Lyon POV:

The streets were packed with people rushing toward nearby dungeons. Spectators sat on the edge of the rooftops, chatting away with one another. Cheers shook the ground whenever a party successfully cleared a dungeon. Food stalls lined the streets, adding to the festive atmosphere that only grew with time.

A man blew air into a balloon. He tied it into the shape of a giant teddy bear before handing it over to a young girl. Everyone took part in a day that marked the beginning of a new era.

I turned the corner leading to the dungeon I had chosen and was greeted with an interesting sight. What once used to be a wide open street was now a huge marketplace. Merchants put up attractive signs in front of their stalls, advertising various equipment spread across tables.

An endless stream of people filled the middle of the pathway. Some wore different gear and looked organized. Others haggled over prices. Few directly dropped large pouches of gold into the merchant’s hands, buying everything at once.

It was clear that the huge influx of adventurers would provide a great boost to the economy, as I had previously expected.

“Pssst!! Oddjob! Over here!”

I shifted my gaze to a man with tanned skin. His hands covered the sides of his mouth, trying to make his voice only reach my ears alone. I walked towards him; my eyes briefly examined the equipment he had laid out on the long table.

“Phew! Thank goodness I found you first! Alright, here’s the deal. I’ll give you 15% commission on every good you sell. How about it?”

He grinned while forming a circle with his finger and thumb.

“Farman, I was never a merchant.”

He slammed the table. Farman took a deep breath and stuck three fingers into the air.

“30% on every good you sell. Come on, Oddjob. The moment you returned and helped me out for those few weeks, my revenue increased by 50%! You’re a natural at this! The future is... Money and we can make a lot of it!”

My lips curved into a thin smile as I shook my head. I wasn’t short on money at all. In fact, I had more of it than I could ever need.

“I’m here to enter the dungeon, Farman.”

The corners of his mouth fell, but his eyebrows soon shot up to his hairline. He pulled out a sheet of paper, jotting down some calculations on what I assumed was how profitable I could be to him.

“Hmm. Well, I guess that can work.”

Farman held up the piece of paper to the sky. He rested a hand on his chin, examining the accuracy of his calculations, before shifting his gaze to me.

“You’re smart, so I’m sure you’ve figured it out already. A lot of the merchants here are trying to get ahead on the new market that’s about to open: sponsorship deals. By sponsoring prospects, we can gain a substantial amount of profit based on their performances in dungeons.”

‘Hmm.’

Gold coins replaced his eyes, and his mouth continued to move without rest.

“You see, parties can be officially registered at the guild, where they can choose a name for themselves. Each month, the guild will post a list of the current party rankings. I hear the black market plans to use that feature as a new way to gamble on who’ll come out on top.

The higher the ranking, the more prestigious you become. And that, my friend, means more opportunities to make the gold coin multiply.”

His grin threatened to rip the skin at the sides of his mouth before he snapped back to the possibility of making that a reality.

“Ah, right. So... since you’re Oddjob, your versatility and resourcefulness will pretty much make you indispensable regardless of what party you’re on. You can even use Ki now too... Hmm... So why don’t I sponsor you? Whatever you need, I have it.”

I held up my hand to politely decline, but Farman gave me no chance to even open my mouth.

“Look! You have no equipment! You can’t go in like that! I’m sure you’re aware that these pieces of equipment aren’t ordinary. They’ve been crafted from monsters with many containing special effects. Take this swor... Hey! I’m still talking!!”

“Take care, Farman.”

I walked off while waving my hand towards him. He would go on and on and on until I accepted his offer. Farman was known as the Relentless Pursuer for a reason. He was a hard guy to get rid of once he had his eyes set on you. There was also no point in wearing equipment far weaker than my own Ki Armour.

I reached the end of the marketplace that opened up into a wide plaza. People bustled around, forming parties and recruiting others into self-made groups.

“Looking for a Grade 9 fire Elementee!”

“We need a tank! Anyone with good defensive skills is welcome to join!”

“A party? Who needs that? I ride solo.”

“Dude, you’re a Scout, remember?”

“...”

I weaved my way through the crowd until I reached some benches near the sides of the plaza. A beautiful young woman sat down with her hands placed on her lap. She had perfect posture, and a butler stood by her side.

She had long, light grey hair with faint blue streaks that ran through small sections of it. Her eyes were a gentle shade of blue, almost aqua, and her skin had a very fair complexion.

The young woman rushed to her feet once she noticed my gaze. The distance between us closed. Her eyes fell to the ground, and a shaky voice left her mouth.

“E-Excuse me... Would you like to be in a party with me...?”

Before I could answer, I observed the butler’s imposing presence behind her. His slicked-back hair was also light grey, but it contained two faint azure streaks on both sides.

‘I can’t sense his Ki.’

I shifted my gaze back to the young woman; her eyebrows quivered as she waited for my reply.

“Alright. That’s fine with me. I’m Lyon Asphalios, and you?”

I extended my hand toward her. A wave of relief washed over her face, and a bright smile radiated out.

“I am Terra Skyblade, and this is my butler, Hubert.”

Terra’s soft hand shook my own. Hubert bowed his head; the intensity in his eyes disappearing with his introduction. He smoothed out the corners of his moustache and stood guard beside Terra.

‘The Skyblade family?’

Apart from being one of the 5 noble families of Efros, they were known for their powerful Sword Style that was said to rival the Hojos. Despite the constant comparison between the two families, they were actually on very good terms with one another.

“I apologize for my lack of manners.”

I bowed my head toward her. I didn’t know what her position in the Skyblade family was, but showing the appropriate respect was necessary.

“O-oh… It’s okay! Please… treat me just the same.”

I watched her panic before her eyes turned serious.

“Thank you.”

If I remembered correctly, The Scarlet Blade was a close friend of Silas ‘The Sky King’ Skyblade: the head of the Skyblade family. However, Terra wasn’t carrying a sword at all. She wore light armour over a cute dress, but she didn’t have the appearance of someone wanting to be an adventurer.

“Um... This dungeon requires a party of 4. So... We need 2 more peop—”

Stolen story; please report.

“Haha! I was right! It really is the prestigious Skyblade Princess~”

A young man with short, curly blond hair approached us. His arm was wrapped around a woman’s shoulder. He walked over with a boy around my age that stood a few metres away from them to the side. Terra stiffened and took a step back, but Hubert remained motionless.

“Ah, ah. Where are my manners? I’m Erick and this babe here is Ellen. E&E has a nice ring to it, right? Anyway, the boy over there is Colwin. We’re here to join Lady Terra’s party. You won’t reject us, right?”

“You’re such a cutie~”

Ellen poked his chest, and her shoulder-length blond hair swayed side to side. Colwin stood with one hand in his pocket, choosing not to say anything.

“U-um... The... Party limit... Is 4?...”

Terra stumbled over her words as Erick’s eyebrows furrowed. He took a step forward and peered down at her.

“Party limit? Who cares about that? It’s a stupid F rank dungeon. So, are you rejecting us or not? Is the prestigious Skyblade Princess scared?”

Terra gripped her trembling arm. Her gaze fell to the ground, followed by a soft whisper.

“N-no... You... Can join...”

His condescending sneer soon vanished. He stepped back, wrapping his arm around Ellen’s waist, and ignored my existence.

“Well then, let’s hurry up and ente—”

“I refuse.”

Everyone turned their heads in unison to look at me. Erick’s smirk faded, and he let out an aggravated sigh. He moved his hand away from Ellen, taking a few steps in my direction.

“You scared of a rank F dungeon? Clearly, being an adventurer isn’t meant for you... Oddjob.”

I ignored the animosity in his voice. Ellen’s facial expression darkened; the worry became apparent to anyone who looked at her. She stretched out her hand to grab Erick’s arm but hesitated.

“Dungeons have rules for a reason. It’s not a matter of being scared or not, it’s a matter of protecting those I care about. I never take unnecessary risks.”

“Ha...”

The veins on the side of his forehead bulged. Erick’s eyes narrowed, forcing the skinfolds containing his annoyance to cast darker shadows. He drove his extended finger right into my chest.

“...I was going to leave you be, but you had to open your mouth. You know, I heard a rumour about our precious Oddjob, and the reason why he used to work so hard and so desperately.”

His lips formed a devilish smile as several onlookers gathered around us. He glanced at them and raised his voice to attract even more attention to himself.

“You were always running here and there, but what was the reason behind it all? You weren’t exactly poor, right? Some of you here may think of Oddjob as a strong, honest worker, but the truth is quite the opposite.”

He spread out his arms; his eyes curved toward the sky as if he was conducting some sort of performance.

“He runs because that’s what he’s good at! It’s the very same thing he did when he left his parents to die alone, facing a monster horde! He left the villagers behind, running with his tail between his legs! Is this really the type of person you want to party up with?!”

‘...’

A chuckle pierced through the silence. Erick rested his hand against his face and peered down at me through the gap between his fingers. Murmurs and whispers dispelled the remaining silence, but I ignored them.

“My dear Oddjob, you’re weak, but it truly is nice to see you again. Maybe you can come and clean the stables on my family’s farm once you’ve finished sightseeing, yeah?”

He snickered to himself and tapped my shoulder.

“Huh? Why am I bleeding?”

I glanced at his neck, where a small gash had opened up. He hurried off with Ellen, causing the crowd to disperse as Terra stared at me. Her hands covered her mouth, and tears pooled at the sides of her eyes.

‘That was unnecessary.’

My lips curved into a thin smile.

“My friends have arrived, so I’ll be leaving.”

Colwin bowed his head and walked off. He joined up with some adventurers in the distance before disappearing into the crowd. I watched Erick and Ellen join a party of 6 people. He turned around and smirked at me before entering the dungeon.

“Are... You alright? T-That... He was mean!...”

“It’s not a problem.”

I had been antagonised on a far worse level than this. Ever since the incident with Storm, there was only one other time I lost my composure, and I intended to keep it that way. I performed my best when my mind was calm, like the surface of water.

“My lady, it would be best if you take a seat for now.”

Hubert gestured to the empty benches, but Terra hesitated. I gave her a smile, and she sat down. I turned my attention towards the dungeon, realizing that I still lacked information about it.

“Terra, how long does it take to complete this dungeon?”

She looked at me with questioning eyes. It seemed like she was still concerned about whether I was alright or not.

“Um... Well, it takes around 10 minutes, and the respawn time is 1 minute. Actually, we were supposed to enter the dungeon just now, but my turn was skipped. I’m sorry...”

Terra’s eyes wobbled. She avoided my gaze, embarrassed by her lack of confidence.

“That’s for the best. They might not suffer a penalty for breaking the dungeon rules, but the next party might.”

She tilted her head to the side, pondering over what I had said.

“...You’re right, but we still need two more members. Hubert won’t join... He’s just here to accompany me...”

“It’s not a problem. You should wait here. There’s someone who wants to join our party.”

“Really?”

I gave her a confident nod at her look of surprise before walking off. I weaved my way through the crowd once more, and soon arrived in front of a girl holding a sheathed katana close to her chest.

“Kana, you didn’t need to step in.”

She opened one eye and stared at me.

“Do I need your permission to step in? How strange. I thought I had a will of my own.”

I smiled wryly at her remark before crouching down.

“Do you want to join my par—”

“Yes.”

Kana peered down at me, moving at a speed that avoided my detection. I raised an eyebrow at her fast reply. I was half expecting her to give me the cold shoulder at first, but this was result was much more favourable.

“Great.”

My cheeks rose, but Kana was already gone. I noticed her clenched teeth in the distance and pondered over the cause of her strange reactions toward me. After catching up to Kana, I led the way back to Terra, speaking with a guy who appeared to be a year or two younger than her.

“...Skyblade.”

Kana’s eyes narrowed, causing a chill to emanate around her. Terra waved us over with a bright smile, ignoring Kana’s intensity.

“Kana! Ohh, it’s so nice to see you again!!”

Terra tried to hug Kana when the concealed hilt of her katana shot forward. It stopped Terra in her tracks, keeping the distance between them.

“Don’t act so friendly with me, Skyblade.”

Terra took a step back and folded her arms. Her eyebrows pressed together, forming an expression of perplexity at Kana’s coldness towards her.

“...But we grew up togeth—”

“Don’t you dare say another word.”

The hilt of the katana forced Terra’s mouth shut. Terra raised her hands with a sad look in her eyes, but Kana’s expression remained ice-cold. There was no remorse or even a shred of kindness within them.

“Haha, epic! You’re right, Terra. This party is really something. Oh, I’m Barrel Soldiere, but my friends call me ‘the encyclopedia.’ Though my knowledge still isn’t on par with Terra’s.”

Barrel walked over with a wide grin on his face, unbothered by the tension in the air. He extended his hand towards me, and I grasped it firmly.

“I am Lyon Asphalios and this is Kana Hojo.”

“Wow. Nice grip strength.”

He whistled to himself before glancing at Kana. Barrel dipped his head and stretched out his towards her, but she batted it away with her scabbard.

“...Is this how the Hojo Clan greet one another? I’ll need to make a note of that later.”

Kana’s eyes flashed red, and my hand rushed forward to hold her back. He looked at her with a puzzled expression before realizing it wasn’t a kind gesture at all.

“Aha... Oops.”

He scratched the back of his head. Terra chuckled, and I released my light grip on Kana’s arm. She dusted off the area I had touched and distanced herself away from the rest of us.

“H-Hey... It’s the Pantheons!”

“Man, stop lyi—Damn! Do you think I could get an autograph?!”

“Why on earth are the Pantheons here??... Please sign this Zane! I’m your biggest fan!!”

I shifted my gaze to the crowds of people that began to part in the middle. I saw Zane, Nia and a few other Pantheons I didn’t recognize, walking in a group. They stopped in front of us, and my Master approached me.

“Master, it’s great to see you again.”

The corners of my mouth rose, and I placed my fist against the palm of my hand. I bowed my head deeply, grateful for his teachings. His lips curved into a content smile as his golden brown eyes peered directly into mine.

“You look well, my disciple.”

His eyes glanced at the Mark of a Pantheon hidden with the hand wrap that extended down my left arm. I was sure I saw a faint quiver run through his eyebrows, but it could have been my imagination.

“You’ve only recently completed your Ki Center. The Mark of a Pantheon will need some time to adjust, so don’t rely on it for now. The sheer volume of your development has extended the time this process usually takes, but once complete, you’ll reap the true rewards of your training.”

“Yes, Master. I understand.”

I bowed my head once more. Zane tapped my shoulder and walked past me, giving Nia the opportunity to pull me into a big hug.

“N-Nia!”

“Mhm~ That’s me. We’ve been asked to clear a few dungeons to help boost the confidence of those wanting to give it a try. Sooo, I convinced everyone to come here first~”

She made her signature cat-like expression as a helpless sigh left my mouth. I ignored the heat rushing to my cheeks, and Nia finally let me go after a minute or two.

‘It’s always so comfortable...’

I shook my head at the thought and turned around, only to see a strange sight. Hubert had bowed his head, but Terra’s entire face was a dark shade of red.

“Z-Zane... Y-you… c-came?…”

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright. I’m aware of how easily you get nervous, Terra. However, I am proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone.”

“P-proud...? R-really?...”

“Yes. You always used to lock yourself away in the library when we were younger. Also, my disciple is with you, so there’s no need for me to worry about anyone trying to take advantage of you.”

“...W-worried... A-about me?...”

I stared at the odd scene while Nia chuckled. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we watched the two of them interact.

“The Skyblades are very close with the Pantheons, and Terra over there used to always follow Zane around when she was a little girl~”

“Nia, why doesn’t she carry a sword?”

Nia’s mischievous smile evaporated. A solemn expression took its place, and her hand ruffled my hair.

“...Terra showed no interest in learning the Skyblade Style. Instead, she devoted most of her time to reading all of the books in the Skyblade library. But one day, she saw Zane injured...”

“What?...”

My eyes widened in shock. Who could injure my Master? He always had this air of invincibility around him. It was hard to fathom seeing him even bleed, let alone be gravely injured.

“Right, right. That’s the same reaction she had. Terra cried her eyes out for two whole weeks, then suddenly decided to train for the first time in her life. The problem is… Terra is a late bloomer. So the reason she doesn’t carry a sword is because she can’t use one at the moment, Lyon.”

‘I see.’

I watched Zane turn his back to Terra. She clasped her hands together in front of her large chest, and a thick, dark blush permanently rested over her nose and cheeks.

Barrel gathered the courage to greet Zane. He shook his hand, causing Barrel to flop to the ground in shock at being able to shake hands with a Pantheon and Skyblade in the same day.

“Lyon, Frida is doing well. She’s been asking about you a lot, too.”

My lips curved into a smile at Nia’s words. Once I was done here, it would be time to head back for a little while.