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/A few hours before the new year.../
/Gleam.../
The sun had just peeked out from the mountains, casting the first golden rays of the day and the last of the year, making its journey to the last dusk of its cycle…
Hestia held a small teacup in hand as her face cringed, "Ugh… my head is splitting open… and this tastes horrible!"
She stuck out her tongue and touched it, almost swiping it like she did the floor every once in a while...
Silver glanced at her as he brewed some coffee for him in the kitchen counter, "I told you not to drink so much. And you better drink it all; that's made with a special grass in the Dungeon to help mitigate hangover. I went high and low to even find out this existed, getting it brewed was another issue…"
"It's either this or whatever you're feeling."
He finished brewing his coffee, walking to the center of the room where he sat down before Hestia and she lay on the sofa.
Despite his care, Hestia could only gulp dry as she looked at her tea, "You aren't making things easier… yuck…"
"Closing your nose helps."
"I know that!... Here goes nothing..."
/Gulp!/
As she drank the medicinal tea, Silver finished his own coffee with a faint smile before putting on his coat, "Well then, rest for now. I'll come back later so we can go to Takemikazuchi's New Year's Eve party."
Hearing that, Hestia tilted her head as her whole body shook at the tea's aftertaste.
"Ugh… when was that a thing again?"
"Don't you remember? You proposed the idea to him yesterday."
"I did? I don't remember…"
'Then again, I don't remember getting back home either…'
Hestia closed her eyes, trying to remember something that, in truth, never happened.
"The tea should help you recover in the next hour. The alchemist who brewed it told me it was quite potent. Once you recover, go meet Take in his home just to confirm everything. You know where he lives, right?"
"Yes…"
"Then, I'll be back before noon. If you don't want to go alone, you can wait to come with me. Either way, we'll be seeing each other soon."
Silver left with a wave, leaving Hestia with the steaming drink in hand, "Haaa… that dunce… leaving me alone to go to the Dungeon on New Year's Eve!"
Pouting, she kicked the air, "Humph… after everything I did for him…" before looking at a box underneath a table
"I can hear that, you know?" Silver said as his head peaked from the stairs
Hestia almost jumped as the hot tea fell on her palms, "W-What?! Don't do that! H-Hot!"
Hestia put her tea down before blowing air onto her hands.
Silver sighed as he helped her clean her hands, "I'm not going to the Dungeon today. I'm going to solve something first and return quickly. I wouldn't choose the Dungeon over my goddess."
'Not today of all days...'
Hestia looked at the side, her lips pouting, "You say that but you do it all the time, humph."
"I have to go to work sometime, don't I?" He replied awkwardly as he held her hand, "There are many years ahead of us, so pardon me for my lack of care. I'll make up for it next year."
Silver looked at her fingers, noticing the many bandages around them, and his expression changed for just a moment before going back to normal.
He had noticed those before but never mentioned it. He assumed it had to do with her classes back at Demeter's home.
Meanwhile, Hestia's expression fell, "Ahh… that's not what I meant. You already do a lot. I didn't intend to undermine all you did."
He smiled, stepping back, "I know."
Hestia beamed a smile while Silver chuckled, "Try not to drink too much next time."
"Ugh… don't even talk about that. Just thinking about that makes my stomach upset again… That said, you reminded me. That thing with Loki… are you really going on an expedition?"
Hestia looked a little defensive. Was she a little upset about this whole ordeal?
Silver thought it cute. Her and Loki's rivalry was so petty he found it funny whenever it manifested.
"I am. I told you before that I wanted to experience how they did things myself. There's no better opportunity to do so than during an expedition where they are wholly mobilized.
"Mumumu… but couldn't it have been anyone else? Why her of all people? There are so many other options!"
'Do you know how much she tried to show off last night?!'
"Hahaha… I know of your friendship…"
Hestia jumped up as she stood on the sofa, "We're not friends!"
Silver ignored her remarks, "Don't worry about it, I don't mind. My father never saw eye to eye with one uncle in the village, but that didn't stop me from getting to know his daughter."
/THROW!/
Hestia grabbed her pillow and threw it at him, "Get out!! You sinner! How dare you say that before me!!"
"Hahaha… I'll be back soon. And oh! Don't go losing your snow slippers in the snow again. Do you know how long it took me to find them last night?"
"I'm not! And uh... I wasn't in my best shape…"
Silver did not believe her in the slightest, "Uhum…"
'This is the second time she's lost it ever since I bought it for her as a Winter Festival gift. I'm fully expecting her to come crying to me again when I come back.'
"Don't look at me all skeptical! Shouldn't you be leaving?!" She said as she threatened to throw another pillow
"Alright, alright… don't cause trouble."
"Am I a kid?!"
Silver left the basement as he shook his head.
/Throw!/
She threw the pillow weakly, but all it did was hit the wall depressingly. After a few seconds, the pillows floated in her direction, falling on her legs.
"Thank you."
"…"
"Silver? Are you gone?"
"…"
"… I… I hate you!"
"…"
After waiting for a few minutes, Hestia's expression changed, "Humph… treating me like a child all the time… I'll show him!"
Hestia got up from the bed, putting her hands on her waist, 'I'll make him look at me as the independent, confident adult I am!'
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Do you want that choco powder I bought you last time?" Silver asked all of a sudden as he returned
"G-GET OUT!!" She exclaimed again as she threw all her pillows at him
"Agh! What did I do??"
"Huff… huff… e-even my strongest attack... I think I understand the struggles of adventurers a bit now."
"And yes, I want it."
'Damn it!'
With a small smile, Silver approached Hestia while she was still a little dazed and grabbed her hands... kissing them.
While her face turned red, he said, "Take better care of yourself, my deity." Before leaving without an extra word.
"W-What..."
'Mumumu... c-could it be that Aphrodite was right?! Is Silver a bad boy at heart? NO!! I won't let him go down this path!'
She jumped from the sofa, "Activate operation... operation uh... I'll think of a name later!"
'I'm not letting my first child turn into a gigolo!'
…
/Outside.../
"Now then... I don't have much time left."
'But before going there, that's a place I need to go first...'
...
/After Silver was done with his side mission.../
Silver sneaked into the School District as always, going straight into the gymnasium like last time.
There, he was greeted by the golden-haired lion. The Knight of Knights… his arms crossed as he tapped his foot on the ground, "You're late."
Silver took a quick breath as sweat formed on his skin, "I apologize. My goddess is… needy."
He smiled, "That I can understand. What we lack most are deities like that."
"Let's begin."
Silver gulped dry, taking off his coat, "When you knock me down again, remember to wake me up before noon. I have something to do with my goddess by then."
Leon nodded, looking at a clock hanging in the distance.
Smiling, he replied, "Very well, but what makes you think you'll last that long?"
"Well… there's only one way to find out."
'Now that I think about it… did I forget to do something yesterday? No matter.'
Silver shook his head.
"Let's go!"
He dashed forward, training sword in hand.
/CLANG!/
"Will you show me something new again?"
"We've barely covered the layer of frost on the tip of the iceberg!"
/CLANG!/
"That's what I like to hear. Do your best!"
"Hupp!"
/CLANG!/
…
/Meanwhile…/
Back in the Loki Familia manor...
"… That damn bastard… he left me hanging! AGAIN!" Loki exclaimed as she gnashed her teeth
"Maybe he sensed you were going to do something and booked it. I do that too sometimes." Gareth said as he took a sip of his coffee
Gareth wore his usual morning clothes. Simple yet elegant pair of garbs with a wide belt on his waist.
(Image)
While Gareth relaxed in his chair, Loki bit her fingernails in concern.
"Tche! I'm certain this has to do with that midget! This isn't good. If she convinces him against coming, Finn is going to eat me alive! We haven't yet signed the contract, yet he has already started planning for it all!"
"Really? I thought you did. I grow curious everyday about this boy."
Loki snickered, "I don't like to admit it, but this isn't something that can be done so unilaterally."
She sat down in frustration, "We're trying to keep the brunt of it under wraps, but to make the contract anything more then just a scrap of paper, we need her signature so the Guild can vet it. Finn also had to go there to confirm the contract's authenticity and whatnot."
Gareth placed his drink aside as he grew a bit more serious, "Must be difficult, keeping it all under wraps. He told me the boy's ability himself, but I still can't believe it."
"Mobile storage would do much to speed up our efforts and increase our safety and profit margins. It's a worthy ability to nurture, maybe the greatest one there is."
"And I heard the boy was pretty capable himself. A rare treat, things like this don't come along all the time. It's just like when we recruited the twins and Lefiya."
"Ugh! Gareth… don't make this any harder on me!… I'm gnawing over it already."
"Then go do something about it. A simple apology goes quite far. I heard what you did in the party from Finn. You were in the wrong this time."
Her expression turned worse, "You think I don't know!… Tche! But if I go apologize, she'll make fun of me for the next century!"
'I can't lose my authority here! One slip up and the hierarchy will far apart!'
"That's your mess to deal with."
While Gareth shrugged, Loki jumped from her seat, begging as she stood on the ground.
"Garethhh… do me a solid, will ya? Help me think this through!"
His expression tensed as he looked away from her, not wanting to face her for he knew full well where this was going.
"I don't know anything about that! I'm just a shield bearer! If you need help, go ask Finn or something!"
"Don't lie Gareth, you're always there to quench trouble whenever's needed. You're a pro at this! Help me clear chibby's mood event!"
"Cut being so quirky… that would be a start."
After grueling on the ground over what to do for well over a minute, Loki eventually went over her event horizon of strees, reseting back to her usual settings... "Ugh!!!… I... I need a drink."
"No, you don't."
"A light one, maybe something with coffee to start the day?" She thought as she looked at his coffee
Gareth's eyebrows fell down considerably, almost hidding his eyes, "Sigh… if anyone asks, I woke up a bit late today…"
'I'm going back to bed before someone finds me after this.'
…
/Later that day.../
/Tap…/
Silver slowly opened his worn-out eyes, "Ugh?!… Huh... haa... argh, w-what happened?"
A single shadow unveiled itself to Silver. The bright blond hair was the first thing he recognized as his vision returned.
"You told me to wake you up, remember? Let's end it here for today." Leon replied as he tapped Silver's head with his training sword
"Right… I'm still alive... I guess I didn't manage to last that long."
/Chuckle…/
"Don't be so dramatic. You're doing fine. You made it further than I thought you would. Be proud."
Yet, all Silver could do was to remain on the ground amidst a pool of red liquid. He couldn't tell if that was his bloody, or the Elixirs thrown at him, "I can't feel anything but pain. I don't remember how the world was without it..."
"But at least you can still feel. Congratulations on making this far. You're the first student from the School District to last two days in this special course."
"Special? Right... I'll turn special in no time..." He mumbled to himself with a dry laugh as he turned his head to face Leon
"But, what? Huff… no one has ever made it this far?"
Stretching his shoulders, Leon went to put his training sword away, "Not with your enthusiasm."
"I've seen some with great drive all extinguished by now. And of those who still had it, they still walked away, either by their own volition in admitting to their limits, or by the hands of others who knew they couldn't go any further."
"What about me then? Huff… I feel like dying."
He laughed drily like Silver before, experiencing a pain on the same level yet not quite the same... "As I said, you're doing fine."
"… Can I opt out of this discipline?"
"Feel free to do so. Be warned that it's a one-application thing. No second chances."
"Haaa… I must be going crazy…"
Leon watched him from afar as he raised an eyebrow, "Why do you say so?"
"Because I've never considered opting out."
Leon smiled again, "We'll continue this next year. From then on, I'll start teaching you something."
"You will?"
"What? You thought I was going to beat you up without purpose forever?" He asked awkwardly as his smile trembled
"Kind of…"
"Hahaha… I don't have the time for that. Take a few days to rest, things will only get harder from here on."
"… can we leave the 'rest' part for later?"
"Why? The enthusiasm is welcomed, but resting is pretty important also."
"I'll be going on an expedition soon and uh…"
Leon went quiet for a while before closing his eyes in silent understanding.
He too understood the desire of wanting to grow stronger, especially in such an important moment... though it seemed he had misunderstood Silver's true intentions.
"I understand. We'll do it as you say then. Come back tomorrow at the same time."
But Silver wasn't so quick to agree. As his strength returned, he pushed himself off the ground, the red water dripping down his hair onto his back, "But what about you?… don't you have anything to do? It's okay if you push it a few days after…"
"Thank you for the consideration, but to me, this is part of my holidays. I'll be off teaching duty anyway, so I have a lot of time on my hands."
Silver managed to sit down after much effort. As he breathed down to catch his breath, he looked at Leon with some pity.
"… You should go get a wife one of these days, man. I know a few aunties..."
"COUGH! Let's… leave that out of the conversation…"
'I barely have time for myself. Thinking about that... I don't think I have the time for that kind of legacy yet.'
"Heh, so you are human after all. When the time comes, I'll introduce you to some ladies."
"Do I look like something else to you?... And who do you think you're speaking to?"
'As if I need your help for that.'
Silver chuckled as he pulled a potion from his pocket space, not caring at all if he was watching, "Depends on who you ask… and what you're doing… anyway, I don't want to get late."
"Say's the student who was late before."
Biting on the potion's cork, Silver pulled it with his teeth before spiting on the side, "Hey, on one side I have a dude waiting to beat me up, and on the other, I have my cute goddess waiting for me at home. Talk about priorities, right?"'
/Gulp!/
"Haaa…"
While Leon stood there, thinking about what to say to Silver's unexpected words, the latter continued, "Oh yeah, here. Happy New Year." He said as he gave Leon a small model of Babel
"This is… thank you. This will be a fine addition to the seven others in my desk." Leon replied with a gentle smile as he took the gift
"A come-on. It was the best thing I thought of with the little time I had. Too much has happened in one month, and I barely had the time to get a proper gift for my goddess and close ones, much less you."
Leon looked at the model statue before turning to him, "I wasn't complaining. I would give you something in return… but I don't have much in hand."
But after a moment of reflection, he came up with an idea.
He seemed to find the idea itself amusing as he looked at the statue, "… I know. I'll give your gift tomorrow morning. Just don't expect anything special."
"Anything's fine, professor. It isn't that big of a deal. Thanks for your time and the Elixirs, I'll uh… rest a bit more and leave… once I can move like a normal person again."
'Better leave before he starts talking about paying it or something like that...'
"Take your time. No one should be coming anytime soon."
'Though Idun might be on her way... or the others too. There's been too much buzz ever since yesterday.'
'I wonder how much longer we'll be able to meet peacefully like this?...'
…
Silver returned to the Church with several more patches all over his skin. He went downstairs to find Hestia still sleeping.
/Snore…/
"We might get late at this rate…"
He yawned, walking past her bed as he went to the bathroom to check his injuries. The Elixirs had healed most of the internal and superficial injuries, but Leon's strikes were so heavy even that wasn't enough to heal all of it.
He could try healing the damaged tissue himself, but he was so tired he didn't have the energy to do it, and even if he had, he might not have the will to go through with it... for he'd need every ounce of energy he could muster to continued tomorrow.
What would he get from looking good? It wouldn't last long before him anyway...
'To think I'll spend the New Year looking like this… sigh.'
He went back to their room, shaking Hestia awake, and while she complained and rolled out of bed, he took a shower to clear out the dirt and some of his injuries.
His whole body bruised, he clicked his tongue before carefully drying himself and stepping out of the bathroom.
…
"... What happened to you??" Hestia asked in a wave of worry as she looked all over him
She almost hesitated to even touch him, his entire body covered in blue and purple patches.
The most she could do was help apply some healing cream all over his back, but somehow, she acted as if she could feel his pain.
"… I fell down the stairs."
"If you're going to lie, at least be more creative!"
"Well… I fell down the stairs twice."
"..."
"Haha, okay… it was just training. Nothing to be worried about. It wasn't even in the Dungeon. This is merely superficial, everything else is in... ugh!! Huff... absolute working order."
She looked at his face and the rest of his body, "That makes me even more worried. Just what did you do to end up like this on the surface?"
She kept applying the cream before covering the wound with a patch. No matter how much she thought about it, there was no answer that came to her mind.
"I asked someone at a higher level for advice. This much was within my expectations. Don't worry, I'll be fine. This little pain is nothing."
"How is this within the scope of advice?! Ugh… my head's flaring again…"
"Then go take a shower. We'll be going on a brief trip around Orario afterwards."
"And for what?… Oh…"
"Starting to remember? We're going to find Take to discuss the party. After that, we're going to prepare for it. How does that sound?"
'Actually, I just remembered what I had forgotten about… I forgot about visiting Loki yesterday. She'll definitely throw a fit if I don't visit her today as well.'
'Welp... too late already.'
"Sure thing! We should buy a few presents on the way!"
"That's exactly what I was thinking. There are some extra gifts I forgot to hand out as well… And speaking of money… its time for you to file our taxes."
Hestia froze as she climbed out of bed.
"HUH??!!"
"I completely forgot about it!!"
"I know, it's all within my calculations."
She clenched her teeth as she poked his face, "#!! Don't be so sure about it!!"
"Don't worry too much, we just need to go to the Guild and they'll solve the rest. It shouldn't be anything complicated. At best, half an hour."
"That's still quite long…"
"Good enough for someone who left things for the last hour, hum?"
"Ugh…"
Silver exhaled as he continued to apply cream over his body. He smiled as he patched his chest, "So? Feeling a bit better?"
"I'm fine! My headache is mostly gone, anyway."
"Then let's hit the road."
"Yes! I'll get ready in no time!"
"So we're leaving in an hour..."
"I won't take that long!"
…
/Twenty minutes later.../
Silver and Hestia took to the streets. Their first destination was not Take's home as she originally expected, but a food stall selling potato pops on the northern road, also called Jagamarakun.
There, they found an unexpected friend:
"Take?? You work here?"
Takemikazuchi stood behind a simple wooden stall in a white and green uniform, the smell of friend potato and oil was strong in the air as he fried more potato pops.
"Hestia? Silver? Haha! What a coincidence."
"I didn't know you worked here!"
'I somehow feel a strange sense of kinship with this place...'
Take smiled faintly as he prepared another batch of potato pops, "I have to help the kids in some way. It's nothing much, just enough to scrape by in daily necessities so they can focus on their own things."
"I told you before, right? That I came to Orario to send funds back to the shrine in the Far East."
"You did say that. You sure are hardworking, Take. Even on New Year's Eve, you're here."
'Maybe this is a sign for me to start working as well...'
"That's when it's the busiest. In festivals like these, I make enough money for a whole month or more… that said, I'll be closing down soon. My children are waiting for me and the stall owner already found someone else to work tonight, so that's about it for me."
Hestia nodded, but soon after, a wave of enlightenment hit her, "Oh yeah! We came here to talk about that!… Uh… how did we get here anyway, Silver?"
"I just asked Hermes if he knew anything in the morning, and he told me you worked here. Simple." He replied with a faint smile as he looked at the potato pops
'I never had one of these before. They have different flavours? Interesting...'
"Haha… you could've just asked. Though I suppose that's on me for forgetting to warn you earlier. I didn't think this far but indeed, it would've been a bit awkward if you had gone to my home and found no one there... though you sure have a strong memory Hestia, I mentioned that only once."
She proudly stood there with her hands on her hips, "Fufufu..."
"Then? I'm not one to hurry things, but I…"
Take looked behind them were another duo seemed to be waiting for their turn. With a small smile, Silver ordered a few potato pops as Take continued, "You know where I live, just meet me there around eight or nine. We plan on having dinner and then going to Babel to see the firework show around 12Am."
Hestia tilted her head, "Firework show? I heard there was going to be an event of some sort... but Ganesha throws one every once in a while so..."
"There's one every year indeed… Okay, we'll be there. Thanks for accepting us."
"It's I who should be thanking you. The kids are all too lonely being this far from home. More company helps them forget those feelings, even if momentarily."
After one last greeting, Silver and Hestia left with a paper bag full of treats, making way to their next destination.
The Guild... but before that...
"... Wait a minute..."
Hestia raised her face to face the next clients...
"Deucalion?!"
"Hi, Hestia, it's been a while."
A tall man stood behind her, a deity of somewhat ordinary appearance. His long, curly brown hair was bright and strong, gently reflecting the sunlight on their faces.
He had a calm, neutral smile on his face as he stood there with his arms behind his back. His clothes were also somewhat unusual, long robes that displayed his humble nature, yet don't be fooled, those were divine garments like Hestia's dress.
Just from looking at him, one could tell he was a man of great character.
Deucalion turned to Silver, "This must be your child, correct? I can sense a great drive in him, you chose well, Hestia."
"Fufufu! I know!... And this child beside you?"
"Good afternoon."
A middle-aged man of enormous build. Like Ottar, he was tall, serene, and stoic. His whole body was a wall of muscles, but unlike the Boars, he was a plain Human.
Contrary to his appearance, the man seemed calm and even somewhat gentle, differing from Ottar's heavy aura.
"This is Helle, my first child. He's been with me for many years."
"Honestly, Hestia, I didn't know you had descended, I didn't even know that was something you'd do... looks like the lower world entices us all, even you."
"Hahaha... what can I say? When most of my friends descended, things grew quite stale in Heaven... when I grew curious and looked down, Hephaestus called to me and here I am."
"That's great to hear. You've always been a bit of a loner, glad to see that's not the case."
"So she was a neet." Silver pointed out as he shook his head
"I wasn't!"
"Hahaha!... She was the best of the best when it came to her work..."
"Fufufu..."
"But then Prometheus kind of made it irrelevant."
"UGH!!"
"That's a story even I know. I remember hearing about the mess... and seeing it too." Takemikazuchi said as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead
Hestia trembled faintly, "Don't even remind me of that... what it took to calm Zeus down..."
Even Deucalion smiled awkwardly.
"Well then, I can see you're busy, Hestia. I won't take more of your time with your date."
"W-W-We aren't..."
But he ignored her, "Can we have three Azuki Cream and..."
"Let's go Hestia, we have much to do still."
"E-Eh? Okay..."
After waving back at Take and the others, Silver and Hestia went on their way, albeit the latter... was a bit absent-minded.
In the end, she was brought back from the world inside her mind and into the present, being presented with the harsh reality... of commerce.
…
Hestia's face was one of despear and unwilingnes...
"Ugh… what do I have to do now?"
"We're going through every income transaction in your Familia to calculate your tax." Loiju said as he grabbed a pile of files
"E-Every?!"
"Every single one."
Silver tapped her shoulders, "Good luck, Hestia."
"Don't just stare and do something!" She exclaimed as she looked at the pile and then at Silver
"What do you want me to do? I did give you the paper with everything I made for this exact reason, you know."
"Ugh… mumumu… fine! I'll make these damn calculations! Give me a pen!"
"It's pretty simple; just add them all together, and then the Guild will provide you with the tax cut, then you make the calculation again. Simple, right?" Silver said as he crossed his arms
Loiju exhaled, "That's just because you're a small Familia with pretty traceable income sources. There isn't really much mystery to it… if you keep track of it all, that is."
"Once your Familia Rank rises, the taxes forms will change to fit your new reality."
Hestia looked at the pile of papers near Loiju and grimaced, "Just… just how much is there?"
"About a month of daily stops at the exchange center plus all of his commissions. Those take most of it all." Loiju replied as he adjusted his glasses
Her eyes going teary, she held onto his shirt and tugged, "Silver… help me… I know you have the exact price… I give up this time, I won't do it again… I hate doing this kind of thing!"
"Come on, goddess. At least try to add up the daily exchanges."
"There's still too many!"
He smiled faintly, "It's just plain addition. Do you need an Abacus?"
"… m-maybe? How do you use it?"
"Then you don't need it…" Loiju added as he shook his head
"Ugh… let's get this over with!!!"
Silver and Loiju remained there for a while longer while Hestia made her calculations. In the meantime, Silver took the time to give Loiju a gift for New Year, a bottle of expensive alcohol.
"Man, you shouldn't have. Though given what I have to deal with when it comes to you, I'd say its cheap."
"Just give it back then."
"Nope… but I'm sorry, I don't have anything to give you for the New Year." Loiju replied as he put the bottle away
"It's fine. I already expected this from you after what you gave me during the Winter Festival."
"Hey! First of all…"
Silver raised his hand, interrupting him, "I don't wanna hear that again. Happy New Year, man. Let's leave it at that."
"… Fair enough. My gift to you will be a few good commissions next year."
"So you mean… your gift to me is… more work?"
"The kind that pays well!"
"… Hah, fine. That's a fitting gift coming from you."
"Says the guy who gave me a bottle of high-concentration alcohol. Might as well just tell me not to come to work tomorrow."
"Well, I did think that was a fitting gift for you. And neither am I saying you should drink it all at once, though that's the kind of thought process you'd have."
"Screw off."
Meanwhile... Hestia raised her hands in victory, "I'm done! The total amount is…"
"I know how much it is. Thank you for your efforts, goddess." Loiju said as he adjusted the papers above the counter
"WHAT?!"
"Truthly speaking, a small Familia like yours, much less one with just about a month of existence, does not need to pay any taxes. So regardless of how much you made, until the Guild updates your Rank or enough time passes, the amount you'll have to pay is… zero."
"A zero percentage tax rate."
Hestia felt as if a punch had landed in her gut, "GAH!!!"
"Once your Familia status becomes official, rather than go through this process, we'll just request a fixed amount every month... though that changes once you become a larger Familia, or decide to invest in other sectors."
He then smiled, looking at Silver, "I only set this up because he asked me to."
"!!!"
'Fucker! Throwing the ball at me!'
Loiju smiled as Silver's expression distorted, 'As if I'm letting you pin this down on me, asshole. Take this for all the annoyance you caused me in recent years.'
Hestia's hair slowly rose in the air as she turned to him... "S-Silver…"
"Have I told you that you're exceptionally gorgeous today?"
"#!! You're making it worse! Just you wait!"
/Stomp!/
She stormed out, fuming.
Loiju smirked, "Heh, good luck, pal."
"That wasn't the deal! You screwed me over!"
"Say's the guy who wanted me to play the villain. You get what you deserve! Take it as my gift to you... no... this one's on the house!"
Silver looked Loiju up and down before nodding at him with serious eyes, "Okay… let's see where this ends. Get your hopes up for next year."
As Silver left the Guild, Loiju exhaled loudly as he shook his head, "… Haa…"
'I should've refused the extra pay from being an advisor…'
"Hey, Loiju! We need some extra hands over here! Are you done with whatever you were doing?!"
"Yes…"
'I can't catch a break… that darned School District! Why did they have to be this late and mess up all my plans?'
'I should've been rotting on my sofa instead of here!'
…
/Later…/
"… we got meat, fruits, vegetables… uhh… what else?"
"It's enough. We already bought everything we needed. Let's finish buying some gifts and meet up with them."
'I've already gone around gifting everyone I knew, so… hum… there's still one place I haven't gone to.'
"Shall we?"
"If you say its enough, I'm all for it. I'm a bit hungry though…"
"Me too, but let's leave it for the party. I'm sure they're all eagerly waiting."
"Yes!… Oh! Wait, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed as she gave everything in her hands to Silver
"W-What's the hurry?"
"I uh... I need to grab something! Go on without me! We'll meet again at Take's home!"
"… Do you even know where that is?"
"#!! I already know where that is, and you already told me that twice! I'm not that forgetful! Don't you think I'll forget what you and your advisor did anytime soon!"
"Haha… be careful. See you later."
"See ya!"
She ran off into the distance, kicking up dust and sand as she did so.
"… Well… that's an unexpected development."
'Might as well finish everything before moving on. There's still a bit over an hour before the agreed time.'
…
Silver walked through the snow-covered streets, going to a familiar place he hadn't been to in a while.
He stopped by a few alleys as usual to straighten his baggage, storing a few things while taking out another… his well-crafted gift.
He knew they'd love it.
/Hostess of Fertility/
"It's been a few days."
'I tried coming here every day after the Winter Festival ended, but it's been a bit difficult. And now that I think about it, it might be even harder in the days to come.'
'But that's a self-crafted issue... if I take down the time for some of my experiments, it would be fine to spend an hour or two here... yet... I can't bring myself to do it.'
He approached the pub and noticed the closed doors, "Weird… Impossible, did Mama Mia close the shop earlier than usual??"
"D-Dammit! A clone! An impostor has taken over her shop!!"
"I can hear ya loose mouth from here, brat!" She replied from inside as she opened the doors wide open
"Oh, hello."
"Yer mouth sure speaks freely, boy. I won't ignore it next time." Mia replied as she stood in the doorway with her hands on her waist
She noticed the injuries on his face and frowned, "… What happened to your face?"
"Training. I challenged a big name and got shown my place. This will be the norm from now on I'm afraid."
"Better to be pumelled here then down there, yeah?"
She looked at him deeply before sighing, "That's none of my business, I suppose. Then? Why are you here?"
Silver chuckled, "Quite cold… I'm one of your cooking's biggest fans! I always leave my plate cleaner then it was before!"
"Take your lip talk away from my pub. I'm tired of it." She replied as she shooed him away
"Haha! Well, I'll make it short then." He said as he gave her the large package in his hands
"Hum? This is?"
"My gift for the New Year and the Winter Festival. A bit late and cheap, but it was the best I could come up with." Silver said as he tapped his chest, "Handcrafted, you know? Check it out."
Her expression easening, she looked at him before turning around, "… Haaa… come inside for a moment then, boy."
"Thanks!"
Silver followed her inside. It sure was unusual seeing the shop empty. Even when open or closed, Silver was used to seeing someone working somewhere.
"Let's see what's this is about then."'
/Pull!/
Mia pulled the veil covering the rectangular gift, revealing its contents.
"!…"
'This kid…'
Silver smiled, stuffing his chest, "Ta-da~… Pretty good if I say so myself."
The gift was a stylized painting of Mia and the "cover girls" of the Hostess from a background angle, as if the painting was made as they were working.
It wasn't a perfect depiction of them as instead it tried to make it a little stylish. There were even some hidden details in the painting, like a few hidden characters, the cooks who were rarely seen outside the kictchen spying on them from the door frame.
"Did ya make this?"
"I'm pretty talented." He replied as he brushed his hair back
"Don't blow your ego too much, kid. I've seen better." She replied as a faint smile took the corner of her mouth
"As long as you like it, that's enough for me… but one last thing though, would you have some chocolate powder for me to borrow?"
"Chocolate powder? Borrow?… Hah… you're lucky we're closed." She said with a scoff as she walked past him
"Thanks. I won't take much."
…
"… Hey, may I have a moment of your attention?"
Outside, as the wind blew strong against him… Silver approached a small group of kids crouching in an alley.
Their ragged, dirty clothes said everything one needed to know about them. As they bundled together in the cold, he crouched next to them with a bunch of mugs faintly steaming
""…""
The kids looked at him in confusion, if not wary. He knew those looks, he had seen them before many times.
"Don't look at me like that, I'm not the villain here. If you don't want it, I'll leave. But man... this is Grade-A chocolate, the best kind... yummy..."
"N-no…"
The first one to reach out was a boy no older than nine. His brown hair swayed as his trembling hand reached out for the mug.
While the other kids fearfully looked at him, nothing happened as the boy grabbed the mug, although its weight almost made him drop it, but a strange force acted on the mug, making it lighter all of a sudden.
"Careful, it's not that light. And its still a little hot too."
He turned to the others, "What about you lot? You want some too? Or will I have to drink it all myself?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
They carefully looked at each other before reaching out for the mugs. As they did so, Silver smiled.
He put a small bag full of food and treats on the ground while giving them a new, warm blanket.
"You shouldn't be out here in the cold, much less on such a day. Where are you kids from?"
Their oldest, a boy Silver assumed to be eleven, bit his lips before answering, "We… we are from the Babant Orphanage… sir… kind sir…"
"So why are you all here?"
"… We…"
Noticing how hesitant the kid was, Silver patted his head, "It's okay. If anything bad happens, just come here again."
He put a bag with about two thousand Valis on the ground before getting up.
"Enjoy it slowly, alright? Those mugs also belong to that scary lady over there, so after you're done, give them back to her and thank her for it, okay?"
"O-Okay…"
Silver smiled again as he walked away, "Didn't know you were the charitable type." Mia added as she looked at him
"And I'm not. I just felt like doing it. A little care goes a long way; I've learned that much from experience."
"Hum… whatever then. If you have had your fill of flaunting your ego, then go on your day. I'll take care of the rest."
"Sure thing, boss. Happy New Year to you and everyone peeping in on our conversation up there."
/Thud!/
Silver and Mia heard the echoes from above as he held in his laugh.
He raised his hand and waved at her, "Until next time. If you want another painting, you know who to ask."
/Clack!/
He left the shop while whistling, closing the doors behind him as he did so.
"… You all heard him. Stop putting your noses in another's conversation." Mia claimed as she looked at the stairs leading to the second floor
"I'm sorry, Mia, I asked them to do it. I was a bit curious, te-he~." Syr said as she peeked her head from the second floor
A few others soon appeared, all looking at her.
"Sigh… you guys sure are eager. Try not to oversleep the commemoration; there's still a few hours left to go and I want this place spotless for the new year!"
""Yes!""
Syr ran down the stairs to look at the painting… the more she looked at it, the greater her eyes seemed to shine.
"It's great! Let's put it somewhere people can see!"
She then looked at another present on the table, "Hum? This one is… ah! Hahaha! I love it!"
"What? Another painting? When did that brat… ?!"
As Mia approached the table to look at the second painting, her eyes narrowed as her expression tensed.
"#!! That kid has the gal…"
It was a painting of her screaming at the viewer...
…
/Over half an hour later…/
Silver made his way towards the northeast section of the city, towards an old housing complex with many old houses, giving the area a unique feel unlike the rest of the city.
This particular part of the housing complex had a strange architecture, but Silver recognized it as the one used in the Far East, and this must've been the reason why Takemikazuhi settled here instead of other places.
It had a high stone wall surrounding the entire place made of wood and stone, and if it weren't for the clear signs of depreciation all around, Silver would've rated this place higher.
But still, like the Church, all of this was counterbalanced by the land's privacy and space. Compared to that place where the land was among the cheapest, it likely wasn't that low compared to the houses around here.
(Image?)
"I like it here. A bit far from everything though. It's even farther from the center than the ruins... maybe that was why Loki's home is around here? Did she buy a lot of land and had her castle built on it?"
'Now then... did I forget anything? It wouldn't be a good idea to pull something from storage out of nowhere…'
He looked around a bit before reaching for the gate and using the doorknocker…
/Clack! Clack!/
"…"
/Creak…/
The door slowly opened, revealing a young girl with short black hair that covered her eyes.
It was a deep black often seen only in foreign lands. And her facial features reflected that... that she was not from around here.
She shyly looked at Silver, tilting her head to look up at him, "H-Hello… how may I help you?"
'He's almost as tall as Ouka…'
Her proficiency in the common language, Koine, wasn't bad at all, but her accent was quite strong.
Take's accent was powerful and elegant; no matter where one was from, they'd understand him, while hers was a little awkward, her voice often weakening as she spoke.
"Hello, I came here for the dinner party. I'm Hestia's child."
"Ah, that goddess child? P-Please, come inside!"
'But… what happened to his face?'
"Thank you."
Silver stepped inside as she waited at the door, the girl closing it behind him as he took off his shoes.
"Y-You don't need to take off your shoes here… only when we're inside."
"Really? I apologize. I'm not familiar with Far East customs."
The entrance was a large garden of plants with a stone pathway going over a small river with a lake on the side full of colorful Koi-fish.
Exotic plants, such as bamboo, which weren't native to the area surrounded the garden. Seeing them for the first time in person was quite the experience for Silver… as if he was seeing a long friend he hadn't seen in years.
The young girl led him inside their home, promptly taking off her slippers and putting on another pair as she gave Silver one as well.
With everything in line, they stepped inside..., and immediately after, he almost slipped on the ground, barely managing to retain his composure before the girl noticed his blunder.
…
/Clack!/
She led him deeper into the house, stopping before a wall with a thin papery texture as she pulled the sliding door to the side.
Inside the room, Silver saw Hestia and Takemikazuchi sitting on purple pillows across from each other at a low table.
"Silver! You're here!"
"You have arrived… and somehow, your face looks worse than yesterday." Takemikazuchi said with an awkward expression
"Yesterday? Did you look like this as well?" Hestia asked as she frowned
'He didn't tell me when he became like this... I assumed it had happened yesterday, but to think Take saw it too.'
"Haha… you were blacked out, so its understandable. But I'm fine, nothing I'm not doing willingly."
"I'm glad to hear you're okay. What is it that you've brought?"
"Mostly food, though we have a few gifts as well."
"You didn't have to… but we thank you." He said as he turned to the girl, "Chigusa, help him unload all that weight."
"At the same time, I think a proper introduction is in order, right?"
Take got up from his seat while Chigusa helped Silver unload things in a timely manner. After that, the children of the Takemikazuchi Familia got together in the room.
"Is everyone here? Minus the two of us who went outside to buy some supplies…" Take said as he looked at everyone in the room
"I've already introduced her, but I'll do it again. This is Hestia, an old friend of mine, and this is her child. Mellios Silver, Captain of her Familia."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said as he bowed
"The pleasure is mine, Silver-Dono!"
"Nice to meet you."
"You look like a strong guy, let's spar later."
"Ouka! You're already Level 2, remember?"
"What? He looks the part."
"Sure, I love a challenge!"
"That's how a man should act!"
The Takemikazuchi Familia greeted him in kind. Silver's first impression was that they were close to each other.
(Image)
"Cough… that boy would be my Captain…"
"I'm Kashima Ouka, a pleasure to make you acquainted." He said as he put his fist on his chest
(Image)
Ouka looked like a man of few words and a calm demeanour. Even so, it didn't look like he was inflexible.
"Sigh… there goes our impression."
"Haha! What's so bad about it, Mikoto? Let the boys fight, it's what boys do." Takemikazuchi said as he put his hands on his hips
"The cute girl who just spoke now is our dear Yamato Mikoto. Don't let appearances deceive you, but she's an expert in martial arts already!"
(Image)
"Ugh!"
Mikoto's face turned red as she looked away. The others smiling and sighing at the sight.
"I'm Asuka! Pleasure to make you acquainted mister!"
(Image)
"… That leaves only our timid Hitachi Chigusa who welcomed you both, and the others who are away. We'll introduce them when they come." Take said as he nodded to himself
"Thanks for having us!" Hestia exclaimed as she beamed them a smile
"N-Not at all! Thank you for being here with us!" Mikoto suddenly exclaimed as her face grew redder. In the end, she couldn't hide it and walked away
"Ahaha, that Mikoto. The same as always. Sometimes she's shyer than Chigusa." Take said with a sigh as he shook his head
""…""
"Hm? What? Did I say something wrong?"
"I'm impressed you made it this far, Take…"
/Growl…/
Hestia's stomach suddenly growled, interrupting her.
Silver nodded, giving them a nod, "My apologies everyone, I forgot to feed her today."
"What am I, a dog?!"
"Hahaha! Let's get to it then! I'm famished as well, and we still have an event to attend to!"
Silver nodded, "The Central Plaza fireworks, right?"
"Correct! We can't miss our first fireworks show, right? Let's show them some traditional Far Eastern cosine!"
"I can help too. It wouldn't sit right with me to wait and do nothing…"
Take interjected with as he coughed awkwardly, "T-There's no need for that."
"He's right, Silver, leave it to us!" Hestia claimed as she tapped her chest
"Hoo? Have you been hiding your progress with Demeter from me? Did she teach you a killer recipe?"
'I think I know what's this about.'
"Hehe, you'll see!"
Silver smiled, looking at the others, "Well, if you all don't mind… I'll wait here then."
Ouka and Chigusa smiled as Takemikazuchi invited Silver to sit down.
And just like that, their New Year's Eve dinner began.
…
/Sip…/
"Haa… nothing better than some good Sake on a snowy day like this."
"It's a unique taste. I'm more used to seeing Wine everywhere."
"That's because of those famed deities! Back in the Far East, we had our own local brewers as well. Ours don't lose in any way compared to the ones here!… Though I haven't had the honor of tasting those yet…"
"Would you like to? I have a bottle of Soma Wine here." Silver said all of a sudden as he pulled a bottle from under the table
'I bought one as a gift and another to keep around just in case. They're horrendously expensive though. These two went for two hundred thousand Valis because they're in short supply from people buying them all the time. Especially during the holidays…'
"What?! Where did you take that from? Actually… who cares? But… I heard they're expensive…"
"So what? I wasn't planning on drinking it anyway. Besides, we should enjoy some things in life from time to time."
"You weren't planning to?"
"Yes. I heard the Soma Wine is so strong it can make one addicted… and I'm not someone to risk putting something like that inside my body."
"Oh, that I can understand, but a little disappointing. Drinking is best when shared after all, so I'll put it aside for now too."
"… Sigh… I guess a little sip won't do much. I'm not so cowardly as to lose control over myself."
Take smiled, "That's the spirit."
/Pop!/
Silver opened the divine wine, the most expensive in all of Orario aside from older, specialized wines. In some areas of the city, a few bottles would be enough to be exchanged for a house!
/Sniff…/
The aroma alone enticed him, he could understand how people fell victim to it from that alone.
"Well… Kanpai."
"Wha… hahaha! Sure! Kanpai!!"
They both drank the wine in their cups all at once, reveling in the taste.
"Whew! It's stronger than I expected." Take said as he smacked his lips
"… It's way better than I imagined… but I don't quite like it."
"Huh, why? I think its amazing."
"Yeah, but I prefer wine that can be taken with food… this looks like something you just chug down… it's not my kind of thing. But its overwhelmingly good nonetheless."
"Hum… I guess you have a point? If not for our finances, I'd surely get a few of these… how much was it again?"
"This one? A hundred thousand."
"PFFTT!!! T-That's too much!!!"
As Take realized his single sip had probably cost a thousand, Silver laughed, "It's because of the New Year, prices have been jacked up immensely… not that it makes me any happier to spend this much."
'Not when my finances are already this tight. Soon enough I'll be having to pay another ten million to the Dian Cecht Familia… I might have to work overtime until the expedition rolls by… I might even have to sneak in and out of the Dungeon to pay it from time to time.'
'Although... I was already planning on doing that.'
"Sigh… she was right. You don't see your finances the same way I do." He replied as he poured a bit more into his cup, albeit with a trembling hand
Silver smiled, "Money is just a means to an end. If I'm smiling while doing so, or someone else is, then it has fulfilled its purpose. What makes me dislike spending money is when I clearly know I'm getting a bad deal for it, that's all."
"Because money is time. And wasting it is equivalent… although… if that waste goes into fueling a moment like this… then its alright for me."
"…"
'I get why she likes him so much.'
"Well then, Kanpai!"
"I'll stick with Sake for tonight… Kanpai." Silver replied as he poured some sake for himself
/Cling!/
As they drank it all, Silver wiped his lips faintly before looking at Take… Perhaps it was fate, or simply inevitable… "I heard you're a master of martial arts."
"Hm? Why the question all of a sudden?"
"… Please, teach me martial arts!" Silver said as he bowed to him
Take's smile slowly went serious as he put his hands on his legs, "… It's been a while since I've seen someone this eager to learn from me. People in this city don't seem to see martial arts in that high of a regard."
Silver scoffed as he poured more sake on their cups, "That's only amidst lower-rank rabble. First Class adventurers all need to know how to fight better than normal if they want to keep their life, and I know that all too well."
"My family taught me from a young age, so I understand its worth... at least to some degree."
"If I could learn from a deity of martial arts, I'd do anything. Please, teach me martial arts! I'll pay you even!" He said as he bowed deeply
Take smiled faintly, "There's no need for that. I could do it for free. Or rather, I wouldn't lower my martial arts for mere monetary gain."
"Even for a million Valis?"
Take spat all of his Sake out as he struggled to speak, "Pfft!! Cough… ahem… e-even for a m-million Valis." He said as his expression shook
"…"
After he stared at Take in silence… they stepped outside.
…
/Later…/
"Do you two really need to do this? I take my eyes off you for a moment and you already found a way to get yourself hurt!" Hestia asked with a frown as she looked at Silver and her surroundings
'He's… so shameless sometimes. It's his first time visiting Take and... can't he wait a bit more?...'
'Just the others are busy and there's still some time, it doesn't mean he can… can't he catch a break from training??'
"Of course we have to, my goddess. I can not lose this opportunity. Who knows when well have time for this again." Silver said as he took off his shirt
Her face became a bit red, a mix of embarrassment and anger, "But does it have to be right here and now?! It's the eve of a New Year, you know!!"
"Now's the best time for it. May this mark my will for the year to come." He said as he spread his arms and flexed his muscles
Her eyelids twitched as Silver stood there, almost posing...
"Urg… do as you wish…" Hestia said as she closed her eyes, accepting her fate
/Chuckles/
"Boys like him aren't so easily convinced, Hestia. I've met some like him in the past."
Having changed his clothing to something more proper, Take waited for Silver's approval. Silver smiled as he stretched his arms…
"Are you ready, adventurer Silver?" Takemikazuchi said with a small smile as he tightened the belt around his waist
Both of them were currently outside of the house, on top of a patch of loose sand in the back garden... They were standing off against each other while the others observed from nearby.
While Take had changed clothes, Silver simply took off his shirt... so much for putting in an effort.
"Ready when you are."
'Time... what better time than now?'
'This is exactly the type of opponent I want. What better teacher then a deity that has spent an eternity mastering martial arts in heaven?'
Take smiled with a confident gaze, "I hope to learn a lot from this exchange!"
Silver bowed in reply, "I will be facing you solely with my martial prowess. Please guide me."
Take scratched the back of his head, "Not going to use your abilities? I heard from Hestia that you're quite handy."
"Please don't take it as an offense."
"Of course not, I can understand the meaning of starting slow... or rather, you know what you want." He said as he scratched his cheeks in embarrassment, "And honestly, I can't really do much against your magic..."
"But regardless, I won't hold back at all."
"That's what I want." Silver said as he looked at Hestia
She rolled her eyes... "Without further ado… Start!" She said as she threw a small white cloth into the air
/Fwoosh!/
Silver dashed forward, but it was really "slow". He was, after all, trying to only use the strength of a normal person.
'Let's see how a God fights!'
Despite lowering his own strength, Silvers' thought process and senses were still the same. However, he'd be foolish to think Take wasn't able to see through his thoughts.
'A direct approach?' Take thought in an instant, 'Trying not to give me time to think?' He assumed as a smile crept up his face
'Good thinking.'
Take was unfazed. He took a step forward and changed the position of his hands, his left hand lowered and close to his waist, while the right one was slightly above his chest.
Silver looked at his hands for a moment before taking his own stance as he stopped his charge, ready to throw in a punch as he transferred his momentum across his body…
"!"
But Take suddenly moved forward, stepping over Silver's foot as he distracted him with his hands.
He used his shoulder to lock his arm in place, preventing Silver from hitting him as he grasped onto his pants, ready to throw him down.
'Damn! It was a trap...'
"Huff!"
'But so what?'
Silver wasn't ready to concede like that. He kicked the ground, using Take's own strength to send himself into the air.
And in a show of dexterity, he locked his legs onto his neck!
Silver knew he couldn't remain like this for long, so using his previous momentum…
/Poof!/
Yet… Take was ready for that as he simply used Silver's awkward position to send his head… straight onto the ground like a nail.
""...""
/Silence.../
Everyone shook their heads as they watched Silver get buried.
Hestia face-palmed while Take slowly realized his mistake.
On the side, Mikoto and Chigusa recoiled faintly as hitting your head like this was bound to be... painful ...
"Haaa… I knew this would happen. It's the same scene from heaven all over again…"
Hestia simply let out a sigh. She knew this would happen; she knew more than anyone else just how capable Takemikazuchi, the Far Eastern God of War, is... especially how insensible he can be of his surroundings when he's focused on something else.
"Adventurer Silver… I'm … I'm sorry!"
"Are you okay?" He asked, slightly concerned as he crouched near Silver
/Fwoosh.../
Silver lifted his head, getting out of the sand.
"Pfft… some sand got in my mouth… Hm? Why wouldn't I be?" Silver asked as he looked at Takemikazuchi
Tapping his neck, he reassured him, "My neck will not get hurt just because my body's weight was suddenly transferred to it, I'm still an adventurer..."
'Although my whole body aches… the beating Leon gave me still stings… I think some of my injuries have reopened...'
Silver got up from the ground, cracking his neck and stretching his back, "I feel a bit embarrassed, but such a light fall will not do much apart from messing up my hair." He said as he shook the dirt off his head
Take smiled in relief, "Adventurers never cease to amaze me. Back in the Far East, this would've taken out most warriors... and you seem particularly sturdy. Ouka was once knocked out by it as well, even after he became Level 2."
"ATCHIU!"
Ouka seemed to sneeze from somewhere inside the manor…
"I'm just used to this type of injury."
'I'm a top-tier expert in being beaten up after all…'
"I liked your approach." Take pointed out as he crossed his arms, "You tried to close the gap and end things in a hurry before I had the time to analyze your style... I'm glad you had such faith in my abilities..."
"But you exposed yourself too much in the process; you made things simpler for me than you realize. And that's really dangerous, avoid that in the future if you can."
"Yeah, that is a bad habit of mine. I tend to rush into problems headfirst when I get riled up."
He didn't say much, but Silver already got to the crux of the matter... 'Due to my abilities, I've grown used to not taking much care of my body in battle, preferring to trade small wounds for large ones.'
'I've been warned time and time again about this, yet I can't shake it off… And as time went by, I kind of neglected basic combat training like this, basically putting all the training into further implementing my Magic into my combat style.'
Take shook his head, "That is the path you have taken, and its in no way a bad one. Understanding that you can still improve — that in itself is a blessing, one most can't fathom."
"Making a decision, even if that decision is rushing ahead, is still better than doing nothing. What matters is having the ability to deal with the consequences afterward. But above all is knowing subconsciously when even that is a bad decision."
"Indeed."
"I will not judge your fighting style; each person has their own. For now, why not another round?" He asked as he went back into position
'He's like Ouka, very straightforward and headstrong about his wishes. However, unlike him, he seems to be more open toward others...'
Silver's lips twisted into a grin, "That was barely a warm-up." as he got into a stance again…
"Oiiii..."
"Hm?"
"Try not to hurt yourself... more than you already did before." Hestia said as she shook her head
"Okay... I'm not really trying to get beaten up either… I'm not into that kind of thing."
"That one I don't believe… alright... if everyone is ready... start!"
/Fwoosh!/
Hestia stared as Silver ran forward once more, but her thoughts were quickly drawn somewhere else...
...
/Around an hour later.../
""Let's eat!""
""Kanpai!""
…
/Another hour later…/
""Kanpai!""
/Clink!/
"… Silver… you've drunk enough already…"
"Huh? I've just uh… about uh… how much have we drunk?" Silver asked as he looked at Ouka
"Uhh… were we supposed to count?"
"Damn… pour me one more."
"Sure."
""Kanpai!""
""…""
The girls looked at the scene with blank stares as Ouka and Silver grew ever more drunk. Somehow, the two of them seemed to have hit off quite well...
In retrospect, the other two guys aside from their deity had already drunk so much they had passed out.
Only Silver and Ouka, one with exceeding tolerance and the other a Level 2, could remain conscious… while Take… had literal divine protection.
"Kanpai!"
"Kanpai!"
/Clink!/
"Huaaa… Ouka, pour one more to your deity." Take asked as he raised his cup
"Sure thing… huh… it's empty."
"Finally. That's you guys' ninth bottle! We're all out of Sake!" Asuka claimed as she wiped her forehead
"A-Already? There goes all the fun… should we take our leave then?" Silver asked as he touched his chest, holding in the urge to hiccup
"We've been here for a while… M-Miko… hiccup!… Mikoto… what time is it?" Ouka asked as he hiccuped
As Ouka and Silver got up from their seats, so did the others… "… There's still a bit over an hour until the New Year. There's no need to be in a hurry, but I suppose we should get on our way so we can get a good spot."
"I heard they opened Babel, so maybe we can go there." Mikoto added as she tilted her head
"… But what do we do about these four… five dunces?" Hestia asked as a bead of sweat fell from her forehead
Two men were out cold, two more were half drunk, and Take seemed to be between reality and dreamland... scratch that, two of them were far gone already.
"Haaaa… it's all Silver's fault! How can he make them drink so damn much?! Take chugged half of the Divine wine alone!"
"… Let's do it like this then. Asuka, stay behind with Take. Feed him that potion we got in advance while we go on ahead looking for a spot."
"Alright. I can't promise much; if worse comes to worst, I'll go alone."
"Fair enough. Before we leave, let's do that thing. Silver… huh... where are those two???"
When the girls looked around them, they realized Silver and Ouka… had vanished.
""…""
"Oh crap…" Hestia claimed as her expression grew pale
"Those two drunks shouldn't have gone too far, we can reach them in no time…"
"N-No, you don't understand… it's Silver we're talking about. He's already too free-spirited sober... imagine if he gets drunk… this isn't the time to get calm!"
Hestia ran out while the other girls looked on in wonder…
…
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Notes
This chapter was meant to end the whole New Year ordeal, but I ended up going over the word limit, so here we area.
The continuation of this, part 2, will be released shortly after I eat something!
Thank you all for coming this far, it means a lot to me!
Peace!