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Is It Wrong For The Devil To Fool Around In Orario?
Chapter 7
The Salome
Lucifer breathed in the fresh morning air and admired the clear blue sky. It truly felt like an ideal day for a festival as he and Bell made their way down Orario's eastern main street towards the city's colosseum and the monsterphilia festival. Lucifer was dressed in his usual suit and Bell wore his usual dark clothes and boots along with his tan jacket. Lucifer had also noticed that the boy had also brought his knife with him but decided not to comment on that, since it made a certain level of sense to bring a weapon to a festival where monsters were the main attraction.
Bell seemed to be excited to see the festival since it was almost guaranteed that it would be bigger than anything he had experienced before in his village. Lucifer also found himself looking forward to the festivities as it had been quite some time since he had been to a similar event. If his memory served him correctly, the last time he had attended a large festival like this had been well over a century ago at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. He remembered he had been excited to see how the humans had been able to get light to come out of small glass bulbs and had been highly impressed with seeing the fairgrounds and exhibits lit up with electrical lights.
In comparison monsterphilia was not quite as impressive but Lucifer still found himself enjoying the atmosphere as the two of them entered the outer edges of the festival. The streets had brightly colored streamers crisscrossing between the buildings above them, along with various stands offering food, games, and souvenirs. The air was filled with the sound of people chatting and laughing along with the smell of all the food for sale. People moved this way and that, either proceeding towards the colosseum or stopping in front of the stands, while children ran about to take in as much of the festival as they could.
The two continued to make their way towards the colosseum with Bell's eyes darting from side to side as he attempted to take in all the sights that he could. Lucifer, in contrast, was searching for something specific as they made their way further down the road. Shortly after they entered the area Lucifer noticed that Bell's eyes seemed to linger for a short while on a game stand that had people throw small leather balls at targets to knock them down and win a prize.
"Want to give it a go?" Lucifer asked as he stopped and pointed at the game.
"Um, I don't know." Bell said as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "It seems kind of unfair when I have a blessing."
"Nonsense." Lucifer said as he fished out a few valis from his coin purse and handed them to Bell. "Here, now why don't you show everyone how it's done?"
Bell seemed to hesitate for a moment before a smile split his face and he jogged over to the game stand. As Bell knocked down several of the toughest targets in quick successions Lucifer took a moment to approach a nearby food stand and ask for directions to a particular potato snack stand he was eager to find. After Bell had finished with the game he decided to pick a simple stuffed animal made to vaguely resemble a hellhound and then handed it to a small girl who stared at it admiringly. The girl gasped at the offer before squealing in delight and thanking Bell as she squeezed the stuffed animal. Feeling very pleased Bell turned around and saw Lucifer making his way over to him after his chat with the food stall owner.
"Enjoy yourself?" Lucifer said as his lips quirked into a smile as he saw Bell and the girl who was cradling her new toy.
"Yes, I did." Bell said with a smile of his own. He glanced back at the game stand where the owner was resetting the targets for the next player. "I always liked to try these kinds of games whenever our village had a festival."
"Glad to hear it. Now I don't know about you but I'm starting to feel a bit hungry and there is a potato snack stand I have been meaning to try, so how about we go pick up a snack?"
Bell nodded in agreement and the two set off again, this time with Lucifer leading. They continued further down the road and were almost to the plaza in front of the colosseum when they arrived at their destination.
"Jagamarukun! Come get some nice fresh Jagamarukun right here! You won't find better potato snacks in the city!"
In front of them was a simple food stand with the words "Jagamarukun" written on the sign above it. In front of the stand a short, blonde elf girl called out loudly to try and call peoples attention to the stand. Behind the stand two other girls, one with short pink hair and another with long black hair, moved quickly to try and meet the orders that were being placed. The three wore pink aprons over their normal clothes and had strange pink headbands with antennae that ended with tiny imitation potato snacks that bounced around with every move the three girls made.
"Primo?" Bell said as he caught sight of the girls working the stand. "Emma?"
The human girl did not seem to hear Bell over the chatter of people placing their orders, but the young elf girl did. She quickly turned when she heard her name and let out a short yelp when she spotted Bell before diving behind the food stand. This immediately caught the attention of the two behind the stand and looking around in confusion Emma quickly spotted Bell. her expression shifted to a friendly smile, and she gave Bell a quick wave before returning to work. Meanwhile the black-haired girl was trying to coax Primo out from behind the stand with little luck.
"Friends of yours?" Lucifer asked as he got in line for the stand.
"Yes." Bell responded as he stood behind him and continued to watch the black-haired girl fail to dislodge Primo from behind the stand. "I remember they said that their goddess has a day job working at a potato snacks stand. I guess this is it."
As the two gradually made their way to the front of the line they could make out what the diminutive goddess was saying to try and get the even smaller elf to stop hiding.
"C'mon Primo! There's nothing to be embarrassed about, you were just being a good child and helping your goddess out!" The dark-haired goddess said to the elf girl. "You seemed fine before, what's wrong?"
"I didn't know the people I was calling to before!" Came the voice of the girl behind the stand, her voice pitched higher from embarrassment.
"If it really bothers you then you can always head out now." the black-haired goddess said. "I'm the only one who actually works here so you and Emma are free to leave and enjoy the festival anytime you want."
"….. But then we won't be able to enjoy it together." Came Primo's voice, now sounding more ashamed than embarrassed.
With those words the young elf was able to muster up the resolve to finally stop hiding behind the stand just as Lucifer and Bell made it to the front of the line. The young girl's face was still red, but she was able to offer Bell a small wave in greeting, a gesture Bell returned with a friendly smile.
"Hello, what can we get you?" Emma asked as they stood across the stand from her.
"Hello there, um I'm not quite familiar with potato snacks but I've heard good things about this stand, so I'll have whatever you feel like recommending." Lucifer said as he offered the three a friendly smile.
"I'll just have a plain one, thank you." Bell said.
Emma nodded and prepared their orders.
"So, is this your god Bell?" Emma asked, sending a quick glance up at Lucifer.
"Yes, this is Lord Lucifer, the god of my familia." Bell responded.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Lucifer said with a friendly smile and a short bow. "You must be Emma and Primo. Bell has spoken of you before, only good things I assure you."
Emma let out a short giggle at Lucifer's friendly attitude while Primo simply regarded The Devil with curiosity, her families warning about seemingly friendly gods keeping her from letting her guard down too quickly.
"And you must be Hestia." Lucifer continued as he turned to offer a smile to the short goddess along with his extended hand. "Lovely to make your acquaintance."
Hestia regarded the extended hand with a degree of caution, uncertain what to make of this unfamiliar deity. But, seeing that their children seemed to get along Hestia forced down any worry and shook Lucifer's hand and offered a small smile of her own.
"Pleased to meet you Lucifer." Hestia said and let go of his hand.
"It seems a shame that such fine young ladies as yourself have to works during a festival." Lucifer said as he accepted the potato snack Emma handed him. "Do you happen to know how much longer you'll be working?"
"Well, my boss said that I would be free to go either after I made 16,000 valis or when the second shift workers arrive." Was Hestia's response.
Lucifer let out a low whistle at the amount Hestia gave.
"And how much do you have left to make?"
"Well, we've sold about two hundred snacks so far so I would say we're about halfway there?" Hestia said as she crossed her arms and went over the numbers in her head. "Maybe a little less than half-way? So, I would say another hour and a half to two hours until we're done."
"I don't suppose that your boss would happen to be nearby, would they?" Lucifer asked as he took a quick glance around the area.
"Um yeah I think she is talking with some friends over there." Hestia said and pointed at an area further up the road where there was a sort of portable kitchen set up where various cooks were making food to be taken away to either one of the many stands about or to the colosseum itself, so the spectators had something to snack on as they enjoyed the show.
"Alright then. Ladies if you will excuse me, I will be right back."
With those words Lucifer strode off towards the cooking area, leaving Bell and the members of Hestia Familia at the stand. Bell munched on his snack while the three girls continued to serve the customers in line.
"So, you're Bell Cranel." Hestia said as she sent a sidelong glance at Bell while continuing to prepare potato snacks. "My girls have mentioned you before. They said you have been very friendly to them."
"Um yes Lady Hestia, the three of us usually come out of The Dungeon around the same time so we often run into each other at The Guild." Bell said while offering a short bow towards the tiny goddess. "They've been very nice to me, so I enjoy talking with them while we wait in line at the exchange counter."
"Hmmm." Was Hestia's only response as she turned to get a better look at Bell. Bell felt a tiny trickle of sweat begin to form on his forehead as Hestia's sky-blue eyes stared directly at him. After a moment Hestia nodded and offered Bell a friendly smile.
"You seem like a good child so I'm glad that Emma and Primo can consider you a friend." Hestia said with a friendly smile before her face hardened and she suddenly jabbed a finger at Bell. "However! As their loving goddess I must say that I expect you to not try to take advantage of my sweet girls! You seem like a nice boy, kinda like a little bunny you want to cuddle, but don't expect any mercy from me if you try anything sketchy with my children!"
At Hestia's proclamation Bell let out a strangled yelp as he leaned back from Hestia and shook his hands and head in vigorous denial of the thought that he would ever try to take advantage of the two girls. Emma felt her face flush slightly from embarrassment and she tried to calm Hestia down and assure her Bell was not like that. Primo was spared any embarrassment because of her advertising, her shouting blocking out the discussion.
As Bell continued to defend himself, he noticed Hestia gaze shifted from his face to past his shoulder. Wondering what had drawn her gaze Bell turned and saw his own god striding toward them with a pleased smile on his face.
"Ladies I have some good news." Lucifer said as he strode up to stand beside Bell. "After a brief chat your boss has decided to allow Hestia to head out a little early to enjoy the festivities. So as soon as you finish serving the last customer in line you are free to go."
Hestia's face shifted from curiosity to shock almost instantly, the tiny goddesses' jaw dropping. Emma and Primo were also surprised but quickly got excited at the prospect of being free to enjoy the festival much sooner than expected and the blonde elf quickly darted behind the stand to help prepare snacks more quickly so they could close.
"H-how?!" Hestia said in a shocked tone, her eyes still bugging out even as her jaw started working again. "I mean the boss isn't THAT bad when it comes to workload, but she'd never close the stand when we're still so far from our quota. So how did you get her to let us go?"
"Oh, I just had a friendly chat with her, business owner to business owner." Lucifer said as he waited for them to finish with those still in line. "I've often been told I have a silver tongue over the years with plenty of people praising it…. Although not all the praise was for what I said with it, admittedly."
Hestia decided to simply nod her head and accept Lucifer's explanation… for the moment at least. Lucifer noticed that she kept shooting questioning looks his way as she helped her two children finish serving the last customer and close the stand, the three of them shedding their aprons and headbands. Her expression shifted as she noticed Emma and Primo's grins and she grinned at them as finally finished and walked over to join Lucifer and Bell.
"Well ladies, I was hoping that the three of you would be willing to accompany us as we enjoyed the festival." Lucifer said as he gestured up the road at the colosseum and all the stands that were crammed into the square in front of it. "This is the first time Bell and I have attended monsterphilia so we are planning to take in as much of it as possible."
Emma and Primo did not immediately agree but from the looks they gave Hestia at the request it was clear they wanted to. Hestia smiled at her children's clear enthusiasm and nodded her head at Lucifer.
"Excellent!" Lucifer exclaimed in clear joy and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin purse, which he tossed at Bell who caught it with clear surprise. "That's so you don't have to keep coming to me for valis. Be sure to enjoy the festival and don't be stingy with what's in the purse. I have plenty more valis on me and back home so feel free to treat yourself and the girls as well."
Bell weighed the purse in his hands and felt a knot begin to form in his throat before he forced it down and nodded. The five of them then began to move down the road at a relaxed pace with the three adventurers moving slightly ahead of the two immortals, who trailed slightly behind their charges. Lucifer noticed the questioning glances Hestia kept directing at him and waited until the three adventurers were in line to buy some crepes before turning to her.
"Sooo, I can see you have questions." Lucifer said in a nonchalant manner toward Hestia. "Feel free to ask, after all part of why I wanted to come to this festival was to talk to you."
"So, you did seek me out." Hestia said as she crossed her arms and sent a weary glance his way. "Lots of gods have come by the stand since I started working there. They mostly just chuckle as they watch me work or try to make fun of me when they order, so it's nothing new. But I get the feeling that's not why you came by."
"Correct." Was Lucifer's simple response before his expression grew more serious and he gestured towards their familia members who were chatting as they stood in line to play a game with several small targets and a short bow with wooden arrows. "Tell me, how does it make you feel when you see your familia members leave to go to The Dungeon every morning?"
Hestia seemed surprised at the bluntness of Lucifer's question before responding. "It makes me feel both proud and a bit scared. I'm proud that my children are brave enough to face the monster and work hard every day to pursue their dreams, but the thought that they might not come back one day scares me. I know that we'll have to say goodbye to them eventually, but the thought of possibly losing them so soon is almost unbearable."
Lucifer nodded at Hestia's words. As immortal beings it was only a matter of time before they would have to bid their familia members goodbye. But that did not mean that they did not care when that farewell came, with a century from now being vastly preferable to next week.
"I've only had Bell in my familia for about three weeks now and he's almost gotten himself killed twice in that period." Lucifer said as he turned to better look Hestia in the eye. "He's brave and determined to grow but that doesn't change the fact that he's one boy taking on whatever The Dungeon can throw at him. I've been trying to find a party for him to join but no one I've approached is willing to take him on as anything more than a glorified pack mule."
Hestia hummed at Lucifer's words and turned to glance at Bell as he continued to chat with her two children.
"You're here to see if I'm willing to let our children group up." Hestia stated as she crossed her arms and turned back to look at Lucifer with a serious expression. "I'm not really against the idea, but my girls told me that there is one other member of your familia, your captain. If your so concerned about Bell going into The Dungeon then why has your familia's captain not been going with him?"
"My familia's captain, Maze, is not really that interested in The Dungeon besides the occasional dive to let off some steam." Lucifer explained with a small sigh. "I wish she would take a greater interest in Bell, but she has been keeping him at arm's length since he first joined us. I could order her to train and protect Bell, but I do not want to force her to do anything she does not want to do. As much as I worry about Bell's survival, I don't want to take away Maze's freedom either."
Hestia listened to Lucifer's words quietly before nodding and offering The Devil a small smile.
"I can respect that." Hestia said. "You're trying to help one member of your familia while respecting the wishes of the other."
Hestia went silent for several more minutes before nodding her head and looking up at Lucifer, who had quietly waited for her to finish her inner musings.
"I'm willing to allow a team up if my girls are willing." Hestia said in a serious tone. "Your boy seems nice and the three of them seem to be getting along pretty well, so as long as long as he behaves himself you won't hear any complaints from me."
"That being said you do know that team ups like this are generally looked down upon by most familia's right?" Hestia continued before Lucifer had a chance to respond. "I'm pretty good friends with the god of the Takemikazuchi Familia and he still seemed uncomfortable with the idea of teaming up after my girls joined. He said that it is a matter of pride for most familia to stand on their own when facing The Dungeon, or something like that? I don't really understand it myself, but it seems that team ups like this outside of expeditions are generally looked down on by most of the other gods and familias in the city so be ready for some mockery if word of this starts to spread."
Lucifer let out a rather undignified snort at Hestia's mention of mockery.
"Hestia, I have had to endure a quite a bit more than some ill-mannered ribbing over the Eons so be assured that I can handle anything the pettier deities in this city can throw at me."
Hestia's expression shifted to one of curiosity at Lucifer's comment but before she could ask him to elaborate her actions were interrupted by a bellowing roar that filled the entire plaza.
/
Bell was thoroughly enjoying Monsterphilia. Not only had lord Lucifer decided to spend some time with him outside the club but he was also able to spend some time with his friends and fellow rookies from Hestia Familia. He did feel a small twinge of guilt as he spent some of the valis Lucifer had given him on crepes but the smiles on Emma's and Primo's faces as they bit into there's quickly dispelled any guilt he felt as he took a bite of his own.
The three adventurers' eyes darted around the square in wonder as they took in as much of the festival as they could. With all three of them being from relatively small villages far from any major city the scale of Monsterphilia far eclipsed anything they had previously experienced. They found themselves momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices presented before them before something caught Emma's eyes and she gestured for the other two to follow her. Emma led them to a large stand that was covered from top to bottom in brightly colored paint and designs meant to imitate a sunlit forest. Inside the stand was more brightly painted forest landscape and several small wooden animals standing on various platforms with distinctive red bulls eyes painted on them.
"Well, hello there my young friends!" Spoke the man who was currently manning the stall as he greeted the three of them with a friendly smile. "Care to try your luck? Knock enough of the targets down and you win a prize of your choosing."
The man gestured to the side where several small toys sat on shelves, some made of wood while others were made of cloth. Some were made to look like regular animals while others were made to look like friendly monsters, a common theme across much of the festival, Bell noticed. Emma reached for her coin purse, but Bell was one step ahead of her and set down several coins on the stands counter. The man handed Bell a small bow along with several blunt wooden arrows which he in turn handed to Emma, who took them with a small bit of surprise.
"I already played a little before we met, you go first." Bell said with an encouraging smile.
Emma looked surprised for a second before accepting the bow and arrows with a smile and a faint blush. She then quickly knocked an arrow and fired at one of the smaller animals, a tiny orange fox which she hit dead center and knocked off its pedestal.
All three of them took turns taking shots at the small wooden targets and succeeded in knocking most of them off their platforms. When asked what prize the three of them would like both Bell and Emma turned to ask Primo if there was one that she liked. The young elf quickly said that she did not need any of the prizes but both Emma and Bell noticed how her eyes darted over towards a stuffed animal shaped like an Almiraj even as she voiced her denial. Primo blushed a bright red as Emma handed her the plushie but she didn't try to hand it back and her companions noticed the elf's lips twitch into a smile after failing to maintain a stoic appearance.
"Sooo, does anything else catch your eye?" Emma asked as she turned to look at her two companions.
"Honestly there's so much here I would like to try I don't even know where to start." Was Bell's response, his gaze shifting all over the plaza as he tried to decide what to do next.
"Why not the colosseum." Was Primo's reply as she tried to fit her new plushie into a pocket on her dress, only succeeding in cramming the bottom half in. "It's the festival's main attraction, right?"
Bell and Emma considered this for a few seconds before grinning and nodding at Primo's suggestion. Bell turned around to ask what Lucifer thought but did not find his god standing behind him. He quickly turned around and scanned the plaza, spotting Lucifer conversing with Lady Hestia a short distance away. Despite his senses being enhanced by the falna Bell could not hear what the two were discussing over the din of the festival around them but judging by the expressions on their faces it appeared to be a serious topic.
"Do you think we should wait?" Emma said next to Bell, her gaze also on their two deities.
"We should probably wait." Was Bell's response. He then took another look around the plaza and spotted some benches not far off and suggested that they take a seat and wait for their gods to finish their conversation.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Primo asked as she sat down.
"Who can say?" Emma said with a shrug. She then turned to look at Bell who sat down next to her. "Now that I think about it you haven't really told us much about what kind of god Lord Lucifer is Bell. You usually just talk about how grateful you are he took you in and gave you a chance."
"Um, well Lord Lucifer is a very….. friendly god." Was Bell's initial response as he tried to think about how best to describe his deity. "He enjoys talking with people and getting to know them. He also likes to enjoy himself and likes to make his club feel like one big party every night."
"His club? So Lord Lucifer has a business he runs?" Emma asked with clear curiosity.
"Yes, Lord Lucifer runs a nightclub in the south-east of Orario." Bell explained while deliberately leaving out the exact name of the district where the club was found. Seeing Emma and Primo's faces scrunch up in confusion at the mention of "nightclub" Bell elaborated. "Think of it as a kind of mix between a bar and a dance hall. There are some tables and seats along the bar but most of the patrons are standing, drinking, and talking to each other while some music is played."
"Sooo, they just stand around and drink and talk?" Primo asked, her face expression still slightly confused. "Do they dance while they do that or after they finish? You said it was like a dance hall after all."
"Um, well there is usually some dancing going on throughout the night." At the mention of dancing Bell's face heated up as he remembered exactly what kind of "dancing" took place inside The Salome and he desperately tried to think of some way to change the topic. "S-so Lady Hestia works at a food stand. Does that mean she is a goddess related to food or farming?"
Emma raised an eyebrow as she picked up on Bell's desire to change topics but Primo did not and answered Bell's question.
"No, she said she was the goddess of the hearth." Primo said as she leaned out to better be seen around Emma. "That basically means she is the goddess of homes and maybe fires? I asked her if she had the ability to control fire, but Lady Hestia didn't seem to want to talk about fire and focused more on being the goddess of home."
Bell nodded his head at Primo's explanation before Emma asked a question of her own.
"Do you know what Lord Lucifer is the god of, Bell?" Emma asked as she turned to look at the two deities conversing a short distance away. "He does seem nice, but I would still like to know what he is the god of exactly."
"Umm." Was Bell's response as he thought back on his previous interactions with Lucifer to try and remember if Lucifer had ever mentioned what he presided over. Finding nothing, Bell could only shrug as he thought about what Lucifer seemed to believe in and how he behaved.
"I think he might be a god of desire?" Was Bell's response after racking his brain for a minute. "He hasn't expressly told me what he is the god of exactly, but he does always talk about desire and how it's a good thing to pursue them."
Emma and Primo just silently took in Bell's response and nodded their heads. The three of them then fell into silence as they waited for their gods to finish conversing, each of them allowing their eyes to wander as they took in the festival in front of them. However, the peaceful but festive atmosphere they were enjoying was broken less than a minute later when a loud roar resounded across the plaza.
Jumping to their feet instantly at the sound the three adventurers turned towards the colosseum just in time to see a group of monsters come charging out of one of the doors that circled the building. Bell recognized several of the species of monsters from his studies with Eina and felt a shudder of fear run through him as he saw one monster in particular emerge at the back of the group. A large silverback, its wrists sporting metal cuffs with chains that should have been used to retrain it, lumbered into the plaza and released another roar. Its fellow monsters followed its example and let out roars of their own as they scattered, people jumping out of the way to avoid being trampled by the fleeing monsters. But where the other monsters ran with haste, strangely not bothering to attack any civilians in their efforts to flee the colosseum, the Silverback lumbered forward with a much slower gate. Its wild eyes searched through the plaza like it was on the hunt for something specific and then came to a stop as they landed on Bell and his friends.
The large monsters entire posture suddenly changed and it went down on all fours and began to charge directly at the three rookies. Bell's eyes widened and he drew his knife, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest as the monster closed the distance. Emma made to draw the two short swords she had on her waist before suddenly stopping and looking over at Primo. The young elf had frozen when the monster charged at them and couldn't seem to bring herself to move as it closed the distance. Acting without thinking, Emma immediately grabbed Primo and hoisted her over her shoulder as she ran to the side to get the younger girl out of harm's way. The monster did not seem to notice as it continued its charge directly at Bell.
As it finished closing the distance the Silverback reared back onto its two hind legs and raised its fists into the air before slamming them down towards Bell. The young adventurer hurled himself to the side and avoided the blow, which splintered the bench the three had just been seated on. Scrambling to his feet Bell faced the Silverback as it changed at him on its hind legs, its right fist cocked back to try and punch down into his chest. Bell dodged again and managed to stay on his feet and swiped out at the arm as it passed him. Unfortunately, the knife only managed to scratch the monster as it swung its arm to the side and sent Bell flying. Bell sailed back for about ten feet before his back slammed into the front of one of the wooden stalls, causing him to gasp at the sudden pain. The Silver back lumbered towards him as Bell tried to pick himself up, raising its arm again to punch down on him as he tried to rise. However, before it could throw the punch it let out a roar of pain and turned around.
Emma quickly backed away, one of her now drawn short swords partially covered in blood from stabbing the Silverback while it had been distracted. A short distance away Primo stood trying to compose herself as Lucifer and Hestia rushed to join her. Emma continued to back up as the Silverback let out another roar and slammed both of its fists down again, intent on crushing the girl who had stabbed him. Like Bell Emma hurled herself to the side and avoided the blow but was slower to rise as the monster lumbered towards her. However, Bell had managed to pick himself up by this point and decided to follow Emma's example and stab the monster in the back while it was distracted, his knife managing to penetrate the thick hide and give the monster another wound on its back.
The Silverback roared again began to lash out wildly in every direction in an effort to hit its two assailants, but Bell and Emma were able to back away before it could strike them. Once the beast finished it swept its gaze between the two, trying to decide who to attack before ignoring Emma and turning its attention back to Bell. the young man started backpedaling immediately as the monster leaped at him and started swinging at him with reckless abandon. Bell was able to avoid the blows thanks to his small size and falna enhanced reflexes, even managing to take a few swipes at the monster's arms. Unfortunately, his knife just didn't seem up to the task of cutting through the Silverbacks thick pelt and only left a few scratches on the beasts arms. Emma remained just outside of the beast's range as she waited for an opening, both of her short swords at the ready. Eventually the monster lost its balance on a particularly vicious swing and fell onto its hands, an opening both Bell and Emma took advantage of by leaping forward and stabbing down with their weapons. Emma's swords stabbed down into the monster's left thigh and hip while Bell's knife succeeded in doing some damage when he stabbed it into the monsters right shoulder.
Crying out in rage again the Silverback started lashing out around it with all four of its limbs trying to hit the two rookies. Thankfully the two jumped back as soon as they withdrew their weapons and avoided any harm again. Rising to its feet again the monster looked between the two before oddly choosing to focus on Bell again even though Emma had wounded it more. The fight continued like this for a short while with Bell doing his best to avoid the monster and Emma jumping in to attack whenever she saw an opportunity. The beast continued to mostly ignore Emma in favor of Bell and began to suffer from a growing number of stab wounds as the fight continued.
Off to the side Primo observed the battle with Hestia and Lucifer, feeling concerned for her friends as well as frustrated at her lack of contributions to the fight. Eventually these feelings of frustration grew to the point she simply couldn't contain them anymore and she suddenly darted ahead towards the fight, causing Hestia and Lucifer to call out to her to stop in concern. Stopping a short distance away from the three combatants, Primo raised her arms and brought them together in front of her in the direction of the Silverback. She then took a deep breath and began to chant.
"Illusionary stars across the jet-black sky." Primo chanted as tiny bits of golden light began to gather at her fingertips. "Hear my inexperienced prayers, guide the flash of light-"
At her chanting the three combatants all glanced over at Primo as light gathered together at her fingertips. Both Bell and Emma were surprised the younger girl had decided to step in, both feeling sharp pangs of worry as they saw how close Primo was to the raging monster. The Silverback on the other hand simply felt its rage spike yet again as yet another enemy appeared to get int its way. Deciding to show its displeasure the monster reared back onto its hind legs and turned to fully face Primo and then gave the loudest, most bloodthirst roar it had yet given. The sound and the clear anger the monster showed was enough to shake Primo and she began to sputter as she tried to continue chanting.
"C-come f-f-flowwer of-f t-tear-"Primo stuttered out as the lights on the end of her fingers began to fliker. " de-defeat the…. The!"
But this was as far as Primo made it in her chant before the lights she had gathered began to dim and brighten at a rapid pace, seeming to vibrate in the air in front of her even as she drew her hands back in fear. The fear caused by the roar along with her own unfamiliarity of casting without a staff had caused Primo to lose control of her spell and triggered something every mage feared- ignis fatuus.
Before anyone could do anything, the assembled lights burst outward in a bright explosion of energy. Bell, Emma, and the Silverback were all momentarily blinded by the explosion and took a moment to rub their eyes and regain their sight. Primo unfortunately was far less fortunate. She held her hands in front of her to shield her face, but the explosion sent her tumbling backwards with a loud cry of pain. When she stopped on the ground the young elf curled into a ball as she cradled her two hands, which had both been burned in the explosion. Behind her Hestia let out a shriek of fear and ran forward towards her youngest child, headless of any danger.
"PRIMO!" Emma cried out as she took in the sight of her familia member on the ground, momentarily taking her eyes of the monster in front of her…. to her immediate regret.
Emma's cry immediately drew the attention of the Silverback and seeing such an obvious opening in front of it, it swung its fist directly at the distracted adventurer. The blow struck Emma fully in the front and she had the breath knocked out of her as she was sent sailing back through the air for nearly twenty feet before falling directly onto the top of one of the stands, the wood splintering upon her impact.
Bell felt a chill run down his spine unlike anything he had ever experienced before at the sight of Emma and Primo being taken down. It felt kind of like the fear he had felt when the Minotaur had cornered him on the fifth floor a week before but different, colder. That fear spiked when the Silverback took a step, not in Bell's direction but towards where Emma had landed and still labored to recover her breath. The monster growled as it approached the girl in pink, eager to finally be rid of an enemy that had caused it much pain during their fight. Hestia cried out towards Emma from her spot next to Primo but her older child was still struggling to rise as the Silverback loomed over her.
Without thinking Bell reached down and picked up a cobblestone that had been knocked loose during the fight and tossed it directly at the Silverback. The stone struck the back of its head and caused it to lurch forward slightly before it wheeled around to glare at Bell. Bell felt another jolt of fear before he looked behind the beast and saw Emma still trying to rise. The sight made him stomp down on the fear he felt, and he picked up another stone and threw it at the monster again. This time the monster batted the stone out of the air before it could strike its face and let out another roar, its attention now firmly back on Bell. Feeling a strange mix of fear and relief as the monster advanced towards him and away from Emma Bell did the only thing he could really think to and ran in the opposite direction, with the Silverback quickly giving chase.
Bell weaved through the various abandoned stands and stalls while the monster simply chose to smash through them as it chased Bell. The young adventurer continued to run west down a road out of the plaza and towards Orario's famous Daedalus Street, the Silverback chasing him the entire way. Once the two entered the miniature labyrinth of Daedalus street Bell stopped really thinking of which way to go and just followed his instincts as he ran around corners and down sideroads with no knowledge of where he was going, hoping that the monster would lose track of him in all of Daudalus Street's twists and turns.
Through all this Bell felt a burning sensation in his chest distinctly different from the fear he had felt before or when the Minotaur had chased him on the fifth floor. The sensation grew the more he ran, and Bell found himself mentally cursing as he continued.
'Damnit.' Bell thought as he was forced to run for his life from yet another monster, his only chance of survival seemed to be being saved by another stronger adventurer yet again. That thought made the burning sensation burn even stronger as Bell clenched his teeth and fists as he ran. 'Damnit, Damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT!'
Suddenly Bell turned yet another corner and found himself in a small square with no obvious exit. Bell felt his heart stop for a moment before he glanced behind himself and did not see the Silverback there, the monster apparently having lost him in the maze of Daedalus Street. Bell felt a momentary rush of relief before remembering that the monster must still be close and he prepared to run again before stopping. At the other end of the small square was an opening to a tunnel going down covered only by an old gate that's bars were covered with rust. Quickly jogging over to the gate Bell tried its handle and found that it swung open with a slight screech of old metal. Realizing that this gate could give him a perfect chance to escape the Silverback Bell took a step forward…. Only to stop and take a step back a second later.
'What will happen if I run away?' Bell thought to himself as he looked down into the darkness of the tunnel. 'What will the monster do once it gives up on chasing me?'
Daedalus Street, while not exactly the most populus section of the city, still had many people who called it home. Plenty of people for the monster to attack next once it gave up on its current prey. Plenty of people who might die before stronger adventurers arrived to stop it. Bell could likely save himself by running down into the tunnel, but how many people would end up dying so that he could live? That thought made Bell take another step back and let go of the gate which swung closed in front of him.
Bell slowly felt his emotions begin to calm as he turned his back on the gate and began to walk towards the entrance to the square. About halfway across the square Bell stopped as he heard the jingle of chains and saw the Silverback lumber into view at the entrance, cutting off Bell's route. Strangely, Bell did not feel the fear as strongly as he had before, and he drew his knife from its sheath as the monster lumbered into the square.
Bell and the Silverback regarded each other for a moment before acting. Both were tired from the chase and the stab wounds the monster had endured during the fight had changed section of its fur from white to dark red, and its posture revealed that the wounds Emma inflicted on its left leg were forcing it to keep pressure of that limb. Still, the monster was far larger than Bell and it let out a growl that seemed pleased, like it knew the chase was over. In response Bell simply assumed a fighting stance and waited for the monster to make the first move.
The Silverback lunged forward towards Bell, one of its hands open and stretched in Bell's direction in an effort to grab him but the white-haired adventurer was just fast enough to jump to the side and stab at the outstretched limb. The monster drew back its hand after Bell stabbed it and swung out with its other arm at Bell, which Bell quickly dodged under and moved away from the monster. This was how the fight went for a short time, Bell again dodging the attacks the monster threw at him while the Silverback relentlessly sought to beat him to death. Unfortunately for Bell, without Emma there to take advantage of the openings this single-minded focus provided, the Silverback did not suffer much damage aside from a few scratches and shallow stabs from Bell. This effective stalemate lasted for a short time before Bell made an unfortunate mistake.
As he dodged around another punch from the Silverback Bell lashed out with his knife try and cut through its fur yet again. Unfortunately, Bell swung too early and instead the knife struck the metal manacle that was still fixed on the monster's arm. The impact caused the knife blade to bend for an instant before snapping off an inch above the hilt. Bell's eyes widened as he saw his weapon be destroyed and he lost focus for an instant and was rewarded for this lapse with the Silverback sweeping out with its arm and sending the young man flying back into the squares stone walls. As Bell fell to the floor with dark spots in his vision, he saw the Silverback begin to lumber over towards him, clearly intent on finishing Bell while he was down.
'So, this is it huh.' Bell thought to himself in a daze as he tried to pick himself up as the monster approached him. 'Sorry Lord Lucifer, I guess this is it. Gramps…. I'll be seeing you soon.'
As the Silverback raised its fists to crush him, Bell saw a pink blur suddenly enter the periphery of his sight and jump onto the monster's back. The beast let out a roar of pain and stumbled back a few steps, its hands unclasping and pawing at its back.
"BELL!" A familiar voice shouted and as the monster continued to twist and turn Bell could see Emma clinging to its back with one of her short swords stabbed deep into the monster's back. As Bell took in the sight Emma threw something at him and he looked down and saw Emma's second sword land at his feet. Bell quickly picked up the sword and got to his feet, his vision clearing as he saw Emma kick off the monster's back to avoid being grabbed. She landed hard on the ground and the Silverback reared back a fist to crush her but before it could strike Bell rushed forward and stabbed it in its left thigh, where Emma had already wounded it. The Beast let out a cry of pain as the borrowed short sword rammed into its flesh and it lost its balance, falling forward before catching itself on its hands.
"Illusionary stars across the jet-black sky." Another familiar voice chanted from nearby and Bell turned and saw Primo standing at the entrance to the square. Familiar golden lights were gathering on her burned fingertips, but the young elf continued to chant in a clear voice despite the pain she had to have been in. "Hear my inexperienced prayers, guide the flash of light-"
Seeing not one but two annoyances return the Silverback bared its teeth at Primo and tried to charge at the young elf while she chanted. But before it could take even two steps Emma leapt at it and drove her short sword into the monster's right thigh, the blade sinking deep. The Silverback let out an even more pained howl than before as its two hind legs failed it, forcing it to stand fully on its arms and stopping its charge. Giving Primo the time she needed to finish her spell.
"Come the flower, defeat the defiled!" At those words the lights brightened in intensity and Primo finished her chant. "Lumine Pleiades!"
Several beams of light shot forward from Primo's hands and struck the Silverback with enough force to throw it on its back. The light beams burned away the monster's fur where they struck and left large burn wounds across much of its body. With an almost pitiful growl the Silverback slowly tried to rise and continue the fight, but with its legs wounded and its left arm badly damaged by Primo's magic all it could really do was rise slightly by leaning on its right arm. Still, despite the many wounds it had suffered and the pain it was obviously in, it refused to lay back and die and it turned to look at Bell and began to drag itself towards the young man with its teeth bared.
Seeing this Bell exchanged a glance with Emma and the two nodded at each other. Tightening their grips on the short swords the two charged forward. The only response the Silverback was able to muster was to try and take one last swipe at them with its good arm but both adventurers simply leapt over the arm and landed on either side of its head. Before the monster could turn its head to look at them both thrust their swords into its neck from both sides. The monster tensed up one final time before its entire body went limp and it fell forward onto the cobblestone.
Bell and Emma withdrew their weapons and stood there for a moment, waiting to see if the Silverback so much as twitched. After about a minute had passed with no movement the two lowered their weapons and simultaneously dropped to their knees, both feeling exhausted as their adrenaline stopped pumping.
"Oww." Emma moaned out, her hands coming up to rest on the spot where the monster had punched her earlier.
"Are you alright?" Bell asked as he rested on his knees and panted, feeling drained now that the fight was over.
"I'm alright." Emma said, still clutching her bruised torso. "Just a bit sore. I'm glad we were able to make it in time."
"How did you find me?" Bell asked as he remembered all the twists and turns he had run down upon entering Daedalus Street.
"You can thank Primo for that." Emma said as her grimace shifted into a smile as the young elf made her way over to join them. "She was able to follow traces left by the monster and led us to you."
"It wasn't that had." The young elf said as she sat down next to Emma. "It left behind plenty of blood splatters and other clues. Plus, it wasn't exactly quiet, so it was easy to find."
Bell nodded at the explanation and then held up the short sword Emma had tossed at him. He then held it out so that the handle was directed at Emma. "This sword is pretty good. Where did you find them?"
"Lady Hestia is pretty good friends with Lady Hephaestus." Emma said as she took the weapon back and returned it to its sheath on her waist. "She asked Lady Hephaestus if she sold any good quality weapons for rookie adventurers and Lady Hephaestus showed us where some of the less experienced members of her familia display their weapons."
As Emma finished her explanation, they heard the sound of running feet and saw Lady Hestia run around the corner into the square, followed by Lucifer. Immediately upon spotting her children Hestia ran to them and pulled both into as strong a hug as the tiny goddess could muster. Lucifer approached Bell at a slower pace and extended a hand to him. Bell reached up and took the hand and Lucifer helped Bell to stand up.
"Well, today hasn't quite gone the way I originally pictured." Lucifer said as he glanced over at the dead monster. "I'm not usually one to say this, but I was hoping for something a bit less exciting. Still, I have to say that I'm very pleased with how well the three of you worked together. And I believe I speak or both of us when I say I hope this is simply the first team up between our familias."
The three adventurers looked between the two deities in slight surprise before Hestia continued.
"Lucifer and I talked while the three of you enjoyed the festival." Hestia said as she examined the burns on Primo's hands. "And the two of us think that it would be a good idea for our familias to team up while exploring The Dungeon, given how small each of our familias are. We won't force you, but we're hoping that the three of you will consider forming a party when you go into The Dungeon. It would help set our minds at ease knowing you are looking out for each other."
The three rookie adventurers looked between each other in momentary surprise before they all smiled at each other and nodded.
"I think we would like that Lady Hestia, Lord Lucifer." Bell said to the two deities.
"Excellent!" Lucifer exclaimed in clear pleasure. "Now the festival may be ruined but I'm sure we can find another way to celebrate. How about a nice lunch for the five of us, my treat. I've been hoping to check out that pub you and Maze visited."
Bell and the others nodded at Lucifer's suggestion but before they could leave the small square, they heard the clatter of windows opening around them and saw various people looking down on them, their expressions of shock and surprise as they stared down at the dead monster. Around the corner people came into the square and began to excitedly chatter as they took in the sight of the dead Silverback and the three rookies who had brought it down. As the people took in the sight someone in the growing crowd began to clap and then another and another until almost everyone was clapping and cheering for the adventurers who had stopped such a dangerous monster in their district.
Bell felt his face flush and looking over at Emma and Primo he saw their faces reddening as well. Hestia let out a pleased giggle and stepped away from her children. Lucifer gave Bell a pat on the back and offered a pleased smile.
"It would appear you have a few new fans." Lucifer said and chuckled as he stepped away from Bell as people came up to congratulate the three. "Hestia and I will be waiting at the entryway, enjoy."
And Lucifer moved away from Bell as the first of the people reached him and congratulated him on his victory. Bell felt extremely flustered and a bit awkward from having so much attention on him, but his face still split into a smile, and he couldn't stop feeling pleased as he heard the people around him praise the three of them.
/
Lucifer let out a long sigh as he leaned back against the alleyway outside the square. He felt an unfamiliar sensation of exhaustion sweep over him as he felt the last bit of stress over the fight slowly leave him. Beside him Hestia looked a bit tired herself, but still wore a pleased smile on her face at the thought of her children's accomplishment. It was a pleasure Lucifer shared, made even sweeter knowing that Bell would finally have people to watch his back in The Dungeon.
As the two of them stood outside the alley Lucifer heard Hestia suddenly make a sound of displeasure and looked over to see the small goddess glaring at someone further down the road. Running down the road were two women, one with short red hair and another with long blonde hair. The blonde had a sword at her side and the red head had the unmistakable aura of a god so he figured the blonde was her child and they had come to deal with the now dead Silverback.
"I take it you're not a fan of theirs?" Lucifer said as he gestured towards the two.
Hestia let out another growl and crossed her arms. "Not a chance! You'd sooner see Ares give up war than me trying to get along with Loki!"
"Oh, so that's Loki." Lucifer said and his attention returned to the two with even greater interest. "Would you mind waiting here a moment."
When Hestia nodded Lucifer repressed his divine aura and began to casually make his way over towards the two, who had stopped to talk to an old woman who was at the back of the crowed congratulating the three rookies. Upon closer examination he could see that the blonde's clothes had dirt and tears in several places, like she had recently been in a fight herself.
'I guess the other monsters have been dealt with.' Lucifer thought as he got close enough to hear what Loki and the old woman were saying.
"So those three little rookies managed to take down a Silverback all on their own huh." Loki said as she turned to try and get a look at the three through the crowd. "Not bad, not bad at all. The girls are pretty cute, and the boy looks kinda like one of those little white rabbits they have in The Dungeon. Hey granny you know what familia those three are part of?"
"I'm afraid not." The old woman relied back.
Loki tsked at the lack of answer before taking another glance at the three. "Too bad. If they're capable of taking down a Silverback while still bein a bunch of rookies I kinda wish I spotted em first. What do you think Ais? They worth watching or are they just another bunch of one hit wonders?"
The blonde had been looking at the three while Loki conversed with the old woman and at Loki's question, she adopted a thoughtful expression for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face.
"I think they can grow stronger." Was Ais' simple response to Loki's question.
Loki hummed to herself at her child's response and took another moment to look over the three youngsters before turning around and casually making her way back down Daedalus Street. Ais lingered a moment longer and Lucifer was able to see that her gaze was focused more on Bell than the other two.
"You got stronger, congratulations." Ais said with a smile and a nod in the white-haired boy's direction before she turned and followed her goddess.
Lucifer simply remained silent as he observed the twos' reaction to the news and hummed to himself as wheels began to turn in his mind.
/
The Salome
Lucifer savored the taste of the brandy Maze had handed him as he took his usual seat at the club's bar. After the three adventurers had left their newfound fans behind the five had made their way to the Hostess of Fertility and enjoyed a pleasant lunch. The three members of Hestia had clearly enjoyed the opportunity to eat out and the party of five had enjoyed a pleasant conversation over their food as they all got to know each other better. They had also made sure to grab a few healing potions on their way to the pub so that Bell and Emma were not as bothered by their bruises and Primo did not have to eat her food with burned hands. After they had finished their lunch, the group had separated with the adventurers promising to meet in the park in front of Babel In two days for their familias first joint dive. Bell and Lucifer had then returned to the club and Bell had retired to his room to rest. Lucifer meanwhile had made his way to the bar where Maze was preparing for the club's opening.
"Good day?" Maze asked as she went over their liquor supply and marked down what needed refilling.
"Yes, though a bit more stressful than I anticipated." Lucifer said as he took another sip. Seeing Maze raise an eyebrow questioningly in his direction he decided to elaborate. "Some of the monsters escaped their cages and ran out into the main plaza. One in particular, I think it was called a Silverback, decided to try and crush Bell and his two friends. Thankfully the three of them were able to take care of it and now their set to start working together in The Dungeon so things ultimately went the way I hoped."
Maze nodded her head as she listened to Lucifer and refilled his glass without prompting. She then sent a glance in the direction of the stairs.
"Surprised the kid's knife was able to scratch the thing." Maze said as she went back to taking inventory.
"Actually, I think it broke during the fight. He had to borrow a weapon from one of the others to finish it off." Lucifer clarified. "I don't suppose that you have a spare you'd be willing to part with? High quality knives are rather expensive."
Lucifer was surprised that Maze did not immediately shoot the idea down and instead simply hummed to herself. Maze then took out a sheet of paper from behind the counter and placed it in front of Lucifer.
"Here are the estimates for how much it should cost to get Loki Familia some supplies for their expedition." Maze said as she leaned on the counter across from Lucifer. "If you were to ask my opinion, I think the magic swords would probably be best. They have mages with healing spells and some quick firepower in an emergency would probably be very helpful. Your call though."
Lucifer briefly glanced over the list stating the prices for his familia's apology gift to Loki Familia but instead of stating what he thought would be a good gift he stood up and began to pace in front of the bar. Maze followed his movements with another raised eyebrow."
"Change your mind about the apology gift?" Maze said as Lucifer reached one end of the bar and began to make his way to the other.
"Not exactly. You see I happened to see Loki and the Sword Princess while I was out today. You know the girl Bell is infatuated with." Lucifer explained as he continued to pace. "And they both seemed to be impressed with how Bell and the others dealt with the monster. Impressed enough that Loki said and I quote "I kinda wish I spotted em first"."
"That got me thinking. Perhaps I'm viewing this potential feud with Loki Familia all wrong." Lucifer continued. "I was thinking about what we could give Loki Familia to ease any potential tension between us. But know I'm thinking about what this potential feud has given US."
"And what has this this situation given us, exactly?" Maze asked, curious where Lucifer was going with this.
"An excuse, my dear Maze. This situation has given us an excuse to approach Loki Familia!" Lucifer said as a grin appeared on his face.
Seeing that Maze wanted him to elaborate further Lucifer continued.
"Loki Familia is one of the strongest and most well respected familia's in the city. It contains some of the most famous adventurers in all of Orario and beyond. It sounds to me like the perfect environment for a young man with heroic aspirations to thrive in." Lucifer elaborated. "And now we have a valid excuse to approach them and speak with them."
"You want to befriend Loki Familia so you can transfer Bell to them when the year is up." Maze stated.
"Yes. I was thinking that we approach them, and I use the old Morningstar charm to smooth over this potential feud and we offer to help them prepare for their future expedition." Lucifer said with clear excitement. "But you, being the familia's captain and the co-manager of the club will not have the time to focus on assisting Loki Familia with its preparations, the same as me. This would mean we would have no choice but to send out only remaining familia member over to Loki Familia to assist them and act as a line of communication between us. We then make sure that Loki Familia gets to see and hear how capable an adventurer Bell is and I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time until they will wish that the lad was one of their own! Then when the year is up, and Loki Familia is thoroughly acquainted with Bell and fond of him the conversion should be as simple as Bell packing his things and just moving right on in!"
At that last bit Lucifer stopped his pacing, turned to face Maze and spread his arms wide with a grin on his face. Maze just crossed her arms and stared back at Lucifer.
"I somehow doubt it will be as simple as you are making it sound." The demon said in a deadpan.
Unfazed by Maze's skepticism Lucifer let out a chuckle and finished off the rest of his brandy.
"O ye of little faith." Lucifer said as he placed the glass back down on the counter. He then offered Maze his usual confident smile. "Just you watch. By this time next month Lucifer Familia and Loki Familia will be practically joined at the hip."
With those words Lucifer strolled away from the bar to go and talk with some of his friends around the Entertainment District to see what they could tell him about Loki Familia and its members. Behind him Maze just watched him leave, suddenly feeling a headache begin to come on as she considered all the ways this plan could potentially go to hell.
/
Babel, Top Floor
Freya went over the day's events in her mind as she sipped a glass of red wine. In some ways the days' events had been a letdown while in others it had been a rousing success.
The letdowns had been in the form of two girls who had decided to step in and assist her potential Odr in the impromptu test she had prepared for him. While she could respect the feelings of friendship that had compelled them to step in and assist him, she wondered how much brighter her little rabbit might have shone if he had overcome her test without assistance. Or he might have died and proven himself to be insufficient to be her destined partner. Such thoughts would undoubtably appear cruel to most mortals, but Freya had extremely exacting standards for those who she thought could be her Odr and she refused to lower them, regardless of how many potential partners she had gone through in her centuries long search.
Still, her new prospective Odr had not failed her test and there had even been one point where he had legitimately surprised and pleased her. She had watched him flee from the Silverback she charmed after his allies had been taken out of the fight, his soul wracked with fear and frustration. She had then watched as he found a potential avenue of escape in the form of the underground tunnel and had watched him stop before the entryway. With her arcanum sealed she could not know exactly what thoughts had gone through his mind at that moment, but she had watched as his resolve had returned and he steeled himself to face the monster instead of running away. At that moment his soul had shined with an exquisite clarity, causing her to shudder with pleasure as he turned his back on the tunnel and went back to face the monster hunting him despite the clear possibility of death. That moment had convinced her to ignore the assistance he received from the two girls and that he was still worthy of more testing, though she would make sure that the two girls would not be able to assist him next time.
Thinking of the assistance Bell had received from Hestia's two children turned Freya's thoughts towards Bell's other allies, his familia. And what an interesting familia it was.
When she had first learned exactly what kind of establishment Bell was living in Freya had been tempted to send her children into the Entertainment District to burn the Salome to the ground. Then she had taken a moment to calm herself and realized she was being slightly hypocritical. While she had longed for her Odr for as long as she could remember Freya had not exactly lived a chaste life during her search and she was self-aware enough to realize that it was a tad bit unfair to reprimand her potential Odr for enjoying pleasures of the flesh when she had indulged in such pleasures herself countless times over her own existence. There was also the fact that Freya was willing to bet all of Folkvangr and its content that she was a vastly superior lover to any of the harlots who worked in the Salome, so she was certain Bell would not find her wanting in any way if she chose to take him to her bed.
As for her thoughts on his actual familia members Freya would admit that she found the two of them to be intriguing as well. From what she had heard his god Lucifer was similar to many other male deities she knew in the city and back in the heavens, with his preoccupation with pleasure and enjoying himself. But when she had actually laid eyes on him earlier that day, she had almost found herself blinded by the sight of his aura. His aura was perhaps one of if not the brightest she had ever seen, and it radiated such clear and strong emotions, lust, pride, and curiosity to name a few. But there had been other, darker emotions as well as she had been able to perceive anger, guilt, and uncertainty all marring his light like dark spots on the sun.
If Freya had still been in the heavens she might have chosen to pursue Lucifer as a potential Odr, but Freya had been with enough gods over the millennia that she had come to be less interested in such static beings as her fellow deusdea and like many others who had descended to the lower world found that she enjoyed the brief but passionate affairs she had with the mortals of the lower world. Still, if Bell proved himself unworthy of being her Odr then she might consider indulging in a brief fling with his god as she had no recollection of having interacted with him in heaven and he seemed like enjoyable company.
And then there was the third member of their little familia, Mazikeen. A woman who had shocked her in a way no one in the heavens or on earth had shocked her before.
At the thought of the dark-skinned woman Freya stood from her couch and made her way over to the massive window that in front of her, stopping just in front of it and staring down in the general direction of the Salome.
"I can't see her." Freya quietly muttered to herself for what was likely the dozenth time. "Why can't I see her?"
For Freya the event of first laying eyes on Mazikeen had been a truly jarring experience. Oh, she could physically see the woman, her dark skin and her black leather clothes. But beneath that….. nothing. Not the shine of a soul that longed for battle like most amazons had or a soul longing for carnal pleasure. Not a soul filled with anger or love. Not a soul filled with pain or regret. When Freya looked at Mazikeen she could see no soul at all.
Was it a skill? Some magic item that masked her from the sight of deities like her, who could perceive the souls of mortals as easily as they could see their skin and eyes? Was the woman some kind of automaton made so skillfully as to appear perfectly human? All of these questions and more ran through Freya's mind as she tried to think of exactly why it was she could not perceive the soul of Lucifer Familia's captain.
In a way it would be fair to say that Maze's apparent lack of a soul had captivated Freya as much as the previously unseen clear nature of Bell's soul. But where Bell filled her with desire Maze filled her with curiosity. What kind of person was Maze? Freya was able to immediately learn a great deal about someone just by setting eyes on them and seeing the color and clarity of their soul, but Maze? With Maze she was reduced to the level of a mere mortal, only able to guess what was going on inside the woman's mind through her expression and the way she held herself. It was a new and truly odd experience, to be left guessing like everyone else when all she usually needed was a quick glance to understand most people.
Freya suddenly began to chuckle as she looked down from her throne atop Babel, a sense of excitement and curiosity coursing through her.
"What an interesting little familia." Freya murmured to herself as her lips pulled back into an eager smile. "I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better."
/
Dear lord, this chapter took a long time to write. I sincerely apologize for making you all wait so long for an update. I was actually able to have a pretty good chunk of this finished about a week after I posted my last chapter but then I received some unfortunate news that just really dragged my mood down and robbed me of any desire to write for a couple of weeks. I wont bore you with what exactly the news was and I'm feeling better now so I really hope I can finish the next chapter without such a long wait again.
For those of you who were hoping for Freya to be head over heels for Lucifer, sorry to disappoint but I have decided to keep her romantic focus on Bell for this fic. I did this because of the parts in volume 8 and episode 11 of season 2 where we are told that it is easier in many cases for gods to fall in love with mortals than it is for them to fall in love with each other. As for why Freya cannot see Maze's soul well those who have seen season five of Lucifer will probably be able to answer that question pretty easily.
Next chapter we will return to Loki Familia and get to see the first "proper" interaction between Lucifer Familia and Loki Familia.
My question for this chapter is the same as last chapter since the answers I read in the revies seemed pretty evenly split. Should Maze join the Loki Familia on their expedition, yes or no.
As always I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and have a pleasant day.