Chapter 48: Breach

*Knock* *Knock*

The inn's cracked wooden door shuddered as Hit battered his fist against it, clearly sounding his presence to the life forms within. Wood chippings littered the floor as they escaped crevices on the ancient structure, and a few silvery ornaments jangled from their hangings on the entryway to the unassuming Hermes Familia headquarters. Hit breathed a sigh of relief as the door maintained its structural integrity and waited for someone to greet him. 'A stealthy approach is pointless here… I need to make direct contact.' Unfortunately, the information that Hit sought out was very likely only found within Asfi Al Andromeda's mind and could not simply be liberated under the cover of darkness; unless one possessed the ability to read minds with the use of Ki, of course.

*Scuffle* *Bang* *Patter*

"W-Who could that be!?"

"It is certainly not Lord Hermes…"

"Shush, you two! Just pack it all up!"

Sounds of commotion and hasty footsteps erupted from within as several people raced around, fulfilling unknown tasks and whispering harshly to one another. Hit narrowed his eyes as the swaying of documents and slamming of books also joined the uproar, before all signs of life ceased...

.

..

…

Hit tapped a foot, waiting for the individuals, who were obviously within, to welcome him; however, the three people that he had been tracking were now frozen in place, as if they were attempting to remain as silent as possible. 'Are they ignoring me…?'

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Hit banged his fist more forcefully this time, using the unfortunate door to unload his growing annoyance, and finally managed to elicit a response. A slow series of footsteps approached his location and halted directly in front of the door, as if the individual was hesitating to open it.

*Swish*

Abruptly, an ovular metallic decoration on the door swivelled to the side to reveal that it was, in fact, a peephole! A convex crystalline orb glittered momentarily, before it became obstructed by a large yellow eye. Upon meeting Hit's glower, the orb widened in recognition, blinked, and vanished. Jarring jangling sounds then assaulted Hit's ears as someone hastened to unlock the entryway, and creaked it open slightly to reveal themselves.

"H-Hello… How can I help ya…?" Hit could now see that his peeper was a female chienthrope: an energetic-looking woman with fluffy black hair and drooped ears. She wore a short leather jacket; thin black undershirt; and medium leather boots. Combined with a pair of small leather shorts, her clothing left much of her dark skin exposed. A red woollen scarf was tightly wrapped around her neck, appearing as a crimson flame as it wafted in the cool breeze that now blustered into the inn. The woman cast a shaky grin at Hit, highlighting numerous dark freckles; however, her ruffled russet tail betrayed her underlying nervousness. She gulped as Hit stood silently for a moment and continued to hold the door open mid-way, her other hand twitching behind her back.

After a brief scan of the chienthrope, Hit decided to get right to the point, in a rather rude manner. "I seek a business meeting with Andromeda. Lead me to her."

The chienthrope balked and nearly fell over as she processed Hit's order: to meet their Familia's captain of all things! Thankfully, she managed to catch herself and straightened up once more, shaky grin now becoming more erratic. "Um… S-She's kinda busy right now… If you want to enlist our services, I can sort out a contract." The woman's brows furrowed at the impolite intruder as her sunny persona dimmed. "…Or maybe I can direct you elsewhere?"

Hit took a step forwards, causing his 'opponent' to flinch back slightly. "I have no use for your services and am exactly where I need to be. I wish to speak to Andromeda regarding a private matter." Hit was not someone who was used to being made to wait and would usually choose to meander his way to the required destination, unseen. Today's mission was an oddity for Hit and he wanted to get it over with quickly. It certainly did not help that he was already incredibly distrustful of this Familia, comprised of individuals who would swear loyalty to a deity who, according to Hit, was a meddlesome insect. All these parameters made for a particularly blunt and ill-mannered Hit.

The inn's doorkeeper seemed to become increasingly anxious, darting between expressions of worry and irritation as she grasped firmly onto the door, using it as a barrier to shield herself and her Familia. "I-I Um… Well…I can't-"

"Please, Lulune, I think it would be best if I took over from here." The door seemed to open of its own accord as a slender hand weaved itself into view and swivelled the barrier ajar, allowing Hit to gaze upon a second Hermes Familia member: an enchanting young elven woman. She wore intricate clothing, consisting of multiple layers of blue and golden robes, finalised by a deep indigo blue cloak. An engraved gold buckle held the cloak in position and complemented her medium-length blonde hair. She waltzed confidently ahead of her companion and smiled lightly at Hit, highlighting her pale youthful face. Twin hair braids swayed as she twisted to the side and cast a hand behind her, towards the depths within. "We welcome you to the Traveler's Inn. Please, come in, Mr…"

"You know who I am." Hit did not reciprocate her kindness and strode past the two astounded women, hands stuffed away out of sight. Hit had observed the chienthrope's sudden recognition and was certain that Hermes would have warned his junior members about him, given the God's obvious aversion to Hit's presence.

Now that Hit had finally breached into the heart of the inn, he hummed at its surprising coziness. The first floor was rather spacious and had been divided into an open space, littered with ovular tables and chairs; along with a large kitchen area, providing any customers with front-row seats of their food's preparation. A fireplace stood to the far left and was surrounded by cozy sofas and foot stools, some with half-drunk coffee mugs left atop them, their contents glistening in the light that cascaded in from a nearby window.

Moving to the opposite side of the floor, Hit narrowed his eyes at what he saw. A large table sat at the far right and was covered in half-eaten snacks and upturned glasses. Seating was provided by numerous displaced chairs and what appeared to be large boxes... Strangely, a few leaflets peeked out of these structures, with some sheets littering the floor. One box even seemed to be trembling slightly as Hit's crimson glare lingered on it. 'No, not chairs, they're storage containers. As expected, these people were rushing to hide something…'

"Ahem."

A feminine cough broke Hit from his observational trance and brought his attention back to the two individuals behind him. The elven woman took a few steps towards Hit, causing her golden sword to sway in its holster. "Quite. Forgive me, Mr Hit. I am Laurier Swall, and my companion is Lulune Louie."

Recognition now sparkled in Hit's eyes as the two names matched members listed in the 'Familias of Orario' book he had skimmed through. The immense tome detailed hundreds of Familias and provided only the most basic of information: The Familia's name; its type; and its current members' names and levels. Strangely, member levels were not listed for the Hermes Familia, something that unnerved Hit greatly. 'Why do these people receive special treatment? If they are able to withhold private information, then why am I prevented from doing so?' Hit attempted to draw on what little he knew of the Hermes familia, and what he had learned from his brief foray into their home. 'Exploration type familia… an incredibly vague description. Exploration of what, exactly? Most Familias, including my own, were listed as exploration type, suggesting that it merely refers to exploration of the dungeon…' Other listed types included business type, industrial type, medicinal type, and even nation type for the Ares Familia, which were not too much more detailed in their portrayal. 'Since the Hermes Familia is allowed to withhold levels, they are likely performing specialised duties for the guild… But what? What does that intrusive deity desire? These three are hiding classified documents, but the papers could be detailing a myriad of subjects…' When in war, one should know thine enemy; however, Hit recognised that he and the Hermes Familia were not yet at odds and decided to shelve spying on them for a later time. 'No matter. I have a different motive in being here today.'

Laurier continued to smile at Hit, as he stood silently in place, and pressed on with the conversation, eager to resolve their disagreement. "I understand that you wish to see Lady Asfi Al Andromeda, Mr Hit? She is currently on the second floor, carrying out her daily duties, so it is unlikely that she will have time for you. We may direct you to her; however, I make no guarantees as to whether you will be granted a meeting at such short notice."

Hit drew his gaze upwards and stared at the ceiling above, towards a region where faint scribbling sounds were detectable by his enhanced hearing. "I will find my own way. The three of you can remain here." With that, Hit began marching towards a set of stairs, positioned at the furthest reaches of the floor.

Laurier's eyes widened at Hit's gaze and comment, sweat now gathering at her brow. "V-Very well…" The woman paused. "You will find her in the furthest room on the left", she quickly added out of ingrained courtesy, knowing that Hit already knew this was the case.

Hit gave no signs of acknowledgement and simply made his way up the wooden steps, walking out of sight as he breached the upper level to their home…

The two women finally allowed themselves to relax, sagging as stress vacated their tense bodies. Lulune unhanded the dagger sheathed behind her and used the hand to wipe her brow. "Huff… You can come out now, Meryl!"

Off to the right, a trembling box stilled and swayed from side to side as something fidgeted within. The container's wooden lid then rose up, slowly, and allowed a purple, pointed hat to peek out. Finally, a cute pallum girl hopped out and sighed in relief, causing her lavender witch's hat and robes to sway up and down. A small, gloved hand rose up and rubbed at her aquamarine eyes as she adjusted to the room's bright light again. "T-That was a close one… How did he notice me, though…?"

Lulune sighed as Meryl spoke quietly to herself and turned to her elven friend, casting a stern glare at her. "Why did you let him in, Laurier!? Hermes said this guy's super dangerous! He never gets serious about anything, so this "Hit" person must be formidable. Usually, we get advice on how to deal with troublesome targets, but Hermes just said to stay away from him... Plus, Hit's supposedly a level below me, but I don't feel like I could beat him… no matter how much I wanted to punch his scary face."

Laurier retorted with an equally serious stare, boring into her friend's amber eyes. "It is precisely because he is so dangerous that I let him in, Lulune."

The chienthrope's small ears twitched at the odd reasoning, and she tilted her head in confusion and dismay. "Huh!? Why would you do that!?" Lulune was never the brightest of their merry band; however, she made up for this failing with her incredible street smarts and shrewdness. The woman was excellent at making deliveries and acquiring necessary information, but was never a master at developing intricate schemes.

Meryl Tear, the sole remaining pallum of their familia, mustered up her courage and walked up to her colleagues, pulling at her purple hair in dismay. "We should have just waited for him to leave… I was hidden away, but I felt like he could reach me at any time…" The short girl shook as she receded into her baggy clothes, slamming her eyes closed in fright.

Laurier bent down and hugged her diminutive colleague briefly, causing the purple-haired girl to squeak in shock, before relaxing into the embrace. "Now, now. We're safe, I assure you Tear." The elf rose up and smiled warmly at her friends, causing them to quickly relax. "Hit divulged the reasoning for my decision himself. The man wishes to meet lady Asfi and has no use for us. The faster we lead him to her, the quicker we can remove him from the scene and clear our work away properly. Also, I am certain that if we simply cast him away or ignore him, he would find other ways of seeking the information he desires. All of us are well aware of the measures required to gather elusive information. I am certain that Lady Asfi will be able to ascertain what exactly he wants, even if he attempts to hide it. We must tread carefully when lacking so much intel... Someone who intimidates Lord Hermes should not be underestimated."

The Hermes Familia was an exploration type Familia: a vague description that signified that their members could partake in all manner of schemes, as long as they brought in profits. Most Familias delved within the dungeon; however, the Hermes Familia specialised in espionage and infiltration. In particular, information gathering and brokering were especially lucrative, such as tracing black market goods sales for the Guild and Ganesha Familia, who would then carry out necessary disciplinary action, with varying degrees of success. Their Familia was not for the faint of heart, and its members would have to use any and all means to gather what they needed. Their targets were no different and would use any measure to hide their activities and cover their tracks. Hermes had recently tasked them with gathering background information on a rookie adventurer, one known only by the name or alias 'Hit'. They had discovered very little information on the man, and simply knew that he had defeated a crystal mantis on the surface; had joined the Loki Familia; and was the warrior who dealt the finishing blow during Rivira's most recent battle. There were also vague rumours that he possessed a teleportation or enhancement skill, which was confirmed by Hermes and Asfi's own testaments, although Hermes seemed unsure on the matter and had grown incredibly embarrassed when questioned further. In terms of Hit's early life, there was nothing… No leads to anywhere in the lower world, apart from a merchant's pass, which were widely available in any city. All in all, this 'Hit' person may as well have been a ghost who decided to haunt Orario for his own machinations.

Lulune sighed to herself and waltzed to the Familia kitchen, licking her lips as she sought a tasty morsel for herself. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense… That potential skill of his would make him a nightmare for us." The woman shivered as she opened and rifled through their magic-stone fuelled fridge, although the reaction was not out of frigidity. "Still… I hate that we can't just tell him to piss off..."

Laurier sighed and toyed with her braids, twiddling the beads holding them together between her finger and thumb. "He is a member of the Loki Familia, Lulune, so we must treat him with respect. Besides, if we antagonise such an unpredictable person, that will create issues for us in the future. As I said, if he receives what he desires, it will be less likely that we have to deal with him in the future. We should put our faith in Lady Asfi and her skills."

The bubbly fridge raider pulled out a bowl filled with honeyed yoghurt, licking her lips in anticipation. "Yeah, yeah…" She then skipped to Laurier and poked her in the stomach, causing the elf to skitter back slightly in shock. "Sucks to be you though, Laury! I'll be going on holiday soon, so you'll have to deal with these problems yerself!"

Laurier blushed and stifled a giggle, before marching back to her friend with a forced frown. She then flicked Lulune on the forehead, causing the chienthrope to gasp in shock. "It is not a holiday, Lulu. You have been tasked with tracking a monster sale. We cannot afford to make any mistakes, lest we alert the buyer."

Lulune rubbed at her 'wound' and marched towards the Familia fireplace, growling intermittently. "I know what I'm doing, meany! Now, if you'll excuse me… Hey! Where's my lunch!?" The girl looked down at her right hand to see that her grasp was now empty! Turning back, she spotted Laurier, who was about to place a spoonful of yoghurt into her mouth, pleased grin on display.

"Give that back, you fat elf!"Lulune raced back towards the elven menace and tackled the lower-level adventurer to the ground, pinning her in place. Unfortunately, Laurier released the bowl she stole out of shock, thus allowing it to sail into the air and plop back down onto the prone pair. The two girls gasped as they were doused in white viscous liquid, completely wasting the item they had been fighting over, and shouted at one another in rage.

"MY FOOD!"

"MY ROBES!"

*Bang* *Clatter* *Zip*

Chairs and tables clattered as Lulune and Laurier shot up and rocketed away, one seeking vengeance and the other a change of clothing.

"Get back here, Laury! I'm getting my dessert no matter what!"

"This is all your fault, Lulu! I need to change before these become stained!"

Meryl sighed as she watched the two women chase after one another, dousing the ground in even more yoghurt in their escapade. The witch sensed that this would take some time and made her way towards her tea set, gulping as she stared upwards, worry for her Familia captain evident on her soft face. "I-I'll make us some tea and cream scones…"

Picturesque oil paintings surrounded Hit as he trudged up a set of wooden stairs to the inn's second floor, with most depicting beatific scenes of Orario and the bountiful fields that surrounded the great city. Others illustrated members of the Hermes familia, with Lulune, Laurier, Asfi, Hermes, and a number of other individuals that Hit did not recognise making several appearances.

Upon setting foot onto the building's highest storey, he was greeted by a relatively narrow corridor, adorned with golden doors on either side. Several mahogany tables lined the verges of the passageway, each topped by an exquisite ornament of some sort. Unlike Loki's garish decorations, these were far more tasteful in their selection, and most were in imperfect condition, acting as a tapestry of the Familia's adventures and treasure hunts. Intricate wood carvings; marble sculptures; ancient scrolls; and numerous artifacts of unknown origin were eagerly scrutinized by Hit, until he reached the end of the corridor. His red eyes twinkled as they marvelled at a large stained-glass window, which detailed a dazzling forest landscape, autumn colours vividly illustrated by the motley of colourful glass fragments fixed in place.

Turning to either side of the corridor, Hit saw that two doors greeted him now: an amber door, covered in golden feather illustrations; and a light-blue door suffused with golden 'veins', giving it the appearance of an immense turquenite gem.

'Hmph. I think I can guess who resides in these two…' Thankfully, Hit detected no signs of life emanating from behind the amber door, suggesting that the pesky God Hermes was not present currently. However, a wooden plaque affixed to the door drew Hit's attention, which depicted a slim man carrying a ram on his shoulders. The figure held a staff in his right hand, encircled by a serpent, and a winged helmet rested atop his head. 'Did Hermes provide inspiration for those winged shoes? Are they originally a divine artifact?'

Hit resisted the urge to pulverise the carving and turned back to the blue door, gathering his thoughts as he did so. Hit had briefly considered doing some snooping; however, he was uncertain whether Asfi already knew of his approach. The woman would definitely not appreciate any efforts to spy on her Familia: an action that would ruin any future interactions between the two parties.

*Bang* *Clatter* *Thump*

Sounds of disturbance sounded out below Hit, accompanied by rapid footsteps and girlish screams. 'Those three must be hiding more of their documents…Do they act as informants for the Guild? The other Familia members feel far weaker than Andromeda, suggesting that they do not perform extensive dungeon diving together… Although, who knows how strong the other seven listed in the tome are.' Hit shook his head and frowned, getting back on track. 'I need to be crafty here and appear upfront. By no means am I going to be truthful with the woman, however. Thank Zeno Hermes is not here to ruin the infiltration…' Hit breathed in and out to calm himself and finally knocked on Asfi Al Andromeda's ornate door.

Author's Notes

Hit's entrance was a bit rude, but, as I said, he does not trust the Hermes familia at all. Hardly any information is listed about them, even less than for the other familias, and he hasn't had a good first impression from Hermes or Andromeda's meddling in Bell's life.

Also, Hermes has no information on Hit. No matter where he looks, he cannot find anything regarding his family or origin. Someone with immense strength seemingly appeared out of nowhere and has questionable motives. Both sides are therefore suspicious of each other.