The Foundation's Shadow

by Kratos 57 naruto

An enigmatic boy stranded in a world with a dead hero strives to know more about himself and find peace within the darkness that is life. All he knows is his name and all he has is a mask, a cloak and strange tattoo on his stomach. He arrives in the city of adventurers and his past unravels infront of him. Alternate Universe, Very OOC Naruto, Polyamory

6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone, sorry for the wait here is chapter 6. Had stuff to do. Got a blessed with an amazing beta, so quality is better plus he is a soulsborne master so he my sensei. Got delayed because of a particularly rough thunderstorm. A lotta shit stopped working in my country, internet was one of em. I dunno why this updates when I remove chapters, sorry about that. Anyways, without delay lets get into the chap. My dark souls experience at the end if you interested , I'll put it after my ending comments.

Chapter 6

"There once was a princess deep in a forest who was trapped in eternal sleep. Until one day, she was awoken by a young man. He melted her heart, took her hand, and the two lived happily ever after." a voice with so much warmth that it could melt the hearts of thousands recounted.

"Do you like this story?"

The toddler beside the woman nodded with vigour.

"What about Mommy?" The woman nodded back.

"Me too, because I am living happily ever after because of him." the woman smiled as if she didn't have a care in the world. The smile touched the toddler's heart and drew the look of envy and admiration from her eyes.

The woman, not missing this, smiled in response and spoke once more, "Wouldn't it be nice if you met someone who does the same for you?"

The child smiled like a flower blossoming in springtime. The mother and daughter were under a massive tree that cast shadows upon them, shielding their soft skins from the sun's rays. The grass in front of them was matted and rolled onto the horizon, forming an ocean of green. Light wind streams tickled the blades of grass, causing them to sway as if dancing to the breeze's song.

Tufts of white pieces of dandelions leisurely drifted through the air while spinning and swerving relative to the wind's movement.

The little child sighed as she was made comfortable by the pleasant atmosphere. Her mother being around was the icing on the cake.

The atmosphere shifted before she realized it, and the once blue sky had turned into dark rocks. She watched in horror as hordes of terrifying creatures rushed for her and her mother. Their jagged claws and teeth glinted as they hovered over what they believed was easy prey. The little girl was shaking and frozen, with her eyes wide. Each creature was so hideous that her eyes watered, and her heart shook at the sight of their mighty weapons. Every single one was much bigger than her and could tear her to shreds. She closed her eyes, expecting everything to end, but nothing came.

She opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of her mother, surrounded by gales. The woman gracefully moved her hands as if directing the winds, and they obeyed. They were an extension of her will. The little girl's eyes were wide as she witnessed her mother tearing apart throngs of monsters, but they kept coming, and she, too, had her limits.

Her perfect skin was soon covered in bloody bruises and cuts, but she did not give up.

The little girl cried as she realized she could do nothing. At this rate, both her and her mother would… Her eyes reflected thousands of shadows that slowly drew closer. One finally toppled the woman of iron will. The little girl did not falter despite her face being covered in tears and understanding that she could do nothing. Instead, she rushed forward and tried to use her little body as a shield to protect what she loved.

She and her mother wouldn't survive because she was too weak and helpless. This fact did not stop her from doing what she felt was the best thing to do.

The girl took a deep breath and prepared herself, then suddenly there was a flash of silver. Everything died, and the underground labyrinth was silent once more.

A young man emerged, strolled through the thousands of corpses that littered the ground, and pulled the woman and her daughter into a tight embrace before releasing them with hesitance. The woman smiled and stood on her own while the man directed his gaze to the little girl.

"You did great." he ruffled her hair, causing relief to flood through her veins. Her cute smile caused the man to grin with contentment as he picked her up, held her with one hand, and reached out for the woman's hand with his free hand.

"I do hope that someday you find a hero- your hero."

From the depths of the passage in front of them emerged a reptilian hand that knocked her father down, causing the girl to fly from his grip. As her vision became blurry, she witnessed everything she loved disappearing. The arm took her mother while her father lept towards it in retaliation.

Everything went dark.

Bed sheets flew from Ais's body when she shot up, trinkets of sweat pouring over her brow and down her cheeks. Her wide eyes raced across the room, aided by her swivelling head as if an eldritch entity was pursuing her. Her heartbeat could be heard beating through her chest.

"That dream all over again..."

She had had this reoccurring nightmare since she was a child, and it had always made her uneasy, even driving her to panic at times. Her mind was tormented by the single-eyed draconic beast who had stolen everything from her. This nightmare would always twist her doll-like features and cause her to whimper, even to this day.

She could never get used to it, no matter how many times she went through it.

The adolescent slipped out of her blankets and stared blankly at the sword propped up against her bedside. She cocked her head and took in her surroundings. She was in a modest room with a desk, a bed, and a window curtain. The sun had a long way to go before it rose above the clouds and replaced its counterpart.

It's been a few days since Riveria discovered her resting against their home's gate; she promptly took her to her room to rest for the rest of the night. The next day made Ais swear he would never drink alcohol again, even though it had not been voluntarily. Not even a smidgeon.

After the hangover wore off, she discovered that she could recall the previous night's events with great clarity, with a certain masked individual at the forefront of her memory. She remembered everything about him, from how he moved to how he was a few inches taller than her. Even the simplest pattern in his movements was engraved into her brain because every bit of information about him carried tremendous significance to her. His figure and warmth were fleeting.

Most people would say she was going too far, but it felt like the best thing she could do for herself. His words had struck her like no other, widening her heart and quenching the burning flames of fury within. She remembered waking up as Naruto carried her home. They were veiled in a white mist that seemed to follow him wherever he went, driving him deeper into an abyss where he would never be known. Everything related to him seemed to hide him; his mask, cloak, and even nature felt that he should be hidden.

Like a person who had been stranded in a desert for days without water only to come across an oasis, Ais felt relief. Finding comfort in something means one risks the possibility of disappointment. It could be a mirage.

The oasis was merely a mirage that infected their minds with the disease of false hope. Hope would be dashed if the person discovered that the grace they witnessed was merely a trick by the environment and their mind desiring something so much that it created an illusion.

Ais had fought this war for so long that she had come to believe that there was no such thing as a hero or a true ally. Ais came to believe there was no hope for her, which meant she would be condemned to pain for the rest of her life. She had the impression that Naruto wasn't real, that he was a vision, like the mirage of an oasis in the desert.

Because of his presence... It seemed as if he didn't have one, or it was exceedingly unobtrusive if he did. That's why Ais clutched onto him, afraid he'd go like a pleasant dream when she awoke, leaving her alone. Yes, she had her familia, but nevertheless... It's a little difficult to put into words.

A smile appeared on her face, one that seemed out of place, given that she would have tears streaming down her cheeks at this time. She was still terrified, but she began to feel hope, and that optimism inspired her to be stronger, so she resisted those tears. Ais's fingers jerked as they reached for the sword hanging against the door before coming to a halt.

"No… I'm not ready yet; I need to clean up."

Normally, Ais would merely toss her sheets and blankets on top of the bed before racing out with her sword to practice and later be stopped by Riveria and admonished for being almost late for breakfast. She vowed to make a difference in her life after the encounter. One that would help her become stronger and grow as a person.

When she wasn't wildly wiping out hordes of creatures in the dungeon, she would typically put herself into training from early dusk until late at night. This way of living began when she was a child and continued until her adolescence.

With her training schedule now in question, Ais began to reflect more and remembered how she would frequently strain a muscle and continue exercising nonetheless, much to Riveria's chagrin. She recalled the humiliating time when she lost her first tooth while battling in the dungeon. Loki did not leave her alone after that incident.

Taking additional breaks between training sessions caused her to think less about power and more about how she could develop. She previously emphasized maintaining and honing her technique, but she rarely considered learning new techniques or developing her own. Some of the ones she held were not the result of her reasoning. Instead, they arose as a result of experience. Fighting monsters accounted for about 70% of her experience, stripping her of the capacity to combat people.

Her Person vs. Person skills were decent, allowing her to provide resistance against a wide range of opponents, including the manslayer, Androctonus, but she was far from the best. Monsters and humans fought in completely different ways, requiring distinct approaches. Ais could hold her own against a skilled opponent, but she would lose a prolonged fight.

Fighting Phryne Jamil demanded that she use Ariel to overwhelm her, but without it, her prospects of winning were minor. On the other hand, her comrades would undoubtedly beat her in one-on-one combat.

This conclusion, as much as it irritated her, was correct. Ais understood that her peers would make quick work of her if she didn't have Ariel. Tione, Bete, and Tiona What they all had in common was that they were able to balance their monster-slaying and people-fighting abilities. Her father was similar to them in that he could both fight people and kill monsters, whereas Ais could only kill monsters. She was the best monster slayer in Orario, even exceeding the likes of the warlord and her familia's captain, but it came at the expense of her ability to fight other people efficiently. She was adequate but not exceptional.

As tensions between her familia and others seemed to be escalating, she concluded that it would be better for her to learn how to deal with people better. If they fought, all of them were capable of causing at least a little damage to her familia. She didn't want to let her family down, so she worked hard to improve her combat abilities, and as a result, she did something she rarely did.

Consult with other members of her family. Tiona and Gareth were taken aback, but they were eager to assist because, along with Finn and Tione, they were the familia's best at Person vs. Person. The Amazonessness twins due to their former way of life in Telskyura, and Gareth and Finn because of their continual battles with members of the Evils and even members of the Zeus and Hera families.

"Don't focus on the goal, or you'll be overwhelmed," Naruto advised. "Focus on the journey." With that in mind, she reasoned that to achieve her goals, her body had to be in tip-top shape, and she would never be able to do so if she died or lost all of her limbs to her adversaries.

Ais threw her blankets to the floor and grabbed her sheet, yanking and stretching it to cover the entire bed. She then took her blankets and flicked them before repeating the process as with the sheet. She yawned cutely as she rose to her feet and stretched slowly before changing from her nightgown to a copy of the attire she usually wore. She reached for a pair of black tights, then slid her feet through the hole and pulled them up.

Why Loki forced her to wear such was beyond her. There was too little armor, and it was far too flashy!

As she reached for the rapier resting against the wall she felt a bit of comfort at the familiar feeling of the weapon, Ais's hand's request was finally granted. She accepted it and quietly opened her chamber door so as not to wake her family members who had sensitive ears due to their falna or species.

Ais walked along the hallway of one of Twilight Manor's several towers, intending to go outside to begin her daily training. Unbeknownst to her, an elven princess had also awakened and changed, and she was on her way to prepare the appropriate study materials for her student.

When Ais walked by without spotting her, Riveria raised an eyebrow. It was unusual since, despite appearing unguarded, Ais was always on high alert. Ais seems to have changed after she was returned home by an unknown individual. Positively, rather than negatively. She wasn't the only one who had noticed, as familia members who felt compelled to welcome Ais, their superior did not receive the obviously pre-recorded response she usually delivered. In a way, her response was... livelier.

The high-elf also observed that the youngster appeared to be engrossed in her thoughts on a regular basis as if assessing herself. The morning after Ais's return, she was summoned to their captain's office to recount the previous night's events. An executive member of a powerful familia, such as the Loki familia, going missing and then being found unconscious was concerning because it constituted a breach of the familia's power and the safety of its members.

That is why she was summoned for interrogation. With Riveria as an exception, Finn and Gareth expected to hear something unpleasant. She vividly remembered the sleeping girl's twinkling smile, like she had finally found relief after suffering for many years. Riveria's inner mom cheered in response to her happiness.

Ais clarified to them that this unknown party was not hostile and had no intentions of harming them. They were nothing more than a good Samaritan who had stopped her drunken rampage, taken her home, and then went on their way. The commanders were perplexed as to how Ais could remember the previous night while under the influence of alcohol, despite how she tended to forget events after consuming alcohol. (No one allowed Ais to drink alcohol, but there had been a few mishaps.)

When asked who the person was, Ais remained silent because Loki was present, and mortals could not deceive gods. The sword princess reasoned that the individual utilized magic to create enormous amounts of mist to avoid detection. They could have released the spell and allowed themselves to be seen by Loki family members when they arrived at Twilight Manor's gates, but they did not.

When Ais was found, Riveria caught a glimpse of the individual but couldn't make out any of their features. It was as if they were shrouded in darkness, hidden from the world's light and its inhabitants' perceptions. They waited on the roof, guarding Ais in case someone recognized them and followed them, intending to snatch the sword princess. When Ais was finally in Riveria's arms, they vanished, leaving nothing but doubts about their existence.

The executives and the goddess did not pressure the girl and simply left her be because they saw something unusual about her. In a positive manner, of course. Even if they tried, the girl would stubbornly refuse to disclose information about the unknown.

A few days later, Ais had been training as hard as she always did, perhaps even harder, but she no longer missed breakfast. She took her time eating, savoring the various flavors that tickled her tongue. She sometimes attempted to take the lead in conversations rather than her usual response-only mode of communication. She was awkward, but she was making an effort.

Riveria had witnessed Gareth and Tiona tossing Ais around like a rag doll. The young lady appeared to be attempting to extend her horizons. She was attempting to learn how to fight with a weapon other than her sword.

After that, there was that. Ais had approached her and requested that she brush her hair. She'd never done anything like that before. Riveria always offered Ais to do so, which was the case when they first met. She was pleased with the transformation, but her curiosity got the best of her; she needed to know more.

"Lefiya has been staying up late studying... I suppose I could let her sleep for a little while longer."

Riveria determined that it was worthwhile to observe Ais train.

As she panted, Ais's ample chest lifted and sank. After nearly two hours of nonstop training, her body was drenched in sweat and dust. She flicked her rapier before carefully guiding its tip to the scabbard and sliding the blade in.

"It's almost time for breakfast... Everyone should be up and about by now. I need to get to the baths as soon as possible!"

Ais started to rush only to stop as her eyes met her superior's jade eyes. Noticing Riveria under a nearby tree Ais cracked a smile and approached her before stopping a few meters away.

"Good morning, Riveria," she said, keeping her distance so as not to offend the elf's sensitive nose. While elves lacked the noses of animal people, they were nevertheless superior to humans.

"Good morning, Ais," the woman smiled back. "Is your new regiment producing favorable results?"

"Hmmm... Yes, I believe it is." Ais responded. There was a brief silence between them, leading Ais to squirm with slight discomfort as she sought to find something to talk about. Riveria remained silent as she watched the girl attempt and fail to communicate.

"Riveria…" Ais eventually spoke after what seemed like an eternity. Her objective was apparent, but coming up with the words to make the request was still tough for her, but she persevered.

"Yes?" said the elven princess, leaning forward.

"Can the two of us... go out for lunch?"

"Ho?" Riveria's eyes widened in astonishment before she giggled and concealed her mouth behind her fist. Her schedule appeared to be clear for the day, and she saw no reason to turn down Ais. "Of course, where would you like to go? A potato snack stand? "Her mother-figure found delight in Ais's peculiar obsession leading to her to question Ais in a somewhat mocking tone, causing Ais's cheeks to flush slightly.

Riveria's uncommon gestures of mirth elicited a charming pout from Ais. "Riveria, shut up." she grumbled, her gaze fixed on the elf. The elf's ceaseless giggles caused Ais to pout even more, her expression getting graver by the second

"Riveria…" Ais whispered

"Y-yes?" the look on Ais' face brought the High Elf unease. She had a bad feeling.

"I love you." Ais declared.

Riveria aspired pleasantly. That was the first time Ais had said anything like that. Riveria was overjoyed when she said that, but she couldn't shake the feeling of fear. Her giggling had stopped.

"I love you too?" she reciprocated the declaration of affection, but her statement emerged as a question because she couldn't help but feel like a deer in front of a hungry tiger.

"Let's hug." Ais said innocently as she approached the woman, causing the elf's eyes to widen as she saw Ais spread her arms wide.

"W-wait, I'm so-," her words amounted to nothing and the moment she came to that realization, Riveria dropped her apologies and turned to dash away. She was level 6 and one of the more athletic of her kind, but it was too late. Ais was upon her in an instant.

As the duo collapsed to the ground, a girlish squeak was heard.

Her ear tips turned crimson, and her cheeks took on the same property. If Gareth found out, he would never let it go. Riveria clenched her teeth and accepted her punishment; after all, she deserved it. It was a good thing that other members of their family weren't going to take baths for the next half hour or so. She still had time to save herself from Gareth poking fun at her. She could deceive her fellow elves into believing she had been training with Ais but not Gareth.

Riveria crinkled her nose at the state of her dress, which had become moist and odorous. Because of her status as both an elf and a maiden, she found it unpleasant, but she still smiled at Ais's expression of affection. The woman quickly threw her arms around her daughter's frame and the two remained that way until a little later.

"Riveria…" Ais murmured.

"Hm?" Riveria responded, "You stink." Ais stated curtly before cringing playfully.

"And who's to blame for that!?" Riveria responded with equal gaiety, faking a frown. Riveria's frown softened as she enjoyed Ais's newfound playfulness. It was a significant improvement from how she had been a few days before.

Soon after, the duo separated and hurried to clean up and change their clothes. Aside from Aina, Riveria's dearest friend and former chamberlain, Ais was the only person she felt comfortable bathing with. It had been a while since the two had taken one together, and doing so brought back many memories—both pleasant and uncomfortable, with the unpleasant being Ais' previous rebelliousness.

The two quickly changed their clothes and gathered at the dining hall, where breakfast would be served.

"Good morning, everyone!" A vermillion-haired goddess greeted enthusiastically, seeing her children take their seats at the dining hall tables. She encouraged everybody to eat together, but the large number of people in the household made the room feel cramped. With the exception of those tasked with keeping watch over Twilight Manor's grounds, the majority of individuals were present.

Because people moved slowly, Ais was able to swiftly find a seat before the crowd grew so large that she wouldn't be able to move to open seats.

"Good morning, Ais!" welcomed a cheery voice, followed by the sound of a chair being dragged back near the sword princess. There was a tiny thump when a young lady sat next Ais; it was someone of equal standing, another executive.

"Good morning, Tiona," Ais spoke out to an Amazonessess who had taken a seat beside her. The girl exuded a very optimistic air, showing how pleasant a person she was: she could always find a reason to grin even in the bleakest of circumstances.

"How was your sleep?" Tiona queried, leaning in closer to Ais, who appeared unconcerned when her personal space being invaded. Ais's hands briefly stopped working on the cutlery that were chopping the bacon on the plate before resuming.

"I slept well… So, how about you? "She said awkwardly, turning to look her companion in the eyes. Tiona tilted her head slightly, a grin on her face, and said, "Same here! It was fantastic. Hey, Ais, I had an extremely weird dream that I need to tell you about. Riveria was in it, and so was sis. Raul and Finn as well! It was fantastic, and Bete's not being there made it even better!" She spoke with zeal, hurling one phrase after the next at a breakneck pace.

The aforementioned werewolf paid no attention to the young Amazonessess as he calmly chewed on the loaf of bread he had obtained from a neighboring basket. He'd had enough arguments with the Amazonessess to learn that arguing with her was pointless. He was having a good morning and didn't want to ruin it by losing brain cells.

"She seems to be more energetic than usual," Ais pondered while she listened to Tiona's story. Tiona went on to recount the events in her dreams, such as riding dragons. Tiona kept forgetting information, then remembering said information later, bringing it forward and failing to link it properly, leaving it a jumble of words. Ais stopped paying attention because of that.

Ais nodded, pretending to listen to her while her mind was occupied entirely by her thoughts. "Finding him is proving to be far more difficult than I anticipated... Is he trying to avoid me? No…" Ais recognized the flaw in her reasoning.

The last time she heard about him was the day before when she overheard Riveria discussing how he killed some aberrant infant dragons on the 11th floor. Because the creatures were impeding his progress, he confronted them and overcame them after a brief struggle. Because Riveria observed him staring at paper removed from the Guild's bulletin board, she concluded that he was taking on a quest.

How rare, low-leveled adventurers hardly took on quests. The guild did not give him a hassle as he had a rep to back up claims of his skillset. He was capable.

She heard other people say he departed Orario as well, and they mentioned that he had a bag with multiple compartments, so she deduced that he was on a mission, gathering resources for someone.

Ais couldn't go to the Guild for information because it prohibited its staff from disclosing information about their adventurers. Another concern would be the attention he would receive if she, a well-known figure in Orario, went looking for him.

It was evident to her that he disliked having eyes on him because no one ever mentioned what he loved to do or where he went; instead, they talked about what they saw him do in the dungeon or passed on tales heard from their fellow adventurers. When he spoke to her, he sat on the darker side of the seat, pressing himself into the shadow as if attempting to merge with it and disappear.

There was also mist. If he did not cover himself with the mist, he would be rewarded after passing several suspicion tests, making him more popular. Ais did not want to inconvenience him. Furthermore, it was unknown what familia he belonged to.

Ais's cheeks warmed slightly, and her lips twitched and arched upwards ever so little. Ais had already addressed the issue of the weird sensation in her chest whenever she thought about him. She wasn't ignorant; she was aware of the concepts of romance and crushes.

He aided her when there was no benefit to himself, despite her causing him mortal harm, without harboring any resentment. It was incredible. It was almost as if he had forgotten the pain done to him and had unintentionally created a bond with her.

He felt her pain and reached out to her, breaking through the barrier that guarded her heart and calmed the turmoil within. His comments revealed his wisdom, and his wisdom in relation to his age revealed someone who had fought a war akin to hers, survived, and lived to tell the tale. It was odd that he was her age or a little younger, given how his voice sounded like it was on the edge of breaking, and his arms weren't muscled yet.

Her admiration for him was unavoidable, and she felt weird for no apparent reason. It was... Affection. No, not the kind of love she had for Finn, Gareth, or Bete, or for any of her family members.

Despite drowning herself in training, she was still a young lady with friends who had invariably brought up the subject of love and crushes often. Ais made no move to refute it. She remembered him embracing her in his arms as if it had happened just moments before. She was captivated by the power in his quiet voice when he spoke of his aim; there was no fear, only strong confidence. He's incredible. He is a hero to her.

"Where have you been all this time... Dummy,"Her younger self's pout didn't make it into her usual self's face since it would ruin the illusion that she was still listening to Tiona.

"Ais. Hello, Ais! Are you paying attention?" Tiona brought her face closer to Ais's. She was caught!

"Sorry," Ais murmured, eliciting a sigh from the Amazonness. Tiona remained silent for a few moments before narrowing her eyes as if she had noticed something strange. "Hey, Ais!" she exclaimed.

"Y-Yes?" Tiona's predatory glance made Ais uneasy, so she replied slowly.

"What's going on with you? You've been acting strangely for the last several days; what's up with you? "Tiona brought this up. The mention of Ais's transformation piqued the interest of many, including the vermillion-haired goddess. Lefiya, who was known for her feelings for Ais, was one of the first to notice but was far too bashful to ask Ais about it.

With the attention of not only the executives but also the majority of those who had heard Tiona's inquiry, Ais shifted slightly in her chair.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Ais spoke the first response that came to her mind. Her heart rate surged significantly due to how suddenly she felt cornered. Many eyeballs pressed her into the chair, none more intense than the werewolf's.

"The dumbass is correct; you always have that odd expression in your eyes and flush and whatnot." Bete continued, oblivious to Tiona's complaint.

"…"

"Aisu… Do you have a crush on someone?" Loki had moved away from her seat and was now standing besides the girl Ais. Ais could feel the goddess' warm breath on her skin since her face was so close. Her eyes may look like they are closed, but Ais felt as though a pair of enormous eyeballs were examining and dissecting her.

"Don't be ridiculous." she said, lying. Or at least attempted to.

Gods cannot be deceived by mortals.

"UWAAAHHHH! SOME PIECE OF SHIT IS TRYING TO TAKE MY AISU AWAY FROM ME! GET HIM! BRING HIS HEAD TO ME! HIS FREAKING HEAD!" Loki's eyes turned as she screamed bloody murder. She shook her fists frantically, slamming dishes of food and glasses of liquids on the ground.

Tiona winced, covering her mouth in disbelief; how could she not see this happening?. "I should have asked when we were alone..." The young Amazonessess grimaced before apologizing mentally; it was too late. The wheels had already begun to turn and could not be stopped. Loki had screamed it out loud for all to hear.

"I should have stepped in when Tiona asked that question," Riveria realized as she stroked her temples. "Wait… Did I hear that right? No. Wait, Ais has..."

"A CRUSH!" The dining hall erupted and became far more lively than a tavern filled with adventurers who had lately achieved spectacular feats. It was a surprise because the woman had turned down countless proposals, some from exceptionally gorgeous and wealthy men, without hesitation. Everyone felt she was either asexual or too preoccupied with dungeon matters to care.

Loki was ignored as she was dragged away by lower-ranking familia members. Despite the tight area, the girls rushed to surround Ais. "WHY, LOKI?! WHY, TIONA?!" Ais mentally shouted as a scarlet hue shot across her face.

A solitary elf was left alone at a nearby table Her hair was a golden yellow hue that might appear orange depending on the sunlight, and she had blue eyes. She was dressed in a pink corset dress with a purple bow at the collar and a pink rosette cloak over a white shirt.

"Crush… Miss Ais… Crush," she murmured as if she were a faulty recorder. Tumbleweed landed on top of her plate as her complexion began to turn pale. Her ears drooped as what appeared to be a rain cloud formed above her head.

"It's over." she grumbled. She was left alone, and no one gave a damn about her. Her friends were preoccupied with something else.

The older twin was the closest to Ais, so she leaned in and fired one inquiry after the other, her voice excited. "What is his name? What is his personality like? What familia does he belong to? What is his age? Wait, is it that a man? Do you swing that way?"

Ais had battled the dungeon's most terrible beasts on her own, but… She'd never felt as hemmed as she did now.

The bulk of males resembled Loki in how they felt, but they were able to keep their cool. Some explored the idea that it was them before dismissing that notion because the girl had never looked at them in that way before. Except just one.

"Heh! I knew ya'd finally come ta ya senses Ais! At least ya didn't go for some loser." the arrogant wolf spoke with a grin.

His acute ears failed to catch the collective sighs that came from the girls.

Even Tiona the familia's supoosed idiot facepalmed,.

The Amazonessess didn't say anything as this was just sad. She, for once truly felt sorry for the wolf.

She knew he would have said something similar to Ais if that person hadn't began their story a few days back at The Hostess of Fertility.

"Good to know that you have tastes, instead of opting for some weakling. Ya know what ya want and that's dang evident. You wouldn't choose somebody who would slow ya down." he added with a grin, shoving his way through the crowd of females.

Ais narrowed her eyes as Bete spoke, feeling as if he was somehow referring to Naruto.

She kept her tongue and just gave him her regular expressionless stare, masking her festering displeasure.

"I'll take ya as a mate." the man smiled, his head clouded by fantasies.

Ais heaved a long soothing sigh, "I will not be your "mate". I'd choose that weakling over you any day. He is fantastic in every way I can imagine, while you are just awful to be around. I don't know why you always look down on others below you but knowing you it's probably good intention like to bring them up but it doesn't change the fact that you cause far more damage than good I will not allow you to degrade him in anyway."

Ais's frigid voice shook the hall leaving the chattering voices silence.

Even the sobbing Loki was silent, muted by Ais's method of speech which differed drastically from the way she generally spoke.

Ais was never one to express her ideas, typically electing to stay mute unless asked directly or if things were getting completely out of hand and even then there would be a tint of shyness.

There was nothing like that here.

It was pure boldness.

"You will not speak ill of him. Do I make myself clear? And if you do we'll take this outside. Understand?"

Ais's hand reached for her hip, where her rapier would normally be, but it was not there. She had left it in her room, but it didn't matter to her. She did not back down and instead stood up and gazed into the wolf's eyes.

She didn't understand what had come over her. It was strange, truly. Did Bete unleash a more violent aspect of her? Her heartfelt immense discomfort as she felt as though Bete was labeling Naruto a weak, miserable loser.

While her feelings for the boy didn't go further from a crush and admiration she still had a very strong urge to protect his honor and stop Bete from degrading him in any unnecessary way.

Ais wanted to know more about Naruto, and the only way to know him better in her perspective was to connect more with him. She wanted to observe him, understand his tendencies, what he liked doing and much more. She also wanted to know his negative side, his darker side as his lovely demeanor wouldn't exist without a form of darkness.

He was like an ache to her; she wanted to investigate and resolve it.

The sword princess was someone who had a deep disdain for lies and had a strong admiration for the truth.

In many circumstances, the truth tended to be subjective and in this case the truth of someone's personality. For one individual, someone could be an irredeemable evil, but they may be an extraordinarily kind deity for another.

When it came to Naruto, Ais desired her own truth.

She already decided that he was her hero although it dawned upon her that she didn't know anything about him. She was resolved to find out more about him herself and not listen to the remarks of some guy who knew nothing about him.

Bete's fur bristled slightly as he narrowed his eyes and glared down on Ais. Tension was mounting and the older members of the familia were poised to step in until.

"Crystal." the man muttered before turning and walking away from Ais, leaving the hall.

With her mood soiled, she lost her appetite and followed the acts of the werewolf and fled the hall as well, going to her chamber.

Riveria groaned and approached Finn, who like everyone else, had a surprised look on his face. Gareth didn't look astonished; instead he caressed his beard. This was one of the things he did when he showed interest in something, it wasn't what Ais said because it appeared like he knew she had it in her instead, it seemed to be the person Ais spoke about.

"Its fortunate that things didn't go out of hand." Riveria stated after a period of silence. Finn nodded at Riveria's thought.

"Indeed it is… Say Riveria…" Finn said.

"Yes?" She responded

"You don't suppose it would be that person who brought her back, would it?" he questioned.

"…"

"I see…"

"Well, I have to admit that it's a little hurtful that she didn't trust us with more information but I suppose its acceptable because of LokI." His companions nodded in acceptance.

"Yes. Lassie understood the possibility of Loki havin' an unpleasant reaction." Gareth remarked.

"That is true. What a clever person she has grown to be, she didn't lie to us when she said her desire to decline to divulge additional information was an act in his best interest. Loki, knowing that she has feelings for her, would undoubtedly cause him trouble… It's preferable that we do not explore. Ais has established that he is not a threat to our familia." Riveria finished.

"The best way to keep information from a god is to not know at all."

"He! Something we can finally agree on, accursed elf!" Gareth said with a chuckle.

"Zip it, Dwarf," Riveria responded sharply before sighing,

"We all agree then. Don't investiage unless there are negative consequences on Ais."

"Aye."

"Hmm, I have a little work to do before meeting with Ais." With that thought in mind, Riveria bid her goodbyes and swiftly departed the hall to accomplish as much work as she possibly could.

They had just pulled from an expedition due to encountering a new species of monster and were making preparations to return to the deep floors.

Their failure was expensive since the monsters they encountered melted many high-class weapons, and those weapons had to be replaced.

They did not mention the number of drops they had to abandon due to their rush to return to the surface.

Now she was assisting the familia's captain in getting cash for the next expedition, whether by accepting loans or finding and distributing high-paying quests among the executives or even seeking sponsors.

She also had the job of training the "Fairy Force." The term alone caused her a headache, but she endured it.

When speaking to Ais in the morning, she severely downplayed how much work she had to do to avoid her daughter-figure from worrying too much.

"Smile through it Riveria," Riveria thought. Healing familia members who would train themselves to the brink. Making sure there was order in the household… A massive household. Meeting. More meeting. Dealing with Loki. Dealing with a drunken Loki. Dealing with the trouble that came with having people like Bete in their familia. "Smile through it Riveria."

Just the other day, the newer members of their familia had reported that they had nearly died in the dungeon but were saved by the "super rookie," who apparently was level 1 but wiped a massive horde of monsters alone. He was said to be an exceptionally skilled magic swordsman despite on recently gaining a falna.

There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding him as some people said he had lightning magic whilst others said he had ice magic whilst other said he had fire magic. The thought of a new level 1 having access to 3 magics was eyebrow raising alone but the fact that he could concurrent chant and control his magic with great efficiency was just…

Loki familia was one of the most powerful faction in the city and as such it was important to have information about potential allies and enemies. It was one thing for a rookie to suddenly gain fame, their fame normally died out quickly. This person was different. He was breaking way too many records for him to be ignored.

One of the ways the familia got new members was via transfers from other familias if they showed enough promise. That was how they got important and promising young talents into their familia such as the twins and Lefiya.

What really captured hers and her fellow senior's attention was the fact that the group that had returned, claiming to have been saved by him was them saying that they wouldn't stand a chance against him. One of them was level 2!

The amount of skill it takes to overcome level gaps is astounding. This group certainly wasn't a pushover, sure they bit off more than they could chew but…

Then there was the fact that Ais showed interest in him because of his strength.

Information was key in maintaining their position so the fact that there was an unknown roaming around shattering records was something they could not miss. In the future, they could be part of a rival faction and that could put the Loki familia at a disadvantage.

It didn't help at all that the boy seemed to elude questions about him. He was like a ghost. No one knew anything about him, even his advisor was not aware of anything beyond his familia. As per guild regulations, she was not allowed to disclose any information about him.

Now guess who was in-charge of information gathering. Certainly not Finn or Gareth.

"Smile through it Riveria."

People like the now, confirmed boy, required extensive background checks in other to find out anything about them. The guild's policy of accepting anyone and giving them the right to have their backgrounds remain anonymous was a headache. Especially if the person did not want to be known. Like him… Literally no one knew anything about him. People tried following back home but he would quickly evade their senses.

Wait… Him not wanting to be known. Isn't that similar to Ais's? No… Unlikely, the person used mist magic and the person she was thinking of either used lightning, fire or ice magic. There couldn't be another people who could use more than 3 magics right? He wasn't even an elf.

Stress presented itself like the worlds most annoying choir, singing "stress, stress, stress. It never goes away."

She also had to take disciplinary action against the group that almost got themselves killed. Maybe it was a little strict but letting people get away with a slap on the wrist could cause them to do it again. She couldn't have that.

As Riveria locomoted to her office, a memory returned to her, "That's why you are so old but don't have a man."

"Urgh," Riveria winced. That was the reason she tied her hair into a ponytail in the first place. Despite always being busy, she was very much open to the idea of courtship. Riveria was jealous in this aspect of Ais, people actually tried to get a date with Ais whilst they would never try with her. This was one of the reasons she disliked being a high-elf, everyone was far too intimidated by her lineage and the possibility of having every elf in existence attacking them.

A good example was the time Freya familia almost killed her. The outrage caused by them almost caused every elf to attack them, it was fortunate that Freya familia was extremely powerful, more so than them which allowed them to threaten the elves.

"Smile through it Riveria."

She didn't drink alcohol… She was considering rescinding her oath…

She really needed something. She as a high elf had the responsibility of upholding an image. An image that is thousands of years old. No pressure at all. She wasn't allowed to make first move on the people she liked as in elven law, it was a must for the male to make the first move…

She couldn't even drop the hankerchief!

"Smile through it, Riveria."

Right not like Ais would describe why she liked John Doe. That girl is far too quiet for that

Later

Riveria put up a strained smile as Ais described how cool she perceived John Doe to be. She was way too talkative… Well, that would be unreasonable to say as anyone else would be more talkative than poor socially awkward Ais.

It all started when Ais told her that she had finally found her hero. Having a crush was one thing however deciding someone was her hero so quickly was another. Riveria was keen on knowing more but the threat of being interrogated by Loki weighed heavily on her mind.

Riveria decided that she would have to come up with a plan because it seemed that Ais had a lot to get off her chest. While Ais did describe why she liked John Doe, she didn't give too much detail about it instead, she started talking about what she had been taught.

The contents of Ais' lesson from the unknown was eyebrow-raising and captivating to the elven princess. She listened to Ais describing how much her talk with him caused her to strive to change her mindset.

"By the gods," she was intrigued as more information entered her ears. Ais had confirmed that the person was definitely around her age. Wisdom at such a tender age was just… It was rare and even then it was usually a fluke characterized immature opinions swayed by what they heard people around talking about.

"River? Debris, an interesting and vivid analogy." Riveria thought, it was very easy for her to imagine as her homeland did have a number of rivers. Some rivers would always carry down objects like branches and rocks.

"That's why I need your help Riveria. I don't know where to start but I want to make a change. To be better." Ais expressed lowering her head. Riveria didn't impede a warm smile from forming on her face. It was good that the two had gotten a private room in a high-class café to have their lunch. The walls were soundproof, so information slipping was relatively low.

The two were seated facing each other. The room they were in was wide enough for both of them to move around freely. The room's theme primarily consisted of brown and its frame was line with dark oak. The walls were made from a cream white, somewhat puffy material with painted brown fern designs. They were surrounded by magic stone lamps with an orange glow, giving the room a warmer colour.

"There is no need to lower your head, Ais." Riveria said before standing from her chair and pulling it along as she travelled around the table and cut the space between her and Ais. "I have to say, I am proud of what you are trying to do." she spoke gently and wrapped her arm around Ais.

"In my many years of life, I have… Cultivated many experiences, some unpleasant and some amazing but I never quite composed myself at such an early age. You even making an attempt, is fantastic to start as the key to becoming better is to act, first and foremost." she continued as a look of nostalgia glazed her eyes.

When was the last time she had been to her home land, 20 years now was it? She could remember the day when she first met Loki and Finn.

Ais tilted her head with curiosity as she looked at Riveria.

"Riveria?"

"Hmm, yes. Oh, my apologies." Riveria laughed slightly, realizing that she had lost herself to her memories.

Ais smiled slightly, "Want to take a slight detour? Could you please tell me about the world outside of Orario? About your old home?" Ais requested leaning in, giving the elven princess puppy dog eyes. Riveria's eyes widened slightly before they closed in tranquility, "I deserve a break; Finn and Gareth won't miss me for an extra hour or two."

"Of course, give me a moment, I will go extend the time we have in this room." Riveria quickly exited the room and soon returned with a tray two glasses full of a yellowish, bubbling liquid. A high-elf such as herself would have never imagined the day she'd carry drinks for someone else.

With grace that could send the hearts of thousands flying out their chests, she put her knees together and smoothed her skirt before gently sitting herself on her chair. She angled her legs and crossed her feet and sat up straight and reached for her drink and gently raised it close to her lips before tiping it back slightly and allowing the fluid to enter her lips. As she tilted her cup back to an upright position, she moved her left hand and gently tucked her jade locks of hair behind her pointy ear.

Ais was straight but… Wow. Just… Wow. Perhaps it was true that sexuality came in a spectrum.

Riveria gently brushed her thumb against the clear glass, thinking of where to start. "Home… Well, as you know, I was born in…"

And so Riveria's tale began.

It was strange how parents that misbehaved as children tended to have children that misbehaved in the same way. Karma was a real bitch but Riveria wasn't bothered as she counted herself to be lucky. She was never as reckless as Ais, but she misbehaved far more frequently.

She could remember the hubris she had when she was a child. While she did cause trouble at the palace, she still maintained the image of a dignified princess. All to impress the man she looked up to, her father but things started changing as she matured.

Elves were easily the most prideful race because of all the things they possessed to boast about. Their beautiful and clean sanctuaries that were forests, their beauty, their intelligence and their connection to spirits to name a few. They even went as far as considering each other brothers and sisters while disregarding other races as lesser beings.

Soon she found herself disgusted by how the high-elves treated members of other races.

Pride and patriotism are wonderful things but are they really so wonderful when weaponized against other people? The high-elves were arrogant that they found everything that was not them disgusting and secluded themselves in forests, refusing to contact the outside world despite their brethren doing so.

Their intelligence is said to surpass that of the other races but the curse of intelligence was the ease in which it makes people arrogant. Those who are extremely intelligent lose their sense of empathy meaning that they fail to connect. They only connected with those they considered "equal" and that in turn makes everyone else inferior.

They were beautiful. Even the "ugliest" one of them was gorgeous.

This was the worst with the Alfs. They locked themselves away, deep in the forest and refused to leave, feverntly believing the outside world was unclean and was ugly. They refused to leave to interact with lesser beings. They even refused to leave to meet the gods, beings more perfect than them.

Their arrogance caused them to forget humility as they were quickly replaced by the gods. There was a time when meeting an elf was extremely rare. In those times, other races looked up to elves in awe and admiration to the point that someone who was granted entry to an elven forest was seen as exceptional. Now those times had changed and a lot of elves had moved on. All except the Alfs. Her father, considers the gods shameless hedonists and thus looked down on them.

The gods were better in every way than the elves so her father decided to look down on the negative aspect of them as if elves themselves were perfect. It was absurd! Riveria did not like this at all.

Riveria soon realized that excessive pride like any other emotion blinded people. They could see just fine so what they perceived as the truth could be a lie. Was the outside world as awful as everyone seemed to believe? Only the Alf Royal guard exited the forest, but even then that was rare. Do people who have never seen something have the right to judge it as awful?

Soon Riveria started developing an interest in the outside world and her father learned of this and reacted unpleasantly. Soon Riveria wanted to leave but her father refused to let her go, insisting that the world was too filthy for perfect being like them. He described it as disgusting.

Riveria was frustrated by this because of his and the rest of the family's obsession with perfection. She couldn't even shout in her own fucking room. What was she, a puppet? A caged bird? She was trapped by the bars of her lineage and their arrogance. She wanted to be free, she wanted to go out and experience the world for herself and decide for herself if it was so bad. So what if it was dirty? As far as she was concerned, her family and their values were the dirty ones.

Fortune struck her when she came across the map of the world. The details recorded on it were so captivating that they made her mind wander, they let her mind forget that she was essentially trapped. Soon her father destroyed the map and that sparked her rage. She took her chamberlain with her and left the palace and that was when she met Loki and Finn.

As Riveria told her tale, a realization soon dawn on her. One that she had failed to give notice to. She had walked out of one cage into another. Sure there was the dungeon but she wanted to somewhere she wasn't, you know, likely to get killed. The guild wouldn't have that. She was their prized level 6 puppet that wasn't allowed to leave the walls except in specific situations.

She could no longer explore…

Ais's eyes were wide when she as digested Riveria's words. She just couldn't imagine the gracious elf before her being loud and rowdy. The woman was far too disciplined to have come from a child like that. The way people changed sure is amazing.

Riveria sighed and smiled wryly, "I suppose it has been a while since I have been outside the walls." Ais was quick to realize why that was the case.

"That's a shame… I want to see the outside world." Ais commented, looking down at the table. With her starting to consider things beyond the dungeon, the girl too, like her compratriot desired to see the outside world. She could remember it. The great expanse, unending streams of grass stretching across the world like an ocean.

The fields were anything but plain and boring, there many sights to see. There were flowers, animals, insects and rocks. The terrain was uneven and had lots of dips, creases and valleys. Streams split the land and endlessly carved at it whilst reflecting the sun's rays creating what appeared to be streams of gold.

Beyond the plains and just behind the horizon were many peaks tinged with blue and white. Countless dots hovered above them as packs of buffalo-like creature ran in the opposite direction. It was a pleasant sight.

"When we get the chance, let's go explore together." Ais said smiling warmly to which Riveria returned the warmth and nodded, presenting Ais with a smile of her own.

There was a comfortable silence between them until.

"Okay. I cannot take it anymore; tell me more about that boy of yours." Riveria spoke with a rush of energy that would take people who knew her by surprise. Ais's eyes widened slightly as she spoke, "Come on, Riveria. I have only known him for about an hour. And I think I told you everything."

Riveria gained a devious look in her eyes, "You have only given me the facts, you never gave me impressions, how you felt as he spoke to you."

Ais's face went red as she recalled him gently touching her cheek and stroking her hair. "Uhhh… I-I suppose I can tell you a bit more." she muttered shyly.

"I wonder what he is up to? I hope his quest is going well."

With Naruto

"Ah fuck that hurts! I swear someone jinxed me just now."

The boy stumbled past a bush and collapsed onto his knees. The boy's quivered as his insides felt like they were on fire, almost like his insides were being nawwed upon by parasitic piranhas. As sweat caked his body, he stood up shakingly and stumbled forward, reaching for a tree to act as his support. His breathing grew heavy as another flare of pain rocked his insides.

He did not cry, he soldiered on. The creature should have escaped his trap by now and he needed more distance to deal with this before dealing with it. His tolerance to pain was exceptional, only allowing a single tear to escape his eye. He did not scream instead he focused everything on moving forward.

"It's growing too fast. I need to delay it."

Naruto summoned lightning and electrocuted himself. It wasn't enough to stun him but it was enough to temporarily alleviate the pain.

The forest he was in was quiet. Far too quiet as if every creature had vacated the two titans' battle ground. The silences was torn apart when the sounds of collapsing logs and rocks intertwined with a pain roar follow by shifting sounds that indicated struggling.

"Okay, I HAVE TIME! FUCK!" Naruto began coughing profusely and hugging his stomach as it began rapidly shifting. The discomfort he felt nearly caused his eyes to fly out of their sockets as pain exploded into his head with a blindling whiteness. His rapid healing combined with the feeling of being torn apart from the inside made the feeling even more dizzing.

Naruto's stomach exploded in a glorious, opening a large hole in stomach. No entrails fell out instead what slide out of the hole was a miniature version of his nemesis. He had been eaten from the inside out. The creature clawed at his pelvis as Naruto's belly hole began closing, constricting it. It flaied endlessly as the boy struggled to contain his pained howls. His eyes were red as he started showing signs of having a subconjunctunctival hemorrhage.

As its host was distracted, it finally managed to escape. It's dark grey scales bristled and moved like the combination of a porcupine's quills and a rattle snake's rattle.

Naruto collapsed beside the creature and it saw this as an opportunity to escape. It raised its wings and prepared to take off but it felt really light for some reason. It tried flexing its shoulder blades to move but for some reason there was no response, it turned its head and found that its wings were gone. Where? They were on the floor. There, cleanly sliced off.

How did it not feel it? When did the human?

The pain hit it like a runaway carriage.

"GWIIIIIII!?"

The sounds of whipping winds were heard briefly before disappearing. The creature stumbled back as innumerable lines spread all over its body like a plague.

It was his ace. His wind. His strongest element by far.

"Gwiii."

The creature gave its last cry as it collapsed into slabs of meat and promptly incinerated by the boy. "It's you and me now," he ignored the ashes laying beside him as the trees parted. The monster had escaped its prison and would have had easy prey. It was unfornate that Naruto's stomach had already close. He pushed himself onto his feet and drew his sword and pointed it at the direction of the rapidly parting trees.

"Why am I here again?"

Let's move back a bit. A few days ago.

"Consider Naruto if he weren't as capable as he is. If it had been someone else, they would have certainly died in the dungeon as a result of your actions. Do you realize how awful this is!?" Hestia's voice rang out across the blue phamarcy's wooden corridors.

It was midday, so no one could hear their talk because the traffic that came through there was mostly made up of adventurers, and almost all of the adventures were in the dungeon.

Miach stared down at his feet as Naazha's dog ears drooped as she received a verbal scolding.

He couldn't look Hestia in the eyes because of everything that had happened that could have easily been averted if he had paid closer attention to what he did and what his child did.

"I... Have no words to describe how wrong my acts were, I am sorry." Naazha answered, bowing her head.

Hestia locked her attention on her for a brief minute before shifting her gaze to Miach "And you! What kind of doctor are you? You can't even recognize the symptoms of someone who is under tremendous stress. This is just as much your fault as it is hers!"

Miach winced but said nothing because he knew Hestia was right.

His incompetence was to blame for almost everything that went wrong. Even he couldn't comprehend how he had missed the signals of extreme overwork on someone he lived with and knew was absurd.

He could have done a lot of things, like regularly verifying the quality of the potions, analyzing Naazha's interactions with the clients, and calculating the amount of income based on the number of potions sold.

It was simple, yet he didn't do it. He deserved it since he was an idiot.

By totally following Naazha and becoming her, Yes-Man, in a manner, he'd ended up skipping and abandoning a critical step in her development, which was to correct her when she made a mistake.

He'd harmed individuals instead of helping them because he hadn't done this.

"I understand; I, too, am disappointed. I swear on my honour and domain that I will do better, "Miach answered meekly and quietly, mimicking Naazha's bow. "Please forgive me, and Naazha. We have no explanations for our behaviour, but please don't be too judgmental on Naazha because I am more at fault here.

I have failed you as a god of healing and a friend, and I have failed her as a father "He continued.

Naazha wanted to leap and object, but Miach's gaze prohibited her from doing so, so she remained mute and avoided eye contact.

The amount of humiliation she felt was almost excruciating, not because of what she did, but because of how she felt only after being caught red-handed in her machinations.

She had been justifying her acts as "the only way" and using their position as an excuse.

Naazha was a gifted alchemist, and she knew it, so she could have easily improved the shop's reputation if she had continued to do honest, hard work.

Instead, she tarnished her lord's name and brought dishonor upon him.

Him accepting responsibility for her flaws and bearing the weight of her actions made her feel even worse.

This was similar to when she lost her arm in the dungeon.

She should have been more cautious, but instead, she was conceited and was quickly punished by the dungeon.

Miach lost everything as a result of her failure, yet he never blamed her; instead, he continued to love her.

In the past, the Miach familia was highly regarded and could compete with the Dian Cecht familia in the field of medicine, but Naazha brought everything crashing down.

She was devastated, unable to return to the dungeon, and turned to scams, which further harmed their reputation.

She couldn't understand why Miach never yelled at her or abandoned her.

He was always sweet and gentle, never showing her his fangs.

She hoped she could protect him as she had protected her, but she was a coward. Just a bitch.

Naazha's lips quivered as she tightened her fists "No, Lord Miach.

The guilt is entirely mine; I made and marketed the potions.

I'm the one that duped newcomers into buying extremely diluted remedies at exorbitant prices.

You trusted me, you bet everything on me, which is why you barely supervised my work.

You gave up your livelihood for me, and yet I chose to do so.

I'm not going to let you blame yourself any longer.

I reject it. "She spoke without pausing.

"I am a bad person, I only started feeling shame when I was caught, which means I abandoned morals a long time ago, but I swear today is the day that changes." she said, startling Hestia and Miach.

There was complete stillness in the room.

"A question, if you will." a high-pitched voice on the edge of cracking said, bringing attention to its owner.

It had been a boy with a white mask on his face and a coat so dark that it could be easily mistaken for shadows taking solid form.

His left leg dangled over the shelf, while the rest of his body reclined against the wall, his right knee raised up.

His left arm rested on his knee, relaxed, while his right arm rested solidly on the shelf's surface.

Naruto, the Super Rookie, was the Orario's most mysterious explorer.

"This may sound foolish, but do you regret your actions?"

Naruto's appearance and disappearance was already a recurring trope, so seeing him there was not shocking.

They didn't appear to see Hestia when he came inside the shop, red in the face.

Naazha closed her eyes and took a big breath.

"My approaches were incorrect, but I don't believe so...

I'm...I'm not sure, but relieving Lord Miach's worry was a pleasure.

It made me pleased ."She said truthfully, her gaze fixed on the black eye holes of his mask.

Naruto raised his hand, preventing Miach from replying, before leaping off his feet and stealthily landing in a squat on the counter.

He stood in front of Naazha, starring at her.

She could see his blue eyes looking into hers.

"…"

"…"

"I see." Naruto said as he rose up and looked away from her. "I have no reservations about absolving her, my lady."

He returned his gaze to Naazha "I have high expectations for you. I'm not one for threats, but... I will not tolerate any more infractions."Naruto remained silent after that.

"I swear. I swear in Lord Miach's name. "She said this while wincing somewhat. What use was his name now that she had tainted it?

No.

That was not the appropriate attitude; she would restore it to its former beauty.

"Good."

Miach bowed his head once more, this time to express gratitude to Naruto.

Hestia sighed before speaking, "If the impacted party no longer shows concern, then I can no longer be upset to be honest." her rage deflated with a sigh.

"I'm delighted you learned your lesson, but...Could you explain to me why you're so... exactly happened? "She enquired.

Miach and Naazha exchanged glances before returning to Hestia.

After a brief pause, Naazha said, "We used to have a moderately sizable and capable family, but there was an incident in the dungeon that caused me to lose my arm... Lord Miach. He…He placed the entire familia in debt to get me a prosthetic from the Dian Cecht familia. They didn't hesitate because they were our opponents, and then... Everyone left, leaving Lord Miach and me alone. I was traumatized as a result of the encounter, and I am now unable to return to the dungeon..."

Hestia gaped somewhat at the girl's short anecdote before opening her mouth to speak till.

BANG! The door flew off its hinges

"HAHAHAHA! MIACH, I'M COMING IN!"

A loud voice interrupted Hestia's statement, causing all eyes in the room to shift to the entrance.

Naruto didn't waste time and jumped back to his perch on top of the dark shelves.

As soon as the youngster was out of sight, an old man with a big grin entered the room.

He donned a white robe with gold lining.

Behind him trailed a stunning young woman whose beauty was as intricate as a carefully carved doll.

Her silver hair cascaded down to her lower back, and her purple eyes twinkled like priceless amethyst stones.

""D-Dian," Miach faltered, shivering slightly before taking a small, calming breath, "Dian...

My payment is due next week; may I inquire as to what you are up to?"

Miach's tone was colder than he expected.

Hestia's eyes widened in astonishment; she had never expected to hear the god's tone change to a darker one.

The old guy smirked, his lips curled with conceit.

"Oh, don't be like that. You know, because your debt is unpayable at this point, I thought I'd come a week early and, you know, "He threw his word into the air.

When Dian said, "Will you even have my money by next week, Mi-aaaa-chhhh?" Naazha's ears and tail drooped, and the man's face contorted into a terrible grin filled with venom...

Miach said nothing since he couldn't look the aged god in the eyes.

Miach's gaze drifted to his robe, then to Dian's, causing the blue-haired god to scowl.

Dian was clearly there to show off and mock him.

As he gazed at Naazha, the man let out a dramatic cry "Oh my! Look at that, your useless little bitch doesn't look so bad anymore, bwa-ha ha ha."

"SILENCE! LEAVE RIGHT NO. "Miach raised his voice, no longer trying to conceal his displeasure. Dian smirked and stared Miach in the eyes. Naazha had raised her sleeve to shield her eyes from the verbal abuse. Miach couldn't take it anymore and gazed at the god as if he were his mortal enemy.

"This building is mine anyway, there is no way you can make the payment." the deity chuckled, "I have people keeping tabs on you, you have no clients you destroyed beggar!"

"Ha-ha-ha. It's mine in any case, therefore I should be the one telling you to get out. But, hey, just leaving isn't enough! I want every little Val back from you. "Dian mocked, causing Miach to twitch.

"And who is this!? Oh, I see how it is. Bwa-ha-ha, bwa-ha-ha, bwa-ha-ha, bwa-ha- It's a beggar's celebration, which makes perfect sense. Anyway, Miach, it's best if you give up now. Your crappy wares can't compete with mine, thus you're out of business. Oh, how the mighty have fallen; you used to be a rival, but now you're just a pushover."

Before Dian could finish his sentence, they heard the broken door creak, causing everyone to turn to face it. A lone person strode into the room, dressed in a cloak of black and a mask as white as paper. The atmosphere was theirs and theirs alone, leaving no room for pompous self-centered gods or stunning ladies that captured the hearts of many.

The mask floating in a sea of darkness was recognized by higher-end families who wanted him to join their ranks. His entire existence was a rumour sang about by many. It was said that wherever he went, silence followed as he demolished platoon after platoon of monsters. It was the super rookie, who had recently gained renown.

Their name was unknown to everyone, his familia was unknown, and who they did business with was unknown, so seeing him in a place like this caused Dian to freeze.

As the person neared, the silver-haired girl's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to her god. This person didn't feel like they was there, but there they were. Rumors about his apparent invincibility looked to be accurate.

Her eyes, skilled in all aspects of medicine and psychology, read his physique, but it revealed no intentions. As a more seasoned traveler and a professional medic, Airmid couldn't help but feel uneasy as she studied him.

The individual remained silent. They didn't even look at Airmid, who was one of the most beautiful women in the Cecht was well-known, but the god was not strolled by them and took a seat in front of the counter.

"The usual."

His voice was cold, not in a hostile way, but in the sense that it lacked emotion. The tone was exceedingly basic, almost robotic, giving the sense that it was a doll.

Naruto looked Naazha in the eyes, as if telling her to play along. Naruto had sneaked away and departed the building from the back room at some time during Dian's entry. Using his sensory abilities, he snuck away from everyone who was watching the shop, most likely Dian Cech family members. He then slipped into the crowd, re-entered the passageway, and entered the building.

Naruto turned his head to look at Miach before giving a slight bow and returning to the keep his membership secret, the boy did not acknowledge Hestia. They were still a poor family, so they didn't need any attention at the moment, and they didn't need the wrong set of eyes looking at them. Hestia realized this and remained silent.

"Of course." Naazha replied with a smile. She dashed away from the counter and returned from the backroom with a box full of clinking vials. Naruto went into his cloak and drew out a pouch full of cash, which he placed on the counter before taking up the box and turning to go.

Naruto abruptly took a step to the right, avoiding Dian's effort to place a hand on his shoulder. His cold, dead eyes were fixed on the Medical god, who was dressed in white and gold. He said nothing, but his message was heard loud and clear by everyone in the room.

"What?"

The person behind the mask imitated a clock by tapping their foot against the floor, completely betraying their doll-like behavior. Dian gave a strained smile as the person implied that they, the Greatest Medicine familia in Orario, weren't worth his time.

"Hello, young man! Why would you come to this pitiful shop? Why would you put your life in the hands of idiots who can't even keep their place clean? Argh, this place is so dusty; if I stay here too long, I'll get sick ."Dian chimed.

The person cocked their head slightly.

"They're better than you," was their succinct and unelaborated response. Dian's eyes widened when he couldn't detect a falsehood; did this imbecile truly believe that!? Dian Cech flushed, as if he had been insulted.

Before the deity could argue, the woman standing alongside him took a step forward and faced the person. They both became the center of attention, making the room feel like a doll house.

"Good day, sir. My name is Airmid Teasanere. Could you please explain how you arrived at this conclusion?" She inquired, relieved that she had correctly identified his gender, as he did not give a negative response that or he didn't care.

"…I bought potions from all the major medicinal familias, including yours and this one. For the sake of brevity, I'll directly compare this family to yours. Your potions are more potent and less expensive... That's all you have going for you.

My issue with your potions is that they lack luster in terms of lingering effect. In comparison to the ones sold here, the effects are far too brief for my liking. Naazha's remedies aren't particularly potent, but their longevity more than compensates for that. In comparison to your 5.678 seconds, their lingering effect lasts approximately 24.8573 seconds. It's not necessary to explain why that's important to an experienced adventurer like yourself.

The next issue is one of taste. Your potions are pleasantly sweet, but they have an unpleasant aftertaste, at least for me. Distractions bother me. Because you are competing with other businesses, you are compelled to make your items more appealing to the general public. That is not for me. The containers.

Because this family is impoverished, they cannot purchase better materials to contain their potions; this forces them to focus on the quality of their potions to make them worthwhile. Yours, on the other hand...

Do you know they have race-specific potions? I don't believe so," Naruto finished by referring to a service provided by the Miach family.

Different races had different constitutions. With the exception of Miach, every Medicinal family in Orario generalized potions, manufacturing them for everyone. Miach familia was far ahead of any competition in this regard plus this famila's potions are notorious for being difficult to reverse engineer.

Catering to everyone means they aren't working to their maximum potential because they have to accommodate to everyone.

Naruto couldn't see a problem with comparing the two familias. Most adventurers used Dian Cecht familia's medicine and none had really complained about how potions act on their bodies. Like a lot of people who don't buy potions from Dian Cecht familia, Naruto's choice to continue purchasing from Miach was down to personal choice.

Naruto can already heal fatal wounds in the blink of an eye however the cost to this is his ability to maintain high mental fortitude. Having potions with lingering effects allowed him to supplement what he already had and remedy the effects of it. By lessening the strain on his body, he could move as freely as he wish opposed to continuously chugging potions as he receives a lot of damage. These potions were not elixirs after all, so it required a number of them to match their property but even then, the effects of overdosing would slap him in the face. He could quickly recover sure, but that a moment when he is dealing with symptoms would be enough for his enemies to capitalize.

Dian Cecht's potions could heal wounds better within the 5 seconds, going past the 5 seconds, Miach's potions roughly equalized after around 9 seconds and because of the lingering effect would continue to keep healing.

Besides, even if Dian considered Naruto's desire, he would be one customer amongst his tens of thousands. He can't just change the way his potions are made or reduce the quality of glass in exchange for increasing potency because that could cause him to lose a lot of customers.

Naruto wasn't a famous adventurer, so they could not offer him a deal and have potions made to cater to his tastes specifically. Another problem is having a deal in place would require the boy to pay a subscription no level one could hope to afford to fork out on a regular basis.

Naruto omitted the fact that he wears thin bags under his clothes that when ruptured cause the potions to spill on him. He doesn't need anything to carry them in so he is not concerned by glass quality. Not yet atleast. Though it should be considered that by the time he needs to worry about that, Miach familia should be on their feet.

The only time he would actually have to worry about tha would be when he goes on an expedition which will be much later in the future because he is his familia's only member and that would stay a secret for awhile. He needs time to make a name for Hestia but he can't start now as he would pull too much attention, perhaps he would start after he reaches level 3.

"... I see, thank you for your response." Airmid replied after a brief pause. The youngster clearly knew what he wanted, and it was not due to an unjust bias. She found nothing offensive in what he said since it was true: Miach family outperformed them in pure medicine.

They did before they fell off.

The Dian Cecht familia had stepped up and scaled up their potion brewing to fill the hole in the market and dominate as much as they could. The Dian Cecht familia specialized in prostheses and were among the few in the world capable of producing them.

Theirs were special, which was why Miach came to them; however, her deity foresaw this and set a trap that would wreck their opponents. Airmid had never been so disappointed with her god as she was at the time.

She realized that, while she and her colleagues were passionate about medicine and saving people's lives, Dian was only interested in the glory and money. She couldn't recall why she had chosen to follow him, but the reason was long gone.

At this time, their relationship was simply that of an employer and an employee, nothing more, nothing less. His sole redeeming features were his insane work ethic and attention to his employees. After all, he encouraged them to give it their all.

"If that's all there is to it, I'll be gone. Good day,"

Naruto turned away from the group and made his way out of the building.

He came to a halt in front of the collapsed door and inclined his head slightly before leaping over it and turning to pick it up.

Only parts of the door were destroyed, not the nails that held the hinges to the frame.

Naruto just happened to have clay on him; he couldn't recall where he found it or why he picked it up during his trek to Orario.

"Yes, indeed... I recall sculpting foxes for some reason and becoming upset everytime I couldn't add more than one tail."

Naruto quietly retrieved one of his spare knives and hammered the nails back with the butt of the handle before crudely repairing the door's fractured portions with clay. He secretly heated the clay to harden it before reconnecting the door to the hinge once more.

He was fast; it only took him 15 seconds. The boy closed the door and walked away.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Hestia had a little smile on her face and had to restrain herself from puffing out her chest in pride.

"Lord Dian Cecht." Naazha said for the first time, her ears and tail quivering but not impairing her speech. Naazha didn't want Miach to suffer any longer; he was already carrying both of their burdens on his shoulders, with no help from anyone.

This is where it would end. She was obligated to do so because of her feelings for him and her desire for change.

Dian Cecht had been pursuing them for some time, doing everything he could to harm them. His statements would irritate them, and he knew it, so he made it a point to point out how pitiful they were constantly.

She didn't understand why he despised them so much, but it was evident that he and her lord had a history back in the skies, with Miach's mood suffering slightly at the mere sight of him.

"What do you want, girl? Speak you have my permission."

"We are unable to acquire the necessary money to pay before the end of the week." Naazha acknowledged, getting a grin from the god. Miach tried to intercept but was stopped by Hestia, who gave him a glance that told him to trust her.

Dian Cecht made no audible response when his glare turned to him, as if he were holding the world's loudest laughing.

"Pfft."

"However, I am confident that we can supply something of similar value; therefore I respectfully request that you accept it in lieu of money. Please." She dropped her head till it was an inch away from the counter.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA- Acceptable, bring me something fantastic by the end of the week and I'll let you off the hook for another month or two depending on your competency,"Dian cackled.

His reasoning was that this familia lacked the funds to pay adventurers to obtain the essential components and the fact that it needed time to produce a new and unique medicine.

Maybe the girl will go inside the dungeon herself. Her trauma would undoubtedly drive her to make a mistake and perish.

Maybe that will cause Miach to return to the sky and never return.

Airmid dashed to the door to make sure Dian didn't kick it down again, lest the sweet boy's efforts go to waste. She opened it before he could think of knocking it down.

"PFFFTT!" Dian turned away from them, and Naazha, Miach, and Hestia suppressed a laugh. The god halted and turned to them, prompting them to return to their 'grim' attitudes.

"PPFFFTTTTT!" they exclaimed as he turned away once more.

Dian Cecht didn't care what the buffoons were laughing at. Poor people's jokes, he'd never get! Unfortunately for him, he neglected to detect strands of white hair on the floor where he stood.

The back of his white skull had lost its dignity.

There were lines on it. No, grooves. His hair had been artistically shaved, exposing areas of the flesh on the back of his head. That wasn't the only thing; there were several lines that fused and curled, producing a highly... Phallic image... Actually, that was a penis. Straight up Straight up.

The hair above his spinal cord had been shaved on the sides, giving the dick on the back of his head the appearance of pubic hair. That was done by a talented artist.

Then there was a piece of paper attached to the god's back that said "The Glory Hole service will be available soon. Only 20 Vals every month." How did the man not notice, and how did Airmid not notice?

How!?

When the god went, the room's occupants burst out laughing, curling up into balls and hitting the area they formerly stood on.

"H-Hestia! Y-Your child! When did he do it?" Miach inquired between laughs.

"B-beats me, t-that kid's just as much a mystery to me as he is to you, ahahah." Hestia said with heaves.

They were all able to regain their calm after a little pause.

"Naazha." Miach asked solemnly, "what do you intend to do?" He gazed into her worried eyes. Her proposal was wonderful, but they needed materials, which they almost definitely did not have. They were already in debt, so receiving another loan would be difficult, so what was going through her mind?

"Lord Miach... I," Naazha's voice quivered before hesitating, her breathing becoming deeper as she clenched her hands. She diverted her gaze and gazed at the counter once again, but with such passion that it may burst into flames.

"I'm no longer an adventurer, but I am level 2. It's time for me to go back to the Dungeon," She replied, eliciting a gasp from the god.

"What!? That's ludicrous; you'll never do such a thing; are you suicidal!?" Miach almost yelled as he ran to the counter and banged his palms on it.

"No. I'm not...But it's a risk I'm willing to accept. Who knows, maybe having a purpose for once may drive me to get over it and finish the task," She replied with a little smile.

"No."

"Lord Miach."

"No."

"Lord Miach."

"No!" said "Lord Miach!" "I said no!

"Listen to me, I-"

"No! Miach, you listen to me! We will lose everything if we do not act! We're going to lose our home! All the wonderful memories we had here! We are going to lose our lively hood if we let this go. I have to go! I have to, it's the only way."

"I don't care about this edifice; you mean more to me than it ever will! If you leave me... I'll..." Miach and Naazha both ceased talking. There was silence once more.

Miach had a pained expression on his face, so he turned to face Hestia, who merely nodded, unlike other individuals who would turn away.

"Naruto, are you here?"

"Yes." Naruto said, sitting where he had been before Dian Cecht's arrival.

"Could you please... Could you please help? "She asked it.

"Understood."

"W-wait." Naazha protested.

"Miss Erisuis, your protest is futile and illogical. You have no choice. With your trauma, you're practically putting yourself up for a suicide mission. I reviewed the notes you put on the table and am familiar with all of the required components. Let's be honest: some of the materials listed will take you far too long to collect. Blue papilio wings, it appears that you need a lot of them, which takes a long time because the monsters are rare. And you'll have to deal with hordes of enemies before you get to the butterflies, assuming you get to them at all. To obtain blood saurus eggs, you will have to travel to Seolo's monster-infested forests. You don't have time to gather materials and make potions at the same are human... Chienthrope, you'll get tired.

Sleep deprivation will lower the quality of your brews. Unlike you, I don't need food or sleep, and when I get tired, I recover at a rate several times that of ordinary humans. Leave it to me, albeit I expect payment in the form of a contract. I anticipate discounts and special offers for me and my party should I have one once you two are back on your feet and prosperous. You will not be able to persuade me otherwise. You will receive your materials between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Lord Miach, Lady Hestia.A word.

Meet me deeper down the alley, away from inquisitive eyes. Naazha, please give me three of your largest test tubes with corks."

Hestia motioned to Miach, and they both departed the building and followed the boy's instructions, leaving the two alone.

"Why?" she mumbled.

"My goddess told me to. Please, the test tubes; there isn't time; I need to request for permission to leave Orario. The rules for adventurers leaving the city are strict. To make things easier, I'll ask you to create a formal mission." Naruto cut her off and ordered her to dash to the storage room and get him what he had requested. He didn't want to answer her question.

"Begin your preparations. Everything will arrive within 2-4 days. "With those words, he followed the gods. Naruto could sense them and knew where they were. But he wouldn't go there just yet; he needed to utilize the test tubes he'd been handed first.

"...How embarrassing." he mumbled as he hopped down from the roof to meet the two gods in the alley.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." he said as soon as they established eye contact. When Naruto's eyes turned to Hestia, he quickly averted it.

"How suspicious!"

"What did you need to talk to us about?" Miach inquired, perplexed as to why the boy had sought to meet them alone after asking several test tubes.

He was given all three test vials by the boy. Two of them were was filled with scarlet fluid, one with white fluid, and the last with wrapped up skin.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Hestia's attention was drawn to the white fluid.

It appeared thick, almost like slime, but it wasn't mucus.

Miach's expression was practically a 0_0.

It was fortunate that doctors are educated not to react when confronted with the most repulsive of situations.

"Naruto… Is this…" She was not required to give it a name. She got her answer when Naruto refused to look at her.

"Despite being exposed to a variety of viruses, I have never become ill. Despite having spent most of my life fighting monsters, I have never been scarred. Despite the fact that the wound was filthy and I never bothered to clean it, not a single wound developed a facial infection. I once lost a finger and was able to reclaim it within a a result, I've chosen to give you some of my blood, flesh, and...

Ahem…

Yes. Mermaid blood inspired me because of its healing capabilities.

Plants grow faster when exposed to my blood, therefore perhaps you can transform it into a pharmaceutical... I'm guessing I'm like this because of a gene mutation or something, so maybe you could manufacture anything out of it.

I don't want Naazha to overhear us because if you produce anything powerful, you'll be questioned... It's best if she doesn't know. Lord Miach, it's time you quit playing about with young women and focused on producing something amazing. Do it for your child and for me... I pledged I wouldn't choke the chicken for the rest of my life... I rescinded that for you."

"Uwwwaaaaah!"

Hestia yelled, her face crimson. "N-N-Naruto!"

"Uhhh. Well would you look at the time, I need to pull my ice cream out of the oven, I mean, I have stuff to do. So little time. Goodbye, I'll see you in a few days." Naruto raced out of the alley, which was uncharacteristic of him.

Miach nodded as Hestia botched her words at the face of imagining Naruto stroking one out.

"I won't leave you to suffer alone, Naazha. Naruto, it appears that I am once again in your debt. I will ensure that I do not squander what you have given me. Drawing blood and skinning oneself must have been excruciatingly unpleasant. Ahem, doing both at the same time.I swear I will repay you!"

"Hestia, I apologize for bothering you, but could you possibly look after us for the remainder of the week? I completely plan to create something that will force Dian to leave us alone for good, but it will take some time because I no longer have my arcanum.I need to focus, however..."

"Leave it to me!"

Hestia smiled, offering her companion a big grin.

"Don't be embarrassed; I still owe you for the cocktails you treated me to the last time we met. You can also think of it as eating meals for Naruto because that boy never eats anything. Does Naazha have any allergies I should be aware of? Do you have food preferences? How does your kitchen look?"

Hestia asked one inquiry after another, clearly eager to assist.

She wasn't simply a goddess of the sacred flame; she was also a goddess of home and family.

Even though she was lazy at times and had Naruto clean up after her, her domestic skills much outclassed him significantly.

Her other domain was family.

Food was one thing that brought people together, and she was a fantastic cook.

This shouldn't be too difficult for her.

Her boy was practically working sleepless nights; it was time for her to step up as well.

For him, herself, and her good buddy Miach.

With Hestia now taking care of the both of them for the rest of the week, the two doctors went to work in practicing their craft and producing the best medicine they could. Most materials requested by Naazha were delivered within the time frame Naruto had detailed. The boy had delivered numerous items that could be used in medicine such as a specific type of flower only found in the dungeon, a ginger-like vegetable, various fruits and dozens of pairs of blue papilio wings as he had promised.

They wouldn't have to worry about being too adventurous because they had more than enough materials start over several times over should they need too. While the two doctors required different materials, the excess that Naazha had allowed her to share some with Miach.

After eating a meal Hestia prepared, Miach extracted the samples granted to him by the boy from storage and began analyzing them. It was a requirement to know what he was working with after all. Miach did not expect the samples to be normal because last time he checked, humans lacked the ability to instantly regenerate from injuries.

As he worked, part of his mind drifted off to a distant past. Long before he descended down to this world. His thoughts could not hamper his work because this was something Miach had done millions upon millions of times so it was ingrained within his very being.

He didn't know how long ago it was, maybe 10 000 years ago, perhaps a 100 000 or even a million. He did not know, he just remember coming into existence one day and meeting his father. God's could not reproduce on the mortal plane and their ways of reproducing in the heavenly plain were bizarre. Some were born because someone washed their eyes other were born because someone's genitalia were mutilated and thrown into the oceans.

Miach's father like him was an extremely talented doctor and praised through the land. He was worshipped by those who received his treatments. His name was known throughout his pantheon, even reaching the ears of other beings from other pantheons. The god was a proud man, proud of all his achievements and the results that came as a result of his hardwork and dedication.

Miach looked up to him and dreamt of being just like him as a child so he too sought a spot in the domain of medicine. He had always been the type of person who felt joy when he saw people smiling, not disturbed by their problems but he had enemies and his enemies were the things that disturbed their peace. One major problem he hated was anything related to pain. Whether it be a sickness or curse, any form of affliction did not deserve mercy.

It was clear to him that despite his father's efforts, the amount of pain people felt hardly took a hit so he too dedicated his life to healing. His father was so engrossed in his work that he no longer paid attention to his son. His son wanted his attention and also wanted to help him.

After years of work, Miach too had become amazing, taking after his father.

One day a patient with a cursed arm visited them, and despite all the god's efforts, he could not lift the curse so he instead created a prosthetic. Miach came in and resolved the situation quickly, lifting the curse and healing the man of his affliction, shocking everyone that had been there.

Later that day his father visited him and Miach expected the praise he had so dearly craved. It had been many long years since his father, Dian Cecht, had talked to him and acknowledged him. Perhaps that was the time when their family could come back to life. Perhaps that was where two men with similar interests would shake hands and face their enemy together and defeat it with the power of comradery.

Miach was ready for the most joy he would ever feel but instead was served a tragedy. His father struck him down with a sword whilst saying the most heart breaking things, calling him worthless and useless. The man was able to recover from the initial attack and attempted to be cordial only to be struck down again and again. No matter what weapon Dian Cecht used, Miach was able to heal from it and attempt to talk to his father.

Dian refused to listen and continued striking him down until Miach had enough and left his father, and went into hiding for sometime.

Miach let out a soft sigh as he gently swirled the compound in the vial he had been holding. He began thinking back to the happening the morning prior and to the time when Dian Cecht didn't miss the chance to mock Miach's familia. Despite all that had happened, he still felt like he could rely on the man.

Not anymore. When he had been left with Naazha, he started forgetting and starting relying on her just as much as she relied on him. He felt very close to her and because of that he felt as though should she perish he would follow her back to the heavens. His beloved daughter, he would be better. He would treat her better than his father ever had. If he failed to provide her the best life here then he would give her everything when in heaven.

He was determined to make everything better for both himself and for her that is why he did not allow a single mistake to come from him. Despite encountering the unknowns that were Naruto's blood, seed and flesh, he did not falter. He did not care if it took most doctors years to analyse new elements and find ways to add them to medicine. He would do it within a tiny time frame.

He didn't have his arcanum but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

After putting Naruto's materials under the microscope, he had discovered a mind boggling number of peculiarities. Some of them were how the boy's cells were structured, the hormones and enzymes found within his blood, the way his immune system responded to and dealt with pathogens.

Naruto's cells had many strange features that would not be found in animal cells such as structures similar to cell walls except far more elastic. His cells' behavior varied depending on what type they were however, they differed from other peoples with how they reacted to foreigners. When Miach exposed an isolated cell to a virus, he expected something similar to typical virus takes over cell's organelles and begin producing copies of its own kind.

What happened instead was the exact opposite. Naruto's cells were the viruses to the viruses. When the virus compromised their structure, the cells adapted rapidly and quickly turned the tides, forcefully taking control of the virus and forcing it to attack its own kind. It wasn't just the immune cells that did this, no, even the normal biconcave red blood cells had this feature.

His immune system didn't fight alone, it also used conscripted soldiers to battle against sickness. When introduced to poisons, his cells would secrete enzymes that would weaken the chemicals in the poison before his immune cells absorbed the poison and converted into something less toxic. The way they communicated was beyond him at the moment, their behaviour was highly coordinated. When he tried finding the chemicals they used, he couldn't decipher it. The chemical had traces of an energy he was not familiar with, what he'd give to have his Arcanum now.

With the basic behaviour memorized, Miach began experimenting. On one experiment, he introduced Naruto's cells to a mice and the results were… Let's just say it involved trees and Hestia would be having nightmares for a while.

N-cells (Naruto's cells) were stubborn and difficult to dissect and manipulate. As soon as they were compromised beyond what they could recover from, they committed suicide. After two nights of struggling, Miach had finally been able to subdue N-cells and pacify them before they killed themselves. He couldn't help but cheer, his cheers made Naazha, who now had bags under her eyes smile. It took many attempts with different conconsions and different doses but he was fortunate. He was able to find the correct one.

The easy part had been done, it was time to turn them into medicine. The process was long and arduos but he had managed to produce something special. He initially decided that he would produce potions but he scrapped the idea because he did not have enough materials to produce a sizeable batch plus telling Naruto people were drinking something made from his seed was a little.. Pills. It would be pills.

Miach smiled wryly when he used a spirit nut he had received from an elf he had accidentally charmed in his medicine. Naruto had returned from his journey a day ago and was currently resting at home, he had been in a forest for 2 days and 2 nights, fighting non-stop. It would seem the boy had encountered a high level monster.

He produced over 80 pills and 30 of those pills were used to experiment to make sure they would not cause harm. He used a magic item to timelapse the effects of those pills had on mice and an ape he had been able to secure from the guild. The Guild encouraged the production of medicine so they sometimes provided test subjects. Every creature given the medicine was on the verge of death because of disease and the pills, without fail healed every single one of them. It did not matter what the nature of the disease or injury was, whether it was a pathogen, curse or parasite.

When taken orally, it effectively cured the subject of all aflictions within two hours, exact time depended on severity and number of subject's conditions. The god had a grin plastered on his face as he loaded the pills into a plastic can.

Miach did not record how he made the pills or take notes of the ingredients to maintain secrecy and protect Naruto. He was already trying to forget how he made them so that keeping the secret would be easier. Miach was glad that he did not make anymore of those pills because they definitely cause an upset in the world.

The god proceeded to destroy 10 of the pills and took another 10 elsewhere for another purpose, leaving 30 pills in the plastic can.

Miach admired his handiwork for a moment before yawning, "I've done it, I've created the medicine but I still have a bit more work to do." he stretched himself, enjoying his the sudden rush of energy he got from his after glow. A phenomenon that occurs when someone is tired but feels as though they just woke up. It was a strange feeling!

"Because everything produced by Naruto's body is so volatile, it's possible that he may harm his partner during intercourse. I need to make something to counter that." the god thanked Hestia after she handed him a cup of coffee. He did it.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA YOU PATHETIC LITTLE SHIT! GET OUT! GET OUT! THIS IS MY HOUSE NOW! HA-HA-HA."

"Zip it!" Naazha and Miach groaned, at the man's noise. Both god and chienthrope made it to the counter each carrying their product.

"Dual potions, yawn~ health and mind simultaneously. Both aspects maintain their quality. Recipe for sale." she placed the her product on the counter before collapsing and getting caught by Hestia who had been walking by and sweeping the place.

"Panacea, literally everything, yawn~" Miach placed 4 pills on the counter, "a ridiculous claim I am sure. Please come back tomorrow, administer these to your sickest patients, even if they are on the verge of death. They will be saved. Only one pill must be taken at a time, taking more than 1 at a time will result in a painful death. Administer it orally and they'll be fine between 2-3 hours." he instructed. "After you confirm they work, feel free to come and clear me of my debt, please and thank you." Miach was full of confidence.

When creating the pills, he had made sure that they would be extremely difficult, almost impossible to recreate and synthesize.

Dian Cecht looked at him incredulously. Had this been the upper world, it would have been different but producing a medicine capable of curing anything on the mortal plane. Impossible.

Dian snickered, "Fine Miach, I'll bite. You get an extension." Dian Cecht was fuming as he ordered Airmid to test the potions and to his surprise, they worked. They took the dual potions. Something that restored both mind and health would surely fly off the shelves as that would save a lot of space and simplify logistics as there will be less potions to carry. They didn't get the recipe as they would have to discuss how much Dian Cecht familia would have to pay to earn rights to it.

Then there were the pills. He could feel a shiver crawling down his spine just by looking at Miach's face. He had not seen that expression in a long time.

The Next Day

"Your debt has been cleared… Are you absolutely sure you don't want to be family again."

Miach had expected this, Dian Cecht was currently on his knees in front of Miach. The old god had a forced smile on his face as he begged for a partnership with his sons familia. He was also bald. His hair had been shaved.

Dian thought Miach was crazy so he ordered for one of the pills to be used on Terry Cervantes' right hand man who had been in a coma after being attacked by assassins. They had done far too much damage to the man's body, to the point that he could no longer be saved by even Airmid. He was a dead man anyway, what harm would giving him the medicine do anyway. Within two hours, they were dealing with a man who was completely fine.

In his confusion, he ordered the pills to be administered to other patients on the verge, some due to old age. The same thing happened. The elderly's age even regressed a bit, and their immune systems suddenly became stronger than that of a health-obsessed elf.

It was absurd! They tried looking into the pills structure and worked to recreate it but they had no clues as to how they were made. None of the materials used to create the pills were detected and hence why Dian Cecht was currently on his knees.

This was an excellent business opportunity. It was an opportunity to take over the world. He told Miach of everything they could do together, how they could stop people from being hurt by sickness. He unknowingly recited all the wishes of a young Miach except without passion. It was greed. He wanted to be the best and be on top.

Miach closed his eyes and opened them once more, "I forgave you long ago but I cannot forget how much you hurt me. Get out. Get out of my shop. Leave me alone like you always did! OUT NOW!" Miach drove him out.

Hestia left to meet her child so they were alone once more. It was just the two of them. Miach didn't expect any customers but he put up the closed sign to be sure. Naruto's reward could wait.

The god sat on the couch beside his last child, making himself comfortable. He didn't push her away when she leaned in, instead he just closed his eyes.

"Naazha."

"Yes, Lord Miach."

"Don't ever call yourself useless."

"Understood."

END

Well… Not much of our protagonist here, oops? Sorry, Not sorry. Boohoo. Eh, seriously though I hope you enjoyed this moment of peace because uhhhh… Donkies can fly, I was shocked when I found. Wait what am I saying, anyway. If you have something to say, the reviews are open but flames will be ignored. Critism and praise welcome. Don't spread hate.

Anyways Dark Souls.

One of the best games I have ever played. Full of lore, has nice waifus, questionable levels, frustrating levels and of course, its hard af. To people looking to play dark souls, or any souls borne game… This game is not a fucking hack and slash. Get it into your head. Repeat after me and say it out loud.

Dark.

Souls.

IS.

NOT.

A.

HACK.

AND.

SLASH.

Trust me, if you just go in guns blazing, thinking you will clear a room full of 20 enemies then you got another thing coming. The game doesn't need 20 dudes, just 3 is enough to spoil your day. U gonna know pain, trust me.

Imagine grinding for 4 hours only to lose everything within the span of 2 mins. Yeah. I am a capable gamer, certainly above average… But dark souls…

Yeah, so some advice for peeps looking to play Dark Souls,

1. Say no to hugs. Doesn't matter who it is, hugs are always bad. Don't do it. TRUST ME!

2. Your Stamina is more important than your health.

3. Lose the shield. Once you learn to fight without it, you will be making people shit their pants. Dodging and timing is an important skill in this game, don't let reliance on shield spoil your development. In my second play through got washed by Gwynn a few times because I kept relying on shield. I put it away and did great.

4. Praise the sun!

5. MMM HMMM!

6. If you see a dude in golden armor, kindly kick him off the cliff. Thanks. If you don't, he'll shit on you. But on bright side, someone who never talks will speak to you if he shits on you. After you kill him, make sure you tea bag him. THROW EVERY FUCKING EMOTE AT HIM!

7. When some pink brain bat looking demon dudes pick you up, prepare to have the worst time of your life. If you think firebomb dudes or magic channelers are bad then… Let's just say you are going to have fun.

8. Don't let enemy bait you into using Estus

9. Learn to fight without lock on. Some enemies will give u a really hard time if you always locking on. lock on as a way to re-adjust everything.

11. If you struggle with backstabs. It's the shield, lower it and attack and you'll be all set.

12. If some guy pulls a shadow clone jutsu on you, your best bet is the guy furthest from you.

13. Please. For the love of god be a chaos servant when you tackle demon ruins. Don't you dare touch Quelaag's sister.

14. Spiders are bad. Except the albino one. She is the sweetest.

15. Save yourself the disappointment… Don't think you will beat bed of chaos in one try. Also reminder… Be chaos servant, you gonna thank me.

16. Please read item descriptions. Thanks.

17. If he fat, he fitna punt you halfway across the map.

18. Have fun with chests…

19. Oh Havel is so gonna fuck your ass so hard that you will gape and defecate toothpaste if you don't get over your shield.

20. Its okay to "spar" with bosses.

21. You really don't want that smoke. Don't touch NPCs… Especially that blacksmith. He is a heavy weight boxing champ. Don't try.

22. Gwyndolin is a trap…

Anyway that's all from me. Bye y'all.