Chương 3: Chapter 2
The Hostess of Fertility was a hive of activity, shouting, and mayhem. Drinks were flying, and arguments abounded while Mia Grand, the proprietress, did her best to keep things from getting out of hand.
All things considered, it was a tall, tall order. Located along Orario's western mainstreet, it was usually filled on most days, but was packed today of all days.
The people were not being cooperative, granted, it wasn't as if it was an overreaction given what had just happened.
Mia Grand just hoped that it wasn't a sign of more trouble to come, and instead marked a turning point for healing past grudges and tragedies. A tired sigh escaped her mouth, mirrored by Thetis who was doing her own form of placation.
"I-Iris, can't you just let it go?" Thetis clasped her hands and nervously pleaded with her friend.
Iris wasn't listening, posture straight, chin craned, and glasses gleaming with cold light.
"My Zephy loved those horses," Iris muttered, uncrossing her legs and moving to stand up, only to be forced back down by Thetis.
"They're just horses!" Thetis insisted.
Iris glanced over at her friend, adjusting her glasses. Why couldn't she see, to understand? This was about more than just her husband. "Those 'horses' win all my husband's bets. Even Athena bulks at such odds, and they always win. The bet with Athena is ruined, and I'll never get one of her metal owls."
Thetis's eye twitched, finally realizing why Iris was so invested.
"That horse thief, I'll skin him-"
"YOU CAN'T!" Thetis yelled, pulling Iris's attention back onto her, if only because she slammed the table with her hands as emphasis. "Iris, are you really going to focus on just this? Y-Yeah, think about it! Those were Zeus and Hera Familia members! I'm sure of it!"
Iris grimaced, before she let out a tired sigh. Honestly, she focused on the fucking horses because she really didn't want to think about the other issue and how complicated things could get. Obviously, there were more than just Zeus and Hera Familia members with Caster, but Iris and Thetis were closer tied to them.
Just the fact that Zeus and Hera members were back meant that Thetis and Iris could draw suspicion from the current ruling Familias in Orario. What if they were apprehended on assumptions about plotting to re-establish the old hierarchy?
Iris shivered from thinking about future power dynamics. It was inherently easier to focus her stress on catching a thief than to consider the political ramifications, but fine. If even Thetis insisted, then they could at least brainstorm.
Calming her nerves, Iris grew contemplative.
"Either those bodies we saw were fake despite all physical signs pointing otherwise, or one of those bastards can raise the dead." Iris immediately voiced her closest supposition, the calmness of her voice betraying the seriousness of the matter. "I'm leaning towards the latter. You felt it right? Their Falna? That, and that alone can't be faked."
Iris didn't realize it yet, but her analysis was able to do what Mia Grand couldn't from the beginning:
Quiet the crowd.
"It's not unheard of for a God of the Dead to do such things with their Arcanum, but none would do so at the cost of returning to the upper world. It's peculiar because our Divine Perception was somehow hindered, and the only time that happens is with other Gods. Still, I didn't recognize any of them, and that is beyond rare with the eyes I possess. So, the fellow God assumption is out. However, if I could somehow just touch them, I'm sure Divine Perception will reveal the truth-"
"Iris. You're going off tangent."
"Yes well, if not the Arcanum of a God of the Dead, then…the emergence of a unique revival skill?"
That hypothesis had many on edge. If there was one thing that the Zeus and Hera Familia were known for, it was their strength and high levels. A person or adventurer able to bring all that back to the table would not only be vehemently sought after by numerous Familia, but may reinvigorate the stalled subjugation of the One-Eyed Dragon.
"Whether it enforces obedience on the target or affects them in some way, there's no guarantee, but it changes everything."
Zeus or Hera Familia, that all meant nothing to one individual whose mind never focused on them in the first place.
An elf's ears twitched, heavily eavesdropping on Thetis and Iris's analysis before reaching her breaking point.
"Ryuu, wait! Don't be impulsive! It could be a trap!"
Thetis and Iris glanced towards the bar area of the Hostess of Fertility where one of the waitresses suddenly tore the hem of her skirt and tried to bolt towards the front door. Her efforts were hindered by fellow waitresses and Mia Grand herself whom the waitress, Ryuu, could not force her hand against.
"I wouldn't recommend that," Iris said abruptly, giving the stone-faced Ryuu pause. "I do not know how that horse thief gained the acknowledgement of my Zephy's horses, but they ride as swift as the wind. You'll never catch them as they can be out of Orario in the blink of an eye. However, they made a mistake by taking those horses. I can divine their location and track them with my husband's help-"
"Iris, no!"
Iris narrowed her eyes on Thetis, watching her begin to sweat. There it was again. What was wrong with her?
In contrast, Iris had gotten the waitress, Ryuu's, full attention, causing her to stop struggling against Mia Grand and her coworkers.
None of that mattered to Thetis though, now heavily pressured under Iris's mirror-like eyes.
"Thetis…what is wrong with you? Why are you so against this?" Iris mulled.
Thetis tried to answer by evading the question, but Iris could read Thetis too well.
Iris blinked as an assumption suddenly dawned on her. "Wait. Don't tell me you're getting sentimental because that horse thief bastard-"
"He's not a Bastard!"
"Dammit, Thetis that's not even relevant! No. You, you're doing this on purpose? You can't really be sentimental because that Rider person resembled Peleus, can you?"
Thetis nibbled on her lips, suppressing her outburst that Rider resembled her more. He just had Peleus's hair- ah, she was getting too ahead of herself.
Iris stared at Thetis, and Thetis squirmed, unable to answer due to mixed feelings.
Fine. Iris saw how it was.
Iris turned to the stone-faced elf. "I'll contact Zephy."
"Noooooooo!" Thetis shook Iris by the shoulders in betrayal, practically giving the spectacled Goddess whiplash. Pretty soon, she'd even be spitting out rainbows like her namesake.
A vein finally popped over Iris's brow, and she retaliated like any good friend would.
"Not the hair, not the hair!"
"Y-You, fat breasted seaweed nymph. You really think I'm a pushover don't you!"
What a mess.
It wasn't until the Loki Familia walked in to throw a celebration for Ais Wallenstein's first solo dungeon clear that the shouting and disorder began to die down into muted whispers.
Sure, it was one thing to talk about the Zeus and Hera Familias on their own, but it was another to talk of them in the presence of one of the Familia that took their place in Orario. Even Iris grew more reserved, pushing Thetis to duck her head as they didn't come here for trouble.
Loki opened her squinted eyes in doubt at the bizarre scene.
"What is going on here?"
/-/
The world issued three Great Quests: The subjugation and elimination of three monsters that escaped the Dungeon, Behemoth, Leviathan, and the One-Eyed Dragon.
No one knows their origin, whether they were floor bosses or irregulars, but if there was one thing Shirou inferred while listening to the story, it was that they set a precedent.
You'd think that Orario would situate its population centers further away from the tower of Babel, but the entire area was a hub of activity. Perhaps they had gotten complacent after Behemoth and Leviathan were defeated, but the One-Eyed Dragon was still present, and if it came from the Dungeon, who's to say that stronger monsters didn't exist inside?
Specifically, who was to say that more monsters could not escape the Dungeon?
It would be a disaster.
Of course, Shirou could just be pessimistic, but he'd come to learn not to leave things to chance. Ever. His luck was horrible. An unlikely outcome to others may as well be an inevitability for him, and that's what he dreaded. To this end, he'd come to learn to be better prepared and not ignorant.
This was why Rider was sent to gather information of Orario's power structure, Caster and Archer to the Dungeon, and Assassin, Saber, Lancer, and Berserker to investigate the One-Eyed Dragon. More were delegated to the One-Eyed Dragon as it was a known threat, while Caster and Archer were capable in their own right to navigate the Dungeon unhindered. Caster's Territory Creation played a larger part in this than anything else.
In any case, Shirou wasn't idle.
"This is it," Bell introduced, gesturing at an abandoned church. "It's not much, but it's big, and it's home."
On first inspection, Shirou had to agree that it was certainly large enough, and it was composed of two floors. The ground floor where the nave was located was the most spacious. The prayer chairs were moved to one side of the room, leaving most of the large space open where a bed roll and sleeping supplies were set up by the podium. The second floor was less spacious, but offered a view from a monochromatic window where a bell tower was structured further up.
Outside, the walls and pillars of the church were triangular, the roofing and scaffolding lined with red tile.
More importantly, Shirou noted the remoteness of the church's location. It was surrounded by forest on one side, and a small open field on the other. Unless you were looking for it, it would be easy to pass up. The overgrown vines and leaves climbing up the sides of the church's back walls didn't help the impression of an abandoned building either.
"Is this really alright?" Shirou asked, not wanting to impose.
Shirou and the others had already considered a money plan to acquire appropriate housing, but it would take a while since they couldn't settle for a busy inn and needed a more secluded accommodation.
Nevertheless, this abandoned church's location was perfect.
"I told you, it's fine," Bell insisted.
"My associates are not normal," Shirou gave fair warning, his brows knitting together.
"Then all the more reason," Bell said sheepishly. It wasn't as if he or Hestia were any better, both down on their luck.
"You might regret it," Shirou muttered, glancing up at the sky and squinting at a rapidly enlarging dot.
A second later, Bell found himself confused when a loaded chariot appeared skidding across the ground from the sky. Green lightning trailed the wheels that imprinted deep into the dirt, stopping the chariot perfectly beside Shirou and Bell.
"Yo," Rider greeted, hopping off his chariot and nodding at Shirou before whistling. "When you said you would find a place or make a camp, I didn't think you'd do it so fast."
"You'd have to thank Bell, here," Shirou said, giving credit where it was due despite Bell still staring stiffly at the new arrivals. "He said he's part of the Hestia Familia."
"If it's Hestia, even Caster won't have any complaints," Archer said, leaping off of Rider's chariot while followed by a scrutinizing Caster.
"Home is where the hearth is," Rider grinned.
"It is acceptable." Caster inspected the church and nodded when he noticed the upper floor's space. It would do for a workshop and double as a medical ward. "The patient room should be ample."
"U-Uhm, what's with all the people?" Bell could no longer stop himself from asking.
Shirou too was waiting for an explanation.
This was far more people than what Bell had bargained for, and just imagining feeding them all left him nervous. Sensing this, Rider chuckled before promising that they could take care of themselves.
Caster was more direct in his answer, if a tad bit prickly. "They are patients from the Dungeon in need of healing," he said more to Shirou than Bell.
Slack-jawed, Bell eventually pulled himself together when he realized all these people were in need of help. However, Bell was no doctor.
"Aren't they all just sleeping?" He asked.
Being as Bell was willing to accommodate them, Caster answered.
"Sleeping is no different from death if they don't wake," Caster said curtly, gesturing for Archer to help move the patients into the church's upper floor. "An incomplete treatment leaves an incomplete result."
"My grandpa used to wake me up by dumping ice water on my face?" Bell offered.
"..."
Caster clicked his tongue, annoyance lacing his features. What did he just say? Did it go through one ear and out the other? Truly the ignorant knew no sense.
"Or what about-"
"Careful kid," Rider cut in good naturedly, patting Bell on the shoulders. "Too many questions and you'll fast track the good doctor, Caster, to ignore you. I'm Rider, and the big guy's Archer."
"Bell Cranel," Bell introduced, staring at Rider, Caster, and Archer. There was no way those were their real names, but maybe they'd tell him eventually. Perhaps their names had some sort of meaning, but what mattered was that Bell felt a familiar presence from the Archer.
Archer too was observing Bell closely, but Bell broke eye contact first when he realized he was going to have to explain all this to Hestia. Eyes swirling, he focused on what was in front of him.
"These people, they're…" Bell trailed off, this time looking to Archer rather than Caster.
Oddly, Archer was far more amicable.
"It's easier for you to understand it as Caster partially saving them." Archer answered. "Like Caster said, they can't wake. Caster requires a certain ingredient to fully heal them, and until then, we need a place to keep them."
Well Archer put it like that, Bell could see Caster as a cranky doctor who means well.
"Rider, are your muscles for nothing?" Caster grumbled, pointing at all the other patients that needed transporting.
Snorting, Rider obliged, not saying anything in comparison to Caster's sticks for arms.
Left behind as Caster, Rider, and Archer moved patients, Shirou turned back to Bell.
"See?" He said. "They're a handful and that's only three of them. Bell?"
Honestly, Bell didn't really mind accommodating everyone when it was clearly to help others.
Hestia wouldn't have hesitated, and as her sole Familia, he wouldn't hesitate either. However, in this instance, Bell found himself staring at an unconscious woman still loaded in Rider's chariot.
"Is there something wrong?" Shirou waved a hand in front of Bell's face, breaking his trance.
Bell shook his head, embarrassed.
"A-Ah, it's just…that woman looks vaguely familiar," Bell admitted just as Caster, Rider, and Archer returned to ferry the last set of patients.
Ah, that one.
Caster scoffed at the woman Bell had been transfixed on. The woman who had dared doubt him.
"Annoying," was Caster's sole verdict.
"Who, us?" Rider cocked his head back, hoisting up a group of Astrea Familia and handing them to Archer.
Caster gave Rider the flattest stare he could bother to muster, but grudgingly, Rider hadn't been present in the Dungeon.
"The annoying one," Caster pointed at the sleeping woman and then at Bell, noting their similarities, but saying nothing as it was too tedious.
It was only when all the patients were transferred, and Caster put on his medical scrubs that his mood markedly improved.
In the end, Shirou and Bell found themselves staring at each other as the others settled in.
"Ever heard of heroes?"
Shirou offered an olive branch to make things less awkward, not knowing how much Bell seemed to idolize them.
/-/
Hestia made a face, realizing that something wasn't quite right with Orario today, and that she was somehow out of the loop. Granted, it wasn't Hestia's fault as many Gods who never bore children did not receive resonance of any kind.
Iris was one such example, which would put her and Hestia in the same boat: The clueless ones.
Hestia was a short and busty dark haired Goddess wearing a white-one piece dress. Her hair was parted into pigtails, and she exuded a youthful vigor offset only by the disparity of her current station.
She was wearing an apron, and working on a literal food stand.
Then again, this made her that much more aware about the oddities in Orario, and it felt itchy like choking on a fish bone.
Unlike Iris, Hestia was the Goddess of the Hearth, and she didn't possess any divining or scrying type abilities to get to the bottom of things.
Serving as the poster girl of a delicious croquette stand, Hestia bore witness to the expressions of every passerby since the start of her early morning shift. From ducking out of sight from an absent-minded Apollo, to sharing in her doubt with other childless Gods, everyone seemed to be unsure.
However, it was later that everyone became tight-lipped about rumors regarding Zeus and Hera, which only spurred Hestia's curiosity more.
Hestia's gossip instincts were tingling.
Something juicy definitely happened.
Hestia considered asking Loki, but that washboard always found a way to irk her. Besides, Hestia felt that there was more to this matter than what could be led on from rumors alone. Maybe Hermes would have a better idea? If she was going to ask, she might as well seek answers from a reputable source.
"Your croquette, fresh hot, ready to be eaten!" Hestia half-advertised, half scanned the faces of her customers, the most recent of which appeared muddled.
The croquette Hestia offered was left hanging in the air, causing Hestia's smile to wane from holding her arm out so long.
One glance at the girl in front of her, and Hestia could recognize her as that renowned Sword Princess from Loki Familia. A pretty girl with long blond hair, plate armor, and a perpetually stiff expression.
To Hestia, she was better known as the hussy who bewitched her Bell.
Hestia narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips.
For Ais Wallenstein to appear in front of Hestia after all the trouble Hestia went through to leave her work location discreet- this had to be the work of that flat-chest! A gloating maneuver? Is this what this was?
Hestia barely managed to restrain herself from squeezing the croquette in her hands, but Ais didn't even seem to notice. She didn't even react to the vein that popped over Hestia's forehead.
"Are you going to take it or not?!" Hestia grumbled.
Ais slowly blinked, and then stared at Hestia with her slow gaze. "Is there really a skill that brings the dead back to life?"
Rather than a question, it was more like Ais was muttering to herself.
"What?" Hestia wrinkled her features.
But Ais left, too lost in thought to notice she'd paid but didn't take her croquette, leaving Hestia fuming that she'd been snubbed.
All part of Loki's plan surely.
Huffing, Hestia ate the croquette rather than let it go to waste and tried to go about her day as best as she could.
/-/
By the time Hestia finished her shift, she tried to probe for answers, but everyone was acting too skittish, leaving her with nothing.
She just wanted to see her Bell by this point. Bell could give her the energy to persevere! He was like her energy pack.
Only, Bell wasn't the first person Hestia met when she returned to the abandoned church.
It was an unknown party of Rider, Caster, Archer, and Shirou. A sheepish Bell stood on the side on the first floor of the church.
Hestia tensed, trying to get a read on the people in front of her, but she couldn't get anything notable. Rider and Shirou had disarming smiles, while Archer nodded, and Caster barely batted an eye.
"Bell…What's going on?" Hestia could only direct her focus on Bell who hurriedly tried to explain, but lost the initiative to Rider.
"You won't understand what I'm saying now, but it's not like we were trying to hide it or anything. Bell offered to let us stay here, and we agreed."
Hestia shot Bell a searching look, and the boy nodded. Ugh. Hestia couldn't even be angry, that face was too cute!
Distracted, Hestia didn't notice when Rider walked right up to her until it was too late.
"It feels weird seeing you not know us when your hearth was always the most welcoming, but since we're staying here, it'll be inevitable." Rider grinned, patting Hestia on the shoulder before walking past her and back into the church. "It's nice to see you again, Aunty."
"A-Aunty?!" Hestia bristled shrilly, but instantly fell into a daze the moment Rider's hand contacted her.
She went utterly still. Suddenly, Hestia had solved the mystery plaguing all of Orario.
Archer and Caster followed in Rider's act and patted her on the shoulder. Compared to Archer and Rider who were quite amicable, Caster merely followed suit to get it over with.
All Gods had Divine Perception, and Hestia was no exception.
The same uniqueness that hindered Iris's Divine Perception was bypassed by Hestia, not that she realized.
Pieces of history conveyed through an onset of sudden visions said it all…that her poor nephews were really who they were.
Hestia's legs gave out on her, and she dramatically crumbled to her knees, sniffling in defeat.
"Hestia?" Bell ran up to her in concern, shaking her by the shoulders until clarity returned to her eyes.
That's when panic set in.
"B-Bell, w-what should I do?!" Hestia threw herself into Bell's arms. Unable to stabilize their weight in time, the two fell onto the ground.
Hestia could care less. She was too busy trying to deny her own Divine Perception.
"W-What's wrong?" Bell asked, dumbfounded.
"I-I'm really an AUNTY!" She screamed at him, crocodile tears forming in her eyes. "A-And, h-how could Zeus do that? And H-Hera too…?"
"C-Calm down!" Bell muttered, rattled by the blend of grief, denial, and bewilderment on Hestia's face. "And what do you mean?"
Hestia was too rattled to answer, her eyes instead turning into confused swirls before focusing on the man with that suspicious red hair.
T-Then what about him?
She was three for three right now.
Hestia stared apprehensively at Shirou. She was already reeling from suddenly gaining three nephews, and she was now looking at Shirou like a prospective forth.
Worse, the fires of the hearth felt oddly attached to him…?
N-No way!
Shirou smiled, coming to a decision.
Hestia froze as Shirou walked up and tapped her on the shoulder like Caster, Rider, and Archer before him.
Anvils, gears, and swords. SWORDS. So many SWORDS. So many WEAPONS. A forge. A FORGE!
.
.
.
'OMG- Hephy you didn't!'
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