Freya POV 2
"Allen!" I called out to the fastest member of my familia, Allen Fromel. His alias, Vana Freya, was earned by being my faithful chariot.
"My Lady" It took a scant few seconds before he appeared before me kneeling and waiting for my command. I could see the unease and concern on his face as he saw distress on mine, but now was not the time to address it.
"Take me to the Hostess of Fertility, now!" I threw on my cloak as I gave out the order. I needed to hurry. I barely saw a glimpse of him mentioning and heading towards the Hostess of Fertility. Something or Someone was blocking my sight! Unacceptable! I needed to figure out the situation lest I never see him again!
"My lady, are you-" He cut himself off as I gave him a sharp look. Lowering his head once more, he turned around and presented his back to me. "As you wish, My Lady!"
The city was a blur. My chariot moved at a speed I could barely perceive the surroundings. Within no time, we were before the back entrance of the Hostess.
Transforming into Syr, I quickly made my way into the building and the storage room to put on the bar uniform. I don't think I have ever hurried this much, by the end of it, I was slightly breathless.
Suddenly I was startled when the door swung open and the annoyed Proprietress regarded me. My former captain, Mia Grand, looked at me with a frown.
She relaxed as she saw me and crossed her arms. Looking at me with a raised eyebrow she asked. "What are you doing here? You don't have a shift today, and you seem… out of it."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "Mia, I... I needed to be here tonight."
She snorted, eyeing me up and down. "Well, ain't this a sight? Thought someone had the balls to sneak into my damn bar, but it's just you causing a ruckus." She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp as a dagger. "You don't have a shift today, and you look like you've been chased by a pack of rabid hellhounds. What's your excuse?"
"I... I just felt like helping out," I stammered, avoiding her piercing eyes.
"Cut the crap, Syr, you're lying worse than a virgin caught in a brothel." she barked. "You think I was born yesterday? You've got that wild look in your eye. Spill it."
"I-I can't tell you right now. I'm unsure myself…" I looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would let it slide.
She regarded me for a moment before letting out a sigh and nodding. "Fine, but If you break so much as a single plate tonight, I'll have you scrubbing floors till I can see my reflection in it. Got it?"
My tension easing slightly, I nodded at her and made my way into the diner. Looking around the familiar bar, the orderly chaos generated by the cheery patrons, filled me with nostalgia.
I still remember the day I started working here as Syr with perfect clarity. It took a while to convince Mia, but she agreed to let me work as a waitress here if I allowed her to leave the familia and start up this bar. She certainly did not hesitate to let me know that she was in charge here. Every time I messed up, she would scold me and emit that withering aura that had me shaking in my boots.
Who would have thought that the Queen of Orario would be reduced to a simple waitress shrieking in fright every time her boss caught her slacking? I couldn't help releasing a nostalgic chuckle.
Despite everything, despite Mama Mia overworking me like I was a source of free labor, I truly loved this place. Life as Syr was so… simple, so liberating. Every day brought new interesting people and experiences; unlike anything I had felt before.
It was the only time I ever felt that I was peeking out of the birdcage…
"Syr?" Startled I gave a yelp before turning to the one that spoke. I really need to calm down.
"Are you alright? You look distraught." She asked with a concerned tone. It was Ryuu, my best friend, no, perhaps my only true friend.
"Yes! Yes, I just got distracted by something." I gave her a peaceful smile, but it seemed she knew me too well, to buy into it, her gaze bore more into me and became worried.
"Syr, if there's something wrong, please tell me, so I can help."
Despite the unease churning inside me, my smile became more genuine at that. Not many could see through me like this, and it gave me a feeling of happiness. "I'm alright, I promise. I just have something on my mind."
I could see she was not quite convinced but nodded and proceeded towards a table to bring their order.
Looking towards the door, I caught a glimpse of white, glimmering hair. It's him! Running to the door, I arrived just as he entered.
"Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility!" Once again, I was entranced. Seeing him directly made my sight so much clearer, I could see that wonderful soul again.
Just as I was falling into his soul, I was cut off once more! Who dares-! My gaze faltered as the very familiar mass of purple hair covered my sight of him. It was of a woman, whose beauty could rival the goddesses of love and whose might could cower even the war gods. One of the progenitors of divine magic.
Hecate! What was she doing here? Why was she with the white-haired elf? I felt a scowl coming onto my face.
"Oh, is that how you should look at customers? You might scare us away." She was mocking me! But the thought of him leaving made me panic. I couldn't let that happen, not until I knew more about him.
"Oh no no, I apologize, something must have gotten in my eye. Anyway, a table for four?" Swallowing my pride, I fell back into my Syr persona, guiding them to a table.
The bitch's condescending attitude as she ordered, made me want to strangle her, but I had to hold back. But it was worth it. As soon as he started speaking to me, all the annoyance I felt flowed away and I felt giddy. Even if it was something as simple as recommending dishes to him…
His thanking me, sent my heart fluttering and made me blush! This was ridiculous, I wasn't even acting this time! How can such simple words, have such an effect on me?!
"I'll be back." Walking away to put in their orders felt unpleasant, but Mama would have my head if I stayed there for a chat.
Looking back at his soul, it was the same light green in the form of a sturdy wall. But this time, no matter how much I tried to concentrate, I could not break through that wall. I knew very well why. The reason was sitting right beside him. The smug bitch knew what she was doing judging from that mocking smile, as she blocked my gaze.
But how? How is she blocking my soul sight? Even if she is a fellow goddess of souls, she should not be capable of doing that. At least, not without her Arcana.
Suddenly a horrible thought struck me. No… that couldn't be the case, right? Hecate for all the decades she has spent on Genkai, she never once desired to start a familia! It was too bothersome for her, she would rather spend time on magic studies.
No, perhaps they were orphans she had helped and raised. That was one of her favorite pastimes, whenever she was not studying magic. And maybe she somehow found a way to block her sight via magic? My powers are not at the level they were when my Arcana was active after all.
I needed to find out more.
Bringing them their food, I decided to strike up a conversation with him. Hecate being there was not ideal, but I could manage. A little bit of flirtatiousness and he should be pretty talkative with me.
"I've never seen you before, are you new around here?" Giving him my best smile, I asked.
"Ah, yes, it hasn't even been a month since they've arrived in Orario." Tch…
"Oh, that's great! Visitors come here so often to become adventurers. How have you been adjusting to the city? I hope it's not too loud, newcomers have been known to complain about that, hehe." But to my dismay, he apparently preferred stuffing his face with food, rather than talking with me. Am I that uninteresting to him?
"They've been adjusting well, they are quite skilled so it didn't pose much challenge for them." This damn…!
Then I'll just ask something he has to answer himself! "Oh! My name is Syr Flova by the way, although you seemed to have already known that since you called me 'Miss Syr'?" Finally, he lifted his head and regarded me.
"I overheard some other customers speaking of the waitresses here, saying it was staffed by a bunch of cute girls."
"A-Ah, y-you think I'm cute?!" He thinks I'm cute! I could instantly feel my face going red from embarrassment. Why does his compliment have so much of an effect on me?!
"They certainly weren't exaggerating. The waitresses here really are cute." He really does! I was about to comment on it, but when I looked at him, I saw him looking at Ryuu instead. He was calling Ryuu cute, not me!
I could feel annoyance and jealousy bubbling inside me. Why? He barely regards me and instead concentrates on Ryuu when she's not even in front of him! Is… Is it because both of them are elves? And I'm in the form of a human? A lot of elves are not the slightest bit interested in humans romantically. Is that it? Well, I'll show you that you can't disregard me because of that!
Letting out a slight amount of charm, I concentrated it on him. This should be enough to get past his disdain.
"Oh, how careless of me. I forgot to ask your name." I said with a beautiful smile that was already attracting other patrons when I wasn't even targeting them.
"Ah, my name is Cassian Suncrest. This is my brother, Nico. This is Leo Diaz. And this is our goddess, Hecate." He answered me with obvious disinterest, before going back to his meal, as if I was a chore he had to deal with.
W-what? My charm had no effect at all? Why- don't tell me he's one of those elves, that sees other races as inferior, disgusting beings. Is that why the level of charm I put out was incapable of getting through? No, wait… what did he say?
"Di-did you say "Our goddess"? Are you part of her familia?" They're part of her familia?! No! I thought she was uninterested in starting one, why did she have to do it now?! And get him in her familia?!
"Yes, he is. Why? Is something wrong?" Hecate asked me with mirth. This damn witch! She knows exactly what she's doing! She knows I would want him! Why does she always attract such amazing souls?! Why did it have to be her exactly who got their hands on him, instead of someone I could easily brush aside?! But, this one is far beyond any I have seen before, even in her possession. A true one of a kind, that trumps any other. So why…
Why did she bring him here? I couldn't help being befuddled. She knows me, she knows what I can do, and yet she still brought him here. That doesn't make sense, why would she?
I found my answer soon enough. Throughout the evening, I constantly tried to get him to open up to me, to make him at least somewhat interested in me. Every time I used my charm more and more, making it more powerful, and yet none of it seemed to affect him at all.
My confusion and desperation grew with each failed attempt. My earlier guess, that he held disdain for humans was proven wrong, as he interacted quite amiably with the human girl sitting at the table. So how was he brushing me off so easily?!
They were leaving now. He was going to leave now, and I barely had a proper conversation with him. But an opportunity presented itself before me. Taking the pouch of Valis from him for the meal, I made contact with his hand, immediately I used my full charm on him, enhanced by skin contact. The idiot, Hecate, was incapacitated, so this was my best opportunity.
But immediately I felt like I ran headlong into that barrier-like soul of his as I was rebounded. Quickly recovering, I felt the greatest shock in my immortal life travel through me.
It wasn't Hecate…
Men, Women, Young, Old, Dwarf, Elf, Mortal or spirit. Not even the gods themselves!
Not a single one of them could stand against my charm…
And yet, here was someone who barely felt it…
He called it a dizziness from alcohol…
I felt an almost deranged smile stretch out on my face as a silent cackle ripped its way out of my throat…
He is immune to my charm…
You will be mine.