บท 65: Is it bad that history got messed up?
The sounds of pens scratching across paper mixed with soft sniffling every now and then.
After giving a long rant on why kids shouldn't order other kids around to follow adults in dangerous areas, why you should always get feedback from an adult before making big promises, and also why you shouldn't jump to conclusions and try to do things in secret when you could just ask, I made Fina, Bella, and their quest buddy, Lili, sit down at a room in the church and write lines.
Specifically, "I will not do dangerous things without parental supervision."
Originally, I was going to make them write 'adult supervision,' but knowing how smart my girls were, I had a feeling they'd get around that.
...I had a feeling they would also try to finagle around what 'dangerous' meant later, but that was where Tia and Freya would come in.
Well, mostly Tia.
I had a feeling Freya was much more carefree in parental supervision considering she had left Bella with us for the past few days.
And speaking of parents, it had been a while since I saw my own self-proclaimed parent. I still needed to have a proper long discussion with her as well.
But anyway...
I crossed my arms and stared at the three children sitting at desks writing lines.
Fina was sniffling and wiping away snot and tears with her sleeves every few words.
That made me feel terrible. But at the same time, it was necessary.
My daughters were not only young, but they were young and powerful.
Fina in particular had the capability of razing Orario to the ground judging from the little spark of white flames she had given me.
So it was important to instill some self-restraint and also caution into them while they were still young.
Because GOD FORBID what was going to unfold when they hit puberty.
I might be a complete BS Gary Stu type of character in this world from my bloodline, shenanigans, and skillset, but both past experience and current experience had taught me that didn't mean anything when it came to the rule of funny and drama.
Anyway.
Bella sniffled like her older sister while writing her lines. But perhaps because she took a lot after her mother, she wasn't really ugly crying like Fina. Instead, her beautiful crimson eyes shimmered as tears quietly dripped down her cheeks.
That made me feel worse than seeing Fina.
Bella looked like she was quietly enduring it on the inside.
And since she was definitely smart enough to understand the relationship dynamics between me, Tia, and Freya, Bella probably felt it was really unfair.
Probably since the plan was mostly Fina's idea as well.
But I couldn't play favorites like that. Especially if I didn't want Bella to run off and become a villainess and get involved with the wrong crowd when she grew up a bit.
Because from how pretty she was, how her mother was like, and my own disposition towards attracting trouble, I could already tell it would be a mess.
Which meant that I needed to take Bella out on a Daddy-Daughter date and spoil her a bit. She seemed to take after her mother quite a bit in being starved for affection, so I needed to make sure to keep that in mind.
Fina was fairly low-maintenance like Tia and was just happy whenever she got to see me without any doubts that I loved her. But Bella was definitely the type to dwell on her thoughts and start buliding up a sea of doubt and low self-esteem the less time I spent with her.
...Being a father was difficult.
As for the third troublemaker, Lili quietly wrote lines without making any fuss. She looked confused about it all, but it seemed like she had a guilty conscience about it since she didn't complain or make any comments.
I also needed to get the full story of how she got involved with my cute daughters, as well as her personal backstory... but that was a thing that could wait until Tia finished work.
...Which reminded me that my lovely goddess was a stubborn and independent woman who insisted on keeping a job even while I could probably afford to buy half of Main Street.
Couldn't help but love her for that though.
Anyway. It seemed like everyone was behaving.
Now, I just needed to wait until Welf got back with those books and I could-
"Bell? You in here?"
And perfect timing.
Man my skills were convenient.
Until they weren't.
...Let's keep looking on the brightside.
Welf walked into the room holding a giant pile of books while Pyrrha followed him, carrying a small bundle of papers in her arms.
"Emma and Iris said you were in here- Oh." Welf paused, noticing the girls seated in front of me. "...Did I come in at a bad time?"
Pyrrha stopped as well and then glanced at Fina and Bella, looking a bit guilty.
I shook my head and walked over. "No. You came at the perfect time, actually."
Welf stared at Fina, who had stopped writing and was just wiping away her tears. After that, he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "...Are you sure about that?"
"Yes." I grabbed the books away from him, chucking them into my inventory, before holding my hands out for the papers from Pyrrha. "There's a lot I have to do today, so you can supervise the girls while they're on timeout."
Pyrrha handed me the papers, but then bit her lips and said, "...Do they really have to be on timeout, Uncle Bell? Fina and Bella didn't do anything bad. Miss Lili didn't either."
I took the papers from her and chucked them in my inventory as well. After that, I said, "You're right. Fina and Bella didn't do anything bad."
After hearing that, Fina stopped crying for a moment.
Bella stopped as well, brushing away her tears and looking at me.
I glanced back at them and said, "But they did something serious without asking any adult."
Lili's ears twitched and she opened her mouth to talk.
I glared at her and said, "You don't count."
Lili flinched and lowered her head.
Welf looked a bit confused, but slowly nodded. "...Alright. Then..." He tilted his head and said, "You want me to just sit here?"
I glanced at Fina and Bella for a bit and said, "I'll leave you here with Uncle Welf to reflect a bit longer. Think about why I was upset about what you did while you're writing your lines."
Fina immediately started sniffling again, her eyes blurring with tears.
Bella didn't cry. Instead, she bit her lip and lowered her head, hiding her eyes with her bangs.
Seeing that, I couldn't put on the tough dad act anymore. I sighed and then walked over to them both to pat them on the head. "Daddy's not mad at you, okay? And after you're done, Daddy will take both of you out to talk about it over some yummy food. Deal?"
Fina sniffed and then looked up at me with a watery smile. "O-Okay..."
Bella sniffed as well, but she didn't cheer up as easily as Fina did. Staring at me with shimmering eyes, she reached up to grab my hand and said, "Promise?"
I lowered my hand to brush away Bella's tears and said, "I promise, my little Star."
Bella blinked and then tilted her head. "Star?"
I finished brushing away her tears and smiled. "Mmhm. My cute little shining star that I can't take my eyes off from." I fixed her bangs a bit and then said, "I'm worried you'll disappear on me, so be a bit more careful, okay?"
Bella stared at me for a bit longer and then blinked away a lot more tears.
I crafted a quick handkerchief with a star pattern and used it to wipe away her tears. "Come on now. Don't cry, okay? Daddy loves you and just wants you to be safe and happy. I'm not mad."
Bella sniffed and then took the handkerchief from me, hiding her face. After that, she quietly said, "I know..."
I patted her head for a bit and said, "There, there. Now." I stopped and said, "I'll be back in a bit. Daddy has to go sort out all the new big sisters you and Fina have. And I have to meet your Mommy too, so stay here with Uncle Welf and your big sister until I get back, okay?"
"Okay..."
I smiled and placed a wrapped star-shaped candy in her hands. "Here. A small treat to cheer up until Daddy gets back. Don't cry too much, okay?"
Bella lowered her handkerchief and then nodded, shyly taking the candy.
Seeing that she was feeling better, I stepped back and smiled.
And then I noticed Fina was staring at me.
For a second, I was worried that she might be feeling upset I was spoiling Bella a bit.
But then I saw Fina smile and give me a thumbs up.
That's my princess! Bestest big sister in the world!
"Ahem." Welf cleared his throat and said, "So... Do you still want me to-"
I got up and said, "Alright. I'll leave the rest to you, Bro. And you can play with them after they finish writing another page, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle Bell."
"Right. Now..." I walked out of the room and pulled out the pile of papers. "...To fill out all of this paperwork before Eina comes over here in person to yell at me..."
I crafted a pen and a clipboard to stick the papers on while flipping through them.
Familia Rank increase form, Adventurer Level-Up form, new Familia Member registration forms...
Well. Since I was grounded, I might as well get the boring stuff out of the way.
xxx
"Thank you for your purchase!"
Hestia waved at her latest customer, a swordswoman with twin swords and long purple hair.
It had been weird to make a super spicy jagamarukun, but that woman paid a big tip to make it, so it was worth it.
Although...
Hestia sighed and started making a fresh Jagamarukun for a snack.
Even though Bell had already packed her a lunch earlier, she couldn't help but feel hungry after thinking about all they had to do in the upcoming future.
Specifically, taking care of all the young girls who had joined her Familia.
It was good that Fina had a lot of big sisters and baby sitters to help watch her when Hestia, Bell, and Welf were busy. But at the same time...
"Ugh!" Tia flopped over the side of her stall and said, "Why do you have to be so popular with women, Bell!"
"My. Is our Bell being troublesome again, Tia?"
A familiar sultry and charming female voice echoed from the side. Freya's.
Hestia tilted her head and then saw Freya walking over with Loki. Seeing that, Hestia sighed and sat up. "Something like that." She shifted her gaze to Loki and said, "What's up with her?"
Loki clicked her tongue and said, "Hello to you too, Shrimp. Sheesh. Hadn't even said anything yet and you're already pissy."
Hestia crossed her arms and said, "I'll be nice when you compensate us for attacking my Bell."
Freya paused and slowly turned to stare at Loki. "...Loki?"
Loki immediately held up her hands and said, "H-Hey now! It wasn't me! Ais just got a bit too irritated at seeing Shrimp and that Bell guy on their date!"
Hestia snorted. "That's putting it lightly considering she tried to run him through with a sword."
Freya smiled. "...I see." She looked at Loki and said, "You know, Loki. I heard that the Sword Princess has a penchant for training... Perhaps she would like to spar with some of the Freya Familia's elites? And it would be best to do so in a practical environment, so what say you to a spar in the dungeon? Perhaps the lower floors?"
Loki looked between Freya and Hestia before sighing. "What the hell kind of a crazy guy is that Bell anyway? Making Shrimp aggressive like that and Freya all loveydovey... It's ridiculous."
Hestia rolled her eyes and said, "If you're just going to ramble then get out of here." She shooed Loki away and said, "Unlike some people here, I'm working."
Freya paused and then placed a hand on her chin. "That's right. Responsible parents work to support their family..." She looked at Hestia and said, "Are you hiring?"
Hestia gave Freya a blank stare and said, "Are you seriously asking me that? Just go swap with that horny girl in your Familia and work at the Hostess of Fertility for a while."
Freya's eyes widened and she said, "Of course! And then I could show off Bella to the other girls as well!" She gave Hestia a wide smile and said, "You're a genius, Tia."
Hestia felt a headache starting. But she knew it would get worse if she dug into what Freya said. So, instead of ranting about Freya's absolute lack of common sense when it came to Bella and Bell, Hestia just put on a smile and said, "Of course, Freya."
Freya nodded and said, "Then excuse me, Tia. I should go hurry and tell Mia- Ah, it would be 'Miss Mia.' If I am going to play as Syr again, I should get back into practice..." Mumbling to herself, Freya wandered off into the distance.
Which left Loki standing there alone.
Hestia stared at her and said, "...Are you going to order, or just loiter around?"
Loki clicked her tongue and then rummaged in her shirt. "Yeah, yeah. Here." She placed down a handful of coins and said, "Gimme whatever this will buy, Shrimp."
Hestia counted the coins and said, "...One of the strongest Familia in Orario and you only have sixty valis on you?"
Loki placed her hand on her hip and said, "Well excuse me for not having cash on hand! When your Familia gets as big as us, we just buy on credit. Not that you would know."
Hestia thought back to how Bell carried around a literal mountain of valis in his inventory. And the fact that he could make another mountain of precious gemstones in a few minutes.
When she thought about that, and how Loki was making a jab about how poor the Hestia Familia was...
Hestia giggled and said, "Right." She swept the coins into the bag with the day's earnings and said, "We wouldn't know what it's like to have to pay for things with credit."
That was something they'd never need to do considering how much cash they had laying around, after all.
Loki frowned. "...Why are you happy about that? You're not supposed to be happy about that."
Hestia smiled and said, "That's a secret. And ladies all have a few of their own... Not that you would know."
"Hey!" Loki crossed her arms and said, "Just because I didn't win the lottery in the chest department doesn't mean I'm not a Goddess!"
Hestia nodded and said, "Right. Just like how just because I didn't win the lottery in the height department doesn't mean I'm a shrimp."
Loki paused and then let out a deep sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll stop calling you a shrimp." She paused and said, "It doesn't really fit you anymore anyway."
Hestia paused in the middle of pulling out some unfried Jagamarukuns. "What do you mean?"
Loki rolled her eyes and said, "Don't play dumb. I dunno what kind of milk you've been drinking, but anybody can tell that you've been getting taller, Hestia. Look." She walked closer to the stall and said, "Here, stand up and see."
Hestia paused and then stood up straight. And when she did, she noticed it. "...Huh?"
It used to be that Hestia only reached up to Loki's non-existant chest when they squared off. But now that she was paying attention, Hestia saw that she was actually standing up to Loki's nose.
Now, Loki wasn't that tall in the first place. But even then, it meant that Hestia had grown quite a bit.
She hadn't noticed since she was still around a head shorter than Bell, but...
Could it be?
Was she finally average height?!
Loki held up her right hand to her chest and said, "See? You used to be this tall. But now you're like this." She shifted her hand to her chin and said, "...Seriously. Is it because you had a kid or something?"
Hestia blushed and said, "It's not like that! Bell and I have barely kissed-" She paused and then said, "A-Anyway, mind your own business!" She huffed and went back to prepping Loki's Jagamarukun.
Loki held up her hands and said, "Okay. Sheesh. No need to get all uppity about it, Hestia."
After that, there was a moment of silence as Hestia focused on cooking and Loki watched.
But eventually, Loki muttered, "I'm glad you're doing well."
Hestia paused and said, "What was that?"
Loki blushed and said, "Y-You heard what I said! And pay attention! I'm ordering a refund if my stuff gets burned!"
Hestia rolled her eyes and expertly flipped the Jagamarukuns in the oil with a pair of chopsticks. "Please. Even if you're annoying, I'd never give you a burned Jagamarukun." She puffed out her chest and said, "I'm a professional."
Loki smiled, opening her eyes a bit to reveal her crimson irises. "Right. I guess you are."
Seeing that, Hestia shuddered.
Loki immediately shifted to a glare and said, "What was that for?!"
Hestia pulled out the Jagamarukuns and placed them on a rolled out napkin before grabbing a tin of powdered sugar. "I like you better when you're being annoying and dishonest, Loki. But thanks." She topped off the Jagamarukuns with a generous dusting of the powdered sugar before wrapping them up neatly with some fresh napkins and handing them to Loki.
Loki took the Jagamarukuns and frowned.
Hestia frowned back and said, "What?"
Loki hesitated and said, "Hey. About that Bell guy."
Hestia rolled her eyes. "If you're going to make a crack about him again, I swear to the Heavens-"
"No." Loki shook her head and said, "I'm being serious, Hestia." Holding the Jagamarukuns to her chest, Loki bit her lips a bit, thinking. But then she nodded and said, "You should be careful around him. Ais told me that he reminded her of a strong monster who killed her parents."
Hestia gave Loki a blank stare and said, "I'm not here to listen to you trauma dump your children's past on me, Loki-"
"Seriously." Loki opened her eyes and took a look around. After making sure there wasn't anyone in earshot, she leaned forward and said, "If that Bell is really the son of <Silence>, he might have been affected from her fight against the One Eyed Black Dragon. And if Evilus is acting up again, they'll definitely target him."
Hestia paused.
...That would explain a bit.
Hestia didn't know too much about that <Silence> lady claiming to be Bell's mother, but she did know about the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
And if Bell was affected by that monster's power when he was still unborn...
...Well. It would definitely explain why the Dungeon seemed to hate him so much. And why trouble and misfortune seemed to follow him.
And also why he was unreasonably strong considering he had leveled up while he wasn't even a full month into being an adventurer.
Hestia tapped her fingers on her countertop to think and then shook her head. She could think about that more later. For now...
"Thanks, Loki."
Hestia stared at Loki and said, "I guess we can count this as even for your Sword Princess attacking Bell."
Loki snorted and then waved her Jagamarukuns around. "You're welcome too, Brat."
"Brat?!"
Loki took a bite from one of the Jagamarukuns and then said, "Yeah, Brat. You're not short, but you still act immature, so... Brat."
"What about you then?!" Hestia pointed at Loki and said, "You're the epitome of immature!"
"Ooh, fancy words. Scary."
"Argh!" Hestia slammed her hands on her countertop and said, "Screw off, you sexual harasser!"
"H-Hey!" Loki opened her eyes and said, "S-Stop with-"
"What?!" Hestia crossed her arms and said, "It's true, isn't it? Groping women left and right without consent, peeking on showers and hotsprings... You're worse than Zeus! Sexual Harasser! Molestor! Pervert!"
A small crowd was forming. People staring at Loki and then muttering to themselves.
Loki started sweating. "A-Anyway. Thanks for the food, Brat. Gotta get going now to keep an eye on the kids, aha..."
After that, Loki ran off before Hestia could get another word in.
Hestia watched Loki leave and then smirked.
'That'll show her.'
Loki might have been able to keep her perverted antics under wrap with her mysterious and aloof public persona... barely. But not anymore.
After all, Hestia was a cute, innocent, and adorable beauty who worked a hard job scrounging up scraps to make ends meet for her family.
...Bell's words, not hers.
While she didn't buy into everything Bell said... mostly because Hestia would die of embarrassment if she took his complements seriously with how freely they fell from his lips when they talked, she knew they had at least a grain of truth to them.
And Hestia was also a really popular and public figure these days with her Jagamarukun stall. So...
'Now we're even, Loki.'
Hestia happily hummed and started cleaning up her workstation to prep for more customers.
And then she noticed someone approaching her. Another irritating individual, but one that she had hoped to never see again since leaving Heaven.
"Beloved Hestia!" An arrogant and dramatic male voice. As to the speaker...
Hestia narrowed her eyes and said, "What do you want, Apollo?"
Apollo smiled, sweeping his arms out. His crimson cloak shifted as he did, along with his white robe. "Now, now." His smile turned to a grin as he reached up to adjust the leaf laurel over his wavy blonde hair. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"No." Hestia crossed her arms and said, "But it's the perfect way to greet a persistent perverse sexual harasser who won't take no for a hint despite being kicked in the face a hundred times by yours truly while we were in heaven."
Apollo laughed and placed a hand over his chest. "How can I restrain myself from expressing my sincerest admiration in the face of such beauty, Beloved Hestia?"
Hestia shuddered in disgust. After that, she eyed the pot of oil that was just starting to cool from cooking Loki's Jagamarukuns.
...It should be fine as long as it isn't a lethal injury, right? And Bell said he knew all of Orario's laws, so if Hestia said it was self-defense-
"But I digress!"
Before Hestia could finish her thought, Apollo smiled and said, "There is just one thing I wish to say to you today, Beloved Hestia!"
Hestia slowly edged towards the pot of oil. "...Yes?"
Maybe she should do it anyway? At most it would be a fine, right? And Bell was filthy stinking rich now, so...
Apollo swept his arm out and pointed at Hestia. "You! Me! A War Game!"
Hestia froze and then said, "Are you out of your fucking mind?"
Apollo flinched and then said, "I-I'm sorry?"
xxx
A room at the Apollo Familia Mansion. One with all the walls covered in sketches on parchment paper.
A bunny being chased by shadows. A vicious black dragon. That bunny falling into a deep pit while surrounding by glowing stars. Cracked glass orbiting a galaxy...
And then following that, countless abstract sketches that were just blurs of colors.
Sitting in the center of the room and holding a notebook was a young woman with long, dark black hair and light green eyes. Her left eye was obscured by her bangs, which were already slightly messy from hunching over to stare at her notebook. Reaching up to fix her hair, she stared at the words written there and muttered, "What does it mean?"
---
From whom does the bell take its toll?
Blessed soul, blighted life. Rising sun, devoured by white.
From whom does the bell take its toll?
A hero, a fool. Eternal flames, the tool.
From whom does the bell take its toll?
A play, a lie. The god's demise.
Memoria Rhapsodia, Mea Oratoria Familia
---
Cassandra Ilion bit her lip as she stared at the words before flipping back to the previous page, scribbled with notes.
---
For whom does the bell toll-> Signaling change?
Cursed blood, burning anew -> Welf Crozzo making magic swords again? Revival of Crozzo bloodline?
Fallen moon-> Artemis Familia demise.
Love shot through-> ???
A fool, a hero-> ???
The one, the zero-> ???
Drunken madness breeds innovation->Soma Familia? Dionysus Familia? innovation???
Heroism thriving within devastation-> Mystery adventurer helping during monster invasion+Welf Crozzo.
The liar, the play-> ...Apollo?
Or the storyteller, today-> Hermes?
---
It was similar to the last time. But it was also changed in an important way.
Cassandra flipped back to the latest words that had appeared to her in her dreams and tried to decipher them.
"Bells... they symbolize joy and freedom. But the motion can be the two extremes of good and evil. Toll... a cost? Freedom being taken at a cost?"
It was confusing. Unclear. But at the same time, the clearest vision Cassandra had ever received.
No. A proper prophecy.
A god's death.
A rising sun... which could only be Lord Apollo.
A play... Didn't Lord Apollo mention wanting to challenge a Familia to a War Game to get something? That would surely count. But then the lie...
Cassandra slumped over, covering her head with her hands. Distress filled her face and she quietly said, "What should I do?"
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