บท 244: Closing Chapter
Enjoy... Hopefully.
On P@treon we have already started the next Arc, so if you're interested, go check it out.
That's about it, peace.
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/Embers… SHUA!/
""!!""
'As the people waited for the ceremony to start, flames suddenly flared in the middle of the stage between the Executives.'
/Commotion.../
'This caused many to grow wary and fearful that something had gone wrong as they stumbled back slightly, but as they noticed the expressions of those around them, they instead grew confused at their calmness...'
'Since all of the Executives remained in place, unbothered by this situation…'
'While the normal members of the Familia, the original 40ish members all remained… Stoic.'
'They were all too used to this kind of scene.'
'In a sense, it wouldn't be their captain if he didn't squander his powers once or twice.'
'He might affirm that he's low profile but the thing he loved doing the most was showing off his abilities and watching their reactions.'
'That's why they all grew numb at it, not that they got immune to it... Silver still has many tricks on his sleeve.'
/Step…/
/Gasp!/
'From within the flames, two people stepped into the stage, dressed elegantly yet not ostentatiously…'
'A man and a woman, mortal and immortal…'
'The Captain of the Hestia Familia and the Goddess herself!'
/Gasps.../
'Indeed… He was quite impressive up close.' Was what many thought as they gazed at Silver
'To half of the people in this courtyard, this was the first day they were actually seeing the man in the flesh… Aside from newspaper journals and the War games themselves.'
'Some hadn't even seen his face, the more unbelievable that may be, although those were a very selective minority.'
'But they all agreed that… His entrance was quite phenomenal.'
'How many can pull forth such a thing? To step from within the flames that sprung from nothing?'
'This would leave even the Gods jealous, many of them would desire to look cool, it was a motto many lived by…'
'Silver's "magic" grew more absurd by the day, and as his body strengthened, the closer he got to his full potential.'
'Though as he said before, in some ways, he already went beyond what his previous life once accomplished.'
'Still, for most, they could only gasp in awe as he kept revealing more and more magical abilities, making them wonder...'
'What was his Magic truly about?'
'But only a few could reply to that.'
"Nice to meet you all… Again and for the first time." Silver said with a smile as he let go of Hestia's hand, taking a step forward onto the podium
He pulled a small microphone near his face, saying:
"Sorry to make you all wait, let us start this ceremony, we have quite the day ahead of us."
'With those words, complete silence came to the area as even those that whispered amidst each other stopped, eager to hear his words.'
'And thus, Silver started speaking.'
"Firstly, I would like to..."
…
/Later…/
"... And once again… Welcome to the Hestia Familia!" Hestia exclaimed loudly as she beamed the sunniest smile she could muster, a natural one at that
/Cheers!/
/Claps!/
'After a small but plentiful ceremony, both Silver and Hestia had their time to speak, thanking those who helped them, sharing encouraging words to those who had walked alongside them and with those who would also follow in their footsteps from now on.'
'They also introduced the Executives, albeit that number was soon to increase...'
'A little bit about their past, and their expectations for the future, the usual you would imagine to hear.'
'But that was pretty much the extent of what they talked about their Familia matters.'
'This wasn't a ceremony meant to teach and welcome...'
'Yes, they were welcoming everyone, but it was mostly a party, to thank all that were here and to also crack a little bit of the ice between everyone.'
'Once this was over, then they would teach the newcomers the rules and what to expect from the future, just like he did when the Familia was only he and Hestia.'
'It was something they were already prepared for.'
'In short, it was a rather light speech, but such was the mood and theme of the Hestia Familia.'
'To be more than just a group, a true family, not tied to any major responsibilities or hurdles.'
'They also had no greater goals like the Loki Familia, so there was no need to speak overly formally or to inspire others to achieve the greatness beyond... Not even Finn did that.'
'He spoke truthy and rather bluntly, but it seemed that people preferred it that way, to hear true words rather than empty promises.'
'He wasn't here to give a lecture or a presentation to a bunch of shareholders.'
'In fact, he was the Boss in this situation…'
'He just wished to convey his emotions to them all in a way that would look strange.'
'Because over time, as they grew closer and more used to each other, then that would be the time to speak in a more emotional way, he wouldn't want to overwhelm others.'
'Regardless, seeing everyone smile, Silver also smiled as he turned to look at the Executives, giving them a nod as he raised his right hand.'
/Snap/
/Tremble.../
'Silver snapped his fingers, the sound of it echoing throughout the training area, causing all to stop cheering at once.'
"Enough words… Let's enjoy this moment a little." He said with a chuckle as the stage started to tremble
/Move…/
'An invisible force slowly pushed the entire stage back, opening a large area where all could stand without a problem.'
/Crack!/
'The ground parted open, and many large tables 30 meters long and 3 meters wide rose from the depths of the earth.'
'Atop them, dozens of different kinds of foods could be seen for all kinds of palates…'
'This was the true ceremony! A proper party where they could feast and enjoy their time a little without much thought.'
'Of course, alcohol had been kept at a bare minimum, Silver still wanted everyone to be in good shape for the rest of the day, it wouldn't be good to party up and then collapse.'
'That wasn't the image he wished to convey to the world…'
"Enjoy! We have a lot of food but no alcohol, at most a little bit of it."
"The day is still a long one and we still have much awaiting us, so don't fatten yourself to the point you can't stand! I've warned you." Silver said with a smirk as he manifested a small silvery cup in his hand, matching his eyes
'He turned to the guests, raising his cup to them.'
"Albeit I can only speak for those of the Hestia Familia… You'll find some drinks on the far left…"
'His eyes then sharpened.'
"If I see anyone from our side there taking a sip I'll be taking note of your face, drink it at your own risk…"
"Don't you think it's unfair for you to be able to drink?" Hestia asked out loud as she looked at Silver with a gaze full of irony
/Silence.../
'They all awaited his response...'
"... This? This is grape juice, it's safe." He said as an excuse as he took a light sip from it, causing the watchers to laugh
'It was clearly a lie, what a shameless Captain!'
'Though truthy, the alcoholic content of that wine was extremely low, it wasn't that far from being grape juice...'
/Chatter.../
'Either way, as he proclaimed those words, the mood was set.'
"Welcome to the Hestia Familia!" Silver, Hestia, and the Executives said in unison, they had trained for this
...
/Dash!/
'With that, the first few to break the ice made their way with hurried steps to the tables, ready to snatch away the food while the slow ones stood in the back, too embarrassed to walk forward.'
'These people included a group of 3 bald kids, one small cat girl with a smirk on her face, and even two of the Executives, the Amazon and the red-haired Elf, much to their companions' judgmental gazes…'
'They were meant to be an example not join them!'
'But Silver could not care less, as he was happy for as long everyone was smiling, especially his little Goddess.'
"Those guys..." He said as he looked at them run
There's no need to rush it, there's enough for everyone...
You'll make them think I starve you all.
... You all deserve it, go have some fun...
'Silver looked at the side, noticing a friend staring at him from further away.'
'He was resting his back on a tree, trying to look cool but failing miserably at so, he just looked like a creep...'
'It was a certain Elf with a pair of thick glasses...'
So you managed to come... Welcome home, Loiju.
Enjoy the food.
'The party had just started, it wouldn't last long, but it didn't have to.'
'Good memories were like that, raveling too much in them can cause incomprehensible happiness, but getting too drunk on it isn't healthy.'
'Or so was what Silver thought.'
…
/A minute or so later…/
'While the people gathered around the table, striking conversations with each other...'
"... Hum? Why are you looking at me?" Silver asked as he looked at Hestia
"Aren't you going to join them?" She asked as she fidgeted with her hair
I wanted to brag to the others... But I lost my enthusiasm.
Plainly speaking I had the urge to declare our relationship... Now that we're at this stage.
But I know that such things are meant to be discussed, that c-couples must overcome their problems together...
Still, I can't move on alone!
"Hum... Not now, I'm a bit eager but I have to wait a bit."
"Huh? Why?" She asked with a confused expression
"Because I'm their Captain, I can fool around, I can play with them, I can make jokes with them, smile and the like… But I must be a receptacle of their trust."
"To do that, I must maintain some level of self-control and matureness, because if I cross this line, then getting the respect and trust I desire may prove difficult."
I'm not trying to inspire others like Argonaut.
"It would be like treading on a thin line… And since everyone is different and the future has endless possibilities, being on good terms with everyone would be impossible."
"There are many kinds of respect others can give me, but I must aim at the whole..."
At least if I wish to do my job.
I don't really mind what others think of me, but can I say the same to those I care about?
I won't be forced to be what I don't want to become, so I'm making my choice right here and now.
It may change, my tastes may alter, people will get displeased regardless.
But this is the style I wish to convey to others, or at least, the first impression.
We can always grow closer together, then things might change again.
It's just that being overly friendly, or even overly distant will have their own repercussions.
I'm tilting to the left, but until we grow closer together, I won't let myself loose... That makes it sound like I'm some sort of caged beast...
"I'm just making the more stabler choice, as that is… Responsibility."
'He lightly touched her shoulder.'
"You don't need to feel pity for me, it's nothing, a minute or two looking cool atop the stage, that's all I need to do."
"Once everyone starts talking to each other and forgets I'm here… Then I'll go down and have some fun too, I still haven't had breakfast so I'm itching for something right now."
"Either way, you should go on, can you see how awkward Take and the others are? They need you there to break the ice, just say whatever."
"... Alright."
"But Silver, don't forget…"
"Just like you told me to be the Goddess I wished to become, then I'll ask of you the same."
"Don't force yourself to be the Captain you don't wish to be, otherwise, this Familia will stop being your home to something like a job… Or even a chore."
"Just… Just think about Hephaestus and her terrible living antics!" She said as she puffed her cheeks
"Pfft… Alright, I got it, don't need to remind me of my own words…" Silver said as he chuckled
"But thank you, I do appreciate it. Guess I've grown a bit stiffer over the last few days without me knowing…" He said as he touched his own neck
"Why do you think that?" Hestia asked as she tilted her head
"Well… Because if things have reached a point where you're giving me advice, then I…"
/POUT!/
'As he spoke, Hestia's eyebrows twitched as she pouted, and for a moment, Silver felt a slight spike prickle his skin… Divinity.'
'Looks like he had poked her a tad too much…'
'The two smiled, welcoming the start of a new chapter of their lives.'
'Or would it be just another page?'
'Well, that would be for the scholars of the future to decide.'
…
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Notes
I've just checked, and I thought the Blessings would be shown in this chap but I was wrong, there are still some chapters left before that... Oops.
Since that's the case, here is a bit of a preview:
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Emma Flores
Level-1
Strength I-1
Vitality I-2 -> 3
Dexterity I-1
Agility I-1
Magic I-0
Physical Resistance -> I
Magic:
Skills:
>Rein Amur
>Hemor Grasp
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To be expected from a girl that became an adventurer about a week in the timeline lol... Or maybe not.
This isn't the Status of a Level 1...
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