Belthane And The Spring Of Life Part 5

Another triple chapter, see you guys later.

We're reaching the end of this Arc, it's about time we moved on.

Until!

.

.

.

---

/Step.../

'As Silver landed on the dreaded swamp, he turned back to look at Bheltane as he scratched his head in frustration.'

"Sigh, that was a bit excessive." 

I'm not a damn child to snap out like that. There goes all of my maturity.

'He rested his hand on a nearby tree, exhaling loudly as he closed his eyes.'

"I mean. I was excessive, but so were they, but then again, I can't really blame them." He said as his head went back and forth

On a battle of rights, they... It doesn't fucking matter.

"Phew... This is rubbing me the wrong way... I'll talk with them once I'm back. That much is proper."

I just... Feel like I'm too old for this drama. What am I? A teen arguing with his girlfriend? I'm over that phase already... Not that I ever went through it either...

After all I'm... Eh... Ahem... 18...

"... 18 is a little bit... Urg..."

They say man never grows mentally after a certain age; that's what matters, right?... 

"Not like they're any better." He said with a scoff as he crossed his arms

/Flash!/

'Silver vanished from the woods, going on with his journey.'

...

/Swoosh!/

'A few minutes and a dozen more teleportations later, Silver found himself atop the walls of Orario, ready to begin his preparations and check on his Familia before his eventual duel with the King of the Swamps.'

/Chatter.../

'The bustling streets rang with the chattering of people coming and going, the sounds of horses and carts, adventurers and merchants, the smell of food and smoke from the ovens and fires within all homes.'

'It had been a short time since he left; no more than four days had passed, and the last time he visited was to sneakily send his Halberd for repairs.'

'And last time, because he was needed back in Edas Village, he didn't check on the others due to a lack of time.'

'He was worried, that much was natural given everything that prowled the dark, Silver was most worried of Evilus and whatever they were planning.'

'But at the same time, he didn't want to be overly concerned about leaving them for a few days on their own. Not after everything he did to make them self-sufficient.'

'He was sure everything would be fine, but seeing how they were after a few days would set a precedent for how things would be in the following weeks he would be away.'

'As for Evilus, Silver was confident in the Guild's ability to handle things. After all, even if he wasn't here, Orario would still be able to deal with them.'

'As this was the city of Heroes.'

'Right now, coming and going was still something he had the luxury of doing as he was relatively close to Orario.'

'The Beol mountain ranges extended for hundreds of kilometers, but they were still within the immediate surroundings of Orario.'

'But for every Kilometer he walked on the road was one he had to walk back from if he wished to return, and at some point, even with his excellent mobility, moving around may take hours or even days of unending use of his powers, which even for him was tiring and stressing.'

'Some people may dream of the ability to run around at superspeeds, but what they don't know is that from the perspective of the one running, time usually moved just as fast...'

'Moving massive distances, even if he was going to just teleport around, at the end of the day was... Boring.'

'So for the sake of simplicity, confirming if everything he left behind as preparations would suffice should be enough for his worries for the coming journey.'

'But before he made any visits, he went to a few shops where he bought a few items before visiting another equally upset Goddess...'

'He had a knack for making them frustrated, that's for sure.'

'Or maybe that was his charm, as at the same time, he had a knack for attracting their attention...'

'You could say it was a matter of taste, and many Gods would raise their thumbs and say Silver was amidst the classiest of all mortals.'

'The tales of romance between Gods and Mortals was as old as it could be, a tale that began with the Gods themselves as they looked upon the mortal world from their high thrones.'

'Mostly male Gods and their nonsensical "attraction" to mortal women... Which was ironic given most Heroic stories depicting men and Gods would be rather tame, with the men devoting themselves to the divine, waiting for the time they would reunite within Heaven.'

'The Goddesses loved those stories. Some had such lovers in heaven, staying within rather then descending as that would leave their beloved alone.'

'While some descended to find their reincarnated lovers or even their promised ones, those Goddesses were worthy of utmost respect in his eyes, although it wasn't only women but male Gods too.'

'Some Goddesses sought their promised ones but still sought warmth in bed... Whatever they saw as moral wasn't for Silver to judge, although neither would he applaud them.'

'The tales of Divine debauchery were a bit too much for him sometimes; he didn't even want to know what they did to their Spirits in the millennia they were up there. To some degree, Loki's killing spree of Divine pantheons was tame compared to the rumors surrounding Aprhodite's lust.'

'Silver wasn't a man to judge someone by their past, but he had a bottom line too.'

'For as terrible as it may sound, although he wouldn't mind talking or holding conversations with anyone regardless of their past, having romantic relations with a Goddess who was known for... A certain kind of action wouldn't sit well with him... Not when half of all male Gods he knew would've done the deed with his beloved.'

'Maybe that was why he aimed for those untouched?... As a reflection of his inner desires...'

'Well... This was something better left for a God of Love and a lengthy psychology session to be discussed on...'

...

/Clang clang.../

'The clang of hammers echoed through the streets, reverberating off the stone walls and down the city. '

'The air was filled with the smell of hot metal and the pressure of their intense concentration.'

/Clang!/

/Clang!/

/Steam!.../

'Two people, dressed in heavy leather aprons and wielding hammers, were hard at work shaping glowing hot pieces of metal on anvils. '

'Sparks flew as they struck the metal with precision, their movements synchronized in a dance of craftsmanship. '

'The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the flickering flames of the forge, casting eerie shadows on the walls. '

'Despite the noise and heat, there was an atmosphere of focused determination as the smiths worked tirelessly to create their masterpieces...'

"Hm..."

'Silver looked with interest as he passed through a workshop near Hephaestus' home, a common sight around these parts.'

'Master and student working together to surpass themselves, to create pieces far beyond their ability to handle, true masterpieces, timeless and eternal.'

'This was theirs and everyone's dreams. Repeating through time for thousands of years.'

'The dream passed on from one individual to another, the Gods would affirm it was palpable, hope, emotions, transferring from one to their descendant.'

'It was something Silver couldn't understand but recognized. Yet another aspect of the world the Gods observed but Men could not.'

'When the Gods looked upon him, what else did they see that he did not?'

'He wondered about these things from time to time... But as easily as those thoughts came, they vanished...'

'Only to reappear again, weeks to months later.'

...

/Creak.../

'Silver entered Hephaestus' Office after knocking on her door, and this time, he walked through the front entrance; this meant that she had already been notified of his presence and had opened some time to talk.'

'She made it clear he wasn't to visit her unnoticed for business like he did last time with his weapon, and although he did it again this time, at the very least, he came through the front door, willing to wait if she was busy doing something else.'

'And for as rare as it was, she wasn't busy with forge work... For now.'

...

/Not long after.../

"... Here it is." Hephaestus said with a tired expression as she placed his Halberd on her Office table with ease, much to his surprise

'It was hard to spot, given she never worked before anyone, but Hephaestus was quite physically powerful, displaying her Divine stamina as she kept working before a forge with ease for days at times.'

'Her hammer, a Divine artifact, was one of the few Divine items... If not the sole one Silver had ever laid his eyes upon.'

'The crystal-like hammer was usually hidden in her private forge in the side room locked away next to her Office, although from time to time, when she was tired or just returning from a heavy session of work, she would bring some of her tools with her merely because she would forget they were even there, her focus and concentration so great she usually forgot she even held them in the first place.'

(Image)

'Though it could also infer other things, as it's hard to imagine a God may forget such a flimsy detail. Maybe to her, the hammer was a part of her body, and one can't just drop their hand casually, can they?'

'Silver once tried to lift the hammer with telekinesis, and although she immediately scolded him heavily for it, he did manage to feel its weight, and it wasn't any lighter than his Halberd.'

'It was a tool only a Goddess of the forge like her could wield.'

'As for how the hammer felt... It was special.'

'He felt as if... He was holding a volcano. As if deep within, the hammer contained enough power to rival such a natural disaster... If not surpass it.'

'Honestly, it was likely much, much more, beyond his understanding.'

'It was, after all, the hammer that shaped Orion, the Divine Arrow.'

'On that note, maybe Silver did see a Divine Artifact before if the arrow can be considered one as it's more of a manifestation of Artemis' Arcanum than anything...'

'But where the hammer ends, and the Divinity begins... Was something better asked another time.'

/Thud!/

/Wistle.../

"Fantastic..."

"Is it fixed? That was quicker than I thought; I came here mostly to goof around." Silver said out loud without any shame as he looked at his Halberd clad in a clean white cloth

"..."

'Hephaestus didn't seem bothered by his remarks, replying calmly and cooly as she saw down on her chair again, looking at the documents she was working on before Silver's arrival:'

"I thought so too, but one of my clients ended up canceling their weapon production due to a recent shortage of Pure Adamantite from the Deep Floors, so I had some time left and worked on it."

"A shortage? Not like that's a problem..."

Mining for Adamantite can be an issue as it only appears on the deep floors, and only Level 6 adventurers can break it directly, but that's only true for the pure and treated metal.

So a shortage of it? How odd.

It's not like they're lacking in personnel. First Class or maybe even a Level 4 should be able to mine it if they have the right tools for the job.

A Level 3 can likely mine it also. But they can't do much at such depths besides being a Supporter. 

Above that, mining or doing anything unrelated to hunting monsters is often more dangerous than the usual process of Dungeon-Diving itself.

If getting down there wasn't enough of a problem, returning while carrying enough ores to make the trip worth it is the bulk of their adventure.

They have to fight, find the ores, extract them, and then return them safely so they can sell them, It's not easy when each chunk can weigh as much as a person, and they need to make space for supplies and protect it from other adventurers who aren't so keen on making the week-long trip themselves.

It usually takes longer than that, though...

Anyhow, low supply... The Guild? No, Ouranos alone wouldn't be enough. He wouldn't even try to pull so much attention to himself.

Then... It can only be Loki... It should be time for another one of their massive expeditions.

... Unless another Familia is consuming vast amounts of it for some reason. But I can't think of anyone, it's an expensive Ore at the end of the day.

Is this another one of the many consequences of the downfall of the Ishtar Familia? I'm tired of all the notices I got from the Guild for all the shit that caused.

Anyhow, I've never seen Pure Adamantite in the Dungeon; I'll collect it if I find it. However, the issue should be resolved once, I'm back from my trip.

'As Silver fell onto his thoughts, Hephaestus replied nonchalantly:'

"For you, maybe not, but don't forget I usually ask the materials out of my clients before working on anything as I don't have the time to source them."

"Whatever I have in the forge is either brought by them or my children through whatever means they have available."

"If I ever do work with what I have, I charge premium for the materials; that is how valuable my children's time is, and above all, I don't work with 'dubious' materials." She said deeply as she looked at Silver, as if accusing him of something he never did

'Though he had a feeling she read completely into him...'

"Just to make sure, I'll be charging that fee off you as well when I make your bill; I had to melt and reforge most parts of your weapon to fuse them back together, quite the hassle, honestly."

'She didn't say it, but she technically worked on its restructuring more than in the Halberd's manufacturing. So it wouldn't be wrong to say she reforged it completely from zero.'

"I also modified it a little to prevent this from happening... I won't charge you anything for that, as it was an oversight of mine. I never expected you to grow this quickly, and for your abilities to develop the way they did."

"Given its previous state, the best I can say is that I was sloppy."

"Come on, that's not true. You're a hardworking Goddess." Silver said with a 'honest' smile as he looked at her, raising his hands and gesturing for her as a way to show his appreciation 

It's literally in your face as well...

'Hephaestus had dark circles surrounding her eye; it was noticeable and rather distressing.'

"Humph, flattery won't make me decrease the price of the repairs..." She said with a sigh as she looked at the side, a little better than before

"Your Halberd shouldn't break into pieces from now on; it's sturdier and stronger than before, but its design remains the same."

"I added some materials to strengthen the bond between the existing materials, it's essentially a singular piece at this point."

"And due to your magic, I altered some of its intrinsic properties to make it more suitable, as in a similar process I used in the confection of your gloves."

"It was previously made mostly of Mythril, but I've added Adamantite to create an alloy."1

'She looked at Silver, expecting deep appreciation.'

"I rarely use alloys like these, so you better not break it this time! As I mentioned before, consider it a sign of apology for my mistakes."

"Rarely have any of my weapons broken, and never have I ever seen someone break one I made personally for their own use!... Not that quickly, at the very least... Sigh..."

'She seemed to remember some instances of the past, preferring to shake her head and return to the present rather than resent the long distant past.'

"For your previous request to make a pair of boots, I've thought it over, and I have a design; just bring me the materials, and I'll make it for you."

"That's great to hear! Music even!" Silver said as his smile widened 

'She rolled her eye.'

"How much for both? The repairs and the boots? I guess you can add the enhancement there as well..."

A modification can be an enhancement, but she went beyond just a simple modification... And my expectations.

She really is a hard worker...

This is when I would ask, "How do I repay you?" Or so Hermes would be telling me to do...

The longer I spent alongside him, the greater his voice seems to echo inside my mind whenever I was talking with others...

And the problem is that it often tells me good ideas!... Albeit not moral.

"Ha..."

'Hephaestus exhaled, grabbing a pair of thin glasses as she pulled a piece of paper from a drawer underneath her table.'

"Ahem, considering the fees for out-of-schedule work..."

"Fees?"

"The materials I had to use..."

"... Uhum."

"And a few things more because you aren't an ideal contractor..."

"What? Hey, if I come here often it just means I really love your items!" Silver said with a broken smile as he looked at her

'But she did not smile at all.'

"Let me remind you of what you did..."

"..."

'Silver knew where this was going...'

"Around a month ago, you melted half of your weapon... Melted, completely."

"..."

"And even after I modified it, you broke it into pieces; what's next? You'll somehow send it to heaven, and I'll have to ask a God to send it back down after sanctifying it?" She asked as she looked back at him with a heavy glare

"... Is that even possible?" He asked quietly on the side

"Hopefully, you'll never know."

"..."

"Anyhow... I'll give you a discount and round it all for half a billion Valis. Be happy. Cheer." She said plainly as she raised the receipt to the air, trying to be dramatic

/Thud!/

'Silver immediately fell back, hitting his head on the ground as he exclaimed:'

"You better kill me instead."

"Humph, stop being dramatic! Besides, I doubt you'll even get scratched with those in your hands, so don't even try." She said with a light smile as she moved her writing pen around dexteriously

"... What if I ask you to make the boots now? How much would the fee increase? You know, the material cost and the "extra work" fees?..."

"Hm..."

/Scribble.../

"About this much." She said as she handed him the papers

"..."

'Silver's Soul almost returned to heaven as he gently folded the bill, placing it carefully on her table, very... Gently.'

"... Fine, I'll give you the materials as soon as I have them in hand..." Silver said with a sigh after he completely disregarded the modified price

'He then turned to her, disgruntled.'

"You're brutal; even Goibniu isn't as much of a penny pincher as you; Finn's Spear cost only 130 Million!" Silver said with a cringy expression as he placed his Halberd on his shoulders

"The price isn't determined by the materials my 'dear' customer... Also, how do you know that? That's private, contractual information."

"That's not the issue here." He said dismissively as he looked away

"Uhum... And say what again? Maybe it's time to modify your contract since you're now First Class, hm?" She said with a slightly threatening tone as she pointed her pen at him

'According to their contract, it would need to be revised once he became a First Class adventurer, which he technically already was due to his strength, although he could be an ass and talk about the diplomacy of things as he was 'merely' Level 4.' 

'That would come with even greater restricting clauses, and the cost of his equipment and repair fees would increase even further... But at the same time, he would gain other privileges...'

'Nothing he didn't already have due to his intrusive personality and relationship with her, thanks to Hestia.'

"I... I was talking about um... You hair... Yeah..." Silver said with an awkward smile as he looked away

"Fufu... That's about right."

At least someone else noticed the hair. Only Tsubaki noticed it so far... But it's not like I've been outside for long recently...

Is it too weird? My hair usually gets in the way when I'm forging, but I can't just cut it out, so I tried something different this time.2

(She has a ponytail in the manga but not in the LN I think, the images differ quite a bit so I just went with the interpretation she held her hair differently today)

"Anyhow... These materials are a bit... Hard for me to get right now."

"Hm... There's not much I can do about it, getting the effect you desire while maintaining some degree of defense isn't easy..."

'Her tone was a little pensive, but she seemed to be considering whether they were too difficult for the current him to acquire.'

'Amidst some of her requested materials were items found extremely deep in the Dungeon such as a Black Rhino's horn or a Cadmu's Hide, strong monsters found beneath the 50th floor.'

'Known only to a small group of people, Silver had only gone as far down as the 37th floor, where he stopped as he found no need to advance further.'

'Due to his Level Up, he chose to remain in the Colosseum to adjust to his Status as he healed his body, and when he accomplished both feats, he left Orario.'

'So it was a matter of time, not ability. Though it was still to be seen if he could last at such depths. He likely could, but there was more to the Dungeon then just monsters.'

"No, I'm not talking about hard due to my Level, I'm currently not with the time on my hands."

"I gave you a brief explanation last time, but Officially, I'm within my manor, but right now, I'm crossing the Beol Mountains."

"I traveled back here just to check on some things and, of course, see how you were doing." He said as he smiled again, trying to be smooth

"Ha! A cheeky way to say you came here to get your things fixed." She said as she rolled her eyes, although she was happy nonetheless as Silver didn't lie

"Now, I know about your financial situation; I have an accountant who keeps track of my client's expenditures, so once you have it, just send it to me, and I'll cross it in your long list of debts."

"Long list? I feel as if it just keeps on increasing... Also, why's the bank sharing my info with you? Wasn't that also, contractual information?"

/Chuckle/

"Boy, when you're in my line of work, you need some assurance, otherwise, there would be no trust."

"As for the list, of course it does; you're the reason it never ends and one of the reasons why I stopped reconsidering the need of not having an accountant." She said with a scoff as she waved her arm around

"..."

That's a way to put things...

"Thank you for the sweets and tea; they're much better than the tasteless gifts most bring me when they come to ask something out of me."

"I can taste tea, but I can't eat gold..." She said with a sigh as she turned to her papers

"I don't usually say this, but I must finish these by nightfall..."

"I understand, I'll take my leave immediately, Oh, steemed Goddess." He replied with a courteous and exaggerated bow, something somewhat familiar to her as it was something Gods in Olympus used to do whenever introducing themselves, it became a custom in some lands of the mortal world after they descended, for apparent reason.

"And where did you learn that from, Oh, troublesome mortal?" She asked with a chuckle as she held her teacup

"From Hermes." Silver snitched without a care in the world

"Of course, it would be him... He always teaches others these useless things..." She said with a frown as she kept tapping on her table

...

'Silver shared a few more words with Hephaestus, saying his goodbyes as he stepped out of the Office.'

'here was still something he had to do before returning to Belthane.'

'This time, Silver did not stop by a shop. Instead, he returned home with focus, entering the Hearth Manor under the guise of darkness...'

'He was there to find someone, something he didn't want to do, but a necessity given the weight of his responsibilities.'

'He was sure of his chances of victory, but he had to look beyond his pride and plan for not only the best but also the worst.'

...

/Chatter.../

'Although he didn't need to hide from his companions, from their perspective, Silver did leave for his parents' home so everyone did not expect him to be around.'

'As such, to preserve his image and keep his word by not breaking the illusion they were completely on their own, Silver walked around while stepping on his toes, evading as many people as possible until he found his target.'

'After all, if he were to meet with Daphne, he could only imagine the earful she would give him, especially if he were to say he wasn't going to stay for long.'

'It would hurt his image quite a bit...'

...

/Humming.../

"..."

There she is.

'Taking care of the flower garden was a Renard with golden fur, her tail wagging in the wind as she gently planted tulips on the ground.'

'Over the months, the front garden of the Hearth Manor had overgone considerable changes, and now, more than ever, was gorgeous.'

'Before, Apollo focused on maintaining the integrity and "richness" of his Familia by keeping the front garden grand and imposing, elegant and luxurious, simple to an ordinary person, complex to someone with a keen eye for art.'

'For Silver, it just looked boring. A large expanse of green with a few fields of plants and other stupid displays of "art", a massive waste of space.'

'So over time, he modified the frontal garden, adding many plants and even small trees which would eventually grow and cover the front of the Manor. Like a small part of sorts.'

'It would obscure the front view of the Manor, but that was okay, as Silver didn't care about those aspects at all.'

/Humming.../

"Hmm... Grow~... Grow beautifully~..." The Renard whispered happily as she planted the flowers 

'The flowers here grew freely beside one another.'

'Wasn't it perfect? Even if for the sake of their own pleasure?'

/Step.../

"Hm?..."

'Her ears twitched, turning towards the echoes of someone approaching from behind.'

'Grass was stepped and dirt compressed, a familiar sound, one she heard almost every day.'

"Excuse me, I'm almost done." Haruhime replied in a low tone as she finished cleaning the dirt from her dress, getting up soon after

'Although Silver approached her from her blind spot, Haruhime felt completely and utterly safe, mainly for two reasons.'

'First, 90% of the Familia was composed of women, and although strange still, it's considerably less of a problem if a woman approaches another like this, especially given most girls in the Familia were young and full of mischief in their veins.'

'The second reason was that due to the first, most men in the Familia were extremely defensive, to the point they would usually call or make themselves apparent whenever talking with a girl or anyone even. Otherwise, problems would arise...'

'The only boys who didn't seem to have that issue were Silver and the triplets, who couldn't care less about women in general and were more focused on their training instead.'

'While Silver was just seen as a very trustworthy man who could keep his calm and not make things weird... Unless the girls wanted him to.'

'He was the one they called in the middle of the night if trouble arose in their dormitories... And although they had Daphne, sometimes, the girls preferred to deal with him than her... Which he always found reasonable.'

'He liked to tease Daphne about this from time to time. Her reaction varied...'

'That was why Haruhime felt safe and comfortable, regardless of who approached her and how.'

'Not like she had anything against anybody anyway, she was a gentle soul who always believed in the good of others first...'

'Or too much of an airhead to understand said things...'

"Haruhime..." Silver said in a low tone as he waited for her to turn to him

"!"

'As she heard his voice, her fur rose slightly, and her tail wagged more fervently. She turned to face him and took a step forward, smiling.'

"Silver... I should call you captain..." She said with a smile as she fidgeted with her fingers

"I said that time and time again... But there's no need for that when it's just us; formalities can be a bit overwhelming when even my friends overdo it." He replied with a smile as well

'Silver looked at Haruhime, at her ears twitching in the wind, and he had a terrible urge...'

I really want to pet her... Why are most beastfolk so... Like this? Is there a reason for this? 

Should I just give in and pet her?...

'Silver fought his instincts to pet her golden ears. Her fur was so gorgeous it glistered in the sun, shining as the wind blew it away like golden rays amidst the clouds...'

"Then... Silver." She said with a chuckle as her tail moved from left to right

"I thought you were away to visit your parents, are you back already?" 

'Her tone was cheerful, but it contained a certain melancholy, Silver felt bad for invoking such feelings in her, so he brushed past the topic, moving on:'

"I already visited them. They are fine and well; I'll introduce you to them in the future; they would love to meet you." He said with a smile as he gave in to his urges

/Pat.../

"!!"

'Haruhime was greatly surprised by his actions but did not stop her hand, mumbling incoherent words in a low tone as her face grew red...'

'Silver, on the other hand, enjoyed the feeling of her fur as he caressed her ears. They were extremely fluffy and smooth.'

'It brought back long, forgotten memories of a time he had mostly achieved at the corners of his mind... As those memories passed faintly through his mind, a cryptic smile formed on his lips as his eyes turned distant...'

'But that glister of light quickly vanished as he returned to the present.'

"Anyhow, I passed by because I needed you to do something for me."

"Could you come with me on a little adventure?" He asked with a smile as he took his hand off her head

"Mnn?... Ah... Of course! I'm free for now, but... Will it take too long? I usually go to the Dungeon with Daphne and the others in the morning."

'Although it was already past noon, Haruhime wasn't sure how long Silver's "adventure" would last, so as awkward as she was, she brought forth the only scheduled activity she had on her calendar, no matter how far away it was.'

'It was actually quite sad... To think the only activity she had to look up to was the daily Dungeon dive with Daphne and the others...'

"I'm mostly done with my duties for today as well, the rest of the day is just..."

"Training, right?" Silver asked as he looked around

'Ever since he contracted some maids to take care of the Manor, Haruhime's workload has essentially become 0; she only needs to go to the Dungeon to get some Excelia and train to master her Magic; anything other than that was free time for her to do what she wished.'

'The problem was that her past... Never taught her how to enjoy the world.'

'She grew up as a doll in a Noble household away from the world, and then she became a prostitute, locked away in a cell without much to do.'

'Her entire life was about imprisonment where the only things she had to accompany her were her thoughts and, later, the books and stories Aisha and the others brought her.'

'To her, that was only natural, her entire world; it was a painful one, and one she wished to free herself from. But now that she's free, she doesn't know how to enjoy this brand new sky.'

'Even if she did nothing but wake up and train, being able to choose how she did so was already the pinnacle of her life...'

'It wasn't just her that felt that life in the Hestia Familia was carefree... Many shared her feelings.'

'Not that Silver allowed them to do so out of his volition...'

'He made it his policy to allow people to do as they wished as long as they showed results, and he gave them more than enough guidelines to follow.'

'If they couldn't achieve anything despite that, then he would begin pushing them around... Thankfully, no such actions have been needed so far.'

"... Yes! I've been working hard to reduce the chanting time for Uchide no Kozuchi... It still takes quite a while, though..."

"Cassandra, on the other hand, has managed to cut her chanting time in half, to the point she thinks it's impossible to decrease it any further..." She said with a light laugh as she looked at the ground

'But Silver did not laugh, instead, he patted her head again, causing her to yelp as she was caught by surprise once more.'

"You're doing fine Haruhime, you nor anyone else should compare themselves to others."

"In the end, and this applies to Cassandra as well, what matters is how much your progress satisfies you."

"Your magic has a fantastical effect that cannot be so easily compared to others. There is no way to determine what we'll find by exploring it."

"But neither does its complexity undermine the hard work of others."

"Focus on yourself and grow to be the Heroine of your own story, that's all you should stive for."

'Silver moved to the side, creating a very slim shard of ice, giving it to Haruhime before laughing.'

"Hm?"

'She held the ice; it was cold and weak, so much so even she could break it, and her warmth alone melted it.'

"When I first awakened my Magic, before I got Falna or received any training, this much in your hand was everything I could do."

"In desperation, I gathered everything I had and created a slightly bigger shard of ice. It saved my life, but I went unconscious from Mind Zero."

"For years after, I trained, had ideas, wrote them down, experimented, and now, I'm here, thanks to hard work and the support of others."

"So never give up, keep trying, as above all, you still have two more slots left to fill. We never know what interesting things you'll manifest, right?"

A bit of a lie, but lies are good when used well...

'Throughout his speech, Silver kept patting her head, causing Haruhime face to beam red, but she kept her cool... Part of it... And replied:'

"Y-Yes!"

"Great! Now... How about you two step forward so we can move on?" Silver asked as he turned to a bush on the side

"Eh?"

/Shua!/

'From the bushes, two girls fell awkwardly, one atop another.'

'A Renard and a Humme Bunny, two equally unique and rare races. But with equally long ears.'

"Ouch... What was that Kaede?! Why did you push me?" A Renard girl with black fur asked as she felt another girl press her down

"Ehhh... I wanted to get a little peak but I lost my balance when he turned to us... Oops..." The Humme bunny girl replied as she made a cute gesture, hitting her head in the process

"Wh... Wh...!!!"

'Meanwhile, realizing she was being watched, Haruhime got so embarrassed she almost melted, she ran behind Silver and tried to hide by shoving her face on his back, causing the two newcomers to get embarrassed as well as they thought this was too... Lovely...'

"Ahem... You know what'll happen if Daphne learns you've been eavesdropping on others, right?"

'The two looked at each other, both equally apologetic.'

"Ah... W-well, I would like to offer my sincere apo..."

'The Renard tried to speak and apologize, but before she could say anything more, the Humme bunny girl said bluntly:'

"I'm really sorry, Captain! We came here to invite Haruhime to eat something in a sweets shop nearby, but Momiji got really curious so..."

/PUSH!/

"GAH!"

'The Renard girl frowned heavily as her expression twitched. She pushed her friend to the side with such force the bunny girl gagged on the ground from the air leaving her lungs...'

"That is very much a lie, I must say; the sequence of events that led to this scenario does not, under any circumstance, include me inciting her to such a deplorable act."

"B-Besides... You were the one who crouched down first!" The Renard said as her eyes twitched

"Hehe..."

'Two clumsy girls, one polite but mischievous, and the other overly polite... Albeit a little snappy.'

"..."

'Silver already knew this shrine maiden had anger issues, a torrent fire ready to explode underneath her polite facade...'

Better end things at that, two curious girls... That's all there is to it.

"Anyway... I heard something about an adventure? Are you abducting our princess away again?" Kaede asked as she got up from the ground, helping her friend before dusting her clothes

'Although she had been pushed aside violently, she didn't take it to heart as she still helped her friend... Such comradeship was commendable; it was a friendship where the two friends punched and kicked each other without end... True friendship, as some may say.'

"... You want to come?" Silver asked with a sigh as he scratched his forehead

"Yes, please!"

"Kaede..."

"You can come too if you want, we won't be leaving for long."

"W-Well... If you insist..." Momiji said as she fidgeted with her fingers

'Hearing this, Silver raised his hand to the side, and the air momentarily trembled with invisble power.'

/Crackle.../

'The stone underneath the grass twisted and turned, and before long, a portal of grass, roots, and stone rose from the dirt.'

'All looked in awe as the magical portal ignited with power.'

'If this wasn't an adventure, then what was?'

"Oho... The famed magic I've only heard about... Legend tells you it can take you anywhere..." Kaede said in a dramatic tone as she looked around

"..."

'And although silent, it was evident her friend was also very interested in it as she kept glancing around.'

'She was the kind of girl to appreciate things in silence and modesty... Not that Kaede's approach was any bad.'

"It can only take you whenever I've been."

"'ll be a short trip, and at most, we'll be back by nightfall, and if anyone asks where you've been, make sure to have an excuse; I'm not supposed to be back and definitely not meant to take anyone on an adventure outside of the city."

"Officially and unofficially..."

"My lips are sealed." Momiji said as she closed her eyes and nodded

"Nothing's more exciting than doing something illegal!" Keade said as her ears twitched

"Kaede..."

"I promise never to say anything!"

"I... Sigh. Thank you..."

"Let's move, I'll fill you all in the details once we're there." Silver said as he walked to the portal, Haruhime right behind him

"Where are we going?" Kaede asked as she stepped cautiously around the portal

"To a neighboring nation." He said with a smile as he touched the portal

"We're going to solve their problems and shed some light on their worries because we're cool."

/Step.../

'Before they could ask, Silver stepped through the portal, leaving them in complete silent...'

"W-Well... You first Momiji?" Kaede asked as a bead of sweat fell from her forehead

"..."

"It'll be fine, he would never put us in danger." Haruhime said with a faint smile as she looked at her reflection in the swirling portal

"... W-What about those rumors I heard?... About him causing trouble in the Dungeon with the others?..."

"... N-No problem he can't solve..." Haruhime said again as a bead of sweat appeared on her face

""...""

'The two girls looked at each other, and for a moment, both reconsidered stepping through the portal.'

/Step.../

'But as they saw Haruhime vanish beyond the swaying film of the portal, they quickly went after, too interested in stepping down now.'

/Fwoop!/

...

.

.

.

Notes