Chapter 42: Questing Again

Orario had barely recovered from the excitement of the War Game when a new piece of information from the newest rising star Familia was released by the Guild.

Naturally, the news had also made its way into Loki Familia's Twilight Manor

"That punk rabbit actually did it..."

Bete was holding a crumbled up notice in his hand. A notice about a new Level Up.

Bell Cranel had reached Level 3 in the same amount of time it took to reach Level 2.

"...Is this Argonaut's influence again?" Tione wondered as she sat with her younger sister, Ais and Lefiya. "I mean, every single one of their members are weird, but only Bell is Leveling Up like crazy, right?"

"Who can say?" Ais replied as she glanced over at Lefiya who was holding a copy of the notice in her hands. "Lefiya?"

"Huh?" Lefiya blinked as she turned toward Ais. "Ah, no…it's nothing! It's just really surprising, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you thinking about little Primo?" Tione asked, causing Lefiya to wince. "I knew it. What's wrong? She did pretty well during the War Game, right?"

"That's just it…" Lefiya admitted. "She didn't just do well, she did amazing. Even though we only had one lesson, she took in everything without any problems. And now she shows that she can Chant while keeping control of an Enhanced Irregular Minotaur."

"So you're saying she's a genius?"

"Yes…does she really need someone like me to teach her?"

"Did she ever say that she didn't want or need you to teach her?"

"Well…no but that's probably because-"

"But nothing. She hasn't canceled it so that means she still wants to learn from you. Sure she can fire off a big spell but you saw how utterly exhausted she was after right? Even if she has that minotaur to protect her, the better she controls her magic or Mind or whatever, the less likely she'd be placed in bad spots, right? Besides, she totally adores and looks up to you, right?"

"Well…I suppose so."

Even so, Lefiya still looked disheartened.

"And what's wrong with you?" Tione asked, turning to her sister. "You've been awfully quiet these last few days. Ever since the War Game ended."

"Well…" Tiona began. "I guess I've been thinking about a few things."

"Still worried about what happened to that Gina girl?" Tione asked. "They reported that she Leveled Up as well so she's obviously fine. You're overthinking it."

"Hmm."

Tiona only let out a non-committal grunt as Tione looked at Ais. The other girl could only shake her head, saying that she had no idea what to do.

Tione let out a sigh as she placed a hand on her chin in thought.

"All right then, let's go visit them," Tione said, drawing the others' attentions. "We're still nowhere close to finding this second entrance into the Dungeon even with the clues the Captain got from Hestia Familia. So let's use this opportunity for a break."

Finn had come back from the Banquet of the Gods with Loki and Ais with a message from Caster given to him by Bell.

The message said that there was a series of hidden tunnels that connected Daedalus Street to the Pleasure Quarters but had Orichalcum doors protecting them. Caster had said he found one of them but could not divulge its location as it was located nearby his informants' homes and divulging its location would put them at risk.

However, that did narrow their search locations down a lot so Finn accepted it without protest. Thus Loki decided to have her Familia search Daedalus Street for other entrances while leaving the Pleasure District alone for the time being to Hermes Familia.

"Since we're not on search duty today, let's go chat with Archer and his Familia for a bit," Tione decided. "Maybe even sneak a bit of his or Miss Rider's cooking."

"That's a great idea!" Tiona said, cheering up immediately. "Let's get going right now."

"I…I wouldn't want to impose or anything," Lefiya said, sounding unsure of the plan. "They have to be busy with the clean up right? Loki said that they claimed the old Apollo Familia's Home for their own."

"Well if we're in the way then they'll say so and we'll leave. Simple as that."

"I don't think Archer will tell us to leave even if they were busy," Ais mumbled to herself, already picturing the man letting out a tired sigh as he welcomed them into their Home.

X-x-X-x-X

Archer wasn't the one to greet them at the door.

"Grrr…"

It was the massive minotaur with the red feathered harpy riding on its shoulder.

The bull monster was wearing its bullhead shaped helmet and was letting out a low growl as it had stopped in front of the gate from what looked like a patrol of the grounds while the bird-like monster had a cloth mask around its face, covering its features and teeth. Both were also wearing tunics depicting the Hestia Familia emblem.

Despite the massively oversized minotaur, the only one who was even slightly nervous of the monster was Lefiya.

"Heya!" Tiona said cheerfully. "Is Archer or anyone else home? We'd ring the bell but its…not here for some reason."

"You know you're talking to a minotaur, right?" Tione asked incredulously. "It's not going to understand-"

However, the minotaur nodded its head before stomping away toward the house and banging his hand on the door.

The door opened up to reveal a sleepy looking pallum.

"What is it, Berserker? Did Miss Rider not feed you yet?" she asked before her eyes fell on the gate. "Huh? Loki Familia? Why are…ah…"

Lily seemed to understand why they were here as she ran over to unlock the gate for them.

"Sorry about that, Misses Adventurers," Lily said, lowering her head. "We had to remove the bell because people kept ringing it asking to join the Familia…or to ask Master Welf for one of his Magic Swords."

"A Crozzo Magic Sword right?" Lefiya asked, and Lily winced in response.

"A-anyway please come in!" Lily said, sounding as though she wanted to avoid a potentially awkward conversation. "The Goddess isn't home and a few of the others are out doing some Quests but Master Archer is in. Miss Primo too."

Accepting the invitation, the four girls entered the home, walking pass the minotaur who gave them a small wave before continuing his walk around the yard.

"That is so weird," Tiona muttered.

"It is the result of our Familia's new taming system," Lily said, hands on her hips and chest thrown out proudly. "Monsters can understand words spoken by humans and will listen to us. Usually."

"Usually?" Ais asked.

"Well, it's hard to get an angry minotaur to listen to you when it's angry. He's called Berserker for a reason after all."

"You mean how it destroyed the Apollo Castle gate even though Primo tried to get him to stop?" Lefiya asked.

"Yes. He really didn't like that they tried to shoot Primo."

Lefiya nodded her head. She didn't like that they shot at Primo.

As they entered the dining area, they found both Saber and Archer sitting at the table while sharing a drink. The two of them looked up when the girls entered and Archer immediately had a wry smile on his face. Then again, that was more or less his default expression around the girls.

"Here pretty early, aren't you?" Archer asked. "Nothing to do today?"

"Not really," Tione replied with a smile as Archer gestured for them to sit while Lily excused herself to head back upstairs to apparently catch up on sleep. "She seems tired."

"She was with the goddess all night working at the new property we got," Archer replied as he stood up to pour drinks for all of them. "Lancer's there helping her now. Rider's with Bell and Emma in the Dungeon, heading to the Eighteenth Floor on a Quest. Primo's with the other girls upstairs."

"Then Gina's okay too?" Tiona asked and the two men nodded in response. "That's good to hear. I tried to check with the Divine Mirror during the War Game but I didn't know how to change the view."

"Even if you did, only Loki or another god would be able to change it," Tione said with a sigh.

"Yeah yeah, Bete already told me that a million times. Hey Archer, I know it's been over a week and all but do you have any of that peach soup thing? Our Familia made a bit when you and Rider did your show and it was really good."

"The soup, huh?" Archer muttered before standing up and heading over to the fridge.

As he did that, Primo came down carrying a tray with three empty cups. It was clear from her grumbling that she had been picked against her will to refill drinks.

"Ah, Miss Virdis!" The grumbling quickly vanished as a bright smile appeared on the elf's face. "Are we having another lesson today?"

Seeing the older elf, Primo set down the tray she was holding and trotted over to Lefiya like an excited puppy. Lefiya glanced over at Tione who was smiling back at her with an "I told you so" feeling to it.

"Umm, I didn't bring any lecture materials with me today," Lefiya said and Primo's ears slacked in disappointment. "I…I'm just visiting to confirm the next time you are free! After all, you're still probably tired from the War Game, right?"

"Well…"

"Resting is important too, all right?"

"I understand! Then, can we have a lesson this weekend? There are a lot of things I want to ask about!"

After assuring the younger girl with a nod, Primo grabbed the glasses she had set down, which had been refilled by Archer, and scurried back upstairs.

"See? What did I tell you?" Tione asked as Lefiya gave her a smile. "She adores you."

"Yes…" Lefiya admitted before muttering to herself. "I'm not going to lose!"

It would appear that she was starting to take Primo as a rival seriously.

A soft chuckle caught the girls' attention as they turned to Saber.

"No, my apologies," the man said, lowering his head slightly. "I was just hoping that Primo and the other two will be as good friends as the four of you. Though I suppose we are missing one more."

"Gina's both rambunctious and mature enough to take on both Tiona and Tione's roles," Archer pointed out.

"Hey, are you saying I'm a trouble maker?" Tiona demanded, only to shrink back and the deadpan stares of both her sister and Archer. She then turned to Lefiya and Ais for help but neither of them could meet her eye. "Traitors! I'll remember this!"

X-x-X-x-X

As their Famila played host to the Loki Familia girls, Bell led Rider and Emma down into the Dungeon to take care of the Hostess of Fertility's Quest. As they had left early in the morning, right after breakfast, they managed to make great time.

"I know I shouldn't have expected anything different," Emma began as they trudged their way down the stairs to the Seventeenth Floor which contained the Goliath's Boss Room. "But the Dungeon doesn't really change its dreary scenery of rocks, rocks, and more rocks, does it?"

"Well, there was a bit of fog and trees a few floor back," Rider reminded her. As this was her first time in the Dungeon, Rider was a lot more excited than she probably should have been due to the fact that she was going on an Adventure for the first time since coming to Orario.

"Well, we'll see if you have the same opinion once we hit the Seventeenth Floor," Bell said.

"The place where you and the others fought the Goliath right?" Emma asked and Bell nodded. "What was it li-?"

Emma's voice died in her throat as they stepped onto the Seventeenth Floor. Bell turned to her and watched as she stared at the Wall of Sorrows, the massive crystal-like wall that housed the Goliath as it recovered between spawns. He chuckled to himself as he watched her head slowly tilt up, and up, and up.

"…How?" She managed to squeeze out.

"How does a monster get that big, or how did we manage to beat a super one?" Bell asked.

"Both."

"I have no idea."

"To which?"

"Both."

Rider let out a soft giggle into her hands as Emma threw a pout at Bell's direction, but it was the truth. Even now, Bell had no idea how he managed to kill the Black Goliath. It was a creature that could regenerate from getting its head blow clean off its shoulders after all. It was only thanks to Lily, Welf and his Servants buying him time to charge his Skill to use Tiona's sword and cut it down in one heroic strike.

Nevertheless, the three of them hurried across the Floor and made their way down to the Eighteenth Floor.

When they exited the staircase into the opening, Emma was speechless once more, only managing a small "Wow" at the sight. Even Rider's eyes had widened in surprise. It wasn't as though Bell didn't understand. He had the same reaction after all.

The Safe Point: the Eighteenth Floor.

A world full of nature, crystals, plains, a massive tree growing in the middle of a massive lake…

It truly deserved the title of "Under Resort."

"Right now that we're here…" Bell began as he pulled out a map from his pack allowing the other two to peer over his shoulders to look as well. "Let's see…according to the map we got from Caster, it should be on the north side of the Floor."

"North, got it," Emma said as she started walking down the path.

Rider and Bell watched her take about ten steps before raising their hands and pointing toward the opposite direction in unison. Emma quickly spun on her feet, a blush stretching from ear to ear and hurried back toward them.

Along the way to the spring that had the mysterious water, they encountered several monsters. Nothing Bell and Rider couldn't handle and even a few that Emma could.

"I thought this was supposed to be a Safe Zone?" Emma said as Bell pulled his silver stiletto from the corpse of a massive beetle monster before using his carving knife to start fishing for its Magic Stone. "Doesn't that mean that monsters aren't supposed to come here?"

"It means that monsters aren't supposed to spawn here," Bell corrected her. "It doesn't stop them from coming from the upper or lower floors though."

"…Some 'Safe Zone' then…"

"It's relatively safe compared to the rest of the Dungeon."

"I suppose so…is something wrong, Rider?"

"Hmm?"

Rider's head had been turned over her shoulder as if she was staring at or looking for something.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Rider replied. "I was just making sure that none of those monsters that broke off from the battle decided to come back."

"Oh yeah, the lygerfang never came back, did it?" Bell asked.

A Lygerfang was a massive four-legged feline monster with massive fangs from which it got its name. It stood taller than a person and was considered by some to be on the same level to a Level 2 as an infant dragon was to a Level 1. They weren't quite as dangerous but an unsuspecting Party could take casualties if they didn't see it coming.

Bell and the others had panicked when it appeared and fell back to let another wave of monsters take the vanguard but it never reappeared. It probably thought Bell and or Rider were too dangerous and decided to try and find some weaker prey.

"Should we go after it?" Emma asked. "Or rather, you and Rider? It'd be bad if it ran into a weaker Party, right?"

"It…should be fine," Bell replied slowly. "Only veterans normally come down here and they make their way straight to Rivira where the exit to the next floor is. Anyone wandering around the Floor is used to fighting the stronger monsters."

That or they were escorted by people who were strong enough to fight those monsters. Nobles and the like would often hire Adventurers to take them to the Eighteenth Floor purely for the view after all.

"Well, it's none of our business anyway," Rider said, giving one last look over her shoulder. "Each Party should mind their own business after all, right?"

"Well, yes…" Emma agreed with a nod.

"Then let's get back to looking for that spring. How much further, Bell?"

"Not too much," Bell replied as he looked at the map again. "Should be just over there…"

X-x-X-x-X

As Bell led the others further down into the trees, a large shadow stepped out.

"Did that woman notice me?" The figure muttered. "As expected, it was too obvious of me to take care of the ones that got away…but I need them to find that spring soon before…"

They quickly shook their head before disappearing back into the foliage.

X-x-X-x-X

Bell and the others continued their little Adventure. They made their way pass several more groups of monsters where Bell removed the Magic Stone from the stronger ones until they eventually found their destination.

"Wow…" Emma said once they found the spring.

It was built into a small cliffside with the water trickling down several crystals into a small pond. Several flowers could be seen budding along the edge and the clear flowing water reflected the light above making it seem like it was liquid crystal that was flowing down.

"It's not very big though," Bell noted as he stepped up to the spring. If they had came at a different time they may have not been able to get any water at all. "Will we have enough to fulfill the Quest and to take back for our own use?"

"Well, there's no point in worrying about that," Rider said as she took out several bottles from her backpack. "If we do, we do. If we don' then we don't. Simple as that. I think we'll have plenty leftover for ourselves."

"Can we take a little sip to see if it really is as special as Syr says it is?" Emma asked.

Rider responded by filling up three glasses and handing two to Bell and Emma. The three of them took a sip and their eyes immediately shot open.

"Huh? Is this really just water?" Rider asked, bringing her free hand over her mouth.

"It's better than any water I've ever drank before…" Emma agreed.

"No wonder they wanted some," Bell added. "I heard that some elves don't like to drink alchohol so having this spring water lets the Hostess gives them a nice alternative."

"Do you think it'll increase the potency of potions too?" Emma asked. "Let's gift a bottle to Lord Miach's Familia."

"That's a great idea!" Bell agreed immediately as they all got back to work filling up their bottles. "…Hmm?"

"Something wrong, Bell?"

"Umm…can the two of you hear me out for a second?" Bell asked as the two of them leaned in closer.

X-x-X-x-X

The shadow stepped out toward the spring, only to see that there was almost no water remaining. Only just enough to barely fill a handful.

"I was too late?" They muttered dejectedly. They had spent too long searching wildly and even longer taking care of the monsters that had been trailing the trio from earlier. "What should I do? It would take too long to wait for it to fill up again…hmm?"

Something shiny was poking up from the sand. The large shadow carefully pulled the object out and saw that it was a small bottle holding about half a liter of water.

"Is this from the spring?" The figure asked before a small smile appeared on his face. "I see…they knew I was there after all. Was it the woman? No…most likely the boy figured it out as well."

The figure glanced down at the foot prints in the sand, noting that it was the perfect size for Bell Cranel.

"I suppose it is only fitting for someone like him to be worthy of her attention. His constantly increasing skill will please her all the more."

Giving Bell one last silent thanks, the figure pocketed the bottle and made a beeline toward the exit as quickly as he could.

X-x-X-x-X

"Huh? Someone really was following us?" Emma asked as the three of them made their way back out of the Dungeon. "I didn't notice at all."

"Well, it's not like I sensed them or anything," Bell admitted. "It's just that every single monster that disengaged didn't come back. It's one thing for the smarter monsters to cut their losses, but even the weaker ones that ran didn't try coming back to attack us while we were in a different fight. So I thought someone else was following us while taking care of the ones we missed. In that case, they must have been looking for the spring themselves."

"And since we weren't exactly hiding that we knew where to look, they followed us," Emma finished with a nod. "I see. So that's why you wanted to leave a bottle behind. You're so nice, Bell."

"Well, they did help us out after all. So I hope they manage to get back safely."

"Speaking of which, we should hurry as well," Rider said. "We don't want to be late for dinner after all."

"Yes! I can't wait to share some of this with Primo and the others."

X-x-X-x-X

Up above the Dungeon, on the highest floor of Babel Tower, the goddess Freya was drumming her hands on her seat. She had asked Ottarl for a simple glass of water several hours ago, only for her Captain to disappear into the Dungeon without telling anyone.

Now the sun was setting and she still hadn't gotten her drink. A few of her other Children had offered to get one for her but she was committed at this point and wanted to see just what Ottarl was planning so she decided to wait.

Finally…

"Lady Freya."

"You're late," she snapped. "How long does it take to get a single glass of water?"

"My apologies," Ottarl replied with a bow. "But I wished to make sure you got to drink water suitable to your tastes."

"And you went into the Dungeon for it?" Freya asked, brow raised.

"Yes. It is said to be quite delicious as well as being good for your skin."

Freya's eyebrow remained raised as she watched Ottarl pour the water out into a glass for her. Bringing it to her lips, Freya allowed the liquid to enter her mouth and her eyes widened.

"…This is just water?" Freya asked, completely taken back. "I can't believe it. It's more delicious than any water I've ever drank before. Good work, Ottarl."

"To be honest, the spring had dried up when I had arrived," Ottarl admitted, lowering his head. "However, the rabbit noticed I was following his Party and left the bottle there for me."

"So this is…" Freya began, feeling a warm flutter in her chest.

It was a gift from that boy to her. No doubt an unknowing one from his point of view, but it was a gift to her regardless. And one willingly given too.

Seeing the blissful smile on his goddess's face as she thought about Bell Cranel, a small one appeared on Ottarl's own before he bowed and took his exit.

X-x-X-x-X

"What was that all about?" Emma asked as she, Rider and Bell watched the well dressed courier disappear back into the crowd.

"I have no idea," Bell replied as he flipped the letter he received back and forth.

No sooner did he and his Party leave the Dungeon did the courier accost them and handed Bell the letter without so much as an explanation aside that it was an invitation. Considering the last invitation he received, Bell was a bit wary about opening and reading it.

"Well, there's no point in putting it off," Rider said. "Open it."

Bell let out a groan of protest for a moment before opening the letter.

The invitation was printed on golden colored parchment and had a rather fancy flair to it.

"It's an invitation…" Bell began, quickly reading through it with his eyes. "For me and Caster…to the El Dorado Resort Casino tonight."

"Just the two of you?" Emma asked.

"Well, it says we can bring a…uh…date along…"

"Why I'd love to Bell," Emma said, causing Bell to squeak. "But Lancer said she's continuing Gina and my Rune Magic lessons tonight and I don't think going to a Casino is a good enough excuse to get out of it."

"Emma…" Bell let out a tired whine as she giggled before apologizing. He then turned to Rider who had a rather stiff expression on her face. "What's wrong, Rider?"

"No…I have a certain bad feeling about something…" she replied before quickly shaking her head. "A-anyway, let's go to the Hostess to drop off the water before heading back. Maybe you can ask Syr to go along with you?"

Judging from the formality of the invitation and the fact that the resort had referred to itself as Orario's Grand Casino, Bell got the impression that it was some high class event, something he was woefully unsuited for when compared to the likes of Caster. Thus it was probably a faux pas to go alone when the invitation called for an escort.

Lancer was out as she would be teaching Gina and Emma, who are also out.

Primo and Assassin were…probably too young to bring to such an adult setting and he doubted Rider or Hestia would let them go.

Lily…might go, or she might look revolted at the idea of going to a place where people threw away their hard earned money for entertainment.

Rider…felt like going to a party with one's mom, a feeling Bell didn't particularly want to confirm.

And the goddess herself? A bad idea all around.

Syr was probably the only one he could ask on short notice…even if he would have to endure a barrage of teasing from the girl herself and his Servants for it.

Well, hopefully Caster would just refuse the invitation and save them all the trouble.

X-x-X-x-X

"…What do you want now, Loki?"

"I just came by to see if you wanted to share any of your newfound happiness with me."

Loki had came to pester Hestia again at the former Apollo Familia Home, bringing Riveria along with her as an escort. She would have brought Finn along but preparations for Grand Day and their operations beyond that were taking up his time.

Hestia had been discussing possible renovation plans with Goibniu but the old god excused himself when Loki came by to give them some privacy, taking along his Familia for a quick meal break as well.

The two goddesses sat across from each at the long dining table with Riveria sitting next to Loki and Lancer sitting next to Hestia.

Two goddesses with magically powerful and beautiful individuals next to them, it was clear that Loki's words were just a joke to try and lighten up the atmosphere. Not that Hestia was buying a word of it.

"Fine…then I'll get to the point," Loki began. "Was gonna ask if you wanted to join our little detective party again, now that your kids got caught on the sharp business end of those monsters as well."

Hestia response was to simply narrow her eyes at the memory.

"I did think about it," Hestia admitted. "But the answer is still no."

Loki didn't miss Lancer's eyes turn slightly toward the direction of her goddess, telling Loki that it was a surprise to Lancer.

"My Children were wandering around Melen when Ishtar picked a fight with yours," Hestia reminded Loki. "They heard what that one who attacked Freya said. You're working with Enyo."

Loki eyelids split open as she glared at Hestia.

"Not that I think you're doing it on purpose," Hestia continued, ignoring the glare. "But that means someone in your little group is as well or maybe one of them even is Enyo completely under your nose. As such, while I trust you a lot more than I care to admit, I don't trust Dionysus or Hermes for that matter."

"Even though you took in one of Hermes's kids?"

"She wanted out, and I took her in. She can't lie to me after all. Something that can't be said for that smiling prick."

Loki agreed with that sentiment 100%.

"Back in Tenkai, I shared my territory alongside both that idiot and Dionysus," Hestia continued looking slightly nostalgic as she glanced to the side. "Up there, we of our territory of Olympus had to select the Twelve Gods as our Representatives. Zeus and the others picked me over Dionysus and I thought his heart was going to break so I gave him my spot."

"You probably just wanted to hole up in your temple and relax all day," Loki accused her with an annoyed look causing her to flinch.

"Lady Hestia…" came Lancer's tired voice.

"D-don't slander me in front of Lancer! Anyway! Back then Dionysus was always on edge. I wouldn't have been surprised to see him go '"The latent evil aura in my right fist will obliterate you assholes!' But from what I've been hearing it seems like he got over that bout of 'illness.'"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't want to say anything after not seeing him in years back at the Banquet as to not hurt his reputation but I really wasn't surprised to see you working so easily with Dionysus. You two are cut from the same cloth after all."

"…Huh?"

"I mean, you really went at it with other gods, remember? Duels to the death and all that. Dionysus was the same. I mean, he started trying to take on Zeus of all people for a seat."

"Loki…"

Now it was Riveria's turn to give a tired look to her goddess.

"Oi! Now you need to stop dragging up ancient history!"

"Fine, fine. Anyway, I didn't want to get into a scary situation like that so I offered him my seat and got out of there."

Loki could just picture Hestia going "Play nice now, you hear me?" before running away from the brawl.

"Anyway…if you want to borrow Archer or Saber or Caster for something, ask them and if they say yes, I won't stop them unless I want them for some other thing, no matter how trivial it is," Hestia continued, returning to the main topic. "But as it is, I'm not committing to anything formal so long as you clearly don't trust those other two either."

"Why are you only ever sharp when it's inconvenient for me?" Loki asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"I had to learn quickly when living with someone like Caster."

As such, Loki was forced to leave the mansion without getting Hestia's cooperation outside of a token word.

"That being said, we can't exactly fault her for being hesitant," Riveria asked. "Even if Archer and his compatriots are powerful, the rest of the Familia is not. That we can possibly secure one of them as assistance is already a lot more than we can ask."

"Yeah yeah, I know," Loki said. Hestia was also probably wary of one of them finding out the secret behind their power. It wasn't like Loki didn't understand what with her being cagey about Ais's past but since Hestia had a lot more than one crazy secret, it was harder for her to keep a lid on them if she joined up with them.

Especially since, as she said, Loki didn't exactly trust Hermes or Dionysus either.

That being said, she couldn't imagine Dionysus, someone she saw sneaking off to play with some kids during his shift at his job, to be someone that would get into fights with other gods that made Hestia of all people say he was scary.

For better or for worse, Hestia was fair: She didn't discriminate or set people apart from one another. Though she got plenty mad at Loki, who picked fights with her or made fun of her, she held real authority, too. Loki suspected Ouranos and even Zeus acknowledged her. She was plain, but her status as a goddess, the one who ruled over the immortal flame, was undeniably high.

She'll have to ask Hestia more about Dionysus some other time though she doubted Hestia would gossip about Dionysus any more than she already had.

"Well, let's go pick up the girls from their playdate," Loki said, deciding to push those thoughts to the side for the time being. "If we're lucky we might be able to squeeze ourselves in for dinner!"

"Please have some shame, Loki," Riveria begged her with a sigh.

"Shame ain't getting me some good grub, woman!"

X-x-X-x-X

"Welcome! Oh, White Hair! Are you eating here today?"

The cat person waitress, Anya, greeted Bell when he arrived with Rider and Emma at the Hostess of Fertility.

"No, we're just here to deliver the Spring Water Syr requested the Guild for," Bell replied. "Is she around?"

"No she's not!" Anya said angrily. "Can you believe her? She and Ryuu took a vacation together just as we're getting into the busy season!"

Indeed, the pub was completely packed full of Adventurers and the human and elf were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, you finished that request nice and quick," Mia Grand, the proprietress, said with a thankful smile. "Here you go. Everything we owe ya in there. You check."

"Yes, thank you very much," Bell said as Rider accepted the bag. "Umm, by any chance do you know when Syr will be back?"

"What, missing her already?" Mia asked with a laugh. "Should be back tomorrow I reckon. She invited herself along onto Ryuu business but they should be done soon. Why? Hoping to ask her out on a date?"

"That's…"

Bell wasn't sure how to put it but his hesitation was all Mia needed to stare at him for a moment before throwing her head back in laughter.

"Oh, that girl is going to be kicking herself tomorrow," Mia said as she thumped Bell on the shoulder, causing his knees to buckle painfully, before walking back to the kitchen with Anya returning to her duties.

"What am I going to do?" Bell wondered.

"Well, I'm sure someone will be able to go with you," Rider said as she place a hand on Bell's shoulder. "Let's hurry back."

"Yes…"

X-x-X-x-X

"Uhh…"

"Yo, welcome back! Don't mind us!"

When the three of them arrived back at the Hearthstone Manor, they were greeted to the sight of the goddess Loki and several of her Adventurers taking up space around their dinner table.

Off to the side, Primo was badly hiding herself in the doorway, peeking out to look at the green haired elf sitting beside the goddess. Riveria Ljos Alf. Riveria for her part looked rather nonplussed at the young elf's actions as Primo would shyly duck behind the wall if she tried to look in her direction.

"Did you guys find the spring?" Archer asked, standing next to the blender with a basket of peaches beside him.

"Yep, we got a bit of a haul," Emma replied as Rider set down her pack on the counter and pulled out several of the bottles.

"What did ya just go into the Dungeon for some water?" Loki asked as everyone from Loki Familia turned toward the bottles.

"It's extremely good tasting water," Emma explained. "We heard about it from a friend who sent us on a Quest for it. These are just the leftovers we took for ourselves."

"We got enough to ration about half a liter for each person in the Familia…" Archer said as he examined the bottles, ignoring the rather curious and greedy looks Loki was throwing him before pinched the goddess in the side to get her to stop. "Did the three of you already try some?"

"Yes," Rider nodded. "It's unlike any water I've ever drank before. It was certainly worth the effort. Although the spring's already dried up by now."

Archer nodded before pouring a bit of the water from a nearly empty bottle into a glass and taking a sip for himself.

"…Is this really just water?" Archer quietly muttered, eyes widening as he stared at the bottle.

"See, if you're going to react like that, you're just going to make everyone else even more curious," Loki protested.

"U-umm…"

Everyone turned toward Primo who was still peering out from the doorway.

"Can you pour a bit out for everyone from my share?" She asked Archer.

"It's all right, child," Riveria said quickly. "There's no need for that. Have some shame Loki! Don't make a child share her things with you."

"Oh come on. You and I both know it's you that she really wants to offer it to."

Primo shrunk back behind the wall, completely embarrassed that she was so easily found out.

Rider had a soft smile on her face as she picked up one of the bottles and began pouring out a glass for Loki and her Adventurers.

"Miss Rider…" Riveria protested but Rider simply shook her head to deny her from saying anything else as the Servant placed the glasses in front of them.

"I'll fill hers up a bit more with some of mine, don't worry about it," Rider whispered into the high elf's ear.

From Riveria's face, she did worry about it but didn't say anything more as she brought the glass up to her lips.

"Heh…it really is good," Tiona said as she quickly finished off her glass. "Definitely not normal water. Thanks Primo!"

Primo simply nodded her head as she ducked back behind the wall, only to squeak in surprise as Caster walked passed her with a frown.

"We were not supposed to be expecting guests," Caster said, eyes sweeping across Loki Familia.

"Yo, Goldy!" Loki said cheerfully, ignoring the glare he was throwing at her. "Just pretend we're not here."

Caster proceeded to do just that as he turned toward Bell instead.

"Did you receive something?" He demanded.

Bell didn't bother asking how he knew about the invitation and simply handed it over to Caster without hesitation.

"El Dorado, huh?" Caster muttered as Loki's ears perked up. "I suppose it was only a matter of time before they sent an invitation. I have already brought seventy percent of the other Casinos to tears after all. Prepare yourself, boy. We will leave tonight."

"But the invitation says we have to bring an escort right?" Bell pointed out, fully aware that a big grin was appearing on Loki's face as her Adventurers were looking at her with suspicion. "Emma and Gina are going to be studying with Lancer and I think Jack and Primo are a bit…"

"Indeed. And Arde is not the type to enter such an establishment. And as Rider is the only one of proper standing to be my escort…you are left without one."

"Ah, I knew it," Rider said with a sigh. "Not that I particularly mind, but do I get any say in this?"

"You may say your piece so long as you understand that it will be ignored," Caster replied causing Rider to roll her eyes.

"Maybe I can try asking Miss Eina?" Bell threw out before looking unsure of himself "Ah…but I might get in the way of her work at the Guild…"

"Hey, can I offer a suggestion?" Loki asked putting herself between Bell and Caster. "Why not take Lefiya with ya?"

"Huh!?" Both Bell and Lefiya shouted at the same time.

"Not for free of course," Loki continued. "Let's call it a Quest. We have Lefiya escort you to and back from the Casino and you hand over half of your winnings as payment. I ain't lending my girl out for cheap after all."

"Loki…" Riveria began but Loki quickly cut her off.

"We're still in the red after the Expedition, remember?" Loki pointed out, causing Riveria's mouth to snap shut. "And we need more funds for the future which is why we have to do that stupid exhibition for the Guild. It's a bit of a gamble, but this way Lefiya can help earn back some of that money. If the little rabbit wins big, then we get a piece of it, if not then Lefiya gets to have a good time at a high class casino either way."

"…What do you think, Lefiya?" Riveria asked as she turned toward her student.

"Umm…if it can both help our finances and Bell's Familia, I think I wouldn't mind," Lefiya replied as Riveria put on a tired smile while Loki beamed.

"Then let's get going!" Loki said as she clapped her hands. "I got the perfect thing for you, Lefiya. Hey Archie! Can we get those soups to-go?"

"Save your to-go orders for when or if the inn gets up and running," Archer shot back but nonetheless poured the soup into a few canteens for them which Tiona happily accepted.

"Thank you for your generosity," Riveria said to Primo with a smile that caused the younger elf to blush furiously and nod her head as she melted against the wall.

"Umm…I'll pick you up at your Familia Home then?" Bell offered to Lefiya who blinked and stared at him blankly for a moment before the implications of what she had just agreed to hit her square in the face, causing her to blush furiously.

"U-uh…yes…of course," she nodded as the twins were giggling behind her back.

As Loki took her girls and left, someone spoke up.

"Wow, the Vice Captain got a date!"

Primo let out a shriek as she spun around to see Gina and Assassin standing there behind her.

"Primo became a tomato," Assassin pointed out as Gina snickered into her hand.

"Y-you…you…! Gaaaaaah!"

Unable to hold her embarrassment at being seen by her friends, Primo let out a shout as she chased after them, causing them to squeal before running back up the stairs.

"…It is a date, isn't it?" Bell muttered weakly.

"Congratulations on the beginnings of your harem, Master," Sigurd "helpfully" offered as Bell let out several shouts to try and obfuscate his words while Emma looked back and forth between them in confusion.

X-x-X-x-X

Bell, Caster and Rider quickly got prepared for the outing. Bell put on the same suit that he wore to the banquet of the gods as it was the only thing he had in the way of formal wear.

Caster's suit was of similar style to Bell's except that it was pure white with golden trimmings that he wore over a red dress shirt. He also had a jacket draped over his shoulders, one that was a solid gold color.

Rider decided to wear the dress that Hestia had picked out for her during the goddess's shopping trip with Freya. A pure white dress that exposed her shoulders, back, and a good portion of her upper body, displaying her already ample cleavage all the more, but was otherwise rather simple in design with little in the way of frills or embroidery. Caster also prepared her a golden hairband as well as a pearl necklace fitted with rubies around her neck.

"This is a bribe, isn't it?" She asked as the three of them rode in the same carriage heading toward Loki Familia's Twilight Manor.

"Call it whatever you wish," Caster simply replied. "It changes nothing."

Bell felt that it was more of an apology for dragging her along but he wasn't anywhere near brave enough to voice his thoughts while stuck in such cramped quarters while within strangulating range of Caster's arms.

The driver announced that they were near the Twilight Manor and Bell prepared to get off to greet Lefiya.

He found her standing at the gates, wear a flowing green and white dress that seemed to flow off her body, further cementing Bell's first impression of her as a beautiful fairy. She had silver bands hanging off her arms and had used one to tie her hair off to the side rather than leaving it in her usual ponytail.

"…"

Bell found himself speechless at the sight.

"C-come on…say something," Lefiya begged, cheeks flushing a bit red as the Loki Familia guards chuckled into their hands.

"I…you look…wow."

But Bell couldn't string his words together properly and it only made Lefiya even more embarrassed.

"What do you think?" Loki asked, popping out from behind the elf. "I do good work if I say so myself!"

At Bell's nod, Loki continue, "So be sure to get her back by dawn and along with half your winnings. I'm not losing out on betting like with the War Game this time, ya here me! You better win big!"

"Y-yes! I'll do my best!"

"Then go have fun!"

Loki punctuated this by giving Lefiya a big smack on her rear, causing the elf to shriek and wheel around to slap Loki across the face, sending her flying off her feet with an expression that screamed "Worth it!"

"…Is it okay to hit a goddess like that?" Bell asked.

"""She's used to it."""

Lefiya replied at the same time as the two guards did, making Bell wonder just what exactly goes on inside Loki Familia that the goddess was used to receiving physical abuse from her Familia.

"Umm…I'm sorry for the trouble?" Bell asked as he offered a hand to Lefiya.

"No…I went and accepted it without putting much thought into it…" Lefiya replied as she took his hand before her eyes widened. "N-not that I think it's bad to be seen with you or anything like that! I'm just saying that any problems I have is with Loki and my big mouth."

"Ahaha…I understand."

As Bell led Lefiya back to the carriage, Mord Latro's voice suddenly sounded in Bell's head.

"Gonna have to be some pretty open-minded elf to let a human touch her then."

Lefiya was pretty open minded, huh? He supposed she was just used to physical contact due to her goddess Loki.

X-x-X-x-X

"My, you look radiant, Miss Virdis," Rider said as the carriage started moving again. "Like a fairy from a mythical forest."

"T-thank you very much," Lefiya replied shyly, unsure how to accept a compliment from what was probably a Spirit that radiated beauty similar to the gods above.

She thought that Rider was already rather beautiful normally but being dressed up for a formal occasion made it hard for Lefiya not to stare. It reminded her of how she felt about Ais in a way.

"…Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?" Bell asked.

"N-no, just thinking of something silly."

Right, there was just no way.

Lefiya made small talk with the three members of Hestia Familia as they rode the carriage through the late night streets of Orario. She was please to say that she only managed to stick her foot in her mouth only once when she asked about Rider's relationship with Archer.

"Us?" Rider repeated. "There's nothing particularly special going on. We're just friends and coworkers from the same Familia working to keep several growing children fed. That said, he does remind me of my husband once in a while."

"Husband?" Lefiya repeated. "You're married?"

"Yes. And and he gave me two daughters."

"Why didn't they come with you to Orario?"

"…They're not here anymore."

Forget foot, she practically shoved her entire leg down there.

"I…I'm sorry," she quickly apologized but Rider simply waved it off with a smile, saying that she's long since moved passed it. "Were they…was it because of monsters?"

"Monsters…yes, I suppose so."

Lefiya felt that Rider wasn't referring to the same kind of monsters that she was.

"So what did you do before you joined Loki Familia, Lefiya!?" Bell suddenly asked in a rather loud voice as a rather obvious attempt to change the topic, something Lefiya appreciated greatly.

"Yes! I studied in Orario's School in the Education District for three years before joining Loki Familia at Level 2!"

"…What kind of education did you receive that allowed you to hit Level 2 from schooling?" Rider asked incredulously.

After that she decided not to touch on the subject of their pasts, even though she was still curious about Rider. Caster, who she had put already together was a king of some country somewhere, had said that Rider was the only one whose standing allowed her to stand by his side. Which meant that the woman was also some sort of high noble or probably even a queen. Was it just a play act from the Spirits or did they actually contract with royalty and bestowed onto them with unique powers to complete whatever it was they came to Orario to do?

As she pondered this, the carriage came to a stop. A moment later, the driver opened the door for them, allowing both Caster and Bell to step out. Bell extended his hand back toward Lefiya who took it and stepped down from the carriage with Rider taking Caster's hand soon after.

The blinding lights of Orario's night life caused Lefiya to blink a few times as she glanced around at the many colorful buildings adorned with the highest quality Magic Stones the city had to offer with an array of wealthy looking guests milling about. Many of which had stopped to stare in their direction. Or rather, in the direction of the three Hestia Familia members.

"That's…Hestia Familia right?"

"No way, from that War Game?"

"It's Moonlit Dawn!"

"Who is that elf with him?"

"Wait…that can't be Thousand Elf, could it?"

However, Caster paid them all no heed as he boldly strode forward, parting the crowd, with Rider's arm hooked in his.

"Um…"

Bell, looking as though he wasn't sure if he should do the same, just offered Lefiya his hand instead. It was a bit too embarrassing to walk arm in arm, so she accepted it and he led her down the street behind the king and queen pair.

"So…which one is the casino we're supposed to head to?" Lefiya asked.

"I'm guessing…that one," Bell said, gesturing with his chin.

Lefiya turned to see a building that stood out even in this plaza. Its sumptuous, gorgeous, shining facade could trick one into thinking it was a massive mound of gold. Statues of deities who symbolized wealth or success were installed around the entrance, either as a perfunctory show of respect or to share in their favor and blessings. A billboard lit up by Magic Stone lamps displayed the words THE GOLDEN CITY.

"…That's…extravagant," Lefiya admitted as Bell let out a dry chuckle in agreement.

They reached a checkpoint that was manned by guards bearing the Ganesha Familia Emblem where Caster flashed their invitation and they let them pass.

As they climbed the steps to the casino, they were greeted at the door by a male dwarf. Just like Gareth, he was rather shot and stout. Unlike the old Adventurer though, his beard was kept neat and his hair slicked back and his body was bulging underneath his black suit. He was flanked by a pair of male bodyguards, one cat person and one human.

"I am Terry Cervantes, the owner of this casino. Thank you very much for coming," the dwarf greeted them with a big smile. "I hope you all have a wonderful time here tonight."

"It would not do to reject an invitation from an establishment such as this," Caster replied. "And I am sure we can mutually benefit from this endeavor."

"Indeed, indeed."

Cervantes had the opportunity to have the current rising stars of Hestia Familia in his establishment and in return they had an opportunity to make some money. No doubt the dwarf was considering this to be basically free advertising if he was lucky.

Lefiya also received some money from Loki on the off chance that she wanted to try her hand at gambling but she wasn't too keen on it. She just hoped that Bell would at least break even by the end of the night.

Cervantes exchanged a few more words with Caster before allowing them to go on their way while he remained at the entrance to personally greet a few more of the important guests.

Passing through the foyer, they were greeted by employees of El Dorado Resort and stepped out into an enormous hall.

Lefiya felt her jaw drop at the extravagance in front of her. The first thing that came into view was a breathtakingly large magic stone chandelier, followed quickly by the luxuriously vibrant and elaborately patterned carpet as well as the variety of tables where people were playing all kinds of attention- grabbing games.

Cards glided from dealers' hands as though they moved along a flowing river. Colorful dice danced through the air while roulette wheels spun madly, their balls bouncing wildly around. Employees in stylish uniforms and guests in dazzling outfits alike gathered around each table like butterflies flocking to flowers. At every game, stacks of chips were being built, wagered, and paid back out. Around the tables, sighs of despair mixed with thunderous cheers, combining into a never-ending din. The casino was in full swing.

"Well, Caster?" Rider said to the king. "How does this place compare to the other casinos you've visited?"

"In Orario or elsewhere?" Caster asked back.

"Let's stick with Orario for now."

"It is more adequate than the others but as expected, it is filled with excess indulgence."

"Since it's you of all people are saying that it must be awful."

The four of them stopped by the chip exchange and Bell curiously picked one of them up.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"It's a chip to use for this casino," Caster explained. "Its worth in valis is printed in the center."

"Eh!? One…two…thee…four digits!?"

Lefiya also froze at hearing its worth. She only brought along enough money for five of these colorful chips and Caster had casually exchanged an entire suitcase full of them. Bell was also trembling when he was suddenly handed a small case containing fifty chips.

"Now then…where should we start," Caster said, a smile gracing his face for the first time since Lefiya had seen the man tonight. Before he could pick a game however, someone called out to Bell.

"Huh? Moonlit Dawn is that you?"

The group turned around to see a burly and rough faced Adventurer walking over to them. Lefiya felt that she had seen the man before but couldn't recall exactly where.

"It is you!" The man said, his face breaking out in a huge smile. "Never thought I'd see you in a place like this! And your friend is…oho…hohoho…"

"M-Mord…please don't say anything…!"

His eyes fell on Lefiya and a sly smile appeared on his face before he started nudging Bell's side as if sharing some private joke between them.

"So here to enjoy the night life huh? Let me buy you a drink."

"Huh? No, that's okay."

"Don't worry about it! It's my treat. As thanks for winning your War Game after I bet a ton on ya and…you know…for getting you in that mess in the first place."

Mord's shoulders sagged a bit as he looked rather apologetic about something. Was he talking about the bar fight that Bete had told Lefiya and the others about a few weeks back?

"No, that wasn't your fault…" Bell said quickly. "But if you insist on the drink…"

"I do! Come here! Your friends too!"

"H-hah…" Lefiya nodded as she followed after the Adventurer who led them to a bar counter where he let them choose whatever they wanted.

Not wanting to get drunk in such a foreign place, Lefiya chose a glass of the Alv Pure Water that Riveria loved to drink.

"So…that kid who got bit by that strange monster," Mord said quietly to Bell and his Familia. "She okay? And I don't mean just physically."

"She's fine, thank you for asking Mister Latro," Rider replied. "She was a bit scared for a bit but she says she's ready to go back into the Dungeon as soon as her arm heals."

"Good to hear," Mord said with a smile. "Bigger men than her would have given up if something like that happened to them. She's going to be one tough cookie when she gets older."

"There are none with such weak wills in the Familia," Caster said confidently.

"After what you did with only a handful of Adventurers, I'd believe it! Hahaha!"

Despite his rough exterior, the human seemed rather cheerful and friendly to Bell's Familia. Just what transpired between them for that to happen?

As Lefiya tried to put his face to memory she felt a hot gaze on her back. Turning around she saw that a green-haired elf in a black suit with a silver-haired woman wrapped around their arm were staring at them with wide eyes…or more specifically, at Bell and Lefiya. Bell hadn't noticed as he was still chatting with Mord. They looked to be some kind of noble couple although Lefiya thought it was rather rare for a human noble to be with an elf to begin with.

The woman had a hand up and was pointing at Bell's back as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hey Bell," Lefiya spoke up, leaning closer to him to get his attention. "Did you know those people?"

"Hmm?"

Bell looked toward her in confusion before Lefiya gestured toward the couple. He then turned toward them and blinked for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh? Sy-"

In a flash, the elf was in front of Bell with a finger on his lips.

"I'm sorry, please don't say that name out loud," the elf said and Lefiya realized that it was a woman currently disguised as a man.

The elf's sudden appearance drew the others attention as well as the woman came hurrying up to them.

"Miss Ryuu and Syr?" Bell tried again in a much softer voice. "This is where you were?"

"Good evening, Mister Adventurer," the silver haired woman said with a smile. "Were you looking for us?"

"Well we…" Bell began, gesturing to his Familia members. "Got an invitation to this Casino and it said to bring an escort so I thought about asking you but your…friend said that you two were on vacation."

"…!"

Syr simply smiled as she covered her face with her fan in response. Nevertheless, Lefiya never thought someone's internal scream of regret could be so audible.

"So you had to ask someone else?" the elf, Ryuu, asked as she turned to Lefiya.

"Good evening," Lefiya greeted them. "Wait…aren't you two from…"

"Yes, but please keep it a secret," Ryuu said with a quick nod.

Mord looked confused for a moment but Lefiya could see him staring at the two pub workers' faces as if trying to piece together where he knew them from to which Rider quickly whispered into his ear and he nodded in understanding.

"Well whatever you two are doing, leave us out of it," Mord said for all of them. "We're here to have a good time after all!"

"Come to think of it, how did you get in?" Rider asked. "No offense meant but…it doesn't feel like you received a private invitation."

"Definitely not, madam!" Mord said with a good-natured smile and a laugh. "My pals and I came in with a Gold Card! It's a pass for those who drop a shit ton of money in the Casino Strip! It allows entry to every casino here! We dropped so much dosh to get this baby! Probably the only Third Class Adventurers who have it!"

Mord then explained that it was a special privilege offered to High Class Adventurers. A High Class Adventurer who could bring back valuable Magic Stones and Drop Items from beyond the middle levels was more dependable than a rich person with no skills. Even more so if they were a member of a powerful familia.

However, the adventurers and factions that could afford to mindlessly flaunt that kind of money would normally be limited to those in the First and Second Class Adventurers categories. If a Third Class adventurer like Mord was here, he must have spent an unimaginable amount of money, using up everything he recovered from the Dungeon day after day.

"No wonder you're still Third Class," Ryuu muttered.

"Shaddap!"

Meanwhile, Rider and Bell turned toward Caster who simply shrugged.

"Do not ask any questions that would diminish his achievement," he said simply.

…Did that mean Caster had one himself?

"So you come here often then?" Ryuu asked and Mord nodded. "Perfect. Do you know anything about the VIP room beyond that door?"

Mord turned toward the direction Ryuu pointed out.

"If you're trying to get in there non-formal like, best you give it up," Mord said, scratching the stubble on his chin before pointing to the uniformed guards at the door. "See those guards? They ain't Ganesha Familia. Same for inside. Everything in there is extralegal territory. Not even Ganesha Familia can step inside without the owner's permission."

"So anyone who can't be trusted to keep quiet about what goes on inside won't be allowed in?"

"Yeah. According to one drunken VIP I ran into, the rumors that they enjoy themselves with high-stakes games are true…and after that, the owner's mistresses come out. The guy's a pervert who surrounds himself with crazy-hot women. Likes to flaunt them in front of the VIPs. Freaking pervert."

Lefiya didn't really have a good impression of Cervantes to begin with and Mord's words certainly weren't helping it.

"Also…there are stories that new members going back there get 'baptized,' you know? They say he eats them alive. It's only whispers, but…well, like I said, the owner is a giant pervert…You know what I mean, right…?"

He was looking from Ryuu to Syr as he spoke, giving them a silent warning.

"Do you wish to abscond of someone's possession?" Caster asked, swirling the wine in his glass as Syr and Ryuu glance at him. "To disguise yourselves and make off with the owner's trophy?"

"She's not a trophy, she's a human being," Syr replied.

"One that was given up by her family in a wager I bet," Caster concluded without much evidence but judging from Ryuu's glare, it didn't seem to far off. "Even if she was to be freed, would she even wish to return to the household who would place her up as collateral? Or do you wish to play the role of an ally of justice to satisfy your own ego?"

"Absolutely not," Ryuu refuted his accusation immediately. "I am doing this to try and repair a broken family at her mother's request."

"Something that is broken will never be the same no matter how hard one tries."

"The bonds between people are stronger than that. Even more so when it's between family."

"How wonderfully altruistic. Well, I suppose that is a form of entertainment in itself."

"I am not here to amuse you," Ryuu replied, only for Caster to laugh in her face.

"Everything in this world exists to try and amuse me," Caster said as if it was obvious before stepping up right into Ryuu's face. "However, someone trying so desperately to become something they are not, is only worthy of contempt."

It was slight but Lefiya could swear that she saw the man's eyes flicker over to Syr for the briefest of moments.

Ryuu's hand moved like a blur toward Caster's face, far faster than the Level 3 Lefiya could see. However, the man moved his hand to block the slap like it was nothing.

"Indeed, the face and voices of miserable maidens is the best kind of instrument to be played by the king," Caster said, brushing Ryuu's hand away as if it was nothing more than lint on his shoulder. "But there is no reason to wear it out so quickly. Come, I shall show you mongrels how simple these games truly are…"

Caster walked off with a frowning Rider following close behind him.

"…I don't know if I can like your Captain, Bell," Lefiya whispered to him.

"You and half the Familia…" Bell admitted. "But it's thanks to him that we're where we are today."

"Bell! Lefiya!" Rider called out. "Are you coming?"

Lefiya and Bell quickly finished their drinks as they followed Caster and Rider to one of the roulette tables. Mord and (after a quick discussion) the other two girls also followed them with Ryuu's face looking less than happy at Syr's decision.

"Pay attention, boy," Caster said as he stood with Bell at the table that was empty save for the hume bunny dealer. "I shall explain the rules of this game."

"Yes…" Bell replied with a nod as Rider set down the suitcase full of chips beside Caster, allowing the king to withdraw a small stack of chips.

"Do not worry your little head. There are quite a few different bets one can place but there is no need to know all of them. Just remember these simple ones. The most simple one is whether you think the pocket will be an even or odd number."

Caster punctuated his explanation by placing a stack of chips on odd.

"Next is whether or not it will land on black or red."

Another stack on red.

"From there, we move onto the Low or High Bets, which splits the numbers in half. 1-18 and 19-36."

Another stack on Low Bet 1-18.

"Uhh…Caster?" Bell began.

"Quiet boy. I am speaking."

"Right…"

"Moving inward a bit, the bets divide the table into thirds."

A stack on the 1st 12.

"A Column Bet for an entire column of numbers."

A stack on the first column.

"The Double Street Bet that bets on two lines of numbers."

A stack on the intersection of the first two rows.

"The Corner Bet…"

A stack on the corner touching 1, 2, 4, and 5.

"The Street Bet to bet on a single row."

A stack on the first row.

"The Split Bet to bet on two numbers at once…"

A stack between 1 and 2.

"And of course…the Straight bet on a single number."

One last stack on the number 1.

"The bets go from lowest payout to highest payout," Caster said to Bell who was as shocked and confused as well Lefiya and the others were, including the dealer. "From doubling your bet up to receiving thirty-six times your original bet. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes…" Bell nodded.

"Good. You may begin."

The dealer blinked in surprise before realizing he was talking to her. Quickly coughing into her hand she put on a professional smile.

After confirming the amount of chips placed on the cloth, the dealer spun the roulette wheel with a practiced hand and tossed the ball in. After making sure there were no new bets or adjustments from Bell or the other spectators, the dealer announced the end of the betting window.

Seemingly fashioned from an ore mined in the Dungeon, the polished red ball emitted an inexplicable light as it danced across the spinning wheel. Everyone held their breath as the ball slowed to a stop and with a thunk…landed in the 1 pocket.

No one said anything. Not even the dealer as they all stared at the ball. The dealer quickly cleared her throat again and announced the number and color before counting out Caster's winnings.

"Simple, is it not?" Caster asked with a rather evil grin.

"…I now understand how you managed to pay for our manor so quickly," Bell muttered.

"Enough of your platitudes," Caster said but he still had a smile on his face nonetheless. "It is your turn."

"R-right," Bell nodded as he stared at the cloth board for a moment before placing three chips on black.

"What…after that spectacular show by your Captain you're just putting it on a color?" Mord asked in disappointment.

"It's just the first bet so it's fine, isn't it?" Syr pointed out.

"I think a smaller bet after that first one is what we all need…" Lefiya added and Bell quickly nodded in agreement.

The ball spun around the wheel once more before stopping on the number 8.

"Eight…did I win?" Bell asked.

"You did," Ryuu said with an impassive nod as Bell's three chips became six.

"Good job kid!" Mord said. "Now keep it rolling to impress your elf girl!"

"I-I don't need to be impressed!" Lefiya protested, ignoring the unhappy stare that Syr was leveling her way. "No wait, that didn't come out the way I meant!"

"Just keep going Bell," Rider urged him with a smile. "Let's try to win big so Lefiya can help out her Familia a bit."

"R-right…then a column this time."

The ball rolled around the wheel once more and Bell won another bet, receiving fifteen chips.

"Amazing Bell, two in a row!" Syr cheered.

"It's nothing to be proud of," Caster pointed out.

"Don't judge everyone on your standards," Rider said with a frown.

Next was a Double Street Bet with eight chips.

Hit.

"Haha, wow. I'm sure it's just beginner's luck."

Corner bet. Ten chips. Hit.

"J-just a fluke…maybe."

Street Bet. Thirty chips. Hit.

"L-lucky?"

One hundred chips. Split bet.

Hit.

"…"

Everyone around Bell was silent as the mountain of chips grew and grew. Even Caster was watching with a single brow raised.

Straight Up bet. Three hundred chips.

Hit.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAH!"

Mord let out a roar, causing several people to wander on over in interest.

Lefiya and the girls were looking at Bell in a daze while Bell himself was staring at his small fortune with a blank and almost dead look on his face.

"What? What what's going on?!"

"Look at that! The roulette table!"

"Look at that mountain of chips…!"

"Who won that?!"

"Wow, it's Moonlit Dawn of Hestia Familia!"

"It's the lucky rabbit from the War Game!"

The surrounding patrons and gods clamored around the table, interested in seeing the famous Bell Cranel in action. Lefiya still couldn't believe her eyes at how quickly one could amass a fortune like this. How long would she have to dive into the Dungeon to even make this much? Was it even okay to take half of this?

"Mister Cranel…!" Ryuu suddenly leaned in close to Bell. "I'm sorry but can you loan us some chips? I promise to pay you back!"

"Huh?" Bell's face was still twitching from the shock of his winnings as he turned toward Ryuu. "Uh…yeah, sure…go ahead."

"Thank you, Bell!" Syr said as she and Ryuu grabbed an armful of chips and went on their way.

"Mord! This is where you were-what is that!?"

As they left, a pair of male humans came by looking for Mord.

"All right, Bell, do it one more time!" Mord said as he handed Bell a case of chips. "Another Straight Bet! I'll spot you!"

"It's definitely not going to land another time!" Bell insisted. "I can only have so much luck!"

"Come on, show these numbskulls your skill!"

"Who are you calling numbskulls!?"

One bet later and Mord's friends were cheering alongside him as well as the crowd around them.

"Well, it is clear that the boy doesn't need a chaperone anymore," Caster said with a smirk on his face while Rider let out a dry laugh. "Enjoy yourself, mongrel. We shall meet up in an hour."

"Good luck, Bell. You too Lefiya."

With Caster and Rider heading off to do their own thing and Mord leaving with his friends to gamble away their new new fortune, Lefiya helped Bell pack away his winnings and the two of them moved to the corner of the hall so he could rest.

"…I'm too scared to count how much is in there," Bell admitted, staring warily at the crate by their feet.

"I completely understand," Lefiya nodded in agreement. There had been three hundred chips in his last bet and since the payout was thirty-six times normal with each chip worth about one thousand valis.

That was well over ten million valis made in about twenty minutes even if one took out the amount Bell loaned to the two disguised pub girls. It would have taken her and her friends a few days in the Dungeon to make that much.

"Gambling is scary…" Lefiya muttered and Bell shook his head up and down so fat that it looked like a blur. "I really don't feel right taking a single valis of it though…all I did was stand around and watch."

Not like that wasn't what half the women in this casino was doing…

"No, please don't be reserved," Bell said. "Or rather please take it! I'm too scared to go back home with this much money!"

"…You're the type who gives away five million just because it's scary to hold onto that much?"

Not that Lefiya couldn't understand that feeling. That suitcase had more money than her current worth as an Adventurer sitting in it.

However, Lefiya wasn't the type to just accept money for doing nothing. If she was going to get money, she would at least do something to feel that she earned even a single valis of it.

"I suppose since I'm here, I should try playing something too," Lefiya decided as she stood up and looked around. "That table is empty. Let's go."

"All right," Bell nodded as he stood up and wheeled his winnings after Lefiya toward a table where a dealer was absentmindedly shuffling a deck of cards while waiting for someone to step forward but most of the guests had gathered into two separate crowds in the same directions that Caster and Rider had went as well as the direction the two pub girls had gone of to.

"Welcome," the dealer said with a smile as she set the deck of cards down. "Would you like to play?"

"I'm sorry but it's my first time," Lefiya said as she sat down at the table and Bell stacked some of his chips up for her. "Can you explain the rules?"

"Of course."

It was a rather simple game. You received two face up cards from the dealer and the dealer had two cards themselves with one of them faced down. The goal was to keep getting cards, or "hitting" cards, to get the total of the cards as close to or on twenty-one without going over while also beating the dealer's total. Face cards were worth ten and the ace was either one or eleven. Getting an ace with a ten or a face card was called a blackjack and an automatic win if the dealer didn't also have a blackjack themselves. At this table, the dealer had to keep hitting until they reached 16 and will stop, or stand, at 17 or above.

"I suppose these games have to be simple if you want more people to play and bet money on them," Lefiya muttered to which the dealer could only give a wry smile in agreement.

Her first cards were an 10 and a 7, giving her a total of seventeen. It was only her first game and she could already tell she was in a tough spot. Over half the cards left in the deck could make her land over 21 after all. The dealer had a 9 showing while the second card was still upside down.

"Uuu…I'll stand here." Lefiya decided to play it safe.

The dealer nodded as he flipped over her second card, revealing a 2 for 11. Then the next card the dealer drew was a queen, giving him 21, making it Lefiya's loss.

"Mu…grr…"

"It's fine, Lefiya," Bell said raising his hands up trying to calm her down. "If you had hit, then you would have gotten 27, right?"

"Well, yes, but it's still frustrating!" She said before raising a finger toward the dealer. "One more go!"

Her second hand was much better. A pair of kings, giving her a total of 20 to the dealer's 7 and hidden card.

"Would you like to split bet?" The dealer asked. "If you get two cards of the same value you can split it in half and draw two new cards to play two hands at the same time with a second bet. It gives you a chance to win four times your original bet."

Or lose it twice as fast.

"I'll do it," Lefiya said as she turned toward Bell. "Can you give me even a little bit of that luck of yours?"

"How would I even do that?" Bell asked in response to Lefiya's unreasonable request.

"I don't know just channel it somehow," Lefiya said as she placed another stack of chips beside her first one, allowing the dealer to split her cards into two separate piles before drawing two more cards to go with them. A 10 and a queen, giving Lefiya another pair of twenties. "Whatever you're doing, keep at it!"

"I'm not really doing anything though…"

Lefiya ignored him and decided to stand on both hands. The dealer flipped over the hidden card to reveal a 5, giving them 12. And the next card was…

10. Total of 22. A bust.

"Hurray!" Lefiya cheered as her two stacks doubled in size. Just like that she made back the money she had lost and a bit extra. "Next I'll…ah…uh…ahem!"

Should she keep going? She just turned fifty thousand into a hundred and fifty thousand after all. Well perhaps she should just lower her bet a bit.

X-x-X-x-X

"Everything on Red."

The mountain of chips already threatening to cast a shadow over the king's sitting form did not move from its spot beside Caster. No one, not mortal nor god, dared touch the massive fortune accumulating beside the golden-haired man was already far beyond the prize Bell had won, as the sweating dealer spun the ball within the roulette wheel. Caster's eyes followed the man's hand, as if appraising his skill in throwing the ball like he was the owner evaluating his employees.

The crowd watched with bated breath, some even trying to push forward to get a better look, as the ball clattered in the pockets before coming to a slow stop.

The dealer glanced into the wheel before speaking up in a dry and hoarse voice that seemed close to begging for forgiveness.

"21…Red."

The crowd behind Caster erupted in cheers as his mountain doubled in size and a pair of Ganesha guards helped deposit the new amount of chips into several crates for him. The corners of Caster's mouth turned up slightly, but it was a short thing as he barely glanced at the massive increase in his winnings.

Once they were done, the king stood up and the crowd parted for him to leave, with Rider pushing the cart with his winnings along behind him.

"I suppose there is no amusement to be had watching someone achieve victory one after another?" Caster asked as he plucked two glasses of wine from a nearby server and held one of them out to Rider who accepted it.

"I think that's my line to you," Rider pointed out as Caster huffed. "You didn't look like you were having nearly as much fun making millions compared to when you were teaching Bell about the game."

"Do not assume to read me so easily," Caster replied with a smirk as he took a sip of the glass in his hands only to frown and glare at it in disgust and set it aside without another thought. "All the riches of my garden return to me in the end. To me, it is nothing more than moving money from my treasury into my wallet. But yes, I suppose seeing the gods look upon me with eyes of envy and admiration lost its luster much sooner than I expected."

"I feel like I have to ask again," Rider said, a hand over her cheek. "Are gods supposed to be so pathetic?"

"It is the nature of this world," Caster replied with a shrug. "The gods have descended from their temples and thrones in 'Heaven' in search of new experiences and in turn…change. For better or worse. But in the end, their core…their nature remains the same. I suppose one could say that mortals should still honor their gods, while refraining from placing them upon pedestal."

"I feel like many do a great job of shattering those pedestals themselves," Rider noted, throwing a glance at a trio of gods sobbing on the floor as their chips were taken from them by the dealer. And just beyond that table was another god being taken away by a Ganesha Familia guard after trying to steal a chienthrope's chips.

"And what is your position on that useless goddess at the Home?"

"Lady Hestia does her best and fails on occasion but I believe she lives up to her role as a goddess…when she is not clinging onto Bell in any case."

"You do not believe she fails for accepting the boy into her Familia in the first place?"

"Of course not. She accepts everyone, whether they're an orphaned boy or a king with a royal stick up his butt. It is only natural for the goddess of the hearth. I believe it is only natural for someone like her to bring us all together."

"Feh…"

Caster shook his head as he glanced over to the blackjack table where Bell was trying to calm down a simmering Lefiya.

"What are you going to do?" Rider suddenly asked.

"About?"

"About those pub girls," Rider clarified. "Do you plan on helping them save that girl?"

"There is no reason for me to do anything that would cause me to be banned from this Casino," Caster replied. "I do not care about some foolish girl that has been cast aside by her family."

"Oh? That's not what Lily seems to think."

Caster did not avert his eyes from Rider who proceeded to smile at her small victory which he allowed.

"You already let them run off with several million after all. Why not give them a little more help?"

"It is not a habit of mine to help those who do not ask for it," Caster replied. "If they were to grovel in front of me, then perhaps I would offer a hand."

"Your personality switches from gallant to horrendous in a blink of an eye," Rider muttered with an exhausted sigh. "I can't deal with you at all."

"There is no one that can truly understand the king's magnificence after all," Caster said with a laugh.

"Yes, yes, I get it. You really are a lonely person, Caster."

"…"

Caster turned a glare toward Rider, who ignored him as she enjoyed her glass of wine.

X-x-X-x-X

"Uuuuu…uuuu…!"

"Umm, Lefiya?" Bell began. "Maybe it's time to stop?"

Lefiya hadn't gone in the red, but all of her winnings were almost gone. It was a constant up and down of emotions as she went on winning streaks and losing streaks back and forth to the point that all she had was seven thousand left. Only two thousand more than she had started with.

She was currently on a five hand losing streak at the moment and Bell could definitely tell that she was close to losing it. "It" being both the rest of her winnings as well as her temper.

He turned toward the dealer, silently begging him to cut her off, but the man just shook his head with a wry smile. A smile that told Bell that the man had seen this all too often and knew that it was pointless to try and get them to stop even if he wanted to. Lefiya would only quit when she won again or she ran out of money.

Her current hand was had a 10 and a 3. The dealer also had a 10.

Bell could see the gears turning in Lefiya's head as she tried to figure out what to do.

"Ngh…double down!" She said as she placed what was left of her chips on the table.

"Well," Bell thought as the dealer handed Lefiya a 5, which brought her total to 18. "One way or another this should be the last hand."

The dealer flipped his card over and revealed another 3, causing Lefiya to audibly gulp. And then…

9. Total 22. Bust.

"Yeeeeeesssss!"

Lefiya let out a massive cheer at her victory while Bell breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I think I'm done," Lefiya said with a rather refreshed smile on her face as she stepped away from the table.

"Done for the night or done with the game?" Bell felt the need to ask.

"Definitely with the game," Lefiya replied seriously as the two of them walked away from the table. "I didn't think I was the type to fall into the trap so easily."

"I suppose that's how they get you," Bell said. "But…I really don't like walking around with so many chips. We're already using the biggest denomination they have too."

"Then let's see if we can't get a receipt or something," Lefiya suggested as they headed over to what looked like a cashier booth similar to the one they went to when they first entered. "Excuse me, may we exchange these chips for valis here?"

It turned out that they could. Bell accepted a small sum to keep on hand while accepting a receipt from the cashier saying that they would deliver the rest to the Hearthstone Manor by the end of the week. Lefiya also reluctantly accepted a receipt for half of Bell's winnings as was agreed upon when she took up this "Quest."

"Are you going to play any more?" Lefiya asked Bell who held a hand to his chin in thought.

He had, in the course of a few hours earned enough money to get another license to bring another Xenos up, even if he gave half to Lefiya. It might be best to try and get enough just in case they ran into another one.

Before he could answer though, one of the casino employees suddenly came up to them.

"Excuse me, dear guest," the staff member said as they bowed to Bell. "But one of our VIPs would like a moment of your time."

"VIP?" Bell repeated as he and Lefiya shared a look. "Umm…may I ask who it is?"

"Yes. It is Lady Sirene."

Sirene…Syr?

And by VIP, did that mean they were behind those private doors? Did they need help?

Countless questions ran through Bell's mind as he turned toward Lefiya.

"Go with them," she urged him. "I'll find your Captain and Miss Rider to explain."

Nodding his head in thanks, Bell followed after the staff member while Lefiya quickly ran off in search for the king and queen.

As he expected, Bell was led through the guarded double doors Ryuu had asked Mord about earlier. His head spun around, trying to take in the extravagant private suite filled with guards, beautiful women, and a single table where Ryuu and Syr resided along with three men. One of which was the owner that greeted them at the door. Was the girl that Ryuu and Syr wanted to save here as well? Or perhaps all of these girls had similar stories? Most of them certainly didn't look all too happy to be here. There were several stacks of chips on the table as well, with the one in front of Ryuu being dangerously small.

Mr. Cervantes looked surprised to see him here as the other two men started whispering to each other, recognizing Bell at a glance.

Syr then walked over to meet him with a soft smile.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Cranel. Unfortunately, I have an appointment after this. Please allow me to cancel our dinner plans."

"Eh…uh…huh?"

Dinner plans? Did she want him to come eat at the pub again? Or was it some kind of deception to throw off the other guests. In that case, he supposed his natural confusion was okay here.

"I-is that so?" Bell asked, eyes darting back and forth from the other guests to the guards, particularly the human and cat person flanking the owner. For some reason they reminded him of Lunor and Chloe from the pub respectively. He couldn't imagine why. The men had nothing in common with the two young women aside from race and hair color. "Are you busy with something?"

In response to his question, she smiled and put her finger in front of her lips.

"A no-good game."

Did that mean they were trying to "buy" or "win" Syr through gambling? If that was the case, there was no way these people would be playing fair.

"Are you fine with that, Mr. Cranel? This VIP room is a place that even members of Ganesha Familia may not enter…so no one can come in. Even if something happens, no one can come in here, not even someone as gallant as you."

Bell's eyes shot wide open.

"I was really glad to be able to see you…Let's meet again if chance allows."

"…I understand."

"Finally, would it be okay to shake your hand?"

At her teary eyed request, Bell timidly clasped his hand around hers. As if to accept his warmth, Syr grasped his hand tightly. As this happened, Bell felt his back heat up, but he wasn't sure if it was out of embarrassment or not.

"Thank you…and farewell."

Rubbing her eyes, she turned away.

With that, two of the guards flanked Bell and led him out of the room.

Once he was out the guards closed the doors behind him.

"…Caster's not going to like this one bit…" Bell muttered as he hurried across the hall, following the tether to his Servants.

He didn't have to go far and he found Caster, Rider and Lefiya standing against the wall, waiting for him.

"Good, you have arrived," Caster said as he pushed himself off the wall. "Then let us make haste and leave. I want nothing to do with those two fools."

"Huh? But…"

"Did you not hear me? If they are so foolish as to fall for the enemy's trap then I shall not lift a finger to assist them. If you wish to aid in their endeavors, then do so alone with your own abillity."

Saying his piece, Caster returned to resting his back on the wall.

As expected, Caster knew what was going on even without Bell saying anything. But he couldn't just leave Syr and Ryuu on their own. But what could he do to create a distraction that would make the Ganesha Familia Guards mobilize and ignore what was going on inside?

He looked around to see what he could use but all he could see were the gambling tables with their guests sitting around them.

"…That's it!" Bell said as he ran toward a roulette table with Lefiya and Rider right behind him.

"Wait a minute, what are you planing to do?" Lefiya asked as Bell handed some cash to the dealer to exchange for some chips.

Bell's answer was a single word.

"Win."

He then placed all of his chips on 13.

"Win?" Lefiya repeated as the roulette wheel came to a stop right on top of Bell's number.

"13, Black."

"Bell?" Rider began as Bell received his winnings, only to place all of them on another number. "I don't think they'll allow you to give your winnings to…"

"I'm not planning on doing anything that," Bell replied as the ball came to a stop and he won yet again. "I'm just planning to win."

His declaration reached the dealer, who was looking rather nervous as Bell placed half of his total chips onto another number only to win yet again.

As Bell won one after another, a crowd started forming again and both Lefiya and Rider could only watch as Bell was surrounded by a mountain of chips as big as the one Caster had received.

And he was not the only one currently winning big within the casino.

X-x-X-x-X

Ryuu could only watch in surprise as Syr won hand after hand in the card game with the owner and his cohorts.

At first, Ryuu had been the one playing but she realized too late that it had been a trap. The owner was working with the other two players in the game and they had been using secret signals to work with each other to make her lose or win as little as possible.

However, before it became an irreversible loss, Syr stepped in and sent a message to Bell for assistance from the outside, whatever it was.

She then took over the game for Ryuu and with a slight game change and change to the rules, she began winning almost every hand she played.

"I've heard her eyes can see the smallest of tremors in a heart, laying it entirely bare."

In the shadowy room lit by Magic Stone lamps, Syr's slender fingers traced the outline of the cards she had been dealt.

Her eyes were cast down as she spoke and her voice seemed to have magically draw in the people listening.

"Of course, I don't have that goddess's eyes…"

Syr stopped and smiled at the other guests' eyes.

"I enjoy it, though. Watching people, that is. There are so many varieties and tons of things to find out…enough to make your eyes sparkle. It's a bit of a bad habit of mine, something like people watching I suppose. If you do it for long enough, you'll get a feeling that says 'This person is probably thinking this,' and the like."

Not only the other players, but every single person in the room were hanging onto her words. No one could say for sure whether or not she was bluffing, but the smallest drop of doubt was enough to shatter the still lake of confidence of the other players.

Standing behind her, Ryuu could barely contain the shock she felt. If what she said was true, then Syr was effectively saying she could to read her opponents' thoughts by just looking at their expressions, through the eyes. Announcing her hand, she could see if her opponents wavered just by looking. She raised if they did and drew cards or simply folded when they didn't.

In other words, it was equivalent to knowing her opponents' cards. This was far removed from the experience and strategy Ryuu had built up as an adventurer.

However, Ryuu can't help but remember the times that Syr's eyes seem to see right through into her heart. Without even asking about what was going on, she sometimes came bearing a smile and a solution while Ryuu was still struggling to figure out what to do. The idea to pose as a noble couple from the countryside had been her idea as well.

And then, the final hand.

Syr received a card and giggled to herself.

"I never thought it'd be so simple to borrow a bit of luck," she said to herself.

Both Syr and Terry Cervantes revealed their cards.

"Four-of-a-kind!"

Cervantes revealed the four kings he so miraculously drew from the deck but Syr remained unperturbed.

"Royal Flush."

Although all four kings had made their way into the owner's hand, Syr had drew the joker, allowing it to take the king's place in her hand.

"Hey, Dear?" Syr asked as she clumsily opened her purple fan in front of her face to hide her smile. "I guess this means…"

"Yes, Syr…this is your victory."

"And that means you'll listen to my husband's request then, right Mr Cervantes?"

X-x-X-x-X

Caster held a clear wine glass in front of his face. One filled with wine from his own treasury as the swill they served in the casino was hardly fit for drinking. His eyes peered through the glass toward the door to the VIP room.

Even though it was a solid wall separating them from the rest of the casino, it did not stop the King's eyes from seeing what was beyond the door.

He saw the elf woman demand the release of not just the girl but every single one of the women in the dwarf's collection only for the man to take exception to it. Rather violently at that.

The man's bodyguards swarmed the elf but she easily took them down, leaving only the brown-haired human and the black-haired cat person left. The staff then moved to grab the other waitress and the girl they came for, only for the rest of the women to revolt after a few words from the silver-haired waitress.

And then…

The doors burst open, sending out a sea of women and guests, each of them forcing their way through the room, knocking over other patrons as they tried to leave..

That was the signal the boy needed to act.

In a rather awful showing, complete with a fake shout of surprise, Bell spun around and knocked over his mountain of platinum-colored chips all over the floor. Then, like starving lions finding a lost lamb, the guests that had been watching the boy win over and over, pounced on the scattered chips.

Their value had reached a point where even millionaires would balk at the amount after all.

"Hey!" Bell shouted. "Those are mine!"

He then jumped into the melee, kicking and throwing away the would-be thieves as Rider pulled Lefiya to safety. Tables were overturned as the guests were sent flying through the air from the power of a Level 3 Adventurer rightfully fighting to keep his winnings. In an instant, the hall fell into chaos as people scrambled over each other to get away.

The Ganesha Familia guards who had just been about to head toward the chaos in the VIP room stopped and looked back and forth between that and the small riot surrounding Bell's winnings.

"Wh-what are you doing!?" A fat elf shouted at them while sweating profusely. "Hurry up and clear up the disorder in the hall!"

Royman Mardeel's shout was the deciding factor. The Ganesha Familia members were forced to prioritize the suppression of the main hall at the Head of the Guild's demand to desperately prevent Orario's reputation from falling.

The guards leapt into action immediately, pulling the people crawling on the ground away from Bell as two placed their arms around him to keep him from hitting anyone else. But that wasn't the only commotion happening. Several gods were also scrambling all over the ground as they tried picking up chips from other tables.

"I really feel the need to ask this again!" Rider shouted as she ran over to Caster, pulling along a flabbergasted and ruffled looking Lefiya. "Are the gods really supposed to be this pathetic!?"

Caster's only response for her was to simply chuckle as he sipped his drink. Perhaps it hadn't been such a terrible idea to wait and watch things play out after all. He wasn't one to ignore a free show, after all.

The three of them stood off to the side as they watched the chaos unfold. Several minutes later, a haggard looking Bell came walking ver to them, carrying an armful of multi-colored chips, a far cry from his mountain of winnings from earlier.

"…This was all I managed so save," Bell said. But far from looking upset at losing tens of millions, he looked rather satisfied with his performance.

"You should consider a joining a theatre troupe with such skill," Caster dryly told him, causing the boy to chuckle at the blatant sarcasm. "If you are done, then let us get moving. We have to return Virdis to her Familia before the night is over, after all."

"Yes."

"Well?" Rider asked Lefiya with a smile as the four started walking toward the chip exchange. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"For the most part…I suppose so," Lefiya admitted. "Although I do not believe it's wise for anyone to go here alone."

"Ahaha…did you lose money?"

"No, I came out a little ahead…if you don't count the Quest Reward anyway…"

"Oh right. Technically this is a Quest from Bell to Loki Familia. Not a da-"

"Please don't finish that sentence! It's already embarrassing enough as it is!"

Bell let out another dry laugh at Lefiya's words causing her to wheel around toward him.

"D-don't take it the wrong way. I don't mean that it's embarrassing to be seen with you or anything! It's just…embarrassing that I didn't realize how it could look to others!"

"Is that so bad though?" Rider asked, making Lefiya wheel around toward her, completely red in the face. "Ahaha…sorry sorry."

"Moonlit Dawn and members of Hestia Familia, huh?"

A blue-haired woman came up to them as they neared the door.

"Umm…you're…Ganesha Familia's Captain, right?" Bell asked, somewhat recognizing the woman.

"Yes, " Shakti replied with a nod. "I hope the commotion didn't affect you too much."

"Well, I already cashed in most of my winnings so it was fine," Bell ignoring the way's Lefiya's eyes boggled at the back of his head.

"Most of the ones who jumped into the pile will most likely be banned from the Casino in the future," Shakti said as if hoping that that would be enough to satisfy Bell, who had had millions stolen during the chaos. "The Casino should see to that."

"It would be better if you apprehend the root cause of this mess," Caster said as he jerked his head in the direction of the VIP Room. "I'm sure you'll find your answers when the wind blows in from the rear entrance."

Shakti's eyebrow raised slightly as she nodded her head.

"I see," Shakti replied before tilting her head slightly with her eyes moving toward Lefiya for a moment, seemingly recognizing that she wasn't from Hestia Familia. "By the way, Hestia Familia wasn't planning on getting another Monster License were they?"

"Not at this time," Caster replied and she nodded her head in understanding.

"Well then, please have a pleasant night. All of you."

"Y-yes, you as well, Miss Varma!"

X-x-X-x-X

With that said, the four of them made their way out of the Casino after standing in line to cash out their chips. Which took quite a while due to the sheer amount that Caster had with him.

Once they were outside, Bell was constantly looking around, trying to find some sign of the two pub girls.

"Bell," Rider began, her tone chastising. "How can you be thinking of two other girls when you are escorting one right here."

"Like I said, it's fine!" Lefiya replied, turning red again at Rider's teasing.

"Ahaha, sorry sorry. Your reactions are just too adorable."

Lefiya looked like she wanted to say something to that but she simply turned away and muttered "Well, it's probably like that after all…"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"No! It's nothing!" She denied quickly.

Then, as one, both Caster and Bell turned their heads toward the shadows of the buildings away from the Casino. There, a familiar elf wearing a tuxedo that suited her far too well stood.

Without waiting for anyone to say anything, Bell walked on over toward her.

"Miss Ryuu, did everything go okay?" he asked once he was in front of her. "Where's Syr?"

"She went to return the gown she borrowed," Ryuu replied. "And yes, everything went perfectly. Did you distract Ganesha Familia somehow? It sounded like a riot was happening."

"Well I gambled a bit and then knocked over my chips causing a lot of people to try and jump them," Bell admitted. "I then 'fought them off' to try and save my winnings but I lost quite a bit."

"…How much?"

Seeing that Ryuu didn't look like she would just accept a false answer, Bell decided to be honest…well, mostly.

"I uh…didn't really keep track," he admitted. "But…it was bigger than the first roulette table at least."

Ryuu's normally passive face fell open as she looked rather pale.

"…You lent us quite a bit as well…" she muttered.

"Ah…right…" Bell nodded, having completely forgotten about that. "Well, just consider that me funding your rescue mission. And don't worry about the losses, I did it myself after all."

"Still, I'm sorry that we got you and your Familia involved in my mess."

"Well, Caster was getting bored so we were about to leave anyway," Bell replied. "But…are you sure everything went well? You look like something's troubling you. Ah, if it's about the money, I already said it's fine."

"W-well…even if you say that…" Ryuu said. "Your Familia's spending a lot of money to keep those monsters on the surface, aren't you?"

"It's not like we're looking to find any more at the moment though."

They still haven't been contacted by Fels about the other Xenos after all. Bell wondered if they would be asking about Fia or not but maybe something happened to delay their meeting?

As he said this, Bell noticed Ryuu turning her head to look back at his group. Turning around to look for himself, he noticed she was particularly looking at Lefiya, who tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Mr Cranel…I'm not very feminine, am I?" Ryuu suddenly asked him. The question seemed to surprise her as well as she suddenly turned back toward him with wide eyes.

For his part, Bell could only blink in confusion. Was she comparing herself to Lefiya? Or maybe to Syr as well? Certainly she had been forced to play as a man for the rescue operation but perhaps she wanted to wear a dress as well? Maybe she was unhappy at the missed opportunity?

But what should Bell say in this situation? What would his grandpa do in this situation?

Praise her until she smiles!

Ryuu opened her mouth again, probably to tell him to forget what she had just said but Bell wouldn't let her do that.

"Miss Ryuu, you're…strong, amazing, and good-looking enough that it makes me feel a bit jealous. But I think you're also kind, polite, and always holding your head high. You look out for us and are willing to give advice to me and Primo when we ask and, umm…while Syr and Lefiya are definitely cute…I…I…I also want to see what you look like in a gown someday."

Bell's words seem to be having an affect on her as she was staring at him, her blue eyes wide open.

"I think you'd easily be a match for both of them."

The complimenting words were forgein to him but he kept on thinking about the things Saber said to Lancer whenever they had the chance. He didn't have the guts to repeat those words so he tried to come up with things the best he could.

The unfamiliarity of the words seemed obvious to Ryuu as her eyes narrowed slightly despite her blush.

"Do you always say such things to women?"

"O-of course not! It's just that my gramps used to say that if I wanted to cheer a woman up, then I should praise her until she smiles! Ah, but what I said wasn't just flattery! I meant every word and…uwaaaaaa…!"

Desperately trying to explain himself, Bell had revealed his true feelings and dug his grave deeper.

As he writhed and clutched his head in embarrassment, Ryuu offered him a smile. One that gave off the impression that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Mr Cranel. For everything tonight."

"No…uh…no problem. Haha…"

X-x-X-x-X

Lefiya waved farewell to the carriage before heading into the Twilight Manor.

She greeted the guards on the night shift and entered the building, wondering if she should change before getting a very late meal, having worked up an appetite after all the commotion tonight.

However, a voice called out to her from a top the stairs.

"Oh, Lefiya! How did it go?"

Loki came thumping down the stairs with the question in the air.

"Did you wait up for me?" Lefiya asked and her goddess nodded.

"Of course! If something had gone wrong, I needed to be the first to hear about it. So? How was the gambling? Did they win anything?"

"Bell…won a bit…" Lefiya admitted, her voice shaking as she pulled out the receipt.

Loki plucked the parchment from her hands and took a glance.

"Let's see, let's see," she muttered. "How much did ya get? A few hundred thousand or some…thing…"

Loki's eyes shot wide open as she brought the receipt millimeters from her face.

"Um…feel free to use it to help with our finances?" Lefiya offered, knowing full well that they were deep in the red after the last expedition and they needed every valis they got in order to fight against Evilus.

"You're such a good girl!" Loki bawled as she wrapped her arms around Lefiya, only for the elf to deftly yank the goddess's arms off her when they started reaching a bit too low and flip her over her slender shoulders onto the floor. "Bufwah! Y-you've certainly…gotten stronger…"

"I'm not letting you do whatever you want all the time!" Lefiya shouted back. Now she was more tired than hungry. Leaving the still reeling Loki on the floor, Lefiya headed back up to her room, bringing an end to the chaotic night.


Hestia Familia Status as of Now

Bell Cranel

Alias: Moonlit Dawn (Moon Eyed Rabbit)

Level 3

Strength: F397
Defense
: F354
Dexterity
: G283
Agility
: E426
Magic
: C607

Magic:
Servant Summoning
: Summon a Heroic Spirit into one of Seven Servant Containers. Requires upkeep once servant is summoned.

Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Let it be filled. Again. Again. Again. Again.
Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling.

My dreams form the body
Your Spirit shall show me the path as I walk it by my own power
And so I hereby swear,
That I shall be all the good in the world
That I shall defeat all the evil in the world.
You seven souls who reside at the fate I wish to reach
Come forth from the binding circle
Oh Keeper of the Balance!

Firebolt: Quick cast Magic

Skills:

######
Heroic Desire: Argonaut: Charges an active action.

Development Abilities:
Luck H
Mage H

X-x-X-x-X

Emiya Shirou

Level 1
Strength: I51
Defense
: I61
Dexterity
: I90
Agility
: H113
Magic
: H180

Magic:
Reinforcement
: Strengthen oneself or objects with magic.
Projection
: Create temporary imperfect objects with the use of magic power. Quality of item jumps up when creating "swords." Can also alter objects slightly from their main form while retaining innate properties.

Trace On.
Judging the concept of creation.
Hypothesizing the basic structure.
Duplicating the composition material.
Imitating the skill of its making.
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.
Reproducing the accumulated years.
Excelling every manufacturing process…

Unlimited Blade Works: Project one's inner reality out into the world. Reduce Projection costs of "Swords" to zero when within inner reality. Can passively examine and understand the history and blueprint of any weapon on sight and recreate them.

I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unknown to death
Nor known to life
Have withstood pain to create many weapons
Yet, these hands will never hold anything
So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works

Skills:
Hawkeye
: While on a vantage point, can see and target opponents within a four kilometer range
Mind's Eye
: Using one's insight, one can calmly grasp the current battle situation and find victory.

X-x-X-x-X

Gilgamesh

Level 1
Strength
: I12
Defense
: I1
Dexterity
: I9
Agility
: I5
Magic
: I50

Magic:
Melammu Dingir: Long-range bombardment spell symbolizing a long forgotten kingdom.

I permit you to ready your arrows!
Show me how you would defend Uruk and its unrivaled fortune!
It is my will that shall wash over the land!
The King's Signal Cannon!
Melammu Dingir!

Skills:
Gate of Babylon
: The Treasury of the King is always accessible to him and able to connect to the treasury across space so that the tools within the vault are available to use. Can be deployed at will to retrieve items from within and magic wands can be fired directly from within the gate. Most weapons are currently sealed.
Territory Creation
: Creation of a Temple to draw in Magic Power is available.
The King of Heroes
: Release restraints on the Gate and draw out its full power.
Omniscient and Omnipotent Star: Sha Naqba Imuru
: Able to discern truth from lies and see through the eyes of all creation.

X-x-X-x-X

Liliruca Arde

Level 2
Strength: I10
Defense
: I0
Dexterity
: I17
Agility
: I65
Magic
: I87

Magic
:
Cinder Ella:
Shape-shifting magic. Target will take the envisioned shape at the time of the spell magic will Fail without a clear image. Imitation is recommended.

Trigger: Your scars are mine. My scars are mine
Release: Stroke of Midnight's Bell

Skills:
Artel Assist: Activates when carried weight exceeds a certain level. Amount of assistance is proportional to weight carried.
King's Follower: Crownsguard
: Parameters increase when acting on orders from a leader. Strength and Dexterity increases when defending a leader.

Development Ability:
Abnormal Resistance I

X-x-X-x-X

Sigurd

Level 1
Strength
: I21
Defense
: I15
Dexterity
: I28
Agility
: I33
Magic
: I35

Magic:
Primeval Rune (Warrior)
: Quick cast spells through the use of runes carved onto a surface or drawn in the air.

Skills:
Dragonkind Modification: Formation of a dragon core within self.

X-x-X-x-X

Jack

Level 1
Strength
: I67
Defense
: I10
Dexterity
: I42
Agility
: I91
Magic
: I39

Magic:
The Mist: Darkened Misty Metropolis
: Create a poisonous mist that also interferes with the channeling of Mind and can prevent people from entering.

This is the beginning of Hell
We shall be the flame,
We shall be the rain
We shall be the power
Shroud Us and Burn Us
Let Us begin the Slaughter
Darkened Misty Metropolis
The Mist

Skills:
Presence Concealment: Completely hide one's presence and becomes almost impossible to be detected. Loses efficiency when preparing to attack
Murder in the Misty Night
: Erasesones presence completely when attacking from mist or fog.
Maria the Ripper: If certain conditions are met, deal massive damage to the target.
The time must be night.
The target must be female.
The weather must be misty.

X-x-X-x-X

Primo Libera

Level 1
Strength
: I24
Defense
: I50
Dexterity
: I10
Agility
: I80
Magic
: G250

Magic:
Lumine Pleiades
: Wide range bombardment magic

Glittering stars crossing the night sky.
Hear my naïve prayer and guide these falling lights.
Descend o starry tears!
Blast away these hapless rejects!
Lumine Pleiades!

Stardust Fall: Wide area destruction magic.

Oh stars that hang in the night sky
I grasp you in these unworthy hands
Tearing you down from the heavens you reside in
I offer you these words in exchange for your majesty
You who reign above the heavens themselves
Rain down upon these earth, scatter these worthless beings
Immortalize your grace within our souls!
Stardust Fall!

Skills:
None

X-x-X-x-X

Emma Flores

Level 1
Strength
: H101
Defense
: G205
Dexterity
: H128
Agility
: G202
Magic
: I39

Magic:
Épine Flétrie
: Curse. Debilitate Targets. Effective range depends on Mind. Effect increases depending on sacrifice.

Rend my flesh, pierce their soul,
Break the blessing and wither their strength!
Épine Flétrie

Skills:
Rein Amur – Beloved Blooming: Causes a Rhapsodia among those with the same Falna for a short time.

X-x-X-x-X

Gina Gwen

Level 2
Strength
: I0
Defense
: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility
: I0
Magic
: I0

Magic:
Outrage Ortigia: Lightning enhancement magic. Effects increases with anger.

Blazing sparks come forth
Let the hunt commence, fueled by rage
This one pays tribute to Penthesilea!
Outrage Ortigia!

Skills:
(None)

Development Ability
Abnormal Resistance I

X-x-X-x-X

Boudica

Level 1
Strength:
I5
Defense:
I0
Dexterity:
I8
Agility:
I13
Magic:
I7

Magic
:
Chariot of Boudica: Support magic used to create a barrier around user. Strengthens Defense and Strength of those within.

I will protect those who cannot protect themselves
Let these wheels that trampled my enemies now defend the defenseless
My oath to the Goddess roars across the land
Chariot of Unpromised Protection
Chariot of Boudica

Skills:
Battle Continuation: Enables user to continue fighting regardless of wounds.

X-x-X-x-X

Brynhildr

Level 1
Strength: I5
Defense:
I10
Dexterity:
I15
Agility: I10
Magic:
I37

Magic:
Primeval Rune:

Quick cast spells through the use of runes carved onto a surface or drawn in the air.

Skills:
Mana Burst (Flame):
Imbue strikes with the strength of flame
Hero's Bridesmaid: Synchronize magical energy and give a bonus to parameters to targets of the same Falna.

X-x-X-x-X

Asterios

Level 000
Strength
: 000
Defense
: 000
Dexterity
: 000
Agility
: 000
Magic
: 000

Magic:
Chaos Labyrinth: Territory Sublimation Magic.

Skills:
Monstrous Strength: Increases Strength in exchange for a monstrous appearance. Strength gain increases the more the monstrous the user becomes.
Natural Demon: Massively increases Strength and Endurance when engaged in combat against multiple enemies. Increase relative to amount of enemies. Strength increases further against Humans.
Monstrum Union: Hybrid. Neo Irregular. Status Bug. Anima Erosion.

X-x-X-x-X

Welf Crozzo

Level 2
Strength: I32
Defense: I23
Dexterity: I40
Agility: I29
Magic: I35

Magic:

Will-O'-The-Wisp: Anti-Magic Fire

Blasphemous Burn!
Will-o'-the-Wisp!

Skill:
Blood of Crozzo: Ability to Forge Magic Swords. Strength of Magic increased during production process

Development Abilities:
Blacksmith I