Hello good people! Happy New Year to you all and welcome back!
So it's finally happened! Our main pairings have been made official and our love birds are united! However, this story is far from over. As was pointed out, in some ways, this is just the beginning! Also, for anyone who thinks that the other ladies around our dear Bell are out of the running now, take caution. The battle for Bell's heart is not necessarily over just because Aiz is in the picture. The ladies did swear to continue fighting for him no matter what, after all.
Oh, and one more thing, for those who have asked for a more detailed description of Achilles's appearance, here's what I recently sent to someone in a PM:
Achilles is tall, almost as tall as Ottar, but not quite. He's muscular, but again, not as much as Ottar. Sort of a respectable muscular like you might see from a dad who works out and takes care of himself. He's in his fifties, but he looks like he's thirty. He has short, brown/earth-colored hair and electric blue eyes. His skin is a healthy tan. Not really tan like someone who's outside all day, like a farmer, but he is certainly not pale. His face is friendly and clean shaven, though he might appear a bit rugged at first glance, and he looks absolutely terrifying when he's mad. He probably wouldn't be considered drop-dead gorgeous or handsome, but attractive enough to garner a second look. He has a large scar on his chest that goes from about an inch below the base of his neck, all the way down to his navel. It's a patchwork of mutilated skin and exposed muscle. He now has two burn marks on his inner forearms (one on each arm) from Bell's knife. He generally wears normal/civilian clothes, except for his armguards, grieves, and blue cape.
Basically, I would describe his look as 'mature', if that makes sense.
Hopefully that gives you all a better picture of him. If you need more information, feel free to ask. I've actually considered asking if anyone wanted to draw a picture of him and Bell together for the cover of this story, but haven't because I'm very bad with technology and am afraid I'd ruin someone's work somehow in the process.
Now, with all that out of the way, it's time for our next chapter and to see what the world of Danmachi has in store for us, so let's hop to it!
I do not own Danmachi
He checked the piece of paper in his hand before looking back up at the building.
The building, or ruin, as may have been more accurate, was an old temple at the edge of the small town. It was in clear disrepair, but at the very least appeared structurally sound and was far enough away from everyone to ensure privacy.
"Yeah, this is definitely it," he sighed. "I understand wanting to keep hidden, but you couldn't find a place a little nicer, Hera?"
He made his way inside, pushing open the surprising well-made door.
After looking the door over, he couldn't help but smile.
Hasn't changed one bit. Come monsters, ruin, or other jealous goddesses, she'll always prepare to the best of her ability.
That was one of the things he loved about her. True, he wasn't always the best at showing his love, but there was no doubt, at least for him, that he loved his wife deeply.
Making his way deeper in the temple, he quickly found a statue of both himself and his wife standing tall above him. However, that wasn't what caught his attention. What did, was the two smaller statues, standing before him and his wife.
Albert, he thought, looking at the heroic man's stone face. Even as a statue, he looks strong and good-natured. I suppose that's why they chose here, so Aria could have some connection to him.
He turned to the other statue, and his smile turned sad as he looked at the beautiful woman beside Albert.
"I'm sorry, Aria," he whispered.
He turned away from the spirit's statue and then began to look over the statue of himself and his wife before finding what he was looking for.
Leaning forward, he reached out and pressed a secret button hidden on his wife's statue. A moment later, the sound of scraping stone reached his ears and the platform the four statues were situated on began to move to the side, revealing a staircase.
Wasting no more time, he descended and made his way into a large, well-lit room.
Well, at least she spruced things up here, he thought.
"Took you long enough."
He turned and found Hera scowling at him.
He smiled at her.
"It's good to see you too."
"We have no time for flattery," she stated.
His smile dropped and he nodded.
"I suppose you're right."
"Hello, Zeus."
He turned again and found the woman whose statue he had just apologized to, standing before him.
"Hello, Aria," he greeted.
"I wish I could say it was nice to see you again, but...given the circumstances…"
The god nodded.
"This isn't the time for pleasantries."
Now it was Aria who shook her head.
"No," a hand came up and clenched her dress over her heart as pain filled every corner of her face. "My son is waking up."
The two walked hand in hand back into the Coliseum. Both were positively beaming and kept stopping to pull the other into a kiss.
"I can't believe this is happening," Bell said, his smile practically splitting his face.
"Neither can I," Aiz added. "I was so worried you didn't feel the same way."
"How could I not?" he asked in both amusement and mild shock. "You're wonderful in every single way. If anything, I still don't feel worthy of you."
She stopped and turned to him, before placing her hands on his cheeks.
"You have always been worthy, Bell. You're kind, determined, and have a strength inside you that I wish I had," she said as her hand fell to his heart. "And I'm sorry I didn't help you to understand that sooner. But I promise, I will make it up to you."
The joy Bell felt was so overwhelming that he couldn't take it anymore and he pulled her into another kiss.
How long the kiss lasted, neither knew, they only knew that it was too short and that the only reasons they were pulling back was because they needed to tell the others and they really needed air.
Retaking each other's hand, they completed their journey back and walked into the room where everyone was still gushing over Achilles and Riveria.
Achilles was the first to notice them coming in and instantly took note of their smiles. Within less than a second, he saw their entangled fingers and realized what that meant.
They've actually done it, the loveable dummies.
"Well...looks like Riveria and I weren't the only ones to find each other."
Everyone turned and discovered the two young adventurers who, finding that they were now the center of attention, blushed.
"Well, um…" Bell tried, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "We both…" he turned to her and she smiled and nodded. "We confessed to each other."
Not a moment later, Tiona was on them, screaming happily.
"You did it!" she cried, hugging them both. "And you did it! And they did it!" she turned to Achilles and Riveria, who chuckled. "Everyone's doing it!"
A few more people laughed.
"Good thing we had the context for that statement," Riveria joked.
With the amazon's excitement released, others began to gather around the two and congratulate them. However, it was quickly noted by both Achilles and Riveria that not everyone was joining in.
The two turned to their respective familia members who they knew would not be so happy about the news.
Riveria instantly found Lefiya and discovered tears in her eyes, though the young elven maiden was kind enough to try and smile.
What Achilles saw was worse, if only because of the volume.
Hestia, Lili, Haruhime, and Ryuu all had eyes so sad that it practically broke his heart. All previous joy he had felt was now fully evaporated, replaced with pity for the women before him.
It almost makes you wish he wasn't so kind and loveable, he thought. I suppose it doesn't matter what vows they made to keep fighting for him, no matter what. Being confronted by the actualization of Bell and Aiz finding each other would still hurt like few things ever could.
He wanted to go over to each of them and comfort them, but he knew that would be pointless and possibly even disastrous given his recently acquired lover. Still, he vowed to try and make it better for each of them and ease the burden on their hearts in any way that he could.
Even if I have to go bankrupt buying ice cream.
He turned back to Riveria, finding her eyes already upon him. They gave each other understanding smiles and silently vowed to help each other with their respective familia members.
However, they were not the only ones whose hearts had become heavy, for only a few paces away, the young man who had taken center stage that day, found his eyes falling upon the women whose hearts he had just broken.
Bell's smile disintegrated as he found the four women, all looking at him with cold eyes. Ryuu's were painfully stoic as she was clearly trying to shut down her emotions. Haruhime's were the opposite, as she was trying to hold back tears. Seeing that nearly made his legs give out from under him. Lili's were a bit more fiery as jealousy tried to roar its ugly head, only to be quashed by her true feelings of hopelessness.
Finally, he turned to his goddess. The woman who had given him so much, and he felt like he was going to throw up his heart in anxiety.
"Aiz Wallenstein."
Everyone turned, finding Hestia standing before the Sword Princess.
"Yes?" Aiz asked, confused and more than a bit nervous as the goddess stared at her with unwavering eyes.
"Take care of him."
The room went dead silent.
"Excuse me?" Aiz finally managed, cocking her head to the side.
"Take care of him," Hestia repeated. "I love Bell desperately. So much that it hurts," she continued, reinvigorating Bell's pain and forcing his eyes to fall to the floor as shame at his own previous happiness overwhelmed him. "And that's why I want him to be happy," she turned to Bell, who dared to meet her eyes and, to his shock, she smiled at him. "He is my beloved captain. My world. So you will take care of him for me," Hestia stated, turning back to Aiz. "Because, if you hurt him, not only will you be in an absolute world of hurt, but also," she turned back to Bell, smiling brightly. "I will take him back. And believe me, once I do that, no one, not you, not Freya, not the girls behind me," she jabbed a thumb at Lili, Haruhime, and Ryuu. "Is going to get him after that. Understood?"
Achilles almost laughed as he quickly figured out what she was doing.
Quite the sword of Damocles you have there, Hestia. Or, should I say, swords.
Aiz turned to the other girls and, now finding themselves meeting the Sword Princess's eyes, they each suddenly found a strength within them that they didn't know they had. Each one: Lili, Haruhime, and Ryuu, all stared back at the Sword Princess with the same message.
You have him now, but if you mess up, we will jump in.
And Aiz received the message loud and clear.
Moving closer to Bell, she pulled him as tightly against her as possible before looking down upon the goddess before her.
"I understand," she said seriously.
"Good," Hestia replied, just as seriously.
In the back, the forgotten couple turned to each other, smiling.
Well alright then, they both thought.
"Patroclus, calm down!" Ajax called.
"I can't!" the younger man called. "Because of that stupid storm, we're way later then we should have been! Who knows how much of the tournament is even left!"
"None I'm afraid."
The two former Zeus familia turned to another man, standing on the docks.
"What?" Patroclus asked, hoping he had misheard.
"I'm sorry young man, but the last day of the tournament was yesterday and, not to rub salt in the wound, it was quite exciting."
Patroclus looked absolutely devastated and Ajax patted his back in sympathy as the woman next to the stranger stepped forward.
"You mean terrifying! We almost got blown up!" she cried.
That caught the entire entourage's attention, including Dido who still appeared in her usual foul mood, only now with a mixture of curiosity and worry added in.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Oh, my wife exaggerates, everything was well in hand, they were just taking extra precautions for our safety," the husband said, waving his hand.
"You don't evacuate an arena for precaution!" his wife yelled at him, before turning to Dido. "An adventurer called, 'the Rabbit Foot', went completely nuts and nearly blew up the Coliseum. It was only because the Olympian jumped in that he didn't!"
"Achilles was there?" Patroclus asked, his previous unhappiness gone.
"Indeed," the husband said calmly. "It was actually because of him that the young man went crazy in the first place. Not that I can blame him. What son wouldn't be enraged by the supposed death of their father?"
The Zeus and Hera familia members froze.
"I'm sorry, I must have misheard you," Ajax said. "Did you just say the Olympian, Achilles Caesar, captain of the Zeus familia, is a father?"
The man nodded.
"Indeed I did. Quite the tender one, from what little I saw. The Olympian was struck in the chest with a spear and appeared to have died, which is why the young man went crazy, only for his dear father to get back on his feet and defeat the King in a magnificent display of strength."
The adventurers all turned to each other with confused, worried, and sad eyes.
"Do you think he and Freya…?" Ajax signaled with his hands.
"Deities can't have children," Dido said sternly.
"Do you think Achilles got over his love for Freya?" Imilce asked.
Dido scoffed.
"Of course not. That damned fool acted like a puppy whenever he was with her. There is no way he could have snapped out of his obsession with her. Even if he did, who would he have had a child with? Riveria Ljos Alf?"
"Don't you dare insult him like that," Patroclus growled. "There's no way my captain would fall in love with someone who helped banish us from our home."
Seeing the rising tension, Ajax cut in again.
"Well, we won't discover any more until we get into the walls, so let's not waste any more time," he then turned to the man, who was arguing with his wife. "Thank you for the information. I'm sad I didn't get to see this tournament, danger or not. Seems like it was certainly something."
"Oh yes it was," the husband said. "Part of me wishes we could stay and enjoy this grand city, but as my lovely wife has so eagerly pointed out." Said woman glared. "We need to get back home to Athens. We do have a business to run after all."
"Well then, I'll wish you safe travels, good sir."
"You as well, good man."
The husband and wife departed, leaving the adventurers and Ajax's family to complete their journey.
"Come. We've lost enough time," Dido stated.
"I call this emergency Denatus session to order!" Hermes declared with his usual smile. "As you all know, we have three children on the menu today, all of whom need no introduction. So, first up is Freya's captain, Ottar, who is now a level eight!"
All eyes turned to Freya. One would have expected the goddess of beauty to be quite pleased with the announcement and the fact that her captain was now even more powerful, however 'pleased' was not the world anyone would have used. If anything, she seemed troubled and her usual smile was nowhere to be seen. However, for a variety of reasons, no one commented on this observation.
"Now, had it not been for the final fight of the tournament, I think we would all be fine with simply allowing him to keep his alias. Maybe upgrade him to 'High King' or something like that. However, given he was defeated by Achilles Caesar, it might be appropriate to re-examine his title," Hermes continued, taking special care not to mention Bell's role in the King's defeat.
"He should be called 'Second Best', now!" one of the gods called out.
"No no, 'The Fallen King'!" a goddess suggested.
"'The Broken Crown'!"
"'Beaten Boaz'!"
A host of unflattering names were called out, as the immortal beings both sought to find the most amusing name and one the would humiliate the goddess of beauty as, for the first time in years, she appeared to be in a vulnerable position. This belief was exasperated by the subdued response of Freya. Indeed, she did not even react to the insulting names for her dear captain, instead, looking down at the floor with unwavering eyes.
This is certainly a change, Loki noted, staring at her rival. I guess even she was freaked out by what happened yesterday. Not that I can blame her.
"Now now, no need to be so cruel," Hermes chastised. "Ottar was defeated by the Olympian himself in one of the greatest battles this city, nay, the world, has ever seen, so let's be a bit more gentle. He is also now, only one of two level eights, so I think we can spare him a bit of kindness."
That warning was not missed by the other deities who understood what he was getting at. Freya might have been subdued at the moment, but that didn't mean she would always be, and if there was anything more terrifying than her cleverness, it was her vengefulness.
"Hm, how about, 'Humbled High King'? That way we can both reward his great accomplishment, while also given him a bit of modesty."
The deities seemed willing to accept this. Ottar reaching level eight was a massive accomplishment, but he was also defeated, even if it was under irregular circumstances.
"Is that acceptable to you, Freya?"
The goddess finally looked up and met Hermes's eyes. After a moment, she gave a single nod.
"Excellent! Well, now that it appears we're in agreement. Let's get to our other level eight. Achilles Caesar!"
The air in the room shifted a bit as eyes refocused on Hestia. However, she did not fail to notice the looks she was getting.
And they have nothing to do with Achilles, she noted.
"So, shall we also upgrade Achilles's name as well? 'Olympian' is quite the formidable name, but he did receive it nearly two decades ago and much has happened since then. So, what say all of you?" Hermes asked.
Excited shouts once more filled the chambers and names began to be called out.
"The Emperor!"
"King of Adventurers!"
"The Great Beast Slayer!"
"World's Greatest Adventurer!"
"The Lightning Champion!"
"The Unkillable!"
"Stormbringer!"
"That's so unoriginal!"
More and more names were shouted out, alongside a few arguments, and while they weren't as bad as Hestia feared they would be, indeed, some were quite grand, she already had a name she was set on.
"Father On High."
The shouting stopped and everyone turned to the goddess of the Hearth.
"There's nothing that Achilles is more proud of or that brings him more happiness than being a father," Hestia explained, far more quietly than her fellow deities. "It's a powerful name, but not over the top or pompous. In a word, I think it's perfect for him."
The room began to fill with the murmurs of discussion and Hestia's friends all smiled and nodded, a clear sign of their consent to the name.
The murmurs began to die down and more and more it seemed that those in the room were coming to accept Hestia's suggestion.
"Well, it looks like we're in agreement, or at least not willing to fight over it," Hermes said, still smiling. "So, it looks like we have a name. From now on, Achilles's alias shall be, 'Father On High'!"
Hestia and her friendly deities smiled while not too far away, Freya allowed herself a small one in turn. However, it did not last long as Hermes pressed on to the final, and what would easily be the most difficult name on the day.
"And now, our final child and recently made, level six. Bell Cranel."
The room went silent as tension began to weigh heavily on every deity present.
"I was thinking," Hestia began after a time, her fists tight from all the eyes boring down upon her. "'Argo Vesta'*. Bell-kun actually has a skill called 'Argonaut', as you all know by now. He dreams of being a hero, the sweet boy," she laughed, but it was painfully forced. "And you all know my other name, Vesta, so I was thinking they could be combined for a new alias."
The room fell silent again and the tension somehow grew as Hestia almost shrank in on herself from the force of the others' eyes.
"'White Dragon'."
Her heart stopped.
"W-What?" she asked, turning towards the voice.
"If we're going to name him after one of his skill, then I say it should be that new one that we all saw displayed yesterday. 'Wrath of the Dragon', was it?" the god asked.
"I-I...I don't like that. And I won't accept that as a name," Hestia managed to reply, growing a glare.
All her defiance did though was open the flood gates.
"Let's do 'Dragon of Wrath'!"
"'Killer Rabbit'!" another deity roared.
"'Maelstrom'!" another threw out.
"'The Bloody Son'!"
"'The White Berserker'!"
"'The White Fury'!"
"'The Red-Eyed Demon'!"
"'The Dagger of Death'!"
"'King of Monsters'!"
More and more monstrous names were spat out from the other immortals, overwhelming Hestia and filling her eyes with tears.
They're all against him. All the good will he managed to regain, gone once more. And if this is what they're all like, what are the people outside thinking?!
That thought made the tears uncontrollable, and if it wasn't for her friends coming up to comfort her, she might have started to bawl.
"'Red Dawn'."
Everything went silent and all eyes turned to the one who had spoken.
Gone was the subdued look on Freya's face. Now her eyes burned and she stood tall with an aura of power that cowed all into silence.
"It's the best of both worlds," she explained. "The dawn is a symbol of hope and warmth. Burning away the cold and fear of the night," she said, turning towards Hestia and giving her a quick, barely noticeable smile before it dropped. "However, with a new day comes new challenges and threats. A red dawn, it is said, is the result of a night where blood has been spilt. Thus there is also a certain terror associated with it. So, we have both the hope associated with a hero," she gestured towards Hestia. "And the terror of knowing there is someone in the city that could wreak havoc and destruction upon us," she gestured towards the other deities, scowling. "See? Best of both worlds."
Everyone shared looks. They could all see, to an extent, what she was saying. It was a middle ground. No one fully got what they wanted, but no one was left empty-handed. Some still wanted to argue, namely the god who had suggested 'White Dragon', but seeing the glare Freya was pointing his way, he knew that he couldn't resist.
"Well," Hermes said, clapping his hands together and smiling. "It looks like we have a name. So, from henceforth, Bell Cranel shall be known as 'The Red Dawn'."
A few disgruntled noises and sounds of consent were given, but there was little more than that.
"Then, with all the names now given, I call this emergency Denatus to a close," Hermes called, still smiling, but looking more than a bit relieved.
With that, the deities began to shuffle out, especially those who had given the less than generous aliases, as they did not wish to remain near Freya.
"You alright, Chibi?" Loki asked.
"Yeah," Hestia responded, whipping away her tears and taking a deep breath. That done, she parted from her group and made her way over to Freya.
"Thank you, Freya. While 'Red Dawn' isn't exactly the name I wanted for Bell, I know he would have been heartbroken from 'The White Dragon'."
"That's precisely why I stepped in. I don't want Bell to suffer," Freya responded.
The look the goddess of beauty received showed that Hestia and the other deities around her did not hold much weight in that statement.
"Hestia," she continued, her voice low and holding far less power than it normally did. "I do not say this often, but I'm sorry." That shocked all of them. "I do know when I make a mistake and I have made one with Bell. My love for him, or obsession, as you might call it, led my child to do something that ended hurting the people I care about most. That…" her voice caught and she was forced to take a deep breath. "That was never my intention. Yes, I have been willing to put people, even those I love, in danger in the past, but it was always for a purpose. To help them grow and become the person they are meant to be. But yesterday, what Allen did, it had no purpose besides rage and petty vengeance. As such, I apologize again, this time for him. I also promise to discipline in such a manner that there will never be a repeat."
"I...I don't know what to say," Hestia responded. And she truly didn't. This was a side of Freya she had never seen before.
"You don't need to say anything. Nor do you need to worry about me interfering in your lives henceforth. I have much I need to think on and corrections within my own familia to make. That said," she pulled out two letter. "I would be eternally grateful if you gave these to Bell and Achilles."
"What are they?" Hestia asked.
"Apology letters. I would like to apologize in person, but I am well aware I am not their favorite person right now. I also understand that you would prefer to simply rip these up, but I beseech you to give these to them. If they do not wish to read them, I understand, but I will be beyond appreciative if you would do me this favor."
Silence fell over the deities. Never before had Freya ever been in such a weak position. She had always towered over others and from that position she had issued commands and orders. She had never, in all their immortal lives, requested, pleaded or begged. Seeing her do so now was truly beyond shocking to them.
"...Very well," Hestia finally said, taking the letters. "But this doesn't mean I trust you, Freya, not even for a moment."
Hestia was almost bowled over by the dazzling smile of absolute gratitude that Freya gave her in response.
"Thank you, Hestia," she said as she took the smaller goddess's hands. "Thank you."
"Y-Yeah...no problem," Hestia said, officially freaked out.
"Well," Freya let go of her hands. "I will leave you all. I have much business to attend to. Goodbye for now."
Freya departed, leaving a group of stunned deities behind her.
"What just happened?" Hestia asked.
"I think…" Loki began. "Freya just had character growth."
"There's the Guild," Patroclus called over the crowd.
"We can see that," Dido responded curtly.
"Do you always have to be so testy?" the younger man replied.
Dido's frown deepened.
"Come on," Ajax cut in. "Let's just get inside and find out what we can."
That prevented the argument from continuing as they refocused on doing just that.
They entered and found the Guild just as busy as they remembered it, but with the slight change of everyone crowding around the announcement board.
"I wonder what that's about," Patroclus said, departing the group and heading over to the board.
"Such a child. Running off towards the first thing that piques his interest," Dido complained.
"He's still young at heart, but that's hardly the worst attribute to have," Ajax commented, smiling.
"It's hardly the best, either," she threw back.
A sudden commotion caught their attention and they turned to see an excited Patroclus running back towards them, a group of people yelling at him as he did so.
"He's a level eight!" Patroclus shouted.
"What?" Ajax asked.
"Achilles! He's a level eight now!"
That caught the whole group by surprise and they all looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. It was an announcement with a picture of Achilles on it. Underneath the picture was the announcement that he'd levelled up.
"I'll be damned. A level eight," Ajax chuckled.
Dido stared down at announcement.
Good. We now have a better chance of stopping that beast.
She turned her gaze towards Imilce, who, knowing what her superior was thinking, nodded.
"Well, I'd best return this before those guys really lose their minds," Patroclus said, gesturing towards the crowd of annoyed people who wanted the announcement back.
"We'll head towards the counter so we can find out where Achilles is," Dido stated.
Patroclus nodded and went off to return the announcement, leaving the others to make their way towards the counter.
"Hello. My name is Eina Tulle. How can I help you?" the Guild employee asked, smiling.
"We are looking for Achilles Caesar," Dido informed her.
"Achilles-san?" Eina asked as Misha and a few others turned towards her and the adventurers. "May I inquire as to why?"
"That's our business," Dido responded with her usual bitterness.
Eina was about to refuse, if not for the rudeness of the response, then for the simple fact this was about the hundredth request for Achilles's location since the tournament.
"Sorry about her," Ajax jumped in, seeing the look in Eina's eyes. "She's like that with everyone. My name is Ajax Brutus. This is my wife, Polyxo," he pulled his wife to him, kissing her head. This earned him a smile and helped to ease Eina. "And these are our little ones," he added gesturing towards his children before turning to his companion. "This is Dido Barca, Imilce Iberia, and this excited kiddo is Patroclus Scipio. We're old comrades of Achilles and recently received a letter from him asking us to come back here to help him out with some young adventurers."
The Guild went completely silent and many eyes widened as they all discovered who the people before them were.
"You're...Zeus and Hera familia members."
Ajax smiled and nodded.
"Yep. Except for my wife and kids that is. That's why we're asking for Achilles."
"I see," Eina responded, a bit surprised. "I mean, of course!" she said, regaining her bearings. "My apologies. It's just so many people have been asking for Achilles, especially since the tournament began that I just assumed you were another fan," she tried to explain.
"Ah, no problem. I can imagine how annoying that must be. Plus, giving out someone's location is probably a security issue too, especially when they're as famous as our captain," he responded boisterously, smiling at her.
The half-elf smiled back.
"Indeed. Well, Achilles is at the Hearthfire Manor, home of the Hestia familia. I'll mark it on a map for you so that you can more easily find it."
"Thank you kindly."
Eina ran off and Ajax turned to Dido, smiling.
"Politeness can get you pretty far in life, if you allow it," he said to her.
Her scowl somehow deepened.
"Don't get smug with me, Ajax. You just revealed us to the entire city."
"They were going to find out we were back eventually, assuming they didn't already know from the gate guards. And if they were just going to kick us out again, then they probably would have stopped us there."
She continued to frown.
"Here you are," Eina said, handing him a map.
"Thank you very much, missy," he said. "Still, it's a bit disappointing that we missed the tournament, and by all of day too."
"There's actually a way you can see it!"
They all turned to Misha who was now staring at the group without a shred of professionalism.
"There is?" Patroclus asked, his eyes gaining a notable sparkle.
"Well...not all of it. But you can see the last fight with the recording crystal!" Misha explained.
"Recording crystal?" Dido questioned.
"Yes," Eina cut in. "An inventor named Lumin Teslan invented a device that captures both images and sounds and allows them to be seen later. He managed to capture the last fight of the tournament using it."
"Really? That's quite the amazing invention. Where could we find one of these contraptions?" Ajax asked, feeling Patroclus's eagerness rolling off of him.
"Well, there aren't many at this point. But the Guild does have one if you'd like to use it," Eina offered.
"Can we?!" Patroclus asked, practically bouncing.
Eina jumped at the response but managed a nod.
"Of course. It's in the back, so if you'll follow me."
The entourage followed after the half-elf, along with Misha who thought now was an excellent time to take an early break.
"I'm glad we get to see some of the tournament," Ajax said as they made their way into the back. "I heard that last fight was a great one, though a bit scary as well."
Eina stiffened.
"I-It was," she replied quietly.
"Yeah, heard that some adventurer called, 'The Rabbit Foot' lost it," Patroclus added, oblivious to her discomfort.
Now she froze.
"Are you alright, Eina-san?" Imilce asked.
"Y-Yes. The last fight was...quite scary. When Bell transformed…"
"What was that?"
Everyone turned to Dido whose eyes now bore down on Eina with a terrible furiosity.
"What was that name you just said?" she demanded.
Eina was taken aback by the demand and more than a tad intimidated by the woman now before her.
"Bell...Bell Cranel. That's the adventurer's name," she managed to say. "It was a four way fight with Bell and Achilles on one side and Ottar and Allen Fromel of the Freya familia on the other."
"Why would Achilles be fighting with Bell Cranel?" Dido asked with the same demanding voice.
"B-Because…" Eina tried, but the woman before her was making it very difficult to say much of anything.
"Because he's his dad," Misha stated, glaring at the woman scaring her friend.
Imilce's eyes widened as Dido's head swung towards Misha.
"What?"
"Achilles is Bell's dad. Adopted anyway," Misha informed them.
"That's impossible," Dido growled.
"It's the truth," Misha threw back, not liking this woman at all. "You can ask him yourself after you see the recording."
She grabbed Eina and pressed on, leaving the adventurers behind.
"That's surprising. Achilles adopted a kid. Though I suppose it does explain some things, even if it does raise more questions at the same time," Ajax said.
"This kid must be something if Achilles adopted him," Patroclus said smiling. "I can't wait to meet him."
It was then that they noticed that their two female companions were uncomfortably silent.
"What's wrong?" Ajax asked the two of them, seeing their shocked faces.
"This can't be real," Dido stated, lowly.
"Why not? Weirder things have happened between our two familias. Remember Briseis's attempt at making a birthday cake?" Ajax replied.
Patroclus laughed, but the two women did not.
"I-I suppose we just never expected something like this," Imilce finally said.
"Neither did I, but no point dwelling on it. We can ask him about it after we see this recording. Come on," Ajax said as he followed after Eina and Misha, leaving the two Hera members behind.
"This can't be real," Dido repeated once they were alone.
"We don't know all the details," Imilce said desperately. "It doesn't necessarily change anything."
"Doesn't it?" Dido growled. "He's adopted that...thing! How can we depend upon him now?"
"We can still trust him. If we tell him the truth he'll do what is necessary," Imilce said, a bit desperately.
"That's in doubt now. If he's so foolish as to make that...boy, his son then it may be up to us to handle it."
Imilce did not like the sound of that, but there was little she could say in response, and anything she could have said was prevented when Ajax called out.
"You two coming?!"
They turned to him.
"C-Coming!" Imilce replied.
Dido growled, but did continue down that hall until they reached the room where everyone was waiting for them.
"Alright, so let's see what this thing can do!" Ajax said, looking at the recording device.
"Just a moment," Eina said.
She began to fiddle with the machine and no one failed to notice how tense she was.
She doesn't want to watch the fight again, Misha thought. Yet I went and blabbed all excited. Some friend I am.
"There," Eina said, finishing up.
She went and sat down next to Misha who took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Eina looked at her confused, but seeing her friend's gentle smile, she managed to smile back and gave a squeeze in return.
The crystal began to play the final fight, beginning with Ibri's announcement.
"Wow, this is great. I'm so glad this thing exists," Patroclus said.
"It is quite something," Polyxo agreed.
The scene continued and Ottar and Allen came out.
"Who's that really big one, Dad?" one of Ajax's sons asked.
"That's Ottar. He's Freya's captain and one of the toughest people in the world. I heard he became a level seven since we were banished," Ajax answered.
"He's a level eight now," Eina stated.
"Really? Him too?" Patroclus asked.
Eina nodded. "This fight pushed both him and Achilles over the threshold."
"Yeesh, this really is going to be a big fight, isn't it?" Ajax asked.
The tension returned to Eina's body, which was seen by everyone and Misha immediately gave her another reassuring squeeze.
What are we about to see? Dido asked internally as her eyes narrowed.
They all turned back as Achilles and Bell entered the scene.
"Wow, is that your captain, Dad?" the eldest asked.
"Yep. Looking good in that armor too."
"He's quite impressive," Polyxo added.
"Should I be worried?" Ajax asked his wife.
She rolled her eyes then kissed his cheek.
"Some pretty armor isn't going to make me abandon you, ya big lug."
He smiled at her before turning back to the recording.
"And is that, Bell Cranel?" Patroclus asked, pointing towards the young man beside his captain.
"It is," Eina replied.
"What's his level? No fight with Ottar is going to be easy and he looks rather young."
"He's a level six," the half-elf answered.
That caused all the adventurers to turn, none quicker than Dido and Imilce who both looked extraordinarily alarmed.
"Six? How long has he been an adventurer? Achilles made it sound like the kids he was looking after were brand new." Ajax asked.
Eina did not reply as she knew how they would respond once she answered.
"That's the thing," Misha said, taking over for her friend. "He's been an adventurer for less than a year."
Jaws dropped.
"That's...not possible," Patroclus said.
"It's the truth. A lot of people have wondered how he's grown so fast, but no one knows, or at least, those that do aren't sharing," Misha returned.
As Ajax and Patroclus tried to wrap their heads around this information, Dido eyed Eina with burning eyes.
She knows something.
"Dad, the fight's starting!"
Everyone shifted back to the fight and not a moment later they watched as the four began to battle each other.
"Holy shit! Look at them go," Patroclus all-but cried out.
"Language young man. But yes, I didn't know people could do this," Polyxo said as she pulled her youngest daughter to her.
They continued to watch, every second deepening the shock as the monsters in familiar skin smashed against each other.
Finally, the time came when Achilles and Bell combined attacks and threw them at Ottar and Allen.
"Is that the attack that forced the Coliseum to evacuate?" Imilce asked after nearly being blinded by the sight.
"No," Eina said, her voice beginning to shake. "It did push the mages around the Coliseum, but that isn't the reason the Coliseum was evacuated. That...the reason for that is coming up soon."
They all turned back, a bit of anxiety filling them after hearing that.
They watched as Bell battled Ottar and seeing him fighting the boaz on nearly equal footing was refilling their shock reserves.
"He's holding his own against Ottar," Patroclus said in disbelief.
"Yep! Bell's quite the strong adventurer!" Misha said, hoping that by speaking well of her friend's crush she could pull Eina out of her trepidation. It helped, but only a bit.
He's this strong? Strong enough to fight someone that even Achilles would have trouble with? Dido asked as her scowl deepened even more and her knuckles bled white.
The father-son duo switched their opponents again and they watched as Bell defeated Allen before shifting towards Ottar.
"Here it comes," Eina said out loud, her hand squeezing Misha's painfully.
They all leaned in. Then it happened.
"Bell!" Achilles cried.
Imilce gasped and Polyxo covered her child's eyes as Allen's spear impaled Achilles and sent him to his knees.
"Captain," Patroclus whispered, having lost his voice.
The only one not focused on Achilles right now was Eina and Dido.
What's about to happen? What are you about to do, Bell Cranel? Dido asked as she stared at the young man.
"DAD!"
All eyes turned to Bell as he rushed to help Achilles, only to be stopped by Ottar. They then watched and listened as the two exchanged words, ending with Bell.
"More importantly, I finally know what I need to do," the recorded Bell said.
"And what's that, Bell Cranel? What should you do?" Ottar replied.
A brief pause as sweat dripped down the adventurers skin.
"I'm going to kill you aaaaAAAAAAAAAARRRAAAAAAAWRRR!"
Everyone jumped at the roar and there eyes widened as Bell began to transform
"What in all that is good…" Ajax tried to say as the boy before him, who before had looked like a rabbit, now changed into something far more terrible.
"It's one of his skills."
The watchers turned to Eina who looked positively wretched.
"'Wrath of the Dragon', it's called," she finished.
Dido and Imilce immediately looked at each other.
It's as we feared.
"Wrath of the Dragon? That's one hell of a name," Patroclus managed as his eyes turned back to the recording, his heart thundering as Bell began his onslaught on Ottar."
"Yes it is," Eina agreed. "I've...I've never seen him like this. He's normally so warm. So kind. To see him like this…" she stopped, unable to finish.
Misha tried to soothe her, but it was of little use.
"I've found that the worst monsters are the ones with camouflage that makes them appear harmless."
They all turned to Dido who looked down upon the scared half-elf.
That seemed to break something in Eina as tears began to fill her eyes and she turned away in an attempt to control herself.
Oh hell no! Misha internally roared.
"He's just mad because of what they did to his dad! And who wouldn't be! The Freya familia has been messing with them for months! If anything, they totally had this coming!" she declared.
Eina's tears stopped and she turned to her friend.
"Everyone's allowed to have a bad day, and it's not like he has control over what skill he gets. At least, not really. So you know what, I say there's no reason to be scared of him. He's just having a bad day and just happens to be stronger than most people. That's all this is!" she stated firmly, even going so far as to wave dismissively at the scene before them.
Dido's already impressive frown, got deeper.
"You think this is just some sort of temper tantrum?"
"It's someone who is rightfully angry after being pushed too far and if people can't see that then it's on them!"
Dido wholeheartedly did not agree and glared at the Guild employee in an attempt to force her to rescind her claim, but Misha refused to.
Even if I'm wrong, there's no way I'm going to let some nasty woman make Eina feel bad.
The half-elf looked up at her friend with wide eyes for a few moments, replaying Misha's words in her head.
Slowly but surely, the words took hold and her tears evaporated and for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, she smiled genuinely.
"That's right," she agreed, causing the two glaring women to turn to her. "Bell was just having a bad day."
Misha smiled while Dido refocused her glare on Eina.
"Really?" the Hera member asked. Then she heard the sound of bells and turned her head. She scoffed triumphantly. "Then explain that," she demanded, pointing at the recording.
Everyone refocused on the scene and watched Bell's dark Argonaut charged and the order was given to evacuate. However, instead of wavering, Misha continued to smile.
"Wait for it," she said.
The triumphant gleam in Dido's eyes disappeared and she narrowed her eyes at the scene.
Just as it seemed Bell would unleash the terrible attack, a spear flew in out of nowhere, stopping everything.
"He's up!" Patroclus declared, seeing his captain.
"That he is and, knowing him, he's ready for more," Ajax said.
The Zeus member was proven correct not a moment later as Achilles charged Ottar and renewed their battle.
Everyone in the room watched with bated breath as Achilles pushed his opponent back before finally getting him in a chokehold and forcing the Freya captain into unconsciousness, gaining victory.
"Holy...cow. He's even more incredible now," Patroclus stated, managing to catch himself.
"He is quite something," Eina agreed, her smile now fully formed on her lips.
A moment later Achilles collapsed and was taken out, along with Bell, which prompted the end of the recording.
"Are those two alright?" Ajax asked.
"Yes. Both were exhausted and Achilles needed emergency care, but they are both doing well."
"Good, good. Got to say, seeing that makes me want to see my captain even more, as well as meet this crazy youngster," Ajax said with a smile.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Patroclus declared.
Ajax, Polyxo, Eina, and Misha all laughed and began to make their way out of the room with the children.
Dido and Imilce stayed behind again, the former staring at where the recording had once played.
"What do we do, Dido?" Imilce asked, her nerves shot.
The elder woman did not reply immediately, but after staring at the wall for a few moments longer, she turned to her companion.
"Hera sent us here for reconnaissance. We were only to act if need be and given what we just saw, it appears not only that we need to, but we need to as soon as possible."
Having departed the Guild and the company of a now smiling Eina and a still glaring Misha, the returned adventurers followed the map given to them through the city.
"There's even more people here than I remember," Patroclus said.
"That's undoubtedly because of the tournament. Many probably want to stay and spend more time in Orario before going home while others are going to set up residence here permanently after seeing what it has to offer."
"You'd figure that nearly having a section of the city blown up would convince people to leave as quickly as possible," Dido stated.
"That's the thing, 'almost'. The fact that weren't is what's important. If anything, for a lot of people that sort of danger and excitement will actually encourage them. Hell, what is Orario if not proof of that?" Ajax questioned.
"A city of fools, apparently," Dido replied.
"Well, I'll take this city of fools any day!" Patroclus declared with youthful vigor. "Now come on, we need to get to Hearthfire Manor!"
"What business do you have at Hearthfire Manor?"
The entourage turned and discovered a group of people staring at them, including a young woman with black hair and sapphire eyes.
"Who are you?" Dido asked, looking down on the woman.
"I am Hestia, head of the Hestia familia and owner of Hearthfire Manor. As such, I'd like to know what business you have at my home."
Before any of them could respond, a familiar man wearing a hat stepped forward.
"Wait a moment," Hermes said. "Patroclus Scipio, is that you?!"
Patroclus, immediately recognizing the god, smiled.
"Hermes-sama. It's good to see you again."
The god then began to look over the others.
"Ajax! Imilce! Dido! How wonderful to see you all!" Hermes declared.
Hearing those names, Loki and Hephaestus's eyes widened.
"What's going on? Who are these guys?" Hestia asked.
"They're Zeus and Hera familia," Loki answered.
The eyes of the other deities, as well as a few of passerbys widened.
"Achilles's letter found you too!" Hestia declared happily before going up to the entourage.
"Too?" Dido asked.
"Oh yes. Galadriel-kun arrived yesterday and is at Hearthfire Manor with the others," Hestia explained.
"Galadriel's here too? Whoo, the gang's really coming together!" Ajax declared happily.
Once more, however, his excitement was lost on Dido and Imilce who shared an alarmed look.
Why is she here? How did Achilles even find her and more importantly, what has she told him?
"Well then, no point sticking around here!" Hestia declared. "Let's head home!"
Patroclus was bouncing again and Ajax laughed at seeing him.
"I couldn't agree more, if only because it looks like Patroclus here is about to burst into flames," the big man said.
The two groups combined and made their way through the streets of Orario, garnering a bit of attention, before finally arriving at Hearthfire Manor.
"There it is! Home sweet home!" Hestia shouted with excited glee.
"Nice place," Ajax complimented.
"Thank you, Ajax-kun. Now come, let's head inside."
Hestia opened the gate and they all proceeded to enter the manor.
"Everyone! Please come down here! We have some very important guests!" Hestia called.
A moment later, the sound of moving feet was heard as the familia responded.
Lili arrived first and was a bit startled by the large group that greeted her.
"Who are all these people, Hestia-sama?" she asked.
"Let's wait for everyone to arrive," the goddess responded.
Haruhime was next and she appeared equally as surprised, but she was quickly distracted by the children as they, having never seen a renard before, instantly went up to her to ask if they could pet her ears and tail. After getting over her surprise and seeing the adorable faces of the children, she smiled and happily permitted it.
Polyxo turned to her husband.
"Looks like they already have a favorite," she said, causing him to laugh.
Ryuu was next, appearing with Astraea.
"Astraea-sama," Imilce called, surprised.
"Imilce," the goddess returned, equally surprised. "Dido. Ajax. Patroclus. My word, how good it is to see you all!" she went up and hugged them all.
"Good to see you too, Astraea-sama, though I am curious why you're here as well," Ajax said after hugging her.
"That's a bit of a story, but we'll get to that soon. I'm sure Hestia wants to wait for everyone else to arrive," she replied.
"Yep! Oh, and here come Welf and Mikoto."
The two adventurers made their way into the room, both wondering who the new-comers were, but knowing they'd find out soon enough. As such, Welf decided to go up to his favorite redheaded goddess and took her in his arms, before giving her a kiss in welcome.
"It appears even more has happened since we were gone than I thought," Ajax said staring at the two.
Hephaestus laughed.
"We'll have to catch up once introductions are over."
"There is quite a lot to catch up on."
They all turned, finding a dark elf at the top of the stairs.
She is here, Dido thought with extreme displeasure.
"Hello everyone," Galadriel greeted.
"Well if it isn't are favorite dark elf," Ajax greeted, smiling down at her.
"Hello, Ajax. It's good to see you," she turned to the others. "All of you."
"It's great to see you too, Galadriel. I'm so glad you came as well," Patroclus stated.
"As am I. The world is a wonderful place, but Orario is home," she replied, smiling at him.
"I couldn't agree more," the young man replied.
"That just leaves the father-son duo," Loki said.
"Now now, Loki, you shouldn't say too much or else you'll confuse our returned friends even more," Hermes playfully chided.
"We heard something about Achilles-san adopting a young man on our way here, though we don't know the details," Patroclus said.
"It would actually be more accurate to say the kid adopted him, but we'll get to that story, I'm sure," Loki said.
"But we can't if those two don't come down!" Hestia stated, stomping her feet."Bell-kun! Achilles-kun! Get your butts down here!"
"We're coming!" came the voice the returned adventurers all recognized.
Then there he was at the top of the stairs.
"Sorry, we're still exhausted from yester-."
"Achilles," Patroclus called, staring up at his captain.
For a split second, everything was silent, and then, before they all could blink, Achilles was before them, pulling Patroclus off his feet in a massive bear hug.
"Patroclus!" he cried out happily.
The young man couldn't respond as his face turned scarlet from the display of affection. Even after Achilles put him down, it remained as his heart thundered.
"Ajax!" Achilles added, giving him the same treatment.
The big man laughed as he was easily lifted off the ground, much to the surprise of his family.
"It's good to see you too, captain."
"Captain…" the Hestia familia said, finally realizing who their guests were.
"And look at you two," Achilles said, going up to the Hera members. "Imilce, you've become even more beautiful," he said, pulling her into a gentle hug. "And Dido, looking as stern as ever, but that was always your charm."
"Hello, Achilles," Imilce greeted with a smile.
"Still the fool, I see," Dido stated.
"A bit yes. But we'll get to my foolishness later. There's someone you all need to meet."
He turned and they all looked at the young, white-haired man before them.
It really is him, Dido thought as her fists tightened.
"Everyone, this is Bell Cranel," he introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Bell greeted, giving them one of his dazzling smiles.
All of them were taken aback by the warmth and friendliness of the smile. Even if Eina and Misha had explained what he was normally like, the power behind the smile was a bit much to take in unprepared, especially after watching the recording.
That's such a wonderful, happy smile, Imilce thought, wondering, if only for a moment, if perhaps all their fear had been misplaced.
Patroclus was the first to recover and smiled back before holding out his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Bell Cranel."
Bell's smile somehow grew and he happily shook the man's hand.
"Indeed, we've already heard a great deal about you," Ajax said, holding out his hand as well.
Heard and seen, Dido noted as Bell shook his hand.
"I hope it was all good things," Hestia joked.
As the others started to introduce themselves to the Zeus familia, Bell went up to Imilce and Dido.
"Hello. My name is Bell Cranel. Thank you for coming," he said with a bow.
Imilce moved to return it when Dido spoke.
"We know."
There was something in the curt response that caught Achilles's attention.
"You say that like you've already met him."
That caught everyone's attention.
For a moment, things were quiet as Achilles and Dido stared at each other, while a confused Bell and worried Imilce stood to the side.
"We have," Dido said.
"You have?" Bell asked.
"It was a long time ago, when you were very young. It was just after your grandfather took you in," Dido explained.
"Really?" Bell thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember that."
"Why would you? It was a long time ago, you were even younger then, and we were just passing through," Dido responded.
There's no way you were just 'passing through' a village in the middle of nowhere that Zeus happened to live in. What are you hiding? Achilles wondered as his eyes narrowed.
"Well, then, it's nice to see you again, Dido-san. Imilce-san," Bell pressed on, bowing again.
"It's nice to meet you as well," Imilce replied, doing her best to smile.
"That remains to be seen," Dido added.
None of this was doing much to warm the Hestia familia to the woman and every one of its members were now frowning, except for Bell.
"That's true," he readily replied. "Why don't we all sit down so that you all can catch up with Dad," he caught himself. "Oh, sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I suppose you don't know about that."
"We've heard something about you adopting our boss, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd love to hear the story," Ajax stated.
Bell's smile returned.
"Then let's go sit down."
At least an hour had passed since everyone had sat down and the Hestia familia began telling their guests everything that had happened since Achilles arrival, and were now on the story of Freya's party.
"You pulled Achilles out of Freya's Charm?" Ajax asked in disbelief.
"I'd say it was more I encourage him to pull himself out of it," Bell replied modestly.
"You saved me, Bell. If it wasn't for you, and what you said that night, I might still be under Freya's thrall," Achilles said, pulling the boy into a tight hug.
As most everyone smiled, Dido's frown, of course, deepened.
They really are close.
Any further displeasure from this knowledge was prevented by the sound of gate bell ringing.
"I'll go see who it is," Haruhime said, before departing the room.
Everyone waited for her to return and did not have to wait long for her to do so.
"The Loki familia," she said with a smile.
Bell and Achilles's faces lit up, the latter of which caught the returned adventurers' attention.
Why would he be happy to see the people that banished us? Patroclus asked.
The Loki familia entered and instantly found the Zeus and Hera members.
"Well this is unexpected," Finn said.
"Not happy to see us, Finn?" Patroclus asked, a bit of venom in his voice.
Finn did not miss this, but smiled regardless.
"I am, actually. It's been too long since we saw you all."
"Whose fault is that?" the younger man all-but demanded.
"Patroclus!"
Everyone turned to Achilles who was giving his former subordinate a firm stare.
"I understand how you feel right, believe me I do. I felt much the same way when I returned. But don't let your anger over the past rule you. I did and it led to multiple near disasters," he informed him. "They're good people. All of them. You don't have to be friends with them, but I'd ask that you don't let your anger push you to do foolish things like mine did."
"Captain," Patroclus said, not knowing how to really respond.
"Just think about it, please. It would sadden me greatly if animosity formed between all of you and the Loki familia, especially given how things are now," Achilles continued.
"What does that mean?" Dido asked.
Achilles smiled.
"I'll explain that after introducing you to the newer members. Let's start with Tiona since she looks like she's about to burst."
"Hi!" the amazon greeted, rushing over to them. "You guys are Zeus and Hera familia members right? That's why you called him 'captain', right?"
"We are," Ajax said.
"I'm not," Polyxo said, raising her hand. "I just married the big guy and popped out his runts."
"Mom!" the 'runts' cried.
"Hehe, well it's nice to meet you all!"
Tione was next, and bowed.
"Sorry about my sister, she's a child in both mind and body."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tiona demanded.
Some laughs were shared as Tione met the adventurers.
Next came Lefiya and Bete, the former of whom greeted them with her usual politeness while the latter did so with his usual gruff rudeness.
Finally, it was Aiz's turn and both Dido and Imilce felt like their eyes were going to pop out of their sockets when they saw her.
She looks just like Aria, Imilce thought as she stared at Aiz.
"Hello, my name is Aiz Wallenstein," she said with a bow.
"Aiz...Wallenstein?" Dido replied.
Achilles noted this odd reaction as well.
You're hiding things Dido. Quite a lot of things, it appears, and I don't like that. Not one bit.
The reaction of the two Hera members was missed by Ajax however, who more readily returned the greeting.
"Nice to meet you, blondie."
"It's nice to meet you," Patroclus added.
"It is nice to meet you all as well," she replied.
Her introduction now done, Aiz finally did what she had been wanting to do since she had arrived, which was to go straight to Bell, sit in his lap, and wrap her arms around him, before falling into bliss.
"Aw. So nice to see young people coming together," Polyxo cooed before kissing her husband's cheek. Meanwhile, her children gagged and mentioned 'cooties'
"Bell and Aiz very recently started their relationship," Achilles said. "Speaking of which," he got up. "It's time I reveal one of the biggest things to happen since I've returned."
"One of?" Riveria asked as she watched him approach.
"You're a very close second to Bell adopting me," Achilles said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
What the hell is this? Patroclus asked, his companions thinking much the same.
Then, to their complete shock, Achilles leant down and kissed the elf, and not in a friendly greeting sort of way.
"What the fu-," Ajax almost said, before getting an elbow in his side from his wife.
Achilles and Riveria pulled back, then turned towards his former comrades.
"I managed to get over my obsession with Freya," Achilles explained. "Not long after that I found out that Riveria had feelings for me," he turned back to his elf, smiling adoringly at her. "And, after a little bit of time, I found myself falling for her in return and...well," he kissed her cheek. "Now we're together."
The Zeus and Hera members couldn't believe it, they really couldn't.
"You're...over Freya?" Ajax asked.
"Yep."
"Like...done with her?" the big man pressed.
"Yes. For a variety of reasons, including that party that we were telling you about."
"And now you're with Riveria?" Patroclus asked, as his knuckles turned white.
"Yes."
Things fell silent again.
"Well...um," Imilce finally managed. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Imilce," Achilles replied, giving her a smile. "I know this is a lot to take in, and I admit, I was kind of hoping to tell you everything that's happened since my return before dropping this on all of you, but...well," he turned back to Riveria. "I need my fix of beautiful high elf," he said as he leaned in and kissed her neck.
"Achilles. Not in front of everyone" she softly chided as she lightly hit his chest.
"Wow," Ajax said after a moment. "I was sure a lot had happened since we were banished, but I'm reeling."
"Things have been very exciting lately," Achilles replied, pulling back from Riveria. "And there's a lot more to tell you. As such, I suggest we make a day of it. We'll all sit here, sharing stories and answering questions, eating and drinking as we talk. Sound good to everyone?"
Instant agreement was met by most everyone, the only exception being the newly arrived adventurers who still seemed to find everything a bit much to take in.
"Well, given what we've already been told, I think I'm going to need ale. A barrel of it," Ajax said.
Laughs passed through the room.
"I think we can arrange that," Achilles said.
"I'll start cooking immediately," Haruhime added, getting up.
"I'll help!" Tiona cried, joining the renard.
"With this many people we'll likely need lots of food and drink," Finn said. "Tione and I will head over to Mia's place and place some orders."
Tione's eyes lit up and she happily agreed.
"Thanks Finn. So," Achilles clapped his hands together. "Where were we? Ah yes, Freya's party and Bell saving my ass."
"Dad," Bell playfully groaned, even as he stroked Aiz's hair.
Freya watched the scene before her with a sad smile.
If only I could be there, she thought.
Her eyes fell on her two beloveds, finding them both wrapped up in the arms of a woman that was not her.
Jealousy burned within her and she cast away the image.
"Bring him in," she ordered.
"Yes, my lady," Ottar replied immediately.
A few moments later all her executives came into her room, though one did not walk in like the others.
The Gulliver brothers dropped Allen's broken and beaten body before their goddess before kneeling before her.
"Hello, Allen," she greeted with a voice of both fire and ice.
"H-Hello, my lady," he replied, his voice weak and muffled.
"'My lady'? Am I still your lady, Allen? After what you did yesterday?"
"Yes!" he cried as loudly as he could. "You are still my beloved lady! Nothing will change that!"
She leant down and grabbed his face, forcing him to look her in the eye.
"Then why did you do what you did, Allen? Why did you try and kill my dearest Bell and grievously wound my dearest Achilles?"
He did not reply. He could not. Seeing her fury and knowing he had failed her stole away his voice.
Her grip on his face tightened.
"Answer me, Allen. Now."
"I...I was jealous," he answered honestly. "I love you, Freya-sama. So much. I would do anything for you. Seeing them receive your love and yet discard it for those...women, if they can be called that. To insult you like that. To act so superior to you. To me. To all of us. It was too much to bear."
"I see," she replied, her voice a deadly whisper. "Thank you, Allen. It warms my heart to know you care so much about me. As such, I think I can find it within myself to forgive you."
"R-Really...my lady?" he asked, hope shining in his eyes.
"Of course. On one condition."
"Anything!"
Suddenly Freya's eyes glowed and the light in Allen's eyes faded away and the orbs became dull.
"You will be mine in every way, shape and form from now on. Even your mind. You will never step out of line again because you won't be able to. Do you agree?"
"Yes, Freya-sama," he said with a lifeless voice.
"Good," she stood up. "Take him to our healers and get him patched up."
All her executive officers except for Ottar departed.
"Are you alright, my lady?" he asked.
"No," she answered honestly. "No I am not."
"What can I do to help, my lady. Whatever it is, I will do it."
"I know you would, Ottar. But I don't think this is something even you can help me with."
"I can try."
She smiled and turned to him.
"You are sweet to me," she said, placing a hand on his cheek.
The smile only lasted a moment though and soon both it and her hand fell.
"I'm losing them. Or, perhaps...I've already lost them."
"No my lady, you haven't lost them," he assured her.
"How could I not have? After that fight? After Bell...transformed and nearly killed you?" she looked into his eyes, sadness and fear bursting from her own. "And now they are with them. With Aiz Wallenstein and Riveria Ljos Alf."
"That will not last."
"And what makes you say that, my dear Ottar?" she asked.
"Intuition," he responded resolutely. "Aiz Wallenstein will make a mistake, I'm sure of it. Either because she does not know what it means to love or because of her quest for vengeance. Once she does and Bell sees the truth of who she is, he will be open to you and your love again."
"Unless one of the other women snatches him up first," she pointed out.
"My lady, no one will make him as happy as you will. Not Aiz Wallenstein. Not Hestia. Not even Haruhime. You will give him the utmost happiness, and one day he will see that."
The goddess smiled at her captain again, but again, it wavered.
"And what of Riveria Ljos Alf? She is not some foolish child nor does she have some vengeful quest to pull her away from Achilles."
"Has she not already given herself to another? Would that not complicate any chance she hopes she may have with Achilles?"
"Achilles may be old-fashioned and have saved himself, but that won't be enough to stop him. It wasn't with me, after all," she pointed out.
"You are a goddess," Ottar countered. "The most beautiful goddess in the world. And even if that were somehow not enough, there is no way her family would allow her to remain with him."
Freya laughed lightly.
"Oh her father will lose his mind should he discover that she's with a 'monkey'."
"And he will find out. Something like this cannot be hidden for long. Her circumstances will pull them apart."
"That doesn't mean he will come to me."
"Then remind him why he fell in love with you in the first place. Why you are the woman he yearned for, fought for, nearly died for, for decades. Love like that does not simply disappear, no matter what he may say or who may attempt to usurp you."
Freya's smile finally returned, and for good now.
"I'd be lost without you, Ottar," she said as she hugged him.
"I am simply giving you a helpful reminder, my lady. Nothing more," he replied, returning her hug and smiling down at her.
It was nearly dawn by the time all the stories had been shared and everyone that wasn't already passed out was thoroughly exhausted.
"Looks like it's finally time to rest," Achilles said as he looked down at Riveria who was now sleeping on his shoulder.
"Yeah," Bell said, his voice low from exhaustion as he looked at the sleeping form of Aiz as she rested her head in his lap.
"Goodnight then, captain," Ajax said, his voice slightly slurred from a night of drinking.
"Goodnight," Achilles returned as he and Bell picked up their respective lovers. "Oh," he suddenly stopped. "Choose whatever rooms you'd like. The taken rooms have already been marked so there's no worry of barging in.
"Thanks. See you, whenever we wake up," Ajax replied before moving to pick up his wife and children and take them to bed.
"I'll head to bed as well," Galadriel said, getting up.
This left only Dido and Imilce, both of whom watched the dark elf depart. The moment she was gone, they turned to each other and after a silent conversation, they followed after her.
They made their way upstairs and found Galadriel waiting by an open door.
"I figured you follow me," she said, not even looking at them. "Come on then. Let's get this over with. I am quite tired after all."
The three women of the Hera familia entered, with Dido locking the door behind her afterwards.
"So," Galadriel said calmly as she sat on her bed. "Ask your question."
Dido and Imilce looked at each other before turning back to the elf.
"Have you told Achilles?" Dido demanded.
"Told him what?" Galadriel asked, staring directly into Dido's burning eyes. "That while he watched most of the people he cared about, including his best friend, get butchered, we were skulking about looking for some wind spirit we didn't even know was alive?" Galadriel questioned, her voice turning icy enough to freeze a soul. "Did I tell him that the attack on the Dragon was just meant to be a diversion so we could rescue Aria Waldstein who we didn't even find until a year later?" she stood up and placed herself before the de facto leader of her familia, her eyes glaring down at the other woman. "Are you asking me if I told him that? Or, are you asking if I told him who she was with when we found her?"
Imilce was shaking and barely able to stand before the fury of the dark elf. Dido was a little better and could not manage to speak.
"Believe it or not, Dido, I love this familia, in spite of everything it's done and has asked me to do. As such, I'd rather it wasn't utterly obliterated by the vengeful wrath of its greatest ally and one of my closest friends," she spat out.
She glared down at Dido for a few more moments before turning away, her cool demeanor back in place as if it had never left.
"Now, seeing as I've answered your positively ludicrous question, you may leave."
Imilce fled immediately with Dido shrinking out a moment later.
Once they were gone, Galadriel sighed and her head fell into her hand.
I'm so glad you weren't here to see this, Briseis. Heaven above, how we've fallen.
Yeesh, another chapter that got away from me. Expected a six thousand word chapter, get a ten thousand plus one instead. Ah well.
Well everyone, we're back for the new year. I do apologize again that I've been away for so long, but with the holidays and moving, things have been a bit hectic. Anyway, I hope you'll see this as a reward for your patience. We finally brought in the Zeus and Hera familia, Bell and Achilles have new aliases, and more secrets are popping up. I'm sorry I couldn't work in more lovey-dovey stuff with our new pairings, but I'll be getting to that soon, I swear.
That said, please tell me what you think. Was this a good start to the new year? Were you hoping for more? Please share as I do read what you have to say and take it to heart.
With that, I will bid you all a fine farewell and I will see you all next time. So, welcome back and until next time, bye for now.
*Yes, I stole this from his special ability. Sorry, but it seemed to actually fit as a potential alias.