Chapter 64: Home at last
Kirito:
Breaking into the compound on the heels of Morte, Kirito's eyes analyzed the contents in a mere fraction of a second, quickly confirming what his ears had been picking up. Around the Ganesha familia members rounding up members of the thieves there were four figures off to one side.
"Haha, what did I say man! Here it is!"
Pushing through to them, Kirito ignored Morte's words as the suspicious man tried to talk to him again.
"Oh, finally here? If you had only—"
Shakti's words were similarly passed over. There were only three figures in his mind, one of them more important at this moment then the others.
"Still, we need to be careful about the news of the snake monster. Here is not the place to—"
Rain's words cut off as she caught a glance of Kirito's face. A blossoming smile twitching and then fading into a mask of panic.
"Hmm? You look as if you've seen a ghost!" The lady Kirito did not recognize said, laughing slightly. Then the other two found Kirito and caught on pretty instantly. Philia even shifting slightly to remove Rain's one flight path.
Accepting that there was no escape, Rain backed herself against the wall, lifting her hands as if to ward him off like a wild beast. "Now don't look at me with that expression. I was safe the whole time. Most of the guns were fake after all! I just—Eep!"
Darting in with a blurring speed, Kirito ignored Rain's resistances. Wrapping his right arm around her head and his left around her waist, Kirito pulled her against him.
"You idiot." Kirito whispered into her red hair.
"Ahaha," Rain chuckled back. "Aren't you going to yell at me?"
"Why would I do that? As long as you're safe. I'm happy."
Kirito's words took the tension out of her body. She relaxed into him, her soft breathing tickling the side of his neck.
"Hehe, I might have to do this more often if this is what it takes to get this type of attention."
It may have been a joke, but the words cut deep. In some ways, it was accurate. Silica had rushed over with the Ganesha members to help Rain and was left standing there alone. A soft smile playing on her lips at Kirito's intrusion and 'punishment' of Rain.
"Hmm, so what you are saying is that I need to punish you by not interacting with you for a week after this?"
"Нет! Are you insane!? That would be torture! Although… I suppose I could not disagree if you rewarded Silica and Philia first…"
"So, the rumours really were true…" It was the woman from before that Kirito had ignored in his rush to reach Rain. She was standing beside Silica, the two's physical appearances were very different. Even with Pina on Silica's head, the dragon's eye level was below that of the woman's.
With a cursory glance, Kirito was able to appreciate the woman's physical form's sexual appeal. Like Freya and Ishtar, there was no way to ignore it. No clothes or slumping could hide the innate curves and instinctual appeal.
Not being an animal however, Kirito coughed and disengaged himself from Rain, turning to the woman. With the poor state of her cloths, he made a reasonable assumption. "Were you another hostage?"
"Ahh, I am. My name is Rosalia. I have of course heard of you, black swordsman. Your concubine, Silica, helped rescue me."
"Co-Co…" Face twisting with apoplexy, Silica stopped trying to pronounce the word. "Rosalia! That isn't it! I'm his girlfriend!"
Kirito wasn't quite sure what the word's implications were, but going off Silica's reaction, the younger girl had the idea that it was a poor choice of words. A quick glance at Rain and Philia marked their disapproval at the word choice too.
"Silica speaks true, but that is beside the point." Kirito marched on with the conversation. "Can you return to your familia? If not, I'm sure that the Ganesha members will love to help you out. Either way, Shakti will want to talk to you."
"About that…" An aura of helplessness surrounded the woman, who bit her lower lip. "I'd rather not return… my party upon seeing the bandits tripped me and left me behind to be a distraction. I'm afraid I'm not a very good spear fighter, but if you would accept me into the familia… I am sure there are ways I'll be helpful."
The seduction was not exactly subtle. Glancing away from her, Kirito wondered if this was how people thought of him now. Some insatiable monster that would take any woman who offered.
"Oi, oi, now that's not fair. I chat you up for a few days and nothing. Now you're throwing yourself on my savior!"
Kirito wanted to sigh. Can I not get a moment alone with my kidnapped girlfriend?
"Ha! Unlike you, Kirito here is actually cute!"
Kirito was so zoned out that he barely even noticed as Rosalia clung to his arm as she demeaned Morte.
"Hey, I distracted the guards for you!"
"You fled to save your own skin!"
"Enough!" Kirito spoke into the gap, shaking off Rosalia's contact. "You two, go talk to Ganesha familia. You three, I have work to do and am returning to Miach familia home. Make sure you arrive at the scheduled time for the familia meeting."
The sheer command in his voice stopped all argument. As Morte slunk off with a wave, Rosalia gave Silica a quick hug and winked at Kirito.
"I'm going to stay at Ganesha familia again," Silica said, stepping up to Kirito. "I'll be there for the meeting though."
"Thank you so much for your help." Leaning down, Kirito brushed his lips against her forehead. As he pulled away however, he was stopped by Silica grabbing the front of his shirt with her right hand.
As his head was frozen in place, she went on tiptoes to forcefully push her lips against his. It was not the first time he had kissed Silica, but it was the most forceful. There was a maturity in the kiss that he had not expected. A wealth of near-death experiences pushing her development far faster than what would be normal.
Even with previous experience, the jarring, sensual expression of care left Kirito blushing, heart hammering in his chest. Barely contained urges now blazing him through him.
Silica, meanwhile, seemed to have known exactly the reaction she had drawn out of him and gave Kirito a teasing smile. "Don't miss me too much until then!"
"Ahh…" Left dazed, Kirito could only shake his head in disbelief. Likewise, Philia and Rain stared after Silica with pouts, unable to follow her actions.
Bell:
"Umm, excuse me." Bowing swiftly, Bell tried to walk past Astraea familia.
"Hey, that's cold!" Alise's pouting words were a stab to Bell's pride. They were his friends after the adventurer they had together. Alone, however, Bell was no match for their wit and frankly overwhelming beauty.
Right after Lefiya and Ais unsettled me too…
"S-Sorry, my familia will be looking for me! Umm, enjoy the dungeon!"
"Now, hold on," Lyra drawled physically blocking Bell's path.
His lowered head now backfiring as he stared directly in the Prum's eyes. Her body looked so slender and small that he could just bowl her over but trying that would end undoubtedly with himself eating dirt.
"Oh, so you ran into your Loki crushes, huh? Lyu, you need to work fast to snag this one!"
"Guh!" First-tier adventurers are terrifying! Bell's terror clearly showed in his eyes and Lyra's smile widened.
"Oh, no need to fret. Based on his lineage, he'll have his own harem in no time."
"Gaaah!" Bell took another physical blow, stumbling to the side. He thought having even one girlfriend may fry his circuits. As always, however, the mere mention of it began Bell's overactive imagination to begin imagining the girls in his life as something closer than friends.
"But Lyu still needs to be first!" Alise finished the deadly barrage. "Everyone knows that the MC only cares about the main girl and the side ones are only there so they don't feel bad!"
"What are you talking about?" Kaguya sighed.
"Hmm, a god said that once at one of those parties Astraea used to attend."
In a daze, Bell staggered forward again, forced to slip through the blockade that Kaguya and Lyra had set up. The two girls chuckling as Bell went to great lengths to avoid touching them.
"Enough, all of you! I will escort Mr. Cranell back up to the surface and return. Your callous words sully your own souls!"
"Ah, sure."
"Yupp."
"Sorry!"
With no complaints, the three disappeared like ghosts down the tunnel Bell had climbed out of.
Ah, relief… Basking in their beauty was not worth the complete humiliation they induced. Wait… what did Lyu say?
"Now then, let us proceed, Mr. Cranell."
"Urgh!" Oh no, this is ten time worse! Instantly feeling sweat begin to pour down his back, Bell shot a hasty look over at Lyu. The beautiful elf was standing there in her typical ivory armour, long hair splayed out behind her, wooden sword in hand. This time, she was wearing a green cloak with the hood down.
The soft elven features possessed an ethereal beauty that made Bell's heart flutter. That flutter turned into an earthquake as Lyu blushed slightly, averting her eyes.
"My apologies that you are stuck with me as a guide. I'm sure you would have preferred one of the Loki girls…"
"N-No, of course not!" Bell replied before he realized the implication in his words. Having locked himself into a guide, Bell sighed and began to trudge. It had to be getting close to the time. "Why do you say that?"
Lyu lowered her face as well, falling into a walk half a step back. "You grew rather… physical with them during the expedition."
"Urgh!" Bell flinched. The worst part was, he could not remember most of the moments besides waking up. There had been a couple of occasions where his passed-out body had been in contact with either Ais or Lefiya for drawn out periods of time.
It's a wonder they don't hate me…
"I have made this awkward. My apologies, Mr. Cranell."
Grasping at anything to change the topic, Bell leapt on the thread provided. "W-Why do you call me that? Mr. Cranell? None of the other adventurers speak so respectfully."
"None in my familia," Lyu muttered. "It is your name, and I am showing respect to both it and you."
"Umm, can you call me Bell instead?" Ahh, what did I say!? Stumbling over the ground as well as his words, he needed to use the wall to steady himself.
"Are your injuries that bad? You can lean on me or I can… Umm…"
"Huh?"
Bell caught only a brief glimpse of a crimson face. In the same moment as a quick, "please forgive me," played through his ears, Bell found himself scooped off his feet.
"Ehh!?" perpendicular to the ground, Bell looked up at the one that now held his body in their arms. Lyu was dutifully not looking down, her gaze straight ahead as she picked up the pace.
"M-Ms. Lyu!?"
"…"
Nothing. "MS. LYU!"
Raising the octave of his voice produced no reply either. Caught in a cradle of warmth, Bell quickly found his still present injuries catching up to him. The adrenaline of the day fading as the soothing motions of Lyu's movement rocked him to sleep.
"I… can't keep letting women… take care of me…"
Eyelids slipping shut, Bell had a dream that he was on a boat.
The boat rocked badly on the choppy sea. The sky was completely obscured under the overcast sky. Tiller in hand, Bell yelled out to his crew, "hold on everyone! We can out last this!"
"Aye aye captain!" They all called back.
Adjusting his cap with a smile, Bell stared out at all of the hard workers. On the crow's nest above, Lili lurked, meticulously scanning for obstacles and calling out course corrections. At the bottom of the main mast was Haruhime, broom in hand, keeping the ship clean. Near her was Hestia, the patron of the journey who lounged about, their wages slipping between her fingers.
Manning a sweeping oar by herself on one side was Lyu. Blond hair plastered to her sailor outfit by the brine swelling over the edge. On the other was Ais, almost a twin of Lyu in appearance but with a rounder face and missing the ears. If they both stared straight at Bell, he knew that the eyes would also bear extreme differences. That left only Lefiya working the ropes. The haggard elf staggering from position to position.
She shot Bell a glare as if saying, hire more crew members! Stop being so stingy and find some by yourself!
Silently, Bell responded, tipping his hat to her. Ah, but who could I possibly add that could match the beauty gathered here?
As he was lost in his thoughts, a hand slapped him on the shoulder. Turning in confusion, Bell found Kirito standing there. He wore an extravagant black get-up with a matching hat and an eyepatch of all things.
"Arr, how do ya be, captain Bell? I see that yar crew is getting put together, although it do be no match for mine."
Speaking directly what Bell had been thinking, he shrugged off the hand with a shrug. "Lady Hestia is stringy with her coin."
Kirito laughed wildly, "Aye, she do try. Forced her to either join the crew or walk the plank. Wonder what she will choose when you give her the ultimatum!"
"I-I would never!" Bell responded.
"There will be a time for decision making," Kirito assured Bell, the weird accent nowhere to be found as that singular black eye bored into his very soul. "You have a powerful beginning here. Don't let your progress through this ocean stagnate while distrust brews."
Finally clueing into the noises he had been blocking out, Bell found his ship in total disarray. Lili was half out of the crow's nest, yelling at Hestia while Haruhime failed to mediate. Likewise, Lefiya had gotten pissed off at her work and was trying to switch with Lyu who was rebutting her with soft words while Ais looked on, her oar fallen silent.
The ship was rotating quickly, all forward progress completely forgotten. As that moment, a giant wave crashed against them, violently rocking the boat, almost sending Bell unto his backside. Staggering upright, he gaped at a pitch-black monster of a ship. A horde of orderly female workers kept it straight and organized, plowing through the waves that caused Bell so much difficulty with no trouble.
"So long Bell! Good luck catching up!"
"Kirito!" Yelling back at the captain of that boat, Bell reached out a hand, but the captain clothed in darkness disappeared from sight with a wave of his cloak.
Stretching out after him, Bell went over the railing. Having only a second to guard his head, he plunged into the icy depths.
"Gaa!" Gasping, Bell jerked awake. Eyes flying open, he found himself face-to-face with Lyu. Her beautiful aquamarine eyes creating a stunning contrast to his own ruby ones.
Distress in the crew…
Bell started leaning forward, reducing the already small distance between their faces. I could kiss her…
Aye, do it my boy! You'll reach heights your father could only dream of!
The sharp introduction of his old god's voice seemed strangely natural. Surpass them all. Kirito, father, mother.
Bell's head leaned even closer. Lyu's lips were now so close to his own that he could barely see them. Two glowing orbs of brilliant blue light transfixed his attention. A nervous confusion was clear in them. Behind the purity lay a deep shadow of sorrow. A wound that festered deep inside.
I can drive that away…
Then, a brief whooshing of wind around him and a pain shot up Bell's backside. Writhing briefly in pain, Bell held his tailbone as fragments of tears formed at the corners of his eyes.
"Ah, s-sorry!" Lyu stuttered but she did not lean down to check on him, instead turning around. "You were so close and I… I… I need to get back to my familia members!"
Bell watched dazed as the elf fled, hands covering her face. A brief glance told him that he was now on the ninth floor.
"I feel asleep in Gale's arms… I tried to kiss Gale…" Mimicking the kind elf, Bell buried his face in his hands and moaned.
All the while he cursed dream Kirito and his old god's stupid advice.
Silica:
Humming to herself, Silica sat on her bed reading while her toes flicked past each other. The tics of excitement blossoming from her could not be contained. However, she was making no progress on the monster taming volume that she was borrowing from Ganesha familia.
Her mind was instead filled with today's—or was it yesterday's?—kiss. That moment was interspersed with images of how tomorrow may go. The sly smile she would shoot Kirito. The brief moment they would have alone in corner of the house. Would that be enough to pique his interest? For him to arrange an evening meeting where they would talk about Silica's role here at Ganesha familia? How it would run long and Silica would have to spend the night in his room?
Humming increasing in intensity, Silica missed the knock at her door.
"Kyuu!" Pina spoke up, pecking her head hard once.
Rubbing the spot, Silica glared at the dragon. It was Pina, of that Silica was certain, but the dragon was different. For one thing, Pina was a lot stronger now. But that was nothing compared to the look in her eyes. Sometimes she swore she saw an intelligence that rivalled her own.
"What happened in that cavern anyway…?" Silica rubbed her head, unable to recall the muddied memories. Why did she have the image of a lizardmen in her mind whenever she thought about swimming after Pina?
Knock, knock!
"Ah, come in!" Jumping slightly, Silica put the book down. "Are you finished with the—"
"Not who you were expecting?"
"R-Rosalia," Silica stammered, sitting a little straighter. "How are you faring?"
Well, Silica thought from the new garb that now draped her body. Her face was cleansed of dirt and Rosalia was even wearing make-up. With the cosmetics and a sleek black dress that fit her well, she was even more beautiful than she had been in Daedalus Street.
"I think my appearance speaks for itself," Rosalia answered. "The real question is, how do you plan to build momentum from the stunt you pulled today."
"Huh?" Silica recoiled slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"I was… unsure about your little relationship status, but I think I figured it out. So far, that boy has only claimed one woman who is neither of the two involved in the rescue. Based on your actions however, I think they are the next two in the hierarchy. Today, you made a show of force that you mean to surpass them."
Silica blushed scarlet. "W-What? No. I mean…" Trailing off, Silica took another glance at the woman. She's from my world… At last, it clicked. "You're an amazon."
"Oh, well done!" Rosalia clapped her hands. "I think you're the first person to figure that out. When your skin is as light as mine is, people tend to be a little oblivious."
"I had a lot of help. Is it difficult—"
Rosalia cut her off with a raised hand. "You don't care about the differences in being a human or an amazon. I'm sure getting accustomed to those ears and tail took a lot longer. You want to know how to pull your man into a bed and secure your place."
Oddly, with the matter-of-fact speech, Silica felt her blush slowly lessening. It was a simple statement of fact. "I… can't deny it. But… aren't you going to tell me that I'm too young?"
"Too young?" Rosalia lifted an eyebrow. "I saw you kill a man today with a single kick. You only gave the body a single glance of remorse. Like it or not, you are a woman and a warrior now, wetted with blood."
Silica winced slightly at the memory. She had been trying to simply stop them from fleeing. It was hard to judge everyone's strength at a moment, and just a little too much power could easily break a spine.
"You may see me that way, but Kirito doesn't. No one does. I'm just a girl in all of their eyes because I don't have breasts like you!"
"Cute but not hot," Rosalia said with a wicked smile. "There are advantages to both. There are strategies that you will not be able to pull off, but women overestimate how much breast size matter to men."
With each word, Silica was growing more and more intrigued. Leafa and Liz were good friends, but they were both around her age. She didn't have her mother to talk to about these things or a mentor at all.
"You… You are willing to help me secure my relationship with Kirito?" Silica asked doubtfully.
"Ah, I am." Rosalia leaned forward, meeting Silica's intensity. "My first piece of advice is free; continue to capitalize on the gap, as you did today."
"Gap?" Silica asked cluelessly.
"Your whole appearance and personality is 'cute and submissive'. That was how your man treated you when he kissed you on the forehead. You flipped that around when you grabbed his shirt and forced a hard kiss on him.
"That is the 'gap'. You changing suddenly from submissive to domineering. You almost had him on all fours scurrying after you."
"D-Did I really?" Silica asked with a note of pride.
"You did. Boy didn't even glance as the two girls left behind." Rosalia confirmed. "Leveraging that change without letting it become predictable will be your biggest asset."
"That's… but I didn't plan that kiss I just… I just wanted more." Silica finished lamely. Her cheeks heated again. Not from embarrassment of the topic, but frustration at her uselessness.
"Then you have good instincts." Rosalia confirmed. "But I want to make a deal first."
Oh, right. Apprehension gripping her, Silica gave the woman a hard glare. "If you want into the harem, that isn't up to me. I can try but—"
"No, that's not for me." Rosalia dismissed her. "I'll take the men I want, when I want them. Although… I suppose when the two of you grow acquainted, we could always try a threesome to liven it up."
There were a few reasons Silica doubted that would ever happen, but as a hypothetical, she did not comment on it. "So, what do you want?"
"Connections," Rosalia put it simply. "If I give your familia a quest, you'll take it at a discount. Also, you'll look to me to provide you with assorted goods."
"I… I will also struggle to provide that." Silica answered honestly. "I'm not a very important person in the familia. I can take on the occasional quest that I can do solo or in a small party, but Kirito manages most things with help from Rain and Lili."
"You underestimate your influence," Rosalia chuckled. "Remember today? The impact of a few whispered words while your bodies are tangled in the bedsheets is ten times greater. Besides, I'm not trying to scam you, I'm simply trying to get in early."
"Get in… early?"
"Surely you aren't deaf?" Rosalia raised an eyebrow. "Hestia familia is the biggest name in the city right now, excluding the resurrection of Astraea familia. Basically, you are making waves. Everyone wants to be your friends. We know how much potential you have. I predict that in a year, you will be the strongest familia in Orario. It would have been less if the dead ones had stayed that way."
Dead ones. Silica thought on the term as a distraction. They had won a wargame in a flashy manner before the entire city. That was before setting off on an expedition with some of the strongest adventurers.
Giving a grudging nod, Silica knew her answer. "I'll try to get you in. Now explain, how do I know when to go on the offensive?"
Getting ready to learn, Silica tried to absorb as much information as she could in the hours before the familia meeting.
Kirito:
Putting down the quill, Kirito stood and stretched. Glancing outside, he found the sun started to inch above the upper edge of Orario's walls.
"That should be time then…" Sighing, Kirito looked back down at his desk and the notes and letters that he had written. A pile of books spread across the table that he was in the midst of reading.
He still struggled to believe how much his life was changing. Rolling his shoulders once to dispel the fatigue of the sleepless night, Kirito strode from the room. Walking through the halls of Miach familia home, Kirito tapped on the doors where his familia members were staying.
Heading over to the kitchen, Kirito found Haruhime already hard at work making breakfast. Falling in beside her, Kirito started setting places for everyone.
"Any news about Bell?"
"Not yet," Haruhime sighed heavily, her eyebrows scrunching in a cute manner. "You don't think that he…"
"Bell will come back." Kirito assured her. "I checked in with Hestia yesterday and she confirmed he is alive."
"Alive is not well," Haruhime responded, wringing her hands as she stared out the door. "He should know that the meeting is in half an hour… Why isn't he home?"
Walking over to her, Kirito laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you honestly think he'll abandon us?"
"I-I just…" Haruhime looked away from him, unable to string together her thoughts. "I'll feel better when I see him."
"Me too." Leaving the contact there, Kirito went over to the stove. The food was more western styled with slabs of meat, eggs, and buns. "What are you making?"
"Umm, Lili called them breakfast sandwiches…"
"They look good. Need help?"
"Oh no, please sit down. You've done more than enough already."
"Heh, you really are shaping up. I remember when you would have stuttered half a dozen times trying to tell me that."
Kirito's harassment got only a mild stare. Turning back to her work, Haruhime responded flatly, no reverence in her voice at all. "Levelling up appears to have changed me."
"Hmm…" Playing with one of the forks he had laid out, Kirito considered the line of thinking. In many ways, levelling up could feel like a disappointment. It was hard at first to notice the changes until the body adapted, but that could take a week depending on the fighting being done.
On the other hand, that was from a physical standpoint. Was there a mental change? Technically, there had to be some. After all, Kirito knew that if someone from outside shot a bow at him, he could catch the arrow. Yet, as he sat here, he did not feel like his mind worked faster at all times.
So, were the battle reflexes simply that? A battle enhancement? Or did those moments change the person?
"That is quite the claim." Kirito finally responded. "I suppose we could ask Hestia when she gets here."
Oddly, Haruhime shot him a look of disbelief. As if he had said something stupid. "I meant the ability to feel powerful has changed me. I've had to rely on others at all times. My sorcery is about empowering others, not myself."
"O-Oh. I see…" I'm getting stupid from exhaustion… Lapsing into silence, Kirito was glad as the others began arriving at the table.
First to arrive were Makoto and Sachi, the kunoichi pair diligent as always. Flashing them a smile, Kirito got answering expressions for only a moment before they rushed over to comment on what Haruhime had made.
After them was Lili on the footsteps of Hestia. The goddess looked groggy eyed as Lili chased after her with a sheet, demanding an answer about something. The rest of the familia appeared as a singular large clump. Rather than call out to the six of them individually, Kirito sent them a wave.
"Kirito!" Strea replied enthusiastically. Rushing over, she took the seat beside his, snuggling in so her bosom was pressing against his arm.
I don't even blush anymore…
Patting her hand with his own, Kirito looked over at her. "That's a lot of energy this early in the morning."
"That's because I had to run around after you fled from me!" Strea pouted. "After you knocked, I went to the door to get your help picking an outfit and getting dressed but you had already left!"
"And I told you!" Yui poked the back of her head. "If you plan on dragging my papa into bed, then do it somewhere where I cannot hear!"
"E-Elder sister!" Strea protested, holding her head.
Feeling the loss of warmth as Strea untangled herself to protect her head, he gave her another piece of advice. "And don't try it right before an important meeting."
"Oh? So those are the only requirements? Yui can't hear and not before a meeting… Interesting."
Kirito laughed lightly, sensing the teasing tone in her voice. However, he was the only one. None of the other girls found it funny apparently.
Coughing awkwardly, Kirito addressed Hestia. "Should we eat first or…?"
"…Yes," Hestia sighed eventually. She still shot him a glare, but she did not harp on his habits that she disagreed with.
As a virgin goddess I'm putting her in a tight spot… It was not the first time Kirito had thought that, but he did still feel guilty. It wasn't that Hestia was assembling a familia of celibates, but he really did rub his antithetical lifestyle in her face.
With Haruhime's adept serving, the awkwardness hanging over the table was quickly dispelled as the good food was distributed and people broke their fast with it.
Digging in himself, Kirito reveled in the hearty texture. It was a lot early in the morning, but in a good way. Egg, meat, bread and a sweet sauce. Eating first was a grand idea as no one had the inclination to talk again.
As the food ended, there was a collective sigh. Only then did Kirito remember that they were missing two people. "Silica and Bell are still late…"
With the cling of windchimes, the front door opened and one more girl arrived. "Morning everyone! Oh, it smells delicious, are we eating first?"
"Technically we finished," Hestia grumbled.
No one could dissuade Silica as she grabbed one for herself, praising its appearance and talking to Haruhime about her new creation.
She didn't even look at me… Kirito was more surprised than offended. After the way they had parted yesterday he had thought…
"Kirito." Lili's comment cut through his thoughts. "Since most of us are finished, we should start."
"Ah, yeah." Kirito nodded, focusing back on the work that he had finished all of last night. "I have read the reports from Goibniu familia and signed off on them. I need to grab them before we head over. I heard you took notes on them before giving them to me, did you have any issues?"
"Lili did not find anything major. Goibnu did the initial work, so they knew what they were getting into. However, they felt a little ripped originally…"
Flinching, Kirito remembered that. The initial estimates had been made without considering the extent of the damage present. Getting a good deal for those renovations had costed them here. Goibniu hadn't ripped them off, but they hadn't exactly gotten a deal either.
In only a few large transactions, they had drained almost all the liquid money they had gotten from Ishtar familia. Having given most of the entertainment district away, as well as Bebit Bellity, Ishtar's luxurious palace, Hestia familia was no longer a bastion of wealth. Thankfully, requests were starting to flow in.
"It is what it is," Kirito responded to Lili. "I think the restoration of the relationship is worth the extra valis."
"Grr… Lili hates nebulous value. How is Lili supposed to know how much favors are worth!?"
"Calm down," Silica chortled, putting down her food half finished. "Just consider whether that favor could be used to save Bell later on and you'll be good."
"W-Wha!?" The prum stuttered, blushing deeply.
"If she does that, we'll have no valis by the end of the day!" Liz countered.
As the group began to laugh, the mood started to improve drastically. Silica again… As conversation continued in other places, Kirito stole glances at Silica. There was something different about the girl today.
Eventually, the topic rolled back around as they looked at Kirito. Realizing what they were waiting for, Kirito coughed and began to speak.
"A-Anyway, as mentioned, our funds are low but stable. The expedition is paid for, and we did turn a profit on it. Quite a heavy one actually. Which is good because Liz is trying to take it all…"
"Hey!"
Ignoring the exclamation, Kirito began to wish that he had written down some notes prior to this meeting rather than just continuing to work.
"To summarize, we are using more money than initially estimated to upgrade and replace gear. After a few exchanges of letters with Kaguya, I can only believe that this will increase more for awhile until we hit a peak. Hopefully, our income will increase to match this while being able to pay taxes, build up savings…"
"Onii-chan, you're drifting."
"Ahh, yes, thank you Leafa. Umm, so… to summarize that is all to say that things are looking decent. We will now be able to sleep in the same home without interfering with God Miach and can focus on improving our skills.
"Is what I would advise, unfortunately… we have found ourselves the focus of the city. After the wargame and our recent collaboration with Astraea familia has turned the gazes of both Freya and Loki upon us. Furthermore, there is the thing that Philia and Rain found yesterday."
Turning his gaze to them, Kirito let Philia take the floor.
"H-Huh? Uhh… well I found what I think is a door."
"You think you found a door?" Mikoto asked, confused.
"Yes."
"Umm, where does the door go?"
"I don't know."
…Sighing, Kirito took charge again. Philia still struggled in front of large groups. "Philia found a massive metal door in Daedalus Street. I believe it is the entrance to the secondary area that Aisha has mentioned. Knossos."
"I do not want any of you doing more investigations into that place or into these criminals with guns."
Hestia's words were soft but commanding. Staring into those blue orbs of eyes, Kirito was forced to look away. There was a gentle flame deep inside. A power of memories that no mortal could match.
"…Is there anything else you wanted to say, Kirito," Sachi spoke up.
Pausing, Kirito glanced out the window. It was time. "No, let's go look out or house."
"But Bell!"
"Knows where the church is," Strea assured Lili. "Let's go!"
Crossing through Orario, Kirito found himself looking back, waiting to see Bell running after them. Oddly, each second that the boy was late, Kirito felt a tiny piece of increasing jealousy. Kirito had been trapped in a room dealing with paperwork while Bell got to train to fight, increasing his status.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" Rain whispered, walking up beside him.
"Perceptive as always." Kirito winked at her.
Glaring, Rain tsked. "I'm supposed to be your assistant captain. So why did I have nothing to do and got to sleep soundly?"
"…" Kirito pursed his lips. "I had work to catch up on that I needed to do. We were gone for a long time. Don't worry about it."
"Of course I'm worried about it. I'm worried about you. Kirito—"
"Kirito!" Silica greeted him happily. Skipping up to the front of the group, she turned around and walked backwards in front of him. "Are we getting a pen? I'm sure Kin would much prefer to be here rather than getting prodded by the Ganesha members."
"A-Ah… We have a courtyard… I'm not sure. Kin is a little hostile, but we can talk about it."
Kirito's reply was clearly not good enough as Silica closed the distance, pouting at him from close up. "Aww… Is there umm, anything that I can do to… change your mind?"
As she timidly bit her lip, Kirito's mind went briefly blank. Too cute! Sticking out a hand, he rubbed her head. "Don't worry, we will make sure Kin is safe. He will be a great help in the future."
Speaking with a slight tic, Kirito struggled to maintain a straight face.
"Tsk, Silica we were speaking."
"Oh, sorry Rain, I'm just too excited about our new home. I'm sure Kirito understands."
Just like that, Kirito found his right arm entangled by Silica as Rain glared at her from his left. He could sense the displaced Philia trailing awkwardly half a step behind.
Chuckling lightly, Kirito smiled at her. "Of course. It will be great having everyone together again. Thanks for the reminder about Kin. I'll start on his accommodations tonight."
"Thank you!" Standing up on her tiptoes, she gave him a light brush of her lips against his cheeks. Pausing there, she whispered in his ear. "When you're done with those, I'll give you a far better reward."
Silica!? Flinching slightly, Kirito turned to look but she was already gone, dropping back to walk by Leafa and Liz.
"What is wrong with that girl?"
Turning back to front, Kirito turned a skeptical look at Rain who had spoken. "Why do you think something is wrong with her?"
"Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed. Yesterday and now today… She's acting like she's your only girlfriend."
"Yeah, it's a bit weird…" Philia grumbled, stepping back up into her place.
"You both realize that I like all of you, right? I have no problem with Silica being brave enough to express her excitement and desires."
"Urgh." Rain flinched. "But we had a deal…"
Kirito rubbed his head. The checklist of things to run through with Goibniu familia slowly fading from his mind as the walk continued. Thankfully, it was almost over. "Can't you all try to get along?"
"We could if you didn't indulge Silica's whims," Philia huffed, taking over the argument for Rain. Her voice cast as low as possible so the others walking only a few steps behind likely could not hear.
"There has to be a structure," Rain insisted, "you have to admit that if we all tried to grab your attention whenever possible that would be—"
"Not getting along," Kirito agreed. "I do appreciate reigning in everyone so that I can work, but you all need to spend time together and accept each other."
"How can we do that when the only girl you've chosen so far isn't even in our familia?" The biting criticism came at the same time as they turned onto the street with their new home. It stuck out like a sore thumb as much of the surrounding rundown area had been destroyed to clear way for the mansion. Now, the nearly four-story building towered over the smaller remaining buildings on the street.
Drawing Kirito's gaze away from the building were two figures on the street trapped in some kind of argument. Both were very familiar to Kirito.
Jogging over, he raised a hand in greeting. "Ah, Lord Goibniu, Bell, I hope you weren't waiting too long."
"Coward."
Kirito tried to not let the pain of the word show on his face as Rain's sharp tongue stabbed him from behind. His greeting stopped their conversation short, both the old god and the young boy turning to look at him. While Goibniu looked cross as always, Bell's face paled unnaturally.
"Humph, finally! My familia has already finished cleaning up and headed back. Now you forced me to stand around and wait!"
"A-Apologies again Goibniu." Kirito stuttered awkwardly. "Umm, well, shall we see the house and make sure everything is in order?"
"Bah, may as well. Oi, Hestia, punctual as ever, hey?"
"Goibniu!" Hestia greeted him warmly as she arrived. "Thanks for finding our wayward familia member here."
Bell, who had been slumping awkwardly, looked away with a blush.
"Bell!"
"Bell-sama!"
Rushing forward, Lili and Haruhime surrounded him, a flurry of inquiries about his state of being flying from their mouths.
As the two dragged Bell off to the side to learn about where he had been, Hestia could only look on with a pout. Patting the despondent goddess on the head, Kirito addressed himself to Goibniu, "Well, shall we go?"
"Ah, here are the keys, boy."
Getting the ability to open the front door, Kirito opened the large double doors and let them in. There was no gate around the property as the area they had was small enough as is.
Perhaps sensing Kirito's worry about opposing families, rioters, or something else, Goibniu began to speak, "as mentioned, most familias prefer gated homes, to compensate, the door is reinforced with adamantite. If you lock the door, no one is getting in without creating a large racket."
"Hmm, well a first-tier adventurer may be able to sneak in through a window or something," Kirito mused but that was a problem for a later time.
Goibniu chuckled, "you were about a billion valis too short if you wanted this place secure against first-tier adventurers."
At least. Kirito added on mentally. Entering the main hall of what used to be the church, Kirito paused, his throat closing up from the emotions that crashed through him.
In the little over half a year since he had come to this world, Kirito had developed a strong attachment to the run-down church. The main hall of their new building kept the same feel of the original, but restored in all of its glory. Large stain glass windows on the front wall filtered in light that lit the divine meeting place.
Kirito could already imagine it fully furnished; couches, chairs, and cushions for them to hang out and talk. A table for drinks and food. A board table off to the side.
It would not be a religious gathering, but Kirito doubted that any mass had made someone as happy as this one will.
"Ah, we really did it…" Hestia whispered to him.
Swallowing, Kirito managed a response. "Yeah, we did."
Lord Goibniu overheard and chuckled, some of his displeasure fading. "Ah, this is a beautiful one. I'm glad we got a chance to do this."
"Ahh, amazing!" Strea yelled out. Similar exclamations came from all the other girls. Rather than the orderly showing that Kirito was expected, their familia quickly fragmented into different groups, looking and commenting on different things.
Left with only the two gods, Kirito went through the home.
Bell:
"Is this good?"
"A little to the left," Lili instructed.
Stumbling to the left, Bell waited.
"Wrong left!"
"Urgh!" Restraining the urge to snap, Bell simply sighed and staggered the other way. Even with his level three status, the dark red wood table with black accents was still incredibly heavy when carried by only two people. It had been brought into the dining room in pieces and fully assembled in location due to its weight and size.
Kirito, lifting the other side, did not seem to be struggling. He had a bored expression, not really focusing on the lifting.
I can do this too!
At last, Lili was happy and they got to put it down. From end to end the rectangular beast was at least ten mels long and could fit nearly fifty people if you cramped them in, or about twenty-four comfortably.
Why they needed such a big table, Bell did not know. However, Kirito was already moving, grabbing the matching chairs and beginning to put them around the table. Not wanting to fall behind, Bell ran after him, grabbing a pair of chairs and running back, doing his best to catch up.
"Bell," Kirito said as he dropped them.
"Y-Yes!?"
"Did I do something to you? You seem unable to look at me."
He noticed! "N-No captain!"
"Captain? You've never called me captain before."
AHHH! Blushing heavily, Bell walked slowly back to the remaining chairs that needed placing. Kirito fell into step beside him, waiting for an answer,
"Umm, I suppose I'm curious… How is your ship, ahh, I mean, harem going?"
"Ship?" Shaking his head, Kirito grabbed two chairs easily, a distant look in his eyes. "Well, I would have said great, but I guess as we take the next step, there are some frictions developing."
"I-Is that right. Umm, what do you think would be happening if you never formed the harem?"
Kirito let out a bark of a laugh. "Nothing would have gone the same. Rain and Philia wouldn't have joined the familia for one. It's been so long at this point that it is useless to speculate."
"R-Right…"
What am I doing? Why did I try and kiss Lyu? Why did I have that vision?
"Bell." Getting shaken out of his thoughts, he found himself face-to-face with Kirito, the black pirate garb overlapping with his street clothes in his mind. "I formed this harem because I knew that it was the best decision and as time progresses, that belief has solidified. Regardless of our struggles, I do love all of them. If I did not, then I would be making a huge mistake."
He sees through me… Lowering his head, Bell stood and thought as Kirito finished with the chairs. With twenty-four of them to place, there was some time and Bell walked to the dining room door, staring into the kitchen where Lili had also returned. Most of their female familia members were currently there, cooking up a celebratory feast to eat as their first meal together.
Most of them kept on working and talking and laughing, a cheery mood present as the meal drew closer. However, Haruhime noted his approach, turned, and smiled at him happily. It was a wide uninhibited gesture full of happiness.
Do I love her? Do I love Lili?
Bell did not know. They had all sent his heart fluttering multiple times. There was too much to think about. Giving up on reaching a decision, Bell returned Haruhime's smile and spoke to Lili.
"Anything else I can do?"
"Hmm, sit by Lili during the meal?"
As she gave him a sly smile, Bell could not reject the request. Hestia had other ideas, however. As they got settled, she sat at the head of the table and instructed Kirito and Bell to take the chairs on either side of her. Lili did manage to sneak in beside him, however the seat beside Kirito was far more contested, four different girls stretching out a hand for it. While they argued, Philia took the one next to that, clearly expecting Rain to secure it.
After a brief exchange however, it was actually Yui seated next to Kirito with a broad smile.
Thankfully, that was the last disagreement as everyone helped to bring out the food and begin passing it around. As an Orario native, Bell thought that he would recognize most of it. To his surprise, the majority of the food was far eastern, which made sense, but there were a number of things that had not been made before in the familia kitchens.
Eager to dive in, Bell quickly got caught up in a conversation with Lili and Hestia about the food. The various dishes that they had never tried and their different flavors. Everything was delicious and Bell felt bad that he hadn't done more for the preparation, but they had a long day ahead them of arranging and setting up each of their rooms.
Kirito and Yui across from them were having a wild discussion about spicy food and Kirito's insistence that only through trying it would she understand how great it is.
Getting sucked into the lively atmosphere, Bell's heart felt warm. I'm happy with this. He was, truly. But Bell also knew that the faces of the dead would not permit him to stop here. He had to strong enough to save everyone. He had to become a hero, and he would need help do so.
Lefiya:
Waking up in the morning, Lefiya touched her cheeks, checking if the embarrassment had faded yet. Whether it had or if she simply hadn't had time yet for the next wave to assault her, they were cool.
Focus on the expedition, not on Bell.
Unfortunately, there was nothing in the next few days that would be particularly interesting. The floor bosses had been killed during the Hestia familia expedition and no monsters were getting through their lines.
Except maybe that Revis woman…
Beginning to take down the small personal tent, Lefiya cast a glance at where Ais was doing the same. Her face had the faint sheen of perspiration from her morning workout.
"G-Good morning, Ais! Did you have a good session?"
"Lefiya… It was… alright."
"I see…" When Ais talked like this it could be hard to communicate. Her mind was elsewhere, clearly not focusing intently on putting the tent away either as her fingers fumbled through those motions.
Finishing her own, Lefyia went over and helped. "Is there something wrong, Ais?"
"No. I just… I am alright."
Ahh, just rely on me! Lefiya's awe of her idol was enough to repress her anger. It was exactly that lack of awe that got her in trouble with Bell so often. Despite acknowledging that, Lefiya knew that she would continue to struggle around the boy. He elicited such a mix of complicated emotions…
That whirlwind ripped through Lefiya's inhibitions with such ease that she had found herself discarding all of the dignity of her species.
And, just like before, her ears and cheeks began to heat. Ais, noticing this, stroked one. "Is Bell… really special to you?"
"Huh!?" Reacting violently, Lefiya turned away from the tent, allowing the now sagging fabric to collapse to the gentle grass floor. "He's… well… he is special, but not like, special to me… you know?"
That was a lie… Lefiya realized, covering her face. She wasn't quite sure what special meant, but the unavoidable fact was that the white-haired boy with the inheritance of the strongest adventurers to have ever lived was now an important part of her life.
Thankfully, Ais did not press her again and after helping her pack the sleeping supplies back into one of the expedition carts, she found herself near the head of the column as they started marching again. Beyond her were only Finn and Tiona. The two talked in low, subdued voices, neither carrying back to her.
Growing bored quickly, Lefiya's gaze sought out their destination. At the base of the cliff that contained Rivera, the giant tree grew. There was a hole in the roots that opened into the sole staircase down to the nineteenth.
Since she was watching, Lefiya watched as a group of adventurers rose from the colossal tree labyrinth. It was a small party of four or five.
Keeping an eye on them, Lefiya tried to discern their identities as their two groups began to grow closer together. The singular path meant they would shortly cross.
Finn had obviously noticed as he shifted his spear from his back to a walking stick, ready to fight if needed. Not that there were many people who would dare attack them.
Thoughts of Bell and the expedition were removed from Lefiya's mind as she encountered her most unusual friend. "F-Filvis!?"
The dainty elf's head jerked up, her crystal-clear ruby eyes meeting Lefiya's directly. A deep-seated weariness in her friend lifting somewhat.
"Lefiya…" Filvis' weak greeting in reply bringing Lefiya to a stunned stop in front of her.