And thus the adventurers of a 'Thickly Veiled Psychopath', also known as the Courier 6, resume! I am sure, I will receive another wave of anonymous reviews unhappy that I haven't given up writing, because of the first version of this story. Bring it on!
"So, Six, are you ready to get started?" Demeter asked, while the man in front of her nodded in response.
"Yep, all ready to go," Courier replied, back in his Caesar Legion's armour.
"Great, follow me then," She said, as the duo began to head out of the manor.
"So, what do you expect me to do today, Miss Demeter? Save your workers from monsters? Go on an epic quest to gather rare ingredients? Haggle with a nasty merchant for a good deal with you?" He asked, while the woman giggled in response.
"Nothing so extreme. We will be going to a few farms and helping them out. I assume you can handle some manual work, no?" She asked, while the Courier sighed.
"Really? Manual labour? Is there nothing more exciting than that?" He complained out loud.
"I am afraid that farming is not exactly the most exciting type of work, but it's necessary to keep the city afloat," She replied.
"Surely there is something that you can recommend that would benefit from my unique talents," He argued, while Demeter hummed, as if considering his proposal.
"I will consider it," Demeter said, as the duo headed towards the gates.
Just like the last time, they had to go through the same booth and surprise, surprise, the exact same procedure was used when he first arrived. This time, the person checking his back for Falna was a man in a similar outfit rather than Sophie. However, upon seeing his back, the man turned green, as he struggled to keep a straight face. And with some shaking hands, he inspected his back with the same type of lamp Sophie used on him. After confirming his lack of Falna, the man basically threw him out of the post, making the Courier chuckle as he and Demeter headed back towards the farms.
As they approached the lush fields of farmland covered in wheat, corn, potatoes and such, the Courier couldn't help but wander about certain prospects he could make. Back in the Mojave, at the Big Mountain research facility, he had his own home called 'The Sink'. It was basically Doctor Mobius' former apartment with a number of 'personality matrixes'.
These, at the first glance, seemed like AI robots and machines. However, it was merely a piece of software, not a true AI, which was a shame. Some of those robots and appliances were quite funny to be around, like Muggy and his coffee mug obsession. One in particular was very useful in his endeavours in the Mojave called the Biological Research Station.
Oh yeah, the machine loved receiving his seed. And he used it well and often by processing all the plants into the mighty Salient Green. Sure, he still had a lot of seeds and plants from the Mojave, but the green paste was just pure genius. He really wished he had it here, it would make things so much easier. Alas, he had to make do with what he had on hand, which was starting to become a problem.
This world didn't seem to have most of the plants he was familiar with. Sure, he saw maize, potatoes and such on Demeter's farms, but no Broc Flower, no Xander Root, etc. Without those plants he wouldn't be able to make his own Stimpaks or other healing remedies.
In fact, he had a rather good idea, which included planting seeds from the Mojave, gathering crops and using them to make his life easier. However, there were a few problems with that. First was the lack of industrial base to make most of his stuff. Without Great Khans, he could not buy quality drugs. Without Gun Runners, he could not buy quality weapons and ammo.
Sure, he could craft some stuff of on his own and probably buy some substitute ingredients from the merchants in the Orario, but the amount of stuff he could make on his own was quite limited, which went double for items that utilized ingredients from his own world. He supposed he could still make some Stimpaks and few other bits and pieces, but no jet for him.
The second problem was discretion. He couldn't simply buy some farmland, plop down the seeds and begin production of Stimpaks. Okay, he could, but that would just make everyone in the city aware of him, something he was trying to avoid, at least for now. What he needed was a remote place or one hidden from sight that would prevent anyone from stealing from him. He could also use some trustworthy people to guard such crops, who he didn't have as of right now or some holograms, but that just screamed 'alien' all over it. It was a good idea, but not something he could do right now.
Anyway, as the Courier Six and Demeter were approaching the farmland, one of the farmers, covered in sweat approached the two.
"Goddess, it's a good thing you have come today. Some of our animals seem to be suffering a disease of sorts," The man said.
"I see, lead the way," She replied, while the man nodded and began guiding the duo. In the meantime, Demeter turned towards Six and said, "What do you think, Six? Think you can handle it on your own?"
"It depends on what we are dealing with. I won't promise instant help, but the least I can do is give you a diagnosis," He replied.
"That's all I am asking for," She said, before the duo arrived in front of a small herd of cows, a few more farmers attending them.
"Muu!" The cow mooed loudly, as it turned towards the Courier, it's eyes focused intently on him.
"Easy there, easy," One of the workers said, as he tried to calm down the cow. "That's odd, she is normally quite peaceful, even around strangers."
"Six, do you have any idea why would the cow react to you like this?" Demeter asked, while the Courier shrugged.
"Beats me. All I know is that most animals hate my guts for one reason or another. I got attacked by coyotes, cows, insects, dogs and such all my life. Maybe they hold a grudge or something?" He guessed.
"And why would that be the case?" Demeter asked.
"Must have something to do with self defence and copious amount of meat I butchered from the carcasses of said animals, though your guess is as good as mine," He replied, and took a step forward, only for the cow to moo again, her horns turned towards him.
"I don't know if you should come any closer, Mister. Betsy over there looks like she is about to gore you with her horns!" The farmer warned.
"Ain't that the truth? In case I die, feel free to dump my body on the side of the road," He said, as he quickly crossed the distance between him and the cow, before anyone could react to his words.
"Muu!" And with that, the cow got free from her handler, making the man yelp. She followed, by ramming her horns right into the Courier's chest, only for a pair of muscular hands to hold her in place after the strike.
"Easy there, fellow. I am not here to hurt you," He tried to soothe the cow.
"Muu!" The cow wouldn't have it, as it desperately tried to break free, but found it impossible.
"Stop struggling you damn cow!" He cursed, as he wrestled with the cow.
"Mister Six!" Demeter exclaimed, worried that the man could get hurt in the exchange.
"I got this!" He said back, as he glared right at the cow. "Alright, listen up, you damn walking beefsteak on legs. Either you calm the fuck down or I will make proctoptosis look pleasant in comparison!"
"Muu?!" The cow mooed loudly, as it finally stopped struggling, making the Courier let out a sigh of relief. He slowly let go off the cow, before he placed his hand on the cow's head and began patting her.
"There, there, I promise I won't hurt you. Think you can bear with me for a moment, girl?" He asked, while the cow mooed in confirmation. "Ata girl."
"Mister Six, are you alright?" Demeter asked, as she looked over any wounds on the man.
"Just peachy. That girl just didn't like me for a moment, but I think we should be fine, at least for now," The Courier replied, only for the cow to bump into his back, making him stumble a little. "Why you little…"
"Muu!" The cow mooed once again, making the Courier snort.
"Alright, fair enough, I deserved that one," He said.
"Are you sure you are fine? Cows can be quite dangerous," Demeter pointed out, while the Courier shrugged in response.
"Eh, I had worse. Besides, she is mostly acting up due to her condition," He replied, as he turned towards the cow. "Now, let's see what ails you, Betsy."
"Muu!" The cow mooed loudly.
"Huh," Courier said, while looked over the cow.
"Muu! Muu!" Betsy mooed once again.
"Well that explains it," He nodded solemnly.
"Mister Six, are you… speaking with a cow? Do you know what it said?" Demeter asked.
"I have got no idea!" He replied, while Demeter's jaw hit the floor, so to speak.
"Muu!" The cow bumped into him again.
"Ow, alright, alright, I will stop fooling around. From what I can tell, she seems to be suffering from a disease of sorts. Not sure which one yet, but I can already give you some recommendations on what you could do," Courier said.
"And what would that be?" The farmer asked.
"Well, first, you may want to separate Betsy here and any other infected cows from the rest of the flock to reduce the spread of the disease. Next, some garlic, honey and tansy should help, depending on what we are dealing with," He replied. "I would also recommend a specific medicine, but I am not sure if you have got one over here."
"Dian Cecht may be able to help with this one," Demeter replied.
"Dian Cecht? Who's that?" Courier asked.
"He is the owner of the leading pharmaceutical Familia, which specializes in all kinds of medicine, though he caters to the adventurers for the most part," She explained and sighed. "Unfortunately, he is also the only Familia with potent medicines ever since Miach fell into obscurity."
"Miach? A rival of his?" Six guessed, while Demeter nodded.
"Quite. Not so long ago, both Dian Cecht and Miach were both leading Familias, which specialized in medicines, potions and such. However, after an accident happened to Miach's member, his Family faded into obscurity," She replied.
"Why is that? What exactly happened?" Six inquired.
"I am not certain myself, but from what I have heard it appears that Miach made a deal with Dian to make an artificial limb for a girl named Nahza. Following this, the Familia fell into financial troubles and to this day, Miach struggles to make ends meet," She explained.
"Huh, that's… not I expected to hear. A guy would ruin his company for one girl?" He asked, while Demeter nodded. "Damn, that's a hell of a thing you can do for someone. Where I would come from, the girl would probably be thrown outside and left to fend for herself."
"That sounds harsh, is this really how things work in the Mojave?" Demeter asked, while the Courier nodded.
"When on a daily basis you deal with things and people that want to eat you, rape you and then kill you? Yes. Though, maybe in a different order," He replied, while Demeter turned a shade of green, same with the farmer. "Anyway, sounds interesting. Where can I find this Miach person?"
"You can find him in the North-West part of the city. He runs a small shop called 'Blue Pharmacy'," She replied. "Still, why are you interested in Miach, Six?"
"Call it a hunch, but this whole situation reminds of something I have dealt with before," He replied. "Besides, if he is in financial trouble, I imagine he might have a work for a merc such as myself."
"Well, I won't argue that. In any event, there are a few more things I would like you to deal with," She said.
"Figured out as much. Let's go and take care of yourself, Betsy," He said to the cow.
"Muu!" The cow mooed in confirmation.
"Alright, so what's next on the agenda?" Six asked, as he followed Demeter.
"Hard labour of course," She replied, while the Courier could only sigh in response.
"Milking cows, sowing seeds, ploughing the fields?" He asked.
"Pretty much, I am assuming someone as experienced as yourself would now how a farm operates," She said.
"Well, I won't deny that. Besides, I know a group of people who lived in isolation for dozens of years and they cultivated soy or legumes for protein, in addition to grains," He replied.
"That's sounds smart, though why would you isolate yourself for such a long time?" She inquired.
"It's a long story, but I digress. You were asking about my experience when it comes to farming, so I can admit to having at least the knowledge about it. Not much of a farmer myself, but I doubt it's going to be an issue," He replied.
"Is that so? I am looking forward to your performance in that case," Demeter said.
And with that, a gruelling task of running a farm began. Turns out, it was hard work after all. There was plenty to do on the farm, especially during the summer, when the crops were at their full potential, such as: ploughing, sowing, weeding, harvesting, threshing, tending the livestock and milking. And those were manual labour ones. They were also more specialized jobs such as: miller, who ground grain into flour using a windmill or bakers, who used said grains.
The first job he was tasked with was of course ploughing, meaning he had to stay behind a horse, which pulled an iron plough drawn by it to prepare soil for the planting. At least that was the initial plan, when suddenly the horse's leg slipped and the animal fell into the soft soil. That wouldn't be the worst thing to happen, except, the horse left front leg was lifted, as it struggled to maintain a balance.
"Of course stuff like this would happen," The Courier grumbled, as he let go off the plough and walked up to the horse from the front, to prevent being kicked in the face, which would happen if he tried approaching it from the back.
"Nyeigh," The horse whined, while the Courier raised his arms with palms open.
"Easy there, fellow, I just want to have a look at you," The Courier soothed the horse, as he knelt in front of the animal and gently touched the hoof, making the horse shiver, as it retreated from contact. "Steady now, I ain't going to hurt you."
With the out of the way, the Courier gently picked up the hoof, as he examined it for damage. Thankfully enough, it wasn't an open-wound fracture, but merely a sprain, based on what his medical experience told him. For that, he only needed a dose of Hydra or a Doctor's Bag, which would easily be more than enough for a simple injury like this. So, with that in mind, the Courier reached for his backpack, snipped out the bag and placed it next to himself. He was about to start the process, when he heard the footsteps and noticed Demeter approaching with two farmers close behind.
"Six, what is going on? Did something happen?" Demeter asked as she glanced between him and the horse.
"Nothing serious, seems like a sprained ankle, just need to treat it properly and give it a few weeks off," He replied, as he reached for his backpack, only to stop.
Crap, did they even have modern medicine here? Bandages? Anti septics? Probably not. Okay, he could just chalk it up to local speciality. Also, maybe he should have used healing poultice? Those things were nuts, even better than stimpacks in many ways, able to heal crippled limbs and such. However, those were things from his world and he would rather not expose he had access to potent medicine like this without a good reason. So, the Doctor's Bag it was. He then resumed the procedure as he gently braced the limb, before wrapping it in bandages.
"There we go. Take it to the stables and let it rest, given time it will heal on it's own," He said.
"Nice job there, partner, you a herbalist or something? The stuff you used looks expensive," One of the farmers said.
"That's… not entirely inaccurate," He admitted. "Although, I am more of a doctor, if I do say so myself."
"Like Airmid?" The farmer asked, while the man shrugged. "Anyway, thanks for your help. We will take the horse back to the stable and bring a new one here. Wait here, partner."
"Sure thing," He replied, while the two farmers took the animal back to the stables.
"Well, Six, colour me impressed, you know your way around the injuries, don't you?" Demeter pointed out, while the man shrugged in response.
"Told you so," He replied, as he watched the animal leave.
"First a cow, now a horse, at this rate, you will treat all the animals on the farm," She teased with a giggle.
"You know, I could always give you private check-up with me, one on one," He teased in response.
"My, oh my, are you perhaps falling for me, Mr Six?" She asked, as she titled her head to the side.
"You would love that, wouldn't you?" He pointed out, while the woman giggled.
"Please, I am not Freya, she would have probably jumped you if you offered, especially if you caught her fancy," She said.
"I didn't hear no, though," He said, while Demeter smiled in response. "By the way, who is that Freya person you mentioned?"
Upon hearing that question, Demeter's smile dropped a bit. "Freya is a leader of the strongest Familia in the Orario as of right now. The only level seven in the World, Ottar, is currently the captain of her Familia. She is considered a goddess of war and beauty for a reason. Her charm and beauty stealing hearts of many men, even from my Familia."
"Sounds important, what else, she is a virgin as well?" He snickered at the idea, as it was much easier for a woman to sleep around than it was for man anyway.
"Oh please, she probably slept with more men than any other woman in the world," Demeter replied with a roll of her eyes. "The title of the virgin go to 'Lili Big-Boobs' Hestia, Artemis and Astrea."
"So, Freya is a garden tool and they are not, huh?" He pointed out, while Demeter blinked in response.
"A… garden tool?" She asked, not catching the meaning.
"You know? The oldest profession in the world?" He explained the joke, which sounded funnier in his head.
"Oh, so that's what you meant," She said, a snicker escaping her lips. "I am using that, Freya the Garden Tool. She won't be happy when she hears about it."
"Don't let her know it came from me. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," He said.
"Of course, your secret is safe with me," She promised.
"That reminds, what's with everyone calling you a goddess, same with Freya? I mean, last I checked the gods are supposed to be almighty and powerful," He pointed out.
"Mister Six, do I really look and act like a goddess to you?" She pointed out.
"Not really, no. I mean, I don't see you being all 'holier than thou' or saying things such as 'Ah these mortals and their futile games'," He admitted.
"Was that… a Zeus impression?" She asked, as words sounded familiar to her ears.
"Was it?" The Courier replied. "All I know about Zeus is from books and such. Mostly the fact that he slept around more than most other gods."
"That's one way of putting it. He could give Freya run for his money with the women he claimed," She admitted with a giggle.
"You sound as if you met him, Zeus that is," Six noticed.
"I did, he and his Familia used to operate in the Orario, before they fell in battle against the 'One Eyed Dragon'. As for your question...," Demeter began.
This was a tricky situation for her. It appeared that the Courier did not believe she was a goddess. Considering the fact, that it has been over a thousand of years since their descent, it meant the man either never met another god or he didn't believe those existed. Both were likely possibilities, depending on where he came from. However, she wasn't sure what to do in this situation.
Lying was only a short term solution, even if she were to deny her identity as a goddess, sooner or later, the man would find the truth, she was certain of it. So, it was better to come clean, rather than avoid this conversation. She really hoped it would work out in her favour.
"I am Goddess of Fertility, Demeter, that is true," She admitted, waiting for the man's response.
"… Damn, you're good, I almost believed you for a second there," The Courier said, making her blink.
"What?" She asked, while the man chuckled.
"No need to lie, I was just messing with you. It probably has got something to do with the whole 'Falna' thing. My theory is that all leaders of their Familias are merely descendants of people, who know how to give Falna. And as a sign or respect as well as tradition, they refer to you as a goddess, because that's one hell of a power you got there. I mean, I once met a group of tribals who believed their god was a 'Father in Cave' and confused their religion with those being taught by another group. Sound reasonable?" He concluded, while Demeter giggled in response.
"Alright, I will admit, I was lying to you. It's just as you said, merely a tradition," She admitted.
"Hah! I knew it," He exclaimed with a smile on his face. "Can't fool me that easily, Demeter."
"Okay, no need to rub it in, Six," She said with a roll of her eyes. Oh well, she could work with that. In the meantime the two farmers returned, but without a horse.
"Bad news, Goddess. No other horses available, they are busy, resting or injured," The farmer said.
"That's a shame, it would be better if we could finish this field today and have it sown tomorrow," Demeter said, while the two farmers bowed in apology.
"Apologies, goddess, but there is nothing else we can do right now," The farmer replied.
"Can't you just pull it yourself?" The Courier pointed out, while everyone turned towards him. "What?"
"Mister, do you know how heavy that thing is?" The Farmer asked.
"I can take a guess, what of it?" He asked.
"We are not adventurers, we are farmers. We may have Falna, but we are not strong enough to simply pull it on our own for the rest of the field," He explained.
"And let your goddess down? Is that what you want? You would let a field be left unfinished, because you are afraid of a little physical experience? And here I thought the farmers were supposed to be tough bunch…," The Courier said, as he goaded the man into action. And it seemed like it worked, if their expressions had anything to say about it. They both looked furious to say the least, their eyes red and knuckles clenched.
"You…! We will show you, we will pull this plough ourselves!" The second farmer yelled, the two looking at one another, before nodding in unison.
Then, the two farmers, ran up to the plough, as they began putting it on themselves, swapping the harness for a different one. With a mighty roar, the two began pulling the plough, even faster than the horse did, the Courier watching with amusement, as he crossed his arms. It seemed like he still had it when it came to either pissing people off or convincing them to do his bidding.
"Mister Six, you shouldn't trick my employees into such a hard labour, you know that?" Demeter pointed out.
"I didn't trick them into anything, I just pointed out the truth," He argued, while the woman sighed.
"Perhaps, but I was fine with letting the field waiting a day. It wasn't that important. Nevertheless, thank you for that, I hope they won't hold it against you," She said.
"Eh, I can live with a grudge or two," He admitted, the duo settling into a comfortable silence, when Demeter pulled what appeared to be a waterskin.
"Thirsty?" She asked.
"You betcha," He replied.
The Courier took the water from the woman, lifted his helmet and greedily drank the contents, the cold ice water, clenching his thirsting and wetting his whistle. He let out a sigh of pure content, as he gave away the now empty container to Demeter.
"So, how do you like working on farm, Six?" Demeter asked.
"Honestly? I think I would rather earn my keep at my place than deal with this on a daily basis," He admitted.
"Not much of a farmer, are you?" She asked.
"You could say that. It's not a bad work, but there are other jobs I would rather work instead," He said.
"Oh, and what kind of job would you like to do then?" She inquired.
"That's… a good question, now that I think of it. Huh, what kind of job would I like to do on a daily basis?" He asked himself. "I suppose, it would be something a bit more exciting or maybe tinkering with things such as weapons, tools, machines, etc."
"Machines? You mean, like the elevator back at the Babel tower?" She guessed, while the man nodded.
"Sort of. Don't suppose you have got stuff like this for me to do on the farm, do you, Demeter?" He asked, while the woman shook her head.
"I am afraid not. Besides, you still need to work about six more weeks on the farm, before we call it even, especially since I am providing you with meals and a place to stay," She pointed out.
"Darn… don't suppose I can do something big for you instead? Pretty please?" He asked.
"Unfortunately no. That would be too easy, wouldn't it?" She pointed out, while the man sighed.
"I guess so," He admitted. He really needed to make some real cash, if he wanted to avoid spending more weeks on the farm.
"Bloodssaurus!" They heard suddenly, the duo turning towards the source of it. One of the farmers was running towards them, more specifically, Demeter. "Goddess, we need your help!"
"Calm down, take a deep breath and tell me exactly what you saw," Demeter soothed the man, who looked like he was about to faint from exertion, his face all red, while gasping for air.
"One of the guards spotted the monster at edge of the western farms. It's headed towards us as we speak!" He explained.
"How many?" She asked, her persona shifting into a more serious one.
"J-just one," The farmer replied.
"I understand. Six, follow me, you too," Demeter ordered, as the duo nodded and began following after her.
"Question, what the hell is a Bloodssaurus?" Six asked, as they headed towards the direction the farmer mentioned.
"It's a level four monster from the depths of the Dungeon, which sometimes can be found on surface in groups. Normally, they stay away from the cities and can only be found in remote regions," She replied. "It shouldn't be here."
"How tough are those things?" Six asked, as he placed his hand on his sword, ready to be drawn.
"Five Meters tall and fourteen meters long give or take. It has got razor sharp claws, powerful bite, which can sewer an adventurer in half, powerful tail and scales the colour of blood, which the name stems from," She replied, while biting her lip. "But… that's the least of our concerns."
"How so?" Six inquired, the duo getting closer to their destination, as he could already see a number guards mobilized at the edge of the farms.
"They travel in packs, if there is one, there is more. My Familia can take on some monsters by themselves, but a pack of those things would give trouble even to them, so I am counting on you, Six," She explained.
"Right on," Courier confirmed, as they reached the guards, about twenty of them, give or take.
"What's the situation?" Demeter asked, while one of the guards walked up to her.
"Not good, Goddess. The monster has already killed a number of cows and other animals. Ten people have already died and another ten were wounded during their initial attack," He explained, as he gestured towards the field. "Right now, the monster is feasting on the remains, but it's only a matter of time, before it comes after us."
"Ten people…," Demeter whispered, her face growing dark, as the turned towards the guard. "How many Bloodssaurus are there?"
"Just one," The guard replied, while Demeter's eyes spread wide open. "Goddess… It may be a bold assumption, but I don't think it's surface variant of it. It easily killed the guards, who were guarding it, some of which were level two."
"That… can't be," Demeter whispered, while the Courier frowned.
"Okay, I am a bit out of the loop here, but that thing is right over there, right?" He asked.
"Well, yes, it is, what about it?" The guard asked.
"Since it's already here, I am going to go and kill it, while you two can argue over the semantics, okay?" He said, only for Demeter to stop in front of him.
"You mustn't fight it!" Demeter basically yelled out at him.
"Whoa, simmer down, Demeter. It's not like you to be so distressed. What's the big deal anyway?" He asked.
"Six, that monster is too strong for you, it's too strong for most of my Familia. Our best call is to get backup from the city and keep it away from the civilians," She explained.
"If we stand here and do nothing, it will come here and start killing anyway. It would be better for me to fight in the open than around the rest of the farms," He pointed out.
"You will die. If what I think is true, only a level four adventurer can go toe to toe with it, three if we are pushing it," She said, while shaking her head. "It's simply too strong."
"I see. In that case, you there, do me a favour!" Courier Six ordered as he pointed his finger at the guard, who was looking around confused.
"Who? Me?" He asked, as he pointed to himself.
"Yes, you. Keep Demeter here, I have got a lizard to kill," He said, before rushing past Demeter.
"Six, don't!" She yelled out after him, her hands reaching out to grab him, but missing as he ran towards the area where the monster was located.
"Goddess, no, you mustn't!" The guard said, as he held Demeter from rushing after Six.
"Okay, let's see, it should be around here somewhere," The Courier said, as he walked towards his destination, sword fully drawn.
All around he could see the result of the monster's rampage. Cows, horses, sheep and other animals were butchered, their carcasses soaking the ground with blood. There were dozens of them, maybe even a hundred, all torn apart in a manner similar to that of a Deathclaw. Not to mention, the bodies of ten farmers were strewn around the area, their expression locked in fear, pain, horror and such. He scowled upon seeing it, as it reminded him of home in a rather unpleasant way, as yet once again, innocent people died due to a single animal.
According to Demeter, this thing was too strong for him to handle, but he would beg to differ. He was Courier God Damn Six! He killed armies, mutants, wiped out nests of Deathclaws and even defeated a mutated Bloatfly, which fired freaking plasma bolts at him! He was not going to die to one oversized lizard, not if his past had anything to say about it. As he walked closer towards his destination, he could finally see the silhouette of the monster, which became cleaner with each passing step.
"Is that… a bloody T-Rex?" Courier asked, as he looked from the distance.
The monster, if it could be called that, looked like a real life dinosaur. Two massive legs, giant jaws, body covered in scales, the usual. In fact, the overall shape of it reminded him of how scientists imagined the T-Rex looked based on it's fossils. It was easily the size of a small house or those familiar with Big Mountain, X-42 Giant Robo Scorpion. Both the monster and the robot easily dwarfing most creatures in the Mojave, including Deathclaws. His gawking must have caught the monster's attention, as it stopped eating what appeared to be a cow and turned towards him then roared loudly, before charging him.
"Oh shit!" Courier exclaimed, as the monster ran far faster than he expected.
Have you ever seen a Cazador fly at you? Those giant mutated insects were some of the fastest predators in the Mojave, easily capable of flying at close to supersonic speeds. That thing? It wasn't as fast, but it made up for it in bulk and powerful physique, which made Deathclaws look weak in comparison. It seemed like Demeter wasn't joking, when she that thing was dangerous.
His musings were cut short, as the monster rushed towards him, as it went for a bite. In response, the Courier activated VATS, the time once again appearing to have stopped to his perception. Teeth the size of his arm were covered in blood, the monster heading straight for the kill, while the pip-boy analysed the results. To his surprise, the monster wasn't as powerful as it looked. It was about as strong as a giant green gecko, but with much tougher scales. However, he was pretty sure that bite would hurt more than from one of those things, so he rolled to the side, deftly avoiding the attack, before striking the monster's leg.
He expected the monster to immediately collapse upon the impact, as he smashed it right in the kneecap. However, it proved far more resilient, as it struck back with it's tail, forcing the Courier to back off. He clicked his tongue, while the monster turned towards him, nasty bruise forming on it's knee. Just as he thought, without Elite Riot Gear and his preferred weapons, he was much less efficient at killing. However, he knew how to handle a big foe like that, knock them up on the ground and beat them to death.
At least, that WAS the plan, until the dinosaur decided that it didn't like being hurt, before it lunged towards him, like a coiled spring being released. As the jaws of the monster got closer, the Courier had no choice, but to brace himself for the impact, using his sword to cushion the blow. The result? Him sliding over the dirt, while his sword got stuck in the monster's mouth.
"You can choke on it, you damn walking fossil!" Courier spat, as he looked for a way to dislodge his weapon from the monster's mouth. However, the monster did that for him, by simply clenching it's jaw, breaking his sword in half, before spitting out the remains. "… Fuck."
In that moment, he could have sworn that the monster grinned at him, before lunging once again, forcing him to roll away from the attack. With his main weapon gone, all he had left were his fist, which was less than ideal. Fists were good and all, but a power fist to the face was much more efficient at popping heads than his biological knuckles were.
He could definitely pull out another weapon here and stop playing around, but that would be too easy. He hadn't experienced a good fight ever since he arrived in this world and it would be a perfect opportunity to try out some of his tricks on the monster. Should it come to worst, he could always de-atomize a gun or something just as powerful and kill it without any major problems.
Putting his fists up, he extended his left arm and beckoned the monster, as he moved a whole hand towards himself, taunting it. It must have worked, as it roared loudly and accepted the challenge. Waiting for the perfect moment, the Courier ducked to the right, scooping a handful of dirt, before immediately tossing into the monster's eye. It was Great Khans speciality, as fighting dirty was in their nature.
The monster roared in confusion, as it got temporally blinded giving him an opportunity to execute a move he learned from Caesar's Legion. By running forward, the Courier jumped into the air, before slamming his fist into the monster's head. The monster's scales cracked upon the impact, as it skidded a few feet backward, while the Courier jumped back to avoid tail slam.
Legion Assault was not the most powerful or damaging move, but by utilizing his own speed, he was able to execute powerful attacks faster than normally. He didn't have to wind up, as he basically turned his own speed into a weapon. It was especially useful against faster opponents who were hard to hit with just his bare fists.
As he considered his next option, an arrow flew right by his ear, striking right into the monster's flesh. He immediately glanced towards the direction it came from, expecting Demeter with her guards, only to realize he was only half right. She was there too, along with her guards, most of them having bows and arrows, but that was only half of the group.
The other half consisted of what appeared to be a group of female-only warriors and seemed to be led by a beautiful green-eyed woman. She had long blue hair with two bangs reaching to her waist, to strands on the side and a partly braided tail in the back. The outfit she was wearing consisted of simple white and pale blue toga-like design, followed by a pair of simple long brown boots. However, what really caught his attention were the decorative accessories, which glistened in the sun, probably made out of gold or a similar metal.
To his surprise, she also possessed a rather ornate looking bow, which she used to shoot at the monster, followed by the rest of the group. The group prepared their arrows, took aim and fired the barrage at the monster in unison, with Demeter's guards firing their own arrows. In response to being shot at, the monster roared loudly and began it's charge towards them, completely ignoring the Courier in the process.
"Oi! Get back here, you damn fossil!" Courier yelled after it, as he rushed into a sprint, before jumping onto the monster, right at the edge of the tail.
The plan was to get on the monster's tail, making it fall to the ground and then hold it in place. Trouble was, the monster proved much stronger than he expected, as it ignored his presence, despite added weight of his body mass. So, there was only one thing left to do, getting fat!
Back in the day, his old version of the Pip-boy would atomize stuff and then add it to his weight, which allowed him to carry much more than a physical backpack would allow. Granted, he could only carry as much as his body allowed him to, so he often needed to trek across the Wasteland and stash his loot, if he wanted to move faster than at snail's pace, something new pip-boy circumvented.
However, in these kind of circumstances, it seemed like he needed to rely on it once again. Good thing the brains didn't remove that option, otherwise, he might have to pull out another weapon or worse, a gun! So, by holding on to the tail with his legs, he was able to search his inventory for some very heavy gold bars, which he then added to his weight.
Have you ever had the gravity increase at least five times? No? Then imagine the result as this is exactly how it feel to him, when the monster's tail fell to the ground along with him. He used that moment, to grab the tail with his own two hands, holding it in place, the monster coming to stop as it glanced behind it. The sheer amount of rage and killing intent coming of it was powerful enough, he could actually feel it, which spoke volumes of how different that thing was ordinary animals.
The dinosaur roared, as it trashed around, it's strength immense, making the Courier grit his teeth from sheer effort. He was barely able to hold it in place, sweat dropping down his forehead, as he refused to use his implants. The two combatants struggled to gain the upper hand, as the dinosaur could not rotate to bite him, due to it's tail, while the Courier was too heavy to simply slap aside. In the meantime, the arrows rained upon the monster coming from both Demeter's side and the newcomers, most of which failed to penetrate the monster's scales.
Just as he could feel his muscles starting to ache, a newcomer joined the fight. She was a woman with reddish brown eyes and medium length hair of the same colour. She was wearing a dark and light green outfit of a similar design the leader of the group wore. On her back was yet another bow, while in her arms, she held a short sword with blue edge.
Her appearance did not go unnoticed, as the monster tried to take a bite out of her, but the woman simply slid under it and proceeded to slash it's legs. As expected, the monster roared in pain, as it tried to stomp the woman, but she swiftly moved between the legs, cutting them and spraying the ground red with it's blood.
The Courier could see the balance of power shifting, the monster struggling to stay on it's two legs, giving him an opportunity to do something about it. With a mighty heave, he slammed the monster into the ground, causing it to collapse to one side. That gave the woman the opportunity to stab it in the neck multiple times, each wound getting worse and worse, until the monster finally stopped moving. Perfect moment too, as the Courier let go off the tail and slammed onto the ground with far more force than he normally would do due all the excess weight.
"Note to self, level four monsters are no joke," He let out between breaths.
"You there, you aren't hurt, are you?" The woman from before asked, as she walked up closer to him.
"I had worse, you?" He replied.
"I am fine. You do realize what you just did was exceedingly dangerous, don't you?" She pointed out.
"I noticed, Miss…?" He asked.
"Rethusa from Artemis Familia," She introduced herself.
"I am Six, Courier Six, pleased to meet you," He said as he waved from the ground. "Don't mind me, I am just going to lay here for a moment."
In response, the woman sighed, as she offered her hand. "Here."
"A moment please," Courier said, making the woman raise an eyebrow, as he quickly got rid of all the excess weight. With that out of the way, he let himself be pulled, the woman easily lifting him off the ground. "Much obliged."
"You are welcome," She replied, while in the meantime Demeter and the two groups caught up to them.
"Oh uh, this… might be a problem," Courier whispered as Demeter got closer. To say she looked furious would be an understatement. In fact, the look she was giving him would probably make a Deathclaw piss itself in fear and it was fully directed at him. Joy.
"Six…," Demeter hissed, as she walked up to him, glaring right into his helmet. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"
"Based on how angry you are? My guess, borderline suicidal," He replied.
"I would refer to it as 'certain death', but apparently that is not enough to dissuade you from trying to throw your life away fighting a monster beyond your level," She deadpanned making the Courier sweat drop in response.
"Okay, okay, I get it. It was a dumb decision, but in my defence, the monster is dead, the farms are safe and nobody has even died. Surely it should count for something?" He asked.
"If you died, I probably would have chased you back to Heaven to beat some sense into you," She warned, making the Courier chuckle nervously. "So, don't do anything reckless like this again, okay?"
"I can't promise you that," He said, Demeter glaring at him. "Look, Demeter. Where I come from, I am surrounded by things and people who want me dead for one reason or another. It's how things are at my place. If I shied away from danger and adventure, I wouldn't have done even a fraction of things that I accomplished."
"That does not excuse you from risking your life fighting the Bloodssaurus," She pointed out.
"Fair, but in my defence, I had situation mostly under control," He argued.
"Losing your weapon is considered under control?" She asked, still not convinced.
"I wasn't bitten or smacked with it's tail, so yes? It's not the first time I have thought giant oversized thing that wants me dead," He replied.
"… Fine," Demeter said, as she finally relented. "I still want to slap you for acting reckless like this, though."
"I know, I know. I am sorry for making you worry, Demeter, truly. It's a bad habit of mine, I will admit," Courier apologized.
"Rushing headlong towards danger?" She asked.
"Rushing headlong towards danger to protect my friends, innocents, etc. I had to put myself in harm's way to keep them safe more than once," He replied.
"I am not sure, whether to be impressed or disappointed by that piece of information," Demeter admitted. "Just… be careful next time, okay, Six? That's all I ask."
"I promise. I may act reckless at times, but I know when to take things seriously," He said.
"Alright, let's just leave it for now," Demeter said, when she noticed a guard walking towards them, carrying what appeared to be the remains of the Courier's sword.
"Your weapon," The guard said, as he brought back the two pieces of this sword. "Sorry it got destroyed in the fight."
"Eh, it happens. Let's see… there. Demeter, do you mind giving me that shovel over there as a reward for fighting that monster?" Courier asked.
"I don't mind that, but what would you need a shovel for?" She asked.
"You will see," Courier said, as he looked around.
Jury-Rigging, he has already used it many times before, even when he first arrived in this world and got himself some goblin's daggers. Now, the thing about Jury-Rigging was that while the effect was powerful, he couldn't do it on the fly. Well, not exactly, he needed a portable workbench, which he carried in his pipboy. It was one of the major upgrades he asked for, as back in the day, he needed either ED-E's or Veronica's help to create new things or converse one type of ammunition into another one.
However, said workbench was still relatively large, like a small workshop table. So, if he pulled it out of his backpack, he was sure it would bring attention. Instead, he had to improvise or find himself a nice cosy spot far from prying eyes. Thankfully, he could see a number of small houses around it, some of which were vacant after the rampage.
"Be right back, Demeter," He said and without waiting for a response, jogged towards one of the house.
Once inside, he looked around, closed all the windows and de-atomized the work station in front of him. The table itself was made of jet black plastic with two metal clamps, allowing it to hold any object tightly in place. It was also able to be folded and unfolded in similar manner to that those pre-war toys called 'Transformers'? Or something like that. Anyway, once the table was set up, the Courier pulled a number of tools needed for repair, including a wrench, a whet stone, a hammer, screwdriver, etc. Then, using the magic of Jury-Rigging he combined the sword and the shovel into one, bringing the sword back to tip top shape.
The Courier raised the sword into the air, inspected it and ran his finger on the edge, which was razor sharp. "Yep, that will do."
With that done, he atomized the table, put the sword on his back and headed back towards Demeter, who turned towards him. She smiled at him, only to pause, as she saw the Courier strolling towards her with a sword on his back. At first she thought he simply attached half of the sword to his back, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was completely fixed.
"I am back," Courier said, as he walked up to the woman.
"Six, your sword, it's… fixed?" She asked, as she circled around him to get a better look.
"Yep, it is, I know how to fix stuff," He admitted with a grin.
"It should be… impossible," Demeter said, not able to believe her eyes, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see the spot, where the weapon snapped.
"Evidence to the contrary?" Courier said, before chuckling. "Jokes aside, it's a bit of an ability of mine that helps me keep my gear in tip shape among many other things."
"How did you do that?" Rethusa asked, as she walked up closer to them, her expression just as shocked as Demeter's.
In fact, everyone around him, who paid attention was now looking at him like he grew a second hand. Right, he supposed being able to combine two completely different weapons into one mint condition one was not something anyone here had seen before. He forgot about that fact, being so used to fixing gear on the road, it became habit. Even in the Mojave people were impressed, when he bought broken guns from merchants, fixed them in front of them and then sold them back for higher price and those were familiar with his repairs. Some even tried to copy him, but to no avail.
"Trade secret," Courier replied, making the woman frown. "By the way, who are you gals supposed to be?"
"Six, allow me to introduce you to Artemis and her Familia. They hunt monsters outside cities, keeping other settlements safe. Everyone, Courier Six," Demeter introduced the group.
"Pleased to meet you," Courier said, as he tipped his helmet at them.
"The pleasure is ours, Demeter, Mister Six," Artemis said, before turning towards Demeter. "It's been a long time, Demeter."
"I agree. In fact, it was a bit too long, could you come with me for a moment, Artemis? In the meantime, I will have guards take care of the situation" Demeter said.
"Of course. Rethusa, I will be going with Demeter for a bit. Please help the guards in the meantime. It shouldn't take long," Artemis said.
"Very well, Goddess. You heard her, ladies. Let's get to work," She ordered and began giving the command.
"Guess I will help too," Courier said with a shrug and joined the guards, who were dealing with both the damage and the bodies of their former friends.
One thing that required his attention was the body of the monster, which he really wanted to take a better look at. Walking up to the corpse of the monster, the Courier could only stare in amazement at the size of the creature. If it didn't turn into ash upon removing the magic stone, it probably could feed a small village. Instead, he focused on the autopsy, as he pulled Blood-Nap from his backpack and got down to work.
"Let's see… the specimen of the so called 'Bloodssaurus' species resembles that of Tyrannosaurus Rex, but with blood-red hue. Estimated weight appears to be at least ten tons, with size bigger than the species it seems to be based on. Two muscular legs allow it to cross distance easily, while the powerful tendons allow it to leap towards it's prey and tackle it to the ground, before killing it with it's powerful jaws, which are easily capable of crushing steel. With it's forward facing slit pupils, it's obvious the monster leads a predatory lifestyle. It seems to possess a relatively good vision as well, based on the prior experience before the fight as well as good olfactory system, allowing it to sense prey from long distance. Hard Scales provide a surprising degree of protection similar to a suit of combat armour," He concluded. "This thing… it could cause Giant Fire Geckos a problem."
The monster was definitely fast and powerful, but at the same time, fairly simplistic. It didn't possess and unusual abilities and instead seemed to rely on it's power and bulk to overwhelm it's strength. And if those things hunted in packs, he could definitely see them as a rather dangerous threat even in the Mojave. Unfortunately for them, Anti-Materiel rifles existed and a single shot to their brains, would probably kill them.
Now, there was only one thing left to do, extracting the magic stone inside the monster. He began gutting the monster at the abdomen, which caused all the insides to come out. He ignored them, even as his armour was drenched in blood, going straight for the magic stone. Once he found it, he could feel his eyes spread wide open, as he plucked it out of the monster's corpse, causing it's body to turn into ash and leaving him clean. The magic stone in question was easily the size of a grape.
"Well, that should fetch quite the prices," The Courier said, as he hid the stone in his backpack.
"It's been a while, Demeter," Artemis said, as she made herself comfortable on a nearby wooden chair.
"About a year, give or take," Demeter added, as she placed a cup of tea in front of her fellow goddess. "I must admit I didn't expect to see you anywhere near the city, Artemis."
"Me neither, but some of our weapons could use some maintenance, which is why I am here now," Artemis replied, as she took a sip of her tea. "However, I know it's not all about catching up is it?"
"That's correct, as happy as I am to see again, Artemis. There is another reason why I brought you here," Demeter admitted.
"Does it have something to do with that fellow called 'Courier Six'? Curios name," Artemis asked.
"Quite and his name is the least interesting part of him," Demeter said, as she sat next to Artemis with her own cup of tea. She then took a sip, enjoying her own beverage before turning towards the other woman. "Artemis, I would like to ask you for a favour."
"What favour?" She asked, as she raised her teacup to her lips.
"Please don't tell the Guild exactly what happened," Demeter said, making the other woman stop, as she put away her cup.
"You want me to hide what happened here?" Artemis asked.
"I have never said that. However, I would appreciate if you said something more along the lines: 'Demeter and Artemis Familia engaged a Bloodsaurus on the farms, defeating it together'," She replied.
"You don't want to mention Courier Six in this report? Why?" Artemis asked.
"Only if you swear upon your very own godhood that what I am about to say stays between only us," Demeter replied.
"Demeter, you can't expect me to…," Artemis began, but the serious look on the goddess' face made her pause. "I understand, I swear upon my own godhood I will keep it secret."
"Thank you, Artemis. The truth is… Courier Six doesn't have a Falna," Demeter said, while the other's eyes spread wide open.
"That's… it shouldn't be possible. And he fought a level four monster?" Artemis asked, while Demeter nodded.
"The Guild itself confirmed it with their lantern. You can see why I want to keep it a secret," Demeter said.
"Won't the Guild and others find about the events that transpired here sooner or later?" Artemis pointed out.
"I realize that. It's only a matter of time, before rumours spread and people start to talk. However, I am not worried about the Guild, I am worried about other gods," Demeter replied.
"Freya?" Artemis guessed, while Demeter nodded.
"Among many other gods. She is probably one of the most dangerous ones, same with Loki," She replied. "Remember what happened when Tiona and Tione from Loki Familia arrived in the Orario? They were both level three at that point and were challenged by many Familias to join their Familias, until Loki got them. Can you imagine what would happen if it became widely known that Courier Six is an adventurer without a Falna that can fight a level four monster and keep up with it?"
"Pure undiluted chaos. Ordinary people would do anything to learn how he became so strong, while other gods would salivate upon learning all his secrets," She deduced. "I can see why you would want to keep things secret, at least for now."
"Precisely. Now, I have got question of my own. Knowing all that, what are you going to do about it?" Demeter asked.
"I am not inviting him to my Familia, if that's what you are asking about. I still maintain my stance on love and relationships, but I can respect a skilled hunter such as him," She replied.
"That's what I wanted to hear. And while I am at it, if you ever need any help with some of your hunts, you can always ask me for help or Six. He calls himself a mercenary and already offered his services to Loki Familia," Demeter said.
"I will keep it in mind. Still, there is one more thing that bothers me," Artemis said, as she glanced through the window, before turning towards Demeter. "Where did that monster come from?"
"That's something I would like to know myself. Bloodsaurus is not a common sight in the world, especially so close to Orario. And yet one was here, as strong as the ones from the Dungeon," Demeter replied.
"That's what I thought as well. I could understand if somebody was trying to tame a monster, it got loose and then killed it's handler. After all Ganesha Familia does the same every year during Monsterphilia," Artemis said.
"Maybe, it's plausible, as the other option is far more worse," Demeter said. "It's a stretch, but there could be a second entrance to the Dungeon."
"I find it hard to believe, Demeter," Artemis began. "For over one thousand years ever since we stepped into the mortals' world the Dungeon has remained the same, just as we did."
"Perhaps, but despite it all, we do not know everything about the Dungeon. Maybe it's just an accident, maybe there is no second entrance at all, but until we verify it, we must remain cautious," Demeter said.
"I agree, which is why me and my Familia are going to look around. Maybe we will finding something that would explain it. That reminds me, I was going to head into city with my Familia to have our weapons brought back to mint condition, but…," Artemis began.
"You are thinking whether or not Six can fix up your weapons instead?" Demeter asked with a smile, while Artemis nodded. "I can ask him for you. And if you need any supplies for the road I would be more than happy to provide them to you. It's the least I can do after you helped save my farms and members of my Familia."
"In that case, I will take you on that, Demeter. Thank you, truly," Artemis said, as she stood up.
"No, thank you, Artemis," Demeter said, the two hugging each other for a bit. "Now the let's go see Six and see what he has to say about all of it?"
"You want me to fix all your weapons to mint condition?" Courier Six asked, as the two goddesses stood in front of him.
"That's right, Six. Could I ask you do that for me?" Demeter asked, while a man sighed.
"I suppose I could do that, since you helped me out and all that. However, I need some replacement parts for that," He replied.
"That can be arranged, what exactly do you need?" Artemis asked.
"Mint condition equipment, based on number of weapons you have. Ten bows to fix ten bows, ten swords to fix ten swords, etc. It doesn't matter how crude they look, as long as they are in good condition and not failing on you, that's all that matters," He explained.
"I believe I have got some spare equipment for some of the guards. How much do you need Artemis?" Demeter asked.
"Ten bows, ten daggers and ten swords," Artemis replied, before turning towards Six. "So, how long will it take?"
"Just a few minutes. Bring me your gear and I will have it fixed in a jiffy," He replied.
"Okay, I have to know, how do you even do that?" Rethusa asked, as she walked up to them.
"Honestly? I am not sure myself. I know HOW to do it, but I couldn't exactly explain it you. Besides, a magician does not reveal his tricks, no?" He said.
"I suppose," She agreed, while Demeter ordered some of the guards around, who began bringing the necessary gear for repairs. "So, could you start with my sword? I want to see how it will look after your repairs, just don't break it."
"Please, I know what I am doing, thank you very much," Courier huffed, before gently picking up the sword from the woman's hands and walking up to a pile of spare equipment and taking them all into his arms. "Alright, I am going into that house over there. Don't try to look or I won't fix any of your gear."
"Why though?" Artemis asked.
"Well, I would like to not show how I do it, so that you don't replace me instantly with somebody else," He replied. "And because I am saying: 'pretty please'?"
"Alright, we will wait," Artemis said, while the Courier nodded in response, before jogging to the same house he used the first time.
Once he made sure they weren't looking, he once again used jury-rigging and fixed up the sword. The result? It looked like it came straight out from the forge. Sharp edge, no rust, not a trace of use. Satisfied, he returned to the Artemis Familia with weapon held high.
"Here you go," Courier Six said, as he presented the weapon to a woman. The reaction was instant, as her eyes spread wide open. She gently grasped the weapon and gave it a few practice swings.
"It looks… brand new. It's almost like it had never been used before," She whispered, as she ran her finger along the edge. "It's razor sharp too. How did you pull that off?"
"Trade secret. See? I told you I can fix stuff up," Courier said, while Artemis walked up and inspected the weapon herself.
"May I?" Artemis asked, while Rethusa nodded, before handing over the weapon. Artemis looked all over it, expecting some kind of trickery or foul trick, but no, the sword was truly fixed. She then returned the weapon to the other weapon, before turning towards the Courier. "I have to admit, that's very useful skill. I will be counting on you to repair the rest of our weapons, Mister Six."
"Sure, but please call me Six, Miss Artemis" Courier, while the rest of the group began putting their weapons in front of him.
"Very well, you can call me Artemis as well," She said, while the Courier nodded in response.
"Now then, let's fix up your gear, shall we?" And with that the Courier got down to work. It didn't take long, until the weapons were fixed, the women from Artemis Familia all inspecting them and finding their condition satisfactory.
"So, how much do I owe you for those repairs, Mister Six?" Artemis asked.
"Well, I'll be, a paying customer? Don't mind if I do. As for the total, does two hundred thousand Valis sound reasonable?" Courier asked. It would be enough to pay back Demeter and have some spare. He really hoped he didn't ask too much.
"Two hundred thousand Valis?" Rethusa asked, as everyone looked at him in shock.
"Too much, huh?" Courier asked, while the woman violently shook her head.
"Not at all, I am just surprised you would ask for so little," She admitted, while the Courier blinked in response. "If we asked either Hephaestus or Goibniu Familias to do that, we would probably pay millions of Valis total."
"Huh, good to know," Courier said, his inner greed crying upon the fact that he just lost possibly millions from this encounter.
He really needed to learn just how expensive things were in the Orario. Hell, maybe start his own business of fixing stuff for the adventurers. Although, that would probably catch the attention of all the blacksmiths in the city, who would probably try to murder him for stealing all the customers from them. If there was one thing harder to break than the Sierra Madre's lock, it was human behaviour, most notably greed.
"Well, it's my loss I guess. Next time I will charge you more," He warned them.
"That's fair. Thank you for your services, Mister Six," Rethusa said.
"Six, just call me Six or Courier Six, but not mister, Miss Rethusa," He said.
"Understood, Six, you can use my name as well," She added, while in the meantime Artemis walked up to him.
"You are a skilled hunter and a versatile one as well, Six," Artemis said, as she seemed to be judging him. "One that has killed many times."
"I won't deny that, what of it?" He asked.
"I wonder, how many monsters have you hunted, how many people have you saved?" Artemis asked.
"Artemis…," Demeter began.
"Why are you asking?" Six asked, his arms crossed.
"Curiosity, nothing more than anything else," She replied.
"I have saved people from monsters, multiple times. I don't the know the count, but at the very least I have saved a family of three from slavery and killed monsters that threatened innocent folk," He replied.
There was a pause, as Artemis seemed to be judging him, before taking a step back. "I see, in that case, would you call yourself a hero?"
"Don't call me that!" He snapped at her, making her take another step back, her eyes spread wide open. The rest of Artemis Familia putting their hands on their weapons "I… sorry, I didn't mean to snap out like that. Just… don't call me that, okay?"
"I apologize, it wasn't my intention…," She began
"Don't apologize. I shouldn't have acted like this. Let's just say that it's a bit… of sore subject of mine and leave it at that," He said.
"I understand, I won't mention it again. That's all I wanted to know. Once again, thank you for your help," Artemis said,
"Here is your money. You earned it fair and square," Rethusa said and handed over a bag of coins, their weight bringing a smile on the Courier's face, as he put the bag away into his backpack.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Courier said with a tip of his helmet..
"Here are your supplies, Artemis," Demeter said, while a group of the guards brought a number of rations with them.
"Thank you, Demeter. I am sorry I made you upset with my questions,"Artemis apologized, while Demeter sighed.
"That's fine, I don't mind. Stay safe and good luck hunting," Demeter said, while the other woman nodded and the two sides bid their farewell.
"Did I miss something or was there more to that question than meets the eye?" Courier asked.
"Kind of. Artemis is heroic woman, brave one too, if a bit strict. She was basically testing you, wanted to see how you would react, what would you say," Demeter explained.
"Figured as much. So, you think I passed or not?" He asked, while Demeter nodded.
"I think you did. Regardless, I am glad that it's all over," She admitted.
"Me too, Demeter. That reminds me, I would like to pay you back for all you have done for me," Courier said, as he snipped the bag Rethusa gave him, before presenting it to Demeter. "Two hundred thousand Valis should be more than enough to make us even."
"Mister Six, after you helped save my Familia and farms by risking your life, you can't expect me to accept it?" She pointed out.
"I actually do. I hate having debts and that way we can be on equal footing," Courier replied. "Also, I am not taking no for an answer."
Demeter looked at the bag, sighed and accepted it. "Alright, I will accept it. Still… I hope…"
"That it's not over between us?" Courier asked, while Demeter nodded, a bit of smile forming on her lips.
"I guess you figured it out. I would hate to see you walk away and forget about me, Six," She admitted.
"Forget about such a beautiful woman? I would never!" He said, while Demeter giggled.
"Still a flatterer, aren't you?" She asked.
"Maybe, but you are right. I don't mind working with you, Demeter, but farm life ain't for the likes of me. If you need anything done, you can let me know and I will fix it for you," He said.
"Free of charge, I presume?" She haggled.
"Don't push it, Demeter, but I suppose I can give you a bit of discount on my services," He said, while the woman giggled.
"I will keep that in mind. Still, how will I be able to contact you once you leave the Wheat Manor?" She asked.
"How about… the Guild? You could leave the message for me there. I will probably hit the Dungeon sooner rather than later, which means I will be interacting with it on a regular basic," He suggested.
"I suppose that's reasonable," She admitted, as she walked up closer to him, looking up into his helmet, his eyes barely glowing. "Just so you know, Six. You will always be welcome at my home, especially after what you did today."
And with that, she went for a hug, the Courier not resisting in the slightest, as he returned the hug with a slight pat of his own. They stood like this for a moment, before Demeter let go, a single tear forming in the corner of her eye, which she quickly wiped away.
"Tears don't suit you, Demeter. Besides, I am not leaving anytime soon," He said.
"I know, but it doesn't change the fact that I will miss you," She said.
"I will miss you too, but I can't spend the rest of my life on your farms," He replied.
"Are you sure about that? I could maybe do something about it?" She asked.
"As tempting as it is, I have to say no. There are still things I would like to do in life, before I consider settling down," He replied.
Demeter sighed, before taking a step back. "I understand. Just come and visit every now and then, would you?"
"I will try, but no promises," He replied, while Demeter nodded.
"That's all I ask for. I suppose we can head back?" She asked.
"Let's," The Courier agreed, as the duo began their journey back towards the city of Orario, silence between them.
I have also read that Courier Six is a 'Gary Sue' a male variant of 'Mary Sue' and I disagree. Want one of those? Check anime with smartphone or something like that. Counter points:
-Learning how to speak took time he needed to use drugs. It's not 'I instantly know how to speak a completely different language, because I am 10/10 intelligent!'
-Woman don't fall for Courier Six because he smiles at them or is just kind and nice. That goes to Bell. In fact, thus far, only Demeter has been written by me to show any attraction towards him and it's not a physical one on top of that.
-Horrible injuries scarring reactions to them.
-He does not make all perfect decisions or know everything. He still hasn't learned of all the gods being able to detect lies instantly.
-He made mistakes. Thus far? He shown himself in Elite Riot Gear, which caught Demeter's attention setting up the current events. Told stuff that Demeter caught, thanks to her ability. And we still haven't gotten to any of his Fallout experience.
-He is not a 'mentally stable' individual, if you couldn't tell by some of things he thought about. Such as cannibal party, Big Mountain experiments, etc. And I will have him piss off certain people, just wait.
PS: Still busy, don't expect updates too fast.