Interlude 1 – The Other Protagonist's Sister
Alfia POV
All of your life, ever since your birth, you had stolen many things from your sister. Her health, her talent, and you fear that one day, even her life. That was why you wanted nothing more than to give all you can back.
Even if it crushed you inside every time you had to deny her earnest pleading to let her go on a walk, even as she negotiated it so that all members of the Hera Familia could escort her, you had to deny her even that small bit of happiness. After all, even the Captain of their Familia could not cure her disease, the curse that is killing her, one that you had placed on her.
All members of Hera's family loved Meteria, there's nothing that they wouldn't do to keep her happy, even buying expensive medication just to ease her pain was something done as a matter of course. Even if using your Magic kills you so that Meteria could spend just another day without feeling pain, then it is a fair trade.
Anything for your dear sister after all.
That was why when you arrived home to find her missing, it took all of the Hera Familia executives to stop you from turning Orario upside down to search for her. You of course swore that should she not be found in the next 5 minutes, you would be casting Genos Angelus so that whoever it is that kidnapped Meteria would see that you're serious… Or just so that she could see just how worried you are and come back home.
Either would work for you.
Of course, once you begin casting there would be no turning back, either Meteria came back home or Orario would suffer… Or you would die from Ignis Fatuus and you wouldn't have to care anymore.
And the rest of the Hera Familia knows that you're serious. Hera is there looking just as worried after all, and she would definitely know if you're lying.
Luckily, before the Hera Home could be destroyed brick by brick, by overeager supremely high-levelled Adventurers that don't want to die by friendly fire, or Orario too for that matter, Meteria had arrived home.
And you almost started casting anyway.
"What happened!?" Despite your hatred for noise, this time you would tolerate your usual Familia antics and loudness so that you could get to the bottom of why your sister only has a man's jacket to cover herself as her clothing is ripped to pieces.
It's good that your sense of smell only detected blood dripping down her nose, a normal occurrence due to her sickly nature, and not on anywhere else, or other sorts of 'liquids'.
There's a weird sweet smell that you usually detect when you walked in on your Familia members that are roommates though, especially when they looked like they were just exercising heavily… Did Meteria heavily exert herself!?
This is bad, the rest of your Familia should really cut the chatter and bring Meteria back to her room to rest. The Medicine might almost literally be a miracle drug, but even it has its limits.
Dragging your sister back to her room and back in proper clothing once again, did she not wear a bra?
You know that it chafes, and it's hard to find one that fits, but Hera practically almost had to 'punish' you to make sure that you wear one, and you're pretty sure that Meteria went through the same procedure.
And with both of your skin being so sensitive, it was almost a chore to keep wearing it, but Hera insists, one of the rare instances where she put her foot down even with Meteria.
Couldn't make her get rid of the jacket, though, as Meteria kept holding on to it like a teddy bear. Trying to get it off of her, so that you could find the owner and 'interrogate' him or her on what they were doing with your sister, was only met with a close repeat of the sweets 'incident'.
And judging by the cut and style of the jacket, it was not something local, so you couldn't just interrogate the seamster for the identity of the owner of the jacket. So perhaps an outsider to Orario, so you would need to interrogate the guards for the identity of this interloper.
Your Goddess was of no help in this matter, of course, still traumatized by the 'punishment' that your sister gave her. One whole week where Meteria would not talk to Hera, she broke down in one day. Hera that is.
At the very least, your sister was open about everything else, and you almost felt like your heart had stopped beating.
"You went into the Dungeon!?" Hearing the fact that your sister came so close to dying without you even knowing about it, caused an unimaginable amount of pain to you.
If the pain from the disease that you've suffered your whole life could be concentrated into one moment, you truly believed that it would hurt less than the thought of losing your sister.
Your sister must've felt the same way, the way she was hugging that jacket so tightly, she must still be in shock with how deeply she was breathing as she held the jacket close.
So of course, to alleviate this pain, you would kill the person responsible for making you feel that way. No, not Meteria of course, your innocent sister could do no wrong, though she makes almost worry yourself to death. And no, not the Dungeon either, you are too weak to actually do it… yet.
No, the fact that Meteria could slip away and almost get herself killed was the fault of the lacking guards of the manor who failed to stop her.
You would not kill them of course, they are still part of your Familia after all, and they looked just as crushed as you were when they realized that Meteria was missing. Your sister is very loved.
No, you would not be killing them. They would, however, wish that they were dead… Who knows? Maybe they could level up from this, your killing intent is very real, after all.
Well, with your sister's wanderlust sated for the time, the good thing was that your Sister had finally done a deed worth updating her Falna for the very first time, without it seeming to look like a pity party.
Where the whole Familia would get their Falna updated, and Meteria would be stuck with all 0's and I's.
~Liaris Freese!? What kind of broken skill is this! …as long as the user is in love!? Who is this target of affection so that I can kill them!~
Once again, Orario was saved from being destroyed by the Monster of Talent by a hair's breadth.
That night the bell tolls, but not for thee.
The Hera Familia is lively this day too.