Chapter 35: Before the Storm
When Lily had been ordered to accompany Caster, she thought she would be acting like an assistant of sorts during an important meeting or as a carrier for the king's purchases. She did not expect to be told to disguise herself and follow without saying anything.
"…You look like you have a lot of questions," a rather high pitch voice completely different from her king's usual voice said to her.
"Quite a bit," Lily admitted honestly.
"Hahaha, well, just wait until we reach our destination."
So said the golden haired "human" boy that was the same size as her Familia Goddess.
Lily, currently in her usual werewolf disguise ala Cinder Ella, followed dutifully from the Hearthstone Manor all the way to the eastern end of the city. From there they entered a storage building filled with various storage safes.
"This one," the boy said, holding up a key to a safe marked #689.
Inserting the key inside, the safe door opened without any trouble…and its contents made Lily's jaw drop.
Jewels of various colors and sizes, gold and silver rings, and three large books that Lily recognized to be Magic Grimoires were sitting there without a care in the world.
"Fuahahaha, not bad Fels, not bad at all," the boy said with a laugh as the treasure disappeared into a golden portal. "I suppose it's no longer necessary for you all to pay for the Tamer Licenses now…but I think it would be better to store this as emergency funds instead. Oh, but we can probably use the Grimoires instead of selling them. What do you think, Lily? Want one?"
"L-L-Lily thinks using a Grimoire on a Supporter is a waste…Lord Caster," Lily replied, picking her jaw up from the floor. Level 2 or not, Lily was still not eager to be in any sort of combat role.
"Hmm, you shouldn't call me 'Caster' when we're in disguise like this," 'Caster' said as he rubbed his chin. "I shouldn't be calling you Lily either come to think of it. So call me 'Gil' and I'll call you 'Milly,' got it?"
"If you say so…"
Seeing Lily's mind in complete turmoil, 'Gil' let out a sigh as he snapped his fingers, causing a small wand to appear between them. Immediately after, the air around them seemed to still.
"There, now we can talk without any risk of being overheard," Gil said with a smile. "So what's wrong, Lily? Did you not want to come along?"
"N-no it's not that!" Lily said quickly. "It's just that…the news that Lord Caster was the one who attacked Freya Familia…it is a bit much for Lily to take in right now."
"Oh? And what makes you think that it was me?"
"The Guild bounty said that the attack was a 'human boy' or 'male pallum' with golden hair and red eyes. The estimated Level is 4 or 5. The only Pallums that are that high are in Freya Familia or Loki Familia's Braver. Of them, only Braver has blonde hair and even then his eyes weren't red. That just leaves you."
"Ahahaha, touché," the boy nodded with a melodious laugh.
"How can you even make yourself younger anyway?" Lily asked. "It's different from Lily's magic since your height also changed."
"You can just consider it a little party trick. I can share one with you if you want but…I don't think it'll do you much good if you were to get even tinier. Will you even change all that much if you were to take the reverse candy to grow older though?"
"No…Lily thinks this is as big as Lily is going to get," Lily admitted with a long sigh. "Even Loki Familia's Braver isn't that much taller than Lily."
"Pallums really do have it hard," Gil muttered with a nod.
"Lily also thinks Lord…no…Gil's 'party tricks' are way too crazy for normal people to consider as 'party tricks,'" Lily added, hand over her the ring hanging from her necklace.
"Ahaha, everything's relative my dear attendant," Gil replied with another laugh. "But really, you seem much more comfortable speaking to me in this form than as my usual adult self."
"Grk!"
He was right.
Somewhere along the way, Lily's mental exhaustion from all of this had made her act in a very informal manner with her king.
"Not that I mind it," Gil continued, ignoring her inner turmoil. "Showing reverence is fine but there's no need to overly force yourself and give nothing but empty platitudes. I need someone that can speak their mind when needed, not a sycophant."
"Y-yes, understood!" Lily said with a nod and Gil smiled and snapped his fingers.
"Good. Now then, let us continue our date."
"Yes!" Lily nodded again as she followed behind Gil only to stop as her thoughts caught up to her brain. "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" Gil asked with a smirk. "We're burning daylight."
"W-w-w-w-wait a minute, Lord…no, Gil!" Lily said quickly. "Since when was this a date?"
"Since I have declared it so."
"B-but aren't we just taking a walk?"
"And thus, a date."
"Two people walking together doesn't qualify as a date!"
"Is that not the very definition of a date?"
"Lord Caster!"
"Ahahaha, are you so against the idea?" Gil asked with another laugh.
"Please don't tease Lily like this…"
More and more of her energy seemed to be floating away as Gil seemed to look apologetic.
"All right, all right, I got it," Gil said with a smile and a sigh. "I'll stop."
"How are you so different from your usual self?" Lily asked as she rubbed her forehead. To her surprise, Gil's eyes clouded over as they glanced over to the side.
"That question haunts me at every waking moment," Gil muttered. Did Lily step on a landmine? "Anyway! We should quickly head to our next destination."
"Where exactly are we going?" Lily asked falling into step behind Gil again.
"To the place of my informants," Gil replied with a grin. "They must be working hard so the donuts are part of my appreciation for them."
"Ahh…that explains a lot."
"Of course I offer monetary compensation as well. This is just a bonus."
Lily nodded her head again as they headed south for a bit, making their way through several narrow alleyways that Lily was rather familia with.
"Are we heading to Daedalus Street?" Lily asked, looking around the maze-like alleyway that Gil was navigating without any problem.
"That's right."
Daedalus Street.
A residential area said to have been built by an architect that had gone insane and remodeled the neighborhood many times over. Its stone buildings, stairwells and winding roads were all going up and down with no rhyme or reason and no sense of order or direction. Some steps even stopped right in the middle of a building's wall or even went through a window and out the other side.
It was no wonder that the area was often called Orario's "second Dungeon."
It was also the place where the poor and destitute tended to gather, making Lily feel a bit worried that someone might see a pair of kids and think they would make for an easy mark. She prayed that no one would be stupid enough to try, for their own sake.
Once or twice Gil would stop and look at a red arrow on the wall and change direction. These arrows were painted onto the walls and ground of Daedalus Street in an attempt to lead people who got lost back out.
People referred to them as "ariadne."
Eventually they stopped by a building near the heart of the labyrinth.
"…A church?" Lily asked in surprise.
"Feeling nostalgic?" Gil asked. "My informants live in this church. Although it's been abandoned once before and is currently being used as an orphanage."
"Orphanage?" Lily repeated. "Then…Gil's informants are…"
"Indeed," Gil nodded as a bag dropped on the ground between them. "Pick that up and prepare yourself."
"Prepare for what?" Lily asked, dread creeping up her spine as she slung the backpack around her shoulders. No sooner did she do so however…
"Ah! It's Gil!"
A young Chienthrope poked her head out the door and called out the moment she saw them and then a wave of children of all races surged out of the doors in a blink of an eye.
Lily let out a scream as she quickly retreated from the scene as the children mobbed the laughing Gil.
"Yes yes, I finally managed to sneak away again to play," Gil said as he was tugged back and forth by the children. "Is Mother Maria in, Lai?"
"She is!" A human boy answered with a nod. "She's in the cafeteria."
"Got it. I need to talk to her for a moment then we'll get to business. Milly, come!"
At Gil's order, the sea of children parted with all of their gazes focused on Lily as she hurried to keep pace with Gil. Most of the children weren't that tall. At the very least, the tallest one was only just a bit taller than Lily. But they didn't seem to be unhappy about their situation judging by the fact that they could still smile so happily.
Lily then turned her attention back to the church. The building was very old and rundown, as most churches were since the advent of the gods. However, there were signs of recent repair to the window and walls showing that they had at least some sort of income. Perhaps donations from some Familia or Gil himself? Or maybe some of the older children were doing some jobs to help make money? Gil did say he was using them as informants.
The inside of the building was rather wide, being at least ten meters across with doors lining the walls leading into other rooms. All of which were showing signs of recent repair. Even the ground at Lily's feet had recently sealed cracks in them.
The pews that would normally line the main hall had been stacked up in one of the corners, rearranged in a way that made Lily think of a fort that children would usually make out of cushions and the like instead.
Gil and Lily made their way across the hall and into the back of the church into a cafeteria where an elderly human was tending to a stove.
"Mother Maria, Gil's here again!" Lai said as he rushed passed them to the old woman.
"Oh my," Maria turned around with a smile. "It's been a while, Gil."
"Ahaha, I'm sorry Mother Maria," Gil apologized with another smile on his face. "But I got in trouble for sneaking out so I had to wait a bit before I could come back."
Mother Maria had long black hair that was tied up in a bun on the back of her head. She looked rather thin, not surprising considering the state of their home, but she had a calming aura about her that made the kids love her.
"And that girl there?"
"The child of one of my attendants," Gil lied smoothly. "Her name is Milly. I dragged her along too."
From that Lily guessed that Gil was pretending to be the child of some noble living in Orario rather than Familia Captain. Certainly if he said he wasn't part of a Familia, people would be less likely to suspect that he was the mysterious boy rampaging against the High-Class Familias.
"Anyway, I brought groceries!" Gil said as he walked behind Milly and opened up her bag, pulling out several vegetables and meat.
"Oh Gil, I've said you don't have to go out of your way to do so."
"And I've said that I want to do it so I'm going to do it. All the children who live here are my precious playmates. So of course I want to help out."
It was scary that Lily couldn't tell if he was being honest or not. The usual Caster would never play with children like this so easily but the current Gil was nearly the exact opposite that Lily couldn't believe that they were the same person even though she saw him change right in front of her.
Then again, despite his standoffish attitude, Gina, Primo and Assassin seemed to like him a lot and not just because he was their Familia Captain.
"Besides," Gil continued. "It's either this or I donate Valis and since you won't accept that even when you accept it from several goddesses and their Familias…"
"It's not that that I don't want to accept Valis," Maria said with a sigh that told Lily that this was an argument they had often. "I told you it's because you are offering far too much."
Gil's response was to shake his head and sigh.
Still, Maria accepted the food in the end. With that done, Gil took Lily by the hand and went back out to the main hall where all the kids were currently waiting by the fort made out of the pews.
"Now then!" Gil said, walking over and climbing on top of the fort with his arms crossed. "The King's court is now in session. First order of business, let me hear what you all have learned since our last session. Let's start with…"
Gil began calling the names of the children one by one.
To Lily's surprise, the children were indeed being used as informants. After all, orphan children were the norm in Orario. Adventurers who had relations outside of the Familia whose child wasn't allowed to join the Familia after their death, unwanted babies from night workers from the Entertainment district, or just people who couldn't or didn't want to care for a child. They all made their way into Daedalus Street one way or another.
All sorts of information was being shared by the children, even if a few were doubled up on. A few of them mentioned that Adventurers bearing the Loki Familia emblem were combing the streets as if searching for something. Others mentioned hearing strange noises near the entrances to the sewers. But the biggest thing was…
"We saw a bunch of people walking around!" Lai said as a half-elf and the chienthrope girl that spotted them when they first arrived nodded their heads.
"Strange people?" Lily repeated.
"Yeah!" The chienthrope, Fina, added. "They were wearing white robes and were being very sneaky."
"So we tried to follow them but…" the half-elf, Ruu, continued only to be cut off by Gil.
"Are you three stupid!?" Gil shouted, causing everyone to flinch in surprise. "Who told you to put yourself in danger by following suspicious people? I said to only keep an eye out for strange things, not to go looking for it!"
"B-but…" Lai began but Gil was having none of it.
"No, you shut up and listen! Mother Maria and Big Sis Syr must have told you over and over, right? Dangerous people wander around here. They'll ignore you if you don't do anything overt but if you follow them, it won't just end with a scary person yelling at you, you know! They'll come and hurt Mother Maria and everyone else as well"
He did not give them a chance to explain themselves and the three children hung their heads as he chastised them. However, Lily could tell that Gil's agitation was genuine. He didn't want them putting themselves in danger for his sake.
"That goes for all of you," Gil said, looking at the other children. "If you see strange people, run away and tell me the next time I come. Absolutely do not follow them, under any circumstances. Do I make myself clear?"
A round of "Yes's" and quick nods of heads answered him.
"Good." Gil nodded his head as if satisfied with their answer. "Is there anything else?"
The children all shared glances but no one offered anything else.
"Then let's begin the next event," Gil declared, his smile returning to his face. "Milly, take out that box!"
"R-right!" Lily replied. She then took off her backpack and set it on the ground and pulled out the last item inside. "Here you go. Donuts for everyone!"
When she opened the box, a sweet smell filled the area and the children let out squeals of delight.
"Everyone line up behind Lai, Fina and Ruu," Gil said as Lily moved so that those three kids were in the front. "There is enough for everyone and if you want seconds you have to go to the back of the line. No more than three for each person though. And don't start eating until everyone's seated. That means you, Fina."
"Wasn't gonna!" Fina protested as she picked out a chocolate donut and quickly ran off to get back in line.
Once everyone had grabbed at least one donut, leaving only two left, Gil had Lily pick one out while he took the last one.
"Everyone's got at least one, right?" Gil asked and everyone held up a donut. "Then let the donut party begin! Oh, but keep it a secret from Mother Maria…" he added after a thought.
"""Kaaaaay!"""
As everyone began eating, Lily saw something glowing within her bag. Holding the donut in her mouth, she opened it up again and saw several thermoses inside, each one a different color next to several wooden cups. After opening them up, she saw that they were filled with various juices or milk.
Understanding what Gil wanted her to do, she took them out and started pouring them into cups as the children came over and took one to go with their snack.
"Is it okay to give these kids so much sugar?" Lily whispered to Gil who laughed.
"As long as we get out of here before Mother Maria finds out, it'll be fine."
"That's horrible, Gil…"
"In any case, our next destination has been decided," Gil said.
"Where those robed people went?"
"Indeed."
Gil then stepped over to Lai, Fina and Kuu.
"Are you three satisfied?" He asked and received the reply in unison.
"""Yep!"""
"I'm sorry for getting mad earlier," Gil continued. "But I need to make sure the three of you understand. Things are getting more and more dangerous lately so if you want to protect this place and Mother Maria, you can't go actively looking for dangerous things. Just tell them to me if you see something strange, okay?"
"Yes…"
"I understand…"
"I'm sorry…"
They gave three different replies this time.
"Then, even though it completely goes against what I said earlier…I need you three to show me where you saw that tunnel. At the very least, it needs to be sealed so suspicious people can't use it to move about the city easily, or worse, let criminals escape and enter the city at their leisure."
Gil then placed several coins in front of them.
"This is payment for the three of you to lead me near the place you found it, eight hundred valis. It should be enough for some snacks for everyone."
All of the orphans eyes widened at the amount of money placed on the floor.
"But listen carefully you three," Gil continued, grabbing Lai by the face. "Do not misunderstand me. This is not a 'reward' for putting yourselves in danger. If you do something like that again…I'm going to be very unhappy. Understand?"
"Y-yessir…" Lai answered while the other two quickly nodded their heads.
Satisfied with that, Gil directed the other children to distract Maria while he had the three of them show him the way to the tunnel, heading out through the back of the church garden.
"Over here!" Fina said as she pointed toward a massive field of rubble. "They disappeared somewhere in this field."
"There aren't any tunnels when we looked here later though," Lai said.
"Maybe they closed it up?" Ruu suggested.
"Milly follow me," Gil said taking a step onto the rubble. "You three…stay there."
They nodded their heads and quickly ran to hide behind a large stone block, poking only their heads out to watch them.
"Remember," Gil said as he turned back to the three orphans. "No matter what happens, do not move from that spot unless I tell you to run."
The three of them nodded again just as Gil glanced down at Lily's feet as she stood on top of a particularly large stone slab.
"Milly, that rock…remove it. Carefully."
Lily nodded as she hopped down and dug a bit in the rubble until she found the edge of the stone.
"One…two…!"
Digging her hands under the block, she felt her skills, Artel Assist and Crownsguard, activate in unison. The first adjusting her strength to allow her to carry any weight and the second boosting all her parameters to allow her to follow her king's orders.
The combination easily allowed her to lift the massive stone block that was easily the same size of Berserker over her head and toss it to the side.
Level 2 was amazing.
And judging from the flabbergasted expressions of the three orphans, they agreed as Gil simply let out a laugh.
A few more minutes of tossing rocks away later, the area was completely cleared out, giving more room for the strange growling to seep through from the newly revealed tunnel.
"…There really was a secret tunnel," Lily muttered as she took a few steps back while Gil stepped forward.
"…"
The golden haired boy was completely silent as his eyes glared down into the darkness.
"Hey Gil, is it safe?" Lai called out, snapping the boy out of his contemplation.
"It definitely is not," Gil replied, his casual attitude slowly disappearing in favor of the mask of a king. "The three of you are to go back to the orphanage, immediately."
"What? That's not fair!" Lai protested. "Milly gets to go with you!"
"Despite her appearance, Milly is also a High-Class Adventurer, as you may have already noticed. The three of you have never been in a fight so you cannot properly protect me properly. And no, petty squabbles between your friends is nowhere near the same scale."
Not wanting to give up, Lai then turned to Milly.
"Hey Milly, can we join your Familia?" He asked.
"That isn't for Milly to decide," Lily said. "That's up to Milly's Captain and Goddess. But Milly doubts that they will allow it since Lai and the others are still a bit young."
Lily's response seemed to surprise Fina.
"What? But you don't look any older than we are!"
"The youngest in our Familia is ten years-old. Milly is just short for her age."
Judging from their expressions, none of them were at that age yet, except for Lai who looked back at his friends as if unwilling to leave them behind and possibly join a Familia on his own. As expected of the group's "leader."
"With that settled, get going," Gil said, his mask slipping slightly as he shooed the three away. "We have work to do."
As the orphans slumped away, Lily turned toward Gil.
"Lord Caster does realize that once we go in, they're going to follow, right?"
The long sigh that came out of his mouth was the only reply she got and needed.
Nevertheless, the two of them turned back to investigate the tunnel.
Thanks to the blessing bestowed on her by Soma and currently powered by Hestia, the pitch darkness of the tunnel did little to hamper her vision. Everything around here seemed to be made out of stone. The stairs leading into the tunnel, the walls, the ceiling…
"Was all of this made by Daedalus too?" Lily wondered out loud but Gil did not respond, keeping his eyes forward the entire time.
"…This tunnel must span throughout a large portion of Orario," Gil finally spoke up. "At the very least…the scent of the Pleasure Quarter reaches here."
Lily was surprised that Gil could tell that much despite the fact that they had't walked very far yet. That said, the Pleasure Quarter wasn't that far from Daedalus Street. Both of them were in the southeastern quadrant of Orario with Daedalus being in the East-Southeastern part and the Pleasure Quarter being in the South-Southeastern part.
But still, for a secret tunnel to lead from here to there is strange.
"That goddess's scent is seeping through," Gil continued, his red eyes seemingly glowing in the darkness. "There is no mistaking it. She uses these tunnels often."
Although Lily couldn't tell something like that, there was something else she could tell.
"Gil…the smell of monsters is also rather strong…" she whispered, tugging on his sleeve. "Like a lot of them had moved through here recently."
"Monsters? Ahh…so that's how it is…"
"How what-" Lily began only to clamp up. "Wait…Fia!"
"Indeed. This must be part of the system where monsters, and probably those ones, are moved through the city. I see…the picture is coming together. Hmm?"
The path in front of them suddenly came to a stop. The stone path in front of them had disappeared and was replaced by a massive golden door about three meters tall with several red gemstones embedded in its luster. Its sheen was unlike anything Lily had ever seen before in Orario.
Gil didn't say anything as he placed a hand against the door and gave it a slight push. As one would expect, it did not budge.
"Lily hasn't seen this metal before," Lily muttered. "It doesn't look like Adamatite…"
"It's Orichalcum," came Gil's answer, much to Lily's surprise.
"Orichalcum!?" Lily shouted, her voice echoing in the tunnel. "You mean this door has the unbreakable Durandal trait!?"
"Hahaha, who can say?" Gil shrugged as his hands disappeared into his pockets. "But I suppose this is where our search ends for the time being. I cannot continue on this path today."
He glanced at Lily as he said that to which she was both grateful and frustrated.
Grateful that she would not have to join in an investigation involving people who could hunt down the Xenos, meaning that they were at least Level 3 and over. And yet she was frustrated that her presence was the reason her king had to end his investigation for the time being out of concern for her safety.
The contrasting emotions served to only heighten her frustrations even more.
"Well let's get back before they get worried."
With that said, Gil turned around and grabbed Lily by the hand to start walking back. However, once they had walked away from the door, Gil wheeled around and three golden portals appeared around him. Massive hammers slowly slid out from the spiraling lights before they were shot out at breakneck speeds, smashing into the door and sending a loud vibration throughout the tunnel.
"Hmm…I suppose it is quite sturdy after all," Gil said, completely ignoring the fact that Lily's ears were ringing as she was crouched low on the floor with her hands pressing down on them to try and dull the pain. "I don't think I should waste any more of my treasures to try and force it open."
Raising her head, Lily's mouth fell open as she saw that the three hammers had shattered themselves upon the massive door but not without creating several large cracks like spiderwebs at the impact spots.
"As expected it'll take a bit more to shatter something that bears the name 'Durandal,'" Gil said as if he was merely trying to shatter a glass window with a rock. "As expected of one of humanity's greatest achievements that did not require the blessings of the gods."
"I-is it necessary to do something like this?" Lily asked, quickly standing up and hiding behind Gil.
"Probably not," Gil admitted with a smile. "But it does leave quite the message doesn't it? The one who took on Freya and Ishtar Familias has turned his eyes on them…and can probably break through the unbreakable given a bit of effort. The more they panic, the more mistakes they will make."
"…Lily understands how Gil can grow up to be like that person now."
"Why does everyone keep saying that!?"
Lily let out a sigh as she followed the depressed child that would soon return to being her king, and left the tunnel behind her, dragging three unrepentant orphans they had met on the way out.
By then, night was slowly falling down on Orario.
X-x-X-x-X
"…I look, ridiculous."
"Fufu, you look fine. Don't worry about it so much."
When Hestia had learned that Archer was going to accompany Hephaistos, she had fussed over him to make him look presentable. Thus he was put into one of the suits that she bought earlier while on a shopping trip with another goddess, had his hair combed down, and even had glasses placed on him so "he could look smarter."
"I look like an attendant rather than an escort…" he noted.
"You look fine, honest," Hephaistos repeated. She herself was wearing a tight black dress with a blue rose over her chest as well as a black hat tilted over her face to cover her right eye, also with a blue rose.
"But is this really okay?" Archer asked. "I'm not sure how much help."
"It's fine," Hephaistos said as she patted his arm. "It's just a small business meeting that happened to be taking place during this ball. Of course, the opportunity for networking is always there. As I said, I just need an escort for this formal occasion. I'd wanted to ask Welf but he's a bit busy with your Famlia's equipment. Just take the time to enjoy some high-class food and drink while I take care of some business."
"Well, if you say so."
They took a carriage from Hephaistos's shop to a section of the Shopping District on the south end of the city. Lavish buildings, hotels, casinos, theaters and high end bars occupied the entire view.
"…So this is where Caster goes to every other night," Archer muttered, glancing at the sparkling buildings illuminated with various high quality Magic Stones.
"Oh, I heard from Hestia that your Captain frequents the casinos around here," Hephaistos commented as they cross through the entrance with the goddess flashing an invitation letter to the doorman with her free hand while her other hand was locked in Archer's arm. "You're not slowly getting into more debt, are you?"
"Not at all, quite the opposite in fact. The Captain always comes out ahead in his little trips."
As they made small talk, they crossed into the main banquet hall.
Several golden chandeliers lit up the massive room, illuminating the guests and appetizers spread out on several tables. There was a band on a small stage playing a light tune for the guests to listen to as they discuss their business with each other or went about with their networking.
"Now that I think about it," Archer began. "Is this something you yourself should be doing? Couldn't you leave it to your Captain?"
"Do you really think that Tsubaki is a good fit for a place like this?" Hephaistos asked with an incredulous look on her face.
"…Point."
"I can trust her to make her own contracts with Adventurers since most of them don't care for niceties and etiquette but here…"
Archer simply nodded his head. Certainly he was sure the half-dwarf could step up to the challenge if it came down to it but she would definitely seem out of place. Almost as much as if Assassin or Tiona were to attend one.
Then again, it's not like Archer himself was one to talk.
Still, all he had to do was stand by Hephaistos's side as she conducted her business and make sure nothing untoward happened to the goddess.
All in all, a rather simple Quest that should be able to be completed without any trouble.
Sure things were a bit boring but that was to be expected in a Escort Quest in an area surrounded by nobles from outside of Orario and Ganesha Familia members working as guards and waitstaff.
Only a complete idiot would cause a fuss here.
Still, that left Archer without much to do besides sampling the food left out for the guests. Which he did without hesitation for purely academic purposes.
"Hmm, a peach tart, huh?" Archer muttered to himself as he took a treat off a tray from a passing by waiter. "It's a small slice from a whole but it probably looked like a blooming flower. The girls will probably love it…as for the taste…"
The baked treat crumbled and melted away in his mouth, spreading its sweet flavor throughout his mouth. It had a fruity sweetness that wasn't quite as strong as the honey cloud on the Eighteenth Floor of the Dungeon but it might be too sweet for Bell to enjoy.
"Knowing him, he'll probably eat it anyway to be polite," he thought with a wry smile. "Maybe if I use less sugar and rely on just the strength of the peaches he'll be able to enjoy them a bit. That guy's been pestering me about using lamb for the next meal too so let's try that one next."
Lost in his thoughts about recreating the delicacies at this ball for his Familia to enjoy, Archer nearly missed someone walking by in a bright orange gown adorned with flowers the same colors as the sun.
At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. After all, there was no way that girl could be here. It wasn't exactly a place she would willingly go to after all. A fun loving and rowdy girl like her would not really find a place where the high class elite talk circles around each other while flaunting their wealth and connections.
"Gah! The hem!"
It was her.
Archer winced as he turned to see that his…friend…he supposed, from outside of the Familia had tripped on the hem of her gown and fallen flat on her face.
A quick glance around showed him that no one was interested in helping her up. The other guests were sneering at her and whispering behind her back. They were without a doubt thinking that she didn't belong here…which was in a way exactly what Archer was thinking himself although in much harsher words. The fact that his thoughts had reached the same level as the people shamed and angered him.
He couldn't pretend he didn't see her, no matter how much he wanted to keep from being involved. Seeing her on the ground completely defeated was something that he couldn't ignore even though it would no doubt be rather troublesome. He let out a sigh and ran his hand down his face for a moment before walking over to the fallen Tiona.
"What are you doing laying on the ground like that?" He asked as he knelt down in front of her head. "A party's no place to be feeling sorry for yourself."
"Huh?"
Tiona lifted her head and glanced up toward Archer's face.
"Come on, give me your hand."
"Uh…right."
Tiona's expression was blank as Archer helped her feet.
"As a Level 6 I don't think I need to worry about you getting a bruise or something," Archer said as he straightened out the wrinkles in her dress. "Looks like the dress is fine too. It looks good on you so it'd be a shame for it to get torn or something."
"Ah…thank you…"
While fixing the flower embroidery hanging near her waist, Archer chanced a glance up at the Amazon's face.
She had the back of her hand up next to her mouth as if covering her face as she seemed embarrassed that he had seen her in such a state. Well, he'll take that rare expression as payment for helping her.
"All right, everything seems fine now," Archer said as he stood up. "You okay? It doesn't look like you're having too much fun here."
"Y-yeah…I'm really not…" Tiona admitted, eyes downcast once more.
Archer let out another sigh as he took her hand and led her to the side of the room, picking up two water glasses from a waiter along the way. He handed one to her as he stood by her side, back resting against the wall.
"Well take a moment to gather yourself then decide if you want to stay or not," Archer said. "Although it is commendable for you to try to go someplace outside your comfort zone, if you aren't comfortable in this atmosphere then there's no need to force yourself to stay."
"You're probably right…" Tiona muttered with a sigh. "But I think it's getting a bit better now."
"Heh…that's good to hear."
"Umm…if you don't mind…can you-"
"Ah, there you are!"
"Ah, damn."
The Goddess Hephaistos was walking up to them. A wry smile formed on Archer's face as he realized that he had completely forgotten about the reason he came here in the first place.
"My apologies, Goddess," Archer apologized with a quick bow. "Someone else had caught my attention."
"So I noticed," Hephaistos replied with a smile. "You're one of Loki's kids right?"
"Ah, yes! I'm Tiona Hiryute!" Tiona introduced herself quickly.
"Right, that was the name. Were the two of you catching up since the Expedition?"
"Expedition?" Tiona repeated as she turned back toward Archer. "Oh, did you join us to the Fiftieth Floor? Sorry but I don't remember all the Hephaistos Smiths that joined us except for Tsubaki."
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Hephaistos let out a noise of surprise which was immediately followed by Tiona's sound of confusion.
"Are you serious?" Hephaistos asked, mouth agape before bringing her hand up to stifle a giggle.
"W-what? It's hard enough remembering everyone in my own Familia," Tiona protested.
Hephaistos simply smiled as she turned her face toward Archer who sighed before he took off his glasses and ran a hand up through his hair.
"Ahhhh!" Seeing this, Tiona immediately shouted in realization as she pointed a finger at Archer. "It's Archer!"
"Yes. It's me."
"…What's with the get up?"
"You of all people are asking me that?"
"Ahaha…right."
"I've hired him to escort me during the party," Hephaistos interjected. "All of my Familia members are busy with their own work so I couldn't ask any of them. The two of us had a meeting earlier and since I'm friends with his goddess I asked him to take on this duty as a Quest."
"Well, it's not like this job really required me to do anything to begin with," Archer pointed out.
"Like I said, it's fine like that. As your Familia's slowly gaining prestige what with your fight against a Floor Boss with only a handful of Level 1 Adventurers and a single Level 2. Consider it practice for when you have to escort Hestia or even go to another country to represent Orario."
"In that case it would be my Captain or Vice Captain to go, right?"
"Besides, party like this isn't something a woman goes to alone unless she is looking for a companion at the party."
At this, both Hephaistos and Archer turned toward Tiona.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"No, never mind," Archer said, turning his eyes away as Hephaistos let out another giggle.
"So what have you been doing while you're here, Archer?" Tiona asked. "It's all been pretty boring in my opinion."
"I've been standing around as Lady Hephaistos's guard. In short I've been working."
"So you've been bored too?"
"I didn't say that," Archer said quickly as he tucked his fake glasses into his breast pocket.
"It's fine," Hephaistos said. "I'm finding it a bit boring too. It's not as though forming contracts is particularly enjoyable in this sort of atmosphere. Even if they do turn out to be lucrative."
"If only my goddess can imitate your work ethic…"
"Loki doesn't even work at all."
The two Adventurers compared their respective goddesses to the admirable one in front of them who could only an offer laugh to their indirect praises.
"Well, Loki Familia's already well established and powerful so Loki also working would just be redundant," Hephaistos pointed out as if she wanted to defend her friends' honor. "She also probably has her hands full managing the budget and stuff that she doesn't just leave to Braver. And compared to her time in Tenkai, Hestia's work ethic is already a thousand times better. The fact that she's still working at that potato puff stand in spite of the fact that I'm sure you're pulling in more than enough money yourselves."
Archer knew that the goddess of the forge had a point but he wasn't able to reconcile that fact with the constantly reclining and/or napping goddess in his mind.
"Well, I still have a few more people to greet," Hephaistos continued with a cough into her hand. "Why don't you keep Tiona company for a bit."
"And do what exactly?" Was what Archer wanted to say but tactfully kept his mouth shut as the goddess walked away, leaving the two Adventurers alone.
"So?" Archer began, turning toward Tiona. "Why did you come to a Night Ball in the first place? I can't think of anything that might make you want to come here willingly."
"Uhh…promise you won't laugh?" Tiona began but continued without waiting for his answer. "You know how Tione is in love with Finn, right?"
"I think anyone with a working eye and half a brain can see that."
"Right. And she changed a lot after she fell in love and she seems super happy about it too. I don't quite get what it means to change like that. So I wanted to experience it myself. I talked to the Little Argonaut about it and he recommended going to a Ball since heroes and princesses usually fell in love there in the stories. And I thought I'd give it a shot since being rescued wasn't going to work."
"'Love,' huh?" Archer repeated. He didn't feel like making fun of her for it. She looked as though she was seriously thinking about the topic. Well, that may be a reason to tease her for it in of itself.
"Yeah," Tiona nodded. "What about you? Have you ever fell in love?"
"…"
Now then…how was he going to answer that?
"Archer?"
"No, I was just surprised at the question," Archer replied honestly as he folded his arms across his chest. "Falling in love…well, I suppose that was a lifetime ago."
"Eh, really!?" Tiona shouted in surprise. "Who was it? What was she like? No, what did it feel like?"
"Who she was isn't really important. It's a pretty embarrassing tale now that I look back on it. I was under attack and she saved me."
A spear faster than the human eye can perceive aimed toward his chest like lighting. The moonlight repelling it to save him.
A beautiful clang that was nothing more than the clash of steel.
The image of a girl in armor that was neither beautiful or refined but the girl's beauty was enough to turn the clash into a charming sound like a bell.
The faint moonlight filtering in and illuminating her golden hair, revealing her quiet green eyes and the royal blue outfit that symbolized her.
"It felt as though time had stopped. Our eyes met only for a second that lasted for an eternity. It was a scene that I'll remember no matter how many times I fall into hell."
"…Archer?"
"No, it's nothing. Anyway, at the risk of sounding cheesy, I don't think you should go looking for love. It finds its way to you without warning and sticks to you for the rest of your life."
"…I see," Tiona muttered before frowning slightly. "Hmm? What's with this feeling?"
Before Archer could ask what was wrong, the band at the edge of the hall started playing a different melody, encouraging the various couples in the hall to converge in the center of the hall and move together to the beat of the song.
"Hoh, looks like a dance is starting," Archer noted.
"Ehh, a dance?" Tiona asked. "I tried earlier and I wasn't any good at it. Do you know how to dance?"
"…I've dabbled."
"Then you know more than me! Come on!"
"Wait, what?"
"Since I'm not good at dancing and you said you knew how to then you can teach me!"
The Servant was then dragged by the hand to the dance floor.
"Fine! Just stop dragging me!"
Seeing as he was nowhere near strong enough to fight the grip of a Level 6 Amazon, the only thing he could do was wait until she released him herself. Naturally, Tiona seemed to realize that the moment she did, Archer would immediately leave the dance floor so she was forcing him to take the lead while she had a death grip on his left hand.
"Place your other hand on my shoulder then follow my movements," Archer said as he moved his right hand to her waist.
"Like this?" Tiona asked, mirroring his steps to the beat. "Ohh, so this is how you do it."
"Right. If I step forward, take a step back with the foot on the same side and vice-versa. Follow the beat. One…two…three…"
"Heh…so just a change of partner can make things really fun."
"I thank you for that but why do I get the feeling that you swung your previous partner around like a rag doll?"
"Ahaha…"
With a roll of his eyes, Archer continued leading Tiona with the dance. Even though this was probably her first real dance, Tiona was following his lead perfectly. Her experience as an Adventurer probably coming to play as she mirrored his steps perfectly without looking down at their feet and simply following the subtle gestures of his movements.
"Still, I wonder if this is like the story of the Knight Lazlo."
"Really now…I would prefer not to be compared to a romantic affair…come to think of it, is Tione not around? The two of you are usually together."
"Ehh…it's not like we're joined at the hip or anything," Tiona muttered. "And I kinda left without telling her where I'd be going anyway."
"Why?"
"Because she kept pushing my buttons!"
"…So what exactly was the argument about?" Archer asked.
"She kept going on and on about how it was too early for me to find love even though we're twins!" Tiona replied. "We have the same face and the same age so why should it be so different for us?"
Archer bit his tongue to keep from saying anything but Tiona still stomped on his foot.
"Don't you start too!" She warned.
"I didn't say anything…" he protested weakly. "Don't hit a Level 1 with your Level 6 strength…"
"You're still saying things like that huh?" Tiona asked with a smile. "You're far tougher than any Level 1 in history you know?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Saber can kick my butt up and down Babel with his eyes closed if we ever get into a sword fight."
"You're just being humble again aren't you? Well, that's just one of your good points after all."
The music ended as Tiona offered him a big smile to which Archer responded with a small one of his own.
Well, things like this wasn't so bad once in a while.
X-x-X-x-X
It was past midnight when Ais returned home to the Twilight Manor; a time much later than usual. She felt that she learned quite a bit in fighting human opponents when facing off against Saber but she felt that she still had a ways to go.
She didn't want to use the black flame inside of her, a Skill that she had wanted to seal away, but from the looks of things, if she were to face against an opponent on the same level as herself or higher, it may be her only option.
Saber was sympathetic to her decisions but he also agreed that there may be a time where she would have to choose to do so in order to save her friends. He then punctuated that statement by disarming her of the Fake Desperate.
She did not refute him. Loki Familia's enemies were too powerful for her to keep holding back. And although she did not think it would be possible, there was still a chance that Hestia Familia may be included amongst that number in the future. It might not be because of Evils but there was a chance that a small squabble between the goddess could spiral out of porportion in the future. Such things happened quite often in Orario after all.
So for the next training session, the gloves will be off and the two of them will be going at each other at as close to their fullest as possible.
But did she really stand a chance at facing a living legend? Of course not. But that was why she wanted to do this. To get as close to that legend as possible.
The legend of a Dragon Slayer.
And there was one certain dragon that stood in the way of that dream.
As Ais sat in the cafeteria to have something to eat before turning in, someone came up to her.
"Miss Ais?"
Lefiya stood beside her, dressed in her casual wear while looking rather distressed about something.
"Lefiya? Is something wrong?" She asked.
"Umm…I was thinking about some things since yesterday and I wanted to ask you a few things."
"What about?" She asked as Lefiya sat down beside her. The two of them were the only ones in the cafeteria right now aside from those inside the kitchen working the late night shift but they were too busy to pay attention to the two girls.
"Umm…you remember two days ago, how the Spirit of Argonaut took over Bell Cranel's body for a while?" Lefiya asked and Ais nodded. "And how he was able to summon a Magic Sword in front of us?"
"Yes."
"And you know how Mister Archer can make Magic Swords without any problem?"
"Yes?"
"And then back in Melen how Mister Saber also called Magic Swords in front of him?"
"…Uh…"
"And then there's the Captain, Caster, who summoned countless magical wands and staves on the level of Lady Riveria's Magna Alfs!"
"…"
Uh oh.
"Miss Ais…" Lefiya began as she took a deep breath. "Do you think…perhaps…the stranger members of Hestia Familia are actually…"
Ais braced herself for the secret that was about to slip out.
"Possessed or at the very least had their power gifted by Spirits as well?"
…
"Huh?" Ais asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I mean, Mister Argo said that he was able to summon his lightning sword due to a contract with a Spirit right?" Lefiya reminded her. "Do you think that the members of Hestia Familia are also the same? At the very least, I think the ones who have been given those strange nicknames by Goddess Hestia are deeply connected to Spirits in some way."
Well, she wasn't wrong per say but Ais probably shouldn't say anything that might push her on the correct path.
"I don't know about that, Lefiya," Ais said. "That's…quite a lot of people, right?"
"Guh…probably…" Lefiya admitted. "If we count Bell himself and the pallum uh…"
"Lily?"
"I think that was her name…then that would make it…seven people…"
Master, Supporter, Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster.
"Uuu…when I say it out loud it sounds really dumb," Lefiya sighed as she thumped her head against the table. "It sounded really good too."
Ais didn't say anything as she nibbled on her food. Hopefully she won't pursue this line of thought any further.
"Is there a difference if they are powered by Spirits or not?" Ais asked.
"I guess I would be worried if the Mister Archer we know is actually him or the Spirit that might be possessing him," Lefiya admitted. "If he was possessed by one and then the Spirit leaves, won't it be sad if the first thing he says to us is 'Who are you?'"
"Ah…"
That was indeed a good point. Ais herself was not sure if the Spirits of Hestia Familia were using their own forms or borrowing a body like Argonaut did with Bell. It would be sad if Archer didn't recognize Ais and the others after everything they had been through.
Before either of them could say anything else though, a sharp crack echoed in the distance followed by the massive beating of pouring rain.
"A thunderstorm?" Lefiya wondered aloud. "In this season?"
Ais didn't respond, instead turning her head toward the west where she knew a house full of Spirits resided.
X-x-X-x-X
The world was pitch black. Not because it was night but because of the black clouds in the sky.
A ceaseless storm poured down upon the world, creating an endless flood that threatened all life.
It was the rage of a goddess, one that had been slighted by those that had been created to worship the gods and instead turned against them.
But even as lighting burned across the sky, there was a small crack in the clouds. The end of the storm was nigh, but at what cost?
He was here again. Again once more in this land of dreams. He knew this as although the rain soaked everything under its tears, He himself remained dry. Dry in everything save for his eyes as he stared at the sight in front of him.
There was a man, one that He revered nearly as highly as the gods themselves for his majesty and strength. That man was currently on his knees, clutching a limp form desperately in his hands as the form was slowly crumbling to mud.
He could not see the man's face…only his back. And yet He had never seen something so broken and lost in his entire life.
He took a step forward, only for a hand to grasp him tightly by the shoulder. Wheeling around He saw His own reflection staring back at him.
But it was not Him, standing there dressed in his pajamas. It was a reflection adorned in golden armor with two Magic Blades by their side. It was Him and at the same time, someone completely different altogether.
They said nothing, only shaking their head to tell him not to step forward. To tell him to simply watch as the dream played out. To tell him that there was nothing he could do for anyone right now.
And so, He waited. And so, He watched.
And then, a voice spoke up.
"Why are you crying?" A voice asked with none of its usual arrogance or majesty. "Could it be that you now regret choosing to stay by my side?"
"It's not that," another voice that was neither male nor female responded. "Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? When I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can't help but shed tears…but I suppose that is too much for a weapon like me to think about."
Their voice was faint and weak. One that could only be heard at this distance because this was a memory within the realm of dreams.
"I won't allow this!" Desperation sank in as the man brought the crumbling form closer to his chest. "Why must you be punished for my own selfishness!?"
The heavens above seemed to weep even harder, as if the world itself was crying in place of the broken man.
But the dying form simply let out a weak laugh as if to try and comfort the man.
"You don't need to be sad. I'm a weapon. Just one of all those treasures you have. You'll find countless treasures after this, much better than I am. You see, there's nothing so valuable about me that gives you reason to drench your cheeks like this."
But the man would have none of the self-depreciation.
"You have value! Value no one else has! I declare it here and now. In all the world, I have only one friend. So — that value will never change, for all eternity!"
They were words spoken deep from the confines of the man's heart and soul. The one dying in front of him was an irreplaceable and priceless treasure. One that the man would never find again for as long as he lived and even further beyond.
But the body could no longer answer him. They had already crumbled away, leaving nothing but earth in the man's hands.
"Ridiculous. You lived with me, spoke with me, fought with me. That is neither a person, nor a tool. That is called a friend, —."
And with that declaration the man sealed his own fate. The fate of all kings.
He fell onto his knees as he watched the king stand up and stare up into the crying heavens, allowing the rain to fall upon and down his face.
There was no rage or fury contained in the king's form. Only a wound in the king's heart that would never be filled.
He never wanted to see something like this. He was always afraid he would see something like this. He didn't want to see one of His Heroes in such a painful state.
"Enough."
He lifted his head up and saw that the king was staring right at Him. No emotion could be seen. Not the rage or anger that He would have expected from this invasion of privacy.
There was simply nothing at all reflected back at Him through the King's eyes.
His reflection grabbed Him by the arms and hoisted him to His feet. As they did, the world around them began to crack and crumble. The dream was ending…
He reached a hand out toward the King but they had already turned their back to him to stare back up at the sky once more.
X-x-X-x-X
Bell Cranel's eyes shot open and his room was filled with the distant thunder and the pitter patter of raindrops beating against his window.
But he did not move his sobbing eyes from the ceiling of his room.
For a certain office was situated just a few floors above.
The office of the subject of his dream.
A dream that showed no sign leaving any time soon.
