4.2K words. It's smaller then normal because I cut quite a lot from this... a LOT actually... probably well over 4K words from this.
Most will come back, don't you worry... now... Enjoy!
This is, without a doubt, his last chapter before he joins a Familia.
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—
The days passed, and Silver acted according to the plan. He went around Orario researching and inquiring about as many Familias as he could to find the perfect one for him.
With time, he slowly learned about the intricacies of each deity and their people, coming to terms that, either small or large, what mattered most was finding a place he could feel at home… although a large Familia, even if distasteful, could also provide him with the means to grow far faster.
Although the one-year conversion limit bothered him a little, Silver learned something new about this process, something his grandparents hadn't told him for some reason… although he could infer why.
The one-year span only applied when someone switched Familias and not when a mortal joined another for the first time. This meant that Silver could join anyone and convert at any moment… of course… if the deity whose Familia he was part of agreed.
He asked the Guild for help, and while they gave him some assistance, there was only so much they could do. Being swamped with work, they could spare him little time.
Silver was happy with anything, really… So he went around the place some more, looking for other sources of guidance, be they older adventurers or even ordinary people.
They each gave him their own opinions, and although he did not agree with their views most of the time, their points were still insightful for his search. It was interesting seeing how both ordinary and extraordinary people saw the gods and their adventurers.
It was only in cases like this that he actively paid attention that he realized how absurd this city was. Silver couldn't help but be in awe at the massive number of gods and Familias in Orario.
Normally, you can not really notice it. But when you know how to look... all adventurers going to the Dungeon, the tens of thousands of people that cross it every day… they all belong to a Familia, deities of all ages, appearances, talents, personalities, and more.
At the end of it all, he was growing overwhelmed. The time to make a choice was coming, and he was getting a little nervous with himself as well, "Haaa… I'm getting tired."
'The more I think about this, the less I think its ridiculous… should I consider joining the Freya Familia?'
'They have quite a good reputation; I've only heard positive things about them recently… I guess my problem comes from Freya herself. But its not like I have to be fully in-synch with my chosen deity.'
'Perhaps I should let go of these views and accept things as they are… in the first place, I'm clinging to a 100+ year old grudge from something I hardly even remember. Reality and fiction aren't so close.'
'I've learned that long ago…'
…
/Meanwhile… high above the ground…/
On one of the highest floors of Babel, a woman sat on a glorious throne with a wine cup in her hand, gazing into Orario's night sky from the glass panel before her.
Her gaze was stoic, calm, cold… her eyes kept darting around, searching for something, but she never found out.
A lack of joy, a lack of purpose, the only thing she found… was boredom.
Recently, however, she had grown restless. Day and night in anticipation, waiting for the good news. She constantly pesters those around her for updates, only to hear of their constant failure.
That, however, was okay… She wasn't in a hurry. Instead, she buried herself in this feeling, of the thrill… of pursuit. How long had it been since she had last felt something like it.
She hated it when things were done unnaturally, when the beauty of something was distorted forcefully… but sometimes, for a garden to bloom most gloriously… a few flowers had to be taken out.
But she was greedy, the greediest of them all. She would preserve all flowers and have them bloom the greatest if even… for a single day.
The flowers would bloom only for her, and she would witness their splendor. The careful performance, for her eyes only.
(Image)
Her thin lips parted open, and a gentle, yet domineering voice resounded, "How was it?"
/Step…/
From behind her, a tall and muscular man with a pair of boar ears stepped out.
Waiting quietly for his cue, the wall of flesh responded.
"We have been conducting as instructed, yet we haven't found him yet. We shall redouble our efforts."
"There is no need. I have another idea."
Her eyes glistened faintly under the moonlight as her gaze fell on the city.
…
"Joining the Hephaestus Familia is a bit harder than I imagined."
'Hephaestus seems to be in the middle of doing some commissions, so she can't receive me. She's a rather hardworking deity compared to others.'
'Well… I guess handcraft-related deities end up working more given how their abilities correlate to the mortal world… which is one reason I'm so intrigued by them.'
'I'll have to wait for her to be free so she can interview me, I suppose… but well, this was only a shot in the dark. I wasn't really feeling it either.'
"Perhaps we'll meet again but under other conditions."
Silver checked the time on his pocket watch, "Time to go back to the inn; it's getting late."
While Silver walked through the streets, he noticed several decorations placed around the houses, "So they decorate their homes to commemorate Christmas... It's just rather bizarre that everyone seems to have their own decorations."
'But what exactly is Christmas in this land? They call it the Winter Festival, but what exactly is the point of it?… It's not like they're commemorating harvest season or something else. Is this related to some deity that isn't around anymore?'
'There are many events centered around the deities… they're often thrown around and the people just go with it. I mean… wouldn't you participate in a deity's event? To civilians, they might believe it brings good luck.'
/Swush!/
The cold wind slammed on Silver's face, interrupting his thoughts.
"It's getting quite cold… I want a hot bath."
'Most people are now cuddling inside their homes… I should go to bed as well.'
Just as he was about to leave, his gaze was attracted to a small girl standing in the cold outside. An elven girl with unusual blue hair.
'Isn't she the girl I saved a few weeks ago?'
"What a coincidence."
'She seems to be doing well. That's good… perhaps her Familia home is nearby. Which gods live here aside from Hephaestus? Hum…'
His thoughts darting away, Silver stepped aside.
/Grab!/
But as he left, his sleeve was suddenly held, "Hmm?"
Her eyes locked with Silver's, "I-I am sorry. I confused you with someone else." She said apologetically as she bowed deeply
"No, no, it's ok. There's no need to apologize."
Hearing his voice, her brows furrowed. Her thoughts so deep that… she forgot to let go of his sleeve.
"Erm… excuse me, but could you please release my hand?"
"OH?! My apologies!"
"It's nothing… you seem out of it. Perhaps you should go back inside. The cold's gotten quite strong."
'In one week, the change was quite severe. If its cold for me, imagine for her... oh... she's an adventurer...'
"I will! But not now… I am… waiting for someone."
"I see…"
Silver took the chance to look down at what stood beside her. It was a small wooden table with a few winter decorations on it, but what took his attention was the small wooden board with a few words written on it.
/Thank you, kind hero, for saving us that day. Please, if you ever read this, contact us so we can repay you…/
It continued with some minor things, such as thanks from each member of the Familia. It was a heartfelt note of thanks to someone they were deeply in-debt for.
"..."
'Now I feel fucking horrible… So they are a small Familia… I pretty much single-handedly saved their entire Familia that day.'
'What was nothing to me meant their world.'
Noticing his gaze, she laughed faintly, "It's funny, isn't it? Someone once saved me in the Dungeon, but I don't even know his name."
"Isn't that normal? With how hectic things are, sometimes it may take months to cross paths with another."
"To some degree… still, I wanted to thank him."
Silver shook his head, "Sometimes people only help others for the sake of it, there may not be too much into it."
"I know, sir… but I still wanted to thank him."
"You have conviction, I'll give you that... So, you are waiting for him to show up? In this cold? Even if he was there looking for you, Orario is simply too big."
"Wouldn't it be best to try it somewhere around Babel?"
"We did, but we never crossed paths… it's a shame, but after a while, I was told to do it closer home… even though I wanted to do it there."
"…"
'This is getting worse and worse…'
The biting wind was quite cold. Her face was faintly red as she rubbed her cheeks with her hands, "Have you been doing this for long? Perhaps you haven't been lucky…"
"It's been… about two and a half weeks?... But… we plan to stop this by the New Year. We have to keep moving, especially if we want to meet him."
"My only hope is that he hears about this one day and comes to us… so I'll keep this here just in case."
"... You're kind… but I am pretty sure whoever saved you wouldn't want to see you catch a cold by staying in the cold like this."
'I really don't...'
She smiled, "... You sound like my goddess. She said the same thing... but in a more overbearing tone."
"She is a very smart goddess then."
She chuckled, amused, "Ha… humble bragging… Thank you for listening to me stranger, it wasn't much but at the very least my day became better… My name is Yilfi, like you said, I don't know if we'll meet each other anytime soon, so happy new year ahead of time."
"Oh… in that case. Call me Silver… that's my real name, haha... Happy New Year. And take care of yourself, Yilfi."
"You too, mister Silver."
"Ha! Drop the honorifics, I'm not that old… May we meet each other again!"
He waved at her and went on his way towards the inn…
/Creek/
The door of the house behind Yilfi opened, and a young cat girl stepped forward.
"Ihihihi… its sooo cold… I'm freezing... Yilfi, let's... hey? Yilfi! Snap out of it, dinner's ready… hm?"
/Sniff…/
Yilfi looked back at her and nodded, "I am going, Gvir, just let me clean this up…"
Gvir jumped over Yilfi, looking around frantically, "This smell!"
"Gvir... Are you okay?"
Gvir nodded to herself, "I am sure of it! I can't be wrong!"
"What do you mean, Gvir? The food stall lady isn't here during these hours..."
She frowned, almost swatting her friend's face away, "#!! Not that! This is another smell! It's that guy!"
"Wha... wait… then... you mean..."
Yilfi looked back at the street with wide eyes. She looked around at where Silver once was, but it was now empty.
"I-It can't be! He was just here!"
"Did you see him, Yilfi? Tell me, tell me!"
"I knew something was off about him…" She pondered as she reached for her chin
"Was he handsome?"
"…"
"Answer me Yilfi. Is he handsome? Does he look like your imagination of him? Prince charming? Elven knight? Human prince?"
"… He's younger…"
Her face grew red as she turned around and pushed the cat girl out of her path.
"Y-Yilfi! Come back! I was joking! Tell me more about it~… Wasn't it you who said that appearance didn't matter? Why are you sooooo happy?~"
Yilfi ran to the second floor of the house, passing by everyone without looking back.
"You can't run away!"
""…""
The others inside the house looked at the scene with confusion.
…
/Creak.../
Silver returned to the inn. It was quite busy at this time with almost all tables fully crowded.
"It's you, boyo. So, what will it be?"
"Just give me anything... I am quite tired today. Kept walking around all day long and will probably call it a day after this."
"Sure thing! I'll give you something that will keep ya warm all night long."
He went to the bar counter and called out to the kitchen, "… Oi! Sweetie! Do we still have those lizards' tongues?"
After a few seconds, a childish voice replied, "Yes, daddy."
Silver was sweating cold… "The what now??"
"Didn't you say anything was fine? Be a man and eat!"
"..."
'Another crazy thing… I had enough of it back at home…'
...
/Creek/
After eating a full meal, Silver went back to his room and crashed in bed.
"What a day…"
'It's getting colder... I'll sleep with a blanket this time.'
He changed his clothes and put on some pajamas, and after muffling the sound coming from the outside, Silver went to sleep with a pillow over his head.
…
"Mnn… tired… let me be… for a few… more minutes…"
/SHINE!/
At that moment, as if waiting for him to relax, the full might of the sun reflected down the window directly onto his face, "Urg… alright… fuck you too, sun… beaming out in my face…"
Silver got up and went through his ordinary routine before leaving his room with a pouch of coins in his belt.
"Another day… time to get started."
…
Silver looked around, finding the innkeeper cleaning a table on the side.
"Hey boss, can I have some food? Any will do, just make it quick… for the love of the gods don't shove something weird onto me again…"
"I never fed you anything weird though… kids these days are so sensitive…"
"…"
'You're not that much older than me though?'
…
After a big round of eating, Silver tapped his stomach with much satisfaction.
/Burrp!/
"Phew… I needed this."
"I can smell that… Next time, drink less, kid…" The innkeeper said as he shook his head
/SMACK!/
"Like you are one to talk!"
His wife came from behind and gave him a smack with a rolled-up journal.
"Ouch!... Forgive me, wifey…"
The two kept arguing over something while Silver stood on the side finishing his drinks. Soon enough, she left to fetch their daughter, who was still sleeping.
…
"Hey… I forgot to share it, but the inn will close for the next few days for the Winter Festival.
"Isn't that still quite a few weeks away?"
"It's not that far, but yes, there is well over a week until then."
"It's just that we have to prepare the decorations and menu. You know how it is, even the ground changes with the seasons, so why wouldn't we?"
"... But say, do you have a place to stay? We still have your room. Just give me the coin and you can stay here for a while longer…"
"Thank you for worrying, old man… but I'm fine. I'll look around, but if I don't find anything, I'll come back."
"I am not worried about you, brat!"
"Yeah, yeah. Keep lying to yourself…" Silver scoffed as he got up from his seat
"Get away from here!"
Silver merely waved at him as he stepped out of the shop.
"Tsk! Kids these days… I am not old! I am 33!"
"That's quite old, man." One of the customers exclaimed on the side
"#!! WHO WAS THE MOTHERFU…"
…
Silver left the inn and made his way across the streets. He didn't really have a destination in mind, so he just went with it. On the way, Silver noticed how most places had already begun preparing for the Winter Festival. Although it was still weeks away, no one was going to be left behind.
"Winter Festival… I wonder how different it'll be from how we did things in the village."
'Not like we did much there though. The village wasn't that large.'
Without much thought, Silver kept going down the street until he found himself in front of the Hostess of Fertility.
"I already ate… hum… might as well enter. At least say hi."
/Creeeek/
But instead of the usual movement, the pub seemed dead…
"We are closed for the day… hm? If it isn't you, mister adventurer?"
She stepped closer to him, putting the cleaning utensils on a nearby table.
"How are you, miss?"
'That's a little too close for comfort, lady… She always acts like this, no? Fine! Two can play this game!'
She looked at her winter clothes, "I'm fine if not a little cold. You probably came here to eat, right? Unfortunately, we are already closed for today. You also came too early; we usually open in the afternoon and change our menu at night."
"You should've known that by now, given you pass by every night!"
"Haha… I know that much. But I didn't come here to eat this time."
She grew curious, "Oh! Could it be… Did you come here to see someone?"
"Sure thing, I came here to see you."
Her face ignited, growing red hot… "Eh?!..."
But Silver just smiled, "Just kidding. I didn't have anything else to do, and I was nearby, so I came here to say hi… I've never been here before either, so I was curious." He said as he looked around
"That's so mean..."
Syr pouted a little but soon recovered after she cleared her throat, "It's quite cold; would you like to enter so that we can talk? I can serve you a cup of warm coffee in the morning."
"Sure, if it isn't a bother to the others. I would accept a cup of coffee."
'I'm not a fan of it though… I'm more of a tea guy, but its good enough to wake me up.'
"Then come inside!"
…
Silver sat at a table while Syr cleaned it. He looked around, confused, "Where is everyone? Shouldn't they be helping you?"
"They should be back soon, Ryuu and Lunoire just went to take out the trash, while Chole and Anya are cleaning upstairs. Mia and May are cleaning the kitchen while the rest are doing their own tasks."
"We had some go buy groceries, others check up on our supplies, others work on the menu… that's how things are."
"You all sure are busy."
"So, mister adventurer. How has your first week of December been?"
"Well… I've spent most of my past week in search of a Familia."
Syr's eyes glistened with wonder, "Hm? You don't have one yet? I thought that by now you'd surely have found one!"
"I've been taking my time to find one that fits me best."
"And did you find it? Are you in a Familia?"
"No."
"So you should find one as soon as possible! It's not good to dive alone."
Silver nodded, "Yes, I agree… I've gone through my options and in the end I went to join Hephaestus. But she was busy, so now I'm thinking… that I'll join the Loki Familia."
/CRASH!/
Because she was so focused on his words, Syr ended up dropping her cup, causing it to crash and shatter into a dozen pieces.
"Oh no! I apologize… what were you saying again?"
"That, uh… I was going to join the Loki Familia."
'Was I mistaken? I feel like she threw that cup down on purpose… I wasn't paying attention… it must've been the angle.'
"Hum… Why those two though? Hephaestus is an excellent goddess, and the Loki Familia is quite influential, but why those two over the others?"
"Well, for once… I know blacksmithing, so I thought Hephaestus might be a good choice for me, but I missed my window. Maybe I can join if I wait a little longer, but…"
Syr agreed quietly as she swiped the glass off the ground, "Heee…"
"Erm… is something wrong?"
"It's just the cold…"
"I see. If you need help, just ask me… Anyway, as I was saying… then there's the Loki Familia… but recently, I was thinking if I should join the Freya Familia."
/Freeze…/
"… Syr? Are you sure you're okay?"
"Eh? Ahaha… I just thought of something and got distracted. What did you say again?"
"That I was thinking if I should join the Freya Familia? But honestly, I don't know if that's the right call for me."
"And why would that be? Isn't Freya one of the most popular goddesses around?"
"It's not about that really… it's about the Familia itself. To me, the Freya Familia seems… far too individualistic. I'm looking for something a little more… how do I put it? Family?"
'While I can't see myself working with the efficient machine that is the Loki Familia, this doesn't mean I'd want the life of a solitary wolf.'
"I wouldn't mind joining the Familia of the most beautiful women under heaven… but that's not what I'm after." Silver added with a dry laugh as he looked at the side
"Individualistic, you say? Well…"
"Who are you talking with, Syr?"
At that moment, two girls entered the store. He knew both of them.
The blond haired fairy, Ryuu, and the straightforward girl, Lunoire.
(Image)
"Oh?... If it isn't the pretty boy!"
""…""
"Haha! Look at your face. I was just kidding."
Seeing the coffee mug on the table, Ryuu was quick to add, "Syr. You shouldn't take clients at this hour. Mia will punish you if she sees this."
Silver smiled faintly, 'Quite rude… but she's right. If that brute sees me, she might throw me out in no time.'
He put the cup down and stepped out, "So I guess this is my time to leave. Thank you for the water and the coffee."
Noticing her rudeness, Ryuu wanted to say something more, but Silver interrupted her, "I only came here to say hi; it was me who ended up making trouble, so don't blame her for this."
"Anyway, see you all later!"
'Let's take this chance to book it before Mia appears.'
…
After Silver left, the girls looked at each other speechlessly.
/Step…/
The first to speak… was none of the three. Instead, Chloe stepped down from the second floor with a mischievous expression.
"That wasn't cool, Ryuu. You shouldn't say such a thing to Syr's crush."
Syr's face turned red, "Chloe?! Were you listening to our conversation?!"
Another head popped behind the staircase, "She is right, nya."
(Image)
"Even you, Anya?!"
That was the weight that broke the camel's back. Syr ran away in embarrassment.
Chloe laughed, "And there she goes… I don't get it really, he's nothing special. Maybe he knows how to speak a little but it beats me what she sees in her…"
Lunoire seemed to agree, "He is missing that "humph" you know?"
""…""
Anya had no comment on this, and neither did Ryuu.
…
Silver continued on his morning walk, eventually making his way to… nowhere. He just kept walking, following his heart to God knows where.
After half an hour…
He ended up back at the Hostess of Fertility.
"... How did I come back here?" He asked out loud as his expression twisted
'Is this what you want, my heart?... I don't blame you, but let's tone it down a little…'
"This is all my fault."
'If I weren't so indecisive, things would've been solved by now… is this a consequence of living under their heavy control for fifteen years?'
With a heavy gaze, Silver made his decision. He turned around, making way to where his journey began…
/CLUTCH!/
But something stopped him right then and there. Someone held onto his wrist, pulling him.
"... I am sorry."
"???"
Silver looked back to see an unexpected person. It was the fairy elf, Ryuu.
'… She really is mesmerizing… damn elves with their otherwordly beauty.' He thought as he looked at her
"Ryuu?"
"Did Syr tell you my name?... I guess its only proper to introduce myself now." She replied as she took back her hand
She bowed faintly, "My name is Ryuu, Ryuu Lion. Allow me to apologize once again for being rude earlier."
"It was nothing really. I didn't take it to heart."
She seemed a little relieved, but her facial expressions were still hard to read, "... May I ask you why you are here again… I…apologies. That was rude of me again."
Silver sighed, "No, its fine. It's quite embarrassing, even. I was just walking around with no direction, but I ended up back at this place... I guess food still drives me quite strongly." He added with a smile as he looked back at the pub
"It seems that after taking this road every night for the last few weeks, my body just gravitates here."
"..."
"…"
'The conversation just fucking died… she's worse at this than me.'
"Well… thank you for the sincerity, but I must go now… it's about time I joined a Familia, you see."
"Have you made your decision? This is a heavy decision. A Familia is…"
She hesitated, unable to procure the right words for it, but Silver finished it for her, "A Familia is your second family, that's what my grandfather used to say."
"Anyhow, I'm off… Oh! By the way, I'm Mellios Silver, just call me Silver though, no one calls me by my first name."
She nodded quietly.
"That's it then. Have a nice day, Miss Lion. See you later today or tomorrow at the latest." He added with a small smile before stepping into the distance
His destination, the home of his Familia!
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Notes