Disclaimer: DanMachi and its original characters are created and owned by Fujino Omori.

Chapter 1: Travellers from Afar

Hey there, Author here. Before this chapter begins, I want to make a note of some things.

Firstly, I also want to inform you about my decision for this story. After thinking about it, I realised that it would be necessary for me to build a lore for the world I have added onto the canon one, so I will consider my story as AU. I have made sure to include this in the synopsis of the story.

Secondly, I want to briefly apologise before the chapter begins, because some characters may appear slightly OOC, which is entirely because of how the plot is unfolding and simply wouldn't work if they didn't act in that way. Sorry, again.

Update 22/08/21: had an issue where my bold and italics formatting were gone.

That's it; enjoy.

The gleaming white Tower was the first thing they focused on- past the rows of buildings and roofs, and the scarce amounts of people roaming the streets. Seven pairs of eyes- blazing-crimson red, stormy grey, soft baby-blue, deep sea-green, striking sky-blue, rich amber, and mystifying violet- all raced up along the length of the Tower and towards the top, which was obstructed by the afternoon clouds basked in a soft, orange glow. Their gazes all lingered there for a brief moment as they studied the architecture of what could be considered as Orario's most famous landmark- second only to what laid below.

This was the Tower of Babel: which had made itself renowned throughout the world many times over. Legend has it that when the first generation of gods descended from the Upper World to colonise the Lower World, they brought with them a series of natural disasters: leveling the landscape and shaping it to their desire- creating what is now known as the Orario Continent. Once the dust was settled, and the landscape was to their liking, the gods began rebuilding and remodeling the Lower World to be up to their standards and in the way they saw fit. They began with the gleaming white Tower of Babel: each brick was meticulously placed and each design was intricately carved by the hands of gods. From the very beginning, Orario was designed to be an empire which would stand against the tides of time and reign as an immortal city of everlasting cultures and rich history- even more so than that of The Empire or of the now destroyed Kingdom of Hellene. And to this day, it holds firm- cultures from all over the world: the variety of beast people, humans, Far Easterners, Pallums, Dwarves, Light and Dark Elves, and Amazonesses all gather together as they mixed and mingled- cementing Orario as the metaphoric 'Center of the World'.

Not only that, but the Tower was said to be the lid which stood atop the Dungeon, sealing it and preventing the monsters who resided within from escaping. Of course, the machinations of the Dungeon that existed several millennia ago was far different than the Dungeon which exists today- mostly due to the deities' influences and the plethora of adventurers who have ventured into the unknown depths. The Dungeon was once similar to the Lower World- monsters bred and grew, becoming the species they are today through means of evolution and mutation. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that, just like the mortals who inhabit the Lower World, all monsters are descendants from the same common ancestor- and neither would it be a stretch to say that all living organisms- mortal, monster, flora, fauna- all sprung forth from the same predecessor as well. Of course, while some monsters grew too powerful and escaped from the Dungeon to live on the surface, other monsters remained in the Dungeon as they continued to grow- both phylogenetically and in population. They, like mortals, expanded their territory, digging deeper and deeper into the Earth as they carved out their own roads, homes, and marked their territory. Soon, vegetation grew, and an underground nation of monsters developed, not unlike early mortal civilisations which persisted on the lands above. That was simply how the Dungeon came to be- even now, no one knew just how big it got, or how deep it went. Perhaps there were still monsters from that bygone era who continue to dig deeper into the mysterious abyss, and the Dungeon continues to grow day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and second by second.

Of course, with the expansion of their territory, it would be unwise to assume that Orario was the only place wherein a Dungeon entrance existed- though, as far as the mortals and deities have discovered, Orario currently owns the only Dungeon entrance suitable for use. As an example, the Port City Melen once had an entrance that began from their seas and ended in the Great Falls of the Dungeon's Water Capital. It is because of this fact that made the entrance too dangerous to be used. As such, Zeus and Hera familia and their allies sealed away this entrance long ago; nearly 19 years ago when they defeated the Leviathan; they used its remains and erected a barrier in Melen; they stitched up the passage to prevent monsters from escaping onto the surface and to prevent foolhardy rookie adventurers from venturing to their deaths. Currently, these two entrances, with the addition of the artificial dungeon Knossos discovered several months ago in Daedalus Street, were the only known paths which led to the Dungeon. Whether more existed elsewhere is unknown. The constant proxy wars and pestilence engulfing the Far East heavily restricts Orario's ability to explore that area; the harsh winters and difficult terrain of the Far North and the dangerous monsters residing in Dragon Valley and the Beol Mountains made it almost impossible to investigate that area as well; the Kaios Desert in the Southwest and the ruins of the Kingdom of Hellene now more widely known as the Abandoned World in the South and Southeast made it impossible to traverse into the Far South- not that anyone would want to, anyways. It was a small section of land in the Lower World where not even the gods dared to touch; a section of land where Science, Technology, and Mathematics reigned supreme- but also a place where conflicting political ideologies brought perpetual bloodshed. It was said that metal birds flew through the air, giant clouds of poisonous gas crept through the battlefield, and occasionally, if one were to stand high enough on the Tower of Babel, billowing mushroom clouds could be seen in the distance as they were carried up by the wind. The lack of unity throughout the nations of the Lower World made it impossible to verify the existence of Dungeon entrances elsewhere in these unexplored areas, and also in restricted sections of the world such as the Kingdom of Altena, the Nation of Magic; Athens, home to scholars and the Library of Alexandria; and The Empire, which maintains diplomatic ties with Orario, but is strict about their own self governance and would likely go to war should Orario try to pry too deep into their territory.

Slowly, their eyes drifted away from the Tower as they settled back elsewhere- onto the road ahead and onto the small assortment of people roaming the streets. The travellers rode in silence as the Pallum drove the cart, staying to the right of the nearly barren roads and ignoring the scarce glances sent their way. Orario was, for all intents and purposes, not as big as many people would initially assume. It takes a measly one hour to move from one end to the next, but this only invariantly made it more crowded, especially during certain hours of the day: morning, when the people of Orario were waking up and going about the beginning of the new day, and in the late afternoon when adventurers would often exit the Dungeon and head back to their own homes or off to celebrate together with friends. Luckily, they had made it in time to avoid having to work their way through the roads when Orario was at its busiest. As the war with Rakia came to a close and God Ares' fruitless invasion of Orario was put to an end, many of the adventurers were either taking the time to take a small breather, making up for the time they missed in the Dungeon, or completing the proper administrative work for the Guild regarding recent events- especially so as the next Denatus was arriving soon- just about a week away.

The Pallum hummed to herself a small tune just as she drove the carriage into Central Park, the intricate details of the Tower of Babel which stood not so far away were clearly visible at this distance. Cleaire tilted the joystick on her console as the cart began swerving to the right, following along the circular path and moving Northwest from Northeast Main, passing North Main, and then onto Northwest Main. It would be a short ten minute ride until they reached the stone brick walls of the Pantheon. The journey there was also completed in silence.

Cleaire breathed a sigh as she shifted the second lever on the right upwards; with a final hum and grinding gears, the cart came to a stop just a few paces from their destination. "We'll be parking this here. Once we've finished registering with the Guild, we can go ahead and continue on with the rest of our plans. Since the war with Rakia has already ended, it seems like we will be able to get our private meetings with Loki and Freya far sooner than I expected- hopefully, with the next Denatus approaching, it will be our best opportunity to spread the word to the other deities and spur Orario into motion. Of course, we will follow the same plan I've laid out: Vardan, Akagi, Yukikaze, Remus, Diane, and I will all be conducting the meeting with Loki," she turned to the only other member not mentioned, "which means that I will be leaving you to deal with Freya, since you are the best equipped to hold a conversation with her. Is all of this clear?" All of them nodded, and they all stood up as they exited the vehicle.

From there, with Cleaire in the lead, the seven travellers stepped inside the Pantheon gates.

xxx

"I assume everything went well?" The emerald-green eyed half-Elf asked as she shifted the pages around on the desk.

"Yes, Lili and Mister Bell have come to report Hestia familia's most recent expedition to the 29th floor, as per the Guild's expedition quota." The Pallum leaned over the counter as she procured a small sack and loosened the drawstrings, bringing out an assortment of items: crystals, monster drops, and a plethora of materials extracted from the floor. As Lili brought them out, the half-Elf quietly and diligently noted them down, scanning through the pages and checking them off.

As the report came to a close, the half-Elf clapped her hands thoughtfully. "Wonderful," she said, "by the Guild's standards, you have successfully gone on another expedition. Well done." She gave both the Pallum and the boy a gentle smile.

"Thanks, Miss Eina." The boy, Bell, scratched his cheek as he returned the smile.

"Now, then," Eina carefully aligned the papers neatly and filed them away for the Guild's personal record, "will that be everything? Or is there something else you need help with?"

"Yes, that will be everything for today. Thank you for your help, Miss Eina." The Pallum nodded to the boy, who nodded back. "We'll just wait for the others to finish trading in the monster crystals, take a look at the event board for missions we can take on, and we'll be off."

"Perfect," Eina gave yet another smile, "get home safely, now, okay?"

"We will; thanks, Miss Eina." With a final wave, Bell and Lili took a step away from the counter just as the half-Elf called for the next adventurer in line. The queue shifted forward as business resumed.

Waiting for their companions, a tall, crimson-haired young man; a raven-haired young woman; and a golden-haired Renart stood by the entrance; they looked up as they saw their friends approach.

"All done?" The young man asked.

"Yes, everything was approved by the Guild advisor." Lili replied with a nod of her head and then asked a question of her own. "How much did we earn?"

"Just a few thousand shy of 2 million." The young woman replied, waving her hands excitedly; a giddy smile formed on her face.

"Excellent, then we will be placing them into the reserves. You never know what an emergency might happen." She whipped around to glare at the boy by her side, who had a knack for getting into trouble- and a lot of trouble, at that. "Again."

He only scratched his cheek and laughed nervously. "D-don't be like that, Lili. I mean, nothing bad has happened for around two months, right? Besides, wouldn't it be right to celebrate a successful expedition?"

Lili grumbled, "if you say that, Mister Bell, then you'll just jinx it!" Bell cowered in fear at the Pallum's temper. "Must Lili remind you what happened during our first expedition!? Even for a D rank familia like us, the penalty fee for failing an expedition is simply too high! The Heart Manor is already such a big liability due to its size-to-occupancy ratio! We have to be careful about our finances!"

"Come on, now, Lil' E, there's no need to be so stingy. At least a little celebration is in order, right?" The young man reasoned with the Pallum, stepping forward and intervening, giving the boy some breathing space. "After all, it wouldn't be right to request so much help from other familias and not at least invite them to a celebration as a way of saying 'thank you', right?"

She grumbled for a bit, but ultimately relented. "Alright, alright! I get it." Lili sighed and rubbed her temple, "a little celebration at the Hostess, yeah? Miss Mikoto, if I could ask you to invite Takemikazuchi familia; and Miss Haruhime if you could invite Miss Aisha." Mikoto, the young woman; and Haruhime, the Renart, both nodded.

"I'll go speak to Miss Daphne and Miss Cassandra, and also go make a reservation for tonight. You and Welf can head home to put the money and the drops away, and notify Lady Hestia of our successful expedition. I'll return later to get changed and get ready for the celebration." Bell offered, to which Lili accepted, though reluctantly, since it meant that he was going to get near that silver-haired waitress cougar, alone, and also that other Elf waitress who had gotten suspiciously lovey-dovey with Bell ever since that incident with the Juggernaut which had completely screwed up their first formal expedition.

Nevertheless: "sure. At eight; we'll begin the celebration at eight." Lili concluded the conversation and finalised their plans for tonight. And with that, the group made their way to the Pantheon's exit. As they crossed the stone-brick archway-

"Cleaire, about that adventuring thing the nice lady at the gate mentioned-" Hestia familia's eyes drifted off to the side as they watched seven individuals move opposite to them just a few paces away. With a brief glance: two young women, a Pallum, an Elf, a Chienthrope, a Werewolf, and a Renart.

"I'll see what they have to say about it, then I'll make my decision. If it comes to that… (a sigh) I'd rather not. I told you to leave all the small details to me, yeah? Even without adventuring, we have more than enough funds to last us long enough. If we somehow fall short on money, I'll think of a way." The Pallum replied as the two groups passed each other; Hestia familia quickly stepped out and milled around in front of the Pantheon entrance.

They all shared a nervous look. Although not one of them could feel the Falna on any of the seven strangers, they could feel an indescribable sense of… something; though none of them could make heads or tails of it. However, they quickly filed those thoughts away as they moved down towards Central Park, parting ways as they all moved to their own destinations. They all resumed their cheerful moods for the celebration- after all, it would be important that everyone has a good time and the Hestia familia can continue earning their allies' support for future expeditions.

Having taken a place in the lineup the moment they stepped foot in the Pantheon, the seven travellers reached the front of the line after waiting for just a few minutes. A crimson-haired Werewolf waved at them, motioning for them to approach.

"Greetings," she spoke after a moment of delay, shifting her eyes around and getting accustomed to her new clients- as far as she could tell, these were new faces, "my name is Rose Fannett. What can I help you with today?"

The Pallum quickly returned the greeting before getting immediately down to business. "We have a small list of things we hope to accomplish today. Firstly, we'd like to register for temporary residency- a month should do, for now. Secondly, we'd like to register as adventurers."

The advisor, Rose, nodded in response, "I see," she shuffled around behind the counter as she procured a set of documents; she gestured to the stack of the right, "these ones will be for your residency," then pointing at the left: "and these ones will be for your adventuring license. The residency and adventuring license will be for all seven of you, correct? All of you will need to fill out these forms so you can be registered with the administration. Feel free to share any of your concerns with me." She handed out pens for everyone to write with and allowed them to get to work.

And with that, each member took a step forward one-by-one as they filled out the forms, specifying their name, date of birth, gender, and address. Then, moving along to the adventuring registration form: name, date of birth, gender, address, patron deity, and level. As the group fell upon the latter three fields, the Pallum spoke up.

"You see: currently, we are homeless, so to speak. We were advised by the worker by the gate that we should head here immediately to apply for residency. Should we come back later to complete these forms?"

"No; there's no problem with that; I can take those forms for now, and you can come back later to get those spots filled in once you have found a place to stay. It'll take some time before the paperwork is processed, anyway. As long as you complete it within the week, your application will still be valid." She began reaching forward from behind the counter to retrieve the papers.

"Great. Then, as for the second thing: all seven of us are new to Orario; we do not possess a Falna, nor are we affiliated with a patron deity. Is there any way you can help us with that?"

Rose narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it," she paused, "the Guild is strict about who can and who cannot enter the Dungeon. If you are not affiliated with a deity, and have not received a Falna, we simply cannot allow you entrance into the Dungeon since it's far too dangerous even on the first few floors. As the Guild, we place heavy emphasis on new adventurers being able to find their own patron deities to serve; it acts as the first part of their journey and demonstrates that they are mature enough to make an effort towards their career pathway. Of course, many deities do pay money to advertise recruitment on the event board; I'd recommend taking a look if you're interested. However, other than that, I, or any other member of the Guild, for that matter, cannot help you find a familia to join."

"I see… Alright, we'll apply for residency for now. We'll return on a later date to provide our address. Once we've found a familia to join, we'll return to register for the adventuring license as well. Will that be okay?"

"Of course."

"Perfect," Cleaire stacked the pages neatly into a bundle and set it onto the counter for Rose to collect. "Then, we'll be- oh-! That reminds me. I have one more favour to ask," The Werewolf nodded, acknowledging Cleaire's words and waiting for her to continue, "if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you spare the directions to Loki and Freya familia's residences?"

Rose nearly stopped for a moment, but continued collecting the paperwork, not allowing her face to show a hint of surprise. "If this is to apply for membership, then I would suggest you look elsewhere. From what I know, joining Freya familia requires an invitation from the Goddess herself," she swept her gaze across the seven travellers, "as for Loki familia, they simply don't recruit unless you have particularly extraordinary skills- not saying you don't, of course. It's also known that Loki familia holds a recruitment examination once every year; anytime else, they'll only recruit those that personally catch the Goddess' attention. In addition, due to the fact that they have recently returned from the war with Rakia, both of them are currently swamped with administrative duties as per the Guild's request, so it's best if you didn't bother either of them at this particular time. If you did want to request membership into their familia, I would suggest that you do so after the next Denatus is completed- which will be a week from now."

The Pallum shook her head and waved her hands dismissively. "No, no; not to worry, we have no intention of trying to join their familia. I think all of us would agree it'd be much better to join a smaller familia- I think it must be pretty difficult to always be in the shadow of fellow familia members, especially those as revered as King, Vana Freya, Braver, Nine Hells, Elgarm, and Sword Princess. Regardless, we simply have an urgent letter that must be dropped off, and we'd like to see it done personally. As such, I would like to ask for directions."

"I see," she finished stashing away the pages into a small folder before turning an eye to watch the Pallum; although she wasn't entirely sure if she should, she realised that it was still technically within her duties and thus she is obligated to help; however Freya and Loki deal with the situation is up to them. "Then, I guess if it's a simple letter, there isn't much trouble with that." She tapped her chin thoughtfully as if trying to get her bearings. "Goddess Loki's Twilight Manor will be found at the Northernmost tip of Orario, you can easily get there by travelling up North main; on the other hand, Goddess Freya's Folkvangr is found at the Southernmost tip and is located on South Main, though the Goddess herself resides on the 50th floor of the Tower of Babel. I am unsure of when or how frequently she visits Folkvangr; all I know is that she does from time-to-time- most likely to update the Falna of her familia."

"Is that so? And I assume there wouldn't be an easy way for me to send a letter that high up Tower of Babel?" The Pallum asked sheepishly with a humorous glint in her eyes.

Rose snorted in response, "of course not; Goddess Freya pays a great fortune for that very luxury. Although a letter you send may not be well received at Folkvangr, it is still the easier and most accessible method. Of course, as long as you grab enough of Goddess Freya's attention and the letter does not fall under the scrutiny of certain members, she will be likely to receive it."

"Well, then, I guess that's that. Thank you for your work." Cleaire nodded to the Werewolf, then to her friends, "we'll be off now."

"Of course," Rose made a small bow, "Orario and the Guild humbly welcomes you. Just be sure to return and provide your address to complete the application process, and also a patron deity to complete the adventuring license application." Cleaire nodded in reply, but said nothing further.

The seven made their way past the groups of adventurers streaming into the streets from Central Park as they walked to their carriage, climbed aboard, and took their seats.

The vehicle whirred to life once more, and the Pallum skillfully weaved the cart through the growing mobs of people, heading back down towards Central Park and then turning onto South Main. Already, the sun was dipping below the horizon, and adventurers made their way out of the Dungeon. About half an hour later, they reached the gates of Folkvangr and left the girl there before turning back and heading North towards their own destination.

"What I don't understand is why Rakian soldiers never actually crossed the border into the Orario continent," the Pallum, Finn Deimne, sat the pen on the table as he leaned back in his seat. "I mean, I'm not complaining about it or anything, but it certainly is a little bit strange and concerning, isn't it?" He looked around the table towards a jade-green haired Elf, a brown haired Dwarf, and a red-headed woman. He focused his attention on the red-head and folded his arms in front of his chest. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Lady Loki? From past accounts, it seems to me that something has changed- after all, God Ares was never known to be such a reserved fighter who'd mobilise his army but forgo invading. It's abundantly clear that he's planning something; you're a god, you must know something. Spill it."

Loki, the red-head Goddess, shrugged, ignoring the Pallum's tone, "who knows? I guess it might be true that even us gods can change given enough time. If you want to hear my best guess: something probably happened to the old fella- or, like you said, he's planning something."

"Oh? And what might that be? Surely, one would have expected him to change his tactics long ago due to all the losses he's accumulated, right? Why now of all times?" He mused to himself, but he got no reply back from the Goddess, who busied herself with her alcoholic drink instead. With a deep sigh, he rested his cheek in his palm and leaned over the table, his sky-blue eyes falling back onto the notebook. "Riveria? Gareth? Any thoughts?"

"What you say is true," the Elf began, "this time, there certainly was a shift in God Ares' usual tactics." She cupped her chin with her fingers, "from Ais and Bete's reports, it appeared as though the Rakian soldiers were digging out several trenches by the border. However, it appears as though their activity stopped once they were done with their task. As for what those trenches are used for, that still needs to be determined. I had Bete search around the area in case Rakia was digging underground tunnels to infiltrate Orario, but I doubt that's the case. Not even God Ares would be foolish enough to send his men into the heart of enemy territory unless he had some trick up his sleeves. In my opinion, we need to continue surveillance of the area; but we obviously need a better method to accomplish this task other than to send adventurers out onto the field to investigate. Even with the relatively small Western section of the Orario Continent, it could take months just to scour anything the Rakians may have created. And if there was nothing in the first place, then it would have just been a useless operation and time wasted."

Finn nodded as Riveria finished; he leaned forward and scribbled some notes into the book, "okay, now, let's go back to these trenches, since they appear to be of great importance to Rakia and God Ares. Any guesses as to what they could be used for?"

"Aye. I believe I heard about something the last time I visited Melen." Now, the Dwarf, Gareth, spoke. "An acquaintance of a friend of a friend mentioned that they'd heard from somewhere that The Empire was testing a new type of weapon- a big, explosive, tubular mechanism mounted onto a carriage that shot people-sized projectiles through incredibly long distances. With dugouts like those, it would be easy for them to shoot from cover and remain hidden to targets from far away. Though, I'm not quite sure of the weapon's capabilities and range- even if Orario is relatively close to the Western border, whether Rakia can actually hit us from that distance is unknown- and whether it can deal significant damage to Orario's walls is also unknown."

The Elf raised her brow, "so, you're saying The Empire…?"

"There is a possibility, but it'd be bad if we took action rashly," Loki jumped back into the conversation, "as much as the stories do match up, The Empire has remained a neutral superpower for as long as us gods have been in the Lower World- well, at least, neutral against us. Of course, the political relations we have with them aren't the best at the moment, but they've made it strictly clear that as long as we don't become aggressive towards them, they have no intention of doing the same. Of course, on the other hand, I guess it would be quite a big deal should the Dungeon fall into the hands of The Empire. They're already incredibly strong as they are, if they also get access to the Dungeon…"

"I agree," Finn nodded as he quickly jotted the information down, "as it stands, The Empire is the second strongest nation in the Lower World- comparable to us- ever since the fall of Hellene, which means that if they're able to defeat us, they can easily expand Westward to conquer Rakia, Altena, and Athens- as well as all of the Elven forests in the West. Of course, the only reason they haven't done so thus far is because of the Hellenian refugees, and because of…" he faltered for a moment, "well, because of Zeus and Hera familia." Everyone in the room fell silent as they let that sink in. "Even with us and Freya familia, if The Empire truly is sponsoring Rakia's siege of our Western border, then it simply makes it easier for them to cross our Eastern border and get closer to the actual city to launch an attack. If those weapons that Gareth mentioned truly were capable of tearing down our walls…" he breathed out a heavy sigh, "this is also not to mention that The Empire has yet to reveal their full arsenal; who knows what other weapons they may have at their disposal? After all, when that incident occurred in the Kingdom of Hellene, the mass migration of Hellenian scholars and inventors who sought refuge in The Empire shifted the industrial heart of the Lower World from Hellene to The Empire. From the scarce information we have of the Far South, we know that the destructive capabilities of their machinery and weaponry is not to be trifled with. Once The Empire has taken Orario, it's quite literally game over for us- and for the rest of the Lower World, at that- unless, of course, the deities decide to use Arcanum, though, how much of an impact that may have is unknown." He leaned forward as he scribbled something down on the page, "we'll need to make sure Lord Ouranos is aware of this issue, even if it's only a possibility; it will be bad if we turned a blind eye to this issue simply because it seems unlikely at face value."

He got three nods in response.

"Good; then I guess this settles it." Then, he turned to the Goddess, "Lady Loki, I want you to keep this a secret from the other gods for now. Since we don't have all of the information, it would be bad if they start to panic and make an ill-advised declaration of war against The Empire. If it can be avoided, it should be at all costs. This is also taking into account the fact that a war with The Empire would surely make our Western border weaker, opening us for invasions from both Rakia and Altena. As of now, we should make every effort possible to avoid fighting a war on two fronts."

"Mmh, sure; why not. We have a lot more things to talk about anyways: things still remain unresolved about the Knossos. I'll be sure to get in touch with Ganesha to learn of any Evilus activity in the Knossos that may have occurred recently while we were gone, but seeing as though an emergency hasn't yet been declared, it's safe to say that we've earned ourselves some time of peace and quiet."

Finn scoffed and cracked a smile, "are you sure you should be saying that, Lady Loki? Surely, you wouldn't want to jinx anything, would you?"

The Goddess developed an impish grin, "right, I forgot, all of you adventurers are superstitious, right?" She giggled, "besides, if there truly was trouble brewing, your thumb would have alerted you by now, right?" She shrugged and sipped her wine again.

Finn finished the note he was writing about Rakia and speculations of The Empire which would be submitted to God Ouranos. He cleared his throat as he shifted the conversation in the direction of Evilus: "now that we've reached that topic, though, I think it's important for us to talk about it. Of course, from our fight from two months ago, we were able to put an end to Evilus' main forces. From our previous encounters with them, they've all mentioned some sort of master that they serve, and have always referred to that master as 'her'. So let's start with brainstorming some ideas." He turned to Loki specifically, "most likely, this 'she' that they mention is a deity or spirit of some sort- and an ancient one at that, since Revis, and I'm assuming her master, seemed to know a lot about Ais' past regarding the Sword Champion and the wind spirit Aria; do you have any idea of who it could be?"

All three executives remained silent as they waited for Loki to begin; they noticed her cheeks getting red as she took another sip of her wine and hiccoughed. "Dunno. Your best chances are to ask Ouranos, since he was part of the first generation of deities to descend and also manages Orario as a whole; but I doubt you could get the old man to talk." She paused for a moment before continuing, her speech slurring, "I guess a few individuals do come to mind, though; but most of them are… " She hiccoughed again.

Finn took charge of this opportunity with gusto. "And who might they be, Lady Loki?" He stroked his chin and watched the Goddess from the corners of his eyes, "any name or speculation will be helpful; after all, if we can get that information, it may be possible to conduct investigations and allow us to solve the case entirely. For the sake of the people of Orario, Evilus must be defeated." He gave a few moments of silence to allow his words to register with the Goddess; then: "So…?"

"Hmm…" Loki hummed, "well-"

There was a knock on the door, and everyone shifted their eyes towards it; their conversation came to an abrupt close and Finn frowned lightly, the tips of his lips dipping down.

"Yes, who is it?" He called out.

"It's me, Tione." A muffled reply came through the door.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, per se. But a group of strangers calling themselves travellers have appeared by the front gate. They claimed to have an urgent message for Lady Loki and ask that she take a look at it. I took a look at it myself… but I wasn't able to understand it; but as far as I can tell, it's a short letter, so I thought that it might be a good idea to…" She faltered for a moment, "sorry, you must be busy; I'm come back later-"

"No, no. Come in. We were just about to switch focus anyways; this will be a good opportunity to take a small break before we get back to discussing." Finn ushered the Amazoness to enter, waving his hands nonchalantly, "we still have time before the next Denatus, anyways. All of the details will be fleshed out in due time."

The Amazoness on the opposite side of the door fell silent for a brief moment. "Then, excuse my interruption." And with that, the door knob spun and the door swung open with a creak. She took a small bow as she hurried to the table, placing the turquoise tube onto the desk of papers, and retreated back, standing at attention and awaiting her next orders. She watched as Finn retrieved the tube and popped open the lid, sliding the message out and unfolding it.

His sky-blue gaze fell upon the note and his eyebrows went up immediately upon reaching the first letter. He sighed and nodded, "I guess now I can see why. It certainly isn't written in Koine, or any language that I've studied." Both the Dwarf and Elf sitting by his side leaned in as well as they both caught a glimpse of the note. The Dwarf mimicked the reaction of the Pallum and raised his eyebrows in response, but the Elf narrowed her eyes as she made out the first few sentences, beginning to decipher it. But even she, the knowledgeable High Elf that she was, could not fully understand the context of the letter. She simply shook her head and leaned back into her seat, signalling to Finn that she had given up.

"Cryptic." Finn mused to himself, but pushed that thought aside. "Well, these esteemed guests of ours," Finn almost said that with a hint of laughter in his voice, "said that this letter was for Lady Loki, correct?" Tione made a small nod. "Then," he slid the note over the table and towards the red-head Goddess, "why don't you take a look? It was meant for you, anyways."

"Hmm?" She hummed as she pressed the shot glass to her lips, allowing it to slip into her mouth and down her throat. She poured herself another shot and swirled the clear liquid inside as she off-handedly took the note. Her eyes shifted to the page as she pressed the glass against her lips once more, "let's see here…" her vermillion eyes fell onto the message as she read it- from start to finish.

And when her eyes fell onto the final sentence: she felt as if the ichor which flowed through her veins froze. With each passing moment, she felt her eyes getting wider and wider as she reread the note: twice, thrice, four times, five times. But every time, the same words jumped out at her from the papyrus; she felt her head ache and her breathing become laboured- neither of which were results of the alcohol's influence. Sweat dashed her forehead and she dug her own nails into the palm of her hand, allowing the lustrous golden ichor to drip down and stain the note.

"Is something wrong, Lady Loki?" Finn asked to the side, his face failed to hide his concern- as did everyone else present in the room. Everyone waited patiently for their Goddess to answer the question- and it finally came moments later- but in the form of a few questions of her own.

"Finn," Loki drew a shaky breath, "how's your thumb feeling? Does it hurt?"

"My thumb? It's been aching a little over the past few weeks, so I chalked it up to the strange behaviour of the Rakian soldiers." His eyes narrowed, "why? Should I be feeling something?"

But he got no response in return, and only watched as Loki pressed her palm into her forehead. Her lips moved: "oh, Ouranos…" she whispered to herself, though not one of the level 6 adventurers in the room heard it even despite their heightened senses. They simply watched in stunned silence as their Goddess crumpled the note in her hand and hunched over, hanging her head just above the desk.

For a brief moment, Loki had sincerely wished she had never made the decision to visit the Lower World.

"Halt!" The guards stationed by the Folkvangr front gate raised their weapons at the sight of the approaching young woman. "This is Freya familia's private property; we will have to ask you to leave the premises. Leave now or suffer the consequences!"

But V was undeterred as she placed one foot in front of the other, moving herself closer and closer to the front gates even as the guards pointed their weapons threateningly, shouting at her to back off, and repeating their warnings. She came to a standstill just a few paces away with spear tips and blades poking through her comfort zone and straight at her neck and chest. Even still, she spoke: "I have a letter that needs to be delivered to Freya, urgently. I would appreciate it if you can help me complete this task as swiftly as possible, and without issues."

"That's Lady Freya to you, insolent brat," one of the guards snarled, "do not mistake your place! I would suggest you wise up; any more of that idiocy and we'll-"

A hand was placed on the guard's shoulder, and she whipped her head back, her eyes teeming with fury. The other guard simply made a small shake with his head as he continued the conversation, proceeding with far more tact and civility. "Our Lady is on official business leave. As such, she does not have the time to entertain guests, nor to receive letters of any variety no matter how urgent. If you really wish to get her attention, it would be wiser if you sent it through the Guild, instead. We will not be accepting letters from strangers," he paused before continuing, "as such, it would be best if you were on your way. You won't get anything by staying here."

"Hmm?" V hummed as she folded her arms across her chest. "It doesn't appear like that is your decision to make, however. When were you worthy to speak on Lady Freya's behalf?" She spat out the honourific with the utmost contempt. The guards growled, but still did not attack. "Surely a Goddess of her calibre can make decisions on her own? Or maybe-"

"And the task that she has given us is to shoo away any visitors who come to her residence seeking her time and attention. Had Lady Freya wished to see you, she would have sent someone to seek you out; not the other way around." He gritted his teeth and continued, "might I need to remind you that this is Freya familia's property? Any transgressions here can and will be reported and a complaint will be filed to the Guild. I suggest that you leave before you dig yourself into a bigger grave." Even this guard's temper had almost reached the breaking point, and his voice was already starting to crack.

She snorted, "oh, come on now; don't be like that." But the guards were unmoved, and simply held the weapons closer to her neck and chest. Seeing this, she pressed on, and leveraged the last thing she had at her disposal- her final move, so to speak. "Here, how about I make you a deal?" The guards did not lower their weapons, but also did not attack, listening to what she had to say, "allow me a few minutes to meet Lady Freya," her voice became an alluring whisper, "I'll make sure to give her a time she'll never forget." The guards stepped forward as they prepared to attack, but V continued, dealing the final blow with a grin spread wide on her face: "after all, Goddesses of Beauty like Lady Freya are nothing more than whores who succumb to pleasure, right-?"

"Blasphemy-!" They all roared in outrage as they finally reached the limit to their irritation. After all, to them, their Goddess exemplified her title in every way imaginable; they wouldn't dare to allow such baseless slander to be said in their presence; and so, they acted without a moment's hesitation. But, at this point, V already realised it was checkmate; and, if it was possible, the smile grew wider still.

The first guard thrusted his spear forward, but V stepped back, strafed to the side, and caught the shaft, turning her body and sending the butt end of the scroll to his gut. He was ejected backwards and tumbled into the front courtyard, crumpling to the floor as he fell unconscious. As V recovered her stance, she quickly slipped the note into her robes while the other guards were overcome with initial shock.

A fraction of a second later, two more guards lunged forward as they swept their blades in wide, but predictable, arcs. However, she made no attempt to dodge, and simply stood still as the attacks came, glancing off of an invisible boundary, sending them both off-course. Both adventurers hesitated for a moment, but soon after, regained their footing and wound back up for another strike, this time, they placed far more emphasis on technique rather than brute force. Nonetheless, V simply bent downwards and twisted her body as both weapons sailed past, missing their marks by the thinnest of margins.

In the blink of an eye, she grabbed one of them by the face and slammed her into the ground, creating a sizable crater, splitting the paved concrete. Then, as the other one approached for yet another attack, she quickly caught the wrist holding the blade, jerked forward, and sent a devastating knee into the attacker's stomach. The guard stumbled backwards as she dropped her weapon and clutched at her abdomen, completely opening her up for a kick across the jaw, which sent her tumbling backwards, collapsing onto the front courtyard and trampling the thorny rose bushes.

The last guard standing gave a throaty warcry as he, too, leapt into the fray, swinging his hatchet in an overhead blow, carving through the air at terrifying speeds- only to stop in place as it met an invisible border. His arms buckled and shook as he pushed downwards, flexing the muscles in his triceps and forearms to no avail. Seething with rage, he gritted his teeth as a grimace settled on his face; he brought his waraxe up again and struck downwards- this time with far more force, but still found no success. Then, as he growled in frustration, he felt something tug at his body- at his outstretched arms, at his hair, and at his armour and clothes. He shuddered for an instant as he felt something indescribable implanting itself into his mind-

"Repercutio potentiae, Reactionem." [Reflecting potential, Reaction]

Before he knew it, he heard a deafening crash, and he felt pain all over as a blanket of glass shards pierced his skin. He heard several alarmed cries before losing consciousness; the ringing in his ears ceased, the red swimming in his vision blurred into darkness, and he slumped over, laying like a ragdoll in the pile of debris- smashed brick and shattered glass.

"Shit. He might've accidentally-"

"What's all the commotion!?" The front door swung open as several more adventurers crowded around it, gazing outside. They caught a glimpse of the girl and also of several of their fellow familia members sprawled out in the front lawn, either not moving or writhing in pain. Their eyes fell onto the girl and they shouted once more, "hey! What are you doing here!? Who are you!? What did you do!?"

Their questions came like an unstopped flood, but they got no response back, and V, after a few moments of deliberation, simply began moving, taking efficient strides forward towards the manor, flinging the metal front gates open so hard they fell from their hinges; they clattered to the floor amidst billowing dust and a trail of sparks. The guards did not ignore this, however, and they rushed back into the mansion to retrieve their weapons as they prepared to fend off the trespasser. Unfazed, V paced forward as the first wave of adventurers charged, brandishing their weapons and giving out their own individual warcries, all of which blended into a cacophony swelling with ire.

The first adventurer lunged forward and thrusted with her sword. However, V simply strafed to the side, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and landed an elbow to the jaw before delivering a quick jab to the throat; she collapsed to the courtyard as she was hit to the side, leaving her incapacitated. V took the blade from her opponent and slipped it into her left hand. She slowed to a stop and waited, watching keenly as the next few adventurers came. She stepped forward, braced her knees, and drew the blade back, ready to strike. As she prepared to lunge forward-

She snapped her head around just as a glittering silver spear made impact with the invisible border surrounding her, stopping in the air and defying the laws of gravity. She hummed to herself as she. She tilted her violet gaze upwards and to the side to see an entourage of eight adventurers standing just a few paces away from her- in the lead, a hulking man had his arms folded in front of his chest and two greatswords strapped to his back- one glinting a bright silver, and the other a dazzling black. To his right, a cat man lingered on the tips of his toes as he had his body bent forward and his right arm extended; no doubt he had been the one to throw the spear, and she silently commended his arm strength as she met his wrathful gaze. To his right, two Elves- one Light Elf and one Dark Elf stood with their hands on the hilts of their swords, but still kept them within their scabbards. Finally, on the left side of the giant man, was a quartet of Pallums, all with the same frown plastered on their faces, each holding their own unique weapon: a waraxe, a hammer, a spear, and a greatsword.

Seeing them, V breathed out a deep sigh and tossed the blade in her left hand to the side. "Finally. I've been expecting you. I take it you will be the ones escorting me to Freya?" She asked, taking a few steps forward and watched as the man in front- now recognising him as a Boaz, a type of beast person crossed between the mortal man and a boar- nodded, though with the hint of a scowl present on his face. "Perfect." She tossed the spear towards the cat man, who caught it and growled. "Then let us make haste. I wouldn't want to keep your Lady waiting. And I certainly wish not to waste my time, either, given how much I already have here." She sent a vacant stare at the few individuals who looked at her with animosity who still had their weapons and looked like they were about to attack- though, none of them actually did.

The cat man snarled as he stepped forward, raising his spear and pressing it against her neck. "You will watch your words, girl. You're lucky that our Lady placed great emphasis on the fact that you are to be brought to her in one piece." His face contorted in fury and his pupils slitted- much like the feline he is. "Next time-"

He felt the tip of his spear being pushed downwards as he snapped his head to the side, his temper flaring as he glared at his Captain, the Boaz. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced when he got a silent head shake in return. He understood the intent behind that shake perfectly, though he didn't like it.

V watched their interaction with a hidden smile on her face. When the silver spear was finally out of her way, she simply walked forth, raising her right arm to her shoulders- and flicked her hair in the cat man's face, continuing as if nothing had happened. The Boaz, the Pallums, and the two Elves followed, surrounding her from all sides and observing her keenly. With a final, throaty growl, the cat man heaved his weapon over his shoulder and took his place amongst the Freya familia entourage. The other members of Freya familia simply watched in stunned silence as they watched their executives go, walking North towards the Tower of Babel. Soon, they broke out of their daze and began taking note of the condition and extent of the property damages, as well as treating the few members who were injured.

xxx

Freya sat unmoving upon her golden-ivory throne as she idly swirled a glass of blood-red wine perched in her right hand. The Goddess' mind was currently filled with thoughts about the young woman: she had originally caught the Goddess' attention as soon as she entered the Folkvangr premises. From there, Freya simply observed for a while before sending her faithful Captain and executives to fetch the girl.

Freya shifted her gaze down to the streets of Orario, her irises glowing a faint silver. This was a habit of hers she had developed ever since coming down to the Lower World: everyday, she would look down, and she would see with her Eyes of Insight the tapestry of colours of the people of Orario moving about as they went along with their business. She would see the red of wrath and passion; the orange of guilt and curiosity; the yellow of cowardice and optimism; the green of greed and prosperity; the blue of sorrow and serenity; the purple of ego and creativity; and the pink of lust and kindness. And although these colours did not outright change, they would, from time to time, grow and become multifaceted- like layers which built upon the personal strife and experience of an individual- layers which could be peeled away and studied to understand their owner's underlying motivations and ambitions. On rare occasions: she would see the pristine white of purity, hope, and naivety; she would see the lustrous black of sophistication, mystery, and desolation; or she would see any combination of these colours mixing together and creating something new- something special and unique. On occasions even rarer than that, she would see something even more beautiful- a beauty exemplified by the one she has determined as her beloved Odr: the one she is destined to love, and to be loved in return- a soul which is untouched, and a soul which possesses the greatest potential- a soul owned by those who would only appear once in every hundred-or-so thousand lifetimes.

On occasions even rarer than that, however, she would see what she saw in the girl. It should be known that even the most vile and degenerate of mortals have within them a spark- a spark which acts as a catalyst for them to shine brilliantly- a spark of redemption, so to speak. But for the girl? It was utterly, and undisputedly blank- not to be confused with the clarity of her Odr's- of Bell Cranel's soul, however. It is simply as described: utterly, and undisputedly blank- almost as if it was missing, or it had been taken away.

Sheer nihilism; abject cynicism. That would be the best way to put it.

That girl was once in a lifetime- even for a god; but her potential to become someone- or something great was undoubtedly nil. Freya's frown deepened as she took a swig from her wineglass; she allowed the tangy taste to linger on her lips as she raised a hand to cup her cheek, allowing her thoughts to drift.

It would be several moments later when the resounding thunk echoed throughout her empty chamber. She refocused both her mind and her gaze, clearing her throat and calling out: "come in." And the door was opened not a moment later as all eight of her executives plus one extra, walked in. Her silver gaze followed the girl as she strode into the simply furnished room- a large window pane framed by drawn, red curtains allowed the approaching moonlight to accentuate the golden-ivory throne the Goddess sat atop as well as her commanding presence and figure. Off to the side was a king-sized bed; and off to the other side was a vast bookshelf of literature- stories of heroes and myths, non-fiction books transcribed from the Library of Alexandria and the House of Wisdom, magic grimoires, etc.

All of the Freya familia members, minus the Boaz, knelt down before the presence of their Goddess. The Boaz instead offered a slight bow of his head, and the girl remained standing, unamused by the display.

"Please raise your heads." The Goddess spoke her enchanting words, and her children heeded, raising their heads but remained kneeling. She took a sip of her wine as she swirled it in her hands. "I've been expecting you, my darling," she spoke once more in that bewitching voice of hers, "might I be so rude as to inquire your name?"

V made a crude courtesy, "call me V," she said, and when she noticed Freya opening her mouth to ask, "but no, I will not divulge my real name, since there is no reason to. Simply, V, will suffice." The Freya executives growled at her display of impertinence, and cursed her audacity; but none made an attempt to attack, for such a display in front of their mistress would be utterly shameful.

Freya disregarded the young woman's attitude with a delicate smile, and laughed, her voice echoing like a soprano, easily calming the bloodlust of her executives. "Quite right; quite right," she raised a hand and pressed it against her lips, "and as for why you've paid a visit to Folkvangr," V paid no mind to the Goddess' choice of words, "it appears as though you have something you'd like to give me, correct?"

V nodded once, and reached into the folds of her shadowy robe. The Boaz took a step to the side as he extended his hand, and she took it as a sign, placing it in his waiting palm and watched as he popped open the lid, took the note out, and offered it to his Lady; he took his place by her side a moment later.

Freya took the note with a gentle smile and a word of thanks to her faithful servant, who nodded stoically in response. "Now then," she set her wineglass off to the side as she began unfolding the note, smoothing it out until it was whole. During this time, however, her eyes remained firmly locked with the girl's. "You wouldn't mind if I read this aloud, would you?" She asked.

"Of course not; be my guest."

"Excellent," and with that, she set her eyes onto the page, and began to read.

"

To the Goddess Freya,

We are the Seekers, but you need not concern yourself with our identity. What is of the utmost importance however, is firstly the purpose behind this letter, and secondly the private meeting we wish to request with you to further discuss the topic at hand. As this is an introductory letter, we will keep it brief, and also allow you the liberty of deciding the next course of action.

…

Surely, you've heard of the…

"

Her voice trailed off as she faltered, her eyes scanned the next few words. Her silver irises flashed with a plethora of emotion- but most of all with fear- something the Goddess had not felt for nearly 16 years. When she locked eyes with the girl once more, Freya saw within those deep, violet irises, solemnity.

The Goddess took a shaky breath as she set the note off to the side; the Boaz man standing at attention gave her a glance of worry, but dared not to move without her permission. Even as she gave him a tender smile, he had a frown and concern plastered all over his face. Just a few paces away, the seven other executives of Freya familia also shared the same look, before they all turned their stares towards the girl, silently drawing their weapons. Under his breath, the cat man began chanting- as did the Light and Dark Elves.

"She is the source of our Lady's distress; and she must thus be eliminated." That thought was unanimous amongst the seven executives. The tension dramatically rose in the room; and just as all of it was about to burst-

"Allen, Hedin, Hogni, Alfrigg, Dvalinn, Berling, Grer: you seven are dismissed." The Goddess made a brief wave of her hand.

The latter three of the Pallum quartet: Dvalinn, Berling, and Grer; Allen; and Hogni all tried to stand and raise their objections. However, a look from the eldest Pallum, Alfrigg; from the Boaz; and from Hedin, respectively, silenced the protest. They all dipped their heads once more and clenched their teeth, "as you wish, Lady Freya." They said, their voices mixing and blending. And with that, they all got up, sending glares with differing levels of malicious intent towards the girl before opening the door, walking out, and easing it closed behind them.

Then, Freya turned to the one by her side, the one she trusted more than anything- and indeed trusted him enough that she was comfortable with him hearing what would come next. "My dear Ottar, you will be staying here with us," he dipped his head into a light bow, remaining steadfast and not saying a word, "however, what happens here in this room, stays in this room." He nodded nervously at his Goddess' tone, but remained silent as Freya continued. She turned her gaze back to the young woman. "Once we're done, I will ask that you escort the young lady here off of the premises, and ensure that she returns to whence she came safely. No harm is to come to her; and if the others try anything, then you are to inform them of the punishment which will be doled out for disobedience."

Deeming his Goddess had finished her instructions, "as you wish, my Lady," Ottar spoke in his booming voice, and he retreated a few steps back to stand behind the throne once more. He kept his rust-bronze gaze fixated on the Goddess and girl before him as they began their conversation. He could still feel the novel sensation of agitation with his Goddess, but seeing as though she had accepted the invitation to discuss, he deemed that she was, for the most part, in control of the situation.

Finally, Freya turned her undivided attention to V, a plethora of emotion running through her silver eyes- fear, respect, awe, curiosity, hesitation, earnestness- all of them clashed simultaneously as she took several deep breaths. She calmed her nerves, then, returning to her usual self: "Now then, let's begin. Shall we?"

The girl nodded with the utmost sincerity as she met the Goddess' gaze- violet and silver clashed, and imaginary sparks flew. "Indeed. We have no time to waste, after all."