This is the second part of the chapter I cut off!
6K words.
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/~Music!~/
Silver and Ouka could be seen walking the streets of Orario, side by side, their arms over their shoulders as they made their drunken march to Babel.
Silver held a lightweight stick in his hand while a series of musical instruments floated behind him, playing a song whose musical composition was so alien the people around couldn't even fathom it possible.
"~… she'll take away your pain!!~~ Like a bullet to the brain!!~~"
"Upside inside out…"
As the alcohol took over his mind, things he had long buried resurfaced like in his dreams he kept to himself every night.
"... dance..."
Meanwhile, Ouka… was so dazed he didn't even seem to know where he was anymore; he just followed Silver and even that seemed to be merely instinct. Waving his hand around as he danced to the beat.
They stopped at a store as Silver recognized it… it was, yet again, the Hostess of Fertility.
"~… she took my heart, and she took my money!~…"
"… What's this… noise, nya?"
Anya was the first to react, peeking her head from the window.
She peered down to see a drunken Silver surrounded by floating instruments. The scene was so bizarre she took a moment to even process what she was seeing, giving the other girls enough time to approach her.
A second and third head peeked out next to her, like a bunch of molerats stacked over each other...
"What's happening, Anya? Is that… is that who I think it is?"
"That's a nice beat."
"… Pfft!"
"…"
Chloe, Lunoire, and Syr arrived soon after, looking down in surprise as Ryuu looked down in utter silence from the side. Baffled beyond belief.
To a regal elf from a mystical fairy forest, she couldn't even begin to comprehend what was going on in the streets below.
"~… It'll make you go insane! Come on!~"
Ryuu's eyes shook as she listened to the lyrics, "… How can anyone get so drunk?"
Chloe smirked, "I've seen worse."
"What's so bad about it? At least they seem to be having fun." Syr said as she put her hand in her mouth, hiding her ever-growing smile
She almost seemed... envious.
"Well… one of them at least, the other one's out of it… oh, there's Mama Mia…" Lunoire said as she looked down, "Three... two... one..."
"What the hell is this noise at this hour?!"
"Mama Mia! Don't be like that! Have some energy, it's the New Year, no one's sleeping!" Silver claimed as he played the instruments around him
The veins on her forehead stuck out, "That's not it… why are you playing in front of the damn pub! We don't do performances! Grow some sense into your damn skull!"
"Let's dance a little! ~Upside, inside out!…~"
Mia could feel her forehead tensing even harder as she watched the boy move left and right as his cheeks seemed to flush even harder.
She had seen many idiots, but this one might take the crown.
After everything she wanted to say and do, in the end, she took a deep breath and turned away, "Haaa… whatever…"
"Mia was defeated, nya." Anya claimed as she rested her chin on the window
"Anyahilated." Chloe added as she smiled again, "I don't blame her; even I can't make head or tail of it."
Silver raised his head, stopping his music as he grabbed a saxophone, "To the beautiful ladies over there! I have a song for you… ahem… "
Chloe sighed, "And now it's on us… anyway… are we going to talk about those flying instruments? Anya-one?"
/~Music~/
Silver began his composition with an early 20th-century song…
"That's quite the start… just where does he take all of these from? Is it a drunk's inspiration, as the gods say?" Lunoire asked as she scratched the back of her head
Anya tilted her head, touching her chin in wonder, "We can't deny that he seems to know what he's doing, though."
As they watched him play his song, other windows on the second floor opened as the other workers of the pub looked down in wonder.
Ryuu sighed, "… Is it okay to leave the two of them like that, Syr?… Syr?"
It was then they realized that Syr was gone.
…
/~Music~/
It was a song without vocals, only instruments.
"My… it's lovely. What's this song called?" Syr asked as she stood in the entrance to the Hostess of Fertility, clapping her hands as Silver played the saxophone
"Moon… Moonlight Serenade." Silver replied as he took a step back and almost stumbled
"It's not your usual style." She said with a smirk as she put her hands behind her back
Silver touched his chest proudly as he took a small mint tablet from his pockets, "A bit old-sounding, aint it? Even to me, that's past my..."
"Oii!!!… Silver!!… Where are you?!!"
Silver looked back and forth as he laughed loudly, "Oh?… Looks like my goddess is onto me… gotta go!"
He tapped Ouka's shoulders, but the boy barely reacted.
"Don't fall on me, Ouka!"
Syr chuckled as she took a step back, entering the pub and closing the door.
"Mnmnm… Chigusa…"
"Heh, even like this… my man."
Silver stepped to the side as he held onto Ouka, walking down the street while Hestia ran after them.
He looked to the side to see a bunch of kids crouching in the alley and smiled. He played them a few notes until they laughed before he heard his goddess call for him, running away as she ran after him...
"Get over here!!"
""…""
The girls, even the staff not commonly seen, all watched as the tiny goddess ran down the street…
"Looks like this won't be a boring year." Syr mumbled to herself as she sneaked a peak from the door's crack before walking back inside
…
/After being "captured".../
/Bla bla bla bla…/
"… how can you…"
/Bla bla bla bla…/
"… parade across half of Orario…"
/Bla bla bla bla…/
Silver stood on the plaza with an absent-minded gaze as he listened to Hestia ramble about something he couldn't quite understand. His eyes kept darting around, looking for something less… "stimulating".
"Heh…"
Until his eyes fell on someone familiar.
"… okay? Huh? Are you listening, Silver?… Silver?!"
Hestia turned around, but Silver wasn't there.
"I take my eyes off you for one moment!!! This is the second time!!"
'I get why you don't allow yourself to get drunk!! This isn't manageable!'
Hestia looked around the crowd in the central plaza and grimaced.
"Mnnn… tities…" Ouka mumbled as drool fell from his lips
She looked back, her gaze falling on the giant boy, "…"
'How am I supposed to look for him with this kid half-dead?!'
Luckily for her… it didn't take too long…
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!! Save me!!…"
"I-Is that voice... Silver?!"
Hestia looked between the source of the noise and Ouka before biting her lips, "Wait for me, Ouka!" Before running away in a hurry.
Hestia pierced the crowd and eventually reached its edge, seeing the horrifying sight…
"W-What's going on?!?!"
"H-Help!! I'm going to… ugh…"
Before her, Silver could be seen being waved around like a bat as Ais held his ankle, spinning around as she giggled to herself like a little kid, her face flushed like a red lamp.
Hestia was quick to notice Loki on the side, her face pale as she hid. With her hands on her head, she seemed to do her best to be out of sight, "Loki!! Do something about your kid!!"
At the mere mention of her name, Loki snapped in fear as she looked at Hestiua before realizing everything was fine, "Huh? T-This is… l-look! Now's not the time, Hestia. This isn't something I can deal with!" She exclaimed with a fearful frown
"What do you mean you can't deal with it?! That's your kid! The one you're always flaunting!"
Her eyes grew serious, as if she was talking about the three great quests... "T-That's not my kid anymore… that's a damn force of nature… It's all his fault!"
"He came out of nowhere with a funny expression and asked for a drink… but rather than drinking it, he somehow had Ais drink it when I wasn't paying attention."
"..."
'So isn't it still partially your fault?'
As she looked between Hestia and Ais, Loki grimace intensified, "Ais is a terrible drinker, just a single sip and she's out of it. Last time she drank anything… I don't even want to think about it."
"What are we supposed to do then?!"
"We… we need a First Class adventurer… maybe three."
"Where are we going to get something like that?! Silver isn't going to last much longer!!"
"Ugh... I didn't want this, but it's a sacrifice we must accept. I'll make up for this in the future, I promise!" She said as she put her hands together in prayer
But Hestia was determined, "I'm not letting Silver go back to heaven like this! Hey! Ais wallensomething!!"
"AHHH! What are you doing?! Don't get her attention!!" Loki exclaimed as her face grew pale
"… I'm sorry, it's a sacrifice we must bear." Hestia replied as her face turned blank
"Y-You…"
'D-Damn! I didn't know you could do this! Just you wait, I will survive this!! I...'
"Lo-ki…~"
/Drop…/
Ais dropped Silver like a towel, giving Hestia the chance to run at him… "Silver!"
Meanwhile, Ais walked to Loki, swaying left and right as she giggled faintly.
"L-L-L-Let's talk about this, Ais. Deep breaths, ye hear? I… I promise never to drink again… A-AIS! Don't… DON'T GET ANY CLOSER."
Ais' hands reached out to her, "Ehhh hehehe…"
"KYAAAAAAAA!!"
While Loki died, Hestia looked at Silver with a face full of tears, "Silver, don't die on me!"
Unfortunately, Silver was completely unconscious, his eyes at the back of his skull as he stood there unresponsive.
"Silver!!"
""...""
From the side, Aphrodite and her diva watched in silence as the scene unfolded.
"Should we go help them, goddess?"
"I'm... I'm not good with dramas..."
'You're crazy if you think I'll step in front of that monster!'
"..."
…
"… H-How did this happen?" Take asked as he looked at Silver and Ouka standing side by side on the sidewalk
They were both half-unconscious, Silver's head on Ouka's shoulder as the latter stood there with his mouth open...
Hestia didn't know what to say, "I'm really sorry. It was mostly Silver's fault…"
Take shook his head as Chigusa approached Ouka on the ground, feeding him some medicine, "No, it's okay. I suppose we went a bit too far thanks to him, but we're all to blame for that… Anyhow, it doesn't look like either of them is waking up anytime soon."
"They're going to miss the fireworks!"
"Ugh… my head…"
"Silver?!"
"D-Don't scream… the world is ten times louder…"
"… How are you feeling?"
"Terrible. The last thing I remember… were the stars spinning. What happened?"
Hestia thought of the scene of Ais using Silver like a baseball bat and her expression went dark, "W-Who knows?… You blacked out when you got here."
"Huff… that damned divine wine… the moment I took a sip of it I lost it… I'm never drinking that shit again… I'm sorry, everyone… ugh…"
'Whatever happened to me, I think it sobered me up alright... never again. My stomach is turning like a syphon...'
""…""
The others looked at Silver with awkward smiles as Chigusa tried to wake Ouka up.
"… What about Asuka and the others?" Hestia asked as she looked around
"Asuka is coming soon. She stood a bit longer to help the others go to bed since they weren't waking up. We'll be watching the fireworks without them."
"… I feel really bad about that…" Hestia said as she sighed
"Again, it is not your fault."
But Hestia couldn't accept it... "Yeah, its Silver's! What were you thinking leaving so suddenly?!"
"Ugh… I thought… it would be funny… or something like that, I don't remember... very well..."
"It sure was funny. Do you know what you missed? I spent the last two weeks trying to bake a cake for your birthday, and when we were about to reveal it all to you… this happens!"
"What… I… I'm sorry."
"Humph!"
"Well… we still have a few dozen more of those ahead of us, so let's make the next one a blast, alright?"
"I have a feeling it won't go so easily…"
"Don't be so pessimistic."
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
""!""
As they were distracted, a few fireworks were released into the sky, spelling the number 10:00.
"Ten minutes to the New Year… Asuka is getting late."
Take smiled, "She'll be here, I'm sure of it. The issue here is waking Ouka up… I've never seen him act like this, but then again, he's never drunk so much."
"Huff… he'll be fine." Silver said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Albeit dead drunk, all he thought of as we made our way here was you, Chigusa, I'm sure that if you kindly ask him, he'll be up in a heartbeat."
""?!""
"W-W-W-What?!"
While everyone was shocked by the statement, Chigusa was the one whose face turned the reddest as she almost fainted right then and there.
"I think his last words were uh… Chigusa and uh… tit…"
"Let's stop right there! C-Chigusa, how about you take Ouka somewhere a bit less crowded and try to wake him up in peace? We'll stay here and wait for it all to begin."
Take nodded eagerly, "That is a good idea. You and Ouka were always close, so I'm certain he'll listen if you call for him!"
Mikoto nodded as well, her face full of confidence, "You can do it, Chigusa!"
"Mnn…"
After looking between them and the half-dead Ouka, Chigusa gave them a shy nod before lifting the brute with one arm in a bizarre display of strength and dragging him away.
"Love is such a warm thing… isn't that right, Silver? What were you thinking?! Saying such a thing at this moment of all times?!" She asked as she pinched his shoulders
"Arg! D-Don't pinch me… I uh… I'm still a bit affected by the alcohol… ahem…"
"Don't pin it all on that!"
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
"L-Look at the fireworks…"
"Don't try to change the subject!"
…
/Meanwhile…/
Gareth took a deep breath as he looked at the unconscious Ais and fear-ridden Loki, also unconscious… "… What are we going to do, Finn? Somehow, Loki and Ais knocked themselves out."
"We look away for one moment, and Ais gets drunk and everything descends into chaos. What was Loki thinking?" Riveria mumbled as she touched her forehead
Finn looked at them with a helpless gaze as he scratched the back of his head, "Haha… I'm also utterly beaten up by this development."
After thinking for a while, they decided to just carry them around with them until the firework show ended.
After all, it was far too late to go back home.
Gareth grumbled, as he held Ais in his arms, "Lefiya will throw a fit; she was really waiting to watch the fireworks with Ais and the others."
"I don't think she'll be the only one. The other girls were all excited to watch it together… Loki will be having a hard time explaining herself." Riveria added as she crossed her arms
Next to her, Finn struggled as he held the unconscious, half-dead Loki... "R-Riveria, it's a bit difficult for me to carry Loki, can't you do it this time?"
"And give her a chance to grope me? No thanks. I've done that once, and its not happening again."
"Haaa… when will Raul and the others arrive?"
"Already thinking of dumping the trouble onto the lad?"
"I am... sometimes, forced to recognize the limitations of my own physiology, you see."
"Fancy words coming from you, aye? Buwahahaha!"
…
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
"It's here!"
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
""Ten!""
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
""Nine!""
"Ugh… everything's flashing…"
"Take a deep breath Ouka, don't go losing it now. Chigusa had to pray to all deities to resuscitate you."
"I'm trying…"
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
""Two!""
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
""ONE!!""
/Fium!!!/
/BOOM!/
/BOOM!/
/BOOM!/
""HAPPY NEW YEAR!""
/Chears!/
"It's here… Happy New Year, Hestia, everyone."
"Happy New Year, Silver! And happy birthday too!"
"Congratulations, adventurer Silver, may you achieve your goals this year. No, all of us."
"Happy birthday, Silver-Dono! Happy New Year!"
"Ugh… happy New Year, Silver… huff... and your birthday too…"
"H-Happy New Year and birthday!"
"Let's try not to get drunk anytime soon… and Happy New Year, everybody! May we have another commemoration like this next year!" Asuka finished with a small smile as everyone smiled
"I'm not drinking anything anytime soon, and I think Ouka's with me."
"Agreed."
""Hahaha!""
/Cheers!!/
As the firework show unveiled itself in the sky, Silver scoffed, "Is there a god of fireworks?"
"Why the sudden, random question?!"
"Just asking… because this is pretty good."
He sneaked a glance at Ouka and a smirk rose at the corner of his lips, "You know, there's some romance to this, yeah? The idea of confessing your love only for it to be covered by the echoes of the fireworks."
/Boom!/
Take nodded eagerly, "I agree. And it has to be right after a festival while both are wearing kimonos, that's a must."
"I get what the two of you are saying, but could you be any less obvious?" Hestia added as she sighed out loud
/Boom!/
Silver's face twisted into a devious smile, "You know what? I think I know a good place to watch this. Right over there on the other side of the plaza."
Hestia face-palmed while Take tilted his head in confusion, "Pardon? This place looks just fine?"
/SLAM!/
"OUGH?!"
Mikoto shoved her elbow into his stomach while Asuka held onto his arm, "A-Agreed! Silver-Dono has made an excellent observation! How about we go there?"
Asuka then said with a smug smirk, "Asuka and Ouka can stay behind. You understand, right? Ouka isn't in his best condition."
Chigusa's face turned beet red as she looked at her friends with a mix of betrayal and desperation, "H-HUH?!"
"!!!"
Meanwhile, Ouka's face suddenly went from slight discomfort to extreme seriousness… "I can go with you all, though? Don't worry about me, I'm fi… u-ugh?!"
Mikoto stepped on his foot as the burly guy acted dense… he was dense, "I said it was F-I-N-E! You two can stay behind and rest all you want."
""…""
Silver coughed awkwardly, as he looked at the sky, "The stars sure are beautiful tonight…"
"We can't see them tonight!!" Hestia exclaimed as Silver walked away
At the same time, his eyes met with Ouka… and a voice echoed inside his mind:
*Bro, I'll only say this once. Whatever comes of this, be sure to be true to your feelings. Don't be a rock all the time. If you check your leftmost pocket, I left a mint breath tablet.*
*Fight on, bro.*
"!!!"
Silver vanished in the crowd as he held onto Hestia's hand, the others following behind them soon after.
"W-W-Wh…"
As Chigusa realized the situation, Ouka touched his pants and noticed the mint tablet.
"Erm… Hestia and her child are sure unusual, right?"
"… Sigh…"
…
/Later…/
/BOOM!/
With one last bright firework, the show ended as the central stage lit up. Within, two people stood side by side with microphones in their hands.
"… Aaaand, the New Year has arrived! May it be full of blessings and fortune! With that, I, Ibri Achaa declare…"
(Image)
"And I, GANESHA!!!"
""The start of the New Year!!""
/Cheers!!/
"… Phew, that was amazing." Hestia claimed as she stood on a box Silver put down for her
"Let's do this again next year."
"All of it?"
"Ahaha… minus all the drinking of course… I hope next year we'll have a few more members to this little party of ours."
"Yeah… definitely."
"For now… should we find the others? We kind of got separated. Might as well do that party you weren't able to throw since today is technically my birthday."
"Humph… I still haven't forgiven you for it… but its as they say… leave your regrets and grudges in the past… you're lucky I'm a merciful deity."
"So, my birthday's now like a get out of jail card?"
"As if!"
Silver snickered, looking around, "In a moment like this, adventurer or not, low level or high level, elf or dwarf, deity or mortal, none of that seems to matter, huh. Ganesha sure knows how to put everyone's spirits up."
"Yeah, that's what he does, he's Ganesha after all…"
"DId I hear someone call me? It is I, Ganesha!!"
He then flexed his muscles and posed in the lights.
""…""
"I thought I was a man of confidence, but compared to him, I'm a coward."
"Don't even try, Ganesha's a whole other breed of god…"
They looked at each other and smiled. Next stop, finding the rest of their friends.
The night was still long after all.
…
/Later…/
""Happy birthday!""
"Thanks." Silver said as he took a slice of Hestia's cake
It was a simple white cake with a single strawberry on top. Its insides seemed to be chocolate with some sweet paste flowing through the layers.
With a smile, he took a bite out of it… "So?" Hestia asked as her eyes trembled
"Hum… I don't know…"
"What do you mean by that?!"
"Haha… It's amazing. I like this cake. You did an amazing job." He said with a smile as he took another bite
Hestia's worry flew away as she beamed at him a wide smile, "I'm so happy!"
She jumped in the air next to Takemikazuchi, "He liked it! Did you hear that, Take? Demeter? I finally got it right!"
"So? Do you guys want a slice? There's too much cake here for poor old me."
"Please! Though being honest, Silver-Dono, I thought you were older. To think you're about Ouka's age… is quite surprising."
Asuka and Chigusa nodded, "You act and speak mature, most of the time…"
"Haha… really? My mother used to say that I often spoke like my grandfather, much to her annoyance."
He turned to Take, "Planning on watching the first sunrise?"
"Of course! In the Far East, the first sunrise is a target of worship for many mortals. I particularly don't go to such lengths, but I know several deities who went through elaborate shows whenever the year cycled."
"I do think one of them is here in Orario… though I haven't gone to speak with her still."
"If you guys are interested, I'm also planning on watching the first sunrise."
"I'm skipping it this time. I don't think I can keep myself awake anymore then this." Ouka said as he dropped his head
Chigusa agreed as she looked at the ground, "I-I won't be going either. I had had enough already."
One by one, the others also dropped down, leaving only Take and Mikoto left.
"You all heard them, don't worry about us and do your think. If anything, I'll probably find my own spot somewhere around Orario and watch it from there with Mikoto."
"M-Me?"
"Of course, who else would keep me company? You're going, right?"
Her face getting redder by the minute, she agreed shily, "Y-Yes…"
"Excellent! It's as I said, knowing you, you'll probably go to great lengths to get the perfect spot, and right now, I don't think I have the energy to go on a small adventure." Take said as he shook his head
"… Very well. So its just us then…"
"…"
Hestia remained quiet.
For the next few moments, they enjoyed the end of their party before cleaning and packing everything, going on their ways.
With that, the New Year party had officially ended!
…
On the road back home...
"… So? You got unusually silent at the end. Just tell me what's on your mind… no, I can tell exactly."
"After everything that happened, you must be tired. It's okay if you want to stay at home."
"… Is it?"
"I told you before, we'll be doing this many times in the future, missing it a few times won't do much. What matters is doing it with a smile and wanting it to happen."
"To me, if you're not smiling, then doing it with you in the first place loses its meaning."
"Let's do this again next year and the year after."
"… Let's!"
Silver smiled, but Hestia soon frowned, "Silver… this isn't the right way. We've missed several streets already."
"From a certain perspective, you're correct." He said with a mysterious smile as he turned to her
"What are you plotting now?"
"You'll like it."
With a mix of curiosity, desire, and tiredness, she held his hand tightly, "Alright then, I'll see this to the end."
"That's my goddess."
…
Silver led Hestia through the streets of Orario, from one district to the other, from one city block to the next.
Soon enough, Hestia found herself in a part of the city she had never been before, a so-called rich neighborhood.
She didn't say much, however, merely looking around and pointing out the many unique characteristics of this rich area.
Before long, they arrived at a large home on the corner of a small street. The home was quite large, taking up the lot until the next intersection.
"We're here."
"This place is? It's quite a large house."
"Yeah... Home. This is our new home."
"… Huh?"
"Didn't you hear? I said this is our new home." Silver said as he pulled a set of keys from his pockets.
"… What?!"
…
The massive home was four stories tall with a wide dome on top. A mix of wood, stone, and cement, being rather robust yet still retaining the architectural style of the surroundings.
This, however, was only a third of their land, for the rest of the plot was a large garden that went all the way to the other side of the street.
"A-Are you serious? This… you bought this?!"
"I did. We can keep the church of course, I'm not throwing it away."
"That's not what I meant! This… how expensive was this?"
Silver smiled awkwardly, "Haa… enough to make me work day in and night for the next few months, but its fine, I can make money quickly."
With a proud smile, he turned to Hestia, who seemed to be about to cry.
"You… you always do these things. You pamper me so much it makes me feel useless."
"You're not useless."
"But I feel like it! I've decided! Starting this year, I'll start working and get my act together! Like Take!"
"There's no need for you to do so, you know? Most jobs don't pay nearly as much as adventuring."
"It's not about money, it's about principles! I won't let you shoulder the burden alone. Even if its not much, I'll do my part!"
"I've been thinking about this for a while. No more freeloading goddess!"
Silver smiled, "… You've grown, Hestia."
"Don't give me that look! I'm not a kid!"
She stepped forward, holding his hand, "Then? Are you going to show me around?"
"… Right. Let's start with the first floor then. I have many plans and ideas for this place…"
Silver led Hestia around their new home, spending the next few hours talking about the future with her. It was only after she fell asleep, mere hours before sunrise, that Silver sat down in the church to rest.
Although they had a new home, moving was another matter. For today and perhaps even the next few days, they'd still sleep in the church until everything had been transferred smoothly.
He closed his eyes, and soon enough, the alarm clock he placed beside him ticked, waking him up half an hour before sunrise.
"… Well then… I'll be back soon."
'I doubt I'll have the time to rest. After this sunrise, I'll be going to Leon again… though I should eat something before… should I though? I'll probably just puke it all out again.'
"Sigh…"
…
At Orario's high walls, Silver sat at its edge with his arms resting on his legs.
The sky above had already begun to turn blue, signaling the start of a brand new year.
"I wonder how the sunrise looks like in the Far East." He mumbled to himself as he ate a cookie
"That's what I was saying."
"Hm?"
Silver turned around to see a trio walk up from inside one of the many towers scattered around the wall, approaching him slowly.
"Well, what a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you guys like this." Silver said as he looked at Finn, Gareth, and Riveria
"And neither did we. In all our years of coming here, we have never met someone else." Gareth replied as he scratched his beard
"Do you guys come here often?"
"Every year. This is the best place in Orario to watch the sunrise."
"Really? I was planning on climbing Babel, but I stuck with the most proper option."
Riveria put her hand in her mouth, ignoring Silver's remark, "... We planned on bringing others, but they're all lazy." she added as she stopped beside Gareth
"Others?"
Finn sighed slightly, "Bete said this was a waste of time, Tione drank too much, while Tiona said she didn't want to come if the others weren't around. Lefiya is the only one who could've come, but she stood behind to watch over Ais."
"Speaking of her… how is she looking? And Loki too?"
Riveria raised an eyebrow, "… You saw that?"
"Unfortunately not… I was a victim. I only remember momentarily seeing the stars as everything else spun around me."
""…""
The three of them looked at each other in silence, fully understanding what Silver had gone through.
Gareth patted his shoulders, trying to give him some silent confort...
"Raul did say Ais seemed to have grabbed someone… so that was you."
"Riveria over here was all tense saying we had to apologize, thankfully you're here, boy."
"It's nothing. I was half drunk myself, so I don't remember much of it… I wager Loki hasn't waken up yet?"
"She's out cold." Finn added as he coughed drily
Silver closed his eyes with a faint smile, "So that explains it."
"How about an introduction? Or should we leave it for another time?" Gareth asked as he tapped his chest
Riveria pointed out, "That was supposed to happen yesterday, but you didn't come."
"Hahaha, my bad… I just forgot about it." He said as he scratched the back of his head
"Sigh…"
"Well... I'm Mellios Silver, Captain of the Hestia Familia. Feel free to call me by my second name… I'd love to greet you in better condition, but this is the best look I can give you right now." He said with an awkward smile as he turned to them
"Say… what happened to you, lad? You look as if you went through a rollercoster as Loki would say. Did you get caught in a landslide?"
"Nothing of the sort… I wish it had been something so simple."
"I uh… I challenged the Knight of Knights."
""…""
Finn's smile deepened, "So it's him. It does look like something he'd do indeed. Brings back memories."
"Terrible memories." Gareth added as he closed his eyes
"…"
Riveria did not say anything. But the memory of a woman with platinum hair passed through her eyes.
Seeing this, Silver laughed loudly, "Hahaha! I guess I wasn't the only one beaten up!"
"To think this grueling tradition lives on… of all the things they could've kept alive." Riveria snickered as she looked away
"Leon likes to act cool and haughty, but he was the same when he was your age."
"So? How do you think? Is your spirit and mind shattered?" Finn asked as he folded his arms
They all looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Silver could see many emotions hidden behind those gazes. Perhaps they too were once asked this many years ago…
"My body could be better, but for the rest… I feel humiliated, but aside from that… I just want to beat him up."
"My goal remains the same. "I" at least still feel normal… so I'd say everything's fine. If anything, I'm even more motivated."
"Heh, you'd do fine back then."
"Spare me from that… I was but a toddler then."
"Aie… Finn too was once your age."
"Haha, let's not talk about that, Gareth."
/Chuckle…/
/Shine…/
The first rays of golden light shone in the distance.
"There it is… did you know they worship the first sunrise in the Far East?"
"That's what I was about to say. You're well knowledgeable." Gareth added as a faint smile took over his expression
"I can understand why." Riveria added as she smiled as well
"You're one to talk, you elves worship the strangest things. I heard that you guys' greatest beverage is mountain water, can't go more boring than that."
Riveria frowned, "I don't want to hear that from you, dwarf. You guys worship plain, bland stone."
"Guys… let's not bicker right now; the year hasn't even properly started..."
"Haha… it sure is an odd combination… Pallum, Dwarf, and Elf… things are probably never boring with Loki around, right?"
"I'd rather have less excitement."
"At least on that I can agree."
"Sometimes its too much work…"
Silver smiled, "I can understand the feeling."
They stood there watching the sunrise for a few more minutes before Silver got up from the parapet, stepping back.
"Well then, I have about an hour to maybe eat something light and go get myself beaten up again."
"You sure sound enthusiastic about it. Try not to go too deep, we'll be needing you in a few days." Gareth said as he laughed faintly
"Can you come today? We've already finished with the documentation and are ready to start packing things."
Silver smiled awkwardly, "If I survive today, I'll be there, that's a promise… I can't just promise to look any better."
Finn raised his hand, "That's fine. As long as you can work a little, we won't judge."
Silver shook it, "Then I hope we'll work together for many more years to come!"
Silver nodded at Gareth and Riveria before putting his foot on the parapet facing Orario, "Well then, see you all later!"
/Jump!/
""!!!""
They watched in shock as Silver jumped down… only for him to float back up with a sly smile on his face.
"Did I make your heart skip a beat? Hahahaha!" He said as he flew around them once
He snapped his fingers, causing a few sparks of light like fireworks to fly in their direction, "Gotcha! Happy New Year!"
/Fwoosh!/
He flew down into the streets below while the three of them were still a bit dazed.
Finn was the first to speak, "Am I the only one who thinks we might be in for more trouble instead?"
"Not at all."
"Baahh! Stop being so picky with the boy, he's at that age and is unrestrained. It's not like it's our first time dealing with a kid like that."
"… You're right, and I'd rather not worry over such things now of all times… let's stay a bit longer before returning." Riveria said as she took a deep breath
"Right, when we return, we'll have to deal with all the mess the kids left behind from yesterday. It's going to be one long day…"
As such, the first day of the year… began!
...
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Notes
So we're done. I wanted to make this lighter and a bit more enthusiastic.
Next chapter, Silver will receive his first status update after being beaten by Leon for two days straight and the march to the expedition!
After it ends, I wager it wouldn't take long for Silver to Rank Up!
That's it for now, I'll work on my other work and I'll be back when that's done.
Peace!