The Courier watched as the Xenos finally returned his helmet to him, which he put on immediately. However, that wasn't the end of activities, as Ray stood up from her place and flew to a high spot in the cave before she turned towards him and other Xenos.

"Everyone, please enjoy this song for our new friend," She spoke, breathed in then and out and began singing.

The sound that followed, was unlike anything he heard before. Hearing the high-pitched notes, Wiene suddenly smiled with joy, while the Courier could feel his jaw drop to the ground. The siren brought one of her golden wings to her chest, singing happily and enjoying her solo with a smile on her face. There were no instruments or lyrics. The pure melody alone was enough to ensnare the hearts of her listeners. The scene, illuminated by quartz and magic-stone lamps, was so elegant and beautiful that it seemed to come from another world.

"Come on, Six!" Wiene encouraged and dragged him into the middle of the room, where other Xenos were dancing to Ray's singing.

"I can't dance!" He cried while the girl along with Fear and two other harpies dragged him onto the dance floor.

"Don't worry, we neither!" Fear said while Wiene giggled.

Once they dragged him into the destination they let him go and began 'dancing' on their own, if it could be called that. It looked more like they were moving their bodies to the beat, in a semblance of a dance. The same couldn't be said about the Courier, who was standing like a stick, sweating nervously. He couldn't dance, had never learned how to, not that he needed it. This is going to suck...

With a sigh, his shoulders dropped, before he began awkwardly 'dance', standing mostly in one spot and bobbing back and forth. He watched as the Xenos giggled at his horrible dance moves, more joining in and doing about as well as he expected. If there was one thing that he was horrible at, it was socializing with others. I really need to get better at dancing...

It was terrible, more than he expected. He was a warrior, a scientist, a survivalist, not a bloody dancer. The last party he attended involved cannibals, which didn't help in the slightest. Still, as he watched the Xenos dancing, he came up with a way or two that would make it this whole experience slightly better for everybody involved.

With his mind made up, he grasped Wiene's hand, making her blink and then swirled her around, two rotations happening one by one. The girl giggled as she ended up the rotation and gave him the same beautiful smile. He did the same for Fear and other harpies, which had seemed to liked it. That gave him an idea, while he had no experience at dancing, he did see the Rad Packs back at the Tops and had seen a holotape or was it a holodisc with a dance scene at one point, he could never tell those two apart.

He moved his left feet backwards, his left hand behind his coat, while he moved his right hand forward and bowed. "May I ask for a dance, Wiene?"

The girl blushed before she nodded timidly and lowered her left hand onto his palm. With a smile of his own, he stepped up to the girl, making her turn a shade of red brighter, her attention on the Courier. With a nod of his own, he moved to her right side, while Wiene moved to his right side, the two making a simple rotation. He repeated the movement, making a few more rotations, before switching sides and going the other way.

The Xenos watched with curiosity, some of them tried to repeat the movement, doing pretty damn well all things considered. It was a simple movement, a very basic one, but considering it was his first time since... well, forever, he was pretty damn proud of himself. After all, he couldn't even remember the last time he danced, if ever. The girl in his arms was smiling all the time as he made her spin on her feet, her giggling reaching his ears. To the side, he could see Fear looking at him with a hint of jealousy, the two harpies dancing together.

So, with a swift movement, he spun Wiene around and ended the dance, bowing in the process. "Thank for the dance, Wiene," He said, the girl nodding before he turned towards Fear and bowed towards her. The harpy smiled and accepted the hand, the two engaging in a dance of their own.

More and more Xenos joined the dancing, as Ray's singing echoed in the cavern, Wiene danced with other Xenos sending an occasional glance in his direction. He could see Ranieh and Gros dancing together, Lyd dancing with Wiene and many many more. Even the dragon back in the cave was bobbing it's massive head back and forth to the rhythm of the music.

However, after several minutes of Ray's constant singing, she finally stopped, the siren finally getting tired. During that time he had to change the partners multiple times, all of them female, including Arles and Laura. The latter two due to their lower pasture being a bit more tricky than others. The Xenos clapped, he along with them as Ray bowed towards them. However, that made him realize, the siren never got a chance to dance on her own, since she provided them with a source of entertainment. It didn't sit well with him, especially since all other Xenos got to dance.

With his mind made up, he walked up to the siren. "It was beautiful, Ray," He commended the siren, who blushed with a smile.

"Thank you, I am glad to hear it," She replied.

"You're welcome. Now, I think it's only fair, you get to chance to enjoy music and dance as well, don't you think?" He asked while the siren blinked.

"I would like to, but I am afraid nobody else can sing I am afraid," She replied.

"No need for that, give me a moment," He said and walked up to one of the empty walls of the cavern before he materialized a full-fledged jukebox out of thin air. The Xenos looked at the device confused beyond belief as they tried to figure out what the Courier was trying to do.

"What is that?" Ray asked as she inspected the device.

"It's called Jukebox, long story short, it plays music," He explained.

"Plays... music? How is even possible? Are there people inside?" She asked as she looked all over the device, not sure how it would work.

"Nope, no people, no magic, just pure undiluted SCIENCE," He replied and with a grin.

Then he began browsing through the available songs on the device before he found one fairly energetic song just right for the Xenos. With a grin of his own, he turned on the jukebox and listened as the Roundhouse Rock echoed through the cavern, the Xenos' shocked.

He twirled on his feet and with a beat in his feet, he walked up the siren. "May I ask for this dance, Ray?"

She blushed even more, before she accepted his hand and the two began dancing to the music, the Xenos not getting left behind, as they got over the initial amazement. He danced with the girl, spinning round and round, the siren giggling, their limbs interlocked. Up close, the girl was more even more stunning, her flawless skin and clear eyes full of energy. She and Wiene were both beautiful, neither worse than the other and having an opportunity to dance with them both was actually kind of pleasant, something he didn't expect.

The two continued to dance for the next minute or two before the song finally ended and was replaced with a song called 'Where have you been all my life'. It was a slow song, meant for pairs and such, which didn't sit well with him. The Xenos might have not been able to understand the words being spoken, but the tone of the song was obvious. A small part of him wanted to continue with the song, being close to Ray, but the more rational part of him won. So, he excused the siren, who seemed a bit disappointed by his decision and switched the song for something more fitting.

As insurance he set some of the songs in advance, to keep it from ever happening again. Among the songs, there were titles such as 'Uranium Fever', 'Great Atomic Power', 'Hydrogen Bomb'. They were much more energetic and with a beat in his shoes, he went back to dancing, sticking mostly to dancing with Ray, who seemed to enjoy it and giving both Wiene and Fear another chance for a dance with him.

The Xenos were breathing heavily from the exercise, sweat glistening on their bodies, as they moved to the beat, until the songs ended. The Xenos clasped as the songs stopped, some still more than ready to dance. However, it was for the best to end it, before it got out of control. So, he walked up to the machine, dematerialized it and then walked up to the Xenos.

"So, did you enjoy the music from the surface?" He asked, the Xenos nodding eagerly.

"They were amazing, I have never thought it would be possible to hear so many different kinds of tunes. Although, I couldn't tell what they were singing about," Ray admitted.

"That's given, they were made by people who spoke a different language. However, the beat and the vocals were solid, no?" He asked the siren nodding.

"Indeed, how about you, Wiene. Did you like them?" She asked as the turned towards the girl, who now had her teddy bear back in her hands.

Wiene nodded and said, "They were fun, dancing is fun."Then she walked up to the Courier and once again embraced his right arm. "I wanted to dance more with you..."

The Courier chuckled as he rubbed her head. "I will keep it in mind. Now then, do you have any questions?"

"I do," Lyd said as he walked up to him. "That device, you called it a 'Juke Box', correct? Where did you get it?"

"Trade secret," He replied. "Fear?"

"Is everything you do a 'trade secret'?" She asked, pouting at his deflection.

"Not really, no. It's more of the fact, that it would take a really long time to explain and there is no guarantee you would be able to understand it. Can you explain how to create a good quality sword, armour or a pair of shoes? It's the same thing," He explained.

"I see...," She muttered, trying to imagine one of the things Courier mentioned.

"Would it be possible to make another one and leave it here?" Ranieh asked. She and Gros were actually quite a surprise. The Arachne had a good sense of rhythm and even sparing a glance at her told him she enjoyed it just like other Xenos.

He gave her a grin and asked, "So, you enjoyed it, didn't you, Ranieh?"

The girl flushed, but kept her face straight and nodded. "I did, the music you have shown us was different from anything I have heard, but not unpleasant in the slightest."

"Glad to hear it. However, I am afraid I can't do that. I only have got this one left," He replied. While he could technically build another one, he wanted to keep a low profile. The Xenos were given an opportunity to see some of the things from his world, but he wasn't going to simply give them the ability to build power armour, recharger rifles or anything of this sort. "I can share some of the things I have got with you, but not everything."

"Why not?" Gros asked.

"Simple really, you have got contact with the guild and if they were to see the jukebox, the weapons I have used, my armour and such. It would only make them more suspicious and I would rather keep a low profile," He explained.

"That's reasonable," Lyd said. "We promised to keep other's existence a secret, so it's fine, no?"

"I believe so, Lyd," Ray said before she turned towards the Courier. "But, can you let us dance to those songs once again in the future?"

"I was going to suggest just that. When I swing by, I would be more than happy to do so. Is that fine with you, everyone?" He asked and all the Xenos nodded. "Good to know, any questions?"

"...Swing by?" Wiene asked, gaining the attention of everyone involved.

"Yeah, swing by. I am going back to the surface today or tomorrow at best," He replied.

"Then, I am going with you," She said, while the Courier sweatdropped. This is not going to be pleasant at all.

"Wiene... You can't go back with me to the surface," He said, the girl looking him straight in the eyes.

"I... can't...? Why?" She asked, not able to believe her own ears.

"If you were to go back with me, adventurers would try to hurt you, kill you even. You have to stay here," He replied, while the girl shook her head furiously.

"I don't want to!" She refused, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes.

"Wiene... You remember what happened when they saw you, don't you? If something were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. So, can you stay here, for me?" He asked as he gently rubbed the girl's head.

"Uuu...," She muttered, trying to come up with a solution. "But... you can protect me?"

"I can, but do you want me to kill innocent people because you wanted to go with me? Do you want to see others die because of that?" He countered, the girl shaking her head. "Then, you need to stay here."

"Stay here... please," She pleaded, while the Courier shook his head.

"I can't do that, but... I will return here every now and then, I promise," He said, the girl looking him right in the eye.

"You promise...?" She asked, the man nodding.

"Pinkie promise," He replied and repeated the gestured he once read about. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"What...?" Everyone asked as they listened to the odd way the promise was formed.

"...It's how one makes Pinkie promise, not sure where it came from," He replied with a shrug, before turning to Wiene. "So, is that good enough, Wiene?"

She bit her lip, before reluctantly nodding. "It's alright... but please stay a bit longer."

"Then I will leave tomorrow, that gives me a few more hours," He said, while the girl smiled at him. However, it seemed like she was slowly getting tired as she released a big yawn, rubbing her eyes to stay awake. He chuckled as he turned towards Ray. "Hey Ray, it seems like I need a spare bed or two."

"Sure, give me a moment, we have already set up a resting place for you just in case. We will add an additional bed for Wiene," She replied and ordered some of the Xenos around.

"I don't want to...," She whined despite blinking owlishly. The chase, the dances and everything else must have worn her out.

"Right, right, let's get you to sleep, shall we?" He said and picked her up bridal style. She yelped a bit, before she once again cuddled up to him, Fear and Ray staring at him. "So, about that bed, Ray?"

"Right, follow me," She said and walked deeper inside the cavern.

The interior of the cave resembled a village carved out from the stone. Most of the architecture reminded him of simple adobe buildings, like the ones first used in Shady Sands. They had simple doors made of wood, some windows here and there, which paled in comparison to Orario or his world. Still, it seemed to work well enough for them.

"This is it, how do you like it?" She asked as she let both of them inside one of the buildings.

The interior was fairly average. Brown walls made of wood, a few windows with curtains in them, a carpet underneath his feet, the floor made out of wood. There were a couple of facilities like a mirror, table, four chairs, two beds similar to that in the Hostess of Fertility, a stove, etc. Still, it looked comfortable enough and definitely beat sleeping in a desert on a thin sheet of cardboard.

"Looks great, thank you kindly, Ray. Now, then, let's get you to bed, Wiene," He said as he gently lowered the girl on one of the beds and tuckered her in.

"Stay here...," She muttered barely staying awake, her both hands grasping Courier's right.

"I will be outside if you need me," Ray said, reading the mood.

However, deep inside seeing the care the Courier gave to Wiene, the way he carried her in his hands. It stirred some dark emotions in her heart before she frowned and forced them down. Why am I getting anxious? He has been acting like this towards Fear and Arles too. Shaking her head, she left the building and began waiting.

The Courier waited until, he could hear breathing calm down, the grip on his hands as tight as it was. Prying it open turned to be a bit harder than he expected, but thanks to his high agility, he managed to wiggle his way out. Then he gently rubbed her on the head and whispered, "Sleep tight, Wiene."

After that, he went outside and walked up to Ray. "So, how did it go?"

"Fairly well, she was tired, but I swear it was like trying to pry open a door with a crowbar," He replied.

"Glad to hear it, then we should get back to others," She said, but before she could move, the Courier stepped in front of her, stopping her in tracks.

"Ray, are you alright? When I carried Wiene you seemed different," He asked as he gave the siren a quick look over. He had a pretty good idea of why she acted like this, but he wanted to be sure.

"It's nothing really," She tried to deflect the question and move to his, the Courier stopping her once more.

"Would you like me to carry you like Wiene?" He asked, the siren turning red in an instant.

"W-what are you talking about?" She stuttered, her heart beating faster than a moment ago.

"Am I wrong then?" He asked as he waited for the response.

"...No, but is it alright?" She asked, the Courier nodding his head.

"I don't see why not. All you have to do is ask," He replied.

"I see... in that case, if you would be so kind," She muttered, averting her gaze in an instant. The Courier nodded and picked her up bridal style, making her blush even further, her gaze turning away from him.

"Shall we go?" He asked and the siren nodded.

She felt all nice and cosy on the inside as she cuddled closer to the Courier, breathing in a faint scent, one that reminded her of hot dust. Even with the armour between the two of them, being this close to the man, made her feel warm on the inside. She glanced towards his helmet, the red visor directed towards the cave, his warm hands gently grasping her body. She smiled as she rested her head on his bicep, content with her current situation.

However, when she saw other Xenos, she felt a bit of dread coming up, as everyone in the cavern was watching them come. Fear, Arles and other female Xenos were staring at them as the two walked up to them before the Courier gently lowered her to the ground. The jealousy in their eyes obvious to everybody involved.

"There you go, Ray," He said as he looked over the other Xenos.

"Thank you," She muttered and stood on her own, trying her best to keep her blushing under control.

"Damn it all, Six, first Wiene, now Ray, you are fast," Lyd stated as he grinned at the duo, making the Siren blush slightly.

"What can I say, I am just full of surprises," He replied with a grin of his own. "Jealous much, Lyd?"

The Lizard Man let out a full-blown out laughter, "Honestly? A bit, yeah. But, if you hurt Ray, I won't hesitate to stab you in the gut," He replied, making the Courier laugh.

"Don't worry, I will hand you over a sword myself," He replied.

"Enough you two, we came here to party, not squabble," Ray interjected.

"Ray, not fair. You are keeping Six to yourself!" Fear said with her arms crossed and a pout visible.

"I didn't do anything!" She denied with a blush.

"Calm down, everyone. I asked Ray, if she wanted to be carried like this in the first place," Courier said, gaining the attention of everybody involved.

"You... did? Not Ray?" Fear asked, blinking her eyes.

"Yep, it's not that big of a deal. If you want, I can carry you as well," He replied with a shrug.

"Really?" Fear asked, the Courier nodding before she smiled and walked up to him. "Then, carry me!"

"Sure," He replied and picked the girl the same way he did both Ray and Wiene. The girl in his arms smiled, as she got closer just like Ray did. "Happy now?" The harpy nodded.

Ray giggled, glad the attention was off her, "It seems like you need to carry a lot more than one Xeno in your arms."

"Not surprised by that. Let's make it two minutes for anyone who wants it and it should be fine," He said.

"Five minutes!" Fear argued, the Courier shaking his head in response.

"No, two minutes take it or leave it," The girl pouted, but reluctantly nodded.

What followed was a good twenty minutes of his life being wasted as around ten female Xenos kept him busy, while males were looking at him with murder in their eyes. He honestly didn't expect for this to get out of control so much, but at this point, he didn't have much of a choice. The Xenos were weird, back in his world something like this wouldn't occur in the first place. If there was any consolation was the fact that not all the female Xenos in the group were keen on being carried by him, some actually were being carried by other male Xenos making it much more bearable.

Among the Xenos he was forced to carry were Arles, Fear, some harpies and a few others. It wasn't nearly as bad as he expected, but due to the odd shape and size of some of them, he had to carry them differently. Still, the activity ended soon enough and with that, the male Xenos were looking much less hostile than moments ago.

"Okay, now that we are done with this whole mess, can we get back to the party?" He asked the Xenos nodding. Once that happened, the Xenos returned to the tables and sat down. Ray sat on his left, Lyd next to her, Gros next to him with Ranieh on his right.

"So, Six, why don't you tell us a bit about the world outside?" Ray suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. Okay, everyone, go right ahead and ask me any questions, you might have," He replied, while Fear raised her wing.

"How big is the world outside?" She asked.

"Imagine a space that is at least a million times bigger than the Dungeon itself. Yeah, that's how big we are talking about. The world is huge, filled with forests, mountains, deserts, plenty of things you can't find in the Dungeon," He replied.

"How many people are there in the world?" Another Xeno asked.

"Millions of individuals, like Elves, humans, werewolves, dwarves, etc," He replied.

"What people do outside of adventuring?" Another Xeno asked.

"There are carpenters, painters, engineers, scientists, etc. Plenty of things to choose from," He replied. "Anything else?"

"Say, Six, is there anyone you like?" Fear asked, the Xenos looking right at the Courier.

The Courier leaned back in his chair, cupping his chin in the process. "Nowadays? Not so much. There were a few girls back then, who were interested in a relationship, but I turned them all down."

"You turned them all down...? Why?" Ray asked, not expecting this kind of response. A part of her was glad that there wasn't anyone he was currently seeing, but a bigger part of her was curious and for some reason, she dreaded the answer.

"It's... complicated," He settled on as he tried to think of a way to explain without revealing too much about himself. "What you need to know is that if I were to fall in love or have somebody I care about, my enemies would not stop until they killed them just to get to me."

He could hear gasps coming from all around him as the Xenos looked between each other. "What do you mean by that, Six?" Lyd asked his attention focused on the man in front of him.

"I have made a lot of enemies over the years when I fought for what I believed was right. For example, that one time, I stopped a major district from being bombed, which resulted in a hit squad sent after me," He replied, the murmurs spreading out around the Dungeon.

"You saved others... and were hunted because of that?" Fear asked, not able to believe her own ears.

"No good deed goes unpunished, Fear. I broke down a major plan of powerful individuals, who didn't like me meddling in their stuff, more than once," He explained. "Long story short, I don't want anyone subjected to a life filled with individuals trying to kill them because they know me. After all, love is transitory, that or it's ended in a fight."

The silence that followed was unpleasant, as the Xenos looked at the man in front of them. Ray felt like somebody just struck her through the heart, the pain far worse than she expected. The Courier sighed, before, he stood up from the table and turned towards the Xenos. "I apologize, I have done it again," He said, turned around, before walking away towards the house the Xenos provided.

"Six, wait!" Ray shouted before the Courier stopped.

"Sorry, Ray, but I need some time alone," He replied, nodded towards them and left the party.

"What happened to him...?" Fear asked as she too felt hurt by the words the man spoke.

Lyd narrowed his eyes as he watched, the man's silhouette slowly become smaller. "Whatever it was, we should give him time."

"Agreed, it's for the best," Gros said as he glanced towards Ranieh. "Something wrong?"

"... He went through something similar as we, didn't he?" She asked, the gargoyle frowning.

"Probably, something like this leaves wounds that do not heal easily," He replied and sighed. "The party is over, everyone, let's clear it up."

The Xenos followed his others and slowly began cleaning the cafe, leaving the good food for later and gathering everything else. He glanced towards Ray, Fear and others who were looking towards the Courier. He sighed, knowing that there was nothing he could do at this point.

The Courier left the Xenos behind and silently entered the house, before jumping inside the bed, staring at the ceiling as he thought about what he said. The first time he was asked about love was by Christine, back at the Sierra Madre. She had asked him what were his feelings about love and even back then, when he still was relatively young and inexperienced, he said the exact same thing.

At first, he didn't know why he said it before he remembered meeting Boone and finding out what happened to his wife, Carla. He saw first hand what happened to those who fell in love, who opened their hearts to others. Pain, misery, just to name a few. There were of course happily married couples, plenty of them as well, but he could never picture himself settling down in one place, raising his children and coming back home daily from work.

At times, he craved for it, he wanted to be able to hold someone he held dear in his arms, somebody who would be there, despite all the things he did. However, a relationship based on lies and deception was not bound, not last, sooner or later his past would catch up to him. And the number of people who would be okay with the things he did, the people he killed was rather low all things considered. Shaking his head, he made himself comfortable, giving one last glance towards Wiene, before closing his eyes and falling asleep almost instantly.


The Courier woke up with a jolt, as he grabbed his head, just recently having experienced a messed up dream involving a certain goddess of love. He shook his head, hoping the goddess couldn't invade his dreams, otherwise, his life would become even more difficult. He glanced to his right and noticed Wiene sleeping soundly, her eyes closed, an innocent look on her face and a teddy bear in her arms. The Courier smiled as he slowly made his way out of bed, before he silently opened the door, closed it behind and began walking towards the entrance of the village.

On his way there, he came across two Xenos he was familiar with. "Good Morning, Ray, Lyd."

"Good morning," Ray said with a smile.

"Morning," Lyd added with a nod.

"I am heading back to the surface. I hope that's not a problem," He said, while the twp glanced between each other.

"So soon?" Ray asked while the Courier nodded.

"I am afraid so. I need to get back to the surface, lest I end up worrying some of my friends," He replied.

"Then, why don't you stay with us until breakfast? And it would also allow others to say their goodbyes," Lyd added, while the Courier cupped his chin.

"I suppose, but then I will have to deal with Wiene and you know how she reacted last time," He pointed out, while the two smiled wryly.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I will handle the rest, take care, Six," Lyd said and extended his hand.

The two shook them before the Courier turned towards the siren and repeated the gesture. "You too. Ray, Lyd, take care."

"You too," Ray said before Courier nodded and left the village behind.

"... Didn't you want to ask him why does he feel this way towards relationships in general?" Lyd asked as he watched the man's back shrinking in the distance.

"... I did, but... for now, I will leave it alone," She replied, biting her lip in the process.

She wanted to know, to figure out why was Six was the way he was. However, she also understood that memories like this tended to be painful and considering what he had done for them thus far, she decided to respect the man's privacy, at least for the time. One day though, she would know, sooner rather than later.

As the Courier found himself walking through the familiar floors of the Dungeon, he wondered what to do next. He had to get back to the surface and deal with that workshop, then there was Ryu and maybe Bell if he had time for that. Shaking his head, he changed back into the armour of the 87th tribe, attached the oversized sword to his back, before slowly making his way towards the surface.

It only took a few hours of a slow pace, before he found himself back at the entrance of the Dungeon, the sun high in the sky. The Courier breathed in then out, as the fresh air entered his nostrils before heading out towards Hostess of Fertility. Just, as usual, the pub was busy with people eating, talking and having fun, but much less than in the morning.

The waitresses glanced towards him, giving him friendly smiles, Ryuu included before nodding and going back to their work, which he returned. Just as he was about to go, he noticed Mama Mia waving towards him, gesturing him to come closer. He raised his eyebrow as he walked up to the woman, his attention fully on her.

"Is there something wrong, miss Grand?" He asked.

"Nothing of this sort, Loki left you a message," She replied, before handing him a note with a simple message written on it.

The Courier read through its contents and raised his eyebrow. The goddess was quick, she had already secured the workshop and wanted to meet his ASAP, which meant he had to go out and deal with it, preferably sooner rather than later.

He turned towards the woman and nodded. "Thank you, miss Grand. However, it seems I need to head out, again."

"So soon? At least stay for dinner," She suggested, while the man chuckled.

"Maybe later, I am not that hungry," He replied, before heading out once more.

It only took a moment before he found himself standing in front of the Twilight Manor, two different guards standing in front of the entrance. The two glanced between each other before one of them walked up to him.

"Excuse me, sir, but are you the one called Courier Six?" He asked.

"That's correct, Loki asked me to come round when available," He replied.

Hearing this the other guard went inside the manor to fetch the goddess. "Please wait a moment, it shouldn't take long."

The two didn't have to wait long, before Loki arrived with some of the strongest members of her Familia, like Finn, Ais, Riviera, Bete, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, just to name a few.

"Hello everyone," He greeted with a nod.

"Hi, Six!" Tiona said with a smile.

"Good Morning, Mister Six," Riveria greeted.

"...Morning," Ais said, while Bete just scowled.

"Good morning, Six," Finn greeted and returned the nod.

"Yo, Six, took your sweet ass time, didn't you?" Loki asked with a grin.

"I was busy," He replied with a shrug. "Now then, let's get down to business. Where is the workshop, Loki?"

"Close by, I made sure of that," She replied before she turned on her heel and began walking in opposite direction to the manor.

Seeing this as his cue to act, the Courier followed behind the goddess, other members of the Familia keeping a close eye on him as they followed the two of them. It didn't take long, until they found themselves standing in front of a small stone building, with a single wooden door leading inside. Loki snipped out a key, before opening the door and leading them inside.

The Courier whistled in approval as he took in the interior. While the workshop had windows and chimney for the furnace, they were all shut in to prevent anyone from peeking inside. There on the walls hung many high-quality tools, the furnace was shining from polish, while the scent of iron and charcoal filled the air. All in all, Loki outdid herself in Courier's humble opinion.

"So, Six, what do you think?" She asked with a small grin plastered on her face.

"Loki, you're a bloody genius, let me tell you that," Six replied, while the goddess chuckled in response.

"Aw, you're too nice. Don't I deserve a kiss for all the effort?" She teased, while the man let out a chuckle of his own.

"Ask Bete or somebody else for that," He replied.

"Hey!" Bete scowled, while Loki gave him a grin of her own. "I am going to punch you if you try!"

"Aw, you're so shy, Bete," Loki teased, before turning towards the Courier. "Now then, I believe it's your part of the deal."

Then she gestured to a pile of weapons, armour and such lying on the floor in the corner. It was big, with at least fifty different pieces inside of it. The Courier then walked up to the pile and began picking through them, rubbing his eyes as he looked as what looked like a handle of a sword, or what's left of it. He also noticed some sets of armour in varying states of disrepair.

"I can fix the weapons, no problem, but why did you bring armour here anyway?" He asked.

"Well, you told us that you can fix things, assuming they are similar. So going by that logic, you can fix heavy armour with another heavy armour, am I correct?" Loki replied while the Courier sighed.

"... Yes, you are correct. Bloody hell, I hate not being able to lie to gods, it takes out a lot of fun you know?" He said, before turning towards her.

"I knew it, so how about fixing those for us as well?" She asked while the man put the handle on the nearby cabinet.

"I can fix armour as well, yes, but last I checked, that wasn't part of an agreement," He replied. "Still, I can see why you prepared such an extensive workshop in the first place, it's a way of swaying me, isn't it?"

"I am that obvious, aren't I?" She asked while the man nodded. "Oh well, so, what do you think?"

"Hmm... you're one devious goddess, aren't you?" He asked while Loki grinned. "Okay, here is the thing. The guild is not really on my side, so to speak. They aren't hostile, but keeping a close eye on me."

"Why is that?" Finn asked, his curiosity piqued.

"There are a couple of reasons, all you need to know is the fact that I could use somebody influential vowing for me, you catch my drift?" He asked while Loki's eyes opened slightly.

"Oh, I see. Although, that's pretty big favour you are asking for, don't you think, Six?" Loki asked, before nodding to herself. "Tell you what, give us a twenty per cent discount on the armour and you got yourself a deal."

"Yeah no, I think I will pass. You can take your armours to Hephaestus in that case," He replied and crossed his arms.

"Aww, don't be like that!" Loki said, giving him a pleading look.

"Nope, not agreeing to it. I can give you the same discount as the weapons, but only if you agree to help me," He said.

"Mister Six, may I ask what is the reason the guild is keeping an eye on you?" Riviera asked as she considered what the agreement would entail.

"I do have some unique skills as you already know, some of which I keep secret. Long story short, the guild wanted me to be their lapdog, I refused, so I am looking for allies and friends if they decide to take me out of the picture, so to speak," He replied.

"That's... pretty grim, all things considered. Do you expect the guild to send assassins after you?" Finn asked while the man shrugged.

"Who knows? I am just being cautious, plenty of people have tried to kill me so far, so...," He said, while the others looked between each other.

"And why were people trying to kill you?" Riviera asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Plenty of reasons to hurt another. The bandits wanted to either kill me, eat me or rape me, maybe in a different order. Add on top of that, me doing the right thing, saving innocents and messing up plans of powerful individuals," He replied with another shrug.

Tiona and Tione eyes' spread wide open, while Ais and Lefiya gawked as they tried to imagine a sapient being doing something as horrible to another sapient being. Even Riviera looked shocked, her mouth slightly agape, same with other more experienced members of the group. It sounded downright morbid, cruel and more like something monsters or wild animals would do. Still, the fact that the man in front of them was still alive, despite attacked by bandits multiple times, could only mean one thing.

"Oh, really? Mind telling us more details?" Loki asked, very curious about some of his past.

"I am afraid, I have to say no to that. The less you know, the better," He replied.

"Oh, really? What are you a chicken?" Bete snorted, while the Courier gave him a deadpan.

"How about you all tell me your past first? Would you like to do so? I mean, it's not like you have got dark and troubled past you would rather not tell others about, right?" He asked, his arms crossed, while the werewolf glared at him.

"Mister Six," Rivieria said, gaining the attention of the group. "I would to like to apologize for my question, I didn't mean to cause any discomfort" Riviera added, while the man sighed.

"Apology accepted. As long as you don't try to force answers out of me, I am fine with that. After all, it's natural to be curious, especially about those surrounding you," He replied. "So, Loki, do we have a deal then?"

"Well, I was hoping for more, but ten per cent discount is good enough for me. You have got yourself a deal," She replied and the two shook their hands.

"Glad to hear it. Now then, is there anything else, you need from me?" He asked.

"... Have you ever killed anyone?" Ais asked she had to know, even though she already had a pretty good suspicion of the answer.

"... Too many times, Ais, too many times...," He replied with a sigh. "Tell me, how many of you have taken lives of actual sapient beings, not monsters?" He asked as he lifted his right hand. To his surprise, Tiona, Tione, Finn, Gareth and even Riviera raised their hands.

"...," Tiona didn't say anything as she raised her hand. She knew quite well, how it felt to take lives of others, what she and Tione went through. She understood that going through something like this changed one forever. He went through similar things as me and Tione, didn't he...?

"Sometimes, you have to fight, to protect the things, the people you believe in or because you don't have a choice," Finn said. "Am I wrong?"

The Courier smiled wryly. "You're not wrong, Finn."

"Glad to hear it. Forgive our curiosity, but you are quite an enigma, Six," He said, while the man chuckled.

"I can imagine that. So, are we clear?" He asked.

"I believe so," Riveria said before she looked towards Ais, who seemed like she wanted to say something. "Ais, is there something you would like to ask?"

"... Are you an evil person?" She asked, her attention focused purely on the Courier.

The man let out a chuckle as he turned towards the woman. "Evil? Perhaps to some, but... Also good to others. It depends on who you ask. However, if I had to decide myself... I guess I am neutral." He glanced at the woman, who was still staring at him, prompting him to continue. "I am not a kind person, Ais Wallenstein. But... I am not truly evil either. I have tried to help people more often than not."

"Such as?" Loki asked, listening intently.

"One time, I tried to help out a guy, who told me his girlfriend got trapped on the ridge. However, it turned out to be a hoax and he tried to murder me after I cleared the path," He said, while Ais' eyes spread wide open, her mouth open. "Other time, I have managed to save three people from slavery or death."

"I see...," She muttered as she digested the information. "I am sorry..."

"Don't be, it's not your fault it happened. Still, I hope that's enough to keep your curiosity satisfied?" He asked while the rest of the group nodded.

"Indeed, thank you for sharing this with us," Riviera said, as she glanced towards Loki.

"Yeah, it's nice to know you're not half bad after all," She said, while the man just rolled his eyes.

"Now then, I think I am going to get down to fixing the equipment you brought and you know what that means?" He asked.

Loki chuckled as she tossed him a key to the workshop. "Right, right, secrets and such. Fine, we will head back, tell us when you are done with all the weapons and armours, we will be needing them in a few days."

"Can do," He replied, while Loki motioned to her Familia to follow her, as they all left the workshop one by one. The last to leave were Tiona, Ais and Riviera, who glanced back one last time, nodded and left, leaving Six alone with his thoughts.

The Courier watched as the door closed before he let out a sigh and began massaging his temple. He expected this to go way differently, without any of his past being mentioned. Still, at least he kept most of it to himself. Now, all he needed to do was take care of the weapons and armour. With his mind made up, he walked up to the pile and began browsing through the items, taking note of how many pieces of equipment were there and writing it down.

While he had quite a bit of spare items he bought, the number of weapons and armours in need of repair, far exceeded it. So, his next goal was to go to Babel tower, get all the armours and weapons he needed, get back, fix them and then tell Loki to go pick them up. He sure as hell was not going to show them his pipboy capabilities, especially storing his entire equipment.

So, with that out of the way, he threw the handle back to the pile, closed the door and left the workshop behind. It only took a moment, before he arrived at the base of the tower and just like the last time, made his way to the eighth floor. To nobody's surprise, everything seemed relatively the same, with the exception of equipment.

And just like the last time, the Courier went on a shopping spree, getting as much equipment as he could get, putting it all in all free duffel bags he possessed of himself. The amount of armour and weapons easily took most of the counter, where a man with red hair was arguing with a clerk for some reason. The two stopped talking immediately, as they noticed the number of items laying on the counter.

Then, the man turned towards a white set of armour, a grin appearing on his face, as he pointed to the armour. "See? I told you people would buy my armour."

"I...," The clerk started as he considered his options. In the meantime, the man turned towards the Courier, a friendly smile on his face.

"That's good armour, you know?" He asked while the Courier shrugged.

"Don't really care about it, I am only buying it for spare parts anyway," He replied, while the man looked like somebody just slapped him, the clerk snorting in response.

"W-what? Spare parts? Seriously?" He asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Yep, just like the rest of the gear on the counter," He replied, while the two glanced between each other. "So, who are you anyway?"

"Oh, right, sorry about that. I am Welf, a blacksmith," He introduced himself, his hand extended.

"Courier Six," He replied and returned the handshake.

"Say, Six, you look like someone that could use a skilled blacksmith or two," Welf started, while the Courier shook his head.

"Not really no," He replied, while the man pointed towards the armour.

"What about the armour? It looks like it took some beating recently," He replied.

"Meh, I can fix it later," He replied, while the man sweatdropped.

"Oh boy, you are a hard customer," Welf said as he considered his option. "Tell you what, I might have a proposal that will work for both of us, would you mind listening to it?"

"Sure, just let me pay for the gear," He replied and turned towards the clerk.

The total amount of Valis ended up at roughly one million, meaning he still would make a profit. However, he had to carry the items back, without putting them back in pipboy, which delayed him. Still, Welf led him to a corner of the shop and put his hand over his shoulder, the Courier tensing instantly.

"Look, Six, I need help," He started, the Courier looking him straight in the eye. "As you can already tell, I am not the most respected blacksmith. Despite all the effort I put, I am still level one and I haven't acquired 'blacksmith' development ability."

"And what should I do about that?" He asked.

"If you help me get to level two, I will sign a blacksmith agreement with you," He said, while the Courier narrowed his eyes.

"And what kind of agreement are we talking about that?" He asked while Welf chuckled.

"It's really simple. You will only buy items from me, but in exchange you will get a huge discount and a personal blacksmith that will gladly work on your items and create new ones on demand, assuming I have got all the necessary materials," He said.

The Courier blinked, before he let out a chuckle, doing his best to hold back his laughter. "That's... one of the worst deals I have ever heard about."

Welf blinked, while his jaw dropped to the ground. "What do you mean by that?"

"Simple, from an economic point of view, your deal is pretty lacklustre. I would only limit myself to a single shop, which would prevent me from acquiring spare parts and such. On top of that, my current gear is superior to whatever you can make with weak materials and I can do simple repairs myself. Truth to be told, there is no reason to sign an agreement either with you or anyone else," He explained, Welf's mouth opening and closing.

The Courier was about to leave when suddenly Welf grabbed him by his shoulder. "Wait..."

"...?" The Courier turned towards him as he waited for the man to continue.

"... If you help me get to level two, I will give you a permanent discount," He offered.

"... Twenty per cent?" He asked while the man nodded. "Fine, meet me in two hours in front of the Babel."

"Right then, thanks, Six," Welf said, while the man nodded.

"You're welcome," He replied and left the man behind, his destination, the workshop.