Knives and Shields

by Icura

With the final battle against Salem concluded, Jaune now finds himself stranded in a strange world where there is no such thing as dust and actual gods roam the land. Caught in circumstances beyond his control, he struggles to find a path forward and perhaps a way back to Remnant. An Icura and Vahn collaboration project.

15. Volume 2: Chapter 2

Knives and Shields

By Icura and Vahn

~o~

Volume 2: Chapter 2

~o~

Things were starting to trouble Jaune.

It had been three days since he had last seen Liliruca. Their supporter hadn't shown up for work in all this time after the little scuffle in the alleyway.

Jaune had every intention of apologizing to Liliruca the next day for making her uncomfortable and to try to tactfully approach the bullying situation, but it was like she ghosted him; she never showed up. With the thought that maybe she needed a little more time, he and Bell had went off to the Dungeon by themselves. However, when she didn't show up on the second day, that was cause enough for concern. It took them awhile, but they found and asked some Soma Familia members about her. However, getting a response from them was difficult as almost every single one of them were all impatient and in a hurry. Even when Jaune and Bell did get one of them to stop and talk, they usually didn't even recognize who they were talking about. Not even the name "Lili" rang any bells for most of them, and when it did, they talked about a pallum girl with the same name, not a cat girl.

Eventually, they found out where the Soma Familia home was, but they were rejected right at the gate. They were told by a raccoon man that Liliruca didn't want to see them ever again. The fact that the man acted defensive with barely concealed hostility didn't engender any level of trust in Jaune. However, short of breaking in—and escaping in an explosive exit since he didn't exactly have Blake's specialized skill set—there was nothing that they could do.

After the third morning came and left with no appearance from the diminutive cat girl supporter, Jaune and Bell's morale had reached an all-time low. Fact of the matter was that they couldn't do much by themselves; they had to ask for help.

"Next."

Which was why Jaune was standing in line inside the Pantheon while Bell was in another line. At the counter, Rose Fannet—his guild advisor—stared at him with a gaze that could be equated as sub zero as he walked up to the counter and came to a stop.

"Finally found the time to see me?"

Her tone was frostier than Winter's, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything he did wrong. Did he miss an appointment?

"You…wanted me to come see you…?" The cold glare Jaune got in response made him wince, but he continued on despite that. "Sorry, didn't mean to fall out of touch. There were a lot of things happening so it's been busy and just a bit crazy on my end, you know?"

Rose looked less than impressed with his response which made him laugh nervously and scratch the back of his head.

"A-Anywho, I was, um, wondering if you'd be so kind as to give me advice on a little issue I'm having…?"

Her eyes narrowed with each word he spoke until it seemed almost like she was scowling.

"On what? How not to endanger yourself?" Rose asked bitingly. "From what I hear, my advice tends to fall on deaf ears."

"Huh? What do you… Oh wait, you mean that? That was something that I couldn't avoid—"

"You could have been killed!" Rose interrupted, though she then took a moment to stop and take a deep breath. "You can't keep being so reckless. It was a good thing Ottar was around or things might have been different. The Dungeon isn't so kind as to let someone unconscious go."

Jaune bit his tongue, stopping himself from correcting her. While there was actually no reason to keep it a secret that he had fought Ottar, he had a feeling that Rose would do more than lecture him if she found out that he fought with the strongest adventurer in Orario.

"In my defense," Jaune said with a pained expression, mainly from biting his tongue. "We were on the seventh floor."

Rose's eyes seemed to widen fractionally, as if a piece had been given to her to complete a puzzle, and that was when Jaune realized then that she didn't know. Did Eina not tell her? Wait, now that he thought about it, how much does everyone know?

"I thought everyone in the Guild would know…" Jaune trailed off as he noticed Rose's expression as she looked over at Eina and other employees. At least, this time, it wasn't directed at him. When Rose finally brought her attention back to him, her demeanor toward had begun to thaw. Or at least, that was what it looked like from her expression and the way she was looking at him.

"They… That is…" Rose cleared her throat. "The official statement was that a minotaur was found on an upper floor and slain. I just thought…"

Rose looked like she was about to say more, but she stopped. Instead, she gave him a look that he would have described as complicated. Complicated because he couldn't make heads or tails out of it. Whatever it was, it quickly passed and the remaining tension around her faded, making her more approachable...and dare he say, even friendly.

"Never mind that. So, what's this issue you need my advice on?"

It took a couple of minutes to relay the situation in full about Liliruca Arde, but once he was done, Rose had a contemplative frown on her lips. It was only after a few more moments that she finally spoke.

"It's not uncommon for that to happen, especially from familias with neglectful gods. Though, I can't say I'm surprised that it concerns Soma Familia. Their members have always been more on the desperate side." With a shake of her head, she said, "Unfortunately, the Guild cannot interfere in internal conflicts. There had been a few external incidents in the past, but nothing to warrant censoring their familia over. It would have to be pretty serious to get the Guild involved."

"What should I do then?" He looked at her with a hope.

"Find a new supporter," Rose stated easily, as if she was changing a pair of shoes.

"I can't do that!" Jaune yelled in disbelief at his advisor's suggestion.

"There's nothing else you can do. What happens in their familia is their own business. If you interfere in it, the Guild might be forced to give out punishment. A light punishment would be a public censure of your familia and a hefty fine. At worst, you and your familia could be exiled from the city," Rose warned before her eyes softened ever so slightly. "Be reasonable. The best option is to leave the situation alone."

"I can't just do nothing. She's my friend."

Jaune looked at Rose and hoped that she could see from his expression why he needed to do this. However, Rose returned it with a firm look. It looked like she was really trying to convey that this was all that he could do legally. What was left unsaid was the less than legal path like blackmailing or threatening them. He glanced down for a moment as his mind remembered back to a different time and a different place.

"This…isn't the first time I have seen—experienced something like this." Jaune grimaced slightly as he fumbled his words, but he continued on. "It's…not something that anyone should have to go through, especially not someone who doesn't deserve it."

There were a few long moments of silence as they stared at each other. Rose's gaze was filled with consternation, but Jaune stared back with resolute eyes that refused to waver. After a few more moments, she finally broke her gaze away and sighed again, heavier this time.

"I can't stop you, but I can tell you a few things." Rose glanced to the left and right before settling on him. "Soma is a god famous for the alcohol he makes. While it can't get gods drunk, it is still the best wine that can be experienced in the city. To my knowledge, that is all that he does all day. He is rarely seen outside his manor."

"Hestia usually is the same if she isn't working at her job."

"Soma is a bit more reclusive than that. I can say quite a bit about Hestia, but not much about him. Honestly, there isn't too much known about that god, but the behavior of his children does say quite a bit. They tend to be greedy, desperate, and reckless. Deaths in their familia happens quite often, and very few of them get even a gravestone in the Adventurer's Graveyard. That should tell you something about his attitude in governing his familia."

"That's horrible," Jaune said, though when compared to the brother gods, it wasn't quite as terrible. However, instead of disheartening him, there was no hint of hesitation on Jaune's face. "Is there anything else you know?

Rose shook her head.

"Thanks, Rose, for all your help. I appreciate it. Don't worry; I'll figure something out on my own." After saying that, Jaune turned around. Just before he left, he heard Rose sigh once again. He glanced back at her, finding her looking at him with a resigned face.

"At least, run it through your familia before you do something stupid."

A flash of memory, of white hair and blue eyes with an angelic voice and a displeased tone, streaked across his mind as Jaune grinned at Rose.

"Wouldn't be the first time a pretty girl told me not to do something stupid."

He turned back around and left, not seeing the shocked look or the mild redness on her cheek. After walking out of the Pantheon, he found Bell already waiting for him outside, having—in this rare occasion—finished his consultation with Eina first.

Wordlessly, with just a look, Jaune asked Bell if he made any progress. The answer that came back was a simple shake of the younger boy's head. Similarly, he gave a small shake of his head as well. The two sighed.

Without anywhere else to turn to, they decided to at least take care of some chores while they think of a solution. Jaune went off to get his armor while Bell volunteered to pick up more supplies for them.

~o~

Tsubaki snapped her fingers in front of Jaune's face, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Hey! Pay attention."

"Er, sorry. Got a lot on my mind." Jaune nodded his head apologetically at Tsubaki. It was unfortunate, but he didn't really gain any concrete solution from his advisor. However, he did have some partial ideas. Not very good ideas, but at least, they were something to start with. On Bell's side, Eina had very little information to give out since she was not very familiar with Soma Familia, but the half-elven girl said that she would look into it.

"That's no excuse for not appreciating your brand new armor. Especially when you were three days late in picking it up!"

The sound of hammers echoed through the workshop, accompanied by an oppressive heat. Men and women of the Hephaestus Familia were working at a frantic pace, some bringing weapons and armor in various states of completion to Tsubaki who—with a single glance—would simply nod or shake her head even as she attended to Jaune's armor fitting. One of Tsubaki's helpers, a young teenage girl in the midst of puberty, was holding up a tall mirror so that Jaune could see what he looked like.

While the armor's style remained largely like the last one, it was decorated a bit more with golden yellow trims. It also had a more stone white color than the silver of before, making its appearance more in line with his armor from Remnant. Moving his body into different poses, he found it actually had more flexibility than his last armor, and the padding sat so snugly against his body that it felt like there was no need for any adjustments. All in all, it looked and felt pretty good.

"I like it."

Tsubaki sighed in an aggrieved manner.

"You need to say more details! Any smith worth their salt will want to hear it."

"Excellent! Fantastic! It fits like a charm! I like the colors!" Jaune smiled with all his teeth showing and gave the blacksmith two big thumbs up.

"On second thought, stop it. I don't need worthless praise like that," Tsubaki said. "Just tell me. Is there anything wrong with it?"

"Not that I can think of. It's an overall improvement over the last one."

"Yes, the one that didn't last very long." Tsubaki let out a little grumble. "This one shouldn't break as easily since I used rarer materials for this, but you'll still need to come back every so often to buff out the dents."

"Will do."

"While it's twice as sturdy, that's no excuse to go at it again with a monster like Ottar, got it?"

Jaune simply nodded. While he would rather keep quiet about the Ottar situation, there was no fooling Tsubaki's eyes. The damage to his armor and weapon told a story that was far different from the rumors circulating. If a minotaur could cause that much damage to her creations, it would probably be a cause for shame to a prestigious blacksmith like Tsubaki. When he had told her the truth, she had slapped down on the top of his head multiple times and called him an idiot for doing something so stupid like that with such weak armor. Then she had put him into a headlock with her arms around his neck, which he was sure the intent was to punish him by choking him out. However, it ended up pressing him against certain…Yang-like assets that made his trouble two-folds.

Right, moving on.

Of course, with his advisor, it would be more troublesome since he knew that it couldn't be hidden forever. He could only imagine what Rose would do to him when the truth finally comes out, but it was nothing that a week of forced vacation for himself couldn't solve. Or at least, he hoped that she wouldn't keep a grudge for longer than a week. It was honestly hard to understand her at times.

"Now, here's the sword and shield you ordered." Tsubaki handed out a sheathed long sword and a familiar looking heater shield, one that was smaller than the kite shield that he broke but more in-line with the heater shield he used to use back on Remnant.

He had painstakingly described the shield that he had used on Remnant to Tsubaki, even going so far as to make shoddy drawings with his admittingly poor art skills. Still, it had come out even better than he imagined, as evident by the white shield bearing two golden crescent moons on its front. The sword, however, was not like how he had described the one he used back on Remnant was like.

"Umm, I didn't order anything like this?"

Tsubaki gave him an almost offended look.

"The design you gave me was too plain! At least, the heater shield had those golden crescents to help it, but your sword was just like any other sword that a novice blacksmith could churn out. So, I decided to make it adventurer-worthy. It came out pretty well if I do say so myself."

Jaune's right eye twitched.

It seemed like the kind of sword that a maiden leading her nation through a bloody war would carry. The sword had a thick blade that ended in a sleek triangular tip with golden metal that lined the flat sides instead of the stereotypical grooves. The gold metal were extensions from a gold and white hilt that was more fit for the King of Vale than an adventurer's sword. Spanning out from the hilt were two cross-guards, spreading out like dragon wings, while the hilt itself ended in a diamond-shaped pummel that even had a slot in the middle to insert a jewel into.

The sword was incredibly glamorous. While it was definitely far more sharper and durable than any ornamental sword, it still felt like a weapon that he should be raising into the air so that he could launch off a rousing war speech with. It made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Better than what you had before, right?" Tsubaki crowed as she too admired her handy work. "Been a while since I crafted anything this low level, but it's not like you're planning on fighting him again, right?"

Jaune sheathed the blade with a huff. It wasn't like he sought out the Freya Familia captain.

"Cause if you are…" Tsubaki leaned in and glanced around conspiratorially. "I can make you something that might even up the odds, but it'll cost you."

Jaune was about to shake his head when curiosity got the better of him. Despite his better judgment, he leaned toward the half-dwarven smith and asked in a similar conspiratorial tone, "How expensive are we talking about here?"

Tsubaki leaned, moving her lips to Jaune's ear. It was close enough that her breath tickled his skin as she whispered a number, one that nearly made him drop the sword. Jaune quickly leaned back and shook his head.

"Nope, I'm good."

"You sure? I could put it on your tab," Tsubaki pressed on eagerly. Jaune wondered if she just wanted to see how her works would hold up against the boaz, with him being the equivalent of a test dummy.

"I'm very, very sure," Jaune replied flatly, shutting Tsubaki down before she could even make an attempt at a sales pitch. "My familia just got out of debt. I'm not going to put us back into it."

"Fine." Tsubaki half pouted before she looked at Jaune with a speculative gaze. "But let me know if you ever change your mind. My interest rates are lower than the gnomes."

"Really? Wait, Hestia's debt to your goddess didn't have any interest rates…"

"Deals struck amongst gods are different from deals with mortals or spirits. They have their own way of doing things that are incomprehensible to us. Though, if you really want to get no interest rates out of me, you could try getting your goddess to strike a deal with my goddess again. Maybe it will even work; she is far more lenient with Hestia than any other deity that I have seen." Tsubaki smirked. "Though, with how stubborn my goddess is, she'll probably do it herself rather than ask me to do it. It'll be fun to watch her work; it's been awhile since she's done anything."

"Deals made between gods…" Jaune's eyes widened, dropping the sword in his hand. "That's it!"

"What?"

"You just solved a problem that I've been trying to figure out for days." Jaune quickly hugged the half-dwarven smith, wrapping his arms around her. Her surprise kept her immobile for a few moments before her mind caught up. It took a couple more moments until she finally shoved him back with a dusting of red on her cheeks.

"W-W-What do you think you're doing?!"

"Ah, sorry. Got too excited." Jaune nodded his head apologetically at her as he picked up his shield and sword. "But seriously, thanks. You really helped me out of a jam."

"Y-yeah, fine. Whatever," Tsubaki shook her head, quickly regaining her countenance. "Well, I mean, I guess that's good, though I got no idea what you're talking about."

"Anyways, I got to go," Jaune said as he turned around. "Need to go share it with Bell and Hestia."

"Hold it!" Tsubaki grabbed Jaune's collar before the boy could leave.

"W-What is it?"

"Do you think we're done? You can do whatever you want afterwards, but we're finishing this now so I don't hear any whining or grumbling later about a loose chest piece or a wobbly boot. I got a reputation to uphold, you know?"

"Actually, I didn't know."

"Maybe that explains why you act like that around me."

"Like what?"

"Like an idiot."

~o~

The gate of the Soma Familia compound loomed in front of the three of them, fenced off by spaced iron bars and a large gate. Behind the gate was a large manor that was three stories high, its outer walls lined with balcony-like walkways and imposing in its material wealth and aesthetics. Despite that, there were no guards stationed at the gate nor was there anybody visible anywhere in sight beyond the iron bars of the fence and gate.

Having circled the entire compound twice while Hestia stood in front of the gate, her children had found out that the compound consisted of a manor and several smaller buildings along with a few watchtowers. There hadn't been anyone in sight, even in the windows of the watchtowers. While it was possible that they were watching in secret, Hestia had found that Bell had uncanny senses when it came to being watched so she decided to trust his instincts. All in all, breaking in didn't even seem like a difficult task. Not that they were here to do that since it was the middle of the day and it would get her on the Guild's bad side.

Still, did they have to drag her out to do this now?

Hestia—still dressed in her potato snack seller uniform—puffed out her cheeks in irritation while Jaune and Bell stood beside her with determined looks on their faces.

"Why did we have to come here right away? Couldn't we wait until my shift was over?" Even though she had already agreed, Hestia couldn't help but complain about her predicament. "My boss is going to yell at me tomorrow."

It was understandable since they had simply taped a paper sheet to the potato snack stand with "closed" handwritten in Koine on it.

"Isn't it time you quit that job?" Jaune asked. "We make more than enough Valis from the Dungeon."

Left unsaid was the fact that they also didn't have any more debt to contend with. However, Hestia felt a bit reluctant about it. When she was first kicked out of Hephaestus' home for being a leech—not that she would ever admit it—she had gotten hired right after asking if there was an opening when she was buying dinner at the potato snack stand with the scant amount of Valis she had left. Even though she had screwed up countless times and wasted literal batches of the flour, oil, and potatoes, she hadn't gotten fired even though she obviously should have been. So it felt bad to just up and leave when things had gotten better for her. However, she was a goddess so she couldn't keep working there forever, even though she probably would never get tired of the taste of fried potato snacks.

Maybe a two weeks notice? Bleh. She would have to think about it later.

After forgetting to actually answer Jaune's question, Hestia looked toward the gate. Or more specifically, the ringing bell hanging on the right side of it which would alert someone in the household.

"Are you sure you want this, Jaune?"

"Yes," Jaune said without a shred of hesitation. "One hundred and ten percent."

"Bell?" Hestia turned to her first child, only to find the boy looking resolute.

"If we can help a friend in trouble, we need to do it," Bell said with absolute certainty. "Once her god knows, he will stop the bullying."

Hestia looked between Jaune and Bell once again, but seeing that their resolute expressions didn't change, she could only pout. She walked up to the gate and grabbed the rope connected to the bell. Pulling it caused the bell to ring out, but it was only after the seventh pull that someone finally opened the manor's door. A man with raccoon ears glanced out of the door and to the gate with a disgruntled face, but upon seeing who was there, it darkened even further. He strode out to the gate with a stomp to his steps.

"You two again? Didn't I tell ya she doesn't want to see ya! What don't you get?!"

"They're here to guard me," Hestia interrupted with a sharp tone.

"A goddess?" The raccoon man blinked in surprise, having only noticed her just now. "W-What are you here for?"

"I'm here to see Soma."

The raccoon man looked conflicted.

"What's your name?"

"Canoe…"

"Well, Canoe, are you going to let us in or not? Soma probably won't be happy if you turn me away without telling him."

"Yeah, I figured," Canoe grouched with a resigned look. He muttered the next part under his breath. "Zanis was right when he said Little Rookie's familia would be nothing but trouble…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just hold your horses. I'm opening it up now." Canoe grabbed the bar of the gate and pulled it open. From the fact that he didn't do anything beforehand, it seemed like the gate had been unlocked from the start. Once opened, he stepped aside to allow them entry. "Get in here so I can close it already."

After they entered, Canoe shut the gate and then ushered them into the manor. As they were led through the well-lit hallways, Hestia couldn't help but notice that they didn't see anyone else at all. If this was a smaller familia, it would make sense, but this was a mid-sized familia, making it more than a bit strange that they didn't encounter anyone else so far.

Just as she thought that, the raccoon man pushed open a door and led them into a large room. It seemed like a greeting hall with couches and a few tables with chairs, but the only people occupying it were two men playing cards at one of the tables. The two men glanced over when they heard the door opening.

"Hey, Canoe, come back over here already so we can—you!" One of the men stood up abruptly, tipping his chair over. The other man rose up as well, a few seconds slower.

It was only then that Jaune recognized them as the two people who were harassing Liliruca a few days ago.

"Can it," Canoe said roughly. "I got to lead the goddess upstairs to Soma. Watch these two while I'm at it."

The two grinned maliciously.

"Remember, no touching them," Canoe reminded, bursting their glee and causing their expressions to fall.

One of the men growled angrily.

"But this asshole—"

"I said, can it! Zanis told you before not to touch them so don't. It ain't worth the hassle." Canoe pointedly stared the two men down. "And both of yah know what happens if you make trouble for the captain, right?"

The two men slowly sat back down in their seats with disgruntled expressions and wounded pride.

Jaune and Bell glanced at each other, though both of them remained quiet. Canoe motioned for Hestia to follow before walking out of the room. The goddess took one last glance at her two children before she left the room as well.

The trip was short, mainly moving through another hallway and up the stairs, but throughout the entire journey, there was no other children of Soma that came in sight, as if they were all hiding. It was disturbing to her. Did Soma recently lose children in an expedition? One of the risks of being an exploration familia was that the guild required them to occasionally take expeditions deeper into the Dungeon with the goal of reaching one level lower than their previous limit. It wasn't uncommon for many children to die in these kinds of expeditions. Though, it wasn't like Soma had to register as that type; his familia could technically qualify as a business familia due to his wine. However, in spite of that, the god never bothered to change their designation, even though this emptiness seemed like the results of that outcome.

"Who would even want that if they didn't have to," Hestia muttered under her breath with an annoyed look. If she could change her familia's designation, she would have changed it in a heartbeat. While they weren't required to do any expedition yet, it wouldn't take more than a year since Jaune and Bell were so super special that people would eventually flock to her in droves to join. However, the thought of losing them in an expedition made a chill run up her spine. "If I become a potato snack mogul, would that work?"

"Goddess, we're here." If he had heard her, Canoe showed no sign of that as he knocked on the wooden doors. He waited for a moment, but there was no response. Despite that, he opened the doors anyway and motioned for her to come into the room.

The moment Hestia fully stepped inside, the doors closed behind her, leaving her with the sole occupant of the room. In the middle, lit only by the light coming from the balcony window, was the god of this familia. Soma's lanky form was bent over a complicated glass tube apparatus, and he was hard at work transferring a liquid from one container to another. For what purpose, she didn't know, but he was focusing so much on it that it didn't seem like he even noticed that she entered the room.

"Soma?" Hestia's voice came out apprehensively, worried that she would disturb his concentration. Despite her concern, Soma didn't react or flinch in any discernible way. He eventually spoke after a few more moments.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to talk about one of your children, Lili." When Soma didn't respond, Hestia added, "A young cat girl."

"Did I have a child like that?"

His attitude was beginning to get on Hestia's nerve.

"Of course you do! How can you not know?!"

"If they can't withstand my drink, then they're not worth knowing."

"What?" Hestia voiced her confusion just before her anger for those children took over. "What do you mean by that?! Only we gods would be able to do that!"

"Yes. It was my mistake to expect more." For the first time, Soma glanced up at her, his messy hair swaying to the side to reveal heavily dulled eyes, even though his hands kept moving without pause. "What do you want with that worthless child?"

"She's not worthless!"

"Each god values different things," Soma said, brushing off her rebuttal as he continued his work over the distillery. "So, why are you here?"

"I..." Hestia called up the expression of her two children and steeled herself. "I want to talk about that so-called worthless child of yours."

"Interesting." Without showing a shred of interest, Soma stared dully at Hestia.

Hestia paused for a second. Originally, she was only here to inform Soma of the bullying and get him to stop his familia from doing so to the cat girl, but after having seen the full picture now and with the suggestion in Soma's words, she decided to change tact. It wouldn't be good to leave Lili in this familia.

"I want her."

Soma looked up even while his hands continued to move, giving her a questioning gaze.

"You want my child?"

"Yes," Hestia said with her arms folded over her impressive chest. "Give her to me since you don't want her."

Soma tilted his head to the side and seemed to concentrate his gaze on her before replying.

"I can give her to you, but what do you have that can interest me to do so?"

Hestia raised up a hand and cupped her chin between her thumb and index finger. She didn't want to be in a financial debt again, and she didn't really have enough funds that it would satisfy a god like Soma. So that left the other thing that gods can barter with.

"A favor. I get her in return for a favor if it's within my abilities."

For the first time, Soma's hands paused during his wine-making. It was only for a moment, but each of those precious moments were necessary when making an elixir of the gods. Even the most minor distraction could ruin a batch, and the fact that he did so despite that implication was telling. Making up for the mistake, he resumed working though he didn't focus as much attention on it as before, probably already having ruled the batch as ruined.

"A goddess' favor is a powerful thing to give, even more so for one who has great influence in her own pantheon." Soma's words were slow and contemplative, though Hestia didn't really think of it that way. Sure, she could ask Hephaestus for stuff and maybe Hera if she was still around somewhere, but it wasn't like she was actually close to that many in her pantheon. However, if that was enough to get Soma interested, then whatever. As she thought about that, Soma continued speaking. "This is acceptable. Arrange a meeting in my manor with Dionysus."

"Dionysus? Why him?"

"There are no other gods of wine in Orario. I believe his insight in wine-making might help me, but I never had cause to call on him." Soma paused for a moment. "Until now."

"Well, sure, if you really want to use my favor for that…" There was a bit of hesitation in Hestia's voice. That was because she didn't actually know Dionysus that well, but from what she remembered from meeting him back in the heavens, he was a scary guy. His words were polite and nice, but she still remembered the frightful chills that had run along her skin. Thankfully, talking to that guy had been short—the most they had spoken to each other was back when she gave up her seat among the twelve to him and the feeling back then had been the worst. Still, if that was what it took to get the cat girl out of here, then she was willing to do it.

"Then our deal is made."

~o~

For Jaune and Bell, waiting in a room with two hostile glares aimed at them the whole time was uncomfortable. Even if the two Soma familia members couldn't do anything to them, the constant watching was fraying on their nerves. The chats between the two of them were sparse because they knew their two watchers were intentionally eavesdropping; they weren't even bothering to hide it and just smirking maliciously when they looked at them. It was honestly an uncomfortable amount of time before Hestia finally came back with Canoe and Liliruca in tow.

What Jaune had expected was a few exchanged words between them on how Liliruca's situation would be better now and maybe a smile as well. What he hadn't expected was for them all to be led out of the gate with Canoe shutting the gate behind them. The raccoon man took one last look at Liliruca through the bars of the gate, spat out at the side, and walked away to go back into the manor. That left the four of them—Jaune, Bell, Hestia, and Liliruca—standing just outside the closed gate.

"What just happened?" Jaune asked, confusion lacing his voice. By his side, Bell had the same look of confusion on his face.

"Lili got kicked out of Lili's familia," Liliruca said in a whisper, not quite believing that it was happening. However, her statement made Jaune and Bell's eyes go wide.

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

They both turned to stare at Hestia, but the goddess proudly puffed out her chest.

"I got her out," Hestia said without a hint of regret. "If she stayed, nothing would have happened."

Before the two could scold her or inquire what happened, Liliruca bowed deeply to the goddess.

"Thank you," Liliruca said in a voice choked with emotion. Still bent over at her waist, tears ran from her eyes and dropped down on the ground. "Thank you!"

Hestia placed both of her hands on the girl's shoulders and gently pushed her up until the cat girl was standing upright.

"What will you do now?" Hestia asked in a soft, gentle voice that exuded far more dignity than Jaune and Bell were used to. Her eyes stared into Liliruca's own, encouraging her with their kindness. "Soma told you to join my familia, but you don't have to do that. You can go find another familia or leave the city or do whatever you want. Whatever you choose, I'll respect your choice."

"You don't want me in your familia." Liliruca broke eye contact to look downward.

"I do."

"No, you don't. I'm a liar." Taking a step back out of Hestia's gentle grasp, Liliruca turned to Jaune and Bell. "I lied to you both."

Without waiting for their response, the girl flipped back her hood, revealing her head in its entirety. The most glaring aspect of that was the lack of cat ears.

"I'm not a cat person; I'm a pallum," she said ruefully. "I used my magic to trick you. I lied to you all this time!"

"Who cares about that," Bell said cheerfully as he placed his palm on her head. "Even without cat ears, Lili is Lili, right? Nobody can replace you."

Standing by their side, Jaune simply nodded.

Tears started running down her face again. However, Bell simply smiled brightly in response.

"Welcome to Hestia Familia."

~o~

After that emotional display, Jaune had split off from everyone. The others were going to take Liliruca back to the church and get her falna inked into her skin. As for the huntsman, he was charged with buying all the celebration supplies which mostly consisted of food and drink, though he did have to buy some extra plates, bowls, and utensils for their newest familia member. The events that occurred were still reeling in his mind. They had come to Soma Familia to solve Liliruca's problems, but in the end, they ended up with a new member for their familia. It was strange and funny how things just seemed to happen that way, but he wasn't complaining. Overall, the results were better than what he could have hoped for.

At this time of day, people were out getting lunch so the streets weren't sparse, but there was enough space to walk comfortably. That was why, it came as a bit of a surprise when a man wearing a hooded black cloak that obscured his body and parts of his face stood in front of him.

No, not a man. A god. There was no mistaking that deep purple divinity that emanated from him. The unhealthily pale skin on the parts of his face said something about his nature, especially since most gods and goddesses were as handsome or as beautiful as top tier models. There was no blemishes on his skin, and as he raised his head, deep purple eyes sharply stared out at him, accentuated by his long and straight purple hair.

"You shouldn't be alive," the god grounded out through gritted teeth, fury infusing each word.

"What are you talking about?" Jaune cautiously asked as he took a step back.

"…my mistake. I let my emotions get the better of me," the god said, visibly trying and failing to calm down. "The natural balance had already been tipped, but to see a flagrant transgression right in front of me…"

"Uhh...right. I'm, uh, just gonna leave now." Jaune stepped around the god, moving past him.

The god made no move to stop him. However, despite that, he kept Jaune in his sight, his right hand repeatedly clenching and unclenching, only stopping once the huntsman finally turned the corner and disappeared from view.

As for Jaune, once he was back on his way to shop for groceries, he couldn't help but shake his head. There were plenty of strange gods in Orario, but that was the first time one of them had taken issue with him and for some reason that he couldn't really understand. Putting the furious god out of mind, he continued his shopping trip; he didn't want to keep his familia waiting after all.

~o~

Authors' Note:

Icura: The chapter was delayed due to Hurricane Ida greatly affecting Vahn. Thankfully, he is safe. I was expecting this chapter to come out a lot later, but he managed to help get this chapter out in between. However, he is still technically stuck in that mess so don't expect another chapter out soon or anything.

Vahn: I made it woot! And yes, I will be quite busy building back some things, but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading :D