Disclaimer: I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Omori; all rights go to him. I only own my original character Sleipnir and Ikuchi.

Speech: "How often does the Denatus happen? Every 3 months."

Thoughts: 'How does it feel if your tail falls asleep? I mean we all know how it feels when a hand falls asleep, but a tail must be far worse with all the little nerves it has.'

Magic: "Triplet-Maximized-Boosted-Magic Foxfire!"

Screaming/Demonic Voice: "What have you dragged my child into now Take!"

Chapter 14 Denatus

Midnight after the Party - Sleipnir's Room - Sleipnir POV

Sly was meticulously writing in his dungeon journal after the party. Unlike most of his familia, he refrained from drinking sake or other beverages. They would only cloud his judgment.

Why he was still awake eluded even him. Usually, after a large dungeon delve, he would go to bed early, but since his level up he had an excess of energy, stopping any attempt at sleep.

'Perhaps it is because of my larger mana capacity after my level-up? It is close to reaching the new limit, which is at least twice as large. I can feel it tingling below my skin and rushing through my tails.

Only a little more and I finish the monster entry of the infant dragon.'

Sly spent another 10 minutes adding details to his notes before he deeply frowned. Instead of tingling all over, he felt as if needles were pricking his skin and his mana felt restless, rushing through his body.

'What is this? Has my body not adjusted to holding this much mana?'

Thinking about his mana Sly tried conjuring a small foxfire, but instead of flowing as it should his mana only staggered a little before returning to an even more chaotic flow inside his body.

'Hmm... Strange... During the party, I still had full control over my magic. What changed?' While thinking the sensation of needles pricking his skin began to turn more painful. With a grimace, Sly decided to leave the dojo and find a way to release the excess mana his body contained before it could turn harmful.

He carefully jumped down from his window and landed in front of their pond where he slumps down in a meditating position. 'I would prefer being farther away, but with my mana capacity close to its limit I need to find a solution now.'

With a glance, Sly takes in the serene aura of the night. His night vision reveals new glimmering koi scales alighted by the glowing moon. Take must have added them while he was spying on Apollo.

The wind brushed against the knee-high grass around him, some of it even stood contrary to his intuition, and for a moment he saw a black shape sitting there. His already strained mind paid the illusion little mind as he felt the faint brush of the wind soothing his tails, which were in the most pain as mana forcibly left this body through them.

After a few calming breaths Sly began to meditate. Sly would need the increased focus to combat the building headache he had from the phenomenon afflicting him.

With all his senses directed towards his mana, he then felt it. As Acatl mentioned to him, mana acted like little particles which normally were stored in the body of a mage and at their beck and call. Right now, his mana felt like a restless and raging tropical storm. 'No wonder it hurts me! In this state there is no way I can cast a spell. Shouldn't my new Development Ability have helped me maintain my control over my mana with the level up?!'

Sly gritted his teeth as a large chunk of his mana left one of his tails; he barely kept his meditative state from returning to the painful sensation. 'No time to wonder now; I need to regain control!'

With his mind set Sly began to slowly try and calm the tides of his mana. With his magic control he should have been able to manipulate his entire level 1 reserve without any trouble, but with its recent increase to almost double its old size the same process was proving difficult.

At first Sly tried taking control over his entire mana capacity, but instead of guiding all his mana with his magic pressure he only managed to calm it a little before his concentration started straining and he needed to release it. A large chunk of mana flowed out of his tails in response; this caused ripples in the air about him as uncontrolled illusions came to be while wincing.

'Oww! Manipulating my entire reserve is a no-go. I just have too much mana right now! I need to calm it little by little.'

Sly began from one of his ears slowly shifting his focus downwards while using his magical pressure to calm down the mana in his ear. Taking another breath, he goes deeper and calms the mana rushing through his head, while keeping the mana in his ears locked in position.

This tactic proved more fruitful. By slowly extending his range, Sly kept the chaotic mana from disturbing the mana he already brought back under his control. Using his magical pressure and increased magic control from his magic student ability, he continued downwards. His range extended until he reached his torso.

Here he stumbled upon his next problem; most of his mana was stored in his torso and tails, and just being next to the chaotic flow disturbed the borders of the mana he forced under his control.

'What can I do now? I am getting nowhere as any mana I calm in my torso keeps getting pulled from my control by the more chaotic mana flows. If I don't pay attention to the mana in my head, I will also lose control all over again. Could I perhaps split my focus and calm my arms as well before tackling my torso?'

Sly tried it and noticed that it worked for one arm so far. Once he started calming his second arm the chaotic mana in his torso started dragging more mana from his control.

'No, I can't split my focus enough to fight on three fronts against the mana flow without losing ground. The mana keeps being dragged out of my control…'

Sly then started experimenting in different ways, all while protecting at least his head from the chaotic mana. He didn't want to suffer a headache on top of feeling like his entire body was tingling painfully and asleep.

After an unknown amount of time Sly finally discovered a strategy to take back control over the mana in his torso. By copying the swirling pattern that kept dragging mana from his control, Sly recreated a swirl in both his arm and head that flowed in the same orientation.

It worked and slowly dragged mana from his torso into the swirling pattern and extended his control. He then kept increasing the pace and slowly the center of the swirl moved until it was in his torso and under his direct control, while his remaining mana in his arm, legs, and two tails began to turn with the rest.

Only having to focus on one swirl now, Sly could pay more attention to what was happening to his mana at the center of the swirl. It slowly began to converge. At first, the strongest impression Sly got after all his mana began to turn was the clear relief, as the painful stinging left him. In its stead, he sensed a warm tingling, which quickly became stronger as more mana was drawn into the spiral his mana formed.

After a little while the mana in the center of the spiral became denser and was compressed due to the centripetal force affecting the mana in the center more. However, lighter mana from his tails took its place.

This continued for many hours, while Sly could only sense the interaction with fascination, since he still lacked the control and magical pressure to do anything but slowly decelerate the ordered flow of his mana.

In the end, his mana finally stopped and instead of having two times as much mana as he had before Sly now had around 1.8 times as much as he did as a level one, but it was also slightly denser.

As he breathed out in relief, the sun was already close to rising but sleep still eluded him. 'I need to visit Acatl-hakase before she leaves.'

Next day 6 AM - Takemikazuchi POV

As usual, Take spent the morning training his familia. However, Sleipnir had already left by the time he stood up, only leaving a small scroll before his door. Apparently, his mana had acted strangely, and he needed to visit Acatl immediately.

While it was surprising for Take, he knew Acatl would be the best suited advisor in matters concerning mana. Acatl should have more than enough time to discuss the issue with Sleipnir. He would ask for details after returning from the Denatus.

Now, he visited Maria in the orphanage to warn her about his absence, ate a salad for lunch with Asuka, and dressed his formal black kimono. The outer edges were decorated in deep purple accents, while the inner edges were decorated in red accents following their familia colors. On his back, the familia sigil was drawn as a sturdy blade piercing a large white rock.

As Apollo was likely to attend Take also took his favorite katana from an old friend and sheathed it at his side together with a small pouch filled with the lighter kunai Sleipnir had left over from the earlier prototypes he got from Welf. It never hurt to be prepared. Apollo would be foolish to challenge him directly, but after the scare Sleipnir gave them it wasn't impossible.

With everything prepared, Take directed Ouka to watch over his familia and warned him to remain vigilant should Apollo try something during his absence.

The streets were busy as always in Orario, but different from the norm today he saw many gods being escorted towards Babel by their familia. 'Perhaps I should also let my familia escort me for the next Denatus. While I deem it a pointless gesture, it could improve their image.'

Soon Take entered Babel and began ascending to the second floor past the adventurers returning from the dungeon. There he sighed lightly and trekked to the center of Babel to enter the magic stone-powered elevator. 'I would rather walk but that would be detrimental to the point of this occasion. The ignorant mortals might see it as nothing more than simple parading, it is in fact a social ritual the gods need to uphold to weaken the dungeon. With so many of us gathered Ouranos-san should have more than enough to do his duty.'

On the 50th floor Take left the elevator and was greeted by richly decorated white marvel floors covered in gaudy trinkets and lighted with high-end magic stone lamps, leaving not a single corner dark. He continued onwards. As the Denatus lasted 3 days he would get one of the rooms as his own.

The rooms were all filled to the standard or even above the standard of even the highest of familias and every god had a right to one, as during this event they all had the same authority.

Nonetheless, Take took one of the outer rooms. He preferred keeping quiet and meditating. He would convene with the other deities in the evening.

However, his quiet would not last. Barely half an hour after making himself comfortable someone knocked at his door with a strong knock. 'Who is it now?'

After a moment of contemplation Take stood up and opened the door.

Waiting impatiently on the other side was Hephaestus. The god of smiths. She wore a fine white gown and black pants, and at her side was her finest hammer. Her single not-covered eye was observing him with focus.

With a quick look around, Take took in who visited him and even spotted the fine black hammer. 'Even Hephaestus could not help but show off. Bringing her personal Durandal hammer with her.'

"Hephaestus-san what can I do for you?" Take asked without leaving the door or changing his usual pitch.

With a glance at the other gods observing them, Hephaestus spoke. "Take-san you obviously know why I'm here. Let me in so we can talk about the interactions between our children."

Stepping aside, they closed the door certain that gossip would flow quickly. Take then smiled at Hephaestus. "There, is no need for your fiery temper Hephaestus. We made enough deals that I wouldn't even think of taking one of your children from you."

Glowering at Take Hephaestus sat down on his bed fit for a royal with a surprising lack of grace. "That isn't the problem Take! Welf may join you if he decides to on his own terms. I know I can trust you to treat him fairly and honorably. My concern is his new skill and the growth he had since working with your child!"

Breathing quietly while gathering his thoughts, Take replies, "In that case if I can get your silence on the matter I will elaborate." With her nodding he continues, "As you are one of my friends, I will be direct. Sly has very special circumstances and has attracted the attention of lesser spirits. His growth has been exceptional because of this and Welf-san in turn has gathered a few of his own."

Still looking at him searchingly Hephaestus asks further. "That can't be all. Spirit Touched. For such a skill to appear he would need more than a few minor fire spirits following him. What aren't you telling me?"

Showing a small frown, he replies, "Unfortunately I can't elaborate further Hephaestus-san, but I guarantee that there is no dangerous spirit around Sly and I am keeping an eye on all the children I train, including yours. It might reassure you that Sleipnir has both mine and Quetzacoatl-san's supervision. Nothing dangerous will…"

Intrigue shows in Hephaestus's lone eye. "She is in Orario?! Will she make a public appearance?"

Scrutinizing her reaction, Take answers, "Not likely, she should be too busy teaching Sleipnir."

Now truly intrigued Hephaestus pushes forwards. "You mean to say your child not only gets taught by you but also by the foremost god when it comes to magic!? Are you trying to create a little monster!?"

"Nothing of the like. I just want to give him what he will need to protect himself." Take answers while staring Hephaestus in the eye.

Continuing the stare down for another minute, Hephaestus relents. "Very well, I won't pry. However, I want continuous updates from you when something changes." With a small bow Hephaestus shows her gratitude. "And thank you for training Welf. Together with his new skill, it has helped him progress tremendously. Now that you have returned to Orario I hope you can show me some interesting new weapons. Exchanging notes with you was always nice. I even see that you carry one of my blades with you."

With a small smile, they both bow to each other. "Of course old friend. Although, this time I didn't travel for quite as long; it has been at most a century since the last time we exchanged ideas."

While the friends exchanged notes the other gods began playing their games and making preparations for the second day where the new ideas would be presented.

Afternoon - Martial Dojo - Sleipnir POV

After his visit and long discussion with Acatl Sly went to the guild. He needed to relay his level up to Misha-san before the Denatus officially began.

As it was just after lunch Sly didn't have to wait in line and managed to reach Misha without trouble. She stopped working on official papers and with a groan turned her focus on him while perking up. "Nice to see you again Nibi-kun. Coming in person today, what a rare treat! What can I do for you? Asking for more information?"

Sly's visible tail sways in a manner resembling a shrug. "Not this time Misha-san. Hm… Or maybe after I announce my level-up. After beating the infant dragon my status improved again and I took my level up."

Misha looks at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. After a few seconds, she begins reprimanding Sly loudly. "Why do you tell me this only now?! I will have to compile your achievements today if you want to get recognized as a level-two adventurer and get an Alias! How can you be so irresponsible to not even tell me in the morning but wait till the afternoon?!"

Avoiding Misha's angry stare and stuttering an answer. "M-Misha-san. It's nothing like that. I needed to visit Ac- cough, my teacher to discuss my developmental ability and the increase in stats brought about by my level up. I only managed to come here now. If you need it, I will even help you with gathering all the needed files."

Groaning loudly, Misha stands up and guides Sly into her office with a small smile gracing her face. "In that case, follow me! You will help me to get your official data together. We only have 2 hours till we need a report of all your major actions in the dungeon! Normally I wouldn't drag you into this, but you have been shirking your duty to relay all your actions within the dungeon to the guild already and I have too little time to do it alone."

Sly followed Misha into the back of the guild, past the adviser halls, and into a small private office filled with many small plants. "While I would love to ask about your more unique circumstance today, we will only focus on your achievements in the dungeon. We will cover the floors you have visited and major battles you have had. A general title to cover your role in your familia and so forth."

Misha pushes a pen and feather in Sly's hands, while taking one herself and starts dictating what he needs to write down. "What are you waiting for?! We need to finish this quickly!"

The next two hours Misha spent asking for details of his exploits, both public and private, gathering the documents of the magic stones he brought with his familia, and keeping the conversations between them flowing. An especially loud outburst came when Sly told her about his stats and she saw his magic. Nibi-kun are you telling me you bothered to max our every stat, but the one you specialize in?"

Filled with confusion sly asks. "What do you mean Misha-san? I hit the limit in every one of my stats. I felt it after we beat the infant dragon. Any monster I fought after added nothing to my stats anymore, whereas before I always felt a tiny fraction of excelia flow into me. No matter how the monsters we fought were."

Now it was Misha's turn to look confused. "But your magic ends at 1100. Every other known adventurer including a handful from the Zeus and Hera familias that surpassed the known limits always ended at 99."

Sly lets one of his tails pet Misha's head. "Fascinating. It seems even my irregularities are outliers. Another mystery to unravel..." During his comment, his second tail found his way to Misha's head and they now alternate between petting her.

Misha accepts the pets for another moment before carefully pushing both tails from her head. "Argh. We do not have time to find the cause right now. We are on a time limit. Please continue Nibi-kun."

Misha then asked many more questions about many of his dungeon dives and his teamwork with Chigusa and Welf with the occasional casual questions on his experiences in Orario.

After the first ninety minutes, they had to copy their report into a fine script and finish shortly before 3 PM. Misha then turns to him with a genuine smile. "Thank you very much Sly-kun. You didn't need to stay the entire time, but I am grateful that you did."

Stretching his undisguised form Sly answered. "It's no trouble Misha-san. Acatl-hakase made me copy far more arduous works than this."

With a slight pout, Misha retorts. "Nibi-kun, originally I planned to invite you to the guild library to get an accurate report of your actions in the dungeon, but with this report, I have a new idea."

Sly's ears turn slightly towards Misha. "What would that be Misha-san?"

She then waits till Sly's entire focus is on her. "A reversal of roles if you will Nibi-kun. There is still a lot you need to tell me. What better way is there than to spend another afternoon together? After all, with all these times you've asked for information, some could see that as just an excuse you know?"

Sly's ears twitch in confusion. "Misha-san what do you mean by that? Can't adventurers ask for friendly advice from their advisors?" Sly asks, while cutely letting his ears curl to the side and looking at her at a slight angle.

"Indeed they can Nibi-kun..." Misha leans forward a bit, bringing their faces closer with a wry grin. While sneakily petting one of his ears. "But when you can change form so easily and choose to look the same while we are on our own...Well...I think we can reach a simple conclusion can't we?"

Jumping back from the unexpected pet Sly questions confusedly, "That I do not need to hide? At least more than I usually do… Or is this a return of asking me to walk around without a disguise Misha-san?"

Misha frowns and puffs her cheeks in a pout. "I didn't mean that specifically Sly! I would like to learn more about what you have done besides dungeon delving and what you have been learning! How about we meet in one week in a teahouse and spend an afternoon discussing subjects? We can even discuss your dungeon journal; I might even add a few details."

Sly is lost for words for a moment before taking a deep breath. "If it is that important to you Misha-san then I will see to it. However, it will need to be after 10 AM, I can't skip Take-san's training even when I take a day off to recuperate.

Grinning at her victory Misha replies. "Of course; it's a date! After all, I can't let you hoard all the stories of your adventures. Eina would probably rebuke every adventure you undertook, but in my free time I won't be required to do so. After all, what would an adventurer be without his adventures?"

After that uncomfortable conversation, Sly leaves the guild with a faint blush. His departure after such a long session with Misha aroused the interest of the other guild employees but didn't cause them to stop him for questions. He would need to face this new challenge when the time came, but why was he feeling more anxious about it than even the battle against the infant dragon?

Going through a side street Sly quietly chanted Illusio, before returning to the Martial Dojo.

After the lengthy discussion he had with Acatl and quite a few experiments she had him do, his control over his magic was back to the level he had before. However, there was still a lot of potential for growth with his new Magic Student Development Ability. This said, that was far from everything his level-up gave him.

His new development ability now allowed him to manipulate up to three foxfires at the same time, 2 if he also used a small illusion.

What he was not prepared for was his range for his illusion expanding, and it was not a small increase but up to a radius of around 15 meters. The concentration needed to maintain it was even lowered for the small ones, but his lack of practice showed when he tried to maintain the 15-meter illusion. Focusing on anything but maintaining it was impossible for him without further practice.

His foxfire also grew more potent after his mana was condensed, but Acatl only told him to be careful about trying to replicate the phenomenon. Without the needed magic control repeating it could reduce his mana capacity permanently. Unfortunately for Sly, she was surprisingly tight-lipped about the subject and why she hadn't warned him about such a possibility.

'I really can't wait for the lesson Acatl has planned after the Denatus. She told me to rest and get comfortable with my denser mana before entering the dungeon. Finally, she will teach me more about kitsune! One warning of hers still confuses me... Why should I be careful with my words?'

10 AM - Babel, Amphitheater - Takemikazuchi POV

After a lavish dinner and convening with different gods from minor gods to Ganesha and Hephaestus, Take garnered quite a bit of attention as a new god with an up and coming familia. Which is why he spent breakfast besides an exuberant Ganesha to drive off smaller gods intent on currying favor.

Shortly after the meals finished, they assembled in the center-most room. It is a fairly large marble amphitheater built in a classical Greek style.

Takemikazuchi's seat was in the middle, one seat beside Miach. This section was not part of the prominent families at the very top, nor part of the very bottom with the gods content with small familia leading businesses. Strangely, Ishtar chose the second seat beside him, willingly taking a lower seat.

This surprised Take, but meeting her eyes only returned a sly smile and a wink, before she returned her focus to the front. As soon as his attention was no longer on her, she whispered to him. "Be careful tomorrow."

Taking the words of the senior Mesopotamian goddess seriously he gave her a small nod before looking at the others in attendance.

The highest seats in attendance were Loki, Hephaestus, and Ganesha. Demeter was only a little lower as the most prominent agricultural familia. Freya's seat was unattended, a common occurrence for goddess of the strongest adventuring familia from what Take could gather. After another scan, Take also noted that Quetzalcoatl did not attend either. In that case, Ouranos would need to use a divine mirror to lead the discussion as the oldest attending god.

Focusing on the other side of the amphitheater, Take also spotted Apollo seated just one seat higher. If someone had observed his lips in that moment, they would have seen a scowl before he schooled his expression to hide his intentions. 'Let's see how you will react tomorrow. With three new Level 2 adventurers in my familia whatever you plan will be far more difficult to accomplish.'

Denatus - Apollo POV

Poised in a seat amongst his peers, Apollo's mind could only wander. 'Ahhh….so boring!' He thought.

These quarterly meetings, had come to grate on Apollo's nerves since he had a level 2 child. While he liked the spotlight and leading conversations, it was just unbearable to be surrounded by other gods. They never saw his radiance for what it was, different from the gems he collected in his familia.

Something else occupied his thoughts; the Summer Solstice had come and passed without satisfying stimulation!

Well, that could be a matter of opinion. True to Apollo's expectations, Hyakinthos had come through. In the dungeon, he had encountered a woman of exceptional countenance. Of notable beauty, this individual had declared her name as "Hitachi Chigusa, of the Takemikazuchi familia."

More importantly, Hyakinthos had noted her to be an archer, a beneficiary of the fletcher arts. Apollo almost salivated, the description from his executive filled his mind as he grinned.

'A woman of shorter stature than you or myself, Chigusa-san stands around 5 feet with short black hair that does not reach her shoulders. Obscured on her left by luscious hair, her right green eye scanned the surroundings for threats and found us. She was on guard the second she saw us; a hand rested on the bow slung to her back. I could see it! She IS someone of note; someone who your glorious familia could elevate even further!'

Apollo's eyes then narrowed, looking towards Takemikazuchi; he was a newcomer. It irked him to no end that Take had descended earlier than him, ignored building a familia for so long, only for him to take what should have been his.

"Damn you Take! How could you find such a gem without my own eyes finding them!" A slight scowl crossed his face; then a slow, growing smirk spread across his face. "Ah…. But there is time. Time to rectify this…. insult, robbery, injustice! I have faith that our plans will make way. Lydia is setting them into motion as we waste time, and you are none the wiser foolish Take!" Apollo smirked at this point, reflecting on the suggestions of his children and his own grandeur.

Alas, he stopped his scheming to listen to the pointless back and forth between the gods once Ourano's finally created his four floating divine mirrors, one floating to face each direction. Now deals and trades would be discussed in smaller groups under the supervision of Ourano's interspersed with larger discussions about useless things like crop cycles or ore yield from the dungeon.

Night - Sly's Room - Sleipnir POV

Today Sly spent his time with Ouka and the rest of their familia practicing with his new level 2 status. He could now finally hold his own against Mikoto with the use of foxfire and his daggers. Her skill with a katana was still leagues beyond his skills with his daggers, but his quick chant magic enabled him to hold up.

During matches against Welf and Chigusa Sly noticed the greatest changes. He always held back a little when fighting them as his stats were simply too high for them, but after his new level, his fine control needed much, much more practice. He just could not find the sweet spot where he could fight them evenly and either applied too much strength or, due to his enhanced perception, avoided strikes entirely.

The most glaring mistake he made today was when he disarmed Welf, who used his heavy training greatsword, with only one hand and a dagger. 'It just goes to show how much status means. Skill can make up for a lot, but at some point, even the most skilled fighter lacks the reaction time to hold up against a much stronger opponent.'

Taking a fresh papyrus Sly began calculating how high his stats really are in comparison to his companions. 'Let's begin with an easy example of me against Welf. Welf has around 850 strength as a level 1. I on the other hand have around 10 as a level 2. It might seem like a small difference when you think of my level 1 stats that finished at 999. However, such a calculation ignores the bonus a level-up gives to all the stats. Acatl-hakase mentioned the direct boost from a level up to each stat is around 300-500 depending on the person. As a kitsune, my boost in magic is likely at the 500 mark, while my strength only got a boost of 300.

So now we have 1300 against Welf's 850. That's already more skewed in my favor but still isn't the complete calculation. If we go one step further civilians or let's call them level 0 adventurers also already have a certain strength. A normal civilian would have around 500-600 level 0 stats from what I gathered and with a level up they would sit at around 900, as a fresh level 1 adventurer. But here comes the big problem. There is another aspect to leveling up. After the flat status increase, the level-up also gives the adventurer an exponential increase in their overall strength.

Think of it as adding another increase of around 10 percent to the overall stats. When going to level 1 from the base 600 of a level 0 civilian you would end up at around 1000. However, the same applies to level 2. So, when I leveled up my strength went up from around 2000 to 2300 and then after adding the percentage to around 2500. So, an incredible 750 strength higher than Welf's 1850.

Skill alone can probably make up for up to 500 stat points easily, but when you go beyond that it will become an uphill battle. If you do not at least have an advantage in battle experience or skills it will be almost impossible to outright win.

With all these in mind, I hope that the Apollo familia won't push for a wargame too soon, otherwise the difference in stats might make war games difficult for us.

At least the common practice of leveling early works in our favor. Leveling has an exponential increase in power, thus most familia push themselves to level quickly to reap the larger benefits earlier. From Acatl's words, most adventurers level with only a single stat even hitting above 700 and the rest 500 to 600. Elite familia might go a little higher for an A rank stat at 800, but only the very best like Ottar ever push the limit and go into S.

No wonder Misha reacted so heatedly when she learned of my stats... At least most of our familia have the same tendency and, as far as I know, Take will keep it that way. Better to be an overdeveloped level 2 adventurer than an underdeveloped level 3. Once we return to the East the corrupt noble families will be in for a nasty surprise. Especially that matriarchal family.'

10 AM Denatus The Next Day - Takemikazuchi POV

The gods once again assembled. Once everyone was seated 4 large white screens appeared above the amphitheater. Within a few moments, the screens changed and an old god appeared for everyone to see. His shoulder-length white hair and beard are the most prominent features of this old deity. He wore a simple black robe and looked sternly at the attending gods.

"Fellow Deities. For the last day of the Denatus we will be discussing the adventurers. Many new faces have appeared and there are quite a few that hit level 2. Some new level 3s and 4s and even one that broke through to level 5. We shall begin in 5 minutes."

Take noticed that many deities have already opened the dossiers that describe the adventurers that were to be promoted today. He also looked at Ishtar, who had already opened the page about his first child. Mikoto would be the first to be discussed.

Whispering with only Miach and Ishtar paying attention to him Take asked, "What did you mean yesterday? My children and I are always careful."

Ishtar goes to the next page where 2 adventurers from other familias reached level two before going a few pages further to reveal Ouka, and then to the last page of adventurers that leveled to show Sleipnir. "Most gods dislike quick advancements from outsiders. They consider it unfair. They have to work for years and we new gods only appear for a month and already have a say in the politics of Orario."

Whispering back heated Take remarks, "My children also had to work for years before coming here!"

"That won't stop them from making a fuss and your life difficult," Ishtar replies evenly while looking at the last page of the new level 5 adventurer.

Take face turns serious upon these words. "We will see. I won't let my familia be pushed around."

After his words, Ouranos deemed the preparation completed. "The first adventurers that are to be discussed are the ones that hit level 2 after the last Denatus and the higher leveled ones follow after all the low-level adventurers are through."

The discussions begin and, for most of the adventurers, Take does not take part during the discussions. The first interesting participant to be ushered by Ouranos was Hyakinthos.

The first to cry out an alias was of course Apollo who stood up grandiosely while smiling at his fellow gods. "I propose the name Phoebus Apollo for my most loyal and devout child Hyakinthos!"

Ishtar raises her voice in retort, "Really now? Are you certain your pet wouldn't be better suited for my familia. From what my amazons heard, Lydia has been spending less time with you ever since you got this new pet. I propose the name Sekkusu." (Sex)

Apollo's smile turns sour. "You are simply envious of the loyalty my child has for me! How could you know true love if you switch partners as frequently as others switch clothes?!"

Before the discussion can get more heated, Ouranos steps in. "Any other propositions?"

Surprisingly Hermes the god of travel has another idea. "From what I heard Hyakinthos loves using items. Why not go with Aitemuyūzā? (Item User)"

Ouranos then began a vote to see whose name would win. Fortunately for Apollo a few minor familia decided to help him when Ishtar almost got the winning vote and Hyakinthos got the alias, Pheobus Apollo.

Many adventurers followed after Hyakinthos, until the time for Take to fight for a good alias came. Ouranos started the discussion once again. "Now we come to a deity that only recently entered Orario. Takemikazuchi, please begin the discussion concerning Mikoto."

Standing up Take proposes his idea. "My child Mikoto has always striven to hold herself to the Bushido code of the samurai. Because of the harsh lessons she learnt since challenging the infant dragon I believe the name Kokorozashi aru Bushi is a fitting alias."

A few deities nod their heads as they read through her achievements. However, a smaller god calls out. "From her actions I think such a title is too high. Her rash actions endangered her familia multiple times."

Another deity adds. "Just look at her picture. It would be a shame if she got such a serious name. I argue to call our headstrong beauty Onna-musha."

Miach speaks up. "That is very demeaning. She has improved rapidly since her defeat." However, Ishtar also speaks. "Why are you against it Miach? Isn't it a fitting title for a beauty such as her. If she wants to be a samurai, she shall rise further and improve her attitude."

Take voiced many points and words to defend his child, but, unfortunately for him, after Ishtar's words many deities voted for the name Onna-musha. Ishtar only gave a few words as consolation. "This is how it always happens Take if you are not among the top familia. Better try a more neutral name, they are more likely to pass the scrutiny of the other gods."

Take grits his teeth and observes how the same trend continued for other familia until Ouranos once again called upon him to speak about Ouka. "The captain of my familia. He is the defender of our younger members and the orphans I took upon myself in the east. I propose his alias to be the Azuma Hogosha (East Guardian)."

The gods think about the name while going through the data on Ouka. Some seem to be against the good name, but Miach takes the chance to give another name. "Takemikazuchi, this name is once more on the side of a name that goes beyond a level 2 adventurer. How about something Ouka can grow out of? I propose the alias Masuratakeo for the stalwart dwarf Ouka."

Take sees that Miach's name has gotten the attention of the other gods and most of them seem to accept it. 'Will I have to go for a normal name for Sleipnir? I will have to try and get a name that holds up to the one Ouka got.'

Another handful of adventurers are named until the attention returns to Take. Ouranos announced the level up of a third child of a small familia that has been in Orario barely 1 month.

Before Take can even speak up to propose an alias for Sleipnir the other gods begin to mumble. It's not fair that Take already has three level 2 adventurers. "He must be cheating."

"Did he steal the children from another god?"

Take desperately argues against this. "That's ridiculous! I have my honor and would never take a child against their will! We have not cheated!" However, his voice is drowned out by the angry yells.

"He must have used his arcanum before he came to Orario!"

Such comments continued without giving Take any chance to counter as his arguments were simply ignored and the other gods threw more heated glares at him. Even with the help of Ganesha, who still kept to his exuberant personality, the dissatisfaction grew.

After a few minutes the discussion grew even more ridiculous, and Ishtar stood. "Be silent! Can you lot not find other explanations? Once more the same argument! At least listen to Takemikazuchi, before condemning him and his children!"

Taking the chance to finish the argument Ouranos steps in. "Takemikazuchi please explain why three of your children managed to advance within 1 month."

Finally, Take takes a deep breath before stepping forward. "I believe the reason is rather simple. My familia was already adventuring in the Far East and most of my children were close to their level up when we came here. There was no cheating and no trick; my children worked hard even before entering Orario!"

This silenced the other gods for a moment. However, Apollo wanted to have the last word. "That still does not give you the right to step into the affairs of Orario within a month without understanding the familias that have established themselves! You should step back and observe until you understand your place…"

As Apollo's tirade goes on many gods groan in annoyance, while Miach and Ganesha give Take apologizing looks. Take himself is slowly getting angry. 'So that's his plan. Not to strike directly but to damage my reputation.'

While this argument continued for another minute something surprised Ouranos. Many gods noticed the visible change in the divine mirrors. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in here!?"

A smooth and slightly hissing voice replies, "Ouranos-chan, is that any way to greet your elders? I just came to look if there were any promising children now that the level 2 ones are almost through."

Few gods recognized this voice that was looking down upon Ouranos. Only a few of the strongest familia and Take recognized the voice belonging to none other than Quetzalcoatl, who had just taken a seat beside Ouranos on the backrest of his throne in all her white-scaled glory.

The previous argument was all but forgotten with the sudden appearance of the goddess of magic. Quetzalcoatl on the other hand simply gazed at all the assembled gods with glinting eyes. "Now where were we? Ah! Weren't you discussing the last child of Takemikazuchi?" With a grand gesture, Ouranos's dossier floats in front of Acatl's eyes. "Hmm, from what I see here his mage is resourceful, but we have too little intel to find a good name for this sly renard… How about we just go with a name representing that? I propose the alias Blank Slate."

The sudden intrusion surprised even Loki and Ganehsa, who were not expecting Acatl to make an appearance at all. They knew of the political power Acatl commanded as the leading goddess of Altena, the city of magic. Loki even spoke up, "Quetzalcoatl-san why are you in Orario? Is there another chance to trade with your familia?"

Acatl just rolls her eyes. "Perhapsss… Who knows? I am only here since I owed a favor to a certain elephant. Now, let's get on with the naming! I don't have all day!"

Take quickly gives his own idea. "I propose we go with the alias of Iryūjonisuto (Illusionist)!"

Apollo who got out of his stupor added. "That child is nothing but trouble with his magic. I propose Conniving Kit as his alias."

The discussion goes back and forth, with many gods arguing for different names. When Hermes added another alias. "His fur is blue and if we know this little the little fox must be quite the sly trickster with illusion magic. I believe The Sly Blue would be a perfect fit."

In the end, only one alias remained, and the proceedings went ahead to the higher-leveled adventurers. Many kept their old alias and only the very last adventurer had an important change.

Acatl called out. "Let's proceed to the last adventurer of the day! Her name is Ais Wallenstein the level 4 adventurer with the alias Senki, the war princess. Loki, please elaborate if you wish to find a new alias."

Loki bounces up with an overabundance of energy. "Right! Ais-chan is ready to get another alias. She was called Senki as her name until now because she never knew how to hold back with her relentless training. However, she has learnt much since the great feud and she began training with her sword in earnest now that her progress in the dungeon slowed. I propose the new alias Kenki, the sword princess!"

Unsurprisingly most gods didn't try to argue with Loki as she was one of the two familias at the top of Orario. Instead, the other gods accepted the new name with loud cheers. With that the Denatus ended and Acatl quickly disappeared from the large divine mirrors.

Take on the other hand left grumbling. He was not only accused of cheating, but even had to take subpar aliases for his children. They would not be happy; least of all Sleipnir. Although it still surprised him that Acatl made an appearance and even took over Ouranos's position as the leading god due to her being one of the gods predating even the old greek titan Ouranos.

'Let's hope she had fun. From now until she leaves Orario it will be impossible for her to appear without being swarmed by mages wishing to join her familia. It will be amusing to hear of Sleipnir's reaction, once he learns of Acatl's magic familia that is only a little smaller than the Loki familia in size.' Take couldn't help the smile forming on his face. 'Maybe I will let her tell him the alias as well. No, that is my duty as his god and goes beyond being his teacher.'

7 PM - Martial Dojo - Sleipnir POV

Sleipnir spent his day training his magic even further and a slightly reduced party, since both Welf and Asuka did not participate, entered the dungeon until the twelfth floor to practice with their enhanced stats against monsters.

Asuka, it seemed, saw Sly take the fire gland from the infant dragon and wanted to use its fire essence to brew potions with the promise of returning it later. "Don't forget Sleipnir, you still owe me for making you the smoke bomb, so please collect more herbs for me. If you can, keep an extra eye out for me. I'll make it worth your while…"

This prompted Sly to visit the hidden passages on their way back with Chigusa; he still did not quite trust Mikoto to keep them a secret.

Now that they were eating dinner, Chigusa took it upon herself to make her favorite to celebrate the new aliases they would get. Roasted duck with honey glazing. As they were nearing the end of the meal, Take would finally reveal their new alias.

With a quiet thud Take set down his teacup. "I can't push it back any longer. I will now reveal the new aliases of Mikoto, Ouka, and Sleipnir." Everyone listens as they look up with excitement.

"The first one who got an alias today was Mikoto." Take looks Mikoto in the eyes with regret. "I am sorry, but the other gods won the argument and Ishtar brought forward the deciding argument. Mikoto your new alias is Onna-musha."

Takemikazuchi then bows towards Mikoto. "I apologize many times for you will need to endure for my failure."

Mikoto at first looks enraged, but as soon as Take begins to bow she rushes over to him to stop him. "There is no need for that Takemikazuchi, please keep sitting! I will just need to show these gods that I am worthy of a better alias, and they won't be able to give another bad one once I reach level 3. I promise to you to do better!"

Mikoto bows deeply before Take and he helps her up. Once they return to their seats Take continues, "After Mikoto's alias was decided upon it was your turn Ouka. Once again, my choice was denied, but this time Miach helped me out and we managed to wrangle out the alias of Masuratakeo."

Ouka holds his stomach and laughs. "No problem Take that's a good name! Many times, better than our sword-loving beauty. Masuratakeo! I like it!"

Take then turns to Sly. "Lastly, it is your turn Sleipnir. Acatl made an appearance and caused quite a ruckus during the Denatus. The good news is that her alias did not come out on top. The bad news is that neither did mine. I have to apologize to you as well Sleipnir-san, your new alias is The Sly Blue."

Sly just looks at Take in shock. Ouka on the other hand can't contain his laughter. "I can't believe it! That's such a silly nickname! Just think about what other adventurers are gonna call you! Hey Blue or even better hey Sly, wait that's your nickname… Then how about hey 'The Blue?!'"

Take shows a small smile at the ridiculous comments. Even Mikoto smiles almost forgetting about her own alias with Chigusa giggling quietly. However, Sly can't just accept defeat this easily. "At the very least my alias doesn't promote one of my flaws and instead tells possible opponents nothing about my abilities!"

Sly is so enraptured in his optimistic thoughts that he almost misses Take laughing at his words, but he still catches the end of it when Take tries to hide it with a cough. 'Did Take just laugh? What could be amusing enough to get such a drastic reaction from our stoic teacher?'

Author's Note

There you have it a clean explanation how stats in my version of Danmachi work. I really prefer it this way, as there are benefits to both leveling quickly, but they are only further enhanced if you take the time to master your stats in every level.

Updates here on forth will be semi-frequent. I try going for a chapter every 2-3 weeks as I have already planned out what shall happen in act 2, but in the last month I came to recognize that I primarily write for myself and my beta reades. This is why I will sometimes take my time to give the story time to develop.