Chapter 18: Hugin and Munin
Thor was more than just on edge, two of his children had been kidnapped and certainly by one of the worst bastards he knew. A man he had been stupid enough to believe was dead without really bothering to check. And it could have cost him Hestia's trust too if Ishtar hadn't been there to mediate a bit.
Ekkrit still hadn't returned and the rest of his familia was more or less on edge. For safety's sake, all levels 1 and 2 were ordered to stay in the Thunder Hall. Only levels 4 and above, capable of defending themselves, had gone out to investigate. However, Thargar was not really a specialist in the field, so he had passed, waiting to finally have a target to show the fury of his axes to. Ygannea also seemed to be preparing for the confrontation, even if she had gone out to find out about the potential magical aspect of the situation.
As for Mei, Thor had sent her elsewhere. To Loki, in fact. He already had Hestia's help, but something told him that a little extra firepower couldn't hurt. But unfortunately, the shivat girl didn't come back with the expected news.
Loki isn't available, nor her familia?
No, I only saw guards at the entrance to her mansion. Apparently they're having an extended excursion into the Dungeon, some sort of big training session for their next major expedition. Can't see any of their officers or even Aiz.
And Loki?
Gone to a meeting with other gods, and no way of knowing why. The guards didn't look very serene. I don't think they were telling me everything, but I couldn't tell how much they were lying to me.
As I thought, Loki must be onto something big.
And there's no telling if it will go our way. Especially with the rumors of what happened in Deadalus.
Loki is playing the mystery game, it's in her nature.
I'm afraid she'll end up going against us.
So directly?
Maybe not her, but it's obvious that the real leader of this familia is the Braver. Loki's authority is purely symbolic.
You're being a little hard on her. Thor said, even though he had the same impression of his adopted daughter's familia.
On the contrary, I'm even admiring that she managed to keep such a gathering of people together. The vast majority of its members are individualists, adventurers who seek only their own glory or to serve only their own ends. Although the Braver's leadership helps a lot in this respect. Her familia is based on a game of deception and common interests.
Finn would certainly drop her if she became a hindrance to his plans, as noble as they were. And Aiz seemed willing to sell her soul to the devils to achieve her goal.
Playing tricks is as much her pleasure as her speciality, she must have much more control over them than you think or they themselves imagine.
I hope so, but I'm starting to get suspicious anyway, depending on what happens, they could be excellent allies or a terrible hindrance.
Thor stood up and walked to the window, thinking. This conversation with his captain allowed him to forget for a moment about the problem of the twins. Mei was right in a way, it was the hard times that showed who the reliable friends were.
And what do you think of Hestia's familia?
Much more reliable, though they lack the firepower to make a real difference, though I believe Bell Cranel can transcend in critical situations. A good thing in a way, he's the real heart of this familia. I feel that Hestia's authority is also quite symbolic.
You're pretty tough there too, technically, they're kind of your big sisters. The god of thunder grinned at him with an amused smile. If he considered Mei, Loki or Hestia as his own daughters, his logic of considering them as sisters was sound. Well, on paper, Mei was mortal and there were thousands of years between them.
Pretty realistic I'd say. I listened to their stories, it's all about Bell. Hestia was even willing to keep only him in her familia at first. He saved Lili's life when she had nothing left, not even faith in life, same thing with Haruhime. For Welf, he's the ideal little brother, a person who does not see his family name. As for Mikoto, she respects him, but she joined the familia to pay the debt she feels she owes him after her previous group forced them to undergo a Pass parade. None of them are there out of loyalty to Hestia. Only Bell is, and they are loyal to him. So far, it works.
Which implies that the day the relationship between Bell and Hestia deteriorates, the familia will be severely shaken. The god then completed. He never thought he would have to take stock of his allies under such circumstances.
Bell's loyalty is mostly due to his youth and naivety, he tends to see the gods as superior and perfect beings to be respected, which leads him to obey Hestia almost blindly.
However, we are far from it and I'm sure he's beginning to understand it too.
Bell... has extraordinary potential. His dream of becoming a hero may not be as far-fetched as one might think. I think he has a bright future ahead of him. Right now, he's a sweet, cute teenager. But he will grow up, mature, assert himself. One day, Hestia's possessiveness will start to weigh on him and when it does...
...there's going to be a big clash between them. Anyway, this is all supposition and does not solve our immediate problem.
Finding the twins, this whole conversation was just a way to think about something else for a moment. Before looking at a hypothetical future, they had to focus on the present. Hestia's familia was there for them, that mattered. And Astraea wouldn't let them down, she only had Ryuu, but with her recently acquired level 6, she was a more than welcome strike force. All that remained now was to wait for news from Ekkrit and Lili.
The prum and the nezu had spent the night in the slums, with all the dealers and traffickers that Lili knew of or that Ekkrit had identified. Sometimes it had taken diplomacy, sometimes it had taken a few slaps. But they had finally identified a real clue, that of a raccoon dealer. Lili knew him, she had already done business with him, a petty fence with no morals, but good at smuggling all sorts of goods into town.
Behind his shop counter, he didn't hide his annoyance at the questions of the pallum who was trying to get him to spill the beans about one of his last big customers.
Come ooooon, be nice, I pay well too. She said, waving a pretty ruby in front of him. Although small, the stone was pure and could fetch a very good price, so she was sure she could make him talk.
Fuck you Arde!
But obviously not, the man seemed immune to her negotiation methods.
Really? All I want is some information, nothing too serious. I'm making you a very generous offer.
One, it's not my policy to give out information about my clients. And two, I don't want to alienate this guy.
And without realising it, he had just given them a piece of information, because he had just confirmed that he was indeed in business with the man they were looking for, and the nezu knew the effect he could have on people, especially this kind of small-time crook. At least this raccoon had enough judgement to guess that he shouldn't be betrayed.
Get lost Arde! And take that stinking rat with you, I don't want to see you here again!
Lili didn't lose her smile, even if it had a little something worrying about it. As for their interlocutor, he ended up with his head on the counter, not having seen Ekkrit move, while the latter put a blade to his throat.
You see, the problem is that we don't intend to leave without information, especially now that we know you have it. So, either deal with me or deal with him.
You guys are fucking nuts!
The good guard/bad guard technique. Lili played the good guard, negotiating and smiling, while Ekkrit was more aggressive when needed.
The lady made you a generous offer, but if you prefer the softness of steel as payment, that can be arranged too.
You crazy bastard! You think you can kill me like that? I know the Guild is already watching you.
Indeed, he wasn't wrong, with the murder charge laid at Andil's and Linda's feet, a misstep could cost them dearly.
Don't worry about that, in my old job, we had a motto for this kind of situation: "No corpse, no proof".
It's perfect, master Ekkrit, I know at least four places where you can make a body disappear without leaving any sign of it.
She saw the therianthrope suddenly turn pale. He didn't know what was scarier, the man threatening him with a dagger to his throat or the fact that the pallum was saying all this with a big, adorable smile.
After Bell had saved her life, Lili had vowed to cut all ties with that kind of circle. But she couldn't totally deny her past. She loved Bell, sincerely, more than anything else in the world. But she had no illusions about her chances. Next to strong and powerful women like the Sword Princess, Ryuu, or a woman as beautiful, gentle, loving and determined as Haruhime, she was nothing. Bell would probably always see her as a little sister. But that wouldn't stop her from loving him.
So, to protect him, she would do anything, including making a pact with her old demons if necessary. For her, nothing was too much when it came to the sake of Bell, or her new family.
Shit! I should have listened to my instincts and refused to deal with that old freak!
And you still aren't interested by my ruby? Lili asked again with her strangely pleasant smile while Ekkrit continued to make sharper arguments.
Ten minutes later, the two adventurers left the shop, not without having made the raccoon spit out all the information they wanted. The raccoon was now in a great hurry to prepare his belongings for his move out of town. Orario may have been the center of the world, but the dead didn't do business, so moving away was suddenly more interesting than the money.
When the nezu and the pallum returned to Thor's home, the sun was just beginning to rise and the two of them would not have minded a hearty breakfast. In the mansion of the god of thunder, the atmosphere was peculiar, some had not managed to sleep all night and others were already on the warpath.
In the kitchen, Haruhime, Mikoto, Adriel and Bricaena were busy cooking to feed all these people and the others were busy as they could. Mei had moved to a calm place and was in deep meditation, sharpening her body and mind for the time of battle. Thargar was sharpening his axes with slow but expert movements, showing great habit. Ygannea moved from one person to the next, trying to keep everyone's spirits up.
Bell was nervous, he knew how to be patient, but waiting like this had never been his forte, so he tried to distract himself by looking after Ishtar. Welf had joined a small group of Thor's children who were also looking after their weapons and Ryuu was standing guard at a window.
As for Hestia and Astraea, they were quite busy containing Thor who was running around like a lion in a cage. So everyone was relieved when the blonde elf announced that they were back.
Everyone ceased all activity and gathered around the duo, who probably would have preferred to have a bite to eat first. But they both knew that no one would let them down.
Found it. the nezu simply announced.
It wasn't easy, it went through several intermediaries, but by following the trail of dealers and deliverymen, we found something. Lili completed.
Excellent work, now we need a plan of action. Said the god of thunder, satisfied to finally have a lead to exploit.
However, as the colossus god began to make plans, some began to be distracted by something. First it was Purhaan's ears, the hume-bunny, that suddenly turned, then the ears of the other therianthropes also twitched as Mei herself turned, suddenly gripped by a bad feeling. Instinctively, she had slowly raised her hand to the handle of her jian. Ryuu then approached her, looking as nervous and wary as Thor's captain.
Did you feel it too? asked the elf.
Yes, there seems to be...
She didn't have time to finish her sentence, as several windows exploded at the same time as several doors were kicked in and dozens of hooded and armed figures burst into the manor.
ATTACK! GET YOUR WEAPONS! Mei shouted, drawing her sword. And chaos ensued.
There must easily have been thirty or so attackers, Mei drew and struck, pushing one of the attackers away. They had chosen a dangerous hour, dawn, the time when defenders might be tired after a long night of waiting, but also an hour when the light was not ideal. It was no longer dark enough for the lights to shine properly and at the same time not yet light enough for the sunlight to be of much help.
Mei was not the only one to defend herself and everyone else had the reflex to grab their weapon or dodge. Soon it was obvious that the attackers were adventurers, they had the strength and abilities to stand up to those of intermediate rank and beyond. However, Mei quickly took matters into her own hands.
Levels 1 and 2, in the middle, with the gods! The rest of you, form a ring and push the intruders back!
Thor's children were used to teamwork and Mei was an effective leader, so the lower levels wasted no time in gathering around the divine quartet. Soon, most of the Hestia familia did the same, with only Bell having the strength to be on the front lines.
All the others formed a circle in the great hall and fought off the attackers. Mei and Ryuu, both level 6, had no trouble fending off the attackers. Ekkrit, despite his convalescent state, was still able to fight, relying on his training and reflexes.
Thargar pushed back the attackers with his axes, covering Ygannea who was preparing her spells behind him. As for Bell, he drew on his supernatural speed, his experience of the last few weeks and the teachings of the nezu to repel the attacks he was undergoing.
However, their attackers were fighting strangely, with strict discipline and without making a sound. They were perfectly coordinated and all seemed to have roughly the same strength. Only there was something about these hooded figures that bothered Thor, who was forced to watch the fight from behind the wall formed by his and Hestia's children.
Tear off their hoods, identify them! he shouted to the adventurers present.
Mei then changed her grip on her jian. After another attack, she deflected her opponent's sword and swung a jab right next to his head to rip the cloth and reveal a familiar face. That of a young man with ebony hair.
Andil! she said in surprise.
Thargar used one of his axes to block his opponent's sword, which opened an opportunity for him to reach out and grab his enemy's cloak and tear it open, revealing the face of a young woman with long jet hair.
Holy shit, it's Linda! he shouted back.
Using his three-blade technique, Ekkrit the nezu blocked an attack and did as his brothers and sisters in arms had done, tearing off the hood which revealed that his opponent was also... Andil! And very quickly, it was revealed that their attackers were a whole troop of people who looked like twins.
Shit, that's what I was afraid of! said the god of thunder, before turning to the most unexpected person in such a situation, the goddess of beauty who had become a child again.
Ishtar! Please look at them, I need to know quickly.
The little goddess understood what the colossus was asking of her. Her gaze encompassed the entire battlefield around her as her eyes seemed to glow slightly.
They have no souls Thor! None of them have souls!
That means the twins aren't in the bunch! Did you hear everyone? Attack! Slaughter them!
The flow of the fight changed drastically, from defending themselves to waiting to find out what was going on, Thor's children changed their ways. These things could have the faces of their friends, but that wouldn't stop them from doing what was necessary.
Mei took the initiative, deflecting her attacker's attack and with a perfectly executed blow, she decapitated him without further ado. These things had the strength of the twins, advanced level 3s, but she was level 6, they were no match for them. This shocked Bell a little at her side, not expecting her to kill someone with the face of a close friend so coldly.
But when he saw Ekkrit do the same, he realised that he was not at all in the same category as them. It was not a question of level, but of mentality. Bell was not prepared to kill anyone, even the worst of the scum, he lacked the determination to take the life of a person.
Monsters were easy, they were no better than wild beasts for the average person. But after the discovery of the xenos, he still had doubts. But while he was hesitating, Thor's children were not waiting. Thargar the dwarf struck with his axes, covering Ygannea who was chanting one of her spells. The dwarf's axes bit into the flesh of the attackers, forcing them back as the elf released his magic.
Fangs of Niflheim!
The icy spikes sprang up from the ground and impaled half a dozen attackers.
On the back line, those who were level 1 and 2 could only fend off the few blows that came their way. But faced with an all-out assault from beings with the strength of level 3 adventurers, they were forced to defend themselves.
Bell! Ryuu shouted when he saw the young man in a bad position, but was unable to help him, as he was herself in the grip of several attackers.
Despite his level 4, Bell couldn't hold out against several attackers at once and he barely managed to deflect the blades of his opponents, earning a few new slashes. But the main concern was that he couldn't fight hard enough, he didn't have the determination to kill, let alone people with familiar faces. He had fought other people before, but either it wasn't a fight to the death, or he had another way to end it, usually by running away. Except this time he couldn't run, he had to fight.
Bell! Don't think! Fight back or he will kill you!
Ekkrit tried to advise his student in the heat of the moment, aware of his current big problem. But despite the stress and tension, the rabbit was too kind, always trying to disarm or simply hurt. But fate decided otherwise. In the rush of the action, an assailant jumped on him, Ekkrit tried to intercept him with a throwing knife, hitting him in the leg. Andil's clone fell heavily on Bell, dragging him down as the young man attacked.
Hestia's dagger then sank into his assailant's flesh, striking a vital point and killing him instantly. Pinned beneath his opponent's body, Hestia's captain felt the warm blood flowing over him as he realised the life he had just taken.
The fight ended a few moments later, all the attackers who had not died had fled. The pressure died down as everyone caught their breath. The great hall of Thor's mansion was now half-ruined, the two large wooden tables were good for being turned into firewood, there were the corpses of Andil and Linda's clones all over the place and a good deal of blood had been spilled.
Is everyone okay? Thor asked everyone in the room. Some answered him, others preferred to sit down or to help others around them. No one was dead or too badly hurt, but most were shocked.
Mei realised that only one person was not moving, Bell, still trapped under a corpse. The shivat girl, afraid that something had happened to him, pushed the body out of the way with her foot. The young human stood up, breathing rapidly, and she realised that he was having a panic attack.
Bell!
But he didn't hear her, too focused on the blood he felt on him. The oriental woman took his hands and forced him to turn towards her.
Bell! Look at me!
She put her hands on his cheeks to force him to look at her.
Bell, relax, don't think about it! Just look at me! Just think about your breathing, match it to mine. Breathe with me.
Mei focused Bell's attention on this breathing exercise, gradually allowing him to calm his breathing and relax. She knew what he was going through. Killing was no small thing, no matter what the circumstances, and many people didn't handle it well. Bell was kind, too kind to kill.
Hestia saw the situation, but silenced her jealousy to let Mei deal with him. As a goddess, she had no idea what to do to help Bell through this terrible ordeal, so she clenched her fist and resolved for the sake of her child to let someone better able to handle him.
Ryuu also saw this, but did not approach her. How could she have helped Bell through this ordeal? She, who had killed so much without remorse out of revenge. And in the end, none of the members of her familia could help her. Welf, Mikoto and Haruhime had never killed anyone either. As for Lili, she had a troubled past and had led several adventurers into dangerous situations, indirectly causing the death of a few, but she had never killed directly with her own hands.
Once Bell had calmed down, he instinctively threw himself into Mei's arms, and she returned his hug to finish calming him down. She wasn't as good as Ygannea at this, but she could also be a very good big sister on occasion.
Bell. For now, don't think about that, just go sit down and try to relax, okay?
The young woman concluded by waving to Hestia, who came to take Bell's hand and lead her away, not without giving Mei a discreet nod of thanks. The shivat girl then observed the scene and sighed heavily.
Well, what a mess.
She then put her hand back on the handle of her jian when she heard a large troop coming towards the mansion. But she quickly calmed down when she realized that the newcomers were wearing the Ganesha crest. The cavalry was always late.
I am Ganesha! I heard you were under attack Thor, so here I am as reinforcement!
Hi buddy, thanks for your help, but sorry to say, you're coming in after the war.
What's that? Shakti, Ganesha's captain, simply said when she realized that all the corpses on the ground had the same faces. The god of thunder then approached the newcomers and answered the human's question in his own way.
That, my dear, is the proof that Andil and Linda had nothing to do with the murder charge that was tried against them.
I see that, but... how do they do it? Transformation magic? No, they would have reverted to their true forms when they died...
Meanwhile, Bell was still silent, still shocked by the fight and its conclusion as Hestia gently stroked his head in an attempt to soothe him. Ekkrit had approached the corpse of the false Andil on the ground and removed Hestia's dagger still stuck in his chest.
After thoroughly cleaning the blood from it, he came to Bell and turned the weapon over in a precise gesture to take it by the blade and hand the handle to the young man.
Bell, killing is never a trivial act and it is not something you can, or should, really get used to. Don't feel guilty, you're not a murderer, it was self-defence, your opponent put you in a situation where he left you no choice.
The boy said nothing and just raised a hesitant hand to grab his weapon before putting it away. Ekkrit simply put a hand on his shoulder before speaking again.
Just calm down and we'll talk about this again when you're feeling better.
After the passage of the Nezu, Hestia left her captain in the care of Haruhime, whose gentleness would certainly benefit him. The goddess of the home then went to Thor, who was in the midst of a conversation with Ganesha.
Thor. I think we need to talk. she said in a confident voice.
I'm all ears. After what had just happened, the colossus knew he wouldn't get away with a joke, especially considering what had just happened to Bell.
I've always trusted you, I agreed to help you without asking too many questions. Every familia has its little secrets, that's part of the game. But given what's happened, I want answers. What's going on with these twins? They've always given me a weird vibe whenever I've seen them, but I've never asked any questions until now.
Except that after this, you want answers and that's normal. As he spoke, the god returned to the back of his hall. Ganesha understood what Thor wanted and waved his children out, except for Shakti. Nor did Thor's revealing certain secrets to those closest to him mean that he wanted to flaunt them in front of everyone.
With a weary look, the god of thunder returned to his big chair and sat down, trying to figure out where to start.
You've probably already guessed it, like many others here, but the twins are indeed... not quite human.
Then what are they? Hestia asked, waiting for a real answer.
They are homunculi...
Somewhere underground an old man was contemplating his work. Suspended in large glass tubes, floating in a strange liquid, were Andil and Linda, unconscious, runes dancing in the air around them and crystalline filaments hanging from the ceiling to their tubes.
The old purple-robed mage looked on contentedly, behind him stood a half-dozen copies of the jet-haired twins, still and silent. Footsteps were heard and he saw the veiled goddess in the white robe coming towards him.
Well, my dear, you seem satisfied. she said as she saw the mage's smile.
Quite so, my dear. I was once enraged that Thor stole the precious fruit of my research, but in the end, by giving them a falna and training them, he did me a great service. He answered with a big smile.
So you managed to transfer the strength of the falna into your copies? Interesting.
An imitation, I admit, they don't have real falnas and therefore can't gain power through Excelia, but they have the strength of the original model, which gives us a small army of level 3s.
Yes, we have seen your little demonstrations on the designated targets, the results are interesting.
With more resources, I could soon create an true army of them. Imagine the possibilities, war would change completely in the future.
Yes, an army of obedient, no-questions-asked level 3s would be very interesting and I know many people and gods who would pay good money for that.
I'm not interested in the shenanigans of these people. My homunculi will make me go down in history as the greatest alchemist of all time, I would even eclipse the Sage himself.
I have no doubt about that, my friend, if you will excuse me, I have a thousand things to do.
But the magician was already no longer listening to her, lost in the contemplation of his work. His obsession made him a pawn for the goddess, the man fulfilled his role to perfection. The closer he came to his imaginary consecration, the more blind he became. Under her veil, the goddess smiled, everything was going as she wanted and many would soon be in for a nasty surprise.
In Thor's house, the colossal god of thunder was not in a good mood. Telling the secret of the twins to so many people did not please him at all.
Uh, Bell began. What's a homunculus?
It's an alchemical creation, Master Bell, the fabrication of a living being from scratch. Lili answered. But from what I've heard, it's only supposed to be a legend.
Not for this guy. Thor sighed with a dejected look.
But isn't alchemy just for making potions and some gadgets like the ones you use?
That's what we call Lesser Alchemy, or simply common alchemy. Ygannea said, joining the conversation. True Alchemy, or High Alchemy, is much more complex, it is a technique halfway between magic and science. True alchemists are mages who carry out very complex research. Transmutation of materials, life extension, creation of artificial life forms and so on. One of the greatest alchemists in our history is the magician known today as the Sage. According to legend, he managed to become immortal, but no one has ever been able to verify this.
The members of Hestia's familia did their best to hide their nervousness, for they had been able to verify this. In fact, Fels was one of their most valuable allies, and his many creations had helped them out on more than one occasion. The man had indeed achieved a form of immortality, but at the cost of his own flesh, condemning him to live as a skeleton.
And the twins? Hestia asked, wanting answers. Would they be homunculi? Those too?
By this she was referring to the beings that had attacked them in recent days.
Yes, but they are different nonetheless.
In that case, explain us from the beginning Thor. Astraea said. Where did these twins come from and how did you meet them?
Sighing, the god of thunder poured himself a glass of hydromel, making it clear that the story was a little long.
That was many years ago now. A time when my familia was no bigger than Hestia's is today. A time when it was just Mei, Ekkrit, Thargar and Ygannea with me.
The other members of Thor's familia listened silently. They all knew that the twins were not quite human, but even though they had taken a vow of silence to their gods, those who came after did not know the whole story.
As always, our activity was focused on tracking down and hunting monsters. One day we heard a rumour about a valley where several villages were being attacked by strange monsters.
Strange... monsters? Shakti said warily.
At first, I just thought that the local villagers were simply afraid of a creature a little bigger than a goblin. But very quickly we realised that something was really wrong. The monsters we encountered were unlike anything we'd ever seen before. It was Ygannea who first understood what was going on.
The ice-haired elf stepped forward and spoke again.
The monsters didn't look like anything we knew, but at the same time had physical characteristics of several other creatures, as if they had been mixed together. And each creature we encountered was unique. So it was impossible for them to be the monsters found naturally in the world.
All the monsters were from the Dungeon, all of them, without exception. So did the monsters that could be found throughout the world. In the old days, before the arrival of the gods, monsters would regularly emerge from the Dungeon when it was still just a hole leading to an abyss of death and mortals never really contained those exits. It was not until the arrival of the gods, the falnas giving power, the continuous prayers of Ouranos to keep the Dungeon under anaesthesia and the construction of Babel to serve as a lid to contain the phenomenon for good. But the damage had already been done and many, many monsters roamed the world, eventually reproducing, which is why they were still to be found a thousand years later.
The only advantage was that their natural births made them much weaker than those of the Dungeon, as they had smaller magic stones.
So we investigated this phenomenon. Thor said. And to cut a long story short, we ended up finding the instigator of this whole mess, a mage, versed in alchemy. A man named Farg Galleon. We found his hideout, as well as all the material he used to make his crap. These chimerical monsters were in fact only trial runs to get the hang of it. And in order not to clutter up his laboratory, he was content to release them into the wild, without any regard for the inhabitants.
To get his hands on what? What can justify that? Astraea said, outraged by such a story.
This guy wanted to create human life forms from scratch. I think his plan was to create some kind of obedient soldiers or something. At the same time, I didn't really want to know what was going on in the head of this crazy guy. We found his lab, told him to stop his bullshit, he refused to listen, and it turned into an all-out fight. His homunculi were no stronger than ordinary humans, but he had a hell of a lot of them and the guy himself was a dangerous mage, this guy clearly had a falna.
If so, which familia did he belong to? asked Hestia.
I have no idea, after the fight, almost the entire underground collapsed on him, making it impossible to search for his corpse. I thought he was dead, obviously I was wrong, he must have had one last card to play to save his ass.
But that didn't explain at all where the twins came from. However, everyone suspected that the story was not over and after a short pause, Thor resumed his story.
In what was left of the laboratory, we found two glass tubes that had just opened and released their contents. Two homunculi, young teenagers. A boy and a girl who looked alike, with hair as black as night. Despite their appearance, they were really waking up for the first time and could not even stand on their legs. But above all, they were different from the other homunculi. There was a spark of life in their eyes, no aggression, but also incomprehension. They tried to talk to us, but it was difficult for them. Even though they had the bodies of teenagers, it was as if they had just been born. Galleon had implanted common knowledge into their minds, but had never released them from their tubes.
Most of the people present were shocked by Thor's story and the mage's treatment of life itself. Even if they were artificial creations, they were still living beings, not toys.
They were different from the others, weren't they? Do you know why?
At the goddess of justice's question, Thor simply turned his head towards Ygannea, who spoke up.
My theory is that they served as models, which explains why they are more 'accomplished' than the other homunculi. Just as a craftsman uses a mould to make the same object in a line, they were to be the basis for the development of the other homunculi.
These poor children were miserable, Galleon had probably never planned to free them. They didn't know what to do, lost as to the meaning of their own existence. "Who are we? What are we? Are we really alive? Do we even have a soul?"
The memory of the twins and their lost looks was something intense for those who had lived through its events, even today. Mei, Yga, Ekkrit, Thargar, all were lost at the time, what could they have said to those poor homunculi at that moment? It was not a big hug in the manner of Big Sister Yga that would solve everything.
I decided to give them a purpose in life, so I simply answered their last question.
The soul... then began Hestia. The falna!
That's right, I carved my falna into their backs, in doing so, I showed them that they had a soul.
Uh, excuse me. Bell said. But what does that have to do with it?
The falna is much more than a magical tattoo, my boy. What you have on your back is just a window to see it. The falna is a powerful divine blessing, it is not engraved in the flesh, but in the very soul of the blessed person. A soulless being cannot have a falna. Anyway, after that I gave them names, welcomed them into my familia and we went on with our everyday life.
Everyone was silent for a while. The children of Thor who had not experienced these events felt both sadness and compassion for the twins, but also respect for their gods who had saved them from their condition.
There was a moment of heavy silence, necessary for all present to process this information. The elephant god, who had been silent from the beginning, spoke again in his most serious tone, far from his usual facetiousness.
And you think that these homunculi were created by this man?
Yes, it must be him. I was complacent in the past in not seeking to confirm his death and this is the price of my mistake. Everything that's happened in the last few days was probably a set-up to get the twins back and resume making his little army.
Wait, something doesn't add up. Shakti said. If he needs the twins as a model to make these homunculi, and the whole murder thing was a setup. Then where did those of the first murder come from?
Thor thought for a moment before answering.
It's hard to say, that bastard's got a lot of resources, he must have found a way or had some left over to make less developed homunculi, who knows. Was the victim a level 1 adventurer?
A simple nod confirmed his assumption and he continued.
In that case, almost anyone could have killed him. The main thing was not who killed him, but to make it look like the twins did it.
Except that right now, Mei continued, we have a bigger problem. The homunculi we faced in the past were numerous, but had no more strength than a normal human. But these ones clearly have the same strength as Linda and Andil. Could this guy have copied their falna?
Impossible, the god of thunder answered. The falna is a sacred blessing that is engraved in the soul, these creatures can't have it. Moreover, a falna is personal, it is not something that can be copied in nature. But then, it is easy to find out for sure. Ganesha, you have a Status Thief on you, I suppose?
The elephant god said nothing and threw him a vial containing the famous liquid. All the gods could conceal their falna so that each adventurer could keep his abilities to himself. However, this object allowed the falna to appear in spite of everything. It could be used for various purposes, from spying to identifying the bodies of adventurers whose faces would be unrecognisable. And since it could also be used to identify the abilities of adventurers gone wrong, it was no wonder that Ganesha's familia, in charge of law and order, had a stock of these potions.
Thor turned the body of a clone of Andil onto its stomach and bared its back before letting it taste the precious liquid. There was no reaction, no tattoo appeared on the homunculus' back.
No falna, as I thought. That means the bastard found another way to copy their abilities.
That doesn't help, the shivat girl continued, It's impossible to know if he's only copying the statistics or if they have access to their other abilities. If they are able to use this skill, the fight will only be more complicated.
Mei had either said too much or not enough. Either way, the looks on Hestia's and Astraea's faces meant that they wanted more details. With a sigh, the colossus answered them.
Andil and Linda have a skill that allows them to fly briefly. Used properly, this gives them a distinct advantage in battle.
Are you telling me we might have a level 3 army flying around?
I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. I want my children back, which certainly includes killing that asshole and his little band of alchemical rejects in the process. I've answered your questions, now I think we've talked enough and it's time to act. Ekkrit?
The nezu, silent for a moment, approached his god and spoke.
Found it. Cross-referencing delivery locations, city maps and smuggling information, there's only one possible place he could have discreetly set up his lab, an old underground tank in the 4th district's sewer system.
In the sewers, he must feel at home, I suppose.
Your orders, Father? Mei asked, also determined to save the twins.
If his homunculi really do have level 3 strength, let's not take any risks. All level 1s, Girkas, Viclaer, Arrauth, Brica and Adriel, stay in the house and do some cleaning.
Indeed, the house was still invaded by homunculus corpses, not to mention the various stains and destroyed furniture. A thankless task, but much safer than running into the laboratory of a mad alchemist.
Thor, let my familia take care of this instead. Ganesha tried, but Thor gently signalled that there was no need.
I have no intention of challenging your authority in the city, but I don't want you to risk the lives of your children. We're the ones who brought this guy in, we'll deal with it. On the other hand, I'd be happy if you'd... smooth things over with the Guild, explain it to them without it becoming public.
The god in the elephant mask sighed and replied.
I don't like it, but so be it. I trust you, as true as my name is Ganesha. He concluded in one of his usual excessive voices.
The elephant god and his children then set to work to discreetly take the bodies of the homunculi. It was then Astraea who came towards him.
Thor, wait. I understand that you want to deal with this yourself, but you're still going to need backup. Let Ryuu come with you, she's level 6 now, she'll be useful.
The goddess didn't need to see the elf to know that she would do as she wished, she too felt indebted to Thor and his familia. Hestia grumbled in her corner, but approached as well.
Raaaah! I don't like it, but I'm not going to let you down either. Take my children too.
Bell and the rest of Hestia's familia signalled that they too were ready to go rescue the twins.
Are you sure? Bell didn't seem to be on top of his moral earlier. And for the rest of them, it's going to be pretty rough.
Bell is stronger than you think. said the little goddess with a big, confident smile. She might have been jealous and possessive when it came to the young human, but she was the one who had always believed in him the most, right from the start. As for the others, don't worry, they're resourceful, and even if she's still level 1, Haruhime has... let's say useful abilities.
Thor had trusted her with secrets, she could trust him with secrets, and he wasn't the one who would try to steal the fox from her because of her level-up magic.
I don't like to involve others in my mistakes, but either way, my priority is to save Andil and Linda. I promised them a real life and I must keep my word. I will not forget your kindness to me.
Thor. Astraea said with a tender look. I will repay the debt I owe you, you have already done so much for me. This time, let me help you in turn.
And someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Hestia continued in a playful and mischievous tone. After all, it's not like I haven't known you for thousands of years now.
You said it, my beloved little goddess. He said, stroking Hestia's head with a fatherly look. In that case, enough dawdling, let's go!
Thor! Ganesha called out to him one last time before leaving. Do you even have a plan?
Do I really look like a guy with a plan? replied the god of thunder with a toothy grin. There was a time for strategy and a time for pure violence. It didn't matter to him what traps or other twisted surprises Farg Galleon might have, he would crush him with all his fury, because deep down, that was his nature.
Seated in a luxurious armchair, lit by the subdued glow of a few magic stone lamps, the goddess was looking at a tray decorated with precious wooden figurines. A few white-clad figures were in the shadows. Nonchalantly, the goddess played with some of these figures with her fingertips.
Well, well. The curtain will rise on this delightful tragedy. Who will be the actors and extras?
In the shadows she was enjoying the situation. Her plans were moving forward, Thor didn't know what he was rushing into, and deep inside she was already gloating.
Freya is out of the picture due to the holmgang...
The goddess knocked over one of the figures with an amused look.
Loki is too busy chasing ghosts...
Another figure knocked over.
Ganesha... lost in the immensity of his responsibilities...
Another one.
Ouranos and his precious Guild, unable to see beyond appearances...
Then another one.
Astraea and Hestia may be full of good will, but they have neither the strength nor the prestige to make a difference. You will dance Thor, without even knowing who is playing the music that takes you into the dance.
The goddess concludes her little monologue with a light and amused laugh, before raising her hand to give a vague sign. A few silhouettes in the shadows then moved. The game was really about to begin and the fact that the dice were loaded in her favour was known only to her...