Can Adventures Last Forever? (DanMachi SI)

[Silver W. King]

First Year 25:

I was jolted into waking up by water splashing down my face.

"BAAAH! Wha, huh!?"

"Weel keek who's awake. Guid mornin', sleeping beauty." A very gruff jolly voice with a heavy Scottish accent grabbed my attention, like Wonder Woman catches criminals with her lasso.

"Silver-san, are you okay!?" Asked Lili, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Wait, Lili? What are you doing here? Did you have that meeting thing today?" I ask trying to get my bearings.

"That was this morning. It's noon now. I came to hang out, but you weren't in in your usual training area." Lili explained. "I met Hirshman-san at the Glamour Threads. He said he was coming here to pick you up, so I came with him. I heard you...got into a fight?" Asked Lili, sounding a mixed between exasperated and disbelieving.

Right. It became sort of a tradition for me and Lili to take the day she gives her quota to Soma as a day off and just hang out or each do our own thing.

"Yeah, laddie. Bin tellt a bawherr lassie kicked yer bahookie, gahahahaha!"

I instant righted myself up, on the couch I was apparently sleeping on, and looked next to Lili to see the grinning face of Hirshman Gallagher.

"He-Hey, Gallagher-san." I said politely, dipping my head down in a small bow.

"Aaaarh, whit hae ah tellt ye? Hirshman, laddie. Hirshman. Say it wi' me."

"No, no, I can't..." I raised my arms in a placating manner, while smiling nervously.

Hirshman was one of the nicest and kindest people I've met in Orario. He's a guy whose always walking around with a smile, and a belly laugh ready to be shouted.

And as I looked at his mechanical right arm that looked like part of an iron robotic skeleton, the drenching tar of guilt rose up like invisible bile in my chest and throat. Hirshman was one of the three people that got permanently injured by the Lycan almost three months ago.

One of the three whose life was irrevocably changed because of me.

For the most part Hirshman seemed to take things in stride. He had a prosthetic that worked with well with some magic spells he had, and gave him some extra boost in hitting power. The other two, Ellen and Berva, opted to take the potion that, through a week long aggravating period, regrew their arms.

Ellen seemed...I don't know. Those I asked said she didn't seem that different, and I couldn't tell as she tended to be stoic in how she acted seemingly imitating Trisha (thankfully without the innuendos). Although, she now wears bulky gauntlets at all times.

Berva on the other hand, well... The few rare moments when I saw her she looked—

I slammed that thought, and shut it down right there. No. Think about something else.

"Horseshit! Ye bet yer skinny-malinky bahookie, ye kin. Ye'r a pal, a comrade. Dae ah hae tae tak' ye oot fur annur dram fur ye tae git that?" Hirshman pulled me up to my feet, and put his flesh arm around my shoulder as he let me out, of what now I could see was a large lounge area. Wait! Did he just say go for a drink?

"No, no! There is really, really no need for you to do that." My stomach prepared itself for throwing up, just from the memory of the last time, Hirshman tried to "cheer" me up, and "bond" with me. "Besides, I was just in a fight and I'm not feeling well at all..." I trailed off as I tapped my chest and focused on my body.

I...I actually felt good. Surprisingly refreshed even. Actually, I didn't feel sore or tired at all given the duel I was just in.

Wait. The duel!

I remember Aiz appearing in front of me, the sound of something cracking, then blackout.

What happened? And what was that cracking sound—

"Aaaarh, if ye'r nae feeling weel, then dram th' feeling awa'. If ye'r feeling weel, then ye kin dram wi'oot worry." Said Hirshman.

"How the hell does that make any logic at all!?" I cried out.

"Hmm, I guess going to the Hostess of Fertility wouldn't be that bad." Hummed Lili.

"Why are you encouraging him!?" I cried out to the chibi traitor. Et tu, Lili?

"You buy me those really expensive, delicious, desserts when you're drunk." Lili stated as a matter of fact, with a big innocent smile.

"I, just, what!?" I was flabbergasted. "Who the hell did you learn this from?"

"Eeeeeeeh," Lili looked to the side.

"...Oi, Lili, Nike isn't a good example of a responsible adult. Don't learn stuff from her—"

"Aah, you're up." Said a nearby voice.

As one, all three of us turned to see the petite blonde, Aiz Wallenstein catching up to us.

"Yo, Aiz-chan." I said with a casual hand wave. For some reason Lili's right eye began twitching. "Something the matter?" I wonder if this is about the duel. I don't remember how it ended, so I am not sure how well I did. Or...did it really only last that single moment? That would be embarrassing.

"Ah, umm," Aiz looked down, her brows tightening as she seemed to struggle with something, before looking up with a cutely determined expression.

I found myself smiling amused at how she acted. Lili's eye twitched further.

"I'm sorry I broke you in half!" Aiz cried out with a bow.

"...What?" I asked, confused.

"...I'm sorry I broke your spine?" Aiz tilted her head as she tried to clarify.

"What!?"

---

I have recently learned that I don't like getting drunk.

You know how some people have a romanticized idea on how they act when they're drunk. Like they expect to become this cool, super social, fun version of themselves.

"And like, reeeeally," tears framed my face as I continued my story. Thankfully there were plenty of tissues around so I don't have a runny nose. "I end up in these stupid, stupid crazy situations. MY BACK WAS BROKEN BY A CHIBI TODAY!" I shouted. "I hate that unreasonable Nike. Well, maybe not hate, more like intense dislike. My blood pressure is high when she's around."

I'm not like that.

If left alone, I was the sad version of a drunk. A sad angry version of a drunk.

"Gahahahaha! Thare, thare, let it oot laddie. Juist let a' yer feelin`s oot wi' a dram 'n' ye'll cop better ah aye say." Hirshman laughed next to me, thankfully returning to his drink, rather than slap me on the back or anything stupid in the drunken friend routine like that.

"You know, I always hear you complaining when you're here, but I think you actually enjoy how lively she makes your life." Said the owner of the pub we were in, only known as Mama Mia. Or at least that's what I know her name to be. She seemed to be amused by my complaining than anything else.

"Would you just let me bitch and moan about my constant self-tormenting deprecation, Mama Mia!?" I cried out.

"You're hilariously self-aware." She shook her head and got back to her work.

"There, there, Silver-san." Said Lili encouragingly. "You have us here to help you, whenever you need."

"You know Lili, I would really believe you, if you didn't have that cake in front of you!" I cried out and dramatically at the blackberry ice cream cake in front of her. Lili just looked away while trying to hide a self-content smug smile.

"Sorry, Silver-san." Said Aiz, head lowered toward the glass of milk in front of her.

Currently all four of us, me, Hirshman, Lili and Aiz, were at the Hostess of Fertility, a pub as well as a bar-slash-restaurant-slash-cafe. It was a relatively new place, two to three years old I think, but it's food and drinks were really good.

"Don't worry about it, Aiz-chan." I waved her off, which only seemed to make Lili look at me with her eye twitching.

"...Why do you call her 'chan'? You never call anyone 'chan'." Asked Lili, which only made Aiz focus up on our conversation.

"Because she's a kid." I said easily.

"I'm a kid." Said Lili.

"Lili is an adult." I said shaking my head.

"I'm an adult." Aiz injected into the discussion, with a pout.

"That's adorable." I said before taking another gulp from my rum. The sweet taste followed fire, made me unsure whether to cry or sigh in satisfaction.

"I'm eleven." Said Aiz, her calm voice carrying a defiance in it.

"And I'm ten." Added Lili in protest.

"See," there my point made.

"No, no," Lili injected. "Ten," she pointed at herself. "Eleven." She pointed at Aiz, who gave a firm nod.

"Is this the 'lolicon' thing?" Asked Aiz, and sudden the whole place felt silent.

"Nah," I found myself answering easily. "That's Loki and Nike being stupid. Lolicon is liking kids in a wrong way. Liking kids in general is fine, since they're all cute." I said waving her off. "I call you 'chan' because you seem like a kid, but that's not a bad thing. And Lili," I patted the Pallum's head which seemed to placate her and cause her to blush. "Is an adult because she the one responsible for me and I've known her longer, right Gallagher?"

I looked back to see Hirshman sleeping.

Seriously, dude. I mean he sometimes does this, but really?

I looked back to see Aiz thinking deeply and then looked at me.

"...Call me Aiz." She said.

Lili looked at Aiz frowning then turned to me. "I guess being just called Lili is fine."

"That's adorable, but you need to be this high to be considered an adult." I said holding my hand up to my waist. Or at least tried to, my hand seemed asleep for the moment.

Lili and Aiz looked at my arm expectingly before realizing what happened. Lili turned to Aiz and shrugged. "I guess we win."

I pouted.

The door to the Hostess of Fertility opened. A man that looked like he belonged to an asylum entered, carrying some long staff with it's head covered in bandages. His presence causing silence to fall on the civil customers of the pub.

He came and sat in one seats next to us, and the tension seemed to be held on a string.

"One glass of milk, please." Came the young cheerful voice.

Just like that, one could hear the tension and expectation break upon the man's request. I think someone even fell from their chair.

I however, wasn't impressed.

"Oi, was that suppose to make you look like a badass or something?" I gruffed out.

"What?" The guy looked toward me confused for a second, before narrowing his eyes in challenge.

"Hey, no trouble here." Mama Mia warned calmly, ready to kick ass if anyone did anything stupid.

Everyone was tense again. Except of course, Aiz who was just passively watching all this in curiosity, and Hirshman who was asleep. Lili was massaging her temples.

"If you're a real man," I said focusing on the guy. "You drink coffee milkshake!" I shouted and pointed at him dramatically.

The guy was taken aback, looking at me with wide eyes.

Tension broke again. Lili sighed shaking her head, while Aiz wondered what 'coffee milkshake' was and what it tasted like.

Mama Mia facepalmed. "How does he keep knowing what's on the secret menu?" She muttered frustrated.

"Woah!" The guy looked at me impressed.

Right here, this moment, that's the day everything changed.

That's when I met Bartholomew Ignis, my best friend.

...And most hated enemy.

 

[Silver W. King]

First Year 26:

"I'm telling you, the best cake is a moist chocolate cake, or a fudge cake. Those really taste the best."

"Nah, I'm not really a fan of chocolate," I said to Tattoo Guy next to me. I changed seats with Aiz, so I was sitting next to my new acquaintance in appreciation of sweets.

"What? No way! That's like, the only sweet that deserves to be eaten. The rest are just extra side shows." Protested Tattoo Guy.

"I just never really liked it's heavy taste. I mean, I'm okay with it in small dosages, but too much, and it's just blurgh," I let my tongue out in disgust. "Although," I continued. "I don't mind flourless chocolate cake with some vanilla ice cream." I had some fond memories with chocolate soufflé. Like the time in my old world, when I went with some friends to a third restaurant in two hours, already full, someone ordered molten chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream and then we all got sick. Aaah, good times.

"...You don't like chocolate but you like baked chocolate with an inside of melted chocolate." He said dryly.

"As long as their some vanilla on the side." I added.

"Do you realize how hypocritical you sound? What are you the politician of sweets?"

"You fucking take that back!" I cried out in jest, and Tattoo Guy seemed to take it in good humor given in small suppressed smirk. "If anything I'm a gourmet of desserts." I think I heard Mama Mia snort. "I don't just chocolate, it's like a sweet that's trying too hard to be sugary but distinct. I can't eat it unless it's with something else."

"'Trying too hard'? As if strawberry isn't anything than an over-marketed fruit with many tiny seeds, that could potentially sprout hundreds of snakes when you eat it." He said with a shudder. "Or what about vanilla that you love to mention with everything. It's basically milk."

"Okay first, that's a very disturbing, specific criticism about strawberries, which just isn't true. Second, about vanilla, it is not!" I shouted that his nutjob's blasphemy.

"It really isn't," Mama Mia said while handing a waitress an order for people sitting far away from the counter. Actually, there seems to be a large empty space between us and the other customers. Sure it's still day time, and so almost no Adventurer will be around, but still.

Anyway, not important. Back to what is.

"Vanilla is milk that's been refined and perfected to be glorious. It is not just plain milk!" I explained to this ignorant philistine.

Mama Mia shook her head while giving off an amused scoff for some reason.

"Oh please, chocolate is the epitome of sweets. Heck, that's what all sweets consists of, everything else is variations on chocolate." Argued Tattoo Guy back.

As I gave back my rebuttal to this heretic, Lili and Aiz where getting to know each other next to us.

"So, what do you do outside of going into the Dungeon? Or do you just train all the time?" Asked Lili.

"Jagamarukun." After a moment of deep contemplation, Aiz said with determination. Lili sighed and shook her head.

"Heck no, the real epitome of sweets is..." I actually stopped to think about it for a while. While I do like stuff with vanilla and strawberry, it is not the definitive thing.

"What, lost your marble?" Tattoo Guy said smirking.

"Ah, shut up," I said back lamely. "It's just that I can't actually think of the best type of sweet that I like above all else. There is just a lot of stuff. I know I don't like chocolate except in certain cases, but I can't think of something as the one true sweet—Wait!" I thought came to my head, but then I dismissed it. "Actually, never mind."

"What?" Asked Tattoo Guy intrigued.

"I was gonna say dates, you know the fruit, the black ones." I explained.

"Well, you don't eat them when they are red."

"I know, but some people like them when they're crunch."

"Weird people." Said Tattoo Guy as he shrugged.

"True."

"While good," he had a speculative look. "They can't exactly be used for everything."

"I dunno," I shrugged. "I think you can make a cake with them but don't remember how. Although, they do make a pretty good juice drink." I said pointed with my index finger.

"Huh, that I gotta try. Hey, Mama Mia, do you have any date palm juice?"

"In a minute!" Replied the giant bar owner.

"You do know, this doesn't mean chocolate isn't the best right?" He turned his head to me.

"Meh," I chuckled. "I know what I like, and for me chocolate isn't number one. I don't know what is but—" The image of the most delicious sweet hit me like a lightning bolt, and I snapped my finger. "Cinnabon!"

"What?" Said Tattoo Guy startled.

"Cinnabon, that's the best dessert. Heck, it can even served with chocolate syrup, so it works on all fronts." I said, a grin started to form on my face. Damn, now that I thought about it I couldn't stop. Man, I haven't eaten cinnabons in a long time. It would really be awesome if it exists here. For the most part nearly any type of food or dessert is served around, even with Orario being medieval-ish in technology because any fruit, vegetable, or thing that serves as ingredients can be farmed by Familias that specialize in that, like, I think Demeter was one. "Hey, Mama Mia, you have any cinnabons here?"

And as for the cooking, some people are so good at it, it because one of their Development Abilities. One of the reasons the Hostess of Fertility was such a success was because one of Mama Mia's cooks was someone with Cooking Development Ability.

"Hmm, what's that?" She asked.

Oh right, Cinnabon is the brand name of the store. "I mean, umm, cinnamon rolls. You have those around?"

"Can't say I've heard of those."

"...Sweet rolls?" Come on universe, don't fuck around with me on this. Just let me have this. "It's bread shaped like a snail." I began telling her more of what it's made of from when I remember, when her eyes widen in recognition after a moment. My heart surged with hope.

"Oh! You mean Freya Rolls."

I blinked at the odd name. I mean, having something named after a Goddess is pretty common, but a dish?

"Is that what it's called?" I asked.

"Yeah, it fits what you said. You want one?" She asked.

"Umm," I turned and looked at Tattoo Guy who looked as uncertain as me. While desserts and good ones at that are expensive, on days like today where I am free, I have enough money to splurge without worry, so it isn't a financial issue. But... "Is it okay to eat something with the name of another goddess than the one of your Familia on it?" I asked.

"Well, when you buy a really good weapon from the Hephaestus Familia, they tend to have the Smith Goddess signature on it. So, I think it's okay?" He said.

"Kids," began Mama Mia. Both me and Tattoo's eye twitch at the label. "It's just a dish. Lots of people have eaten it, and didn't get in trouble, nor does it mean anything. The only reason it's called that was because the Cook who invented it made it as a tribute for her, and when she liked it, that became its name. That's all." She explained.

After a moment of silence, Tattoo Guy shrugged. "Alright, I'll have one."

Well, seeing another person order it, I did as well. "I'll have one too, but with extra cream cheese please."

"Alright," Mia gave our orders to the kitchen.

"You know," began the guy, "With all the talks on sweets, I don't think we introduced each other." He said.

"Oh yeah," I chuckled. "I'm Silver. Silver W. King." I extended my hand to him.

The guy was looked at my hand, before quickly blinking, grinning friendly and taking it into his own. "Bartholomew. Or just Bart for short."

As we let go and turned to face the counter, there was this...odd, or rather, awkward tension all of a sudden.

"Something the matter?" I asked.

"Huh?" Bart looked at me, before grinning widely. "I'm fine," it reminded me of Lili, early in our partnership. It was very fake. I raised an eyebrow and waited for his reaction. Bart deflated and gave out a long sigh. "It's just," he looked forward. "The moment, the topic of a goddess came up, it reminded me of my Goddess, and how I'll see her when I go back home after just, going out and relaxing today."

That hit me. That hit me deep because I instantly had a hunch on what he was going through.

"You're goddess is weird and in a way crazy too." I asked, but it was more of a statement.

"Yes," Bart looked at me with wide astonished eyes. "You too!?"

"First month after I joined her Familia, her idea of training me to be physically ready for the Dungeon was dragging a cart around, while motivating me with a whip."

"Mine's idea for self awareness is to stab you in your sleep."

"She willingly took on a 40 million valis debt when she didn't have to, all just to fuck with me."

"She once spend all our money, even from our personal accounts just so she could have a book whose pages never ends, and can not be decrypted. It shouldn't have even cost that much, and I'm not even sure what she spent the rest on."

"Wait, she could do that!?" I cried out, wide-eyed and flabbergasted.

"The Gods of the Familia you join, literally own you. Oh sure, it might be worded differently in a flowery way, but it mostly boils down to that."

"Holy shit!"

"You said it."

We were silent for a moment, then I continued.

"My Goddess conditioned me to wake up an hour before the first sunlight, either cold water, or bodily harm."

"I can't sleep because my Goddess tends to use my room instead of hers to write in her book-slash-journal-slash-diary, and it feels like a creatures that eats thoughts speaking because she mutters to herself, like all the time. I might cover my head with a blanket to appear asleep because I don't want her to ask me about my opinion on her murder fantasies, but I can't actually sleep because I feel she might devour my soul!" She said the last part a lot of spirit. It looked like he was holding onto all of this for a long time.

As one we sighed at the insanity we had to live with. I looked back to Bartholomew and he looked back at me. We smiled, with tears held back, in solidarity. I placed my hand on his shoulder, in gesture of understanding and having his back. He placed his hand on my shoulder in turn.

"Friend." I spoke and no other word was needed.

"Friend." He nodded back, looking relieved to have someone who empathized with what he had. What we had. Crazy bitch ass goddesses whose existence annihiliates any piece of mind we could ever have.

"What the hell? I looked away for one second, and then this? What the heck just happened?" Shouted the astonished Lili next to us, who finally turned away from her conversation with the mini-blonde. I shook my head, she wouldn't understand.

"Ah, I know what this is." Aiz hit her fist on her open palm. "The bonds between men formed from sweat and fists."

"What?" Asked Lili utterly confused.

---

I chatted with Bart for a while, we ate, we complained about our lives, we joked but eventually we each had to leave. Aiz also had to leave since she had her own stuff to do, like lessons with the emerald haired elf or something. She insisted on paying for our meal at the Hostess of Fertility as an apology for injuring me in our duel, but I told her that she can get the next one if we hang out again, as Lili gestured that I should accept. Something about image and how accepting her apology is the correct path and a way to not appear like I'm okay with people injuring me. Fucking social politics bullshit. At least Lili and Aiz seem okay, although Lili seemed to struggle at times with Aiz's surprisingly introverted demeanor.

Anyways, on the way back to the Pallas Building Hirshman told me something interesting.

"So mind th' Muckle Expedition comin' up?" Said Hirshman. He was referring to the Big Expedition the Athena Familia every two or so month where they go deep into the Dungeon, like the 30th or something Floor, I believe, to massively resupply their items. Usually all the top Adventurers in the Athena Familia would go leaving the one of the stronger Adventurers behind to supervise operations in the Athena Glamour Threads, along with the Level 1s essential for day-to-day stuff.

The important thing about this expedition is that given how deep the group would go, the pay out would be beyond anything I could make in a week or two weeks. It would put hell of a massive dent in my debt and Lili's even after splitting my loot in half with her.

I didn't get to go last time, even if I would have likely been a Supporter, but if Hirshman is bringing it up...

"Yes..." I asked, trying to keep my expectations low.

"Well, Luca tellt me tae tell ye, that ye'r comin' oan th' neist yin. Sae, in a week fae noo, ye'r joining th' Muckle Expedition. Be sure tae be ready." Hirshman said with a grin. "Of coorse, Lili kin come too."

"YES! Thank you, Hirshman-san!" I shouted, to which Hirshman laugh. I didn't realized the real reason why, until it registered that I called him by his first name.

Still, it looked like everything is turning out for the better.

---

I sighed as I landed on my back, on my bed. It was the end of the day, and I felt exhausted but satisfied. It was a good thing, I remember to do my daily training lest Nike come up with some hellish thing for me to do, to make up for the hypothetical missing training day.

Overall, today turned out pretty well.

"But really, you had to be a pussy about it." Said the blonde Goddess, as she was setting up her bed in our room. While we shared a room, we each had our own bed and closet. It was actually much bigger than our old apartment, and the bathrooms down the hall were large enough, that one never has to worry about going to wash their face or take a shower whenever they needed to.

"What now, Nike?" I sighed.

"I'm talking about your duel," she said as she sat on her bed, rest on her arms, while crossing her legs. "You couldn't at least take a punch, then come here to faint. You had to pass out standing."

"I think the fact that I was standing by the end at all is a testament to my ability. I desire a prized medal for not being blown off my feet or something." I said back.

"Hmm," Nike twisted her lips, while tilting her head to the side. "Well, if you were blown off in half, and your upper part hit the ground, I wouldn't have been able to pull that technical win."

"Oi, oi, oi. Nike I would have died!"

"Meh, details. Besides, there was an Elixir around. As long as your head was intact, and our body was generally in one piece you would have been fine."

"...Nike, that's not reassuring at all. That's fucking terrifying." I turned my head, looking at her in stunned horror.

"Again, details. So anything interesting happened today?" Nike asked.

"Well..." I told her the abridged version of today. Not because I wanted to hide something, but because I know that orally, I was a horrible storyteller, so keeping things concise was my way to fixing that, and getting the important points across clearly.

"Huh, did you know which Familia that 'tattoo' kid is from?" She asked, looking contemplative.

"Not really. It didn't come up."

"Okay," Nike twisted her lips for a moment. "Next time, ask him if they are tattoo or Runes."

"Runes?" I was familiar with term, magic words written down to have a certain effect, but I wasn't sure if it was the same here as back in my old world.

"A certain type of Development Ability that comes from being a Mage and knowing a lot of Magic Theory."

"I thought Magic Spells were instinctive to each person?" I asked.

"Magic Spells are personal, but that doesn't mean Magic as a whole can't be studied with concepts behind it. Mage is a Development Ability that comes from using Magic Spells a lot, and grants you more magical power. Runescribe comes from studying other Magic Spells well enough to write them down and use them for your own." Nike explained.

"Huh," I looked back to the ceiling wonder if that full body tattoo Bart had really was Runes, or just a really bad life choice. "I'll ask next time then."

"Okay," said Nike. It seemed that would be the end of that, but then she turned to me and proceeded to kill some of the joy I found today. "By the way, you're not allowed to eat Freya Rolls ever again."

"What?" No. No, no, no, no, no. After I finally found some bits of my lost comfort heaven, why are you ripping it away from me?

"While Freya and I aren't exactly enemies, we are rivals," Nike drew a breath through her teeth. "It would looked pretty weird if my child is favoring a dish with her name on it that much."

"But, but it's like buying a weapon from the Hephaestus Familia, with that Goddess's signature on it. It just means, its from her Familia, that's all." I sat up and tried to argue.

"Yeah, except you don't eat Hephaestus's weapons, do you Silver?" Nike noticed my distress at the topic. "Why does this matter that much anyway?"

"Because what you call 'Freya Rolls' here, are called Cinnabons, or Cinnamon Rolls back in my old world." I tried to explain slowly, almost pleading with her to understand. "They were my favorite dessert, and it's not like I'll eat them that frequently. They're expensive and have a shitload of sugar in them." I waved my hand. "So I eat them once in a while anyways, and given the prices, that means once a month or so anyways."

"Ah, I see," Nike had a look of understanding, and for a moment I had hope. "Yeah, you're definitely not eating those ever again."

"Why!?" I shouted. "Do you just enjoy my suffering or something?"

"Hue, hue, hue, hue."

---

Bartholomew Ignis

A tall man with a thin slender built, wearing dirty grey suit, with a Boss of the Plains hat and a scarf-like tie held by gold medallon entered the large mansion in the north-eastern side of Orario. It was the mansion belonging that no one would dare enter without massive amounts of caution, or was already a member of the Familia that it belonged to. The Amechania Familia.

"Ah, Velner-sama! Welcome back, how was your day? Did you come back from meeting the other Evilus heads, or—" One of the men inside greeted the tall man, smiling widely toward him.

"Fuck off," the cold bored voice, cut through whatever the sycophant was going to say. "I'm not in the mood for whatever bullshit anyone wants now. If you or anyone bothers me again, I'll burn you to ashes." Although his words were threatening, they were delivered with the same tone of one speaking about the weather.

Soon enough, with anyone who met him, moving out of his way, the man called Velner reached his room, where he could finally calm down. With a sigh, and a bit of will, his form began to weaver and fall off him like water, revealing Bartholomew. The form he was known by in the Amechania Familia was just a disguise formed by magical layers overlapping onto him, to give him the physique and characteristics of what people know as Velner, the Vice Captain of the Amechania Familia.

However, it was only after relaxing that he noticed two people in his room. The only people who could enter his room, and know his real identity. His older sister, Salestina Ignis and his Familia Goddess, Amechania.

"Ah, Bartholomew," the Goddess with the depressing eyes said upon seeing him. "You're back." She commented, as she went back to her large white book, writing in it once more.

"Bart," his sister greeted him. "It's good that you're back. I was just talking with Amechania-sama about the Rudra and Xipe Totec Familia on an idea they proposed, however in turn—"

"And kill Nike's child." Amechania added from her seat, still writing in her book, while muttering to herself.

"...And kill Nike's child." Salestina said after taking a breath, the whole situation with the Goddess Nike was more like a headache than anything else. "Anyways, I was wondering if you could handle that one quickly on your own, given that Talon is complaining that the kid is nearly guarded twenty-four-seven. Take another form as a disguise obviously." She asked.

"Nope." Said Bartholomew, causing both Familia Captain and Goddess to blink and slowly turn to him in odd synchronicity.

"You won't kill Nike's child for me?" Asked Amechania, her tone was one of a girl denied her pet puppy.

"Bart...what do you mean 'no'?" Said his older sister in a slow near interrogative tone.

"I'm not saying I won't do it, but you know, it's not my job. You already gave it to," he waved his hands, as he moved and plopped down on his bed. "Those two."

"Talon and Lucy." Said Salestina for him.

"Yeah. Sure I can help them later on if you want. But now, I'm just tired and want to rest." He said as sat his back against the bed's head, hand on a book as though about to read it, with the two present being the ones intruding on him.

"...Ah, okay." Said the Goddess with the heavy eyes, easily accepting his answer.

Salestina however wasn't easily accepting. Her eye narrowed, and her mouth twisted down in the merest hint of annoyance and hidden anger.

"Lady Amechania, how about checking on Talon and Lucy and see if they made any progress. Maybe they managed to kill Nike's child already." Said Salestina, and Bartholomew felt his throat constrict at the prospect of having to stay with his sister alone when she's in an annoyed mood.

"...Okay," came the slow lifeless words of Amechania as she stood up and made her way out of the room, holding her book to her chest and muttering all the way.

It seem like forever before the Goddess left and closed the door behind her. Instantly, Salestina turned to her younger brother.

"So, Bart, what happened today?" She began.

"Nothing, I just walked around, went to a few placed to have lunch and that's it." He said, meeting Salestina's gaze and trying to show his earnestness.

"Are you lying to me?" Salestina's voice was calm, but the accusation rang loudly.

"Wha, no." Bartholomew, already knew how this would go. He just wanted her to leave and not berate him already.

"So, you're lying to me now." She continued, her tone holding a touch of disappointment and betrayal.

"No, I am not." He shouted, gritting his teeth. "I walked around and had lunch at the Hostess of Fertility. Then came back here, seriously, that's it."

"Really? Okay, then, please go and do my request please." Salestina continued, going back to the earlier point of him handling the matter of Nike's child as it would be easy and simple for him to do.

"No, I'm tired. I wanna go to sleep." He looked away from her, already expecting what's coming next.

"'You're tired'? From what, walking around, sitting and eating all day? Or from showing your face once or twice to the idiots outside, and not doing any actual leadership."

"I do my part," he gritted his teeth, and he stared back at her. "I just have today off. That's all. As for Nike's child, it's already being dealt with."

"Really? Really, is it?"

"Yes," he started to shout, but held his tone back. "I'll help those two Lucy and something—"

"Lucy and Talon. Seriously, this is what I'm talking about. You don't bother to focus, that you can't even remember the names of our minions." Salestina shook her head in disbelief.

Bart breathed heavily, trying to just wait her out and just leave him alone.

"I remember now."

"Really? Do you?" She said sarcastically.

"I'm going to help them. Later."

"Really, and when is this 'later'?"

"I dunno, okay. Just later." Bartholomew sat with his jaw clenched as he hoped his conversation would end.

"I can't believe this. I mean, I work hard everyday with these crazy psychos, and you don't even try to make my life even the smallest bit easier. It's just unbelievable, Bart. Do you hate me? Do you just like to make things difficult for me? Is that it?" She said looking at him while gesturing with both hands to herself, as though in an earnest plea.

"No," Bartholomew growled out. "That's not it."

"Then what is it? Are you just being stubborn for the hell of it? You're not a kid anymore."

Like always when their was a disagreement between them, his older sister continued to talk at him, till she either grew tired or got her way. Thankfully, it didn't get to the slaps this time. He didn't want to fight back, because if he did, he wasn't sure if he would restrain himself then, so he just kept everything in, and stayed seated, as Salestina kept talking.

It might be pitiful, but he found a friend. As ironic as cruel as fate maybe, the first person, he felt bond to (and over such a childish thing too) in Orario turned out be the person his Goddess wanted dead. Goddess Nike's child, Silver W. King.

Yes, odds are he will kill him later on, but he would like that "later on", to be as far into the future as possible. And so, like with any disagreement with his sister, he withstood her rant till she left. She'll probably take it out on one of the grunts in the Familia. Honestly, right now, fuck'em. Not his problem.

He was emotionally drained. He didn't feel up to reading or doing anything, so Bartholomew Ignis ended his day and went to sleep.

 

[Silvercrystal]

a necro after this amount of time? I think this is a safe lock till OP asks for a resurrection.