Chapter V: Encounter
Boredom.
The bane of everyone's existence. Boredom was an emotion that everyone struggled with, lived with, and accepted. No one was an exception to the rules. Not even the Gods. They descended to Gekai because they got bored of their monotonous lives.
Sure they had drama but that usually got resolved in a matter of years. Time for Gods and Goddesses was a mere formality for the fragile species of Gekai. Blink, and thirty years can pass. The Gods are ageless, meaning that over a long period, their appearance never changes.
This was especially the case for the Goddess Freya. Boredom, that was. She was so incredibly bored that no one had tickled her fancy. That being said, she had seen the most curious pair of people. She did not get a chance to look at their souls like she does with every mortal, in hopes of finding her Odr. Her beloved, her one and only…
That changed today, but not quite.
During Monster Feria, during her scheme to make her suspected Odr shine, she saw those two people once more. And this time, she took the chance to see their souls. She was busy previously as she admittedly tunnel-visioned.
What she found might have ended her boredom. They were wonderful, these two, seeing their souls swirl around each other. If they weren't together like they were, she would have been confused. Their souls seemed to be connected in some way. The vibrant dark forest green swirled and tunneled into the warm mocha-like brown and switched to their respective opposite. They also seemed to have formed a symbol. One that was obvious to those who studied history. Two colors, one dot in the middle that had the opposite color.
Oh, how she wanted them. Their colors did interest her but it was more along the lines of a symbolic standpoint. If she separated one, they would lose their shine, and she wouldn't be able to see them grow. But then there was their Goddess…and Freya couldn't exactly strong-arm her, not if the rumors were true. She has heard the story too. She cannot underestimate her. "Ottar?"
"Yes, Lady Freya?" A bulging man spoke, having appeared at her side faster than one could blink.
"Please keep an eye on those two. If you happen to see them enter the Dungeon, pass along a message," she said with a coy smile like she just won the Gekai lottery. Her silver eyes gave off a glint in the afternoon sun.
"It will be done, Lady Freya."
She had to make herself scarce, as Freya had to prepare for the questions she would eventually get from Loki. The Trickster would know first, being a 'rival' Familia, after all.
That flat-boarded tomboy should stay out of her business. Freya doesn't involve herself in theirs unless she wants to.
"Care to explain what happened?" Bilal asked as they returned from Monster Feria, her tail swishing behind her. Despite her having a calm exterior, her tail gave away her true emotions. She had heard that Monsters escaped during the Festival and even though she knew the twins were level three, she couldn't help being concerned.
"Well," Isaac began, choosing to sink into the couch across from her. Martin stood diligently at the side wall, Sadie next to him. Kalen, Kuniko, and Rio—now mostly healed—sat on one couch. Tristan, Alice, and Irene all had a different book in hand while sitting across from them. "Monsters did escape. Many adventurers on hand did help hunt them down, ourselves included. However, it felt as if they were fixated."
"How so?" The little bunny asked, her ears perking up.
"A silverback wanted to harm a Goddess, no not Dia, but…did we explain who we met at the Hostess?"
"Nope," Tristan grinned slyly, his cat features angled to hear everything. Rio looked the most interested, his features creasing as he furrowed his brows.
Isaac rubbed his neck, "Well, simply put, that goddess was with a boy named Bell, looks like he could be like our little Energizer if he had rabbit ears." Cue 'Hey!' and a cute pout from said Energizer. "He had it out with a monster from the lower upper floors, floor twelve, and won. I'm sure he's a brand new adventurer, so he's still wet behind the ears."
"His technique was too new, he wastes a lot of energy while fighting," Irene interjected, putting her book down. "But I was impressed to see him holding his own so well."
Kuniko bounced in her seat, much to Alice's and Bilal's amusement, "What monsters did you fight?!"
"A Kelpie, Battle Boar, and Dungeon Worm," Irene recited. "We have their stones but we planned on giving them back to the Ganesha Familia since they were monsters tamed for the festival."
Rio then inquired, still doing his best to get over his shyness, "W-What about going to the Dungeon?"
"That's tomorrow, if anything…because…" Isaac trailed off, his arms getting chills at the thought.
This set everyone, sans Irene and Dia, on guard as they were not aware of what had transpired no more than a few hours ago, "What happened?"
He closed his eyes, counted to five, and opened his eyes, "The stare we got when returning to Dia…I never felt more exposed underneath all my clothing." Irene was not doing much better. Sadie had gently approached and reached for the girl's hand. Irene made sure to not crush the woman's hand as she gripped it. "It was like…"
"…someone looking into your soul, am I correct?" Dia's dignified voice made everyone turn to her, seeing her frown.
"Yeah…" the twins said in unison, side-eying one another.
"Looks like she's deciding to overextend her reach. She should genuinely know better," Dia snorted. Seeing that her children wanted context, she gladly provided it, sitting on the single seat adjacent to the long couch. She moved her hair out from her eye so she could look at the twins, "That was Freya. She used her Discerning Eyes to look at the color of your souls. Much like how I can 'feel' your growth through Maturation Gaze, she can use that ability without the use of Arcanum. If she did, she would be sent back to Tenkai, no questions asked. Moreover, she uses that when scouting for potential Familia members."
That implication did not sit well with anyone. Kuniko was quick to latch onto Irene, as did Alice. Bilal gracefully moved to Isaac's side, setting her smooth hand on his shoulder. The contact made him feel like his cheeks were heating up. He thought it silly but to his defense, he was never around many women that weren't Dia or Irene. So, he can probably be excused.
Kalen, meanwhile, was furiously writing down notes in his book. The Dark Elf did not like this. No one did. Tristan's gaze hardened. Rio just looked to the ceiling and stared blankly but he was in deep thought.
The chienthrope butler, meanwhile, was staring directly at Dia. His stare was a silent message. Dia's eyes moved up and down once. A motion that no one other than Sadie picked up.
"Continuing on, if Freya makes any moves towards you, whether it be in the Dungeon or on the surface, I want to know about it. If she tries to charm you, which is less likely since you have fallen into her interest, I will know, and I have a long list of things that will…dissuade her," Dia said, smiling. "Nothing and no one will steal my Familia. I must admit that I had..never wanted a Familia but that changed when I met you twins as babes. Something in me wanted to see the growth and as you grew, I came to love you as my children, something more than just deity and mortal…I waited a long time to even start one and I will not let Freya or any deity have you. Despite my looks, I am quite possessive of what's considered 'mine', please just let me indulge in my petty selfishness."
"Lady Dia…" Irene mumbled, her hazel eyes shimmering with unshed tears. A hidden fear for the younger twin. They have been around Dia for a long time, almost ten years, marking that she has been present for over half of their lives. They have developed a sort of dependency. They try to kick the habit, knowing that they could potentially be separated from her. Well, it was more Irene than Isaac on this but it was a feeling that couldn't be shaken, a chain not meant to be unshackled.
Dia smoothed out her skirt as she stood, "Now, I want you all to rest. If you do go into the Dungeon, what are you two planning on doing?" She knew, of course, but she wanted to make sure.
"Mapping the first few floors, depending on how long it takes. Easily, it might take us the whole day. The monsters won't be able to do anything to us but I don't wish to be overconfident."
Irene had to quip, "Just like the first day at the arena?"
Isaac blushed, "We agreed to not talk about it, remember the first time you tried casting?"
"…touché," Irene now held a similar level of red in her cheeks.
"You Ignus Fatuused?" The Dark Elf paused in his vigorous note-taking to look Irene in the eye.
"Listen, Kalen, I got excited that I was able to cast magic and I didn't account for the amount of magic energy needed for it. I used too much and overloaded the spell and before I could reign it in…I was nine. What nine-year-old wouldn't be excited to cast magic?" She admitted. Irene glanced at the Dark Elf to see him withholding a snicker. Sadie did no such thing and giggled.
"To think you used to be such a novice in magic," the turquoise-haired maid said. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, something Martin noticed immediately.
"Everyone had to start somewhere, Miss Sadie," his voice was respectful but also a warning. As for what he was referring to, only he knew.
Dia loved the chemistry between her Familia members, "Bilal, we do need to check in on our residents and their contracts."
The Renard stood and straightened her kimono, her fox ears and tail twitching every which way, "It's a good thing I have already started on most of them. All I need is your signature."
"That quick, hmm?" There was a challenging glint in her eyes, one that Bilal easily returned.
"And there they go again," Alice muttered with a smile.
"Sis, should we go over the first four floors again before bed?" Isaac asked, letting his heart slow its pace. Thankfully, he did not have any lewd thoughts about Bilal. Something told him that he was just overreacting and she was being friendly.
Irene stood, Kuniko still attached to her whole body, literally latched around her. Her fluffy ears were resting on either side of Irene's neck. "Sure, as soon as little Energizer lets go of me. I can easily carry her but someone is still feigning sleep. If you don't let go, I know spells that can shock you."
"Okay okay!" Kuniko said as she stood a few meders away, her pointer fingers touching in a very wholesome manner. "Just wanted to make sure you're feeling alright."
"I will be," Irene smiled and pinched one of her cheeks, her new favorite pastime.
"Oh, and before you go," Kalen said, "Myself and Bilal are giving you permission to use our magic." Seeing Irene's surprised face, Kalen continued, fixing his glasses with a smirk, "Don't look so shocked. We know you'll probably get more value out of them. Just in case though, here." In his hand was a slip of paper. "This is written permission, signed by both of us. I'm aware that the Vlahos line needs permission in some form but more often than not, written is better than verbal, much more ironclad."
Irene gently took the paper, seeing the words and Bilal's heart above the 'i' made her laugh lightly, feeling a bit better but there was some lingering wariness, mostly toward herself.
While the kiddos were socializing, Sadie and Martin were also hoping to catch Dia before she got into her work with little Bilal. The two eldest house people did manage to catch up to her, just before she entered the office. "Shall we send it now, or when she makes a move?"
Dia turned, her smile replaced with a neutral mask, "Send it as soon as we're able. As much as I wished this wouldn't happen, I knew it was going to occur either way. Get the message into the network. She will want to be updated."
Sadie nodded, her expression neutral, showcasing her seriousness and attention to detail, "We'll have it out by tomorrow, but what shall we say?"
"The truth. She's aware and now on our watchlist. By the way…in case I've never said it…thank you for coming to watch over them."
"It's because of you we found them again," Martin said. "After the fall of the previous two Familias, we lost all contact." He rubbed an injury long since healed.
Dia nodded, embracing them both, which was returned. "Now, will you two just fess up and get married already?"
The two were left in the hallway with blushing faces. Bilal was unaware of this conversation, too engrossed in her work.
The twins slipped out of the Landing in the early morning. Irene wrote a small note and stuck it to the counter just so they wouldn't freak out that they were gone.
Hoods up, they entered the Guild. Thankfully, Rose was there for the early morning shift. Her ears perked when she saw them and waved them over. "What brings you two in here?"
"We're going to officially ask for the task of mapping the Dungeon," Irene spoke softly. "We want to start with the first nine floors. Our deeper dives will have to wait."
Rose raised an eyebrow, "Well, at least you'll be taking it somewhat easy but my curiosity is getting the better of me, why mapping?" There was a hint of a smirk lingering on her lips.
Isaac reacted with a grin, "Because if we discover shortcuts, we can discourage the rookies from getting themselves killed." While that was one part of it, he elected to not speak out anything further.
The werewolf behind the counter didn't believe him fully, rolling her eyes, "You two are different from typical adventurers. At least you aren't hitting on me."
"No offense, not my type, as appealing as you are," Isaac said, getting a smack from his sister.
"Be nice," she said.
"What?!" He exclaimed, not loud enough to alert the early risers. "That was nice!"
Rose only let out a sharp laugh, which surprised her since it was genuine, "Not bad, kiddo, that's the first time I've been rejected and told I'm not their type."
Isaac clearly understood that she was teasing and expecting him to react, "I said the truth, you don't interest me romantically, platonically, maybe we can be friends but I often heard rumors that relationships between advisor and adventurer don't go well."
Rose chuckled, "You would not be wrong but I do admit, having you two here has made being in the Guild worth all the annoyances in some form. For the official record, I approve of your mapping expeditions. All mappings must be punctually submitted to the Guild so that we may make copies to hand out to adventurers on request. For each floor, you will be given a set amount of valis. Obviously, the lower the floor, the higher the benefits. Since I am aware of your level, I know you can handle the first ten floors with ease. However, that does not mean I can be completely lax with you."
"If you were, I would have questioned your integrity," Irene snarked playfully. Rose caught her tone and snorted.
"Sure…whatever you say, missy," Rose bantered back. "Now that you've officially told me, do you need any materials to assist with the mapping or have you provided your own tools?" Isaac held up the appropriate tools, held in a small pack on his shoulder for ease of access. "Then, go forth and map, I shall be waiting. If it's not too much trouble, please check in with me at the end of the day. If I am not here, please leave a note with Eina Tulle, our lovely Half-Elf."
The twins gave her a small bow and left. They walked to the Dungeon at a modest pace. Modest means a level two's jogging speed. They, to the civilians, were moving much faster than everyone else, smoothly avoiding the crowds.
Isaac managed to catch someone who had fallen from the top of their small shack and transitioned them to the ground before they realized they were standing. Irene caught a product before it shattered on the floor and twirled around to set it back in its proper place. 'This is kind of fun,' she mused to him, her smile slightly visible outside her hood.
'I would imagine. I still need to get Tristan to show me the routes for his free running. I…am slightly hopeful for a skill in acrobatics, since the Falna does have an influence when it comes to our desires,' Isaac responded as they headed down the main roads to Babel.
The Tower looked as impressive as it was fabled to be. The tower pierced the sky, cutting the clouds that roamed across the base of the Tower lies their destination. The Dungeon or as Isaac had called it, 'The Crucible'.
The notion was simple. Isaac thought of themselves—all the races on Gekai excluding Gods and Spirits—as unforged tools. This Dungeon served as the hot flame that the tools entered. Through the extreme heat they either bend and break or exit the flames with a few scratches. The surface was the comparison to the water the smiths use to cool down the weapon. Irene understood what he was trying to say but she chalked it up to a boy's thought process. She didn't have any special analogy for it.
Go in, kill monsters, do secondary objectives—whatever they might be—and come home. Simple. Occam's Razor and all that jazz.
"Well, how many years has it been?" Isaac asked.
Knowing what he was referring to, she answered, "Almost ten. We should get her a gift."
"You know what she says about those-"
""That we're her most precious gifts.""
The two shared a chuckle before reaching the entrance, a nice giant ten-meder hole in the center of the Tower's base. Within the circular room are multiple columns at equal intervals and above was a beautiful azure painting of the sky that resembles the real sky. What they also noticed was that this hole had no safety measures either. A sign directed them toward the spiral staircase that led them down to the first floor. Someone will be bound to get hurt if they fall.
Then again, it was also advised that adventurers do not jump down and indent the floor with their landings.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted by the light blue walls of Beginning Road. The map was in Isaac's hands before they reached the bottom. "Lead the way. So far, the main path has been marked and the exit to the second floor."
"Any other stray paths?" Irene asked as she held her staff. The feeling of the wooden-metal combination soothed her. The staff was in its collapsed form, making it seem like she was carrying a blunt instrument.
Isaac checked the map, "Nope, so, we start here and go right, and I'll fill in the map as needed. This floor honestly shouldn't take more than two hours…but I would like to be prepared."
Irene nodded. The walls of the Dungeon looked beautiful, even though they did receive a crash course of the Dungeon over their study sessions but also from their grandmother. She used to be an adventurer. While they understood the reason she stopped, they did want to know about her experiences since those cannot be replicated.
The twins wanted the experience. They have the knowledge, determination, and strength but that means nothing if there was no direction. So, they wanted to make their own. As soon as Isaac and Irene are ousted as members of the Vlahos High Elven Bloodline, there will be an uproar. One that would normally bring strife and hardship to them.
However, neither was worried since Dia had assured them yesterday and many times before. They explicitly trusted her as Dia had proven time and time again that she had their best interest in mind. As they walked, Isaac was in complete focus on the job at hand. While Irene did bat away Goblins as they came, they were able to waltz through the floor.
Since many of the adventurers there were level one, they had made some comments. "Do they really need a map on the first floor?" "Look at these losers, needing a map!" "How can you possibly get lost on the first floor? It's like five paths that eventually end up at the same endpoint."
That was only when their mapping connected them on the main path. Since the branches of the Dungeon split off a few times, it was only a matter of time before they ran into other adventurers. The twins didn't respond to any of the comments but only the bold went so far. "Hey, maybe you should quit being an adventurer and come with me, how's that sweet cheeks?"
Obviously, the question/poor attempt at coming onto someone was directed at Irene, being a pretty face. Her whole body was hidden beneath her cloak. She chose to ignore him. 'How many does that make?'
'Fifty-seven and counting,' Isaac responded, having completed the finishing touches on the map. They didn't time themselves but were pleased to know how small this floor was. If it were to be put in perspective, Floor One is around the size of 1/8th of one section of Orario. Very tiny. Floors thirty-seven and below are considered to be as big as Orario itself. The scale goes up slightly with every batch of floors.
"Oi, I'm talking to you," the adventurer said, a man who looked like he just crawled out of a heap of kobold shit. Isaac completely disregarded the man and his party, except for the fact that he had a hand on his short sword. His cloak gave nothing away in terms of movement.
"Hmm? Sorry, I only pay attention to those worth my time," Irene said with a dazzling smile. Her staff extended into its tall form, "And I would very much like it if you left the area before the walls turn red~."
The casual threat did not deter the man but his lackeys drew their weapons. "Now listen here, you little bitch, I'm going to-"
"Listen, guy, whatever your name is, don't mess with her," Isaac casually alerted them. Irene currently had a closed-eyed smile. No one noticed but his eyebrow twitched. "Say one more thing and I will be letting my sister do what she wants."
One of the lackeys caught the look on Isaac's face. However, the main instigator tried to reach for Irene's wrist. The result?
The staff thwapped against his wrist so hard, the sound of a bone breaking could be heard, "Do not attempt to touch me. Come brother, we should move on to the next floor, then we shall return." Irene then let out her aura. Aura being the presence of her true level, that being three.
At this, ignoring the screams of agony from the Kobold shit guy, all paled as they realized that this girl was stronger than them. Isaac sighed, 'Was it necessary?'
'No.'
'Was it worth it?'
'Oh, absolutely.'
The Vlahos twins, everyone.
Rumors of a 'staff-wielding woman' and 'dominating aura' would begin to circulate and catch the attention of one High Elven Mage, which would only further fuel her speculations.
"Honestly, I don't understand how people get lost in the Upper Floors, it's practically impossible. There are only four paths to go on and one of them leads you to the second-floor stairway!" Irene complained while they looked at the maps they'd completed while waiting in the stairwell of two floors. Isaac chose not to say that's what someone else said before.
"Yes but people who also run into the Dungeon often forget that this place can kill you if you are overconfident," Isaac reasoned with his younger sister. Deadpanning her, "They are not us, and we are not them."
She huffed, cheeks puffed, which looked adorable if not for the fact that they were in the Dungeon. Still, they decided to press on. After this, they agreed to head home. No doubt it was probably close to the late afternoon—they did get an early start.
Even still, the progress they made was nothing short of efficient. They managed to get the first four floors down easily as they followed a similar pattern. So those maps were almost complete. Floors five, six, and seven were being finalized. The only thing left is getting other adventurers to verify those claims. That was the small price to pay in allowing them to map. Rose vaguely mentioned that but failed to inform them. Perhaps she was messing with them, perhaps she wasn't.
This was not the first day of mapping. In fact, this was the fifth day of their mapping. The Guild gave the twins 30,000 valis for the maps of the first four floors. Four thousand for the first floor, seven thousand for the second floor, eight thousand for the third floor, and eleven thousand valis for the fourth floor. That total did not include the magic stones and drops, which ended up being nearly 55,750 valis. They weren't aiming for high monster kill counts, so the lower amount was to be expected.
The fifth through seventh floors changed colors to a light green and monsters such as War Shadows and Killer Ants appeared. Thankfully, with the Monster Encyclopedia, these were not a problem. Both twins found their senses dialed up to eleven, not even speaking aloud unless it was for their map, and even then, they would use their Mindscape.
Both took turns doing the sets of maps. Isaac did the first four, Irene the next three, and Isaac now taking floors eight and nine, looking at how bare-bones they were. The reason was that the structures of them differed. Floors eight and nine increased the number of rooms, the size of the rooms, and the lengths of the hallways leading to them. Such things needed to be taken into account when making a map to give a proper scale to the documents. Sure, in each corner, the map can have a warning that the map was not to scale but that was for later floors.
But that wasn't the worst thing that was happening. It was the very fact that they felt someone monitoring them. It began on floor six, and while they merely thought it was a passerby, the sensation crept over them well into the seventh and eighth floors. 'I do not like this,' Isaac kept his expression neutral but his tense shoulders beneath his cloak betrayed the calmness he wanted to portray.
'Should we stop early then? I do wish to bathe tonight,' Irene said. 'It would be a good opportunity to bond with the girls.'
'Pretty sure the guys and I could use some time away from the fairer sex,' Isaac mused, knowing what Irene was doing, calming him down. Perhaps his thoughts weren't so closed off as he presumed.
Irene smiled, "I knew you would see it my way," she whispered. "Come on, finish the last drawing and we'll retrace our steps tomorrow, or the day after."
Isaac drew one last line and marked the hallway by letter and number, in this case being H-7, and gently blew on the parchment to dry the ink. Smeared maps were horrible to deal with. The twins then each held a weapon, waiting for the monsters to appear. Since the Dungeon is rumored to be a living thing—at least, many adventurers swear by it—and chose not to raise any of these 'flags' that the Gods are so uppity about.
CHILLS!
Both twins had put themselves back to back, weapons in defense. Irene's staff folded out into its full length, her other hand had three shurikens in between her fingers. Isaac's sword only required one hand so his free hand had magic energy swirling, the brown magic circle churning. The grassy plains that were these hallways and the moss that covered the walls made hearing footsteps easier. It should be, at least.
This was why when someone's footsteps did reach their ears, they felt their muscles tremble, and for them, there were only two people that they could not fake it around. The first was their grandmother. She could easily make a situation tense when she wanted to. The second person was a close associate of the first and did not like many people—the only other person was her sister before she passed. The twins had barely gotten on her good side, and that was thanks to their grandmother; and the fact she did not appreciate anyone threatening her family, regardless of who it was.
This felt too much like that but they knew that neither of them were here. So, by process of elimination, that only leaves…
"Warlord…"
"…the King…"
The twins breathed out uneasily as the bulking Boaz known as Ottar stepped into their view, the shadows peeling off his form. Irene was directly facing him and Isaac glimpsing over his shoulder. Sensing if there was someone else would be ineffective considering that he had just snuck up on them. He easily could have taken them out and they would have been blind to that fact. A startling reality and a reminder.
Ottar, the Captain of Freya Familia, stood before the twins, arms at his side, no weapon in hand, gazing down at the twins with his rust-colored eyes. The ears on his head did not so much as twitch, even as their movements echoed in the vast tunnel.
Irene felt as if her heart was going to run straight out of her chest. Her breathing had become audible the longer she chose to make eye contact with him. The man's muscles were easily bigger than her torso!
The Boaz's voice was deeper than they expected but it did not rattle their chests like his presence did, "She has noticed you…and wants you both to continue growing."
"You followed us here, why?" Isaac spoke but not without a tremor in his voice, despite his best effort to hide it. Mental Stability kicked in and allowed them to finally process their emotions. The first was the easiest to identify. The twins had this one in spades.
Fear.
Can either be a noun or a verb. Both definitions apply. An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something was dangerous. That, and they were afraid of the man before them.
Ottar's stoic gaze said nothing. He took a step forward. Irene shuffled back immediately, Isaac now being in front. Neither could risk taking their eyes off him. He felt that if they stopped observing him, he would react violently.
"That is not important. Get. Stronger. She will not wait forever."
Isaac swallowed the lump in his throat, his sword trembling in his grasp, "Ar-"
"Go home."
This gave them a brief respite to the fear that slowly had washed over them. The confusion in their gazes was telling. Ottar turned around and headed down another path, neither clarifying nor impeding their route. The only reassurance was the sound of his thundering footsteps receding from their hearing. If that was his way of encouraging, then by the gods, it needed some serious work.
With each second that passed, their breathing slowly returned to a normal but noticeably elevated state. Their strength seemed to have all but left them, leaving them in a vulnerable state. What was strange was the fact that the Dungeon had not spawned any monsters yet. This would be the perfect time for an ambush. "W-We…need t-to inform…goddess…"
"Grab on," Isaac said, trying desperately to lower his heartbeat. The thumping in his chest, the blood rushing to his ears, and the cold feeling slowly faded; much too slow for his liking. "It'll be like old times…when I would always say I wanted to carry my sister."
Irene closed her eyes and nodded, "Perhaps this is karma for my treatment of those other adventurers…being scared as they were."
"Never mind that," he deflected but silently acknowledged the comeuppance she was just given—by extension, him too. "The maps can wait, don't you agree?"
Irene fixed herself so that she could be given a piggyback ride on her brother's shoulders. His armor, despite looking bulky, was—not exactly uncomfortable—but more akin to sitting in a pose or laying down too long and having a soreness in your neck. Thankfully, that wouldn't be much of a problem.
Isaac made sure his sister, their gear, and their maps were all safe before making the trek back through the floors, pointedly avoiding the hallway where the living persona of the boogeyman went down.
Did it take an extra thirty minutes? Yes. Worth it? Better fucking believe it.
Still, the fact Ottar was here at all was enough of a cause for concern. Isaac easily carried his sister the entire way, not complaining a single time.
Irene was awake the entire time, letting herself get lost in her thoughts. Why did he come? What do they want? Are they the same as them? What would she do? Who is the she Ottar mentioned? Wait…Lady Freya?! So…Dia was right! She wants us…but I never want to leave Dia.
She said nothing but let a large sigh escape her lips. They were currently on the first floor, and they hadn't run into any adventurers yet. "You can put me down now, I can walk…"
Isaac gently let her get off and turned to her with that look in his eyes. The look of concern, wanting to make sure she was alright. She nodded but his eyes turned doubtful. She shook her head. This silent communication was another quirk, per se, that they had. When they didn't want to use their mindscape to speak, they had these gestures that they used to fill in the gaps.
His eyes swept over her before blinking twice and turned. He dropped the subject but he would be keeping tabs on her. After all, she was his only sister. She, meanwhile, was doing the same thing. Isaac was frazzled at what happened and was most likely blaming himself for not seeing it.
A bad habit.
Irene was prone to those too, so she won't be spouting off about her innocence in this matter. Eventually, she fell into step with him, their pouches juggling with magic stones and various drop items. Their maps were stored within the confines of their bags.
They emerged from the Dungeon and noticed that it was pretty dark out. They both grimaced since they did not doubt that Dia was very worried. They didn't specify when they would be back but if they left in the early morning and it was still dark out, they were in for a lecture.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they saw the line for the Exchange was long. The Exchange was another way to turn magic stones and drop items into valis. The Guild also acts as an exchange, so that would be their destination. The twins were not as worried about leveling up. They still needed to pad their stats before feeling comfortable. Ottar's warning/message was not factored into this decision. This was made years ago.
"There you are!" a voice said.
Isaac and Irene turned to see Tristan and Sadie. Tristan wore normal clothes while Sadie still had portions of her maid outfit but wore a coat over it all. They seemed anxious. "Do you realize how long you two have been gone?"
"I would go out on a limb and say more than twelve hours?" Isaac said, facing the Cat Person.
"Something like that," Tristan said, lightly punching Isaac's shoulder, "Kuniko won't stop worrying."
Sadie, meanwhile, took the more motherly approach, her hands cupping Irene's cheeks, "While the note was appreciated, please get a watch to give yourself a frame of reference."
Irene gave a sheepish smile, "Sorry, things got…weird."
Tristan's ears flickered over to Irene, "How so?"
The twins looked around, "Not here. At the Landing. Dia will want to know."
The seriousness within the twins' visage gave the two pause. "Give the bare minimum," Sadie demanded.
"Ottar."
Sadie's visage turned to a half-snarl and half-grimace. "Go to the Landing, now. Do not deviate from your course, do not speak to anyone, and do not stop."
Irene's eyes widened, hearing and seeing the pure vitriol in her voice, "S-Sadie?"
"Now!" She exclaimed.
Isaac calmly guided Irene away, his eyes wondering why she was acting like this. "I expect an explanation from you as well."
"And you will have it," Sadie said, "Now go. Tristan, please return to the Landing and fetch Kalen."
"Yes, Miss Sadie," Tristan said. "Is there anything you want me to pass along?"
Sadie's turquoise eyes met Tristan's copper eyes, "Meet at point seventeen, he will know what that means."
The cat's ears flickered at the unfamiliar term but he still took off, aiming for the rooftops. His agility and natural dexterity as a member of the Cat species made it far easier to clamber and preserve momentum.
Sadie, still at Babel's entrance, looked up and sighed, "Why did you have to get involved? Everything would be so much simpler if you just piss off, Lady Freya…"
She was considerably lucky that none of the members of Freya Familia heard her say that.
Kalen Torres may look like an average half elf but he was also a Dark Elf. A part of a royal family. A bastard child to the king of the line. He hated his family, except his mother. They hated him too. It was his mother who encouraged him to seek out Dia. His love for history had brought him to this city and the amount of lore behind each major building astounded the young lad.
When he finally found her and asked to join, all she wanted to know was his name. His surname. Upon supplying it—to a very pretty goddess, gods his face was so red—she hired him on the spot, giving a brief explanation of what to expect.
The main point of it was Lady Dia has her information network, informants in every major city, a lot in villages, ones even outside the Guild's banner and it all starts in Orario. His talents in history, and finding the hidden meanings in historical texts allowed other experts in the Network to gain valuable information. Information was a deadly weapon, sharper than any blade, stronger than any sword, and a poison to those who wielded it correctly.
So, it was with this knowledge that he entered the hideaway café that was called Point Seventeen—not its actual name but what he was told it was called. The lanky Dark Elf did get curious looks but the man adjusted his glasses and took his strides with purpose.
The little place had the standard table and chairs, minor bits of decorum, but had a policy: what was spoken here must not be repeated. So simple.
What Kalen didn't expect was to see Sadie in an entirely different outfit from what she was usually in. It stunned him, which did get a chuckle out of the aforementioned woman. Her entire outfit had changed, so she could blend in with the population. A simple dress that covered most of her form and a bonnet cap.
"So, Miss Sadie, why am I here?" Kalen asked as he sat across from her.
Lady Dia had contingencies for a plethora of situations. One of them was the suspected poaching of Familia members. Her serious mode was doubled down as she spoke in their meeting spot. "That's simple. Your job is to get information on all the potential Familias that want to poach our Familia. Histories, tendencies, and any trends they follow."
He hummed in response, "If you haven't noticed, I'm a History nerd, not an investigator, Sadie," Kalen said, adjusting his glasses again. His hands folded under his chin, "So…what is this? No one has expressed a blatant interest in poaching and I know you had me learn this location for a reason."
"I did," she said, "but we didn't expect the King to approach the twins so soon."
He sputtered, "The King?!" He whisper-shouted. "Is it because of-"
"It is," Sadie confirmed, cutting Kalen off. Her eyes showed displeasure at where that question was going. "Those that know that are few. Do not betray their trust."
Kalen felt his breathing catch at how hostile that felt. It is that big of a deal?! "…but wouldn't…they know?"
Sadie's expression turned impartial, leaning across the table, hands interlocked under her chin. "No one does, except those in the network. The Matriarch decrees that anyone brought in will have to know but are sworn under oath to never reveal it. If the fact is revealed under charm, measures will be taken against the person responsible."
Kalen swallowed the wad in his throat, "I see…so what do you want me to do?"
"Spy on Freya Familia," Sadie said like she was discussing the weather.
If Kalen was drinking water, this would have been the perfect spit take. "You do realize how difficult that will be? You know how…fanatical…they are?" He asked, lowering his voice, forcing his expression to be neutral.
"And that's perfect. No one will suspect you. All you have to do is ask if you've heard rumors about the Freya Familia. People ask this question all the time, so one more to the pile will do nothing," Sadie assured the young man, whispering to him with a smile. "You won't be alone on this task, as many of the hidden agents will be assisting you. If they find something, they will let you know."
"How am I supposed to know if they know?" Kalen asked as a waiter brought him a coffee that Sadie had ordered before he got there.
Sadie slid an item across the table, a simple pocket watch. "When you want information from the network, open this in public, someone will know. But first, prick your finger on the top."
The watch was just a silver-plated pocket watch. It wasn't actually silver but Kalen couldn't deny how intricate the details were. It looked like there was a church carved into it, with a figure standing in front of it. "Wait what?"
"It's harmless, it just makes it so that no one but you and your descendants can use it. I got mine from my mother," Sadie said, pulling out her silver pocket watch. The symbol was the same, wait there was something else there…it looked like…
Kalen looked at the tip of the watch, seeing the point, and it didn't look sharp enough. Still, his finger rested on the top, and like a knife through butter, a spot of crimson leaked from his thumb. The watch did nothing more but there was no trail like it was absorbed into the watch, "Who made this?"
"The First Matriarch."
"?" His face was comical if this was anything else.
"These were made far before our time but I believe it to be a product of Mystery. I truly don't know the answer and I believe that we'll never have the answer. That's all I can say," Sadie looked apologetic but that was the basic information.
Kalen fidgeted in his chair, hands clasped over the watch, sucking on his thumb to close the prick wound. It would be gone in a matter of minutes anyway. After that, he rested both hands on the watch.
"Who's not in it?"
Sadie figured this question was coming, "Tristan, Alice, and Kuniko aren't a part of the network yet. Martin should be informing Rio of this, so you two can go through this together. Bilal, Dia is handling it personally, since she is her aide."
"Are we lying to the twins about this?"
"May not be for much longer but we would prefer it if they didn't know. It's not that knowing hurts but you've noticed the tension in their body language?"
"…can't really stop noticing it, even around us," Kalen mumbled. He noticed but never said anything.
Sadie nodded, "The twins have been through a lot, considering their village is trying to kill them, and that was before Irene received her Family's blessing."
Kalen leaned back slack-jawed, "But-"
"What you said was true, it can only be passed by those on the bloodline, making their efforts completely pointless," Sadie smiled sadly, her eyes gaining a glassy look. "However, I also believe it's because they are quarter elves, and the elves have large egos and even larger senses of pride. By gaining the bloodline for themselves, they can 'cleanse' the line."
Kalen's hands gripped the silver watch, only unconsciously holding back from splintering the table. "That's…so unfair."
"Such is life," Sadie countered, recalling when she had almost this exact type of conversation, except back then, she was seventeen and had met the most wonderful and kind woman ever.
"So, how many others are in here?"
The head maid of Nomad's Landing looked around, "At least nine. They were being briefed at the same time. Now, I'll give you a few days, since this assignment wouldn't take too long. Welcome to the Network, Kalen Torres," Sadie held out a hand.
Kalen, feeling like he could finally do something to help like he always wanted, nodded to himself, "It's great to be here."
Their hands shook. The Network members present nodded to themselves before going on about their business. Some even held determination, and that's because they remembered the current Matriarch. She saved their lives long ago. She did everything to help and she was rewarded with disaster.
….
When I had responded to someone's comment on AO3, they asked if the side characters would hold relevance. This is how. This Network will be mentioned a bit more and how it operates either soon or at a later date.
The meeting between the Twins and Ottar was similar but different this time around but man, am I so excited for the next chapter. It all depends on how much time I spend not writing the other chapters…
That's a future me problem.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Next update is DxD: Brain.