Chapter 10: Polygraph

Back inside, the other subject of the Loki familia's negligence stood up and made his way towards his newest annoyance. Bete was still laughing at his own jokes, eliciting the occasional chuckle from the Hiryute sisters.

Hit stopped beside him and spoke in a cold voice. "Blaming others for your own mistakes? Pitiful. What's more, you belittle the plight of the young, in both love and war, whilst you are by far the ugliest; most sordid; and insipid vermin here."

He could still feel the universe-shaking hits of a kaioken powered super Saiyan blue Goku. If the Saiyan had given up early in life, they would never have crossed paths. Having been nearly bested by such a young opponent, and his recent return to square one, filled him with a strong sense of respect for fledglings beginning their journey.

Bete stopped his laughing and looked up, thoroughly unenthused and dumbfounded. "Huh!? Who the fuck are you, cunt!?"

Hit looked down degradingly. The ensuing words slithered out of his mouth, each syllable sending shivers down listeners' spines. "Someone who always gets the job done no matter the cost. Someone who has never endangered civilians during my missions. Yesterday, you failed on both those counts; feel the weight of your disgrace."

A shadow highlighted Hit's menacing visage. He may have lost his former strength, but he certainly was intimidating.

Unfortunately, such tactics are relatively ineffective on the delirious and the stupid.

"You think you're better than me!? Bastard!" The Loki familia looked on, horrified, as Bete got up and prepared to throw a punch. A level five punching a no-name adventurer? Even if he held back, they would need immediate medical attention.

*Shing*

The familiar ethereal glow appeared as Hit's mind reacted instantly. His battle against the Minotaur had worked wonders. The world stood in place; Bete's slitted pupils could be seen clearly. Noone saw this beautiful tapestry in time, only Hit and those he allowed were given the privilege. 'A straight right.'

Time passed once more.

Hit swerved his head, only barely moving out of the way. A nail scraped by his cheek and a drop of blood dripped down. Hit did not show his surprise outwardly. 'Fast, even more so than that bull.'

Riveria stood up next and shouted at the drunkard. "What are you thinking, Bete! You could have killed him!"

Hit stared the shocked wolf dead in the eyes. "Predictable. You have strength, but you're sloppy".

Bete's veins bulged as he threatened to attack again. "WHAT DID YOU...!?"

His movements were halted as the Hiryute sisters tied the man up, while his guard was down. "Mmmf!?" A piece of fabric shut the werewolf up.

Riveria was pleased with their work, they were always the best at dealing with him. "You're drunk! Sit there and calm your nerves!"

The rage melted from her face as she turned to Hit and bowed her head slightly. "We apologize deeply for our comrade's stupidity. Rest assured; he will be punished for this."

She looked at the writhing Bete as if he were one of the caterpillars from earlier. "...severely".

Tiona rubbed her brown eyes as she squinted at the purple-haired boy. "Hey, I recognise you! You're the guy who beat the other Minotaur on the fifth floor!"

The company of adventurers looked at him, stunned.

Hit was not very impressed by this 'familia' so far. Was it just a disjointed group of mercenaries? "Is it your turn to proclaim your superiority over me?"

The girl waved her hands in front of her, dismissively. "Huh? No way! You looked incredible! It can be pretty tough for new third class adventurers to solo a Minotaur!"

Hit blinked at yet another term. 'Third class? So, adventurers are either supposedly first, second, or third class... Maybe more. How does that tie into levels? Ugh... This is getting confusing.'

Finn Deimne rested his chin on a hand. "Now I recall, you did say that there was another on the fifth floor." He stepped towards Hit, a cordial smile on his face. "I must also apologize for getting you caught up in our earlier blunder." His diminutive size fell even shorter as he also bowed.

Hit became more relaxed and stood at ease. 'These two are far more mature. They must be the leaders.' "Just don't make trouble for others again."

Finn nodded. "Of course. Now, is there anything we can do to make it up to you, Mr..."

"Hit", came Hit's usual short introduction.

Finn's eyebrows scrunched as he attempted to recall anyone by the name. "...Hit, I see."

Tiona raised her hands in the air. "I know! We can give you the magic stone from the Minotaur! You just left it there..." Her happy face turned into a more thoughtful one as she remembered the strange behaviour.

The others looked at him oddly; why would an adventurer leave behind such valuable treasure?

"I suffered some injuries and cannot recall much of the proceedings after I defeated the beast. To be honest, I did not recognise you or the werewolf, until just now." Hit hoped they did not see much. The only thing this girl seemed to know was that he was the victor.

Riveria looked at Bete and the younger amazon, unimpressed. "Why did you not stop him, if he was injured and acting strangely? He obviously needed healing potions!"

Tiona whistled to the side and played with her hands, trying to ignore her senior. Bete continued to chew at his bindings.

Finn brought attention back to him with a cough. "We could surely pay you for it, Mr Hit. It should be 50,000 valis, plus extra as compensation".

'Holy Zeno!' Hit's eyebrows shot up as he couldn't hide the surprise.

Gareth set down his mug and wiped his mouth with a fist; he spoke gruffly. "Why not just give the lad the stone? 'e can exchange it himself. Besides, it's 'is trophy."

Finn nodded. "Naturally. It is up to you, Mr Hit, it is your property after all. We can deliver it to your familia tomorrow if you like. Where are they located?"

Hit got a little worried then. His bluffs had not worked as well as he had hoped. These people possessed a form of hyper-awareness.'I can't let them know I went in the dungeon without being part of a 'familia'. Getting banned from the city might be the least of my worries.'

"My familia and I have had a falling out. I have no problem with you purchasing it from me."

Mia walked behind them, refilling a few mugs. "That's a fair amount of money to be storing here lad. Sure you can't just store it in your familia safe? Or exchange the stone at the guild later". Mia had an annoyed and persuasive expression on her face.

Hit's eye twitched a little. "No. I do not wish to return. I could exchange the stone, yes; however, I would much rather have the money now. I'll just store it on my person at all times."

A red-haired person grinned knowingly behind them.

Finn made to get the necessary Valis. "Alright then, Mr Hit, I'll get you the funds right no..."

"Hold on a sec..." The little redhead hopped up from their seat and sat on the table next to Hit. "Let's have a quick chat first, then we'll settle our debt. Let me buy ya a few drinks as an apology!" They then clicked their fingers and Mia set down two mugs, full to the brim.

'What does this child want? ...I suppose I can't say no to free drinks.' Hit obliged and took a seat opposite. "Fine, but make it quick."

The small person smiled lightly, hiding a mischievous nature. "See... I'm just a little confused. Just what is this Familia of yers? If ya have any complaints, I can put in a word for ya."

Hit thought for a moment, before the perfect epithet came to mind. 'What's a good name... Ah!'

"I am a member of the Vados familia. Small, I doubt you have heard of us. And don't bother, I can take care of myself." Hit had thought to say the Champa familia, but there's no way he would give the obese furball any form of respect.

The stranger's smile grew into a grin. "I see... Yer right... Never heard of them." Shuffling a bit, they held their cheeks in both hands. "Next, did ya really fight that Minotaur solo? Pretty good for a newby third class..."

Hit had no reservations about recounting superficial details. "Yes, it was one on one. It was well fought, by both combatants. I am grateful to have experienced it."

Greed flittered across their pale face. "Sorry ya had to deal with our runaway, but I'm glad it worked out okay!"

A more serious look appeared on them as their closed eyes peeked open slightly. "I like to keep tabs on new familias, especially ones that mistreat their members. Is Vados a recently descended god or goddess? Lastly, is this yer first familia, or did you change over?"

'Who cares?' Hit wanted this to be over with. "As I said, it's very recent. Vados descended only a few weeks ago; I'm new here."

The redhead opened their eyes fully. "Then I'm afraid I can't pay ya."

Hit raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

The androgynous person's grin grew to it's maximum. Teeth shined, giving them the appearance of a Cheshire cat. "Everything ya just said, except for your fight against the Minotaur ...was a lie."

"That's quite the accusation to be making when you have absolutely no proof". Hit finished his piece with a heavy scowl.

His conversation partner giggled. "That's quite the stare ya got there Hit. Sorry, I don't swing that way." Their fox-like grin returned. "I know 'cause of who I am."

"A nameless child?" Hit was not a fan of self-absorbed 'celebrities'.

A dainty hand slipped, and the stranger's head nearly hit the table. "Wha!? Hold on... Ya don't know who I am?" His conversation partner's eyes bulged; Hit could now tell they were a beautiful ruby red.

"No, nor do I care to. Just pay up your debt and we can get this over with" Hit replied, impatient.

"Fine. I guess I shoulda' introduced myself earlier. The name's Loki". The now named Loki, sat proudly with her back straight.

Hit looked on blankly before his face scrunched in thought. 'Loki? As in... head of the this 'Loki familia', a god? Their powers should be sealed, but I can't be sure.'

"And? What does being a god have to do with this?" He hid his unease behind a stony face.

Loki was thoroughly confused at this point. She glanced over to Mia, who was clutching her face. The trickster god returned to her conversation partner. "It means~ that I can tell when someone's lying to me..."

"...what?" Hit sat agape, eyes wide and focused only on the little deity in front of him. The world around them disappeared; it was as if they were the only beings in existence.

"I thought at first you were being mistreated or blackmailed, but now I think you're a very special case." Loki twiddled a strand of hair between a finger and thumb.

Hit tightened his fists and sat, waiting for judgement. 'Should I just try to eliminate them? No, these adventurers are currently far above me.'

Loki held up a finger. "I obviously know yer lying about your familia and this 'Vados' fella. Ya also can't exchange magic stones, hence why I thought you were being blackmailed. However, the final nail in coffin is that you're "new here".

Hit tried to defend himself. "Once again, it is none of your business how I choose to conduct myself."

"Hehe... You have any idea how long it takes ta get to that kinda strength?" Loki was not intimidated in the slightest.

"..." Hit went back to giving her the silent treatment.

Loki answered for him. "A year, at the very least. You have no idea who I am and stated yerself that you're green." She then twisted around to face Finn. "Oi! Didn't you say that you saw a trail of magic stones on the way out?"

"Y-yes. It began from the fifth floor and led upwards." Finn was coming to a similar impossible conclusion.

"And there it is. Ya can't exchange magic stones, so ya just left them there..." Loki finalised her detective work and pointed directly at Hit. "...because yer not part of a familia in the first place! You're unblessed."

The others behind gasped, looking at Hit in a different light. Surely it couldn't be.

Hit clutched his hands together on the table and looked on, menacingly. Red pupils darkened into a burned maroon. 'I suppose this is it... I'll fight my hardest to do as much damage as possible. Why did I even agree to this conversation... Oh yeah, the free alcohol.'

"Well then, what happens now, God."

"Haha! So, you're finally owning up to it, eh? Don't worry, I won't tattle." Loki danced in place a little to celebrate the victory.

Hit relaxed from his state of readiness, thoroughly confused by the strange being's antics. "...Huh?"

"What? Ya think I'm gonna kill ya or something? Haha!" Loki clapped a leg with her hand.

"Well... Sort of" Hit looked quite sheepish; he wasn't sure how to act.

Loki looked up, shocked. "Huh!? I'm not that scary, am I?"

Hit replied robotically. "Gods are merciless destroyers, beyond mortal comprehension."

"Where the hell did ya hear that?" Loki had never heard anything like it. The gods had never destroyed anything in the human realm... Besides that flimsy tower. But that was just a harmless prank!

Loki shook her head. "Anyway... Ya don't have to worry, but I can't just give a non-registered person a magic stone. As an apology I'll give ya the 50,000 valis." Her eyes twinkled. "But… you are looking to join a familia, right?"

Hit nodded hesitantly.

"Great! I'll give ya the money if ya come over to twilight manor, I'll even let you join my familia on the spot!" Loki finished her offer with a cheerful smile.

Riveria was startled from her state of shock. "Hold on Loki. I'm having trouble believing any of this. Besides, you can't just go making decisions like this on your own."

Loki shouted out like a petulant child. "Yes, I can!"

Riveria fixed her with a glower that promised hours of lectures and weeks without alcohol.

Loki shrank down. "O-okay, I'll let you in if you answer some questions first".

Hit sighed, this is not how he expected his first meeting with a god to go. "I will come to collect what I am owed, but I make no promises on joining your group".

"Sure...sure, but I promise you won't find a better one!" Loki fidgeted about; the alcohol was starting to take even greater effect.

"We'll see about that. I'll visit in two days. Is this 'Twilight Manor' the large residence to the north of the tower?" Hit may have a good layout of the city, but buildings' names still eluded him.

Loki deadpanned. "Um… yeah. The fact that you even have ta ask that shows how new y'are".

Hit grumbled, got up, and walked away.

Once he was far enough away, the other Loki familia members turned to their Goddess and barraged her with questions.

"Is what you say really true Loki?"

"He seems powerful..."

"He's hot! Do you think he has a partner?'

"Let me out of these fucking ropes you cowards!"

Loki hiccupped and waved her hands. "Now, now everyone. We can worry about that when he comes to visit. For now..."

A lecherous look blossomed on her red face as she giggled to herself. "Give me some sugar, mama!" Loki dived at Riveria's chest.

*Bang* A large bruise appeared on her forehead she was thrown to the ground.

"Do not call me that." A tick mark pulsed on Riveria's forehead.

The poor goddess clutched her battered head. "Owie!"

Laughter erupted as the Loki familia went back to their partying.

Hit was about to head for the stairs, when a familiar someone congratulated him on his deal. "Well, it looks like someone finally wised up. Coulda done without the lying though, woulda made you look less like a fish outta water." Mia looked at him, exasperated.

Hit sighed. "...Just shut up and let me go to bed..."

"Hahaha! Careful now! Ya better be here for breakfast tomorrow; no sneaking out or I'll send Ryuu to drag you back here kicking and screaming." Mia held her hands at her waist.

Hit continued, traipsing lazily. With that, he went up and settled in for the night, a little vexed and confused at his progress today. 'All's well that ends well I guess... Tomorrow I'll head to the guild to finally familiarise myself with familias and just how adventurers gain strength.'

Hit's money issues kept him awake.

'1500 valis for the first day, 800 valis for the second day I was mostly unconscious for, and 2200 valis for today. Which means I'll have 0 valis by the end of tomorrow, just from the lodgings and breakfast alone.'

'... Not to mention the 2500 valis debt.' Hit reached up to an imaginary coin bag drifting away from him.

'Dammit, why couldn't they have just paid me and skipped the annoying talk...' He slumped his fist back onto the bed.

'No. I suppose it was a good wake up call. And they should be paying me 50,000 valis.' Hit salivated at the thought of finally being comfortably rich again.

'Maybe I can convince that ogre to put it all on my tab for the last day...' He wasn't very confident in his chances.