Seventh: Volume 4

Prologue

You know, I thought idly as I strode down the streets of the Academic City of Aramthurst, responsibility can be a pretty heavy thing.

Now that I—Lyle Walt, a former noble and the eldest son of an earl—had taken charge of an adventuring party, I understood what it was like to shoulder a fair bit of the stuff.

Before now, I’d been quite the oblivious well-to-do brat, having lived a very isolated life on my family’s estate—at least that was how most people would describe me, if asked. All of that had changed, though, when my little sister, Ceres, had trounced me in a fight and driven me from House Walt. Now I was an adventurer, the leader of my party, and—I thought, at least—someone who’d gotten to know a little about what a burden responsibility could be.

It had been my decision to switch my party’s home base from Darion to Aramthurst, a task we were on our way to officially complete. Darion had been quite the convenient place for a group of beginners, but the Academic City of Aramthurst was where people gathered to study and pick up new skills.

I glanced around Aramthurst’s streets as I trudged forward, my three other party members at my side. The city was a complete mishmash, with many buildings being constructed in ways that could only be called eccentric. The buildings seemed proud of their odd architecture as well, each one looming high over our heads, as if piercing the sky in a competition to see which of them could grow the tallest.

The long shadows of these bizarre structures were all that shielded us from the blazing sun, but despite their shade, I could see the sheen of sweat breaking out on all the girls’ brows. Regardless, we did our best to avoid stepping onto any of the parts of the brick-paved path struck by the sun as we walked on.

Hey, wait, I thought, staring at the bricks beneath my feet. Wasn’t the path made of stone just a moment ago...?

There’s no consistency in this place at all, I said, snorting as I smoothed my blue hair back with one hand. I could feel the dampness of my own sweat under my fingers.

The heat was so bad that I’d long shrugged off my jacket and tucked it under one arm, which revealed the silver pendant that dangled over my undershirt—an heirloom from House Walt. A shimmering blue gemstone was embedded at its center.

When I saw this place from the outside, it looked like a little boy’s toy chest to me, chimed in the red-haired girl who was walking a few steps behind me. Her name was Aria Lockwood, and at the moment she had quite the energetic vibe. The city really feels like that on the inside too.

I nodded in agreement. Yeah, each building has its own...uniqueness, I guess. The incongruity really does give off a messy toy box feeling.

Aria’s purple eyes darted over to another member of our party—Sophia Laurie. She was wearing a black robe and had a battle-axe on her back that had been passed down in her family for generations. Sweat was pouring down her face, and she kept having to raise a hand to push back her long black hair and wipe it away again and again.

Even looking at you makes me feel more hot, Aria said, giving the other girl an exhausted look. Why don’t you just ditch that robe?

I am maintaining my dignity while preventing sunburn, Sophia declared, giving Aria a stern look with her intimidating dark-black eyes. "What I’m wearing beneath this robe is quite similar to what you have on right now, Aria. I...could never walk around like that in public."

I sighed. Sophia’s far too earnest to be an adventurer, I thought. Maybe that part of her personality is due to the influence of that house of vassal knights she hails from.

From what Sophia had said, it sounded like she was wearing clothing that was built for mobility beneath her robe, but she was violently opposed to removing her overgarment and exposing any more of her skin. I watched as Sophia scanned Aria from head to toe, face reddening with embarrassment over how Aria’s clothing accentuated the lines of her body.

In contrast, Aria seemed completely unperturbed by what she was wearing.

Hmm... I thought. Aria’s originally from a noble house too—a barony no less. That means she was of a higher rank than Sophia. So if her earnestness isn’t because of her house’s rank...where does it actually come from?

As I was distracted with these thoughts, Sophia wrapped her arms around herself, as if to conceal her chest. The motion compelled Aria to glance down at her own bosom, which was...

I probably shouldn’t dare to make such a comparison, but...hers are, uh, quite a bit smaller than Sophia’s...

What are those two idiots doing? snapped a cold male voice. And Lyle, keep your eyes to yourself. Novem’s not looking too happy.

I winced. Thankfully, though, the voice came from inside the blue Jewel around my neck, and not from a random passerby who’d decided to poke fun at me.

The Jewel stored the Arts of all the members of my family who had wielded it in the past, and gave me the ability to speak to the reincarnated memories of my ancestors. They could speak directly into my mind, just like the second head—a hunter who’d led House Walt back in its early days—had just now. Not that any of the past heads of House Walt could be called anything close to men of virtue...

Are you into women’s chests, Lyle? inquired the blond-haired, rather delicate-looking third head. He seemed to be on a mission to add fuel to the fire. Personally, I prefer the backside. Still, I wouldn’t let myself look as intently at either feature as you’re doing now. It’s quite rude, you know.

I flushed and looked away.

The heads of House Walt all possessed wonderful qualities and had achieved great things in life. However, perhaps because I was their direct descendant...they attacked me verbally without mercy.

The fourth head, a bespectacled methodical-looking man, gave an exasperated sigh. How crass. Really, Lyle, you should think about how the women must feel.

I’ve never really had a chance to try and learn about women’s feelings, let alone the feelings of anyone else... I thought awkwardly.

I’d been confined for so long that I had a hard time interacting with anyone, period. There was also the fact that, for some strange reason, I couldn’t remember anything that had happened before I turned ten years old. That was definitely a part of the problem. I’d heard that back then, I’d been cheerful, polite, and wise.

Basically, I was completely different from how I am now...

These thoughts were cut off by the fifth head, who had apparently decided to take aim at the fourth head instead of me. Those don’t sound like the words of someone who couldn’t even talk back to his wife, he said snidely.

My eyebrows rose as a marked tension spread throughout the Jewel. It was rare for the fifth head to speak at all, let alone sound so uncharacteristically invested. It seemed his father’s comment had set him off.

Each of my ancestors possessed all the memories they’d made in their lifetimes, meaning that the relationships they’d had with each other remained the same as they were back then. In short, this meant that any previously existing family strife was now alive once more in the present.

The sixth head laughed heartily, seemingly unbothered by the strain in the air. He was a big man with a head of unkempt hair and a wild beard, and had a larger build than any of my other ancestors currently residing within the Jewel. Despite the rather striking impression he left, he was kinder to me than most of the others, and I’d grown to think of him as an elder brother.

"Lyle’s a man, he said, bursting out laughing all over again. It’s only natural that he develop an interest in that sort of thing. Why, back when I was young..."

I forced my attention away, refusing to listen to any more of his words. I felt embarrassed just listening to the lot of them! It was like listening to all your relatives poke fun at you during a family gathering.

Finally, the seventh head—who was also my grandfather—decided to step in. He was a man with slicked back hair and a stern look to his features who carried himself with the distinctive air of a noble. Though perhaps he only seemed so civilized compared to the others...

We might as well take it from someone who played around all their life, he said coldly, sending the sixth head a glare.

Well, seems like it’s just another typical day with the Jewel, I thought, moaning internally. My ancestors are making general menaces out of themselves like always, bickering and causing the Jewel to suck up my mana.

For better or worse, no one apart from me could hear their conversations—not my comrades, nor any of the people passing us by. Which meant that I had to refrain from carelessly shooting back a response to their infighting, or I’d end up being thought of as some shady guy who liked to talk to himself.

I sighed. The world’s so unfair.

I felt an itch between my shoulder blades, and turned to find a set of amethyst eyes locked onto me. My guard raised instantly, fear spiking through me.

Is she...going to chastise me for looking at their chests...? I wondered, eyeing our party’s magician warily. Her lustrous, fox-colored hair was pulled up into a ponytail on one side of her head, and she wore a navy-blue robe. A silver staff was clutched between her hands.

Wh-What is it, Novem? I asked fearfully.

It’s nothing, she said calmly. I just noticed that you’ve been looking tired for a while now.

I relaxed slightly, letting out a relieved sigh.

Novem Fuchs was my former fiancée, as well as the second daughter of the baron of House Fuchs. Her house had been associated with House Walt for a very long time, which was perhaps one of the reasons she’d chased after me even after I’d been kicked out of my house.

I would have never made it this far without Novem, I thought. I’m sure of it.

I was so sure of it, in fact, that I could barely look her in the eye. She’d taken such good care of me all this time, and she was so beautiful, and incredible with magic... She was practically perfect at everythi—well, maybe perhaps that wasn’t quite true, but she was incredibly reliable nonetheless.

On an unrelated note, milord, she continued, are you carrying all the necessary documents?

I reached over my shoulder, quickly producing the paperwork and a handful of silver cards. I’ve got them all right here, I reassured her, a little annoyed at her questioning. You don’t have to worry.

The silver cards were called Guild cards, and were created in pairs when you joined a Guild. One would be held by the adventurer, while the other would be kept in the Guild’s possession. On the occasion of an adventurer’s death, a horizontal line would be slashed through their name on both their personal card they held and the one stored at the Guild, conveniently informing the world of their demise. Also, for whatever reason, Guild cards were not absorbed by dungeons, and couldn’t be digested by monsters if swallowed.

Novem’s gaze darted over the papers in my hands, and then she said lightly, Pardon me, then. She inclined her head slightly toward me before facing forward and getting back on her way.

Don’t be so snippy with her, the second head chided from the Jewel. She was just making sure.

I abruptly felt a little bad. I was quite thankful for Novem’s dedication, but I couldn’t help but get a bit irritated at the constant reminder of how unreliable I was.

"Do you think he’s...you know... the third head said in a hushed, oddly certain tone, entering his rebellious phase?"

Is it just me, I thought crankily, or is their teasing coming off as rather annoying lately? And all their orders too.

Hmm... the fourth head rumbled, oblivious to my thoughts. That could be it. He’s getting to that age...

I gave the Jewel a quick roll with the tip of my finger, signaling for my ancestors to shut up.

***

"Wait, what? I demanded. We can’t enter the dungeon?"

I was standing in front of the reception desk of Aramthurst’s Guild, having already submitted the necessary forms to confirm our party’s transfer. I’d just finished listening to a briefing on the basic info I’d need to operate as an adventurer within the city, during which I’d learned that Aramthurst’s famous underground dungeon—which was known to be incredibly profitable to those who plumbed its depths—was not accessible to us.

The receptionist gave me a deadpan look through the round lenses of his glasses. Adventurers without ability or credibility are unable to enter the dungeon, he repeated in a matter-of-fact tone. That’s the rule here.

I narrowed my eyes at him, taking in his slender physique and the rather barren patch atop his head. The man had nothing in common with Hawkins, our receptionist back in Darion, who’d handled us with nothing but the utmost consideration. This guy was making it blatantly clear he looked down on us.

What a pain, I thought, grimacing internally. Though we do have some financial leeway, and we mostly came to Aramthurst to study, not to tackle the dungeon. Honestly, it isn’t that big a problem that we can’t get in there, except... I froze, a realization hitting me. Except that’s not true at all, is it?

Is there anything we can do about this? I demanded, focusing back on the receptionist. What exactly do we have to do to gain the Guild’s permission to enter the dungeon?

You can gain credibility by hunting down monsters outside the city and selling a set number of their Demonic Stones to the Guild, he explained with painstaking slowness. But even once you accomplish that, your party size is going to be an issue. Were you seriously planning on entering the dungeon with only four party members? That’s nowhere near enough people, even if your equipment is top class.

I hung my head. I mean, we were already aware that we were on the smaller side for a party—that’s part of the reason we came to Aramthurst in the first place. We were always going to try and recruit more people. But still, at this rate...

That means we’re going to have to go and hunt monsters under the blazing sun, though... I found myself muttering.

Is that not an adventurer’s job? the receptionist asked, ice cold. Please, just hurry up and face your reality and go collect us some Stones. Good grief, don’t we have enough to deal with, having to struggle through times like the summer and winter when the Stone yield drops? Please, don’t exacerbate the problem.

The receptionist’s eyes bored into me, as if he was silently saying, We’re done here, now get moving!

Jeez, I thought, taking the hint and shuffling away. That guy’s seriously got it out for adventurers. He totally iced me out.

But his frigid reception wasn’t the issue at the forefront of my mind. It’s going to be a trial and a half to fight monsters in the height of summer, with this sort of heat beating down on us. My shoulders drooped as I thought over our situation. We’re going to have to prowl around the surrounding plains looking for monsters as we lug around heavy supplies, all while somehow managing to maintain enough energy to fight. I tried to picture it in my head. Well, for starters, we’re going to need to take more breaks than usual, lest we end up collapsing. We’re going to be expending much more stamina than usual, and... I heaved a sigh. And though it depends on the type of monsters out there, I doubt this is going to be particularly profitable for us.

As I thought this depressing information over, I made my way across the floor of Aramthurst’s Guild and back toward the spot where my comrades stood. The city’s Guild was located in a relatively small two-story building, the first floor housing the reception area and lobby as well as several bulletin boards that were plastered with a variety of jobs.

As I explained the situation to them, Novem’s expression clouded over. That is troubling indeed, she murmured. I’d never heard that Aramthurst had such rules before.

Aria and Sophia both had confused looks on their faces, though—apparently they hadn’t quite grasped the problem yet.

But...didn’t we earn a lot of money back in Darion? Aria asked, tilting her head. We should be fine for a while, shouldn’t we?

She wasn’t wrong about that—we’d participated in a dungeon subjugation before we left Darion, and we’d netted ourselves a pretty good profit in the process. However...it wasn’t going to be enough.

That money may have tided us over in Darion, but we’ve got to recalculate based on the cost of living here in Aramthurst, Novem explained. Staying at a reputable inn is going to cost a sizable amount, and learning the new skills we came here for isn’t going to be free.

Yes, I see, Sophia said, nodding in agreement. But I still thought we wouldn’t have to make such a fuss over picking up work.

The second head let out a growl from within the Jewel. I winced—for whatever reason, he tended to take a harsher attitude when speaking about Aria and Sophia.

Does she seriously not understand that you aren’t affluent enough to just study without doing any work? he asked, scoffing. Plus, if you take too much time off, you guys are going to lose your edge. I mean, she doesn’t think you’re going to be playing around in Aramthurst forever, right?

Despite his harshness, I knew the second head wasn’t wrong. There were plenty of reasons why we had to work during our stay in the city. For starters, we intended to search for new comrades while we were in Aramthurst, which meant we’d be better off frequenting the Guild so we could gather information. Additionally, like the second head had said, we shouldn’t devote ourselves entirely to academics, lest we dull our battle senses.

On top of that, although we were currently only a party of four members, if we were successful, that number would grow to five or six. Once our party expanded, we’d have to find a way to pay for everyone’s food and lodging. The expenses would add up pretty quick.

Maintaining everyone’s equipment also costs money. Even if we weren’t using them regularly, it was still essential that we keep them in good condition. In my case, I’d need to keep an eye on my saber. I couldn’t just set it aside because I wasn’t using it to cut anything. The same rule applied to everyone else; they had to treat their equipment with respect and look after their things on a daily basis. Our tools were, after all, items that we entrusted our lives to every time we went out into the field.

Whether it’s knowledge or techniques, the more necessary they are, the more time and money they’ll cost to obtain, Novem explained. We’ll need to work to a moderate degree...but going outside the city will be problematic.

Clearly Novem already fully understood the difficulties ahead of us, and I could see Sophia was slowly catching on as well. Come to think of it, she murmured, face going stiff, it’s going to be difficult for us to work given the season. It’s only going to get hotter from here, and if we went outside the city...

I nodded. The dungeon might be riddled with danger, but at least we wouldn’t have to worry about the heat while we were inside. Many dungeons adapted their environments to be comfortable for humans, in a bid to entice them to stay inside their walls and wander deeper into their depths. From what I’d heard, Aramthurst’s dungeon fell into this category.

It would be easier for us to earn money in the dungeon as well. We would be able to count on a certain number of monsters being contained within the dungeon’s limited space, which was far more efficient than having to head outside the city and wander around searching for a fight.

If we could just enter the dungeon once or twice a month, that would resolve all our financial woes, but...

I sighed. I didn’t think we’d need the Guild’s permission to enter the dungeon. It seems like their strict criteria’s going to prove a real problem.

The reality was, we lacked not only the required number of party members to enter the dungeon, but also the credibility we needed to convince the Guild to give us their approval.

Aria frowned, finally grasping our situation. Aramthurst is a total pain, she muttered under her breath.

Yeah, I agree, I thought, lips twitching. But seriously, what are we going to do...?

We were all silently standing there, wondering if we’d picked the wrong city, when the sound of a disturbance reached our ears. My eyes drifted in the direction of the noise, quickly locking on to a group of adventurers.

The third head let out a long whistle. Looks like a gaggle of noble sons, to my eye, he said nonchalantly. Maybe they hired some adventurers to join them so they could enter the dungeon? They’re clearly arguing about something.

Lyle, leave at once, the seventh head spat, his voice full of disdain and disinterest. Don’t get involved.

I didn’t move right away though, even despite his warning. I was distracted by the blatant aura of danger hovering in the air.

From what I could tell, a group of pompous-looking youths seemed to be prattling away at a lone girl. None of the people standing around seemed to have any intention of getting involved, and the Guild staff who’d trickled out from behind the reception desk seemed to be taking the side of the young men.

Kinda makes me sick, if I’m being honest, I thought, unable to look away.

I could see Sophia’s face out of the corner of my eye, her expression growing uglier and uglier with each word out of the men’s mouths. Listening to their loudly proclaimed grievances, I could understand why.

A measly supporter like you should be thankful she’s even getting paid at all, one of the young men sneered. We were practically risking our lives to protect you, you know!

I eyed him, and once I managed to look past his overbearing attitude, I saw he was wearing a set of what was clearly very expensive equipment. It was the incredible amount of ornamentation that made it obvious—beyond the fact that it was complete overkill, there was no way any of it was necessary for battle.

The young woman he was yelling at was also wearing some pretty unique armor for an adventurer—most of her attire was made of cloth and leather, clearly designed for mobility, while one of her arms was clad in metal from her shoulder to her fingertip. It was as if she was wearing just the arm piece of a suit of armor. Beyond that, she looked pretty small and delicate to my eyes, but the bag on her back—which she seemed to carry as though it was nothing—was large enough that I thought she’d probably fit into it easily. She had her hands tucked through the bag’s straps, and, as far as I could tell, wasn’t carrying any weapon of her own.

I did my job as a supporter, she said in an indifferent tone, her red eyes half-open and almost sleepy-looking behind the lenses of her glasses. After deducting necessary expenses, the sum I received is incredibly low. I must request that you pay me the amount listed on the contract.

Her insistence sent the pompous man who’d been yelling at her into an irritable silence. He glared at the top of her head, which was covered with roughly cut, unkempt lavender-blue hair.

H-Hey, you! cried the Guild receptionist, who’d finally stepped in to stop their arguing. "You’re being incredibly rude! You were given the opportunity to work with a noble! You should think of it as your chance to gain recognition and—"

The Guild practically forced me to take this request, the girl said firmly, not budging an inch. Something told me that she couldn’t. This is the third time this has happened. You must realize that I have to make a living.

This time, it was the receptionist who grew irritated at her tone.

The sixth head laughed from within the Jewel. She sure knows how to speak up, for someone so small, he said with a hint of admiration. Still, all she’s doing acting like that is making herself some enemies. Seems like she’s one of those people who’re too blunt to get along well in society.

From what I just heard, that girl’s in the right, Sophia muttered. So why is it turning out like this...?

Before I could reply, the arrogant youth drew his sword from the sheath at his hip and pointed its tip straight at the girl. Can’t you even do as you’re told?! he demanded.

The girl only twitched in response, her sleepy eyes widening a bit. She made no attempt to move closer to safety.

A sneer stretched across the male adventurer’s face. I put you to use because I heard you were a bit famous, and this is how you treat me? A one-armed brat like you should be satisfied with what you get!

One-armed...? I wondered, intrigued. I activated the second head’s Art, using it to examine her armor-clad left arm.

It’s a prosthetic... I murmured, eyebrows raising.

It wasn’t armor at all—it was a replacement limb made of metal. It seemed to have some range of motion, judging by the metal hand’s firm grip on her rucksack.

I wonder how it works... I thought curiously.

But before I could ask any more questions—or have any of my previous musings answered, for that matter—I’d already started moving forward.

What’s this? the third head asked in a teasing tone. Looks like you’re getting involved, Lyle. Those nobles seem like a prideful bunch, though. I’ll have to recommend against it. You could always wait to help her some other tim—

Milord, Novem said, unknowingly interrupting the third head’s words. Her hand clenched tight around my arm, causing me to stumble to a halt. When I glanced over my shoulder, she was already shaking her head. We mustn’t get involved in a situation like this without knowing the circumstances, she chided me. Also...she doesn’t fit.

I sighed. This last statement, that the girl didn’t fit, reminded me of a rather large problem I had with Novem. She was a very reliable person, practically perfect in my eyes, except for one thing—for some reason or another, she was always trying to set me up with a harem. She tried to station more and more women around me with every chance she got, but these women had to fulfill certain qualifications first. House Walt had a number of precepts for choosing a bride, you see, and Novem would only select those women who fulfilled every last one of them. This H.C.O., or harem-creation objective, was precisely why Novem had welcomed Aria and Sophia into our party. It was a side of Novem I simply would never be able to understand.

Whether she fits or not isn’t the issue, Novem, I said shortly. I... It’s fine, just stay here.

I shook off Novem’s hand, giving up on explaining. Within seconds, I was approaching the group of rowdy nobles once more.

As I drew closer,