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—
/Fwoosh…/
/Step step.../
'On the other side of the portal was a lush forest with sparse trees covering a quiet, lush hill.'
/Shhhuaa.../
/Shivers.../
'It was considerably chilly, so much so that Haruhime immediately raised her hands to her chest, feeling the cold winds pass through her fingers, condensed breaths forming as she breathed.'
'She tried to warm herself a little by using her tail as a scarf, but it wasn't long enough.'
"P-Phew… It's cold in here… Not as cold as Winter back home, but... Still quite cold." Kaede said as she stepped out of the portal
"It is…" Momiji agreed, holding onto her tail as she tried to gather some warmth
"..."
'Meanwhile, once they all stepped through the portal, Silver checked to ensure no one had sneaked by the portal as they crossed before closing it decisively.'
/Crackle.../
'Behind them, the portal crumbled, returning to dust as the twisted stone and wood vanished onto the grass around them.'
"Alright, we're here. Pay attention where you step; I don't want anyone rolling downhill." Silver said in a light tone as he looked around
'As he said so, his right hand glowed red, and soon after, the three girls around him felt warmer, the cold not affecting them as much anymore.'
'Haruhime, beside him, instinctively held onto his hand, memories of her childhood passing by her eyes as she remembered her time with her father... Only for her to quickly pull it away, too embarrassed to even look straight.'
'The cold and warmth made her remember...'
/Inhale... Exhale.../
'As she delved into her thoughts, the two other girls finished their inspection of the surroundings, turning to Silver for some answers:'
"Where are we? If I'm allowed to ask."
"In the Beol Mountains, towards the North of Orario." Silver replied as he turned to Momiji
"That's quite far… Should we get ready for something? Now that I think about it, I haven't brought anything with me…" Kaede said in a low tone as she looked at her hands, embarrassed at her carelessness
I left my sword in my room, maybe I should've brought it...
"No need for anything, I'll take care of everything. Although... Take these." He said as he pulled a few weapons from his pocket space
'He gave the bunny girl a sword and a dagger. Meanwhile, he gave both Haruhime and Momiji staffs, as it was the best given they weren't meant for combat.'
'Momiji looked at the staff with some confusion, after all, how was she supposed to use it? She wasn't used to performing her rituals with such a cumbersome thing... But then again, better a staff to hit something in the head with than her fists.'
'Seeing that they had accepted his items. With a thin smile, Silver stepped forward, calling them to follow him:'
"It's a bit cold in the mountains, and it seems it's about to rain, so let's get moving."
"Night's upon us."
It'll be a long one.
...
'In no time, they braved through the woods, the golden leaves of autumn falling around them…'
'At the end of the forest and the hill's edge, they saw a building rise in the distance.'
'One house turned into two, then five… A hundred.'
'A city rose at the side of the approaching mountainside, the sun setting behind it.'
"Welcome to the city of Springs, Belthane." Silver said as he covered his eyes slightly
"This is… A secluded nation?" Haruhime asked as her tail wagged in interest
'She read many stories of distant lands, isolated by the environment around them. They held their own struggles and myths, legends passed down through time… Unknow to any but themselves...'
'Many heroic tales were born and ended within such lands, Heroes born from nothing, vanishing as their tales came to an end...'
'To think there was one so close to Orario…'
'Even if the Beol mountains were massive, they were still considered nearby given the vast expanse of the world. Close enough for them to be said to be within the city's immediate surroundings.'
'With such a vast world, how many similar sights were hidden in the wilderness?'
'One could only wander…'
"Woah… What a beautiful place." Kaede said as her ears twitched in the wind
"I thought there couldn't be settlements in the Beol mountains. Was I wrong?" Momiji asked as she turned to Silver
"No, the mountains aren't safe for ordinary people to live in… However, exceptions can still apply, from time to time." He replied as he shook his head
"In Belthane's case, this is a Familia-Nation, they don't need to worry about protection."
""A Familia Nation?"" They asked in unison as they turned to Silver
'Seeing their expressions, Silver scratched his chin in helplessness.'
"... Maybe it's because you three haven't gone far from Orario, but it isn't unusual for a Familia to settle down and build a Kingdom out there."
It's strange for Haruhime not to know about it, though... Was she that secluded from the outside?...
"For all there is out there, Orario is an irregularity. There's no place out there where so many Gods live together in 'harmony'."
"The same can be said for the Far East. Amaterasu rules over the island, and the other Gods take over multiple positions; it's a simple depiction of a Familia-Nation, albeit there, they call it the Royal Court."
"A different name for what's essentially the same thing. Culture and customs aside."
Takemikazuchi is a God at the bottom of said structure, with only a simple shrine where his followers were orphans and poor children.
That was why he left, not because he was dissatisfied with his condition, but because he wanted to provide them with more, so he departed with some of the older children so they could make money and send it back to the Shrine.
Quite the adventure to partake in. But not very different from what I did.
Leaving family behind to pursue something is always hard.
'Momiji and Kaede nodded, that was how things went over there. The Gods ruled over the land with the eight Noble Families, such as the Sonjou, of which Haruhime was once the successor.'
"Nations with a God at their center, either as a Spiritual Leader, Consultant, or even their King are the norm here."
"Usually, a God's role in a nation is to provide his blessing so his people may thrive, but depending on their personality and their children, the system of governance changes."
"Some countries have only the Royal Familia, and those with close ties to them receive the blessings of the Divine. Sometimes, they have multiple Familias, each with their tasks in the society, just like Orario and the Royal Court, although we can't exactly compare both."
"Further North, there is a large country called Rakia, a country ruled by the Ares Familia."
"There, Ares essentially commands the whole country as its God-Emperor. However, as a God of War, Ares is usually focused on annexing nearby regions and expanding the size of the country, creating multiple servants Familias as he forces the weaker Gods to submit, leaving the governance of the country to the royal blood."
"And as a God, he has the Divine right to choose the next King if he so wishes."
"It wasn't always like that, though... But the world is constantly changing."
"When he descended, Ares rapidly grew in power and eventually overthrew all other Gods in the territory, either exiling them or sending them back to Haven."
"That's how things usually go out there. Things aren't as peaceful as Orario."
They never were. Orario is an illusion. A lie Ouranos took 1000 years to build.
It took many wars, Gods, and the lives of generations of adventurers to accomplish, but eventually, the fear of the people subsided, being taken over by other priorities.
Even then, the city isn't a paradise... I would say it's anything but that.
"... Things are the same everywhere, aren't they?" Momiji asked as she looked at the city with a heavy gaze
'Even in the far east things weren't peaceful, not so long ago disaster struck the island and the nine Noble Families became eight.'
'Death and War was everywhere, affecting all, mortal or divine.'
"Some places are better than others. In one way or another… But it's not up to me to decide what's good and bad, right or wrong." Silver said with a sigh as he looked towards the North where Rakia was
"One thing is for sure though, if Ares took over and won, and the country isn't falling but thriving... Then there's something to be said about that."
However, such success could also be an illusion from war.
"Out there, you have to look out for yourself and those you care about, as there's no lack of people who will try to pass their leg on yours for their benefit."
""...""
'As the sun began to set, cold wind blew on Silver's back, causing the girls to shiver as a wave of cold air brushed over them.'
'Seeing this, Silver coughed lightly, hastening his walk.'
"Anyhow, that's all too complicated and tiresome to think about."
"Now, it's getting colder, and I have to prepare."
"Prepare?" Kaede asked as she tied her hair
"..."
'Silver turned to the city, saying:'
"There's a monster down there. I came here to kill it... To resolve an old grievance, you could say."
I'll have Ouranos owe me a bit after this too. I should be able to squeeze him a little and have him reduce those taxes.
I have to be like Loki and Hermes and push that fat Elf some more… Well, teach Hestia how to push him that far since he only listens to the Gods.
"A monster?... But where? Are we going to help?" Kaede asked as she squinted her eyes
'She got a little tense, as expected, this place wasn't safe... Or so she thought.'
"Underwater. Inside the springs… And no. Thank you for the help, but this is a fight I took myself, one I'll finish alone." He said with a small smile as he turned to her
"Your fight is elsewhere, in the Dungeon. Once you level up a little, we can discuss you joining me on an adventure."
"In other words, the Excelia is all mine; go find your own monsters to fight, okay?" He added with a laugh as he patted her head, causing Kaede to push him aside with an upset gaze
"Stop it! I'm not a kid!"
"Sorry, sorry, your ears just keep twitching. It's hard to resist when they're that cute."
"!"
"Well… I know they're cute, but they're off-limit… Not that sudden…" She said as she fidgeted with her fingers
'Ah yes, the embarrassment of a Village girl...'
'Meanwhile, Momiji protected her ears, predicting an "attack"...'
'On the other hand, Haruhime's ears began to twitch a little too, but she didn't dare to look at him.'
/Chuckle…/
"Well... Who knows what the future has to offer?"
"If something happens... I'm counting on you three." He said with a smile before he turned around
'Silver stepped forward, going downhill through a stony path in the mountain's side, helping Haruhime as she was the weakest of them all.'
'Although Momiji was also a priestess with no Stats, she was in much better shape than Haruhime; there was a rather wide disparity between the girls when it came to that, maybe because Momiji was a priestess used to dancing for long periods of time while Haruhime... Was no different from a flower in a pot.'
'Meanwhile, Kaede was almost Level 2, having trained in her Village all her life under the blessing of another God before leaving on her journey as per her Village's customs, such rough terrain was no issue to her.'
'On the contrary, she felt right at home underneath the trees in the cold breeze...'
/Step…/
"I'll tell you how I got here as we get there… Oh! I have to make this clear once more before we proceed…"
'He turned to the three of them, his face twisting into a dark, serious frown.'
'He made a gesture with his hands, crossing his palm with his finger as he narrowed his eyes.'
"If Daphne hears about this, we're all dead; there won't be a saving grace if that happens."
"It's over. Done. O.V.E.R."
"Consider that."
"Are we in agreement, girls? Whatever happens here dies here until I say otherwise, or do you have anything to say?"
/NOD!/
'The three nodded furiously, knowing what would happen if they disobeyed his words.'
'No one wanted to hear Daphne's furious nagging for an hour straight, much less face punishment for their actions.'
"Great, take this as a small vacation, an afternoon in a city by the mountains."
/Shoum.../
'Silver took three small pouches from his pocket space and gave one to each.'
'Kaede weighted the pouch with a cautious gaze while Momiji bowed fluently. Meanwhile, Haruhime nodded ecstatically.'
"Here, some pocket change. Pay me back when we're back, okay? It should cover everything you need, but if there's something you want, tell me, and I'll get it for you."
"But you'll be paying me back, I know exactly how much's in each bag. If I'm missing a single coin by the time I'm back I'll sell your stuff to make up for it." He said with a sly smile as he looked at them
"So stingy! I heard you made a Million Valis the other day just by getting a few Lower Floors herbs!" Kaede said with a frown as she hid her money back
"Not a Million, a few Million. Also, they weren't just any herbs. I collected RARE herbs. Only someone with the appropriate scouting ability and general knowledge could locate such materials mind you." Silver said with a smug expression as he looked at the forest
"I was paid for a job well done, if you want to be paid well too, then teach yourself the skills to do so!"
"Humph!"
'He rolled his eyes as he saw her weak tantrum, but since he didn't want any trouble, he gave in. For now.'
"... Fine. Here, have another bag." He said as he threw her another pouch
"Hehe..."
"But if I hear any complaining from you, I'll tell Daphne you were the one who ate her cake slice last week." Silver said with a smug expression as he walked away
"HUH?! I didn't do that!" She exclaimed as she ran after him
"Of course you didn't, that was me. But I wonder who she'll believe more!" He said as he smiled evilly
"You! I'll snitch you to the Goddess!" Kaede exclaimed in fear as she took a step back
""...""
"That's a low move... I'll take it as a declaration of war." Silver added with a smile as he turned around
"Urg..."
'While she was distracted, Silver patted her on the head again, causing her to flinch before laughing it off as he walked away.'
"Anyhow... With those out of the way… Onwards."
…
/Later…/
/Splat splat…/
'Not long after they arrived, rain began to fall as dark clouds loomed in the sky, bringing forth night a little sooner than expected as they cast shadows onto the earth below.'
'To the people of Belthane, it was a prime opportunity to collect some fresh rainwater, free of contamination and toxins, with little to no purification needed.'
'That's because as water evaporated naturally, the poison and toxins in the rivers were left behind, sometimes gathering in places where they dried up, becoming perilous "Poison Pits" where one wrong step could mean falling onto a pit of quicksand.'
'Where instead of sand, you had highly poisonous dust strong enough to kill even higher-leveled monsters in mere moments.'
'As for wells or freshwater lakes... Unfortunately, most reservoirs of fresh water in the immediate surroundings of the Swamp had long been contaminated... Those still of use were either at higher elevations or far away from the city.'
'And no one wanted to spend hours in dangerous woods to fetch a bucket of water...'
'Regardless, while some worked hard to collect water for themselves, some preferred to stay at home and do their own things, be them natives or tourists…'
'Amidst those people was a certain Goddess, who right now wasn't very pleased with what she had just heard…'
"He… He… WHAT?!"
/Thunder!/
'Lighting struck in the distance with excellent timing! So precise they feared it struck down by her wish…'
""...""
'Inside a room in the same Inn Silver stopped by earlier were Hestia and the three girls, now having a "Heart to heart" discussion as their Goddess slowly lost her calm.'
'By coincidence, Artemis wasn't in the room right now. Otherwise, things would've been a little harder to explain...'
'Aside from a selective few, no one knew Hestia was with Silver. Much less that Artemis was also with him.'
'If the fact that two Goddesses went with him were to spread, things would get... Complicated.'
"Let me see if I understood this right…"
"Silver passed by home… Picked you three… And then left you all alone in the middle of the streets?!" Hestia asked as her expression went dark
'Hestia's expression wasn't of anger; it was one of tiredness and mild helplessness...'
"Ah ah ah… Y…"
"No." Momiji interjected before Kaede said something highly incriminating
"Captain originally went to fetch Haruhime. We, on the other hand, asked to tag along for nothing outside of curiosity and self-interest. Please, do not be harsh with him."
"And he didn't leave us alone. He gave us directions for the entire city, including money and this magic tool, although I'm unsure what it does." Momiji said as she showed Hestia a small translucent marble
"You're such a good girl... But don't defend him! It was still his irresponsible choice to drag you two all the way here!..."
"But... I guess you're right. Silver did everything 'right'… Nonetheless, he's still irresponsible for leaving you three alone in the middle of a foreign country!"
"That said... Goddess… What are you doing here?" Kaede asked as she touched the back of her head
Captain Daphne said she would be busy for a while... Never thought she would be busy because she was outside of the city...
Is this even allowed?
"Me? Eh... Ahem... I'm accompanying Silver on his trip!" Hestia replied with a smile as she touched her hips
"I heard he's your first child. You're really kind to go with him." Kaede added as a smug smile formed on her face
'She was slowly beginning to understand that the things she was told didn't depict the whole picture.'
"Fufu… You bet, I'm always by… Wait a minute, don't try to change the topic!"
"Tche…"
""...""
'The two fox girls looked in disbelief at the exchange between the Goddess and the Bunny…'
"Humph… I'm here to make sure Silver doesn't cause trouble."
'Her face then grew somewhat gloomy.'
"... I thought that if I stood by his side, maybe this time he wouldn't return all battered and bruised from his adventurers…"
"But even now, it seems he's going straight towards trouble again."
"Worse is that... This time… I'm the one pushing him towards it."
""...""
'The girls listened in silence as the atmosphere took a sudden turn for the worse, until Kaede said:'
"He's a dunce, isn't he? Always causing trouble to others, doing whatever he wants, isn't that right?" She asked as she patted Haruhime's shoulder
"Eh?"
'Haruhime was confused, but Kaede kept elbowing her waist, and in the end, she nodded reluctantly as well, not quite understanding what was going on.'
"Right, the Captain's way of doing things isn't exactly subtle; he would do well having a few classes on eloquence back in the Far East. Lady Ame would've taught him many lessons back in the Far East."
"I don't know who that is, but I'll take your word for it!" Hestia exclaimed loudly as she smugly raised her nose, her mood seemingly improved
"..."
"He doesn't know how hard it is. One day, you wake up, and everyone's talking about how your child blew up a house… Then a street… Next thing I know, it's a freaking tower!"
"Then it's the bill!" She exclaimed with clenched fists as she trembled lightly
""...""
'She must have some suppressed resentment…' The two girls thought while Haruhime smiled awkwardly
"I swear! When I find him, I'll… Wait."
'It then all dawned on Hestia, causing her to open her eyes wide.'
"Uhu?!" She gasped as her heart skipped a beat
'It was then that she realized… If he wasn't here with the girls… Just where was he?!'
'Her eyes shook as her hair moved with the weak, cold breeze…'
/Tremble…/
'The ground began to quake…'
/BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!/
/TREMBLE!/
/Roaaarrrr.../
'Suddenly, the entire city began to shake. Echoes of a powerful roar rang faintly in the background.'
'The streets began to ring with the uproars of confusion and fear as the people of Belthane ran through the wind to question what was happening.'
/Twitch.../
"G-Goddess?!"
'Hestia's expression began to twitch as she lost her calm.'
"P-Please calm down, Goddess..."
"S-SILVEEEERRRR!!!"
/THUNDER!!/
/TREMBLE!/
'Obviously, Silver was up to no good.'
…
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Notes
See you guys in a day. Or Friday... This chapter was average in size, and the next few chapters are average, so we're essentially returning to the three chapters a week for now.
Peace.