Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Riveria POV - (16 days after Bellatrix joined the Miach family.)
"Let me see if I understand correctly... a week and a half ago, you made a deal with Miach's daughter. Not only did you not inform me, but you went down into the dungeon, and then, when you returned to the surface, you forgot to tell me, even though you gave me a full report on the incident with that Monster Tamer and went back down." Loki said flatly.
"That's exactly what happened," Finn said, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, we really forgot. It all happened so fast, we didn't remember." Finn apologized.
"I'm sorry, I was the one who got carried away." I bowed apologetically as well. Loki stared at us before sighing wearily.
"Stop bowing." Loki grunted. "I'm not upset, though. I would have liked to know, but the results speak for themselves. The magic you just showed me is... it would definitely be a huge improvement for the family."
"And let's not even talk about that ridiculous contraption they call Twice Critical. Ais managed to level up because she was able to defeat Udaeus with it," Loki said nonchalantly.
"Thank you, Loki-sama." Finn said with a smile.
"Even so... Ais-chan, you didn't tell them about the meeting we had with Freya on the day of Monsterphilia, did you?" Loki asked curiously, looking at Ais. Ais just tilted her head, confused. The others stood silently beside her.
"Conversation?" Ais asked, confused.
"Yeah, that thing about Freya calling Miach's daughter an abomination and all that," Loki said casually. My eyes widened. Freya did what?
"...was it her?" Ais asked, surprised. Loki groaned loudly.
"Yes, it was her. Miach only has two daughters at the moment, and the other one is that Chienthrope woman who works at the pharmacy," Loki said exasperatedly.
"Oh..." Ais said before falling silent. Loki sighed.
"Excuse me, could you... fill us in?" I asked, confused. Loki just nodded and told us what Freya had said to her and Ais. For a goddess who can see souls to say that Bellatrix is an abomination... is a little unsettling.
"Is... is she dangerous?" Finn asked, frowning.
"I haven't the slightest idea. At first, I wanted you to keep your distance from Miach's daughter. I thought you would after all that crap at the Hostess, but I guess that idea went out the window a long time ago," Loki said nonchalantly.
"I'm sorry." I felt forced to say awkwardly.
"Don't worry, I was never going to listen to Freya after all. The warning alone makes Miach's daughter much more interesting than she seems at first glance, and coming from Freya makes it even more so. I would never completely trust what she says."
"Unraveling the secrets of mortals is one of my pastimes, and right now, Miach's daughter is entangled in them all. It's getting fascinating. It's best to keep her close." Loki said with a huge grin.
"So, what do you think about the deals?" Finn asked, letting out a sigh of relief. Loki crossed her arms in an X.
"Denied, impossible, it won't happen. I won't give Riveria to anyone!" Loki said immediately, shaking her head. "And not the portraits either! Riveria's body is for my eyes only, for no one else!!" Loki said fiercely. My eye twitched slightly.
"Then all that's left is to get Grimoires," Finn said without missing a beat. Loki snorted.
"I'd tell you just not to return the books and let Riveria do whatever she wants with them, but if we are to believe Freya, she has the strength of a level 5 adventurer even with a newly equipped Falna. If she gets more things like that Twice Critical... she'll be a problem." Loki said with a grimace.
Our eyes widened. The strength of a level 5 without a Falna? That was truly astonishing. Very few mortals in modern times were capable of reaching such a level without a Falna, as most relied on it.
"It's awe-inspiring if that were the case, achieving that level without a Falna," Finn said, surprised. I nodded. "Even so, do you really think it would be a problem?"
"Oh, definitely, if we bother her, obviously. Even if she only has access to that Twice Critical, she only needs to use several to overpower all of you," Loki said nonchalantly. My eyes widened.
"Several?" I asked, surprised. Loki looked at me, confused.
"Yes? You said she gave you one of the failed attempts, emphasis on 'one of them,' I'm not talking about any restrictions, right? It just needs to be possible for several to be used simultaneously and for their effects to accumulate so they can be passed on to all of you," Loki said as if it were obvious. My mouth opened and closed in surprise.
It hadn't even occurred to me that it was possible, but… It's quite likely. There were no adverse effects from using Twice Critical, no strain, no effort, to indicate that using several of the same device would be dangerous.
If she can use several and her stats keep multiplying, then… yes… she would definitely be able to beat us in a few minutes.
"Anyway, don't worry about it. It seems she has a soft spot for Riveria; after all, she's the best, so it's normal," Loki said nonchalantly. "Now, about the deal... hmmm, we could acquire grimoires from time to time. We'd have to draw up a new budget and allocate a portion of the profits to buying grimoires, or hiring someone who can create them."
"But it would be possible, even if it takes years. In the long run, it would be truly profitable to be able to teach this new type of magic. I'll trust Riveria and her judgment about what to teach first," Loki said simply. I sighed in relief as I nodded.
"I will," I said resolutely. Loki simply nodded.
"Alright, everyone else can go rest. Finn, not you, we have a meeting with Royman, let's go." Loki said as she stretched lazily.
"The head of the Guild?" Finn asked, confused. Loki just shrugged.
"Yes, something about a secret meeting and all that. He didn't say why he wanted it, so I have no idea about anything," Loki said simply as she started to leave the room before stopping. "And Riveria… putting aside what I just said… whatever you decide about the… other payment methods, I'll fully support you," Loki said, glancing at me over her shoulder. My eyes widened slightly as she stared at me intently.
I smiled slightly before taking a deep breath.
Now… what was I supposed to do?
--------------------
Freya POV.
That abomination knew! I felt ridiculous for not realizing it sooner. Still, it was so obvious that the abomination that was the Daughter of Miach knew my identity as Syr in the Hostess of Fertility.
Now it made sense! All the damn 'bad luck' days I'd been having were entirely her fault! Tripping, falling, spilled food, overturned drinks, disappearing objects, itching all over my body, bugs in my pockets, any discomfort I felt, it was entirely her fault!
And she hadn't even been subtle! All that 'bad luck' happened while the abomination was dining at the Hostess of Fertility, but I was so confident in my disguise that not even the gods could see through it, and I thought I was completely safe from her.
Now it makes sense. That first time, when their souls screamed when they saw me as Syr, it wasn't a mistake; it was on purpose. She could see the soul; she could see under my disguise, and it had taken me more than a week to realize it. She made me look like an idiot!
I hated her so much!
"Is everything alright, Freya-sama?" Ottar asked from the side. I stopped in the middle of the room. I had been pacing furiously, even throwing my uniform to the ground forcefully and kicking it several times.
My cheeks flushed slightly at such an embarrassing sight.
"Yes! Everything is fine, Ottar!" I said louder and sharper than I intended, with a trembling smile.
"Did something happen to Bell Cranel?" Ottar asked. I blinked.
"Bell? What happened to Bell?" I asked, confused. Otta tilted her head.
"Your plan to give him the grimoire?" Ottar said slowly, my eyes widened.
"Oh, I'd forgotten." I muttered more to myself. Yes, right... I had dropped the grimoire at the Hostess of Fertility. I planned to keep it there for a few days to show that 'no one' would come to claim it, then I would use that as an excuse to give it to Bell.
Yes… I took a deep breath as I calmed down. Let's think about Bell, not the abomination.
I took a deep breath and bent down to pick up my uniform from the floor when I saw something sticking out of one of the pockets. I blinked in confusion and grabbed the paper instead of the uniform.
Was it a small blank letter? I turned it over and found a written message.
"Thank you for the Grimoire, you disgusting goddess. The Abomination." My mind went blank as I read the same message over and over. My hand began to tremble as I gritted my teeth.
She wouldn't dare; that abomination wouldn't dare. I groaned inwardly as I opened the letter and pulled out… such a small portrait? No… it didn't look painted; it was definitely an image. I didn't know how it was created, but that wasn't important, no. In it was the Abomination with a mocking smile, holding in its arms a grimoire identical to the one I had bought and left with the Hostess.
No. She was playing with my mind.
I clenched my teeth and crumpled the image in my fist. I immediately approached the divine mirror and began to manipulate it. The image quickly shifted to the Hostess of Fertility, and… the lectern where the Grimoire should have been was empty.
My mind went blank once again.
"She's a fucking bitch! Daughter of a -!" I exclaimed furiously as I threw the picture to the ground and began to stomp on it.
This was unforgivable! I would find a way to kill her! To punish her somehow! How dare she steal something of mine!?
Does she know how hard it was to get that damn grimoire?! It seemed like all the grimoires in Orario were sold out overnight!! I had to pay almost double the normal price for that grimoire for Bell!!
"Ottar! How many Valis are left?!" I asked furiously.
"Not enough for another Grimoire, I'm sorry, my goddess." Ottar said, bowing his head. I gritted my teeth.
"I really need to start looking for someone capable of creating Grimoires." I sighed wearily and slumped back in my seat. My feet ached after a long shift at the Hostess. It had never happened to me before, but my feet hurt; it felt like my shoes had shrunk several sizes and—
I paused for a moment and closed my eyes in frustration, gritting my teeth. I was going to kill that abomination. Or I would make it mine, somehow charm it, and punish it for decades.
"My Goddess, we still have the meeting with the head of the Guild." Ottar's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I quickly scanned the list and suppressed the urge to groan. I took a few seconds to rest before letting out a tired sigh.
"Come on, Ottar, and get me new shoes for my uniform. Burn the old ones." I ordered as I stood up once more. Let's get this over with.
I walked with Ottar in the middle of the night as we headed towards the guild. It was an odd hour, but Royman had made it clear that it was essential so that I couldn't get out of this commitment.
"Thank you, Freya-sama, for attending this meeting at this hour," Royman said politely, and I nodded.
"How could I refuse if the Guild boss agrees to a meeting?" I asked with false joviality, and Royman just straightened up even more.
"Even so, thank you for coming. I assure you, this is something you'll like." Royman said as he stood up, approached one of the boxes I had seen upon entering, picked it up, and carefully brought it over and placed it in front of me.
Then he turned it over and slowly opened it. I blinked as I saw a leather bag that looked delicately carved but quite sturdy, along with a wrapped pouch.
"I don't know if you've heard any of the rumors about the man in red who visits the guild every day," Royman began slowly. I frowned and glanced at Ottar over my shoulder. He shook his head. "It doesn't surprise me. From what I've heard, most of those who started the rumors were low-level adventurers, so nobody took them seriously," Royman added quickly.
"And... what would these rumors be?" I asked, trying to get to the point.
"This is a storage bag," Royman said, picking up the small leather bag and opening it. "The man in red made a deal with the Guild to supply us with these very special bags. These bags can hold a large number of items," Royman said in amazement.
My eyebrows rose slightly. Was that… possible? And just as if Royman had anticipated it, he opened the small bag, reached inside, then began taking various things out and placing them on the table.
Dozens of magic stones, monster drops, weapons, supplies, food, water, clothing, utensils, and more. My eyebrows rose as he continued pulling things out, and it was apparent where Royman was going with this.
Everything he had taken out of the bag was what was needed for a dungeon expedition. My mind started racing.
"How much can they store?" I asked quickly. Royman smiled.
"It's the same amount that dozens, maybe even 100 supporters could carry together, and the weight is reduced to the point that even someone without Falna can carry it," Royman said as he handed me the small bag. My eyes widened.
"That... sounds amazing." I murmured in amazement as I looked at the bag. "I guess... Is it for sale?" I asked slowly. Royman nodded.
"They are... a sensitive item as you can see, everyone in Orario will want one, but the truth is we don't have a large number of them, so we're meeting with the leading families to have them purchase them internally," Royman said honestly. I nodded.
It made sense. I could see how every family would go into a frenzy over something like this. Every god and their family would want one of these.
"I suppose the Loki Familia has already been summoned, hasn't it?" I asked simply, Royman just nodded.
"Loki-sama came a couple of hours ago, yes." Royman confessed, and I nodded.
"Okay, and the other thing?" I asked while looking at the other item in the box, still stored away.
"Ah! Excellent question," Royman said cheerfully as he grabbed the other small wrapped bag. "This is a tent," Royman said happily as he carefully threw it into the empty part of the room.
As if activated, the box began to unwrap, and a tent started to assemble and inflate. I blinked slightly as I watched; although it was a somewhat elegant tent, it was so small that only one person could fit inside.
"Don't let their appearance fool you, they're made with the same magic as the storage bag; the inside of the tent is much bigger," Royman said with a smile as he approached and opened the door.
I blinked slightly, stood up, and slowly approached. I bent down a little and started to enter. Ottar quickly followed, and then Royman entered.
I looked around in surprise. It looked like the interior of a mansion, with finely arranged furniture, several rooms with beds and bunk beds scattered about, a kitchen, a bathroom, and an artificial light source turned on.
"The interior of this tent is arranged so that at least 30 people can rest comfortably. There is natural water that flows through the glyphs without limit, the waste from the toilets is magically eliminated, and the lighting is permanent, but can be turned off with the switch on that column."
"The tent works exactly like the storage bag; as you saw, it can be disassembled on its own and packed away in the same way. The tent can store and hold all the items placed inside, but it cannot store living beings, so it cannot be packed away if there is someone inside."
"All the objects are removable, and you can adapt it however you like, Freya-sama." Royman continues with his sales pitch.
"This... is amazing." I said, honestly, and that was the truth. Between this tent and the storage bag, the ability to raid the deepest floors of the dungeon would be so much easier.
There were physical limitations that couldn't be avoided during a raid; the amount of resources and items carried slowed the entire journey. But with just two small bags that seem to weigh nothing, the descent would be much easier.
"What's the cost of both? You said you had limited samples. I guess you can't sell me more than one of each, right?" I asked directly.
"Exactly, Freya-sama, our supplier is merely an intermediary; the creation and delivery of such items takes time. The guild is working under orders from Uranos- sama to distribute them equitably to the leading families of Orario." Royman said what I feared, and I nodded.
"Even so, I expect to hear from you when the second shipment arrives." I said with a smile, and Royman nodded immediately.
"Of course, Freya-sama, you will be informed immediately," Royman said quickly. "And regarding the price, since it's not something created by the guild, its value is 300 million Valis," Royman said. I suppressed a shudder. "Each one," Royman added, and I closed my eyes. After a few moments, I smiled at Royman.
"They're rather expensive, and, unfortunately, I have to tell you that we just spent a large amount of our Valis reserve on internal family matters." I said softly while putting on a sad expression.
"D-don't worry, Freya-sama, the guild knows it's a large sum of money, and very few families can actually afford it, so we're accepting multiple payments." Royman said immediately, and I smiled gently at him.
"Thank you for your generosity, Royman." Royman blushed slightly.
"N-no problem. Now, let's get out of here so we can finish the transfer," Royman said quickly as he left the store. I followed him immediately.
"Transfer?" I asked curiously as I watched Royman force the tent back into its packaged form. Royman nodded.
"We had several problems when we wanted to put these on sale, the main one being the possibility of them being stolen," Royman confessed. "We couldn't completely solve it, but luckily, one of our associates was able to modify these items slightly. They require a drop of the blood of a god; that way, only members of their family who possess their Falna will be able to use both items without any problem."
"Convenient." I said simply as Royman put both items back in the box.
"Indeed, if someone without their own Falna tries to use it, they will only have completely useless items. It won't prevent them from being stolen, but we hope it will deter other families from trying, as it will be completely useless in their hands. Even so, keep them in a safe place, and leave them in the hands of one of your executives."
"Both items are capable of withstanding a certain amount of abuse; they could take a direct hit from a level 4 or level 5 without any problem." Royman continued explaining the different characteristics, and I just nodded as I listened while thinking quickly.
Maybe I can get one for Bell later? The Grimoire was out of the question for now. That damned abomination would keep stealing it. And Hestia would be one of the last gods to ever get one of these items. And Miach too. That means the Abomination wouldn't know about these items. Yes… That's a good idea.
First, I need to send Ottar and the others out to earn some money, then I can help Bell. I also have to think of a way to punish that abomination; I can't let her get away with it.
Now, let's see if I can think of something.