*Meteria POV*
I walked and thought about how I should start investigating Leon’s familia. I wanted to help Leon, but I just didn’t know where to start.
Leon seems to refuse to talk about it, so that leaves me asking other people if they knew anything about him. The only question was, who do I ask then?
I could start with the guild. They must have seen him when he went to register, and he must have gone to turn in his magic stones a few times.
He said he didn’t have an advisor, but he killed an infant dragon not that long ago. Surely someone would have remembered that. If I could just find who did the exchange, then I could ask them some questions.
They might even be able to tell me what familia he’s in. And if not, then they can at least give me a list of gods who are recruiting members. Leon seems to be in a smaller familia, so chances are pretty good they are still open to growing.
Baring all that, I could at least figure out if there were any homeless or destitute gods. I had trouble believing that there were, but the only other option was that Leon’s god left him on the streets even after giving him their blessing.
I felt my stomach churn at that thought. What if that was the case? What if he were thrown out on the streets by his god?
The biggest question would be why, of course. And there are only two options I could think of. Either as punishment or as a test. But, no matter what the reason was, I was going to try and get him out of that familia.
The god was too neglectful or spiteful, or incompetent. And I didn’t feel mean thinking that, not after meeting Leon. He was left alone in an abandoned church covered in injuries, with practically no equipment, and starving.
No, once I figured out what familia he was in, I was going to do everything I could to get him out of it. Lady Hera won’t take a man into our familia, but maybe she can ask Lord Zeus to take him instead.
Anyone else would be better than who he was currently with. And him being a level two means that pretty much any decent-sized familia would accept him.
So, with all that in mind, I set off toward the Guild. The morning sun warmed me as I walked, giving me the strength to follow through on my task.
I arrived at the front of the Guild, took a deep breath before entering, and went to the nearest receptionist. Luckily, it was pretty deserted since most of the adventurers were going into the dungeon.
“Hello, I have a few questions for you…If you don’t mind,” I started off strong, but I felt my confidence wane as I kept speaking. What if they just refused to answer me?
“Yes, Miss? How can I help you?” The receptionist said.
She was a blonde human woman with long, fluffy hair and blue eyes. She had light make-up around her eyes and a small mole underneath one of them. She also had on light green earrings, which sparkled underneath the morning light. Her name tag read Daisy.
“Ahem, yes, I was wondering if you could help me find someone,” I said before realizing that I already knew where to find him. I needed to know if he’s been here and where he was before that.
“Are you here to post a quest then?” Daisy asked, surprised, and I shook my head. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel⁂fire.net
“Ah, no, I’m sorry I misspoke. I am looking for…” I began only to trail off as I realized that I couldn’t just ask, ‘What familia is Leon in?’
That’s not information the Guild would just hand out to anybody. Also, I don’t know his full name, so I don’t think they would be able to tell me even if they wanted to.
So instead, I decided to pivot and ask something else.
“Looking for a list of all the gods who are recruiting right now. Can you help me?” I finished talking after a few moments of collecting my thoughts.
“Oh, are you a new adventurer then? Have you registered yet?” Daisy said.
“I have registered already. I am just looking at familias,” I said. There was that weird feeling in my chest like I was betraying Lady Hera. But it was all for Leon, and I wasn’t going to join any on the list.
“Okay then. What familia type are you looking to join? We have agriculture, smithing, alchemy, entertainment, and exploration as the main ones,” Daisy stated as she got up from her chair.
“Exploration, please. Maybe entertainment and smithing too,” I said after thinking about it for a few seconds.
Leon was dungeon diving, meaning he had some reason to go down. The most obvious choice, then, was exploration. As for the other ones, it was just process of elimination.
Agriculture familias don’t step foot in the dungeon, so their out immediately. He was injured, so he probably doesn’t have access to potions, meaning alchemy is out, too. That leaves only smithing and entertainment-type familias.
Smithing was probably the least likely, but I have to cover everything. If I don’t make any progress finding his familia after going through all these, then I’ll ask to see the agriculture and alchemy ones too.
If he is a part of an alchemy familia and was still left injured, then I'm going to get mad. Very mad.
“Got it. I’ll be right back with those then. Please wait a moment,” Daisy said before disappearing into someone in the back.
It was then that I decided to ask the other receptionist, a man named Chris, if anyone had turned in an infant dragon stone recently.
The answer I got back was disappointing.
“Infant dragon stone? Nope, not for a couple of weeks. If someone did, everyone in the Guild would know about it. Especially if it was a low-level adventurer,” He said, hand to his chin in thought.
“Oh, I see…Thank you,” I said, and frowned when I heard the answer.
That didn’t make sense. Leon said he killed an infant dragon. Why wouldn’t he turn the magic stone in? Has he not gotten the chance to yet?
Or he lied to me for some reason. He did say he fought a horde of monsters, which was far-fetched, thinking about it. So maybe he lied about that bit, but I don’t think he was lying about the infant dragon.
He described the dragon in detail and didn’t seem to realize there was a library, so how else would he have known what it looked like?
Maybe he just didn’t want to admit that the infant dragon hurt him that badly. What if the infant dragon hurt him, and then he had to run away?
It would explain his injuries, how he knew what the dragon looked like, and why the Guild hasn’t gotten an infant dragon magic stone recently.
It’s a bit silly, but I can see him doing that. He must have been embarrassed that the infant dragon hurt him. I still think he’s a level two, but a level two killing an infant dragon all by themselves is difficult, from what I know.
I could ask my familia members later, I suppose. Yeah, that’s a good idea.
“Here you go. I’ve organized them by category and then by how many members they have. So the first portion is exploration familias with the largest in the front and the smallest in the back,” Daisy’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. She had returned and handed me a stack of papers.
I placed my basket down and took them from her. I flipped through some of them quickly, noting that they had some basic information on each one and where to find them. Great, now it’s just a matter of going everywhere and asking them about Leon.
“Thank you very much. Umm, I have a few questions still, if you don’t mind me asking?” I said as I put the papers in the basket.
“Of course, if it’s something I can help with, then I’ll be happy to assist,” Daisy said, putting on a professional smile.
“Great! Then, has anything weird happened that has stood out to you at all?” I leaned in and whispered gently.
“Weird? It is Orario after all, weird things happen every day. Do you mean weird in a specific way?” Daisy asked and tilted her head.
Well, she’s got me there. Orario is filled with people from all over the world, making it a melting pot of cultures. What could be a normal thing to one person could be the most outlandish thing to another.
My mind flashed back to when Hippolyta told the rest of us how the Amazons, uh…court men. The reaction was explosive to say the least. After that, Hippolyta wasn’t allowed out alone, something that she always grumbled about to this day.
“Has there been anything strange regarding the dungeon or with any familias that came into register?” I clarified.
“Hmm, nothing stands out for familia registration. But the dungeon was acting weird. When the adventurers went to start their day, they found that a lot of the upper floors were flooded with magic stones,” Daisy said, and tapped her chin in thought.
I, meanwhile, felt my mind stop as she said that. No, it couldn’t be. Surely not, right? It was supposed to be a lie…
“D-did the magic stones extend down deep at all?” I stuttered, feeling anxiety bloom in my gut. Please say no.
“Oh yeah, they were found all the way to the tenth floor. Don’t know why it happened, but people are worried about the dungeon acting strangely. The only other explanation is that some high-level adventurer just killed everything but left the magic stones for some reason. But, that would be ridiculous, right?’ Daisy laughed as she said the last part, like it was the funniest joke in the world.
“R-right, totally ridiculous. Haha-” I laughed, feeling a coming headache as I realized that Leon was telling the truth.
He had actually fought the infant dragon, then fought through a horde of monsters on his way back. The magic stones are left over from his mad dash to the surface.
And I seem to be the only one here than Leon who knows this. I've got to change the subject before I let it slip!
“Thank you for letting me know. Anyway, I have another question for you. Do you know of any gods who are…homeless?” I said hesitantly. It was unthinkable for a god to be homeless, but I need to explore all my options. Just in case.
“Homeless? Hmm…No, not that I can think of. Every god either stays with a friend or they establish a familia quickly. The Guild gives out housing at a pretty low rate to Gods to encourage them to stay in the city. So, if there was a homeless god, all they have to do is come here and we have programs to help them,” Daisy said after a moment.
She pretty much confirmed what I already knew, but it was interesting that there was a system in place to keep them housed. I didn’t know about that, but it made sense. Freshly descended gods were completely new to the world. They would need help to get set up.
“I see. Thank you. Oh, one last thing. Have you seen a man with blonde hair, green eyes, about this tall, come in and register?” I asked, only to get a blank stare.
“That describes a lot of people. Got anything more specific?” Daisy asked with a frown.
I tried to think of any other markings, but mostly what I was thinking of was him being covered in blood. Which wasn’t helpful in the slightest.
“He had a ring. It was silver and had a jade stone on it. Also, he had a necklace on too,” I said after thinking for a minute. His being covered in blood made it very hard to remember anything about him. It was such a striking feature that it was hard ot point out other features.
“Not that I saw at the very least. There are a lot of people who come in, though, so maybe. But, I would need to see a portrait of him to tell you for sure,” Daisy said with a troubled look.
I nodded and thanked her anyway. I didn’t expect anything different. It was very unlikely that I happened to be the person who got him registered. But it was worth asking.
“Why are you looking for him?” Daisy asked, and I was left wondering how to answer. What am I supposed to say, ‘I think he is getting abused and neglected by his familia and I want to help him?’
“I’m worried about him. I want to make sure he’s okay,” I said shyly. That was all it boiled down to at the end of the day. I’m worried that he’s hurt, homeless, ignorant, and hungry. I just met him, but leaving someone in that state just rubbed me the wrong way.
Especially when, for the first time in my life, I can help and make a difference.
“Ah, I see. I hope you find him then,” Daisy smiled at me with a knowing look. I gave a smile and a final thank you before saying goodbye.
Afterward, I decided to head home. I was getting tired a lot faster than normal. Looks like Calypso was right after. Just because I felt good doesn’t mean it would continue.
So, I slowly made my way back to the Hera familia mansion, enjoying the afternoon sun on my skin. I had a lot to do and a lot of places to go, but for now, I’ll head back and rest for a bit.
I needed it too. I was drained, both physically from the walk and emotionally from thinking about what I had to do.
Interacting with random, unknown gods was terrifying to say the least. That, combined with my illness, meant I had a lot of work ahead of me. Days, if not weeks, depending on my pace.
I knew it was a little dangerous. Well, maybe not dangerous. Going into the dungeon and fighting monsters was dangerous.
Going to ask random familias if they have someone named Leon was a little risky, but it paled in comparison to what Leon, Calypso, Elena, and every other adventurer had to go through.
Still, I felt on edge. Could I do this? Was I good enough? I hadn’t even started, and I was already starting to shake. This would be the first time I did something that didn’t involve sitting at home.
I had been out of the house before, of course. But that was just for errands and such. This would be the first time I left to…What would I even call it? To search for something? To go and accomplish something that wouldn’t take a single afternoon?
I don’t know, but I was feeling something I’ve never felt before when I thought of doing it. It was something new, and I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.
But the result was that I was a bundle of nerves as I arrived at the Hera familia mansion. I had too much energy, yet I was dead tired as well.
Why am I like this? Why couldn’t I just be normal for once? This was important, for the first time in what feels like forever, I was actually doing something important.
Yet, despite that, my body still decided to be a problem.
I sighed as I opened the doors. I needed to calm my nerves. Reorganize my thoughts. Catch my breath, literally and metaphorically. I just need to back up into my room and–
“Meteria, dear! Where have you been?” A voice spoke right into my ear.
“AHHH!” I screamed as my heart leaped to my throat, as a pair of arms wrapped around me. What-? WHERE? WHO?
I dropped the basket and flailed my arms around to fight off my attacker. Why is this happening?!
“Meteria, it’s me, calm down. You’re safe,” The voice, which sounded like Lady Hera, said, and I felt a hand stroke my head.
“Lady Herea, is that you?!” I said and tried to turn around. The arms holding me loosened as I did so and left me staring eye to eye with my goddess, who had a worried look.
“Yes, of course it’s me. Is everything okay, Dear? You look awfully pale,” She said as I pushed myself out of her arms.
“I am fine, Lady Hera. Y-you just scared me, that’s all. Please don’t suddenly grab me like that, I thought I was having an attack,” I said as I patted my chest to calm my heartbeat down.
I could still feel my hands shaking a bit as the shock wore off. I was already wound up from before. Lady Hera hugging me just sent me over the edge.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lady Hera’s frown deepened as she looked at me before she gently reached out for a hug again.
I looked at her outstretched arms and for a brief moment, hesitation ran through me. The frustration from this morning bubbled up again. The reminder that I was someone who just couldn’t take care of herself burst forth.
The thought came before I clamped down on it.
That may have been true this morning. But now? Now I had a purpose. I had a goal, something to work toward. Now I could actually help someone. Make a difference.
So, it was fine if I accepted a little help from Lady Hera, right?
I stepped forward before slowly putting my arms around Lady Hera. I felt myself relax unwillingly as the thoughts plaguing me were washed away with her warmth.
She hugs me a lot, now that I’m thinking about it. Well, she used to. She hasn’t for the past few months, and only now do I realize how much I missed this.
“I’m fine, Lady Hera,” I whispered as I hugged her. I had a goal, I had an idea to achieve that goal, and I was doing something. It was the most active I had been in years, and I loved the feeling.
“I didn’t mean to make you upset this morning. I had forgotten because of how busy I’ve been. I was just in such a rush that I didn’t think before I gave the order. That wasn’t fair to you,” Lady Hera whispered back as she started rubbing my back.
“I understand, Lady Hera. I wasn’t…I’m not upset anymore. I just wanted to go for a walk to clear my head,” I said, remembering halfway through that gods can detect lies. It was true, this morning had upset me greatly, but I was better now.
Lady Hera hummed before pulling back. I hid my disappointment as the warmth disappeared and drew back as well.
Lady Hera looked me up and down, eyes flickering to the basket I had dropped. It had popped open when I dropped it. Luckily, nothing seemed to have fallen out of it.
“That’s great, Dear. Did you enjoy your walk? Make any new friends?” Lady Hera asked with a smile.
“I did. I met some people by the church. They were really hungry, so I gave them the food. We had breakfast together,” I said, hiding the fact that Leon was a male.
Lady Hera didn’t forbid anyone from interacting with men, but she always got a bit…strange when it was brought up.
“Did you, now? That sounds lovely. Did they enjoy the food?” Lady Hera asked curiously. She shot a glance at the basket again as she said that.
“Yeah, they said it was tasty. They ate a lot of it too, so I’m not sure when the last time they ate before that,” I said, thinking back to just how much Leon ate.
He must have gone a few days without food. I clenched my fist at the thought before I loosened it. Well, if his familia won’t feed him, then I guess it's up to me.
“Oh, it’s a good thing you were able to find them then. Still, I’m glad they were able to keep you company. I would hate for something to happen when you were eating and no one was there to help you.” Lady Hera reached out and brushed some hair out of my face.
I felt a little weird when I heard her words. She didn’t seem concerned about Leon not eating at all. She was just happy that someone was there to keep me company and help me if something went wrong.
“Lady Hera, I–” I started saying, only to get cut off.
“Come have some tea with us, Dear. Calypso and Elena just got back, and I want to spend some time with you all. I said I would make up for not having breakfast together with you, and I intend to fulfill that promise right now,” Lady Hera said before taking my hand and gently dragging me away.
I wanted to ask for a moment to go and put the basket and dishes back, but Lady Hera just shushed me. She held my hand tighter, and I stopped protesting.
I looked at Lady Hera and noticed that she seemed…worried? Her eyes were furrowed, her lips were pressed together in a thin line, and her eyes never focused on one thing.
She still walked with the grace that I had come to know her for, a certain dignity that only she could exude. Yet, for the first time in a long time, she seemed stressed.
She was unsure, off balance for the first time in who knows how long. Her hand squeezed mine again as we walked, and I realized she wasn’t dragging me along because she was trying to comfort me.
She was trying to comfort herself. And for whatever reason, I was her anchor right now.
A small laugh escaped my lips as the realization struck me.
“Ah, so that’s it,” I whispered, prompting Lady Hera to turn to me and stop walking.
“Did you say something, Dear? You’re not feeling ill, are you? I can walk you to your room if you don’t feel alright,” Lady Hera didn’t hide the worry in her voice.
“Ah, no! I’m well. Please, let’s go have some tea with everyone. I’ll make the special blend that everyone seems to like so much,” I exclaimed before I started walking. This time, it wasIe who had to push her forward, but I couldn’t let this chance slip by.
This was it. I could help her, maybe even help Calypso and Elena too, with their problems. Lady Hera was still worried about me. I don’t think she will ever stop worrying about me as much as she did. But this was my chance to prove that I could help her feel better, too.
So, I had to seize this chance. She was deeply concerned about something, and I was not going to add to her worries. Not this time.
The tea room was a large, lightly bright room. The windows let the perfect amount of light in, no matter the time of day, and were flanked by big white silk drapes. The walls were finely decorated with paintings of landscapes and animals, and the floor was a soft plush carpet.
Lining the walls were cabinets loaded with different tea blends and shelves filled with books. It was a miniature library that would take you over a year to read through everything. I know, I’ve done it twice, going on three times.
There was on large circular table in the center of the room, adorned with a lacey tablecloth that I had made back when I first joined the familia. The table itself already had the full tea set out with a tower of pastries and snacks in the center.
Calypso and Elena already sat at the table, talking in hushed voices, before they stopped when they saw Lady Hera and me walk in. I scanned them up and down and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that they weren’t hurt.
Calypso’s brown curly hair was tied back in a bun with a few loose hairs springing free here and there. Her golden eyes showed her fatigue, but her blouse and pants didn’t have a spec of dirt on them.
Elena, on the other hand, had some leaves stuck to her and in her short, fluffy pink hair that she was picking out when we approached. Her blue eyes brimmed with annoyance as she did so, casting glances at Calypso before muttering under her breath.
“Look who just got back. Perfect timing, is it not? Now we can all have some tea together,” Lady Hera said as she entered with me.
“I am glad to see you two well. I was worried about what you might ignore, Lady Hera, and pick a fight with something,” I said before going to one of the cabinets and picking out three blends of tea. They were ratios that I had perfected overae long time that I’ve been here.
While everyone else was out fighting and killing monsters, I was studying different tea blends and methods of preparing them. It was a long process, but I had worked out everyone's favorite blend, method of preparation, and tea snack over the years.
For Elena, it was a herbal fruity blend with mint and light rose, while Calypso preferred Chai with extra spices. Lady Hera, meanwhile, was the most extravagant yet simple of everyone. She preferred the most expensive tea plain, meaning the taste all came down to how it was prepared and if it was done well.
“While that is in character for Elena, I would kindly ask that you do not lump me in with her. I would never dream of allowing my impulses to control me like this fool,” Calypso said, casting a side eye to Elena.
“I am not impulsive! I just like doing stuff! You, on the other hand, would wait until the stars disappear to do anything if I didn’t push for it,” Elena pointed a finger at Calypso, who narrowed her eyes in a glare.
“Patience is a virtue. One that you need to learn. Besides, waiting till day to do things is perfectly reasonable, so I have no idea why ‘waiting until the stairs disappear’ would be a bad thing,” Calypso countered, which made Elena angrier.
“You know that’s not what I meant! I–” Elena started to retort, only to get interrupted by Lady Hera.
“Girls, enough of that. We are here to talk about what you found, not to listen to you two squabble,” Lady Hera said, which made them stop talking.
I suppressed a giggle at the subtle look Claypso was giving Elena and the not-so-subtle glare Elena was giving Claypso. Lady Hera ignored Elena’s grumble of ‘She started it’ and got straight into it. I started brewing the teas as I listened, curious as to how Elena got so dirty on their little adventurer.
“Now tell me, where you able to locate the area where the lightning struck?” Lady Hera asked seriously as she moved her gaze between Calypso and Elena.
“We believe we were successful in that endeavor. It was a bit hard to tell the exact spot, but we did find a pond that seemed to be the epicenter or close to it,” Calypso said before Elena jumped in.
“It was weird. Like really weird. The whole place felt like we were in the deep floors of the dungeon, except…different,” Elena gave a glance at Claypso, who nodded in agreement.
Lady Hera frowned at the information before asking, “Different how exactly? Also, how was it the same, too?”
Elena and Calypso looked at each other again, clearly trying to decide how to describe it before Calypso spoke.
“It was similar to how you said it would feel. We looked for the place where the feeling of lightning under our skin was the strongest. Which is similar to how the deep floors feel, only instead of lightning under our skin, it's more like… a weight?” Calypso finished uncertainly, only for Elena to agree.
“Yeah, a weight is the best way to describe it. The dungeon feels like it’s pressing on you from the outside and in every direction at once. It’s manageable once you get used to it, but this was impossible to ignore. Every second made the feeling grow stronger, and it felt like something was stryign to get out from underneath my skin,” Elena said, which made Lady Hera frown more.
“I see. So instead of the dungeon pushing it into you, this seemed to try and get it out of you,” She said, which made both Elena and Calypso nod.
I had finished preparing the teas and served anyone a cup of their preferred blend. I decided to pour some of Elena’s tea rather than going to get another blend. Everyone gave a quiet thank you before they each took a sip from their cups.
“Ah, thank you, Meteria. Your tea is fantastic as always,” Calypso said elegantly after taking a small sip.
“Your tea tastes amazing, Meteria. How the hell do you do it?” Elena said after she drank a whole cup of it, before she poured more for herself. Calypso gave a small mutter of ‘language’ under her breath but didn’t do anything else.
“Lovely preparation, Meteria. You’ve gotten quite good at this,” Lady Hera said after taking a sip from her tea.
“Thank you, everyone. I’m glad you enjoy it so much,” I said, feeling both shy and proud at the praise.
Everyone took a few moments to drink the tea, and Elena grabbed a cake from the center before they started talking again.
“Alright, were you able to find anything else while you were there? Any signs of something dying or getting burnt?” Lady Hera asked, though she seemed more in control. Gone were her tensed shoulders and nervous expression. She gave me a thankful smile whenever she slipped her tea, which made my smile grow.
It seems, for the first time in a while, I was able to help ease her burdens. It wasn’t much, and it was only temporary, but I had succeeded a little. That knowledge made me feel a lot better than I had felt this morning.
“There wasn’t anything dead in the vicinity. If anything, the plants and animals seemed to be integrated with life compared to the areas that weren’t the epicenter. The trees had brighter leaves, the flowers were deeper colors, and the animals seemed more active,” Calypso reported much to Lady Hera’s shock.
“Wait, there wasn’t anything dead at all? Not even a dead plant or burnt grass?” She said, her voice thick with disbelief.
“None that we could see. The forest was healthy and teeming with life. We conducted and very…thorough search,” Calypso said before glancing at Elena again. More specifically, the leaves in Elena’s hair.
“I went into the trees to make sure, but nothing was out of the ordinary,” Elena helpfully provided, which made me giggle at the mental image.
“Well, I am glad someone finds your antics amusing. I still believe it was a waste of time,” Calypso said with a small smile when she saw me giggling.
“My antics are always amusing, you just don’t want to admit it since you got a stick up your a- butt. Also, it wasn’t a waste of time since Lady Hera wanted us to check the whole area, and now we can say we checked everything,” Elena started to curse, only to stop when Calypso leveled another glare her way.
Elena took another big sip of her tea before taking a fork and throwing a giant piece of cake into her mouth, chewing angrily and smugly.
I’m not sure how she even did that, but it’s impressive.
“Then, did you find any tracks of something leaving the area? And what was it?” Lady Hera took a sip of her tea before speaking, though her voice was noticeably more worried.
“We found tracks that looked like someone’s footsteps. They led out of the forest and toward Orario, but they got muddled once they reached the main road,” Calypso said casually, only for Lady Hera to set her cup down loudly.
“A person? You found a person’s footsteps leading toward Orario?” Lady Hera’s voice had gotten louder, which took everyone off guard.
“Uh, yes?” Elena said hesitantly, only for Lady Hera to put a hand to her head and deflate in her chair.
“So, they lived then. A person survived that and is in the city…” Lady Hera muttered under her breath as she rubbed her head.
We didn’t say anything for a moment, none of us wanting to break her out of her thoughts before I decided to be brave and break the silence.
“Lady Hera, are you alright? Would you like some more tea?” I said gently and held up the teapot with her blend in it.
My voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she stopped rubbing her head and sat up straighter in her chair. She looked at me and gave a smile before saying, “That would be lovely, Dear.”
I stood up and leaned over to pour her another cup. Lady Hera gave a grateful smile before she took the teacup and held it up to her nose. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of the tea before taking a slow, long sip.
For a moment, only the sound of someone drinking dominated the space before the click of porcelain on porcelain rang out as Lady Hera finished her cup.
She sat there, quietly thinking, before Elena broke the silence.
“You gonna tell us why you're so worried or just leave us in suspense?” She said much to Calypso’s horror and my shock. Typically, if Lady Hera is thinking like this, no one bugs her.
Lady Hera broke out of her thoughts and glanced at Elena. The look seemed to take some of the wind out of her sails as she slumped a bit in her seat, but she still said, “W-we can’t help you if you don’t tell us the problem, you know?”
Lady Hera pursed her lips together as she looked at Elena before giving a sigh and saying, “No, I suppose you can’t. Alright, let me explain.”
All three of us sat up straighter, the tea and cake forgotten as we waited for Lady Hera. Eventually, she gathered her thoughts and began speaking.
“As I am sure all of you have gathered by now, the lightning was not normal lightning. It is something called a Heavenly Tribulation. It is only generated and used against something that goes against the will of Heaven,” Lady Hera said before Calypso quietly raised her hand.
“What is the will of Heaven?” She asked, which got a deep sigh from Lady Hera.
“A lot of things. It is essentially a set of rules that the Heavens impose on the world that must be followed. If you don’t follow them, then the Heavens send a Heavenly Tribulation after you to kill you. An example of this would be when a god uses their Arcanum while in the lower world. The resulting Heavenly Tribulation destroys their mortal bodies and forces them back to heaven,” Lady Hera explained.
I never knew that. So that’s why the gods didn’t just go kill the monsters themselves. If they use their power, their Arcanum, then they would be booted from the world as punishment.
“So, does that mean that a god broke the rule and got sent back to heaven then?” I asked only to get head shakes from both Lady Hera and Elena.
“We saw tracks leading back to the city. Meaning that whoever got hit with the Heavenly Tribulation survived and traveled to the city afterwards,” Elena explained.
Oh, I forgot about that detail.
“Indeed. It means that something, someone, survived the Heavenly Tribulation. Something that can send gods back to heaven and is usually a one-shot kill. And now, they are in the city, doing who knows what,” Lady Hera said with some trepidation in her voice.
“Why is everyone so worried about it, though? The gods' mortal bodies aren’t exactly strong. A lot of things can kill them. Anyone stronger than them could probably survive it. Hell, any adventurer in the Hera familia could. Not that I would ever think of doing something like that, so stop glaring at me, Calypso,” Elena asked before waving off Calypso’s glare at the mention of surviving a Heavenly Tribulation.
“You are right. A child with a knife can kill some of the weaker or less observant gods. It’s not that impressive that someone survived, anyone who was level two probably could,” Lady Hera easily admitted before she leaned in and continued.
“The problem is that we don’t know what rule this person broke. If it’s not a god, and if it's not an animal that accidentally did it, then that means someone with preparation broke a rule and walked away. There are a lot of rules, some of which are horrific to break. I was hoping that the thing that did it did it by accident and thus died. But, if the person did it and walked away, that means they can do it again,” Lady Hera explained, which caused shivers down my spine when she said horrific.
“And make no mistake, the fact that someone could break a law and successfully get away with it is very impressive. You have to be a level two to survive a Tribulation of that size. Anyone else would be dead. That’s what worries me,” Lady Hera stressed again, and it took me a bit to get what she was trying to say.
“...You’re saying they have to have a falna to do it. If they don’t, then they won’t survive. Meaning they are in someone’s familia,” I said as the realization washed over me.
“Which means a god has to be involved. A god who knows the rules and can get their familia to break them over and over now to do…what can they do?” Calypso started only to stop and ask Lady Hera the last part.
I turned and eagerly waited for the answer too. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it. My gut was starting to form a knot, but surely it couldn’t be that bad. Right?
“A lot. They could cause a plague that has no cure, summon natural disasters that have no end, or other horrible things that would take too long to list. The point is that if some god is guiding them, then the god can guide them to do terrible things. It means that to god is established enough that they have a level two. It means that that god…could be any god in the city,” Lady Hera explained, which made my heart drop.
A feeling of terror washed through me as she said that. The few things she listed sounded terrible on their own, yet there was a possibility that they could even do worse things. There was a possibility that any god in the city could be doing it. Meaning Lady Hera couldn’t fully trust anyone. No one could.
“Why would they do that, though? If every god knows that there are rules you don’t break, why break them now of all times?” Elena asked with confusion and fear in her voice.
“I…I don’t know. No god that I know, even the most selfish, terrible, arrogant bastards, would do something like this. Raising a child and then having them face Heaven’s wrath is an absurd idea that is outdated. The falna came about to protect you all from Heaven’s wrath and avoid the tribulations. For someone to just throw that all away, to break rules that are fundamental to the world functioning, just doesn’t make sense,” Lady Hera admitted with unease.
I hated seeing her like this. I hated seeing Elena looking nervous and afraid instead of her usual bubbly self, and I hated seeing Calypso uneasy and nervous instead of her confident self.
I slowly put my hand over Lady Hera’s and squeezed it. Lady Hera seemed surprised at the gesture before giving me a small smile and starting to speak again.
“It will be fine, Meteria. The good news is that based on the strength of Heavenly Tribulation, we can assume the rule break wasn’t anything too major. So there’s no need to worry about anything too bad happening,” Lady Hera said and squeezed my hand back.
“No- that’s not what I–” I started to explain that I was trying to comfort her, not asking for comfort, but got interrupted by Elena.
“What do you mean the falna protects us from Heaven’s wrath? Why did Calypso and I feel like that then, when we went to investigate the area?” She asked in a rare serious moment for her.
“It protects you by making you unable to break the most common rules. Before the falna was created, humans were constantly breaking the rules and dying because of it. The falna makes you unable to break it, period. There are still plenty of rules that you could break, but it’s nearly impossible for you to accidentally do it once you have a falna. Which is why I’m so sure that another god is guiding their familia member into breaking the rules,” Lady Hera explained, which made us go silent.
I wonder what rule does a falna make it impossible to break, then? And how many people were breaking that rule and dying before the falna was created?
“Still, I must go and break the news to everyone else. I’m sure they will be thrilled at the news, but it must be done. Oh, Calypso?” Lady Hera stood up and made for the door, letting my hand fall onto the table before turning around and addressing Calypso.
“Y-yes, Lady Hera?” Calypso stuttered, surprised by the sudden address.
Lady Hera hesitated, biting her lips as her face flashed with too many emotions for me to name before it finally landed on grim determination.
“Send a messenger and tell Olympia she is to return immediately. The expedition can wait,” Lady Hera declared, which made all of us freeze in our seats.
“B-but Lady Hera!” Calypso went to say something only to get cut off by Lady Hera’s firm voice.
“I want them back here. That’s final,” She had steel in her voice as regret flashed across her face for but a moment.
She didn’t want to either. I could see how much it was killing her inside to order this, but she did it nonetheless. It was just that important.
“Understood, Lady Hera. I will make sure they come back as soon as possible,” Calypso said with a nod.
“Thank you. Hopefully, I’ll be back before dinner, but if not, then eat without me,” Lady Hera said before turning around and walking away with brisk steps.
“I shall take my leave as well. I need to make sure Olympia gets the message as soon as possible. Thank you for the tea, Meteria. It was delicious,” Calypso said after a moment of silence before standing and leaving.
“Stay careful,” I said automatically, only to get a smile from Calypso and a nod.
“Of course. Don’t worry, even if I have to go deliver the message myself, I’ll get it done,” Calypso said, misunderstanding what I was worrying about.
“I meant, don’t get hurt. You know, in case you do need to go deliver the message. You would have to travel through monster-infested lands alone with very little supplies,” I explained, irritation and worry rising in me. Why can’t they just let me worry about them?
“Ah, well, it would be fine. It’d be an adventure in that case. And that’s why we are called adventurers, no? Because we go on adventures,” She said with a confident smile before leaving Elena and me alone at the table.
We sat at the table, staring at each other before I hesitantly opened my mouth, “Let’s clean up then, shall we? Unless you want more?”
“Oh, no. I am fine. Thank you, Meteria. Here, let me help you,” Elena said and got up to help me put everything away.
The room was cleared up in short order, especially with Elena helping me. Afterwards, she was called away by Calypso to help send the message to Olympia. I was left alone before deciding to go get my basket and head back to my room.
My room welcomed me back with comfy sheets on the bed, warm paintings on the walls, and a fresh breeze flowing in from the balcony. I closed the door gently and placed the basket on the desk I had before fishing out the papers I had gotten from Daisy at the Guild.
I felt a bit numb after everything that I had just heard. There was a giant threat looming over the city, and here I was worried about one man. Everyone else was running around trying to solve the problem, and I couldn’t help. Yet again.
The papers crinkling in my grip snapped me out of my less-than-helpful thoughts and made me remember my goal. To help Leon. That was it.
I can’t do anything about the Heavenly Tribulations, I can’t do anything about the monsters or possible rogue god, but I can do something to help Leon. So, that’s what I need to focus on.
I went over and pulled out a map of Orario from my desk before sitting down and going through the papers Daisy gave me. Slowly, I plotted out where all the familias were located and was left with the realization that this was going to take me weeks if not months.
The sheer size and scale of what I was doing hit me as I looked at the map, but my determination didn’t fade. Calypso’s words rang out in my head once again as I looked at the map.
“Adventurers go on adventures, huh. Then this will be my first adventure, wouldn’t it?” I said to myself as a smile graced my lips.
It was small, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Yet, it would mean what world to Leon if I succeeded. It would mean the world to me.
So, I needed to succeed. I need to plan, take my time, and get this done. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I will get Leon out of his familia.
It was at that moment that my stomach growled, reminding me that it had been hours since I started working on the map, and it was dinner time.
As I exited my room to go make dinner, I felt an excitement burn in my chest mixed with determination to see this through. It was going to take time, patience, and a delicate touch.
All things I had been doing for as long as I could remember. Yep, I had this in the bag.
Now then, let’s start making dinner for everyone. Oh, I should also plan to visit Leon again in a few days. Who knows how he’s going to get food if I’m not there.
I can’t wait to see him again. Hopefully, he’s better next time I visit him. If not, then I’ll need to go show him some potion shops.
Oh, that’s perfect!
I need to go visit Airmid again soon anyway to pick up my next batch of medicine. I’ll go bring him breakfast on that day and see if he’s still hurt or not. That way, I get two birds with one stone.
With that plan in mind, I nodded and walked forward with a spring in my step. I look forward to it, Leon. And just wait, okay?
I’ll save you from your terrible familia.
==========================
Yay! All done with this.
I read through a lot of feedback from the last chapter and tried to incorporate it with this chapter, so I hope you like it. Last chapter, I thought the play-by-play would be cool, but a lot of people didn’t like it, which is fair. I didn’t think about how much reused content it would be and how little it got retextualized with her POV. So POV chapters are going to be like this going forward.
What can I say? I had an idea, and it turned out to be a bad idea, and I did it poorly. My second biggest mistake with this fic so far, I think. Anyway, I learned and grew, so that’s all that matters.
As for the chapter itself, I hope I explained everything nicely and had Hera give a good reason as to why the gods are so antsy. She is very dramatic and skipped right on over to worst-case scenario, hence all her anxiety.
This will be the last Meteria chapter for a bit; next, we are back with Leon and will have some fast-forwarding of time. I don’t know when we will see Meteria’s POV again, but I do plan to switch to someone else’s POV already. We haven’t met them yet, but currently I have the idea to have a chapter that just switches a bunch of POVs rather than a long one like Meteria.
Anywho, back to normal chapter size next time, I just felt a little bad about last time, so enjoy eight thousand-ish words of new content this time. Let me know what you think about Meteria, Hera, Calypso, and Elena. I’m happy with their interactions, but would love to hear feedback.
That’s all, until next time, friends!