The young boy heard the commotion for a while. But as usual, he thought it was just the adults being adults, also known as weird. Maybe they were talking about stupid stuff like war again. Who needed war anyway? It broke all those cool weapons! With that in mind, he kept going through his grandfather's notes. If he wasn't allowed into a forge yet, he might as well prepare all he cou-
"Boy! Get down here, it's a joyous occasion!"
Geh. Damn that old fart. With a sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and reluctantly made his way down the stairs. His lazy and disrespectful attitude took a very quick shift however when he saw who was actually there alongside his father and grandfather.
"Young Welf! A pleasure to meet you once more!"
Romulus himself showed a hearty laugh as he spread his arms open. Welf immediately straightened his back up and bowed at a ninety degree angle, feeling his face heat up with shame for his sloppy walk.
"L-L-L-Lord Quirinus!"
"At peace, child. Are you keeping up with your glorious studies?"
"Yessir!" Welf shouted with a salute. Romulus nodded in approval, before turning to Welf's father and grandfather.
"Wonderful. Alas, my duties are calling, so I have to keep this short. I entrust you with her. Do not disappoint Roma."
Her? His father for once was entirely humble as he nodded, almost feverishly.
"N-Naturally, milord!"
It was then that he saw her. The small girl, dirty and frail, hiding behind Romulus. The light of Rakia turned around and knelt down, ruffling her hair as she seemed to shrink into herself by the looks she received.
"Uhm…"
"Do not fear. You are in good hands."
With those words, Romulus left the building, leaving the girl behind. The red head shivered, seemingly this close to running away. Welf couldn't help but point at her as he blinked at his family.
"Who's that?"
With the pressure of the strongest of Rakia gone, the old fart regained his hubris as he smirked and spread his arms open with a wild laugh.
"She's going to be your new sister, Welf! Treat her well, for she shall be a treasure of the Crozzo family for ages to come, hahaha!"
He grimaced, glancing at grandfather. The old man subtly shook his head before winking at him. Ah. Good. He should handle the glory hound then. With that in mind, Welf put on a wide grin and grabbed the girl's hands. She flinched, almost looking like a startled small animal, but that wouldn't put the future master smith off!
"Hey there! Name's Welf! I'll be your big bro from now on!"
The girl blinked, almost unable to comprehend what she was hearing. But then, slowly, her mouth twisted, into the brightest and cutest smile he had ever and would ever see.
"Hm!"
Thus, Solaris Crozzo was born, rising from the dirt of the slums.
/
The Loki Familia had faced many challenges over the years. The Dark Age specifically came to mind, that pushed one of the strongest of Orario almost to the brink. Yet over and over, they would prevail. However, these days, the challenge might be too much even on their venerable goddess of trickery. Said goddess downed her wine by the bottle before covering her ears with the pillows she strapped around her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, twitching profusely as she took in a deep breath, trying to maintain a grip on her sanity.
"If I have to hear the R-word one more damn time, I'm going to-"
"ROMA!"
"GAH!"
She was trying and failing, that is. Slamming her head against the table, she started to hyperventilate as the chants outside the mansion intensified, as if to mock her specifically. If nothing else, she was not alone in her suffering. The Twillight Mansion essentially had most of their high ranking adventurers on standby, with their "lower" ranking ones suffering at the front of it all. Riveria felt her ears twitch, her usually tidy and neat writing a mess once again from the shout.
"I cannot believe I'm saying this…but at this point I want Romulus to get more involved."
"Maybe this is his strategy. Mentally grinding us down," Tione muttered, not even the sight of her beloved capable of preventing that growing headache of hers. Tiona whined, her fingers in her ears.
"It sure is working! I'm hearing the word even when I'm asleep!"
"That would be them taking shifts to scream-"
"ROMA!"
"...that," Lefiya finished lamely, trying to will the letters before her to become sounds to save her. Yet the paperwork betrayed her and decided to remain silent. Bete growled, cracking his knuckles and was about to stand up, only for a spear shaft to be in his way. Snarling, he turned to his captain, who had his eyes closed, trying to remain steady.
"Why the-""ROMA!""-aren't we going out there to break their teeth yet?!"
"Two reasons. One-"
"ROMA!"
"...One…" Finn breathed in and out, trying to keep a lid on Hell Finegas. It was difficult, not to give into that urge, to not just payback Romulus for more than just one thing. "We are focusing on Evilus and Knossos. Quite frankly, Rakia is a distraction none of us can afford right now." He gave everyone a pointed look. "Could any of you focus, knowing we have daggers aimed at our backs?"
They all grimaced. For all they wanted to tear apart Romulus and his army, Evilus was still around. They still didn't manage to crack their base within Orario. And quite frankly, compared to that, Rakia flat out didn't register. Not at the level that they were performing, which was weird to most of them. For someone known to have defeated Riveria and Finn in a fight, he was surprisingly…non threatening. Quite the opposite in fact, as he seemed to be content with throwing his freshest of recruits at them, alongside some veterans here and there. That lead to Ganesha and others to send in their "rookies" as well.
Overall, the current situation could only be called a farce. It was not a proper war and more…a testing ground, perhaps? It was the closest word that Finn could come up with.
"That explains us and Ganesha Familia maybe, but what about the others?" Aiz asked, not quite getting it herself. Finn folded his hands before giving each of his subordinates a nod.
"I'm not exactly in charge of the entirety of Orario but I assume it's like my second reason. If we escalate, Romulus will escalate as well. Which leads back to my first point. We can't afford it."
"And guess Freya is nice enough to keep her kids back herself," Loki muttered, popping another bottle before downing it. Finn hummed, not too sure about that. He didn't know why the goddess of love was holding back like this. It wasn't like she was helping them out with Evilus after all. Still, whatever her reasons, part of Finn was glad she kept the pot from boiling over by throwing Ottar at Romulus.
"I presume it's the same with Romulus. Knowing him, I'd have expected him knocking down the walls himself. I suppose underneath his boisterous personality, he is still cunning enough. Perhaps he's even using the lower ranking adventurers of Orario as his personal sharpening stone."
"That's nasty," Tiona muttered.
"ROMA!"
They all felt their faces twitch in sync, becoming truly one in their annoyance for just a moment.
"Can we hurry it up with the next assault?! Maybe at least in that death trap I don't have to hear them!" Beta roared, his fingers twitching and begging to tear something apart. Finn would have usually chided him for his lack of control, but this time he'D let it slide.
"We should accelerate our preparations, yes."
As a captain, Finn had a great interest in maintaining everyone's morale and, more importantly, sanity. Of his familia and his own specifically. He massaged his temples as the soldiers outside of Orario shouted once more in sync, his eyebrow twitching.
It was rather difficult to resist the urge to get his revenge match against Romulus. Especially with this new reason added on top! Alas, the burden of duty had no mercy. Thus, he redoubled his focus, and his cotton in his ears, to make sure all the planning was going smoothly.
"ROMA!"
…as smoothly as they could.
/
Other adventurers were a lot more fortunate in not hearing the chants over and over, looming behind the walls of Orario. One safe haven, comparatively speaking, were the quiet and protective underground paths of the dungeon itself. Deep within the middle floors, Solaris couldn't help but let out a whistle at what she was seeing. Takemikazuchi Familia, accompanying them for once, had a more extreme reaction, gaping openly. Normally Solaris was a bit leery in involving outsiders with their little dives, but Liliruca was unavailable, as was Kojiro and Bell, so the captain decided to humor Haruhime with her old friends, while they took it easy for their money making trips.
Well, "taking it easy" was thrown out of the window given the raw destruction before then. The rocks were still partially on fire with green, while others were flat out melting or partially shaved down into tiny pebbles. That didn't consider the monster corpses having turned to ashes and thus ruining any drop items. No wonder large scale magic as sometimes considered a double edged sword. How the hell was anyone supposed to make cash if so much destruction was being dealt. She stepped forward, nodding in approval before putting a hand on Haruhime's shoulder. Said Renard was kneeling on all fours, with phantom tails disappearing from her back, reducing the numbers back to a singular, regular tail.
"Well, I'll be damned. At this point we can really say that Renards match up High Elves for real for real."
Solaris offered her Familia a mind potion. Haruhime immediately shoved the contents down her throat, before trying to steady her breathing.
"I-I wouldn't presume! Lefiya might hit even harder than this…"
"Well, duh, but you are turning your hot winds into…well, a hot hurricane of death. And that's with, what, four tails?" She paused, before raising an eyebrow at Haruhime. "You aren't suffering from actual Mind Down, at the moment, right?"
"I…I think I'm close to it."
Solaris frowned a bit. Damn. Here she hoped that Haruhime could pull such a move off more often. Then again, expecting a…four times multiplier or more to be used over and over again was maybe a bit too much.
"Eh, better not risk it then." An idea came to Solaris. She stared at the behind of Haruhime, as she was helped up by Mikoto. The captain pointed at her tail. "You might be able to use those tails up to five and instead use them for martial arts instead. We did see the green flames get attached to them."
They didn't test if those tails were actually tangible…but they had to be, right? They still had those green flames on them, like on her limbs. Haruhime pressed her lips together at the idea.
"It…might be doable. But…" She shook her head. "I wonder if I would've handled this better if I wasn't so selfish…"
"Selfish? You?" Ouka asked, an incredulous tone entering his voice. The three girls in his Familia threw him a dirty look, with Chigusa elbowing his side. Haruhime laughed awkwardly before lowering her head.
"If I had picked an ability like mage…or learned a skill more relevant to magic…"
Solaris was about to open her mouth with a frown, but Mikoto beat her to it. The Far Eastern woman put her hand on Haruhime's shoulder before squeezing it reassuringly.
"Haruhime. Do not doubt your path."
"Y-yes! You're so much stronger, it's almost unbelievable!" Chigusa chimed in, with the other girl, Asuka, nodding in encouragement.
"You don't have to be good at everything." Ouka chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder a bit, wincing at a certain memory. "You've been kicking our butts with your martial arts, so take pride in those skills."
Haruhime blinked at them before glancing at Solaris. The captain crossed her arms before letting out a scoff.
"Maybe next time, but you are throwing hands first, magic second."
"Thank you…" Haruhime sniffed before wiping her forming tears. Then she lowered her head at the Takemikazuchi Familia. "I…I must apologize. We have been…distant from each other."
"Eh, maybe a little bit," Ouka responded, trying to shrug it off. But Solaris could see it, the strained air growing heavier between them. Mikoto smiled softly at the Renard.
"We do not fault you. But…it is nice to be together like this again."
"I didn't want to drag you into the chaos we usually get involved to. But I realize I have been a poor friend."
"You haven't!" Chigusa shrunk into herself after that sudden shout, blushing a bit. "You…were always so caring. Worrying about us."
"Still, if you want to make up for it." Ouka pointed a thumb at himself while gesturing with his head at the others. "We want in next time."
"I-In?" Haruhime asked, eyes wide. Solaris hummed, her mind already trying to figure out how to integrate the four of them.
"We recognize the danger. But especially because we do, we want to be by your side." Mikoto raised a fist before her chest before nodding resolutely, same with her Familia members. "We may not be much…but we are still offering our blades."
"You…! Thank you so much!"
A team of level two. Maybe not that relevant for the fights they were picking, but numbers were a strength on their own. Mikoto specifically could be considered a rising star. Solaris smirked as Haruhime choked before lowering her head once more, just to get wrapped into a hug with her childhood friends.
Ah, childhood. That brought Solaris back. Back when she was in Rakia, just playing and enjoying her time with Welf. When she first entered the barracks and learned the value of teamwork, loyalty and unity with the soldiers.
The very same soldiers attacking her current home at the moment. Her soft smile disappeared, leaving behind a frown. To her misfortune, as the group was moving, Haruhime turned to her just in that moment. Solaris tried to put up her smile immediately but it was too late.
"Solaris? Are you okay?"
"Why shouldn't I be? We just got more manpower. I'm peachy, haha!" Solaris responded, swinging her chain a few times before letting it sling over her shoulder a couple times. Yet her cheerful tone didn't trick the girl. When did she get so socially perceptive anyway? The Renard narrowed her eyes at her captain before her features softened a bit.
"Are you really alright? With…with Rakia's invasion, I mean."
Guess they were doing this then. Solaris felt her shoulders slump as they approached Rivira for a short stop before pushing further. Bills didn't pay themselves after all. For a while, she remained quiet, before letting out a low growl.
"...Well, I always called myself a patriot. But…" She shook her head before turning to Haruhime with a deep frown. "Damn it, what am I supposed to say here, Haru?"
She raised a finger, her lips pressed together.
"On the one hand, I was born there. Part of me really wants to help them from behind the lines, to make them succeed against Orario for real. It'd be history in the making. To finally make the strongest bastion kneel and yield to my home country."
"On the other hand, that's fucking deranged. I am an adventurer of Orario. The blacklist is the least of my worries. Not to mention that this is my home too." Solaris let out a scoff. "Not to mention, as great as Lord Quirinus is, there is no way he can take on Loki and Freya and Ganesha Familia all at the same time. I can't shift the scales on my own, so that's my excuse."
To believe this was the best time to assault too. With Evilus being a distraction and Astraea Familia being out, for the cold hearted, this was the best opportunity to have some gains over Orario. Haruhime nodded slowly, chewing on Solaris' words. If the Far East were here, she would probably feel the same way.
"How is your brother taking this?"
Solaris let out a dry laugh at the thought of Welf, before waving her hand dismissively.
"He's a blacksmith first and foremost. I think he's more at peace than me at not helping Rakia." She looked down at the ground. "Wish that was me…"
"Do you cherish Rakia that much?"
She gave Haruhime a raised eyebrow. What kinda question was that?
"I would be nothing without Rakia. They put so much effort into raising me up from being a meaningless corpse on the streets. I was blessed with fortune to be born and then be found. Rakia and its army…They didn't need to do all this for silly old me. Yet they did. So…" Solaris licked her lips. "So if I don't follow up on their belief and trust in me…what good am I?"
Haruhime stopped all of a sudden. Solaris blinked before turning around, only to flinch at the vulnerable eyes facing her.
"Please don't say that," the Renard whispered. "You're our captain."
"Captain for now," Solaris corrected her. Yet at the face she was facing, Solaris hissed before shaking her head, turning her back on the Renard. "Hah, let's not do this, okay? Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe by the time we go back to the surface they'll be gone…"
Yet she could feel Haruhime's worry remain. If she knew that it fed into the complex that was Solaris, she would feel bad about that. Alas, Solaris refused to let it be known.
Let it be known how small she truly was and how empty she was without defining herself by Rakia. By others. After all…
Only others made her valuable as an individual. She alone was still the useless and frail girl about to die in some ditch.