A Stormy Love Letter
I smell paper.
The scent of books, like the ones I remember falling deep into as a child.
"It should be around here…"
I'm standing in front of a neatly organized bookshelf in the library of our home,
Hearthstone Manor.
This room facing the courtyard is filled with row after row of books that used to belong
to Apollo Familia. The library and its contents came with the home we took as our
spoils after winning the War Game.
The immense collection had been amassed by Apollo and his followers, so I had been
a bit hesitant to read them at first. But Daphne told me, "Feel free to read whatever
you want. You won them fair and square. Besides, no one bothered to take any on their
way out, so they're all yours now." Our goddess even said the books wouldn't want to
be left alone, covered in dust, so now I come here to read whenever I have a moment.
Haruhime and I use the library often. And our goddess does, too, though it's mostly
because she loves all the different forms of entertainment the mortal realm has to offer
rather than the books themselves. I've also been adding to the collection by buying
anything that catches my interest from time to time with my small allowance, so the
shelves are getting pretty packed. We are going to need to think about getting a new
shelf soon.
At the moment, I'm looking for a certain book amid that maze of shelves.
"There it is."
I spot it on the upper shelf of the bookcase where the stories about heroes are kept. I
stretch to reach the thick tome.
"Dungeon Oratoria…"
The chronicle of Orario. A compilation of the city's legends and the journeys of a great
many heroes. I crack open the book I consider the bible of my youth. I flip through the
pages until I reach the final chapter.
"The hero Albert…"
A legendary hero who was known for his unparalleled strength. Many considered him
to be one of the greatest figures to ever stand in the mortal realm, a man who was
recorded not only in the Dungeon Oratoria but in countless other fairy tales and
stories as well. As I stare at the illustration of a spirit and him challenging a titanic
monster with a single sword in hand, the events from the other day come to mind.
—Are you visiting someone's grave, too?
The morning after Elegia's tribute to the fallen heroes and adventurers, I ran into Aiz
at the Adventurers Graveyard. She was leaving flowers at the jet-black monument
erected for the ancient heroes, in front of the gravestone in the middle of the monument
that had been placed for the hero Albert.
"Wallenstein… Valdstejn."
Albert the Great is known by many names and one of them is Valdstejn, the Mercenary
King.
In ancient times, mercenary was a common label for someone who explored the
labyrinth. In other words, the king of mercenaries was, in essence, the king of
adventurers. And the Sword Princess had laid flowers at the Mercenary King's grave…
I can't help but suspect there's something more than simple coincidence linking the
strongest of ancient times and the current generation's strongest.
"Valdstejn's name… apparently isn't in this Dungeon Oratoria."
I flip through the pages but can't find any mention of the king of mercenaries.
This is a copy of the Dungeon Oratoria. The original was written over a thousand years
ago and has been transcribed countless times since then, but this is definitely an
official printing.
The only reason I know the name Valdstejn is thanks to the copy that I read in my
hometown back when I was a kid… the copy my grandfather wrote down for me.
Most would probably consider that a questionable source, and it might be right to just
laugh off the name Valdstejn as a figment of my grandfather's imagination.
But…
…I really don't think that was just something Gramps made up.
What are the chances he invented a tale to amuse me that also just so happens to line
up perfectly with Orario's actual history? Is that truly coincidence?
I don't really have anything to go on other than gut instinct, though.
Is Aiz the descendant of a hero…?
It isn't that shocking an idea for anyone who knows her. If anything, it makes a lot of
sense. Not too much of a leap that the girl known as Orario's strongest warrior might
be connected to the great heroes of old.
But something feels off. I can't really nail down why.
The expression I saw on her face that morning as she placed the flowers in front of
Albert's grave didn't seem very much like someone visiting the grave of a distant
ancestor.
What is this confusion in my heart? What answer am I really looking for here?
And also Albert's final…
The path he took in the legends, the great deed the Mercenary King had accomplished
was—
"—? Is someone out front?"
The sound of the doorbell interrupts my thoughts.
It's coming from the entrance. We have a guest.
I peer out the library window just in time to hear an "Eep!" and see Haruhime's tail
fluttering in a panic. It looks like she has her hands full hanging the laundry, so I close
my book and leave the library. I run through the hallway facing the courtyard and say,
"I'll get it!" as I wave at Haruhime, who bows politely.
Lilly and the others are also home, but I reach the door first.
"Just a moment," I call out as the bell rings again.
I open the door.
"——"
My eyes shoot open, and for a second, I don't know what to say.
On the other side of the door is a beautiful girl who I don't recognize.
The long hair covering the right side of her face looks ashen, as if all color has drained
away from it. Her left eye is pure black, like it had been filled with darkness. But
neither detract from her beauty. Her dress is a black that perfectly matches her eye and
reveals almost no skin. The outfit practically makes her seem like a witch's apprentice.
She's human and definitely older than me, though we're around the same height. And
hidden behind her hair is an expressionless, almost doll-like face.
But… what is this feeling?
Her gaze is ice cold. Actually, I might even call it hostile…
"Bell Cranell."
"Y-yes?… Um, do you know me?" I ask, surprised to be called by name by someone I've
never met before.
"It's rather impossible for anyone who spends time in Orario to avoid hearing the
name of the record holder, no matter how much one might want to. Have the decency
to recognize just how widespread your ear-grating fame has become. And that oafish
face of yours is infuriating as well," she coolly fires back.
"Ack?!"
My cluelessness is clearly showing because she made sure to point it out specifically.
We literally just met, but she's already giving me a mouthful and looking at me like I'm
the grimiest rabbit!
I've never met a woman like her before…!
While I'm still reeling, she looks away and mutters softly:
"…If only you had never shown up."
Huh?
I go wide-eyed, but then she faces me again as if nothing had happened.
"Here."
"A—a letter?"
"From a person of import, addressed to you. Make sure to read it, please."
After delivering the message, she immediately turns on her heels, her long dress
twirling to follow. I feel a chill as I watch her go. Her very being seems to exude a
certainty that if our encounter had gone on for much longer, she might have done
something drastic. Luckily, she leaves me with only a few quiet words and the letter.
I stand there in shock until after she passes the main gate and disappears.
"What was that about?" a voice behind me asks.
"Hwah?!"
Turning around frantically, I see Welf standing there as if it were only natural.
"That isn't a love letter, right?! I don't want to deal with any more of that stupid stuff!"
"A—a love letter?! Hand delivered in broad daylight on the very steps of our home?!
For Master Bell?! Aaaaah…!"
"Calm yourself, Lady Haruhime! We don't know for sure whether it's a love letter yet!"
Wait—Lilly and Haruhime and even Mikoto?! When did they all get here?!
And quit saying love letter so much!
"How long have you guys been there?!"
"From around the time she said, 'Get lost, you revolting, uncultured goblin!'" Lilly says,
eyes flaring.
"It wasn't that harsh!" I wince at her oddly critical response.
"Jokes aside, she seemed a bit more threatening than your average visitor, so we came
to see what was up," Welf chimes in.
"You were completely overwhelmed by her presence, so it's understandable you didn't
notice," Mikoto adds.
"There was quite a lot sweat pouring down the back of your neck…" Haruhime says.
I guess they were hiding in the hallway and listening in.
Haruhime naturally produces a handkerchief and graciously wipes my still-damp
neck. When I start to blush, Lilly rams Haruhime in the hip. As she goes flying in her
maid pinafore, Lilly jabs me with her little finger.
"More importantly, what is your relationship with that woman?! What did you do to
draw her attention?!"
"What does that even mean?! I have no idea what's going on! I've never even met her
before!"
I'm totally at a loss, but I'm telling the truth. Hearing that, Lilly pauses as a serious
expression crosses her face.
"She's a member of Freya Familia."
"Huh… F-Freya Familia?!"
I hadn't expected that name to come up.
She's part of the faction on par with Aiz's Loki Familia?!
"The goddess's attendant, Ho rn. One allowed to be at Freya's side without merely
being a servant, the head chamberlain. She normally stays in either Babel or their
home in order to wait on Freya hand and foot, and apparently like her patron goddess,
she rarely ventures outside…" Lilly explains.
"A-are you sure it was her?"
"The emblem on her clothes seemed right and she fit the descriptions I've heard, too,
so yeah, that was probably her," Welf says.
Ashen hair and clad in black, she matched the rumors about the goddess's attendant.
After blinking several times, I realize something…
"Um, you said her name was Ho rn? What's her last name…?"
"She doesn't have one. At least that's what the rumors say. And she doesn't have an
alias, either."
"Eh?"
"Freya apparently refused to name her at Denatus, saying, 'This child will never
become anyone.'"
For a moment, a pointless thought crosses my mind. Being able to refuse to name a
follower at Denatus? I guess that's a privilege exclusive to one of the most powerful
familias.
But still, forgoing an alias completely? That's an unthinkable choice under normal
circumstances. There are apparently times when deities would say, "Nooo, it's too
early for them, don't give them a name that'll only dredge up dark pasts," and hold off
for vague reasons, but these titles are fairly simple and straightforward when it comes
to upper-class adventurers.
I mean, the titles granted to adventurers by the gods are supposed to be praise for
their greatest feats. As far as a familia is concerned, they are easy-to-understand
advertisements of their most glorious achievements. They are displays of the power
of your own familia and can serve as a check on rivals, too. To refuse a second name…
Freya Familia is considered by many to be the strongest group in the city. I guess you
could argue that there's no reason to be fussing over minor details once you've
climbed to the top, but…
"Since she doesn't have an alias, she's become known by the nickname Nameless."
"N-Nameless?"
"Yes. She's become famous to some extent for not having a title. A unique upper-class
adventurer."
That explains how she could be so well-known without ever showing herself.
A high-level adventurer of Freya Familia who has no title.
Why did she come here to personally deliver something to me…?
"For now, shall we look at that letter? We likely won't be figuring out anything by
simply speculating about it," Mikoto suggests.
"Ah! That's right! Please show us the contents of the letter!" Lilly adds, latching onto
the idea.
"Um, okay."
The envelope isn't particularly extravagant, and there is no familia emblem visible
anywhere on it. If anything, the neat and cute packaging gives off the impression that
a girl wrote the letter, which makes me open it all the more carefully, a nervous look
plastered on my face.
"It might be an invitation to a Banquet of the Gods like with Apollo…"
"And then another War Game? That isn't funny."
"Being attacked by the faction that defeated Ishtar, is that our fate…?!"
"Crouch down, Master Bell! Let Lilly see, too!"
No one can hide their anxiety at getting a letter from Freya Familia.
Leaning over so Lilly can see, I read through the folded stationary while they look over
my shoulders.
Flowery script spills across the paper:
Dear Bell,
Would you please join me on a date for just the two of us during the Goddess Festival?
Syr
…?
…Huh? Syr?
…What?
The string of letters blows away all the tension and bad premonitions, freezing my
thoughts in place.
And Lilly and the others, who had been frozen just like me, start to tremble.
""""I-it's a love letter!""""
"E-ehhhhhhhhh?!"
"Wait, Bell got a love letter?!"
Later that night, our goddess's shout shakes the rafters after she came home from her
part-time job and heard the news during family dinner.
"From whom?! Who was it?! That adviser from the Guild?! Or Cassandra from Miach's
place?! Or was it Aisha, that Amazon aiming to steal my Bell's chastity?! Or could it
have been that Wallenwhatsherface?!"
"It was Ms. Syr, from The Benevolent Mistress!"
"From the tavern, huh?!"
Our goddess is bent over the table, sweating as she cradles her head in her hands. It's
dinnertime, but with everything happening, I can't really work up an appetite…
"Sending a love letter to my Bell…! Attacking head-on after we had struck a
nonaggression pact following the initial shows of force! She's my enemy, but I have to
respect her guts! Well played!"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Goddess…"
"Incidentally, I had originally intended for that knife of yours to be called the Dagger
of Love," our goddess says smugly.
"What?!"
"Nobody asked for such useless trivia!" Lilly pounds the table.
Our goddess coughs, calming down as she turns a sharp gaze on Lilly.
"Hey, Supporter! You were here, weren't you? How could you let such a brazen attack
happen on your watch? You're supposed to keep an eye on Bell, aren't you?!"
"My apologies, Lady Hestia…! Lilly never imagined there would be someone who
would walk up to our home in broad daylight and hurl a love letter through the door…!
Upper-class adventurers are truly a group of unpredictable monsters! My greatest
failure!"
Lilly seems to be blaming herself.
Still, keeping an eye on me…? I've thought this for a while now, but they really are too
overprotective of me.
I guess they don't trust me because of what I said about harems before. Or is it more
of a "you have to consider your position as commander now, so keep it together" kind
of thing?
Either way…
I look around to see if I can get anyone to side with me, but everyone else just turns
away.
Hellooo…?
"M-more importantly, why did someone from Freya Familia deliver a letter from Syr?
That's what bothering me…" I admit that was a bit painful, but it's about time we
tackled the main issue.
Not that we can just ignore the stuff about a date, but honestly, the Freya Familia
connection is what's bothering me most.
"I haven't had many chances to interact with Lady Syr, but is it possible she is a
member of Freya Familia…?" Haruhime asks.
"There's no way. You can tell from her demeanor and how she carries herself that she
hasn't been given Falna. She's just a normal person unconnected to any familia," Welf
responds.
"Is it possible she's a noncombat ant member? Maybe not quite like Lady Haruhime
and the Pleasure Quarter prostitutes, but perhaps she's a devout follower?" Mikoto
chimes in.
"Hmm, I can't really picture Syr doing something like that…" I add.
Besides, if that were the case, would someone in the position to be called Freya's head
chamberlain go out of her way to personally deliver the letter of a low-ranking
noncombatant?
"I mean, I don't think there's much point in trying to guess. This is Syr we're talking
about, after all."
"I-isn't that a little careless, Lilly…?"
"Think about it. She's the same girl who sees through everything and always has that
sparkling smile. Can't you picture her getting along fine with anyone who walks into
that tavern, adventurer or deity?"
There's a certain sulkiness in Lilly's gaze, but I can't really help but agree, irrational as
it sounds.
Ho rn might hardly ever show her face in public, but if I imagine her standing next to
Syr… I could almost see her visiting the tavern and having a friendly chat…
Everyone pauses and sinks into thought with a chorus of hmms.
…But wait, if I remember correctly…
A memory from more than two months ago crosses my mind.
The orphanage on Daedalus Street that I found after following Syr. When I fought that
barbarian in the secret underground passage at the children's request. It was Vana
Freya who had intervened—one of Freya Familia's first-tier adventurers.
Thinking back on it now, he always seemed to be guarding Syr—
"Anyway! I've never met this Syr girl! Not even once!"
Our goddess's voice pulls me back from the deep sea of memories. Looking up, I see
her crossing her arms and pouting.
"Oh, really?" Lilly asks questioningly.
"Yes, really! I couldn't go to the last party because of my job! For whatever reason, I
never have any luck when that tavern's involved!" our goddess proclaims with a
strange sense of pride.
This feels like de ja vu. Have we had a conversation like this before? Back when the
whole city hated me because of the Xenos situation, I recall the two of us visiting The
Benevolent Mistress and her mentioning how it was the first time she had ever been
there.
"Syr's that girl who gives my Bell handmade lunches, right? I've been thinking about
paying her a visit for a while now, so I staked out the tavern in secret before going to
work!"
"When in the world…?"
"But I couldn't find her! She wouldn't show herself at all! I'm sure this Syrwhosit was
hiding in terror from me!"
"There's no reason for Ms. Syr to be afraid of you, Lady Hestia. And please stop trying
to stick extra things onto the ends of people's names."
It's pretty hard to tell whether our goddess is feeling angry or proud, but Lilly is simply
exasperated. I just plaster on an awkward smile along with everyone else.
Thinking back on it, Syr might actually be the only one from the tavern our goddess
hasn't met. She met Lyu when she helped us out on the eighteenth floor, and she met
with Ahnya and the others when she went to them for the rescue request during the
last expedition. I guess we can chalk it up to bad timing?
While thinking about Syr a bit more, I mention the other thing that caught my
attention.
"Also, what exactly is the Goddess Festival…?" I ask tentatively.
"Ah, right. If you didn't even know about the Elegia, then I guess it makes sense you
wouldn't know this, either," Welf says. "The Goddess Festival and Elegia are considered
the two most major festivals."
"What does that mean?"
"Basically, Elegia leaves the city in a sad and somber mood, so in order to brighten
things up, the two are held close together," Lilly elaborates.
"The Goddess Festival is a harvest festival, a banquet of plenty."
"So then why the name Goddess Festival…?"
"It refers to the deities who preside over bountiful harvests. The festival is centered
around those goddesses."
It's currently fall in Orario. Six months have passed since I first came here, and in that
time, the green sprouts of spring had come and gone, the summer sunlight had passed,
and now harvest time is here. Apparently, the Goddess Festival begins when the deities
of the harvest declare the opening of festivities and the city partakes in the full bounty
of the season. Harvest celebrations like that were a fun thing in the village I grew up
in, too.
"I've only heard about it from my brothel sisters and various customers, as I haven't
experienced it myself, but it's said to get quite lively. And there are lots of sweet fruits
all around." Haruhime smiles slightly.
"That's right. It's a wonderful celebration. A scant two years have passed since I first
came to Orario with Lord Takemikazuchi, but it was quite a spectacle and had the same
feel as a mainland festival."
Mikoto, who helped make dinner with me tonight since it was our turn, sips at her
miso soup while reminiscing about past festivals.
Thinking of shared history and mourning the fallen, followed by a cheerful festival
celebrating the bountiful harvest and a belief in the future—apparently, that's what
the two major holidays are all about.
Well, that explains some things.
"Holy Night Festival, Monsterphilia, Grand Day, and the month of the gods… there are
other significant dates, but those plus the two major festivals are Orario's most famous
celebrations," Lilly says as she counts off the events on her little fingers.
After learning more about it, I'm actually starting to look forward to the Goddess
Festival, which is only six days away. Hardly any time between it and Elegia. I'm excited
about what we might get to see.
And in order to be able to focus on that, I'm going to have to deal with this letter
somehow, but…
"…So what are you going to do, Bell? I mean about that invitation…" our goddess asks
nervously.
I go silent for a moment, and while it's a bit rude to do at the dinner table, I take out
the letter. It's a very short invitation, almost jarringly anticlimactic. I've also never
really seen Syr's handwriting, so it feels surreal. Is she the type of person who would
say, "I wrote 'date' in the letter, but the truth is I just have to go shopping for the
tavern"? Like just helping her with groceries or something?
She's always been kind, if a little mischievous. Is it possible she wrote it that way to
tease me again…?
…No, that doesn't seem likely.
If all she wanted was to joke around, she could have just waited until my next visit to
the tavern. That's what she always does. Her feelings come through all the more clearly
in the letter precisely because she used a few select words rather than a slew of
elegant turns of phrase.
I still can't figure out why someone from Freya Familia delivered it, but I don't think
this can be written off as a simple joke.
"Mm-hmmmm…"
I can feel my cheeks growing hotter. I start to groan as I turn red.
Waaaaaaaaaaah! Bell's turning reeeeeeed?! Dammit! I should have said something
about going to the festival soonerrrrrrrrr!!!
Hestia's gaze was focused on his face as she cried out in her heart. Her thinking had
originally gone something like: So much happened around Elegia; maybe I should wait
a bit before asking him out on a date; I should just rake in the cash from holiday pay at
my job… She berated herself for procrastinating.
Mr. Bell's thinking about going?! But Lilly was planning to arrange something with him
if Lady Hestia didn't get in the waaaaaaaaaaaay!
Stealing a glance at Bell, Lilly held her head in her hands. The strategist who had been
shrewdly plotting a date with him cursed her lax judgment and her patron goddess's
hindrance.
An illicit tryst during the festival, nestling together from noon until night, whispering
sweet nothings to each other, before ending up in in bed together—Aaaaaaaaaaaah!
Master Bell and Syr having seven children?!
Haruhime blushed bright red as she peeked at his face. The former prostitute, having
been filled with forbidden knowledge by Aisha, had surreptitiously included Syr into
the cast as she slipped into a pink haze of delusions.
I should learn from Syr and reach out to Takemikazuchi…!
I should ask Hephaistos… no, it's too soon to aim for the ultimate summit. This isn't the
time to be thinking about love…
Mikoto and Welf looked down in deep thought and crossed their arms.
Syr had spurred them to think about the deities they loved, making them completely
oblivious to the goddess and girls muttering and trembling nearby.
And Bell, still looking at the letter, failed to notice anything going on around him.
A single letter from the tavern's idol had thrown Hestia Familia into absolute chaos.
"…For now, I'm going to go see Syr tomorrow and talk to her."
Bell scratched his still-burning cheek as he announced his decision.
"What?! You invited adventurer boy out to the Goddess Festival?!" a stunned voice rang
out from The Benevolent Mistress on West Main Street.
"Shhh. You're too loud, Runoa. You'll wake Mei and the others." Syr held her finger to
her lips, shushing Runoa as she got ready to take off her uniform.
Night had fallen, the tavern was closed, and the staff was in the middle of wrapping up
for the day. Syr, Runoa, Ahnya, Chloe, and Lyu were all shedding their green uniforms.
The other employees had already left for the other building and collapsed into a deep
sleep after another hard day of work.
"Huh?! What does that mean? Hmmeow?"
"It means Syr's going on a date with adventurer boy, you dumb cat!"
"Meeeow?! You finally went after him! And during the Goddess Festival, too? You're
really going hard! Ahhhh, my little boy's butt is in danger!"
Ahnya, Runoa, and Chloe looked positively haggard, but such juicy news could not fail
to animate them. Chloe in particular was abnormally excited. She was breathing heavily
as she stood there in just her slip as her slender limbs and tail wriggled around.
Syr covered her chest with the apron she had taken off. Her eyes were unamused as
she batted away Chloe's tail.
"...…"
Chloe raised a "Yip!" as she leaped into the corner of the room, holding her tail in her
hand. Meanwhile, Lyu had gone still and silent after unbuttoning her top. She was not
excited like her coworkers. Her sky-blue eyes were wide open as she stared at the girl
with ash-colored hair.
"…S-Syr… when did you do that?" Lyu forced the question out.
"Umm, I gave the letter to someone I know… and had it delivered to his familia's home."
Syr smiled to hide her blushing embarrassment.
Lyu found it almost impossible to string any words together. She had been told
beforehand by Syr herself, so she had known it was coming, but when the reality of it
finally hit home, she was still almost laughably stunned.
"Leaving it to someone else? That's not very like you, Syr!" Ahnya quipped as she
leaned in, her surprisingly ample bosom thrust out from her undone top.
"Why didn't you go deliver it yourself?" Runoa asked, leaving the black stockings she
had been in the process of taking off still hanging around her ankles.
"Umm, about that…" Syr's hair fluttered as she struggled to voice her thoughts. She
smiled a bit before answering. "If I went to see him now, he would just assume I was
teasing him like always and probably smile in relief… I don't think we could have a real
date like that."
She had just undeniably shared her true feelings. In fact, her expression as she said it
out loud was sweeter and purer than any of the girls had ever seen before. Realizing
from her bashful response that she was serious, Ahnya and Runoa glanced at each
other. They immediately burst into grins.
"Meow-ha! I gotcha!"
"So you finally made up your mind, huh? Then I'll do what I can to help!"
"Thank you, Ahnya, Runoa. In that case, I have a request already. If Bell comes to the
tavern, could you tell him I'm not here? If I met him now, it'd—"
"Leave it to me! I'll drive him away! I'll tell him the tavern's closed to guys right meow
and throw him off your tail!"
"You're not making any sense, you dumb cat."
Boisterous voices rang out in support, starting with Ahnya, who proudly raised a fist
to her chest in a salute as she made her declaration. Syr broke into a smile as the others
patted her back.
"…"
Meanwhile, Lyu watched the scene without moving. Seeing Syr smile and blush like
that had struck her to her core.
Chloe was the only one who noticed.
"…Are you okay with it ending like this?" she asked, her usual joking demeanor gone.
Lyu twitched in surprise.
"I—I…" She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to find the words to
say. After looking down, she finally managed to find her voice. "…That's a silly question.
Syr has liked Bell all along. I've known that and supported her. Bell is a fitting partner
for Syr… and Syr is a fitting partner for Bell."
Words kept tumbling out of her mouth, more so than normal, as she was prone to do
when she struggled with some kind of inner turmoil.
Lyu could not hide the raging swirl of emotions seeping into her voice.
"'Bell,' huh…" Chloe murmured.
The way Lyu referred to him had changed.
Chloe's eyes narrowed before she resumed her usual playfulness.
"Well, do your best not to regret your choice, whatever mew do," she said with a wave
of her hand before she finished changing and left the room.
Left behind, Lyu kept staring at the floor.
"…"
Syr did not miss Lyu's sorry state, but she quietly looked away, not saying anything.
Even shrouded in darkness, Orario was still the city that never slept. Recently,
however, the mood had changed.
The reason was Elegia.
It was considered poor taste to immediately return to the usual carousing as soon as
the memorial for heroes and adventurers was over. The deities surely would not mind,
but to mortals, death and loss were solemn subjects that were respected.
Because of that, for a short while after Elegia, generally until it was time for the second
of the two major festivals—the Goddess Festival—the city was less rowdy than usual.
It was not as if the Guild or any other governing body had arranged for it to be that
way. This was simply a natural way of being for the residents of the Labyrinth City.
The adventurers who were tipping back a drink or two at pubs and taverns went about
their drinking in a peculiar silence, either in deference to the town's mood or because
they valued these precious quiet moments, even as rough-and-tumble as they were.
After all, they were undoubtedly the ones who had spent the most time with fellow
adventurers who had embarked on a journey to the heavens.
Of course there were exceptions, but even Ganesha Familia, responsible for the city's
law and order, was able to pass this one moment mostly in peace.
The shining stars, usually overwhelmed by a deluge of magic-stone lights, were clearly
visible in the night sky, and the moon sat high above, looking down over the tranquil
city.
At the same time—
"I've summoned you all for an emergency meeting."
As if the mood of the town meant nothing to them, a certain group had gathered,
scowling and speaking in hushed, heavy tones with deadly serious expressions.
The location was the city's fifth district. This was almost the exact center of the city's
shopping district.
Cut off from the outside world by high walls on all sides was a field deep inside Orario.
This was Folkvangr, the home of Freya Familia, who was hailed as the city's strongest
faction.
An enormous manor stood at the center of the field, and inside was a room with a
round table where the familia's captain, Ottar, had summoned the faction's most
powerful members for an emergency meeting.
"What's this about, Ottar? It better not be something stupid like last time," a catman
sitting atop the table asked as he glared at Ottar with a piercing gaze.
He was about 160 celches, but despite his relatively small frame, the force behind his
words and eyes was intense enough to make the average adventurer flinch. His each
and every move was overtly aggressive. He was Allen Fromel—known by many as
Vana Freya. Despite being the second-in-command of the familia, he did not bother to
hide the hostility in his speech and actions, even when dealing with Ottar.
"You look even graver than usual, Ottar."
"Meaning you have an actual reason for summoning us here, then?"
"Do you intend to finally settle things with Loki Familia?"
"Or is it another of the goddess's whims?"
The four matching voices came from four identical prums. Despite being members of
the so-called weakest race, they had all reached Level 5. They were the Gulliver
brothers. In order of age, Alfrik, Dvalinn, Berling, and Grer were known collectively as
the Bringar, and they were widely feared by their fellow adventurers.
"Heh-heh… The Goddess Festival is nigh. The banquet of abundance shall soon be at
hand. This year, we shall adorn the festival eve's celebrations with the blood of
decisive battle… Cry out, heavens above and tremble, earth below, for I am milady's
guardian. Kh-kh-kh-kh…!"
Across from the Gulliver brothers, a dark elf, rare even in Orario, was spinning
foreboding verses like he was evoking legends and myths. His skin was ebony, and his
silver hair almost had a light purple sheen to it. From his forelocks that usually covered
his right eye to the eerie way his lips twisted into a grin, he was hailed by all the deities
as the Sick Edge Lord.
"Don't talk, Hegni; it's just a waste of time."
A white elf, who could be considered in some ways to be the standard of elfdom,
berated the dark elf. Despite being of the same race, his appearance was the polar
opposite. His blond hair was as long as any woman's, while his skin was pale and
smooth. A brilliant coral-red hue was set in his eyes, over which he wore glasses,
exuding the impression of a consummate intellectual. He had been blessed with a
beauty even deities found remarkable.
This was Hegni Ragnar and Hedin Selrand. Though neither of them intended it nor
desired it, they were often mistaken for a pair, and both were overwhelmingly
powerful magic swordsmen.
Looking around the room at the almost too unique first-tier adventurers of his familia,
Ottar got straight to the point in a painstakingly weighty tone.
"The reason I summoned you is for nothing less than Lady Syr. She will be going on a
date with Bell Cranell."
No one bothered pointing out the absurdity of such a large, clumsy warrior speaking
the word date so seriously. Indeed, there was a clatter as several of the people around
the table leaped out of their seats. The shorter prum brothers even stood atop their
chairs.
"What do you mean, Ottar?"
"Lady Syr and that rabbit?"
"None of this makes any sense."
"Explain!"
"A report has come from Ho rn. Our charge—Lady Syr—has invited him out. A
rendezvous for just the two of them during the Goddess Festival. Moreover, it was a
serious invitation and not merely a common jest."
Ottar explained what he knew in workmanlike fashion.
Shock was visible on the four prums' faces as he broke the news.
"Wh-what…?"
"Seriously?"
"And during the Goddess Festival?"
"Wait. What do we do about protection, then?"
"Naturally, we split into two," Ottar responded to the four brothers again.
Hearing that, everyone there knew exactly why they had been summoned that night.
"We will decide our roles during the Goddess Festival now—who will be responsible
for protecting our goddess, and who the girl."
As understanding spread around the round table, the first to speak up was Hegni.
"Our mistress governs over abundance and fertility, so reigning at the center of this
great city is only natural… and thus it is inescapable that the girl of fate must be placed
upon the scales… However, I propose a stratagem by which we may be assured a
resolution without any discord… kh-kh-kh-kh."
"What are you even saying, stupid?"
"Speak a language we can understand, stupid."
"Dumb jittery elf."
"Hedin, translate for us. That's your job, isn't it?"
"I'm not this fool's keeper," the blond-haired white elf shot back coolly at the prums.
""""Just do it already!""""
Hedin heaved a sigh at the four simultaneous demands and looked over at the dark elf
sitting next to him.
"Cut through the eternal turmoil and dispatch the hare as a sacrifice to the gods…!"
"He said, 'Why don't we just assassinate Bell Cranell already?'"
""""Is that a joke?! We'll murder you!""""
The Gulliver brothers exploded at Hedin's translation.
"Bell Cranell is Lady Freya's prey! Don't assume we can just do whatever we please
with him!"
"Not that we don't understand the feeling!"
"Not that we haven't thought before about dealing with him in secret!"
"But if he died, Lady Freya would be upset!"
A resounding wave of complaints spread from the prums, who prioritized their patron
goddess above all else. And as they all yelled, the eldest brother glaring in rage
delivered the decisive truth.
"And if Bell Cranell died, Lady Freya would probably go back to the heavens to follow
his soul!"
"Eh?! N-no way. I don't want that… Wh-wh-wh-wh-what do we do?!" His logic shredded,
Hegni's tone shifted dramatically and he started fidgeting awkwardly.
""""Don't go back to normal now, you weak-minded elf!!!""""
This was Freya Familia, feared throughout Orario as the city's strongest faction.
Because they had sworn absolute fealty to their patron goddess, they tended to lose
their cool and their composure when it came to anything involving her.
The meeting descended into comical farce as a clamor of shouts filled the room. Ottar
was at a loss as the discussion continued making no progress—a rather predictable
development. Hedin heaved another deep sigh.
"—What a waste of time," Allen spat as he stood up.
Utterly fed up with both the conversation and the trouble caused by a single girl, he
made to leave the room.
"Wait, Allen, we haven't finished…"
"There's nothing to say. I'm guarding the girl. Figure out the rest among yourselves.
"What a pain in the ass," Allen added before opening the doors and leaving.
The Gulliver brothers scoffed in annoyance as they watched him go while Hegni kept
glancing around restlessly.
This time, Ottar closed his eyes quietly, as if enduring in silence.
"…"
One person, though, the white elf, was transported to an altogether different forest of
thoughts.