A Stranded Cat II
"By the Lady of the Lake, that what I call a big fucking tower" I say dumbfounded looking at what is possibly the biggest construction, from which we just came off, that I have seen in all of my life. It looked like this tower was made from pure stone and its reaches so high it looks like it touching the sky. And that scale doesn't confine just to the tower because even here at its feet I notice that the city that surrounds it (Which for what I get is called Orario) is bigger than Novigrad, with different kinds of people and races walking in the street, someone more familiar than others.
This truly confirms the fact that I'm in another world if the humanoid cows, people with animal ears, and the tons of brown women dressed like sluts didn't make it much fucking clear, and for that, I am thankful because I don't know what I would have done if this place had turned out to be the vampire's homeworld. I smile relieved looking at the dim-lit sun.
Oh, right the sun, It appears that the magic portal of that Katakan also included a little time travel given how it was nighttime when I entered his cave, but now is the afternoon here in Orario. That's going to fuck up my biological clock a little, but nothing a little of meditation can't fix.
"While I agree that it is a magnificent structure you should not be so surprised given how you already saw it when you arrived at Orario" said the inquisitive and also sexy voice of the green-haired elf sorceress knows a Riveria Ljos Alf, another proof that I was not in my universe given how that name sound zero percent and elf one, at least like an elf name of my world.
I look at her inquisitive eyes and mentally curse my stupid commentary, then I clear my throat to say some bullshit that could hide the fact that I arrived at this world mere hours ago. "Well it is not like you can accustom yourself to such a view in just a day you know, did it not happen the same when you arrived here the first time, cutie?" I ask, trying to deflect the attention about my situation with some flirtation. She sighs tiredly in response, while I feel countless angry glares at my back. These elves are really a bunch of zealots.
"I would prefer if you call me by my name Mister Lerand, and answering your question I will admit that it took me by surprise such a view the first time I saw it, but I read about Babel beforehand which allowed me my surprise to fade very fast" She says with her serious calm and kind of educational tone which gives me the feeling that she has to be some kind of mother or something like that. Given how some members of this "Familia" are freaking children or teenagers, I would not be surprised if that turns to be the case.
"Well Riveria let's just say that is fascinating seeing such great architectural wonder in front of me, I tell I would never be accustomed to it" I say with some fake humility, I surpassed the impression ten seconds ago "But perhaps you can help me with that my green-haired beauty, why don't you give me a tour of the tower and in exchange I can take you out for some nice drink" And maybe see and play with "my big tower" after it, I thought and say with a grin.
Riveria looks at me with tired eyes, other members are laughing or confused, most of them just ignore us like the snow hair kid named Bell Cranel who is talking rather shyly with the blond girl called Aiz (isn't young love such a beautiful thing?) and the other elves are ready to tear my head off my body.
Now, before continuing with my quest to turn to white the womb of this green-haired beauty, I have to recount what happened after the scuffle with the minotaurs, saving the kid with snow hair, and my introduction to this "Familia", which for what I understand are servants of a God that lives among mortals, of course, such an idea is stupid. I have known a fair share of dumb people attributing majestic abilities to lesser beings, like for example some idiots thinking that a house is hexed when in reality it has some vampire living in the attic or peasants thinking the spirits of the forest are angry when it is actually just a Fiend fucking around.
So, probably these "gods" are some kinds of magical creatures that have fooled the inhabitants of this world to make them believe they are some omnipotent being that descended from the heavens. I pity them for that.
On the other side, I have to give credit to these "gods", the fact that they can reunite people of diverse races under the same banner without ending in a racial war or a pogrom truly is a miracle of the ages. My world definitely needs something like that, but then again I don't know the downsides of entering the servitude of these "gods" so maybe there are good reasons for keeping them very far from my world.
Continuing my narration, after that set of events happened we ended meeting with the rest of these servants and walked towards the exit of this "Dungeon" like the inhabitants of the world like to call it, which by my understanding is a colossal cave network where these magical constructs, that like to take various monstrous forms, live. It seems this "Dungeon" has floors that sink deeper and deeper in the earth, meaning we had to climb up the floors towards the surface to exit this forsaken place.
I hope that I'm right in my explanation, is not like I asked questions given how I'm trying to hide the fact that I am from another world, which means I can't reveal that I don't know things that are I'm pretty sure are basic knowledge that even an infant in this world should know.
Meaning that I have to deduce by observation, so, for example, I didn't initially get what these people and others that we found on our way out were doing inside such a dangerous place, I didn't understand why people would enter these forsaken caves on an expedition until I saw one of the members of this "Familia" carrying a big bag with the same kind of crystals that come out of the magical constructs that I killed. The conclusion was pretty clear: they were harvesting these crystals, probably because of their magic nature. To what end? this I don't know.
Also, It stood out to my attention that "Loki" is the name of the god that these people serve under, two things caught my interest in that regard, first. I'm pretty sure the inhabitants of Skellige believe in the existence of an omnipotent being of a similar name. Was that a coincidence? two gods in different universes sharing the same name, or could be the same god?
That's when the second detail of this deity comes into play and makes me mostly discard the theory of being the same god, the fact that this Loki is referred to as a "She", meaning that she is a goddess. From what I heard of Skelligers Loki has an effeminate look, but was still a male. So basically, this Loki is a magical being that has tricked these people and made them believe she is a goddess, making them serve her as servants and enter this Dungeon to bring her magical stones.
Of course, I could be missing some key detail, but these are the preliminary conclusions I come out of it. I hope these assumptions don't turn to be a bunch of bullshit.
Going back with my mission to get some elf pussy, I have to make clear that my introduction to these servants of Loki wasn't that great and some of them didn't have the ideal reaction to my presence. It is clear as day that my kind is not exactly common here (For fuck's sake it wasn't even common in my world) which is just a subtle way of saying "Witchers" here are not a thing given the odd look these people gave me when I clarify my profession and looked confused at my physical appearance, especially my eyes.
So in the walk to the exit, I was the weirdo of this party of explorers that everyone looks in distrust, especially these people with animal ears, apparently in this world catgirls and dogman are a thing besides werewolves (The zoophilic theory is getting stronger by the day), don't know what their problem was, but they were really looking at me like expecting me to attack them in any moment.
And then, of course, were the fucking, pain in the balls, elves, see I was actually right about Riveria being a princess, more exactly the princess of the Alf's Royal Forest which was something any other elves of this group make it clear when I started to talk to her in a way they considered disrespectful (It also means Loki tricked a princess like Riveria to serve her, maybe her magical capabilities are very strong, enough to make people, even nobles, to see her as a deity) Like a said before, they were a bunch of zealots, worse of all is that looking at her face it is clear she didn't like this devotion the same members of her race have for her.
And as good zealots, they would object to my inviting Riveria to "take a walk". Guess they didn't like the possibility of their princess engaging in funny business with a human.
"Stay away from her and watch your manners, weird human, we are not going to let you defile our princess!" Says Riveria's personal apprentice, Lefiya, or as I would personally call "the oranged-haired elf brat that makes being stung by bees in the dick a better prospect than listening to her whining". She is looking at me with reddened cheeks, offended by the vulgar manner I spoke with the green-haired elf. Oh girl, if you only know that I am being pretty tame right now.
"Calm down girl is just an invitation, besides, are you really trying to protect her for me? Do I have to believe some catcalling is worse than letting your magic princess enter a dungeon full of monsters? You have to admit that's a little crazy, baby face" I say, making Lefiya pout cutely.
"Don't call me baby face! and so you know Princess Riveria is one of the best mages in the World, a level 6 adventurer, which is something you should be aware of even if you are a vulgar and ignorant human" Says the elf girl with pride and smug look. "But now there is no excuse, I already make it clear who she is, so show her respect". she challenges me with a defiant look. I just roll my eyes, seems elves ego know no boundaries between universes.
"Respect, eh? well, not worry baby face I'm will make sure to show tons of "respect" to your hot and beautiful princess once I take her for a drink" I say making the green-haired elf look at me with a confused look while Lefiya's face becomes totally red beyond just her checks. The other elves of the Familia were looking at me with killing intent, but a fake cough and glare of Riveria stop them from doing whatever they were planning of doing. Other members like Finn and that Dwarf called Gareth are watching amused the discussion.
"I would have to decline mister Lerand, I'm not searching for a man at this moment, but in the case I do it, I will be only interested in one that is husband material" Say Riveria with a serious voice, but then a small smile appeared in her face "And I don't know too much about you, so that makes it even less appealing" Say the elf with an amused voice.
I grin in response, this woman likes to play it hard, eh? It could be worse, at least is not like some Skellige women that expect men to bring her the head of a giant to have a little chance of taking her to the bed. That means I will have to use all my arsenal of charismatic pick-up lines. Sadly, seducing a serious woman like Riveria is a more hard task than fighting a Kayran.
"Oh, so there is a chance? but what needs to be said? I'm new here, nothing worth mentioning besides that I'm handsome" I say, stating the obvious with a confident grin at the green-haired elf. She just rose an eyebrow and sighed. Whatever dry remark she is going to make at me seduction techniques are interrupted by, guess who.
"You-you think too hig-highly of yourself hu-human, clearly you should learn how to treat a princess first to even get the opportunity to even have the right to ask her for….whatever indecent thing you are planning to do to her, which she will definitely decline" Says Lefiya with a flustered expression, angry glare, and very red cheeks.
Okay, this girl is being a little exasperating, maybe it's time to tell her some truth about women.
"But I have experience with princesses, and let me tell you babyface, they really like to do indecent things, the noble a princess appears the more a pervert she is" I say with a lecherous grin, the orange-haired elf face blushes so much in response that started to look like a tomato.
"JUST-JUST BE-BECAUSE HU-HUMAN PRINCE-PRINCESSES ARE SLUTS, DOESN'T ME-MEAN MISS RI-RIVERIA IS!" Suddenly screams Lefiya totally embarrassed. The rest of the Loki Familia looks at the elf confused or amused, even Bell and Ais stop acting like a pair of awkward teens to look at us. Or course Bell is the more awkward of the two, Aiz in change has such an unresponsive doll face that I can't get if speaking with this snow hair kid covered in blood makes her uncomfortable or not.
"Calm down lady, I'm just pointing up a simple fact of life, status doesn't mean shit regarding what pleasures people like to partake in" I say sounding like an ironic and twisted version of a teacher. "And of course there is no shame in engaged in such activities, all the contrary, I encouraged it" I share my hedonistic philosophy making the orange-haired elf look at me offended.
"That sounds that most people are perverts" Says dryly one of the girls who look like Zerrikanian sluts, the one with the small tits to be more specific, for what I recall her name was Tiona. The other girl, the one with big boobs is busy trying to gain the attention of Finn, seems she is attracted to the "halfing?", for reasons that I do not care about, maybe she likes small dicks or something like that. "I can't say that I agree, but I would concede that I know some perverts that have a lot of authority, like Loki". That's a little harsh thing to say about your goddess, maybe is part of their religion to give a god flaws?
"Well, of course, most people are perverts, the thing is most people also have the restraint not to act under their basic instincts, but that doesn't need they can't act with perversion in the right circumstances, and a person with such much power like princess could easily generate said circumstances. Or they could just not give a fuck about etiquette and just make babies like a rabbit" I answer to Tiona, winking at her, she giggles a little with some red in her cheeks. On the other hand, Lefiya is mortified.
"DO-DONT ACT LIKE A PER-PERVERT WITH TIONA, JUST-JUST BE-BECAUSE SHE DRESS LIKE THAT DOESNT MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO SEDU-SEDUCE HER WITH SOME VU-VULGAR TALK" screams the orange-haired elf. Tiona just rolls her eyes.
"Don't worry Lefiya I'm not going to steal this curious man for you, is clearly you are very keen on keeping him for yourself" The brown-skinned girl answer in a mocking tone. Lefiya tries to negate such accusation, but she is too embarrassed to former a proper answer. My malicious side then comes out, and I decide to make this even more fun.
"So I catch your interest, Miss Lefiya? I wouldn't mind giving you a good time if you are for the task" I say to her with a grin while leaning close to Lefiya who takes a step back embarrassed.
"Please Mister Lerand, stop trying to corrupt my apprentice, and Lefiya I can speak with Mister Lerand myself, there is no need to defend my honor or the dignity of any of the Familia members" Say Riveria with authority, making Lefiya look aside in shame and silence "The same to you people, I don't want you to cause any problem trying to defend me" At these words, the other elf members of Loki Familia stop the angry glares at me and just keep walking trying to ignore my "disrespectful behavior".
"Don't need to be so jealous Riveria, I will always have some space for a beautiful elf like you" I say with exaggerated fanfare. The green-haired elf just looks at me, a little annoyed with her impervious face. Geez, is she competing with Aiz to see who is the most stoic person?
Tiona laughs at my response, while the elves are ready once again to pounce at me, but with a raised hand Riveria stops them from doing much more. They should be grateful to her, if they tried to attack me, I would have cut their hand with Cierpienie without mercy.
"Well, well, that's an interesting reaction, I assume all elves here are your subjects?" I ask with curiosity, Riveria sighs in response. Lefiya tries to answer but with a stern glare, the green-haired elf stops her from answering for her.
"Not exactly, while I was born in the royal family, that's something that defined me a long time ago, now I'm Nine Hells, Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia and a qualified sorceress" Say Riveria with a little pride in her chest, Lefiya and the other elves of the Familia looks at her with sparkling eyes. What a bunch of bootlickers.
"And ex-elf princess turn sorceress? Hell, I'm pretty sure any bard would love to make a song out of it" I say in a joking tone noticing the exaggerated life story one could infer from Riveria's explanation, guess I ended up in some corny Nilfggardian novel, the kind some crazy Redanians would burn. The other elves offended are ready to scream at me until Riveria raises her hand once again to shut them up, then the green-haired elf looks at me with a curious and a little annoyed gaze. I grin in response, guess my sarcastic ass and ironic commentary have managed to catch her attention much more than my flirtatious words.
"I would not treat my life story as some kind of vulgar entertainment for the masses, Mister Lerand" Says the elf offended "Besides is not too weird to some people of noble background to become the children of a god, in fact, it could be considered an honor to an aristocrat to have the opportunity to become closer to heaven".
Oh! for fuck's sake, she is a religious fanatic, that could be a dealbreaker if she wasn't so beautiful "I guess religion is a pretty big deal here to even surpass noble titles, don't worry I'm not going to judge cutie, better to devote yourself to a "god" that you can see and touch that to some fucking metaphorical fire or some shit like that hehe" I say to her while taking solace that at least her beliefs don't lead to some of the crazy stuff the followers of the Eternal Fire are capable of doing, I hope. A questioning look appeared on Riveria's face after hearing my words.
"I think you are a little confused Mister Lerand, I'm not exactly devoted to Loki, will I have a lot of affection for her, I can't negate her negative and most perverse traits, not that she asked for devotion anyways, just company and help in maintaining afloat the Familia" Says Riveria. A god not asking for devotion? that could even be considered a religion? Then why the fuck do these magical beings call themselves gods if they don't want to be adored by the masses?
Something doesn't add in all of this.
"Well as much I would like to also trow flowers at Loki, I don't think it's the time for that, the expedition has left us exhausted so the only thing I want is to report me to my goddess and rest" Says Finn Deimne, which by the way I still don't get what he is supposed to be, the close thing I can think of is that he is a halfling, but they have pointy ears and are mostly barefoot, characteristics that Finn didn't have "And with that, I have to say this is the place we have to go in separate ways, I trust you now know where the exit of the dungeon is now in your future incursions?" Asked the small humanoid with a smile.
"Yeah, don't worry about that, I'm sure I will not get lost again now that you people have shown me the way back" I say with real gratitude, even if I try to hide my otherworldly nature it was never a lie that I was a lost person inside the dungeon. "Get this is when we say our goodbyes, a shame that we never get to appoint our date Riveria, I would have enjoyed it a lot" I say winking at the elf sorceress who just rolled her eyes in response.
Bell Cranel decide at that moment to get close to me "Sir, we didn't have the opportunity to talk much, but-but THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING SAVE ME" Suddenly shouts the kid with snow hair and red eyes while bowing at me, taking me by surprise "I hope someday I can repay you". Man, I have never felt this much gratitude back in the Continent, guess a world where bigotry against witchers doesn't exist can be nice.
"Calm down kid, I wasn't going to let you get killed by that cow abomination, now if you are feeling indebted to me, you can always repay me by buying me some drinks or lend me some coin" I say, guess the classic witcher greediness doesn't go away even when making altruistic acts, I can't help myself in that regard. Now in my defense, I don't have the type of money that is used in this world, so having a little of the local currency would help me a lot.
"Oh-oh I don't have a lot of money right now, but I will sure to pay back your kindness, I swear it!" He says. I see Riveria and other members of the Loki Familia looking at me with a disapproving gaze, but I just shrug it, I am already accustomed to always get a reward when possible. "I also want to say goodbye to you, I need to go to see my goddess, she has to be worry" Adds Bell.
So he is also in a Familia? interesting, guess being a servant of these magical beings is more popular than I envisioned.
"Shouldn't you first exchange the magic stones you had for valis?" Asks Tiona with curiosity.
The kid soaked in minotaur blood widened his eyes in response and took his backpack, opening it, revealing he carries small magic stones like the ones the "goblins" and "kobolds" that I killed released it. Seems he was also in there looking for that magical stones, and it seems there is a place you can change it for money, unless these "Valis" are not the name of the local currency.
"You are right, I have to see Miss Eina too" Says Bell. At that moment, Aiz got close to him.
"If you want I can accompany you" Says the blond beauty with her stoic voice, which in response makes some girls of the Familia start to mutter excited, Lefiya and Bete looked at the snow haired boy with envy and I notice a small smile in Riveria face. Good work Aiz you made the green-haired beauty look even more beautiful.
"I mean if-if-if you want Miss-miss Aiz" Says Bell with a very flustered face, I just roll my eyes, come on dude have some confidence, do you really believe the nervous kid act is going to wor…Now that I think about it, maybe it could work, who knows, maybe Aiz likes her men submissive.
"Just call me Aiz, let's go" says the girl walking off the group, Bell just nods in response, bows to me again, and runs after her towards, I suppose, the bank or some kind of similar place where magical stones can be changed for money.
"Mister, you should have told that kid that he didn't need to pay you, just like the Argonaut and other heroes in books would have" Says Tiona looking disappointed at me. I look at her cute face and I give her a sardonic smile
"I'm pretty sure we are not in some shitty heroic novel, besides I'm not a hero, just someone looking to make some coin, helping that kid was just the minimum thing to do, but don't expect me to save the world" I say to the girl looking at her eyes, she gives me a weird expression in response.
Riveria gets close to me "That a pretty bleak vision of the world Mister Lerand, I get being an adventurer is mostly seen as a dangerous job, but we shouldn't let that kind of thing stop us from acting with ethic". Says the elf like a stern teacher, I notice that Lefiya nods at every word Riveria says to me. She really is a zealot.
But anyway, the sun is starting to hide on the horizon I don't have the time or the drink to deal with some discussion about morals, I just want to find someplace to rest, which should not be too hard.
"Well, I would love to discuss such a "funny" thing with you Riveria, but I have to go, which reminds me, do you know I place where I can pay for lodgment Finn?" I ask the captain of the Loki Familia hoping that in this world the concept of an Inn also exists.
"Well, there are some taverns that let you stay for a few days if you have the Valis to pay for it, I would personally recommend The Hostess of Fertility, it has a great service and the prices are reasonable, it is a few streets down this way" Say the little humanoid pointing his finger at a very crowded street.
I sigh, guess it's time to explore Orario. I'm pretty sure finding that tavern will be easy.
"I see, thanks for the information Finn" I say, then I turn to the rest of the Loki Familia "Riveria, Tiona, Dog boy, Babyface, and the rest of the angry elves and people, I would see you all some other day, farewell" I say while nodding at them. Tiona waves her hands while Lefiya just pouts angrily at me.
"See you later, puss peepers!" Says Tiona excited. Damn, I expected that the existence of cat people in this world would make my eyes stand out less. Anyways I'm going to see what this "Hostess of Fertility" has to offer me.
"Wait!" Suddenly says Riveria making me stop in my tracks, the rest of the Familia looks at her confused. "I supposed that you already have a place to stay given how you were in the Dungeon, did your Familia never offer you a place to sleep and trow you right away to the monsters? and now that I mention it before you go, can you tell me in what Familia you are? " She asks with a lot of interest, the other members of the Familia also looked at me with curiosity. Guess it is an interesting question for them.
I still don't know what being part of a Familia really entails besides being the "majordomo" of a magical being with a god complex, so to give me a free pass of any trouble I would answer with sincerity, it is not like it would be such a big deal.
"Oh that, don't you worry I'm a freelancer, so I'm not really in any group, Familia, cult, or some shit like that" I say while turning around, not noticing her reaction. "Anyways, better I get going, goodbye" I say without looking at them with a simple hand wave and I start walking into the crowded street.
Curious, I have a feeling I say something I shouldn't have. Anyways I don't think it will give me much trouble. Now let's find that fucking tavern.
Riveria was shocked, so much that she could not stop this "Witcher" from disappearing into the crowd. His answer was very hard to believe, and she could not ignore the earth-shattering implications it could have if it was true.
"He is bullshitting us" Suddenly said Gareth, expressing something similar of what Riveria has initially thought but in a much vulgar form. "he looked very keen on hiding details about himself, that is why he was acting like a womanizer with you Riveria, to throw us out of the loop, so I will not be surprised if this is just another tactic to confuse us"
"It could be, but he looked very honest while saying that" Finn said "While I agree that he is hiding a lot about himself, I don't think he is trying to trick us, at least not in this particular matter, I would even add he genuinely wants to seduce Riveria" Added the Pallum which makes the green-haired elf look at him with a deadpan expression.
"You are aware of what it would mean if it is true that he is not in a Familia?" Gareth answer back in an agitated manner "Because I don't want to really consider it, I'm starting to think he was there with the minotaur because of pure coincidence and that horn he had, he retrieved of one that was killed by another adventurer. What Aiz said about him fighting him must be false then, maybe she didn't see it quite well"
"I don't think Aiz would be wrong about that, I highly doubt she saw wrong" Said Riveria calmly but a little annoyed at Aiz being called out "But I think it would be good if we have a talk with Aiz once she returns from escorting the kid, to have a better picture". At that moment, she desired for the blonde girl to not have accompanied Bell Cranel in his endeavors, but that was her more pragmatic side talking.
She was actually delighted that Aiz was capable of socializing with this she dares to admit "cute" boy (even if he was covered in blood) which was something good to the blond swordswoman who always had problems in the realm of social skills, sure dealing with some shy boy by her own would help her become more amicable.
"She has to be wrong or Lerand is lying to us, an unblessed can't fight and kill a minotaur on his own, that is impossible" Said Gareth with certainty and nervousness. Seems Lerand words let him pretty shocked.
"Now now, let calm down, there is no need to rush to conclusions or become altered about this" Finn said trying to calm his fellow executives, the last thing he needed was for them to become nervous, the rest of the members of lower ranks and level were already whispering frightened between themselves after hearing Lerand words.
The existence of an unblessed capable of fighting the monster of the dungeon could change the entire status quo of Orario, and Finn knows it, but he as the Captain of the Loki Familia need to tackle this with calm and make sure his comrades don't cause a panic based in unproven rumors.
"I think we should not discard what Gareth said about him bullsh- I mean, lying to us about not being a member of a Familia" Said Lefiya with a trembling voice, entering the discussion "Maybe his Familia has a bad reputation, and that's why he doesn't want to reveal its name" Some members, like Gareth, nodded at the orange-haired elf explanation. It sounded very logical and what was best, it didn't have to tangle with the possibility that Aiz, their sword princess, was wrong about something.
Riveria looked tired at her apprentice, while her explanation was very plausible, she couldn't get out the feeling that something was very wrong with Lerand de Toussaint
The elf sorceress has met very unusual people in her long life as an adventurer of the Loki Familia. That's not surprising in a place like Orario, the center of the World, where unusual people are as common as leaves in the trees.
Having said that, she couldn't understand Lerand. First was the question whether he was a human or not. She thought that he was part of the Cat People race, but he didn't have any cat's tail or feline ears in his head, and it was obvious that he possessed human ears. But the problem was that she has never seen a human with cat eyes before, so the only logical assumption that Riveria could make about this human at the moment is that he is a Cat People-Human hybrid.
But that kind of thing is unprecedented, it is known that intercourse with humans could lead to the creation of hybrid races, examples are plenty.
An Elf and a Human get a Half-Elf.
A Dwarf and a Human get a Half-Dwarf.
A Pallum and a Human get a Half-Pallum.
And you can't forget the Amazons, who don't matter who they mate, they will always give birth to another Amazon.
But procreation between races that have animal characteristics and humans has never got that kind of results. First of all it is very hard that a baby can be conceived between that kind of parents, and second of all in the case it works, there is a 65% chance of the baby being human and a 45% of being of the race with animal characteristics, hybridization never happened.
That means that Lerand de Toussaint was a biological impossibility. Or maybe hybrid babies were always a possibility, but it had a minimal percentage of happening, which in consequence makes it an undocumented phenomenon.
But the biological nature of this "Witcher" was just the first piece of the puzzle.
"Witcher", when he called himself that she was polite and didn't snort a laugh, her years of practice as an heir to the throne of the Alf Royal Forest allow her to keep her composure and maintain her serious face, but she couldn't negate that this man was being foolish and kind of hilarious at calling himself that.
What is even a "Witcher"? a male witch?
If that's the case, where were his robes and magic staff? He used some kind of light armor and was carrying two swords on his back. What kind of adventurer specialized in magic have that as his equipment? She noticed that the sword he has unsheathed when meeting him has some runes and looked like it was made of silver (which is a weird material to make a sword of it, too soft to be used in combat) but having an enchanted sword doesn't make you a mage. Did he call himself that because he knows some spells? Riveria thought that was cute but dumb, many adventurers that use weapons to fight also know some spells, like Aiz for example, but that didn't give them the right to bear that kind of title.
She at least would have objected to Lerand self-imposed title if it wasn't for the weird aura surrounding him and some of her Familia member's reactions to him. First, it was Bete, who was walking worryingly quiet while looking at the "Witcher" with suspicious, by the god's sake the werewolf didn't even mock the kid Bell Cranell for how funny he looked covered in minotaur blood, having all his attention put in Lerand like waiting that in any moment the weird human is going to attack him.
The same kind of reaction but in more subtle ways could be seen in other members of the Familia that had animal characteristics, when they reunited with the rest of the expedition team she noticed how members like Cruz or Anakitty became wary of this "Witcher", and have been all this walk to the surface on guard expecting him to do something. Anakitty besides looking wary at Lerand also seemed a little flustered for some reason.
Riveria has the theory that her Familia members with animal characteristics had detected some kind of smell or sensed something wrong or weird on him, which was the understatement of the century, given how even her without enhanced senses could tell there that he was a very weird person.
Now his claim about not being in a Familia make this puzzle even more confusing and a real head-scratcher. Meanwhile, the other members started to calm themselves after hearing Lefiya's theory, having convinced themselves that Lerand just didn't want to reveal his Familia name.
It was to be expected though, most of them were exhausted given how they were coming back from an expedition to the 59th floor that was interrupted by the attack of some mysterious plant monsters and subsequent escape of the minotaurs towards the upper floors, now all of them want to avoid doing anything more that go home and rest in their beds. Panicking about some powerful unblessed wasn't something they wanted to do.
Even Riveria was a little tired, the unexpected appearance of these plant monsters ruined a lot of the carefully designed plans she, Finn, and Gareth did for this expedition. But in a way, this was a known problem to them. It doesn't matter how much you prepare for the Dungeon, she would always come out with some unexpected and unpleasant surprise like the evil mistress she is.
Despite all that, she could not complain, they still got pretty far and nobody died or was critically injured, which is always a good thing. Riveria smiled a little at that thought, she would never admit it to Loki or anyone but the elf would accept "the Familia Mama" was an adequate nickname for her given how she cares so much about the well-being of all of her Familia members, especially the young ones.
Going back to the controversy started by the parting words of Lerand, Riveria wasn't so convinced that this was a resolved matter, so she silently got close to Bete, whose distrust towards this "Witcher" was the most obvious. "I know you felt something off about him, I saw other members who are half animals to also felt it, what it was?" Whispered Riveria in question, trying not to alert the other members of her Familia. The werewolf just looked at her with a weird look and took a deep breath, getting ready to share his suspicions.
"That fucker smells like nothing I have ever smelt, there is the essence of a human, but there is something more, something artificial, tampered, it smells like a very fuckup mix of potions" Said Bete in a serious tone.
Riveria keeps a confused look on her face, Bete answer confirms the obvious, Lerand de Toussaint is not exactly human or at least not totally, add to that his weird reaction to things that are not exactly remarkable to people in Orario and his own secrecy about his past, then is clear that this "Witcher" is a jigsaw of unpredictable nature. She hopes that Aiz returns soon with them so this mystery can be resolved soon, and with that, make sure that Lerand de Toussaint is not going to mean problems to her Familia.
"So I guess this is the Hostess of Fertility, looks cozy, even if the name is more app to a whorehouse than a simple tavern" I say to myself looking at the establishment Finn recommended me, following his indication and asking some people in the street allowed me to find it. The building has two floors and its architectural style reminds of some buildings in Wyzima, with a similar color pattern of white and brown wood.
The night has finally arrived (For the second time in a row for me, fucking portal and its time delays) and to my surprise instant of some torches being lit, some weird post with stones on its tip light up, illuminating the streets and making The Hostess look even cozier. In my curiosity, I get close to one of these posts and I notice that my medallion trembles a little, I also see that the stone looks very familiar. Guess this is one of the uses that have the magic crystal that comes out of the monster of the Dungeon. This brings the question, what other kind of technological marvel this world has created using these magic stones? Because I have to admit, Orario is more advance than any other city in my world.
Speaking of comparison, the streets of this city are wider than the ones in Novigrad, which is proof of the bigger population that lives here. It is clearly this place has to be the most or one of the most popular cities in this world. Seeing the weird variety of people passing clearly cements that kind of feeling, with so many races living together in the same place.
My ruminations about the wonders of Orario stops when I felt my stomach grumble, right I haven't eaten anything since taking that job to hunt the Katakan, guess fighting various types of monsters and traveling between worlds in a span of a few hours could make you forget to eat. I remember I still have the florens and rubies I stole from Cesede Dirtargel tomb, I just hope in this world people accept gold coins, or I will be fucked. I don't want my grave digging activities to end up being a waste of time.
Not looking to look like a fool standing in the middle of the streets, I walk towards the entrance of the Hostess, even from outside you can hear the sound of dining and party, which tell me this is a very popular tavern. The smell of the food that my enhanced sense catches, makes my mouth droll and speed up my pace.
I open the door of the tavern and the smell and sounds of the place envelops me, it is very crowded, most of the tables are occupied by people of diverse races, most of them are wearing some kind of armor and have weapons sheathed, the smell of a humid cave come out of their armor and clothes just like with the members of the Loki Familia, meaning they were probably also in the dungeon obtaining the magic stones of the monsters that live there.
The whole place is nicely illuminated by some yellow magic stones, dangling from the ceiling, ignoring that particular detail, the wood and rock interiors make it look like a Nordling tavern of high prestige. Hell, did I really felt a little nostalgic after just a couple of hours of arriving in this dimension?
Suddenly, a nice-looking catgirl gets close to me, she is wearing a charming green dress with a white apron, maid headband, black leggings and brown boots which a quick glance over the place tells me is the uniform of the waitress of this establishment (Also damn, all the waitress here are fucking cute and hot, especially that blond elf). She has a smile on her face until she gets a better look at me and sniffs something in the air, then I receive a weird look from her. Did I really smell that bad?
"Hello, Mister-nya?" She says, sounding that she is more asking herself than talking to me, I rose an eyebrow at her. She shakes her head and puts on a smile, "Hello Mister, would like to take a seat- nya? sadly, we don't have tables available right now, but you can sit on the bar counter-nya" Says the cat waitress. Why the fuck is she saying nya at the end of any sentence? Is that some catgirl custom? Did all of them do that? That would be a shame because let me tell you, it makes her sound a little retarded. Good thing she is cute, though.
Ignoring that stupid language quirk, I smile at her "I would like that cute kitty, thank you".
The catgirl wide her eyes a little but then claps her hand in response with a little of red in her cheeks and a cute-looking smile "Wonderful- nya, if you can follow me please- nya" I nod at her, and she directs me to my seat, just like she said, it is at the bar counter, more specifically in its corner and little far from the most crowded tables.
Damn my face have to look exhausted if she decided to give me that seat, then again she is not very far from the mark and some calm time after such a crazy day is greatly appreciated. Seem this waitress knows a tired customer when she sees it.
"I have to attend other customers, but Mama Mia will take your order-nya" Says the cat girl before moving toward other persons that just entered the tavern, probably to also accommodate them. Now where this Mama Mia is?
"Well, well, well, you are a curious one" Says a woman appearing on the other side of the counter, she looks of middle age, has brown hair tied up in a ponytail and while being a little small has a very strong looking body that gives me the feeling she could break a person in half "Gotta say I never saw a human with cat eyes before, are you perhaps a half-breed?" Asks the woman with a smile, I notice that her clothes were similar to the waitress's, but it's blue, which probably means she has a different position.
"Not really. I guess you are Mama Mia?" The woman nods at my question "The kitty girl told me that you will serve me, so I would like a drink, a lager if you have it, and some food, something with a lot of meat" I say while taking some florens off my bag "I'm new to Orario, so I don't have the local currency, so I hope gold could be accepted instead" I say showing her the coins.
"Well, it's not the usual thing, but sometimes we accept other forms of pay, also this is my tavern, so I can do what I fucking want" She says with a grin "I just hope that is real gold, I prefer not to kick your arse hahaha" She adds laughing while taking a mug and fill it with a drink I hope is lager "Here is your drink, I'm going to give your order to the kitchen" She says leaving me with the cup, I take a sip of it.
By the Lady of The Lake, this is a fine lager! Not exactly the best but sure as hell is good enough, even more after a hard day of fighting monsters and traveling between worlds.
While I wait for my food, I use my enhanced hearing to listen to the conversation of the other clients of the tavern, so I can gain a little more information about how the society of this world works. Many words are repeated by these people: Dungeon, Familia, Monsters, Adventurer, Valis, Orario, Babel, Gods, Falna, Whores of the Ishtar Familia in the Pleasure Quarter. I've to save that last bit of information for later, hehe.
After eavesdropping on the patrons of this tavern I can infer that the extraction of magic crystals from monsters in the dungeon is a lucrative business given the marvelous technologies one can create with it, in fact, I can even bet is the principal industry in Orario given how such activity permeates every conversation I have heard. Another thing that stood up to my attention is that for some reason all the people that work in monster hunting are members of a Familia, did these "gods" have some kind of monopoly in the business of hunting magical constructs? I hope there is a place for people without association, I mean there is hardly any security system that stops someone from entering the dungeon besides the knowledge that inside there are fucking monsters.
I brought a hand to my head.
FOR FUCK's SAKE I TOLD RIVERIA THAT IM NOT IN A FAMILIA, now I really hope there is not a monopoly, I prefer not to face some goons trying to break my legs to keep their corrupt economic scheme afloat, "trying" because I will possibly kill them with ease, but that is going to put my in the crosshair of this entire city, and given the abilities I saw in people like Aiz I know that such thing would suck, a lot.
"What's the matter, feline eyes? You look like you receive terrible news" Says Mia, in her hand she carries a plate of a very delicious-looking stew accompanied by baked potatoes. She puts it on the counter in front of me and smiles at my hungry expression, "I'm glad that you like our food even before eating it, hope this helps you deal with your problem".
I put a sarcastic smile on my face "Allow to put in doubt the power of a nice-looking stew in solving my tribulation" I say while grabbing a piece of said food with a fork, eating it. My eyes light up, and after I swallow I say "But at least is a very delicious meal".
Mia nods with pride, "That's the Hostess of Fertility food for you, I'm pretty sure in a few years our cook May will be considered the best chef in Orario". I take another bite of the stew, tasting it with delight.
"No wonder is that popular, nice food, cute waitress and fun ambiance, the perfect mix to dinner after a busy day" I say looking at the place, noticing that more people have arrived, filling the other parts of the bar counter. With that level of clients, The Hostess of Fertility has nothing to envy of the best taverns of Novigrad.
"Oh such flattering, I like it, but don't expect me to give you a discount for it haha" She said jokingly. I let a tired sigh and continue to eat my dinner, now taking a bite at the baked potatoes. They are fucking delicious.
"Glad I came with money" I say nonchalantly "Speaking of that, I would also like to spend the night here, for my understanding this tavern works also like an Inn?" I say, showing my bags of coins once again.
"Seems you want the full service" Mama looks at me with a grin "You are lucky this place is popular mostly with adventurers and not tourists," She remarks. "I will add then the cost of the dinner with of the lodging, so you can pay me in the morning is that okay for you ehhhhh…" She says with a questioning look on her face.
"Lerand de Toussaint, Witcher" I say in a very dry and nearly automatic way. Years of introducing myself stating my profession have made it second nature to me any time someone asks me to identify myself in that way, I would sometimes bow as I did with Riveria if the one's asking is some beautiful woman I want to bed.
"Witcher? Is that like a Male Witch? I've got to say you don't exactly look like a magician or a spell user aficionado, less with that two swords in your back" She says with an interrogative look. I snort a laugh, of course, I should expect this kind of answer, Witchers here are not a thing.
Mia looks at me furrowing her browns "What's so funny?" She says, I look at her with a grin.
"Sorry for that, I just imagine myself wearing some robes and with a long bear, it was a little hilarious" I say with a small smile "And answering your doubts, I know some "spells" or at least how to manipulate magic in my favor" I say internally cringing at calling my signs spells " And besides is weird to assume a magic user would not have a rudimentary weapon in the case the enemy gets to close don't you think?".
Mia put a hand under her chin in a thoughtful manner "I mean you would be right, but not mage, or any adventurer for that matter, that respect itself would enter the Dungeon without other members of its Familia to support him unless of course, he was his only member of it is in some very shitty one" She says looking at me doubtfully "You said that you are new to Orario, did you come with your Familia?" I sigh at her question, seem it is time to play the half-truth and little lies games once again.
"I don't have one, why do you think I'm here? I'm looking to join in the thriving business of monster hunting of this city" I say playing the rookie card. To be honest, I haven't actually think about what my next step is going to be in this world, of course, I want to keep walking the Path and by the grace of the Lady of the Lake I ended up in a city where monster constantly appears underneath it and apparently the whole society that lives here revolves around hunting this magical constructs.
So, basically people here in Orario can go to the dungeon, kill monsters, gain money for it, go to the tavern and then sleep, rinse and repeat. To a nomad like me, this is basically the most alien aspect of this world, even more than the magic crystals-powered technology or these "gods", it also means this city of monster hunters is tailor-made for a Witcher like me.
A world where I can carry out my trade without any of the downsides, no prejudice against me, with good food, alcohol, and sexy women waiting after any hunt, this sounds like fucking paradise. But I'm not someone who falls under the alluring call of a siren, I know everything has its ugly side. That's why I need to get as much information about how this business works before embarking on this venture. Normally, I will just learn how to exchange the rocks these magical constructs spawn for coins, and then being in my merry way.
But there is this one detail that keeps me concerned, this monopoly that the "gods" and their Familias have in the business. I need to find out how much of my suspicions are actually true.
"So you are a rookie to Orario, funny, given how your scars and demeanor tell me a different story, that you are very experimented in killing things" She says, and I just keep a "Gwent face" not really showing how much her finding inconsistencies troubles me. "Then again, the monsters and bandits that are outside are nothing compared to the terror that lives inside the dungeon, I'm pretty sure even an unblessed like yourself can deal with the dangers of outside the city with ease" She says to herself clearly underestimating me, not that I'm going to mention I defeated a lot of monsters in the Dungeon before, is easy to infer I was not supposed to be capable of that. This means Bell Cranell and the members of the Loki Familia are definitely going to be a future headache.
Fuck.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeees, exactly like that. So, given how you have lived in Orario more than me, could you tell me how exactly the monster hunter business works in this city and its relation with Familias? Where I come from this system of servitude under a god is not very well know, so I would like to know how it works and its relation with the Dungeon" I asked her. She looks at me inquisitively and then gives me a playful smirk.
"Well if you order another lager I could tell you one of two things about how adventurer life work in this city" She says with mischief, I sigh at her clearly extortion attempt, then again another drink doesn't sound too bad. I drink the rest of my lager in one sip.
"Fine, serve me another round" I say, and she nods with a smile, taking my now empty mug to refill it. Why do I have the feeling I would end up ordering even more lager?
Whatever, learning while drink doesn't sound too bad.
"Man, Hermes is very inconsiderate to tell us to go to the Dungeon in the middle of the night" Complained Lulune Loui, the Chientrope girl having a tired face and bloodshot eyes, signs that the kingdom of dreams is anxiously waiting for her. She gives a big yawn while scanning the floor of the Dungeon where she is with other members of her Familia, looking for whatever sign of something amiss.
"If you want to blame someone, blame Ouranos, he is the one who asks us to do this mission immediately and without wait" Said Falgar Batros, the weretiger just like his Chientrope companion also has a tired face, but at least he was capable of making his annoyance less obvious.
"Focus people, this is just a simple reconnaissance task, the sooner we finish it the sooner we can go home" Ordered the captain of the Hermes Familia, Asfi Al Andromeda, who was also scanning the cave illuminated by yellow crystals looking for any form of anomaly "Meryl did you find something?"
"Well… I can say that something magical happened here" a little girl wearing a purple witch hat and robe said pointing at the ceiling which has burned in its surface some kind of unknowns runes, Asfi looked at her a little annoyed for pointing the obvious, making Meryl nervous "But-but this kind of magic is something that I have never seen, sorry for that but Mister Fels and Ouranos didn't give us much detail to work with" She said, Asfi sighed in response.
"It Is okay Meryl, I actually think the same as you, a lack of information doesn't help in carrying this task" Asfi said while thinking about the unusual request Fels delivered to them while they were getting ready to go to bed, the mysterious black hooded person asking them to investigate some magic anomaly in the upper floors. As the leader of Hermes's children, she asked the Ouranos servant about more precise details of the nature of this anomaly in case it could be an unexpected danger, but he just limited himself to say that it was a strange and unknown magic and that was the reason why they have to investigate.
Asfi is not dumb though, while she would not refuse to help Ouranos in this simple task, she clearly noticed that there was more to this than Felt was willing to say. Of course, that is to be expected, Ouranos has countless secrets that even his more close allies don't know about it, and given the time of the day they were asked to do it and the urgency in Ouranos request, it is clearly this kind of anomaly was something that concerned the god much more than some simple unusual change in the Dungeon.
The blue-haired adventurer sighed, she originally hoped that Ouranos urgency was unfounded but seeing these strange runes in the ceiling, it is clear something weird is happening here, which means they have to investigate more, which means they are not leaving to sleep yet. Pretty sure her other three companions are annoyed for being selected by Hermes to accompany her in this mission, losing their sacred sleep.
Still, there is no point in complaining. Asfi can only hope to finish this annoying quest as soon as possible.
"Hey, did you people smell that?" Asks Lulune sniffing something in the air, Asfi looked at her interested, suddenly the Chientrope girl covers her nose with a disgusting expression "Fuck this smells terrible" She says looking at a corner covered by rocks "There is something there".
Falgar looks at said direction and also sniffs something in the air, his expression grimacing "Effectively there is some kind of stench come in of it, it doesn't smell like the dead body of an adventurer, could this be related to the anomaly? the weretiger asked Asfi, she scanned said rocks and start to walk to them, Falgar seeing that walked behind her.
Once she got closer, she took a more detailed look, noticing some weird dark red liquid coming off under the rocks. Then she covers her nose when it registered the stench "Wow, it really smells bad, and is strong enough that even I can felt it" She looks at Falgar "To be honest I would prefer not to look at what is inside, but besides those runes in the ceiling, there is no much to report, and we can discard anything".
The weretiger nodded at her words and approached the rocks, taking a deep breath he started to remove the rocks slowly in case something bad come out of it, Asfi was right at his side with one of her combat items ready in her hand just in case, Lulune and Meryl were behind them looking expectantly. Falgar digs and digs with his hand until suddenly the stench becomes even stronger, Lulune and Meryl cover their noses in response.
And the final rock is removed.
"It" was right there, now exposed, with no rock covering it.
Falgar jumps back scared after seeing it making Lulune and Meryl worried, Asfi gets close to "it", and after taking a good look at "it", she can't help but say:
"What the fuck?"
"Wait, so if a big Familia really wants to destroy a small Familia, there is no one who can technically stop them from doing it?" I ask worriedly about this bit of information while drinking my fourth mug of lager. I have already ended my stew with baked potatoes, and now I am limiting myself to drinking alcohol while speaking with Mia. "That sounds like a very sick society to live in".
"I mean, the Guild is always treating to maintain the peace between Familias, but if one is powerful enough it can always shit on a small Familia if it wants its, the reason it's not a common occurrence is that most of the bigger Familias collaborate with the Guild in keeping the order in Orario, and telling other Familias to stay calm or get fuck." Says Mia "Now of course leaving aside that, if a Familia is really butthurt with another, and it seems a peaceful resolution is not possible, the Guild allows the conflict to be solved in a War Game".
"A War Game?" I ask, weirded out, "They play soldiers or what?" Mia laughs at my inquiry.
"No, it some kind of contest, a very violent one sometimes and regulated by the Guild where two Familias or more face-off in a duel who rules are agreed upon by the Gods, and the one who wins can ask what it wants of the losers, money, members, or even the total disband or exile of the loser Familia" Explained Mia.
"Sound like it has very hard consequences for the loser to call it a game" I say, pointing out the twisted nature of the contest.
"Well, despite the fuck-up thing that could happen inside a War Game, they are still a popular event that is watched for basically everyone in Orario" She says matter-of-factly.
I've got to say this conversation has been very informative, despite being concerned for some of the information. It was also a very long conversation, with people leaving the tavern gradually while we were at it, most of them in some state of drunkenness. Now with most of the tables empty it is obvious the time of closing shop is near with some few clients still drinking to their heart's content. Generally, this is the time when some drunk fight starts but, overall, it has been pretty pacific.
The cute waitress carried on their duty in their very nice outfits. I caught glimpses of a grey-haired human girl waitress, a black hair cat-girl, and that beautiful blond elf looking at me with curiosity, I also noticed the brown-haired cat-girl that gave me this seat talking to them while alongside the other cat-girl sending looks to me with interest before giggling with the human waitress, the blond elf just keeps looking at me with a "Gwent face" while I was talking to Mia. Did all elves have to be so serious or uptight?
Either way, is clearly me talking to their boss so much have made me gain the interest of these beautiful waitresses
Not that I abhor female attention, but right now, I am a little busy.
Going back to that conversation and regarding the information I had found, to keep this short, just like it was implied before, the monsters of the dungeon are stronger than the ones that live outside, so much that to being able to fight against them people make deal with these "gods" that descended from heaven to being part of their Familia in exchange for Falna, some kind of energy that the "god" introduce in its servants than makes them stronger, faster and whose intensity increases the more the servant fights allowing him to "level up" (whatever the fuck that means).
Also, as I thought, the gods have a monopoly here over the magic stones or more exactly the Guild, the close thing of a government body in this city. The Guild is the only one that can sell magic stones to other people while getting say stones by being the exclusive and only client adventurers are allowed to sell the stones they get from the monsters, and from an adventurer to do that he has to be registered in the Guild AND TO DO THAT SHIT you have to be in a Familia.
Is a very vicious cycle that keeps this monopoly going. That and the fact the Guild hunt in very brutal fashion anybody who sells magic stones on their own in the city or outside of it. No wonder everyone is inside a Familia, is not exactly for devotion, is for survival and the opportunity to make lots of money. Without a Familia, you can't fight the monsters, and you can't sell the rocks that they drop.
But I did that, and I told Riveria and her Familia that I'm not in one like a fucking retard. Thanks to the Lady of the Lake that these "gods" are not for the most part religious fanatic looking for devotion.
That's the other point that makes me scratch my head confused, most of the gods here are not exactly looking to be adored as deities, just like Riveria said when we exited the Dungeon, apparently, they are a diverse bunch with varied personalities, but according to Mia, the one primary reason they descended here and started all of this "Familia system" is a simple one: boredom.
Apparently, heaven is boring, and some gods consider that it would be more fun to live as mortals and seek servants that could serve as their personal army to engage in battles between themselves and the monster of the dungeon. Another funny fact is that the dungeon is the only thing that is not a creation of these gods and that's why they are in constant conflict with it, which means to me that whatever powerful abilities these beings had, doesn't mean they are gods given they are not omnipotent enough to wipe out that fucking dungeon of existence. Or maybe they can and just leave it just for fun, which is some sick shit and basically make me not want to even show some kind of reverence to these "gods".
I take a sigh and drink my mug "Overall, it seems the convenient option is to enter in one of the bigger Familias, they have resources, and it could allow one to not being picked up by other adventurers" I say with Mia nodding.
"Well yes, but then again most are selective of the members they chose" She says looking at me with doubt " I can see you know to move in battle, but your weird apparel could be off-putting to some gods" I snort at that.
"Damn woman, you could just call me a freak, okay? don't need to be subtle, I am accustomed to the weird looks" I say, and she gives a sad smile at me. Great, the bulky woman pities me.
"I like you Lerand, you have some sense of humor, but to be honest, you are not particularly ugly, just strange, and here in Orario this kind of people are normal" She says "Having said that, I can't assure that all gods are open-minded".
"Hmmm, can you recommend some Familias to join then, the one you think can accept me?" I ask her, even if these "gods" are not exactly of my liking, is clear that the only way to start to gain money hunting monster in the Dungeon is by joining a Familia, even if my Witcher mutations means I don't really need a Falna to fight the magical construction that lives inside the Dungeon. "Particularly I want to join a god that will give the least of a fuck about my look, doesn't ask questions, and that he or she let me work alone and at my own pace" I say to Mia. As a Witcher and especially one of the School of the Cat, working in teams is not exactly a thing I do, not really interested in these expeditions or some other kind of heroic shit.
"Let's see, most of the explorer Familias have you enter the dungeon with a partner or a group, especially the new adventurers like you" She says reflectively " And that's because most gods want to be sure their new children are well protected, what you are asking for is to join a Familia with a god that really does not care about its children, at all" She says with a worried expression.
"Nonetheless, believe me, working alone is something I do good, I am a Witcher after all" I say winking at her, she just laughs.
"Haahahaha, I don't get yet what the fuck you mean with being a Witcher, but I like your confidence even if personally I would recommend keeping your arrogance in check, it could save your life inside the Dungeon " She says with a motherly tone, then she starts thinking" I can think of one that fills your criteria, but it doesn't exactly have a good reputation, as I said you are asking for a Familia whose god doesn't give a fuck about his children, that is…"
Suddenly, the blond elf waitress comes to us with an urgent expression in her eyes "Mama Mia we need your help" She says pointing at a table where two adventurers in a heavy state of drunkenness are arguing with the grey-haired waitress about something, the words "pay", "closing" and "Valis" are uttered strongly. The two troublesome adventurers in question are a human and one of these pseudo-"halflings" that thanks to Mia now I know are called Pallums, they are both using black uniforms with some kind of emblem and their gaze has very aggressive undertones. These are the kind of people that could turn violent at any moment, and they were drunk and apparently didn't want to pay their bills.
Mia sighs "Shit, and the day was being so nice" She starts to walk to cross the counter and deal with these drunk ass idiots. That's been I notice one of the adventurers suddenly grabbing rather forcefully the waitress's wrist.
Can trouble not appear in my place of rest? Then again, is obvious this kind of world is not going to be a peaceful one. I notice the two cat girl waitresses, looking ready to pounce with their claws at these adventurers at any moment. I know a fight is going to happen and given how dangerous this dude looks it could end horribly.
Sigh, fuck it.
I stand up from my seat and walk towards the commotion arriving there before Mia, I notice that she, the blond elf, and the rest of the waitresses look at me surprised at my sudden reaction. The two drunk assholes look at me irritated, while the gray-haired waitress is looking at me expectantly.
"The-The fuck -hic- do you want you-you freak" Says the drunk Pallum, who is also the one that is forcefully grabbing the waitress's wrist. His human partner glare at me with a hand in his sword sheath, the grey-haired girl's eyes widen seen the possible violence that is going to happen soon. "Don'tt-Don't you see -hic- I'm fighting an unjustified bill -hic- bro-bro-brought upon us for-for this shitty waitress" Says the human "So you better a no-no intervene half-breed". The entire tavern goes silent, the other few clients looking at the conflict with worry.
I just put on a sardonic smile, so half-breed is going to be my new slur? better than mutant, I guess.
"Lerand get back, you are unblessed you can't win against them" Says Mia with concern about my well-being, I smile at her caring attitude but then look with defiance at the drunk adventurers.
"An unblessed fuck? in that-that case, you better get ou-" Before the Pallum can continue, I pass my hand over his face and I cast Axii.
"Let go of her hand, pay your bill and go home to never come back" I say, the Pallum goes stiff and then does as I said taking some coin of his pockets and putting in the table before leaving under the shocked look of the grey-haired girl and the other waitress. Mia opens her mouth in astonishment, then she says a very expected "The fuck was that?".
The same thought but with also a lot of fury passed through the head of the human partner of the Pallum, who, after seeing his Familia companion being controlled by Axii, looked at me with anger and a bit of fear, quickly unsheathing his sword.
"Ahhh!" screamed the grey-haired girl in fear, and a collective gasp is heard in response to this situation that escalated rather quickly.
And is going to de-escalate, right now.
"You fucking cocksucker release him of your spel-" Before this fucker can continue I quickly throw a punch at his throat, his windpipe crunch under my fist. The drunk adventurer grasps his broken throat and pitifully tries to swing his sword at me, being drunk doesn't make him any favor because I quickly grab his arms with my hand, and then I knee him in the balls.
"Shut the fuck up, motherfucker" I say to this piece of shit.
The fucker in pain releases his sword, whose clatters on the floor very loud. Taking the opportunity while he is bending his body in pain, I punch him right in the nose, caving it under my fist with blood splattering over his disgusting face. Then I quickly knee him in the gut making him lower his head while reeling in pain, I follow it with a punch in the back of his head making him fall to the floor very hard. He doesn't get up after all that.
I look at Mia and her incredulous look, "Guess that solves it, don't you think?" I ask her with a grin. She shakes her head getting out of her surprise and then scowls at the fallen form of the human adventurer, grabbing him by the collar of his black uniform and throwing him rather forcefully through the entrance of the tavern.
"And don't go back!" she screams at the down form of the beaten human adventurer now lying in the streets of Orario. She turns back and looks at me with expectation and curiosity. The waitresses also look shocked at my actions.
Mia takes a glance at the tavern "Okay people show is over, back to the alcohol" and with her words, the rest of the customers continues their drink.
Guess bar brawls are not exactly uncommon here as people go back to normal so quickly after one.
With everything back to normal, I turn to the grey-haired waitress, "Are you okay?" I ask her, putting a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. She looks at my eyes with a blush on her cheeks, then she nods.
"Ye-Yes thank you, sir" She makes a little bow at me "You may call me Syr mister, I heard Mia called you Lerand?" I nod at her question "That members of the Apollo Familia were very scary, and I didn't know what to do to make them pay, thank you for your assistance" She says with a grateful smile.
"You are welcome, I don't like to see a cute girl being mistreated," I say with a wink at her, making her blush glow even more and giggle in an adorable manner.
"You know that was foolish, right? I heard what Mama Mia said, you had luck they were very drunk, an unblessed would have ended up dead facing off against two sober adventurers" The blond elf waitress says while walking towards us " Most of us that work in the Hostess are ex-professional adventurers, we could have handled them, now if they get to remember what happened, then you will have the ire of the Apollo Familia over your back, and as an unblessed, you will be doomed" She says with a stern look. The grey-haired girl sighs at that and puts a hand on the elf's shoulder.
"Don't be so exaggerated Ryuu, he helped me despite the danger to himself, a clearly heroic trait" She says making me and the elf roll our eyes " Besides he wasn't so defenseless he has that spell that he did, I wonder what was that? I didn't get to hear a chant" She says looking with curiosity at me, the elf called Ryuu also gives me an interested look when the subject of Axii is brought up.
"It wasn't so much, just a little hocus pocus, that's it" I say trying to take importance to the use of my Sign.
"Guess you actually know some spells, Witcher" Says Mia with a grin, joining the conversation. The two cat girl waitresses also get close.
"That was very cool-nya" Says the brown-haired cat girl "I know something was interesting about you besides your eyes and curious odor-nya" After her words, I widen my eyes and quickly sniff myself noticing nothing out of the ordinary, she giggles at my actions.
"It has to be your natural smell if you don't feel it, Anya has to be more mindful of her words though" Says the black-haired cat girl patting the brown-haired cat girl head, who smiles at the affective gesture "Not that is a bad smell, just strange, and it doesn't take away of your curious persona, a very good-looking persona" She says with a sultry look "I have to say, your actions in saving my friend had made me very interested in knowing you more Mister Lerand" She makes a very polite bow while giving me a naughty grin "You may call me Chloe, if you have time perhaps we could have a talk, a very nice talk?" Before I can answer such an interesting invitation to make this pussy squeal, Mia claps her hand, making all the waitresses stood in attention to her.
"Focus ladies we still have a few clients, and we haven't close shop yet, so get back to work" She says with authority making the girl going back to what they were doing before this mini fight started. I got back to my seat and Mia goes back behind the counter "Glad that you enjoy my tavern enough to even protect it of pieces of shit, but remember nothing of getting playful with my girls, okay?" Says Mia with a devilish smile, I just roll my eyes.
"Relax, I know how to treat women with respect, by the same token if it is one of your girls that seek me wanting to get so fun, as the gentleman I am, I would not decline and definitely provide her a lot of fun" I say with a grin. Mia tries to put a stern face, but then releases a laugh.
"Hahaha oh Lerand you sure as hell have balls, then again you challenged two adventurers of the Apollo Familia while being unblessed, so I should not be surprised for that" She says, then she gives me a grateful look "still I have to give you thank for helping Syr even if it wasn't your responsibility, she is the only of the waitress who doesn't have experience as an adventurer, so I don't know how she could have handled such people" She bows at me "Thanks a lot for that and for making it in way that didn't end in my tavern being destroyed"
"As I say to Syr before, you are welcome, now if you feel so grateful gift me this round" I say with a sly smile while finishing the few lager that is still in my mug, she laughs once again.
"You are a dangerous one Lerand, with that mentality I'm pretty sure you are going to succeed in Orario, or being killed" She says "But what the hell, fine, that last mug is on the house" She says with a grin.
"Thanks for that Mia, guess my good actions are getting commended at last" I say sarcastically, then I stretch my body a little "But I have to say I'm a little tired, can you tell me where the room for guests is?" I ask her.
"Upstairs, take one of the two rooms there, I think the beds are a little dusty, I can get one of the girls to clean them for you if you want, but it would have to be after the end of the shift" She says.
"No need, I can do it myself, besides it would be nice if I am not disturbed through the rest of the night, let me tell you it has been a very, very looooooong day" I say tired, Mia nods empathically at me.
"Very well, Good night Lerand, our breakfast menu is served from 7 am to 10 am if you want something to eat in the morning" She says to me and I nod at her word before standing up from my seat. I walk up the stairs before I felt a shudder on my back, I look behind me and I notice the eyes of Syr looking at my cat-like eyes with a lot of interest. There was something very weird about them, which is not something that I could properly explain, but it felt like she was trying to gaze at my soul.
What brought this change in her demeanor?
Suddenly, I see Anya touch her shoulder, which makes her gaze go back to normal and back to her work, not before looking back at me with a smile.
The fuck was that? Fuck it, I don't have time to wonder about such things, I really want to meditate and rest my mind.
Tomorrow will be a busy day.
Here is the new chapter, with Lerand getting accustomed to the world of Danmachi.
The next chapter is going to focus on finding that Familia that Mia didn't got the opportunity to mention (Clue: is not Hestia Familia) and it will be revealed what the fuck was the thing the Hermes Familia found in the Dungeon.
Let us hope I have the chapter ready soon (very doubtful)
See you.
