Maria’s New Protection

"So, I say it from my heart, my dearest, my loveliest—"

"Oh, shove it with the bullshit," Mia scoffs with a roll of her eyes as she crosses her thick arms under her equally thicc breasts while letting a ghost of a smile swim over her lips at Jackal's antics. Then she stares at other girls watching them with amused and catty smirks of their own, including May, as she finally snorts, "Enough fun! Learn from Ryuu for once and get to work."

"But she's on dish duty, nyaa! Her work is within the kitchen!" Anya protests while petting Anya. The duo's fuzzy ears fold inward, and tails sway gently—a sight Jackal truly feels worth keeping Anya alive.

Again, the pink-kitten flinches for a second before mewling under Anya's care. Leave it to a catgirl to know a kitty's needs.

Chloe watches the duo bond with a flicker of envy. After all, dogs and cats, normal ones, are a rarity in Orario.

"Get. To. Work." Mia seethes as everyone except Jackal flinches. As the girls scurry away, Syr flashes Jackal a playful wink, and Lunoire pats his shoulder with a 'don't mind' smile.

With Mia back to cooking and Ryuu returning to her dishes with her long elven ears still processing their conversation, Mia sighs softly and mutters, "Come here."

Her dwarven palm pets Anya as her tiny head shrinks into herself. Not minding the kitten's fears, she watches Jackal step forward with ease.

"Look, kid—"

"Jackal," he corrects her.

"Until you can get to level four or grow a full beard, you're a kid," Mia chuckles mockingly before shaking her head, "I don't know what got you riled up."

"See, now that's a lie," Jackal frowns.

Mia narrows her eyes, "You think I spied on you and Tiona?"

"I think you won't let us wrecks get drunk without surveillance. I wouldn't."

Mia huffs loudly. Her other palm lands on his shoulder with a mix of rough grab and pat. "Everyone's got their reasons for things they do. And I get the feeling you don't need any word of advice, too."

Her hand squeezes her shoulder tighter, but it doesn't hurt. Instead, she frowns and reveals an empathetic look, "But don't lie to yourself, kid. That's how you die from within. Our life is too short for lies."

Jackal silently looks at her while working his jaw. He tosses a glance at Mia and Ryuu, who are working, but their speed is knowingly sluggish as if their attention is not with their work.

"I don't like it either," Jackal mutters softly, "But lies protect you sometimes, right?"

"Not for long," Mia lets go of his shoulder before chuckling, "I guess you'll still be a kid to me no matter what I call you or how long your beard grows."

He clicks his tongue before picking Anya up, "Keep saying that. I will force you to take me seriously. Oh!" He stops in his tracks before changing topics, "You didn't get any threats, did you?"

"Hah!" Mia laughs, "The only threat to me is my lazy daughters, who sometimes forget to cook and wash the dishes!"

May and Ryuu begin working instantly as Jackal smirks and walks out before taking the stairs and entering the reserved lobby for the night. He sets Anya near Loid as she practically scoffs her food from her tray under Loid's exasperated gaze, while Jackal sits next to Lili across Hermes and Asfi.

"Now I'm free," he huffs while sitting.

He's already visited other vendors he deals with, including the Hephaestus Familia. As one would expect, the Hephaestus Familia received a 'tip' from the Guild to distance themselves from the Jackal. Their captain, Tsubaki, did not find such notions appealing once the news of Jackal being Soma's sole contractor reached her sharp ears.

Jackal can practically envision contracting Tsubaki as his blacksmith with a few more pieces of good news like this!

Ariana, however, did feel wise to distance herself for now. She was merely a simple tailor without any sort of protection. Though disheartened by the news, Jackal couldn't really hold it against her. But he knew damn well he would have never made the same choice as his lovely tailor.

And here he is, finally chatting with Hermes.

"If you still say you don't have anything to do with Olal, and this isn't his doing, I'm going to walk out," Jackal looks at Hermes with a huff.

"Hmm, are you sure your dear assistant should be here?" Hermes smirks teasingly, leaning forward to glance at Lili with interest.

"Sure, she should know everything that affects me. After all, we live together."

Lili smiles beside herself, barely keeping her composure as Hermes adjusts his hat and nods. His smile transitions into a solemn look not any worse than his Familia's captain as he leans back.

"As rumors suggest, Olal Shen is a merchant despised by Deities of Orario for many reasons, but the most prominent of them is their inability to affect him in form and manner. I, for one, find his indifference to the Divine quite refreshing."

"What does he deal in?" Jackal questions, "I've heard that Olal has his fingers dipped in many businesses, but he must have something he does for himself, right? He didn't strike me as the kind of guy who loves taking a seat in the background and letting his employees run things for him."

"These kinds of questions are worth quite a lot," Hermes smiles.

"Then why did you want to talk with us?" Lili retorts sharply.

"To conduct business," He replies with ease before giving Asfi a look.

The bespectacled captain adjusts her glasses before retrieving a small, green colored, the surface of which is riddled with hieroglyphs, as she proceeds to stick a small magic stone in the carved indent of the disk. The pitch-black hieroglyphs whir to life as a soft green dome covers their table and perimeters around them.

"A spy-sealer disc from Altena," Hermes informs with a smile, "Costs a fortune, but when you talk about someone like Olal in the open, magic items like this become a necessity."

"Which we wouldn't have used if you didn't accept Olal's deal!" Asfi finally speaks up with a frown. Her sidelong gaze makes Hermes shrug, "A deal is a deal, right? That in itself is not an evil thing to do."

"So, that's what we should do, you think?" Lili stares at Hermes, "Make a deal with someone who brought this problem to Orario?"

"If you want information on Olal, yes," Asfi replies instead of Hermes, who enters into a staring contest with Jackal.

Lili sinks in silence as Jackal starts tapping the table.

"Did he truly come here because of Soma Familia's defeat?" Jackal questions.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Hermes chuckles.

"I met him outside Hephaestus's Office. I didn't think much at the time, but I feel he has other business he is here to attend to. And I don't think he'll be here for long. He killed a Guild's prisoner. The Guild will issue a quest to drive Olal out sooner or later." Jackal leans back on his chair and ponders aloud, "I suppose I can quicken the process by greasing a few hands in the Guild. But I really don't want to make my store some joint fucking venture."

Since he's living a pretty 'Solo' life when it comes to his objectives, why should his store be any different? He didn't dream of running a store that any dick in the city could bully.

No.

He's all the bullies this city will ever need!

Jackal leans against the table, exhaling loudly before smiling broadly, "Let's hear it."

"Hmm, very well." Hermes tips his hat for a moment before chuckling. "As you can expect, Butterfree Era for my children, all of them."

"What?" Lili hisses.

"And?" Jackal waves past her and wags his brows in question.

"I understand you bring a new product with every monster you kill—quite a terrifying skill, if you ask me. But ludicrously luxurious, too. Did you not reach the end of the upper floors? I would like to enter into a contract for more materials as I see fit. We'll pay, of course. But at a discount of 30%."

The same discount they have with Soma—Jackal and Lili think simultaneously.

Jackal shakes his head.

"Not enough."

"What?" Asfi questions.

"I'm saying that price is much too pricey for a dead man," Jackal lets out a bark of laughter while staring at Hermes, "Go on, sweeten the pot for me, will you?"

Hermes blinks and then purses his lips with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You cannot kill Olal."

"Oh, I will," Jackal retorts with a shrug. "So, what is it going to be? Are you going to make a deal in good faith, or did you waste this Spy-Stealer Disc for nothing?"

Hermes shoots Asfi a glance, "And you thought we should make amends for our mistakes. How is it not the same thing as Olal."

"Deal or no deal?" Jackal cuts in.

"What do you have in mind?" Hermes sighs.

"Her," Jackal looks at Asfi unflinchingly. "I want to hire her to protect Maria's Orphanage as long as Olal breathes in Orario."

Asfi frowns.

"Deal!" Hermes grins.

"Wait a minute!" The Captain softly hisses as she smacks the table, "I didn't agree to any of it!" She doesn't hear Hermes retorts, knowing him all too well for that, and stares at Jackal, "I empathize with your situation."

"My situation?" Jackal stares at her calmly, "Let me clear your situation for once. In this plane, gods and goddesses mean squat until they have a strong familia captain. They are forced to work jobs and sometimes live on handouts! So anything Hermes does, he does by using your strength as his confidence. Anything happens to Maria or her children, and I mean her children living on their own, too, I'll make it my mission to have my hands rip Hermes apart starting from his mouth AFTER I deal with you and your half-assed empathy."

Anya stops scoffing at her food for once. Instead of her usual fright, she mewls at Asfi before letting out a soft cough that sounds more like a scoff to human ears.

"I'm sure things will not go that bad if we all work together, right?" Hermes smiles calmly.

"You lack the necessary skillset to request assistance, do you not?" Asfi interjects and stares at Jackal in a hostile manner.

"Request? I'm paying your Familia for the service you render," Jackal smirks.

Asfi frowns and looks at Hermes with accusation clear in her gaze.

"I will only look over Maria's Orphanage and the children she cares for presently."

"I think she cares for all her children."

"Physically." Asfi and Jackal stare at each other before he nods.

"Fine," he accepts with a cold smirk, "I'll deal with the rest of them."

"What?" Lili stares at Jackal inquisitively while Hermes clears his throat.

"If I may, I think I understand what my dear friend is trying to imply."

Jackal scoffs at his words while Hermes smiles at Lili, "With Asfi taking care of Maria, of course, me included, since the poor old I will have to live close by, Jackal is free to take care of those who can harm your friends in the Dungeon—the adventurers, or in this case, Familias itself."

"Which is crazy because the Guild will not stand for such acts constantly." Asfi completes and stares at Jackal with dissatisfaction clear in her gaze, possibly due to their previous conversation.

"Don't bunch your panties over simple things," Jackal snorts at her, unwilling to give her any form of respect for the trouble she and her Deity has brought on to Maria and Takemikazuchi especially.

"What?" Asfi flares up.

"I said," Jackal raises an eyebrow while Hermes and Lili think the same thing simultaneously.

'He is going to say it, isn't he?'

"Don't bunch your tidy whities over nothing."

Asfi falls into a daze before clenching her fist. If looks could kill, Jackal would lose a few limbs at the very least.

"Do not try my patience, Jackal." She warns stoically.

"Hmm, 'kay. Now, can we continue this discussion? What I do is none of your business. All you have to do is make sure nothing happens to Maria's Orphanage."

Asfi huffs at that while Hermes sighs softly, "Well, Olal is an interesting topic."

---

"Ottar."

'There it is again,' Ottar calmly thinks as he watches his Goddess sip one of Soma's rare divine brews without showing anything on her face but curiosity. 'Every time she has this tone…'

"Wouldn't it be great if we could just destroy the No God's Land?"

"We cannot, Lady Freya," replies Ottar. "You were the one who stopped us from killing Olal the first time he disrespected you."

"I did not say we should. I asked wouldn't it be great?" Freya sighs before taking another long sip of her wine, whose scent fails to make Ottar any different than he usually is.

She doesn't question Ottar anymore. Instead, she starts musing while letting herself get drunk ever so slightly.

"Olal Shen, a soul filled with malice so abundant that his very soul is a sight of disgust and venom," her scowl fails to mark her beauty in any imperfection. The sight of her disgust would drive other men and women to eradicate its very source. But she can easily imagine a few men and women who won't be affected by such 'measly' looks.

"It is correct. We cannot kill Olal. Well, we cannot kill him without offending whom he represents. And they might be weaker than our Familia in this plane, but he is still too troublesome. Not even some deities from the Far East or Kali, for that matter, are so troublesome." Freya's shoulders slump as she recalls the monstrosities who willingly entered the No God's Land because it looked 'fun' to them.

"Hmm, maybe I should kidnap everyone and escape from Orario~!" She musters in a slightly giddy tone.

"Lady Freya."

"I know, Ottar," she sighs and drawls lazily, "I have to stay here, caged against my will by my very children."

"That is not what I meant," Ottar lowers his head and speaks softly.

"Are you saying I am wrong, Ottar?"

"I'm saying you're drunk, Lady Freya."

"How can't I calm my nerves when my Odr is out there worrying for the safety of so many people," Freya retains her calm and sighs again, "I just feel so helpless. Ottar, go. Protect everyone for me, will you?"

She looks back slightly, revealing her hazily glowing silver-lilac eyes as she whispers seductively, "Won't you?"

"If you wish so, Lady Freya."

"Speak your mind, Ottar."

Ottar looks up at her, matching her gaze with ease before admitting, "I will end up thinking low of Jackal if I, or anyone from the Freya Familia, has to assist him in dealing with the consequences of his actions. Men have been tempered by losses and victories since ages ago. While Jackal has proven himself more than capable, not as an adventurer, but as a man, it is simply a never-ending struggle. As your Odr, I expect him to be a man who doesn't lose himself in this struggle. And from what you have spoken of him, Lady Freya, Jackal would not appreciate a savior swooping in and helping him out of his mess."

Freya admits that Ottar knows a few things about men, their primal urges, more than she can ever get a grasp on. Men can be surprisingly simple yet complicated to be fully appreciated.

But Freya cares little for Ottar's expertise on his gender.

"My Odr doesn't lose? What notion is that? Everyone loses, even deities. We are not free from the nature of life itself because we, too, have a form. I don't care if he appreciates it or not. He must live!"

Ottar stares at Freya with confusion.

"I'm sorry, Lady Freya. You told me that if he dies, you will follow his soul and make it yours. I did not want to ruin his soul by helping him, as you would say, usually."

Freya frowns to herself before looking at her glass.

Setting it aside, Freya regains her calm.

"You're right, Ottar," she stares beyond the glass wall. Her voice returns to its sweet tone as she chuckles gently, "I would like to be left alone now. This chat has been the most productive."

Yet, as Ottar silently leaves, Freya's gaze reveals her confusion and deeply sated conflict.

---

"Was that it?" Jackal rolls his eyes, "That was the most unimportant shit I heard!"

Hermes' eyes widen as he defends the honor of his information, too, "I spoke of his supposed allies beyond Orario and the few Dark Familia in contact with him within Orario. Not to mention, I told you his main line of business—finding talented adventurers for the right Familia and forming connections. Similar to how he employed Zanis within the Soma Familia and earned a fortune by the cut he got from Zanis as he sold Soma's Wine! How is any of that unimportant?"

"It's not good enough!" Jackal frowns and crosses his arms.

"It should be!"

"No!"

"Well, what else do you want to know in this situation?"

"His past. Where did he come from? What the fuck is his favorite food? Which woman does he sleep with within the Ishtar Familia? Stuff like that!"

"Ah," Hermes shakes his head as Lili's and Asfi's expressions darkened. "His origins are not known to me. I tried and failed, but only one deity knows everything about him, and I told you about the said deity. He eats all kinds of things, but his favorite is anything with lots of chilies. And I don't believe he is sleeping with anyone in Orario. Not even Ishtar can charm him."

Jackal frowns before grumbling under his breath.

"Fine, we're done then. I expect you two to hurry away to Maria's Orphanage."

"What are you going to do?" Asfi questions.

"Did you two read what letters Maria got?"

Lili recalls the contents of the letters and shudders with rage, while Hermes and Asfi frown, too. In Hermes's humble opinion, the contents of the letters were a tad bit too indulging.

"We did," Asfi nods softly.

"I'm going to do just that," Jackal mutters calmly.

"Jackal-sama! Some Familia have Level 5 adventurers!" Lili shakes her head, "You absolutely cannot turn the situation worse. You promised Maria-san!"

"I promised her everything would be alright. I also promised I'd handle the guild. I intend to do just that, among other things. Don't worry. I'll first find protection for myself before doing anything stupid."

"So, it is a stupid venture nonetheless," Asfi scoffs.

"Now, now. A man's adventure is often considered stupid at first," Hermes chuckles, "May I know your supposed protection? I could refer a better one if possible."

Jackal stares at the duo before shaking his head, "I don't know if… ehm, that person will agree. I'll have to lay my charms."

"Ruff!" Loid barks a snort.

"I have charm, alright, you punk," Jackal snorts in return.

***

Alternate Title: Jackal Woos to The Loveliest Maiden; The Lazy Daughters; Mia's Advice; Finally Free to Chat; A Deal; A Contract Loki Wishes; The New Escort; Does Asfi Wears Tidy Whities?; Anya Pets Anya, But it's not the Anya that Pats Anya; A Drunk Goddess? A Conflicted Goddess?; Ottar Knows More About Men? *Among Us Theme*; Jackal's Opposing Force; Olal Loves the Spices; Stack of Prophecizing Letters; The Menace to the Society is at it Again; Finding a Protector; Jackal Has Charm… Loud Disagrees; The Ninja Canine's Astute Observation? Freya Disagrees

***

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