Bab 2: Meeting
Rising out of the bath, I stretched my aching muscles, before drying myself off. Moving towards my room, I dressed in a relatively clean pair of clothes, consisting of simple black pants and a brown tunic. Grabbing my xiphos, I hung it on my belt.
Looking towards Bia's room, I saw her door was open, meaning she was in the main room.
Walking down the hall, I was greeted with the sight of Bia drinking straight from a wine bottle, wearing a plain white dress.
"So, who are we meeting?"
Hearing my question, Bia took another swig before saying "Our infamous client. She told me to meet her at the Hostess of Fertility... something about it being neutral ground? Eh, I could care less. She said she was going to pay me when we showed up..."
"Any idea on who she is?"
Bia shook her head, saying "No, like always she makes me wear a blindfold the entire time, and made me swear an oath not to try and peek. Besides, you've seen her too; when she lets us see her, she's draped in an enchanted cloak and has a mask on. No tell on what she looks like, no notable features."
I sighed, wondering which high level adventurer or god took a shining to Bia and I. For most of my life this woman had visited Bia for sex, and she never once actually reneged on her payments. They may be late, but they reached us eventually, either in Valis or in goods, like clothes and food.
Honestly, without this mysterious benefactor, I might have been forced to sell myself just to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach. So, while I was irritated that I couldn't properly thank them, I was happy that they had supported Bia and I for so many years.
Sighing, I looked back at Bia. "We going, or are you planning on drinking the day away?"
Glaring at me, she took another swig before corking the bottle, placing it on the table. Stalking towards the door, she exited the house.
Following her, I locked the door and placed the key around my neck, allowing it to hang by a simple thread.
Walking beside her, we made our way down the main roads, whispers following us.
Bia and I were the same height, so she turned her head slightly, saying "I still never heard your answer. Are you happy with the alias 'Ker'?"
"What brought this on?"
"Ah, just that you seemed to hate it when you got it, but now you don't seem to care?"
"I hated it because of what it portrayed me as, but over the years I have grown to accept it. I know you gods think it an insult to call me a 'spirit', but I could care less..."
Bia went silent, before saying "I really am sorry, Nikoleta... with your talent you could have joined any Familia, and yet..."
"Bia, stop. I made my choice. I'll live with it. Unless you want me gone?"
She chuckled at that, saying "Lose my precious little Niko? No, never. I will keep you close for as long as you want, Agapi~"
I looked over at her, giving a small smile. She called me many things; Nikoleta, Niko, Ker, Agapi... However, when I was small, Agapi was the only one I ever answered to. No idea why, but she told me it meant 'My Love' in her Pantheon's language, so maybe I had just been craving a person's love...
Giving me a wide grin, she continued walking. Gazing at her face, I realized that she had become the mother I never knew. She provided for me, cared for me, encouraged me...
I walked besides her, a rare smile on my face. People still talked, but as long as I had my mitera beside me, I could care less. (Mitera means Mother in Greek)
We eventually made our way to the Hostess of Fertility, and although people gave us glares and disgusted looks, we entered.
Making her way towards the bar, Bia looked towards the hulking woman, a retired adventurer and scary woman.
"Mama Mia~ I was told to meet someone here? Any idea?"
Looking over at Bia and I, Mia raised her thumb, thrusting it towards the left. Looking over, I could see someone draped in a black cloak, wearing a blank mask. Giving Mia a smile, Bia walked over. I bowed, before following Bia.
"It's only been a few hours, Mistress~ Miss me already?"
Giving the cloaked figure a coy smile, we were met with silence. Sighing, I sat down, my eyes narrowed as I tried to figure out something, anything, about this person.
Pouting, Bia dropped onto the stool, before saying "So, what's up? Why did you want Nikoleta here?"
Although her face was cheerful, Bia's voice was cold. Although she was a playful person, when it came to me... Well, my mitera could be quite frightening.
"Is the Guild still shorting you, Ker?"
The voice was fluctuating, going from low to high pitch. This didn't help me, as it could either be a skill from a high level adventurer or a part of a Goddess' Divinity.
However, that was the least of my worries, as Bia looked over at me, her face warm but eyes glacial. Turning back towards the figure, Bia asked "What do you mean, 'shorting her'? The Guild is meant to be impartial."
"Someone told me that Nikoleta turned in a few pouches of good quality magic crystals, but received a small pouch in return. So, the Guild shorted her. More specifically, one of the managers, Toro Yuno, the teller who initially shorted Nikoleta years ago, and received a broken nose and jaw for it."
Bia looked back at me, her eyes making me shiver slightly.
"I thought that was resolved? She paid the fine."
"Sadly, Toro Yuno bribes those under him to specifically short Nikoleta. Since it is only one person, the Guild is yet to notice; after all, Nikoleta isn't a golden child, nor does she have a large backing. The Guild saves money, and a petty man gets his revenge."
Bia sighed, before saying "That can't be why you called us out here."
The woman shook her head.
"I want to offer a deal. I get Mister Yuno fired, and those he bribed punished, and Nikoleta here does something for me. A mission, one unsanctioned by the Guild."
I looked at the woman, narrowing my eyes.
"The only missions the Guild doesn't sanction are either assassinations or other morally grey things, like blackmail or kidnapping. What's your poison?"
Chuckling, the woman nodded. "Indeed, I need you to get someone out of my way. Bia dear, please stop glaring; it's well within Nikoleta's skillset."
Placing a hand on Bia's arm, I squeezed gently. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed.
Handing me a scroll, the woman said "Read it. Then tell me if you accept or not."
Nodding, I unfurled the scroll, making sure no one could see the contents.
'Target: Rukia Saruto
Level: 2
Familia: Kisshoten, Minor Goddess of Fortune
Favored Places: Isshi Tea Shop, Garden Red, Shinto Shrine (Northern)
Strengths: Magic, Daggers, Stealth
Weakness: Body, Smell, Knees'
Below all of that was a picture, showing a woman in her mid twenties, with long white hair, purple eyes, and her left ear had three piercings.
Looking back up at the woman, I asked "May I know why she needs to... take a vacation?"
"She's poking her nose into things that should be left alone. Following people who she shouldn't be near. So, yes, she needs to take a long vacation and think about things."
Hearing the cold tone from the fluctuating pitches, I smiled.
"Am I only getting this Yuno idiot fired? Nothing else to motivate me?"
Chuckling, the woman said "You? No. Bia? Yes."
I smirked at that, looking at Bia, who was giving both of us dry looks.
"Fine, you have a deal. I'll start tomorrow."
Placing the scroll into a pouch, I watched as the woman dropped her own pouch on the table with a heavy thud.
"Well, here's what I owe you. Enjoy the meal, by the way. On me!"
Saying so, she stood up, nodding to Mia before leaving.
Opening the pouch, Bia whistled.
"That's more than she owed..."
I shrugged.
"Two steaks, with a glass of Soma Red nya~"
Placing the plates in front of us, a catgirl gave us friendly smiles, but like all the other employees of the bar, I could tell she was more than just a waitress. Winking at me as she left, I looked towards the counter in front of us.
Seeing the rich red wine placed in front of us, I pushed my towards Bia.
"What? It's not everyday you get Soma wine Agapi~"
"I don't drink before missions or going into the Dungeon."
She shrugged, before licking her lips.
Picking up the utensils, I slowly carved a piece of the steak, swallowing hard as I saw the juices and smelt the herb seasoning.
Placing the piece in my mouth, I moaned in appreciation at the lemony tang that enhanced the juicy meat.
Quickly carving the rest up, I set about eating, enjoying not only the steak but also the small salad on the side.
"So what was that about you being shorted, hmm? I thought you promised to tell me if something like that ever happened again~?"
Choking on the steak, I looked towards Bia, saying "Mitera, please. It's in the past..."
She continued smiling at me, so I clasped my hands together, saying "Really, it's no big deal-"
"No big deal? Agapi, please. That was six years ago. That means we should have almost double what we have now. No big deal? I didn't raise an idiot!"
Flinching slightly, I bit my lip.
"I just didn't want to worry you, mitera. Really. Besides, it turned out okay, yeah?"
She sighed, before pulling my head onto her shoulder. "Agapi... fine, I'll drop it. However, if I hear you did something else that was idiotic..."
The hand that was stroking my hair clenched around my head, and looking over I could see the void filled gaze of a Goddess of War.
I nodded my head, and she smiled, her eyes filling with the familiar, sharp warmth.
"Now, let's eat! With this, we don't have to worry about rent for a few months~"
---
So, let me know about the whole 'Agapi' and 'Mitera' thing. I think it works, and I quite like the sound of them. If you think they are confusing though, I will stop using them, at least as much as I did here.
Additionally, like I have tagged, in the synopsis, and have written in the chapter, Nikoleta is a killer. She doesn't care about people's lives, and as shown here, will kill for money. So if you wanted a Danmachi fanfic were the OC is good or neutral, sorry.
Anyways, yeah. Enjoy!
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PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Ketsueki_Hasu
Ketsueki_Hasu Good luck Agapi~
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone