Chapter 46:
Elwin sat patiently in his chair, and around him, his half-sister, girlfriend, and house guest lectured him about not being an idiot in the coming war. This had started write after the evacuation process in Knossos, with Filvis commenting that he had been too reckless again. As she had bombarded him about this, he had eventually cracked and started arguing with her out loud. At the time, he had been with Lefiya. The two had been trying to find some alone time before they got squished into the Dungeon with the rest of the mage battalion.
They had been sitting on a park bench, Lefiya's head on his shoulder. They had been revelling in the peace and quiet, their hands intertwined. Unfortunately, Filvis had no patience for that. She kept poking at him, trying to tell him that he needed to set up a safety net. Her argument was that he needed someone close to him who understood what he was going through. Filvis suggested Lefiya, which made sense. But then Elwin looked at her. The little elf was looking out over the park, her eyes focused on a family having a picnic. She seemed so peaceful and was cute as a button-to-boot. Elwin did not want to ruin it.
But then he opened his mouth. He got into an out-loud argument with Filvis, and she startled off his shoulder. She tilted her head and watched him argue.
"No, I ain't putting that kind of pressure on her!" shouted Elwin.
Now, everyone in the park was looking at them. So, Lefiya started tugging on his sleeve.
"Elwin, you need to quiet down," said Lefiya. "People are staring at us!"
Elwin looked down at her and blinked from behind his glasses. He sat down, sheepishly, and scratched at the back of his neck. Slowly, Lefiya felt her eyes narrow more and more till they were thin slits.
"What was Filvis telling to do?" asked Lefiya.
Elwin looked away. "Nothing important, you know, she just wanted me to warn you about some stuff."
Lefiya, still clutching Elwin's hand, gave it a tight squeeze.
"And what kind of stuff were you supposed to warn me about?" She used her free to grab his face and swing it her way. "I swear, if you're hiding secrets again, I will slap you silly."
Instead of a response, Elwin just gave her a dopey grin.
"What's so funny!" said Lefiya, practically screeching.
"You're just cute when you're angry, that's all," replied Elwin.
Lefiya felt the heat rise to her face, but she refused to get sidetracked.
"Stop trying to change the subject!" she said. "What did Filvis say?"
So, Elwin explained what was going on. He talked about his fear, or lack thereof, and how it made him feel. He spoke of the dangers that came with it and what he had been thinking about. Then, he talked about how Filvis had been taking care of him.
"She's been a great help with just about everything," said Elwin, trying to look at his head. "Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without her."
Elwin couldn't help the smile as waves of embarrassment and joy came rolling off of his inner inhabitant. Lefiya smiled too, happy that the most important people in her life were in one easy place. She then reached up and placed a loving hand on Elwin's cheek. She waited till she could feel his muscles relax before her hand darted up and grabbed the not-so-pointy part of his ear.
"Ow ow ow!" screamed Elwin. "Lefiya, what are you doing?"
Lefiya pulled him up and marched him out of the park with a sickly-sweet smile. Elwin was bent over, getting dragged away.
"Let's go talk to Lady Riveria, shall we?"
After a humiliating march through the city, filled with whistling and people talking about how 'whipped' the half-elf was. If Lefiya was embarrassed, she ignored it. She had a stringent goal in mind, and she knew that she needed specific reinforcements to get it done.
For his part, Elwin couldn't pay attention to what was happening because he was busy arguing and dealing with Filvis. The dead elf was laughing her head off and taunting him. He would retort that she was stuck following him, and the two continued to bicker. Eventually, they arrived at the Twilight Manor, and Elwin felt his nerves spike.
One hour later, Elwin's nerves were validated as Riveria continued to lecture him. She had learned from Lefiya what was happening and then had launched into her speech. There had been tiny breaks between the many choice words she said. At one point, Elwin had to raise his hand to ask to go to the bathroom, and Riveria had narrowed her eyes. It was like she was daring him to try and run away. Safe to say, Elwin did not run away.
At the end of it, though, Riveria just sighed. The high elf crouched down, and she pulled her brother into a hug. She held him so close that Elwin could feel her heart beating in her chest. The rhythm was slow, steady, and comforting.
"Honestly, you stupid boy," said Riveria, whispering in her ear. "You should be telling me these things. I mean, we're family, aren't we?"
Elwin nodded and slowly hugged Riveria back.
"You already died once, and I don't want that to happen again."
Elwin could feel the normally calm high elf shaking, something in that serene mask cracking. And the younger brother felt horrible for telling her sooner. After a minute, where brother and sister held tight to each other and Lefiya looked away awkwardly, there was a knock at the door. Lefiya, happy for something to do, opened it to find the Dauntless standing in the hall.
"There you are!" shouted Lili, pointing at Elwin. "I've been wondering where you went this whole time! We have work to do! And I have questions to ask Miss Filvis!"
"Oi! I'm in the middle of an emotional moment here, if you don't mind!" retorted Elwin.
"Emotional moment, my ass! You're just trying to be lazy!"
Lili stomped forward, bringing her forehead forward. She pushed it against Elwin's. Elwin returned the gesture, careful not to push too hard since he was a level above Lili. That was when he felt a glare settle on his skull. He turned to find Riveria, eyes narrow, staring at him.
"Elwin, to use me to avoid doing work brings shame to the both of us. You don't want to bring shame to me, do you?" asked Riveria with a raised brow.
Elwin pouted. "No, Riveria." He stood up. "I'll go with Lili."
Lefiya made to follow, but Riveria called for her to stay behind.
"Wait, Lefiya, we need to go over the formations for the mage battalion for this little war of ours," explained the high elf. "After all, you and Alicia are going to be my second's. I need to make sure the two of you understand what that means."
Lefiya nodded, settling for giving Elwin's hand a reassuring squeeze before he left. He smiled in return. Then, he was out the door following his fearless leader.
In the Past:
Lili had settled into a kind of routine in Altena. She took classes, did work, played games, and climbed the board. She was now around the edge of the top one hundred, and her progress had stalled because of it. She had managed to find her current plateau and had suffered some losses because of it. So, she was now hovering around rank one hundred, currently at ninety-five. The difference from where she was before was incredible, though. The resources she had access to, and books she could read, had significantly increased.
Now, to be fair, it wasn't that Lili was dumb or not studying hard enough; it was just that the rest of the people around her were so good. Lili was indeed in the realm of first-class minds now. These people blew her away. But she had also made some important friends. There was Marcus, of course, but she had also befriended others like Joan and Boadicea. The two women had come to her after her big match against Augustus.
"We wanted to thank you for shutting that pig up," said Joan.
Boadicea had nodded. "We would've done it ourselves, but it would have just come to us being seen as bullies."
Lili had smiled at the time. Slowly, she also started to make sense that they were testing her. Joan and Boadicea never gave her straight answers or advice. They let her make mistakes and learn from them, and they teased her endlessly when she messed up. For that, Lili was grateful. And it made her appreciate them even more.
Eventually, though, they proved the real reason for their existence. Apparently, Lili was to meet with Alexander the Great. They assured Lili that they were, in fact, her friends, but they also thought that she needed to meet with Alex. Marcus had agreed with them. So Lili chose to skip her lecture today and then went with her friends to find this so-called great strategist.
In the Present:
"So, there's Scipio the strategist, Garess and Frei, who are most likely Gros and Rei, then there's that big gorilla, Horra, Bragi the troll," said Finn, counting it down on his fingers. "And what was the last one, again?"
Elwin closed his eyes in an apparent conversation with Filvis. After a moment of quiet, he reopened them.
"The last one's name is Nastro, a dragon Xenos." Elwin frowned. "Filvis says that he was definitely one of the strongest, all the way up there with Typhon himself. Filvis also wants to say that she doesn't remember much of the plan, but she does know that it involved a lot around holding the safe zones and buying time."
Finn nodded along. "That makes sense, unfortunately. The longer it takes for us to reach them, the stronger they get." The pallum steepled his hands. "Does Filvis remember any other things we should watch out for?"
Elwin closed his eyes again, making a low humming sound. He frowned, and then he chuckled. Finally, he opened his eyes and rolled them.
"Besides some dumb insults, she says that they have some valgang dragons as guards, the last of the violas, and something called Cadmus. But I don't know much about that one," replied the half-elf. "She does say to be careful, though. Any of the Xenos with Typhon have really been stirred up to hate humans. Whatever is going on won't be easy."
At the mention of Cadmus, Finn's eyes turned a dark shade.
"Cadmus is a boss-level monster. To think that they have all of those…." Finn sighed. "Still, at least we won't have to worry about any of the other boss monsters." At Lili and Elwin's questioning gaze, Finn smiled. "The Sun Seekers can't have them around either. If they are going to control the Dungeon, they need to patrol even more than we did."
Elwin nodded. "Ok, that's great and all, but how are we going to stop them."
"A two-pronged attack," began Lili. "We have to retake Rivira and Knossos at the same time. So, we'll be splitting up our forces from the get-go." She frowned. "But we have to determine who goes where. Mister Finn will probably lead the main force to Rivira, and Mister Gareth will lead his vanguard with some others through Knossos. We'll probably send Mister Bete and the scouting unit along with him. After all, this is Knossos we're talking about."
As Finn and Lili returned to their planning, Elwin felt his headache start to come back. He also knew that Lefiya and Riveria would be busy with their own preparations. So much for hanging out with them. He got up to leave, said his goodbyes, and excused himself before he got caught again. As he was leaving, he ran into the werewolf, Bete Loga.
"So, I heard that you're causing problems," said Bete. "Is this something I'm going to have to train out of you again?"
Elwin felt his soul leave his body.
"No, sir! I will be ok!"
He practically ran from the wolf.
In the past:
In Altena, Lili sat across from the number one student and Captain of Athena Familia, Alexander. There were no titles, like in Orario, but some got titles simply by being that impressive. For example, Lili had heard of the great Barbarian Queen of Hecate Familia. But Alexander was only known by one title, 'The Great.' And what did he want with little old Lili?
"Shall we play a game of chess?" asked Alex.
Lili nodded, happy for the distraction. She watched Alex stand up and bring a masterfully crafted marble board. The pieces were lined with gold and silver and took the shapes of Gods, Goddesses, and other figures.
"How about you take the opening move?" asked Alexander.
Lili nodded at the opportunity and opened by moving one of her pawns. A standard start, but the best when she didn't know who she was playing.
"So, what brings you all the way out here to Altena?" asked Alexander, also moving a pawn. "I mean, why leave your precious Dungeon?"
Lili snorted. "You should already know the reason why, Mister Alexander. In fact, Lili would prefer if you just asked what you really wanted to talk about."
Alexander chortled. "That's fair, but would you mind indulging me? After all, my spies can only give me the barest of bones. I want details."
Lili nodded, moving a knight. "Lili's Familia, Hestia Familia, came under attack by the Goddess Freya. Eventually, we were forced to leave and figure out what we could do to stop her."
Alex moved a rook. "Why not just keep running? It's a big world, after all, and I'm sure you could go into hiding somewhere."
Lili shook her head, studying the board. She started to understand the game he was playing, glimpsing the outer edges.
"Freya would have burned the world to the ground for Master Bell," she replied, contemplating moving a pawn again.
Alexander nodded along. "Sounds about right, from the reports that I heard. I also understand that that little prum, Finn Deimne, did nothing to help you."
Lili sighed. "No, he didn't, but Lili doesn't blame him."
"Oh, and who does Lili blame?"
"Lili blames herself," said the prum. "Lili failed to put the pieces together and uncover Freya's plot. Everything that happened afterwards is Lili's fault."
Alexander continued to nod. "I understand the sentiment. After all, when your plan fails, you take it to heart that much more. But why blame yourself? This was Freya that we're talking about. Her Familia is a bunch of monsters in their own right. Was there anything you could have done?"
Lili rolled her eyes. "Don't play coy; Lili figures that Mister Alexander already has ten plans in place for if Freya Familia ever attacked Altena."
"Well, it's actually twelve, but you're still not far off the mark. But I don't expect everyone to be like me," replied Alexander. "Honestly, the one I'm most disappointed in is the prum. He should have known better. Might have to lower him a rank or two because of that."
Lili shrugged. "Mister Finn probably never considered just how bat shit crazy Freya could be."
For the first time in the conversation, Alex was caught off guard. In the stunned silence that followed, he broke out laughing. The others in the room, the other top ten strategists, all looked on in amazement. But Alexander 'the Great' laughed and laughed. He finally wiped the tears from his eyes and continued talking.
"Well, aren't you a special little girl? Not many people would be willing to talk about a Goddess like that, especially one of the beauty ones," he replied.
Lili shrugged, eyes on the board. "Lili prefers to talk about things like they are. Freya is crazy; there are no two ways about it. Especially when it comes to Master Bell."
"Still, I'd be blaming the pallum. He should've been there. After all, what girl doesn't want a gallant prince charming to come to save them?" asked Alexander. He moved another piece. "Check, by the way. Mate in six."
Lili got herself out of check. Then, she gave a smile so sad that it pierced even Alexander's cold and calculating heart.
"There is no such thing as Prince Charming," she said. "If there was, he would already love Lili as much as she loves him."
Alex blinked and reassessed who he was looking at. Before, Lilliruka Arde had seemed like an above-average curiosity. She would learn what she needed and go on her way. But now, he saw her and realized that much more was going on beneath her tiny frame. This was someone who could not be satisfied. This was someone who understood that what would make her happy, well and truly happy, was already beyond her grasp. But still, she struggled and fought to find new meaning.
"But more to the point," continued Lili. "Lili wants to know why you care. After all, this is all just one big game, right?"
And again, Alexander was caught off guard for the briefest of seconds. He recovered quickly, though, and set back to the board.
"I don't know what you mean," replied Alexander.
Lili rolled her eyes. "This ranking system, all of you in this city, and even your studies, these are all just parts of one larger game. All of being pieces played by your Goddess."
Alexander smiled. "So, you figured it out."
Lili shrugged. "The one advantage of living in Orario is that one meets many types of Deities. There are those looking to further perfect their craft, those who seek only their own amusement, and those who seek glory." She moved a rook. "That said, Deities are rather simple-minded in the end."
"Now, that's a rather insulting line of thought, don't you think?" replied Alexander.
Lili frowned, eyes trained on the losing battle.
"This is just Lili's observation, but with every deity that she's met, they all want the same thing. They all yearn to be mortal," she replied.
Marcus Agrippa blinked, but Alexander nodded sagely. He motioned his hand for Lili to continue. He sat back, the game on hold.
"Gods and Goddesses alike will deny it, but then, if they didn't, why put on so many restrictions when they came down?" asked Lili. "After all, sure, they might destroy the land, but they're deities. They could put it back together again, just as easily. No, they want the land intact so that they can enjoy what's down here. But that begs the question, what's the difference between down here and up there?" Lili gestured vaguely to the Heavens. "There's only one difference, us. Humanity, mortals, civilization, or whatever else you call it."
"What about those deities that prank their Familia or only live off their whims?" asked Alexander.
Lili shrugged. "They are the ones who refuse to accept their fate. All their pranks, jokes, and mischievous acts are really just the jealous cries of tiny children. They want what they cannot have."
"And what makes our lives so valuable?" replied Marcus.
"The fact that we can lose it. Deities can blink, and we can vanish. We love, laugh, and live even though it is apparently meaningless." Lili turned her eyes back to the board. "In the end, we have the one thing they never can."
"And what would that be?" asked Alexander.
"We have the ability to die."
Lili lost the match, but Alexander thanked her anyway. He said that he would be looking forward to more exciting conversations down the line. As Lili walked back to her private apartment, Marcus trailed behind a perk of being in the top one hundred.
"So, what does wanting an ability to die have to do with Lady Athena?" asked Marcus.
Lili gestured to the city. "With this system, and this game, Lady Athena has drawn the greatest minds in the world. Philosophers and scholars alike are rubbing up against each other, trying their best to become as bright as bright can be. They're playing her game, hoping for the ultimate prize. Men and women are studying how to kill each other for her favour. And she's hoping that they succeed."
"Ok…but what's the prize? What's the point in having them study how to kill each other?" asked Marcus.
"Isn't it obvious? Lady Athena is looking for a way to die."
In the Present:
The night passed, and Bell was let out from the clinic. Ais was glued to his side, as always, but now she seemed to be glancing at him. He couldn't blame her, though. After all, the revelations of yesterday were nothing to scoff at. Bell was still reeling himself. Loki had reacted the loudest, though, even if she had apparently had her own suspicions.
"Ais, don't we plan on meeting the rest of the vanguard unit today?" asked Bell.
Ais frowned, an adorable pout already creeping up on her face. Bell chuckled, which earned him a set of puppy dog eyes and a playful shove.
"I don't know what it means…to lead people," said Ais. She looked over at him. "You're going to help me, right?"
Bell nodded enthusiastically. "I promise that I'll help you as much as possible!" He frowned. "Not that I know much about tactics either, though. After all, I mostly just do what Lili says."
The March Hare hung his head.
"That reminds me, I still have to talk to her. I have to apologize for what happened."
Ais's pout deepened, and she poked Bell.
"Where's my apology?" she asked. "You made me worry too."
Bell ducked his head, scratching at the back of his neck.
"You're right; I'm sorry, Ais. I should have listened to you more," he said.
Ais shrugged, but Bell noticed that she seemed to be just a tad happier now. After walking to Hearth Manor, the two adventurers stopped outside. They watched some people already moving about on the front lawn.
"What in the world?" said Bell.
"Ah! Sir Bell, you're back!" called Mikoto from the middle.
The black-haired samurai quickly rushed around the crowd, stopping in front of him. Her black braid swayed behind her.
"I apologize for all the people, but many of them insisted on meeting with their lieutenants and such from the Allied Adventurers Army," she explained.
"Is that what we're calling ourselves?" asked Bell.
Mikoto shrugged. "That seems to be the consensus. But still, I believe that the name does have a certain ring to it." She looked over her shoulder before turning back to them. "Now, I believe that everyone from your unit is waiting for you. I wish you the best of luck!"
With that, the samurai ran off back to her own scouting unit. Apparently, many of them would instead meet with her over the angry Bete Loga or the mysterious Urashima Taro. It also helped that Mikoto had apparently attracted a fan club because of her pretty features. Which meant that Haruhime hovered close by. Which only drew more infatuated gazes. The two young women were getting swamped by their new adoring fans.
Bell walked through the yard, determined to meet who he would be leading. Hestia waved him down and brought him to the skirmisher unit. There were three dozen adventurers in front of him and only some of the faces he vaguely recognized. He looked to Ais, hoping that she would say something, but the Sword Princess had a blank look on her face. So, Bell sighed and turned back to the crowd.
"Thank you all for coming, and I apologize for not meeting with you all sooner," he said. "My name is Bell Cranel, and I will be your second in command." There were some muttered greetings. "Now, I know that many of you come from different Familias, but we have to put those differences aside for now. Today, and for the days to come, there is only one enemy, and that is the Dungeon." He frowned. "I know that some of you think that I'm a monster lover and that others might even believe I'm in league with the Xenos. But I can assure you, I only want everyone to be safe. I want us all to come back alive." He tried for a smile. "Our adventure has only just begun."
There was a smattering of applause and acknowledgement. After that, the group broke down into more logistical things. They talked about what skills and magics they would be bringing to the table. After all, everyone in this group was chosen because they were fast and could employ some form of hit-and-run tactics. Bell wrote down the details, and Ais spoke to each person one on one. This was easier for her and left a more significant impression on the people under her command. At the end of an hour, Bell and Ais had a list of names, as well as everyone's update sheets. In the beginning, Bell had only asked for the people willing to give him their update sheet, but most had assumed that it would be required anyway. Bell and Ais sent them on their way at the end of the day. Soon, the Sword Princess also went on her way. Tomorrow, they would begin their march down into the Dungeon at the break of day.
When she left, Bell walked her to the door. The two barely spoke, enjoying the other's company in peace. The one different thing was the light dusting of red on both their cheeks. When Ais left, she gave Bell an awkward hug goodbye. Then she held his hands, wished him well, and went on her way home. When Bell turned around, he found his supporter standing there waiting for him.
"Oh, Lili," said Bell. "I see that you're home."
Lili nodded. Then she sighed and bowed her head.
"Lili was angry at Master Bell for his reckless behaviour, and Lili would like to apologize for judging without knowing," said the Dauntless.
Bell stared for a second before breaking down and waving his arms all about.
"No, no, no!" screamed Bell. "It's ok, Lili! You were right to be angry! I mean…I took your strategy and tossed it aside."
The pallum shrugged. "Maybe, but still, Lili is your supporter. She should have done a better job of supporting you." She frowned. "That said, from tomorrow on, Lili is going to be your commander. That means that you have to listen and do exactly what Lili says. Is that understood?"
Bell nodded, happy that she had forgiven him so easily. He sighed before checking to make sure that everything was ok. Then, he left for his room. Before he went through the door, he saw his Goddess waiting for him.
She smiled. "I wanted to make sure that everything went ok today." Hestia's legs kicked the air since they didn't reach the ground. "After all, I won't be able to do much once you leave, so I wanted to talk one more time."
Bell gave her an awkward grin. "I'm ok, I think? I mean, Miss Amid says that I've healed enough for tomorrow; I just have to be careful. I don't know about the rest of it, though. I mean, what am I supposed to do about my grandpa being Zeus?"
Hestia shook her head. "Put it to the side, then. Focus on what's right in front of you now." She held up a finger. "Think about it this way, does Zeus being your grandpa really change how you feel? Does it change your dream?"
Bell thought about it. There was part of him that felt angry at being manipulated, as if Zeus had been doing all of this on purpose to set him down a specific path. Another part of him didn't care, though. In the end, all Bell really wanted to do was help people. Maybe he bungled it sometimes and often put his foot in his mouth, but he well and truly just wanted to make people smile. And knowing that Zeus was his grandpa didn't change that simple dream. Hestia saw the decision on his face before patting the spot next to her on the bed.
"How about we give you one more status update before the big battle? I'm sure you jumped a bit now that your skill is back and running," she said.
Bell nodded. Slowly, he took off his shirt and lay down on his bed.
In the past:
Lili was just about to leave Altena. After six months of work, she felt that her strategic knowledge had grown in leaps in bounds. She was ranked fifty-two now, one spot behind Marcus, and she was nipping at his heels. She was almost sad to leave the city, but Bell and Hestia had come for her. And they had brought two new members with them. A former Princess named Otohime Nakamura and her bodyguard, Urashima Taro. They seemed like good people, and Lili trusted Hestia and Bell's judgement. They would be leaving in a week, giving Mikoto enough time to finish her gladiatorial training.
Despite living in the same city, it would be the first time Lili had seen Mikoto in the last six months. After all, it wouldn't really feel like training if the two of them were still communicating. They had to be totally separate to make this work, to ensure that they really did grow as much as possible.
While Lili's Familia was currently resting in her new villa, which she was told would be permanently hers now, she was wandering the main building of Athena Familia. After some quiet reflection, she found who she was looking for.
Goddess Athena stood near a set of towering columns. Even with marble constructs looming above her, she imposed her will upon them and the city she watched over. The Goddess made no comment as Lili approached, barely nodding her head in the prum's direction.
"Hello, Lili," she said. "I will be sad to see you go, but I understand that this is what was supposed to happen."
Lili made a humming sound.
"Alexander told me about the conversation that the two of you had," said Athena. "I'm sure you must be curious about my thoughts on the subject."
Lili shrugged, not wanting to interrupt the Goddess.
"The fact of the matter is, you're only half right." Athena frowned, a far-off look in her eyes. "I don't want to die, Lili, but I need to know for my children. After all, what's to stop a vengeful deity from hunting my beloved children up in Tenkai? How would I stop them?" Lili noticed now how sad the Goddess looked. "If some petty Goddesses lay in waiting for a child of mine…I could never forgive myself. I need a permanent solution, just in case."
Lili said nothing.
"You know, this city used to be a place of magic and mages. Everyone knew of the famed magic of Altena, after all," began Athena, unprompted. "And I'm sure you could guess why I allowed them to stay and gave them free rein for their studies."
Lili nodded.
"I thought that magic might be the way, or maybe a magical item," explained Athena. "So, I let them tinker to their heart's content so that they could find a way to kill a God." Here, Athena stumbled. "But Hecate discovered what I was trying to do." She smiled. "The most surprising part was that she wasn't angry about me wanting to kill deities. It was that I was using her children for my own selfish desire. She left, taking most of the mages with her."
"What did you do next?" asked Lili, finally daring to speak.
"I realized that if this was the task I set, then it was my burden alone to bear," responded Athena. "I formed a proper Familia and began setting the task of encouraging their knowledge. They would study under my guidance. They learned to protect themselves and their people this way, and I created a society of learned killers. My hope is that one of them will one day answer my question."
"How does one kill a God?" asked Lili.
Athena nodded. "In truth, I believe that you might be the missing piece." She gave Lili a dark grin. "After all, what better place than the Dungeon to find the end of Deities?" She turned to look Lili in the eyes. "Will you help me in this endeavour?"
Lili thought of the atrocities of the world. The Gods and Goddesses played their games, and people were still getting hurt. Countries like Rakia waged constant war, gifted strength because of Ares. Freya did as she pleased, no one able to stop her or her pack of thuggish demigod adventurers. But there was also good. Because Lili remembered a God of War who took in orphans in a land ravaged by horror. And she remembered the smiling elephant God who wished for people and monsters to live together.
"I don't know," came the eventual response.
Athena smiled and turned to look out over her city once again.
"That's a good answer; I think I'll remember it."
In the Present:
The sun had not risen, but Lili was already standing in front of the Dungeon. She had barely slept and had finally given up attempting to. Instead, she had written a note telling her Familia that she would be waiting for them at the entrance. Around her, Guild workers set up marking zones for the Allied Adventurer Army to form around. They also supplied wagons for the baggage train. Yes, the war was becoming a reality.
Soon, though, Lili realized that she was not alone. Standing ten feet away, staring up the many floors of the Tower of Babel, was the High Novice. She strolled over, hands clasped around the straps of her pack, not saying a word.
"I know this might seem like a dumb question," said Raul. "But we've all thought about what SHE's going to do while we're all down there, right?"
Lili nodded. "Yes, and in the end, there's not much we can do. We just have to bank on her humanity."
Raul did not scoff at the answer; he just tilted his head. In silent contemplation, he mulled it over. Lili took the opportunity to study the city surrounding her. The morning mist hung like a veil, obscuring her vision. The people moved like ghosts, silent across the cobblestones. She could see the walls off in the distance, with the sun only just starting to crest their horizon. All was quiet and peaceful, and Lili felt herself relax.
"I guess that makes sense," was Raul's eventual response. "I mean, she is the Goddess that lived as a human for the longest. That has to mean something." His gaze turned to the Dungeon. "But there's nothing to be done now, is there? We just have to face up to this trial and do what we can."
"That's all we can do," was Lili's reply.
It was undoubtedly a strange conversation and not one that she expected to be happening. After all, her previous interactions with Raul Nord had not gone well. She had tricked him and humiliated him, after all.
"I'm happy we have people like the Captain with us, though," said Raul. He glanced at Lili. "I think you're like me. Someone who gets it."
Lili raised an eyebrow.
"You're someone that knows they'll never be a hero. But you're happy to stand in the light they give off, even if it's just for a moment." Raul stood quiet for a moment. "After all, we can't all be the hero of the story, but we can all play our part."
Lili nodded along. She did, in fact, agree with him.
"I'm happy there's someone like you up there, though," continued Raul. "Someone willing to remind those big heroes that there's a bunch of little people standing with them." He looked down, a nervous look in his eye. "Sorry, that came out wrong."
Lili barked a laugh.
"No, you're right. In fact, Lili believes that it'll be us little people that make the biggest difference, just you watch."
Raul turned his gaze back to the tower.
Lili looked to the Dungeon and considered Athena's question.
Dawn had come, and the silent drums of war went off throughout the city.
So, here we are finally. It took a while to come back, but I have returned for now. Hopefully the next wait isn't as big. Whatever happens, though, I do plan to continue on. I hope you enjoy the story!
Review Responses:
haziqsaffari2: Who knows? Read on to find out
mairsarmy: Happy you enjoyed the update! Who are they indeed, but I think it was made at least a little clearer. But we'll see what happens later!
