A Chance

Here I am in front of god being told I'm lying when I'm not. How the heck does that work? Lord Miach puts down his bags and looks to me.

"Well lets start with the obvious do you have a familia?"

"No, I just got to Orario a couple of days ago and haven't been able to find a familia willing to take me in."

"Good, That's the truth; however please keep the answers simple so we can figure out where the problem is. Now did you lie to Naaza about anything else?"

"No"

"Hmm, you're telling the truth, but I detected some falsehood when you talked to me. What was that?"

"I don't know?"

"That's also true. What did you say to me specifically?"

"That I wasn't a liar, I don't have a familia, and I don't know how I heal quicker."

"Ah, that last one, are you sure you don't know how you heal quicker."

'Oh that might be it.'

"Actually now that you say it I have an idea on what might be causing it, but I'm not sure and if I'm right I don't want to tell anyone."

"There everything solved. Now are you sure you are alright. I may have given you a potion but it would take an elixir to get you up and about this quickly."

"Yeah I'm alright here I'll show you." With that I start removing the bandages to show my chest. Course my stupid self has to get Naaza to help me but once gone I show off my splotless chest with Shendu coldly staring out.

"Impressive there's not even a scar, and this tattoo doesn't look marred at all. Is it magical?" Miach moves closer to inspect and runs his hand over where I assume I was cut. It's not like I can remember exactly where I was cut! I was in shock for crying out loud, and they were gone when I woke up!

"Um, I would like to keep that secret for now."

"Oh, of course adventurers must have some secrets." Miach gives me a friendly smile.

I'm starting to feel really good about this god. I mean none of the other gods I met were this nice and he already knows I have secrets but isn't pushing me. Maybe he'll let me join his familia. Though I'm not sure about this Naaza, and speak of the devil.

"Well you still need to pay up for the treatment." The girl seems to pick just that moment to put me back down.

"You heard him! How am I supposed to get 30,000 vali with no falna?"

"30,000 vali! Naaza, you know we don't charge that much for services. A couple hundred at the most." She deflates like a balloon.

"Well, I thought you gave him an expensive potion since he healed so fast. Plus all the trouble you went through bandaging him up and carrying him here. Then you had to go back out to get the supplies you left." She turns her head trying to make excuses and while it feels nice to see her put down she has a point. Ah hell with it, maybe I've got a soft spot for girls?

"Now I might be able to pay you back, and really I would like to. After all you did save me, but I just don't have a way right now. Of course if you could give me a job or even better let me join your familia I could work it off right?" They both seem a little shocked at that. The look they give me starts to make me wonder what's wrong.

"Really! You want to join! Great let me get a room set up and we can get you started right away." Naaza nearly drags me off with an almost complete 180 from her earlier attitude. Suddenly I feel like I'm getting scammed and pulled by some shady hoodwinker.

"Now hold on Naaza! I refuse to let this boy join until he knows what he's getting into." Lucky for me Miach stops her before she can stuff me in a room and throw away the key.

"But Lord Miach, you know our situation. We really need help and if he heals this quick without falna then he could be talented." Naaza tries to convince Miach otherwise, but he holds firm.

"No, I will not let just anyone into the familia and I will not trick anyone into joining." Naaza slumps at that but doesn't argue the point.

"Now if you would come with me to one of the back rooms and we can discuss this, umm. Right what was your name."

"Ah, sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jack Lee, hoping to join your familia."

*sigh* "Well Jack we'll just have to see, now follow me." I follow Miach as he goes back into the building.

Now seated at a table in what looks like a living room on the second floor Miach gives me an appraising look.

"Honestly Jack, I would love for you to be a part of the familia. You are honest enough with not running from Naaza and actually talking it out; plus with your healing speed you may have a rare skill that hasn't been awakened yet. However, that means you could join a much larger more succesfull familia than mine. So why would you want to join my familia?"

"Well I was originally wanting to join a smaller familia Lord Miach. You see I have secrets that I want to keep like I said earlier, and I don't think I would be able to keep secrets in a large familia. Also I've tried asking other gods if I could join their familia and none of them were nearly as kind as you, and that's when I wasn't even part of your familia!"

"That's very flattering of you, but I'm sure you just weren't looking in the right places. Also I would need to know these secrets of yours in order to make sure they aren't a threat to me or Naaza."

"Of course, of course. Besides you would probably find out anyway when you read my status. I just wanted a familia where I am more important than what selling my secrets could get."

"I can understand that, but before you join you need to understand that we are currently severely in debt."

*Huh* "In debt? But you have this huge hospital?"

*Haha* "Hospital may be an overstatement. This is just a small pharmacy with only Naaza and I, a leftover from before we were in debt."

'Hmmm, with someone as money grubbing as Naaza around, how did they get into debt?'

"If I may? How did you get into debt?"

'I'll probably still join but this is important to know'

"Hmm, I guess you'll find out after joining anyway. It involves Naaza so I'll keep it simple for her sake. You see she was my child and got severely injured. Enough that I couldn't help her, so I went to Dian Cecht. Unfortunately he and I do not get along so he charged me a fortune. When the rest of my children found out they left the familia so it's just me and Naaza working off the debt."

I take a moment to stare at him. Those other members must be stupid. Adventuring is a dangerous job with death and dismemberment always near. To have a god willing to go so far for you is better than almost anything else you could have here and they gave it up!

"That just settles it please accept me as your familia!" I bang my head on the table bowing. This is probably my best chance at getting stronger and I couldn't wish for a kinder god to look after me.

Miach seems a little taken aback by my enthusiasm.

"Well if your that determined about it I won't try convincing you otherwise. Welcome to my familia, Jack."