exploration, but I understand what you mean," Jerald remarked, crossing his arms.

"Let's still be cautious. Apparently this dungeon has been there for quite some time now, the monsters inside are surely stronger and more abundant. It will take more time to clear it..." Elizabeth said, adjusting her hair.

"How long does it usually take to clear a dungeon like that?" Joey asked.

"It depends," Jerald intervened. "Usually, it doesn't take more than a week, but depending on the dungeon, I'd say it can even last a month."

"Oh, so the wagon outside..." Joey pointed out.

"That's right, it contains mostly food and backpacks, in case the dungeon doesn't allow us to bring it into its depths," Jerald clarified.

"Crimson is still not here?!" suddenly, Leonard's exclamation reverberated through the entire room. He quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses with his index finger. He then approached Elizabeth. "Elizabeth... you shall be the coordinator for this expedition," he declared.

"What?! M-me?!" she stepped backward.

"You're the most experienced here after Crimson, and nobody knows her whereabouts," he explained.

"B-but I never did that. I..." Elizabeth tried to hide her panic under her huge hat.

"Dear, this is the perfect opportunity for you to show the Leader what you're capable of, don't you think?" Laura leaned in.

"Err... Fine, mom. I'll do it..." Elizabeth murmured in response, looking away.

Afterward, Leonard returned talking with some members, while Selena came back to us.

"I'm sorry, but I've told her to come," Selena justified with folded arms, angrily huffing as she looked away.

"I've heard about this Crimson quite often now. Who is she?" I asked.

"She's the one who coordinates all the members inside the dungeons. Ever since Laura retired, she's the one handling the job. But she also undertakes lots of quests by herself. She's often called by the City Lord, and even the King, for personal matters," Jerald explained.

"Oh? She sounds pretty strong," I remarked, showing my interest towards this unknown girl.

"She's strong..." Elizabeth commented; her gaze, however, seemed resentful. "But her ways... I don't like them."