Chapter Twenty Eight: Reputation Tarnished

Shirou Emiya walked along the street, holding "Riveria's" hand. 

They had ventured deep into the 12th floor and spent so much time in the dungeon that by the time they emerged, the sun had set.

Orario was a city that never slept, and the neon glow of the Entertainment District could be seen even from across the city. The street they were now walking on, though lined with closed shops, was still illuminated by the light from the magic stone lamps.

Without realizing it, Ais began to feel a bit nervous. 

Her hand was wrapped in warmth, the boy's long and strong fingers gripping hers, giving her comfort as if she was holding a sword.

"Miss Riveria," Shirou called her name.

Ais froze for a moment before realizing he was addressing her. A slight blush crept across her delicate face. Perhaps lying about her name wasn't the best idea, but she couldn't find a way to explain herself now. 

Being addressed as "Riveria" felt very strange.

"Hmm? Shirou?" Ais responded awkwardly.

"Well, this is where we part. The Demeter Familia's residence should be over there, right?" Shirou said, pointing in the general direction.

"Ah? Yes… that's right." Ais reluctantly let go of the boy's hand. She hadn't yet fulfilled her goal—learning swordsmanship from him—but it didn't feel like the right moment to ask.

"Shirou, will we meet again?" Ais asked, tilting her head slightly as the night breeze blew through her golden hair.

"Of course, Riveria," Shirou smiled.

"Ok, it's a promise," Ais said seriously, extending her right hand with her pinky finger outstretched, a gesture that matched her youthful appearance and was undeniably adorable.

Shirou responded, "It's a promise."

Shirou Emiya carefully took the name "[Riveria from the Demeter Familia]" to heart, thinking this strange and cute girl was someone worth remembering.

…..

At the Hephaestus Familia residence, the red-haired goddess sat by the fireplace, sipping her drink. The flickering flames cast her graceful silhouette on the wall behind her. Putting the glass of amber liquid down on the table, she stretched leisurely.

"Shirou hasn't returned yet," Hephaestus murmured to herself, reclining in the velvet chair.

A goddess could sense the state of her Familia through their "blessings." As long as the number of blessings didn't decrease, it meant her children were still alive.

"Was it impulsive of me to let Shirou go on this adventure alone?" she wondered aloud.

Though Hephaestus believed that no monsters in the upper floors could harm Shirou given his abilities and personality, the dungeon was an unpredictable place where anything could happen.

As she balanced her concerns over his safety with her curiosity about what kind of growth he might achieve on this adventure, Hephaestus eagerly awaited Shirou's return.

As if to answer the goddess's hopes, someone entered—but it wasn't Shirou Emiya.

Tsubaki burst through the door. "Lady Hephaestus, we have a problem!"

Hephaestus glanced at the door Tsubaki destroyed and sighed. "Tsubaki, remember to fix the door before you leave." The goddess shifted from her relaxed posture to a more formal one.

"So, what's the problem?" she asked.

"Well…" Tsubaki relayed the information she had heard from Shakti about Shirou and the rumors circulating about him.

Both Tsubaki and Hephaestus knew Shakti's character well. The words from the "[Ankusha (Elephant God's/Ganesha Staff)]" were guaranteed to be true. If Shakti hadn't witnessed it herself, she would never have spoken it out loud—she was that kind of person.

Hephaestus' expression turned serious. "The Loki Familia, huh? Using this kind of tactic… how sly." 

Since taking in Shirou Emiya, Hephaestus had always believed that this boy would become an extraordinary adventurer. It wasn't just because of the boundless potential of his magic and skills, but also due to his unshakable will and determination that even the gods admired.

Thus, Hephaestus was always vigilant, guarding against any schemes the other gods might hatch. 

Children with extraordinary potential often drew the attention of the gods, and some, with twisted and malicious personalities, would even resort to despicable acts to steal promising children from other Familia.

For instance, the sun god Apollo, head of the Apollo Familia, was notorious for such actions. Among the gods, he had the nickname "Phallus (Sorrow Love)." Every adventurer in his familia had been courted by Apollo. If they refused, they'd be forcibly recruited into his familia by any means necessary, including violence.

But Hephaestus wasn't too worried about Apollo. While his Familia was fairly strong and could be considered a mid-tier familia in Orario, they were nothing compared to the top-tier familia like the Hephaestus Familia. 

If he so much as dared to lay a single finger on her child, Hephaestus would gladly chop off his hands—and head, too.

So rather than an open confrontation, Hephaestus was more concerned about underhanded tactics, for instance, using a child from their familia to seduce others was a common ploy.

"I did hope Shirou might attract the attention of some Loki Familia members, but sending a First Class Adventurer to seduce him directly… that's just dirty," the goddess murmured with a frown.

Tsubaki added, "It might not be an act sanctioned by the whole familia. While Loki herself may be unreliable, but I do trust Finn's character."

"I think this is just an individual action. After all, the Loki Familia does have two Amazons among their First Class Adventurers."

"Yeah… Amazons," the goddess said with a sigh.

Amazons were one of the races gathered in Orario, and they were all female. In terms of physical ability—strength, endurance, and agility—they far surpassed humans, ranking at the top among all the races. However, their magic abilities were much weaker, and it was rare to see an Amazon become a full-fledged magic user.

But what they were most famous for was their distinctive cultural tendencies and behavior. 

To put it politely, Amazons were typically quite "open" and had certain preferences that deviated from societal norms. 

For instance, their intense attraction to handsome young men was well-known throughout Orario.

The two Amazons in the Loki Familia were rather unique in their own ways. One retained a rare childlike innocence, while the other was purely devoted to their captain, Finn. 

But still, they were Amazons, and one could never predict if or when their primal urges might awaken.

"So, which one of Loki Familia's female First Class Adventurers tried to seduce Shirou?" Hephaestus honed in on the most important question right now. After all, the Loki Familia had four female First Class Adventurers: the Amazon twins, the elven mage [Nine Hell] Riveria, and the [Sword Princess] Ais Wallenstein.

"Uh…" Tsubaki scratched her head sheepishly. "I kind of ran back in a hurry, so I didn't really catch who it was."

"If it was the [Sword Princess], then perhaps they might be a good match," Hephaestus mused, her mind wandering in another direction. 

In terms of both age and talent, Shirou and Ais were quite similar. The main difference was that Ais had been adventuring for much longer, having started at the age of seven, following the Loki Familia into the dungeon on expeditions, which might seemed insane to most outsiders.

"I'm back."

Finally, the goddess heard the voice she'd been waiting for.

"Lady Hephaestus, Tsubaki, you're both here? Goddess, what happened to the door?" Shirou asked.

"Shirou," Hephaestus said gently, her expression softening. "Tell me about your adventure today. Did anything interesting happen?"

"Ah, well, I did meet a rather unique girl today," Shirou replied, oblivious to the underlying tension. "I just walked her home, so that's why I'm back a bit late."

"What was her name?" Hephaestus narrowed her eyes, thinking, I need to see which bad woman is trying to seduce my child.

Shirou answered, "Her name is Riveria."

...

Hephaestus and Tsubaki exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw a whirlwind of emotions: surprise, confusion, distress, helplessness, and a hint of terror.

"What was her name again?" Hephaestus asked. Children of the lower world couldn't lie in front of gods—any falsehood would be easily seen through.

But because she knew that both Shirou and Tsubaki didn't lie, Hephaestus started doubting herself, wondering if her divine ability to detect lies had somehow malfunctioned.

"Her name is Riveria," Shirou repeated, slightly confused but obliging to the goddess's request.

Could there be another person named Riveria in Orario? The goddess and Tsubaki both thought the same thing, but they quickly came to similar conclusion.

No. There couldn't be. While many names might be common, "Riveria" was not. This name belonged solely to the royal family of elves, worshiped by all the elves. Anyone daring to use this name would be torn apart by the elven community. 

So, it could only be that Riveria—Loki Familia's vice-captain, the [Nine Hell],Riveria Ljos Alf.

Tsubaki recalled Shakti's description in her mind: 

"That person's gaze, watching your boy from behind… tsk tsk, it was so intense, like she wanted to eat him alive. It was a bit scary."

Riveria, what the hell are you doing?!

———-

Riveria

https://danmachi.fandom.com/wiki/Riveria_Ljos_Alf/Image_Gallery?file=Riveria_Ljos_Alf_Character_Art.png