Agreement.

Huge gray stone walls, to see the top of which you need to lift your head up. On top of which there are high loopholes on both edges of the wide fortification.

Such an architectural solution might seem strange, but an experienced person knows that the main purpose of these walls is protection from creatures from the inside.

More precisely, it was like that before. For a long time, with the end of the Dark times, the building served as an ordinary city wall.

For many years, monsters emerging from an already closed hole in the center of the city exterminated the intelligent races of the surface. Elves, humans, dwarves, pallums and others have battled disasters to survive for centuries.

The situation changed dramatically when the gods descended into Gekai. The inhabitants of the upper world (Tekai) began to grant mortals part of their power, which made it possible to push the monsters back into the dungeon. Thus began the Age of the Gods.

.......

Almost a thousand years have passed since then.

A city was formed around the dungeon; in the center stood a huge tower that served as the lid of the labyrinth - Babyl.

In 8 directions from it there were wide paths to the above-mentioned walls, along which the inhabitants of the city mainly moved.

It was at this moment that a lonely 9-year-old boy was walking along the northwestern road, also known as the path of adventurers. How did he get inside?

Getting into Orario has never been a problem, the guards allow almost everyone entering, but leaving the city can be a problem.

The Ganesha family and Guild do not release gods and their family members without special permission. However, at the moment it doesn't matter.

Slightly taller than average, the young man had black braided hair with red streaks, black eyes and slightly sharp facial features. A hakama and a piece of fabric that couldn't even be called clothing hung loosely on his body. That's all. No shoes or headdress.

Despite the outfit, which is more suitable for Amazoness, those around did not react much to the newcomer in town. Since the fall of Hera and Zeus, an alliance of evil gods began to terrorize the city. Despite the strength of the rising families of Loki and Freya, they were unable to completely replace the departed ones. There was a war going on inside the city.

Adventurers of different races passing by walked with their heads down, sellers sat silently in the darkest corners of their stalls, ordinary citizens of the city ran across the streets constantly looking around. Sometimes interesting conversations can be heard.

- Have you heard about the doll princess?

- New adventurer in the Loki family? Of course, and to be honest, she scares me. With such an expression on her face, destroying monsters... It makes me shiver. And she's only 7!

OR

- When will this end? For more than 5 years, the situation in the city has left much to be desired.

- Don't say that, fortunately Astraea's family is actively helping to restore order. By the way, their new girl just recently reached level 2.

Meanwhile, the boy continued on his way, white silhouettes engulfed in black flames were displayed in the depths of his eyes. It has always been this way; almost any living creature in the vision of a young man looks almost monotonous. Only the size of the flame and the silhouettes differ from each other.1

After some time, the boy found himself inside a majestic building. The Pantheon, the headquarters of the guild, fortified with white columns on the outside, was the most prominent object on the Northwestern Road.

Crowds of adventurers were constantly scurrying in and out of the building. In the spacious main hall there were counters of workers; approaching them you can ask questions or exchange dropped loot. Also on the left side of the entrance there was a mission board, with the help of which anyone could take a contract with a customer promising a worthy reward.

Only beautiful women stood behind the counters, apparently in this way the Guild increased the attractiveness of the adventurer's work. Approaching one of them, the boy spoke quietly.

- Register....

- What? - the girl did not hear her client's words.

- Register me as an adventurer.

- A? Okay... What`s your name? Which family do you belong to?

- Shichika Yasuri. I'm not part of the family.

-Then I cannot fulfill your request, find yourself a god, and then come back. We will find you equipment, after all, no one will go into the dungeon in this form.

- No need. Which family is the strongest?

- Undoubtedly familia of Loki or Freya, now they lead the city.

- Where can I find them?

- On the Northern and Southern main roads, their houses cannot be confused with anything. My advice to you, if they refuse you, do not waste time, I am sure in the current situation many families will not refuse newcomers.

After Shichika left the building, the worker looked at the exit for some time. She was brought out of her thoughts by a red-haired werewolf girl.

- Stop standing here doing nothing. He's just another adventurer, most likely he won't live long.

- Rose! I know, sooner or later the dungeon takes everyone, but something about him is different. He feels lost, almost like... a weapon without an owner. I didn't think a child could have eyes like that.

- Nonsense. You have misunderstood it. Get back to work.

- I think you're right, but....

..............

Loki's family home, also known as the Twilight Manor, was located in the northern, crowded part of the city on the right side of the road. The basis of the structure was seven towers connected to each other, 3 on the left, 3 on the right and 1 in the middle. It seemed that due to lack of space, the entire estate was stretching upward, which, however, was true.

When Shichika was about to enter the estate, he was stopped by one of the guards. - Small! Where are you going?

- I need to join the family, - the boy's gray eyes focused on the silhouette engulfed in black flames.

- And you decided that we are suitable for you? - the guard rubbed his neck. - Listen, we recently got a new family member, who, due to his age and character, requires additional care. All the leaders are busy with her. And besides them, no one can ensure your safety at first.

- Doesn't matter. I don't need guardianship, only someone who will give me orders.

- This won't work, in our family everyone takes care of each other. I will report you, but there is no one in the estate authorized to make such decisions right now. Come later, they won't be here soon, and it's going to rain outside.

- I have nowhere to go, so I'll wait here, - Shichika sat down in the middle of the road and began to look at the entrance between two guards.

Time passed slowly and a storm began. People who did not have a phalanx began to take refuge in nearby buildings; in the pouring rain, only adventurers with strong bodies and a boy who had not moved a millimeter remained. People seeing this began to whisper.

- 2 hours have already passed, do you think the boy will be okay?

- I don't know, it's already cold outside, but in this rain people won't last long without a blessing. He's shaking all over.

- Boy! Come to my house and warm yourself up.

Before anything happened, 5 people came out from around one of the street corners. A green-haired elf, a blond pallum, a brown-haired dwarf, a 7-year-old girl, and a red-haired woman with a completely flat chest. Approaching the entrance, the owner of the estate turned to Shichika.

- Hey! A boy who looks like a maple tree! What are you doing here?

Turning his head, the young man saw five clots of flame. Surprise appeared in his eyes. It was the first time he had seen such huge ones. Three of them burned calmly, twitching slightly, one, belonging to the smallest silhouette, tried to burn everything around, including its owner. The last one... the last one seemed somehow familiar to him... Maybe it was a long-forgotten past. Tears flowed from the boy's eyes.

Pallum, the captain of the family stepped forward.

- Goddess, do you know him? It seems your words somehow hurt him.

- What?! This is my first time seeing him! Come on, stop it, why are you crying?

- I... I don't know, but it seems to me that I should say something.... I fell in love with you? Yes, I think so.

- Huh? x 4

The faces of those present took on a funny expression. The girl with golden eyes and hair only tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

- This is not funny at all! Tell me already, what are you doing here? - having not yet fully recovered from the state of shock, Loki decided to ask again about the purpose of the trembling boy.

- I want to join Loki's familia, - two pairs of eyes met.

- Listen, it's not that simple, in our situation... - Gareth began.

- Okay, - before the dwarf could continue, the head of the family interrupted him.

- Loki, we really don't have any free hands.

- I know, but look at him. Are you from the East? - the woman addressed the question to the boy

- Yes.

- Just as I thought. He has already decided everything. Let's go inside, there's nothing else we can do here, we'll just get more wet.

The delegation went to Twilight Manor.

- So, according to tradition, you are looking for a master whom you will serve as a samurai?

- Like a sword.

- Well, it makes no difference, - after a short explanation, everyone present finally understood the purpose of the arrival.

- What if I hadn't called you here?

- The sword cannot choose who to kill. Fortunately, he has the right to choose the owner himself.

- And your master will be... Me?

- Exactly.

- Eh... another problem child. Everyone come out, I'll put a blessing on his back.

Nodding their heads, the quartet left the goddess's trash-filled room. Making sure that the door was closed, Loki went back to the young man.

- Take off your clothes! I wish I could say that, but in your case it's no use. Lie down on the sofa with your stomach down.

Without asking any questions, the boy did as the goddess with hair the color of blood told him.

Taking out the needle, Loki settled on top of the boy at waist level. Bending down, she pricked her finger and poured a drop of her blood onto the back of the young man lying under her.

Ichor. Blood of the gods. It is with the help of it that the inhabitants of Tekai leave their mark on the bodies of members of their familia, later called children. Even simply by receiving an emblem on one's back, a person's strength increased several times, and the collected Exelia gradually improved the bodies and souls of the bearers of blessing, gradually bringing them closer to the level of the god.

And at that moment time seemed to stand still.

.............

Shichika found himself in an unknown white space where nothing could be discerned. Almost nothing. 7 silhouettes of different heights and builds gathered at one point. This time there were no flames swirling around them. It seemed to be inside them, turning the color of their figures completely black. Except for the toothy smiles of some of them. The mouth of the one in the center began to move, and a female voice was heard in the space.2

- Ichor? We thought we'd have to spend a hundred years here doing nothing, but this changes everything. What do we do?

- Venera, I have an idea! How about the biggest bet of our lives? - a quiet and teasing voice sounded.

- Bet? - There was interest in the first woman's voice.

- Yes! Some of us have already influenced the boy. We bet on whether he can stand with us.

- There have always been 7 of us, what you are talking about is not possible.

- Usually this is true, but if we give him a piece of us, what will help him along the way?

- Give? This is not about us, - a sarcastic voice came from a mouth with elongated fangs. - No, he will have to make a deal. Like many before him.

- If he agrees, what is the price?