Agnes was jumping from me to Natasha like a puppy starving for attention. On the one hand, she really wanted to get an update from the woman she treated as her older sister, on the other one she kept trying to get me involved in the conversation.

“...Anyway-anyway! How did your raid go!? You got sent to evaluate a new dungeon, right?! How did it go? Was it epic? Were the monsters strong!? Did you claim unimaginable treasures?!” her eyes were sparkling as she kept on asking question after question. “No. Quite the opposite. It was a fairly young dungeon, simplests of traps, just three floors, no boss on the lowest level.” “... then why bother to form a raid?” “Because, Aggi, you never know what you are getting yourself into. It can be a young dungeon with some lesser monsters, or a crawling elder dungeon.” “Crawling dungeon?” I raised my voice “... what is it? It’s the first time I have heard such a name.” “Alternative name is traveling dungeon. It’s basically a dungeon that changes its location. The most famous one is the Heavenly Fortress.”

Aye. THAT name I have heard about once. A powerful castle-like fortification located on a floating island. The only way to get on it is via air, either by zeppelin - colossal machines crafted by dwarfs, powered by mages and operated by dozens of skilled engineers; or via flying beasts - gryphons or dragonoids such as, for example, wyverns.

“...Imagine this. You just find a hole in the ground next to the village you live in, you walk down, see an old stone gate, you open it… and bam. You end up in the belly of a monster, because you didn’t know you just entered the Abyssmal Pit, the most dangerous crawling dungeon that had ever been spotted…” Natasha shivered. “Have you ever…” I hesitated to ask, eventually dropping the question. “... tried conquering it? Yes. Once. Three years ago. Me and nearly fifty other adventurers from various other Houses challenged it. Truly the best of the best - I felt like an amateur among them… We managed to beat seventy floors. You see, the Abysmal Pit is quite a specific place, once you enter it you can’t leave… You walk past a stone gate, pass a fountain, then another gate… which then shuts behind you. On each tenth floor in the chamber of the boss-beast there is a similar fountain. You need to pour the boss's blood into the fountain to activate it. This ritual will create a portal that leads you back to the first fountain. That’s the only way you can leave it… well, the only one we know about.” she stopped to take a break, from under her coat she picked a goatskin which she uncorked just to take a huge gulp.

Guessing by smell, she liked her vodka flavored.

“... from nearly fifty top-class adventurers only twelve returned, including me. In the next week, two more died due to curses and venoms. Even the healing magic of the Conclave of Bishops of the Three couldn’t cure them…” She looked at me “This dungeon was the reason why some scholars started thinking that they are actually alive - a form of intelligent existence. It… It learns. First boss was taken down by being run down with bombardment provided by our pyromancers… Second boss was fireproof… and he targeted the mages first. We didn’t suffer any losses, because our first-liners skillfully protected them… Third boss was fireproof AND had these… additional tentacle-like whips which attacked from the sides, completely bypassing our guard… As our pyromancers were decimated, bosses were no longer fireproof... If you ever see a round, stone gate with a Black Dragon painted on it… turn around and leave. You may hear voices from inside calling for you. People you know begging for help. Your nemesis, mocking you… Run. Just run as far as you can. I think that divines participated in the creation of this place just to remind us of our place in this world.”

She kept on talking as we were getting closer to the camp. Once we entered it, I was greeted by six more girls - yes, girls, not women, because I doubted that any of them was over twenty years old.

“Line up, girls!” “Aye-aye Lieutenant!” the girls yelled in unison, then giggled. “For heaven's mercy! Girls! We are not at sea! Don’t you dare go aye-aye’ing on me!... You are bringing shame on our squad in front of our newest comrade…” “A MALE! CAN’T BE! ” One of them, quite short with chestnut hair (and wearing a robe that was much too long) raised her voice “... I was told we are an all-female squad! I hate men! They all are just dirty, and…”

A girl on her left covered her mouth and dragged her slightly back ‘shushing’ her, asking her to calm down.

“Now, now, calm down Brigitte, you were told that at that time you joined there was not a single male in the team.

Still, the long-robed Brigitte managed to free herself from the embrace of her friend.

“Lieutenant! I must protest! I will not tolerate a male in our team! We are called the Silver Roses Squad! That’s not a place for a male! I demand him be sent away immediately!” “Protest noted. Protest taken into consideration. Protest currently being evaluated… And rejected. Also, that’s the name that you yourself gave to the squad.” “Giving a nickname to yourself is kinda… lame, isn’t it?” I asked Agnes as I twisted my head towards her. I said that quietly, hoping that the rest of the girls wouldn’t hear us, but, guessing my Brigitte’s becoming red all over her face and grinding her teeth in anger, she did hear. “Is it? Of course it is! Even I cringe when I hear it…” The Glaive-Maiden answered nonchalantly. “No! I will not tolerate his presence! If he wants to join… He needs to… he needs to… Yes! Defeat me! I will not let any weakling join and slow us down!...” “Hm? But Alabaster already proved himself…” Agnes started, yet was quickly silenced by Natasha. “We don’t have time for that, not to mention that Alabaster was baptised just yesterday. Tell me, Briggite, how many other cadets should he have defeated in a row so you could let him join… and think carefully over this answer, because later you will undergo the same test - to see if you are fit to remain among us.” “B-but Commander! I have already proven myself and…” “When you make a statement that ‘one needs to be strong enough to join’, you imply that you also possess such strength.”

She clenched her teeth, thinking carefully.

“F-five!” she yelled with slight hesitation. “Fair enough. In a week we will have you undergo another fight-chain with fellow knights. If you will manage to win five times in a row, you can stay… As for Alabaster… Care reminding me how many other cadets you defeated, Kid?”

She asked, “forgetting” the outcome of my baptism.

“All of them, Commander.” I answered calmly “Specifically, I succeeded in ten duels.”

I could hear Brigitte jaw dropping on the ground. If she was like me it would have been literal.

“As you all can hear, girls, there are two reasons for Alabaster to join us - one, Nicolai personally asked me to train him; two - we lack a shield bearer. Alabaster proved to be a man of great endurance, fortitude and focus. We will have time to get to know each other better later on, for now, we will start with team-building exercises! Our quest for today - we were told to move out into the Deadwood and clear every undead marauder remaining in the area!..” “Whaaat!? B-but we were supposed to have a day off today…” “Gear up, girls, we leave in thirty minutes!”

------------------

In the city of Boltward, in the Adventurer’s Guild, adventurer Frank was strolling with an uneasy expression.

No, wait, saying that is like saying nothing at all! He wasn’t just tired and sad! He was exhausted and close to bursting into tears! Everything that happened to him in the last three days ended not like it was supposed to!

He managed to escort that wounded granny to the guild, but! Doing so he didn’t participate in the great battle with the Undead Lord! - Oh, he wouldn’t do that to begin with - it was Greater House work after all - but, just by being around in the Special Area during the battle was enough to get a title of being a wonderful, just, warrior!

At the same time as Frank returned to the city many other adventurers - sent back because they were simply too weak to keep fighting with such a great opponent like an Undead Lord - were sent back with wounded or empty carts to resupply food and medicines… Just because he returned at the same time as them, people would start seeing him as a loser that was too weak to actually participate in a noble battle!

And even though he did explain the situation to the guild leader and staff worker… he couldn’t count on discounts at the bar “for heroes” nor for better attention from female patrons of taverns.

For his deeds, he got a rank up, some financial gratification, and a good word from the guild authorities…

… But, what he actually was expecting was a reward from Mia! She said that it would be a “kind of reward I didn’t give any other adventurer yet”... but she was actually talking about a lesser artifact that, from now on, would be rewarded to adventurers from each rank that did the most quests every three months.

… a small, silver pendant which slightly increased his stamina regeneration as well as helped with healing of some lesser wounds was hanging from his neck.

Was. For a day.

Because, greatly dissatisfied with all these misfortunes, he wanted to improve his mood with a little gambling and a few drinks, but, as he was winning, a few beers turned into lots of vodka-enabled hardcore gambling.

He left the tavern at the dawn, with only his pants on himself, adding yet another misfortune to the list.

“By the divines! Frank! You look like seven-sorrows! What happened to you!?”

Mia, who was in the middle of consoling a slightly older woman in the middle of crying from behind the counter, quickly left her post and ran toward him to check his condition.

Ah, Mia, sweet, innocent Mia. Always encouraging him to try his hardest. Always there ready to help with a kind word… And a bit too pure. Yes. It was him being foolish thinking that THIS Mia could have any lewd intentions when making this kind of offer to him! She just wanted to be playful and mysterious, and he misunderstood the situation. Yes! It had to be his fault! It had to! At least, that’s what Frank chose to believe in.

“Ah, Mia… I am sorry, but I don’t want you to see me in this sorrowful state…” he smiled, though his eyes remained dull “... But, actually, I… I need a quest. Easy and quick one... “ “Of course! I will help you, but first - tell me what happened!” “Mia, please, that’s the conversation for another time…” “No! You will tell me what happened, and you will do it now, or I will make such a mess in your personal records that you will be unable to legally take a quest for a month!”

She pouted her cheeks.

So cute, Frank really wanted to pat her head right now.

“I was just foolish… I told you how I lost my glory by not participating in the battle…” “You saved an innocent life! That’s far more noble than a battle!...” “... yeah, still, I wanted to lift my mood in the tavern… later I hoped that maybe fate would smile to me… But it didn’t. I lost all my money and most of my equipment… I also fell into debt, oh - my sorrowful story.” “Frank! You dummy! I keep on telling you to avoid those institutions! Seriously, a man - such as yourself - should never show yourself in such a dirty place!” “Such as myself… what do you mean by that?” he asked, wanting to at least hear a nice word from Mia. “Pure and honest!” she said, smiling brightly, though her mind screamed ‘naive horndog that loses his mind seeing a port whore smiling at him’. “Thank you, Mia, you are always here to help… So, can I ask you for some help me once again? I really want to change my fate…”

That’s the phrase that made her shiver.

“Say… are you sure about that?” her tone changed. “M-mia?” “What if I knew the way to literally alter your fate? I… might know someone that helped me when I was in need… But, he also demands payment…” “Mia… Love, I am broke like a church’s mouse… I am so poor that I don’t even have ten commandments!” he joked. “You don’t pay with money!” Mia hissed, annoyed at the response. “Oh… Ooooh! W-well… I never really did that… And to be honest I would rather keep my backdoor permanently shut…” “THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU MORON!” Mia screamed, attracting attention of other people in the guild.

She smiled awkwardly and with a wave of her hand she let everyone know that everything was fine.

“There is a… ritual… that summons someone that can help you… but it might not be exactly legal, and better for you and me to keep it as a secret, especially from the Church.” “You… are not talking about summoning a devil, are you?” “He is not a devil… And not a spirit either… He is… You would need to meet him to understand. So, are you feeling lucky?” “Lucky?! I just lost my life savings! Lucky is the last word I would use to describe myself!... But I don’t think I will be able to free myself from creditors in any other way… I am listening…”

And so, Mia taught him a ritual.

One that could bend Fate itself.

----

Later on, Frank was sitting in the cafeteria in the other part of town. He borrowed some money from Mia to buy two pieces of cheesecake. He had one in front of himself, and the other one on the opposite side of the table, as if he was waiting for someone. Looking nervously around he quadruple checked if no one was eavesdropping on him. Once he was sure, he started to chant quietly.

“Summoning thee, the Breaker of Fate, I am calling forth, offering myself…”

He felt as shiver ran down his spine. Frank was getting nervous.

“Answer my call, The Keeper of Night, Stand in the Light, oh Beast in Black…”

If someone heard him - best case scenario, he would be treated as a lunatic and asked to leave, in worse case - he would be reported to the inquisition as someone that tried to summon a devil or some other unholy beast.

“For Light has left others blind, burning their eyes, they are unable to see the truth that lies in the dark…”

His hands were sweaty.

“Oh Wanderer of the Abyss, find this time and place, for the time has come for you to appear in grace…”

He finished the lines of the rite…

…. aaaaand nothing happened.

Did Mia lie to him? Did she want to just make fun of him!?

No! It can’t be! Mia would never do that!

Wait, she did tell him that sometimes he does not come right away… for that, there is a second part to the ritual…

He picked some dried grapes aimed to throw it on the cheesecake which lay on the opposing part of the table.

He thought that maybe the sweetness and bitterness was supposed to symbolize something? Maybe adding dried grapes was supposed to symbolize his sorrow?

Not trusting his throwing arm he extended his hands to right above the cake and opened his palm, letting the fruits fall freely down, and just as the first of them was about to hit the cake…

… the world turned grey.

In front of him, a panting and sweating man appeared. It looked as if, at the very last moment, he managed to catch the fruits. His white hairs were dancing in the wind, his twin colored eyes were locked on him in anger.

“Are you fucking crazy!?...” the man hissed “... did you really want to ruin completely fine cheesecake with raisins!? And they call me a Beast! Seriously, degenerates like you belong on a cross! Fuck! Ruining a cake just because I didn’t come running to you right away! How childish can you be?! And do you have any idea how much work I have to do!?”

The stranger was waiting for the answer.

“N-no, sir, I don’t…” Frank somehow managed to mumble. “You don’t…” bizzare man mocked him “...WELL THEN MAYBE REPEAT THE FUCKING CHANT TRYING YOUR LUCK LATER! But noooo! Ol’ Zariel didn’t come running like a faithful bitch right away, so let's ruin his offering!... Ugh! Whatever.”

The man sat on the chair in front of Frank, picked a small silver fork and dug it into the cake, taking a small bit of it to taste.

“Talk. What fuck do you want, why fuck should I do it, and then what the fuck will you pay for it. You have until I finish eating to convince me. Go.”

The Beast in Black put a piece of the cake into his mouth, savouring its taste.

And waited.