Slowly, the expedition team gathered at the stairway leading down to the fifth floor. Since the forth floor has been explored in the past, a map was available to every party in the expedition team which is the reason why everybody was able to arrive quickly.

"You guy's doing okay?" The Sylvan elf girl named Teryani approached Loganel's party with a confident smile on her face.

"Doing good so far," Tetsuya responded with a friendly smile. "What about you guys?"

"Barely breaking a sweat," Kaz, the demi-human, gave them a thumbs up as he walked over to have a casual conversation as the expedition team waited for everybody to arrive.

"This formation by Marsha is sure efficient," Sullivan pointed out, the tip of his spear pointed towards the stone floor as he looked around the eerie but still magnificent ruins of the ancient city. "Still can't lose focus though."

"Right," Tetsuya nodded. "Have you guys been down here before?"

"A few times," Sullivan responded.

"But we were chased around by the Kobolds on this floor most of the time," Morgan, the cleric, added with a light chuckle.

"You don't need to add that!" Sullivan blushed in embarrassment at Morgan's comments.

"No worries," Juliana said in a comforting smile. "We've never even been to the forth floor prior to this. The deepest we've been is the third..."

Her voice became quieter at the end as she realized what she was talking about. She glanced over at Loganel from the corner of her eye to observe his reactions. To her, Loganel is someone that she deeply cares for, someone that she willingly serves. Therefore, she sees it as her responsibility to take into account his feelings and consequences of his actions, for example his involvement with who she perceives as a "prostitute".

Slowly, Juliana backed away from the conversation of the group and surreptitiously approached Loganel from his back when he wasn't looking. She missed being so close to him since he has been so distant lately. In her heart, there is an unconditional affection for him. Twelve years ago, when Juliana was just a young child who was almost six years of age and whilst the Ainzloft family still resided in Astalan, she was abandoned by her parents and left on the streets of Astalan. She could still remember it as clear as day when "he" approached her and gave her the kindness and warmth that she so desired for. He was the one that had shielded her that day from the rain, and he was the ray of sunlight and hope that had permeated through the clouds and shined onto her world. It was Loganel's kindness that had brought her to where she was today, and she is determined to do what she could to help him.

As she remembered the past with a longing and nostalgic look on her face, a sense of depression slowly crept into her mind. Slowly, she recalled how Loganel had started to distance himself from her after he had met "her". Juliana knows his relationship with her, and understands that it was totally pure and that that girl has not allowed her body to be tainted. However, it was her status that bothered her. Due to this, she had confronted her regarding this fact and she had offered that girl, Iry, her solution in a discreet way. However, it would appear that it still has not engendered the effect that Juliana would desire for Loganel is still so cold. But, Juliana is determined and confident that she will be able to restore their relationship when Loganel opens her birthday present for him. Juliana had prepared for Loganel's birthday, which was coming up, for a while now. She had started knitting him his gift, along with other things she had planned.

"Alright," Marsha finally announced to everyone that has gathered. "We shall be continuing on to the next floor now. As for those who are not here at the moment, the best we could do is pronounce them as dead."

"People...died." Sheriel twirled her long hair in her hands nervously.

Among the younger participants in the expedition, most of them were like Sheriel: a serious and solemn atmosphere covered over them. To them, they were inexperienced with hearing the news of death since the most dangerous situations they've been in resulted in just simple injuries. However, this news of death is what all of them had to overcome. It can be thought of as a great filter that filters out those unfit for this type of lifestyle.

"This is something we should get used to as soon as possible," Juliana frowned.

"Everyone," Tetsuya stepped up and gathered the attention of his party. He could sense a dip in morale amongst those in his party. "Don't worry. We'll all leave this place the same way we came in."

"Right," Sheriel let out a reassured smile that still hints at a sense of uncertainty. However, what Tetsuya had said has visibly improved her mood. "We'll make it out of here just fine."

"Don't force yourself," Juliana whispered to Loganel.

"Don't worry about me," Loganel answered coldly. He thought of walking away, but then he realized that at the moment there is no where that he could go to except where he was. So, with no other options, Loganel maintained where he was at.

"Juliana..." he spoke out.

"Yes?" Juliana smiled at Loganel. In her eyes, happiness shined as this was the first time in a while that Loganel had voluntarily spoke with her.

"That day...what did you say to her?"

"Nothing that was inappropriate for the situation," Juliana answered with a contained expression.

To Loganel, it would appear that Juliana was concealing something from him, which she does in fact since this topic is related to her surprise for Loganel on his birthday. In her mind, Juliana was the happiest she has ever been now that it would appear that the rift between her and Loganel has been mended through time. In addition to that, it was extremely difficult for her to conceal her excitement whenever she thought of the surprised but joyful look that Loganel would have on his face when he sees what Juliana had prepared for him. She was confident that he will react in such a way, since she has made sure that it is something that Loganel had yearned for.

"You can't tell me?" Loganel asked.

"I can tell you," Juliana responded. "Just not yet. Maybe in a few days."

Her heart pounded within her chest as she glanced over at Loganel with an anticipating grin on her face. She had just revealed to him a hint that there will be something special in the next feel days. She just couldn't help it. This feeling of happiness that she concealed within her is seeking for a way to burst out whenever possible so Juliana had to find a way to alleviate the pressure in her chest. Hopefully, she thought, he would catch on and know that something is gonna come up on his birthday.

"Why after a few days?" Loganel asked. He was still as clueless as ever.

"Don't worry about it."

Juliana smiled joyfully as she slowly walked away. As she did so, Loganel stared at her. He could tell that she was in a good mood, and that was probably because he had finally started talking to her once again.

Is she like...a little too happy? he asked himself. In the next few days? Is there like a special holiday or something in the next few days? All that there is is my birthday...

Loganel stood there, pondering over what Juliana had meant earlier.

The trip down to the fifth floor was a tense one. Everyone was on edge after hearing the news of the first casualties. Because of this reason and the fact that less light are available in the depths, flickering torchlights illuminated the crowd as if they were all fireflies in the night. Once onto the fifth floor, everybody fanned out into the same formation.

"See you guys," Teryani waved at Tetsuya and others in his party as she followed behind Sullivan and disappeared into a street parallel to the one that Tetsuya was to lead his party into.

"They recovered quite quickly," Sheriel asked as she stared in the direction that they had gone.

"It doesn't help to have low morale when in this type of circumstances," Azura responded.

"Azura's right," Tetsuya said as he looked over his shoulder. "You can't be anxious. Just gotta treat it like how it was before."

As the group walked the streets of the fifth floor of the ruins of Ekeletas, the flickering and dancing flame of the torch carried by Tetsuya casted dancing shadows on the houses on either sides of the streets. These shadows, as if monsters lurking in the dark, stalked the party as they made progress, and occasionally scared the most timid Sheriel of the party. That was the reason why she pressed her body up against Azura's and proceeded with her eyes closed.

"You alright?" Azura whispered into her ear as she looked over her shoulder at Sheriel. "You're shivering quite a bit..."

"D-don't worry about me," Sheriel said after forcing her eyes to open. "I-I'm fine..."

"Sheriel," Juliana smiled and placed a hand on her back so as to comfort her.

"You alright back there?" Tetsuya paused in his steps and turned around to observe the situation.

"S-sorry," Sheriel apologetically lowered her head.

Seeing that she was only scared, Tetsuya's tense face relaxed and a amused smile replaced that once solemn look that he had earlier. He was in fact quite scared himself. However, he knows that the others count on him as their leader so he must not show this weakness. That was why he has been so tense during the past few minutes as they walked. But now seeing how Sheriel was acting, it made him feel less tense since he realized that everyone was a bit frightened by the sudden change in atmosphere. Well...everyone except Loganel.

"You're so brave," said Tetsuya to Loganel.

"What do you mean?" Loganel asked in response. He was confused as to why Tetsuya had said that and why him.

"No like, ugh, you're still fine?"

"What?"

"I mean you're still the same despite we're on this floor you know?"

"Of course I'm still the same," Loganel frowned as he tried to comprehend what Tetsuya was implying.

Tetsuya chuckled. "Yup, you still are the same you. But, just a bit different." Then, he started advancing once again down the street.

"Where?" Loganel jogged a bit before slowing down to a walk to catch up. Behind him, the others did so as well as they listened in on his and Tetsuya's conversation.

"You're talking to us now," Tetsuya pointed out.

"Yeah," Sheriel added. "Plus earlier, our combination in the battle against the Kobold's were flawless. We really make a good team."

"..." Loganel didn't respond to Sheriel's comment. Instead, he looked away, somewhat embarrassed at what they had noticed.

When they had just pointed it out, he started to notice it too. He is slowly starting to open up to them. Maybe if after this expedition the group could go on more hunts or do quests together, things might actually get better.

Loganel sighed and closed his eyes.

It doesn't matter as of now. Now is not the time to think of the future. When Loganel reopened his eyes, it was no longer that casual gaze he had on display before. Instead, it was one of a cautious sentinel as he prepared for any unseen attacks from the shadows.

***

"Weird..." Tetsuya frowned as he came to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Azura asked him.

"Nothing much," Tetsuya responded. He shined the light from his torch here and there and looked around a bit. "It's just that we still haven't came into contact with any Kobolds. Juliana, are we almost at the stairway?"

Juliana reached into the small leather purse that she strapped onto her waist and took out a rolled up piece of paper.

"We should be almost there," she answered.

"Come to think of it," Sheriel chimed in, "we didn't hear any sounds of fighting near us." She took a few steps towards Juliana in order to see the map herself. However, her foot came into contact with something that elicited a shriek from her.

"What's wrong?"

Tetsuya immediately brought his hand over to his sword that hang from his waist. Not far from him, Loganel brought his hands to the handle of his sword that he carried on his back.

Tetsuya walked over towards Sheriel, and his torch casted its gentle orange light onto the ground near Sheriel's feet. There, what had caused her to shriek was evident.

"Bones?" Tetsuya muttered in surprise.

Slowly, everyone started to gather around Sheriel. Loganel walked up toward the small pile of bones near Sheriel and knelt down. He picked one up with his hands and felt it.

"Feels like its been here for a while now," Loganel observed. Next, he picked up what appears to be bones that belongs in a person's hand. "Not Kobold bones I think..."

"Then...are these bones...human?" Sheriel asked, her face was one of disgust and rejection as she hid behind Azura.

"I would say so," Loganel stood up and rose to his full height. "The bone feels quite old, but there's some kind of trace left behind which leads me to think it hasn't been here for a long time..."

"Maybe the Kobolds carried it here?" Juliana suggested.

"But why is there no Kobolds here?" Tetsuya wondered.

Then, from the far side of the fifth floor, where the far right rank was, a loud piercing cry of pain echoed throughout the fifth floor.

Author's Note:

Please vote and comment what you think. Wattpad had a problem last night when I was writing and it wouldn't save. My original plan was to post this chapter yesterday, but since Wattpad was acting up, plans have to be changed. Sorry about that.