"How's the youngin doin'?" Reg asked as he took a puff from his wooden pipe that had decayed slightly over the constant use over the years. His scraggly ginger beard ruffled somewhat as he released a small smoke stream.

His amber eyes looked at the man opposite him across his small wooden table. He wore his usual scruffy brown boots, brown trousers and a white shirt with a brown vest over the top. His fluffs of brown hair attached to his chin and lip were given a quick scratch before the man picked up the mug of ale and took a generous sip.

"I don' know, ain' seen him since our lil get together at that pub," Brant replied. He had actually wanted to come to Reg to know if he had seen the young boy who was currently the main driving force in his life.

"Well, it has only been two days since, can' expect him to be visitin' us every day, I'm sure he's startin' his climb to level 3," Reg laughed as he took another puff from his pipe.

"Heh wouldn' surprise me. At the rate he grows, he'll be past us soon enough."

"Ha! Lookin' forward to it, maybe it'll give one of us a much-needed kick up the backside," The dwarf said with a bark of laughter.

"My backside 'as been given enough of a beatin', bout time the youngins start steppin' up."

"Stop actin' like you are old. I'm old, but ya still got some life in ya," Reg said, pointing his pipe at the man who sunk into his chair and sighed.

"In all honesty Reg, I'd love nothing more than to get back in there, specially now the brat is on the same level, but..." Brant trailed off, motioning towards his injured leg.

"Aye, I almost forgot bout that... shame,"

"Yeah well, that's the price for loyalty, ain' it!" Brant muttered under his breath as he took a heavy swig of ale. Reg gave him a sorrowful look, knowing all too well the pain Brant went through to earn that scar.

"Wonder how the brat's doin'?" Brant said after he released a disgruntled breath of air, seemingly wanting to change the subject. The boy seemed to be the only thing that the two veterans could talk about that didn't lead to a bad memory.

"Aye, I do too," Reg quietly agreed as he took another inhale of his pipe, the billow of smoke adding to the one coming from the smithery behind the curtain.

"Anyway, you gonna tell me about his Goddess since ya met her?"

Somewhere in Daedalus Street, a crowd had formed.

"Hear me. Listen to my teachings and you shall find peace!"

"""Yes, Goddess!"""

The chorus of the crowd responded to the preachings of the older-looking woman who stood above them as they knelt on the cobbled floor. She wore a tattered black robe with grey ruffles outlining her collar. Her shaggy grey hair and her pointy nose did not give her a normal look for a Goddess from heaven but her clear complexion, devoid of wrinkles, moles or spots showed that she was still not from this world.

Penia, the Goddess of Poverty was preaching to her crowd of followers. Having been a constant presence in Daedalus Street for over 800 years, she had amassed a large following amongst the ones who lived in poverty and squalor, it was her domain after all. Most times she would be accepting donations, preaching that wealth was a form of corruption, something she believed to some extent, however this time she was handing out money.

As she placed a few coins of Valis in each of her follower's hands, she swelled with fulfilment as each one of them thanked her and pledged themselves to her. She had been able to do this more frequently ever since she had taken Perseus as her child.

While both were technically her followers, she viewed the boy differently. The people kneeling before her were her worshippers, either voluntarily choosing to follow her or having no other choice as life had abandoned them. And while Perseus could fall into both as he had chosen to take her blessing, he never attended any of her sermons or preaches. The boy had a different view of wealth from her or her followers.

Penia viewed money as a form of power. She believed it held many forms of power, granting those who wield it the strength to do mostly anything. It was why the guild had authority over the City, as they were the ones the adventurers relied on for income. This gave them the power to also enforce tax with the Familia's not being able to argue if they wished to continue dungeon diving.

This was something similar to what she was doing with Perseus but her view on money was different. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed having money, her crippling alcoholism made sure of that but the reason she took money off her followers and had initially taxed the boy was she viewed the power of money as evil. A way of corruption that led to greed and in the long run unhappiness.

You could look at Freya and say she can't not be happy with all the wealth she has but Penia knew Freya cared little for money, she just happened to obtain it anyway. No, Penia took money from people to free them from corruption. The only reason she gave it back was when she believed her followers would not abuse that power, trusting them to use it properly.

It was why she had not hiked the price for Perseus when wanting an update. She could've, a thousand Valis proving nothing any more but she kept it the same. She didn't increase it as she had quickly realised the boy would not get corrupted by the money, only putting it to good use to aid his family. She kept it as a constant reminder to him, hoping it showed that even if he could now obtain it in a single day if he ever chose to not give her the agreed tithe, she would forfeit his right to an update. If he ever stopped, Penia would assume that he would have fallen to that power, and Penia would not grant anything to anyone who fell to that power.

She had faith in her only child but he had grown up worse than most and when someone from nothing suddenly gets everything, it's hard to relinquish that.

As Penia stood back up from giving another follower some money, she looked up at a nearby alley. Sometimes, outsiders would come and observe her teachings. Some of them would eventually join her, others would scoff and dismiss her while others were just curious. This time, she noticed a familiar face.

Brown hair flowed down her back, a simple grey dress and the caring brown eyes of a mother. Penia saw this face now and then around Daedalus Street. They both tried to ignore each other and stay apart as best as they could but their lives became intertwined when the woman's son became her child.

Maria gave Penia a small smile before tugging slightly at the hand of the small cat girl, encouraging her to move on. Penia returned the smile with a nod of acknowledgement. The last time they interacted was when that cat girl, Carla, had come up to her once and demanded she give her her older brother back.

As Maria and the young girl disappeared down the road Penia returned to her duty with a small smile.

'That boy may have grown up with no money, but he didn't grow up with nothing.'

Yes, Penia was certain Perseus would never succumb to money, there were just more important things in the world for him.

Maria walked down the street, the sound of the Goddess' sermon fading into the background as she guided Carla through the twisting walls of Daedalus Street.

She wouldn't have come out if it wasn't for the cat girl. Jacob had already fallen asleep as he lay on the woman's back, wrapped in cloth that swung around Maria's shoulders. She couldn't exactly leave her 3-year-old son at home alone.

"What was that?" Carla asked as her green eyes stared up at her mother curiously.

"That was the Goddess Penia and her followers. She holds something called a sermon where she gathers her followers and preaches her teachings to them," Maria explained. The cat girl gave a hum before looking forward once more. Maria smiled at how Carla didn't need any of those words explained to her. She was sure that the young girl had never heard of 'Sermon' or 'Preaches' but she had deciphered the meaning based on the context. Maria dared say that Carla may be as smart or even smarter than Perseus in some regards. And that scared her.

The reason they were out was because Carla said she wanted to look around Daedalus Street. When Maria questioned this, saying she had been in Daedalus Street for almost 2 years now, Carla explained.

"I know but I want to pay attention this time."

For most parents, this might be an innocent thing and they brush it off as something cute and playful from the child. Maria had made that mistake already with her eldest. Maria knew why Carla wanted this. Ever since Maria explained to the cat girl of Percy's levelling up, Carla had seemed to think more and start asking more questions. Almost as if she was preparing to leave too.

"Carla, why do you want to know this stuff?" Maria questioned, knowing it was more than just child-like wonder.

"..." the mute response was a dead giveaway from the girl that it had something to do with her older brother. She always got quiet or angry whenever he was brought up. His absence had hit her just as hard as it had hit Maria.

Maria stopped in the street and bent down, facing Carla while making sure to not let go of her daughter's hand.

"Carla, please. Tell me, I promise I won't get mad."

"... promise," The girl squeaked out in a quiet voice.

"I promise," Maria spoke as she looked into the girl's eyes, making sure that her statement would be met with trust.

"I want... to help too," She muttered. Her hand twiddled together as she broke eye contact. Maria's nightmare was happening all over again. But she wouldn't overreact. She wouldn't get mad; she promised Carla she wouldn't. If she did, it would just end up like it did with Perseus. The sounds of coins scattering on stone still haunted her.

"Thank you for your concern Carla but believe me, we are doing fine," Maria said calmly, putting her hand on the top of Carla's head, stroking her curly black hair.

"But that's only because of..." Carla trailed off, struggling to even mention her brother.

Maria took a deep breath, she needed to remain calm. She was a mother and needed to act like one.

"Yes, Percy is helping out. That was his choice and it is helping out a lot."

"So what if I chose to?"

"Your brother is doing this so that you won't have to, so we don't have to struggle on the streets."

Maria knew the real reason. As much as Carla didn't want to admit it, she dearly missed her older brother. This was just another way of showing it. Whether she intended to help out so she could get closer to him or just so it would help him, she wasn't sure. She wouldn't be surprised if it was both and this made the woman smile.

"But...?" Carla tried to muster a counter-argument but Maria quickly shut it down.

"Me and your older brother need your help, we do. But we need your help in a different way. You like looking after Jacob, right?"

Carla nodded with a hopeful look in her eyes, showing how determined she was to help in any way she could.

"Well, what you say to having more younger brothers and sisters?" Maria asked. She had been contemplating this for a while, even before Perseus left but now with her son's added income that she was sure would increase, even if she pleaded he didn't need to, she was confident she could properly open up an orphanage that could sustain more than just Carla and Jacob. However, Carla was a smart girl and Maria believed in being honest and upfront in most things. That was how she raised Percy and it was how she would continue to raise the rest of her children.

Carla's reaction would have an impact on her decision though. If she didn't want it, then Maria might have to consider something else. If Carla did like it, the spritely cat girl would be a massive help. Just from dealing with Jacob, Maria saw a kindness in Carla that she knew would be vital in opening her orphanage.

The cat girl looked at her, processing her statement before a smile bloomed.

"I promise I'll help as much as possible; I promise!" The cat girl excitedly shouted at her mother. She was so energetic, she had woken Jacob, who was beginning to look around and take in his surroundings.

Maria couldn't help but swell up with pride. Whatever cruel Familia had kicked this girl out were missing out big time. She had never been more glad to have Carla as her daughter, knowing the young girl would be a massive help in the future, as she knew Jacob would be too someday. All three of her children were amazing.

"Come on then, what else do you want to see?" Maria asked as she hid tears of joy behind her sleeve as the cat girl bounded off, re-invigorated again with hope.

Maria might not like the idea of giving Carla a wider view of the outside world that could lead to danger, but she knew it was best for them to know of things now rather than later when she wasn't around. And besides, she couldn't contain a mind like Carla's even if she had the Warlord as a babysitter. Better to release it healthy than let it build up... like with Percy.

'Level 2 huh?'

Maria couldn't help but wonder how her son had done to achieve a level up in under a year. She wondered how far in the dungeon he had gotten, maybe he was close to getting to floor 10.

Syr swept the streets outside the Hostess, letting out a small sigh. Her grey eyes moved to look up at the top of Babel, the highest floor hidden by clouds. Today was not a bright day as summer was slowly turning into Autumn.

She wondered what she would be looking at if she was up there. Maybe she would be reading a new book one of her children had found or maybe trying some new Wine from the Far West.

However, Freya had decided to play this game and this was part of the experience, so she swept the last bits of leaves out of the cracks of the street and into the pile just below the steps leading up to the pub entrance. The soft crunch of the leaves under her brown uniform boots was a comfort though as the minimal noise from inside held little amusement at the moment.

As Syr pushed the remaining leaves into the pile, she leant on the handle of the broom and drifted off again. She knew what she would be doing if she was up in her room.

'What is that boy doing? What does his soul look like? I wonder what he will tell me when he visits?'

Freya still wasn't completely over her infatuation with the black-haired boy. The way his green eyes showed the determination and resolve of his soul hardening, the orb-like shape melting into itself as it swelled with a fiery desire she had not laid eyes on in some time.

She felt a small gust of wind blow past her; her grey hair was thankfully tied up in a small ponytail. She turned, hoping that all her hard work wasn't just blown away. However, to her dismay, the pile of leaves had vanished.

Syr pouted, knowing what had happened. She had specifically told her children not to help her in her mortal life but they just wouldn't allow it. They couldn't seem to wrap their heads around her game. Mortals would never understand the whims of the Gods but surely it wasn't that hard to grasp.

She knew it was Ottar. If it was any other of her children she might've gotten angry but Ottar held a special place in Freya's heart. He was different.

As much as she loved her other children, her love was different, much like his was compared to the others. They were all infatuated with her, with reaching her. Even though that was something she adored, Ottar did it in his way. He loved her, but it wasn't out of infatuation or lust or something... normal. It was the want to be of importance, to have a connection like no other. And because of that, he was able to grow stronger than everyone else.

Allen, Hedin, Hogni. They all got stronger for her, Ottar got stronger because of her. He also had other reasons, the want to be stronger than others, like the old Zeus and Hera Familia. While most would put him in as stupid and a meathead, Freya knew he just didn't bother with what others thought. To him it didn't matter, only Freya mattered to him. And because of that, in a weird way, he could look past her as just a Goddess of Beauty.

It was the same with Mia. She didn't view Freya as this almighty thing that couldn't be touched by a mortal. They saw her as a real thing, not as an entity or object of worship. Though Ottar did worship her, it was in a different way to the others. Mia didn't even seem to care that she was a Goddess, and that was why she went to her to ask for this position as Syr. All her children would just bow to her and say yes but she had to compromise with Mia, giving her her blessing to semi-retire.

A perfect example of the opposite of Ottar and Mia was Allen. He thought of Freya as an object of worship and nothing more. He wouldn't dare admit to her face but she knew it. Not that she minded, the different ways mortals function intrigue her to no end. But sometimes it goes to an extreme that not even Freya can put up with. An example being recently with the cat-man's interaction with Perseus.

After she dismissed him back to Folkvangr, she finished her conversation with the boy and immediately went to punish him. She knew all of her children would not have taken his rejection lightly, even Ottar showed some annoyance at it but what Allen did was too far, and she made sure he understood.

It was the reason he was taken off guard duty, one of many punishments, it being the lightest one. The strongest... well, that was up for Ottar to take care of in the near future.

As Syr looked around, wondering where the Boaz man was hiding, she pondered what Ottar thought of the young boy.

"What were your thoughts on the boy, Ottar?"

"Milady?"

"I'm just curious?"

"Hmmm... he has strength."

"Is that all?"

"...for now."

"What do you mean by that, my dear? Do you not think he is weak?"

"No. He is not strong, but he has the strength to become strong if he continues."

"Oh, that does mean something coming from you."

Syr smiled as she replayed the short conversation between herself and her captain. He was a man of few words but for someone like Ottar to say something like that of someone, especially someone so young.

She had asked his thoughts about most others in her Familia, and his response most of the time was that if she thought they were good enough then he would not argue. Not even Allen had earned a single word of praise from her captain. And yet, a 5-year-old from the backstreets had spiked his interest. She had seen it in his bronze eyes when she brought him up.

Freya might not know everything about the mortal world or being an adventurer but her instinct when it came to spotting the best was never wrong.

'I can't wait to hear about his adventures.'

Ottar watched his lady walk up the stairs and into the pub with a smirk on her face. He knew what had started that. He knew she was thinking of that boy from Daedalus Street.

"I'm sorry Goddess Freya, but I won't join your Familia.'

Ottar remembered what the boy had said, how he had rejected his Goddess. At first, Ottar couldn't help but feel anger at the defiance. He was not as volatile as Allen, but he still took displeasure on hearing the rejection. But then he looked at the boy's eyes.

Those green eyes, they hid strength he had not seen in a while. The last time he had seen something like that was his last interaction with the captain of the Zeus Familia. That man, the one Ottar had sworn to beat one day. That boy shared that strength. There was no doubt in Ottar's mind, that boy would one day grow up to be one of the strongest.

This was a strange experience for Ottar. Throughout his entire career as an adventurer, he had only ever looked forward. He had only noticed the ones ahead of him. The Zeus and Hera executives. The Empress, who stood at the pinnacle of power and just behind her, The Olympian.

Ottar had never looked back at those behind him, not sparing a single thought at them. He had never bothered to take any notice of them, why would he? They meant nothing to him as they held no value in helping him get stronger. None from his Familia had properly challenged him, the closest one was Mia back when she was still an active member and his predecessor as Freya Captain.

The only one who had come close to drawing his attention was Finn Deimne. When Ottar had looked into the prum's eyes, he saw a determination that matched his own. Though their goals were different and they got stronger for different reasons, the Braver held his own against the Boaz man. Compile that with his intelligence on and off the battlefield, Ottar gave his fellow captain more than the modicum of respect he gave to anyone else. But he didn't have Ottar's attention. That was because the Prum would never exceed Ottar.

No matter how smart he was, he would never overcome Ottar in battle. He might pull the Boaz man to a standstill one day but he would never beat him. His determination would never beat Ottar's.

But he saw it in the boy's eyes. A drive that even exceeded his own. The strength to defy a deity in pursuit of his goals. A will strong enough to stand his ground against impossible odds. He had raised his guard against Allen and even himself in defence of his dreams. That action alone had proven to Ottar this boy, Perseus, was different.

Ottar had never been the one looking back at the upcoming stars. He had always been the one looking up as the ones at the top looked back at him. He had once believed they were mocking and arrogant but after a while, he knew they wanted him to join them. To become as strong as them so they could be on equal terms. They had wanted Ottar to earn their respect.

Now he stood in their place, above all others. He did not stand at the top, not yet, that was still a long way off. But for the first time, he looked down at someone below him and saw that desire to get stronger. He had gone from being the one who chased to the one who was now being chased.

This was a strange experience for Ottar.

'Is this how they felt when they looked at me?' the sole level 6, Warlord, thought with a faint smile of anticipation.

"Amid, hurry up with them bandages!" A rash voice echoed around the clinic. The sound of small shoes tapping on the tiled floor rushing around raced towards the order.

"C-Coming!"

The young girl with silky grey hair and amethyst eyes almost slipped over as she peeled around a sharp corner before dashing into one of the side rooms. In their stood an older woman currently treating a patient.

"Over here, now!" Doctor Ferne barked out at the young girl. She didn't look up to see if Airmid had brought the correct bandages or if it was even her, too engrossed in stitching up the excessive bleeding with one hand as a faint glow from her other slowly diminished.

Airmid practically jumped towards the bed and without even looking, Doctor Ferne reached down and grabbed a handful of bandages. Airmid gasped for air, leaning against the bedside for balance but her eyes were glued to a master at work.

With skill and precision akin to a master swordsman, the woman untangled the bandages and applied them to the areas which required the most severe attention. She seemed to know how much was needed with such precision, not a single centimetre of material was wasted.

"Amid, help me clean some of the wounds."

The 6-year-old girl ignored the stitch in her stomach and grabbed the stool, perching on the other side of the table. The already full water basin next to her was quickly put to use as she put a clean rag in, squeezed out the excess water and started cleaning whichever wounds needed her attention.

When Miss Ferne had first taken her on, Airmid had barely kept up on the first patient they treated. She had made a single mistake, bringing the wrong type of medicine. Most might've been lenient towards her, even her God Dian Cecht had told her not to worry and that mistakes happen. However, Miss Ferne was not as tolerant.

"A single mistake could cost a person their life. Make sure never to make one again."

The woman had been reprimanded by almost everyone in the hospital, especially their God as he couldn't bare to watch Airmid cry like she had then after being told off. But ever since then, the young girl rarely put a foot wrong. In the beginning, she had detested working under the woman.

"Clean here!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

But now, Airmid was glad she was her apprentice. Miss Ferne had made sure she understood the value of life in a way only a doctor or medic could ever understand. Most had disagreed when the woman chose to take the young girl on as an apprentice, saying she was too young for this. But after it was revealed that Airmid had a natural talent for healing spells after being gifted a Falna for the first time, the vice-captain of the Dian Cecht Familia, Amanda Ferne decided there and then that she would take Airmid under her wing.

It took another hour before the patient was in a stable position. Airmid and Ferne finally took a seat after over 5 hours of constant work.

"Damn these adventurers, constantly making our lives harder. Can't they just stop fu..." The woman gave a small look at the young girl before clicking her tongue. "-messing about."

She had been given strict orders by her captain and God not to swear in front of the young girl. She was known for having a bad mouth, it was either that or giving up smoking.

Amanda took out a cigarette from her pocket before going over to the window. She was the best doctor in Orario, you wouldn't catch her smoking right next to an injured patient.

Airmid decided to stay and sat down, she didn't enjoy the smell of smoke. She had asked her superior why she even smoked. As a doctor, she must know the issues that come with it.

"Of course, I know. If you get the adventurers to stop killing themselves, then I'll stop."

Airmid didn't respond to that. One of the first things she learnt as a newbie nurse was the amount of stress over a hard day's work. There was no such thing as a weekend or a day off in a hospital. When living next to the dungeon that housed the deadliest creatures, coupled with people willing to risk their lives, it was a recipe for a lot of blood.

The young girl looked down at her apron that covered her uniform. It had done its job just like her. Sprinkled with blood, Airmid slowly took it off, not wanting to splatter anymore. She removed her work gloves and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Amid."

"Yes, Miss Ferne?" Airmid looked over at the woman. She had stopped bothering to correct her about the nickname. The brown-haired woman flicked her cigarette out the window and turned to face the girl. Her chestnut eyes had bags under them and looked tired.

"Cast some of ya magic on the lot in this room and we'll call a break while we've got a quiet minute," She said, her voice coarse from shouting at either Airmid or at the only party member of the Familia lying in the room not severely injured who wouldn't be quiet until she was escorted out the room.

Airmid didn't respond, instead, she began to focus. One of Miss Ferne's policies when first taking the young girl under her supervision was that she shouldn't rely on magic. That she needed to learn the proper way to help people. If she only relied on her magic while in the hospital, then she would be useless if the time came that she couldn't use it.

Airmid didn't really know if that time would ever come but she had quickly learnt not to argue back against the veteran doctor. But the woman did know that Airmid had to use her magic in some cases, it was too powerful not to utilise.

When the party of adventurers were carried in today, the first thing Ferne wanted was for Airmid to use her magic. It saved two lives immediately and made treating the others a lot easier.

The strategy was simple. Airmid would use her strong magic right at the start to get the injured off death's door then Miss Ferne would use her magic to stabilise and treat the patients.

Airmid was sure if she used her magic for longer, she would completely heal the adventurers but the Dian Cecht Familia quickly realised that the young girl could only hold her magic for no longer than 30 seconds before passing out from mind down. And if she was to be needed for almost 10 hours per day, she would need to be careful when to use it.

Doctor Ferne's magic was a lot simpler. She had 3 quick chant spells, one stopped bleeding and patched up wounds though it was not nearly as powerful as Airmids. The second one repelled any effects, like poisoning. It was equivalent to a slightly more powerful abnormal resistance. Her third was a fire spell that allowed her to hold a ball of fire.

Miss Ferne had an assortment of ways to use the last spell. If you looked at her three spells, you'd wonder how she made it to vice-captain of a Familia focused on healing. Her two healing spells were average compared to most in the Familia and compared to the two Airmid had, they were null and void. But there was one thing that set Amanda Ferne apart. She was a battle medic.

She was sat at level 3, the highest in the Familia and the only one at that level currently. The captain was a high-level two, but he had no ambition to get another level up. Amanda Ferne though began as an adventurer.

She was part of a Familia that delved into the dungeon and from what Airmid had heard, she was ruthless. She turned that simple fire spell into a deadly weapon. She would shoot out fireballs from it or burn monster's faces off. But the reason why she is such a revered and feared doctor is her special use with it.

She had shown it only once to Airmid. It was on one patient, so Airmid wasn't allowed to use her magic. There was a gash alongside the man's right side of his body. It would take almost a minute of Miss Ferne's healing magic to stitch that up and by that time, he could be dead. But then she ignited her fire.

The man's scream in agony echoed around the entire hospital as the vice-captain of the Dian Cecht Familia pressed her fire-covered hand onto the man's bare skin, searing it shut. In a matter of seconds, the wound had closed, the heat forcing the skin to heal itself.

That was the kind of Doctor Amanda Ferne was. A reputation of efficient ruthlessness. She had earned her title as the Dea Balor, or the Demon Doctor.

"Dia Fratel," Airmid muttered as she pushed out her magic onto the room, the sound of soothing sighs filled the room as those injured felt the fatigue and pain fade from their bodies as they rested.

"Come on then Amid, bet you're hungry," Miss Ferne said as she walked past the girl and began making her way out of the room. Airmid still didn't like being called Amid but she had given up trying to stop the older woman. She doesn't know why she calls her that, maybe it was to annoy her or she thought it sounded nicer. Airmid didn't know but it made it complicated when introducing her.

Airmid followed the woman out of the room and caught up to her, walking alongside her, her dirty apron in her hands.

"Erm, Miss Ferne?"

"Hmm?" The doctor made a noise as she looked down, not bothering to stop.

"Has anything come back about Percy?"

"What, the boy with the Astrea Familia?"

Airmid nodded at the response. She had been thinking about him a lot. She couldn't understand why he occupied her mind so much but he seemed to intrigue the usually stoic girl.

"Nope, and I don't really want to. In this profession, if you hear something about an adventurer, it's never good news."

And with that, the woman walked into the break room, ready to take a small break before the inevitability of another adventurer needing medical help.

Airmid stopped, waiting just outside the door. Usually, she was used to the woman's blunt answer but concerning the boy, she didn't like to think like that. She didn't want to imagine him hurt or in danger. The thought of that made her anxious.

'I'm sure he's fine. He managed to fight a tough monster, he's strong, I know it.'

A woman huddled in her seat; her legs curled up into her chest. Virgin white hair trickled down her back. Since she no longer needed to eat, drink or sleep, she spent most of her time here.

Her green eyes looked down at the clear pool. It showed a picture of a young playing in a field. He shared her hair but had the deep ruby eyes of his father. He too tried to sit and watch alongside her on many occasions, both being in Olympus helped in that regard. But as he was part of Zeus' area while she was in Hera's temple, they couldn't always be together.

She smiled as her son, Bell, ran around, carefree and innocent. She was happy with the life Zeus had given him, one of peace and joy. She enjoyed listening to the old man read stories of heroes to her son as he went to sleep. The giddy expression he got whenever Zeus brought a new book for him. He was happy, free from the world's cruelty. She knew it wouldn't last but she was grateful to the old God for what he was doing.

Her smile saddened as the image in the pool rippled until it changed. Where was once lush green meadows and a forest was replaced by a grey-lit area, with dead grass and broken trees. A mist settled over the floor and no noise was heard.

Faint glows of purple nestled around, glowed dimly within the mist as they led a path towards a descending staircase. Stood at the top, a small figure with black hair and the same green eyes she had, the boy remained a statue.

She had wished he had shared the life of his brother. That she could be down in the mortal world with the two of them, so that she could hold them tight. But that could never happen. She was up here and he had already gone through too much.

She had hoped her sister would be of some help, that she would have done something. But she had run away, to not associate with her children. She had stopped watching her sister ever since she joined forces with that God.

So all the mother could do was watch as one boy smiled peacefully in the fields and the other went further into the dungeon, neither of them knowing who she was.

"Are you sure about this? Once you accept my Falna, there will be no turning back."

The two, a man and woman looked at each other, before turning to face the deity.

"We understand."

"Are you sure?" The deity questioned again. He was talking directly to the woman this time. Both understood what he was referring to. The woman's mind moved to the image 6-years-ago. Her sister, dead. In the old man's arm, a baby with snow-white hair slept. In the regal woman's arms, a baby with black hair, his thin green eyes staring up at her. The same eyes as her sister.

"Alfia, if you do this, you won't be able to see them again."

Alfia turned to Zald. A hulk of a man with red scars on his face. Burgundy hair and eyes to match, it was clear he had nothing left to live for.

"I help create a world where those two boys will never have to wield a sword. If that requires me to be the Villian... so be it."

There we are. These are the main characters throughout the rest of this story, as well as the Astrea Familia but they go their own chapter last time. I always like these chapters as I think it helps show that it isn't just the MC living in it. Different people will have different views on whats going on.

Ottar won't just be Freya's toy solider for this, he will be just as important as his Goddess, so look forward to some Ottar time. I'd also like your thoughts on if I should continue to include small bits of Heaven and Materia's thoughts or does that ruin the chapter in a sense. I had planned a whole part of this chapter covering most of the Zeus and Hera Familia's thoughts on it but thought it was too dialoguey and just didn't fit well.

Also, Alfia is finally here, as well as Zald. Now, don't expect a meeting in the next chapter, we still got another 2ish years until the dark days but she doesn't just spawn in then, who knows when the next time we will see the her.

Reviews:

Jose Blas - How dare you forget our dear boy has green eyes, shame on you. Nah, I should describe him a bit more, escpecially when a new character see's him for the first time.

calderonic758 - I think once you've got your spell's, you can't lose them. and he won't forget anything. Why, do you not like the magic?

Roland Tepes - Thank you and It is similar ot Wendy's magic now that you mention it, I actually didn't even connect the two.

korakovroman9 - Appreciated and yes, I do plan in filling Percy's 3 magic slots. They are planned out but it will be a while. Like until canon starts.

Lordcarroty - I think Percy would want to max out his stats as much as possible and by the time Bell arrives, level could be a possibility, who knows.

cloudman3011 - I like to tease and cliff hang ;). His third chant will be his own, but what it does and how it relates, have to wait and see. and thank you, appreciate the support.

jamman428 - Pretty much sums up the story thus far.

Amazing person135 - Well here it is my friend