Throne of Babylon
Summary: You know, I always thought dying would be more painful, scary… But that didn't happen. Instead, I woke up on a street corner in a world where gods walk among mortals. Wait, did I just get Isekai'd into DanMachi? … I take it all back, dying is the best thing that ever happened to me! OC-Centric, Minor Gamer OC. OCxRyuu, BellxHarem
OCxRyuu (Possibly Harem)
BellxHarem
Confirmed for Bell's Harem:
Hestia
Aisha Belka
Sanjouno Haruhime
Cassandra Ilion
Possible for Bell's Harem:
Freya
Liliruca Arde
I: Beginnings
A groan escaped my lips as my eyes fluttered open, a feeling of exhaustion flooding through me, my gaze blurry.
"Fuck, I have the worst headache…" I groaned to myself, holding the side of my head in pain, lifting a hand and rubbing my eyes to try and clear my blurry vision…
[Welcome to the Game!]
… Only to see a blue screen floating in front of my face.
I shook my head lightly, the pain in my head slowly fading as I registered the blue screen in front of me. "… Huh?" I responded, frowning.
… Was I hallucinating?
No, I didn't do drugs and my head was feeling better already, so it wasn't that.
Was this a dream?
… No, it wasn't. The light throbbing pain in my head told me this was definitely not a dream.
I frowned, trying to rationalise the screen in front of me. My brain went back to the last thing I remembered…
Step, step, step! Whoosh.
HOOOOOOOOOONK.
"… Oh…" I paled lightly as the memory slammed into me like the truck that hit me.
I died.
The realisation hit me and I turned to the side, throwing up on the side walk in the late night.
I died.
I held my stomach, feeling awful as the realisation of my own mortality was now firmly settled in my mind.
I. Died.
I shoved a kid out of the street, was hit by a truck, and died.
My breathing grew heavily, starting to hyperventilate as I registered the fact that I had died. That my life had come to a sudden stop at 23 years old, and it wasn't even in a hospital bed from something like covid. It was from a god damn truck!
I threw up again, holding onto my stomach hard as I took a while to try and calm myself. I would have loved a glass of water, but I didn't have that right now.
Once I'd calmed myself, another realisation hit me.
I woke up on a street corner, a screen in front of my face, in a place I didn't recognise…
The sickness in my stomach was replaced with astonishment!
"I've been isekai'd, holy shit…" I whispered in awe, staring at the screen in front of me, which changed to something else as I focused on it.
[To access your Stats Menu, say or think 'Status.']
"Oh my god this is really happening," I mumbled to myself. "Okay, do not fanboy yet, I could be in a shitty world like Naruto. Or Super Mario… Or, god forbid, Boku no Pico…" I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Status."
[Status]
[Name: -Null-] [Title: None]
[Level: 1] [Age: 16]
[Race: Human(?)]
[Strength: 5] [Endurance: 5]
[Wisdom: 5] [Dexterity: 5]
[Agility: 5]
[Stat Points: 0]
[Valis: 10,000]
[Falna Level: -Null-] [Familia: -Null-]
I stared at the stats, understanding why they were low and I was a level one… But what caught my attention were the two at the bottom.
Falna Level and Familia.
… I started fanboying a bit, glad that there was nobody around right now to see me acting like a weirdo.
I was in DanMachi! Fuck yes, I loved DanMachi! I didn't care how dark this shit could get; I loved this world!
Especially since my Number 1 Girl was in this world: Ryuu Lion!
My smile slowly faded…
Ryuu Lion, who was still wanted by the guild for killing off members of Evilus.
Ryuu Lion, who lost all of her friends and loved ones, and even sent her goddess away so she wouldn't get involved in her dark vengeance.
I took a breath… I wasn't going to get ahead of myself here. If I'd been isekai'd into Bell Cranel, I might have.
Instead, I focused up and took note of everything. I didn't have an HP indicator, nor an MP indicator. Very basic system indeed, it looked like I'd have to keep track of those things on my own.
The stats were very basic too. Only five stats, all of them set at 5… Somewhat standard stats too, though I was lacking intelligence as a stat. I was a bit weary of that, but I didn't worry about it too much.
I also noticed that it said my age was sixteen and, looking at my hands I could notice they were smaller than I remembered… That was good, it meant I was the same age as Ais… It did mean Ryuu was now older than me though, since she was twenty-one.
I also wasn't happy about the question mark next to human… But I had no ideas on what it could be, so I kept reading.
[Stats from the System do not hold much weight in the real world. Instead, they provide very minor boosts and are used as indicators of when the User is able to use certain equipment without needing to be concerned about the weight of the weapon.]
I gave a slight frown… Well, minor boosts were still better than nothing. It seemed like the huge majority of my stats would come from the Falna when I received one. It also meant I'd have to stick with lower-level weapons until I got my stats up, than something like Ais's rapier.
It made sense. No need for me to be overpowered from the start.
[The Falna and the System are interconnected. Without the Falna, the player will be unable to grow past certain levels, and their stats, skills, and will be unable to progress part certain points until the User increases their Falna Level. Once the Falna level increases, the Level Cap on the player's abilities will be removed, and a new level cap will be set. Certain skills, mostly related to household chores, are unaffected by Level Caps.]
[Current Level Cap: 10]
[Current Stat Cap: 30]
[Current Skill Level Cap: 15]
I hummed in thought… I wasn't happy about that, but it made sense. After all, weren't stats usually locked at 999 for each level, with Bell as the exception? It was similar here, where I'd be unable to grow until my Falna evolved, and let me continue growing further.
[Please choose a name to continue the tutorial.]
A name? I got to choose my own name for this? That was pretty great! I'd never been a fan of my birth name, with how people would always end up mispronouncing it or making fun it due to the unique name.
I, of course, didn't have to think for long.
"Ezras Hargrave."
[Are you sure you would like your name to be set as 'Ezras Hargrave?']
"Yes."
[Name has been set. It cannot be changed again.]
I grinned, looking up at the top of the Status screen.
[Name: Ezras Hargrave] [Title: None]
A content smile came to my face… Yes, I was more than happy with what I was seeing. A name I loved, and a name that would define my new life.
[To open the Skill Menu, please say or think 'Skills.']
"Skills."
[Skills]
[Cooking] [Level 3]
A skill that determined the taste and ease with which the player can cook meals.
I sighed and immediately began to scroll through skills, finding mostly basic things for living: cleaning was in the 50s, for example. I could understand why cooking was so low, it had never been my strong suit. I could cook maybe three or four meals confidently.
Yeah, there was nothing super important to take note of in there, but I read on just in case.
[Skills cannot be affected or forced to accelerate in growth other than by doing the action associated with the skill. The higher levelled the skill, the better and faster the player can perform them. Skills are capped until Falna Level increases. Some skills, mostly related to household chores, are unaffected by Level Caps.]
[Current Skill Level Cap: 15]
Yep, they summed it up pretty well there. Nothing else I had to take note of really.
[To open the Magic Menu, please say or think 'Magic.']
"Last one then… Magic."
[Magic]
[Gate of Babylon] [Level: MAX]
I immediately stopped reading, coughing hard.
Gate of Babylon!?
As in, Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon!? The Gate that held every treasure in the world!? Every Prototype Noble Phantasm!?
This world was going to be my bitch-!
Wait a second… No way, too easy. I kept reading before I let myself get over excited.
[Gate of Babylon] [Level: MAX]
A powerful magic, allowing the user to store anything within it. Anything stored within the Gate of Babylon is held in stasis, and returned to perfect condition. The Gate is infinite in size, allowing anything and everything to be stored in the gate and the user will never have to worry about it getting full.
[Vault]
10,000 Valis
Ah… That sucked a bit, but I wasn't going to complain. It was the fucking Gate of Babylon, one of the most broken things in all of anime history. Even without anything in the gate except my money, that shit was fucking broken. Anything in the gate is held in stasis and goes back to perfect condition. That meant I could store my weapons in there, which were notoriously fragile in this world, and they'd return to being in pristine condition. It meant I wouldn't have to buy weapons very often, which I knew was an issue for adventurers.
[To open the Quests Menu, please say or think Quests.]
Ah, of course. The one thing no gamer system would be complete without.
"Quests."
[Quests]
You currently have no quests.
Well, no shit sherlock… I shook my head and kept reading.
[Quests are assigned when needed to help the user, and reward them for a job well done. They are also assigned if the user does not have a clear goal, and will help the user along the way. Emergency Quests will be issued in surprise situations, and often give much better rewards than regular quests.]
All fairly standard. Even the Emergency Quests note wasn't anything new to me.
[Tutorial has now been completed. For completing the tutorial, you have obtained the Skill 'Observe.']
Ah, the universal appraisal skill seen so much in fanfiction. I brought up my skill menu and scrolled down to it.
[Observe] [Level: MAX]
Only works on objects. Allows the user to see information about various objects and weapons.
Hm, not as useful as in fanfictions I'd read… But still, something that shouldn't be underestimated. Maybe it would lead to some Shiro Emiya levels of stuff… Nah, probably not.
For now, I decided to focus on finding out just where I was… I meant in the city, not in general. It was obvious I was in Orario in DanMachi, but I didn't know where in the city I was… Or, worryingly, where in the canon.
[Quest: Information Gathering]
[Objective: Find out when you are in the DanMachi timeline.]
[Reward: +1 Wisdom, 1,000 Valis]
[Failure: Nothing]
… Well, that was helpful. It was rewarding me for doing something I was going to do anyway, that was fine by me.
Considering it was night, my primary focus was on finding a place to sleep for the night. I recalled the Hostess having rooms in the anime, maybe it doubled as an inn?
It was worth a shot, and I asked around for directions to the Hostess of Fertility.
.
.
.
It didn't take very long to get directions to the hostess, nor did it take very long to get there.
I made my way inside, seeing the place bustling with activity. My eyes scanned around for a familiar head of white hair, but I didn't find it yet.
"Hello," a familiar voice said, making my heart freeze in place as I looked at the face of the person who occupied the top of my favourite anime girls: Ryuu Lion.
"H- Hello," I stuttered out, and I knew that I was probably blushing. "T- table for one."
She just nodded, thankfully not commenting on my red face, and led me to a table. "My apologies that we're a bit full, we may need to sit someone else at the table with you. Is that an issue?"
"Not at all," I shook my head. "I don't mind at all!"
She gave a nod, handing me a menu. "What would you like to drink?"
"Just water for me," I told her.
She nodded and wrote it down on her notepad. "I'll be back shortly with your water, take your time looking over the menu," she bowed lightly and then turned and walked away.
… God, I really did love to watch her walk away. God… Damn…
I shook my head, blushing as I buried my head into the menu and looked over the option. Thankfully, being isekai'd let me read the language like it was English. Otherwise, I'd have no idea what the menu said.
Still, I didn't have any indication of when in the timeline I was… I didn't see Bell around, but maybe he just hadn't arrived yet… There would be certain hints that would tell me when in the timeline I was, I just had to wait for them.
Ryuu returned a short while later, setting a glass of water down on my table. "Have you decided what you'd like to eat?"
"Um, yeah, could I get the…" I glanced at the menu. "Roasted chicken meal?"
She gave a nod. "That will be 400 Valis," she told me.
I gave a nod, then paused when I realised, I didn't know how to get my money out of my gate… Well, there was no chant, so perhaps…
"Gate of Babylon."
A golden portal opened beside me, making Ryuu's eyes widen a fraction as she tensed, before a pouch exited the portal and snapped shut. I opened the pouch and pulled out the money, handing it over.
Ryuu slowly relaxed, accepting the money, though I saw her glancing at how clean the coins were. "One Roasted Chicken Meal, coming up," she told me, turning and walking away from me, but I could see she was still on guard.
'She really thought I was going to attack her,' I thought to myself. It hurt a bit, but I wasn't going to be butt hurt over it. Ryuu didn't know me, at all. It was only natural she'd be on guard around strangers, and such.
"Excuse me," a voice came, and I looked over before I tensed lightly.
Syr was standing there, with a nervous looking Bell Cranel behind her.
A look at Bell's attire told me it was at least before his date with Eina, back when he really was a rookie adventurer.
"Is it alright of he sits with you?" Syr asked me.
"No problem," I responded, still tense. "The more the merrier."
"Thank you!" She smiled at me, and gestured for Bell to sit at the table. "What would you like to drink?"
"Um… Apple Juice, please…" Bell responded in a shy stutter.
"Coming right up!" She chirped, handing Bell a menu and practically skipping away.
"… She's nice," I told Bell, slowly relaxing… Syr naturally made me tense because I knew who she really was.
Freya.
And, when it came to Freya, only an idiot wouldn't be tense. Especially if they lacked a skill that made them immune to charm, like Bell's Liaris Freese.
"Y- yeah, she seems so," Bell agreed with me.
That was enough to confirm it for me. This was definitely the day Bell met Syr, which meant this was at almost the very start of the timeline.
That made me feel relieved… It meant the future was much more open than it would be if I'd arrived, say, after the war game.
[Quest: Information Gathering complete!]
[Your Wisdom has increased by one.]
[You have obtained 1,000 Valis.]
[Your Valis has been placed in the Gate of Babylon.]
I offered him my hand. "I'm Ezras Hargrave, nice to meet you."
Bell gave a friendly smile and shook my hand. "Bell Cranel, nice to meet you."
"So, what brought you here?"
"Erm… Syr picked up a magic stone I dropped, and gave me sandwiches, so I came here to pay her back…" He told me, and I had to stifle a chuckle… Freya was a sneaky bitch. "What about you?"
"I'm new to Orario, and looking to join a Familia," I told him. "I'm hoping to join the Loki Familia, and I think I have enough to make a good case to join."
"Um… If you're unable to join the Loki Familia, would you like to join my Familia?" Bell asked him. "I'm the only member right now, but I promise it's a lot of fun!"
I gave Bell a small smile… That was the plan if I wasn't able to convince Loki to let me join her Familia.
"I promise you that, if the Loki Familia rejects me, I'll join your Familia… What's it called?"
He smiled, eyes lighting up at the prospect of getting another Familia member. "Hestia Familia!"
I gave a nod. "I'll also go a step further. I promise that, even if I join the Loki Familia, I'll happily form a party with you."
I saw Bell's smile widen. "Thank you very much!"
"No problem," I smiled back at him. Bell was someone very easy to get along with, after all.
"Thank you for waiting," I heard Ryuu's voice, looking over as she set my dinner in front of me… Huh, it looked like a normal roast dinner. "One Roast Chicken Meal. Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"Er, one thing," I said. "Does the Hostess also double as an inn?"
She gave a nod at my question. "Yes. Will you be staying the night?"
"I don't know yet," I told her. "But I'll have an answer before you close."
She gave another nod. "Very well. Enjoy your meal," she bowed lightly before she headed to another table.
I watched her walk away again, before I dragged my eyes away and began to take bites from my meal, starting to talk with Bell.
I learned a few things about Bell I hadn't known before, such as that his favourite food were egg mayonnaise sandwiches due to the fact that his grandfather would always eat those with him while they stared out at the fields around his town and told him hero stories.
I gave Bell an edited version of my own life, fixing it to Orario, and avoiding talking about my family too much. I didn't exactly love my family. I didn't hate them by any means, but I certainly did not hold much love for them.
Syr soon joined the conversation, and I snorted as Mama Mia dropped plates in front of Bell and told him to eat up a lot, that boys needed food to grow.
"Please don't set food in front of me without asking," I told Mia. "This alone is making me full, and I'd rather not have a bad start to my first day in Orario."
Mia just smirked and went back to work, that didn't fill me with confidence.
And then I saw Bell completely lose focus on his food. Following his gaze, it was easy to see why.
Never let it be said that Ais Wallenstein was not an attractive young woman, because she was. And she was a Kuudere too, just the type I liked… Maybe I should steal her from Bell?
Nah, I was good. My focus was on Ryuu, I'd worry about potential future harems down the line if she was cool with it.
Loki stood up, her back to us, and I had to restrain a whistle at the sight of that ass in those tight shorts… Loki was very sexy, and I didn't care what anyone said. If I ever got the chance, I would tap that without hesitation… You know, unless I was dating someone.
Bell's focus was completely taken up by Ais, though he did at least keep up the conversation with myself and Syr, eating his food much more happily once Syr told him that Loki was a regular here.
"Hey, Ais, tell everyone what happened," a drunk Bete said, and I tensed lightly.
It was finally here. Bete's insults to Bell, and the words that would drive him to become the strongest adventurer he could be. I wanted to stop it, if only to spare my new friend's feelings, but I didn't… Bell needed to hear this, even though it hurt.
"What do you mean?" Ais asked.
"You know!" Bete exclaimed. "About how we ran into a bunch of Minotaurs on our way out, but some escaped. You took out the last one on the fifth floor, right? And you remember that tomato loser who was there, right?"
I hazard a glance at Bell, and saw the look on his face… Seeing it all over again, in person this time, broke my heart a bit.
"Some wimpy kid who'd obviously just started adventuring got cornered by one of the Minotaurs that got away from us," Bete continued. "When Aiz cleaved it in two, its stinky blood got all over him, and he looked just like a bright red tomato."
I saw Bell looking down at the flood, hands on his knees as his entire body trembled... And, in turn, I felt my own anger rising.
"And get this!" Bete continued as his Familia members gave awkward laughs that really screamed 'we don't think this is funny.' "The tomato loser ran off screaming! Our princess saved him, and he ran away from her!" He slapped his knee a couple of times while laughing. "How pathetic is that?"
"In that situation, he can hardly be blamed," Tiona said softly.
"That's enough, Bete," Riveria said in a firm voice. "It was our fault for letting the Minotaurs escape from the lower seventeenth floor. You should be ashamed."
"What's wrong with calling trash what it is?" Bete said, angry at Riveria's words.
Bell clenched his pants hard, and I knew the worst part was about to come up.
"What do you think, Ais?" Bete asked. "Look, I'm just saying, who would you choose? Me? Or the tomato loser?"
"Bete, you're drunk, aren't you?" Finn said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"I'm talking to you, Ais!" Bete continued, ignoring Finn. "If that kid asked you out, would you say yes? Hell no, right?"
I clenched my own pants as I felt my rage building on Bell's behalf, knowing he was feeling utterly humiliated right now.
"A guy who's weaker than you has no right to stand beside you!" Bete continued. "You wouldn't stand for it! A wimp isn't good enough for you! Not for Ais Wallenstein!"
Bell couldn't take it anymore, getting up and running off, Syr chasing after him.
"Shut up."
I felt their eyes drawn to me, even Ais who was about to run after the running Bell.
"Hah?" Bete looked at me. "Did you say something?"
I slowly stood up. "I said shut up, you filthy hypocrite."
That seemed to cause Bete to be taken aback. "Huh? What're you saying? I ain't no hypocrite!"
"Were you always a Level 5?"
"Huh?"
"Answer me. Were you always a Level 5?"
"Of course not! Nobody starts at Level 5-!"
"Exactly," I snapped at him, glaring at him. "Nobody starts at Level 5. They all start at Level 1. You berate that tomato boy for being weak, for being a rookie adventurer. It seems, in your arrogance, you forgot you used to be a rookie too. You used to be a wimp too. How dare you sit there and insult someone else who is just getting started, acting like you're some kind of higher being!
"You say trash is always trash? That must hold true for you too, because you're the filthiest person I see in this room right now! Trash doesn't always remain as trash! Trash can change, and become a treasure! One day, that tomato boy's name is going to be heard all over Orario, everyone will know his name! And, when that day comes, all you will feel is stupidity. Because you judged him based on his early days. I bet if people judged you based on your early days, your reputation wouldn't be nearly as wonderful as it is now…
"Before you run your mouth again, engage that worthless thing in your skull called a brain, you filthy mongrel."
That seemed to drive Bete over the edge and he let out a roar as he jumped at me, trying to attack me, but he was swiftly held back by his Familia members.
"Let me at him!" Bete roared. "I'll kill the bastard!"
I just scoffed and turned to Mia. "How much was his food?"
"Hm?" She looked at where Bell used to sit and then back to me. "It was 1,200 Valis in total."
I pulled out my pouch and set 1,500 on the counter. "Keep the change," I told her, making my way over to her. "Goddess Loki," I said formally.
Loki, after my speech, looked to be much more sober than before. Her eyes were looking at Bete with poorly veiled disappointment, before her eyes turned to me slowly. "Yes?"
I bowed. "Please, allow me to become a member of your Familia."
That made everyone blink in surprise.
"Let me get this straight," she said slowly. "You insult my Familia member, repeatedly, call him stupid and then, after he tries to attack you, you waltz up to me and ask to join my Familia?"
I looked up at her and nodded. "That's exactly right."
She stared at me… And then she threw her head back and laugh. "Hahaha! You're a riot, kid! Alright then, you've got my attention. Why should I let you join my Familia? You ain't got a Falna, do ya?"
"I don't," I told her. "But I was fortunate enough to be blessed with magic that I believe will be of great interest to you and your Familia, should I reach higher levels."
"Hoh?" Her eyes lit up with interest. Mortals couldn't lie to gods successfully, so she knew I wasn't full of hot air. "Go on…"
"My magic is known as Gate of Babylon," I told her. "It is a chantless quick cast magic, that acts as something of a storage area. It is infinite in size, and anything stored within it is held in stasis and returned to pristine condition while inside of the gate."
Her eyes widened lightly as I saw her register just what that would mean for expeditions. Weapons wouldn't need to be maintained, a quick trip to the Gate would restore them. If a weapon was broken, just send it to the gate and fixed, no money required, and it would be back in perfect condition!
And it went further than that. Since it was held in stasis, if they cooked all the food they needed before hand, then it would all be stored in the gate and could be removed so everyone on the expedition could enjoy a hot meal without any wait time. Potions wouldn't degrade, instead remaining at peak condition…
As Loki gained a wide grin, I knew I was set. "Alright, brat, you can join my Familia. Once we're done here, you'll come with us and I'll give you my Falna. Sound good?"
I gave a nod. "Sounds perfect," I responded. "If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you all to your drinks," I looked at Mia. "I'll take a dessert please… Surprise me on what it is."
She gave a nod and set about it.
I turned, heading back to my seat, before Loki spoke. "Name," she spoke up. "What's your name?"
"… Ezras Hargrave."
.
.
.
Twilight Manor was bigger than I thought it would be… With all the windows lit up, it was also a gorgeous sight to behold at night.
"Alright!" A drunk Loki cheered. "Let's get this new kid his Falna, and then call it a day!"
"Honestly, what a care free goddess we have," Finn chuckled, before he turned to me. "Let me apologise you had to see Bete like that… I'd say he's usually better, but he's really not. I assume that your friend that ran off was the 'tomato boy' in question?"
I gave a nod. "Yes. His name is Bell Cranel, a rookie adventurer. And there's no need to apologise, Finn- ah, may I call you Finn?"
"By all means," Finn said, never losing his smile. "Only if I may call you Ezras."
"By all means," I told him. "As I was saying, there's no need to apologise. While yes, you could have stopped him sooner, I believe that, in the long term, those words will be good for Bell's growth, if only because it will push him to grow stronger to prove him wrong… I also apologise for the harsh manner in which I insulted a member of your Familia, though I will not apologise for the words themselves."
"Understandable, and accepted," Finn nodded. "Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the Loki Familia. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your magic?"
"By all means," I told him. "I have no secrets to hide."
"How did you obtain it? No offence but, by your clothes, I can tell you aren't exactly strapped for money, so I assume you didn't read a Grimoire. And humans with magical talent are very rare."
"I don't think I'm naturally talented in terms of magic or anything. I just woke up able to use this magic, no clue why."
Finn raised an eyebrow, and I saw the others giving me incredulous looks, but Loki never turned her head and called me a liar. After all, it was the truth.
I did just 'wake up' on the street corner, able to use Gate of Babylon, and I had no idea why that was the case. If I'd been offered a choice of power by a god or goddess before getting isekai'd, it would make sense. But I just woke up with it.
"Is it truly infinite in size?" Riveria asked.
"To the best of my knowledge," I responded. "As you can tell, I don't really own much besides the clothes on my back and the small amount of money I have. But I know that it is infinite in size."
"How do you know?" Riveria pressed.
"I don't want to say," I responded. "I don't think you would believe me if I told you."
"… Very well," she nodded.
"Is there anything you can't store in there?" Tiona asked, carrying a very drunk Bete on her back, who had passed out.
I gave a smile to the perky amazon. "I don't think I can store living people in there, but I'm not sure. It's not something I can just test out freely, after all. It would be far too powerful as a magic if I could just store people in there and have them restored to prime condition, after all."
"Ah, what I wouldn't give to be a few years younger again," Gareth laughed.
"What else can you do with it?" Ais asked in that monotone voice.
"… If I have weapons stored in the gate, I can fire them out as projectiles," I told her, though a bit more reluctantly. "I'm hoping to get into smithing and make my own weapons to fill my gate with, save on money as opposed to needing to buy weapons."
They all looked intrigued at that. Swords as projectiles probably seemed a bit out there to them.
Clearly, they hadn't witnessed the glory of Gilgamesh… But they would.
"An aspiring blacksmith?" Finn asked. "Then why not join the Hephaestus Familia?"
"Because I see blacksmithing as a means to an end, not the end itself," I told him. "I don't want to join the Hephaestus Familia, where blacksmithing is something like their way of life. I just see blacksmithing is another way to get stronger. Yes, I would like to obtain the Smithing Development ability, but that's only because I'd like to make stronger weapons over time without needing to pay so much."
"I see," Finn nodded. "It's quite clever. In the short term it's not as useful, but you're thinking long term. If it helps, we do have an old shed that used to be used for blacksmithing but it hasn't been touched in a long time. Feel free to use it. I'll see about getting the tools and such upgraded, but you'll need to obtain materials to make the weapons yourself."
"That's better than what I was expecting anyway, thank you," I gave Finn a light smile.
"My, my, so polite," Finn chuckled. "Bete could learn a thing or two from you."
"I'm only polite when I first meet people. I'm also a bit tense since this is my first day in Orario, and I don't know my surroundings very well. I'll probably loosen up once I get to know the area and get to know all of you… I apologise if I'm overly polite until then."
"Well, at least you're honest about it," Finn hummed. "If you don't mind me asking, why join our Familia? Why not go for Freya Familia?"
I paled lightly. "Why in the name of fuck would I ever want to join the Freya Familia!?"
Everyone stopped walking and looked at me in surprise.
"What?"
"Just… Surprised at such an outburst," Loki said on their behalf. "Do you have something against Freya?"
"Nothing in particular, just…" I felt a shudder run through my spine. "Tell me, Loki, are you familiar with the term Yandere?"
"Can't say I am, what is it?"
"A yandere is someone who, on the outside, appears sweet, caring, and innocent… But, on the inside, they are psychotic and sadistic, willing to do awful, horrible things for their love interest. They will go to extreme lengths for the sake of getting their interest to notice them… And, if all else fails, they'll often snap and go 'if I can't have you, nobody will,' and will become violent with their interest to the point that their interest either submits to their will, or dies."
They all fell silent at my words.
"… It's a bit disturbing how accurate that is to describe Freya…" Loki mumbled as we entered the hallway of Twilight Manor. "Alright, everyone to your rooms now! Riveria, Finn, I'd like you to come with me while I give Ezras here his Falna."
"Very well," Finn nodded, likely having expected it.
"I have no issues doing so," Riveria agreed.
"Good! Then let's go!" Loki cheered as she led the way, forcing the three of us to follow her, though my eyes were glued to her ass… God damn, what a great ass.
"So, how old are you?" Finn asked me.
"16," I told him… I was being very careful to not tell a lie so that Loki wouldn't be tipped off to anything. Thankfully, I had no issues being truthful with the questions I'd been asked thus far.
"Where are you from?"
"A place far, far away from Orario," I told him. "You definitely wouldn't have heard of it."
I saw Finn's lips twitch downwards for but a moment, but he didn't press any further. "What race are you?"
"Human, as far as I know," I told him.
"As far as you know?"
"As far as I know," I nodded. That question mark on my status was nagging at me, and meant I couldn't say with full confidence that I was a human.
Finn just hummed at that, but seemed to take the hint for what it was.
The rest of the walk was silent as Loki led us into her personal chambers, and I looked around.
It wasn't very girly or very masculine, it just seemed very… Fun? I supposed it matched Loki's nature as a trickster god, or goddess in this case, as there were many childish toys strewn about the room, and many items I recognised as being used for pranks.
"Alright, here we are!" Loki said. "Now…" She looked at me. "Strip."
I blushed warmly and felt my member twitch a little at her words… I knew she was just being dramatic, but damn she sounded sexy…
Riveria hit Loki over the head. "Don't start this again," she told her before looking at me. "You don't need to strip, just remove your shirt."
"R- Right," I nodded, slowly removing my shirt. My body wasn't toned or anything at sixteen, but I wasn't chubby either. I was a very average looking 16-year-old.
"Now lay on your stomach," Riveria told me, gesturing to the bed.
I nodded and slowly climbed onto the bed, laying on my stomach. "Um…" I looked back at Loki as she sat on me, blushing lightly. "… Please me gentle."
Loki couldn't help snickering at my words. "Aw, ya getting all flustered by me, are ya?"
"Y- yeah," I nodded, turning my head and resting my chin on her pillow. "It's not every day I take my shirt off in front of a beautiful woman and she sits on me, after all."
There was silence for a moment, and I heard the soft chuckling of both Finn and Riveria… What was so funny?"
"R- Right," Loki said suddenly, a light stutter to her voice. "Here we go then! One Falna, coming up!"
I just nodded, waiting for it to come as I resolved myself. This was my second chance at life, and I was going to live it to the fullest…
As I felt Loki's blood spill on my back and warmth spread through my body, I swore to myself that I would not waste the chance given to me. I would do just what the anime said.
I would pick up girls in the dungeon… One beautiful elf waitress in particular.
[You have obtained Falna.]
[You have joined the Loki Familia.]
[You have obtained the Skill [Throne of Babylon].]
… Wait, what?
Current Stats
[Status]
[Name: Ezras Hargrave] [Title: None]
[Level: 1] [Age: 16]
[Race: Human(?)]
[Strength: 5] [Endurance: 5]
[Wisdom: 6] [Dexterity: 5]
[Agility: 5]
[Stat Points: 0]
[Valis: 10,600]
[Falna Level: 1] [Familia: Loki]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Skills (Not shown on Falna)
[Observe] [Level: MAX]
Only works on objects. Allows the user to see information about various objects and weapons.
Skills (Shown on Falna)
[Throne of Babylon]
Accelerates growth so long as determination does not fade. The stronger the determination, the stronger the effects. Crystalizes emotions. Bonus Effect: ?
Magic
[Gate of Babylon] [Level: MAX]
A powerful magic, allowing the user to store anything within it. Anything stored within the Gate of Babylon is held in stasis, and returned to perfect condition. The Gate is infinite in size, allowing anything and everything to be stored in the gate and the user will never have to worry about it getting full.
[Vault]
8,800 Valis
Yes, yes, I'm not dead.
I won't lie, I wrote this because I'm been very into DanMachi lately and realised my favourite anime girl of all time (for now) is Ryuu, and there is a despicable lack of Ryuu main pairing fics around. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, but damn it, I wanted to write something!
For those wanting updates for stories, I'm sorry but writer's block has hit hard. I'm slowly making progress and will hopefully start putting out chapters for other stories soon. It's a slow process, but I'm doing my best to work past it.
That's all for now. Until next time this is Ezras Hargrave, signing off!