Chapter 27: Hostess of Fertility (Part 2)
Not even my second day on campus and we had a total energy blackout that lasted for an entire day. Great way to start off I guess. Couldn't charge and use my laptop.
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The taste was indescribable. Cassian had never tasted alcohol, or any drink for that matter, that tasted even a quarter as good, as the Soma Wine. It was an out-of-this-world experience.
Cassian fell into bliss as he sipped on the wine. If this was a failed version, then he could definitely understand how the successful version can instantly turn someone into an addict. Hell, he was tempted to try it himself, but caution held him back.
He didn't know how the Soma Wine caused addiction, whether it was some kind of psychological effect, a spiritual one, or something else entirely. He should be capable of resisting the first two easily enough, but what if there is no special method and it just tastes THAT good? He could probably still shrug it off, but he didn't want to take the risk.
Hecate sipped on her own wine with a delighted expression, she doesn't indulge often but when she does, she wants to enjoy herself. The other two were wrestling their own mugs of ale, trying to see who could empty one first.
As the group continued to enjoy their drinks, the conversation drifted into a more relaxed, light-hearted territory, allowing them to unwind from the weight of recent battles.
"Oh, hey Leo, remember when you asked about my sword and I told you it was for familia only?" Cassian asked her with a smirk.
"Yes? Why do as- You Mean?!" Leo started but quickly cut herself off and her eyes widened at the implication, excitement already bubbling inside.
"Yep, you get your very own special gear. What kind of weapon do you want?" He chuckled at her basically vibrating in her seat. He couldn't really blame her for that.
Adventurer gear was expensive, very much so. One of the biggest hurdles newbies had to overcome was low-quality weapons and armor, that constantly needed replacement, maintenance, or improvement.
As a result, new adventurers were usually very broke. They had to constantly balance the dungeon earnings with the costs they incurred while diving in said dungeon. And if they happened to need a potion? Well, it's not one time or two, adventurers have had to go to sleep on an empty stomach.
Really, Bell was lucky he didn't have to pay rent on top of all that. He could live in the rundown church given to them by Hephaestus for free. There's a reason why so many low-class adventurers reside in the Daedalus Street.
"Oh! I've always wanted to fight with a Greatsword, I used to have this huge wooden sword that I practiced with back in my village and it always felt so right. Can you do that? About as big as me?" She asked with a little embarrassment.
"Hoh, a curious choice for your size." Leo was certainly not big. 163 centimeters roughly (5'4 Inches). Even the smallest Greatswords would be huge on her. Not small for a 15-year-old girl, but still.
"Oh, is it a bad idea?" She asked a bit more subdued now.
"Never said that. With the supernatural abilities provided by the Falna, the strength to swing it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, with your size, it could double as an impromptu shield to guard yourself against attacks. You'll just have to train your strength and stamina a lot. You up for that?"
"Yes!" She wouldn't shy away from training. She still remembered how useless she felt during the Infant Dragon battle. She didn't want that to ever happen again.
"Good, I'll forge your sword along with mine tomorrow. Mine was pretty much rendered useless after all the damage it received by trying to slice through the scales of that damned lizard." He said as he pinched his nose bridge.
'How am I basically going through swords like socks.' He thought annoyed.
"Hey, why am I the only one not getting any cool new stuff?" Nico spoke with faux annoyance.
"Oh? I thought our great sorcerer didn't need anything from brutes like me?" Cassian countered with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"Ah… Well, sometimes you have your uses, hehe." While rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, sometimes huh? Who was the one that dragged your slow ass, so the dragon wouldn't get you?"
"And who was the one that kept the horde off our backs that you kept running into?"
"Hah! At least I-" "Boys" Cassian was interrupted when a sweet voice interrupted him.
Looking over, the brothers saw Hecate giving them a sweet smile. A bit too sweet. "Don't ruin my moment, while I'm enjoying my wine." She told them with that same suspiciously sweet voice, causing them to stiffen and knock it off immediately.
"Ah ha ha, sorry." They laughed nervously, watching her go back to savoring her wine.
"Anyway, I am planning on making something for you too. If you know the magic words, that is." Cassian grinned at his little brother, whose face had soured due to knowing what he wanted.
"Tch. Screw it, please make me some rune gear too dearest older brother… prick." Nico said with an exaggerated fake smile while muttering the last part quietly.
"Oh, what was that last part?"
"You're hearing things."
"Heh. Fine, I'm planning on making armor out of the Infant Dragon's hide for you. I don't know how to make staves, at least not yet, so that'll have to do."
"Really?! That's so cool!" Nico's tone was now more genuine. He would be wearing dragon armor! How could he not be hyped?! Well, it's an infant dragon, but still!
As they were talking, their food arrived.
"I'm back!" Syr came, wearing an excited smile and carrying a tray with their dishes on it. Placing them down, she placed Cassian's in front of him.
"I made sure to ask our chef to make this extra tasty!" Syr told him while giving him a flirty smile.
"Oh? Why me specifically?" Cassian asked with a raised eyebrow. He was a bit concerned about Freya handling his food but then he realized he was being silly. Too much paranoia wouldn't do him any good, plus he had a Witcher's resistance to poisons even if she tried anything.
"I gave the recommendation, of course, it has to be the best to not let you down!" The rest of the table looked at the interaction weirdly, except Leo who had already begun digging into her food with gusto, paying little attention to the rest of the world.
Hecate was wearing an amused smile on her face, although it had a bit of creepiness to it. As if she was looking down on an insignificant bug from atop a throne. Cassian hadn't realized it before, but now he was beginning to suspect that there was some bad blood or rivalry among the two.
Nico on the other hand was a bit weirded out. He never really understood what all the hype was about crazy girls, they made him uncomfortable and uneasy. Freya from the anime just creeped him the hell out. He felt a bit bad to admit, but he was glad Freya was interested in his older brother, instead of him. He much preferred sweet girls, like Haruhime. And this way, he wouldn't have a crazy yandere on his ass.
Trying the Minotaur Steak, Cassian truly appreciated it. It was delicious.
"I understand why everyone praises this place now, this tastes amazing." He smiled politely at her, causing Syr's heart to flutter once more, before digging into his meal more. Cassian was trying to think of ways to advance their plan further.
Hecate told him that Freya always exuded her charm in a passive state at a low level and while muted a bit more as Syr, it was still potent enough to make her generally more likable by everyone. But just that wouldn't be enough. They needed Freya to actually use her charm on him, and for that, they came up with a plan that revolved around making her desperate.
And one of the ways to push her to that point was…
"I've never seen you before, are you new around here?" Syr asked in general, but it was clear she was talking to the white-haired elf.
"Ah, yes, it hasn't even been a month since they've arrived in Orario." Hecate answered instead, that same sickly-sweet smile on her face.
Syr glanced at her annoyed for a moment, before looking back at Cassian and continuing.
"Oh, that's great! Visitors come here so often to become adventurers. How have you been adjusting to the city? I hope it's not too loud, newcomers have been known to complain about that, hehe." She continued but to her dismay, Cassian was too busy stuffing his face with the Steak, so Hecate benevolently answered for him again.
"They've been adjusting well, they are quite skilled so it didn't pose much challenge for them."
Tick marks were already appearing on her forehead as she glowered at the purple-haired goddess, but she trudged on nonetheless.
"Oh! My name is Syr Flova by the way, although you seemed to have already known that since you called me "Miss Syr"?" She looked at Cassian questioningly and he suppressed a wince.
'Crap, how did I make such a stupid mistake, I shouldn't have known who she is.' Cassian realized he had to answer this question himself, and very carefully. "I overheard some other customers speaking of the waitresses here, saying it was staffed by a bunch of cute girls." Which was not a lie, since a ton of dudes outside were talking about the waitresses here. Though 'cute' is the mildest word they used.
"A-Ah, y-you think I'm cute?!" Syr squeaked, her face going completely red.
'That is clearly not what I said.' Cassian looked at her incredulously before remembering that Syr was supposed to be very weak to teasing and compliments. Cassian had to suppress a smirk as he got an idea of how to further mess with her.
He glanced at the green-haired elf tending to a table. "They certainly weren't exaggerating. The waitresses here really are cute."
He said, while not taking his eyes off Ryuu until finishing talking. Looking back he barely got a glimpse of disappointment in Syr's eyes before it vanished and was replaced with her usual cheery smile, although this one seemed a bit different… It evoked a much bigger reaction, to the point, several patrons started looking at her.
This was the plan. By ignoring her and evoking jealousy in her, she would become more and more desperate to get his attention, and hopefully start using her charm.
After that, it would be a chain reaction. The more she cranked up her charm, the more stunned she would become when he showed no reaction at all, and the more flabbergasted when she realized it wasn't working regardless. Until she wouldn't be able to take it anymore and use it directly on him.
"Oh, how careless of me. I forgot to ask your name." She said with a beautiful smile.
Honestly, Cassian couldn't deny the fact that she was incredibly cute and beautiful. And this was as Syr. He became quite intrigued as to how she would look in her real form. The anime certainly did not do a perfect job of conveying her looks.
In fact, all of the people looked much better in real life than they did as animated or drawn. Rose was an example. Syr most certainly didn't fall behind. But the most stunningly beautiful example Cassian has seen so far was Ryuu. Gorgeous did not even begin to describe her. It wasn't apparent in anime because not enough details could be shown there, so the saying that the elves were the most beautiful race didn't have much impact.
However, now? When looking at elves in general and Ryuu in particular? He could definitely understand the sentiment. Almost all of them looked like models and the more beautiful among them made models pale in comparison.
"Ah, my name is Cassian Suncrest. This is my brother, Nico. This is Leo Diaz. And this is our goddess, Hecate." Cassian looked at her but showed none of the admiration he felt on his face. Instead, he looked at her with a dispassionate and disinterested face, before finishing his answer and going back to his meal.
That was certainly not what she was expecting. The charming smile she had was aimed directly at him, and yet he barely gave her a glance and continued eating.
Syr faltered, confused but that's when it hit her. The last part of his sentence. 'Our goddess'.
"Di-did you say "Our goddess"? Are you part of her familia?" She asked with a slight anxiety leaking through her tone and eyes.
"Yes, he is. Why? Is something wrong?" Hecate answered with such mirth in her voice, that Cassian would have to be blind to not notice, just how much she was enjoying this.
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I'll do a Freya POV, covering her side of this interaction and a bit more in one of these chapters.
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