Intertwined Fates

by cleverminded619

Bell gets a chance to become an adventurer and to meet a lost family member. Fortunate for him his family member already had a plan, and a familia in mind. Takemikazuchi familia became the right fit for the young Bell, since most of the member were around the same age. Follow the adventures of the Cranel's as a series of unfortunate events begin to unfold. Intertwined Fate

4. Chapter 4

Yamato Mikoto

Chapter 4

I do not own this series, Omori Fujino is the true owner

Right after they finished eating their lunch, everyone helped clean up their mess before Mikoto and Epyon left the residents to go find a realtor's office who was in charge of selling homes and plots of land. As they walked together through the road of Orario they were in complete silence, when Epyon decided to break the ice.

"So how long has the Familia been living in Orario, since coming from the Far East?" Epyon asked her a question to start the conversation, as she thought about the question before she answered.

"It has been around 2 years since we left our homeland, but there are times that it feels like we have never left. Just struggling to survive everyday while trying to send currency back home to the temple." Mikoto replied in a sad tone, as they kept walking.

"Can you please explain what you meant with a little bit more detail. Since I wish to understand you and the rest better." Epyon said as he looked around in curiosity, the hustle and bustle on the road as food and other stands were being put up.

"What I mean, and I'm sure you know this as well in our homeland, we didn't have a dungeon to kill monsters. They roam freely attacking and killing the commoners. So, we would have to fight for our survival, as well from hunger, and the clan wars. There is really no way to have currency when you constantly spend it on food, that is how it is unfortunately. Living here is similar in a way with a few minor differences, here we get paid to kill monsters and if we get stronger, we are able to become a famous adventurer, and we don't have clans here to discriminate against the common people. And the closest thing to the clans is the Familia's of Orario. But that is why I feel the same but not at the same time." Mikoto said as she looked around at her surroundings. Epyon could only smile wryly at how she acted like a kunoichi.

"So, by any chance do you know where we are supposed to go?" Epyon asked her as he turned towards Mikoto, as an eyebrow rose in curiosity.

"Hmm, hmm, ah to be honest, I have no clue, I was going to take us to the guild and ask if they know by chance." Mikoto said as her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment.

Epyon could only shake his head in amusement, at the shameless response that she gave. But then started to smile wryly at the girl, at least she had an idea on what to do.

"Is it possible to get a complete introduction from you?" Epyon ask as he smiles at her as a form of encouragement.

"Ok then let me give you a complete introduction then if that is what you wish for. My name is Yamato Mikoto, I just turned 16 years old, and I'm 157cm, and also, I'm at level 2. And I can't make up my mind on learning to be a samurai or becoming a kunoichi. Both have their good and bad qualities when it comes to battles and combat." Mikoto said in a very enthusiastic way.

"I would have to agree with you there, your way of thinking is very progressive for a female from the Far East. It is too bad that many of the females from the Far East are bound by tradition. Luckily for you, you ended up following Takemikazuchi-sama to Orario during that time." Epyon said as he praised her, by padding her head.

Mikoto could only blush at the praise he was giving her, as if gaining his approval. Since meeting this man and getting to know him a little better, it made her heart go doki doki. When she was a little girl, she was considered to be a tomboy. Because she had a no-nonsense personality and hung out with the boys.

As she became older, puberty began to affect Mikoto when she began to grow her feminine features. And as soon as that happened, she began to catch the attention of the boys in the temple, and even the grown men. She got scared that one day some man or men might try to do something to her, since they gave her lewd looks. This became one of the reasons she had to leave the Far East, she was glad that at least she had one male childhood friend who looked after her and that was Ouka.

Now that she was older, her only interest was becoming as strong as possible for a woman. Lucky for her she saw many powerful women that were independent and weren't ruled over by men was something refreshing for her. Now that they gain a new member and one that is handsome to boot, it made her feel funny. And she really didn't know how to act, having all new feelings, it annoyed her.

"I guess in a way you are right, I heard rumors that orphans have been going missing during my time I was living at the shrine temple. I have a feeling that sooner or later we would have met the same fate as the others. That is why I am very grateful to Takemikazuchi-sama." Mikoto told what she heard as a child.

"I see, you had it tough as well "A", But you don't have to worry anymore. I'm going to make sure you become the strongest you can be. Since I heard there are stronger females living in Orario than men. I can honestly say, I never thought to see so many weak men in my life. It is truly surprising and disappointing at the same time, but I have my suspicions why? Ooh we are already here at the guild." Epyon said as Mikoto was about to go inside when he stopped her.

"Epyon-san, let me go quickly to speak to a receptionist at the guild, I'm sure they would know where a realtor office would be located at." Mikoto said as she bowed in respect to him in letting her go alone.

"He sighed, very well Mikoto-san, if by chance he is here then come get me. Otherwise, I would like for you to hurry please, I'm sure we are going to have a long day." Epyon said as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he decided to wait for her.

"Thank you Epyon-san I will." Mikoto said as she hurried through the crowd to get the information they needed. 10 minutes later Mikoto came out with a triumphant smile as she walked towards Epyon.

"So, am I going inside, or are we leaving to another location?" Epyon asked, trying to guess the answer.

"Sorry but we need to go to the tower of Babel, where the Realtor office is at. There we will meet a person who was designated, picked by the gods & goddess to sell current home and plots of land. It is called Orario's Realtors." Mikoto said as she started to walk towards the tower of Babel.

"Hey, wait for me, it is rude to leave a person behind. So, what exactly type of place are you looking for?" Mikoto asked as she was as curious as a cat.

"Well, it depends on location, the size of property, and the amount being sold for. There are other factors that come into play, but it depends on my preference." Epyon explained as Mikoto listened carefully.

Fifteen minutes later they were at the tower when they entered, both of them gave curious looks around at the different shops being displayed. Mikoto began to guide him around the first floor, toward the area she was told to look for. It took them 5 minutes to find the place, they stood in front of the office door.

"So, this is the place, kind of fancy isn't it." Epyon said as he walked inside followed by Mikoto a few steps behind.

There they saw a well-dressed man going over some papers, when he saw them come inside. A happy smile appeared on his face as he slowly stood up and went to greet them.

"Hi there, dear customer, I am Lou Le Blanc. How can I help you today?" The man named Lou said as he walked over to the pair after his greeting.

"Ah yes, I'm Epyon and this right here is Mikoto-san, and we came to buy a house right away. There are a few criteria's I'm looking for, the house to have on the properties. I would also like a chance to go see them as well. I would like the house to have a river flowing through the land. I would definitely appreciate it." Epyon said as he told the details to Mr. Le Blanc.

"Please follow me and take a seat while I go get a map of the city to show you. I would like to ask you a few questions." Mr. Le Blanc said as Epyon nodded in agreement as he and Mikoto took their seats.

"One of the important requirements you wanted was a river to go through the property, am I correct." Mr. Le Blanc said as he walked over to his cabinet began to search for the appropriate deeds of the properties available.

"Yes, that is correct. If possible, could the property be big and in a nice safe area." Epyon said as he added some more criteria.

Mr. Le Blanc knew exactly which three properties he was about to present to the young man in front of him. He could sense that he was about to get a great sale on this one, so he made sure not to try to cheat the young man. So, he walked back where the young man and the young lady were waiting. Le Blanc took his seat, and he unrolled his map of Orario.

"Mr. Epyon, here is the map of Orario and I wanted to show you the locations of the properties. For example, there are the four cardinal directions that are North, South, East and West, but in Orario we have a total of 8 sections." Le Blanc said as he was showing Epyon and Mikoto in the map in detail, before he continued to speak to them.

"As per your request the only sections that have a river running through it are sections 1,6,7, and 8. As for your last two requests for properties with large plots of land, in a nice and safe area, only 3 properties came to mind. And all 3 are in section 7, let me point them out." Le Blanc said as he pointed the locations on the map so Epyon and Mikoto could see them.

Epyon looked at the map and saw all three locations and was curious about them, but one had his attention. It definitely looked like the biggest of the three properties and has the river going through it and it has a bridge to get from one side to the other. It's next to a gate with easy access to go in and out of the city and we are protected by walls of Orario. The only thing I don't know is whether the area is safe? Epyon thought to himself as he began to form some questions in his head.

"What's so special about section 7? And how safe is the section, is anyone important staying near there?" Epyon asked Le Blanc, while Mikoto was busy looking at the map in all its fine details.

"I will take an educated guess that your new to Orario, and you have joined a small Familia as well. But this and that are two different matters. The first reason is that it is the wealthiest area of Orario, and the second reason is that that section is protected by Astraea and Freya Familia's. The Astraea Familia is living in the same area you're going to be, but a word of advice makes sure you don't get into trouble. Otherwise, their group of justice fighter might just hall you into jail. The Freya Familia will be basically next door to you, that's where their headquarters is at. And that is the reason why it is a safe area in the south sections of Orario. North of the Freya Familia residence is the Ishtar Familia residence as well. But everyone knows it as the entertainment district, the whole place is walled off to the public and has only one way in and one way out." Le Blanc said giving the necessary information to Epyon just to prevent any trouble to some of the most powerful Familia's in Orario.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm really surprised, about the Freya Familia in the same section. Well before I make any decisions, I would like to go see all three properties and afterwards I'll make my decision." Epyon told Le Blanc as he looked at the man with eyes full of determination.

"Wonderful, let me inform my assistant that I'll be stepping out then, then we will make our way to section 7." Le Blanc said as he claps his hands in delight, and he got up and left the room.

"This will be a good opportunity for us to do some intelligence gathering in the area of Mikoto-san. Keep your eyes and ears on high alert, we want to make sure we are able to recognize the faces later." Epyon said as he got up and made his way to the door.

"Epyon-san, can you really afford to get a place like this? I'm saying the amount of valis you would be spending is more than I could imagine. And secondly, where in the world do you carry that large amount of currency?" Mikoto said while having a dubious look on her face. Epyon gave a charming smile before answering her, so he walked closer as he whispered in her ear.

"It's a secret." A shiver ran down her spine, while her cheeks turned pink. When Mr. Le Blanc came and smiled at the two, all three exited the office as they made their way out of the tower. On the way to the first property, they began to have a small talk as they walked through the roads of Orario.

He also made the wrong assumption that Epyon and Mikoto were a happy young couple. Epyon looked at Mikoto again and nodded to himself as if he definitely imagined that. While Mikoto turned into a tomato at the fact they thought they were a couple. She became really embarrassed and meek after that. That is when Mr. Le Blanc found out that they were getting the place as their new headquarters for their Familia.

15 minutes later they reached the first property they walked around, and they gave small comments and inquired about other things. Once Epyon was satisfied with his walk through he wanted to see the house. It took another hour and half for them to finish looking through the whole place, before moving on to the second property.

The three basically went to the second property in no time as they began the tour of the place, as they walked around the area. From what they could see it was a little bit small that the first property, but in Epyon eyes it was lacking something, but he couldn't explain it. When the group went to enter the house, they definitely knew that they were lacking more than the first house they saw. And immediately in Epyon's mind decided not to get this property, since he felt when their Familia would grow it would be best not to deal with building more rooms for the future members. It took about an hour to go through the entire property, when they felt it was enough.

Once they were done looking around the second property, Epyon and Mikoto decided to quickly go to the last property. It was because they haven't eaten anything since lunchtime and the sun was beginning to set. As they walked closer to the house, they began to see the differences on the streets and the people. They were dressed in an elegant manner, almost as if they were some types of nobles. When Le Blanc stopped in front of the gate to the property, Epyon was stunned, while Mikoto jaw dropped in shock at how big the place was. Mr. Le Blanc unlocked the protection barrier around the whole property before opening the door through the gate. They were in awe of the beauty of the greenery and the flowers, while a little bit in the distance you were able to see the large house. Epyon and Mikoto decided this time to go see the house first since they have an hour left.

When they finally got to the front of the house and realized that this was not a house, it was a mansion and a really big one as well. Mr. Le Blanc did the same thing to unlock the door when he guided the two individuals inside before speaking.

"So, what is the first thing you both would want to see?" Le Blanc asked the two Familia members.

"The bathroom!" Both said at the same time, as Epyon raised an eyebrow while Mikoto blushed in embarrassment.

"I see, I could honestly say I'm surprised that the first thing you both would want to see is the bathroom. Is there a particular reason for that, I ask?" Le Blanc said since he got full of curiosity.

"No reason." Epyon said as he walked in and looked around, but Mikoto said.

"Yes! Baths! Ladies from the Far East need their baths." As she raised her hand and closed it into a fist in front of herself with full determination.

Both men could only sweat drop at her actions, almost like she has endured some type of torture. And this was her way to get rewarded, and the rest of the ladies of the Familia.

"Follow me, the design of this mansion is relatively unique, each room has its own bathrooms. But in the middle of the mansion, it has a large bath for both men and women, the only thing it's not completely closed off so either gender could freely go to whichever side they want. Before going into the hot bath, it has a section to wash yourself off on either side. It has two glass sections on top to see the bright sunny sky, or the beautiful night sky with the stars to see." Mr. Le Blanc said as they reached their destination open the door to the bath house.

When Epyon and Mikoto entered the bath house they were really surprised on how luxurious it was. Immediately Mikoto started to look around the entire place, and what she saw only made her heart dance in glee. The other two properties didn't have anything like this, and the fact that it had a similar set up as a Far East bath was the big plus. The only negative part was that the bath house was not fully divided so any men or women would be able to see one another. This made the young woman blush imaging a certain scenario, she began to shake her head to clear the improper thoughts. When she heard Epyon speak to the realtor.

"I have to say this is a beautiful bath house. Are there any special features here like a protection barrier in case of an attack?" Epyon asked Mr. Le Blanc as he tried to get confirmation.

"Yes, there is. There is a special magic formula that lets you register all your Familia members to it. There is one outside to enter and one inside two exits. It also has another special feature: hidden storage formulas all around the bath house. It was done this way in case of a war game. So at least whoever makes it to the bath house would have a fighting chance." Le Blanc explained to Epyon as he gave a nod of approval to whoever came up with an idea of the place.

"I'm impressed so far, does the mansion have an indoor training ground or an outdoor one as well?" Epyon asked the man as he tried to check one of the main things he required, to train his new Familia members.

"Ahh as a matter of fact the place does have both things you are seeking. Will you please follow me." Mr. Le Blanc told Epyon as he nodded to the man, went to get Mikoto since she was still looking all around in awe.

When they left the bath house they exited through a completely different door, and to their surprise they saw another changing room. After exiting that place, they saw themselves walking towards another building in the center of the mansion. Once they reached the double doors of the training room, Mr. Le Blanc placed his hand on a magic formula to unlock it. When they entered the room, it was pretty large, and it looked like it had all the necessary things for him to begin training his Familia.

"This is definitely perfect! I could see myself training my Familia members here." Epyon said as he took a walk around as he was followed by Mikoto to get a better idea of the place.

"Epyon-san, so what do you think of this place so far?" Mikoto said as she looked around as well.

"So far I am really impressed with what I have seen, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the place." Epyon answered her question, as he began to walk out of the training room.

Mr. Le Blanc then continued with the tour around the mansion showing them everything from the bedrooms, dining room, living room, a kitchen and etc. They ended up visiting the training area outside by the river, got a great look of the surroundings. The group ended up walking across the bridge and saw the other part of the property and saw it was at a good location to build a business there. Once they were satisfied with the tour they made their way towards the exit, when Mr. Le Blanc asked a question to Epyon.

"So, which one of these beautiful properties would you like to buy?" He said while he was looking over some papers as they were walking out of the property.

"To be honest I want this one, and it has all the qualifications that I wanted." Epyon told the realtor, without missing a beat.

"I see, I see, well once we reach my office, we would be able to work on the paperwork and the deed to the house. Would that be ok with you both?" Mr. Le Blanc said as he took the lead back to the Babel tower.

Yeah, that should be a problem for me but hold on a moment so I could confirm with a Familia member." Epyon said as he stopped and turned to face Mikoto, to speak to her.

"Mikoto-san, would you like to go back with the Familia? It looks like it's going to take a little bit longer to get back home. I don't want the Familia to wait for me since I'll just go get something to eat for dinner. I don't want to inconvenience the Familia, while I finish dealing with our business." Epyon said, trying to be as honest as he could with her.

"Epyon-san, it's fine I still want to go with you, I might be hungry, but I could wait. Then you could treat me to dinner, and we could talk about our new home." Mikoto said as she got a nod of understanding from Epyon.

Once everyone was in agreement, they made their way to the tower. 15 minutes later they were back in the realtor's office. Mr. Le Blanc began to get the paperwork ready and with the addition of the protection formula scroll and magic pen. He asked Epyon and Mikoto to come and take a seat so they would go over the details. Then Mr. Le Blanc with a smile slid over all the documents to Epyon before speaking.

"Now Mr. Cranel this next part will be very important. Please read all the following documents very carefully before signing anything. If you have questions or any changes that must be done, say beforehand before you sign anything so we could have the correct paperwork in order. I know you are speaking on behalf of your god Takemikazuchi, since you are part of his Familia just have him come later to make it an official place of residence." Mr. Le Blanc said while he offered both his guests some tea and snacks.

Epyon began to slowly read over the documents, just in case there were any hidden clauses he didn't know about. It took him another half an hour to read all the documents when he nodded in satisfaction and acknowledged everything he had just read. And didn't expect anything less from a big property and was happy with the amount so he didn't even flinch at the extraordinary price.

Mikoto on the other hand, her eyes almost popped out of the exaggerated number she was seeing. She felt like fainting on the spot, and her jaw slowly dropped, and her voice got stuck in her throat because she wanted to scream "are you fucking kidding me!" Is what she thought.

1 billion valis was the amount that left poor Mikoto speechless, but to get a place for that amount of currency is just mind blowing. That kind amount is enough to take care of all the orphans on the island of the Far East. And that was not including the other fees that were going to be placed on the monthly payments. Now she had to see what Epyon was going to do next.

"Ok then we are going to have to make some changes to the numbers. I will give you 350 million valis up front, can my monthly payments be lowered then?" Epyon asked Le Blanc as he waited for his answer.

"It shouldn't be a problem since I would have to do the math, please give me a moment to figure it out." Le Blanc said as he took out his abacus and started to put the number together.

In the meanwhile, Epyon was trying to calm Mikoto down from the shocking amount the mansion was being sold for. He kept telling her that everything was going to be ok and that he was the one that was going to pay for the mansion. And once everyone moves in, he is going to begin to train them properly, and everyone will become stronger. They were interrupted by Mr. Le Blanc, who happened to finish the new numbers.

"If you give me the 350 million valis up front, the total amount left would be.

650 million valis. Your monthly payment would be at 1,320,000 for 12 months, and yearly it would be 15,840,000 total. You would be paying that amount for 64 years to pay off the amount left. There will be a 7% (70,000v) fee for each monthly payment and a 25% (250,000v) property tax included. There will also be a 5% (50,000v) late fee for missing a payment on the agreed date." Le Blanc said as he handed over the sign documents to Epyon.

All the while Mikoto was about to start hyperventilating, as still trying to comprehend the ridiculous situation she was witnessing. Mikoto in fact thought she was caught up in a dream, because her whole Familia was going to be living in a mansion. The only positive thing coming from all of this was the bath house. Now instead of using a cloth and bucket of water to wipe her body down, after a long day in the dungeon. She could definitely imagine soaking herself in a hot bath. As Epyon continued to read through the documents and when he felt everything was in order when he spoke.

"Takemikazuchi-sama and I Epyon Cranel will take full responsibility for keeping true to the agreement we have signed." Epyon said as he signs his name on each document till finally, he handed them over to Mr. Le Blanc.

Then out of nowhere Epyon whispered some words in silence when three large bags and a fourth smaller bag appeared on his side of his seat. He told Mr. Le Blanc that was the amount of currency they agreed on and he left some extra for his kind help today. Then they stood up with a big smile on their faces before Mr. Le Blanc handed over the key and the protection barrier scroll before shaking hands in thanks and left the office.

After finishing their business with the man, Epyon and Mikoto's stomach growled loudly. As she got curious looks from the people around, while hearing a few laughs and pointed fingers at her. She became really embarrassed and hurried away to hide her face in shame with both hands.

"Mikoto-san, let's go eat some dinner, since it's nighttime already, let's celebrate in honor of our new Familia's home. So have you heard of any good places to eat here in Orario?" Epyon asked as he waited for Mikoto to answer him.

"I heard that Hostess of Fertility is one of the most popular places to eat, we could try there to see for ourselves." Mikoto said as she waited for Epyon's answer.

"Sure, why not, then maybe later we will be able to come with the rest of the Familia. So, I have a personal question to ask, "Where are you ever from a clan?" Epyon asked as he looked at Mikoto.

"No, I don't even know who my parents were. I have been under Takemikazuchi-sama Protection ever since I was a baby." Mikoto said as her face turned into a neutral expression.

"I see, I see, to be honest I think one of your parents was from a noble clan. You have many similar characteristics of the Gojouno Clan, since my mother had the same-colored eyes as you." Epyon said as he gave her a gentle smile.

"That's impossible. I doubt I would be from a noble clan. The chances of that being true were small." Mikoto said as she had a look of disbelief on her face.

"Don't look at me that way, you know it could be true since you were an orphan. The possibility is there but that is something you don't have to worry about, I was just saying out of my own curiosity that all. So, what type of warrior you want to become as an adventurer from Orario. Or you want to be a samurai or maybe a kunoichi?" Epyon asked her as he tried to get to know her.

"To be honest I am not sure yet since I'm still trying to discover that about myself, I feel from time to time I'm a samurai and at other times I feel like a shinobi as well. My instinct is guiding me towards the shinobi path, but my mind and my sense of honor are guiding me towards being a samurai. Most times I feel complicated with my indecisions, and that has led us in trouble as of recently. So, what part of the Far East where you born in?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity as they got to the establishment and entered.

When they entered the tavern, it was already lively with people laughing, and others yelling as the rest were either eating or enjoying their drinks. Lucky for them they were able to find an empty table and took a seat, as they gave a quick glance around to be aware of their surroundings. That's when they saw a gray-haired girl come over to take their order.

"Good evening my name is Syr, are you both ready to order your meals?" She said as she gave them a smile, as she waited for their response.

"Ah yes can you please get the dinner special you're having tonight and some alcohol please." Epyon said as he imperceptibly squinted his eyes at Syr as if he was discerning something, while smiling.

"Is there anything else you would like?" Syr asked Mikoto as she had a happy smile on her face.

"No, everything is fine. Thanks for asking." Mikoto replied back to the waitress.

"Ok then your order should be ready in 10 minutes, please enjoy yourself." Syr said as she walked away, to place their order. When Epyon began to speak once again.

"I was not born in the Far East. I was born in Orario, but my mother was born there. And she was part of the Gonjouno clan, but I don't know the story behind it and don't really care either." Epyon told Mikoto, shocking her on his way of thinking of disinterest, when she thought of another question to ask.

"Is there a reason you are doing all of this? I feel like you have ulterior motives." Mikoto told Epyon, telling him her true thoughts.

"I do, but that has nothing to do with the Familia, but if ever that would happen, I will gather everyone and tell them. I still have to protect my nephew when he joins us." Epyon said as he smiled at her causing her to blush, and in that moment Syr came with their meals.

Epyon and Mikoto said they're thanks to Syr as they started to eat and drink their meal. Then they spent the rest of their time talking about the mansion and talking about random subjects.

Some of the things Mikoto asked he politely declined to answer, this made her puff out her cheeks in displeasure. Since they were secrets that shouldn't be told to anyone in the case that it might get them killed. They kept talking all the while hidden out of sight, Syr only stared at them intensely to figure out who that man was. Many questions pop into her head, but she could not think of anything. 10 minutes later Epyon and Mikoto finished eating their meal as they had happy looks on their faces before leaving together back home.

A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you're enjoying reading the story. I have noticed from the rest of the stories I have written this one became by far easier to write. And I think I figured out why and has made it smooth for me to stick with my main subject of the chapter and that happens to be my title. At least for me that is, and I might switch writing style for the rest of my stories I haven't completed. There was something I wrote that I was not sure would exist. I just couldn't think of the correct word to add. I'm actually enjoying writing this story since I'm writing all my drafts on paper at work. I'm still looking for a beta read to fix any grammar issues. Hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter next week since I barely started writing it on Friday. Please review!