Double chap, the start of Loki's arc, there are 2 more.
Enjoy.
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"Quite a few changes all around... Well, at least they haven't destroyed the aesthetic of the place." Silver said as he looked around
Orario is truly the city of 100 cultures, sometimes you are around Gothic Churches, next time you're around medieval-style fantasy castles…
And next time you're within a Roman-style bathhouse, or an Indian tower…
Though, those cultures don't really exist... Maybe not to the ordinary People.
I wonder how the Gods would react if I raised such subjects to them? Would they agree?
Or would they ask me what I'm talking about?
Urg…
'From afar, Silver saw the gates of the Castle, tall and strong, they represented… Whatever Loki believed at the time, for all that's worth, those gates were only there because she thought they looked cool.'
'In front of the gates stood a beautiful garden with a fountain in it, the main entrance for the Twilight Manor.'
'It wasn't very fancy since they needed it to be spacious enough for when they returned from an Expedition but it was well detailed and it invoked a sense of peace and tranquility.'
'Maybe it was intended to be that way, to make all remember that this was their home and that they had survived the Dungeon, to be comforting, to make them realize the horrors were gone.'
'The front garden of the Hearth Manor had many flowers exactly for such purpose.'
'Though of course, they had other entrances to move cargo they couldn't have bloating the front entrances...'
"Hum? Oh? Now that's a face I haven't seen in a while." Someone by the gates said as he spotted Silver
'A Chienthrope with brown hair and fur, one of the High-Level 3s of the Familia and one of the very first people Silver talked with when he first entered Orario.'
'Cruz Bussel, someone everyone just seemingly forgot about…'
(Image)
'Turning his head to face him, Silver raised his hand to give him a small handshake.'
"It's been a while." Silver replied with a small smile as he looked at his clothes
From the looks of it… Is he on guard duty? While wearing that?
What a sad fate, it's rather hot today too.
"..."
/Silence.../
'But once they greeted, Cruz kind of stopped talking.'
"Is something wrong?"
"Uh? No… I apologize."
"Just thinking about something, that's all."
"Then? Out with it, you're making me think I left my zipper open." Silver pointed out as he raised an eyebrow
"Heh, I just kind of can't believe what happened, you know? Ishtar Familia and all…"
"Sorry if I blabbered too much." He said with an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head
"It's nothing, they got what they deserved, nothing less." Silver said as he shook his head
People are still munching over what happened, huh?
It took me a while to mend my relationship with some of the other members of the Familia after the War game.
Not that they hated me... They feared me.
Of course, they all rejoiced at my victory, but it still took a while for things to truly go back into place.
For those who watched, how would they feel? Especially when they know little about my personal life?
I bet most civilians might've cheered me on, or maybe they got resentful when I killed Phryne.
That's just how things go.
'Silver's expression didn't change much as he replied, it was clear he had already left this matter behind, though he still worried about the consequences of it.'
"They got what they deserved huh… That's a cool line, one I didn't quite have the courage to say, though it got pretty easy ever since they disbanded."
"I read in books that in the past, Orario used to have many powerful Familias as strong as Ishtar's and ours, Familias that rose and fell…"
"This must be how those people felt when they witnessed them vanish… And rise."
"My Great-Great-Grandpa and the likes." He said with a small smile as he rested his spear on his shoulder
'Silver smiled as well, he wasn't wrong, though one didn't have to go that far to see the fall of one such Familia...'
"In any case, it's rather hot today and I was just looking for an excuse to get out of this heat."
"I can take the flamming breath of a dragon, but no matter how strong we get the sun always seems to snuck into us… Especially when I'm wearing these clothes." He said as he patted his chest
"You must've come here for a reason, right? Even if not, we always welcome a visit… Some more than others." He said with a cheeky smile
"If anyone asks though, I wasn't the one that said this but... You have some fans here." He said as his smile turned to a chuckle
"That's all I'm going to say though, not really one to gossip much."
'With that, he opened the gates with one hand, easily pushing aside the tall fortified door without a single ounce of difficulty.'
'This was why civilians needed to fear adventurers…'
"Come along and follow me, Loki told me you would be visiting soon, though she hadn't told me why."
'He looked around for a minute before turning to Silver.'
"Do be careful though, recently, the mood in the Familia has been a bit tense and strange."
"Huh? Why?"
A tense mood? How odd.
When we met in the Dungeon a month ago, things were perfectly fine, and they should've taken several days to return.
I find it hard for conflict to have risen between them when they haven't even prepared another Expedition yet.
This means the reason was… External?
"Well… It's hard to say… One part of me would say it's due to the War game as not many can take seeing what you did and then confronting themselves afterward."
"Being honest with yourself and admitting to one's faults and lack of ability aren't things anyone can accomplish."
"Loki did borrow one of those 'Recorders' from the Guild, because of that no one can forget what happened even if they wanted to, causing this situation to deteriorate a little."
"Miss Riveria already confiscated the recorder from Loki, saying she's insensible and should stop fooling around… Though everyone knows Loki isn't that stupid."
"And from there on out it's as good as gone, it'll only reappear whenever she wishes."
"It's a feeling shared by few, of course, we aren't that weak, but I can't help but sympathize with those that were affected… It's not easy to compare yourself to others, not when you have people like Captain, Aiz, Bete, and the others shining all the time."
"But they… We can accept, we grew with them after all."
"Our companions' glory is also ours in a sense." He said with a helpless smile
"That is both the sweetest apple… And the most poisonous of all."
"On that same sense, you… Isn't something most can face." He said deeply as he turned to Silver
"... Sorry, I spoke my mind once more."
"... How are you holding up?" Silver asked he followed Cruz
For someone who usually stays on his own spot, he's rather wise... And chatty.
Though that may be only his own way of coping with his own shortcomings.
Not that I have the right to judge others, I'm not perfect myself…
"Heh, I said all of that and you act as if nothing happened? You sure are a particular kind of guy!" He said with a laugh as he looked away
"I'm doing okay, long ago I realized that there was no point in comparing myself too much to others."
"Instead, I would learn and take what I can from what I can see, one day I'll become Level 4, and then, I'll become Level 5…"
"I haven't put much thought into what I'll do after that, nor how I'll get there… But that's how I cope with things."
"It would be a lie to say I would be satisfied with reaching Level 5, but I must know where I stand as a Level 3."
"..."
'Silver respected his words, Cruz was no Hero, nor was he trying to be one, he only wished to be himself and to be the person he wished to show his friends and companions.'
'If this path will lead him to being Level 5 and 6 one day, then so be it.'
'A rather selfless way of thinking, or extremely selfish depending on the perspective.'
'As Cruz also wished to one day reach that stage, though he did not wish to go out of his way to challenge the rules of the world.'
"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… Don't mind the looks, they don't mean badly and they're all good people."
"I know, don't worry, and either way, I'm used to the gazes a little already." Silver replied with a chuckle
"Heh, that's what I like to hear."
"... As for what I said before… Another reason the mood is strange is due to the Executives."
"Some time ago, Ais and the others went to the Dungeon… When they came back, they weren't the same."
"They met something down there and their mood has been something else since then, and no one had the gall to question what happened… Well, Ana did, but from what I heard, they refused to share the details."
"The most she told us is that they met a strange kind of monster, though I'm puzzled as to what type of monster would cause them all to be like that."
"..."
A monster?
Caused them to ponder?
This… Isn't looking good.
"Whatever happened means business… But yeah, that's about it."
"How about a tour? Guess we never really showed you around despite how long you stood here, another record you've beaten."
"... Sure." Silver said with a small smile
This little trip of mine is proving to be rather informative…
"Then follow me, to our first stop, the cafeteria, one of my favorite places… In fact, it should be almost time for lunch." Cruz said as he started walking
"Why don't you join us? Unless you're bad with being in public?" He asked with a slight grin
"..."
"That was what I thought!"
'As he saw Cruz turn around and march inside, Silver closed his eyes for a moment, thinking deeply.'
I always thought he was the silent kind of guy, but it may just be that way to outsiders.
He's a rather nice guy.
'With such thoughts, Silver went after the dog man.'
…
/Meanwhile… At an Office several floors above the ground…/
"... Huh? Is he finally here?" Loki asked as she heard Line's report
"He should be in the cafeteria, I saw him walking in with Cruz…" Line said as she saw her Goddess expression change a little
"Time for some questions, I'll make him blurt out everything…"
/Poof…/
"Ouch!"
'Like many times before, Riveria approached her from behind and hit her head with a small piece of rolled paper, causing Loki to dramatically fall to the floor.'
"This isn't the first time I've said this, but we aren't going to interrogate him, this is going to be a friendly exchange." She said deeply as she looked at Loki
"Tche, I thought you were as curious as I was though."
"We have to face reality here, the chances of him knowing anything are slim, and in the first place, we're doing this due to a hunch of yours, so the least you can do is not push him around, he'll just leave if you do."
"I know, I know Mom…" Loki said as she waved off Riveria
"#!!"
"What did you say?" Riveria asked as she clenched the paper in her hand
"Oops! Line!"
"EH?!"
'With a sneaky expression, Loki jumped back, pushing Line between her and Riveria as she ran outside of the room.'
""...""
'This caused the two of them to look at each other awkwardly.'
"Sigh… We barely touched upon the subject and this happens…"
Maybe it would've been better to give him a proper time to visit us.
No… That would sound condescending.
"Forget it."
'Riveria turned to Line, saying:'
"Not at all, should I also call Ais-san and the others?" Line asked as she saw Riveria shake her head
"... No… Not yet." Riveria said with a heavy expression as she walked past Line
"Thank you, Line." She said as she gave the girl a nod prior to leaving the room
"... Not a problem…"
She's gone.
'Line didn't feel offended by Riveria's aloof personality as she knew there was a lot in her mind for her to spend time making small talk with her.'
'So instead, she turned around and left the room as well, going after the other Executives.'
/Clack…/
…
/Later.../
/Chatter…/
"..."
Looks like the atmosphere has gotten pretty heated up.
'In the corridors of the castle, Riveria walked to the cafeteria with a light expression that could barely be said to be a smile.'
'As she heard the excited bouts of discussion echoing within her sensitive ears, she couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh.'
'Everyone's mood had been down to a series of events and she was having difficulty managing it all especially as Finn's attention was elsewhere.'
'It was good to see that some excitement gad returned to these halls…'
/Chatter…/
"Hum?..."
'But as she approached the cafeteria, Riveria started to hear some strange things, the atmosphere… Wasn't quite right.'
"P-Please! S-Stop that Loki-Sama! T-This isn't right!" Someone exclaimed out loud, causing Riveria's expression to go dark as she realized something was definitely not right
"More... Yes... More!"
"Just a bit more… Perfect!" Loki said loudly for some reason
'Her tone was also... A bit lewd??'
"..."
'Hearing those things caused her to feel coldness in her stomach, maybe what she thought was happening wasn't true…'
'Like always, Loki was causing trouble, and given their guest had just arrived...'
/Step step step.../
'She hurried her steps.'
…
/Step step step…/
"... I don't quite like the color, it doesn't fit, change it to a maroon blue... Yeah, the tone is perfect." Loki said as she scratched her chin, looking like a designer witnessing the birth of something great
"Now add a ribbon!" She commanded loudly
"B-But a ribbon is..." Someone said from the side, a girl
"A ribbon doesn't quite fit with her matureness! I suggest a skirt!" Someone said from the side, a man
""How does that change anything?!""
/Whispers.../
/Discussion…/
"..."
What is going on?...
'Riveria finally arrived at the cafeteria, and she immediately saw a large crowd converging near the tables, with Loki's voice coming from the middle.'
'She saw everyone's expressions, trying to piece together what could possibly be going on.'
'The girls were blushing, some nodding…'
'The boys were gulping down, completely silent as sweat fell from their foreheads…'
'The elves were trying to hide their expressions, but they were all peeking at what was happening through the cracks between their fingers, some of them were trying to stop Loki, but they couldn't deny their Goddess.'
'So in the end, they gave her ideas...'
'This all made Riveria confused, what was going on?'
'So she stepped closer, being rather tall herself, she could at least try to peek above an area where people were the smallest if she were to be on her tip toes.'
"?!?!?!"
'But what she saw caused her to take a step back in shock as her expression turned pale.'
"No… No this isn't right… She's at least a B+..." Loki said from the center of the crowd
"Crank it up, make it a C, I know how it feels and this isn't it!" She said with extreme confidence as she shook her head
"And what's that down there? Buff it up dammit!!"
"..."
"Woah!... Just there... Now, can you add some 'bounce' into it?" She said with an extremely serious and professional expression
"..."
'Silver silently nodded, doing exactly as Loki asked...'
"... OHOOOO!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!" She proclaimed with a large smile as she watched Silver's magic unfold
/Gasp.../
'Many of the onlookers also gasped, trying to look away in both shame and embarrassment.'
"...##!!!!!"
'In the center of the crowd, Loki could be seen inspecting a real-life statue of none other than Riveria, which would've been fine albeit extremely embarrassing even if it were to be just an ordinary one of her.'
'There was a time when a man came to her with a sculpture of her he made himself to try and get her hand, she refused him but the subject of the statue remained a hot topic for a very long time, causing her extreme embarrassment whenever it was brought up.'
'Loki would still often revel at the lost opportunity she had of keeping it, unfortunately, the statue was broken due to another jealous suitor thinking the Elven Princess would've accepted it or even wavered at the sight…'
'It seemed that today Loki was bringing forth this buried desire of hers, albeit in a very perverse manner, obviously her true goal all along.'
'Because the statue in front of her was wearing a damn Bikini! Just like the painting she had of herself!!'
'She hid that one in the corners of her own room so no one would find it as she did not know where to put it as not only was it extremely embarrassing, she couldn't bring herself to destroy it either.'
'It just didn't feel right, and this wasn't an exception, Riveria rarely destroyed the gifts sent to her, she would always straight out refuse them with an iron will.'
'All that somehow managed to pass through all the odds were always maintained… If they were destroyed by a jealous Loki trying to protect her.'
'Seeing everyone's gazes on her body… The Statue, Riveria's ears took an extremely rare red hue, a mix of embarrassment and... A lot of anger!'
'If that wasn't enough, the Statue moved from time to time, making sure to do it in a very suggestive way!!'
'She hated it guts! The simple sight of this abomination caused her rationale and breathing method to destabilize, and for the first time in a very long time Riveria's expression distorted as her lips shook, almost opening to reveal her teeth.'
/STEP!/
/Tremble.../
""!!""
'She took a heavy step, causing several members of the Loki Familia to turn around as the cafeteria trembled and the ground cracked.'
'They all palled at the sight of the Elven Sage.'
'They parted ways, allowing her to pass through without a single sound, not wishing to be drawn into the crossfire…'
"Yes! This is it!... Now… Turn it... Turn it into a String Bikini!!"
'Meanwhile, Loki continued to command Silver to do a series of stupid actions, such as changing the style of her Bikini to her hairstyle as well.'
'She got so excited she started to forget where she was...'
'This all started when Silver arrived at the cafeteria, drawing the gazes of many.'
'At first little happened, but when he saw down to eat with Cruz, the latter suddenly brought forth the matter of Silver's ability, still remembering what he saw back in the Dungeon before they fought Amphisbaena.'
'This caused him to do a series of magic "tricks" for him, which in turn led to more and more people gathering around them to witness his performance.'
'From changing the shape of items to their composition, making things vanish, and even doing someone's hair, and he was very good at it.'
'From color shape size, he could even grow hair in an instant if he wished... He became rather famous with some of the girls even during the short time he fooled around.'
'Though most girls still opted to stay away, not due to aversion, due to their own reasons.'
'It was around this time Line passed through, seeing the commotion she realized what she had to do and went to report while the others were too entertained by Silver.'
'Mayhaps had she stayed and not reported, none of this would've happened...'
'Because in the end, Loki came crashing through their party, immediately requesting something as if she had been holding that at the tip of her tongue for ages...'
'She said: "Make me a real-life statue of Riveria!" with a smirk.'
'And he did, and even the Elves seemed to enjoy the artwork... To some degree...'
'The problem was what Loki requested afterward... And the reason why...'
/SMASH!/
"MUGI?!?!"
'Without holding back at all, Riveria smashed her staff at the end of Loki's head, sending her to the ground, foaming as she let out a squeal like that of a dying animal.'
'She did not move after that, the only thing that proved she was still alive where her periodic twitches.'
/Gaze!/
'She turned to Silver who was standing next to the statue, trying to inquire something from him, her eyes burning with silent rage fit for Elven Royalty, the coldest there was…'
"I am only a helpless victim." He declared out loud with a poker face, causing many to roll their eyes
'As if he was, he could've stopped at any moment!'
'Amidst those who rolled their eyes at Silver's excuse included Cruz who realized this was the perfect opportunity to dip
'After all, he was the one that led him there, what if those Elves pinned the blame on him?'
'That couldn't happen, so he left, leaving dust behind.'
'If anyone asked, he would throw the blame onto Raul.'
"#!!"
/Chant…/
'And Riveria knew that very well, so she merely looked at him for a second before she chanted something in a very low tone, her hair rising to the air as a magic circle formed around her feet…'
'She did not care about the Manor's rules right now, she only wished that suggestive statue to...'
/BURN!/
'Suddenly, the statue was hit with a powerful controlled flame, sending it to cinders.'
"... My hand slipped." She said with a cold expression as she looked at Silver, fiery embers still dancing around the tip of her fingers
"Haha... It happens." Silver replied with an awkward smile as he looked at the ground
I understand your message...
She'll not accept another 'mistake' of mine.
'Riveria then turned to the others, saying:'
"Disperse! Everything's over already, go back to your lunch… Or whatever you were doing."
"I won't repeat myse…"
'Before she could even finish her words though, everyone turned tail, running, leaving the cafeteria a silent dead zone.'
'Even the Elves who had been trying to convince Loki to stop vanished, knowing full well that Riveria's rage encompassed all.'
"..."
I told them to go back to their lunch… Sigh.
'She looked at the ground, grabbing Loki and placing her beneath her arm like a bag of potatoes.'
"This isn't a good place to talk, would you mind following me up?" She asked coldly
'Silver shook his head, it was fun while it lasted…'
/Walk…/
'Riveria started walking without even turning around, though she could easily tell if he was following or not through the sound of his footsteps.'
'His hand's in his pockets, Silver cleared off the ashes on the ground, at least that way all signs of this situation ever happening would go down the drain.'
'Better that way than to have her remember it.'
Well... She looked good in a Bikini, to be honest.
But now's not the time for flattery... I don't want to die.
'His expression relaxing, Silver followed Riveria to the Office.'
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Notes