The warmth of Tsubaki's unexpected "hug" still tingled on Hachiman's face. He took a step back, a bit awkwardly, as his hands, almost of their own accord, straightened the tunic over his armor in a futile attempt to hide the red that insisted on creeping up his cheeks.
"Tsubaki-san," he began, forcing his voice to sound as normal as possible, despite the embarrassment that made him feel like an exposed idiot. "Are you... by any chance returning from an expedition?"
Deep down, he already knew the answer, or at least a good part of it. Fragments of the original plot insisted on popping into his mind – the famous Loki Familia, their daring forays into the deepest floors of the Dungeon, the epic battle against the so-called Demi-Spirit on the fifty-ninth floor... it all echoed with a clarity that was almost irritating.
Tsubaki flashed a wide grin, the adrenaline of battle still shining in her clever eyes. "Spot on! We just got back from a long, exhausting as heck, but worthwhile adventure, down in the depths. Let's just say some 'big pains in the butt' were duly... convinced to behave."
She didn't go into detail, but the satisfaction in her voice was almost palpable, like the heat from a forge. "But what about you, Hachiman? What brings you so deep, and alone, through these corridors? And, if I may, with that look on your face like you've seen a ghost and solved the problem by punching it, leaving a trail of destruction?"
Before Hachiman could think of an answer that didn't sound completely stupid to Tsubaki's accurate observation, a lively voice, full of an almost childlike energy, cut into the conversation. Tiona Hiryute, the dark-haired amazon with a smile that seemed to light up the entire Dungeon, approached, practically bouncing, her big brown eyes fixed on Hachiman, shining with admiration.
"Wow! It's really you! The Dark Hero in Black Armor!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing the nickname she, apparently, had invented for him, loud enough to make a few curious heads turn. "How the hell did you get to the eighteenth floor so fast?! The news that you hit Level 2 barely got out like two days ago! You're awesome, aren't you?!"
Hachiman sighed inwardly, almost silently, as an old resignation took hold. 'Dark Hero in Black Armor, huh? Well, at least it sounds more heroic and less lame than 'Dead Fish Eyes.' A small step forward, I guess, in this lottery of nicknames nobody asks for.'
"I had... let's say, an unexpected little problem on the way through the middle floors," he explained, being deliberately vague, remembering his unplanned fall to the dangerous seventeenth floor. "I ended up going down further than I wanted. In times like these, the smartest, and only way, was to keep going down until I found a safe place, like Rivira."
Tione Hiryute, Tiona's twin sister, much more serious and with an analytical air, approached with more calculated steps, her sharp gaze examining Hachiman with obvious curiosity and a hint of professional assessment.
"Indeed, that was a rational choice, given the circumstances you described," she agreed, her calm voice contrasting with her sister's restlessness. "However, your strength is... truly intriguing."
Tione continued: "We know you defeated two Level 2 monsters when you were still Level 1 – the Infant Dragon at Monsterphilia, and another unknown monster, judging by the black claw you were carrying when we met on the ninth floor, which looked like it belonged to a rare and very strong Wyvern."
"Even now, being Level 2," she pondered, "the number of monsters on the Middle Floors, especially on the seventeenth, where Minotaurs and Lygerfangs appear in droves and come at you with everything they've got, is too high for a solo adventurer who just leveled up. It's, at the very least, quite a surprise to find you not only alive, but apparently in one piece."
"I can handle the challenges that come up," Hachiman answered, short and to the point, his expression unreadable, offering no details and ending the subject in a way that discouraged more questions. He had no desire to explain his abilities, his weird magic, or how he leveled up so fast to them, or to anyone there.
The mere mention of the word "hero" by Tiona seemed to poke something in Aiz Wallenstein, who until then had remained quiet, observing from the sidelines, almost like a ghost. A strange, distant glint lit up her golden eyes, as if an old memory had been awakened.
'Hero...' Aiz thought, and the word echoed in her mind with a sad melody, a forgotten lullaby. She remembered her mother, Aria, telling stories of heroes in her childhood, a simpler time, before darkness and loss took everything. 'Mama... you always said that, one day, I would find my hero... The one who would show me the way...'
Quick images flashed through her mind: the white-haired boy, Bell Cranel, with his almost palpable purity, his naive determination, and a potential that seemed endless... and now, this other boy, Hachiman Hikigaya, cloaked in an aura of dark, practical strength, with impressive resilience and a power she simply couldn't understand. 'Could it be... could one of them be... the one I'm looking for?'
Pulled from her thoughts by the force of her own ideas, Aiz took a step forward, moving fluidly, stopping right in front of Hachiman, who felt a slight pressure from her closeness. Her golden eyes, now without any hesitation, locked onto his with an almost desperate intensity, a silent urgency that made him hold his breath.
"Fight me," she asked, her voice surprisingly low, but firm, leaving no room for refusal.
Hachiman stared at her, caught off guard by the direct approach. It was as if she were reading his thoughts, or maybe just projecting hers onto him.
"I need to know," Aiz continued, the intensity in her voice and gaze growing with each word. "Where does your strength come from? How do you... how do you get so strong, so fast?"
There was an almost visible hunger in her eyes, an urgent need to understand, to perhaps find an answer, a clue, to her own endless search for power.
Hachiman held Aiz's gaze, and the old monotonous, almost apathetic expression, like a mask, returned to his face. He knew her obsession, the desire that drove her in her revenge against the One-Eyed Black Dragon. But he had no interest in becoming a tool, a stepping stone, or an object of study for her personal crusade.
"I'm not in the mood to fight right now," he replied with calculated coldness, his voice devoid of emotion. "My only wish is to find a place to rest."
Aiz seemed not to even hear his refusal, her golden eyes still fixed on him, the intensity now with an almost pleading, vulnerable touch. "Please..."
At that exact moment of tension, Lefiya Viridis, who had been watching everything with poorly disguised jealousy at the attention Aiz, her idol, was giving Hachiman (added to a natural dislike for the boy's dark demeanor and cynical gaze), decided to butt in.
"Aiz-san! Please, don't waste your time on someone like him!" she exclaimed, her voice a bit shrill, as she grabbed Aiz's arm, possessively, trying to pull her away. "He doesn't deserve your attention!"
Aiz hesitated, the internal conflict written on her face, seemingly torn between her desire for answers and her friend's intervention.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Tione also approached, standing beside Aiz. "Aiz, Lefiya is right. No need to pressure the boy if he doesn't want to fight. He really looks exhausted, and a fight in these conditions wouldn't be fair or useful," Tione intervened, her tone gentle, but with a firmness that discouraged argument.
Aiz finally relented, an almost invisible sigh escaping her, though the intense interest in her gaze towards Hachiman hadn't diminished at all. She gave a small nod in his direction, a silent acknowledgment, and let herself be led away by Lefiya, who shot one last disapproving look at Hachiman, and Tione.
"Well, well, looks like our 'Dark Hero' is already a hit with the ladies!" Tiona laughed heartily, amusement shining in her eyes.
Before following the others, she surprised Hachiman with a quick, tight hug, a spontaneous gesture that made him blush so hard the heat rose to his ears, leaving him speechless.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, you hear?! I want to see more of your feats!" she shouted over her shoulder, with a wink and a smile before disappearing with her companions.
As soon as Aiz's group was far enough away, Tsubaki turned to Hachiman, a teasing smile on her face, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Wow, Hachiman! You just got here and you're already checking out other famous women, huh? The Sword Princess, Aiz Wallenstein, the lively Tiona Hiryute..."
"I'm sure Hephaestus-sama wouldn't like to hear that her 'protégé' is flirting around and stirring up trouble!" She let out a hearty laugh.
"But, seriously now," Tsubaki continued, "if you're looking for company or, who knows, a romance, you should consider the great options we have in our Familia, you know?" With calculated slowness, Tsubaki leaned towards him, the neckline of her battle outfit, practical for work but quite revealing at that moment, showing a bit more than it should, and finished with a wink and an insinuating smile.
Hachiman felt his face, already warm from Tiona's hug, burn even hotter, as if he were near one of his goddess's forges. "Th-that's not it at all, Tsubaki-san! I swear!" he stammered, his voice failing miserably, feeling completely embarrassed.
Tsubaki burst out laughing. "I'm just messing with you, kid! I love seeing you flustered! Relax a little!"
Her face then turned more serious, and she switched to a more practical tone. "Well, since you're here and it looks like you'll be staying a while, let me show you the real Rivira. Not those expensive, flashy tourist traps, but the spots where real adventurers get what they need."
And just like that, with surprising ease, Tsubaki became his informal guide. She led him through Rivira's backstreets and alleys, revealing a side of the city few newcomers ever saw.
She showed him the used equipment shops, with that smell of metal and leather that promised (or not) a bargain. She introduced him to the cheaper, safer taverns, simple places with hearty food and strong drink. She pointed out the information exchange spots, where the right whisper was worth gold, and the adventurer hangouts, each with its own quirks. With the same seriousness, she also warned him which areas to avoid, dangerous dens or troublesome Familias, and what kind of fights he shouldn't get into.
It was an intensive lesson on survival on the eighteenth floor, a lesson Hachiman absorbed with silent gratitude, knowing that her help could very well save his skin.
As dusk began to darken the Dungeon's artificial sky, and after a good while exploring Rivira and having surprisingly fluid conversations with Tsubaki (she was an endless source of stories, gossip, and jokes about the Hephaestus Familia), she finally led him to what looked like the Loki Familia's expedition base camp.
"I'm crashing with them for now, since I'm the only one from Hephaestus Familia who came to take care of the equipment," she explained as they approached a lit area. "You can, if you want, stay here with me tonight. It's much safer than renting a room in some dive, especially for a newly minted Level 2, no matter how strong you are."
When they reached the camp – a large, well-fortified area with palisades and alert sentries, several organized tents, and a central bonfire – they found the main members of the Loki Familia gathered, probably discussing their next steps.
Besides Aiz, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya, who had already returned from some reconnaissance, there were Finn Deimne, the shrewd prum captain, Riveria Ljos Alf, the elegant elf mage, and Gareth Landrock, the stout dwarf warrior.
And, to Hachiman's clear displeasure, who felt a shiver of irritation upon seeing him, Bete Loga was also there, leaning against a post, polishing his gauntlets with his usual scowl.
Bete's hostile eyes locked onto Hachiman the moment he entered the camp with Tsubaki, as if smelling something rotten.
"What's this trash doing here?" the werewolf growled, his voice laced with contempt, not even bothering to stand.
"He's with me," Tsubaki replied with cold calm, her voice flat, but with a weight that made even Bete think twice before retorting. "At least until I decide to go back to the surface. Any problem, Wolf?"
Bete just clicked his tongue, annoyed, turning his face away as if the sight of Hachiman offended him. But he kept shooting daggers at the boy from time to time.
Finn Deimne, quite different from his rude subordinate, approached with a polite smile.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, it's a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to our humble camp. Feel free to make yourself at home — you're more than welcome among us, especially here in the Dungeon."
Beside him, Riveria and Gareth gave discreet but respectful nods, a more reserved but genuine acceptance.
And so, somewhat unexpectedly and, for Hachiman, completely bizarrely, he found himself sharing a simple meal – grilled monster meat, hard bread, and travel rations, the typical adventurer's feast – around the bonfire, in the company of Tsubaki and the elite of the Loki Familia (with the obvious exception of Bete, who, true to his grumpiness, had isolated himself in a corner, muttering and devouring his food).
The conversation during dinner flowed surprisingly normally, to Hachiman's relief, who had expected an interrogation or, at best, an awkward silence. Tsubaki, with her natural liveliness, and the ever-electric Tiona dominated most of the talk, telling funny stories of expeditions, dangers, and treasures, as well as trading jokes that drew laughs from the others, including a restrained smile from Riveria.
Meanwhile, Captain Finn, with his usual discretion, asked Hachiman occasional but very direct questions about his recent experiences and his solo journey (questions to which he answered briefly, vaguely enough not to reveal too much, but always politely).
After the meal, with night firmly set on the floor and the sounds of the Dungeon clearer in the distance, the group began to prepare for sleep. Tsubaki, always helpful, arranged a place for Hachiman in one of the guest tents, ensuring a minimum of comfort.
The whole situation was, for Hachiman, deeply surreal – he, a lone wolf by nature, a social outcast by choice, fraternizing, even if superficially, with the elite of one of Orario's most powerful Familias.
However, the exhaustion from days of tension, combat, and constant danger weighed so heavily that he simply didn't have the energy to care too much about the bizarreness of the moment.
At least for that night, under the protection of the Loki Familia and Tsubaki's watch, he was safe, and that certainty, by itself, was a relief to his tired mind, a rare feeling of tranquility in the midst of the Dungeon's chaos.