The next day... I got ready on my own and left to go look for Materia and Eris without any fuss. As I had spent several hours the previous night ensuring Kali wasn't going to be walking today.
And apparently, Blake was a lazy kitty in the morning and had all the mental strength of a cat laid out under a warm sun-lit window in a cold room as she wouldn't respond as I knocked on her door to tell her I was heading out.
So I left a note for her and Kali which included the instructions on what weapons they wanted to use to fight the monsters that filled the Lake of Melen.
I made my way directly to the docks where I was supposed to meet Materia and Eris, and low and behold. I found the two sitting at a small bench facing the massive lake.
"Jake!" Materia called out excitedly as a blinding smile crossed her face as she hopped up and began making her way over to me while Eris huffed and walked over at a more sedate pace.
And as Materia got closer, I blinked as she dove towards me with her eyes gleaming with unshed tears making my eyes widen as I caught her in my arms.
"My big... My big sister is healed! She puked up and got rid of the nasty stuff on her lungs and... Muahh I am so happy!" Materia cried out bawling now agaisnt me which gathered the early morning crowd's attention before they looked away seeing I wasn't bullying the girl.
"There there Materia," I whispered giving her a pat on the head as I gave her a soft hug around the waist that wasn't too much as I could feel Eris's pointed gaze on my form.
I could feel Materia shiver as I gave her the hug and her pushing into me as my arm tightened around her waist before she visibly took a deep breath.
"Immkay. I'm good, I just got a little you know." Materia whispered wetly as she pulled back and hurriedly wiped her face clean of any tears.
A light cough rang out and I looked over at Eris who held out a leather bag to me. "Here, it is the prize Hera promised you for Alfia and Materia's cure... She is happy to hear there are no hard feelings for previous... Miscommunications." Eris finished off with.
And from her awkward smile. It was clear that Hera had said something very different.
I gently took the bag from her. And as I looked into the bag... I felt my breath catch within myself.
As within the bag was exactly what I had asked for. A Grimoire.
Not only a Grimoire, but a top-ranked Grimoire which was penned by a magic god or goddess.
Which meant that it had the domain of True Magic unfiltered by human bias imbued within it. And that came with a... Very fucking high price tag.
As the gods came down to the mortal world to be entertained not slave away for literally a couple of years to make a single thing to sell.
As this Grimoire no doubt took at least two to three years for the magic god to make with how it was top grade.
"This... Will do perfectly. Thank you Eris for bringing it directly to me." I spoke as Materia pouted slightly before she clapped her hands together to say excitedly.
"Come on! Let's get on your boat, and then you can read it while we watch over you!" '
I raised an eyebrow before shaking my head as Eris gave Materia a 'look' past her blindfold with the strong adventurer saying in amazement.
"Even if he reads it, he won't have any idea what spell he received until he gets his Falna updated Materia."
Eris's very truthful words made Materia look like she was a kid who got told Christmas got canceled... And seeing the utter devastation and ruin within Materia's baby-blue sparkling with tears eyes.
I coughed and quickly offered. "I do have some magical items we can play around with Materia. Plus my ship is even blessed by a Spirit!"
Eris threw me a nod and a look of thanks for making Materia's devastated disappointed and pouting face go away as a smile crossed the white-haired fairy's face as she took my arm into her own with her cheering on.
"Come on then! Let's go on the ship then. I want to see the magic items you made, as I think I want to try to learn how to make potions as well when I level up with my Falna!"
And so we went to the ends of the docks and I summoned the Thousand Sunny out of my inventory and made Materia choke in shock as I had mimed taking the ship out of my pocket before it exploded into existence on the water.
Just to seal the incident... The drawbridge leading off the deck of the ship made a weird cackling laughing noise as it stretched out like a tongue before it slapped onto the dock we were standing upon.
Without a single change in expression, I stepped onto the... Tongue-like drawbridge as Materia stood there in shock at my ship appearing while Eris had a serious expression as she spoke.
"Jake... Why does your ship have a large inhuman soul embedded within it?"
And I leaned on the railing of the deck as I looked at her and responded 'honestly' "Oh, I used a bunch of mermaid and merman drops to enhance the ship... And then a Spirit decided to bless it basically, or just live here I am not sure. The spirit in the ship isn't exactly talkative."
To that Materia only shrugged and looked at the ship before calling out as she read the lettering on the back of the ship. "Uhm... Miss Sunny? Can I come aboard?" She asked tentaviely.
I had to hold onto the railing as the ship dipped down into the water slightly and then went back up twice in a row in a clear as fucking day nod basically which just happened to send me into the air slightly with the ship's quick movements.
'Reminds me of my old life and being on boats that were going too fast on the water.' I thought with amusement as Materia then all but danced onto the deck of the ship while Eris asked the same question but the ship nodded much more gently seemingly as though knowing Materia wouldn't be so comfortable with such extreme movements.
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