Uniform

"Man~ That sure got my blood pumping!"

In a new outfit, wielding new axes, 30 of them this time packed into his Frog Wallet, Jackal laughs as he and his trusted side-kick, 'Pallum-girl' dives into the dungeon again. It's only been 3 hours since they defeated the monster party and returned to the surface to regain their bearings.

He'd been injured. His flesh was torn in various locations but... he killed a lot. And as a result, a stream of warm energy continued to fuel his veins with power, resulting in each strike of his being more powerful than the last one. And of course, as Lili showered while raising a ruckus, she more than outright bawled when seeing Jackal ready for the trip again.

'Fuck my life...' she curses crudely in a rare moment of her life. She always had a potential of a mouth that would make sailors blush but... she chooses to be better.

Watching his broad gait and happy hums, Lili wondered... if she should have taken Loki's offer or not. But then again...

'Why would I be in another Pallum's harem if I can be in— No! No way! Lili is all Jackal-sama needs. He can prowl my dungeon... and... get down again, and then again... and then again... wait... does he even tire?' Lili pales slightly. 'Is he... also that crazy and rough?" She chews her lips in genuine worry.

"Lili?" Jackal looks back with a grin, "Wanna try the 8th floor today, too?"

"Absolutely not!" Lili hisses at once. She shall stay by his side from now on, hopefully on the weekends and then some more. The sight of him posting the pike-leg limbs of the ants through their eyes with a gleeful expression as if he wasn't experiencing a near-death situation truly shook her.

"Jackal-sama, we almost died!" She admonishes softly. Her respect for him stems from many other qualities besides his strength. So, naturally, she does not want him to throw his life away.

"Almost died... huh," Jackal muses. Death lost its 'wow' factor to Jackal after he experienced it once.

"I think we lived that situation well. We used everything to be used and gave it all. You didn't think the dungeon is a kind uncle to us, right... well, given how set it is on backstabbing us with monsters coming out in surprise... the Dungeon may be our creepy uncle."

"Lili doesn't understand."

"You're lucky then," Jackal snickers, "Let's pick our pace. Even if we stay above the 7th floor, I want to try and find a Blue Papilio."

She sighs and nods.

'If only I had a God that updated my status regularly... I could have been the slightest bit more useful.'

Meanwhile, Jackal silently reflects on the event. His cheery demeanor aside, that shit was dangerous. A part of him admits that he was being reckless but the other part of him is clear. Had he tucked his tail in even the slightest bit, their chances of survival may have fallen deeply and...

'Adrenaline potions came in a clutch,' Jackal sighs. That potion was the source of his wildness. Yes, he is naturally wild but even he would have fallen after the first hour of the battle with wounds crisscrossing his body. And he couldn't risk a berserk potion with Lili around so Adrenaline one was simply perfect for him.

All that aside, just one monster party of equally tough monsters also made it clear that while going 'Solo' is possible, he'd be doing himself no favors.

His strength accumulates from killing, not by being foolhardy. With valuable allies around, he can train better. He can focus on different parts of his techniques and challenge different aspects of himself against monsters.

But who is a valuable ally?

Someone he can trust. Not someone strong.

Like Lili.

'So... how do I make my trusted ones stronger relative to others? They need to be able to protect themselves in the direst circumstance just enough to escape. I... I should be able to deal with the rest. Nay, I want to deal with the rest on my own.'

'Even famous adventurers far stronger than me like Finn and Gareth have supporters and a team. My trait alone doesn't make me better because they have Falna, too. My trait only removes the need for a Goddess from the equation, not the process itself.'

'New teammates, huh... I could employ them in my shop and heh... chat with Maria and stuff~!' Adorning a sly grin, Jackal continues to walk ahead while Lili feels a shiver run down her spine.

"Lili... aside from that crossbow, are you interested in other professions or weapons?" Jackal queries as she lets out a thoughtful hum.

"The Braver uses his spear to cover the lack of pallum's reach. Lili once thought of that, too. But..." Scratching her cheek awkwardly, "That was dangerous. So, Lili switched to the crossbow and practiced aiming."

"Yeah, you really have a nice aim when you don't panic," Jackal nods, "But I mean more physically exerting interests. Even though you cannot get your Falna updated, nobody can stop you from growing, right?

As far as I know, weaker men and women gain more excelia by challenging those stronger than them. Even if you don't update, by accumulating for months, if not years, you can have a massive jump in your basic abilities."

Lili listens silently and soaks this knowledge in. Unlike Jackal who used to advise other adventurers on the same things he often ignores, Lili has more grounded experience in all this which did not leave her much to focus on lofty ideals.

"But... wouldn't that be a waste of time if Lili never got her status updated?" She poses, "If Jackal-sama thinks I'm useless, Lili can learn to cook better and help you with your bentos!"

"I didn't say you were useless," Jackal smiles, "I'm saying you can diversify your skillset and improve. You just can't get a status update, that's all. Your other technical skills shouldn't be affected by this. For instance, you could try using two crossbows on both your arms. Well... you don't have to do that exactly. But you get the point."

Lili nods seriously, "Jackal-sama is implying... Lili can make use of wasted time to train more."

"Among various other things," he nods without looking back, "But as always, improvement doesn't come easy. I barely feel adequate with ax not too long ago and that, too, by spending hours in the dungeon and just learning from mistakes I make from my swings which results in the monsters attacking me."

Lili witnessed it firsthand today so she really doesn't know what she should say.

'Hmm crossbows... crossbows... hmm, that should work, right?' Jackal ponders quietly, 'And it should help Lili with supporting me more. Increasing the quality of one's arsenal, is, after all, a proper method, too.'

'But... fuck man... higher ranked blacksmith really wouldn't give me a time of their day. Dwarven wenches bless Gareth's soul for letting me meet Tsubaki even if for a short while.'

"Lili, whenever you practice your marksmanship from now on, if I'm available, do call for me. I want to get better at throwing axes, too," Jackal smiles at the girl while briefly looking back as she sports a huge smile and nods.

---

It seems that surviving one disaster would often lead to another opportunity. This morning had been shitty... well, for Lili. Honestly, Jackal would feel like shit, too, if he put in all that work and got nothing in return but after feeding on many, many Killer ants that, individually, were weaker than him save for their carapace, Jackal also encountered their fated monster by the end of the day.

Supporting seven war shadows as they are promptly cut down, Jackal lays his gaze claim upon the price in the form of a four-winged blue butterfly monster!

Like Jack Bird, this monster is well-known for its gimmick— healing. In return, the monster does not attack any adventurer. One swift cleave and the monster was his to claim.

'And finally, a good potion that can be marketed at a lower price that should affect most.'

After all, the potioneers of Orario did not just use the drop item of Blue Papilio alone. They have their own recipe to draw such might and heal the mind and the body separately.

But it matters not. Jackal has completed his roster for newbie monsters.

This day couldn't be more successful. So, fully satisfied and not the least bit eager to unnecessarily push his luck, Jackal takes Lili out. They planned to clean up briefly and then visit Ariana's Strings.

Since Lili did not want to risk getting identified, the duo did not stop to cash in her share of magic stones. As for Jackal?

He may have strongly implied that his products are sourced from said magic stones so there is no need to sell them to the guild.

Honestly, he is just trying to avoid the guild. Sure, there is the golden rule of registering oneself with the guild and gaining the benefit of a dungeon advisor early on which can save one's life... rarely, but to Jackal, it is more of a hassle. He has only registered himself as a level 1 Adventurer and in the name of Familia and, he plainly wrote— Familia Secret.

If anyone has a problem with that, they can find him in his store.

He is already riding the no familia life... he would love to see it through.

After getting out of their grimy outfits, the duo quickly change into something much more comfortable and set out once again. The night is still young, after all!

---

Eight Main Streets divide the city into eight slices of pizza. Jackal's house is closer to the North-West Main, the duo chooses to walk and sightsee the various stores along the main street.

With the western side of Orario having the Guild's Pantheon where the adventurers can exchange their magic stones, the North-West, West, and South-West Main Streets are often filled with adventurers. Thus, there are many stores aside from pubs that attract adventurers.

Standing in front of a crimson store that set itself above the masses, Jackal quietly observes a pitch-black ax with a razor-green edge as large as Lili being displayed through the windowpane.

An ax that is worth millions. 30 Million, to be exact. An amount Jackal could not squander just yet.

"Jackal-sama, why don't you also buy a better ax?" Lili questions.

"I will, later," Jackal sighs while standing in front of Hephaestus Familia"s main store. "For now, my axes can handle the monsters we're facing, and a cheaper ax encourages me to make my combat experience rich. Better equipment looks cool but... I gotta have the practice and technique first."

He smiles and wonders aloud, "But I want to try and get the kids to have a crash course to adventuring from this or Goibniu Familia."

He meant every word he said to Maria. While it would be a sad day if any of the kids died in the dungeon, at the very least, they should know the true dangers beforehand. Heck, Jackal himself would help them dungeon dive earlier levels and let them accumulate some experience.

After all, to him, helping others is a simple matter and if something simple from him can save the lives of those who he cares for, even remotely so, he will take the task happily.

Recalling Maria's dilemma, Lili puffs out her cheeks, "Lili still can't believe those kids are so ungrateful! Hmph!"

"They're kids, you know," Jackal chuckles as they begin to move again. Just like Jackal, many, many adventurers like to admire the handicraft of the blacksmiths and daydream in front of their stores.

"Lili would never act so ungrateful even if I were a kid!" She speaks with a disapproving glare only for Jackal's larger hand to fall on top of her head as her frown instantly turns upside down.

"Believe me, Maria wishes you acted a bit bratty. She just won't believe me how much of a brat you are when it's just the two of us!" He snickers.

"Jackal-sama... you're only 2 years older than Lili... aren't you a brat, too?"

"A brat who feeds a dozen mouths is no brat. He's a prophecized Hero of Bento."

Lili smirks and scoffs under her breath before hugging his arm and leaning a bit of her weight upon him as they walked. Her hood makes it harder for others to see her face since she kept her head a bit lowered but Jackal would like to imagine that Lili is smiling right now. Hopefully, a wide smile.

The duo eventually makes a turn to the West Main and locates Ariana's Strings. The proprietress, Ariana, raises an eyebrow at their arrival. She is a woman well beyond her prime with her long blonde hair tied into an elaborate bun and her plump physique proudly displayed through her form-fitting green dress with golden frills that match her golden bangles and earrings.

"Hey, Ariana!"

"Good evening, Ariana-sama," Lili greets, too.

Smiling at the duo as the scent of processed fabric and scented incense lick their senses, Ariana greets them with a professional smile, "Good evening, Dearies. I am glad you made it before I closed the store for the day."

She walks out from behind her sewing table. The store is mainly comprised of Ariana and her apprentices with their sewing tables acting as personal work fronts. The material chosen for the outfit is further along the back.

As she leads them, Ariana supplants what she has been doing for their order, "After the initial design, I had a burst of enlightenment. I dreamt of a pure black cat with strands of dark pink fur and a fluff of inner ear fur in a dark pink shade, too. I'd say the cute kitty's sweetest features were her silver eyes. Ah, enchanted with just a dream and remembering how your design shifted to darker tones, I took the liberty of tweaking your initial design."

Well aware of what might be brewing in their minds, Ariana looks back with an impish smirk, "Fret not, dearies, if you don't like it, I'll have your initial design prepared by tomorrow but the artist in me could not help but present what I imagined to you two. And, as you wanted, Jackal, I folded more cloth into your outfit and stitched them off to be later opened up once you hit your..."

She looks at him observantly, "Growth spurt."

"Thanks," Jackal grins. As one might expect, trying to find an excellent uniform is hard be it the craft needed or the material required. So, unwilling to waste more and more money as Death Eater raises his growth, Jackal demanded more cloth be folded in so that the uniform may last a bit longer.

Meanwhile, Ariana gives Lili a disapproving stare, "Customer demands are my motto so even if I tweaked the design, I did add your request for a cutout for a tail-like appendage... but I do hope you don't ruin this masterpiece with a prop."

Lili nods quietly. Like Jackal, she had made a request, too.

Still, Ariana stops in front of two covered mannequins, and with a hearty smile, she pulls the drape away.

Jackal's eyes cannot help but sparkle. Sure... the color palette has shifted from his intended dark navy outfit but the base of the design remains true.

"Jackal-sama..." Lili whispers hesitatingly, "Umm... that's a little embarrassing, no?"

"Well, you'd look VERY cute in it," Jackal speaks and focuses on her uniform. He doesn't look at her but his words pull a heavy blush on her face as her toes curl within her boots.

"Thank you," Jackal looks at Ariana, "I should thank your dream, too... the dark pink would look slightly awkward but..."

"Nonsense," Ariana grins, "I think it's a pallet made for you! The colors would look great and your design by itself wasn't bad at all. Ah, and if you need some more adjustment after trying these outfits at home, don't feel shy. I give my customers seven days for free adjustments."

Jackal nods and then Ariana gives a toothy grin, "Right, let's talk payment... and the need for another set of outfits. You two can't wear the same thing every day now, can you?"

Jackal groans under his breath.

This is going to be fucking expensive.

After a while, sporting blank looks, Jackal and Lili walk out of the store with a much more radiant Ariana bidding them farewell.

"Well, Dearies~ Thank you for the contract. I'll make every one of your employees look stunning~!"

Jackal waves at her quietly. The woman sucked him for all he could afford. Contract, material deals, and whatnot...

'I need to learn from her, in fact,' Jackal sighs and regains his smile as he looks at Lili, "At least we got matching uniforms now. Our store's popularity is gonna shoot through the sky!"

"But... Jackal-sama, Lili still cannot show her face..." She lowers her head guiltily.

Jackal laughs at this, "I was talking about myself!"

"Hah? No! Lili forbids you tempting harlots with our matching uniform!" Lili hisses and grabs onto his arm, "You, of all, must be careful! Men desiring harem are too easily manipulated!"

"Hmm," working his jaws as he holds the cloth bag containing their uniform, Jackal scoffs, "No way! That's how you attract customers!"

"Jackal-sama!" Lili groans and presses her body closer, "There are other ways to sell!"

"You just disappointed Ishtar!"

"Lili doesn't care!"

"Huff..." exhaling lightly, Jackal stops in front of the Hostess of Fertility, "Should we stop by? I'm kind of interested in the surprise you have planned for me."

Lili gulps and then smiles, "Let's enter... Alcohol would help..."

"Ho? Now I'm even more interested," Jackal snickers and enters the boisterous pub. The sight of him makes a very energetic brown-haired cat girl call out loudly, "Table for two, Nyan!" Her brown, feline tail with cream-furred rings at the end swishes behind her in her perpetual bubbly nature, "Ah, you're Syr's cyastomers! Daddy-chyan and Oshiri-chyan! Come, nya!"

Lili deadpans slightly while Jackal's grin brightens. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Mia scoffing. Ever since Jackal proclaimed his 'love' for Mia in a drunken stupor, mischievous waitresses like the Cat Girl in front of him, Anya, take every chance to tease Mia at the risk of getting a beating.

On the other hand... Lili's passionate speech about toned ass immortalized her in the pub as Oshiri.

"Oh, what's in your hands nyan? A gift? For Mama?" Anya grins with her serving tray pressed against her body as she leans forward to peer into the cloth bag curiously.

"Well, I'll be dressing up so yeah, a good gift to Mia-chan's eyes," Jackal sniffs and points out haughtily when a Syr walks upto them with a calm smile, "Anya-chan, you shouldn't make Mama more annoyed than she already is. And of course," with a hint of mischief, Syr, too, smirks as she holds Jackal's hand that is around the cloth bag and drags him away, "I have a special seat for special guests~!"

Soon, Lili and Jackal face a towering and annoyed Mia who practically slams down the two mugs of ale from behind the counter.

"You've caused me a damn of mental distress kid," Mia starts with an annoyed huff as she shoots Syr, Anya, and the other two waitresses except for the elven one a glare. This causes them to shiver ever so slightly and get back to their work but the odd joy in their gazes is hard to recede.

"Well..." musing while touching his chin, Jackal comments, "A father likes to make—"

A shiver runs down his spine, too, as he looks up and finds Mia grinning at him. And boy, Lili recalls the same grin on Jackal's when he was butchering ants this morning.

"I was saying," Jackal grins, too, not really intimidated, "One has to be strict and the other one has to be the fun one, right?"

Mia's grin widens.

"You don't scare easy, do ya? An admirable quality but..." she picks up Jackal from the back of his neck as the pub quietens down. Lili gulps... a mouthful of ale with interest. Jackal really brought this upon himself.

"You wanna be a parent, dearie?" Mia smiles and leans down at Jackal, "Then do your duties!"

With that, Jackal is tossed back into the kitchen, "You'll be doing the dishes tonight!"

"Pfft, hahahahahaha!" Everyone laughs and cheers the next instant while Mia calmly dusts her hand and shoots Lili a look, "Any problem, chibi?"

"None, Mama-san," Lili shrugs.

"Good, now eat up! You need more food for a fat ass!"

"Ughkh!" Lili, too, is not safe from Mia.

---

May wishes to cry. Nay... she might just cry. Should she cry? No. Will she cry? Probably. That stare is intense. Scorching even. His glare notes every bit of her movement. Every time she adds spices to the food, he would sniff heavily. Every time she stir fries something, he would click his tongue in annoyance.

'Am I doing something wrong? Wait, does he not like my food... I thought Daddy liked eating here?' She gulps. Her light brown feline tail drops a bit and her furry ears under her red hat fold into themselves.

"Don't scare May, you idiot!" A tough knock on the forehead snaps Jackal's face down as he continues to wash the dishes and scowls, "Scare her? She's the best damn cook! I'm just seeing what she's doing right and what I'm not! Brawny Hands!"

May's tears evaporate before they can pour as she blinks, 'Oh, so he's just jealous. Huff, almost had me scared... oh, well, lalala~!' And just like that, the fabled cook of the pub, Catgirl May, puts this behind her cheerily and continues to cook.

But unlike the majority of catgirls who possess such a nature... Lunoire Faust is a human. And now, she is annoyed.

Her brown eyes snap wide open as she hisses, "Who are you calling Brawny Hands you moron! My hands are normal!"

Jackal gives the brown-haired girl a look. A beauty she may be but Jackal is the one with a mouth that sings praise only for Mia! Sneering, Jackal points out, "They're brawny as fuck, Lunoire!"

As she raises her fist, which is well within her rights as she is... significantly stronger than him just like every other waitress, Jackal points out, "But don't worry. I like brawny. You think I'd let any woman touch me as Mia does?"

The medium-length lemon-haired elf who just entered the kitchen freezes while Lunoir bites her lips and laughs under her breath.

"You want your punishment extended?" May call out fearfully.

"My dear rival, if it's Mia, why not?" Jackal grins.

"Rival?" May squeaks in shock while Lunoire picks up the prepared food and on the passing rubs the spot on Jackal's head where she hit him, "I hope it doesn't hurt much."

Jackal grins at her and shakes his head before looking at May, "Of course, you're my rival! I'm going to surpass your cooking one day! But until then... I'll learn from you and copy your techniques!"

"I don't mind it!" May smiles broadly before revealing a depressed look, "At least... that would relieve some burden..."

'Ah, classic. Overworked catgirls.' Jackal shrugs while the elf glances at the duo and speaks up, "Please don't think Mama is trying to hurt you."

The seriousness in the elf's gaze, Ryuu, makes Jackal chuckle, "Even if she did, who cares? I take my shots and bear with whatever comes from my actions. It's only fair."

Ryuu considers this thoughtfully, her sky-blue eyes regard him with a silent smile in her gaze, "Syr was right. You have a deep knowledge of life and its wonders."

"Huh? I wouldn't consider sex education all-encompassing but whatever you say?" He shrugs and continues to wash the dishes with a soft hum. Meanwhile, Ryuu's gaze fixes on him in shock and her lips part open slightly.

"Table eleven's order still not ready?" Mia's loud voice booms, pulling Ryuu out of her thoughts as she lowers her head quietly and brings the food out.

"May, why do you lower the heat of the stove right before adding valley oil?"

"Oh, that's because valley oil is very, very haughty! It needs to be soothed into cooking!"

"And those bell pepper clumps? Why not chop them instead of smashing them in first?"

"Hmm, that's because they need their juices to lace their peels! They love a bath before getting cooked."

As Jackal continues to question May, a dark-haired cat girl with a significantly different demeanor than Anya and May walks in. Her looks are sharper and more refined. Her black furry ears look straighter and more pointed. Her black hair swings behind her in slight excitement.

Oh, Chloe has so much she wants to tease Jackal and Mia with. Such opportunities are rare... and Chloe knows that no opportunity should be squandered for the killing!

Yet, her green eyes dim ever so slightly.

"No, no! When you cook a chicken wing in blood almond sauce, you need to add cream first and chicken later! It's the only way to make the chicken like blood!"

'May... and her description of cooking... he's never gonna return, is he?' Chloe sighs. If only learning from May was that easy they WOULD help her with her workload...

But... Chloe gets even more depressed.

"Oh, I get it. Cream of cows makes the chicken recall their time on the poultry farm with other animals!" Jackal nods with a look of sheer understanding as he wipes the wet plates with a clean towel.

'He understands her... of course, he does. Why shouldn't the world empathize with the discussion of chicken being cooked while thinking of cows...'

She chooses to remain silent. Her emerald orbs were now laced with fear of what two people of such distinct and godly understanding may cook... or at least, think while cooking.

After a while, Syr enters the kitchen and relays the orders of the customers to May who nods eagerly and gets to work. Meanwhile, setting her apron aside, Syr sits up on the counter next to Jackal and smiles, "So? Daddy, enjoying your chores?"

"Well," Jackal muses, "I was hoping to have a better alias like Father... Daddy sounds only right from Mia's mouth."

Syr scoffs a giggle, "I knew you might be visiting the dungeon all day again so I swung by Maria-san's place. Maybe, I will take the duty on the weekends while you soldier through the weekdays."

"Thanks," Jackal grins, "Oh, and sorry I couldn't make time for you today. I'll be taking it slowly tomorrow so... tomorrow morning? Are you free then?"

Adopting a ponderous look, Syr looks up and hums loudly, "I don't know.... tomorrow morning... hmm, after a visit to Maria-san? But, I also wanted to help Maria-san with you. I'm sure you are good with children."

"Oh, you're sure?" Jackal smiles, almost finishing the dishes when Lunoire bursts in and brings a serving of dirty dishes.

"Here you go~ Keep at it, keep at it! You're helping Ryuu a lot by doing this many dishes!" She giggles and dumps them in front of her before walking out with a skip of her brown boots.

"Any reason why you're taking slow tomorrow, Jackal?" Syr smiles knowingly, "Did you have something better to do?"

"Well," Jackal smiles in contentment, "We just got our own uniform. I wanted to show it off to Miach, Eina, and others."

"Not Mama?" Syr hums, "Or... us?"

"How should I put it... Mia is very strong you know? One look at me in my uniform and she'll fall over for me! That's too dangerous! What if she bursts into my house the same night and tries to ravage me by doing unspeakable things to my—"

"You two damn brats better stop yapping and start working!" Mia's loud berate resounds as Jackal and Syr grin at each other mischievously.

"I'm sure you'd look good," Syr bounces down the counters and waves at him, "I look forward to tomorrow. If you would, 11 a.m., right here~!"

***

Alternate Title: Gonna Kill 'Em All, Dungeon Mons!; An Artistic Dream; Daddy's Home; Oshiri-chan; Lili's Path to a Fat Ass Starts Here!; Ariana's Gonna Suck it All; The Chore Daddy!; The Language of Gods; Only Mia Touches Jackal in a Special Way!

***

May

Anya Fromel

Chloe Rollo

Lunoire Faust

***

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