6 Threat

Achilles and Bell made their way back to Hearth Manor with smiles on their faces. Both were still slightly embarrassed by what had transpired during Achilles's revealing of his past, yet their embarrassment could not overshadow their joy at the revelation that came at the end. Both had been showing a degree of affection for the other, Achilles ruffling Bell's hair and Bell eagerly asking questions about Achilles past and adventures. Had anyone passed by them, they may very well have assumed that the two were father and son, which, though both would have surely corrected the mistake, would have pleased them immensely as they recognized that their relationship was fast progressing into one far beyond meer friendly familia captains.

The two arrived at the manor with smiles still on their faces when Achilles stopped.

"Well, today's been quite interesting," he said.

"It sure has," Bell readily agreed.

"That said, I do want to thank you again, Bell. Not only for being honest with me and setting me straight, but for the kindness you showed me after I revealed my past with Freya. Few people would be so generous."

"I was just being honest, Achilles-san," Bell assured him.

"Achilles will do just fine now, Bell." The young man's smile grew. "That said, I've been thinking. Earlier you had the rest of your familia promise to be completely honest from this day forth. I would like to add myself to that promise, if I may, seeing as I am now watching over your familia. So, from now on, I will be completely honest with all of you. No secrets. That seems only right."

"Are you sure? You have every right to privacy, and you're not a member of Hestia familia."

"I'm sure. I want us all to trust each other; completely and unreservedly. Not only so we can deal with what's to come, but so that this familia prospers as it should. I may not be apart of your familia Bell, but you all are very quickly worming your way into my heart, if I may be a sap for a moment." Bell smiled. "As such, I want us all to trust each other and have each others' backs. It is also important given that, unlike you, I am not immune to Freya's Charm. When I met her today, she nearly cracked me." Bell's smile was replaced with a look of alarm. "So I need you all to watch over me. Make sure I'm not being pulled one way or the other. And not just because of Freya or my feelings towards her, but with regards to Loki and her familia. I will not deny I hold a grudge against them for what happened fifteen years ago and I need you and the others to make sure I'm not overlooking logic out of anger. That make sense?"

Bell, saddened by the idea of his guardian's disdain for his love's familia, nonetheless nodded.

"Alright. So I'm going to trust you and your familia with that task. In order to do that though, I must be honest with them," Achilles finished.

Bell nodded again.

"Understood. I swear we won't betray your trust, Achilles-sa-. Achilles," Bell said.

The former captain smiled.

"I know you won't."

The two entered the manor, the sound of their arrival quickly gaining attention of the nearby Haruhime.

"Ah! Bell-sama. Achilles-sama. Welcome back. Everyone's waiting for your return in the dining room. Dinner's about ready."

"Thank you, Haruhime," Bell said, giving her a smile.

Haruhime blushed before giving him a bow and walking off, something which was not missed by Achilles.

"Quite the charmer isn't he?" he thought looking at Bell.

"Shall we join the others?" Bell asked, snapping Achilles's attention back to the present.

"Let's."

The two walked into the dining room, garnering the attention of the rest of the familia.

"Bell-kun! Achilles-san. Welcome back," Hestia said happily.

"I'm home, Hestia," Bell said with a smile.

"Evening, Hestia-sama. How did things go with the other familia?" Achilles inquired.

"They were definitely worried, not that I can blame them, but they pledged their support, just like I knew they would."

"That's good to hear."

"How was training?" she asked.

"I'd say it went well. Bell's progress continues to astound me."

Hestia's smile grew.

"That's just my dear, Bell-kun," she said, hugging Bell tightly.

Achilles couldn't help but notice that Bell simply smiled and took in her affection, showing no signs of embarrassment. Not even the slightest tinge of red on his cheeks.

"Stop suffocating him, Hestia-sama," Lili demanded.

"I am not suffocating him!" Hestia cried, turning to glare at the prum.

"Hey, no fighting you two," Bell said.

"But Bell! She started it!" Hestia cried.

"I did not! Bell-sama, you know I didn't, right?"

As Bell tried to calm the situation, Achilles watched on with a smile.

"I've missed this."

"Dinner's ready," Haruhime said, her voice barely making it over all the noise.

"There. It's time for dinner. You wouldn't want to be rude and keep everyone waiting, would you?" Bell asked, putting his foot down.

The two ladies looked eager to continue their spat, but both knew they couldn't without being rude and so conceded to a request which, to their immediate joy, earned them a smile from Bell.

"Alright, let's eat! I'm starving!" Hestia said.

With that, the familia all proceeded to their spots around the table.

"Where shall I sit?" Achilles asked.

"Right here," Bell quickly answered, pointing to the spot next to his.

Achilles smiled and quickly took his seat, ruffling Bell's hair as he sat down.

This did not go unnoticed by the rest Hestia familia, even the lovely ladies who had hoped to take up a spot next to their dear rabbit, and they all quickly gave each other looks as one thought passed through each of their heads.

"What happened between them?"

"Well don't just stand there everyone, the food will get cold," Achilles called.

Snapping back into reality, they each took their spots around the table, Hestia using her divine right to claim the final spot next to Bell, Lili being forced a seat down. Haruhime, who too wanted to sit next to Bell, did not have time to mourn the lost spot, as Achilles quickly offered her the spot next to him. Surprised, she graciously accepted, not knowing that Achilles had chosen her specifically after recognizing her affections for Bell and deciding to enact his fatherly duty and vet the girl.

With everyone seated, they all clapped their hands.

"Let's eat."

The dinner was lovely. A mixture of classic Western and Eastern style food brought a variety of flavors together that delighted everyone present and ensured that everyone stuffed their faces until they could stuff no more. Afterwards they cleaned up, Achilles taking up his own fair share, in spite of cries from his hosts that he was their guest. With the cleaning all done, it was time for Achilles to speak again.

"Would everyone mind gathering around please, there is something I need to tell you all."

Apprehension instantly filled everyone, but Bell.

"You're not going to tell us more bad news are you?" Lili asked.

"I can't honestly say what I'm about to say is going to make you feel better. However," Achilles quickly added. "This will hopefully prevent something bad from happening in the future and ensures we're all on the same page."

The familia shared a look, before nodding and finding a place around the ex-captain.

"Today," he began. "Bell asked me why I hated Freya," everyone's eyes shifted to Bell who simply stood off to the side, waiting for Achilles to continue. "And so I told him the truth. The whole truth of my and Freya's past, which I will share with you now," Achilles took a breath. "To begin with, you need to understand; I do hate Freya...but I'm also in love with her."

X

The room was silent. Achilles had finished revealing his past to them. He looked nauseous for the majority of the retelling, but, with Bell's aid, was able to get through without breaking down again.

Truth be told he didn't know how they'd react. Bell's reaction had been appreciated beyond words, but Achilles knew that not everyone would have the same reaction. Indeed, he would not have been surprised if they demanded he leave their home immediately given the threat he posed due to his susceptibility to Freya's Charm.

"They can't even be sure that I'm not spying on them at this very moment," Achilles thought resignedly.

"So...you're still in love with Freya?" Welf asked as gently as he could.

Achilles nodded.

"As much as I wish I wasn't, yes. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to love and hate the same person more than I can put into words, but that is the case."

"And, unlike Bell-sama, you're at risk of being Charmed," Lili questioned, her tone low with just a hint of accusation.

Again, he nodded.

"Yes. I can resist to a degree, more now perhaps than before. She did try to Charm me when I met with her, but failed. And yes, I'm sure she was trying," he added quickly. "I know the degrees of her Charm. She was hitting me with everything she had. That said, I don't like the idea of having to face her again," he finished.

Looks of anxiety passed through the familia, including Bell, though not for the same reason as the rest of them. He saw their concern and could feel things turning against Achilles. He didn't want that to happen as, not only did he trust Achilles, but the recent revelation they shared made him want all the more for the older captain to remain. He was preparing to jump in to defend his new mentor, when Hestia suddenly rose.

Everyone turned their attention to the goddess and watched as she approached Achilles.

Achilles watched her with apprehension. He was now fully expecting her to order him to leave.

"It makes sense. She needs to protect them all as best as she can and I'm too great of a risk to ignore."

Hestia stopped in front of him, and he waited for the order. But it never came. Instead, her arms suddenly came around and pulled his head into her breasts.

"Poor child," she said gently, her hand softly stroking his head.

He blinked.

"What?"

"Achilles," she pulled back to look him in the eye. "I knew you were in love with Freya the second you first said her name." His eyes widened. "Of course I knew. I've known her for eons. I recognize when she's got a hold of someone. It's part of the reason I don't like her. Everyone who's ever fallen in love with her has this same, lost look in their eyes. Like they know they've forgotten something, but can't remember what it is, no matter how hard they try."

"That...seems like a pretty accurate description," he admitted.

She smiled at him.

"And what she did to you," she shook her head. "If you love someone, you don't force them to prove their worthiness. You be there for them. You show them how much you care. Sure you encourage them, but that's not the same as demanding some sort of tribute before you give them your love," she stroked his cheek. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Achilles-kun, and, though I'm sure Bell-kun already said it, it wasn't your fault. You fought as hard as you could, of that I'm sure."

The gentleness and compassion in her words brought tears to his eyes, which caused him to instantly begin cursing and wiping his eyes.

"No. No. I said I was done crying for today, and I meant it."

Hestia continued to smile at him.

"You should be proud of yourself, Achilles-kun. I'm sure Zeus, Hera, and all your familia would be if they were here, and I'll add that, besides everyone else here," she said, gesturing towards her familia. "There's no one else I would rather have looking after my Bell-kun."

"Even if I risk being Charmed?"

"You say that like everyone else suddenly developed Bell's immunity," she replied light-heartedly. "We're all at risk from something, Achilles-kun. Besides, I'd know if you were Charmed. I told you, I've known Freya a long time. If she had Charmed you, I would know."

That eased some of the tension in the room and brought a small smile to Achilles's face.

"Thank you, Hestia-sama."

"No need to thank me, especially not since you'll be looking after my Bell-kun," she said, deciding at that moment to throw herself back at Bell who, after getting over his surprise, laughed and returned the affection. "Hehe, and it seems you're having a positive affect on him too. Bell was never so forward before you came."

"No fair, Hestia-sama!" Lili cried, quickly getting up and taking her own spot next to Bell, quickly receiving her own helping of affection.

All the fear and concern evaporated. Thoughts of Freya, her familia, the Dragon, or anything else outside the walls of Hearth Manor disappeared from everyone's mind as the scene played out before them.

Achilles couldn't help but laugh. All his worry and fear of a new exile was gone. Blown away like dust on the wind.

"This familia really is something," he thought.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind, and his eyes shifted until they landed on an increasingly familiar wave of gold.

Haruhime watched the scene with Bell, Hestia, and Lili fold with anxiousness. She wanted, dearly, to join in and get her own helping of affection from her dear captain, but she couldn't muster up the courage to do it. However, feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turned and saw a smiling Achilles looking at her.

"Go on. Go get him," his eyes instructed, giving her a wink, before jerking his head towards the group.

"Well, if he's ordering me to," she reasoned, her eyes turning towards a mess of white hair that had featured so prominently in her dreams.

Bell was happily returning the affection of the two ladies holding on to him, not minding their argument in the least, when he felt a presence approaching. Turning his head, he found Haruhime standing next to him, her face red, and eyes down, but her tail wagging frantically.

"B-Bell-sama, m-may I a-also-?"

It took but a moment before Bell to figure out what she wanted, and when he did, his smile softened as his hand reached out and began to softly pet her hair and ears.

Haruhime could hardly believe it. She was being petted by Bell. His hands were on her head, gently combing her hair and softly playing with her ears. Euphoria burst from her heart as she revelled in his touches, taking in as much as she could. This lasted for a few moments with the other two ladies apparently oblivious to what was happening, until Bell's hand, whether by his Luck skill or perhaps his natural ability, found a spot that felt just a little too good.

The moan that passed through the room froze everything.

Hestia and Lili instantly turned to the origin of the noise, finding Bell's hand still in place on Haruhime's ear, the renart now playing the part of stature, which she would have sold very well, if not for the bright blush that was growing on her face.

"Ha-ru-hi-me," Hestia growled.

And so the Hestia familia, plus one, descended into a flurry of accusations, apologies, and laughter, with Achilles easily laughing the hardest of them all.

X

"Alright, so I'll see you all in about an hour, once I've talked with Loki," Achilles said.

"Right!" Bell responded, he and the rest of his familia smiling at the prospect of the new day.

"Keep close to the Guild until I arrive, and do not enter the Dungeon. I doubt Freya will make a move so soon after my arrival, but we can't be sure of that, so we'll play it safe."

"Right."

"Okay. Then I'll see you guys soon," Achilles finished, ruffling Bell's hair and bidding the rest of them goodbye.

Now, as he walked through the streets of Orario, he couldn't help but smile. True, he had his concerns. Freya was a clear and present danger, and the prospect of speaking to Loki again, and so soon after their last meeting, pleased him as much as stubbing his pinky toe in the morning, but things still felt right, for the first time in years. He was back in the city that he considered his home, with people that were rapidly burrowing into his heart, none more so than the boy he hoped to soon earn the right to call his own. He was hopeful, which was something he hadn't truly felt in fifteen years.

His eyes turned to the Tower of Babel.

"Come if you wish, I will not fail again."

The familiar tingle of eyes watching him was quickly brushed aside in favor of quickening his pace.

Arriving, once more, at the Loki familia mansion, he found the same guards from yesterday standing at the gates.

"Morning, gentlemen."

Both looked ready to have a heart attack, but he waved off their concern.

"I'll be a good boy today. Tell Finn I want to talk with Loki about something important regarding a certain, silver-haired goddess."

Neither knew what this meant, but neither particularly cared as the previously rude guard ran off to tell Finn.

The two waited for his return, the guard looking like he wished to be literally anywhere but where he currently was, with Achilles just smiling good-naturedly knowing there was little he could do to ease the tension beyond keeping his word and being on his best behavior.

Luckily it did not take long for the guard to return with Loki's big three, allowing the guard next to Achilles to take a breath of relief.

"Achilles," Finn said, his hand fidgeting on his spear.

"Morning Finn. Riveria. Gareth," he greeted, making sure to keep his hand away from his sword. "May I come in?"

The Loki captain eyed him wearily, trying to take his measure, but after a moment nodded, and gestured for him to follow, which he did.

They made their way through the mansion, passing by many of its occupants who did one of two things upon seeing Achilles. Make a hasty retreat or glare at him with an intensity that could start fires. One of these glares came from Bete who, seeing the ex-captain, looked ready to make some sort of move against him, only for Finn to glare at him, ordering him away from such an action. The wolfman growled, but backed away, allowing them to continue. Finally, just as they were about to reach Loki's office, Aiz appeared, looking anxious and eager. When her eyes found Achilles, she took a step forward, only for Riviera to gesture for her to stop and the Amazon sisters to grab her arms and shake their heads. A look of massive disappointment covered her features as she looked between the three members of her familia, before turning back to Achilles. By then, he had acknowledged her, but did nothing more than give a slight bow of his head before passing by her.

Finn knocked, and Loki screamed out.

"What the fuck does he want now?!"

Finn sighed and opened the door, allowing the four of them to enter. Before he did though, he turned to those who gathered.

"Everyone back to your duties," he ordered, his eyes falling to Aiz who, after some coaxing from the Amazon duo, departed.

"Good morning to you too, Loki," Achilles greeted.

"This is the second time in two days you've barged in here! Do you know how much work you're causing me?! Not only do things get behind, but I have to deal with the mess you make!"

"I'm surprised you don't just force in on Riveria and Finn," Achilles countered, earning him a growl from Loki. "And I barged in yesterday. Today, I waited patiently."

"What...do you want?" Loki snarled, her rage so pronounced she opened her eyes.

Achilles looked her straight in her eyes.

"Freya's after Bell."

Surprise passed through the three senior leaders, but Loki just continued to look at Achilles.

"I know."

Achilles quirked an eyebrow.

"You do?" he inquired.

"Yeah, I figured it out. Wasn't so hard to. She laid the breadcrumbs herself a few months ago. She's not as subtle as she thinks. I suspect she even destroyed Ishtar for 'im."

This was evidently news for her familia who turned their surprise to her. Achilles, however, was not so surprised.

"Hm. You were always a clever one," he said. "You're right. She did. She didn't like Ishtar trying to claim what she considered 'hers'."

"She told ya?"

"She did. Yesterday, after Ottar and his brats picked me up."

"She tell you anything else?"

Achilles instantly knew what she meant.

"Yes, she's still after me."

The room fell silent for a moment before Loki closed her eyes and sat back in her chair.

"So, whatcha want me to do about it?"

"Freya has the strongest familia in Orario, don't get pissy with me saying that," he quickly added, seeing Loki's frown deepen. "Yours is the closest to hers in power. That makes you rivals. I'm offering a very standard, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, alliance. You help us deal with Freya, you get to ascend to the unquestionable rank of the strongest familia in Orario. Nice, simple, and beneficial to both sides."

Loki was quiet for a moment as thoughts bounced around in her mind.

"And why shouldn't I just ally with Freya? She gets you and the kid, and I get her good will and the sight you being her plaything."

Crackling and terrible blue light began to fill them room as Achilles's hand fell to his sword.

"Don't be a fucking idiot," he ordered, lightning now dancing around his body.

Loki's eyes reopened as she met his glare, both being unaware of the trio of adventurers prepared to act to prevent a further escalation in hostility.

"If Freya gets her hand on not only Bell, but myself, you will be in a shit situation. She'll have not only two level sevens, the only two that exist, but, as I already told you, Bell's growth will likely ensure that he's stronger than either myself or Ottar within a year. So, tell me, sister of Thor," that earned him a full-eyed, hateful glare. "How does facing two level sevens, and a possible level eight sound?"

The room fell silent, Achilles's lightning retreating back within its creator as the two powerful entities glared at each other with the utmost scorn. But Achilles wasn't done. He still had a trump card.

"But if that's not enough for you, how about this? Freya will likely try to kill Aiz in the near future."

That set off alarm bells for all present, Loki included.

"Why are you so certain of that?" the goddess asked.

"I'm certain for the same reason you knew that she destroyed Ishtar familia. Freya doesn't like others claiming what's 'hers', and right now, your Sword Princess is the current claimant for the heart of Bell Cranel."

There was little surprise at this, at least amongst the senior adventurers. They had all figured out the young rabbit of Hestia familia was smitten for Aiz's, Riviera being the first. Loki was actually the only one in the dark on this matter, though now that she had been presented the information, it all made sense.

"Now, the only reason I'm telling you this, which I have no right to do, is so you fully understand your situation. Your greatest rival, seeks to make her position insurmountable, in Orario. To do this, she will likely attack Aiz. To remove her as an obstacle for claiming Bell. Now, I hate your guts even more than you hate mine, but not only do I hate Freya more, but I have something to protect now, so I'll swallow my utmost disdain for you, for now, and work with you to prevent something worse from happening? Sound good to you, Clown?"

Loki did not want to give in. She really didn't want to. She'd never liked Achilles. All the way back when Zeus and Hera were still around, she'd disliked him. The way he would act so honorable and heroic in public, but like a puppy dog when with Freya had disgusted her. Her distaste had only grown with his continuous besting of her familia in skill, power, prestige, and achievements. Add in his propensity to mock her as a sort of, 'test of humility' as he liked to say, and she could say she well and truly hated him. The joy she felt when he left Orario was not something she could put into words. Still, she knew she needed to agree. The alternative was not something she wanted to see. Still, she wanted to ask one more question before she capitulated.

"And what happens after we deal with Freya?"

A cruel smile grew on Achilles's lips.

"After we deal with Freya, I'll do my damndest to return the favor you gave me and my familia fifteen years ago."

"Achilles!" Finn cried. "I know you're angry with us for what happened, but you know the rules of Orario as well as any of us. Besides we had to stabil-."

"Don't you fucking dare finish that sentence!" Achilles screamed, his power pulsing and shattering the windows. "Don't you dare make that excuse! You did not do it to 'stabilize Orario', you did it for power. You know how I know that? Pure, simple logic. If you wanted to keep Orario stable in a crisis, the last thing...the...last thing you would do, would be to banish what remained of the two leading familias from the city, if only for the numbers. And there's the real problem Finn, you little shit," he marched over to the captain, his eyes boring into him. "If you just gone with the first excuse, the 'rules of Orario' bit, I could have eaten that. I would have been pissed, sure, probably for years, but I could have eventually accepted that. You were doing what was best for your familia. That's fine. That makes sense. But no. You had to try and justify yourself. To excuse your ambition and power grab. So you made up some bullshit. 'Orario is in chaos!' you said. 'It needs new leadership!' you cried. 'You can't protect us anymore!' you swore," Achilles spat at Finn's feet. "You lied through your teeth to justify what you did. And that's why I hate you, Finn. Why I hate all of you," Achilles said, turning to the other three. "I considered you a friend. Besides Ottar, you were the closest friend I had outside my familia," he said, pointing at Finn. "And you," he turned to Riviera. "Were like a sister to me. Those days we simply sat down, talking about this and that in peace and quiet meant so much to me. And Gareth!" he turned again. "I sometimes thought of you as that stern, but good-natured uncle that every boy wishes he has. Hell, I even respected you, Loki!" he finally turned to the goddess. "Your mind always impressed me. So clever and intelligent, it boggled my mind on countless occasions. Sure we had our spats, but never did I think truly poorly of you. But you all betrayed that. Not by taking my familia's place, but by lying to my face. By pretending to be something you weren't. Putting on a mask, then shattering it before my eyes. You are fiends, and I cannot wait for the day when the rest of Orario gets to see that truth. To know what you really are. There are few dreams I enjoy quite so much as that. So, for now, we are allies. For now, we tolerate each other. But, the minute this is over, you best be prepared for the fight that's going to happen!"

Those were his last words to them as he stormed out, leaving behind Loki and the leaders of her familia.

They were silent for the longest time, none of them knowing what to do or say until Gareth sighed.

"Quite the situation we've got here."

"You can say that again," Finn replied, rubbing his forehead.

Riviera said nothing in reply, focusing instead on Loki.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked.

Loki did not reply immediately, her mind racing with all the information presented to her. Finally, with a plan formed, she answered.

"We'll go through with this alliance. I'll talk with Chibi and iron things out. I will not allow Freya to dominate this city, and I certainly will not allow her to touch Aiz."

The three nodded.

"So what should we do?" Finn asked.

Loki's eyes opened and turned to him.

"Achilles is the linchpin to all this. He's part of what Freya wants. He'll likely be training the Chibi's brat to make sure he gets as strong as the Olympian claims. He's also the guarding Chibi's familia. Everything revolves around him. Remove him, and things are more malleable."

Concerned looks appeared on the adventurer's faces.

"Loki...what are you asking of us?" Finn asked.

"Simple. Kill Achilles."

Their eyes widened.

"What?!" the Loki captain cried.

"Think about it," Loki said. "Achilles is a catalyst. Freya wants him and this, Bell, kid. That'll likely make her move faster in order to claim them. Plus, if she gets her hands on him, which she will, that's one hell of an enemy we have to face now. He's also guarding Chibi's familia. If he's removed, they'll be practically defenseless, which then allows us to move in an' offer protection. If Achilles is gone, we take out a major threat, and we get an alliance with a familia with a kid who may or may not get to level eight. Everything works out our way."

"Except the part where you are asking us to kill one of the strongest adventurers to ever walk the earth, and do so in a manner that not only does the Hestia familia not find out, which would destroy any chance of an alliance, but also in a manner where Freya's familia doesn't find out, prompting them to go to war with us in revenge. We saw what they did to Ishtar for kidnapping Bell Cranel, what do you think Freya will do if she knows we killed one of her beloved ones?"

"She might thank us. With him dead, she can go claim 'im in Heaven."

"Are you listening to yourself?!" Finn demanded.

Loki frowned.

"You are asking us to take on one of the most difficult tasks that has ever been assigned an adventurer. Achilles is the former captain of the former strongest familia in Orario. He fought all of the three Great Beasts. He is the only person to ever survive fighting the One-Eyed Black Dragon. He is the first person to ever reach level seven. Fighting him normally, in a War Game or whatnot, would be difficult. We could do it," Finn said, gesturing towards Riviera and Gareth. "But at least one of us would die, weakening this familia, which we really can't have, for if Freya even suspects that we were involved in his death, which she will, she'll attack us with everything she has. Now, we might survive with allies, but we won't have those allies if they also suspect we killed their guardian and friend. So, I'm going to ask you again, Loki. What are you asking us to do?"

Loki looked him dead in the eye.

"I'm not asking you anything, Finn. I'm ordering you to kill Achilles Caesar the second a good opportunity presents itself."