Room of Prayer.

“The Nuckelavee? That sounds familiar?” Cirrus said, thinking of where he heard it.

“It was in your book on ancient monsters. You know the book that’s all worn out?” Nox said in her human form in the back. “Ouranos, is it really that monster?”

“There have been reports of it sent to the Guild on it,” Fels said, entering the room.

“Shit…” Nox said, a bit disgusted.

“Fels, what is this monster?”

“A rather… disturbing monster, to say the least, we have a drawing of what it is, but it’s from just the drawing is far worse in person.”

Fels hands Cirrus a drawing and he raises an eyebrow.

“… D-does it have skin?? Why are its arms so long? Ugh… just looking at it makes my skin sticky.”

“We do not know its precise strength, but from what Lord Ouranos has given us as well, this monster was sealed away by several Great Water Spirits.”

“So shouldn’t Nox be able to defeat it on her own?”

“Nox is certainly powerful, but yes, but you are contracted to one another, and spirits of her pedigree tend to use dangerously powerful magic,” Ouranos said.

From what Cirrus had seen, that certainly was the case. If push comes to shove, using Nox’s magic was the final resort.

“So I’m supposed to hunt and kill a monster that even the heroes of old couldn’t kill?” A big smile grew on Cirrus’s face. “Seems like the thing to get me to level 6.”

“When will you be able to leave?” Fels asks.

“A couple of days, a few days earlier, if this thing has any magic or the like?”

“It has its poisonous fire and immense strength,” Ouranos said.

“Poisonous fire? So it likes hot as fire or like a poison that looks like fire?”

“From what I remember, it was both.” Nox said.

“… Guess I’ll buy some Salamander Wool.”

 

A while later.

“I’ll go get the more expensive stuff.” Nox said. “I’ll meet you back at home.”

“Hm, I’ll go see Eupheme and see about my armor and weapons.”

“Make sure you tell your little girlfriend that you’ll be going away for a while!”

“Girlfriend? Who do you mean!” Cirrus shouted at Nox was waving goodbye.

“I mean your cute little Renard girl!”

“She's just a friend!!” Cirrus said, a bit embarrassed.

“Sure! Sure! Whatever you say!”

Arriving back at Eupheme’s shop, he found her working away.

“You seem busier than usual?” Cirrus said, walking in and taking a seat.

“Well, seems word got around that I was the one that made you that black sword and spear of yours. Since then, I’ve been getting orders here and there.”

“Heh~ for these?”

Cirrus takes out his sword, which was made from Udaeus’s Black Sword, which looked more like a claymore sized down to a straight sword length and width.

“It's a beauty, that’s for sure! One of my finest works! How’s the spear?”

Cirrus takes out the spear, which was still like his old spear but more refined in its construction.

“Yeah, I came here to see if you can do some maintenance on them and my gear as well?”

“Hmm.. hold on a second.” Eupheme quickly hammered the blade and quenched it before coming over to Cirrus.

“Can I ask why?” She said as she makes measurements of Cirrus.

“Well, I was given a quest by the Guild.”

“Heh~, so the White Beast is leaving Orario again to do some important quest, huh?”

“Are you still sulking that I didn’t tell you?”

“Hmmm…. somewhat,” she said with a pouty face. “I’ll feel better if you let me look at your magic armor!” She said with a glint in her eyes.

“… Fine, which one do you wanna look at? Be quick. I still need to tell a few others I’ll be going away for a while.”

“Show me the boar one!”

A magic circle appeared behind Cirrus.

“(Exousía, Adorn: Erymanthian).”

“Whoaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

After a while, Cirrus was walking towards the Susanoo Familia with only his dagger.

“Taking fucking 2 hours, god damn…”

When he reached the Familia home, he could hear them practicing.

Cirrus knocked on the front gate and entered. He went around the back to see Ai training in swordsmanship from Susanoo.

“Keep up your form!! Remembering the placement of your feet!” he shouted.

“Yes, Lord Susanoo!”

He saw how Ai fights with the sword and each time it always reminds him of crashing water, her movements were as fluid and powerful as water.

‘God of Storms and Sea, he is…’

“Oi! Ai!”

“Hm?” they both stopped and looked at Cirrus.

“Cirrus!!” she said.

“Ah boy, you’re here,” Susanoo said. “We’ll pick up later. Cirrus, Kaguya has been training really hard to fight you again!”

“Yeah… I’m sure she’ll beat me up.”

“So why did you come, boy?” Susanoo said, sitting down as Ai came up to him.

“Well, I want to tell you Ai that I will be going away on a quest.”

“Really? How long?”

“Don’t know it’s some monster that appeared and is moving around, so I have to track and hunt it.”

“Well, be sure to write okay!” she said, getting in Cirrus’s face.

“Of course, I’ll try to keep that in mind! Hm? I notice you are actually taller than me?” Cirrus said as he was comparing each other’s heights.

She had grown taller than him, not counting the fox ears in the last 2 years. Her hair is also slightly longer, past her shoulders.

“Hm! hm!” she said with proudness in her voice. “I finally beat you in something!”

“Well, keep improving your swordsmanship and status and maybe you can join Kaguya and me in some sparring.”

“You heard him Ai, get back on and let's continue your training,” Susanoo said, getting up back on the ring.

“Hm! hope to see you soon!”

Leaving the Susanoo Familia’s home, Cirrus himself went back home himself.

 

Lenoa's shop.

“I’m back!”

“Welcome back Cirrus,” Lenoa said. “I heard the details from Nox, and I have something special for you.” Lenoa takes out a rather special-looking potion and puts it on the table.

“… What’s that?”

“It’s a powerful antidote made from the Amphisbaena's Dragon Liver you brought me years ago.”

“Ah… you still have it?”

“Well, no one wanted to buy such a powerful antidote when they have the Immunity ability and a level 1 won’t be making enough or face a monster that requires such powerful antidotes, so here you go.”

“Ooooh! Thanks, Aunty!” Cirrus said with a smile and holding the bottle in hand. “… Now that I’m thinking about it, if I had to use this, I will really be screwed.”

“Kihihihi! Don’t worry too much! You fought Monster Rex on your own, didn’t you? This is no different! Just keep your wits about you and make sure the prey is dead! And also get me some of its drop items if you can! I would love to use its materials for one-of-a-kind potions!”

“Ah… let’s hope luck favors me on that day!”

 

The next day.

“So how is it?” Eupheme said with stars in her eyes.

“It’s good. It's lighter than my previous armor!”

“Your very welcome!” she said with pride in her voice and hands on her hips. “With so much material left from the Black Sword I made some armor out of it… sadly some of it went to waste was umm…” Turned away looking at all the failed attempts.

The armor looked far sleeker than before, but it reminded Cirrus a bit of his Erymanthian and Lernaean armors with some parts being light, while some parts being rather… crude in an odd way. Despite that, he can still move as he wanted.

“Well, I will put this armor to good use.”

The next day Cirrus begins his hunt.