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"Hum… Okay."
"First, there is an issue that needs to be addressed." Silver said calmly
The details regarding this mess go back to Ais, and despite it all, I have no idea of many circumstances surrounding her.
It would be best to not run my mouth without some consideration of who may be hearing it.
"This is a story that can and will get very personal, so I would like to warn you of that…" He asked as he looked at Ais
"Personal? With Ais? What does this have to do with Ais?" Tiona asked with a frown
"Everything... It has everything to do with her... Family." Silver said slowly
Her parents...
But it seems they don't quite know... It's all on Ais anyway.
"!!"
'Ais's eyes suddenly opened wide, in a sense, she was waiting for this, but at the same time, she wanted it to not be the case…'
"Ais' parents?" Lefiya said with wide eyes
'It wasn't like this was a taboo topic within the Loki Familia, it just so happened that in the busy days of normal life, such a topic never really came into her mind, or those of many people to be honest.'
'After all, most adventures were like that, with Family either far away, buried, or they had some sort of tragic tale about them...'
'Since it isn't hard to think that, if you were a caring parent, would you want your child to risk their lives every day in the Dungeon?'
'Few are those whose parents are adventurers and go with them to the Dungeon.'
'So overall, Family tends to be a bittersweet topic in every adventurer's mouth.'
'Still, it's not like people didn't get curious about one another, especially when it's about Ais... It just never passed through Lefiya's and the other's mind.'
'But even if she could ask Ais, she wouldn't be able to hear an answer as Riveria and the others would put a stop to her question by changing the subject, just like they did with many others.'
'They were always actively keeping the subject a secret until Ais was ready to share it with others… Something she had yet to do.'
'The only ones who seem to know what is going on with her past are Loki and the Top Executives, Finn, Gareth, and Riveria, who surprisingly, were not present here...'
'Perhaps that was Loki's plan all along?'
"I..." Ais said, hesitating greatly
/Silence/
"Ais?... Are you…" Lefiya said, worried and shocked
'Was she not a friend? Someone she could trust and open up to?'
'Why was she hesitating? Ais of all people?... Something must be wrong!'
'Lefiya tried to lie to herself in order to think of an excuse, but what Loki said next cleared her chaotic thoughts:'
"Everyone… Would you all mind leaving the room for a moment? Make sure to check on Bete and see if he isn't causing any trouble, he already embarrassed himself enough for a day." She said with a small smile
"..."
'Tione got up from her chair, she felt it was a shame, but she knew that one day, she would learn about her friend's past, more than anyone knows how painful the past can be.'
'Tiona too, although, after they leave, she would make sure this girl knew that she could count on them, no matter what had happened to her, they would always be by their side.'
'Because they were her friends.'
'Lefiya was certainly the most impacted about this, she felt betrayed in a sense, and at the same time, pathetic.'
'She thought that she wasn't even worthy of carrying Ais' burdens, and this ignited her desire to improve, more so than ever before.'
/Creak/
'So they left the room silently and closed the door, making the atmosphere take a turn for the worse.'
"..."
Should I even be here?...
'Even Hestia felt something was wrong, much less the poor fox girl in the corner of the room with her tail between her legs.'
'Once they left Loki tsked:'
"You sure know how to worsen the mood!" Loki said with a smile
"I'm just trying to be considerate." Silver replied annoyed
"It shouldn't have been you... We should be the ones to ask such a question." Loki rebuked with a sly smile
'She looked at Haruhime and said:'
"What about that furry tail over there?"
"?!"
"Haruhime? I trust her with this matter, as long you're okay with it, of course, it's your matter after all." Silver said confidently
There can be no one more loyal than her... Not even a single word of this will come out of here... I hope.
Still, it would've been the same if those girls had remained, but it wasn't entirely a matter of trust, but a matter of her feelings.
"..."
'Ais didn't say much, she didn't mind them hearing, at least, not as much as the others that just left, Hestia was a Goddess while Hruhime had a meek personality that made Ais think of her as a child, just like...'
"Then it's resolved." Loki said with a serious look
'Silver smiled, took a quick sip of his tea, and continued:'
"Let me start with how I got this information in the first place since I'm sure you are very curious about that." He said with a smile as he looked at Loki
"Looks like I got busted." Loki replied with a smile
He's more cooperative than I thought...
Thankfully, that hard head didn't fully annoy him.
Time to... Get a bit serious.
'Her eyes sharpened, gleaming slightly.'
'Silver rolled his eyes and said with a sigh:'
"It isn't as impressive as you think, the information came to me on its own, as I don't have any sort of special information network…"
"A bit before your fight... I'm sure you know who I'm talking about, that man approached me for a talk..."
/Bam!/
"Ha?! You never told me that!" Hestia exclaimed as she slapped the table
'Haruhime's tail shot up due to how startled she was by this...'
'Hestia looked at him with a frustrated gaze, she felt betrayed.'
'So Silver quickly replied:'
"Ha… I just thought it was unnecessary as it would cause you more worry than giving you answers."
"I'll make up for it okay?" Silver replied with an awkward smile
"Humph."
'Everyone seemed a bit awkward, Loki even seemed a bit suspicious about her reaction, but before things progressed further Silver continued:'
"I don't know exactly why he came after me, but I have a pretty solid theory after hearing what he had to say."
"He came after me to see if I had what he was looking for, and indeed I had."
I have no need to go super deep into his connection with my grandparents... At least not now.
"Upon confirming my identity, this prompted him to start talking and ended up in a mock fight… If you can even call it that."
"Why he did so..."
'But then Loki shook her head.'
"Wait a minute, I can understand that he was looking for it, but in the first place, why did you have it?"
"That's a good point." Hestia mumbled to herself
Why am I agreeing with her?!
"Well…"
So much for wanting to keep quiet...
No matter, not like it's a big deal.
"That was something he told me about… It's a long story and it involves my Family you see…"
"Your family?" Hestia asked surprised
To think I would hear about them here... He told me a lot about them, but never something that could be traced to this event in any way...
The only clue is... His grandparents visited him, but that also remained unsolved...
And I... Forgot about it...
'Ais' expression changed as she looked at the ground, reminiscing about something...'
'Memories of a time when she also had a family of her own, of a time when she could smile on the fields, her father running after her with a helpless smile while her mother looked at her from a green hill while the soothing wind blew on her hair...'
"Yes, but don't get the wrong idea, they didn't contribute to this situation in the least."
At least not directly...
"Besides, this was what I heard from him, so it could very well be wrong... I guess I can't really confirm nor deny it until I go back and visit my Family."
I'm distorting the truth, but for this goddess, it'll have to be enough, last thing I want is them going after my family to ask what happened.
"I'll go over everything really quickly since most details are unnecessary."
"It goes like this, decades ago, my grandparents from my mother's side used to be part of a Familia here in Orario... The Prometheus Familia."
"Hah?! Isn't that the one those bastards were part of?!" Loki exclaimed with a frown, slightly conflicted
Familias can change, from my own investigations, the Prometheus Familia was relatively well known and famous Familia...
So something must've happened later down the line.
"Well... Yes, but that will come shortly..."
"You see, like many others before them, the Prometheus Familia suffered severe losses in the Dungeon, and that caused a massive shift in the structure of the Familia, and their ideology, causing them to leave due to certain disagreements."
"It was due to a Clash of Ideas if you will..."
'He looked at Loki and said:'
"This is your answer, they left long ago, before the Familia had changed into what it was today, they are completely unrelated to their current actions, although not entirely unrelated to their goals..."
"I guess you're right... I apologize, I got a bit out of line there." She said as she shook her head
"It's okay, I can understand how you feel about them."
"Heh." Loki said with a smug smile as she remembered the day they met and the time they spend in the pub…
"Hm?"
'Hestia didn't like her expression for some reason, more so than usual.'
"Cough! Anyway, let's go back to the matter at hand." Silver said awkwardly
"My grandparents... They didn't quite leave without causing some trouble, you see… Since they took this very item with them."
"That was how it got in my possession so many years later… My… Grandma gave it to me." Silver said slightly embarrassed
I thought about this many times, and I pretty much figured out why she did so.
She probably thought it was safer to do so...
Instead of waiting for him to come after them and recover the item, she gave it to me while keeping this item's origins a secret...
However, she couldn't predict that I would grow and attract attention so fast...
"Still… That does not quite explain how it came to that Familia possession." Loki said with a frown
'Silver shrugged.'
"I would be surprised if there was a record of that..."
I do know that the scarf was previously in his wife's possession before coming to my Grandparents'... But it may be a tad too much to tell that as well.
It would come as strange for me to know that as well.
"Continue." Loki requested with a nod
"Uhum…"
'Silver took a sip of his tea while everyone looked at him.'
'Loki's and Hestia's eyelids twitched in annoyance… "How can he be this calm?".'
'Ais' expression did not change, she continued to wait as per normal while.'
'Haruhime chuckled slightly, finding it all oddly amusing.'
"Ahh…" Silver said as he fished drinking his tea
/Pinch!/
"Hm?"
'Silver looked at the side, seeing a fairly angry Hestia looking at him with an annoyed face.'
"Was. It. Good?" She asked in a deep tone, slowly, letter by letter
How can you be so calm in this situation?!
"Phenomenal, in fact, thank you Haruhime." He said as he looked at the Fox girl in the corner of the room, who had been silent so far
"..."
'She didn't say much, but her face got slightly flushed as she smiled and her tail wagged.'
'This pissed Hestia even more… And made Loki even more suspicious.'
(There was a reader that complained about the size of some paragraphs, and he used a tea conversation as a possible example, so because I was annoyed, I put this line here for the funny)
"So, continuing from where I stopped."
"He told me many things about his past and his story with my grandfather... You know how old people are... Perhaps he was simply bored, reminiscing about the past..."
"He was so friendly that for a moment, I even started to question his reasons and motives..."
"Still, there was no way I would've dropped my guard, I was dealing with a terrorist, one that had orchestrated something really massive, and even though his plan failed, it still caused quite the substantial amount of damage…" He said as he looked at Loki
"Yeah… I'm still thankful for you being there, you're quite the reliable guy." Loki replied with a mischievous smile as she side glanced at Hestia
"..."
What is she doing? This is unlike her!
'Hestia's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion…'
"Still, after going over his story, we get to the interesting part, the reason you came here for." Silver said with a smile
'Everyone focused.'
'Haruhime put her hands in front of her mouth, she was really enjoying this story...'
"He told me about what this item was supposed to be, and why he wanted it made... That he needed something to repair it."
"Hm? That was a thing?" Hestia asked as she tilted her head
The longer he talks, the less I understand
"Besides, how can a scarf be broken?"
"Perhaps broken may be a bad word to use, but it's a simple term everyone can understand."
"After all... Ancient items that aren't properly maintained for long periods of time do tend to malfunction…" He said with a small smile and in a slightly sarcastic tone
Perhaps she won't understand deeming her fame for not paying attention to her surroundings even in Heaven.
But Loki on the other hand...
"In fact, that was the reason why he attacked you in the first place." Silver said as he looked at Loki
"What?" Loki asked with a dark expression
/Gasp…/
"I'm sure you can tell if I'm lying, and this one over here would also notice if I was planning something else, so I don't think there is a need to doubt my words."
"From my perspective, his attack on you was merely a distraction, as his goal was something else entirely."
'He then looked at Ais and pointed at her.'
"Have you two not realized it yet?" He asked
"..."
'Ais shook her head, while Loki eyelids twitched.'
"His target was her. Or more precisely, her blood."
"?!"
"Have you realized now?"
'Everyone was shocked by this, even Ais, her eyes darted open as she grasped her clothes in mild anger.'
"..."
Mother…
"What was he going to do with that?" Loki asked, remaining focused
"He was going to fully repair the item... How? I have no idea, so don't ask."
"But he told me a few things... And that was the fact he needed the blood of Aria to fix it."
"A-Aria?..." Loki asked with a twisted expression
"His words, not mine." Silver replied plainly
"Aria! H… How?! How does he know such a name?" Ais exclaimed suddenly
'She got up from her chair and approached Silver.'
"Do you kno…?"
'But Silver shook his head.'
"No, I don't know how, I barely know anything about Aria herself, and despite all of the inconsistencies and suspicious I have, this is merely what he told me about."
"Yes Ais, let him finish first." Loki said as she pulled her arm gently
'This wasn't the time to play or joke.'
"???"
Aria? Who? What is happening? They talk as if it's important… Even Haruhime seems to know who it is…
So why am I the only one that doesn't know?!
'She looked at Silver with resentment, as if he was the one responsible for her current ignorance.'
'Harhuime on the other hand remained silent, blocking her surprise with her hands, she couldn't believe what he was hearing.'
'The Great Spirit Aria had a daughter?! Or was it simply a coincidence in the name?'
'Loki frowned, thinking deeply…'
"As I was saying, he was there for your blood, as to how he knew who you were..."
"That guy was an Elf, a very old Elf at that, the way he spoke made me think that he wasn't the only one aware of your existence."
"What?!" Loki said deeply
The Elves are involved in this now? I thought it was an individual act...
Riveria won't be pleased about this... Well, she already wasn't, especially when we investigated him and found out he was a Royal from another forest.
'Ais was also perplexed.'
"He knew who your mother and father were, as to how he came to know that... I don't know."
'Loki bit her thumb lightly, this was getting annoying.'
"What do you know about all of this?" Loki asked
"Me? Not much... I mean, I did know that Albert had a son..."
"You did?!" Loki asked with a frown
"I learned it from a history book... A fairy tale collection, albeit the book, failed to explain who was his mother and his name..."
There is indeed such a book out there...
...
/Far away, a white-haired young man sneezed as he read his favorite book.../
...
"But after meeting that guy, it wasn't difficult to connect the dots."
"I see... So? What are your thoughts about it?"
I need to determine his position on this matter.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't feign ignorance! You know very well what I'm asking about."
"Well... It doesn't matter to me." Silver said with a small smile
"..."
'Ais, who had been with her head dropped this entire time raised it to look at Silver.'
"If you are a spirit, or a Human, or something in between. Does that ever matter?"
"Should I look at you in any different way?... Well, I guess it makes you feel more... Mysterious?"
"Makes me feel curious to learn more about you." He said with a smile
'He started to feel awkward...'
"Urg... I'll say this once."
"I'm sure that for me, and for you as well, you're simply Ais... Ais Wallenstein."
"You may wish to follow on your father's legacy, on your mother's legacy... Or perhaps, create a new path solely your own..."
"It doesn't matter, as long as you remain yourself, you may be a half Spirit, but does that make you any less Human?"
'Silver smiled, he had spoken his lines and was about to continue when Ais said:'
"Thank you." She said in a low tone
'She was smiling, even if just slightly.'
"Cough!" Loki said, ruining the mood
Humph!
Not on my watch.
"Anyway... I imagine that what happened at the end after your fight with him was…"
'But Silver shook his head.'
"Well… I wasn't conscious when this happened, so I can't really comment on it."
That is one of my regrets.
"Nevertheless, deeming his sudden increase in strength, he must've achieved what he wanted."
"So?" Loki asked
"... This magic tool… Item… Or whatever you may call it has the very simple ability to help someone break their own limits."
"..."
/Silence.../
"Wh… You aren't making any sense." Loki said with a frown and in shock
Is it really that…
'Even Ais gasped, she knew exactly what it was it was to be limited, with each level up, she felt as it became harder and harder for her to improve, everything was becoming slower and slower…'
'Haruhime also displayed some shock, Silver found it amusing to see her reactions each time he said something new…'
'Especially when he mentioned that Ais was the daughter of Aria and Albert, she almost fell to the ground in excitement.'
'She was truly seeing with her own eyes a heroic figure from one of her favorite tales... And Silver would have to talk with her later about it.'
"..."
'Hestia was the only one that remained calm... Was that really special?'
"I know very well that it may be hard to take, I was like that as well when I first heard about it from his mouth, besides, don't play with me, I know very well that you're aware of what it does, even if just slightly." Silver said with a serious expression
'Silver looked at Loki with a deep gaze, but the latter didn't seem pleased about this situation...'
"Wh-What do you mean Silver?" Hestia asked confused
"After that event, I tried to dig into as much as I could, and I did find faint traces of this item's existence, buried away in time as a legend of some kind."
If you know where to look, you'll find faint traces of it.
Most will deem it as superstition, a fairy tale... But that is enough for me.
How could someone like this red-haired girl in front of me miss such details?
"You may not know it, due to your past, but I expected this of you already." Silver said as he looked at Hestia, making her frown in annoyance
"However, this isn't the case for a well-informed Goddess… One that is known for her intelligence." Silver said as he looked at Loki
"Oh, you're making me blush..." Loki replied cheekily
"Hey! I told you many times already, I was really busy in heaven okay?! I barely had time to look at the lower world, much less pay attention to rumors…" She said as she pulled his shoulders
'Hestia on the other hand complained…'
'Seeing her reaction, trying to make light of things, he said:'
"Well, you came to me for answers, and I gave you what I knew, even if it isn't much."
'He pointed towards Ais' scarf and said:'
"The truth, albeit crazy, cannot be denied…"
"I rest my case here."
...
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Notes
Do you think the chapters are taking too long to advance?
Really, just tell me, I'll try to advance the plot faster.
The way I write is like this:
I write around 2K to 2.5K words of story, advancing the plot.
I add from 500 to 1K words of conversations and world background while I edit.
For example, this chapter has 3.7K words, a bit over the word cap of 3K.
Well, it was 3K before I edited it, but now that I did it again, it became 3.7K.
Since I edit each chapter twice, this normally makes the chapters rather decent.
But it can make you feel as if the chapter isn't going anywhere and has a lot of conversations.
If you feel like that, just tell me, give me your opinion.
As for the future plot, there are already 20 more chapters ready, but I think we are very close to the final arc of this Volume...
I mean, I'll make a time skip and this will lead to the end arc, or so is how I plan.
I think I said this last chapter.
Anyway, I'm done here, see ya!