Hestia wasn't too sure of this decision in the slightest, but Archer and Apollo seemed to have come to an understanding.
Pursing her lips, Hestia gathered her thoughts and tentatively eyed Apollo and his Familia. Hostilities had stopped, but an awkward tension was left in its place.
Many of the Apollo Familia members were dazed as they made their way out of the toppled bushes and shrubs. The collision between Apollo and Heracles had created a shockwave that blew them all off their feet.
Hestia had been no different, but she'd managed to stand her ground by bracing herself against a large boulder.
Irrespective of her personal thoughts, time would not wait for her.
"I-Is this really a good idea?" Hestia ran up to Heracles who had already taken the lead to show the way to the abandoned church.
Apollo and his Familia trailed from behind, but always kept Heracles in sight.
"I do not know," Heracles answered, the deep baritone of his voice echoing in Hestia's ears. "I just realized that it was a matter I am not meant to resolve as an outside party."
Hestia pursed her lips, bangs shadowing her nervous features.
"But don't you already know what Caster will think?" She murmured uneasily, tugging Heracles by the arm. "It will do more harm than good."
"I am aware," Heracles said, frowning. However, he remained resolute. "But is the answer to hard problems to run away from them? Only when they are overcome can one grow."
"But we can stop it, can't we?" Hestia insisted, her instinctive nature kicking in.
"All children eventually leave their mother's protection at childhood's end," Heracles looked ahead, thinking of his own past.
"Caster didn't have a mother," Hestia shook her head. "At the very least I could-"
"He didn't need one to get to where he is now," Heracles glanced at Hestia with a level head. "Protecting others from something you know will do harm is admirable. It's in your nature, but the outcome of any danger doesn't have to be negative. Just as you warn children to avoid playing with fire, you still know that fire itself could be their greatest tool in the future."
"That's different," Hestia argued, picking up her pace to match Heracles' long strides. "The worst kind of pain is not physical!"
Mental pain could plague anyone like an unseen demon, intangible yet always present.
"You think Caster is weak enough to be hampered by this? Annoyed, yes; depressed and anxious, never." Heracles recalled the voyage upon the sea on the sails of the Argo. "His mental fortitude rivaled the best of us."
"But-"
"Trust me. This isn't a matter for either of us to meddle in when they alone are the ones who can most resolve it." Heracles discreetly observed Apollo and reaffirmed his decision. "It's the least I can do after seeing the extent of his resolve."
Hestia tilted her head, making a face. "Resolve? You mean bull-headed stubbornness?"
"A blind fool." Heracles muttered instead, frowning as he picked up his pace considerably.
Hestia blinked, not expecting that answer before she hastily ran after Heracles.
At the back, Apollo and the others also had to pick up their slack in order to keep up.
While the members of Apollo's Familia remained preoccupied and wary of Heracles, Apollo perked up in silent realization.
How formidable. That monster.
Apollo still felt shivers going down his spine just thinking about their short clash and the level of insight and capability he displayed.
Gods were formidable and could wield their own magics and divinity, but nothing comes without a price, especially considering how weak Apollo normally was in the lower world.
Someone like that man must have noticed…
Apollo glanced at his hands.
Cracks formed over his fingers, spreading up into his arms.
There wasn't much time left.
A doctor accepts all patients. There has never been a person in dire need of treatment that Caster had turned away without reason.
This doctrine was how he practiced his medicine, traveling to plague ridden zones or vast distances to study and treat rare illnesses. He steadily built up his acumen as others began spreading the word of his feats.
The cult of Asclepius was born in the isles of Greece, but fame was never what Caster was after.
The pursuit of medicine was what drove him even when orphaned early on.
That was why he treated his ward no different than how a magus treated their workshop.
Learning from the mistake with Ryuu, Caster kept Alfia in a more obscured location in the medical ward before he'd invited them in.
Treatment was as swift as it was practiced.
Peleus's case had helped give Caster an idea of the quantity of compatible blood necessary to mix with Gorgon essense to recreate a diluted revival elixir.
Silently, Caster jotted down his latest observations.
[-Divine Blood from Gods is replenished at a faster rate than ordinary humans]
[-Quantified numbers sit at double the drawing limit of two cups. A liter can be extracted without incident, platelets every three days]
[-Average wake time after treatment is dependent on the amount of compatible divine blood provided. At two cups, one day, at a liter, a couple hours. More observation required]
[-Effect of a Falna on patient Zero using diluted divine blood: Still in progress]
Moving away from his notes, Caster glanced at a decanter before then viewing the result of his latest treatment with a frown.
The mute half-wolf was still standing in a daze and taking up medical space.
Bete stared at his healed injuries with a sense of wonderment. Awe was the only other word to describe it as Bete flinched when he noticed Caster's judging gaze.
Bete bowed his head. He'd never been so respectful to anyone in his time in Orario other than Loki until now.
He distinctly remembered Caster saying to vacate when done.
Tione and Finn were blissfully sleeping on the side, and Loki was lethargic while connected to a syringe drawing blood into a bag. Considering that Tione and Finn who were once dead are now breathing, the tradeoff was worth the discomfort.
Loki pulled the needle out her arm and shook her head from a bout of dizziness caused by blood loss.
"Bete, pick up Tione and Finn," Loki drawled, swaying on her feet. "T-This mad doctor. Are you sure you needed three liters?!"
Caster wore a poker face, glancing at his notes and weighing the price of research tax with the 'actual' amount needed.
Lying to a God, especially a trickster God like Loki was impossible, but Caster was an intellectual.
A lie was likely to be undetected if you wholly and truly believed it was real. At least he hoped so.
"...Positive." He insisted.
Loki gave Caster the side eye, but relented with Tione and Finn breathing in front of her.
A dark cloud had lifted over her shoulders, and she could put up with being swindled or being annoyed. However, that also meant Loki finally took the time to really look at the other occupants of Caster's medical ward.
Astraea Family members, then there were the old Zeus and Hera members Loki could still remember back when the two Gods were at the height of their power.
She swallowed, opening and closing her mouth as numerous calculations and considerations took root in her mind. If the power structure of Orario was already thrown into haywire from the reveal of Demi-Gods, Loki shuddered at what would happen if the old generation powerhouses returned.
However, perhaps it could be a good thing.
Freya's forces have gone unchecked for too long, and as much as many compare the Freya Familia to the Loki Familia, Loki was aware that there was a notable difference.
"If that is all, you may leave," Caster said, snapping Loki out of her thoughts.
"Bete," Loki called again, finally getting the wolf man to move.
"Yeah," Bete murmured, picking up Finn and Tione under each of his arms.
If anything, Tiona would be happy if she were waiting just outside the door.
"You're an ass, but thank you," Loki said in acknowledgment, grumbling under her breath.
Caster's ruse had expectedly failed to throw Loki off.
Feigning indifference, a single bead of sweat rolled down Caster's forehead until he remembered the Gods in the Lower World were limited to a restricted vessel. He scratched the back of his head and huffed.
"You may question my character, but my medicine does not lie," Caster offered. "Look for me if you have more business. The Grand Quest should begin soon, and by then, you may not see my face for the next year or longer."
Loki grunted and turned to leave. "True enough."
Caster watched Loki and Bete go, his gaze lingering on Loki and contrasting her with the Loki he knew. Perhaps due to their exposure to culture in the lower world, the Gods of this world in some ways differed in temperment.
Hestia was the prime example.
The edges of Caster's lips twitched before he shook his head and banished the thought of his aunt turning into, well, a Bell obsessed air head?
The moment Loki and Bete opened the door of the ward, they were met with Thetis trying to drag Tiona away while Ais watched in silence.
Staring awkwardly at each other, Tiona pushed off Thetis and ran towards Tione, tears of joy welling in her eyes. In contrast, Ais swallowed audibly, seeing revival first-hand and then growing incredibly anxious to the point her poker face twisted.
The door shut behind Loki and Bete's back, and Caster no longer paid the others any mind.
Be that as it may, just because Caster sought the solitude of his research did not mean others had any intention of letting him do so quietly.
A knock soon drew Caster's attention. He wasn't expecting any more arrivals.
For a moment, Caster suspected it was that blond woman in knight's armor quietly waiting behind the door, but Loki should know that her allotted request period didn't include private inquiries by other members she brought along.
Regardless, that door was fitted with Caster's own wards that powered his territory creation as a Caster. It wouldn't open to just anyone who could-
Archer stepped inside, his towering figure unmistakable as the door creaked open.
Caster perked up a brow, but didn't deny his friend entry.
"Is there a matter you need assistance with?" He asked, shrugging off the sudden intrusion.
"Not me," Heracles answered flatly, gesturing behind him towards another figure behind him.
Caster humored Heracles and glanced around his side, but quickly frowned, noticeably agitated despite his indifferent expression.
The door slammed shut before the other person Heracles was leading could even set a foot inside the medical ward.
It was exactly as Heracles expected.
"Care to explain?" Caster said, tone leveled, yet civil.
Heracles hadn't seen or heard that look in Caster's eyes in a long time.
The last occasion was when Heracles was trying to ease Caster's ire against a mistake Jason had made that nearly got the entire crew killed or marooned on a witch's island. Fortunately, Heracles was used to shielding Jason as Jason's 'Best friend,' and knew how to diffuse Caster better than any member of the Argo could.
Slow and methodical were key strategies.
"It's not something you can avoid forever," Heracles said, crossing his arms and humming in thought.
"You assume I avoid," Caster met Heracles' eyes. "Rather presumptuous that I would place that much importance on a man whose merit landed me orphaned."
"Do you?" Heracles snorted. "None of the Gods personally raised any of their bastard children, and your old man blessed you the most."
"Hn," Caster was unamused. "His blessing is a boon, not a vital instrument to my medical practices."
"He is your father," Heracles pointed out.
"Chiron was more of a father than he was," Caster grumbled, annoyed. "Besides, aren't the Master's wishes more important than these trivialities?"
Caster scoffed, and turned back to his work desk. "You can leave. I'm sure the Master said something about needing you to help coordinate and train the new subjugation team to reinforce Saber and the others against the big lizard."
Heracles nodded. That was indeed something he'd been asked to do.
Since the end of the banquet Iris had hosted, numerous Familia within Orario would send members who willingly wanted to participate in the Grand Quest. Heracles along with Achillies were meant to supervise and assess them while Shirou supplied them with adequate weaponry.
This matter and the other were different though.
"He's not the same Apollo," Heracles said, shaking his head as he uncrossed his arms and moved to exit the ward through the window rather than the door Caster was keeping closed. "Will you at least just hear him out?"
"..."
Caster pinched the bridge of his nose, glaring at the closed door.
He couldn't concentrate like this.
What had come had come, and Apollo could not form the words even after the door opened and he walked in. He'd already said his words to his Familia, and all that was left was Caster, but now he found himself fumbling.
The door quickly shut behind him, and Apollo couldn't help but pity the blond haired knight still waiting for a chance to speak with Caster outside. If Apollo saw it right, she was ushered away by Loki, saying that they'd already used up their allotted time with Caster.
Of course, that only made the looks Loki and her Familia shot Apollo with more distinct. Loki should have been the only one here with her Familia today.
Apollo's presence was a curveball, but Apollo digressed.
He was diverting, but Caster certainly was not.
"Speak and be done with it." Caster forced through his teeth.
Apollo was lucky that Caster didn't just report Rider or Thetis on him. Both had their own bones to pick.
There were many words Apollo had wanted to say; that he had even gone as far to prepare beforehand, but staring at Caster's features, everything was lost on Apollo.
Caster had the same silver hair as Coronis, his frail-like figure and fair complexion largely from her. The eyes, distinct face, and aura were all from Apollo though; creating a perfect blend of the two that riveted Apollo in place and hammered down the notion that he was facing a son he never knew.
Naturally, out of everything Apollo wanted to say, eventually, only a single one was properly delivered.
"Sorry," Apollo said.
Memories of the time Apollo first met and fell in love with Coronis came to his mind like a bolt of lightning. Lighthearted moments where the two bickered and laughed, jealous moments where Coronis tried to put a lid on Apollo's womanizing, and finally to the end of the tragedy.
For all the people, men and women that Apollo knew in the lower world, Coronis was the one he had truly loved. Which was why he had lost himself to unreasonable rage when it was said that she'd committed adultery.
She pleaded that it was a mistake, that she was innocent, and yet Apollo had been presented with evidence of her treachery, making him see red no matter what she said.
His trust was broken.
In the end, he'd killed her.
She was but an ordinary woman, and Apollo's hand had been too heavy. Many years after had him stewing, but it was after seeing Caster for the first time that Apollo went back and did some digging.
Everything that had happened then was all too timely, especially at a time when he and his Familia were primed to support Zeus and Hera in the period after the failure of the Grand Quest.
"...and there's something you need to know." Apollo stared into Caster's eyes; his next words referring to the Coronis of this world. "Your mother was framed."
Caster noted the words, but the same look remained in his eyes. "That absolves you of nothing, and paints you a fool."
"Because I was," Apollo admitted, chuckling darkly. "Bastards played me well. Killed the love of my life and left before I realized I left a son orphaned."
Caster gritted his teeth and seethed. Still, he noted the words and decided to look into it as a personal venture.
"If that's all you came here to say, then get out." Caster turned his back on Apollo, trying to chase him away.
"No, there's more," Apollo gathered himself and regained his composure.
He was done acting like a narcissistic fool and playboy.
Caster paused and turned back around to face Apollo, raising a challenging brow at the tone of finality in Apollo's voice.
If Apollo thought he could force Caster into anything, then Apollo was wrong.
A mechanical serpent slithered on the floor of the room, responding to Caster's command and lying in wait.
"Shitty as I am, I am still your father," Apollo let his vanity speak as he smiled fondly at Caster.
Indeed.
[Child of Apollo: (A)]
Grudging as it was for Caster, that much was certainly undeniable. Worse, the affection Apollo was silently directing at Caster was genuine. And unlike the Apollo Caster knew, this one was intent on being there for him.
Heracles had a point that this wasn't the Apollo Caster hated.
But-
"I have no father," Caster coldly rebuked. His mother deserved better.
"Understandable," Apollo didn't argue, but flinched, appearing disheartened. "Still, the least I can do is give a gift."
"I don't-"
Caster paused, narrowing his eyes on Apollo as he took a closer look at Apollo's form.
Cracks were forming, Apollo no longer able to hide it as a large break traveled over his chest, leaking divine light. Other places that were less pronounced were rapidly deteriorating from the fingers and feet up.
Like chipped glass, the damage traveled throughout the body.
"That monster must have known I didn't come for forgiveness." Apollo said bitterly, no longer putting on any airs. "An arcanum is an arcanum. You either go out with a bang when you use it, or take it slow and shatter. All the same, there's no fixing what was broken by force."
Caster frowned, watching Apollo channeling the leaking divinity into motes of light that created miniature stars in the room.
"It will help you won't it?" Apollo directed his leaking energy to converge on Caster who stood rooted. "Divinity and essence if nothing else."
Caster said nothing as his own divine nature resonated within him, accepting the divine energy without Caster's involvement.
Typical father.
Always says and does what he wants without consideration.
Apollo grinned, his body shattering away in full and his spirit ascending back to the upper world.
[Child of Apollo: (EX)]
Caster released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and monotonously moved back to his work.
"...shitty old man," he murmured, voice drowned in the clinking of glass beakers and measurement tools.
Only a single pair of eyes prone to a bed watched the entire exchange with mixed feelings.
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