This is a pretty neat chapter, I like it, definitely up there even if not much happens in it that is "exciting".
Enjoy!
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"Wawawa?!..."
I-I'm!!...
/Shine!!/
""?!""
'Due to a wave of unending excitement as she pictured a bunch of imaginary, non-realistic scenes, Hestia ended up momentarily releasing a portion of her Divinity, causing Marcus' expression to change as his mouth opened wide in both shock and awe.'
'Her hair began to ascend as it began taking a crimson hue, like the setting sun in the sky, her hair turned prismatic pink as light emanated from her body.'
"..."
Damn.
"A… A Goddess?! I-I apologize for my indiscretion." Marcus said as he bowed slightly
If a Goddess is here... This must be his Goddess.
To think he would come after us to introduce his Goddess to us... He's troubling her quite a bit.
But it seems like their relationship is more than just that... This didn't sound like a joke to me...
Oh my...
"Eh?"
'Hestia's expression went from ecstasy to confusion, and then, realization...'
Why is he apologizing?
Wait… Oh no…
"Sigh…"
'Meanwhile, Silver exhaled in frustration.'
Maybe I came out too strong, I should've known she would be unable to restrain herself... Worth it still.
Still, Hestia is still unable to proclaim our relationship, not without dying of embarrassment.
It was fun to tease her a bit though, will definitely do it again some other time.
'While Hestia realized she had broken her act, Silver continued:'
"She's my Goddess, Hestia."
"And this is my father, Marcus."
"I-I see, I'm honored Goddess, welcome to the Village."
"I can't welcome you in the name of the others, but I'm sure they would all be deeply happy and honored by your visit."
"Eh? Ahem… There's no need for such formalities..."
"Besides! Isn't it time you stepped up too?" Hestia asked in an embarrassed tone as she looked at the side
/Step/
"Wh…"
Oh? Another lady? Maybe this is his... Wait...
Another Goddess?!
'From the side, Artemis appeared as she stepped out from behind a tree, approaching them with light steps.'
'It was clear to feel the Divinity surrounding her, Marcus wasn't blind and even if he was, it would've been evident still.'
'The thing that confused Silver was why she was showing herself like that...'
"I'm Artemis, it's a pleasure meeting you, Marcus." She said in a formal tone as she smiled slightly
"..."
There goes my plan...
'Originally, Silver planned to introduce both Artemis and Hestia as normal human girls since he was afraid of overwhelming his parents, exactly what was happening right now.'
'First, he would introduce Hestia, and then Artemis, not because he favored one over the other but mostly because Hestia threw a fit saying it was her right to go first.'
'Being either that or together.'
'Why was this separation needed? Because they were otherworldly beings, possessing both beauty and a demeanor someone who lived their entire lives in a Village by the mountains wouldn't understand.'
'Or even if he did, it may confuse them or draw suspicion to their identities.'
'Silver wished to be able to change things as time went by and to reveal who they were and the extent of their relationship, but nonetheless, since his plans were foiled, he would just be transparent with them and showcase the truth.'
'At least, be as transparent as he was allowed to be… Regardless, he knew he would be drawing the short end of the stick with this one...'
'Though some may say he already won.'
"Hm?..."
She knows my name? Silver must've told her on the way.
... Wait a minute... No way...
""...""
"Ahem… Father..."
"?! I dozed off for a moment, I apologize. Please, get inside since it's rather chilly here today."
'Marcu's expression was somewhat awkward as he tried to direct them inside.'
'They all nodded in the end, it was indeed a bit cold. Albeit Silver raised an eyebrow as he took a step forward.'
/Step…/
'But when Silver was about to enter, his father turned around and whispered:'
"What you said before…? About the black-haired one..." He asked in a low tone as he looked around
"Father... No need to be so cautious... And I wasn't kidding."
"... I see… Then, the blue-haired one…? Is she..."
"..."
'Silver's silence told him everything he needed to know.'
"By the Gods… Wait... Is it heretical for me to say so?"
"... Even if it is, they wouldn't mind..." Silver replied with an awkward expression as he scratched the back of his head
"There were times we asked ourselves how it would be for you to bring a girl back home..."
"Your mother isn't going to be pleased with this particular outcome, you know how she is with this kind of stuff."
"One thing is a lady, another thing is a God. One would've been fine but two… Look uh... Let's treat it as if this never happened." He said as he touched his eyebrows
I'm too tired for this.
"..."
Is it really that big of a deal?
'But while Marcus became pensive, Silver narrowed his eyes as he thought about his reaction.'
"Two Goddess... I never thought..."
"... I'll try to help you out on my end, but we're going to have to keep this a secret, wasn't that your intention anyway?"
"... No?" Silver asked as he tilted his head
I wanted to keep their identities as Gods a secret, not my relationship with them.
In a sense... I can understand where he's coming from, mother is... Very down to earth...
But even if not now, I would have to eventually tell the truth, I'm not backing away from this anyway.
"Well, maybe you should be more mindful..."
"But at the same time, I don't think your mother would try to break you apart, she's just a believer of uh… 'Standard relationships'..."
"... Mostly due to that mother of hers..." Marcus whispered in between his words
"As if that was the norm…" Silver said with a scoff as he put his hands on his hips
"It is here in these lands!... Mostly..." Marcus said out loud before he controlled himself again
"Cough... I know you read about other lands and their customs, and the fact Orario is a mix of dozens of cultures, so thinking the way you do isn't exactly odd, but..."
"Your mother grew up here and she was expecting you to follow in similar footsteps as her you know?… Sigh."
'To most of the world outside of these plains and mountains, monogamous relationships like these weren't exactly the norm.'
'Even in Orario there's no law that limits or restricts anything related to marriage, although you'll see quite a few girls that are... "Disappointed" in the prospect of boys seeking such relationships.'
'This is partly due to the Gods, some may say that having a single partner is the correct way to go, but if you ask Hermes about it, he'll just say something stupid like "A true Hero gets all the princesses" or something...'
"Anyhow, this isn't the place nor the time for such talks, honestly, I wasn't even ready to speak with you about this…"
Nor do I wish to.
"To think you seduced your Goddess… And one more to boot..."
"Hey, it sounds bad when you put it that way..." Silver replied as his expression distorted
Should I say I have multiple admires?... Nah. I don't like to boast about it either, never did and never shall.
But uh... I would be lying if I said I'm not proud about it...
"Haha… A God and their children... A romantic tale as old as it can get…"
"In any case, I have a favor to ask." Marcus said as he turned his head to the side
"I was training with the kid back there in the fields, can you go fetch him up for me? You can even go and get yourself acquainted with him, he's quite the nice lad, you'll get along with him just fine."
"In the meantime, I'll get the girls introduced to your mother, once she gets used and friendly with them she'll instead be happy you bagged them."
"That's quite the term… Besides, why did you assume I 'bagged' Artemis?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Is it?"
"Her expression son, it's the exact same one your mother had when I first went to tell her parents that I proposed to her, it's been a while but I'll never forget it."
I still remember his glare... To this day I think he burned a hole in my Soul...
'Marcus looked at the sky, saying with a hint of melancholy:'
"Guess some things don't change, be it man or God."
"... Gods aren't that different from us..."
"Heh, aren't you one to tell?"
"... What's the name of the boy again?" Silver replied as his expression darkened
"Well! Aren't you in a hurry, go talk with the boy yourself!"
"He's quite lonely you know? Living in this Village with no one his age, you're the closest he has for a brother."
"But I never saw him?"
"I know, it's only a wish of mine... Don't shoo him off okay? He's sensitive to these kinds of things."
"I'm not saying I won't treat him like that, I'm asking why he would treat me like a brother?"
"Because we've been feeding him your stories all the time that's why, even though he never met you, the lad already admires you, especially since..."
"Heh, you'll figure that out once you get to know him a little, just be patient since he can be quite slow."
"... How old was he again?"
"Twelve."
"..."
Then why does it sound like he's 7 from your words?...
…
'Shaking his head in a mix of frustration and embarrassment, Silver eventually left his laughing father behind as he walked around the house, making his way to the farm fields.'
"... It's quite a nice place, a secluded Village by the mountains..."
One day, if I decide to retire, it wouldn't be a bad place to stay and relax, not like distance is a problem anyway.
And now that I know where it is, I can infer its location somewhat.
Hum... The closest Village I know of is at least half a day's journey on foot down the mountains.
It's not entirely impossible to contact civilization but it would take a while, still, considering the wagons I saw nearby, the path down the mountain from this side should be rather smooth.
'As he walked behind the house and into the fields below the hill, Silver thought about his father's words.'
"Training a kid, father must've been pretty bored… I thought I had traumatized him enough."
/Step step step…/
That must be him.
"Huff huff…"
'Running in the distance, slowly approaching Silver was a boy that seemed to be no older than 10… Albeit that was only due to his appearance.'
'He was thin, something unusual for a Village boy who walked up and down across multiple hills carrying sacks full of grain day in and night.'
'His face was childish, even a little chubby, he was rather small for his age, and everything about him screamed naiveness.'
'But that wasn't unexpected, as anyone who grew up this isolated would usually be ignorant of the world's ways.'
'People tend to say that countryside people are usually simpler and more straightforward...'
'However, there was something about this boy… From the way his eyes kept looking forward as his battered body trembled, he kept running, even when it seemed he would fall.'
'Even if he did fall, he got up.'
'He seemed afraid of something, it was evident in his expression, that he was tired... But he ran.'
"...!"
A silver-haired boy… Red eyes…
... He does look like one of those darned rabbits…
'All of that above combined... It could only be one person.'
'One boy, whose dream to become a Hero would echo in the sky, the ballad of the champion.'
'A child that had yet to pursue his ideals... One whose story had yet to begin...'
'Now, but a child running alongside the golden wheatfields.'
"... Bell." He muttered between his deep thoughts
/Step step!... Stop…/
"Huff… Huff… Huff… ?"
"M-Mr…"
"Shh, take a deep breath now." Silver said as he touched Bell's right shoulder
/Shine!/
'Soothing green light was released from his hand, washing away all of the boy's physical exhaustion, causing him great surprise as never in his life had he seen anything like it!'
'Apart from…'
"W-W-Was this… Magic?!" Bell asked out loud as his eyes popped open
"Oh? Do you know what this is?"
'Silver was slightly surprised as he looked at the young man, but as he saw his hands and clothes, he came to a silent understanding...'
Calluses? They aren't evident...
Don't tell me, my grandparents... Wasn't tormenting a single child enough? Why pull someone else into this suffering?...
"Yes!... I mean, No!" He replied as he quickly denied his own statement, closing his eyes in desperation as he realized he had committed a mistake
/Chuckle/
"No? It doesn't look like that." Silver said with a chuckle as he took out some wood branches from the boy's hair
He's rather dumb… What am I thinking, he's a child.
"Where did you learn this from?"
"... S-Secr…"
"Was it from an old lady with gray hair and a sharp look like this one?" He asked as he squinted his eyes
He's quite terrible at keeping secrets, he keeps speaking his mind.
It's as if he didn't even learn how to keep it to himself... Hum... That may actually be the case.
"Yes!... Ah?!"
'Bell became flustered once more as he realized he had been played.'
/Chuckle…/
"That's my grandmother, she won't get angry at you for revealing this to me."
Maybe only a little, but that's for later.
"Your grandmother?!" Bell asked with even greater surprise as he approached Silver
"..."
He's enthusiastic and easy to trust others…
A good trait to have, in a world devoid of malice that is.
He didn't even ask how I knew his name, quite the blunder, though I shouldn't expect much in this area of expertise, even adults may let such blunders of information pass through their ears from time to time.
Nonetheless, it proves he is pure, but it's not a great trait for a person to have, especially one that… Hum...
He's just a kid.
"Yes, my grandmother. Although it would be best if she didn't know you failed in keeping it a secret in the first place, if you know what I mean."
/Nod!/
'Bell nodded furiously, somewhat giving Silver a sense of pity, maybe the boy had experienced similar things as he did when he was smaller.'
"In any case, it's time to go back, my father told me to fetch you up, so let's go back inside since it's quite chilly out here." Silver said as he turned around
How utterly curious... Fantastic even.
To think the Village my parents moved to would be this one… Not like there were many intact Villages this deep in the Beol Mountains, to begin with...
...Probably only a handful... But still...
I had plans to find this place, partially due to this boy over here... But not solely for that either.
What I truly wanted with this place was to find Zeus, and if possible, ask him some questions…
However, that was in the past.
After a few months and many experiences meeting new people, be they mortals or more, I threw this idea away, especially after I visited the Freya Familia.
I realized that not everyone likes talking or answering questions, even if they aren't harmful.
And I'm not going to force them out either, I don't have the time to make enemies or to pursue people like that.
Still, after I canceled my previous plans, I changed them since I still wanted to come here…
Not for the boy, not for Zeus… But for the books he wrote.
Many years ago, Zeus was tasked with taking care of Bell, so he took him to this foreign mountain Village where he would be safe.
Zeus is a God that was described as perverted and a troublemaker, but to some, he's a strict and sharp individual capable of great foresight and equally harsh thinking, such as what he did to Prometheus after her blunder with the Primordial flame.
Zeus has a great love for the people of the mortal world and was said to spend a great deal of time documenting their journeys, that was how many Gods that met him described Zeus.
I came here for some of those documents...
Speaking of that, at first, I thought it was luck that this Village remained peaceful for so long, but now that I'm here, I can tell more clearly why that's the case.
Buried deep within the ground, I noticed there were scales from the One-Eyed Black Dragon hidden from everyone's eyes.
Far from the Village's hands, they protect the Village from monsters.
How they came to be here?... I don't quite know.
Maybe Zeus intentionally put them here to protect this place, or maybe the Dragon just passed through here as it flew from its clash with Albert, though I would've been surprised if it just naturally shed its scales, there's nothing impeding monsters from growing in size as they age, and as a lizard, I imagine the Dragon would shed right? Unless it's not a lizard...
Though assuming monster biology isn't always a precise endeavor...
This place may have even been its nest once... There are many other possibilities.
Would the black Dragon even shed its scales naturally?...
Regardless, here, Zeus takes care of Bell, telling him stories of past Heroes and lands… And that's what I wanted to find, it's one of the many things I still remember.
Zeus' books, the ones he wrote so he could help Bell sleep at night, and the reason behind his determination to become an adventurer.
The God of lightning, his interest in the mortal world is something that may only be matched by Ouranos' desire to maintain it.
There was no way I could ever forget that…
Those tales… They're the closest to what happened if not one-to-one depictions of those mythical stories.
What remains of them is either heavily distorted, fragmented, or subjected to the distortion of the Gods and people who don't like the way they were portrayed or wish to add their flavors to it.
Reading them may give me a heightened understanding of the world itself, maybe even the location of ancient monsters such as Antares and Nidhogg.
Maybe there are dozens of such creatures, sealed away for Heroes of the future to defeat.
Ancient Ruins holding secrets and artifacts, maybe even Divine in Origin.
Exactly what I…
/Tug…/
"Uhum… Mnn… E-Excuse me…" Bell asked meekly as he tugged at Silver's shirt
"Yes?"
I got lost in thought again, I'm not too fond of this habit of mine…
"Y-You… Are you an adventurer?"
'His eyes sparkled as he looked at Silver, they awaited a response as they held back a thousand other inquires.'
"..."
'And Silver didn't know if he was ready for the flood…'
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Notes
Yay, he met Bell, what now?
I don't know, what do you think?
Peace.