Is It Wrong To Skitter In A Dungeon? Chapter 52: Life Goes On (Patreon)

Chapter 52: Life Goes On

“Why are we being summoned to the Guild this early in the morning?” Hestia wondered with a yawn as she and Taylor trudged through the streets towards the Guildhall.

“Must have something to do with the withdrawal of Rakia,” Taylor guessed.

The army outside the gates had started to get ready to depart around dawn, and by nighttime most would be well on their way back to their country all while suffering mental trauma related to insects.

From the look Hestia shot her, the goddess was thinking the exact same thing. No pity for the soldiers, though. They got what they had coming following that stunt at the manor. 

“Did you see what she did?” Taylor’s enhanced hearing picked up as she walked past some people talking in low voices.

“No, I was sleeping. Wish I hadn’t missed it.”

“It was certainly something to see. Freaky, though.”

“Glad she’s on our side.”

Taylor stifled her reactions to the conversation by sending her emotions into her swarm. She was used to people whispering behind her back. At Winslow first, then as a cape. It was normal for her.

“I’m so relieved the siege is over!”

“I know! I wasn’t worried about the war reaching us here, but the delays to the food shipments were frustrating.”

“Weaver is a real heroine! How many other adventurers could do what she did? We’re looking at the rise of the next big name in Orario!”

She was used to fear. Used to people thanking her even as they tried to avoid her.

“She sent those Rakians packing in a single battle all by herself! So cool!”

“I’m gonna be just like her when I grow up!”

“Nu-huh! I’m gonna be like Weaver, not you!”

However, hearing people want to be like her? That was new. Through her swarm, Taylor saw a few children playing around, a couple of them pretending they were her and a puppy was Chris. Watching them, she felt a tingle in her chest.

Hestia smiled up at her, having heard the children’s words as well. There was no mockery or judgement in her expression. Just love and care aimed directly at her captain. Hestia was proud of Taylor, and it was such a strange and foreign sensation the parahuman wanted to instinctively recoil away from it. She didn’t, though, and just kept walking.

Taylor managed to push those thoughts away as they reached the Guildhall and walked up to the counter where a familiar half-elf was waiting for them.

“Eina,” Taylor greeted.

“Miss Taylor,” the half-elf said, giving her a smile. “How are you?”

“Doing well,” Taylor replied. “I have some paperwork to submit to the Guild.”

“Thank you, I’ll take care of it immediately,” Eina promised.

“Do you know why we were called to the Guild today?” Hestia wondered as documents were signed and fees were paid.

“Not entirely sure. Royman Mardeel told us to direct you to the Prayer Chamber when you showed up, so it likely has to do with Lord Ouranos,” Eina replied as she stamped the files Taylor had given her.

“Odds are it also relates to Rakia?” Taylor wondered.

“Oh, definitely,” Eina agreed. “That’s very likely.”

The captain of the Hestia Familia just sighed before waving farewell as she and Hestia walked off, heading into the depths of the Guild and making their way to the big boss’s underground throne room.

Just like the first time Taylor came to this place there were no bugs, and her swarm refused to follow her. It was definitely unsettling to experience. Like suddenly going blind except you could still see through a buzzing cloud outside… so really, not much like blindness, actually.

Within the Chamber of Prayer, Hestia and Taylor came to stop in front of the majestic throne, the aura of the Sky God pressing down on them as he continued to keep the Dungeon suppressed.

He wasn’t alone, however. A familiar young man with honey blond hair in a black and gold military uniform stood in front of Ouranos’ throne, his eyes tracking Taylor and Hestia as they entered the underground chamber.

Without her swarm to boost her ability to detect the aura of other people, Taylor wasn’t entirely sure, but she didn’t think that the man with the God of the Sky had a Falna.

‘Which is odd, as last I saw him, he definitely had one,’ Taylor thought to herself. He’d been a Level 2 serving Ares as a general and advisor during the invasion. She’d seen him in the tent both times she’d dealt with the Olympian God of War.

“Good morning, Ouranos,” Hestia greeted politely. “How are you today?”

“Ah, Hestia. So polite,” Ouranos chuckled fondly. “If only more gods were like you. But to answer your questions, I am doing well. The Dungeon is quiet.”

“That’s always a good thing,” the Goddess of the Hearth nodded. “But before my captain gets tired of waiting, may I ask why we’ve been summoned?”

“Ares returned to his camp this morning to oversee the withdrawal now that he’s signed the peace treaty yesterday and finished his business here in the city,” Ouranos informed them.

“Alright, but that doesn’t explain his presence,” Taylor pointed out. ‘He doesn’t have a hum, anymore… no… could it be…?’

“As part of the conditions for the surrender, Ares had to give up a hostage to the city. Prince Marius Victrix Rakia, heir to the throne of Rakia, was the mortal chosen to ensure they keep their word. For five years, at least. And the Hestia Familia will be the ones to take charge of him during this time.”

‘I knew it!’ Taylor thought in exasperation while Hestia sighed.

“That is just like Ares to leave problems on somebody else’s doorstep to deal with while he runs off,” she grumbled.

“Is giving our Familia the Crown Prince of Rakia to watch over a wise idea?” Taylor asked slowly.

“Says the woman who single-handedly crushed their entire army in under an hour,” the Sky God drawled, and Hestia nodded.

“He’s right, you know,” the Goddess of the Hearth commented. “If you didn’t want responsibility, stop doing things like that!”

Taylor shot her a glare, but the goddess just looked up at her with a smug look. After a moment the parahuman looked away, grumbling a little.

“Now that I’ve proved I’m right and confirmed Taylor needs to learn what ‘measured response’ means, why else is Marius being handed over to our Familia?” Hestia asked Ouranos. “Because I have the feeling it’s more than just letting the person who trampled his kingdom’s finest watch over him.”

“Astute,” Ouranos chuckled. “Yes, the reason why Marius here will be staying with you is due to a personal request on his and Ares’ part.”

Taylor frowned. That sounded ominous, but from the way the seated god was acting, he thought it was humorous.

Seeing this as his opportunity to speak for himself, Marius walked forward. “There were two reasons why I agreed to be stay here in Orario. The first, is that I’ve always dreamed of becoming an adventurer. Becoming a hostage was simply a way for me to fulfill that selfish desire of mine.”

“And the second reason?” Taylor asked.

Instead of responding immediately, Marius sank to one knee in front of her, eyes filled with adoration.

“The moment I laid eyes on you, I was captivated,” Marius admitted. “Strong, beautiful, and not afraid to oppose a god… the latter of which being something I myself could never do.”

He kept looking at her with an intense, ardent gaze, and Taylor felt panic rising in her chest as he continued to speak. “But then you destroyed an army fifty-thousand strong all by yourself, and admiration became infatuation. Lady Weaver, I, Marius Victrix Rakia, pledge my heart to you. And while I am here, I shall do my best to convince you to become my queen.”

Taylor swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Beside her, Hestia was trying and failing to stop her giggles and Ouranos just looked amused.

She also couldn’t help but notice that he was an inch taller than her as her eyes roamed his body, and her mind traitorously noted that he was also quite muscular underneath his uniform.

‘Damn it, brain, why start gushing with hormones now?!’ she whined in her head, her swarm buzzing as she channeled her embarrassment into the bugs around her.

It didn’t help as much as she’d hoped and her heart kept beating like a damn drum in her chest. Oh, and Hestia refused to stop giggling. That was also annoying.

‘Damn it, Hestia, Bell, and the others are gonna tease me about this forever!’ she whined to herself in her head.

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“…and that’s the situation,” Taylor said, gesturing towards the uniformed blond who was standing beside her. “He’ll be staying with us for a while so try to get along with him.”

At the moment, they were standing in front of the rest of the Familia in the manor, having gathered up everyone to inform them of the newest member.

“I feel like Miss Taylor skipped a few parts,” Emma whispered to Leo and Karen, who both nodded.

“I am Marius Victrix Rakia, Crown Prince of Rakia, and hostage of the Hestia Familia to ensure my father and god are on their best behavior,” Marius said, bowing in greeting to the group. Awkward silence permeated the room after his introduction, nobody entirely sure what to say. 

“Why don’t you tell us about yourself,” Hestia suggested trying to break the awkwardness.

“I am Level 2. My preferred weapon is a sword, but I am capable of using spears, axes, maces, and bows as well. I have a Skill called Unison March. It reduces the amount of stamina I use up when fighting, marching, or training in a group,” Marius informed the group.

“I also have two Spells, Telum Astral and Astral Armamentarium,” he continued. “The first lets me summon magical copies of my weapons, and the latter allows me to surround myself in armor made of magical energy. And I have the Development Ability Swordsman, currently at G rank.”

“G rank? Damn!” Aisha whistled. “And you’re only Level 2? That’s quite the achievement!”

“He wasn’t known as the strongest Level 2 in Rakia for nothing,” Welf commented, eyeing the prince of his former homeland with a wary eye.

“I would like to apologize for anything my kinsmen may have done,” Marius said, bowing towards the group. “I tried my best to limit my god’s… antics, but failed to keep him from involving others. I know it does not absolve him or me, but I hope you can accept my apologies.”

Welf grunted, and Marius winced. Given how Welf and Hestia were the ones who were most affected by Rakia’s invasion and attempted kidnapping the prince had a feeling it would take a while for the Blacksmith to warm up to him.

“Well, since everyone is here, let’s introduce ourselves to him so he can get used to our names,” Taylor suggested, and they went around the room.

There was some tension when Tammuz spoke up, and the way he glared seemed to indicate he suspected something had gone on between Marius and Taylor. But the introductions went without a hitch. Although Marius did seem taken aback by Wiene.

“Um, is that…?” he asked slowly, glancing between the blue-skinned girl and the captain of the Familia.

“I’ll explain later,” Taylor said, sounding weary. “Suffice to say, though, things are a bit more complicated in the city than you may believe.”

“You choose one hell of a time to invade,” Lili agreed.

Marius looked put out, his expression one of confusion, but he just nodded, accepting that there’d be an explanation later, and went back to standing at attention.

‘Hopefully he’ll lighten up,’ Taylor thought, before waving a hand through the air to draw everyone’s attention to her.

“Well, that’s everything. Bell, show Marius to his room. Welf, check his equipment, make sure its in fighting shape. The plan to venture down into the Dungeon the day after tomorrow hasn’t changed,” Taylor said. “We’ll hold a quick training session tomorrow to incorporate Marius into our line of battle, so be prepared for that.”

“Yes, captain!” everyone called out.

“Good. Dismissed. However, Gita, can you stay behind?” the parahuman inquired, and the chienthrope nodded, sticking around while everyone else departed.

“Did you spread the rumors?” Taylor asked Gita when they were alone, and the dog-like adventurer in the cat hoody nodded.

“Yup. The whole city will know by the end of the week that the Hestia Familia is registering as a Tamer Familia, second one in Orario.”

Taylor was pleased by that. It was partly to assuage the concerns of the Guild now that she owned so many monsters – and planned to get many more – but it also connected to the plans she and Hestia had for the Xenos.

Yes, it would increase the taxes they had to pay, as the Guild treated Tamed monsters as Level 1 adventurers when calculating what a Familia owed, and Tamer Familias owed extra fees as a sort of ‘monster insurance’ to pay towards any repairs the city needed related to monster damages, but the Hestia Familia’s finances were healthy and could easily handle the increased costs, even taking their goddess’s large debt to Hephaestus into account.

Taylor had only submitted the paperwork that morning when she’d been summoned to the Guild, but thanks to Gita’s connections and information network, everyone in Orario would know sooner or later.

‘This way, I can keep the Xenos on the surface without worry,’ Taylor thought to herself. She couldn’t bring up all of them at once, but by registering them as Tamed monsters of the Hestia Familia, any attacks on them would be criminal offenses.

The most important aspect, however, was getting the populace used to seeing the Xenos and interacting with them. And that meant more monsters walking around in the open.

“And the second matter?” Taylor inquired.

“I managed to spread the books to a few different places, mainly orphanages and stores that sold goods aimed towards children,” Gita said. “So far, response has been… lukewarm, to be generous.”

“I didn’t expect my storybooks to change the city’s opinion overnight,” Taylor said with a shrug. She’d made a hundred copies of “The Boy and the Harpy” while waiting for Rakia to leave, and had Gita deliver them across the city anonymously.

A lifetime of prejudice would not be overturned instantly, or even a month or year. It’d take a long time and a lot of hard work. But, like the saying about planting trees went, ‘the best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The second-best time is now.’

Hearing her say that aloud, Gita nodded along in agreement. “I agree, captain. I did notice that one orphanage in particular seemed a lot more receptive to the message than some of the others, though. Maria’s Orphanage, in the south-east near Daedalus Street and the Adventurer’s Graveyard.”

“Is that so? Perhaps I’ll pay them a visit in the future,” Taylor mused thoughtfully. “Thank you for your work.”

“Of course, boss,” Gita said. “Anything to help Wiene.”

“She’s gotten everyone wrapped around her fingers already. Only been a few days,” Taylor snorted in amusement.

“She’s just so… pure,” Gita said, rubbing the back of her head. “I never thought I would say that about a monster.”

“Is she really a monster if she can talk, think, and feel?” Taylor asked, though it was a rhetorical question. Wiene was Wiene, and the Hestia Familia loved her.

‘It’s time to change the world,’ Taylor thought to herself. ‘Never thought I would have the chance to try and do so again. And now… maybe I can do things right this time around.’

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“I thought the marching pace Rakia had set on our way to Orario was fearsome,” Marius breathed out as he looked around the 18th Floor. “But descending all the way here through the Dungeon… that was a new experience.”

As promised, two days after their latest member joined them, the Hestia Familia returned to the Dungeon in force. Every member was with them, and they planned to do what they’d failed to do last time.

“Captain Taylor sets a harsh pace, but it gets results,” Tammuz commented, looking down his nose at Marius. “Just like her training.”

The prince winced at the reminder of what he’d gone through yesterday. What Taylor called a ‘light’ workout was the equivalent of several hellish training sessions that would make a Rakian veteran quake in their boots.

But, as Tammuz said, it gave results, and now Marius was no longer a risk to the cohesion of the rest of the Familia in a fight.

“Wiene, are you alright?” Bell asked, and the Xenos shivered a little as she looked around the area.

“This place… bad memories,” she muttered. She was wearing a black robe with a hood to hide her appearance, and her eyes darted all over the place as she walked.

“Oh. Right, you were probably brought through here after being captured,” Bell said with a wince. He then offered her a hand and she gratefully took it, squeezing it tightly.

“So cute,” Oriana whispered as she watched the scene, and Ryuu nodded in agreement. It was sickeningly adorable.

‘Syr will be delighted to hear about how paternal Bell can be,’ Ryuu thought to herself, amused.

Even though the Hestia Familia’s vice-captain was dating the Sword Princess, Syr hadn’t let up in her pursuit of him. ‘Lucky bastard’ was muttered by more than one customer every time the grey-haired waitress has pressed her chest again Bell in an effort to seduce him.

“Come along, we’re just taking a quick stop at Rivira before we head on deeper,” Taylor called back to the adventurers following her. They’d all gotten off of Debbie as while riding the Dungeon Worm was a fast way to travel, it was highly uncomfortable and they wanted to stretch their legs.

The Hestia Familia soon made it to the town built within the Dungeon, and were greeted by a familiar man with an eyepatch approaching them.

“Afternoon, Bors,” Taylor said, nodding at the man who came out to greet their group.

“Weaver! Glad to see ya,” the unofficial mayor of Rivira said, waving a beefy hand at the woman.

“I’ve brought more chickens, grain, soil, worms, and other things for the experiments,” she informed him, gesturing to the numerous boxes and cages strapped to Debbie’s back.

“Ah, wonderful! That will help,” he said with a pleased grin. “And I think you’ll be pleased by the progress we’ve made. Come, see for yourself!”

He led the Hestia Familia into the shantytown, specifically the part that had been put aside to test whether or not crops and animals could be raised properly in the Dungeon.

Dozens of planter boxes were standing around in neat, orderly rows, many of them with green shoots poking out of soft, black soil.

“Seeds don’t take well in the Dungeon’s soil, so we haven’t even bothered to try that after the first few failures and just keep ‘em in the planters,” Bors informed the parahuman as she examined the rows of elevated crops. “The potatoes grow the best, along with the chives. Some of the other herbs have had trouble, but the root vegetables are decent. Carrots and parsnips will be ready, soon.”

“They’ve grown faster than I expected,” Taylor noted, running a hand over some chives. In just a few weeks it’d gone from seed to almost ready to harvest!

“Yeah, we think the energy of the Dungeon is doing something to ‘em,” Bors said. “We ran some experiments, and found that if we take dirt from the 18th Floor and mix it with soil from the surface and have plenty of earthworms and fertilizer added, then the plants grow at least three times faster. Doesn’t work with pure Dungeon-sourced materials, though. Best ratio we’ve found so far is one-fourth Dungeon dirt, three-fourths surface soil. Any more of the former and it kills the seeds and worms. Any less, and it doesn’t grow as fast.”

“Very impressive,” Taylor praised. “You’ve got a real green thumb. Sure you’re not part of Demeter’s Familia?”

“Hah, funny, Weaver,” Bors scoffed. “But seriously, we’ve had a couple of ‘em come down here to check on what we’re doing. And I think you’ve gotten the Farm Goddess’s attention, now. Most of her Familia are only Level 1s, but I’ve heard that she’s started pushing for some to become Level 2 so they can safely make the journey down here and become part of the community here.”

Taylor nodded slowly. There were Level 1s living in Rivira, but they tended to be the lackeys of higher leveled individuals, forming little gangs that ran things in the settlement. If Demeter wanted to expand down into the Dungeon, she’d need a couple Level 2s to keep an eye on the rest of the farmers.

“Well, more power to her if that’s the case,” Taylor said with a shrug. “Now, show me the chickens.”

At that, Bors grinned wider, and the reason why was soon evident upon leading the curious Hestia Familia to the coops. There were large wooden fences encircling the coops, keeping them safe, but the chickens themselves were the real showstoppers. They were huge and plump, some too fat to walk anymore and had to be carried around by adventurers!

“They love the Honey Cloud Fruits,” Bors said with a grin at the sight of the dropped jaws Taylor and the rest sported. “They’d break out of their enclosure early on to try and eat the fallen fruits, and now they’re twice as big than normal and their eggs are popping out faster than we can eat ‘em!”

He reached down and picked up one of the pudgy chickens. “We’ve been making a lot of new chicken dishes, too. The fruits make for a damn tasty marinade. If you stick around I’ll whip you something up!”

“I think we’ll take you up on that offer after we finish our business in the Dungeon,” Taylor said, eyeing the birds waddling around. They really had gotten fat. All the sugar in the Honey Cloud Fruits had seen to that.

The supplies were unloaded and handed over to Bors, who looked happy to have them. But he also had a concerned glint in his eyes.

“It’s not normal to just hand all this over without asking for anything in return,” Bors warned her. “I know the Guild is footing the bill for some of this stuff, but still…”

“I’m aware,” Taylor said. “But this is necessary. And I’ll come calling for a favor or two in the future. You can pay me back then.”

“Hm. I wish I could pay with Magic Stones or Drop Items. Favors… those are a lot more dangerous to have hanging over your head,” he sighed, before nodding. “Ah, well. You’re not the worst person to be indebted to.”

When the delivery was done, the Hestia Familia moved on and headed towards the 19th Floor. Before entering it, however, they took a moment to allow Haruhime to enchant all of the Level 1s with a Level Boost so they’d be capable of handling the Great Tree Labyrinth.

That wooded realm and the Great Fall afterwards were not places for Level 1s. Oh, they could certainly brave it, but only if they had a couple Level 2s or 3s at their side.

By boosting their Levels with Haruhime’s spell, however, Emma and the rest of the newbies would be far safer and they could move even faster as a group without having to constantly protect a bunch of Level 1s from the hazards of that next couple of Floors.

“Alright, we’re almost ready to venture off,” Taylor said, looking back at the group as the renard finished up her preparations. “We’re just waiting on one more person.”

“So, when is this guy gonna get here?” Aisha wondered, looking around the entrance to the 19th Floor. “I wanna get going already!”

“He’s already arrived,” Taylor announced, turning to stare at a seemingly empty spot in the air. “Come on out. It’s rude to hide.”

A moment later and there was a ripple in front of them, and a figure in a black, hooded cloak appeared out of thin air, causing some of the adventurers to jump in surprise.

“Fels,” Taylor said, giving the mysterious fellow a nod.

“Taylor,” he replied politely, looking over the group, his gaze lingering on Marius and Wiene. “Are you sure you want to take them all down to the 27th Floor?”

“They need to see for themselves what we’re going to be fighting for,” Taylor declared, before putting a hand on Wiene’s shoulder. “And they deserve to meet Wiene’s family.”

She then shot him an annoyed look. “And if you’re concerned about Marius… well, should have thought of that before forcing him to join our Familia.”

“Very well,” Fels said.

His tone conveyed he wasn’t that enthused about the idea, but Taylor didn’t care what he thought. The secret of the Xenos was never going to last, and keeping such a major thing secret from everybody would only backfire.

‘Better to let a select few people in high places know so they can help mitigate any issues that crop up,’ she thought to herself.

Right now, only a few members of the Guild and Ganesha Familia knew aside from the Hestia Familia, and Taylor felt that not including one of the other big names in Orario was a mistake.

‘Freya at the very least should have been brought in on the secret,’ Taylor mused. ‘She’s not a good person, but Freya doesn’t focus on large-scale things. She’s a very down-to-Earth, one obsession at a time sort of woman. And she’s a better choice than Loki or Hermes, at least. Those two are far too scheming for their own good, and would do something stupid, like try and use the Xenos for advancing their own agendas.’

Plus, having the strongest adventurer in the city in their corner would be nice, too.

“Do you have the things I asked for?” Taylor inquired after a moment, dismissing the stray thoughts for the moment.

“Naturally,” Fels nodded, bringing out a pouch that jingled before tucking it away again. “Your idea is… ambitious. But I honestly hope it will succeed.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Taylor replied. “It’s been fifteen years and the fact that this is the first time you’re trying to try something like this frustrates me. I understand your hesitance. But it doesn’t mean I like it.”

“Believe me, I know,” Fels sighed, before turning away. “Come along, now. We have several floors to get through.”

And with that, the Hestia Familia began the trek to the lower levels of the Dungeon. They pushed hard and fast, bulldozing through the 19th, 20th, and 21st Floors without issue. Even the 22nd was swept aside, despite the best efforts of a herd of Sword Stags. The largest obstacle that came their way was a Mammoth Fool that tried to bar their path as they made their way through the 23rd Floor, but Chris made short work of it.

However, it was when they reached the 24th Floor that things changed for the party. They were approaching a section of wooden roots coiling tightly around each other that formed a maze-like structure barring the way to the next floor when the captain called a halt.

“I’m detecting something odd up ahead,” Taylor warned, holding up a hand.

Intrigued, she ordered one of her Mad Beetles from the 19th Floor to fetch the source of the weirdness, and a moment later the beetle-like monster dragged something out of a knothole in a tree trunk up ahead.

It was an odd-looking creature: black and purple with a body over twenty feet long that resembled a pinecone crossed with a beehive. The parts that resembled the scales of a pinecone could peel back and open up, revealing pinkish-purple honeycomb flesh that wriggled a little and leaked a tiny bit of orange liquid.

Through Taylor’s senses, the parahuman could detect something squirming within the mass, and as she observed, intrigued, it formed a Deadly Hornet that flew out into the air. It was already under her control the moment it had finished forming, but it was still a strange sight to see. Important to note was that these Deadly Hornets lacked Magic Stones. They were little more than autonomous drones created by the pinecone monster that looked like the infamous hornet-like monster.

“That’s a Bloody Hive,” Aisha said with a grimace. “Damn thing is practically a Floor Boss.”

“So, it’s like the Infant Dragon of the 12th Floor?” Bell asked, and she Amazon nodded.

“It’s a rare trap-type monster, and is incredibly dangerous because it’s one of the few monsters capable of spawning other monsters,” she revealed. “It can’t move, but it can spit a glue-like substance to pin even Level 3 adventurers in place. Then it spawns Deadly Hornets that attack and kill whoever it traps.”

“I want one,” Taylor declared, and everyone stared at her before sighing.

“I don’t know if the Guild…” Fels began, but Taylor had already commanded the Mad Beetle to bring it over to her, and he trailed off with a shake of his head.

“It still only counts as one,” Taylor said to herself with an evil grin. Seriously, a monster that spawned other monsters? And more importantly, ones she could control? That was exactly what she needed!

‘I wonder if I can make it spawn things other than Deadly Hornets? Maybe some sort of Dungeon Bees? That way I could make honey. It’s expensive buying it from Beyla and Aristaeus’ apiaries all the time.’

As Taylor was thinking up new ways to terrorize and wreck the markets of Orario, Bell and the others shared fond if exasperated looks with each other.

“Miss Taylor? We need to keep going,” Lili reminded her.

“Oh. Right,” Taylor muttered, shaking her head before ordering the Bloody Hive to be tied down onto Debbie’s back for safe keeping. “Let’s go.”

“Has the Amphisbaena respawned yet?” Ryuu inquired as they made their way down onto the 25th Floor.

“It did, around a week ago, but the Loki Familia already eliminated it,” Fels replied. “The Guild didn’t want a Monster Rex capable of traversing the Dungeon to linger, not while Rakia was squatting outside the walls.”

“Smart,” Marius agreed. “Do not leave an opponent able to flank you.”

“Heads up, we’ve got Afanc and Dodora up ahead,” Taylor announced. “I want all of the natural Level 2s to move to intercept. Show me the results of your training.”

Afanc – which were crocodile headed beavers – and Dodora – which were essentially two-headed Wyverns that could swim as easily as they flew – barred their path, but they were easily dealt with, being no stronger than Level 2.

Oriana had brought a bunch of pilum and javelins with her to deal with flying and long-range monsters, and she was able to knock the Dodora down by piercing their wings as they flew in towards the group.

Mikoto helped deal with the aerial foes as well, her gravity spell causing them to crash to the ground where they were finished off by Welf, his anvil-hammer crushing their skulls.

Lili and Marius teamed up, the pallum using Cinder Ella to borrow the properties of an Amazon, and combined with her heavy full plate the Afanc that tried to charge her and knock her down failed and were cut apart by her kukris. Then, while the beaver-crocodiles tried – and failed – to bite through Lili’s Adamantite armor, Marius darted through the mass of monsters, his sword slicing off limbs with ease.

“Good work,” Taylor praised, smiling at the five of them. Her words caused them all to smile back. They spent a minute to collect the spoils before continuing on.

Taylor then started to clear the way forward by taking control of a group of Crystaroth Urchins. They were just giant sea urchins, and since those were invertebrates, Queen Administrator had no issue dominating them.

The giant, spike-laden monsters bulldozed through the ground-based foes they came across, and helped clear a path down to the lower levels while Lili, Oriana, Silva, Emma and Primo used their ranged attacks to eliminate any flying monsters.

For most of the adventurers, this was the first time they’d seen the Great Fall, and they marveled at the beautiful sight of the super-waterfall that connected three whole floors. They couldn’t just jump down, so they had to take the long, spiraling route down to the basin on the 27th Floor.

“You’ve collected a lot of monsters,” Fels noted as they headed towards the Xenos’ lair.

“There were quite a few on the way here,” Taylor admitted, looking over her shoulder at the Devil Mosquitoes, Drag Octopi, Blue Crabs, and of course, Crystaroth Urchins. And those were just the ones from the Great Falls! Plenty of Mad Beetles, Deadly Hornets, and Gun Libellula had been collected from the Great Tree Labyrinth as well.

“Are you going to keep them all?” Marius asked nervously, still not used to his new captain’s tendency to collect monsters.

“No. Aside from the Bloody Hive, I’ll only be keeping a Blue Crab and Mad Beetle,” Taylor replied. “The rest are too situational or don’t have as much utility. The Drag Octopi, for instance, need water or they will dry out, and there won’t always be water around. I didn’t know I could even control cephalopods… but since it’s a type of invertebrate a guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.”

She shook her head. “Anyways, Blue Crabs can take over the aquatic needs of the swarm up top. And Devil Mosquitoes need too much blood to feed on, making them hard to sustain. Plus, I don’t really care for regular mosquitoes in the first place.”

“I had no idea you liked certain bugs and disliked others,” Silva commented.

“Even somebody whom loves dogs can still like different breeds of dogs over others,” Taylor replied, thinking of Rachel and how she’d hated dogs like pugs. Well, she hated the people who’d bred them. And how hard they were to care for. But still. The point was made.

“True. And I can guess why you want a Mad Beetle,” Oriana spoke up. “It doesn’t exactly have thumbs, but its claws are a lot more dexterous than any other monsters you control.”

“You hit the nail on the head,” Taylor chuckled. “Yes, Mad Beetles are able to exert a finer level of manipulation with their claws. Chris is amazing, but scythe blades aren’t great for carrying boxes or bags.”

Everyone nodded in understanding at that, though some couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the sheer number of monsters that would be walking around on the surface soon.

“Are we there yet?” Wiene asked, looking around eagerly for any signs of her fellow Xenos.

“We are,” Fels said, approaching the secret entrance. With a touch the boulder in front of him began to slide open, and he glanced back at the Hestia Familia. “Wait a moment. I will need to inform them they have guests.”

He then swept inside with a dramatic flourish of his billowing cloak. When he entered, Taylor decided to listen in through the Arachne, Ranye. Even if she couldn’t (wouldn’t!) control the spider-like Xenos, the parahuman was still able to borrow her senses to eavesdrop.

“Fels,” Lyd the Lizardman said, folding his arms across his chest. “Welcome.”

“And greetings to you as well,” Fels replied. “Is everything alright with you?”

“We have a few small things to report,” Lyd claimed. “But first, can you explain why there are so many adventurers outside?”

Taylor noticed that the Xenos were anxious, and several were glaring at Fels, the Gargoyle chief among them.

“They are friends. The Hestia Familia,” Fels replied.

“There are too many them!” Gros snarled.

“Perhaps. But they wish to help.”

“So you claim,” Lyd said slowly. “But do you have any proof of this?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Or rather, they do,” Fels said, with a note of humor in his voice. “Do you recall what Taylor Hebert promised you all?”

“She found Wiene?!” Ray the Siren gasped, and the rest of the Xenos murmured in disbelief. Some, though, like Ranye, had hope within their expressions.

“See for yourself,” Fels said, before turning to the entrance. “Come in!”

Outside, Taylor put a hand on Wiene’s back, and the Vouivre looked up at her before glancing over at Bell and Haruhime.

“Go on,” Bell urged, giving her a warm smile, one that was mirrored by Haruhime.

“Introduce us to your friends,” the renard requested. That made the blue-skinned girl smile and she rushed inside, throwing off her hood as she did so.

“WIENE!” several Xenos cried out when she entered, and immediately the mood, originally tense and somber, shifted to one of joy and relief.

Behind her, the rest of the Hestia Familia shuffled in, looking around in a mix of shock and awe at the sight of all the monsters. More than just the fact they were wearing clothes and talking, it was the fact that the Xenos had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes made even the most stoic members of the group like Ryuu and Karen do a double-take.

“So far, so good,” Taylor murmured to Fels, who just nodded. She then stepped over towards Lyd, Ray, and Gros, the trio she had marked out as the leaders of the little community.

“You brought her back,” Ray said, voice trembling with emotions.

“I made a promise,” the parahuman replied.

“You did,” Lyd muttered, before nodding. “I remember what was said. If you brought back our kidnapped member, we would listen to your request.”

“Just because she saved one of us doesn’t mean anything!” Gros growled out. “There’s still the smugglers!”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to discuss,” Taylor revealed. “We know who is responsible: a group called Evilus. Specifically, the Ikelos Familia. They are the ones kidnapping Xenos.”

That caused the trio to perk up, and even Gros was listening, though he immediately scoffed.

“So, you know their identities! What of it?” he sneered.

“We, that is, an alliance of other Familias, are planning on assaulting Evilus’ base. And one of these entrances lies down here, in the Dungeon,” Taylor informed them. “We wish to destroy them, and will do so with a multi-pronged attack. If you wish, you should join us.”

The Xenos leaders shared looks with each other, and now the Gargoyle was interested.

“Alright! That’s what I’m talking about!” he said with a sharp grin.

“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Lyd guessed, and Taylor nodded.

“Indeed. If you want to join… there are stipulations.” She gestured at Fels, who took out the bag he’d shown off earlier, and opened it. From within he plucked an iron tag emblazoned with the Hestia Familia’s emblem, the exact same one worn around the necks of her own Tamed monsters.

“You seek to enslave us, too!” Gros shouted, and several Xenos growled angrily.

“The only way adventurers and civilians will accept a monster killing other adventurers, even if they are part of Evilus, is if they are part of a Familia,” Taylor retorted. “The same thing goes for if you ever want to walk openly on the surface. The world is not yet ready for the revelation of the Xenos. But that doesn’t mean we cannot try and begin to change things.”

She reached into a pouch and withdrew a copy of her picture book and tossed it to Ray. “It won’t be easy. But things that matter rarely are. I cannot promise you instant access to the surface, or that people won’t end up hating you. What I can offer, is my support.”

Ray stared at the cover art, of a boy walking through a forest alongside a Harpy who was wearing clothes, before glancing over at Lyd.

“And what, exactly, would this support entail?” Lyd inquired, not immediately dismissing her words.

“Food and other supplies, delivered via dead drops or in person,” Taylor replied. “Medicine and tools to make life easier. I would also take the Xenos up to the surface. Not all at once, but in alternating small groups, so everyone has a chance. They would of course have to wear the Hestia Familia emblem and be accompanied by a member of the Familia at all times, but it would be better than nothing. I would also be willing to intervene on your behalf if Xenos are encountered in the Dungeon, bringing them to you and protecting them from other adventurers. I will even try to find the other Xenos who were already kidnapped and sold and free them.”

“Such kindness would not come cheap,” the Lizardman claimed, and Taylor shrugged.

“Of course not. But aside from the conditions I mentioned regarding wearing the emblem and fighting alongside us when we invade Knossos… the only other thing I can think of that I’d want from the Xenos would be assistance in the Dungeon itself. Helping us acquire materials and protecting our Familia members would be greatly appreciated.”

“You ask much of us, Taylor Hebert… but offer a great deal as well,” a new voice spoke up, coming from a large Green Dragon who was lying nearby. The other Xenos turned to him, respect in their gazes, and waited for him to speak again.

“I owe your father many debts,” he continued after a moment. “And you have already proven to be honorable with your rescue and treatment of Wiene. I, Gryuu, would like to trust you further. What say you, Lyd, Ray, Gros?”

“I don’t like it,” Gros grumbled.

“Well, I think the idea is the best thing we can hope for,” Ray retorted, shooting the pessimistic Gargoyle an annoyed glare.

“You would allow us to take our revenge for our fallen brethren if we agree to these terms?” Lyd asked. “You will support us in this, and other matters?”

“I promise,” Taylor swore.

Lyd took a deep breath. “So be it,” he declared. “We will work with adventurers just this once, to see if you can be trusted to keep your oaths. Inform Fels when it is time to take our vengeance, and we will join you to strike down these ‘Evilus.’”

Taylor nodded, then stuck out her hand for him to shake. Surprised by the gesture, the Lizardman soon reciprocated, and there was a cheer from the nearby Xenos who’d been watching.

“This calls for a celebration,” Taylor decided. “Lili? Bring out the grills.”

The pallum grinned and did so, summoning a couple of magi-tool grills along with a lot of different foods and drinks from her inventory.

“Let us enjoy a party with newfound friends and allies,” the captain of the Hestia Familia called out. Taylor wanted Xenos and adventurers alike to get along, and there was nothing quite like a meal to bring people closer together.

Bridging the gap between the two groups would take more than just a party and some food, unfortunately, but it was a step in the right direction. And above all, Taylor was determined to see this endeavor her father had started succeed.