Chapter 8 Commissioned by Wrath of Vajra

So with us having taken our STD be-gone potion... And gods was the thought of fantasy aids terrible! Tina and I just kinda chilled out in my apartment as we came to get to one another better.

I learned that Tina could be summed up in the words 'downtrodden submissive street rat who yearned to have a decent life,' And she learned that I was an up-and-coming 'smith' in the Hephaestus Familia having been allowed to join as a fresh-level one. Even with this being in the Great Quest Era of Orario with much more active Familia's and much higher leveled adventurers than in canon with the Zeus and Hera Familia leading Orario, the smithing Familia's were still in the lead in terms of soft political power.

It didn't matter how pissed off the peak level eight Maxim Captain of the Zeus Familia was at you for refusing to lower your prices, if he wanted a weapon he would need to pay for them just like everyone else. So the smiths and other people essential for adventures still had respect even if the climate around Orario right now was very much so on the spectrum of 'Might. Makes Right.'

"So whens your birthday, got a favorite color, got any other friends?" I asked trying to get more of a hint at Tina's personality and her words made my face go green as I heard just how pitiful she was.

Tina put a finger to her chin as she thought over my questions before she shrugged and began speaking. "Uhm, I don't know when my birthday is... But I know I am eighteen due to the orphanage kicking me out six years ago when I got my first period!" She said as though proud of knowing her supposed age. Then she continued and I realized she was in a worse head space than I could imagine. "But uhh, I love and hate the color green honestly! She said brightly as she pulled at the newly washed ragged green dress she was previously wearing before.

"Green means fresh vegetables to eat... But it also means the food is going bad when it gets that fuzzy mold stuff on it that I need to pick off." She said making me silently cover my eyes with my hands.

And likewise, my last question didn't lead to any lovely power of friendship. Nope, just street rats being street rats as Tina showed me her left side where there was a raised scar and she sheepishly explained. "When I tried to join one of the other Familia's they got really mean and the person who pushed me out of the building was wearing bladed gauntlets so I got a little messed up." She finished with a sad smile.

I just pulled Tina into my arms with a small "Eep" Escaping her mouth as I pulled up my knees to squish the girl into my embrace.

"Shh..." I shushed her. "You are literally the synopsis of a hurt/comfort novel... Or when someone snaps and tries to burn down the world for all the suffering they lived." I finished dryly and Tina's bright green eyes blinked in confusion as she tilted her head slightly.

"But a Pallum cannot burn the world to the ground? The God Apollo said that Pallums are too short to reach the thermostat controller whatever that means?" Tina said in confusion making me close my eyes as I counted to five to avoid bursting into laughter.

I literally just silently and firmly placed Tina to the side on my large couch as I rolled over to bury my face into the pillows to hide my facial expression until Tina poked me in the side. "Uhh Jake, this is kinda the norm," Tina said deadpanning. "Orario is based on the strong taking what they desire and then protecting what they own as their livelihood... I mean Maxim the strongest adventurer and captain of the Zeus Familia has a harem of more than fifty women that he has taken, and that's become the norm unless you have another strong Familia backing you up." She said wryly and I looked off the pillow and saw her smiling at me as though taking joy in my confusion.

"Jake, I don't know where you came from, but Orario isn't the city of adventurers and becoming a hero, it's about being the strongest Lion with the proudest roar and the strongest bite as you climb the divine steps to reach the peak of the Falna like the Empress of Hera's Familia who has reached level nine," Tina said stoically and placed her hand on her chest as she smiled wryly shaking her head. "And Pallums no matter their strength will never have the strongest bite or roar." She said melancholically.

I patted her on her head and then with a flash of light the large crossbow appeared in my hand making her flinch at the weapon appearing but I spoke without paying her flinch any mind. "And what would you do if you had the bite of magical might, sure even if you reach level nine or whatever I don't see you punching out monsters like a Boaz or Dwarve could, but there's nothing saying you cannot use long range weapons and magic?" I asked as I saw the path to securing the loyalty from the broken-down little midget.

I wasn't going to explain my cheat to her, or give it away for free, and as I explained my thoughts a smile, a broken smile of a dream coming true formed within her bright green eyes. "So, you do right by me, and be my supporter and I will arm you with magical tools that will make up for your Pallum weakness... Deal?" I offered as I held out a wristband that I had fused a couple of pelts from Silverbacks into that would increase the wielder's strength and endurance by a flat ten percent.

Tina taking the wristband from me, gasped as she slid it onto her arm as she could easily feel her Falna granted strength growing by a letter grade instantly as she wore the wristband. And in that moment that she wore the enchanted tool, I saw the spark of desire for more within her mind take hold as she looked at me and nodded.

I had my own extremely dependent busty auto looter just like Bell... Yay.

But unlike Bell, I wasn't a cowardly harem protagonist so while Tina looked up at me in almost worship I pushed a hand up her ragged green dress and cupped her handful even for me-sized breasts, and pulled her down so while I was laying down on the couch I could kiss her.

She freely offered her all previously and I wasn't going to say no to that.