Chapter 13: Stepping it Up

A silver moon hung in the sky, for obviously, the sun had completely set, and in its setting had brought a beautiful night sky spread out over Orario. Magic-stone lamps dotted the city like precious jewels glinting in the night.

The streets were filled with people enjoying one another's company, thousands of dots of light around them. And in the center of the city, a building loomed over Central Park.

A tower stood over the entrance to the Dungeon, Babel. A certain goddess looked away from it all from the highest floor of the white tower and moved towards the door, for she was to meet a certain Traveller.

Her shoes hit the floor as she walked, making dainty sounds as they did so. She tossed her silver hair back over her shoulders with both hands as she went. "Did I keep you waiting?" after she opened a large wooden door after traversing the long hallway.

This was the Goddess of Beauty—Freya—and she was the first to offer a greeting. The room she'd just entered was adorned with long bookshelves filled with many expensive and luxurious items. Her favourite attendant, Ottar, and one other god with one of his followers were gathered here.

"No, not at all. Sorry for taking up your time, Lady Freya." Hermes was sitting at a rather strange table designed to resemble an apple. He greeted her with a smile and a jubilant voice. Freya's eyes did not ignore that Asfi, however, couldn't hide her nervousness.

Freya glanced at both of them before taking a seat at the table with Ottar at her side. Each of her movements was graceful and captivating. Her black dress revealed an enormous amount of cleavage as she slid into the chair, her sizable bust swaying as she did were not practiced movements, but those born from her very nature itself. The chair lightly squeaked as she leaned back, silver hair brushing against her white necklace.

Asfi was captivated by her and blushed scarlet red before averting her eyes. Although his follower had been completely taken in by the goddess's beauty, Hermes just kept on smiling in his own charming way, perhaps the Messenger God preferred men?

The two deities sat at either side of the table with their followers standing behind them, though Ottar made for a far more intimidating sight than Asfi, even with the large bandage on his nose. "So, what is it?" Freya chose to bypass any idle chatter and get straight to the point.

She sat with her shoulders square to him, legs uncrossed with a very confident smile on her lips. Hermes's narrowed eyes opened very wide. "As I'm sure you're already aware, I've been asking around about Bell Cranel."

"And?" was the bored response of Freya, though her legs moved just a fraction of an inch.

"So, I came here to make a request." was the response of Hermes, almost spitting the words out at lightspeed.

"Why would you bother to come to me?" Freya's expression didn't change. Both of the gods exchanged glances and smiles as if they were discussing the most trivial thing in the world.

"You protected him, Lady Freya. At the last Denatus, you protected Bell." came the half-accusative and half-inquisitive voice of Hermes.

"..."

"He's someone worthy of the attention of someone as beautiful as yourself. So you can't blame me for being interested." was the quick response that Hermes postulated.

And indeed, ten days ago in this very building during the gods' Denatus meeting, Freya had indeed stuck her neck out to protect Bell. More specifically, she stopped Loki from trying to figure out why he'd grown so fast, by pointing out to the others that it was forbidden for them to investigate personal affairs.

Of greater amusement and importance was that Loki had started dating an adventurer from Hestia Familia, a most curious incident that Freya secretly wished was already the case between her and Bell.

But that was neither here or there in terms of the Denatus, for indeed, Freya had all of the male gods present at Denatus under her spell from the beginning. Her beauty was powerful enough to keep them in a trance and doing her bidding without thinking about her motivations, and being a male god, Hermes should have been one of them.

"Lady Freya, I'm crazy about you. However, I'm not so far gone that I don't notice something right under my nose." were the shameless words Hermes put forth, almost as if he has read Freya's mind. The meaning of this was clear; he had been acting, blending amidst the other male deities around him who were practically falling over themselves with one look at her.

"Well played," she whispered as she remembered the charming god's performance; perhaps she should have recognized his slightly exaggerated movements to be suspect. "You're going about this much differently than usual, but I doubt anyone else has noticed…. well maybe apart from Loki, but I wouldn't be sure about that."

Freya's "recruiting style" was very well known. Once she'd scouted someone she wanted, she'd make her move immediately. Despite her usual straightforward hands-on approach, she had yet to do the same thing with Bell.

The Freya that Hermes knew wouldn't have wasted time jumping through hoops such as this, however what Hermes didn't know was the reason behind Ottar's injured nose and jaw was what was making her take a down-low approach as of now; well that and the desire to see the boy's shining soul grow more.

But it was most likely that the other gods who had been taken in by Freya's beauty wouldn't have noticed that the boy was at the center of her sudden change in strategy. "Fine, then," said Freya. It was pointless to try and keep up appearances given how much Hermes already knew.

She stopped trying to hide the fact that she was interested in the boy and cast her silver gaze on the deity across from her. The gaze gave an equal aura of danger as well as interest. Without words, she was telling him to get to the point, as well as telling him that he was treading on treacherous terrain.

"I have no interest in playing with your toy. I just want to see with my own eyes what he can do." Hermes assumed a serious expression as he spelled it out, which in the blink of an eye disappeared to give way to the piteous expression of that of a beggar on the street.

"So please—please leave my Familia alone, Lady Freya?!" spoke the god as he clasped his hands together, inkling his head forward.

"..."

Genuinely surprised by Hermes's request, Freya sat quietly for a moment before looking down on him like he was a pathetic worm unworthy of the dirt it was living in. She kept that expression for a long time, and it had Hermes on the verge of tears.

The two strongest Familias in Orario belonged to Loki and Freya… without counting the anomaly of the one she could not see. If Freya seriously decided to come after them, Hermes Familia would be wiped out in no time flat, and there would be little anyone could do to stop that… unless Hermes somehow had the knowledge to go to Hestia for protection.

That was why Hermes was here—for insurance. Hermes was apparently very fond of his own Familia. At the same time, he wasn't lying—but he wasn't telling the truth, either. Freya could see it. She knew he wanted to more than just test the boy's power, and perhaps this wasn't of his own volition. But who outside the city would show such interest in the boy?

Her eyes narrowed, her glare getting sharper and sharper...which Ottar subconsciously mimicked with his own snarl deepening. But she stopped. "This is foolish", she sighed to herself. She realized that trying to shut Hermes down would be a waste of time, for it would lead to nothing.

"All right, as you wish." Freya decided to acquiesce to his request but keep an even closer eye on him. It was clear to her that Hermes meant no harm toward Bell. Relief coursed through Hermes's suddenly round eyes as he sank back into his chair. "You have my thanks, Lady Freya! I owe you! If you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask! I'll stop at nothing to—"

"However…"

Freya stood up, interrupting Hermes mid-sentence. Stopping his bluster in its tracks, she put her hand on his shoulder and leaned in close, her voice scarce an octave above a whisper, yet more deadly than a scream.

"It would be wise to remember this: The only one allowed to play with him is me."

Her enchanting voice filled his ears. Time stood still due to the exuberance the voice exuded. A wave of goose bumps overtook Hermes's skin as every hair stood on end. He pulled his mouth into another smile as soon as his senses came back to him.

"Of...of course. I swear to you—"

"That's good. Be sure you do." giggled Freya.

Hermes's face glistened with sweat as Freya stood back up with her own charming smile on her lips. She gestured toward the door with one hand and gave a short nod, as if to say, "You may leave."

Hermes cut the good-byes short and took her up on the offer. Freya watched him and his follower go out the door. Asfi had been so intimidated by Ottar's presence that she didn't speak a word as they left. Hermes, however, was laughing at himself, muttering, "Thought I was dead for a moment there..." which was a statement that may has well have become truth in any other circumstance.

The doors shut behind the pair with a resounding 'clunk'.

"Is this acceptable to you?" Ottar turned to Freya once the other two were out of the room and spoke. "Despite everything he said, things may be in motion that we cannot see. This is just my opinion, but...that god is very suspicious."

Freya giggled softly to herself at Ottar's straightforward warning. "I'll deal with that when the time comes. Besides… there's a certain fun in playing when you know that there's a party stronger than you out there… that hasn't been the case in decades, now isn't it?"

Ottar, nodded pensively, but out of a warrior's nostalgia he spoke up, "Seven years, Mistress." to which Freya chuckled, "Come now, he might have been a level above you at the time… but he was long past his prime. No, the one I can't see, the one called Saber… he is certainly an anomaly… though Loki's boyfriend is just as much as one… perhaps the entire group of men in that Familia are anomalous…"

She left the table at the middle of the room and walked towards the massive window. The long, rectangular glass took up most of the wall on that side. She could see the entire nightscape of the city, her feet bathed in moonlight.

"That said, Ishtar has been keeping a close eye on me recently. I'd like to avoid any petty inquiries...If Hermes wants to do something, that's fine… as long as he knows his place."

Ishtar was another goddess of beauty who had attended the last Denatus. Freya remembered their little argument as she spoke to Ottar. As long as she knew that Hermes wasn't going to hurt Bell, that was enough for now. But she wondered… how long would Ishtar be contend with holding her own intellect at bay? And if she were to be brought down… how deep did the links of sisterhood go… that is, would Inanna get herself involved?

Freya took another step toward the window and looked down at every detail of the magnificent city that was sprawled out beneath her. She could see all the citizens going about their business, nothing more than grains of sand at this height. The many lights that lined the streets intermingled together like brilliant stars in the night sky.

She whispered softly, "The game must be fun after all…"

====================XeX====================

"YOU WANT TO WHAT?!" screeched Hestia, as she smacked her hands against the large table of the expeditionary command office, frustration fanning out from her voice in waves, making the poor table creak with the force she'd exerted.

It was a screech so loud that Bell, Lily and Mahari had all covered their ears at the sound, though the four Servants remained unaffected. Gilgamesh continued, "You heard me right the first time, tiny Goddess. My Statuses are all at S, as you know yourself, along with our eccentric swordswoman here also being at that stage."

"Hey!" came the indignant response from Mahari, but Gilgamesh pointedly ignored her as he continued, "On top of that, our budding little commander here's raised her agility to D rank, while our rabbit's growth doesn't need to be described. The guild proscribes expeditions for Familias anyhow, so it's a good opportunity to collect excelia over an extended stay in the Dungeon."

Hestia's ponytails twitched rapidly, "Going to the Middle Floors is one thing… but for multiple days? Are you sure that's safe? Isn't it about time the Goliath respawns?"

It was Saber who responded, "Gilgamesh has a point… there's a large chance Lily and Mahari can both level up, especially due to fighting the Rex. And besides, we've never actually went to the Dungeon in full strength."

Lancer chuckled mirthlessly, "We've never needed to go to the Dungeon in full-strength. We are Servants after all…. but perhaps it shall be a good… team-building exercise?" he posited, as if he were considering the merits himself.

Arash chuckled loudly, "I can see it… I mean… missy over here's already become the reliable aunt of Bell and Lily … and all of us going together sounds like a pretty fun idea. That nice smith can join us too!" The older adventurer growled out, "I'M ONLY 24!" as she punched Arash's shoulder.

Of course, Toughness rank EX meant that the Archer might as well be made of stone, but the wide smile on his face told the room that he was enjoying the scene. She scowled at him before she turned to Bell and began shaking him by the shoulder, "BELL! I'M YOUR ONEE-SAN, NOT AN AUNTY! Got it!?" to which the white-haired boy sputtered, out in between each shake"Y-y-yes! P-ple-aase st-top sh-sh-shaking meeeee!"

The tanned adventurer gave a satisfactory smile at the boy's response before she rapidly turned to Lily who quickly raised her hands to stop herself from being shaken, craftily speaking, "Of course! Mahari-Onee San!"

The adventurer's heart skipped a beat as she cooed, "Ooooh!" as she leaned forward, her eyes sparkling, "Yes! Thank you Lily!" to which the Pallum girl smiled, before she turned to the side and cheekily flashed her tongue at Bell, who looked distraught at her having escaped the 'Great Shakening'.

Hestia bit her lip, before she spoke, "Hmmm… but somehow I think you're doing this less to actually make the girls Level Up, but rather to check on Loki's children… I mean, you're essentially going to become their step-dad and they shouuuuld be on their way up if their expedition went normally."

Several nerves pulsed alongside Gilgamesh's face as he leaned forward, hands on his hips, "Step-dad? I will personally throw you across the continent, Hestia!" to which Saber stepped in between, a wide smile on his own face, "She's right you know, they are her children after all… you'll have to explain to them you're quite literally taking what would be the position of a father in the hierarchy."

Hestia giggled at the various expressions that Gil's face were going through, which included anger, shock, horror, confusion, thoughtfulness, before it finally settled on a resigned expression, "If I must bear the prattling of my beloved's Familia, I shall do so with no hesitation. Very well, this king shall be such a father they shall all call me as such and rejoice!" before he crossed his arms in a triumphant "Hmmph!"

Hestia muttered lowly, massaging her forehead "Does he even listen to the words coming out of his mouth? Bah… I guess that's fine, but if all of you're going I guess… I guess I can manage. It'll be quite lonely in this big place… but I think I'll spend my time doing stuff… maybe read the myths Saber's left over in his books about your world's version of the gods I know to pass time."

She looked over at Arash before asking, "What about the investigation you guys were talking about?" to which the Persian Archer grinned as he spoke, "Well, we did nab an Astarte Familia member day before… and Ganesha's building a case as we speak… I'm sure we can take a couple days off to join everyone."

Mahari nodded rapidly, shaking Bell back and forth as she did so with great enthusiasm, "I've never actually been to the Dungeon itself. It'll be fun! Besides, old Arash here can use his Clairvoyance to get us back on track!"

Bell had a dead-pan expression on his face as he was being shaken, but he extricated himself from the woman's grasp before asking, "Wait… miss…" he stopped at the deadly look sent his way, "I mean Mahari Onee-san, if you've never been to the Dungeon, how did you become Level 2 in your city?"

The girl smiled at the usage of 'onee-san' before responding, "Oh? Shalzard is in the Kaios Desert, and that's a place chockful with monsters! Some of the monsters are pretty strong too! Getting to Level 2 is not uncommon, and last I heard there were atleast three people who've hit Level 3. It's more efficient to come to Orario and head to the Dungeon for Excelia though… but not a lot of adventurers do that."

Lily tilted her head as she spoke "Aren't… slaves traded in the Kaios Desert? Lily's heard stories of slaves forcibly contracted to Familias made to fight each other in colosseums, so that they can Level Up… mimicking what the Amazons in Telskyura do."

Mahari nodded gravely, "The slave trade was much bigger than it was until Indra and Ra came and took over Shalzard in its entirety sixty years back. They cracked down everywhere, which was a massive blow to slavers, because Shalzard has the most oases and cities in the desert, and with the country barred to them, it made their trips and journeys far more dangerous. Lady Maat descended forty years ago and she took up the role of a police of sorts as well."

She twiddled her thumbs as she continued, "Those coliseums definitely exist, mostly in Israfan, and most fighters are taken from Warusa, but the entire thing was probably set-up by Amazons who came from Telskyura in the first place."

Lancer shook his head, "We're getting a bit off-track, though slavery is disgusting through and through. It's quite possibly the only thing I disliked about Rome…. and the serfdom system that succeeded it had mostly died out before my time."

Saber flexed his wrist, "I was of the mind that slavery under the Severans nearly brought the Roman Empire down due to the debauchery and decadence it brought. But there was little time for me to institute any reforms due to the perpetual warfare I found myself engulfed in. Even after I re-united the Empire, I had little time to do anything before I marched out to Asia Minor… after which well..."

Bell nodded sombrely, but it was Gilgamesh who barked out, "Enough of this. Discussions such as this can wait for our trip downwards. You are administrators are you not? I shall believe that you can plan the itinerary properly. Hero, come with me, I shall like to meet that smith the boy calls his friend." and saying so he exited the room, with Arash chuckling as he fell in step behind him.

Lancer chuckled, "I suppose he's right… this is the Expeditionary Command Office after all, Saber and I'll get to work planning everything. You all should go and buy anything you think you might need, as well as deal with any business you might have."

As they left the room, Bell asked Lily, "What are you going to do right now, Lily?" to which the pallum replied, "Well, Lily already has all the equipment that Lily needs… so I'll probably stay back right now, what about you Bell?"

"I'll probably head to the Hostess and tell Syr that she doesn't have to make lunch for me" came the sheepish reply. "Haah?" was the reaction by Mahari, who grabbed Bell in a head-lock, "A girlfriend? Hohohoho! I'll come with you. I want to see if she's a good fit for my little brother!"

"Gah!" squawked Bell, turning as red as a tomato as he gasped for air. He managed to squeak out, "Mis-s S-yr isn't m-my girlfriend!" to which Mahari let go, disappointed, "Hmm… sounds like she wants to be yours, if she's making lunch for you. I'm coming anyhow!"

Lily giggled at this, before walking off in the direction of the library, leaving Bell to fend off the ribbing of the hyperactive adventurer by himself. As for Bell himself, he wondered how this girl who was so professional when it came to serious matters turned into a hyperactive lunatic at the mention of becoming a sister.

As they strolled down West Main, the wind swept over the pair, making their hair flutter as it did so. Mahari herself was without her armour right now, though she still held the throwing knives and the short-sword. Bell looked over at her, observing her cheerily whistling as she walked by. Curioisity got the best of him and so he asked, "Miss… err.. Mahari Onee-san! Why do you call me your little brother?"

The elder adventurer's face morphed into amusement and her eyes gave the impression that Bell was asking something that was clearly obvious. "Is that even a question? I'm your onee-san cause I'm your sister! You're fourteen aren't you? I'm twenty four! And we're both part of the same familia. Two plus Two means that we're brother and sister. Simple!"

Bell laughed, "Heh, heh." to the boy, this two plus two seemed to come out to be seven. Seeing his confusion she continued, "Familias are the gods' families aren't they? So we're a family! Besides, in my old Familia everyone was older than me, so it feels good being the reliable onee-san for once! So don't worry Bell-kun, I'll take care of you like any good big sister would!"

Her voice softened to scarce an octave above a whisper as she continued, "Besides… you remind me of my kid brother." Bell had heard the latter part, but he knew better than to point it out, and so he simply smiled, "Okay then! Onee-San!"

She smiled gratefully at him, before she turned to the front and spoke, "That's the famous Hostess of Fertility huh? Wow! Looks busy even in the morning. That's something else!" and indeed, they could spy many people entering the establishment, no doubt to get their breakfast.

Standing outside, sweeping the sidewalk was Ryuu Lion. In her commitment to the task, she was focussing on each corner in her sweeps, and seemed to kick up a new mote of dust to the side every time. To the eyes of the pair from Hestia Familia, she was truly a master at the art.

She seemed to have caught sight of the pair as she turned, and as they drew closer, she bowed, having placed the broom besides the wall, "Mister Cranell." to which Bell bowed in turn, "Miss-", "Wow! Bell-kun's girlfriend is an elf!? Nice, Bell, Onee-San is proud of you!" as she turned towards Bell with both her hands raised up, palms open, "Ten out of ten!"

An indiscernible blush crept up to Ryuu's cheeks, but before she could correct the lady, Mahari had already slipped behind her, to which Ryuu thought "Huh!?" before her back was patted rapidly. "Yosh! Miss Syr! Bell never told me you're an elf! But if you're making lunch for him everyday, this reliable Onee-San approves! "

Ryuu she turned sideways, "How'd she move so fast?" before she stuttered, "Uh..you're mistaken." to which Mahari simply shook her head, "Don't worry! I'm a woman as well! Oh wait, is it because I patted your back? I'd heard Elves didn't like to be touched, I'm sorry! But I meant that you'd be a great girlfriend for Bell-kun! He's a bit daft, but which guy isn't! I'll be rooting for you!"

Bell of course, being less than a meter away, had heard everything, and turning as red as a tomato, he leaned forward, shouting loudly "Onee-San! That's not Syr, that's miss Ryuu! And I'm not daft!" as he removed Mahari's hands from Ryuu's back.

Mahari seemed abashed at this as she spoke, "Oh, I'm sorry miss Ryuu… I saw you recognize him… and I thought... Please forgive this foolish onee-san!" as she inclined her head, hands clasped together. At this point, Ryuu was amused, but she responded, "It is fine, but I didn't know that Mister Cranell had an elder sister."

Mahari chuckled nervously, eager to get over the case of mistaken identity, "Oh, I'm not his real sister! I joined the Hestia Familia recently, and well, I adopted him and Lily, they're so adorable! Since we're part of the same Familia and all of-course, I chose to be their elder sister… by the way…" she grabbed Ryuu's hands, clearly having forgotten about not touching Elves, "I'll still root for you if you like Bell!"

Bell had enough, as he let a bashful squeal out as he went ahead to extricate Mahari's hands from Ryuu's. But the dexterous Onee-San had already removed her own hands, and in the process, it was Bell that had suddenly grabbed Ryuu's. As Bell tried to process what was happening, the Onee-San had stuck her tongue out as Ryuu began to blush.

At this point, Syr had come outside to help Ryuu with sweeping the pavement, and as her face landed upon the sight of Bell holding hands with Ryuu, her face morphed into one of horror. Ryuu had noticed this out of the corner of her own eye, and she spoke, still blushing, "Mister Cranell… you're supposed to do this with Syr… not me."

Bell retracted his hands at light-speed, before screeching, "Ah!? I'M SO SORRY, MISS RYUU! I didn't mean to do that!" before he bowed deeply, "I know elves don't like to be touched, please forgive me."

Ryuu nodded stoically, "Its fine Mister Cranell, since it was an accident. Miss Syr is there, please go talk with her." to which Bell nodded, mortified, before he jogged over to Syr's side. Mahari stood by Ryuu, before she spoke, "Ho, that girl is pretty as well. This onee-san approves… but I meant what I said! If you like Bell, I'll root for you!" to which Ryuu sombrely responded, "Please do not make such jokes, there is no place or time for romance in my life."

Mahari seemed to grasp her meaning as she spoke, "I see, can't blame you I suppose. Oh yeah, I was introducing myself. I'm Mahari Wanduso, I was a Level 2 from Maat Familia over in Sorshana before I joined up here." to which Ryuu nodded, surprise evident on her face, "Maat Familia? I see, I have heard good things about that Familia, you are no doubt an experienced adventurer, I request that you take care of Mister Cranel."

She nodded, her own face serious, "Of course that is what a reliable Onee-san is supposed to do! But, everyone else in the Familia is very experienced as well, so I don't really have to do much." to which Ryuu simply responded, "That may be the case, but you are the only other Level 2 in the Familia."

She chuckled, "Levels… aren't always everything if my experience says anything, but heheh! It was nice talking to you Ryuu-san! It's too bad you're not into romance! Now this onee-san shall go and assess the Syr!" before she dashed off to Bell's side.

Ryuu remarked, "She's certainly lively." before she stared at her hands, remembering something someone had told her very long ago, "If a guy manages to grab your hands, don't let go of him Lion!" Recollecting this brought about a strange expression on the elf's face, as she turned over to stare at Bell Cranel's back.

"-That's why you don't need to make lunch, Syr." were the words Bell barely managed to get out before a massive gust of wind passed him by, causing him to blink. As he opened his eyes again he was greeted with the sight of Mahari having her hand around Syr's shoulders as she spoke, "Ha! So you're Bell-kun's girlfriend? I approve!"

Both Bell and Syr turned tomato yet again, but Mahari continued, "Making an adventurer lunch everyday, that's the sign of a real wife! I approve! Bell-kun, marry her now!" to which Syr squeaked out, "M-m-marriage?!"

Bell let out an audible groan as he pleaded with his eyes in the direction of his female Familia member. She ignored the cute stare that most other female adventurers couldn't as she spoke, "That said, I don't know much else about you from that. This onee-san shall assess all the suitors of her brother. Question 1, do you like Carrot Cake?"

Syr responded, flabbergasted, "Y-y-yes?" to which Mahari thumped her back, "Hohohoho! Good answer! Question two, how many children do you want with Bell-kun?"

Syr was dazed, as she mumbled, "Ch-ch-children?" her head swooning as she tried to process the question. Bell had had enough, and he'd turned a ferocious crimson that would have been observed in any good forge as he shouted, "Onee-san! That's enough!"

She tutted, before removing her hand from the waitress' shoulder as she spoke, "Bell-kun, you're no fun. Oh right, I'm Mahari Wanduso, adoptive elder sister of Bell-kun over here. By that I mean, I ended up joining Hestia Familia, and decided that Bell and Lily are now my siblings!"

She contemplatively placed a finger on her chin as she spoke, "I heard that rabbits have six children on average… that was the right answer by the way! Don't forget it next time!" to which Syr, having finally collected herself, once again blushed.

She spoke, still blushing, "Oh, adoptive elder sister huh? That sounds nice!" to which Mahari leaned forward, "Of course it is! Do you have any siblings, Miss Syr?" to which the waitress momentarily paused as she seemed to contemplate something before she spoke, "Oh, I have a younger twin brother! He stays in the Opera Country Melistora though!"

Mahari exhaled loudly, "Ho! The Opera Country? I've heard that's a fancy place, but more importantly, you're a fellow onee-san!" before she turned to Bell, "Bell, I approve of this girl! Tell me if you end up dating!" as she flashed him a thumbs up. Bell however asked Syr, "Syr, you never told me you have a brother!"

Syr giggled at this, "Oh! It must have slipped my mind, Bell! He's part of Frey Familia over there. I haven't met him in a few years, but he sends me letters as often as he can!" to which the female adventurer nodded rapidly, "That's a good younger brother, even if he's a twin!" to which Syr once again giggled.

Bell however seemed flummoxed, "Freya? But isn't that goddess in Orario? Miss Eina told me she has the strongest Familia right?" Syr huffed indignantly as she leaned forward, hands on her hip, "God Frey, F-R-E-Y Bell-kun, not Goddess Freya, F-R-E-Y-A! But apparently the two gods are twin brother and sister as well! Isn't it a funny coincidence?"

Bell chuckled at this as well, "I guess it is." as the chat between the three continued animatedly.

====================XeX====================

The two Archers strolled down Orario's North-Eastern District, headed to the workshop of the red-haired smith, Welf Crozzo. "Oi, Hero! How far can you shoot an arrow?" to which Arash scratched his chin as he spoke, "Hmmm, twenty kilometres as a warmup, give me good terrain and I could probably do forty to fifty. Why are you asking, King nii-san?"

"Hmmm, I have a strange feeling that we're being watched by a god from a position of height, so I'd have you shoot him down for me." came the arrogant response from the Eternal King. Arash chuckled, "Come now, Archer, maybe they're just jealous of you dating your missy? You know how the gods of this world are anyway."

Gilgamesh "Hmmphed, Perhaps, but I do not think that's the case." Arash chuckled as he folded his hands behind his head as he spoke, "How far can you shoot an arrow?" to which Gilgamesh folded his arms, placing one below his chin as he pondered the thought.

"With the Bow of Anshan, eighteen, with Enki, perhaps fourteen, but shouldn't you remember this? We did fight in Tokyo didn't we?" was the inquisitive response.

Arash's expression darkened as he spoke, "I was… blackened back then as you said yourself. My memories are fuzzy but imagine my surprise when I ended up in Chaldea and found an Archer Gilgamesh that was not you! Honestly, he was pretty interesting… if a bit too… headstrong?"

"Arrogant you mean" snorted Gilgamesh, "Even I'm not as foolish as to think I could make a female version of the Holy Sword Wielder mine. Besides, I'm sure the fool had plenty of stranger ideas. I wonder how that Pharaoh got along with him, you'd think their personalities would clash and they'd come to blows."

Arash chuckled, "That's a mystery best left unanswered. You know, you're far more… human than that guy, though you're both two thirds god. You're closer to that guy when he became a Caster, but you're still much more unreserved."

Gilgamesh nodded sagely, "To be free is to be human, to restrain oneself on a vague notion of adhering to laws of kingship and godliness would not work for one such as me who rebelled against the gods. I have the knowledge that I will eventually become something similar to what you call 'CasGil', the King Surpassing All Others, but for now, I remain content being the One who saw the Deep."

Arash nodded, "It must be interesting having multiple classes that come from multiple points of your legends. Heh, all I am is an Archer, though Ritsuka was sure I qualified as a Caster. Maybe that's the version of me from the al-Tabari, huh? Probably picked up some magic from someone or the other in that. I suppose…. the blackened version of me would be an Alter?"

Gilgamesh scoffed, "All you are is an Archer? Fool, do not undervalue yourself. If all you are is an Archer, then all I am is a random Sumerian King. You define the word, idiot, I would know, fighting you and that Pharaoh even when the two of you were blackened and your senses hampered was a very stimulating event. Oh, yes, I suppose that dog helped me as well."

"Haha, you're a nice guy, demigod-nii san, complimenting me like that! Anyway we're here!" and saying so, the Archer pointed at a compact one-story building covered in burn-marks, from which the sounds of metal striking metal echoed outwards.

"Hmmph, as expected from a Blacksmith." was the emotionless observation from the Sumerian King to which Arash smiled as he went up and knocked on the door. The sound, that is the sound of hammering ceased immediately, and the door creaked open just a fraction.

Clearly the person who was inside had recognized who it was as he opened the doorway, before speaking, "Ho!? Arash! Been a while! I thought Bell wasn't heading to the Dungeon today, so I got to forging… hmmm, but you're not carrying any supplies either, so whassa matter?"

Arash chuckled, "Yo! Ah yes, the entire Familia's planning to head to the Dungeon on an expedition tomorrow. We heavy hitters will mostly sit out, but we're heading to the eighteenth floor if I remember correctly. Something about fighting a Goliath or the other."

Welf's eyes bugged out, but he quickly restrained himself a she spoke, "That's certainly ambitious… but I could do with the Excelia. That book Lancer gave to me's given me some real ideas I can only put into practice if I have Blacksmith."

He looked over at Gilgamesh before wiping his hand with the rag on his belt before offering it in a handshake, "Yo! You must be the other Archer Bell was talking about!" to which Gilgamesh nodded sagely as he shook it, "Indeed, I am Gilgamesh of Uruk, son of Lugalbanda, and yourself?"

Welf seemed surprised as he spoke, "Oh! Welf Crozzo, son of Vil Crozzo, nice to meet you! Come in, it might be a bit stuffy though, so if you want to stay outside, I don't mind!" to which Gilgamesh waved it off, "I have dealt with many smiths in my kingdom, I do not mind the heat, let us go inside."

Welf nodded as they walked inside before he motioned the pair to take a seat. Arash spoke up, "So, what were you hammering so loud, Welf?' to which Welf responded, "Oh! I was shaping some metal, I just quenched it when you knocked. It'll take some time to cool, so tell me what's up?"

Gilgamesh spoke, "We have atleast two members capable of a Level Up, that is, Mahari Wanduso and Liliruca Arde. Slaying a Monster Rex should push them over. I myself am also a Level 1 with S-Rank Parameters, but I face similar circumstances as the ones you know as Saber, Lancer along with Arash here, so fighting with that beast… well it probably won't push it over."

Welf chuckled mirthlessly, "Unique the lot of ya aren't ya? Lancer, Saber, and the two of you too. Even Bell's growth is ridiculous! Heck, even Lil' Lily has some massive strength of will. Haven't met miss Wanduso yet, but I wonder if my Falna will develop some sort of weird skill if I convert to Hestia Familia."

Arash smiled as he asked, "Well, the offer to join's always open. I mean, most of us are pretty old compared to Bell, so it'd probably be for the good if you end up joining!" to which Welf paused, clearly confused as his eyes darted from Gilgamesh to Arash and back.

Gilgamesh spoke non-chalantly, "I am fifty three years old as I am now, smith. Don't let my appearance fool you." to which Welf's eyes bugged out as he looked at Arash who spoke, "Well… I don't really like talking about my age, but I'm thirty four!"

Welf's jaw dropped as he murmured, "Fifty-Three? Thirty Four? The both of you look like you're in your early twenties or at my age! I've heard the Falna prolongs one's life and youth at higher levels, but my earlier words were spot on weren't they? All of you are something else! How old are Saber and Lancer?"

Arash responded, "Ho, Saber, that guy's fifty six if I recall correctly, while Lancer's about thirty seven!" to which Welf's mouth bobbed up and down as he spoke, "You're only three years younger than Saber? I mean their ages fall in line with what I thought it would be, but Saber's ridiculously fit for his age! What a dude!"

Gilgamesh waved this off, to which Welf chuckled as he spoke, "Damn! But I don't really think I can convert… I mean, I owe Lady Hephaistos a lot… so I don't know about converting."

Gilgamesh spoke loudly, "Ho! I see, I see, truly you are a cultured individual. You wish to make this goddess of smiths your own do you not?"

Welf sputtered at this, the colour on his face being not unlike that of the currently cooling piece of metal as he muttered, "I don't know anything about that!" to which Gilgamesh folded his arms, nodding self-assuredly as he did so, "Ho, smith, lies will not serve you here. Go, go and make her yours! Fight the other smiths in the Familia for her hand, and then you shall be like me, with a beautiful red-haired goddess by your side and with the envy of all other gods upon yourself!"

Arash chuckled as he spoke, "Don't tease the boy, Gil. Besides, it'd probably be weird if a bunch of Orario's best smiths started a death-match for Lady Hephaistos' hand. And your being with Lady Loki is most definitely an exception rather than the norm."

Welf rubbed his hand over his head, before he spoke, "Yeah, what Arash says is right! But… that said, I'll definitely join you all on your expedition… Mister Gilgamesh. Oh, by the way… Bell told me you're an archer… could I see your bow? As a smith… well how could I not be interested in the works of art all of you seem to carry?!"

Gilgamesh chuckled as a golden orb materialized next to him, and a bow projected itself outside of it. It was a golden composite bow, though Welf's eye could spot that this' gold' seemed to be both a metal as well as some type of wood. His senses as a smith, once again, could not recognize the material of the glimmering bow though he could instantly recognize its legendary craftsmanship.

"This… this, a god made this, I can recognize that…" were the reverent words Welf laid forward to which Gilgamesh chuckled as he spoke, "Of-course it is… it is the Bow of Anshan, the bow that my Lady Mother gifted to me, along with the breastplate and axe that I call the Voice and Might of Heros. I use this bow when I decide actually being an Archer would relieve my boredom better than using Enki would."

"Enki?" were the inquisitive and hopeful response from the smith as he returned the bow of Anshan to the floating golden orb. It was clear that he was eager to see yet another legendary weapon. Gilgamesh chuckled as he spoke, "Sadly, I find that I cannot bear to bring Enki out inside this shop. Perhaps some other time, smith." as he stood up, "Well, Hero, I shall leave it to you to discuss more substantial matters with the smith, I have an appointment to get to."

Arash chuckled, "Ha, with your missy, isn't it? Got it, got it. I'll stay here." while Welf nodded too, still mortified as well as awestruck at the flaxen-haired king dating a goddess.

Gilgamesh did not deign to respond to this.

====================XeX====================

"Ha! This is some great cake, wouldn't ya say so, Gil!?" were the happy words Loki spoke aloud, as she bit into a spoonful of the cheesecake in front of her. Gilgamesh nodded sagely as he bit into his own cake, "Indeed it is; though I shall admit that my taste-buds cannot taste anything but perfection due to your presence."

Loki chuckled, though the ever-present blush never left her face as she drawled, "Those are some naughty words Gil. But I like 'em!" to which the blonde king guffawed loudly as he spoke, "Perhaps we should put them into practice? Truly it would be an unsurpassed pleasure."

Loki coughed at this, turning a brighter shade of red as she drank water to make the piece of cake that was irritating her throat go down quicker. "Hush! Any more and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from jumping ya right here! That said, what were ya saying about goin' on an expedition? Ya'd leave lil ol' me alone?"

The flaxen-haired demigod flicked his hair back as he responded, "Come now, my empress, three days without seeing you is as great a pain to me as it is to yourself. But for the members of my Familia it is a great opportunity to Level Up, and so I cannot let it slip! Besides, if anyone wishes to court you, I shall challenge them to a death match for your hand!"

Loki chuckled loudly at this, wiping a tear from her eye in the process, having imagined the demigod in front of her whaling on some dead-beat pervert god in a match with herself cheering him on as he did so. She spoke, "Hmm… I suppose ya'd be right… it is only three days, and ya're heading to Rivira…. so there's a good chance you'll run into my kids too."

The pair got up from their table, Loki grabbing an ice-cream cone to go as Gilgamesh paid the bill. They began walking down East Main, Loki holding onto Gil's muscular arm with her own as she occasionally licked the mint ice-cream in her other hand. It was a walk in silence, but one that both of them enjoyed.

Soon, they found themselves in one of the many parks in the city, and so the pair grabbed a bench. They looked on a group of children playing with each other in the afternoon sun in total silence, a strange event for such a boisterous pair.

It was then that Gilgamesh finally responded, "Yes, I shall run into your children most likely, and since they already know that Saber is a Spirit, they shall know of my nature. But I wonder, how do you want me to explain to them that I'm now their father?"

Loki sputtered, "F-father?!" to which Gilgamesh chuckled as he placed his arm around her, "Indeed, you are my queen now are you not? And they are your children… therefore I am now their father, no?"

Loki coughed for a moment, before finishing off her icecream and licking her fingers. "Mmm, damn, yes, Phai-Phai said sumthin' like that yesterday. It slipped my mind, but I'll probably have to send a letter with ya to Finn explaining dat you're my boyfriend… oh and that our Familias are allied now?"

Gilgamesh nodded sagely, "Indeed, an Alliance is all but finalized. My personal feelings about you aside, your children would no doubt seek an alliance after seeing what the Roman pulled on the 'King' of Orario, and my own Familia would do so to preserve the secrecy of our nature."

Loki nodded sagely as well, "I mean, it's kinda expected that the witch would go after some guy or the other, but I'd love to have seen her face when she'd have seen Ottar return home with a bloody nose an' broken jaw."

She nestled up against Gil, looking up into his face as she spoke, "But ya'd probably be able to do the same just as easily huh, Gil?"

Gilgamesh let his hand flow through her long hair slowly, to which the goddess hummed in happiness when the king spoke, "Is there even a doubt? I am not exactly in my prime right now, Loki, but it would still be a short fight."

Loki nodded softly as her gaze locked with his; her smile widened as she spoke, "I was kinda pissed when shrimp's kid broke my Ais' record… but you're gonna shatter it aren't ya? Your abilities are already at S! Ya never cease to surprise me, but if it's ya who's gonna break the record… well, I can be triumphant again!"

The warrior chuckled, "To secure your pride yet again would be yet the smallest of the gifts that I would offer to you, Loki."

The trickster goddess blushed, "Ah, shaddup ya charmer. It's only been what… eleven days, and I could say that ya're the best gift I could have asked for." her face fell suddenly, "Oh… Tiona's probably gonna cry at me findin' a guy before her… now I'm thinking it's better ya don't tell them. She might even kick me!"

Gilgamesh guffawed haughtily, "Ho? A jealous child, huh? It makes no matter, she shall not be able to kick you if I have any say about it." to which the goddess chuckled good-naturedly.

Her gaze fell on the children playing yet again, before she asked, in a soft voice, "Say, Gil, tell me more about ya prime. I want to hear about what ya got yourself upto in Sumer."

"My prime, huh, Loki? Hmmm, the first thing I did was to build the three walls of Uruk, that were so tall and wide that it was a past-time of mine to host mule-chariot races upon them. Then I grew bored of that, and took up the past-time of playing the Maanim."

"Maanim?" was the curious tone in Loki's voice, though she was already chuckling at the concept of hosting races atop a wall. Gilgamesh nodded, spreading his arms wide to indicate something that was as wide as his chest. "A trumpet this big, narrow at the base, flared at the top. If you covered its wide end with a skin, it could have been a drum."

"At the time, I grew fond of the worship of Utu, or Shamash if you know him better with that name, and even offered him a song with the Maanim once. The god, fickle as he was, decided he liked my song very much and blessed the Maanim with his authority such that it would never lose its tune and would always retain a divine melody." were the proud words spoken.

"But that is not the least of it, I grew very fond of that Maanim, such that when I dropped it once by accident, it fell all the way to Kur, the Underworld where deceased souls dwelt, under the auspice of Ereshkigal. Of-course, I could not bear to be without my favourite hobby, so I went to the underworld and retrieved it. That was the first time I descended to Kur, and since I had the favour of Utu, Ereshkigal did not bar my way, though shades still haunted the path that I had to deal with."

In his own world, this story would go on to become the basis for Orpheus' myth, where-in Orpheus descended to the underworld with his lyre to rescue his wife. Gilgamesh however had simply rescued his 'lyre'.

Loki paused, "Ya went all the way to the domain of a god, where she manages dead souls… just to retrieve your trumpet?! Where's this trumpet now?! If ya make such good music that Utu loved it, I want to hear ya serenade me Gil!"

Gilgamesh chuckled, "Ho, of-course, I grew bored of playing the trumpet, and so it is somewhere inside my Treasury. But I shall most definitely serenade you some other time, my sweet."

Loki huffed in mock indignation but Gilgamesh continued, "After that… well , I was challenged by the Weapon of the Gods to fight." Seeing that he had caught her attention he continued, "Of-course, Enkidu was sent there to bring me back under Heaven's Heels, something I had no intention of doing. But he was my equal in every way!"

Loki was hooked, at imagining someone to be the equal of her Gil, to which Gilgamesh chuckled as he recanted their various adventures over the next couple of hours. The children in the park had long ceased their play, and the blazing afternoon sun had given way to the more subdued one of the early evening.

"That dratted cow had killed four thousand soldiers of Sumer! How could I tolerate it, even if it were Ishtar's divine beast? Being as big as Ishtar's ego is, it drank the entirety of the Euphrates river! Imagine my indignation at seeing my people starve? So I set forth with Enkidu, and the fight we had was the greatest of our lives!"

"The cow had just drank its fill of a large lake, and the first thing it did when it saw us, was to spit the water upon me and my friend! So I shouted, "I am Gilgamesh, Bull, and it takes more than water to end me!" before I set the Voice of Heros on its giant hoof, causing such pain making the mountain sized cow flail around."

For dramatization, two golden orbs of Bab-Ilu materialized the aforementioned large axe in mid-air, suspended between the pair. It was clearly a ridiculously heavy weapon, and Loki's sharp eyes could estimate that it was probably a hundred and fifty kilos.

"So the bull was enraged, but Enkidu manifested dozens of his chains and with the momentum of its flailing, tore a horn clean off! You should have seen the face it was making! It was more astonished than in pain, almost as if it couldn't believe that we had just de-horned it." spoke Gilgamesh smugly.

"Finally, when we had hamstringed it, Enkidu flipped it on its back, and so I dove in with Enki, carving its ridiculously tough scales like it was regular old beef as I did so, and soon enough I found its heart, that was thrice as tall I was, and four times as wide. I removed it from the beast and offered it to Shamash at his temple. Well he was pleased, but the other gods weren't and so Ishtar demanded that one of us be punished for killing her bull. Hoho, the vengeful vixen she was, but the gods chose."

Loki's eyes looked up in confusion at Gilgamesh' face. Her breath stilled as his eyes turned hollow as he spoke in a dull, lifeless tone, "They chose Enkidu and in doing so deprived me of the greatest and only friend I would ever have. A sleep that he would not wake up from stole him away from me. He who was stubborn as a mountain, nimble as the wind, swift as the light itself… it took him and I would never see him again."

Gilgamesh stopped speaking, and the silence was a far cry from the energetic and haughty tone that he had been reciting with right now, something that Loki had obviously picked up on.

She cupped his chin, turning him to face her as she spoke, "Gil… from what you've said, it's obvious ya loved Enkidu. I won't pretend that I can or will replace him. But I heard this from Freya back up in Tenkai… there's more than one space for those you love, be they friend or lover… I'm the latter aren't I?"

Colour returned to the Sumerian King's face as he chuckled, "Yes… you are, and I would have it no other way…so forget that shameful face I made right now Loki." Loki however shook her own head, "I promise ya, I won't be dying any time soon. It's you who I'll have to worry about disappearing, dummy."

A smile found its way onto the Sumerian King's face, "Ho! Even if you somehow manage to return to the Tenkai of yours, I shall come up to the heaven's to bring you back down."

"Ha!? Don't be silly!" she giggled.

Got delayed due to a myriad of reasons, apologies. Next chapter should roll around in a few days I think. Will revise this too. Thanks.

All constructive criticism is welcome, both in reviews as well as PM.

Candidates:

Rider: Iskander, Ushiwakamaru, Perseus , Georgios

Caster: Tamamo-No-Mae, Proto Merlin, Alfia.

Assassin: Regend (Saviour of France), Semiramis, EMIYA (K)

Berserker: Vlad III, Beowulf, Kiyohime.

Pseudo-Divine Spirit: Ishtar, Chiron.