Story 13 Paladin of Shadows Chapter 8

Epsilon The Precise. That was her epithet and name within Shadow Garden, as Epsilon was the most technically skilled fighter and magic user within Shadow Garden. Not that she was the strongest or anything...

No she was actually quite weak in all other aspects and instead used her talents for espionage and assassination as she had three preferred weapons. First was forming the typical Shadow Garden long sword from her slime outfit, secondly making slime razor wires she could whip around with her fingers having the ends of the wires, and lastly she earned her name as the Precise via her mastery with an oversized scythe.

As it was certainly something to see her twirl the massive hunk of 'metal' around her body only for the tip of the scythe to slam home into the flesh of a monster and part its flesh and bones like they weren't even there.

But Epsilon was being smart, she knew I wasn't exactly combat trained or having any real experience beyond beating my cousins and the local friends in my neighborhood as we ran into the woods to pick up some nice sticks to wack each other with. So she allowed me to fight the majority of the monsters. 

And Eta and the rest of the girls were right. A good machete was the best thing I could hope for as a weapon. As there was no great skill involved in slamming home a thick metal blade into some screaming goblins skull and then wrenching it out to do it again to another charging green menace.

Each goblin wasn't that strong honestly, they were a good four feet tall and armed with some nasty-looking claws but that was about it. Alpha had the right of things, so long as I didn't allow the goblins to like, tear out my throat. There really wasn't anything they could do while Epsilion gracefully cut down all the goblins so I never had to deal with more than three at a time.

I shook my hand a bit as one of the goblins clawed my hand as I slashed them with my machete and I grimaced at the deep stinging pain as blood welled up from the wound with Episilion making a 'tsk' noise and then a blur of purple strands were sent out.

And the ten lines of razor wires from each finger sliced through the two goblins I was fighting with the wires slicing through the walls of the dungeon making it groan as the stone walls were partially shattered meaning the dungeon would need to repair the walls before more monsters could be summoned.

"Let me heal my hand. I finally get to try my spell I guess." I said with a wry smile.

Even as I chanted though, I could hear Epsilon gently but firmly telling me. "Although having a healing spell is very useful, it is better to consider yourself to not have it. As who knows if someone could have some kind of cursed tool that can prevent magic or otherwise prevent magical healing."

[In the echoes of the ancient lore, Restore, renew, Forevermore, By the Vanir, by the Sacred Tree, Healing now!] And from my body came a pulse of gentle amber-golden light that washed over my form and even over to Epislion making her raise an eyebrow as the light washed over her.

And as the light faded I raised an eyebrow as the wound closed with the flesh being rather pink and raw. With it also being a bit tender and sore... But for a mana cost of like a fifth of my total mana when to heal such a wound that would make wielding my blade a lot more difficult. It was totally worth it.

"I will be careful and won't rely on it as a crutch," I answered firmly. I was more than aware that using enhanced healing was a good way to get fucked over... And Danmachi literally did have cursed weapons even if they were rather uncommon.

So it was better to just not get in the habit.

Either way Epsilion smiled and said with her more casual and confident, but still kind tone of voice. "Well lets keep going, you said you wanted to kill twenty to thirty of the goblins and kobolds right?" 

I nodded as I flexed my hand to make sure it was alright to be swinging and seeing it was fine I answered with some excitement. "Alright yeah let's keep going. Hell, let me try to deal with four this time." 

And for a moment there was silence as I walked with the beautiful light blue-haired elf and then she finally said. "Alright, we can give it a try." 

'She is going to be watching me like a hawk.' I thought wryly as Epislion refused to make eye contact as I looked to the side at her with her stubbornly looking at the dungeon wall as though inspecting it to make sure the dungeon wasn't going to spawn a horde on us or something.

And unbidden another thought struck me as we turned a corner and the surprised yelps of a half dozen kobolds which were humanoids with mangy wolf-like heads atop their shoulders.

'I hope I am still getting good Excellia with Epsilion acting as my safety blanket like this.' I thought. But after that thought I heard Epsilion speak quickly as though hearing my thoughts. "You are right Jake, I am watching you too closely, go and fight. I won't interfere at all, unless you get gravely injured!"

Before I could give the traitorous flat-chested elf an incredulous look or more verbally bitch about her decision, I didn't have a choice but to shut up and concentrate. As the six Kobolds fell upon howling with bloodlust as the dungeon-fueled bloodlust made them aim to tear me apart!

One died instantly as I slammed the machete home into it's skull and even as I felt my wrist pop as I ripped it out I felt one of the kobolds that came up to my chest in height slam home in a tackle around my waist and I felt a fiery agony as the wolf head atop the humanoid body bit into my softer stomach area.

But I couldn't focus on that one as I had five more changing at me so I ignored it for a moment as I sliced through the eyes of one making it recoil and fall to the ground howling agony and then punched another in the throat as it aimed its lunging charge for my throat.

My eyes were misty with tears of pain as I killed another by slashing it across the throat and with the last charging one tripping over the one I blinded by cutting out its eyes, I slammed my thumb into the Kobold's eye that was trying to rip my guts out of my leather covered chest that was keeping his fangs from piercing my side.

And another howl rang out as the one one my side let go and tried to push me away with its fur-covered humanoid hands but I just grabbed its right wrist and dragged it towards me while I slammed my machete into its throat making a loud crunching noise as I collapsed its windpipe.

Finally, the last kobold got back to its feet and it howled as it ran at me but even as I breathed deeply with the stress and pain of this previous fight I stepped forward and just slammed a boot-covered foot into the kobold's chest with an audible wet crunching noise ringing out as I shattered some ribs in its chest.

"Good job Jake!" Epsilion cheered clapping her hands excitedly and I even as I slammed the machete through the last Kobolds neck to kill it I was already holding my side with my free hand as I could feel blood leaking through the leather from where the kobolds fangs did actually pierce through the tanned leather.

-

Back within the city of Orario, Freya was a goddess on a mission, her darling needed power as he was... Not a born warrior to be fair. But there would be plenty of opportunities for him to gain power and skill with that most delightful skill of his.

'Oh my Odr... You tease me so, with such lovely souls all but bound to you with their souls screaming their desire for your attentions." Freya mused as she walked with a special cloak that covered up her Charm so she wouldn't be recognized and accosted by foolish adventurers or worse... Gods wanting her attention when she was utterly disdained with them now.

Now Freya was many things. Stupid wasn't one of those things, so she knew if she wanted her darling Odr to reach his fullest potential, he would need to be beloved by all of divinity itself. He could mantle a hundred gods and goddesses and earn skills and magics that would make him all but a god walking the earth.

'Haaaa to choose a man who becomes a god... What else could a warrior goddess like myself desire?' She thought with her core heating up at the delicious thought before cold logic struck her. As she was well aware... Jake was entirely too much of a delicious target to god and goddess alike who would desire to steal him for their own.

As already Jake had a Familia-defining skill that would make Expeditions all the more manageable with potions as expensive as they were, not needing as many with his passive healing effect and active spell.

Gentle yet firm knocking rang out as Freya knocked on the door to a decrepit church and as a voice called out from inside. An honest smile bloomed across Freya's face as the door opened up and from within an almost teary-eyed form of a short diminutive goddess answered the door. 

As she knew the easiest goddess Jake could twist around his fingers. To say nothing of how Hestia was already infamous for having been relegated to merely working at a foodstand of all things after she got thrown out by Hephaestus. 

Hestia was short but full of spirit as her blue eyes stared up into her own eyes with her long dark black hair hanging behind her back. While she wore a dress that looked orderly yet ragged with several pieces cut open to expose the short goddess's ample bust

And she didn't allow Hestia's cooling and now more guarded face to put her off as she spoke welcomingly to the goddess of the Hearth. "Hestia, its nice to see you again outside of Tenkai, I just decided and wanted to see you again if that is alright?" 

Hestia made a face before she sighed and said. "Alright come on in then." And once they were inside the decrepit falling apart church. Hestia whirled on Freya and dramatically pointed at her. "Now Freya, out with it! What do you want?"

Freya didn't lose her smile even as Hestia knew she didn't come for mere old friendships as Hestia was well aware of Freya's history in Tenkai as both a war goddess who used terrible and powerful magic to smite her foes to say nothing of her open affections.

And so Freya spoke. She spoke with all the love, desire, and obsession she had for Jake Barris. "He has the most beautiful soul of them all... So great is his love for all, that his heart can embrace even divinity itself and gain a divine favor with the god or goddess's domains blessing him in turn!"

There was a moment of silence before Hestia burst into laughter and waved her hands to the side as she chuckled. "Ah, that's super funny Freya... Like you would actually tell me if you had someone like that as your first Familia member. Honestly..." Hestia's face became sad and dark as she muttered.

"I don't even have any Familia members... All the men I try to recruit look at me like I am either worthless or with lewd eyes as they know I can't provide anything to get them started as adventures." Hestia spoke wistfully and Freya tilted her head to the side as a thought struck her.

"Hey Hestia." Freya started with an odd tone.

Hestia tilted her head to the side as Freya smiled as she knew what Hestia truly was and could become. Hestia was the primordial goddess of fire, not just the hearth flame and should Jake gets that domain or even the domain of the Hearth to further bless the Familia itself? 

Freya was willing to share, though she scoffed at the thought of anyone else holding nearly a tenth of Jake's thoughts compared to herself. "Hestia my old friend... I will prove it, and I want your help as the goddess of family to help take care of my Familia." Freya took a deep breath as she leaned in and took Hestia's hands into her own as Hestia was too shocked at the request to react.

"Hestia... I truly need your help, I love my Familia already, and I need your help to make sure I don't go to far with my love. Please help me." Freya spoke with all the need she could and then she threw out the divine bait. "I am even willing to allow you to mark them as your own so we can share updating their Falna's together!"