A Stranded Cat III
The natural quietness of the Room of Prayer is maybe one of the best aspects of Ouranos work, it allows him to be at peace and not concern himself with the frivolous tribulations of the outside world. That doesn't mean that he rests on his laurels doing nothing, keeping an eye in the dungeon and maintaining the magical barriers that stop its most dangerous residents from coming out to the surface is perhaps the most important job in all of Orario. That's why the silence of the room is necessary, so he can concentrate and not slip in the protection of the city, if he gets to enjoy said quietness that's just a positive side effect of the job, nothing more.
Of course, as the leader of the Guild he still also has to deal with people who come to see him, which means the silence he really loves is interrupted constantly, but that's just some of the handicaps of the job he has come to accept. Fortunately for him, there is very little possibility of having unexpected visits this early in the morning, when not even most adventurers have woken up.
But even that early morning tranquility doesn't stop him from being a little nervous sometimes, like in this case, ever since he sensed the apparition of a magic portal of otherworldly nature in the upper floors of the Dungeon he has been concerned thinking in the worst-case scenarios it could lead to. The most recurrent one in his head is that it means the arrival of another ungodly abomination in this world just like it happened some years ago, bringing another problem that even the god's Arcana would have difficulties solving.
Sadly for him, the apparition of the portal wasn't the end of his headache, ever since he sent Fels to fetch the Hermes Familia to investigate the anomaly, he has been sensing irregulars fluctuation of magic inside the dungeon, for the most part, these fluctuations are mostly weak, so much that he didn't notice it until today and what makes them worrisome is that such unexpected currents carry some of the magic signature presented in the portal that opened yesterday. The presence of this strange miasma slowly dispersing itself through the dungeon could lead to unexpected consequences, which is why he is very anxious to know as soon as possible what the Hermes Familia have managed to find.
He doesn't wait for too long. Fels himself appears before him from between the darkness of the room carrying a leather bag with him, said bag is leaking some kind of very disgusting looking liquid which drips in the floor. Ouranos didn't need to be close to it to know that it probably smells very gross.
"My God, I came with information about the anomaly" Said Fels while bowing to the god, dropping the bag on the floor.
"Good, I can deduce this bag you are carrying have something to do with the discoveries that the Hermes Familia have managed to make?" Questioned the god, Fels nodded in response.
"Yes, and sadly this is one of the two substantial leads we have about the phenomenon" Says the black hooded servant "At the site where the portal magic was opened the Hermes Familia found some unknown runes scorched in the ceiling, probably are the remnants of the magic portal" While saying that Fels crouch and start opening the bag "That is the first lead, the second and last one that they found was this" He said taking the content of its bag, showing it to his god.
Ouranos eyes widen at seeing such a strange…thing.
It was the head of a monster, of one that Ouranos in all his life in the heaven and the mundane world has never seen. It looked like an overgrown and deformed bat, curiously it had some kind of jewelry in one of its grotesque protuberances.
"The Hermes Familia couldn't find the rest of the body, I also notice the cut is very clean, probably it was made by a blade, which could mean this monster probably entered a fight with an adventurer" Theorized Fels, cradling in his skeletal hands the bat monstrosity head "I took the liberty to examine the magic signature of this being, and it doesn't have any of the energies present in a magic stone, meaning that is not a monster that was created by the Dungeon" concludes Fels.
"I see, can you put it close to me" Ordered the god, his servant started walking to him. Ouranos quickly noticed the stench emanating from the deadhead, but more importantly, he also senses the magic inside such a creature. It has the same signature of the portal that appeared on the upper floors, but there is something more to this magic, he sensed a weak but familiar energy in these mons-
Ouranos eyes once again go wide in surprise.
"What is it, my god?" Asked worried Fels.
"The abomination, it is very faint, but it has a little of the magic of the abomination inside it, probably they both came from the same world" Said shocked the god. Fels looked at the head in his hands in astonishment.
Now, this is extremely concerning, but Ouranos knew that panicking was not going to help him. There was no evidence of anything else coming out of the portal, so maybe this whole situation was resolved with the death of this bat creature. Then again, there was the whole situation with the magic miasma of the same signature that the portal dispersing through the dungeon, which could mean a new set of problems.
"What will be our next move my god" Asked Fels with anticipation.
"We don't know about people that witnessed the event, and it would take time recollecting such information "Say Ouranos stroking his chin, thinking about how to get additional information about the anomaly "Is not like this head could give us more inform-"
"Actually, my god, I think I can do something about that" Interrupted Fels, making Ouranos rose his eyebrow "Is very experimental, but I think Dia Orpheus could help us with this" after such declaration Ouranot smirked a little.
"You know such a spell has never worked, and you want to prove it in an otherworldly organism? I'm not going to stop you from doing it, but I would say this probably would end in nothing "Ouranos looked then with seriousness at his servant "Do what you want with the head but also try to find some kind of adventurer that could have witnessed the magic portal apparition or any other form of lead" Ordered the god.
Fels bowed "It would be done my god and thank you" Said the black hooded servant taking the head back to his back, unaffected by its odor, and left the room disappearing into the darkness, probably to start experimenting in the bat monster as soon as possible.
Ouranos sighed, the unicorns already warned him when they talked to him many centuries ago, the lack of divine protection of the Dungeon makes it susceptible to being affected by magical pulses from other universes, but he still held the hope that most of such otherworldly magic would have minimal effect thanks to his constant watch over the Dungeon.
And most of the time he actually was right, the apparition of magic anomalies from other realms was very scarce, enough that guarding the secret of such phenomenon was effortless, being Fels, Hermes, and Royman Mardeel the only ones besides him that knows about the existence of other realms beyond the god's grasp. Such secrecy was necessary given how world-breaking such revelation could be to most people, especially to some prideful gods that could start devastating tantrums at discovering entire worlds that are not under their control.
But even with such heavy surveillance regarding otherworldly anomalies, there was still the fact that he had his only and biggest failure regarding such a topic still affecting this world, the arrival of the abomination. Good thing he was capable of intimidating such a mischievous being to not make use of its most nefarious tricks, his arcana making "it" think twice before unleashing its power in omnipotent battle. But even still, he knows that this abomination was the only thing besides the dungeon he was sure an arcana was incapable of dealing with 100%.
And how strong proof of that is the fact at this abomination still walks this realm, being in places unknown making the life of people miserable, while having its worst abilities sealed under the promise of the full might of an arcana making him disappear of existence, the abomination wasn't prohibited to engage in his evil endeavors as long as he follows the rules he agreed with Ouranos. The god shivers thinking about what such an unholy deviant is doing right now in the world, possibly enjoying the suffering of some unfortunate soul.
The worst thing is that given this situation with the bat head, the magic portal and the magical miasma dispersing through the dungeon that clearly belongs to the same place the abomination came from, Ourarons considers asking for help from the unholy being who possibly have a lot more of experience with such phenomena.
But such a preposterous idea is quickly trowed aside. He knows that bringing the abomination in this controversy could definitely end in a horrible scenario for him and Orario in general.
"We are going to resolve this, the adventurers of Orario are formidable warriors and strong enough to deal with whatever this anomaly will throw at them, I'm sure of it" Said Ouranos to himself, trying to reassure his confidence while looking defiantly at the void of the room, seeing something only he can see "I and the rest of the Guild will not ask for your help, that is a promise…"
"...Rumpelstiltskin".
He grunted while lying down on the ground, the pain and fatigue product of the fight covering his little body. He slowly started to rise his head, noticing the destroyed windmill that the cyclops went through during the brawl. The sun, very brightly in the clear sky, illuminated what was a minute ago a beautiful scenery of the Toussaint countryside.
Light footsteps are heard, making the kid move his head to see the result of the confrontation, the cyclops lays headless, and its beheader crouched while storing the knife that he used for such an act. Then the man turns around and looks at him.
The kid gets startled at his cat-like eyes and starts to be a little nervous when this person gets up and walks towards him. He can't fail to notice the cat medallion hanging from his neck.
The man was clearly a Witcher. He looked just like the stories his mother used to tell him during bedtime.
Said man extend his hand to him, "Are you okay? " The Witcher asked.
The kid nodded while standing up thanks to the professional monster slayer.
The Witcher smiled "Great, gotta say you help me a lot distracting that cyclops throwing it stones, even if that shockwave of its stomp knocked you unconscious, you were pretty brave" He said nonchalantly, then he looks at the destroyed windmill "I hope they don't discount that of my pay, its no like it could be helped and definitely not my fault" He said with a shrug.
The kid just looks at him confused and nervous, the Witcher at seeing that sighs "Whatever, let's get you to your parents and I will go to collect the reward for this one-eyed fucker head" He says while putting a hand in his mouth, then he whistles and a black horse arrives from within the vineyard, the Witcher grabs the decapitated head of the cyclops and starts to walk to his horse but then looks behind him and notice the kid not moving "Are you okay?" Asks confused the monsterslayer.
The kid fidgets nervously at his cat-like eyes analyzing him. "It's just…I-I don't have pa-parents master Witcher" he says with a sad tone "You can take me to Cesede Dirtagel vineyard, that where I live and work" while he said that he clearly wasn't excited to go back to his workplace.
The Witcher gives him an empathetic look, "Not exactly fond of that place, I suppose?" The kid nods at that. The Witcher sighs and walks to the horse, storing the head of the one-eyed monster on the left side of his mount. Then he looks at the kid, "What is your name boy?.
"Le-Lerand, master Witcher" The monsterslayer nods and smiles at him.
"Well Lerand my name is Zevaberd de Cidaris, Witcher of the School of the Cat" He said theatrically, Lerands infantile eyes shine in awe at this gallant presentation, like any kid of Toussaint that grow hearing fairy tales of knight and princess would "And I have an offer to you".
"Do you would like to become a Witcher?"
I open my eyes, ending my meditation. The sky in the window is still a bit darker, which is not surprising for me, being in the Path teaches your mutated body to awoke early in the morning. At least I fell rested, but also confused, why did I dream that?
The first day in another world, and I dream about the time I meet my master for the first time. a very weird coincidence.
But the symbolism of it doesn't escape me. That day, when Zevaberd took me as his apprentices, was also the day when I was reborn as a new person, of being a pathetic farmhand without a future to a professional monster-slayer. And just like that day a new and drastic chapter in the Path has occurred, trapped in this other world where I plan to take advantage of its dungeon-centered society with my Witcher abilities, and in that way gain a comfortable life as an adventurer in Orario with the tons of Florens, I mean, Valis I would make. In the best-case scenario, I could become the first Witcher to die in his bed for old age, instead of by a monster or a bastard human hand.
While lying in bed in my underwear, I caress the witcher medallion hanging off my neck, the same that I saw hanging of Zevaberd neck after he defeated the cyclops and the only memento I have of him. I put it in front of my face, the two red crystals in the metallic cat's face look straight into my eyes.
"You have to feel accomplished master, you took this farm kid and allowed him to take his own destiny in his hands, and now thanks to you, I have this opportunity to get the most success in life that any other witcher ever could…. I guess" I say, not being sure if any other comrades of my trade got to take his Path in a successful direction, for example, I remember the Butcher of Blaivken was a very famous witcher sought by lords and kings, but I never know what happened to him after the beginning of the third invasion of Nilfgaard on the Northern Kingdoms, maybe he also found success.
I look once again at the medallion "either way in honor of you I promise you that I'm not going to waste this opportunity" I let it hang once again of my neck while I stand up "Thanks for everything master, even if the pain of the trials was the shittiest thing I ever have to deal with" I say while examining the room, it was very simple: a bed, a nightstand closet, and an empty wooden bathtub connected to some kind of tube. I've to handed it to Mia, it is a very cozy place to sleep, a shame the Hostess didn't get more tourists that could appreciate such a fine place to stay the night.
Either way, I start to look for my clothes so I could go and ask for one of the waitresses to fetch some water to the bathtub, maybe I could talk to that black-haired cat girl, Chloe was it? she was very motivated in knowing me more, so possibly I can invite her to bathe with me which she would probably accept, and oh by The Lady of the Lake who knows what "crazy and unintentional things" from my part will happen over this innocent Witcher.
While putting on my pants with difficulty thanks to my "friend" stimulation imagining such a scenario I pass close to this bathtub to examine it better, its design has made me curious, and then my medallion trembles a little when being close to it, I look at the cat amulet confused.
That was odd.
Did they give me an enchanted room? Fuck, I prefer not to fight a wraith half-naked.
Then I remember the streetlamps. Possibly this bathtub has some of these magical crystals inside, I notice two water faucets coming out of the tube, not much different from the one you could see in the streets of the capital of Nilfgaard to take water to your house.
Did they have that kind of mechanism but in private interiors? Once again, this place's advancements positively surprise me. Playing with the faucets, I notice one of them liberates cold water and the other one hot water, which is fucking wonderful.
Making the wooden bathtub being filled with hot water, I take out my pants and underwear and I dive in such divine liquid. My scar-covered body relaxes once sit down inside this magnificent technologically advanced bathtub.
I start to wash, getting rid of all dirt and dust in my body that I acquired after all the stupid shenanigans I have to deal with it yesterday. Eventually, I start to feel refreshed and more relaxed, guess I needed a good bath to finally stop to be on guard. Say what you want about witcher's mythologized lack of emotional reactions, we still can feel fed up with bullshit and get stressed, that's why mediation or a good bath is always welcome to liberate the soreness after a day of battle.
After making myself clean, I stand up in the bathtub, ready to get out of it and put on my clothe…
"Mister Lerand, I come to tell you we have breakfast ready, oh and if you want I can wash your clothes, here I have some spare clothes that you can use while I do that" Syr unexpectedly says while suddenly opening the door, she had her eyes close and a big smile of her face while carrying a set of garments in her hands "Mama Mia told me that you were looking for a Familia, while I was never been an adventurer if you want I can give you some recommenda…" She says, but suddenly stops after opening her eyes, which go wide after seeing me standing in the wooden tub, the hot water dripping off my chest covered in scars and my wet hair.
Also, my "third sword" is in plain sight to this waitress of now "red skin" enjoyment.
Syr starts to hyperventilate, her red checks looking like they were going to become two bright suns "Ahh...uuww, ggoooing…..huah...iug…aaaa" She stutters not being capable of muttering any kind of understandable word. She covers her face with her hands, but I notice that she peeks a little between her fingers.
I smirk, this girl looks easy to tease.
Oh, that made me gain a boner, I'm such a bastard.
"Damn lady, I know I am fucking sexy and my dick is a celebrity with the maidens, but this kind of reaction is a bit too much, don't you think?" I say sarcastically, which prompts the ashamed girl to do a little jump and ... did fucking smoke come out of her ears?
"SORRYFOR INTRUDINGIWOULDLEAVETHESPARECLOTHESHEREANDWASHYOURSLATER" She screams, drooping the spare clothes on the floor and closing the door strong, making the walls rattle.
By the Lady of the Lake, I guess nothing is more powerful than an ashamed lady wanting to escape an awkward situation.
I chuckle at such a fun event and I pick the spare clothes on the floor, they are a basic set: a white shirt, black trousers, and a pair of brown boots. While personally, I would always prefer to wear my feline armor than some plain clothes, I have to admit that after all the shit that happened yesterday it accumulated a bit of dust and blood, also it still has marks on its shoulder where the Katakan struck me.
Besides, it would be a shame to dirty my body with my armor when I have a chance to have it cleaned, just I hope it doesn't add too much to my bill. With that, I put on the spare clothes and I go down to the first floor.
Because of being so early, the waitresses of the Hostess are cleaning up the place and setting up tables to prepare the tavern to be open. Even if the big horde of hungry adventurers will arrive in the afternoon, there are still clients that like to take a bite in the tavern during breakfast and lunch hours.
Mia like always is behind the bar counter, cleaning some mugs. She looks at me and an impish grin that doesn't announce good news appear on her face "Well how interesting the gallant knight and his big sword come to greet us, you caused quite the impression in poor Syr, such a maiden shouldn't have to see such things" Say sarcastically the owner of the Hostess. I notice the other waitresses look at me with a diverse array of expressions, Ryuu looks at me with an expressionless face that for some reason also looks annoyed, Anya is blushing embarrassed alongside another waitress which I recall her name was Lunoire Faust and Chloe is looking at me with lustful eyes while licking her lips with her tongue, her feline fangs appearing a bit in the seductive grin she gives me.
Woman, keep giving me those signals and I would have to creampie you in a mating press.
Syr is nowhere to be found, seems she felt it would be better not to see me after the incident, but she didn't have a problem telling her coworkers about it given how everyone is reacting to my presence.
I sigh, Women.
Thankfully, I'm not some virgin boy that will get ashamed at this, but I would prefer going on my day without having to deal too much with the ruckus Syr's accidental voyeurism caused. I walk towards the bar counter, looking at a grinning Mia "Look, you tell your maiden to knock on the door before entering, I don't like a lady seeing my dick first in the morning without having a set of drinks together the night before, I am a romantic after all" I say sardonically, Mia laughs in response.
"Hahahahaha you sure are a shameless bastard, but hey guess that just means we girls have to better our game to make you flustered" She says laughing while storing the mug she was cleaning in a compartment inside the counter, then she looks at me with a helpful smile "I guess you want breakfast?"
I nod at her question "Yes please, whatever you have to offer, last night show me the food here is good, so I trust you will bring me something nice"
She nods and with a smile and walks towards the kitchen "May, get ready, our dear guardian is hungry and looking for a good meal! " Says the owner of the tavern while entering at the cooking place.
"Guardian?" I say weirded out.
"Well you protected Syr yesterday, handsome" Says Chloe, who sits next to me, moving her stool, so she can be closer than normal, a lustful look and smile adorning her face "And Mama Mia is not someone who forgets the one who helped one of the girls here" says the cat girl while putting a hand in my knee, caressing it "and neither do I, Mister Lerand" she looks me in the eyes with a gaze full of desire. She sniffs at the air looking at me interested "You smell is so mysterious by the way, I would like to find more about your body to discover its origin, you know, for simple curiosity" She starts to move her finger up and down my leg.
I notice an alluring smell
Oh.
I grin.
I have to be retarded to not see that this pussy woman is really into me, I can smell that she is in heat, guess she has more animal characteristics than I expected. Sadly, I have things to do first before any funny business can happen. Truly the tragedy of the century.
"it Is a little early for that Miss Chloe, I have a busy day right now" I say taking the hand caressing my knee into my own hands, she blushes brightly at my gesture, and I see some sparkling glimmer in her eyes. I guess even this horny cat woman could be considered a romantic.
"But if you want to, at night we can have a nice talk in my room, and maybe you can show me how much thankful you are for helping your friend" I say as I take her chin in my hand, her expression of lust intensifying, and I'm pretty confident if we were alone she would have jumped to my lips by now.
Sadly, the other waitresses are here, and one of them makes sure to make her presence noticed by coughing right next to me. That's a horrendous service in the flesh, blue ball this early in the morning is not what I asked.
"cough cough Mister Lerand I would appreciate it if you could stop distracting my coworker, just like you, we also have a pretty busy day ahead" Says Ryuu, the blond elf with her expressionless "Gwent face" looking at me and Chloe from behind the bar while preparing some kind of tea.
Chole frowns at her coworker while separating herself a little of me "Damn Ryuu stop being such a party pooper, I'm just being grateful to our guardian, you know I can share him with you if you want, no need to be so possessive" Says the catgirl in a sultry way making the blond elf rolls her eyes annoyed.
Is Ryuu cousin of Riveria or does all beautiful elf women in this world have some stone in her shoes that makes them such uptight persons? Cheer up a little for fuck's sake you cold-hearted woman!
"You are deeply bad in the head if you think I'm interested in Mister Lerand in that way and I hope whatever malady that makes you reach such a conclusion is cured soon" Says the elf in a monotonous but harsh tone, "I'm just trying to maintain our professionalism intact, whatever you do after your shift is your problem, but I don't want you acting flirtatious during work hours" She concludes strictly while finishing making the tea. Chloe pouts in response, such a cute reaction, guess the girls in this world can be cute even when not looking to be it.
"Moooou we haven't even opened yet, and I make sure to have all my tasks of the morning completed before taking this little rest" Says the black-haired cat girl while leaning into me capturing my arm in her embrace, a cute and sexy smile adorning her face "I assure you that is not going to be a hindrance to our work" She pleads at Ryuu.
The blond elf sigh in a way that makes me entertain the notion that Chloe being a seductress with clients that catch her fancy is not a new thing to happen. Not that I care too much about that, having experience in love or being a virgin, I don't really care as long as the chick is cute and willing to fuck.
"Well if this concerns too much don't worry, once I had my breakfast I will go in my merry way to look for a Familia" I say trying to make the blond be more at ease "Not that I dislike the tender attentions of a cute waitress" I say with a grin making Chloe blush even more while pressing me stronger in her embrace, making me feel her tits against my arm, thanks to the Lady of the Lake I just feel two aroused nipple through the fabric of the waitress uniform, I was a little concerned that she would have more than two nipples like normal female cats do.
I would have still fuck her regardless, but it would have been a little weird.
Ryuu rolls her eyes once again and puts the teacup close to me, I look at it strangely "Is mint tea, considered a gift from me for helping Syr" She says answering the unasked question.
"Heh and to think you called my fight against that motherfuckers adventurers a stupid thing to do, guess even you got a little smitten with me " I say with a smile while taking the cup, sorbing a little of its content, the mint sending a refreshing sensation that expands through my mouth "It's delicious by the way, thank you" I say pleased.
"Don't get me wrong, you fighting against that adventures while being unblessed was a stupid thing to do" Ryuu says in a scolding tone that makes me want to roll my eyes "But still, you helped my friend and that is commendable in its own right, you are welcome by the way" Her grateful voice makes me smile genuinely, and she responded with a beautiful and very little smirk.
Wow, this elf can dazzle you with her beauty in such tiny forms of expression. Maybe that is why she is so serious all the time, to stop men and some women to fall over heels for her constantly.
I feel pressure in my arm and I see Chloe pouting at me with jealousy "That's not fair, just because Ryuu has fairer skin than me doesn't mean she can get to gain your fancy so easily" Then she looks at the tea and a devilish smile appear in her face, she looks at the blond elf "Seem you are trying to conquer him through beverages, is the tea some kind of aphrodisiac?" Says Chloe in a teasing tone, "Is this your subtle way to gain his lov-OWOWOWOWOWSORRYSORRYSORRY " Says the cat girl until Ryuu quickly stretches her arms over the counter and grabs one of her ears, twisting it in her hand.
"You should think well before using your mouth to spout such absurdities Chloe" Says in an annoyed tone the elf, her inexpressive demeanor having a weak frown denoting her anger.
"SORRYRYUUUITWASAJOKEITWASJOKE" Says Chloe desperate with fake tears.
While she "tortures" the catgirl I notice a bit of red in Ryuu cheeks, but suddenly, her eyes were looking right into me "Better not get any weird ideas or lectures of this Mister Lerand, the tea was a show of gratitude, nothing more" the blond elf says in a threatening tone while releasing Chloe ear, who started to rub it to ease her pain.
I raise my hands in front of me trying to put her at ease "Relax I'm not such a lustful beast that… I'm not a beast that would force itself into a woman" I say expecting not to get my ears pinched.
"What happened with the lustful part?" Asked, Ryuu crossing her arms and raising one of her eyebrows, her "Gwent face" being once again present in the elf.
"Come on, a man shouldn't be untruthful about his passions, don't you think?" I ask with a sardonic smile, the elf just keeps her eyebrow raised. Guess this is a tough public.
"Getting dragged for his passions is the main cause of an adventurer downfall, that and getting cocky" Says the elf with noticeable experience in her voice, then she sighs "Just don't expect other waitresses to act like Chloe, she is a special case with promiscuity problems" She says tiredly.
"Hey! I'm not a horny girl, I am just a pretty maiden that likes to know handsome or cute warriors " Chole says while rubbing her cat ears, a fake hurtful gaze looking at Ryuu.
Before this discussion can continue, Mia appears with a plate and a mug in her hands, "Well shit Lerand, you are distracting two of my girls now? Was shocking Syr with your Battle Mace not enough?" Asks jokingly Mia, the checks of both Ryuu and Chloe turn a little red, the catgirl also giving me a hungry look.
By the Lady of the Lake, is your heat really that strong, Chloe?
Anyways, ignoring the presence of the catgirl glued to my body I look at Mia "Hey, it is not my fault, these cute ladies just came to me on their own, why do I have to be scolded for being such an attractive person to girls? I didn't ask to have such a cool and mysterious aura" I say sarcastically.
Mia rolls her eyes with a smile while leaving the plate and mug in front of me "Whatever you say, Witcher, here is your breakfast" In front of me is a very delicious-looking and generous ration of fried eggs and a pair of toast accompanied by some kind of juice inside the mug. I look at it with curiosity "Is orange juice, extracted from a fresh crop" Says Mia with pride in her food.
"I'm gotta admit they look excellent" I say with hungry, once again the Hostess of Fertility showing me why it is so popular with adventurers, this significant portion of food ready to give energy to any person that is on his way to fight against monsters.
"Well not just stare at it, it is not going to eat itself" Says Mia in a joking manner, then she looks at Ryuu and Chloe with a more serious face "Girls let Lerand eat in peace please, we are going to open in like one hour, so I need you to be ready when our dear customers start to pour in" She says, Ryuu nods with her expressionless face while Chloe liberates my arm off her comfy imprisonment with a sad expression.
"Uoooo, we didn't have too much time to know each other, thanks for interrupting us Ryuu" Says the catgirl in a depressed and annoyed manner while the blond elf ignores her, preferring to walk close to the entrance with a broom to clean it instead of dealing with the feline complains.
Seeing that Chloe sigs "Don't know why she gets so worked up so early, the real job doesn't start until the afternoon" Says the black-haired cat girl, but an inquisitive glare of Mia makes her standstill "Of course that doesn't mean I have to slack-off" says Chloe in a forced manner with a fake smile making Mia roll her eyes.
The catgirl sighs again "Guess I will get going" after saying that Chloe's face acquires a seductive gaze that she direct towards me "I hope you come here again in the night handsome, so we can resume our lovely chat" She says caressing my shoulder while leaving with a smile, her cat tail brushing in front of my face, making me smell a very sweet fragrance. Did she put perfume on her tail?
"By the gods, I need to have a talk with Chloe about getting frisky with our clients" Says Mia with worry, "She didn't bother you so much?" She asks me, I smile at that, did I become Mama Mia's favorite customer to make her worry this way?
"Of course not, do you really think I would be annoyed at the lovely attention of such a cute girl" I say to Mia in a joking tone."You could even say it makes it part of the "Hostess of the Fertility" experience" I express my idea of what client services entail, which makes Mia laugh.
"Hahaha At this point I have to accept in my head that you are a scoundrel, I don't even need to worry about my girls annoying you" She says in a lighter tone "Now eat your breakfast, Syr is working in washing your armor, she should be ready in an hour I think" Mia calculates.
"Good, now let see how good they made the eggs in the Hostess" I say diving right into the food. Mia smiles at me eating.
Guess she wanted to see how I react.
Well… the food was just like yesterday.
It was delicious.
Good food and cute girls.
What is to hate in this tavern?
Besides the drunk assholes?
Anyways I just focus on eating this delicious food, while I do that I talk to Mia "Now that I remember we never get to finish our conversation about Familias" I say, making the owner of the tavern perk up in attention.
"Right, guess I owe you that," She says solemnly, then she grins "Well like I say yesterday I know a Familia that meets the requirements you are looking for, I normally do not recommend this Familia, but I think an unblessed human that can fight adventurers and cast weird spells will manage it, there are a few warnings I have to give you thought…."
The Main Office of the Twilight Manor could be considered the most elegant part of the building, which is to be expected given that it is the place where the executive members of the Loki Familia and the goddess herself discuss important manners concerning the administration, safety, and future of the Familia.
Or at least that is the idea.
"OHH MY AIZ WHY DO YOU HAVE TO CHEAT ON ME?" Cries with exaggerated tears a red-haired woman, she is using some kind of shorts and shirt that only covers her flat chest, leaving her midsection exposed. She is sitting in a very elegant chair and have her head stamped on an also elegant desk, the water coming from her eyes and nose staining the wood of the furniture
She is also Loki, the goddess leader of this Familia.
The immature cries of the divine being made Finn, Gareth, and Riveria roll their eyes. Riveria is especially annoyed, she always tries to at least pretend that they were a group of professional adventures, which to outsiders they were thanks to their several accomplishments, sadly being the children of Loki means that once you enter her close circle you have to deal with the cruel reality that her Familia is anything but professional and its leader a literal womanchild.
"Calm down Loki, Aiz just wanted to help a rookie adventurer, there is nothing romantic in that" Says Finn in a placating manner, which doesn't have too much effect on the immature goddess. Loki just gives him a tearful look and then resumes her tantrum.
"Who are you trying to fool?! My Aiz has never been interested in any other men and least in some weakling level 1 that needed to be saved, but she just spent so much time with him! " Cries the red-headed goddess in immature jealousy.
Riveria sighs, she was not going to admit it in front of her goddess and peers, but she was also a little concerned about Aiz, not enough to act in such a hyperbolic manner like Loki, but she would admit she found it rather strange the fact that yesterday their "Sword Princess" took more hours than expected to come back from escorting Bell Cranel.
By the gods, when night came, and she didn't show up, Riveria maternal instincts went in full motion, making her ready to go looking for her, which was the moment where luckily Aiz arrived, apologizing for the delay and making the elf worried.
Riveria would negate to anyone who asks the existence of the big sigh of relief she released at that moment.
But then Aiz unleashed hell when she announced to the elf and her goddess that she would personally train Bell Cranel to become a better fighter. Loki's jealousy has been at high levels since then. Even if Riveria didn't mind Aiz helping people of other Familias, she didn't understand what exactly the Blonde swordswoman saw so interesting in the rookie adventurer.
Because of how late she arrived and the general fatigue for the expedition between the members of the Familia and the desire of the elf to not deal with her goddess jealousy that night, it was decided that the reunion where the executive members and Loki were going to question Aiz about Lerand would be carried the next day first hour in the morning, which means today.
And here they were, Gareth, Finn, and Riveria expecting with their goddess the arrival of Aiz. Sadly, said wait had not even reached five minutes and had already become an unbearable experience thanks to Loki.
"Perhaps what perverted thing that bastard did to her to keep her with him until the night and force her to become his trainer?! things that only I have the right to do to her sexy body!" Exclaims with teary fury, the jealous and horny goddess while cupping some imaginary breasts, making the three professional adventurers sigh and wish to Aiz arrive right now to end Loki's rant.
Finn as the captain of the Familia tried to explain to Loki the motive of the reunion, but she didn't give a damn about that, having spent since yesterday fuming about Aiz long absence and weird interactions with the rookie adventure she saved. For that reason, she hardly has any knowledge of Lerand before this reunion, which Riveria expected to change soon, making the goddess pay this topic the importance it deserves after hearing what they have to say.
The big door on the main office entrance sounds with three knocks, indicating the arrival of the blonde girl. The three veterans smile with relief.
"This has to be her" Says Finn "Aiz is open you can come in" after his words were said, the door opened, allowing the beautiful blonde girl to enter the room.
Before Aiz or any of the other adventurers can say or do something, a gust of wind is felt followed by…
"MY BEAUTIFUL AIZ, YOU COME TO APOLOGIZE TO ME AND GIVE ME YOUR LOVE?" Screams Loki launching herself towards the blonde girl with a speed Riveria is sure should not be possible to the mortal body of a god.
Sadly for the perverted goddess, Aiz is much faster and before Loki can crash in her boobs, she extends a hand where the red-haired goddess head crash, suddenly stopping her, then with a flick of her finger the expressionless adventurer strikes Loki forehead, making the goddess take a step back with pain.
"oucuouchouch, geez Aiz, there is no need to be so aggressive hehe" Says the goddess with an expression that suggests she enjoyed a little the rough manner the blonde adventurer treated her.
Riveria just rolled her eyes "If greetings have been taken care of, I would like to start this special meeting if you please Loki" Pleads with annoyance the green-haired elf.
The goddess gives Riveria a childish stinky look before going back to sit behind the desk, "Okay Mama no need to be such a busybody about it, you want this meeting to start to? so go for it" Says the goddess in a disinterested manner.
Finn decided then to step forward, "Okey what if we all just take a seat" He prompted his fellow adventurers. After all were accommodated in one of the fancy-looking chairs inside the room, the Pallum looked at the blond swordswoman "Aiz, I understand that you don't know the subject of this meeting?" Asked Finn which Aiz responded with a nod "Very well before you ask we already discussed the incident of the plant monsters, we are going to make sure that next time our expedition is more prepared for the danger of the Dungeon" Clarified the small warrior with certainty. All the people present in the room nodded decisively after hearing his words, a future expedition definitely is going to happen.
"What we want to discuss is something that has let us a little restless and who you, I hope, can help us solve" Says Riveria with maternal authority, looking at Aiz right in her eyes. It is a good thing that she was looking at the blonde girl and not at Loki mischievous grin, probably after their reunion the red-head would have numerous jokes about Riveria being the "Mama" of the Familia.
"I understand" Says in a neutral tone the "Sword Princess" who looks at the serious face of her fellow adventurers, and the disinterested face of her goddess, who was more interested in looking at her hand than to whatever is making her more veterans children being worry.
"Why so much mysticism, Mama? a weirdo in the dungeons is just as common as flies in the shit, and he is not some kind of new level 7 adventurer that we have to worry about" Says the goddess in a playful manner.
"Don't call me that, and it is not exactly his power level I'm worried about….at the time" Says Riveria "Is the fact that he claimed to be an unblessed that defeated a minotaur" At these words Aiz face acquired an extremely shocked expression quickly understanding who they were referring to, someone so interesting will never be forgotten by her.
"That's...That's impossible" Says Aiz not believing the world of the elf "I saw Lerand fight against the minotaur, I didn't intervene until I saw the monster was going to attack Bell " The blonde swordswoman has a contemplative look while talking "The moves he pulled with his sword, the magic he used, is clear he has experience in dealing with monsters. there is no way an unblessed could have this level of power, magic, and abilities, nothing in this world besides the god's blessings can make you powerful enough to deal with beasts that could wipe mortals with ease" Says Aiz, making the elf and the other executive listen with attention at the swordswoman, especially given how she is a woman of few words, which mean something that makes her express such many sentences in a row definitely is a serious matter.
Riveria then looks at Gareth and Finn with a little smirk "Seem at least we can confirm that he is indeed a capable fighter and didn't lie about defeating some minotaurs" The Dwarf and Pallum avert their gaze, admitting defeat.
Loki for her part got a little worried at Aiz's words" Well…. I mean Gareth told me that he could just be lying about not having a Familia, maybe he is one of Ikelos children, and you know how shady some of them are hehehehe" Says nervously the goddess, sounding more like she is trying to conform herself that the rest of her children.
The goddess then look at Riveria "I mean is Riveria who still insists about this dude being some kind of impossible being, probably he was just trying to show off" Says Loki "And I mean, I know you are a smart one Mama, but you could be overthinking this more of what is necessary".
Riveria at these words shakes her head "I'm not so sure about that, sorry for being so paranoid Loki but during the night I did a bit of research" While saying these words the elf stands up from her chair "Given his eyes, I thought that he was some kind of hybrid between cat people and human, but no such cases have been even registered in history" Riveria takes a very old-looking book out of her robes, its title is "Alchemy of the body and other possible theories of how to transmute yourself with potions" and the author is one mysterious "Cat of Altena" Finn looks interested the book while Gareth, Aiz and Loki look confused not getting what point the elf is trying to convey. "While the theory of he being a hybrid is still plausible I noticed during our trip back to the surface that members of our Familia with animals characteristics were reacting strangely at Lerand presence, after asking Bete about it, he told me that he has some weird odor, artificial-like he called it, akin of one presents in potions" Explains the elf.
Riveria opens the book, showing a tarnished page where there is a scheme of a human body which have diverse parts of it connected with arrows to different kinds of chemicals and ingredients "I think Lerand eyes and his possible capabilities of fighting monsters while being unblessed is because he is someone who has his body modified for some kind of unknown alchemy procedure, that would also explain his weird odor detected by animal people" Says the elf with security "He found a way to make his body have the capabilities of at least a Level 2 adventurer without a Falna" Concludes Riveria with solemnity.
Her words made all the room fall silent.
Or at least most of it.
"Hehehehhehe" Loki tries to stop her laugh covering her mouth with her hand, Riveria looks at her annoyed and very offended, meanwhile, the other adventurers look at their goddess with confused expressions.
"Sorry hehe, So-hehe, Sorry, Sorry hehe hehe is just that is too funny to me hehehe" Says Loki between laughs, Riveria gets close to her with an angry expression, but the goddess quickly raises her hands a little scared" Hey wait! I'm not mocking you Riveria, but you need to accept the kind of theory you are proposing is very implausible, whatever kind of crazy possibly way of becoming stronger with some weird experiment, it will always pale in comparison with what a Falna can do" Tries to explain Loki in a placating manner "There is a bigger possibility that he is just from a shitty Familia that he is ashamed of being part of instead of this whole Super Alchemy shit, I mean you are aware of the uproar it could generate between the gods your theory if it were true? everyone would be looking to make him part of their Fami…." Loki suddenly stops her explanation and a mischievous look appears on her face, which she directs at the elf, "Oh I seeeeeeeeeeee" she says with a sultry tone.
Riveria looks confused at her goddess, "Wh-what it is?" She asks with uncertainty and a little scared at Loki expression, given how it didn't announce anything good.
"Riveria-Chan if you want so much to recruit the man who stole your heart into our Familia you didn't need to create all this crazy story" Says the red-headed goddess with a mocking tone "Just with asking nicely and being honest with your feelings, I, your benevolent goddess would accep-UGGGGGGGGHHHGH" Says Loki only to start agonizing when the green-haired elf roughly starts to pinch her cheeks with an embarrassed face.
Aiz and Finn get a little startled at seeing the proper elf acting in that way, even if they were a little accustomed to such rare instances where Riveria would lose her manners, of course, she would allow herself to be like that only in front of people she trusts.
Gareth for his part laughs at seeing such an event, "Hahaha, Riveria looking to get a guy who got his fancy into our gang? well, he did try to flirt a lot with her, so it could be a possibi-" He suddenly stops when Riveria glares with anger at him, making him cough nervously "Cof Cof, but perhaps we should go and check with Lerand in more detail if what he told us is true, and if he doesn't have a Familia then offering joining ours" Says the dwarves expecting him that such solution would make Riveria being a little less mad at him.
The elf sighs and release Loki cheeks of their rightful punishment, then the goddess caress the hurt part of her face with tears in her eyes "First of all I am not attracted to him in any capacity, I'm just thinking logically here, if he is this good without a Falna, then the moment he gets one he could become one of Orario most formidable warriors, so what better to had said warrior in our Familia" Concludes Riveria expecting her fellow adventurers to see how reasonable her idea was.
"That's assuming you are right about him being unblessed" Says Finn with seriousness standing from his chair "And even if you are right, noting assures us that he would want to enter our Familia" Reasons with logic the Pallum.
"Come on, I'm pretty sure half of Orario wants to be my child" Says Loki in an arrogant manner with some red cheeks "While I think most of this controversy is just a big misunderstanding, it could be easily solved with my talking with him, nobody can lie to a god, so I would know if all of this unblessed thing is real or total bullshit" Says the goddess also standing up "Of course that means we will have to locate him, do you know where to start?" asks the goddess to her children.
Finn snaps his fingers, having already an answer to the question "Before taking separate ways I recommended him to spend the night in the Hostess of Fertility, with luck he would go back to the tavern again at night" After hearing that Loki smiled delightedly.
"Well, what a coincidence that I reserved tables there for this night to celebrate all of you coming back alive from the expedition" Says the goddess with a smug face, acting like all of her actions were a carefully elaborated plan instead of mere sheer luck.
"Sorry to rain in your parade, but nothing assures us that he is going to stay two nights in a row in the same place" Says Riveria, making Loki pout in annoyance at her children pessimism.
"Still, it would not be bad to check if Lerand is there when we go to celebrate, we could solve this conundrum effectively this night" Decides Finn "You all agree with that?" His question is received with the approving nods of the other adventurers.
Loki claps her hands "Well, then it seems this issue is solved, now we can pass to a more important manner, the infidelity of my dear Aiz with this guy Bell Cra-" While saying that the other adventures exit the room not wanting to hear more of their goddess "HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING!? YOU ARE ALL BEING VERY RUDE!".
Riveria sighs while walking alongside Aiz, relieved of not dealing more with Loki quirks, the elf takes a look at her younger comrade, the blonde swordswoman have a focused expression on her face, it seems the possibility of Lerand being an unblessed warrior with capabilities to do what it took her years is really nagging in her mind.
"Are you okay Aiz?" Asks worried the elf, the blond girl looks at her and nods. "Good, to be honest, I'm not discounting the possibility that Lerand just lied to us, but many details were too weird to me, and as one of the most senior members of the Familia I want to make sure he could be become an asset to us or at least not a problem for our comrades" Explains Riveria in a maternal tone.
Aiz looks at her eye shyly, then she asks "Do you think he could help me in becoming stronger" hearing that question makes Riveria sigh, of course this would be the Sword Princess's main interest.
"Let not get too ahead of ourselves Aiz" reasons the elf "Besides its not like he uses a rapier-like you, and I am pretty sure you dominate the basics, so I don't see how he can help you, even less because I don't even know what his specialty is besides being a Witcher, whatever that means" While saying that Riveria face acquires a thinking expression, then she looks at a confused Aiz "Now that I mentioned, you said that you saw him do some magic, how it was?" Asks the elf mage with curiosity.
"He conjured a large stream of fire from his hand, then when the minotaur hit him some kind of yellow force repelled it, and when making sure Bell was okay he used a spell to calm him down" Says the expressionless swordswoman with a finger under her chin, recalling what she remembered of Lerand magic.
Riveria as a mage was a little impressed hearing that, having such a variety of spells wasn't something very common to an adventurer, and some of them like the "yellow force" or the "calm spell" weren't things she heard of, which surprised her given her years dedicate in researching magic.
"And he used the fire and yellow spell while fighting the minotaur" Starts to murmurate the elf Should have very short chants, so they could eas-"
"There was no chant" Interrupt Aiz.
.
.
"What?" Asks the elf shocked, not believing what the blonde girl says.
"There was no chant, he just moves his hand and the spell happened" Aiz makes a motion with her hands "I think this is how he cast the spell to make Bell calm" She repeats the motion again "I didn't hear some chant with the other spells either" Concludes the girl, then her eyes go wide when she realizes what was wrong "oh".
Riveria just stares at her dumbfounded, then a decisive look appears on her face.
"We need to find him"
After eating breakfast and chatting a bit with Mia I am once again in my rented room putting on my armor, Syr worked fast and left my Enhanced Legendary Feline Armor ready in my room when I go back to it, seems she wanted to avoid giving it to me in person.
I do not blame her, a shameful and virgin girl like her sure will remember "my silver sword" for years until the day of her death. She clearly wasn't prepared to talk to me so soon.
Not that I'm complaining, in fact, I wanted to thank her, she left the armor in pristine condition, hell even the bloody marks where the Katakan struck me weren't visible unless you squinted your eyes. That's the cleaning power of a maid to you.
With my belly satisfied thanks to the excellent breakfast of the Hostess of Fertility, I was ready to go see the Familia Mia recommended me. I go down the stairs and get close to Mia, taking off my bag some florens to pay the bill, it was a considerable sum that I owe, hopefully by having access to the dungeon after entering a Familia I can regain back the money I spent.
"I hope this covers the expenses of the night" I say putting the gold coins on the bar counter, Mia looks at me with a neutral expression and takes some of florens but not all of them.
I look at her confused at this action, "Don't think too deep of it, it just…."She looks away with an embarrassed face "You helped Syr and you were a fun guy to speak with it" Then she grins at me "So I decided to offer you a discount".
Welp wasn't that nice? some other Witcher of my School likes to play the antisocial part when speaking with common folks, not that I blame them for it, given the constant prejudice we have to suffer by the Continent's people.
But with the pass of time, I learned that sometimes playing the nice guy can get you some benefits, like some bonus in my payment or the nice company of some hot lady. It wasn't a guarantee in my world, thanks to the constant distrust people had of Witchers. But in this world that lacks racism against my kind (for now) I can secure some nice benefits.
"How magnanimous of you, oh goddess of the taverns" I say in a joking manner, making her laugh.
"Hahaha get out of here" Says Mia, then she looks at me with a smile "Are you going to come back for dinner?" She asks.
I put a hand under my chin, thinking "I guess, it all depends on how it all goes down with this Familia" I say, then a grin appears on my face "What, you and your girls are going to miss me?".
Mia rolls her eyes "You keep wishing that, I'm pretty sure Chloe is the only one that will keep thinking about you" She says sardonically.
"Ouch, woman no need to be so cold" I say raising my hand in a fake hurt tone "Anyways the day is not infinite, so I better get going" I stop leaning on the counter and starts to walk towards the exit "See you later Mia".
"Yeah, you better do that, join that Familia soon, so you can have more money to spend here hahaha" Says the tavern owner humorously.
"I will sure to say that when they ask me about my reasons for joining them" I say while walking towards the exit, I notice Chloe looking at me alongside Ryuu, I offer them both a wink, the elf keeps her "Gwent Face" while the cat girl licks her lips and gives me a wanting look.
Oh, I'm going to definitely come back here.
Exiting the tavern I am welcomed by the shining sun in the sky, and for the first time, I can see Orario in broad daylight, the morning sun finally in all its splendor.
I have to repeat what I said, what a majestic city, no surprise that this place is called the "Center of the World". Given the spectacular view it offers even inside it, this city has earned the right to be called that.
Such admiration of this urbanistic colossus stops when I hear two familiar voices in front of me.
A kid with noticeable white hair is the first thing I see.
Well, what do you think? Syr and Bell are talking right beside the entrance of the Hostess, such a fascinating coincidence.
As the educated Witcher that I am, I walk towards them to mess- I mean, greet them.
"I can possibly accept! How could you give your food to someone you just met? Not to mention, this is your breakfast isn't?"
"It's fine, once the restaurant open-" She said while looking behind her with a smile, an expression that disappears when she looks at me with shocked and fearful eyes.
I grin like a trickster.
"Oh hey Syr, I didn't have the opportunity to thank you for washing my armor, guess you now know every aspect of my body and clothes" I say with a naughty tone. The waitresses face becomes a tomato while Bell looks surprised at my presence.
"Mister Lerand….eh good to see you again, how are you?" Asks the albino kid.
"As fine as one can be Bell, gotta say the bed of the Hostess are actually very comfortable, maybe too much for someone who is accustomed to sleeping in the ground like me" I say while stretching my body, I look at Syr who keep averting her gaze in total embarrassment.
"Anyways I just wanted to say hi and warn you to keep an eye on this young lady Bell, she is kind of a voyeuristic naughty girl" I say pointing a finger at the waitress, who in response makes a panicked expression with her face. Bell for his part decides to take the tomato paper from Syr, even if she hadn't left the role fully yet.
Hehehe, who would have thought pranking some naive and foolish kids is a good way to start the day?
Not Syr by the way, given the big pout and angry expression she is directing at me
"What-what- are you-you talking about you per-perverted sir? don't listen to him mister adventurer, wait where do you even know Mister Lerand from?" Asked Syr with confusion and exasperation.
Bell put a sheepish expression at the girl's questions "Well, Mister Lerand saved me alongside some members of the Loki Familia of a minotaur" He says with a thankful tone "You could say I owe him my life".
Suddenly, I got nervous at his words because just at this moment I remember I told Syr and the rest of the waitresses of the Hostess of Fertility that I don't have a Familia.
Uh oh. Maybe I was a bit retarded in deciding to talk to them
Syr's eyes opened wide "Didn't you deny having a Familia and were searching for one?" she says looking at me with…..
I am losing my fucking head, or did her eyes suddenly start to look more mature and lustful?
Bell for his part has his jaw so open that I worried a fly could make its home. Then he screams, making some people in the street look at him like he was a madman "That's-That's impossible! An unblessed can fight a minotaur like that! Mister Lerand you-you are not lying to-"
"He is saying the truth, I am very good at spotting liars, and I'm pretty sure of it he is not one" Interrupts him Syr with a very secure tone. Geez, girl you sure have faith in me, guess that's the benefit of protecting her from some drunk retards "And now that Familias is in this theme of conversation I would like to recommend you Mister Lerand of trying your luck with the Freya Familia, I'm pretty sure their goddess would be delighted to accept you between her ranks" She says with a weirdly enthusiastic tone.
"You want me to enter in Mia's former Familia, the strongest one in Orario?" I ask her with curiosity which she replies in a frantic nod "I mean I already have some other Familia in mind, and besides Mia told me that Freya, while a beautiful woman in her own right, could be rather intense and has a possessive personality, and that her children are like a little cult that adores the very soil she walks in. Honestly, while I like the female body like any healthy dude, I am not comfortable with the idea of joining some religious fanatics just because the leader is a hot lady" I say explaining my reasons why I'm not considering say goddess as an option.
The trace of a furious expression appears in Syr face for an instant before changing it into a forced smile "Oh really, guess after work I should speak with Mia and ask her to not badmouth her goddess from behind her back, saying that is not exactly nice" Says the waitress with a very creepy tone and combined with the forced smile made me a little put on guard. Bell for his part fucking shivered.
"Ah well Mister Lerand, I hope that whoever you choose will appreciate your abilities and virtues because given your actions in protecting Bell and me, is clear you are an actual hero, saving everybody you can" Says Syr suddenly changing her demeanor and looking at me with shining eyes.
"Even if you have some crass and perverted manners I know under all that filth a shining knight exists ready to act when he is needed" The waitress daydream while exaggeratedly moving her hand which let me wondering on what delusions are passing inside her head, being the only thing clear that she is losing herself a bit in whatever imaginary version of me her mind come out it.
I think that it is time to break some delusions of heroism, again.
"Stop reading shitty novels Syr, the only thing that shines in me is what you already saw this morning" I say with a mischievous grin, the girl pouts at me, making her red cheeks stand even more.
"Huh" A confused and shocked Bell draws my attention "How it is that you don't have a Familia but were capable of fighting a minotaur?" He asks innocently and with tons of interest, which are matched by the heavy gaze of Syr who once again has her mature eyes appearing on her face.
Guess they really wanted to know, which makes sense given how a person without Falna wasn't supposed to do the thing I did. Guess I didn't expect the people who saw me fighting monsters and the ones that know that I don't have a Familia to meet each other so soon. I am not so dumb to not see how this information could give me some unwanted attention, I am after all an error in the system of this world.
To make matter worse, the Loki Familia knows that I'm an "unblessed" capable of fighting monsters. I didn't know it at the time, but Mia told me that they were one of the most popular Familia here.
And they know about my abilities and Familia-less status.
I can hear the coming storm that is going to appear in my ass soon, worse is that under these conditions it would be hard to hide my status as a mutated human from another world, and by the Lady of the Lake, I don't want to know how people here would react if they discover the existence of the Multiverse.
This made finding a Familia to blend between the crowd an urgent task to accomplish as soon as possible.
This means I have to stop wasting time speaking with these kids.
"Look, as much you two are interested in my secret formula on how to be like me, I don't have time to explain it right now, the only thing I would tell you both is that you don't want to experience what I did, this power requires untold levels of pain and there is no guarantee of surviving the process to obtaining it" I say with a rather ominous tone, Bell gets an anxious expression after hearing what I said while Syr keeps her mature gaze focused on me with calculating expression "To be honest is better than you two forget about it, nothing nice happens to most people that seek shit like I have lived" I conclude give them my back not looking to waste more, deciding to leave them in their ruminations while I start to go seek the Familia Mia suggested me to try to join.
Walking a little through the streets of the city following the indications Mia gave me, I finally reach my objective.
In front of me, a complex comprised of multiple buildings welcomes me. I notice a big entrance to the place watched by two guards, from where adventurers enter and constantly exit, in the upper section has a very distinct emblem. I decide to get close to the guards, who look at me with annoyance.
"The fuck you want weirdo?" Says one of the adventurers in guard duty, he is using a torn leather armor that looks like he hasn't changed in decades, he looks at my eyes with attention and smirks "are you looking for the cat ears and tail that you lost? half-breed" his words makes the other guard laugh maliciously.
I cross my arms and I put a defiant look "Take me to your leader, I want to discuss my entrance in this Familia" I waste no time in making my intentions clear.
"Do we look like a fucking secretary to you? you can go by yourself alone, that It is if you pay the entrance fee" Says the other guard, he has a metal armor with scratches in it and has an eyepatch were probably his left eyes used to be, a greedy smile adorn his face while he opens one of his hand expecting some valis to fall on it immediately.
I roll my eyes, seems that Mia's warnings were real, so I quickly cast Axii in the one-eyed asshole "Told me where your leader is and let me through" I say with determination.
The adventurer affected looks at me with an unfocused gaze, "He is in the building annexed to the brewery down to the right, just walk straight from the entrance and you will find it" after giving me the indications he moves aside to let me enter.
The other guard looks at me with fear and anger and put his hand in the hilt of his sword "What the fuck did you do to him, you fucking faggo-" before he starts a repetition of the events that happened yesterday in the Hostess of Fertility I look at him with my cat eyes with tranquil fury, a pretty clear message in them: "Don't fuck with me".
The guard swallows nervously, given his armor and work as a guard in the main entrance of this place, one could infer he wasn't exactly one of the most experienced adventurers of the Familia, probably he is terrible at fighting monsters
I sigh "Look I have even many weird powers you don't want to mess with, so you can let me through, and I can assure you, your boss will be so pleased of my joining their Familia that he is not even going to give you shit for it, or you can die drowned in your own blood" I say with gravitas in my voice.
The guard keeps his nervous expression but seems to consider something "If you start making a mess, there are enough strong adventurers in here to turn you to shreds" He says while taking a step aside, motioning with my head to enter the complex "So you better watch yourself, fucker" he says with defiance and a little hint of nervousness in his voice.
I smile sarcastically "Relax you little pussy, I'm not suicidal even if probably I can actually win against all of you" I say in a challenging tone, the guard frowns at me, I ignore him and point at the other guard " He is going to be okay in a minute, next time don't try to fuck with the visits, probably most of this city could take your guts out before you can even blink" I say as parting words to the annoying guard, who just stares at me in frustration, probably accepting the truth in some of my words.
Heh, I was just checking his ego but seems he is more pathetic than I think, guess he really was posted as a guard for not being adventurer material.
Once I enter, I follow the instructions of the guard affected by Axii, noticing the structures that make out the complex. The buildings have a more obscure tone than the normal edification of Orario, possibly for lack of care and old age, seems to me aesthetics wasn't an issue to this Familia.
I sense something with my nose making me stop in my tracks for a bit, yes I know that smell, THAT is the real thing that matters to this group of adventurers.
From the building in front of me, where the leader and possibly god of this Familia are, is emanating an odor I have become very familiar with since my childhood.
Fucking Wine.
When Mia """recommended""" me the Soma Familia I nearly laughed at the irony of under my own will put myself into the servitude of this world God of Wine. It sounds like the wheel of destiny is specifically looking to fuck with me, or perhaps the Multiverse just thought that it would be very funny that someone who suffered his childhood in a vineyard would consider joining the Familia of the fucking God that specialize in the damn liquid.
I sigh, despite the ironic and cruel twist that the Path has led me to, I can negate that this Familia, according to Mia's words, has the characteristics that I need to start my career as an adventurer in the Dungeon.
First, all the members of this Familia didn't give a fuck about each other or any other people of Orario, which makes them a """ little""" infamous with the rest of adventurers in the city, being described by Mia like a "bunch of fuckers that are desperate to get as much money as they can, not caring who they trample along the way". This, of course, could make them a very unappealing Familia to join, but to someone like me, it presented an excellent opportunity to thrive.
For most of my life, I have traveled the Path alone, surviving dangerous monsters and perilous situations on my own. With that antecedents, it is obvious that entering a group of adventurers that don't give a fuck about each other and hardly cooperate will not be a bother to me, in fact, thanks to that I will be capable of operating independently, in my own way and, according to Mia, without people asking unnecessary questions.
Of course, there is the risk that some of this fucker tries to force me to give them money, which is something Mia warn me about, the constant law of the strongest that operates in this Familia whose members are so desperate for money (for whatever reason) that robbing comrades is a habitual practice, but for that, I have a simple solution whose sneak peek I showed while dealing with the guards:
Let them try to mess with me, Cierpienie and my signs are waiting for them, I say in my head while grinning.
This will be fun.
And there you have it. This chapter was mostly about setting up the stage. The next one will have some dungeon diving and who knows maybe Lerand will have some quality time with Chloe :). Will he enter in the Soma Familia or some other one would make its move? Is """Rumpelstiltskin""" going to make his play?
All of that in the next chapter who probably also is going to take a while to write.
See you.
