The Dance Honoring the Gods (Set after Chapter 6)
Sanjouno Haruhime
"What have you done, Haruhime?"
Listlessly staring over the side of the carriage, feeling it sway with every little bump and rock in the road, Haruhime watched the snowy landscape pass her by through the grove of trees surrounding them.
If only it wasn't winter.
She had heard tales of beautiful, picturesque seas of rolling green grass covering the landscape as far as the eye could see, of forests covered in deep green leaves or of fields of flowers blooming in all the colors of the rainbow,
And yet the only thing she got to see now that she was able to experience traveling herself was just… white.
Monotonous, cold, white snow, some drab yellow leaves and the muddy brown of the road.
She hated it.
Or maybe it was the situation itself she hated.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice? That I wouldn't know?"
Maybe in any other situation she would have enjoyed the snowy landscape, the crisp air of winter, and the fact that she got to travel far, far away from her home.
To know the world, not through books or tales of travelers, but through her own eyes.
My very own Hero's Journey.
And yet, the only thing she could think of, even more than a week after she had left the lands she was born in, was…
"That your crime would go unpunished?"
The disgust and disappointment in Oto- Sanjouno-sama's eyes. The snarl on his face.
"Do you take me for a fool?"
The hatred in his voice.
So, so much hatred that it had left her frozen, unable to retort, to defend herself. To say it hadn't been her.
But even if she could have, she got the feeling that he wouldn't have listened. Once he made up his mind about something, Senjouno-sama was difficult to convince otherwise.
Especially if it was about her. It was like he had always been… predisposed to think the worst of her.
And the mocking smirks on her older brothers and sisters' faces, relishing on finally getting rid of her, told her they thought the same.
No, not brothers and sisters anymore. Now they are the young lords and ladies of the house of Sanjouno.
And I'm not.
A gust of cold wind blew and Haruhime was wrenched out of her thoughts with a shiver. Bundling herself in her cloaks, she shook her head, trying to keep the tears from escaping her eyes.
"You okay back there, young lady? You've been quiet for a while," the pallum at the front of the carriage, Puck-san, asked.
"Ah, yes. It's just a little cold." She smiled. There wasn't a need to worry her benefactor with her wallowing. "Forgive me if I'm a bad traveling companion."
The pallum chuckled. "Don't worry about that. I usually travel with crates, any company is better than that. They don't even talk back!" Haruhime tried to giggle a little at his joke, but the only thing she managed was a wobbly smile. Puck-san sighed and sent her a kind look. "And don't worry about the cold, my dear! The nearest town is just a couple more hours away. I have some friends that there that I have to make a delivery to and will surely lend us a couple rooms for the night."
Haruhime nodded, feigning relief, but inside she was feeling a little apprehensive.
It would be the third town they stopped by in their journey to Orario, and if there was something she learned during the last two times… was that Puck-san's friends scared her.
She didn't like to assume anything about them based on their appearance, she didn't care that they were unkempt, or that they smelled badly. The multiple times she had snuck out of her previous home with her friends taught Haruhime that the whole world wasn't like the people that visited the Sanjouno estate.
But these men were… unpleasant to be around. The rude way they acted, the vulgar language they used, the… way they leered at her whenever they thought she wasn't looking. And sometimes when they knew she was.
And they always seemed mocking, amused, and Haruhime suspected it was at her expense.
She wondered why the nice Puck-san, who had kindly offered to take her to Orario when he found out she had been disowned and ordered to leave the city, was friends with those kinds of men.
Even so, despite the unpleasantness that probably awaited her, the promise of a warm meal and bed lifted her spirits enough that when she got lost in thought again, the things in her mind were more pleasant.
She wondered what kind of life awaited her in the Labyrinth City. Puck-san had told her he would introduce her to a place she could work at, but Haruhime was unsure whether to keep taking advantage of his kindness.
And besides, she… wanted more than just a job.
She wondered if there was an adventure waiting for her in the future. If her life would be as interesting as the ones she had read in her books, if she would find lifelong friends like the ones she had made in the Takemikazuchi Familia.
If she would find a home, like the one she now realized she never had.
Maybe… maybe she could join a Familia?
And like her precious friends had been for her, be a hero for others?
The sudden stop of the carriage brought her out of her daydream with a jolt.
"What are they doing here?" She only heard Puck-san's mutters due to the sensitivity of her ears, and she was surprised by the vitriol in his voice. "The rendezvous point is days away," he whispered harshly.
She looked over his shoulder and saw what had surprised him.
Some distance away, where the thicket of trees ended and the open fields started anew, there was another carriage surrounded by men and horses.
Bandits? She thought alarmingly when she saw their covered faces and the weapons they were brandishing.
"Puck-san? W-what's going on?" Haruhime asked tremulously.
The pallum sighed and smiled at her, an edge of concern on his face. "Everything's fine, my dear. Just let me talk with these men and we'll continue on our way."
Before she could get a word in edgewise, he jumped out of the front of the carriage and advanced with hurried steps to the men.
Again, her ears twitched when the voices reached her, Puck-san using a tone so unlike his kind personality that she could hardly believe it was him.
"What do you think you are doing?! The ambush wasn't supposed to be here!"
Ambush? What?
"You're late, we thought you might have had a change of mind," one of the men, an adult human with brown hair, answered with a shrug. "The boss said that we couldn't risk it with that girl."
"There was a snow storm, dimwit! There was no way I could have kept the same pace, not without risking getting her sick," Puck-san answered. "We were still doing well on time. The girl doesn't suspect a thing!"
Girl? Were they… talking about her? Haruhime felt a chill go down her spine. The way Puck-san was speaking was so… aggressive. Nothing like the kind man that had been escorting her for a week now, the same man that had been a close friend of the Sanjouno for years.
"The girl's not the problem here, it's just that you fucked up. You didn't tell us the girl was a Sanjouno," the bandit said. "You got greedy, Puck. You knew the girl was high-profile. You weren't careful enough and someone's got your trail."
"What!? She was shunned by her family. Her own sister sold her out! Her father didn't need to be told twice before he exiled her! No one cared when I plucked her out of the street!"
Haruhime was feeling the world close around her. She had to be misunderstanding something.
With shaky steps, she descended from the carriage and began to approach the men speaking.
The words they were saying… they couldn't be true.
One of her own sisters was the one that accused her? Told her father that she had taken the offering meant for Amaterasu-sama?
"And yet, we got word that a Familia took a boat just after you left. Kept asking around for the girl."
"Damn it! Must be Lord Takemikazuchi. His brats used to play with the girl. I thought I was in the clear because he hadn't been in the city for some time. What are we going to do?"
Takemikazuchi-sama? Mikoto-chan, Chigusa-chan, Ouka-san…
"We'll take the girl out of your hands and go separate ways. Need to cut some loose ends, but it'll be fine. I want to avoid drawing attention, but even if they find us, I can take care of some brats. I'm a Level Two, after all."
Haruhime shuddered. Were they… planning on killing her friends? No. It couldn't be.
"Wait! Will I get my money? I lost a nice contract due to this bullshit."
"Of course, you'll get your due. We're not… savages," the man trailed off when he met Haruhime's eyes. "Well, we got company, Puck."
This had to be a dream, a nightmare.
Puck-san was kind.
He had… he had been waiting just outside the door of the estate and had accepted her into his carriage without question… like he had been expecting her all along.
Had he been expecting her?
"Oh, Haruhime, I need to leave soon for a job, you are going to need to go with this-" "Was that true?! All those things you were saying?" Haruhime exploded, feeling a sob wrenching out of her throat as she spoke. "About my sister? About- about Otou-sama and Takemikazuchi-sama?"
The warmth drained from his face and he clicked his tongue. "You heard that, huh? Pesky ears you renards have." He then shrugged. "What do you want me to say? That it only took a few words and some coin to convince your sister to eat the offering herself and blame you? And the less we say about your father, the better. I didn't need to do anything for him, he just disowned you. "
"B-but why!? Why did you do it?" She hadn't done anything to deserve this. Nothing.
"It's nothing personal, my dear. You will be a great beauty once you grow up, and people will pay nice coin just because of your noble blood. Just business, in the end." He smiled. "You could take it as a lesson if you want, if your daddy abandoning you without a question didn't teach you anything. Some people are scum, Haruhime." Haruhime shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.
And then fell to her knees.
Just… money?
"Now, give me my part and I'll be on my way." There was the sound of steps, of steel being drawn and- "Guhh! W-why!? I did my part!"
Haruhime looked up listlessly, her eyes widened a smidgen when she saw the brown haired human had stabbed a knife deeply in Puck-san's chest.
"It's nothing personal, Puck. I told you we needed to cut some loose ends," He said coldly. "You just took the kid of a noble house of the Far East, unwanted or not." He shrugged. "We can't have that kind of connection. It's bad for business."
And then he wrenched the knife out, and Puck-san fell backwards, his life gone in an instant, red blood covering his chest and steaming in the cold air.
Haruhime watched Puck-san's body for a moment, not knowing what to feel, before her eyes meet the eyes of the bandit.
Cold.
Like the snow around them, the man's eyes were cold, uncaring. Like taking a life was nothing to him.
"Now, what to do with you?" The man asked rhetorically, inspecting his bloody knife with little interest
Was she going to die next? Without accomplishing anything?
After having her life destroyed by the greed of someone else, was she going to lose whatever little she had left to this uncaring monster? Without seeing her friends one last time?
She… didn't want that.
Standing up with a stumble, she clenched her fists tight and glared at the man.
There was some distance separating them, but she had heard him say he was a Level Two. He… he probably should be able to reach her easily. She didn't know if there was something she could do, the only experience she had fighting was her playing around with her friends, but she wasn't going to roll over and just die.
The heroes she loved so much wouldn't have done that.
For a moment, all stood still and she could swear that she had seen a smirk forming on his face… but then his eyes widened and he leaped backwards, putting distance between them.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Just in time to dodge the shower of arrows that fell on the place he had been standing on.
"HARUHIME-DONO!"
Haruhime's eyes widened, and hope bloomed in her chest. That voice! "MIKOTO-CHAN!" The sound of horses galloping approached with haste, and Haruhime turned around, just in time to see her friends' horses weaving through the last couple of trees behind her and stopping right by her side.
And then she was being hugged by Mikoto-chan, who had jumped out of her mount and into her arms. "Haruhime-dono! Haruhime-dono! We made it! You're fine!" she blubbered. "We-we thought we wouldn't make it in time!"
"Mikoto-chan…" She glanced up, meeting the smiling faces of Ouka-san and Chigusa-chan, and seeing the broad back of Takemikazuchi-sama standing in front of their group, facing the bandits. "Everyone… Why- Why are you here? How did you know?"
"We came to visit you after we came back to the land of Sanjouno and found out what happened, Haruhime," Ouka-san said with a frown. "It took some time, but Takemikazuchi-sama asked for an audience and he managed to get the truth out of your Family. Out of your sister. About the pallum and the plot behind your disownment."
"We-we left as soon as we found out, asking around and following your trail," Chigusa-chan added. "We-we were begining to think we were too late," she said, her shoulders slumping with relief.
Haruhime felt tears fall down again, but this time they were of happiness. Her friends, they followed her all the way here to help her?
"Ah… You truly are my heroes." She smiled, and hugged the warm form of her still sobbing friend tightly.
"Of course we are!" Ouka-san and Chigusa-chan chuckled, and she could hear Mikoto-chan giggle wetly.
"That's cute. That you think that a group of brats would be able to do anything." And with those words, dread washed over her again. "Girl. If you don't want me to kill all of your little friends, then come with me."
Haruhime felt Mikoto-chan bristle and then turn around, a snarl on her face. "You cur! If you think you are going to leave with our dear friend, then you are out of your mind!" She placed a hand on the hilt of her sword and took a step forward. "Come if you dare! I'll cut you down before you are able to put a hand on her!"
"We don't want any more bloodshed. You don't need to die for her," the bandit leader said coldly. "But if you keep getting in the way, you are giving me little choice, kids." He glanced around before he placed his eyes on Takemikazuchi-sama. "You're not going to stop them? They are going to die if they fight me- Not only I'm a Level Two, but we outnumber them."
And it was true, there were over ten men standing behind the bandit, weapons ready.
Haruhime saw all of her friends tense up and reach for their own weapons, before a chuckle coming from Takemikazuchi-sama made them stop.
"Excuse me, young man, but what makes you think you are going to be fighting my children?" he said with a grin, before shrugging off his top and extending a hand to the side of his muscular chest.
W-w-w-w-why i-is he taking off his clothes!?! Haruhime let out a "Hauu~" before covering her face on her friend's back, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment.
"Ouka! My blade!" "Yes, my Lord!" A moment later, Ouka-san threw a sheathed sword to his -STILL BARE-CHESTED- god, who grabbed it out of the air and unsheathed it in one movement.
"I would normally say we don't need to do this. That you could still get out of this with your lives," Takemikazuchi-sama said, his tone darkening more and more.
"Haruhime-dono, cover your eyes, please." Mikoto-chan turned around and hugged her, covering her sight.
"But that girl happens to be one of the few that cared about the wellbeing of my shrine, of my children, of my Familia." Pressure filled the air and Haruhime felt the air leave her lungs. Even with Mikoto-chan's warning, Haruhime still peeked out over her friend's shoulder and watched the scene that followed. "So, I'm furious."
The cold-hearted bandit leader didn't look as confident anymore. "Y-you, you can't do anything! Your Divine power is sealed! If you attack us, you are going back to heaven and leaving your children unprotected!"
"I am Takemikazuchi! The God of Thunder! The God of the Sword!" the god declared, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. "If you think I need my Arcanum to swing my blade and cut you down, then come! And let me show you the technique that puts Sword-Saints to shame!"
And then there was no more need for words
The events that followed could only be called carnage, a one-sided slaughter, when not even the cries for mercy stopped the blade of an enraged god.
And Haruhime was entranced.
Beyond the blood, and the death, and the suffering, the only thing occupying her mind was the beauty and grace behind every movement of the deity's sword.
Seamlessly flowing from one movement to the other, Takemikazuchi-sama seemed to be dancing.
It was like the dance the priestesses of Amaterasu-sama perform to honor her and the entirety of the Takamagahara.
A kagura.
-Line Break-
The Goddess of the Forge (Set After Chapter 11)
Hephaestus
Metal was more fragile than people thought.
The complex process used to turn what most would consider a lump of useless rock into something that could be called a weapon was one that had taken mortals centuries to develop, even with divine assistance.
And yet the end result could prove to be a brittle mess if no proper care was taken while making it.
Skipping the normalization of the ingot, unevenly shaping it, using the wrong temperature while hardening and tempering the metal, or even ignoring what could seem like the most innocuous, smallest crack.
Just one of those things could lead to the weapon breaking under pressure.
Hephaestus had heard other gods compare the forging of a weapon to how some Adventurers grow. They were molded by their Falna, their Familias and their gods, tempered by the dangers of the Dungeon, sharpened by their encounters with the monsters found there.
And sometimes they broke, because they weren't properly prepared for those dangers.
Hephaestus didn't like that comparison, it likened her children too much to weapons.
She had spent decades honing her abilities in the Lower World and, even without access to her Arcanum, Hephaestus was almost infallible when it came to forging. She could hear the singing of her hammer against the red-hot metal and feel where to hit it to shape it to her wishes, she knew by heart and by fact the correct temperature to properly harden and toughen her creations, and she knew all the proper ways to fix and maintain whatever she made, and yet… and yet she knew that weapons breaking was something inevitable.
Hephaestus didn't want to think that of her children.
Even if the world tried its best to make her change her mind.
Lost in thought as she may be, Hephaestus' hands still stoked the flames in her furnace, feeling the heat hug her comfortingly. "A little too much…" she whispered to herself. If she tried to temper in these flames, the piece she was working on would only be more brittle.
Taking care of lowering the temperature by moving the coals around, Hephaestus held with her tongs the hammerhead she had been working on for the better part of an hour and placed it in the furnace.
After she had finished her work for the day, and some of the work she was supposed to do the next day, Hephaestus still felt… restless.
And so, after moving everything she had crafted today to the side, she had started the small project almost on a whim, as a way to discharge some of the leftover tension she had been feeling since she met him… but still, that wasn't reason to be sloppy in her work.
It had to be perfect.
It would be her new student's first hammer, after all.
And considering his abilities, it would be embarrassing if the first creation she presented to him after he accepted her tutelage was flawed in any way.
Especially since he will remember it forever.
Even as the door of her forge opened, Hephaestus kept her focus on the furnace. If whoever entered her domain unannounced and uninvited while she was working had a problem with that, then they didn't deserve to be here.
But she could probably guess who it was.
"You're late, Tsubaki. I expected you to be here a week ago," she said as she spun her tongs so the heat was distributed evenly. "I was about to replace you with a Level Two." Almost three weeks with no contact, she'd like to say it was unheard of when it came to her captain, but then she'd be lying.
Her captain snorted. "I'd be up for it. I'd kill for more free time for my own forging." She heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and Tsubaki letting out a tired sigh when she sat. "Sorry about the delay. But hey, we found an undiscovered mithril vein in floor twenty-one. It's been some time since we had first dibs on something like that, so I made a deal for part of the haul with our dear Braver," Hephaestus didn't have to look to recognize the smirk in her voice. "and extended the whole expedition to take advantage before the news spread. Got quite the haul to go through."
"I bet." Hephaestus got the feeling that Finn got the smallest possible part of that deal. Tsubaki's forging skill was not the only reason she was chosen as the captain of her Familia. She was ruthless when it came to negotiations. "Everyone came back okay, then? No lasting injuries?" she asked, finally taking the hammerhead out of the furnace and sinking it into a vat of water, letting it cool. The hissing of steam filled the room as Hephaestus finally turned around and met her captain's eye.
"Eh, just a couple bumps and bruises from our trek back. Nothing that was worth wasting a potion for." She shrugged.
Hephaestus sighed in relief. "Good. That's… good."
Tsubaki hummed, leaning closer to look at the hammer she had been working on with some curiosity.
"So…" She began after a few moments of silence. "We came across Atticus testing his shiny addition as we came in. He told us a little of what happened." Hephaestus grimaced. She hadn't intended to hide it, of course, but she had wanted to give her tired captain some respite after a long expedition. "Gregor is probably still outside, bawling his eyes out." Right, those three's party leader had been one of those that had left with Tsubaki. "He really loved that arrogant little shit like he was his own kid."
"Tsubaki." she said sharply. Rath may have been a little problematic but to disparage him now of all times?
"What? I never said it was a bad thing!" her captain complained. "Do you know how many times that little shit told me he was going to take my place and make me his woman? I respected his bravery if nothing else."
"Didn't you beat him up every time he said that to you?" Hephaestus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"And I respected his balls every single time he returned for more." Tsubaki shrugged, a grin on her face, before she dropped it with a grimace. "What a mess of a supposedly easy mission, huh."
Hephaestus nodded.
The mission had been supposed to be a simple one.
Westmount had been one of her Familia's trading partners for decades. Its iron mines and its relative closeness to Orario, paired with the fact that it served as a nice stopping point for caravans coming and going from Solingen, meant it was a priority for them to be assisted when they needed it.
So, when Hephaestus received a missive asking for help cleaning out some goblins from their nearby forest, she promptly sent a party to deal with it.
Honestly? She had thought the party she sent had been a little overqualified for such a task, the three of them having consistently gone down to the ninth floor- and lower with their leader- to gather materials without incidents.
But the mission had been important and she had wanted to be sure it would be accomplished.
Who could have known that an old hobgoblin of all things would be living so close to a town, unnoticed?
"Gregor coddled them too much, they should have known not to risk it." Tsubaki sighed. "I probably should start partying with the kiddies again. I've been trusting others to teach the Level Ones the basics… but if the result is them being overconfident enough to fuck up like this, then I need to check how they run their parties," she grumbled. "It's a miracle that even two of them returned after that."
A miracle, huh.
She was probably right.
What else could you call the fact that a human with enough combat ability to kill monsters even without a Falna was coincidentally staying in the same town?
A human that would be accepted by the Goddess of Justice herself, the type of person that would risk himself to save them.
"I'll have a drink in his honor later, I think that that guy would have preferred that over people crying for him." Tsubaki shook her head, before looking around the room, her eyes stopping on the multiple items she had crafted just today. "To be honest, I expected you to be sulking, but you seem unusually fired up, goddess of mine," she said with a grin.
Sulking, huh?
To be honest, she had indeed sulked after learning of the disastrous mission, but not in the way Tsubaki had imagined.
Shamefully realizing how little she had been a part of Rath's growth as a smith even though he had been her child, Hephaestus had spent the few days after learning of his death going around her children's forges, and personally assisting them in their projects, trying to focus her sadness into productivity.
Because, while she did give group classes whenever she had time, it didn't excuse her spending less time guiding them one on one.
And well, about why she was unusually fired up? She can only blame him.
"I guess you could say that I found something nice to distract myself with." She smirked at the intrigued look on her captain's face. "I took on a new apprentice, someone unrelated to the Familia, but with amazing talent."
And that was putting it mildly.
Tsubaki's grin turned a little sharper. "That's high praise coming from you. Is he that good?"
Hephaestus shook her head. "He hasn't forged anything in his life. If anything, I had to convince him to accept my tutelage."
There was a beat of silence.
"...what."
Yes, that was the reaction she expected from her captain after being told of someone with talent in her profession not using it.
Even Hephaestus hadn't been as offended as Tsubaki was.
"Yes, he is quite set on being a warrior. Not without cause, of course. He's the one that handled the monsters that threatened Westmount and saved Atticus. And that was without a Falna."
Tsubaki's eye widened. "So the kiddies met him, a talented warrior and possible smith, without a Falna and didn't bring him to you...why?"
"Because he got nabbed the same day he saved Atticus." Hephaestus sighed. "He's the new Astraea Familia Vice Captain."
"Astraea? Didn't they all…?"
"Most of them, yes. There's only the captain and him now, so you can understand why he would be hesitant to commit to becoming a smith. I would have been more upset if he had accepted without any thought."
Tsubaki grimaced.
"This guy better be the second coming of Crozzo for you to put up with that wishy-washiness," she grumbled, but Hephaestus knew that she understood. "Having the talent means nothing if they're not ready to put in the work to nourish it."
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that." Hephaestus felt a smirk come to her face. "I won't let him languish in mediocrity. He did say he was going to surpass me, after all."
Tsubaki barked a laugh. "Ha! I take it back, this guy said that he was going to best a goddess in their domain and meant it? I like him." She grinned. "You think he can do it? Become a better smith than Hephaestus herself?"
Hephaestus nodded without hesitation. "Anyone can do it if they put in the work. It might take years, decades, centuries, but I trust that it will happen." She tilted her head. "For him to do it? Only time will tell."
With his abilities he had a better chance than most but she wasn't going to reveal some of his deeper secrets, not even to her captain.
Such was the deal she had made with Astraea.
And besides… She loved Tsubaki, but the moment her captain heard about the full scope of his magic, she would run to the Astraea Familia home and either chain the poor man to a forge…or to her bed. If there was a man that would interest her captain was the one with his peculiarities.
And she wasn't about to let her break Astraea's heart like that.
Tsubaki huffed, and was about to speak but Hephaestus raised a hand.
"But." She met her captain's eye and smiled sharply. "I have the feeling that if you slow down and dally too much, he will be your equal in less than a decade."
She would make sure of that. If with what he had shown to her, he couldn't get to the level Tsubaki was now in less than ten years, she would personally send him to Goibniu, because that would mean she was a failure as a teacher.
There was a beat of silence.
"Hooh? Is that so?" Tsubaki smirked, her eye burning with determination.
And that, Hephaestus thought, is the sound of the fires of competition being lit. She smiled.
If there was one thing that made smiths grow like nothing else was competition.
And Tsubaki sorely lacked equals in this city.
…I wonder if you could make me feel the same some day, Shirou Emiya.
-Line Break-
-A little more than a week before.- Chapter 9
Hephaestus hadn't expected much when she came to see her children this afternoon.
She had been a little concerned about Ashe and Atticus forcing themselves to work and ignoring their mental health, so she came to take a look and offer assistance if they needed anything.
Especially Atticus, after the loss of his arm.
Hopefully Hephaestus would have a solution for that soon.
She knew Miach had recently commissioned an arm for his child to the famous Dea Saint of the Dian Cecht Familia, so she wanted to have a talk with him to know more about it, and have a better idea of the process before she told Atticus about the possibility of a prosthesis.
But for now, she just wanted to be for them as much as she could in their trying time.
That her visit coincided with the one of their savior, the young man that had risked his life to save her Atticus and that had retrieved Rath's last creation, had been a nice surprise though. Especially since him being here meant that Astraea had finally returned to the city.
He was a nice kid, and his friendship with her two children might mean a closer business relationship between their Familias.
No, she wasn't still disappointed that in the past, in spite of their friendship, Astraea's precious children had chosen Goibniu's Familia as their equipment supplier.
Not at all… But she wasn't going to complain if this friendship brought more work to her children.
She was a businesswoman, after all.
Offering the materials for his weapon had been both a heartfelt thank you for his actions, and a way to allow Atticus and Ashe the best chance to impress him with their skill. She wasn't going to meddle too much in their relationship, the bond of a warrior and their smith was a very personal one, but offering help and guidance? That much she could do.
And so she had taken Ashe to the side to offer some pointers for her next work.
Of course, that was the moment Shirou Emiya decided to show off his magic.
"Trace On."
Rather than hearing the words, Hephaestus felt them.
Like the echo of an echo of a thousand hammers hitting all at once, like the memory of the heat of a lit forge warming her skin, like the mirage of the sheen on a freshly sharpened edge.
With those words as a catalyst, a weapon had been forged in a moment.
She turned from Ashe, the words she had been saying dying on her lips, and saw that, in the hands of Astraea's child, a longsword manifested in a flash of light.
Unbidden, the heat of her Arcanum threatened to burst from its restraints and the senses that she had buried deep in her body, her divine affinity with all things created from a forge, surfaced. And all she got in that instant before she reigned herself in, during that unintentional glance to the history of the weapon was… a mess.
"That… where did that come from?" She found herself asking, having approached the pair talking without realizing. "You made that? With just a short-chant spell?" Two words. Only two words and he had forged a weapon.
With his magic.
"Ah, yes?" Was the unhelpful answer from Astraea's child.
"But how? It's made out of magic, but… the metal is real. Real iron was processed and turned into steel. The wood and leather of the hilt came from a real tree and a real animal. It… it was made hundreds of years ago by hands that were not yours, and yet it's freshly forged as well. How can it be?" she rambled, trying to make sense of what she saw.
Yes, if one were to look superficially, everything was as normal as it could be
But it was all fake.
All facsimiles of true materials, but facsimiles so realistic, so indistinguishable from the real thing that… had she not seen it being created, she would have been fooled.
It was freshly forged, and the forging process was not something she hadn't seen before, one similar to the one those without a blessing and without the Blacksmith Development Ability use.
But it couldn't be.
With her Arcanum sealed tight, the information she could get from her senses was… barebones, but she had the impression that it had been centuries, more than a millenium, since this sword had been forged… and she knew for a fact that some of the techniques used to do it had not existed then.
It wasn't enough. She longed to unravel her divinity, to dive deeper and deeper, to understand how this came to be, from where this weapon came from, but she knew that if she tried again, this time intentionally, she would only get a one-way ticket to Heaven.
"That's because it's not real, Lady Hephaestus," he answered with a small grimace on his face, and she had to keep herself from flushing when she realized she was smothering the room with her divine presence. "You could say it's just an illusion of a real sword I shaped with my magic energy."
An illusion.
A combination of two spells he learned before becoming Astraea's child. One to analyze and understand the makings of an object, its physical structure and its history to the point that he was able to use another spell he himself developed to create copies of those objects he understood using his magic.
And as he explained how he never considered the implications of using such a skill to learn how to create rather than to fight, she only felt dismay.
Because he just didn't understand.
For him, combat was the only thing his abilities were good for. He understood every weapon he used his magic on, but there was no pride in him as a craftsman- no, if anything, he seemed ashamed in his creations.
That wouldn't do.
He was not her child, and if his fondness when speaking of his goddess was any indication, he more than likely wouldn't consider a transfer, but if she let this young man go without even offering her teachings, she would bring shame upon her title.
So offer she did.
"Despite how little I know you, looking at this sword, I understand. You may want to be a warrior but I know you were born to create."
Placing a hand on his chest, she felt something in her chest stir. Once more her Arcanum threatened to unravel, and she had to hold back a shiver.
"Let me teach you," Hephaestus declared. "That talent you possess, I won't - I can't- let it go to waste. You may not be one of my children, but allow me, the Goddess of the Forge, of Blacksmiths and Craftsmen, turn you into a smith."
Her hands longed to craft, her ichor sang to her to work. Why? Why did her divine essence locked deep inside of her reacted so strongly to his presence?
Meeting Shirou Emiya's bronze eyes, awaiting for his answer, Hephaestus felt like she was standing near a forge, an uncompleted blade in her hand.
-Line Break-
The next following week passed almost in a flash, as she spent whatever time she had outside of her projects going around her children's forges and trying to distract herself from other… irritating matters.
Such as her meeting with Dian Cecht.
Irritating as the man could be, she knew that his Dea Saint was starting to be considered the best prosthesis maker in the city, so she wanted for her to do Atticus' arm. After seeing her work in person, thanks to Miach letting her meet his little Naaza, she knew that her reputation wasn't an exaggeration.
Many would have probably balked at the price she had to pay for the commission, but Atticus' creations tended to sell well and he was pretty confident that he would be able to pay her back in less than a year.
And even if he didn't she wouldn't have minded, but her child had been adamant in his intention of paying back every Valis.
Then there was the fact that even a week after they were expected to be back, her Captain and the members of her Familia that had left on a expedition with the Loki Familia had not returned.
If it wasn't for the Falna telling her they were alive she would have worried. Instead, she guessed that it was either Tsubaki losing the notion of time while she was gathering resources or, knowing her, locking herself in a forge in Rivira and forging the week away.
And well… the last thing plaguing her mind was a certain red-haired rookie that had yet to return with his answer about becoming her apprentice.
Hephaestus hadn't given him a time limit, of course, and she knew that he must be busy with his goddess, settling back into the city… but she would be lying if she said she hadn't been waiting for the day he would come back for his sword with some impatience.
Still, she had managed to distract herself with helping her children with their projects, so the time passed quickly enough that a part of her was almost surprised when the day came and she found Astraea in front of her home first thing in the morning, wanting to talk to her.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, Hephaestus," Astraea said with a smile as she took a seat in one of the communal rooms of her home. "I didn't exactly give you a notice that I would come."
"It's okay, I did tell your child to extend an open invitation to you." Hephaestus took a seat as well and chuckled. "Really, I don't mind. I've been keeping busy this week, so I can afford to slack an hour or two for a friend."
Astraea giggled, "Oh, I'm glad. I've been wanting to come by and catch up with you but I spent most of my free time last week either cleaning my home or in meetings with Ganesha to arrange for Shirou's patrols. And, well, learning about the city once more," she said with a tired smile. "Things have changed around here, but I feel like we are as busy as ever."
Hephaestus nodded, agreeing. "Peace brings prosperity, but also complications." And then she grimaced. "Ah, sorry, I shouldn't be complaining that my Familia is busier than ever before." And to the woman who had lost almost everything for that peace, to boot. Hephaestus sighed. "I'm glad you are back, Astraea. This city will be brighter with you and your Familia around."
"Ufufu, thank you for your nice welcome. We might be starting almost anew and might only have Shirou active for now, but soon enough, the Sword and the Wings of Justice will shine as brightly as before," she said, placing a hand on her chest. "And I hope that I can count on your help to make my vice captain grow as much as he can. If there is anyone I can trust my Shirou with, I know it's you."
Hephaestus smiled, genuinely touched at the words but then she blinked. "Vice captain? Is there anyone else…?" She trailed off when she remembered the events after the tragedy that befell her friend's Familia. "Gale Wind. Is she your Captain? Is that okay? Wasn't she…?" she trailed off, seeing Astraea's expression fall.
There were a lot of rumors and hearsay surrounding the events, but most agreed that Gale Wind had been blacklisted after her attacks and eventually left the city. Was she back?
The last time she heard something about her was when a group of merchants that had worked with Evilus was arrested by the Guild. There was a big power vacuum in the mercantile side of the city and she heard that some of those that rose to the top credited the Gale Wind for getting rid of their competition.
Then, nothing.
Astraea grimaced. "It's… a work in progress. The sins she committed weigh heavily on her and she's hesitant to return." She sighed. "Even if she were, she wouldn't be allowed to work with the Guild so for now the position remains vacant."
Then Astraea winced guiltily.
"We made an arrangement with the Guild to eventually dismiss her blacklisted status, but that is still far in the future. Hopefully, my Familia's contributions would help expedite the process."
Knowing Rayman Mardeel, the head of the Guild, Hephaestus knew what kind of arrangement he likely made with Astraea. So, money or help keeping the order in the city.
Hephaestus wouldn't say anything, it wasn't her place either way, but she knew that there were gods that weren't going to keep quiet once they heard of this.
I hope you know what you are doing, Astraea. She thought grimly. And I hope it's worth it.
Many will relish on the opportunity to besmirch the Goddess of Justice's peerless reputation. To bring her down to their level.
"So, I hope you understand that there are some things we need to prioritize and that, while I'm overjoyed you offered Shirou this chance, we need to have a talk about some details of the apprenticeship."
Hephaestus nodded, having expected as much even without the context.
Having another god being involved in the growth of your child was a… she wouldn't call it a taboo, but many gods and goddesses prefer to be the only figure of influence in their children's Falna.
Even if they were friends, Astraea was right to feel the need to add some caveats before she accepted her meddling.
One of Astraea's worries was about time.
The Astraea Familia was involved in the protection of the city, but it was also an exploration-type Familia.
To have one of her children -the only active one now- spending a lot of time in the forge learning under her might be a slight problem if it interfered with any of his Familia activities, as Shirou Emiya would need the time to organize expeditions into the Dungeon and patrols of the city. And it wasn't like Hephaestus had a lot of free time either.
They would need to spend some time later making a timetable that fit both of them.
One thing was sure, Shirou Emiya would have a busy time ahead.
"I would also like your discretion about certain matters," Astraea said seriously. "There's some details about Shirou that we are trying to keep under wraps," Then she sighed, fond exasperation in her expression. "but he doesn't have a lying bone in his body, so he will more than likely tell you soon enough."
"Details, Astraea?" Were it anyone else telling her this, Hephaestus would have felt a lot more suspicious, but she trusted Astraea.
"Shirou's… special," she finally said, fiddling with her fingers, her expression becoming soft. "And don't just mean his abilities. His origin, his past, and…" she trailed off, seemingly cutting herself from revealing more. "I won't say much, but I want you to promise me that whatever you learn about him, you will keep it a secret."
Hephaestus fell silent for a moment, pondering. If anything, all this secrecy was making him all the more interesting to her. What could the rest be, if his ability to recreate weapons was one of the things he felt comfortable revealing?
"As long as this does not affect my Familia, then you have my word, Astraea. I won't spread around whatever he tells me."
Astraea smiled guiltily. "Thank you, Hephaestus, and I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I understand." Hephaestus knew how some of the other deities acted, especially those that came down just for entertainment. Learning that Shirou Emiya was interesting would attract the wrong kind of attention. "Anything else?"
"Nothing that would be urgent." Astraea shrugged. "Like I said, I'm happy with this arrangement, I was just concerned about-" then she perked up, and pointed a finger at her. "Ah yes, one last thing! Don't get seduced by Shirou," she said seriously.
…
Hephaestus snorted, trying to contain her mirth, before she failed and started to chuckle.
"Astraea, please, I thought we were having a serious conversation," she said in between chuckles.
"What?" Astraea asked mulishly, but Hephaestus knew her enough to see the amusement in her eyes. "This is a serious matter. My Shirou is dangerous, if you are not careful you will find yourself charmed," she warned before adding with a pout. "And then you will use your feminine wiles to lure him away from my Familia and into yours."
"Feminine wiles? Me?" Hephaestus asked incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous. What do you think people do in smithing classes?"
Astraea huffed. "Hey, it's a legitimate worry, you don't know how unfair he is. When you see how he keeps saying the sweetest stuff with a straight face, you'll remember my words." She sighed, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Always making my heart skip a beat, and he does it almost unconsciously."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. She had thought that Astraea's words were coming from a goddess worrying about their new child being snatched up, but… Why was that the more she talked about him she sounded more and more like someone talking about their lover?
Still, Hephaestus wanted to nip this from the bud, just in case.
She smiled. "Astraea, you know I wouldn't do something like that." The moment Shirou Emiya accepted Astraea's blood in his veins, was the moment he got off the market for recruitment in her opinion.
Yes, there are other deities that do try to recruit other's children, be it by charming the mortal, or challenging the Familia to a War Game, but Hephaestus wouldn't do something like that, especially to Astraea.
Astraea sighed. "Yes, I know. I feel silly, to be honest. He tells me time and time again that he won't leave but I always worry anyway. It's just that…Shirou's kind and selfless, so I worry he wouldn't say anything even if he was unhappy." She smiled, sadness in her eyes. "You have a lot more to offer than me and his magic would be a nice addition to your Familia, and I… I'm always taking advantage of his kindness, and have done nothing for him, even though he always comforts me."
Hephaestus' eye narrowed, not really expecting this self-doubt coming from the usually confident Astraea. It was a little surprising that this was the same woman who had walked amongst the aftermath of Evilus' attacks treating wounded people.
Either the loss of her children had affected her more than she let on, or… or she had another reason for worrying about Shirou Emiya in particular. As I thought, Astraea is…
"...That sounds like you are bragging," she answered after a moment with a smirk. "You sure you don't want me interested in him?"
Astraea giggled. "It does sound like that, huh? Maybe I shouldn't mention that he's a great cook as well, then," She added and Hephaestus chuckled.
They fell both in silence for a moment, before Hephaestus decided to just come out and ask.
"So… you didn't come here just because of the apprenticeship, did you? Those were legitimate worries, but it was nothing so urgent you'd have to come before he arrived to discuss them. You wanted to talk to me without him here." And Astraea's wince told her she was correct. "So, spill. What are you so concerned about? It's something related to Shirou, right?
Astraea kept silent for a little more but then sighed, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks.
"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked, almost childishly. Hephaestus huffed a laugh and nodded. "It's just that having met Shirou, and getting to live with him this past month has been wonderful. I… have grown to care for him deeply- Hard not to when I got to know him. I see a lot of my previous children in him, Alise's passion and bravery, and some of her recklessness, Ryuu's righteousness, Maryuu's kind nature, and even some of Lyra's mischief." She took a deep breath before continuing. "And yet… lately my feelings for him began to shift. So similar and different from what I felt for my girls that I'm unsure of what those feelings are."
Huh, like I thought…
She had her suspicions when she saw Astraea's expression soften whenever she talked about him, but it was a little… shocking, to be honest, that she was right.
"Have you fallen for him?" It was blunt and to the point, like a hammer blow, but that was what Astraea needed.
No more doubts, or wondering. She came looking for an answer.
"Have I? This… warmth I feel whenever he looks at me with that softness in his eyes, or when he speaks with me with nothing but honesty and care in his words. And then those smiles of his that send my heart aflutter… is this what falling in love feels like, Hephaestus? Am I in love with Shirou?"
"...That does sound like it, yes," she found herself answering, feeling a smile form on her face. Of course it would be the smiles and kind gestures that makes Astraea fall in love.
Innocent love suited her the best.
"Everyone feels it differently, of course, so you don't have to worry if your experience differs from what other people say love is. It isn't strange for couples to be platonic, despite what some people think." Astraea looked at her inquiringly and Hephaestus had to clear her throat. "I meant that some people might think that sexual attraction and, well, sex is the most important part of a relationship, but it's okay if you don't feel that."
Hephaestus didn't have a lot of experience, and the less it was said about the experience she did have, the better… but she did read a lot of books in her spare time.
Relationships didn't -shouldn't- have to be dependent on sex to be wonderful and fulfilling.
She wished more people realized that.
She'd have some pity for the poor guy, but one couldn't expect the Goddess of Justice and Purity to-
"Oh, I feel that as well," Astraea said with a nod.
What?
"I mean, he's attractive, don't you think? He's handsome and… well, I saw him shirtless a few times, and I quite enjoyed the sight…" Seemingly unbidden, her eyes became half-lidded and a not-so-pure heat entered them. The blush extended, covering her whole face and part of her neck and chest, her whole body seemingly heating up just by thinking of him. "This empty feeling in my stomach, this need to feel his touch on my skin, his body against mine… That's sexual attraction, right?"
Hephaestus felt her own face heat up a little and had to shake her head. To see the Goddess of Justice and Purity, one of the three heavenly virgins, like this was almost wrong.
Shirou Emiya, I wonder if you know how many enemies you will make amongst the gods once this becomes known?
"It's actually quite hard to focus when I'm updating his Falna. Especially when I feel how much joy he feels by rescuing people," she muttered the last part, and Hephaestus had to look away when her seemingly pure friend started to rub her thighs together, almost lost in thought.
I really did not want to know that the Goddess of Justice gets aroused by her child being heroic.
Hephaestus cleared her throat. "So, are you going to tell him, then? Pursue a relationship with him?"
Astraea jolted, like she had forgotten Hephaestus was there and was reminded by her voice.
"...Would he mind, do you think? I feel that he also cares for me and he seems to enjoy spending time together with me," she mused. "How do you know if a man is attracted to you? He gets all flustered when I tease him, but I know that he enjoys it a little bit."
Hephaestus sighed, wondering why she of all people was stuck as a relationship advisor to her inexperienced friend.
Hestia wouldn't have given me this kind of trouble…
Still, she smiled exasperatedly at the joyful expression in Astraea's face.
She did enjoy romance stories. Seeing this love bloom would be interesting if nothing else.
"Ah, do you think I should stop with the teasing? Or be more bold? He's a little shy, so I wonder if I should take the lead?"
Although…
She won't mind if I start to work on something while I listen to her, will she?
There was only so much someone could brag about their love to her single friend before it started to get annoying…
I really need to hit something with my hammer.
-Line Break-
"Then, even if it takes me hundreds of years, I will surpass you, Hephaestus."
Hephaestus froze.
In any other occasion the fact that he used her name directly might have been enough to shock her. She didn't relish in it, but she knew the way mortals acted around gods. Deferential, subservient, respectful.
It was almost instinct.
Only those that spent years around a god could look beyond their divine status and see someone.
For her, beyond her fellow gods and goddesses, only Tsubaki was familiar enough to act less like a servant and more like a friend. And that took decades.
Shirou Emiya talked to her -and to Astraea, now that she noticed- not like she was a goddess, but an individual.
Did Astraea notice? This… strangeness of his? Is this part of the reason she is so taken by him? Because he sees her as a woman, instead of a goddess?
Some might find it insulting, but for her? It was… refreshing.
But no, even as she went past that initial jolt of surprise, what interested her the most was that she could see nothing but pure conviction in his eyes, and that his words held no falsehood.
He believed he would do it.
Why couldn't some of my children have half of this confidence?
That's the one thing she demanded of her children; to not settle for mediocrity, that if they were going to become a blacksmith, they better become the best.
How many times had she had this conversation before? How many had nodded and said they would do it but not truly mean it? How many had outright rejected being able to one day surpass the goddess of the forge?
Far too many.
To become greater than a god in their domain was a lofty goal. Some would say it was an impossible one
But she wanted that.
For someone to overthrow what most would believe to be the natural order of things and rise even higher than her.
And he said he would do it, just because she told him to.
"When you see how he keeps saying the sweetest stuff with a straight face, you'll remember my words."
"...oh."
She glanced at Astraea, who was looking at her child with exasperation.
If he says stuff like this to someone he just met, then… "I can see why you…" she trailed off. She could see why Astraea got so taken by him.
He was quite interesting.
Even as the conversation continued, and Hephaestus thought that there wouldn't be more surprises coming from these two, she felt content about how this whole situation ended.
Yes, he might not be her child, but Hephaestus had the consolation of at least having him as her apprentice.
She couldn't imagine a world in which she was cruel enough to even try to separate these two. Astraea had suffered enough, and she wouldn't even entertain the idea of adding more to that.
It wasn't until he decided to reveal the truth of his abilities that she realized what exactly she had inadvertently lost to her friend.
Someone born to possibly be the greatest human smith in history.
-Line Break-
"Before we continue, there is something I need to come clean about." Hephaestus raised an eyebrow at the guilty expression on his face. "I kept something from you when I explained my abilities last week."
"Oh? Did you?" Curious. When he explained his abilities the previous week, Hephaestus hadn't felt any lies coming from him. She wondered if she was about to be disappointed. Was his weapon copying ability not really as impressive as he implied it was?
"Sorry, where I come from magic is considered something… private. Those that practice it keep it secret, so it was almost instinctual for me to not reveal everything," he admitted. Hephaestus blinked, that was a strange custom. But, well, from his features and his name she could assume he came from the Far East, and she wasn't as knowledgeable about their culture, especially about magic. "But if you are going to teach me based on my abilities to read the history of weapons… then I need to tell you the true scope of my skills."
She glanced at Astraea, who nodded. So this was one of those things she was expected to keep secret. "You don't need to apologize, even here it is normal to not reveal everything to people outside your Familia. I can understand the need to be discrete." She smiled, settling in her seat. "Then, if you are sure, I still have some time to hear you out."
Shirou sighed, and scratched the back of his head. "I think I told you that my Tracing was something I developed out of a more basic spell, right?" Hephaestus nodded. "The basic spell is Projection and it's used to create hollow, incomplete copies of objects." He grimaced, distaste clear on his face. "The projections made using that method are… crap. Brittle, weak, and all around useless. I think some mages use them for rituals, but I'm not entirely sure, to be honest."
"And yours are not." It wasn't a question. There wasn't anything hollow or brittle about the sword he showed her last week.
"Mine are not," He agreed, and there wasn't any bragging in his voice. It was a fact. "My father wasn't the best teacher when it came to magic and he died before he could really get far into his lessons, so I was mostly self-taught."
Hephaestus had to keep the grin out of her face when she saw Astraea grab one of his hands in a show of comfort. Shirou smiled kindly at his goddess and continued.
"In the end, I unintentionally made a different, more advanced version when I was a kid and didn't even know I was not doing it correctly until my last teacher corrected me," He explained with a grin.
Hephaestus chuckled. So he came up with an improvement just by accident.
"The materials, the forging process, the history it accumulates over time, was it? Is that what you developed? The information you get from your other spell to bring your copy closer to the real thing?" Over the past few days, she had gone over the conversation she had had with him time and time again. Thinking of the ways she could use that insight in the inner workings of objects to accelerate his training.
"That's what I told you the other day, yes." He nodded. "And it's in some ways true, so that's why it might not have registered as a lie in your senses."
"But it's not the full truth," Hephaestus noted.
He nodded once more.
"I do need to use the spell… for items that are not weapons. For weapons, I only need to see them to understand them."
Hephaestus froze. Was he saying that if it was a weapon he could get the necessary information to fully recreate them with just a… look?
"You only need to… see them?"
"That's right. I have an… affinity with weapons that lets me read every detail from them if I just see them. The concept behind their creation, the materials they are made from, the skill and processes used to make them, the experience they accumulated during their existence. Everything is analyzed, understood and then I can use my magic energy -my mind, I think it's called here?- to create a copy from that information."
Hephaestus let out a shuddering breath, once more not detecting a single lie in his words.
He was as sincere as he had been since he started speaking.
His senses… they are just like mine. The way he understood weapons, the way he could delve into the history of them, it was just like what she used to be able to see before she descended.
Yes, Hephaestus had always understood. Weapons, tools, armors, shields, everything related to her domain, she could understand, she could read like an open book, she could create and recreate.
There had been no challenge, no hurdles to overcome, no technique that was beyond her.
She was the Goddess of the Forge, but she had never needed to actually learn how to use it. She just always knew.
Descending had been a way to… reinvent herself. Seal all that separated her from mortal smiths and just start anew.
What she knew she could not forget, the countless techniques and processes for crafting were a part of her as much as her arms or legs, and there was some part of her that understood crafting and tools better than any mortal… but everything was different.
Everything was interesting again. Everything was a challenge. She could fail, she could learn.
She had never regretted it. There was not one day she wished she had stayed in Heaven.
But sometimes she missed the deeper connection she had with her domain, the way she had been able to read and understand weapons and tools.
And now… now she had found a human that was able to do the same.
Hephaestus leaned forward, a smile blooming on her face. "How long does it take you to get a complete read, to fully understand a weapon?" He had said just a look, but it couldn't be so easy, right? "Is it hard to understand? Do you need to do multiple readings to remember it?"
"Ah." Shirou leaned a bit backwards. "Its... automatic. I don't need to focus on it- Like I said, every piece of information is available with just a look, and as long as I see it, I will remember it forever, so it's just a matter to focus on the weapon I wish to read at any given time." He huffed with some amusement. "If I focus, I can recall the knives I used as a child when I first began to cook."
Hephaestus sucked in a breath. Forever?
"So you really don't need a spell? You just understand any detail from any weapon you just see?" She leaned forwards even more, she needed to see him properly. She wanted to know he was not lying. "And you remember this forever?"
"Ah, yes, that's basically it." He leaned a bit backwards, but, again, she just advanced a bit more. "It's… easier with swords, daggers, spears or anything with a blade in it, but I can also remember maces, bows, even shields. And, well…"
"Trace On."
She shuddered when she saw a warhammer appear in his hand. She really couldn't get enough of seeing -of feeling- that happening.
She wondered why now the sensation felt so familiar… but then she took a good look at the weapon.
Hephaestus sucked in a breath. "That's…"
"Rath's warhammer." He nodded. "I saw it for the last time in Westmount, and never again, but it's still fresh in my mind."
"If I didn't know the original was still in my office…" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. Ashe and Atticus had brought it back to her, and she had put it in a special place in her office. As a way to remember him, just as she had done in the past with others. "And you know how it was made? Rath's forging process?"
"From the first strike of a hammer."
Once more, Hephaestus had to breathe deeply to calm herself. Astraea was right, he really was an unfair man.
"And that's not all of it, Hephaestus. He doesn't only know the weapon's history," Astraea added, from the side, and Hephaestus felt a little embarrassed that she had forgotten her friend had been there the whole time.
"I can also imitate the skills of the user of the weapon thanks to my tracing." Shirou glanced around the room, before he pointed to the forge she had been just using. "For example, if I traced that hammer, I can copy your skill with it to a certain extent… and that's only because my body is different from yours, so I'd have to compensate." He explained.
It was… incredible. To think that a human would be able to develop something like this without the blessing of a god.
The ability to perfectly recall and also then imitate the skills behind its making, to the point that he would be able to perfectly recreate the skill she had used by copying one of her hammers.
This… changed things. The methods she used to teach others would be inadequate for him, and squandering the advantages he had by forcing him to follow a set path of learning would be stupid.
She needed to rethink her approach before he came back for his first class.
And the reason for this ability, so close to a divine skill, to surface in a human was, according to him…
"My elemental affinity is Sword."
That.
At that moment, she both thanked and cursed the fact that Astraea was her friend.
Because if she wasn't, she might not have been able to resist trying to recruit him, even if it meant going to war for him.
And even so, it was a close thing.
So close that she was glad that Astraea had come to talk to her this morning, because if there was something that would deter her more than just common decency, was the fact that she would be meddling in other people's love.
And seeing them both together was enough for her to tell that they were both deeply in love with each other.
She was sure they both would have a lot of troubles going forward. She won't add to that because of her selfishness.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't tell her friend what she thought.
"Astraea."
"Yes, Hephaestus?" Astraea asked, an amused smile growing on her face.
"Can I retract my word of not trying to recruit your child to my Familia?"
Astraea's smile widened. "No."
"Astraea?"
"Yes, Hephaestus?"
"I hate you."
Astraea giggled. "Oh, please, I know you don't."
-Line Break-
Astraea Record (Chapter 12)
Ryuu Lion
"So, you helping Shirou today means that you are considering my offer, Ryuu?" Ryuu Lion sighed. She had been dreading this question.
Part of her wanted to avoid answering, wanted to say that she still didn't know, that she needed time to consider her options.
But that would be a lie.
Since she had left Stardust Garden the night she had reunited with her goddess, she already knew what she was going to answer.
Meeting the eyes of her reflection in the tea she had been drinking, Ryuu gathered whatever dregs remained of her courage and looked up.
"I am." she answered. "But I… still think it's a mistake, I have no experience in leadership and, as we saw today, no talent for training Adventurers. I can't compare to Alise who always seemed so bright, so sure of herself. I can't imagine myself taking her place. Even my justice withered in the face of tragedy."
Lady Astraea sighed, and then a sad smile surfaced on her face. "I think you underestimate yourself. Alise and I… we always admired your belief in justice, your burning desire to save everyone around you, even when the world itself seemed to reject your beliefs. You… you were the hope and future of the Astraea Familia."
Ryuu's eyes widened. Alise had…
"You were inexperienced -and still may be-, yes. But who is not at the beginning of their journey?" Lady Astraea extended a hand and grasped Ryuu's. "Mistakes have been made. Both you and I failed in the end. You abandoned Justice and have gone down the wrong path, and I let you do it unopposed- No, I may as well have encouraged you to do it. And the only thing we can do is atone, whatever way we can."
"My lady…"
"I'm not asking you to be my Captain because I'm looking for perfection. I'm asking because I know you still can grow, still will grow, as long as you want to do it." Lady Astraea shook her head. "Even Alise had her doubts, as much as she disliked showing that fact to you girls."
"Even her… I can't ima-" Ryuu cut herself off. No, her lady was right. Even if what comes to mind when she thought of Alise were her at her brightest, at her bravest, Ryuu knew that her captain had had her own doubts about justice.
"Let's keep on looking for our justice! Justice keeps changing its form, but with our unchanging will, we can keep chasing after it! So keep going, without fear, ever forward!"
"You know I'm right, don't you?" Lady Astraea said with a small smile. "So, don't worry if you doubt yourself. Even if you may have made the wrong choices, even if the sky is covered in clouds, you can still find your star shining high above. We can still find it. Help me protect the peace that their sacrifice, your sacrifice, created. Join me, Ryuu."
Ryuu fell silent for a moment, and then she let out a long, deep breath.
"If I accept…" Ryuu couldn't quite contain a smile when her goddess gasped happily, and had to smother it before continuing. "If I accept, then what are we to do about me being banned? I can no longer work with the Guild, my lady, how will I work as your captain then?"
Then Ryuu got to see something she wasn't used to seeing.
Lady Astraea looking guilty.
-Line Break-
"Fifteen million, huh."
Ryuu sighed.
She hadn't known what to expect, but to be honest she really wasn't surprised when her goddess told her of the deal she had made with the Guild Head about her punishment.
Both because she was aware of Rayman Mardeel's materialistic reputation, something surprising for an elf, and because she really should have known that her goddess would have tried to get them to revoke her blacklisting the first chance she got.
It didn't stop her from feeling wracked by guilt, though.
Fifteen million Vali wasn't an unfathomable amount of money. Even if they were often busy chasing Evilus, Astraea Familia had reached the forty first floor of the Dungeon. That kind of money had been between the ranges each of them could easily earn on a single trip, and could just as easily be spent on equipment or supplies for the city.
But for a Familia with a single active Level One member? Well…
"That kind of money could take months for him alone to collect, and that's if he only focuses on that," she noted.
"We know that, and it's not something we are making a priority yet." Lady Astraea nodded. "We are focusing on increasing Shirou's Basic Abilities and getting him used to the Dungeon for now. We'll worry about the money later."
And it's not like he would have been able to accumulate that amount in the first four floors. Not in a reasonable timeframe. "... Is that why he's rushing so much? Because he wants to help me?" Ryuu didn't know how to feel about that if it was the case, other than being confused.
No, that was ridiculous. She was aware that she hadn't given the best first impression, so why would he?
Lady Astraea sighed and shook her head. "Shirou wants to help… everyone. Getting stronger, reaching lower levels in the Dungeon, getting better equipment, it's all for him to be better prepared to be a hero of justice," she finished with a fond smile.
In spite of the seriousness of the conversation, Ryuu felt some amusement. "It's like he was made for this Familia."
"Right?" Her goddess giggled. "So, no, you don't have to feel responsible for him being reckless, but I can't deny that if he has the chance, he will do his best to help you. At the rate he's going, it won't take much for him to decide to start focusing on that. Especially since he's not spending any money in his explorations other than the occasional potion for now."
He's not spending-? Ah, his weapon creation magic, and his healing artifact.
Equipment and potions, the biggest money sinks for rookie and veteran adventurers alike.
So… less than a year. No, at the rate he's advancing, it wouldn't surprise her that he would be able to comfortably gather money even faster and accomplish it in a couple of months.
"I won't force you to go into the Dungeon if you truly don't want to." Her goddess continued before a complicated look crossed her face, a mixture of guilt and fear. "But I was hoping you'd eventually let him join you when he grew strong enough to not hold you back. Shirou is… reckless, and doesn't seem to worry much about his own safety so I'd feel reassured if he was with you." Was she… scared for him?
Some part of her, the part that had analyzed every interaction she had seen between her goddess and Emiya, wondered if she worried because he was her newest child… or if there was something deeper.
Either way-
"...I have some money saved up. Remnants of what I had before that day we went to the thirtieth floor to catch the Rudra Familia," Ryuu admitted. She wasn't planning on using that money, anyway. "Around two million stored in different places. I will see about bringing it to you. It won't be enough, but it can free you from using money for necessities."
-she came here already decided that she would join back.
Lady Astraea shook her head. "Ryuu, I-" and trailed off when Ryuu raised a hand.
"Please. It's ultimately for me, and you're planning to use Emiya's money, so why not mine?" she reasoned, and Lady Astraea sighed deeply and nodded. "I can't help Emiya gather anymore and I don't make a lot of Vali in the bar, not enough to help… but I can make him stronger, I can teach him how to survive." She straightened up. "But first I need to ask you a question, my lady."
"Of course, Ryuu, feel free to ask whatever you need to ask," she said with a smile.
Ryuu hesitated for a second, and took a deep breath. "Are you in love with Emiya, Lady Astraea?"
Her Lady froze for a moment… and then her cheeks gained a rosy hue and she raised a hand to her chest.
And then Ryuu had her answer.
-Line Break-
"Oh? You're back, Lion." The voice of Mama Mia welcomed her when she entered the Hostess of Fertility. "I was wondering if you were going to take your… shift. Hm." She trailed off.
Ryuu walked until she stood in front of the owner, her shoulders squared, determination burning in her eyes. "Mama Mia. When I started working here, you said that I was going to work until I paid you back for the repairs."
"I did, yes," Mama Mia replied, a knowing look on her face. "What of it?"
"In a couple of months time I won't be able to work here as much, but I want you to know that I'll pay you back every Vali." If anything she'd do it faster that way.
"Oh? You going back then?" Her boss smirked. "To that accursed place."
Ryuu let out a shuddering breath and nodded. Even if returning to the place in which her friends perished made something in her recoil, she knew that she must.
"I will. Once Emiya gets strong enough to accompany me, I will start taking regular trips down there. I will probably eventually join in his patrols as well." That, her Lady said she would discuss with Lord Ganesha. Another masked Adventurer patrolling around wouldn't be strange.
Mama Mia snorted. "So, I guess it won't take long at all. I know the look I saw on his face, that ironclad will. That kid won't stop until he has achieved what he wants. It won't surprise me to see him as a first-class adventurer in a couple of years." Then she took a long look at Ryuu. "It's the same look you have now, Lion. It seems you found your wings, brat."
Ryuu's eyes widened, but then she huffed, a sarcastic smile crossing her face. "I wouldn't say that… but I seem to have found a reason to take my blade again. Just in time, I guess. I found myself terribly rusty lately."
Mama Mia cackled. "Good! Good! It wouldn't do to settle now when a newbie is soon going to start nipping at your heels." She grinned, a fierce look overtaking her face. "I still have my weapon stashed away. If you want I can shake that rust off for you."
Ryuu smiled, feeling some excitement in spite of herself. It had been some time since combat of all things could do that for her. Facing a Level Six? "Whenever you want, Mama Mia." That would certainly put her back in shape.
"Ha! Not now for sure. Go get changed, Lion. You still have work to do here."
Ryuu nodded, and went up to get changed. It still was early for the shift change, but it wouldn't hurt to make some more money.
Looking at the reflection in the mirror, at the blue eyes that seemed to have a fire lit on them, at the green hair that was starting to fade from the roots back to her blonde, Ryuu Lion sighed.
"Kaguya, Lyra, Neze, Iska, Maryuu, Asta, Ryana, Noin, Celty… Alise," she whispered, a prayer to her dear friends.
"Are you in love with Emiya, Lady Astraea?"
Her Lady froze for a moment… and then her cheeks gained a rosy hue and she raised a hand to her chest.
The smile that graced her goddess' beautiful visage, was joyful, embarrassed, and more than a little nervous.
"It seems that I am, yes." Lady Astraea giggled airily, seemingly giddy by the words coming out of her mouth. "I am in love with Shirou."
It was the smile of a maiden in love.
So there was only one thing that Ryuu could do.
"Please, for one last time, I beg of you. Lend me your strength, even if it's just a little." Ryuu clasped her shaking hands in front of her face. "Please, help me protect Lady Astraea's happiness."
At that moment, it felt like she was standing in front of her friends. Their expressions, instead of pained or sad, looked proud. Alise nodded with a bright smile, and with a little wave, she turned around and left, the others following after their leader.
Ryuu didn't follow, didn't want to follow.
She was the Captain of the Astraea Familia now. She had to stay.