It was like any other day in the lively city that was Monstadt, chatter was heard everywhere and adventurers went in and out of the main gate. The young and unlucky boy named Bennett had just signed up to complete his daily commissions on the adventurer's guild. He was about to leave the city when....
"He who bears the world's curses!" Exclaimed someone behind him. "Thou has been blessed by the strings of destiny, because I'll allow thee to wend in an adventure with me, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort!" He didn't have to turn around to know who was talking, it was his friend from the guild, Fischl.
"Mein Fraülen says that she would like to accompany you in your commissions." said Fischl's familiar, the raven Oz.
Bennett was taken aback at first due to the sudden request, but his eyes rapidly lit up at the thought of someone wanting to go on an adventure with him after a long time of always going alone, but after a second he remembered why. "I'd love to! But.. I'm afraid my bad luck will impact you as well, and I wouldn't like anything bad to happen to you"
The prinzessin laughed. "Fear not, my dear servant! For I am blessed by the eternal night. Besides, what adventure comes without it's danger?" She said, hiding that she wanted to go with him because she knows what it's like to be all alone.
The gray-haired boy kept thinking for a while, after which he said "Ok then.. Maybe today will finally be my lucky day!" He said with a big smile on his face. "Let's go then! The first commission is nearby, it's just some hilichurls so hopefully it won't take long. I might hold you back tho.."
"Very well, let us depart you and I, in a journey to discover the hidden secrets of this world!" Fischl exclaimed, before going on ahead. "Mein Fraülen says that she'll do some investigating on the way."
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"Halt." Whispered the blond girl, with no other word, she sneakily went around the hilichurl base, counting how many there were and doing mental notes on where it would be better to start attacking. After a while, she returned to Bennett, who waited there as Fischl requested.
"With mine leftmost eye, the Auge der Verurteilung, have peered forth into the tapestry of fate that doth make up the universe, and discovered that we shalt striketh from the place where their pitiful eyes won't see us coming, and if they dare to see our mighty aura, they shalt get blind before such power."
"She says that we should strike from above where the sun is so the hilichurls won't see us coming." Oz translated so the unlucky boy could understand.
"As expected from the Prinzessin! Very well, let's carry on your plan, don't get too close to me, I don't want you getting hurt."
They both were standing upon a small cliff that was behind the camp, searching for an opening on when to safely strike, and that opening came when the hilichurls were standing all close to each other.
Both adventurers jumped down, each striking an enemy when they touched ground, the other hilichurls rapidly picked up their weapons and started attacking the pair, but Bennett managed to parry every attack coming his way, and Fischl, with swift movements, dodged every strike aimed at her while at the same time firing her bow at the enemies, with Oz unleashing electro attacks at the other hilichurls left.
After a short while, most of the habitants of the camp were defeated, with only 2 Mitachurls left standing, both Bennett and Fischl looked at each other, and, if like they were reading each other's mind, started a synchronized attack on both of them, while Fischl and Oz striked their limbs to stagger them, Bennett started slashing the big foes weak points.
Not so long after, the Mitachurls were on the ground, defeated. "We.. We did it!" Said the gray-haired boy, panting a bit. "Well.. it was no surprise that these insignificant foes were no match for the Prinzessin power!" Said the eyepatched girl, also panting a bit from exhaustion.
After a short rest beside the fire, Bennet stood up. "Anyways, there was only one commission left to take so I kinda signed it without thinking too much about it, let me see what it was now." As he read through the paper, concern filled his face. "Umm.. Maybe we should give this one to a team, it seems too much for two people.. It's a hilichurl camp, but it seems to be a big one.. So that's why Katheryne looked concerned"
"What is it that worries thyself? Fear not, for I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, shalt strike down every foe that stands in our way with my ensorcelled arrows of judgement!" She posed dramatically as she said that. "And Oz, the raven that has witnessed the demise of countless worlds, will watch over us in our journey." In truth, she just wanted to spend more time with him.
"Mein Fraülen, I'm afraid we should trust the poor fellow, for the safety of both."
Bennett was silent for a moment after the speech that Fischl gave. ".. You know what? You're right! Nothing bad has happened until now, and the previous battle went perfectly, so I must have good luck today! I'm sure we can beat these hilichurls!"
"Well said! Then, shall we get going?" They both went to the location of the camp, with a worried Oz behind them.
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After a long while of running and defeating monsters in the way, they arrived at the previous capital of Old Monstadt, which was now called Stormterror's Lair.
"Woah.. It's the first time I've come here, it's kinda.. Pretty in it's own way" Bennett said, looking at the cloudy sky. "I've heard that it's always like this, so this time it isn't on me." He chuckled a bit.
"Hmph, mine own self has been through this place of the mortal realm countless times."
"Yes, me and Mein Fraülen have been here some times before while scouting for the Adventurer's Guild."
"That's awesome, Prinzessin!" The boy exclaimed, causing Fischl to blush a little and look the other way, most of the time people would thank or praise Oz instead of her.
"Ehem.." She regained her mighty composure. "Let us not engage in more useless chatter, for we must punish the sinners residing in these lands."
"Oh right, the commission!" Bennett quickly looked at the paper. "It should be.. Right over there, let's go!"
The travel wasn't long, but there were a considerable number of other monsters and traps in the way, which they miraculously avoided, Bennett was obviously confused, if this was like any other day, he would've had a lot more injuries, or even worse, he would've been toast or he wouldn't be able to even make a step.
A lot of questions were in his mind, the main one was why today of all days, his chronic bad luck didn't act on him? Maybe it was a miracle, or...
"The journey beside us won't taketh long."
Maybe it was due to the girl standing right beside him, she did say she was blessed by the night or something like that. Maybe letting her join him wasn't a mistake.
"Hehe"
"Hm?" Fischl looked at Bennett. "Wherefore art thou laughing?" She turned back to him.
"Oh? Oh no, it's nothing, I was just thinking about why I haven't had bad luck today, don't worry about it." He wasn't going to tell her that he thought it was her doing. Fischl just smiled a bit and then continued on.
"Thanks."
The Prinzessin didn't know why the boy was thanking her, but somehow it made her feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness again, she didn't remember the last time someone actually thanked her for something instead of oz.
When they arrived at the camp, both the adventurers were kinda pushed back and intimidated by the amount of Hilichurls that were in it. "There's 20 Hilichurls and 5 Mitachurls, Mein Fraülen, I didn't see any, but there's probably an Abyss Mage as well.. Are you sure you can take this?"
After a while of thinking, Fischl was the one that spoke first. "Fear not, these are but insignificant ants before our almighty power! We shalt waiteth until the boundless tapestry of darkness, when they fall upon a deep slumber in which they are their most weak!."
Oz sighed. "Mein Fraülen says we should wait until they're asleep to attack."
Bennett was still doubtful that they could make it, but he remembered his current lucky streak and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Then we wait! We can't see much of the sky here though.."
Fischl laughed. "Do not worry about such trivial matters, for Oz can see beyond all kinds of seals, and therefore his knowledge is limitless." Oz simply nodded.
"Well then, let us set camp while we wait."
They went to where the hilichurls had no chance to see them, and sat beside some rocks while Oz went out to know when it was going to be nighttime. They didn't talk for a while, they spent most of the time admiring the scenery of the old ruins.
After a while, Bennett was the one that talked first. "You know.. This is the first time in my life I've actually felt.. Lucky, I guess." Fischl turned her head to see him. "At first I was afraid, I didn't want to bring you because I feared that something would happen to you." He scratched his neck. "Well, it didn't take long to convince me either" He laughed a bit. "But now I'm grateful I had you here, it's been a while since I had a partner in my adventures, and I'm happy that it was you."
Fischl had her eyes wide open, and it looked like she was about to tear up. "Woah! D-did I say something wrong?" Bennett was startled upon seeing her almost cry.
In truth, Bennett was Fischl's best friend, in fact.. It was his only friend, everyone else bullied her or tried to stay away from her due to her personality and way of speaking, so hearing someone saying that he was happy to bring her along with him in an adventure.
She tried to wipe down the little tears that were about to fall from her eyes, and also tried to regain her composure. "D-do not fret, for I am perfectly fine." She did her best to keep up her act.
It didn't reassure Bennett a lot though, he was still worried. "Are you sure? I don't want to see you sad.. But if you're really fine, I won't insist."
Such words also hit hard for Fischl, normally only Katheryne or her parents would worry about her well-being, so another person worrying about her left an impact on her.
She didn't have to think much about it, she also clearly knew how alone the other boy was due to his luck, and she wasn't going to let him suffer anymore.
After she composed herself, she exclaimed "Rejoice! For I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, has heard the voice of fate calling to her, and has blessed thyself, for I will join forces with thee, and accompany you in your lengthy journey to watch over thee. and will surely keep you from any harm! And should this world, like a beast prowling in the night, covet your dreams, then I, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort, shalt strike it down!"
Bennett didn't understand at first, but after processing it for some seconds, his eyes quickly lit up. "Y-You want to join Benny's adventure team?! Really?!" He seemed like he would explode just from excitement and happiness. "I-I never thought someone would want to! But.. Aren't you an investigator?"
"Fear not, for I can do more than one thing betimes! It shalt be just another one of my royal engagements as the Prinzessin."
"I... Thank you so much!" Without a second though, Bennett hugged Fischl tightly, to which the girl yelped a little and blushed. "Oh! I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, sorry.." He quickly let her go while also blushing. Both didn't know what to say for a while, until Oz arrived with the pair again.
"It's already nighttime, the Hilichurls should be asleep by now, Mein Fraülen."
Fischl quickly snapped out of her trance. "Ahem.. Very well, let us begin the strike."
Oz took a quick look around to confirm if they were indeed asleep, and that was the case.
Fischl and Bennett sneakily entered the camp, and they walked first to the Mitachurls which were the stronger ones, and quickly dispatched of the 2 that were together.
They didn't manage to find the other ones in their limited vision though, so they started to strike the hilichurls one by one, carefully so they wouldn't wake them up by mistake.
Bennett was pretty nervous, fearing that his bad luck would strike now and it would be a catastrophe, but, to his surprise.. They managed to clear most of the camp without trouble.
That is, until he accidentally walked into a branch that woke up the other 3 Mitachurls they couldn't see before. "Crap.." he complained, but quickly gripped his sword, and with fiery eyes, activated his vision, unleashing a powerful flamed strike, managing to break the shield of one of the Mitachurls.
Fischl, who was in another place, heard the commotion and quickly came to the scene. Rapidly, she began firing her bow at the enemies, while oz helped Bennett with electro attacks so they could form powerful elemental reactions.
The elemental pair quickly took care of two of the foes, but Fischl struggled to defeat one by herself. "Why you.." she stopped firing her normal arrows, and instead started channeling her vision's power at the tip of each one, now firing her bow with powerful electric arrows.
It was working perfectly, until she hit a wall and couldn't keep maintaining a distance between her and her enemy, she tried to find a way out, but when she was about to escape through one, the Mitachurl, with potent force, punched her stomach, managing to make her lose her balance and falling to the ground.
She was about to get up when the Mitachurl punched her again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
She was about to lose all force when Bennett and Oz came striking their enemy, managing to defeat him in one strike due to Fischl's previous damage.
"Mein Fraülen! Are you alright? Can you stand?" Oz quickly came to see the almost defeated Fischl.
"Fischl! I.. I'm sorry! It was my fault, I'm sorry.." He looked like he was about to tear up when Fischl managed to stand up while leaning on the wall behind her. "D.. Do not worry, m-my loyal servant, I'm.. Perfectly fine." She managed to smile, even though she had a lot of bruises and scratches.
"You're not! Don't try to make me feel better.. Dang it, I knew this day was going too good to be true.. Come, you can't walk like that." Fischl tried to reply but Bennett picked her up in his arms and started walking towards the exit of the ruins without saying a word, but with his expression saying everything that he was feeling at the moment.
Fischl wanted to say something but her previous effort to stand up took all the energy she had left, so she quickly fell unconscious.