Living My Third Life In Danmachi

Chapter 7: Back Alley Elf Lady

It's been almost two months since I arrived in Orario. Time has flown by as I've spent every day going to the dungeon, teaching Aiz, and earning money.

Luke Blade

LV.1

Strength: A 889

Endurance: S 910

Dexterity: B 773

Agility: B 796

Magic: 10

Magic

(None)

Skill

Heaven-Slaying Star (Lord of Killer)

•Can kill anyone.

•Reduces guilt from killing.

•Temporarily boosts stats during battles driven by murderous intent.

•Permanently increases stats when killing powerful opponents.

This is my most recent status update. Over the past two months, I've grown stronger by constantly hunting monsters and training.

My Strength and Endurance stats are exceptionally high, probably because my combat style is all about brute force and relentless attacks.

However, my Agility isn't exactly lacking either.

The downside? I'm a melee-only character with no magic or increases in Magic Power—basically a deadweight in ranged combat.

"When will I ever get to [Rank Up]? Apparently, it's not something that happens easily."

"You've only made it down to the 10th floor and you're already talking like that?"

"I'm telling you, the orcs down there are a real pain. My main attacks are physical strikes, but their thick fat makes them almost useless. And now with things like 'Landforms' appearing, they're using weapons, which just makes it worse."

"Still, with stats like yours, as long as you're not surrounded by dozens of monsters, you won't die. That early burst in leveling really paid off."

Killing those two adventurers earlier was a massive help. On top of that, thanks to my skill, whenever I kill stronger monsters, my stats grow significantly faster than others. Because of this, I've managed to achieve my current status in just two months.

I'm still a rookie adventurer at Level 1, but my stats are already top-tier among my peers. As long as I don't do anything stupid, I shouldn't die in the dungeon.

"Anyway, about [Rank Up]—you need to accomplish something noteworthy to make it happen. Either take down a much stronger opponent, or defeat several moderately strong ones over and over. That'll generate the Excelia you need for Rank Up and transform you."

"Hmm, so I'll need to hunt a Level 2 monster or something?"

"Even with all the experience from your past life, you can't ignore the gap in levels. Your chances of dying would be higher, you know?"

"Relax, I was just joking. I don't even feel the need to rush for a [Rank Up]. I'll take it slow."

I explore the dungeon purely for enjoyment. Unlike in my past life, I can vent my stress by killing monsters, make some money, and pass the time. Honestly, what could be better than this?

There's no reason to be impatient or desperate for a [Rank Up] right away.

"And so, today's plan: more practice!"

"Do you really have to keep doing that? Wouldn't it be better to work on something else for now and save that for later?"

"I've always wanted to try out one of those absurd training routines that only exist in fiction. You know, like 30 hours of nonstop training or punching 10,000 times a day. I'm fully aware."

"Whose joke is that supposed to be?!"

"Wait, don't tell me you don't know this reference?"

This was unexpected. It turns out Susanoo doesn't get some of my references.

No wonder he never understood my A Certain Magical Index jokes. I guess even he has areas where he's clueless.

Though, to be fair, this is all fan-creation territory, so it's understandable if he doesn't know.

"I'm just doing it because I want to. It's something I've always wanted to try. Something I want to experience."

"Are you idolizing it or something?"

"Hmm... maybe something like that?"

Even when I was working as a contractor, I read plenty of manga and novels. Why? Simply because they were fun.

I admired how the protagonists and characters in fiction would stay true to their beliefs and push forward, no matter what.

Even if it's just an illusion, fake, or fictional, I liked that kind of resolve. That's why I wanted to get a little closer to it, even if it's just by trying these things out.

Of course, if my practice actually pays off and I master a useful technique, that's a nice bonus too.

"You're like a kid idolizing a hero."

"Got a problem with that?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think it's great. That's my follower for you. Impressive!"

"Alright, today's training ends here. I'm heading to the dungeon now. I'll be back late, so go ahead and have dinner without me."

Leaving home, I began jogging at a steady pace.

Since Aiz's training sessions only happen once a week, I don't have to meet her every day.

My usual routine consists of waking up, doing some training, heading to the dungeon, exchanging loot for money, and coming back home—just a simple, repetitive daily life.

Today, I set my sights on reaching the 11th floor.

The discovery I made was entirely by chance.

With my increased status, my enhanced senses were far sharper than before. While I wasn't quite on the level of beastfolk, my sense of smell and hearing were remarkably keen.

Normally, if it were just something ordinary, I would have ignored it and kept moving. But this was different—something familiar caught my attention, and it made me stop in my tracks.

I turned into a narrow alley.

The scent of blood.

It was faint, the kind of smell an average person wouldn't notice, coming from deep within the alley.

But my strengthened body, combined with my sensitivity to the scent of blood, made it impossible to ignore.

As I moved further into the alley, following the trail, the atmosphere grew darker and more sinister, despite it still being daytime.

When I turned a corner, I saw it.

A figure standing ahead in the shadows.

Her green cloak and hood were soaked in blood, stained beyond recognition. Blood pooled on the ground beneath her, her breathing shallow and faint. She looked like she could die at any moment.

What should I even do here?

With slow, deliberate steps, I walked toward the person slumped against the wall. I crouched down to meet her eyes.

Her ears were sharper than Eina's, more refined… Not a half-elf. A pure elf?

"I have no intention of harming you. But I'm not planning to help you either, so don't worry too much, miss."

Sensing someone approach, she tried to move, but her body, uncooperative and racked with pain, let out a soft, pained noise.

I wasn't particularly curious why she was like this. My focus was always on the dungeon, not on others' problems. However, the wounds on her body were unmistakably human-made. These weren't from a monster.

If she had been injured in the dungeon, she wouldn't be in a place like this.

More than anything, the moment our eyes met, I felt it—a dark, blood-soaked aura from her.

She's killed people before. And not by accident or in self-defense—she's killed many, deliberately.

"Well, you're an interesting elf, I'll give you that."

I reached for the holster at my waist and pulled out a potion. It wasn't anything fancy like an elixir or high potion, but being made by the Dian Cecht Familia, it would be effective enough.

In her current state, even a low-grade potion would be better than nothing.

Popping the cork, I poured the potion over her wounds. The shallower injuries began healing immediately, confirming its effectiveness.

"What... is your intention?" she asked weakly.

"Helping you sure feels like a thankless job. Even for an elf, don't you think you're being a bit too difficult? At least say 'thank you.'"

Looking at her again, I realized her eyes were lifeless.

Not because they were injured or anything, but they reminded me of Lili's—eyes that had neither the will to live nor the courage to die. If Lili was living because she couldn't die, this elf seemed to be recklessly seeking a way to end it all.

"So, what's your plan, elf girl? Honestly, you're a pretty high-level adventurer, aren't you? It wouldn't even take much effort for you to kill me and take the few potions I have."

Her gear and the aura she gave off were leagues above mine. Even as a delicate-looking elf, she could easily kill someone like me.

Sure, her injuries might limit her power, but it'd only take one or two strikes at most.

"I wouldn't do such a thing. My familia... no..."

She started to say something but stopped, biting her lip and lowering her head. Her expression grew even darker as she stared at the ground.

"What do you want me to do, elf girl? Should I call someone for you? Or maybe give you another potion?"

"...Do as you please. Humiliate me, hand me over to the Guild, or kill me. Whatever you want."

"Well, aren't you generous, giving me three whole choices."

I'll admit, the first option sounded tempting. She was beautiful, after all. But I'm the kind of guy who stays loyal to the one he loves—if that ever happens. Right now, there's no one, but still, rape is absolutely off the table.

I mean, I've put bullets through the heads of guys who've done that. If I did it myself, that'd make me the worst kind of hypocrite.

Still, the mention of the Guild caught my attention. Did she commit some kind of crime? Then again, if she's killed people, that's enough to count as a crime. Maybe there's even a bounty on her.

"In the end, do you want to live, or do you want to die?"

I struck her where it hurt the most.

The elf, still staring at the ground with her despairing eyes, trembled at my words.

She tried to end it all, letting fate decide, but she was still alive. Does she want to live, or does she truly wish to die?

"...I..."

Tears began to fall from the elf's clear, sky-blue eyes, sliding down her cheeks and landing on the back of her hands.

"Everyone in my familia... my family... they're all gone. I ran wild, blinded by revenge, and this is where it led me. Even after avenging them, they didn't come back. All I'm left with is a deep hatred for myself... It's unbearable."

She finally raised her head, meeting my eyes. Her face, covered in blood and streaked with tears, somehow looked even more beautiful that way.

Yep, my tastes are as strange as ever. Why does she look better bloodied than if she were all dolled up?

"Right here, right now... could you kill me?"

Her voice was almost a plea.

She wanted to die but couldn't. Fear kept her from ending her life with her own hands, so she begged for someone else to do it.

"If you need money, you can take my equipment. If you want to disgrace me, I'll let you. All I ask is that you kill me at the end."

Her words hung in the air, but I had already decided my answer.

I had once thought of killing Lili, but her eyes stopped me. Like I said, I have no interest in doing someone else the favor of ending their life for them.

"I refuse!"

"You know what I like the most? Keeping people alive who beg me to kill them."

If you want to die but lack the courage, then live instead. Lili wanted to die once too, but now she's living a happy life. She found happiness in living, and if she had died back then, she would have regretted it.

So live.

I pulled out every potion I had from my holster and poured them on her wounds. It wouldn't heal all her injuries completely, but it was enough to ensure she wouldn't die anytime soon.

I'd spent a good amount of money on these potions, but I've always been the type to follow my gut, much like my previous life motto: "Do whatever you feel like." No regrets.

"There's only one thing you gain by dying: you don't have to think about anything anymore. But if you keep living, there's a chance good things might happen."

She stayed silent, but her trembling hands gave her away.

"And you said your entire familia is gone. If you die too, who's going to remember them? Aside from your god, who else will carry their memory?"

"T-That's..."

Being remembered is important.

The god of a familia may love their children, but few bonds are as strong as those between familia members. Now, this elf was the only one left to carry those memories.

"Besides, who's going to prepare the offerings for them on their memorial day? You think your god wants to set up the whole table alone? That'd be one hell of a hassle."

"Am I... allowed to live?"

"Thinking, 'my comrades are dead, so I should die too,' is the dumbest thing anyone could do. From the looks of it, you've already taken revenge. So live. Live for your fallen comrades."

In battle, when the team is large, people often entrust their wills to someone they trust.

Most of the time, they entrusted them to me. There were cases where I couldn't deliver the message, but there were also times when I absolutely had to.

When a comrade dies, it becomes your duty to carry their burden as well. If you die, you're just throwing that away.

"Live, you damn elf."

Quoting the famous line from that manga about the chivalrous steel knight with a sister complex, I hoisted her onto my back and made my way out of the alley toward the main road.

Her blood-soaked clothes left stains on me, but it didn't bother me. After all, I'd get dirtier in the dungeon anyway.

What did bother me was the soft sensation pressing against my back. Damn it, there's no internet here, which means no... resources.

"Please put me down here."

"Huh? But you need proper treatment. You're not in any condition to go anywhere."

"I have a bounty on my head from the Guild. If I'm seen with you, you might be penalized for helping me."

"I don't care. My god and I came to Orario just for fun, so if things go south, we can just leave. It's not a big deal."

"I don't want to cause trouble for someone who saved me."

The elf slid off my back on her own. Even if I tried to carry her, she was a higher-level adventurer than I was, so it wouldn't have worked.

Though she'd recovered enough to move, fighting was still out of the question, and her appearance would draw too much attention anywhere she went.

Taking off my outer cloak, I handed it to her. If she swapped out her green bloodied cloak for mine, she might be able to blend in better.

"Thank you for saving my life. I'd like to repay this debt, but I'm sorry I can't right now."

"Next time, let's meet under better circumstances."

"When that time comes, I'll repay this deb... Ugh!"

She tried to walk but twisted her ankle, stumbling and falling to the ground. One of her previous injuries on her ankle must not have healed completely, as even the potion couldn't fully restore it. The pain was still there.

"You don't look fine. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll manage... but more importantly, you should leave this alley quickly. I hear someone coming."

The sound of light, cautious footsteps—almost like those of a young girl—echoed in the alley.

It was coming from just around the corner, and it wouldn't be long before whoever it was arrived here. If I didn't leave now, we'd definitely run into each other.

"If they see you with me, it'll cause unnecessary trouble. I don't want to burden you, so please, leave this place."

"...Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"There's no problem."

The elf girl gave me a faint smile, trying to appear calm and composed, but it didn't seem convincing to me at all.

Since she insisted, I reluctantly backed off. But instead of leaving entirely, I moved just around the opposite corner, ready to jump in if something went wrong.

And then—

"Are you alright?"

A woman's voice, filled with genuine concern, came from the alley. Her words carried a warmth that made it clear she was sincerely worried.

Hearing that, I felt confident enough to fully withdraw. Whoever she was, she seemed like a good person. That should be enough for now.

I don't know if I'll ever see that elf girl again, but if we do meet, I hope she'll at least tell me her name.

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