Quest 50

Angrily leaving through the back of Hermes Familia's home, Cirrus had his fists clenched when Nox lands on his antlers.

'What's wrong? Did the meeting go wrong?'

"… No, it's just the ending was something that didn't sit well with me."

'You wanna go to the dungeon and relive some of that anger?'

"Yeah, I feel like I wanna—"

"Hey!!" shouted Alise.

"Grrr…."

Cirrus turns to see Alise with anger in her eyes.

"Draw your weapon and show me you can back your words!!" she said as she drew her rapier.

"… Fuck off, I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"(Arga)

(Arvana)

(Arvelia)!"

Fire covered her legs and arms.

"… Do you really wish to do this," Cirrus said in a stern, cold voice.

"I said show me your justice!"

As she said those words, the people from the meeting came out to see them.

"Alise! Calm down!" Kaguya shouted.

"No! he disrespected our goddess! So I'm going to put him in his place!!" She then charged at Cirrus, but as she did, he simply jumped back.

Alise could feel the hateful glare on her from him.

"I am leaving. Keep attacking me and I'll be sure you can't follow me."

"No!! Come and fight me!!"

"…" He turned around and walked.

Cirrus continued to ignore her provocations as he walked away, but she came at him again and once again. Nox flew onto a nearby rooftop as Alise came in with a slash.

Cirrus drew his sword as quickly as he could.

Clang!!

Clang!!

'That magic. An enhancement type. If my stats weren't so stacked, I would have lost this clash… fucking—'

His anger bubbled even more.

"Fine, so be it." He pushed off her and gained some distance.

His magic circle appeared behind him, the armor began wrapping around his limbs.

"A-a mage!!" Kaguya said, surprised.

"No, a magic swordsman." Said Lydia.

For some reason, Kaguya felt the danger he posed just grew even more of those strands of cloth wrapped around him.

'Shit! I need to stop this now!!'

"Alis—!!"

Before she could stop, the armor had already wrapped around his limbs and, within a flash of white and gold, he went in for the attack.

"!!"

Smack!!

A straight punch to the face was all it took.

Alise instantly fell to the floor and her magic disappeared.

"Guh!" she then slowly tried to get up with her rapier.

'W-what level is he!?' Alise thought with a jolting pain on her face.

Cirrus was about to do as he said. The way he held his sword tightly paired with the cold fury in his eyes told them he was going to do something until Astraea stepped in and got in his way.

"Please, this is enough." She said with teary eyes. "I am sorry my children disrespected you. Please do not hold it against them." She said, giving Cirrus a bow.

"… Hmph." Cirrus turns and walks away, sheathing his sword. "Do not hold yourself so high just because you follow a goddess of justice. At the end of the day, we are all murderers. Calling it justice is just a nice way to lie to ourselves and makes it easier to sleep at night. Remember that before calling someone a murderer when you have spilled the blood of another? The next time this happens, your goddess won't be able to save your legs."

With refrained angered words, Cirrus leaves towards the dungeon.

"Oh, and before I go, I must ask, did you get your information from a merchant from Israfan?"

"Why do you ask?"

"If so, then you have obviously only been given a biased account."

"!!" Astraea as well as her Familia felt a great sense of embarrassment and shame.

"We... We will learn from this mistake. Apologizes from our inexperience." Astraea said.

"I will give you this. Their still some truth to their accounts. My hands are stained, but I sure as hell won't let you judge me with your flawed view of the world."

His words left a lasting effect on them.

Walking away, Nox flies back onto his antlers, looking at Astraea and her Familia.

Astraea is a bit shocked to see the owl as she gazed at it. She knew what it was.

'So… you have made a pact, like those of the heroes of old… it seems we have made a bad impression on that lonesome star.'

After hunting in the dungeon for a while and returning home, Cirrus lies on his bed.

"… Nox… what do you think of me? Do you think I'm a—"

"That's a stupid question." She said, getting into bed and hugging him with her arms. "You are a survivor. You did what you had to do to save as many people as you can, but if people call you a murderer, I never will. I will always be on your side, as I always said."

"… Thank you."

As Cirrus sleeps, Nox could see and feel the restlessness he has as tears fall from his closed eyes.

"… I will never leave you." She quietly said, closing her eyes and sleeping as Cirrus shakes from his nightmares.

Slowly he calms down as Nox whispers into his ears words of comfort.

Down in the South-Western part of the continent in a town of swamps, Orkney.

"Praise Lady Loviatar!!!!"

"Lady Loviatar!!!!"

Walking down the stone streets of the town and praised like a hero, Loviatar and her Familia are being showered in praise.

"Thank you for saving us!!"

"Thank you!!!!"

"Not at all!!! I'm just glad I came in time!!" she said with a smile as she and her children enter the home the people gave them.

As her Familia all come and sit down, they couldn't help but make a smirk on their faces.

"It's as you said, Lady Loviatar! We make a poison and then come next week to cure it!" said Gut, a level 2 of her Familia.

"Yes, now we can begin work on finding the Nuckelavee's seal, all the while being in these town folks good gracious!!"

"Yes, Lady Loviatar!!"