Chương 11: Chapter 10
-Hours prior.
/-/
Shielding her face from the fierce wind generated from the acceleration of Rider's chariot through the sky, Iris was still rattled inside. Tresses of her hair were blown back, whipping violently behind her, but she unlike many other, knew the capabilities of Rider's horses. Before they'd reached top speed, she'd already hunched her legs and braced her heels into the ground. The winds did not knock her over as they did many who were unprepared.
Rider's horses were divine beasts that were more than capable of traversing the world over, carried by the flowing breeze.
Shivering, Iris subconsciously fixed her hair by putting it up in a bun before she adjusted the glasses over her face, only to pause mid-action. In retrospect, she suddenly undid her hair, let it fall behind her, and then smoothly took off her glasses for a fresher and 'younger' look.
The revelation that she was an auntie was daunting, and she realized her prior style, though intellectual, made her look old. She was not old. She was an eternal beauty. A Goddess.
Alright focus, Iris.
Vanity was for the weak. Vanity was for Narcissus. Not her – though, she still decided that she wouldn't be reverting to her old style anytime soon.
As the ringing in her ears subsided from the shockwave of Rider's exit with Thetis, Peleus, and a member of the Apollo Familia, likely to be the newest center of controversy, Iris wasn't fooled.
What Caster had done, what he had shown was obviously shocking and broke the mold of normalcy, but for Iris, it wasn't the first. Instead, it played second fiddle.
-Demi God, the child of a God and a Mortal.
Achilles…son of the Hero Peleus and the Goddess Thetis.
Somehow, someway, Iris understood that Thetis had done the impossible. Thetis had truly conceived a child, and the ramifications were likely greater than a true revival skill.
The Divinity was proof.
Rider's strength, speed, and dexterity capable of outperforming the boundaries of level, was more akin to a God of the upper world.
The Gods of the lower world were bound to body's incapable of wielding the weight of their Arcanum, but a Demi God was clearly different.
In short-
Iris's eyes widened as she silently reached a conjecture.
He or she who was born in the lower world and didn't descend from the upper world, was not bound by restriction.
An Adventurer's level 1, and a Demi-God's level 1, would never be the same. The base stats would be different, and that was before considering the augmentation of their divine parent's divinity.
No, Iris found her mouth slowly starting to hang open from another realization born of observation.
A Demi-God could potentially wield their parent's divinity.
W-Wait.
…They could potentially wield their parent's divinity?
"!"
Iris's thoughts raced back to the moment Achilles had appeared before Thetis at the ruined inn, saving everyone. Thetis had been too distraught then regarding Peleus's condition, but Iris had noticed a silhouette formed of divine energy that seeped over Achilles.
That silhouette was divinity. No doubt about it. It had even had Thetis's likeness before converging into the symbol of Thetis's Falna. More than that, it carried an affection that only a mother could show her child.
Iris was sure of it. If Thetis had born a son, that affection towards her child would have been no different.
That energy that blessed Achilles wasn't solely from the blood that ran through his veins, but a bestowal of Thetis's own divinity that surely heightened Achilles's parameters.
"Gods above…" Iris murmured.
Gods that descended upon the lower world were restricted for a reason. The true power of their station was not meant to be wielded in the lower realm, and the cost of doing so was permanent eviction. However, would the same hold true for a Demi-God born in the lower world with no such limit?
Iris closed her eyes and pictured Achilles with Thetis's full Authority as a Goddess, and shuddered. Suddenly, the ability beyond an ordinary adventurer that Achilles had revealed was making sense.
Perhaps the Gods had been incapable of conceiving children in the lower world not because it was impossible, but to prevent such a situation?
Ouranos, the first God to descend, would surely know, but Iris couldn't bring herself to ask after a short moment of contemplation.
What if it was Ouranos himself who had a hand in preventing the birth of Demi-Gods rather than an arbitrary law of the lower world?
Ouranos was not someone she could face.
Regardless, Iris would not jump to conclusions just yet with conjectures alone.
She had to get to Thetis to make sure. Before then, it was for the best that Rider's heritage remains a secret.
He would be known as an exemplary member of Thetis's Familia. Granted, Iris realized that Thetis would dote on him with all her being.
Iris had already glimpsed it in fictitious scenery depicted in Rider's shield. To go to the extent of dipping her child in the river Styx and to temper him in divine flame, Thetis had gone above and beyond.
Thetis had really kept the secret of her child well, but that shield revealed it all.
Scenes of wars and conflicts that Achilles had participated in beyond Orario, and the odd favours Thetis had once asked her regarding her concealing mist. It was all starting to make sense. All of it to hide Achilles.
Nevertheless, the horses were the one glaring point. Iris really couldn't remember agreeing to giving them away…unless her husband did under Thetis's begging?
Iris blinked owlishly as she pictured the scene.
Zephyr was a softy, he really might have caved and left Iris unaware? Especially, if it was for a nephew of the first Demi-God to exist.
Biting the nail of her thumb, Iris had to stop herself from dragging her thoughts out.
Rider taking Thetis had been a mistake.
Finding Thetis was like Iris's second nature considering that both had been affiliates of the Zeus and Hera Familias and often worked together.
The chaos of Rider's exit, and Apollo's inability to lose face was creating enough of a distraction for others to dismiss Iris's departure without suspicion.
It didn't help that Apollo wasn't denying his affiliation with Caster to an almost obsessive degree. It was even at the risk of the crowd's mutiny as Apollo refused to give any information he had on Caster. Although it was true that Apollo often persisted relentlessly in gathering his Familia, he still cherished each one to the point that he carried mementos on his person for those that died.
Apollo was famous for drinking his sorrows away at the death of a Familia or one of his lovers. As such, he was more protective of his Familia than anyone else despite his snobbish character.
In Caster's case, Apollo had never looked so resigned yet firm at the same time. There was a story there, that much Iris was sure, but it didn't involve her current considerations.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
"You bastards, don't touch our Familia!"
In the end, Apollo fled accompanied by his Familia members, and was chased by the crowd.
Now was Iris's chance to act, and she wasn't wasting it.
Using the last of her divinity, a mist door formed before her leading to where she could sense Thetis nearby. Beyond the door would be her moment of truth, and yet, Iris was forced to recall that she wasn't the only one who knew the secret of Rider's heritage.
Ryuu clasped Iris's hand.
"I'm going too," Ryuu said, her expression more focused than ever before. "This door will take us straight towards them, won't it?"
Iris considered the offer, knowing Ryuu's former affiliation as a member of the Astraea Familia.
Ryuu was capable, that much Iris understood. Moreover, Iris also knew Ryuu's motivations. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take her along especially since Iris was running low on energy.
"It won't take us directly to them, but they will be nearby Thetis." Iris admitted.
"That's all I need to know." Ryuu took in a deep breath, her hands balling into fists. "That man, Caster. He's the one who brought everyone back."
"Indeed, but I fear that no revival skill doesn't come without a cost," Iris shrugged. Caster wasn't her focus, just Ryuu's. "You'd have to interrogate to find out the details, but be sure not to take it too far. If you saw the look on Apollo's face, that man is a cherished member of Apollo's Familia."
"I'll take note," Ryuu pursed her lips.
"Are you prepared?" Iris asked. "I don't know about Thetis, but we stand no match against her son."
Ryuu's brow twitched, silently conceding the point, but she didn't change her mind. She let go of Iris's hand.
"There's no point talking about it here. Neither of us will be changing our minds." Ryuu surmised.
"True enough," Iris tentatively stepped towards the mist door, Ryuu right beside her.
What appeared beyond the door was an abandoned church two stories high.
Iris took a second to gain her bearings, and to adjust to the change in scenery, but Ryuu as an experienced Adventurer was quicker on the uptake. She pulled Iris behind the cover of the bushes, and pulled a half mask over her face, a green hood covering her ears.
Iris opened her mouth to speak, but Ryuu made a shushing gesture and pointed ahead of them.
Four people were in sight, one of which Ryuu was quite familiar with, but Iris focused on someone else.
The one Iris recognized was a person who immediately alleviated much of Iris's tension.
Iris stood up and began walking to the group much to Ryuu's stupor.
"Hey, wait!" Ryuu protested, wary of Rider's presence in the vicinity. "What are you-"
"Hestia!" Iris called out, waving a hand.
Iris and Hestia lived in the same place in the upper world, so they were more than familiar with each other. It was like seeing a cousin or relative, and if Hestia was accompanying the other people, then they shouldn't be hostile.
"Iris?!" Hestia widened her eyes once Iris came within view, followed by a confused Ryuu who unlike Iris, maintained her tension.
"Ms. Ryuu?!" Bell greeted Ryuu next to Iris.
Stiffly, Ryuu greeted him back, but Iris wasn't really paying attention to Ryuu and Bell's interaction. Rather, she was looking at Hestia and the two others Iris did not recognize.
"They are?" Iris inquired.
Hestia froze like a statue and didn't quite answer. Her current appearance looked almost as stiff as a golem. "T-They are ugh, uhm…" Hestia trailed off, her eyes turning into swirls.
Meanwhile, Iris took a moment to stare, and quickly lost her words.
There was a man with Hephy's shade of hair, and a warrior Iris could not take her eyes away from.
Iris's eyes had always been different from other Gods. She was the Goddess of true sight beyond the veil of mist. What she could perceive from up close was different from what others could. Like a sixth sense, she could interpret a general feeling from individuals.
In Thetis's case, or even Hestia, what Iris saw with her mirror-like eyes, was a reflection of tranquil water, and the warmth of a hearth respectively.
What she saw and felt now was different.
Ashes and embers lingered around one of the men, but the distinct scent of ozone permeated the air around the warrior.
And what she saw within the ozone…was an unmistakable yet familiar lightning.
/-/
Staring at the pair of women who appeared out of nowhere, Shirou had his doubts regarding their purpose, but the way Iris was looking at Archer was grounds for suspicion.
Iris was the name of a Greek Goddess of communication, messages, new endeavors, and the rainbow. Her domain centered around the concealing mist dictating the boundary between mortals and the divine.
Her mirror-like eyes were said to perceive the nature of objects and individuals.
"Anyways Iris, these two are guests Bell brought along to stay with us." Hestia introduced after a moment of thought.
Iris didn't react right away, but in the end, she eventually shook her head, her calm and collected attitude matching her intellectual appearance.
Well, to be honest, Shirou felt that Iris would look better in a business suit with her hair done up rather than the thrifty cascade she had going on right now-
"You changed your hair?" Hestia suddenly asked.
"N-No," Iris stammered defensively. "It was always like this before, but enough about me. You live here?"
It was Hestia's turn to grow defensive as Iris took in the dilapidated and overgrown state of the abandoned church. Hestia and Bell had taken up residence inside since it was free real estate and they were too poor to afford anywhere else, not that she'd ever admit that.
"It's cozy," Hestia muttered before inviting Iris and Ryuu in.
The group entered the church and sat on the pews acting as the church's only furniture in the prayer hall.
"So, what brings you here?" Hestia asked, doing her best to play hostess to give a good impression of herself to Bell.
Shirou perked up his ears on the side, Archer excusing himself as Iris kept being distracted in his presence. Archer was shrewd enough to understand what might have been bothering Iris, and understood the conversation would go nowhere in his presence.
"I'll be outside," Archer said. "Call me if you need me."
Even the voice and demeanor were…?
Iris bit down on her lips. Her gaze lingered on Archer's form until he was gone. Only then did she register that Hestia was pouting at her, having been ignored.
"My apologies," Iris inclined her head. "I'm actually searching for a friend of mine. Is Thetis here anywhere?"
Hestia clammed up at the question, and shot glances at Shirou wondering if could share or not. This wasn't missed by Iris whose focus landed on him.
Iris was as witty as she was shrewd. She didn't fail to notice the deference Archer had for Shirou.
She'd been watching closely, close enough to notice that Hestia was trying to seem like an accommodating adult rather than her usual self.
Hestia would never go to such lengths for just Iris, so Iris could surmise that the change was brought about by Shirou, Archer, and if her suspicions were right, Caster and Rider who were part of a larger group.
"I take it that Thetis is really here somewhere, and you are one of Achilles's friends?" She probed.
For a second, Rider's True Name caught Shirou off guard, but it also clued him in on the fact that Iris was already aware of things to some extent.
"You can say that. It's the same for the others in our group." Shirou admitted, trying to assess Iris whose overall impression was leaving a similar vibe to his world's counterpart.
If it were Iris, perhaps she could be a feasible ally?
With the goal of clearing the Dungeon, there was no way Shirou and the others could avoid interacting with the local populace. Hestia and Bell were such examples, but Shirou envisioned something broader.
Fame was what was needed.
He could not divulge his true origin to others, so it was necessary to create a fake one.
Inwardly, Shirou snorted. A Faker to the end it was going to be.
"Its nice to meet you," Iris smiled cryptically and suddenly held out her hand.
A handshake?
It was certainly the standard courtesy for greetings, but Shirou saw it differently when it came from a Goddess. Someway or another, a God's Divine Perception could not penetrate through Shirou's nature from a distance. The same was true of Rider and the others, hence direct contact was necessary.
Hestia knew this matter first hand, and that was why-
"Sneaky sneaky," Hestia accused, causing Iris's expression to sour in real time. Flustered, she pulled her hand back and smiled stiffly at a failed opportunity.
"Is it so wrong to ask for a handshake?" Iris knit her brows and grimaced.
"It is when it's for a probe," Shirou answered, Hestia nodding on the side.
Contrary to Shirou's expectation that Iris would at least grow embarrassed at getting caught, she grew contemplative instead. Answers could be found through every action and response, and Shirou and Hestia's actions and words hinted at a possibility.
"That means you knew, and didn't reciprocate because there's something to hide." Iris said to herself, a hand cradling her chin as she zoned Shirou and Hestia out. "The question then becomes what it could be that warrants such caution…"
Iris fell silent, at times making an odd face, and at others, nibbling on her lips.
"There Iris goes, the brainy type," Hestia leaned towards Shirou and whispered. "She's not even a Goddess of Wisdom, but Iris has always been analytical because she knows how to keep and pass secrets as a third party."
"You should learn from her." Shirou snorted, at the very least, Iris acted more like a proper Goddess.
"Hey!" Hestia protested, crossing her arms, and huffing only to grow silent as the weight of Iris's stare refocused on Shirou.
In the very end of Iris's musing that tied Rider in with Shirou and the others, she came to a sole result based on similarity.
"Are you…a Demi-God?" Iris asked Shirou.
Shirou was stone faced, but Iris wasn't looking at Shirou from the start. Rather, she was staring intently at Hestia who could never win in a poker match.
The weakest link was always the most brittle.
Hestia was sweating, and doing the worst impression of whistling as if it was no one's business.
It was too obvious.
Suddenly, Iris's focus shifted to scrutinizing Shirou's features and taking in the scent of ash and metal wafting from him.
"Hephaestus?" A dubiously name popped out of Iris's mouth.
Hestia flinched, and Iris's expression hardened as if she'd caught a blood trail.
"Then the other one…Zeus?"
Hestia flinched again.
"Don't tell me that Caster fellow too is Apollo's-"
"Stop, STOP looking at me!" Hestia had enough and hid behind Shirou. "You're making it seem like I can't keep a secret for my own nephews!"
Iris abruptly shut her mouth while Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. It was one thing for Iris to infer truth from Hestia's reactions, but it was nothing else but confirmation when Hestia admitted it.
"You said you were part of a group?" Iris asked, eyes narrowing sharply from the implication. "Are there more?"
Hestia froze, having never considered the question before and turning to Shirou who was making his own calculations regarding what to say and what not to say. Lying was impossible in front of a God, but there were certain ways to lie by telling the truth.
"We're a group of eight including myself," Shirou said, watching Iris suck in a breath and Hestia nervously count with her fingers how many people could call her aunty.
Iris took a long moment to process everything, more for herself and wellbeing than because of future ramifications. Of which, she had already considered them. What she was doing now, was broadening the scope.
To be grouped with Achilles, was to possess similar enough capability to fight as comrades.
"The power to slaughter a monster barehanded," Iris listed, thinking of Rider.
"The ability to render death meaningless." Caster's image came to mind.
"And a group composed of individuals that stand shoulder to shoulder with each other," Iris stared hard at Shirou. This line up wasn't something any God worth their Authority could gloss over. "…just what goal is it that you all have?"
As if he'd been waiting for the question, Shirou answered without pause or hesitation.
"There are two," he admitted, sitting forward. "The full exploration and clearance of the Dungeon-"
Iris found herself nodding.
"And the recommencement of the subjugation Quest of the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"…"
Iris let out a breath she did not know she'd been holding. The answer had upended whatever it was she'd been expecting, but for Shirou it was natural.
Shirou's end goal was to clear the dungeon, but he couldn't leave the one-eyed black dragon alone.
It was too wasteful. Not only because it could save many lives, but the identity and reputation he and the others could garner by slaying it and completing the last of the Grand Quests could enable them full authority in their actions in the Dungeon. No one would question an officer investigating a case, and no one would lightly question a hero who slew the dragon about the purpose of their actions.
Rather, the connection could be used to obtain unwavering support.
"Can I ask for your co-operation?" Shirou stared right at Iris after throwing his curve ball.
Iris grew taken aback, but her mind was already thinking, working in tandem with her eyes that scrutinized Shirou to the finest detail.
His face was the picture of an indomitable confidence.
It reminded Iris of the old days before the Loki and Freya Familia obtained hegemony over Orario.
Iris's skin began to tingle.
The winds would surely usher in a new heroic age.
…
An Age of Spirits, Demi-Gods and Legends in mortal flesh.
"That's ugh," Iris could feel her heart hammering in her chest, her blood rushing through her veins.
Iris had numerous connections. Of course, not as much as Hermes, but she too was a messenger God who handled the logistics of the Zeus and Hera Familias. Her old contacts would surely listen if she asked and if the former powerhouses of the Zeus and Hera Familia were revived, then the Grand Quest could indeed be continued.
She bit down on the nail of her thumb, and glanced at Shirou before recalling Archer, Rider, and Caster. It could be different than the first tragic failure.
"It may actually be doable…?" She murmured.
"-Ms. Ryuu, what are you doing?! You said you were just checking!"
A voice disrupted all thoughts.
"Bell?" Hestia muttered, standing up while shooting her gaze to the church's upper floor.
It was only at this moment did Hestia realize that Bell and Ryuu were strangely absent.
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