Chapter III: Meet and Greet

Isaac had to admit, it was a little intimidating to have eight different sets of eyes on him, some more attentive than others. Irene just sat in the chair, an excitable air to her. Dia stood at one end of the couch. "Now that you all have gathered, it's time to introduce yourselves properly."

The whole living room was one giant place, it honestly looked like two rooms mashed together. The main room that they were in had two different couches but it was a U-shaped couch, a nice brown color to give some contrast to the overall theme of green. Dia's favorite color was green…not much else should be said.

There were three different exits of the room, one being the main door the twins and Dia entered. One led to the kitchen, which had the window peeking in, and the last one led to what was probably a study or library. Dia laid out the floor plans and explained them all. On the left of the study/library door, there was a set of stairs where the head maid introduced herself from.

Sadie, the turquoise-haired woman, went first, "I had already said it but my name is Sadie Shiraki, the head maid. A pleasure to meet you." She looked like she wanted to say something else but she didn't. Her outfit was a full maid outfit, as said before, but this time the twins could take in the details. The outfit had a green trim while still keeping the black and white that maid outfits normally come with. The skirt went below her shins and the black booties she wore clacked on the hard floors with every step.

The next person to go was a burly Chienthrope with black hair and hints of silver. Steel-colored eyes greeted them. His voice was deep to reflect his size, "Greetings, young master and mistress, I am Martin Kemp. A pleasure." To the point and respectful. His gaze was nothing short of curt. Sadie threw him a look that was not fully understood. It apparently meant something to him, "I am, technically, the head butler but Miss Sadie is the one we all defer to," his lips twitched for a second, as the pout Sadie had was almost comical. "As for how I'm here, Lady Dia had heard of my services in a previous Familia, and sought me out."

His outfit was nothing short of immaculate. The dark green bow tie was perfectly fixed on his blazer without a single wrinkle, as was the pale green dress shirt. The black pants were without any fuzz. His tail was sitting calmly behind him, maybe the slightest bit of sway if one was paying close attention.

The next one to go was a Dark Half-Elf with thin-rimmed glasses, red eyes, and gray hair that signified that he wasn't old but a natural hair color, and was about as tall as Martin, but a few celches shorter. He stood up and gave a little bow, "Hello, my name is Kalen Torres, a Dark Half-Elf. It's an honor to meet you. I come from a former noble family but I cut ties with them. I happen to like history and can help with any subject in it." His pale green dress shirt had a pen in his pocket, alongside a notepad of some kind.

As soon as he sat down, a cute little bunny girl shot up, her ears being the most expressive part about her, "Hello! I'm Kuniko Obi, it's very nice to meet the ones Lady Dia has expressed so much love for!"

"Kuniko!" Dia shouted with a blush.

"Haha, sorry, sorry, but you know we were all curious," her pink eyes darted to and fro, never seeming to want to stay in one spot. She was a Hume Bunny with black fur. She has a pinchable face, and Irene had to have Isaac keep her in the seat so she didn't go pinch her.

'Stay.'

'But she's so cute!' She replied. 'It's absolutely unfair! Just once?'

Isaac sighed, 'That resides on her.'

Unaware of the mental conversation, the next person to go was a Cat Person. His eyes were a copper color, and his hair was like a lemony gold. He was slightly taller than Isaac but not by very much. He was much more compact in build. The sleeves of the outfit were rolled up to his elbows and his tail was wrapped around his waist, perhaps to not be wagging. "Hello, you two! My name's Tristan Vasquez, but you can call me Tristan. It's nice to meet you. Lady Dia was helping me out of a situation and I accepted. I like to free run in my spare time, hope we can get along!"

"Free run?"

"Parkour, running along rooftops, jumps, flips, tricks, and the like."

"Show me a route sometime, I think it might be useful," Isaac mused. Irene shot him a look. She was silently pointing out the hypocrisy in his words. If she couldn't pinch the cute bunny's cheeks, then he couldn't go parkouring with a cat.

Tristan smiled, "Sure thing!"

"Ugh, boys," the girl who wanted to discuss fashion with Irene said. "Don't mind him. Anyway, my name is Alice Foster, and yes while I'm an Amazon, I don't have the same…urges as the rest of my people. Lady Dia…you two must appreciate her a great deal and it's not hard to see why. So…thank you." The girl with abnormal blonde hair and violet eyes said.

Irene stood and walked over to the girl, seeing her outfit fully. Her skirt was thigh-high, allowing freedom of movement. She must have been uncomfortable with the tighter leggings. Like all Amazons, she wore no shoes. Irene held out a hand, "You don't need to thank us. Lady Dia helped us too once upon a time."

Martin and Sadie shared a look, knowing that statement was much heavier than the light-heartedness that Irene displayed. "So, come here."

Alice was confused before Irene pulled her into a hug. Alice froze up and felt the emotion coming from Irene. She genuinely wanted to hug her. The Amazon eventually returned the hug with wet eyes. Isaac smiled at his sister. She could spot stuff like that a kilomeder away. "We're here for you."

"While you two hug it out all spicy-like~, I shall go next. My name is Bilal Vos, pronounced Buh-laal. Yes, I am a Renard. I know not many of my people are outside of the Far East but I was born here. As I am a maid of the house, I am also Lady Dia's aid for her business and the Familia altogether. So, I expect us to work closely with one another."

Irene broke the hug with Alice, now sitting next to her, "A pleasure to meet you but I do have to say I don't swing that way," she teased with a smile.

Bilal raised an eyebrow, her navy blue eyes contrasted her brunette fur color but made for a striking look. She had the aura of a young adult. Her maid outfit was the Kimono version, wrapped impeccably and without a single error. Her tail was in her lap, and she was fluffing it, much to everyone's amusement. Sadie had said nothing this entire time, letting these youngsters get out all their playfulness. Only she and Martin were above the age of thirty, well aside from Dia but she did not dare to ask how old she was.

"A pleasure. Could you answer one inquiry I have?" Isaac asked.

Bilal turned to the older twin, curiosity dancing in her eyes, and expressed with her ears, "I don't see why not."

"We read that Renards are wielders of sorcery, a different type of magic. Would it be wrong of me to assume that you possess one as well?" Isaac was prepared to apologize if he was crossing a line.

To his surprise, and his heart, she laughed, her features showing genuine amusement, "Your information would not be wrong. I do possess such magic or 'sorcery' but I am unable to call upon it because my family believed it to be powerful, powerful enough to put me in Mind Zero even before I finish the chant." Her fox eyes danced with mirth. She took a liking to the twins immediately.

Irene's eyes glimmered at that but quickly shook her head. That was selfish of her to think that. Was this what she meant? Could I go mad with power…? Irene shuddered on the couch, prompting Alice and Kuniko to immediately grasp her hand in silent support, for perhaps the wrong reason. They thought she was imagining a Mind Zero.

"Hey…Kuniko?" Irene piped up.

"You want to play with my ears or pinch my face?"

"Eep!"

Kuniko giggled, "I get that quite a bit, I learned how to dissuade those people. While my ears are off limits, you can-"

Before she finished, Irene gently grabbed Kuniko's cheek and pinched gently, "So cute! Oh my gosh!" Kuniko only gave the younger twin a half-hearted glare.

"It seems Mistress Irene's weakness is cute things," Martin observed, making Sadie withhold a snicker. Everyone else, except Isaac and Dia, looked at the Chienthrope in confusion. Kuniko was soon giggling at Irene's flushed face.

The last person who has yet to introduce himself was snickering a bit, coughing once he was running out of breath. "Ugh…hell that was good. S-Sorry about that." The last one to speak was a human with denim blue eyes and ginger hair. It was a type of red but he insisted that it was ginger. His face had patches of freckles on his cheeks. His outfit was the same as Tristan's and Kalen's. It sort of looked like apprentice outfits, and perhaps they were. His eyes looked to and fro, "U-Uhm…I…uhm, I'm R-Rio D-Daemon." His eyes surveyed the pair briefly before receding into his seat, looking over to Tristan, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Irene smiled at him, watching him flush before looking away. She withheld her giggle at the cute action. If he was shy, she was willing to give him the space that he needed.

Dia clapped her hands, "Well, now that's-"

"Wait, Dia," Isaac said, "We haven't introduced ourselves."

The petite Goddess looked confused before her singular visible eye widened, "You mean…"

"Yup," Isaac stood and addressed them all, "While you do know us as Isaac and Irene, you do not know us by our last name. What I am about to tell you stays between us until Denatus since we'll be exposed anyway."

"Oh…oh! You're part of a secret underground cult that's here to do some cool stuff!" Kuniko shouted out a theory.

Isacc snorted, "No…but you Kalen, this will tickle your interest."

The Dark Elf perked up, "Hmm?"

Sadie and Martin shared another look, which Irene caught from the corner of her eye. Curious. She resumed paying attention to her brother. "It's nice to meet all of you, truly. This feels a little surreal but I wish to have as few secrets as possible. Since Dia was the one to hire you, she's always been a good judge of character. I believe I can trust you with this information but in the event, you aren't…" The pressure was slowly applied to the room, catching everyone off guard. Rio was the most interested despite the sweat that trickled down his temple. "…I hope it doesn't come to that."

"Isaac…are you sure?" Dia asked, unaffected by Isaac's intent.

Alice did look away at that. Those buried instincts were coming back but she wouldn't act on them. She wasn't ready. Irene once more gently grabbed her hand. "Isaac, you're scaring Alice."

He blinked, scratching his cheek, "My apologies, guess the arena had some effect. I did take a shine to those lessons."

Irene sighed, "I get what you mean."

"Arena?!" Sadie exclaimed, which was out of character for her. She cleared her throat, "My apologies, but my curiosity is piqued."

"…maybe later," Isaac said. Irene nodded in agreement. "Anyway, let me start. My name is Isaac Vlahos."

"And I am Irene Vlahos."

Kalen's glasses slipped from his face, "No. That's not possible! The Vlahos line died fifteen years ago! The rest of the lines were in shambles hearing that information! The Core Six, w-well Five, all mourned the loss of one of the important bloodlines," He stood up from the couch, pacing around the room, a wide-eyed look on his face. He was trying to compartmentalize the information. Of course, he knew the twins had no reason to lie. If they did, Dia would have called them on it. "No next of kin was listed and no one had heard from her in years! It was recorded to have died with So-"

'Important? Pfft…' Isaac grumbled to Irene. The twins knew more about that line of thought but decided that it was not the time to bring it up.

Dia gently intervened, "Kalen, please calm down. What they said is true. These two are indeed a part of the Vlahos line. They have chosen to trust you all…and I hope you repay that trust."

Kalen picked up his glasses, looking at everyone's shocked looks. Sadie and Martin also had looks of shock but for a different reason entirely. "That means…"

"…the line lives and I've inherited what that entails," Irene said. "Surprise…?"

"That's awesome! That means you can show the world…?" Tristan said, trailing off when he saw their…neutral looks, his cat features twitching. "Why do you look so down?"

Isaac looked out the window, "There's a reason why we haven't revealed ourselves to the world yet. The last thing Dia needs to worry about is deities poaching."

"Actually, Isaac, you don't have to worry as much about that front," Dia said. Her smile was serene but only a few occupants of the room understood that smile. There was something behind that smile that made the twins shiver.

'So, is that new?' he asked Irene.

Irene was partially distracted, 'Maybe?' Truthfully, she had a feeling that every deity had a second side to them. Dia would be no exception.

Kalen sighed, "I know I overreacted but can you blame me? I'm…we're sitting in a room with living proof that the Vlahos bloodline lives!"

Bilal rolled her eyes, "And…?"

"What do you mean 'and', Bilal? The Core Six bloodlines are a part of Light and Dark Elven history!" Kalen said, going into his teacher mode. "The Six Families of Elven Bloodline magic are some of the most important in Gekai's history, even Lady Dia can probably confirm it. The Six Families were Ljos Alf, Ensatra, Nere, Biatha, Quilo, and Vlahos. Ensatra, Quilo, and Biatha are the Dark Elves while Ljos Alf, Vlahos, and Nere were the Light Elves. Each one possesses a bloodline magic that can only be passed down to members of the same bloodline. I even think there was a marriage between Nere and Biatha…while I think it was more of a test to see if their children could inherit both. Sadly, that turned out to be false, only one child inherited the respective bloodline trait, and they had two."

Tristian and Alice glanced at one another before the latter spoke up, "So, about these Core Six…when was it formed?" She couldn't deny that learning another culture's history was interesting.

"Hundreds, maybe thousands, of years ago," Kalen replied, pleased that someone else saw the appeal, "Damn, I wish I had my book…those notes would be nice…never mind that." He got distracted. Kuniko was absorbing every detail, taking note of everyone's expressions, more specifically, the twins. They did not seem surprised at this information, which the Hume Bunny should have expected. "Another thing to note, while Bloodline Magic does exist in other High Elven and some Elven bloodlines, these six were the most potent, almost as if they were blessed but I have no evidence to support the theory."

"I-In Koine?" Rio mumbled, rubbing his temples. This information was hurting his head. Everyone did share a little chuckle at the hidden humor.

"While the bloodline blessings do exist across elven kind, only a few had more potential than others, Rio," Irene gently informed. "Some were for minor things, others for recordkeeping but the rarer ones were for the magicians."

Kalen nodded at Irene, "Exactly. I even had the theory that Spirits had bonded with members of the Core, giving them their blessings to pass on."

"So, Master Isaac and Mistress Irene are much more important than we had thought," Martin expressed almost everyone's thoughts but his tone showed that he was stating it. The oldest man in the room hummed, "Do you truly believe that someone would go the distance, as the saying goes, for them?" His question wasn't for the twins or Kalen but for Dia.

Dia sighed and closed her eyes, "If it was a perfect world, that wouldn't be the case. However, I've noticed a few Gods and Goddesses who would do a lot for a single mortal to be under their banner. Moreover, they resort to such baseless tactics that it makes the victory hollow."

"Sorry to have opened that can of worms, then," Isaac apologized. "It's as I said, trust to be built and earned and I thought it would be a great start." The elder twin rubbed his eye. "Miss Sadie, Mister Martin, Tristan, Rio, Kalen, Kuniko, Alice, and Bilal…thank you."

"I would like to express my thanks to you as well," Irene said, getting up to stand next to her brother. The two bowed to the group. "While we could have kept this secret, it is as Isaac said, we wanted to build trust."

Dia could only smile at her first two children, feeling their growth as people. "Now then, it's only mid-afternoon, and we still have things to do. I believe that Bilal and I have to deal with the business side of the Familia. The Guild will be giving us those notes on the Dungeon for you two."

Isaac and Irene truthfully almost forgot about that. Today has been a little different than what they were typically used to.

"On that note," Dia continued, watching for their reactions, "Monster Feria is happening soon and I would love to go see it. I never had an interest before but maybe you can use this to identify the monsters and discuss their weaknesses. I do have a friend of mine who recently descended. I had told her to seek me out when she arrived."

The notes for the Dungeon arrived a few hours later. The twins immediately took the three boxes of notes, markings, and drawings and organized them by floor in the large study area. They left most of their weapons in their rooms but the daggers that were on their leg armor stayed. Having been ambushed without a weapon once taught them a valuable life lesson.

The bookshelves were currently filled with old storybooks and other various…arts. In the center of the room was a round table with six chairs. The symbol in the center of the table was that of the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia split down the middle.

The twins cared not as that symbol was something they'd seen before a few times in their travels and from their grandmother. As for the organization of the notes, half the battle was over because Rose left a note saying she had herself and one of her co-workers, Eina, help her get it all in the correct order.

She also mentioned that Eina dragged Rose over to ask what their names were doing on a piece of Guild official paper. Rose assured them in the note that she was to keep that information guarded and proceed as normal.

That little note reminded the twins that there was a note from Mama Mia they still had to give to someone. Blatantly walking over to the residence of that person would cause problems, and no one else could deliver it.

The twins also changed out of their clothes and with Sadie and Martin's assistance—meaning advice—they were in very casual clothes. Isaac was in a long T-shirt and slim pants. Irene decided to wear some girly items at Alice's insistence. So, she ended up in a gorgeous blouse and leggings. While she wasn't wearing the leg armor like Isaac was, she did have a dagger strapped to her inner thigh.

Currently, Isaac had gotten the first nine floors organized, and Irene got their associated maps. It turns out, the maps for the Upper Floors of the Dungeon were horribly done. Even by just looking at them, the map didn't make sense except for the main path. After that, maybe about a quarter of it was made. "At least we'll have time to worry about this before Monster Féria."

Kuniko also decided that she wanted to help. The schedule for the maids and butlers was still being made, so Sadie was taking over for now. Martin often helped to assist her. "Wow, I didn't know there was this much information on the Dungeon."

"Rather, a lack thereof," Irene said. "Despite all this, there's still plenty of it missing. The monsters are at the very least listed here. So, for the first four floors, there are only Goblins, Kobolds, and from the second to the fourth floor, we have Dungeon Lizards…that's actually what they're called, oh and they go to floor five."

"How boring," Kuniko commented. The Hume Bunny had some time to spare, and she wanted to bond with the twins. After all, they were Familia now. She had on what could be described as a tracksuit, the top concealed her developing chest, and three-quarters length pants, which also allowed her tail to stick out comfortably.

Isaac also had a page of the monsters, "Oh, there is this one called a Jack Bird. A rooster-like monster with yellow-green feathers that has no offensive capabilities but runs fast when it senses someone. Apparently, it has an egg that is guaranteed to drop and is worth a million valis."

Kuniko's bunny ears straightened up, "What?!

"Getting one of those would be a nice bit of pocket change," Irene said, continuing to look over the notes. At least the monster encyclopedia—what Irene dubbed these notes—was filled to the brim with details. She and Isaac needed to spend time thoroughly studying it.

"You're calling a million freaking valis pocket change?!" Kuniko exclaimed, grasping Irene's shoulder, looking like she was about to faint.

Isaac looked up from his paper, handing the Jack Bird page to his sister, "Do you realize how expensive armor and weapons are?"

Kuniko recovered quickly, her boundless energy shining through, "Do you realize how cheap everything is for a civilian? A million valis would set someone up for the next five years easily!"

"And therein lies the difference," Isaac said. "I know only one side while you know the other. So, let's teach each other."

Irene, without even looking up, "Stop flirting."

"I'm not, I swear!" Isaac defended himself, his hazel eyes wide and frantic. "Kuniko, I'm not!"

The bunny thought it was a perfect time to mess with him, giving him a teasing grin, "Oh? Are you saying you want to teach me a few things?~"

"And you, no," Irene said, reaching next to her and grabbing Kuniko's cheek. She wasn't pinching but she wasn't going to let go, even if Kuniko's scrambling to pull away was cute, "No flirting unless you plan on taking it seriously."

Isaac sighed, "Irene, I'm not overly worried about that."

"I am," she countered, flipping through the next pages, releasing Kuniko's cheek. "Goblins and Kobolds are also on Floors Eight and Nine as do monsters from the previous floors." She continued on her previous point, "If there's one thing we can still cling to, it's that."

"But you've admitted that it's old and outdated," Isaac said, which only confused Kuniko more.

Which led the young girl to ask, "What are you talking about?"

"Courting customs," Irene responded like she was talking about the weather. Kuniko's face flushed immediately, as her ears came down to cover her face. "It's one thing we agreed on that we would uphold. I will not deny Isaac's claim but she did ask us to adhere to it."

He looked away, knowing she was right. "But I still wasn't flirting. How would I be able to if every time I talk to a girl, you think I'm flirting?"

"That's the beauty of it, you don't," Irene teased, sticking her tongue out a little.

The door to the study opened, revealing Kalen, "Kuniko, are you in here?"

"Y-Yeah!"

The twins could almost hear the frown in his voice, "Are you okay? Isaac, Irene, is she okay?"

That was another thing. The twins didn't want to be referred to as 'Master' or 'Mistress' by people in their age range. The only one they couldn't convince was Martin. Sadie only would when the situation called for it, so it was a neutral gain with her. "She's good, what do you need?" Isaac answered.

"Well, if she wants her Falna, then she needs to see Dia ASAP," Kalen said. The Dark Elf was still teetering with excitement, knowing that the Vlahos bloodline lived. He did his best to downplay that excitement.

"Oh, did you guys all finish?"

"Yeah," Kalen said as he rounded the corner and saw the paperpocalypse that was all the notes. "A few of us got a skill, magic but no one got a development ability as of yet. By the way, Bilal got her sorcery and Dia read the chant and…wow, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy."

"Aww, I wanted to see!" Kuniko pouted.

"Well, if you hurry, you might see Tristian, Sadie, and Martin get theirs. Actually, for that, Dia wanted you two as well," Kalen said, stopping by the table to look over the monster encyclopedia, seeing the description for a War Shadow and Frog Shooter located on floor six.

The twins sighed, knowing Dia wouldn't pull them away if it wasn't important. "We'll be there. Kuniko, you should probably get going."

"Aww but I wanted to help, I like looking at the details. There are a few weak points that none of these notes have even considered!" The bunny puffed her cheeks as she turned and left the study.

"Lively one, isn't she?" Kalen asked the twins, noting their eyes were dilated.

Isaac hummed, "Yeah, we figured. So, did you come to ask us about how we survived?"

Kalen adjusted his glasses, "While that topic does have my curiosity, I know that may be a topic we're not close enough to be considered small talk. I do wonder when you plan on heading into the Dungeon?"

Irene stretched her arms above her head, Kalen turning his head and looking at another page of Floor Seven's topography at the same time. Isaac snickered at Kalen, seeing the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Irene was unaware of how beautiful she was. "As soon as we memorize this material, maybe up until the eighteenth floor, since that's the first safe point.

"Something wrong, Kalen?" Irene asked as her concerned hazel eyes met his red slate eyes.

He cleared his throat, "No. I shall leave you to your work but do make sure that you both sleep tonight. I know adventurers have different habits but please don't forget your basic needs."

Isaac organized his notes before standing and stretching, "I appreciate your concern, Kalen but it really isn't necessary."

The Dark Elf sighed, "I know but…"

"If it's about us being a part of a legendary bloodline, do not worry, I am more than aware of the risks," Irene followed up, organizing the papers before setting them on the table. They would return later, in which she also wrote a note to not touch them. It was mostly for Sadie so she didn't clean this up.

The three exited the study to see Dia applying Kuniko's Falna in the middle of the living room. Thankfully, the curtains were shut so no one could look inside. Isaac immediately slammed his eyes shut and turned, Kalen mirroring him. Irene giggled at their antics, "You know she is covering herself, right?"

"It does not mean I'm going to look. I have respect," Isaac said, peeking between his fingers to at least sit down. Tristan and Rio were turned away. Sadie, Alice, and Bilal were watching with intrigue. Dia was concentrating on applying the Falna, whilst also translating it into Koine, so Kuniko can read her status.

Once she closed the Falna, she set a lock on it so no one could read it or see it. Like all the other statuses, it faded from view once Dia applied the lock. "Ah, Isaac, Irene, nice to see you."

"It's been six hours, young Master, Mistress," Martin's voice carried from the kitchen window that connected to the living room.

The twins blanched at that, looking outside. "Really?! It only felt like two, maybe three at most!" Irene exclaimed.

Bilal giggled, "Yeah, you two were in there with Kuniko for so long, I was thinking you were having a bit more fun~,"

Kuniko seemed to have caught on to what the Renard was saying and flushed, "Hey! We weren't doing that!"

"Oh~? Then what were you doing?" Bilal's tail swished behind her, looking at the bunny with a smirk.

Irene chose to intervene, tapping the Renard on the head, "Research about the Dungeon, as we do have to get magic stones. While Lady Dia does have this business, another source of income is required."

Bilal let her smirk go before looking up at the quarter Elf, "So, when do you plan on going?"

"Sometime after Monster Feria, when the festivities die down," Irene said. "Now, Lady Dia, everyone got their status, yes?"

"Except for Kuniko here," Dia replied absent-mindedly. "I'm thoroughly surprised. From what I gathered, skills, magic, and development abilities are supposed to be rare upon getting a Falna."

Isaac saw the glint in Dia's eyes, "Oh? So does that mean a few of you got something?"

"Except for me and Rio," Tristan said flippantly.

Isaac rounded on him immediately, "Are either of you jealous?" He was asking because that can happen. Irene sent a concerned glance at her brother but he chose not to notice it.

"Nah," Tristan said, "If this is just to make it so we're protected under a Familia, I'm okay with it." The Cat went over to Rio's side and sat next to him, easing the shy boy for a few moments,

"I'm just excited to do some free running with this boost! I feel like a whole new man!" Tristan exclaimed, his tail broadcasting his excitement.

"Please don't hurt yourself," Dia said. "To answer and follow up. Alice…can I share this?"

"I don't mind…it'll help," Alice replied, shifting her hair out of her face. She seemed embarrassed by this.

Dia looked concerned at Alice but slowly shifted her gaze to the twins, "Alice here is a mid-level one with a skill Brawler, increasing her dexterity, agility, and strength if she fights with her fists. No magic of note so that is at I0."

Irene gave Alice a once over, her hazel eyes looking for something deeper, and while she found it, she chose not to voice it. "Very well. So, defending yourself isn't a problem?"

Alice's posture shifted to that of a warrior in the making, "Not at all."

"Good," Irene smiled. "Anyone else feel like sharing?"

Kuniko raised her hand excitedly, "Me next! While all the stats are I0, I do have a skill and a development ability!"

Martin chimed in with his observations from the kitchen window, his steel eyes softening a bit, but not his stance, "I imagine that this has to do with your heritage, Miss Kuniko."

The bunny looked to be really embarrassed, even with the status sheet in hand. "It's called Energizer. While I run, no matter the reason, I gain more agility-based excelia. The development ability I got was Escape."

"Escape is something that you can get at level four only," Isaac noted with a far-off look. He seemed to be thinking of something he heard from in the past.

Sadie patted the girl on the shoulder, "Still, that may help whenever someone tries to do anything mischievous to you." The head maid couldn't resist and gently pinched Kuniko's cheek. She lightly slapped Sadie's hand away, blushing more, her rabbit ears coming to cover her face.

"Lady Dia, this is what you're surprised about?"

The Goddess shook her head, "Partly, but from what I heard from the old man and his wife, people who get anything other than a blank Falna are people I should keep close…" She blinked, "That…sounds so mean….I'm sorry!"

Everyone chuckled at Dia's expense, even Martin who cracked a small grin, at the flustered goddess. "We know you mean well, Dia," Isaac said, snapping out of his previous daze.

Kalen adjusted his glasses, "I shall go next. I have one skill and one magic, both correlated with my desire for historical knowledge. The skill is more or less useless outside of combat but should we find any historical artifacts or documents that are difficult to transcribe or understand, I can be the translator. Before you ask, it's called Historian. Funnily enough, I can gain points in Endurance for using my brain."

Bilal chimed in, "That could be useful."

"He can help me with my history homework," Tristan grumbled with a smirk.

"If you don't put the effort in, Tristan, I won't help at all," Kalen glanced at the Cat with a wry smile.

He rolled his eyes at the Dark Elf, "Listen, man, not everyone is a history nerd."

"'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,'" Kalen quoted at Tristan. "History is important as it is the basis on which we reflect. Some of the things that we as a species did overall were…" he glanced at Kuniko, since she was the youngest here, "…deplorable."

"What was that for?" Kuniko asked with narrowed eyes.

Kalen held his hands up, "No offense meant but there are some things that I am not willing to expose people to. Isaac, Irene, back me up here?" He pleaded with the twins.

"He's right," Isaac shrugged, "The world is not a bright place. Those that don't know that, I hope they remain ignorant," he said with a smile in which the pain seeped through. Irene knew that the smile she had mirrored him exactly.

It was at that point that Martin exited the kitchen with two platters in his hands before setting them on the middle table, in between everyone. "Apologizes for my delay, we do need to eventually—preferably in the next day or so—shop. Tristan and Alice, I wish for you to accompany me."

"Yes, Martin," they both replied, not at all upset. In fact, they looked like they wanted to go now.

The Chienthrope removed the tops of the platters to reveal very fancy bread. "I do give you my deepest regrets if the smell affects you, Sir Tristan, Lady Kuniko, and Lady Bilal. I myself am no exception. This is something that I could make with limited spices but I made my own bread dough."

The smell was captivating to the twins who now hovered closed behind Martin, "What is it?"

The elder man gained a nostalgic look, unseen by the twins, but seen by everyone else, "Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. It looks like a normal grilled cheese but sprinkled with garlic and a dash of parsley. Of course, the bread is buttered to perfection."

Irene was physically leaning around Martin with stars in her eyes. "I haven't smelled something this good since yesterday…"

Isaac only felt his stomach remind him that he has not eaten anything today. He didn't bother to wait as his hand reached for the delicious-smelling food.

Sadie was quick to slap their hands, "No no, go wash your hands, then you can eat."

"But-"

The twins froze at Sadie's stare. Her turquoise eyes promised pain if they disobeyed her. Everyone else watched with amazement as they ran to the kitchen and back in mere seconds, showing her their clean hands.

"What level are they again?" Rio asked Dia quietly, his voice soft enough for her to hear.

"High three," she responded, having Alice go fetch the plates and napkins. "But they have also had their Falna for almost ten years."

"That means they were…" Tristan trailed off.

"Eight," Isaac answered, a piece of grilled cheese in hand. "Certain circumstances led to that. It's not something that's meant for idle chats, Tristan."

"Hey man, I get it, you don't have to spew your life stories. You telling us you're part of a once thought extinct bloodline is enough," his cat features wiggled as he heard munching.

Isaac paused, "…thank you," he whispered.

Kalen ate his own before continuing, "Where was I? Oh, yes, the skill I possess. In short, it is information overload. Useless knowledge that the person has no reason to know and can cause headaches if concentrated enough."

"Might not be as effective against us but I would certainly love to see it," Irene said. "Cast it on me when you feel comfortable with the chant. One wrong move and you will be seeing stars…in the middle of an explosion."

"Ignus Fatuus? Yes, I am more than aware of this," Kalen said.

"What's it called?" Alice asked with a knowing grin. Kuniko, Rio, Bilal, and Tristan wished to know too.

Kalen looked away and murmured something with a red face, "Booked Cannon."

Bilal couldn't contain her laughter but even that sounded elegant coming from her. Her ears twitched, betraying how much humor she found it in. "Well, with that said, I will go last. Isaac, I told you hours earlier that I do possess sorcery and thanks to Lady Dia bestowing her blessing on me, I do know what it is called."

Irene perked up at this, which did not escape Sadie's, Dia's, or Isaac's notice. Bilal's brown eyes crinkled in delight, "It is called Jaiasaikuron, which allows me to call upon a torrent of water that will make Lord Poseidon jealous. While water does not sound deadly it can be if the pressure is high enough." Bilal's tail was shifting in her lap, her posture one befitting of a noble lady.

"Damn, I kinda wish I could see it…do you think you'll be able to?"

The Renard's ears twitched as her face shifted to an inquisitive one, "Perhaps soon but I do not have plans on going into the Dungeon."

"There are many ways to raise a Falna outside of the Dungeon," Sadie chimed in. "Some methods are…extreme."

"But they worked," Isaac countered, looking in the head maid's direction. "I'll let you in on one tidbit. Do you want to raise your endurance and strength? Fight with a broken arm—my dominant arm no less—a dislocated leg, and fight someone at high level two while being a low level two at the time." He said a little tidbit but it explained quite a lot. Irene nodded sagely.

"Magic, however," Irene picked up while wiping her hands with a napkin, "was something else. Cast spells, be on the verge of a mind down, then fight while attempting to cast a spell that will definitely put me in Mind Down. By using your Mind reserves so frequently, you can expand them as your magic stat rises—think of it like a muscle. So, Bilal, I imagine that you'll be practicing quite a bit once we get you Mind Potions."

Isaac did not like that line of thought, 'Do not be greedy.'

'I know…I'm…worried that I will reach that point. If you have to, stop me by any means,' she responded while keeping a smile and focus on Bilal. Isaac's sharp gaze landed on her and she ignored it. Dia could be seen looking between her first two children with a knowing look.

Martin and Sadie, the eldest people within the room—Dia excluded—were informed of the twin's status due to Dia's insistence. So, when Isaac looked over at his sister, the head maid, and butler were understandably worried and why Isaac was for Irene.

Kuniko was the only one to notice the lapse in attention from the elder duo but kept it to herself. She was the observant one. Rio could be seen thinking deeply about something. What that was, only he knew.

"I-I see…" Bilal stuttered. She seemed apprehensive.

"No, I will not be doing that to you," Irene explained. "You don't even have to accept at all, Bilal. But I can imagine the curiosity you might have over your spell. I've been there before, after all."

The Renard locked eyes with the younger elven twin, "I see. Your eyes speak the truth."

"You thought I would lie to someone in my Familia?" The quick acceptance from Irene warmed everyone's hearts. "Should you choose to accept my assistance…she taught us some extreme methods for our protection. Thankfully, she did give me the basics before moving on."

"Speaking of, the only ones we haven't heard from is the head pair," Isaac said, relaxing himself on the couch, his small meal devoured. His shoulders still held some small bits of tension. His guard wasn't fully down. "So, what's your story, your glances haven't gone unnoticed by either of us."

Martin's only reaction was the raising of his animal features while Sadie just smiled sadly. Even with a sad smile, Sadie spoke, "Well, both Martin and I are high level one. We have been in another Familia before Lady Dia graciously offered us a position."

"While we did not dive into the Dungeon, our work does require a certain amount of effort, young Master," Martin said, keeping his voice level and giving the boy eye contact.

Isaac hummed, his eyes searching Martin's. 'Is it me or is there something we're missing?'

Irene closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting her head rest in the palm of her hand, 'Definitely but that may not be something we need to know. If they know something, the chances are likely that Lady Dia knows it, otherwise, they would not be in this Familia let alone the room.' She knew how her brother thought, and he was suspicious but she brought up some solid points.

He clicked his tongue, "Fine, I won't ask." He then yawned, "Kalen, looks like I'll be taking your advice."

"I had hoped you would," he replied, taking his dish, and a couple of others, to the kitchen to be washed.

"Irene, we'll continue those notes tomorrow…actually, Dia, when is Monster Féria?" Isaac questioned just as he was about to head upstairs to his provided room.

The goddess hummed before swallowing the delicious snack, "Two days from now. I imagine you won't be in the Dungeon yet but if you decide to-"

"We actually planned on mapping the upper floors, at least finishing the first three maybe up to floor ten," Irene interjected, about to take her dish to the kitchen but Sadie intercepted her, patting her on the shoulder. "I can take care of that…"

"Nonsense, now go rest, Irene," Sadie urged but it carried a bit more emotion than that. While curious, Irene did not ask.

Rio, Tristan, and Bilal wished them a good night. Alice, Kuniko, and Kalen had been given the job of cleaning up and tidying up. Thankfully, it wasn't that difficult since they were still getting used to the home and they did not branch out. "Bilal, our work starts tomorrow," Dia mentioned once she heard the door to the twins' room close.

The mood immediately turned serious, "Yes, Lady Dia, I shall meet your expectations," Bilal bowed to her. "I must say, the twins are surprisingly lively."

"I did tell you they were accepting," Dia said with a fond smile, brushing her hair out of her face. "I am happy they did tell you of their lineage. I had not prompted them to but they know I brought you all along because I thoroughly vetted you all."

"And we appreciate that, Lady Dia," Sadie said with a happy smile. "But I must admit, I am worried for them…"

"…Indeed," Martin hummed, "For if she sees them, she might try."

Dia's smile turned serene but there were some malicious hints in it, "I would love to see her try because if she does, it will be the last mistake she will ever make."

Rio couldn't help himself, "Note to self, don't piss off the small petite Goddesses…" Alice and Kuniko snickered despite them trying not to.

The first day in Nomad's Landing was a success, all things considered, but Dia knew they would have to take this one day at a time.

Statuses. Note: Sadie and Martin are not listed for several thing called spoilers.

Tristan Vasquez

Race: Cat People

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = I0

Endurance = I0

Dexterity = I0

Agility = I0

Magic = I0

{Magic}

None.

{Skills}

None.

Alice Foster

Race: Amazoness

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = D559

Endurance = F341

Dexterity = D505

Agility = E498

Magic = I0

{Magic}

None.

{Skills}

Brawler: Fist fighting gives increased gains to strength, agility, and dexterity. Varied gains based on actions taken.

Kuniko Obi

Race: Hume Bunny

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = I0

Endurance = I0

Dexterity = I0

Agility = I0

Magic = I0

Escape = I

{Magic}

None.

{Skills}

Energizer: Run like the wind. While running, agility gains are increased. Can run longer distances.

Kalen Torres

Race: Half-Dark Elf

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = I0

Endurance = I0

Dexterity = I0

Agility = I0

Magic = I0

{Magic}

Booked Cannon. Magic type: Mental spell. Overload a target's brain with useless information to derive focus. Chant: Open your mind to the power of knowledge and be enlightened to a new age! Booked Cannon!

{Skills}

Historian: Due to love of History, allows explanations of history to be comprehensible to those not tuned in. Gives slight Endurance gains because of brain usage.

Bilal Vos

Race: Renard

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = I0

Endurance = I0

Dexterity = I0

Agility = I0

Magic = I0

{Magic}

Jaiasaikuron (Gyre Cyclone): Water Magic Brings forth a torrent of high-pressure water that rivals the power of Poseidon. Chant-The current approaches. Be warned. The current beckons. Answer the call. The current demands. Give in. For the Ark that once passed through the world, the current remained. Weave into existence, nourish the paths on which we scale, and bring forth the current to tear asunder!

{Skills}

None.

Rio Daemon

Race: Human

Belongs to: Dia Familia

Level 1

Strength = I0

Endurance = I0

Dexterity = I0

Agility = I0

Magic = I0

{Magic}

None.

{Skills}

None.

…

So, who was the favorite out of the eight new characters? I personally liked Kalen because of the history aspect. Kuniko was also incredibly fun to make. A cute bunny thats cuter than the 'bunny' of the series.

The status, I know that having a skill or development ability or magic is incredibly rare but this is a story, I can do what I want. These side characters are that, side characters. They do hold relevance to the story but more to the side plots I have in mind.

No answers to that, sorry, gotta keep yall entertained and questioning.

Happy Easter everyone!