Chapter 17: Meeting with Loki

The Loki Familia home is known as the Twilight Manor, a huge structure built on a small area of land. Multiple tall towers overlap and support each other, with the middle tower being the tallest, and located on this tower it is the office belonging to the Top Executive.

However, this was not the location the meeting would be held in but in a guest meeting room within the Twilight Manor land but not within the main area. 

The room was spacious but simple, built with thick stone walls with a long, rectangular wooden table in the center. High-backed chairs lined either side, their cushions deep purple velvet, a large, unlit fireplace sat against one wall, and above it was the Loki Familia emblem.

Loki plopped down onto the chair at the head of the table, grinning with a mischievous energy as she patted the table area to her left, looking at Noah with enthusiasm. 

"Come, sit here!" she said, her eyes sparkling like she was excited to see where this meeting would go.

"Thank you." Noah stepped into the room, his presence alone almost filling the space, as he made his way over to the chair she had indicated, pulling it out, but instead of sitting in it, he bent his knees to a perfect ninety-degree angle and sat in mid-air, his massive frame hovering as if he were sitting on an invisible stool. 

Loki and Finn exchanged glances, eyebrows slightly raised, and then Loki leaned over the table, patting Noah's massive shoulders with a teasing grin. "It must be hard being that big, huh?"

The giant shrugged. "I don't mind," he replied simply.

Finn sat down across from him, resting his hands on the table. "We'll wait for the other executives to arrive," he gave a friendly smile. "They should be here in no time."

"We don't have to," Noah stated plainly, his crimson eyes meeting Finn's. "I'm not much of a fan of gatherings with more people than needed. You're the captain," he turned to Loki, "and you are the head of this Familia. I'm sure we can discuss this without the others."

Just as the words left his mouth, the door slammed open with a heavy thud, causing everyone to turn. "No need for that!" a gruff voice declared as Gareth stepped into the room, holding something wrapped in violet cloth. 

The burly dwarf wore a simple brown tunic that fell to his thighs, paired with black pants of a sturdier material and boots that looked like they could take a beating. He cast a quick glance around the room before his eyes landed on Noah, sitting on air.

Gareth's eyes widened. 'M-MASSIVE!' he was startled by Noah's sheer size. He had heard the rumors about the new guy in the city, but this? This was a giant, easily the largest person he'd ever seen—and likely the largest he ever would.

Clearing his throat to regain his composure, Gareth strode further into the room. Behind him came Ais, wearing a sleeveless, black halter-neck dress with thin, white vertical stripes, and halter-neck design wrapping around the back of her neck, leaving her shoulders and upper back exposed. The dress flared out into a skirt, swaying as she moved, her small black shoes clicking lightly against the stone floor as she glanced at Noah and then looked away.

Following closely behind Ais was the High Elf Riveria, closing the door softly behind her. She wore a rich teal-green dress with intricate golden embroidery that ran across the bodice and skirt. The sleeves are long and black, with elegant golden designs at the wrists, while the skirt reached down to her shin, her black cloth-like booth disappearing beneath the hem of her dress.

Noah's eyes lingered on Riveria for a few moments longer than the others, his gaze steady, but not intrusive. Loki noticed this, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"So, Noah," Loki began, her tone playful. "What do you think of Riveria? Isn't she the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?" All eyes turned to Loki.

Noah, however, shook his head. "No."

Loki blinked, her grin faltering as her eyes widened in surprise. "No?" she asked, almost incredulously. "Who's more beautiful than my Riveria?" 

Even Finn raised a brow with surprise. Loki seemed to be the first goddess Noah had met since arriving in Orario—he hadn't met Freya yet. So who could he possibly mean?

"Women from my country," Noah replied, his tone flat and without elaboration.

Loki's expression quickly turned into a playful pout. "Come on~," she teased, crossing her legs on the chair. "What do you think of her brea—"

She stopped abruptly, her sentence trailing off when she caught sight of the sharp glare from Riveria. Loki gulped, her usual bravado retreating under the elf's piercing gaze. A silence fell on the room as Riveria took her seat beside Finn, while Ais sat down next to her. Gareth plopped into the chair beside Noah, placing the violet-wrapped item in front of him.

Finn clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Okay," he said, glancing around the table. "Why don't we begin?"

Before anyone else could speak, Noah's deep voice cut through the air. "I will nullify the contract." The room fell into silence and Ais, who had been sitting quietly, perked up in alarm. She understood what he meant instantly. "And I will be taking my sword."

"No!" Ais shouted, jumping to her feet, her face unusually expressive as she prepared to argue. But before she could say anything further, Riveria placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, guiding her back into her seat.

Riveria's gaze met Noah's, calm but direct. "Why is that?" she asked, her voice steady as always.

"It would be troublesome to keep the contract," Noah answered simply, "And I have another buyer." The last sentence was deceiving no one.

Finn studied the man in silence before sighing internally. 'He just wants to get this meeting over with,' Finn, have seen men like Noah before. People who didn't like gatherings with too many superiors—they preferred straightforward negotiations, one-on-one exchanges, and minimal conversation. 'I guess it would have been best for just myself and Loki to be present.' 

But Finn decided to capitalize on this personality trait. "Why don't we just buy the sword for three-hundred million?" He smiled.

"I want to nullify the contract." Noah glanced at him, "Money won't change that fact."

Finn didn't falter. "We could go for five-hundred million instead," He smiled, "And you will be accepted into the Familia directly whenever you're ready."

Noah's gaze lingered for a few seconds before he asked, "Ok." He nodded, "But before I sell the sword, I want to know the cost of most first class weapons in this city."

"Thirty million Valis." Gareth replied simply. "That's the average, but the best of the best sell for around two-hundred million." He looked down at the cloth. "Your sword is around that range."

He nodded at this information. "But five-hundred million is too small." He glanced at Ais, "You want it right?" She nodded, "For one billion Valis, right?" She almost nodded, but Riveria placed her hand on the girl's head, stopping it.

"One billion is a bit much." She asked, "My staff is considered one of the five best staves in the entire world, and it only cost around three hundred million Valis." She, of course, didn't mention the Nine magic treasure stones that would push the cost of the staff to well past six billion.

"Best in the world?" Noah turned to her, his eyes widening in surprise. "If you don't mind, can I see it?" He gave an ugly, hideous smile that caused Ais to shiver. "Please?"

"You want to compare the quality of your sword?" Gareth asked, already assuming that he was the blacksmith that forged the sword. 'Though, I can't see his palm, this body is that of a great smith.' He couldn't be more wrong.

"That would be impossible." The high-elf shook her head. "Not just anyone is allowed to touch Magna Alfs."

"I would give you the sword for free with no string attached." Silence. "I just want to see the top five staff in this world." He continued, "Think of the 'five-hundred million' that would have been the sword's price as the price for me seeing 'Magna Alfs.'"

The high-elf hesitated, and glanced at Finn, who nodded. "Let the boy see it!" Loki shouted, getting bored. The conversation wasn't going how she had wanted it. "Let's get this over with." She leaned back on her chair. 

Riveria stood up, her teal dress flowing gracefully as she turned toward the door. "I'll be back," With that, she left the room, leaving an air of silence behind her.

Loki, restless from the stillness, leaned forward, her usual mischievous grin playing on her lips. "So, Noah," she began, her voice playful. "Who were those women you said were better looking than my Riveria?"

Noah turned to face the goddess. "Most of them enhance their beauty with cosmetics," he explained. "However, I will say that Riveria is at the top of my list of women with no cosmetics."

"But not the top?" Loki teased, leaning in, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Come on, tell this goddess who's the top."

Noah shook his head. "That would be impossible," he clarified. "I don't remember her name."

Loki blinked, her grin widening. "Your first crush?" she pressed, "Your late wife? A one-night stand? A friend with benefits?"

"None of those," Noah's expression didn't change. "I like to see myself as a priest."

Loki froze, her mouth hanging open for a second before her eyes widened in realization. Finn and Gareth exchanged confused glances—while the term priest wasn't foreign to them, they didn't quite understand what that had to do with Noah not remembering a woman's name. 

But Loki… she knew.

"Gahahaha!" Loki burst out laughing, slamming her hands on the table with a loud thud. "Of course, no one could handle you!" She doubled over, holding her stomach as the laughter rumbled out of her uncontrollably. In between fits of laughter, she managed to sputter out, "How old are you?"

Noah glanced at her and replied calmly, "That's private."

"Come on…" Loki begged, trying to compose herself, though her voice was still shaky from laughter. She cleared her throat, failing to keep a straight face. "I won't laugh, I promise!"

Finn and Gareth, still lost in the conversation, exchanged another glance. Meanwhile, Ais stared at the cloth-wrapped sword on the table, clearly more interested in when she could take it and return to the dungeon.

Noah sighed. "Forty-eight."

The moment the words left his mouth, Loki collapsed in her chair. "A SAGE!" she roared, laughing so hard that the chair tilted back dangerously, but Finn was suddenly beside her and caught it just before it could topple, saving the goddess from what could have been a very painful fall.

But Loki didn't care—she was still laughing uncontrollably. "You're a sage!" she howled.

Noah nodded, utterly unbothered. "Indeed," he said simply. "And I plan on becoming a great-sage."

This only made Loki laugh harder, tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth. Finn gently set the chair upright, as Loki's laughter only intensified. She laughed so hard she started choking, her breath catching in her throat. Finn immediately patted her back, while Gareth disappeared from his seat and reappeared moments later, a cup of water in his hand.

"Drink," Gareth offered, handing the cup to Loki.

Loki grabbed the cup and quickly gulped it down, breathing heavily afterward. "I almost died," she whispered, handing the empty cup back to Gareth.

Loki turned her gaze back to Noah, who sat calmly. They stared at each other silently for a while, and then he gave her an ugly smile which almost sent Loki into another fit of laughter, but she quickly caught herself, looking away to avoid breaking down again.

Finn chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Don't mind my goddess," he said, glancing at Noah apologetically.

Noah waved it off dismissively. "I don't mind at all."

Just then, the door opened, and Riveria returned. In her hands, she carried Magna Alfs, her staff, one of the most powerful and revered staves in the world. It is about 190 cm tall, slightly taller than Riveria who stands at 170 cm with a sleek silvery white body, 

The shaft of the staff is smooth and straight, with subtle engravings that accentuate its elegant design. At the top, the head of the staff flares into an intricate star-like pattern, with nine pointed sections extending outward. Embedded in this star-like structure are nine magical treasure stones, which shimmer with a faint glow. The head of the staff itself is about 30 cm in length, while the body of the staff occupies the remaining 160 cm. 

"This is it." Riveria stood behind her chair between Finn and Ais and held it horizontally in front of her, allowing the staff to rest on her palms. "Is this to your satisfaction?" It seems like she wanted to return it right about now.

"Yes," Noah nodded, "However, if you don't mind, can I hold it to inspect it closely?" He quickly added, "Of course, I know I just left the dungeon, but I washed my hands."

Riveria was about to harshly decline, but Loki spoke, "Let him hold it." She smiled, finally calming down. "This is something you can do for the boy blessing your daughter with that sword."

Riveria stared at the smiling Loki, then sighed, very deeply. Without saying a word, she handed it to Gareth across the table, and then he gave it to the giant. He took it and looked at it with an expressionless face, inspecting the gems and then after about ten seconds, he nodded. 

"What do you think of one of the world's best staves?" Loki asked, interested in his opinion. "Do you still think your sword is more expensive?"

"No, this is certainly worth more than my sword." He shook his head, "And definitely worth more than three hundred million."

"Why do you think so?" Gareth asked. Most people who had said Magna Alfs were worth more than three hundred million had said it to impress the high-elf, so he wanted to know if this man is different.

"Because it's good." Noah replied, and then Loki smiled.

"That's a lie."

The room fell silent as everyone glanced at Loki and then at Noah, who cleared his throat. "It's nice."

"Lie~"

"Acceptable."

"Lie, lie~"

"Fine."

"Lie, lie, lie~" Loki sang. "Come on, what is your true feeling on that masterpiece?"

"..." Noah sighed, "Ok," He decided, "I will speak my heart." He looked at the grinning Loki.

"This shit's ass." He shook his head. "For one of the world's best staves, this is worse than I expected. I mean, come on." He frowned, "A fucking rare? Not even legendary and it is considered world top ten?" He tossed the staff to the table. 

"What a fucking joke."

'Ah, fuck…' Loki knew she fucked up. 'Why did you have to go and say that, boy?' 

Crafted by the most skilled blacksmiths and magic users, with the Blacksmith, Mystery, and Mage Development abilities involved, it was a masterwork of Altena. Tsubaki had even praised it, labeling it a masterpiece. To Riveria, Magna Alfs was more than just a weapon—it was a symbol of her pride.

So when this random outsider dismissed it as 'ass,' it struck at the very core of her pride and her calm demeanor cracked entirely, her face morphing from calm to seething anger in an instant as the atmosphere in the room dropped several degrees. Her brows furrowed deeply, shadowing her fierce green eyes that gleamed with restrained fury and her lips pressed into a thin line, making her Elven features appear sharp and dangerous. 

Ais, who wasn't the target of the anger, started shivering in her seat, with Finn readying himself to jump in to protect Noah if the elf loses control.

"Oh?" Riveria forced a smile, her facial feature turning into that of a wild animal. "Tell me. Why would you call Magna Alfs that obscene word?"

Though he now realized those words he used were a 'bit' harsh, Loki should be the one to blame for that. And what was the reason he called it ass? Well, it was simple. 

He had seen its stats.

~~~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~~~~~~

While creating the status page for Magna Alfs, I tried my best to make it a legendary weapon, but I couldn't. Even giving it a rare status was stretching it. I mean, there aren't even that many weapon in Danmach that would be considered an Uncommon grade by the game.

Not that the grade is only based on ability, so a common sword might have a better cutting power and durability than an uncommon, but its still common due to its lack of ability and additional stats. I will add that into the fic for people that don't use AN.

As for the main question I was wondering, should he join a Familia or not? I have a plan of him not joining a Familia that wouldn't break canon, but that's a secreat. And, if you want him to join one, which Familia? I was thinking Ishtar(kind of like her and the MC), or Loki(Loki like him).