Chapter 18: Asgardian Rage

(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 31/August/2024 10:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)

Here is the map I was and will be using, uploaded again for those who missed it due to a mishap I had.

('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.

"..." small moment of silence.

"Talking"

[Different Language Dialogue (Different from the language of the PoV)] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)

"He-" Someone was interrupted.

'Inner Dialogue'

{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}

(PoV)

(Flashback, including the text)

Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

(Line Break)

(Tuesday, 13/10/1058) 

(Henryk's PoV) 

As we reached a hill with a magnificent overview of Orario, Bell's patience finally ran dry, causing his bubbling excitement to leak out into the air around him. He said that he was going the rest of the way on foot and departed without waiting a single fraction of a second after. 

"And just like that, he's gone. Just look at 'em go" I wondered if we were gonna meet inside. 

When he got bored, he asked me what familia I belonged to, or if he could join, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He felt dirty for asking me that. But after I said that I plan to join a new familia here, we thought that splitting up was okay, as there was no guarantee for either of us, though he was rightfully convinced that I had a very high chance to join my familia of choice. 

'The poor lad would go to be rejected by one familia after the other for an entire week, if Norman's words weren't sympathy bait' 

I could see Fey diving at some animal, some small bovine judging by its frame, and taking it into the air, dropping it to the ground, then nibbling at its mangled corpse. 

'Nature at its finest... Even my cute daughter can be inhumanely brutal. But to be fair, she ain't no human' 

We soon reached the gates, scaring everyone in-line. They were both frightened and awed by the majestic appearance of the wolves. Most went out of their spots in fear. 

"Ha... haha... I can't blame them for this, can I?" Shira sweat-dropped at their actions, her laugh awkward. But even then, she understood their viewpoint. It wasn't everyday you see wolves this size pulling someone's CART. Did I ever mention that the cart was bigger than most carriages? It was to match me. 

I, in response to their BS, went to the line where the carriages and the carts go like the sensible person I want to be, like they should've known anyone would. Slowly, I saw them waddling to their former spots, some skipping places amidst the chaos. 

'None of my business' I averted my eyes. 

The people in the line we moved to were debating abandoning their carriages, proven by them glancing over to the guards repeatedly. Not long in line, a guard noticed the unrest and decided to step in. 

"I think you should skip the line for security measures, sir and ma'am" The voice of the masked guard sounded quite young. That may explain why she called us with this much respect, or it could possibly be the practiced professionalism of this guard. 

"Should we? I think those people were waiting in the line longer than we did, though?" I gestured to all of what looked like 5-6 different groups, owning up to 14 carriages and carts. 

"It is for the best, sir. They would not feel safe with these mighty wolves behind them. And with such tames, there really is a need for special measures. I ask you to understand" The guard bowed politely, conveying the point further than with just words. 

'Fey, papa wants to know where Fey is' I sent my thoughts to her. 

'Fey's flying above papa~!' And that was her answer. The voice of her thoughts sounded much, much cuter and much more pleasing than an angel's. 

'Only if her voice was somewhat close to her thoughts' voice' I sighed. 

"Then I think you need to see this as well" I pointed upwards, where the young woman looked. She gasped. 

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!! HEEELP MEEEEE!!!" I heard a screaming voice getting closer. The voice was shrill, devoid of hope. The owner of the voice was very scared, the 'surrendered his life' type of scared. 

I looked at Fey and, to my horror, she was flying here with a rabbit who was crying his heart out, tears flying from his eyes in a comical way as she descended with him clutched in her talons. 

"Papa! Fey caught mister Rabbit!" Fey gloriously displayed her last victim of assault, not at all realising how much trauma this could've caused him. 

"Haah... Fey, you scared him to the point his soul may've left his body. Apologise to him" I pointed at a frightened Bell, who by now came to hide behind me and hugged my legs for cover. He peeked his face to take a look then snuck back behind me while whimpering. 

'That's what I get for being his shield against Fey for 2 weeks straight' 

"Fey apologises. Fey's sorry. Please, forgive Fey" Fey asked of him, not yet understanding the gravity of her actions. 

"U-Umm... I-... I think I am fine now..." Bell stood up with wobbly legs, stuttering his words out. He bowed to me in thanks before hastily making his way to the line with the on-foot people. 

'You have my pity, for the line's long' 

"Shall we go now?" I got the guard out of her stupor. A giant, talking eagle was seemingly too much for her feeble human mind. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Shira shaking her head as Arnold would in this situation. 

"Yes!" She then led us to a separate compartment inside the wall, right beside the gates. There, we saw a god with as many guards as the room could take. From their aura, if that was a thing at all, I could tell, I couldn't take even one of them in a fight. There were 7 of them here, not including the one that accompanied us inside. 

"What a sight, lad. Care to talk about them?" The god whistled then pointed at the wolves and Fey, who was now riding in the back of the cart. 

A guard asked for our identification papers, to inspect them as we talked to the god. 

"So, they're my daughter, Fey the harpy eagle, Futura, Ouros, Prata and Platina, the silver wolves, and they're all subject to my skill. I need to clarify something before any questions concerning my falna, my former god left it unlocked for me to join a new familia. Asking about my former god would be pointless now" I poured out my practiced text. 

"I see. That just answered most of the questions we needed answers for. Now, we need to verify if they listen well to you" One guard whispered something into his ears, looking at Fey. "From what I heard, that daughter of yours was clutching an unwilling person in her talons. Care to explain that part?" He looked gleeful while making his speculations. 

"That's because the boy was travelling with us for the last 2 weeks. She may've seen it as a simple game of chase the rabbit, as he looks like one" I said. 

"And? Would any of them do anything like that to anyone?" He suggested the worst-case scenario. 

"Beside poor Bell there," I pointed at the door from which we entered. "Fey won't play that game with anyone but him, and I'll warn her of doing it again" "Meany!" "As for the wolves, they're reserved to themselves unless approached. And most of what they'll do is run away from the approaching party" "ARF!" Ouros barked with his tongue hanging by the corner of his mouth, backing me up with a serious-looking pose. His face didn't have the expression, sadly. 

I pointed my thumb at Fey, and Shira understood my thoughts. She had the impossibly frustrating task of keeping Fey busy for the minutes to come. 

"Can I assume that Fey talking is due to your skill?" He asked cautiously. 

"It is the case, sir" I gave out that piece. It's easily assumed by anyone with a single functioning braincell. 

"As we talked, the contents of your cart have been examined and judged as legally allowed inside. Judging by your apparent abilities and equipment, I dare say you are joining an exploration-based familia. Is that right?" He asked as he scribbled down some of the other details. 

"You guessed right. Both my wife and I are aiming to become adventurers, to delve into the dungeon's dark, cold and unfeeling depths" I did just say that, much to Shira's delight. She had a dusting of pink, still occupied with Fey. 

A quick look at the faces of some of the guards revealed that the older ones were forming a positive image of me. Maybe it's because of my pseudo-realistic view on the dungeon. 

"Then you should be clear for now. With your skill, you have to either join Ganesha's familia or either of Loki's or Freya's. They are the only ones that could allow you to take your tames with you to the dungeon, or keep them inside the city at all. You can go after paying an entry fee, and keep yourself and your wife safe inside. Jealousy and the sense of hierarchy are dangerous things among adventurers" He waved his hands for the guards to let us in. 

'I see that as him warning me of other adventurers doing what they do best when someone more successful appears' I thought as I handed them 3,000 Valis for me and Shira, and 2,000 for each of the wolves and Fey. The total entry fee was 16,000 Valis, leaving us with just enough to stay the next week and then some days, accounting for inflation. 

"Can I inconvenience you a bit longer?" I wanted to know something pretty important. 

"Be quick about it" He gave me the pass. 

"If I had to join any familia aside from those 3 you mentioned, could the 7 of us remain within Orario?" I asked. 

"Only if you got a permit from Ganesha himself, and no other method. The two goddesses could ask him for it personally, but you'd need to ask for it with no backing to prove that your words hold weight behind them" He shooed us at the end there while we were handed temporary permits to allow the wolves and Fey inside. 

"The best of luck on your post" The god sneered at my wishing them luck. A tough post remains tough, even with luck. 

They opened the door on the other side, allowing us inside Orario proper. 

"Henry, am I awake?" Shira asked me, sounding in great disbelief. Not that she actually thought this a mere figment of her imagination, but more of her finally reaching her destination after more than 4 years of patience. 

"We're both awake, Shira" As the gates were on each of the main streets, we were treated to the sight of Babel from base to top, unobstructed. It was awe-inspiring, more than it ever was from outside the walls. 

Not knowing where exactly the guild building is, I steered the wolves, without using the reins, to take the cart towards Babel. We were moving as slowly as possible to avoid startling people, not that they weren't already getting freaked out by the marvelous sight of giant wolves pulling a cart. 

When we eventually reached the tower, I got down and approached the guard, leaving all my weapons but one knife back in the cart. 

"Excuse me, can I have some of your time?" I approached them while lowering my voice a little. 

"What do you want to know?" One of them replied, voice stern yet soft. 

"We just entered the city, and were wondering where to find the guild building. We want to register as adventurers" He looked at Shira, who waved back, then pointed his spear at the north-west main street. 

"Go there. You can't miss the building, as its architecture contrasts with everything surrounding it" He lowered his spear after. "Good luck with finding a familia" And even wished us luck. 

"Good luck to you as well" I said as I turned back and got on the cart. I remained there for a moment, stone-cold. Fey wasn't in the cart. In a fit of panic, I looked at the sky and was relieved to find her there. 

"Fey! Come down!" I shouted to her. 

"NO~!" She was enjoying the view from her hovering point. 

"Fey! Wouldn't it be fun to look around from a human's perspective as well?!" That prompted her to start coming back down. 

"A talking eagle? it was already too huge, but now it also talks?" I heard one of the people murmur. I smirked at that and left with Fey following behind us, walking rather than flying. I kept looking back at her, strolling behind us and looking left and right to take in the sight. 

Getting bored, Fey hopped some of the way while humming cheerfully. 

'How does she hum? Only if advanced technology existed, I could've examined her body without harming her in any way. I'd give it up now, since nothing could achieve it without harming my dear daughter' 

As we also kept looking around, feeling Shira's arms around my left arms all the way, Shira spotted the guild building to her side of the road. We parked the cart to the side of the road and I entered with Fey. Shira was to unfasten the straps tying the wolves to the cart. 

I didn't leave Fey with Shira because the cute little demon wasn't listening to her as well as she did to me. 

"Papa, what are we doing here? And why are people looking at us?" Fey curiously asked. 

"That, my dear daughter, would be because you and your papa are so tall that people couldn't help but to stare" I said calmly as I glared the others' gazes away from us. 

"Fey understands! Fey's feathers are beautiful, right?" She followed my words. 

"True that" I was shocked by her words but went along. 'She just wanted some praise, didn't she?' Nevertheless, we continued walking to the counters. 

As we took our time so I could analyse who I need to go to, I observed that there were around 7 counters, 2 of which were empty right now. The 5 employees present were all women. They were, from the left, a book worm-looking half-elf with glasses, a pink-haired child who was clearly avoiding work, a grumpy-looking redhead werewolf, a sheep with a mix of wool-looking hair of black, white, and some grey strands and a pair of spiral horns, and, lastly, a bunny with brown hair and eyes. 

No, not an erotic bunny costume, not those cursed things, but an actual, living and breathing, bunny demi-human. 

Sadly, I wanted to avoid interacting with women as much as possible, to avoid developing any doubts between me and Shira. But I was granted a trial right as we came in, it seems. 

'It can't be helped' "Fey, can you go and call Shira for me?" "HI!" And she went on her merry way, not noticing that the adventurers, and now the guild employees as well, were staring at us. They weren't quite gawking, but they were out of it for the most part. I could see someone holding a feather pen to the paper for so long, it stained the paper with ink. 

"What did you want, Henry?" Shira came in confused. When I pointed a thumb at the now calm employees, she seemed to understand something. She chuckled a little before grabbing my arm and dragging me to one of the lines, the one with the least number of people, which so fuckin' happened to be the half-elf's. 

After a brief introduction, we were given some papers that had the names of deities and the guild's opinion of each familia's legal stance. The familias that faced legal trouble were in separate papers of their own, while criminal familias were listed alone for us to avoid altogether. I quickly recognised some names, like Freya's, Loki's, and Ganesha's. 

We bid her farewell, me secretly hoping we never meet again. 

'Eina Tulle, the bane of all adventurers. Norman complained about her nagging tendencies whenever he got the chance' 

(Thursday, 15/10/1058) 

"Off with ya! We don't accept absolute newbies here!" We were rejected because Shira didn't receive a falna prior to Orario. 

"Monsters? No. It doesn't matter. We don't accept tamers here. Our home can't be a monsters' den" We were rejected for Fey and the wolves. 

"Are you not a level 2? Then go away. Shoo" We were rejected because both of us weren't level 2, and by a familia that has no substantial amounts of strength, no less. I can tell that I could've bodied them all 1 on 1, one at a time. 

We were rejected for many reasons, and most of them had these two things in common: It was either because of Shira or Fey and the wolves. 

"Where do we have left?" Shira asked me, looking and sounding downcast. 

'I've got all your familia's names memorised. You better start praying' I promised them vengeance. 

"There're the famous familias, the ones we avoided since they were more likely to have conditions we couldn't fulfill" I looked at the list. 

In said list, we had crossed the names of the familias that rejected us. And those who we didn't try included, but weren't limited to, Loki's, Freya's, Ganesha's, Hephaestus' and Goibniu's (obviously), Dian Cecht's, Apollo's was out of the question because of his questionable nickname, Demeter's is an agricultural familia, Resheph had a nasty reputation, Soma's had an even nastier reputation than Resheph, among many others for their reasons. 

There's absolutely no need to even mention the ones in the entertainment district. 

One I could respect was Takemikazuchi. He wanted his familia to be solely made up of far-easterners. He politely tells others to search for another familia, even going as far as meeting every single one personally, all so he could show them some hospitality and respect. That was his reputation, though. We didn't go there in case it troubles him. 

"We should start with Loki's familia" I absentmindedly mumbled as I thought of what to say or do. 

Shira questioned it, stating that she heard of their standards being level 2 or higher, and that their recruiting period was over. Well, we need to at least try. One never knows the future, and we could be accepted. 

The only downsides would be Loki's skimpy outfit and her apparent tendency to display lesbian behaviour, or so the rumors say about her. 'So, Loki wanted to be female in this world, huh?' 

(Sometime later) 

"State your business" The guardsmen at the gates, 2 of them, asked in sync. They didn't raise their voices more than necessary, but I could see some ridicule and arrogance in them. 

"We came here to apply to join your familia, knowing that we came late" I pointed out that we knew about it, that we came after their recruiting period ended. 

"Wait here" After locking eyes with the other guard, they agreed on something and told us to wait as one went inside. 

'From the way he looked at us there, I can tell. He's gonna screw us over. Let's prepare that aggravating nickname at the tip of my tongue, just in case' I smirked like a madman. I suppressed it before the eyes of the remaining guard returned to us. 

Not long after, the first guard returned with a silver-haired werewolf. 

'Damn asshole. He's even holding back a laugh, this worthless guard. I'll get revenge on you one day, just you wait' I didn't let my anger leak through my facial features. 

"What 'd ya want? Hah? Another greenhorn who's wet behind the ears wants to join? Go off to some ditch, weaklings. There's no place for the likes of you here" He didn't even bother, this twerp.

'Who let his ass be an executive again? He doesn't carry himself like one would at all, not one bit. At least right now, that's the case' 

"Is your goddess here?" I asked him with the calmest voice I could. I barely held my emotions at the moment. 

"She is. What about it? Huh?" He arrogantly huffed at us from behind the gates. He had no manners to speak of. He was so assured that I couldn't do something about this situation. He was so sure that I wouldn't dare to. Sucks to be him. 

"Henry, I t-" "WASHBOARD!!! GET HERE RIGHT NOW I DARE YOU!!!" Shira was about to say something but, unfortunately, it was too late. I screamed with a volume high as thunder. 

Just like I expected, the reply came immediately. I saw a window somewhere to the right open with a loud thud as the frame was struck with its window. "WHO DARES CALL ME THAT? BRING THEM IN SO I HAVE A WORD WITH THEM RIGHT NOW!!!" And that is how you give swift heavenly punishment to the people who wronged you, literally. 

I could see the werewolf quiver in his boots, not in fear but in anger, pure, unbridled anger. He was fuming and almost exploded on us, if not for the trouble he already knew was coming his way. As for the guards, they were going paler by the second. 

(End of Chapter)

Greetings, dear readers

Yes, Loki's rage was the title of this chapter.

Also yes, I'd be cruel enough to subject you to this cliff-hanger. I can't realistically finish writing then editing the next chapter during the night before it becomes Sunday where I live.

Now, credit is given where it is due. And though unknowingly, a fellow author helped remind me of the importance of the gate's checkpoint while I was reading a DanMachi fic by Vulkizaro_Zoromi. Go read his fanfic if you didn't, "Orario Records of Bastard Cheating Minecrafter". The start may discourage some people, but it gets better some chapters into the story.

Now that that's over with, what do you think of this chapter? Do you think Bete's character was done alright? What about the guards?

Other than that, what do you think of how Henryk avoided some familia, at least the ones with the reasons attached to them?

How do you view Henryk's response to Bete and the guards' childish actions?

Are there any other opinions about anything in this chapter? Tell me them from your perspective so I could try to improve on them.

Have a great time, ladies and gentlemen.