Disappointing News

"We're coming in," Gareth's voice booms as he opens the door to one of the best workshops in the region, at least, when it comes to the interior, as a wave of intense heat hits Jackal in the face like an unstoppable train.

"Woah..." With such a sudden change in temperature comes a disorientation that leaves Jackal stumbling and grabbing onto the nearest desk while a snicker echoes, "Sorry, sorry! I wanted to try working on that and forgot we got a newbie coming in!"

"Didn't I just tell you we got a level 1 coming in?" Gareth's sigh echoes.

"Didn't I just tell ya I forgot!" The sweet voice instantly transitions to a confronting tone as Jackal catches his breath and stands up once again, "That was one hell of an experience. It's crazy how leveling up can let you withstand all that..."

He picks up the nearest cloth and wipes his face before heaving loudly again.

"Hmm?" Jackal looks at Gareth who had a weird grin and then turns to the other party. A woman. A woman he, and almost all of Orario is well aware of. With an eyepatch covering her left eye, and long black hair tied loosely, Jackal observes her brown skin being layered in sweat. A wrap of sarashi is all that covers her voluminous breasts that leaves her shoulders and stomach exposed while a red hakama flows down her waist.

Tsubaki Collbrande.

Captain of Hephaestus Familia.

And with her lone red eye peeking out, she too looks at him weirdly.

"What?" Jackal calls out defensively, "I'll get used to the heat in no time, kay? Stop with the looks."

"Pfttt!" Gareth snickers and then smacks his head while breaking out into a burst of full-blown laughter while the Half-Dwarf better known as Cyclops smirks in amusement and crosses her arms under her breasts, "Oh, will you now? Well, kid, you then at least you wouldn't rub all that filth into my top."

Jackal looks down. Well, the side of the cloth facing him is plain white with incoherent threads jumbled in but the moment he turns it over, it's an embroidered piece of work, "Oh, sorry, sorry. I just reached for the nearest one."

Jackal sets it aside and looks around, "So? Was that it?"

"Yeah?" Gareth sighs. Now he feels like cringing being the only one who laughed.

"You gotta admit that it was odd," Tsubaki shrugs.

"Nah, the odd thing would be if snatched out from your body to wipe my face... what happened just now wasn't all that much," Jackal hums, "Or... maybe we aren't reacting right?"

Gareth traces his chin, "Well... if it were Riveria or Loki in my place they'd cook something out of this situation."

Adopting a pose similar to Gareth, Tsubaki hums, "So... if I were Tione or Tiona, I'd be going 'Grrrr, I'm saving myself for Boss' or 'Kyaaa~' and cover my flat board."

"So what does that make me?" Jackal, too, strikes the same pose, "Finn won't bother with it. I think... Lefiya? So I'm Lefiya or Ais in this situation."

"Hmgh," Gareth grunts.

"Well that was a waste of time," Jackal shrugs, causing Tsubaki to laugh, "Nah, it wasn't. I got ta know you! Now I know you ain't similar to other high-strung or slimy 'Mystery' users, too. Your name?"

"Jackal," He informs.

"So, Jackal, my name is Tsubaki Collbrande!"

"Woah! You're that Tsubaki? The Captain?!" Jackal gasps while Tsubaki narrows her lone red eye and grins, "Wanna bet that I'd smack your smart top for being foolish enough to make fun of me?"

"Nah... not that I care. I just want to know what that marble does. I'll be on my way then."

Gareth takes a seat and merely observes from a distance while Tsubaki grows excited at once and points at the black-red cube on the anvil, "That new stuff is good, you know? It's like a drop item but has a more concentrated effect. It wouldn't work just like that. Materials have needs and dreams. They are willful. So, you gotta bend 'em. Mix 'em. Crush 'em. And Make 'em."

Picking the cube, Tsubaki hums, "You find the right materials and this happens—"

The cube suddenly phases out through Tsubaki's hand and then impacts the ground.

"Oh?" Gareth raises an eyebrow.

"War Shadow, right?" Tsubaki looks at Jackal as he nods with interest, too.

"Well, there you go. I think I can make a small dagger out of this. Can't say the limits of the magic weapon but if I do complete it then like every other magic weapon, it'll be a one-pump chump. Or at most, two pumps," Tsubaki bends to pick the material but looks up and stays in the position, "Or do you think we can manage three pumps?"

Rolling his eyes, Jackal muses, "So that's it? Magic Items... can work for long, right?"

"Most can," Tsubaki shrugs, "But that's why Mystery Ability is mysterious. Think of it like Miracle. But I'm a blacksmith. My weapons don't break the laws of smithing, you know."

Jackal sighs. First was the disappointing level 1 smith and now this, another disappointing news...

"You got something else interesting?" Tsubaki questions eagerly before frowning, "Wait, if you're Level 1, how come you have Mystery?"

"Didn't say I did," Jackal shrugs and hangs his shoulder low, "Well, whatever. Thanks for taking some time out for me. About time I'm on my way," he nods gratefully at Gareth and Tsubaki. Before he could leave, she whistles slightly and questions, "Didn't you want a weapon? I think I can whip something for a Level 1 without spending a lot of time."

Jackal looks at her before huffing, "I'll stick to regular store versions. If I get used to a better weapon and found you don't have any time, that'd just be disappointing."

He hums a soft tune and leaves the workshop with his hands on the back of his head.

"See?" Gareth grins, "What'd I tell you?"

Tsubaki smirks and sets the black-red alloy on the shelf, "Anyway, tell him his piece is right here and I'll be cool with crafting a good ax for him."

Gareth scoffs, "Tell him yourself! Do you think I'm free? Finn has me running around for the next expedition already."

"Fine," Tsubaki huffs and stokes the flames of the furnace once again.

---

"Jackal-sama, what are you reading?" Lili leans forward and gazes at the content of the book in his hands.

"Hmm? Oh, blacksmithing," Jackal smiles and questions, "Lili, do you know how to read and write?"

This question catches her by surprise but she nods regardless, "Lili practiced on her own a lot and got efficient in simpler terms. But Lili still sometimes struggles to understand bigger words..."

She looks down with a disappointed expression as her gaze is suddenly filled by the open book Jackal had been reading.

She looks at Jackal with surprise as he grins, "Let's read it together. I know this ain't some hero's storybook but this should help you a lot more. Smithing is more technical than just hammer-hitting metal hard, after all. I'll help you with bigger words so start reciting from here."

Lili looks at the pointed word, for a moment she is stunned but then she looks at Jackal with a wide smirk, "Yes, Jackal-Sama."

She begins to read aloud while Jackal listens to her intently.

He admits... he could have asked Maria to tutor Lili... but he also wanted to be the one who shared moments with his employees. Sure, he cannot teach Lili about marksmanship but he CAN help her with reading and writing, right?

He has already fulfilled his morning duties such as sharing Bento and making Ais leap for a candy. It's almost a ritual now. Jackal tried to give Ais kind normally today but the flicker of disappointment in her gaze made him chuckle and toss the candy in the air.

'But... as expected,' He looks back. His shelves are no longer empty, 'The situation is stabilizing once the cost falls on the low-leveled familia members. Blue Pharmacy's sale has slowed down, too. But since they only buy a little of each potion and item, they still sell out by the end of the day. So... I can guess that 25 potions of each kind should be adequate. No... potions like adrenaline, berserker, silence, and poison can be lowered in number. The price is better when compared to the rest of the market but still expensive.

Meanwhile... the lizard shield can be kept at a count of 10. The Frog Wallets are way more popular.'

"— and a Blacksmith of a higher level can employ their mind into their art to meld magical materials with higher-quality ores to bring unique effects. One alloy of the same materials may be different when compared to the other alloy with similar materials based on the ratio of said materials and thus, provide different results..."

Lili continues to read but then stops and looks at Jackal, "Jackal-sama, what is this word?"

"Oh? It's slag. It's the stuff left out of the materials that are considered a waste. For instance, slags for fruits are their peels. We can use the peels to fertilize crops but not eat them unless you're a freak."

Lili nods and continues to read.

This book is a simple know-how guide to smithing for adventurers so that they aren't ripped off by other smiths. This book, however, doesn't detail the intricate knowledge of the art that the patron deity of Hephaestus and Goibniu Familia share with their children.

Not that he minds. He is busy as is. Why would he want to stretch himself thin by partaking in blacksmithing?

'But if I had magic like that flat board exhibitionist villain of My Villain University... that would be cool.'

He recalls another piece of fiction from his previous world.

There, an exhibitionist villain could create items out of the fat of her body. A manipulation of matter in its classic sense. However, she needed to know every single detail about the item she is making down to its atomic structure. So, it was quite a technical but pleasant skill nonetheless.

"Lili, put on your hood," Jackal hums as she does that quickly. Instead of her usual cream robe, Jackal got her a better brown robe to conceal her identity. It's baggier, too, hiding her frame quite well.

The bells Jackal installed jingles as an adventurer comes in. A middle-aged man. Nodding at Jackal, he questions a few of the goods before purchasing the Berserker potion.

"Phew..." Lili sighs in relief.

"You can't live your life in fear, Lili," Jackal snorts a chuckle, "Caution is all good and dandy but not fear."

"I understand Jackal-sama but... hmm, don't worry," She plasters a sweet smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "Lili will be fine."

He nods quietly and lets her recite the book again.

As she eventually finishes the book with Jackal's help, he cannot help but ask, "Lili, do you hate them? Your familia?"

Briefly surprised, she quickly lowers her head to hide the venom in her gaze but Jackal catches her chin and makes her stare at him with a smile, "I ain't asking you for some ridiculous notion of letting go of hatred and whatnot and being the symbol of purity. I just wanted to know."

"Of course, Lili hates them. Lili hates her God, too," She averts her gaze, "But... it's not like Lili wants to... make them feel pain. She just wants to leave it all behind and move on..."

"Huh?" Jackal hums in surprise.

"What is it, Jackal-sama?" She questions.

"No... personally, I'd want to kill my abusers," Jackal shrugs, "But I get that. Vengeance is not catharsis. I personally wouldn't want them to live a happy life either way or live altogether."

Lili narrows her eyes in suspicion, "You're just saying this to make me feel better..."

"You think?" Jackal lets go of her chin and smiles, "Besides that, are you excited? We'll be getting our uniforms soon."

Her gaze brightens in a second as she nods eagerly, "Hehe... Jackal-sama, I also have a surprise for you! But that will have to wait until we get our uniforms~!"

"It isn't another ill attempt at cooking for me, is it? I don't want to go out buying skillets again..."

Lili blushes heavily and shoots him an indignant glare, "That happened once! And... why don't you just let me help? Lili can learn things quickly!"

Surprising her, Jackal nods with a grin, "I just might~!" and his smile turns wolfish ever so slightly, "Hehe, I'm gonna put you in a cute apron. Then..." he winks at her as her face heats up and she looks down, sneaking chaste glances in his direction while vibrating in excitement within her seat, "— we'll cook all night! With you, we can double the number of Bento! Hehehe~!"

"Khuk!" Lili blanches.

"Lili is never going to cook bento for other girls!"

"Hah!" Jackal gasps in surprise, "Other guys then? Lili... you're..."

She squirms and whines before bouncing up to Jackal's lap and raising a ruckus of tiny fists, "Jackal-sama! How can you question Lili's purity?! That's perverted!"

"Yeah, like that's the most perverted thing I did, right? It isn't as if I leer at every passing Goddess or Mama Mia," his tone singes with sarcasm as Lili's pout inflates!

"Mama is old—"

"Lili, your hood," Jackal blinks and gestures to her to settle which he does with a huff.

---

"Oi, look, it's the Loki Familia! They're going out on another expedition!"

Adventurers are heroes in their own right. At least, those who push and survive.

There are many, many adventurers who stay on the upper floors and keep on grinding and earning. Their patron deities don't mind this usually. Everyone lives their life their own way. But people and deities alike adore the adventurers who push and push. Who challenge the limits set in front of them.

They adore those who prevail.

Loki Familia's upper ranks are filled with such people.

'Braver' Finn Deimne walks ahead. The Level 6 Captain of the Loki Familia walks in the direction of Babel with his party following him.

The deeper one goes into the dungeon, the larger it becomes. For adventurers like Finn, Gareth, and Riveria, upper and middle floors hold no meaning and improvement but going deeper takes time and resources such as food, shelter, and a variety of supporters.

Supporters that they must protect.

If they are lucky, they will reach floor 50 in a matter of 5 days. If not, then maybe a week. The expedition that the executives of Loki Familia charge of are often a matter of great interest.

Behind the Braver, Gareth, Riveria, Tiona, Tione, Ais, Bete, Lefiya, and many, many more Loki familiars can be seen. A few of them push and pull carts filled with various resources.

"Ais~!" Tiona tiptoes around the wanted Sword Princess and grins, "Aren't we lucky we snatched a few Frog Wallets in time? Although... you really did go all out demanding 10 bento boxes this time."

Ais looks at the green pouch tied around Tiona's slim waist and then nods, "It cannot be helped... I will eat one Bento a day... prolong it. Are you sure... Do you want to wear that on your waist? What if it gets damaged?"

"Oh, no worries," Tiona snickers and strikes a pose by holding her arms behind her head, "I'll pass it to the supporters later but it looks cute so I wanted to wear it~!"

"It does look good on you," Tione walks up with a smile, her own frog wallet clipped onto the red string of her panties covered by a wrap of cloth that bundles up around the upper portion of her thighs.

"Right?" Tiona grins and twirls around barefoot.

"Hmm," Ais nods and walks back to an adventurer before picking up her item and clipping it to her waist, making Tiona and Tione share a grin.

"All you fools look stupid," Bete scoffs as he walks past them, "Who wears a frog with pride? Especially a frog from a weak bitch like him?"

"Don't come running to us when you're hungry and we're sharing food with Ais!" Tiona sticks her tongue out.

"Like hell I would do that!" Bete shouts, openly fighting but others don't pay them too much attention. It's a regular right for the public, really.

"I'm not... sharing." Ais, too, furrows her brows and looks at the twins in disapproval making them wince.

"Lefiya," Meanwhile, Riveria walks beside young Lefiya who walks a bit stiffly and glances at other members constantly.

"Y-Yes!" She squeaks.

"Worry and caution are admirable emotions. One must have them. But when facing the dungeon, you must do it with courage in your heart. Relax a little. Regulate your breathing." The green-haired elf's stoic look breaks into a short smile, "You will do just fine. Always believe in yourself."

Lefiya flushes and nods before squeaking, "Um... why do you think... Jackal-san gave me a bento, too?"

She looks down while muttering, "Although I wanted an extra gemling to give to Ais-san..."

"Don't worry about it. Accepting others' kindness with grace and no ill-intent of taking their advantage is just as important as being Kind."

"Hoho? Our Mother Sweetness is opening upto the brat?" Gareth laughs.

Staring at the dwarf, Riveria makes a note to lower her voice as much as possible before hissing, "Keep your savage mouth shut. If others hear that mockery, I will surely hex you at the cost of my lifespan!"

Lefiya shudders while Gareth barks into another wave of laughter, "Sure, sure, you're already an old hag. Might as well get the looks for one!"

"Gareth, Riveria, at least enter the dungeon before getting into each other's faces," Finn sighs and shakes his head.

"Exactly~!" Tione jogs forward, attracting quite the public attention as many men squeeze their thighs together, "Captain, we should quickly enter the dungeon and do many, many things~!"

Standing near the entrance of Babel with clipboards in their hands, Rose and Eina watch the group enter the dungeon's entrance with cheers from the surrounding. Masked Ganesha familia's members can be seen keeping order all around.

Inclining her head slightly as her ears twitch, Rose states softly, "I didn't think this before but I am worried. If he wants to get into the deeper floors... he will need a party."

Eina sighs softly. Rose, after some experience, stopped caring for her adventurers. It was to save herself from the pain. But what if her junior became said adventurer? Can she look away? Can she cut him off just as easily?

The answer, for both, Eina and Rose, is no. So they can only worry and experience carved in them makes them inherently dislike such notions. Who wants to live a life filled with worry?

"We don't even know which Familia he has joined..." Eina muses, "Maybe I'll ask him later."

"At home?" Rose questions to which Eina shakes her head, "He isn't really in his home most of the time. I've run into Lili more than Jackal. I would ask him at the end of the month. He promised me... well..." She averts her eyes, "I promise it's not like a date or anything!"

"I didn't say that," Rose's furry ears twitch once more as Eina thins her lips.

"May I join?" The werewolf questions, making Eina stunned before the half-elf groans internally but otherwise nods with a hint of reluctance.

"Thank you," Rose smiles shortly, her mood visibly brightening, "I wanted to ask him a few things, too..."

"It's... alright," Eina exhales a defeated sigh. She can't even feel angry at herself when seeing Rose depict such a sincere smile, "Let's just audit the shops and enjoy our break."

---

"There they go~!" Loki's room is at the top of her 'castle' Twilight Manor which allows her to look over the city easily. She doesn't like using the divine mirror. Well, first, others would peek into what she's enjoying and second, she loves working for her goals. It's exciting.

There may have been a 'dark' and 'lewd' age where almost all the gods peeped on each other's familia's when the children were doing 'you-know-what' but since then, stricter rules are set in the mortal realm and even Athena went ahead and created a mortal counter that distorts the divine skill.

"But..." Loki tumbles back into her bed, "What should I do now?"

Rolling around and moaning in apparent boredom for some time, she sits up, 'Nah, that's bad. I'm becoming bored again! I need to touch some boobies~ Give 'em a good squeeze!' She grins and jogs out of her door.

There is a reason why her familia has more women than men. Men are good for a night but women...

"Gotcha!" Loki grins, sneaking up on one gullible child and latching onto her from behind as her hands squeeze her breasts through her clothes while she blows a hot breath into her familiar's ear.

"L-Loki-sama!" The woman whines. Others glance at her for a moment before shrugging and going about their work. This is just a regular morning for them.

'Hmm... why?' Loki chews her lips in frustration as she lets go of the woman.

And THIS.

This makes others stop and look back with surprised expressions.

'Where is the usual high?' Loki looks at her hands, 'Where is the joy of groping soft skin? The excitement of hearing their rushed pants? The warmth of their heated body against me?'

She may be a pervert, but she isn't used to sleeping around. She just likes to excite her children.

She used to try it with male children, too... but they hit their climax rather anti-climatically. And she was just bored of seeing boners.

As it turns out... excited women work harder and excited men tend to grow sluggish until their release so Loki simply focused more on her female children in this regard.

'But... it also used to make me happy...' she frowns and walks past every other familiar of hers, 'Tch... so boring! How the hell tities became so boring for me?!'

She rages and then stills.

'No... imagine. Riveria in silky green lingerie. Her facade of calm broken. Her soft, pale pink nipples are erect as she abuses her clit~! Oh, yeah~ I got my mojo back! Muahahahahaha!' Loki begins to laugh out loud, 'Add Lefiya with Riveria! Ohhhhh divine! Add the rougher Tione and Tione playing with them, too! Whoooooo! Let Ais hold Anakitty's hand and lead her in... oh! Imma cream!'

'Oh, yeah, my Sweetness,' A deep voice rumbles and Loki pales.

'Oh, fuck! What? Jackal? The bastard! What are you doing to my Riveria?! No, don't moan for her Sweetness! Don't kiss him! Aahhhh! Tione, you slut! Weren't you all hots for Finn? Why the hell are you wagging your ass for Jackal?!'

Her familia members watch her seriously as Loki begins to scratch her head.

'Noooo! Not Aizzzuuuuuu! How dare you! How dare you stretch Ais out like that?! How dare you make Lefiya sit on your face and make them kiss each other! I want Lefiya to sit on my face! Damn your nine generations you sex-crazed freak!'

'Oh?' 'Jackal' looks up to her with his hand around Riveria's head now as she leans down on a certain place with a sultry sucking noise, 'Hello kettle, I'm Pot.'

'You're no Pot, you fiend! You're dead is what you are!' Loki gnashes her teeth before sighing and falling to her knees.

'I failed you, my children. I let that man cuck my men. I let him fuck my daughters when that Glory should have been mine!'

"Um... Loki-sama?" An adventurer questions hesitatingly, "Are you alright?"

"No..." Loki slumps down on the floor, "I'm not alright, child. I need my vengeance!"

She sits up and rushes out as the already dedicated team of guards waiting for one such burst of her antics near the gates sigh and follows her out.

***

Alternate Title: Imagination is a Powerful Foe!; You Are What You Imagine; Failing her Familia; Loki's a Cuck?; Pot Calling Kettle Black; Jackal's The Man of Everyone's Imagination!; Ais Has No Extra Bento to Share!

***

Anakitty Autumn

Tsubaki Collbrande

***

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