Honestly, a lot has happened since my last update.
TL;DR lots of personal stuff, lots of Danmachi related stuff, and lots of FF/future planning stuff.
So in the first instance, my dad passed away last month, so I took a brief break from writing and a bit of time off. After all of that started to settle down I started writing again and decided that for the rest of the year I will probably just continue to write for Danmachi as I can't really bring myself to switch over now because of that and a few other things. Furthermore, I had to do my job applications for the next year and am waiting to hear back about that now, so a period of uncertainty at the moment.
Danmachi wise, we finally got our first look at Heith, and I was not happy with the hair colouration. Light red is not pink… but I got over that after a few days. Hopefully the anime doesn't butcher her personality, as it is quite fun in the LN and omakes. If I haven't already made it clear, I will be using Freya Familia a fair bit, and Heith will also have a big role *hint hint*.
In a bit of positive Danmachi news, I've now hit over 200K words written for this story, with multiple chapter part snippets up for free, with up to chapter 23 posted on my pat reon completed and proofread, while chapters 24-27 are up, but not proofread yet and I'm halfway through writing chapter 28, which means I am almost up to the "A Date with Airmid" chapter, which I suspect will still be chapter 30, if not 31, depending on how long chapter 28 and 29 end up being.
Then we had FF utterly collapse into itself as its web host took away their domain, which honestly sounded like a death knell for FF.
As I have said many times in the past (more so recently with how much FF has been struggling), if FF ever goes kaput, I will still keeping writing and post for free on my pat reon, and I also occasionally post stuff in my discord too. That being said, I was thinking about other options to post on. I would ideally like something with similar interface to FF. I've had a look at AO3 and Wattpad in the past, but their search functions and layout irritate me a bit. If there are other sites that are good/similar to FF, let me know. That being said, I will continue to post on FF as I have been for over a decade now, but it has honestly declined quite a bit…
With all of that being said, enjoy the chapter!
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Previously:
Bell would prepare the dinner for the Goddesses with Hestia taking a moment to update his status, noting a significant increase in his magic stat. Freya and Hestia would speak before the dinner, with Freya revealing her interest in Bell and offering Hestia her friendship. The three would then share a meal, with Freya asking about Bell's experiences in Orario so far, as well as discussing the dichotomy of her Familia, using Ottar and Heith as examples, before Bell would demonstrate his magic. As dinner concluded, Freya would invite Bell to Folkvangr if he so wished, with Freya advising Ottar of this as they returned to their home.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Danmachi light novel/anime/manga/games. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Magic
Chapter 9 – Temperamental luck
Bell snuck out early in the morning, still feeling some awkwardness from the night before. Bell wasn't quite sure what the Goddesses had discussed before he had brought the food in, but the odd energy that was present throughout dinner lingered even after Freya had left for the night. Shaking this off for now though, Bell was eager to test his magic again. Having secured all of his equipment and potions, Bell made a beeline for the Dungeon before the sun was truly up, only the faintest traces of the morning sun being present, casting long shadows along the footpath. Bell made his way into the Dungeon and quickly moved down to the sixth floor, looking to try and practice combining his knife skills with his magic. Instead of shooting the Frog Shooters from a distance, Bell decided to try and ambush one and finish the other ones around with magic before they could react. It worked effectively for the Frog Shooters in pairs, but Bell needed a bit more speed for taking out three before they could react, getting whacked with a slimy tongue the first time he tried it, not being able to launch two Firebolts quite fast enough.
Deciding since he would not spend a lot of time in the Dungeon today, Bell decided to test out the seventh floor. Bell remembered the monsters on this level were a lot more specialised, with Killer Ants being able to attract allies with pheromones, and Purple Moths being able to poison adventures. That being said, the majority of monsters Bell encountered early on were Needle Rabbits. Bell was grateful for his speed and agility, because Needle Rabbits would truly be a menace for a slow adventurer. The fluffy white creatures had a long spiral horn on their heads and charged in a straight line, looking to impale their enemies. Looking at the size of the horns, Bell had no intention of letting them hit him, but found they crumpled quite easily. What they had gained in speed, they lost in endurance, so as Bell dodged, many of the Needle Rabbits ended up killing themselves, as their speedy forms slammed into the Dungeon and were crushed by the unyielding structure. After dealing with a rush of two dozen Needle Rabbits, finding half a dozen Needle Rabbit's Tusks scattered among the magic stones, Bell decided to head back upstairs.
Making his way to the main path though, Bell found himself staring at two Killer Ants. Bell eyed them as they clicked their mandibles at him. Deciding to try long range first, given he was technically outnumbered, Bell put one of his knifes away as he opened his palm.
'Firebolt!' Shouted Bell, as the destructive magic encroached on the two.
A large explosion blasted into the ground, heavily damaging the two ants, cracking their exoskeletons, as some of their limbs were burnt clean off. The two downed creatures started to furiously click their teeth as they writhed on the floor, slowly dying. Bell approached the first and stabbed his blade into the head of the monster, causing it to still, before moving on to the second one. As Bell started to harvest the magic stone of the second ant, he heard a rapid series of clicking, scuttling noises.
"Uh oh." Thought Bell, as two dozen Killer Ants now surrounded him.
Bell pocketed the magic stone he had just harvested, before moving back to the other body. Bell picked it up and started to back up towards the stairs. Dozens of black beady eyes stared at Bell, causing him to run, turning his back on the creatures. The shrill clicks of the ants intensified as they gave chase, causing Bell to smile. Once Bell reached the base of the stairs, he turned around and threw the corpse at the mass of Killer Ants.
'Firebolt!' Shouted Bell, causing the thrown ant to explode when it was struck by his attack, sending viscera and flames over its comrades.
'Firebolt! Firebolt! Firebolt!' Chanted Bell in quick succession, launching attacks to the left, middle and right of the swarm, using the smoke from his first attack to hide his follow up.
Bell then waited for the dust to clear and saw all the Killer Ants were either dead or dying quickly. Bell bolted forward and stabbed his knife into any ant that was still twitching, not wanting another even larger swarm to come for him. Sighing with relief as the Dungeon finally fell silent, Bell quickly harvested the magic stones, before heading back up to the sixth floor. As he made his way up, Bell scrunched his face in thought.
"I already used seven Firebolt attacks, but it doesn't feel like it… can I do more already?" Thought Bell curiously.
Deciding to test his theory on a higher floor, Bell quickly made it back to the fourth floor. Pulling out a potion at the ready with his right hand, Bell raised his left and started picking off the Dungeon Lizards on the walls as he advanced through.
"Nine." Thought Bell, as he took out another Dungeon Lizard, but found he didn't feel the shakiness he did at nine as he did previously.
Picking off two more, Bell was now at the staircase leading back up to the third floor. Bell emerged on the second floor and took out a Kobold, before following up with a Goblin, causing him to finally feel the mental fatigue.
"Thirteen… so my new limit is fourteen now?" Thought Bell, as he advanced to the first floor.
Deciding to play it safe, Bell walked to a more secluded area without any monsters and launched a Firebolt at the wall of the Dungeon. Bell immediately felt his eyes go glassy and quickly drained the potion as he rested his back against the wall he had just damaged.
'Fourteen already. I don't know if they are any stronger though since one hit was beating most monsters before my update anyway.' Mumbled Bell.
Bell closed his eyes for a second and let his mind rest, before he heard a peculiar sound. It sounded like something was scratching the floor in a sporadic pattern. With his eyes closed, Bell felt himself transported back to his simpler days of doing farmwork.
"A chicken? In the Dungeon?" Thought Bell, before his entire body seemed to convulse.
"Don't tell me!" Thought Bell in excitement, as he stood to his feet and opened his eyes, recalling one of his lessons from Eina.
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Flashback
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'Bell, it is also important to remember that there are some monsters in the Dungeon which can drop very important or valuable items. For instance, there is the Jack Bird on the first floor, which is guaranteed to drop a golden egg worth one million valis. Also, you can find the Blue Papilio on the seventh floor, with the powder from its wings being essential for the production of all healing potions. Rare monsters like these usually only appear very infrequently, as they are not usually well suited for combat, but have something which helps them survive in the Dungeon. The Jack Bird is one of the fastest monsters in the upper levels and the Blue Papilio moves without making a sound. If you ever find one of these monsters, getting drop items from them can make you a lot of valis very quickly.' Lectured Eina, her finger raised in the air while Bell listened on.
'But if they are worth so much money, why do people go around fighting monsters for drop items and magic stones? This sounds much easier.' Asked Bell, resting his cheek on his lift fist.
'Yes, it is a safer way to make money, but finding these monsters is incredibly difficult. Make no mistake, if you do run into something like a Jack Bird and aren't injured, I would highly recommend trying to catch it, but if you spend your time waiting for something that rare to appear, you will go broke. Sometimes it can be months before a Jack Bird is spotted for example and they take a long time to return.' Explained Eina.
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End Flashback
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Bell grinned as he focused his hearing and heard a cluck. It had to be a Jack Bird, as no other monster on the first floor would make a sound like that. Bell made his way around the corner, following the sounds of claws scratching the ground and occasional clucks. Opening out into a small hallway with multiple branch points, Bell found what looked like a rooster, only with fluffy yellow-green plumage. It looked like it hadn't spotted Bell yet, so the boy raised his hand at the bird.
'Firebolt!' Shouted Bell, launching his Swift-Strike Magic at the bird.
To Bell's complete and utter disbelief, the bird dodged the attack.
"The only thing that managed to dodge Firebolt so far is Miss Ais." Thought Bell in shock.
Bell shook off his disbelief and aimed again, launching another attack at the speedy bird, only to miss again, with the bird running past him and into the hallway, running into one of the other rooms. Bell chased after the bird, launching Firebolt after Firebolt, but found he was unable to pin it down, with the bird continuing to escape into the hallway and finding another room to run around in, until sneaking past Bell again.
"If I could just do two at once I'd have it." Thought Bell in frustration, as he sipped half of a mind-restoring potion.
The Jack Bird was eyeing Bell and seemed to paw the ground challengingly, before giving a squawk.
'Are you challenging me?' Asked Bell aloud in disbelief, only to get another squawk, causing him to narrow his eyes.
'Firebolt! Firebolt!' Shouted Bell in rapid succession, sending one attack from his right hand, before following up with another from his left a second later.
In that single second, the Jack Bird seemed to feint and dodged both attacks, causing Bell to growl.
"Even one second is too much time. I need to do them at the same time." Realised Bell, before advancing into the room slightly, being careful to keep his form in the middle of the doorway, in order to block the Jack Bird's escape route.
The Jack Bird seemed to watch Bell with a cautious eye, sensing that this was going to be the end of their showdown. Bell pushed his right hand forward, causing the Jack Bird to start dodging to the left, only for Bell to then push his left hand forward as well, causing the bird to squawk in surprise.
'FIREBOLT!' Shouted Bell, pushing as much of his mind into his arms as he could, causing two slightly smaller, but still sizeable, beams of electrified fire to rush the Jack Bird, striking true at last.
Bell quickly dropped to his knees and drank the other half of the mind potion, but found he was still quite dazed, so he quickly pulled out another potion. Drinking half caused him to blink as his eyes came back into focus. Deciding it would be worth it all things considered and not wanting to lose his rare loot, Bell drank the rest of the second potion as well.
"One and a half potions just to recover. I really can't use that too much, that's definitely an all-or-nothing finisher… and I had to use it on a bird." Thought Bell, before giving an audible chuckle.
Making his way over to the smouldering remains of the Jack Bird, Bell gave a small nod of respect. That bird was fast. Looking through the soot, Bell found a small sliver of a magic crystal beside a large golden egg about the size of a mug. Bell picked up the crystal and put it in his pouch, before taking his backpack off and opening it up. Bell pushed a few things around, forming a nice circular space in the middle, surrounded by his emergency bandages, and nestled the rare drop item in between them. Bell carefully put his backpack on and made his way to the surface calmly, not wanting to give away that he had one of the rarest drop items in the Dungeon in hand. Making it to the Guild, Eina spotted Bell, but was surprised he didn't greet her loudly as he usually did and instead walked up to her quietly.
'Bell, is something wrong?' Asked Eina, only for Bell to raise his fingers to his lips, causing Eina to nod.
Eina led the boy to their private consultation room, only to see Bell gently set his backpack on the chair as he started to rummage through it slowly.
'What is it, Bell?' Asked Eina curiously.
'I got a rare drop item!' Revealed Bell, his excitement bubbling to the surface.
'Really? What is it?' Asked Eina, wondering what he could have got on the upper levels to warrant this much secrecy.
'This.' Declared Bell, showing his adviser the Jack Bird's Golden Egg, causing her to gasp, her spectacles comically sliding down her face.
'B-Bell! How did you get one of those?' Asked Eina.
'I found a Jack Bird on my way back up, those things are so hard to catch though, it was almost as fast as Miss Ais, but I got it in the end. Cost me a lot of potions though, but it was worth it.' Recalled Bell eagerly.
'But why did you want to come here instead of going straight to exchange it?' Asked Eina.
'Well, I wanted to keep it a secret, I don't think it would be a good idea to be walking around with a million valis, so I wanted some help with exchanging it.' Admitted Bell.
'What were you thinking of?' Asked Eina.
'Could I get half now and just get a little bit every day I come back to the Guild, like fifty thousand valis today and I'll pick up another fifty every day for the next few days, that way it doesn't look suspicious that I have so much all of a sudden? I was going to split the other half between two other places, one being the Blue Pharmacy where I get all of my potions and the other being the Hostess of Fertility.' Asked Bell.
'Are you sure you want to give away such a large amount at once?' Asked Eina, knowing of the Blue Pharmacy and Miach Familia's money problems.
'Yeah, I get free potions from God Miach all the time, so I know I can trust them, and I know no one at the Hostess would try and take anything from me since they love my cooking so much.' Replied Bell with a smile, causing Eina to sigh.
'Okay then, if that is really what you want. I'll get your report from today another time, but I'm going to need as much detail as possible. Everyone is going to want to know where you found the Jack Bird.' Warned Eina, getting a nod from Bell.
Bell handed Eina the egg and the pair exited the room, Eina quickly moved back behind the reception counter and made her way to the exchange, while Bell seemed to hover around the reception area.
'Hey, you're Eina's newest adventurer, aren't you?' Asked a pink haired Guild Adviser.
Bell turned to face the girl, noting he had seen her with Eina a few times now.
'Uh, yes. Are you Miss Eina's friend?' Asked Bell, getting a nod from the girl.
'Yeah, I'm Misha. I heard you did something crazy in the Dungeon, you stressed poor Eina out.' Teased Misha.
'D-Did she tell you about it already?' Asked Bell curiously.
'Nope. Eina is special like that, doesn't gossip one bit.' Revealed Misha, causing Bell to exhale in relief.
'I'm glad. I'll try not to stress her out too much. I heard the Monsterphilia Festival is today.' Said Bell, causing the girl to sigh.
'Yeah, it's going to be so much work.' Whined Misha dramatically, slumping down on the counter, resting her face on her crossed arms.
'Well, you and Miss Eina could always come to the Hostess of Fertility, I can make you both something special.' Offered Bell, causing the girl to raise her head.
'Wait, isn't that an adventurer restaurant… and I thought they only hired girls there?' Pressed Misha suspiciously.
'I just do the cooking.' Admitted Bell bashfully, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.
'You cook?' Asked Misha in surprise.
'Y-yes, why is that surprising?' Asked Bell.
'A boy who knows how to cook… are you sure you don't want to retire from being an adventurer now, you'd be able to get any girl you want with that plus your cute looks?' Teased Misha, causing Bell to stammer in disbelief.
'Misha, what are you doing?' Asked Eina, returning to give Bell his valis and spotting her friend speaking with him.
'I'm just trying to get him to retire early so he can get a girlfriend. He cooks too. He invited both of us to come by after Monsterphilia.' Answered Misha quickly.
'Bell, please tell me you don't plan to spend all of the valis you just made treating girls and buying them presents?' Asked Eina reproachfully, as she placed three sacks of valis on the counter, two of the same size beside a much smaller one.
'Well, Miss Misha said you had a lot of work to do for Monsterphilia.' Started Bell, causing Eina to glare at Misha.
'Don't worry about Misha, any work is a lot of work to her. You better get going Bell and be careful.' Said Eina, whispering the second part.
Bell nodded and took the smaller sack which he attached to his belt, before putting the other two in his bag quickly, slinging it back on his back a moment later and heading out with a wave over his shoulder.
'Hmm, why were you two so quiet just now, doesn't he always walk in here screaming?' Asked Misha curiously.
'Today was an extreme day.' Muttered Eina, causing Misha's eyes to widen.
'Eh, what do you mean, you have to tell me what happened now?' Pleaded Misha, pushing herself into Eina's personal space, causing the Elf to lean back slightly.
'You have to do your paperwork now; we need to head over to help with seating for Monsterphilia within the hour.' Countered Eina, causing Misha to groan.
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'Ah, I forgot to exchange my magic stones and drop items, but I guess I can use that as the excuse to keep coming back to the Guild Exchange.' Muttered Bell, as he made his way to the Blue Pharmacy.
'Bell? You're back so soon? Did you miss me that much?' Teased Naaza, only for Bell to walk up to her quickly and start digging around in his bag.
'Bell?' Asked Naaza curiously, wondering if Bell actually had missed her.
'I have something for you, Miss Naaza.' Started Bell, confusing Naaza.
'It's not a gift, is it?' Asked Naaza curiously.
'In a way.' Said Bell, before placing one of the larger sacks on the counter.
'What is this?' Asked Naaza.
'It is a quarter of a million valis.' Whispered Bell, causing the Chienthrope's tail to stand ramrod straight.
'Eh? Are you joking?' Asked Naaza.
'No, I got a Jack Bird's Golden Egg today in the Dungeon. I didn't want to get caught with a million valis though and since I come here for my potions all the time, I thought I could give you an advance payment, especially since I know God Miach is giving me expensive potions for free anyway.' Elaborated Bell.
'What do you mean you are getting expensive potions for free?' Asked Naaza, her expression twisting into one of confusion.
'Well I know the potions I get from God Miach are like twice as strong as the ones I buy from here, and it can't be easy on you if he is giving away expensive potions for free.' Answered Bell, stunning Naaza.
'You noticed?' Asked Naaza, her face unreadable to Bell.
'Yeah. I didn't want to say anything to you at the time because I also didn't really have the money to pay for them, but now I can, and I want to pay you both back for your help.' Admitted Bell, causing a conflicted expression to cross Naaza's face.
'I see… well, if you want, I can sell you those potions too. Since you are our most valuable customer, I can even sell them to you for the same price as the other ones if you want.' Offered Naaza.
'Really? That's great. Could I also get a few more mind potions now and maybe just one of the stronger potions if that's okay?' Asked Bell.
'You need more mind restoring potions already? How many did you use?' Asked Naaza.
'I only have one left now.' Said Bell, causing Naaza to look at him strangely.
'How much have you been using your magic?' Asked Naaza.
'Well first I wanted to practice just using it and I tried combining it with my knives, but the Jack Bird cost the most because it was so hard to catch.' Said Bell.
'Ok then, so four mind restoring potions and one health restoring potion, is that right?' Clarified Naaza, getting a nod from Bell.
Naaza quickly collected the potions and handed them to Bell.
'Oh, and I was wondering, I needed one and a half mind restoring potions after I had a Mind Down today, do you need more potions once your magic gets stronger?' Asked Bell.
'Yes, but I didn't think you'd be at that point already. Once you get even stronger, there are stronger types of potions that are more concentrated and restore more per potion.' Explained Naaza.
'Oh that makes sense, maybe I'll need them later, but this should be enough for now, thanks Miss Naaza.' Said Bell, before running out of the story.
'Oh Bell, you are far too kind for your own good… just like God Miach.' Sighed Naaza, a tinge of guilt in her tone, before taking the pouch of money off the counter and walking away to the back of the store.
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After leaving the Blue Pharmacy, Bell made his way to the Hostess of Fertility.
'Nya? Bell, what are you doing here today?' Asked Anya.
'I wanted to speak with Mama Mia, is she in?' Asked Bell.
'Ah, I'll tell you for a favour. Syr is you friend, so can you give this to her?' Proposed Anya, handing Bell a purse.
'Uh, why, what is it?' Asked Bell in confusion, looking at the coin purse he had been handed.
'You aren't being clear, Anya. It is Syr's purse. She left it behind by accident when she went to Monsterphilia.' Interjected Ryuu.
'Oh, is that it? Sure. I don't really know where Monsterphilia is though. Before that though, I really want to speak with Mama Mia please.' Requested Bell.
'Of course, she is inside.' Revealed Ryuu, causing Anya to pout as the three walked into the building.
'You shouldn't have told him until he agreed to help.' Chided Anya.
'Of course I'll help Syr, but I need to drop something off first.' Interjected Bell, grabbing the attention of the two.
'You are not carrying anything though, unless you mean your backpack.' Said Ryuu.
'Well it is in the bag, but it isn't a present or anything.' Said Bell.
'What are you doing here today? Shouldn't you be checking out Monsterphilia?' Asked Mama Mia, as the trio approached her in the kitchen.
'Ah, I don't actually know where it is, but I was hoping to drop something off first.' Admitted Bell, as he took off his bag and rummaged through it.
'What is it?' Asked Mia.
'This.' Replied Bell, placing the pouch on the counter.
'What is that?' Asked Anya.
'It is a quarter of a million valis. I was hoping to keep it here for safe keeping as well as a downpayment for all the food I end up taking from here.' Explained Bell, even as Anya's eyes widened.
'Does that mean you no longer wish to work with us?' Asked Ryuu, sounding slightly disappointed.
'No, nothing like that, I really like spending time here, but this way I can cover some things going forward. I did already offer to pay for a meal for my Guild Adviser and her friend as they are working hard on the Monsterphilia Festival, plus with Syr making me lunch all the time, I don't want you to run out of things either.' Explained Bell.
'Syr's actually been using her own share to make your lunch, but I'll let her know, maybe she'll start making you feasts for lunch instead.' Laughed Mia, surprising Bell and causing Ryuu and Anya to pale.
'Meow poor tummy.' Whined Anya, while Ryuu kept a stoic expression.
'Also, could I leave my magic stones and drop items from today here to pick up later, I kind of forgot about them because I found the Jack Bird's Golden Egg?' Requested Bell, getting a laugh from Mia and gasps from the other two.
'You found a Jack Bird? That's some crazy luck you've got on your side. Ryuu, why don't you go help Bell find Syr? If he's already found a Jack Bird today, I doubt he will have any luck leftover to search.' Suggested Mia, getting a huff of indignation from Anya.
'Why can't I go?' Asked Anya.
'Because then he'd end up even more lost somehow.' Countered Mia, causing Anya to cross her arms over her chest.
'Anyway, you can leave your luggage here, just make sure to pick it up before lunch time, or I'm going to charge you a storage fee.' Laughed Mia.
'I'll come back as soon as I find Syr, let's go Ryuu.' Agreed Bell easily, as he shrugged off his backpack and placed his magic stone pouch on the counter, before heading for the door.
'Keep an eye on him, Ryuu, anyone who has good luck like that usually gets an equal dose of bad luck not too long after.' Cautioned Mia, getting a nod from the Elf who followed the boy.
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'Yo, Freya, you been waiting long?' Asked Loki, approaching the robed woman who sat on the second floor of a small café, a small cup of tea in her hands.
'No, I have not been waiting long, I only arrived a little while ago.' Said Freya, setting her cup of tea down on a saucer.
The café was very relaxed and had a wooden interior, with large spaces between tables, affording a reasonable level of privacy.
'I heard you drank yourself into a stupor after the Banquet.' Commented Freya.
'You sneaky exhibitionist, how did you find that out?' Asked Loki in irritation, as she seated herself opposite the Goddess.
'I overheard some of your cute children talking about it. They found it quite amusing.' Answered Freya, causing Loki to sigh.
'Ah those brats, always having fun without me.' Grumbled Loki.
'Speaking of your children, when will you introduce me to your escort?' Asked Freya.
'Eh, you haven't met before?' Asked Loki.
'Well, not with a formal introduction, no.' Said Freya, sending a teasing glance to Ais, which Loki missed.
'Fine, this is my cute little Ais. I brought her with me today on a lovey-dovey date. If I don't, this poor girl will just run right back into the Dungeon.' Introduced Loki, patting Ais on the bottom, mildly irritating her.
"At least she isn't groping my boobs in public." Thought Ais.
'Ah, well, it is a pleasure to formally meet you, Sword Princess.' Greeted Freya, flashing Ais a smile.
Ais placed her left hand over her chest and looked off to the side.
"She is so beautiful… how was Bell able to speak to her so easily?" Thought Ais, feeling her heart rate gradually slowing down, noticing that everyone else in the restaurant was even more far gone then she almost was, staring at the Goddess openly.
'You do have a cute one there, Loki.' Commented Freya, turning her eyes back towards Loki.
'I sure do, poor thing needs to have someone take care of her though, or she would never get any rest herself.' Agreed Loki, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
'I see, you truly have changed since meeting your children, Loki.' Commented Freya.
'Yeah, things change. That being said, you look like you're still up to something as usual, so I have to ask, are you after a new guy already?' Asked Loki, getting Ais to focus back on the conversation, but keep her eyes clear of Freya.
'It is, isn't? Are you trying to stir up trouble between Familia again? You wouldn't be planning to take any of my children of course though, right?' Asked Loki, noting Freya's slightly amused smile.
'You think so little of me, Loki, I'm hurt.' Teased Freya, causing the redhead to click her tongue in annoyance.
'I don't want to hear that from the person who has all the male Gods under her thumb! You sex-crazed Goddess, you'll go after anything with a pulse.' Growled Loki, leaning forward in her chair.
'Oh my, such harsh words, I do choose those that interest me carefully, mind you. It is not one of your own though, so you can alleviate yourself of those concerns.' Admitted Freya, causing Loki to sigh and slump into her chair.
'So when should I be expecting another Familia to be wiped out next?' Asked Loki in resignation.
'Oh my, my dear Loki, do you truly think so little of me? I have no intention of wiping out a Familia for this person. It isn't someone strong like your children, they are quite weak in fact, but his soul was truly beautiful, I've never seen one like it before. I even want to help him grow. That poor child, he brings out such a strong loving instinct in me that even my own children can't these days, given how strong they have all become. It was completely a coincidence, but after I saw him for the first time, I knew I couldn't let him go.' Reminisced Freya, gazing out the window, before her eyes widened slightly.
Ais noticed the change in her expression and glanced out the window as well, spotting a head of white hair, accompanied by an Elf in green.
'I do apologise, Loki, something has come up, but please, put your mind at ease, I'm not planning on stirring up any major trouble, just a little fun here and there. It was lovely meeting your child as well, enjoy your date.' Said Freya smoothly, before leaving the café.
'Tch, I don't buy for a second that Freya isn't moments away from digging her claws into someone. The day she learns restraint is when Ragnarök happens.' Grumbled Loki.
'Loki, has there ever been someone who has withstood Freya's beauty?' Asked Ais.
'Ah, you felt it too, didn't you? That walking Goddess of Sex charms everyone effortlessly, it's one of the only things that gets under Ishtar's skin. As for anyone who has managed to resist her, no one has since I've known her, even upstairs. So, make sure you don't spend too much time with her, you're mine after all, now though, let's go on that date.' Explained Loki.
"So Bell can do what no one else ever has… how?" Thought Ais, placing her hand on her chest again, before Loki grabbed it and dragged her outside with her.
'Come on, we can get some potato poppers now.' Tempted Loki, successfully bringing Ais out of her thoughts.