Chapter 46: The Frontline
"…Sophia?"
Emma called out her sister's name, unable to believe that after all this time, she would just show up out of the blue.
Sophia responded by fiddling with her collar for a moment before pulling out a blue pendant hanging from her neck…one that was identical to the one around Emma's own neck.
That was all the confirmation Emma needed.
In a flash, she cleared the distance between them and threw herself into her older sister's chest.
Sophia staggered back a bit in surprise as her little sister clung onto her front while choking back sobs. Nevertheless, Sophia slowly lifted her hands up, and after a moment of hovering them over Emma's back, quickly wrapped her arms around her and held her tight.
The sisters' embrace lasted for a while before Sophia ended it by gently pushing Emma off of her.
"Sophia, what have you been doing all this time?" Emma asked. "If you're here then that means you're part of a Familia in Orario, right? If so then why haven't you written or anything to let me know you were okay."
"I was…" Sophia began before pausing as she glanced to the side for a moment to gather her thoughts. "My God has forbade me from contacting anyone outside of the Familia. I'm sorry…no, simply saying 'Sorry' isn't enough…"
Upon joining a Familia, the Familia God or Goddess's word was law. It was the main reason why not every mortal on Gekai joined a Familia when the Gods descended despite the incredible power the Falna offered. There was always the risk of a deity ordering their Familia to do something unsavory after all. It required an inhumanly strong will to defy a serious direct order from a god if they were to force the matter with a bit of their divine will.
A mortal could complain all they want about it, but they would still do it no matter how reluctant. One only needed to look at Hermes Familia and their beleaguered Captain, Asfi…or the members of Evilus that Bell and the Servants had fought in Melen.
Non-serious orders such as the goddess Loki's harassment of the girls in her Familia could easily be brushed off however.
"I…I see…" Emma replied. "Then…which Familia are you a part of?"
"…Aeshma Familia," came the reply after another moment's hesitation.
"Aeshma?" Emma repeated before tilting her head to the side. "I feel like I've heard that name before."
"You have. You met him at the Banquet of the Gods before your War Game, remember?"
Emma looked at her sister, glanced up for a moment and let out a yell in realization.
"Ahh! That pervert!"
Sophia let out a cough, which reminded Emma whose god he was.
"Ah, umm…I…" Emma began but Sophia simply shook her head.
"No, you are completely correct in your assessment," Sophia replied, not even bothering to put up a token response to defend her god's honor.
"I uh…I see," Emma replied before her face froze and she turned her eyes back at her sister. "Wait…but…if you are from a Familia in Orario…and an Adventurer…why did the Guild not have your information?"
"Because I am not registered with the Guild."
"You're not reg…what?"
The law of Orario was that every person who received a Falna and is a part of a Familia in Orario had to be registered or the Familia in question would suffer fines. This also meant that Hestia had to register her two guards for her inn with the Guild after giving them her blessing even though they were mere guards. Even though the Guild did not stop anyone from going down into the Dungeon itself, you had to be registered in order to trade in the Magic Stones for cash, legally anyway.
"Sophia?" Emma began, feeling her heart race as she unconsciously took a step back from her sister, an action that caused Sophia to grimace. "What is your god having you do?"
"Right now? To try and convince you to join his Familia."
And boy was she not doing a good job about it. That being said, that might be the point.
Still…Emma could tell that Sophia was avoiding the question.
"Well? We could be together again as sisters."
"Even if it did mean I could be with you again…I can't leave my Familia."
Putting aside the fact that she can't leave with Hestia Familia's secret about Bell, the Holy Grail, and the Servants…she didn't want to leave Bell, Primo, or any of the others and disappear with Sophia. It was something she decided a few days ago after the talk with Bell.
She would basically be doing the exact same thing Sophia did to her after all.
"I see…" Sophia muttered with a resigned smile and a sigh that said that she expected such an answer. "In that case, when this incident is over and you return to Orario, do not go out on your own at any point. Lord Aeshma does not take no for an answer."
A mixture of fear and revulsion ran through her spine as Emma shuddered involuntarily.
"…So this is probably what Bell felt like back then…"
At the very least, they shouldn't be getting into another War Game. Or so she hoped anyway.
On the other hand…maybe a War Game wouldn't be that bad if she could get Sophia out of that Familia? No, she wasn't registered so there was no "proof" that she was part of that Familia.
"Sophia…what exactly do you do in that Familia?"
"I am not at liberty to say."
Another deflection.
At this point, Emma was sure it was definitely something illegal or at the very least, something extremely frowned upon.
"Sophia, please! Let me-"
"No."
The immediate refusal hit Emma like a slap in the face. The light in her sister's eyes disappeared and were replaced by a deathly cold and lifeless gaze. Emma had never seen such a look from anyone before, let alone her sister. Even Caster, for all his internal disgust and revulsion when he gazed upon people, had a burning fire of desire and life in his eyes.
Was the person in front of her right now really Sophia? Her sister?
"But…"
"You refused my invitation to my Familia. There is no longer any connection between us. We are merely two people from different Familia."
"…Sophia?"
Was she cutting her off?
But her sister gave no response as she placed her hood back over her head and turned away from Emma.
"Sophia? Sophia!" Emma called out to her sister as she saw movement on the side of Sophia's cloak.
Instinct from being smacked around by Archer and Saber kicked in, making Emma draw her blade and hold it in front of herself like a shield.
A sharp and heavy blow impacted her, sending her sliding back as Sophia had slashed at her with the intent to drive her away. Emma glanced up, pain cutting into her heart more than her hand, and was met with Sophia's face devoid of any emoition.
A moment later, she walked forward and through the use of Magic, a Skill, or a Magic Item, vanished into the night.
Emma's sister had vanished as quickly as she had appeared.
Without thinking, Emma ran after her. However, the darkness of the night, mitigated only somewhat by night-vision granted the Falna, and the unfamiliar woods made it impossible for Emma to have any idea where Sophia went. And to top it all off, she was extra lost now.
Feeling lost in more ways than one, Emma sat down at the base of a tree with her legs pulled up to her chest.
As she did, she thought back to a time long ago when she also got lost in the forest.
Only this time, the one who found her then will not be finding her this time.
"…What did I even come to Orario for?" She wondered.
Because as it was, it felt like everything had been for nothing.
The one she had been searching for threw her away a second time.
"...What was the point of even being here now?"
...
"Emma!"
A voice jolted her out of her self-pity as someone skidded to a halt in front of her.
"Bell?"
"Emma!" Bell shouted again as he placed his hands on her shoulder. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
"Bell?" She muttered again, not quite registering what he was saying or what she was seeing. "Why are you…"
"What do you mean, 'why?'" Bell asked. "You've been missing for an hour! Lily couldn't even track you by your scent after she found your dropped basket…oh right. Lily! Karen! She's over here!"
"Scent?"
A moment later, Lily and Karen appeared by Bell's side, both of them looking out of breath.
"Lily knew it!" Lily said, wolf ears and tail twitching wildly. "Lily knew Miss Emma was going to get lost!"
"No, if a werewolf couldn't track her in this forest, doesn't that mean someone did something to hide her?" Karen suggested.
"If someone did something in the middle of a Grand Quest then they wouldn't be let off with just a fine and a warning!"
…Was it one of Sophia's abilities? It reminded Emma of Assassin's Presence Concealment Skill except it seemed to work on other people too.
"Well, Mr. Cranel found her just fine so you might have been unable to track her due to all of the medicinal herbs."
"Grr…Miss Emma! Did you see anyone else in this forest?" Lily asked as she wheeled around toward Emma.
"…No," Emma replied with a simple shake of her head. "I did not."
"Is that so?" Lily said with a shrug. "Then we should head back. Those sick people aren't getting any healthier. Fia included."
"Hestia Familia really does take care of its monsters…" Karen muttered. "I had thought only Ganesha Familia did so."
"It's a long story…"
As Lily and Karen led the way back, Bell turned back toward Emma.
"…Are you sure you're okay?" Bell asked.
"Yes, no problem at all," Emma insisted as she quickly followed after the other girls. "No problem at all."
Bell remained standing there for a moment before he looked to the side and muttered, "I'm not so dense to not notice when a girl is crying…"
However, those words did not reach Emma's ears as they were not said to her in the first place.
X-x-X-x-X
"Look, Gina…we can't really keep on doing this!"
"Who says I can't!? I'm not part of Hermes Familia anymore so I have no reason to talk to any of you!"
When Bell and the others reached their campsite which was located outside Primo's old house as it was too small to accommodate the entire Familia. Dia and Hermes Familia were nearby and they could see the dark-haired chienthrope from Hermes Familia and Gina shouting at each other. They couldn't see any other members of their Familia outside so they were either helping out where they can with the other wounded, inside the house, or went off to gather supplies.
"Look…we keep telling you that-"
"I don't care about that anymore. I already know what happened down there!"
That revelation caused the other members of Hermes Familia, who had been trying to ignore the argument, to all turned toward the amazoness.
"Bwuh? How?"
"Who cares how I know it? You should care more that I had to hear how Pock, Pot, Elilly and the others died from someone completely unrelated to the incident! I also got a pretty much first hand reenactment of how Keaks died too, didn't I?"
Gina glared at Asfi as she said this, causing the woman to wince and look down with Hermes quickly stepping in front of his Captain.
"Look Gina baby, there's no reason to-" the god began only for a rock to strike him in the forehead, knocking him off his feet and sending his hat flying.
"I told you, I don't want to hear your stupid voice!" Gina shouted, tears forming in her eyes from all the pent-up anger that was being released. "Even though they died because you accepted that stupid Quest, I thought I could come to accept it because of the payment…which you went and loss to a Guild penalty all because you decided to go down on an unsanctioned trip to the Dungeon!"
Gina more or less screamed out the last few words to which Hermes could only stare blankly at her as he rubbed his forehead.
As Gina glared at her former Familia, Welf appeared by Gina's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Gina tried to throw him off but he kept his grip firm on her before steering her away from Hermes Familia and into the house.
"…Maybe we should have spent more time looking for Miss Flores…" Karen muttered softly.
Bell quietly agreed.
They hurried past the other Adventurers and stepped into the tree building.
There, Gina was seething at the dinner table with Assassin patting her back while Welf was sitting across from her and Rider was at the stove that had been throughly cleaned and inspected before use.
"Could you not have interrupted that argument before it got out of hand?" Karen asked Welf who shrugged.
"It's better for her to let it out now rather than sit on it the entire trip," Welf replied. "'Sides, I was sick of walking on eggshells anyway."
Gina responded by sticking her tongue out at Welf.
"Hey Gina?" Assassin began.
"What?"
"Would you feel better if We killed that God?"
…
The agonizing silence that came after that less than innocent offer was enough to choke Bell. Karen, who has had zero experience with Assassin's "habits," could only stare at the girl in wide-eyed horror.
"N-no…no I wouldn't," Gina finally said. "And you shouldn't say things like that, Jack. Killing a god isn't something we mortals can just do."
"But Mr King wants to kill that one goddess all the time."
"But he hasn't! And that's what matters!"
"…What have I gotten myself into?" Karen muttered softly before grunting as Welf wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"A bunch of misfits gathered together because of a single guy," Welf said, jerking a head to Bell who could only give a wry chuckle in response.
"I see. But…please get off…"
"Speaking of Caster," Emma said as Welf complied without a smile. "Do you know where he went, Rider?"
"Probably somewhere where he can look down on us from," Rider replied, not taking here eyes off of the stove. "From on the tallest tree in the forest, no doubt."
"Didn't he say he was going 'to keep an eye on us?'" Bell asked.
"I know what I said."
Bell simply chewed on his lower lip for a moment, unsure if he should laugh or not as Emma let out a soft sigh.
"Did you have something you wanted to ask him?" Bell asked. "I can have Jack go fetch him for you."
"No no, it's nothing urgent," Emma replied quickly. "Just some questions but I can ask him those whenever."
Bell could tell that she was dancing around something again. And she only ever did that when the topic hovered around her sister.
"Did she end up meeting her sister in the forest?" Bell wondered.
If that was the case, she should have been happy, not burying her face into her knees like she was crying. And Bell didn't think she was the type to cry just because she got a bit lost.
"But it's not like I can just ask her."
Actually, he could. He just didn't have the guts to step on that landmine. He'd have to get someone else to do it.
"Hurry up and come back, Caster!"
X-x-X-x-X
Primo sat on top of Berserker's shoulder as the minotaur carried her through her old village. One of his arms was holding onto her thigh to make sure she doesn't fall off while the other was carrying a large cauldron meant to gather water from the river to use for dinner and to wipe themselves down later.
Around her, she saw familiar faces staring at her…or rather Berserker. The Servant's monstrous nature caused everyone to give them a wide berth. One or two were giving her an incredulous gaze that the little Primo they knew was now a "Monster Tamer" and was in command of a minotaur.
"Primo?"
"Yes?"
"Primo…hate home?"
"…I…"
She didn't know how to answer that question.
Within minutes, the two of them reached the river where several people, the villagers and Adventurers alike, were already there gathering water for their own usage. Like before, several of them gave her a worry glance before moving downstream away from the monster and child duo.
Primo actually appreciated it. It gave her an excuse not to talk to anyone.
"Wow! It's true!"
"Primo really is riding a monster!"
"It's gigantic!"
Of course it wouldn't be that easy…
Berserker set the cauldron on the ground and turned around, allowing Primo to see a large group of elven children. The friends she used to play with when she still lived in the village.
"You guys…" she muttered with a sigh as Berserker turned his head to her. "Shouldn't the adults have told you not to go near the minotaur?"
Berserker let out a soft grunt to show his displeasure at being called "minotaur" even if he knew that was what he was, but calmed down when Primo placed a hand on the side of his head.
"Yeah but you won't let it right?"
"He only attacks monsters and bad people. And since you guys are ignoring what the adults are saying, doesn't that make you all bad kids?"
They all had the decency to look worried before Primo giggled into her hands.
"I'm just kidding," she said with a toothy smile. "He's a good boy."
The Servant gave a snort of disagreement to which Primo simply patted his helmet again before Berserker bent down to let her off and started to gather the water with the pot.
Once she did, her old friends surrounded her, asking to touch her robe and magic staff or to tell them tales of her Adventures in Orario. Primo surprised herself in how quickly and happily she wanted to oblige them.
So she told them about the Dungeon. How the monsters there literally spawned from every nook and how her Familia took them head on without fear. Well, too much fear anyway.
She even told them about the War Game versus Apollo.
"It was just me and Berserker against twenty of Apollo Familia's Adventurers! They had us completely surrounded but Berserker's so amazing that he pushed right through them! Thanks to that, I was able to finish my spell and blow them all away! They were so scared of us that they all ran away!"
"I think they were more scared of the minotaur than they were of you, Primo."
"Ngh…"
Sure that was completely true but they didn't need to interrupt her like that.
As Primo tried to regain her composure, one of her friends looked over at Berserker, who had sat down with the already full cauldron and was looking aimlessly at the canopy of the forest toward the sky. The Servant wasn't paying attention to all the children standing around him so as to not frighten them.
"Hey, since you can ride the minotaur no problem, do you think we can too?"
Primo turned toward her friend at the same time as Berserker, causing her to squeak in surprise and hide behind one of the taller boys, much to said boy's chagrin as he was taking the full force of Berserker's gaze.
"I-i-if it's okay?"
"I don't know…" Primo said as she turned toward Berserker who simply shrugged his shoulders without care. "We don't mind but I think the adults will get really mad if you do."
And as guests here, Primo didn't want to be a bother to the village any more than they had to be. Dragging the kids around like this might count as a bother…or as help in distracting them while the adults helped with the wounded.
"Come on! Just for a few minutes!"
"Yeah, come on!"
"It's not fair that only you get to do it!"
Primo turned back to Berserker who simply shrugged again.
"Well…okay…"
What's the worst that could happen?
Her answer came soon after when the smallest of the kids surged forward toward Berserker, who flinched in surprise as they stood around him and stared up at him.
"H-hey, is it okay to touch him?"
One of the kids turned toward her with begging eyes.
"Of course," Primo said, stepping forward as Berserker lowered a hand on the ground. She placed a foot on it and he carefully raised her up onto his shoulder where she turned around and plopped herself on top as if it was only natural. "See? Nothing to it. Who wants to be first?"
Several boys raised their hands but there was one hand that surprised Primo. A tiny girl with short brown hair.
"Then, Ceia!" Primo said, pointing to one of the smallest kids, much to her surprise and the grumbling of some of the boys.
Ceia was one of the youngest children in the village, not counting the babies and toddlers that couldn't talk or even walk yet. She was also one of the biggest scaredy-cats that Primo knew. So it was quite the surprise to see her volunteering to get close to a minotaur. Curiosity won out over fear she supposed.
Ceia took a few steps forward upon being called, with each subsequent step being shorter than the previous one as she got closer to Berserker and seemed to realize exactly how big he was. Considering that Ceia was about a head shorter than Primo, Berserker might as well have been a small house compared to her.
"Come on, there's nothing to be scared of," Primo said, patting Berserker on the shoulder. "He's a big softie after all."
As she said that, she wondered just when she became someone who would call a giant minotaur a "softie." Probably when Bell and the Servants brought home a talking Harpy.
Seeing that Ceia wasn't taking another step, Primo hopped off her perch and landed by the smaller girl. She then took her by the hand and gently led her closer to Berserker's hand. The minotaur had held himself as still as a statue, probably in hopes to not scare Ceia any more than he had to. Then, he slowly lifted his hand up to Primo's chest, palm facing upward. Primo then placed both her and Ceia's own hand on top of Berserker's.
His hand was rough with a few callouses from what was probably from a lifetime of wielding weapons. The only soft spot on his palm were the scars of weapons being shoved through them. The two elves' hands were so tiny in comparison that they could just barely wrap their hands around one of his fingers.
Thankfully, Ceia was more in awe of this size difference than afraid as she slowly placed another hand on Berserker's to compare it further.
"See, nothing to it," Primo said with a smile as Ceia nodded her head in response. She then turned to look at the other kids. "All right, who's next?"
X-x-X-x-X
"Lefiya…is this really happening?"
"I…think so?"
Lefiya and her fellow Familia member Alicia had gone to the river to fetch some water when they came across the scene in front of them. About half a dozen elf children were crawling over Hestia Familia's minotaur as it sat down at the riverbank, with a rather nonplussed air around them. Primo was also there, looking rather worried as a rather small girl was hanging with her arms wrapped around the minotaur's neck.
Lefiya then flinched as the minotaur turned around, slowly as if to not shake off any of the children crawling over him, toward Lefiya and Alicia. Even though Lefiya could not see its face, she could feel its gaze…a gaze of someone begging for help.
She turned to look at Alicia at the same time as Alicia turned to look at her.
"I think this is the first time I've seen a minotaur beg for help because it has a bunch of children crawling all over it," Alicia said, her lips pursing slightly in bemusement.
It would seem that her friend also got the same impression.
"A-anyway, we should pull them off before it decides to lose its temper or something," Lefiya said.
Alicia nodded in agreement before the two of them hurried over.
"Children, you shouldn't bother the minotaur like that," Alicia said with a smile. "Come on, go back to your families before it gets dark."
A chorus of affirmations were sent back to her before they bade Primo goodbye and ran off to their homes as the minotaur fell backward onto the grass with a rather loud thud, launching the three elves a few centimeters up into the air as he did.
"He really is well trained," Alicia said to Primo. "Your Familia must have worked rather hard."
"Aha…ahahaha…" Primo could only reply with a laugh.
Now that she was closer, Lefiya took the time to look at the minotaur.
It really stood out from the other minotaurs in the Dungeon and it wasn't because it was wearing armor too. Minotaurs from the dungeon usually had a red or brownish coat but "Berserker's" coat was white and massive like that of a lion's mane. Not to mention that it stood almost a meter taller than other minotaurs. Not only that, Bete had said it had wreathed itself in lightning to fight off the effects of the black twisters' poison wind.
And its name.
A name similar to Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster and Master.
Was it like that thing?
Was it a being like the Demi-Spirit they found all the way down in the Deep Floors of the Dungeon?
A "Monstrous Spirit?"
But it had been docile enough to let children climb on it as if it were a tree and even waited until they were safely away before collapsing in apparent exhaustion.
Was it the power of another Spirit's magic that made the monster docile?
"Lefiya?"
"Miss Virdis?"
Lefiya blinked as her fellow elves stared at her in worry.
"Ah, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I was thinking about a few things."
"Umm, if you want to know about our Familia's Taming method, you'd have to ask Miss Lancer about that," Primo said.
"Oh uh…yes! I shall do so should I find the time."
Primo still looked a bit confused and worried but said nothing as she walked over and patted Berserker's leg. The minotaur immediately sat up and placed a hand facing up by Primo's feet. Primo stepped onto the hand as the minotaur stood up to its full and rather impressive height, towering over the other two elves before he allowed Primo to sit on his shoulder.
The minotaur then carefully picked up the full pot of water and started walking toward the direction of Primo's old home.
"Then, Miss Forestlight, Miss Virdis," Primo bade them farewell with a bow.
Lefiya and Alicia watched the minotaur stomp away without turning to look back at them.
"I do not know what surprises me more," Alicia began. "A docile minotaur, or the little girl that is happily riding on its shoulders."
"I feel the same way…"
As Lefiya and Alicia turned away from the retreating pair to gather water for their own use, Primo leaned in closer to Berserker's ear.
"Hey…you were wrong earlier," she said as Berserker turned to her in confusion. "You asked me if I didn't like my home, remember?"
Berserker slowly nodded his head as Primo continued, "I don't think I hate this village. I still have friends here after all. But you were wrong about one thing. This isn't my home. My home is back in Orario at the Hearthstone Manor with you, Miss Floress, Mister Cranel and the goddess."
She then turned toward Berserker with a big smile.
"So let's hope we finish this early and head home, Asterios!"
"…Ahh."
The Bull of Minos gave a small affirmative nod as he strove forward with a small skip in his step.
X-x-X-x-X
Back in Orario, the city cleanup was going well.
Hestia was doing her part by opening up the front lawn of the hotel to use as a makeshift soup kitchen. There were quite a few people whose homes had been destroyed by the black twisters after all, leaving them out on the streets with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The Guild had said that they would be working with Ganesha and several of the other more charitable gods to rebuild the homes once the mysterious twisters were taken care of however so most of the citizens won't be homeless for long.
She overheard several people, mortals and gods alike, saying that it was as if Orario had gone back to the Dark Days after Zeus and Hera got removed but Hestia didn't know anything about that. That was years before she even descended to the Lower World after all. From what she had heard, at the very least, it wasn't as bad as back then. No one got sent back up to Tenkai from the twisters at least.
Hestia had wanted to pitch in to the reconstruction fund but she had spent most of the cash she got from Apollo on her inn and the profits she made yesterday had all gone into the soup kitchen she set up to help the citizens who had suffered from the black twisters' attack. It might have gone better if she had just kept things cheap. Like bread, cheese and some soup but she wanted to offer people a bit more than that, to keep their spirits up.
Thus the inn was squarely in the red right now.
"Now now, Hestia. There's no need to ruin your pretty face like that."
"She's right, Hestia. What will your children think if they could see you now."
Hestia looked up from her inn's budget report at the two goddesses across from her.
Dia was fine. She was stuck inside the inn with her captain, a white-haired cat person with the fluffiest tail that Hestia had ever seen whose name Hestia hadn't gotten yet. The problem was the other goddess.
For some reason, Freya was sitting across from Dia, with the human woman that she had brought along to Apollo's banquet the other day standing dutifully behind her. Helun or something.
"Of course, I'm here to keep you safe, Hestia," Freya said with a smile. "Who knows what might happen to you if you're here with only two Level 2s to protect you. We wouldn't want a repeat of the War Game to happen here, now would we?"
"…"
When she put it like that, Hestia didn't know what to say.
"You're certainly charitable today," Dia noted. "Did something good happen to you outside of hell that happened yesterday?"
"Not particularly. Can't I simply help out a friend in need?"
"Not without calling in a huge favor afterward, I suspect."
"But of course. It's only natural, isn't it?"
Yes, it was only natural to do something for someone else without them asking and then ask a favor of them in return. As expected of a goddess…of which Hestia was one too.
"Anyway…" Dia began, shifting gears as she let the first syllable draw out. "How are you Freya? I hear that Ishtar's skirting around in the dark trying to show you up again."
"Oh, is she?" Freya asked looking and sounding completely uninterested in the shift in topic. "I haven't noticed."
"Completely unconcerned as always, huh?"
"Pretty sure she's trying to bring Kali in on it this time," Hestia added.
"Yes, one of my children did hear about that when they went to Melen to fish during their break," Freya muttered with another uncaring shrug. "Kali's Amazons may be fearsome, but they are ultimately nothing special."
From what Hestia remembered, most of them were below Level 5 with only two at Level 6. Even Ishtar only had her Captain at Level 5. Between Ottarl and the rest of Freya's elite, she completely outgunned and outnumbered them. That is, if one didn't take into account the mysterious fact that Ishtar's Berbera can seemingly fight above their reported Levels.
"Well, not like I can talk," Hestia thought to herself as she glanced to the side toward the picture of her entire Familia standing in front of their Home for said photo. From her eagerly smiling "kiddie trio" to the extremely exasperated Captain.
Sadly, she was going to have to get a new one done since Dia said that one of her "students" was interested in joining. Not for the prestige of an up and coming Familia or for Welf's Crozzo Magic Swords or anything that so many others tried to do but for Archer and Rider's cooking.
Hestia wasn't sure if Dia had been joking or not but Dia had said that the Child was a big eater and loved to sneak away to scarf down snacks when she thought no one was looking to keep her noble façade. But Dia had her ways of finding out, as parents often did.
Hesita had no problems with admitting Karen into her Familia as a favor for Dia but she would have to talk it over with Bell and Caster first. Even though they said that new members were under her purview, she still wanted to hear the opinions of her executives.
A few months ago, Hestia would have rejected Karen outright for being a girl, and thus a potential rival for Bell's affections, but that was the old her that existed before the Holy Grail came into her lives. Granted, Emma was probably the biggest threat to Bell's affections right now and Hestia had happily and willingly let her join to prove to Caster that she could do her job as a Familia goddess properly. Boy, had that backfired real quick.
What was worse was that Hestia adored Emma as well so she couldn't find it in her to hate the girl for simply being herself.
Besides, her head was completely filled with thoughts of looking for her elder sister. As long as that was her goal, she didn't have time for romance!
Probably.
Hopefully.
Still, it would probably be nice if she got another boy in her Familia soon eventually. Bell and Welf could probably use some more guy friends their age. Oh wait, that was what Take's children were for! Kashi-something Ouka or whatever. He seemed a bit stiff and serious but those were good traits for a Captain of a Familia to have.
Take's Familia was off with the group heading north so they wouldn't get the chance talk with Hestia's Children at all. It was a pity but that was how it is.
Hestia's thoughts of the future was suddenly cut off with a violent shake. The entire building's foundation seemed to shiver back and forth with more than a few screams coming outside. Freya and Dia were being held down by their Familia members as things fell off of the shelves and Hestia's desk buckled and launched her work all over the place.
Then, as quickly as it came, the shaking stopped.
The five of them remained silent; their eyes darting around as if waiting for a secondary shock to hit them.
"…That was some quake…" Hestia muttered, breaking the silence.
"Did someone do something stupid in the Dungeon?" Dia wondered as she tapped her Captain's hand to get him to let her go.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Freya agreed as she brushed her hair off her shoulder. "Helun, be a dear and help pick up the things off the ground."
"Of course, Lady Freya."
"You too, Enciodes."
"Yes, Goddess."
"Oh, so that's what his name was," Hestia thought as she bent down to pick up her picture frame.
And like any good ominous cliché, it was cracked right down the middle.
What kind of trouble was Bell finding himself in this time?
X-x-X-x-X
"Report!"
From her spot next to the giant black monster's dissolving corpse, Ais could hear Finn's shout even though he was on the other side of the army from her.
Seeing that the battle was over, she glanced around at the others before hurrying over to Finn's side.
The black beast had stood about twenty meters tall and had released a toxic gas not unlike the ones that had ambushed the army before. However, while the smaller ones could only release it in a small area, the large one had spread its poison over the entire battlefield.
"It could have been worse," Ais heard Gareth admit as she drew closer. "If we hadn't known that these things could spew poison, we'd probably had a few more casualties. That being said, aside from the poison, these things aren't very tough to handle for us."
"It is a different story for the Lower Levels and those without Falna however," Riveria reminded him to which he simply waved his hand. She looked Ais's way on her approach before continuing, "It is also good news that Ais's wind can keep the poison away from her."
"Bete said that that Lancer woman and that minotaur from Hestia Familia could do the same with fire and lightning, didn't he?" Gareth asked, turning to Finn.
"So he did," Finn said with a nod. "Lancer is also the secret to Hestia Familia's Taming Method…perhaps she has a Skill similar to the Development Ability Mystery or some other Rare Skill to be able to do such things at Level 1…provided she is of course."
Though he said that, Finn's expression and tone said that he truly did believe Lancer was Level 1. Someone with a power that flexible and strong would have been the source of stories and rumors long before they set foot into Orario.
All Ais knew about the woman was that she was Saber's wife and one he showered with love at every possible moment if the scenes she saw during the War Game were any indication. It was…strange to see someone as seemingly cold and stoic as Saber express himself in such a way to the point that several members of her Familia were openly gagging and for Tione to wish she could have Finn do the same for her.
Ais could only wonder what Saber's Status was like with his wife trying to kill him as often as love him though.
"Still…it feels like something is amiss," Riveria continued. "Not with Hestia Familia's Irregulars, but with the black monster…"
"Do you know something about it?" Ais asked. "Caster seemed to but he didn't really say anything about it."
"Oh?" Gareth began, looking interested. "And what did Mister Moneybags have to say about the monster?"
"He said that it was 'a creature that returned due to an act of god on the anniversary of Grand Day,'" Ais said, recalling the man's cryptic words.
"Cryptic as always," Gareth said, unknowingly agreeing with Ais's thoughts. "But worrying nonetheless."
"Should we take 'act of god' literally then?" Riveria wondered.
"Considering the similarities…I'm inclined to believe it," Finn nodded.
"Similarities?" Ais repeated.
"We fought a monster like this before. Several years ago as part of a Quest with multiple other Familias to destroy a powerful monster."
And then Ais understood. Why Caster had used the word "returned" on the day of anniversary.
"You mean…" Ais began, finally understanding why she was feeling so uncomfortable in the face of the monster and its wind. It was not because of the danger it posed to the world…but it was because it was related to that monster.
Before Finn could answer, the wind bellowed and the ground shook. The orange-red setting sun was immediately blocked out by a mass of darkness.
Far in the distance, a massive storm rose up like a mountain, blocking everything behind it from view. Its size could easily envelope the entirety of Orario with room to spare.
"Impossible!" Riveria shouted. "How did we miss that?"
"It can turn its wind off and on at will," Finn said with a frown. "It used one of its smaller forms to distract us while it went off to attack something else…"
A monster that could think.
"It's heading in the same direction as that elf village that little girlie told us about!" Gareth said. "Is it heading there on purpose or is it just a coincidence?"
"The creature deliberately used a smaller offshoot to lead us here while it head in a different direction," Finn repeated slowly, his thoughts no doubt racing. "If it wanted to escape, it could have just kept its wind off. Unless it can only do so for a short time…"
Considering the amount of wind it was giving off, Ais thought it was latter. It might always be roaring, a monster that couldn't be contained if the smaller ones were any proof. The ones that ambushed them by burying underground had been much larger than the ones that rampaged in Orario.
If it was anything like the large one they had crushed (aside from being almost four times its size) it also had an organ that was spewing out poison gas as well.
"We'll have to split the army again!" Finn declared. "Send an advanced force of our fastest runners to try and get to it before it reaches any of the villages in that direction. We'll have to count on Raul and the others to find a way to buy time until we can get there though."
Ais was not worried.
If it was Saber and Archer, then there was no doubt in her mind that they would hold out. They would have to until reinforcements arrived.
Ais had full faith in all of them.
X-x-X-x-X
Bell's eyes shot open to the fading sunlight. The only light sources were coming from outside from the other Familias cooking fires. Sitting up from the sofa he appropriated to sleep on, he couldn't see anyone aside from the sleeping forms of a few of his Familia.
Welf had taken the floor despite Bell's protest, taking only one of the cushions to rest his head on while Lily had pushed together two chairs and was using that as a bed instead. Emma was sleeping in Primo's old bed while the young elf was sleeping in her mother's old bed alongside Gina and Assassin.
As Bell looked around for a moment longer, a quiet voice whispered into his ear.
"Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?"
It was Rider's voice and the woman slowly faded into existence beside him.
"No," Bell replied with a shake of his head, whispering as well. "I suddenly felt a jolt and woke up."
He looked around again but he didn't see, or sense, any of the other Servants, aside from Berserker and Assassin, nearby. It didn't feel like they were anywhere in the village even.
"Do you know where the other Servants went?"
"They haven't come back yet as far as I could tell," Rider replied. "I know Lancer had gone to see to the wounded but that was hours ago already."
"I don't think any of them are in the village anymore…" Bell began before glancing up. "Well…except maybe Caster."
"Hmm…if I had to guess…perhaps they're making sure the forest and the surrounding area is clear of monsters?" Rider suggested. "The villagers probably have other guardians like Primo's mother meant to take on that role but thanks to all of us showing up, they're probably keeping an eye on everything to make sure nothing happens."
She then gave a small glance to the urn at the side of the room.
"It is an unenviable yet valiant work, to protect your home with what little strength you have. So let's let the others clear the forest out so they'll have a decent peace period after we leave."
"…Yeah," Bell replied with a smile.
He was about to lay back down when his body lurched forward with a burning sensation running along his nerves as Rider's head jerked toward the south, where Bell felt three of his Servants were fighting.
And it wasn't a casual run like when they went into the Dungeon. It was like the time Archer had gone with Loki Familia down to the Deep Floors.
Just what in the world were they fighting up here?
And just as he thought that, the outside suddenly became very very dark, as if someone had snuffed out the sun. Rider seemed to bite back a curse as she glared up at, and past, the ceiling toward a certain someone before turning to Bell.
"Are you all right?" She asked quickly.
"Y-yeah," Bell replied with a nod. "It took me by surprise but it's not unbearable."
The difference in Parameters between back when he was a fresh Level 2 and his current self was huge. He wasn't sure if his Knights were going all out, but he currently wasn't debilitated like he had been with Archer.
"Sorry…can I get some water?" Bell asked and Rider quickly nodded and rushed over to the sink to grab a cup and fill it boiled river water from the pot. "I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."
His worries were soon realized when he heard a shout coming from outside.
"L-look, I'm not anyone suspicious! Just let me see Archer or Caster or someone!"
Someone was trying to get past Berserker, who was blocking the door and growling at them.
Hearing this, Bell quickly jumped off the couch and ran toward the door.
"Mister Nord?" Bell asked as he threw open the door to see Raul and Lefiya at the door. "And Lefiya too?"
"Moonlit Dawn!" Raul began, quickly turning from Berserker to Bell. "Where's Archer or your Captain?"
"They're not here…" Bell said, with each word bringing despair on the duo's faces. "What's-"
Bell's words died in his throat as he saw something through the trees…what had snuffed out the sun.
It was a black twister. One far bigger than any of the ones Bell had seen so far. Its sheer size was wide enough to envelope the entire elf village whole if it came close. But if it was like anything like the other bigger twisters they had seen already, the poison wind it was no doubt releasing would destroy the village long before it would get close.
Bell wasn't the only one who noticed either. The Dia and Hermes Familia had stopped what they were doing to stare at the black cloud that extended all the way to the heavens above as well. Even from here, Bell could see that it practically enveloped the entire sky.
Was that one of the two twisters the armies had been split to fight? If so, why was it here? Did it slip past the main group?
Bell placed a hand over his chest in realization that his Servants were still fighting.
Or were there more than just two? Were his Servants fighting another one? What if they grew even bigger than this.
"W-we need to run!" Lulune said, snapping everyone out of their stupor. "No way we can take on something that big!"
"We'd never make it with our wounded," Hermes said simply, but his face was pale and unsure. "And at its speed, I doubt the villagers would be able to outrun it either."
"M-Mr Cranel!"
Bell turned as Primo ran and collided with his back. Her tiny hands gripped the back of his shirt as she stared up at him with fearful eyes.
"W-what do we do?" She asked as the others were on their feet and staring out the window with wide eyes as well. "T-the village…"
Bell didn't know what to say.
Even though the twister was still far away, he could feel its sheer pressure. It made him want to run. It made him want to cower away and hide. The black wind was a symbol of horror and despair to all that laid eyes upon it. He could admit it. He was scared.
But even before all that…what scared him the most was…leaving people to die.
Therefore there was only one option.
"We have to fight!"
X-x-X-x-X
Lefiya watched as Primo clung onto Bell. Even if the girl had abandoned her village for the sake of becoming an Adventurer, but it was clear that she still loved the people that lived here.
She remembered all the people they had ran past to get here in search of Archer of one of the other supposed Spirits. Mothers holding their children close and fathers cursing their powerlessness. Even the elder was praying to the Holy Tree for guidance and safety.
Was this all they could do?
They had triumphed over everything that the black twisters had thrown at them already. They can't give up now. If they did, they would have to abandon their wounded and the villagers, something Lefiya would never do.
And thus, left only one option.
"We have to fight!"
X-x-X-x-X
Lefiya said those words at the same time Bell opened his mouth, causing him, and everyone else to turn and goggle at the elf.
"Lefiya?"
"It's too early to give into despair!" Lefiya continued. "We're still alive after all! We have to fight until the very end to protect the things around us! To protect the things we care about!"
"G-get a hold of yourself, Lefiya!" Raul said. "We can't have you losing your head like this!"
"I have not lost my head!" She shot back. "If we can't outrun or hide from the enemy than all we can do is meet it head on, right? How can you give up so easily? Aren't we all Orario Adventurers!? Shouldn't we live up to the Captain's example?"
Raul fell silent at that as he took several deep breaths.
"Raul!"
"Lefiya," Raul called her name, causing the elf to fall silent. "I'm going to be realistic here. All of…no, most of our top hitters are back with the Captain and the rest of the army. The people we have here don't stand a chance against that twister. The best we can do is buy time."
All eyes were on Raul now as he continued to speak.
"Due to the poison that that thing is no doubt spreading, we have to get every High-Class Adventurer we have that has Abnormal Resistance to form a defensive line and try to lure it away from the village. Everyone else will help the wounded and the villagers make their way in the opposite direction."
"Raul…" Lefiya muttered as Bell grimaced.
"Bell Cranel, was it?" Raul asked, suddenly turning to Bell. "Do you know where Archer is?"
"N-no, I don't," Bell replied, feeling his body light up as if his veins were on fire. Whatever they were fighting, they were certainly being forced to go all out.
"I see…and you probably don't have any way of contacting him either, huh?"
Bell gripped his left wrist but didn't respond.
The Command Spells allowed him to summon any of his Servants to his side but he couldn't risk separating any of them from whatever it was they were fighting. And besides that, he didn't want to use the remaining two if he could help it. Not for any practical reason either…but because he felt that it was the only thing truly connecting him to them.
"You'll probably be annihilated if you face that thing, head-on or not," Hermes said seriously. "That thing isn't something you should be taking so lightly."
"Even so, I don't want to be someone who would betray Braver's trust in protecting these people," Raul said with a smile before turning to the gathered Adventurers around them. "And what about the rest of you!? Loki Familia has made its decision! We will buy time for our elite to make their way here! Will you fight or will you cower in fear?"
"…Let's fight!"
"If Loki Familia's doing it, we might stand a chance!"
"I didn't last this long just to die here!"
"Everyone, get into formation! Anyone with Abnormal Resistance to the front! To the wounded, if you're able to move, act as a Supporter!"
As Raul directed the Adventurers, Bell turned back toward Lily and Gina, his Familia's High-Class Adventurers that took the Abnormal Resistance Development Ability upon reaching Level 2.
"Lily really, really does not want to face that thing head on, even as a Supporter," Lily said bluntly before Bell could say anything. "Lily is already 0-1 against one of the small ones after all."
"I…feel like I should but…" Gina began but she didn't say anything more. It was clear that she was afraid, just like any sane person should be, but her sense of duty was compelling her to join.
"I'll back you up if you want to go too," Rider said with a smile.
Bell saw no problem with that.
As a Servant Rider's body was probably more resistant to poisons and her Skill would allow her to keep moving even under the worst case scenario to get her and Gina out if need be.
"What about Berserker?" Welf asked, jerking his head toward the minotaur. "He'd probably be able to uh…damn…what's a nicer way of saying 'meat shield?' Gah!"
Welf's joke was received by a pair of tiny kicks to the back of his knees, courtesy of Gina and Primo, causing him to fall flat on his back.
"Nn…"
However, Berserker simply nodded his head, agreeing with the Smith's words.
"Then let's hurry," Bell said. "We'll all chip in and do what we can, where we can."
With nods all around, Bell and the others grabbed their equipment and headed out to the center of the village.
X-x-X-x-X
Far above the village, on the tip of the tallest trees in the forest, a sole figure stood and watched the Adventurers scatter about. To the east, he could see the massive black twister draw closer and closer to the forest. To the south, there was a battle raging between Spirits and monsters, hidden from the eyes of mortal men.
While the battle in the south was one worthy of being transcribed into an epic, it was the tale that was unfolding below that he was focused on. Humanity struggling against an insurmountable foe, betting on the hopes that a hero will appear and save them. The uncertainty was what made it exciting compared to a story where the outcome was all but certain.
And so, he watched. And so, he waited. And so, he would not lift a single finger to help.
"Should the boy's story end here, then that was all he amounted to."
And the first mountain obstacle was slowly lumbering its way toward the quaint little village they were in.
Though its size could not compare to the Bull of Heaven, it was a sight that gave him a sense of nostalgia…for the briefest of moments before the thought faded away back into the recesses of his mind.
"Now then…how shall this theatre play out? Will they be annihilated? Will they hold out until Braver's army returns? Or…"
X-x-X-x-X
"Lefiya, start by casting Lady Riveria's Veil Breath on us," Raul said as he led the vanguard out of the forest to try and pull the monster's attention away from the village. "That should at the very least give us more time against its poison."
"Right," Lefiya nodded her head as she glanced at the front of the formation.
Hestia Familia's Berserker was walking at the front of the group with several other nervous looking Adventurers whose Endurance was a cut above the rest. All of them were carrying large shields meant to buy time for the Mages to cast their spells. Some moved with confidence while others seemed to be wondering if they were making a huge mistake.
Lefiya herself was nervous but she didn't believe they were making a mistake. She had Primo's assurances that Berserker would follow her commands in battle as Hestia Familia didn't have any other members that could handle the poison wind without assistance. The minotaur had offered to carry her into battle on its shoulder like it had done for Primo but Lefiya had declined the offer. Perhaps just a bit too quickly to be polite but it didn't seem to take offense.
Lefiya quickly shook her head as they reached the edge of the forest and began her chant.
"I beseech the name of Wishe! Ancestors of the forest, proud brethren. Answer my call and descend upon the plains."
The Falna, the Blessing of the Gods, could only hold three Spell Slots for each individual. That meant that no matter how skilled the Mage was, as a rule, they could only hold three spells. But, as with any rule, loopholes exist. Lefiya's loophole existed in her third spell and the source of her alias, Thousand Elf. It allowed her to duplicate any elvish magic that she could recite the incantation for as well as understand the effects of.
"Connecting bonds, the pledge of paradise. Turn the wheel and dance. Come, ring of fairies. I beseech you, give me strength! ELF RING!"
However, while useful, it was far from being as convenient as the Spell Archer used to recreate weapons made from the greatest of Smiths. She had to expend her Mind and time to first cast her Spell and then spend even more Mind and time to cast the spell she was duplicating.
And the monster was not about to give them that time.
The world shook and the sky seemed to crack as a mass of poison wind surged toward them.
"Shields!" Raul roared out as the frontline Adventurers formed up with their shields in front while Berserker stood before them all. The monster heaved its giant slab of iron that it called a shield up and banged one of its massive halberds against it.
Then, with a massive blood curdling scream that could only ever come from the mouth of a monster, Berserker slammed the shield down in front of him. The roar and its show of strength beyond an ordinary Level 2 monster made Lefiya's hair stand on end.
No, it really was standing on end.
Sparkles of red light raced across the air between the Adventurers like a current.
And then the black wind smashed into them.
In a brilliant show of strength, Berserker did not take a single step back as it took the brunt of the wind head on. However, even with the powerful shield in front, it was but a single shield. The second line moved to cover what Berserker could not but they did not have the monster's constitution. Even with Abnormal Resistance, they were faltering under the poison's potency. It was far more powerful than the poison from the smaller monsters.
"Lefiya, hurry!" Raul shouted over the storm.
"Gather! Breath of the earth! My name is Alf!" Lefiya shouted as she swung her staff. "VEIL BREATH!"
Veil Breath was Riveria's support magic. A quick cast magic that took the form of a deep green light that formed around its targets like a shell. It provided them with both physical and magical protection, allowing them to weather the first attack.
However, the protection of the Level 3 Lefiya's copied magic was no where near as powerful as the Level 6 Riveria. The shell failed to form completely around Berserker as the wind picked up in ferocity, pushing the minotaur a half step back.
"Shit!" One of the vanguards directly behind Berserker let out a curse as he grit his teeth and pushed up against the wind. "Come on, Monster! Don't let some pissy wind beat ya! What would Moonlit Dawn say!?"
"That's…"
Lefiya recognized the man. It was the rough looking human she had met at the Casino the other night. The one that seemed to have been a fan of Bell and Hestia Familia.
"Mord! Stop shouting or you're gonna breathe in that poison!"
"Shut it! If the big guy croaks then we're all gonna feel it!" Mord shouted back. "Come on big guy! Show us what you got! Don't let the kid down!"
As if spurned on by Mord's voice, Berserker let out another roar as it forced itself to take a step forward, pushing through the wind and creating a space relatively free from the poison as if he was a rock in a stream.
"Condense the formation!" Raul shouted. "Stay in the space behind the minotaur as much as possible!"
The vanguard was pushing forward!
Even through the poison, they could at least reach their target!
Lefiya's hope soared as they slowly pushed through the poison wind…until…
"Hmm? Did the wind get weaker?"
"That's not it…something's happening in the distance!"
Although it was near pitch black, Lefiya could hear something echoing past the heavy winds.
"Are those…explosions?" She wondered. "Some kind of new attack!?"
"BRACE!"
Raul seemed to realize something was coming and gave the order as the shields linked together.
However, Berserker did not fall back with the others and instead let out a roar as he charged forward.
"Wait, Berserker!" Lefiya called out as a massive explosion and a blinding light filled her senses.
But throughout all of that, she could hear a minotaur's roar, cutting through the light.
