Living My Third Life In Danmachi

Chapter 11: Loki (1)

I thought about adopting Lili as my daughter and renaming her to Liliruca Blade, but the process seemed complicated and annoying, so I decided not to.

Besides, I don't need formalities to prove it—she's my daughter. No one can deny it!

"Looks like another Pallum showed up around here."

"I'll pay the rent."

"I don't mind that, but keep it quiet. If I hear a creaking bed in your room, we'll have a problem."

"Come on, do you think I'd do something like that with Lili? She's my daughter!"

"Adventurers these days are adopting people their own age as daughters? What kind of messed-up story is this?"

Riseria made a comment about Lili but didn't seem too concerned. With the landlord's permission secured, we were free to live here as we pleased.

However, I knew we couldn't stay here forever.

For Lili's education and other reasons, I realized we'd eventually need to find a proper home of our own. It'd be expensive, but now that I'm LV.2, saving up for it wouldn't be impossible.

"I'll need to apply for a Rank-Up and also prepare for the divine meeting."

"Do you really have to attend that?"

"It'd be troublesome if I didn't. Besides, imagine if they gave you a title like 'Dark Flame Master' or something. Could you live with that?"

"Absolutely not!"

I can tolerate a lot of things, but a title that reeks of chuunibyou is where I draw the line.

Just thinking about being called that makes me want to roll on the floor in embarrassment.

The locals seem to think such titles sound cool, but if someone seriously called me 'Dark Flame Master' with a straight face, I think I'd die of secondhand embarrassment.

"Anyway, heading to the dungeon today?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to explore the middle floors. I want to test my strength."

Come to think of it, I'm completely out of gear and potions since I used everything up. I'll need to buy new ones. I've heard that the middle floors have monsters that use elemental attacks, so I'll need an item called 'Salamander Wool' to protect myself to some extent.

"…I'm so broke!"

I sighed, realizing I'd need to earn some serious money soon. Maybe I should look into hiring a supporter.

With that thought, I left the home. Lili was still asleep. After all the stress she's been through, it's no surprise she's finally getting some proper rest.

Since I'm up early anyway, I decided to let her sleep a bit longer.

I headed straight to the Guild. I needed to apply for the all-important Rank-Up and take care of a long list of tasks.

…Eina is definitely going to scold me. That much is certain.

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

...

A few days after Luke Blade submitted his Rank-Up application, the time for the divine meeting drew near.

At Twilight Manor, the home of one of Orario's most powerful Familia, Loki Familia, Aiz Wallenstein was preparing for a dungeon expedition.

As she checked her equipment, she glanced toward her god, Loki, and asked a question.

"Loki, is there someone named Luke Blade who's applied for a Rank-Up this time?"

"Ais-tan taking interest in someone outside the Familia?! Oh no, it's gotta be the end of the world or something close to it!"

"…Loki."

"Ahhh! Sorry, sorry! Please, let go of my head, Ais-taaaaan!"

Aiz had grabbed Loki's head with both hands, pressing down with enough force to make the trickster goddess squirm.

With her orange hair, slitted eyes, and playful expression, Loki certainly didn't exude the typical air of a divine being.

Though her flat figure and boyish demeanor often led to confusion, she was unmistakably a woman.

She was the god of one of Orario's strongest Familia, Loki Familia.

"I'm honestly surprised, Ais-tan. This is the first time you've shown interest in an adventurer who isn't part of our Familia. Who is this guy?"

"…I can't say."

'Don't tell anyone I'm teaching you,' Luke had said.

Ais had been silently worrying ever since parting ways with Luke a few days ago, having heard no news of him.

When he mentioned he was going to apply for a Rank-Up, it had shocked her. While she wanted to stop him, his determination had been clear, so all she could do was support him.

That's why she was so concerned about his safety now.

"Ais-tan, you ranked up to LV.4 recently, so you'll be attending the divine meeting too, right? I've got a list of the names of applicants. If he's on it, I'll let you know, so don't worry," Loki said with a mischievous smile, poking Aiz in the side teasingly.

"Don't tell me, Ais-tan… have you fallen for someone?"

"No."

"You're so blunt, it's hard to keep teasing you!"

Loki laughed heartily but then suddenly turned serious, her playful tone giving way to something more sinister. Her next words carried a hint of menace, as if to remind everyone that she wasn't just a frivolous god.

"If some adventurer is trying to win over Ais-tan, I'll grab my sword and carve his guts out myself."

"Don't do that, Loki."

"Relax, I'm kidding! Can't a god joke around?" Loki quickly switched back to her usual self, patting Aiz on the shoulder and giving her an encouraging thumbs-up as she prepared to head to the dungeon.

"Alright, I'm off. See you later, Loki."

"Take care! And remember, if some stranger in the dungeon offers you candy, kick him where it hurts and run!"

Waving as Aiz disappeared into the crowd, Loki smirked and began preparing for her own outing.

Luke Blade, huh?

Truthfully, she already knew of him. He was a record holder, achieving a Rank-Up in just two months. His feat? Slaying 1,000 monsters on the 11th floor's Plant Zone.

When Loki first heard about it, she was so dumbfounded that she couldn't help but yell,

"Who's this idiot?! What kind of reckless fool doesn't care about his own life?!"

The divine meeting hadn't yet begun, so Luke's achievement hadn't been officially announced.

Since the Plant Zone was a place most adventurers avoided, rumors hadn't spread either. Most likely, only the gods were aware of it.

For someone like Finn Deimne, her Familia's captain and a LV.6 adventurer, defeating 1,000 LV.4 monsters might be possible. The difference in levels is that significant.

But for a 14-year-old LV.1 human to defeat 1,000 monsters in the Plant Zone? And to do so just two months after becoming an adventurer? That was unheard of.

"…This smells interesting. Maybe it's time for a rare outing," Loki said with a grin as she began to prepare.

Unlike other gods, she felt compelled to meet this boy, Luke Blade, the adventurer who had broken records.

Her reasons were twofold: curiosity about him as a record-holder and wanting to understand why Aiz had taken an interest in him.

"Oi, kids! I'm gonna be back late today, so eat dinner without me, ya hear?"

She threw on a robe to conceal herself, pulling the hood up before heading out. Her destination was Babel Tower.

It had been a few days since Luke submitted his Rank-Up application, so he was likely in the dungeon. Loki planned to wait for him to surface.

As Loki passed the time by mingling with other gods' antics and snacking with her pocket money, she eventually spotted an adventurer emerging from Babel.

He had brown hair and sharp eyes that gave off a slightly cold impression, though not enough to be unpleasant. Today, however, the mischievous grin on his face as he tossed a well-stuffed coin pouch into the air made him seem a bit more approachable, even warm.

Loki, the trickster of the heavens, grinned.

It was time to put her acting skills to work!

"Hey there, big brother. Could ya help me out for a sec?"

"Huh?"

Pretending to limp, Loki exaggerated a pained expression, holding out her leg as if she'd injured it.

"I tripped and twisted my ankle. I can't make it home like this. I'd pay ya for your trouble—could ya give me a hand?"

"Why not just take a rickshaw?"

"My house is in one of those hidden alleys where rickshaws don't go. You know how it is, right?"

"And your house is...?"

"Northeast Main Street."

"What a coincidence—that's where I'm headed. Alright, I'll help you out."

"Great! Then I'll be boarding!"

Without hesitation, Loki hopped onto his back.

"...I don't know what's going on, but I feel like I just got roped into something," Luke muttered, resigned.

"Onward, my steed!" Loki laughed gleefully, as if she were riding a horse, while Luke carried her with a slightly bewildered expression toward Northeast Main Street.

"So, judging by your vibe, you're an adventurer, yeah? What's your level?"

"LV.2. I ranked up not too long ago."

"Well, look at that! A rare high-level adventurer—lucky me! We'll be there in no time, won't we?"

"...So?"

Carrying her without any trouble, Luke Blade calmly responded in his usual quiet tone, unbothered by her antics.

"What business do you have with me, goddess?"

"..."

Though we were walking, it was purely for appearances. It felt no different than when a thug throws an arm around someone's shoulder, pretending to be friendly while preparing to extort them.

Even as a trickster, Loki had covered her face with a hood and deliberately suppressed her divine aura.

Only gods could instantly recognize another god at a glance, and mortals couldn't.

Yet, having been immediately found out, Loki found the situation amusing and laughed.

"Interesting. How'd you figure me out? I made sure to hide my face so well that even if you knew me, it shouldn't have been easy to notice."

"How should I explain it? Even if a god hides their aura, I instinctively know. I've got this unique sense when it comes to gods."

"What's that supposed to mean?! Is it a skill? Tell me it's a skill!"

"No, it's more like... subconscious intuition? It's hard to explain. When I see a god, I just know. My body tells me, 'That's something I can't kill.'"

Loki's half-closed eyes opened slightly in surprise.

"'Can't kill'? A god? That almost sounds like you think killing a god is normal. Isn't that a bit blasphemous?"

"That's not the point, is it? What does a goddess like you want with me?"

"You're a strange one," Loki muttered, narrowing her eyes, but the smirk on her face made it clear she found the situation entertaining.

"I came to see what kind of person Aiz is so interested in. Turns out, you're even more fascinating than I expected. A record holder, reaching LV.2 in just two months, and slaying 1,000 monsters in the Plant Zone? Honestly, I couldn't decide if you were crazy or just plain stupid."

"I might be a little strange, but I'm not insane. I've got a perfectly fine head on my shoulders."

"A 'perfectly fine head' wouldn't dive headfirst into the Plant Zone for a massacre. These kids nowadays—don't they value their lives at all?"

At the mention of Aiz, Luke quickly realized who she was.

The goddess of one of Orario's strongest Familias, the trickster Loki.

Though surprised that Loki was a woman—something he hadn't expected—Luke quickly regained his composure.

"…Wait a second. So you're the one who put Ais in that outfit with such a high exposure level?"

"Sure am! It's my custom design! I even got Hephaistos to make it for me—an order-made masterpiece!"

Aiz's armor was a light, revealing design that left her back exposed. Even though she was only 12 years old, her surprising development made the outfit oddly fitting.

According to Loki, she'd forced Aiz to wear it, saying, 'If you don't wear this, I'll bite my tongue and die!'

"A 12-year-old in a short skirt and backless armor? Really?"

Luke's voice quivered, his emotions spilling out as he addressed Loki.

Loki, sensing the intensity of his tone, momentarily braced herself to flee, thinking he might actually attack her.

"That's brilliant! You're a true connoisseur, goddess! Your taste is unparalleled!"

"…Huh?"

"Look, I'm not into loli stuff, but I'll admit—while the exposure is questionable, the design itself is adorable. You've got great sense!"

Loki stared at him in confusion, her half-closed eyes blinking a few times before she burst into laughter.

"I pulled a couple of all-nighters designing that, you know. At least it was worth the effort!"

"The outfit's great, but it's the wearer that makes it shine. Flat chest + loli + kuudere + pure + sword maiden—absolute perfection."

"Aiz isn't exactly a kuudere, though. She's got a lot of emotions, just doesn't know how to express them well."

"That gap moe! Amazing!"

As Loki chatted with Luke, she couldn't shake a faint sense of unease.

The sensibilities of gods and mortals often clashed. For example, gods often found epithets annoying, while mortals revered and accepted them eagerly.

But Luke…?

"By the way, you ranked up recently, didn't you? Got any preferences for an alias? As a reward for our chat, I'll pull some strings for you."

"Hmm… as long as it's not something overly chuunibyou-like, I'm fine. Keep it reasonable, and I won't mind."

"How about something like 'Bloody Killer (Jack the Ripper)'? I mean, slaying 1,000 monsters isn't something just anyone can do, so it fits the whole mass-slaughter vibe."

"Are you insane?! If someone called me that, I'd die of embarrassment! You're doing this on purpose to mess with me, aren't you?!"

"Fine, how about something simple like 'Thousand Slayer'? It's direct and not over the top."

"Ah, that's not bad. At least it doesn't reek of chuunibyou."

Loki's half-closed eyes opened slightly as she stared at him.

No matter how she looked at it, Luke's sensibilities seemed far closer to those of a god than a mortal.

She gazed at his profile with her sharp orange eyes, her tone suddenly serious as she asked:

"Who exactly are you?"

Given a god's nature, which makes it impossible for mortals to lie in their presence, Luke found himself cornered.

Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, and he could only stammer, unable to give an answer.

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