Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Aspire to Be an Adventurer?

Bell Cranel POV

Kicking through the dirt, I slashed a monster as it passed by. The creature behind me screamed its final cry and collapsed.

How many monsters had I fought like this? Without thinking, I moved on quickly, hunting my next prey, wandering deeper into the labyrinth dungeon.

After hearing those words, I felt ashamed of how miserable I was, mocked, scorned, laughed at, and worst of all, pitied. For the first time, I wanted to erase this weak version of myself.

I couldn't deny the young man's words. I couldn't even reply back. To her, I was nothing more than a roadside pebble. And that helpless, useless me, I hated it with every fiber of my being.

"Geh, geh."

I spotted another monster. A huge frog-like creature with a single giant eye, the"Frog Shooter." I was about to kick the ground towards it when something zipped past me.

"Yikes!?"

The monster collapsed. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of whatever had just passed.

"Ah."

It was a familiar back. The back of someone I'd seen countless times since becoming an adventurer. The same person from the tavern earlier. A friend's back.

Like me, he wore no armor, just plain clothes, marked with scratches from monster claws and teeth, and damp as if caught in the rain.

"!!"

Anger welled up inside me. I marched right up to him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Don't get in my way!"

I shouted, fueled by frustration.

"I'm not in your way."

He answered quietly, his head lowered.

"I have to become stronger! It's not about what I should do, I have to do everything! And if anyone gets in the way of that..."

"Shut up."

My voice wasn't loud. More like a whisper that somehow pierced right through.

"Do you think I'm the only one angry about what happened in the tavern?"

"...!"

When he looked up, his face was filled with anger and regret. It was like looking in a mirror.

"I wasn't blocking you. That was just me taking my anger out on you."

Tears welled up in his eyes. He bit his lip and said in a trembling voice:

"...Let go already."

"...Sorry."

I released my grip, straightened my disheveled clothes, and gripped my dagger again.

"Well, whatever. But hey, Bell, how about you bear with my venting for a bit?"

He avoided my gaze and scanned the area, already hunting for the next prey just like I had been moments ago.

"Fine. But you'll have to put up with my venting too."

"Deal."

Thanks to Toki, the burning heat inside me cooled a little, and reason slowly returned.

(Where exactly are we?)

"Sixth floor."

His words caught me off guard, like he read my mind.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"You're easy to read."

I guess I was always terrible at lying.

"Here, catch."

From Toki's shadow, a knife shot out. I caught it just in time.

"That knife's already worn out. You'll be dead before long with gear like that."

I handed it over obediently. As soon as I dropped it at my feet, his shadow swallowed the knife whole.

"What was that?"

"If we survive, I'll tell you. Incoming!"

Right after he said that, a crackling noise broke the silence.

My enhanced senses, boosted by my status, picked up the ominous sound. The dungeon walls, tinged faintly green, started to crack open.

"That's..."

A figure appeared: a"War Shadow." About our height, its form was entirely black, almost human in silhouette. The only distinct feature was a circular, mirror-like facepiece shaped like a cross.

"War Shadow..."

"Hmph, you trying to get at me?"

Tightening my grip on my weapon, I prepared to fight. Behind me, I heard a metallic sound, turning, I saw another War Shadow emerging. Then more kept spawning.

Naturally, we stood back to back.

"I've got your back."

"You too."

I wasn't sure how well we could handle this. But I was glad to have his trust.

"Let's go!!"

We charged forward in unison.

…..

We survived...

Though we faced danger more than once, we, barely a month into being adventurers, fought on the sixth floor, and somehow lived.

"Yeah..."

Toki muttered as he leaned on my shoulder. Or maybe I was leaning on him. Either way, we supported each other.

We were both battered and bruised. Wounds were closed, but dried blood stained us everywhere, and our clothes were in tatters.

We were on our way back home from the dungeon. But both of us were so weak we barely made any progress.

"Oh, by the way, here's your knife."

"Hmm? Thanks."

I handed back the knife I'd been carrying. Toki took it but dropped it at his feet again. The knife vanished, then reappeared, gripped by what looked like a black tendril.

"Here."

"Thanks... What's that?"

"Oh, that's my skill."

He answered simply.

"I kept it hidden, but... it's something I've had since before I was even aware, since I was born."

I was speechless. Since birth? He had said it plainly.

"I used to be an assassin."

"My parents? I don't know if they're alive or dead. Never cared."

"My foster parent was a hopeless jerk. While running an orphanage, he trained the kids as assassins."

"The kids only learned that way of life, so they just trained relentlessly, thinking it was normal."

"I was the best among them. I learned fast, and thanks to this skill, I even killed adventurers."

"My first kill was at five years old, an adult my foster parent told me to kill, using this skill."

"I killed without question. It was the only way I knew to survive."

"That changed when I was eight. I came to this town to kill an adventurer."

"It was a night with a beautiful crescent moon. I ambushed him from behind using my skill, like always."

"But he reacted. Dodged the surprise attack. The assassination turned into a fight."

"I was pretty confident. I'd failed assassination attempts before and fought afterward."

"But he was incredible. Overwhelming status. Skills that didn't rely on status. I was pushed back the entire time, minutes? Hours? I don't know."

"I collapsed, thinking I was going to die. But I didn't. He spared me. I still don't know why. But I hated losing."

"At the same time, I admired him. There are amazing people like that out there among adventurers, a pure form of skill, different from assassination."

"When I was down and unable to move, Hermes found me. If he hadn't stopped by, I'd be dead."

"For three years after, Hermes, the Familia leader, and I traveled the world. New places, new sights, new experiences. Everything was happiness."

"Then for another three years, I worked odd jobs for the Hermes Familia."

"Though honestly, the Familia is pretty lax, so not much to do."

"I even opened a shop, 'Lost Child of the Abyss.' Fancy name, but basically a jack-of-all-trades."

"I helped people using what I learned on the road with Hermes. In return, I asked them to tell me one story."

"The purpose was simple: I wanted to hear stories. Everyone has a story, and hearing a part of it is like reading a chapter in a book."

"After all that, I became an adventurer half a month ago. And then I met you."

That was Toki's life story. Full of ups and downs, pain and joy, a tale as heroic as any I'd ever heard.

"So? Do you despise me now?"

But he said that.

"Why?"

"Besides the middle and end parts, I was originally an assassin, right? Aren't you scared?"

"Not at all."

Toki looked me straight in the eye. No fear. I met his gaze.

"Because you're not that person anymore, right?"

I spoke honestly. He looked surprised, then laughed.

"Hey, why are you laughing?"

"Sorry, sorry. But if I were a girl, I'd totally be in love with you right now."

"D-don't tease me…"

"Hey, why are you blushing? Just so you know, that was a joke."

"I- I know!"

We staggered forward together, still exhausted but side by side.

"By the way, this is the first time you've told me this story."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. I never told Hermes about my assassin days."

"Really? Then why tell me?"

"Hmm... I guess I wanted you to know, as my best friend who survived death with me, and as my rival who became an adventurer on the same day."

"Best friend and rival…"

A new, different kind of heat swelled in my chest.

"That sounds... pretty cool."

"We're a good match."

We smiled at each other.

…..

"Bell!?"

Back home, the goddess greeted me with a shocked face.

"What happened to you!? Did someone attack you!?"

"No, nothing like that..."

"Then why!?"

"I... went into the dungeon."

She looked dumbfounded.

"You idiot! What were you thinking?! Going into the dungeon in that state... and for a whole night!?"

"Sorry. But I wasn't alone."

She turned to look behind me, where Toki stood dressed similarly.

"Nice to meet you, Hestia-sama. I'm Toki Ortyx, Level 1 adventurer from the Hermes Familia. I often team up with Bell."

"So you didn't exactly drag Bell into this... Why did this happen?"

"Well, you could say... it was youthful folly."

"Huh?"

She made a crazy face, then sighed.

"Alright, whatever. I'll ask Bell about it later. You should go home too. You're in no better shape than Bell."

"Thanks for your concern."

After bowing to the goddess, I faced Toki again.

"Well, Bell, see you the day after tomorrow. Take it easy today. Oh, and I paid the tavern bill, so pay me back later. And go apologize to Sil."

"Got it."

With that, Toki left.

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Next up: an original story arc.

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