Now Materia had the idea that I obviously 'loved' Alfia as well. And she was going on about how if I wanted Alfia to open her cold dead heart to me. I needed to give her a good struggle snuggle.
To that so-called solution to becoming involved with Alfia, I could only think. 'Fucking Greeks. How could I be surprised by the results of Alfia and Materia being partially raised by Hera herself.'
But! Soon enough Materia had burned through her thoughts and remained silent.
Giving the captain's private quarters a silence that I took all the pleasure I could out of before I spoke up to change the subject. "So you and Eris are rather close? How long have you two been friends?"
Materia put a finger to her lips before she spoke with a reminiscent smile. "Hmm... It's been a long time, but this was before she went on her grand quest and she became blind. We used to come together and read copies of the same books as we had the same speed of reading."
She was quiet for a moment before she smiled and there was no sadness in her smile as she continued. "And to this day, me and her like to spend a couple of hours a week reading together. If we can get braille books we will, but if not then I will just read to her."
I nodded with a soft smile crossing my face as I imagined such a scene. The two of them undoubtedly held a friendship no weaker than the bonds of blood.
"Soooo... When do you think you can come back to Orario Jake?" Materia asked kindly quietly.
To which I exhaled at that heavy-ass question before I spoke honestly. "The dungeon... I will need the dungeon after I hit level three to keep my stats properly filled out. But otherwise, I can go after mutated monsters to get the high-quality excellia to level up."
She remained silent knowing I had more to say and after taking a small drink I continued. "See the thing is... I have a good bit of spite in myself. I can't imagine going back to Orario and running into one of Zeus's hundreds of adventurers and realizing I am totally at their mercy."
This was the fucking golden age of Orario. Zeus and Hera had literally hundreds! Hundreds of level fours and fives, and dozens of level sixes, and both Familia have more than a dozen level sevens with Zeus having four level eights. And Hera having the only level nine in the world.
And Zeus and Hera didn't accept their adventurers being a bitch and leveling up with only D-C rank stats. No they all 'if they had magic' had to be at least B-Rank before Zeus and Hera would allow them to rank up.
This meant that a level four Zeus member who leveled up with B-A rank stats would body my ass with the level boosts they had gotten. The weakest members of the Zeus Familia was still a whole level away from me possibly fucking with me.
And with how adventurers always... Fucking always took Abnormal Resistance with their level-ups, it wasn't like I could poison them without killing half of Orario as well. Certainly, all the civilians to be sure would die.
So it's not like I could do that.
Materia was quiet for a long minute before she had a wry smile and said. "Well... You don't have to worry about Hera snatching you up for her Familia at least."
I actually chuckled at that and said honestly. "I am more worried about Shenhe or Albion when I see them again."
To which Materia froze and gave a nervous laugh before she spoke. "Yeah... Shenhe went on another Grand Quest to gain more strength so you can't run away next time. She was pretty upset at you tricking her."
"And Albion?"
Materia's face had a number of expressions crossed over before she shrugged with a weird expression remaining on her face as she said. "I don't know... Albion always keeps her cards close to her chest and after a day she seemingly lost all interest in finding out where you were."
'Huh... That's odd, and doesn't make sense with how much the Empress is known to be a nanny for the Hera Familia. And micromanaging everything she can that doesn't interfere with the Familia member's growth.' I wondered.
It truly didn't make sense to me honestly.
And so... While Eris continued to being an overpowered level 7 mage idly throwing nukes into the lake to kill monsters for her boredom. I just relaxed with Materia and we moved from the stools to a couch with Materia snuggling up to me as we just talked about our lives lately.
-
Back in the city of Melen however a goddess was idly stroking her finger along the rim of her wine glass that was filled with the wine that Jake Bariss had given her.
"Elanor my darling, what do your elven eye's see upon the lake of my target." Kusanali spoke with a forced calm that wasn't mitigated by using a meme the mortal wouldn't understand sadly.
Elanor, the Captain of the Kusanali Familia... And the abandoned hidden child of Hera's Captain the Empress gave her goddess a worried look before she spoke slowly. "My lady... Jake is seemingly getting a lap pillow from the Flower of Hera."
Kusanali's drifting finger froze before her face twitched. But through sheer force of will she made her face become placid again before she mused aloud. "I see... Hmm, that bitch in heat Freya will assuredly have her own interesting reaction."
She couldn't help a snort of amusement at the thought of Freya snapping and sending her level sixes in Ottar and Mia Grande towards Jake and them both getting obliterated by Eris the Sword Maiden.
Now that was a creature who had truly taken the feat of the goddess-given Grand Quests and realized their potential.
There was a silence before Elanor slowly spoke up. "My lady, how goes the preparations for... My own Grand Quest."
Kusanali paused before she threw the highly skilled mage and archer a look before she spoke slowly. "It's all but here my dear. The fool Maxim not willing to spend a month traveling to the deepest floors of the dungeon, is feeding massive amounts of monster stones to the Amphisbaena."
Elanor froze and without hesitation said honestly. "The Amphisbaena is considered a level 6 within water and who knows what abilities it will have when it mutates from being fed monster stones. Should it come to Melen through the side dungeon entrance, I alone won't be able to slay it."
To which Kusanali took a sip of the delightful wine her obsession had obviously chosen just for her. Before saying calmly.
"Your goal of breaking Albion will come, my child... I promise you that. But this trial... Isn't yours alone. A grand tale of a monster threatening to destroy the most populated city in the world being defeated only due to your aid will be more than enough to give you a powerful skill and the Excellia to level up to level five with all A and S rank stats."