Is It Wrong to Set Records in a Dungeon?

When asked, Bell said he was new to adventuring. That was more than enough reason for any Familia to turn him away. They were asking the wrong question. They really should've asked if he was any good at fighting. Or magic.

Prologue

Ais Wallenstein just stared at the white-haired boy sitting atop the decapitated minotaur's corpse. He appeared rather puzzled about something. The way his head tilted just a little to the side was rather cute.

She let out a quiet sigh of relieve. Everything was fine. Thankfully, no one had died due to their mistakes.

"Oh, hi!" He had a bright smile. "You wouldn't happen to know where the magic stone in this thing's located, do you?"

"Stomach."

She blinked. She heard the familiar sound of a dagger being sheathed. The decapitated minotaur was now bisected. Where was the magic stone? Did he already manage to store it somewhere? When was the last time something had been too fast for her to even see it?

"Thank you! That's the first time I've had to fight this monster. Usually I just walk past them. Good thing they're so weak, right?"

The minotaur was notorious for being one of the strongest monsters on the fifteenth and sixteenth floors. Even level three adventures were loath to fight them. But it was true, they were weak compared to monsters of the Deep Floors.

"Yes. Your name?"

Still for someone to call a minotaur weak meant they were at least at the apex of level three. In all her time in Orario she would have at least heard of someone probably faster than her.

"I'm Bell Cranel. Nice to meet you."

A lightbulb seemed to go off in his head.

"Oh! You must've been chasing after it. Sorry for kill-stealing."

A fist-sized magic stone found its way into her hands. She didn't even blink this time and she still couldn't see him move. Also, how was it already clean?

They shared a moment of awkward silence as ruby eyes stared back at her gaze. She had so many questions to ask that her uncooperative mouth wasn't willing to ask.

"Well, I've got to get to Rivira. It was nice meeting someone as pretty as you!"

Somehow, it sounded a lot better to hear him say 'pretty' than when Loki did it. Probably because he wasn't being lecherous.

He posed himself into a sprinter's position. For some reason, she thought he looked like a rabbit about to leap.

Oh.

"Ah. Wai—"

She saw a white blur in the distance.

"Watch where you're going, newbie!"

Bete had finally caught up. He was being even louder than usual, if she could hear him from this distance.

"I'm sorry!" Bell's voice trailed off into the distance.

It took nearly a minute for Bete to stop swearing and complaining about 'weakling' adventurers, before he finally came into view.

"Damn, Ais!" He grinned. "Did you see the look on that kid's face? I couldn't smell it, but anyone fleeing that fast must've pissed themselves!"

"Actually—"

"Kid's so stupid, he even fled in the wrong direction! One little minotaur and kid's already a wreck!"

His laugher boomed throughout the fifth floor. She would really appreciate it if she could finish her sentence. But Bete would be Bete. His eyes spied the glowing stone in her hands. His grin was wolf like.

"You already killed the beast and retrieved the magic stone? Fast as usual, Ais."

Not as nearly fast as…Bell though. She should also probably find a way to return this stone. She didn't deserve it.

Speed was everything to her. She wasn't magically talented like Riveria was. Finn was likely a hundred times smarter than her. Tiona could break though boulders of raw Adamantite if she had reason to. But she was the fastest.

It was what made her strong. What use was magic if it couldn't touch your opponent? What good was strength if a monster could simply avoid it?

No, it was speed that would one day kill the One-eyed Black Dragon. Her father had blinded the Black Dragon with a swing of his sword, using speed and skill in equal measure.

Her training and the wind magic she had helped her achieve the speed she wielded today—the speed of the fastest level five adventurer.

But was it enough?

She hadn't gotten any faster in a long time. No matter what she tried. But what about that white-haired boy with ruby eyes? How did he do it? He bisected the minotaur so rapidly, so effortlessly.

No. It would do no good to dwell on things. That wasn't her strength. She'd find him and do whatever it took to learn how to move that fast.

Her mind made, she took a bite of her cheese-dipped bread. The Hostess of Fertility served great food as usual.

"Right! Ais, tell us that story!" Bete hollered. Was he getting drunk again? Where was Riveria?

"…That story?"

"You know, about that time those minotaurs got lucky and managed to escape! And how you blitzed that last one that made it to the fifth floor." He burst into laughter, his howls loud enough to deafen the ears of the nearby cat-person waitress.

"And also about that stupid newbie that ran deeper into the dungeon instead of out of it!"

Oh, that story. She really should have clarified that it wasn't her that slew the minotaur. Bete continued regardless. Asking her appeared to be an excuse to complain about weaklings…again.

"You guys should've seen the rookie! The look on his face! You know what they say about cowards, like how their legs level up and let them fly when they're in danger?"

He paused to down yet another tankard of beer.

"It's absolutely true, I swear that kid fled faster than one of those Almiraj rabbits from the fourteenth floor!"

Ah. Bete was right this time. With his small frame, white hair and ruby eyes, he really did resemble those cute bunnies. It was truly a pity they were dungeon monsters. They were so cute.

"Ais, are you alright? You're flushing." Riveria asked.

"I'm fine."

"Tch. Kids like him give true adventurers like us a bad name."

"Bete. Enough's enough. It was our fault the minotaur escaped. For it to make it all the way up to the sixth floor…we should consider ourselves lucky that the Guild and other Familia have yet to complain about it. Honestly, we should offer the boy some form of compensation."

"Yeah, yeah, I got'cha your highness, always so diplomatic. Ais saved his worthless life, isn't that enough?" The werewolf spat back.

Was that his fifth tankard? She gazed at the redness of his cheeks. No, it was his sixth.

"Hey, why don't we ask Ais? If you needed a partner, who'd you pick: A level five, like yours truly? Or some pipsqueak that fled at the first sign of danger?"

Probably Bell. He seemed really kind and friendly. It would've been nice if he stayed to talk a little. Loki said she needed to practice her people skills. Also, your breath stinks.

"You've clearly had too much to drink Bete." Riveria's chilly tone implied he'd be in the doghouse real soon.

"Oh lighten up Riveria. If anything, it's you bein' sober at a bar that's wrong!"

"Someone has to make sure you drunks get home. It would do no good for you to sully the Loki Familia's reputation." Ais could hear the sound of teeth grinding.

"Well Ais? Who'd you wag your tail for?"

What kind of statement was that? What tail did she have?

"Um, sorry to interrupt. Is Riveria Ljos Alf here?"

A very fluffy looking head of white hair snuck into view.

Her head whipped around to find the source of the voice. Instead of the cloth armour he'd donned in the dungeon, he was wearing something more suited for merchants or scribes. Bell wore a black vest with a long white-sleeved shirt underneath, complete with a cute grey bowtie. It looked very familiar for some reason.

Riveria blinked then straightened up. Bete seemed to stare blankly at the interrupter.

"Yes, how may the Loki Familia assist the Guild?"

From within his vest, he retrieved a letter sealed with a waxed guild emblem together with a form and a magic quill.

"Please sign here to acknowledge receiving this letter. Sorry to deliver it here, but I couldn't find your captain or Goddess, and none of your ranking members have stopped by the Guild recently."

He flashed an almost blinding smile at Riveria as he accepted the signed form back from her.

"Thank you!" Was she just imagining the slight redness on the High Elf's cheeks? Strange. Riveria never drank any alcohol.

"It's not a problem. I apologise for your troubles. I'll be sure to have someone assigned to receive important correspondence in future."

"It's alright! It was really no trouble."

He sure liked to smile a lot. Not that it was a bad thing.

"I just happened to be having dinner here. It was just good luck to meet you here!"

"Pardon me, but I've never seen you at the Guild before?"

Good job Riveria, keep asking questions.

"Oh, I'm Bell Cranel. Guild Arbiter. They usually send me if there's a need for Guild presence in the dungeon."

The Guild employs adventurers outside of Quests? Please go on.

Despite not voicing the question, Bell seemed to notice her uncertainty. Maybe her people skills were improving! Communicating with body language was a high-level social skill!

"Um, we follow expeditions to confirm feats. We also check if quests were properly completed and make sure the map data is accurate. Oh, and handle communication with Rivira."

"Hmm. I see." Riveria hummed. "Now that you mention it, those type of jobs have disappeared from the Quest board."

"Well, we found out that some adventurers have been faking quest completions and giving us false data. It's led to inaccurate maps and ill-prepared adventurers."

Bell looked like a kicked puppy. Bad Riveria.

"Hah?!" Bete definitely seemed confused. "Oi, Ais! Isn't this the stupid kid we were just talking about? You know, the coward that ran with his tail tucked between his legs?"

It took only a second for Riveria to register Bete's words. She stared at the letter in her hands, as if it suddenly weighted a hundred times more. What was wrong with her eyes? Why did they suddenly look so lifeless?

Ah. It's a warning letter. It also would probably be a great idea to stop insulting the Guild employee they might've killed with their mistake. And if he was having dinner here before, wouldn't he have overheard everything Bete said? Better apologise on his behalf.

"Hello Bell. Sorry for Bete. He's drunk."

"Ais?!" The werewolf felt betrayed. "What bulls—"

Riveria glued Bete's mouth together. Surprisingly, she used her hands instead of magic. "Shut. Up. Now."

"It's alright." His understanding smile made her feel…nice. "It's not the first time someone's had bad things to say about me. You look familiar for some reason. Have we met somewhere?"

Oh. So Riveria was using magic to supress Bete. Just how strong are his jaws?

"I'm Ais. Ais Wallenstein. We met on the Fifth floor. Minotaur."

"Right! Now I remember. How're you doing?"

"Good. Thank you."

She reached into her chest plate.

"Mmph!" Bete garbled.

"Ais?!" Riveria uncharacteristically shrieked.

"Uwah!" Bell blushed and covered his eyes.

What was wrong with them?

She grasped the magic stone she'd been waiting to return. The next time she replaced her equipment, she'd remember to add pockets. It would be great for quickly accessing potions.

She stretched her hands out.

"Yours."

"U-uh. Is that a bribe?"

Riveria's already pale skin seemed to pale even further. Was she in the process of becoming a ghost? She hoped not.

AN: Thought I'd write a short piece to get back into writing. I've recently gotten into in Danmachi. Seems like an interesting setting. Decent characters, and a charming spin on the normal dungeon fantasy web/light novels that Japan's in love with. I wonder if they have magical coffee?

For those reading my RWBY fanfiction, sorry for the lack of updates. I've just lost interest in RWBY as a series. I'll probably give it another go when I have time.